December 30, 2025 • 44 mins
In the second hour of the show, the guys tell you who will be ballin' and who will be fallin' in the CFP quarterfinals and Wes tells you if sports stories from this year are fire or fizzle.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You were listening to the Wes and Walker Show.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
His thing was he was always like, oh, you need
never let me taste your meat, et cetera and so on.
And I'm sitting there and I'm like, if you're such
a hard marker when it comes to that kind of thing,
I needed to perfect it in order to make sure
that it was okay for him.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
It's Wes' gone demn for life and Walker. No, I
think that's fair. I think you needed to perfect your
meat before Fitty ate it. I think that's totally fair
and not in any way crazy or inappropriate.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Only on Sports Radio ninety two point seven FM WFNZ, Hey,
look at my Jucy Briskett, look at it.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Welcome to the one o'clock our folks. This is the
West and Walker Show. Sports Radio nineteen two seven w
f and Z coming to you, Lave from the channel,
the vote of the studio. CV Injury Law dot Com.
That's CV injury Law dot Com. One call, that's all
Carolina's personal injury lawyers. Before we get going in the
bottom and falling a gourding. On three Sports yesterday, Clemson
(01:12):
has indefied Garrett Riley, so now he will be looking
for a new offensive.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Coordinator, and just a few years ago he was all
the raids.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
He was supposed to turn it all around for the
Clemson Tigers, but it was not to be, and so
he will now be looking for employment, which I'm sure
it won't be hard to find, especially when your brother
is a head coach and powerful.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Yeah, it's only somebody else's fault in Clemson. It's not
the head coaches, it's not the talent level. It's all
about whatever defensive coordinator is and doing their job in Clemson,
or whatever offensive coordinator isn't doing their job. I remember
the days when they wanted to fire Tony Elliott, the
guy that just had Virginia in the AEC Championship.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I remember those days.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
And I remember the days that they wanted to fire
Garrett Riley and got their wish. But now I'm sure
they're gonna get somebody that's much better than Garrett Rdley.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
All right, no dab Walker coming in. Shots fire big time.
Let's get into a folks college football playoffs. We got
it all crack. It's time to find out who will
be balling and who will be falling.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Founder drop that intro well, mean doctor parshee. You can't
see my eyes unless my head has been You do
so show business.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I like some.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
All right, let's get it going, folks.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
We'll start out with number five Oregon versus number four
Texas Tech. Oregon is a two and a half point
favorite in this one, but the Texas Tech Red Raiders
have won by more than twenty one points in every
win that they've gotten this season. They have the best
scoring margin in the FBS, five point fifty two to
one forty two. This defense is ferocious. They leave the
(02:54):
FBS and pressures. They also are number one in takeaways.
They had thirty one of those. They got four in
the Big twelve title game. But that quarterback Baron Morton,
he told ESPN, and he was feeling about seventy percent healthy.
He was looking forward to the time off to be
able to recover the backup quarterback. They also lost him
earlier in the year. For the year, but they've played
(03:15):
five games against teams that achieved winning records in twenty
twenty five, and they scored touchdowns on just thirty two
percent of drives that reach the red zone. So you
gotta look forward to that as well. From this offense
to see if they get into the red zone what
they can do. But James Madison Dante Moore led the
Ducks to a touchdown on each of their first five
(03:37):
drives in this one. They are still having their coordinators coaching,
but we know the one foot out, one foot in
because will Stein is going to Kentucky, the offensive coordinator,
defensive coordinator Tosh Lapoy is going to cal So we'll
see how that could affect them in this matchup. And
neither of these teams has lost since mid October. This
(03:59):
is a tough match up to pick right here in
this one because Oregon, we do know they like to
run a ball, but this Texas Tech defense, they are
off the chain and they are the new guys for
the most part in this tournament. So who am I
going to pick to be balling and falling? This is tough,
but I think Oregon they learned that lesson from last
(04:19):
year losing in their first game, they got a victory.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
I'm gonna go with Oregon to be balling.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
And Texas Tech to be fall Texas Tech defense is
not only off the chain, they're out of control right now.
They have not allowed a double digit outing to posing
offenses in the last month of football. This is high
stakes football. This is playing for the conference championship. This
is the last month of college football where you got
to win and win and win to continue not only
making it to the College Football Playoff, but also being
(04:46):
a high seed to avoid all of the teams that
might sneak up and bite you and eventually end your
season a little earlier. Now, now you get to buy
and it's because of what you've done defensively more so
than what you've done offensively. Even if this is the
next point, You've been scoring a lot of points too.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Man.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
They have been very good on both sides of the
lion of scrimmage. Oregon's offense is fantastic success rate. Success
rate basically means how often do you do what you're
supposed to do offensively in terms of getting the first down.
Oregon is fifth nationally in success rate, and they get
a bunch of big plays. Texas Tech, however, they're third
nationally in both limiting success rate and limiting big plays.
(05:25):
I think Texas Tech offense, I think the Red Raiders
zero is good enough to keep up with maybe a
twenty point even twenty four to twenty five point outing
from the Oregon offense, which means I have Texas Tech
ball and the Red Raiders move on.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Yeah, well turn my mic on. That might help.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
I will definitely go with Texas Tech in this game.
You know, this was a team that I doubted in
the preseason. I didn't think they would be as good
defensively as they've been. They are absolutely loaded, and these
guys are playing off the chain so.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Far this year. I get it.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
Maybe you want about them in a close game because
they haven't necessarily played in a lot of close games
this year. Neither is Oregon. Oregon was a team that
wasn't really tested. When you go back and look at
the Big Ten schedule, they weren't tested nearly as much
as we thought they were going to be coming into
the year. So I think these are two very similar
teams in certain respects. You know, Oregon's a team that
(06:20):
their defensive numbers are actually pretty solid, but I think
Texas Tech's defense is better. I think Jacob Rodriguez has
a huge game in this one, and I think Baron Morton,
you know, he's been really efficient more DJ Moore, excuse me,
Dante Moore turning the ball over a little bit more
than him. I think that might bite him in this game.
I go with Texas Tech to be balling.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
I know we don't have much time. Last stat though,
I find this to be interesting. The Red Raiders have
the best average starting field position in the country.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
That's a good staff. This defense is out of control.
Man good.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Way that they've been performing is crazy, all right. So
number six Old Miss versus number three Georgia. Georgia is
a six and a half point favorite. They're averaging thirty
two point. It's a game four hundred and seven yards
to be exact. They did lose starting center djew Bobo
to a foot injury in this one. Georgia's offensive line,
they ranked third in the SEC and sacks allowed. They
were fifth in rushing, which is markedly improved from what
(07:13):
they were last year. In the past four games, defensively,
Georgia hasn't allowed more than eighty one yards rushing or
two hundred and seventy four yards of total offense. And
in that opponent group it's Texas, Georgia Tech, Alabama and
the Fighting Walker Mills the Charlotte forty nine ers. Those
teams went a combined ten for forty eight on third
down and they forced five turnovers, nine sacks and those
(07:35):
contests but Trinidad Chamblers. He became the first SEC player
with three hundred passing yards and fifty rushing yards in
three straight games over the past thirty years, and against
Tulane he went for two eighty two through the air,
one touchdown, thirty six yards, two scores on the ground.
The first time that these teams met earlier in the year,
Old Mess had a nine point lead heading into the
(07:56):
fourth quarter. The Bulldogs scored Seventh Street seventeen eight points,
one forty three to thirty five, and Georgia Day absolutely
bullied around Old Miss at the line of scrimmas. They
controlled the ball for all but one minute and fifty
four seconds of this game. Georgia is my national championship pick,
so I'm gonna pick the Bulldogs to be balling'.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
You know, I've talked about how sometimes Hayton gets me paid.
It's okay to hate as long as you hate with
the right facts.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
And Georgia last year was a team that I was
fading massively so and I was rewarded for that. I
don't feel as strong in fading Georgia this go around.
This is all a game of pace. Ole Miss likes
to go, go, go, hurry up, hurry up, and Georgia
likes to plod. They like to basically phys basketball on
a beach. They want to post up, they want to
be physical, they want to bang Nicola Jokic style, and
that's all right with me. I think that that is
(08:45):
a tried and true strategy for this Georgia Bulldogs team
and ultimately in the tough matchups, because I think ole
Miss could absolutely win this football game. But I'm gonna
go with the coach that I trust the most, and
if Lane Kiffin's absence didn't hurt ole Miss in the
first matchup, I think it has a better chance of
hurting him in the second matchup against that team down
in Athens.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Georgia. Balls.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
Yeah, this is the blowout potential game. I think that
you'll look at. There's always one. It seems like in
the in this round, the quarterfinals. We saw it last
year and we've seen it, you know, in the semi
finals in the fourteen playoffs. This feels like one of
those types of games. I get it, man, I like
ole Miss. I hope they play well in this game,
they find a way to put up some points. But
you know, Kawan Lacy, they're starting running back, little banged up.
(09:28):
Don't know exactly how healthy he's going to be for
this game. I like Chambliss, But the thing about Georgia,
there's nothing sexy about George.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
You don't watch them and you're on the script.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
God.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Yeah, this team is amazing.
Speaker 5 (09:41):
I'm watching the greatest level of football we've ever seen
play it. But their defense is incredibly solid. Gunner Stockton
doesn't turn the football over and makes plays when he
has to. I think they win this game, and I
think they win it convincingly.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
All Right.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
So when you look at this though, when you talk blowouts,
the spreads of our next two games that we'll get
to on the other side, Vegas thinks that these could
be a little bit more lopsided. So we're going to
talk about those on the other side. But yeah, man,
these first two matchups that we discussed, it is going
to be very interesting. I just kind of like the
experience of an organ in this matchup. But my heart
(10:15):
wants Texas Tech to kind of win this one. I
want to see them do that. I love their mascot
and I love their theme guns up and then Old
Miss and Georgia. I think this will be a good
one because I think Old Miss will have a little
bit of revenge on their mind because of how they
lost the first time. And I know the coaches are
going to have a lot of great tape to be
able to show them and maybe adjustments to be able
to make in this one, because when you get out
(10:36):
physical to the point where another team controls the ball
for all but a minute fifty four seconds, it's like,
come on, man, you guys are going to have to
grow a pair for this.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
One big game for Dan Lanning, you want him to
continue to move on in the college football playoffs. I
going to get that rep as not being a big
game coach either, So it's the organ rep. But how
much have you just become the duck where you don't
win the big games Once you finally do get to
this space in college football, whether it be the championship game,
you might win one, which they've already done, but it's
(11:04):
also James Madison and losing the Texas Tech. While they
are a great football team, this will not be good
for them. It's not great, especially against a team like
Texas Tech. You don't want to see those logos next
to Oregon and then see that they lost to those
types of teams over the last few years, whatever it
may be, and it only hurts their reputation even more.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
So, big big game for Daniel and this is a
loaded Texas Tech squad for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
All right.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
When we come back on the other side, Alabama, Indiana,
Miami and Ohio State will talk about it.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Sports Radio ninety two seven WFNZ, Welcome back, folks.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
This is the Wes and Walker Show Sports Radio ninety
two seven WFNZ from the channel of both the studios.
Make sure you hit us up on social media WFNZ
on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also hit us
up at HTB Anthony, at West Brown Underscore seventy two,
at Walker Mal and most importantly at Western Walker if
you go on your boys page. If you guys missed
it during a Snoop Dogg, well I have all of
the moments from myself and Snoop Dogg on the sidelines there,
(12:05):
so if you guys want to go and check that
out too as well. We always give you the pre
show stuff Walking Mill getting blinded by the lights.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
It's always good stuff. You never know what you is
your favorite thing? Now?
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Yeah, you turn on the light and then I squint,
just like everybody would when you wake up from a nap,
and then you have all of the weird markings on
your face because it was a great nap but you
didn't feel it, and then you're squinting. That's what I
look like, except without the markings. That's what I look
like when he turns on the light.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
All right, let's finish this thing up balling a falling
college football PLAYFS, you had something flounder.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Oh, I was just gonna say, my account got hanked
over the weekend, So if you got a dmminked, Well,
somebody literally logged into my Twitter.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
No, I was teasing you.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
Could you said hanked because I know you were talking
fast and you said hanked instead of hack.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Yeah, so hank tacked.
Speaker 5 (12:47):
Whatever someone got in, changed my email, changed all my
pass codes and everything. They were sending all these messages out.
I don't know what happened, but I'm back. I'm back, baby.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I'm still going to five point two followers on there.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
Yeah, that happened to me with the Facebook a few
years ago. Man, it is not fun man, they hacked
the pag and it wasn't really anything you could do, because,
like you said, they get in there, they work fast.
They make sure they figure out every type of method
you're gonna use so that they can switch it up
so you can't get back in there. All right, So
number nine Alabama versus the top seed Indiana Hoosias. Indiana
(13:22):
a seven point favorite in this game. All right, So Indiana.
They finished second nationally in points margin, outscoring their opponents
bout four hundred and four points. Their offensive defense ranks
in the top ten nationally and many of the key
metrics they rank eleventh nationally and rushing, so they are
much better than they were last year. They were sixty
third in the country last year rushing. And they're also
(13:43):
really good at turning you over just like Texas Tech.
They are tied those two for the national lead at
plus seventeen. Alabama Todd Simpson one of only three Division
one quarterbacks with the twenty eight plus passing touchdowns and
five or less interceptions off thirty fifth in the nation
in points per game, but only eightieth in yards per
(14:04):
game and even worse running the football.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
They are one hundred and twentieth.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
But Alabama's defense they've been like the defenses you would
come to expect from the Crimson Tide. Fifteenth in opponents
points per game and fourteenth in opponents yards per game,
and they are thirty first though in opponent rushing yards
per game. This is a tough one to call because
you think about big bad Alabama. This is what they do,
and they go in and they take care of any
team that's a Johnny Come Lately. But this Indiana team,
(14:30):
they seem like this is a special group. This Indiana team,
they got the Knots rock last year going to Notre Dame,
and I feel like that they could potentially right that
wrong seven point favorite here, which is really strong. We
know Fernando Mendoza, he is looking like the new Tim
Tebow as far as the leadership is concerned. He will
cry at the drop of a hat and then throw
a laser on you for a touchdown. And so for
(14:53):
that reason, as much as I would like to think
that Alabama could go and knock these guys off, I
think Indiana is a team of destiny. I think they
get the job done. Give me the Hoosias from Walker's
home state to be bawling in this one.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
I can't believe that I'm looking at both of these
very similar forms of red and yet I'm going to
be choosing against the Crimson Tide. But I am going
to say that the Hoosiers will be bawling in this one.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Oh, you changed them. Well. You say that Curse of
A was hard to pick again, I.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
Didn't say I wouldn't though, Hmmm, I said it was
hard to pick against. I will say it's hard, and
that's why so many people were coming into this one
feeling like maybe Alabama not only would beat Oklahoma, but
they would also beat Indiana. What I will say, though,
is I do question Indiana's lack of big moments this
season because they've been too good, I guess, which is
(15:44):
a nice way to dodge a lot of these big moments.
But I think ESPN has done a great job of
giving us a breakdown a preview at the College Football Playoff,
and they have the three biggest plays for each team
still left in the playoff. Two of the biggest three
plays for Indiana are in that Penn State game, and
I just don't think that they've had to make a
ton of other big plays outside of the one against Iowa.
(16:05):
There really wasn't a play, so to speak, that memorialized
the win over or again. They just beat him by
ten points. So does the big game. Alabama's played in
a lot a lot of big games. Playing boards really
great in big games, and so is Alabama. So Mendoza
has the throw to Cooper against Penn State, that's the
play that was the Heisman moment, which is a big one,
(16:27):
but it's also Penn State. They weren't very good. Alabama's
big moments have come against better competition. That's the thing
that worries me every time I doubt Indiana. They continue
to win football games. So I think I'm just gonna
go ahead and learn from my lessons.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
I you, they ball flounder. What say ross.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Man.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but
they ain't winning this game. This is going to be
another one seed that gets upset in the quarterfinals in
the Rose Bowl. It's a huge stage and I just
don't know that they can live up to it.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Now.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
If they had Steven Daley along their defensive line, I
think I might actually pick them. But you are without
your leading tackle for lost Man, which that's something that
their defense does a lot of causes a lot of
havoc in the backfield. But you're without a guy that
had almost twenty on the season. You're without your leading
sack artist as well. With him out, it's gonna be
(17:24):
tough to overcome.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Man.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
I think Ty Simpson's gonna have a lot of time.
The thing that's crazy about Bama they don't have to
run the football.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
They are not a good running football team. Doesn't matter.
Speaker 5 (17:33):
They've still found ways to win games while not being
able to run the football. I think you talked about
Kaylin de Bor being a great coach too. I think
Indiana is it is it a year or too soon
for them to make some sort of run.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
They've got that case.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
But I think I think Alabama. Maybe I'm I'm trusting
that cursive a little bit too much.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
I'm going with Alabama to Peopall. I'm still kind of there.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
I'm going against the Obama has the most wins against
the AP number one team in college football history, have
eleven wins against the AP number one team.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
So that's that as well.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
What's funny is not that you didn't give any reasons
as to why you chose Indiana, but a lot of us.
We have two people picking Indiana and we have one
pick person picking Alabama. My reasoning for picking Indiana was
actually not any reasoning at all. It was why I'm
scared of picking Indiana. And you talk about again providing
another piece of evidence as to why probably we should
(18:34):
be picking Alabama. You know that doesn't instill a lot
of confidence in our opinions when we keep giving you
reasons as to why Alabama is the team to pick,
and yet we're just going against all of that fly
out of the one that's the most disciplined and.
Speaker 5 (18:45):
Also didn't seem thrilled Wes to pick them. You said,
I hope that Alabama can keep up. Are you pulling
Forbama in this game?
Speaker 4 (18:52):
I'm not gonna say I'm pulling for Obama. But the
thing is it is that worry about the pedigree of
Alabama that's the thing, against the inexperience of Indiana, that's
the thing.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Pull I let me tell you, I am pulling for
Indiana very hard in this game.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
I just don't.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
Yeah, college football is such a pedigreed sport, man, that's
the thing about it, all right. Last one, number ten,
Miami out of the ACC versus number two Ohio State.
Ohio State a nine and a half point favorite, and
this one that's a pretty big spread. So they are
led by Julian Saying all. The Buckeyes second nationally with
the QBR of eighty nine point six and he's got
(19:28):
the best single season completion rate in FBS history of
seventy eight point four percent. Didn't play great against Michigan
or didn't play great against Indiana, but Will Howard he
bounced back after a bad performance against Michigan last year
and led them to a national championship.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
We know what happened there.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
Ohio State's offensive line, well, the Hoosiers, they got in
that backfield a lot. In that Big Ten Championship game,
nine tackles for loss limited them to eighty seven rushing yards.
After ranking in the top ten and lowest pressure rate
allowed during the regular season, Ohio State gave up a
pressure rate of forty eight point six percent in the
(20:05):
Big twelve Big Ten title game. Carson Beck thrown for
twenty six touchdowns ten picks this year. Before those picks
came against Louisville Malakai Toni. He broke the Miami single
season reception record after Xavier Roscheppo did so in twenty
twenty three. He's almost at a thousand yards. Hurricanes, though
(20:27):
they are undefeated in ranked matchups this season, Miami's defense,
they're six in points allowed and they are the only
team in the country to not give up a touchdown
of more than forty yards. So you got that and
A and M last week against Miami only managed just
eighty nine rushing yards in this one. I felt strong
about this since the matchup was created. Give me the
(20:47):
Miami Hurricanes to be balling. I just don't think Julian's
saying is ready yet. I think he needs a little
bit more seasoning. And I think like this stat illustrates
why I think that Miami can win this game because
talk about how they match up in the trenches. We
saw when Ohio State's offensive line went up against a
top tier defensive line, how much pressure they gave up,
(21:08):
how many tackles for loss they gave up. And this
is going to be, in my opinion, just as good
or better of a defensive front that they're going to
see with the Canes. Two NFL guys on the edge,
they're big in the middle. They you know, I just
think Miami is going to take care of business and
get the upset. Miami is an incredibly talented There are
an incredibly talented football team.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
The problem is the way that the bracket is structured.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
They are going against maybe one of the very very
very few, maybe only two teams that might be more
talented than Miami, with Ohio State having four top fifteen picks,
So Miami is not going to be able to out
talent Ohio State in this one. And then we get
to the quarterback battle. And you know, my love for
Carson Beck. I've been championing him the entire time. What
(21:52):
I have read on ESPN again is something that I
wholeheartedly agree with, and maybe this guy just straight up
stole it from.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Me, even though I'm struggling minority.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
But he mentions Carson Beck having completed eighty percent of
his passes and average two hundred and eighty yards in
the past four games before the game against Texas A
and m It's pretty good, maybe believe in that guy,
except also when he combines the safe decision making with
a willingness to try to big time have big time
throws in big moments. Yet all right, yeah, that's pretty good.
(22:21):
But when the interception start, they don't stop. That's his line.
When they start, they don't stop. Look, he also didn't
look great against Texas A and m conditions were crazy.
We're going to play indoors. So Endors is going to
help Carson Beck out quite a bit. But if the
question becomes Ohio State's quarterback and Julian saying compared to
Carson Beck and even if that's a wash, then we'll
(22:41):
just have to rely on Miami's talent surrounding them. Ohio
State has more they have more talent, and I think
they do have the better quarterback. So if they have
more talent and the better QB and a coach that
has won, and Miami has a coach that is often
the reason why they lose games because of his direct
decision making.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Why am I choosing the games?
Speaker 4 (22:59):
All point?
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Why am I choosing the knes Ohio State cover balls?
Not only do they ball, they're winning by double dishes.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
Oh yeah, that's I don't know about that. I Look,
I think there's a lot of talent that's gonna be
on the field in this game. If you are an
NFL scout, this is the game that you're going to.
I mean, look, I know Ben Dooz is a guy
that could go number one in the draft. Alabama's got
some players this game is loaded with for future NFL stars.
I mean, it is just going to be amazing to watch,
(23:29):
especially these two defenses go ahead to head.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
I think it's going to be a low scoring game
between these two sides.
Speaker 5 (23:35):
But man, Julian Sayan is a guy that has I mean,
we don't watch a lot of him because they didn't
play that difficult of a schedule this year. I do
wonder if that does factor in in this game part
of the reason why I believe it's going to be close.
But I think Sayan's made enough plays. You've got the
receiving core that everybody in college football wants with Jeremiah Smith,
(23:56):
who you know isn't having the greatest year, but it's
still putting up some really good numbers, especially for a
guy that was injured. And then you got Cornell Tape
playing incredibly well as well. They've ran the ball pretty decently.
I think everything you look at their offense and it
just feels like you trust them a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Miami.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
Miami couldn't score against Texas A and M. What the
hell are you going to do against this one?
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Texas A and M's defense was five theything.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
I don't know that they're this good.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
This defense is loaded, there are and they've got to
be able to win that battle up front. I think
that's going to be incredible to watch because I think
Miami has the horses to be able to do it. Yeah,
but I think Ohio State just makes one more play
when it matters the most. I like them seventeen to
ten Ohio State over Miami, so they won't cover.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
But I do have Ohio State ball lot.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
I also want to add that in that Indiana Alabama game,
they expecting epic range. Yeah, in this matchup as well,
So that's something to be that does not want Babama
because Obama and running ball will Yeah.
Speaker 5 (25:02):
So Indiana yea, Indiana's not auning team.
Speaker 4 (25:06):
Other told you they were number eleven in the country
and rushing yards per game.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
Yeah, so the stat that I was reading had them
not having run as much. I wonder if that's just
a different metric with I'm trying to pull it out
run up for two twenty one per game. Okay, Yeah,
that's that is good. I'm trying to let's either way,
I'll look it up later. But fair enough, maybe Alabama
does bode well more so for IU. Oh here it
is all right, Indiana run game isn't gaining much. Offensive
(25:31):
coordinator Mike Shanahan and trust mendoz with a high degree
of difficulty passing attack only twenty one percent of mendoz
As passes of targeted players or behind the line, and
just relying more on Mendoza. Fair enough, though Indiana has
a lot of rushing yards against the Big ten competition,
maybe that's what they're looking at. Either way, I do
think that it probably does vote a little better for
Indiana if Alabama doesn't run well at all and then
(25:52):
you have those yards. However they come, whoever the competition
is that they come against, Indiana probably is still the
beneficiary in that scene.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
All right, let us know what you think.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
On the fan do text line seven on four five
seven ninety six ten PSL Smith says, my Buck guys
are gonna be back to back. Temps Buck guy, Dave,
I mean surprise surprise what he says? He says we
will winning again, just like last year. Needed to lose
a game to wake the Buck guys up. Monroe, Laura says,
totally stealing Roe. Hoosia's okay, so she likes that one
(26:21):
as well, and Flawless says Indiana wins. We are being
set up for an OSU and Indiana rematch, okay, so
we shall see.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
All right. So the doubters of Georgia, what are you doing?
What are you doing? Why are you doubting this team?
Speaker 5 (26:35):
To me, I don't even think the National Championship game
is going to be that interesting.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
I think Georgia is gonna wax this entire field. Wow.
Speaker 4 (26:44):
I the way you just talked about Ohio State and
now you say that Georgia would run through them, that'll
be I think their toughest matchup.
Speaker 5 (26:52):
But I believe if they get to the championship game
because I have Indiana getting beat, Yeah, they will smoke
whoever they play. I mean Oregon Texas Tech. Look, you've
had great seasons. I think there is no way in
hell that they're going up against Georgia, who every time
you've doubted this team this year.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
That's the other thing about Georgia.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
They've had games where they've blown teams out, They've had
games where they've gotten behind and they find ways to
win games.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
This Georgia team.
Speaker 5 (27:21):
It's not again, nothing sexy about this team, but they
are going to find a way to just beat your
ass if you aren't careful.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
And I think hard to kill. That's what kerkism say,
so hard to kill. And that's one of the reasons
why I like them as well man. And so I
think this is going to be interesting because Kirby Smartt
is head and shoulders the best coach. Well, I'm not
gonna say hidden shoulders. Ryan Day is nipping at his heels,
especially if he can get a second title with the
buck Eyes. But after that, the coaches after these two
(27:54):
guys have a lot to prove out there on this stage.
Even though Kaitlyn de boy has played for Natty, it's.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
Interesting you say that just because Caitlyn de Bord, he
has played for a national championship before. And also, has
there been a better coaching job than Kurt Signette's this season?
I think it's pretty clearly no, there has not been a.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Better He's got all the moxie like coming into this
thing like Signetti, He's got the swag, he talks that talk.
His team backs him up, so he's got a lot
going for him as well.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
They're taking the steps you did not expect them to take.
They're taking the step of being a college football playoff
team last year. Nobody saw that. Well, okay, that's probably
a one year wonder. Or maybe they do it again
and then lose in the first round, or they become
the number one team in America and they did the
latter to where now you're playing underdog Alabama.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
It's wild.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
It's wild to see that this has happened, which is
why we had the conversation about Kurt Signetti possibly just
I mean, for this year being the best coaching football,
even if I wouldn't be able to give it to
him over Kirby Smart with a couple of natties, over
Ryan day who won last year and continues to recruit
at a high level. The money helped over at Ohio State,
but we still got to give Ryan Daye a lot
of credit, and we got to give Kurt Signetti a
(29:05):
lot of credit. We either have coaches at the top
or coaches that are looking to become made men, and
it's really interesting to see if these coaches will be
able to become made men or if it'll just play
out like it did in whatever the good Fellaws movie.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Yeah fun.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
I like that this Ohio State Miami game, I do
expect it to be a defensive game because I think
both of these teams are really good, and I think
that this is probably the best front that Ohio State
will have seen this year, or they're right there. They
need an X factor in this game because I know
that Ohio State's main goal is going to be to
take away Malaki Tony CJ. Daniels, the guy that we've
seen making spectacular catches all season. To me, he is
(29:41):
the X factor for this team. Can he come through
and have a big game to take the pressure off
of Malaky TONI This Miami offensive line, this is going
to be their biggest test in my opinion, MARKL. Bell,
Francis Milenoa, your first round pick, You're gonna have to
step up and show that. And it'll be interesting to
see what we get from Mark Fletcher in this one.
There are one hundred and seventy plus yard effort. I
(30:03):
don't know that they necessarily need that kind of effort
from him, because that's the thing. Walk with the weather
that we had in the Texas A and M game and
how that went I expect a bigger game from Carson Beck.
I think that this is kind of a redemption kind
of game for him after everything that he's been through.
So I expect this Miami passing attack to be much
more dynamic in this one last.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Thing, just because I want to get the rushing stats
right with Alabama and IU, because you're right, IU has
been very good on the ground. The point ESPN was
making was that Alabama's rushing defense has been very good. Yeah,
so yeah, Artie fares right. Alabama's defense ranks tenth in
success rushing rate allowed, which is obviously very strong, and
that's in the entire country. So if the idea is
that Indiana does slay Alabama, it will be because they
(30:48):
won that matchup. There are a couple of interesting matchups, right,
It's what you have in the trenches between IU and Alabama.
But particularly when IU is on offense. Can they win
in the trench? Has been there on offense, and if
they can, I think that's gonna go. Not I don't
even think it's gonna go a long way. I think
it's gonna go the whole way. Like whoever wins that matchup,
it does feel like that usually who ends up winning
(31:09):
football games anyway, but especially in this count.
Speaker 5 (31:12):
To defend you, I will say when I watch them
play this year in some big games, you know, Indiana,
they don't. They haven't run the ball great in big games.
Like it's not like they're a team that's running for
two hundred yards in those big games. I mean, maybe
they did in that game against Illinois, I'll be honest
with you, when that game got out of hand because
the passing game was so electric early on, I turned
(31:33):
it off. So a lot of their big games, you
haven't seen them run the ball. Maybe they're able to
do it against Alabama's front though, I hope so.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Oh, I thought you were gonna keep going, because yeah,
you're right because against Oregon they only run for one
hundred and eleven yards at three three yards of pops.
So the question I was going to ask you guys
before we go to break, we know that the classic
deal with these bowl games when you have these long
waits and when you're the Heisman winner, you have these
banquets and you have a lot of stuff that kind
of takes you away from the team as far as
(32:01):
the practices and like I said, going to these banquets
and getting bloated and full off all his food and
all these other things.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
And then when.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
We factor in the weather with the rain, what do
we expect from the Heisman winner in this game if
we've got really bad weather? And then with the whole
Heisman's circuit thing being a thing where these guys don't
get as much practice time as they normally would do,
we expect him to have a great game or is
this going to be one where he's going to have
to take a back seat for them to win.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
I think if he doesn't have a great game, it's
going to be more to do with Alabama's defense executing
rather than him taking so much time off and getting
bloated off of the food at the banquet. And it's
not to say that that might not be a factor
for other Heisman candidates slash Heisman winners. Man you mentioned it.
This guy's crying all over the place. He cares too
much to allow that to be a factor. I don't
I don't think it doesn't strike me that that's the
(32:50):
kind of guy that will allow all of the roast beasts,
since we're in Christmas season all to take him out
of competing against the defense like Alabama.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
All Right, well we come back, folks. I'm gonna give
you your last fire fizzle for the year. Top sports
Stories of twenty twenty five. We're gonna get to that
on the side sports ready on ninety two seven WFNZ.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
It's the last fire fizzle of twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
We had to bring it to you on a Tuesday,
do it to it Tuesday of ett or fizzle Tuesday. No,
we had to sacrifice the alliteration. It is true that
it's not there, but it still works a fire or
Fizzle Tuesday. Let's start off by recapping the top sports
stories of twenty twenty five and deeming them fire or
Fizzle Number one West group of five teams infiltrating the
(33:50):
college football Playoff in the expanded Playoffs beginning.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
That's right, because we have to go back to the
beginning of twenty twenty five to know that we had
college foot ball playoff games being played in the newly
expanded Playoffs that saw the Ohio State Buckeyes win the
national championship over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish thirty four
to twenty three. And that happened on January twentieth, we
(34:15):
had Clemson that was in there, and lots of other
great teams. At ACC at that time had two teams
that got in, and that seems like a very long
time ago.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
So we had that, and then this year what was
all the rage.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
It was the group of five teams that were able
to get in James Madison and Tulane and they both
took BTA. However you want to say it, that phrase
is getting on my larns damn nerve, but I think
it is apropos here. So when you talk about the
college football playoffs expanding to twelve, that will grow even more.
And then the group of five getting in there this year,
(34:50):
commea college football junkie all day long because it is
straight Fire'll still take the football anyway I could get it.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Sought this was going fizzle with your thoughts on the
group of five getting in here.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
No, I'm still suck along. They're lining up and playing.
I'll be watching.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Thought that was all right, keeping me on my toes.
Last fire fizzle in twenty twenty five. Let's see if
I can go four or five on this. The Bill Belichick.
Jordan Hudson saga, I don't know where you're going on
this because you have been a Bill Belichick defender. Yes,
the story you did not like. I don't know where
it's going. I'm gonna have to find out with everybody else.
Fire fizzle, all right, Bill Belichick, Jordan Hudson. I mean
(35:26):
you talk about maybe the biggest story around here in
these parts, perhaps, but viral moments from interviews, behind the
scene leaks showing or behind the scenes leaks showing their
controversial relationship, including Hudson interrupting Belichick on c b ass
Off mic complaints about production of their Hulu show, public
(35:47):
appearances where she's seen as his business partner and some
may call her his muse. Other key moments featured her
influence on his book Halloween Costumes, The Mermaid and the Fishermen,
Hot Mike clips, discussing graphics teams with criticism, and documented
news articles and podcasts. So this was an absolute bleap
(36:11):
show all year long. Bill Belichick, greatest NFL head coach
of all time, decided to come to Carolina. We can
throw that in there as well to put with this,
because that was a gian normous story around these parts
and around the country.
Speaker 4 (36:24):
That's why so many people cared. So when you talk
about Bill Belichick, a man that was so under control,
a man that was able to keep the noise out
at all times, a man that was always about his business,
and then all of a sudden found this young lady
and just started simping to the highest degree. Bill Belichick,
you will take this straight fizzle and you will like it,
because I'm not feeling that right now to see a
(36:46):
man that was so under control just be unraveled by
this young lady.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Two fizzles, no fire yet. When does the fire show up?
Perhaps it's with this story. Although I'll be honest with us,
be weird now, colle football got straight fire. That's right,
it was fire. I thought it was got some balance.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
You know what I think. I think you need a
couple of days.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Off because you said that I'll take off tomorrow and
I'll take off on Thursday. We have one fire, one fissle.
This one is going to be tough, though I stand
by that Sharon Moore Michigan debacles I had taken away.
I'm interested in what you have to say.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
I mean, lots of people have had fun with this story,
even though there's a lot of serious elements to this thing,
but has followed previous issues from one Sharon Moore, including
suspensions for ongoing signs stealing scandals when he was the
interim coach prior to recruiting violations showing patterns of disciplinary
issues from this man. But he was fired stemming from
(37:43):
an investigation into an inappropriate relationship with the university employee
described as a significant breach of trust by the administration
and following the investigations finding, Chamaron Moore was fired shortly
after detained by police and charge with Elanie home invasion.
This was a man that made a splash when he
(38:05):
was the interim coach, and he cried all day long
over Jim.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Harbah, thank you Hart, thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (38:14):
Just disenchanting from the moment that we saw this guy.
Then you read all of the unsavory things about coaches
meetings and him firing off on cats, as far as
just emotional all the time, going from one extreme to
the other. Sharon Moore, All of the things that happened here,
all of the things behind the scenes, doubling salaries, having
(38:36):
your mistress work with the all the things family man,
all these things, it all fell apart for you. And
so for that reason, Sharon Moore, you are also going
to catch this weight fizzle because this was one of
the biggest controversies in recent memory, let alone twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
What about Biff Pogey becoming interim head football.
Speaker 4 (38:54):
Tame to Charlotte. Yes, Charlot the man, he did my
man's program. He's ruing y'all through the mud.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
So I can't respect that smoking a cigar and the
cookies while doing it. Yes, put some sleeves off, man,
help us out, help me, Luca Donchet's trade is number four, fool, buddy,
This was a doozy firefistle man.
Speaker 4 (39:15):
I still remember what it was like when you saw
the tweets. You remember where you were when you heard
the news and how long you didn't believe it. How
many sources did you have to check to see if
this was correct. Even if you were looking at the
ESPN screen, you still felt like, nah, nah, they're playing
some type of game. This cannot be weird because you
could not believe a walking thirty point triple double would
(39:37):
just be shipped out of town like that. Oh a
hookah and beer, hookah and beer and wait, okay, but
the Lakers got Luka Doncics. Maxi Kleeber and Markkeith Morris
from the Mavericks and Dallas got Anthony Davis, Max Christy
and the Lakers twenty twenty nine first round pick.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
Who cares?
Speaker 4 (39:56):
Who else was in this a Jalen hood shap Finola
the Clipper's twenty twenty five second round pick. Who cares
about any of that? The main thing was Luca getting traded.
Whether you subscribe to the conspiracy theories of the potential
sale of the Mavericks because they can't get the gambling
center that they want down in Dallas, with the new arena,
(40:16):
all of those things, No matter what it is, the
Luca Donci's trade, one of the biggest trades, not just
in NBA history, but it's sports history, was absolutely straight
fire because.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
I love the chaos. Unbelievable trade.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
Yeah, that was a lot of energy on the second
to last one. You're gonna have to bring the energy
on this one, but I'm sure you're gonna find a way.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
Last one.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
People, Chiefs Kingdom falling. Yes, I know where it's going.
You know where it's going, Wes. All there is to
do is to go ahead and put the stamp of
approval on it. Fire Fizzle, Chiefs kingdom falling.
Speaker 4 (40:53):
I mean, we thought for a minute that this was
going to be a dynasty that was going to be never. Indeed,
when the curly head quarterback came out with his no
look passes talking big trash, we had Travis Kelce, Taylor
Swift all that it felt like they had control of
the football world. Three times they won the Super Bowl,
(41:17):
Patrick Mahomes three times, Super Bowl MVP, five consecutive AFC
Championship games, first quarterback to win multiple Super Bowls in
its first four seasons, fastest player to reach two hundred
career passing touchdown. We felt like that Patrick Mahomes could
do no wrong. Anything he touched would turn to go.
If he came and touch your baby in the delivery room,
your baby would turn to goal and do great things.
(41:38):
That's the kind of anointment that we've put on Patrick Mahomes.
But the NFL, it's a funny little thing.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
You know.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
Teams start to catch up to you. This thing called
a salary cap starts to catch up to you. Then
you got to start making good draft picks. After you
play your quarterback a gazillion dollars, then you start to
skimp on things. You try to cut corners like a
bad construction. You try to cut a little corner here,
maybe a little installation here, a little bad wiring here.
Nobody will know until that offensive line starts giving up sacks.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
Cats started getting old.
Speaker 4 (42:11):
Travis Kelsey out here looking washed, Chris Jones out here
not knowing what the hell he is sometimes when the
plays are going on, had a lot of stuff just
kind of chipping away at the Kansas City chief just
chipping away, chipping away, chipping away, and then the pop
heard around the world. Patrick Mahomes went up to throw
a pass and came down and that and he said,
(42:32):
boo boo boo.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
Oh. No, that is the correct term right there.
Speaker 4 (42:37):
That is the collective feeling of the Kansas City Chiefs
all over the country. The fans now they're moving to
Kansas to get a new stadium, Patrick Mahomes. He may
not be back until late next year. Andy Ree might
not be back at all, and Travis Kelsey might not
be back at all. What are you going to do, Chiefs, fans,
because you are sitting there there with the losing record
(43:00):
and missing in the draft. Exavier worthy trash where she writes,
keep them away from a car, Where will you turn?
Speaker 1 (43:06):
No offensive line? Chris Jones out here starting to slip.
It's all bad in Kansas City. We eleven every minute
of it.
Speaker 4 (43:16):
So to close out the last fire of Fensile of
twenty twenty five, the Kansas City Chiefs, we will see
you later down the road and maybe twenty twenty seven.
Because it's all bad. It's all over, and it is
straight fire. Love it it all fund the cut the
music off.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
He went to a dark space. He went to a
loud space. He is happy to say that his last
fire or fizzle designation is a fizzle designation to the Chiefs,
having fallen from their throne.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Now it was fire, it was straight fire. It is fire.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
What a straight fire? Its struggle with the dismount. We'll
see y'all in twenty twenty seven, Chiefs. I need a
couple of days off.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
It's all right. We got one more. That is an
hour to go.
Speaker 3 (43:56):
Here on Weston Walker Sports Rated I Here she dies,
He Dies WFZ.
Speaker 4 (44:00):
Listen to the Wes and Walker Show weekdays from noon
to three only on Sports Radio ninety two point seven FM.
Speaker 5 (44:08):
WFNZ, the official home of the Charlotte sports Fan
You were listening to the Wes and Walker Show.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
His thing was he was always like, oh, you need
never let me taste your meat, et cetera and so on.
And I'm sitting there and I'm like, if you're such
a hard marker when it comes to that kind of thing,
I needed to perfect it in order to make sure
that it was okay for him.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
It's Wes' gone demn for life and Walker. No, I
think that's fair. I think you needed to perfect your
meat before Fitty ate it. I think that's totally fair
and not in any way crazy or inappropriate.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Only on Sports Radio ninety two point seven FM WFNZ, Hey,
look at my Jucy Briskett, look at it.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Welcome to the one o'clock our folks. This is the
West and Walker Show. Sports Radio nineteen two seven w
f and Z coming to you, Lave from the channel,
the vote of the studio. CV Injury Law dot Com.
That's CV injury Law dot Com. One call, that's all
Carolina's personal injury lawyers. Before we get going in the
bottom and falling a gourding. On three Sports yesterday, Clemson
(01:12):
has indefied Garrett Riley, so now he will be looking
for a new offensive.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Coordinator, and just a few years ago he was all
the raids.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
He was supposed to turn it all around for the
Clemson Tigers, but it was not to be, and so
he will now be looking for employment, which I'm sure
it won't be hard to find, especially when your brother
is a head coach and powerful.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Yeah, it's only somebody else's fault in Clemson. It's not
the head coaches, it's not the talent level. It's all
about whatever defensive coordinator is and doing their job in Clemson,
or whatever offensive coordinator isn't doing their job. I remember
the days when they wanted to fire Tony Elliott, the
guy that just had Virginia in the AEC Championship.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I remember those days.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
And I remember the days that they wanted to fire
Garrett Riley and got their wish. But now I'm sure
they're gonna get somebody that's much better than Garrett Rdley.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
All right, no dab Walker coming in. Shots fire big time.
Let's get into a folks college football playoffs. We got
it all crack. It's time to find out who will
be balling and who will be falling.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Founder drop that intro well, mean doctor parshee. You can't
see my eyes unless my head has been You do
so show business.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I like some.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
All right, let's get it going, folks.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
We'll start out with number five Oregon versus number four
Texas Tech. Oregon is a two and a half point
favorite in this one, but the Texas Tech Red Raiders
have won by more than twenty one points in every
win that they've gotten this season. They have the best
scoring margin in the FBS, five point fifty two to
one forty two. This defense is ferocious. They leave the
(02:54):
FBS and pressures. They also are number one in takeaways.
They had thirty one of those. They got four in
the Big twelve title game. But that quarterback Baron Morton,
he told ESPN, and he was feeling about seventy percent healthy.
He was looking forward to the time off to be
able to recover the backup quarterback. They also lost him
earlier in the year. For the year, but they've played
(03:15):
five games against teams that achieved winning records in twenty
twenty five, and they scored touchdowns on just thirty two
percent of drives that reach the red zone. So you
gotta look forward to that as well. From this offense
to see if they get into the red zone what
they can do. But James Madison Dante Moore led the
Ducks to a touchdown on each of their first five
(03:37):
drives in this one. They are still having their coordinators coaching,
but we know the one foot out, one foot in
because will Stein is going to Kentucky, the offensive coordinator,
defensive coordinator Tosh Lapoy is going to cal So we'll
see how that could affect them in this matchup. And
neither of these teams has lost since mid October. This
(03:59):
is a tough match up to pick right here in
this one because Oregon, we do know they like to
run a ball, but this Texas Tech defense, they are
off the chain and they are the new guys for
the most part in this tournament. So who am I
going to pick to be balling and falling? This is tough,
but I think Oregon they learned that lesson from last
(04:19):
year losing in their first game, they got a victory.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
I'm gonna go with Oregon to be balling.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
And Texas Tech to be fall Texas Tech defense is
not only off the chain, they're out of control right now.
They have not allowed a double digit outing to posing
offenses in the last month of football. This is high
stakes football. This is playing for the conference championship. This
is the last month of college football where you got
to win and win and win to continue not only
making it to the College Football Playoff, but also being
(04:46):
a high seed to avoid all of the teams that
might sneak up and bite you and eventually end your
season a little earlier. Now, now you get to buy
and it's because of what you've done defensively more so
than what you've done offensively. Even if this is the
next point, You've been scoring a lot of points too.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Man.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
They have been very good on both sides of the
lion of scrimmage. Oregon's offense is fantastic success rate. Success
rate basically means how often do you do what you're
supposed to do offensively in terms of getting the first down.
Oregon is fifth nationally in success rate, and they get
a bunch of big plays. Texas Tech, however, they're third
nationally in both limiting success rate and limiting big plays.
(05:25):
I think Texas Tech offense, I think the Red Raiders
zero is good enough to keep up with maybe a
twenty point even twenty four to twenty five point outing
from the Oregon offense, which means I have Texas Tech
ball and the Red Raiders move on.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Yeah, well turn my mic on. That might help.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
I will definitely go with Texas Tech in this game.
You know, this was a team that I doubted in
the preseason. I didn't think they would be as good
defensively as they've been. They are absolutely loaded, and these
guys are playing off the chain so.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Far this year. I get it.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
Maybe you want about them in a close game because
they haven't necessarily played in a lot of close games
this year. Neither is Oregon. Oregon was a team that
wasn't really tested. When you go back and look at
the Big Ten schedule, they weren't tested nearly as much
as we thought they were going to be coming into
the year. So I think these are two very similar
teams in certain respects. You know, Oregon's a team that
(06:20):
their defensive numbers are actually pretty solid, but I think
Texas Tech's defense is better. I think Jacob Rodriguez has
a huge game in this one, and I think Baron Morton,
you know, he's been really efficient more DJ Moore, excuse me,
Dante Moore turning the ball over a little bit more
than him. I think that might bite him in this game.
I go with Texas Tech to be balling.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
I know we don't have much time. Last stat though,
I find this to be interesting. The Red Raiders have
the best average starting field position in the country.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
That's a good staff. This defense is out of control.
Man good.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Way that they've been performing is crazy, all right. So
number six Old Miss versus number three Georgia. Georgia is
a six and a half point favorite. They're averaging thirty
two point. It's a game four hundred and seven yards
to be exact. They did lose starting center djew Bobo
to a foot injury in this one. Georgia's offensive line,
they ranked third in the SEC and sacks allowed. They
were fifth in rushing, which is markedly improved from what
(07:13):
they were last year. In the past four games, defensively,
Georgia hasn't allowed more than eighty one yards rushing or
two hundred and seventy four yards of total offense. And
in that opponent group it's Texas, Georgia Tech, Alabama and
the Fighting Walker Mills the Charlotte forty nine ers. Those
teams went a combined ten for forty eight on third
down and they forced five turnovers, nine sacks and those
(07:35):
contests but Trinidad Chamblers. He became the first SEC player
with three hundred passing yards and fifty rushing yards in
three straight games over the past thirty years, and against
Tulane he went for two eighty two through the air,
one touchdown, thirty six yards, two scores on the ground.
The first time that these teams met earlier in the year,
Old Mess had a nine point lead heading into the
(07:56):
fourth quarter. The Bulldogs scored Seventh Street seventeen eight points,
one forty three to thirty five, and Georgia Day absolutely
bullied around Old Miss at the line of scrimmas. They
controlled the ball for all but one minute and fifty
four seconds of this game. Georgia is my national championship pick,
so I'm gonna pick the Bulldogs to be balling'.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
You know, I've talked about how sometimes Hayton gets me paid.
It's okay to hate as long as you hate with
the right facts.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
And Georgia last year was a team that I was
fading massively so and I was rewarded for that. I
don't feel as strong in fading Georgia this go around.
This is all a game of pace. Ole Miss likes
to go, go, go, hurry up, hurry up, and Georgia
likes to plod. They like to basically phys basketball on
a beach. They want to post up, they want to
be physical, they want to bang Nicola Jokic style, and
that's all right with me. I think that that is
(08:45):
a tried and true strategy for this Georgia Bulldogs team
and ultimately in the tough matchups, because I think ole
Miss could absolutely win this football game. But I'm gonna
go with the coach that I trust the most, and
if Lane Kiffin's absence didn't hurt ole Miss in the
first matchup, I think it has a better chance of
hurting him in the second matchup against that team down
in Athens.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Georgia. Balls.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
Yeah, this is the blowout potential game. I think that
you'll look at. There's always one. It seems like in
the in this round, the quarterfinals. We saw it last
year and we've seen it, you know, in the semi
finals in the fourteen playoffs. This feels like one of
those types of games. I get it, man, I like
ole Miss. I hope they play well in this game,
they find a way to put up some points. But
you know, Kawan Lacy, they're starting running back, little banged up.
(09:28):
Don't know exactly how healthy he's going to be for
this game. I like Chambliss, But the thing about Georgia,
there's nothing sexy about George.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
You don't watch them and you're on the script.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
God.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Yeah, this team is amazing.
Speaker 5 (09:41):
I'm watching the greatest level of football we've ever seen
play it. But their defense is incredibly solid. Gunner Stockton
doesn't turn the football over and makes plays when he
has to. I think they win this game, and I
think they win it convincingly.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
All Right.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
So when you look at this though, when you talk blowouts,
the spreads of our next two games that we'll get
to on the other side, Vegas thinks that these could
be a little bit more lopsided. So we're going to
talk about those on the other side. But yeah, man,
these first two matchups that we discussed, it is going
to be very interesting. I just kind of like the
experience of an organ in this matchup. But my heart
(10:15):
wants Texas Tech to kind of win this one. I
want to see them do that. I love their mascot
and I love their theme guns up and then Old
Miss and Georgia. I think this will be a good
one because I think Old Miss will have a little
bit of revenge on their mind because of how they
lost the first time. And I know the coaches are
going to have a lot of great tape to be
able to show them and maybe adjustments to be able
to make in this one, because when you get out
(10:36):
physical to the point where another team controls the ball
for all but a minute fifty four seconds, it's like,
come on, man, you guys are going to have to
grow a pair for this.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
One big game for Dan Lanning, you want him to
continue to move on in the college football playoffs. I
going to get that rep as not being a big
game coach either, So it's the organ rep. But how
much have you just become the duck where you don't
win the big games Once you finally do get to
this space in college football, whether it be the championship game,
you might win one, which they've already done, but it's
(11:04):
also James Madison and losing the Texas Tech. While they
are a great football team, this will not be good
for them. It's not great, especially against a team like
Texas Tech. You don't want to see those logos next
to Oregon and then see that they lost to those
types of teams over the last few years, whatever it
may be, and it only hurts their reputation even more.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
So, big big game for Daniel and this is a
loaded Texas Tech squad for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
All right.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
When we come back on the other side, Alabama, Indiana,
Miami and Ohio State will talk about it.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Sports Radio ninety two seven WFNZ, Welcome back, folks.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
This is the Wes and Walker Show Sports Radio ninety
two seven WFNZ from the channel of both the studios.
Make sure you hit us up on social media WFNZ
on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also hit us
up at HTB Anthony, at West Brown Underscore seventy two,
at Walker Mal and most importantly at Western Walker if
you go on your boys page. If you guys missed
it during a Snoop Dogg, well I have all of
the moments from myself and Snoop Dogg on the sidelines there,
(12:05):
so if you guys want to go and check that
out too as well. We always give you the pre
show stuff Walking Mill getting blinded by the lights.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
It's always good stuff. You never know what you is
your favorite thing? Now?
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Yeah, you turn on the light and then I squint,
just like everybody would when you wake up from a nap,
and then you have all of the weird markings on
your face because it was a great nap but you
didn't feel it, and then you're squinting. That's what I
look like, except without the markings. That's what I look
like when he turns on the light.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
All right, let's finish this thing up balling a falling
college football PLAYFS, you had something flounder.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Oh, I was just gonna say, my account got hanked
over the weekend, So if you got a dmminked, Well,
somebody literally logged into my Twitter.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
No, I was teasing you.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
Could you said hanked because I know you were talking
fast and you said hanked instead of hack.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Yeah, so hank tacked.
Speaker 5 (12:47):
Whatever someone got in, changed my email, changed all my
pass codes and everything. They were sending all these messages out.
I don't know what happened, but I'm back. I'm back, baby.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I'm still going to five point two followers on there.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
Yeah, that happened to me with the Facebook a few
years ago. Man, it is not fun man, they hacked
the pag and it wasn't really anything you could do, because,
like you said, they get in there, they work fast.
They make sure they figure out every type of method
you're gonna use so that they can switch it up
so you can't get back in there. All right, So
number nine Alabama versus the top seed Indiana Hoosias. Indiana
(13:22):
a seven point favorite in this game. All right, So Indiana.
They finished second nationally in points margin, outscoring their opponents
bout four hundred and four points. Their offensive defense ranks
in the top ten nationally and many of the key
metrics they rank eleventh nationally and rushing, so they are
much better than they were last year. They were sixty
third in the country last year rushing. And they're also
(13:43):
really good at turning you over just like Texas Tech.
They are tied those two for the national lead at
plus seventeen. Alabama Todd Simpson one of only three Division
one quarterbacks with the twenty eight plus passing touchdowns and
five or less interceptions off thirty fifth in the nation
in points per game, but only eightieth in yards per
(14:04):
game and even worse running the football.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
They are one hundred and twentieth.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
But Alabama's defense they've been like the defenses you would
come to expect from the Crimson Tide. Fifteenth in opponents
points per game and fourteenth in opponents yards per game,
and they are thirty first though in opponent rushing yards
per game. This is a tough one to call because
you think about big bad Alabama. This is what they do,
and they go in and they take care of any
team that's a Johnny Come Lately. But this Indiana team,
(14:30):
they seem like this is a special group. This Indiana team,
they got the Knots rock last year going to Notre Dame,
and I feel like that they could potentially right that
wrong seven point favorite here, which is really strong. We
know Fernando Mendoza, he is looking like the new Tim
Tebow as far as the leadership is concerned. He will
cry at the drop of a hat and then throw
a laser on you for a touchdown. And so for
(14:53):
that reason, as much as I would like to think
that Alabama could go and knock these guys off, I
think Indiana is a team of destiny. I think they
get the job done. Give me the Hoosias from Walker's
home state to be bawling in this one.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
I can't believe that I'm looking at both of these
very similar forms of red and yet I'm going to
be choosing against the Crimson Tide. But I am going
to say that the Hoosiers will be bawling in this one.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Oh, you changed them. Well. You say that Curse of
A was hard to pick again, I.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
Didn't say I wouldn't though, Hmmm, I said it was
hard to pick against. I will say it's hard, and
that's why so many people were coming into this one
feeling like maybe Alabama not only would beat Oklahoma, but
they would also beat Indiana. What I will say, though,
is I do question Indiana's lack of big moments this
season because they've been too good, I guess, which is
(15:44):
a nice way to dodge a lot of these big moments.
But I think ESPN has done a great job of
giving us a breakdown a preview at the College Football Playoff,
and they have the three biggest plays for each team
still left in the playoff. Two of the biggest three
plays for Indiana are in that Penn State game, and
I just don't think that they've had to make a
ton of other big plays outside of the one against Iowa.
(16:05):
There really wasn't a play, so to speak, that memorialized
the win over or again. They just beat him by
ten points. So does the big game. Alabama's played in
a lot a lot of big games. Playing boards really
great in big games, and so is Alabama. So Mendoza
has the throw to Cooper against Penn State, that's the
play that was the Heisman moment, which is a big one,
(16:27):
but it's also Penn State. They weren't very good. Alabama's
big moments have come against better competition. That's the thing
that worries me every time I doubt Indiana. They continue
to win football games. So I think I'm just gonna
go ahead and learn from my lessons.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
I you, they ball flounder. What say ross.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Man.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but
they ain't winning this game. This is going to be
another one seed that gets upset in the quarterfinals in
the Rose Bowl. It's a huge stage and I just
don't know that they can live up to it.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Now.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
If they had Steven Daley along their defensive line, I
think I might actually pick them. But you are without
your leading tackle for lost Man, which that's something that
their defense does a lot of causes a lot of
havoc in the backfield. But you're without a guy that
had almost twenty on the season. You're without your leading
sack artist as well. With him out, it's gonna be
(17:24):
tough to overcome.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Man.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
I think Ty Simpson's gonna have a lot of time.
The thing that's crazy about Bama they don't have to
run the football.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
They are not a good running football team. Doesn't matter.
Speaker 5 (17:33):
They've still found ways to win games while not being
able to run the football. I think you talked about
Kaylin de Bor being a great coach too. I think
Indiana is it is it a year or too soon
for them to make some sort of run.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
They've got that case.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
But I think I think Alabama. Maybe I'm I'm trusting
that cursive a little bit too much.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
I'm going with Alabama to Peopall. I'm still kind of there.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
I'm going against the Obama has the most wins against
the AP number one team in college football history, have
eleven wins against the AP number one team.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
So that's that as well.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
What's funny is not that you didn't give any reasons
as to why you chose Indiana, but a lot of us.
We have two people picking Indiana and we have one
pick person picking Alabama. My reasoning for picking Indiana was
actually not any reasoning at all. It was why I'm
scared of picking Indiana. And you talk about again providing
another piece of evidence as to why probably we should
(18:34):
be picking Alabama. You know that doesn't instill a lot
of confidence in our opinions when we keep giving you
reasons as to why Alabama is the team to pick,
and yet we're just going against all of that fly
out of the one that's the most disciplined and.
Speaker 5 (18:45):
Also didn't seem thrilled Wes to pick them. You said,
I hope that Alabama can keep up. Are you pulling
Forbama in this game?
Speaker 4 (18:52):
I'm not gonna say I'm pulling for Obama. But the
thing is it is that worry about the pedigree of
Alabama that's the thing, against the inexperience of Indiana, that's
the thing.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Pull I let me tell you, I am pulling for
Indiana very hard in this game.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
I just don't.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
Yeah, college football is such a pedigreed sport, man, that's
the thing about it, all right. Last one, number ten,
Miami out of the ACC versus number two Ohio State.
Ohio State a nine and a half point favorite, and
this one that's a pretty big spread. So they are
led by Julian Saying all. The Buckeyes second nationally with
the QBR of eighty nine point six and he's got
(19:28):
the best single season completion rate in FBS history of
seventy eight point four percent. Didn't play great against Michigan
or didn't play great against Indiana, but Will Howard he
bounced back after a bad performance against Michigan last year
and led them to a national championship.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
We know what happened there.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
Ohio State's offensive line, well, the Hoosiers, they got in
that backfield a lot. In that Big Ten Championship game,
nine tackles for loss limited them to eighty seven rushing yards.
After ranking in the top ten and lowest pressure rate
allowed during the regular season, Ohio State gave up a
pressure rate of forty eight point six percent in the
(20:05):
Big twelve Big Ten title game. Carson Beck thrown for
twenty six touchdowns ten picks this year. Before those picks
came against Louisville Malakai Toni. He broke the Miami single
season reception record after Xavier Roscheppo did so in twenty
twenty three. He's almost at a thousand yards. Hurricanes, though
(20:27):
they are undefeated in ranked matchups this season, Miami's defense,
they're six in points allowed and they are the only
team in the country to not give up a touchdown
of more than forty yards. So you got that and
A and M last week against Miami only managed just
eighty nine rushing yards in this one. I felt strong
about this since the matchup was created. Give me the
(20:47):
Miami Hurricanes to be balling. I just don't think Julian's
saying is ready yet. I think he needs a little
bit more seasoning. And I think like this stat illustrates
why I think that Miami can win this game because
talk about how they match up in the trenches. We
saw when Ohio State's offensive line went up against a
top tier defensive line, how much pressure they gave up,
(21:08):
how many tackles for loss they gave up. And this
is going to be, in my opinion, just as good
or better of a defensive front that they're going to
see with the Canes. Two NFL guys on the edge,
they're big in the middle. They you know, I just
think Miami is going to take care of business and
get the upset. Miami is an incredibly talented There are
an incredibly talented football team.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
The problem is the way that the bracket is structured.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
They are going against maybe one of the very very
very few, maybe only two teams that might be more
talented than Miami, with Ohio State having four top fifteen picks,
So Miami is not going to be able to out
talent Ohio State in this one. And then we get
to the quarterback battle. And you know, my love for
Carson Beck. I've been championing him the entire time. What
(21:52):
I have read on ESPN again is something that I
wholeheartedly agree with, and maybe this guy just straight up
stole it from.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Me, even though I'm struggling minority.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
But he mentions Carson Beck having completed eighty percent of
his passes and average two hundred and eighty yards in
the past four games before the game against Texas A
and m It's pretty good, maybe believe in that guy,
except also when he combines the safe decision making with
a willingness to try to big time have big time
throws in big moments. Yet all right, yeah, that's pretty good.
(22:21):
But when the interception start, they don't stop. That's his line.
When they start, they don't stop. Look, he also didn't
look great against Texas A and m conditions were crazy.
We're going to play indoors. So Endors is going to
help Carson Beck out quite a bit. But if the
question becomes Ohio State's quarterback and Julian saying compared to
Carson Beck and even if that's a wash, then we'll
(22:41):
just have to rely on Miami's talent surrounding them. Ohio
State has more they have more talent, and I think
they do have the better quarterback. So if they have
more talent and the better QB and a coach that
has won, and Miami has a coach that is often
the reason why they lose games because of his direct
decision making.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Why am I choosing the games?
Speaker 4 (22:59):
All point?
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Why am I choosing the knes Ohio State cover balls?
Not only do they ball, they're winning by double dishes.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
Oh yeah, that's I don't know about that. I Look,
I think there's a lot of talent that's gonna be
on the field in this game. If you are an
NFL scout, this is the game that you're going to.
I mean, look, I know Ben Dooz is a guy
that could go number one in the draft. Alabama's got
some players this game is loaded with for future NFL stars.
I mean, it is just going to be amazing to watch,
(23:29):
especially these two defenses go ahead to head.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
I think it's going to be a low scoring game
between these two sides.
Speaker 5 (23:35):
But man, Julian Sayan is a guy that has I mean,
we don't watch a lot of him because they didn't
play that difficult of a schedule this year. I do
wonder if that does factor in in this game part
of the reason why I believe it's going to be close.
But I think Sayan's made enough plays. You've got the
receiving core that everybody in college football wants with Jeremiah Smith,
(23:56):
who you know isn't having the greatest year, but it's
still putting up some really good numbers, especially for a
guy that was injured. And then you got Cornell Tape
playing incredibly well as well. They've ran the ball pretty decently.
I think everything you look at their offense and it
just feels like you trust them a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Miami.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
Miami couldn't score against Texas A and M. What the
hell are you going to do against this one?
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Texas A and M's defense was five theything.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
I don't know that they're this good.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
This defense is loaded, there are and they've got to
be able to win that battle up front. I think
that's going to be incredible to watch because I think
Miami has the horses to be able to do it. Yeah,
but I think Ohio State just makes one more play
when it matters the most. I like them seventeen to
ten Ohio State over Miami, so they won't cover.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
But I do have Ohio State ball lot.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
I also want to add that in that Indiana Alabama game,
they expecting epic range. Yeah, in this matchup as well,
So that's something to be that does not want Babama
because Obama and running ball will Yeah.
Speaker 5 (25:02):
So Indiana yea, Indiana's not auning team.
Speaker 4 (25:06):
Other told you they were number eleven in the country
and rushing yards per game.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
Yeah, so the stat that I was reading had them
not having run as much. I wonder if that's just
a different metric with I'm trying to pull it out
run up for two twenty one per game. Okay, Yeah,
that's that is good. I'm trying to let's either way,
I'll look it up later. But fair enough, maybe Alabama
does bode well more so for IU. Oh here it
is all right, Indiana run game isn't gaining much. Offensive
(25:31):
coordinator Mike Shanahan and trust mendoz with a high degree
of difficulty passing attack only twenty one percent of mendoz
As passes of targeted players or behind the line, and
just relying more on Mendoza. Fair enough, though Indiana has
a lot of rushing yards against the Big ten competition,
maybe that's what they're looking at. Either way, I do
think that it probably does vote a little better for
Indiana if Alabama doesn't run well at all and then
(25:52):
you have those yards. However they come, whoever the competition
is that they come against, Indiana probably is still the
beneficiary in that scene.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
All right, let us know what you think.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
On the fan do text line seven on four five
seven ninety six ten PSL Smith says, my Buck guys
are gonna be back to back. Temps Buck guy, Dave,
I mean surprise surprise what he says? He says we
will winning again, just like last year. Needed to lose
a game to wake the Buck guys up. Monroe, Laura says,
totally stealing Roe. Hoosia's okay, so she likes that one
(26:21):
as well, and Flawless says Indiana wins. We are being
set up for an OSU and Indiana rematch, okay, so
we shall see.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
All right. So the doubters of Georgia, what are you doing?
What are you doing? Why are you doubting this team?
Speaker 5 (26:35):
To me, I don't even think the National Championship game
is going to be that interesting.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
I think Georgia is gonna wax this entire field. Wow.
Speaker 4 (26:44):
I the way you just talked about Ohio State and
now you say that Georgia would run through them, that'll
be I think their toughest matchup.
Speaker 5 (26:52):
But I believe if they get to the championship game
because I have Indiana getting beat, Yeah, they will smoke
whoever they play. I mean Oregon Texas Tech. Look, you've
had great seasons. I think there is no way in
hell that they're going up against Georgia, who every time
you've doubted this team this year.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
That's the other thing about Georgia.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
They've had games where they've blown teams out, They've had
games where they've gotten behind and they find ways to
win games.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
This Georgia team.
Speaker 5 (27:21):
It's not again, nothing sexy about this team, but they
are going to find a way to just beat your
ass if you aren't careful.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
And I think hard to kill. That's what kerkism say,
so hard to kill. And that's one of the reasons
why I like them as well man. And so I
think this is going to be interesting because Kirby Smartt
is head and shoulders the best coach. Well, I'm not
gonna say hidden shoulders. Ryan Day is nipping at his heels,
especially if he can get a second title with the
buck Eyes. But after that, the coaches after these two
(27:54):
guys have a lot to prove out there on this stage.
Even though Kaitlyn de boy has played for Natty, it's.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
Interesting you say that just because Caitlyn de Bord, he
has played for a national championship before. And also, has
there been a better coaching job than Kurt Signette's this season?
I think it's pretty clearly no, there has not been a.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Better He's got all the moxie like coming into this
thing like Signetti, He's got the swag, he talks that talk.
His team backs him up, so he's got a lot
going for him as well.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
They're taking the steps you did not expect them to take.
They're taking the step of being a college football playoff
team last year. Nobody saw that. Well, okay, that's probably
a one year wonder. Or maybe they do it again
and then lose in the first round, or they become
the number one team in America and they did the
latter to where now you're playing underdog Alabama.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
It's wild.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
It's wild to see that this has happened, which is
why we had the conversation about Kurt Signetti possibly just
I mean, for this year being the best coaching football,
even if I wouldn't be able to give it to
him over Kirby Smart with a couple of natties, over
Ryan day who won last year and continues to recruit
at a high level. The money helped over at Ohio State,
but we still got to give Ryan Daye a lot
of credit, and we got to give Kurt Signetti a
(29:05):
lot of credit. We either have coaches at the top
or coaches that are looking to become made men, and
it's really interesting to see if these coaches will be
able to become made men or if it'll just play
out like it did in whatever the good Fellaws movie.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Yeah fun.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
I like that this Ohio State Miami game, I do
expect it to be a defensive game because I think
both of these teams are really good, and I think
that this is probably the best front that Ohio State
will have seen this year, or they're right there. They
need an X factor in this game because I know
that Ohio State's main goal is going to be to
take away Malaki Tony CJ. Daniels, the guy that we've
seen making spectacular catches all season. To me, he is
(29:41):
the X factor for this team. Can he come through
and have a big game to take the pressure off
of Malaky TONI This Miami offensive line, this is going
to be their biggest test in my opinion, MARKL. Bell,
Francis Milenoa, your first round pick, You're gonna have to
step up and show that. And it'll be interesting to
see what we get from Mark Fletcher in this one.
There are one hundred and seventy plus yard effort. I
(30:03):
don't know that they necessarily need that kind of effort
from him, because that's the thing. Walk with the weather
that we had in the Texas A and M game and
how that went I expect a bigger game from Carson Beck.
I think that this is kind of a redemption kind
of game for him after everything that he's been through.
So I expect this Miami passing attack to be much
more dynamic in this one last.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Thing, just because I want to get the rushing stats
right with Alabama and IU, because you're right, IU has
been very good on the ground. The point ESPN was
making was that Alabama's rushing defense has been very good. Yeah,
so yeah, Artie fares right. Alabama's defense ranks tenth in
success rushing rate allowed, which is obviously very strong, and
that's in the entire country. So if the idea is
that Indiana does slay Alabama, it will be because they
(30:48):
won that matchup. There are a couple of interesting matchups, right,
It's what you have in the trenches between IU and Alabama.
But particularly when IU is on offense. Can they win
in the trench? Has been there on offense, and if
they can, I think that's gonna go. Not I don't
even think it's gonna go a long way. I think
it's gonna go the whole way. Like whoever wins that matchup,
it does feel like that usually who ends up winning
(31:09):
football games anyway, but especially in this count.
Speaker 5 (31:12):
To defend you, I will say when I watch them
play this year in some big games, you know, Indiana,
they don't. They haven't run the ball great in big games.
Like it's not like they're a team that's running for
two hundred yards in those big games. I mean, maybe
they did in that game against Illinois, I'll be honest
with you, when that game got out of hand because
the passing game was so electric early on, I turned
(31:33):
it off. So a lot of their big games, you
haven't seen them run the ball. Maybe they're able to
do it against Alabama's front though, I hope so.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Oh, I thought you were gonna keep going, because yeah,
you're right because against Oregon they only run for one
hundred and eleven yards at three three yards of pops.
So the question I was going to ask you guys
before we go to break, we know that the classic
deal with these bowl games when you have these long
waits and when you're the Heisman winner, you have these
banquets and you have a lot of stuff that kind
of takes you away from the team as far as
(32:01):
the practices and like I said, going to these banquets
and getting bloated and full off all his food and
all these other things.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
And then when.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
We factor in the weather with the rain, what do
we expect from the Heisman winner in this game if
we've got really bad weather? And then with the whole
Heisman's circuit thing being a thing where these guys don't
get as much practice time as they normally would do,
we expect him to have a great game or is
this going to be one where he's going to have
to take a back seat for them to win.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
I think if he doesn't have a great game, it's
going to be more to do with Alabama's defense executing
rather than him taking so much time off and getting
bloated off of the food at the banquet. And it's
not to say that that might not be a factor
for other Heisman candidates slash Heisman winners. Man you mentioned it.
This guy's crying all over the place. He cares too
much to allow that to be a factor. I don't
I don't think it doesn't strike me that that's the
(32:50):
kind of guy that will allow all of the roast beasts,
since we're in Christmas season all to take him out
of competing against the defense like Alabama.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
All Right, well we come back, folks. I'm gonna give
you your last fire fizzle for the year. Top sports
Stories of twenty twenty five. We're gonna get to that
on the side sports ready on ninety two seven WFNZ.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
It's the last fire fizzle of twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
We had to bring it to you on a Tuesday,
do it to it Tuesday of ett or fizzle Tuesday. No,
we had to sacrifice the alliteration. It is true that
it's not there, but it still works a fire or
Fizzle Tuesday. Let's start off by recapping the top sports
stories of twenty twenty five and deeming them fire or
Fizzle Number one West group of five teams infiltrating the
(33:50):
college football Playoff in the expanded Playoffs beginning.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
That's right, because we have to go back to the
beginning of twenty twenty five to know that we had
college foot ball playoff games being played in the newly
expanded Playoffs that saw the Ohio State Buckeyes win the
national championship over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish thirty four
to twenty three. And that happened on January twentieth, we
(34:15):
had Clemson that was in there, and lots of other
great teams. At ACC at that time had two teams
that got in, and that seems like a very long
time ago.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
So we had that, and then this year what was
all the rage.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
It was the group of five teams that were able
to get in James Madison and Tulane and they both
took BTA. However you want to say it, that phrase
is getting on my larns damn nerve, but I think
it is apropos here. So when you talk about the
college football playoffs expanding to twelve, that will grow even more.
And then the group of five getting in there this year,
(34:50):
commea college football junkie all day long because it is
straight Fire'll still take the football anyway I could get it.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Sought this was going fizzle with your thoughts on the
group of five getting in here.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
No, I'm still suck along. They're lining up and playing.
I'll be watching.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Thought that was all right, keeping me on my toes.
Last fire fizzle in twenty twenty five. Let's see if
I can go four or five on this. The Bill Belichick.
Jordan Hudson saga, I don't know where you're going on
this because you have been a Bill Belichick defender. Yes,
the story you did not like. I don't know where
it's going. I'm gonna have to find out with everybody else.
Fire fizzle, all right, Bill Belichick, Jordan Hudson. I mean
(35:26):
you talk about maybe the biggest story around here in
these parts, perhaps, but viral moments from interviews, behind the
scene leaks showing or behind the scenes leaks showing their
controversial relationship, including Hudson interrupting Belichick on c b ass
Off mic complaints about production of their Hulu show, public
(35:47):
appearances where she's seen as his business partner and some
may call her his muse. Other key moments featured her
influence on his book Halloween Costumes, The Mermaid and the Fishermen,
Hot Mike clips, discussing graphics teams with criticism, and documented
news articles and podcasts. So this was an absolute bleap
(36:11):
show all year long. Bill Belichick, greatest NFL head coach
of all time, decided to come to Carolina. We can
throw that in there as well to put with this,
because that was a gian normous story around these parts
and around the country.
Speaker 4 (36:24):
That's why so many people cared. So when you talk
about Bill Belichick, a man that was so under control,
a man that was able to keep the noise out
at all times, a man that was always about his business,
and then all of a sudden found this young lady
and just started simping to the highest degree. Bill Belichick,
you will take this straight fizzle and you will like it,
because I'm not feeling that right now to see a
(36:46):
man that was so under control just be unraveled by
this young lady.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Two fizzles, no fire yet. When does the fire show up?
Perhaps it's with this story. Although I'll be honest with us,
be weird now, colle football got straight fire. That's right,
it was fire. I thought it was got some balance.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
You know what I think. I think you need a
couple of days.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Off because you said that I'll take off tomorrow and
I'll take off on Thursday. We have one fire, one fissle.
This one is going to be tough, though I stand
by that Sharon Moore Michigan debacles I had taken away.
I'm interested in what you have to say.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
I mean, lots of people have had fun with this story,
even though there's a lot of serious elements to this thing,
but has followed previous issues from one Sharon Moore, including
suspensions for ongoing signs stealing scandals when he was the
interim coach prior to recruiting violations showing patterns of disciplinary
issues from this man. But he was fired stemming from
(37:43):
an investigation into an inappropriate relationship with the university employee
described as a significant breach of trust by the administration
and following the investigations finding, Chamaron Moore was fired shortly
after detained by police and charge with Elanie home invasion.
This was a man that made a splash when he
(38:05):
was the interim coach, and he cried all day long
over Jim.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Harbah, thank you Hart, thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (38:14):
Just disenchanting from the moment that we saw this guy.
Then you read all of the unsavory things about coaches
meetings and him firing off on cats, as far as
just emotional all the time, going from one extreme to
the other. Sharon Moore, All of the things that happened here,
all of the things behind the scenes, doubling salaries, having
(38:36):
your mistress work with the all the things family man,
all these things, it all fell apart for you. And
so for that reason, Sharon Moore, you are also going
to catch this weight fizzle because this was one of
the biggest controversies in recent memory, let alone twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
What about Biff Pogey becoming interim head football.
Speaker 4 (38:54):
Tame to Charlotte. Yes, Charlot the man, he did my
man's program. He's ruing y'all through the mud.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
So I can't respect that smoking a cigar and the
cookies while doing it. Yes, put some sleeves off, man,
help us out, help me, Luca Donchet's trade is number four, fool, buddy,
This was a doozy firefistle man.
Speaker 4 (39:15):
I still remember what it was like when you saw
the tweets. You remember where you were when you heard
the news and how long you didn't believe it. How
many sources did you have to check to see if
this was correct. Even if you were looking at the
ESPN screen, you still felt like, nah, nah, they're playing
some type of game. This cannot be weird because you
could not believe a walking thirty point triple double would
(39:37):
just be shipped out of town like that. Oh a
hookah and beer, hookah and beer and wait, okay, but
the Lakers got Luka Doncics. Maxi Kleeber and Markkeith Morris
from the Mavericks and Dallas got Anthony Davis, Max Christy
and the Lakers twenty twenty nine first round pick.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
Who cares?
Speaker 4 (39:56):
Who else was in this a Jalen hood shap Finola
the Clipper's twenty twenty five second round pick. Who cares
about any of that? The main thing was Luca getting traded.
Whether you subscribe to the conspiracy theories of the potential
sale of the Mavericks because they can't get the gambling
center that they want down in Dallas, with the new arena,
(40:16):
all of those things, No matter what it is, the
Luca Donci's trade, one of the biggest trades, not just
in NBA history, but it's sports history, was absolutely straight
fire because.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
I love the chaos. Unbelievable trade.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
Yeah, that was a lot of energy on the second
to last one. You're gonna have to bring the energy
on this one, but I'm sure you're gonna find a way.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
Last one.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
People, Chiefs Kingdom falling. Yes, I know where it's going.
You know where it's going, Wes. All there is to
do is to go ahead and put the stamp of
approval on it. Fire Fizzle, Chiefs kingdom falling.
Speaker 4 (40:53):
I mean, we thought for a minute that this was
going to be a dynasty that was going to be never. Indeed,
when the curly head quarterback came out with his no
look passes talking big trash, we had Travis Kelce, Taylor
Swift all that it felt like they had control of
the football world. Three times they won the Super Bowl,
(41:17):
Patrick Mahomes three times, Super Bowl MVP, five consecutive AFC
Championship games, first quarterback to win multiple Super Bowls in
its first four seasons, fastest player to reach two hundred
career passing touchdown. We felt like that Patrick Mahomes could
do no wrong. Anything he touched would turn to go.
If he came and touch your baby in the delivery room,
your baby would turn to goal and do great things.
(41:38):
That's the kind of anointment that we've put on Patrick Mahomes.
But the NFL, it's a funny little thing.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
You know.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
Teams start to catch up to you. This thing called
a salary cap starts to catch up to you. Then
you got to start making good draft picks. After you
play your quarterback a gazillion dollars, then you start to
skimp on things. You try to cut corners like a
bad construction. You try to cut a little corner here,
maybe a little installation here, a little bad wiring here.
Nobody will know until that offensive line starts giving up sacks.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
Cats started getting old.
Speaker 4 (42:11):
Travis Kelsey out here looking washed, Chris Jones out here
not knowing what the hell he is sometimes when the
plays are going on, had a lot of stuff just
kind of chipping away at the Kansas City chief just
chipping away, chipping away, chipping away, and then the pop
heard around the world. Patrick Mahomes went up to throw
a pass and came down and that and he said,
(42:32):
boo boo boo.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
Oh. No, that is the correct term right there.
Speaker 4 (42:37):
That is the collective feeling of the Kansas City Chiefs
all over the country. The fans now they're moving to
Kansas to get a new stadium, Patrick Mahomes. He may
not be back until late next year. Andy Ree might
not be back at all, and Travis Kelsey might not
be back at all. What are you going to do, Chiefs, fans,
because you are sitting there there with the losing record
(43:00):
and missing in the draft. Exavier worthy trash where she writes,
keep them away from a car, Where will you turn?
Speaker 1 (43:06):
No offensive line? Chris Jones out here starting to slip.
It's all bad in Kansas City. We eleven every minute
of it.
Speaker 4 (43:16):
So to close out the last fire of Fensile of
twenty twenty five, the Kansas City Chiefs, we will see
you later down the road and maybe twenty twenty seven.
Because it's all bad. It's all over, and it is
straight fire. Love it it all fund the cut the
music off.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
He went to a dark space. He went to a
loud space. He is happy to say that his last
fire or fizzle designation is a fizzle designation to the Chiefs,
having fallen from their throne.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Now it was fire, it was straight fire. It is fire.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
What a straight fire? Its struggle with the dismount. We'll
see y'all in twenty twenty seven, Chiefs. I need a
couple of days off.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
It's all right. We got one more. That is an
hour to go.
Speaker 3 (43:56):
Here on Weston Walker Sports Rated I Here she dies,
He Dies WFZ.
Speaker 4 (44:00):
Listen to the Wes and Walker Show weekdays from noon
to three only on Sports Radio ninety two point seven FM.
Speaker 5 (44:08):
WFNZ, the official home of the Charlotte sports Fan
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