October 13, 2025 • 42 mins
Mark and Tommy Radio talk about the STeelers win over the Browns and the firing of Penn St coach James Franklin over the weekend.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Steelers beat up on Cleveland at Acroacery yesterday on
a field that was barely playable. Could have got guys hurt,
almost did get Boswell hurt, but the result was never
in doubt. And now the Steelers play at Cincinnati Thursday.
Here's Jamar Chase, the Cincinnati receiver, talking about what the
(00:22):
Steelers want to come in and do to the Bengals
on Thursday.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
What this next game is always the most important game
is because of the divisional game also, but just the
rankings that we got going on the standards where we
are right now. We know Steelers don't try to come
in and raw dog us and kill us, but we're
gonna be ready for that challenge and we're gonna be
waiting for it.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Raw dog and kill I think that was the topic
of the movie. In the Nick Cage film eight Millimeter
rad Doc Jamar Chase said, raw Doc. Does Jamar Chase
(01:08):
know what rawd Dog means? Because I do? And while
the Steelers would love to win at Cincinnati on Thursday,
I just don't think raw dog is on the Pittsburgh agenda.
But if it is, it'll certainly be easy to spot
raw Dog. The Steelers are four and one, but they
(01:31):
were ten or three last year. The Steelers won convincingly
at home against Cleveland yesterday twenty three to nine, and
never endoubts very good defensive effort, albeit against a rookie
quarterback and a pop gun offense. The offense gained three
hundred and thirty five yards and that's against the very
good Cleveland defense, and Miles Garrett did zilch two tackles,
(01:55):
no sacks, zero tackles for loss, and maybe the Evan
Man offensive front shut him down. But people who know,
like Trey Essex, say Broderick Jones played a great game.
The Steelers have the AFC North on lockdown since Natti lost,
Baltimore lost, Cleveland lost, obviously three game lead for the
(02:19):
Steelers in the lost column, and yet I don't feel
great about it. The offense is prehistoric. Rogers is a
game manager. Rudolph could do what Rogers is doing. I know,
I know a win is a win is a win,
but it feels like last year. The difference is Rogers.
(02:41):
He's my favorite Steeler, But we liked Russ last year
for a while too, didn't we? Uh? I did love
the defense got six sacks dropped, some picks, hit hard,
lots of looks, shut down Judkins, Ramsey and Herbie got
two sacks each.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Great line by rams after He's.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Gonna tell his kid and he played in a game
with Miles guarant T J Watt and he's the guy
that got the two sacks, only one sack lifetime coming
into that.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Game to yesterday.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I love herbig and I loved the deployment of Ramsey
the Swiss Army knife. The only bad injury was Killer Brew,
the special teams guy, which might have been a result
of that bad turf. I don't know what to say
about the bad turf. It's bad you saw Boswell slip
could have got hurt. There were a bunch of diffens
all over the field, and there was no game last week.
(03:34):
Pitt wasn't at Aquisher last week.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
So you got to.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Call in the question the people taking care of the field,
and you got to call in the question one of
the Steelers spend enough to take care of the field,
because I'm thinking they don't. It's like the old days, though,
when they moved from three rivers to was dan Hinz
Field when it opened and they hired the same guys
who took care of the carpet at three Rivers to
(04:01):
take care of the grass in Hyde Field, which is
just what's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah, really
really stupid. Joey Porter Jr. Was back, and it looked good.
When that Steeler's secondary has all its components. When it
is healthy, it can offer lots of looks and options.
If you want one great thing from yesterday, it's that
(04:25):
the defense is living up to its price tag.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Finally.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
And while pitt one at Florida State, that's legit win,
Penn State lost to Northwestern. That's two losses in two
weeks to underdogs by twenty points or more. First time
that's happened ever in NGAA football. And James Franklin got
fired as Penn State coach, which I would not have done.
We'll talk about that a bit later at length. But
(04:52):
he said one bad year, one bad year out of twelve.
Joe Paterno at one point had four losing seasons in
five years. Franklin doug that program out him and his
predecessor Bill O'Brien from the Sandusky scandal. We don't talk
about that no more. Why because he rebuilt Penn State football.
So I think he got a raw deal, not raw dog,
(05:15):
but a raw deal. I don't know what he does
in his personal life. Penguin's got killed by the New
York Rangers and Selby's return, so we got a lot
to talk about. Let's bring on now, Tommy Radio. Tom
how impressed are you by that Steeler win?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (05:28):
Mildly impressed. I'm glad that they turn it on in
the second half at least, because that first half was
abysmal for the Steelers. And you know, you said that
Rudolph can do what Rogers is doing, and you're right.
In the first half he could do everything that Rogers
did in the first half. But Rogers gives you those
moments and he has throughout this entire season, which was
right there the past to Connor Hayward too, was really impressive. Yeah,
(05:51):
moving across his body like that and directing traffic, especially
throwing to the mascot. You see the mascots score a touchdown.
Tom So, I'm.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Glad I had to see that.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
The offense kind of got its head out of its
rear end in the second half of the game, put
up points, made it more respectable. I was thinking going
into halftime. They're gonna win this game just with Boswell.
They're just gonna kick, you know, another two or three
field goals and call it today.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
I will say the Steelers said zero chance to lose,
and you need the occasional game like that. The defense
was incredible. Ramsey was great, the Swiss Army knife. Herbie
with two sacks. He got to play more and more
than Highsmith. No doubt he has to play more than
high Smith.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
They played a similar snapcount all three of the dreshers,
So I like that.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Now.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
See I don't like that either. TJ.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Wats making forty whatever million from that, he needs to
be out there more.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
From that angle, I I feel you when it comes
to high Smith and her base, the.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Snapcons are distributed based on him playing good, not what
the team needs. You will see him come off the field.
We've talked about this frequently. Tom Yes, off the field
in the fourth quarter in a game that's undecided.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
Has Herbie kind of been a better pass rusher than
what all year too? He's their best pass rusher periods.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Right this second?
Speaker 4 (06:57):
He is.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
I mean high Smith, you know he's a nice player,
but her Big has just I think lapped him at
this point, he needs to play more.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Two guys, we got to talk about Broderick Jones. I mean,
Trey Essex was effusive about how he played on Twitter
and Jones, I mean the proofs in the pudding. I mean,
it's tough to tell with them seven linemen, but Garrett
got nothing done and Jones had to be at least
a part of that.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
Yeah, and I saw Spencer Anderson was only on the
field for like nineteen of the like fifty something snaps
the offense had. So that's the same as last week.
Was not there forever though, you know what I mean,
Darnell was. Darnell was out there for pretty much the
entire time end, Yeah, period, no doubt. So, yeah, they
did go jumbo package, but it wasn't like they lived
off of it. You can't live off of it completely,
even though they tried to. Broderick Jones had to step up,
(07:40):
and he really did. H Not only you point out
Trey was effusive with praise, but I've seen clips that
people have put up there that he's just he barries
Garrett on some reps, just swallows them up whole looks
like an elite left tackle would.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Yeah, but we like Trey and plus with Northwestern beat
Penn State, so I can't Oh that's right, can't wait,
can't wait to talk to Trey. Another guy, Derek Carmon's
making a real difference in the middle of that line.
He's occupying guys. He's given other dudes room to move,
room to make plays. Jodkins in Cleveland's running game never
got a remote foothold.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 5 (08:10):
I keep going back and forth, like why did they
throw fifty times with Gabriel? Was it just because they
couldn't get anything going on the ground.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
I don't know. I think it was because they trailed
to Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
I think it was a little overkilly though to do
it that many times with Dylan Gabriel. But there's no
question that we've seen now two examples of Derek Harmon
playing and the run defense being dramatically better than it was,
you know, started to turn the corner against the Patriots
and then against Minnesota and the Browns.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
It's been really good.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
H no touchdowns in the first half, three field goals
by Boss the offense couldn't finish. Luckily, they rectified that.
What did you make in the field?
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Boss? Slipping and Rogers complaining.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
I have no idea how the field can be that bad,
and I'm a fan of grass fields, so I don't
want to, you know, go to a turf because they
can't get the grass rights. I think it should be
a mandate for all NFL stadium to be grass and
pour money into the grass so that it actually is,
you know, up to a standard for all the stadiums.
(09:07):
That wasn't a standard that you know, whipil teams would
have trouble on that one.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Why give Rodger his credit because he actually, you know,
he said what he had to say, but he held
his tongue mostly. But I bet he was a little
more expressive behind the scenes to the people who can
fix it.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
He mentioned this guy they had in green Bay. Remember
he said he had trouble with green Bay early in
his career. Then they hired some guy and it was immaculate.
You think he's given like a number to let's bring
him in. Yeah, we did, We did prit Lazard him,
but let's bring this guy. Bring the guy right now.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
We talked before.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Darnel Washington's number one tight end mouth got one catch.
Connor Hayward caught a touchdown. Mouth got one catch. What's
going on with him? And how long before? I don't
think he'll one out out loud, but I'll be shocked
if he's here next year.
Speaker 5 (09:48):
The way this is going, I guess he'd want out,
but he got paid, so what can he really complain about?
And as each week passes Mark, that contract just looks
worse and worse that the Steelers just handed that out
for really no reason. As far as impact is concerned.
He's their number four tight end this year. That's indisputable.
I mean, Darnell's number one, then you got John Who
and then Connor Hayward. The mascot has passed him because
(10:09):
he caught a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
You know, you know what part of the problem is
for Mooth. Seriously, they know he's not the squeaky wheel,
so they don't feel the need to throw.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Him a boat.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
It's a good soldier. Yeah, yeah, I think there's part
of that. But what's the freaking point of having him,
even if he is going to be asswhere if.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
You run a team properly, you say, with him and Heismith? Okay,
you know, do we really need these guys or are
they good but replaceable? Keith phrase they're good but replaceable.
And both those guys obviously.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Were and are.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
Yeah, I think they're good trade chips in the offseason,
no doubt. And I think they should be aggressive of
trying to move those guys in the offseason. They should
also be aggressive right now and trying to upgrade the
wide receiver.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
They're just not gonna. Isn't that unbelievable to you though?
But they're just not gonna.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
And I gotta be honest, the way that offense is,
I almost don't see the point for it.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
They wouldn't use it. Like we're gonna talk later.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Tom George Pickets had another big game for Dallas, and
people say, oh, we should have Cake. No, we shouldn't
have because you don't win with guys like that, And
he would not be, you know, getting his cookies here.
He just wouldn't be. He'd be insanely pissed off if
he was still here. You're right, they're not gonna do it,
but I'm right they should. It's the thing to do
right now. You should strike with the lead that you
(11:16):
have in the AFC North. You're probably right they would
waste it, but you got to go and make an
aggressive move.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
You have to.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
I'm a thousand percent with you, but I just know
it's not gonna do it, not gonna happen. Now. DK
had four catches for ninety five yards. That's a solid day,
But it was kind of late developing, wasn't it. Yes,
it very much was. And again four catches that's really
low a nine target. Like the targets being at nine,
I think it was averaging only like five and a
half targets going into the game.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
That needs to be way up.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
As we just talked about, there's literally no one else
in the passing game that you can throw to, so
throw it to him a ton. So I like seeing
nine targets, but coming away with only four of them
is pretty poor. Didn't crack one hundred yards. It was
a B minus performance i'd say from DK metcalf.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
But he's been B minus performance based on what he
is enabled. True, I mean you can't ask him to
catch balls that aren't thrown them, although, like you said,
nine targets, I think some of those were thrown up there.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
We're kind of trafficky and get rid of the valley.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
Yeah, I think you're right about that, but still I
want to see you know that nice eight catch, one
hundred and twenty yard performance.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
You're just not going to not in this offense. And uh,
one guy I gotta give credit to. And it pains
me Tom to say this. Steelers used all three backs
a decent amount. Even Catleble got six carries and Jalen
Want was the best back in the rail with a
lot of power he was.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
They hit one hundred yards as a team, still only
three point six yards per carry though, Mark. They're just
not good at getting at decent yards per carry yet.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
But at least they're committed to it and that you
know eventually should and did yesterday.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
The second half open up other stuff and I'm not
a fan of this, the throw short to kind of
simulate a run game, because it's not the same. You're
not as physical, you don't impose your will. But Rogers
is masterful at it. Just you know, we need four
yards here just to quick dump off.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
But but to be clear, like I I'm glad they
won and I was impressed by the defense. I think
that offense has no chance of winning a big game
against a good team, no chance of winning a playoff
game no matter who they play, and no chance of
coming back from more than one score down against any game.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
We are not gonna find out about who this team
truly is until after the Cincinnati game in that three
game stretch afterward.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Well, at Seattle, it's the only game where they trilled
by more than one score ever, and they lost, And.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
I would argue that's probably the best team they've played
so far by a decent amount. As it turns out. Yes,
although I don't know England.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I don't think we were sure Sam Donald was gonna
he's come on strong.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Sam Donald. Yeah, yeah, he looks really good.
Speaker 5 (13:28):
I did not expect him to go to Seattle and
be He's not as good as he was in Minnesota,
but he's pretty damn good. But Mark, once they get
past the Bengals and and they should be five and
one that Packers, Colts Chargers stretch, if you are who
everybody is saying they are right now, you'll go too
and one against those teams. And I bet they go
one and one and two against that stretch.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
The important thing is Baker Mayfield big win, big game.
He's gonna cash my MVP ticket and I'll celebrate by
going raw Dog ninety X.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
We're adding another show, Yeah, I'm.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Not sure what bands like for Pitt winning or Penn
State losing, but on Saturday they got both. It's the
daily double. And then Franklin got fired at Penn State.
I guess we should see it coming, but.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
I disagree. I would not have fired him.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Penn State Austin Northwestern once again beat by a big underdog,
once again, Aler sucked at quarterback, and now he's out
for the year. Not a great legacy for him at
Penn State. Not a great legacy for James Franklin at
Penn State. I get firing Franklin. I disagree with the
(15:00):
but I get it. We're only six games in, they're
three and three, and their playoff hopes are dead and
they still going to play Ohio State in Indiana. But
dude won thirteen games last year and got him to
the College Football Playoff semi final. You think the next
coach is going to do that anytime soon? You really
think you're gonna get signetty from Indiana?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
You ain't.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
He'd rather stay there. He should stay there. That's a
program on the way up. Why would he leave Indiana
and come to that mess at Creepy Valley. Pitt wonted
Florida State. That's an impressive ACC win. The freshman quarterback
played well. Heinzel the bomber will ever Eve may bind
you that a. The overaction to Holstein last year proved
(15:42):
to be just that overreaction, and b Pitt did lose
to West Virginia not that long ago. You don't get
to get rid of that loss. You can't undo it.
Pitt's lost to West Virginia and Penn State's losses to
UCLA and now Northwestern, they're just programs. Scarring In got
(16:05):
to coach at Penn State fired, but Trey went to Northwestern.
I bet he's pumped Trey Essex. The question now is
would Pitt beat Penn State if they played right now?
I'm still pick Penn State Big Ten versus ACC. Penn
State has more better players, but the safe prediction would
be a really bad game in the Enna beat Oregon,
(16:27):
Indiana could have win it All college football ish fun
this year, kind of all over the place, but fun.
And UCLA won again beat Michigan State. Take that pursuda.
Joining me down to talk college football because it is
not so It's Tommy Radio. Tom Are you surprised? James
Franklin got fired. Now, I would not have done it.
(16:49):
What would you have done?
Speaker 5 (16:50):
I'm not as surprised because he lost to Northwestern and
it just seemed like the team quit.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
So you might want to pull the plug. Now, maybe
surprise is a bad word. It's just I wouldn't have
done it. I wouldn't have done it.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
I wouldn't have done it in midstream. I wouldn't have
done it at the end of the year either. It's
just so hard for me to think of somebody that
would come in and be, you know, right away, Oh
he's an upgrade.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Well, Terry Smith is gonna you know, handle it on
an interim basis. The guy from Gateway, he's a career
assistant at Penn State. I heard a couple people say, well,
he should get consideration for the job. I can tell
you he will not get one iota of consideration for.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
The job, and he should not.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
And that's something you got to be a little careful
with right now if you're Penn State, Like, what if
the team responds right, Like, what if they upset Indiana,
Let's say that, I don't think they'll have any chance
to do a.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
High That's the problem with the interim guy. Right, because
I'll give you an extreme example of that. They brought
in Dan Bosman. He won the Stanley Cup, he won
a good coach, and they kept a rod forever.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
And there's a recent example of it working in college
football with Notre Dame when they fired Brian Kelly. Marcus
Freeman became the interim coach. But he really should be
the guy. I think Notre Dame's in a really good place.
You don't want to fall in love with him. You
need a bigger name at Penn State. Signette's got to
be the one that they all think they're getting.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Right, Well, it's the guy they want. I just don't
think they will. Would you leave Indiana to go to
Penn State? I mean money, not being gratuitously different.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
That's the thing.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
From all accounts, Indiana is making a commitment to kind
of shift a little bit towards being a football school
after being such a basketball power for so long.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
And long last they figured out where the money is. Well,
they have a top ten innile commitment, So like, why
would you leave that? I don't think he's gonna leave there.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
And again, if Penn State were like kind of parallel
to Indiana in terms of how they are right now, maybe,
but they're not so I don't think so. Pitt got
a big win at Florida State. If played Penn State
this week, Tom, who would win, I'll say Pitt. I
have to say Pitt as a pit fan. It's closer
than I ever thought it would be entering week six
of this season. I really thought Penn State was going
(18:40):
to be national championship good this year. Well, right now,
this second, I would pick Pitt because of the disarraye
Penn State. But I think Penn State will kindly level
out and the normal pecking worder will be resumed, actually
right soon.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
I just don't think now there is a little bit
of an opportunity here for the Pitts. The West Virginia's
the Virginia Tech right because Franklin dominated Western Pennsylvania the
DMV area.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Oh, the recruiting. He's a great recruiter, better recruiter than
a coach. And I think that the guys decommitting like
that running back at Mckeesports had something to do with this.
I heard Adidas, the sponsor, had something to do with this.
So again I wouldn't have done it, but I'm not surprised.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
But He snapped up all those kids, all the prominent kids.
Speaker 5 (19:21):
So there's a little bit of an opening there, But
if Penn State makes the right higher, they fill that
opening right away with Penn State.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Again, you know where Penn State screwed up once it
became obvious. Alert was just awful this year. They should
have maybe tried this grunk kid they're putting it now.
And I give him Mardoozy, who I have little respect for,
but I give him credit because he spotted that Holstein
wasn't the guy and went to this freshman.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah he did. But I wonder if they're despite the nil.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
I wonder if there was some internal pressure there on Nardoozy,
you know new ad right who didn't.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
I would think otherwise given that Holstein was getting one million.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Nil, there's just no way.
Speaker 5 (19:57):
And Zeis said it on the show last week, like
Heichel didn't just wake up before the Boston College game
and was like, I'm gonna be really good at football
all of a sudden, and like people were talking like
training camp for sure. So the money definitely fueled that decision.
So I wonder if there was a little bit of
internal pressure. But still Nardoozy had to be the one
to pull the trigger, and he did. I think the
optics of the quarterback that backed up Drew Auler last
year bo Prabula going to Missouri this year and being
(20:20):
really good for them. They were undefeated heading into that
Alabama game last week, only lost by three to two Alabama,
who I think is the best team in the SEC.
So those optics are pretty bad too. It kind of
looks like you chose the wrong quarterback.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Okay, here's the dilemma for you Pit fans, Tom, What
big ten or SEC school is going to swoop in
and take Hinchel with a big fat nil check? And
might I add we all thought that would happen with Holstein,
but it didn't. And that makes me indicate that nobody
really thought he was that good, even though the pit
faithful did.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
That's why I don't get why.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Because he got a million with Pitt That's yeah, that's
Butt White money for a top caliber Division one quarterback.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
That's why I don't get why my fan base is,
you know, moonwalking as hard as they are with Heinschel's performance,
do your dipsticks, thank you.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
But it's a great win. Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 5 (21:04):
You should be excited. He has a lot of potential.
But if this was ten years ago, Mark, I'd be
doing backflips because I got two more years of this
kid locked up. They're going to develop him, maybe build
around him a little bit with some recruiting. But in
this new era, you just have to look at schools
like big ten sec power swooping in and taking this
talented eighteen year old. And even if Pitt does keep him,
(21:27):
you know, in this new world, Mark, like with pro athletes,
sometimes when they get big money contracts, they kind of
level off a little bit.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (21:34):
That I think can be extra the case for an
eighteen year old who gets handed a million dollars.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Yeah. Do you know why I call him the Bomber?
Don't say ow loud I do.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
It's a great name. It's a great name. People need
to figure it out. But it's a it's a great nickname.
Plus he can throw, and plus you know it's not
enough credit. Reid Reed's been balling, He's been tremendous for pitting.
He's kind of got lost in the Heinschel shuffle.
Speaker 5 (21:55):
Well, he was hurt all year and that was the
reason why they beat Florida State was because Reid was healthy.
Hinda was great in that game, but Heinchell was great
because he was going to read a lot. The play
that was most impressive. I don't know if you saw
it where Heinschell like dummied the pass rusher that came
free and then threw like a jump ball to right
back of the end zone. I mean, that's the one
where you look at and if you're someone recruiting from
a big time school, you're going into the DMS after
(22:15):
the game after you saw that throw.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Will Penn State win at Iowa? Will Penn State ever
win again?
Speaker 5 (22:21):
Way at Iowa was a really tricky spot. I don't
think they will win at Iowa. I'm wondering. I'm trying
to pull it up right now. Who the favorite in
that game is. I have to imagine Iowa would be
a slight favorite.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Well, did you ever did you ever hear the story
about Like I said earlier, Paterno had four losing seasons
in five, I was three and a half point favorite,
and he.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
And Joe should have retired long before again, and it
should have been made to But did you ever hear
the story in the middle of those bad seasons, the
ad and the university president went into him and said, Joe,
we need you to move on, saying, in very nice terms,
we're firing you. And he just said no, and they're like, oh, well, okay,
and they left and he kept coaching.
Speaker 5 (23:00):
I mean, if you're Joe Paterno, if you're a coach
of that magnitude at that time, like, why wouldn't you
try to play that card, right, I mean, at least
make them force you out of the building, get the
security guard.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Well, I'm convinced, and we talked about this, and like
I changed my two years later.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
I would not have fired Joe. I would have been.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Faithful to the vision of my program and Penn State
football is opposed to trying to please outside influences. I
think all that would have straightened itself out in the end.
But I would not have fired him. And that goes
totally against what I said at the time. But that's
how I feel now. I'm allowed to change my mind.
BA No, he didn't know. He didn't know, But that's
not the point. I mean, you could have waited until
(23:39):
seasons and then if he doesn't willingly get out, then
he has to just get fired.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
There's a greater percent chance that Penn State did the
wrong thing here right in five years time, like they're
just never going to be to the heights that Franklin
had them.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Oh no, no, they actually and this is ironic, they
caught a little bit of pitch disease.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
They're overestimating their seal. O five ninety X one.
Speaker 6 (24:02):
O five nine d X has your shot at X
drag cash.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Oh yeah, here we.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Go guards thirteen times a day, nine am through nine pm.
The X will give you the keyword at the top
of every hour. Enter it at wxdx dot com and
you could win one thousand dollars in nonconsecutive unmarked bills.
I don't know aways hear that in detective shows. Listen
all day for your chance. It's some extra cash.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Unless you've got something better to do.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
On one oh five nine d X, time now for
your Monday bet MGM Baseball Buzzz. Tonight in Milwaukee Game
one of the NLS.
Speaker 6 (24:39):
It's the Mark Meddon Free Game Show on one oh
five nine d.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
X pregame show brought to us by Cenrovic, Cenrovich and Fisherman,
the personal injury Experts. They got your bat nut, your wallet,
Tom Uh, if your pit, your pit gut, would you
fire Pat Mardowsey to hire James Franklin.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
I'm not kidding. James Franklin's a better coach end game,
I don't know. They're close to being just as much
of a dunce as the other one.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
They make some real record game decisions.
Speaker 5 (25:10):
That's the time breaker right there, and you would kind
of just what copy and paste that recruiting hotbed over
to Pitt somewhat that he already really established a strong
pipeline at Penn State.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Not as big of a jerk off, I mean a
jerk op and not as big.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
It's real close in that race too. Though Nardozzy might
be a slightly better game coach than James Franklin, slightly better,
they're both terrible at it.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Much bigger jerkoff.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
But if what what if you were like, like, who
needs a coach Virginia Tech?
Speaker 5 (25:37):
So that's what I was gonna say, Like, James Franklin,
I think is going to make out in this. He
obviously gets the huge buyout, some crazy amount. I've heard
as much as fifty six to as low as forty nine.
Either way, Franklin's great great grandkids.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
What's my buyot. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
You should look into that. I gotta talk to my attorney,
Manning J. O'Connor. I need to know what my bioff
figure is.
Speaker 5 (25:59):
But like his families for generations, the Franklin family is
set now. But if I was a Virginia Tech who
fired their coach earlier this year, I would be sprinting
to hire him. I would be trying to get in
touch with him right now if I could and work
something out, if I could make it happen, if it
was legal, I'd have him coach on my sidelines this week.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
If I was Virginia Tech like that.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
School is not a storied program, but it's better than
what they've been lately, and they could get back to
being towards the top of a week acc quickly with Franklin.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
No, no question. Hey, a couple quarterback situations I want
to talk about. Justin Fields was awful for the Jets.
He's been awful. They're winless. He was nine for seventeen
for forty five yards, and people are like blasting me
on Twitter.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
You still wish he was here?
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (26:41):
I do, because I think he'd be doing better here.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
I think he'd offer a window into the future potentially here.
I think that New York is just a death sentence.
I think the DNA there just nobody could succeed there.
I think he would be doing better here. I mean
he was doing better here. He went four and two here.
But I do not want him. I mean, I think
he's just an awful quarterback. He can't throw the ball. Well,
do I want him a place of Rogers?
Speaker 3 (27:04):
No?
Speaker 1 (27:05):
No, do I want him if they don't get Rogers,
if they have Rudolph.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Actually, that's a tough one. I like, might pick Rudolf.
I might pick Rudolf. That's true. I taught myself way
out of this one.
Speaker 5 (27:17):
But you're right about him from the aspect of he'd
be much better here. It's just the fact that he
needs to be in like almost a perfect situation. Not
to say the Steelers are. There's much better offenses than
the Steelers, but it's a really stable franchise. The Jets,
combined with him is just disaster waiting to happen because
he needs all the help he can get and they
just aren't giving it to him.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Well, the Steelers are haphazard. The Jets are just a disaster.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
There's just a curse over that franchise. No matter what,
they get the quarterback wrong. And then you look around
and Darnold's lightning up. The quarterbacks that leave the Jets,
Aaron Rodgers four and one, they have success elsewhere. Gino
Smith is shot now, but he had a nice little
career renaissance with Seattle for a few years. Like they
all succeed elsewhere.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Quarterbacks leave the Jets and do better or maybe not great,
maybe not for very long, but they do better. How
about two in Miami who like really ratted out his
teammates said at the post K, we got guys late
for meetings, skipping meetings. And I'm sure that's true, and
I'm sure it's the problem. But you don't rattle on
the guys. You don't ride on the guys.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
And also that's a reflection of your poor leadership if
guys don't respect you enough to show up to the meeting.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
He meant it to be a reflection on fire the coach.
I think you're right, Daniel, but I gotta tell you
i'd keep the coach before I kept too. I think Tua,
besides being beat up with all the concussions I.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Just think he isn't very good. I get rid of
both of them.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
I think Mike McDaniel's probably not a head coach, probably
more student to be an offensive coordinator.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
I just clean house. I'd start fresh. If I was Miami.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
The Titans just fired their head coach that just moved
a couple of minutes ago. It's such a tree falling
in a forest type of move. No one even cares.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
You know what's a fun thing. From the tomin press
conference today, Tom Win ripped Cleveland's GM yeah for trading
Joe Flacco from Cleveland to Cincinnati within the division.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
But A, the GM didn't do that, the owner did
that exactly.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
And b if if Flacco was here, of course Tom
would want him.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
He wants veterans.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
He just isn't gonna like Toma would not be playing
Dylan Gabriel under any circumstances unless he was left with
no choice by, for example, trading Joe Flacco, although Gabriel
was in before Flacca got traded.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
Yeah, Andrew Berry's the name of the Browns GM. He
obviously had no choice there. Haslim called him and said,
you have to move Flacco because I want your door
to be one play away and Mark, did you see
Gabriel's head bounce off the grass in the second half,
I was like, oh boy, here we go. Great camera
work by CBS two, bang right to Shador on the sideline.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
When that happened, I.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Felt like this sawn Elliot kept getting Gabriel high to
try to get Shador in there.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
Maybe. Do you think Jimmy is that he and high Aliane.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Stealers had a lot of high hits yesterday and I
got no problem but that you know, there was the
one unnecessary rough thiss on Elliott and a lot of
like kind of high hits, and that's okay.
Speaker 5 (29:53):
I wouldn't put it past Jimmy Haslm, the Brown's owner,
from going to that you know ref that sits in
the booth to buzz down for concussion protocol. Give them
like a twenty and be like, hey, just call down
and say we need to look at Gabriel in the
tent for a little bit. What do you think it
woul take more than a twenty? Probably in your haslam.
But you know how billionaires think they're cheap, Well.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
I know the one that owns the Steelers is hence
the field with all the divots great tradition. Today, Tom,
they're listening even as we speak to the game seven.
Oh no, it's over. By no, it's it's probably in
the sixth or seventh inning by now. They're listening to
Game seven, the broadcast of the nineteen sixty World Series
(30:31):
on tape at the base of the wall in.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
Forbest Field, which is still there in Oakland. The Masarowski
home run.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
I think that's a great tradition, and they have a
timed up exactly so the ball goes over the wall
on the broadcast at the exact same time, you know
now as then fifty five years later. And it's especially
nice because we'll never have a moment like that again.
When we think Quato dropping the ball is somehow even
remotely equivalent to that, it shows how pathetic we've come
(31:00):
as a sports titled, especially as a baseball time.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
Have you ever done that? Have you ever gone and
sat there and listen? That strikes me as one of
the things that I agree with you. It's an awesome tradition,
but one that I would never partake. I would never
go sit there and listen to that game. I've watched
the game, though I have like a DVD of it
that I've seen the entire game.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
It's unbelievable. It's the biggest upset World Series history, no
doubt it is.
Speaker 5 (31:19):
I mean, they the whole series was crazy, right, Like
then the Yankees win one game like twenty to one,
and She's.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Won like ten nothing, twelve nothing, sixteen to three, and
the Pirates won a bunch of one one games. It
was almost as if Tom was managing them. They just
went for the for the close games sound strategy. Then
it worked. At least they got a ring Tom, Yeah ring.
Mickey Mantle cried, did.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
He really have to listen to the Pips?
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Cried, He couldn't believe it happened. That's a line in
a Bronx tail. Uh. The kid, the kid's a little
kid before he grows up and becomes kind of a gangster.
He didn't mention Mazeroski, but he says to his dad.
He made Mickey Mantle cry, I hate him.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
He has five World Series rings on his finger while
he's crying at that point.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
Yeah, but but to me, come on, but that was
like I said that, I wasn't alive then, barely not.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
But that was a grotesque mismatch. Even back then. It
was embarrassing to lose to the Pirates, is what you're saying.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
No, it was a good team, but the Yankees, like
I mean nineteen sixty one. A year later, they swept
the Rams in the World Series. That's arguably one of
the best baseball teams ever. Yeah, they won back to
back World Series after the Pirates beat them. The Pirates stopped.
Oh no, they didn't win in nineteen fifty nine. Excuse me,
they missed the playoffs that year. I was gonna say
they stopped the four peat, but they did not. Yeah,
he's what a lot back then, not so much now,
which is funny. Five ninety X.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
It's The Woody Show weekend mornings at six. Yeah on
one oh five nine the X from the one oh
five nine the ex Weather Center.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
This report is sponsored by Dukes Mayo Dukes.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
It's doublem on the X correction room. Before I mentioned
it was fifty five years since Mazarowski's home run to
win the nineteen sixty World Series. Obviously it's sixty five years.
Time really flies when you never win at all. The
pregame show brought to us play our good friends at
(33:06):
Shendarova Schendrovic and Fishmen. They only charged twenty five percent,
others charged forty toal.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
What do we got today from the trifecta?
Speaker 5 (33:14):
I got a few yeah butts. When it comes to
the Steelers' performance, well, I like it. I got one
on defense and I got two on the offensive side
of the ball. On the defensive side of the ball.
For number three, you played a dominating game. It was
your most complete game of the season, for sure, but
you came away with zero turnovers. And I think that,
along with the sacks, is really the identity and Brendan
(33:36):
butter of this team.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
And I know those can be.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
A little fluky and they had some drops, but I
think this defense should come away with at least one
almost every game, and then you can bound that with
a rookie quarterback through at fifty two times.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
No, I agree with that.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
I will say those six sacs as a lot, and
they did. I counted three out and out nailed on
turn interceptions, they dropped, and maybe even a couple more
borderline and the.
Speaker 5 (33:59):
Swat that where he just kind of swallowed the ball
with both of his hands, that was incredibly done that
I thought he might pick it off. I thought he
might too. Number two. The Steelers' offense scored two touchdowns.
They had twenty three points. I guess what I would
say is a good Browns defense. But the only thing
that offense really has going for them is Rogers the DK. Like,
(34:19):
if we're trying to find an identity right now, that's
it is the occasional Rogers to DK big play. And
maybe I shouldn't say occasional because they have a touchdown
connection in four of their five games. But that's all
they have going for them, and you need some more consistent,
viable options to start availing themselves or else you're going nowhere.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Well, I totally agree, but what options might those be?
Speaker 5 (34:39):
Tom, They don't have any in house, and as you
and I established earlier in the show, they will not
go out and get one.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
So this is what it'll be.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
And again I don't mean to dismiss when you say, cavalierly,
they absolutely should go get number two wide out.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
They're just not going well.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
When the division is staring you in the face like
this and saying you've basically got it wrapped up by
week six, there's just no excuse to not try to
take your team.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Over the top did right, But Wilson ca, that's your bess.
He did you think that was like an accident? They
got the numbers mixed up when they called the player thought.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
It was gonna be Scotty Miller thought it was thirteen
instead of ten. Yeah, it was weird, Like he looked shocked.
So was I all right?
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Then?
Speaker 5 (35:12):
My last entrant here, Steelers' offense had one hundred yards rushing,
but it was only three point six yards per carry.
As a team, your average on the season is only
three point four yards per carry on the season. That's
what they want their identity to be, is the team
that can just run the ball and lean on that.
You can't do that when you average three point four
yards of carry. Well, they don't have an offensive identity yet,
do you agree, other than Rogers the DK I do,
(35:34):
and that's only an occasional identity. One big play.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Yeah, yeah, you can hang your hand on it, your
hat on it, like like you said, once a game. Maybe,
but I still again, I get back to this offense
can't catch up on a good team.
Speaker 5 (35:48):
Maybe not on anybody. We're gonna find out. And when
Green Bay comes to town after Cincinnati, you know, people
are doing the victory laps right now. And I get it,
you're excited, but it was Cleveland. Wait until the big
boys show up to the playground. And I think they're
better suited to play closer games against the big boys
than when they just got flatten at the end of
last year. But until they beat Green Bay go to
(36:09):
and one in that stretch, why can't we just cool
it a little bit?
Speaker 1 (36:12):
Why can't we just wait and see not our style
on how Pittsburgh is. Hey, if they lose d cincion,
they won't, but if they did then before and two
save as last year.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Feeling a little skeptical about that. No, they're gonna kill Cincinnati,
They're gonna run on them. I don't know that's true.
Speaker 5 (36:27):
I just feel let me tell you this, I feel
less secure than winning this game than I do the
Cleveland one. I think there's more of a chance since
he could beat them in this game short week. They're
the home team that usually favors the team that stays
at home, team that has to travels at a disadvantage.
Flacco started to turn it on a little bit in
the second half against the Packers, too, started to connect
with those receivers yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
I don't think they can score up well. I don't
know what Jamar and Higg and Joys have a chance.
I just don't think they can score off points on
that defense.
Speaker 5 (36:56):
If the pass, if the pass rush is what it
was against Cleveland, Cincinnati, Flakko won't make it through the game.
Although the Steelers just don't hurt quarterbacks, you've established that,
ever have they never do well? I mean me joe,
this iteration of the Steelers never do Let.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
Me Joe like punch hm In and knuts Neil. You
can do that when you get off on the pile,
put the whole weight down on them. I bet DeShawn
would give a chance to Shawn Elliott. Yep. I love
the Shawn Elliott. What a fan favorite he's become.
Speaker 5 (37:22):
And it's very clear that the defense we talked about
Harmon earlier in the show, mark the defense improving the
run in the run aspect when he came back, they
get a lot better in that area and then just
tackling in general.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
When Harmon's back there, he hasn't.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
Question, no question, he has been a huge addition. I
want to get back to Franklin getting fired for one second,
because this is something Penn State fans won't want to hear.
I know Penn State fans. Would you say the majority
of fans are happy that Franklin got fired?
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Penn State fans, I'd say like ninety five percent of
them are.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
Okay, that's because they're knee jerkin yep, fast food, and
they want revenge for their season having been screwed up.
Speaker 5 (37:56):
And I think about sixty five percent of them really
believe Signette's coming and he's going to save their program.
But I think they think that, well, here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
Well, they may like that fire, you know what it did.
It made Penn State just another college football program, a
program that fires the coach, a program that reacts to
one bad season, a program that's always about now and
forgets what had happened or what will happen. Just another
college football team.
Speaker 5 (38:21):
The stuff you're hearing about the Adidas part of it too,
You know, that's just the current landscape. I think in
the changing landscape where.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
Well seat tam Adidas f off, you could always get
another guy, another company to do that.
Speaker 5 (38:31):
You think Nike would be knocking on the door. Yeah, sure,
I agree with you there, but I'm just saying like.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
I would say, Okay, what are you going to do
if we don't fire him because we have a contract
at FU.
Speaker 5 (38:43):
But the outside forces just influence it so much more
than ever before. And to what you were saying, where
you could maybe stand your ground as a university and
be like, we're not going to fire him after one
bad year. We're going to have some consistency here. We're
going to allow him to bounce back. The big money.
It's bigger than ever, and it's louder than ever as
far as the influence that they want. Like he's the
(39:04):
second biggest buyout in college football history. Jimbo Fisher, Texas
AM a couple of years ago, is like seventy six
million dollars.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
I need a buyout, and everybody was saying I got
to get a buyout.
Speaker 5 (39:13):
He'll just never get by, he'll never get fired. Seventy
six million dollars. Then an oil baron just swoops in.
It's like I'll cover most of it. If I got
like a even like a two million dollar buyout. Okay,
I would not only quit, you would never see me again.
No offense, none taken, trust me. But my point being
is just like I agree with you. You should tell
a Didas to go screw. Don't get into our business
(39:36):
in this way. Just make the uniforms for all our sports, please,
and we'll put your logo out there and we'll be.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Better, because, like I said, there's a contract that can't
get out of the contract.
Speaker 5 (39:43):
But that's the way it is. The big money, the
people who have the most money involved.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
If Adidas did bully Penn State and the firing Franklin,
that's because Penn State wanted to do it anyway.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
And they just needed a reason, or maybe like that
didn't want Franklin fire. Yeah, you're right about that.
Speaker 5 (40:03):
They want but maybe adidast applied the pressure to do
it mid season because I think it is just a
terrible mistake to do it right now, although losing the
team was dead in the water.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Some people want Terry Smith, the interim head coach, the
career assistant from Gateway High School. I covered Terry when
he played high school football, even when he coached a
little bit of Gateway, and he's a good guy and
a great assistant coach.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
You just can't give him the raids to that.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
Tom Bradley, Yes, because Tom Bradley, when he was under
Joe had specifically trained to take over for years and
was a big part of the decision making to that point.
You can't and Tom stepped in, you know, till the
spit really hit the spam, and they brought in Bill O'Brien, who,
by the way, is just such an underrated hero of
Penn State football.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
Franklin too in the same reguard.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
You wouldn't go back to Bill, would you. He's at
Boston College right now and they're terrible. So, like, I
don't know if you would make that call and see
if Bill O'Brien wants to come back to State College.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
I don't.
Speaker 5 (40:57):
They're too big of a program to go that route,
to go the Johnny Major's pit rich Rod West Virginia route.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
I might.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
That's a guy who understands pet State. He understands pet
State better than almost anybody who's ever coached it, because
those two years he dug out was miraculous.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
See.
Speaker 5 (41:14):
I think if they don't get Signetty, which they want,
their backup plans going to be Matt Rule, the guy
at Rutgers or not Rutgers. I'm sorry the game and
he went to Penn State. He's coaching Nebraska right now,
they're okay, they're five and one.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
I don't believe in them.
Speaker 5 (41:26):
Though he coached the Panthers for a little bit in
the NFL, was terrible. His claim to fame was coaching
Baylor to the College Football Playoff once upon a time.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
Yeah, I'm convinced that the rich alumni were pissed, the
NIL people, Adidas was pissed, the fans were pissed.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
Really everybody was pissed.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
I mean, from that standpoint, I wouldn't fire somebody based
on getting, you know, a scalp.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
But that's what they did, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (41:49):
And again, I think that there's ninety five percent of
the fan base that is on board for this, and
there's a lot of optimism around it. I'm curious to
see how that how much that lasts. Once A the
hires made, and it's probably an underwhelming hire because again,
I just don't know who they're going to go out,
who's the big swing that they're going to take, And
then b when they realize we might just be an
(42:09):
eight and four, nine and three team now instead of
the team that always went ten and two, eleven and
one and was almost always going to be in the
college football playoff.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
Tom, I just got a text from a friend of
mine who would know. He said, it wasn't ninety five
percent of the Penn State fans that wanted Franklin fired.
It was one hundred and forty one and two thirds percent.
What O five ninety X.
Speaker 3 (42:29):
Now it's your chance to win.
Speaker 4 (42:30):
One thousand dollars just entered this nationwide keyword on our website.
Dollar
The Steelers beat up on Cleveland at Acroacery yesterday on
a field that was barely playable. Could have got guys hurt,
almost did get Boswell hurt, but the result was never
in doubt. And now the Steelers play at Cincinnati Thursday.
Here's Jamar Chase, the Cincinnati receiver, talking about what the
(00:22):
Steelers want to come in and do to the Bengals
on Thursday.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
What this next game is always the most important game
is because of the divisional game also, but just the
rankings that we got going on the standards where we
are right now. We know Steelers don't try to come
in and raw dog us and kill us, but we're
gonna be ready for that challenge and we're gonna be
waiting for it.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Raw dog and kill I think that was the topic
of the movie. In the Nick Cage film eight Millimeter
rad Doc Jamar Chase said, raw Doc. Does Jamar Chase
(01:08):
know what rawd Dog means? Because I do? And while
the Steelers would love to win at Cincinnati on Thursday,
I just don't think raw dog is on the Pittsburgh agenda.
But if it is, it'll certainly be easy to spot
raw Dog. The Steelers are four and one, but they
(01:31):
were ten or three last year. The Steelers won convincingly
at home against Cleveland yesterday twenty three to nine, and
never endoubts very good defensive effort, albeit against a rookie
quarterback and a pop gun offense. The offense gained three
hundred and thirty five yards and that's against the very
good Cleveland defense, and Miles Garrett did zilch two tackles,
(01:55):
no sacks, zero tackles for loss, and maybe the Evan
Man offensive front shut him down. But people who know,
like Trey Essex, say Broderick Jones played a great game.
The Steelers have the AFC North on lockdown since Natti lost,
Baltimore lost, Cleveland lost, obviously three game lead for the
(02:19):
Steelers in the lost column, and yet I don't feel
great about it. The offense is prehistoric. Rogers is a
game manager. Rudolph could do what Rogers is doing. I know,
I know a win is a win is a win,
but it feels like last year. The difference is Rogers.
(02:41):
He's my favorite Steeler, But we liked Russ last year
for a while too, didn't we? Uh? I did love
the defense got six sacks dropped, some picks, hit hard,
lots of looks, shut down Judkins, Ramsey and Herbie got
two sacks each.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Great line by rams after He's.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Gonna tell his kid and he played in a game
with Miles guarant T J Watt and he's the guy
that got the two sacks, only one sack lifetime coming
into that.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Game to yesterday.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I love herbig and I loved the deployment of Ramsey
the Swiss Army knife. The only bad injury was Killer Brew,
the special teams guy, which might have been a result
of that bad turf. I don't know what to say
about the bad turf. It's bad you saw Boswell slip
could have got hurt. There were a bunch of diffens
all over the field, and there was no game last week.
(03:34):
Pitt wasn't at Aquisher last week.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
So you got to.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Call in the question the people taking care of the field,
and you got to call in the question one of
the Steelers spend enough to take care of the field,
because I'm thinking they don't. It's like the old days, though,
when they moved from three rivers to was dan Hinz
Field when it opened and they hired the same guys
who took care of the carpet at three Rivers to
(04:01):
take care of the grass in Hyde Field, which is
just what's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah, really
really stupid. Joey Porter Jr. Was back, and it looked good.
When that Steeler's secondary has all its components. When it
is healthy, it can offer lots of looks and options.
If you want one great thing from yesterday, it's that
(04:25):
the defense is living up to its price tag.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Finally.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
And while pitt one at Florida State, that's legit win,
Penn State lost to Northwestern. That's two losses in two
weeks to underdogs by twenty points or more. First time
that's happened ever in NGAA football. And James Franklin got
fired as Penn State coach, which I would not have done.
We'll talk about that a bit later at length. But
(04:52):
he said one bad year, one bad year out of twelve.
Joe Paterno at one point had four losing seasons in
five years. Franklin doug that program out him and his
predecessor Bill O'Brien from the Sandusky scandal. We don't talk
about that no more. Why because he rebuilt Penn State football.
So I think he got a raw deal, not raw dog,
(05:15):
but a raw deal. I don't know what he does
in his personal life. Penguin's got killed by the New
York Rangers and Selby's return, so we got a lot
to talk about. Let's bring on now, Tommy Radio. Tom
how impressed are you by that Steeler win?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (05:28):
Mildly impressed. I'm glad that they turn it on in
the second half at least, because that first half was
abysmal for the Steelers. And you know, you said that
Rudolph can do what Rogers is doing, and you're right.
In the first half he could do everything that Rogers
did in the first half. But Rogers gives you those
moments and he has throughout this entire season, which was
right there the past to Connor Hayward too, was really impressive. Yeah,
(05:51):
moving across his body like that and directing traffic, especially
throwing to the mascot. You see the mascots score a touchdown.
Tom So, I'm.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Glad I had to see that.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
The offense kind of got its head out of its
rear end in the second half of the game, put
up points, made it more respectable. I was thinking going
into halftime. They're gonna win this game just with Boswell.
They're just gonna kick, you know, another two or three
field goals and call it today.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
I will say the Steelers said zero chance to lose,
and you need the occasional game like that. The defense
was incredible. Ramsey was great, the Swiss Army knife. Herbie
with two sacks. He got to play more and more
than Highsmith. No doubt he has to play more than
high Smith.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
They played a similar snapcount all three of the dreshers,
So I like that.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Now.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
See I don't like that either. TJ.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Wats making forty whatever million from that, he needs to
be out there more.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
From that angle, I I feel you when it comes
to high Smith and her base, the.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Snapcons are distributed based on him playing good, not what
the team needs. You will see him come off the field.
We've talked about this frequently. Tom Yes, off the field
in the fourth quarter in a game that's undecided.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
Has Herbie kind of been a better pass rusher than
what all year too? He's their best pass rusher periods.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Right this second?
Speaker 4 (06:57):
He is.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
I mean high Smith, you know he's a nice player,
but her Big has just I think lapped him at
this point, he needs to play more.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Two guys, we got to talk about Broderick Jones. I mean,
Trey Essex was effusive about how he played on Twitter
and Jones, I mean the proofs in the pudding. I mean,
it's tough to tell with them seven linemen, but Garrett
got nothing done and Jones had to be at least
a part of that.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
Yeah, and I saw Spencer Anderson was only on the
field for like nineteen of the like fifty something snaps
the offense had. So that's the same as last week.
Was not there forever though, you know what I mean,
Darnell was. Darnell was out there for pretty much the
entire time end, Yeah, period, no doubt. So, yeah, they
did go jumbo package, but it wasn't like they lived
off of it. You can't live off of it completely,
even though they tried to. Broderick Jones had to step up,
(07:40):
and he really did. H Not only you point out
Trey was effusive with praise, but I've seen clips that
people have put up there that he's just he barries
Garrett on some reps, just swallows them up whole looks
like an elite left tackle would.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Yeah, but we like Trey and plus with Northwestern beat
Penn State, so I can't Oh that's right, can't wait,
can't wait to talk to Trey. Another guy, Derek Carmon's
making a real difference in the middle of that line.
He's occupying guys. He's given other dudes room to move,
room to make plays. Jodkins in Cleveland's running game never
got a remote foothold.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 5 (08:10):
I keep going back and forth, like why did they
throw fifty times with Gabriel? Was it just because they
couldn't get anything going on the ground.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
I don't know. I think it was because they trailed
to Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
I think it was a little overkilly though to do
it that many times with Dylan Gabriel. But there's no
question that we've seen now two examples of Derek Harmon
playing and the run defense being dramatically better than it was,
you know, started to turn the corner against the Patriots
and then against Minnesota and the Browns.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
It's been really good.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
H no touchdowns in the first half, three field goals
by Boss the offense couldn't finish. Luckily, they rectified that.
What did you make in the field?
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Boss? Slipping and Rogers complaining.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
I have no idea how the field can be that bad,
and I'm a fan of grass fields, so I don't
want to, you know, go to a turf because they
can't get the grass rights. I think it should be
a mandate for all NFL stadium to be grass and
pour money into the grass so that it actually is,
you know, up to a standard for all the stadiums.
(09:07):
That wasn't a standard that you know, whipil teams would
have trouble on that one.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Why give Rodger his credit because he actually, you know,
he said what he had to say, but he held
his tongue mostly. But I bet he was a little
more expressive behind the scenes to the people who can
fix it.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
He mentioned this guy they had in green Bay. Remember
he said he had trouble with green Bay early in
his career. Then they hired some guy and it was immaculate.
You think he's given like a number to let's bring
him in. Yeah, we did, We did prit Lazard him,
but let's bring this guy. Bring the guy right now.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
We talked before.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Darnel Washington's number one tight end mouth got one catch.
Connor Hayward caught a touchdown. Mouth got one catch. What's
going on with him? And how long before? I don't
think he'll one out out loud, but I'll be shocked
if he's here next year.
Speaker 5 (09:48):
The way this is going, I guess he'd want out,
but he got paid, so what can he really complain about?
And as each week passes Mark, that contract just looks
worse and worse that the Steelers just handed that out
for really no reason. As far as impact is concerned.
He's their number four tight end this year. That's indisputable.
I mean, Darnell's number one, then you got John Who
and then Connor Hayward. The mascot has passed him because
(10:09):
he caught a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
You know, you know what part of the problem is
for Mooth. Seriously, they know he's not the squeaky wheel,
so they don't feel the need to throw.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Him a boat.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
It's a good soldier. Yeah, yeah, I think there's part
of that. But what's the freaking point of having him,
even if he is going to be asswhere if.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
You run a team properly, you say, with him and Heismith? Okay,
you know, do we really need these guys or are
they good but replaceable? Keith phrase they're good but replaceable.
And both those guys obviously.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Were and are.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
Yeah, I think they're good trade chips in the offseason,
no doubt. And I think they should be aggressive of
trying to move those guys in the offseason. They should
also be aggressive right now and trying to upgrade the
wide receiver.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
They're just not gonna. Isn't that unbelievable to you though?
But they're just not gonna.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
And I gotta be honest, the way that offense is,
I almost don't see the point for it.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
They wouldn't use it. Like we're gonna talk later.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Tom George Pickets had another big game for Dallas, and
people say, oh, we should have Cake. No, we shouldn't
have because you don't win with guys like that, And
he would not be, you know, getting his cookies here.
He just wouldn't be. He'd be insanely pissed off if
he was still here. You're right, they're not gonna do it,
but I'm right they should. It's the thing to do
right now. You should strike with the lead that you
(11:16):
have in the AFC North. You're probably right they would
waste it, but you got to go and make an
aggressive move.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
You have to.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
I'm a thousand percent with you, but I just know
it's not gonna do it, not gonna happen. Now. DK
had four catches for ninety five yards. That's a solid day,
But it was kind of late developing, wasn't it. Yes,
it very much was. And again four catches that's really
low a nine target. Like the targets being at nine,
I think it was averaging only like five and a
half targets going into the game.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
That needs to be way up.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
As we just talked about, there's literally no one else
in the passing game that you can throw to, so
throw it to him a ton. So I like seeing
nine targets, but coming away with only four of them
is pretty poor. Didn't crack one hundred yards. It was
a B minus performance i'd say from DK metcalf.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
But he's been B minus performance based on what he
is enabled. True, I mean you can't ask him to
catch balls that aren't thrown them, although, like you said,
nine targets, I think some of those were thrown up there.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
We're kind of trafficky and get rid of the valley.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
Yeah, I think you're right about that, but still I
want to see you know that nice eight catch, one
hundred and twenty yard performance.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
You're just not going to not in this offense. And uh,
one guy I gotta give credit to. And it pains
me Tom to say this. Steelers used all three backs
a decent amount. Even Catleble got six carries and Jalen
Want was the best back in the rail with a
lot of power he was.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
They hit one hundred yards as a team, still only
three point six yards per carry though, Mark. They're just
not good at getting at decent yards per carry yet.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
But at least they're committed to it and that you
know eventually should and did yesterday.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
The second half open up other stuff and I'm not
a fan of this, the throw short to kind of
simulate a run game, because it's not the same. You're
not as physical, you don't impose your will. But Rogers
is masterful at it. Just you know, we need four
yards here just to quick dump off.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
But but to be clear, like I I'm glad they
won and I was impressed by the defense. I think
that offense has no chance of winning a big game
against a good team, no chance of winning a playoff
game no matter who they play, and no chance of
coming back from more than one score down against any game.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
We are not gonna find out about who this team
truly is until after the Cincinnati game in that three
game stretch afterward.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Well, at Seattle, it's the only game where they trilled
by more than one score ever, and they lost, And.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
I would argue that's probably the best team they've played
so far by a decent amount. As it turns out. Yes,
although I don't know England.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I don't think we were sure Sam Donald was gonna
he's come on strong.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Sam Donald. Yeah, yeah, he looks really good.
Speaker 5 (13:28):
I did not expect him to go to Seattle and
be He's not as good as he was in Minnesota,
but he's pretty damn good. But Mark, once they get
past the Bengals and and they should be five and
one that Packers, Colts Chargers stretch, if you are who
everybody is saying they are right now, you'll go too
and one against those teams. And I bet they go
one and one and two against that stretch.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
The important thing is Baker Mayfield big win, big game.
He's gonna cash my MVP ticket and I'll celebrate by
going raw Dog ninety X.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
We're adding another show, Yeah, I'm.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Not sure what bands like for Pitt winning or Penn
State losing, but on Saturday they got both. It's the
daily double. And then Franklin got fired at Penn State.
I guess we should see it coming, but.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
I disagree. I would not have fired him.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Penn State Austin Northwestern once again beat by a big underdog,
once again, Aler sucked at quarterback, and now he's out
for the year. Not a great legacy for him at
Penn State. Not a great legacy for James Franklin at
Penn State. I get firing Franklin. I disagree with the
(15:00):
but I get it. We're only six games in, they're
three and three, and their playoff hopes are dead and
they still going to play Ohio State in Indiana. But
dude won thirteen games last year and got him to
the College Football Playoff semi final. You think the next
coach is going to do that anytime soon? You really
think you're gonna get signetty from Indiana?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
You ain't.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
He'd rather stay there. He should stay there. That's a
program on the way up. Why would he leave Indiana
and come to that mess at Creepy Valley. Pitt wonted
Florida State. That's an impressive ACC win. The freshman quarterback
played well. Heinzel the bomber will ever Eve may bind
you that a. The overaction to Holstein last year proved
(15:42):
to be just that overreaction, and b Pitt did lose
to West Virginia not that long ago. You don't get
to get rid of that loss. You can't undo it.
Pitt's lost to West Virginia and Penn State's losses to
UCLA and now Northwestern, they're just programs. Scarring In got
(16:05):
to coach at Penn State fired, but Trey went to Northwestern.
I bet he's pumped Trey Essex. The question now is
would Pitt beat Penn State if they played right now?
I'm still pick Penn State Big Ten versus ACC. Penn
State has more better players, but the safe prediction would
be a really bad game in the Enna beat Oregon,
(16:27):
Indiana could have win it All college football ish fun
this year, kind of all over the place, but fun.
And UCLA won again beat Michigan State. Take that pursuda.
Joining me down to talk college football because it is
not so It's Tommy Radio. Tom Are you surprised? James
Franklin got fired. Now, I would not have done it.
(16:49):
What would you have done?
Speaker 5 (16:50):
I'm not as surprised because he lost to Northwestern and
it just seemed like the team quit.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
So you might want to pull the plug. Now, maybe
surprise is a bad word. It's just I wouldn't have
done it. I wouldn't have done it.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
I wouldn't have done it in midstream. I wouldn't have
done it at the end of the year either. It's
just so hard for me to think of somebody that
would come in and be, you know, right away, Oh
he's an upgrade.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Well, Terry Smith is gonna you know, handle it on
an interim basis. The guy from Gateway, he's a career
assistant at Penn State. I heard a couple people say, well,
he should get consideration for the job. I can tell
you he will not get one iota of consideration for.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
The job, and he should not.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
And that's something you got to be a little careful
with right now if you're Penn State, Like, what if
the team responds right, Like, what if they upset Indiana,
Let's say that, I don't think they'll have any chance
to do a.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
High That's the problem with the interim guy. Right, because
I'll give you an extreme example of that. They brought
in Dan Bosman. He won the Stanley Cup, he won
a good coach, and they kept a rod forever.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
And there's a recent example of it working in college
football with Notre Dame when they fired Brian Kelly. Marcus
Freeman became the interim coach. But he really should be
the guy. I think Notre Dame's in a really good place.
You don't want to fall in love with him. You
need a bigger name at Penn State. Signette's got to
be the one that they all think they're getting.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Right, Well, it's the guy they want. I just don't
think they will. Would you leave Indiana to go to
Penn State? I mean money, not being gratuitously different.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
That's the thing.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
From all accounts, Indiana is making a commitment to kind
of shift a little bit towards being a football school
after being such a basketball power for so long.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
And long last they figured out where the money is. Well,
they have a top ten innile commitment, So like, why
would you leave that? I don't think he's gonna leave there.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
And again, if Penn State were like kind of parallel
to Indiana in terms of how they are right now, maybe,
but they're not so I don't think so. Pitt got
a big win at Florida State. If played Penn State
this week, Tom, who would win, I'll say Pitt. I
have to say Pitt as a pit fan. It's closer
than I ever thought it would be entering week six
of this season. I really thought Penn State was going
(18:40):
to be national championship good this year. Well, right now,
this second, I would pick Pitt because of the disarraye
Penn State. But I think Penn State will kindly level
out and the normal pecking worder will be resumed, actually
right soon.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
I just don't think now there is a little bit
of an opportunity here for the Pitts. The West Virginia's
the Virginia Tech right because Franklin dominated Western Pennsylvania the
DMV area.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Oh, the recruiting. He's a great recruiter, better recruiter than
a coach. And I think that the guys decommitting like
that running back at Mckeesports had something to do with this.
I heard Adidas, the sponsor, had something to do with this.
So again I wouldn't have done it, but I'm not surprised.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
But He snapped up all those kids, all the prominent kids.
Speaker 5 (19:21):
So there's a little bit of an opening there, But
if Penn State makes the right higher, they fill that
opening right away with Penn State.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Again, you know where Penn State screwed up once it
became obvious. Alert was just awful this year. They should
have maybe tried this grunk kid they're putting it now.
And I give him Mardoozy, who I have little respect for,
but I give him credit because he spotted that Holstein
wasn't the guy and went to this freshman.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah he did. But I wonder if they're despite the nil.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
I wonder if there was some internal pressure there on Nardoozy,
you know new ad right who didn't.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
I would think otherwise given that Holstein was getting one million.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Nil, there's just no way.
Speaker 5 (19:57):
And Zeis said it on the show last week, like
Heichel didn't just wake up before the Boston College game
and was like, I'm gonna be really good at football
all of a sudden, and like people were talking like
training camp for sure. So the money definitely fueled that decision.
So I wonder if there was a little bit of
internal pressure. But still Nardoozy had to be the one
to pull the trigger, and he did. I think the
optics of the quarterback that backed up Drew Auler last
year bo Prabula going to Missouri this year and being
(20:20):
really good for them. They were undefeated heading into that
Alabama game last week, only lost by three to two Alabama,
who I think is the best team in the SEC.
So those optics are pretty bad too. It kind of
looks like you chose the wrong quarterback.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Okay, here's the dilemma for you Pit fans, Tom, What
big ten or SEC school is going to swoop in
and take Hinchel with a big fat nil check? And
might I add we all thought that would happen with Holstein,
but it didn't. And that makes me indicate that nobody
really thought he was that good, even though the pit
faithful did.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
That's why I don't get why.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Because he got a million with Pitt That's yeah, that's
Butt White money for a top caliber Division one quarterback.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
That's why I don't get why my fan base is,
you know, moonwalking as hard as they are with Heinschel's performance,
do your dipsticks, thank you.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
But it's a great win. Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 5 (21:04):
You should be excited. He has a lot of potential.
But if this was ten years ago, Mark, I'd be
doing backflips because I got two more years of this
kid locked up. They're going to develop him, maybe build
around him a little bit with some recruiting. But in
this new era, you just have to look at schools
like big ten sec power swooping in and taking this
talented eighteen year old. And even if Pitt does keep him,
(21:27):
you know, in this new world, Mark, like with pro athletes,
sometimes when they get big money contracts, they kind of
level off a little bit.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (21:34):
That I think can be extra the case for an
eighteen year old who gets handed a million dollars.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Yeah. Do you know why I call him the Bomber?
Don't say ow loud I do.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
It's a great name. It's a great name. People need
to figure it out. But it's a it's a great nickname.
Plus he can throw, and plus you know it's not
enough credit. Reid Reed's been balling, He's been tremendous for pitting.
He's kind of got lost in the Heinschel shuffle.
Speaker 5 (21:55):
Well, he was hurt all year and that was the
reason why they beat Florida State was because Reid was healthy.
Hinda was great in that game, but Heinchell was great
because he was going to read a lot. The play
that was most impressive. I don't know if you saw
it where Heinschell like dummied the pass rusher that came
free and then threw like a jump ball to right
back of the end zone. I mean, that's the one
where you look at and if you're someone recruiting from
a big time school, you're going into the DMS after
(22:15):
the game after you saw that throw.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Will Penn State win at Iowa? Will Penn State ever
win again?
Speaker 5 (22:21):
Way at Iowa was a really tricky spot. I don't
think they will win at Iowa. I'm wondering. I'm trying
to pull it up right now. Who the favorite in
that game is. I have to imagine Iowa would be
a slight favorite.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Well, did you ever did you ever hear the story
about Like I said earlier, Paterno had four losing seasons
in five, I was three and a half point favorite,
and he.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
And Joe should have retired long before again, and it
should have been made to But did you ever hear
the story in the middle of those bad seasons, the
ad and the university president went into him and said, Joe,
we need you to move on, saying, in very nice terms,
we're firing you. And he just said no, and they're like, oh, well, okay,
and they left and he kept coaching.
Speaker 5 (23:00):
I mean, if you're Joe Paterno, if you're a coach
of that magnitude at that time, like, why wouldn't you
try to play that card, right, I mean, at least
make them force you out of the building, get the
security guard.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Well, I'm convinced, and we talked about this, and like
I changed my two years later.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
I would not have fired Joe. I would have been.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Faithful to the vision of my program and Penn State
football is opposed to trying to please outside influences. I
think all that would have straightened itself out in the end.
But I would not have fired him. And that goes
totally against what I said at the time. But that's
how I feel now. I'm allowed to change my mind.
BA No, he didn't know. He didn't know, But that's
not the point. I mean, you could have waited until
(23:39):
seasons and then if he doesn't willingly get out, then
he has to just get fired.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
There's a greater percent chance that Penn State did the
wrong thing here right in five years time, like they're
just never going to be to the heights that Franklin
had them.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Oh no, no, they actually and this is ironic, they
caught a little bit of pitch disease.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
They're overestimating their seal. O five ninety X one.
Speaker 6 (24:02):
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drag cash.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Oh yeah, here we.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Go guards thirteen times a day, nine am through nine pm.
The X will give you the keyword at the top
of every hour. Enter it at wxdx dot com and
you could win one thousand dollars in nonconsecutive unmarked bills.
I don't know aways hear that in detective shows. Listen
all day for your chance. It's some extra cash.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Unless you've got something better to do.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
On one oh five nine d X, time now for
your Monday bet MGM Baseball Buzzz. Tonight in Milwaukee Game
one of the NLS.
Speaker 6 (24:39):
It's the Mark Meddon Free Game Show on one oh
five nine d.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
X pregame show brought to us by Cenrovic, Cenrovich and Fisherman,
the personal injury Experts. They got your bat nut, your wallet,
Tom Uh, if your pit, your pit gut, would you
fire Pat Mardowsey to hire James Franklin.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
I'm not kidding. James Franklin's a better coach end game,
I don't know. They're close to being just as much
of a dunce as the other one.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
They make some real record game decisions.
Speaker 5 (25:10):
That's the time breaker right there, and you would kind
of just what copy and paste that recruiting hotbed over
to Pitt somewhat that he already really established a strong
pipeline at Penn State.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Not as big of a jerk off, I mean a
jerk op and not as big.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
It's real close in that race too. Though Nardozzy might
be a slightly better game coach than James Franklin, slightly better,
they're both terrible at it.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Much bigger jerkoff.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
But if what what if you were like, like, who
needs a coach Virginia Tech?
Speaker 5 (25:37):
So that's what I was gonna say, Like, James Franklin,
I think is going to make out in this. He
obviously gets the huge buyout, some crazy amount. I've heard
as much as fifty six to as low as forty nine.
Either way, Franklin's great great grandkids.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
What's my buyot. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
You should look into that. I gotta talk to my attorney,
Manning J. O'Connor. I need to know what my bioff
figure is.
Speaker 5 (25:59):
But like his families for generations, the Franklin family is
set now. But if I was a Virginia Tech who
fired their coach earlier this year, I would be sprinting
to hire him. I would be trying to get in
touch with him right now if I could and work
something out, if I could make it happen, if it
was legal, I'd have him coach on my sidelines this week.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
If I was Virginia Tech like that.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
School is not a storied program, but it's better than
what they've been lately, and they could get back to
being towards the top of a week acc quickly with Franklin.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
No, no question. Hey, a couple quarterback situations I want
to talk about. Justin Fields was awful for the Jets.
He's been awful. They're winless. He was nine for seventeen
for forty five yards, and people are like blasting me
on Twitter.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
You still wish he was here?
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (26:41):
I do, because I think he'd be doing better here.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
I think he'd offer a window into the future potentially here.
I think that New York is just a death sentence.
I think the DNA there just nobody could succeed there.
I think he would be doing better here. I mean
he was doing better here. He went four and two here.
But I do not want him. I mean, I think
he's just an awful quarterback. He can't throw the ball. Well,
do I want him a place of Rogers?
Speaker 3 (27:04):
No?
Speaker 1 (27:05):
No, do I want him if they don't get Rogers,
if they have Rudolph.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Actually, that's a tough one. I like, might pick Rudolf.
I might pick Rudolf. That's true. I taught myself way
out of this one.
Speaker 5 (27:17):
But you're right about him from the aspect of he'd
be much better here. It's just the fact that he
needs to be in like almost a perfect situation. Not
to say the Steelers are. There's much better offenses than
the Steelers, but it's a really stable franchise. The Jets,
combined with him is just disaster waiting to happen because
he needs all the help he can get and they
just aren't giving it to him.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Well, the Steelers are haphazard. The Jets are just a disaster.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
There's just a curse over that franchise. No matter what,
they get the quarterback wrong. And then you look around
and Darnold's lightning up. The quarterbacks that leave the Jets,
Aaron Rodgers four and one, they have success elsewhere. Gino
Smith is shot now, but he had a nice little
career renaissance with Seattle for a few years. Like they
all succeed elsewhere.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Quarterbacks leave the Jets and do better or maybe not great,
maybe not for very long, but they do better. How
about two in Miami who like really ratted out his
teammates said at the post K, we got guys late
for meetings, skipping meetings. And I'm sure that's true, and
I'm sure it's the problem. But you don't rattle on
the guys. You don't ride on the guys.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
And also that's a reflection of your poor leadership if
guys don't respect you enough to show up to the meeting.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
He meant it to be a reflection on fire the coach.
I think you're right, Daniel, but I gotta tell you
i'd keep the coach before I kept too. I think Tua,
besides being beat up with all the concussions I.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Just think he isn't very good. I get rid of
both of them.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
I think Mike McDaniel's probably not a head coach, probably
more student to be an offensive coordinator.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
I just clean house. I'd start fresh. If I was Miami.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
The Titans just fired their head coach that just moved
a couple of minutes ago. It's such a tree falling
in a forest type of move. No one even cares.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
You know what's a fun thing. From the tomin press
conference today, Tom Win ripped Cleveland's GM yeah for trading
Joe Flacco from Cleveland to Cincinnati within the division.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
But A, the GM didn't do that, the owner did
that exactly.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
And b if if Flacco was here, of course Tom
would want him.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
He wants veterans.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
He just isn't gonna like Toma would not be playing
Dylan Gabriel under any circumstances unless he was left with
no choice by, for example, trading Joe Flacco, although Gabriel
was in before Flacca got traded.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
Yeah, Andrew Berry's the name of the Browns GM. He
obviously had no choice there. Haslim called him and said,
you have to move Flacco because I want your door
to be one play away and Mark, did you see
Gabriel's head bounce off the grass in the second half,
I was like, oh boy, here we go. Great camera
work by CBS two, bang right to Shador on the sideline.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
When that happened, I.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Felt like this sawn Elliot kept getting Gabriel high to
try to get Shador in there.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
Maybe. Do you think Jimmy is that he and high Aliane.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Stealers had a lot of high hits yesterday and I
got no problem but that you know, there was the
one unnecessary rough thiss on Elliott and a lot of
like kind of high hits, and that's okay.
Speaker 5 (29:53):
I wouldn't put it past Jimmy Haslm, the Brown's owner,
from going to that you know ref that sits in
the booth to buzz down for concussion protocol. Give them
like a twenty and be like, hey, just call down
and say we need to look at Gabriel in the
tent for a little bit. What do you think it
woul take more than a twenty? Probably in your haslam.
But you know how billionaires think they're cheap, Well.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
I know the one that owns the Steelers is hence
the field with all the divots great tradition. Today, Tom,
they're listening even as we speak to the game seven.
Oh no, it's over. By no, it's it's probably in
the sixth or seventh inning by now. They're listening to
Game seven, the broadcast of the nineteen sixty World Series
(30:31):
on tape at the base of the wall in.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
Forbest Field, which is still there in Oakland. The Masarowski
home run.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
I think that's a great tradition, and they have a
timed up exactly so the ball goes over the wall
on the broadcast at the exact same time, you know
now as then fifty five years later. And it's especially
nice because we'll never have a moment like that again.
When we think Quato dropping the ball is somehow even
remotely equivalent to that, it shows how pathetic we've come
(31:00):
as a sports titled, especially as a baseball time.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
Have you ever done that? Have you ever gone and
sat there and listen? That strikes me as one of
the things that I agree with you. It's an awesome tradition,
but one that I would never partake. I would never
go sit there and listen to that game. I've watched
the game, though I have like a DVD of it
that I've seen the entire game.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
It's unbelievable. It's the biggest upset World Series history, no
doubt it is.
Speaker 5 (31:19):
I mean, they the whole series was crazy, right, Like
then the Yankees win one game like twenty to one,
and She's.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Won like ten nothing, twelve nothing, sixteen to three, and
the Pirates won a bunch of one one games. It
was almost as if Tom was managing them. They just
went for the for the close games sound strategy. Then
it worked. At least they got a ring Tom, Yeah ring.
Mickey Mantle cried, did.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
He really have to listen to the Pips?
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Cried, He couldn't believe it happened. That's a line in
a Bronx tail. Uh. The kid, the kid's a little
kid before he grows up and becomes kind of a gangster.
He didn't mention Mazeroski, but he says to his dad.
He made Mickey Mantle cry, I hate him.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
He has five World Series rings on his finger while
he's crying at that point.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
Yeah, but but to me, come on, but that was
like I said that, I wasn't alive then, barely not.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
But that was a grotesque mismatch. Even back then. It
was embarrassing to lose to the Pirates, is what you're saying.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
No, it was a good team, but the Yankees, like
I mean nineteen sixty one. A year later, they swept
the Rams in the World Series. That's arguably one of
the best baseball teams ever. Yeah, they won back to
back World Series after the Pirates beat them. The Pirates stopped.
Oh no, they didn't win in nineteen fifty nine. Excuse me,
they missed the playoffs that year. I was gonna say
they stopped the four peat, but they did not. Yeah,
he's what a lot back then, not so much now,
which is funny. Five ninety X.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
It's The Woody Show weekend mornings at six. Yeah on
one oh five nine the X from the one oh
five nine the ex Weather Center.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
This report is sponsored by Dukes Mayo Dukes.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
It's doublem on the X correction room. Before I mentioned
it was fifty five years since Mazarowski's home run to
win the nineteen sixty World Series. Obviously it's sixty five years.
Time really flies when you never win at all. The
pregame show brought to us play our good friends at
(33:06):
Shendarova Schendrovic and Fishmen. They only charged twenty five percent,
others charged forty toal.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
What do we got today from the trifecta?
Speaker 5 (33:14):
I got a few yeah butts. When it comes to
the Steelers' performance, well, I like it. I got one
on defense and I got two on the offensive side
of the ball. On the defensive side of the ball.
For number three, you played a dominating game. It was
your most complete game of the season, for sure, but
you came away with zero turnovers. And I think that,
along with the sacks, is really the identity and Brendan
(33:36):
butter of this team.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
And I know those can be.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
A little fluky and they had some drops, but I
think this defense should come away with at least one
almost every game, and then you can bound that with
a rookie quarterback through at fifty two times.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
No, I agree with that.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
I will say those six sacs as a lot, and
they did. I counted three out and out nailed on
turn interceptions, they dropped, and maybe even a couple more
borderline and the.
Speaker 5 (33:59):
Swat that where he just kind of swallowed the ball
with both of his hands, that was incredibly done that
I thought he might pick it off. I thought he
might too. Number two. The Steelers' offense scored two touchdowns.
They had twenty three points. I guess what I would
say is a good Browns defense. But the only thing
that offense really has going for them is Rogers the DK. Like,
(34:19):
if we're trying to find an identity right now, that's
it is the occasional Rogers to DK big play. And
maybe I shouldn't say occasional because they have a touchdown
connection in four of their five games. But that's all
they have going for them, and you need some more consistent,
viable options to start availing themselves or else you're going nowhere.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Well, I totally agree, but what options might those be?
Speaker 5 (34:39):
Tom, They don't have any in house, and as you
and I established earlier in the show, they will not
go out and get one.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
So this is what it'll be.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
And again I don't mean to dismiss when you say, cavalierly,
they absolutely should go get number two wide out.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
They're just not going well.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
When the division is staring you in the face like
this and saying you've basically got it wrapped up by
week six, there's just no excuse to not try to
take your team.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Over the top did right, But Wilson ca, that's your bess.
He did you think that was like an accident? They
got the numbers mixed up when they called the player thought.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
It was gonna be Scotty Miller thought it was thirteen
instead of ten. Yeah, it was weird, Like he looked shocked.
So was I all right?
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Then?
Speaker 5 (35:12):
My last entrant here, Steelers' offense had one hundred yards rushing,
but it was only three point six yards per carry.
As a team, your average on the season is only
three point four yards per carry on the season. That's
what they want their identity to be, is the team
that can just run the ball and lean on that.
You can't do that when you average three point four
yards of carry. Well, they don't have an offensive identity yet,
do you agree, other than Rogers the DK I do,
(35:34):
and that's only an occasional identity. One big play.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Yeah, yeah, you can hang your hand on it, your
hat on it, like like you said, once a game. Maybe,
but I still again, I get back to this offense
can't catch up on a good team.
Speaker 5 (35:48):
Maybe not on anybody. We're gonna find out. And when
Green Bay comes to town after Cincinnati, you know, people
are doing the victory laps right now. And I get it,
you're excited, but it was Cleveland. Wait until the big
boys show up to the playground. And I think they're
better suited to play closer games against the big boys
than when they just got flatten at the end of
last year. But until they beat Green Bay go to
(36:09):
and one in that stretch, why can't we just cool
it a little bit?
Speaker 1 (36:12):
Why can't we just wait and see not our style
on how Pittsburgh is. Hey, if they lose d cincion,
they won't, but if they did then before and two
save as last year.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Feeling a little skeptical about that. No, they're gonna kill Cincinnati,
They're gonna run on them. I don't know that's true.
Speaker 5 (36:27):
I just feel let me tell you this, I feel
less secure than winning this game than I do the
Cleveland one. I think there's more of a chance since
he could beat them in this game short week. They're
the home team that usually favors the team that stays
at home, team that has to travels at a disadvantage.
Flacco started to turn it on a little bit in
the second half against the Packers, too, started to connect
with those receivers yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
I don't think they can score up well. I don't
know what Jamar and Higg and Joys have a chance.
I just don't think they can score off points on
that defense.
Speaker 5 (36:56):
If the pass, if the pass rush is what it
was against Cleveland, Cincinnati, Flakko won't make it through the game.
Although the Steelers just don't hurt quarterbacks, you've established that,
ever have they never do well? I mean me joe,
this iteration of the Steelers never do Let.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
Me Joe like punch hm In and knuts Neil. You
can do that when you get off on the pile,
put the whole weight down on them. I bet DeShawn
would give a chance to Shawn Elliott. Yep. I love
the Shawn Elliott. What a fan favorite he's become.
Speaker 5 (37:22):
And it's very clear that the defense we talked about
Harmon earlier in the show, mark the defense improving the
run in the run aspect when he came back, they
get a lot better in that area and then just
tackling in general.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
When Harmon's back there, he hasn't.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
Question, no question, he has been a huge addition. I
want to get back to Franklin getting fired for one second,
because this is something Penn State fans won't want to hear.
I know Penn State fans. Would you say the majority
of fans are happy that Franklin got fired?
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Penn State fans, I'd say like ninety five percent of
them are.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
Okay, that's because they're knee jerkin yep, fast food, and
they want revenge for their season having been screwed up.
Speaker 5 (37:56):
And I think about sixty five percent of them really
believe Signette's coming and he's going to save their program.
But I think they think that, well, here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
Well, they may like that fire, you know what it did.
It made Penn State just another college football program, a
program that fires the coach, a program that reacts to
one bad season, a program that's always about now and
forgets what had happened or what will happen. Just another
college football team.
Speaker 5 (38:21):
The stuff you're hearing about the Adidas part of it too,
You know, that's just the current landscape. I think in
the changing landscape where.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
Well seat tam Adidas f off, you could always get
another guy, another company to do that.
Speaker 5 (38:31):
You think Nike would be knocking on the door. Yeah, sure,
I agree with you there, but I'm just saying like.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
I would say, Okay, what are you going to do
if we don't fire him because we have a contract
at FU.
Speaker 5 (38:43):
But the outside forces just influence it so much more
than ever before. And to what you were saying, where
you could maybe stand your ground as a university and
be like, we're not going to fire him after one
bad year. We're going to have some consistency here. We're
going to allow him to bounce back. The big money.
It's bigger than ever, and it's louder than ever as
far as the influence that they want. Like he's the
(39:04):
second biggest buyout in college football history. Jimbo Fisher, Texas
AM a couple of years ago, is like seventy six
million dollars.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
I need a buyout, and everybody was saying I got
to get a buyout.
Speaker 5 (39:13):
He'll just never get by, he'll never get fired. Seventy
six million dollars. Then an oil baron just swoops in.
It's like I'll cover most of it. If I got
like a even like a two million dollar buyout. Okay,
I would not only quit, you would never see me again.
No offense, none taken, trust me. But my point being
is just like I agree with you. You should tell
a Didas to go screw. Don't get into our business
(39:36):
in this way. Just make the uniforms for all our sports, please,
and we'll put your logo out there and we'll be.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Better, because, like I said, there's a contract that can't
get out of the contract.
Speaker 5 (39:43):
But that's the way it is. The big money, the
people who have the most money involved.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
If Adidas did bully Penn State and the firing Franklin,
that's because Penn State wanted to do it anyway.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
And they just needed a reason, or maybe like that
didn't want Franklin fire. Yeah, you're right about that.
Speaker 5 (40:03):
They want but maybe adidast applied the pressure to do
it mid season because I think it is just a
terrible mistake to do it right now, although losing the
team was dead in the water.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Some people want Terry Smith, the interim head coach, the
career assistant from Gateway High School. I covered Terry when
he played high school football, even when he coached a
little bit of Gateway, and he's a good guy and
a great assistant coach.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
You just can't give him the raids to that.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
Tom Bradley, Yes, because Tom Bradley, when he was under
Joe had specifically trained to take over for years and
was a big part of the decision making to that point.
You can't and Tom stepped in, you know, till the
spit really hit the spam, and they brought in Bill O'Brien, who,
by the way, is just such an underrated hero of
Penn State football.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
Franklin too in the same reguard.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
You wouldn't go back to Bill, would you. He's at
Boston College right now and they're terrible. So, like, I
don't know if you would make that call and see
if Bill O'Brien wants to come back to State College.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
I don't.
Speaker 5 (40:57):
They're too big of a program to go that route,
to go the Johnny Major's pit rich Rod West Virginia route.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
I might.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
That's a guy who understands pet State. He understands pet
State better than almost anybody who's ever coached it, because
those two years he dug out was miraculous.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
See.
Speaker 5 (41:14):
I think if they don't get Signetty, which they want,
their backup plans going to be Matt Rule, the guy
at Rutgers or not Rutgers. I'm sorry the game and
he went to Penn State. He's coaching Nebraska right now,
they're okay, they're five and one.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
I don't believe in them.
Speaker 5 (41:26):
Though he coached the Panthers for a little bit in
the NFL, was terrible. His claim to fame was coaching
Baylor to the College Football Playoff once upon a time.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
Yeah, I'm convinced that the rich alumni were pissed, the
NIL people, Adidas was pissed, the fans were pissed.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
Really everybody was pissed.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
I mean, from that standpoint, I wouldn't fire somebody based
on getting, you know, a scalp.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
But that's what they did, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (41:49):
And again, I think that there's ninety five percent of
the fan base that is on board for this, and
there's a lot of optimism around it. I'm curious to
see how that how much that lasts. Once A the
hires made, and it's probably an underwhelming hire because again,
I just don't know who they're going to go out,
who's the big swing that they're going to take, And
then b when they realize we might just be an
(42:09):
eight and four, nine and three team now instead of
the team that always went ten and two, eleven and
one and was almost always going to be in the
college football playoff.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
Tom, I just got a text from a friend of
mine who would know. He said, it wasn't ninety five
percent of the Penn State fans that wanted Franklin fired.
It was one hundred and forty one and two thirds percent.
What O five ninety X.
Speaker 3 (42:29):
Now it's your chance to win.
Speaker 4 (42:30):
One thousand dollars just entered this nationwide keyword on our website.
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