The Fellas With Anthony Gargano & Geoff Schwartz talk Indiana’s Dominance in the CFP Quarterfinals, NFL Playoff Contenders & MORE!

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You don't listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Good morning, man, Buddy, Habby Abby Abby Abby, Fox Football
Saturday NFL Edition. After our incredible couple days of the
college football playoffs, everything shifts to the NFL the final

(00:27):
week of the season. Wow, lots to get to Jeff
Schwartz Anthony Gargano as we come youlive from the Fox
Sports Radio studios. But of course we got to relive
a game and a team that moves all to the
semifinals cause Captain quack our Man has gotta be over

(00:49):
the moon. Jeff Schwartz, Good morning, mister Oregon duck.

Speaker 3 (00:53):
Good morning, Good morning. How are you doing today, buddy,
glad to be here. It's it's a man, I tell you.
But halftime of the game. My wife and family is
at the beach right now, halftime of the Oregon game.
I called them on FaceTime just to say hi, just
to pretend I was alive, because I didn't, you know,

(01:14):
I wanted to make sure they knew I was alive still,
And my wife is like, why are you breathing so heavily?
I'm like, I'm watching football, okay, leave me alone, all right,
leave me alone. And the reason why is you know,
I thought this year for Oregon was a successful season
if we went eleven and one and we won a

(01:35):
playoff game. Now, the first playoff game was against James Madison.
That to me, like, you know, sorry, JMU, that's the
game we should win, and we won. Right, this was
the game I thought we had to win for where
our program wants to be. Right, You're in year four. Now,
every single season we've we've gone better, and we'll be
better next year.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Our team.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
I think we'll return most of the players on our team,
including the quarterback. And this was supposed to be. I
thought what we did this year was he made a
semi final that was the best case scenario for our team,
and we had to beat Texas Tech and we did. Now,
no excuses for how games are won in the playoffs, man,
And this is something comfortable offens to have to get

(02:15):
used to, because this is a very NFL fought right,
where like, who cares, it doesn't matter, win your playoff
game and move on to the next game. And every
game is its own individual game, right. What happened on
Texas Tech does not matter against Indiana. What indeed did
Alabama does not matter for this game each individual game
is its own game, it's its own weekend, and I'm

(02:36):
glad Oregon won. It wasn't great on offense, but it's
really good on defense and really good on special teams.
And this is what I thought we had to do
for this season, and then next year will be its
own season. But obviously we'll just be much older, one
year older and one year better. Dude, on the telecast,
I mentioned we have twenty four touchdowns on offense by
true freshmen. The best player, the defensive player of the

(02:56):
game was a true freshman who had two interceptions.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
The Phonewar Dowd. Yeah, gonna be fine.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
So that's where I thought we had to be, and
so that's why I was so I was so nervous, anxious, excited,
like whatever you want to do is like we just
we had to win that game for our program.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
And every year we've gone one game better.

Speaker 3 (03:16):
Where year one for Dan Landing was a holiday bol win,
Year two was a championship loss in the PAC twelve,
Year three was a Big ten championship and obviously a
one playoff loss, and this year was you know another
you know, two playoff wins.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
Essentially, So.

Speaker 3 (03:32):
In uh Man I'm excited. I'm excited, and it feels
now like almost like a free role man, like this
where I thought we was the max for our team
and I'll get a chance to go to the championship.
What I find most fun about this playoff is this
is what we were told can never happen with NIL
on the portal. Right, the NI owned portal was gonna

(03:52):
make it so that it was Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia
every year. Right, only the best would survive, the richest
would survive, the guys who pay the most money would survive.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
And the opposite has happened.

Speaker 3 (04:05):
It has made parody at the top become a real thing,
has made it to where Daniel Jeremiah tweeted out that
the defensive lines for Texas Tech, Oregon, Miami are better
than the ones Alabama and Georgia, which is true, which
it never happened, never happened, and we have an Indiana

(04:28):
team in the semi finals. That Look, I'm not a
historian for all sports, and definitely pro sports are different
than college sports, but ain't nothing like it in football history, man.
And then on the college side, for so many years,
the team with the most NFL players for lack of

(04:50):
a better way to say it, has been in the
position to win a championship, right, and the team that
has the best players For the last twenty five years,
the blue chip ratio right has been a team that's
has won the championship, and Indiana breaks all of those molds.

Speaker 2 (05:07):
They have.

Speaker 3 (05:09):
One first round pick and Francisco Mendoza, who probably would
not be the first book overall, was in most draft class.
It's not gonna be great higher than it's not a
great haigh than a lot of these guys. They have
some pros, right, like their wide receivers going in the NFL, right, Yeah,
their centers going in the NFL, some of their defensive
linemen going the NFL. But like notun till day three,

(05:30):
like like they and and then and they just freaking
steamroll people, man, Yeah, hey, steamroll people in Indiana. Story
is about physicality. It's a it's a very Patriots system.
It's do your job right. They are coached well, they
are fundabally sound.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
Yeah, I mean that's where you have to I mean, Sinnetti.
It's this amazing story. It's it's increased. They all they
all sell like them too.

Speaker 3 (06:02):
Mendoza's a little corny, but yeah, he didn't sound quite
like coach, but the rest of them do is incredible,
Like like if you have a like a perfectly pr
like cor Yeah, it's like, but there's something.

Speaker 2 (06:16):
Genuine about the kids. The kid's genuine. Man, I I'm
just saying that I'm having this conversation. He sounds like
Kirk Cousin. Nah, I'm a little I get what you're saying,
but I don't know. I I like the kid. I
think the kid. I'm just having this. I was just
having this conversation with Buddy mine because he said the

(06:37):
same thing, like, you know, oh my god.

Speaker 3 (06:40):
I don't think it's I don't think it's fake, by
the way.

Speaker 2 (06:41):
I think, well that's my point. I think it's genuine
and it's genuine and it's beautiful, man Like you know
the kids, the kids, you know, the mother, the family,
like it's it's they're a great story. Indi enda is great.
I mean, Signetti himself is an amazing story. He didn't smile.

(07:04):
They talked about the broadcast about you know how his
face he gets meaner as the lead gets bigger. He
he's a terrific coach, just.

Speaker 3 (07:16):
As it's so funny that like everyone's been trying to
hire saving guys and it feels like they finally got
one who they didn't think was going to be the
saving guy, you know. But yeah, yeah, it's it's it's
you know, Oregon played them once already this season, obviously,

(07:36):
and it was a game that was close and Indiana
pulling out in the end. Indiana's played close games. They
won in Iowa, the last one of the last players
of the game, they won at Penn State, last play
of the game.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
They beat Ohio State by three, and they they're they're
Beata ball.

Speaker 3 (07:51):
But you have to play the best game of your
playoff season to beat them, right right, it has to
say where you have to play the best game ever.
Because the other thing about Indiana that is, I think
starting to be a real trend in college football. And
it's why Oregon, i think, is trying to bring all
their guys back.

Speaker 2 (08:11):
Okay, is they.

Speaker 3 (08:13):
Are an old team. Indiana is old. Their offense starts
every player there's let's say here, they're they're they're their
top thirteen players on offense. That includes you know, a
couple of tight ends, right, a couple of running backs,
twelve of thirteen or in year four or later. So

(08:33):
they're an older group.

Speaker 2 (08:34):
Right.

Speaker 3 (08:35):
Defensively, guys are in year five four four two two four, four, three, four,
three six. It is an older team. The twenty twenty
three Michigan team was an older champion. Ohio State last
year was an older champion.

Speaker 2 (08:52):
I think we're.

Speaker 3 (08:52):
Finding out that because of because of NIL, players get
to stay longer and how important that is, right, and
we're seeing that a team like Indiana that again they
don't have as much pro talent as Oregon, right they don't,
but their style of play there, the maturity, their physicality,
they're the way they're coached.

Speaker 2 (09:12):
Dude, we just you know, before this, before we go
on air, I do an hour with buddy of mine,
who's the AD at Penchroter High School in Philadelphia, and
he had built this program, Saint Joe's Prep, into a powerhouse.
And the whole topic today because the portal's open yesterday,
is that is the old is everybody wanting to be older,

(09:39):
and how that leaves a huge hole for kids come
out of high school and it creates this whole system
of nobody stays like you just go from rung to
rung to rung and it does take away. Like I
listen to you each week talking about Oregon football, and

(10:00):
I'll be honest with you, it's actually I find the
beauty in it. I mean sometimes you sound like you're
in a cult. But and I say that lovingly, but
it's it's a beautiful thing, Like it's real, like you
watch your alma mater, like you know that the most

(10:23):
art fan would watch their NFL team like it's a
blood passion that you have, and that's beautiful. The issue
is like are we not We're not fostering it, Like
I don't know that players that come out now they're
gonna be at three or four schools. Yeah. It it's

(10:46):
really kind of nuts. I think that.

Speaker 3 (10:49):
I I was on record as opposed to open transfer
portal when I was doing my show on my PAC
twelve show. When it started happening, I said, I just
I think we're gonna end up. My Coho said no,
only like the backups will transfer, like like he was
a walk on at Utahni transferred that we were stays.
Like the guy's like like nobody it's gonna be full
free agency and it is. And I still think there

(11:11):
need to be limits put in place. I think one
transfer is probably about right. If you want to transfer
a second time, you need to sit out of here,
which used to be the old rule, right, because it's
it like that. I know people people don't like this argument,
but it is what it is. I think there's value
in sticking it out. You know, there's value in in
fighting through some hard times and not just escaping the

(11:33):
first chance you have. Now I understand if you're getting paid.
You know, there's talk now that you know Soresby that
the Cincinnati quarterback is you get five million dollars.

Speaker 2 (11:44):
Right.

Speaker 3 (11:45):
I think this is first time transferring, so that would
fit under you know, for me, that would fit under
like what I think is reasonable. Right, But there are
guys that transfer four times because they're Look, the thing is,
the grass is not always greener, man, It's just not you.

Speaker 2 (12:02):
You know, you.

Speaker 3 (12:03):
Go somewhere thinking you're you're gonna play, and they play
the guy the day that they recruited instead. You know,
you go somewhere and the fit's not great. You go
somewhere and you know you don't like the city because
you're just you're a mercenary. You know, you become a
mercenary and.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
So right, well, you've never become part of the community
of correct And it's it's funny because.

Speaker 3 (12:24):
In in the game the other day for Oregon, like
some of the best players in the game were guys
that were that were recruited.

Speaker 2 (12:32):
And brought in and not the portal players.

Speaker 3 (12:34):
You know, like you still need the backbone of your
roster to be to be recruited playing. This is why,
Like this is so we talk about sort of who
needs this championship the most right oldness Oregon, Indiana and Miami.
It's Indiana. This is this is not gonna happen again.
There recruiting rankings, they're ninth in the Big in the

(12:55):
Big ten, like you're just you' You can't sustain a
program at this level unless you recruit high school players
at a high level. It's just it's impossible. And this
is just an incredible story. He brought in the GMU guys.
They've been the backbone of that team. It's it's just
not gonna happen again. Like this has to be the
year Indiana does it in you know, Texas Tech, who

(13:15):
organ played I think learned that lesson yesterday and they're
doing better job of high school recruiting, but like, you
can only bring in a certain number of guys in
the portal that make your team that much better. Right,
Like they did on defense. Their defense is incredible, but
they really did an offense it kind of cost them, right, Like,
you have to develop players, in my opinion, still at

(13:36):
a high level out of high school recruiting, and then
you can backfill some positions, which organ has done.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
Anything perfectly do I But I don't think it's gonna
play out anyway. I think they're still looking at kids
that they still want to be older because they they
look at their own line and you want men. I
mean kids are going to mature.

Speaker 3 (13:56):
But you know this, man, the old line is like
the worst position to portal and you can't like that's
the hardest mission, Like the I think offensive line is
actually the one is off of the defensive line is
probably the two positions where you actually have to put
the most emphasis in my opinion, in high school recruiting
and growing those guys out. You know you can do
a get a David Bailey and Romelo height, but how

(14:17):
often is that gonna happen when you get just have
a year when you get the best two pass rushers
in the portal, like it's it's not gonna happen very often.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
Yeah, but here's the issue though, And you notice better
than anybody you want your O line D line to
be older.

Speaker 3 (14:32):
Oh absolutely, that's why. It's why.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
So you're gonna have to go and you're gonna have
to develop them. But in high school, when you get
your high school kids, just just a maturity level from
eighteen to twenty well works against you.

Speaker 3 (14:48):
But but this is why, this is why in year four,
and we don't give anyone patience, Year four, Maya Crystal
Ball and Dan Lanning are here because they spent time
building the trenches up and it takes four years to
do that. And they were given the opportunity because they
won enough games to keep their jobs and see that through.

Speaker 2 (15:12):
And yeah, they started the change of the landscape. Start
like they were doing this before, the change in the landscape.

Speaker 3 (15:21):
But you're right, like they're coaches, they're not gonna change
that though, because the landscape like they're gonna continue to.

Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah, because they they've built up their equity right like
they you know, like you know how good they are,
so you know you're you're not you're gonna they're gonna
have car plants to run it their way. Every other
coach that's not a you know, that top level coach
that doesn't have security is going to feel the need

(15:48):
to go through the portal and build its trenches that way.

Speaker 3 (15:52):
Right, No, right, but I think I think that's a
that's a base to start your program with, but you
have to trans in the US is a good example
this right, USC went's so portal heavy to start, and
then look at Roley was like, uh yeah, we got
to go back to high school recruited, like you can do.
You have to do both, right, You have to get
some start your program, go portal. Fine, but he's going

(16:14):
to year five and they have no rebuild happening on
the trenches because they haven't even tried, right, All their
guys are like freshmen now.

Speaker 2 (16:22):
And so I think you do both.

Speaker 3 (16:23):
You have to portal's fine, but then you have to
transition to where the majority of those guys in the trenches,
in my opinion, are guys that you have brought in
yourself and developed over three or four years. And that's
what your team looks like in the year four, five,
and six. It's a couple portal players here and there,
but primarily guys you've developed and that's the winning formula

(16:47):
for success. And my not everyone can do it, to
be fair like, that's that's a you know.

Speaker 2 (16:50):
Mario well because the other thing is you got to
get kids to stay well because right, but they stay
because they buy in into.

Speaker 3 (17:02):
The idea that they're gonna get a chance to play it.
And this is why I look, man, you know these kids.
You're gonna get lucky to get these kids to stay now.
I mean, I don't know, they seem to. They want
to organisms to make it work. It just started the ale.
These things new. Yeah, but here's the deal is that

(17:24):
if you commit to a school only for the money,
you're never gonna be happy.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
You You, I agree, I like, don't say don't take
it as though I disagree with the notion of it.
But this phenomenon is brand new. I mean, and there's
four thousand kids in the portal. I mean, this is
your this would be the fourth it's not this year

(17:50):
is not like it was four years ago. It's not
there's four thousand kids in the in the portal. Four thousand. Yeah,
that's ridiculous. And then there shouldn't be four thousand.

Speaker 3 (17:59):
But my one is that these top programs are doing
it in the way that that is gonna win because
they're prioritizing high school recrrideala trenches like look, Miami organ
here to stay again Indiana.

Speaker 2 (18:14):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (18:14):
I think this is why India has to win this year,
like they're not gonna get back here in my opinion
after this run of what they have.

Speaker 2 (18:22):
Yeah, I agree with that. I but I will say this,
I don't know. It is so wild that I think
it's impossible to say four case anything and it's wacky
scenario again. Four thousand kids, thirty three new coaches, go

(18:45):
make sense to that? Where the fellas. We're just getting
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Speaker 2 (19:40):
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(20:00):
on YouTube and subscribe. All right, let's talk about the
games though for a second, and what it looks like
in the Final four one relived for a second. It's halftime.
Oregon is dominated the football game, but it's only up
six to nothing. Right away, I thought back to uh Miami,

(20:25):
when Miami was being out playing up until the fourth
quarter in the quarterfinal game.

Speaker 3 (20:35):
Yeah, I didn't feel great, that's what you're asking me. Yeah,
I mean, I mean, I mean, I just look, you
just can't we I think we had like six trips
inside the three and scored six points like it was.

Speaker 2 (20:49):
It wasn't it wasn't great. Look.

Speaker 3 (20:52):
I mean, I haven't watched all the offensive film because
I wanted to save that for one just it's just
atrocious film.

Speaker 2 (21:00):
Watch. I think that.

Speaker 3 (21:05):
It was just it was just sloppy on offense man
and he looked to be fair test of text defenses
incredibly mean that defense.

Speaker 2 (21:11):
Yeah, it's great Bailey. I know a lot of.

Speaker 3 (21:14):
Attentions on a Ruby Bay and he totally deserves it.
I think Bailey's better. I think Bailey is number thirty
one tech. I mean, no gloves, no tape, right, an
old school guy pass rusher. He's much twitter than Ruby
bain Is. Height is incredible. Their interior guys are better
than I thought that they are. The one thing that

(21:35):
I the thing I questioned about the sloppiness and offense
because we had to play so, you know, we get
the ball back with thirty seconds left in the first half.
I thought we'd take a knee, and we didn't. We
threw the ball and we're moving down the field like
we were at field goal range, and then our center
just rolled the snap back there like not not like
he hit he stepped it high left and right, just didn't.

Speaker 2 (21:54):
Get the ball off the ground.

Speaker 3 (21:56):
We have these problems all season, right, we fumbled in
exchange on a play actual pa, It's like more just
did clear the running back enough and the ball hit
the running back as he pulled it out, just like
stuff like that. That was odd, right. I do wonder
if the body clock was an issue because the game
was a nine am Pacific game bodyclock for Oregon, and

(22:17):
they did play less slopping in the second half on offense,
just like mental mistakes, those type of plays went away.
But yeah, I mean it was It's not a good
feeling to play that well and only be up six nothing.
I didn't think we pitched a shutout. I mean Texas
deck had one drive inside inside, uh the red zone
and ended up with interceptions. So I just knew if

(22:37):
we've stayed with it, and they did, and then the
you know, the interception forced fumble by Mateo kind of
turned the game and we got thirteen nothing. I felt
pretty good that they were working to score twice on us,
and we just kept going, just grinding away a thousand
cuts men, right, just keep keep pushing, keep grinding, and look,
I said this earlier, there are no excuses for for

(23:00):
playoff wins. So we're gonna talk about the NFL here
in a few minutes, and we never we never talk
about that with the NFL, Like we're gonna have to
transition a little bit to talking about college football. Unfortunately,
people aren't gonna like this like the NFL, where playoff
games don't matter, how you win them, doesn't matter at all.
We were a way to walk about style points of
college football. Style points are done, in my opinion, for

(23:22):
playoff caliber teams in the regular season. Your job in
the regular season is to get yourself healthy and win
enough games to make the playoffs. Doesn't matter how you
do it. In my opinion, for the most four teams
like Georgia in Alabama on Miami and Oregon, like just
getting get there. Just get there, right, And that's the

(23:42):
way those teams played this season. Also, like if we're
talking about playoff teams in the NFL, we rarely say
to ourselves, hey, man, can you they lost that team
in October? We never say that, But for Miami it's like,
I can't because they lost to Louisville in October. You're like,
that's not okay, but that was October. It's now January,

(24:07):
Like it doesn't, so I think we have to recalibrate.
They think about college football now, you have to win
enough games to get into the dance, right, so you
can't lose to Louisville three times. But the fact is,
like we looked at Miami as one of the best
things in the country after about week four or five,
like they were two I think behind Ohio State. They
lost to Louisville. Yeah, not not great, right, I mean right,

(24:28):
it's not not great. Lost SMU who ended up being
a pretty good team this season, right, I think nine
to win team after the Bowl win last night, But
then they spent five weeks playing really good football and
then beat A and M and now beat Ohio State.
Like it's a legitiately good team. And we have to
stop this idea that a team is finalized in October.
It's actually Look, we've said a whole secon about the

(24:50):
portal right when you Miami is not really in this boat,
per se. But Carson Beck is a portal guy. Like
it like when you have portal guys, takes a little
bit of time to get things going in the right direction.

Speaker 2 (25:02):
They figured it out.

Speaker 3 (25:04):
They rely a lot on their defense now that they
don't make Carson Beck do a ton right doesn't have
to because the defense is so good. And dude, they're like,
I think they're gonna be at all to miss and
they're gonna be playing a home championship game because it's
it's in Miami.

Speaker 2 (25:18):
Wow. Could you imagine we'd have a home college football
champion at championship game and the possibly a home NFL
championship at Super Bowl Crazy?

Speaker 3 (25:29):
Uh, just just kind of walked out in this given
year for Miami. I had to host, the host, the
host that game. It's gonna be honest with you.

Speaker 2 (25:35):
I'm shocked. I'm still shocked. I'm shocking. Yeah, I mean
then we talked about it. I thought the ten points
was way too many, and I thought that Miami could
do this right. I didn't think they would.

Speaker 3 (25:52):
I thought that they were talented enough to make this
a really tight game for Ohio State.

Speaker 2 (25:57):
But I also think that as far as Ohio State,
you know.

Speaker 3 (26:03):
They if I if I tell you this, okay, if
I tell you this, they their team won a championship
last season, they lost I think nearly their entire defensive
line right to the NFL. They lost their quarterback to
the NFL. They lost two first round offensive linemens to
the NFL. You would tell me that team would not

(26:23):
be as good this season. Yeah, and they're not as
good this season. But because of their schedule, you don't
really play anybody they're able to lose, you know, to
just kind of run through the schedule without having been
tested in the way they have to be tested to
win pay off years.

Speaker 2 (26:35):
Yeah, no, that's true, it is. I still I give
it up to Miami because I was not a believer.
I was not a believer in their offense. And you know,
it's amazing, like they win that game because they ground it,
they grind it out on the ground. Now, I have

(26:56):
to ask you, because what we've seen a trend that
these teams that have a bye have that that have
that long layoff struggle mightily the first half. Man, Like,
that's another thing they think to fix. Fix because the
buy stuff is a negative. Now.

Speaker 3 (27:17):
So even Indiana, who won the game thirty eight to three,
I had zero first quarter points.

Speaker 2 (27:21):
I know.

Speaker 3 (27:24):
It's it's not it's not a buy in the NFL
is one week like the Broncos and and and whoever
wins that.

Speaker 2 (27:32):
You know, the West.

Speaker 3 (27:33):
Right at the game tonight, they're gonna have one week off.
These guys had nearly a month off. Like, it's not
the same thing. It's way too much. And leading up
to the Organ game, obviously follow them closest. I hear
what they say. Their coaches and players were like thrilled
to have the schedule unlike last year. Like they were like,
this is such a refreshing, like a normal schedule for us, right,

(27:56):
and yeah, and and I look, I also believe this.
I think when you have a month off, you spend
way too much time preparing and you over prepare. I
think that I would much rather play a team in
like look again, I'll go back to you know, you
Organ players, but I follow them. You know, there's an

(28:18):
article that came out the day before the game where
they said last year they were over prepared to play
Ohio State. He said, they said, we spent way too
many hours watching Ohio State. We spent way too many
hours obsessing over Ohio State instead of just worrying about
what we have to do to get better. And this
year Organ worrying more about themselves and less about the opponent.

(28:40):
Until they had to write till game week, like spend
an actual game, you can.

Speaker 2 (28:43):
If you can't game plan for a team in one
week during the regular season, you can do the same
in the postseason. You have to say that.

Speaker 3 (28:47):
I've been a situation with like bowls where I felt
like our coaches were just over prepared us for bowl
games because you spend a month preparing for a bowl game,
and and that is I think a huge part of it.
It's a process. By now, it's like it's too too
much time. You're spending too much time preparing for these
games that you just you put too much offense in,
you put too much defense in, and you're just not
as christm as you need to be. So I think

(29:09):
that's a huge part mentally, not physically as much mentally,
you're just you got too much offense and too much
defense in, Like you spend too much time preparing.

Speaker 2 (29:19):
Yeah, and the rust factor is real early on. It
certainly is.

Speaker 3 (29:26):
I think in the trenches and tackling, even though Texas
techle wasn't problem for them, because that was dude, I'm
telling you man, that defense, buddy.

Speaker 2 (29:35):
I not only do.

Speaker 3 (29:36):
They rush the passer, well, they didn't miss one freaking
tackle the whole game.

Speaker 2 (29:41):
Now, it was they were it was. It was remarkable watching. Yeah,
but I think it hurts offenses way more than defenses.

Speaker 3 (29:50):
Interesting, okay, just because you can't get it going.

Speaker 2 (29:56):
Yeah, I mean, I mean we see it all the
time during like like a longer layoff, like that stuff
you're you're timing is everything false starts, I mean cheese.
It was rampant.

Speaker 3 (30:07):
And you saw Indiana too, and Sinneti talked about this
after the game, Like Alabama came out with some different
pressures early on they were sort of these are the
first couple of drives. Indiana was sort of just throttled
down a little bit, man, scramble and make enough places
and then eventually you know he they figured it out
and they were going to go. I mean, look, it's
impressive the Indiana, despite again of having that break, was
able to play through that.

Speaker 2 (30:28):
I'm not sure that affected Georgia very much. I'm Georgia's defense.
I thought they were better. Man.

Speaker 3 (30:33):
I'm kind of stunned. I went to bed at halftime.
I'm not gonna lie. I was exhausted. I was stunned
at the end result. I couldn't believe they lost that
game because Ole miss is not better than that, And
of course it's that's not really what it's about sometimes, dude,
it was stunning to me, absolutely stunned.

Speaker 2 (30:49):
Yeah, I mean it was.

Speaker 3 (30:51):
But their defense isn't that good. It had gotten better
though they can't rush the passer.

Speaker 2 (31:00):
Team line, their interior defensive tackles where they lived right,
Like we just talked about it, man, Like those teams
Alabama Georgia defronts were always the value one who's the
actor of the defense. And Georgia lost a lot of teeth. Listen,

(31:24):
I watch these kids every week in the NFL with
the Eagles, right, they don't have that level of talent,
not even close. And Alabama is sure as hell doesn't.

Speaker 3 (31:34):
No and so no it and and trigger on shambles
is an incredible game. I mean, Georgia made some strategy errors.
One thing that I think that I don't I know,
I don't, I don't like. So there are there are
times were going for a fourth down as silly, right,
and that's certainly worth debating when those times are. But

(31:56):
I think sometimes that we don't hold the players accountable
for making mistakes as much. Georgia called the fourth down
play down three the left tackle just didn't block the
defensive end. Body they did two guys open, wide open,
Yeah like they Yeah, Okay, it didn't work. But is
that because or should they not call the player? They

(32:16):
didn't trust the aft tackle to block the defensive end.
That's his job, blocked the defensive end. I like that
to me, Like, I get it. I get you want
to be angry. It curb me for that, But the
guys were open. Players have to make plays. And if
you want to argue that you shouldn't go for because
you don't trust them and make plays. I mean, I
guess fine, you can make the argument, but the fact is,
like they just didn't. Georgia just didn't execute. They had

(32:40):
guys open and the offense I just didn't block the
right guys. Now I can argue that running the team
the offense late on the field like they did, I
think it's kind of silly.

Speaker 2 (32:48):
I don't know why college.

Speaker 3 (32:49):
Coaches try this like this, like trick them stuff, like
just just get on the ball, man, like you're not
fooling anyone, Like you out the pot. And so for
those who to Kirby Smart had to punt team on
then ran the offense on late and they kind of
hurry to who cares.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
Just get the offense, just like you know what you're
going for.

Speaker 3 (33:10):
Two things I hate that that the coach is doing
these situations. One is that right and the other one
is like, hurry up to the line of scrimmas, run
inside zone. Yeah, like just take your time, it's important situation.

Speaker 2 (33:23):
What do you what do you? What do you like?

Speaker 3 (33:25):
They know you're going for it like they're honestly, just
take your time, get the right play in, do the
right thing. I'd rather spend the time to make sure
it's right then do it fast but wrong, like I know,
like and coaches make this all the time, and Kirby
just I'm shocked to make the mistake. What's crazy is

(33:45):
Pete Golding Now the old miss coach has has like
the third most playoff wins of SEC coach right now
active SC coach. It's crazy, which is which is crazy?
That situation, by the way, is on parallel the game.
We keep using this word oldness has six coaches I
believe that are on the LSU staff for Lane Kiffin,

(34:08):
and they coached the first playoff game. This is the
first two playoff games. There was a port that came
out that said that LSU might recall that essentially back
to campus.

Speaker 2 (34:22):
That is yeah, I mean he can't do that. I
don't know what I don't know what words I can
use on this. Yeah, you can't do that. That would
be That would be criminal, man, absolutely criminal. You can't
do that. Hey, we're to quick, t sit tight. We'll
come right back and wrap up some college stuff and
next hour start to focus on the big NFL weekend,

(34:43):
the final NFL weekend and Monday the acts comes for coaches.
All kinds of stuff that happening right here, fellas. Jeff Schwartz,
Anthony Gargano Sports Radio, all right, welcome back, fellas, hanging

(35:04):
out with you guys. Hey, Jeff, real quick, yes, sir,
so uh my man, south Side Chuck one of our
great listeners, big Kentucky fan. He said, can you ask, Jeff,
who did you think the new o sed Organ will be?
Since will Stein is at Kentucky.

Speaker 3 (35:25):
Now they they promoted their they promoted their their tight
end coach to OC.

Speaker 2 (35:32):
Okay, so the Oregon tight end coach is now.

Speaker 3 (35:34):
The like co OC, you know, like they have all
these titles. He's now he's gonna call plays now. So,
I mean Dan Lanning has hired two o cs, Kenny Dillingham,
who's incredible and will Ty like, I think he knows
what he's doing. So toss Point is going to cal
and they promoted Hampton who was already the co d C.

(35:55):
So I trust Dan land. It's coaching the ability and
high ability. So he's a great coach, dude. He's just
a great coach, dude, It really is. How about so,
has there been a situation where we've had a better
what's the best way to put it, Like Mario Cristo

(36:18):
Ball left Orgon for Miami and then Dan Lanning came
in and we had a better like switcheroo and collegeable
history where like both sides are extremely happy with the results.
Where like, yeah, it's pretty rare, Like Mario went to
his alma mater, which I never I did fault him
at all for doing that. I mean that's his alma mater.
And then we got Dan Lanning and they're both in
they one get away from playing each other. Yeah, it's

(36:40):
great this championship game. That would be the obviously that
would be what I would prefer, but that would be
my podcast host on Barabet's Chris Felicia went to Miami,
and that would be about it as dream scenario as
we could have Oregon Miami for the championship. Should I
go to the Indiana game? I need to ask you
that question. It's in Atlantic could drive. I will miss
our show on Saturday though, if I have to do that.

(37:01):
But do I go or not? What do you think?

Speaker 2 (37:05):
I mean? Yeah, you got it's that close. I mean
it's a drive for you. Yeah, I could just drive
Friday the games. Try.

Speaker 3 (37:13):
I could just drive at like ten o'clock in the morning,
be there by two, get my hotel, walk to the game,
like I've done Atlanta before. We lost fort nine to
three last time, so that was less fun.

Speaker 2 (37:22):
Now the fact that they're playing this close to you,
I mean, you gotta do it, uns, I don't you know.
I don't want you to miss the show, but you
gotta do it like it's it's right there for you.

Speaker 3 (37:31):
Like I guess I could. I don't know where I
do it from Atlanta. I guess I could from the
hotel room on Saturday on Sunday morning, Saturday morning.

Speaker 2 (37:37):
Well we have that capabuilding Yeah, uh yeah, I just
I like I mean, honestly, you should. You should do
it because it's a great story. Man. It's like it's
gonna be everybody where. We're gonna be talking about. You'll
be at the gate. I know.

Speaker 3 (37:53):
I'm you gotta suck it up many go to sleep,
But you know I don't. I don't care about that.
Come on, I'm Ana sap. Anyways, I don't care. I'm
stay for the.

Speaker 6 (38:04):
Man.

Speaker 2 (38:05):
Yeah, I got like that. I got my Star Wars.

Speaker 3 (38:07):
Basketball game in the morning.

Speaker 2 (38:08):
Though. Okay, it's it's a once cent, It's not like
it happens all the time, right, Like you know, I know,
I gotta, I know, I know what this means to you.

Speaker 3 (38:16):
It's to call over to organ and see what I
see what uh what what they got going for tickets
and stuff too.

Speaker 2 (38:22):
So yeah, I think it'll be solid. I have to
tell you know. On the other side, I would love
to see old Miss win.

Speaker 3 (38:30):
Just for this, for justice, yes, just for the Lane stuff.

Speaker 2 (38:34):
Well, you know, first of all, I love that Trinidad Channels.
I love that kid. I want to I want to,
I just I want to see them win.

Speaker 3 (38:45):
Do you know Lane gets paid by l s U
every time Ole Miss wins a player.

Speaker 2 (38:48):
I know it's in the bonus. I saw it. It's crazy.
I know. I'm you know, Lane's got loved Bonnie, So
I'm not rooting for that. I'm just for those kids.

Speaker 3 (38:59):
That's thing about it too. Like he has enough money obviously,
and he still put in his contract. Then he gets
paid if Old Miss wins playoffins from not from Old
Miss from LSU.

Speaker 2 (39:08):
Yeah, that's cool. A great agent. Well, you have a
great agent, right, probably, I'm not sure who he is,
but that's why you have it. That's why you have
great agents.

Speaker 3 (39:18):
I actually get paid every time I mentioned Organ on
the show. So that's what Scott, uh I you you
seem to think that Miami is uh.

Speaker 2 (39:30):
I don't want to say easy winner, but I thought
Georgia would have been easy too. So what do I know? Yeah?
What do you? Well? I think I think I think
it's a game, bro.

Speaker 3 (39:42):
So my my early thought is that I I don't think.

Speaker 2 (39:49):
The the Old.

Speaker 3 (39:51):
Miss offense can play as well against a really good defense.
It's just not It's one of those offenses that I
don't I think it's just not great against some Myami defense.
An think Miami's gonna run the ball for twenty yards.
It's all miss. Yeah, Well, Georgia didn't run the ball
for twenty yards. Georgia's not Miami's offensive line.

Speaker 2 (40:12):
I don't know. Uh, we gotta We're up against it.
NFL coming up next. Fellas on Fox.

Speaker 1 (40:20):
Don't listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (40:24):
Good morning, good morning, good morning, good morning. That's us
the fellas. Jeff Schwartz, Anthony Guard gotta come with you
live from the Fox Sports Radio studios. January. The third
holidays now passed us and all we have is what's

(40:48):
the commercial playoff? January? Uh, because the football keeps us
warm over the winter after the holidays, and this is it,
the final week of the NFL. Well, I want to
shed a tear, but it is good high drama. It's
probably the best week eighteen in a long time. Today

(41:09):
the doubleheader, both games matter, Panthers Buccaneers. Now there is
a chance that even if Tampa wins, they could be out.
But it's Panthers Buccaneers with a likely chance to win
the division. And then it's Seattle San Francisco for the

(41:29):
one seed in the NFC tomorrow and all the early games,
then you have the late games and it culminates with
Ravens and Steelers for the AFC North. So lots at stake, Jeff.
It's probably the best week eighteen in a long time,
it is.

Speaker 3 (41:47):
And so looking forward obviously to the action and I
think it's you are as well. So that's with today
with an interesting game between the Panthers and Bucks. As
you mentioned, if the Falcons win the Saints and the
Bucks win today, there'll be a three way tie at
eight and nine in the division, which triggers a tiebreaker

(42:08):
for the Panthers. So the Panthers could lose today, Tim
Bay could celebrate and then lose the division. So that
is something to watch for today. But yeah, look, these
games are gonna matter. It's a lot of fun on
the weekend team when the games matter. And so looking
forward to, you know, to see this slate today and
sort of see where these teams are at and the
Panthers this will be a huge success in the year

(42:30):
two for day Canals that staff to be division winners.

Speaker 2 (42:36):
Yeah, man, what do you think it? Size it up
as your squad, You're right there. So what do you
think about them? I mean all year you've been wondering
like are they real? Are they real? Uh? Tell me
what you think of this one. So tamp has had
their issues.

Speaker 3 (42:56):
So for ten straight weeks, Carolina has won and lost
a game ten straight weeks now, one loss, one loss,
one loss. And when they're good, they beat the Rams,
they the Packers, they beat the Bucks. When they're bad
they lose the Saints and the Falcons and the like.
It's just it's just not very good. Right You're blow

(43:17):
up by the Rams. Seattle are not really competitive last week,
and so I think a lot depends on what you
think what team you're getting from the Panthers today. I
think we're gonna get the good Panthers because they played
poorly last week and that's sort of been what they've
done this year. Poor good, poor good, poor good. And
you know, consistency is something that they're searching for moving forward,

(43:39):
but right now that's what the team has been. And
so all kind of I guess think the powder will
continue this weekend because also Tampa Bay is stinky, Buddy good.
They have lost seven of eight. Baker Mayfield has been
really bad. I think part of it is his you know,
the injury into his shoulders. Really starting to show right
now is non throwing shoulder the team feels and plays old.

(44:02):
I'm not sure it's that old, but they sort of
feel that way when you watch them play more injuries
two important players, their secondary is Guy out today and Dean.
It feels like Todd Bowles it doesn't really have what's
the right word to use, like not not juice, but
just like the team is sort of not buying what

(44:23):
he's selling anymore, by evident by him going out like
that seven F bomb Ti Rade a few weeks ago
after one of their games, which you again, you don't
see that from Tod Bowles very often. So I do
think that Tampa's just in a bad place right now.
I don't think they're very good.

Speaker 2 (44:39):
Can they win? Of course they could win. I mean
it'd be crazy.

Speaker 3 (44:41):
If they lost, you know, seven or the last eight
games and still make the playoffs. But that's the rules
we have for the NFL playoffs. So I think I
think Carolina wins. It covers this game. It's probably a
popular pick. I don't really care at this point. I
just think that they're better, and we've seen them now,
you know, sort of have this mindset of like win lose,
win lose, and I think.

Speaker 2 (45:01):
We get the best of the Panthers today. You know,
it's yeah, it's interesting because I thought Tampa was going
to go on a role because they got healthy on offense, right,
like they got so too everybody back. I mean, you
got Bucky Irving back, he got Look at McMillan, he's
sneaky man, he's a terrific player. He comes back and

(45:22):
he's automatically in the mix, and he's been more productive
in the Buka, who was the story of the first half.

Speaker 3 (45:29):
Yeah, Buka's kind of falling off a little bit. But
also just I think it's I think sort of you know,
they had the injuries to Mike Evans was back, but
still not one hundred percent. I don't think God and
God went to so so Buca's got more attention. As
he's got more attention, just hasn't been as good. And look,
you know, a rookie wall is real, you know, and

(45:50):
you know he came off of a national championship in
college football, Like he's played a lot of football this
past year. I think just the rookie, the rookie windows
sort of hit him when it happens that I felt
that way as a rookie, right, you basically do anything
about it. You go, let's say, let's use a book
of for example. So he starts fall camp in August
of twenty twenty four right in Ohio State.

Speaker 2 (46:14):
He plays all the way through mid January. Right.

Speaker 3 (46:17):
He then goes right to Combine training, right to the Combine,
right to pro days, right to being drafted, and then
going immediately to Tampa Bay for mini camp and for
offseason workouts. Then he gets a four week break in
the summer work Guess what he's training for football? And
then you do football for the whole summer, for the fall,

(46:39):
for the winter. Dude, your body is called tired.

Speaker 2 (46:43):
Man, it's tired. You're just not used to it.

Speaker 3 (46:44):
And that's why the rookie wall happens. That those are
the reasons why. It's because there's just so much football
for essentially eighteen months in a row without stopping. Your
body's not ready for it. And so when rookies sort
of slow down. To me, it makes sense.

Speaker 2 (47:00):
He does. I think it's killed Tampa too, though, is
they haven't been great protecting Baker and he's been He
hasn't been. He's been skinnish a little bit with all
the pressure, and defensively they're just a mess in the
past came to their secondary.

Speaker 3 (47:19):
Yeah, I just think the team has gotten older and
just not as good. It's is quite something, not as
good anymore, right, Just that's what the team has become,
and they they I think a lot of their success
over the last couple of years has been because Baker
sort of has this like chip on his shoulder attitude

(47:39):
and the runs and the scrambles. He can't do that
right now because the shoulders messed up, you know, like
he can but not to the same effectiveness is in
the past. And so I think we're seeing all of
that happen all at once, and it feels like this
is sort of the end of you know, as we
get to to Tomorrow to black or let's say, Sory Monday.
Black Monday does feel like Todd Bowles. I mean, if
he wins, maybe saved his job, but it's nearing the

(48:01):
end of his time in Tampa Bay.

Speaker 2 (48:03):
Yeah, all right, then the night game is awesome. This
is for the one seed Niners Seattle.

Speaker 3 (48:16):
So I would like to fade Sam Darnold in this situation.

Speaker 2 (48:20):
I really would.

Speaker 3 (48:22):
The problem is with Niners defense is not very good
and they're one of the worst in the NFL at
rushing the passer. And look it makes sense. I mean
they got a ton of They've got a ton of
guys that are hurt, right they lost Bosa and Williams
and Fred Warner, and it's a team that just can't
stop a nosebleed right now. They're near the bottom of
the NFL, and pressure percentage in the bottom the NFL,

(48:44):
an opponent completion percentage, bottom the NFL in sacks, and
their second worst in sacks. I only have like sixteen
sacks all season, which is insane. Our eighteen sacks, which
is kind of crazy. Like, it's just not a very
good defense right now. And for whatever fall of Seattle
has offensively like they have trouble run the football I
think at times, and Darnold in big games with a
ton of receptions. I just don't know how they just

(49:04):
don't score a ton of points in this game, Seattle,
I just don't the Diners. Diners offense has to be
perfect every game, yeah, because their defense can't get a
stops and against the Seattle defense, man like it. Look,
let's say you have three empty possessions. I mean, can
your defense gotta stop?

Speaker 2 (49:23):
Like you know what I mean.

Speaker 3 (49:24):
Like it, it feels like it's very tough for Exceptions
to win this game. I would like them to win.
I I love what Chain has done so far this season.
They're a great story. But I just don't know if
that defense is good. Have to win this game, man,
It's that simple.

Speaker 2 (49:38):
Yeah, It's one thing to beat Chicago and out score
like you're not going to be able to have that
kind of success against Seattle defense. No, No, as well,
think so I doubt I would. Listen, they're good shadow hands,
the best of business. Right, Hey, McVeigh are the best
offensive mines. They can make a I thing happened, but

(50:02):
there's a limit. And as good as McCaffrey is and
he's he's amazing. Uh and party's playing well and you've
got Kiddle coming back a lot of he's not playing tonight,
but you'll be back for the playoffs. You you got,
you got good weapons, man like Tongas is good, right,
like you got you got a lot, a lot to do.

(50:24):
But that Seattle defense is is too good to make
up for their the Niner defense, like they're gonna like,
like what Smith and Jigma going to have tonight? A
billion and fifty right.

Speaker 3 (50:38):
Billionaire, yeah, billion yards, Yeah, yeah, it's gonna be it's
gonna be tough.

Speaker 2 (50:43):
Yeah, I'm with you. I think it's just a I
don't see san Fran running the ball in Seattle.

Speaker 3 (50:50):
Well, I think I think you know, the thing about
that makes uh, you know a shanhand offense really effective
is that he just finds open receivers for his guy
if you know, for for and se If you take
away those options, you know, what is what does it becoming?
I do feel like it is a difficult ask against
this defense if they say, like we're just taking away

(51:10):
something from you.

Speaker 4 (51:11):
You know.

Speaker 2 (51:12):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm with you. Man. I just again,
I don't.

Speaker 3 (51:18):
If the Niners defense was league average, I feel like
so much better about their chances. But just it's just
not no, no, it's not. And and look, I Donald
this year has done six interceptions against the Rams. Like
he is not played well and this he didn't play
well in these moments last year. But again, like the
Niners defense, I don't think can affect him in a
way that makes him play poorly.

Speaker 2 (51:40):
No, no, no, I mean that's where if if they
were going to Philly right against that front, I think
Donald would have a meltdown. Oh absolutely right, like you
know where you're going, Like we've seen it against the
Rams and the Rams front. Like, I just don't I

(52:01):
don't think the Niners can do I just don't think.
I just think they're that depletely defensively and shame like,
because I do think the Niners can make a run,
but it's all about the matchup, like they got to
get the right path and the right matchup.

Speaker 3 (52:18):
Yeah yeah, I I I think I want to bet
the Niners. I really want to. I really want the Niners,
and I hope I just I can't see that defense
being effective enough to make it to make it happen.

Speaker 2 (52:35):
Yeah, yeah, nobody so I kind of. But it's gonna
be fine. Listen, it'll be a great game tonight, like
the like this week EIGHTEAM is pretty awesome. I mean
because then we get we we go all the four
o'clocks all matter in a certain way, and then you

(52:56):
got you know, Steelers Ravens from the game for the North,
which is freaking Allso.

Speaker 3 (53:02):
Yeah, it's gonna be an incredible It's the NFL got
lucky that the Ravens and Steelers both you know, did
their thing and one one one loss, Lamar is coming back.
It's gonna be a really fun way, especially after we
just you know spent you know, spent this time in
the comfortable playoff, like going tradition to an NFL where

(53:22):
two games matter today and then you know there are
some games that matter early tomorrow. Right there, their team's
playing for for seeding, and seems like the Rams are
playing their starters and Buffalo looks like they're playing their
starters because you know, I think the Rams don't want
to play their stars, but they played so poorly. Well,
we gets the Falcons. They gotta play the stars a
little bit. So it is Uh, it's a it's a

(53:43):
the NFL sort of lucked in to have it because
we talked about last week like there was a chance
that they were not gonna have like a game to
put on, and right and they and they got they
got all these games to put on.

Speaker 2 (53:58):
Yeah, it's pretty wild that it all played out, played
out perfectly for him. But when you look at it, uh,
the greatest one is that is that Steeler Ravens game
is awesome. Like that's that. Now the shave is DK,
I don't care like you that's a huge loss for them.

Speaker 3 (54:18):
Oh, it's a huge loss for them. But he just
can't go on in the stands, and I mean it's
his fault. It's such a killer. Though their offense is
completely is killer, it's not completely dead without without uh
without k they can't anyways, and well him, they can't
do that. So game Well fire me and Washington's out

(54:41):
with a broken arm, right, so fire Meth has to
step up now, DK, I mean, game Well's got to
step up. Look, man, I'll tell you this. Last week
I picked the Browns to cover. I thought they could
win because the best place to bet against Mike Tomlin
is when their road favorites off a big win, right

(55:04):
like that was so predictable. They've lost five games now
it's gonna be the last five games when they played
a team that was eight games below five hundred to
wild a wild stat they're four and one, last five games,
like you know, three and twelve, oh to eight something
like that? Right that two and eleven, that'd be two, yeah,

(55:25):
two and eleven, like two and ten. Can't win those games.
But the best place to back to back Mike Tomlin
is in this spot home underdog where No one believes
in them, so that like this is gonna be a
much closer game than I think people think.

Speaker 2 (55:45):
Yeah, listen, I mean that's that's what injury says. I
also don't know how good the Ravings are, Like they
look pretty pretty banged up, I mean other than their
other than Henry when you think of you know, Lamar
doesn't look right and I was gonna play, and we
saw Huntley the last couple of weeks, but he doesn't

(56:07):
look right. And even their defense isn't scary. They're so
you know.

Speaker 3 (56:17):
The discussion about whether Lamar would play. Some of it
had stem from the idea that Huntley with his legs,
gives the offense a better appearance because the offense is
so built with the ability for Lamar to run as
part of the main frame of the offense. And the
last five the last five seven weeks, Lamar hasn't been
able to run and it has affected the entire offense

(56:38):
the point where it looked like it should when Tyler
Huntley was playing. Even though we all agree Lamar is
better than Tyler Huntley right like, he just is, but
they just have not been the same team because Lamar
has been beat up all season. It's affected the offense,
and so I have the numbers.

Speaker 2 (56:54):
Right here for you.

Speaker 3 (56:55):
Well, Lamar the last so the let's see here, we'll
pull it up right here. Okay, first five games of
mar played this season completed seventy three percent of passes,
with a pass rating of one thirty six point seven,
top three in the NFL, and both those things fifteen
total touchdowns. Last seven games he's played complete percent, has

(57:18):
drops a fifty seven percent seventy three fifty seven yards
per pass, goes down nearly two yards four touchdowns passing,
that's its five interceptions. His passer rating goes from one
thirty six to seventy six.

Speaker 2 (57:34):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (57:36):
Since Week ten, it's completely percent, just thirty through the
NFL pass yards per game, twenty seventh in the NFL. Like,
he's just hasn't been good, and I'm not sure that
he's gonna be great all of a sudden now coming
off a back injury. Right, So this is where I
have concerned about Baltimore tonight.

Speaker 2 (57:54):
Yeah, Yeah, that's fair, you know, And that's that's got
to which keeps Pittsburgh in the game. And they're gonna
because I think they'll be able to handle Henry decent enough,
but it'll come down to whether or not the quarterback

(58:15):
can make some plays to have the field because that's
where they're gonna be vulnerable. It is, it is.

Speaker 3 (58:22):
So that's gonna be such a fun game because look,
the Steelers problems all the time.

Speaker 2 (58:26):
They have this voodoo.

Speaker 3 (58:27):
Man, I don't know what it is. They just voodoo
like that. They have Steelers voodoo. And this is just
feels like a voodoo game, you know, like sixteen thirteen. Yes, yes,
it's something like some Steelers score.

Speaker 2 (58:40):
What is happening right now?

Speaker 3 (58:42):
They have a tip pass interception, Jarrick Henry fumbles.

Speaker 2 (58:45):
For no apparent reason.

Speaker 3 (58:46):
The defense scorer, why is back Boswell hits four fifty
yard field goals. Like You're like, You're like, what is it?

Speaker 2 (58:53):
What is this?

Speaker 3 (58:53):
What's happening right now? This is what the Steelers do.
It's what they It's what they live for. So I
I think that this game will be pretty close.

Speaker 2 (59:06):
Yeah, I could see Boswhill having at night too. You're right,
I can totally see that. All right, let's say quick too,
we'll continue kind of where we look at each conference
and size up the contenders heading in the week eighteen
Jeff Schwartz, Anthony Gargatto, Fellas on Fox.

Speaker 4 (59:29):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 2 (59:43):
Fellas, don't forget you could stream us wherever you're happen
to be. Catch us all of our Fox Sports Radio
shows live twenty four to seven, and then it would
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stream us live all day every day. Be sure to
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(01:00:04):
iHeart appisode will always pop up at the top of
your screen. Jeff Schwartz, Anthony Guart and Jeff hanging with you, fellas.
All right, let's take a look at the kind of
contenders and what it kind of looks like. We'll start
in the NFC. All right, so we know the Niners

(01:00:26):
and Seattle for the one seed. All of a sudden,
people are starting to question the Rams after the Monday
Night lost at Atlanta. Now, can I just say, I
mean it was they were just to tick off that
entire game. Yeah, Like I mean, they were, I mean

(01:00:50):
as full as they lost the game. First of Atlanta's
pretty good. And I look at them, and I go
and I look at the Rams, and you know, we
had two touchdown long touchdowns called back Pooka almost makes
the great circuits catch on the sidelines to set up
the game tying field goal. Just all this stuff that

(01:01:11):
the Rams are vulnerable, I don't think so. I think
the Rams are still nasty. Well.

Speaker 3 (01:01:16):
I mean you would you would like to play your
best ball at the end of the season, and it
feels like they're not, you know, and that that's concerning.
You know, you lose the Seattle, Okay, that happens, but
the Falcons losses like an excusable right. I mean, you
you didn't play well in that game, and you can

(01:01:36):
make the case and I'm here for it that when
you lose the Seattle and you're sort of get your
your dreams crushed to be the one seed that now
you have too on the road and whatnot. So that's
why I think he's playing the starters this weekend, at
least for a little bit. I mean, Seakay has said
that they're playing the starters, and I think that will

(01:01:57):
at least be for half. Right, We're gonna play stars
for a half Arizona because we need to start feeling
better about where we are as a team heading into
the postseason. And that feels like a normal thing to
want to do. Because look, one thing that I think
we have to talk about when it comes to a
lot of these games this weekend, and I think people
have a misconception of this. If you are the one

(01:02:20):
seed that's hugely important, right outside of that, you'd rather
be healthy and playing the football you want than the
seed you are. It doesn't matter. It really doesn't like it.
You know, the idea that a team is playing for
six seeds to have a seventh seed or five seeds,
that they're not right, They're now you're playing for division.
You want a home game, absolutely, But like the Chargers

(01:02:41):
are not playing any starters this weekend, Like whatever, if
we're the six or seventh seed, it does not matter.
We're in the playoffs that we have to beat the
teams anyways. Let's just be healthy instead, right, So this
idea that certain teams this weekend are playing for seeding,
to me is kind of kind of bs like they're
really not. The Rams are playing their starters because they
played poorly against Atlanta and they want to play well
in a game. Heading in the postseason, they're playing on

(01:03:03):
playing the entire game, play half right, get you know,
it's a gut preaches the game, get good, to work
in and get out, so that we have to start
talking stop talking about games like, oh, they're playing hard
because they want No, they don't care about where they
are on the wildcard now, they're playing for division, right,
Houston's playing hard because if Jacksonville lose this, Houston win's division. Right, Like,
there's teams playing hard for division purposes, but they're not
playing hard because they want a different seat in the

(01:03:25):
wildcard section.

Speaker 2 (01:03:27):
Yeah, you're right, Although to what illustrates your point is
the Eagles are not playing their stars on Sunday and
they have a chance to be what is it the
two Detroit needs to go into Chicago and win and

(01:03:48):
which is right but also has to win too. Well,
that's it realistically that could happen, Ben Johnson. I mean
the Dan Campbell gets into your evenge you gets you know,
vision foe and Ben Johnson whatever. The Eagles obviously have
to beat Washington, which they can, but they're gonna roll
with their backups and I think now their o line

(01:04:12):
needs a rest, So I kind of get it, but
I really want to Winnen. I like, to me, you
gotta win the game, because here's the deal. If you
win the game, you're gonna get the Packers. If you lose,
you're gonna get either the loser of Seattle San fran

(01:04:33):
or the Rams. I don't want to play the West.
I rather play the Packers. But here's here's the thing, though, Like,
here's your choice.

Speaker 3 (01:04:41):
Right, would you rather be healthy, motivated, mentally fresh to
play whoever you play or go in the postseason a
little beat up? Like it's not just the physical part
of resting, it's a mental rest. Right, You've you've grinded
now for eighteen weeks, you gain this any week off

(01:05:02):
like so mentally refreshing, and that might be more important
than who you play in week one, And to be
weak the first week of the preseason and the playoffs
is to just be have a team that's mentally and
physically refreshing, and in the end you're gonna have to
go through good teams. Anyways, I think that it makes

(01:05:23):
a lot of sense for the Eagles to say, look, man,
we're just like we we just need to get healthy
and mentally in a good place. We have a home
playoff game. You gotta be good teams anyways, let's focus
on that rather than focusing on making sure we play
the right team.

Speaker 2 (01:05:43):
Yeah, I really, I mean, look, I mean, I think
it's a distinct advantage playing Green Bay as opposed to
one of those teams.

Speaker 3 (01:05:54):
Defense is terrible though, Okay, well, show the Eagles offense, well,
you would think that maybe a week off would help
Eagles offense. I mean, I think it's more than that.

Speaker 2 (01:06:04):
Dude.

Speaker 3 (01:06:05):
They spent seventeen weeks not doing well. Oh I know,
I know it's not they're They're not set up well
offense coordinator. It's a problem. So I don't think anything
any rest is gonna change any of that. It just
it just it just didn't work out with the OC
this this season. Like you gotta score more than thirteen

(01:06:26):
points against against Buffalo, Like I to not have one
completion in the second half of the game is mind blowing.

Speaker 2 (01:06:35):
Dude. You have if you have you have a J.

Speaker 3 (01:06:37):
Brown, DeVante Smith, Dallas Goddard Barkley, and you don't have
one completion second half of the game, not one. The
Buffalo defense is terrible. The fact that Barkley only rushed
for sixty eight yards something like that, six yards against
that defensive line is insane. Did you see how upset
Fred Johnson was when he got when he got picked

(01:06:59):
by Yeah, it's a lineman because Steen just let him
run full speed of him in him right aside. I'd
be furious if that happened to me. I get that.
It just feels like it's it's a good weekend, just
to reset for for for Philly. It just and you
might win anyways. I mean you're playing the Commanders right well, yeah,
I do think Josh Josh Johnson, Yeah, yeah, so I

(01:07:22):
do think so. And by the way, my board backup
is good. Oh god, if he plays well, we're gonna
have to hear all of season. It's like Davis Mills
should start over. Jalen hurts.

Speaker 2 (01:07:34):
Well, it's not about not even about that. It's just
about to do We're gonna work kids good though, d.

Speaker 3 (01:07:42):
W P I is that the that the that the
w I W I P have to you know six
months of those six months of those calls.

Speaker 2 (01:07:49):
Yeah, you know, Davis Mills. No, no, listen, I will
say this about the about jail he has to be
under center. He if he's not gonna run shotgun is useless. Yes,

(01:08:12):
I agree, So he's gotta be under center. And they
got to take advantage of play action. Theydre the worst
when it comes to play action. Everything in this league
is about play action. Watch the Rams, watch it.

Speaker 3 (01:08:26):
Can you not be good at with Sakoon Berkley? Well,
that's the point, that's what And they're O line.

Speaker 2 (01:08:31):
I get it. The interior line is not the same
as it was last year. They're banged up and Lane
Johnson's been out, but they're still a good group and
they could still run block. I mean, come on, are
you gonna you know me?

Speaker 3 (01:08:46):
Are you a little concerned about about Lane not playing
last week? Because I thought he was gonna play and
him not playing as a tie concerning.

Speaker 2 (01:08:54):
No I, I you know, it was Frank's It's tough,
like I kind of I didn't expect them to play
last week.

Speaker 3 (01:09:01):
I thought he was like I thought he was gearing
up to play. I thought he was on the Jergons
a little beat up, like it's just you know, it's
just yeah, the has.

Speaker 2 (01:09:08):
Not played well. He's a pro bowler for some reason.
I don't know how he got the Pro Bowl. That
was a mistake. The Pro Bowl.

Speaker 3 (01:09:15):
Look, man, I know people think and sort of mock
the Pro Bowl now because it's not even a game,
and I get that, but it actually really is important
because when it gets time to talk in Hall of
Fame and talking like what postseason like post career stuff
and whatnot, like that matters a lot. And when you

(01:09:37):
get it wrong, it's it's it really doesn't allow other
players that deserve it to have the discussions about their careers.
And it seems like we're getting it wrong a lot,
and that's why it matters.

Speaker 2 (01:09:51):
Again.

Speaker 3 (01:09:51):
I know people it doesn't matter like really because they're
not actually playing the game. But being a first ballot
Pro Bowler, you can't even get in the Hall of
Fame DISCUSSI unless you've made a Pro Bowl, I believe,
or all pro like it. To me, it's important still
to get that title. And I think that the voters,

(01:10:12):
and I do think a lot of times it comes
down to the coaches vote. I think that they tell
the fans that they're part of it, but they're really not.
You got to get it right, man, like you can't
have the wrong guys like like really wrong guys getting
these getting these these Pro Bowl votes.

Speaker 2 (01:10:28):
Well, how does it change now with the with the
fact that you're not playing a game.

Speaker 3 (01:10:33):
But it's still it still matters for like resume.

Speaker 2 (01:10:36):
Well, right, but the all Pro stuff shouldn't that shouldn't
that take care of it?

Speaker 3 (01:10:45):
It should, But we still use Pro Bowl to to identify,
you know, good players, right, like when you talk about
you know, as we get to the Hall of Fame induction,
this guy made nine Pro Bowls, Like, that's still.

Speaker 2 (01:10:55):
Thing, right, And question is doesn't if you're not, Yes,
I think it does. Yes, just it's there's no difference
between All Pro and Pro Bowl. Uh, there's well there's
I think there's a well I think there's a difference. Actually,
so all Pro there is obviously less, right because it's

(01:11:15):
it's just for the entire league, not for a conference.
And the voters who vote for for all proh so
Pro Bowl voting as coaches, players and fans. All Pro
voting is I believe the fifty you know, the fifty people,
they fifty journalists that they've chosen, right, those guys like dude,
they they call us like they call me and ask

(01:11:35):
me from my opinion, like it's a it's a legitimate
process where those guys care a lot about being right
and they try to get the right teams. And that's
different than Pro Bowl. Like, no one's asking me who
I should vote for for Pro Bowl, right, but people
reach out and say, hey, man, can you help me

(01:11:55):
with just give me an idea of where you think
offensive line should be in the whether I'm in right, No,
they don't always follow what I say, but like they
at least call me for to get my pack you're doing,
but they don't do that for Pro Bowl. Now, well
that's my point is that all pro is all pro.
All pro is much more important. But again, Pro Bowl

(01:12:17):
does matter. Like we're gonna start talking like we've you know,
it's Hall of Fame you know, it's a Hall of
Fame induction time, right, like we see, Yeah, my only
point is you're gonna have to use other criteria now
other than Pro Bowl. I think.

Speaker 3 (01:12:27):
So this is where I think, like p f F
will play a big role, right, Like like I think
I think Lane Johnson will be the first like like
p f F like Hall of Famer now Lane deserves it,
by the way, but the first guy we're like p
f F played a giant role in him being a
Hall of Famer. Yeah, I can say, like, like he's

(01:12:48):
the first right tackle that really has excuse me, ever
made Pro Bowls right, like at a consistent level. It
never happened. And it's all because we're able to quantify
your play in the position now because PFF gives us
actual grades for offensive linemen.

Speaker 2 (01:13:07):
Yeah yeah, yeah, well they he needs something to quantify.

Speaker 3 (01:13:11):
So like I feel he's like because like Willie Anderson
keeps is up for the Hall of Fame every year
right for Bengals Ravens right tackle. He should be a
Hall of Famer, absolutely when the best tackles ever play
the game. But there's no numbers for him, Like there's
no like here was his great here was I mean
pressures he allowed in two thousand and one for lane?

Speaker 2 (01:13:30):
You have all the numbers, right, It's so funny. It's funny.
You know we need numbers, but numbers aren't.

Speaker 7 (01:13:41):
It's not real when it comes to right But but
I tell you that, I'll tell you what though, It
does help when you say this guy was good and
on top of that, he allowed fifteen pressures all season,
Like there is some benefits that because I can tell
you that Aaron Brewer was the.

Speaker 3 (01:14:01):
Best center of the season on the Dolphins. You'd be like,
what's Aaron Brewer?

Speaker 2 (01:14:06):
Why?

Speaker 3 (01:14:06):
They could list off all the reasons why. But if
I tell you he allowed two pressures all season, had
the best run blocking grade it doesn't have, it does
at least help the discussion.

Speaker 2 (01:14:16):
Right.

Speaker 3 (01:14:18):
So that's why I think it's important to have the
context of PFF when it comes talking about offense alignment.

Speaker 2 (01:14:25):
Yeah, yeah, all right, we're gonna think we t o.
We'll come back and we'll discuss the AFC players, playoff
fixer as well. Lots to do. Fellas hanging out on
a New Year's Saturday, twenty twenty six. Welcome right here
on Fox Sports Radio, Fellas and Jeff. Hey, you miss

(01:14:49):
any of today's show, don't forget you just catch the podcast.
Search Fox Sports Radio wherever you get your podcasts. Right
after shows over, today's podcast gets posted, all right, so
be sure to follow the podcast. Ready five stars provide
a little review. All right, the solid again. Just search

(01:15:10):
Fox Sports Radio where you get your podcasts, and find
today's full show posted right after we get off the air. Alight,
So let's uh, before we move over to the AFC,
let's examine kind of who else is out there that
we're looking at. So we've talked a little bit about
the Eagles, the defending champions. Can this offense make a

(01:15:35):
run now? I think their defense is the best in
the NFC. It's just dominant, and you saw what it
did to the Bills last week, and they could win
rock fights to get to another Super Bowl. Can the
offense come alive a little bit to give them some support?
I don't know why it would change now? Right?

Speaker 4 (01:15:58):
What?

Speaker 2 (01:15:58):
What?

Speaker 6 (01:15:59):
What?

Speaker 2 (01:15:59):
What? What would change? Now?

Speaker 3 (01:16:01):
That just have been waiting for all the bad offense
to stop for the good offense in the playoffs? I
just don't think that. Look, my thing about the postseason
is that I think the Chiefs and maybe the Patriots
with Tom Brady at times, normalized having you know, being
able to basically play through defects like Mahomes was so

(01:16:24):
good at just managing playoff games that the Chiefs were
able to win with and get to playoffs with subpar
offense sometimes or subpar defense or some some sort of
glaring issue. And that's not really how it works for
most teams. And when you have a glaring deficiency like
offense for the Eagles, it's hard to win three playoff

(01:16:45):
games to make a super Bowl with a glaring deficiency.
And you can you win one or two, absolutely, but
to win three or even four to win a super Bowl,
to me feels like a very very difficult task.

Speaker 2 (01:16:56):
And can they do it? Yeah? Can they win ugly
games weeks and they row?

Speaker 3 (01:17:01):
Sure, but the margins of air, like you know, what
if you're a guy in the secondary slips and you
give him a touchdown, you know, like, weird things happen
in games, right, and and your offense truns up all
over and you give up short fields. And there's just
many reasons why it's very tough to win games only
one type of way. So if Eagles offense figures it out,

(01:17:23):
which again I think feels unlikely, then then sure, but
I just think it's it's really impossible for that to
happen when you have a deficiity like they do on offense.

Speaker 2 (01:17:36):
All right, Bears, how real are the Bears? They've are
hot down the Strets eleven and five. They look terrific.
Their offense looks great, like, you know, Caleb is playing
some really good football. How real are the Bears as contender?
I don't think they're that real.

Speaker 3 (01:17:58):
They are a team that has had a great season,
a team that should celebrate the results of their season
as a positive, considering that when they were last year
at this time, they should view their season as one
that solidified Candib Williams as the future quarterback of the Bears.

(01:18:18):
Like the job I thought this year for Ben Johnson
was to make sure that the Bears ended the season
knowing who their quarterback was, and very clearly it is
Canda Williams. But they're not good enough to multiple playoff games.
Great story this year, just this is not what they're.

Speaker 2 (01:18:31):
Going to be. Are they better than last year's Commanders?

Speaker 3 (01:18:37):
I don't think so. Actually, I don't don't. I think
Daniels is better than Williams. I don't think they're going
to go in the playoffs and and be able to
do what the Commanders did.

Speaker 2 (01:18:48):
Know all right, do you I thought the Commanders were flawed?
I agree with you. Daniels last year better than Caleb
bought Ben Johnson. Caleb better than Dan will not would

(01:19:12):
be Dan Quilby Kingsbury and Daniels. Yeah, I mean Ben
Johnson's unbelievable what he's done with him. Oh my god,
it's so funny. How like a lot of times we
we I think sometimes like think to ourselves like that
can't be a really good higher because everyone think it's
gonna be good. Hug.

Speaker 3 (01:19:31):
I think I even said, I'm like really, like really
everyone's gonna be good. There's no way it's gonna be
that good.

Speaker 2 (01:19:34):
And every bet as good as people wanted it to be.
He's amazing. He's a great coach. Great coach. Yeah, he
just is. I'm a Kingsbury fan, but Ben Johnson is
on the level level you just did. You could see
Caleb's growth throughout the year, I mean incredible. So it's unbelievable.

(01:19:55):
Like he right, he's made him through a real quarterback.
All Right, fellas, big ol, We're coming up next. Don't
go anywhere, don't.

Speaker 1 (01:20:05):
Listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (01:20:08):
Good morning, good morning, good morning, good morning, happy happy
Fox Football Saturday Doubleheader NFL. We're the Fellas with Jeff
Schwartz Amanthony Gargano. We come you a live from the
Fox Sports Radio studios. Hopefully twenty twenty six off to

(01:20:30):
a good start for you. A couple of days into it,
as we Come You Alive from the Fox Sports Radio
studios in case you missed it, obviously talked a lot
about the college football playoffs and as my man over
here is basking and the Oregon victory in to the
final four. H fascinating stuff with Indiana. I don't think

(01:20:53):
we could say enough about Indiana. They are the great
story of this playoff. On signetti, think about think about this,
Jeff for a second. Signetti what story like he's come
here and he is just dominated. What is it? What

(01:21:14):
does the signetti mean for what we perceive as coaches.

Speaker 3 (01:21:22):
I don't know, because it's sort of unprecedented, right where
a guy goes from being you know, a Nick Saban assistant,
and we've seen those guys like get jobs immediately right
to going down to Division two it was originally right, yeah,

(01:21:44):
and then going to Believe one Double A and then
going to JMU when they were switching over from one
Double A which is FCS to FBS, right, and so
you know he was at iup.

Speaker 2 (01:22:02):
Than elon the James Madison Indiana.

Speaker 3 (01:22:05):
I don't know if anything is we've ever seen anything
like this before where he talked about sort of like
he that he wanted to go down a level some
levels to like just learn to be a better coach,
and he felt that he had to go down those
levels to make that happen, to make his dream of
being a head coach in Division one football reality. So,
you know, I think people are going to try to

(01:22:27):
find the next Krisineti. I think there's just one. There's
one Cersoneti. It's just and the thing that I love
about him too, man, he's just a cocky s ob
because he just knows he's a good coach. Like I
when he you know, when he first time, he was
like google.

Speaker 2 (01:22:39):
Me I win. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:22:40):
He went to Indiana, which up until this year was
the losingest program in cultural history, and as winning in Indiana,
they were a touchdown favorite against Alabama and one thirty eight.

Speaker 2 (01:22:54):
To three, Right, that's Alabama. They destroyed that team, and
that they're a bit of a rusty first quarter.

Speaker 3 (01:23:03):
Right, and you know, there's so I think there's like
a couple of moments in that game that really stand
out to me is like why Indiana, you know, is
what they are? So Alabama's down ten to nothing and
their quarterback Ty Simpson is scrambling, right, and he gets
a first down but continues to fight for more yards

(01:23:26):
and he ends up fumbling because he gets hit from behind,
a great hit by the Day, like again like a physical,
like tough tackle, right, like a really you know, like
that's what Indiana is on defense. And Indiana comes down
the field and scores to make it seventeen nothing, and
like that's what they've done all season, and they've just
take sort of taken advantage of your mistakes. They forced
you into mistakes. They don't make the mistakes. They don't

(01:23:48):
lose games, right, they you lose games because of the
way you play against them, and that play changing the
entire game. You know, Mendoza scrambles a lot. What he
doesn't do is get hit, like you know, there's an
art to scrambling, yeah, and then making sure that you
get down and you don't take those hits, and Mendoza
is great at that. Like they do the little things

(01:24:09):
really well. And I'm just so impressed.

Speaker 2 (01:24:11):
Man.

Speaker 3 (01:24:12):
It's a team that historically should not win, but they
do because they're well coached, they're physical, they're older, they're
very patriot as they do their job right, they have
a job on every play. They all do it to
the fulls of their of their of their ability and
so and it's it's just it's so impressive. I'm so impressed.

(01:24:33):
Like Organ plays them this week. I did not respect
the IDIA enough the first time Organ played them. They're
gonna be so hard to beat. You have to play
your best game to beat them. In my opinion, you
have to. Just it's gonna be very hard. It's gonna
be very hard to beat them. Were you surprised the
line at all Oregon Indiana?

Speaker 2 (01:24:53):
Yeah, no, I know.

Speaker 3 (01:24:55):
I think that I think it gets to six before
kickoff anyways. Yeah, like it's four and a half now,
there's some four and a half's out there. I think
it gets to to six before kickoff. We lost them,
and they just beat Alabama. I think there's no surprise
where where the numbers at. I think for Oregon just personally,

(01:25:17):
like being the underdog and sort of in the fu
mode is better for Organ in the long run, Like
that's I think where we play best. So maybe this
is good for Organ to be the underdog. But I
think definitely that this number makes sense to me.

Speaker 7 (01:25:30):
And so.

Speaker 3 (01:25:33):
We lost the home by ten the first time we
played a terrible game.

Speaker 2 (01:25:35):
Now part of that was.

Speaker 3 (01:25:37):
Indiana dictated the tempo, especially with their defense, so we
have a lot to improve on there. But you know,
we we only allowed three out of forty yards Indiana.
The people act like Indiana. They they had they earned
their points against Organ. So we'll see, We'll see how
it goes. I'm looking forward to it again. I figure
if I'm gonna go or not. I think I think
everyone's gonna tell me to go to the game. It's

(01:25:58):
I canna drive there, which obviously is hugely makes it much.

Speaker 2 (01:26:02):
Easier for me to go. Yeah, you gotta go.

Speaker 3 (01:26:05):
I don't have anyone to go with, though that's partly
that's partly why too. I don't really uh yeah, the guy,
one of my buddies I thought I was going to go,
can't for this game. I mean, I'm sure that I'll
have former teammates. I haven't reached out yet because it's
the morning. I'm sure I'll have former teammates there that
I'll hang out with. But uh, I got to reach
out to the school and see what they got going on.

Speaker 2 (01:26:24):
For for everybody, nobody in your immediate native like in
your town and Charlotte no Organ fans here. I don't
know if you hang you know somebody your boys?

Speaker 3 (01:26:37):
Uh well, I mean the thing about it is, I
mean like if I was in Charlotte anyway, Yo, what
you want to take a ride, I'd be like yeah, man.
But here's the thing though, Like if the thing is
like if Organ, if I tell them coming and they're like,
you know, they give me like sideline access, and what
I can't really do that for like non Organ people,
you know what I mean, Like, that's that's.

Speaker 2 (01:26:55):
The only problem. I like that. Man, Maybe I don't.
I don't think.

Speaker 3 (01:27:02):
I don't know if I could get a sidelight pass.
I mean I'm on the low end of the totem
pole for people that are going to request sideline passes
for the type of game. So but we'll see what happens.
We'll see what happens.

Speaker 2 (01:27:13):
Well, you're close. I think you got a shot.

Speaker 3 (01:27:16):
I can also get all I can also do get
a media pass and being then wanted too. So that's
not a big deal that that actually is at least
of my concerns. I just want to have good seats,
enjoy with some friends. So we'll see see what ends
up happening. I had a buddy who had a buddy
text me Friday when didn organ play Organ play Thursday? No,
he text me Wednesday, he goes, I'm flying red Eye
to go to Miami to watch organ play. You should

(01:27:38):
come with Mega. I can't just show up red Eye
the next day. I got I got a life, man,
Yeah you got kids like yo, you got when you
got a family like you can't just roll. I can't
just bounce like that. But yeah, obviously, you know, will
be a ton of fun if I can go. And uh,
I just I don't know, but I think it's gonna

(01:27:58):
be so hard to beat this team. It be fun
to be a person if we beat that, But if
we lose, that takes the fun out of going. Obviously,
And in the other game, it was funny. I felt
the game would be a pick. In Miami's three.

Speaker 2 (01:28:14):
I like, I like all thisss. Man, I don't know.
I got caught. You know, I've I've I haven't learned
my lessons with Miami yet. As great as your defense is,
I still don't believe in their offense. Really yeah, I
mean they can run the ball. They grounded it out
like they ran the ball. I just I don't like

(01:28:34):
beck oh Man. He played well, he did. I think
they Fletcher played great.

Speaker 3 (01:28:42):
I think that Miami's at the point where they just
sort of had made back a game manager, and he's
doing a really good job of it.

Speaker 2 (01:28:52):
I mean played, we played well against Ohio State. I
mean he did nothing with the week before. I think
if you.

Speaker 3 (01:28:58):
If you turn my Emmy into having to throw the ball,
they won't be as good an offense. But I don't
think Old Miss can do that. Wait, No, their defense,
I think I think Indian I think Indiana Oregon can try,
but I don't think I Old Miss defense is not
Their defense is not good.

Speaker 2 (01:29:18):
No, but I mean it's not good. But I don't
think the like see, I don't believe in the passing
game in Miami passing game so right, but if you
got to stop Fletcher, you have to stop the run
to force Miami to pass the ball, right right, I
don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:29:35):
I mean, you know, that's that's what That's sort of
my point. I don't think oh Miss can do that,
and so I don't know. I'm on theory, but I
just don't think it can happen. I mean, it's not
the Pony Express now.

Speaker 2 (01:29:48):
Sure. I mean, yeah, you know this is my I mean, like,
let's not get it twisted like gent last year was
better than well, I'm just I'm just looking for run
games look like powerful run games. Yeah yeah, I mean
I and I look at Miami's run game like like

(01:30:10):
to me, Miami's brilliance is it's just that defense is unbelievable. Right,
But I'm curious to say if Old Miss can move
the ball, because that's that that to means where the
game gets decided. I think they probably can a little bit.

Speaker 3 (01:30:30):
The problem I have with sort of like the Old
Miss offensive design is that I just don't love it
against better defenses. Like it's it's a it's a fun
offense to run, but like you start getting some of
these three and outs and like you just get kind
of just get crushed with like tempo and it's not
it's an issue.

Speaker 2 (01:30:51):
Yeah, I don't know. I'm curious. I just I want
to say it because I think that's how the games
gets decided, Like if the way Chambles is playing and
the way that uh, Stacey Man, it's stasty, random hard.

Speaker 3 (01:31:07):
Oh yeah, no, it's it's a it's a there, it's
a legitimate offense. I I I just I don't know
if it's that they're they're good enough to beat Miami.
I just don't know. I just don't We'll find out, obviously.
I'm a high on old Miss. I don't think that
that they're.

Speaker 2 (01:31:23):
They're a great story. I root for him, the great story.
I don't think they're gonna win, though, Yeah, they're, They're
the whole thing. It's like he leaves and they're gonna
be in it and they're in the final four. It's unbelievable.
It's wild that Layne left. I don't think Lane thought
this was a good this as possible. I think he

(01:31:44):
might have stayed that he thought this was possible. Well,
like shame on him though, and then you didn't realize
that your team was that good. Do you think that.

Speaker 3 (01:31:55):
L s you will ever get to a semi final
under Lane?

Speaker 2 (01:31:58):
I mean, I'm not gonna say no. I don't think
I see it. I think I I why would you
say no? I bet against it? Why because it's just
hard to do it?

Speaker 3 (01:32:10):
Or you think I think it's hard to do There's
so there's so much pressure on Length to make this happen.
I mean, do you give him do you does he
get the credit for the team being in the Seer's
Peak Gold and get the credit.

Speaker 2 (01:32:22):
No, he doesn't get all the credit, but he gets
he gets a good share of it because I.

Speaker 3 (01:32:29):
Mean he had until this point he had made the
playoff once and had not won a playoff. He still
don't want a playoff game technically as a coach, like
I just don't like Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:32:37):
Like look where he was, like you know, I mean,
now now he goes to l s U and we're
gonna have like if Chambliss follows him, which we think
will happen, he gets granted that next that extra year
he might he might be a first round draft pick
at this point with the quarterback market the way it is, though,

(01:32:58):
I know, but would say he stays and goes to LSU. Well,
they're not all of a sudden you look at it
the way that what they're doing, I could totally see
them making a run next year.

Speaker 3 (01:33:14):
Yeah, I just I think you're higher on Lane than
I am as a coach.

Speaker 2 (01:33:18):
Yeah, but I'm not telling you he's sabing. I'm just
telling you that he's a good coach and if he
shouldn't being at LSU, where you're gonna have all the
money in the world. Isn't that why he went He
went there in the first place because he's gonna have
the resources for roster and coaching staff.

Speaker 3 (01:33:40):
Yeah, that's why he went there. Yeah, okay, so you know, I.

Speaker 2 (01:33:44):
Mean, you're giving a good coach all those resources. I
don't know why you Wouldn't you think he's that bad
of a coach.

Speaker 3 (01:33:52):
No, I think it's hard to making a semi final.
I just I'm curious if you so you think he'll
make a semi final? How many years do you think
he'll take him to get to know?

Speaker 2 (01:33:59):
Dude, I gotta you, But I just think if you
just look at it, logically, he's going to get talent.
He's going to get so he's good, His roster will
be good, will be great. It should be better, correct
because they're paying for it, right, like they're they're paying
for it. So and he's gonna have all the resources
on the coaching stand endless coaches. I mean, yeah, I

(01:34:23):
want to say less coaches, but but no, but you
get my point. Like again, you left Old Miss for LSU.
LSU will have what's LSU top four, top three and resources? Uh? Yeah,
I mean, it's okay, it's the number is moving for resources.
But they're one of the best. Yes, all right, so

(01:34:44):
logically speaking, a good coach with all those resources in
the story program. I mean, I don't know why you
wouldn't say it would make of they can't make him final.

Speaker 3 (01:34:57):
Cam, just asking do you think he'll get Yeah, I do.

Speaker 2 (01:35:00):
I mean, just judging off those those two facts, I
don't know why you wouldn't believe that unless you think
he's that, unless you think he's not a good coach,
or he's overrated or whatever how you want to call him.

Speaker 3 (01:35:15):
I'm I'm just curious if he gets if he I'm
not saying you should have left all the Miss. I
think should have left all Miss. But my question is
do you think, just like like, do you think he's
gonna get to this point of old miss? And it's
a very it's a great it's nuts. It just we're
seeing I think the SEC is not as good as
it used to be. I'm not saying they can't moving forward,
which really people have a really hard time with It's

(01:35:37):
so funny to see the people being such a hard
time with this. But ni L and Portal have basically
made the SEC worse people, it's such a hard time.
It's I I love it, dude, It's it warms my heart.
The Big Tan is gonna have a third straight season
with a team in the championship game. If can you
imagine again, like if Miami wins no SEC team in

(01:35:59):
the championship, Oh, that's it's gonna be. It's gonna be
because people have built their entire careers just saying that
the SEC is the best conference ever and now you
can't do that anymore. So kind of kind of funny
that it's.

Speaker 2 (01:36:11):
Gonna play now. Well, I mean, we love it.

Speaker 3 (01:36:15):
We got guys on TV talking about they don't want
to watch Indiana play. They rather watch the bottom of
the SEC play. Come on, man, Indiana, Indiana is. Indiana
is like what you say you want in football, right,
you want a well coached, tough team like that. Like
they're they're exactly what you claim you want in a
college football team.

Speaker 2 (01:36:35):
Yeah, are you kidding me?

Speaker 3 (01:36:38):
I I Indiana's fantastic story, man, I love it. And
they might have my ducks.

Speaker 2 (01:36:43):
Yeah they are, They're a great story. I got a
question for you of a college violation question. Okay, so
the Nebraska basketball one again. Last night I saw they
beat Michigan State and they stormed the court. I had

(01:37:04):
a minus too. They pushed, okay, all right, well they
they want it was a huge win, right they're fourteen
and oh all right, like they're this is the brand.
I was teasing Matt. I mean, I'm like, you gotta
worry about basketball now. Uh you have women's volleyball and basketball,
so the football program has got to get in order. Uh,

(01:37:28):
stop storming the court, is the message? Hey, because they've
been storming the court now and they have to say,
like now now it's over. I think. So the problem
here's the problem. The problem is that.

Speaker 3 (01:37:47):
People storm the court too often when they shouldn't have.
And now it's led to a band of storming the
court when you should storm the court. Like that's the problem, right,
Like you beat I think Michigan Sate was twelve last night,
Like yeah, that's a court storre.

Speaker 2 (01:38:00):
Okay, there were nine, okay, number nine.

Speaker 3 (01:38:04):
But the problem is there's thirty, but Nebraska is number thirteen.
I know, but this is this is a big deal
for them, right to beat Michigan State like a.

Speaker 2 (01:38:12):
Team that will it is.

Speaker 3 (01:38:14):
Yeah, it's very big By the way, Michigan right now
is absolute runaway freight train. They they are number two
in the country. They were favored over US yesterday, who
was ranked in the top twenty five, by twenty two points.

Speaker 2 (01:38:30):
Yea. And they won by thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:38:32):
Yeah they were by they were not. They were ninety
six to sixty. They scored ninety points. Like every game
floor man, Yeah, it's wild. How good Michigan is. I
think you should reserve court storming for very few and
far between times and Michigan State. I sort of get

(01:38:53):
one to storm the court. Nebraska schedule so they have
like they play at Michigan, they host Illino home. I'm
talking about rank team right now. They got Okay, pur
do at home. Okay, producering five. You can storm the
core if you beat Purdue. In my opinion, I agree
the rest of these like your Illinois No, no storm
the court.

Speaker 2 (01:39:11):
It's Illinois.

Speaker 3 (01:39:12):
No.

Speaker 2 (01:39:13):
You gotta believe that you you belong. So yes, that's
the other thing. All right, Well take quick too, we'll
come back. The brain will join us. We'll go through
every game on the card that's coming up next. Fellas
and Jeff Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 4 (01:39:33):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports Talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 2 (01:39:45):
Welcome back Fellas and Jeff Hanging with you Brain coming
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Speaker 1 (01:40:33):
On that slam by Jackson Hey.

Speaker 2 (01:40:37):
A thundering dunk courtesy of the Lakers television from Spectrum
Sports Net on the call, now joining us like he
does every week right around now. We love him, our man,
the Brain. Happy New year, Brain, Uh, we know we

(01:40:59):
love it. We miss you last week while you were traveling.
So great to have you u. First initial thoughts on
the college football.

Speaker 6 (01:41:07):
Playoffs It well, Andy, I got the Texas Tech Oregon
game completely wrong. I really thought Texas Tech was going
to win that game. I was had a great plying
based on closing line value, but man, Oregon absolutely took
them to the woodshed. Did not see that coming. Very
impressive performance from them. I thought Indiana would smoke Alabama.

Speaker 2 (01:41:30):
They did.

Speaker 6 (01:41:31):
Not a vintage Alabama team. The surprised, it really was
surprised that Miami won the way they did. I know
their defense is good, but I just really not a
fan of Carson Beck at all. But you know what,
they give them credit.

Speaker 2 (01:41:45):
I said the same thing like an hour earlier.

Speaker 6 (01:41:49):
Yeah, I mean, they really did outplay They deserve to win.
And then the game that I this was one of
my best live betting games on my life. I lied
that Mississippi for a lot of money watching that game
against Georgia when they were losing, which was the key,
because I thought they were dominating the game and just
every fluke was going against them known to God, and

(01:42:11):
I was incredibly impressed with Chambliss. I think that's going
to be I love them against Miami. It's gonna be
one of my biggest bets of the year. I think
it's gonna be Miami. I'm sorry, I think it's going
to be Mississippi against Indiana and the finals feel pretty
confident about it. We'll see how it plays out.

Speaker 2 (01:42:28):
Oh wow, I like.

Speaker 3 (01:42:29):
Miami that game at least, at least at the moment.

Speaker 6 (01:42:33):
This is yeah, Jeff, why do you like my because
it's I mean, I know my Ormless's defense isn't great,
but I trust their offense at ten always. Look, I
think we're in a world, Jeff Wards. I'd much rat
to have a good offense and a good defense in
this world of football that we play in in twenty
twenty six. And I think Miami's offense is pretty poor.

(01:42:54):
And I I think Chambliss right now is watching him.
I know Mandilism won in the higman Uh. To me,
he looks by a mile the best player in college
football to me.

Speaker 2 (01:43:05):
Not that I'm right.

Speaker 3 (01:43:07):
I I don't love the old miss style of offense
against the Miami defense. Look, I just I've had problems
with that style of offense for a while now. I
think Texas Tech got into issues with that style of
offense against Oregon. And if it comes down to Chamblis

(01:43:28):
having to make like wild and crazy plays, I don't
I don't love that. And I think that Miami will
be able to run the ball and control the game
against that Old Miss defense. I just I think that's
my concern. So well, no, obviously Old Miss contempo would
They'll try to tempo Miami's defense and make them tired,

(01:43:48):
which organ by the way, to try to it didn't
really work very well either. So that's my concern in
this game is that I just think that that Old
Miss style of offense, that sort of up tempo, run
and shoot ish type offense, doesn't do well in these
type of games good defenses.

Speaker 6 (01:44:04):
I mean, look in my power ratings, I have Mississippi
two and a half points better than Miami. But I
knew that myb was on an island with that, and
I thought I'd beginning to the fact that's three and
a half. I again, I was to say, I feel
like I'm in Disneyland as a little kid. I did
not believe the line was that high. I think that's

(01:44:24):
a crazy line.

Speaker 2 (01:44:26):
You know, it's funny, I said that, Jeff. I thought
the line was going to be a pick, right, that's
the right hal It's funny. You and I didn't speak
about these games, and I'm sure Jeff is like, what
the hell is an echo chamber? No, I said the
same thing can I ask you, So I have a

(01:44:48):
I have a power rating.

Speaker 3 (01:44:51):
Question for you, sort of power rating s P plus
like NFL DV aways stuff like that. So I have
felt that the numbers have been wrong this year more
than other years, and for college football specifically. You know,
I think we're moving to more of an NFL model
of thinking, where like I'll give you Organ for example, right.

Speaker 2 (01:45:12):
Because I know that program.

Speaker 3 (01:45:13):
Well, everything Oregon did this season was to play well
on Thursday, Like that was the entire goal of the
whole season. So they planned their season for that, and
so what happened between week to one and week twelve
was to do the best they could to get to
week to January first.

Speaker 2 (01:45:33):
And so.

Speaker 3 (01:45:34):
With that mindset of like I think Ohio State planned
that way, Oregon did, Georgia, like all the championship caliber
teams planned that way. Does that affect the power raisings
because like they're not really trying for style points anymore.

Speaker 2 (01:45:47):
They like just win by a point and move on
to the next game.

Speaker 3 (01:45:51):
I feel like that has to affect SP plus power rankings,
like because I you know it just in competition matters,
like Texas Tech just hadn't played Organ yet. And so yeah,
I feel like there has to be an adjustment moving
forward with college football. Do you agree with that premise?

Speaker 6 (01:46:09):
No, I think it's a very interesting premise what you're saying, Jeff,
I absolutely do, and I think a lot of it
has validity because listen, a lot of it is just
people go The first of all, recency bias can be
so prevalent. People just go by what they last saw
and that becomes everything and things just get erased from that.
But then again, Jeff, I've also seen it in the
NFL where it's too slow to adjust, and Anthony can

(01:46:32):
attest to this. My favorite example ever, and I mean ever,
was the Eagles from two years ago when they started
off kind of a fake ten and two. I mean
they were winning every game by like barely, and they
and then they lost their last four games or five
games of the year, and they were still favorite at
Tampa Bay. And it come at that point of the year,

(01:46:52):
I thought they were literally a bottom five team. They
were losing the worst teams in the NFL by four
touchdowns and I don't think the our ratings adjusted enough
to how bad they've become towards the end of the year.
So I think, yeah, sometimes these power ratings are not
properly adjusted. Where sometimes it people just don't adjust properly,

(01:47:13):
whether it's too high or too low, depending on the situation.

Speaker 3 (01:47:17):
So Oregon Indiana numbers four four and a half, I
think it gets the six. I think that people are
gonna hammer Indiana. That's probably the first time ever the
books in the organ to win a game. What are
your early takes. I think it's gonna be hard to
be Indiana. I'm not gonna lie.

Speaker 6 (01:47:29):
Yeah, I thought the line should have been four to
four and a half. That's what it came in at.
That's what my numbers had that lean Indiana. I think
Indiana is the better team. I think Indiana no again.
First time they played, Jeff I had I bet Oregon
really liked the Oregon in the game. I quickly when
I watched the game, I lied that Indiana because I
knew I was on the wrong side, and I switched courses.

(01:47:52):
That was a very impressive performance to me that day
by Indiana. Now, Oregon seems like they've wrted the ship
and they've played better as of eight. Really respect Landing
as a coach, respect the program more. I just talked
about how I thought right now, Chadlis is the best
player in college and I do, but I think Moore
is right up there. I mean he's playing really well
as well. I think it'll be a hard game for Indiana,

(01:48:16):
lower scoring game, but I really do think Indiana will
find a way to win the game. I'm usually not
a money line kind of player versus the points a
lot of times, but I do think I think Indiana
is gonna find a way to win the game, whether
it's by one, by two, by three, by six. I
think Indiana will find a way to win the game
because I trust them a little bit more on both
sides of the ball. But I think it'll be very

(01:48:36):
difficult and Indiana, I mean Oregon, as you said, Jeff,
clearly maybe peaking right now. So I'm sure it's gonna
be a tough game, much harder than the Alabama game.
Alabama was completely fake this year, didn't deserve to make
the tournament, got in by politics, and you saw that
they were completely outclassed.

Speaker 2 (01:48:55):
All right, let's switch real quick because we do a
lot to cover with the NFL. So let's look at
today's games. First, Tampa Carolina. It's not Atlanta can still
spoil Tampa's party of Tampa wins, But how do you
look at that game?

Speaker 6 (01:49:13):
You know it's funny, Anthony, Jeff, I've been, as you
probably know, every single week, I've been taking against Tampa
Bay left right and up the middle, and it's been successful.
But it's interesting. Just two weeks ago, guys, two weeks ago,
this line, now it's up to say it was two
and a half. But this line, they were laying three
at Carolina. Now they're laying three in Tampa Bay. And
I'm like, huh okay. I mean, while I loved Carolina

(01:49:37):
getting three at home, now I like Tampa Bay lane.
The two and a half was the real bet. But
even laye three, I think Tampa Bay as bad as
they've been playing, Jeff, Anthony, I think Campay is the
right side here. Tampa is gonna win this game, oh.

Speaker 2 (01:49:53):
So bad right now.

Speaker 3 (01:49:55):
I haven't made a play in this game, but I
don't know, man.

Speaker 2 (01:49:59):
I mean two and a half.

Speaker 6 (01:50:00):
I laid a little minus a dollar twenty eight with
the money line when it was one.

Speaker 3 (01:50:04):
But if we get good Panthers, that's different than Batman.
The good Panthers team I think wins, but bad. Panthers
has been pretty bad go into the night game. I
want to find Sam Darnald the worst way. But Niners
defense is just not good right now. I like Seattle's
team total over twenty four and a half. I think
they scored a ton of points in this game. What
do you like in this one?

Speaker 2 (01:50:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (01:50:24):
You know, this is a big game for me personally,
A zillion dollars on Seattle to win the division.

Speaker 2 (01:50:30):
So I.

Speaker 6 (01:50:32):
Laid off a decent amount and took some and had
some of this off. I think it's tough game. I
think Seattle's going to win a close game. I think
the game will be tight. I think will be competitive.

Speaker 2 (01:50:43):
I agree with you.

Speaker 6 (01:50:45):
I think this is the one, the rare game because
of how bad those defense is. The rare game right now.
I think Seattle should be able to score. Seattle kind
of been leaking oil, especially in the offensive side of
the ball. The defense has been great. Donald is definitely
shown wards for sure the past six seven weeks since
he was you know, people are talking m v P
with him. Lean here Seattle. Not a game I'm betting

(01:51:07):
from you know. I think it'll be close, but I
think Seattle will find a way to win a higher
scoring game twenty four kind of game.

Speaker 2 (01:51:14):
Smith and Jig. But I mean, how does he not
get a heart and fifty yards tonight?

Speaker 6 (01:51:18):
I'm sure he's not a huge game. I have no
doubt about that, Anthony. He absolutely should have a huge game.
But again I didn't. Actually I don't think I played
any props in this one either. This is actually game.
I have nothing on this game.

Speaker 2 (01:51:28):
Actually I have, which is what is total? What is
his total?

Speaker 6 (01:51:33):
I think JSN he's around one hundred ish. Yeah, you know,
and so I mean that's you know, that's what he's been.

Speaker 2 (01:51:41):
Doing all Yeah, we'll say.

Speaker 6 (01:51:44):
Look, I give I give Party credit. Party has been
playing extremely well the past month. Again, I thought at
one point maybe Mac Jones was plat out out playing him.
But I give Party credit. This last four weeks, he's
probably been the best quarterback in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (01:51:58):
So yeah, all right, let's take a quick to you
and then we'll come back. We'll run through all of tomorrow.
We gotta be quick, so we'll do that. Where the Fellas,
it's Jeff and the Brain right here on Fox Sports Radio.
All right, welcome back Fellas and Jeff and the Brain,

(01:52:21):
and by the way. I want to thank Mark and
Brianna for an amazing job. As always, great to have
Breed back in the saddle. We love her and we
love our Mark. So happy New Year to our fine
crew behind the scenes that really make this show roll.
So brain, let's look at tomorrow. Let's start with the

(01:52:43):
with the big game, and that's tomorrow or tomorrow night.
Baltimore Pittsburgh, No DK for the Steelers. How you look
at this one?

Speaker 6 (01:52:53):
Yeah, I mean, look, it's see you know, without that DK,
Andrey was an injury suspension, say, huge loss for them.
I mean Rogers obviously a shell of what he was now.
He has no weapons at all on the outside. It's
tough game for me. I think it's the right number.
I think it's the right number. Lamar hasn't been right

(01:53:15):
all season. Henry's looked great. I think Baltimore wins the game.
I thought three and half is the right number. Not
a game I'm personally betting.

Speaker 3 (01:53:23):
So what do you do with the rest of the games, buddy?

Speaker 2 (01:53:26):
What are we doing?

Speaker 3 (01:53:26):
Because they don't really matter some do you know the
Texans have to win, Jacksonville has to win. Doesn't mean
they have to cover, right, the Rams are going to
play their starters for for a little bit of time.

Speaker 2 (01:53:40):
Where are you going in week eighteen?

Speaker 6 (01:53:42):
Yeah, well, I'll give you a couple of games that
I like. I actually like the Bengals laying seven and
a half against I bet that. I think. I think
right now the Bengals are a team again. Jeff, you again,
you played many years in the league. You're a smart guy.
You also, I'm sure there was certain times you knew
the way you were playing and it thinks going It's

(01:54:03):
like blackjack. I'm sure you go to blackjack. You sometimes
you know you just the dealer. It's gonna buff. Sometimes
you know he's just gonna both twenty twenty one. It's
nothing you can do about it. Right now, the Bengals
are going through a good stretch. In my opinion, they're
gonna end kind of a fake end where they're gonna
win their last three or four and every Oh they're
gonna be great next year. Maybe probably not, but point
bing is, I think they're gonna spank this Cleveland team

(01:54:23):
who suped Meal. They had a big game last week
against Pittsburgh. Different game facing Aaron Rodgers versus Joe Burrow.
I think that they actually win this game by real margin. Cincinnati.
It's one of my favorite games of the week. I
actually did play the Colts against the Texans. I look,
I don't think the Colts are god awful. I really don't.

(01:54:44):
I know they've lost like the last six games of
the year. They started off eight and two, but I
really don't think they're god awful. And I think we
could see a Texans team, Jeff, And this is my
opinion that say how it plays out, where depending how
the Jacksonville game goes against Tennessee, I think that they would.
I think they're going to take out potentially Stroud if
they see that that game is not going their way.

(01:55:06):
And I could see a game where they rest these guys.
And I think ten and a half is just two
but too many points. You're gonna laugh at this one,
absolutely laugh at but I'm I'll take the laughter.

Speaker 2 (01:55:19):
Raiders, young guys.

Speaker 6 (01:55:21):
Is a fifty to fifty game, are right?

Speaker 2 (01:55:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (01:55:25):
I think it's a fifty to fifty game five and
a half points. I think it's insane for a Chiefs
team that right now, I would say the worst two
teams in NFL are these two teams and they're playing
each other. I think this line is crazy. This lone
five and a half. I made it one and a half.
She's starting to be playing anyone. I know the Raiders

(01:55:45):
are awful. Doesn't need to be explained to me, But
I think this is a fifty to fifty game. You
want to give me five and a half points, I
know I get it. Raiders playing for the first pick
five and a half way too high.

Speaker 3 (01:55:55):
I'll tell you what, man, the Bengals. I gave my
five picks out yesterday. I as a spread and the
Bengals was was one of the five because they're the
best team in the NFL. On it doesn't matter at
all of them in the.

Speaker 2 (01:56:03):
Falcons, correct, right, That's what I'm saying, right bad, no
better team than it.

Speaker 3 (01:56:07):
Like I said, there's a I thought tweaking around like
the Falcons record the last five years when they're out
of the playoffs, just like seventy percentage. It's like when
they you know, when they're in the playoffs, it's it's
not are you looking at all to bet like like that?
Like halves like I like the Rams first.

Speaker 6 (01:56:21):
Half in the first half. I bet New England in
the first half because I know. I say, I feel
confident I'm going to get a full compliment of Patriots
players in the first half, and I think that game
at halftime, I feel very comfortable they'll be winning by
a touchdown. Very comfortable now laying eleven and a half
in the game, Listen this to me, it could be

(01:56:42):
a game where it's thirty four seventeen and then that
you know Drake May's out of the game and they
already know they have it in hand, and it and
lands maybe ten and I just don't need to deal
with that. But six and a half in the first half,
when I know I'm getting a full compliment of the
Patriots starters, sure, I'll take that against the Miami team
that I don't think is very good.

Speaker 2 (01:57:01):
So I think the Eagles with Tanner McKee will move
the ball and win.

Speaker 6 (01:57:09):
Favorite all time player.

Speaker 2 (01:57:11):
Yeah, yeah, I think he plays well, Buddy, I think
he It's Josh Johnson on the other side. I actually
love the Eagles of this game.

Speaker 6 (01:57:20):
It's funny. And Jeff, I know you're not a Philly guy,
but and Anthony obviously is. You know, it's funny. I'm
sure there's players, Jeff that you played with the fact.
I love to ask you this off Aaron there Fright,
certain players are like, maybe this guy ever got a chance,
maybe politics, maybe this maybe that he just didn't get
a chance, but he thought that guy was really good,
and you the players no better than anyone. I'm sure
who's good who isn't. Tanner McKee's a guy that I think.

(01:57:43):
It's a different, different world, different situation. If he was
on the forty nine ers right now, I could see
him leading them the way Hearty's looking. Uh Minnesota, Yeah, yeah,
I just think he was on Minnesota. I think he's
really good, and every time he's gotten the chance, he's
looked the part. So yeah, I think the Eagles. Actually,
I'm not going to say it's an upgrade over Jael

(01:58:04):
and Hurts. I'm not going to say that, but don't
maybe think it's quite the massive downgrade that the most
people would think that it is.

Speaker 3 (01:58:10):
It does feel like three awards are coming down to
this weekend, which I thought awards were for a full season,
not for who plays best in the final two weeks
of December, but MVP Offensive, Rookie of the Year, and
Coach of the Year anyone appears I feel like Stafford's
still playable for MVP today.

Speaker 6 (01:58:26):
Yeah, well, I'm I laid minus. I bet I bet
May this week minus two ninety five. That means I
think it's seventy five percent chance or higher.

Speaker 2 (01:58:36):
Okay, and I do.

Speaker 6 (01:58:37):
I think the only way May loses this award at
this point A they lose the game and B he
plays poorly. And I would be stunned if either of
those things happened. I don't think Stafford can get back
into it. Personally, I don't. I really don't. I think
May deserves it. I think May is going to win it.
I think May is going to win the award, and

(01:58:59):
then Coach Year Jeff Anthony. I've never seen in my
lifetime more deserving candidates to win an award, in any
award in my life, forget just Coach of the Year.
I've never seen this many good candidates for an award.
I think Rabel's gonna win it, though he's around even money. Again,
if I think that the Patriots do win this game,
which I'm expecting, I think he's gonna win the award.
But that one I'm not as confident on because man,

(01:59:21):
so many tremendous candidates.

Speaker 2 (01:59:24):
Yeah, yeah, it's true. Anybody else tomorrow that are you
looking at?

Speaker 3 (01:59:30):
Like?

Speaker 2 (01:59:30):
Any other games do you keep an eye on?

Speaker 6 (01:59:34):
Let me real quick, any other games again? I played Patriots. Uh,
the Patriots in the first half. I you know, I
bet I bet the Bears laying two and a half.
I bet the Bears laying two and a half.

Speaker 2 (01:59:47):
That's too interesting because of the rapiagation. Oh we are
up against it. Bring great stuff, Jeff, great stuff. Everybody
we love you. Have a great week. Happy twenty twenty six.
Fellas are out

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