Best Of JMV 12-5-25

00:00 - 16:03 - JMV first talks to DJ Jones, father of IU LB Isaiah Jones! DJ and JMV discuss Isaiah’s choice to play for IU, the run the team is on, what it’s like being coached by Cignetti and more!

16:04 - 26:21 - Coach Bob Lovell from the legendary Indiana Sports Talk joins the show! Coach Lovell and JMV discuss IU football’s turnaround, the IHSAA State Football Finals, and more!

26:22 - 38:16 - Mike Wells from ESPN Radio! Mike gives his outlook on the IU-Ohio State game! They also talk about the Colts recent slide, and how they can right the ship.

38:17 - 55:48 - Don Fischer, voice of the Hoosiers, joins the show! Don, JMV, and Chris Hagan all discuss the upcoming IU-Ohio State game for the Big Ten Championship! They also dive into Hoosiers basketball, and debate how IU will respond after dropping their first game against Minnesota when they take on Louisville at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 

55:49 - 1:08:51 - Chris “The Bear” Fallica from Big Noon Kickoff on FOX joins the show to help breakdown the betting lines for tomorrow’s Big Ten Championship Game between Ohio State and IU. He also discusses some of the action for the SEC Championship and more!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Meantime of the Andy Moore Automotive Group potline.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
I mentioned this kind of broke it down a little bit,
but further discussion means we're going to bring on board
the father of Isaiah Jones of IU, the lineback of
the Red Shirt Junior. The father is the former tight
end at Ohio State, DJ Jones, who's on the Andy
Moore Automotive Group potline right now, Hey, DJ, thank you
very much for the time.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
How are you, I'm well, how are you outstanding?

Speaker 3 (00:27):
Now?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
I did want to mention this that I know that
you get to hang around with Mike Poe a great deal,
so I'm sure you're thrilled with that as he is.
I may bring him on, I may bring him on
to just a second to converse with you. But hey, honestly, DJ,
there's no better dude in the world than Mike Poe.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
And I know you know that too.

Speaker 4 (00:47):
Yeah, he is. He's a great guy. Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
So what's the emotional dynamic going on in the Jones
family with what you have accomplished, what you were a
part of, and with what your son is accomplishing and
what he's a part of it. Certainly, going into that
matchup with your former team coming up tomorrow night. What's
the emotional dynamic in the family right now?

Speaker 5 (01:13):
Well, I think our family is one hundred percent converted.
Who's your fans this season and will be tomorrow in
that stadium. I've actually been amazed at how many you know,
family friends, relatives, you know, acquaintances have had actually posed
that question to me as to who.

Speaker 4 (01:30):
I'm going to be rooting for tomorrow.

Speaker 5 (01:33):
Obviously, growing up a buck guy and having played there
any time that Ohio State is in a situation like this,
I'm a diehard buck Eye at heart, but blood runs
much deeper than school loyalties. And Isaiah having a chance
like this on this national stage for he and is
who's your teammates to basically write history for who's your nation?

(01:56):
We're all going to be wearing the cream and crimson
and cheering loudly for Indiana tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
He is the father of Isaiah Jones.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
DJ Jones is a former Buckeye football player who's on
the Andy Moore out of Monive Group potline. I asked
this of everybody, DJ, but I want to ask somebody
that certainly is closely related to the situation here, did
you ever think when Isaiah goes to IU, that we
would be in this situation as we find ourselves right now.

(02:24):
I mean, you're close to it. How how amazing is
it to you compared to I guess the rest of
the college football world right now?

Speaker 5 (02:34):
Well, you see all these these articles, you hear these
pundits on these talk shows, and they're all just floored,
and I think I'm right there with them. Right So,
having grown up a big Tin fan, and there's just that,
you know, every now and then there's that season where
Indiana's competitive and they're winning more games than they're losing.
But to see what they've done the last two years
has been not being short of remarkable. You know, it's

(02:58):
I still am having, you know, know, problems getting over
just the logo on the helmet and the success that
they're having because it's clearly not something that I was
used to seeing when I played there.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
What did you when Isaiah decided to go to IU?

Speaker 1 (03:12):
What did you think about the IU football.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
Program then as a former Buck guy compared to how
you feel about it two years in with head coach
Kurt Signetti.

Speaker 5 (03:25):
Yeah, So when he made the decision and he was
looking at schools there was. There was a few of
the Big ten schools that were recruiting him that he
had an opportunity to play for, and I think he
in his mind, he came down to like he wanted
to be a Big ten linebacker.

Speaker 4 (03:40):
He wanted to.

Speaker 5 (03:41):
Play for some place that was close to home, where
his family and relatives could see him play on a
consistent basis. He wanted to be a part of something
which at that time Tom Allen had had a couple
of successful years and they were kind of coming out
of one of the more successful years.

Speaker 4 (04:00):
That they'd had.

Speaker 5 (04:01):
Now that didn't quite work out as well his first
couple of years there, but in his mind, he wanted
an opportunity, being an Ohio kid, to be able to
play Ohio State every year. Was it highly recruited by
Ohio State, kind of came in late in his recruitment process,
but did not receive that offer. So in his mind,

(04:21):
he wanted an opportunity to play the Buckeys. At that point,
they were still in that East West division. Now it's
kind of a wide open with the addition of the
two West Coast schools or the four West Coast schools.
So I've enjoyed watching his progress. I've enjoyed watching the
development that he's made, and I think everybody that's a

(04:42):
Hoosier fan has enjoyed the success that Signetti and just
the process that coach Signetti's brought to the Hoosiers.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
What has that been like for you? I mean what
stands out to you?

Speaker 2 (04:54):
And I know your son obviously is more into it
as a part of that football team, but as a
former player, what does Kurt Signetti bring to the table
that gets out of these players in programs wherever he's been,
whether it's James Madison prior to this or now at IU.

Speaker 1 (05:11):
What is it about him that gets.

Speaker 2 (05:12):
So much and has such an understanding about the guy
he's coaching guys here coaching up at a high level.

Speaker 5 (05:17):
DJ Well, I think in talking with Isaiah and just
you know, kind of being a process oriented guy and
understanding what makes football program successful. In watching some of
these high level coaches, I think it's a process orientation.
There's no wasted motion, it's attention to detail. I think

(05:42):
when you look at where coach Signette spent a large
portion of his his tenure was under a guy like
Saban at Alabama who did it as well as anybody.
Just just the attention to detail, the ability to find
the right people. Any great organization, it's about finding the
right people, the right coaches, the right players that fit
that system. And I think coach Signett's brought that to

(06:04):
Indiana over his progression through through his head coaching stops.
Is is just we're not gonna have any wasted motion.
We're going to recruit the right people, high character guys,
guys that have a chip on their shoulder, guys that
that have potential and athletic ability, and then we're gonna
surround them with the right coaching staff. And and and

(06:24):
you get your coaches trained up, your coaches then't train
up the players. And just there's no stone left unturned.
There's no scenario and situation that you're not prepared for.
And and I think that's what has led to to
Indiana's you know, remarkable two year turnaround is just getting
the right guy in the right situation. And and and

(06:45):
let's not be coy like Indiana has a large, uh
you know, it's a large state school. They have a
large support staff out there, they have a large alumni base,
there's a large contingency of industry and businesses that you
know are control cotributing to all of the revenue sharing,
so you know you're bringing in the right pieces. You

(07:05):
have the funds to compete on that national level. And
I think what you're seeing is when you when you
see a guy with with coach Signetti's process, you know,
coupled with you know, an administration, athletic director and president
and university board that's going to support him with the funds.

Speaker 4 (07:24):
It's amazing what you can do in a short two
year window.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
You know, DJ Jones shows as a former Buck guy.
He's the father of Isaiah Jones, the IU linebacker. With
IU and Ohio State coming up tomorrow night at eight
o'clock Lucas Oil Stadium for a Big Ten title and
DJs on the Andy.

Speaker 1 (07:40):
Morim Automotive Group Highline.

Speaker 2 (07:42):
It's interesting, right, I mean, you and I are about
the same age here, and when you look at the
landscape of what your college athletics would be right now
and how a team like IU can be a part
of it compared to what the past might be, it
is absolutely a one to eighty and sometimes it's recognizable.
But when you do it right, like IU has from
Scott Dolson through Kurt Signetti.

Speaker 1 (08:04):
And how they're doing it right now.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
I mean, you can find something when you're a program
that historically you've never really found this level of winning DJ.

Speaker 4 (08:13):
Oh.

Speaker 5 (08:13):
Absolutely, and I think Coach Signetti has made that clear.
It's the support from from the A d Scott Dolson,
Pam Wentton, uh down the administration, just just everybody, you know.
But you know, there's examples over the last few years
with this whole NIL thing where it's imploded, where you
get the coaches that have unlimited budgets and and they

(08:35):
go out there and just and just buy teams and
pay for teams and things like that, and it hasn't
worked well. And so I think there's there's still that
component of finding high character individuals, uh, you know, finding uh,
kids that have been raised in the right way that
is not necessarily all about chasing the dollar, that are

(08:55):
coming in here for the right reason to become a
part of something great.

Speaker 4 (08:59):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (09:00):
You know, guys like Coogan and some of these guys
that that he's been able to you know, Mendoza and
bring in here, coupled with the ones he brought from JMU,
coupled with the ones that held over from from the
coaching change a couple.

Speaker 4 (09:12):
Of years ago.

Speaker 5 (09:13):
And and it's all about people, you know, any successful organization,
any successful team, Uh, it's all about the right People's.

Speaker 2 (09:22):
DJ Jones, who is with us? You got a good
scoutering report forrest? Give us the U the father scout
because I mean, you're you're unique to the show. You're
a former player and a father of an eye you
play right now. So a former Buck guy, a father
and I you player. Give us a scouting report for
both teams for tomorrow.

Speaker 5 (09:40):
Night when I certainly don't went Indiana to resend my
tickets that they set me.

Speaker 4 (09:45):
So. But but what I.

Speaker 5 (09:47):
Can tell you, what I can tell you is, uh,
you know we're and I only know it from the
defensive side. I can't tell you what they're gonna do.
I can tell you what I think they're gonna do.
But uh, from a deferen his perspective, I think they're
going to try to pressure uh the quarterback. I don't
think that he's been pressured much this year. And I
think they're I think they're gonna play loose. I think

(10:09):
they're gonna play, you know, care free. I I just
think that Indiana has nothing to lose. I think Ohio
State has everything to lose. No one expects, per se
that Indiana is gonna come in there against the Mighty
Buck guys, and I think that's gonna bode well for
for coach Signetti and his team. I think his guys
are juiced up and ready to play, and I think

(10:30):
the defense is going to pin their ears back and
try to get after get after that quarterback and uh
without without indulging too much, I just that's that's the
way I see it going. And I think offensively, I
think they're going to try to establish the run and uh,
you know, kind of pop pop Ohio State in them out,
which no one's been able to do this year either.

Speaker 1 (10:49):
No, No, they haven't too.

Speaker 2 (10:51):
You take anything away from last year in Columbus in
November compared to what may happen coming up tomorrow night,
because I don't. I like, I think Kurtz Signetti is
references before. I mean, it's a new season, got some
new guys in there. I don't take a great deal
away from what took place at Columbus last year compared
to what we expect tomorrow night.

Speaker 1 (11:11):
Do you no?

Speaker 5 (11:14):
And to be honest with you just kind of what
I know on the inside from what happened last year.
You know, you know, we stop Ohio State, we go down,
we scored, the quiet, the crowd is quiet, you know,
and we've got a couple of botched special teams. We
got to drop punt inside the ten, we gotta we
got a punt that was supposed to go right that
went left, that resulted in a in a return for
a touchdown. Some of these things are just you know,

(11:36):
you don't have that that window of air against a
team of Ohio State's caliber. I think Ohio State's better
than they were last year. I think Indiana significantly better
at at different facets of the game. I think in
the trenches were better. I don't think we were intimidated
last year. I just think that we.

Speaker 4 (11:55):
Got beat up in some certain areas.

Speaker 5 (11:56):
So I think this team is the moxia signs that
you know they're willing to swing and fight with anybody
out there. And I think you're gonna see that tomorrow
in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Speaker 2 (12:09):
He is DJ Jones, the former Buck guy. He's the
dad of Isaiah Jones, linebacker for the Hoosiers. He's on
the Andy Moore Automotive Group Potline. Let me bring in
a mutual friend of ours, DJ, right here. I feel
like I know you a great deal now because Mike
Poe was standing by with us too, and he's he's
the one that set this up. This is well done out.
If you do a lot of great things, Mike, this

(12:30):
is one of them.

Speaker 6 (12:31):
Well, thank you very much. I want to say hi
to a big sexy.

Speaker 2 (12:35):
Big oh big well see tonight. I didn't know I
could reference you as big sexy DJ.

Speaker 1 (12:41):
That's just kind of need.

Speaker 6 (12:45):
He may he may act like it, but he doesn't
hate it.

Speaker 1 (12:47):
When they called gotcha, I got you to.

Speaker 4 (12:50):
I'll just say.

Speaker 6 (12:51):
It's an honor and a blessing to know the Joneses
and through them to get to know you know, several
of the players, uh, all three of his kids. And
you know, the youngest son plays for Kolgate. He's a
linebacker there. The oldest son, Jackson, happens to work with us.
When you talk about character there, they're the epitome of it.

(13:14):
And and guys like Carter Smith, I mean, just good folks,
work hard, you know all they make good grades. They're
just good people. Yeah, it's been a blessing to me
to be a part of it for the last couple
of years.

Speaker 2 (13:28):
Well, you guys are both awesome, There's no question about that.

Speaker 1 (13:31):
DJ.

Speaker 2 (13:32):
I know you've you've gone through a lot, especially back
during your your football career. I was privy to one
of the articles back in the nineties from you you
have persevered and congratulations with all that you've accomplished. And
you know, being a father myself, you know a lot
of those accomplishments comes with those that like Isaiah and

(13:52):
your family, that continue to do what they do, and
that makes it even extra special, doesn't it.

Speaker 4 (13:58):
It absolutely does. I I tried to raise all of my.

Speaker 5 (14:01):
Kids to be individual and to to you know, achieve,
achieve what they wanted to do based upon their desires,
not necessarily what their their dad wanted them to do.
So they're they're all special in their own way, and uh,
it's it's it's been fun to watch each and every
one of them kind of excel in their own in
their own way. So Isaiah's forging his own path and

(14:25):
and I'm I'm super proud to see where all of
them are and especially proud of what Isaiah has the
opportunity to be a part of tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
We are incredibly happy for you. It has been an
absolute pleasure to be introduced to you.

Speaker 1 (14:39):
So I don't know, like Poe is.

Speaker 2 (14:42):
Gonna get me wrapped up in some things coming up tomorrow,
I think, are you going to be a part of
these things that Mike Post put in together to wrap
us up in.

Speaker 5 (14:50):
Absolutely, we're going to be there, and so we're having
We're gonna We've got we've got a big contingent coming
over from Columbus.

Speaker 4 (14:59):
I've I've a few of them.

Speaker 5 (15:00):
Not to be too raucous of a Buckeye fans, I've
got some former teammates that are coming over. But it's
it's all love. It's uh, you know. That's that's part
of what the brotherhood of any team is is just
you know. And I've got a lot of Isaiah Jones
fans that are probably going to be wearing Ohio State
gear tomorrow cheer on the buck Eye, but they'll be

(15:21):
cheering on number forty six as well.

Speaker 1 (15:24):
Well.

Speaker 2 (15:25):
And so I cannot wait to meet you at least
face to face coming up tomorrow. But it's been again
a pleasure to have you on this show. Please, if
you don't mind send a message Isaiah and go out
there and kick a little ass coming up tomorrow night.
But it has been your story and your family story
is awesome, and congratulations on everything, and I can't wait

(15:47):
to meet you face to face coming up tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (15:48):
DJ, thanks for coming on the show today.

Speaker 4 (15:52):
Absolutely appreciate it. Look forward to meeting you tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (15:54):
You got DJ Jones, the former buck Eye tight End
who is the father of Isaiah John meantime and the
Andy Moore Automotive Group potline. He's a good friend of
the show per usual. He's got a lot to talk about.
I know that the High Score Football finals on the
rear view now, but you've got high school basketball, you've

(16:15):
got college basketball, you've got college football with I you
playing the like seventy situation that we never thought we
would ever see.

Speaker 1 (16:26):
Bob Lovell joins us. Now, good afternoon, Bob. How are you?

Speaker 4 (16:29):
I'm great, John? How are you?

Speaker 2 (16:32):
What if I were to tell you, like three four
years ago that this would be the IU football team
in their position in twenty twenty five, would you smacked
me around a little bit and said you're crazy?

Speaker 3 (16:42):
I would have done what most people should try to do,
with you is ignore you, but I don't don't look
add me to the list. I never I didn't think
it was possible. You look at all the through the
years they've hired you know, they've missed some on ares,
but they brought in some people to who are pretty
good football people, and uh, no one ever won and

(17:06):
clearly no one to this level. And so, uh, I
know it's one of those kinds of positions. And if
you're looking at the injured coaching career, take the IU
football job.

Speaker 4 (17:15):
And so that's a that's all changed.

Speaker 3 (17:17):
That's that's all all changed dramatically. And uh, I think
the amazing thing to me is two years, only two years,
and I understand it's a new world and things are
different in terms of how to build the rosters and
all that stuff. For two years, there's two years. That's
that's not a lot of time to move from the

(17:37):
worst having lost the most games in the country at
the Division IE level to mean, uh, potentially playing for
a national championship.

Speaker 4 (17:46):
That's that's incredible.

Speaker 2 (17:49):
It is among one of the more amazing stories college
athletics especially.

Speaker 1 (17:55):
It's right there.

Speaker 3 (17:57):
Well, there's no question, and it's you know what's fun
is that they just go out and play, you know,
they don't listen to the And it's also equally I
think frustrating is the national media continues and not that
we care or should care what the national media says.
They give them no respect. H They just don't Uh,
they don't know what we know. We appreciate what they've

(18:19):
done and understand it. But the idea now is stake
care of business, do what you're supposed to do, and
let things happen.

Speaker 1 (18:28):
It is River now.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
I mentioned a little bit earlier high school football. We
make that not so subtle transition to really high school basketball.
But final thoughts on last weekend Downtown Indy may have been.

Speaker 3 (18:41):
One of the best weekends they've ever had. John, to
be honest, the great help every time you go in,
you know, from my position, every time you go in
and talk about the terms of previewing the state finals,
you're always talking about that this will be a great game,
that'll be a great game. Invariably you have two or
three that are blowouts, and then you're looking at how
did this team get in?

Speaker 4 (19:02):
Now, I just think that.

Speaker 3 (19:04):
Last weekend they were literally all closely played games. It
wasn't determined in most cases until the end, and there
were some truly magnificent performances. Buy some individuals and buy
some teams. So I think everyone should be happy because
I thought it was a great end to another tremendously

(19:24):
well played football season.

Speaker 2 (19:26):
It was big glens in the house making that transition
now to basketball. You know, in a part of this
weekend here, I mean, obviously you go to West lofeett
Iway State, Purdue coming up tomorrow, number one ranked for due,
we got a lot more for that. I you, Louisville
gets things underway here downtown coming up tomorrow, and then
you know, obviously in the Big Ten title game of
Ohio State and IU. But thoughts on the college basketball season.

(19:52):
The one thing that stands out to me is I
love the way that Matt Painter challenges his guys, and
while his guys, you know, raise their level of play,
you want to see right now what you.

Speaker 1 (20:04):
Got, And certainly that schedule for Purdue.

Speaker 2 (20:07):
Has done that and will be doing even more than
that coming up tomorrow. Given an Iowa State team that
loves to get up and down the floor and shoot
at high volume threes, I just think it's it's Matt.

Speaker 4 (20:19):
Matt doesn't shy away from a challenge.

Speaker 3 (20:21):
I think, when you're as good as they are, this
is the kind of non conference schedule you should play.
You need to challenge your guys. Uh, and they're they're
clearly being challenged. I love their their emerging depth. I
think it's going to get better and better. The new bigs,
the Cluff Kid and the Jacobson Kid, they add different

(20:42):
dimensions to it. I still wish they could shoot the ball.
I will still wish they had one or two more
guys who were consistently able to knock down jebbers.

Speaker 4 (20:50):
But there's plenty of time. But they play.

Speaker 3 (20:53):
Hard, they defend you, they share the ball.

Speaker 4 (20:56):
They're relentless.

Speaker 7 (20:57):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (20:58):
They have a toughness that a whole lot of teams
don't have. And so I think legitimately they deserve to
be number one.

Speaker 1 (21:06):
And no doubt about that.

Speaker 2 (21:07):
Are you, Louisville both trying to get back on track
after disappointments. What do you like about that game coming
up tomorrow a little bit after two at Gambridge Field House.

Speaker 3 (21:17):
Well, I think you know, from the IU perspective, how
do you bounce back? This is the first time first
Chancy to bounce back from a loss.

Speaker 4 (21:24):
So how are you going to respond to a loss?
I haven't had any.

Speaker 3 (21:26):
Obviously until uh, Minnesota, So how do you bounce back?

Speaker 4 (21:30):
The same thing for Louis?

Speaker 3 (21:31):
How do you how do you both.

Speaker 4 (21:33):
Recover from a loss?

Speaker 7 (21:35):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (21:35):
And you're getting ready obviously for your conference play. So
I think that's one of the big indicators. Secondly, Uh,
you know, I you maybe had some exposure in terms
of their loss to Minnesota.

Speaker 4 (21:47):
I just think they defended as.

Speaker 3 (21:48):
Well as they need to, uh and shoot it like
they need to.

Speaker 4 (21:53):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (21:53):
Tucker Debris had a tough night, not being able toy
guarded him well. Uh, they couldn't get any relief allub him,
and so I think there are a lot of things
going on. Incredible. I think it's an important game for
both teams. Louigale in the same situation in some respects.
But you get very few of these non conferences left
before you toss it up and get back into it

(22:14):
full time in the conference.

Speaker 2 (22:16):
He is Bob Lovell of Indiana Sports Talk has got
you covered top to bottom with everything going on around here.

Speaker 1 (22:22):
This weekend.

Speaker 2 (22:23):
He's joining us on the Andy Moore Automatic Group plotline.

Speaker 1 (22:26):
I should mention this too. The Marian football situation.

Speaker 3 (22:31):
Uh huh.

Speaker 2 (22:31):
So they were set to play the nai A football
quarterfinals tomorrow instead of the season is over because of
an ineligible player.

Speaker 1 (22:41):
All that surrounded that decision and what went down?

Speaker 2 (22:44):
What were your thoughts, somebody that certainly has been close
to college athletics your entire life, what do you think
about what went down there?

Speaker 3 (22:51):
Well, when I was at Ipui as the athletic director
and basketball coach, we remember of the nai So I
have dealt with a simi or eligibility situation. It did
not preclude It was basically our baseball team when we
had a baseball team and they were very similar.

Speaker 4 (23:12):
Situation.

Speaker 3 (23:12):
Wasn't in the national tournament, but they were denied the
opportunity to play in the district playoffs.

Speaker 4 (23:18):
And so I've been through it. I understand it.

Speaker 8 (23:21):
It's an unbelievably empty feeling for the administration and for
the people there to be rolling along and doing what
you're doing and then suddenly because of literally an administrative air.

Speaker 3 (23:34):
I don't know specifically what it was, I can speculate,
but it's just it's a situation where you didn't there
was no malicious intent, and there was no intentionality to it.
More than anything, it's just an oversight in terms of
the part of fulfilling your obligations and paperwork and those

(23:55):
kinds of things, assuring more than likely you're making sure
that you assure everyone that has passed the record was
a number of hours to maintain their eligibility, and so.

Speaker 9 (24:04):
It is, it's unbelieved you feel I felt I would
still feel this way for the mistake that was made
when it happened to us, and you can always say
you're sorry so many times, and then you have to
go out and make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else.

Speaker 3 (24:20):
And it impacted, uh, impacted the eligibility of a couple
of kids, it really did, And so you got to
go to them and face them and say, hey, through
no fault of yours, uh, we're not gonna be able
to play. And I'm sure that was an extremely difficult,
uh message for coach Karris and everybody to have to
deliver to a group of guys that were legitimately on

(24:40):
on a pace to compete for a national championship.

Speaker 2 (24:44):
Yeah, Steve Downing is the ad and everybody that I'm
around has told me that you could not have handled
that any better in such an unfortunate situation as he has.

Speaker 3 (24:56):
Oh well that's Steve. I mean, Steves the classy guy,
always has been, always will be. And so you know,
dmit your mistake, do the best you can to make
sure it doesn't happen. You know, even though it's a
small campus. You know, they talked about, you know, with
to review our procedures and and that's that's where it was.
I mean, that's exactly some procedural type of situation where

(25:16):
you know, you got to have a good knowledge and
understanding between register our's office, between your athletic department's office
and that, and unfortunately, sometimes it happens. I argued, as
vehement lives I could with the NAI why would you
punish kids for a mistake that we made and they didn't.
And that's that's always been my contention is, Yeah, we

(25:39):
screwed up. Why punish our kids for it?

Speaker 2 (25:42):
So, Bob Lovell, of any sports talk, I thought you
probably have a really good angle at that, and I
appreciate that very much. And and it's a store that
sometimes people have a tough time understanding. There's no doubt
about that.

Speaker 1 (25:54):
Bob Love Live.

Speaker 3 (25:56):
Yeah, thanks for making me rese know those difficult moments
I appreciate.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
Yeah, that's that's That's what I'm all about on this
show right here, Bob, Bob's got you covered tonight tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (26:05):
Not Indiana Sports Talk.

Speaker 2 (26:07):
You got a network Indiana affiliated station across this state.
He's on the any More Automotive Group plotline. Bob, I
appreciate you more than you know. I have a great weekend.

Speaker 4 (26:16):
Appreciate John.

Speaker 3 (26:17):
Thanks, have a great weekend.

Speaker 2 (26:21):
The Mike Well Slow Jammer Entry Live at time Breakers
Bud Blue Friday here on mass Am with AMP Paris
Chris Hagen. I'm JMV. Thank you for joining us. Mike,
go ahead, take this away on.

Speaker 1 (26:31):
The Anymore Automotive Group potline.

Speaker 7 (26:36):
Oh, hold on, turn it up. Are you got a parent?
I can't sing today?

Speaker 10 (26:47):
You got to sing it for the AMP. Come on, man,
don't whip out. I app set you up. Wills app
set you up.

Speaker 1 (26:57):
Hey, he got three tones that he could do.

Speaker 11 (27:00):
You got Bobby Brown, you got Johnny Gil, you got
Ralph Transman.

Speaker 10 (27:05):
Man, I've never seen I've never seen Wells tap out.

Speaker 1 (27:09):
He tapped out. He did, he tapped out.

Speaker 7 (27:12):
You could have surprised me and then tell me Amp
was there, I'm not bothering Wing. I can to go
see these boys.

Speaker 11 (27:19):
And I was just gonna protect you up, like to
have a sing off with Johnny Gil.

Speaker 10 (27:29):
Hey you said that, Yeah, go ahead, Well I was
gonna say you when when when App says he was
gonna set you up as a sing off, he ain't
kidding because one time him and Epp said I was
gonna be the opening acts for him on the show,
and I laughed and I go, that's funny. And then

(27:49):
a week later, I'm like, hey, Amp, where's my tickets?
And Amp said, oh, no, man, you're opening act. Next thing,
you know, next thing you know, I'm on that stage
in front of a sold out crowd. Like if Am
says it's a sing off, you better not think he's joking.

Speaker 1 (28:03):
Say less.

Speaker 11 (28:04):
All you gotta do is tell me where Mike we're
gonna get. I'll let you learn the words and the
lyrics to that song right there, and you don't sing
Johnny's part.

Speaker 1 (28:12):
I mean, Johnny won't sing his part. I'll let you
sing it.

Speaker 7 (28:15):
Listen. Let me get up there and going to serenade
a little bit. I'm going to Little Johnny. I'll be
a bootleg the New a District movie of Johnny Dio.

Speaker 10 (28:24):
Al Right, that would clear out the arena so fast
if Wells got up there and certain singing.

Speaker 2 (28:32):
We're all still going in February though, We're all still going, right.

Speaker 1 (28:35):
Yeah, what I'm gonna do?

Speaker 9 (28:38):
You know what?

Speaker 4 (28:39):
Speaking of that?

Speaker 1 (28:40):
Hey, j MV, this is what I'm gonna do. I'm
gonna get Johnny Gil to call in.

Speaker 11 (28:43):
I love that, and we're gonna all be on the
call and we're gonna call Mike Wells and Mike, I'm
gonna let you sing.

Speaker 1 (28:51):
Why Johnny you think I'm joking?

Speaker 10 (28:53):
He ain't joking.

Speaker 1 (29:00):
You do that?

Speaker 7 (29:01):
You get Johnny to call man, Hey, let me go
in there, Sarah Sharon, ain't little ma my mind? Reb
you the right way type stuff? I got you, I
got you?

Speaker 1 (29:14):
Oh my god.

Speaker 2 (29:15):
That's that is going to be spectacularus. Mike Wells, the
ESPN Radio is with us. So you've been down at
IU this week obviously teaching kids and such, uh fever
pitch for this football program.

Speaker 1 (29:27):
I mean, there's really nothing like in Mike.

Speaker 7 (29:30):
I mean, it's unbelievable. Honestly, you're funny I'm I'm my
way from Limington right now. That I you have overshadowed
Ohio State in popularity this year, I mean I never
thought that would happen. Nobody has even been talking about
Ohio State as they've been in the number one team
in the country for most of it most of the year.

(29:52):
It is all about what Kurt Snetti has done down there,
what Fernando Mendoza has done on his way to potentially
waiting waiting hidanch Ok there money and just the height
that IU was playing in his backyard, in his big
in the Big Ten championship game tomorrow night, and according
to a student of Red well On, the last IU

(30:15):
football team to beat Monday morning went back on campus,
if we could be talking in class about IU knocking
off the big boys over there in Columbus.

Speaker 10 (30:30):
Wells, this is something I was going to bring up
and uh and it may not be a popular opinion,
but let me get your take on this. I think
big picture, IU is better off if they lose tomorrow
because if they win, they may have to well play
Ohio State again. And history will tell you that college

(30:51):
football rematches of a team go back to Alabama and
Georgia when they played for the title LSU Alabama, Oklahoma
Nebraska way back in the day. Rematches in the postseason
of college football seldom favor the team that won the
first game. So it would be well and good celebrate
if IU wins tomorrow. But then in the playoffs you're
already going to have an Oregon team that's looking for

(31:13):
a rematch and some payback, and then you'd also throw
in an Ohio State team looking for rematching payback. I
just think it'd be hard to beat Ohio State twice.
Not taking anything away. I mean, if you're better than them,
just go out there and beat them twice. I'm just
saying history says it's awful hard to do that. You'd
hate to win that game and throw a parade and
hang a banner, and next thing you know, you see
them again in the playoffs and you lose.

Speaker 7 (31:35):
All right, Listen, Haygen, I love my check from Indiana University,
blooming Tins, and you try to set me up. But
in all serios years, I'm gonna put my juneralistic pad on.
I actually agree with you on this. But the thing is,
I think Ohio State is very vulnerable right now.

Speaker 4 (31:53):
They have not.

Speaker 7 (31:53):
Played a game closer than eighteen points to their first
week game against Texas. Only haven't been tested. I you
went on the road to be the Oregon team. They
had to go on the road and get an incredible
touchdown catch against Penn State to win. So I think,
from if you look at a vulnerability standpoint, Ohio State
is more vulnerable right now than I you because they

(32:15):
don't know what it's like to play in a close game.
It's been it's been three months as they played in
a close team. But with that said, you're right, it
will be hard to be to Ohio State fight. And
if you're gonna lose once to them, let it be
now and get revenge in the college football playoffs and
we're gonna take a step forward on the college football playoffs.
If you're IU, I think you want to play Old Miss.
You want to get an Ole Miss team that has

(32:37):
just lost this coach a l s U. You want
to it's like the NCAA tournament. You want to be
able to avoid the better team until the national championship game.
So you want to play the kind of the bracket
game and hope you get an easier role than the
national title.

Speaker 10 (32:53):
Well, wells that you you brought up a great point,
as you always do. It's the same thing as in
uh in the march madness. Sometimes it's not who you beat,
it's who you didn't have to beat. You know what
I'm saying, teams you didn't have to play. Maybe there's
an upset somewhere else, or you caught a break as
far as the scheduling. And I guess a better way
to reframe it instead of saying, I use better off
if they lose, I'll say it like this, if they

(33:15):
lose tomorrow, it's not the end of the world.

Speaker 1 (33:18):
Let's leave it at that.

Speaker 10 (33:19):
There's bigger there's bigger fish to fry than just saying
you beat Ohio State to win. In today's landscape of
the playoffs and what their ultimate goal is. Everything, everything
doesn't die with a loss tomorrow.

Speaker 7 (33:32):
So it does. It does not off of that.

Speaker 1 (33:36):
Hey, John, I know you have to kick me off.

Speaker 7 (33:38):
So, hey, what's up with that team? The other team
that plays in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Speaker 2 (33:43):
Brother, They they're not getting the help they need with
the offensive line and defensive line, and certainly I think
the head coach calls plays and I know that's the playbook,
the calls plays like he's got a Daniel Jones quarterback
that was in September and not to where he's been
compromised with that crack stick right now.

Speaker 1 (34:03):
I think that's all led to problems.

Speaker 2 (34:05):
And you know, I think we look at Sunday as
if you don't get back on track and win for
the first time at Jacksonville since twenty fourteen. I mean,
you can honestly look at this team maybe getting the
squeeze out of the AFC playoff picture.

Speaker 1 (34:18):
Ultimately, I mean this is one of those must.

Speaker 2 (34:20):
Win situations that absolutely mix that must win Sunday.

Speaker 7 (34:24):
Yeah, and Nan honestly yeah. I mean you take a
couple of weeks ago, it was about, Okay, everything is
perfect with his franchise, Daniel Jones a gonna set himself
up for a Night's long term contract, could no more
job questions about Chris Ballard as general manager. You don't
make the playoffs and you have Carli Ertze in her
first full year of having control with her sisters, you

(34:47):
got to worry about what the trickle down effect will
be off for everything.

Speaker 10 (34:52):
Yeah, Because that's what John and I talked about on
Sunday night. About we thought foolishly, perhaps we thought, oh,
no doubt to win in the vision and we were
only talking about the one seed and where the seating is.
And now not only is all that back on the table,
so too is job security if this thing really goes sideways,
I mean, is that discussion back in the mix as well?

Speaker 7 (35:14):
Oh you have to think, because man, the reality is,
we know how this business works. You got to win
the seance. And the fact Chris Ballet is still general
manager after only being in the playoffs twice, is being
hired in the winner of twenty seventeen. That doesn't That
is a rarity in professional of coort that you keep

(35:35):
a job that long without having long term success. I mean,
they're trying to run Mike Tomlin out of Pittsburgh right
now and he hasn't had to lose the record in
nineteen years, but the fans are chanting fire Mike Tomlin
at Heinz Stadium.

Speaker 2 (35:50):
What's going to be weird about this is, let's just say,
for example, the negative health continues to happen, and you
look at the general manager and you look at the
head coach. But everybody tells me, well, they're going to
have to rebuild. They don't have the assets right now
to rebuild. You've got to reboot and then go on
with others that are probably going to go well, I
don't know if I want this guy.

Speaker 1 (36:11):
Maybe that's not my quarterback. It is going to be
a really awkward situation.

Speaker 2 (36:16):
And that's why I think this is going to be
the worst of scenarios, because it's almost like it would
have been better off had they been bad the entire
year and not teased everybody in the first.

Speaker 1 (36:25):
Two months or blown it all up.

Speaker 2 (36:27):
Back in January, as opposed to fading out the way
they have recently for the remainder of the season. Again,
that even magnifies more of the importance of that game
on Sunday and Jacksonville mic.

Speaker 7 (36:39):
Without a doubt. I mean, listen, Hagen was a foot.

Speaker 12 (36:42):
Taller, had more the last right, the last time the
Colts beat the Daguars down in Jacksonville and Andrew Luk
as quarterback and last thing, and I'll let you guys run.

Speaker 13 (36:55):
And I think am Harris's can agree with me on
this one. I hate we're not spending any time talking
about the Pacers right now. It sucks that you know
this team was a Tyrese Halliburton's torn and Joys away
from potentially winning the NBA title. And we're not even
They're one of the worst things in the NBA.

Speaker 7 (37:17):
We're not able to talk about them after such a
great run they made back in June.

Speaker 1 (37:23):
Yeah, and that's why this has to be a gap year.
This has to be the gap year. You gotta jump
right back on next year.

Speaker 10 (37:29):
Think of the Spurs when the Spurs had David Robinson
out for a year and that the draft pick they got.
And look how I mean you you can make Hay
down the road, but right now you got to you
gotta pay the consequences.

Speaker 2 (37:40):
So I as long as Mike, as long as I
have to watch that Robinson earl shooting another jump shot.
I mean he can go in there and rebound stuff.
That man, his jumpers broke ast. Mike, I don't know
why I can do with it.

Speaker 7 (37:54):
Stay warm, and hey, it's gonna be a hell of
a time in downtown Indianapolis for sports tomorrow. Man, have
fun at say safe, Hagan, g ass out of trouble
this weekend.

Speaker 10 (38:06):
Come on, I will try my best, but you're on
speed dial if something happens.

Speaker 1 (38:10):
Yeah, all, Mike, appreciate you.

Speaker 13 (38:11):
Brother.

Speaker 1 (38:16):
We've got on the Andy Moore Automotive Group potlin.

Speaker 2 (38:18):
We gotta hustle him in here because he's going to
be doing the double dip. I am so stinking proud
of my man Don Fisher, even though I know it's
going to compromise our our table time later on tonight
because my man's got to get some rest. But the
double dip for Don Fisher coming up tomorrow hoops and football,
and Don's on the Andy Moore Automotive Group potline.

Speaker 1 (38:40):
My brother, well done, well done, well.

Speaker 4 (38:45):
Thank you, John. I appreciate it.

Speaker 8 (38:47):
Uh.

Speaker 14 (38:48):
I'm like I'm like the boys in the Morning Show
who wanted me to be carried over from Gamebridge Field
House to UH to UH Lucas Oil Stadium on a
Pharaoh's uh the Pharaohs from Egyptians.

Speaker 4 (39:01):
Back in the day. They want to be carried over
there through that.

Speaker 14 (39:04):
But I wouldn't get on that thing anyway, number one
because they probably drop it, and number two, it would
be too cold to do that.

Speaker 1 (39:11):
So yes, I'm going to try and get a.

Speaker 4 (39:13):
Better ride of that. Trust me.

Speaker 1 (39:15):
I am, I am, I am thrilled.

Speaker 2 (39:18):
You and I talked about this along with your incredibly
lovely and awesome wife Susie last week when we were
doing our table thing, and we kind of talked about,
you know, whether or not you were thinking about doing it,
So it was just kind of how you feel right
now as far as the reason behind it, because you
thought maybe at the time you were going to split it.

Speaker 4 (39:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (39:37):
I mean, here's the thing, John, You're always to do
something like that like this when you have two awesome
games to do in the same day, even if it
was just two basketball games. The voice takes a beating
in those situations, especially when you're my age. But I
went through last week and did the Friday night football game,

(39:58):
and of course I got about five hours sleep after
that and got up the next morning and then did
a basketball game at eleven o'clock in the game at
for Indiana down in Bloomington. So and I passed those
two ball games with flying colors. So I think I
can handle this. I'm going to get a good about
an hour and a half or two hour break in

(40:19):
this matchup, but at the same time, it does give
you a little bit of a rest, and I think
it can handle it. If I can't, somebody will step
in if.

Speaker 4 (40:28):
You know what I mean.

Speaker 10 (40:29):
Well, Fish, what you want to do is between games,
just have a couple of beers relaxed for a second.

Speaker 1 (40:35):
I text on this.

Speaker 10 (40:37):
I saw him the Big Ten Network the other night
on the IU basketball game. They put him up on
the camera, je on it. I don't know if you
saw this. They were singing his praises, and once again
I'm reminded that Don is too handsome for radio and
I'm too ugly for TV. But people are well aware,
not just here Don, They're well aware of the plights

(40:57):
ahead of you. Two huge games. And I was talking
to some folks when I was down in Bloomington earlier
this week to do some interviews, and I literally said,
not just blow it smoke. I said, the person I'm
happy is for about all this with the football team,
as you, for all the years you've put in, and
way back when before Signette had even coached a single
game for you, you were telling John and I in

(41:18):
the preseason, you were telling us how excited you werery
about him as a head coach, and about what kind
of expectations you had, and you were the first one
to say it. You've been there forever, so I'm excited
for you, my friend, and I know you're going to
enjoy the call.

Speaker 4 (41:34):
I am going to enjoy it, There's no doubt about that, Chris.

Speaker 14 (41:37):
I've looked forward to this now for a while, and
obviously I didn't know what was going to happen for
sure this year, but I had.

Speaker 4 (41:43):
A good feeling about it. After we beat Oregon Oregon
this year, I thought, man, this.

Speaker 14 (41:49):
Team's got a chance to run the table here and
in the regular season.

Speaker 4 (41:53):
And that's exactly what they did.

Speaker 14 (41:55):
So all I can tell you at this juncture is
I'm thrilled to be a part of it. Even if
I couldn't do both, I could still do the football game,
and I would do the football game because I've always
given football the leeway when it before basketball seasons, because
back in the day when Indiana wasn't playing great football
and everybody wanted the football season to be over with

(42:16):
so basketball could get started. I've never felt that way,
and I've always thought football kind of has been the
redheaded stepchild of Indiana.

Speaker 4 (42:24):
Hey, whoa, whoa whoa.

Speaker 10 (42:29):
Redheaded stepchild?

Speaker 1 (42:31):
Yes it is, you're about to get canceled done.

Speaker 12 (42:37):
WHOA?

Speaker 10 (42:39):
Okay, carry on as you were You've built up enough
good uh a good credibility that I'll let that slide once.

Speaker 4 (42:46):
Well, I won't ever say it again, Chris, Hey.

Speaker 1 (42:51):
Please do it again the next time we go to
our table. I'm bringing hand until they can do that again.

Speaker 4 (42:55):
All right. No, but vision I've always done, I've always done.

Speaker 14 (43:01):
I've never I've never given up a football game for
a basketball game because it's the end of the season
and you just don't do that. It just makes it
look bad for the program. And so I've never done that.
In fact, I've missed a couple of trips to Hawaii
with the basketball team because of it over the years.

Speaker 4 (43:17):
So that's lamentable.

Speaker 14 (43:19):
That's lamentable, but it is I just look at it
from this perspective alone.

Speaker 4 (43:26):
That's the way to do it. That's a professional way
to do it, and that's what it's all about.

Speaker 2 (43:31):
It is Don Fisher, Voice of the Hoosias and IU
in Ohio State eight o'clock tomorrow and night. So that
mean seven p your coverage coming up with AU football
coming up tomorrow evening too, and before that i U
basketball with Louisville and the Hoosiers and Gambridge Fieldhalse I'll
get to that in a second, but I want to
tell you, I don't know if you're listening. Earlier, DJ
Jones was on the show former Tied into Ohio State

(43:54):
whose son is a really good linebacker for IU, Isaiah Jones,
and we were talking about that entire dynamic, and I
think among the stories of this game coming up tomorrow night, Dawn,
that is one of the best whole how old that
went down, and certainly somebody that has been a part
of the Ohio State program that has a son now

(44:16):
in the IU program, and the whole evolution of it,
it's a great story.

Speaker 4 (44:21):
Oh, there's no question about it. I don't even think.

Speaker 14 (44:25):
I don't think Isaac was even They didn't even recruit him,
did they, Or maybe they talked to him briefly, They
did not.

Speaker 4 (44:31):
They didn't.

Speaker 2 (44:31):
They did not recruit him, and I think that I don't.
I think they were a little sore about that at
the beginning too. I think they feel better about it
now considering they'd probably like to have him now, but
back then I think they're a little bit sore.

Speaker 4 (44:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (44:44):
Yeah, Well, whatever the case Isaac is, I'll tell you what,
Isaiah Jones is really a good football player and and
I just think he's a class act. I had a
chance to interview him this year, and or who's your profile.

Speaker 4 (44:58):
I just think he's a young.

Speaker 14 (44:59):
Man and they came to Indiana, that Indiana gave him
an opportunity, and man, has he taken advantage of it
and just been an incredible source to this football team.

Speaker 4 (45:10):
Because he's come in last year coming off the bench
most of the time. He's did the same this year.

Speaker 14 (45:15):
But when they've gone to a three linebacker, you know,
situation defensively, he's been the third guy in every single time,
and he's made play after play after play this season.
Just a terrific player and a guy that's going to
get his role changed next year because he'll be the
leader of the defensive side of the football along with
Elijah Harding, because most of those guys, both those guys

(45:36):
will be back.

Speaker 10 (45:38):
They fish. I'm a proud Heisman Trophy voter, and our
deadline to vote comes up after these championship games, and
I've heard a lot of people talking about, well, this
Big ten championship game will decide who wins the Heisman.

Speaker 1 (45:52):
I don't have that theory.

Speaker 10 (45:53):
I don't think you based your vote on one game,
I look at the whole body of work. You know
this will be thirteen for both teams. Not that I'm
gonna let you tell me what to do, but what's
your opinion on that. Do you think you can base
Heisman Trophy on one game or do you look at
the whole scope of what these two players have done
over the course of the season.

Speaker 14 (46:14):
Well, I think you have to look at the whole scope.
But at the same time, both of these guys have
had terrific years. I don't think there's any doubt about that.
And at this juncture, I can't say Fernando isn't the
best quarterback. I think he is the best quarterback in
the country this year. But that doesn't mean that I'm
right about it. All I can tell you is this

(46:36):
game will be a deciding factor for a lot of people.
I mean it will if Ohio State wins this ball
game and say in place terrific and he's played terrific
all year. I mean, his percentage, his accuracy has been phenomenalt.
I think he's got the receivers have helped him pretty dramatically,
but they've also helped the receivers on Indiana's team have

(46:58):
helped Fernando pretty dramatic as we know, so honestly, I
think both are very talented guys.

Speaker 4 (47:04):
I think Fernando, in my opinion.

Speaker 14 (47:07):
I think he's the one guy that has been the
difference maker for Indiana this year in many of these ballgames.
Not so much last week, but but no question or
maybe it was yeah, yeah, last week because I didn't
think he played well against Purdue, But that's only the
only game this year that he hasn't performed up to
expectations in my mind, and if he hasn't in other ballgames,

(47:29):
it's because he didn't.

Speaker 4 (47:30):
Have the protection.

Speaker 14 (47:31):
So I just look at Fernando as one of those guys.
I think he's definitely an NFL prospect and one of
those guys that's going to be drafted very high, if
not in the you know, as a quarterback, in the
first round, I would I'd be shocked if somebody wouldn't
take him in the first round, if not the first pick,
as a quarterback.

Speaker 4 (47:48):
So all my I just point that out.

Speaker 14 (47:51):
Simply because I'm biased, because I've watched this guy play
the entire season.

Speaker 4 (47:56):
I know Sayan's very good, but he's a red shirt freshman.

Speaker 14 (47:59):
In my mind, you always give that to the guy
that has performed the best if it's a tie, and
without doubt, in my mind, it's a tie right now.

Speaker 2 (48:09):
So Don Fisher, Voice of the Hoosiers double dipped tomorrow
with obviously IU Ohio State Big Ten title game Lucas
will Stadium, eight o'clock seven peak coverage right here coming
up tomorrow evening. But you get your afternoon started at
Gambridge Fieldhouse with Louisville and IU. So I'm gonna be
down there with you, and I'm going to come by

(48:29):
and see you a little bit because I need to
see from Darren Devrees's crew a little bit of rebounding
and a little bit more shot making than what we witnessed.
I think earlier in the week, did we not at
the Barn in Minneapolis? I think on the road of
the Big Ten is a lot different. But there was
some disappointment surrounding certainly what took place earlier this week

(48:50):
in Minneapolis.

Speaker 4 (48:51):
Well, nobody was more disappointed than Darren Devrees.

Speaker 14 (48:54):
I can tell you that I understood that the paint
came off the walls in the locker room after the game.
That stuff point all I can tell you, I know
he was not a happy camper about what he saw
out there. They just didn't look as cohesive offensively number one,
and then number two, I didn't think their defensive play
was as strong as it has been so far this year,

(49:15):
either in that ball game part of it.

Speaker 4 (49:17):
Maybe I don't know, if.

Speaker 14 (49:19):
You know, it's far be it for me to sit
there and try to cycle analyzed college athletes and how
they approach games. I watched this team play thirteen times
this year now, seven or eight games in the regular season,
the three in Puerto Rico and the two exhibition games
fired to the season getting started, and I've really been

(49:39):
impressed with how Darren Debris has coached these guys, how
these guys have responded his coaching, and what they've been
able to do. But I thought this was the first
time this year we've seen them maybe not as focused
as you should be, and maybe looking ahead a little bit.
And I don't want to say that for sure, because
I don't know that, but it just kind of looked
like they just didn't have the.

Speaker 4 (49:59):
Same fire in them as I've seen in these other ballgames.

Speaker 10 (50:03):
Well, Fish, you don't have to say it, but I'll
say it. Both Louisville and IU were looking ahead to
Saturday's showdown ranked opponents undefeated. It was going to be
such a great storyline. We got IU in Ohio State
undefeated for the Big Ten title. We're going to sit
here and have this undefeated showdown between IU and Louisville.
Up the road, We've got undefeated Purdue and a top

(50:25):
ten team Iowa State. I believe they're still undefeated. So
it just had to happen that way both teams and granted,
as John said, Minnesota can be a tricky place to play.
We know about going into Bud Walton Arena in Arkansas
can be a tough place to play. So no fault
in that, But it just seems like maybe a little
bit of a peek ahead. And I'm looking forward to

(50:45):
see how IU responds to that first loss, because I mean,
you can't get a tougher test in this situation, so
you don't want that to compound back to back losses.
So I think all is forgiven. If you show up
tomorrow and turn that into a w well, I.

Speaker 14 (51:00):
Don't think there's any doubt about that, because this is
going to be the toughest team that they've played thus far.
Everybody saw what Louisville did to Indiana last year down
to the Bahamas and how that got the season.

Speaker 4 (51:12):
Off to a roaring start for Thoosers.

Speaker 14 (51:15):
And I say roaring in the sense of how the
fan base reacted to it, because it was not pretty
and it was not a very good performance, to say
the least.

Speaker 4 (51:23):
But this Louisville team is really good.

Speaker 14 (51:25):
They're averaging over ninety points a ballgame offensively, and they
are shooting lights out most of the time. They didn't
against Arkansas in the first half, but then the second
half they lit them up.

Speaker 4 (51:37):
And still they were down seventeen I think at halftime,
and or twenty at one point in the first half, and.

Speaker 14 (51:42):
Then seventeen at halftime and came back roaring back, but
could not close the gap.

Speaker 4 (51:47):
In the final minutes of that ballgame.

Speaker 14 (51:49):
I think they were up or close, getting close to
by four or five points down and just couldn't finish it.

Speaker 4 (51:55):
But give Louisville credit.

Speaker 14 (51:57):
Pat Kelsey's done a remarkable job with that prom and
you can do it in basketball.

Speaker 4 (52:02):
Heck for a lot easier you can do in football.

Speaker 14 (52:04):
But in basketball, kelsey turnaround of that program in one
year's time was pretty remarkable in itself.

Speaker 2 (52:11):
It is Don Fisher, voice of the Hoosiers. So I'm
assuming there's no our table with us tonight right there
is not.

Speaker 14 (52:18):
We will be staying here at home, and we will
be having dinner with the lovely Susie here in about
forty five minutes or so fifty minutes what usually she says,
we'll be ready.

Speaker 4 (52:30):
In about fifteen, and it's about twenty five after Donna.

Speaker 1 (52:35):
So I just won't give you.

Speaker 4 (52:37):
I won't give you a time I won't give you
a timeframe about it.

Speaker 1 (52:39):
To be honest, I should OI gots you.

Speaker 14 (52:42):
Well.

Speaker 10 (52:42):
I just hope tonight, Don that you get treated like
a redheaded stepchild, because that's what you deserve.

Speaker 4 (52:50):
Hey, don I deserve that shout. I deserve it. I'm sorry.

Speaker 2 (52:55):
I got a message from Mike Kemper last week and
he wants to start joining us. But man, I don't
have to sit here and talk about golf the entire time,
do I? If Kemper shows up at our table in
the future, good lord.

Speaker 4 (53:08):
Well, well he's got to here. Here's what christ needs
to know. Kepper's got a red headed step or not?
He does Kepper's got a red headed daughter, not a
step child daughter.

Speaker 2 (53:21):
Yeah, and uh yeah, it's it's interesting too because I
think everybody there's no redhead in the fam.

Speaker 1 (53:28):
Yeah that's interesting. But well because only he's pulling up before. Yeah,
I don't know how that happened. But now I don't think.

Speaker 4 (53:42):
I don't think. I don't think Keeper's gonna want to
go to dinner with us.

Speaker 1 (53:45):
Now, well, I just it's okay. I just don't want
to have to sit there and talk about golf the
entire time. That's that's all I was asking.

Speaker 14 (53:53):
So, yeah, well, you know, Keeper and I are sitting
there at.

Speaker 4 (53:57):
The table, We're going to talk some golf, you know.

Speaker 2 (53:59):
No, well, he's a great dude, and I like his
wife a great deal as well, and his entire family
pretty awesome. But now we'll get back on track whenever
you get past this. But I'll come down and see
you coming up tomorrow. I'm going to go with Matt
Gowins at Triple A and check out IU and I'll
come over and see it. But congratulations on the double dip.
I know tomorrow is going to be very special for you.

(54:20):
It's really cool.

Speaker 14 (54:22):
Yeah, it is really cool. Let me give you one
little tidbit. It's David against Eliath tomorrow night. I can
tell you that Indiana, prior to Indiana's little short spurt
with buck Zoor in charge of the running backs back
in nineteen eighty and seven, eighty eight, eighty and ninety,
back in that era, they won three. They won two

(54:42):
games and tied one against Ohio State. Prior to that,
the Buckeyes had beaten Indiana thirty one times. Before Indiana
got that win in nineteen eighty seven, and after since
that little three year stint, in that four year period
where they had two wins at a tie, Indiana has
lost thirty six straight stints on bow.

Speaker 2 (55:03):
Yeah, it is unbelievable. As we mentioned, Don, and I've
talked to a lot of people about this too. This
is a stinking new era. It's a new era, a
new landscape. So you know, who knows what can and
will take place. It's not like it used to be.

Speaker 1 (55:21):
Yeah, it's all right.

Speaker 4 (55:22):
Not liking.

Speaker 1 (55:24):
Our best to Susie too.

Speaker 2 (55:25):
We'll get back on track at our table, coming up
here soon when it fits your schedule, Okay, buddy.

Speaker 14 (55:31):
All right, guys, I appreciate you having me as always
and Chris again, I apologize.

Speaker 10 (55:36):
It's all right, Fish, lovey brother, you know that.

Speaker 1 (55:42):
Thanks, We'll see tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (55:44):
See you guys, you know him simply put as the
bear Chris Felika Fox joins us.

Speaker 1 (55:53):
Now, Hello, Chris, how are you.

Speaker 4 (55:55):
I'm doing well? Yeah, you have big six thirty Eastern kickoff.
Doucor White have the same ring. But yeah, yeah, six thirty.
It's there about an hour and a half prior to
the game. Tomorrow will be uh, we'll be getting we'll
be gone from Lucas Oil.

Speaker 2 (56:07):
Hey, hey, Chris and your wildest dreams, did you ever
think you'd be talking of a game of this magnitude
and now telling everybody about the IU football program?

Speaker 1 (56:18):
Come on, seriously, No, not at all.

Speaker 4 (56:21):
And it's fair to say, and I think it's accurate
to say it's the biggest game in IU football history.
I mean your years looking at a team that can
go thirteen and oh can win the Big Ten Championship,
can beat Ohio State and go into the Cohold Football Playoff.
It's the number one team in the country. It's it's
pretty it's pretty amazing. I can remember talking to my

(56:41):
old colleague Ly Courso about his time coaching at IU
with all the gimmicks that he would pull at his
coaching show, and he loved his time in Bloomington. I
know when he finally got there last year to do
a show with Gabe, he was excited. And it's great
to see that they're one of the big success stories
of this era old football with that il on the

(57:01):
portal and bringing in coach Sig and the players that
he did, it's been an absolute success.

Speaker 10 (57:08):
Hey, Chris, not only am I named Chris, but I
also work for Fox Sports here on the TV side,
but now also on radio row. Every year at the
Super Bowl I have your buddy Jeff Schwartz on. He's
always great. So it's fun to listen to you guys
on bear Bets. That's a must listen for not only
sports fans, but particularly sports gamblers. So John over here,
he's allowing me to take control of this interview because

(57:31):
I'm with you. I love this weekend. I love this weekend.
I love looking at numbers. And this is what's curious
to me about this matchup.

Speaker 7 (57:40):
You have.

Speaker 10 (57:41):
You know, good teams win, great teams cover. IU has
not covered as much as they've won, but Ohio State
a public team where usually those lines get skewed and
you're paying a premium for an Ohio State or a
Michigan or Alabama. Somehow, I believe according to my numbers,
is Ohio State ten one and one against the spread.

(58:02):
That's unbelievable to me. And that number has dropped from
the opening line here, so it's like almost like they're
begging you to take Ohio State and lay the four.

Speaker 4 (58:11):
Yeah, ten one and one or eleven in one, depending
on the closing number that you had. And I forget
what game game it was, maybe the Rutgers game. It
might it might have been, but it's amazing they can't
make these higher numbers high enough. And a lot of instances,
the same thing with Texas Tech Texas Texas eleven and

(58:31):
one against the number as well, they can't. I mean
the usually where when you're a big favorite, uh sharp
better is like to go the other way and take
take the dog and inflated lines. But this year you've
had a couple of the favorites there in Texas that
seemingly cover me. But what we have seen some money

(58:52):
on Indiana this week, and some respected bets have come
in on IU out in Vegas and speaking with with
John Murray at the Westy super Book and Chris Andrews
out there at the South Boy Lake. I you started
the week it's six or so, and now it's come
down to four four and a half or so. And
I bet in the look ahead line. A couple of

(59:13):
weeks ago, I bet Ohio State minus three and a half,
expecting an opportunity to see this number run to six
six and a half and potentially opened myself for a
nice middle. So that theory tired of worked out for me.
But yeah, it seems like a majority of the the
majority of the money, majority of the smart players right
now seem to like IU plus the points.

Speaker 10 (59:35):
What's funny is, and you talked about this not making
the spread big enough. You remember when the Patriots flirted
with perfection and they were undefeated, and some books just
stopped posting numbers on the Patriots because no matter how
big they made it, they just smashed them week in
and week out.

Speaker 4 (59:50):
Yeah, ninety nineteen twenty one. Whatever they do they couldn't
make may make them make their numbers big enough. And
they always say the points a great equalizer. But when
you can't, you can't fuck the game high en up.
It's it's very usually these things kind of day, even
out throughout the year, but it just didn't happen.

Speaker 10 (01:00:10):
And the way gambling, like degenerates like me who was
gambling illegally back in the day, was always just points spread.
It was just exactly that's fine. There's there's a statute
of limitations, I think Chris there. It used to just
be the traditionalist. You would bet on the game. You
would bet on maybe on the total. But now I mean,

(01:00:31):
we can wait after the first drive and we can
bet on there's going to be an updated spread. You
can bet on you know, prop bets on players, and
we've seen some trouble because of that. Do you do
you look for your bets? Do you are you like
me and you make your bet and that's your bet?
Or do you do you watch some of these games
after you've seen a couple of drives or maybe an
underdog jumps up seven to ten nothing? Do you make

(01:00:54):
any wagers from mat or is that kind of fool's goal?

Speaker 2 (01:00:56):
No?

Speaker 4 (01:00:57):
I think in a good number of my ways now
are live. I like getting a little bit more information
and being able to determine which way game might be going,
and you talked about some of these other derivative markets.
One of the best bets that I like this week.
I've been under twenty four and a half in the

(01:01:17):
SEC game, twenty four and a half points in the
first half. I just think the way that game is
going to play out. You've got the Alabama team, which
really has been struggling offensively lately. Second half of that
first meeting with Georgia, they made Georgia kind of figured
it out a little bit. George's d has gotten better
as the year has gone on, and the Bullbogs are
going to be without their starting center by Drew Bobo.

(01:01:40):
Like Bobo's son, I think they're going to have trouble
blocking vigten teen in there and that Alabama defensive line.
So I think we could see a pretty low scoring
on eventful first half in Atlanta. So, yeah, twenty four
and a half as a total in the first half
of that game. I went under there.

Speaker 2 (01:01:56):
So Chris Flinka, the Bear Fox Sports The Big Eight
Want Kickoff coming up tomorrow nights on Fox. You can
catch him and all of his friends, which is always awesome.
How do you feel this game is going to go?
With IU in Ohio State tomorrow night.

Speaker 4 (01:02:13):
Chris, I think what happened at Austin earlier this year
really validated Indiana. I think after the playoff last year
and after the game in Columbus last year, I think
people will kind of still a little bit of out
on Indiana, a little little bit of question. And I
think the big drive in Iowa to get the win

(01:02:34):
really the game adults and beating Wargan is the top
five team in the country. And then the drive again
and said, I think a lot of people are Okay,
this is this is more They just now, ah, they
played this off schedule, and of course they're going to
win these games. They have great wide receivers at a
quarterback who, if I you wins, is going to win

(01:02:56):
the Heisman Trophy. I ultimately think push to shove tomorrow
Ohio State does win because I think Ohio State is
still just better than that Indiana. I think you saw
in a couple of the games this year. Indiana did
have a trouble running the ball at times against some
of the better teams on their schedule. But I will

(01:03:17):
say this, I wonder if there's an opportunity for Indiana
to start fast tomorrow night, You've got an Ohio State
team coming off of the game against Michigan where they
put every emotional egg in the basket and winning that
game and breaking that streak and they finally did doubt.
People are going to be talking about them repeating as

(01:03:38):
national champions, and they know, regardless of what happens to
tomorrow night, they're going to get a first round by
and then the playoff, and their focus is going to
be on repeating. And this game kind of is in
the middle. And I'm not saying that they're looking past
it or overlooking Indiana, but I mean, these are still
twenty twenty one year old, nineteen year old kids who

(01:04:00):
have a finite amount of energy, and it's human nature
to ups and downs throughout the year. So maybe there's
a chance here for you to get up on Ohio
State early in this game, and that certainly could change
the complexion of things.

Speaker 10 (01:04:16):
Chris, My unpopular opinion here in Indianapolis was that big picture,
IU is better off if they lose tomorrow, if they're
thinking making a run in the playoffs, because like you said,
it's tough for IU, I think to beat Ohio State anyway,
but to go out there and beat them twice would
be extra difficult. And also you're already going to have
an Oregon team in the bracket that's looking for some

(01:04:36):
pay back against the Hoosiers as well. So I don't
think all is lost if they lose tomorrow night. And
like I said, a very unpopular opinion here, no, they're.

Speaker 4 (01:04:45):
Going to get a bye regardless of what happens tomorrow.
Is just going to be a question of whether they
fall to three or to four. You just have to try.
And look, I actually think you're kind of right there. Lose,
you're going to go to the bottom of the bracket,
and I think that potentially would mean maybe a second

(01:05:06):
round game would either whole miss or a group of
five team or b YU there as an eleven seed.
I would love their chances in that game. So I
think if you if you're playing the long game, maybe
you do have a better path to get to the
national title game if you are to say the three seed,

(01:05:27):
and you can avoid the top which is going to
have the probably the SEC champion at you would have
Ohio State. Maybe you have an eight and nine game
with Notre Dame in Oklahoma. Like, yeah, I think the
bottom could be the place to be. But again, you
want to win a you want to win a Big
Tech champion. If you got an opportunity to go down

(01:05:47):
as the best team in Indiana football history and winning
tomorrow and night, I think is certainly they're they're focus
and they're they're not They're not thinking of that inside
that football ton't I promise.

Speaker 2 (01:05:57):
That, Hey, Chris, before you oh here, what has to
happen coming up this weekend for Notre Dame fans to
be sweating things out?

Speaker 4 (01:06:05):
I think Notre Dath fans should be sweating things out
regardless of b BYU winning absolutely ox Notre Dame and
Miami both at because BYU would be the Big Talks
champion and then both Texas Tech and BYU would go
to the playoff BYU wil jump and Notre Dame, but

(01:06:26):
Miami will booth be out. BYU losing though, however, would
put Notre Dame in Miami right next to each other
and like the committee's minds on the big board, and finally,
for the first time, you would have like a true comparison,
and I think they would really look at that head
to head and say, okay, at this point, now, they're

(01:06:47):
right next to each other. They did play, Miami did
beat them, and that's when the flip might happen. Now
that's my opinion. You've never had an instance in the
college fotball playoff rankings where you've had Team A beat
teen and TB is right ahead of them in the
final standings if you both have the same record, And
that's where we are now, So it would be unprecedented

(01:07:09):
for Notre Dame to stay ahead of Miami. But again,
this is a different committee, and who's to say they
just will go in there and say Notre Dame, we
think Notre Dame is better than Miami even though they lost,
they had dead They have every right to do that.
So but I think based on committee past habits, I
think Notre Dame is in a very difficult situation. I

(01:07:31):
think the one thing that could also give Notre Dame
some hope is if Alabama were to lose. It kind
did not look good in the SEC Championship game. I
think Not Dame should be ahead of Alabama right anyway.
I think Miami and Notre Dame should both be in
but Alabama hasn't been playing great football for a month.
If they were to lose a third game. Does that

(01:07:52):
offer an opportunity now to say, hey, they lost Florida
State as well as the worst loss of any of
these contenders that are in the in the playoff. Does
that open up an avenue to say, Okay, maybe Ala
Babbath falls out and both Miami in order didn't get it.

Speaker 10 (01:08:09):
All right, Chris, Before they kicked me off the show
along with you, I just wanted to give a little
mention to Bear Bets, the best podcast there is. Love
listening to you and Jeff, And like I said, he
always comes on Radio Row with a Super Bowl week,
so if we see you roaming around there, we'll try
to track you down as well. But yeah, thanks for
letting me hi, thanks for letting me hijack this portion
of the interview, and uh looking forward, looking forward to

(01:08:31):
some good futures Bets after these championship games as well.

Speaker 2 (01:08:33):
Hey, Chris Man, it's been an absolute pleasure. The only
thing would have been better had you joined us a
week had got you half in the bag.

Speaker 4 (01:08:39):
While you're on the airways, maybe radio road during the
Super Bowl SUPERWL week, how about that?

Speaker 1 (01:08:46):
Sign him up? Sign him up, Chris. We appreciate you man,
thank

Speaker 4 (01:08:49):
You absolutely take care guys, have a great weekend.