Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
We're back. It's the Craig Way Show with Hall of
Fame broadcaster and voice of the Texas Longhorns, Craig Way.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Get ready for it, playing marching band music on both sides,
Texas and the Buckeye marching band scrypt Ohio and all
of the history and tradition that goes along with that,
and by the way, the pretty good football team as well,
joining us on the hotline. Good friend with whom it's
(00:43):
been almost two months to the day when you and
I were in Las Vegas, Nevadas, Texas played Ohio State
and Basketball, a game the Buckeyes won in the season
opener there in Las Vegas, and at the time I
think I said to you, hey, see you in the
playoff and you were like, eh, yeah, it was kind
of did that.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Paul Keels joins us. Now, it's great to visit with you, Paul.
How are you well? Likewise, and remember we even talked
about this back during the summer done in North Carolina too.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
That's right, we were both in North Carolina for the
National Sports Media Convention and warning us the respected honors
for being Sportscaster of the Year and I respected States
and we said hey, look, and at the time, if
I remember correctly, you weren't one hundred percent certain that
you could make the basketball game because we're coming off
(01:30):
Penn State. How ironic because that since there's two other
teams in this playoff for manning him, one of them
is Penn State.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah, I wasn't certain that I was going to be there,
And you know, unfortunately for Ohio State, unfortunately for Texas.
That turned out to be a good night in Las Vegas.
And as I'm sure you're dealing with with all the
things you do, Craig, we're doing the same thing, dancing
around basketball, all of that. Yeah, right now in Minneapolis
for a game tonight with the Golden Gophers. So here
you'll like this. There's more snow that came today in
(01:58):
Columbus than there is in Minneapolis.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Wow. And I'll tell you what coming up fast on
those two is Arlington, Texas. They've had some snow, when
there's gonna be more snow as the week progresses.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
I know you're used to it.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
But as I zip up and down, I thirty five
with second rank to Auburn in here tomorrow night, and
then there's a women's game on Thursday night, against Alabama
and in between that Rodney Terry's coaching show. So it's
gonna be a little bit, a little bit interesting on
all of this. But we we always liked this over
lap time of year, right when you when you're doing
football and basketball, keeps us out of trouble and occupied.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Yeah, we say that publicly, don't we. It's a good
way to describe it.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Let me ask you about this that this team I
see a few similarities, not so much in the teams themselves,
but in the way they are perceived by folks. And
you know, both teams were held in pretty high esteem
and high regard during the Lion share of the season. However,
(03:02):
Texas lost not once but twice to Georgia, so they
were kind of looked at as being, well, they're not
even the best team in their own league. And Ohio
State was cruising long, and then along comes the Michigan game,
and then there's there's that kind of stuff, and and
and so they wind up not in Indianapolis for the
Big Ten championship. And I've heard this theorize. I don't
know how you feel about it, Paul, but I've heard
(03:23):
this theorize. Some folks say it might have been the
best thing in the world that happened to the Buckeyes
because it got them rest and rested and recharged, but
also kind of put them back on center to get
ready for the playoff itself. I'm curious to get your
thoughts on that.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Well.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I don't know so much about the rest part, Craig,
but you know, I think certainly the lost of Michigan
gave this team at edge. You know, you can politely
say it hacked them off, and they're playing angry. And
what has really been different in the two postseason games
as opposed to the regular season. This was an Ohio
State team that usually kind of started slow and finished strong.
(03:59):
In these two playoff games, they've come out like a
house of fire at the very beginning of the game.
So and it has really put the opponent in a
difficult position trying to play catchup. That they would like
to have had a Big Ten championship, they would like
to have certainly beaten Michigan. And losing that game to Michigan,
especially the way it happened, what was so confounding, you know,
losing to Oregon by one point in Eugene in a
(04:21):
back and forth game. Yeah, that had its own concerns,
but you know a lot of that spoked to the
talented Oregon had. But losing to a Michigan team that
you know you saw him early in the year. This
is they weren't nowhere close to what they've been in
the previous two seasons. Losing at home and just kind
of I think what it did is it got the
coaches and especially the offensive play calling a little back
(04:41):
on center. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Absolutely, and they have certainly been back on center. And
one thing that was noted and I know Sark was
asked this in the media zom the other day, is
about these fast starts the Buckeyes have had in both
of the playoff games. The win over Tennessee and then
just like an absolute tornado, every time I looked up
during the host game of the Peach Bawl, the Buckeyes
had scored another touchdown, it was like, my goodness. And
(05:06):
I got to the airport and raised it. I saw
thirty four to nothing. I was like, my goodness, I
can't believe it. How much of that is the playing
mad that you talked about, and how much it is
they just have now with all of that incredible talent
they have gotten back on properly executing well.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Craig, I think what it was. It goes to the defense,
and they were able to really get Oregon boxed in early,
got him into a three and out their first possession.
They were able to get pressure on Dylan Gabriel, something
they didn't do in October. Didn't get a single sack
in that game. Got eight of them in this game
the other day. So defensively they were able to really
get in Oregon's way and keep them from getting any
(05:43):
kind of rhythm while Ohio State, you know, their first
play from scrimmage, the tight end lines up in the
backfield and they hit him down the sideline for thirty yards.
So they were kind of able to get one to
go right away, get out of any kind of early down,
long situation, get out of any third down difficulty. But
the defense was what as much as all of the
points they scored, and as exciting as that was, it
(06:04):
was the defense. The way they were really able to
corral a very talented Oregon offense that kind of had
everybody buzz.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Well, let me keep it on the defense for a moment,
because there's plenty to discuss about the offense, and I'll
get into that in a moment, But here's Jim Nole's defense.
It ranks number one in total defense and yards per
game allowed, Number one in scoring defense, number one in
pass defense, number five in rush defense. The defense has
allowed merely eighteen touchdowns for the entire season. Number two
(06:31):
in red zone defense. You got guys like Cody Simon
and Sunny Styles with incredible tackle numbers as well. There's
plenty to be said about this defense. So has this
just been the rise all along? And other than the
hiccup being that what it was against Michigan, this is
(06:51):
pretty much how it's been throughout the course.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Of the year.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
In some ways, yes, and the defense gave him a
chance to win the Michigan game. It was really the
offensive problems because of that. But ever since the loss
to Oregon in October, you've seen this defense kind of
play at a different level. And maybe the biggest thing,
Greg is you see the pressure on the quarterback coming
from different areas. The two defensive line, two defensive ends
excued me, have played very very well here in the postseason.
(07:15):
You mentioned Cody Simon. He's a guy that you know,
he's a senior that's playing his best football at the
end of his career. You've seen Candle Downs, a transfer
that came in from Alabama that's playing at a high level.
I think what it is is it's they're playing together
can join at a high level. So if you're an
opposing offense, yeah, you see what Jack Sawyer and you
see what jan and Tooey Muddlehow have done on the ends.
(07:36):
But you've got two tackles that have been very consistent.
You've got linebackers that can disguise some things very well.
So it's kind of been coming from all different points
in all different looks.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Visiting with Ohio State Buckeyes play by play voice Paul
Keels here on sports Radio AM thirteen hundred. Okay, let
me jump to the offense. Now, there's a lot of
wow about Jeremiah Smith with the performance the other day.
Now it's not like he just appeared on the scene.
He's tied third naturally, but fourteen touchdown catches, he's he's
(08:07):
a National Freshman of the Year on offense, that sort
of thing. But yet with him and a Mecca Igbuka,
those are two guys that I guess they're on opposite
ends of the spectrum in terms of longing the tooth
shortened tooth, but both very very effective and that's going
to make a guy like Will Howard all the more effective.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
It certainly is. And you know you throw in Carnel Tait,
who is the third receivers played very well. You get
the production they've gotten out of the tight end position.
And we talked about that catch that that g'scot Head
at the beginning of the game. And then then add
the rushing threats. I mean you've got Traveon Henderson and
you've got quinch On Jepkins, and these are guys that
are averaging, you know, over five yards per carry. So
(08:47):
there's there's all of those elements of balance. You know,
think about Jeremiah Smith. He has broken Chris Carter's freshman
receiving records at Ohio State. Think about that for a second.
But certainly with what Will Howard has done and Craig,
this was maybe the thing that was talked about the
most when Will Howard came to Ohio State. He didn't
have to be great. All he had to be was good,
(09:07):
and he's been very efficient. He's had I think it's
what six or seven games this year where his completion
percentage has been over eighty percent. The biggest thing he's
brought also is the threat of a run, which they've
not had since justin Fields. And they've done all of
this with three different season ending injuries on their offensive
line and having to rework the offensive line. So it's
been an offense that at times has been like a
(09:29):
successful circus show. Yeah, no doubt about it.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Well, certainly the Loghorns are familiar with Will Howard, and
I know Will mentioned in the press conference the other
day he said Texas the one team I I didn't
beat in my time at Case Tate. But I'll tell
you what he did everything just about he could to
do it. He played really really well for the Wildcats,
and that how about the transition for him into the
program and what he ultimately was able to do and
(09:54):
not only uplifting his level of play, but that of
the offense.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Well, Ryan Days told the story that when they were
talking to Will Howard about coming to ives date, they
got him on the phone with him Achabuka, And they
also did the same thing with quit John Jutkins talking
to Trevion Henderson. They wanted to make sure that the
players already there could get a good feel for the
guys they wanted to bring in. And Will Howard has been,
you know, just a class young man. He's been a
(10:18):
great leader from what everybody says on the field and
the practices, but he's he's been a good fit because
of who he is personally, and you know, I think
a lot of that's a reflection of his family. Obviously
it has to do with the coaching staff too, but
he's a guy that is just understood. He didn't have
to come in here and be all world. He just
had to take advantage of the talent around him, and
(10:39):
that's what he's done.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
You, while you're in the ballpark of my age, I
don't think you were not on the play by play
call of that January first, eighty seven Cotton Bowl.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Correct, No, I was not. I was doing games at Cincinnati, Okay,
all right.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
The reason why I say that is because I was
actually at that game, because I worked in Dallas and
KRLD at the time, and I remember Earl Bruce's team
winning that and dominating Texas A and M in that
contest as well. And the reason why I bring this
up because this is the fourth game for the Buckeyes
to play in the Cotton Bowl, and so I'm curious
(11:22):
as to your thoughts on Buckeye Nation. And I know
they sold out there a lot man of tickets of
thirteen thousand, and how many more you think will show
up for this game because they've gotten accustomed to playing
in Arlington over the past few years.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
They did and there's been some good Now last year
didn't go very well when they lost to Missouri, but
they also won their last national championship in that stadium
when they beat Oregon in twenty fourteen. I'm curious to
Craig because a lot of them went to the Rose Bowl,
and as you know, and you've been there, the Rose
buls a destination place. It was about sixty forty Oregon
fans to Ohio State fans. The Ohio State alumni base
(12:00):
strong all over the country. Now playing Texas in the
state of Texas, I don't know what that's going to
be like. But I'm curious because this has kind of
been one of those when you think about how the
Michigan game ended, you still knew they were going to
get in the playoffs, but how would they respond after that?
Now with the way they've played, there might be a
little more room on the bandwagon. So I would suspect
(12:22):
we're going to see a good showing, but you know,
certainly not what's going to compare to the Texas fans.
It'll be there.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
He's Paul Kill's a great guy and the play by
play voice of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Stay out.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Let's know if he can, because I have a feeling
both of us are going to see it in Arlington
this weekend. But I'll look forward to seeing you Jerry World,
and I appreciate the time. Paul, thanks so much. That
is always good to do it. Graig all right, that's
Paul Keel's big daddy as they know him up there
in Columbus, the voice of the Ohio State Buckeyes. We'll
hear more from Coat Sark coming up when we continue
on Sports Radio AM thirteen under the Zone.