Countdown to Kickoff Presented by BetMGM

Brian Noe, Rich Ohrnberger, and Jared Smith preview Monday night’s National Championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame, a look ahead at the NFL’s Divisonal Round weekend matchups, Quinn Ewers heads to the NFL Draft, and more! Plus, Parlay Platter, Follow the Money with Seamus Magee, Prop It Up, and Rapid Fire!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Are you ready to witness football fans?

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Welcome to the biggest tailgate party in the nation that
Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff, presented by bet App,
the King of sports box. We're setting you up with
the information you need to watch your team win. Let go,

(00:25):
We're here to break it all down.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
God, this is Fox Sports Radios Countdown the Kickoff, presented
by bett emg App. No, we're live from your tail game.
Here's Brian Nook, former Penn State All American, Rich Hornberger,
and FSR betting analyst Jared Smith.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
Oh what is going on?

Speaker 4 (00:47):
Welcome in everybody as we get to set for the
Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs and.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
National Championship Game action.

Speaker 4 (00:59):
The team playing, Yeah, there is a there's one little
team that's involved there not named the buck Eyes and.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
No definite. Yeah, we saw that we missed last weekend.
We couldn't convene and.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
The miserate we were supposed to be in Georgia. Somebody
lied to all of us.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
You know what.

Speaker 5 (01:23):
I'll tell you what though. Yeah, I don't know about
you guys.

Speaker 6 (01:26):
Those ticket prices, I wouldn't been able to go even
if Penn State was playing in the game.

Speaker 4 (01:31):
A little high, a little steep, you know, but uh,
that's what happens when it's for a title.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
And you know, listen, there are a lot of people.

Speaker 4 (01:39):
I don't want to go soapbox right out of the gate,
but I guess this is anti soapbox. This is the
anti soapbox. Soapbox. Does that make sense?

Speaker 3 (01:48):
But it's very rare on this show. There are a
lot of people that are like.

Speaker 4 (01:51):
Oh, these ticket prices and if I wanted to go,
I still couldn't go.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
I'm like, literally, get it right, it's the going rate.

Speaker 4 (02:02):
You know, if it's the Super Bowl, if it's the
National championship game, it's going to cost an arm in
a lake.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (02:08):
The one thing though, I will say this though, Rich
I went a couple of years ago, was in Indianapolis,
so I drove down from South Bend. This was right
after COVID. But it was the Georgia Alabama National Championship.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, and it was.

Speaker 4 (02:23):
At least reasonable, you know, it wasn't thousands of dollars.
When you get into the thousands plural, that's when it's like, so.

Speaker 6 (02:30):
One thing, it for one hundred and ten grand in
like the club area.

Speaker 3 (02:35):
It's high, it's high, it's high.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
And here here's what I will say is I do
tend to agree with what you're saying, like the market determines.

Speaker 5 (02:44):
It's the market, right. I mean, if you if.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
You want to live in you know, a free society
where if you have the best idea, you're going to
be a very very rich man or woman. Because when
the best idea comes to the market, well, guess what,
everybody's gonna have a need for that idea. When you
have the best product, and whether that's by the way,

(03:07):
more of a service or a viewing or entertainment type product,
and you bring it to market, people are.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
Going to drive the price up.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
So this conversation where it gets me Brian and Jared
is when it comes to quarterbacks, where you hear that
guy doesn't deserve that money.

Speaker 3 (03:24):
And I always say, whoa, whoa.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
Let's stomp on the brakes because five bedrooms in Boone,
Iowa is a lot different than five bedrooms on the
Upper East Side of Manhattan. Okay, Like that's just the
price of that zip code. So when we're talking quarterbacks
or we're talking national championship games, the prices are what
the prices are, and if people are willing to pay

(03:48):
a premium, who are we to decide or determine, you know,
what something's worth. It's worth what somebody else will pay
for it. Maybe not you, but but maybe somebody will
spend forty million dollars a year on Sam Darnold for example.

Speaker 5 (04:04):
That is a that's a good transition.

Speaker 6 (04:06):
Someone asked me the other day what would be the
ideal ratings game for the networks?

Speaker 5 (04:11):
And I think it would have been Notre Dame Texas.

Speaker 6 (04:14):
Yeah, because then you get the South involved in the
SEC involved, and I think that changes the math a
little bit. But I think this is like the second
I think Penn State Ohio State would have been like
the worst ratings game because it's a rematch and people
hate the you know, if you hate the Big Ten,
then you.

Speaker 5 (04:30):
Have two teams from the same conference. But I think
we got a good one.

Speaker 6 (04:34):
Like I, I do think this is kind of the best,
the second best game we could have asked for in
terms of the pomp and the circumstance and all of
the preamble.

Speaker 4 (04:44):
Absolutely, you know, I don't believe in Chinxes. I don't
know if you guys are super still.

Speaker 5 (04:50):
I agree with you.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
We have no control over them. I mean, am I superstitious? No?
But am I a little stitious?

Speaker 4 (04:56):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yeah yeah, little business dad, Joe, he's.

Speaker 5 (04:59):
A dad dad.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
I'm sorry. I eighteen oriented that sort of thing.

Speaker 4 (05:02):
But Rich, you alluded to this, you know how we
got here, right like Ohio State versus Notre Dame. For
for all the marbles, you did mention something in passing
on the show and the last one that we did, Rich,
which someone who's prone to believe in jinks is they
they might look at this a little bit differently.

Speaker 3 (05:22):
Check this out here.

Speaker 1 (05:23):
I got the nitny Lions in the national title game
and see you Georgia.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
I'm in Sandago. So there you go.

Speaker 6 (05:34):
We were so hopeful that at that time it was
so it was.

Speaker 5 (05:37):
We were so young. I was so young, so much.

Speaker 1 (05:42):
Yeah, that's exactly right. I lacked the wisdom. I have
lived through the wars now I've seen the other side. Yeah,
that really was I was a game. It was a
good game. It was a tough watch if you had
as much invested into it as I as I did. Uh,
you know, as a former Knitt player, and Jared did
as well as an alum and and alum who was

(06:04):
in attendance. I might add so, but but I'm glad
that the football gods paid off the uh whatever you
want to say. The the the goal of every single
viewing moment when it comes.

Speaker 5 (06:20):
To a sport to entertain you, is for it to
be entertainment.

Speaker 1 (06:24):
And so far, the postseason in both college football and
NFL for the most part, has given us some dog
meat games. I mean, we've had a lot of blowouts
in the NFL, a lot of blowouts in the college
football playoff bracket up until a point. I'm glad. I'm glad.
It was a good game. It was a fun watch.
I was riveted to the very last moment.

Speaker 6 (06:43):
Yeah, I think outside of the fandom of disappointment. Obviously
being there changed my dynamic a little bit, but that
I think that was the most exciting game of the
playoffs so far.

Speaker 5 (06:54):
Is that? Do you agree, Brian?

Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yeah? I do, absolutely.

Speaker 4 (06:58):
It was a fantastic game, dramatic, came down to a
last second kick.

Speaker 3 (07:03):
Yeah, what was better than that?

Speaker 5 (07:05):
I don't think.

Speaker 6 (07:05):
I think you know, Texahiose State I think is the
only one that can come close. And you know, the
late touchdown obviously kind of skewed it. But Texas was
first and goal at the one to tie it with
two minutes left.

Speaker 4 (07:15):
So you know, man, and think about some of the
other games that we had. The Texas Arizona State game was, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (07:21):
That one.

Speaker 6 (07:22):
Honestly, I think that one might have been more Excitingnest that.

Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah, that was crazy.

Speaker 4 (07:27):
That was Scattaboo throwing a halfback pass. You know, fourth
and thirteen from Texas.

Speaker 3 (07:35):
They don't convert, they're done.

Speaker 4 (07:37):
That was wild. That was a wild one. But yeah,
the contrary some of the boat races. Think about the
first round, it was boat race city every single game.
The Ohio State Oregon game, for as much build up,
that was a no contest. It was thirty four to nothing.
You blink twice. It was insane what happened there?

Speaker 3 (07:56):
Guys.

Speaker 4 (07:56):
We did mention on the path to where we are
Ohio State versus Notre Dame. We did mention a few
weeks ago. How out of their mind some of these
Ohio State fans are who say I'd rather beat Michigan
than win a national championship, which just defies all logic.
I know you have a spirited rivalry, but you would

(08:17):
rather beat your rival than win it all.

Speaker 3 (08:20):
That's insane.

Speaker 4 (08:21):
But I thought about you guys because Cardile Jones, he
was a guest on a podcast, right and he was
asked this question. He was on the until Saturday podcast
The Athletic does this now? Cardile Jones, He's being interviewed
by Damian Harris, and I love how he sets this
up and I love how he caps this off. So
it's about a minute, but it goes fast. Listen to

(08:43):
how Cardile Jones answers this question here.

Speaker 1 (08:45):
Let's say you can only choose one, beating Michigan or
winning a national championship.

Speaker 5 (08:50):
What would you choose?

Speaker 3 (08:52):
That's extremely tough.

Speaker 7 (08:53):
I think I had to go with win a national
title because I think this when you say win a
national title a lot of things. You gotta do a
lot of great things and get a lot of other
great teams to win that. Don't get me wrong, all
disrespect to their rivalry. It means a lot to me.
It means a lot to buck On Nation, it means
a lot to everybody who put on that Starla the Great.

(09:15):
But you're going to guarantee have opportunity to play Michig
every year. Push sure one hundred You're not going to
be guaranteed to have opportunity compete for a national championship
every year.

Speaker 3 (09:25):
It don't work like that.

Speaker 7 (09:26):
I mean, you go six and you go six and
five going into week twelve, you're still going to play mission.
You go six to five, going to wink twelve, win, lose,
with draw. You ain't playing for the national title having
that ability and opportunity to play other top teams around
the country to go for the ultimate goal of something
that only one team is going to do each year.
I'm going to go with win a national title, especially

(09:46):
in this new format for the first inaugural twelve team playoffs.

Speaker 1 (09:50):
The fact that you even had to ponder it like
that just lets me know you big ten people are crazy.

Speaker 3 (09:56):
I mean, that's what it boils down to. I don't
know why you a beat Michigan or win everything.

Speaker 4 (10:04):
Ah gosh, man, that's I guess I'd have to go
with win it all.

Speaker 3 (10:10):
I get what what are these they're insane? Are you insane?

Speaker 1 (10:15):
Well, listen, there's a term, and it's not often used
because it's not included in any reputable psychological format, but
it's called Stockholm syndrome. Stockholm syndrome is the idea that
hostages can fall in love with their captors and actually
sometimes defend the people who have committed a crime against them.

Speaker 3 (10:38):
Because you're in.

Speaker 1 (10:39):
This hyper energetic emotional situation, you're going through a lot together.
Whether the person who actually is in control of you
or not is the person who inflicted all of this
emotional stress on you. And as a result, you know,
and I think this is all derived from a bank
robbery that took place in stuff Home a long time ago,

(11:01):
and some of the captors actually were defensive of the.

Speaker 5 (11:07):
People who were committing the bank robbery.

Speaker 1 (11:09):
And this psychologist who is helping profile the criminals and
deconstruct how all of that happened, is the first person
who coined this idea. I'm gonna go back to what
Cardell Jones just said. He's quote unquote drinking the kool aid.
He's quote unquote under the the brainwashing technique of a coach.

(11:34):
His coach and a great one when he played at
Ohio State that told him the most important thing in
the world is that we beat Michigan. It has been
pounded into his head like a chisel into a stone tablet,
and so now he is just regurgitating what he's been
told so many times over and over again.

Speaker 3 (11:53):
He loves his captor.

Speaker 1 (11:55):
That's what happens when you're a coach, and a good one,
is you basically put your team in a trance. Everybody
follow the leader blindly or otherwise, just as long as
we get the goals accomplished.

Speaker 3 (12:10):
And so that's what happened in that room when he
was a player there.

Speaker 1 (12:13):
That's what happens in many many team meeting rooms that
I was a part of. Is after hearing something time
and time and time again, especially the stress and the
emotion of coming together as a team and pouring your
efforts into something as important as winning a championship or
winning or having a winning season. Football is so hard

(12:37):
that whatever the stated goal is becomes what you are.

Speaker 3 (12:42):
You become the goal.

Speaker 1 (12:43):
And so Cardel Jones isn't lying when he had a
pause and go geez. That's a tough question because it
actually is a tough question for somebody who truly believes
that beating Michigan is the biggest objective of a season
every single year, because that's what he was told, that's
what he believed for the years that he was there.

(13:04):
And fortunately or not, that's what he still believes.

Speaker 6 (13:08):
Yeah, and the irony is I don't think that was
the first CFP, but he did win one of the
culturable players, like one of the early ones. Yeah, ever
that was a big upset. I think they beat Oregon
that year. But I've given this take to my friends.

Speaker 5 (13:19):
This is more of like.

Speaker 6 (13:20):
A bar kind of behind the scenes take. It's not
really a serious one.

Speaker 5 (13:25):
It's a joke one.

Speaker 6 (13:26):
But I'll give it to you guys now and you
can rip it to me for it. I think if
Ohio State wins the national title, I think Michigan should
hang a banger a banner because that loss to Michigan
is kind of what started this run for the Buckeyes.

Speaker 3 (13:40):
Is that what happens for Northern Illinois?

Speaker 6 (13:43):
Yes, yes, I If Notre Dame wins on Monday Night,
I have not that that's a new one. I haven't
even gone down that road before because it's happened so
far ago.

Speaker 5 (13:52):
But I think there's so long ago.

Speaker 6 (13:54):
But I think Brian makes a great point, like I
think there is a certain level of.

Speaker 5 (13:58):
Like our that's it no more right, like doll.

Speaker 6 (14:02):
Shall not pass for the nerds, Lord of the rings
nerds like no more like there's that rock bottom moment
where teams kind of find it, and maybe it was
Week two for Notre Dame. I think it definitely was. No.
I think Notre Dame obviously it took a very different path,
but definitely that moment for Ohio State was losing to Michigan.

Speaker 3 (14:24):
I mean that galvanized the team.

Speaker 6 (14:27):
It allowed them to kind of reset and whatever pompousness,
whatever you know, cockiness they had going into the playoff
was removed, stripped them down to the studs and they
had to get back to work. And you know, Michigan,
you know they're not gonna like it in the Columbus.

Speaker 3 (14:42):
But I think they have to.

Speaker 6 (14:43):
Give a lot of credit to that team from the
North for them winning a national title.

Speaker 5 (14:48):
If that's how it plays out on Monday Night.

Speaker 3 (14:51):
No doubt.

Speaker 4 (14:52):
Listen, it made a lot for both team seasons. And
that's insane because we thought that was the breaking point
for Ohio State when they lost to Michigan thirteen to ten,
and it was even uglier than that score and here
they are, here, they are in the title game.

Speaker 3 (15:09):
It's insane. The score was comparable with Notre Dame.

Speaker 4 (15:12):
I think they lost seventeen fourteen right at thirteen ten, Like,
it's really strange how it worked out for both teams.
But I thought Marcus Freeman, and we'll pick this back up,
but Marcus Freeman said something along those lines when he
was after the Orange Bowl when they beat Penn State,
and he mentioned something about you make your biggest gains

(15:35):
in your lowest moments. Yea, And I think that's true
for both teams. They made their biggest gains. When Michigan
beat Ohio State. That was the biggest gain for the
buck Eyes. It's insane. And when Notre Dame lost to
Northern Illinois, that was the biggest gain for Notre Dame season.
And here they are duking it out for everything. Hey,
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(15:57):
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(16:18):
If that bet loses, We're often freaking running. We've got
Rich Ornberger, Penn State All American, Jared Smith FSR betting
analyst I'm Brian No coming up next.

Speaker 3 (16:29):
They could go.

Speaker 4 (16:29):
From legacy breakers to legacy makers. We'll explain. It is
Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff presented by BETMGM.

Speaker 2 (16:38):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 4 (16:49):
It is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff presented by
BETMGM all season long. Betmgm's offering you a second chance
on your first touchdown bet in the NFL places in
NFL wager on a first touchdown score bet and he
doesn't score first, but score second. Bet MGM will return
one hundred percent of their stakeback in cash. I was

(17:12):
thinking about this, fellows, as we look to the NFL
Divisional Round of the playoffs. First matchup we want to
look at is the first game of the day, Texans
at the Chiefs. Chiefs favored by eight and a half.
Here I was thinking about this. If you think about
the Chiefs and how big of a legacy roadblock they've
been for numerous players. Think about Lamar Jackson last season

(17:37):
the Ravens lost to the Chiefs in the AFC title game.
If that went differently, who knows what we'd be saying
about Lamar Jackson right now if you want a ring,
and it would have been possible against San Francisco. Same
thing holds true with Josh Allen. Think about some of
the horrible defeats that thirteen seconds left on the clock,

(17:57):
the Bills have a lead and somehow the Chiefs win
the game in overtime insanity. Right, you go back to
last season, Bill's lost to the Chiefs again in the playoffs.
So they've been legacy roadblocks for many teams, many players,
and I think they could go from being a roadblock
to being legacy makers, right because think about this. If

(18:20):
you're a team and you beat the Chiefs and then
you go on to win the Super Bowl, that is
a super charged accomplishment. And if it's one of these
big name quarterbacks that has a big game against Mahomes
and the Chiefs and then they go on to win
it all, you will be like, we heard something from

(18:41):
Cafino and Rich there was a drop from Wayne's World.

Speaker 3 (18:44):
We're gonna be like, we're not worthy, We're not worthy.

Speaker 4 (18:47):
If that happens, that is huge, legendary type stuff. With
the Chiefs going for a three beat this year, if
they get knocked off, Man, that is a legacy maker
for whoever knocks them off.

Speaker 3 (18:57):
Most likely, I agree.

Speaker 1 (18:59):
I think that it's almost I think it is. It
is in my mind, it's made up. It is a
bigger accomplishment for a team to knock off the Chiefs
in the postseason that it is for New Blood to
win the Super Bowl, or excuse me, for the Chiefs to.

Speaker 3 (19:17):
Win their third in a row.

Speaker 1 (19:18):
And I realize that what I'm saying sounds like it
flies in the face of normal convention, because we've never
seen a team three peat before winning three Super Bowl
championships in a row, and that would be historic, and
that would be great, and it would be all of
those things. But I would be more impressed with Baltimore
or Buffalo, whoever survives the divisional round on their side

(19:40):
of the bracket, knocking off the Chiefs in Arrowhead in
the postseason on their path to a super Bowl victory.

Speaker 5 (19:48):
Because I think if you can withstand the.

Speaker 3 (19:50):
Chiefs on the road with all of.

Speaker 1 (19:54):
The experience and magic that has created this opportunity for
the Chiefs to three peat, well then you're going to
win the Super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (20:02):
There's no question in my mind.

Speaker 1 (20:03):
So yeah, I would say it's a much bigger accomplishment,
even when compared to what the Chiefs are chasing, which
is history for a team to knock them off before
they reach the super Bowl or in the Super Bowl.

Speaker 6 (20:15):
Yeah, I mean that would be even that would be
even more crazy. I mean, especially if it's like a
Lion's oh my gosh, like a like a you know,
And I was thinking about this the other day, like
what would be that just insane super Bowl fan base. Now,
this wouldn't be a great rating super Bowl Detroit and Buffalo,
but talk about the tortured fan bases finally kind of

(20:38):
coming to fruition and then the irony of that is
one of those fan bases would have to lose. Imagine
if the Bills lost another Super Bowl. Imagine if the
Bills slay the Giant that is Patrick Mahome get to
another Super Bowl and then lose that Super Bowl. And

(20:59):
I think, and that's kind of the flip side of
it all, Brian, because you make a great point like
if you beat Mahomes this year, the year where they're
going for the three p the year where they look
like their Thanos with all five Infinity Stones, and then
you make it to the Super Bowl and you face
either if it's the Eagles or the Lions, and take
nothing away from those teams, but if those teams that

(21:22):
beat Mahomes, if it's Buffalo, if it's Baltimore, I don't
think it's gonna be Houston, but we'll throw them in
the mix.

Speaker 5 (21:27):
Why not. And then you lose in the final game.

Speaker 6 (21:30):
Man, it's like the ultimate kick in the pads, Like
I can't imagine a worse feeling getting over the hump
and then fall still falling short of winning the Super Bowl.
And that's what makes I'm just gonna advance Kansas City
in my bracket and say whoever wins the Buffalo Baltimore
game next Sunday, that's what makes it so intriguing because

(21:54):
that game will feel like the Super Bowl for Lamar
Jackson or Josh Allen, but there's still a whole other
game left to play, and that's gonna be the interesting
dynamic how they rebound from what could be this just
historic win.

Speaker 4 (22:06):
Yeah, and listen, we've talked about it where there is
the Mahomes mystique. It's a real thing in the playoffs
where uh, it's funny. I just had a flashback to
Russell Wilson, of all people. Okay, so here's a story
about Russell Wilson where when he was with Seattle and
this was before they won their first Super Bowl there, right,

(22:27):
and he was on stage after they won the NFC
championship game and he was on stage with Terry Bradshaw.
Terry Bradshaw was presenting them with the trophy and doing
the whole ceremony, and Russ said to Terry Bradshaw, he goes, hey,
do you have any advice? What do we need to
do to win it? And Terry Bradshaw says, you got
to play the game down. If you build it up

(22:49):
to this big thing and you're gonna screw up. You're
gonna mess it up.

Speaker 5 (22:54):
Strategy right now.

Speaker 3 (22:56):
Like any other game. And it's either it's easier said
than done.

Speaker 4 (23:00):
When it comes to the Chiefs, especially if you're on
the road in Arrowhead. I don't care what anybody says
to treat that like, hey, it's any other game.

Speaker 3 (23:08):
Mahomes is any other quarterback.

Speaker 4 (23:10):
It's not easy to put your mind in that space
to not think of it as bigger than it actually is.

Speaker 3 (23:17):
I'm so glad you brought that up. I really I am. Look.

Speaker 4 (23:20):
Look at a couple of these stats here. Rich Mahomes
has won twenty of his past twenty one starts. That
includes seven straight playoff wins. Try to go on a
seven game playoff winning streak, Okay, Like yeah, that is
really difficult to do. And he's fifteen and three in
the playoffs. His three losses are to Brady twice and

(23:42):
to Joe Burrow. That's the list, all right, that's pretty crazy.

Speaker 3 (23:46):
You know what.

Speaker 1 (23:47):
I'll add one more stat and actually I may need
somebody to double check if this is one accurate, but.

Speaker 3 (23:53):
I think he is.

Speaker 1 (23:55):
If he wins this this weekend, he's tied with Joe
Myia Montana for the most playoff wins over the course
of a court No maybe or no, no, no. It
was just a comparison of the two quarterbacks. So it
was just Joe Montana's sixteen playoff wins. It took him
sixteen years to do it. Wow, Mahomes has done it

(24:17):
in seven. Like to give you a little perspective, Mahomes Montana,
I should start with him. Montana is what we considered
the measuring bar for Brady, Like if he got past
if he got past Montana. Okay, now we can have
a conversation about the greatest player of all time because
that's the greatest quarterback of all time because winning four

(24:40):
stre winning four that he's visited. Nobody's ever done that,
nobody will ever do that. Right, So in our brains
we're like, it's Montana, it's Montana, it's Montana, until until
it was Brady. Well, guess what Mahomes is about to
topple Montana in year seven potentially potentially. So it's crazy

(25:02):
where we're at right now. Okay, Now getting back to
why I'm so glad you brought that up when Terry
Bradshaw said that I can remember the moment because I
watched it and I remember wherever I was. I don't
remember where I was watching that game, but I remember
nodding along and saying to myself, he's one hundred percent right.

Speaker 3 (25:23):
I remember that interview.

Speaker 1 (25:24):
I remember the question, and I remember thinking like it
took a little audacity for us to ask that question
in that moment the way he did, And I was like,
what an incredible question. Terry answered it perfectly, Because I'm
telling you, when I was a player.

Speaker 3 (25:38):
I did that stuff all the time.

Speaker 1 (25:41):
I tried to take this big moment, whatever moment I
was in, and make it as small as possible. I
would sometimes, like you remember watching the Jordan doc, how
in order to motivate himself, he would make up these
little lies, like this player did something awful to me,
so I'm going to come after him.

Speaker 3 (25:58):
I'm going to embarrass him. What did he say? And
then everyone's like, Michael, he didn't say anyone.

Speaker 1 (26:04):
He has children, you know, Like, but that was how
we motivated himself. For me, the way I lied to
myself was I pretended like football didn't matter in fact
in my brains. When I would hear fans even cheering
for the team I was playing for in the stadium,
I would be like, look at these idiots, look at
these dummies wasting their money on all of this. None

(26:26):
of this matters. It was the only way my brain
could make sense of doing something so big. I had
to make it so insignificant to me that whether I
won or loss wasn't important. I just need to accomplish
my job. So let me do my job to the
best of my ability. Everything else is a distraction, including
the fans who are cheering for the team I was

(26:47):
playing for. Screw them, they don't matter. This is what matters,
whatever it was. So if I'm digging out a three
technique at the goal line so we compound a score
in and it's the final minutes of the game on
a game winning drive, or.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
If it's the if it's kickoff right, you know, I'm
just running running down the field.

Speaker 1 (27:04):
Whatever point of the game is, if you try to
minimize it instead of blow it up, you're gonna have
more success almost always.

Speaker 6 (27:13):
Yeah, that was That was one of my favorite episodes
of the Last Dance with Jordan. He was telling a
story about bj Armstrong, his former teammate who then played
for the Hornets, and he had a game winning shot
and he started screaming at the bench and and and
Jordan was like, yeah, no, this is you can't celebrate.
Can't celebrate against Jordan, because that's gonna give him the
motivation that you need, and then he killed them the

(27:35):
next three games, completely invistrated them the next three games
of the series. Yeah, it's I think that's just how
the winning like. I don't have that, and that's what
There's a lot of things that separate me from being
a professional athlete. Let's just make that part clear right now.
But one of those things, besides the physical prowess, obviously,

(27:56):
I do not have that killer instinct.

Speaker 3 (27:58):
I am too n of a guy.

Speaker 6 (28:01):
I don't have that ability to just get into that
assassin mode that I think other quarterbacks Mahomes definitely, and
other guys Montana probably.

Speaker 3 (28:13):
I didn't really watch him play. I was a little young.

Speaker 6 (28:15):
I kind of caught the tail end of his career.
But my guess is that that was that mentality and.

Speaker 5 (28:21):
With Mahomes, like it's just like what can you do?

Speaker 6 (28:24):
Especially especially if you're because you know, the one thing
about football that's unique is not every player from the
team could be on the on the court, on the
field at the same time. Like in basketball, it's like
all five guys are on the court, so you're playing
offense and you're playing defense. Like imagine being one of
the other elite quarterbacks, the Lamars, the you know, Josh
Allen's sitting on the sideline and having to watch that

(28:47):
take place where you are helpless to Mahomes's inevitability in
that situation. I think that is what makes the sport
of football so unique, is the best players tend to
be the quarterbacks, and they tend to have to watch
each other work from opposite sidelines, and that is always
a unique dynamic to see. And let's say it is

(29:10):
gonna be Lamar and I think it's gonna we'll get
to the picks letter. I think it's gonna be Lamar
and the Holmes next week and in the big game,
to see who goes to the super Bowl. To see
how both of those quarterbacks kind of you know, get
into the game, and then how each one responds to
the other one's magic in that sense is always a
fascinating kind of dance to watch play out. But man,

(29:34):
I think I think this is gonna be a fun weekend.
I think we're gonna get three, at least three out
of the four at games. I think are gonna be
really good. That's my prediction.

Speaker 3 (29:42):
A couple of things.

Speaker 4 (29:43):
One that's a great point, and I don't want to
bring up painful memories, but you guys might agree with
this if you look at that Notre Dame Penn State
game down the stretch, Jared, when you're talking about being
a quarterback on the sideline and watching the other guy
on the field, how helpless that feels. And I think
that could have gotten Drew Aller in trouble he.

Speaker 5 (30:04):
Got in his own head.

Speaker 6 (30:06):
I'm sure you were watching on the I watched the
you know the screen when he like, you know, beating
himself up after that last two minute drive.

Speaker 4 (30:12):
Well it's late in the game, yeah, and Notre Dame
has the ball and they're showing Drew Aller on the
sideline and you can feel how helpless he feels in
that moment. And then next thing you know, Penn State
has the ball and there's less than a minute to go,
and he made a bad decision through an interception that
led to a loss. And I think that helpless feeling

(30:35):
when he didn't have the ball could have contributed to
a bad Degrea.

Speaker 6 (30:39):
They lost the game in that moment when he lost confidence.
They lost the game at that point before the interception.

Speaker 3 (30:45):
No doubt.

Speaker 4 (30:46):
So if you apply that to Mahomes, right.

Speaker 3 (30:50):
Think about being C. J.

Speaker 4 (30:51):
Stroud or whoever Mahomes is going to face in the playoffs,
and you're watching Mahomes do what Mahomes does. It's gonna
be really difficult not to press, not to try to
do too much, right, like, just take what the defense
gives you. Again, we're doing the Russell Wilson thing. We're

(31:13):
downplaying this game. We're not building it up to something huge.
Like here's the audio. This is from America's game on
NFL Network. This goes back to Russell Wilson explaining when
he was talking to Terry Bradshaw and the advice that
that TB gave him. Check this out a one second here,
one second, we have computer manu malfunctions.

Speaker 3 (31:35):
There we go, There we go, We're ready, Here we go.

Speaker 8 (31:37):
Well, when I'm off on stage, I didn't know he's
gonna be on stage necessarily, But as soon as I
got on stage, as soon as I gotta ask her Brushaw, you.

Speaker 3 (31:45):
Know, I got a question for you. But what we
need to do to win it, it's different what we
need to do to win it. What makes you win it?
Don't you know? What you gotta be really cool. Don't
let the moment catch up with you. You gotta play
the game down.

Speaker 6 (31:59):
If you build it up it's so important, you'll screw
it up and you won't play well.

Speaker 5 (32:04):
It's a great question in that moment from me to
ask that.

Speaker 4 (32:07):
A great question, great answer, outstanding answer. But I get
this is so good, but apply it to this game.
Texans and Chiefs. Think about c J. Stroud this year.
His numbers were way down. If you look at his
passer rating this season, he's twenty fifth.

Speaker 3 (32:25):
Listen to this.

Speaker 4 (32:27):
Eighty seven was his passer rating. That's below league average. Again,
twenty fifth. That's below Bears rookie Caleb Williams wow, and
slightly above Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell. That's where CJ. Stroud
was this season. And he's got no Stefon Diggs and
he's got no Tank Dell. And you're telling me that
guy isn't gonna press at all. It's easier said than

(32:49):
done to not press. I think that's job number one
for CJ. Stroud. Don't press and try to outduel Mahomes
because that's not gonna go well.

Speaker 1 (32:57):
Play within your game. It is one hundred percent accurate
that is. That would be my mission. If I were
his quarterback coach and I'm the guy he speaks to
the most, or his offensive coordinator, you pull him off
to the side, and you and you, and you give
them little little gems along the path along the long

(33:18):
week and the week plus weight.

Speaker 3 (33:20):
It is until you face.

Speaker 1 (33:21):
This guy and you you you strip down the boogeyman
and you say, look, he's he's just a guy just
like you. We're all gonna go out there and play football.
And it's almost like the Hoosiers, right. You watch what
Gene Hackman did. Yeah, you know, you measure the court,
the length and the width. We're just playing in a
different gym. It's the same one we got at home

(33:42):
in Indiana. Trust me, it's the same. We're just playing
another football game. But I'll tell you what in battle, okay,
And and this is I'm telling I'm giving you the
scoop from the sideline because this is how it goes.
Everybody has a plan, just like Mike Tyson says, until
you get punched in the okay, and then all hell
breaks loose. So you have assistant coaches sometimes who are

(34:05):
cools of cucumber all week long, losing their minds on
the sideline, because you want to talk about helpless, coaches
are helpless. They're trusting their players to execute their perfect
game plan, and if they're screwing it up, if it
is imperfect, and they're saying, hey, why didn't that work?

Speaker 9 (34:21):
You know, it's exactly what we drew up all week long.
We practiced against the four to three defense. Why didn't
we get this guy blocked? Oh, well you know this
and he stunted inside. No he didn't.

Speaker 1 (34:32):
You turn on the film and he did. And whether
defensive linemens screwed it up or you know, or or
or they put a little wrinkle in the game plan
to screw you up, whatever it is, you got to
be able to adjust on the fly. And so these
assistant coaches are losing their mind and sometimes they're telling
you that they're seeing different things with the pictures. So
you got to trust your instincts going back on the field.

(34:54):
And it doesn't matter if you're an offensive lineman or
wide receiver or running back or quarterback or a tight end.

Speaker 3 (34:58):
You can't press.

Speaker 1 (35:00):
Because when you think and overthink things, you're gonna stink
it up out there. So you get a tight end
who catches his first ball after having two drops, and
maybe the right move is because it's a two minute
drill at the end of the half and you need
some points, whether it's three or seven, you'll settle for
the field goal.

Speaker 3 (35:16):
You'd love to get the touchdown.

Speaker 1 (35:18):
But because you drop those first two passes, you feel like, oh,
I got.

Speaker 3 (35:21):
To make something special happen.

Speaker 1 (35:22):
So instead of stepping out of bounds, you try to
beat that defensive back. He wraps you up around your shoelaces,
and now you down the ball within the field and
the clock is ticking. You burn a time out you
didn't need to. Every single player needs to keep their
cool and their composure, and it's easier said than done.
And unfortunately heavy is the head that wears the crown.

(35:43):
The quarterback has the most weight on their shoulders every
single game.

Speaker 3 (35:47):
So if that guy loses.

Speaker 1 (35:48):
His cool, If Drew Aller goes out there after seeing
what happens on the opposite offenses progressing the field, you know,
scoring points, having success, and you get stuck inside of
your own head. You're gonna make a late throw over
the middle of the field and you're gonna throw the
game ceiling interception. See, can't let the moment get too big.

(36:09):
You cannot allow yourself outside of your own game. That
is going to be the marching orders for CJ. Stroud
or whoever faces Mahomes.

Speaker 3 (36:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (36:17):
Bobby Slowek, go defensive coordinator for Houston, actually commented on
that after the win over the Chargers last week about
a bit of an off tendency in CJ's game in
that matchup to run the ball.

Speaker 5 (36:29):
He ran it six times for forty two.

Speaker 6 (36:31):
Yards in that game, and that's a that's not a
trait that I think CJ is really exhibited a lot
in the regular season. And his rushing total in this
game is fourteen and a half. So again you look
at like what a quarterback has to do to get
the job done playing outside of the norm, you know,

(36:51):
bucking a fucking a trend, playing off tendancy, And that's
the biggest part, Like, that's the that's the hardest thing,
I think at this time of year, especially when we're
breaking down the matchups. We have all these data points
of what these teams have done offensively. Well, so do
the defensive coordinators and so does all the defensive players.

Speaker 5 (37:07):
They're all watching the film.

Speaker 6 (37:09):
How do you throw something unique into the mix that
can all of a sudden put the other team on
the back foot, because right now, when you're facing Patrick Mahomes,
you're always in like all right, we're waiting for the
moment where he just takes the game over. Is there
something that the other quarterback can do to slow it down?
It's kind of like that Draft day scene, like the

(37:30):
great ones can slow the game down. I think that
is gonna be con c J. Stroud slow the game
down and just let it come to him. Maybe his
legs are gonna be a big factor today.

Speaker 4 (37:38):
Well, we gotta speed it up and get to break.
We got rich Oinberger, Penn State All American. Jared Smith FSR,
betting analyst. I'm probably in no coming up next to
parlay platter, one selection for each we pull it together
for a greater payout. It's Fox Sports Radios count Down
to Kickoff presented by bet MGM. It is Fox Sports
Radios Countdown to Kickoff presented by bet MGM. Every time

(37:59):
he make away sure at BETMGM you earn BETMGM rewards
points that could be redeemed for things like bonus bets
or converted to MGM rewards points that can be used
towards dining, shows and hotel rooms at over twenty MGM resorts.

Speaker 3 (38:13):
All right, let's do this.

Speaker 2 (38:16):
Check this out, Harlay Ladder.

Speaker 4 (38:21):
All right, it is the bladder. We each have one selection.
We pull it together for a greater payout. Jared, we
start with you to unveil the theme as well.

Speaker 3 (38:29):
Well.

Speaker 5 (38:30):
The theme is what we've been doing for the last month.

Speaker 3 (38:32):
It's toundy time. It's toundy.

Speaker 5 (38:36):
A little quarterback toutty time. I'm noticing a theme today.

Speaker 3 (38:39):
I'm going with Josh Allen.

Speaker 6 (38:40):
You're getting it at basically a pick on price plus
one ten over at bet MGM. I think when the
Bills get in the red zone, I think that's where
Josh Allen's legs become activated. It's like Captain Planet mode activated.
He is just such a good red zone runner because
of his size, because of his ability to kind of
play both sides right. It can be a scramble, it

(39:01):
could be in design quarterback run. It's a high total
game between Buffalo and Baltimore. It's gonna be weather, wind
and cold and all the snow in Western New York.
So I think Josh Allen the running game is a
big factor in that Ravens Bills matchup.

Speaker 5 (39:13):
I'll say, Josh Allen fin theendo.

Speaker 3 (39:15):
All right.

Speaker 1 (39:16):
So I like Sam Laporta anytime touchdown. You get some
good value on this one too, because he hasn't been
factored out of their offense. But they have so many
other weapons, especially when they get to near the goal line.

Speaker 5 (39:29):
Sometimes offensive linemen are weapons.

Speaker 1 (39:32):
But I love Sam Laporta in big games for Ben
Johnson's offense, and also Jared Goff in big moments, he
starts looking for his running backs, he starts looking for
his tight ends. Those checkdown routes are gonna be really important,
and he's good with the ball in his hands after
touch Give me Sam Laporta, Lyons tight end.

Speaker 4 (39:52):
I'm gonna go with Lamar. Give me Lamar Jackson. The
training wheels are off, right, it's playoff time. He had
fifteen care last week against the Steelers. His own mom
at the end of the regular season was basically like
run the ball.

Speaker 5 (40:07):
What are you doing?

Speaker 3 (40:08):
So I'll take Lamar at plus one ninety to get.

Speaker 5 (40:13):
Kind of one for that Parla not bad.

Speaker 3 (40:14):
I like it, payoff all right, come up next.

Speaker 4 (40:17):
Many disadvantages for this team in this game.

Speaker 3 (40:22):
Oh what is going on? Everybody?

Speaker 4 (40:24):
We're getting you ready for the divisional round of the
NFL playoffs, also the National Championship game on Monday. Fellas
I mentioned this, there are numerous disadvantages for a particular
team in a particular game. That would be the Washington Commanders.
Okay taking on the Lions prime time this evening, very

(40:47):
much looking forward to this one. But you can get
into the x'es and o's and all this stuff. One
of the big disadvantages would be the Commander's rush defense.
They're thirtieth in the NFL. And we always say styles
make fights. I just picture I don't know why.

Speaker 3 (41:05):
In my mind is weird.

Speaker 4 (41:06):
Sometimes I picture a player on the Commanders talking to
his parents.

Speaker 3 (41:13):
And it's just like, hey, son, so you know who
we got coming up.

Speaker 4 (41:19):
We got the Lions and we got the thirtieth rush def.

Speaker 3 (41:22):
And that's not good.

Speaker 4 (41:23):
That's not a good scenario for the Commanders. And then
on top of that, it's a short week for Washington.
I have no idea why Washington played on Sunday night
and now they're playing on Saturday. Meanwhile, Detroit is off
a bye. I just don't understand why they would do

(41:44):
Washington that way. And you could say, hey, man, earn
a bye, don't cry to me all those things. That's fine,
But why is Washington on a short week at least
play on Sunday. I don't get that at all. I
don't agree with it. But that's another disadvantage for Washington here.

Speaker 3 (42:00):
Yeah, I agree.

Speaker 1 (42:01):
And what's interesting about football is it really truly takes
a week to fully recover from the last game and
fully prepare for the next. And I don't want to
sound like, oh, you know, like basketball much softer sport.
You could turn around and play back to backs and

(42:22):
all those things. And maybe that's true to a certain extent.
Maybe the exhaustion physically, mentally, emotionally end game planning for
the next game. With so many games on your regular
season schedule, maybe there is an argument to be made
that it's just easier, you know, to flush a game
and start the next one, because it's like toilet paper,

(42:43):
it's disposable. Regular season, you have eighty two of these
baseball same thing, you have one hundred and sixty two.
But when you only have seventeen and then you get
to that eighteenth game, in the postseason, and then you
get to the nineteenth and we're creeping ever closer to
it championship game, and then we're talking about that that
Super Bowl. Holy smokes. The more time you have to prepare,

(43:07):
the better, because if since you were in high school
or even pee wee give had a week to flush
the last game, to wrest your body from the last game,
and then get game planning for the next opponent, and
then all of a sudden, that time is truncated. Whether
it's you know, a special weekday edition of football in

(43:28):
college football, or it's one of these you know these
early or you know, depending on your schedule, which side
of it we're talking about Monday night football, which compresses
the next week game planning, or it's Thursday night football,
which compresses the week you have leading up to your
next opponent. Whatever it is, Brian, it's perfectly stated. The
NFL screwed the Commanders. They just did flat out. You

(43:51):
could have changed this for them, You could have made
it so they had a full recovery before their next moment,
but they didn't. I'm not sure why. I'm not sure
sure we'll ever have an answer why. Maybe it's maybe
that has something to do with scheduling in the specific
markets that are involved in this game. I don't know,
but it stinks for the Commanders because they should have

(44:12):
been given a week since they made they made it
to this moment.

Speaker 3 (44:16):
It's a TV thing.

Speaker 5 (44:17):
That's the only reason why, and it's not right.

Speaker 6 (44:19):
I'm not defending it, but you know, Fox, I think
it's the order of games picked. I think see I
think it's like, well, we knew that we knew Bill's
Ravens was going to be the afternoon Sunday window. I
mean that was just that was the premiere game in
this window this week, and the I think it's like
an order you pick it in and NBC Peacock gets

(44:40):
the the Sunday afternoon game, and I think they chose
Eagles Rams over Lines Commanders. I think that's why, because
NBC gets to choose which game they want in this window,
and Fox gets stuck with the the leftover game and
then we'll get the ESPN game obviously.

Speaker 5 (44:57):
Sold this afternoon, Jared.

Speaker 1 (44:59):
Because you're informed of me of something and I honestly
don't know and I never looked into it, but you're
saying the networks by the real estate on the clock
in the day, correct and then and then it's a
toss up which teams or I should say, which games
fall to them based on.

Speaker 3 (45:16):
What they bid it on.

Speaker 6 (45:17):
I think they get to choose, okay, because that's why,
for example, that's why the AFC South team, the Texas exactly,
they're always the low end of the totem of the ratings,
and so they always get thrown into that Saturday afternoon
game and it's like a pecking order of television sexiness.

Speaker 10 (45:41):
Hold on, I think you're all missing something here. The
reason why this game is going to Saturday is because
Tom Brady wants a closer look at Ben Johnson.

Speaker 3 (45:50):
Yes, that's like to get in there into Detroit. They
knew where they going to have Detroit.

Speaker 10 (45:56):
It's like, all right, well, I guess you're playing on
Saturday because Tom Brady's gonna get ahead of the coaching.

Speaker 3 (46:01):
This is a part of Ben Johnson's interview process.

Speaker 10 (46:03):
Is playing us a good point though? That's a way
I mean, that's been the talk of the entire week. Yeah,
does this conflict of interest with Tom Brady?

Speaker 3 (46:10):
Is it there or not?

Speaker 10 (46:11):
With you know, him being a minority owner of the Raiders,
in this very public look for a coach and clearly
courting Ben Johnson. Now he's on the call in Detroit.

Speaker 5 (46:22):
It's a weird situation there.

Speaker 6 (46:25):
I don't think it's going to have any impact on
the game or his call or what the Raiders do
as a higher but that has been a I think
the most interesting part of tom Brady's run. I mean,
I think he's honestly, I think Greg Olsen's better as
an announcer, but Tom Brady's Tom Brady. So I understand why,
you know, he's kind of been thrust into that booth.

(46:45):
But that is a very interesting part of the dynamic
this week because I think this has been ad Aaron
Glenn Frankly, I think both of those guys, when the
Lions lose, I think both those guys are going to
probably move.

Speaker 3 (46:55):
On when So are you calling the upset here tonight, Jared?
Is it?

Speaker 8 (46:58):
No?

Speaker 3 (46:59):
We're waiting for the Lions.

Speaker 6 (47:00):
Although I did bet Washington plus ten and ah, okay,
I don't hate it.

Speaker 4 (47:04):
By the way, let me let me give you a
side rant and we'll get back to Commander's Lions. Because Jared,
you're bringing up Tom Brady and this is the dumbest
thing ever where he's not allowed to. He had to
sit down interview with Mahomes for a feature earlier this season,
and people were all upset about it, like like what,

(47:26):
like Mahomes is gonna give him the deepest, darkest secret
that he's gonna use.

Speaker 3 (47:32):
Against the Chiefs for what are we doing here?

Speaker 4 (47:36):
What do you think Tom Brady was able to unlock
in a sit down interview with Mahomes that took five
or ten minutes.

Speaker 5 (47:44):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (47:44):
You talk about being paranoid to a fault.

Speaker 4 (47:47):
All these people like, don't let Brady he's a minority owner,
don't don't allow him access and doing sit down interviews.

Speaker 3 (47:54):
As if what as if that's gonna lead to anything?
What do we do?

Speaker 4 (47:59):
It's so stupid, man, all these owners that are so
worried about Tom Brady or is just dumb. It's so
such a waste of time.

Speaker 1 (48:08):
You know, I I don't wanna. I understand what you're saying.
The defense of that would be no, no, no, get up.
That's always the great entry point. I understand what you're saying.

Speaker 6 (48:22):
I was always to ignore everything before the butt Okay, okay,
So I'll.

Speaker 3 (48:27):
Just I'll just say it. You're you're mostly right. You are.

Speaker 1 (48:31):
Where I would disagree is through a conspiratorial lens, right
if if you're looking at Okay, for example, uh, you
know when when our nation severed from the British right
thirteen original colonies?

Speaker 3 (48:45):
Wow, Okay, hang on old school history lessons.

Speaker 1 (48:49):
I know, I know, but I'm saying, like, one of
the biggest things that that we did was no church
in state. So we're not gonna mix religion with government, right.
It was important so so early on in the donna
the nation, Like if you were a president and you
had a little too close relationship with a member of

(49:11):
the church or a member or an affiliate with or
a high ranking affiliate with a different religion, all of
a sudden, people got up in arms because like, oh God,
this is the first step towards tyranny. So we can't
even have what looks like a religious leader conspiring with
a state leader.

Speaker 3 (49:31):
We can't do it.

Speaker 1 (49:33):
And so I think that's what's happening with Tom Brady
is they're saying he is such an influential character in football,
and he carries so.

Speaker 3 (49:41):
Much sash, so much weight, and so much gravitas that him.

Speaker 1 (49:47):
Just simply appearing in the room makes people act differently,
think differently, do different things. So if he is going
to be a minority owner with the Raiders and you're
going to give him basically unf fettered access to all
thirty one other teams, even if it looks nice like
potentially there could be any conspiratorial relationship between him and

(50:11):
anybody else, Brian, like I said.

Speaker 3 (50:13):
I mostly agree with you, but you cannot have what
even looks like that.

Speaker 4 (50:18):
I hear you, But let me be specific here, because
I get if Tom Brady is sitting in those production
meetings and it's you're able to ask any player anything.
Tom Brady could gather a lot from those moments. Absolutely
he could, and so I understand why he wouldn't be
a part of those. But if you're up in arms,
which a lot of people were because Mahome sat down

(50:41):
with Tom Brady, are you kidding me?

Speaker 3 (50:43):
Like?

Speaker 4 (50:44):
Production meeting's fine, but sitting down and let's say he
talked to Jared Goff. You had to sit down interview
with Jared Goff leading up to the night game this evening,
and people are upset about that. Is if he's going
to be able to gather things that he's gonna be
able to use. Come on, dude, they're talking about the
Washington commanders. They're not getting in depth on any level

(51:06):
like that at all. It's so silly to be outraged
about that.

Speaker 1 (51:09):
Yeah, I get it, But at the same token, I've
been in some of those moments where you know, before
you put the microphones on your lapel or before the
makeup people come into the room.

Speaker 3 (51:23):
I'm just telling you, you know, you just start talking shop.
You get to know people, you know. So you're sitting
down with Mahomes and.

Speaker 1 (51:30):
I'm sure they know each other, they have each other's
cell phone numbers, they have access to each other otherwise.
But in this forced situation where he works for Fox,
he's a broadcaster and a former quarterback and he's gonna
be interviewing you now, Patrick, And Patrick goes, Okay, I'm
the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, and I'm gonna
sit down with with Tom Brady and I'm gonna do

(51:50):
these things like there are times where you don't even
realize that the coyote or the wolf has snuck into
the chicken coop.

Speaker 3 (51:58):
You know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (52:00):
We're going to movie I hear you, but we're going
movie trailer mode. These quarterbacks are smart. They know if
they're gonna give anything of use for Tom Brady. They've
been in so many press conferences. This is a super
charged press conference. They're not gonna reveal anything that they
don't want to be used against them, right Like, so,

(52:22):
I just think it's all about nothing.

Speaker 3 (52:24):
I think. I mean, do you feel the same way.

Speaker 6 (52:26):
By the way, we just got a comment from a
Sam Zagorski made a really great point reason the Commanders
are playing today. Rams played Monday and that and I
did I went wet, I went back and looked all
the teams that have always played Monday night have gotten
the Sunday.

Speaker 5 (52:41):
A very very good point.

Speaker 3 (52:42):
Yep.

Speaker 5 (52:43):
We love when viewers chime in, listeners chime in and
they make really sound points.

Speaker 6 (52:46):
I do think the TV situation, uh plays a lot
a big factor in who plays on Saturday in that
first game.

Speaker 4 (52:53):
Right because the rest thing Baltimore Buffalo would make more
sense today.

Speaker 5 (52:57):
Yeah, so I think TV plays a little bit of
a factor in some of the games.

Speaker 6 (53:01):
But in that specific Commander's NFC situation, that Rams winner, whoever.

Speaker 5 (53:07):
It was, what ermin Rams or I forget who even
they played that night. That's how long it's been, like,
I thank you, Yeah it was Minnesota.

Speaker 3 (53:16):
It was Minnesota.

Speaker 6 (53:17):
Sam Donald's already after if Minnesota would have won, they
would have gotten a Sunday game too. But do you, Brian,
do you feel differently about this situation because it is
potential hiring fodder with Ben Johnson or Aaron Glenn or
anyone else you know on either one of these teams
lines or commanders that Tom Brady might hire. I do think,

(53:38):
and I'm not saying it's it's a bad thing, because
I think Tom Brady in the booth doing this is
good for the NFL net positive long term. But I
do think it's a little bit un kosher for him
to get this kind of access to a coach that
he might be potentially hiring in a week.

Speaker 3 (53:56):
No, that's fair.

Speaker 4 (53:57):
I think that if you're just reasonable about it, and
you said, hey, if Fox Fox just went to the
league however it's set up, and said, hey, what do
you think about Tom Brady either doing a sit down
interview before the game with Jayden Daniels or Jared Goth
and the NFL says, yeah, that's fine, right, if if

(54:18):
the request was, hey, Tom Brady just for whatever reason
wants to talk to Ben Johnson.

Speaker 5 (54:23):
The way.

Speaker 6 (54:27):
They're just collectively like, no, no, we're going to bring
the whole Raiders staff with the interview.

Speaker 3 (54:32):
Just you know, he just wants to get a vibe
really quick.

Speaker 1 (54:35):
Let me let me just let me just add this
just just because again, the point I'm defending, I think
is already heard, and your points are well heard too, Brian.
I think it's much ado about nothing for the most part.
But I will say this, like, all right, so we
do a great show. We do a great job. We
but but one of us has a relationship with a
high ranking member from a different uh sports talk network,

(54:58):
and all of a sudden we are seen at a
dinner table in some restaurant with that with that high
ranking member. All of a sudden, maybe there's chit chat
in side Fox Sports Radio, Like, are these guys staging
a coup?

Speaker 3 (55:11):
You know? Okay, how about this, we have this wonderful
relationship with bet MGM. Well look, I mean, we don't
have blinders on.

Speaker 1 (55:18):
We're fully aware that there are other sportsbook I mean,
and Jared, you live in Vegas, you know, tons of
people from tons of different So say, same example, we're
having dinner with a high ranking member from another sportsbook.
Does it mean that we are jumping ship on a
partnership sponsor.

Speaker 3 (55:35):
No.

Speaker 5 (55:36):
Does it mean that we're jumping ship on a on
a a network.

Speaker 1 (55:41):
No.

Speaker 3 (55:41):
But it looks weird. So if Tom Brady exactly, it's optics, Jared.

Speaker 1 (55:47):
If Tom Brady, who is dot dot Tom freaking Brady,
is you know, all of a sudden seen you know
or or you know there's a picture taken or there's
a conversation I had with anybody, it's going to raise
eyebrows because not only is he Tom Brady, but he's

(56:08):
also a minority owner with the Raiders, And so that's
all they're trying to do is just make sure make
sure that nothing that even looks remotely questionable happens so
that there can be no what do you call accusations
of conspiring behind the scenes.

Speaker 6 (56:25):
You're ready for the flip side of this is, if
I'm Tom Brady, I'm doing the look off the safety
vibe and I am not even talking.

Speaker 5 (56:33):
To Ben Johnson the entire week.

Speaker 6 (56:35):
You're gonna be ignored and no one's gonna say a word,
because let's be honest, of all the coaches that are
in this cycle, who's the one coach that has coveted.

Speaker 5 (56:44):
More than all of them?

Speaker 3 (56:46):
I mean it to me is Mike McCarthy. Hand scene.

Speaker 4 (56:54):
We've got Rich Hornberger, Penn State, All American, Jared Smith
FSR betting analyst, I'm Brian No. Be sure to check
out the new looking features in the betmgm app. It's
fast and easy access to the sports you love, whether
it's the easy parlay builder teasers, live betting, the daily
National Lions Boost, or the new bet slip layout. Use
code countdown and receive up to fifteen hundred dollars back

(57:14):
in bonus bets if you don't win your first bet.
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Use code countdown to receive up to fifteen hundred dollars
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Speaker 3 (57:26):
All right.

Speaker 4 (57:26):
Coming up next, our main man, Seamus McGee gets us
all set for the Divisional Round National Championship game.

Speaker 3 (57:33):
Maybe sprinkle in a little bit of hoops.

Speaker 4 (57:35):
You know, he might have a crazy play or two
that both hit, so he'll share his notes with what's
coming up. It's Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff presented
by BETMGM. It is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff
presented by BETMGM. Throughout the entire football season, BETMGM will
offer all different types of no sweat tokens, Be on

(57:56):
the lookout for no sweat same game parlay tokens and
parlay boost toe just to name a couple, and be
sure to follow bet MGM across all socials at bet MGM.

Speaker 3 (58:06):
All right, let's do this, follow the money money all right, we.

Speaker 4 (58:11):
Are following the money with our good friend Seamus McGee,
team lead of Sports Trading at bet MGM.

Speaker 3 (58:18):
Good morning to you, Seamus.

Speaker 4 (58:20):
Uh do we just put everything we own on Notre
Dame plus eight and a half?

Speaker 3 (58:26):
Is that the play? Here?

Speaker 8 (58:28):
Guy? It's good to be back. It certainly seems like,
uh like there's so much action coming in on a
Notre Dame, but not necessarily on the spread. It seems
like most backers who love Notre Dame on Monday are
taking a shot on the money line. Like, guys, it
looks like our best our best result is going to
be an Ohio State win and a arning cover in

(58:49):
this game. Of eight and a half.

Speaker 5 (58:51):
Brian, you gotta.

Speaker 3 (58:51):
Stop betting it, literally making too many wagers.

Speaker 6 (58:55):
The books are getting overwhelmed with all that Notre Dame
money line tickets getting no shame. That's an interesting point
because you know you've been around the block, like what
are the odds of a Notre Dame cover and an
Ohio State win?

Speaker 3 (59:08):
Like usually, at least in the NFL.

Speaker 6 (59:11):
I don't know if actually this trend is the same
in college, but the team that wins the game tends
to cover the spread in that favorite role. We've seen
a lot of that in the NFL this year. Do
we think that the favorites will continue to have success
in the NFL? That has been the vibe all season?
We have two hefty favorites today, both of them north
of a touchdown. Obviously Detroit's the biggest favorite of the weekend?

(59:31):
Is it chalk vibes at bet MGM for the playoff
teams today?

Speaker 8 (59:36):
Of course, it's funny you bring that up. It's like
meeting that middle there where the favorite wins but doesn't cover,
because it felt like in a lot of these playoff
games for college we were in that situation where it's like, oh,
we need a Penn State win, but a Boise cover
or a Texas when an Arizona State cover, We're pretty
lucky with it, honestly for most of the playoffs. So
like come to these playoff games where a lot of

(59:57):
people throw interest on the dogs. Feel like we've seen
that a lot recently, But as far as this weekend goes,
it feels like a normal NFL weekend when we're gonna
need some dogs to bark here. With the exception probably
of Washington at Detroit, lots of money coming in on
the Commanders plus nine and a half starting to get
a little upsided there, and if you took the money

(01:00:19):
line singles, the Commander's outright would be we'd lose a
chunk of money on that. However, if you take into
account how many parlays we're going to write on the
Lions Eagles, Chiefs money line, it would really soften the
blow there. If the Commanders went out right, and frankly,
we'd wipe off our biggest liability for the Super Bowl
off the books if the line and lose out right

(01:00:40):
this year, which you know wouldn't be too shabby, But
I think the lines moving on would setting up a
game against the Eagles would be a huge handle for
the book. Yeah, so there's things you can take away
as positives from there.

Speaker 1 (01:00:52):
And not to tip my hand too far, but I mean, commanders,
they give me very similar vibes when they're playing against
teams who don't often see them. To prepare for the
Baltimore Ravens, because with that athletic, that mobile of a quarterback.

Speaker 5 (01:01:07):
Who also is a passing threat, good luck. I mean,
it's hard to gain plan for.

Speaker 1 (01:01:13):
It's difficult to get a scout team quarterback to replicate
what Jaden Daniels does on a football field. Get him
back to the Chiefs, though, because you can't steer the
conversation too far away from the Chiefs at any point.
They are in second place right now on the big
board for future Super Bowl champion. How likely though, Honestly,
when you look at the map for the Chiefs through

(01:01:35):
the AFC side and the Lions, who right now hold
the mantle as odds on favorites to win the Super
Bowl at BETEBGM and many other books, how likely would
you say that the Chiefs three.

Speaker 3 (01:01:47):
Pet Seamus.

Speaker 8 (01:01:50):
Aileen it every time I tell someone what I do
for a living. The first question I'm always asks is, so,
who's going to win the Super.

Speaker 3 (01:01:56):
Bowl this year?

Speaker 8 (01:01:58):
I very boringly had it's probably gonna be the Kansas
City chief Like, just be prepared for it, Like, don't
act surprise when they're just there again, you can never
go wrong with them, and you know they have home field.
I know they got to play the Ravens of the
Bills next round is going to be really tough. But
I mean, how do you how do you say Mahomes

(01:02:20):
and Reid at home in the playoffs? It's really hard
to do.

Speaker 4 (01:02:24):
You know, Seamus, you look back to the previous week
in the wild card round and what five of six
games went under and some of them like significantly under.
Does that have any impact on the totals this week?
Where you still see Washington Detroit is very high, Ravens,
Bills still in the fifties, right, So does last week

(01:02:46):
factor into this week at all with the totals?

Speaker 8 (01:02:49):
I wouldn't say it does. I mean it's it's a
completely different game each and every one of them, two
different match separate matchups all across the board. Because you
can look at the line and the Commanders lines are
very beat up on defense, I think everyone in the
world knows at this time they are getting some guys back,
but there's still a big injury, you know, gaps there,
and the Commanders can score, and frankly, their defense isn't

(01:03:12):
all back Brady either. So that's why you'll see a
mid fifties total in a game like that. And then
you look at tomorrow. Lots of weather and play that's
going to affect the game's big time too, which is
interesting to see Bill's Ravens still sitting at like fifty
one and a half right now, even with how cold
it's going to be up there. But yeah, it's it's
different every round.

Speaker 6 (01:03:33):
Yeah, it does seem like the totals last week were
a little bit higher than and I like some overs
too last week. And you know, I was fortunate that
we got that Tech crazy just Texans Chargers back and forth.
But I have seen speaking of and we haven't talked
about the Rams Eagles game yet. That's a good place
to focus here because I think of all the games
so far, obviously, that one I think has moved the

(01:03:54):
most with weather. I've seen it now two points off
the total from forty five now down to forty three
of all the games this weekend, is that the one
that you're targeting the most to be impacted by weather,
and that's why that totals moved significantly.

Speaker 8 (01:04:09):
Gottay, it's going to be freezing in Philadelphia tomorrow and
you know the snow coming in, so that's definitely why
you see, you know, some money coming in on the
unders there or just in general the totals dropping.

Speaker 1 (01:04:22):
You know, Seamus, When when I think about the AFC side,
I really do focus on the propensity of some of
these quarterbacks to run more than the NFC side. I
look at Mahomes obviously, Alan and Lamar in that matchup,
but CJ. Stroud recently has had to run for his
life a little bit. If you were going to take

(01:04:45):
a look at an overprop on any of those four guys,
which one do you think is going to be running
for his life the most or that's going to be
the key for success in their given matchup.

Speaker 8 (01:04:57):
I could see Josh Allen doing it a little bit
of that. The Ravens defense has been lights out last
back half of the season, so I think he's gonna
have to create a lot with his legs, I think
to get the offense moving in Buffalo.

Speaker 4 (01:05:11):
I agree, okay, Seamous, it's that time, Seamus Special. Are
we going football or you know Horizon League basketball?

Speaker 8 (01:05:19):
Here? Oh? Yeah, okay, we are going with the Kansas
City Ruse men's basketball team play North Dakota. We're taking
the money line. I think they get it done. North
Dakota defense one of the worst in the country this year.
So we'll take Kansas City as a small dog. And
then you know, if you're into a Kansas City parlay,

(01:05:41):
you probably get.

Speaker 3 (01:05:42):
A good price.

Speaker 8 (01:05:43):
Yeah, if you're going to juice the odds up on
that fief's money line.

Speaker 6 (01:05:47):
Oh league, we love the Summit League around these parts.

Speaker 3 (01:05:50):
Big parlay that with the Chiefs money line or you
know what do you think.

Speaker 8 (01:05:57):
I'm not in the business of handing out parlay winners.
If you want to, if you want to get a
decent trice on the Chiefs money line, you know you
can get plus money on Kansas City Ruse.

Speaker 3 (01:06:07):
Okay, So.

Speaker 4 (01:06:09):
Good as always, Shamous enjoyed the weekend, man, We'll catch
you soon.

Speaker 8 (01:06:14):
Enjoy the games, guys.

Speaker 3 (01:06:15):
You too.

Speaker 4 (01:06:16):
There he is Seamous McGee, team lead of sports trading
at bet MGM.

Speaker 3 (01:06:20):
That's awesome, you know, news. Yeah, what kind of curveball
you're gonna.

Speaker 4 (01:06:24):
Hey, here's a curveball, right, Quinn Yours declaring for the
NFL Draft and reportedly bypassed an eight million dollar nil
offer from another school.

Speaker 3 (01:06:38):
Wow, is this a smart move?

Speaker 1 (01:06:40):
No?

Speaker 3 (01:06:40):
But when's Quinn you?

Speaker 4 (01:06:41):
Weres gonna get drafted? I think listen, it's the cam
Ward situation. Cam Ward last year declared for the NFL
Draft and the next thing you knew he was going
to Miami And now he's gonna be a top pick.
He might be the top pick when the draft rolls around.
So I don't know, Oh why Quinn yours? As of
right now, he's going to the NFL Draft, And I

(01:07:04):
don't know that it can change because hasn't the transfer
portal window come and gone for him. I don't know
that he can so go somewhere else in college.

Speaker 3 (01:07:12):
Now.

Speaker 1 (01:07:13):
Yeah, it's a little uh, it's a little fascinating where
we are at in this conversation because we're reaching the
intersection where we're gonna find out for certain players, especially
at the quarterback position, because it's so visible and so
bandied about where it actually where Where is the intersection
where it's more profitable to stay in college football and

(01:07:36):
chase that dream and frankly that money, or you know,
just relent and say, Okay, it's my time to spin
the wheel and see where I get drafted to and
maybe that's where I make the bulk share of my money, because,
like we know, the NFL is completely different piece than
college football. We see plenty of college football quarterbacks really
flunk out of the NFL, even the great ones. And

(01:07:58):
so you know, the same way Brock Purdy can soar
to success, you can have a there's major bus potential
like a Trubisky or a Lance Like we've seen both
sides of that coin.

Speaker 3 (01:08:11):
So I'm curious how much NIL has changed that decision.

Speaker 1 (01:08:16):
I don't think we have the full answer or the
full scope, and maybe we never will, but it is
going to change that dynamic dramatically.

Speaker 6 (01:08:23):
Yeah, I don't think Quinn's a top top prospect, But
let's just look at it from like this is how
I would look at it from, like the outsider perspective.
Which quarterback class do you feel or do you guys
feel ers has a better chance to be drafted high
in this year? Shador, cam Ward Jackson, Dart Jalen Milroe,

(01:08:46):
Will Howard, Kyle McCord, or next year, Drew Aller, Garrett
nus Meyer, k Club Nick Carson Beck. Like, I think
Quinn's got a much better chance to be taken higher
in that realm than this year, which I think it's
pretty set the camp Ward is going to be the
top pick, Like I kind of think that's the direction

(01:09:09):
that everyone's kind of moving in, And I think.

Speaker 5 (01:09:11):
Shador is going to be the next one.

Speaker 6 (01:09:13):
So you're talking about at best, and he's not going
to be the third quarterback taken, but at best, I
think quin Ewers is looking to QB three in this draft.
Next year he's got a chance to be at least
QB two, maybe even QB one. Like, I mean, I
know Drew Aller is kind of getting the buzz, but
I'll be honest, when I watched Drew Aller, I don't

(01:09:34):
get QB one buzz, But.

Speaker 5 (01:09:36):
When outside of that, I just want to get buzzed.

Speaker 3 (01:09:40):
Him, want to get handed, get rid of those happy feet, bud.

Speaker 6 (01:09:45):
But no, I think I think next year is his
best chance to be a number one quarterback. So like,
what advice is he getting?

Speaker 3 (01:09:51):
Well?

Speaker 4 (01:09:52):
And I also think too is which quarterback is in
a better spot. Would you rather be Carson Beck right
now going to Miami and maybe improving your draft stock
like cam Ward did, Or would you rather be quin
yours right here, right now entering the NFL draft?

Speaker 3 (01:10:09):
Yeah, I would do so.

Speaker 4 (01:10:11):
I don't know, But can I give you another side
ramp built on Quinn viewers here just real fast, because
arch Manning is gonna be the guy at Texas and
he might be much better than Quinn Eewers. But all
of the talk, like specifically against Ohio State, where it's
like put arch Manning in the game as if he's

(01:10:31):
automatically going to be better than Quinn yours. I just
I don't know where you guys are at with that.
I completely disagreed with it. Sure there's a chance, think
about Tua replaced Jalen Hurtz at halftime of the National
Championship game right against Georgia and play lights out, So
it's possible quin Ewers would have done better. He's had

(01:10:54):
little to no experience so far and he's just gonna
ball out against Ohio State. Like, let's not mix up
possibly playing better than Quinn yours with certainly playing better
than Quinn, you weres his.

Speaker 3 (01:11:06):
One play fumbled right right, and they called them down
by contact.

Speaker 4 (01:11:10):
Like, why are we acting like it would have been
a certainty that arch Manning would have balled out and Quinn,
you were sucks.

Speaker 3 (01:11:15):
I just never agreed with that.

Speaker 1 (01:11:17):
I I I think, yes, we I mean that is
common ground we share because you know what I'm not
saying all the time, but in football, a lot of
the a lot of the time, the evil you know
is in fact better than the evil you don't.

Speaker 3 (01:11:32):
And what I mean by that is your your.

Speaker 5 (01:11:35):
Experiences typically don't lie to you.

Speaker 3 (01:11:37):
You know, if if you if you, if.

Speaker 1 (01:11:40):
You are testing the untested, usually it fails even even
above the.

Speaker 3 (01:11:47):
The the the proven path that has yielded low results.

Speaker 1 (01:11:52):
Like now, don't get me wrong, to the risk takers
sometimes go the spoils. The Kansas City Chiefs had a
competent quarterback who was getting them to the playoffs year
after year. They were double digit win team with Alex Smith,
and they rolled the dice and said, hey, we really
like this kid out of Texas Tech, and they the
gamble paid off for them, and they replaced Alex Smith

(01:12:13):
and Patrick Mahomes became Patrick mahomes.

Speaker 3 (01:12:16):
But how many teams have flunked that that risk assessment?
And and I agree with you.

Speaker 1 (01:12:22):
I think, yes, maybe Arch Manning turns into Peyton Manning
one day and we speak about him in the same
in the same way. But maybe Arch Manning turns into
what's the name of the brother we don't talk about,
Jasper Manning? Yeah, I mean whatever his David John Manning. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

(01:12:45):
bad Manning, whatever they named him.

Speaker 5 (01:12:47):
I don't know. But but you catch my drift, and
I agree with you. I think it's uh.

Speaker 1 (01:12:51):
I think it's one of those things where everybody looks
at the the the the gift wrap package on this
shelf and assumes it's gonna be way better than the
toy I have in my hand. And the answer is
not all the time.

Speaker 3 (01:13:05):
Not all the time.

Speaker 5 (01:13:06):
Here's where they should have went to Arch Yes, and
goal at the one.

Speaker 3 (01:13:10):
Absolutely totally agree with you.

Speaker 6 (01:13:11):
That like that, that's like the low hanging fruit of
get your quarterback. That is like because in that situation,
it's like getting the extra blocker. The running back turns
into the extra hat and it allows so many more
things to open up in the run game. And then
calling a toss pitch where you're throwing it five yards
back is just asenine. But in general, yeah, you don't

(01:13:35):
just bench the guy that got you there. You know
what's that you you know the prize. You don't put
your your prize horse and that got you there in
the in the stable when the big race is coming. Like,
I don't want of those like Kentucky Derby quotes, but
I think in general, you just have to pick your
spots with Arch. But now there's no more spots to
be picked now he's the guy. Yeah, no doubt it'll
be interesting to see going forward. But man, that's just

(01:13:57):
a tough spot.

Speaker 4 (01:13:58):
I think there is under selling how tough of a
spot that was to just be like, hey, Arch, go
in there and see what you can do against the
buck guys here.

Speaker 6 (01:14:06):
I know you're sure had more packages for him in
that game.

Speaker 4 (01:14:08):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, they should have. They should have. But
we're acting like that guy's a season vet and he's not.
So I don't know that it's a certainty he would
have outplayed Quinn Eewers.

Speaker 3 (01:14:19):
I don't know that at all.

Speaker 4 (01:14:21):
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(01:14:42):
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Speaker 3 (01:14:46):
All right, We've got Rich Orenberger, Penn.

Speaker 4 (01:14:48):
State, All American, Jared Smith FSR, betting analyst. I'm Brian
No coming up next, prop it Up? So many prop
bet opportunities.

Speaker 3 (01:14:58):
Including the Irish. No unders are allowed. Okay, over, it
is Fox Sports exceptions, Hey, settle down there.

Speaker 4 (01:15:09):
Uh it is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff presented
by bet MGM. It is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to
Kickoff presented by bet MGM. Throughout the entire football season,
bet MGM will offer all different types of boost tokens.
Be on the lookout for same game parlay boost tokens,
parlay boost tokens and odds boost tokens each NFL weekend.

Speaker 3 (01:15:31):
All right, let's do this. Prop it up player plays
a yes. The cooling waters of prop bet Lake. Just
let just immerse yourself into these waters over here. Jared
will start with you. What's something you like? I bet
a ton of.

Speaker 6 (01:15:50):
Props this weekend, guys, and I think the biggest theme
of them was quarterbacks legs.

Speaker 5 (01:15:57):
And I do like the Jayden Daniels over.

Speaker 6 (01:15:59):
Rush the yards prop a lot. Fifty five and a
half is the current number at bet MGM. So two
reasons why, Well, obviously we need Jayden and Daniels to
have a good game if Washington wants any chance to
be in this one. And the game script says they're
gonna behind, so I think Danga's gonna be running it
a lot.

Speaker 5 (01:16:16):
And the Lions blitz a ton, second highest blitz rate
in the NFL this year.

Speaker 6 (01:16:20):
When you blitz, you activate the quarterbacks legs, and I
think that's gonna be a factor. And Detroit's giving up
the fourth most rushing yards allowed the quarterbacks this year. So,
Jade and Daniel, if you're gonna do it in your arm,
that's great, but I think his legs are gonna be
a huge factor in this game. Over fifty five and
a half rushing yards for the Commanders keeping.

Speaker 3 (01:16:36):
Ran all right.

Speaker 1 (01:16:37):
I'm also gonna go with the Commanders player on the
receiving end of Jaden Daniels Terry McLaurin anytime touchdown. Mclauren
has scored a touchdown in six of his last seven,
including postseason. McLaurin, I think is going to benefit from
what I'm going to forecast as a negative game script
for the Washington Commanders. They're gonna be playing like their

(01:17:00):
behind early because they're gonna want to get a lead,
especially on the road, and get the Detroit Lions fans
out of the game.

Speaker 3 (01:17:08):
So they're gonna be heaving it downfield.

Speaker 1 (01:17:09):
And who are they gonna gave it to, Well, the
guy who led them in touchdowns this season, Terry mclaure,
give me the receiver anytime touchdown.

Speaker 3 (01:17:19):
Do you like crazy? No at all? You know?

Speaker 5 (01:17:22):
Yeah, yeah, Prop, that's actually my favorite part.

Speaker 3 (01:17:24):
It's the best.

Speaker 4 (01:17:25):
No, Like what I fade Zach Eaty rebounds at Purdue,
you know after has like twenty boards or whatever.

Speaker 6 (01:17:35):
Like that's some really good contrarian takes on the show.

Speaker 3 (01:17:38):
You really have, Thank you. I appreciate that. Or like
what is it Alex Orgy.

Speaker 5 (01:17:43):
Yes, yes, probably best.

Speaker 3 (01:17:47):
The rushing the rushing prop or the passing probably yeah, yeah,
where it was like over twenty six yards, yeah, like
seven yards.

Speaker 4 (01:17:59):
I'm going to take Saquon Barkley under wow and a half.

Speaker 6 (01:18:05):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (01:18:08):
I know, I know, I know, I know all the
reasons why not to.

Speaker 4 (01:18:12):
He rushed for two fifty five and two touchdowns against
the Rams.

Speaker 3 (01:18:16):
The Rams front seven little undersized. I get it. You
might have weather here, even more incentive to run the ball.

Speaker 4 (01:18:23):
We're talking about one hundred and eleven rushing yards in
a freaking playoff game.

Speaker 3 (01:18:29):
Many Here's the other thing. Kalen Hurts through for one
hundred and thirty one yards last week against the Packers.
He did the Rams.

Speaker 4 (01:18:41):
They have to be going into this game saying, do
everything you can to slow Saquon Barkley down. True, make
Jalen Hurts beat us. They they have to be doing
that now. Again, it's easier said than done. But I
like the path toward a Saquon Barkley un ear. He
could still go crazy and be under this total.

Speaker 3 (01:19:03):
That's why I'm going on.

Speaker 6 (01:19:04):
I think Gainwell is going to have a factor in
the game too, so that that matters. And I'm actually
as we speak right now, I am seeing under money
come in on this Ram Eagles game. I think the
weather in Philly is gonna get at least based off
of this number move not a great forecast, so offense
could be at a premium.

Speaker 3 (01:19:24):
So what Notre Dame overs are you guys taking?

Speaker 5 (01:19:27):
I bet it under on Bo Collins receiving yards, but
that's because he's hurt. That's an under.

Speaker 3 (01:19:35):
I bet note I gave out Notre Dame. It's good.

Speaker 6 (01:19:37):
The video will be published tomorrow, I think on the
bed MGM socials, I mean on the Fox Sports Radio
socials for the bed MGM thing.

Speaker 3 (01:19:43):
I'm all Notre Dame. All right, all right, coming up next.
It is not a good recipe when your leader is tight.
We'll explain playoffs. Oh what is going on?

Speaker 5 (01:19:56):
Good morning?

Speaker 4 (01:19:57):
As we get you set for the divisional round of
the play offs and also the National Championship game on Monday.
I want to make a statement and see if you
guys agree with this. Okay, I think that teams often
resemble the personality of either their head coach or their
best player.

Speaker 3 (01:20:17):
Would you agree with that in general? Yes? Yeah, yeah, yeah,
I would. All right. I was wondering if I know
I had to pause and think for a second, but yeah,
I agree. Rich was like, let me think this through.
I tend to like to argue with you.

Speaker 5 (01:20:40):
That's good.

Speaker 3 (01:20:41):
I love that.

Speaker 4 (01:20:43):
But I think of the Lions for instance, right, Dan
Campbell's personality is the engine of that team. They play
the way he is, right, And so I think if
you you could play that game with a lot of
other teams. If you look at Ohio State, I think
sometimes they resemble the bad qualities of Ryan Day. Ryan

(01:21:06):
Day gets tight, He's just tight, and that's how Ohio
State will play at times. Look at the game against Michigan,
look at multiple games against Michigan.

Speaker 3 (01:21:18):
You got tight Ryan Day, and you got a tight.

Speaker 4 (01:21:20):
Football team, and it's a thirteen to ten, ugly game, Like,
how is this game happening right now? That's my question
with Notre Dame. Can they get off to a good
enough start where Ryan Day gets tight, Ohio State gets tight,
They're a big favorite. What's happening over here? And they
just start to panic a little bit. I'll give you

(01:21:43):
another example. In a win, Ohio State crushed Indiana thirty
eight to fifteen, and Ohio State scored a touchdown in
the final minute, and so after the game. Jenny Taft
was like, so why did you go for that last
touchdown at the end, and Ryan Day said, we said,
leave no doubt. These are the Ohio State Buckeyes, and

(01:22:06):
just being scared where we going to be in the polls?

Speaker 3 (01:22:10):
What if? This what he's tight?

Speaker 4 (01:22:12):
He coaches scared sometimes and that's sometimes what Ohio State reflects.

Speaker 3 (01:22:18):
And so if Notre Dame can get off.

Speaker 4 (01:22:20):
To a decent start, and that's possible, I want to
see if Ohio State gets tight, because they very well might.

Speaker 3 (01:22:28):
I live on the West Coast.

Speaker 5 (01:22:29):
I grew up on the East Coast.

Speaker 1 (01:22:31):
I uh. This past week, actually, I was back in
New York visiting family and I look across the couch
from me.

Speaker 5 (01:22:38):
I'm looking at my dad and he's sitting on the couch.

Speaker 3 (01:22:41):
All right.

Speaker 1 (01:22:41):
We're watching I think the local news was on, and
we're just chatting, and he's he's got his legs, legs
crossed at his ankles, his legs are straight out off
the couch. He's leaned back in his chair, his fingers
are intertwined and crossed over his chest, and he's watching
the TV.

Speaker 5 (01:22:58):
I looked at him, and then I look down and.

Speaker 3 (01:23:01):
I was sitting the exact same way. A.

Speaker 1 (01:23:05):
Yeah, right, I'm almost forty. I'm gonna turn thirty nine
in February. My dad, Wow, me too. Oh there you go,
my dad.

Speaker 3 (01:23:15):
I haven't lived with my dad since I'm eighteen years old.

Speaker 1 (01:23:18):
I moved out of the house to play college football
at Penn State and I've never lived with him since then.
But my dad's my teacher. He was my role model
growing up. You absorb things from your role model. So
everything you're saying, because coaching is parenting, everything you're saying
is one hundred percent true, Brian. Your players are a

(01:23:41):
reflection of your personality if you're a coach. That's how
this works. So there are teams that play tight because
their coach is tight. There are teams that play forrenetic
because their coach is frenetic. There are teams that, in
the final minutes of a game, are organized and they
are theyccomplished tasks that that people don't really understand how

(01:24:04):
they could be prepared for. But it's because their coach
has an insane situational awareness and a wealth of knowledge
in games in that moment. Belichick being an example, right,
Andy Reid being an example. Your players are a reflection
of your personality. So I one hundred percent agree with
that assessment. And you know what, the younger the coach,

(01:24:26):
the harder it is for a team typically, or the
less experienced a head coach, the harder it is typically
for a team to figure out their identity because that
coach doesn't even know their identity yet. So it takes
time to groom your personality as a head coach with
all those responsibilities. But just like I was sitting looking

(01:24:47):
across from my dad, like, oh wow, that we got
I learned that from him, that that wasn't something that
you're born doing. You know, little babies don't sit on
their couch with their legs crossed. That there are, but
but you learn it from somewhere, and so so that
personality or those traits transfer.

Speaker 3 (01:25:02):
So I agree, Ohio State, they will be for good
or for bad a reflection of Ryan Day.

Speaker 6 (01:25:09):
Can we just take a second to acknowledge the universe
bringing Rich and I together. Went to the same school,
born in the same month, the same age, and the
same city, didn't have any idea that we were going
to be doing the show together three years ago, and
now it's just again. Universe works in weird ways. The
universe also works in weird ways. Because we got a
glimpse into this game last year. Why teams played each other?

Speaker 3 (01:25:32):
Hey about that?

Speaker 6 (01:25:33):
And I know that the personnel's obviously different. Both quarterbacks
are different. The defense is dramatically different for Notre Dame.
In fact, ten out of the eleven starters on that
team last year defensively not even playing this year. And
I think that is obviously you know, it apples to oranges.
But the scheme and the way that Notre Dame plays

(01:25:54):
I think is still the same under Marcus Freeman. Going
back to the head coach analogy and the first line
that I wrote from this game in my preview, in
my analysis, the way I feel the game will play out,
Notre Dame has what is required to take Ohio State
into the deep end and test their lung capacity, force

(01:26:15):
the Buck guys to out execute, patients and discipline. Obviously,
Ohio State is the more talented football team. They are
the goliath in this scenario. But David, I think, is smarter,
and I think David is better coached, and I think
if things get tight late, I think David Notre Dame
is better suited to out execute and make fewer mistakes.

(01:26:41):
The Buckeys did win that game last year. Notre Dame
dominated time of possession. They did a really good job
on Marvin Harrison Junior three catches for thirty two yards.
The problem was by bracketing Marvin Harrison Junior on the outside,
which is what you think they would do to Jeremiah Smith.
It allowed Agbuka to have a huge game and kind
of be the game breaker. Seven catches for ninety six

(01:27:01):
yards out of the slot. Typically egg Buka's in the
slot about eighty five ninety percent of the time. That's
the cat and mouse game. Can you bracket both Jeremiah
Smith and eg Metagbuka and forced Ohio State to run
the ball, which have actually done really well this year
thanks to Chip Kelly's unique run scheme. So it's going
to be pick your poison. But if things get tight late,

(01:27:22):
to Brian's point, I think Notre Dame has a little
bit more of that moxie to not make the mistake
to cost them the game.

Speaker 4 (01:27:31):
You know what, I'm glad that you brought up last
year's game where Ohio State won seventeen to fourteen close
game Notre Dame at the very end only had ten
men on the field.

Speaker 3 (01:27:44):
That whole thing.

Speaker 4 (01:27:45):
And famously, after the game, Ryan Day went on this
epic rant because Lou Holtz before the game, he brought
up that Ohio State when they lose games, they lose
to the more physical team, which was true, and Ryan
Day got all upset about it. And listen to tight
Ryan Day. This is last year after Ohio State beat

(01:28:07):
Notre Dame.

Speaker 3 (01:28:08):
Check this out. I like to know where Holtz is
right now.

Speaker 5 (01:28:11):
What he said about our team.

Speaker 3 (01:28:13):
I cannot believe. That's a tough team right here. We're
proud to be from Ohio.

Speaker 1 (01:28:18):
It's always been Ohio against the world, the Ohio against
the world.

Speaker 3 (01:28:22):
But I'll tell you what, I love those kids who
got a tough team. What a jackass. Yeah, I agree that.
You're right, dude, like that.

Speaker 4 (01:28:34):
That's again, that's tight Ryan Day. Yes, you know it's
overreacting to something that was said Holts. But that's the
thing though, real fast, Rich You're good. Hold on that
thought though, don't lose it. That's why I think it
matters in this game because Jared said this Ohio State
has more talent. Look at their wide receivers. Compared to

(01:28:55):
Notre Dames wide receivers. Look at Notre Dame's offense gonna
score points right, Like, there are many reasons on paper
to favor Ohio State unless the game gets tight, right,
do you have more confidence that Notre Dame is gonna
be loose enough to win a game or do you

(01:29:16):
have more confidence that Ohio State is going to be
loose enough as a big favorite.

Speaker 3 (01:29:20):
To win a game like this.

Speaker 4 (01:29:22):
I just see panic written all over them if they're
in a game in the fourth quarter. And so that's
why I think having a head coach and that personality
could screw Ohio State. I could absolutely see it happening.

Speaker 1 (01:29:35):
Buckeye fans are probably not gonna like this, although it
really depends on what side of the fence you fall
on in terms of your allegiance to or your interest
in moving on from Ryan Day. But I think Ryan
Day is a veteran coach who acts like a rookie coach.
I think that Ryan Day was handed the keys to

(01:29:56):
a very very well oil, well timed, well tuned up machine,
and he hasn't screwed it up. He hasn't gummed up
the works at all. He's kept the motor clean. He's
kept it going, but it was never his, It was
never authentically his. Like this isn't he Ryan Day didn't

(01:30:21):
build Ohio State into the powerhouse.

Speaker 3 (01:30:23):
It is recently.

Speaker 1 (01:30:24):
I mean, don't get me wrong, they have long history
what he haes, you know, but this was Urban Meyer's
machine and he inherited it. And I'm not saying I'm
not saying that he can't do a great job because
like sometimes happens, sometimes the predecessor is surpassed by the student, right,

(01:30:45):
you know, sometimes you know, the master trains the student
and the student becomes the master. And you know, I
like Bill Parcell's, you know, coach Bill Belichick, and there's
no question who's the better head coach now when we
look back retrospective at their NFL careers. But but I
don't see that being the case with Ryan Day. I

(01:31:05):
feel like Ryan Day's faking.

Speaker 3 (01:31:07):
The funk a little bit. Like when I hear it,
when I hear Dan Campbell talk, I'm like that that
guy is.

Speaker 5 (01:31:15):
That guy authentic?

Speaker 3 (01:31:17):
Thank you? Yes, that guy is that guy.

Speaker 1 (01:31:19):
I would run through a damn wall for Dan Campbell
right now after a pump up speech. If Ryan Day
was in my living room, I'd say get out, get
the hell out, because I don't. We don't got time
for this. You know what, I haven't had coffee yet. Ryan,
get out of my house. But if Dan Campbell came in,
he would be my cup of coffee. Because that's that dude.

(01:31:41):
I don't need to hear from Ryan Day. I don't
need him to attack, you know, no offense, but a
geriatric former coach opining over his current football program because
what for cloud get lost?

Speaker 3 (01:31:54):
That's stupid.

Speaker 1 (01:31:55):
But when Dan Campbell gets fired up, I get fired up.
A coach to your personality, not to the personality you
wish to have. That's my problem with a lot of
coaches is they're pretending. Don't pretend be who you are.
I promise you you'll earn more, You'll earn more respect.
Can you still have success pretending.

Speaker 3 (01:32:17):
Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (01:32:17):
There's a lot of pretenders with a lot of money
in their pockets and a lot of you know, pats
on the back, and we know how this world works.
But the ones who cut through, like Jordan talking about
all the naysayers even though he's on top, sounds authentic
because Michael Jordan is an assassin.

Speaker 5 (01:32:38):
Ryan Day sounds like a poser.

Speaker 6 (01:32:40):
Yeah, there's a saying that I love and I use
it in my industry a lot because it's very prevalent.
When you're good at something, you want to tell everyone.
When you're great at it, they'll tell you. And that's
Ryan Day in a nutshell, Like he has to go
out and tell people that Ohio State's tough.

Speaker 3 (01:32:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:32:58):
If you have to go out and tell people that
you're football teams tough, your team ain't that though, that's
a great point.

Speaker 3 (01:33:03):
That like that, that's just the vibe I get for.

Speaker 6 (01:33:06):
And don't get me wrong, Ohio State could go out there,
play their best game physically and dominate the national championship
game without putting any mental anguish into the situation.

Speaker 5 (01:33:17):
I don't think it's going to be that easy. Just
my vibe.

Speaker 3 (01:33:20):
Yeah, I love that what you said right there too,
And I just think of him and it's always gonna
be Ohio and it's no, it's not.

Speaker 5 (01:33:28):
We have a twenty million dollar roster. Shut up, sir,
don't play football. Tries me crazy.

Speaker 9 (01:33:36):
It tries me crazy if he got up in front
of me against like, because that's the.

Speaker 1 (01:33:41):
Other thing is like we forget that these aren't robots.
These are human beings with personalities too, who are in
those rooms. And trust me, we can smell a fake also,
you know what I'm saying. We when when somebody sash's
into the room stinking of just for men and fake bravado,
We know it, okay, So don't don't you could?

Speaker 3 (01:34:01):
You could sell?

Speaker 1 (01:34:03):
My dad actually had an old thing that he used
to say to us all the time, and it's it's
not his obviously it's been used in bastardized and whatever.

Speaker 3 (01:34:10):
But you can fool some people all the time.

Speaker 1 (01:34:13):
You can feel fool all the people some of the time,
but you can't fool everybody all the time. And when
you're faking it, you'll get found out eventually. And I
just I wish he was just a smidge more authentic,
because there's there's likable qualities about Ryan Day, and he
is a really good coach, and there are good things

(01:34:35):
that are happening for a house state, the players, the
money that that university is generating, the players getting paid
the way they're getting I'm in support of it all,
but when he speaks sometimes it grates on my nerves
because it smacks of inauthenticity.

Speaker 3 (01:34:51):
And and it wafts of desperation.

Speaker 5 (01:34:55):
And that is a stinky cologne, my friends.

Speaker 4 (01:34:57):
Yeah, and it sounds like you're describing another coach that
left Notre Dame named Brian. That's such a perfect saying, right,
great head coach, he can coach authentic.

Speaker 5 (01:35:12):
No, how's that Southern accent coming?

Speaker 6 (01:35:14):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:35:14):
My family, My family from Massachusetts.

Speaker 4 (01:35:20):
Right, that's right, from the sticks of Massachusetts.

Speaker 3 (01:35:24):
That's right.

Speaker 4 (01:35:26):
We've got rich Oronberger, Penn State, All American, Jared Smith, FSR,
betting analyst.

Speaker 3 (01:35:30):
I'm Brian. No football is here.

Speaker 4 (01:35:32):
At bet mgm, use code countdown and receive up to
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(01:35:54):
fifteen hundred dollars back in bonus bets if that bet loses.
All right, Coming up next is this team's secondary pitch
good enough? It's Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff presented
by BEDMGM. It is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff
presented by BEDMGM. Throughout the entire football season, BETMGM will

(01:36:16):
offer all different types of boost tokens. Be on the
lookout for same game parlay boost tokens, Parlay boost tokens
and odds boost tokens each NFL weekend. All right, fellas,
we got the Rams at the Eagles. This game is tomorrow,
Eagles favored by six, could be a weather game. Total
is forty two, could be nasty. Here's my question. Are

(01:36:40):
the Eagles good enough to win with their secondary pitch? Okay,
so think about this. This is the old Bill Belichick thing.
Bill Belichick would go into games and say, you're not
going to win by beating us with what you do best.
You know, it's gonna have to be something else. And
you see this time and time and time again when

(01:37:01):
he was in New England when they played the Chiefs.
It's like, guess what Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce they're
gonna do next to nothing And the Chiefs are like,
wait what, that's a a big part of what we do. Yeah,
they're not gonna do anything. We've got ways we can
bracket them, we can throw different looks at them. Travis
Kelce had two games against the Patriots, twenty three receiving

(01:37:22):
yards in each of them.

Speaker 3 (01:37:24):
It's like, what else you got?

Speaker 4 (01:37:25):
And in one of those games, the AFC title game,
it was like, well, we don't have any other answers.
Got shut out in the first half. It took them
a while to get their sea legs right. Same thing
super Bowl fifty three. Oh guess what, rams six man
defensive front screws up your running game, all your play
action stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:37:42):
What else you got? Oh? Nothing? Apparently you scored three points.
We went right. So that's what I wonder with the Eagles.

Speaker 4 (01:37:49):
Sakwan Barkley has been magnificent this season, but if he
is held in check, is their passing game good enough
to beat the best teams the NFL has to offer?
And the regular season says no things can change in
the playoffs, But the Eagles were twenty ninth in passing
yards per game with aj Brown, DeVante Smith, Dallas Goddard, Like,

(01:38:12):
what is going on here? I know they relied heavily
on Saquon, but Jalen Hurts gotta be a whole lot
better in the playoffs, and I'm not sure he will be.

Speaker 1 (01:38:21):
I liked what Tom Brady said, and I'm going to
paraphrase when he was asked about Jalen Hurts. He said,
you know, certain players are stars. He was like, and
then there are champions. And he said, you know, this
is nothing against stars, because there's a lot of stars.
There's great stars. There's players who you know, they load

(01:38:42):
up the stat box. But champions find a way to win.
And he was being complimentary of Jalen Hurts because obviously
where he came from college football wise, what he's done
in this league since he's been a quarterback.

Speaker 3 (01:38:54):
He finds a way to win a lot, and he
finds a way to be in the.

Speaker 1 (01:38:58):
Conversation a lot at the top of the league where
it's like, hey, can he get it done if X,
Y or Z happens, Well, champions find a way. Now,
he proved himself at the collegiate level were I think
we're waiting to see Superman emerge.

Speaker 3 (01:39:14):
At the NFL level, he was close.

Speaker 1 (01:39:17):
He made a really obvious costly era or error against
the Chiefs in the Super Bowl that the Eagles lost
to the Chiefs. But other than that, he played a
fantastic game. I mean, there's no doubt when you look
at Patrick Mahomes, he's a champion. And that's the reason why,
to a nauseating extent, you have to accept what seems

(01:39:39):
the inevitable when it comes to Patrick Mahomes, because he
is that guy.

Speaker 3 (01:39:46):
Can Jalen Hurts do it?

Speaker 1 (01:39:48):
If the Rams or any team find a way to
tie the Eagles hands behind their back, and they say
to them, if they can accomplish defensively what few teams
have been able to do and stop or a very
least slow down Saquon Barkley to say, hey, Jalen Hurts,
now you go out and be the playoff team on your.

Speaker 3 (01:40:06):
Own answer that question is, I'm not sure. I believe
he can do it.

Speaker 1 (01:40:10):
Maybe not this season, maybe not with these pieces in place.
And if not this season with these pieces in place,
because he's got a pretty good surrounding cast, then when
when is it ever going to be better than it
is right now?

Speaker 3 (01:40:25):
The answer is probably not.

Speaker 1 (01:40:27):
So I have real doubts as to whether Jalen Hurts
is going to be that guy for the Philadelphia Eagles
or potentially for anybody. I think I think a lot
of his success isn't circumstantial. I think he's a talented
football player, but I do think he has limitations, and
I do think in the postseason those limitations start to

(01:40:49):
unveil themselves.

Speaker 6 (01:40:51):
Yeah, in the last like thirty minutes, we've seen a
whole point get shaved off this total wow. And it's
not because of Jalen Hurts his inability to throw. It's
because of the weather, which could obviously hamper Jalen Hurts his.

Speaker 5 (01:41:05):
Ability to throw.

Speaker 6 (01:41:06):
I thought a big reason why I bet the Packers
last week was because it was going to be Hurts'
first real game in a month. I mean that the
Steelers Eagles game was his last finished game. He only
played a handful of snaps the following week against the Commanders.
That game was on December fifteenth, and we were like

(01:41:28):
middle of January. That's a long time for a quarterback
to go without live reps.

Speaker 5 (01:41:33):
And it showed.

Speaker 6 (01:41:35):
And obviously, you know, four turnovers by the Packers and
fumbling the opening kickoff, missing field goals, blah blah blah blah.
That was why the Packers were unable to keep that
game close. But they still had opportunities to get within
the number late. I think this is going to be
a different vibe today because I don't think the Rams
defense or tomorrow, I don't think the Rams defense is

(01:41:56):
going to put as much pressure, although they've been really
good generating pressure.

Speaker 5 (01:42:02):
I do.

Speaker 6 (01:42:02):
I think maybe the Rams front has been a little
bit undervalued in that sense. They're very young front. They've
got a lot of you know, rookies and sophomore players
on that front. I think crishile defensive coordinator has done
a good job, but based on where the numbers moving
and kind of how things are proceeding with the weather forecast,
I think how Jalen hurts and the rest of the

(01:42:23):
team overcomes that is going to be a big factor
in this game. He can't play any worse than he
did last week like that, Like that was one of
the one of the worst performances I think he's had
all year, and they still won the game by two scores.
And I think that at least gives you some confidence
that Philly can at least rely on their defense, rely
on their running game. And maybe that's the point that

(01:42:43):
we're not talking enough about here, that Eagles defense with
Vic Vangio has really kind of crystallized itself into one
of the best units in the league over the last
month or two, and I think that will dictate a
lot more on how much pressure is on Jalen Hurts tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (01:43:01):
So the Marquee matchup Ravens and Bills, m that's the
last game of the entire weekend. Bill's a one point
home underdog. Now, let me ask you this, because we're
just talking about the Rams trying to slow down Saquon Barkley.
Do you think do you feel better about the Rams
slowing down Saquon Barkley or the Bills slowing down Derrick

(01:43:23):
Henry Because Derrick Henry went ballistic against the Bills in
that regular season game as well. So Rich, who do
you feel more confident in Bill slowing down King Henry
or the Rams again slowing down, not stopping, but slowing
down Saquon?

Speaker 1 (01:43:38):
Yeah, boy, only only from the standpoint Only from the
standpoint of I trust his postseason experience more. And it
feels odd to say because he hasn't been coaching nearly
as long as Sean McDermott. I'm talking lifespan, But I

(01:43:59):
trust Sean mc they and his game planning and his
ability to find nuanced ways to tilt the field in
favor for the Rams. Then I do Sean McDermott. I
think Sean McDermott there are times where I'm watching Bill's
games and I question sometimes the decision making, whether it

(01:44:22):
be defensively or offensively from a game plan standpoint, Like
I'll I'll look at their approach in certain games. I'll
be like, I wonder why they're throwing the football so much,
Or I might even be saying to myself in a
game where you're trying to slow down Derrick Henry, like
I wonder why there isn't more of an attempt to
crowd the line of scrimmage. That was our conversation I

(01:44:44):
think I had out loud during their last matchup together.
It's it's it's a it's a it's an interesting thing
that happens with Sean McDermott sometimes.

Speaker 3 (01:44:53):
Actually, oddly enough, it happens.

Speaker 1 (01:44:56):
It happens a lot when I'm watching the Ravens as
well as as as a matter of fact, when they
were in the AFC Championship game last year and they
wouldn't run the ball, and they would have run the
ball when they were when they were facing the Chiefs,
I was like, why is Lamar Jackson throwing the football
so often? Now they're opening script wins smoothly, but from

(01:45:16):
that point moving forward, it was like, this ain't working,
so where's the adjustment? And then they came out of
the half after intermission doing the exact same thing. It
was bizarre, and John Harbaugh has a pension I think
for getting lost in the sauce a little bit. I
think Sean McDermott has a little bit of that same
flu and you can see the symptoms. I trust Sean

(01:45:38):
McVeigh a lot more so to answer your question, and
I know that was a lengthy response. I think the
Rams are going to do a better job slowing down
Saquon Barkley than the Bills are slowing down Derrick Henry.

Speaker 5 (01:45:52):
You know it's funny.

Speaker 6 (01:45:52):
I got a text from Shamus right after his segment.
He's like, one other point on the running quarterback question
I forgot. I wonder if Lamar and Baltimore do that
thing like they did last year against the Chiefs where
he just stayed in.

Speaker 5 (01:46:01):
To talk about.

Speaker 4 (01:46:04):
I swear to god, I got that dexter from Shame
it's like you're gonna say it was something about Kansas
City this pick.

Speaker 6 (01:46:09):
Or I did put a little bit on UMKC the ruse.

Speaker 5 (01:46:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:46:14):
So a lot of people are doubting the Ravens because
of oh, Lamar Jackson in the playoffs. And I did
a show this week with some other pros and they
kind of said the same thing, and and they're like,
it's like Lucy with the football and in Snoopy right
where she pulls the ball back right.

Speaker 5 (01:46:30):
You know, we're trying to get into that rape.

Speaker 6 (01:46:32):
This is the year for the Ravens, and then Lucy
pulls the ball back right at the last minute with
Charlie Brown. Well, Lucy has a friend this year, and
Lucy's friend is Derrick Henry, whereas usually with Lamar Jackson
it's just Lamar and you gotta contend with all of
the things that he has to do, which are, let's
be honest, they are MVP qualities. He's won it twice,
maybe he'll win it a third time. But this year

(01:46:54):
feels different, maybe not the final Boss Patrick Mahomes, but
in the scenarios where and it looks like both of
these games tomorrow are gonna have weather Obviously, they're both
kind of in the same region of the country sort of,
so it would be shocked if both games were impacted
similarly by the weather. But if you were gonna ask
me which of the team's Philly or Baltimore are more

(01:47:16):
suited for this condition, I do think Baltimore because Lamar
right now is a willing runner. Both teams great offensive lines,
both teams I think are great running it, but I
think Lamar is more of a willing runner, whereas Jalen
Hurts last week looked very tentative.

Speaker 3 (01:47:35):
Yeah, kind of like Drew Aller.

Speaker 6 (01:47:37):
No, I'm not comparing the two the two games at all,
but in terms of their their gung honus to put
their head down and get the job done.

Speaker 5 (01:47:48):
There was a little tentativeness with Jalen Hurts his game.

Speaker 6 (01:47:51):
I don't get that sense with Lamar because I think
he's got his buddy thunder Buddies for life in the
backfield with Derrick Henry, who just kind of eliminates a
lot of those issues. And I think if Jalen Hurts
is an aggressive runner, and I think he's like the
leader other than Jake Daniels in third down scrambles, this year.
He needs to reactivate his superpower, which is his legs

(01:48:14):
and his decision making in that area or else. I
do think Phillies in for a tight one tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (01:48:18):
Yeah, it's a great point because listen, a couple of
us had Jalen Hurts over rushing bets last week. Nothing
to do with it, man, And toward the end of
that game, he's just running parallel. He's running sideways. It's like, bro,
put your foot in the ground and go and he Do.

Speaker 3 (01:48:34):
You think the question maybe has a factor? Brian could have.

Speaker 4 (01:48:37):
Yeah, I could have, because he was. He was absolutely
tentative last week and he can't be. He can't be
tentative in the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:48:44):
I'll tell you this.

Speaker 4 (01:48:45):
If just in terms of tentativeness, right, and we're not
talking about athletic ability or anything. You compare Lamar to
Jalen Hurts as runners, Lamar is not tentative at all
day and Jalen Hurts absolutely is right now. And yeah,
it could be after the concussion.

Speaker 3 (01:49:06):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (01:49:06):
Maybe it was one of those where the game was
pretty well decided against the Packers. Yeah, didn't want to
take a chance.

Speaker 3 (01:49:12):
That's fine. We're looking at it through the lens of dude,
I need you over thirty five and a half.

Speaker 4 (01:49:17):
Come on, he's looking at the playoffs as a whole,
you know, so that could have had something to do
with it as well. But I do know this, Yeh,
Lamar and Josh Allen the top two MVP candidates on
the same field tomorrow.

Speaker 6 (01:49:32):
That is gonna be Do you like that we don't
have any MVP decision making to do anymore? Though, Like,
shouldn't this game matter a little bit in that problem?

Speaker 3 (01:49:39):
Now? It's a regular season award, I know, But how.

Speaker 6 (01:49:42):
Awesome is it that we could have had like the
winner gets the.

Speaker 4 (01:49:46):
MVP because it would be so weighted with whatever happens
in the playoffs, those seventeen games wouldn't even matter, you know.
I keep it just with the regular season. But those
two guys man on the same field. That's gonna be
a ton of fun. And I'll tell you this.

Speaker 5 (01:50:04):
To this point is not to.

Speaker 4 (01:50:06):
Say that things can't change, because they can. But to
this point, Josh Allen has been worlds better in the
playoffs than Lamar Jackson has world's better, and I wonder
if that's going to hold true or change because it
has to change for the Ravens to win this game.

Speaker 1 (01:50:24):
Kind of a spin off of this conversation because we're
concentrating on AFC quarterbacks on that side of the playoff
bracket for now, we haven't talked about CJ. Stroud or
Patrick Mahomes, But to focus on Patrick Mahomes a little bit,
or excuse me on CJ. Stroud a little bit, because
I think he's going to be the QB that nobody

(01:50:44):
really talks about in this playoff because of the march
toward inevitability.

Speaker 5 (01:50:50):
Now, if somehow it's the Texans who.

Speaker 1 (01:50:54):
Are facing the winner of Baltimore Baltimore Buffalo, then obviously
his name will skyrocket to the top of the zeitgeist.
But for now it's been an under underwhelming topic to discuss,
except from this standpoint.

Speaker 3 (01:51:09):
When you look at CJ. Stroud and you look.

Speaker 1 (01:51:10):
At Jalen Hurts, I feel like there are some real
strong comparisons because I look at I look at Hurts,
and I say, he's a winner.

Speaker 3 (01:51:22):
He knows how this works, he knows how to win.

Speaker 1 (01:51:24):
He came into the league and looked like he had
a certain amount of readiness to him, a certain amount
of savvy that's not usually there for a young player,
and and he just sounded and looked different than a
lot of a lot of players, as you know, at
his age or at his stage in development. And I
felt the same same way about c J. Stroud last year,

(01:51:46):
and I feel the same way about him this year.
But I do feel like with both of these players,
there's a ceiling, Like, you know, I look at I
look at Lamar Jackson as almost limitless, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen,
It's like these guys could deliver in moments that you
don't think possible.

Speaker 3 (01:52:04):
But I look at Jalen Hurts, I look at C.

Speaker 1 (01:52:06):
Strown, and I just I have these moments where I
see them on TV, I watch their games and I
think to myself, I think, I think we're nipping at
close to the best we're gonna see from these guys.

Speaker 3 (01:52:19):
You know, Brock Purdy, I.

Speaker 1 (01:52:21):
Get that same vibe. Jared Goff, I get that same vibe,
Like how much better does it really get? They can't
turn on god mode the way some of these elite
level quarterbacks can. So is it gonna be enough for
the Texans with CJ.

Speaker 3 (01:52:36):
Stroud? Is it ever gonna be enough?

Speaker 1 (01:52:38):
For the Eagles with Jalen Hurts to win a Super
Bowl or is it gonna look like Donovan McNabb for
the Eagles all over again?

Speaker 5 (01:52:45):
That's you know, And what is CJ. Stroud?

Speaker 1 (01:52:48):
Is it ever really gonna work for the Texans? They
may win the South every year, but but I mean,
is that enough? That's I just I think we're we
may bump up against that ceiling. I'm talking about sooner
rather than later.

Speaker 5 (01:53:02):
I think that and that point makes me appreciate Mahomes more.

Speaker 6 (01:53:05):
Yeah, because I just think and we're very dan Orlowski
did this great segment where he did a VR of
what the quarterback has to go through at the line
of scrimmage, where like, you know, he's literally you're staring
at the line of scrimmage and you're kind of going
through all of the progressions, all of the reads, all
of the checks. This safety walks up, this corner moves back.
Everything that has to be done pre flop before the snap,

(01:53:28):
mentally for a quarterback. And then oh, by the way,
get the snap, make the right fakes, the right throw,
and then execute the play physically. It is the hardest
sport too. There's the hardest position to play in the
sport period. The mental acuity you need and then to
control yourself in that moment and to still execute physically

(01:53:50):
is so difficult.

Speaker 5 (01:53:52):
And we put a lot of pressure on these guys.

Speaker 6 (01:53:54):
We trash them, we say disgustinks, discuss trashes, washed, blah
blah blah blah. I think we need to step back
from that and just appreciate how good a guy like
Mahomes is at handling all of that pressure and still
performing at a high level and still when all the
planning you do pre flop, everything is set, if this

(01:54:14):
is covered two, I'm gonna go here, cover one here,
and then it all breaks down and you got to
make a play. And he still makes it. He still
gets out of the pocket and makes that run, makes
that throw. That level of quarterbacking is so rare. I
think it's unfair for us to put that evil on
a guy like Cjstruit.

Speaker 5 (01:54:31):
It's so hard to do.

Speaker 3 (01:54:32):
Yeah, there's so far.

Speaker 6 (01:54:33):
I can count on one hand the amount of people
that can execute that, and you just have to appreciate
it because it.

Speaker 3 (01:54:38):
Really is rare.

Speaker 4 (01:54:39):
Well, I'll be real fast with this because that's where
it has to improve. For Lamar in the playoffs because
we've seen how special he is. In the regular season,
he might be a three time MVP. At worst, he's
a two time MVP with a second place finish two
and a half.

Speaker 3 (01:54:56):
That's the worst case scenario.

Speaker 4 (01:54:58):
So we've seen him at an outstanding electric level, and
yet we've also seen in the playoffs a passer rating
that's eighty one point two, which, by the way, just
for context, in the regular season this past year, that
would slot between will Levis and Gardner Minshew. That's what

(01:55:18):
Lamar's passer rating has been in seven playoff games. That's
not good enough when we've seen him play at a
much much higher level. So the question is he's fully
capable of playing at a higher level. Will he against
the Bills tomorrow? Hey, shortly after the show, our podcast
would be going up. If you missed anything on today's show,
be sure to check it out. Just search Fox Sports

(01:55:40):
Radio wherever you get your podcasts, and also be sure to.

Speaker 3 (01:55:43):
Follow, rate and review it again.

Speaker 4 (01:55:44):
Just search Fox Sports Radio wherever you get your podcasts,
and you'll see the show posted right after we get
off the air.

Speaker 3 (01:55:50):
All right, we've got Rich.

Speaker 4 (01:55:51):
Rodberger, Penn State all American Jared Smith FSR betting analyst.
I'm Brian Now coming up next, rapid Fire. We each
have three selections for you. We'll go through them. It
is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff presented by BETMGM.
It is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff presented by BETMGM,
all season long. Betmgm's offering you a second chance on

(01:56:13):
your first touchdown bet in the NFL. When a customer
places an NFL wager on a first touchdown scorer bet
and he doesn't score first, but score second, BETMGM will
return one hundred percent of their stake back in cash. Hey,
props to the crew. Our trusted producer Bo Benson the
Dodger Zone podcast talking about the new evil Empire over there.

(01:56:36):
Know that they've signed everybody. Our technical producer extraordinary Chris Purfett,
Pride of Detroit Podcast. Shout out to our digital guy
Sager does a great job posting our clips. Really appreciate
is his hard work. Top of the hour up on
Game LaVar Arrington, TJ. Hushman's Out of Plexico Burist. They've
got you covered, all right, we got some picks to make.

Speaker 5 (01:56:58):
Let's do it.

Speaker 3 (01:57:02):
Rapid fire. All right, Jared, we start with you. What
do you like? All right, let's start with tonight.

Speaker 5 (01:57:09):
I'm going with the Commanders team total over twenty.

Speaker 6 (01:57:12):
Three and a half. We have to upgrade Jane Daniels.
He is a rookie that is not afraid of the
playoff moment.

Speaker 3 (01:57:17):
Now.

Speaker 6 (01:57:17):
I don't think Washington's defense is gonna be up to
the task against the Lions offense tonight, but this offense
for the Commanders is relentless. Five of daniels wins this
year have been the result of a game winning drive
in the fourth quarter or overtime, three in his last
three games. Impressive stuff, although over twenty three and a
half team total for Washington. Ravens money line at the Bills,
forget about the ghost of postseason pass.

Speaker 3 (01:57:39):
Lamar Jackson's got a new monster in the backfield.

Speaker 5 (01:57:41):
His name is Derek Henry.

Speaker 6 (01:57:42):
He is the perfect way to exercise the playoff demons.
Quote the Ravens money line never more. I think it's
gonna be Chiefs and Ravens in the AC title game
next week. And let's go to Monday night. Brian, You're
gonna love this pick. Notre Dame plus eight and a half.
The fighting Irish have what is required to take Ohio
State to the deep end the pool and test that
lung capacity. Force the Buckeyes to execute Riley Leonard hopefully healthy,

(01:58:05):
Jeremiah Love making plays Irish cover maybe even spring.

Speaker 3 (01:58:09):
The upstt Wow.

Speaker 1 (01:58:10):
I am staying in the NFL, and we're talking about today, tonight,
and tomorrow. Let's start with today, Kansas City Chiefs. They're
favored by eight and a half. That's Patrick Mahomes taking
on a Texans team that has struggled all season long.
I don't trust the Texans at all. I do trust
the Chiefs in the postseason. Moving on to tonight, I

(01:58:32):
love how many points we're getting on our Washington Commanders,
and I'm talking about the community of Commanders fans who
have gathered under this banner that Jaden Daniels is difficult
to stop.

Speaker 3 (01:58:46):
I'll take the points, give me the nine and a half.
That's a lot of fun.

Speaker 1 (01:58:50):
Tomorrow, Rams, I would take them on the money line,
So give me the points.

Speaker 3 (01:58:55):
I'll take them plus six. Let's go Rams, all right,
I'll go fans, because again I have no choice. I'll
go with CJ. Stroud.

Speaker 4 (01:59:05):
He's got to throw it a bunch. Give me over
thirty four and a half passing attempts. I'll take Jaden
Daniels the Lions struggle against mobile quarterbacks. Give me Jaden
Daniels over fifty five and a half rushing yards, and
give me Jamir Gibbs fun one first attempt over three
and a half rushing yards. Taking Notre Dame money line
is too easy.