August 26, 2025 • 28 mins
Coach Steve Sarkisian previews Texas’ massive season-opening showdown with Ohio State. Sark discusses the Longhorns’ long-standing partnership with Human and why cardiovascular health hits close to home, before diving into what makes this 1 vs. 2 matchup such a marquee moment for college football. From the depth of both rosters, to the challenge of opening on the road, to lessons from past Texas–Ohio State classics, Sark breaks down how his team is preparing for the stage. He also shares insights on Arch Manning’s growth, the team’s road-game mindset, and why attention to detail will decide the outcome.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Alrighty, this is kind of fitting. I was going to
start with Human, you know, I think before we get
into the game, I just want to dive into it
and give a shout out to Human. You know, obviously,
cardiovascular health is you know, really personal to me and
my history. So to be aligning with the company like
this that makes cardiovascular health a priority, you know, nationwide,
(00:23):
I think is unbelievable. The fact that their logo is
going to be on our field. You know, I know
all of our players you know, take their products, feel
and see the results of their products. And so think
about a sixteen year collaboration, you know, with with Human
and UT I think it's just a real shining example
of you know, kind of what starts here changes the world.
(00:44):
So that's a that's a great collaboration that.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
We're doing with them.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
As far as the ball game goes, you know, pretty
epic matchup when you think about you know one, verse
two and at least one of the two major polls
for the first game of the season is is great
for college football in my opinion, you know, as much
as you know, I'm going to talk about the rankings
don't matter, which I believe that, but I do think
for college football, the fanfare, the excitement around this game
(01:12):
I think is great for our sport. And the fact
that we have three top ten matchups this weekend I
think is great for college football in general. But beyond
the rankings, these are two really good teams. A ton
of respect for Ohio State, ton of respect for Ryan
Day and the job he's done obviously defending national champs.
I think coach Day is like seventy to ten since
(01:34):
he's taken over at Ohio State. And you think about
the quality of players in this game. You know, if
you look at last year's game, twenty six players got
drafted off of the two teams in the NFL you
include free agents, Thirty two players that were playing in
that game a year ago are now in the NFL.
And the fact that both teams are coming back is
one and two in the country. I think speaks volumes
(01:58):
to the quality of program that that both of us have,
quite frankly, and so you know, we've got nine guys
that started in that game a year ago. We had
thirty players back that played in that game a year ago,
so we do have some experience from that environment.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
But it should be a heck of a day.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
The fact that you know this is gonna be Lee Corso, Swansong,
and ESPN College Game Day is going to be there. Obviously,
Fox with their big new and kickoff covering the game
is going to be there. I think sets for for
a great environment and a great stage.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
For this game. You know. Naturally, it's a tall task.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
We've talked about this at length before the season, but
we've got a tough road slate this year and this
is the first one of a few to come, and
so it serves us good to have to go on
the road early, find out about ourselves, find out where
we're at, where we're at as a program, where we
can improve, and where we can continue to get better,
because we're gonna travel more than any other SEC team
(02:52):
this year in our conference, and so this is a
great opportunity for us to go do that. Naturally, we
believe in our process on the road. We've won eleven
in a row on the road now, and and they
haven't been easy. They're all been very difficult. Going on
the road is tough, but this is the head of
a matchup for a great environment against a really good
team who's really well coached, who's had a ton of success.
(03:14):
And you know, I think a little bit too about
some of the epic games that that Texas and Ohio
State have been part of. Obviously last year's national semi
final game, this is the twenty year anniversary of the
five season and and v Y and and going there
and getting to win at the Shoe. So, uh, the
two programs are not uh, you know, they're they're they're
(03:35):
very kind of aware of one another. There's been great
games and that you know, the goal is I think
for for both teams and for both fan bases, Uh,
that this game can can live up to some of
those expectations of the games in the past.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
So what that will open it up if you have
a question.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
From the middle of the game.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Steve, logistically speaking, would you prefer for this game to
be a season opener where you know you have some
time afterwards to get ready for conference player Would you
prefer for the speak or maybe second or third game
a game of this magnitude.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Uh, you know, I think we would always, I guess
want it to be.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
You know, you'd like to get something, you know, some
footing underneath you, with some new players, some guys that
maybe haven't played with you, even if they're transfers. But
I think at the end of the day, it's like
if it's both of ours first game, you feel okay,
where I'd be really uncomfortable if this was our first
game and they had already gotten a game under their belt.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
So it just is what it is.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
You try to prepare your team as best you can.
You try to minimize the self inflicted wounds, and so
you can play as clean of football as possible come
Saturday at noon.
Speaker 5 (04:43):
Coach, you've todas before that part of your coach in
the philosophy is you get what you emphasize this week.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
In particular, what are you emphasizing, Well, I think details.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
You know, we we obviously started preparation a week ago
and we kind of, you know, incrementally got through that preparation.
You know, I think this week is about the details
and the style of play that that we think is
unique to us.
Speaker 6 (05:06):
You know.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Naturally we want to remain enamored with what we do
and not get caught up in the environment of you know,
the crowd, the opponent, the kickoff time, whatever that is,
and just focus on what we need to do so
we can be the best of our ability, and that
starts with the details.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
The little things are going to matter in this game.
Speaker 7 (05:24):
A Yeah, coach, October twenty second, twenty twenty two, is
the last time you guys lost the road game in
the regular season. What's been the key to success for
you guys on the road, especially those big road games
that you had, like against against Alabama or Michigan.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Yeah, you know, I think I think we trust our process.
Speaker 6 (05:43):
You know.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
We we've got a real process that we believe in
in our starting this morning and what our practice plans
look like, and the crowd noise that we work with,
and then to Friday's routine, to game day's routine, and
to really toning out what's going on outside of it
and focus on what's going on between the white lines.
And to your point, we've been in some tough some
(06:05):
tough venues, you know, playing at Kyle Field last year
was it was a tough venue, Playing at Michigan last season,
defending national champs, going to Alabama the year before that.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
So we've been in some tough venues.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I think doing it with confidence knowing that adversity will strike,
uh and then having a next play mentality having the
mental toughness to persevere to get on the other side
of some of that adversity I think is really important
as well. But mostly it's staying connected. It's staying connected
on that sidelines, being enamored with what we need to do,
uh and not get so caught up in what's going
on around us.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Coaches, Is there much you have to say to Arch
this week?
Speaker 6 (06:41):
And what did you say to him going into a
week like this, and on how to approach this game
and the season.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I just it's go be him. You know that.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
That's really our messaging to all of our players. Though
you know you don't have to do anything you've never
done before. You don't have to. We're not asking any
superhuman efforts of you to do it anthing that is extraordinary.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Just go be you.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
What what you've done is good enough to get us
to this point and to get him to this point
in this juncture of his career. Now, now go play
the way he's capable of playing, to the style that
he's comfortable doing it.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
And so I'm not a big.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
The best way I speak to our players is me
remaining consistent with who I am. And I think you know,
one of the mistakes sometimes coaches can make is having
more talks, more conversations, more one on one meetings than
you would normally have. Well, now i'm out of my
I'm out of character for me, which then in turn
can get them out of characters. So we'll stick to
the routine and the plan of when I meet with
(07:40):
the quarterback individually and try to put ourselves in position
to go play well.
Speaker 8 (07:48):
Steve, your team has had great success the last two years,
but some problems in the red zone. You know, how'd
you go about fixing that and what your level of
confidence you'll be better at that?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
You guys want a really cool stat.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
So two years ago, okay, two years ago, we were
just over fifty percent touchdowns in the red area. Last
year we were sixty four percent touchdowns in the red area.
So we did make some improvements. We just need to
continue to improve. Got how much did you how much
(08:26):
did you want to use that?
Speaker 5 (08:32):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
How much did you want to use the Ohio State game?
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Losing that Ohio State game in January as motivation this offseason?
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Keep that in their minds versus let's wipe it, keep
it clear. How do you kind of balance the motivation.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
That was last year's team. Different team, different people, different personnel.
You know, you use it when you need it. You know,
I didn't major it, but I used it when I
needed it. What I felt like, Man, we're getting a
little complacent training camps, getting a little mundane. You kind
of always had that in my back pocket. But it's
a different team, you know, different leaders, They've got a
(09:09):
different team, everybody's you know, it's very different. You know,
at the end of the day, that stone walking out
of the Cotton Bowl, you know, last year. But at
the end of day, this is a new challenge, new journey,
new mission that we're on, and so that's kind of
been our focus.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
Hey, Steve, you mentioned the draft picks. How different are
these two rosters from the ones that you guys saw
got ones you guys had in AT and T.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
And also specifically, what do you think of Julian saying.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Yeah, I mean I think, you know, we both lost
some really good veteran players off of last year's teams.
You know, I think about the couple a couple of
guys in our secondary Macouba and John A at the front,
Alfred and Vernon obviously, Matt Golden, you know, some really
good players, some guys on our old line, Calvin. They
lost some good players too, you know, and the two
backs were great players. The receiver, you know, Julian Julians
(09:59):
are really good player. As a natural passer, you know,
he's got a quick release. He's a better athlete than
you think he can run. So he definitely need to
be an alert to that and ready for that. But
you know, at the end of the day, you know,
this is gonna be one of those when you go
into the ring with somebody, what's the plan, and then
you get you know, as the rounds go on, you
got to have to be able to adjust. And we'll
have a plan. They'll have a plan, but I think
(10:21):
we're gonna have to be ready to adjust to maybe
some of the new things. They've got a new defensive coordinator,
they've got a new offensive coordinator. You know, uh, you know,
Coach Day obviously he's gonna have his fingerprints all over
the offense. He kind of hired, in my opinion, a
head coach for the defense. And Matt Patricia, he's guy's
been an NFL head coach, ben with Bill Belichick and
the idea that that he can really be a head
(10:41):
coach on the defensive side of the ball, where coach
Day can really focus on the offense. And I think
it was a great addition for them. But but ultimately
there's so much new as much as what was old. Uh,
it's I think we got to focus on what we
need to do and then be adjustable as the game
goes on.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
Coach, how do you know, so you've been involved in
three national championships, two runners up? How do you know
that this team is prepared to go to the national
championship and win it? What is the what are the
things that you see that nobody else sees?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I don't know. That's the thing. We're a long ways
away from January nineteenth. I'm focused on August thirtieth. I'm
focused on the next five days. I'm focused on what
do we need to do. I think that's one of
the traps that we can fall into as a team
is looking to the summit and not focusing on, you know,
the first journey of this hike that we're on, this
(11:36):
climb that we're on, and so you know, our challenge
the players on that this morning, you know, today is
the most important day. Saturday is going to be here
soon enough. You know, this weekend is the most game.
You know, down the road is down the road. So
I tend not to get caught day dreaming and I
try to focus on the task at hand of what's
right in front of us.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Coach, you mentioned using crowd and practice this week. How
did the players respond to that, especially these newer guys,
They do well, you know, I think.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
I think one thing that crowd noise does is once
you get over being overwhelmed by the noise, it forces
the focus. It forces you to focus, and inevitably, the
way we operate when you're really focused, it better serves us.
And so sometimes I'm wondering if we should be pumping
crowd noise at home too. I feel like we have
more penalties on pre snap stuff at home than we
(12:27):
do on the road, and so but there's a reason
for that, I think as we practice it and our
guests feel comfortable with the crowd noise.
Speaker 9 (12:35):
Hey, Steve, I know he'd been banged up earlier in camp.
Did do you expect to have Trevor gooseby this weekend?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (12:41):
I do.
Speaker 9 (12:42):
And real quick follow up, you mentioned kind of preparing
for new coordinators. I'm curious, what's your inside your process
of preparation. How is it different preparing for new schemes
versus comparing for preparing for new players that you haven't
seen before.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Huh, Well, the scheme portion of it is, you know,
what do you what are you calling? How are you
designing it? What are you blocking it? Versus the personnel
the player is how how are you gonna How's that
person gonna make it more difficult or maybe less difficult
for you, depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the player.
(13:20):
I you know, my humble opinion is they're not going
to change. Why would you change? They had the number
one defense, you know in the conference, a great run
in the playoffs. They had a really good offense last year.
You know, Coach Day's fingerprints are all over that. They
kept the entire defensive staff outside of the defensive play callers.
So you know, it's kind of like, you know, yeah,
they're gonna They're gonna evolve, just like we evolve every year.
(13:42):
But I think the premise of who they are and
all three phases is going to remain really consistent.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
Hey, Steve, you've had got You've got guys like Taff
and Trey Moore that have been on this team, and
he'll that got after you. Young quarterbacks that were in
their first big game, Davis Warren, Jaylen Miroe. How will
that experience helped with them passing on to their teammates
what to expect in a tough road environment.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Well, you just you lean on those guys.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
You lean on them throughout the week, you lean on
them in the game in the moment. You want to
make sure they're there in critical moments to make their plays.
And we're fortunate we've got some great people on our team.
You know, you you just rattle them all off set,
but there's more than that, even and so we're really
fortunate to have the leadership of those guys who have
been in big time environments and big time games. Uh,
(14:33):
And then you know, hopefully they can pass that that
mindset along. It's not so much how to play, it's
being in the right frame of mind so that you
can play the way that you want to play.
Speaker 8 (14:44):
Have you seen in a similar way to where Anthony
Hill went from athlete to linebacker?
Speaker 9 (14:48):
Have you seen Brian Wingo go from athlete to more
complete receiver here in a second season, I.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Just I just think it's development, you know, Joe, It's
it's more like these guys come in and we can't
get him ready to do everything, and so you're just
trying to put him in position to do some of
the things that they do well. And Ryan was a
great example that a year ago we ran reverses and
you know, shots down the field with him, but all
the while we were trying to develop his game to
(15:14):
be a more complete player.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
And I think that to his credit.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Like Anthony, the most important thing in Ryan Wingo's life
as being a great football player, like and he pours
into it every single day and the result is he's
become a better player. And you know, I think that
now it's our job to try to put him in
more positions to have some success.
Speaker 10 (15:35):
Steve, you said, Anthony Hill kind of sets the tone
for the for the defense, and is there a personality
on the offense that this offense will sort of go
go with or reflect on the field and arch Manning
what you've seen from him that tells you he's ready
to go into this this kind of environment.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Of your first question, because I already forgot it. What
was the first question?
Speaker 10 (16:01):
Is is there a personality on the offense that will
kind of reflect what attitude.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Yeah, no, you know, I think I could probably point
to a few people that way, But Trey Wisner is
a great guy to look to. I think that guy
squeezes every ounce of juice that he's got into the
way he plays the game of football.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
And that's the way we want to play.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
We want to play with maximum effort, maximum toughness and
a sense of real physicality, but yet with speed. And
I think if we can play that way that that
we can do that.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
And then what was the second one?
Speaker 1 (16:37):
He's just prepared well, he's practiced well, and he's had
to go against our defense every day.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
He's been in these environments. You know what.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
It's not like we didn't put him in the game
in the semi final game last year. We put him
in the game at Texas A and M. He's had
to go in. Now he just gets to play more snaps,
which I know he's excited about.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Sark.
Speaker 11 (16:57):
What do you look for when when things suddenly don't
go well, Because that's that's gonna hit and there's not
a jaw Day there or a David Benda there or
Quinn there to lean on. What do you look for
and your staff and the guys responding.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Michael taff Anthony Hill, Colin Simmons, those guys, you know,
it's the same like every year, these guys evolve and
the next guy grows up, and so you try to
lean into those veteran players that have been there before
and you know, make sure that they're a calming force
for the rest of the guys out there.
Speaker 5 (17:27):
Coach, it seems like each of year team kind of
builds its own persona or identity around its own players.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Have you already seen that happen through Fall campers.
Speaker 8 (17:35):
That's something that needs to show up after Ohio State
or deeper into the year.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
M I think we'll find out more after this game
about kind of who we are.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Like I've said this before.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
It's a little bit of coach speak, but but I
think it's true, Like this one game's not gonna define
our season, but we're gonna learn about We're gonna learn
a lot about ourselves. Naturally, we want to win, but
it's not gonna define us whether we win or we lose.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
But we're gonna we're gonna.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Get a ton of information out of this game that
to your point, right, what is the personality this team
and where can we lean into that so that we
can accentuate it and make it more of us once
it starts to, you know, kind of reveal itself, Sark.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
What did you learn about playing Ohio State in the
game last year, you know, compared to how y'all prepared
for him?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
And how can that help you Saturday? They're really good.
You know, Ryan's done a great job recruiting and they're
very well coached.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
This is not They're not a gimmick team at all,
you know, and I say that loosely, like I don't
mean to offend anybody, but the things that they do
are sound, and so you have to beat them. And inevitably,
when two really good teams meet each other, that's where
you're trying to minimize those mistakes, because good teams capitalize
on those mistakes. And so we've got to be very
(18:50):
detail oriented, minimize the self inflicted wounds, which I think
we heard ourselves with last year. Got to take care
of the ball, you know, I feel like the turnovers
heard us a loutast year. And then to everyone's point,
you got to score, and you have opportunities to score
against good teams.
Speaker 8 (19:07):
Steve, you talked about players evolved over their careers, you
probably also see that not just as athletes, but as
their personalities.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Tell me a little bit about what you've.
Speaker 8 (19:16):
Seen in Arch's evolution from the kid who lost his
id or a couple of times is on campus and
just how he's grown into the overall position.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Arch is a great kid man he is now he's
an awesome young man. He's bought into every aspect of
our program. He's been a great teammate, He's worked extremely hard.
I think he's enjoyed college and he should. But at
the end of the day, I just feel like he's normal,
and that's what I love about him. It's not some
(19:48):
guy who feels like he's untouchable he's better than everybody else.
He doesn't go about he doesn't do life like that,
never mind football like that. And to me, that probably
the best part of his evolution is that he hasn't
changed on that aspect of who he is, like he
stayed true to who he is the way he was raised,
and I think that that's really garnered a lot of
(20:09):
respect from his teammates and the coaches. By the way
he conducts him and conducts himself on a daily basis
and the way he represents all of us, because you know,
as much as I get up here and talk.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
To y'all, you know I can't.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
You can't go with the day without seeing somebody talking
about Arch Manning. And so he's he's a direct representation
of our football program in this university and the way
that he conducts himself is one that I think, you know,
we're all proud of and one that we respect him
for the way that he does it.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Yeah, coach, can you talk about the status of him
at Moseley And you know how he also adds an
element to this offense that perhaps isn't there otherwise.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
Yeah, he's been limited, which is you know, I think
we all would want him to be able to have
been going the whole time with us right now.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
He's a very good football player, a.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Guy who had an immense amount of production in only
nine games at Stanford a year ago, and I think
for him the growth is going to be as the
season continues to go. Like I always think back to
Matt Golden last year where going into the season, I
don't think I maybe even feel that a question about
him before the first couple of games, but by the
end of the year he was the topic of discussion,
(21:15):
and so his evolution as the season goes on, I
think is going to be really important as he gets
more and more comfortable with us.
Speaker 11 (21:24):
Hey, Sark, I know the team always talks about these
road games are kind of like an US versus them
mentality for you personally, though, what are these road environments like?
Speaker 2 (21:32):
I love them.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
I've never been to the Shoe, you know, I had
never been to Michigan last year.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
I had never been.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
I've been to Kyle Field one time a year before that,
and obviously I'd spent time in Tuscaloosa.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
But I love it. I think it's cool for college football.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I kind of enjoyed people telling me how terrible I
am and stuff.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
You know. It kind of fuels my fire a little bit.
Speaker 8 (21:53):
So.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
No, but it should be a great environment.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 5 (21:58):
Steve, having played the these types of big non conference games,
what has the value of them been to your program
and this one particular, and what place does it have
in your program as you guys moved to nine conference
games down the road?
Speaker 8 (22:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (22:12):
No, I think it serves us well in preparation as
I said, for the remainder of the season, what we
have to do, you know, and you look at some
of these other road games that we have to go on,
Like I really think going to Michigan early in the
year helped us and gave us a lot of confidence
going to Kyle Field at the end of the year
because our players got exposed to so much of what
(22:32):
it was like to be on the road in a
hostile environment. So, you know, the goal is that this
can serve well for that as well as well as
the speed of the game, the physicality of the game.
You know, you're looking at two you know, highly talented
rosters with really good coaches, and so the speed, the
physicality of which it'll be played at is going to
be something that is going to be, you know, really
(22:53):
replicated when we get into SEC play. How it affects
the nine game, I don't know yet. I've spent about
twenty seconds thinking about that when that announcement came out.
But you know, so I don't know if it affects
that so much moving forward, but I know it'll affect
us this year, which I think for in a good way.
Speaker 12 (23:14):
I think a coach sark i asked you this question
before the third game last season, but it's important for
me to do it today. You said that every class
has their personality. What is a personality of this year's class?
And the second question is you have played the first
few games of the season with high ranked teams. Which
(23:36):
teems do you think you would like to play in
the future.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Oh, well, I think the personality of this team is
a unique one.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
These guys are.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Very fun and I know that you're gonna think that's
a fun team. They're fun in a way that they
do a lot of things with a lot of confidence.
They do it with a real sense of like vigor.
They're hungry, they're tough, but yet they can have fun
doing it along the way. And so I enjoy that
because that's a little bit of my personality. You know,
I'm very intense in the moment, but but I do
(24:12):
like to have a good time. We work too hard
not to enjoy what we get to do. Uh, And
these guys give me that that sense and that feeling.
I do enjoy that. I guess to answer your second question,
I hope we're playing a lot of high ranked teams.
That means we're probably in the playoffs and winning some
more games. So I hopefully we can continue to play
highly ranked teams, and I hopefully you can continue to
(24:34):
schedule games like this because I do believe these games
help us for the remainder of the season.
Speaker 11 (24:42):
This being the highlight of your fun during the week.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Sorr.
Speaker 11 (24:48):
I know that the cliche of packing the defense, but
obviously there's something to be said for that. And you
guys have a defense the middle probably I guess wondering
what's going to happen with all the all the guys,
but in general bringing that defense on the road, how
much confidence is that give your staff?
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Well, it's helpful, you know.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
And I said before throughout training camp, We've got a
lot of talented players on the defensive side of the ball.
We've got a lot of continuity on the defensive staff.
PK obviously year five. You know, all the players here
know him, know how he likes to call it. We've
evolved over the years. But the fact that we can
go play quality defense on the road against a high
(25:28):
quality opponent is going to be critical because you.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Know, I don't know how the game is going to go.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I'd love to fast start, really fast on offense, and
be clicking on all cylinder cylinders. We may not, you know,
and so if that's the case, you need your defense.
You know, we may be clicking on all cylinders on
offense and then you might have some turnovers that happens,
then the defense has got to respond. And so to
have veterans on the defensive side of the ball that
are quality players with that coaching staff, I think is
(25:54):
important in a game like this on the road to
start the season.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Steve, can you.
Speaker 10 (26:01):
Talk about who's stood out as you look for depth
on the offensive line? Who stood out, you know, in
that competition to be the number three offensive tackle and
the number three guard.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
I've been really impressed with Connor Strow. I thought he's
had a really nice training camp.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
You know.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Connor Robertson is another guy who's had a really good
training camp. I think Jaden Chapman has really come on
the last two and a half weeks. So those three
guys on top of those other five, I feel.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Very comfortable with.
Speaker 9 (26:31):
Hey, Steve, how involved are you with CDC in scheduling
these big time non conference games like this And do
you believe, I guess in the college football era that
playing this type of game helps or hurts your case
to make the postseason.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Yeah, you know, I don't do the I don't you know.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Between CDC and his team, they go comb and they
go find the right mixes and matches because you may
want to play a team, but it's got to fit
their schedule, and they're timing what their schedule looks like.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
And then in the end when it comes to me.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
You know, I get a chance to say yeah, your nay,
you know, yeah, let's do it or not.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I don't love that. What are the other options?
Speaker 8 (27:08):
You know?
Speaker 1 (27:08):
So it's a collaborative effort, but CDC really takes the
lead on a lot of that stuff with his team
and does a great job.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
You know.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
We our schedules have been tremendous non conference and the
future looks very bright to continue that.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
I think.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
I think about the CFP.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
And as we've continue to evolve from two teams to
four teams to twelve teams and god knows where we're
going to go next. My thought is almost that you
get rewarded for playing these games, you know, because I
think you probably ask the majority of the coaches around
the country, they're thinking, man, that that's really hard thing
(27:44):
to do is play that game week one on the
road or at.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Home, depending on the year.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
And so I think from a from a CFP standpoint,
it's almost like, you know, check mark the box for
a positive that they were willing to play the game.
Maybe they maybe they wont it, maybe they didn't, but
surely they put themselves out that we're willing to do it,
you know. And I see so many people talk about
like SEC scheduling and you know, not playing power for
teams in this conference, it's real, like we're playing real teams.
(28:15):
We all are, and on top of our own schedule,
and on top of next year, we're going to nine games,
and so you're looking at it, you're looking at a
real schedule. And so the goal is to be rewarded
for playing in these games. Obviously you can reward yourself
by winning. That's helpful. But I just don't think either
US or Ohio State for that matter, is going to
get punished for playing in this game. From a CFP standpoint,
Alrighty, this is kind of fitting. I was going to
start with Human, you know, I think before we get
into the game, I just want to dive into it
and give a shout out to Human. You know, obviously,
cardiovascular health is you know, really personal to me and
my history. So to be aligning with the company like
this that makes cardiovascular health a priority, you know, nationwide,
(00:23):
I think is unbelievable. The fact that their logo is
going to be on our field. You know, I know
all of our players you know, take their products, feel
and see the results of their products. And so think
about a sixteen year collaboration, you know, with with Human
and UT I think it's just a real shining example
of you know, kind of what starts here changes the world.
(00:44):
So that's a that's a great collaboration that.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
We're doing with them.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
As far as the ball game goes, you know, pretty
epic matchup when you think about you know one, verse
two and at least one of the two major polls
for the first game of the season is is great
for college football in my opinion, you know, as much
as you know, I'm going to talk about the rankings
don't matter, which I believe that, but I do think
for college football, the fanfare, the excitement around this game
(01:12):
I think is great for our sport. And the fact
that we have three top ten matchups this weekend I
think is great for college football in general. But beyond
the rankings, these are two really good teams. A ton
of respect for Ohio State, ton of respect for Ryan
Day and the job he's done obviously defending national champs.
I think coach Day is like seventy to ten since
(01:34):
he's taken over at Ohio State. And you think about
the quality of players in this game. You know, if
you look at last year's game, twenty six players got
drafted off of the two teams in the NFL you
include free agents, Thirty two players that were playing in
that game a year ago are now in the NFL.
And the fact that both teams are coming back is
one and two in the country. I think speaks volumes
(01:58):
to the quality of program that that both of us have,
quite frankly, and so you know, we've got nine guys
that started in that game a year ago. We had
thirty players back that played in that game a year ago,
so we do have some experience from that environment.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
But it should be a heck of a day.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
The fact that you know this is gonna be Lee Corso, Swansong,
and ESPN College Game Day is going to be there. Obviously,
Fox with their big new and kickoff covering the game
is going to be there. I think sets for for
a great environment and a great stage.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
For this game. You know. Naturally, it's a tall task.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
We've talked about this at length before the season, but
we've got a tough road slate this year and this
is the first one of a few to come, and
so it serves us good to have to go on
the road early, find out about ourselves, find out where
we're at, where we're at as a program, where we
can improve, and where we can continue to get better,
because we're gonna travel more than any other SEC team
(02:52):
this year in our conference, and so this is a
great opportunity for us to go do that. Naturally, we
believe in our process on the road. We've won eleven
in a row on the road now, and and they
haven't been easy. They're all been very difficult. Going on
the road is tough, but this is the head of
a matchup for a great environment against a really good
team who's really well coached, who's had a ton of success.
(03:14):
And you know, I think a little bit too about
some of the epic games that that Texas and Ohio
State have been part of. Obviously last year's national semi
final game, this is the twenty year anniversary of the
five season and and v Y and and going there
and getting to win at the Shoe. So, uh, the
two programs are not uh, you know, they're they're they're
(03:35):
very kind of aware of one another. There's been great
games and that you know, the goal is I think
for for both teams and for both fan bases, Uh,
that this game can can live up to some of
those expectations of the games in the past.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
So what that will open it up if you have
a question.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
From the middle of the game.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Steve, logistically speaking, would you prefer for this game to
be a season opener where you know you have some
time afterwards to get ready for conference player Would you
prefer for the speak or maybe second or third game
a game of this magnitude.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Uh, you know, I think we would always, I guess
want it to be.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
You know, you'd like to get something, you know, some
footing underneath you, with some new players, some guys that
maybe haven't played with you, even if they're transfers. But
I think at the end of the day, it's like
if it's both of ours first game, you feel okay,
where I'd be really uncomfortable if this was our first
game and they had already gotten a game under their belt.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
So it just is what it is.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
You try to prepare your team as best you can.
You try to minimize the self inflicted wounds, and so
you can play as clean of football as possible come
Saturday at noon.
Speaker 5 (04:43):
Coach, you've todas before that part of your coach in
the philosophy is you get what you emphasize this week.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
In particular, what are you emphasizing, Well, I think details.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
You know, we we obviously started preparation a week ago
and we kind of, you know, incrementally got through that preparation.
You know, I think this week is about the details
and the style of play that that we think is
unique to us.
Speaker 6 (05:06):
You know.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Naturally we want to remain enamored with what we do
and not get caught up in the environment of you know,
the crowd, the opponent, the kickoff time, whatever that is,
and just focus on what we need to do so
we can be the best of our ability, and that
starts with the details.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
The little things are going to matter in this game.
Speaker 7 (05:24):
A Yeah, coach, October twenty second, twenty twenty two, is
the last time you guys lost the road game in
the regular season. What's been the key to success for
you guys on the road, especially those big road games
that you had, like against against Alabama or Michigan.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Yeah, you know, I think I think we trust our process.
Speaker 6 (05:43):
You know.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
We we've got a real process that we believe in
in our starting this morning and what our practice plans
look like, and the crowd noise that we work with,
and then to Friday's routine, to game day's routine, and
to really toning out what's going on outside of it
and focus on what's going on between the white lines.
And to your point, we've been in some tough some
(06:05):
tough venues, you know, playing at Kyle Field last year
was it was a tough venue, Playing at Michigan last season,
defending national champs, going to Alabama the year before that.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
So we've been in some tough venues.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I think doing it with confidence knowing that adversity will strike,
uh and then having a next play mentality having the
mental toughness to persevere to get on the other side
of some of that adversity I think is really important
as well. But mostly it's staying connected. It's staying connected
on that sidelines, being enamored with what we need to do,
uh and not get so caught up in what's going
on around us.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Coaches, Is there much you have to say to Arch
this week?
Speaker 6 (06:41):
And what did you say to him going into a
week like this, and on how to approach this game
and the season.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I just it's go be him. You know that.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
That's really our messaging to all of our players. Though
you know you don't have to do anything you've never
done before. You don't have to. We're not asking any
superhuman efforts of you to do it anthing that is extraordinary.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Just go be you.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
What what you've done is good enough to get us
to this point and to get him to this point
in this juncture of his career. Now, now go play
the way he's capable of playing, to the style that
he's comfortable doing it.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
And so I'm not a big.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
The best way I speak to our players is me
remaining consistent with who I am. And I think you know,
one of the mistakes sometimes coaches can make is having
more talks, more conversations, more one on one meetings than
you would normally have. Well, now i'm out of my
I'm out of character for me, which then in turn
can get them out of characters. So we'll stick to
the routine and the plan of when I meet with
(07:40):
the quarterback individually and try to put ourselves in position
to go play well.
Speaker 8 (07:48):
Steve, your team has had great success the last two years,
but some problems in the red zone. You know, how'd
you go about fixing that and what your level of
confidence you'll be better at that?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
You guys want a really cool stat.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
So two years ago, okay, two years ago, we were
just over fifty percent touchdowns in the red area. Last
year we were sixty four percent touchdowns in the red area.
So we did make some improvements. We just need to
continue to improve. Got how much did you how much
(08:26):
did you want to use that?
Speaker 5 (08:32):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
How much did you want to use the Ohio State game?
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Losing that Ohio State game in January as motivation this offseason?
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Keep that in their minds versus let's wipe it, keep
it clear. How do you kind of balance the motivation.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
That was last year's team. Different team, different people, different personnel.
You know, you use it when you need it. You know,
I didn't major it, but I used it when I
needed it. What I felt like, Man, we're getting a
little complacent training camps, getting a little mundane. You kind
of always had that in my back pocket. But it's
a different team, you know, different leaders, They've got a
(09:09):
different team, everybody's you know, it's very different. You know,
at the end of the day, that stone walking out
of the Cotton Bowl, you know, last year. But at
the end of day, this is a new challenge, new journey,
new mission that we're on, and so that's kind of
been our focus.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
Hey, Steve, you mentioned the draft picks. How different are
these two rosters from the ones that you guys saw
got ones you guys had in AT and T.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
And also specifically, what do you think of Julian saying.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Yeah, I mean I think, you know, we both lost
some really good veteran players off of last year's teams.
You know, I think about the couple a couple of
guys in our secondary Macouba and John A at the front,
Alfred and Vernon obviously, Matt Golden, you know, some really
good players, some guys on our old line, Calvin. They
lost some good players too, you know, and the two
backs were great players. The receiver, you know, Julian Julians
(09:59):
are really good player. As a natural passer, you know,
he's got a quick release. He's a better athlete than
you think he can run. So he definitely need to
be an alert to that and ready for that. But
you know, at the end of the day, you know,
this is gonna be one of those when you go
into the ring with somebody, what's the plan, and then
you get you know, as the rounds go on, you
got to have to be able to adjust. And we'll
have a plan. They'll have a plan, but I think
(10:21):
we're gonna have to be ready to adjust to maybe
some of the new things. They've got a new defensive coordinator,
they've got a new offensive coordinator. You know, uh, you know,
Coach Day obviously he's gonna have his fingerprints all over
the offense. He kind of hired, in my opinion, a
head coach for the defense. And Matt Patricia, he's guy's
been an NFL head coach, ben with Bill Belichick and
the idea that that he can really be a head
(10:41):
coach on the defensive side of the ball, where coach
Day can really focus on the offense. And I think
it was a great addition for them. But but ultimately
there's so much new as much as what was old. Uh,
it's I think we got to focus on what we
need to do and then be adjustable as the game
goes on.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
Coach, how do you know, so you've been involved in
three national championships, two runners up? How do you know
that this team is prepared to go to the national
championship and win it? What is the what are the
things that you see that nobody else sees?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I don't know. That's the thing. We're a long ways
away from January nineteenth. I'm focused on August thirtieth. I'm
focused on the next five days. I'm focused on what
do we need to do. I think that's one of
the traps that we can fall into as a team
is looking to the summit and not focusing on, you know,
the first journey of this hike that we're on, this
(11:36):
climb that we're on, and so you know, our challenge
the players on that this morning, you know, today is
the most important day. Saturday is going to be here
soon enough. You know, this weekend is the most game.
You know, down the road is down the road. So
I tend not to get caught day dreaming and I
try to focus on the task at hand of what's
right in front of us.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Coach, you mentioned using crowd and practice this week. How
did the players respond to that, especially these newer guys,
They do well, you know, I think.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
I think one thing that crowd noise does is once
you get over being overwhelmed by the noise, it forces
the focus. It forces you to focus, and inevitably, the
way we operate when you're really focused, it better serves us.
And so sometimes I'm wondering if we should be pumping
crowd noise at home too. I feel like we have
more penalties on pre snap stuff at home than we
(12:27):
do on the road, and so but there's a reason
for that, I think as we practice it and our
guests feel comfortable with the crowd noise.
Speaker 9 (12:35):
Hey, Steve, I know he'd been banged up earlier in camp.
Did do you expect to have Trevor gooseby this weekend?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (12:41):
I do.
Speaker 9 (12:42):
And real quick follow up, you mentioned kind of preparing
for new coordinators. I'm curious, what's your inside your process
of preparation. How is it different preparing for new schemes
versus comparing for preparing for new players that you haven't
seen before.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Huh, Well, the scheme portion of it is, you know,
what do you what are you calling? How are you
designing it? What are you blocking it? Versus the personnel
the player is how how are you gonna How's that
person gonna make it more difficult or maybe less difficult
for you, depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the player.
(13:20):
I you know, my humble opinion is they're not going
to change. Why would you change? They had the number
one defense, you know in the conference, a great run
in the playoffs. They had a really good offense last year.
You know, Coach Day's fingerprints are all over that. They
kept the entire defensive staff outside of the defensive play callers.
So you know, it's kind of like, you know, yeah,
they're gonna They're gonna evolve, just like we evolve every year.
(13:42):
But I think the premise of who they are and
all three phases is going to remain really consistent.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
Hey, Steve, you've had got You've got guys like Taff
and Trey Moore that have been on this team, and
he'll that got after you. Young quarterbacks that were in
their first big game, Davis Warren, Jaylen Miroe. How will
that experience helped with them passing on to their teammates
what to expect in a tough road environment.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Well, you just you lean on those guys.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
You lean on them throughout the week, you lean on
them in the game in the moment. You want to
make sure they're there in critical moments to make their plays.
And we're fortunate we've got some great people on our team.
You know, you you just rattle them all off set,
but there's more than that, even and so we're really
fortunate to have the leadership of those guys who have
been in big time environments and big time games. Uh,
(14:33):
And then you know, hopefully they can pass that that
mindset along. It's not so much how to play, it's
being in the right frame of mind so that you
can play the way that you want to play.
Speaker 8 (14:44):
Have you seen in a similar way to where Anthony
Hill went from athlete to linebacker?
Speaker 9 (14:48):
Have you seen Brian Wingo go from athlete to more
complete receiver here in a second season, I.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Just I just think it's development, you know, Joe, It's
it's more like these guys come in and we can't
get him ready to do everything, and so you're just
trying to put him in position to do some of
the things that they do well. And Ryan was a
great example that a year ago we ran reverses and
you know, shots down the field with him, but all
the while we were trying to develop his game to
(15:14):
be a more complete player.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
And I think that to his credit.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Like Anthony, the most important thing in Ryan Wingo's life
as being a great football player, like and he pours
into it every single day and the result is he's
become a better player. And you know, I think that
now it's our job to try to put him in
more positions to have some success.
Speaker 10 (15:35):
Steve, you said, Anthony Hill kind of sets the tone
for the for the defense, and is there a personality
on the offense that this offense will sort of go
go with or reflect on the field and arch Manning
what you've seen from him that tells you he's ready
to go into this this kind of environment.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Of your first question, because I already forgot it. What
was the first question?
Speaker 10 (16:01):
Is is there a personality on the offense that will
kind of reflect what attitude.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Yeah, no, you know, I think I could probably point
to a few people that way, But Trey Wisner is
a great guy to look to. I think that guy
squeezes every ounce of juice that he's got into the
way he plays the game of football.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
And that's the way we want to play.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
We want to play with maximum effort, maximum toughness and
a sense of real physicality, but yet with speed. And
I think if we can play that way that that
we can do that.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
And then what was the second one?
Speaker 1 (16:37):
He's just prepared well, he's practiced well, and he's had
to go against our defense every day.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
He's been in these environments. You know what.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
It's not like we didn't put him in the game
in the semi final game last year. We put him
in the game at Texas A and M. He's had
to go in. Now he just gets to play more snaps,
which I know he's excited about.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Sark.
Speaker 11 (16:57):
What do you look for when when things suddenly don't
go well, Because that's that's gonna hit and there's not
a jaw Day there or a David Benda there or
Quinn there to lean on. What do you look for
and your staff and the guys responding.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Michael taff Anthony Hill, Colin Simmons, those guys, you know,
it's the same like every year, these guys evolve and
the next guy grows up, and so you try to
lean into those veteran players that have been there before
and you know, make sure that they're a calming force
for the rest of the guys out there.
Speaker 5 (17:27):
Coach, it seems like each of year team kind of
builds its own persona or identity around its own players.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Have you already seen that happen through Fall campers.
Speaker 8 (17:35):
That's something that needs to show up after Ohio State
or deeper into the year.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
M I think we'll find out more after this game
about kind of who we are.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Like I've said this before.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
It's a little bit of coach speak, but but I
think it's true, Like this one game's not gonna define
our season, but we're gonna learn about We're gonna learn
a lot about ourselves. Naturally, we want to win, but
it's not gonna define us whether we win or we lose.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
But we're gonna we're gonna.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Get a ton of information out of this game that
to your point, right, what is the personality this team
and where can we lean into that so that we
can accentuate it and make it more of us once
it starts to, you know, kind of reveal itself, Sark.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
What did you learn about playing Ohio State in the
game last year, you know, compared to how y'all prepared
for him?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
And how can that help you Saturday? They're really good.
You know, Ryan's done a great job recruiting and they're
very well coached.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
This is not They're not a gimmick team at all,
you know, and I say that loosely, like I don't
mean to offend anybody, but the things that they do
are sound, and so you have to beat them. And inevitably,
when two really good teams meet each other, that's where
you're trying to minimize those mistakes, because good teams capitalize
on those mistakes. And so we've got to be very
(18:50):
detail oriented, minimize the self inflicted wounds, which I think
we heard ourselves with last year. Got to take care
of the ball, you know, I feel like the turnovers
heard us a loutast year. And then to everyone's point,
you got to score, and you have opportunities to score
against good teams.
Speaker 8 (19:07):
Steve, you talked about players evolved over their careers, you
probably also see that not just as athletes, but as
their personalities.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Tell me a little bit about what you've.
Speaker 8 (19:16):
Seen in Arch's evolution from the kid who lost his
id or a couple of times is on campus and
just how he's grown into the overall position.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Arch is a great kid man he is now he's
an awesome young man. He's bought into every aspect of
our program. He's been a great teammate, He's worked extremely hard.
I think he's enjoyed college and he should. But at
the end of the day, I just feel like he's normal,
and that's what I love about him. It's not some
(19:48):
guy who feels like he's untouchable he's better than everybody else.
He doesn't go about he doesn't do life like that,
never mind football like that. And to me, that probably
the best part of his evolution is that he hasn't
changed on that aspect of who he is, like he
stayed true to who he is the way he was raised,
and I think that that's really garnered a lot of
(20:09):
respect from his teammates and the coaches. By the way
he conducts him and conducts himself on a daily basis
and the way he represents all of us, because you know,
as much as I get up here and talk.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
To y'all, you know I can't.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
You can't go with the day without seeing somebody talking
about Arch Manning. And so he's he's a direct representation
of our football program in this university and the way
that he conducts himself is one that I think, you know,
we're all proud of and one that we respect him
for the way that he does it.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Yeah, coach, can you talk about the status of him
at Moseley And you know how he also adds an
element to this offense that perhaps isn't there otherwise.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
Yeah, he's been limited, which is you know, I think
we all would want him to be able to have
been going the whole time with us right now.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
He's a very good football player, a.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Guy who had an immense amount of production in only
nine games at Stanford a year ago, and I think
for him the growth is going to be as the
season continues to go. Like I always think back to
Matt Golden last year where going into the season, I
don't think I maybe even feel that a question about
him before the first couple of games, but by the
end of the year he was the topic of discussion,
(21:15):
and so his evolution as the season goes on, I
think is going to be really important as he gets
more and more comfortable with us.
Speaker 11 (21:24):
Hey, Sark, I know the team always talks about these
road games are kind of like an US versus them
mentality for you personally, though, what are these road environments like?
Speaker 2 (21:32):
I love them.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
I've never been to the Shoe, you know, I had
never been to Michigan last year.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
I had never been.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
I've been to Kyle Field one time a year before that,
and obviously I'd spent time in Tuscaloosa.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
But I love it. I think it's cool for college football.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I kind of enjoyed people telling me how terrible I
am and stuff.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
You know. It kind of fuels my fire a little bit.
Speaker 8 (21:53):
So.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
No, but it should be a great environment.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 5 (21:58):
Steve, having played the these types of big non conference games,
what has the value of them been to your program
and this one particular, and what place does it have
in your program as you guys moved to nine conference
games down the road?
Speaker 8 (22:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (22:12):
No, I think it serves us well in preparation as
I said, for the remainder of the season, what we
have to do, you know, and you look at some
of these other road games that we have to go on,
Like I really think going to Michigan early in the
year helped us and gave us a lot of confidence
going to Kyle Field at the end of the year
because our players got exposed to so much of what
(22:32):
it was like to be on the road in a
hostile environment. So, you know, the goal is that this
can serve well for that as well as well as
the speed of the game, the physicality of the game.
You know, you're looking at two you know, highly talented
rosters with really good coaches, and so the speed, the
physicality of which it'll be played at is going to
be something that is going to be, you know, really
(22:53):
replicated when we get into SEC play. How it affects
the nine game, I don't know yet. I've spent about
twenty seconds thinking about that when that announcement came out.
But you know, so I don't know if it affects
that so much moving forward, but I know it'll affect
us this year, which I think for in a good way.
Speaker 12 (23:14):
I think a coach sark i asked you this question
before the third game last season, but it's important for
me to do it today. You said that every class
has their personality. What is a personality of this year's class?
And the second question is you have played the first
few games of the season with high ranked teams. Which
(23:36):
teems do you think you would like to play in
the future.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Oh, well, I think the personality of this team is
a unique one.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
These guys are.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Very fun and I know that you're gonna think that's
a fun team. They're fun in a way that they
do a lot of things with a lot of confidence.
They do it with a real sense of like vigor.
They're hungry, they're tough, but yet they can have fun
doing it along the way. And so I enjoy that
because that's a little bit of my personality. You know,
I'm very intense in the moment, but but I do
(24:12):
like to have a good time. We work too hard
not to enjoy what we get to do. Uh, And
these guys give me that that sense and that feeling.
I do enjoy that. I guess to answer your second question,
I hope we're playing a lot of high ranked teams.
That means we're probably in the playoffs and winning some
more games. So I hopefully we can continue to play
highly ranked teams, and I hopefully you can continue to
(24:34):
schedule games like this because I do believe these games
help us for the remainder of the season.
Speaker 11 (24:42):
This being the highlight of your fun during the week.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Sorr.
Speaker 11 (24:48):
I know that the cliche of packing the defense, but
obviously there's something to be said for that. And you
guys have a defense the middle probably I guess wondering
what's going to happen with all the all the guys,
but in general bringing that defense on the road, how
much confidence is that give your staff?
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Well, it's helpful, you know.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
And I said before throughout training camp, We've got a
lot of talented players on the defensive side of the ball.
We've got a lot of continuity on the defensive staff.
PK obviously year five. You know, all the players here
know him, know how he likes to call it. We've
evolved over the years. But the fact that we can
go play quality defense on the road against a high
(25:28):
quality opponent is going to be critical because you.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Know, I don't know how the game is going to go.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I'd love to fast start, really fast on offense, and
be clicking on all cylinder cylinders. We may not, you know,
and so if that's the case, you need your defense.
You know, we may be clicking on all cylinders on
offense and then you might have some turnovers that happens,
then the defense has got to respond. And so to
have veterans on the defensive side of the ball that
are quality players with that coaching staff, I think is
(25:54):
important in a game like this on the road to
start the season.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Steve, can you.
Speaker 10 (26:01):
Talk about who's stood out as you look for depth
on the offensive line? Who stood out, you know, in
that competition to be the number three offensive tackle and
the number three guard.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
I've been really impressed with Connor Strow. I thought he's
had a really nice training camp.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
You know.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Connor Robertson is another guy who's had a really good
training camp. I think Jaden Chapman has really come on
the last two and a half weeks. So those three
guys on top of those other five, I feel.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Very comfortable with.
Speaker 9 (26:31):
Hey, Steve, how involved are you with CDC in scheduling
these big time non conference games like this And do
you believe, I guess in the college football era that
playing this type of game helps or hurts your case
to make the postseason.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Yeah, you know, I don't do the I don't you know.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Between CDC and his team, they go comb and they
go find the right mixes and matches because you may
want to play a team, but it's got to fit
their schedule, and they're timing what their schedule looks like.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
And then in the end when it comes to me.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
You know, I get a chance to say yeah, your nay,
you know, yeah, let's do it or not.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I don't love that. What are the other options?
Speaker 8 (27:08):
You know?
Speaker 1 (27:08):
So it's a collaborative effort, but CDC really takes the
lead on a lot of that stuff with his team
and does a great job.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
You know.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
We our schedules have been tremendous non conference and the
future looks very bright to continue that.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
I think.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
I think about the CFP.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
And as we've continue to evolve from two teams to
four teams to twelve teams and god knows where we're
going to go next. My thought is almost that you
get rewarded for playing these games, you know, because I
think you probably ask the majority of the coaches around
the country, they're thinking, man, that that's really hard thing
(27:44):
to do is play that game week one on the
road or at.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Home, depending on the year.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
And so I think from a from a CFP standpoint,
it's almost like, you know, check mark the box for
a positive that they were willing to play the game.
Maybe they maybe they wont it, maybe they didn't, but
surely they put themselves out that we're willing to do it,
you know. And I see so many people talk about
like SEC scheduling and you know, not playing power for
teams in this conference, it's real, like we're playing real teams.
(28:15):
We all are, and on top of our own schedule,
and on top of next year, we're going to nine games,
and so you're looking at it, you're looking at a
real schedule. And so the goal is to be rewarded
for playing in these games. Obviously you can reward yourself
by winning. That's helpful. But I just don't think either
US or Ohio State for that matter, is going to
get punished for playing in this game. From a CFP standpoint,
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