Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, let's bring him in.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
You know him.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
He is the Bear and he is now with the
Big newon Kickoff Crew on Fox Sports, but previously ESPN
College Game Day. He is Chris Filica. You can find
him on Twitter at Chris Filika Bear. Appreciate your time
this morning, man, I want to start things off. I
don't normally do this, but reading a snippet of a
quote and it was Arch Manning from earlier this week
(00:23):
about trying to shift the narrative. We're going for everyone else.
There's not a target on our back. We've got a
red dot on everyone else. Do you think that's kind
of stoking the flames a little bit heading up to
Columbus or do you think that's the right idea for
the Texas Longhorns this year?
Speaker 3 (00:39):
No, the I love the idea. I love the confidence,
and I love the providu. I think teams need more
of that. Don't be if you're good, don't be afraid
to say it and show it as self confidence in yourself.
I mean having gone to University of Miami and I
was there in the late eighties or early nineties, and
then the great teams that they had in the early
(01:00):
two thousands that they walk that walk, and they welcomed
the provado, they welcome the pressure, they love the competition,
and I love it because I think a lot of
times people maybe try and steer clear of that, but
the fact that they want the attention, they want the
bulls are they they they're looking to take shots at
(01:23):
other people. That told me they tell pretty good about
where they are at this point, and you're going into it.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
My man. Great to talk to you.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
It's always great to have you on and you well,
you're a star, so we're great to have stars on
the show.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
It's great to talk to you.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Beary, No, I know, trust me, Hey, Dan, whenever you
needed anything, say man, you could be thinking in your
mind which you needed and like Feliks.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Could finish the sentence for you without you even saying it.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Okay, oh Sean, you're reading for this number of Kirk Kurtsery.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Listen to kid yourself.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
With all those stars on college game Day at Fox,
every one of them has a direct line to bear because.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
They know where they're getting their and we see it. Man,
my betting guy.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
I appreciate my guy.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So there, Uh, what's arch manning?
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Just like numbers, wise, from all the deep dive you do,
what's he facing going into Columbus this this week, this week,
and what would you expect from him?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
I would think that they don't have a very good
idea as to what Ohio State is going to do
defensively because you've got a new coordinator there now in
Matt Patricia, who hasn't been in the college game. And
I guess you can go back and look at some
of the old Patriots stuff. You can look at some
of the lions of he look at the stops he's
been in the NFL. But I think that's one of
the more fascinating things about this matchup because you've got
(02:37):
not only Matt Patricia and the coordinator on the defensive side,
you've got Brian Hartline, a new coordinator on the offensive
side as well. If I were Texas like I would
be looking at some of the some of the situational stuff,
like well, what he likes to do on third down
and things like that, the looks that he likes to bring.
I think if your arch I think look Sark is
(02:59):
one of the best play callers uh in the sport.
I don't think he's going to go into this game,
expecting Arch with a new group of wide receivers to
go out there throw all over Ohio State. I think
you're going to see the Texas offensive line. I think
you see a lot of a lot of quarterback run.
Look to put Arch in position and look to put
that offense in a position where you're you're looking at
(03:21):
maybe second and five, third and two uh and not
really fall behind the change, because I think that's the
biggest thing that Arch has going for him into this
into this game is his ability to run, his ability
to UH to escape pressure and get out of the pocket.
Whereas on the flip side with Ohio State and Julians
saying he is not Will Howard, this is going to
(03:42):
be a completely different Ohio State offense. He can throw
it better than Will Howard, and he has those great,
great wide receivers, he certainly does not have, uh the
escapability and their run potential and the run threat that
certainly Arch does in this game and Will Howard did
last year.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
He's Chris Flika, you know him as the Bear formerly
College Game Day on ESPN, now with Fox Sports and Bear.
Another huge game this weekend, LSU traveling out to Clemson.
It seems like that not a ton of people are
really believing that LSU has a chance to pull off
this win. But what do you think about their chances
on Saturday Night?
Speaker 2 (04:18):
There?
Speaker 3 (04:19):
I think they have a great chance to pull off
the upset. It's funny in the SEC, just to take
a kind of a macro picture. I think all of
the hype and excitement, and justifiably so about our arch banning,
all of the narrative around Alabama. Oh it's Bama, they'll
be back, They've lost four games. Where was last year?
(04:39):
They'll be back at Bama. But yeah, there's a big
butt there, and the butt is sitting on the college
game base set right now. And then you have a
narrative around Georgia that a lot of people are saying, Oh,
we just trust Kirby and that staff. They'll be better
with Gunnar's stocked in a quarterback. They don't need Carson Beck.
But we don't know that. I almost wonder if the
answers like the question who's the best team in the SEC?
(05:03):
I wonder if the answer is LSU when it's staring,
it's right in the face and nobody's willing to believe it.
I have questions about Clemson. I think you look at
what Georgia did to them last year. I think you
look at Louisville in South Carolina going to going to
Clemson in winning. I know you've got a new defensive
coordinator on Tom Allen, and that will probably change two things,
(05:24):
two things schematically and make them a little bit better.
But LSU doesn't take a back seat to anybody in
the country talent wise. They probably did more in the
portal this year than maybe anyone in the country, with
the exception of Miami. Like, I think ls has a
great chance to go up there and winning him. I
think I think one of the biggest things too, is
kind of that whole Brian Kelly Game one narrative where
(05:46):
they lost a couple of games that SU they lost
the game to USC. I think a lot of people
are kind of hanging on that. But I'm not sold
that Clemson is is better than LSU. I'm not sold
that Clemson is this like national title eleven in one
type contender, like a lot of people have them. So
I think ILS he has a great chance to go
up there and went on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Bar let me tug on your emotions.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
I know you're on the competitor, but I know your
love for the fellows that you've worked with, and I
know their love for you, but also know the relationship
you and Lee Corso over the years, thoughts on him retiring,
and just overall about the man and the broadcaster.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
I think it's something that those of us who had
been on the show for a while we always knew
was going to come, and we thought maybe each in
the last couple of years could just be it, could
just be it. And he's been easy back, thankfully. It's
going to be a fitting place for him to to
go out the side of the first head gear. It's
(06:45):
going to be the side of the final head gear.
And he did never forget your first love is something
that he always said it I have to from a
personal standpoint. He is the one who gave me the
nickname Bear. I mean, Kirk and I were sitting it,
sitting in a one one day and he walks over
and he just kind of mutters and looks at the
table and looks at me, and looks at the Kirk
(07:07):
and looks at me again, and he says, look at
your filika. You're like a bear. You eat, you sleep, you,
you take a nap, and you do it all over again.
So yeah, he did say poop, by the way, But
I have him to thank for kind of creating that nickname,
creating that persona, and just how he treated people, how
genuine he was, especially like when Kirk and I first
(07:30):
started together in ninety six and kind of giving us
little adotes of little quipped he could tell, still tell
that that the coach was still there, and he was.
He was still fieryer, and obviously post droke, he turned
into a little bit of a different type of personality.
Wasn't as quick witted and sharp as he used to be.
(07:52):
But that's where I think he saw the best of
the Game Day family. We all kind of put on
our arms around it and put him in the best
position to succeed and did everything for him to make
sure that he was comfortable and never had to worry
about being left alone on an island. And I think
in general, I think the sport of college football and
maybe sports television as a whole has lee course, or
(08:16):
to think like, who's to say if this road show
where I mean, you were there at the time, and
he saw like schools were like campaigning to get game
day to come to their cract if they wanted Lee
courses to put on a piece of headgear in their
stadium or outside, and it's time Like if that doesn't
take off, who's to say there's a big new and kickoff.
Who's to say inside the NBA isn't going on the
(08:38):
road or is it popular as they are? So I
think this kind of genre of like the Traveling Preame show.
I think Lee what he did and his popularity and
his knowledge of the entertainment business really caused him to
take off.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
It's hard to argue with that, for sure. And you
learned something new every day. The coach created the legend
right in front of us autely so again, Christopher the
Bear Felika from Fox Sports formerly ESPN College Game Day,
you know him if you're a college football fan. Bear,
I'm sure you get this question every single time you're
speaking to a phone for a radio interview. A couple
of teams out there people aren't talking enough about this year.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Minnesota, I think, is a team that not a lot
of people. Everyone's looking for that next Indiana in the
Big Ten. And you hear Illinois, and you hear USC
but Minnesota is a team that I think is going
to have a very good season. I bet their season
win total over seven and a half. I took a
fly on them at eight team to one to make
(09:37):
the College Football Playoff. I think at this point you
just have to trust PJ. Fleck and the talent and
the culture he builds around his programs. They're gonna have
a little bit different quarterback this year and Drake Lindsay,
who I think kinda is going to be more of
a pass guy, and their offense is going to be
more of a throw first to set up the run,
and I think that's fine. Corey Perrich is a two
(09:59):
way you're going to see a lot of this year.
And if you look at the Golden Gophers schedule, it
really isn't in terms of difficulty, Like I don't think
this is a team that's going to go to Ohio
State and win. I don't think it's a team that
is going to go to Oregon and win. But every
other game on the schedule is incredibly winnable. So like
(10:20):
I think like nine and three is on the table,
and if they get lucky, maybe they're ten and two
and in the discussion and the other team is that
I like nationally that I'm not sure them. I mean,
in your state people are probably aware of them, But
outside of your stat is utsa. I think the American
is a team is a conference that's wide open. Tulane
(10:42):
is obviously the favorite going in there, and rust last
Pim the quarterback is fine. But after that game to
Kyle Field, they's a chance the road run is your
favorite in every single game. The remainders of the schedule
that they're built a little bit differently than most group
of five teams in terms of that offensive line, which
is massive and in the interior, so they kind of
bully a lot of those teams around. So if they
(11:05):
go to Kyle Field and they play well, there's a change.
They could be h ten and two or eleven and
two AC champs and put themselves in the mix for
that group of five college football playoff spot.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Well, Bear will send you on your way on this one.
Give you.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
I know you've got a lot of this going on
and getting ready for this season, and it's unfair to
you to make it a two minute answer or ninety
second answer, but you got logic in common sense more
than anybody I know talk.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
To me about fix the playoffs? Does it need fixed?
What would you do if you were running the show
College Football Playoffs?
Speaker 3 (11:39):
I think what they what they did this offseason, but
just been doing straight seeding with twelve. I think that
is a really good fix. I was. I am not
on board for this whole like automatic for four. People
talk about access and like hating the college football like
pre season polls. We want to get rid of preseason
(12:02):
polls that form an opinion and an expectation, but we
want to automatically assume every year that the SEC is
automatically going to get four the big tags like the
year has changed. So I like what they did with
the straight seating. And the one other thing the tweet
that I would make if we're going to keep it
at twelve, which I hope they do, is I would
give that the quarterfinals. I would give those top four
(12:25):
seeds a home game as well. I know that'll probably
never happen because of the bowl tie ins and the
relationship that the Bulls have with TV and the and
the playoff in itself, but not only give those first
round games home field advantage, give the teams that really
earned it by having a great regular season give them
a home game as well. That way the chances then
(12:46):
getting clipped off.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
As in his great He's the Bear, also known as
Chris Filika. You can find them on Twitter at Chris
Filika with Fox Sports formerly with ESPN College Game Day Bear.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
It's always awesome to catch up with the man.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
You're always gracious with your time and and it's always
great to be able to pick your knowledge for some
college football great stuff, but great.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Great to be great to be on with you as always,
my man.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Awesome, good, great, Great to talk to you again. It's
been a while, and let's do it again at some
point during the year.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Like I like that idea. Appreciate it again. The Bear,
Christopher Filika