December 5, 2025 • 42 mins
Today’s Best of Features:
(00:00-11:23) – Todd Blackledge from NBC Sports joins the program to give his perspective on tomorrow’s Big Ten Championship game between Indiana and Ohio State. He believes that Fernando Mendoza will use his legs more tomorrow night than he has during the season to keep the edge rushers for Ohio State at ease, admits that Indiana needs to find ways to make Julian Sayin uncomfortable because nobody has done that yet, and evaluates the chances of either OSU or IU still having a first round bye in the CFP with a loss.
(11:23-30:05) – Former IU quarterback, Chris Dittoe, joins Jake Query ahead of the Big Ten Championship game tomorrow night to share how proud he is now to say he used to play at Indiana University. Dittoe also gives his thoughts on the game as he compares the two teams on paper, reveals what he has been able to learn about Curt Cignetti in two years, and shares his weekend plans.
(28:20-42:14) – J.P. Shadrick from Jaguars.com and Westwood One makes an appearance on Query & Company to explain what has went well for the Jacksonville Jaguars the last three games that’s led to wins, highlights one change that Trevor Lawrence made that has helped him play better, is fascinated to see how the Jaguars run defense will defend Jonathan Taylor this week because of how dominant Jacksonville has been against the run this season, and makes note of some players that are on the injury report.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, one guy who has an objectivity about him because
he has to is Todd Blackletch, who of course is
with NBC when it comes to Big ten college football.
And I want to get the objective side of it,
because listen, I'm going to be a homer today because
I never thought i'd see it at fifty three years old,
that Indiana is right here, and I know how good
(00:20):
Ohio State is. But Todd black Litz joins us now
on the Java House Peel and poor guest line to
break down this game. Todd, it is a pleasure. How
are you?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I'm doing good, Jake, how are you doing?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
You know? Hey, I'm I'm not gonna lie to you, man.
I'm fired up because I never thought i'd see it. Man,
I never ever thought i'd see it. Now. I know
Ohio State is outstanding. I know they're outstanding. But let's
begin with Indiana and this story of Kurt Signetti. And
it's not a news story, Todd, it's season two of it.
But as somebody who's been around the game a lot,
(00:53):
to what do you pinpoint the ability of this guy
to get this program to this point.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Well, you know it is the second year, but it's
no less remarkable still, I mean the job that he
has done and the turnaround and how immediate the turnaround
has been, and bringing the guys in from JMU, whether
it's staff guys or players that ended up being outstanding
Big Ten players as well. It's it truly is remarkable,
(01:23):
and it obviously started with him and starts with him
and his leadership and his process and culture. And I mean,
I think it's one of the great great stories of
college football since I've been covering it. You know, I think,
you know, what Nick Saban did at Alabama over a
period of time and just the championship level caliber that
(01:45):
he had that program, man, was an amazing story to
me also, But this what Percy that has done is remarkable.
And I think they're you know, I don't think they're
going anywhere soon, you know. I think they're better this
year than they were a year ago. And uh and
they were pretty good last year.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
When you look at and you played obviously Todd, you know,
for the biggest of programs, right, I mean at Penn
State and when you're playing for a legendary coach and
Joe Paterno and national championships and all of that. At
Penn State. It's kind of expected when you go there, right,
I mean, you knew what the pressure was going to
be from the time that you arrived. In Indiana's case,
(02:26):
and I know, again it's year number two and they
have become accustomed to winning under Kurt Signetti. But at
the same time, there is so much at stake with
this game in their home state against that program. Right,
do fans fans get nervous about it? Do you think
players do?
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I don't think they get nervous. I mean, you know,
there's a there's a normal energy, and you know, everybody
has butterflies, you know, before a game of this magnitude.
But then once, you know, once kickoff starts and you
start playing, it just gets back down to playing and
playing ball, you know, and doing what you've done week
in and week out. And again, you know, in the
case of Kurt Signetti and his staff, and the same
(03:07):
thing I would say with Ryan Day and his staff.
You know, they they have a process in place, a
day to day, practice to practice, game to game process
that doesn't deviate just because this is a different caliber
of game. I mean, they treat everything the same way.
It's in a different venue. You know, be a different
crowd makeup kind of thing. But at the same time,
(03:30):
they're going to stick to their process, and I think
both of them are very confident in the process and
then you know the way they do things.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
I've been Todd Blackledge is my guest. He's on the
job of house peeling for guest line top. When you
look at this game, and I know Ohio State's outstanding,
so too is Indiana. You know, this really is to
some extent like that that little Spider Man gift right
of two strengths looking at one another because both teams
seemingly do the same things. Well, which which of these
(03:59):
two teams has the vulnerability that is more easier to
expose for the other?
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Well, that's you know that that's gonna be a fun
thing to watch. I don't know. I would not say
that either team has a glaring vulnerability.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
I think they're both really well coached teams. I think
they're really solid in all three phases of the game,
and I think that's why they are where they are
and both being undefeated. You know, the one thing I
will say when I studied Indiana's game against Penn State,
because I had Penn State Nebraska, you know, a couple
of games after that. But when I studied that game,
(04:40):
you know it, it concerned me a little bit that
the protection for mendo Mendoza was you know that he
was running for his life some you know. Now, he
came back at the end and led a great drive
and the protection was good enough in that last drive
for him to hit some big time throws and but
for a lot of that game he under duress and
(05:01):
so that, you know, that was the one little red
flag maybe, But again, I think the other part of that,
you know, he's playing without his favorite target and one
of his best receivers in Surat, and so you know
that took us something away from their past game. But
I think that that's you know, if I'm Indiana, that's
my first thing I've got. I've got to figure. I
(05:23):
got to make sure I protect the quarterback, you know,
and that's because he gives them a chance and you know,
as a you know, as a dual threat guy. And
I do think his legs in this game can be
a real factor. You know, at your point in the
season now where you know you you you don't hold
(05:43):
anything back. You give it your best shot and I
think that's Kurt Signetti's personality. I think that's Mendoza's personality.
And I think that, you know, part of their plan
will will involve him making plays with his legs as well.
I think he is more of a threat to do
that than Julian's saying is on the other side.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
That's okay. So let me ask you this, Todd Blackledge,
my guest, Indiana does have an ability to get to
quarterbacks on their defensive front. I mean, their pass rush
is very stout. But does that matter against saying I
haven't seen him enough to know how he is when
he has to kind of if he's got to be
slippery in the pocket. I know he's an incredibly accurate passer,
but is he Can you disrupt him at all?
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Well? I think you can, and I think you have to.
I mean, if you want to have a chance to
beat them, you have to find ways to make him uncomfortable.
Because this is a team. This is not like some
other Ohio State teams I've seen in the past, or
most college football teams. This is a team that throws
the ball better than they run the football. And you know,
(06:44):
I think their running game has gotten better. I think
Bo Jackson has kind of e merged as their feature back.
I think the left side of their offensive line from
a run blocking standpoint, is very solid, better than the
right side of their line. But the biggest thing they
do in the best thing they do because of the
skill set of Julian saying, and then the skill set
(07:05):
in particular of the guys out out wide, you know,
and Tate and Smith and now the tight end Max Claire,
is throw the football, and so you have to defend them,
maybe even a little bit more so like you would
defend an NFL team, which is we've got to affect
the quarterback. You know, we want to defend the run.
But you don't go into playing Ohio State saying we
(07:27):
have to we have to stop the run. That's first
and foremost. We have to stop the run because they'll
throw it, you know. And if you can't make the
quarterback uncomfortable, if you can't give him different looks, if
you can't put a little pressure on him, make him
hold the ball a little bit longer, get him out
of his comfort zone. He's just too accurate of a passer.
(07:48):
And those guys on the outside, you can't cover them.
So you know on a consistent basis, So yes, you
have to find a way to make him uncomfortable. And
I think that Indiana, you know, with their simulated pressures
and the way they kind of do things defensively, I
think they have a chance to do that.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Todd, do you believe that regardless of what happens in
this game? And I know how bad Indiana fans want to,
you know, especially when to beat Ohio State, because to
be the best, you got to beat the best, right,
But h do both of these teams deserve a first
round by regardless of what happens tomorrow?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Uh, it's a good question. I don't. I don't know
if I don't know that that will happen, you know,
And I don't know for sure, you know, based on
the based on last year, whether that first round by
is a great thing or.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
A point, you know, a point I think.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
I think if you're playing well and you've got things
on a role, and you're healthy, you know, I think
most guys want to keep playing, you know. Now, if
you get some guys banged up in this game and
you need a little extra time, then then then it
can be beneficial. But but I'm not sure it's the
greatest thing to have. If you get a home game,
(09:02):
you know, and another chance to play in front of
your home crowd in December, and a playoff mode would
be pretty awesome.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Lastly, Bo Jackson, you mentioned the running back for Ohio State.
We have mentioned it several times this week. He is
of no relation. He is, of course, of the same name,
but no relation to the Bo Jackson Heisman winner and
legendary running back out of Auburn. Sometimes I feel bad
when guys have the same name of great players, because
that means one of the two kind of gets lost
in it and no bigger example of that, and both
(09:32):
of them are fabulous players. Kurt Warner the quarterback. Unfortunately,
I think Todd made people some people forget about Kurt Warner,
the running back and the one that you played with
at Penn State and went on to Seattle. I think
is one of the most underrated and underappreciated running backs
of the late eighties.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Tell me I'm wrong, Well, I see, you know, I'm
pretty biased, but I thought he was the best guy
I ever played with ever teammate. He was an outstanding
player at Penn State, and even though his career was shortened,
you know, by a knee injury. When he was in
the NFL, he was still incredibly productive, made a couple
of Pro Bowls, got the Seahawks into the playoffs. He
(10:10):
was a great, great player, and he had the ability
to you know, to me, his superpower as a running
back was he had the ability to cut and move
laterally without losing speed. And you know, just very few
guys that I've seen, you know, have that ability to
do that. But he was. He was a special player.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Over fourteen hundred yards on two occasions, for over one
thousand yards in his NFL career. Loved Kurt Warner, and
I love those Seahawks uniforms, so there's probably a bias
for me there as well. Loved him Todd one time.
What's that funny?
Speaker 2 (10:44):
I was just gonna say one thing. That's funny. You
talked about Bo Jackson and having the same name. The
irony of that is his actual real Oh I know, LaVar, Yeah,
but he knows by both if you're not related to
either one.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Of course, here's the thing, Todd, let's be real, okay,
I mean he's going to be fine no matter which
one of those he replicates, right, I mean either one
he gets the career of either one of those two guys,
he's in pretty good shape.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Yeah, that's right, Todd.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
I appreciate the time. I know it's a busy time
and certainly enjoy watching you with all of your coverage,
especially on NBC, and appreciate the.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Time today you got it man, enjoy the weekend.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Appreciate it. Todd Blackliss joining us Java, House, Peel and
Port guest. I'm to be able to see the Indiana
painted in the end zone at Lucas Oil Stadium and
over sixty thousand people there going up against the defending
national champions in Indiana football. Being merited and being justified
and being legitimately a top two team in the country
(11:39):
with a chance to ascend to number one is unbelievable.
And one of the guys that is enjoying it as
much as anybody played in thirty one games over four
years for Indiana through for over three thousand yards as
their quarterback. Chris Diddo joins me on the show, and
he has been breathing into a brown paper bag for
a week and a half in preparation, not because of
this perform or this appearance, but because of the game. Chris,
(12:01):
how are you, oh, Jake?
Speaker 4 (12:04):
I mean, I'm doing great and you couldn't be more right.
I know, I feel this might sound really corny, but
I actually feel I even't felt like this in a
long time, and it feels like I could like I've
felt like the night before a game, and honestly, like
you said, I feel like I I'm nervous, I've got butterflies, jittery,
(12:26):
hard to sleep, and it's just so much fun to
think about the game tomorrow night for all the reasons
you just mentioned, for all the people that have followed
Indiana football for decades, and we've never had this opportunity.
So it's a feeling that I haven't felt in a really,
really long.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Time, and I love it. Chris. Let's go back to
this and listen. I want to be clear here right
in no means am I saying any of this to
disparage the efforts of you, your teammates and those that
came before. Right, But the reality is, as you know,
it's beyond you know, the wildest dreams of anybody, really
that here is where Indiana is until last year, with
(13:05):
what they did a year ago. Because obviously that the
groundwork was laid. But when you were a player at Indiana,
and I know that you guys believe you know, I
get it, and you had good coaches and all of that,
But was there ever a time where you almost felt like, Yeah,
I mean, I guess in the end, we are not
the Michigan's, We're not the Ohio States. You know how
(13:25):
much did like just branding or perception become one of
the challenges that you faced as a player. If that
makes sense.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Yeah, it does, And I think that's it was a
huge factor in for us mentally because we I think
when you know when you're getting.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Recruited, no matter if it was in the seventies, eighties, nineties,
two thousands, and you're getting recruited to a Big ten school,
whether it's Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan, or Penn State,
you feel like, if you can play in that conference,
you can play with anybody, can beat anybody. But at
the end of the day, we would still.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Play at a place like you know in Columbus, or
play at a place like Happy Valley or at Michigan.
And while back in the nineties we would compete for
a half or we would compete for three and a
half quarters, and then inevitably we would do something to
lose the game, whether it would be turned the ball
over or it would be a big give up a
(14:27):
big play, or a kickoff return or a punt return
for a touchdown, and the game would just flip and
then all the momentum would be lost.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
And I think a perfect example.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Kind of in that regard for us in the nineties
was when we played Wisconsin this year and we were
only up ten to seven and a half, and everyone
was frustrated and like, what is wrong with this team?
Speaker 1 (14:48):
We are not?
Speaker 3 (14:49):
You know, it was just and I was at the game,
and I'm just like you like this, you Wisconsin used
to be us. We used to be the ones that
were battling a top fifteen Wisconsin team or a top
ten Ohio eight team, and we would be caught at
half or would be, you know, down three points in
the third quarter, and we would have and then we
(15:11):
would have the Ohio State Michigan would then take over
and beat us by three or four scores like we
did against Wisconsin, if I'm making sense, And so it's
just it's crazy to see the shoe on our foot
to see to watch us play a game like we
did against Wisconsin, be down ten to seven, everybody get frustrated,
and then us turn it on and win that game,
(15:35):
because that was us the nineties. You know, we were
Wisconsin in the nineties and we would battle for three
quarters and then inevitably lose the game. I think a
lot of it has to do with the tradition, the expectation,
all of that. That why why we would lose the
games then back then, and now we are We've just
(15:57):
totally flipped the script.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
And it's just it's been incredible seed and I can't
believe it continues to happen.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
I think, Chris, one of the things Chris Ditto's my
guest Java House Peel Andport guest line, the former Indiana quarterback.
One of the things to me that has been the
most remarkable about this is a lot of what you're
talking about. I have always felt, you know, the three
quarter compete, right is is depth. I mean Ohio State
or Michigan. You know they're rotating subliminally, the rotating guys
(16:26):
in every third play in quarter one or three that
are also you know, you went from a five star
to a four and three quarter star guy right, And
in Indiana, you didn't have the luxury of that depth,
and I still don't know that Kurt Signetti's group now
has the luxury of that depth. But what they have
is this incredible ability to almost know the offense or
(16:49):
the game plan or the scheme of the opponent more
so than the opponent does. The level of coaching and
finite fine two like comb of every aspect of every
angle of the field with this group, to me, has
been the most you know, just amazing thing to watch.
What has been your observation in that regard.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I totally agree, and I think when you watch, you know,
who was it that we played earlier this year. I
think it was UCLA and they ran a fake punt
against our defense, and if you watched how we executed
that play defensively, they I think it was like a
(17:34):
reverse fake punt reverse and we had a guy in
every single position that needed to be where they needed
to be defended, in the right place at the right time.
Shut that play down like we knew it was coming.
And to your point, coach Signetti, coach, you know, defensive coach,
(17:55):
change coach man, they do.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Such a great job of preparation. There's film study that
we are prepared as well as all of these teams.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
You know, Coach Ryan Day obviously he's got incredible talent
on his team, but he also prepares his team. And
we I feel like for the first time in a
long time, we've got a coach and a coaching staff
that prepares our team as well.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
It's not better for each in every situation that they
might run into in the in the course of the
four quarters of the football game. And that's why we're
not you know, that's.
Speaker 4 (18:29):
Why we are not only you know we're in these games,
but we are We believe that can we we can
win these games like the Oregon game. Unbelievable to you know,
the the adversity that Fernada Mendoza faced when he threw
that pick six. What happens nothing, They don't blink, They
(18:49):
come back and they go, they go and they drive
right down the field and get the game winning touchdown.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
I mean, the Penn State game.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
We can go on and on about the adversity that
they faced in that city situation down you know, four
points with less than two minutes to play, they get
sacked and then they don't blink and they yeah, that
that's that is absolute preparation.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
It's coaching. And you know the other thing in this era.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
Of college football, you know, we have guys on our
team that are from all over the country. They're from
you know, it's been well documented how many of our
guys are from Power five Power five teams, or they
were two stars, three stars, or zero stars.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
But I think they've all come from winning programs. Wherever
they've been, they've won at those smaller programs and they've
come and Kurt Signetti obviously brought an incredible winning mentality.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
Aidan Fisher, who I think is going to go down
as an all time legendary Indiana Hoosier for what he's
done in two short years in the the amount of
respect I feel like, you know, the amount of respect
he's given to Indiana football. Where he's come in and
he's not he's just he's kind man. He's like we
wanted James Madison. I'm proud to be a Hoosier. I
(20:03):
am now a Hoosier. We're gonna win here. Is just
as a former player, many former players that we've talked to,
it's just incredible to see a guy with that mental
fortitude and that winning attitude.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
To represent our university, our team and leading them to
this game tomorrow night. That's just going to be such
an incredible experience for Hengers everywhere.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
How many how closely Chris did O my guest Java
House Peel and poor guest line Chris as a former player,
and obviously I know you know from a business standpoint,
I'm in your PR agency, You're very involved here within
Indianapolis invisible, But how much have you been around Kurt
Signetti's program just in terms of and I don't know.
I mean, I know you go to games, but have
you gone down to practices or just seen kind of
(20:47):
the behind the scenes that the rest of us would
not have privy to, you.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Know, To be honest with you, it's it's very interesting.
They don't open up much of anything. I've been to
a few events, but it's a practices that those are
close and it doesn't matter if you're a former player,
former coach, they are very It's just not happening. And
at first I was a little frustrated because every other
(21:14):
coach that we've had in the past very welcome, and
I'm very welcoming. You know, if you want to come
to a practice, you just call the office and they
are very You can pretty much have free reign. But
this is kind of a mystique of coach Signetti. You know,
I've never seen a practice. I know that none of
my teammates have either. So to answer your question, no,
(21:36):
and now I would love to.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
I would love to be a fly on the wall
and watch coach Signetti watch film, which from what I
understand and talking with people.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
It's that's what he does, and that's what he does
very very well.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
And his ability to dissect and retain what he watches
on film of opposing teams to create those game plans
is something to behold. So, you know, unfortun I've not
been I have met coach Signetti and it was about
a five minute conversation because he really he's all business,
(22:07):
he's all Football's he was he was friendly, but he's just.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
On to the next thing.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
He's he's worried about how can we make this program better.
There's no bs involved, which at first I was a
little frustrated, to be honest with you, but we're twenty
three and two, so let the man do whatever he
wants to do.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Uh, what is the game plan for Chris Dido and
like some of your former teammates, tomorrow night.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Yeah, so we're we're gonna get We're talked about doing
a doubleheader of going We're not gonna go to the
basketball game. That would my head might explode. So we're
gonna get together about four Downtown. Got a buddy who
owns a business down there, So we're not gonna try
and go to the bars. I think that's just gonna
be an absolute mad house of a scene. So we're
gonna go to a buddy he's got a business right
(22:56):
across the street from Lucas Oil. We're gonna tailgate ban
kind of indoor and outdoor. Watched the Alabama and Georgia
game and then probably going to the stadium around seven
and witnessed something that I think we all never thought
we would and that's Indiana in a Big Ten championship game.
And while you know it's kind of the appetizers Christmas
(23:16):
Eve or it's something that we that we know we've
got bigger and better things on the horizon.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
I just I still think tomorrow night is critical for
us to compete, to stay in the game, to win
the game.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
And I think we can because winning a Big ten championship.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
Would be I mean, that would be an opportunity to
go play in the Rose Bowl. You know, we're talking
about things that haven't happened since nineteen sixty seven.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
So tomorrow night is a huge game for us, even
though we know there's a there's a four three or
four game tournament that we have we will play in
in two weeks or you know, January first, and but
it's it's going.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
I'm gonna.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
I know I made I might shed a tier when
I finally I saw your tweet and I saw the picture.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
With the name with Indiana and the end zone. It
gives me chills thinking about it, and I know myself
and all former players and we're just we're beyond excited
to be able to witness this and for it to
be in our backyard and Indianapolis is also an absolute bonus.
Speaker 4 (24:21):
And the one person that I keep thinking of that
I'm probably the most excited for it. I know many
people are as Don Fisher, and we all know the
fifty years of football that he's witnessed and for him
and Buck Sewert Harner, you know, he was our coach
down there as well, I'm just so happy for him.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Because I don't think there's anybody that's gone through more
of Indiana football, the ups and downs. So I can't
wait to hear his call because he's such a pro
and he's a Indiana legend as we all know, so
I can't wait. I'm assuming you'll be at the game
as well.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
You know what. So here's the thing. I was going
to go, and then at the last kind of I
shouldn't say that I was. I was extended the opportunity
from somebody that was going to get a sweet, and
then the prices just went bonkers, so they said, you
know what, I'm not getting a sweet after all. So
I'm just going to go down and soak in the
atmosphere instead of going to the game. We're going to
go down. We're going to try to find a bar
(25:17):
restaurant downtown and just soak it in. I mean, it's
going to be it's going to be a madhouse, right.
But there is part of me, Chris that I want
to be able to look. I want to see them win,
and I want to see Indiana win as much for
as you know, everybody we're talking about, as well as
Terry Hepner and Bill Mallory and all of it. Right,
I want to see that as much as but but
(25:39):
then there's part of me also that more so, I
just want to see Ohio State lose, you know, I
think that that, you know what I mean, that's that's
a factor too, but just the the overall buzz and energy.
I want to be able to soak in all of
it because I just never thought we'd see it in
terms of all the energy downtown. I love downtown Indy
this time of year anyway, but so no, I'm not
(26:01):
going to actually be in in the stadium, but either way,
it's gonna be cool, you know what I mean. Yeah? Great,
I mean, yeah, I love it. I listen, I never
thought i'd see it. And I know I'm going to
end with one other thing, and I wanted you to
kind of piggyback up this. I don't know if you
remember me asking you this, but I thought it was
a telling comment. I asked you one of the times
(26:25):
this year when we were talking, if this is the
first time in a long time that when you sit
down on an airplane or when you're at a you know,
at a restaurant in Georgia, on a business trip or
whatever and some and you say like, oh, yeah, you know,
I was a college football player. You know, was there
ever like a hesitation in saying for Indiana as opposed
(26:46):
to now the pride that it gives you, rightly so
to be able to say you're a part of Indiana
football and just that overall, I guess the push out
of the chest that has now allowed for all of us,
but notably for you. What does it mean for the
football fraternity of Indiana University and the alumni.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Well, Jake, you're gonna you're gonna make me tear up, honestly,
because it means you just go back and you think
about what all that we the work we put into
It was immense that we that every college football player,
any college athlete, puts into playing a sport in the
(27:30):
Big Ten. You know, there's there's a lot more losing
than there is winning, especially what we experienced. But you
still always had that hope at the beginning of every
season that this is our year, and it never was
and now that it is our year and it has
been for the last couple and to see the transformation
(27:52):
of Memorial Stadium to thirty five thousand to now fifty
five thousand.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
It's it's just.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
Such a gratifying feeling of pride to watch it, and
not only that, to watch a team that is so
proud to represent Indiana football and to represent it in
a way that they feel like we're here to stay
and this is something that can continue and last for
(28:24):
the next ten to twenty thirty years because of the
culture that they have built and all of these guys
that have come in and they have never blinked, and
all of these guys have you know, I.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Feel like.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
I've never felt before where guys on this team embrace
players from every era and they want us to be
a part of it, even though we have, even though
we haven't necessarily been around the team, It's still it
feels like we are a part of this team if
that and so that's about as good as it gets
(29:01):
for me, and I know for the rest of the
guys that played there to.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Be able to say, Hey, we're going to play Ohio
State tomorrow night and we feel like we have a
good a chance to win as they do.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
What more can you ask for as a former player
that we all put a lot of blood, sweat and
tears into that program and now to watch a team
that's that's actually getting it done made you know. It
keeps me up at night because I'm so excited.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
So tonight it's going to be a it's going to
be a long night, and I just can't wait for tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Well, I can tell you three forty eight in the morning.
If you're staring at the ceiling and you can't, just
shoot me a text, I'm up. Yeah, we'll go drive around.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
I will, man, I will.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
All right, Chris, I appreciate it, man, enjoy it, and
soak it all in.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
All right, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
Hopefully we're talking in a couple of weeks and we're
either in Pasadena or Miami or somewhere fun.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Well, they'll definitely be somewhere warm or no doubt about that,
Chris did. Joining me Java House, Peel and Guest Line
tomorrow night, Indiana and Ohio State for the Big ten title.
Joining us now in the Java House, Peel and Port
guest Line. He is a friend of the program. I
thoroughly enjoyed, and I don't remember if we have had
him on since this time. So JP, if I am
(30:17):
repeating myself with this, I apologize, but I thoroughly enjoyed
at the end of the IndyCar season, driving back from
Nashville listening to I believe it was the Notre Dame
Miami game on the radio and you were doing the
national call. Correct.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Yeah, that's that's right. That was the week one. It
was like the last week of August. Yeah, and yeah,
it turned out to be a pretty good game. Miami
got the field goal late. We'll see if it matters
now when the playoff rankings come out next week. But
you know, all the Miami people think that that should matter,
and I kind of I tend to agree with him,
but I appreciate you listening. Man. Thank no.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
I listened, I literally because I was driving from Nashville.
I listened to the entire broadcast. Great call it was,
it was. It was a great game to your point, right,
no question about that. All right, let's get to this
one coming up on Sunday. We know the cold standpoint
from a health factor, Sauce Gardner is the one guy
that did not practice this week. That will not change
(31:10):
what about Jacksonville in terms of their health. There are
question marks, correct, he has a handful.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
They've had some offensive line question marks the last few weeks.
The left tackle Walker Little is in concussion protocol, so
Cold and Landon is likely slated to start there, and
it would be his fourth different position starting on the
offensive line this year. I think he'd be the ninth
player in the last twenty years in the NFL to
start at four different positions in one season, which is
(31:38):
pretty remarkable to see. So there's some questions there defensive
line as well. Trevon Walker with a knee issue. He's
been out on the practice field this week though, and
I think it's probably trending the right way for him.
Eric Armstead, with a hand injury, has been practicing in
a club. He nearly played last week but last second
just couldn't go. So those are some of the guys
(32:00):
in the trenches, and then in the secondary. I think
the Jags are expected to get Eric Murray back at safety,
which would be big for them. Veteran guy who's been
around for a long time and kind of settles things
down on the back end.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Okay, Jags have won four or five now. Part of that, admittedly,
and I mean this is no disrespect to them, part
of it may be a schedule because you got the
Raiders in there, you got the Cardinals and Titans, but
you know, playing close with Houston and then handling the Chargers. Clearly,
this is a team that have started to figure some
things out. What has been different in the last month.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
For them, Yeah, I mean they're figuring out a way
to finish some close ball games, right. They didn't do
that last year, new regime and everything. This year clearly
of the Houston game was a debacle. I mean that
they were up by three scores in the fourth quarter
and blew the game. I mean, they just didn't finish
the game. So I think that woke them up a
little bit and say, hey, guys, we we could not
(32:52):
have that type of performance in the fourth quarter again,
especially against the backup quarterback for Houston. Strad wasn't out there.
So they come back after the next week and take
the Chargers out, and that was the best complete game
of the season. I know they've had some close ones,
but I don't even look at you know, the Cardinals
game or the Raiders game is I mean, those are
(33:14):
really tight games, but you still got to go find
a way to win them. And they may not be,
you know, an elite team yet, but they're finding ways
to win and that's what comes out of these games.
And they're they're playing really well against the run on defense,
that's number one. They want to be physical in the
offensive line and run the ball. They didn't do it
last week against Tennessee, but they didn't have to because
(33:37):
Tennessee stinks. So they're finding ways to win and they're
in first place.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Okay, So Trevor Lawrence, we've talked so much about this,
I know, right, and when I look at Trevor Lawrence,
each time that I start to think he's got it
figured it out, then all of a sudden, there's like
a slight regression there. So JP, my question is in
the past game, Brian Thomas Junior is pretty special talent.
(34:04):
Are they going long form passing game or is Trevor
Lawrence becoming more of a short yardage I hate to
use the term dunk and dunk type quarterback.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Well, I mean, let's let's begin a few weeks ago
when Yeah, he was really having some issues down the
field or letting it fly or has itant or whatever.
He was hanging on to it or dumping it down
to the running back. And he had a conversation with
Liam Cohen and the coach shared it with the media.
It was like, hey, we just let it rip, Like
(34:33):
we don't mind if you get an extra interception or
so a game you don't want it, but hey, you know,
if if you complete three more down the field than
you are right now, okay, we'll take one. You're being aggressive.
Somebody makes a play on it on the back end.
Just let it loose, man, let it fly. Like just
that's the way you play the best when you're free
(34:55):
and don't have to worry about anything. Take for example,
the playoff game several years ago, gets the charges, get
thrown four picks in the first half. There's nothing to
lose then, so he's just letting it rip down the
field and they find their way back into the game
and win the thing. So that is kind of changed.
I think his mentality the last couple weeks where he's
been pretty comfortable in the pocket, especially against Tennessee last week,
(35:18):
and made some pretty strong throws downfield. But you're gonna
have some missus and there's gonna be some picks. It
is the full Trevor Lawrence experience. This is what it is.
We know this. You've got to be able to live
with it and have all the other parts of your
team do their job as well, defense and some special
team scores like they've had.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Is there still more there for him? I'm talking about
Trevor Lawrence in terms of who he can become or
are we at the point now in a guy's career
where not saying he's a bad quarterback, but where you
have a pretty good idea he is who he is.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
You know, I think there's still a little more to come,
just because it is the back end of his first
season in this scheme. He seems to have it.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Down pretty well.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
And you know, the middle of the season, they were
trying to figure out how to streamline the pre snap
process because these play calls are pretty long and they're
in depth, and if you miss something then you got
to resay the whole thing again in the huddle, and
they were getting to the line late and that was
causing panic and pre snap motion penalty. All these things
(36:25):
are going on. So since then, he's gone to a wristband,
which has helped streamline the pre snap process, which I
think calms his mind a little bit. And credit him
for asking for it and credit the staff for not
you know, for budging and allowing him to do a
lot of staffs would be like, what are you talking about,
like learning offense, But this is to help him and
(36:46):
his process pre snap. I think that helps him moving
ahead once the snap is there, once year over the ball,
I think that would help them moving ahead. So there's
more out there. We'll see what happens. If Brian Thomas
can catch the football down the stretch, you know, that
would help. And he's been out for a couple of
weeks with an ankle injury, came back last week. They
need that deep threat down the field. They haven't really
(37:07):
had that consistently this season because they got everything else.
As you talked about, all the underneath stuff is there,
y Kobe Myers and the tight ends strange, but to
have something over the top would be a huge, huge
boon for this team.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
JP. Are you a married fellow?
Speaker 3 (37:22):
No? Why?
Speaker 1 (37:24):
Okay? Well, because I was going to use the analogy
or a set the scene of like you wake up
in the morning and your wife says, you know, you
look tired, none of No. So let's just say you
go to work and somebody's like, dude, you look tired,
and you say, you know what, I am because I
was up all night trying to figure out the one
area for the Jags that I just can't get a
(37:45):
hold on who they are and what they are. What
has been the most consistent thing of that storyline that
it would be for you over the course of this year.
Speaker 3 (37:54):
Yeah, somebody tells me I'm tired. I just tell them
that I'm sick and tired of their crap. You know,
I just greely alone.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
Like mine your own business, like me right there. Matter
of fact, we're gonna do this again. I'm going to
ask if you're a married fella, and I want you
to answer it exactly like that. JPU a married fella?
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Yeah, mind your own business? How about that? I think
I know what you mean. This is what's your identity?
Right Like?
Speaker 1 (38:20):
What are they correct or what's the area where they're
not and you feel they should be? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (38:26):
I think the defenses really started to show that they
are a really good run stuffing defense. We'll find out
on Sunday. Clearly against Jonathan Taylor, they have not allowed
a rusher this year to run for seventy or more
yards than a game a single running back on them,
So that's that doesn't happen too often in full seasons.
(38:46):
They got a few games to go if they can
kind of make some history. But this is a tough
test this week. But they feel like they're stout there
and they're a pretty good takeaway team early in the season.
They've got to get back to that on defense. On offense,
that's a great question. I think they want to be
the physical group that runs the ball first and then
throws off that in short down in distance on second
(39:07):
and third. That's their old goal. It's not, you know,
putting four wide and throwing it all over the yard.
We've seen that with Trevor Lawrence. You don't want I
don't think you want him throwing it forty five times
a game. You know, twenty eight's fine, and run the ball,
and that's that's what they're best at, I think right now.
And what they're not best at is spreading it out
(39:27):
and throwing it around. If they're down in a game,
you know it's going to be tough because there is
some inconsistency in the passing game and they've had some
drops this year and that's just kind of what it
is here.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
Okay, lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't ask
because I know that you obviously, as I mentioned off
the top, you know you've you got some knowledge of
college football as well. I'm going to give you two games.
I want you to quickly handicap it and give me
your prediction. Georgia Alabama.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
Well, Alabama cannot run. They did actually run one of
their higher marks last week in Auburn, but it's not
consistent in the season. If they get in the head
of the quarterback, I think Kirby Smart and that defense
will have a chance to do that for the second time.
They didn't do it last time in the regular season.
I think Georgia gets this football game.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Okay, Indiana Ohio State.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
Who boy in Ohio Stake's good quarterbacks, good Black seavers,
really good. The defensive back is fantastic. They've got pieces
and parts and they know how to win games like this.
And Indiana has not been here yet, so this is
their first time really in the dance like this. I
(40:34):
think Ohio State wins just because of that experience. But
I think it's a closer game than a lot of
people might think.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
Yeah, i'd ask you BYU Texas Tech, but then you'll
tell me to mind my own business. Right, A good
point who up is that there is some truth to that, right,
you gotta feel bad. I mean Texas Tech is apparently
like really good dude. I'll be honest with you, I've
seen none of them this year, right, it's kind of
true to BYU as well.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Actually had by U on the other night just for
the first time in like Texas Tech. Same thing. Either
I'm doing a game, I'm busy and they're not on
or what you know, So I've missed them, so I
have no comment on that game business.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Right, Yeah, all right, jpre appreciate what's the weather going
to be down there? I had assume typical, what's sixty five? Good?
Speaker 3 (41:21):
Well, it's going to rain. I think there's rain in
the forecast, so and like one hundred percent chance of
rain and most of the day, so yes, But temperatures
will be in probably mid sixties. But it's supposed to
be wet, so the JAG's been working with a wet
ball all week long. And we'll see, if you know,
what kind of offense each side can have in the
(41:42):
in the swamp here. We'll see what happens. But I
think there's gonna be a lot of a lot of rain,
all right.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Always a pleasure man. We'll talk to you probably after
the holidays, because of course Jacksonville comes back up here
right after Christmas. And look forward to talking to you again.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
And single ladies of Indianapolis please reach out. That's great.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
You will not tell them to mind their own businesses.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
I know you're always welcome.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
That's right, JP, appreciate it, man. Be good. That's our
buddy from Jaguars dot Com. By the way, JP Shadwick
down in Jacksonville. Really really good. Dude, obviously goes without
saying
Now, one guy who has an objectivity about him because
he has to is Todd Blackletch, who of course is
with NBC when it comes to Big ten college football.
And I want to get the objective side of it,
because listen, I'm going to be a homer today because
I never thought i'd see it at fifty three years old,
that Indiana is right here, and I know how good
(00:20):
Ohio State is. But Todd black Litz joins us now
on the Java House Peel and poor guest line to
break down this game. Todd, it is a pleasure. How
are you?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I'm doing good, Jake, how are you doing?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
You know? Hey, I'm I'm not gonna lie to you, man.
I'm fired up because I never thought i'd see it. Man,
I never ever thought i'd see it. Now. I know
Ohio State is outstanding. I know they're outstanding. But let's
begin with Indiana and this story of Kurt Signetti. And
it's not a news story, Todd, it's season two of it.
But as somebody who's been around the game a lot,
(00:53):
to what do you pinpoint the ability of this guy
to get this program to this point.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Well, you know it is the second year, but it's
no less remarkable still, I mean the job that he
has done and the turnaround and how immediate the turnaround
has been, and bringing the guys in from JMU, whether
it's staff guys or players that ended up being outstanding
Big Ten players as well. It's it truly is remarkable,
(01:23):
and it obviously started with him and starts with him
and his leadership and his process and culture. And I mean,
I think it's one of the great great stories of
college football since I've been covering it. You know, I think,
you know, what Nick Saban did at Alabama over a
period of time and just the championship level caliber that
(01:45):
he had that program, man, was an amazing story to
me also, But this what Percy that has done is remarkable.
And I think they're you know, I don't think they're
going anywhere soon, you know. I think they're better this
year than they were a year ago. And uh and
they were pretty good last year.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
When you look at and you played obviously Todd, you know,
for the biggest of programs, right, I mean at Penn
State and when you're playing for a legendary coach and
Joe Paterno and national championships and all of that. At
Penn State. It's kind of expected when you go there, right,
I mean, you knew what the pressure was going to
be from the time that you arrived. In Indiana's case,
(02:26):
and I know, again it's year number two and they
have become accustomed to winning under Kurt Signetti. But at
the same time, there is so much at stake with
this game in their home state against that program. Right,
do fans fans get nervous about it? Do you think
players do?
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I don't think they get nervous. I mean, you know,
there's a there's a normal energy, and you know, everybody
has butterflies, you know, before a game of this magnitude.
But then once, you know, once kickoff starts and you
start playing, it just gets back down to playing and
playing ball, you know, and doing what you've done week
in and week out. And again, you know, in the
case of Kurt Signetti and his staff, and the same
(03:07):
thing I would say with Ryan Day and his staff.
You know, they they have a process in place, a
day to day, practice to practice, game to game process
that doesn't deviate just because this is a different caliber
of game. I mean, they treat everything the same way.
It's in a different venue. You know, be a different
crowd makeup kind of thing. But at the same time,
(03:30):
they're going to stick to their process, and I think
both of them are very confident in the process and
then you know the way they do things.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
I've been Todd Blackledge is my guest. He's on the
job of house peeling for guest line top. When you
look at this game, and I know Ohio State's outstanding,
so too is Indiana. You know, this really is to
some extent like that that little Spider Man gift right
of two strengths looking at one another because both teams
seemingly do the same things. Well, which which of these
(03:59):
two teams has the vulnerability that is more easier to
expose for the other?
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Well, that's you know that that's gonna be a fun
thing to watch. I don't know. I would not say
that either team has a glaring vulnerability.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
I think they're both really well coached teams. I think
they're really solid in all three phases of the game,
and I think that's why they are where they are
and both being undefeated. You know, the one thing I
will say when I studied Indiana's game against Penn State,
because I had Penn State Nebraska, you know, a couple
of games after that. But when I studied that game,
(04:40):
you know it, it concerned me a little bit that
the protection for mendo Mendoza was you know that he
was running for his life some you know. Now, he
came back at the end and led a great drive
and the protection was good enough in that last drive
for him to hit some big time throws and but
for a lot of that game he under duress and
(05:01):
so that, you know, that was the one little red
flag maybe, But again, I think the other part of that,
you know, he's playing without his favorite target and one
of his best receivers in Surat, and so you know
that took us something away from their past game. But
I think that that's you know, if I'm Indiana, that's
my first thing I've got. I've got to figure. I
(05:23):
got to make sure I protect the quarterback, you know,
and that's because he gives them a chance and you know,
as a you know, as a dual threat guy. And
I do think his legs in this game can be
a real factor. You know, at your point in the
season now where you know you you you don't hold
(05:43):
anything back. You give it your best shot and I
think that's Kurt Signetti's personality. I think that's Mendoza's personality.
And I think that, you know, part of their plan
will will involve him making plays with his legs as well.
I think he is more of a threat to do
that than Julian's saying is on the other side.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
That's okay. So let me ask you this, Todd Blackledge,
my guest, Indiana does have an ability to get to
quarterbacks on their defensive front. I mean, their pass rush
is very stout. But does that matter against saying I
haven't seen him enough to know how he is when
he has to kind of if he's got to be
slippery in the pocket. I know he's an incredibly accurate passer,
but is he Can you disrupt him at all?
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Well? I think you can, and I think you have to.
I mean, if you want to have a chance to
beat them, you have to find ways to make him uncomfortable.
Because this is a team. This is not like some
other Ohio State teams I've seen in the past, or
most college football teams. This is a team that throws
the ball better than they run the football. And you know,
(06:44):
I think their running game has gotten better. I think
Bo Jackson has kind of e merged as their feature back.
I think the left side of their offensive line from
a run blocking standpoint, is very solid, better than the
right side of their line. But the biggest thing they
do in the best thing they do because of the
skill set of Julian saying, and then the skill set
(07:05):
in particular of the guys out out wide, you know,
and Tate and Smith and now the tight end Max Claire,
is throw the football, and so you have to defend them,
maybe even a little bit more so like you would
defend an NFL team, which is we've got to affect
the quarterback. You know, we want to defend the run.
But you don't go into playing Ohio State saying we
(07:27):
have to we have to stop the run. That's first
and foremost. We have to stop the run because they'll
throw it, you know. And if you can't make the
quarterback uncomfortable, if you can't give him different looks, if
you can't put a little pressure on him, make him
hold the ball a little bit longer, get him out
of his comfort zone. He's just too accurate of a passer.
(07:48):
And those guys on the outside, you can't cover them.
So you know on a consistent basis, So yes, you
have to find a way to make him uncomfortable. And
I think that Indiana, you know, with their simulated pressures
and the way they kind of do things defensively, I
think they have a chance to do that.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Todd, do you believe that regardless of what happens in
this game? And I know how bad Indiana fans want to,
you know, especially when to beat Ohio State, because to
be the best, you got to beat the best, right,
But h do both of these teams deserve a first
round by regardless of what happens tomorrow?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Uh, it's a good question. I don't. I don't know
if I don't know that that will happen, you know,
And I don't know for sure, you know, based on
the based on last year, whether that first round by
is a great thing or.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
A point, you know, a point I think.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
I think if you're playing well and you've got things
on a role, and you're healthy, you know, I think
most guys want to keep playing, you know. Now, if
you get some guys banged up in this game and
you need a little extra time, then then then it
can be beneficial. But but I'm not sure it's the
greatest thing to have. If you get a home game,
(09:02):
you know, and another chance to play in front of
your home crowd in December, and a playoff mode would
be pretty awesome.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Lastly, Bo Jackson, you mentioned the running back for Ohio State.
We have mentioned it several times this week. He is
of no relation. He is, of course, of the same name,
but no relation to the Bo Jackson Heisman winner and
legendary running back out of Auburn. Sometimes I feel bad
when guys have the same name of great players, because
that means one of the two kind of gets lost
in it and no bigger example of that, and both
(09:32):
of them are fabulous players. Kurt Warner the quarterback. Unfortunately,
I think Todd made people some people forget about Kurt Warner,
the running back and the one that you played with
at Penn State and went on to Seattle. I think
is one of the most underrated and underappreciated running backs
of the late eighties.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Tell me I'm wrong, Well, I see, you know, I'm
pretty biased, but I thought he was the best guy
I ever played with ever teammate. He was an outstanding
player at Penn State, and even though his career was shortened,
you know, by a knee injury. When he was in
the NFL, he was still incredibly productive, made a couple
of Pro Bowls, got the Seahawks into the playoffs. He
(10:10):
was a great, great player, and he had the ability
to you know, to me, his superpower as a running
back was he had the ability to cut and move
laterally without losing speed. And you know, just very few
guys that I've seen, you know, have that ability to
do that. But he was. He was a special player.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Over fourteen hundred yards on two occasions, for over one
thousand yards in his NFL career. Loved Kurt Warner, and
I love those Seahawks uniforms, so there's probably a bias
for me there as well. Loved him Todd one time.
What's that funny?
Speaker 2 (10:44):
I was just gonna say one thing. That's funny. You
talked about Bo Jackson and having the same name. The
irony of that is his actual real Oh I know, LaVar, Yeah,
but he knows by both if you're not related to
either one.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Of course, here's the thing, Todd, let's be real, okay,
I mean he's going to be fine no matter which
one of those he replicates, right, I mean either one
he gets the career of either one of those two guys,
he's in pretty good shape.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Yeah, that's right, Todd.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
I appreciate the time. I know it's a busy time
and certainly enjoy watching you with all of your coverage,
especially on NBC, and appreciate the.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Time today you got it man, enjoy the weekend.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Appreciate it. Todd Blackliss joining us Java, House, Peel and
Port guest. I'm to be able to see the Indiana
painted in the end zone at Lucas Oil Stadium and
over sixty thousand people there going up against the defending
national champions in Indiana football. Being merited and being justified
and being legitimately a top two team in the country
(11:39):
with a chance to ascend to number one is unbelievable.
And one of the guys that is enjoying it as
much as anybody played in thirty one games over four
years for Indiana through for over three thousand yards as
their quarterback. Chris Diddo joins me on the show, and
he has been breathing into a brown paper bag for
a week and a half in preparation, not because of
this perform or this appearance, but because of the game. Chris,
(12:01):
how are you, oh, Jake?
Speaker 4 (12:04):
I mean, I'm doing great and you couldn't be more right.
I know, I feel this might sound really corny, but
I actually feel I even't felt like this in a
long time, and it feels like I could like I've
felt like the night before a game, and honestly, like
you said, I feel like I I'm nervous, I've got butterflies, jittery,
(12:26):
hard to sleep, and it's just so much fun to
think about the game tomorrow night for all the reasons
you just mentioned, for all the people that have followed
Indiana football for decades, and we've never had this opportunity.
So it's a feeling that I haven't felt in a really,
really long.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Time, and I love it. Chris. Let's go back to
this and listen. I want to be clear here right
in no means am I saying any of this to
disparage the efforts of you, your teammates and those that
came before. Right, But the reality is, as you know,
it's beyond you know, the wildest dreams of anybody, really
that here is where Indiana is until last year, with
(13:05):
what they did a year ago. Because obviously that the
groundwork was laid. But when you were a player at Indiana,
and I know that you guys believe you know, I
get it, and you had good coaches and all of that,
But was there ever a time where you almost felt like, Yeah,
I mean, I guess in the end, we are not
the Michigan's, We're not the Ohio States. You know how
(13:25):
much did like just branding or perception become one of
the challenges that you faced as a player. If that
makes sense.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Yeah, it does, And I think that's it was a
huge factor in for us mentally because we I think
when you know when you're getting.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Recruited, no matter if it was in the seventies, eighties, nineties,
two thousands, and you're getting recruited to a Big ten school,
whether it's Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan, or Penn State,
you feel like, if you can play in that conference,
you can play with anybody, can beat anybody. But at
the end of the day, we would still.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Play at a place like you know in Columbus, or
play at a place like Happy Valley or at Michigan.
And while back in the nineties we would compete for
a half or we would compete for three and a
half quarters, and then inevitably we would do something to
lose the game, whether it would be turned the ball
over or it would be a big give up a
(14:27):
big play, or a kickoff return or a punt return
for a touchdown, and the game would just flip and
then all the momentum would be lost.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
And I think a perfect example.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Kind of in that regard for us in the nineties
was when we played Wisconsin this year and we were
only up ten to seven and a half, and everyone
was frustrated and like, what is wrong with this team?
Speaker 1 (14:48):
We are not?
Speaker 3 (14:49):
You know, it was just and I was at the game,
and I'm just like you like this, you Wisconsin used
to be us. We used to be the ones that
were battling a top fifteen Wisconsin team or a top
ten Ohio eight team, and we would be caught at
half or would be, you know, down three points in
the third quarter, and we would have and then we
(15:11):
would have the Ohio State Michigan would then take over
and beat us by three or four scores like we
did against Wisconsin, if I'm making sense, And so it's
just it's crazy to see the shoe on our foot
to see to watch us play a game like we
did against Wisconsin, be down ten to seven, everybody get frustrated,
and then us turn it on and win that game,
(15:35):
because that was us the nineties. You know, we were
Wisconsin in the nineties and we would battle for three
quarters and then inevitably lose the game. I think a
lot of it has to do with the tradition, the expectation,
all of that. That why why we would lose the
games then back then, and now we are We've just
(15:57):
totally flipped the script.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
And it's just it's been incredible seed and I can't
believe it continues to happen.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
I think, Chris, one of the things Chris Ditto's my
guest Java House Peel Andport guest line, the former Indiana quarterback.
One of the things to me that has been the
most remarkable about this is a lot of what you're
talking about. I have always felt, you know, the three
quarter compete, right is is depth. I mean Ohio State
or Michigan. You know they're rotating subliminally, the rotating guys
(16:26):
in every third play in quarter one or three that
are also you know, you went from a five star
to a four and three quarter star guy right, And
in Indiana, you didn't have the luxury of that depth,
and I still don't know that Kurt Signetti's group now
has the luxury of that depth. But what they have
is this incredible ability to almost know the offense or
(16:49):
the game plan or the scheme of the opponent more
so than the opponent does. The level of coaching and
finite fine two like comb of every aspect of every
angle of the field with this group, to me, has
been the most you know, just amazing thing to watch.
What has been your observation in that regard.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I totally agree, and I think when you watch, you know,
who was it that we played earlier this year. I
think it was UCLA and they ran a fake punt
against our defense, and if you watched how we executed
that play defensively, they I think it was like a
(17:34):
reverse fake punt reverse and we had a guy in
every single position that needed to be where they needed
to be defended, in the right place at the right time.
Shut that play down like we knew it was coming.
And to your point, coach Signetti, coach, you know, defensive coach,
(17:55):
change coach man, they do.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Such a great job of preparation. There's film study that
we are prepared as well as all of these teams.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
You know, Coach Ryan Day obviously he's got incredible talent
on his team, but he also prepares his team. And
we I feel like for the first time in a
long time, we've got a coach and a coaching staff
that prepares our team as well.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
It's not better for each in every situation that they
might run into in the in the course of the
four quarters of the football game. And that's why we're
not you know, that's.
Speaker 4 (18:29):
Why we are not only you know we're in these games,
but we are We believe that can we we can
win these games like the Oregon game. Unbelievable to you know,
the the adversity that Fernada Mendoza faced when he threw
that pick six. What happens nothing, They don't blink, They
(18:49):
come back and they go, they go and they drive
right down the field and get the game winning touchdown.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
I mean, the Penn State game.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
We can go on and on about the adversity that
they faced in that city situation down you know, four
points with less than two minutes to play, they get
sacked and then they don't blink and they yeah, that
that's that is absolute preparation.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
It's coaching. And you know the other thing in this era.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
Of college football, you know, we have guys on our
team that are from all over the country. They're from
you know, it's been well documented how many of our
guys are from Power five Power five teams, or they
were two stars, three stars, or zero stars.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
But I think they've all come from winning programs. Wherever
they've been, they've won at those smaller programs and they've
come and Kurt Signetti obviously brought an incredible winning mentality.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
Aidan Fisher, who I think is going to go down
as an all time legendary Indiana Hoosier for what he's
done in two short years in the the amount of
respect I feel like, you know, the amount of respect
he's given to Indiana football. Where he's come in and
he's not he's just he's kind man. He's like we
wanted James Madison. I'm proud to be a Hoosier. I
(20:03):
am now a Hoosier. We're gonna win here. Is just
as a former player, many former players that we've talked to,
it's just incredible to see a guy with that mental
fortitude and that winning attitude.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
To represent our university, our team and leading them to
this game tomorrow night. That's just going to be such
an incredible experience for Hengers everywhere.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
How many how closely Chris did O my guest Java
House Peel and poor guest line Chris as a former player,
and obviously I know you know from a business standpoint,
I'm in your PR agency, You're very involved here within
Indianapolis invisible, But how much have you been around Kurt
Signetti's program just in terms of and I don't know.
I mean, I know you go to games, but have
you gone down to practices or just seen kind of
(20:47):
the behind the scenes that the rest of us would
not have privy to, you.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Know, To be honest with you, it's it's very interesting.
They don't open up much of anything. I've been to
a few events, but it's a practices that those are
close and it doesn't matter if you're a former player,
former coach, they are very It's just not happening. And
at first I was a little frustrated because every other
(21:14):
coach that we've had in the past very welcome, and
I'm very welcoming. You know, if you want to come
to a practice, you just call the office and they
are very You can pretty much have free reign. But
this is kind of a mystique of coach Signetti. You know,
I've never seen a practice. I know that none of
my teammates have either. So to answer your question, no,
(21:36):
and now I would love to.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
I would love to be a fly on the wall
and watch coach Signetti watch film, which from what I
understand and talking with people.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
It's that's what he does, and that's what he does
very very well.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
And his ability to dissect and retain what he watches
on film of opposing teams to create those game plans
is something to behold. So, you know, unfortun I've not
been I have met coach Signetti and it was about
a five minute conversation because he really he's all business,
(22:07):
he's all Football's he was he was friendly, but he's just.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
On to the next thing.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
He's he's worried about how can we make this program better.
There's no bs involved, which at first I was a
little frustrated, to be honest with you, but we're twenty
three and two, so let the man do whatever he
wants to do.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Uh, what is the game plan for Chris Dido and
like some of your former teammates, tomorrow night.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Yeah, so we're we're gonna get We're talked about doing
a doubleheader of going We're not gonna go to the
basketball game. That would my head might explode. So we're
gonna get together about four Downtown. Got a buddy who
owns a business down there, So we're not gonna try
and go to the bars. I think that's just gonna
be an absolute mad house of a scene. So we're
gonna go to a buddy he's got a business right
(22:56):
across the street from Lucas Oil. We're gonna tailgate ban
kind of indoor and outdoor. Watched the Alabama and Georgia
game and then probably going to the stadium around seven
and witnessed something that I think we all never thought
we would and that's Indiana in a Big Ten championship game.
And while you know it's kind of the appetizers Christmas
(23:16):
Eve or it's something that we that we know we've
got bigger and better things on the horizon.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
I just I still think tomorrow night is critical for
us to compete, to stay in the game, to win
the game.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
And I think we can because winning a Big ten championship.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
Would be I mean, that would be an opportunity to
go play in the Rose Bowl. You know, we're talking
about things that haven't happened since nineteen sixty seven.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
So tomorrow night is a huge game for us, even
though we know there's a there's a four three or
four game tournament that we have we will play in
in two weeks or you know, January first, and but
it's it's going.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
I'm gonna.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
I know I made I might shed a tier when
I finally I saw your tweet and I saw the picture.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
With the name with Indiana and the end zone. It
gives me chills thinking about it, and I know myself
and all former players and we're just we're beyond excited
to be able to witness this and for it to
be in our backyard and Indianapolis is also an absolute bonus.
Speaker 4 (24:21):
And the one person that I keep thinking of that
I'm probably the most excited for it. I know many
people are as Don Fisher, and we all know the
fifty years of football that he's witnessed and for him
and Buck Sewert Harner, you know, he was our coach
down there as well, I'm just so happy for him.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Because I don't think there's anybody that's gone through more
of Indiana football, the ups and downs. So I can't
wait to hear his call because he's such a pro
and he's a Indiana legend as we all know, so
I can't wait. I'm assuming you'll be at the game
as well.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
You know what. So here's the thing. I was going
to go, and then at the last kind of I
shouldn't say that I was. I was extended the opportunity
from somebody that was going to get a sweet, and
then the prices just went bonkers, so they said, you
know what, I'm not getting a sweet after all. So
I'm just going to go down and soak in the
atmosphere instead of going to the game. We're going to
go down. We're going to try to find a bar
(25:17):
restaurant downtown and just soak it in. I mean, it's
going to be it's going to be a madhouse, right.
But there is part of me, Chris that I want
to be able to look. I want to see them win,
and I want to see Indiana win as much for
as you know, everybody we're talking about, as well as
Terry Hepner and Bill Mallory and all of it. Right,
I want to see that as much as but but
(25:39):
then there's part of me also that more so, I
just want to see Ohio State lose, you know, I
think that that, you know what I mean, that's that's
a factor too, but just the the overall buzz and energy.
I want to be able to soak in all of
it because I just never thought we'd see it in
terms of all the energy downtown. I love downtown Indy
this time of year anyway, but so no, I'm not
(26:01):
going to actually be in in the stadium, but either way,
it's gonna be cool, you know what I mean. Yeah? Great,
I mean, yeah, I love it. I listen, I never
thought i'd see it. And I know I'm going to
end with one other thing, and I wanted you to
kind of piggyback up this. I don't know if you
remember me asking you this, but I thought it was
a telling comment. I asked you one of the times
(26:25):
this year when we were talking, if this is the
first time in a long time that when you sit
down on an airplane or when you're at a you know,
at a restaurant in Georgia, on a business trip or
whatever and some and you say like, oh, yeah, you know,
I was a college football player. You know, was there
ever like a hesitation in saying for Indiana as opposed
(26:46):
to now the pride that it gives you, rightly so
to be able to say you're a part of Indiana
football and just that overall, I guess the push out
of the chest that has now allowed for all of us,
but notably for you. What does it mean for the
football fraternity of Indiana University and the alumni.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Well, Jake, you're gonna you're gonna make me tear up, honestly,
because it means you just go back and you think
about what all that we the work we put into
It was immense that we that every college football player,
any college athlete, puts into playing a sport in the
(27:30):
Big Ten. You know, there's there's a lot more losing
than there is winning, especially what we experienced. But you
still always had that hope at the beginning of every
season that this is our year, and it never was
and now that it is our year and it has
been for the last couple and to see the transformation
(27:52):
of Memorial Stadium to thirty five thousand to now fifty
five thousand.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
It's it's just.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
Such a gratifying feeling of pride to watch it, and
not only that, to watch a team that is so
proud to represent Indiana football and to represent it in
a way that they feel like we're here to stay
and this is something that can continue and last for
(28:24):
the next ten to twenty thirty years because of the
culture that they have built and all of these guys
that have come in and they have never blinked, and
all of these guys have you know, I.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Feel like.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
I've never felt before where guys on this team embrace
players from every era and they want us to be
a part of it, even though we have, even though
we haven't necessarily been around the team, It's still it
feels like we are a part of this team if
that and so that's about as good as it gets
(29:01):
for me, and I know for the rest of the
guys that played there to.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Be able to say, Hey, we're going to play Ohio
State tomorrow night and we feel like we have a
good a chance to win as they do.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
What more can you ask for as a former player
that we all put a lot of blood, sweat and
tears into that program and now to watch a team
that's that's actually getting it done made you know. It
keeps me up at night because I'm so excited.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
So tonight it's going to be a it's going to
be a long night, and I just can't wait for tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Well, I can tell you three forty eight in the morning.
If you're staring at the ceiling and you can't, just
shoot me a text, I'm up. Yeah, we'll go drive around.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
I will, man, I will.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
All right, Chris, I appreciate it, man, enjoy it, and
soak it all in.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
All right, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
Hopefully we're talking in a couple of weeks and we're
either in Pasadena or Miami or somewhere fun.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Well, they'll definitely be somewhere warm or no doubt about that,
Chris did. Joining me Java House, Peel and Guest Line
tomorrow night, Indiana and Ohio State for the Big ten title.
Joining us now in the Java House, Peel and Port
guest Line. He is a friend of the program. I
thoroughly enjoyed, and I don't remember if we have had
him on since this time. So JP, if I am
(30:17):
repeating myself with this, I apologize, but I thoroughly enjoyed
at the end of the IndyCar season, driving back from
Nashville listening to I believe it was the Notre Dame
Miami game on the radio and you were doing the
national call. Correct.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Yeah, that's that's right. That was the week one. It
was like the last week of August. Yeah, and yeah,
it turned out to be a pretty good game. Miami
got the field goal late. We'll see if it matters
now when the playoff rankings come out next week. But
you know, all the Miami people think that that should matter,
and I kind of I tend to agree with him,
but I appreciate you listening. Man. Thank no.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
I listened, I literally because I was driving from Nashville.
I listened to the entire broadcast. Great call it was,
it was. It was a great game to your point, right,
no question about that. All right, let's get to this
one coming up on Sunday. We know the cold standpoint
from a health factor, Sauce Gardner is the one guy
that did not practice this week. That will not change
(31:10):
what about Jacksonville in terms of their health. There are
question marks, correct, he has a handful.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
They've had some offensive line question marks the last few weeks.
The left tackle Walker Little is in concussion protocol, so
Cold and Landon is likely slated to start there, and
it would be his fourth different position starting on the
offensive line this year. I think he'd be the ninth
player in the last twenty years in the NFL to
start at four different positions in one season, which is
(31:38):
pretty remarkable to see. So there's some questions there defensive
line as well. Trevon Walker with a knee issue. He's
been out on the practice field this week though, and
I think it's probably trending the right way for him.
Eric Armstead, with a hand injury, has been practicing in
a club. He nearly played last week but last second
just couldn't go. So those are some of the guys
(32:00):
in the trenches, and then in the secondary. I think
the Jags are expected to get Eric Murray back at safety,
which would be big for them. Veteran guy who's been
around for a long time and kind of settles things
down on the back end.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Okay, Jags have won four or five now. Part of that, admittedly,
and I mean this is no disrespect to them, part
of it may be a schedule because you got the
Raiders in there, you got the Cardinals and Titans, but
you know, playing close with Houston and then handling the Chargers. Clearly,
this is a team that have started to figure some
things out. What has been different in the last month.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
For them, Yeah, I mean they're figuring out a way
to finish some close ball games, right. They didn't do
that last year, new regime and everything. This year clearly
of the Houston game was a debacle. I mean that
they were up by three scores in the fourth quarter
and blew the game. I mean, they just didn't finish
the game. So I think that woke them up a
little bit and say, hey, guys, we we could not
(32:52):
have that type of performance in the fourth quarter again,
especially against the backup quarterback for Houston. Strad wasn't out there.
So they come back after the next week and take
the Chargers out, and that was the best complete game
of the season. I know they've had some close ones,
but I don't even look at you know, the Cardinals
game or the Raiders game is I mean, those are
(33:14):
really tight games, but you still got to go find
a way to win them. And they may not be,
you know, an elite team yet, but they're finding ways
to win and that's what comes out of these games.
And they're they're playing really well against the run on defense,
that's number one. They want to be physical in the
offensive line and run the ball. They didn't do it
last week against Tennessee, but they didn't have to because
(33:37):
Tennessee stinks. So they're finding ways to win and they're
in first place.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Okay, So Trevor Lawrence, we've talked so much about this,
I know, right, and when I look at Trevor Lawrence,
each time that I start to think he's got it
figured it out, then all of a sudden, there's like
a slight regression there. So JP, my question is in
the past game, Brian Thomas Junior is pretty special talent.
(34:04):
Are they going long form passing game or is Trevor
Lawrence becoming more of a short yardage I hate to
use the term dunk and dunk type quarterback.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Well, I mean, let's let's begin a few weeks ago
when Yeah, he was really having some issues down the
field or letting it fly or has itant or whatever.
He was hanging on to it or dumping it down
to the running back. And he had a conversation with
Liam Cohen and the coach shared it with the media.
It was like, hey, we just let it rip, Like
(34:33):
we don't mind if you get an extra interception or
so a game you don't want it, but hey, you know,
if if you complete three more down the field than
you are right now, okay, we'll take one. You're being aggressive.
Somebody makes a play on it on the back end.
Just let it loose, man, let it fly. Like just
that's the way you play the best when you're free
(34:55):
and don't have to worry about anything. Take for example,
the playoff game several years ago, gets the charges, get
thrown four picks in the first half. There's nothing to
lose then, so he's just letting it rip down the
field and they find their way back into the game
and win the thing. So that is kind of changed.
I think his mentality the last couple weeks where he's
been pretty comfortable in the pocket, especially against Tennessee last week,
(35:18):
and made some pretty strong throws downfield. But you're gonna
have some missus and there's gonna be some picks. It
is the full Trevor Lawrence experience. This is what it is.
We know this. You've got to be able to live
with it and have all the other parts of your
team do their job as well, defense and some special
team scores like they've had.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Is there still more there for him? I'm talking about
Trevor Lawrence in terms of who he can become or
are we at the point now in a guy's career
where not saying he's a bad quarterback, but where you
have a pretty good idea he is who he is.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
You know, I think there's still a little more to come,
just because it is the back end of his first
season in this scheme. He seems to have it.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Down pretty well.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
And you know, the middle of the season, they were
trying to figure out how to streamline the pre snap
process because these play calls are pretty long and they're
in depth, and if you miss something then you got
to resay the whole thing again in the huddle, and
they were getting to the line late and that was
causing panic and pre snap motion penalty. All these things
(36:25):
are going on. So since then, he's gone to a wristband,
which has helped streamline the pre snap process, which I
think calms his mind a little bit. And credit him
for asking for it and credit the staff for not
you know, for budging and allowing him to do a
lot of staffs would be like, what are you talking about,
like learning offense, But this is to help him and
(36:46):
his process pre snap. I think that helps him moving
ahead once the snap is there, once year over the ball,
I think that would help them moving ahead. So there's
more out there. We'll see what happens. If Brian Thomas
can catch the football down the stretch, you know, that
would help. And he's been out for a couple of
weeks with an ankle injury, came back last week. They
need that deep threat down the field. They haven't really
(37:07):
had that consistently this season because they got everything else.
As you talked about, all the underneath stuff is there,
y Kobe Myers and the tight ends strange, but to
have something over the top would be a huge, huge
boon for this team.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
JP. Are you a married fellow?
Speaker 3 (37:22):
No? Why?
Speaker 1 (37:24):
Okay? Well, because I was going to use the analogy
or a set the scene of like you wake up
in the morning and your wife says, you know, you
look tired, none of No. So let's just say you
go to work and somebody's like, dude, you look tired,
and you say, you know what, I am because I
was up all night trying to figure out the one
area for the Jags that I just can't get a
(37:45):
hold on who they are and what they are. What
has been the most consistent thing of that storyline that
it would be for you over the course of this year.
Speaker 3 (37:54):
Yeah, somebody tells me I'm tired. I just tell them
that I'm sick and tired of their crap. You know,
I just greely alone.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
Like mine your own business, like me right there. Matter
of fact, we're gonna do this again. I'm going to
ask if you're a married fella, and I want you
to answer it exactly like that. JPU a married fella?
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Yeah, mind your own business? How about that? I think
I know what you mean. This is what's your identity?
Right Like?
Speaker 1 (38:20):
What are they correct or what's the area where they're
not and you feel they should be? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (38:26):
I think the defenses really started to show that they
are a really good run stuffing defense. We'll find out
on Sunday. Clearly against Jonathan Taylor, they have not allowed
a rusher this year to run for seventy or more
yards than a game a single running back on them,
So that's that doesn't happen too often in full seasons.
(38:46):
They got a few games to go if they can
kind of make some history. But this is a tough
test this week. But they feel like they're stout there
and they're a pretty good takeaway team early in the season.
They've got to get back to that on defense. On offense,
that's a great question. I think they want to be
the physical group that runs the ball first and then
throws off that in short down in distance on second
(39:07):
and third. That's their old goal. It's not, you know,
putting four wide and throwing it all over the yard.
We've seen that with Trevor Lawrence. You don't want I
don't think you want him throwing it forty five times
a game. You know, twenty eight's fine, and run the ball,
and that's that's what they're best at, I think right now.
And what they're not best at is spreading it out
(39:27):
and throwing it around. If they're down in a game,
you know it's going to be tough because there is
some inconsistency in the passing game and they've had some
drops this year and that's just kind of what it
is here.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
Okay, lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't ask
because I know that you obviously, as I mentioned off
the top, you know you've you got some knowledge of
college football as well. I'm going to give you two games.
I want you to quickly handicap it and give me
your prediction. Georgia Alabama.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
Well, Alabama cannot run. They did actually run one of
their higher marks last week in Auburn, but it's not
consistent in the season. If they get in the head
of the quarterback, I think Kirby Smart and that defense
will have a chance to do that for the second time.
They didn't do it last time in the regular season.
I think Georgia gets this football game.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Okay, Indiana Ohio State.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
Who boy in Ohio Stake's good quarterbacks, good Black seavers,
really good. The defensive back is fantastic. They've got pieces
and parts and they know how to win games like this.
And Indiana has not been here yet, so this is
their first time really in the dance like this. I
(40:34):
think Ohio State wins just because of that experience. But
I think it's a closer game than a lot of
people might think.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
Yeah, i'd ask you BYU Texas Tech, but then you'll
tell me to mind my own business. Right, A good
point who up is that there is some truth to that, right,
you gotta feel bad. I mean Texas Tech is apparently
like really good dude. I'll be honest with you, I've
seen none of them this year, right, it's kind of
true to BYU as well.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Actually had by U on the other night just for
the first time in like Texas Tech. Same thing. Either
I'm doing a game, I'm busy and they're not on
or what you know, So I've missed them, so I
have no comment on that game business.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Right, Yeah, all right, jpre appreciate what's the weather going
to be down there? I had assume typical, what's sixty five? Good?
Speaker 3 (41:21):
Well, it's going to rain. I think there's rain in
the forecast, so and like one hundred percent chance of
rain and most of the day, so yes, But temperatures
will be in probably mid sixties. But it's supposed to
be wet, so the JAG's been working with a wet
ball all week long. And we'll see, if you know,
what kind of offense each side can have in the
(41:42):
in the swamp here. We'll see what happens. But I
think there's gonna be a lot of a lot of rain,
all right.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Always a pleasure man. We'll talk to you probably after
the holidays, because of course Jacksonville comes back up here
right after Christmas. And look forward to talking to you again.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
And single ladies of Indianapolis please reach out. That's great.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
You will not tell them to mind their own businesses.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
I know you're always welcome.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
That's right, JP, appreciate it, man. Be good. That's our
buddy from Jaguars dot Com. By the way, JP Shadwick
down in Jacksonville. Really really good. Dude, obviously goes without
saying
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