December 26, 2025 • 35 mins
Dan and Aaron hosting as they discuss the College Football Playoff quarterfinals and which scenarios would be the most intriguing for the national semifinal. Dan and Aaron welcome FSR betting analyst Jared Smith onto the show to talk about the weekend of football wagering. Plus, Dan and Aaron react to the words of JJ Redick as he ripped his team after the loss to the Rockets.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Getting a set for Week seventeen of the National Football
League season, with three games already in the books. Our
good buddy Jared Smith will be joining us in about
twenty five minutes. He, of course, member of the bet
GM Countdown to Kickoff crew here on Fox Sports Radio.
You can hear Jared every Saturday morning here on Fox
Sports Radio every Saturday night, and you can hear my
(00:30):
partner in crime today, Aaron Torres here on FSR.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
What's going on?
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Aaron, Merry Christmas to you. It's good to be with you.
Was in yesterday. I know you had a much deserved
day off, So excited to be with you. Are you
and I rocking New Year's Eve?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Too? We are back at it. Yes, I know it's
a few days away.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Still got a lot of twenty twenty five left to
uh to, you know, to get through not get through
that sounds they give. But still a lot of twenty
twenty five left on the table.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
But we'll be leading into the those college football playoff
quarterfinals games. Cotton Bowl, Ohio State and Miami on New
Year's Eve, and then you have the tripleheader on New
Year's Day. Sesame Street helped raise all of us. Now
it's our turn donate this holiday season at sesame dot
org because the world needs Sesame and Sesame needs you.
Continuing the college football discussion, just a little while ago,
(01:20):
we were talking about the abolishment of the USC Notre
Dame rivalry, at least putting it on hold for the
short foreseeable future for the next four or five years
or so. So now you've got the comments on why
these rivalry games are going by the wayside, and it's
a reason that My point that I just made to
(01:41):
you guys previously was I think that in college football,
we are ingrained that your rivalry game is the biggest
game of the year. Not your rivalry game and your
bowl game were your biggest games of the year. Then
your bowl game kind of started to take less of
an importance as the bulls got less and less as
we're trying to deter I'm in a national champion where
(02:01):
we're getting one versus two. Then we have a four
team bracket. Now we have a twelve team bracket. But
just because there's a twelve team bracket to maybe erase
the importance of a bowl game. Doesn't mean that we're
going to adapt to that format and completely be brought
into it. I think fans of the schools or of
the teams are brought into it and are excited. But
(02:22):
as a whole, I think that a lot of people
would sit down and maybe as a tradition that weren't
fans would watch USC Notre Dame, they would watch Ohio
State Michigan, one of the if not the highest rated
games that you get, you know, year in and year out.
So it's still taking some getting used to warm up
to the college football Playoff, and I'm not sure if
(02:44):
this year's bracket is the bracket to get people to
warm up to the college football Playoff that maybe aren't
necessarily as in depth with the sport as some of
us are.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Yeah, you brought up the point earlier, the difference between
say you and I that are going to watch everything.
Like I think Texas Tech is both a good team
and a good watch, I don't know what the average
fan does, And I think it is kind of interesting,
like we're setting up for a world where we could potentially,
you know, and even to go back to last year
very quickly. Certainly there was a lot of talk about
(03:15):
the opening weekend didn't live up to expectations, but we
got to a semi final situation of Penn State versus
Notre Dame and Texas versus Ohio State, which is we
all know for monster brands, monster fan bases, whatever. I
think we could be setting up for very possibly a
Texas Tech Indiana semi final here down the road. And
(03:37):
so I guess if you know, listen, I think if
you're a fan of a lot of schools that maybe
historically haven't been the Ohio States, the Michigan's, the Georgia's,
the whatever you gotta feel good of, Like, if Indiana
could do it, why can't we? If Texas Tech, I
know they have a lot of Nio money, but if
they can do it, why can't we. But I do
wonder for the overall quote unquote good of college football
(03:59):
if that is a net positive if we eventually get there,
and even frankly, as we open this tournament, as we're
now into this tournament with Indiana's the number one overall, see.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
I want to bring in Jason Stewart in Iowa Sam
and Isaac Lohncron as well, just because I think we
all have varying degrees of college football fandom. But in
looking at this, I don't think that there's a quick fix.
What I do like about the New Year's Day is
we do have a triple header of meaningful games, even
if we have to change the kickoff of the Rose
(04:29):
Bowl to an hour earlier, so you're not going to
get that traditional end of third quarter camera shot that
becomes so famous with the San Gabriel Mountains in the
background that has gone by the wayside. It'll just happen
an hour later and maybe the game will be over
and that's where the game will be ending. But there's
a lot of change that comes with all of this.
To your point about the semi finals last year, you're right,
(04:49):
you really couldn't have picked four better schools to put
in the college football semi final, And I don't know
if there was a carryover effect. I don't think that
there was a carryover effect into the National championship game
of Notre Dame Ohio State. Where again, if you're picking
two programs that are talking about name brands like I mean,
(05:09):
it's it could be one two two one, and when
you're looking at both of those and I'm not sure
and how much people are looking back and saying like
what a great game that was and that's what I'm
curious about, or a game that they would remember. Notre Dame,
by the way, came back made it a game at
the end. But it's just taken a while for sports fans,
I think and will take a while to warm up
(05:30):
to this, if at all. And that's my question about
this bracket. So that's why I wanted to bring in Iowa.
Sam and Jason and Isaac. I know Jason's point of view, Sam,
are you at least Jason's point of view on the
first round?
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Are you excited for these quarterfinal games? Sam?
Speaker 2 (05:45):
On what we've got coming up on New Year's Eve
and on New Year's Day? Ohio State, Miami, Texas Tech, Oregon, Indiana, Alabama, Georgia, Ole.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
Miss outside of Georgia Ole Miss being being a repeat,
but like those are that's that was all Missus one loss, Yes,
and Georgia looks like they could win it all. So
I even find some intrigue in that. I'm I'm pretty
I'm definitely much I'm much more excited about the quarterfinals.
I think all of those games have value and reason
(06:14):
to watch. Like Texas Tech to me, their defense like
they're a mystery to me because I haven't really watched
them all year. And then you go up against Oregon
and that explosive offense, the way they run the ball,
that's a great game.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
And then Alabama Indiana.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
It's like, how can Indiana Can they stack up against
physicality of an SEC Alabama team? Ohio State, Miami? I mean,
if Miami is indeed legit, you know it's a that's
a obviously finding reasons to watch all of those games.
And then Georgia Olemiss for the reasons I just said.
Jason Stewart was not a fan of the first round games?
(06:48):
What about these quarterfinal games?
Speaker 6 (06:49):
Jason, Well, I'll take it a step further even, and
I guess so we'll give you my opinion of the
second round there. I take interest in these storylines, and
the intriguing storyline to me would be Ole Miss making
it as far as possible. I'm rooting for that team.
They they purchased my interest with the Lane Kiffin thing.
(07:09):
And then I do want to see Indiana. I know,
I think your opinion is that Indiana's got no shot.
I'd want Indiana in the championship game. So I'm pulling
for those two entities in this next round, and then
I'll pull for them in the next round if they advance.
But that kind of gives you the other two I could,
I could really care less.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
I think that's that's the determining factor, is how do
you view Indiana? Great cal and I think Jason loves
the Fernando Mendoza story. Also, the Francisco Mendoza story. Isn't
that underrated part of Francis brother story?
Speaker 5 (07:44):
That's his brother, right, the guy who came in to
take one snap during the Big Ten championship game.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Oh no, no, sorry, that's a different guy. Yeah, the
inside joke. Do you moving on the baseball player, right, Francisco.
Speaker 6 (07:57):
No.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Let's reveal that this is very interesting listeners too.
Speaker 6 (08:00):
So you have a lot of tweets that go viral, Aaron,
so I know that you're a different class m Every
once in a while, one of my tweets gets in
the algorithm and it goes nuts. And I sent one
after Fernando Mendoza's Heisman Trophy's speech where he called out
his mother and thanked. I thought that was beautiful. The
only problem with my summary was that I called him
(08:23):
Francisco Mendoza. So there's always going to be that part
of Twitter, and by a part, I mean ninety nine
percent of it that's going to catch that and call
you racist and I'll do all that stuff. So it
was a very touching tweet that turned racist.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Yeah, I was gonna say. I assumed Twitter was very
forgiving with that. With that mistake, Oh okay, John?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Was that theo where somebody tweeted to Jason that I
got to chuckle out of just that every white guy
would be named John. I thought was funny. But Jason
was given no mercy on that. Yet he loved the
Fernando Mendoza story. And I think if you love the
Fernando Mendoza story, you are intrigued by Indiana.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
So real quick.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
I don't want to I don't want to steal your
thunder in your take here. There was a line in
the email, the group email, that you believe Indiana has
a zero percent chance of winning the college football playoff.
I want to give you the floor. I know that's
not necessarily where we're going. I would just say, beat
Ohio State on a neutral one at Oregon. Those are
(09:27):
two of the final eight teams that they've already beaten.
And I'm not criticizing the take. I'm just actually genuinely
curious why you believe there's a zero percent chance if
that is in fact what you know.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
It's it's on.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
It's part of what leads up to what Jason was
talking about this Indiana moment. It's not going to top
winning the Heisman Trophy for Fernando Mendoza. Beating Ohio State
for Indiana was their super Bowl. Yeah, it was. It
was their national championship super bowl because because of what
(10:01):
it signified within that conference, Indiana was a top ranked
team all year long. They didn't have to prove anything
nationally to anybody. They were They had the number two
next to their name for I think about half the season.
Right after they beat again Oregon, they're the second ranked
team in the country Ohio State in the Big Ten.
In Ohio State's dominance in that world, and I'm not
(10:26):
saying they're dominating every year, but they are the marquee
program of the Big Ten. And for Indiana to beat
Ohio State on a neutral field, to overcome the goliath,
if you will. When they're playing that David role. That
is as high as it's going to get. And I
just don't think emotionally you can get up for these
(10:46):
three games. You may match up well with Indiana, you
may match up well with Texas Tech and have an
opportunity to beat Oregon.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Again.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I just think it's the high point of the Big
Ten Championship game. And I also think the escape of
college football will not allow a team to go undefeated
in a twelve team or sixteen team bracket for the
entire year. And they are the team that right now
has the has no blemish in the lost column. And
(11:15):
I think that those expectations are just too much to
bear in this sort of format. So while Indiana may
win the Rose Bowl, by the way, they may have
been better off playing in a Cotton Bowl or in
an Orange Bowl. The granddaddy of them all still carries cachet.
So now there's even more to that. Indiana hadn't been
to a Rose Bowl since what nineteen sixty seven or
(11:36):
whatever the case is, and now you have Alabama coming
to town. That's a lot to carry for a program.
And I just don't think that that program, Aaron, it
could have been Indiana. It could have been it could
have been Texas Tech, it could have you put what
Indiana has gone through, Vanderbilt could have put Vanderbilt in there.
(11:56):
Let's say Vanderbilt ran through the SEC and beat Alabama
in the secchampionship game or Georgia. There's no way that
they're gonna be able to carry that through. There's just
too much, too much emotion. Heck, they suffered an injury
in the celebration of their Big Ten title game, right,
like the these are things that add up. I just
don't think in the stars you have the ability to
(12:18):
win a national championship for what has all gone right
for Indiana this year?
Speaker 3 (12:23):
All right, I have three points. Okay on that one.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
What you just described is actually Oregon last year, come
to the Big Ten. How are these West Coast schools
gonna match up? They have the Big Ohio State win
over Ohio State, then they win the Big Ten Championship game,
then they're flat in the Rose Bowl.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
So there's a parallel there.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
One hundred percent as far as Indiana specifically, and by
the way, I don't know that I think it's zero percent,
but I do sort of agree with you that if
I was tiering favorites, I think they'd have to be
probably number three behind Georgia Ohio State, a team they
lost to, maybe even number four behind Oregon. So well,
I actually sort of agree with you. My two points
are this, and these are both points in agreement with you.
(13:06):
One last night, Christmas night, I was here twelve to
four Pacific, three to seven Eastern.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Go home.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
We get on a zoom with my sister. She's on
the East coast. How are you, how are the kids?
Blah blah blah this net. While we were on the zoom,
I'm flipping channels because I have add and I can't
just focus on one thing. And the Big ten is
showing one of those like Big ten and sixty things,
which is just basically big games, every meaningful play, like
(13:34):
just in sixty seconds they had on the Indiana Ohio
State game, and so I was like, let me put
this on because I was on air during that game,
so I wasn't watching it super closely. I'm doing ten
different things whatever. You realize how many things had to
go right for Indiana to win that game. Besides the fact,
by the way, first ever Big ten Championship game appearance
(13:57):
for Indiana clearly meant more for them than Ohio State.
The game was in Indianapolis, Like, I don't know what
the discrepancy there was, but I'm guessing it was probably
eighty twenty and I know Ohio State travels great whatever,
So the only point I'm trying to make, And then
you watch the game and you're like, oh, Ohio State
easily could have won this game, Like if if they
(14:17):
had beaten Ohio State twenty one to three and it
wasn't close, then maybe I could see the thing where, Okay,
it's a big deal, but it's not that big of
a deal. But I think your point about the emotion
of that game is so so so on point of
just like it clear it met a lots Ohio State.
They were playing a win, but it meant a little
(14:39):
bit more to Indiana, and you could tell in the
celebration Fernanda Mendoza crying on the field whatever. And then
the last thing I was gonna say, and I'm going along,
so I'll be quick. I The Bama thing to me
is so fascinating because maybe it's my old school college
football brain, but the idea that Alabama, and I've seen
fourteen games of them at this point, they're not whatever.
(15:00):
The idea that Alabama is a seven and a half
point underdog to that team is like mind blowing to me,
Like I cannot wrap my head around. Alabama, with all
these five stars that have accumulated year over year over
year is a touchdown worse than Indiana. So that is
all just me just confirming what you're saying about the
fact that it's a great story in the moment, I know,
(15:22):
I spent about eight minutes setting up the point didn't okay,
But like, I don't think it's zero percent, But I
do think we're probably gonna look back on the Indiana
season and say that night in Indianapolis was the peak
and it didn't get better from there.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
There's something that Kurt Signetti said on the stand or
the platform when they were given the Big Ten Trophy. Now,
I got to figure out a way to get these
guys like egos back down over the next three weeks
to get ready to play. So great that but it's
also one hundred percent the truth. Yeah, Like how in
the world do you do that? Like they they've climbed
the mountain, just like honestly, Ohio State did the week
(16:01):
before against Michigan. It was that game. They could not
lose that game. That was the game that they focused.
It's no excuse for Ohio State. He said they had
opportunities to win. They didn' They missed a field goal late.
Indiana made plays in that game, but it's the overall thing.
Indiana is the greatest story, to Jason's point, but this
story has had so many highs. I don't understand how
they can continue on this run. And so when now
(16:23):
when you're looking at a college football playoff and we're
trying to get people to get excited about this, Indiana
may be the path to do it, But I'm not
sure if they are, because I don't know if enough
people are like Jason jumping on the path of being
like man, I love the Cinderella team because it's very
tough to be Cinderella, being number one and unbeaten and
have the best player in college football by the Heisman
(16:46):
standards on your team. But do we want to see
a rematch of Indiana and Oregon in the semifinals? Do
we think Indiana and Texas Tech is better than an
Alabama Oregon national semifinal game, I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Yeah, as a diehard college football fan, I would be
more interested in Texas Tech Indiana, while also acknowledging that
ratings do matter. Maybe they're talked about a little too
much in the media, but they absolutely do matter, and
Oregon Alabama would be much more intriguing to a much
bigger audience than Frankly, either Indiana, Alabama, Indiana Oregon or
(17:21):
Indiana Texas Tech. Can I make one more point by
the way Jaysu brought up can I I want to
pivot off Indiana?
Speaker 3 (17:27):
So do you have any any other Indiana things? Nope?
Has anyone realized we are? He mentioned the.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
Old Miss story. We are watching the first ever co
parenting situation in college football. Ole Miss and LSU are
co parenting the offensive staff from Old Miss. Like I
was thinking about that the other day because I saw
a story of like Charlie Weiss is going back to
Old Miss to prepare for the for the whatever Bowl
that they're playing it against Georgia, and I'm like, this
(17:56):
is just co parenting. Like Lane Kiffin dropped him off
at the gas station, Pete Golding picked him up, said,
have a good weekend.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
And enjoyed the holiday.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
I'll drop him back off with the portal opens, Like
I was, just like, this is coperating.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
I've got who on holidays? On the holiday, who got who?
That's a question.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
Well, Pete Golden got him back because I think Lake
Kifflin got him for like a week of portal prep
and now he's back.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
I actually also think that's kind of.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
An interesting thing, like if Old Miss were to continue
to win, like I think it was, it was a
cool story that the staff stayed together, and I will
give credit to lane Kiffin for letting the offensive staff
go back, but I don't think most people acknowledge, like,
like part of the reason that Lane Kiffin was not
allowed to coach Old Miss was because if they go
on a run, you can't have him. And so it's
(18:41):
just like it's cool now if Ole Miss beats Georgia
and they're now playing on January tenth or whatever, and
the portal opens on January second. I don't know how
excited Lane Kiffin is about that. And I also don't
know that Old Miss feels like they have the full
attention of the those guys preparing for a semi final.
(19:02):
But the counter that is. I just think it's very
funny because it's basically Cope.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Let's who will be excited, Jason Stewart and probably a
lot of other college football fans because I think Ole
Miss is the story here, Like in this bracket of
they're the ones who are left. Can they put on
the Cinderella run, get revenge against Georgia, maybe have a
matchup against the defending national champion, all done without their coach.
I think that is the story of this bracket.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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Speaker 2 (19:36):
He's erin Torres. I'm Dan Byer. It's Fox Sports Radio.
Find Aaron on Exit Aaron Underscore Torres. You can find
me at dan Byer on Fox. For over forty years,
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(19:57):
way tire buying should be. We drive into Week seven
team a schedule full of games, including a double dip
on Saturday, so we in on that and so much more.
He's our Fox Sports Radio betting analyst that you can
hear as the co host of Fox Sports Radios Countdown
to Kickoff with Rich Hornberger and Brian no. Jared Smith
joins us now is. Their show airs each Saturday from
(20:18):
nine o'clock Eastern Time until noon Eastern Listen live on
any of our Fox Sports Radio affiliates or on the
iHeartRadio app. All presented by Bett MGM. Hello, Jared, good
to talk to you again. How are you?
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (20:31):
I'm great, Happy Christmas, Merry Christmas. I hope everyone enjoyed
got what they wanted under the tree this year. I
didn't get any coal, which means I was on the
nice list.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Good work, good work.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
We also got two games on Saturday of the NFL slate.
Texans and Chargers start things off, but I want to
go to the nightcap in title Town. Packers and Ravens.
Starting quarterbacks for that game not likely to have either
Lamar Jackson and Jordan Love has already been ruled out
by Green Bay. What do those injuries do with this
matchup the Ravenson Pack.
Speaker 7 (21:01):
Yeah, so it looked like we were kind of at
four and a half ish last night when we thought
Jordan Love was gonna play. Now we're sitting at three
and a half now that we have official news that
Malik Willis will be the starter. I think, like if
you asked me the like, the drop off between Love
and Willis is probably not as severe as most starting
(21:21):
quarterbacks to backups in the NFL. I mean, we've seen
Malik Willis really really play well in relief appearances for
Jordan Love throughout the course of his career. Really last year,
I remember the Packers started off, you know, with those
two losses, right they lost to that they lost Jordan
Love and the opener to the Eagles, and then Willis
came in and played pretty.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Well, kind of steadied the ship.
Speaker 7 (21:40):
And he can do a lot more with his legs
obviously than with his arm. But he's a player that's
been in that system for a while, so you didn't
see a huge decrease in the Packers win probability after that.
I would say Huntley on the other side, like that
is a pretty big drop off to me. He just
can't do as much as Lamar can. But you could
make the argument that Mr Jackson, who has been nursing
(22:01):
injuries all year, has not lived up to his full
potential in terms of his you know, betting line numbers.
So maybe not as big of a drop off in
prior years when it's one hundred percent Lamar to a
healthy Tyler Huntley. If it's only like fifty sixty percent
Lamar to a Tyler Huntley, maybe Baltimore does have a
chance to.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Keep this close.
Speaker 7 (22:20):
But really, like, what, what's their motivation for this game
besides just putting some good stuff on tape. For some
of these veterans as they try to move on to
next year, They've been a comedy of errors this year. Turnovers, defense,
especially the defense just very lax of daysical, a lot
of lapses in the second are We saw that against
Drake May and the Patriots last week. So I would
lean Packers here because I just don't think Willis is
(22:43):
really that big of a drop off considering we're some
of the other backup quarterbacks rank in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Jared, I want to kind of make a hard pivot
really quick. Then we'll get back to the NFL. But
Pete Thamil is reporting that Kyle Whittingham is officially has
officially agreed to be the next Michigan head coach. Know
you are a college football guru as well. I believe Jared,
forgive me if I'm wrong. Are you a Penn State guy? Yes,
(23:09):
so I'd ask either as a fan but also as
a betting guy. I mean, Utah is coming off a
ten to two season, Kyle Whittingham. It has been reported
basically all day, but it is now official. Would just
be curious for your perspective on what that means for
Michigan going forward.
Speaker 7 (23:22):
I think it's a good hire. I think he's a
really good coach. I thought the situation leaving Utah, and
I'm not a Utah guy. I don't know much about
the back end of that program, but from what people
told me, it was kind of in the works for
a while that this was gonna be his last year.
But I did find it unique. Again, Timing is everything
(23:42):
in life, and I don't know Aeron if you're a
believer in coincidences, but I'm not. I've been through too
many weird stuff in my life to believe in coincidences anymore.
So Utah announces that groundbreaking private equity deal and then
Whittingham steps down the following day like literally the next day.
And again, maybe it was in the works for a
while and that was just weird timing, but I thought
that was curious. And also what I thought was curious,
(24:04):
Whittingham stepped down the day after Sharon Moore got fired,
like literally the day after, and now two weeks later
he's the head coach at Michigan. So again, I don't
want to say this was like a conspiracy theory, but
the timing worked out very nicely, I think for Michigan
because it could have been a disaster, like if they
didn't go to Kyle Whittingham here, what was the option,
was it, Jeff Brohm? I mean, it certainly didn't look
(24:24):
like Dillingham or Debor were interested in the job. So
I thought it worked out serendipitously for Michigan because Whittingham
didn't seem like he wanted to leave coaching, and then
this opportunity opens up and he's done it really good.
I mean, he's had an illustrious career, he's done a
really good job at Utah, making them a perennial power.
I think it's a good fit and they needed to
(24:46):
do something fast because you know, as well as anyone
Aaron Once that recruiting cycle starts to spin off, the
rails and kids start to bail and that situation goes south,
it's really hard to get it back on even though
Michigan's got a ton of money. I thought they needed
to put their foot down and get a good man
in charge to try to get things back on track.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Jumping back to the NFL with Jared Smith, He's erin Torres.
I'm Dan Beyer. It is Fox Sports Radio. Looking at
the rest of the slate. In Week seventeen, the game
of the week, one of the games of the week
may not have a lot at stake for the Eagles
or Bills because it's an AFC NFC matchup, game is
in Buffalo, weather can always be a factor. I'm surprised
(25:23):
the Bills are only a one and a half point favorite.
How do you look at that matchup between the Eagles
and Bills.
Speaker 7 (25:28):
Nobody really has much to play for in terms of
the postseason, and I think it's a different vibe when
right like Dan, teams that are out of the postseason picture,
that are playing these meaningless games in Week seventeen and
Week eighteen, I think they give a different level of
effort knowing it's their last game or it's their last
opportunity to put something on tape, Whereas the vibe for
(25:48):
a playoff team two playoff teams that really have no
upward mobility in the standings. Right in the NFC, the
number one seed is going to be whoever wins that
NFC West Chicago beat Philly, so I just don't see
them jumping the Eagles jumping the Bears for that number
two seed. And then in the NFC South that's the four,
so Philly's pretty much locked into the three. On the
other side, do you really see the Jets beating the
(26:09):
Patriots this week or the Dolphins beating the Patriots next week?
Like New England's gonna win that division, Buffalo is gonna
be in the wildcard. I don't know if they can
move up or down in the wildcard standings. I think
five feels like the right spot for them. Maybe six
because that AFC West loser between the Chargers and the
Broncos might sneak into that five spot. But it does
feel like both of these teams have their standings completely set.
(26:31):
So why are you putting anything on tape? Why are
you over extending any of your key skill guys in
a game that really doesn't mean a whole lot in
the standing. So I bet under in this game, I
bet under forty four. I think Josh Allen rushing yards
under makes sense, like he doesn't extend himself with his
legs and games that aren't prime time meaningful, like everything
on the line, and he's got the foot injury. So
(26:53):
like that was kind of my vibe in the game. Dan,
I agree. I think you know, the Eagles to me
are a team that definitely deserves a lot of love
the market, but they're still going through some issues with
their offense. And I heard Scott Lofler, a cub QB coach,
is starting to insert himself into the conversation, So who
knows what that dynamic is gonna look like. I would
not be surprised if this was a run, run, run,
very vanilla game plan for both teams.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
Really quickly, I want to sort of go back to
Dan's first question here. You know, we're at the point
of the season where you know, Josh Johnson and Malik
Willis and a lot of you know, back up to
third string to four string quarterbacks are now playing, and
I was just curious as a better Where is the
line of I still think there's value here versus I
(27:35):
don't care what.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
The value is.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
I'm not betting my hard earned money on Josh Johnson,
Like how often are you? Just like I don't care
if I think there's value here, I can't possibly bet
on that quarterback that I had never heard of until
two days ago.
Speaker 7 (27:49):
Well, I think that's the key. You've got to, you know,
do the research. I think in that particular situation, this
is where the preseason actually comes into a huge becomes
a huge factor. For example, Max Brosmer, I watched them
in the preseason, Like I watched a lot of these
third string and four string quarterbacks in the preseason. And
what I do then in the preseason is I create
a number, just like for example, with Lamar to Tyler Huntley,
(28:11):
it's like an eight point drop. With Mahomes de Minshew,
it's like an eight point drop, Like that's a big
drop from a starter to a backup. With a guy
like JJ McCarthy to Max Brosmer, it's maybe only like
a three or four point drop. So once you have
that number and you do your research and you have
some kind of baseline to move a spread a certain
direction based off of who's playing quarterback, which, for those unaware,
(28:34):
the quarterback position has the greatest impact on the point spread.
It's usually a touchdown somewhere in that range, give or
take a few points to either side. But once you
have your number, well, then you can react to what
the sportsbook did so based off of what the move was.
From Mariota to Josh Johnson. All Right, the sportsbook move
the line this many points, but I make the number this,
and then you don't even have to worry about whether
(28:56):
or not you like this quarterback or you watch him
where you think he's good. Like, you have your number,
You've done your work, and then you just let the
numbers do the talking.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
He's our Fox Sports Radio betting adolest Jared Smith. Hear
him Saturday mornings nine to noon Eastern Time with Rich
Hornberger and Brian Know. You can listen live on any
of our Fox Sports Radio affiliates or on the iHeartRadio
app all presented by Bett MGM. Jared, thanks so much
for your time. Can we to talk to you again?
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Man?
Speaker 7 (29:20):
I appreciate it. Happy to you everyone.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
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.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Have you heard about trainer games? Add this to your
binge list. Ten athletes go ahead to head for the
chance to win an iFIT trainer contract with two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars streaming on Prime Video starting January eighth.
It is Fox Sports Radio. He's Aaron Torres, I'm Dan Byer.
We're gonna be with you for another two hours as well.
We are in for Covino and Rich today here on
(29:53):
fs OUR. Isaac Lowincroniz here, Jason Stewart's here, as is
Iowa Sam. Last night in the NBA five games taking place,
one team embarrassed on their home court. That is, if
you ask their head coach. That head coach would be
Lakers headman JJ Reddick.
Speaker 8 (30:10):
The two words of the day, we're effort and execution.
And you know, I feel like when we've done both
of those things at a high level, we've been a
good basketball team, and we haven't. We're a terrible basketball team.
And tonight we were a terrible basketball team. And that
started legitimately right away because we don't care enough right now,
and that's that's the part that bothers you a lot.
We don't care enough to like do the things that
are necessary. We don't care enough to be a professional.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
You know.
Speaker 8 (30:32):
We had it, We had it. This is this is
I always say this about you know, culture, I always
say this about a team being a you know, a
good team, being a functioning organism, organism. Can it can
change like that? We don't have it right now. Again,
it goes back to what I said the other night.
It's it's a matter of making the choice. And too
often we have guys that don't want to make that choice.
And it's pretty consistent who those guys are. And so
(30:54):
Saturday practice, I told the guys it's going to be uncomfortable.
The meeting is going to be uncomfortable. I'm not doing
another fifty three games like this.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Strong words from JJ Reddick, who I think's got a
little bit more ability to be empowered considering what's going
on with the Lakers over the last six months or so,
even with ownership changing hands, Lebron James's future it wasn't
pointed at Austin Reeves because he left with an injury,
but it sure seems like it was pointed at Lebron
James and JJ Redick with some strong comments for if
(31:25):
it is Lebron and the rest of his Laker teammates.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
Yeah, I think, you know, the only thing that really
stands out to me is that I do think that
basically this is just a metaphor for the bigger like
Lebron situation with the Lakers of you go back to
the day he resigned, and it was very clear that
the Lakers were kind of hoping that he wouldn't resign,
but you couldn't blame him, and then he immediately starts
(31:50):
doing the whole Yeah. Remember Rich Paul released a statement, Boy,
I sure hope we can build a championship team to
capitalize on Lebron's window, and it's like, Lebron, it's over,
your time, is done, whatever. And I think what Lebron
is doing is just basically what he has done with
every coach everywhere he's ever been. He just doesn't have
the actual leverage to pull off what he has pulled
(32:11):
off in the past, and for the first time maybe
in his career at least danding back to Eric Spolster
in Miami, the coach actually has the leverage over him,
not the other way around.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
There does seem to be a little bit more weight
with these words from JJ Reddick than maybe other coaches
who have tried to say as much. But I just
you know, Ruya Chimura didn't score yesterday, and I don't
think that JJ Redick would take four minutes of.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Distressing ripping Uri subconsciously Christmas Day.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
And this is also in advance of Lebron earlier in
the week being asked about Christmas Day and playing on
Christmas Day and saying that he rather would have been
home with his family. Now that may be true, I
think we all would love to you probably would have
loved you instead of being here twelve to four yesterday,
(32:56):
loved to have been here for you know, instead of
been with your family, instead of being here. But the
point is is that Lebron has played on Christmas Day
twenty times. As it was pointed out throughout the broadcast,
Lebron doesn't say something without knowing exactly what he really
is trying to say. So when you have that sort
of effort come out to a team that you're battling
(33:17):
and is you're comparable with in the Western Conference, JJ
Reddick feels in bolden to do it, and again he
didn't do it for ruy Hachamura. He wasn't doing it
for Austin Reeves. So unless it was for Luka Doncic,
I don't know who else he could have been for
the Lakers outside of Lebron now.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
And I think there was another part that I don't
know if it was in the audio, but he said
something about we had it in past tense, as in
like basically like this team was operating at a really
high level and we lost it. And that was another
insinuation with Lebron that seemed to be pretty obvious, is
the team was clearly playing at a really really high
level early in the year prior to him, prior to
(33:55):
him leaving.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
The in factor, the in fact they had the in factor.
He is erin Torres. I'm Dan Byer. It is a
Fox Sports Radio. The big news of the day, Kyle
Whittingham getting the five year deal. You heard Isaac Loewing
Grante as Michigan has found its man, a name that
did not pop up in any of the other conversations
leading up to it. I mean, this has really been
a twenty four to forty eight hour sort of thing, right,
(34:18):
I mean, there wasn't. I don't remember Kyle Whittingham being
now being a possible candidate when Charon Moore's situation went
down a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
No, And I'll be quick here, but I even remember
when Kenny Dillingham was the hot name. I said, if
your Arizona State and Kyle Whittingham clearly wants to keep coaching,
that has to be the name that you call. And
so talk about how fast it changed Kyle Whittingham, or
excuse me, Kenny Dillingham decides that he's staying at Arizona State,
(34:47):
and now Kyle Whittingham gets the job that universally, I
think obviously we all agree is better.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
I would also say, you don't have to overpay. Right,
there's there's Kyle Whittingham wants back in What better opportunity
and not have to wait a year for a coach
of that.
Speaker 7 (35:04):
And he's most caliber, to your point you brought up.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Earlier, very motivated, and for Michigan, this is about as
good as you could have hoped for considering what's transpired.
Ohio State and Michigan played on November twenty ninth, so
it hasn't even been a month and this is where
we are with the Michigan football program.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Well, and that speaks to why any it's crazy. We
have two more hours to discuss.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
He is Aaron Torres. I'm Dan Byer.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
Yeah, we're in for Cavino and Rich It's all coming
up next year on this day after Christmas here on
Fox Sports Radio
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.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Getting a set for Week seventeen of the National Football
League season, with three games already in the books. Our
good buddy Jared Smith will be joining us in about
twenty five minutes. He, of course, member of the bet
GM Countdown to Kickoff crew here on Fox Sports Radio.
You can hear Jared every Saturday morning here on Fox
Sports Radio every Saturday night, and you can hear my
(00:30):
partner in crime today, Aaron Torres here on FSR.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
What's going on?
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Aaron, Merry Christmas to you. It's good to be with you.
Was in yesterday. I know you had a much deserved
day off, So excited to be with you. Are you
and I rocking New Year's Eve?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Too? We are back at it. Yes, I know it's
a few days away.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Still got a lot of twenty twenty five left to
uh to, you know, to get through not get through
that sounds they give. But still a lot of twenty
twenty five left on the table.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
But we'll be leading into the those college football playoff
quarterfinals games. Cotton Bowl, Ohio State and Miami on New
Year's Eve, and then you have the tripleheader on New
Year's Day. Sesame Street helped raise all of us. Now
it's our turn donate this holiday season at sesame dot
org because the world needs Sesame and Sesame needs you.
Continuing the college football discussion, just a little while ago,
(01:20):
we were talking about the abolishment of the USC Notre
Dame rivalry, at least putting it on hold for the
short foreseeable future for the next four or five years
or so. So now you've got the comments on why
these rivalry games are going by the wayside, and it's
a reason that My point that I just made to
(01:41):
you guys previously was I think that in college football,
we are ingrained that your rivalry game is the biggest
game of the year. Not your rivalry game and your
bowl game were your biggest games of the year. Then
your bowl game kind of started to take less of
an importance as the bulls got less and less as
we're trying to deter I'm in a national champion where
(02:01):
we're getting one versus two. Then we have a four
team bracket. Now we have a twelve team bracket. But
just because there's a twelve team bracket to maybe erase
the importance of a bowl game. Doesn't mean that we're
going to adapt to that format and completely be brought
into it. I think fans of the schools or of
the teams are brought into it and are excited. But
(02:22):
as a whole, I think that a lot of people
would sit down and maybe as a tradition that weren't
fans would watch USC Notre Dame, they would watch Ohio
State Michigan, one of the if not the highest rated
games that you get, you know, year in and year out.
So it's still taking some getting used to warm up
to the college football Playoff, and I'm not sure if
(02:44):
this year's bracket is the bracket to get people to
warm up to the college football Playoff that maybe aren't
necessarily as in depth with the sport as some of
us are.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Yeah, you brought up the point earlier, the difference between
say you and I that are going to watch everything.
Like I think Texas Tech is both a good team
and a good watch, I don't know what the average
fan does, And I think it is kind of interesting,
like we're setting up for a world where we could potentially,
you know, and even to go back to last year
very quickly. Certainly there was a lot of talk about
(03:15):
the opening weekend didn't live up to expectations, but we
got to a semi final situation of Penn State versus
Notre Dame and Texas versus Ohio State, which is we
all know for monster brands, monster fan bases, whatever. I
think we could be setting up for very possibly a
Texas Tech Indiana semi final here down the road. And
(03:37):
so I guess if you know, listen, I think if
you're a fan of a lot of schools that maybe
historically haven't been the Ohio States, the Michigan's, the Georgia's,
the whatever you gotta feel good of, Like, if Indiana
could do it, why can't we? If Texas Tech, I
know they have a lot of Nio money, but if
they can do it, why can't we. But I do
wonder for the overall quote unquote good of college football
(03:59):
if that is a net positive if we eventually get there,
and even frankly, as we open this tournament, as we're
now into this tournament with Indiana's the number one overall, see.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
I want to bring in Jason Stewart in Iowa Sam
and Isaac Lohncron as well, just because I think we
all have varying degrees of college football fandom. But in
looking at this, I don't think that there's a quick fix.
What I do like about the New Year's Day is
we do have a triple header of meaningful games, even
if we have to change the kickoff of the Rose
(04:29):
Bowl to an hour earlier, so you're not going to
get that traditional end of third quarter camera shot that
becomes so famous with the San Gabriel Mountains in the
background that has gone by the wayside. It'll just happen
an hour later and maybe the game will be over
and that's where the game will be ending. But there's
a lot of change that comes with all of this.
To your point about the semi finals last year, you're right,
(04:49):
you really couldn't have picked four better schools to put
in the college football semi final, And I don't know
if there was a carryover effect. I don't think that
there was a carryover effect into the National championship game
of Notre Dame Ohio State. Where again, if you're picking
two programs that are talking about name brands like I mean,
(05:09):
it's it could be one two two one, and when
you're looking at both of those and I'm not sure
and how much people are looking back and saying like
what a great game that was and that's what I'm
curious about, or a game that they would remember. Notre Dame,
by the way, came back made it a game at
the end. But it's just taken a while for sports fans,
I think and will take a while to warm up
(05:30):
to this, if at all. And that's my question about
this bracket. So that's why I wanted to bring in Iowa.
Sam and Jason and Isaac. I know Jason's point of view, Sam,
are you at least Jason's point of view on the
first round?
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Are you excited for these quarterfinal games? Sam?
Speaker 2 (05:45):
On what we've got coming up on New Year's Eve
and on New Year's Day? Ohio State, Miami, Texas Tech, Oregon, Indiana, Alabama, Georgia, Ole.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
Miss outside of Georgia Ole Miss being being a repeat,
but like those are that's that was all Missus one loss, Yes,
and Georgia looks like they could win it all. So
I even find some intrigue in that. I'm I'm pretty
I'm definitely much I'm much more excited about the quarterfinals.
I think all of those games have value and reason
(06:14):
to watch. Like Texas Tech to me, their defense like
they're a mystery to me because I haven't really watched
them all year. And then you go up against Oregon
and that explosive offense, the way they run the ball,
that's a great game.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
And then Alabama Indiana.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
It's like, how can Indiana Can they stack up against
physicality of an SEC Alabama team? Ohio State, Miami? I mean,
if Miami is indeed legit, you know it's a that's
a obviously finding reasons to watch all of those games.
And then Georgia Olemiss for the reasons I just said.
Jason Stewart was not a fan of the first round games?
(06:48):
What about these quarterfinal games?
Speaker 6 (06:49):
Jason, Well, I'll take it a step further even, and
I guess so we'll give you my opinion of the
second round there. I take interest in these storylines, and
the intriguing storyline to me would be Ole Miss making
it as far as possible. I'm rooting for that team.
They they purchased my interest with the Lane Kiffin thing.
(07:09):
And then I do want to see Indiana. I know,
I think your opinion is that Indiana's got no shot.
I'd want Indiana in the championship game. So I'm pulling
for those two entities in this next round, and then
I'll pull for them in the next round if they advance.
But that kind of gives you the other two I could,
I could really care less.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
I think that's that's the determining factor, is how do
you view Indiana? Great cal and I think Jason loves
the Fernando Mendoza story. Also, the Francisco Mendoza story. Isn't
that underrated part of Francis brother story?
Speaker 5 (07:44):
That's his brother, right, the guy who came in to
take one snap during the Big Ten championship game.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Oh no, no, sorry, that's a different guy. Yeah, the
inside joke. Do you moving on the baseball player, right, Francisco.
Speaker 6 (07:57):
No.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Let's reveal that this is very interesting listeners too.
Speaker 6 (08:00):
So you have a lot of tweets that go viral, Aaron,
so I know that you're a different class m Every
once in a while, one of my tweets gets in
the algorithm and it goes nuts. And I sent one
after Fernando Mendoza's Heisman Trophy's speech where he called out
his mother and thanked. I thought that was beautiful. The
only problem with my summary was that I called him
(08:23):
Francisco Mendoza. So there's always going to be that part
of Twitter, and by a part, I mean ninety nine
percent of it that's going to catch that and call
you racist and I'll do all that stuff. So it
was a very touching tweet that turned racist.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Yeah, I was gonna say. I assumed Twitter was very
forgiving with that. With that mistake, Oh okay, John?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Was that theo where somebody tweeted to Jason that I
got to chuckle out of just that every white guy
would be named John. I thought was funny. But Jason
was given no mercy on that. Yet he loved the
Fernando Mendoza story. And I think if you love the
Fernando Mendoza story, you are intrigued by Indiana.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
So real quick.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
I don't want to I don't want to steal your
thunder in your take here. There was a line in
the email, the group email, that you believe Indiana has
a zero percent chance of winning the college football playoff.
I want to give you the floor. I know that's
not necessarily where we're going. I would just say, beat
Ohio State on a neutral one at Oregon. Those are
(09:27):
two of the final eight teams that they've already beaten.
And I'm not criticizing the take. I'm just actually genuinely
curious why you believe there's a zero percent chance if
that is in fact what you know.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
It's it's on.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
It's part of what leads up to what Jason was
talking about this Indiana moment. It's not going to top
winning the Heisman Trophy for Fernando Mendoza. Beating Ohio State
for Indiana was their super Bowl. Yeah, it was. It
was their national championship super bowl because because of what
(10:01):
it signified within that conference, Indiana was a top ranked
team all year long. They didn't have to prove anything
nationally to anybody. They were They had the number two
next to their name for I think about half the season.
Right after they beat again Oregon, they're the second ranked
team in the country Ohio State in the Big Ten.
In Ohio State's dominance in that world, and I'm not
(10:26):
saying they're dominating every year, but they are the marquee
program of the Big Ten. And for Indiana to beat
Ohio State on a neutral field, to overcome the goliath,
if you will. When they're playing that David role. That
is as high as it's going to get. And I
just don't think emotionally you can get up for these
(10:46):
three games. You may match up well with Indiana, you
may match up well with Texas Tech and have an
opportunity to beat Oregon.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Again.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I just think it's the high point of the Big
Ten Championship game. And I also think the escape of
college football will not allow a team to go undefeated
in a twelve team or sixteen team bracket for the
entire year. And they are the team that right now
has the has no blemish in the lost column. And
(11:15):
I think that those expectations are just too much to
bear in this sort of format. So while Indiana may
win the Rose Bowl, by the way, they may have
been better off playing in a Cotton Bowl or in
an Orange Bowl. The granddaddy of them all still carries cachet.
So now there's even more to that. Indiana hadn't been
to a Rose Bowl since what nineteen sixty seven or
(11:36):
whatever the case is, and now you have Alabama coming
to town. That's a lot to carry for a program.
And I just don't think that that program, Aaron, it
could have been Indiana. It could have been it could
have been Texas Tech, it could have you put what
Indiana has gone through, Vanderbilt could have put Vanderbilt in there.
(11:56):
Let's say Vanderbilt ran through the SEC and beat Alabama
in the secchampionship game or Georgia. There's no way that
they're gonna be able to carry that through. There's just
too much, too much emotion. Heck, they suffered an injury
in the celebration of their Big Ten title game, right,
like the these are things that add up. I just
don't think in the stars you have the ability to
(12:18):
win a national championship for what has all gone right
for Indiana this year?
Speaker 3 (12:23):
All right, I have three points. Okay on that one.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
What you just described is actually Oregon last year, come
to the Big Ten. How are these West Coast schools
gonna match up? They have the Big Ohio State win
over Ohio State, then they win the Big Ten Championship game,
then they're flat in the Rose Bowl.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
So there's a parallel there.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
One hundred percent as far as Indiana specifically, and by
the way, I don't know that I think it's zero percent,
but I do sort of agree with you that if
I was tiering favorites, I think they'd have to be
probably number three behind Georgia Ohio State, a team they
lost to, maybe even number four behind Oregon. So well,
I actually sort of agree with you. My two points
are this, and these are both points in agreement with you.
(13:06):
One last night, Christmas night, I was here twelve to
four Pacific, three to seven Eastern.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Go home.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
We get on a zoom with my sister. She's on
the East coast. How are you, how are the kids?
Blah blah blah this net. While we were on the zoom,
I'm flipping channels because I have add and I can't
just focus on one thing. And the Big ten is
showing one of those like Big ten and sixty things,
which is just basically big games, every meaningful play, like
(13:34):
just in sixty seconds they had on the Indiana Ohio
State game, and so I was like, let me put
this on because I was on air during that game,
so I wasn't watching it super closely. I'm doing ten
different things whatever. You realize how many things had to
go right for Indiana to win that game. Besides the fact,
by the way, first ever Big ten Championship game appearance
(13:57):
for Indiana clearly meant more for them than Ohio State.
The game was in Indianapolis, Like, I don't know what
the discrepancy there was, but I'm guessing it was probably
eighty twenty and I know Ohio State travels great whatever,
So the only point I'm trying to make, And then
you watch the game and you're like, oh, Ohio State
easily could have won this game, Like if if they
(14:17):
had beaten Ohio State twenty one to three and it
wasn't close, then maybe I could see the thing where, Okay,
it's a big deal, but it's not that big of
a deal. But I think your point about the emotion
of that game is so so so on point of
just like it clear it met a lots Ohio State.
They were playing a win, but it meant a little
(14:39):
bit more to Indiana, and you could tell in the
celebration Fernanda Mendoza crying on the field whatever. And then
the last thing I was gonna say, and I'm going along,
so I'll be quick. I The Bama thing to me
is so fascinating because maybe it's my old school college
football brain, but the idea that Alabama, and I've seen
fourteen games of them at this point, they're not whatever.
(15:00):
The idea that Alabama is a seven and a half
point underdog to that team is like mind blowing to me,
Like I cannot wrap my head around. Alabama, with all
these five stars that have accumulated year over year over
year is a touchdown worse than Indiana. So that is
all just me just confirming what you're saying about the
fact that it's a great story in the moment, I know,
(15:22):
I spent about eight minutes setting up the point didn't okay,
But like, I don't think it's zero percent, But I
do think we're probably gonna look back on the Indiana
season and say that night in Indianapolis was the peak
and it didn't get better from there.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
There's something that Kurt Signetti said on the stand or
the platform when they were given the Big Ten Trophy. Now,
I got to figure out a way to get these
guys like egos back down over the next three weeks
to get ready to play. So great that but it's
also one hundred percent the truth. Yeah, Like how in
the world do you do that? Like they they've climbed
the mountain, just like honestly, Ohio State did the week
(16:01):
before against Michigan. It was that game. They could not
lose that game. That was the game that they focused.
It's no excuse for Ohio State. He said they had
opportunities to win. They didn' They missed a field goal late.
Indiana made plays in that game, but it's the overall thing.
Indiana is the greatest story, to Jason's point, but this
story has had so many highs. I don't understand how
they can continue on this run. And so when now
(16:23):
when you're looking at a college football playoff and we're
trying to get people to get excited about this, Indiana
may be the path to do it, But I'm not
sure if they are, because I don't know if enough
people are like Jason jumping on the path of being
like man, I love the Cinderella team because it's very
tough to be Cinderella, being number one and unbeaten and
have the best player in college football by the Heisman
(16:46):
standards on your team. But do we want to see
a rematch of Indiana and Oregon in the semifinals? Do
we think Indiana and Texas Tech is better than an
Alabama Oregon national semifinal game, I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Yeah, as a diehard college football fan, I would be
more interested in Texas Tech Indiana, while also acknowledging that
ratings do matter. Maybe they're talked about a little too
much in the media, but they absolutely do matter, and
Oregon Alabama would be much more intriguing to a much
bigger audience than Frankly, either Indiana, Alabama, Indiana Oregon or
(17:21):
Indiana Texas Tech. Can I make one more point by
the way Jaysu brought up can I I want to
pivot off Indiana?
Speaker 3 (17:27):
So do you have any any other Indiana things? Nope?
Has anyone realized we are? He mentioned the.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
Old Miss story. We are watching the first ever co
parenting situation in college football. Ole Miss and LSU are
co parenting the offensive staff from Old Miss. Like I
was thinking about that the other day because I saw
a story of like Charlie Weiss is going back to
Old Miss to prepare for the for the whatever Bowl
that they're playing it against Georgia, and I'm like, this
(17:56):
is just co parenting. Like Lane Kiffin dropped him off
at the gas station, Pete Golding picked him up, said,
have a good weekend.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
And enjoyed the holiday.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
I'll drop him back off with the portal opens, Like
I was, just like, this is coperating.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
I've got who on holidays? On the holiday, who got who?
That's a question.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
Well, Pete Golden got him back because I think Lake
Kifflin got him for like a week of portal prep
and now he's back.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
I actually also think that's kind of.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
An interesting thing, like if Old Miss were to continue
to win, like I think it was, it was a
cool story that the staff stayed together, and I will
give credit to lane Kiffin for letting the offensive staff
go back, but I don't think most people acknowledge, like,
like part of the reason that Lane Kiffin was not
allowed to coach Old Miss was because if they go
on a run, you can't have him. And so it's
(18:41):
just like it's cool now if Ole Miss beats Georgia
and they're now playing on January tenth or whatever, and
the portal opens on January second. I don't know how
excited Lane Kiffin is about that. And I also don't
know that Old Miss feels like they have the full
attention of the those guys preparing for a semi final.
(19:02):
But the counter that is. I just think it's very
funny because it's basically Cope.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Let's who will be excited, Jason Stewart and probably a
lot of other college football fans because I think Ole
Miss is the story here, Like in this bracket of
they're the ones who are left. Can they put on
the Cinderella run, get revenge against Georgia, maybe have a
matchup against the defending national champion, all done without their coach.
I think that is the story of this bracket.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox sports
Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
He's erin Torres. I'm Dan Byer. It's Fox Sports Radio.
Find Aaron on Exit Aaron Underscore Torres. You can find
me at dan Byer on Fox. For over forty years,
tire Rack has been helping customers find the right tires
for how, what and where they drive. Ship Fast and
free backs by free Road has a protection with convenient
installation options like mobile tire installation tierrac dot com. The
(19:57):
way tire buying should be. We drive into Week seven
team a schedule full of games, including a double dip
on Saturday, so we in on that and so much more.
He's our Fox Sports Radio betting analyst that you can
hear as the co host of Fox Sports Radios Countdown
to Kickoff with Rich Hornberger and Brian no. Jared Smith
joins us now is. Their show airs each Saturday from
(20:18):
nine o'clock Eastern Time until noon Eastern Listen live on
any of our Fox Sports Radio affiliates or on the
iHeartRadio app. All presented by Bett MGM. Hello, Jared, good
to talk to you again. How are you?
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (20:31):
I'm great, Happy Christmas, Merry Christmas. I hope everyone enjoyed
got what they wanted under the tree this year. I
didn't get any coal, which means I was on the
nice list.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Good work, good work.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
We also got two games on Saturday of the NFL slate.
Texans and Chargers start things off, but I want to
go to the nightcap in title Town. Packers and Ravens.
Starting quarterbacks for that game not likely to have either
Lamar Jackson and Jordan Love has already been ruled out
by Green Bay. What do those injuries do with this
matchup the Ravenson Pack.
Speaker 7 (21:01):
Yeah, so it looked like we were kind of at
four and a half ish last night when we thought
Jordan Love was gonna play. Now we're sitting at three
and a half now that we have official news that
Malik Willis will be the starter. I think, like if
you asked me the like, the drop off between Love
and Willis is probably not as severe as most starting
(21:21):
quarterbacks to backups in the NFL. I mean, we've seen
Malik Willis really really play well in relief appearances for
Jordan Love throughout the course of his career. Really last year,
I remember the Packers started off, you know, with those
two losses, right they lost to that they lost Jordan
Love and the opener to the Eagles, and then Willis
came in and played pretty.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Well, kind of steadied the ship.
Speaker 7 (21:40):
And he can do a lot more with his legs
obviously than with his arm. But he's a player that's
been in that system for a while, so you didn't
see a huge decrease in the Packers win probability after that.
I would say Huntley on the other side, like that
is a pretty big drop off to me. He just
can't do as much as Lamar can. But you could
make the argument that Mr Jackson, who has been nursing
(22:01):
injuries all year, has not lived up to his full
potential in terms of his you know, betting line numbers.
So maybe not as big of a drop off in
prior years when it's one hundred percent Lamar to a
healthy Tyler Huntley. If it's only like fifty sixty percent
Lamar to a Tyler Huntley, maybe Baltimore does have a
chance to.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Keep this close.
Speaker 7 (22:20):
But really, like, what, what's their motivation for this game
besides just putting some good stuff on tape. For some
of these veterans as they try to move on to
next year, They've been a comedy of errors this year. Turnovers, defense,
especially the defense just very lax of daysical, a lot
of lapses in the second are We saw that against
Drake May and the Patriots last week. So I would
lean Packers here because I just don't think Willis is
(22:43):
really that big of a drop off considering we're some
of the other backup quarterbacks rank in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Jared, I want to kind of make a hard pivot
really quick. Then we'll get back to the NFL. But
Pete Thamil is reporting that Kyle Whittingham is officially has
officially agreed to be the next Michigan head coach. Know
you are a college football guru as well. I believe Jared,
forgive me if I'm wrong. Are you a Penn State guy? Yes,
(23:09):
so I'd ask either as a fan but also as
a betting guy. I mean, Utah is coming off a
ten to two season, Kyle Whittingham. It has been reported
basically all day, but it is now official. Would just
be curious for your perspective on what that means for
Michigan going forward.
Speaker 7 (23:22):
I think it's a good hire. I think he's a
really good coach. I thought the situation leaving Utah, and
I'm not a Utah guy. I don't know much about
the back end of that program, but from what people
told me, it was kind of in the works for
a while that this was gonna be his last year.
But I did find it unique. Again, Timing is everything
(23:42):
in life, and I don't know Aeron if you're a
believer in coincidences, but I'm not. I've been through too
many weird stuff in my life to believe in coincidences anymore.
So Utah announces that groundbreaking private equity deal and then
Whittingham steps down the following day like literally the next day.
And again, maybe it was in the works for a
while and that was just weird timing, but I thought
that was curious. And also what I thought was curious,
(24:04):
Whittingham stepped down the day after Sharon Moore got fired,
like literally the day after, and now two weeks later
he's the head coach at Michigan. So again, I don't
want to say this was like a conspiracy theory, but
the timing worked out very nicely, I think for Michigan
because it could have been a disaster, like if they
didn't go to Kyle Whittingham here, what was the option,
was it, Jeff Brohm? I mean, it certainly didn't look
(24:24):
like Dillingham or Debor were interested in the job. So
I thought it worked out serendipitously for Michigan because Whittingham
didn't seem like he wanted to leave coaching, and then
this opportunity opens up and he's done it really good.
I mean, he's had an illustrious career, he's done a
really good job at Utah, making them a perennial power.
I think it's a good fit and they needed to
(24:46):
do something fast because you know, as well as anyone
Aaron Once that recruiting cycle starts to spin off, the
rails and kids start to bail and that situation goes south,
it's really hard to get it back on even though
Michigan's got a ton of money. I thought they needed
to put their foot down and get a good man
in charge to try to get things back on track.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Jumping back to the NFL with Jared Smith, He's erin Torres.
I'm Dan Beyer. It is Fox Sports Radio. Looking at
the rest of the slate. In Week seventeen, the game
of the week, one of the games of the week
may not have a lot at stake for the Eagles
or Bills because it's an AFC NFC matchup, game is
in Buffalo, weather can always be a factor. I'm surprised
(25:23):
the Bills are only a one and a half point favorite.
How do you look at that matchup between the Eagles
and Bills.
Speaker 7 (25:28):
Nobody really has much to play for in terms of
the postseason, and I think it's a different vibe when
right like Dan, teams that are out of the postseason picture,
that are playing these meaningless games in Week seventeen and
Week eighteen, I think they give a different level of
effort knowing it's their last game or it's their last
opportunity to put something on tape, Whereas the vibe for
(25:48):
a playoff team two playoff teams that really have no
upward mobility in the standings. Right in the NFC, the
number one seed is going to be whoever wins that
NFC West Chicago beat Philly, so I just don't see
them jumping the Eagles jumping the Bears for that number
two seed. And then in the NFC South that's the four,
so Philly's pretty much locked into the three. On the
other side, do you really see the Jets beating the
(26:09):
Patriots this week or the Dolphins beating the Patriots next week?
Like New England's gonna win that division, Buffalo is gonna
be in the wildcard. I don't know if they can
move up or down in the wildcard standings. I think
five feels like the right spot for them. Maybe six
because that AFC West loser between the Chargers and the
Broncos might sneak into that five spot. But it does
feel like both of these teams have their standings completely set.
(26:31):
So why are you putting anything on tape? Why are
you over extending any of your key skill guys in
a game that really doesn't mean a whole lot in
the standing. So I bet under in this game, I
bet under forty four. I think Josh Allen rushing yards
under makes sense, like he doesn't extend himself with his
legs and games that aren't prime time meaningful, like everything
on the line, and he's got the foot injury. So
(26:53):
like that was kind of my vibe in the game. Dan,
I agree. I think you know, the Eagles to me
are a team that definitely deserves a lot of love
the market, but they're still going through some issues with
their offense. And I heard Scott Lofler, a cub QB coach,
is starting to insert himself into the conversation, So who
knows what that dynamic is gonna look like. I would
not be surprised if this was a run, run, run,
very vanilla game plan for both teams.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
Really quickly, I want to sort of go back to
Dan's first question here. You know, we're at the point
of the season where you know, Josh Johnson and Malik
Willis and a lot of you know, back up to
third string to four string quarterbacks are now playing, and
I was just curious as a better Where is the
line of I still think there's value here versus I
(27:35):
don't care what.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
The value is.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
I'm not betting my hard earned money on Josh Johnson,
Like how often are you? Just like I don't care
if I think there's value here, I can't possibly bet
on that quarterback that I had never heard of until
two days ago.
Speaker 7 (27:49):
Well, I think that's the key. You've got to, you know,
do the research. I think in that particular situation, this
is where the preseason actually comes into a huge becomes
a huge factor. For example, Max Brosmer, I watched them
in the preseason, Like I watched a lot of these
third string and four string quarterbacks in the preseason. And
what I do then in the preseason is I create
a number, just like for example, with Lamar to Tyler Huntley,
(28:11):
it's like an eight point drop. With Mahomes de Minshew,
it's like an eight point drop, Like that's a big
drop from a starter to a backup. With a guy
like JJ McCarthy to Max Brosmer, it's maybe only like
a three or four point drop. So once you have
that number and you do your research and you have
some kind of baseline to move a spread a certain
direction based off of who's playing quarterback, which, for those unaware,
(28:34):
the quarterback position has the greatest impact on the point spread.
It's usually a touchdown somewhere in that range, give or
take a few points to either side. But once you
have your number, well, then you can react to what
the sportsbook did so based off of what the move was.
From Mariota to Josh Johnson. All Right, the sportsbook move
the line this many points, but I make the number this,
and then you don't even have to worry about whether
(28:56):
or not you like this quarterback or you watch him
where you think he's good. Like, you have your number,
You've done your work, and then you just let the
numbers do the talking.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
He's our Fox Sports Radio betting adolest Jared Smith. Hear
him Saturday mornings nine to noon Eastern Time with Rich
Hornberger and Brian Know. You can listen live on any
of our Fox Sports Radio affiliates or on the iHeartRadio
app all presented by Bett MGM. Jared, thanks so much
for your time. Can we to talk to you again?
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Man?
Speaker 7 (29:20):
I appreciate it. Happy to you everyone.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
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.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Have you heard about trainer games? Add this to your
binge list. Ten athletes go ahead to head for the
chance to win an iFIT trainer contract with two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars streaming on Prime Video starting January eighth.
It is Fox Sports Radio. He's Aaron Torres, I'm Dan Byer.
We're gonna be with you for another two hours as well.
We are in for Covino and Rich today here on
(29:53):
fs OUR. Isaac Lowincroniz here, Jason Stewart's here, as is
Iowa Sam. Last night in the NBA five games taking place,
one team embarrassed on their home court. That is, if
you ask their head coach. That head coach would be
Lakers headman JJ Reddick.
Speaker 8 (30:10):
The two words of the day, we're effort and execution.
And you know, I feel like when we've done both
of those things at a high level, we've been a
good basketball team, and we haven't. We're a terrible basketball team.
And tonight we were a terrible basketball team. And that
started legitimately right away because we don't care enough right now,
and that's that's the part that bothers you a lot.
We don't care enough to like do the things that
are necessary. We don't care enough to be a professional.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
You know.
Speaker 8 (30:32):
We had it, We had it. This is this is
I always say this about you know, culture, I always
say this about a team being a you know, a
good team, being a functioning organism, organism. Can it can
change like that? We don't have it right now. Again,
it goes back to what I said the other night.
It's it's a matter of making the choice. And too
often we have guys that don't want to make that choice.
And it's pretty consistent who those guys are. And so
(30:54):
Saturday practice, I told the guys it's going to be uncomfortable.
The meeting is going to be uncomfortable. I'm not doing
another fifty three games like this.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Strong words from JJ Reddick, who I think's got a
little bit more ability to be empowered considering what's going
on with the Lakers over the last six months or so,
even with ownership changing hands, Lebron James's future it wasn't
pointed at Austin Reeves because he left with an injury,
but it sure seems like it was pointed at Lebron
James and JJ Redick with some strong comments for if
(31:25):
it is Lebron and the rest of his Laker teammates.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
Yeah, I think, you know, the only thing that really
stands out to me is that I do think that
basically this is just a metaphor for the bigger like
Lebron situation with the Lakers of you go back to
the day he resigned, and it was very clear that
the Lakers were kind of hoping that he wouldn't resign,
but you couldn't blame him, and then he immediately starts
(31:50):
doing the whole Yeah. Remember Rich Paul released a statement, Boy,
I sure hope we can build a championship team to
capitalize on Lebron's window, and it's like, Lebron, it's over,
your time, is done, whatever. And I think what Lebron
is doing is just basically what he has done with
every coach everywhere he's ever been. He just doesn't have
the actual leverage to pull off what he has pulled
(32:11):
off in the past, and for the first time maybe
in his career at least danding back to Eric Spolster
in Miami, the coach actually has the leverage over him,
not the other way around.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
There does seem to be a little bit more weight
with these words from JJ Reddick than maybe other coaches
who have tried to say as much. But I just
you know, Ruya Chimura didn't score yesterday, and I don't
think that JJ Redick would take four minutes of.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Distressing ripping Uri subconsciously Christmas Day.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
And this is also in advance of Lebron earlier in
the week being asked about Christmas Day and playing on
Christmas Day and saying that he rather would have been
home with his family. Now that may be true, I
think we all would love to you probably would have
loved you instead of being here twelve to four yesterday,
(32:56):
loved to have been here for you know, instead of
been with your family, instead of being here. But the
point is is that Lebron has played on Christmas Day
twenty times. As it was pointed out throughout the broadcast,
Lebron doesn't say something without knowing exactly what he really
is trying to say. So when you have that sort
of effort come out to a team that you're battling
(33:17):
and is you're comparable with in the Western Conference, JJ
Reddick feels in bolden to do it, and again he
didn't do it for ruy Hachamura. He wasn't doing it
for Austin Reeves. So unless it was for Luka Doncic,
I don't know who else he could have been for
the Lakers outside of Lebron now.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
And I think there was another part that I don't
know if it was in the audio, but he said
something about we had it in past tense, as in
like basically like this team was operating at a really
high level and we lost it. And that was another
insinuation with Lebron that seemed to be pretty obvious, is
the team was clearly playing at a really really high
level early in the year prior to him, prior to
(33:55):
him leaving.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
The in factor, the in fact they had the in factor.
He is erin Torres. I'm Dan Byer. It is a
Fox Sports Radio. The big news of the day, Kyle
Whittingham getting the five year deal. You heard Isaac Loewing
Grante as Michigan has found its man, a name that
did not pop up in any of the other conversations
leading up to it. I mean, this has really been
a twenty four to forty eight hour sort of thing, right,
(34:18):
I mean, there wasn't. I don't remember Kyle Whittingham being
now being a possible candidate when Charon Moore's situation went
down a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
No, And I'll be quick here, but I even remember
when Kenny Dillingham was the hot name. I said, if
your Arizona State and Kyle Whittingham clearly wants to keep coaching,
that has to be the name that you call. And
so talk about how fast it changed Kyle Whittingham, or
excuse me, Kenny Dillingham decides that he's staying at Arizona State,
(34:47):
and now Kyle Whittingham gets the job that universally, I
think obviously we all agree is better.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
I would also say, you don't have to overpay. Right,
there's there's Kyle Whittingham wants back in What better opportunity
and not have to wait a year for a coach
of that.
Speaker 7 (35:04):
And he's most caliber, to your point you brought up.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Earlier, very motivated, and for Michigan, this is about as
good as you could have hoped for considering what's transpired.
Ohio State and Michigan played on November twenty ninth, so
it hasn't even been a month and this is where
we are with the Michigan football program.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Well, and that speaks to why any it's crazy. We
have two more hours to discuss.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
He is Aaron Torres. I'm Dan Byer.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
Yeah, we're in for Cavino and Rich It's all coming
up next year on this day after Christmas here on
Fox Sports Radio
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.