January 1, 2026 • 40 mins
On this New Year's Edition of The Ben Maller Show, Kevin Figgers & Adam Auslund recap the Cotton bowl, and then debate what would be some possible rule changes they would like to change in their favorite sports!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Ben Mahler
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
from two to six Eastern eleven pm to three am
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and to find your local
station for the Benmatlers Show at Foxsports Radio dot Com.
You can find it there or stream us live every
night on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
This is the best of the Ben Maler Show on
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Kevin, we're still allowed to play this song on the radio.
I love it well, Daddy and family forever the little.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Big Ben Mallards label.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
You're on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
I can't. Can I say it? I'm gonna get so
much crap if I say it, I'm gonna say it
in the air everywhere the vast Fox Sports Radio network.
Kevin figures Adam Alslin filling in for Big Ben Maler
here on Fox Sports Radio. This is the big time, Adam.
I mean talking about a Fox Sports Radio legend that
we're sitting in for right now.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Big Ben Mallor, who I used to listen to up
on kgk AM eleven forty up in Norcl I mean
back in the day, and now we're filling in. This
is kind of a big deal and I don't know.
It's a holiday. Happy New Year everyone.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Happy New Year everyone out there on the East Coast
and everywhere else. About an hour left in twenty twenty
five for those out west, So looking forward to spending
the next four hours with you guys here on Fox
Sports Radio. You can hit us up on the socials
at KFIG one is where you can find me. You
can find Adam at follow Adam A. We are on
X That's where you can hit us up and talk
to us about whatever's on your mind. Here on the
(01:42):
on the eve, on New Year's Eve, I should say
have twenty twenty five into twenty twenty six, depending on
where you may be listening.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Okay, I do have to say we have some early
technical difficulties. So don't ask me to play first off
right now, Kevin.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Of course we do. I'll get a new machine.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Hold on, hold on, I'm trying to play something right now.
Bring it ain't working. It ain't working, like it's not
on my end. All I know is this.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
New year, same machine. That's what it is.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
No, Yeah, this year, she says, from nineteen ninety five,
What do you think that's my machine playing that.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
I thought.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
So they're just playing like random sound trucks.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Now that's John Lorain and just keep him rolling. Why not?
Speaker 3 (02:17):
It's like one button in the sound. That's all I
can tell. Uh, it's just try every button. I don't know, Kevin,
Let's just start talking about the upset tonight, please. We
don't need first off, we can go back to the
old school method. I can say, first off like Tupac
and hit him up, which is the SoundBite for US
Miami one. Dam It ain't New Year's if you don't
(02:39):
got Michael Irving bringing out the belt on a gatorade
bottle with a jersey on it and just going to
town like that's how you're ringing the New Year.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Doing a little bit too much. And I love Michael Irvan.
And by the way, you can't help if you ever
have a chance to meet the guy in nicest person
you will ever meet in your life, will sit there
very charismatic. We'll talk to you almost like a politician
to a certain degree. I have nothing negative about Michael
Irvan as a person, but man, he really is dealing
a lot of spotlight these last few weeks from the
University of Miami.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Oh you think he's like sister Jean a little bit, well,
a little bit to a certain degree. I rest her soul.
Did she pass ever?
Speaker 4 (03:15):
I feel like she just passed earlier this year.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Okay, well, that'll be the in memoriam segment we do
later in the show when we talk about everyone who
passed in twenty twenty five?
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Are we doing how we're doing that? By the way,
that's news to me. Re snuck that one in on
the rundown, didn't she.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well she's snuck up by the way, Oh my god,
a New Year's miracle.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Don't get cocky, kid. You know we're only four minutes
into the show. I think could die in an instant.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Check out the big brain on Bria Brie. First of all,
it had nothing to do on my end, Kevin. I
just want to make that abundantly clear. This was not
a technical issue over on my side.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Here, of course, I want to see you're throwing the
rain under the bus, is what it sounds like that.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
I don't even know what an IR machine is. But
thank you for bringing in new stuff into the studio.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Well, look, this is old stuff for us. This is
a s this is before you were born. This is
ra early nineties.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
I work with Ben Maller, one of the dinosaurs of radio.
Don't tell me you're bringing in old stuff.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I actually have some Ben Mallor sound here.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Wow. So I want everybody to be clear. That was
the ragna that said that about Ben, and that was
Adam that said that band was an old ass dinosaur.
The malin militia coming after me to anyway, because I
know how you guys operate. But I'm trying to be
on my best behavior here tonight.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
I'm not. It's the end of twenty twenty five. I'm
going out, sad. What does it matter?
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Holiday?
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Here we be, Look, Santa Claus, it's past. I got
plenty of time to make up for being on the
naughty list, now do you. And speaking of Ben mallor
Adam Ashland, I mean he literally called me Ashland before
Adam Ashland.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
He's not alone though, I mean been multiple personalities who
have called you out of your name before Adam Ashlin,
Adam Ashlin.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Adam Ashless. I mean Brian Oslin, Brian Ausland. I mean,
if you don't even get the first name right, like
I do. Have credit cards, Kevin, let's say l A
n D instead of l U N D. In fact,
when we put up that cliff last week, as we
had Petro's papadakas on trying to bite a real show,
who joined us and eviscerated the USC Trojans because he's
(05:11):
like from there, he has ownership on that story.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
He's not the only one you see with Linda White
sweety yesterday.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Oh, I did not Lyndell or I don't know.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
If I can repeat it on the air. Let's put
it that way.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I didn't know he popped his head up.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
I haven't.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I haven't thought about Lindell White in a long time,
since he's.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Thought a lot about the USC football program. I'll say that.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Oh, the fact that he didn't have that block in
front of him to get that first down. But even
the Fox Sports Radio little clip we put out with
Petro saying, f that ef everything talking about Matt Lioner
trying to make excuses for USC, even that said l
A and d Adam oz Land like I'm from the
(05:48):
land of oz It shot him. I can't get away
from it. But that's fine. Everything's fine now, we're good machine.
No I am over it.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
If everything's perfectly all right, now we're fine.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
We're all fine here now, thank you?
Speaker 3 (06:02):
How are you? You know where things aren't fine? Well,
they're never fine there, but Ohio, Ohio losing this ballgame tonight,
Kevin in the fashion they did being the number two seed.
The main takeaway I have, the Colin Cowherd takeaway is this,
thank goodness, we at least have a twelve team playoff,
and thank goodness Miami got in because they have more
(06:24):
than proven themselves. Notre Dame. I'm sorry, Brady Quinn, you
guys have zero case. Not only did Miami beat you,
they beat Texas A and m who beat you, and
now they've taken out Ohio State to move on rolling
their way into the semis.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Well, this part is hard. And by the way, a
few people when the very beginning of this debate happened
between Miami and Notre Dame and being seven parts places
apart in the initial CFP rankings, I was championing Miami
the entire time. And yes, obviously Miami deserves to be here,
and it was a great victory over Ohio State and
a great victory over an m last week. But I
can't necessarily say that, well, this means that Notre Dame
doesn't deserve to be in because who's to say that
(07:01):
Notre Dame basically played the exact same way that Miami
played these last two weeks or whatever it's been. I
guess it's been two weeks in between games or whatever
it was between their last their playoff win in the
first round. But ground and pound dominant defense, that is
how Notre Dame has won all season long. So I
can't necessarily say that if Notre Dame made it to
the situation and Miami didn't, that we wouldn't necessarily have
(07:22):
the same results.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Okay, you're right, but Miami certainly is deserving at.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
This point without a doubt.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Kial didn't go in and just get run over by
the Aggies. That didn't happen. They went into one of
the toughest environments and got an ugly road victory. And then,
as you mentioned that, Tito Ortez ground and pound game
traveled today to the Cotton Bowl to get this win.
Over what I think, I mean, most brackets for the
playoff are busted, Kevin, are remember what we used to
(07:53):
do for the bracket challenge back in the day. Look
at the flowers Flowers.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I'm gonna have to bring that back for college basketball
season two, I guess right. Bringing in him now for
the CFP, why they hell not?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
People are going to be confused with all the guns
being shot up into the air tonight. Yeah, no, kidd
at midnight here on the West coast.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah. Well, in Ohio State, who I mean, without question,
mostly has most NFL talent on their roster, first round
picks up and down, and for them to lose the
way they lost against Indiana, Granted that was a close,
tight game too, but Indiana kind of dominated them up
front and you can say for the most part of
this game, and I know they made their run in
the second half. The exact same thing happened with Miami.
One thing we've said about the University of Miami under
(08:30):
myro Crystal Ball, any team that he coaches, they're going
to be good in the trenches, and that's exactly what
they were early in this game, well, being able to
bust off runs in the run game and really stuff
Ohio State, and he have them to get nothing going
offensively the entire first half of the game.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
They started with that level of physicality and they finished
with that level of physicality while also going seven to
fourteen on third downs, mixed in on huge plays where
at one point Carson Beck completed thirteen straight passes in
the first half. A lot of them were dinking dunk passes,
but been in a game against Ohio State, you might
have to do that, Julian saying. By the way, I'm saying,
(09:05):
he completed ten straight to start the second half.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
He was spectacular.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
I think the turning point of the ball game was
they're down by three. They get the ball back from
Miami at seventeen fourteen, and the first penalty of the
game got cold was seven minutes left in the fourth quarter,
and it was a hold on Ohio State and it
put them in a third and twenty situation. They got
a short yardage gain out of it, they had to punt,
and then on that punt they had another penalty. Yeah,
(09:33):
they redid it and it ended up being a much
worse punt where it was like a difference of twenty
yards where Miami was starting with on that final drive instead.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
Yeah, I mean, the big thing the difference for me
in the game was really the protection up front, because
Julian Saying has basically been as great as he's been
completely over over eighty percent of his passes. Great numbers,
but I think a lot of that was due to
the fact that he had all data throw. He had
all data throw all season long. These last two games
against Indiana and Miami was sacked ten times, five times
in each game, running for his life. I will say this,
(10:04):
in the second half of the game on Friday night,
he showed himself well in that second half and having
that pressure as well as he possibly could trying to
get out make plays. And you mentioned the h RA
completions that he made two touchdown passes. He played well
in the second half. But the exact opposite for what
happened with Carson Beck, who's been more of your game
manager type. If anything, Carson Beck is a guy that
you don't want throwing the ball more than twenty five
(10:26):
thirty times a game because he is prone to throwing interceptions.
And these first two playoff victories from Miami, he's been
a game manager, and I think that's the recipe for
them to be able to win.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
If you told me somebody threw an I inc on
a screen pass that went seventy two yards the other
way in this ball game, I would have thought it
was Carson Beck, not Juli Insane. That's the other thing.
They miss a field goal, they give them seven points
to Miami's defense. The margins are so slim in a
battle like this. Now, Ohio State did recover after being
(10:55):
down fourteen to nothing in the first half and missing
that field goal at the end of it to come back,
and then I think they had like two hundred and
thirty yards on their next three drives and they kept coming,
but Miami was able to keep them at bay even
when you saw, I mean, Ohio State gets that touchdown
with Bo Jackson, different Bo Jackson to start the second half.
Mammy comes right back and kicks a fifty yard field goal,
(11:17):
where by the way, they recover their own fumble just
to stay in fueld goal range to knock that down
when their kicker was one for four last week with
the wind, you could say, but against the Aggies, that
was a huge play.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Yeah. And I also want to say there's an excuse
floating out there that well, you know, Ryan Day, it
took the play calling duties away from Brian Hartline because
Heartline is distracted as a new head coach of South
Florida has too much on his plate, which I don't
know if it's necessarily wrong to a certain degree, especially
knowing how the portal works and all this. These guys,
there's no way they can be fully committed to the
current job when they know they have a future job
(11:50):
that's of much more importance when they're head coach of
a new program. I don't know if I can say
that because I don't think execution or play calling was
an issue for Ohio State. I think they just got
beat like that that picked six, And I think Dusty
Devorceek said this on the telecast. It was like, that's
just film study. Like the way that he read that play.
I mean, Julian Sayin telegraphed the pass and he jumped
it and ran it back. That was nothing but just
(12:12):
heads up play by the defensive back and you know,
being able to get stuffs in the run fits and
all that. All of that was just execution. I just
thought Miami executed better than Ohio State. So I don't
know if I can necessarily blame this on play calling
O'Ryan day's part, especially based on the fact that was
to your point, Ohio State's offense woke up in the
second half. They just couldn't recover from their slow start.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
And the other excuse being made for Ohio State is
they almost had a month off between games and that
they had what happened to Oregon last season where they
got the buy that the number one seed. I know,
Ohio State was number two, but Oregon looked ill prepared
for that Ohio State buzz saw last season that had
to beat Tennessee to get to them, And now Ohio
(12:50):
State has the layoff and you talk about rest versus rust.
I don't know if that first half was just rust
or physicality and them getting their ass beat out there,
because Mario Cristobaul postgame on SVP on the Evil four
Letter was like, hats off to our guys because we're
some tough ass sons of bitches out there, and they
(13:10):
were and they have molers and we knew this coming
into the season. Early in the year when they beat
Notre Dame, we were all talking about how physical they
were in the trenches. John Madden was right. It always
goes back to winning the game in the trenches because
everything starts there and everything can fall apart there if
you don't have your s and order and Ohio State
Julians saying in the first half, the way he was
(13:33):
under duress, like it was, hey, you better back it
up here. He was running for his life like it
was brutal to watch. And they had another big sack
in the second half on him that proved to be crucial.
So they started strong, they started with that physicality, they
finished with it, and they had their own screen pass
(13:54):
really to put the ball game away on that third
down late Miami.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Yeah. The big thing for me, I guess is the
fact that they were able to get contributions from other
players other than Malachi Tony, who everybody knew was the
biggest offensive threat that Miami had, and you knew Ohio
State was going to look to take that away and
they did that. But the fact that Miami was able
to run the ball for over one hundred and fifty
yards against the Ohio State team and put up the
amount of points they put up against Ohio State, who
allowed what an average of like eight point nine points
(14:18):
per game, yeah or something this season.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
It was the best defense since twenty eleven Bama.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Yeah, I mean, it was an incredible effort by the
University of Miami. So I would like to give them
flowers and talk more about what they did right than
people harping on what Ohio State did wrong.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Yeah, I mean they did twist the pure snipple of
Ryan Day in this game, and he looked upset Blackbeard
himself out there. I also because he's been so good
in the past when he was calling plays. I don't
know if that had anything to do with it. He
wasn't calling plays against Indiana when it looked like, oh
they had a governor on and that was the excuse.
(14:50):
Then well, they're not letting that dog off the leash yet.
They're gonna wait for the playoffs to really turn up. Well,
you take a month off, do you lose some of
that competitive edge out there? And then if you have
to find it after getting your butts kicked in the
first half just to get into year, it's too late.
Miami was too good. If they played this game ten times,
Miami might beat him six out of ten.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
I could see that. Yeah, Well, it's one of those
there to a certain degree, kind of evenly matched because
they're stylistically built the same way, physical upfront, and who's
gonna win a physical matchup? I mean, when you're built
the way those teams are both built to your point
in time or to your point. It can go back
and forth. On any given day, who was just more physical?
Who was able to make the plays on that given day?
And on Friday Night it just happened to be Miami.
(15:34):
I guess my question to you would be based on
how Miami played against A and M and against Friday Night?
Is there a team that they can't beat? I mean,
why can't they win the national championship? If you're going
to be that stout defensively, I know you might need
a little bit more punch offensively here and there, But
if you're gonna be that good on offense, you already
played against one of the best offensive lines, one of
the best offensive units you're going to face in this postseason.
(15:57):
Why can't you make a deep run to the championship?
Speaker 3 (15:59):
They can't you?
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Who can't you beat?
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Well? George is very familiar with Carson Beck, and I
expect them to beat Old Miss tomorrow and that should
be the matchup in the next round.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
Corre.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
I'm not saying they can't beat Georgia, but Georgia would
be favored against them, and I will out at the
edge I just think they're more dynamic. I don't trust
Miami enough to make as many of those crucial fifty
to fifty plays on those third down conversions like they
were able to win this game just because Carson Becka
can go the other way very quickly at times. With
him now, he's been okay in big games and I'm
(16:29):
rooting for him, and I think it's a really interesting
storyline if they end up taking on Georgia. But I mean,
your defense keeps you in it. If you can run
the ball like that and still play defense, you're going
to be in the game. I just think Georgia is
a player too, better on offense than Miami.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
Yeah, And I think most people felt that about Ohio
State coming against a Friday night's game too, and saw
how that played. It's played itself out. So I guess
congratulations to University at Miami. And if you're Ryan Day,
you're probably back on the hot seat again because that's
what Ohio Ohio State works. If you imagine by the
way Kyle Whitningham comes in has a phenomenal season end
of the year, next year, Michigan beats Ohio State, and
(17:06):
Ohio State's probably gonna make the playoff again. I'm sure
they will. But you imagine what happens if they lose
to Michigan and don't win the national Championship next year,
where people are gonna.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Say, oh, yeah, he'll be right back where he was
square one. He is a year removed from having one
of the most dominant runs and winning the first ever
twelve team playoff. By the way, what have you.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
Done for me lately? Because apparently what happens in the
past twenty four months isn't lately.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
I know there was so much disappointment and there were
a lot of losses to Michigan, but they were able
to win on the biggest stage. Now, some fans might say, well,
that was Chip Kelly. That was different. That was Chip Kelly,
That's what they might say, because he knew Oregon and
they lit them up. Where was that at the Rose Bowl?
I believe last year when it wasn't raining as much. Yeah,
(17:50):
it's the same cross to bear. It is difficult. It
is a high pressure situation for him always, but you
knew what you signed up for, and yeah it'll be
he'll be under the hot seat. But Julian Sand's coming
back right yep, that's they got a good young quarterback.
They should still be very competitive.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
Oh they'll be better than competitive. They're they're gonna win
you know, a ten eleven games again next season. They're
just they're returning too many guys. Even if they lose
a bunch of guys, they have five stars right behind
them coming in, so they're not gonna them being in
the playoff next year. I don't think it's gonna be
an issue.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
This was so disappointing of a loss, though, because they
were double digit favorites at one point this week. They
ended up I think minus nine and a half over Miami.
So people aren't gonna forget this. Lord knows, somebody with
the belt will definitely not be forgetting this. I love it, honestly.
It makes me laugh every time. The belt to ask
(18:45):
movement that has been going on in sports now and
Michael Irving doing the doing the most with it tonight,
I'm good with it.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
I'm sure it's not his intention to draw attention away
from the team, but to a certain degree I think
it does. It's like you can be on the sideline
and cheer when the team does well, but you're doing
a little much for me, Mike.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
He thinks he's on the team still does What was
that speech he gave? It was Jamis Winston esque afterwards,
talking about you're not gonna take away my glory speaking
about the past. Yeah, I'm here for it, but I
know we got more to talk about with college football
because there are some games that are being overlooked right now, Kevin.
(19:21):
And it's kind of a change into the guard. It's
a new era of college football. When you got twelve
teams in how much do you care about these bowl
games going on? We had Texas Michigan earlier and as
our friend David Vassa would say, it was kind of
whole hum. It was a little bit ho hum out there.
We'll talk about that next. He's Kevin figures Amna Moslin.
It is Fna in on The Ben Mallor Show. Happy
New Year.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Mallor
Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 6 (19:53):
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight Fire
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pushing the
same tired narratives down your throat.
Speaker 7 (20:02):
Every day.
Speaker 6 (20:03):
Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest
sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at
the sports book, and all the best guests. Do yourself
a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
That's right, Hour two of the Ben Mala Show here
on Fox Sports Radio with me, Kevin Figures and he Adam.
Also hit us up on x at k fig one
and at follow Adam A thank you guys for joining us.
Happy New Year out there to the West Coast, Happy
New Year, and if you're.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
So Marget.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
And for our friends listening Hawaii, still got a couple
hours to go.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Y'all get a New Year every day?
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Is this one of those opportunities where it's okay to
get drunk on the radio. It feels like it should be.
If Anderson Cooper and his boyfriend can get drunk on
the CNN broadcast, why can't we, Kevin.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
I guess there's no rules saying that we can't. The
girls are wasted in the other room greatly frowned upon.
I don't think that that's the baby. Let's go necessarily
true right now. I appreciate the honesty. I do love
that about you.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
My very first radio job in Oregon, the morning guys
who come in at four am, they kept a bottle
of fireball whiskey in their drawing at every morning, every morning.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Okay, that was like the first time I felt like
I should stop drinking. I had a fireball incident. I
had a Mario Brothers fireball incident where I woke up
the next morning because the fireball gets you with the
indigestion when you got to get the PEPs at ac. Yeah,
the esophagus is burning, it's on fire. That's the worst
option possible. First, of all those Oregon guys, I would
(21:50):
have thought they would have waked and baked, not waked
into fireballs like that. That too, okay, maybe a little
bit of both Jega bombs down here teeth Well, I hope.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
You guys are just college at one point, I'm sorry,
just did you bring up fireball? And like you know,
we're young, we're broke, we don't have any money, and
all we had was my roommate's older brother had a
bottle of Fireball that he hadn't opened, and he's like, well,
it was cheap to pay for it. Yeah, it was
an absolute nightmare.
Speaker 5 (22:17):
You can't smell cinnamon anymore.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
It's just auxious thousand.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
It's like if you have a certain drink when you're sick,
and then you always associate it with being sick, like
having seven Up or something like that. Now I can't
have seven up when I feel fine. It doesn't work
for me. Even sprites too close they had to take
away see or missed because it ruined things for me.
Now it's story. Yeah, I Fireball's the worst thing ever.
(22:42):
You know what, in twenty twenty six, I'm going to
continue to not drink. That just sealed it for me.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
That's sure.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Just non resolution fireball incident. I can't have it. And
hopefully you guys out there tonight are being safe, ye
are staying off the road, are not doing whatever. Michael
Irving was at the Miami game that had him going
like that, or he brought out the belt like none
of us can wear belts anymore. Michael Irving has all
(23:08):
of them.
Speaker 4 (23:08):
Kevin. That was an impressive performance by the University of
Miami and they maybe even more oppressive performance by Michael
Irvin down there on the sideline.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Can I say this? Somebody tweeted in that they want
more hate towards Ohio State, they want more trash talk,
even though the story should be about Miami winning. As
Ben Maller would say, the losing locker room has the
bigger story. Right.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
Well, look, we did bring up Ryan Day, and you
know the fact that, as their rational West fans are,
just won a national championship last year, did beat Michigan,
and all of a sudden finds himself in a situation
where people the fan base is upset and there's new
blood at Michigan. I will not downplay again if Michigan
finds a way under Kyle Whittingham to jump up next
year and beat Ohio State going into the playoff. I
(24:01):
do think. I don't think Ohio State realistically is gonna
entertain getting rid of Ryan Day. But I do think
that those conversations are gonna start being had as ridiculous
as they are because that's just where the standard is
for university like that.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
Look, Spock's weed, who got to me? I follow out
of Maya on X who wants us to go after
Ohio State more. I mean, I said they twisted his
nipple ring. That's what Miami did to Ryan Day in
Ohio State.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
Get excited.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
I'm just saying, like his black Beard is fake. They're
all frauds there, apparently, because they got bounced in their
first game of the playoff this season. And they've got
way too many stickers on their helmets. Okay, it's not
that serious.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
Some of them. Do you have to earn those stickers
at it?
Speaker 3 (24:42):
I don't know. They're sticker happy. It felt like there
were way less stickers back in the game or back
in the day.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
So you're saying that, uh that Ryan Days like Oprah,
everybody gets a sticker, whether they earn it or not.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Yeah, these parts of going around these everybody gets a star,
everybody got nay plus all that stuff. Ohio State maybe
that's what they lost the game actually because they were
over confident, because they felt like they were better than
they actually were. Because every helmet you could barely see
the helmet. They probably didn't feel safe out there. They
thought they were just being protected by damn stickers.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
Yeah, well, look I would rip into Ohio State if
they lost to James Madison. It's not like, with the
all due respect to James Madison.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Hey, Mario Cristo ball never wins a big game until now.
If I had a crystal ball and I looked into
it and it said Miami was going to win this game,
I wouldn't believe it.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Well, his game management certainly calls a lot of things
into question, but again, considering how this game played out,
he didn't really have to have a big decision come
come to a head for him because they dominated the
line of scrimmage. Now, maybe that's an indictment of Ohio State,
and maybe because it's happened in back to back games
for them against Indiana and Miami. If you want to
hope that against them, sure, but they still have a
stacked roster. They have all the talent in the world.
(25:54):
You said, if they played Miami and Ohio State played
each other ten times, that maybe Miami will win six,
maybe you'll be five and five. I think that's just
how this game played out.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Okay, Wait, I don't know. Wait a second. They played Texas,
they barely won. They played Indiana, they barely lost, and
the kicker missed a Blair Walsh esque twenty seven yard
er and missed another one in the at the end
of the first half. They played Miami and they lost
every good team to decent team that they played, because
I don't know how good Texas was. I mean, they
(26:23):
ended up beating Michigan. They finished strong, and arch Manning
looked better. But to start off the season when they
weren't very good, every good team Ohouse they played. I
don't know, Kevin, they played a lot of nobody's in
between all those close games against decent competition. I think
they may be big fat phonies. They were valued.
Speaker 4 (26:46):
So see, this is what the guy who tweeted you
this is what he wanted?
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Is this not what you want?
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Is this what you want?
Speaker 3 (26:50):
Are you not entertained?
Speaker 4 (26:52):
Which is not a bad point at him, So you.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
Know, I'm just saying I finally got to a good
point and all my hopeless ranting about Ohio State. They
didn't play the stiffest competition. No, they weren't battle tested enough.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
A pretty paddy cake Big ten schedule all the way around.
When you think about it, what's your schedule and how
it falls on a given year. It has as much
to do with whether or not you make the postseason
as anything. Yeah, So I don't know that is that
is very much an accurate indictment of them that you
had there.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
It just feels like piling on though, going after the
state of Ohio. You know, in Cincinnati, and they haven't
had a lot of success in Cleveland.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
So it's just it's usually just Ohio State University, not
the entire state of Ohio.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
I'm just saying, like, I have a friend from Cleveland, Okay,
Mike Tucker, mother Tucker, we used to call him, and
I still have a soft spot for those teams that
he rooted for. Now, Ohio State has had a lot
of success in their history. They're an outlier. Not this year,
baby bout.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Okay it, God forbid. They don't win the national championship
every single solitary season.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
They didn't even come close. Kevin, that was belt to assy.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
She had a fat ass, you know what I mean? Yeah, Mike, Mike,
Michael Irvan, where you bess in two thousand and one,
the last time Miami won a national championship, we're talking
about belta asses. And I look in I love Michael
over my personal.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
Problems, all right, whatever what do you mean?
Speaker 4 (28:15):
Where he's been ste it's about Belta ass and talking
trash about Ohio State. Not that Mike is doing that,
but just piling on Ohio State is a phenomenal program.
They're gonna bounce back. They're not going anywhere. They had
a bad year. It happens. I thought Alabama won the
national championship every single year in the next sabment, even
though they did the majority of the time he was in.
Wasn't every year.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
You're right, You're right. He set unrealistic expectations. But the
U is back. First, Texas was back. They made the
playoff last year, made a bit of a run, got
lucky against Arizona State. Now Ohio State is not back.
You Miami? Miami is back? When will USC be back?
(28:55):
Their next st up? Right on who's back?
Speaker 7 (28:57):
Am?
Speaker 4 (28:58):
I take some time about they find themselves a defensive coordinator. Yeah,
good luck with That's a bit of an issue. That
final play was unreal. I was watching that.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
I don't want to out anyone, but my close personal
friend Carlo Jimenez, voice of the Clippers on the radio side,
went to USC just out.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
At him and gave away his job, his government name
where he lives. Cool. I don't want to take this.
You don't have to take this from Adam Carlough.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
The signature call is Nylon and it's a good one.
But uh, he was not happy seeing that live and
me being the one showing him the play live as
it happened on my phone. I thought live actually first,
and then rewounded for him and made it seem like
it was going to be live as that frog stomping
happened against USC with TCU the other night.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
That was really really hoping Carlo would just smack the
phone out of your hands as you tried to put
it up to his face.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
Well, I got an otter box case or whatever the
hell it is like, it's been through worse.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
Come on, just taken throw it halfway across into it dome.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Okay, where we are burying the lead here? First of all,
it's New Year's. It is happy New Year. We're in
for Ben mallor I'm out of Maslin. He's Kevin Figures
and you know what, let's play it. We haven't played
it in a while.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
It's not funny the Paddle O'Brien inspired jingle, thank you Petros.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
It is a New Year's so we got to theme
things out here in the show, Kevin, you had this
brilliant idea lay it on me.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
I don't know how brilliant it was, but I was thinking,
people talk about New Years and having different resolutions, and
maybe that's something that we can get into a little
deeper at the very end of this hour. But as
far as the sports landscape goes, you know, people talk
about issues that they have with certain sports. I know
instant replay is a big deal in in the NFL,
and what should be reviewed and what shouldn't be reviewed
really in any sport if it's about that in the
(30:51):
NBA when it comes to fouls or goaltending and Major
League Baseball with fair fair foul, or whether there should
be a skyjash, just any number of things, issues that
you could potentially have with whatever sport you decided to follow,
and if there could be a sport that you would
love to follow, but because of something that really grinds
your gears about it, you've just decided to check out.
(31:11):
I'm out. I don't want to watch it anymore.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
As a burned my saddle with this sport, not only a.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
Little bit a little bit. So the question is, if
there's one thing you can change about your favorite sport
or any sport. What would it be and why? Pop
quiz hotshot.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox If you guys
want to tell us, I could start with this, Kevin. Now,
this could be something that's pretty universal for many sports.
But I'm gonna say this specifically about the NBA because
it is at least a twenty five year old problem
for the association. We got to get rid of, not
(31:48):
just divisions conferences in the National Basketball Associations.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Is a Fred Rogan special right here the West.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
How dare you?
Speaker 4 (31:56):
Hey, that's it through you.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
I'm sorry twenty twenty six and you're still calling me
Fred Rogan. This is going to have a bad take.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
This is the company that you live in, or Adam?
What table takes like that? Sorry?
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Company of Wolves? Look, how the hell was she that
quick with it? I thought I was quick on the
instant replay machine.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
Damn, you don't count with being quick because you come from.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
Your own brain.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
That's not sexual. All right. So that's our first one
of the new year.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
Here you go.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Look, the NBA has had a problem for over twenty
five years. I can go back to Jordan retiring the
second time with Chicago. Since then, the Western Conference has
dominated and I think won the head to head overall
series against the Eastern Conference every year except for one.
I think it was two thousand and nine when it
(32:50):
was the Lakers in Orlando Magic and the Eastern Conference
actually beat the Western Conference more than the West beat
the East overall record wise that season. That's it. So
we got all these teams that are in a blood
bath and a gauntlet every year. Everybody talks about the
SEC is so difficult to get through in these conferences
and it's not fair. No, no, no. The Western Conference
(33:13):
in the NBA has been the worst case of imbalance
between schedules and not having things leveled out. And if
they could just go one through sixteen, the best team
in either conference, I mean the West might have twelve
teams in. There would definitely be years like that. You
(33:33):
do need to balance things out because the West plays
each other more correct.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
So I was gonna be my question to you is
how do you balance out the schedule with the format
like that?
Speaker 3 (33:41):
You could figure it out. There are ways, dude, I mean,
come on, those.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
People who make way much more money than you that
can figure that out.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Hey want to toe. I can get you a toe.
They can figure this out somehow, just smooth things out.
They can go in rotation with certain conferences every year,
like we see in the NFL, where a team from
an NFL division ends up playing a certain AFC division
one year and around robin format that type of thing.
There are much better ways than what we're seeing right now.
(34:08):
And I think it is a serious problem because I
root for teams in the Western Conference, so I'm a
victim of the conference and balance that is going on
in the NBA. Otherwise, the Clippers would have probably fifteen
championships by now if they had the easier route out
of the Eastern Conference. Ben Maller would agree with that. No,
he would.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
No, I don't disagree that Ben would agree. I disagree
with that. Take me off, Excuse.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
Me, all right, Kevin, you want to give me your
New Year's resolution in sports?
Speaker 4 (34:43):
Yeah, I'm going to go to college football on this one.
And it might sound like a minor thing, but it
actually has a big trickle down effect with a lot
of other situations. We really need to go back to
one national signing period in February for college football, and
I think Petros alluded to this when we spoke to
him last two It's just just with the early December
signing period, it affects so many different things. Coaches get
(35:04):
fired earlier, coaches are in a rush to be hired
earlier so that you don't lose early commitments when it
comes to the December recruiting class. Remember Signing Day used
to be a big deal. Yeah, it used to be
National Signing Day in February. In the couple of weeks
leading up to it, you would have the All American Army,
Navy whatever it was called, a high school All Star game,
and a lot of guys will commit and play there.
(35:25):
They still play the game, but no one really pays
attention to it because all the big time commits have
already done by the time you even get to the
first of the year.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
And I'll tell you that All Star Game over the
NBA All Star Game. That's something else has to change.
But you will take care of it. No egos on it.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
I love Noah and the NBC's done a phenomenal job,
but I don't think there an I don't think there's
any fixing.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Ah, All right, what are you fixing here?
Speaker 4 (35:47):
Yeah? So I would have the National Signing Day go
back to February like it was. That's the only time
that you can sign an official letter of intent. The
early signing period goes away the idea that you have
to have these seventeen year old kids enter a semester
early or whatever. Does it help, sure, but just put
everybody on a level playing field, because what that does
there is a less coaching ball down. There's less rushing
(36:07):
when it comes to firing and hiring coaches. Guys like
Brian Hartline, you know, won't get their play calling due
these taken away from them because they're so distracted. Back
in the day, guys would get jobs. Coordinators with teams
would get jobs, and they would stay with the team
through bowl season even if they accepted a head coaching position,
because the landscape just wasn't changing so often while they
were still with their team. It's really hard to manage
(36:29):
being an offensive coordinator or a defensive coordinator for a
playoff team now while also trying to manage all the
things that are potentially happening with your school that you're
going to later. I think if you get to take
the burden of responsibility off of them when it comes
to recruiting. They have done that with the transfer portal,
and honestly, I think I would move the transfer portal
to be even later, maybe have signing the day before
the transfer portal, and do all knock all of that
(36:51):
stuff after the games are played. There's too many things
taking attention away from the game that's being played on
the field. That's what I just want to separate more
of the administrative stuff away from the play on the field.
And I think that's the biggest issue that college football
is facing.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
The college football calendar is an unmitigated disaster, and that
was put under the microscope of course with Lane Kiff
and leaving to go to LSU and how that played out,
and now we got Ole Miss without them tomorrow taking
on Georgia. But Kevin, we've got some phone calls here.
It's always seven ninety nine on Fox. Must be a
good subject. James calling from Tacoma. James, what's up? You're
(37:26):
on FNA. I've had a Mosley's Kevin figures in for
Ben mallor.
Speaker 7 (37:31):
Hight, not just the NBA, like he suggestsed, from all sports,
including the NFL. They're seedings top fourteen teams. NFL get
the playoff Scuse, look what's happening this weekend. If they
lose to the forty nine ers, they go to the
down to the number five seed, and they could have
a thirteen to four record. It has to play on
(37:51):
a road to Campo or Carolina, and which will have
like eight or nine wins they get the host, whereas
as will have thirteen wins and have it pay on
the road.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Now, James, are you a Seahawks fan or are you
just a concern sports fanatic and you want you want
fair fairness, that's all. You're unbiased.
Speaker 7 (38:11):
No, I'm a sports fan, even the NBA, but they
break to have spurs and finals.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
Ooh yeah, I like where your heads at.
Speaker 4 (38:21):
I agree with you. That's a great call. And we
talked about this with the NFL. We talked about the
Detroit Lions of the proposal they made at the NFL
meetings last year trying to see if they can get
the seeding situation fixed in the NFL so that a
division winner doesn't get a guaranteed home playoff game. I
still think that's something they need to pound the table
for because it's utterly ridiculous. And he has a good
point there's no reason why the loser of Seattle in
(38:42):
San Francisco should be relegated to have to go on
the road to face the team with the worst record.
That doesn't make any sense.
Speaker 3 (38:48):
But if it's a Carolina Panthers, we can make an exception.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
Ken, No, we can't.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Why you're right, they're gonna lose either way.
Speaker 4 (38:56):
But exactly, I wasn't gonna say that out loud. I
didn't want to like upset you completely.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
But I want fairness. I want teams who want to win.
I want teams who deserve to be in that position
based off record. Look at the NFC West, it might
be the toughest division in sports right now. You have
three teams that are getting in that all could have
twelve wins or more this season. It's been staring the
(39:20):
NFL in the face since when was the seven to
nine Seahawks team that.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
Won the n eleven or twenty twelve?
Speaker 3 (39:26):
I believe, Yeah, So it's been an issue. The problem
is I still think the owners have to vote on it.
They do, and some of these owners with terrible teams,
they're never going to give in, especially Eastern Conference teams
in the NBA. Those owners will never vote for it.
They have to have a majority. It's not going to happen,
but it'd be nice, and it's my New Year's resolution.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
Still very idealistic, but you know what, I'm right there
with you. I'm right there with you. We have more
calls that we need to get to. It gets you
guys on the other side again eight seven to seven
ninety nine on Fox changes that you would make to
your favorite sport or any sport. Here in the New Year.
It's Kevin fig Adam Alson filling in for Big Ben
Mallor here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Maler
Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 6 (40:14):
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight Fire
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing
the same tired narratives down your throat.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
Every day.
Speaker 6 (40:25):
Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest
sports headlines, accurate stats to help.
Speaker 4 (40:30):
You win big at the sportsbook, and all the best guests.
Speaker 6 (40:33):
Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with
Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever
you get your podcasts.
Thanks for listening to the best of the Ben Mahler
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
from two to six Eastern eleven pm to three am
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and to find your local
station for the Benmatlers Show at Foxsports Radio dot Com.
You can find it there or stream us live every
night on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
This is the best of the Ben Maler Show on
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Kevin, we're still allowed to play this song on the radio.
I love it well, Daddy and family forever the little.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Big Ben Mallards label.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
You're on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
I can't. Can I say it? I'm gonna get so
much crap if I say it, I'm gonna say it
in the air everywhere the vast Fox Sports Radio network.
Kevin figures Adam Alslin filling in for Big Ben Maler
here on Fox Sports Radio. This is the big time, Adam.
I mean talking about a Fox Sports Radio legend that
we're sitting in for right now.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Big Ben Mallor, who I used to listen to up
on kgk AM eleven forty up in Norcl I mean
back in the day, and now we're filling in. This
is kind of a big deal and I don't know.
It's a holiday. Happy New Year everyone.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Happy New Year everyone out there on the East Coast
and everywhere else. About an hour left in twenty twenty
five for those out west, So looking forward to spending
the next four hours with you guys here on Fox
Sports Radio. You can hit us up on the socials
at KFIG one is where you can find me. You
can find Adam at follow Adam A. We are on
X That's where you can hit us up and talk
to us about whatever's on your mind. Here on the
(01:42):
on the eve, on New Year's Eve, I should say
have twenty twenty five into twenty twenty six, depending on
where you may be listening.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Okay, I do have to say we have some early
technical difficulties. So don't ask me to play first off
right now, Kevin.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Of course we do. I'll get a new machine.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Hold on, hold on, I'm trying to play something right now.
Bring it ain't working. It ain't working, like it's not
on my end. All I know is this.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
New year, same machine. That's what it is.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
No, Yeah, this year, she says, from nineteen ninety five,
What do you think that's my machine playing that.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
I thought.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
So they're just playing like random sound trucks.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Now that's John Lorain and just keep him rolling. Why not?
Speaker 3 (02:17):
It's like one button in the sound. That's all I
can tell. Uh, it's just try every button. I don't know, Kevin,
Let's just start talking about the upset tonight, please. We
don't need first off, we can go back to the
old school method. I can say, first off like Tupac
and hit him up, which is the SoundBite for US
Miami one. Dam It ain't New Year's if you don't
(02:39):
got Michael Irving bringing out the belt on a gatorade
bottle with a jersey on it and just going to
town like that's how you're ringing the New Year.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Doing a little bit too much. And I love Michael Irvan.
And by the way, you can't help if you ever
have a chance to meet the guy in nicest person
you will ever meet in your life, will sit there
very charismatic. We'll talk to you almost like a politician
to a certain degree. I have nothing negative about Michael
Irvan as a person, but man, he really is dealing
a lot of spotlight these last few weeks from the
University of Miami.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Oh you think he's like sister Jean a little bit, well,
a little bit to a certain degree. I rest her soul.
Did she pass ever?
Speaker 4 (03:15):
I feel like she just passed earlier this year.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Okay, well, that'll be the in memoriam segment we do
later in the show when we talk about everyone who
passed in twenty twenty five?
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Are we doing how we're doing that? By the way,
that's news to me. Re snuck that one in on
the rundown, didn't she.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well she's snuck up by the way, Oh my god,
a New Year's miracle.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Don't get cocky, kid. You know we're only four minutes
into the show. I think could die in an instant.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Check out the big brain on Bria Brie. First of all,
it had nothing to do on my end, Kevin. I
just want to make that abundantly clear. This was not
a technical issue over on my side.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Here, of course, I want to see you're throwing the
rain under the bus, is what it sounds like that.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
I don't even know what an IR machine is. But
thank you for bringing in new stuff into the studio.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Well, look, this is old stuff for us. This is
a s this is before you were born. This is
ra early nineties.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
I work with Ben Maller, one of the dinosaurs of radio.
Don't tell me you're bringing in old stuff.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I actually have some Ben Mallor sound here.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Wow. So I want everybody to be clear. That was
the ragna that said that about Ben, and that was
Adam that said that band was an old ass dinosaur.
The malin militia coming after me to anyway, because I
know how you guys operate. But I'm trying to be
on my best behavior here tonight.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
I'm not. It's the end of twenty twenty five. I'm
going out, sad. What does it matter?
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Holiday?
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Here we be, Look, Santa Claus, it's past. I got
plenty of time to make up for being on the
naughty list, now do you. And speaking of Ben mallor
Adam Ashland, I mean he literally called me Ashland before
Adam Ashland.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
He's not alone though, I mean been multiple personalities who
have called you out of your name before Adam Ashlin,
Adam Ashlin.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Adam Ashless. I mean Brian Oslin, Brian Ausland. I mean,
if you don't even get the first name right, like
I do. Have credit cards, Kevin, let's say l A
n D instead of l U N D. In fact,
when we put up that cliff last week, as we
had Petro's papadakas on trying to bite a real show,
who joined us and eviscerated the USC Trojans because he's
(05:11):
like from there, he has ownership on that story.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
He's not the only one you see with Linda White
sweety yesterday.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Oh, I did not Lyndell or I don't know.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
If I can repeat it on the air. Let's put
it that way.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I didn't know he popped his head up.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
I haven't.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
I haven't thought about Lindell White in a long time,
since he's.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Thought a lot about the USC football program. I'll say that.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Oh, the fact that he didn't have that block in
front of him to get that first down. But even
the Fox Sports Radio little clip we put out with
Petro saying, f that ef everything talking about Matt Lioner
trying to make excuses for USC, even that said l
A and d Adam oz Land like I'm from the
(05:48):
land of oz It shot him. I can't get away
from it. But that's fine. Everything's fine now, we're good machine.
No I am over it.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
If everything's perfectly all right, now we're fine.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
We're all fine here now, thank you?
Speaker 3 (06:02):
How are you? You know where things aren't fine? Well,
they're never fine there, but Ohio, Ohio losing this ballgame tonight,
Kevin in the fashion they did being the number two seed.
The main takeaway I have, the Colin Cowherd takeaway is this,
thank goodness, we at least have a twelve team playoff,
and thank goodness Miami got in because they have more
(06:24):
than proven themselves. Notre Dame. I'm sorry, Brady Quinn, you
guys have zero case. Not only did Miami beat you,
they beat Texas A and m who beat you, and
now they've taken out Ohio State to move on rolling
their way into the semis.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Well, this part is hard. And by the way, a
few people when the very beginning of this debate happened
between Miami and Notre Dame and being seven parts places
apart in the initial CFP rankings, I was championing Miami
the entire time. And yes, obviously Miami deserves to be here,
and it was a great victory over Ohio State and
a great victory over an m last week. But I
can't necessarily say that, well, this means that Notre Dame
doesn't deserve to be in because who's to say that
(07:01):
Notre Dame basically played the exact same way that Miami
played these last two weeks or whatever it's been. I
guess it's been two weeks in between games or whatever
it was between their last their playoff win in the
first round. But ground and pound dominant defense, that is
how Notre Dame has won all season long. So I
can't necessarily say that if Notre Dame made it to
the situation and Miami didn't, that we wouldn't necessarily have
(07:22):
the same results.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Okay, you're right, but Miami certainly is deserving at.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
This point without a doubt.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Kial didn't go in and just get run over by
the Aggies. That didn't happen. They went into one of
the toughest environments and got an ugly road victory. And then,
as you mentioned that, Tito Ortez ground and pound game
traveled today to the Cotton Bowl to get this win.
Over what I think, I mean, most brackets for the
playoff are busted, Kevin, are remember what we used to
(07:53):
do for the bracket challenge back in the day. Look
at the flowers Flowers.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I'm gonna have to bring that back for college basketball
season two, I guess right. Bringing in him now for
the CFP, why they hell not?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
People are going to be confused with all the guns
being shot up into the air tonight. Yeah, no, kidd
at midnight here on the West coast.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah. Well, in Ohio State, who I mean, without question,
mostly has most NFL talent on their roster, first round
picks up and down, and for them to lose the
way they lost against Indiana, Granted that was a close,
tight game too, but Indiana kind of dominated them up
front and you can say for the most part of
this game, and I know they made their run in
the second half. The exact same thing happened with Miami.
One thing we've said about the University of Miami under
(08:30):
myro Crystal Ball, any team that he coaches, they're going
to be good in the trenches, and that's exactly what
they were early in this game, well, being able to
bust off runs in the run game and really stuff
Ohio State, and he have them to get nothing going
offensively the entire first half of the game.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
They started with that level of physicality and they finished
with that level of physicality while also going seven to
fourteen on third downs, mixed in on huge plays where
at one point Carson Beck completed thirteen straight passes in
the first half. A lot of them were dinking dunk passes,
but been in a game against Ohio State, you might
have to do that, Julian saying. By the way, I'm saying,
(09:05):
he completed ten straight to start the second half.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
He was spectacular.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
I think the turning point of the ball game was
they're down by three. They get the ball back from
Miami at seventeen fourteen, and the first penalty of the
game got cold was seven minutes left in the fourth quarter,
and it was a hold on Ohio State and it
put them in a third and twenty situation. They got
a short yardage gain out of it, they had to punt,
and then on that punt they had another penalty. Yeah,
(09:33):
they redid it and it ended up being a much
worse punt where it was like a difference of twenty
yards where Miami was starting with on that final drive instead.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
Yeah, I mean, the big thing the difference for me
in the game was really the protection up front, because
Julian Saying has basically been as great as he's been
completely over over eighty percent of his passes. Great numbers,
but I think a lot of that was due to
the fact that he had all data throw. He had
all data throw all season long. These last two games
against Indiana and Miami was sacked ten times, five times
in each game, running for his life. I will say this,
(10:04):
in the second half of the game on Friday night,
he showed himself well in that second half and having
that pressure as well as he possibly could trying to
get out make plays. And you mentioned the h RA
completions that he made two touchdown passes. He played well
in the second half. But the exact opposite for what
happened with Carson Beck, who's been more of your game
manager type. If anything, Carson Beck is a guy that
you don't want throwing the ball more than twenty five
(10:26):
thirty times a game because he is prone to throwing interceptions.
And these first two playoff victories from Miami, he's been
a game manager, and I think that's the recipe for
them to be able to win.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
If you told me somebody threw an I inc on
a screen pass that went seventy two yards the other
way in this ball game, I would have thought it
was Carson Beck, not Juli Insane. That's the other thing.
They miss a field goal, they give them seven points
to Miami's defense. The margins are so slim in a
battle like this. Now, Ohio State did recover after being
(10:55):
down fourteen to nothing in the first half and missing
that field goal at the end of it to come back,
and then I think they had like two hundred and
thirty yards on their next three drives and they kept coming,
but Miami was able to keep them at bay even
when you saw, I mean, Ohio State gets that touchdown
with Bo Jackson, different Bo Jackson to start the second half.
Mammy comes right back and kicks a fifty yard field goal,
(11:17):
where by the way, they recover their own fumble just
to stay in fueld goal range to knock that down
when their kicker was one for four last week with
the wind, you could say, but against the Aggies, that
was a huge play.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Yeah. And I also want to say there's an excuse
floating out there that well, you know, Ryan Day, it
took the play calling duties away from Brian Hartline because
Heartline is distracted as a new head coach of South
Florida has too much on his plate, which I don't
know if it's necessarily wrong to a certain degree, especially
knowing how the portal works and all this. These guys,
there's no way they can be fully committed to the
current job when they know they have a future job
(11:50):
that's of much more importance when they're head coach of
a new program. I don't know if I can say
that because I don't think execution or play calling was
an issue for Ohio State. I think they just got
beat like that that picked six, And I think Dusty
Devorceek said this on the telecast. It was like, that's
just film study. Like the way that he read that play.
I mean, Julian Sayin telegraphed the pass and he jumped
it and ran it back. That was nothing but just
(12:12):
heads up play by the defensive back and you know,
being able to get stuffs in the run fits and
all that. All of that was just execution. I just
thought Miami executed better than Ohio State. So I don't
know if I can necessarily blame this on play calling
O'Ryan day's part, especially based on the fact that was
to your point, Ohio State's offense woke up in the
second half. They just couldn't recover from their slow start.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
And the other excuse being made for Ohio State is
they almost had a month off between games and that
they had what happened to Oregon last season where they
got the buy that the number one seed. I know,
Ohio State was number two, but Oregon looked ill prepared
for that Ohio State buzz saw last season that had
to beat Tennessee to get to them, And now Ohio
(12:50):
State has the layoff and you talk about rest versus rust.
I don't know if that first half was just rust
or physicality and them getting their ass beat out there,
because Mario Cristobaul postgame on SVP on the Evil four
Letter was like, hats off to our guys because we're
some tough ass sons of bitches out there, and they
(13:10):
were and they have molers and we knew this coming
into the season. Early in the year when they beat
Notre Dame, we were all talking about how physical they
were in the trenches. John Madden was right. It always
goes back to winning the game in the trenches because
everything starts there and everything can fall apart there if
you don't have your s and order and Ohio State
Julians saying in the first half, the way he was
(13:33):
under duress, like it was, hey, you better back it
up here. He was running for his life like it
was brutal to watch. And they had another big sack
in the second half on him that proved to be crucial.
So they started strong, they started with that physicality, they
finished with it, and they had their own screen pass
(13:54):
really to put the ball game away on that third
down late Miami.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Yeah. The big thing for me, I guess is the
fact that they were able to get contributions from other
players other than Malachi Tony, who everybody knew was the
biggest offensive threat that Miami had, and you knew Ohio
State was going to look to take that away and
they did that. But the fact that Miami was able
to run the ball for over one hundred and fifty
yards against the Ohio State team and put up the
amount of points they put up against Ohio State, who
allowed what an average of like eight point nine points
(14:18):
per game, yeah or something this season.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
It was the best defense since twenty eleven Bama.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Yeah, I mean, it was an incredible effort by the
University of Miami. So I would like to give them
flowers and talk more about what they did right than
people harping on what Ohio State did wrong.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Yeah, I mean they did twist the pure snipple of
Ryan Day in this game, and he looked upset Blackbeard
himself out there. I also because he's been so good
in the past when he was calling plays. I don't
know if that had anything to do with it. He
wasn't calling plays against Indiana when it looked like, oh
they had a governor on and that was the excuse.
(14:50):
Then well, they're not letting that dog off the leash yet.
They're gonna wait for the playoffs to really turn up. Well,
you take a month off, do you lose some of
that competitive edge out there? And then if you have
to find it after getting your butts kicked in the
first half just to get into year, it's too late.
Miami was too good. If they played this game ten times,
Miami might beat him six out of ten.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
I could see that. Yeah, Well, it's one of those
there to a certain degree, kind of evenly matched because
they're stylistically built the same way, physical upfront, and who's
gonna win a physical matchup? I mean, when you're built
the way those teams are both built to your point
in time or to your point. It can go back
and forth. On any given day, who was just more physical?
Who was able to make the plays on that given day?
And on Friday Night it just happened to be Miami.
(15:34):
I guess my question to you would be based on
how Miami played against A and M and against Friday Night?
Is there a team that they can't beat? I mean,
why can't they win the national championship? If you're going
to be that stout defensively, I know you might need
a little bit more punch offensively here and there, But
if you're gonna be that good on offense, you already
played against one of the best offensive lines, one of
the best offensive units you're going to face in this postseason.
(15:57):
Why can't you make a deep run to the championship?
Speaker 3 (15:59):
They can't you?
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Who can't you beat?
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Well? George is very familiar with Carson Beck, and I
expect them to beat Old Miss tomorrow and that should
be the matchup in the next round.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
Corre.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
I'm not saying they can't beat Georgia, but Georgia would
be favored against them, and I will out at the
edge I just think they're more dynamic. I don't trust
Miami enough to make as many of those crucial fifty
to fifty plays on those third down conversions like they
were able to win this game just because Carson Becka
can go the other way very quickly at times. With
him now, he's been okay in big games and I'm
(16:29):
rooting for him, and I think it's a really interesting
storyline if they end up taking on Georgia. But I mean,
your defense keeps you in it. If you can run
the ball like that and still play defense, you're going
to be in the game. I just think Georgia is
a player too, better on offense than Miami.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
Yeah, And I think most people felt that about Ohio
State coming against a Friday night's game too, and saw
how that played. It's played itself out. So I guess
congratulations to University at Miami. And if you're Ryan Day,
you're probably back on the hot seat again because that's
what Ohio Ohio State works. If you imagine by the
way Kyle Whitningham comes in has a phenomenal season end
of the year, next year, Michigan beats Ohio State, and
(17:06):
Ohio State's probably gonna make the playoff again. I'm sure
they will. But you imagine what happens if they lose
to Michigan and don't win the national Championship next year,
where people are gonna.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Say, oh, yeah, he'll be right back where he was
square one. He is a year removed from having one
of the most dominant runs and winning the first ever
twelve team playoff. By the way, what have you.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
Done for me lately? Because apparently what happens in the
past twenty four months isn't lately.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
I know there was so much disappointment and there were
a lot of losses to Michigan, but they were able
to win on the biggest stage. Now, some fans might say, well,
that was Chip Kelly. That was different. That was Chip Kelly,
That's what they might say, because he knew Oregon and
they lit them up. Where was that at the Rose Bowl?
I believe last year when it wasn't raining as much. Yeah,
(17:50):
it's the same cross to bear. It is difficult. It
is a high pressure situation for him always, but you
knew what you signed up for, and yeah it'll be
he'll be under the hot seat. But Julian Sand's coming
back right yep, that's they got a good young quarterback.
They should still be very competitive.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
Oh they'll be better than competitive. They're they're gonna win
you know, a ten eleven games again next season. They're
just they're returning too many guys. Even if they lose
a bunch of guys, they have five stars right behind
them coming in, so they're not gonna them being in
the playoff next year. I don't think it's gonna be
an issue.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
This was so disappointing of a loss, though, because they
were double digit favorites at one point this week. They
ended up I think minus nine and a half over Miami.
So people aren't gonna forget this. Lord knows, somebody with
the belt will definitely not be forgetting this. I love it, honestly.
It makes me laugh every time. The belt to ask
(18:45):
movement that has been going on in sports now and
Michael Irving doing the doing the most with it tonight,
I'm good with it.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
I'm sure it's not his intention to draw attention away
from the team, but to a certain degree I think
it does. It's like you can be on the sideline
and cheer when the team does well, but you're doing
a little much for me, Mike.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
He thinks he's on the team still does What was
that speech he gave? It was Jamis Winston esque afterwards,
talking about you're not gonna take away my glory speaking
about the past. Yeah, I'm here for it, but I
know we got more to talk about with college football
because there are some games that are being overlooked right now, Kevin.
(19:21):
And it's kind of a change into the guard. It's
a new era of college football. When you got twelve
teams in how much do you care about these bowl
games going on? We had Texas Michigan earlier and as
our friend David Vassa would say, it was kind of
whole hum. It was a little bit ho hum out there.
We'll talk about that next. He's Kevin figures Amna Moslin.
It is Fna in on The Ben Mallor Show. Happy
New Year.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Mallor
Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 6 (19:53):
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight Fire
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pushing the
same tired narratives down your throat.
Speaker 7 (20:02):
Every day.
Speaker 6 (20:03):
Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest
sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at
the sports book, and all the best guests. Do yourself
a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
That's right, Hour two of the Ben Mala Show here
on Fox Sports Radio with me, Kevin Figures and he Adam.
Also hit us up on x at k fig one
and at follow Adam A thank you guys for joining us.
Happy New Year out there to the West Coast, Happy
New Year, and if you're.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
So Marget.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
And for our friends listening Hawaii, still got a couple
hours to go.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
Y'all get a New Year every day?
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Is this one of those opportunities where it's okay to
get drunk on the radio. It feels like it should be.
If Anderson Cooper and his boyfriend can get drunk on
the CNN broadcast, why can't we, Kevin.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
I guess there's no rules saying that we can't. The
girls are wasted in the other room greatly frowned upon.
I don't think that that's the baby. Let's go necessarily
true right now. I appreciate the honesty. I do love
that about you.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
My very first radio job in Oregon, the morning guys
who come in at four am, they kept a bottle
of fireball whiskey in their drawing at every morning, every morning.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Okay, that was like the first time I felt like
I should stop drinking. I had a fireball incident. I
had a Mario Brothers fireball incident where I woke up
the next morning because the fireball gets you with the
indigestion when you got to get the PEPs at ac. Yeah,
the esophagus is burning, it's on fire. That's the worst
option possible. First, of all those Oregon guys, I would
(21:50):
have thought they would have waked and baked, not waked
into fireballs like that. That too, okay, maybe a little
bit of both Jega bombs down here teeth Well, I hope.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
You guys are just college at one point, I'm sorry,
just did you bring up fireball? And like you know,
we're young, we're broke, we don't have any money, and
all we had was my roommate's older brother had a
bottle of Fireball that he hadn't opened, and he's like, well,
it was cheap to pay for it. Yeah, it was
an absolute nightmare.
Speaker 5 (22:17):
You can't smell cinnamon anymore.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
It's just auxious thousand.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
It's like if you have a certain drink when you're sick,
and then you always associate it with being sick, like
having seven Up or something like that. Now I can't
have seven up when I feel fine. It doesn't work
for me. Even sprites too close they had to take
away see or missed because it ruined things for me.
Now it's story. Yeah, I Fireball's the worst thing ever.
(22:42):
You know what, in twenty twenty six, I'm going to
continue to not drink. That just sealed it for me.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
That's sure.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Just non resolution fireball incident. I can't have it. And
hopefully you guys out there tonight are being safe, ye
are staying off the road, are not doing whatever. Michael
Irving was at the Miami game that had him going
like that, or he brought out the belt like none
of us can wear belts anymore. Michael Irving has all
(23:08):
of them.
Speaker 4 (23:08):
Kevin. That was an impressive performance by the University of
Miami and they maybe even more oppressive performance by Michael
Irvin down there on the sideline.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Can I say this? Somebody tweeted in that they want
more hate towards Ohio State, they want more trash talk,
even though the story should be about Miami winning. As
Ben Maller would say, the losing locker room has the
bigger story. Right.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
Well, look, we did bring up Ryan Day, and you
know the fact that, as their rational West fans are,
just won a national championship last year, did beat Michigan,
and all of a sudden finds himself in a situation
where people the fan base is upset and there's new
blood at Michigan. I will not downplay again if Michigan
finds a way under Kyle Whittingham to jump up next
year and beat Ohio State going into the playoff. I
(24:01):
do think. I don't think Ohio State realistically is gonna
entertain getting rid of Ryan Day. But I do think
that those conversations are gonna start being had as ridiculous
as they are because that's just where the standard is
for university like that.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
Look, Spock's weed, who got to me? I follow out
of Maya on X who wants us to go after
Ohio State more. I mean, I said they twisted his
nipple ring. That's what Miami did to Ryan Day in
Ohio State.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
Get excited.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
I'm just saying, like his black Beard is fake. They're
all frauds there, apparently, because they got bounced in their
first game of the playoff this season. And they've got
way too many stickers on their helmets. Okay, it's not
that serious.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
Some of them. Do you have to earn those stickers
at it?
Speaker 3 (24:42):
I don't know. They're sticker happy. It felt like there
were way less stickers back in the game or back
in the day.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
So you're saying that, uh that Ryan Days like Oprah,
everybody gets a sticker, whether they earn it or not.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Yeah, these parts of going around these everybody gets a star,
everybody got nay plus all that stuff. Ohio State maybe
that's what they lost the game actually because they were
over confident, because they felt like they were better than
they actually were. Because every helmet you could barely see
the helmet. They probably didn't feel safe out there. They
thought they were just being protected by damn stickers.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
Yeah, well, look I would rip into Ohio State if
they lost to James Madison. It's not like, with the
all due respect to James Madison.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Hey, Mario Cristo ball never wins a big game until now.
If I had a crystal ball and I looked into
it and it said Miami was going to win this game,
I wouldn't believe it.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Well, his game management certainly calls a lot of things
into question, but again, considering how this game played out,
he didn't really have to have a big decision come
come to a head for him because they dominated the
line of scrimmage. Now, maybe that's an indictment of Ohio State,
and maybe because it's happened in back to back games
for them against Indiana and Miami. If you want to
hope that against them, sure, but they still have a
stacked roster. They have all the talent in the world.
(25:54):
You said, if they played Miami and Ohio State played
each other ten times, that maybe Miami will win six,
maybe you'll be five and five. I think that's just
how this game played out.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Okay, Wait, I don't know. Wait a second. They played Texas,
they barely won. They played Indiana, they barely lost, and
the kicker missed a Blair Walsh esque twenty seven yard
er and missed another one in the at the end
of the first half. They played Miami and they lost
every good team to decent team that they played, because
I don't know how good Texas was. I mean, they
(26:23):
ended up beating Michigan. They finished strong, and arch Manning
looked better. But to start off the season when they
weren't very good, every good team Ohouse they played. I
don't know, Kevin, they played a lot of nobody's in
between all those close games against decent competition. I think
they may be big fat phonies. They were valued.
Speaker 4 (26:46):
So see, this is what the guy who tweeted you
this is what he wanted?
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Is this not what you want?
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Is this what you want?
Speaker 3 (26:50):
Are you not entertained?
Speaker 4 (26:52):
Which is not a bad point at him, So you.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
Know, I'm just saying I finally got to a good
point and all my hopeless ranting about Ohio State. They
didn't play the stiffest competition. No, they weren't battle tested enough.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
A pretty paddy cake Big ten schedule all the way around.
When you think about it, what's your schedule and how
it falls on a given year. It has as much
to do with whether or not you make the postseason
as anything. Yeah, So I don't know that is that
is very much an accurate indictment of them that you
had there.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
It just feels like piling on though, going after the
state of Ohio. You know, in Cincinnati, and they haven't
had a lot of success in Cleveland.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
So it's just it's usually just Ohio State University, not
the entire state of Ohio.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
I'm just saying, like, I have a friend from Cleveland, Okay,
Mike Tucker, mother Tucker, we used to call him, and
I still have a soft spot for those teams that
he rooted for. Now, Ohio State has had a lot
of success in their history. They're an outlier. Not this year,
baby bout.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Okay it, God forbid. They don't win the national championship
every single solitary season.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
They didn't even come close. Kevin, that was belt to assy.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
She had a fat ass, you know what I mean? Yeah, Mike, Mike,
Michael Irvan, where you bess in two thousand and one,
the last time Miami won a national championship, we're talking
about belta asses. And I look in I love Michael
over my personal.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
Problems, all right, whatever what do you mean?
Speaker 4 (28:15):
Where he's been ste it's about Belta ass and talking
trash about Ohio State. Not that Mike is doing that,
but just piling on Ohio State is a phenomenal program.
They're gonna bounce back. They're not going anywhere. They had
a bad year. It happens. I thought Alabama won the
national championship every single year in the next sabment, even
though they did the majority of the time he was in.
Wasn't every year.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
You're right, You're right. He set unrealistic expectations. But the
U is back. First, Texas was back. They made the
playoff last year, made a bit of a run, got
lucky against Arizona State. Now Ohio State is not back.
You Miami? Miami is back? When will USC be back?
(28:55):
Their next st up? Right on who's back?
Speaker 7 (28:57):
Am?
Speaker 4 (28:58):
I take some time about they find themselves a defensive coordinator. Yeah,
good luck with That's a bit of an issue. That
final play was unreal. I was watching that.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
I don't want to out anyone, but my close personal
friend Carlo Jimenez, voice of the Clippers on the radio side,
went to USC just out.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
At him and gave away his job, his government name
where he lives. Cool. I don't want to take this.
You don't have to take this from Adam Carlough.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
The signature call is Nylon and it's a good one.
But uh, he was not happy seeing that live and
me being the one showing him the play live as
it happened on my phone. I thought live actually first,
and then rewounded for him and made it seem like
it was going to be live as that frog stomping
happened against USC with TCU the other night.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
That was really really hoping Carlo would just smack the
phone out of your hands as you tried to put
it up to his face.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
Well, I got an otter box case or whatever the
hell it is like, it's been through worse.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
Come on, just taken throw it halfway across into it dome.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Okay, where we are burying the lead here? First of all,
it's New Year's. It is happy New Year. We're in
for Ben mallor I'm out of Maslin. He's Kevin Figures
and you know what, let's play it. We haven't played
it in a while.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
It's not funny the Paddle O'Brien inspired jingle, thank you Petros.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
It is a New Year's so we got to theme
things out here in the show, Kevin, you had this
brilliant idea lay it on me.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
I don't know how brilliant it was, but I was thinking,
people talk about New Years and having different resolutions, and
maybe that's something that we can get into a little
deeper at the very end of this hour. But as
far as the sports landscape goes, you know, people talk
about issues that they have with certain sports. I know
instant replay is a big deal in in the NFL,
and what should be reviewed and what shouldn't be reviewed
really in any sport if it's about that in the
(30:51):
NBA when it comes to fouls or goaltending and Major
League Baseball with fair fair foul, or whether there should
be a skyjash, just any number of things, issues that
you could potentially have with whatever sport you decided to follow,
and if there could be a sport that you would
love to follow, but because of something that really grinds
your gears about it, you've just decided to check out.
(31:11):
I'm out. I don't want to watch it anymore.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
As a burned my saddle with this sport, not only a.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
Little bit a little bit. So the question is, if
there's one thing you can change about your favorite sport
or any sport. What would it be and why? Pop
quiz hotshot.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox If you guys
want to tell us, I could start with this, Kevin. Now,
this could be something that's pretty universal for many sports.
But I'm gonna say this specifically about the NBA because
it is at least a twenty five year old problem
for the association. We got to get rid of, not
(31:48):
just divisions conferences in the National Basketball Associations.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Is a Fred Rogan special right here the West.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
How dare you?
Speaker 4 (31:56):
Hey, that's it through you.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
I'm sorry twenty twenty six and you're still calling me
Fred Rogan. This is going to have a bad take.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
This is the company that you live in, or Adam?
What table takes like that? Sorry?
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Company of Wolves? Look, how the hell was she that
quick with it? I thought I was quick on the
instant replay machine.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
Damn, you don't count with being quick because you come from.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
Your own brain.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
That's not sexual. All right. So that's our first one
of the new year.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
Here you go.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Look, the NBA has had a problem for over twenty
five years. I can go back to Jordan retiring the
second time with Chicago. Since then, the Western Conference has
dominated and I think won the head to head overall
series against the Eastern Conference every year except for one.
I think it was two thousand and nine when it
(32:50):
was the Lakers in Orlando Magic and the Eastern Conference
actually beat the Western Conference more than the West beat
the East overall record wise that season. That's it. So
we got all these teams that are in a blood
bath and a gauntlet every year. Everybody talks about the
SEC is so difficult to get through in these conferences
and it's not fair. No, no, no. The Western Conference
(33:13):
in the NBA has been the worst case of imbalance
between schedules and not having things leveled out. And if
they could just go one through sixteen, the best team
in either conference, I mean the West might have twelve
teams in. There would definitely be years like that. You
(33:33):
do need to balance things out because the West plays
each other more correct.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
So I was gonna be my question to you is
how do you balance out the schedule with the format
like that?
Speaker 3 (33:41):
You could figure it out. There are ways, dude, I mean,
come on, those.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
People who make way much more money than you that
can figure that out.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Hey want to toe. I can get you a toe.
They can figure this out somehow, just smooth things out.
They can go in rotation with certain conferences every year,
like we see in the NFL, where a team from
an NFL division ends up playing a certain AFC division
one year and around robin format that type of thing.
There are much better ways than what we're seeing right now.
(34:08):
And I think it is a serious problem because I
root for teams in the Western Conference, so I'm a
victim of the conference and balance that is going on
in the NBA. Otherwise, the Clippers would have probably fifteen
championships by now if they had the easier route out
of the Eastern Conference. Ben Maller would agree with that. No,
he would.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
No, I don't disagree that Ben would agree. I disagree
with that. Take me off, Excuse.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
Me, all right, Kevin, you want to give me your
New Year's resolution in sports?
Speaker 4 (34:43):
Yeah, I'm going to go to college football on this one.
And it might sound like a minor thing, but it
actually has a big trickle down effect with a lot
of other situations. We really need to go back to
one national signing period in February for college football, and
I think Petros alluded to this when we spoke to
him last two It's just just with the early December
signing period, it affects so many different things. Coaches get
(35:04):
fired earlier, coaches are in a rush to be hired
earlier so that you don't lose early commitments when it
comes to the December recruiting class. Remember Signing Day used
to be a big deal. Yeah, it used to be
National Signing Day in February. In the couple of weeks
leading up to it, you would have the All American Army,
Navy whatever it was called, a high school All Star game,
and a lot of guys will commit and play there.
(35:25):
They still play the game, but no one really pays
attention to it because all the big time commits have
already done by the time you even get to the
first of the year.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
And I'll tell you that All Star Game over the
NBA All Star Game. That's something else has to change.
But you will take care of it. No egos on it.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
I love Noah and the NBC's done a phenomenal job,
but I don't think there an I don't think there's
any fixing.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Ah, All right, what are you fixing here?
Speaker 4 (35:47):
Yeah? So I would have the National Signing Day go
back to February like it was. That's the only time
that you can sign an official letter of intent. The
early signing period goes away the idea that you have
to have these seventeen year old kids enter a semester
early or whatever. Does it help, sure, but just put
everybody on a level playing field, because what that does
there is a less coaching ball down. There's less rushing
(36:07):
when it comes to firing and hiring coaches. Guys like
Brian Hartline, you know, won't get their play calling due
these taken away from them because they're so distracted. Back
in the day, guys would get jobs. Coordinators with teams
would get jobs, and they would stay with the team
through bowl season even if they accepted a head coaching position,
because the landscape just wasn't changing so often while they
were still with their team. It's really hard to manage
(36:29):
being an offensive coordinator or a defensive coordinator for a
playoff team now while also trying to manage all the
things that are potentially happening with your school that you're
going to later. I think if you get to take
the burden of responsibility off of them when it comes
to recruiting. They have done that with the transfer portal,
and honestly, I think I would move the transfer portal
to be even later, maybe have signing the day before
the transfer portal, and do all knock all of that
(36:51):
stuff after the games are played. There's too many things
taking attention away from the game that's being played on
the field. That's what I just want to separate more
of the administrative stuff away from the play on the field.
And I think that's the biggest issue that college football
is facing.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
The college football calendar is an unmitigated disaster, and that
was put under the microscope of course with Lane Kiff
and leaving to go to LSU and how that played out,
and now we got Ole Miss without them tomorrow taking
on Georgia. But Kevin, we've got some phone calls here.
It's always seven ninety nine on Fox. Must be a
good subject. James calling from Tacoma. James, what's up? You're
(37:26):
on FNA. I've had a Mosley's Kevin figures in for
Ben mallor.
Speaker 7 (37:31):
Hight, not just the NBA, like he suggestsed, from all sports,
including the NFL. They're seedings top fourteen teams. NFL get
the playoff Scuse, look what's happening this weekend. If they
lose to the forty nine ers, they go to the
down to the number five seed, and they could have
a thirteen to four record. It has to play on
(37:51):
a road to Campo or Carolina, and which will have
like eight or nine wins they get the host, whereas
as will have thirteen wins and have it pay on
the road.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Now, James, are you a Seahawks fan or are you
just a concern sports fanatic and you want you want
fair fairness, that's all. You're unbiased.
Speaker 7 (38:11):
No, I'm a sports fan, even the NBA, but they
break to have spurs and finals.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
Ooh yeah, I like where your heads at.
Speaker 4 (38:21):
I agree with you. That's a great call. And we
talked about this with the NFL. We talked about the
Detroit Lions of the proposal they made at the NFL
meetings last year trying to see if they can get
the seeding situation fixed in the NFL so that a
division winner doesn't get a guaranteed home playoff game. I
still think that's something they need to pound the table
for because it's utterly ridiculous. And he has a good
point there's no reason why the loser of Seattle in
(38:42):
San Francisco should be relegated to have to go on
the road to face the team with the worst record.
That doesn't make any sense.
Speaker 3 (38:48):
But if it's a Carolina Panthers, we can make an exception.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
Ken, No, we can't.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Why you're right, they're gonna lose either way.
Speaker 4 (38:56):
But exactly, I wasn't gonna say that out loud. I
didn't want to like upset you completely.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
But I want fairness. I want teams who want to win.
I want teams who deserve to be in that position
based off record. Look at the NFC West, it might
be the toughest division in sports right now. You have
three teams that are getting in that all could have
twelve wins or more this season. It's been staring the
(39:20):
NFL in the face since when was the seven to
nine Seahawks team that.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
Won the n eleven or twenty twelve?
Speaker 3 (39:26):
I believe, Yeah, So it's been an issue. The problem
is I still think the owners have to vote on it.
They do, and some of these owners with terrible teams,
they're never going to give in, especially Eastern Conference teams
in the NBA. Those owners will never vote for it.
They have to have a majority. It's not going to happen,
but it'd be nice, and it's my New Year's resolution.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
Still very idealistic, but you know what, I'm right there
with you. I'm right there with you. We have more
calls that we need to get to. It gets you
guys on the other side again eight seven to seven
ninety nine on Fox changes that you would make to
your favorite sport or any sport. Here in the New Year.
It's Kevin fig Adam Alson filling in for Big Ben
Mallor here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Maler
Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 6 (40:14):
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight Fire
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing
the same tired narratives down your throat.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
Every day.
Speaker 6 (40:25):
Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest
sports headlines, accurate stats to help.
Speaker 4 (40:30):
You win big at the sportsbook, and all the best guests.
Speaker 6 (40:33):
Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with
Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever
you get your podcasts.
Host
Ben Maller
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