The Kyle Bailey Show: Eric Mac Lain

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right now, we've got to talk some college football, because
Friday night was a hell of a lot of fun.
I was texting my boy Roman Harpert like midnight. I
was like, hey, Bama woke up and he's of course
of celebrating the win. And then we had Miami and
Texas A and m and an ugly defensive slug fest,
and then we had some blowouts and we got to
talk about that in some ACC news with ACC Network
College Football. And let's former Clemson Tiger Eric McClain. Emack

(00:21):
is back on a Monday. Mary Christmas, big fellow, what's
going on?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Hey, brother, Mary Christmas, I miss you. I'm glad we
finally were able to make it work. Busy is an understatement,
but it's good to.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Be with you, no doubt about it. All Right, So
I'll jump to the most recent thing. Did Saturday's blowouts
of Tulane and JMU make the group of five playoff
conversation more difficult in your mind?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Well, I think it's just something we need to move
on from. Like it's think of where JMU is right now,
literally one of the best, if not the best season
in school history, walking into a playoff game where there's
so much excitement, so much hype about the team. This
team is very good, should be able to compete for

(01:06):
a national championship. And they get blown out and the
entire broadcast is just talking about how bad they are
and they shouldn't be in this situation. And nobody wants
to be remembered that way. No one wants that to
be their last game. They should have a legitimate chance
to win a national championship. And for people that sit
there and say, well, they do they made it there
in no, man, it's a different game, It's a totally

(01:28):
different level, so many more resources, all these different things.
So why is there not a G six playoff where
JMU and Tulane and Memphis usf ECU whoever has a
chance to actually really play for a national championship. And
that's what man. I think we need it, and I

(01:49):
think the country will watch. I mean, my buddy Aaron
Murray just called a quarterfinal SDS playoff game and almost
two million people watched. There's money to be had and
there's obviously a one, so we got to get that done. Okay.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
So you think there's an appetite for it, because I
have questioned that in the past. It sounds good to
say G six G five National championship, but like, do
will people watch it? Do they think people will watch it?
If there's money at it, what's stopping the G five
from doing it? I guess is my question?

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yeah? I agree, and I think people will watch it.
I mean, we've seen it with UFL spring leagues, we
see it with bowl games, we see it with FCS playoffs.
It's intriguing in playoff football matters and people will care.
So is it necessarily the uh, you know, the four
million you get right away? I don't know. I don't
know what the payout or what it would potentially look like.

(02:38):
But even more so just for the uh, you know,
the players themselves and these teams. I mean, to put
up a national championship banner in your stadium is a
huge deal and I think there is an appetite for it.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
Okay, all right, so then let's uh, let's go backward
then and talk about Miami and Texas A and m
On Saturday, people were panning that game because you know,
it was this is horrible, it's this and I was like,
I'm enjoying it, and like, I think it's kind of fun.
I realized that the offenses weren't super crisp, but you know,
you had some great defense. You had big plays by Malakai,
Tony had the drama with him at the end after

(03:10):
the fumble and everything else. I mean, I picked Miami
to win the game, so of course I felt good
about it after the fact. But were you impressed by Miami?
What'd you think of the game itself?

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah? I was blown away, man, I think, you know,
starting and giving kudos to you know, the Texas stand
m fans. That place is crazy. If you've never been,
you should go. You know, just a great college football environment.
The songs, the cheers, the stadium literally shakes if you
go to the press rock. Don't be terrified. It happened
this engineer to do that. But they were electric and

(03:41):
they were super loud, just because it was literally a
zero zero game at halftime. I mean, they have a
shot all the way up to the last play of
the game, and they were fantastic. Did I certainly think
it would be a thirteen point ballkin, No, you know,
but the win was crazy. I mean, anytime a guy
threw the ball when the win was whipping, you just

(04:02):
saw it move and you're just like, well, guess we're
not going to be doing that today at a high cliff,
you know, so let's run it and let's figure it out.
So certainly what Miami did in the second half, I
was very impressed with, you know, Mark Fletcher having a
career day averaging ten yards of rush on that vaunted defense,
one hundred and seventy two yards on the ground, Carson
Beck being a great game manager, which I love, do

(04:24):
not lose the game. That's what it came down to
to me, with both those quarterbacks, when they are great,
they're as good as anybody in the country. When they're bad,
they're as bad as anybody in the country. And to me,
it was going to be who made the worst mistake
or who made the mistake. And unfortunately for Marcel Reed,
he had three turnovers, one fumble, two pigs, the last
one being the game sealing interception for Miami. So you know,

(04:47):
I was interested to see how that would go. And
then the defense of Miami. I think now that Oklahoma's
out and they certainly didn't stand tall to their name,
I think Miami is the best defense in this you
know playoff that's left. You look at their d line.
How talented they are. You know, you got a couple
of you know, first round picks. I think Mezador is
going to sneak into the back half of the first round. There,

(05:08):
Ruben Dain arguably going to be a top ten, top
five pick. And then just guys everywhere in the secondary
making huge plays. They were electric. Marcel Reid was sacked
ten times all year. He was sacked seven times in
this game against the Hurricanes.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
It's amazing. Now, you referenced the game the night before,
you know, BRT Venables, Well, so they were up seventeen
to nothing and here comes Alabama storming back. I'm a
John Mattier fan, but obviously he left a lot to
be desired on Friday night. What did you think of
the way that Venables and company blew that game?

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah? It was super unfortunate, man. And you look all year.
You know how did Oklahoma win games post Jametier injury?
It was elite special teams and elite defense both forgot
to show up when it was seventeen to zero. I mean,
you've got a guy literally dropping a punt. I don't
think I've ever seen that in my life. I don't
know how that happened with the punch is about to

(06:00):
kick the ball, then he just drops it on the ground.
You had a couple of other shank punchs, you had
horrible miss field goals, and then a defense that just
kind of, you know, let the team down, wasn't able
to capitalize, wasn't able to you know, do what they do.
The pick six was brutal that Matier threw there, and
I thought there was another play. It's kind of like
the butterfly effect, right, Like what happens if this play

(06:22):
doesn't where it was third and four. He's scrambling to
the left, he has thirty yards in front of him,
he could walk to the first down. Instead, he throws
it to a guy that was relatively wide open. But
he's a young freshman running back, or excuse me, he
might he might be a red shirt freshman. But anyway,
the guy drops it and that changed everything. That felt

(06:43):
like when the tide turned and Alabama's like, hold on, now,
you know, let's let's bow up and play. So if
John just scrambles for that, or if the guy of
course catches it, what happens then? You know, are we
talking about Oklahoma winning this football game? That just felt
like such a pivotal play to me. It's super unfortunate.

Speaker 1 (07:02):
All Right, I'm looking at the quarterfinal games coming up
this I guess next week, this weekend, so next weekend,
I can't keep track, and I see a bunch of
six and a half, nine and a half point spreads,
and I thought to myself, you know, Oregon Texas Tech.
Before I looked at this might be the best game
of the weekend. Now that's yet to be determined, but
that one's a one and a half point spread right
now in favor of the Oregon Ducks and the Orange Bowl.

(07:24):
I love that game. I've really kind of fallen in
love with Texas Tech as a fan who doesn't have
a team in this race right now. But you know
what game is it for you? Where you're looking at
it and thinking, oh, dude, that's going to be a
hell of a game.

Speaker 2 (07:36):
Well, I think the you know, the obvious thing that
I'm going to say is Miami O House say. I mean,
just to think of the history of that game. The
last time those two played in a national championship of
the Phantom Flag that came out of nowhere. You know,
it felt like minutes after the play had ended that
actually swung favor to Ohio State. They ended up winning
that game. That that's that's really big way NFL football again,

(08:01):
another matchup, you know for the Hurricanes. I think that
number is way too big. I think you hammer Miami
not saying they're gonna win, but that that'll be a
field goal a touchdown game. Nine and a half to
me seems way way too high there. But I like
the Oregon Texas Tech game too. Man, for all those
reasons you just said. Oregon, Uh, you know, their defense
scares me. I don't really trust it, but I think

(08:22):
their offense is as explosive as anybody left. And so
you know, can can this vaunted Texas Tech defensive line?
Those great linebackers, what are they gonna do? You know,
are they gonna be able to you know, keep their
head on a swivel, stay true to who they are,
get to the quarterback and really make that a ballgame.
You know, you got a rematch with Ole Miss Georgia.
I expect that to go about the same way. I

(08:44):
think Georgia is better. I don't know if Old Miss
is better since that last game they played. And then
how about Little Indiana? Man, to you know, beat Ohio
State in a Big Ten championship and then their first
game in this playoff, which is a quarterfinal. They could
possibly take down Alabama. I mean that is nuts a
crazy run. If they go too and ohero in those
games and continue this battle for a national championship.

Speaker 1 (09:06):
Oh absolutely, all right, big news today here in North Carolina.
It is not official, but it's being reported that it's
close and looks like it will get done. Bill Belichick.
North Carolina. They've moved on from Freddy Kitchens, and reports
have it that they are set to hire Bobby Petrino
as the program's next offensive coordinator. There are a lot
of jokes there, but he's also a very well established

(09:27):
and accomplished offensive coach in the history of college football.
If this happens, what will you think about it?

Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah? I hate it, to be honest. I mean I
don't think that that situation could have got weirder or worse.
And then that happened. I was like, well, there it is.
That certainly doesn't make the pr work any easier. It's
just weird, man, But hey, you win games, who cares?
I guess it seems to be where North Carolina is
right now. They want to win at whatever cost accounts

(09:56):
and I hope you do it. I hope you make
it happen. If not, it's just a lot of laughs
for not a lot of success.

Speaker 1 (10:02):
Oh man, all right, last thing, I'll let you go.
Just think a big picture in the playoff moving forward,
because you're talking about the G five or we are
to start the conversation and Notre Dame still salty, and
they have some memorandum of understanding guaranteeing them a spot
at the table. And now the other conferences want automatic,
they want aqs for conference champions, no matter what. What's
the next iteration of this thing in your mind? How

(10:24):
many teams? What are the rules, who's getting special treatment?
Who gets what? What are you thinking?

Speaker 2 (10:28):
Yeah, I think we expand it. I think that this
year in particularly really prove that because of VYU, because
of Notre Dame, maybe because of Vanderbilt, I think certainly
intrigue and excitement there, and who knows that there's a
couple others. But I think you do that again. I
have nothing against the G five. I just think it's

(10:49):
not worth it for them for us to watch. I
think you move on from that. You have sixteen, big boy,
fully funded, fully invested, you know, teams that are in
this thing. I would like to see higher seeded teams
get the home games. I think it's so strange that
you're the number one team in the country and you

(11:09):
don't get rewarded with a home game, you know, for
this playoffs. So I don't know if we flip it
and the home games come in the quarterfinal or whatever
that will end up being, but I think there were
certainly close, because the games are fun, the intrigue is
at an all time high, and we just got to
keep figuring this out. I think moving the calendar up
to like the fact that we have this three week

(11:32):
break two week break is dumb, Like we need to
go championships to playoff bang bang, and keep this thing sprinting.

Speaker 1 (11:38):
Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family. We appreciate
everything you do for us during the football season. Buddy,
Happy holidays. We'll talk to you soon.

Speaker 2 (11:45):
Right back at you, brother, Marry Christmas. Appreciate you always.