Best Bets for the CFP and MASSIVE NFL weekend

John is joined by betting guru, Stuckey from The Action Network to break down the upcoming weekend in both college football and the NFL. They dive into the biggest matchups, key storylines, and deliver their expert insight on where the value is for bettors. From College footballs slate of massive playoff games to Saturday and Sunday’s NFL action that will determine who makes the playoffs and who doesn't, they’ve got you covered with sharp analysis and some of the best bets to make this weekend. #Volume 

All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
What is going on Everybody? John Middlecock three and Out podcasts,
brought to you by our friends and partners at Zone Pouches.
Today will be a podcast. It will just be me
and Stucky. I was gonna do a mail bag too,
but me and Stuck you went for an hour. You know.
The next couple days are kind of holidays, so I
was like, let's just do Stucky. I'll do a mail

(00:37):
bag probably for Friday, with some college football talk as well.
So at John Middlecoff's the mail Bag, we will get
one later this week, and today we'll just be Stucky
hitting on obviously the Niner game, the Raven game, the
Panther game, some other stuff, and then the college football games,
which we got four games starting Wednesday night with Miami

(01:01):
at Ohio State, Miami versu Oho State. It's not Ataha State,
but then you know all the games the following day,
so let's get excited. You guys know the drill. Make
sure you subscribe to the podcast wherever you may listen,
subscribe to the YouTube channel. We'll be live on Thursday
night reacting to the slate of games on New Year's Day,
and then again on Saturday night. Reacting to the Niner game.

(01:24):
So make sure you subscribe, never miss a thing, and
let's dive into Stucky. Okay, Week eighteen, I'm lucky enough
to get Dad of the Year Stucky from Lexicon, Kentucky.
This is a It's bittersweet because for the first time
on Monday Night it kind of hit me. I'm like,

(01:45):
we don't have any more Monday night like regular season games.
You only got four more real college games that matter.
You got the you know, the Elite eight starting. You
start doing the math in your heads, you're like half
to you know, a large percentage of these week team
games mean nothing, So we don't have that much meaningful
football left in our life. Stucky as we turn into

(02:06):
twenty twenty six, I mean, you just had a child
born in twenty twenty five. That doesn't make you feel old.
I don't know what will, but how you doing? My man? Good?

Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yet? It'll be two hundred and forty more days until
our next college football game on a Saturday. So that's done.
None of the playoff games are on Saturdays, even the
SCS Championships on a Monday night this year. So no
more collegetable Saturday. Yeah, no more Monday. You have one
Monday night Wildcard game. That's it. Like the rest of

(02:38):
the bowl games are going to be finishing up this
week and then it's just a couple of collegeball playoff games.
The NFL playoffs should be good. This week will be
weird as usual, but enjoy it. The Sunday afternoon slate
in morning slate if you're on the West Coast, is
going to be pretty bad because you basically just had

(03:01):
Luckily for the NFL things broke right, like the Ravens won,
the Steelers loss, so kept the AFC North interesting. The
Seahawks won and the Niners one kept that division interesting.
You even had the Falcons upset the Rams and then
the Panthers and the Bucks both lost to keep all
that interesting even into Sunday. So if the Bucks win,
at least you have a game on Sunday afternoon. So

(03:24):
now there's only three games. But there was a chance,
like if the Steeers beat the Browns, Steers Ravens is meaningless,
you know, the Panthers Bucks could have been meaningless. You
this if Seattle had won and the forty nine ers, like,
excuse me, if the forty nine Ers had lost Seattle
clinches the division already, so luckily for the NFL, they

(03:44):
got three market games in the stots. But then you
haven't now the games in between. On your early and
late afternoon slate on Sunday, there's some rough ones. You're
gonna get a ton of backup quarterbacks. You're gonna see
a lot of line moves this week. As always, you're
gonna have a lot of decisions on who's resting who's not.
Looks like there's a chance the Eagles might rest, even

(04:04):
though they could move up to the two if the
Bears lose to the Lions and then the Chargers, they're
going to rest. Even hardball last year and Week eighteen
with a chance to move up to the five, they
played their starters and Week eighteen and beat the Raiders
pretty handily. This year, they do have a chance to
move up to five, but it would require the Texans
losing in the one o'clock slate or the Jags, which

(04:27):
is very unlikely. And yeah, I think that they're probably
making the right choice. And then you had McVeigh. This
is all Week eighteens about for the most part, because
then you have a lot of these teams that are eliminated.
Do you really want to Risks like they're going to
sit some of their star players even have like a Raiders,
the Raiders actually trying to lose versus the Chiefs who
probably want to get a better draft pick. And then
why would you play some of your vets like Chris

(04:49):
Jones and like they're probably gonna sit. But McVeigh after
the game last week. Mcdaigh is known for resting his
starters and not caring about seating lot this time. I mean,
if the forty nine Ers win on Saturday, they get
the one seed and the Rams are locked in to

(05:11):
the the six. But if Seattle wins, then the Rams
can jump them to get the five, which I think
is super important this year because it's the difference between
probably going to Philly or you go to the NFC
South winner. So that's important. And then McVeigh said after
the game, we're playing our starters right away. Maybe he
was emotional, but he says we need to buy.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
I think he was. I think he was heated. He
just lost, like his best friend, kind of got embarrassed
for you first.

Speaker 1 (05:37):
But I do think that they will if the Seahawks win,
If the forty nine Ers win no chance. I think
they're sitting everyone against Arizona because you're locked into the
six that's his m O. And why would you risk
any more injuries with the Rams. And it's been a
start like the Rams had it all ten days ago.

(06:00):
This was your Stafford MVP one seed. This is the
best team by far. Now they're on Stafford might have
lost the MVP. They and this was all since they
were up sixteen in Seattle on the fourth quarter, and
it's all falling apart since now they might be the
sixth seed going to Philly. Stafford lost the MVP. That's
life in the NFL on a week to week basis.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
Let's just jump right into the to the main event then.
I'm sure you remember this game. This happened not that
long ago, and it was like a defining moment for
Kyle and a young Niners team with Deebo and Kittle
and Jimmy g They beat Seattle on a Sunday night
to get the number one seed. Drake Greenlaw had a
game winning tackle at like the half yard line. And

(06:43):
obviously a couple of weeks later they're in the Super
Bowl against the Chiefs and they kind of dominated those
two playoff games. I think they Minnesota. I actually went
to that game, and then they beat the that Aaron
Rodgers team where I think Jimmy threw like ten times
and most of they ran for like four hundred yards.

Speaker 1 (06:58):
They little kickers over a couple of years just by
just running all over them.

Speaker 2 (07:02):
A little different operation here, obviously a dramatically different Seattle team.
You know, I was looking at the box scores, like
DK Metcalf, Bobby Wagner, obviously Russell Wilson was still damn
good through a couple of touchdowns in that game. I
think this is fascinating. We've seen the forty nine ers
now play two teams whose defenses are atrocious, right, and
they just I mean, Party's had ten touchdowns two weeks.

(07:22):
I mean, he looks like, we'll like the best player
of the league. But this is a different animal, right,
This is a team who's offense I think is kind
of questionable. I mean, I don't think most people realize
because Sam's getting a lot of credit because the back
to back seasons thirteen wins on two different teams. Last year,
he threw thirty five touchdowns and up until the last
week was pretty bad. He's kind of been a little shaky,

(07:43):
I would say for a while, you know. And I
didn't realize this until I saw the stating Lee's a
league in turnovers, a bunch of fumbles, picks. I didn't
Carolina drop a pick last week. He's been all over
the map. Now their defense, Mike McDonald, do you remember
the game a couple of years ago, that Sunday night,
not Sunday night, Christmas night with that Ravens team and

(08:04):
the forty nine ers were rolling and he punked him,
and you know, Purty was like MVP watch and it
was like Mike McDonald. I don't want to say it
was coming out party because people do about him, but
that was like a moment like this motherfucker's here to stay.
And now this year their defense is awesome. It's crazy.
Some of the stats in the forty nine ers like
dead last in sacks, which makes sense. They don't have

(08:24):
an a defensive lineman. If it wasn't for the Jets
and there are no interceptions, they'd be dead last and picks.
But can Sam Darnold and that offense take advantage of him?
You got Kubiak who might as well be a Shanahan,
who's their offensive coordinator. Obviously, Mike knows Kyle Well played
with a bunch now the last couple of years in Seattle.
But go back to that Ravens game, I would just

(08:45):
lean the home dog here. It's a coin flip game
to me. Don't feel great about it. Obviously, the Niners
have a ton of momentum coming in Offensively, you know,
Trent's probably gonna be out, but Kittle will be back.
But you see, I mean, Pierceall it feels like he's
an NBA player. Time he goes down, you think his
career is over. But god, he when he's on the field,
he's pretty good. And you know todj is pretty good.
Backup quarterback. McCaffrey's playing damn well. I mi, Kyle's just

(09:10):
he's him and party have been in his own McDonald's
been in his own. Defensively, I mean they offensively, they
were terrible. I thought that first half against Carolina, Hell,
they were bad against the Rams, you know, up until
the end of the game. So I don't know. I mean,
I don't have that much faith right now. Clear quarterback advantage,
I think for perty right now, And that's to me,

(09:30):
the slight difference in the game. So I'm I would
take the Niners as a home dog.

Speaker 1 (09:35):
Yeah, I would lean that way, like I'd like the
Niners as a teaser piece. I mean, you gotta have
Kittle in there healthy, I think, I mean, you can
get away with it without him against the Bears defense.
But he's such a difference maker, especially you know the
run game, his ability catching the ball against an elite defense.
But you're right about the Seattle offense. I mean, it's

(09:56):
in a way it's been solved almost a bit like
they I mean, since Week ten, they're twenty first in
EPA per play on offense. And if you look, I
mean the last week, which could should give it might
give the forty Like the forty nine ers defense is bad.
They just can't get any pressure. I mean, and Michael
Parsons was tweeting this the other day. He just kept

(10:19):
he was tweeting about if you can't get pressure on
NFL quarterbacks, you're you're just not gonna have success. And
then forty nine ers are in capable getting pressure. But
the Panthers are just as bad as the forty nine
ers in terms of pressure. Eight and the Seahawks offense
didn't do anything. And this has been like if you

(10:40):
go back to I mean, we could go all the
way back to Week ten. That's when really this has started,
like against the Cardinals, and it kind of got masked
because the Seahawks scored like two defensive touchdowns, like the
same exact plays right.

Speaker 2 (10:56):
Off They're game.

Speaker 1 (10:59):
But like Donald threw like three picks in that game
against the Rams. The next week, he threw three or
four picks, you know, against the Vikings. That game was
three to nothing at the end of the first half
until Brosmer threw a pick six the Falcons. They broke
out in the second half, but there were some specials

(11:19):
that the game was three to three at the half.
The Colts game against Philip Rivers, that was an eighteen
to sixteen win in Rivers's first start. You know, they
broke they broke out against the Rams, but that game
just flipped on like a punt return touchdown. Donald made
some mistakes there. He was good at the end. But
this offense is like what they were doing early in

(11:39):
the year is they were like kubiaka Platch and was
so good. They were using heavy personnel and they weren't
running it efficiently, but with all the heavy personnel, teams
were like, all right, we're going to stop you running,
and then they were just setting up deep shots and
they were hitting them. The JSN now defenses have said like, okay,
if you want to run it, run it. We're not gonna,

(12:00):
you know, commit and try to sell out to your
inefficient run game. We're gonna make sure we STOPJSN on
the back end and stop giving up these explosive plays.
And Donald is still a statue. And then you get
into these obvious passing down situations because they're not an
efficient rushing attack, and that's when Donald is making some mistakes. So, yeah,
the Seattle offense right now is very problematic. That's what

(12:21):
I would be worried about in the playoffs if I
was a Seahawks fan, because the defense is obviously excellent.
And then the forty nine ers it's a complete opposite
case that their offense right now is rolling party is
playing so well, but the defense is just it's bad.
It's just a void of talent. They just have no
pass rush and that's gonna really, you know, limit your

(12:42):
ability to do things and get stops. And we saw
that last week against the Bears.

Speaker 2 (12:48):
So it's also the game you think the game plan
is that you remember the Lions Week eighteen last year
when they had a match unit and they just brought
the house constantly and he was all over the map.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
That it's one of it's gonna be one of two extremes.
Like it's either we're gonna all out blitz the whole game,
which isn't like salid but this is the time where
you you know, playoffs a Week eighteen game for the
one seed. This is when you bring out wild cards
and change up your m or they're just gonna sit
back and then just try to bake Donald into a

(13:21):
mistake and say drive the field and they're just going
to play a ton of uh too high and take
away the explosive plays because Seattle is not a very
efficient rushing attack. So I could see it going either way,
but it's not a great spot for Seattle. Seattle kind
of got screwed by the NFL winning this game on
a Saturday because they're on the East Coast on Sunday,
short week, flying across the country late in the year.

(13:43):
That's not ideal. But yeah, I think it is a
point coin flippish game. If you want to take the
points with the Niners, I don't blame you. But if
you look at the the NFC playoffs right now, I
mean I think most people would agree probably win healthy.
The Rams are the most complete team, but they're they're
most likely gonna be the sixth seed and the five
or six seed, especially through the sixth seed, that's a

(14:04):
brutal path. They have some injuries now right, I think
they should be healthier. But you have the offensive line,
you have some injuries. We saw how much that impact
against Atlanta. You have Devonte Adams's injury. But the defense,
I think on the back end still has some questions.
I think they're the most special teams, aren't great. They're
the probably the most complete team, but every team in

(14:25):
the NFC has a war. I mean you have. I mean,
if you just look at it like this, the NFL,
how wide open it is. This year. The Ravens, who
I think were the best team over the past two years,
not this year. The you know, in twenty twenty four,
twenty twenty three. Unfortunately for them they didn't get a
Super Bowl out of it. But in those two years,
the Ravens went twenty twenty three they went ten to

(14:47):
four against winning teams, teams of the winning record, and
then last year they went nine to three against teams
with the winning record. Nineteen wins over two seasons. No
one has more than four this year. And the Patriots,
who are going to be you know, they might get
the one. He probably not because Denver is gonna win.
They have one win. They've only played three teams that

(15:09):
have a winning record, and they're one and two in
those games. So like there's there's a lot of bad
teams in the NFL. And then at the you know,
the rest, it's like there's no Chiefs now orre Like, oh,
if they put the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. It
is so wide open. You just look at the NFC.
It's like, Okay, the Niners offense rolling, but can you
trust the defense Seattle elite defense, but can you trust
Donald and that offense is dwindling? The NFC South winner

(15:33):
get them out of year. The Eagles offense, I mean,
they've gone two different halves this year where they had
no pass completions and they won both games. But their
offense doesn't score for two three quarters every game. That's
a major question. The Packers that they were my pick originally,
but the Parsons injury, other injuries, they are so beat up.

(15:54):
So the NFC, it's gonna be wide open. I wouldn't
be surprised if, like any team comes out of it.
Besides whoever wins the NFC.

Speaker 2 (16:01):
So well, one thing, I mean before the Rams these
last couple of weeks, I think they would have been
I said this last time on the podcast, not just
the sexy pick for the NFC, but I think a
lot of people would have picked him to win the
Super Bowl. Absolutely, And the one thing that jumps out
now I give listen. I was hard on the Atlanta
trade when they traded a first round pick for Pierce,
but I mean he is fucking pretty talented. And their
defensive line that the Oregon kid that got hurt last

(16:23):
night or they were dominating the line of scrimmage. And
the one thing for Stafford is you know, in his
younger days he was much more and Rogers is the
same now like they were like scrambles making plays with
their arm. He is a statue now he can't move.
He's old.

Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (16:40):
And their offensive line, I mean, if you look at
the matchups for them, you know you brought up Carolina
defense obviously, you know the pass rush. Tampa's defense is
a joke. So getting that five seed for them is
pretty big because the Eagles, you bring ninety eight back,
like you see fans you up there, that unit is bringing.
I think that would be and I know they've played them.

(17:02):
They usually could have won this year, they could have
won the game last That's a rough first round matchup
for them, just at the line of scrimmage for their
own line and a quarterback that can't move in a
cold weather game, right, yeah.

Speaker 1 (17:12):
Massive, And then yeah, they need to get Alaric Jackson
and Dotson back because they're I mean Humphreys and their
offensive lines is not the same. You could see that
last night. But this is, yeah, the the difference. The
most nervous I mean you just you, I'm talking to you,
the most nervous fan base. It'll be Steelers Ravens fans

(17:33):
on Sunday night, but they're they're the most nartists. So
that's a win. And in Panthers Bucks isn't even winning
in unless you're the Panthers. But I think that those teams,
those fan bases are they know that they're not going far.
The forty nine Ers have a chance to go far.
If they win, they get the one seed, a bye,

(17:57):
a home game in the Division round, a home game
the Cofete champions, and then a potential home game the
super Bowl. But if they lose, the Rams are gonna
play their starters against Arizona, who's now a practice squad,
and then the forty nine ers are probably gonna drop
to the six and then you're probably going to Philly.
The difference between the one seed and then three home

(18:20):
games to the super Bowl and then oh wait, hey,
you're in Philly next week is astronomical. So I.

Speaker 2 (18:31):
Wish you and other I would say this for the
Philly game. Let's say the forty nine ers lose this
game Seattle, they go to Philly. All the pressures on
the Eagles, yes, like Robert Sali is dealing with me
and you. On defense, you got high priced players everywhere.
You know. It's like you would have no excuse to
not win that game. You cannot lose to this Niners
team with that defense, with your offense, you had aj Brown,

(18:54):
DeVante's Smid Dallas Goddard, Saquon Barkley. If you can't score
twenty five points, on these guys. Every you know, people
get heads are rolling that I would guarantee you this
if the Niners of the sixteen go to Philly and
beat them, which I would trust me. How he wants
no part of Kyle Shanahan coming in, you know, as
an underdog in round one. You lose that game. I mean,

(19:16):
Patola might as well pack up his ship because he
would immediately get fired. Yeah, he might be in trouble
no matter what. But yeah, and honestly, it's not all
his fallow. I mean the quarterback. They're a bizarre team
that they were, but their defense is when healthy m
Cooper de Jean's been. I mean, that guy looks incredible
right now. Jalen carter back there fit just so physical

(19:36):
a linebacker. Their defense is good.

Speaker 1 (19:38):
I mean, yeah, Quteil Mitchell. He's he's allowed I think
the lowest completion percentage of any cornerback over the past
five years. He's dominant to. Their defense is elite. But
I wouldn't be shocked if the forty Niners went to
Philly and one they came it. The Eagles offense is
almost matchup proof in that it doesn't matter who they play,

(20:00):
they go unless you're like completely impoversed, like Giants with
all their injuries. The Raiders like that's the only time
their offenses look good in months, like for a full game,
literally months. It doesn't matter that they played the Cowboys
defense and couldn't score in the second half. The Bills
defense is not great by any stretch. And they went

(20:22):
oh of seven set nineteen plays for nineteen yards in
the second half and one because you know, they had
a blocked extra point and then now and missed the
wide up and two point conversion, did four and could
easily go into Phill and win. I'm just saying the
difference between having to do that and then getting a
bye and knowing that they would they have two home
games to close the regal seasons. They would They don't
have to leave Saint Clara for two and a half

(20:44):
months as long as they keep winning.

Speaker 2 (20:46):
Okay, let's let's just go to Sunday and I don't
even care about the Saturday afternoon game. We'll come back.
The Steelers Ravens just feels right. You know this, this
this game has mattered for a long time. Though. I
think we'd all have to we'd all have to acknowledge
This doesn't quite feel like some of the prime matchups
because the Steelers. I just don't think people take the
Steelers out seriously anymore. And Sunday afternoon, I get a

(21:09):
DK suspended, Washington breaks his arm. That was a pitiful performance,
it really was. I agree with Cowar. He came on
once the game ended on CBS. It was like, why
did they abandon that they didn't have much offensive firepower.
Warren was having a successful They had like twelve carries
for seventy yards and they only had twelve carre Like,
why didn't he have twenty plus carries? Why didn't they
try to do something else? They've just been a weird offense.

(21:31):
Maybe Arthur Smith and Rogers the rapport of the play calling,
maybe Rogers changing plays in the Lion of Scrimmage. I
don't know, but that was a rough watch. I just
have little to know faith Now there are a lot
of you know, things up in the air, like is
TJ at Watt coming back or he just kind of
sneaky done for the season, and they're just not wanting
to acknowledge that Lamar Jackson is there, like a behind

(21:53):
the scenes Lamar Jackson beef with the Ravens. There's just
a lot of weird shit going on. You tell me,
I like the Ravens in this matchup. But you know
Tomlin home dog. They they've played well against the Ravens historically.
This is a bizarre game.

Speaker 1 (22:10):
The home when Tomlin and Harbaugh face off in the
regular season, the team getting three or more points I
think is twenty one to two and one against the
spread in saying it's not over ninety percent. Over almost
twenty years, it's been a dog dominated series. It's usually
lower scoring. I don't mind the under here. There's a
lot of moving parts here. First, with the Steelers defensively,

(22:35):
I mean they say that what has a chance now?
Tomlin said last week he needs all full participants, so
he needs to be a full pardicipant practice every day
of the week. So we'll know tomorrow today if he's
a full present.

Speaker 2 (22:48):
Is that because that injury is different than like a
rolled ankle or something.

Speaker 1 (22:51):
Yeah, that's what he said. He said because it's a
medical condition because if it's long, so i'll see if
he's back. James Pierre their corner, he's been banged up.
He's been really good for them. Brandon and Eccles is
also banged up, so they have some defensive injuries that
are worth monitoring. Also their starting guard Isaac Simolo, he's questionable.
Calvin Austin, I think they need him, like he didn't

(23:11):
play last week. They need his speed because the problem
with the Steelers offense right now is without DK Metcalf.
And you saw this last week and DK Metcalf, it's
not like he's the best receiver in the NFL, but
he's still really good. It's his the gravity. Number One.
He can make plays and he can go down the field,
but the gravity that he commands right you can watch

(23:31):
whenever the Steelers are near the bowl line, you'll have
a corner on Metcalf and then you'll have a safety
cheated over there. Without Metcalf in there, you can just
man up. Like last week, it's Adam Feelen, Scottie Miller
and mvs. You just man them up and your safeties
can come up. And then now they also lost Darnel Washington,

(23:55):
who's out for the year. That's big because they want
to go heavy and now you don't have metcalfs, you
want to throw to your tight ends more. And he
found a nice role in this offense. So without Metcalf,
this just becomes a much easier offense to defend, and
there's just no explosiveness. I assume they're going to try
to lean on their run game. The one good thing

(24:17):
here is that the Ravens can't get pressure like you
watch a raate They're like the forty nine ers defense.
Now they have a lot more talent on the back
end because they haven't had as many injuries as the
forty nine ers, but they don't get pressure, like, so
Rogers is not going to have to just be like
getting rid of it in one second.

Speaker 2 (24:34):
Worry about it.

Speaker 1 (24:35):
Yeah, yeah they so, But ken the Steelers receivers actually
get open, I have my doubts. But then on the
other side of the ball, when like the Ravens, who's
who's playing quarterback? Is it Lamar Jackson? Is it Tyler Huntly?
If it is Lamar Jackson, is he not one hundred percent?

(24:55):
And then he can't move as well and their run
game isn't as good. And then it's like, then the
Steelers have had a lot of success containing Lamar. If
it's Huntly there, it probably would benefit one hundred percent
healthy Huntley, Like it probably benefits their run game more
and then they're gonna feed. You can run on the Steelers,
They're gonna feed. Ah, well, they're gonna feed Henry here

(25:16):
just like last week. You can run on the Steers
and the Steelers know that. Do they load the box?
But I mean the Bills, So it's all the Bills did.
They just ran all over them with the same play.
So so many moving parts here. Like, as a Ravens fan,
I don't even know who I want to start like
I want to I would obviously you want to fully
healthy Lamar. He's way better than Huntley, but he's not
fully healthy, hasn't been all year, and every time you

(25:38):
see him he's not. So I don't even know who
I want, but it's gonna be.

Speaker 2 (25:44):
I think it's gonna expect Labar Jackson to be on
the team next.

Speaker 1 (25:47):
Year, depends how this season ends.

Speaker 2 (25:52):
Like I think they're mad at him that he's not
available at the end of these seasons.

Speaker 1 (25:57):
Yeah, I think that there's some there's some stuff going on.
You also could it also could be Harball. So they're like,
if the Ravens don't make the playoffs this year and
they lose Sunday Night there's definitely gonna be some big change.
I don't know what exactly it is, but there's gonna

(26:18):
be some big change coming for the organization. So but
here and here's the thing. If the Ravens get in
and like Lamar is healthy, like they could win the
a f C. Because the one, like the one and
two seeds are the are the Pats, the Broncos. You
have the Jags, like, this is not this is not

(26:41):
a gauntlet a f C. The Bills are probably gonna
have to go to the Jacksonville who are playing as
well as anyone, Like the Jags are playing so well,
the Bills are obviously dangerous with Josh Allen, one of
those teams is getting knocked out and on the first weekend,
so like the Texans are still Dangerous's that's pret you'll
have to play, but you get you get to the

(27:03):
divisional round and the conference championship, Like are you really
that scared of playing bow Knicks and the Patriots Like
they're they're good teams, but this isn't the peak Buffalo
and Kansas City teams of the past years that you
had to get through. So if Lamar can somehow get
healthy and the Ravens get in, they could make the

(27:25):
Super Bowl. But if they don't, I think there's gonna
be big changes. So yeah, that's that's why we love
the NFL. And obviously the script writers got it right.
And uh, it's gonna the It's gonna come down to
the last game of the regular season on Sunday Night.
The biggest the thing that I'm most confident in that

(27:46):
game is that it'll be low scoring. I think the
Ravens are gonna rely on the run. The Steelers, they
the receivers can't get open. There's no explosiveness, like they
actually hit some explosives for like the first time in
months against the Ravens when they first played. That was
Metcalf and he's not there. So I think this would
be a lower scoring game, probably come down to something random,
But there's a lot of moving parts here with injuries

(28:08):
and then the Ravens quarterback situation. I'm not sure I'll
have a bet on it, other than I did bet
some under small.

Speaker 2 (28:20):
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(29:27):
must be twenty one plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado. Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee,
and Virginia to play terms and conditions apply. Concerned about
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(29:51):
nine with it. Gambling problem, call one hundred gambler Arizona, Colorado, Illinois,
New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia. Okay, Uh, I guess I'll
just ride Todd Bulls Baker Mayfield line in the sand game.

(30:14):
Uh doesn't even guarantee them the division. Uh? But at home?
I don't know what a bizarre season from them? I
saw you tweeted out either last week. Yeah, it would
have been last week against Miami, Like they're they're a
terrible team. But Carolina, I mean they quarterback just through
fifty yards.

Speaker 1 (30:32):
Carolina's not good. The best team the division is the Falcons.

Speaker 2 (30:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (30:38):
This the NFL should step in and say the Saints
Falcons is for the division. I agree, they should just
change the rules. Funny enough, I King could decide the
division if the Bucks win, and uh.

Speaker 2 (30:50):
The way that who would who would the Rams? Seattle
or the Niners. They would much rather play Tampa or
Carolina than they would go to the road in New
Orleans or Atlanta right now, right.

Speaker 1 (31:01):
For sure, definitely don't know. None of all those teams
are chooses over Atlanta. Who has They have a good defense.
Atlanta's has a dumb staff and historically bad special teams.
Like if you look at this this Atlanta team, they
easily could have eleven twelve wins. I mean they lost.

(31:22):
They lost to the Patriots in New England by one
because they missed an extra point. They've had like four
kickers this year. They lost to the Jets, they out
game in AB one hundred the years because they moufed
a punt at the one. I mean, the almost flew
the game last night because they had a fuel goal
to go up seventeen blocked and returned for a touchdown.
They lost the Colts game in overtime. They gave up
like three long returns in that game. I mean, their

(31:43):
special teams are historically bad. They blew the Panthers game.
Everyone got hurt. They lost in overtime in that game.
I mean this team has like four or five. They've
the Bucks game, they blew early in the year now.
They probably should have lost the Bucks a second time.
But I mean, this team easily should be a ten
plus win team with their schedule in that division, but

(32:04):
they're not. It's typical Falcons the most like this would
it would make so much sense that this NFC South,
what's gonna happen is the Bucks win and then the
Falcons win on Sunday and the Panthers get in at
eight and nine. Like that that would be that would
wrap it all. And it would be so Falcons to
finish eight to nine tied for first and not get

(32:27):
in and somehow finished tied for first when they've been
eliminated for a month from the playoffs and they finished
tied for first, the most Falcons thing ever, I think
that's gonna happen. So I did bet the Bucks. I
hate the bull I think the Bucks are terrible. I've
been saying it for months since Week seven. Bakers twenty

(32:47):
eighth and Epa per play. I don't know if he's
hurt poor, he's just a part of it. He might
be hurt part of it. As he came back crashing
back down on the earth. You got to remember it.
Over the first he was playing at like an MVP
level that we've never seen before in the final two
minutes of games, like it was so oh one sustainable.
They were winning all these games with like the last
drive that was never gonna last. And they've had injuries.
It looks like Tristan Wurfs will play that's big at

(33:09):
left tackle, and the Panthers can't get pressure. Bryce Young
is not the same quarterback. It's away from home. He's
I mean, he's not great anyway. But I had to
play the Bucks year. This is the first time we've
had in the Bucks all year. And yeah, this was
my first bet on the Bucks all year. I just
got it under three. I don't think it should be
under three. Two weeks ago, the Bucks were minus three

(33:30):
in Carolina. Now they lost by three. It's a coin
flip game. They outgame Carolina. They had a Jamel Dean
had a coverage bust at the end of the first
half with like twenty second stuff that led to a touchdown.
He ran the wrong coverage. But now you're they're laying
two and a half. It's just two weeks later, and
it's not like the Panthers had a good data point
last week. I know the Bucks didn't lose them to

(33:51):
the Dolphins, but the Panthers through had twenty four attempts
for fifty yards. So I have to play two and
a half worth. I know there's some other injuries Dean Reddick,
their guards, but this Panthers defense can't get pressure.

Speaker 2 (34:06):
There.

Speaker 1 (34:07):
It's Bryce. It's Bryce Young on the road. I think
this is the bottom of the market on the Bucks.
Like everyone, no one wants to bet them now. They
they haven't covered in two months. They're a and eight
against the spread in their best eight games, one and
seven overall. It's this is the bottom. I mean, you're
two weeks ago they're fair by three in Carolina. Now
they're like two and a half at home. I have

(34:28):
to take it. It's terrible. It sucks. And what I
think my prediction Bucks win, Falcons win on Sunday and
the Panthers get in the playoffs at eight and nine
and host a game.

Speaker 2 (34:43):
And what's the what's the line on the Bucks or
on the Atlanta Falcons minus three games in Atlanta.

Speaker 1 (34:50):
Falcons minus three. I don't mind, dude, Falcons. You never
want to be as a favorite, though, like you bet
them as a dunt because they're just Tyler.

Speaker 2 (34:56):
Tyler Shuck's you know, like Perty Junior. Right now, he's hot.

Speaker 1 (34:59):
Shuck is very hot. And I will say, like it's
maybe the the Shuck love is that you know, you're
at an all time high. He's the last He's played
the the Jets, the the Panthers, the Dolphins, the Bucks,
the Panthers. I mean, he's on there on a run
of playing like the worst teams in the NFL. So,

(35:21):
but the Falcons will probably find it. This game was
gonna go overtime. That's just gonna happen. Saints Falcons is
gonna go overtime, and if they tie, the Bucks go
to the playoffs. If the Saints win, the Bucks go
to the playoffs. If the Panthers win, I mean, if
the Falcons win, then the Panthers go. It's gonna get wild.
I'm actually I'm actually really excited for it. But I
did bet the Bucks of minus two and a half

(35:41):
lean Falcons, but I just I hate betting them as
a favorite because they're special teams. They do dumb things
and but they're they're like a decent team, Like they
got a good defense. Cousins is playing well, Pitts has emerged,
you know London, it will be his thirty and back.
Bijon is unbelievable. Their offensive line is good. If they
just I had like a decent special teams, this division

(36:03):
would be wrapped up and they would be an interesting
team in the NFC. But it's not. We're gonna have
a team that's probably gonna get blown out in the
first round.

Speaker 2 (36:11):
If you and me were Andy Reid and bread Veitch
and we're going to play the Raiders, a team that
you know, it's in theory, it's a historic rivalry. We've
been there, we've kind of dominated. But we go listen,
why are we just gonna win this game and just
hand them and there's no guarantee Fernando Mendoza's gonna be

(36:32):
a top ten quarterback. But give them the opportunity to
resurrect their franchise. We don't really need to do that
much different than what we've been doing because we got
Ola Kanu or whatever rolling around out there. But why
don't we make sure and I bring the owner in
as well, why don't we make sure we lose this game?
You know Lamar Hunt remember in al Davis I think
used to butt heads way back in the day. It's

(36:54):
an easy one to like. Okay, let's you guys took
care of business. You got Crosby's run around playing basketball.
He looks fine. I mean, was just the best player
in the field two weeks ago against the Houston Texans.
I mean he was. He was incredible in that game.
Uh and Bowers on Irs, I see what you're doing,
which I don't. I would do it too if I
were you, But I'm gonna ruin your season. And here's

(37:14):
the thing with the Chiefs. One two, three, four, five, six,
seven eight. If the season ended today, they'd have the
ninth overall pick. So a loss now Cleveland, the Saints
could technically win that that pick could be like eighth.
I mean this is it could be a big swing
with an extra win to get to seven. You're in
this world of like the Cowboys, the Dolphins, Tampa Atlanta.

(37:38):
You just kind of swim in a different world. Maybe
that goes from eight to like fourteen, you know, you
know how sometimes those swings happen. I think the Chiefs
are very incentivized to lose this game for multiple reasons.

Speaker 1 (37:49):
So, yeah, this game is wild.

Speaker 2 (37:50):
All of a sudden, you get like Bane the kid,
the Miami Passer or whoever, right, Like you could change
your franchise with like, oh, look at they got him,
and like Lad mcconkee and the second I mean, you
get two top ten picks in the first second round,
Like I could change the course of you know, mahomes
Nandy's second second run here.

Speaker 1 (38:09):
Yeah, so this gime's fascinating. I will say there's a
scenario where, well, number one, if the Giants win, they
played the Cowboys, they're like five point hundred dollars. If
the Giants win it one, the Raiders have the number
one pick already wrapped up, So that's worth mentioning.

Speaker 2 (38:28):
The Cowboys are gonna try, though Dack's already said, yeah, I'm.

Speaker 1 (38:31):
Just saying like that is. But if the Giants lose,
in order for the Giants to get the number one pick,
then they Vegas would have to win, and then you
would have to have at least two of these four
teams win Seattle, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Chicago. So if like

(38:53):
Seattle lost, there's a there's a a what I'm getting at,
because then it would come down to strength of the victory.

Speaker 2 (39:00):
There's a path for the Raiders to win and still
get the win pick.

Speaker 1 (39:03):
Yeah, there's a path that the Raiders know at four
o'clock or o'clock that they already have the one. I
don't know if they're if they're like if they're even
going to consider I don't know. But so like number one,
they don't know that that during the week, and they
won't know that until the one o'clock games are over.
So who are they going to rule out? Is genty

(39:25):
going to get ruled out? I mean Gino has already
been ruled out. Who else are they going to rule out?
Not that they have a lot of players that matter.
I mean last week they basically took out their their
best defensive player. They ruled they ruled Colton Miller out,
their best offensive player, and Bowers they were actively trying
to lose. But yes, you have the Chiefs who, regardless

(39:46):
if they want to say the Raiders already have the
one pick locked up, they want to improve their draft pick,
which they rarely get to do. So what does that
mean for the Chiefs? Yes, they I bet them against
Theroncos because that was Christmas Night against Denver. You're trying
to play spoiler. Remember the week before in Tennessee they
were lifeless. And now this is week eighteen. Like you said,

(40:09):
you're incentivized. The players on the field are going to try.
But do you sit Chris Jones, d Nick Bolton? You
know carlaftis worthy, right, A lot of these guys, you
could just sit them all and then you have a
third string quarterback in Ola Duken. They I mean the
Chiefs had one hundred and thirty yards and three point

(40:29):
three yards per play last week. I get it was
the Broncos defense, but this line is crazy, so Ola
Duken and potentially a shell roster is laying six on
the road in in Vegas. I get the Bowers in
Crosby are out, but the Raiders were just mine. I
mean the Broncos were just minus seven and a half
and in Vegas, and the Broncos were just minus thirteen

(40:54):
and a half in Kansas City. That's an enormous move.
So like, how much is this is tank worth? But
the Chiefs might also be tanking, so I don't know.
I feel like the bet in the game is the
Raiders catching the points, but it's ugly.

Speaker 2 (41:14):
Any other games that you like in this weird slate?

Speaker 1 (41:18):
I love the Bengals. I think the Bengals roll the Browns.
There's so the Bengals, their offense is obviously clicking right now,
like some of their young offensive line pieces are playing better.
You got Borrow back all your pieces. Borrow is going
to start and play so and their offense right now
is clicking. And the Browns defense is just not the
same unit on the road, Like they have one objective here,

(41:40):
it's to get Miles Garrett's sack record, and their defense
is just not that. I mean, over the past three years,
the most profitable home team against the spread, the Browns.
The least profitable road team the Browns.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
I think.

Speaker 1 (41:51):
I think they're six and twenty against the spread on
the road. I mean, it's been pathetic. But the other
thing is that on the other side of the ball,
I don't think I don't think that they could slow
Barrow up enough to a point where they can keep up.
Like you can do that against the Steelers offense, which
was very shorthanded. But they're not gonna have Fen in here,
most likely Nadjoku and their offense is basically throw it

(42:13):
to Fen and that's how good he is as a rookie.
Luckily he was in there for a quarter before he
pulled its growing last week and he caught a fifty
yard touchdown because after that, their offense couldn't do anything.
And the Bengals defense is actually playing much better, and
it's I think it's there's always gonna be a lot
of variants in defensive numbers over short term timeframes, but

(42:35):
there's reasons to believe why the Bengals defense is much
better than it was now. Over the first ten weeks
of the year, they were historically bad. I'm talking like,
if you go by DVA or just for opponent, they
were the worst DVA defensive through ten weeks of all time,
So adjusting for opponent year, they were that bad. Why

(42:56):
has it improved since Week ten? So over the past
six weeks one of the better defenses in the NFL
from an EPA perspective. And it's not like they've played clowns.
I mean, they played the Pats, the Bills, the Ravens twice,
the doll and then you know, they played the Dolphins
and the Cardinals. But the Cardinals offense has been putting

(43:18):
up points and they shut them down last week. Why
has it even been better? One they changed their front
alignment Slayton is playing much better. They're getting something from
Murphy up front. They have two rookie linebackers and Carter
and Knight, who were basically unplayable for the first ten weeks,
like unbelievably bad. But they've been playing better, which you'd

(43:41):
expect for rookies. Both they're still not great, but they
were not They're like serviceable. And then they they moved
Dax Hill out to outside corner and he's been locked
down and I mean he's been unbelievable since moving to
the outside. And then DJ Turner's been one of the
better corners that's been there on bright Spot for the
entire season. So now they have two really good outside

(44:03):
corners and and a lot of it is because this guy,
I always forget his name, Jalen Davis. He's been on
like the practice squad. He's been around for a while.
He's he took over the nickel role and is playing well.
And then the other thing is that you had a
new defensive coordinator come in and now Golden highly respected guy,

(44:23):
so it took him some time to like figure some
things out. He's changed some things schematically, so their defense
is actually respectable and that's all. They're not great. It's
not a good defense, but it's not horrendous and they
are improving and that's all you need to slow down
this Brown's offense, which is abysmal and it's going to
be probably without Fannin and Nadjoku. So yeah, I think
the Bengals role here and you might have a little

(44:46):
bit of an emotional letdown for the Browns, right, like
they last week was kind of their super Bowl to
spoil the Steelers season potentially. So yeah, I like the
Bengals to roll elsewhere. There's not much I mean, there's
a lot of like, all right, who's playing watching it's
still early in the week.

Speaker 2 (45:18):
Yeah, well, let let's talk about some games in the matter.
Let's hit on a couple of the quick college football games.
You know, Miami's defense is pretty good, yeah right, and
we just saw you know, Indiana, who has a really
good defense, you know, give slaying them a little trouble.
Now you get this long layoff, it can go well,

(45:39):
but it can also they proved last year that you know,
it cannot go well. They came in and like boat
raced Oregon in that game, which was one of the
crazier I would say outcomes I can remember just because
it happened so fast. Now, I think a lot of
people just don't trust Carson Beck. But like nine and
a half feels like a lot of points for a

(45:59):
team with NFL guys all over its roster, especially like
you said last week in the Trenches or two weeks
ago against A and M, and like you got good
offensive defensive line, like you can just hang in games,
you can run the ball. They start running the ball
at the end of that game against A and M.
I heard someone say, like they were at the game
against A and M. I think it's underrated for people
sitting on their couch how much the wind was blowing.

(46:20):
Like the wind was you could show see it when
they put the flags up there in that game.

Speaker 1 (46:25):
Yeah it was.

Speaker 2 (46:26):
Yeah. So I is Miami kind of a sneaky live
dogre maybe not to win the game, but plus nine
and I have feels like a lot.

Speaker 1 (46:34):
Yeah if I that's that's the way that I would look,
especially with the total it's forty one, Like the points
are gonna make a premium. Getting over a touchdown is
even more valuable. I do think that the Miami defensive
line can cause the Ohio Sted offensive line major problems.
I think that the Ohighsted offensive line and their running
game is where they are significantly worse than last year.
I mean, obviously you lost Henderson and Judkins. Their running

(46:56):
game is just not as good. And then their offensive line,
specifically on the right side. And this this Miami team
in the trenches. They have the top five offensive and
defensive line. That will help. So I think that they can.
They're gonna play a lot of too high. They're gonna
take away the explosive plays. They're gonna let their defensive
line and make plays make the Buckeyes drive down the field.

(47:20):
So yeah, I think their defense can hang. My biggest
concern is the Ohio State defense is elite. Is Beck Is
he gonna make mistakes and which he is prone to
do because he did not play well against A and M.
Now there was wind and A and M's defense is good,
but it's nowhere close to as good as Ohio State.

(47:40):
That would be my biggest concern. But yeah, I think
this will be a lower scoring game. Two really slow,
methodical teams. Ohio State was the slowest team in the
country this year. Now, a lot of that was load management,
and there's this narrative out there that, oh, well they
did this last year, which they did and then once
they got into the playoffs they sped it up. No
they didn't. They played just really slow again. So we'll see.

(48:03):
Like there's talk with the play calling at gran Day
is gonna be more involved the play calling. Herdline is
still there, but he's going to South Florida after the season,
so well see if that changes. I don't know, but
like from what we know, this will be a really slow,
methodical game where like just you might have like ten
to fifteen fewer plays than a normal game in an
average game. That makes the points even more valuable. So yeah,

(48:26):
I think you have to have to look at the points.
I think it'll be a defensive battle.

Speaker 2 (48:31):
I'd be lying if I said I watched that much tech.
I do respect. I mean, I think Utah and BYU
were obviously good programs, and they beat the shit out
of them three times, so it was like clearly they
paid for this defensive line. You know, Oregon's favored in
this game Morning game. I don't know, I mean long

(48:51):
travel right, this game is in Miami, correct, so this
is I don't know. I guess I would take Oregon.
Don't feel great about it. I just don't have a
great feel for Texas Tech. Beside, I know their quarterback
has been a little hit or miss, but the defensive
line is just really good. Right. Defensive line like high
end guys like you create havoc.

Speaker 1 (49:12):
Yeah, defensive line with height.

Speaker 2 (49:15):
David Bailey is the linebackers stud.

Speaker 1 (49:18):
Yeah, Lee Hunter nose tackle, Jacob Rodriguez, Ben Robert, Jacob
Agriaz linebacker and watched him. He's great players, So like they're.
My biggest question for them is their corners. They haven't
really faced elite passing attacks all year, like Utah doesn't
have good receivers BYU is decent, but that they don't
have like this electric passing attack. That's my biggest concernative.

(49:38):
But they're their defensive line. We'll get after any quarterback,
We'll get after any offensive line. And in this Oregon team,
their offense didn't look It looked pretty pedestrian against most
of the high end defenses they played right against Indiana,
it wasn't great against even on the road against Penn
State against Iowa. I know there was some weather involved

(50:01):
in there, but when they played like these high end defenses.
It wasn't great, which lent me to think that this
game is going to go under. I like a first
half under two Morton, the Texas Tech quarterback. He's still
not at one hundred percent. He has a hairline fraction
in his leg. He says he's at like eighty percent.
Now Tech can't really run the ball. This is like
the best defense they will play all year. The only

(50:21):
top twenty ish defenses they played all year were BYU
and Utah. And I mean those games were at the
half were like ten seven ten nothing, seven to three.
They were ugly low scoring games. They have a rhythm,
timing based offense too. They've been out, they've been on
a long break. A lot of these air raid ish
offenses when they have long breaks. This is going back

(50:43):
to Leach. Takes a while to get back into the rhythm.
You can see some slow starts. So I like some
first half under, some full game under. I believe in
that the Tech defense making enough plays. That defensive line
is super elate, their linebackers are super elite, and this
is the best defensive Tech will face all year. Their

(51:05):
running game isn't consistent, it's very inefficient, that's how you
want to attack Oregon. It's not the strength of Texas
Tech so and Morton's not aut one hundred percent. So
I think this will be a lower scoring game. So
I played some first half under, some full game under.
If it got the three, i'd consider Tech, but I
don't have a strong feel on the side.

Speaker 2 (51:27):
Yeah, this is it's a little like the Indiana Ohio
State game. No, obviously Indiana is playing another huge game,
but like, this would be the biggest win the history.
I mean, this would just be a massive moment for
the program. It doesn't get any bigger for Oregon. You know. Obviously,
their expectations now over the course since Chip got there
is like can be for national championships. Not saying that

(51:47):
this wouldn't be like a they'd be disappointed if they lose,
but it's like they're a big picture program at this
point in time.

Speaker 1 (51:54):
Yeah, next year is the year. I mean, Oregon could
win all this year. I don't think they will, but
it could. I mean it's pretty wide open, but next
year's the year for Oregon. We'll see about Dante Moore
and what he decides. I assume he's gonna go.

Speaker 2 (52:06):
But if you can see him coming back because they
can pay him like they payim like ten million dollars.

Speaker 1 (52:11):
I can see so if he come if he comes back,
like this, next year is the year really for Oregon
because they are so young. You look across that roster
they are, I mean, because they lost a ton from
that roster from last year and they I mean they
have obviously have a pipeline of recruits and then they
fill in with the portal. But their roster is set

(52:32):
up next year to be I mean, so is Ohio State.
But like, those are your two favorites going in the
next year. So any anything that they if they were
to win it, that would be just house money found
money this year. But yeah, it should be it should
be a good entertainer. Again, the Tech defensive line, like
the front seven for Tech is national title best in

(52:53):
the nation. Good.

Speaker 2 (52:55):
I would say this. You know, when I was seventeen
to nothing, You're like, oh, this Bama team's a joke,
and then it flip. Clearly Materii, I don't know what
the hell happened to him. You know, after the hand injury,
he was a shell of himself and he was bad
in this game. Again. I made you look at Indiana
played two really good teams and they won by ten
on the road at Oregon, which was a massive win

(53:16):
for their program and obviously the biggest win the history
of the Indiana football when they would beat Ohio State.
They blow out a lot of the bad teams, but
seven points feels like a lot against Kalin, who's excellent
against high end opponents, and you just have to go, well,
Bama obviously has a bunch of high end guys on
their roster. Did they find a little something, they get

(53:37):
a little momentum? No one on their roster. And I'm
not saying this is correct, but we'll look at Indiana
like an equal. You know, how could they they fucking
are at Alabama? But I don't know. I kind of
like Bama in this spot. Plus seven little risky, little risky.
Might it might be you know, recency bias on the

(53:57):
second half.

Speaker 1 (53:58):
But yeah, I mean they definitely got fortune against Oklahoma.
I mean they had Oklahoma some somehow. They have like
elite special teams all year, the Lugros Award winner missing kicks,
they dropped a punt, they dropped the wide up and touchdown.
I could have made it to what twenty four to seven.
Mitchyeer throws the pick six at the end of the half.
Like that, everything that could have went wrong went wrong.
My concern with BATA, I mean, like this team for

(54:20):
like a couple of months has not been playing like
an elite team, not even like a top ten team.
I mean, they should have lost. They could have easily
lost to Auburn, they should have lost that South Carolina.
There's been just been a number of games that they've
gotten away with this year. And why is that so? Like, well,
they cannot run the ball. They were one of the
worst rushing offenses in the country, so that when you're

(54:42):
so one dimensional and you play elite teams, it's very
difficult to win. And on the other side, they don't
really get elite pressure. They're like, so if I look
at these two teams, one of these teams can run
the ball, that's Indiana. One of these teams can get pressure,
that's Indiana. I think that might end up be the difference.
But Alabama, with their talent at receiver and Simpson like there,

(55:06):
I mean, they have the capability of hitting explosive plays
and winning this game. The Bama special teams also all
year have been really bad. But that's just hard to
rely on. And Indiana knows that has extra time to
repair really smart staff. It's it's just the super unsustainable
formula to try to win these games with, just like
Simpson having the drop back and known passing situations against

(55:28):
the defense that can get pressure that is really good
and you have to get I mean, Indiana, two of
the teams that people wouldn't be surprised won the national title,
Oregon and Ohio State. They won both both away from home,
so like you have to give them credit for that.
And they have they have the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback,
a really good defense, a really good offensive line, and
the better they have a better offensive line than Alabama.

(55:50):
So I think Indiana gets it done. If you took
the points with Alabama now at seven, I wouldn't blame
you though, But super cool matchup of.

Speaker 2 (55:59):
Like Indiana, I was gonna have a season to be
pretty crazy when you look back that in.

Speaker 1 (56:03):
The Alabama on neutral field and the college club against Alabama.

Speaker 2 (56:08):
It's pretty wild, you know. Georgia. I saw Lane Kiffin
talking about how his coaches, you know, I mean, they're
working two jobs a lot going on to get a
pretty big patch against Tulane, which clearly they match up
with the game never has a shot. Georgie. I remember
watching this game in the middle of the season and
they just they went up and down the field. I mean,
they scored it will and then all of a sudden,

(56:30):
the fourth quarter hit and Chamblists he kind of like
melted down. They started getting pressure and he turned into
like a different quarterback immediately. It was like, what is
going on? And you know that kind of flipped George's
like that gave them a lot of momentum moving forward
after that win. And you know, you know, Lane doesn't
call plays. I've seen a lot of people talk about this,

(56:50):
like Charlie Weiss called like over ninety five percent of
the place. Lane would chime in every once in a
while in a big spot or when he sees something.
But Charlie Weiss was that this wasn't one of those
situations where he was an offensive coordinator by name only.

Speaker 1 (57:03):
Yeah, Lame would just have his wrinkles. He would make
some Indian calls, some aggressive stuff.

Speaker 2 (57:10):
So like their core of the defensive coordinator and the
offensive coordinator are still there. Their defense just isn't as
good as a lot of these other teams right from
a personnel standpoint, you know, when you talk about Oregon, Miami, OSU,
like Texas text d line that ain't that ain't all
missed correct? They got to score now, the running back
suite quarterbacks when he's on, he's fucking good. I just

(57:30):
wonder I see these clips of Kirby just lighting them
up in practice. I wonder if he's kind of thinking
like this could be number three this year there So,
I mean, I guess I don't have a great feel
for this game. I just I wonder iful Miss kind
of runs out of steam here.

Speaker 1 (57:46):
Yeah, I would lean Georgia, but as always with Georgia,
I'll be looking to bet them live. They go down
so much in games, like more than any good team.
They're not good on the script offensively, Bobo, their office
quater is not good on the script. Ole Miss usually is.
And they'll have some wrinkles here, they'll have some like
I think that they will probably start fast here and

(58:09):
then the best end game adjuster in the sport. And
that's what happened. In the first meeting. Kirby started changing
some of the looks. He's won them countless games by adjusting,
so he already did that against ole Miss once. I
think ole Miss will have some counters early, So if
Georgia gets down, I'll be looking to bet them live.
But I think Georgia will be able to run the
ball here. They might get Kobe Young back. It looks

(58:31):
like they will get Colby Young back at receiver. He
got hurt in that first game, hasn't played since. That'll
give him another big target. So yeah, I think Georgia
gets it done. I think the line is about right.
But if I can get like a cheap number on
Georgia live, if ole Miss scores first, if it's like
fourteen seven, fourteen to three, I think this game could
play out similar to the first meeting. The one thing

(58:54):
that gives me a little pause with I do kind
of want to root for ole Miss after it with
like kind of too all right, like that the Georgia
game against Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech defense is really bad
and they played on a neutral field and they couldn't
move the ball, And that game I can't get out
of my head. That was two weeks ago. They just

(59:14):
couldn't do anything. I don't know what happened that week,
So like, now I'm so confused about the Georgia offense.
I thought it was like a sending and that game
just has me. Now they beat Alabama after that, but
that game is I just can't get out of my head.
But I do think Georgia Advances would lean them on

(59:35):
the number. We'll be looking for them live for sure,
and then if if we do get if the chalk
does hold, I think we're in for some really good semifinals.
But part of me does like just after what happened

(59:58):
with kiffen Ole miss making a run, I think it
was pretty cool.

Speaker 2 (01:00:05):
I would totally agree with you. Well, enjoy a rager
with you had you had a son, right, yep, a
baby boy. So I enjoy New Year's even, enjoy the
enjoy the games, and we will talk next week when
we see the uh the brackets come out, which I
think you and I we've already been hitting that. But
it's gonna be really hard to bet on this playoffs

(01:00:28):
because these teams, like, there's no not much difference in
any of these teams, so it's it should be a
pretty exciting NFL playoffs as for damn sure, So let's
enjoy the games and then uh, and then get after it.

Speaker 1 (01:00:39):
Yeah, good luck to your niners. So, by the way,
the one thing one question I want to ask you
is isn't Warner potentially coming back? I've heard rumblings.

Speaker 2 (01:00:45):
I mean he shattered, is it? I mean I'd be stunned.
Super Bowl, which seems a little now he was out
there celebrating, but I would We've got a long way
to go before that's even a conversation. Okay, let's talk
about a couple of teams that I think are pretty
zoned in right now. And as a lover of the draft,

(01:01:07):
I know a lot of you are as well. It's
always fun around this time of year. Who's gonna draft?
Where all the bad teams fighting for pole position? And
one major source of I would say draft conversation has
come from the Raiders because of the situation that they
had with Max Crosby, that brock Bauers went on injured

(01:01:28):
reserve like it's a tank job. I have no problem
anyone tanking in sports in general. The last you know,
stretch of a season, right as long as the Raiders
tried to be competitive, they were not, didn't work out
and now they're here. You didn't come this far to
draft fourth, might as well draft first. They haven't had
the number one overall pick since way back with JaMarcus Russell.

(01:01:51):
That thing obviously blew up in their face. Ironically, they
found a quarterback who was a long time started for
him in the second round in Derek Carr. But they're
staring at the barrel at Fernando Mendoza. They control their
own destiny. Just lose get the number one overall pick.
But I haven't heard many people talking about the Chiefs.
The Kanca Chiefs, who have been a five Super Bowls
in six years, are having a season from hell. They're

(01:02:11):
currently drafting in the top ten, and if they lose
this game, pretty good chance they're gonna have the eighth
overall pick. So that would give them the flexibility They
could get up even higher and potentially get one of
the best non quarterbacks in the draft. They could stay
at eight and get a star right there. They could
trade back gain some extra like second round picks. They
can retool on the fly. The other thing is the

(01:02:34):
Raiders are in their division, so this is not some
uncommon opponent that you play once every four years. It's
a team you played twice a year, so why wouldn't you,
you know, intentionally try to screw them. If I'm Andy
Reid and I'm Brett Veach, I'm having I'm telling my
owner this week, we are going to lose to the Raiders. Now,
they've been losing games, you know, against the Titans, against

(01:02:55):
the Broncos with this, you know, third string practice squad
level quarterbacks. They might have to try that hard, but
the Raiders are clearly actively trying to lose. And to me,
if I'm the Chiefs, I think a huge part of
this conversation, we match them, and we make sure we
try to screw them over. And who knows there are
some other scenarios where the Raiders can actually win this
game and still maintain the number one overall pick, But

(01:03:17):
I'm making it difficult on him. If I'm the Chiefs,
I've come this far, I've had such a crappy season.
I'm going six and eleven, ending up with the eighth
pick and retooling this bad boy on the fly Audios,
the volume