Wayne & Matt talk Packers vs. Vikings, Badgers @ Trojans and preview the upcoming Brewers postseason
September 24, 2024 • 52 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I think maybe there's something to be said for a
group that's too young to know better, and I think
that's what this team is. With veteran presence, with a
guy like Reheze Hoskins and some others who know been there,
who have been around. But I say that'll have been
big leaders for a while. Same thing with William Thomas.
But this is a team that just kind of just
(00:20):
goes out in place. And then Pat Murphy, you know,
wildly successful college coach at Notre Dame and at Arizona State.
It seems like there's a little bit of a college
approach to how he goes about it and the players,
the young guys and the veterans. There's a culture over
there and they've had this for a while. They had
this with Counsel too, although the messaging might have been
(00:41):
a little bit different.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
This is the Larovian La Pey Podcasts, a production of
iHeartRadio Podcasts with hosts Wayne Larvie, the voice of the
Green Bay Packers, and Matt Lapey, the voice of Wisconsin
Badgers football and men's basketball. The Larovian La Paye podcast
is present and by UW Credit Union. Here for every u.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
HI everybody, I'm Wayne Laravie and I'm mad. On this
episode of the Leravie La Pey Podcast, it's Vikings Week
in Green Bay. The Packers and Vikings renew the bitter
border rivalry. First place of the NFC North in the
early season. On the line, the Badgers heading out west
to the Colisseum in Los Angeles for a date with
the Trojans of USC And how about the Brewers a
(01:28):
little celebration. They are division champs and who's to say
how far they can go in the National League postseason?
Good stuff coming up on the Lerovian La Pey Podcast.
Ready to give fees the stiff arm. Uw Credit Union
can help because since nineteen thirty one they've been committed
to eliminating fees for members joined today at UWCU dot org.
(01:51):
Insured by NCUA terms and conditions applied well, Matt. Since
last we talked, the Pats have had a backup quarterbacks
started a couple of games. The Badgers played Alabama and
unfortunately the game didn't go well. The atmosphere sounded like
it was just wonderful down there in Madison for that
weekend game against Alabama. And you guys have had a
(02:13):
You had a week off, so you had a chance
to get away and rest in unwind a little bit.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, the atmosphere of the north Woods was spectacular, Wayne,
It's feeding anything I've seen any at any venue so far.
It was the only bad party. How about this. I
get new clubs, so I get new golf clubs, new technology. Unfortunately,
same old lack of talent. So it deposited a few
golf balls into one of the north Woods golf courses
like I usually do. But yeah, it was staring out
(02:41):
at the water going really, I want to I want
to come back here, but still beats work. So yeah,
I was able to actually look ahead, look at some
usc stuff, even sneak a peek at at Purduo. But
the north Woods, and I mean it's always good, but
in September, Wayne, it is off the charts.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Yeah, it's a little quieter up there in September, isn't
it until the colors start really popping.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yes, it is. Yeah. We were in between some of
the some of the festivals that go on up there
in the Violence County part of the state. But it
you definitely Labor Day. There's a tradition up there. One
of the one of the bars that's right off of
the fifty one. They usually wave bye bye to the
if it's the Illinois folks, or are they even those of
(03:26):
us in southern Wisconsin as we're heading back south. But no,
it was a good summer up there though, you'd all seriousness,
those folks needed that because they they the lack of
snow last winter was really tough on businesses there. But
I can tell you over the fourth and my wife
was up there over Labor Day weekend and it was
just busier than normal for sure over the fourth of July,
(03:48):
and it sounds like every bit the same over Labor Day.
But yeah, they have some great events up there, including
Wayne up in Monaqua, the world famous beef a Rama, Yeah,
which is an excuse to of course enjoy a little
beef and probably some fine liquid refreshments to go with it.
So I'll have to miss that. I'll be in LA.
(04:09):
I don't think they know what beef Orama is in
southern California, but they darn sure know what it is
up in the n Acwa.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
You know it's amazing because you know you mentioned it.
They've been struggling up there. The merchants in those small
towns in the upper peninsula of Michigan and northern Wisconsin.
Snow is a big part of it. I mean, winter
is big up there, and it's a lot of snowmobiling,
some skiing, but a lot of snowmobiling and that type
of thing. And it's great outdoors place to be in
(04:38):
the winter as well as the summer. I imagine it's
kind of like the mountains where we go. You go
for the snow and you stay for summer because summer
is just spectacular in those places, and I imagine that's
the same thing. So it's good to hear they had
a good summer. Hopefully they'll get some snow this winter
because like like you said, the economy up there really
kind of needs that, and I hope they do have
(04:59):
a good summer. It's supposed to be an El Nino,
whether accurrence somehow that has influence on what snow we
get and the rockies get, and you know whatever. It's
way above my educational pay garade, but supposedly, you know,
it's gonna have some kind of an influence all kind
of wather we get.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
But we'll see.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Anyway, Hey, listen, the packers experience at sow Poulo was
not so good from the standpoint of the game. But
we talked about the last podcast. It was it was
a well run trip in and out. And you know,
Brazil is a big market in the NFL. Is going back.
They're probably going to Reo next, I would imagine. But
the Packers came out without a quarterback and they found
(05:41):
a quarterback.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
You know. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I want to say this in totally ingest to Brian
Goodcootz if I see him this week, I'm gonna walk
up to him before this game and I would say, Brian,
you paid a guy two hundred million dollars he's oz
and one you threw a seventh round draft choice to
Tennessee and that guys too, and zero? What the hell
was going on around here?
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Controversy? Let's go, let's start playing on. Isn't it amazing
how the narrative changes, because, at least in some circles,
brag Guta Kunst has been that the organization is being criticized, like,
how can you have this mess? We thought you love
Sean Clifford, he's not your guy. You bring in a
guy that the Titans decided wasn't good enough. But how
(06:24):
did you get yourself into this mess? And a couple
of weeks later, boy, what a genius. Brian Guda, Kunsten
Is everybody connected with the organization and they just figured
out and battle of Floor. Wow, he's a really smart guy.
I don't know if he took smart pills or if
he was taking duble pills before. I think he's pretty good. Anyway.
As I look at this team from Afar, they've been okay.
(06:47):
But yeah, that was watching that game though. That the
first game with Malik Willis. I know, I heard you
referring to nineteen seventies NFL football and I started smiling,
and I thought, eighteen nineties Barry Aparez ball too. Drew
Brees is going to throw at eighty three times in
a game, and Mike Samuel's going to throw at ten,
(07:08):
and Wisconsin is going to fight a way to win.
And it was like what the Packers did in the
first game with Milite. Willis put a little more on
his plate week two and worked out beautiful.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
You know, I think of all kinds of good things
to say to people and then forgot to say him.
But yeah, I got to tell you the story. The
first game back the Colts game in Green Bay, and
they're gonna start Malik Willis and they're you know, you
know how football people get to get very secretive, so
they basically threw us all out of practice the day
before the game. I go in the day before the game,
(07:40):
I go in, I interview Matt Lafleur after the walk
through practice, and they let me see the walk through practice,
which is very helpful because if you're paying attention, you
will see every play they have on the play sheet
that day, you know, for that next game. So it's
very helpful. I'm very appreciative the Packers coaching staff and
Matt Lafour in particular allow me to do that. Larry's
there for every practice. But anyway, so this is the
(08:01):
day before the Colts game, and they, you know, one
of the security guys is way, you can't go in
there until such and such a time, and so they're
really keeping everything in the close wraps. All the family
members were held out. And family members go to that
Saturday practice too, because you know, they get a chance
to visit with their people on the team and all that. Anyway,
so they suppose off for that and then the next
(08:24):
day I'm thinking Wow, there's got to be something cooking here.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Man.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
This is gonna be really good stuff, isn't it. And
then they run the ball fifty three times, and I
wanted to go down there to the locker, roseate to Mattelafort, Matt,
you were hiding fifty three running place on. Even if
I told the world about that, it wouldn't make a difference.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Now.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
It was just but it was funny, it was great,
and it was kind of fun to see this quarterback
develop it. And I remember early on in our broadcast
that day the Colts Gate, he threw a pass. He
only threw fourteen of them that day, but completed twelve. Anyway,
he threw a pass with Larry mccieren remark, Wow, this guy,
he spin it pretty well, and you know what he can.
(09:04):
And they ran fifty three times that first game, fourteen
passing plays. The next week in Nashville against the Titans,
they run the ball thirty seven times to twenty two
passing attempts. So in the two games they run ninety
runs in thirty six passes and they won both games.
And you know, hey, I think they did a great
(09:24):
job of this kid. He understood and it was a
smart guy hit a thirty two on the wonder Lit
coming out.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
I didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Drew Olson told me that he looks up these things.
I guess you know the old baseball, right, those guys
have away with details.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
You know, now they're weird, just say it. They're just
a string human banks.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
And they're wired a different way anyway. So thirty two
on the Wonderli that's a good score. So the kid
is smart. So he comes in, he's got two weeks
under his belt. He learns enough of a game plan
that they go out and they are able to beat
the Colts. And then last week they open up the
game plan. They pass three out of the first four,
play some scrubbage and I'm saying, wow, okay, And you know,
(10:03):
it was really interesting to see Lafleur and his staff,
Tom Clemens, sewn Manyon, you know, the quarterbacks coaches. They
did a great job of not asking Malik well Is
to do anything that they didn't give him. Jordan Love's
game plan they gave. They developed a game plan for
Malik Lewis, and in that game plan was Reid option
(10:26):
and quarterback runs, and we saw a couple of those,
not a lot but a couple and this kid has
good wheels and he could escape trouble and he can
break the back of a defense and scrambles and runs,
and he did it a couple of times down in
Nashville against Tennessee. So you know, the coaching today, everybody
talks about this system Matt and Shanahan and all this
(10:47):
other stuff. And believe me, the Packers are very much
on the Shanahan tree. You know, Matt is the product
of that. But I think what coaching is today, You've
got to take the people you have, not just that season,
but that given week, and it's up to you to
come up with a plan that will work with them
rather than them trying to fit your plan. And I
(11:09):
think that's really the key to good coaching week to
week on the highest level.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
And it seems like that's exactly what they did. You know,
they weren't asking elite Willis to win the game for them,
But as you said, he's smart and he's athletic enough
when he needs to make a play, he can go
make it. But they geared it. They weren't going to
overload him. And then you've got a guy like Josh
Jacobs and you've got, you know, the window dressing that
they had in that game against the Colts to be
(11:34):
able to run through a team the way the Packers did,
and you could say he should have won the game
by more than six. You know, it didn't have to
be clumse. You know a couple of mistakes, but they
controlled the game. And then against the Titans, you know,
the defense was awfully good. I know Will Evis's you know,
he can do a lot of good things that he'll
make a big mistake that'll that will really hurt the Titans,
(11:56):
but for everybody else it seems like maybe stepped it
up or not or two. But yeah, it's uh, it's
been It's been fun to watch. And I was struck
by with your conversation with with Lafleur before the Titans game,
and I knew what you were knew exactly where you
were going too. Because nobody likes the why. But there's
(12:18):
a challenge to this, not having Jordan Love or Leaflord
and staff are saying, Okay, how can we how can
we juggle the recipe here to put what you give
Malik willis what he does well, and then fit that
into what what you need to do to win that game.
And I think, as you and I know, between college
coaches and and prope and professional coaches, you know, they're
(12:39):
just warped enough, like you hate the fact that you
don't have your starting quarterback, but at the same time
you say, okay, here's what we have. Let's see what
we can put together for him, and they put it
together beautiful.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
It's it's probably Matt a lot of oh, what's the word,
I'm looking for, creative tension. I imagine in those rooms when
they're putting the plan into place on Monday and Tuesday,
there's a lot of creative tension. And they don't want
to be without their top people because they may not
win without them. But they so they don't look forward
(13:12):
to going into a game without their starting quarterback. But
I think there's a portion of part of them this is,
oh boy, now we can really get creative with this thing.
Let's see what we can work up here. And I
think Mac sort of in that answer to my question
in that pregame interview, kind of you know, greed. Yeah,
it's this is kind of the creative in some cases,
(13:33):
maybe funds too strong a word, but fun times to
be able to put together a game plan and let's
see if it works. You know it's going to be different,
and I think they do a great job with that.
And you know, you brought up a good point. The defense.
The first two weeks of the season, we didn't see
the Jeff Hafley defense because a lot of his defense
(13:55):
is getting that front seven or at least the front
four upfield into the backfield and create havoc and bo
by the way, stopping the run on the way to
the quarterback. Sometimes that's good. Sometimes it's not so good,
but you live with it. We didn't see that the
first two weeks because they played very athletic quarterbacks who
could break you with their legs as well as their arms,
(14:16):
and with Jalen Hurts in the kid at Indianapolis.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
But you know, what we.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Saw in Tennessee was a young offensive line for the
Titans and a young quarterback and they unleashed that pass rush.
We saw Jeff Hafley's defense. That's what it's supposed to
look like, not what we saw the first two weeks.
That was more of a contained defense. This is more
of an attacking defense, and that's what we saw. It'll
be interesting to see where they go with this against
(14:44):
a real good offensive line this week end with the
Vikings and a quarterback who may have found the right
system for him in O'Donnell. You know, I mean Sam Darnold.
You know, Kevin O'Connell's done a great job with him,
and he's playing as well any quarterback in the league.
So this is going to be interesting. But the NFL
(15:04):
everyone says it's a week to week game, and it
really isn't when you get to December and January, but
it is now. Every week is different. Your team could
be one hundred and eighty degrees different from what you
saw the week before, and it takes about five or
six weeks before we'll have a handle on who's going
to be good and who isn't.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yeah, I think maybe you're answering that the couple questions
that I've got for you now into general sess with
the NFL because it said so early, but we've seen
passing numbers drop at least in this early stage of
the season, and I don't know if it's too early
to say that this is how it's going to be.
I don't do you have any denic theories on why
(15:44):
that is? Through the first through the first three weeks
or so the season. Why we know, in the case
of the Packers when they've had to do that, but
why it seems that the numbers are down throwing the
ball and Matt It doesn't make a lot of sense
because we're not in a bad weather situation across the
league for the most part. September October are good weather
(16:04):
months and months that you could you're gonna be on
dry fields, you're able to throw the football. That kind
of thing.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
I think defenses have kind of caught on and I
saw it a starting last year.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
You know, all that.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Motion that people do, and the Jet sweeps and the
Jets sweep pass, which is when they flip the ball
to the back coming cutting in front of the quarterback,
all of that stuff. Defenses are realciting that they've covered
that that stuff doesn't pop open nearly as much as
it used to, So defenses adjust, and I think they're
(16:38):
adjusting to the passing game as well. Now we've got
a couple of injuries at quarterback around the league that
certainly contributes to it. But I'm with you, and I
think we're also finding out that there is value two
running backs in this league. You know, a couple of
them actually got paid during the offseason, say Kwan Barkley
being won and rightfully so Tony Pollard another. But I
(17:04):
don't have a real feel for where this is going.
I do know this that defenses adjust over a period
of time, and I think they have kind of caught
up with the passing game of the West Coast offense
here at this stage of the season. Or let's put
it this way, the Shanahan offense.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Three weeks and what are the thoughts on the kickoffs?
They're gonna start tweaking it? Do you think sooner they labor.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
Matt They've got to.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
You know, last year twenty two percent of kickoffs were returned,
only twenty two percent none in the Super Bowl, And
there were eleven kickoffs in the Super Bowl that generated
the change of this kickoff rule, the dynamic kickoff. But
when you bloom the ball through the end zone and
it's a touchback, the ball comes out to the thirty
yard line. What we're fighting is this season has gone
(17:53):
along that special teams coaches, that coaching staffs are saying, okay,
thirty yard line instead of the twenty five. That's not
a big deal. But I think if they move it
out to the thirty five yard line on a touchback,
that might change the thinking a little bit because scoring
chances go up exponentially if the ball starts at the
(18:14):
drive starts of the thirty five yard line. Big it's
a big change if it goes to the forty. But
I think they're going to have to tweak that rule
because we saw returns early on this season, but we
haven't seen as many the last couple of games, and
I think the trend is going to continue to go
down until the touchback is penalized even more by the league,
and that could come. That could come in the next
(18:35):
few weeks.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
I know where we normally go a little bit more
evergreen here, but it is a Vikings week, so I
think that's a pretty natural point to make an exception
to our general rule here. And you mentioned Sam Darnold.
It looks like he's found a home three weeks in.
It seemed to me waying that the Vikings are the
least talked about team in this division. You know, obviously
what the Lions did, the coop blot over the Bears
(18:58):
with Caleb Williams, and that's backed off a little bit
for all the obvious reasons. What do you make of
this Vikings team? Because much like Matt lafleur, uh, you know,
Kevin O'Connor is now getting Uh. O'Connell is getting that
reputational again. It's growing that this guy. There's what's going on.
They know they're hot, they're highly touted. Rookie is hurt,
(19:19):
so you gotta you gotta get Donald in there. He's
too early to start throwing too many roses their way
or but the fact that there're three and oh, I
think surprises a ton of people here.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
It really does. Man, I want the two part question
number one. I think O'Connell. Kevin O'Connell now in his
third year with the Vikings, he might be He's up
there with all the best of the offensive coordinators. He
calls the game as the head coach, as Matt lafloor
does in Green Bay. But you know what he does
(19:52):
so well is he gets quarterbacks into a comfort zone.
Sam Darnold is watching tape of this team. I've never
seen say Donald as confident or comfortable behind center, waiting,
waiting and waiting in that pocket and then delivering the past.
You know, it's its sole cliche. You and I have
talked about it here on this podcast. Our listeners are
(20:12):
probably sick of me saying this, But in most cases,
you get drafted to a team, you're a pro athlete,
You get drafted to a team, and it may not
be the right fit. Certainly may not be the right
coaching staff or the right system for your talents. So
you get cut and you move around and you find
you know, Sam Donald was a high draft choice, maybe
number two overall something like that by the Jets back
(20:33):
in twenty eighteen, and it just didn't work in New York.
It hasn't worked for any quarterback in New York, and
Rogers will probably be the exception. But it didn't work. Yeah,
he's got to bounce around. He was with the Niners
last year, kind of an afterthought with the Niners last year,
but he said the thing he said he learned so
much by just watching that team and how they went
about their business, how they prepared, Shanahan et cetera, et cetera. Well,
(20:56):
you know O'Connell's knock off the Shanahan tree, and and
so O'Connell gets Donald in there and knows we can
get a year out of this guy, we'll have JJ
McCarthy ready to go. I think it's been great. I
think that Sam Donald has found that spot. I found
that coach who believes in him, found a system that
(21:20):
basically accentuates what he does as a quarterback. And I
think that is so important, and so I don't think
this is a fluke at all. On the other side
of the ball, one of the best defensive coordinators in
the game today is Brian Flores. He has said what
he's been trying to do last year and now this
year is build a defense to combat the Shanahan offense,
(21:44):
which is I don't know, the two thirds of the
league maybe including the Green Bay Packers. So and he
does a tremendous job. I thought he did a great
job of that defense last year. Through the first half
of the season, they were one of the better defenses
in the league. They kind of wore down as the
season went along. Minnesota lost his starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins,
the offense couldn't hold its end of the bargain, and
(22:05):
the defense eventually kind of collapse down the stretch. But
this year a lot of new pieces on that defense.
No One discovers. No one disguises coverages as well as
Flores does, and he has been spot on with everything
they've done so far. They have sixteen sacks and three games.
They've given up thirty points in three games. They're just outstanding.
I mean, they're giving up seventy one rushing yards a game.
(22:28):
You know, it's just really been interesting to see how
they put this thing together. A lot of new faces,
but boys come together for them. And these two coaches
O'Connell on offense, Flora's on defense, they may be among
the best in the league of what they do.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Yeah, thirty four to seven over a Houston Texans team
that people are starting to talk up more and more.
I mean, that's a college point spread there. Oh, you
just don't. You don't expect thirty four to seven very
often in the NFL, do you.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
And I'm watching that game, and you know, I hate
everybody's talking about Houston is one of the teams that's
going to challenge Kansas City for the Super Bowl the AFC,
And I'm watching the game that the Vikings took it
to them end. Never never let the Texans sniff anything
in that game. It was it was a clinic, Matt,
It really was. And you know, but again it's week
(23:13):
to week in the NFL at this time of year.
We'll see what they have this week in Green Bay.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
On Wisconsin, Offkees get pre checking options of or at
UW Credit Union joined at UWCU dot org. Terms and
conditions apply insured by NCUA. Well, shall we shift to
the college world here for a few times to do it? Yeah,
we'll try to figure out how to get the Badgers
going here as they make a trip out to the
(23:42):
La Memorial Colise And what am I in for their way?
You've been there. This is my first time being out
to that icuttic venue.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
It just you know, what I would would urge you
to do is sometime before the broadcast, go down and
walk through the tunnel that leads out of the field.
I think both teams come out of the same tunnel.
Just go down there and just think about the Olympics
and they've I think had four of them there or
something like that. Think about the Super Bowls they've had there,
(24:11):
Think about all the great players from SC and UCLA
who've come through that tunnel, and just take it all in, man,
because there is nothing quite like the coliseum in Los Angeles.
I got to tell you this story and bear with me.
I am in my first year and only year of
(24:31):
broadcasting Iowa Hawkeyes football. This is nineteen seventy seven. Okay,
I'm fresh out of college. But you have to understand
back then Big ten teams had more than one team
broadcasting their games, more than one broadcast team. And in
the case of Wisconsin, I think there were three at
that time.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Were four Everypons.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Yeah, there were four in Wisconsin, and there were thirteen
for Iowa.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
About that thirteen I was.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I was from Davi, There was one from Ronyonder did
the Cedar Rapids. There was one in Iowa City. There
was Jim Zabo, the great Jim Zabel from Des Moines.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Oh, Bob Rooks, probably Bob doing games.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Oh Josh, there were thirteen of us. So it's Week
two of the nineteen seventy seven college football season and
I'm just Oh, We're going to La We're gonna be
at the Colise. I'm just all excited. Well, the coliseum
has a lot of room for media, but they don't
have thirteen broadcasts boots for radio. They don't have thirteen
(25:37):
broadcast booth period. So it's a night game, and here
we are. They put most of us up on the roof.
We're so high up, Matt, you could reach up and
touch the light of the of the big lights that
shine on. Sure, you touch the light bulb. And we're
so far away. I don't have binoculars. UCLA is wearing
(26:01):
their powder blue with silver numbers.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Think about the tall That was tough.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
I got a UCLA runner scoring a touchdown. I didn't
realize I had the wrong guy until I got back
on Monday and heard a highlight and said, oh, wait
a minute, I'm looking at the score sheet. Oh no,
I got that rock. But that was my first experience
in the coliseum. It was interesting.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Yeah, they had four here when I first got here.
I became in night. When I moved here at eighty eight.
I ended up doing the final ten games or nine
games on one of them. But we had four different crews,
so that I think was causant and Iowa were among
the last to maybe just say you know what, one's
probably good they eissed. But I'm all for job opportunities.
(26:49):
Although I'm guessing that of the thirteen cruise, nobody was
breaking the bank again. It was great, but it was
a great a great gig. So no, I think I'm
looking forward to this just you know, be it out there.
I'm still getting used to the fact that this is
a Big Ten game. Was constantly going to USC. But
it's a story for USC. It's the first Big Ten
home game. They at their first conference game last Saturday
(27:10):
in ann Arbor. Really entertaining game. You talk about running
the ball way. Michigan turned back the clock in that game.
They had two hundred and ninety rushing yards. One hundred
and fifty seven I think came on three plays. Wow.
Otherwise they averaged three yards of carrot in the game
against the Trojans. So they're USC is trying to get
better defensively. That's been a been a trouble spot for
(27:31):
that program the last few years. They're taking steps in
that direction. But Michigan was able to hit them for
some big plays. They made a quarterback change, and their
quarterback is known wars Are much more as a runner
a running threat that he is a passing threat. But
they got a couple of guys on their backfield who
can hit home runs and that was what happened for Michigan.
The game against USC. But here's how here's how thin
(27:55):
the line is. And you live this every week, you know,
covering the past Eckers, we talk about USC. Part of
the narrative is to get better defensively. They are one
player away from getting a goal line stand against Michigan
in the big House to win the game. Had they
been able to get that fourth and goal at the
one stop every day, all the narrative with the USC
(28:18):
would be, Wow, look what they've done. Look at these
great changes they've made defensively. They've got a new coordinator,
They've got six transfers who were starting for their team.
But Michigan scored so as well. They gave up a
lot of big plays. It cost them. Their defenses better
but not where it needs to be. But they have
weapons offensively. Why Miller Moss is a guy who might
(28:38):
be becoming the exception of the rule in college football.
He waited his turn. He was behind Caleb Williams, you know,
by the guy who who won a Heisman. This guy
is a red shirt junior. He's an LA kid. He
grew up going to Matt Leiner's quarterback camp when when
Boss was a young guy. Wow, waited his turn and
(29:01):
he's pretty highly regarded. It makes sense that he would
because Lincoln Riley has overseeing three Heisman Trophy winners in
his career, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and then Caleb Williams.
This guy can throw. He's I think he proved his
toughness too, because he spent a lot last Saturday on
his back. Michigan was able to put a fair amount
(29:23):
of pressure on him. So this is another one of
these for Wisconsin coming off a pretty humbling game against Alabama,
you know a week ago Saturday, they're playing a usc
team that is not as good as Alabama, but it's
plenty good enough, I think, to be a factor of
the Big Ten race. And now that you know, the
question is for Wisconsin can't to start to form an identity.
(29:46):
Who is it right now? And when we say that,
we talk more about the offense for really both sides
of the ball. These needs some guys to make some
plights because that has been something that's happened few and
far between through the first three weeks.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
You know, it's interesting because you know, and rightfully so,
you were talking about this same thing last year. They're
looking to establish an identity as this new coaching staff
comes on board, and it takes time, and it's taking
maybe more time than a lot of people would like
it to. But it takes time to do that, doesn't it.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
It does, And I think it is that And I
understand the frustrations with with fans with this because there
was all the you know, the hoopla with the new
staff coming in, which is not uncommon. I mean, when
Barry Albarez arrived, they had this marketing tool, was a
whole new animal. You know, the Badgers are a whole
new animal. They won one game in nineteen ninety, but
(30:41):
it got better. And I think that the danger zone
that fans and even a lot of the media can
make as you compare this transition to when Barry got
here at nineteen ninety, they're so different. I mean, the
situations were being Barry walked into a true dumpster fire
of appropriate. This program has slipped into more of the
middle of the pack, but it's not terrible, and it's
(31:03):
I think it's hard to make that jump. And another
thing weighing with this that I find interesting when you
look at Wisconsin's in the fourteen playoff era in college football,
which was twenty fourteen through last year. Wisconsin, by virtue
of its ranking at the end of the conference championship games,
would have made a twelve team playoff three times twenty sixteen,
(31:25):
twenty seventeen, and twenty nineteen. Wow. However, against the Big Three,
who we referred to as the Big Three at the
time of the conference Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State,
Wisconsin was three and twelve in that In that the
three wins were against Michigan, they were offers against Ohio
State and against Penn State. So that's fifteen games against
(31:46):
those teams in a ten year period. But if you're Rutgers,
you're Indiana, you're Maryland, you're playing those teams thirty times
over that span. So I guess you know. The moral
of the story is, well, Wisconsin had some very very
good teams under Paul Crest. By playing in the Big
ten West, you only played the Big Three half the
number of times that team's in the East that it
(32:09):
played though, so that you know, not all records are
built the same. But that's now in an eighteen team league,
the schedule becomes very very important. It breaks well for
Rutgers this year, you know, which is off to a
really good start with great ciano. Badgers will go there
in a few weeks. But this year Wisconsin going to
sc They got Oregon coming to Madison, they got Penn
(32:32):
State coming to Madison, they go to Iowa. They don't
play Michigan or Ohio State. But it's a you know,
it's a pretty aggressive schedule that they have, so that
that's part of what I think increases the challenge for
Luke Fickle and his program is that you're not in
the West anymore. I mean, this is one through eighteen,
and you're trying to find a way to get your
(32:54):
team into that mix, if not to win the league,
at least being considered for the playoff. And that's not
something that people are really even talking about around here
right now, nor should they, but we all know how
it works. I mean, you want to be able to
build your program to a point where you can get
into that mix, whether that's next year the year after.
(33:16):
But it is a is a daunting challenge because the
Big three now might be more than three in the
Big ten that you're trying to you trying to break
through and get yourself into the mix.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
And I would say, you know, to the big three
that you mentioned, you're probably going to add Oregon USC
is probably built to get there. They're probably not there
quite yet, but they could eventually be there, you know,
so it could be a Big five, It could be
a big five. You have to get through to you know,
finish upper division of the Big ten. So it's yeah,
(33:50):
it's a daunting task. And now Matt Tyler Van Dyke
went down early in that game of Camp Randle against Alabama,
Brayden Locke assumes control.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
Was there a large difference.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
In the two quarterbacks that you saw as they battled
for the post in preseason.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
The biggest thing Wayne was armstrength. Tyler Van Dyke just
as they use a baseball term, a better fastball. He's
got a little more judice on it. Then then brain
brain lock is a easy They referred to him as
a bit of a sabot. I mean he knows the
game inside it out, knows the offense inside it out,
inside and out, but the physical arm strength isn't isn't
(34:28):
quite the same as Van Dykes. And you know, Tyler
tried to run the ball a little bit. He could
pick a spots. As I've said many times with him,
he ends up getting hurt, you know, run the ball.
You know, a little bit of a fluke there with
with the acl which he's had surgery this week on that,
but it'll be it'll The coaches have talked about this,
(34:50):
you know, throughout the spring and then especially in fall camp.
They they they said that they believe they have two
quarterbacks they can win with. So one of them's out
for the year, so we'll fight out where Braden is.
He did start three games last year. He played most
of the game against Alabama, and it was as you
might expect under the circumstances. You know, look, they were
(35:11):
kind of tentative with them there for a time, but
he showed flashes the guy who could go out and
make some plays and you know, not nearly enough offensively
for this team to have a chance against Alabama. But
you know, I think this guy, he does have a
little bit of it factor to him in his approach mentally,
and I think players have a lot of respect for him.
(35:32):
Now it's a matter are the physical tools going to
be there to the point where you can move the
ball give your team a best chance and the best
chance to win, especially against some of the good defenses
that they're going to face the team.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Where are they at defensively?
Speaker 4 (35:45):
The Badgers?
Speaker 3 (35:46):
I mean because I thought in watching that Alabama game
they were hanging in and hanging in and then eventually
kind of got worn down by the Alabama talent. But
where are they defensively? And you know, because this has
always been a strength Wisconsin.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Yeah, and it's it's a little less of one right
now to be to be perfectly honest about it, they've
been really vulnerable against the run here so far this season.
And it's whether that scheme, personnel, combination of both they
are We always talk about offense, you need somebody to
make a play. Defensively, they need the same thing. They
(36:21):
haven't gotten pressure on the quarterbacks the way that they
would like to or expect to here so far, but
it's been you know, the running game, Alabama eventually just
went between the tackles. Now, yes, you also, or I
should also say, Jalb Milroe, your quarterback might be as
athletically a gifted quarterback as there is a country. A
(36:42):
lot of really smooth don't have a dog in a
fight have said as much about him, so you have
to honor him. And that opened up some some opportunities
for the running backs to do their thing. But it's
it's a tough They're a tough spot right now because
a USC has guys who can run the ball pretty
well and their offense has shown some explosiveness. But yeah,
(37:05):
it's still you were watching a team that you know,
no matter who the coach is, Wisconsin's got a lot
of work to do with getting that maybe either getting
a roster to where they want it and just you know,
being able to form an identity not just offensively but
on the defensive side because playmakers. Again, that's been a
it's been a rare thing for this program. Here for
(37:26):
a bit in late afternoon game, yeah thirty two thirty
Central this week and a produe game back in Madison
the following week. We'll kick an eleven o'clock. So so yeah,
this is again, this is a it's a big deal.
The games is sell out. The capacity there now is
seventy seven to five, so not not the one hundred and.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Whatever, use a thousand.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
You know those south of the south end zone seats
which sit somewhere like around Las Vegas, like you're so
far from zone. Uh, you know, they they've just they've
just broke that or curtained that off.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
But yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
It is sold out, so there's going to be I
think a fair amount of pomp and circumstance for this.
So you're looking forward to it. It's a you know,
I'm not I'm not ready to you know, we know
how it works, and I think in the college game
it might even be more severe than in the NFL,
where you just you write a team off or you
you know, national people are already talking about Heisman front
(38:22):
runners and it's still September for crime out. But I've
seen this before with Wisconsin teams that have gotten off
to great starts and then have stumbled, or Wisconsin teams
that have struggled early, and you wonder, you know, who's
you got to like, who's going to be the guy
or who's going to be that group of players and
then something happens. So hopefully for for Wisconsin's sake, this
(38:44):
is a week where some guys can make some plays
and they can do some good things and build from there.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
And as for you, the historian, the sports geek and
historian that you are just soak up the coliseum, like
I said, get to that tunnel and just standing there
and think about you know, Lombardy and Hank Stram walking
out with their teams in that first Super Bowl, and
all the Olympics that have been there, and the Raiders
teams that have played there. The last time I was there,
(39:12):
they were redoing the press box, the whole They're putting
in a whole new press box and obviously luxury suites
there and we were in kind of almost like a trailer.
But it was still a good view of the game.
And all you'll be in new facilities, it should be
really good. And no, I think that's I envy you.
I'd love to go back to the Coliseum to see
a game there. It just it's one of those special
(39:34):
places because of all that happened there, you know. And
I hope they never tear that place down because it's
really it's a relic.
Speaker 4 (39:43):
It really is. Yeah, I do.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
I do that, Wayne. I did that at the Rose
Bowl the last time it was college there five years
ago when I was filling in with the Brewers. They
were out in Oakland, you know, and that stadium has
run down, the coliseum, you know, the oak Coliseum. But
when I was in there, I'm thinking of the history
with the A's obviously the Raiders back in the day,
and yeah, I absolutely want to do that. I always
thought one of the iconic photos, you know, then and now,
(40:10):
was the coin toss before the first Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
Yeah, you know, you just.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Had the captains and you had the ref that was it.
And now they want to coin toss. It has become
any week, especially if a Super Bowl. I don't know
if it was Sports Illustrated or did this. It was
the then versus now and just how how much simpler
everything was. Yeah, super Bowl won as opposed to the
circus that it's become a hundred million people tune in.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
Everyone and everything was cheaper back then too.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure the super Bowl ticket is a
little bit different than what it is now.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
Yeah, I mean back to Super Bowl one, the ticket
is half the price of what a ticket will be
for the Vikings and Packers at lambeau Field this weekend.
I mean maybe not even half. But no, it should
be great and that should be fun. And this is
a whole new era of the Big TA and you know,
I mean we're all getting used to it, but boy
tell you it is gonna be. It's a big boys league.
Now when you bring in Oregon and Washington and USC
(41:09):
and UCLA. And you know some I was talking to
somebody from Minnesota. They were saying, you know, the Gophers
are saying, we're going to the Rose Bowl this year. Well, yeah,
you can play u CLA in the Rose Bowl, but
they're going to the Rose Bowl.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Adiana's already won out there. Yeah. By the way, so far,
they're off to a great start with their new staff.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
Topic for another day, Topic for another day. Hey, listen,
we'd be remiss if we didn't mention in our neck
of the woods here, Uh, the Milwaukee Brewers and what
a story that has been bred council walks out of
here in the off season for more money i'lbeit about
three million more a year for the Cubs. But also
(41:54):
when he walked out, Man, you and I talked about this,
I think there was a feeling with him and with
others that the Brewers are never going to win, just
the economics of the game and everything, They're just never
going to win. And he was going to the Cubs
not just for money, but for an opportunity to be
in a big market with a big market payroll and
a team that might have someday a chance to win
(42:15):
the World Series. You know, the general manager who constructed
a lot of this left and went to the Mets, where,
you know, a lot of people were kind of down
on the Brewers this year, this would be a transition year. This,
that and the other thing. The manager was kind of, Oh,
he's going to hold the place, He's going to hold
the sea warm until Ricky weeks and ready to manage it.
(42:35):
All that and none of that could be further from
the truth. The Brewers are eighty nine and sixty seven
as we speak here today. They are one of the
feel good stories of Major League Baseball period. Christian Yelich,
who's having a Christian Yelich kind of year, goes out
down for the rest of the season. This team keeps
(42:56):
chugging along. Who's to say they can't get high. I mean,
they've been among the league. They've been among the leaders
in winning percentage both leagues combined all season. They've been
to the top five or thereabouts all season. They put
away their division long before anyone else put away theirs.
It's an interesting mix. It's a very interesting team. They
(43:17):
have fun winning and they're just fresh enough where I
think they can attract a lot of eyeballs. The Texas
Rangers won a World Series last year, the Diamondbacks got
to a World Series. You know, who's to say the
Brewers can't do the same.
Speaker 1 (43:33):
Yeah, both of those teams did not exactly tear it
up down the stretch too. I think the Diamondbacks lost
six of their last nine. The Rangers lost I want
to say four of their last six. Both of those
teams in September were like fifteen and thirteen, fifteen and twelve,
so it wasn't like they were going into the postseason writing.
So the big wave of momentum, it's about getting hot
when it starts, not how you're playing going into The
(43:55):
Brewers are not being great in the month of September,
but they've been good enough to run away and hid
in the International League Central And you mentioned that the
things that they've had to overcome losing a guy like
Yellow Tunes, putting together like a twenty eighteen twenty nineteen
Christian Yellich type of season. They don't have Brandon Woodrof
all year, they trade Corbyn Birds, they don't have Devin
(44:16):
Williams for a large chunk of the season. There were
a lot of reasons why the expectations were at best
very modest and hoping they could hover around five hundred.
The good news was nobody in that clubhouse was buying it.
And they do have this mixed way to the young guys,
you know, led of course by Jackson Surio, who may
(44:37):
not win Rookie of the Year, but he has to
be speeing the conversation. You know, guys like Ortiz and
terrag and now Garrett Mitchell, who's you know, mister Goodchuck
in the season and he's somebody who's two factors in.
This is a really athletic team. You know, they can
beat you with speed, they can hit home runs, but
they're not home run reliant. You know, they obviously will
(44:59):
steal a lot of bases, and but the thing is,
you know, there's there is parody in in the National League.
The Brewers are going to face a team that's probably
every bit as good as they are. So that's it's
that's the challenge that lies ahead of them. But it's
been a it's been a fun team to watch because
it isn't home run or bust. All runs are. They're cool,
(45:22):
you need them, but they can win a game without
the three run home, which is I would like to
think in the postseason could bode well for them. And
the beauty of this as you well know, you never
know who that star is going to be. Yeah, you know,
because is it going to be a dominis is contrarians
is a curio or is it somebody that very few
(45:44):
people talk about. I mean, that's the beauty of a
postseason baseball and it's it's fun to see the Brewers
getting ready to be a part of it. Again.
Speaker 3 (45:52):
I paid attention when the Phillies came into Milwaukee. I
think it was a three game series, the Brewers one,
if I'm not mistaken, two out of those three games
games yep. And the Phillies are playing well and the
Phillies have been well for a good chunk of the year.
They were the winningest team in baseball, and so they're
one of the contenders that are going to be up
there along with the Dodgers in the National League. And
then everyone else comes in and you know, will take
(46:14):
a shot. But I don't think that team is going
to be daunted by the playoffs, by whoever they face
in the playoffs. And you know, it's just a team
that plays hard, the manager does a great job with them.
You know, who's to say? You just don't know? And
are they good enough to get it done? I guess
on paper you'll probably say no. But then where are
(46:38):
the Dodgers been? You know, where were the Dodgers in
the World Series last year? They weren't in it, you know?
Or are the Yankees? They weren't in it?
Speaker 1 (46:44):
You know?
Speaker 3 (46:45):
So I think this is Baseball's postseason has become very unpredictable.
Speaker 4 (46:51):
Matt in the recent.
Speaker 1 (46:52):
Yeah, yeah, there's more spots open, but once you get there,
you've got a lot more to navigate to hold up
the trophy in the end. So yeah, you just keep
taking your shot. And that's where the that's where the
Brewers are. Look, the narrative is what it is. They
have been a playoff regular now the last several years,
but they've only advanced a couple of times. In twenty eleven,
(47:13):
they get to the LCS. Twenty eighteen, they get to
the LCS, but you know, that's been it. So they
don't know that. But I think maybe there's something to
be said for a group that's too young to know better.
And I think that's what this team is with veteran
presence with a guy like Reeze Hoskins and some others
who know been there, who have been around by saying
(47:35):
that's been big pleasons for a while. Same thing with
William Thomas. But this is a team that just kind
of just goes out in place. And then Pat Murphy,
you know, wildly successful college coach at Notre Dame and
at Arizona State. It seems like there's a little bit
of a of a college approach to how he goes
about it and the players, the young guys and the veterans.
(47:55):
There's a culture over there and they've had this for
a while. They had this with Counsel too, although the
messaging might have been a little bit different. They've had
a pretty good clubhouse, you know, for for quite a while.
In this age of analytics where all of that matters,
they got some pretty good dudes over there, at least
I know they have had in the patch, and it
sure seems like they do now. Just a bunch of
(48:17):
guys who are you know, we all know it's a
business and all of that, and there'll be business decisions
for guys like a Dominos once the season is over,
but you have guys that seem like they do a
great job of playing for one another. You hear that
in college a lot. Yeah, and I think with this
Brewers team in Major League Baseball that applies as well.
Speaker 3 (48:38):
You know, they for some reason, Pat Murphy reminds me
of George Bamberg, remember the old manager sure who got
them to the World Series in a eighty two And
by the way, they just a documentary movie has just
been released on the eighty eighty two season for the Brewers,
and you know, they brought back a lot of the
(48:59):
stars to Milwaukee for a premiere of that documentary movie.
And it be fun if your Brewers fan look it
up and get to see it at some point, because
it's apparently a really, really wonderful piece. But you know,
I mean, hey, listen, Pat Murphy, this is great. I
just I just think it's wonderful. He's like, what is
he sixty years.
Speaker 1 (49:20):
Older, sixty five, sixty five years yellow?
Speaker 3 (49:23):
Yeah, who gets a shot at sixty five?
Speaker 1 (49:25):
You know?
Speaker 4 (49:26):
Like that?
Speaker 1 (49:26):
Not many and the cool thing Wayne among other things.
Just watching him, he seems like he's taking it all in. Yeah,
you know, enjoying the ride. I think baseball needs more
guys like this. You know, there's an old school nature
to him where he will hold guys accountable, and you know,
in an age where players sometimes get overprotected. You know,
(49:47):
if somebody's having a bad day or somebody does something
that's not right, he will point that out. He will
beat him up, but he'll he holds them accountable publicly.
So you figure within the confines of the clubhouts that
that that's very true. But he I think he is
someone who has hit that chord of being highly respected
and very well wh liked. Yeah, and I think council
(50:08):
was you know, again, the messaging was different. But I mean,
look this time last year and when Craig was managing here,
we were kind of lining up to kiss the ring
with what he was doing because he did a great
job as the manager, and I know him leading to
go to the cubs. That has left a lot of
people very bitter, but in which is fine. It's it's
(50:29):
everybody's choice. But the dude did a great job here.
And and Pat Murphy, who's you know, coach, Craig had
notre dame and he had a close relationship. I think
a lot of credit to Murph with the culture that
they've been able to create doing it his way, and
a team that's just flat out fun to watch. Yeah, run,
they'll go first, the third, they'll steal, they'll bunts, you
(50:51):
know which I know that has the analytics people to
break it out into a cult sweat. This is a
team that's able to do that and make it work
for them. You know, maybe not every time, but it's
worked for them a fair amount this season. And they
still have guys who can hit bombs as well. They
got this habit of hitting grand slams, which will get
you the other that'll help you win games when you
(51:13):
get into any time of the year. But who knows
what this could lead to in October.
Speaker 3 (51:18):
Yeah, I mean, if you're gonna have a habit, hitting
grand slams is a good habit.
Speaker 1 (51:21):
It's a good thing. It's a good There are long
worse habits to have.
Speaker 3 (51:24):
Absolutely all right, man, Well, listen, enjoy the Cottle sum.
I can't wait to hear your version of it all again.
It's a wonderful place and hopefully the Badgers will play
a great ball game against usc And and bring home
a win. But we will talk next week again as
we hook up on this podcast. Once again, but enjoy
(51:44):
the West Coast for a weekend.
Speaker 1 (51:47):
Chell from the north Woods to the West Coast. Man
Mighty is the spice of life.
Speaker 3 (51:52):
God, you are a jet setter. If everything will tell
you that's me all right. That'll do it for us
this time. We'll try to do better next time. This
little podcast our producer engineer Dave McCann, our executive producer
Jeff Tyler.
Speaker 4 (52:04):
For matth. This is Wayne.
Speaker 3 (52:05):
Thank you very much for listening to the lerra Vie
La Pey Podcast.
Speaker 2 (52:11):
The Larovian La Pey Podcast is a production of iHeartRadio
podcasts with hosts Wayne Larvy and Matt Lapey, with production
engineering by Dave McCann. The Lerreovian La Pey Podcast is
presented by UW Credit Union. Here for every you listen
to other episodes available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
I think maybe there's something to be said for a
group that's too young to know better, and I think
that's what this team is. With veteran presence, with a
guy like Reheze Hoskins and some others who know been there,
who have been around. But I say that'll have been
big leaders for a while. Same thing with William Thomas.
But this is a team that just kind of just
(00:20):
goes out in place. And then Pat Murphy, you know,
wildly successful college coach at Notre Dame and at Arizona State.
It seems like there's a little bit of a college
approach to how he goes about it and the players,
the young guys and the veterans. There's a culture over
there and they've had this for a while. They had
this with Counsel too, although the messaging might have been
(00:41):
a little bit different.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
This is the Larovian La Pey Podcasts, a production of
iHeartRadio Podcasts with hosts Wayne Larvie, the voice of the
Green Bay Packers, and Matt Lapey, the voice of Wisconsin
Badgers football and men's basketball. The Larovian La Paye podcast
is present and by UW Credit Union. Here for every u.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
HI everybody, I'm Wayne Laravie and I'm mad. On this
episode of the Leravie La Pey Podcast, it's Vikings Week
in Green Bay. The Packers and Vikings renew the bitter
border rivalry. First place of the NFC North in the
early season. On the line, the Badgers heading out west
to the Colisseum in Los Angeles for a date with
the Trojans of USC And how about the Brewers a
(01:28):
little celebration. They are division champs and who's to say
how far they can go in the National League postseason?
Good stuff coming up on the Lerovian La Pey Podcast.
Ready to give fees the stiff arm. Uw Credit Union
can help because since nineteen thirty one they've been committed
to eliminating fees for members joined today at UWCU dot org.
(01:51):
Insured by NCUA terms and conditions applied well, Matt. Since
last we talked, the Pats have had a backup quarterbacks
started a couple of games. The Badgers played Alabama and
unfortunately the game didn't go well. The atmosphere sounded like
it was just wonderful down there in Madison for that
weekend game against Alabama. And you guys have had a
(02:13):
You had a week off, so you had a chance
to get away and rest in unwind a little bit.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, the atmosphere of the north Woods was spectacular, Wayne,
It's feeding anything I've seen any at any venue so far.
It was the only bad party. How about this. I
get new clubs, so I get new golf clubs, new technology. Unfortunately,
same old lack of talent. So it deposited a few
golf balls into one of the north Woods golf courses
like I usually do. But yeah, it was staring out
(02:41):
at the water going really, I want to I want
to come back here, but still beats work. So yeah,
I was able to actually look ahead, look at some
usc stuff, even sneak a peek at at Purduo. But
the north Woods, and I mean it's always good, but
in September, Wayne, it is off the charts.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Yeah, it's a little quieter up there in September, isn't
it until the colors start really popping.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yes, it is. Yeah. We were in between some of
the some of the festivals that go on up there
in the Violence County part of the state. But it
you definitely Labor Day. There's a tradition up there. One
of the one of the bars that's right off of
the fifty one. They usually wave bye bye to the
if it's the Illinois folks, or are they even those of
(03:26):
us in southern Wisconsin as we're heading back south. But no,
it was a good summer up there though, you'd all seriousness,
those folks needed that because they they the lack of
snow last winter was really tough on businesses there. But
I can tell you over the fourth and my wife
was up there over Labor Day weekend and it was
just busier than normal for sure over the fourth of July,
(03:48):
and it sounds like every bit the same over Labor Day.
But yeah, they have some great events up there, including
Wayne up in Monaqua, the world famous beef a Rama, Yeah,
which is an excuse to of course enjoy a little
beef and probably some fine liquid refreshments to go with it.
So I'll have to miss that. I'll be in LA.
(04:09):
I don't think they know what beef Orama is in
southern California, but they darn sure know what it is
up in the n Acwa.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
You know it's amazing because you know you mentioned it.
They've been struggling up there. The merchants in those small
towns in the upper peninsula of Michigan and northern Wisconsin.
Snow is a big part of it. I mean, winter
is big up there, and it's a lot of snowmobiling,
some skiing, but a lot of snowmobiling and that type
of thing. And it's great outdoors place to be in
(04:38):
the winter as well as the summer. I imagine it's
kind of like the mountains where we go. You go
for the snow and you stay for summer because summer
is just spectacular in those places, and I imagine that's
the same thing. So it's good to hear they had
a good summer. Hopefully they'll get some snow this winter
because like like you said, the economy up there really
kind of needs that, and I hope they do have
(04:59):
a good summer. It's supposed to be an El Nino,
whether accurrence somehow that has influence on what snow we
get and the rockies get, and you know whatever. It's
way above my educational pay garade, but supposedly, you know,
it's gonna have some kind of an influence all kind
of wather we get.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
But we'll see.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Anyway, Hey, listen, the packers experience at sow Poulo was
not so good from the standpoint of the game. But
we talked about the last podcast. It was it was
a well run trip in and out. And you know,
Brazil is a big market in the NFL. Is going back.
They're probably going to Reo next, I would imagine. But
the Packers came out without a quarterback and they found
(05:41):
a quarterback.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
You know. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I want to say this in totally ingest to Brian
Goodcootz if I see him this week, I'm gonna walk
up to him before this game and I would say, Brian,
you paid a guy two hundred million dollars he's oz
and one you threw a seventh round draft choice to
Tennessee and that guys too, and zero? What the hell
was going on around here?
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Controversy? Let's go, let's start playing on. Isn't it amazing
how the narrative changes, because, at least in some circles,
brag Guta Kunst has been that the organization is being criticized, like,
how can you have this mess? We thought you love
Sean Clifford, he's not your guy. You bring in a
guy that the Titans decided wasn't good enough. But how
(06:24):
did you get yourself into this mess? And a couple
of weeks later, boy, what a genius. Brian Guda, Kunsten
Is everybody connected with the organization and they just figured
out and battle of Floor. Wow, he's a really smart guy.
I don't know if he took smart pills or if
he was taking duble pills before. I think he's pretty good. Anyway.
As I look at this team from Afar, they've been okay.
(06:47):
But yeah, that was watching that game though. That the
first game with Malik Willis. I know, I heard you
referring to nineteen seventies NFL football and I started smiling,
and I thought, eighteen nineties Barry Aparez ball too. Drew
Brees is going to throw at eighty three times in
a game, and Mike Samuel's going to throw at ten,
(07:08):
and Wisconsin is going to fight a way to win.
And it was like what the Packers did in the
first game with Milite. Willis put a little more on
his plate week two and worked out beautiful.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
You know, I think of all kinds of good things
to say to people and then forgot to say him.
But yeah, I got to tell you the story. The
first game back the Colts game in Green Bay, and
they're gonna start Malik Willis and they're you know, you
know how football people get to get very secretive, so
they basically threw us all out of practice the day
before the game. I go in the day before the game,
(07:40):
I go in, I interview Matt Lafleur after the walk
through practice, and they let me see the walk through practice,
which is very helpful because if you're paying attention, you
will see every play they have on the play sheet
that day, you know, for that next game. So it's
very helpful. I'm very appreciative the Packers coaching staff and
Matt Lafour in particular allow me to do that. Larry's
there for every practice. But anyway, so this is the
(08:01):
day before the Colts game, and they, you know, one
of the security guys is way, you can't go in
there until such and such a time, and so they're
really keeping everything in the close wraps. All the family
members were held out. And family members go to that
Saturday practice too, because you know, they get a chance
to visit with their people on the team and all that. Anyway,
so they suppose off for that and then the next
(08:24):
day I'm thinking Wow, there's got to be something cooking here.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Man.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
This is gonna be really good stuff, isn't it. And
then they run the ball fifty three times, and I
wanted to go down there to the locker, roseate to Mattelafort, Matt,
you were hiding fifty three running place on. Even if
I told the world about that, it wouldn't make a difference.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Now.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
It was just but it was funny, it was great,
and it was kind of fun to see this quarterback
develop it. And I remember early on in our broadcast
that day the Colts Gate, he threw a pass. He
only threw fourteen of them that day, but completed twelve. Anyway,
he threw a pass with Larry mccieren remark, Wow, this guy,
he spin it pretty well, and you know what he can.
(09:04):
And they ran fifty three times that first game, fourteen
passing plays. The next week in Nashville against the Titans,
they run the ball thirty seven times to twenty two
passing attempts. So in the two games they run ninety
runs in thirty six passes and they won both games.
And you know, hey, I think they did a great
(09:24):
job of this kid. He understood and it was a
smart guy hit a thirty two on the wonder Lit
coming out.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
I didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Drew Olson told me that he looks up these things.
I guess you know the old baseball, right, those guys
have away with details.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
You know, now they're weird, just say it. They're just
a string human banks.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
And they're wired a different way anyway. So thirty two
on the Wonderli that's a good score. So the kid
is smart. So he comes in, he's got two weeks
under his belt. He learns enough of a game plan
that they go out and they are able to beat
the Colts. And then last week they open up the
game plan. They pass three out of the first four,
play some scrubbage and I'm saying, wow, okay, And you know,
(10:03):
it was really interesting to see Lafleur and his staff,
Tom Clemens, sewn Manyon, you know, the quarterbacks coaches. They
did a great job of not asking Malik well Is
to do anything that they didn't give him. Jordan Love's
game plan they gave. They developed a game plan for
Malik Lewis, and in that game plan was Reid option
(10:26):
and quarterback runs, and we saw a couple of those,
not a lot but a couple and this kid has
good wheels and he could escape trouble and he can
break the back of a defense and scrambles and runs,
and he did it a couple of times down in
Nashville against Tennessee. So you know, the coaching today, everybody
talks about this system Matt and Shanahan and all this
(10:47):
other stuff. And believe me, the Packers are very much
on the Shanahan tree. You know, Matt is the product
of that. But I think what coaching is today, You've
got to take the people you have, not just that season,
but that given week, and it's up to you to
come up with a plan that will work with them
rather than them trying to fit your plan. And I
(11:09):
think that's really the key to good coaching week to
week on the highest level.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
And it seems like that's exactly what they did. You know,
they weren't asking elite Willis to win the game for them,
But as you said, he's smart and he's athletic enough
when he needs to make a play, he can go
make it. But they geared it. They weren't going to
overload him. And then you've got a guy like Josh
Jacobs and you've got, you know, the window dressing that
they had in that game against the Colts to be
(11:34):
able to run through a team the way the Packers did,
and you could say he should have won the game
by more than six. You know, it didn't have to
be clumse. You know a couple of mistakes, but they
controlled the game. And then against the Titans, you know,
the defense was awfully good. I know Will Evis's you know,
he can do a lot of good things that he'll
make a big mistake that'll that will really hurt the Titans,
(11:56):
but for everybody else it seems like maybe stepped it
up or not or two. But yeah, it's uh, it's
been It's been fun to watch. And I was struck
by with your conversation with with Lafleur before the Titans game,
and I knew what you were knew exactly where you
were going too. Because nobody likes the why. But there's
(12:18):
a challenge to this, not having Jordan Love or Leaflord
and staff are saying, Okay, how can we how can
we juggle the recipe here to put what you give
Malik willis what he does well, and then fit that
into what what you need to do to win that game.
And I think, as you and I know, between college
coaches and and prope and professional coaches, you know, they're
(12:39):
just warped enough, like you hate the fact that you
don't have your starting quarterback, but at the same time
you say, okay, here's what we have. Let's see what
we can put together for him, and they put it
together beautiful.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
It's it's probably Matt a lot of oh, what's the word,
I'm looking for, creative tension. I imagine in those rooms when
they're putting the plan into place on Monday and Tuesday,
there's a lot of creative tension. And they don't want
to be without their top people because they may not
win without them. But they so they don't look forward
(13:12):
to going into a game without their starting quarterback. But
I think there's a portion of part of them this is,
oh boy, now we can really get creative with this thing.
Let's see what we can work up here. And I
think Mac sort of in that answer to my question
in that pregame interview, kind of you know, greed. Yeah,
it's this is kind of the creative in some cases,
(13:33):
maybe funds too strong a word, but fun times to
be able to put together a game plan and let's
see if it works. You know it's going to be different,
and I think they do a great job with that.
And you know, you brought up a good point. The defense.
The first two weeks of the season, we didn't see
the Jeff Hafley defense because a lot of his defense
(13:55):
is getting that front seven or at least the front
four upfield into the backfield and create havoc and bo
by the way, stopping the run on the way to
the quarterback. Sometimes that's good. Sometimes it's not so good,
but you live with it. We didn't see that the
first two weeks because they played very athletic quarterbacks who
could break you with their legs as well as their arms,
(14:16):
and with Jalen Hurts in the kid at Indianapolis.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
But you know, what we.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Saw in Tennessee was a young offensive line for the
Titans and a young quarterback and they unleashed that pass rush.
We saw Jeff Hafley's defense. That's what it's supposed to
look like, not what we saw the first two weeks.
That was more of a contained defense. This is more
of an attacking defense, and that's what we saw. It'll
be interesting to see where they go with this against
(14:44):
a real good offensive line this week end with the
Vikings and a quarterback who may have found the right
system for him in O'Donnell. You know, I mean Sam Darnold.
You know, Kevin O'Connell's done a great job with him,
and he's playing as well any quarterback in the league.
So this is going to be interesting. But the NFL
(15:04):
everyone says it's a week to week game, and it
really isn't when you get to December and January, but
it is now. Every week is different. Your team could
be one hundred and eighty degrees different from what you
saw the week before, and it takes about five or
six weeks before we'll have a handle on who's going
to be good and who isn't.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yeah, I think maybe you're answering that the couple questions
that I've got for you now into general sess with
the NFL because it said so early, but we've seen
passing numbers drop at least in this early stage of
the season, and I don't know if it's too early
to say that this is how it's going to be.
I don't do you have any denic theories on why
(15:44):
that is? Through the first through the first three weeks
or so the season. Why we know, in the case
of the Packers when they've had to do that, but
why it seems that the numbers are down throwing the
ball and Matt It doesn't make a lot of sense
because we're not in a bad weather situation across the
league for the most part. September October are good weather
(16:04):
months and months that you could you're gonna be on
dry fields, you're able to throw the football. That kind
of thing.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
I think defenses have kind of caught on and I
saw it a starting last year.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
You know, all that.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Motion that people do, and the Jet sweeps and the
Jets sweep pass, which is when they flip the ball
to the back coming cutting in front of the quarterback,
all of that stuff. Defenses are realciting that they've covered
that that stuff doesn't pop open nearly as much as
it used to, So defenses adjust, and I think they're
(16:38):
adjusting to the passing game as well. Now we've got
a couple of injuries at quarterback around the league that
certainly contributes to it. But I'm with you, and I
think we're also finding out that there is value two
running backs in this league. You know, a couple of
them actually got paid during the offseason, say Kwan Barkley
being won and rightfully so Tony Pollard another. But I
(17:04):
don't have a real feel for where this is going.
I do know this that defenses adjust over a period
of time, and I think they have kind of caught
up with the passing game of the West Coast offense
here at this stage of the season. Or let's put
it this way, the Shanahan offense.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Three weeks and what are the thoughts on the kickoffs?
They're gonna start tweaking it? Do you think sooner they labor.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
Matt They've got to.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
You know, last year twenty two percent of kickoffs were returned,
only twenty two percent none in the Super Bowl, And
there were eleven kickoffs in the Super Bowl that generated
the change of this kickoff rule, the dynamic kickoff. But
when you bloom the ball through the end zone and
it's a touchback, the ball comes out to the thirty
yard line. What we're fighting is this season has gone
(17:53):
along that special teams coaches, that coaching staffs are saying, okay,
thirty yard line instead of the twenty five. That's not
a big deal. But I think if they move it
out to the thirty five yard line on a touchback,
that might change the thinking a little bit because scoring
chances go up exponentially if the ball starts at the
(18:14):
drive starts of the thirty five yard line. Big it's
a big change if it goes to the forty. But
I think they're going to have to tweak that rule
because we saw returns early on this season, but we
haven't seen as many the last couple of games, and
I think the trend is going to continue to go
down until the touchback is penalized even more by the league,
and that could come. That could come in the next
(18:35):
few weeks.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
I know where we normally go a little bit more
evergreen here, but it is a Vikings week, so I
think that's a pretty natural point to make an exception
to our general rule here. And you mentioned Sam Darnold.
It looks like he's found a home three weeks in.
It seemed to me waying that the Vikings are the
least talked about team in this division. You know, obviously
what the Lions did, the coop blot over the Bears
(18:58):
with Caleb Williams, and that's backed off a little bit
for all the obvious reasons. What do you make of
this Vikings team? Because much like Matt lafleur, uh, you know,
Kevin O'Connor is now getting Uh. O'Connell is getting that
reputational again. It's growing that this guy. There's what's going on.
They know they're hot, they're highly touted. Rookie is hurt,
(19:19):
so you gotta you gotta get Donald in there. He's
too early to start throwing too many roses their way
or but the fact that there're three and oh, I
think surprises a ton of people here.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
It really does. Man, I want the two part question
number one. I think O'Connell. Kevin O'Connell now in his
third year with the Vikings, he might be He's up
there with all the best of the offensive coordinators. He
calls the game as the head coach, as Matt lafloor
does in Green Bay. But you know what he does
(19:52):
so well is he gets quarterbacks into a comfort zone.
Sam Darnold is watching tape of this team. I've never
seen say Donald as confident or comfortable behind center, waiting,
waiting and waiting in that pocket and then delivering the past.
You know, it's its sole cliche. You and I have
talked about it here on this podcast. Our listeners are
(20:12):
probably sick of me saying this, But in most cases,
you get drafted to a team, you're a pro athlete,
You get drafted to a team, and it may not
be the right fit. Certainly may not be the right
coaching staff or the right system for your talents. So
you get cut and you move around and you find
you know, Sam Donald was a high draft choice, maybe
number two overall something like that by the Jets back
(20:33):
in twenty eighteen, and it just didn't work in New York.
It hasn't worked for any quarterback in New York, and
Rogers will probably be the exception. But it didn't work. Yeah,
he's got to bounce around. He was with the Niners
last year, kind of an afterthought with the Niners last year,
but he said the thing he said he learned so
much by just watching that team and how they went
about their business, how they prepared, Shanahan et cetera, et cetera. Well,
(20:56):
you know O'Connell's knock off the Shanahan tree, and and
so O'Connell gets Donald in there and knows we can
get a year out of this guy, we'll have JJ
McCarthy ready to go. I think it's been great. I
think that Sam Donald has found that spot. I found
that coach who believes in him, found a system that
(21:20):
basically accentuates what he does as a quarterback. And I
think that is so important, and so I don't think
this is a fluke at all. On the other side
of the ball, one of the best defensive coordinators in
the game today is Brian Flores. He has said what
he's been trying to do last year and now this
year is build a defense to combat the Shanahan offense,
(21:44):
which is I don't know, the two thirds of the
league maybe including the Green Bay Packers. So and he
does a tremendous job. I thought he did a great
job of that defense last year. Through the first half
of the season, they were one of the better defenses
in the league. They kind of wore down as the
season went along. Minnesota lost his starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins,
the offense couldn't hold its end of the bargain, and
(22:05):
the defense eventually kind of collapse down the stretch. But
this year a lot of new pieces on that defense.
No One discovers. No one disguises coverages as well as
Flores does, and he has been spot on with everything
they've done so far. They have sixteen sacks and three games.
They've given up thirty points in three games. They're just outstanding.
I mean, they're giving up seventy one rushing yards a game.
(22:28):
You know, it's just really been interesting to see how
they put this thing together. A lot of new faces,
but boys come together for them. And these two coaches
O'Connell on offense, Flora's on defense, they may be among
the best in the league of what they do.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Yeah, thirty four to seven over a Houston Texans team
that people are starting to talk up more and more.
I mean, that's a college point spread there. Oh, you
just don't. You don't expect thirty four to seven very
often in the NFL, do you.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
And I'm watching that game, and you know, I hate
everybody's talking about Houston is one of the teams that's
going to challenge Kansas City for the Super Bowl the AFC,
And I'm watching the game that the Vikings took it
to them end. Never never let the Texans sniff anything
in that game. It was it was a clinic, Matt,
It really was. And you know, but again it's week
(23:13):
to week in the NFL at this time of year.
We'll see what they have this week in Green Bay.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
On Wisconsin, Offkees get pre checking options of or at
UW Credit Union joined at UWCU dot org. Terms and
conditions apply insured by NCUA. Well, shall we shift to
the college world here for a few times to do it? Yeah,
we'll try to figure out how to get the Badgers
going here as they make a trip out to the
(23:42):
La Memorial Colise And what am I in for their way?
You've been there. This is my first time being out
to that icuttic venue.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
It just you know, what I would would urge you
to do is sometime before the broadcast, go down and
walk through the tunnel that leads out of the field.
I think both teams come out of the same tunnel.
Just go down there and just think about the Olympics
and they've I think had four of them there or
something like that. Think about the Super Bowls they've had there,
(24:11):
Think about all the great players from SC and UCLA
who've come through that tunnel, and just take it all in, man,
because there is nothing quite like the coliseum in Los Angeles.
I got to tell you this story and bear with me.
I am in my first year and only year of
(24:31):
broadcasting Iowa Hawkeyes football. This is nineteen seventy seven. Okay,
I'm fresh out of college. But you have to understand
back then Big ten teams had more than one team
broadcasting their games, more than one broadcast team. And in
the case of Wisconsin, I think there were three at
that time.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Were four Everypons.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Yeah, there were four in Wisconsin, and there were thirteen
for Iowa.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
About that thirteen I was.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I was from Davi, There was one from Ronyonder did
the Cedar Rapids. There was one in Iowa City. There
was Jim Zabo, the great Jim Zabel from Des Moines.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Oh, Bob Rooks, probably Bob doing games.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Oh Josh, there were thirteen of us. So it's Week
two of the nineteen seventy seven college football season and
I'm just Oh, We're going to La We're gonna be
at the Colise. I'm just all excited. Well, the coliseum
has a lot of room for media, but they don't
have thirteen broadcasts boots for radio. They don't have thirteen
(25:37):
broadcast booth period. So it's a night game, and here
we are. They put most of us up on the roof.
We're so high up, Matt, you could reach up and
touch the light of the of the big lights that
shine on. Sure, you touch the light bulb. And we're
so far away. I don't have binoculars. UCLA is wearing
(26:01):
their powder blue with silver numbers.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Think about the tall That was tough.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
I got a UCLA runner scoring a touchdown. I didn't
realize I had the wrong guy until I got back
on Monday and heard a highlight and said, oh, wait
a minute, I'm looking at the score sheet. Oh no,
I got that rock. But that was my first experience
in the coliseum. It was interesting.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Yeah, they had four here when I first got here.
I became in night. When I moved here at eighty eight.
I ended up doing the final ten games or nine
games on one of them. But we had four different crews,
so that I think was causant and Iowa were among
the last to maybe just say you know what, one's
probably good they eissed. But I'm all for job opportunities.
(26:49):
Although I'm guessing that of the thirteen cruise, nobody was
breaking the bank again. It was great, but it was
a great a great gig. So no, I think I'm
looking forward to this just you know, be it out there.
I'm still getting used to the fact that this is
a Big Ten game. Was constantly going to USC. But
it's a story for USC. It's the first Big Ten
home game. They at their first conference game last Saturday
(27:10):
in ann Arbor. Really entertaining game. You talk about running
the ball way. Michigan turned back the clock in that game.
They had two hundred and ninety rushing yards. One hundred
and fifty seven I think came on three plays. Wow.
Otherwise they averaged three yards of carrot in the game
against the Trojans. So they're USC is trying to get
better defensively. That's been a been a trouble spot for
(27:31):
that program the last few years. They're taking steps in
that direction. But Michigan was able to hit them for
some big plays. They made a quarterback change, and their
quarterback is known wars Are much more as a runner
a running threat that he is a passing threat. But
they got a couple of guys on their backfield who
can hit home runs and that was what happened for Michigan.
The game against USC. But here's how here's how thin
(27:55):
the line is. And you live this every week, you know,
covering the past Eckers, we talk about USC. Part of
the narrative is to get better defensively. They are one
player away from getting a goal line stand against Michigan
in the big House to win the game. Had they
been able to get that fourth and goal at the
one stop every day, all the narrative with the USC
(28:18):
would be, Wow, look what they've done. Look at these
great changes they've made defensively. They've got a new coordinator,
They've got six transfers who were starting for their team.
But Michigan scored so as well. They gave up a
lot of big plays. It cost them. Their defenses better
but not where it needs to be. But they have
weapons offensively. Why Miller Moss is a guy who might
(28:38):
be becoming the exception of the rule in college football.
He waited his turn. He was behind Caleb Williams, you know,
by the guy who who won a Heisman. This guy
is a red shirt junior. He's an LA kid. He
grew up going to Matt Leiner's quarterback camp when when
Boss was a young guy. Wow, waited his turn and
(29:01):
he's pretty highly regarded. It makes sense that he would
because Lincoln Riley has overseeing three Heisman Trophy winners in
his career, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and then Caleb Williams.
This guy can throw. He's I think he proved his
toughness too, because he spent a lot last Saturday on
his back. Michigan was able to put a fair amount
(29:23):
of pressure on him. So this is another one of
these for Wisconsin coming off a pretty humbling game against Alabama,
you know a week ago Saturday, they're playing a usc
team that is not as good as Alabama, but it's
plenty good enough, I think, to be a factor of
the Big Ten race. And now that you know, the
question is for Wisconsin can't to start to form an identity.
(29:46):
Who is it right now? And when we say that,
we talk more about the offense for really both sides
of the ball. These needs some guys to make some
plights because that has been something that's happened few and
far between through the first three weeks.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
You know, it's interesting because you know, and rightfully so,
you were talking about this same thing last year. They're
looking to establish an identity as this new coaching staff
comes on board, and it takes time, and it's taking
maybe more time than a lot of people would like
it to. But it takes time to do that, doesn't it.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
It does, And I think it is that And I
understand the frustrations with with fans with this because there
was all the you know, the hoopla with the new
staff coming in, which is not uncommon. I mean, when
Barry Albarez arrived, they had this marketing tool, was a
whole new animal. You know, the Badgers are a whole
new animal. They won one game in nineteen ninety, but
(30:41):
it got better. And I think that the danger zone
that fans and even a lot of the media can
make as you compare this transition to when Barry got
here at nineteen ninety, they're so different. I mean, the
situations were being Barry walked into a true dumpster fire
of appropriate. This program has slipped into more of the
middle of the pack, but it's not terrible, and it's
(31:03):
I think it's hard to make that jump. And another
thing weighing with this that I find interesting when you
look at Wisconsin's in the fourteen playoff era in college football,
which was twenty fourteen through last year. Wisconsin, by virtue
of its ranking at the end of the conference championship games,
would have made a twelve team playoff three times twenty sixteen,
(31:25):
twenty seventeen, and twenty nineteen. Wow. However, against the Big Three,
who we referred to as the Big Three at the
time of the conference Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State,
Wisconsin was three and twelve in that In that the
three wins were against Michigan, they were offers against Ohio
State and against Penn State. So that's fifteen games against
(31:46):
those teams in a ten year period. But if you're Rutgers,
you're Indiana, you're Maryland, you're playing those teams thirty times
over that span. So I guess you know. The moral
of the story is, well, Wisconsin had some very very
good teams under Paul Crest. By playing in the Big
ten West, you only played the Big Three half the
number of times that team's in the East that it
(32:09):
played though, so that you know, not all records are
built the same. But that's now in an eighteen team league,
the schedule becomes very very important. It breaks well for
Rutgers this year, you know, which is off to a
really good start with great ciano. Badgers will go there
in a few weeks. But this year Wisconsin going to
sc They got Oregon coming to Madison, they got Penn
(32:32):
State coming to Madison, they go to Iowa. They don't
play Michigan or Ohio State. But it's a you know,
it's a pretty aggressive schedule that they have, so that
that's part of what I think increases the challenge for
Luke Fickle and his program is that you're not in
the West anymore. I mean, this is one through eighteen,
and you're trying to find a way to get your
(32:54):
team into that mix, if not to win the league,
at least being considered for the playoff. And that's not
something that people are really even talking about around here
right now, nor should they, but we all know how
it works. I mean, you want to be able to
build your program to a point where you can get
into that mix, whether that's next year the year after.
(33:16):
But it is a is a daunting challenge because the
Big three now might be more than three in the
Big ten that you're trying to you trying to break
through and get yourself into the mix.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
And I would say, you know, to the big three
that you mentioned, you're probably going to add Oregon USC
is probably built to get there. They're probably not there
quite yet, but they could eventually be there, you know,
so it could be a Big five, It could be
a big five. You have to get through to you know,
finish upper division of the Big ten. So it's yeah,
(33:50):
it's a daunting task. And now Matt Tyler Van Dyke
went down early in that game of Camp Randle against Alabama,
Brayden Locke assumes control.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
Was there a large difference.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
In the two quarterbacks that you saw as they battled
for the post in preseason.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
The biggest thing Wayne was armstrength. Tyler Van Dyke just
as they use a baseball term, a better fastball. He's
got a little more judice on it. Then then brain
brain lock is a easy They referred to him as
a bit of a sabot. I mean he knows the
game inside it out, knows the offense inside it out,
inside and out, but the physical arm strength isn't isn't
(34:28):
quite the same as Van Dykes. And you know, Tyler
tried to run the ball a little bit. He could
pick a spots. As I've said many times with him,
he ends up getting hurt, you know, run the ball.
You know, a little bit of a fluke there with
with the acl which he's had surgery this week on that,
but it'll be it'll The coaches have talked about this,
(34:50):
you know, throughout the spring and then especially in fall camp.
They they they said that they believe they have two
quarterbacks they can win with. So one of them's out
for the year, so we'll fight out where Braden is.
He did start three games last year. He played most
of the game against Alabama, and it was as you
might expect under the circumstances. You know, look, they were
(35:11):
kind of tentative with them there for a time, but
he showed flashes the guy who could go out and
make some plays and you know, not nearly enough offensively
for this team to have a chance against Alabama. But
you know, I think this guy, he does have a
little bit of it factor to him in his approach mentally,
and I think players have a lot of respect for him.
(35:32):
Now it's a matter are the physical tools going to
be there to the point where you can move the
ball give your team a best chance and the best
chance to win, especially against some of the good defenses
that they're going to face the team.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Where are they at defensively?
Speaker 4 (35:45):
The Badgers?
Speaker 3 (35:46):
I mean because I thought in watching that Alabama game
they were hanging in and hanging in and then eventually
kind of got worn down by the Alabama talent. But
where are they defensively? And you know, because this has
always been a strength Wisconsin.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Yeah, and it's it's a little less of one right
now to be to be perfectly honest about it, they've
been really vulnerable against the run here so far this season.
And it's whether that scheme, personnel, combination of both they
are We always talk about offense, you need somebody to
make a play. Defensively, they need the same thing. They
(36:21):
haven't gotten pressure on the quarterbacks the way that they
would like to or expect to here so far, but
it's been you know, the running game, Alabama eventually just
went between the tackles. Now, yes, you also, or I
should also say, Jalb Milroe, your quarterback might be as
athletically a gifted quarterback as there is a country. A
(36:42):
lot of really smooth don't have a dog in a
fight have said as much about him, so you have
to honor him. And that opened up some some opportunities
for the running backs to do their thing. But it's
it's a tough They're a tough spot right now because
a USC has guys who can run the ball pretty
well and their offense has shown some explosiveness. But yeah,
(37:05):
it's still you were watching a team that you know,
no matter who the coach is, Wisconsin's got a lot
of work to do with getting that maybe either getting
a roster to where they want it and just you know,
being able to form an identity not just offensively but
on the defensive side because playmakers. Again, that's been a
it's been a rare thing for this program. Here for
(37:26):
a bit in late afternoon game, yeah thirty two thirty
Central this week and a produe game back in Madison
the following week. We'll kick an eleven o'clock. So so yeah,
this is again, this is a it's a big deal.
The games is sell out. The capacity there now is
seventy seven to five, so not not the one hundred and.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Whatever, use a thousand.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
You know those south of the south end zone seats
which sit somewhere like around Las Vegas, like you're so
far from zone. Uh, you know, they they've just they've
just broke that or curtained that off.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
But yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
It is sold out, so there's going to be I
think a fair amount of pomp and circumstance for this.
So you're looking forward to it. It's a you know,
I'm not I'm not ready to you know, we know
how it works, and I think in the college game
it might even be more severe than in the NFL,
where you just you write a team off or you
you know, national people are already talking about Heisman front
(38:22):
runners and it's still September for crime out. But I've
seen this before with Wisconsin teams that have gotten off
to great starts and then have stumbled, or Wisconsin teams
that have struggled early, and you wonder, you know, who's
you got to like, who's going to be the guy
or who's going to be that group of players and
then something happens. So hopefully for for Wisconsin's sake, this
(38:44):
is a week where some guys can make some plays
and they can do some good things and build from there.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
And as for you, the historian, the sports geek and
historian that you are just soak up the coliseum, like
I said, get to that tunnel and just standing there
and think about you know, Lombardy and Hank Stram walking
out with their teams in that first Super Bowl, and
all the Olympics that have been there, and the Raiders
teams that have played there. The last time I was there,
(39:12):
they were redoing the press box, the whole They're putting
in a whole new press box and obviously luxury suites
there and we were in kind of almost like a trailer.
But it was still a good view of the game.
And all you'll be in new facilities, it should be
really good. And no, I think that's I envy you.
I'd love to go back to the Coliseum to see
a game there. It just it's one of those special
(39:34):
places because of all that happened there, you know. And
I hope they never tear that place down because it's
really it's a relic.
Speaker 4 (39:43):
It really is. Yeah, I do.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
I do that, Wayne. I did that at the Rose
Bowl the last time it was college there five years
ago when I was filling in with the Brewers. They
were out in Oakland, you know, and that stadium has
run down, the coliseum, you know, the oak Coliseum. But
when I was in there, I'm thinking of the history
with the A's obviously the Raiders back in the day,
and yeah, I absolutely want to do that. I always
thought one of the iconic photos, you know, then and now,
(40:10):
was the coin toss before the first Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
Yeah, you know, you just.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Had the captains and you had the ref that was it.
And now they want to coin toss. It has become
any week, especially if a Super Bowl. I don't know
if it was Sports Illustrated or did this. It was
the then versus now and just how how much simpler
everything was. Yeah, super Bowl won as opposed to the
circus that it's become a hundred million people tune in.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
Everyone and everything was cheaper back then too.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure the super Bowl ticket is a
little bit different than what it is now.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
Yeah, I mean back to Super Bowl one, the ticket
is half the price of what a ticket will be
for the Vikings and Packers at lambeau Field this weekend.
I mean maybe not even half. But no, it should
be great and that should be fun. And this is
a whole new era of the Big TA and you know,
I mean we're all getting used to it, but boy
tell you it is gonna be. It's a big boys league.
Now when you bring in Oregon and Washington and USC
(41:09):
and UCLA. And you know some I was talking to
somebody from Minnesota. They were saying, you know, the Gophers
are saying, we're going to the Rose Bowl this year. Well, yeah,
you can play u CLA in the Rose Bowl, but
they're going to the Rose Bowl.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Adiana's already won out there. Yeah. By the way, so far,
they're off to a great start with their new staff.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
Topic for another day, Topic for another day. Hey, listen,
we'd be remiss if we didn't mention in our neck
of the woods here, Uh, the Milwaukee Brewers and what
a story that has been bred council walks out of
here in the off season for more money i'lbeit about
three million more a year for the Cubs. But also
(41:54):
when he walked out, Man, you and I talked about this,
I think there was a feeling with him and with
others that the Brewers are never going to win, just
the economics of the game and everything, They're just never
going to win. And he was going to the Cubs
not just for money, but for an opportunity to be
in a big market with a big market payroll and
a team that might have someday a chance to win
(42:15):
the World Series. You know, the general manager who constructed
a lot of this left and went to the Mets, where,
you know, a lot of people were kind of down
on the Brewers this year, this would be a transition year. This,
that and the other thing. The manager was kind of, Oh,
he's going to hold the place, He's going to hold
the sea warm until Ricky weeks and ready to manage it.
(42:35):
All that and none of that could be further from
the truth. The Brewers are eighty nine and sixty seven
as we speak here today. They are one of the
feel good stories of Major League Baseball period. Christian Yelich,
who's having a Christian Yelich kind of year, goes out
down for the rest of the season. This team keeps
(42:56):
chugging along. Who's to say they can't get high. I mean,
they've been among the league. They've been among the leaders
in winning percentage both leagues combined all season. They've been
to the top five or thereabouts all season. They put
away their division long before anyone else put away theirs.
It's an interesting mix. It's a very interesting team. They
(43:17):
have fun winning and they're just fresh enough where I
think they can attract a lot of eyeballs. The Texas
Rangers won a World Series last year, the Diamondbacks got
to a World Series. You know, who's to say the
Brewers can't do the same.
Speaker 1 (43:33):
Yeah, both of those teams did not exactly tear it
up down the stretch too. I think the Diamondbacks lost
six of their last nine. The Rangers lost I want
to say four of their last six. Both of those
teams in September were like fifteen and thirteen, fifteen and twelve,
so it wasn't like they were going into the postseason writing.
So the big wave of momentum, it's about getting hot
when it starts, not how you're playing going into The
(43:55):
Brewers are not being great in the month of September,
but they've been good enough to run away and hid
in the International League Central And you mentioned that the
things that they've had to overcome losing a guy like
Yellow Tunes, putting together like a twenty eighteen twenty nineteen
Christian Yellich type of season. They don't have Brandon Woodrof
all year, they trade Corbyn Birds, they don't have Devin
(44:16):
Williams for a large chunk of the season. There were
a lot of reasons why the expectations were at best
very modest and hoping they could hover around five hundred.
The good news was nobody in that clubhouse was buying it.
And they do have this mixed way to the young guys,
you know, led of course by Jackson Surio, who may
(44:37):
not win Rookie of the Year, but he has to
be speeing the conversation. You know, guys like Ortiz and
terrag and now Garrett Mitchell, who's you know, mister Goodchuck
in the season and he's somebody who's two factors in.
This is a really athletic team. You know, they can
beat you with speed, they can hit home runs, but
they're not home run reliant. You know, they obviously will
(44:59):
steal a lot of bases, and but the thing is,
you know, there's there is parody in in the National League.
The Brewers are going to face a team that's probably
every bit as good as they are. So that's it's
that's the challenge that lies ahead of them. But it's
been a it's been a fun team to watch because
it isn't home run or bust. All runs are. They're cool,
(45:22):
you need them, but they can win a game without
the three run home, which is I would like to
think in the postseason could bode well for them. And
the beauty of this as you well know, you never
know who that star is going to be. Yeah, you know,
because is it going to be a dominis is contrarians
is a curio or is it somebody that very few
(45:44):
people talk about. I mean, that's the beauty of a
postseason baseball and it's it's fun to see the Brewers
getting ready to be a part of it. Again.
Speaker 3 (45:52):
I paid attention when the Phillies came into Milwaukee. I
think it was a three game series, the Brewers one,
if I'm not mistaken, two out of those three games
games yep. And the Phillies are playing well and the
Phillies have been well for a good chunk of the year.
They were the winningest team in baseball, and so they're
one of the contenders that are going to be up
there along with the Dodgers in the National League. And
then everyone else comes in and you know, will take
(46:14):
a shot. But I don't think that team is going
to be daunted by the playoffs, by whoever they face
in the playoffs. And you know, it's just a team
that plays hard, the manager does a great job with them.
You know, who's to say? You just don't know? And
are they good enough to get it done? I guess
on paper you'll probably say no. But then where are
(46:38):
the Dodgers been? You know, where were the Dodgers in
the World Series last year? They weren't in it, you know?
Or are the Yankees? They weren't in it?
Speaker 1 (46:44):
You know?
Speaker 3 (46:45):
So I think this is Baseball's postseason has become very unpredictable.
Speaker 4 (46:51):
Matt in the recent.
Speaker 1 (46:52):
Yeah, yeah, there's more spots open, but once you get there,
you've got a lot more to navigate to hold up
the trophy in the end. So yeah, you just keep
taking your shot. And that's where the that's where the
Brewers are. Look, the narrative is what it is. They
have been a playoff regular now the last several years,
but they've only advanced a couple of times. In twenty eleven,
(47:13):
they get to the LCS. Twenty eighteen, they get to
the LCS, but you know, that's been it. So they
don't know that. But I think maybe there's something to
be said for a group that's too young to know better.
And I think that's what this team is with veteran
presence with a guy like Reeze Hoskins and some others
who know been there, who have been around by saying
(47:35):
that's been big pleasons for a while. Same thing with
William Thomas. But this is a team that just kind
of just goes out in place. And then Pat Murphy,
you know, wildly successful college coach at Notre Dame and
at Arizona State. It seems like there's a little bit
of a of a college approach to how he goes
about it and the players, the young guys and the veterans.
(47:55):
There's a culture over there and they've had this for
a while. They had this with Counsel too, although the
messaging might have been a little bit different. They've had
a pretty good clubhouse, you know, for for quite a while.
In this age of analytics where all of that matters,
they got some pretty good dudes over there, at least
I know they have had in the patch, and it
sure seems like they do now. Just a bunch of
(48:17):
guys who are you know, we all know it's a
business and all of that, and there'll be business decisions
for guys like a Dominos once the season is over,
but you have guys that seem like they do a
great job of playing for one another. You hear that
in college a lot. Yeah, and I think with this
Brewers team in Major League Baseball that applies as well.
Speaker 3 (48:38):
You know, they for some reason, Pat Murphy reminds me
of George Bamberg, remember the old manager sure who got
them to the World Series in a eighty two And
by the way, they just a documentary movie has just
been released on the eighty eighty two season for the Brewers,
and you know, they brought back a lot of the
(48:59):
stars to Milwaukee for a premiere of that documentary movie.
And it be fun if your Brewers fan look it
up and get to see it at some point, because
it's apparently a really, really wonderful piece. But you know,
I mean, hey, listen, Pat Murphy, this is great. I
just I just think it's wonderful. He's like, what is
he sixty years.
Speaker 1 (49:20):
Older, sixty five, sixty five years yellow?
Speaker 3 (49:23):
Yeah, who gets a shot at sixty five?
Speaker 1 (49:25):
You know?
Speaker 4 (49:26):
Like that?
Speaker 1 (49:26):
Not many and the cool thing Wayne among other things.
Just watching him, he seems like he's taking it all in. Yeah,
you know, enjoying the ride. I think baseball needs more
guys like this. You know, there's an old school nature
to him where he will hold guys accountable, and you know,
in an age where players sometimes get overprotected. You know,
(49:47):
if somebody's having a bad day or somebody does something
that's not right, he will point that out. He will
beat him up, but he'll he holds them accountable publicly.
So you figure within the confines of the clubhouts that
that that's very true. But he I think he is
someone who has hit that chord of being highly respected
and very well wh liked. Yeah, and I think council
(50:08):
was you know, again, the messaging was different. But I mean,
look this time last year and when Craig was managing here,
we were kind of lining up to kiss the ring
with what he was doing because he did a great
job as the manager, and I know him leading to
go to the cubs. That has left a lot of
people very bitter, but in which is fine. It's it's
(50:29):
everybody's choice. But the dude did a great job here.
And and Pat Murphy, who's you know, coach, Craig had
notre dame and he had a close relationship. I think
a lot of credit to Murph with the culture that
they've been able to create doing it his way, and
a team that's just flat out fun to watch. Yeah, run,
they'll go first, the third, they'll steal, they'll bunts, you
(50:51):
know which I know that has the analytics people to
break it out into a cult sweat. This is a
team that's able to do that and make it work
for them. You know, maybe not every time, but it's
worked for them a fair amount this season. And they
still have guys who can hit bombs as well. They
got this habit of hitting grand slams, which will get
you the other that'll help you win games when you
(51:13):
get into any time of the year. But who knows
what this could lead to in October.
Speaker 3 (51:18):
Yeah, I mean, if you're gonna have a habit, hitting
grand slams is a good habit.
Speaker 1 (51:21):
It's a good thing. It's a good There are long
worse habits to have.
Speaker 3 (51:24):
Absolutely all right, man, Well, listen, enjoy the Cottle sum.
I can't wait to hear your version of it all again.
It's a wonderful place and hopefully the Badgers will play
a great ball game against usc And and bring home
a win. But we will talk next week again as
we hook up on this podcast. Once again, but enjoy
(51:44):
the West Coast for a weekend.
Speaker 1 (51:47):
Chell from the north Woods to the West Coast. Man
Mighty is the spice of life.
Speaker 3 (51:52):
God, you are a jet setter. If everything will tell
you that's me all right. That'll do it for us
this time. We'll try to do better next time. This
little podcast our producer engineer Dave McCann, our executive producer
Jeff Tyler.
Speaker 4 (52:04):
For matth. This is Wayne.
Speaker 3 (52:05):
Thank you very much for listening to the lerra Vie
La Pey Podcast.
Speaker 2 (52:11):
The Larovian La Pey Podcast is a production of iHeartRadio
podcasts with hosts Wayne Larvy and Matt Lapey, with production
engineering by Dave McCann. The Lerreovian La Pey Podcast is
presented by UW Credit Union. Here for every you listen
to other episodes available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com