January 10, 2026 • 41 mins
In Hour 1 of The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon, Steve DeSaegher fills in for Mike. The guys break down the first half of the Oregon–Indiana CFP Peach Bowl matchup and react to Indiana and QB Fernando Mendoza's dominant first-half performance.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Greetings, Welcome inside, Happy Friday.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Unless you live in Oregon.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
The Jason Show is Steve Desager in from Mike Harmon
tonight and Steve, is it true? Do we have a
final from the Peach Bowl? Do we have a final?
Sw I mean I thought we will be a final?
Do we have a final?
Speaker 4 (00:47):
And then I look at the scoreboard and we're still
mid third quarter. It's ten o'clock Eastern time. We're just
getting to the middle of the third quarter.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Uh, it's a long night, Torase, It's gonna be a
long and bumpy night night. We have seven minutes left
to go on the third quarter. Indiana thanks to four
touchdown passes for Fernando Mendoza, who is thirteen out of
fourteen tonight for one hundred and fifty yards. Indiana's on
top of Oregon forty two fifteen. They would be on
(01:18):
the doorstep of another score. However, a seventy one yard
run just got called back for a holding penalty. So
Indiana has the ball deep in their own territory, and hey.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
At least we got some positivity for Oregon.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
They get a touchdown, they go for two, and now
it's you know, now they've made it a twelve score
game where it was a thirteen score game, so you know,
you know they're they're cutting into this little by.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Little Well, three turnovers for Oregon tonight, and they threw
a pick six on the very first play from scrimmage tonight.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Yeah, not great, Bob.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
You're going up against the number one team who's got
Have you seen Indiana play a great defense? And then
we saw the sacks coming all the way up till
halftime for the IU defense.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
Not good?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
And then you mentioned Mendoza, not just the touchdown passes,
the third down conversions eight of nine for India.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Yeah, I mean, look, the best thing is this will
give us plenty of time to break down the playoff
games this weekend in the NFL, right because of the
way the ball. We're not going to be spending the
entire show on like last night's classic game and the
pass interferrets at the end. In the back and forth,
this is Yeah, this has been over since maybe maybe
since the first play of the game, maybe since that
pick six.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You can look back and say that was it.
Speaker 5 (02:28):
Well, it got rolling late first half.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
I mean, I guess it was only twenty one to
seven until then.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
That seems like a close game at that point.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yeah, So look, let's deal with Dante Moore first before
we get to Fernanda Mendoza. Right, So more tonight watching Oregon,
sometimes there's a moment and whether it's a whether it's
a quarterback really talented gets too hyped up, or or
something happens emotionally, they the team just isn't ready and
(02:58):
he's not ready to meet the moment. And Dante Moore
has made a lot of mistakes tonight. Look, you can
go back and forth. Look, he collides the running back
and the ball winds up coming out, but he throws
the pick six early. He is taking sacks in the
pocket where he has to get rid of the football.
He is having a really bad game and it just
seems like it seems like Indiana has been one step
(03:19):
ahead of Oregon the entire way. You know, like this
technically is a semi final game, but this is like
the semifinal game of a youth tournament where oh wow,
the number one seed is there and this team that
won a couple of games again it oh wow, they're
just getting boat raced here like that. That's what's gone on.
There's not been one moment tonight where I thought, hey,
Oregon is here to meet the moment, whether it's Dante Moore,
(03:39):
whether it's the rest of the team. The mistakes everything
Indiana wants to do, they're executing defensively on third downs.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
This is just you know, this is Indiana.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
The only fear I have for them is they're not
gonna play a more perfect game than this. They're taking advantage,
they're forcing mistakes. They might get a bounce against Miami,
but we'll worry about that later on because this is
this is just an absolute bludgeting by Indiana against AM.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
I thought that it wasn't possible to play a more
perfect game than the Rose Bowl where they just laid
waste to Alabama on New Year's Day, and yet they're
playing so well tonight. I mentioned still it's third quarter
and they have forty two points against a top five team.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
And keep in mind these are conference opponents.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Oregon had them at home on the schedule in October
and Indiana played a very impressive fourth quarter and won
that game.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I feel awful that I picked Oregon to win this. Guy,
I feel awful. I feel like I felt like.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Flaud.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
I can't believe. I can't I look at this game.
How did I pick Oregon? How did I do this?
I can't believe awful about.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Maybe somebody on the show had Indiana in their pool in.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
The final line, might have so what what do you
have in the what'd you have? Inn R Fox Sports
Radio pool Indiana and Ohio State?
Speaker 5 (04:50):
Yeah, it's correct.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
In Ohio State, I maintained, still has a great defense.
It was the pick six that cost them in their
playoff loss.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Yep, it was a difficult thing.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
And then that it's going to be a thirteen to
ten final all over again when those two men.
Speaker 5 (05:04):
Yeah, and now like any Texans.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Chargers game, it's got fifteen twelve over all over it.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Now, I think the biggest sobering thing that people have
to think about right now for a second. Is that, Okay,
the Indiana Hoosiers are going to win the national championship
in football? You got to say that, yeah, in foot,
the Indiana Hoosiers are going to win the national championship
in football, not basketball, not another sport. They're good and
(05:32):
I'm sure they're good in other things too. Now that
they're gonna win. They had absolutely zero zero football tradition,
zero until this beginning of last season.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Zero football tradition there going back to hey.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Over one hundred winners when Antoine randall El was the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
He was fun.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
He made it to the NFL and Thompson finished in
the top three for Heisman troll. Not back in the eighties.
All right, Yeah, in four seconds, I got you back
to the mid eighties with football.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
And their previous Rose Bawl appearance was the nineteen sixties.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
This is it.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
They had zero football tradition, football accomplishment until two years ago,
and now here they are They're gonna win the national championship.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
I don't know that I can wrap my head around that.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I mean, there's there's stories of teams coming out of nowhere,
and Cinderella stories and and and and top to bottom
Indiana winning the national championship in football. I I really,
I don't know. There's certain things that still sound weird
to me. And and Indiana being this after having again zero,
It's not like they built towards It's not like, well,
(06:35):
there's been a long buil. Kurtzignette has been there since
twenty ten. Like you know, if Kirk Farenz at Iowa
eventually built Ohio into a national bill, the guy's been
there for twenty years, a great offensive coach. Eventually you're
gonna hit it big zero. They had nothing until two
years ago. I know something here there. They're gonna they
have the Heisman Trophy winner, They're gonna win the national championship,
and Indiana football's on the on top of the world.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
I can't get over that.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
I can't agree more.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
This is kind of like, well, actually it's greater than
when you say out loud that the Marlins have won
the World Series twice, because what did they do after
those World Series sell off?
Speaker 5 (07:10):
Did nothing?
Speaker 4 (07:10):
They were back to being the Marlins again for long stretches,
or even the Giants with Bruce Bochi they won the
World Series three times? What did they do in between
those series. It's not like they had a Troy Aikman
Dallas Cowboys dynasty where they were threatening for Super Bowl
every year. It wasn't that type of thing in college
football history. Indiana had the most total losses of any
(07:33):
program until they hired this coach. It wasn't until just
a few weeks ago that the Indiana program had ever
been ranked number one for one week ever in the
history of the AP pole. This is unprecedented. What's going on?
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I really just think about that. I mean, think about
that Indian Like for all the schools and all the
teams that say, oh, it takes so long to rebuild,
takes so long to do it, now they did more years.
They did it in two years. You know, this is
going to be an episode of Pablo Tory finds out. Okay,
how did Indiana do this?
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Wet? How did they go from it?
Speaker 5 (08:08):
Don't see?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
What did they do? What did they do? What did
they do?
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Alabama used to be able to have the four best
running backs all on the same roster and just plow
through them year after year and guys waiting their turn.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
And it's not that way anymore.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
The transfer thing exists it's a real thing now that
didn't exist before. And the NIL support is a real
thing now. They picked up a quarterback from cal who
had started multiple years and was a solid addition and
got better during his Heisman season. It's just been sensational
the coaching job that's been done by Signetti.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Now, I do want to say, because there is somebody
I feel really sorry for. Okay, there is. I mean
we got to present both sides. You think I'm gonna
say Dan Lanning. No, No, there is somebody I feel
really sorry.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
I know it's Howard University that was already on their
schedule years in advance for next September.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Hey, what if you know?
Speaker 1 (08:59):
I think, guys, I think I think our players are
sick the games in nine months. Yeah, there are. They're
till they feel the colds are coming on, so we move.
Might as well cancel that game. Now, let let's just
cancel again. You think I'm gonna say Trinidad Chamblis who Hey,
a day after a painful loss, said yeah, you can't
come back and play college football anymore. No, the guy
I feel bad for is your Heisman Trophy winner and
(09:21):
number one overall pick in the draft for Nanda Mendoza
because he's not coming back. If there's no no, no, no, no, no,
it's not about Indiana, because if we learned anything tonight
outside of how good Indiana is really and how dominant
they are, it's that Mendoza is the number one pick
in the draft. Dante Moore, if he comes out, is
the number two pick. Maybe he's the number two pick.
Maybe tonight, you know, turns the Jets off. I mean,
(09:44):
although you say, I've seen a lot of throws, he
made very Jets like already, a lot of decisions. Yeah, Varied,
you'll fit right in with the Jets already in Green,
Like I can kind of squint and look at the
TV and go, yeah, I could see that Dante more fumbling,
and I.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
Saw some of these games.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I could see that. I could squint see look at
the Green and the Jets Jersey.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Sure, uh so clearly that that's how it's going to go,
right if there was any debate, Now that's how it's
gonna go. But just think about this for a second.
Here's Fernando Mendoza coming from a program and an experience
that is full of sunshine, lollipops and rainbows and nothing
but success and happiness and a magic carpet ride, and
(10:25):
everywhere he goes he is universally loved.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
You have a.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Moment in time where I mean, it's like Beauty and
the Beast, when when when Belle is singing her song
in Red Little Town, she sees everybody and she's so
excited and she's dancing around and singing, Oh.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Morning, Belle morning.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
So oh it's it's like a Disney movie for and
we're not gonna be better than this has to show
up in the form of Mark Davis and the Raiders,
because he's now gonna go from this Indiana football program,
which is the modern day level of excellent an execution
and success and everything good about college football, and he's
(11:04):
gonna go to that train wreck that's the Raiders, and
he's gonna go, hey man, this is not what this
is not what I'm used to. I mean, I know
I was a cow and you know we didn't do
a lot of wing a cow, but okay, but yeah,
I mean, really, I'm I'm taking a step down going
from Indiana to the Raiders. I'm I'm leveling down now
to go to the Raiders. And suddenly it's gonna be
(11:25):
fans are gonna be mad, and I'm gonna and it's
gonna be crazy. We're not gonna run the team the
right way, and Brady's gonna yell at me and yell
h hut and give me pizza. This is I don't know, man,
I don't know that. I don't know that I want this.
I'm gonna this is a step down for me.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
You're right in one respect.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
The people that are running the Indiana football program have
things figured out, and from the top down, nobody at
the Raiders has things figured out. And if you've seen
the offensive line of the Raiders, actually seeing a Raiders
game this year, it's embarrassing to call them in NFL
franchise because you know, I know other teams have had
(12:04):
injuries and porous offensive lines, because these are the actual
guys that they wanted to be their offensive lineman and
the assistant that they actually chose to be their offensive line.
It's it's a disaster, and it's it's the fifth go
round of this ever since, I mean it, the top down,
ever since Mark Davis has had his hands in the
(12:25):
cookie jar. And sorry, Dad's not around, and this is
actually your team and you've got to produce, to say
the least they have not produced.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Yeah, I can't get over.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
I mean, he's you talk about a culture shock, he's
going to be in for It's gonna.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Be what what the hell?
Speaker 4 (12:39):
Man?
Speaker 1 (12:40):
What the hell is going on around here?
Speaker 3 (12:42):
This is?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
And the thing is you look at Fernanda Mendoza and
you know, as goofy as he is and a fun
guy as he is, and you go, man, is that
really gonna fly with the Raiders? Like is that is
that the demeanor that that's gonna fly? Like you're gonna
suck all the joy out of him? There, there's gonna be.
I can already see the screen grabs for next season.
Like here's for Nanda Mendoza, Indie coming off the field
with a big smile. Here he is Vegas and a
big scowl on his face, like they're they're gonna they're
(13:05):
gonna just knock the fun right out of him, man,
Like I don't know, like certain certain quarterbacks, certain attitudes
working in certain places, right like Baker Mayfield coming into
the NFL said yeah, we're gonna go. I'm gonna go
take over this league and Cleveland come on, get on
my back.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
We're gonna do it. Yeah, I get that.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
But here's you know, happy, go lucky and goofy, Fernando Mendoza,
who's so much fun. He's going to a team that's
an absolute tire fire. I don't know. That's that's a
bad combo, man. Not that the Jets is any bargain either,
but I mean, but that's that's a that's a really
bad come Now.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
With Caleb Williams stepped in as number one pick and
was running for his life and just flat running with
the old regime in Chicago and was sacked almost seventy
times in an NFL season, it makes you look up. Okay,
the record for being sacked one guy the most times
in an NFL season, it's seventy six. And the caveat
(13:56):
is David Carr was on a literal expansion team. It
was a roster of cast offs when the Houston Texans
began in two thousand and two. I think that this
has the makings of a quarterback getting sacked sixty seventy
times for a full season if and when he goes
to the Raiders, which is too bad, because they have
(14:16):
the running back, they have the tight end, They might
even have the quarterback if they draft him. But if
you can't protect the quarterback, I mean, look what the
offensive line has been with the Chargers. I know Harbaugh
has gotten them into the postseason. I'm not expecting a
run because they can't block anybody. I mean, this quarterback,
talented as he is, has been sacked over fifty times
this year.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
He's already been sacked eight times with the Raiders. I
don't know if you know that or not. They've already
put that out there, Mendoz of the Raiders eight sacks.
He hasn't even played a full game.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I thought you were gonna say a Charger game hasn't
even started Sunday night.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
He's already been said. He's already been said.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
So this is where we sit right now.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Indiana has been putting on a clinic, but Oregon has
not quit. They are driving with the ball right now.
They just forced Indiana into a punt situation, so they
have it just past midfield forty two point fifteen. Look
they get in the end zone. Suddenly it's a three
score game going to the fourth quarter. Yeah, I'm trying,
I'm trying, right.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
They need to do what the Seahawks did in that
huge comeback against the Rams. You remember on the Thursday
night game is they normally needed three incredible touchdowns. They
had to have three two point conversions on top of it.
It had to go eight sixteen twenty four. If you
know what I mean, this is they've already got the
one right the last touchdown. They tacked down a two
point conversion. It's that that they need against you know,
(15:33):
I repeat, a great defense.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
Ain't gonna happen. Two minutes left third quarter.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Jason Smith Steve Desager in for Mike Harmon.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
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continue to follow this game again, maybe seven eight touchdowns
of Fernanda Mendoza forty two fifteen Indiana with the lead
(16:02):
late in the third quarter, but the first big football
weekend of the playoffs in the NFL. We start previewing
all the big games coming up next. Happy Football Friday,
keep it here. Jason Smith, Steve de Sager. This is
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
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Speaker 1 (16:55):
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Speaker 5 (16:58):
De Saga Fke Harn with that song interpret.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Just so that song it's an allegory for what's happening
right now. The bodies are Oregon, all right, so you know,
so that's kind of what the song is happening right
now into.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
The fourth quarter. By the way, it's still forty two fifteen.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
For number one Indiana.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
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And well with a plethora would you say that it
is a plethora, a plethora of plays to choose from
for the play of the day, Well, how about the
(17:46):
very first play of tonight's National Championship semifinal where Indiana
really said, Hey, Dante more good luck with the Jets.
Speaker 6 (17:53):
Ready to take the scaff drops back, throws the football,
touch them, unbelievable. The Angel pods the first rub of
the ball again, and this crowd is going absolutely bad.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
Jason, Honestly, after the pause, I thought he was gonna
play the but.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
I thought he was looking for it.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
I thought a bush play here, and then man changes
gets hint the bulls loose in its salon. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
plays with teams in green for five hundred please Alex, Hey,
congratulations out. Michael's coming back for another year at Amazon
that was announced earlier today. It's gonna get to see
him complaining about Thursday night football fronother year.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Uh, he can still.
Speaker 5 (18:42):
Keep up the country club membership.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
It is still a forty two fifteen lead for Indiana.
Now early in the fourth quarter, Indiana's just punted the
ball back to Oregon.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Look, this is why you sometimes you look at games
and you see teams that are just you know, out
of it mentally and trying to figure things out. Oregon
just had the football deep in Indiana territory. Obviously they
need scores because there are eleven scores down, and they
go for it on fourth and one, which you have
to write, and you get a score. Suddenly you're headed
(19:13):
to the fourth quarter. It's a three score game. Now, look,
it's not ideal, but how you started the game. Okay,
you have that. Uh, Oregon goes for it on fourth
and one and Harris has stopped for a one yard
loss turnover on downs. Indiana Uh kills the clock for
a little bit. But again, they just punted back to Oregon.
This is why on fourth and one you don't pitch
(19:34):
the ball back to a running back five yards behind
the line of scrimmage, Like I don't understand plays like that.
When you need a yard, you're either gonna throw. You're
either gonna give the football to you're running back as
close as you can to the line of scrimmage, you're
gonna you're gonna uh touh push it, or you're gonna
throw it right. And they decide, you know, we're not
gonna put the ball in their best player's hands. We're
gonna hand it off. But not only that, we're gonna
(19:56):
pitch it back five yards. Everybody's up on the line.
Indiana's defense is up on the line. When you give
the guy the ball five yards behind the line of scrimmage,
what do you think is gonna happen? I mean, really,
if this was hey, it's a it's a third and seven,
they're not expecting something. No, But you got guys up
on the line. This is fourth and one. They're crowding.
What do you think is gonna happen when you pitch
(20:17):
the ball to your running back five yards behind the
line of scrimmage. I look at that and I go
as Oregon even mentally in this game, like I think,
because I don't understand a call like that. When you
give the guy the ball in that kind of situation.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Dan, it's also akin to all the shotgun quarterbacks for
fourth and one, and then he takes it himself but
has to run five yards forward to reach the line
of scrimmage, and by then kind of the element of
surprise is lost.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Yeah, I really I don't get it.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
And of course, you know the turnover on downs, Indiana
has the ball and look they're still throwing it down
the field. I'm surprised Indiana didn't try to at least
take a little bit of clock to get it down
here again, it is forty two to fifteen, and their
defense is playing terrific, but I'm surprised. Okay, we're going
to try to beat this game up here a little
bit and run the football a little while they're still
throwing the football downfield and trying to I mean, I
(21:05):
don't know, maybe there's some sort of nil, you know,
for Nanna Mendoza is one touchdown away from some crazy
nil bonus that he's gonna get.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
I don't know, but I.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Season like the NFL did you see that list before
the final day of the regular season, Like if so
and so gets seven more yards from scrimmage, he gets
a million dollars.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Oh I love that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Hey, why am I bench well you had a six
yard run. Why, well you're tired. Just say but I
need one more yard for a million dollars. Yeah, yeah, No,
you're good. We'll get you back in. Don't worry about it.
We'll get you back in the game.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Do worry.
Speaker 5 (21:34):
Were you playing a part of Windy Johnson on that one?
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Well, look, because you know it's funny you say that,
because what did what did the story come out today
that maybe the Wizards are just gonna sit Tray Young
for the rest of the season because they want to
preserve the draft pick that they would have to give
to the Knicks if they win too many games and
fall out and fall out of the top eight of
the lottery. So potentially they could sit him because he's
not playing now, they could sit him the rest of
(21:56):
the year and go, hey, we're not going anywhere this year.
We're gonna lose games on ping pong balls, X, Y
and Z. Don't want to give up a pick to
the Knicks, understand, So yes, so we're not gonna We're
not gonna play in the rest of the way.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
But perhaps to combat that, they did list him as
out tonight with two injuries.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, just want want you to make
sure the first one is serious. If you doubt that one,
there's another one we have for you. So we'll have
more on this game coming up again. Forty two to fifteen,
Oregon is punting, believe it or not, with thirteen minutes
to go in the fourth quarter. So yeah, Oregan's wave
the white flag. Yes, they're deep in their own territory. Yes,
it's fourth and six.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
These last two drives took two and a half minutes total.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Yeah, I mean, I mean, really, I I mean, I
understand you don't want to, but what's the difference beween
losing forty two to fifteen and forty nine to fifteen.
What if you get you get down there, you make
it forty two to twenty two. You know, you get
the on side kick, get a touchdown, get the on
side kick, get a touchdown, get the on side kick,
get a touchdown, get the on side kick, get a touchdown,
and you win. That's all you gotta do it and
you win. I mean, really, that's all you have to douce.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
The problem is early in the game they already tried
giving Indiana the ball that they're all in twenty Oregon's
twenty to start a Hoosier's drive, and those weren't working
out well, so they are punting from there on twenty year.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Well, punting is in theory because it was just blocked
and recovered by Indiana. They have the ball inside Oregon's
ten yard line first of all, with thirteen minutes to go. Again,
the punt is blocked straight up in the air. I
really thought the guy was gonna catch it and run
for it. He looked like he had itchy hands, like,
come on, the ball, come down, I'm right here, I'm.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Gonna catch it.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
I'm gonna catch it. It comes down to alignment catches.
It gets tackled just inside the ten, and now Indiana
is on the customers.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
So bad enoughs is they not only go three and
out really quickly, then they line up to punt and
have a delay of game. And then they do actually
try and punt, and somebody coming straight up the middle
blocks it with the right hand, And you're right, he
waited for a while to that ball to float down
to his chest. And now it's first and goal from
the I believe seven yard line for Indiana already up
(23:57):
forty two to fifteen.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
And I like that kurtz Signetti is staying completely on
brand by frowning and looking really pissed on the sideline,
like you like, I understand. And he had a great
comment about this yesterday, saying, hey, I have to be
the same guy on the field with them. I can't
be someone jumping around and celebrating because what kind of
messages that scent? And I agree, I completely agree with
him on that, right, you have to be the same
(24:19):
kind of guy because we'll go through some coaches later
on in the show where I'll tell you right away
they're not the same guy. And these guys aren't head
coaches anymore or don't deserve to be head coaches.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
That's Honke Sean McVay who can do the positive thing
because he does within him have the positive thing.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
But if that's who you are the whole time, that's great, right, Like,
if you're still positive no matter what's going on. And
Sean McVay is like that, if you're still if you're
if that guy, that's great.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I mean, I dig that. Kurt Signetti is you know,
is that kind of you know?
Speaker 1 (24:48):
He even said yesterday, what sometimes I am happy, Like
he's got to be as happy as he's ever been before.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
And he's still frowning and.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Staring like it like they've made drive Like you're watching
out well, like you're watching Indiana make mistake after mistake
in there. You know it's a it's a three point
game here early in the fourth quarter instead of forty
two fifteen. We're coming off a block punt and we
have the ball first and goal at the seven. I mean,
I get, I get it. I get you want to
be on brand, to be the same guy. But man,
look he's trying to call a time out and he's mad.
(25:17):
He's frowning at the officials now, like the officials are
bagging him on this.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
I got to think that this is a performance.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
Art where we get a delay a game. Why is
the play clock moving on us?
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Yeah, I mean I'm gonna he's gonna pull Mendoza out
of the game for taking a delay a game. Like
I really feel like is this really performance art at
this point? Like I really feel like it has to
be like that. Yeah, you gotta be happy at some
point at least, you know, not be frowning and scowling.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
Now, I will say Indiana Radio, before it got to halftime,
when things were really rolling in the Hoosiers favor. Even
they in the booth said Kurtzignetti is having a hard
time not breaking a smile on the sideline because they
know what they see, game after game, exactly what you're
talking about.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
This following up a.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Dominant Rose Bowl against Alabama, a completely dominant first half
against Oregon in a rematch of what was a close
game in the regular season at Oregon. He's got to
be over the moon over these two results in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (26:14):
But no, no, not publicly.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
So we'll have more on this.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Game coming up in a few minutes to continue about
Pete Futech coming up after him. Never too early to
preview Indiana and Miami, because that's what we're going to
be doing. But look, obviously a big playoff weekend in
the NFL, and you know the first thing I want
to say, Steve, is this is that for the team.
For teams like the Bears who play tomorrow, for the Chargers,
(26:39):
for the Eagles, for the Packers, for teams who have
clinched going into Week eighteen and then come up and
lay an egg week eighteen, right.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Like we saw this past weekend.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
The Bears loss, but they backed their way in all
kinds of questions with Nick Sirianni, Hey, you know you
rested your starters.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
You know, was that the right move? You know, same
thing Harbaugh.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Did the same thing for teams that are pre clinched
and they put up a goose egg or they play
they play crappy Week eighteen. I kind of put zero
stock in the Week eighteen games results of those teams
because they've decided this is okay, we're gonna rest our
players because we feel good about going on the road.
I don't really care if we're gonna be a seven
seed or a six seed. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 7 (27:19):
You know.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Look, you could be playing a game where the opposition
is really jacked up to play this game for whatever reason,
and you wind up playing poorly. Look, the Lions were
jacked up to play that final game against the Bears
when clearly they could have quit and said, you know, look,
we're done. We're not making the playoffs. It's been a
long last three seasons. So there's a lot of things
out there, you know, And there's also not the same
(27:40):
motivation for teams that are playing for their playoff lives.
If you're playing for playoff seeding, or home field advantage
part to get right, but who knows. It's more about, Hey,
we want to make sure we're ready next week.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
This week, the week eighteen.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
If a team is playing for something, whether it's playoff
seeding or something like that, but not playing for their
playoff lives, if they played poorly, I kind of get it,
because it's really not the same thing to try the
motivation to play that week when your eye is on
something that's a week from now. So for those teams,
I'll tell you right now, like I put no stock
in the Bears or the Packers, or the Eagles or
(28:16):
the Chargers, any of those teams for this weekend.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Nothing zeroed on them.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
I think your Charger example is great because I like
the theory that coach Harball was going by A, we've
clinched a playoffs, but B we have no chance of
a home game in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
See, we need to get healthy.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
So if we're going to make a run, health is
probably the number one thing for us, not the location
of the game or the opponent in the playoff game.
So that's why they sat not just Herbert but multiple
starters in their finale and predictably did not look good
and lost. The Bears were a little different because a
win and they themselves would clinch the two seed, not
(28:56):
having to rely on a Philly loss. And yet again,
and kind of like the game against the Packers a
few weeks ago, the offense did nothing the first three quarters.
The Bears at home, were down sixteen zips start the
fourth quarter last weekend against Detroit, and then they had
a chance here a tie game. It's gonna be another
magical Bears comeback, right, And no, it was the visitors.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
That got the field goal on the final play to wins.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
So it's not quite the same thing with what you're
talking about the Bears last weekend and the Chargers last weekend.
I think if it hurts anybody, I do agree that
would be too strong a word, it would be the
Bears because they actually played people and didn't win at home.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Now to start our preview, Look, we're gonna preview all
the big games this weekend. Throughout the show tonight, you
mentioned the Bears and the Packers that they're playing for
the seventh time this season.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
This month, I think it's always about this fun Yeah, yeah,
this month.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Look everything Bears.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
I've been on the Bears bandwagon. From the beginning of
the season. I knew they were going to be better.
I knew Ben Johnson was what they needed. Caleb Bllliams
was going to be this good. The Bears have proven
throughout the season they can win any game, They can
win games late. They are just a better team. They
are healthier. The only fear I have, and this is
a big deal, and I can say this because Harmon's
(30:11):
not here. This is my only found I'm not lying, Steve.
My only fear is that they wind up bearing at
some point and there is a huge Newsworthy double doink
type play that blows the game for the Bears.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
There's one play.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
That we're going to talk about a week next week, Yes,
all week. We'll talk about it next week that, Oh
my god, can you believe the Bears? Can you believe
that pass by Jordan Love hit the skycam deflected to
the receiver for a seventy five yard touchdown and replay
couldn't see it, and so they allowed it to stand
even though it hit the camera. Like that's how the
(30:47):
Bears are. I could see that being the way the
Bears lose. They have a completely Bear play that happens
that costs them and you shrug your shoulders and go,
what else do you expect? But outside of that, give
me the Bears in this one, right, I mean, what
being a Bears fan is, being doue is just around
the corner. But that's the only thing I have. They're
the better football team, They're better everywhere. This should be
a Bear victory going on in the next round of
(31:07):
the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
Packers have really slumped in the last month as well.
The thing that surprises me we'll talk more about Packers Bears,
which is a Saturday night wildcard game, is the Bears
have a losing record in division games this year. They
just have the magical comebacks in the final two minutes
and that's why that's the only reason why they're the
two seeds. Statistically, they're really not what you would draw
(31:31):
up as a two seed, and yet that's what they
wind up being because of what's been magic during the season.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Yeah, I mean, give me the Bear.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
If the Packers were a little bit healthier, it may
I maybe would have me feel a little bit better.
But they just they're really banged up and the look
I know people are just wait, like I said, I'm
not waiting for disaster for the Bears, but outside of
a play like that happening, the Bears are just too good.
Not that they're too big to fail, but the people
don't understand just how good of a football team. This
(32:00):
is how clutch they are, how they can do. They
have the playmakers for everything, whether it's whether it's DJ
Moore with a big game or Loveland who seems to
be breaking out.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
Two running back starter on any other team. Pretty much yeah,
those you.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Get the turnovers, opportunistic defense, a little like like that.
They're that they are that good.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
I know. Ah, but it's the Bears.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Yeah, yeah, Outside of that, Bears are winning this game.
Moving on in the playoffs, exit out about a fresca
Jason Smith.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Steve Desager in from Mike Harmon tonight.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Well, I'd like to say it's getting closer in the
Peach Bowl, except it's not. Steve de Segur will tell
us why and the rest of the night in sports
with what's trending Steve.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
O Fernando Mendoza with another touchdown pass, this time a
three yarder. After that block pump we talked about. Forty
nine fifteen, Indiana is leading Oregon still ten minutes to
go in this college football playoff semi final. Mendoza is
seventeen of twenty one hundred and seventy seven yards and
five touchdown passes. Indiana only about three and a half
(32:58):
yards per carry on the ground. On Oregon rushing including
the sacks, only three point eight yards per carry. Dante
Moore one touchdown pass, one interception that was the pick
six he threw on the first.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
Play of the night.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
Miami had won its splendid semifinal Thursday in Arizona, eliminating
ole Miss, and this year's college football final is in
Miami on Monday the nineteenth. The NCAA denied a sixty
year of eligibility to ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. The
school will appeal. Michigan running back Justice Haynes will enter
the transfer portal. The Washington Commanders promoted David Bloud to
(33:35):
offensive coordinator, replacing Cliff Kingsbury to the NBA. Oklahoma City
entered tonight with a record of thirty one and seven.
Oklahoma City somehow came back to get another win tonight.
They trailed most of the evening at Memphis still beat
the Grizzlies one seventeen one sixteen Jalen Williams twenty six points,
(33:56):
ten assists, road wins for the Clippers and New Orleans,
which wanted Washington No Trey Young officially acquired today, did
not play out with a bruised quad, and mcl sprain.
According to the team, Philadelphia and Boston h with victories.
Nuggets late in the third quarter, leading at home against
Atlanta seventy four to seventy one, and it's Phoenix ahead
(34:17):
of the Necks eighty seven eighty late in the third.
In college basketball final seconds, USC at Minnesota tied sixty
three all. In the NHL, Washington Is won at Chicago
five to one, Winnipeg beat LA five to one, and
brooks Keepka applied for reinstatement to the PGA Tour.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
Back to you, Thank you, Steve O, Jason Smith, Seve
de Seger in for Mike Harmon tonight again forty nine
to fifteen, Indiana with the lead over Oregon.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
We'll keep you updated here.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Still nine and a half to go in the fourth
quarter of this game, but we'll get ready for Indiana
and Miami in the National Championship coming up next. We'll
continue our Big Football Friday preview of the big games
this weekend.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
What game has blowout written all over? That's next right here?
This is Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith Show is Steve de
Say you're in for Mike Harmon. Don't forget check out
our brand new YouTube channel. Go to YouTube dot com
slash at Jason Smith Show. That's YouTube dot com slash
at Jason Smith Show. Or if you're already within YouTube,
just search Jason Smith Show.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Check out our videos. They go up regularly.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Let us know what you think, comment away, subscribe, get
our best stuff all the time. Mike and I love
putting this stuff out for you every single night. Again
on YouTube, just search Jason Smith Show. Indiana is in
search of the end zone one more time. Six and
a half to go in the fourth quarter of a game.
We're just counting down till the final gun. Indiana driving.
(35:53):
They lead it over Oregon forty nine to fifteen. Feranander
Mendoza is still in the game. Though he is simply
just handed off a couple of big running plays for
Indiana again on the cuff of what could be another
score for them and an inevitable date with Miami for
the National Championship.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Still, there's no reason to have him in there. Am
I going out on a limb? I'm saying this for
crying out allowed. It's six minutes left in a semi five.
Speaker 5 (36:18):
That killing him?
Speaker 3 (36:20):
Yeah, no, that's true. That's why. Kurt Signetti, Kurt Signette,
you never know, you never know. You got am out there.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
So yeah, another guy named Mendoza that you could just
pull off the bench and put in there.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Yeah, Mario Mendoza, you can put him in there. He
won't hit very well, but just got to hand the
ball off, that's all you have to do.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
The guy's brother was already Alberto, was already at Indiana
when Fernando transferred in.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
So we'll have more on this game and the big
takeaways coming up in about ten minutes. But two more
big NFL playoff games to preview, and look, I'd love
to be the guy to tell you that, Hey, I
think the Carolina Panthers can upset the let No, not
happening The Rams should win this game by twenty points.
If they don't, it's an embarrassment. I know Carolina beat
(37:05):
him once. Blah blah blah blah blah. Rams didn't end
the season on as big of an upswing as you
would expect, but this is a team that is playoff tested.
They're waiting for this moment. They didn't get home field,
which was their goal. They played great early on in
the season. They had a chance to snag home field.
They didn't do it. But it doesn't matter. This is
a game where the best team in the NFC playing
(37:26):
against a team that's lucky to get in. Hey, this
is where the Rams need to do this and win
this game early and win by twenty. The fun ride
ends for Carolina. No matter how you want to look
at this, it's been an incredibly successful year for Carolina.
I love the fact they've been able to make it work.
They made it work with Bryce Young. There's a lot
of excitement there. Teed McMillan, Rookie of the Year favorite
great stuff. They get absolutely blitzed by the Rams and
(37:50):
the best defense on display this weekend is going to
get it done and you watch them win this game.
If it's not the Rams by twenty Steve, I'll be shocked.
Speaker 4 (37:57):
I could see like a twenty seven to ten type
of and frankly, I was shocked that it was even close.
When they played at Carolina during the season, that was
an embarrassing loss to me. I don't care that Carolina
eventually won its division. This is not a winning team.
The Rams have had some shockingly bad losses on the road.
I mean blowing the game at Seattle and then blowing
(38:19):
the game at Philadelphia early in the season. And this game.
I don't think Matthew Stafford can play that badly as
he did at Carolina in this playoff opener coming up
on Saturday. And I'm not sure that Bryce Young can
play that well against the Rams defense as he did
before come this game on Saturday afternoon. The Rams are
the best scoring team in the NFL. They average thirty
(38:43):
points a game, and I know people are used to
seeing scores in the thirties because we all watch college
football as well, Averaging thirty points a game just doesn't
happen in the NFL. The Rams are the best at
scoring this year. They also averaged close to four hundred
total yards a game. That is the best. I'd be
shocked if the Rams don't win. It should be by
(39:05):
a couple tds.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
And give me a double Los Angeles victory. This weekend,
I'll take the Chargers to the Patriots. Look, defense travels
in the playoffs. The weather's not gonna be so so
bad in New England at least right now. I mean,
who knows, maybe they face bring in snow. Look, they're
gonna cause major problems for the Patriots. Chargers play their
(39:28):
best game of the year. New England front runs great.
Right when they get out against bad teams and score
first and they can run the game, They're terrific at it.
They're terrific front runners. But what's gonna happen when they
get punched in the mouth by this Charger defense, which
is one of the top five defense in the NFL,
and they have to go back and forth.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
It is different.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
First playoff game after an easy schedule. Give me the
Chargers defense to fluster Drake May. It's a hard fought win,
but the Chargers play great all around, and it's two
wins for both Los Angeles teams this weekend in the NFL,
Go Chargers Go.
Speaker 5 (40:00):
It is a night game. Sunday night.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
I just don't trust the offensive line that the Chargers
have to throw out there. So, by the way, being
a night game, it'll be in the thirties, not forty degrees.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
Yeah, but that's fine.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
But it's not going to be zero degrees and snow
and freezing rain like like the weather's going to cooperate
as much as it can for the Chargers.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
Now, Drake may has had a great season, and I
don't want to say anything bad about the Patriots season
or his season. People constantly bring up the easier schedule.
I would tack on the Patriots earned that schedule. They
were atrocious the previous two years. They earned the schedule
that they played this year. Congratulations for going fourteen and
(40:36):
three on it. I would not be shocked to see
the Pats win at home because of even though without
a great pass rush, because of the offensive line the
Chargers have.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
Oh you non.
Speaker 1 (40:45):
Believer, you Chargers non But Jim Harbor's gonna come here
the line, sho you up.
Speaker 3 (40:50):
He's going to get Justin.
Speaker 4 (40:51):
Justin Herbert has been hit more than any other quarterback
in the NFL this year.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
More Big Football Preview and more from the College football
semi next right here on Fox
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two am Eastern seven to eleven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Foxsports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every night on the
iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Greetings, Welcome inside, Happy Friday.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Unless you live in Oregon.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
The Jason Show is Steve Desager in from Mike Harmon
tonight and Steve, is it true? Do we have a
final from the Peach Bowl? Do we have a final?
Sw I mean I thought we will be a final?
Do we have a final?
Speaker 4 (00:47):
And then I look at the scoreboard and we're still
mid third quarter. It's ten o'clock Eastern time. We're just
getting to the middle of the third quarter.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Uh, it's a long night, Torase, It's gonna be a
long and bumpy night night. We have seven minutes left
to go on the third quarter. Indiana thanks to four
touchdown passes for Fernando Mendoza, who is thirteen out of
fourteen tonight for one hundred and fifty yards. Indiana's on
top of Oregon forty two fifteen. They would be on
(01:18):
the doorstep of another score. However, a seventy one yard
run just got called back for a holding penalty. So
Indiana has the ball deep in their own territory, and hey.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
At least we got some positivity for Oregon.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
They get a touchdown, they go for two, and now
it's you know, now they've made it a twelve score
game where it was a thirteen score game, so you know,
you know they're they're cutting into this little by.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Little Well, three turnovers for Oregon tonight, and they threw
a pick six on the very first play from scrimmage tonight.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Yeah, not great, Bob.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
You're going up against the number one team who's got
Have you seen Indiana play a great defense? And then
we saw the sacks coming all the way up till
halftime for the IU defense.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
Not good?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
And then you mentioned Mendoza, not just the touchdown passes,
the third down conversions eight of nine for India.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Yeah, I mean, look, the best thing is this will
give us plenty of time to break down the playoff
games this weekend in the NFL, right because of the
way the ball. We're not going to be spending the
entire show on like last night's classic game and the
pass interferrets at the end. In the back and forth,
this is Yeah, this has been over since maybe maybe
since the first play of the game, maybe since that
pick six.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You can look back and say that was it.
Speaker 5 (02:28):
Well, it got rolling late first half.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
I mean, I guess it was only twenty one to
seven until then.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
That seems like a close game at that point.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yeah, So look, let's deal with Dante Moore first before
we get to Fernanda Mendoza. Right, So more tonight watching Oregon,
sometimes there's a moment and whether it's a whether it's
a quarterback really talented gets too hyped up, or or
something happens emotionally, they the team just isn't ready and
(02:58):
he's not ready to meet the moment. And Dante Moore
has made a lot of mistakes tonight. Look, you can
go back and forth. Look, he collides the running back
and the ball winds up coming out, but he throws
the pick six early. He is taking sacks in the
pocket where he has to get rid of the football.
He is having a really bad game and it just
seems like it seems like Indiana has been one step
(03:19):
ahead of Oregon the entire way. You know, like this
technically is a semi final game, but this is like
the semifinal game of a youth tournament where oh wow,
the number one seed is there and this team that
won a couple of games again it oh wow, they're
just getting boat raced here like that. That's what's gone on.
There's not been one moment tonight where I thought, hey,
Oregon is here to meet the moment, whether it's Dante Moore,
(03:39):
whether it's the rest of the team. The mistakes everything
Indiana wants to do, they're executing defensively on third downs.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
This is just you know, this is Indiana.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
The only fear I have for them is they're not
gonna play a more perfect game than this. They're taking advantage,
they're forcing mistakes. They might get a bounce against Miami,
but we'll worry about that later on because this is
this is just an absolute bludgeting by Indiana against AM.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
I thought that it wasn't possible to play a more
perfect game than the Rose Bowl where they just laid
waste to Alabama on New Year's Day, and yet they're
playing so well tonight. I mentioned still it's third quarter
and they have forty two points against a top five team.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
And keep in mind these are conference opponents.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Oregon had them at home on the schedule in October
and Indiana played a very impressive fourth quarter and won
that game.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I feel awful that I picked Oregon to win this. Guy,
I feel awful. I feel like I felt like.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Flaud.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
I can't believe. I can't I look at this game.
How did I pick Oregon? How did I do this?
I can't believe awful about.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Maybe somebody on the show had Indiana in their pool in.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
The final line, might have so what what do you
have in the what'd you have? Inn R Fox Sports
Radio pool Indiana and Ohio State?
Speaker 5 (04:50):
Yeah, it's correct.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
In Ohio State, I maintained, still has a great defense.
It was the pick six that cost them in their
playoff loss.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Yep, it was a difficult thing.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
And then that it's going to be a thirteen to
ten final all over again when those two men.
Speaker 5 (05:04):
Yeah, and now like any Texans.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Chargers game, it's got fifteen twelve over all over it.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Now, I think the biggest sobering thing that people have
to think about right now for a second. Is that, Okay,
the Indiana Hoosiers are going to win the national championship
in football? You got to say that, yeah, in foot,
the Indiana Hoosiers are going to win the national championship
in football, not basketball, not another sport. They're good and
(05:32):
I'm sure they're good in other things too. Now that
they're gonna win. They had absolutely zero zero football tradition,
zero until this beginning of last season.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Zero football tradition there going back to hey.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Over one hundred winners when Antoine randall El was the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
He was fun.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
He made it to the NFL and Thompson finished in
the top three for Heisman troll. Not back in the eighties.
All right, Yeah, in four seconds, I got you back
to the mid eighties with football.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
And their previous Rose Bawl appearance was the nineteen sixties.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
This is it.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
They had zero football tradition, football accomplishment until two years ago,
and now here they are They're gonna win the national championship.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
I don't know that I can wrap my head around that.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I mean, there's there's stories of teams coming out of nowhere,
and Cinderella stories and and and and top to bottom
Indiana winning the national championship in football. I I really,
I don't know. There's certain things that still sound weird
to me. And and Indiana being this after having again zero,
It's not like they built towards It's not like, well,
(06:35):
there's been a long buil. Kurtzignette has been there since
twenty ten. Like you know, if Kirk Farenz at Iowa
eventually built Ohio into a national bill, the guy's been
there for twenty years, a great offensive coach. Eventually you're
gonna hit it big zero. They had nothing until two
years ago. I know something here there. They're gonna they
have the Heisman Trophy winner, They're gonna win the national championship,
and Indiana football's on the on top of the world.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
I can't get over that.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
I can't agree more.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
This is kind of like, well, actually it's greater than
when you say out loud that the Marlins have won
the World Series twice, because what did they do after
those World Series sell off?
Speaker 5 (07:10):
Did nothing?
Speaker 4 (07:10):
They were back to being the Marlins again for long stretches,
or even the Giants with Bruce Bochi they won the
World Series three times? What did they do in between
those series. It's not like they had a Troy Aikman
Dallas Cowboys dynasty where they were threatening for Super Bowl
every year. It wasn't that type of thing in college
football history. Indiana had the most total losses of any
(07:33):
program until they hired this coach. It wasn't until just
a few weeks ago that the Indiana program had ever
been ranked number one for one week ever in the
history of the AP pole. This is unprecedented. What's going on?
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I really just think about that. I mean, think about
that Indian Like for all the schools and all the
teams that say, oh, it takes so long to rebuild,
takes so long to do it, now they did more years.
They did it in two years. You know, this is
going to be an episode of Pablo Tory finds out. Okay,
how did Indiana do this?
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Wet? How did they go from it?
Speaker 5 (08:08):
Don't see?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
What did they do? What did they do? What did
they do?
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Alabama used to be able to have the four best
running backs all on the same roster and just plow
through them year after year and guys waiting their turn.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
And it's not that way anymore.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
The transfer thing exists it's a real thing now that
didn't exist before. And the NIL support is a real
thing now. They picked up a quarterback from cal who
had started multiple years and was a solid addition and
got better during his Heisman season. It's just been sensational
the coaching job that's been done by Signetti.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Now, I do want to say, because there is somebody
I feel really sorry for. Okay, there is. I mean
we got to present both sides. You think I'm gonna
say Dan Lanning. No, No, there is somebody I feel
really sorry.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
I know it's Howard University that was already on their
schedule years in advance for next September.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Hey, what if you know?
Speaker 1 (08:59):
I think, guys, I think I think our players are
sick the games in nine months. Yeah, there are. They're
till they feel the colds are coming on, so we move.
Might as well cancel that game. Now, let let's just
cancel again. You think I'm gonna say Trinidad Chamblis who Hey,
a day after a painful loss, said yeah, you can't
come back and play college football anymore. No, the guy
I feel bad for is your Heisman Trophy winner and
(09:21):
number one overall pick in the draft for Nanda Mendoza
because he's not coming back. If there's no no, no, no, no, no,
it's not about Indiana, because if we learned anything tonight
outside of how good Indiana is really and how dominant
they are, it's that Mendoza is the number one pick
in the draft. Dante Moore, if he comes out, is
the number two pick. Maybe he's the number two pick.
Maybe tonight, you know, turns the Jets off. I mean,
(09:44):
although you say, I've seen a lot of throws, he
made very Jets like already, a lot of decisions. Yeah, Varied,
you'll fit right in with the Jets already in Green,
Like I can kind of squint and look at the
TV and go, yeah, I could see that Dante more fumbling,
and I.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
Saw some of these games.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I could see that. I could squint see look at
the Green and the Jets Jersey.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Sure, uh so clearly that that's how it's going to go,
right if there was any debate, Now that's how it's
gonna go. But just think about this for a second.
Here's Fernando Mendoza coming from a program and an experience
that is full of sunshine, lollipops and rainbows and nothing
but success and happiness and a magic carpet ride, and
(10:25):
everywhere he goes he is universally loved.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
You have a.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Moment in time where I mean, it's like Beauty and
the Beast, when when when Belle is singing her song
in Red Little Town, she sees everybody and she's so
excited and she's dancing around and singing, Oh.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Morning, Belle morning.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
So oh it's it's like a Disney movie for and
we're not gonna be better than this has to show
up in the form of Mark Davis and the Raiders,
because he's now gonna go from this Indiana football program,
which is the modern day level of excellent an execution
and success and everything good about college football, and he's
(11:04):
gonna go to that train wreck that's the Raiders, and
he's gonna go, hey man, this is not what this
is not what I'm used to. I mean, I know
I was a cow and you know we didn't do
a lot of wing a cow, but okay, but yeah,
I mean, really, I'm I'm taking a step down going
from Indiana to the Raiders. I'm I'm leveling down now
to go to the Raiders. And suddenly it's gonna be
(11:25):
fans are gonna be mad, and I'm gonna and it's
gonna be crazy. We're not gonna run the team the
right way, and Brady's gonna yell at me and yell
h hut and give me pizza. This is I don't know, man,
I don't know that. I don't know that I want this.
I'm gonna this is a step down for me.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
You're right in one respect.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
The people that are running the Indiana football program have
things figured out, and from the top down, nobody at
the Raiders has things figured out. And if you've seen
the offensive line of the Raiders, actually seeing a Raiders
game this year, it's embarrassing to call them in NFL
franchise because you know, I know other teams have had
(12:04):
injuries and porous offensive lines, because these are the actual
guys that they wanted to be their offensive lineman and
the assistant that they actually chose to be their offensive line.
It's it's a disaster, and it's it's the fifth go
round of this ever since, I mean it, the top down,
ever since Mark Davis has had his hands in the
(12:25):
cookie jar. And sorry, Dad's not around, and this is
actually your team and you've got to produce, to say
the least they have not produced.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Yeah, I can't get over.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
I mean, he's you talk about a culture shock, he's
going to be in for It's gonna.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Be what what the hell?
Speaker 4 (12:39):
Man?
Speaker 1 (12:40):
What the hell is going on around here?
Speaker 3 (12:42):
This is?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
And the thing is you look at Fernanda Mendoza and
you know, as goofy as he is and a fun
guy as he is, and you go, man, is that
really gonna fly with the Raiders? Like is that is
that the demeanor that that's gonna fly? Like you're gonna
suck all the joy out of him? There, there's gonna be.
I can already see the screen grabs for next season.
Like here's for Nanda Mendoza, Indie coming off the field
with a big smile. Here he is Vegas and a
big scowl on his face, like they're they're gonna they're
(13:05):
gonna just knock the fun right out of him, man,
Like I don't know, like certain certain quarterbacks, certain attitudes
working in certain places, right like Baker Mayfield coming into
the NFL said yeah, we're gonna go. I'm gonna go
take over this league and Cleveland come on, get on
my back.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
We're gonna do it. Yeah, I get that.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
But here's you know, happy, go lucky and goofy, Fernando Mendoza,
who's so much fun. He's going to a team that's
an absolute tire fire. I don't know. That's that's a
bad combo, man. Not that the Jets is any bargain either,
but I mean, but that's that's a that's a really
bad come Now.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
With Caleb Williams stepped in as number one pick and
was running for his life and just flat running with
the old regime in Chicago and was sacked almost seventy
times in an NFL season, it makes you look up. Okay,
the record for being sacked one guy the most times
in an NFL season, it's seventy six. And the caveat
(13:56):
is David Carr was on a literal expansion team. It
was a roster of cast offs when the Houston Texans
began in two thousand and two. I think that this
has the makings of a quarterback getting sacked sixty seventy
times for a full season if and when he goes
to the Raiders, which is too bad, because they have
(14:16):
the running back, they have the tight end, They might
even have the quarterback if they draft him. But if
you can't protect the quarterback, I mean, look what the
offensive line has been with the Chargers. I know Harbaugh
has gotten them into the postseason. I'm not expecting a
run because they can't block anybody. I mean, this quarterback,
talented as he is, has been sacked over fifty times
this year.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
He's already been sacked eight times with the Raiders. I
don't know if you know that or not. They've already
put that out there, Mendoz of the Raiders eight sacks.
He hasn't even played a full game.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I thought you were gonna say a Charger game hasn't
even started Sunday night.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
He's already been said. He's already been said.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
So this is where we sit right now.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Indiana has been putting on a clinic, but Oregon has
not quit. They are driving with the ball right now.
They just forced Indiana into a punt situation, so they
have it just past midfield forty two point fifteen. Look
they get in the end zone. Suddenly it's a three
score game going to the fourth quarter. Yeah, I'm trying,
I'm trying, right.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
They need to do what the Seahawks did in that
huge comeback against the Rams. You remember on the Thursday
night game is they normally needed three incredible touchdowns. They
had to have three two point conversions on top of it.
It had to go eight sixteen twenty four. If you
know what I mean, this is they've already got the
one right the last touchdown. They tacked down a two
point conversion. It's that that they need against you know,
(15:33):
I repeat, a great defense.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
Ain't gonna happen. Two minutes left third quarter.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Jason Smith Steve Desager in for Mike Harmon.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
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Com is the way tire buying should be. Well, we'll
continue to follow this game again, maybe seven eight touchdowns
of Fernanda Mendoza forty two fifteen Indiana with the lead
(16:02):
late in the third quarter, but the first big football
weekend of the playoffs in the NFL. We start previewing
all the big games coming up next. Happy Football Friday,
keep it here. Jason Smith, Steve de Sager. This is
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 6 (16:24):
Hey, it's Rob Parker and Calvin Washington from The Odd
Couple on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 7 (16:29):
And in addition to hearing us live weeknights from seven
to ten pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we are
excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show.
Speaker 6 (16:39):
That's right, you can now watch The Odd Couple live
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Speaker 7 (16:45):
All you gotta do search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube.
Again YouTube, just search Odd Couple FSR. Check us out
on YouTube and subscribe.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Fox Sports Radio The Jason Smith Show. A special delivery Steve.
Speaker 5 (16:58):
De Saga Fke Harn with that song interpret.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Just so that song it's an allegory for what's happening
right now. The bodies are Oregon, all right, so you know,
so that's kind of what the song is happening right
now into.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
The fourth quarter. By the way, it's still forty two fifteen.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
For number one Indiana.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
We have a big update on this game.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
But first we have the Play of the Day coming
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Speaker 3 (17:24):
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Tirac dot Com is the way tire buying should be.
And well with a plethora would you say that it
is a plethora, a plethora of plays to choose from
for the play of the day, Well, how about the
(17:46):
very first play of tonight's National Championship semifinal where Indiana
really said, Hey, Dante more good luck with the Jets.
Speaker 6 (17:53):
Ready to take the scaff drops back, throws the football,
touch them, unbelievable. The Angel pods the first rub of
the ball again, and this crowd is going absolutely bad.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
Jason, Honestly, after the pause, I thought he was gonna
play the but.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
I thought he was looking for it.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
I thought a bush play here, and then man changes
gets hint the bulls loose in its salon. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
plays with teams in green for five hundred please Alex, Hey,
congratulations out. Michael's coming back for another year at Amazon
that was announced earlier today. It's gonna get to see
him complaining about Thursday night football fronother year.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Uh, he can still.
Speaker 5 (18:42):
Keep up the country club membership.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
It is still a forty two fifteen lead for Indiana.
Now early in the fourth quarter, Indiana's just punted the
ball back to Oregon.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Look, this is why you sometimes you look at games
and you see teams that are just you know, out
of it mentally and trying to figure things out. Oregon
just had the football deep in Indiana territory. Obviously they
need scores because there are eleven scores down, and they
go for it on fourth and one, which you have
to write, and you get a score. Suddenly you're headed
(19:13):
to the fourth quarter. It's a three score game. Now, look,
it's not ideal, but how you started the game. Okay,
you have that. Uh, Oregon goes for it on fourth
and one and Harris has stopped for a one yard
loss turnover on downs. Indiana Uh kills the clock for
a little bit. But again, they just punted back to Oregon.
This is why on fourth and one you don't pitch
(19:34):
the ball back to a running back five yards behind
the line of scrimmage, Like I don't understand plays like that.
When you need a yard, you're either gonna throw. You're
either gonna give the football to you're running back as
close as you can to the line of scrimmage, you're
gonna you're gonna uh touh push it, or you're gonna
throw it right. And they decide, you know, we're not
gonna put the ball in their best player's hands. We're
gonna hand it off. But not only that, we're gonna
(19:56):
pitch it back five yards. Everybody's up on the line.
Indiana's defense is up on the line. When you give
the guy the ball five yards behind the line of scrimmage,
what do you think is gonna happen? I mean, really,
if this was hey, it's a it's a third and seven,
they're not expecting something. No, But you got guys up
on the line. This is fourth and one. They're crowding.
What do you think is gonna happen when you pitch
(20:17):
the ball to your running back five yards behind the
line of scrimmage. I look at that and I go
as Oregon even mentally in this game, like I think,
because I don't understand a call like that. When you
give the guy the ball in that kind of situation.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Dan, it's also akin to all the shotgun quarterbacks for
fourth and one, and then he takes it himself but
has to run five yards forward to reach the line
of scrimmage, and by then kind of the element of
surprise is lost.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Yeah, I really I don't get it.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
And of course, you know the turnover on downs, Indiana
has the ball and look they're still throwing it down
the field. I'm surprised Indiana didn't try to at least
take a little bit of clock to get it down
here again, it is forty two to fifteen, and their
defense is playing terrific, but I'm surprised. Okay, we're going
to try to beat this game up here a little
bit and run the football a little while they're still
throwing the football downfield and trying to I mean, I
(21:05):
don't know, maybe there's some sort of nil, you know,
for Nanna Mendoza is one touchdown away from some crazy
nil bonus that he's gonna get.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
I don't know, but I.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Season like the NFL did you see that list before
the final day of the regular season, Like if so
and so gets seven more yards from scrimmage, he gets
a million dollars.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Oh I love that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Hey, why am I bench well you had a six
yard run. Why, well you're tired. Just say but I
need one more yard for a million dollars. Yeah, yeah, No,
you're good. We'll get you back in. Don't worry about it.
We'll get you back in the game.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Do worry.
Speaker 5 (21:34):
Were you playing a part of Windy Johnson on that one?
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Well, look, because you know it's funny you say that,
because what did what did the story come out today
that maybe the Wizards are just gonna sit Tray Young
for the rest of the season because they want to
preserve the draft pick that they would have to give
to the Knicks if they win too many games and
fall out and fall out of the top eight of
the lottery. So potentially they could sit him because he's
not playing now, they could sit him the rest of
(21:56):
the year and go, hey, we're not going anywhere this year.
We're gonna lose games on ping pong balls, X, Y
and Z. Don't want to give up a pick to
the Knicks, understand, So yes, so we're not gonna We're
not gonna play in the rest of the way.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
But perhaps to combat that, they did list him as
out tonight with two injuries.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, just want want you to make
sure the first one is serious. If you doubt that one,
there's another one we have for you. So we'll have
more on this game coming up again. Forty two to fifteen,
Oregon is punting, believe it or not, with thirteen minutes
to go in the fourth quarter. So yeah, Oregan's wave
the white flag. Yes, they're deep in their own territory. Yes,
it's fourth and six.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
These last two drives took two and a half minutes total.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Yeah, I mean, I mean, really, I I mean, I
understand you don't want to, but what's the difference beween
losing forty two to fifteen and forty nine to fifteen.
What if you get you get down there, you make
it forty two to twenty two. You know, you get
the on side kick, get a touchdown, get the on
side kick, get a touchdown, get the on side kick,
get a touchdown, get the on side kick, get a touchdown,
and you win. That's all you gotta do it and
you win. I mean, really, that's all you have to douce.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
The problem is early in the game they already tried
giving Indiana the ball that they're all in twenty Oregon's
twenty to start a Hoosier's drive, and those weren't working
out well, so they are punting from there on twenty year.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Well, punting is in theory because it was just blocked
and recovered by Indiana. They have the ball inside Oregon's
ten yard line first of all, with thirteen minutes to go. Again,
the punt is blocked straight up in the air. I
really thought the guy was gonna catch it and run
for it. He looked like he had itchy hands, like,
come on, the ball, come down, I'm right here, I'm.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Gonna catch it.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
I'm gonna catch it. It comes down to alignment catches.
It gets tackled just inside the ten, and now Indiana
is on the customers.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
So bad enoughs is they not only go three and
out really quickly, then they line up to punt and
have a delay of game. And then they do actually
try and punt, and somebody coming straight up the middle
blocks it with the right hand, And you're right, he
waited for a while to that ball to float down
to his chest. And now it's first and goal from
the I believe seven yard line for Indiana already up
(23:57):
forty two to fifteen.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
And I like that kurtz Signetti is staying completely on
brand by frowning and looking really pissed on the sideline,
like you like, I understand. And he had a great
comment about this yesterday, saying, hey, I have to be
the same guy on the field with them. I can't
be someone jumping around and celebrating because what kind of
messages that scent? And I agree, I completely agree with
him on that, right, you have to be the same
(24:19):
kind of guy because we'll go through some coaches later
on in the show where I'll tell you right away
they're not the same guy. And these guys aren't head
coaches anymore or don't deserve to be head coaches.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
That's Honke Sean McVay who can do the positive thing
because he does within him have the positive thing.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
But if that's who you are the whole time, that's great, right, Like,
if you're still positive no matter what's going on. And
Sean McVay is like that, if you're still if you're
if that guy, that's great.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I mean, I dig that. Kurt Signetti is you know,
is that kind of you know?
Speaker 1 (24:48):
He even said yesterday, what sometimes I am happy, Like
he's got to be as happy as he's ever been before.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
And he's still frowning and.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Staring like it like they've made drive Like you're watching
out well, like you're watching Indiana make mistake after mistake
in there. You know it's a it's a three point
game here early in the fourth quarter instead of forty
two fifteen. We're coming off a block punt and we
have the ball first and goal at the seven. I mean,
I get, I get it. I get you want to
be on brand, to be the same guy. But man,
look he's trying to call a time out and he's mad.
(25:17):
He's frowning at the officials now, like the officials are
bagging him on this.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
I got to think that this is a performance.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
Art where we get a delay a game. Why is
the play clock moving on us?
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Yeah, I mean I'm gonna he's gonna pull Mendoza out
of the game for taking a delay a game. Like
I really feel like is this really performance art at
this point? Like I really feel like it has to
be like that. Yeah, you gotta be happy at some
point at least, you know, not be frowning and scowling.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
Now, I will say Indiana Radio, before it got to halftime,
when things were really rolling in the Hoosiers favor. Even
they in the booth said Kurtzignetti is having a hard
time not breaking a smile on the sideline because they
know what they see, game after game, exactly what you're
talking about.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
This following up a.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Dominant Rose Bowl against Alabama, a completely dominant first half
against Oregon in a rematch of what was a close
game in the regular season at Oregon. He's got to
be over the moon over these two results in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (26:14):
But no, no, not publicly.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
So we'll have more on this.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Game coming up in a few minutes to continue about
Pete Futech coming up after him. Never too early to
preview Indiana and Miami, because that's what we're going to
be doing. But look, obviously a big playoff weekend in
the NFL, and you know the first thing I want
to say, Steve, is this is that for the team.
For teams like the Bears who play tomorrow, for the Chargers,
(26:39):
for the Eagles, for the Packers, for teams who have
clinched going into Week eighteen and then come up and
lay an egg week eighteen, right.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Like we saw this past weekend.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
The Bears loss, but they backed their way in all
kinds of questions with Nick Sirianni, Hey, you know you
rested your starters.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
You know, was that the right move? You know, same
thing Harbaugh.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Did the same thing for teams that are pre clinched
and they put up a goose egg or they play
they play crappy Week eighteen. I kind of put zero
stock in the Week eighteen games results of those teams
because they've decided this is okay, we're gonna rest our
players because we feel good about going on the road.
I don't really care if we're gonna be a seven
seed or a six seed. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 7 (27:19):
You know.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Look, you could be playing a game where the opposition
is really jacked up to play this game for whatever reason,
and you wind up playing poorly. Look, the Lions were
jacked up to play that final game against the Bears
when clearly they could have quit and said, you know, look,
we're done. We're not making the playoffs. It's been a
long last three seasons. So there's a lot of things
out there, you know, And there's also not the same
(27:40):
motivation for teams that are playing for their playoff lives.
If you're playing for playoff seeding, or home field advantage
part to get right, but who knows. It's more about, Hey,
we want to make sure we're ready next week.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
This week, the week eighteen.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
If a team is playing for something, whether it's playoff
seeding or something like that, but not playing for their
playoff lives, if they played poorly, I kind of get it,
because it's really not the same thing to try the
motivation to play that week when your eye is on
something that's a week from now. So for those teams,
I'll tell you right now, like I put no stock
in the Bears or the Packers, or the Eagles or
(28:16):
the Chargers, any of those teams for this weekend.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Nothing zeroed on them.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
I think your Charger example is great because I like
the theory that coach Harball was going by A, we've
clinched a playoffs, but B we have no chance of
a home game in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
See, we need to get healthy.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
So if we're going to make a run, health is
probably the number one thing for us, not the location
of the game or the opponent in the playoff game.
So that's why they sat not just Herbert but multiple
starters in their finale and predictably did not look good
and lost. The Bears were a little different because a
win and they themselves would clinch the two seed, not
(28:56):
having to rely on a Philly loss. And yet again,
and kind of like the game against the Packers a
few weeks ago, the offense did nothing the first three quarters.
The Bears at home, were down sixteen zips start the
fourth quarter last weekend against Detroit, and then they had
a chance here a tie game. It's gonna be another
magical Bears comeback, right, And no, it was the visitors.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
That got the field goal on the final play to wins.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
So it's not quite the same thing with what you're
talking about the Bears last weekend and the Chargers last weekend.
I think if it hurts anybody, I do agree that
would be too strong a word, it would be the
Bears because they actually played people and didn't win at home.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Now to start our preview, Look, we're gonna preview all
the big games this weekend. Throughout the show tonight, you
mentioned the Bears and the Packers that they're playing for
the seventh time this season.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
This month, I think it's always about this fun Yeah, yeah,
this month.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Look everything Bears.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
I've been on the Bears bandwagon. From the beginning of
the season. I knew they were going to be better.
I knew Ben Johnson was what they needed. Caleb Bllliams
was going to be this good. The Bears have proven
throughout the season they can win any game, They can
win games late. They are just a better team. They
are healthier. The only fear I have, and this is
a big deal, and I can say this because Harmon's
(30:11):
not here. This is my only found I'm not lying, Steve.
My only fear is that they wind up bearing at
some point and there is a huge Newsworthy double doink
type play that blows the game for the Bears.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
There's one play.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
That we're going to talk about a week next week, Yes,
all week. We'll talk about it next week that, Oh
my god, can you believe the Bears? Can you believe
that pass by Jordan Love hit the skycam deflected to
the receiver for a seventy five yard touchdown and replay
couldn't see it, and so they allowed it to stand
even though it hit the camera. Like that's how the
(30:47):
Bears are. I could see that being the way the
Bears lose. They have a completely Bear play that happens
that costs them and you shrug your shoulders and go,
what else do you expect? But outside of that, give
me the Bears in this one, right, I mean, what
being a Bears fan is, being doue is just around
the corner. But that's the only thing I have. They're
the better football team, They're better everywhere. This should be
a Bear victory going on in the next round of
(31:07):
the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
Packers have really slumped in the last month as well.
The thing that surprises me we'll talk more about Packers Bears,
which is a Saturday night wildcard game, is the Bears
have a losing record in division games this year. They
just have the magical comebacks in the final two minutes
and that's why that's the only reason why they're the
two seeds. Statistically, they're really not what you would draw
(31:31):
up as a two seed, and yet that's what they
wind up being because of what's been magic during the season.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Yeah, I mean, give me the Bear.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
If the Packers were a little bit healthier, it may
I maybe would have me feel a little bit better.
But they just they're really banged up and the look
I know people are just wait, like I said, I'm
not waiting for disaster for the Bears, but outside of
a play like that happening, the Bears are just too good.
Not that they're too big to fail, but the people
don't understand just how good of a football team. This
(32:00):
is how clutch they are, how they can do. They
have the playmakers for everything, whether it's whether it's DJ
Moore with a big game or Loveland who seems to
be breaking out.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
Two running back starter on any other team. Pretty much yeah,
those you.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Get the turnovers, opportunistic defense, a little like like that.
They're that they are that good.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
I know. Ah, but it's the Bears.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Yeah, yeah, Outside of that, Bears are winning this game.
Moving on in the playoffs, exit out about a fresca
Jason Smith.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Steve Desager in from Mike Harmon tonight.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Well, I'd like to say it's getting closer in the
Peach Bowl, except it's not. Steve de Segur will tell
us why and the rest of the night in sports
with what's trending Steve.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
O Fernando Mendoza with another touchdown pass, this time a
three yarder. After that block pump we talked about. Forty
nine fifteen, Indiana is leading Oregon still ten minutes to
go in this college football playoff semi final. Mendoza is
seventeen of twenty one hundred and seventy seven yards and
five touchdown passes. Indiana only about three and a half
(32:58):
yards per carry on the ground. On Oregon rushing including
the sacks, only three point eight yards per carry. Dante
Moore one touchdown pass, one interception that was the pick
six he threw on the first.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
Play of the night.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
Miami had won its splendid semifinal Thursday in Arizona, eliminating
ole Miss, and this year's college football final is in
Miami on Monday the nineteenth. The NCAA denied a sixty
year of eligibility to ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. The
school will appeal. Michigan running back Justice Haynes will enter
the transfer portal. The Washington Commanders promoted David Bloud to
(33:35):
offensive coordinator, replacing Cliff Kingsbury to the NBA. Oklahoma City
entered tonight with a record of thirty one and seven.
Oklahoma City somehow came back to get another win tonight.
They trailed most of the evening at Memphis still beat
the Grizzlies one seventeen one sixteen Jalen Williams twenty six points,
(33:56):
ten assists, road wins for the Clippers and New Orleans,
which wanted Washington No Trey Young officially acquired today, did
not play out with a bruised quad, and mcl sprain.
According to the team, Philadelphia and Boston h with victories.
Nuggets late in the third quarter, leading at home against
Atlanta seventy four to seventy one, and it's Phoenix ahead
(34:17):
of the Necks eighty seven eighty late in the third.
In college basketball final seconds, USC at Minnesota tied sixty
three all. In the NHL, Washington Is won at Chicago
five to one, Winnipeg beat LA five to one, and
brooks Keepka applied for reinstatement to the PGA Tour.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
Back to you, Thank you, Steve O, Jason Smith, Seve
de Seger in for Mike Harmon tonight again forty nine
to fifteen, Indiana with the lead over Oregon.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
We'll keep you updated here.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Still nine and a half to go in the fourth
quarter of this game, but we'll get ready for Indiana
and Miami in the National Championship coming up next. We'll
continue our Big Football Friday preview of the big games
this weekend.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
What game has blowout written all over? That's next right here?
This is Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith Show is Steve de
Say you're in for Mike Harmon. Don't forget check out
our brand new YouTube channel. Go to YouTube dot com
slash at Jason Smith Show. That's YouTube dot com slash
at Jason Smith Show. Or if you're already within YouTube,
just search Jason Smith Show.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Check out our videos. They go up regularly.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Let us know what you think, comment away, subscribe, get
our best stuff all the time. Mike and I love
putting this stuff out for you every single night. Again
on YouTube, just search Jason Smith Show. Indiana is in
search of the end zone one more time. Six and
a half to go in the fourth quarter of a game.
We're just counting down till the final gun. Indiana driving.
(35:53):
They lead it over Oregon forty nine to fifteen. Feranander
Mendoza is still in the game. Though he is simply
just handed off a couple of big running plays for
Indiana again on the cuff of what could be another
score for them and an inevitable date with Miami for
the National Championship.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Still, there's no reason to have him in there. Am
I going out on a limb? I'm saying this for
crying out allowed. It's six minutes left in a semi five.
Speaker 5 (36:18):
That killing him?
Speaker 3 (36:20):
Yeah, no, that's true. That's why. Kurt Signetti, Kurt Signette,
you never know, you never know. You got am out there.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
So yeah, another guy named Mendoza that you could just
pull off the bench and put in there.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Yeah, Mario Mendoza, you can put him in there. He
won't hit very well, but just got to hand the
ball off, that's all you have to do.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
The guy's brother was already Alberto, was already at Indiana
when Fernando transferred in.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
So we'll have more on this game and the big
takeaways coming up in about ten minutes. But two more
big NFL playoff games to preview, and look, I'd love
to be the guy to tell you that, Hey, I
think the Carolina Panthers can upset the let No, not
happening The Rams should win this game by twenty points.
If they don't, it's an embarrassment. I know Carolina beat
(37:05):
him once. Blah blah blah blah blah. Rams didn't end
the season on as big of an upswing as you
would expect, but this is a team that is playoff tested.
They're waiting for this moment. They didn't get home field,
which was their goal. They played great early on in
the season. They had a chance to snag home field.
They didn't do it. But it doesn't matter. This is
a game where the best team in the NFC playing
(37:26):
against a team that's lucky to get in. Hey, this
is where the Rams need to do this and win
this game early and win by twenty. The fun ride
ends for Carolina. No matter how you want to look
at this, it's been an incredibly successful year for Carolina.
I love the fact they've been able to make it work.
They made it work with Bryce Young. There's a lot
of excitement there. Teed McMillan, Rookie of the Year favorite
great stuff. They get absolutely blitzed by the Rams and
(37:50):
the best defense on display this weekend is going to
get it done and you watch them win this game.
If it's not the Rams by twenty Steve, I'll be shocked.
Speaker 4 (37:57):
I could see like a twenty seven to ten type
of and frankly, I was shocked that it was even close.
When they played at Carolina during the season, that was
an embarrassing loss to me. I don't care that Carolina
eventually won its division. This is not a winning team.
The Rams have had some shockingly bad losses on the road.
I mean blowing the game at Seattle and then blowing
(38:19):
the game at Philadelphia early in the season. And this game.
I don't think Matthew Stafford can play that badly as
he did at Carolina in this playoff opener coming up
on Saturday. And I'm not sure that Bryce Young can
play that well against the Rams defense as he did
before come this game on Saturday afternoon. The Rams are
the best scoring team in the NFL. They average thirty
(38:43):
points a game, and I know people are used to
seeing scores in the thirties because we all watch college
football as well, Averaging thirty points a game just doesn't
happen in the NFL. The Rams are the best at
scoring this year. They also averaged close to four hundred
total yards a game. That is the best. I'd be
shocked if the Rams don't win. It should be by
(39:05):
a couple tds.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
And give me a double Los Angeles victory. This weekend,
I'll take the Chargers to the Patriots. Look, defense travels
in the playoffs. The weather's not gonna be so so
bad in New England at least right now. I mean,
who knows, maybe they face bring in snow. Look, they're
gonna cause major problems for the Patriots. Chargers play their
(39:28):
best game of the year. New England front runs great.
Right when they get out against bad teams and score
first and they can run the game, They're terrific at it.
They're terrific front runners. But what's gonna happen when they
get punched in the mouth by this Charger defense, which
is one of the top five defense in the NFL,
and they have to go back and forth.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
It is different.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
First playoff game after an easy schedule. Give me the
Chargers defense to fluster Drake May. It's a hard fought win,
but the Chargers play great all around, and it's two
wins for both Los Angeles teams this weekend in the NFL,
Go Chargers Go.
Speaker 5 (40:00):
It is a night game. Sunday night.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
I just don't trust the offensive line that the Chargers
have to throw out there. So, by the way, being
a night game, it'll be in the thirties, not forty degrees.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
Yeah, but that's fine.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
But it's not going to be zero degrees and snow
and freezing rain like like the weather's going to cooperate
as much as it can for the Chargers.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
Now, Drake may has had a great season, and I
don't want to say anything bad about the Patriots season
or his season. People constantly bring up the easier schedule.
I would tack on the Patriots earned that schedule. They
were atrocious the previous two years. They earned the schedule
that they played this year. Congratulations for going fourteen and
(40:36):
three on it. I would not be shocked to see
the Pats win at home because of even though without
a great pass rush, because of the offensive line the
Chargers have.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
Oh you non.
Speaker 1 (40:45):
Believer, you Chargers non But Jim Harbor's gonna come here
the line, sho you up.
Speaker 3 (40:50):
He's going to get Justin.
Speaker 4 (40:51):
Justin Herbert has been hit more than any other quarterback
in the NFL this year.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
More Big Football Preview and more from the College football
semi next right here on Fox
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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