August 11, 2026 • 17 mins
Jon Wilner of The San Jose Mercury News and Wilner Hotline joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about the state of the Apple Cup and its future, the possible new model for the College Football Playoff and play-in, the new bill in congress that will not likely get enough support in the House, plus this year’s game between UW and Indiana.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood. Letty you know that
this hour of Softy and Dick on your home for
the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought to you by
Duke Seafood. Why not make it at Duke's night tonight.
Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com. On Sports
Radio ninety three point three KJR FM.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
It is time for our weekly Pac twelve conversation with
Senos Mercury News reporter John Wilner, brought to you by
Simply Seattle. Our friends at simply Seattle dot com have
the most amazing collection of all things Seattle Seahawks gear,
UW hats of the largest selection of SONICX gear anywhere
in the world. Learn more at simply Seattle dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
All right, by the way, look for Phoenix. Phoenix.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Okay, I still a layer even though she went to
UW looking for some new Seahawk gear Husky gear for
the season. Simply Seattle dot com. Be sure and use
coach kJ R fifteen at check out for fifteen percent
off anything at Simplyseattle dot com. Here he is the
Pope of the pack, the big ten bearon. We are
getting close to college football baby. Our friend Johnny Wilner
(01:04):
with us right now on the radio program Johnny, how
are you man?
Speaker 5 (01:09):
I am good. Thanks, Hey you guys, we're.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Good, man good. Lots of stuff to talk about.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
We just randomly stumbled upon the Apple Cup conversation earlier
on the show today, and we put a poll out
asking people if they want to see the Apple Cup
continue after twenty twenty eight. Seventy percent said yes, But
I think most of them might have been Husky fans.
What would have to happen, What would, honestly, John, have
to happen for the Apple Cup to come to an
(01:37):
end after the next three games are played?
Speaker 5 (01:41):
I think, and I don't know this, to be clear,
I haven't gotten this from anyone, either in Seattle or Pullman,
but I think it would be as simple as Washington
State saying we're done. I sensed that the Huskies want
to try to make it happen. It does present scheduling
issues with them, right because of the number of home
(02:02):
games they need. We've talked about that, but I have
the sense Washington would like it to continue. I don't
know that Washington State's administration, which is now new compared
to the administration that signed the deal. I don't know
that the Cougars are dead set on playing it indefinitely,
and hopefully they are, but it would be great if
(02:26):
it keeps going. But I would not put it at
one hundred percent for sure at this point.
Speaker 6 (02:32):
Could the Cougars financially afford not to play Washington.
Speaker 7 (02:40):
In What say you mean because the ticket sales for
the home game and because of the payout, they would
get to play the Huskies, right, I mean, that's that's
a big time game, and I would assume if they're
at a lesser conference, they would get revenue for playing
Washington that they wouldn't get for playing another team that's
like them.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
Well, I mean, I don't know what the contract details are.
In a home and home series, oftentimes there's no exchange
of cash. Now maybe they've worked something else out, but
I don't know that it's you know, any kind of
by game for the Cougars when they go to Seattle.
I just think that it matters to why it should
matter to Washington State to be on the same field
(03:24):
as a Big ten team every year, and that Big
Ten team happens to be their rival, And to me,
it's not a lose lose situation at all for them.
They nobody expects them to win, so if they do win,
it's a huge benefit. And I just they need to
do it. It's good for the sport, it's good for
the state, and it's good for their brand. If you
(03:47):
don't play the Big ten, then you got no chance
of being viewed as a big time program. I don't think.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
Yeah well again, I mean, it feels like there's more
interest in the game long term from you, Dub than
there is from Wazoo.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I like to see you get on that and start
writing about that.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
Start investigating that, by the way, and talking to your
contacts and pullman and find out what the temperature is. John,
So get on it, all right, and when you find
that out, I'm not paying my four bucks a week
for San Josemercurynews dot com for nothing.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
I want that intel.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
But John Wilner's with us the radio show, Josh, yeah, yeah,
you know what's about Damn time you figured it out.
This new the ruling that came down from the judge
in Colorado a few weeks ago that said that if
there was a player that exhausted four years of eligibility
in the spring, and they wanted to come back and
(04:38):
play a fifth year. Uh for this upcoming academic calendar.
They could do it right. And now we're seeing Arizona. Dick,
you said, got a couple of guys come back back.
Indiana had a couple of guys come back tight Ti
angel Lele, I believe is back now for you, dub
Not the biggest names in the book, but some depth certainly,
maybe even some starters.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Has this been in a boon for anybody? This ruling
from this.
Speaker 5 (05:02):
Judge, Well, with the caveat that the ruling could get
overturned because the incident has appealed and the appeals court
has been known to overturn lower court rulings. So everything
is tentative. But Indiana's a huge winner. The defensive lineman
they just got back is gonna be one of the
(05:22):
best in the Big ten. I think he led the
Big ten tackles for loss last year. But it's a
narrow It's a narrow for football, especially because of the
timing and the fact rosters are set. There is just
a narrow scope of players that are positively impacted. It's
you know, you have to have played four years, but
not red shirted. It was only for four and four
(05:45):
kids not drafted and you know, didn't sign a practice
contract with the NFL, that kind of thing. And then
you can come back and and Arizona got their starting
tail back back, and Indiana's got a terrific defensive lineman back.
But it's it's very limited in scope in terms of
the number of teams that are being positively impacted.
Speaker 6 (06:07):
So, John, we've heard about a sixteen team proposal, We've
heard about a twenty fourteen proposal. What in the world
is this twenty team proposal I read about yesterday?
Speaker 5 (06:17):
Oh did it make you like vomit a little in
your mouth?
Speaker 6 (06:19):
Yespec when you use the term playing too, because I
love boy, I had nothing better than the playing game
in college basketball.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
Now we could have one at football. Yeah, yeah, they
should just play the football one in Dayton too, and
now everything would be grand. So the deal is right
that the SEC wants sixteen, the Big Ten wants twenty four.
And now there's this idea that was being floated by
(06:51):
ESPN for twenty and what that would mean is to
be four playing games. So seed thirteen would play, twenty
fourteen would play, nineteen et cetera, and then the winners
with the four winners would advance and join the main
bracket of sixteen. I don't think it went anywhere with
the commissioners yesterday, which is a good thing. But the
(07:14):
reason it matters, and the reason I wrote a little
bit about it yesterday, is because of what it says
about ESPN and Fox being at loggerheads over this thing,
and the fact that they have so much input over
the Big ten in the SEC and they're at this
stalemate this see piece have been at this stalemate for
(07:35):
a year and a half and it's going to continue.
And a lot of it has to do with Fox
and ESPN having very different views of what the playoffs
should look like. They are competitor their partner conferences or competitors,
and there's no way to get anything positive done for
the playoff as long as this continues.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
So what does Fox want? What does ESPN want?
Speaker 5 (07:57):
Fox wants twenty four and the Big Tennis pushing for
twenty four, ESPN wants sixteen max or stay at twelve,
and that's what the SEC wants. The reason foxes in
favor of twenty four is they didn't bid when the
CFP came up for bid a couple of years ago
for the contract cycle that starts this season. Fox didn't bid.
(08:19):
ESPN was the only won the bid. Fox realized they
made a mistake. Oh yeah, college football is popular. The
playoff is really popular. We should have bid. So what
are they doing now? They're trying to get it to
expand to twenty four because ESPN has the rights as
long as it's basically, as long as it's sixteen or fewer,
ESPN has the rights. If it gets up to twenty four,
(08:42):
then it goes to the open market and Fox can
bid on it. So what's really happening is nobody's got
the good of the sport or the good of the
playoff at the heart of their strategic decisions. It's all
based on self interest and that's not good for college football.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Yeah, well, John Wilner is good for college football.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Is with us on the air, and John, I'm looking
at This is the season, the time of the year
where everybody puts their Big ten quarterback rankings out, and
I swear to God, some of these schmuck old has
put somebody purposely too high or too low on the
list just for engagement to piss people off, and there's
one guy I won't even say who it is. Julian's
(09:21):
saying number one, which is fine, Dante Moore number two, fine,
Jaden Mayava USC number three, of the transfer, Malik Washington,
who I was very underwhelmed by when they played him
last year, really at number four, Josh Hoover, who's the
transfer from TCU and Indiana number five, Nico UCLA number six,
Drake Lindsay of Minnesota number seven, and there's Demon Williams
(09:43):
at number eight with Bryce Underwood right behind him. I mean,
where are you at with Demon Williams right now? Because
there seems to be kind of a boomer bust type
of approach with this guy. What do you think about
number now?
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Number one? By the way, at UW's wearing Warren Moon's number.
Speaker 5 (09:59):
Now, wow, Well, I think the reason for the boom
er bust is because that's kind of how he played.
He was terrific against teams that were at Washington's level
or below, and he really struggled against the best teams
in the league. The way I view it, though, is
that ceiling, you know? Okay, so he struggles against Oregon,
(10:21):
Ohio State, Indiana, Michigan, all right, Well, that's only four
out of the eighteen teams, right, So I think that,
you know, the floor for Williams in a quarterback ranking
in the Big twelve of Big ten should be six
ish right in that window, because we know he's proven
(10:43):
that he can be really good against the vast majority
of the conference. The way he gets into the top
tier is to play well against the top tier. So
I kind of agree with you that he's kind of
getting unfairly impugned relatives to some of these other guys
just because he struggled against the best teams in the country.
Speaker 6 (11:05):
John, give us the up to the minute chances on
the Protect College Sports Act being passed into law, and furthermore,
what are the chances we see Donald Trump signing it
live on college game day?
Speaker 5 (11:17):
As I read about this, and I would say that
that is absolutely not gonna happen, because there's very little
chance that they're gonna get it. They're gonna get it
even onto his desk, but before the season ends, because
the Senate is out for a month, then they're back
(11:38):
for three weeks, and then the House and Senator out
for another month because the midterms. So the timing even
if it. Even if it moved quickly, the timing is
such that the football season gonna be basically over. So
the chances I would put that bill right now, it's
like a two touchdown underdog on the road on a
short week, because even if it can get through the Senate,
(12:02):
the Congressional Black Caucuses against it, the afl CIOs against it,
and the naacps against it, and I don't know how
it's going to get enough support in the House to
get through.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Right John, that's a hell of a transition, John, I
got one more for you before you go. John Wilner
with us and you mentioned about being an underdog there,
and Uh, Dick and I got into a fight on
the air. I'm still bleeding, by the way after the altercation.
Speaker 6 (12:26):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
He thinks if you dubbed Indiana played right now, that
Indiana would be a three point favorite over you dub
I think he's on credit. What do you think if
the Indiana game were tech right now? If the Indians
word I asked you, Jackson can back this up.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
You asked what it would be when it were what
I think it would be if it was played at
that time.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
It's not what I asked you. I asked you if
the game were tonight, what would it be? And you said,
Indiana three. John, what do you think, all right, what
would the spread be on a U DUB Indiana game
right now.
Speaker 5 (12:59):
At Husky State. Correct, Indiana by eight and alf or nine?
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Okay, you want to jump in. No, he just don't.
Speaker 6 (13:09):
He didn't listen to me as per usual.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
That's totally untrue.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
Go back and check the tape, I think, John, the
argument started. I gave a range of potential what I
think could be a potential spread for that game. There
is a potential that the Huskies are ten and zero
going into that game. There's also potential that the Huskies
are like eight and two going in that game. I
also think there's a big range for Indiana. I think
(13:35):
Indiana could lose one, two, maybe even three games with
their schedule going into that game. So I said, there's
a range of between Huskies minus seven if the Dogs
are undefeated and Indiana has three losses, all the way
to the Huskies being a touchdown underdog. Of it's the
other way around.
Speaker 5 (13:52):
That's what I said. I mean, if you're forecasting what
it would be at that time, not today, based on
a reasonable assessment of how each team will do against
their schedules. Yeah, I think that you were looking at
probably Indiana by four or five, because I think there's
a really good chance the Huskies will be eight and
(14:13):
two or nine and one going in that game, and
they if they want to get in the playoff, they
got to be nine and one going into those last
two games. That to me, that's that is a very
it's a very clearly defined path for the Huskies because
of the way their schedule is. They got to be
nine and one or ten and zero going into the
Indiana game.
Speaker 6 (14:32):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Well, how good is Indiana you think?
Speaker 5 (14:35):
I think they got better with these the kid they
got back from the from the five for five ruling.
Their defense should be really good. I you know, a
lot of people just assume Josh Hoover is gonna make
the same transformation that Fernando Mendoza did under Signetti. I'm
not convinced. He threw a lot of interceptions at TCU,
(15:00):
But I do think they're going to be really good.
I think that they will be you know, top ten,
top fifteen for most of all the season, for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
I mean, is Josh Hoover a better quarterback now than
Fernando Mendoza was when he left Cow.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
Probably, yes, probably he is. But Mendoza, I mean, it
was just a miraculous transformation, and I don't know if
Hoover will do the same thing. Hoover is a very
If any of your listeners did not watch TCU last year,
Hoover is a very talented thrower of the ball, touch,
arm strength, that kind of you know, put it in
(15:42):
narrow windows. But boy, he makes a lot of mistakes.
And if Signeticant coached that piece out of him, he's
going to be really good. And so will they.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
Yeah, well, I mean I think they're getting a better
product now than what they got with Mendoza when he
went to Indiana.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
I agree with you, But man, the jump at Mendoza too.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Hoover probably doesn't need to take as big of a
jump as Mendoza did. But I mean, how can they
not decline a little bit at quarterback, right? I mean
they had the Heisman Trophy winner for carrying yeah, maybe
the most electric player in college football. I mean the
running had against Miami for that touchdown. Those one of
the best players I've ever seen a quarterback make.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
And how can they not be the drive it right?
Speaker 5 (16:24):
Yeah, how can drive at Penn State? Was incredible?
Speaker 3 (16:27):
How can they not be? I'm slightly weaker at quarterback, John, slightly.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
I agree with you, but I also think they are
very good on the offensive line, like they long. I
think they had eight or nine players drafted, but they
still have got a ton of guys who are going
to get picked next spring. He has done a remarkable
job of evaluation, the best job of evaluation I think
I have ever seen in college football.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, it's amazing. All right, good stuff, and thank god.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
Next week we're closer and closer to actual games being played.
We can stop talking about protect sports acts and nonsense
and five for five and court rulings and all this
sugune man. Can't wait until we can start talking football, John,
great stuff, and we'll.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Talk next Tuesdays.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
Thanks guys.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
All right, John Wilner with us on the radio show. Okay,
Brian Schmetzer is gonna join us in five forty five.
We're gonna head to Detroit. We should talk about this
Terry and Arnold thing. Guys. We're gonna get to Detroit
about six oh five and find out if we want him, right,
like we'll talk to Matt Deary. Who is this kid?
Is he really as big a lunatic as he's being
made out to be. Is he a bad guy? Is
(17:32):
he a good guy? Is he a good player? Is
a bad player? We'll get to that next on ninety
three three KJRFM
This is Duke of Duke Seafood. Letty you know that
this hour of Softy and Dick on your home for
the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought to you by
Duke Seafood. Why not make it at Duke's night tonight.
Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com. On Sports
Radio ninety three point three KJR FM.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
It is time for our weekly Pac twelve conversation with
Senos Mercury News reporter John Wilner, brought to you by
Simply Seattle. Our friends at simply Seattle dot com have
the most amazing collection of all things Seattle Seahawks gear,
UW hats of the largest selection of SONICX gear anywhere
in the world. Learn more at simply Seattle dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
All right, by the way, look for Phoenix. Phoenix.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Okay, I still a layer even though she went to
UW looking for some new Seahawk gear Husky gear for
the season. Simply Seattle dot com. Be sure and use
coach kJ R fifteen at check out for fifteen percent
off anything at Simplyseattle dot com. Here he is the
Pope of the pack, the big ten bearon. We are
getting close to college football baby. Our friend Johnny Wilner
(01:04):
with us right now on the radio program Johnny, how
are you man?
Speaker 5 (01:09):
I am good. Thanks, Hey you guys, we're.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Good, man good. Lots of stuff to talk about.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
We just randomly stumbled upon the Apple Cup conversation earlier
on the show today, and we put a poll out
asking people if they want to see the Apple Cup
continue after twenty twenty eight. Seventy percent said yes, But
I think most of them might have been Husky fans.
What would have to happen, What would, honestly, John, have
to happen for the Apple Cup to come to an
(01:37):
end after the next three games are played?
Speaker 5 (01:41):
I think, and I don't know this, to be clear,
I haven't gotten this from anyone, either in Seattle or Pullman,
but I think it would be as simple as Washington
State saying we're done. I sensed that the Huskies want
to try to make it happen. It does present scheduling
issues with them, right because of the number of home
(02:02):
games they need. We've talked about that, but I have
the sense Washington would like it to continue. I don't
know that Washington State's administration, which is now new compared
to the administration that signed the deal. I don't know
that the Cougars are dead set on playing it indefinitely,
and hopefully they are, but it would be great if
(02:26):
it keeps going. But I would not put it at
one hundred percent for sure at this point.
Speaker 6 (02:32):
Could the Cougars financially afford not to play Washington.
Speaker 7 (02:40):
In What say you mean because the ticket sales for
the home game and because of the payout, they would
get to play the Huskies, right, I mean, that's that's
a big time game, and I would assume if they're
at a lesser conference, they would get revenue for playing
Washington that they wouldn't get for playing another team that's
like them.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
Well, I mean, I don't know what the contract details are.
In a home and home series, oftentimes there's no exchange
of cash. Now maybe they've worked something else out, but
I don't know that it's you know, any kind of
by game for the Cougars when they go to Seattle.
I just think that it matters to why it should
matter to Washington State to be on the same field
(03:24):
as a Big ten team every year, and that Big
Ten team happens to be their rival, And to me,
it's not a lose lose situation at all for them.
They nobody expects them to win, so if they do win,
it's a huge benefit. And I just they need to
do it. It's good for the sport, it's good for
the state, and it's good for their brand. If you
(03:47):
don't play the Big ten, then you got no chance
of being viewed as a big time program. I don't think.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
Yeah well again, I mean, it feels like there's more
interest in the game long term from you, Dub than
there is from Wazoo.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I like to see you get on that and start
writing about that.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
Start investigating that, by the way, and talking to your
contacts and pullman and find out what the temperature is. John,
So get on it, all right, and when you find
that out, I'm not paying my four bucks a week
for San Josemercurynews dot com for nothing.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
I want that intel.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
But John Wilner's with us the radio show, Josh, yeah, yeah,
you know what's about Damn time you figured it out.
This new the ruling that came down from the judge
in Colorado a few weeks ago that said that if
there was a player that exhausted four years of eligibility
in the spring, and they wanted to come back and
(04:38):
play a fifth year. Uh for this upcoming academic calendar.
They could do it right. And now we're seeing Arizona. Dick,
you said, got a couple of guys come back back.
Indiana had a couple of guys come back tight Ti
angel Lele, I believe is back now for you, dub
Not the biggest names in the book, but some depth certainly,
maybe even some starters.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Has this been in a boon for anybody? This ruling
from this.
Speaker 5 (05:02):
Judge, Well, with the caveat that the ruling could get
overturned because the incident has appealed and the appeals court
has been known to overturn lower court rulings. So everything
is tentative. But Indiana's a huge winner. The defensive lineman
they just got back is gonna be one of the
(05:22):
best in the Big ten. I think he led the
Big ten tackles for loss last year. But it's a
narrow It's a narrow for football, especially because of the
timing and the fact rosters are set. There is just
a narrow scope of players that are positively impacted. It's
you know, you have to have played four years, but
not red shirted. It was only for four and four
(05:45):
kids not drafted and you know, didn't sign a practice
contract with the NFL, that kind of thing. And then
you can come back and and Arizona got their starting
tail back back, and Indiana's got a terrific defensive lineman back.
But it's it's very limited in scope in terms of
the number of teams that are being positively impacted.
Speaker 6 (06:07):
So, John, we've heard about a sixteen team proposal, We've
heard about a twenty fourteen proposal. What in the world
is this twenty team proposal I read about yesterday?
Speaker 5 (06:17):
Oh did it make you like vomit a little in
your mouth?
Speaker 6 (06:19):
Yespec when you use the term playing too, because I
love boy, I had nothing better than the playing game
in college basketball.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
Now we could have one at football. Yeah, yeah, they
should just play the football one in Dayton too, and
now everything would be grand. So the deal is right
that the SEC wants sixteen, the Big Ten wants twenty four.
And now there's this idea that was being floated by
(06:51):
ESPN for twenty and what that would mean is to
be four playing games. So seed thirteen would play, twenty
fourteen would play, nineteen et cetera, and then the winners
with the four winners would advance and join the main
bracket of sixteen. I don't think it went anywhere with
the commissioners yesterday, which is a good thing. But the
(07:14):
reason it matters, and the reason I wrote a little
bit about it yesterday, is because of what it says
about ESPN and Fox being at loggerheads over this thing,
and the fact that they have so much input over
the Big ten in the SEC and they're at this
stalemate this see piece have been at this stalemate for
(07:35):
a year and a half and it's going to continue.
And a lot of it has to do with Fox
and ESPN having very different views of what the playoffs
should look like. They are competitor their partner conferences or competitors,
and there's no way to get anything positive done for
the playoff as long as this continues.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
So what does Fox want? What does ESPN want?
Speaker 5 (07:57):
Fox wants twenty four and the Big Tennis pushing for
twenty four, ESPN wants sixteen max or stay at twelve,
and that's what the SEC wants. The reason foxes in
favor of twenty four is they didn't bid when the
CFP came up for bid a couple of years ago
for the contract cycle that starts this season. Fox didn't bid.
(08:19):
ESPN was the only won the bid. Fox realized they
made a mistake. Oh yeah, college football is popular. The
playoff is really popular. We should have bid. So what
are they doing now? They're trying to get it to
expand to twenty four because ESPN has the rights as
long as it's basically, as long as it's sixteen or fewer,
ESPN has the rights. If it gets up to twenty four,
(08:42):
then it goes to the open market and Fox can
bid on it. So what's really happening is nobody's got
the good of the sport or the good of the
playoff at the heart of their strategic decisions. It's all
based on self interest and that's not good for college football.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Yeah, well, John Wilner is good for college football.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Is with us on the air, and John, I'm looking
at This is the season, the time of the year
where everybody puts their Big ten quarterback rankings out, and
I swear to God, some of these schmuck old has
put somebody purposely too high or too low on the
list just for engagement to piss people off, and there's
one guy I won't even say who it is. Julian's
(09:21):
saying number one, which is fine, Dante Moore number two, fine,
Jaden Mayava USC number three, of the transfer, Malik Washington,
who I was very underwhelmed by when they played him
last year, really at number four, Josh Hoover, who's the
transfer from TCU and Indiana number five, Nico UCLA number six,
Drake Lindsay of Minnesota number seven, and there's Demon Williams
(09:43):
at number eight with Bryce Underwood right behind him. I mean,
where are you at with Demon Williams right now? Because
there seems to be kind of a boomer bust type
of approach with this guy. What do you think about
number now?
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Number one? By the way, at UW's wearing Warren Moon's number.
Speaker 5 (09:59):
Now, wow, Well, I think the reason for the boom
er bust is because that's kind of how he played.
He was terrific against teams that were at Washington's level
or below, and he really struggled against the best teams
in the league. The way I view it, though, is
that ceiling, you know? Okay, so he struggles against Oregon,
(10:21):
Ohio State, Indiana, Michigan, all right, Well, that's only four
out of the eighteen teams, right, So I think that,
you know, the floor for Williams in a quarterback ranking
in the Big twelve of Big ten should be six
ish right in that window, because we know he's proven
(10:43):
that he can be really good against the vast majority
of the conference. The way he gets into the top
tier is to play well against the top tier. So
I kind of agree with you that he's kind of
getting unfairly impugned relatives to some of these other guys
just because he struggled against the best teams in the country.
Speaker 6 (11:05):
John, give us the up to the minute chances on
the Protect College Sports Act being passed into law, and furthermore,
what are the chances we see Donald Trump signing it
live on college game day?
Speaker 5 (11:17):
As I read about this, and I would say that
that is absolutely not gonna happen, because there's very little
chance that they're gonna get it. They're gonna get it
even onto his desk, but before the season ends, because
the Senate is out for a month, then they're back
(11:38):
for three weeks, and then the House and Senator out
for another month because the midterms. So the timing even
if it. Even if it moved quickly, the timing is
such that the football season gonna be basically over. So
the chances I would put that bill right now, it's
like a two touchdown underdog on the road on a
short week, because even if it can get through the Senate,
(12:02):
the Congressional Black Caucuses against it, the afl CIOs against it,
and the naacps against it, and I don't know how
it's going to get enough support in the House to
get through.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Right John, that's a hell of a transition, John, I
got one more for you before you go. John Wilner
with us and you mentioned about being an underdog there,
and Uh, Dick and I got into a fight on
the air. I'm still bleeding, by the way after the altercation.
Speaker 6 (12:26):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
He thinks if you dubbed Indiana played right now, that
Indiana would be a three point favorite over you dub
I think he's on credit. What do you think if
the Indiana game were tech right now? If the Indians
word I asked you, Jackson can back this up.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
You asked what it would be when it were what
I think it would be if it was played at
that time.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
It's not what I asked you. I asked you if
the game were tonight, what would it be? And you said,
Indiana three. John, what do you think, all right, what
would the spread be on a U DUB Indiana game
right now.
Speaker 5 (12:59):
At Husky State. Correct, Indiana by eight and alf or nine?
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Okay, you want to jump in. No, he just don't.
Speaker 6 (13:09):
He didn't listen to me as per usual.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
That's totally untrue.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
Go back and check the tape, I think, John, the
argument started. I gave a range of potential what I
think could be a potential spread for that game. There
is a potential that the Huskies are ten and zero
going into that game. There's also potential that the Huskies
are like eight and two going in that game. I
also think there's a big range for Indiana. I think
(13:35):
Indiana could lose one, two, maybe even three games with
their schedule going into that game. So I said, there's
a range of between Huskies minus seven if the Dogs
are undefeated and Indiana has three losses, all the way
to the Huskies being a touchdown underdog. Of it's the
other way around.
Speaker 5 (13:52):
That's what I said. I mean, if you're forecasting what
it would be at that time, not today, based on
a reasonable assessment of how each team will do against
their schedules. Yeah, I think that you were looking at
probably Indiana by four or five, because I think there's
a really good chance the Huskies will be eight and
(14:13):
two or nine and one going in that game, and
they if they want to get in the playoff, they
got to be nine and one going into those last
two games. That to me, that's that is a very
it's a very clearly defined path for the Huskies because
of the way their schedule is. They got to be
nine and one or ten and zero going into the
Indiana game.
Speaker 6 (14:32):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Well, how good is Indiana you think?
Speaker 5 (14:35):
I think they got better with these the kid they
got back from the from the five for five ruling.
Their defense should be really good. I you know, a
lot of people just assume Josh Hoover is gonna make
the same transformation that Fernando Mendoza did under Signetti. I'm
not convinced. He threw a lot of interceptions at TCU,
(15:00):
But I do think they're going to be really good.
I think that they will be you know, top ten,
top fifteen for most of all the season, for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
I mean, is Josh Hoover a better quarterback now than
Fernando Mendoza was when he left Cow.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
Probably, yes, probably he is. But Mendoza, I mean, it
was just a miraculous transformation, and I don't know if
Hoover will do the same thing. Hoover is a very
If any of your listeners did not watch TCU last year,
Hoover is a very talented thrower of the ball, touch,
arm strength, that kind of you know, put it in
(15:42):
narrow windows. But boy, he makes a lot of mistakes.
And if Signeticant coached that piece out of him, he's
going to be really good. And so will they.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
Yeah, well, I mean I think they're getting a better
product now than what they got with Mendoza when he
went to Indiana.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
I agree with you, But man, the jump at Mendoza too.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Hoover probably doesn't need to take as big of a
jump as Mendoza did. But I mean, how can they
not decline a little bit at quarterback, right? I mean
they had the Heisman Trophy winner for carrying yeah, maybe
the most electric player in college football. I mean the
running had against Miami for that touchdown. Those one of
the best players I've ever seen a quarterback make.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
And how can they not be the drive it right?
Speaker 5 (16:24):
Yeah, how can drive at Penn State? Was incredible?
Speaker 3 (16:27):
How can they not be? I'm slightly weaker at quarterback, John, slightly.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
I agree with you, but I also think they are
very good on the offensive line, like they long. I
think they had eight or nine players drafted, but they
still have got a ton of guys who are going
to get picked next spring. He has done a remarkable
job of evaluation, the best job of evaluation I think
I have ever seen in college football.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, it's amazing. All right, good stuff, and thank god.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
Next week we're closer and closer to actual games being played.
We can stop talking about protect sports acts and nonsense
and five for five and court rulings and all this
sugune man. Can't wait until we can start talking football, John,
great stuff, and we'll.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Talk next Tuesdays.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
Thanks guys.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
All right, John Wilner with us on the radio show. Okay,
Brian Schmetzer is gonna join us in five forty five.
We're gonna head to Detroit. We should talk about this
Terry and Arnold thing. Guys. We're gonna get to Detroit
about six oh five and find out if we want him, right,
like we'll talk to Matt Deary. Who is this kid?
Is he really as big a lunatic as he's being
made out to be. Is he a bad guy? Is
(17:32):
he a good guy? Is he a good player? Is
a bad player? We'll get to that next on ninety
three three KJRFM
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