August 17, 2022 • 38 mins
On today's episode, Jason kicks things off by sharing a few juicy details surrounding his contentious DM exchange with Kevin Durant. Needless to say KD wasn't a fan of some of the things Jason said on yesterday's podcast. Later, J-Mac takes a verbal blowtorch towards Aaron Rodgers after the Green Bay Packers publicly called out his young wide receivers. This type of jerky behavior coming from Rodgers isn't all that shocking, but it is highly disappointing. Finally, longtime FOX Sports broadcaster Tim Brando swings by to discuss how he ultimately ended up at FOX, why he believes the PGA Tour and LIV Golf series can eventually co-exist, why he believes Utah – not USC – is the best team in the Pac-12 entering next season, why he's betting the over on both the LSU and Kansas win totals, why he has Baylor as a dark horse national championship contender, what makes Alabama and Ohio State the class of college football this upcoming season, why Texas has been seemingly stuck in a rut for the last few years, why he’s picking Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba – not quarterback CJ Stroud – to win the Heisman, and much more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. What is up,
straight Fire Fan, It's me Jason McIntyre, Straight Fire for Wednesday,
August se special treat Today the one and only Tim Brando,
longtime college football college basketball announcing voice. You guys will
(00:26):
know him. He's done some NFL. He's a big golfer,
so we'll talk a little golf. I know we got
some golf listeners on the podcast. We'll get into that.
A lot of college football though. Before I get to Tim,
I just have to say I don't want to fully
go through it, and I'm only gonna touch on this
because it is football season. We got some good airon
Rodger stuff coming up. That being said, the sensitivity from
(00:50):
Kevin Durant after yesterday's podcast, I've told you guys, it's like,
I'm not gonna tweet this stuff out because I'm not
trying to like be that guy. But I'm just telling
you after yesterday's podcast, that was a little harsh on Durant.
Some people said overly harsh. I tagged him when I
posted it on Instagram Stories, and of course he fires
back instantly in very very unhappy language that it's professional sports.
(01:17):
They trade people and cut them all the time. But
I have to live by certain rules. He sends me
this d M and again, listen, Kevin Durant is a
man of the people. He loves to engage on social media.
And I'm like, dude, other than you know, Charles Barkley
demanding trades and he was, He's not even a top
ten player all time. We've never seen elite superstars of
(01:37):
your caliber demand trades and jump around like this. And
this is where Durant loses me. And I've been a
Durant fan, I've been a Durant defender. I said great
things about him. He's obviously an all time great player,
he says. Lebron James played on four different teams. And
I mean, I'm sitting there in my car driving to
Fox yesterday morning, and I'm at like a pup. I
(02:00):
don't know. I shouldn't be on on my phone. But when
Kevin Durant sending you d M at the stoplight, you're
on your phone and I'm sitting Lebron, Wait, you mean
the guy who went to Miami one two titles, then
goes back to Cleveland Winds that goes to the Lakers,
and with that Lebron. Is that who you're talking about?
He says Alex Rodriguez. I was like, wait, did I
miss something? A rod played for three teams in twenty years,
(02:21):
he says. Ken Griffy Jr. I look at Ken Griffey Jr.
Ken Griffey Jr. Was you know, played on three teams
at like thirty nine years old? A shell of himself,
not in his prime, he says Shack, Folks, the narrative
on Shack Kobe is was not great. At the end.
Kobe said, trade Shack or trade me. Gave the Lakers
an ultimatum. They went with the younger, better wing player.
(02:44):
So the Lakers traded Chack. After Shock went to Miami,
the Miami Heat said, we've had our fellow, Shack. He
served his purpose. We won with Wade Shack. You're going
to Phoenix. Then Phoenix traded. Check. This isn't prime Acts
saying I'm out of here every two years. This is
Shack getting shipped. There's no connection at all with what
(03:08):
Kevin Durant's done. And then you know, we get into
this big back and forth and he says, I don't
mind admitting he said this. It's the dweebs like you
who are obsessed with me. You want to speak for
sports fans when they don't even look like you, or
I'm sorry, they don't even like you, l O L
And I'm like, okay, fair enough, Kevin Durant. Sports fans
(03:31):
don't like me. You have five million followers on Instagram.
Everybody likes you? Sure they do, Katie, All right, I've
had enough of Kevin Durant. I quickly need to talk
about Aaron Rodgers, who you know, made some comments on
Tuesday that are gonna be everywhere. I'll be talking about them,
I'm certain. On the Herd today with Colin, Aaron Rodgers
unhappy after practice, said the young guys, especially the young receivers,
(03:54):
we gotta be way more consistent. A lot of drops,
a lot of bad route decisions, running the wrong route.
We gotta get better in that area. No, he's not
talking about like Lazard and Cobb and Watkins. He's talking
about the young guys. Who are the young guys you ask?
Fourth round draft pick out of Nevada Romeo dubs that,
(04:15):
my friends, is who Aaron Rodgers is this upset with
a fourth round pick out of Nevada? Like really, are
we serious? That's who he's sounding off on. There's a
couple of different types of leaders out here, and there's
one that wants to lead by example. I'm gonna throw
my guys under the bus. They're gonna react because I'm
the man, and they're gonna fall in line. You know, Listen,
(04:37):
a lot of guys have tried this. It works with
a bunch of them. Michael Jordan's famously, you know, on
the Last Dance shows how he was just berating teammates
left and right. Kobe Bryant late in his years with
the Lakers, um just brutal on his teammates. But a
rookie out of Nevada, a fourth round pick. Nobody thought
Romeo Dubs is gonna be the savior. What Christian Watson,
(05:01):
the second round pick, just got off the pup list. Okay,
he had off season knee surgery. He's got to get
up to speed. Like, why are you taking jabs at
a fourth round wide receiver out of Nevada. I mean,
he's gonna make the team, but he's not gonna be
a featured receiver. There was no plan for that. Like,
is this Aaron Rodgers taking a veiled shot at the
(05:22):
front office for losing Davante Adams and really getting nothing.
I don't know, because it seems strange, but everything out
of Aaron rodgers mouth seems strange. It's it's just odd
to me. Um. You know, you look at their postseason failures.
You could blame it on the special teams. Um, I
don't think you could blame it on marginal receivers. You
(05:42):
could blame it on Aaron Rodgers not being aggressive enough.
You could be lame it on the coaching staff. I
just it's very weird in the middle of August to
be slamming a fourth round rookie. Way to build this confidence.
Now dubs could alternatively respond the other way. I'm gonna
step up, I'm gonna be locked in, I'm gonna crush it.
When you get put on blasts like that and you're
talking about on every TV show, all the news in Wisconsin,
(06:05):
that's all anybody's talking about around the NFL, is Aaron
Rodgers blasting a fourth round wide receiver. I just that's
a tough one man. Rogers talented, but that's not my style.
All right, without further ado, let's get to it. My
colleague at Fox Sports announcer Tim Brando. Jason likes to
(06:28):
think he knows everything when it comes to sports. I
know what sports stands want, but for everything he doesn't.
He knows a guy who does. Let's just say I
know a guy who knows a guy. He knows another guy.
All right, let's welcome in, uh special college football guest.
You know him as one of the voices of college
football for the last I don't know, three or four decades.
(06:51):
The guy's a legend. Uh and and you know he
is a legend. Come on, Tim, Tim Brando, you are
a legend. Are you denying that? You're a college foot
ball announcing legend? And you've done every other sport too,
I'll take it. You know, the when you get to
my age, at some point you're gonna hear iconic, or
you're gonna hear a legendary, or you're gonna and that's
(07:12):
better than washed up has been Timmy big Well. They
love to do that to us as well. You know,
the media loves to build you up and tear you down.
But uh and I want to mention this because I
know you spent time there too. But in a lot
of ways, if you last as long as I have,
and I did my first high school football game with
my father fifty one years ago in one. But I
(07:35):
started working when I really needed to keep a job
in seventy nine. So I cracked in at eighty two
doing L s U football and basketballs that's forty years ago,
and then the ESPN at eight five. But you have
to at some point. I have a lot of good
fortune to last as long as as I've lasted, and
in so many ways, Uh, Fox has been just so
(08:00):
good for me because when I left CBS abruptly back
in two thousand and fourteen, I think a lot of people,
including me, I thought, oh gosh, um, I think I've
earned enough check marks that I should should land with
a good parachute at a good place. I really think
(08:20):
I should, And I was. I was a free agent
for about eight to nine months, and uh when Fox called,
I was so excited and that their portfolio was growing,
but it wasn't nearly what it is today, and they
were visionary. I think they were thinking, we're gonna grow
our college football portfolio. We need more people, we need
to add some greater depth, maybe some people that have
(08:43):
a little bit of an understanding of the history of
the game. And you know, it's not always popular for
a young television executives to hire a fifty eight year
old guy that's worked at three different networks, but but
Fox did, and I I really owe them a lot, because, uh,
it's been Now I'm starting my ninth year. And not
(09:03):
only did I work with Joel and Brady when they
were getting started and there in my first year there,
but when Joel moved up to work with Gus, Fox
actually asked me, Hey, Timmy, is there anybody you'd like
to have with you? And I said, yes, Spencer's contract
is up over CBS, and they went out and hired him.
(09:24):
And so this this next few weeks, we're getting ready
to crank up our twenty fourth year together out of
the last. So that's a heck of a run at
both studio at CBS and Games at CBS as well
as games at Fox. So it's been it's been a
great run. I want to thank them publicly, I really do,
(09:45):
because none of us know how long this is gonna last.
And uh and and for me, I still feel like
I got a lot of tread left on my tires,
and Fox has enabled me to keep the wheels rolling.
So it's been a great run. I've been along for
almost all of it. I feel listening to you call
games college hoops, uh, college football, NFL. But I do
(10:08):
want to start. You were recently out here in l A.
And I know you played some golf. I'm curious just
because it's like, you know, the Tiger Woods things going
down right now and p G A versus Live. You know,
I don't know how much you've weighed on on on
it on other podcasts or TV shows, but where are
you on this whole division? Because p G A is
losing a lot of guys and they're leaning on Tiger
(10:28):
hard to retain the guys they have. What's your overall
take on this? Well, I think competition is something that
all of us should embrace to some extent. And what
I'm saying here, um, is is the establishment resisting competition.
(10:50):
And to me, that's troubling a little. If if Live
it's so bad, uh, then you shouldn't really be that
concerned about out them, right, I mean you should be like, hey,
you guys, go do what you do. It looks like
an exhibition. Um, you know, yeah, you're getting some good players,
(11:10):
but you know, they're not gonna get to play at
the iconic courses. You're not gonna get the points, the
worldwide points to be eligible to play in the major championships,
which is what it's all about. UM. I get that.
The core of the p G A Tour, many of
them believe that what's going on here with Lift Golf
is is is not good for the game because the
(11:34):
greatest players aren't playing. And that's true. All of us
is viewers want to see all the best players at
the same venue whenever we can, and Live golf is
getting in the way of that. I get that. But
on the flip side, if if you're if you're Cam
Smith and they're offering you a hundred million guaranteed, yeah play,
(11:55):
why wouldn't you do that? Generation of wealth? I mean,
who's turning the money down? I think the whole negative
part of this really stems from Phil and the book
and the next book that's gonna come out that armand
Cataian is working on, and you know, the the incredible
better that did time hard Time Walters Uh Catalians talked
(12:20):
to him. It's gonna be a very damning book for
for for Phil and Phil's comments that led to the
first live event. I think that's what brought all the
negativity to this whole conversation. And now it's as if
all the other players that are joining live are lining
up with Phil Okay, and the p g A is
(12:42):
a lot of the hardcore p gas are turning to
people like Rory, who you noticed was really adamant early
and then walked back some of his comments before the
open um. And and yeah, I think they're leaning on
Tigers some too. It's it's really unfortunate. I think that
there's no reason for both not to exist. I mean,
(13:05):
in some ways, Jason, people aren't thinking about this, but
in some ways we've already noticed it. In the FedEx playoffs. Okay,
players are now becoming eligible to play in the tour Championship,
you know, in the playoffs last week in Memphis, only
because the lift golfers couldn't come and play, they were
able to take some of those spots. So I think
(13:27):
it's actually giving younger players more opportunity. And I think
I think the p G A Tour players should look
at that and say, hey, uh, more golf and more money,
what's wrong with that? They want to go do that?
Let them go do it. So what I'm saying to
you is I'm still a p G A guy, but
I'm not gonna apologize for tuning in to a lift
(13:49):
golf of that on YouTube. Okay, I want to see
golf shots. So I'm I'm right in the middle on
this thing. I really am. Kid. Can I ask, do
you know Phil Micholson? Well at all? The is? I didn't.
I was unaware that this may have all stemmed from
some issues he's had with the Gambler and maybe Phil
needed money and you know, Live was decided, hey we could,
(14:11):
we could kind of get filled and he's got a
lot of cloud Do you know Micholson? Well, I know Michelson.
I don't know him well okay, but I know it
and I knew him when he was young, and uh
we've we've traded the conversation and dialogue on social media
in the past, and uh, full disclosure, I'm a fan
of his of his play because I'm a lefty. I'm
a left so I've always uh admired his play and
(14:36):
his shot making ability. There's an old saying in sports,
whether it's baseball or golf, no one ever called a
right hand or crafty, you know, the things you do
around the green, your ability to hit flop shots and
and all that. I played Calloway's I got outfitted with
mine with Phil's guy, uh you know, in Karl's Bad
(14:56):
So uh yeah, I think a lot of him as
a player. I do think there are aspects of perhaps
his life that none of us know about and only
he could comment on. And I won't go down that road,
but I will tell you I know about this book,
and I know Arman can tell him very well, and
I know I know the kind of work he's doing,
(15:16):
and I think it's gonna be a tell all that's
it's gonna be damning for Phil, and I I'm sure
he's bracing himself for it. But yeah, I do think that. Uh.
Some of his press conferences when Live was getting underway
were awkward and sad. He didn't look good. I mean,
he didn't look good at all. He was far from
(15:39):
the vibrant, effervescent Phil Mickelson we all came to know
and love. So whatever his issues are personally that affected
his professional choices, I don't know what they are. I
hope he works them out. But but again, I don't
think that you know, blaming him for taking Saudi money.
There's this this whole you know, double standard that we
(16:03):
have in media about what we choose to think is
dirty okay blood money versus what isn't okay. Uh. I
don't hear nearly as much gnashing of teeth and grinding
over um, you know China and the NBA as I
do golf and live okay in the saudiaes, I just
(16:24):
I don't. It's to me there's a double standard there,
and and I think that we have to look at
it from that perspective and say, okay, let's just from
a fan perspective, let's just enjoy more calls and um,
you know, where the money is coming from is not
necessarily our business. I'm not an investigative reporter. I'm a
(16:45):
fan of the game and I play the game. Um,
but I do think that you're gonna hear a lot
more about Phil and Walters when this book by Kate
and This is published. I would say, I'm excited, but
it doesn't sound great for Phil Nicholson. Fox Sports Radio
has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch
all of our shows at Fox sports radio dot com
(17:06):
and within the I Heart radio app search f s
R to listen live. Let's get to college football team. Uh,
we'll start in your neck of the woods. L S.
You just had a quarterback quit football, Brian Kelly, Welcome
to the SEC. Now I know he has other guys
that kid to transfer from. I think Arizona State. Um,
I am curious. It's it's weird, Brian Kelly leaving Notre
Dame for l S. You seem like a bombshell at
(17:28):
the time. Tim, I don't even know if it's like
a top five storyline for this season. There's so much
craziness that's happened in the college football off season. But
I'm curious where you are on l s U. Brian
Kelly Howard, what are you? What are you hearing down
there in Baton Rouge? Well, I'm what I'm gonna tell
you is this. You know, what you hear in beat
Rouge is what you always hear when you're a team
(17:50):
of that magnitude doesn't figure into the national championship conversation.
Peop are scared, you know, it's like, oh my god,
are we just like are you just gonna go six
and six? So? Oh god? I think that people are
like ready to jump off, you know the Mississippi Bridge
down there. If they don't win nine games alright in
(18:10):
his first year. I think they can win nine games.
But the over under in Vegas is six and a half.
The over under is six and a half. I'm telling
you right now, Jason, whatever condos you have and just
put them, put him, put him on the line. He'll
really he'll win eight, eight or nine games. I'm telling
(18:31):
you you will win eight or nine games. Schedule is good.
He's got a quarterback room even without you know, the
six year player that unfortunately has just been banged up
his entire career. But the kid from Arizona State can
really play. And nuss Meier the back up, the number
two guy, he was three, number two. Now he's already
(18:54):
taken Staffs as a starter and they're gonna be really good. Uh.
Butet is back at wide receiver. The running backs, you
may not have heard of them, but they're really, really good. Uh.
I think they're gonna win at least eight games. So
take the over on the six and a half. Listen
to this about Bryan though for just a second. Going
through the history books. McClendon was fired in nineteen nine,
(19:17):
um and then all of a sudden you saw five
six different guys come in. Even Bill Orange Parker, the
great defensive coordinator from the Miami Dolphins, was hired at
one point to keep l s U on the right path,
and then Mike Archer took over after him, and then
you had even more guys come through and out of
there within a five year period until Saban was high. Okay,
(19:39):
Saban changed everything at l s U to the positive.
We've seen national championships one at l s U Okay
with coaches name Less Miles and Or in the last
handful of years, Okay, two thousand seven, and then in
(20:00):
two thousand nineteen. We've seen three different coaches since two
thousand three win national titles, including Saban and those two
guys neither or You're out. And I love that. But
he's not in the same uh stratosphere with Brian in
terms of his history and his resume as a head
coach and Less Miles. As much as I like quirky
(20:20):
Less Miles, he's not in the same category with Brian Kelly.
Bryant Kelly is the most his his resume is by
far and away the most accomplished of any higher LSU's
ever had. Were it not for Lincoln Riley going to USC,
all of us would be talking about Bryan Kelly going
to l s U. I mean, right, but Lincoln just
(20:42):
sucked all the joy out of the Brian Kelly higher nationally.
But I think Brian's a hell of a higher and
he'll have the best personalities ever had and that includes
this year. Okay, because Notre Dame couldn't get the kind
of people in the school that they wanted to compete
at the highest of levels. He got close without you
(21:04):
know what those constraints put on him. He still got closed.
Now he's got an open opportunity and a lot of
open wallets to get the program right where it needs
to be. And I think within five years he wins
a national championship. Wow, within five Okay, you bullish on
Brian Kelly. Where are you on Lincoln Riley? Since you
brought up USC. Expectations are high, but that's so much
(21:28):
turnover ten it almost feels like it's impossible for them
to win nine of ten games. I agree with you there.
Brian going back to Kelly for just a second. Uh,
he gets a break because all the expectation of the
sec not on Alabama, is on A and M. Jimbo
Fisher is playing in a huge fish ball this year.
(21:49):
You know, they all that oil money and the collectives
and the number one recruiting class and all that and
Texas A M was coming off in eight and four season. Disappointed.
They beat Alabama, but they couldn't beat a bad L
s U two at the end of the year with
or Yourn on his last his last game, couldn't beat them. So,
(22:09):
you know, I think the expectations for A and M
are out of whack. They don't know who their quarterback is,
and their quarterback is likely gonna be the Johnson kid
that uh, you know transferred from L s U to
A and M. Yeah, that's probably who their quarterback is
gonna wind up being. But to USC, their offensive line
(22:31):
is still a question mark, a huge question mark. Uh.
Taylor was a great quarterback, Yes, Lincoln's a transformational playfaller. Yes,
Uh the skilled guys that they have that running back
generally speaking, and his receivers are very very good. But
but USC's line play has been mediocre, too horrible for
(22:56):
quite a while now. And you don't just get well
with one really good recruiting class. You don't. And they
gotta go to Utah this year. You know, I went
in there to do three games last year, and I
know it's a different sc and I know Lincoln is there,
but Utah cannot wait to get the Trojans in their house,
(23:17):
especially with Cam Rising returning as its quarterback. I would
put a lot right now on Utah to win the
Pack twelve and to have an outside chance, a very
good chance, not just outside, very good chance of being
the first college football Playoff member since Washington out of
the Pack twelve to get in. Yeah. I think I
(23:38):
think that team is ready to make a move, and
they'll show you in that first game with Florida. I
think they'll take care of Florida and the swap with
ease with ease. Wow. I love the bullishness. I do
want to quickly pivot to uh an early season matchup
Georgia and Oregon. I was texting with a buddy this
week who lives in Vegas. It says, Jason, I'm telling you,
seventeen and a half point is way too many. You've
(24:02):
got to take Oregon. The money's gonna come in on
Oregon as we get closer to kick off. This Georgia
offense remains the mediocre. The defense lost. How many guys
were drafted from the defense, like six, I mean they
lost a ton of Yeah, so what do you think,
I mean, Georgia, can they possibly come out and just
smack Oregon around bow Nick's Uh, your Auburn kid is
(24:24):
starting for Oregon. Yeah. By the way, what a story too,
because it was bow that through that big pass this
freshman year late in the game to beat Oregon game
played in Dallas. And of course the legacy is Dad
Patrick not only was a quarterback at Auburn, but also
a coach at Auburn at one time. Um, you know
(24:45):
this is this is this is one where if you
just look at the number, you gotta go with Organ.
If you look at that number in Vegas, you gotta
go with Oregon. But Georgia is so good up and
down their roster in terms of overall talent. Kirby has
Kirby smarter is just a I mean, he's the one
guy that has uh pretty consistently been right with Saban
(25:08):
from a recruiting standpoint. Uh. I think Georgia wins the game,
but I think it's certainly closer than seventeen and a
hook without a doubt, Oregon Oregan is also playing I
think for a lot of pride for the PAC twelve.
With SC and U c l A doing what they've done.
I think you're gonna see Oregon especially, Uh maybe to
(25:31):
some extent you talked to play with a real chip
on their shoulders this year, because there are the two
best teams after you know, there are the two best
teams not named USC you know in the PAC twelve.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports
Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app
(25:51):
search f s R to listen live. I do want
to ask after Alabama and Ohio State, you know, they
seem like the very clear two as teams in the country.
If if I told you Tim, who's gonna meet in
the College Football Championship, but you cannot take Alabama or
House team, what two teams do you think you'd have
in the mix? Well, sounds like Utah might be one. Yeah,
Utah's one and Baylor is the other. I love, uh,
(26:16):
you know, Baylor. Baylor returns a lot of the talent
to Dave Randa had a year ago. If you go
back to last year, UM, you know they lost one
of the starter UH actually transferred, but the kid replacing
him as a better player, Blake Shapen UH is a
kid from my hometown. Played at Calvary High School in Streeport, Louisiana. UH.
(26:39):
He took over as the starter late in the season
after uh TCU upset Baylor UH in the first week
of November. Spencer and I actually had that game, UM,
and it was a shocking game. It was right after
Gary Patterson had been fired and Jerry Kill came in
(26:59):
as an interim coached UH to handle the team and
they played with great emotion, got a big interception late
in the game, went on to win the football game.
But Gary Bohannon was the starting quarterback. He decided to
transfer and now Blake Shaping is gonna take over. He's yeah,
he's a legit talent. He's also the nephew of how Sutton,
(27:23):
the great p g A Tour winner one in Riviera
back in eighty three and the p g A Championship
was a Ryder Cup captain UH back in the early
two thousands for us UH in the United States. How's
an old friend of Minab. We grew up together, so
I know a lot about this kid. He's a great
player and a really good leader, good team guy. And
(27:45):
Randa's defense is loaded. Uh. He's one of the best
defensive play callers that we have. I would say Dava
Randa is an understated UH version of on defense of
what Lincoln Riley is on offense. If Lincoln Riley is
the greatest, most transformational play caller on offense, I love
Dave Randa as a transformational defensive play caller. UH. He
(28:09):
doesn't have the charisma of Lincoln UH, and he's not
as verbal UH as Lincoln, but he's a great coach.
Baylor's schedule has them early at b y U keep
an eye on that game. B Y us loaded. They
I think they return their entire defense nineteen out of
twenty two guys. And you know, Jason, those guys are
always old. You know, you know Helena's attack. These team
(28:34):
is oh, I mean those guys are freshman or five. Okay,
that'll be a big test of Baylor early. I think
they'll survive that, and I think they have the potential
to beat Oklahoma and Norman. I really believe that UM
and Oklahoma State will be right behind them. I think
Oklahoma State and Baylor are both better than Oklahoma uh
(28:56):
and we'll see how that thing plays out. But the
team that are not Ohio State in Alabama that could
crack the party are in order, in my opinion, Baylor,
NC State and b y U. If I'm wrong about Baylor,
it's because b y U has gotta run the table.
They're really good. North Carolina State coach by Dave dorn.
(29:20):
Most people don't even remember that Dorin coached at Northern Illinois.
Most people couldn't name one player North Carolina State has.
They got two of the best covered corners in the country.
I have them at number seven. I think they're in
the top ten in the in the AP or they're
very close, certainly in the top twelve, top thirteam. But
what happens all the time in these polls preseason is
(29:42):
it's all about the brand names and recruiting numbers. Okay,
that's it to me. You've got to look at the schedules.
You have to dissect the schedules. Where are their land
mines in the middle of rivalry games that can screw
up the season. I don't know that everybody ex at that,
and uh, that's why I have those teams right where
(30:04):
they are. So Baylor, Utah, and NC State are the
three top wins, and I give an outside shot to
b YU to shock the world. We can wrap up
with the Higsman. But real quick, it just dawned upon
me Baylor in college basketball is building something of a juggernaut.
They've been four two years in a row. Baylor football
now rising. What do you think? It's just like a
(30:25):
cyclical thing where just a random team in a popular state,
UM Texas obviously great football and and I'm sure they
got great basketball. How the hell is this happening while
the Longhorns are struggling? Well, it doesn't hurt that the
Longhorns have been just abysmal for a long period of time, Okay,
And how they could be in the Coach's Bowl. I
(30:46):
think they're like or eight. Listen, I'm not sure Sarcesian
will be there when arch Manning gets there. I mean,
if he is like that, if he if he goes
seven than five or six and six? You know, do
you think those those fans down they are gonna be
(31:07):
okay with that? I mean, he's got the kid he's
got the Yours kid from Ohio State coming back to
Texas to play. You know, everybody's thinking about you know,
Winton Yours. He's he's the guy. Well, Sark could dial
up a lot of great plays. And he's got Jean Robinson,
who might be the best athlete not playing quarterback in
college football. I mean, he's a Reggie Bush clone. But
(31:31):
his offensive line is not very good. His defense hasn't
been very good. They're coming off of I mean, how
many more times are we gonna say his Texas back.
I mean, they're not that good. And and I think
that that's that's enabled teams like uh, Baylor, like at
one point TCU and Gary Patterson had it going. By
(31:54):
the way Gary is there to try to help Texas
now on their defensive side were brought in to help
was a great So. I mean, I think Sark knows
this is a critical year for him. Uh, But I
think teams like Baylor, whether it's basketball or football, Jason, uh,
you've seen emergence of teams like Houston. You know, I
didn't mention them. Dana Holderson might win every game this year.
(32:17):
Houston is really good. They played Texas Tech in a
Week two, Spencer not gonna have that game. Uh. They
gave Cincinnati, as you know, all they wanted a couple
of times last year. They return a lot of that talent. Uh,
but they don't have a team on their schedule like
Notre Dame at Notre Dame. You know, Houston's biggest game,
(32:37):
it would probably be that game at Texas Tech non conference,
which gets you no juice. But teams like Houston, Baylor, TCU,
even s MU, you know, Dikes had it going at
s m U for a period there. He did. All
those teams step flourished because Texas hasn't has been so
screwed up and and I and I don't think it's
(32:59):
just been just because of the coaching ores. I think
a lot of it has been cultural for them. Uh.
You know, when they ran Charlie Strong out, it was
because he he was too much of a players coach.
When they ran Tom Herman out, it was because he
was a juror. Well now they brought in Start because
he's what a players coach. So you know, where are
(33:21):
we here about every three or four years, these big
donors in Texas, you know, don't like the way a
coach responds to them and they're running out on a rail,
so no one has time in Austin to get any traction.
And I think that's really been the problem, uh, you know,
at UT for a long period of time. It's one
(33:42):
of the reasons why I think they're fine with staying
in the Big twelve until they absolutely have to go
to the SEC. You're not gonna see Oklahoma or Texas
dolling out exit money from their grant of rights to
go into the SEC because they know they're not ready.
Definitely not all right. We can wrap up with the Heisman.
Every or tim the favorite seemed to fall flat on
(34:02):
their face. And I'm not saying that mean, but it
just happens. You know, Spencer Rattler, the kid DJ from Clemson, UM,
and somebody comes out of nowhere to win it. Who
you got this year? We had Phil Steel last week
pumping up Dylan Gabriel. I mean, that's a thirty to
one long shot. Seems like impossible. But history, recent history
says somebody's coming out of nowhere to win it. I like,
(34:24):
so he's he's smart. Actually, Okay, I wish I I
wish I had picked that one out of the hat. Uh,
Stroud is the odds on favorite this year obviously, and
if you look at the personnel he's got around him, uh,
you know, he could lose it on the basis of
who he's throwing it to. Smith and jigbe Is. You
(34:48):
know all of this year he's actually a better athlete,
uh got He's faster uh than a lave and Smith
and jigbe is a great talent. Comes from East Texas
and and made his way up to Columbus, which, by
the way, ask another one of the reasons by this
USC thing in u c l a thing coming into
the big tent. You know, Alabama is not gonna be
(35:09):
able to going to California and get a price young now, okay,
and you know that USC people are loving that. Okay,
that's part of what's going on here. But Stroud is,
you know, he's a guy that if he just plays
his game and lets his personnel, all the pieces he
has around him do their thing, he'll be fine. It's
(35:33):
when he tries to do too much he can get
in trouble. He's not a runner. He needs to stay
in the pocket and distribute the ball. But Smith and
jib is a guy that I think could be so
good as a receiver that he could be like a
you know, Davante Adams type of guy that you could
just go to anytime you want and make big plays.
(35:55):
So I'm gonna go outside the box a little and
Smith and Jack but wins the Heisman, oh geez, rather
than rather than Stroud, who everybody thinks is gonna win.
I'm trying to think of the last receiver was it?
Was it Timbers Alabama? Alabama? Oh, that's right, Afforchie Goodness,
Grace Water a couple of years ago. Absolutely, and and
(36:18):
either maybe case MATCHI you know, last year was really
really good. He gotta hurt um. But but but somebody
like you know, everyone's looking for this year's Burrow. You know,
ever since Joey Burrow, you know, transferred to l s U,
everybody's looking for that kind of guy. And Gabriel, I
(36:38):
gotta give Phil Still some credit. That was a good call. Okay,
all right, Well I've a headed to Vegas shortly. I
will be putting some shekels on your guy. And Gabriel. Okay,
Kansas is over under his one and a half, no
is it? I mean Liphold, Lance Lipold is a hell
of a coach. Hi, hell of it coach. They beat
(37:00):
Texas fifty seven to fifty six last year at Texas, right,
look at their schedule, they should have one. They should
have at least one game the first week. You gotta
put put the house. But straight Land, whatever liquid income
you've got, put it on. Hey, you to get two
(37:21):
or more. So Texas they opened with Texas Tech. Um,
oh Jesus. Schedule is tough. The Kansas Kansas. Yeah, so
Kansas opened with Tennessee Teche then they got West Virginia.
That's a loss, Houston, that's a loss. A loss, Duke,
that's a w that's you're done, dude, you're done. You're done.
(37:44):
But before September is finished. But if they needed another
one though Iawa State. They're not beating TCU, Oklahoma, Baylor,
Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas, KSE State. How's KSE state?
Do you know? Really good? They will sneak go in
in there, whether it's Tech, they will upset somebody that's
supposed to be And they got two kid homes. Just
(38:05):
Lance like buld is too good of a head coach
to not get two w's in year two. Okay, And
I know Kansas is Kansas. But I'm just telling you
that one and the L s U six and a half.
Take the over and you'll win back, all right. Tim Brando,
the great announcer Fox Sports. You'll hear him call Gabs.
(38:25):
He obviously is big on gambling, golf. He does it all. Tim,
thanks a lot for the time. Man, you got it.
Take care of Jason,
This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. What is up,
straight Fire Fan, It's me Jason McIntyre, Straight Fire for Wednesday,
August se special treat Today the one and only Tim Brando,
longtime college football college basketball announcing voice. You guys will
(00:26):
know him. He's done some NFL. He's a big golfer,
so we'll talk a little golf. I know we got
some golf listeners on the podcast. We'll get into that.
A lot of college football though. Before I get to Tim,
I just have to say I don't want to fully
go through it, and I'm only gonna touch on this
because it is football season. We got some good airon
Rodger stuff coming up. That being said, the sensitivity from
(00:50):
Kevin Durant after yesterday's podcast, I've told you guys, it's like,
I'm not gonna tweet this stuff out because I'm not
trying to like be that guy. But I'm just telling
you after yesterday's podcast, that was a little harsh on Durant.
Some people said overly harsh. I tagged him when I
posted it on Instagram Stories, and of course he fires
back instantly in very very unhappy language that it's professional sports.
(01:17):
They trade people and cut them all the time. But
I have to live by certain rules. He sends me
this d M and again, listen, Kevin Durant is a
man of the people. He loves to engage on social media.
And I'm like, dude, other than you know, Charles Barkley
demanding trades and he was, He's not even a top
ten player all time. We've never seen elite superstars of
(01:37):
your caliber demand trades and jump around like this. And
this is where Durant loses me. And I've been a
Durant fan, I've been a Durant defender. I said great
things about him. He's obviously an all time great player,
he says. Lebron James played on four different teams. And
I mean, I'm sitting there in my car driving to
Fox yesterday morning, and I'm at like a pup. I
(02:00):
don't know. I shouldn't be on on my phone. But when
Kevin Durant sending you d M at the stoplight, you're
on your phone and I'm sitting Lebron, Wait, you mean
the guy who went to Miami one two titles, then
goes back to Cleveland Winds that goes to the Lakers,
and with that Lebron. Is that who you're talking about?
He says Alex Rodriguez. I was like, wait, did I
miss something? A rod played for three teams in twenty years,
(02:21):
he says. Ken Griffy Jr. I look at Ken Griffey Jr.
Ken Griffey Jr. Was you know, played on three teams
at like thirty nine years old? A shell of himself,
not in his prime, he says Shack, Folks, the narrative
on Shack Kobe is was not great. At the end.
Kobe said, trade Shack or trade me. Gave the Lakers
an ultimatum. They went with the younger, better wing player.
(02:44):
So the Lakers traded Chack. After Shock went to Miami,
the Miami Heat said, we've had our fellow, Shack. He
served his purpose. We won with Wade Shack. You're going
to Phoenix. Then Phoenix traded. Check. This isn't prime Acts
saying I'm out of here every two years. This is
Shack getting shipped. There's no connection at all with what
(03:08):
Kevin Durant's done. And then you know, we get into
this big back and forth and he says, I don't
mind admitting he said this. It's the dweebs like you
who are obsessed with me. You want to speak for
sports fans when they don't even look like you, or
I'm sorry, they don't even like you, l O L
And I'm like, okay, fair enough, Kevin Durant. Sports fans
(03:31):
don't like me. You have five million followers on Instagram.
Everybody likes you? Sure they do, Katie, All right, I've
had enough of Kevin Durant. I quickly need to talk
about Aaron Rodgers, who you know, made some comments on
Tuesday that are gonna be everywhere. I'll be talking about them,
I'm certain. On the Herd today with Colin, Aaron Rodgers
unhappy after practice, said the young guys, especially the young receivers,
(03:54):
we gotta be way more consistent. A lot of drops,
a lot of bad route decisions, running the wrong route.
We gotta get better in that area. No, he's not
talking about like Lazard and Cobb and Watkins. He's talking
about the young guys. Who are the young guys you ask?
Fourth round draft pick out of Nevada Romeo dubs that,
(04:15):
my friends, is who Aaron Rodgers is this upset with
a fourth round pick out of Nevada? Like really, are
we serious? That's who he's sounding off on. There's a
couple of different types of leaders out here, and there's
one that wants to lead by example. I'm gonna throw
my guys under the bus. They're gonna react because I'm
the man, and they're gonna fall in line. You know, Listen,
(04:37):
a lot of guys have tried this. It works with
a bunch of them. Michael Jordan's famously, you know, on
the Last Dance shows how he was just berating teammates
left and right. Kobe Bryant late in his years with
the Lakers, um just brutal on his teammates. But a
rookie out of Nevada, a fourth round pick. Nobody thought
Romeo Dubs is gonna be the savior. What Christian Watson,
(05:01):
the second round pick, just got off the pup list. Okay,
he had off season knee surgery. He's got to get
up to speed. Like, why are you taking jabs at
a fourth round wide receiver out of Nevada. I mean,
he's gonna make the team, but he's not gonna be
a featured receiver. There was no plan for that. Like,
is this Aaron Rodgers taking a veiled shot at the
(05:22):
front office for losing Davante Adams and really getting nothing.
I don't know, because it seems strange, but everything out
of Aaron rodgers mouth seems strange. It's it's just odd
to me. Um. You know, you look at their postseason failures.
You could blame it on the special teams. Um, I
don't think you could blame it on marginal receivers. You
(05:42):
could blame it on Aaron Rodgers not being aggressive enough.
You could be lame it on the coaching staff. I
just it's very weird in the middle of August to
be slamming a fourth round rookie. Way to build this confidence.
Now dubs could alternatively respond the other way. I'm gonna
step up, I'm gonna be locked in, I'm gonna crush it.
When you get put on blasts like that and you're
talking about on every TV show, all the news in Wisconsin,
(06:05):
that's all anybody's talking about around the NFL, is Aaron
Rodgers blasting a fourth round wide receiver. I just that's
a tough one man. Rogers talented, but that's not my style.
All right, without further ado, let's get to it. My
colleague at Fox Sports announcer Tim Brando. Jason likes to
(06:28):
think he knows everything when it comes to sports. I
know what sports stands want, but for everything he doesn't.
He knows a guy who does. Let's just say I
know a guy who knows a guy. He knows another guy.
All right, let's welcome in, uh special college football guest.
You know him as one of the voices of college
football for the last I don't know, three or four decades.
(06:51):
The guy's a legend. Uh and and you know he
is a legend. Come on, Tim, Tim Brando, you are
a legend. Are you denying that? You're a college foot
ball announcing legend? And you've done every other sport too,
I'll take it. You know, the when you get to
my age, at some point you're gonna hear iconic, or
you're gonna hear a legendary, or you're gonna and that's
(07:12):
better than washed up has been Timmy big Well. They
love to do that to us as well. You know,
the media loves to build you up and tear you down.
But uh and I want to mention this because I
know you spent time there too. But in a lot
of ways, if you last as long as I have,
and I did my first high school football game with
my father fifty one years ago in one. But I
(07:35):
started working when I really needed to keep a job
in seventy nine. So I cracked in at eighty two
doing L s U football and basketballs that's forty years ago,
and then the ESPN at eight five. But you have
to at some point. I have a lot of good
fortune to last as long as as I've lasted, and
in so many ways, Uh, Fox has been just so
(08:00):
good for me because when I left CBS abruptly back
in two thousand and fourteen, I think a lot of people,
including me, I thought, oh gosh, um, I think I've
earned enough check marks that I should should land with
a good parachute at a good place. I really think
(08:20):
I should, And I was. I was a free agent
for about eight to nine months, and uh when Fox called,
I was so excited and that their portfolio was growing,
but it wasn't nearly what it is today, and they
were visionary. I think they were thinking, we're gonna grow
our college football portfolio. We need more people, we need
to add some greater depth, maybe some people that have
(08:43):
a little bit of an understanding of the history of
the game. And you know, it's not always popular for
a young television executives to hire a fifty eight year
old guy that's worked at three different networks, but but
Fox did, and I I really owe them a lot, because, uh,
it's been Now I'm starting my ninth year. And not
(09:03):
only did I work with Joel and Brady when they
were getting started and there in my first year there,
but when Joel moved up to work with Gus, Fox
actually asked me, Hey, Timmy, is there anybody you'd like
to have with you? And I said, yes, Spencer's contract
is up over CBS, and they went out and hired him.
(09:24):
And so this this next few weeks, we're getting ready
to crank up our twenty fourth year together out of
the last. So that's a heck of a run at
both studio at CBS and Games at CBS as well
as games at Fox. So it's been it's been a
great run. I want to thank them publicly, I really do,
(09:45):
because none of us know how long this is gonna last.
And uh and and for me, I still feel like
I got a lot of tread left on my tires,
and Fox has enabled me to keep the wheels rolling.
So it's been a great run. I've been along for
almost all of it. I feel listening to you call
games college hoops, uh, college football, NFL. But I do
(10:08):
want to start. You were recently out here in l A.
And I know you played some golf. I'm curious just
because it's like, you know, the Tiger Woods things going
down right now and p G A versus Live. You know,
I don't know how much you've weighed on on on
it on other podcasts or TV shows, but where are
you on this whole division? Because p G A is
losing a lot of guys and they're leaning on Tiger
(10:28):
hard to retain the guys they have. What's your overall
take on this? Well, I think competition is something that
all of us should embrace to some extent. And what
I'm saying here, um, is is the establishment resisting competition.
(10:50):
And to me, that's troubling a little. If if Live
it's so bad, uh, then you shouldn't really be that
concerned about out them, right, I mean you should be like, hey,
you guys, go do what you do. It looks like
an exhibition. Um, you know, yeah, you're getting some good players,
(11:10):
but you know, they're not gonna get to play at
the iconic courses. You're not gonna get the points, the
worldwide points to be eligible to play in the major championships,
which is what it's all about. UM. I get that.
The core of the p G A Tour, many of
them believe that what's going on here with Lift Golf
is is is not good for the game because the
(11:34):
greatest players aren't playing. And that's true. All of us
is viewers want to see all the best players at
the same venue whenever we can, and Live golf is
getting in the way of that. I get that. But
on the flip side, if if you're if you're Cam
Smith and they're offering you a hundred million guaranteed, yeah play,
(11:55):
why wouldn't you do that? Generation of wealth? I mean,
who's turning the money down? I think the whole negative
part of this really stems from Phil and the book
and the next book that's gonna come out that armand
Cataian is working on, and you know, the the incredible
better that did time hard Time Walters Uh Catalians talked
(12:20):
to him. It's gonna be a very damning book for
for for Phil and Phil's comments that led to the
first live event. I think that's what brought all the
negativity to this whole conversation. And now it's as if
all the other players that are joining live are lining
up with Phil Okay, and the p g A is
(12:42):
a lot of the hardcore p gas are turning to
people like Rory, who you noticed was really adamant early
and then walked back some of his comments before the
open um. And and yeah, I think they're leaning on
Tigers some too. It's it's really unfortunate. I think that
there's no reason for both not to exist. I mean,
(13:05):
in some ways, Jason, people aren't thinking about this, but
in some ways we've already noticed it. In the FedEx playoffs. Okay,
players are now becoming eligible to play in the tour Championship,
you know, in the playoffs last week in Memphis, only
because the lift golfers couldn't come and play, they were
able to take some of those spots. So I think
(13:27):
it's actually giving younger players more opportunity. And I think
I think the p G A Tour players should look
at that and say, hey, uh, more golf and more money,
what's wrong with that? They want to go do that?
Let them go do it. So what I'm saying to
you is I'm still a p G A guy, but
I'm not gonna apologize for tuning in to a lift
(13:49):
golf of that on YouTube. Okay, I want to see
golf shots. So I'm I'm right in the middle on
this thing. I really am. Kid. Can I ask, do
you know Phil Micholson? Well at all? The is? I didn't.
I was unaware that this may have all stemmed from
some issues he's had with the Gambler and maybe Phil
needed money and you know, Live was decided, hey we could,
(14:11):
we could kind of get filled and he's got a
lot of cloud Do you know Micholson? Well, I know Michelson.
I don't know him well okay, but I know it
and I knew him when he was young, and uh
we've we've traded the conversation and dialogue on social media
in the past, and uh, full disclosure, I'm a fan
of his of his play because I'm a lefty. I'm
a left so I've always uh admired his play and
(14:36):
his shot making ability. There's an old saying in sports,
whether it's baseball or golf, no one ever called a
right hand or crafty, you know, the things you do
around the green, your ability to hit flop shots and
and all that. I played Calloway's I got outfitted with
mine with Phil's guy, uh you know, in Karl's Bad
(14:56):
So uh yeah, I think a lot of him as
a player. I do think there are aspects of perhaps
his life that none of us know about and only
he could comment on. And I won't go down that road,
but I will tell you I know about this book,
and I know Arman can tell him very well, and
I know I know the kind of work he's doing,
(15:16):
and I think it's gonna be a tell all that's
it's gonna be damning for Phil, and I I'm sure
he's bracing himself for it. But yeah, I do think that. Uh.
Some of his press conferences when Live was getting underway
were awkward and sad. He didn't look good. I mean,
he didn't look good at all. He was far from
(15:39):
the vibrant, effervescent Phil Mickelson we all came to know
and love. So whatever his issues are personally that affected
his professional choices, I don't know what they are. I
hope he works them out. But but again, I don't
think that you know, blaming him for taking Saudi money.
There's this this whole you know, double standard that we
(16:03):
have in media about what we choose to think is
dirty okay blood money versus what isn't okay. Uh. I
don't hear nearly as much gnashing of teeth and grinding
over um, you know China and the NBA as I
do golf and live okay in the saudiaes, I just
(16:24):
I don't. It's to me there's a double standard there,
and and I think that we have to look at
it from that perspective and say, okay, let's just from
a fan perspective, let's just enjoy more calls and um,
you know, where the money is coming from is not
necessarily our business. I'm not an investigative reporter. I'm a
(16:45):
fan of the game and I play the game. Um,
but I do think that you're gonna hear a lot
more about Phil and Walters when this book by Kate
and This is published. I would say, I'm excited, but
it doesn't sound great for Phil Nicholson. Fox Sports Radio
has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch
all of our shows at Fox sports radio dot com
(17:06):
and within the I Heart radio app search f s
R to listen live. Let's get to college football team. Uh,
we'll start in your neck of the woods. L S.
You just had a quarterback quit football, Brian Kelly, Welcome
to the SEC. Now I know he has other guys
that kid to transfer from. I think Arizona State. Um,
I am curious. It's it's weird, Brian Kelly leaving Notre
Dame for l S. You seem like a bombshell at
(17:28):
the time. Tim, I don't even know if it's like
a top five storyline for this season. There's so much
craziness that's happened in the college football off season. But
I'm curious where you are on l s U. Brian
Kelly Howard, what are you? What are you hearing down
there in Baton Rouge? Well, I'm what I'm gonna tell
you is this. You know, what you hear in beat
Rouge is what you always hear when you're a team
(17:50):
of that magnitude doesn't figure into the national championship conversation.
Peop are scared, you know, it's like, oh my god,
are we just like are you just gonna go six
and six? So? Oh god? I think that people are
like ready to jump off, you know the Mississippi Bridge
down there. If they don't win nine games alright in
(18:10):
his first year. I think they can win nine games.
But the over under in Vegas is six and a half.
The over under is six and a half. I'm telling
you right now, Jason, whatever condos you have and just
put them, put him, put him on the line. He'll
really he'll win eight, eight or nine games. I'm telling
(18:31):
you you will win eight or nine games. Schedule is good.
He's got a quarterback room even without you know, the
six year player that unfortunately has just been banged up
his entire career. But the kid from Arizona State can
really play. And nuss Meier the back up, the number
two guy, he was three, number two. Now he's already
(18:54):
taken Staffs as a starter and they're gonna be really good. Uh.
Butet is back at wide receiver. The running backs, you
may not have heard of them, but they're really, really good. Uh.
I think they're gonna win at least eight games. So
take the over on the six and a half. Listen
to this about Bryan though for just a second. Going
through the history books. McClendon was fired in nineteen nine,
(19:17):
um and then all of a sudden you saw five
six different guys come in. Even Bill Orange Parker, the
great defensive coordinator from the Miami Dolphins, was hired at
one point to keep l s U on the right path,
and then Mike Archer took over after him, and then
you had even more guys come through and out of
there within a five year period until Saban was high. Okay,
(19:39):
Saban changed everything at l s U to the positive.
We've seen national championships one at l s U Okay
with coaches name Less Miles and Or in the last
handful of years, Okay, two thousand seven, and then in
(20:00):
two thousand nineteen. We've seen three different coaches since two
thousand three win national titles, including Saban and those two
guys neither or You're out. And I love that. But
he's not in the same uh stratosphere with Brian in
terms of his history and his resume as a head
coach and Less Miles. As much as I like quirky
(20:20):
Less Miles, he's not in the same category with Brian Kelly.
Bryant Kelly is the most his his resume is by
far and away the most accomplished of any higher LSU's
ever had. Were it not for Lincoln Riley going to USC,
all of us would be talking about Bryan Kelly going
to l s U. I mean, right, but Lincoln just
(20:42):
sucked all the joy out of the Brian Kelly higher nationally.
But I think Brian's a hell of a higher and
he'll have the best personalities ever had and that includes
this year. Okay, because Notre Dame couldn't get the kind
of people in the school that they wanted to compete
at the highest of levels. He got close without you
(21:04):
know what those constraints put on him. He still got closed.
Now he's got an open opportunity and a lot of
open wallets to get the program right where it needs
to be. And I think within five years he wins
a national championship. Wow, within five Okay, you bullish on
Brian Kelly. Where are you on Lincoln Riley? Since you
brought up USC. Expectations are high, but that's so much
(21:28):
turnover ten it almost feels like it's impossible for them
to win nine of ten games. I agree with you there.
Brian going back to Kelly for just a second. Uh,
he gets a break because all the expectation of the
sec not on Alabama, is on A and M. Jimbo
Fisher is playing in a huge fish ball this year.
(21:49):
You know, they all that oil money and the collectives
and the number one recruiting class and all that and
Texas A M was coming off in eight and four season. Disappointed.
They beat Alabama, but they couldn't beat a bad L
s U two at the end of the year with
or Yourn on his last his last game, couldn't beat them. So,
(22:09):
you know, I think the expectations for A and M
are out of whack. They don't know who their quarterback is,
and their quarterback is likely gonna be the Johnson kid
that uh, you know transferred from L s U to
A and M. Yeah, that's probably who their quarterback is
gonna wind up being. But to USC, their offensive line
(22:31):
is still a question mark, a huge question mark. Uh.
Taylor was a great quarterback, Yes, Lincoln's a transformational playfaller. Yes,
Uh the skilled guys that they have that running back
generally speaking, and his receivers are very very good. But
but USC's line play has been mediocre, too horrible for
(22:56):
quite a while now. And you don't just get well
with one really good recruiting class. You don't. And they
gotta go to Utah this year. You know, I went
in there to do three games last year, and I
know it's a different sc and I know Lincoln is there,
but Utah cannot wait to get the Trojans in their house,
(23:17):
especially with Cam Rising returning as its quarterback. I would
put a lot right now on Utah to win the
Pack twelve and to have an outside chance, a very
good chance, not just outside, very good chance of being
the first college football Playoff member since Washington out of
the Pack twelve to get in. Yeah. I think I
(23:38):
think that team is ready to make a move, and
they'll show you in that first game with Florida. I
think they'll take care of Florida and the swap with
ease with ease. Wow. I love the bullishness. I do
want to quickly pivot to uh an early season matchup
Georgia and Oregon. I was texting with a buddy this
week who lives in Vegas. It says, Jason, I'm telling you,
seventeen and a half point is way too many. You've
(24:02):
got to take Oregon. The money's gonna come in on
Oregon as we get closer to kick off. This Georgia
offense remains the mediocre. The defense lost. How many guys
were drafted from the defense, like six, I mean they
lost a ton of Yeah, so what do you think,
I mean, Georgia, can they possibly come out and just
smack Oregon around bow Nick's Uh, your Auburn kid is
(24:24):
starting for Oregon. Yeah. By the way, what a story too,
because it was bow that through that big pass this
freshman year late in the game to beat Oregon game
played in Dallas. And of course the legacy is Dad
Patrick not only was a quarterback at Auburn, but also
a coach at Auburn at one time. Um, you know
(24:45):
this is this is this is one where if you
just look at the number, you gotta go with Organ.
If you look at that number in Vegas, you gotta
go with Oregon. But Georgia is so good up and
down their roster in terms of overall talent. Kirby has
Kirby smarter is just a I mean, he's the one
guy that has uh pretty consistently been right with Saban
(25:08):
from a recruiting standpoint. Uh. I think Georgia wins the game,
but I think it's certainly closer than seventeen and a
hook without a doubt, Oregon Oregan is also playing I
think for a lot of pride for the PAC twelve.
With SC and U c l A doing what they've done.
I think you're gonna see Oregon especially, Uh maybe to
(25:31):
some extent you talked to play with a real chip
on their shoulders this year, because there are the two
best teams after you know, there are the two best
teams not named USC you know in the PAC twelve.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports
Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app
(25:51):
search f s R to listen live. I do want
to ask after Alabama and Ohio State, you know, they
seem like the very clear two as teams in the country.
If if I told you Tim, who's gonna meet in
the College Football Championship, but you cannot take Alabama or
House team, what two teams do you think you'd have
in the mix? Well, sounds like Utah might be one. Yeah,
Utah's one and Baylor is the other. I love, uh,
(26:16):
you know, Baylor. Baylor returns a lot of the talent
to Dave Randa had a year ago. If you go
back to last year, UM, you know they lost one
of the starter UH actually transferred, but the kid replacing
him as a better player, Blake Shapen UH is a
kid from my hometown. Played at Calvary High School in Streeport, Louisiana. UH.
(26:39):
He took over as the starter late in the season
after uh TCU upset Baylor UH in the first week
of November. Spencer and I actually had that game, UM,
and it was a shocking game. It was right after
Gary Patterson had been fired and Jerry Kill came in
(26:59):
as an interim coached UH to handle the team and
they played with great emotion, got a big interception late
in the game, went on to win the football game.
But Gary Bohannon was the starting quarterback. He decided to
transfer and now Blake Shaping is gonna take over. He's yeah,
he's a legit talent. He's also the nephew of how Sutton,
(27:23):
the great p g A Tour winner one in Riviera
back in eighty three and the p g A Championship
was a Ryder Cup captain UH back in the early
two thousands for us UH in the United States. How's
an old friend of Minab. We grew up together, so
I know a lot about this kid. He's a great
player and a really good leader, good team guy. And
(27:45):
Randa's defense is loaded. Uh. He's one of the best
defensive play callers that we have. I would say Dava
Randa is an understated UH version of on defense of
what Lincoln Riley is on offense. If Lincoln Riley is
the greatest, most transformational play caller on offense, I love
Dave Randa as a transformational defensive play caller. UH. He
(28:09):
doesn't have the charisma of Lincoln UH, and he's not
as verbal UH as Lincoln, but he's a great coach.
Baylor's schedule has them early at b y U keep
an eye on that game. B Y us loaded. They
I think they return their entire defense nineteen out of
twenty two guys. And you know, Jason, those guys are
always old. You know, you know Helena's attack. These team
(28:34):
is oh, I mean those guys are freshman or five. Okay,
that'll be a big test of Baylor early. I think
they'll survive that, and I think they have the potential
to beat Oklahoma and Norman. I really believe that UM
and Oklahoma State will be right behind them. I think
Oklahoma State and Baylor are both better than Oklahoma uh
(28:56):
and we'll see how that thing plays out. But the
team that are not Ohio State in Alabama that could
crack the party are in order, in my opinion, Baylor,
NC State and b y U. If I'm wrong about Baylor,
it's because b y U has gotta run the table.
They're really good. North Carolina State coach by Dave dorn.
(29:20):
Most people don't even remember that Dorin coached at Northern Illinois.
Most people couldn't name one player North Carolina State has.
They got two of the best covered corners in the country.
I have them at number seven. I think they're in
the top ten in the in the AP or they're
very close, certainly in the top twelve, top thirteam. But
what happens all the time in these polls preseason is
(29:42):
it's all about the brand names and recruiting numbers. Okay,
that's it to me. You've got to look at the schedules.
You have to dissect the schedules. Where are their land
mines in the middle of rivalry games that can screw
up the season. I don't know that everybody ex at that,
and uh, that's why I have those teams right where
(30:04):
they are. So Baylor, Utah, and NC State are the
three top wins, and I give an outside shot to
b YU to shock the world. We can wrap up
with the Higsman. But real quick, it just dawned upon
me Baylor in college basketball is building something of a juggernaut.
They've been four two years in a row. Baylor football
now rising. What do you think? It's just like a
(30:25):
cyclical thing where just a random team in a popular state,
UM Texas obviously great football and and I'm sure they
got great basketball. How the hell is this happening while
the Longhorns are struggling? Well, it doesn't hurt that the
Longhorns have been just abysmal for a long period of time, Okay,
And how they could be in the Coach's Bowl. I
(30:46):
think they're like or eight. Listen, I'm not sure Sarcesian
will be there when arch Manning gets there. I mean,
if he is like that, if he if he goes
seven than five or six and six? You know, do
you think those those fans down they are gonna be
(31:07):
okay with that? I mean, he's got the kid he's
got the Yours kid from Ohio State coming back to
Texas to play. You know, everybody's thinking about you know,
Winton Yours. He's he's the guy. Well, Sark could dial
up a lot of great plays. And he's got Jean Robinson,
who might be the best athlete not playing quarterback in
college football. I mean, he's a Reggie Bush clone. But
(31:31):
his offensive line is not very good. His defense hasn't
been very good. They're coming off of I mean, how
many more times are we gonna say his Texas back.
I mean, they're not that good. And and I think
that that's that's enabled teams like uh, Baylor, like at
one point TCU and Gary Patterson had it going. By
(31:54):
the way Gary is there to try to help Texas
now on their defensive side were brought in to help
was a great So. I mean, I think Sark knows
this is a critical year for him. Uh, But I
think teams like Baylor, whether it's basketball or football, Jason, uh,
you've seen emergence of teams like Houston. You know, I
didn't mention them. Dana Holderson might win every game this year.
(32:17):
Houston is really good. They played Texas Tech in a
Week two, Spencer not gonna have that game. Uh. They
gave Cincinnati, as you know, all they wanted a couple
of times last year. They return a lot of that talent. Uh,
but they don't have a team on their schedule like
Notre Dame at Notre Dame. You know, Houston's biggest game,
(32:37):
it would probably be that game at Texas Tech non conference,
which gets you no juice. But teams like Houston, Baylor, TCU,
even s MU, you know, Dikes had it going at
s m U for a period there. He did. All
those teams step flourished because Texas hasn't has been so
screwed up and and I and I don't think it's
(32:59):
just been just because of the coaching ores. I think
a lot of it has been cultural for them. Uh.
You know, when they ran Charlie Strong out, it was
because he he was too much of a players coach.
When they ran Tom Herman out, it was because he
was a juror. Well now they brought in Start because
he's what a players coach. So you know, where are
(33:21):
we here about every three or four years, these big
donors in Texas, you know, don't like the way a
coach responds to them and they're running out on a rail,
so no one has time in Austin to get any traction.
And I think that's really been the problem, uh, you know,
at UT for a long period of time. It's one
(33:42):
of the reasons why I think they're fine with staying
in the Big twelve until they absolutely have to go
to the SEC. You're not gonna see Oklahoma or Texas
dolling out exit money from their grant of rights to
go into the SEC because they know they're not ready.
Definitely not all right. We can wrap up with the Heisman.
Every or tim the favorite seemed to fall flat on
(34:02):
their face. And I'm not saying that mean, but it
just happens. You know, Spencer Rattler, the kid DJ from Clemson, UM,
and somebody comes out of nowhere to win it. Who
you got this year? We had Phil Steel last week
pumping up Dylan Gabriel. I mean, that's a thirty to
one long shot. Seems like impossible. But history, recent history
says somebody's coming out of nowhere to win it. I like,
(34:24):
so he's he's smart. Actually, Okay, I wish I I
wish I had picked that one out of the hat. Uh,
Stroud is the odds on favorite this year obviously, and
if you look at the personnel he's got around him, uh,
you know, he could lose it on the basis of
who he's throwing it to. Smith and jigbe Is. You
(34:48):
know all of this year he's actually a better athlete,
uh got He's faster uh than a lave and Smith
and jigbe is a great talent. Comes from East Texas
and and made his way up to Columbus, which, by
the way, ask another one of the reasons by this
USC thing in u c l a thing coming into
the big tent. You know, Alabama is not gonna be
(35:09):
able to going to California and get a price young now, okay,
and you know that USC people are loving that. Okay,
that's part of what's going on here. But Stroud is,
you know, he's a guy that if he just plays
his game and lets his personnel, all the pieces he
has around him do their thing, he'll be fine. It's
(35:33):
when he tries to do too much he can get
in trouble. He's not a runner. He needs to stay
in the pocket and distribute the ball. But Smith and
jib is a guy that I think could be so
good as a receiver that he could be like a
you know, Davante Adams type of guy that you could
just go to anytime you want and make big plays.
(35:55):
So I'm gonna go outside the box a little and
Smith and Jack but wins the Heisman, oh geez, rather
than rather than Stroud, who everybody thinks is gonna win.
I'm trying to think of the last receiver was it?
Was it Timbers Alabama? Alabama? Oh, that's right, Afforchie Goodness,
Grace Water a couple of years ago. Absolutely, and and
(36:18):
either maybe case MATCHI you know, last year was really
really good. He gotta hurt um. But but but somebody
like you know, everyone's looking for this year's Burrow. You know,
ever since Joey Burrow, you know, transferred to l s U,
everybody's looking for that kind of guy. And Gabriel, I
(36:38):
gotta give Phil Still some credit. That was a good call. Okay,
all right, Well I've a headed to Vegas shortly. I
will be putting some shekels on your guy. And Gabriel. Okay,
Kansas is over under his one and a half, no
is it? I mean Liphold, Lance Lipold is a hell
of a coach. Hi, hell of it coach. They beat
(37:00):
Texas fifty seven to fifty six last year at Texas, right,
look at their schedule, they should have one. They should
have at least one game the first week. You gotta
put put the house. But straight Land, whatever liquid income
you've got, put it on. Hey, you to get two
(37:21):
or more. So Texas they opened with Texas Tech. Um,
oh Jesus. Schedule is tough. The Kansas Kansas. Yeah, so
Kansas opened with Tennessee Teche then they got West Virginia.
That's a loss, Houston, that's a loss. A loss, Duke,
that's a w that's you're done, dude, you're done. You're done.
(37:44):
But before September is finished. But if they needed another
one though Iawa State. They're not beating TCU, Oklahoma, Baylor,
Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas, KSE State. How's KSE state?
Do you know? Really good? They will sneak go in
in there, whether it's Tech, they will upset somebody that's
supposed to be And they got two kid homes. Just
(38:05):
Lance like buld is too good of a head coach
to not get two w's in year two. Okay, And
I know Kansas is Kansas. But I'm just telling you
that one and the L s U six and a half.
Take the over and you'll win back, all right. Tim Brando,
the great announcer Fox Sports. You'll hear him call Gabs.
(38:25):
He obviously is big on gambling, golf. He does it all. Tim,
thanks a lot for the time. Man, you got it.
Take care of Jason,
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