Jon Wilner on Notre Dame, Michigan Job, CFP’s System, UW Portal

Jon Wilner of The San Jose Mercury News and Wilner Hotline joins Dave Softy Mahler to talk about the end of the Notre Dame vs. USC series, Michigan’s open job and the candidacies of Jedd Fisch and Kalen Deboer, plus the College Football Playoff so far.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:18):
It's time for a weekly Pac twelve conversation with Senos,
a Mercury News reporter John Wilner, brought to you by
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Speaker 4 (01:04):
Here he is the Pope of the Pack, the Big
ten Bear, and our.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
Friend from the San Jose Mercury News, Johnny Wonner, John, how.

Speaker 4 (01:10):
Are you, man?

Speaker 5 (01:12):
I'm good. Thanks? How about yourself?

Speaker 4 (01:14):
I'm good.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
I'm gonna remind people, first of all, that will get
your pick of the week coming up in a few
minutes here. And you are red freaking hot. You've won
seven in a row. You're twelve and four, and I
think you're in the wrong business. I think you should
be a handicapper. Forget this sports writing thing. Man, what
do you think?

Speaker 6 (01:31):
Well, I mean, there's lots of reasons to say I'm
in the wrong business.

Speaker 5 (01:34):
That would just be one of them.

Speaker 3 (01:35):
Yeah, hundred percent, man, I'm with you. Well, let's let's
start off with USC, Notre Dame Petros. You know Petros Papadakas.
He'll join us at six o'clock tonight, and he is,
I'll be honest with you, he's good and pissed at USC.

Speaker 5 (01:47):
I know.

Speaker 3 (01:48):
Keishaan Johnson came out today ripping Lincoln Riley. They're all
mad about this USC Notre Dame thing falling apart. They've
been playing football for one hundred years and they're not
going to play next season. And I guess the question is,
who's to blame? Why did this happen?

Speaker 6 (02:05):
Ultimately, it happened because USC left the Pack twelve for
the Big Ten. That is, you know, that's the root
source of this, and then everything else flows from there.
The schedule issues for USC, the college playoff situation, they're
all part of it.

Speaker 5 (02:23):
But that's the problem because USC does not want to
go to South Bend.

Speaker 6 (02:27):
In October every other year when they are also criss
crossing the country for conference games. So in some ways
they are to blame because if they hadn't left the
Pac twelve, everything would be fine. Now it is more complicated,
you know, as you narrow your time frame then it
gets a little bit more complicated.

Speaker 5 (02:44):
And Notre Dame has some culpability here.

Speaker 6 (02:47):
The CFP has got some culpability here.

Speaker 5 (02:51):
It's a mess, it's unfortunate.

Speaker 6 (02:54):
But again, there's a lot of traditions that are going
up and smoke these days in college football.

Speaker 4 (02:58):
Yeah, no doubt.

Speaker 3 (02:59):
Well, what are the odds Notre Dame USC rivalry, which look,
I mean, you don't need to be a real hardcore
college football fan to know that Notre Dame in USC
is one of the greatest long standing rivalries in all
of sports, right, I mean, it's Yankees Red Sox, it's
Ohio State Michigan. I mean, not having it played would
be a major downer. What are the odds of it

(03:20):
at some point coming back or is this thing on
ice for the foreseeable future in your opinion.

Speaker 6 (03:26):
Well, I think it's on ice for four years.

Speaker 5 (03:30):
Based on the way the schedules are.

Speaker 6 (03:32):
I don't think Notre Dame's got an opening until twenty thirty,
that would be my guess. And I mean they've already
gone ahead and scheduled BYU for the next two years
and then they're I think they're booked in twenty nine,
twenty eight, twenty nine.

Speaker 5 (03:46):
So, but part of the issue is the CFP situation.

Speaker 6 (03:50):
Right in the spring of twenty twenty four, they signed
a memory the Conferences Commissioners.

Speaker 5 (03:58):
I'll sign this memorandum understanding that says if.

Speaker 6 (04:02):
The CFP is starting next year in a twelve or
fourteen team CFP, Notre Dame gets an automatic bid if
they're in the top twelve or the top top fourteen.
USC's looking at that and they're thinking, well, we could
play Notre Dame in November.

Speaker 5 (04:17):
Beat them, finish ranked ahead of them.

Speaker 6 (04:21):
But if they're in the top twelve, they're still going
to get in ahead of us. So a lot of
it is rooted in USC's concerns over the sweetheart deal
that Notre Dame has got with the CFP, and there's
a lot of schools that don't like that sweetheart deal.
If the playoff expands to sixteen teams, I don't think
the deal is valid. And so that is actually a

(04:42):
way to get USC to kind of come back to
the new oceanting table is expanding the sixteen teams, invalidating
Notre dame sweetheart deal and maybe giving the Trojans a
little bit of reason to consider playing. But they could
argue from a competitive standpoint that they're better off not
playing Notre Dame of this sweetheart deal they've got.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
Yeah, well, and look, I don't mind Notre Dame for
taking that sweetheart deal. I'd take that deal. It's a
damn good deal. Damn good deal, no question about it.
But and I think I know the answer to this question,
but for people like me who just want an answer,
why does Notre Dame continue to get this type of
preferential treatment that other schools do not?

Speaker 5 (05:22):
Oh boy, yeah, it's terrible.

Speaker 6 (05:24):
You know that in the CFP governance structure, Notre Dame
has eighteen times the voting power.

Speaker 5 (05:31):
Of Ohio State. Why because Notre Dame.

Speaker 6 (05:34):
Notre Dame has its own vote, right, The CFP is
the ten Conference commissioners, and Notre Dame they have the
same vote as the Big ten Big ten guests ones vote.
Notre Dame gets one vote. Ohio State is one eighteenth
of the Big ten. So they have had this sweetheart

(05:54):
deal because they're an independent, because they are a huge
draw and a national brand. But there are many ways,
many examples of them getting preferential treatment that I don't
think they deserve. The CFP even allowed Bear Athletic director
former athletic director Jack Swarbrick to design take part in
designing the new system that gives them this great access.

Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah yeah, well, I mean I get why other schools
would be pissed, right, especially in a down year, for
Notre Dame to have that kind of you know, power
over college football just seems to be kind of a
thing of the past and no longer necessary. This isn't
nineteen eighty seven or eighty eight with you know, Tim
Brown and Low Holtz running around for God's sakes. But

(06:37):
John Wilner is with us, and John you know, Biff
Poggy is the interim coach at Michigan. He was asked,
I think it was yesterday Jackson why he should get
the job full time, and he said, because I know
this place, I want to fix it, and he slammed
his fist on the table for emphasis. Is there any
shot in your mind that Biff Poggy does get that
job full time?

Speaker 5 (06:59):
Two weeks ago? Said no way.

Speaker 6 (07:01):
Now I'd say, I bet you he's got a thirty
forty chance.

Speaker 5 (07:05):
Okay, I don't think.

Speaker 6 (07:06):
He's their first choice, but I think he has kind
of come onto the middle of the spectrum.

Speaker 5 (07:12):
Here in terms of their options.

Speaker 6 (07:14):
I think that Jeff Brohm at Louisville is their guy.
But Jeff Brom is also a Louisville alum. Now I know,
Michigan is Michigan, but Jeff Brom's got a lot of
ties to Louisville. He was that Purdue, did a great job,
then went to Louisville. He's a really good coach. I
think he's the guy Michigan's got targeted right now. I
think Jedfish is a secondary and I've thought this all along,

(07:37):
a secondary candidate, but I would put him probably behind
BIV Poggy and Jeff Brohm at this point.

Speaker 3 (07:42):
Wow, Well you mentioned Jed there for a second. There
was a report that came out the ore day that,
for lack of a better term, and this may sound
like almost an insult, that that Jed failed some background
check or there was some red flag that came up
in Michigan's investigative process. Do you have any idea what
that could have been all about?

Speaker 5 (08:02):
I have I have no idea.

Speaker 6 (08:04):
Okay, got I do know that given what's going on
at Michigan, Yeah, you know, they need like black ops
to do these background checks for every candidate because they
they cannot miss a thing given given their situation. I
have no idea. I would have assumed that Jeb would
be fine with the background check. I had no idea

(08:24):
what that reports about.

Speaker 3 (08:25):
Yeah, I don't think it's anything personal with him or
anything that would be almost like, you know, humiliating. For example,
I I'm assuming that there's something in his background connecting
him to potentially Jim Harbaugh and Connor Stallinggans that maybe
possibly Michigan just wanted to turn the page away from Well, that's.

Speaker 5 (08:44):
Always been a question for me.

Speaker 6 (08:46):
Is he did coach there, but way before all the current.

Speaker 5 (08:50):
Issues they've had. But he was on a hardbass staff.

Speaker 6 (08:54):
And if you're Michigan, there's an argument to be made
that you should not hire anybody to work for Jim Harbaugh.
And even though it was in twenty fifteen sixteen and
Jeed is not connected at all with these current issues,
just completely disassociate yourself from the Harborugh era. I don't
think that that's an unreasonable approach for Michigan to take.

Speaker 3 (09:16):
So if Mike McDonald decided the current coach of the Seahawks,
which he would not do, but let's just for shiggles
and gets have the argument. Mike McDonald said, you know what,
I don't like the NFL. I want to go back
to college and I want to coach the Michigan Wolverines.
And he was the defensive coordinator for Jim Harbaugh, a
couple of years ago when Jimmy Lake went out there
and got destroyed by Jim Harbaugh. Mike McDonald, who might be,

(09:40):
you know, one of the premier head coaches in the
NFL right now was Jim Harbaugh's DC. You're telling me
if Mike McDonald wanted the Michigan job, the Wolverines would
say no because of his tied to Harbaugh.

Speaker 6 (09:51):
I'm saying that I think that there are some folks
in the Michigan decision making free got it, who don't
want anybody associate with Harball. Now, I don't know that
that's the majority, but I think that that's part of
their thinking and part of their decision making. Is anybody
associated with Harball or nobody associated with Harball.

Speaker 3 (10:12):
Well, and John, here's the deal, because I think a
lot of folks thought, if Kaylyn de Bor beats Oklahoma,
as you predicted by the way last week, that he's
gonna be off the table for Michigan because that's just
too long for Michigan to wait.

Speaker 4 (10:21):
Well, Michigan's already waited two weeks.

Speaker 3 (10:24):
Alabama plays Indiana in nine days in the Rose Bowl,
meaning in nine days from now, Kaylen de boor season
could be over. Do you think or excuse me, Michigan
is willing to wait another nine days to potentially have
a shot at Kaitlin de boor or as that ship
already sailed.

Speaker 6 (10:42):
Oh boy, at this point, I wouldn't be shocked if
they did wait.

Speaker 5 (10:46):
But I don't. I think that dbor ship is sailed.
I think there's no way he would take the job now.

Speaker 6 (10:51):
And he's not gonna if they had lost to Oklahoma
twenty four to ten and he's going back to Tuscaloosa
and it is just a firestorm. You know, there was
a small I thought there was a small chance he'd say,
you know what, I don't want my family to be
subjected to this, and then he'd leave. But now, even
if they lose it in the end, the Alabama fans

(11:13):
are not going to call.

Speaker 5 (11:14):
For divorce head. So I think that he's that chip
has sailed for Michigan.

Speaker 3 (11:19):
Yep, John widows with us. So you know, Dan Lanning,
that son of a bitch. I want to hate his guts.
And then he goes out and says something I totally
agree with what he said. I think it was today
where he said, look this game against Texas Tech in
the Orange Bowl, right, should be played in Lubbock. There
should be some advantage for Texas Tech to having being
a top four seed, winning their conference and getting a buye.

Speaker 4 (11:42):
And the advantage is they just get a bye.

Speaker 3 (11:45):
Right, they don't get to play at home, but they
get the bye, they have to go play in Miami
at the Orange Bowls. So number one, do you agree
with Dan Lanning that these quarter final games should be
played at home sites?

Speaker 4 (11:58):
And do you think that will ever have in reality?

Speaker 6 (12:02):
I do think it'll happen. I also I agree with it,
but I thought the same thing. Oregon deserved a home
game last year undefeated one to Big ten, just like Indiana,
they deserved a home game. I think that if they
go to sixteen, what they should do is a straight
seed sixteen, a one play sixteen, and you got the

(12:24):
top eight seeds.

Speaker 5 (12:25):
All are at home for that round.

Speaker 6 (12:29):
That's a distinct possibility. If they don't go to sixteen,
I don't know. They may keep this stupid system. It's
all because the beholden to the bulls because they need
you know, the peach, cotton, orange sugar Fiesta rose they had.
The sport has got such a long history with most
of those bulls. They want them to be part of

(12:50):
the big games. And if you completely uproot the structure
of the playoff right and put like the first round
or two at home, then some of those six bowls
can't host big games.

Speaker 5 (13:04):
Yeah, and that's a big part of their problem.

Speaker 3 (13:06):
Well, I guess there's a lot of folks after last
week's performances by James Madison and Tulane using that as
evidence that those types of programs don't belong in the
College football Playoff.

Speaker 4 (13:18):
What do you say to that idea?

Speaker 6 (13:21):
I say Ohio State forty two, Tennessee seventeen. I also
say Ohio State thirty four, Oregon zero.

Speaker 5 (13:29):
I think that was a score in the second quarter
of the Rose Bowl. They're blowouts.

Speaker 6 (13:34):
I looked back last year's NFL Playoffs Wildcard round average
margin was fifteen points.

Speaker 5 (13:40):
There's blowouts in the first round in all sports. I
think it's ridiculous.

Speaker 6 (13:45):
Look, the bottom line is, James Madison got in because.

Speaker 5 (13:49):
The ACC screwed up its tiebreaker.

Speaker 6 (13:52):
No, if ACC hadn't screwed up, it would have just
been Tulane. They would have played in Eugene and they
wouldn't be nearly this out. People are upset at James
Madison and the Group of five.

Speaker 5 (14:03):
Because the ACC screwed up. So the college football has
always been about access. It's always been an open system.
And the thing is.

Speaker 6 (14:11):
If they try to cut the Group of five out,
there will be an anti trust lawsuit. They had an investigation,
a congressional investigation into it ten years ago. That's the
reason that there's a spot for the Group of five
because they're going to get the big guys are going
to get sued. So in some ways it's not worth
talking about. When they do restructure for next year, there

(14:34):
is a new clause that prevents the Group of five
from getting two bids. There's still one guaranteed, but they
can't get two.

Speaker 3 (14:44):
Yeah, well, John, Before we get to your pick, Willner's
winner is on a roll twelve and four seventh straight.
The Wendelorian is just kicking ass and taking names walking
down a path and he is in the lead by
a mile. Nobody is and within breadth of this guy.
He's been so dominating. So a hell of a performance
by you will go for thirteen to four and eight

(15:07):
in a row in a second, But talk to all
the Husky fans out there, and I guess fans of
teams in general that are kind of wondering what's going
on with a transfer portal. I mean Adam Mohammad, who
was set to become the starter at running back next
year for you, dub is in the portal. Rayden vines Bright,
who was a potential star as a freshman at wide receiver,
is in the portal, and fans are wondering what's behind

(15:29):
all of this?

Speaker 4 (15:30):
What's your take on them?

Speaker 6 (15:32):
Well, I think money's behind it, all right, I mean
that's this is the way the way the world works.

Speaker 5 (15:37):
I mean we I think we talked about it last week.

Speaker 6 (15:40):
Nobody's guaranteed to get all their guys back, no matter
what those players say before the season ends.

Speaker 5 (15:45):
They're out there.

Speaker 6 (15:46):
They're seeing what the best deal is, and it's up
to Fish and his staff to manage their money properly,
sort out their salary structure by position, make the best
offers to the guys that they want to.

Speaker 5 (15:58):
Keep, and and hope for the best.

Speaker 6 (16:01):
This is the way of the world. Washington is not
immune from it at all.

Speaker 4 (16:05):
Now, no question about that.

Speaker 5 (16:07):
Man.

Speaker 3 (16:07):
Well, we'll see what happens. Some of these guys could
end up coming back. I mean hell, Will Rogers for
sure put his name in the portal after Kitlin to
board left for Alabama and then pulled himself out after
they hired Jed Fish, and Jed talked him into staying
at Washington. Man, So a lot of these guys made
upstaying all right, John, before you go, hell of a
run for you man, seven in a row on the air,

(16:28):
seven in a row.

Speaker 4 (16:29):
Twelve and four.

Speaker 3 (16:30):
Overall, you nailed it with Alabama and Oklahoma a week ago,
to go thirteen and four and to run this thing
to eighth straight.

Speaker 4 (16:38):
Who do you like this week? My friend?

Speaker 5 (16:41):
Well, I guess the.

Speaker 6 (16:41):
First thing I should ask you is do we have
a show next Tuesday?

Speaker 5 (16:45):
Because I'd like to pick a playoff game. But if
we got the show next Tuesday, I can do it.

Speaker 3 (16:48):
Bet Jackson, you tell us John, yes, he says, yes,
You're on the year Tuesday unless you have something better plan.

Speaker 4 (16:55):
By the way, so never, well never, we'll play.

Speaker 6 (17:02):
I will hold off my playoff my quarterfinal pick for
next Tuesday.

Speaker 5 (17:06):
But right now I will actually pick a game that
is being.

Speaker 6 (17:09):
Played tomorrow night, Uhaii, the Hawaii Bowl. I want to
say kickoff is at like five o'clock. I'm not sure
it's Cal. It's fat ya Cal at Hawaii in uh
in Honolulu, and I'm going to take the Bears because
I think that they are going to be their quarterback.

(17:30):
Jaron Kiwa is from a beach.

Speaker 5 (17:34):
It's a homecoming for him.

Speaker 6 (17:35):
Nick Rolovich, your listeners know that name well. He used
to coach at Hawaii. He is Cal's interim coach. I
think they are going to have Cal fired up for
this game, and Cal will cover what I think is
a three point spread.

Speaker 4 (17:48):
No, it's a point and a half. That's it.

Speaker 3 (17:50):
Point a half even better, yeah, yeah, even better. Col's
cow's getting a point and a half. By the way,
oh they are, Yes, yes, it's Hawaii minus a point
and a half. So Cal's a dog in this game.

Speaker 5 (18:05):
I will take Rollo.

Speaker 4 (18:07):
I love it. I love it California.

Speaker 3 (18:08):
I don't know what's more impressive the fact that you
pronounced the Cols quarterbacks name properly or the fact that
you've won seventh straight. Either way, we love you, man,
have a great holiday, Appreciate everything you do for the
radio show and Dick and Jackson.

Speaker 4 (18:21):
I'll have you next Tuesday.

Speaker 5 (18:22):
All right. Thanks Sam to your listeners, and thanks to
simply Seattle.

Speaker 3 (18:26):
For everything, no question, great call man, all right, cal
plus the point and a half against Hawaii and the
Hawaii ball is the pick for John Wilner. We're gonna
break Saren Petro gonna join us from Kansas City. Chiefs
are moving to a different state. At five point forty
five on ninety three three KJRFM,