Alex Curry & Carmen Vitali talk NFL Divisonal Races, Notre Dame's exclusion, and more!

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Welcome to Fox Football Saturday. I'm Alex Curry here with
Carmen Vitale. Thank you for spending your Saturday afternoon with us.
Mama Curry has entered the chat. You guys, we are back, baby.
I want to give a big thank you though, to Carmen,
Tracy and Nikki for holding down the fort while I
was out on maternity leave. But uh, Carmen, it's good

(00:24):
to be back. I'm missing your face though, you guys,
this is something new for me. I'm sure, as you
guys know, Carme's back in Chicago. I'm in LA. But
it's gonna be like if I'm like, you know, like
how you chat with your girls on the phone. I
feel like that's what this is gonna be.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
No, it's been so long, It's been so long since
I've heard you in my ears. Though it's great. I'm
so happy. I know, I'm congratulations on everything. I hope.
Baby Jackson is doing incredibly well.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
Dude.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Jackson is a huge sports fan. I mean she doesn't
have a choice because, like, what did I do the
whole time for the last five months? Watch every sport
that was on TV? Imaginable. So yeah, I'm like, what's
her first word gonna be. Is it gonna be a player?
Is it gonna be footballs.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
My bets on Ati, my BET's on Atani right now.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
Or something that's gonna be around the time, like baseball season.
I think like when she starts talking, which would be
absolutely hilarious.

Speaker 4 (01:17):
Not mad about that.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
That's that's what my money's on. Is a little show, hey,
coming out of little Jacksie's mouth.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
We love it. We have so much to get to today,
you guys. We got a grandpa starting this week in
the NFL. We'll get to that in a moment. Is
Shadoor Sanders. The future in Cleveland is Aaron Rodgers making
the Steelers better. We've got like a battle for the
top of the NFC West and North. We're gonna get
to college football playoff rankings. Was Notre Dame snubbed? We

(01:45):
have Notre Dame alone, Michael look Junior joining us in
our two. We also have NFL Networks Cynthia Freeland coming
on in about thirty minutes. Her Lions are in town,
coming to play the rams I O game, a huge,
huge game. I'm gonna be at that one which I'm
really excited about. Tomorrow. We got PC producer Bow with

(02:06):
us today, technical producer Chrisopherfett, and Martin Wise at the
news desk.

Speaker 4 (02:10):
I've missed you guys.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Happy to be back with all of you familiar faces. Hi, Martin,
are you smiling?

Speaker 5 (02:16):
No?

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Oh, he can't hear he's talking, but I can't hear
what he's say. There we go. I was like, I'm
looking at everybody. Okay, but let's CARMI. Let's get to
the breaking news this morning that forty four year old
Philip Rivers is coming out of retirement and starting for
the Colts on Sunday. Now, this man, let's just paint

(02:38):
the picture for you guys. He has not played a
game since twenty twenty. He is a father of what ten,
He is officially a grandfather, Yes, a grandfather, will be
playing in the NFL. The second one to do it,
starting at quarterback. I think Brett Favre was the other one.
I gotta be honest, though, I thought this was a
joke at first, Like there's so much like deep fake

(02:59):
stuff now and AI stuff on the internet that like
this felt like a wild movie plot, Like Rivers has
been out of the game for five years and he
hasn't been playing football. He has been coaching high school football.
I'm I am concerned for his safety. He is going
up against men who have been training and fighting every

(03:19):
day to be the best physical shape they could be
in for the last five years and now you're just
kind of throwing them in.

Speaker 4 (03:27):
Here like amaze is where you get hurt? Like this
is where you seriously get hurt.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
It's not just that he's going up against NFL talent
after being clearly in the high school ranks. It's that
he's going up against the Seahawks. Yeah, we have an
incredible defense, just start added.

Speaker 4 (03:41):
That's an ad and then.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
You have the Niners, the Jags, and then oh, by
the way, they have to finish the season against the Texans.
You have two of the best pass rushers in the
league and perhaps the best tandem if you're talking Will
Anderson and and Neil Hunter. Like that is not just hey,
we're going against the NFL talent here. That's going against
some of the best defenses in your conference at this point.

(04:03):
So that is what's hysterical to me, where I'm just like, man,
he what I want to know is is this giving
Tom Brady ideas.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
At this point because I'm like, what are we doing
forty four you?

Speaker 1 (04:17):
I'm with you, though, Alex. Where when Daniel Jones got
hurt and I like, at first, you know, he went
down and it was non contact and it looked like
an achilles. But then he walked off the fields. I
was like, maybe it's maybebe audio walk if it's.

Speaker 4 (04:29):
Not walked off the core after he tore his achilles too,
which is.

Speaker 1 (04:33):
Wild and so then but then like the whispers started
happening about Philip Rivers and I was like, oh, that's
just like.

Speaker 4 (04:39):
It's just no, there's no way.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
And then it was like actual reporting was saying no,
the Colts have reached out to Philip Rivers to gauge
his interest in doing this.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
And did you hear his press conference where he goes, well,
I thought, my like that ship has sailed.

Speaker 4 (04:54):
Yeah, five years you were eligible, you.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
Were with and eligible like a runner up for the
Hall of Fame, and now it's going to start all
over again in another five years. You can do it.
But the thing is is like he has it's not
like he's in peak physical condition.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
He is like really asked how much he weighs yeah,
and he's like, that's a great question. That's a great question.

Speaker 2 (05:14):
Like the other thing too, if he was like Tom
Brady forty four at the end of his career, where
like your entire life is taking care of your body
and making sure that you're in the best physical, mental,
and football shape that you can actually be. In a
different story, we might be having a different conversation here.
I just have so many questions, first one being who

(05:35):
thought that this was a good idea?

Speaker 4 (05:37):
Like, who still thinks this is a good idea?

Speaker 1 (05:39):
I will say, I will say the Colts have one
of the best offensive lines in the ages, okay right now.
They also have a resurgent year from Jonathan Taylor running back,
who like looks like the Jonathan Taylor from three years
ago who led the league in rushing, and it like
so much of their offense is not hidden. Does not

(06:00):
on Philip Rivers coming back and being who Philip Rivers
used to be ten years ago.

Speaker 4 (06:05):
I mean, even half.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
Of who Philip Rivers used to be is hard to
wrap your head around after five years being out of
the league.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
Well, he's going to have the protection, he is going
to have a supplemental run game. The Colts do have
a really good defense, they're healthy for the most part.
Looks like I think Sauce Gardner is the only one
defensively that has an injury. But you have like all
of the pieces in place to the point where as
the quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts right now, what you

(06:35):
just need to do is be a game manager. And
I guess they thought that forty four year old Philip
Rivers could could do that.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
So we're going to say, but think about this. Okay,
we're in our thirties, right, he retired in his thirties.
Every year when you get out of bed, something hurts
a little more. Right, he retired in his thirties. He
is coming back in his mid forties. That is a
huge difference in body capability, how you're going to feel,
how you're going to last. Like he could get seriously

(07:04):
injured out there because he is not.

Speaker 4 (07:07):
Like his body isn't in football condition.

Speaker 1 (07:10):
Well, and I have, but I have to imagine that.
Obviously that's going to be paramount to what they're doing offensively,
and they're going to try to protect Philip Rivers as much.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
But you can only do so much because now you
got the Seahawks going like.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
Great, yeah, well I know, I know exactly We're going
salivating at this, Mike Yes salivating at this with his
defense in Seattle. I I like, there's so many things
that are happening right now that I'm just like, what
year actually is it? Is it twenty fourteen, because it
kind of seems like it. You have Aaron Rodgers doing
the discount double check and and Mike Tomlin by the way,

(07:45):
doing it on the sideline with him, which is hysterical,
and like the Chiefs are like a kind of mid
it and and like and and now Philip Rivers is
back in the league playing for the Indianapolis Colts.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
So I'm just kind of like, I will say, Aaron
Rodgers is no longer the oldest quarterback in the league.
Philip Rivers is stepping in and.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
Goes, yeah, I don't even think Philip Rivers strikes to
be honest, but if he did.

Speaker 2 (08:09):
Home kids, I just one, I don't know how like
now that I have like one child, and like how
do people swear?

Speaker 1 (08:16):
So I don't know, like what is that.

Speaker 2 (08:20):
I don't know if that's like to me that just
probably doesn't mind goes with like he doesn't swear, so
that means he's got everything together and he's going to
be okay.

Speaker 1 (08:29):
I don't know. I can't wait, I can't. He better
be miked up on tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
That's all I have to say, Philipert, that's a missed
opportunity if they're not, because this is going to be
this is going to be must watch TV. But in
the sense where you know that emoji where you're peeking
through your hands. Yeah, yeah, that's where I'm going to
be because I just he is a an older man.
I don't want to say like forty four is an
old man, but into the sports sense when you get

(08:54):
a mirror.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
Right now, yeah, the oldest player forty four years old,
like literally forty four years But I also can't imagine
that they would be starting him if they felt uncomfortable
with it like they have. I mean Riley Leonard, didn't
you know like that you don't want to rest your
chances to finish the season, you know, in a good
playoff position on Riley Leonard. But they have Brett Rippon too,

(09:17):
not that that. I mean what a couple of years is.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
That, like yay off the practice squad like up to
the main Rock.

Speaker 1 (09:24):
They well, Brett Rippon, could you know come in and
be a game manager too. I mean, I just don't
think that you do this if you're the Indianapolis Colt
if you don't feel about it. So there's something that
telling them that to feel good about this, and I'm
excited to find out what it is.

Speaker 2 (09:36):
It's wild because they still have a chance to shot
at winning the division, like they played the Jags in
the Texan still the third in the AFC South, but
it's like not that far off. Jags are nine and four,
Texans eight and five, Colds eight and five. Like this
week obviously is going to be I think the toughest
one against the Seahawks in Seattle, which is already an
impossible place to play and you can't.

Speaker 4 (09:58):
Hear anything when you're there.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
If you've ever been in that stadium, it is one
of the loudest stadiums out there. I just I don't know.

Speaker 4 (10:09):
This is It's still a head scratcher to me.

Speaker 2 (10:11):
Like when when the news broke that he is QB
one this morning, I laughed like I thought he was joking.
Like I feel like the Inkerman. I wrote about it
in my diary and I laughed about it, like this
is what I've like.

Speaker 4 (10:24):
It's it's crazy they feel.

Speaker 1 (10:28):
So Listen, if the Seahawks win like the three of
their last four, including both of their division games against
the Jags and the Texans, yeah, they make the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (10:36):
So they clearly think that this is the answer to
winning three of you know, they this gives them their
best shot to win three of their four, thank you.
So I don't know if it's going to be this,
But then they got the forty nine ers after that,
that's going to be we'll see, Like they have to
split these next two games and then they have to
win both division games, but then they're in. So I
don't guess Philip Rivers gives them the best opportunity to
do that. And I don't want to do it.

Speaker 2 (10:58):
I can't I don't see it.

Speaker 1 (11:00):
I can't wait. But it is it is like from
from the cold side of things, it's very disappointing given
the start that they got they had to the season
and how well Daniel Jones was doing. They had come
even before Daniel Jones had gotten hurt though, Like this
this had been a team that was kind of stalling
out a little bit. They had some injuries that were
there stalling things and they were kind of losing steam

(11:21):
as it was, but it was still a great story.
And I mean, especially in the beginning of the beginning
quarter of the season, everyone was like, oh my god,
the Colts are for real. Yeah, and they had seemed
to put a lot of stuff together and you know,
they're they're run now by Jim Mersey's daughters, which is
a really cool story in and of itself because that's
something that they've been prepared for their entire lives. And

(11:42):
it was all like, it was such a feel good
story and then you know, the unthinkable happens where Daniel
Jones goes down and you're just like, oh, oh, there's
not a whole lot of Plan B here on our
roster already, so let's figure out something else. And now,
I mean, if nothing else, just do it for the plots.

Speaker 2 (11:59):
Yeah, if this like works out, and like I it's
gonna it will be it will be turned into Yeah,
if this works out.

Speaker 1 (12:08):
I play Philip Rivers?

Speaker 4 (12:09):
Have he who would play Philip Rivers?

Speaker 1 (12:12):
It's got to be like, now DA's quits tool Now
Bradley Cooper.

Speaker 2 (12:16):
Ah, that's actually not a bad one like, it could
definitely be I could see Bradley Cooper. I mean that's
a you know, that's a that's a high compliment for
Philip Rivers, but that would be a good one. Yeah,
that's just wild. I like, I like, I hope for
the best, but I am terrified for him. I am
just terrified. Must watch TV. Do not miss that game tomorrow. Okay,

(12:39):
we're gonna talk about another quarterback here real quick before
we go to break. Shadoor Sanders named QB one for
the rest of the season.

Speaker 4 (12:47):
And I just got to give myself a little pat
on the back here.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
Because before the season started, one of my hot takes
was Shadoor would be the starter by Thanksgiving, and it happened. Now,
for all the knocks he got around the draft, it
feels like he took a big piece of that humble pie.
He's had good people in his ear, Tom Brady being
one of them who told him it's not where you're drafted. Obviously,

(13:11):
Brady was picked in the sixth round at one ninety nine.
Sanders was fifth round one forty four. But it's how
you perform on the field after to earn your spot.

Speaker 4 (13:18):
Now, is he the future that is the big question.

Speaker 2 (13:21):
And the Browns have a brutal last four games, starting
with your Bears tomorrow. They're supposed to be one of
the coldest games at Soldier Field ever ever.

Speaker 1 (13:31):
Top five, are you gonna be there? I will, oh
my go?

Speaker 2 (13:35):
Then they're verse Bills, verse Steelers at Bengals, So like,
is that enough time that he can prove that he
should be the guy and tell the Browns like, you
don't need to go out and get another quarterback in
the first round this next draft. Like, I don't know.
Those are really hard games, but if he does well,
that's a big prove yourself moment.

Speaker 5 (13:58):
It is.

Speaker 1 (13:59):
And the thing that concerns me about this whole situation too,
is not only that the schedule is really tough down
the stretch for the Browns, but four of the five
Browns starting offensive linemen from week one are not playing
in this game. Yeah, so you have you have, and
then you have other guys that are questionable, and everybody's

(14:21):
really beat up when it comes to this offense in general.
So like, how much protection is should Sanders going to have.
One of the things that has been a knock on
should door is he's not as athletic and can't get
himself out of pressure in the way that for instance,
Williams can. He holds the ball a little too much,
which I mean, it's very that's very rookie quarterback things.

(14:44):
But when you're dealing with an offensive line that has
as many injuries as Cleveland does, and you trust yourself
like it seems like Shud I mean, she does not
lacking for confidence, and that's great to have in a quarterback,
But if you're overestimating your own athleticism in a situation
like this, that's what's going to lead to turnovers. And
that's what we saw a little bit of that. Though

(15:05):
he did pass the three hundred yard passing mark in
this the last game that he played, the ball security
was still an issue and kind of some of those
more athletic plays, because he is when he is when
he can set his feet and chuck the ball down
the field, he could be accurate. He is, he's very
good at seeing the field when it comes to that
kind of stuffy but once you get him on the run,

(15:28):
that's really that's where things mistakes happen with Shutter, and
that is what the Bears are going to try to
do to them this week, and that is what is
probably going to happen, given the fact that you have
a piecemeal offensive line right now in Cleveland. But I'm
with you that if he is able to show up
and take care of the football and be productive in
this offense down this stretch, yeah, to end the season.

Speaker 2 (15:50):
Could big prove it moment.

Speaker 1 (15:52):
It's all. Every single game is a prove it game.
But if you're able to do that against this competition,
which is largely in your conference save for this game,
then you have to kind of take a look and
see how viable Shadur's future is. Yeah, and is he
worth building around exactly? And there are people in and
around the organization that already feel that way, But there
are people in and around the organization that seem like

(16:14):
they didn't necessarily.

Speaker 2 (16:15):
Like obviously that's why he dropped to the fifth round.
He is not a fifth round draft pick. Like I
don't think he was a first round draft pick, but
he's definitely not a fifth round But that there's a
lot of mixed emotions I think in that building around
shudor Sounders.

Speaker 1 (16:30):
And including from his own head coach. I think just
listening to Stefanski talk about Shuder. It's the most passive
aggressive thing I think I've ever heard from a head
coach about his quarterback. Yeah, and you can just tell
that that wasn't his decisions, his guy. It's not his guy,
and that's a big thing to be fair. I don't
know who was supposed to be the guy on this
Brown's team going into the season. We talked at length

(16:52):
about the six quarterbacks on the roster. One obviously, you
know Shaun Watson being injured in this, that the other,
but then you had all of these other guys that
were just like, what are you doing? Why do you
have so many quarterbacks?

Speaker 2 (17:05):
Too many?

Speaker 1 (17:08):
Fla was on the skirt at one point. And then
you want Dylan Gabriel who was drafted two rounds before
Shaedor you tried to give him a shot that didn't work.
There were it was. It's just been I don't know
who was ever supposed to be the answer.

Speaker 2 (17:21):
No, we will find out if it's Shadore the last
stretch of the season. We're going to take a quick
break here when we come back. College football playoff rankings
came out. Did they get it right? You're listening to
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Speaker 2 (18:12):
Subscribe, hit that zums up icon and comment away. Welcome
back to Fox Football Saturday. I'm Alex Curry here with
Carmen Vitally. We are broadcasting live from the Fox Sports
Radio studios in Los Angeles, and thank you for spending
your Saturday afternoon with carme and me.

Speaker 1 (18:28):
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Speaker 2 (18:46):
Com Harry Carme. It's officially a college football playoff time
and the rankings were announced this week. We got Indiana,
Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech, Oregan or miss Texas A
and m Oklahoma, Alabama, Miami to Lane and James Madison.
But one of the loudest conversations this week is not

(19:07):
someone on that list.

Speaker 4 (19:09):
It did Notre Dame get snubbed.

Speaker 2 (19:14):
Yeah, and there are so many directions you can go
into this. I'm excited that we have Mike Golick, junior
Notre Dame alum on Next Hour to really dive into this.

Speaker 4 (19:24):
But I don't think so.

Speaker 2 (19:27):
This is what happens when you're not in a conference
and you're not playing high level conference matchups. Their strength
of schedule did not help them. Their best win ended
up being against USC who I think was ranked twentieth
at the time, and Notre Dame in Miami, which has
been kind of like a comparison conversation played week one
in Miami. One I just say, I think they're being

(19:51):
sore losers with this whole situation.

Speaker 1 (19:54):
I think they're being sore losers about not going into
a bowl game. Now, I think too that especially when
there is eight change in kind of like if they
are ranked twelve or above next season, they are automatically
into the playoffs. I'm like, all right, you didn't need
to do that. However, this whole situation is it just

(20:15):
brings into sharp relief the ambiguity with which the selection
committee is based on essentially, like this is you like,
it's not even necessarily the Notre Dame versus Miami who
should have gotten in. My issue is Alabama because they
are the only three loss team YEA that is ranked

(20:36):
in the top ten, and they were ranked over Notre Dame,
over Miami, and they were not They were not punished
for that blowout loss that they suffered in this SEC
championship to Georgia and the thinking behind that. And my
friend Nicole Auerbach, who does incredible work for NBC Sports
and does a bunch of stuff in college football, she

(20:58):
brought up the point that, all right, the committee decided
not to drop Bama in the way that they dropped
BYU for their blowout loss in a conference championship because
Wellbama had already beaten Georgia. Well Bama's initial ranking going
into that game had already baked that in. So they're
essentially getting credit for beating Georgia twice even though they

(21:18):
only did it once, and then they suffered a blowout
loss to Georgia and have an are a three loss team.
There's all these mental gymnastics going on with putting Bama
into the college football playoff when you look at the
way that and like the way that Alabama had been
playing towards the back end of the season like it
was night and day, as far as like Notre Dame

(21:40):
had like they were playing, well they were, they were
a very viable team. And I am like the last
person because like I grew up surrounded by Notre Dame fans,
and my whole thing was always like doing a conference already,
like what are you doing?

Speaker 4 (21:54):
This is this is your fault.

Speaker 1 (21:55):
But but I don't blame them from the sense of
just kind of the ambiguity of that. And then this
this all brings into the conversation of like, well, should
we even have conference championship games if teams are gonna
get punished for for playing an extra game? Like why
are we punishing teams for playing an extra game?

Speaker 2 (22:16):
Honestly, I think the whole system and the committee needs
to change. I mean, there's a twelve people who decide
the future of a billion dollar industry.

Speaker 4 (22:24):
Yes, it's and that's where thing is wild.

Speaker 1 (22:26):
That's the issue too. And again I'm very excited to
talk to Mike about all of this because he actually
got to talk to Notre Dame ad Pabakua for his
podcast for the Echoes like last week, so that was
another reason. And like so aside from just being a
Notre Dame alem and still very connected to the program, Yeah,
Mike has talked to the major decision makers at Notre

(22:48):
Dame about all of this. I'm very excited to talk
to him.

Speaker 2 (22:51):
Say for that. In the second hour, Banala check in
with Martin Wise and see what's trending.

Speaker 1 (23:00):
To have Army and Navy.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
Army with thirteen points in the second quarter, now thirteen
to seven, the lead for the Black Knights over the
Midshipman a field goal as half expired for Army to
get that thirteen point there and now in Major League
for Major League Football?

Speaker 1 (23:16):
What am I doing?

Speaker 3 (23:17):
I read your rundown today and about the winter meetings,
and that's what was in the top of my head.

Speaker 4 (23:22):
I don't know why more teams aren't doing more insane.

Speaker 5 (23:24):
I don't know why.

Speaker 3 (23:28):
The Colts signed Philip Rivers to the fifty three MAU
roster of the forty four year old expected to start
against the Seahawks on Sunday. He was eligible for the
Pro Football Hall of Fame this upcoming class, but now
that he will be playing in a game, which is
a weird, ridiculous statement to say that clock now restarts,
he has to wait five more years. So the earliest
to say Philip Rivers retires at the end of this

(23:50):
assuming so he would be eligible for the Hall of Film,
will be twenty thirty. Cowboys keep Traymon Diggs on IR
for the game against the Vikings. He was practiced this week.
It was limit in practice. Was hoping to get out there,
but not able to go. The Green Bay Packers added
Emmanuel Wilson to the injury report for the game at Denver.

Speaker 4 (24:08):
He's sick.

Speaker 3 (24:09):
Running Back Josh Jacobs already questionable with a knee injury.
Thomas Harper for the Lions will be missing. He's downgraded out.
The safety has a concussion. They also ruled our guard
Christian Mahogany today leg injury, and Miami Dolphins head coach
Miam mc daniel said today that running back to bon
E Chan expected to play on Monday Night football against
the Steelers. And I'm sure that Carmen and all the

(24:30):
other people in Chicago are happy to hear that the
Bear's optimistic that Romadonde will play Sunday. He's dealing with
that foot injury that's been bothering the last couple of weeks.

Speaker 2 (24:38):
Back to you, guys, Thank you Martin. All right, you're
listening to Fox Football Saturday. I'm Alex Curry with Carmen Vitally.
Thank you for spending your Saturday after doon with us.
It is time for our first guest, one of my favorites,
to have on our show. So with it be my
first week back, I had to bring back the best
in the game, NFL Networks analytic expert host of Numbers
Game Gordy In Clyde's mom, Cynthia Freelan, Hey.

Speaker 5 (25:03):
Guys, welcome back, Alex. Congratulations, good stuff here.

Speaker 2 (25:07):
Oh we love Okay, Cynthia, we got to dive into
the fact that we have a grandpa starting in the
NFL tomorrow, Philip Rivers coming out of retirement and starting
for the Colts at forty four years old. What was
your initial reaction when you heard this and what are
your expectations, like realistic expectations from him tomorrow.

Speaker 5 (25:24):
My initial reaction was why, Yeah, and because, I.

Speaker 8 (25:28):
Mean it's not just flickr like we've seen.

Speaker 5 (25:30):
Quarterbacks play at forty four before. Yeah, that's kind of
young to be a grandpa. But the doctor's being crazy.
But ultimately, do you want to get hit you haven't
played in eighteen hundred days.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
Concerns you want to say, gets kind of hit?

Speaker 1 (25:41):
Yeah, especially going against who he's I mean he's got
Seattle immediately, and it kind of has a gauntlet down
the stretch.

Speaker 5 (25:50):
Yeah, it's Seattle, San Francisco, Jacksonville, and Houston.

Speaker 8 (25:54):
So not a not a.

Speaker 5 (25:55):
Great not a great mix of teams to potentially base,
but you know, it's at least it's fun, it's interesting.
It keeps the cults, uh, you know in the news.
I don't know. I think I was like, why is
he doing this too? This poor man?

Speaker 2 (26:09):
I thought it was a joke. I literally thought it
was like an AI joke. Like, excuse me, sir, you
have been retired for five years. You're not in football shape.
You are going up against like grown men who are
going to be salivating at like the thought of just
taking you down. You have ten kids, you are a grandfather.
Why are you doing this? You were eligible for the
Hall of Fame, like just you were in the.

Speaker 5 (26:30):
In the finalists. Was one of the twenty sixth finalists.
It wasn't even just eligible it was, but he was in.
I mean, he'll what it'll be like twenty thirty or whatever.

Speaker 4 (26:37):
Now yeah, starts still, she starts back over.

Speaker 2 (26:40):
Okay, let's get to your lions, who are in La
taking on the ramps tomorrow. Yeah, we do. Who do
you have taking this game? Give us your numbers, break
it all down. I can tell just by that reaction
you don't have lions.

Speaker 8 (26:53):
I do not, though.

Speaker 5 (26:55):
I was just missing too many pieces.

Speaker 8 (26:57):
I mean they just ruled out a guard.

Speaker 5 (26:58):
Now as well. And it's you know, it was one
thing when you had maybe one corner out, but now
you have Terry On Arnold literally had surgery this week.
Brian branch I believe his surgery was last week, but
it was within the last two weeks and his achilles
Kirby Joseph not playing, like, I just don't know how
you really have a chance against Kuka a Kua and

(27:18):
all the different ways that that offense can kill me,
DeVante Adams and his short touchdowns, all of those things.
It's just not a good matchup for a team that's
reeling with injuries. If it's just it's yeah, I'm not
going to go. I don't watch them lose.

Speaker 8 (27:32):
I didn't know that growing up.

Speaker 2 (27:33):
I will be there on the sidelines.

Speaker 1 (27:36):
Your Rams fans, you can your year ago, the well,
the Lions are part of this. And you know as
well as anyone sin that the playoff field changes over
by about what half every year, And I just you know,
looking forward, we like at the beginning of a season,
you're like, but what teams could possibly miss the playoffs
that like, you know, didn't that made them last year?

(27:58):
Like these like these guys all look viable and that
the other and now sitting atop the AFC, you had
the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots and the
Jacksonville Jaguars. By the way, and then atop the NFC
it's the Rams, Packers Eagles, which I think was maybe
a little bit more predictable. Though things seem even more
volatile on the top of the NFC than they do
on the AFC. But what, like the contenders that we

(28:22):
thought were going to be there aren't, So what what
contributes to all of this? I want to know if
you have any like fun numbers when it comes to
all of the things that have changed over and why
that's happened, and if parody really is an all time high,
because it certainly seems like it.

Speaker 5 (28:39):
Well, first off, the one thing that I find bananas
is that if the Carolina wins this week and then
they beat the Bucks next week, they will clinch the
AFC South. We don't even need to get to at
which is like, that's wild because they've won four time straight.
It looked like they were coasting into five. I mean,
I just thought that was nuts too. But I mean,
number one, it's parody. Number two, it's you know, we're

(29:00):
seeing some like who the good coaches are versus the
not good coaches when it comes to being able to,
you know, teach concepts. You know, you have these coaching
trees and you know, you whatever, people get jobs. The
hiring cycle is very confusing to me, even though I've
watched it now for like two decades. But whatever, you know,
and you're starting to see now, Okay, Like, of course,
the injuries always played into it, because parody's always been there.

(29:23):
But I think now we're really starting to see who's
better at being able to identify players in free agency
and in the draft, and who's worse because between the
transfer portal and between some teams being exceptional with their
cap strategy and other teams being terrible at it, you're
starting to see that's that makes a big difference.

Speaker 2 (29:43):
Okay. I want to move to the Browns and Shador Sanders,
who has been named their QB one for the rest
of the season. He looked solid in Week fourteen despite
the loss. Can he prove that he is the guy
the future for Cleveland with like four really tough last
games of the season.

Speaker 5 (30:02):
So the thing that you said there is for Cleveland
that I will take. That's the asterisk for me because
I don't know if this regime is going to be
the same. I don't know what's going to happen there,
what kind of just happened in the off season, But
I think should door standers can prove that he can
be a starter in this league. I don't know if
it's necessarily going to be with the I don't know
what the Browns decisions will be going forward with a

(30:23):
lot of things. I mean, they've got just you know,
some things that feel weird there. But you know, I
don't know what happens there. But I think he can
prove that he is certainly a start. The fact that
you know, you started, we started this conversation talking about
Philip Rivers starting. There's not thirty two qualified people, so
you're you're telling me, you know, like it's better to

(30:44):
have a forty four year old off the couch like
than should do or standers like I just I don't.
I can't get behind that. So that's kind of where
where I thought that. Again, do I know if it's
with the Browns, I don't know. It feels like there's
some upheaval there that might get sorted in a different
like strategy way with you know, front office thing. But like,
I think he proves that he can be a starter somewhere.

Speaker 1 (31:04):
I want to stick in the AFC because the interesting
part of you know, so the Chiefs are on the
outside looking in right now, with the playoffs at thirteen
percent chance currently to make, it doesn't look like it's
going to happen. The Bills, on the other hand, like
salvaged unfortunately sorry I sent against your Lions. They salvaged
some hot But the Patriots are returning to power in

(31:26):
the AFC, and it just leaves me to wonder, like,
did the Bills miss their window to take hold of
this conference and to get Josh Allen hoisting into a
Super Bowl MVP Trophy.

Speaker 5 (31:39):
Well, I mean, I think when you're looking at the Bills,
I don't think their windows close yet. I mean, I
think they have a lot of questions to solve, namely
the run defense. I mean, you know, wide receiver will
be a question. But you know they've made some interesting decisions,
good bed whatever every team does. But I don't think
their windows necessarily close. Do I think this is the
season that's going to happen. Unlikely because number one just

(32:01):
being a wild card makes things harder. But the AFC
could be potentially in the playoffs without Patrick Maholmes, without
Lamar Jackson. So I think if the Bills get in.
There's a reason that they are tied with Denver for
the for the best Super Bowl odds in terms of
winning the Super Bowl this season, so I wouldn't count
them out yet, even though it seems interesting with like
the Drake Mays of the world, like by the way,

(32:22):
New England is, the Broncos and the Bills are tied
for first in most sportsbooks and second would be the Pats.
But I don't know if the Pats are ready yet
with commendaries to like Milton Williams and all those guys
on defense too.

Speaker 2 (32:35):
Okay, you mentioned the Chiefs Karmi when you brought up
the AFC, so they do not it looks like the
dynasty's over. Let's just be real here. They're on the
outside looking in right now in the playoff picture, how
did like a first, what's been their biggest issue? And
how do they rebuild to get back next year?

Speaker 5 (32:53):
I mean, they've lost six games by one score, so
it's not like they're sitting there being you know, it's
not like.

Speaker 8 (32:58):
This like oh, oh my gosh, whatever.

Speaker 5 (33:00):
We just expect so much from them because of the
nine seasons of dominance that you're just you're viewed in
a different light. I mean, number one, this has been
their O line right now, they're tomorrow they're starting with
without three of their you know, I guess the guys
who projected them to start Joshua's didn't play a lot
of the seasons. So that's why I'm kind of, you know,
asterisking it like that. But you know, the between that

(33:23):
and between the defense not showing up consistently, which is
not usually what you see usually from a Steve Spagnolo defense.

Speaker 9 (33:30):
You see maybe.

Speaker 5 (33:31):
In September some like confusion, but then you know, come October,
come November, like this defense is crazy. Last week we
saw maybe twelve minutes of the type of defense that
you thought you were going to see. It was the
beginning of the second half in that game, but they
couldn't sustain it. Then Trend mcduffy gets hurt at their corner,
and you know, like it just it it's uh, it's
not the defense you thought either. In addition, it in

(33:53):
combining that with the O line woes and the fact
that they had a bunch of games with like fourteen
to fifteen penalties, which is not normal for them, it's
just not just not their season.

Speaker 4 (34:02):
Okay, real quick before we let you go, are you
taking chiefs of chargers?

Speaker 5 (34:06):
I am taking the chiefs because I know, Okay, I know,
because here's the thing. Ye Justin Herbert, Justin Herbert got
pressured sixty eight percent of his dropbacks.

Speaker 4 (34:16):
Last but still win, Like you still got it done?

Speaker 5 (34:20):
They still do you think you're gonna turn Patrick Willhomes
over four times? I'm just that's my I don't know.
That's the hard part.

Speaker 6 (34:26):
Like it's possible.

Speaker 8 (34:27):
I'm not suggesting as a slam dunk.

Speaker 5 (34:30):
I'm not suggesting as a slam dunk. But I think
this is the game where you know, we see a
little bit more the chiefs with they're they're not gonna
let us stop talking about them yet.

Speaker 2 (34:37):
Yeah, okay, that's fair. We love you, Cynthia. Thank you
for coming again.

Speaker 8 (34:42):
Doctor good dude.

Speaker 2 (34:43):
All right, bye bye. When we come back, the Dues
and the don't and sports. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio,
Welcome back to Fox Football Saturday. I'm Alex Curry here
with Carmen Vitali. We are broadcasting live from Los Angeles.
Thank you for spending your Saturday afternoon with us. I
don't they've ever heard this. Chris a song, but I'm
really into the holiday music. KARMI like this year was

(35:04):
like bring it on as fast as you can. This
was the first time before Thanksgiving I started decorating for Christmas.

Speaker 1 (35:11):
And it's so funny because I've for so much of
my adult life I've lived in places that don't actually
get cold, and growing up in Chicago, it's like, you know,
the holiday season, you don't have to do anything to
like force it, Like it just comes because the weather
gets cold, it starts to snow whatever, and like it
just makes sense. But like everywhere else I lived when
it didn't get cold, I like forced the season. Yeah,
And so now that I'm back in Chicago, I figured out,

(35:31):
like I just started listening to my Chrismas playlist, which
I do take very seriously. I have like two hundred
and fifty songs on my Christmas who.

Speaker 2 (35:36):
Share that I will.

Speaker 1 (35:38):
It's got every year every Christmas, everything from Luther Vandross
to Cascade. Her put out a Christmas.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
Album by the way, you know, no did not.

Speaker 1 (35:46):
But it's just really funny. This year, like it just
it fell into place so organically. But I did still
start decorating in like mid November just because I wanted
to make the place cozy and I want it to
be cozy for as long as same.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
I love that. All right, guys, it is time for
the dues and the don'ts in sports highlight.

Speaker 1 (36:07):
Oh I love that.

Speaker 6 (36:07):
And putting a spotlight on.

Speaker 2 (36:09):
The don't the subject brings me no joy.

Speaker 1 (36:12):
That's insane.

Speaker 6 (36:14):
It's time for the dues and the dots in sports.

Speaker 2 (36:17):
Okay, I'm going to start with the do and do
have fun with your team. Last Sunday, after the Texans
beat the Chiefs, c J Stroud went around giving everybody
high fives, but he left one very important person hanging,
the owner of the Texans, Cal McNair. So for three
days they did this really hilarious social media post where

(36:38):
he was just waiting for that high five with his
hand in the air. He was walking around the facility,
he was working on his computer, he was eating in
the cafeteria and just had his hand up the entire time.
People would come by and try to high five and
he's like, no, no, no, we're saving it for CJ.
And then after three days they posted a video CJ

(36:59):
finally giving him a high five, and.

Speaker 4 (37:01):
I just I love that he had that like sense
of humor.

Speaker 2 (37:04):
Like my favorite part.

Speaker 1 (37:05):
Of that was that CJ was clearly not clued in.

Speaker 2 (37:08):
I had no idea.

Speaker 1 (37:09):
I had no idea. Finally saw cal Yeah, he was
so confused. Yeah, like what and he's like why, like
you know, the camera's there whatever, and he's like, okay, yeah,
vibe like he just had no clue.

Speaker 2 (37:22):
It was going very unintentional when he missed his high five,
Like it was not like he did not see him.

Speaker 1 (37:27):
No, sure, and then I didn't know that social decided
the social media department decided to put this all together.
But props to them. That was fantastic And for Kal
McNair to play along incredible, Right I do and A don't?
That are both the same. All right, so do it
for the plot?

Speaker 2 (37:43):
Yeah, Philip Rivers okay.

Speaker 1 (37:45):
Because this is like we talked about it, how he
was eligible for the Hall of Him he's delaying. He's
a Hall of Fame and my this is this is
this is like my fiance put out a tweet okay,
which did so many numbers and it was essentially like
Philip Rivers costumes, well, five more years of waiting for
the Hall of Fame, just to throw the football around
with the boys one more time, and I just think

(38:07):
it's it's phenomenal and it's a great story to tell
your kids and clearly your grandkids if you're Philip Rivers
his oldest is twenty three. As a kid. It's fantastic.
I love but you should always do it for the plot.
So don't do it for the plot. Now, Philadelphia Eagles,
because they took down their positivity rabbit after just four days. Now,

(38:28):
if you hadn't seen it, they put up a positivity rabbit,
a ViBe's bunny. It was like a twenty foot tall
like it wasn't Easter Bunny.

Speaker 2 (38:37):
It was Easter Bunny.

Speaker 1 (38:38):
It was an Easter bunny.

Speaker 2 (38:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (38:39):
And my friend Ashton Sullivan, who does work in Philadelphia,
covers the Eagles locally. She asked some of the offensive linemen, like,
what's the deal with this gigantic inflatable and they were like,
we just wanted to bring some vibes. So it sounds
like it came from the lineman. But after the Eagles
lost to the Chargers, it was taken down after just

(39:00):
four days, and you were just like, this was you
just proved to the league that vibes are so bad
right now because everybody was like, oh, no, vibes aren't
like we just we just wanted a ViBe's money, but
like we're not sad, no, and I'm like, yess you are.

Speaker 2 (39:14):
It was bad. I mean you even heard like Saquon
Barkley was asked about it and he was like, I
just don't get it, Like it just it just didn't
make sex.

Speaker 1 (39:21):
Sirianni is like distancing himself from it, and you're just like,
if you're first of all, if you're gonna do it
for the plot, everybody needs to be on board, and
it needs to be because everybody is.

Speaker 2 (39:31):
Having fun fun. Yeah, it just didn't make sense. It
was just weird. You lost sight of like the good
locker room vibes just giving it was giving trying too
hard and things are.

Speaker 1 (39:41):
Still bad in Philly right now, and it's very apparent
that things are still bad in Philly, and it is
it's affecting my confidence and then going down like this
last stretch of the season and into the playoffs. They
will make the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (39:52):
Yeah, but it's just weird and locker room vibes matter. Okay,
I have a don't don't fall Big Wave surfing Challenge
in Portugal, the naz Beast has started and these waves
are insane, you guys. It's the biggest wave in the world.
They are between fifty and sixty five feet today and
the wipeouts have been like that's a thing of nightmares.

(40:15):
It is like a giant tsunami wall coming at you.
I have like been the wipeouts like have been sending
me this morning. They are so insane.

Speaker 1 (40:27):
To get to the service then, like with a fifty
foot wave, you're essentially having to swim through the water.

Speaker 2 (40:31):
Wid Yeah, it's wild. All right, Bran to take a
quick right here when we come back the race to
the top in the NFL this weekend, don't go anywhere.
Hour two and we get back. Welcome back to hour
two of Fox Football Saturday. I'm Alex Curry here with
Carmen Vitally. Thank you for spending your Saturday afternoon with us.
I'm coming to you live from La Wall. Carmi is

(40:52):
in Chicago and Carnie and we talked about this earlier,
but you guys are about to have the coldest game
in Soldier field history this weekend.

Speaker 1 (41:01):
One of them. And what's funny is I've actually been
at one of the others.

Speaker 2 (41:04):
Too, Okay, any picture is it like when you walk
outside your nose hairs freeze, because that's like the first
thing I remember. I'm born and raised in La at
the Beach. I remember the first time I was in
a cold environment. I didn't realize you needed gloves and
a beanie and everything. And I set out the front
door and I took a breath and I was like,
oh my.

Speaker 1 (41:20):
God, totally. Well the way I can describe it because
we were we actually before the show, my fiance and
I went out and the dumpture has started dropping. No, Like,
we went out to lunch, and we walked from the
train and we did all of that. But there is
when it is this cold, when it's in single digits
and the windchill and stuff. It's not necessarily like that
your nose hairs freeze or whatever, because especially as women

(41:42):
like it's hard to you know, know if that's happening
or whatever. But I can just describe it as in
your lungs, you can feel the cold sitting there. Oh,
and that's what it felt like, even though you're like
breathing through your nose and like you know, you can
have the baliklava on, you can have like just your
eyes basically, you know, just they're they're the only thing
that are things that are exposed and it's still breathing

(42:06):
in the air is the hard part. But you do
need to have gloves and if you're going to be
out like outside. So for the people that are doing
sideline for this game, this kind of that whatever. There
have been so many advances in technology as far as
like heated fast What about the.

Speaker 2 (42:22):
Players, right, have you talked to them this week about
like France that hurts.

Speaker 1 (42:26):
I was that house hall? Was that house hall? This
week we're talking to players and I mean guys that
have been here for a while, like they have. They
had the heated benches, they have this that the other
What really concerns me is that we talked to Caleb
Williams about it, okay, and Caleb Williams was like, well,
elements and the elements and weather don't really bother me.

(42:47):
What And I'm like, what, that's not the places you
think it is, because well he said he's played in
some cold games, but I can't imagine it's been this
cold when there is expected to be double digit negative
double digit winship, like it could be as low as
minus fifteen or feel like mins team with the windshill
in this game. Yeah, And I'm like, I hope that

(43:10):
you're just trying to flex because if you're not actually
taking any other precautions because also think about it as
a quarterback, and the way the Bears offense is set up,
it very methodically goes down the field because it leans
on the run game, so that you're talking ten to
thirteen play drives, yeah, down the field, and so that
means you are away from the heated benches and the

(43:30):
heat and the heaters and the warmers for that amount
of time. How are you keeping your hand warm? You
have a muff and if you have a muff, like
Tom Brady talked about it in Bear's Packers actually where
he would actually section off one side of the muff
so like it wasn't open to try and trap as
much heat in there for his hand. Because your hand

(43:50):
at your hand is exposed, you are losing feeling and
you are losing grip, and you are like that is
the thing where I'm just like this, y'all have to
you have to prepare for this, and like there's the cleats.
The spikes on your cleats have to be different because
the ground is harder and frozen. Like, there are so
many little things that, I mean, the Bear's equipment department,

(44:11):
to their credit, knows how to do all these things.
But as players, you have to be on board with
that and there are different ways that you have to play.
Then if your spikes are longer this that the other.
So it's going to be very interesting. And these are
two quarterbacks going against each other in Caleb Williams and
Shadar Sanders that are both kind of like, nah, I
can play through anything, blah blah blah blah blah, and
I'm like, this is different.

Speaker 2 (44:33):
Well, at least for Shaudor he played in Colorado and
was in the cold, but Caleb Williams was in La
and like it was.

Speaker 1 (44:41):
Caleb Williams is from out outside the Daily area, so
he's from he's from that area where. But again it's
still a different cold here in Chicago. And Soldier Field
is right on the lake as well, so you get
like the wreeze. That's why the windshill is so harsh
because I think the temperature is supposed to be between
like seven and ten degrees, which is fine, but it's

(45:02):
because like the being right by the lake, the windshill
then knocks it down and makes it feel about twenty
degrees colder. Yeah, and again the last game I was
a that was like this. I was a fan, and
I had like handwarmers that I had so many layers,
and then I still had to go into the place.

Speaker 2 (45:19):
This where like when like you see the viral videos
that they bring out their drinks and they freeze, like yes, no.

Speaker 1 (45:24):
That happens, like that's happened to me, where like you
can't even have a beer because it ends up. Yes,
and so like the Bears. The Bears already sent out
a thing to fans that said they will be having
you know a lot of cider, hot chocolate coffee, like
how really hot drinks. Yeah, so because otherwise everything else
is just going to freeze. They have warming centers, although
they're not allowing fans to bring in cardboard this time,

(45:45):
which is I don't know why. I mean, like I
get that it's more clean up and whatever, but cardboard
is used to help protect yourself from stuffer from the No,
like the benches in the seats, which a lot of
them are metal, So a lot of people sit on
cardboard or the concrete where your feet are. They stand
on concrete or on cardboard. But like so like you

(46:05):
can't it buffers the cold. I mean, that's the kind
of stuff you're talking about as a pan So as
a player, sure they have heated benches and everything like that,
but when you're on.

Speaker 2 (46:14):
The field, it's a big factor.

Speaker 1 (46:16):
It's a huge factor.

Speaker 4 (46:16):
It's a big deal.

Speaker 2 (46:17):
Okay, guys, and this game matters.

Speaker 4 (46:19):
It does matter, and let's.

Speaker 2 (46:20):
Get to like, let's get to that because four games
left in the regular season and we have a tight
race to the top and a few divisions here, especially
the NFC West and the NFC North. Let's start in
the NFC West. Rams currently at the top, number one
seed in the NFC at ten and three, but you

(46:42):
got the Seahawks also ten and three right behind them,
currently five seed in the NFC forty nine ers six seeds,
I mean, NFC West, you have three playoff teams right now,
which is like impressive considering I again, like it's been
a moment since I've been on but before the season,
I said Rams were gonna win the division. Forty nine
Ers were gonna be tough. The only thing helping them

(47:03):
was they have the one of the easiest schedules in
the league. But let's start with the Rams, because they
can clinch their playoff spot with a win tomorrow against
the Lions, and then Thursday they play again and they
play Seattle, which is a huge division game. Obviously, we

(47:23):
talked to Cynthia earlier and all the injuries that the
Lions are facing right now coming into this game, I
am feeling good that this is going to be a
favorable Rams game in La at sofar tomorrow. But there's
just I'm I'm happy for this Rams team. I'm not surprised,

(47:44):
but I'm happy for them because before the season started,
we were talking about how much longer can Matthew Stafford
go the Rams restructure it his contract to keep them.
They picked up Devonte Adams, which everyone kind of brushed
off as kind of a secondary wide receiver. No one
was looking at as like a huge get and they
were looking at Puka, who is like still the guy.
But when you look at Stafford, I mean, he's led

(48:06):
the Rams to the top of the NFC. He's first
in touchdown passes with thirty five, and he leads by
a lot, but next is dak and Goff with twenty
six behind him. For some passer rating, DeVante Adams leads
the league in touchdowns with fourteen. Like I I am
very impressed with this Rams team right now.

Speaker 1 (48:27):
I'm well And you also look at what Sean McVay
is doing. Yeah, because he has adjusted his scheme and
evolved his scheme because for so much of I think
what Sean McVay is known for is the eleven personnel
set and kind of bringing that to the coaching tree
between Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay permeates throughout like the
league where you have basically half the coaches are from

(48:49):
this tree. And it popularized this spread offense, the eleven
personnel offense with the three wide receivers on the field.
But what are the Rams doing now? They are leading
the league in thirteen personnel. They've started using tight ends
to the most insane degree. And which is which is what?

Speaker 8 (49:05):
You know?

Speaker 1 (49:06):
I've had this discussion a couple of times now this season,
where like you know, football is a cyclical sport. It
evolves in certain ways with different wrinkles and all of
that kind of stuff. And I think that the next
position to really pop is going to be the tight
end because of all the things you can do out
of it, and the Rams are the shining example and
leading this kind of charge as to how this the

(49:28):
offense is going to evolve, the NFL offense in general
is going to evolve. The one thing that surprises me
is because think about where we were at the start
of the season with Matthew Stafford. He was going through
his back issues. He's going into these like the the
Winnebago or whatever it was. We were just like gods,
there was it was. It was a gigantic question mark,
like this can't be good. He's going into some weird

(49:48):
crowing like what he's he's hurt, he's old, he's this,
he's that, and he has come out whatever happened in
that cloud chamber.

Speaker 2 (49:57):
I want me.

Speaker 1 (49:58):
You have Davante Adams look like he did four or
five years ago, and it's all it's all going well
for the Rams, but they right on their heels. You
have the Seahawks. You still have short by the short
week too.

Speaker 2 (50:11):
They play Sunday Lions Seahawks Thursday.

Speaker 1 (50:15):
The Rams and the Seahawks have the first and second
highest chances to get the one seed in the NFC
period at this point. So the Rams currently have a
forty one percent chance at the one seed, the Seahawks
have a thirty two percent chance, and then you go
all the way down to the Niners or the Packers,
who have an eleven percent chance. So there's like the

(50:37):
NFC West, it's the it's the NFC West and like.
But what's wild is that the NFC North is the
only division in all of football right now that doesn't
have at least one team eliminated from the postseason. So
the Vikings have a less than one percent chance, but
they are not technically eliminated, and so they are the
only divisions that have all.

Speaker 2 (50:56):
Four teams height like the way, like every game you're
seeing a shuffle between the Bears, Bears.

Speaker 1 (51:03):
The lines, and they went from the first the one
seed in the NFC to the seventh seed because of
one loss to the Packers. And what's interesting to me
about the Packers in particular this game against the Broncos,
despite the fact it's an AFC opponent, if they lose
this game, it could be the different difference between them
hosting a wild card game and just playing in one,

(51:25):
which is really crazy to think because again it's not
a conference opponent, but it has implications on their seating
and if they get to host a playoff game, and
so it's like everything is so volatile for the NFC.
That's the word I keep using. Is it because it
because it is? It is just vital.

Speaker 2 (51:45):
We We haven't had a moment to talk about this yet,
and I just have to say, Carmen, your bears this season,
Holy guacamole. They are fun to watch. The five shig
comeback went more than half their wins were like, come
from behind, They're good. How are you feeling about this?

Speaker 1 (52:06):
They come from behind. I'm stressed, Alex, I've been. They're stressful.
They're good.

Speaker 4 (52:12):
This is what they're not always wanted.

Speaker 1 (52:14):
They're not good yet, Like I don't trust it yet.
They will be good when I can trust. I cannot.

Speaker 2 (52:20):
They're getting it done.

Speaker 1 (52:21):
I trust Ben Johnson. I can tell you that much.
Everything that he's been and I've talked, you know, at
tsing about all of this is the foundation that he
is laying. The bones of this team are good. Watching
Kiley Williams play football, though, is one of the most
stressful experiences that you can have in the NFL right now.
And that is where like and.

Speaker 2 (52:43):
Like I get it.

Speaker 1 (52:43):
That doesn't speak to can he get there? I think
he's got He sure has the right guy. If he's
gonna get there, it's gonna be with Ben Johnson. I
holy and completely trust that. Yeah, but it is a
stressful experience. I do not think this is a viable
team going into the playoffs to actually make a super
Bowl run this year. But it is a lot more

(53:04):
like it's fun that they are developed. They are winning
while they're developing, because that's not something I necessarily saw coming. Yeah,
and it speaks to you know, we heard Cynthia talk about,
you know, you're kind of separating the really good coaches
from you know, the coaches that maybe aren't as good,
and you could really identify and evaluate coaching right now.
And I think that that's what is really cool about

(53:25):
Chicago is I am optimistic because they got that coaching
higher right full stop.

Speaker 2 (53:30):
Yeah, I mean that was everything that was the Bears future.
I'm happy for them.

Speaker 4 (53:34):
Let's move over to.

Speaker 2 (53:35):
The AFC real quick here, because if you asked me
before a different situation, right, NFC, we have tight tight
battles for the top AFC. My biggest thing if you
asked me before the season started, who would be leading
each each division, this would not be it Patriots over
the Bills in the East, Steelers over the Ravens, and

(53:55):
Bengals in the North, Jags leading the South, Broncos over
the chief in the West.

Speaker 1 (54:01):
Your one seed is the Denver Broncos. Your two seed
is the New Patriots.

Speaker 2 (54:07):
Like I just have to say, like this felt like
it was gonna be Josh Allen's year coming off as
MVP season. His biggest hurdles have always been the Chiefs
and Patrick Mahomes and they're not really in the playoff
picture right now.

Speaker 4 (54:20):
The Ravens are on the bubble, and then.

Speaker 2 (54:22):
You have the Patriots who are back and they are
leading the division and they have a huge matchup again
on Sunday. Like it's just I feel like all the
pressure is on Josh Allen because.

Speaker 1 (54:37):
It should soon to be Dowd Josh Allen, I.

Speaker 2 (54:40):
Know, congratulations. That was so cute. I love that so much.

Speaker 1 (54:44):
My super Bowl pick at the beginning of the season
was Bills Packers and that's still that's that's still on
the table here like if the Bills are going to
make the playoffs, the Packers are going to make the playoffs. Okay,
So I was given the chance on my show on
I forgot what show it was. Honestly, everything blurs together
these days, but it was last week. I was given

(55:04):
the chance to kind of amend my my my Super
Bowl pick, and I said, no, I'm not gonna do it. Oh,
I'm not gonna do it because you know what, if
it not actually happens, if the Bills take advantage of
the fact that the Patriots may be back, but they're inexperienced. Yeah,
and the fact that the Chiefs are not in it,
the Ravens are probably not going to be in anither.
If the Bills can actually find a way to get
it done this year, like I think, because by next year,

(55:29):
the Patriots are gonna have experience. Yes, Broncos are going
to have more experience. I mean, the Broncos had experience
with last year. But like, this is kind of like
the window is open. This is very very open for
the Bills, and I don't know how much longer it
really is going to be. Now again that the New
England Patriots are quote unquote returning to power in.

Speaker 2 (55:48):
The IFC, Like it's wild, Like what a fun turnaround,
like picking up like Mike Rabel, who has completely turned
the team around May in his second year, has been
in the MVP conversation. I mean he is just behind
Stafford for the favorite. He's second, and passing yards second
and passer rating fourth, and touchdowns.

Speaker 1 (56:09):
Are eerily similar to Matthew.

Speaker 4 (56:12):
Stear insane though, Like it's what.

Speaker 1 (56:16):
Identifying Dray like halfway through the season, I remember identifying
how like Drake May's stats and Matthew Stafford's stats were
so eerily similar where I was like, oh my god,
Drake May is is a hands down MVP candidate, And
if Ben Johnson doesn't get Coach of the Year this year,
it's gonna be. It's gonna be because Mike Rabel. Yeah,
it's what he's in one.

Speaker 2 (56:38):
Year, completely turning this this team around with the.

Speaker 1 (56:42):
Young quarterback too, that was drafted in Caleb's class. Yes,
Like that's that's the other difference here too, is that like,
not only did you turn around the franchise, but you
did it with a very young and inexperienced quarterback.

Speaker 2 (56:53):
M hm, they're getting back to their winning ways. I know,
people like love that love to hate, like the Dynasty's
dial I love I.

Speaker 1 (57:02):
Love it though he was my favorite quarterback that came
out that class. I adore him just in general. I
love the way he plays football, and unlike watching Kayleb
Williams play football, I trust Drake May when I watch
him go down the field very methodically and accurately and whatever. Like,
I am not stressed watching Drake May play football in
the way that I'm stressed watching Caleb. But it's exhilarating case.

Speaker 4 (57:25):
But it's a good stress you gotta give it that.

Speaker 1 (57:27):
It's exhilarating to watch. It's more exhilarating to watch Kalla
Williams when things go right. But it's just it's just
way more stressful.

Speaker 2 (57:34):
It's wild. I love it as a non fan. It
is beautiful to watch. All Right, guys, we're going to
take a quick break here when we come back. MLB
Winter meetings just ended. Throwing it out there, I think
the Dodgers might three peat. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Welcome back to Fox Football Saturday. I'm Alex Curry here
with Carmen Vitally. Thank you for spending your Saturday afternoon
with carme and Me, and.

Speaker 1 (57:57):
Every goal starts with an assist on and off the field.
That's why Haleyon and US Soccer are launching for the Assist,
a celebration of everyday acts of support that help people
achieve their goals with iconic brands like Sensinine, Toms, Full Taran, Adevil,
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dot com.

Speaker 2 (58:16):
The song always brings me back to the performance. Why
am I blanking on the name of the movie?

Speaker 1 (58:22):
Oh meirls?

Speaker 2 (58:23):
Yeah, thank you. I'm like, I just I'm like doing
the dance in my head as it's happening.

Speaker 4 (58:28):
I thought you were doing the macarena in there for
a second.

Speaker 2 (58:30):
Well have you not seen the Mean Girls. It's like
very it's really funny. It's really it is.

Speaker 1 (58:34):
It's not to this version, but yeah, it's the notes.

Speaker 2 (58:38):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.

Speaker 4 (58:40):
Okay, Well guys.

Speaker 2 (58:41):
This week MLB wrapped up winter meetings and the Dodgers
once again made the biggest splash this week, signing closer
Edwin dia Is to a three year, sixty nine million
dollar deal, stealing it basically from the Mets. And I
just once again the Dodgers take care of the one

(59:02):
biggest problem that they had at the end of last
into the playoffs. Even though they won back to back
World Series championships, they had a bullpen problem. At the
end of the season. Their bullpen blue twenty seven saves,
tied for six most in Major League Baseball. But what
Dave Rogers did during the postseason was top tier managing,

(59:22):
only using starting pitching through the postseason. But why aren't
other teams pulling out like and copying the Dodgers' playbook
Here the back to back champs are just getting better
every offseason. They go out and they pay for what
they need. It's they're not doing anything illegal. This is

(59:44):
a non salary cap league. Every other team can be
doing this. So if you're a fan, if you're another organization,
stop getting mad at the Dodgers front office, get mad
at your own franchises, and get mad at your own
teams for for not doing something about it. All these
owners are billionaires. They can go out and they can

(01:00:07):
do the same thing, and they're not the Dodgers are.
I think we can maybe safely say we're in a
dynasty like three and five years because we got the
twenty twenty and the back to backs I think help
propel that they're making dynasty moves. Like take no other
teams in Major le pace.

Speaker 1 (01:00:28):
I can tell you that Cubs fans have. Yeah, everybody
in this city of Chicago is like the Cubs were quiet,
Like winter meetings are over at this point, Cubs have
not done anything. What and you have your players, even yes,
coming out and saying what are we doing? What are
you doing? Because like Ian Happ has his own podcast,
I think it's called The Compound.

Speaker 2 (01:00:49):
And he was just have a voice now.

Speaker 1 (01:00:51):
He was he was talking about he was asked about,
you know, the Cub's lack of moves, that the fact
that they have not done anything, and the fact that
a lot of their young talent, their young production are
left handers, left handed batters. Yeah, and he's like, Okay,
we have this kind of young core. Why would you
not sign a righty then to break that up? Because

(01:01:13):
they've faced he was talking about how many pitchers they've faced.
It just absolutely crushed left handers, and they're just He's
just like, why wouldn't to make that to round out
your rotation? Why wouldn't you add some more like at
the very least in that, and then you talk about
their pitching rotation too. I mean, I can tell you
the Cubs fans are watching very closely what the Dodgers
are doing and saying.

Speaker 4 (01:01:34):
Hey, yeah, what the hecks?

Speaker 1 (01:01:36):
He's like, we have like we have we have a
premiere destination Chicago, Wrigley Field iconic, Like what are we
why are we not doing anything? We have the money,
we have, the brand we have, like we should be
taken so much more seriously. And when you talk like
we're talking about going into October football and just the

(01:01:57):
drought that really Chicago has had of any meaningful sorry baseball,
baseball in October, like they only these teams only have
themselves to blame because of the soft cap. It's like, you.

Speaker 4 (01:02:08):
Can you can do it, you can do it, you guys.

Speaker 1 (01:02:11):
Sure do you have to pay a luxury tax on
this that the other? But what the Dodgers have done
is proved that if you go out and you spend
the money, you will win back.

Speaker 4 (01:02:19):
They also made it back.

Speaker 2 (01:02:20):
You will win the crazy contract they gave Otani, that
almost billion dollar contract, they already made back that money
in a couple of years.

Speaker 4 (01:02:26):
Like it, But if you're not.

Speaker 1 (01:02:29):
If you're not trying to win, what are you doing?

Speaker 2 (01:02:32):
What's the point.

Speaker 1 (01:02:32):
If you're not spending money to win, then what are
you spending money? Like? Like, it already costs a lot
of money to own an to own an MLB franchise
and to keep one running and to keep one being
a contender. What's what's to these billionaires? What's ten what's
you know, ten to fifty more million dollars like it
just or even one hundred more million dollars like it's

(01:02:53):
just it's it's so funny to me that you have
the blueprint that the Dodgers have put out there and
there aren't and then these teams are just and and
maybe they're unwilling because they don't want to set that precedent,
and they're very well aware of that precedent. But I'm like,
it is it's like one either you all have to
agree to that, like or you or it's every man

(01:03:16):
for it's every team for themselves because the Dodgers clearly
broke that and they are setting that precedent. So your
team does not have an excuse at this point if
they go out and spend the money they can win to.

Speaker 2 (01:03:29):
I'm calling I'm calling it now, Dodgers three peat next season.

Speaker 10 (01:03:33):
I think the Diaz signing, though, is like real proof
that it's not just about money. Like everybody wants to say,
all it's the Dodgers buying players.

Speaker 1 (01:03:40):
He said it was it was about winning, And why
are the Dodgers winning?

Speaker 10 (01:03:43):
He said, it's about winning. But he also said that
his brother told him that the organization did a lot
to help him, and the Mets fired the pitching coach
that he liked. So yeah, and the Mets lose Alonso
the next day to the Orioles. I thought Steve Cohen
had all the money in the world. He just wonder
how how is he getting outbid for guys? If it's
if it's it can't be all about the money.

Speaker 4 (01:04:04):
Guys want to be in l A.

Speaker 2 (01:04:05):
Yeah, you talk to any player on that roster, they
will say this is the best environment they have ever
been in playing the game of baseball.

Speaker 1 (01:04:13):
But don't you think it's because they've been winning. And
then if you if you go back to that.

Speaker 4 (01:04:16):
Or if they've the culture, the staff, it's everything.

Speaker 1 (01:04:20):
The doctors are easy to have when you're winning, though,
And I still think it all boils down to the
willingness to spend money.

Speaker 10 (01:04:26):
They were, Yeah, well that's the thing is that's it's
the willingness to spend money, right, But last things they
don't they don't want to. But like the Dodgers were
one of the first organizations to like actually feed their
minor leaguers actual food. Everybody else was not doing that.

Speaker 1 (01:04:38):
No, it'sout, but like it's still kind of all to me.
It all boils down to the willingness. I think that's
a good distinction though, to make. But it's the willingness
to spend money. Yeah, and that's creates a culture, and
then that helps you win. And then it's it's like
it's a cyclical.

Speaker 2 (01:04:52):
Guys want to be there. Guys want to be there.

Speaker 1 (01:04:54):
Because they're winners, but they're winners because they're willing to
spend money, and and and rinse and repeats. So any
this is still a blueprint, and this is still attainable
by any other franchise.

Speaker 2 (01:05:04):
Copy and paste. I can say. All I can think
about right now is how much Edwin Diaz's walkout song
is going to slap the trumpets slap at Dodger Stadium.
You guys, you will feel this in your soul with
everyone going ham ah, I love it so much. Okay,
Now let's check in with Martin Wise and see what's trending.
You got the.

Speaker 3 (01:05:24):
Army Navy name Army Navy game being played right now.
Army with the lead, but Navy has the ball twelve
minutes left in the fourth quarter, sixteen to ten. The
Black Knights lead the Midshipman. Army was six and five
this year, four and four in conference, Navy nine and two,
seven and one in conference. In the NFL News, Philip
Rivers will start Sunday against the Seahawks for the Indianapolis Colts.

(01:05:46):
The last start he had was five years ago. He's
actually eligible for the Hall of Fame this year, but
if as soon as he hits the field Sunday, I
guess actually, when he got activated to the active rafter
his now Hall of Fame clock restarts. He won't be
eligible again until twenty thirty. The forty nine Ers have
plays Brandon Ayuk on the reserve slash left squad list.
That's going to end the wide receiver season and likely

(01:06:08):
his time as a forty nine Er. The Cowboys keep
Trayvon Diggs on injury reserve for the game against the Vikings.
The Packers at Emanuel Wilson to the injury report for
Tomorrow's game at Denver.

Speaker 1 (01:06:19):
Excuse me.

Speaker 3 (01:06:19):
Josh Jacobs is also on the injury report with a knee. Yeah,
with a knee injury, He's questionable for that game. The
line's downgrade safety Thomas Harper out with a concussion. Christian Mahogany,
with a leg injury, is not going to play as well.
Devine Chan is expected to play Monday Night football against
the Steelers, per his head coach Mike McDaniel. He also

(01:06:40):
got fined for a violent gester he and his teammate
Jalen Wright recently from their last game, and the Bears
optimistic that Roma Dunze will play on Sunday. He's dealing
with a foot injury. They got the Browns coming up.

Speaker 2 (01:06:53):
Back to you guys, Thank you, Martin. You're listening to
Fox Football Saturday. I'm Alex Curry year with Carmen Vitally.
We're trying to get a guest on that we're very
excited about if we can, If we can get him,
come in, Oh carme. I'm excited to hear his whole

(01:07:18):
take on the whole college football situation. If okay, it
looks like we might have him. Yeah, okay, so it
is time for our next guest. He is another great
friend of the show. He is a food, love and
football call in great the host of Golic and Colic.
It's Mike Golick Junior.

Speaker 8 (01:07:39):
Do we have what's going on?

Speaker 4 (01:07:40):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:07:41):
I am so excited to have you on right now.
And we have to talk about your fighting Irish because
they have been the talk of the town getting quote
snubbed from the college football playoffs and then declining a
bowl game. I just want you to go off king,
give us all your thoughts on this.

Speaker 9 (01:07:58):
Well all right, obviously, as you guys can imagine being
a Notre Dame alum as someone that is most people's.

Speaker 8 (01:08:05):
First text message when Notre Dame happened. But busy week, career.

Speaker 9 (01:08:09):
Boys front, and what I would say is starting all
the way like chronologically here. Notre Dame being left out
of the college football playoffs by most accounts, like not
even folks like me who skewed blue and Gold because
of affiliation, seemed like a mistake. Like if you're going
to have an invitational with the twelve best teams in
the sport. Most everyone with eyes that walked Notre Dame

(01:08:29):
this season understood, hey, this is probably one of those teams.
Like I think I'm the odds list in Vegas. They
were like third or fourth in terms of the most
bet teams to win the national championship. So them being
sent home early didn't sit right with a lot of people,
myself included. The way it happened certainly objectionable. A committee
who for weeks on end had basically told Notre Dame

(01:08:50):
via their rankings, Hey, that game you played against Miami,
I understand you lost it, but ultimately we still think
you're the better team until the very last weekend. So
it can be the right decision in the wrong process,
and I think we can all kind of hold those
two ideas at once. I think the college football playoffs
as a process in terms of the TV shows they
do on Tuesday night, all that needs a little bit

(01:09:12):
of tweaking right now based off what we saw here.
The thing I was surprised by was how strong everyone's
reactions were to then the group of eighteen to twenty
three year olds who have been told by the adults
for a month and a half, hey, you're a college
football playoff team and then found out, hey, actually we
didn't mean that, and you're.

Speaker 8 (01:09:29):
Not going to the college football playoffs.

Speaker 9 (01:09:32):
Had an hour to decide after getting the rug completely
pulled out from under them.

Speaker 8 (01:09:37):
Do you want to go eat the anthropomorphic pop tart
in Orlando?

Speaker 1 (01:09:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (01:09:42):
Like you know, that's another part, Like maybe we give
them a night to sleep on it.

Speaker 1 (01:09:46):
Man, that's the right thing to do go forward in this.

Speaker 9 (01:09:48):
But I had a hard time getting as worked up
as many people did about that, because to me, Notre
name is just another in the symptoms of where bull
season has gone.

Speaker 10 (01:09:58):
Yeah, in the.

Speaker 9 (01:09:59):
Advent of the expan and in playoff, in the way
that the sport has changed and evolved with opt outs
and all the different ways that we approach the postseason.
People are acting like Notre Dame has killed the postseason. Like, guys,
we're getting ready to watch the last LA Bowl this weekend.
Notre Dame didn't do that. The recent year's history of
bull game inventory that exceeds the amount of teams that

(01:10:20):
are either able to or willing to play in these things,
and so I think Notre Dame is just a high
profile example. They're a school that will listen to strong response,
but they're by no means the reason that we're watching
bull season change the way it has.

Speaker 1 (01:10:33):
It's so interesting to me back because I think you're
right like the process and maybe and maybe you're not
the right person asked aout this because Notre Dame is not,
in fact in a conference. However, what what do we
do with conference championship games? Because if we are going
to punish teams for getting to play one extra game,
what incentive is there to play that game then in

(01:10:55):
the in the in the chance that they lose. And
I mean when we initially talked about this on the
show too, I was talking about kind of the Bama
conundrum where it was actually our friend Nicole Auerbach that said, like,
they're essentially getting credit for beating Georgia earlier in the season,
but they're getting credit for it twice because they The
reasoning they weren't dropped after the blowout loss to Georgia

(01:11:16):
and the conference championship was because they had already beaten them,
but that was already baked into their ranking beforehand. So like,
why are they a three loss team that gets into
the playoffs and the mental gymnastics there, but it boils
down to, like our conference championship games going to become
obsolete here.

Speaker 9 (01:11:34):
Well, I think that was part of what was at
risk in the Notre Dame Alabama debate.

Speaker 8 (01:11:39):
That really became the focus.

Speaker 9 (01:11:41):
For a lot of people after that Georgia Conference championship
loss that you just talked about, because people looked at that,
combined with quite honestly, the way Alabama had played on
field in the last month.

Speaker 8 (01:11:52):
You know, the gam against.

Speaker 9 (01:11:53):
Oklahoma, were you listen, they outgained them the most categories,
but turn the ball over and lose the game against
Auburn being the reasoning the committee put them up. There
was athenine in the face of logic and what everyone
else knew. So I think ultimately the decision, though, to
your point, came down to two things. To me, the
Notre Dame Miami debate was about the committee being able

(01:12:13):
to credibly look at everyone and say that head to
head games matter, because you've already got teams rattling the
saber on the table saying if we're not going to
get credit for these wire, are we going to schedule
tough in our non content Most teams are getting ready
to play in nine conference games, So why would we
challenge ourselves there? And the other part is exactly what
you said, what is the viability of the conference championship
game if all of a sudden Alabama's bumped out? Because

(01:12:34):
remember everyone pointed out all these conference champions that have
been bumped out. You throw out the sample size from
the four team playoff because to me, that's not applicable
that the apples and oranges going back to the last
year the four team playoff, like, yes, Georgia lost in
the SEC championship game and was knocked out. The other
four teams in the four teams in the college football
playoffs were four Power five conference champions. Fact, we had

(01:12:55):
the PAC twelve, So I kind of exclude that. You
look at this now and the committee had to decide
are we going to bump Alabama out? BYU was already
out of the tournament field like they were at eleven,
knowing the bottom two in eleven and twelve spots, we're
gonna get bumped for the ACC champ or the two
group of five champs that we've seen here. So they
weren't at risk of losing their spot based on the performance.

Speaker 8 (01:13:15):
In the championship game. They could only gain if they won.

Speaker 9 (01:13:18):
Alabama was at risk of legitimately being punished, and I
think the committee subconsciously or overtly said, we're not ready
to be the force that fractures conference championship games into
being what they could have actually become, which is playing
games for teams in certain conferences that aren't guaranteed a
playoff spot.

Speaker 8 (01:13:36):
Hey, if we're the SEC, we.

Speaker 9 (01:13:37):
Won't have our one versus two play in the conference
championship well like six or seven plays so that they
can get a ranked win at the end of the
season and try and help them as the tournament field
expands if we over index on at large as in
those things. So I think this decision, at least in part,
was about protecting the sanctity of conference championship games.

Speaker 8 (01:13:56):
However much longer that's going to exist.

Speaker 2 (01:13:58):
Interesting. Okay, looking at the final twelve team college football
playoff bracket, which team do you think is going to
win the NATTI.

Speaker 8 (01:14:08):
Who it's If I had to, if I had to
bank on it.

Speaker 9 (01:14:13):
Yeah, I would probably say over the course of a
long tournament field, especially accounting for a defensive line injury
that Indiana just suffered, I probably still bet on Ohio State.
Indiana beat him in the Big Penn Champion and they
absolutely deserve the credit for that. But Ohio State has
a team right now on both sides of the ball
that is just as talented, if not quite honestly more

(01:14:34):
talented person per person than this Indiana team that's reinforced
itself along the trenches and all that stuff. I think
an injury to one of your important players going into
the postseason for Indiana certainly hurts, and I think for
Ohio State, this is a team that we saw last
year weaponized the Michigan loss at the end of the
season and turn that into the right motivation for the postseason.

(01:14:55):
I think this year, in certain ways, you've got a
better Ohio State team. And I think you've got to
team that once again got their nose bloodied a little
bit before the tournament and is going to walk in
with that. I mean, you saw Jeremiah Smith felt some
type of way about not bringing the Bullittannikov for the
best wide receiver in college football, and so I think
you've got a motivated, incredibly talented team who also knows
the road to go. Like I'll be curious to see

(01:15:17):
how much the institutional knowledge from last year for Ohio
State helps them out. Now they didn't have to buy
last season, but Indiana got knocked out in the first round.
Ohio State and their players, their coaches know what it takes.

Speaker 8 (01:15:29):
How you need to.

Speaker 9 (01:15:30):
Structure practice, take care of your body, do all those
little things in the run up to a championship. That now,
for the teams that are playing on the first weekend
requires you to win four games, and so I would
probably still say TI go's to the run of them.
But it's a one A one B sort of coin
flip with them in Indiana for the favorite at this point.

Speaker 1 (01:15:46):
Real quick, how are the gun tries?

Speaker 4 (01:15:48):
Oh?

Speaker 9 (01:15:48):
Yeah, they were so good, they were so salty and wonderful, tame.

Speaker 1 (01:15:51):
I want them so, I want them to McDonald's. It's
that's a I have to have to go. I want
it so ten out of ten.

Speaker 8 (01:16:02):
I went nine point seven out of ten.

Speaker 1 (01:16:05):
That is high.

Speaker 8 (01:16:07):
Yeah, it's.

Speaker 1 (01:16:11):
Ten. You're very you're very stingy with your tones.

Speaker 8 (01:16:14):
I am listen.

Speaker 9 (01:16:15):
I have to reserve that for something that's truly life changing.
That being said, the rule for me is always, is
this food worth deviating from what you normally do? McDonald's
fries and their own are great. Not having to add
extra work to your plate is awesome. These are worth
the extra working bag to shake the seasoning in you
feel like you're It's like, I mean, you guys, if
you guys are way fancy and you guys have been

(01:16:35):
to Nobu like a nob when they trick you into
cooking the meat on.

Speaker 8 (01:16:38):
The hot rock.

Speaker 9 (01:16:39):
Yeah, one experience, but really you're just cooking your own
food in the place and charge you an arm.

Speaker 8 (01:16:44):
And a leg. This is the everyman version of that.

Speaker 2 (01:16:47):
I love that. Mike, thank you so much for coming
on again. Sorry about your uh, your fighting irish, but
we appreciate all of your inside. That was beautiful.

Speaker 9 (01:16:57):
Thanks guys, appreciate it by Mike.

Speaker 2 (01:17:00):
All Right, we're gonna take one more break here, but
when we come back, we are making our NFL picks.
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (01:17:05):
There it is.

Speaker 2 (01:17:07):
We had to get this one in the show. Welcome
back to Fox Football Saturday. I'm Alex Curry here with
Carmen Vitally. It's the first year I was excited to
hear this song and not like kind of like dreading it.
CARMEI are you one of the people that like is no,
you're over it. That was a funny reaction.

Speaker 1 (01:17:27):
I don't know that I'm over it.

Speaker 4 (01:17:28):
I just like it's on your pilot, on your playlist.

Speaker 1 (01:17:31):
Of course it's on my playlist, okay, but also like,
so are two hundred and fifty other songs?

Speaker 2 (01:17:35):
Will you please said that to me? I will, I'm gonna,
I'll post it, okay.

Speaker 1 (01:17:39):
I honestly I grew up too on you know, like
Frank Snatra d Yeah, yeah, all of that kind of
like that like screams Christmas to me.

Speaker 2 (01:17:49):
And oh I do Christmas jazz. That's what's playing in
my house. It's jazzy Christmas.

Speaker 4 (01:17:54):
You know what I haven't worked into the show. What
my dad had all of the Jimmy Buffett Christmas albums. Oh,
that's what always are laws.

Speaker 1 (01:18:03):
My laws are parentheads in a bottle of rum. That
The single album though, that I remember most from being
a kid, The Special Olympics did these. I think there
was like three of them, and it was like compilation
albums from so many different artists like Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Sting,

(01:18:24):
the Pointer Sisters like and so their first one it
had a red cover, I remember, and all the proceeds
benefited the Special Olympics. It was called A Very Special
Christmas and I know that album like front to back
and now those are the song like outside of like
the Frank Sinatra and kind of like the old school stuff.
It was that specific album and I just I have

(01:18:45):
to listen to it every year because it's just it's
not Christmas without it.

Speaker 10 (01:18:48):
I love that.

Speaker 2 (01:18:48):
I love that so much. Okay, we're gonna just like
kind of race through our NFL picks right now. I
got to say this year has been absolutely wild, Carmen.
Have you guys been doing this every week?

Speaker 1 (01:18:57):
And how I switched it out for an LOL moment
of the week because I just thought that we needed
more laughs in our lives.

Speaker 4 (01:19:04):
Okay, all right, well then Begs and here we go.
First picks, pretty too.

Speaker 2 (01:19:10):
Lead us through here.

Speaker 10 (01:19:10):
The Lions take on the Rams out here in La.
The Rams a five and a half point favorite.

Speaker 2 (01:19:15):
Yeah, I mean, we've talked about this a lot today.
Rams have won five of six home games. Only loss
was the ot loss of the forty nine ers. They've
average the win by thirteen points. We know all the
injuries the Lions are having. I am taking the Rams.

Speaker 1 (01:19:30):
It doesn't make any sense and I have no actual
justification for it, but I'm picking the lines. Yeah, of
course you are, like they just they have they have
They're weird, they be weird. They can play spoiler that
That's all I'm saying.

Speaker 10 (01:19:42):
All right. Next up the Browns in Chicago to take
on the Bears. The Bears a seven and a half
point favorite.

Speaker 1 (01:19:47):
I do think that the Bears could lose this game.
I do not think they're going to. So I am
going with the Chicago Bears and their run game, especially
in the elements, even if Caleb Williams doesn't want to
talk about it.

Speaker 2 (01:19:59):
Yep, I'm taking I'm also taking the Bears.

Speaker 10 (01:20:01):
Next up, uh, the Packers minus two and a half
on the road in Denver to take on the Broncos.

Speaker 2 (01:20:08):
Yeah, this one, this one's also weird. I'm I'm going
to take the Broncos though, because they've won ten straight,
they're on a hot streak, they're at home.

Speaker 1 (01:20:14):
Like I said, this matters for the Packers when you're
talking about seating, and I honestly I think for the Broncos,
especially because it's not the Broncos, I'm very excited to
see pats ertan on Kristen Watson.

Speaker 2 (01:20:23):
Okay, that's gonna be the Keys.

Speaker 10 (01:20:24):
Real quick bills with the Patriots bills minus one and
a half.

Speaker 2 (01:20:27):
I'm taking bills. Bills chargers in chargers, chiefs five and
a half. I'm gonna take chargers, all right. Thank you
so much for spending your Saturday afternoon with us. We'll
see you next week, same time, same place,

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Alex Curry & Carmen Vitali talk NFL Divisonal Races, Notre Dame's exclusion, and more!