November 26, 2025 • 11 mins
Lance and Rocky talk Bearcats football and basketball with Bearcat Journal's Chad Brendel
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Bengals like ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station six
thirty five on ESPN fifteen to thirty Cincinnati Sports Station,
Lambs per cattlest Rocky Boyman. The Roundtable show continues from
log next day, hebron brought to you insparked by ever
dry waterproving it's not dry till let's ever dry. Let's
(00:22):
talk some UC football. We do a little bit earlier
because our weekly guest has a basketball game he must
be paying attention to, and we move him to six
thirty now to talk a little UC football. Drop in
some basketball. Bearcats headed to Fort Worth to take on TCU.
Three game losing skit has certainly changed a bit of
the vibe from a seven game winning streak. Let's welcome
in Chad Brendle from Bearcat Journal Bearcat Journal dot com.
(00:45):
All right, you you brought up a great point on
the podcast I've been thinking about all week and in one.
Nippert was electric on Saturday night. But a concern. They
have clearly closed the talent gap over the last couple
of years with other Big twelve teams, but as you
alluded to so much so the last couple of weeks,
their talent has been pretty much on par with the opposition,
(01:07):
and yet they've been unable to beat that opposition.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, they've been unable to execute. And that's the next step, right,
Like you got to get on an equal talent level
because you certainly, look you've all had more talent. Like,
let's not make any mistakes here when talking about the
last three games, you fall was a more talented roster
top to bottom. I didn't get that feeling with Arizona
(01:31):
on BYU. I felt like Cincinnati was every bit they
equal of those two teams. But guess what, those two
teams played clean football, you see, did not? I mean, ultimately,
to me, it's as simple as that they played clean
football during that seven game winning streak. They weren't turning
it over, they were executing in the red zone. Special
teams was excellent. Defense was doing the bend but don't break,
(01:52):
letting teams get into the red zone, but holding them
to field goals. Like they were clean. And the last
three weeks they've been pig ten from peanuts.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Yeah, no doubt, yeah yeah, So chat, let me ask
you this. So, I mean, obviously they start off hot,
they've lost three straight. What happens, God forbid, they lose
this game. What is the what is the eulogy of
the season. Is it a successful season? Is it something
to build on? Is it a disappointment? What do we
(02:26):
think about Sadderfield? Where are we at with that?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
I mean, I think it's it's a disappointment. I think
it's missed opportunities. That would be the story of twenty
twenty five is the door was open and you ran
into the door like that. That's all I can think
about at this point in terms of you had a
chance to put yourself. I don't think they're better than
talent wise than Texas Tech. I don't think they're better
(02:50):
talent wise than Utah. But you had a chance to
play yourself into the conference championship game, even after the
Utah lost, You had a chance to put yourself in
a position, even if you didn't make it, that you
tie for second right and the tie breakers play out
however they may, and and you find yourself talking about, look,
(03:11):
you know we were right there, like we are. This
program is now in position to compete for championships in
the Big Twelve, even with three conference losses. You know
you're going to be you know, tied for fifth, which
is a respectable position. In year three, moving from the
American to the Big twelve, you lose. Now you're eighth, ninth,
(03:33):
and you're in the middle of the pack and one
in two. Look a low farther off yep from nine
than it does from five. So the vision becomes cloudy.
The progress, the steady progress forward, was their progress in
twenty twenty five. Sure was it enough progress? No? So,
(03:57):
you know, we talked about this at the beginning of
the season. Five people are still going to be all
over Scott's sadderfield from the fan base eight and four.
You don't give them a whole lot of amma, you know,
you don't give them a whole lot to fire at
because you had a successful season. You went six and
three in the conference and things look good. So this
is a really, really important game for the future of
(04:20):
the Scott Badderfield era at Cincinnati.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
TCU's got a quarterback in Josh Hoover who can sling it.
I think top ten of the country in yards per
game and touchdowns. Give us a big picture look at
that TCU club.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
But it's not just Suber. They've got two excellent wide
receivers that have been you know, get the ball to
those guys in space and let them make plays, and
they have done so. Push the ball downfield to those
guys in single coverage and they will make plays. That
has been maybe the biggest problem for Cincinnati's defense is
(04:56):
isolation on the sideline, pushing the ball down the field
and it either results in a catch or pass interference.
Very few of those plays have resulted in an incompletion.
Hoover's going to test you now, hopefully. Sonny Diyce calls
Dave Randa, and David Randa says, yeah, you should probably
run the ball fifty eight percent of the time against
(05:17):
Cincinnati because Baylor did you see a huge favor in
that game. Cincinnati says they're going to defend you know,
Scott Saderfield says they'll defend TCU in a similar way
that they defended Baylor. I mean, I said after the
Baylor game, like I fired Dave Randa for not throwing
the ball forty times a game. That didn't make any
sense to me. I think TCU is going to throw
(05:37):
the ball a ton, and it's it's the question is
going to be it is supposed to be scattered showers
and storms in the forecast for Dallas Fort Worth on Saturday.
So maybe that slows down the TCU offense a little bit,
but uh, Cincinnati's pass defense against that offense is worry some.
(05:58):
Now Hoover will turn it over. The question is does
anybody in Cincinnati's defensive backfield want to catch a ball?
Because they haven't done much of that this year either.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
All right, I wasn't gonna ask this next question, but
then you started talking about TCU being able to get
the ball to their guys and letting them make plays.
So you're gonna make me ask you about Joe Royer
and how in the last four games he has five
catches And I feel like I'm beating a dead horse.
And I know I'm not the only one, but make it,
make I get he commands a lot of attention. But
(06:30):
how does Joe Royer get five catches and limited targets
over the last four games?
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Yeah, it's not just the five catches, it's the targets,
Lance and it's yeah, it's every week, We're going to
find a way to get Joe the ball, Like we
got to figure it out. We've got an NFL tight
end we're gonna find a way to get him the ball.
And then you know, one of his two catches was
a four yard checkdown on third and eleven. Like they
were at one point in that game. Lance, they were
(06:56):
one of ten on third downs, most of them, you know,
third and five, third and six, third and seven. You
can't scheme up Joe Royer for seven yards, like you
can't get the ball to your NFL tight end in
a situation where you're in the game against the number
eleven team in the country, you're struggling to get third downs. Look,
(07:19):
I get it, teams are paying a lot of attention
to Joe Royer. That becomes the coaching staff and the
quarterback saying Joe Royer is going to get the football.
So I'm going back. I'm going to date myself here again.
I'm going back to Marvin Lewis I see better than
I hear quit telling me we know, and we're going
to get the ball to Joe Royer. And then Saturday
(07:41):
comes and goes and I look down at the stat
sheet and it says Joe Royer two catches, two targets,
eleven yards. That can't can't happen, all.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Right, you're on the scene for basketball tonight, so let
me squeeze in one of those before we let you
run and a player I'm intrigued by a Jordi Rodrigue
is his playing time. It fluctuated and he got twenty
three minutes the other night was productive with those. What's
your early read through this stage of the season on
what Jordi Rodriguez might be able to do for his team.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Well, he's going to play a ton because bobon Miller's out,
Jalen Celestine's out. So guess what, Jordi, here you go,
here's your opportunity. You're probably gonna play thirty minutes tonight,
twenty five to thirty minutes tonight. I am a big
fan of Jordi Rodriguez, Like, look, I know what the
euro guys, the physicality of the game takes them a
(08:34):
little time to adjust to. But his effort is great,
his energy is great. He knows how to play offense,
he can shoot the basketball, he can pass Like I
just think upside in terms of what this looks like
in a month. You need to get Jordi Reef Rodriguez
as much time as possible to let him acclimate to
(08:56):
the game in the States, and the more you do that,
the more I think he is going to be a factor.
And his ability just to shoot the ball alone, and
he's done it on the international level. He's played for
you know, some of the Spain teams that have won
FIBA championships. The guy knows how to win. Let him play,
(09:18):
and they're gonna have to tonight. So I'm excited to
see what he can do because I think you know,
when you watch him play, he plays like you expect
somebody at Cincinnati to play. And I'm excited to see
what he can do going forward.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
All Right, I am telling you're going to go for.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Seven the night.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Yeah, yeah, I'm told. The rumor is you have a
Black Friday sale to knock your socks off going on
right now with the Bearcat Journal. Tell everybody about it.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Seventy five percent off for a full year of Bearcat Journal,
but about thirty dollars for the best US coverage in
the market. I have an incredible staff. We we we
cover the team unlike anybody else in the city. If
you want to know all the exclusives, you want to
know all the scoop, uh, come to Barcat Journal. Dot
(10:10):
com and I might have I might have a scoop
tonight that that that will uh, we'll have everybody talking.
Lamps might have a scoop tonight. That'll have everybody.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
I thought you were going to say, you might have
a raisin store for Keegan if people take advantage of this,
well I would.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Yeah, I'll do that like he's gonna make me do that.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Hey, Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for making time tonight, gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Appreciate it. And Happy Thanksgiving to you guys as well.
Hope you guys have a great holiday. Sounds good.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Thanks you n There you go, Chad, I know Bearcat Journal,
Bearcat Journal dot Com on the scene at fifth third tonight,
Bearcats take on Eastern Michigan. We will take a time out,
we come back. I've got something that Joe Flacco said
Rock that I'd like your opinion on. And Joe Burrow
talking about what last week meant in the opportunity to
(11:07):
start ramping up and why tomorrow night is the night
for his return. All of that as we continue, We're
hanging at it long. Next in Hebrew, it's the Cincinnati
Tax Resolution powered by Tope Sheldon Round Table Show. It
is presented by Postma Law and It's right here on
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station,
The Bengals like ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station six
thirty five on ESPN fifteen to thirty Cincinnati Sports Station,
Lambs per cattlest Rocky Boyman. The Roundtable show continues from
log next day, hebron brought to you insparked by ever
dry waterproving it's not dry till let's ever dry. Let's
(00:22):
talk some UC football. We do a little bit earlier
because our weekly guest has a basketball game he must
be paying attention to, and we move him to six
thirty now to talk a little UC football. Drop in
some basketball. Bearcats headed to Fort Worth to take on TCU.
Three game losing skit has certainly changed a bit of
the vibe from a seven game winning streak. Let's welcome
in Chad Brendle from Bearcat Journal Bearcat Journal dot com.
(00:45):
All right, you you brought up a great point on
the podcast I've been thinking about all week and in one.
Nippert was electric on Saturday night. But a concern. They
have clearly closed the talent gap over the last couple
of years with other Big twelve teams, but as you
alluded to so much so the last couple of weeks,
their talent has been pretty much on par with the opposition,
(01:07):
and yet they've been unable to beat that opposition.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, they've been unable to execute. And that's the next step, right,
Like you got to get on an equal talent level
because you certainly, look you've all had more talent. Like,
let's not make any mistakes here when talking about the
last three games, you fall was a more talented roster
top to bottom. I didn't get that feeling with Arizona
(01:31):
on BYU. I felt like Cincinnati was every bit they
equal of those two teams. But guess what, those two
teams played clean football, you see, did not? I mean, ultimately,
to me, it's as simple as that they played clean
football during that seven game winning streak. They weren't turning
it over, they were executing in the red zone. Special
teams was excellent. Defense was doing the bend but don't break,
(01:52):
letting teams get into the red zone, but holding them
to field goals. Like they were clean. And the last
three weeks they've been pig ten from peanuts.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Yeah, no doubt, yeah yeah, So chat, let me ask
you this. So, I mean, obviously they start off hot,
they've lost three straight. What happens, God forbid, they lose
this game. What is the what is the eulogy of
the season. Is it a successful season? Is it something
to build on? Is it a disappointment? What do we
(02:26):
think about Sadderfield? Where are we at with that?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
I mean, I think it's it's a disappointment. I think
it's missed opportunities. That would be the story of twenty
twenty five is the door was open and you ran
into the door like that. That's all I can think
about at this point in terms of you had a
chance to put yourself. I don't think they're better than
talent wise than Texas Tech. I don't think they're better
(02:50):
talent wise than Utah. But you had a chance to
play yourself into the conference championship game, even after the
Utah lost, You had a chance to put yourself in
a position, even if you didn't make it, that you
tie for second right and the tie breakers play out
however they may, and and you find yourself talking about, look,
(03:11):
you know we were right there, like we are. This
program is now in position to compete for championships in
the Big Twelve, even with three conference losses. You know
you're going to be you know, tied for fifth, which
is a respectable position. In year three, moving from the
American to the Big twelve, you lose. Now you're eighth, ninth,
(03:33):
and you're in the middle of the pack and one
in two. Look a low farther off yep from nine
than it does from five. So the vision becomes cloudy.
The progress, the steady progress forward, was their progress in
twenty twenty five. Sure was it enough progress? No? So,
(03:57):
you know, we talked about this at the beginning of
the season. Five people are still going to be all
over Scott's sadderfield from the fan base eight and four.
You don't give them a whole lot of amma, you know,
you don't give them a whole lot to fire at
because you had a successful season. You went six and
three in the conference and things look good. So this
is a really, really important game for the future of
(04:20):
the Scott Badderfield era at Cincinnati.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
TCU's got a quarterback in Josh Hoover who can sling it.
I think top ten of the country in yards per
game and touchdowns. Give us a big picture look at
that TCU club.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
But it's not just Suber. They've got two excellent wide
receivers that have been you know, get the ball to
those guys in space and let them make plays, and
they have done so. Push the ball downfield to those
guys in single coverage and they will make plays. That
has been maybe the biggest problem for Cincinnati's defense is
(04:56):
isolation on the sideline, pushing the ball down the field
and it either results in a catch or pass interference.
Very few of those plays have resulted in an incompletion.
Hoover's going to test you now, hopefully. Sonny Diyce calls
Dave Randa, and David Randa says, yeah, you should probably
run the ball fifty eight percent of the time against
(05:17):
Cincinnati because Baylor did you see a huge favor in
that game. Cincinnati says they're going to defend you know,
Scott Saderfield says they'll defend TCU in a similar way
that they defended Baylor. I mean, I said after the
Baylor game, like I fired Dave Randa for not throwing
the ball forty times a game. That didn't make any
sense to me. I think TCU is going to throw
(05:37):
the ball a ton, and it's it's the question is
going to be it is supposed to be scattered showers
and storms in the forecast for Dallas Fort Worth on Saturday.
So maybe that slows down the TCU offense a little bit,
but uh, Cincinnati's pass defense against that offense is worry some.
(05:58):
Now Hoover will turn it over. The question is does
anybody in Cincinnati's defensive backfield want to catch a ball?
Because they haven't done much of that this year either.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
All right, I wasn't gonna ask this next question, but
then you started talking about TCU being able to get
the ball to their guys and letting them make plays.
So you're gonna make me ask you about Joe Royer
and how in the last four games he has five
catches And I feel like I'm beating a dead horse.
And I know I'm not the only one, but make it,
make I get he commands a lot of attention. But
(06:30):
how does Joe Royer get five catches and limited targets
over the last four games?
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Yeah, it's not just the five catches, it's the targets,
Lance and it's yeah, it's every week, We're going to
find a way to get Joe the ball, Like we
got to figure it out. We've got an NFL tight
end we're gonna find a way to get him the ball.
And then you know, one of his two catches was
a four yard checkdown on third and eleven. Like they
were at one point in that game. Lance, they were
(06:56):
one of ten on third downs, most of them, you know,
third and five, third and six, third and seven. You
can't scheme up Joe Royer for seven yards, like you
can't get the ball to your NFL tight end in
a situation where you're in the game against the number
eleven team in the country, you're struggling to get third downs. Look,
(07:19):
I get it, teams are paying a lot of attention
to Joe Royer. That becomes the coaching staff and the
quarterback saying Joe Royer is going to get the football.
So I'm going back. I'm going to date myself here again.
I'm going back to Marvin Lewis I see better than
I hear quit telling me we know, and we're going
to get the ball to Joe Royer. And then Saturday
(07:41):
comes and goes and I look down at the stat
sheet and it says Joe Royer two catches, two targets,
eleven yards. That can't can't happen, all.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Right, you're on the scene for basketball tonight, so let
me squeeze in one of those before we let you
run and a player I'm intrigued by a Jordi Rodrigue
is his playing time. It fluctuated and he got twenty
three minutes the other night was productive with those. What's
your early read through this stage of the season on
what Jordi Rodriguez might be able to do for his team.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Well, he's going to play a ton because bobon Miller's out,
Jalen Celestine's out. So guess what, Jordi, here you go,
here's your opportunity. You're probably gonna play thirty minutes tonight,
twenty five to thirty minutes tonight. I am a big
fan of Jordi Rodriguez, Like, look, I know what the
euro guys, the physicality of the game takes them a
(08:34):
little time to adjust to. But his effort is great,
his energy is great. He knows how to play offense,
he can shoot the basketball, he can pass Like I
just think upside in terms of what this looks like
in a month. You need to get Jordi Reef Rodriguez
as much time as possible to let him acclimate to
(08:56):
the game in the States, and the more you do that,
the more I think he is going to be a factor.
And his ability just to shoot the ball alone, and
he's done it on the international level. He's played for
you know, some of the Spain teams that have won
FIBA championships. The guy knows how to win. Let him play,
(09:18):
and they're gonna have to tonight. So I'm excited to
see what he can do because I think you know,
when you watch him play, he plays like you expect
somebody at Cincinnati to play. And I'm excited to see
what he can do going forward.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
All Right, I am telling you're going to go for.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Seven the night.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Yeah, yeah, I'm told. The rumor is you have a
Black Friday sale to knock your socks off going on
right now with the Bearcat Journal. Tell everybody about it.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Seventy five percent off for a full year of Bearcat Journal,
but about thirty dollars for the best US coverage in
the market. I have an incredible staff. We we we
cover the team unlike anybody else in the city. If
you want to know all the exclusives, you want to
know all the scoop, uh, come to Barcat Journal. Dot
(10:10):
com and I might have I might have a scoop
tonight that that that will uh, we'll have everybody talking.
Lamps might have a scoop tonight. That'll have everybody.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
I thought you were going to say, you might have
a raisin store for Keegan if people take advantage of this,
well I would.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Yeah, I'll do that like he's gonna make me do that.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Hey, Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for making time tonight, gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Appreciate it. And Happy Thanksgiving to you guys as well.
Hope you guys have a great holiday. Sounds good.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Thanks you n There you go, Chad, I know Bearcat Journal,
Bearcat Journal dot Com on the scene at fifth third tonight,
Bearcats take on Eastern Michigan. We will take a time out,
we come back. I've got something that Joe Flacco said
Rock that I'd like your opinion on. And Joe Burrow
talking about what last week meant in the opportunity to
(11:07):
start ramping up and why tomorrow night is the night
for his return. All of that as we continue, We're
hanging at it long. Next in Hebrew, it's the Cincinnati
Tax Resolution powered by Tope Sheldon Round Table Show. It
is presented by Postma Law and It's right here on
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station,
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