Ep. 1053: MSU football camp takes and Scott Dochterman on the Big Ten and college football

We opened with our takes on Michigan State football after the first day of fall camp — including on Aidan Chiles, the backup QB situation and the good news and potential concerns about MSU's defense. Then a conversation with The Athletic's Scott Dochterman on the Big Ten's preferred College Football Playoff format, scheduling and this season's contenders and dark horses in Big Ten play (13:30). Then our friend Harry Gagnon joined us for golf and baseball bets (41:00). And finally, the NCAA finally moves in on CMU (56:00).

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:36):
Ah ah, wow, all.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Ah.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
What do you get when you cross a know it
all newspaper columnist with an awkward, unsophisticated every man.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, well, I'm just not sure about that right now.
Welcome to Couch and the Room.

Speaker 4 (01:54):
Welcome to Couch in the Room, our Wednesday show presented
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and TV set up on the Cast and Company side
is awesome too. You can do that there at caskin
Coompany dot com. Jason, how you doing, brother? Riding right
up into my rectum and it was painful. Back to
the white elephant in the room. They don't want to
deal with the white elephant in the room.

Speaker 5 (02:51):
Hey man, what's going on?

Speaker 4 (02:52):
I'm good? What's up you? Okay?

Speaker 5 (02:54):
Yeah, yeah, last day of July. It's fantastic.

Speaker 4 (02:57):
It's not the last day of July.

Speaker 6 (02:58):
It's not Tomory lasts for our show. Okay, We're not
doing another show in July, right, so it means it's
the last day in July for me.

Speaker 4 (03:05):
So we made it through July. We took two weeks
off and then we've done several Maybe we should.

Speaker 6 (03:09):
Just three next year. Just come back for one nice
clean week. Yeah, get it all out of the way.
It sounds good, sounds good. Well, there's some stuff though.
Maybe July may be here and it may be the
nothing month in sports to some degree, but MSU football
in college football practice has started.

Speaker 5 (03:25):
Yeah, so falls back.

Speaker 4 (03:27):
There's that, and now we just have to wait a
month for the actual games. And we're also going to
talk to Scott Docrman from the Athletic and a little
bit about the Big Ten in college football in general.
And I always enjoy talking to Scott, and I always
enjoy Jason's enthusiasm for our conversations. When I suggest Scott
as a guest, I like Scott doc. Yeah, yeah, he's passionate.

(03:48):
I follow him on Twitter, Yeah yeah, so does the podcast.
He talks about how great Iowa's offense is going to
be this year. You know, well, he's a national writer
now reluctantly for the Athletic but he's very well informed,
well sourced, always a good converse. So we'll do that
in a minute here. And we're likely going to have
Harry Gagnan on later to talk some betting in some
games and maybe some over unders and things of that nature.

(04:10):
You know, we're eighty percent on Harry, so we'll have
something if he's.

Speaker 5 (04:14):
One hundred percent. I just got confirmation.

Speaker 6 (04:16):
He's just said, could we start earlier possibly, So you know,
after Scott doctor Mershall break go right there?

Speaker 4 (04:22):
There we go? All right?

Speaker 5 (04:23):
Confirmed?

Speaker 4 (04:24):
All right, So a few takeaways from the opening of
Michigan State football camp. Again, we don't see a lot
in like actual practice. You see like six periods and
it's mostly individual drills and so it's the action on
the field is not what I'm here to talk about
the takeaways or not what the takeaways are. But Aiden

(04:47):
Chiles spent some time talking with reporters after the first
practice on Tuesday, and some things stood out, and I
wrote a column about this, and I think these are
important things, and it's important remember in his journey and
he's still nineteen, which is remarkable because he's a junior
this year and a second year starter. But you can
see in him, like the maturity and the growth is

(05:11):
a quarterback off the field, like the bravado has been
toned down, the idea that he's going to be the
best quarterback to take the over stuff, all the stuff
he said last year when he didn't really know what
he was getting into. All he knew was he had
loads of talent and he thought the world was, as
you know, at his feet and he was going to
take it by storm. And what happens when you go
through a year like last year is you learn that's

(05:32):
not really out works, and it rarely works that way
for quarterbacks and young quarterbacks. I thought he was he
sounded humbled. You'd see some of the stuff creeper, like
he's very much looking forward to the Boston College game
because of the way that ended and the way the
mistakes he made there and he almost went too far,
and like saying that, you know, you want to be careful.

(05:52):
You don't like piss off the opponent in July and
create bullets and bord material. You don't need to take
the over. Yeah, but for the most part he was
you know, I think he was. He sounded like a
guy's been through it a little bit and stuff you
have to go through. And it's why, you know, we
were talking about the Michigan over unders the other day.
With Bryce Underwood starting at quarterback like that, that's just

(06:13):
a lot to put on. He might be God's gift
to the position. He might be Peyton Manning and Michael
Vick and John Elway wrapped up into one. Oh yeah,
let's go. That would be incredible for Bryce Underwood. But
I'm just saying I would still be reluctant to say
he's not going to make some really costly mistakes and
you'r one, that's just the way quarterback play works. Maybe

(06:33):
he'll be the rare efficient quarterback and once in a
while you see a guy, or they build an offense
that's so smart and tailored around that person, they don't
make a ton of mistakes. But what we saw with
Aiden Chiles was a guy who did. But he had
a load of talent. And so the question now with
him is just basically does this understanding maturity and commitment
to film study. He talked about just over and over

(06:54):
and just too many times watching the Boston College and
the Michigan games last year, and the mistakes he made,
and how everything that that fans suffered through he suffered
through too. Like he saw the same games and sometimes
he'd play really well. In the other times he said,
what are you doing? You know, like the same thought
you had, the same curse you had to say it
had at the TV the same time you threw the remote.

(07:15):
He was thinking the same thing. And I think John Boyer,
that the quarterbacks coach now, is helpful of that. But
the question won't be whether he understands it as he
sees it on film. The question will be in real time,
because this is what they've worked on. Does he recognize
it pre snap? Does he recognize it as the play
develops quickly? And can he react to it? And you know,

(07:36):
he's a guy who's always going to be able to
playoff schedule. Can he be really good on schedule? And
can he make the right decisions when things break down?
And can the line around him? And is I think
his receivers are going to be really good, but can
the line around him be good enough to help him
take that next step? And those are the things that
that we won't know until you know, will notice some
degree right away against Western Michigan. Will get a better

(07:57):
feel as the season goes along, as they play Boston
College and then you know, on the road at h
at USC and and so on and so forth. But
I thought that was that was interesting just he he
is a you know, as every eighteen to nineteen year old,
you know, there is maturation at that age, and he's
doing everything in the public eye and you could see it.

(08:18):
How it translates to the field, I don't know, but
it's I think it's a positive for Michigan State that
he doesn't sound like the same person that he was
a year ago in this in this.

Speaker 6 (08:28):
Situation, I can't stop watching your video from yesterday. You're
and so it begins and then like there's got two
guys running.

Speaker 5 (08:34):
A route, an out route.

Speaker 6 (08:35):
What are you just holding up your phone and grabbing
some video crushing some tape just plays over and over you.

Speaker 4 (08:41):
I like it. The other thing I thought was interesting. Yeah,
it's just good videography. Do you think I thought it
was good? Yeah? Yeah, I put together so it begins
to me in a highlight video two that went up again.
You know, oh, all right, doing my work at a scroll.
Your fee is wild. Yeah, your Twitter feeds something, it
goes all over the place. It really is crazy. I
have a feeling, I have a thought, and I have to.

Speaker 6 (09:00):
It's not even that you're just you know, reposting everybody
and yeah, yeah yeah scroll.

Speaker 4 (09:04):
It is what it is. Yeah, I know you don't
like it. So the MS she's backup quarterback as a
redshirt freshman Alssio Uh uh sorry, I always mispronounced this
Miller vote. Yeah, I'll get that right eventually. Anyway, Vichi
we're gonna call him? Is that what it was?

Speaker 5 (09:22):
Yeah? Yeah. These people need nicks nickname, some of them.

Speaker 4 (09:25):
Yeah, But it is interesting that they clearly believe in
him enough that they didn't go out and get another
quarterback that's offseason, a veteran. They thought he could be
the backup. He is the backup right now. And you know,
you don't want a season to go to you know,
if a guy like Aiden Chiles takes a takes a hit,
you don't want that to go you know, the season
to go to waste. So it's interesting they have that

(09:46):
sort of confidence in him. I also found Jonathan Smith's
comment about the quarterback position and what they'd like to
do interesting moving forward, Like and I think this is
the best thing you can do in the rev Share
era is to still be able to develop within The
question is with a guy like Alyssio, is you know
he's gonna he's two years behind Dayton Chiles and a
from a standpoint of eligibility. And if he you know,

(10:12):
if Childs were to play out both years and doesn't
you know, have a great year and go to the NFL,
is he patient enough to wait? And you know, I
think if you think you have a couple of years
to be the starter, that's still you know, you pay
your backup quarterbacks a decent rate, which backup quarterbacks need
to make in college football these days. I think that's
still a good way to do it. It'll be interesting
to see what they do in terms of, you know,

(10:33):
do you go out and try and find a guy
like Chiles made sense because he previously played with Jonathan
Smith he was at Oregon State and that was a
transfer quarterback they brought in. But if you're trying to
develop within, which is what Jonathan Smith says they want
to do, and I think it's easier to to negotiate
rates to If you can do that more and more,
it'll be interesting because you're gonna lose guys, guys that
want to wait, and if guys show a little bit

(10:55):
of talent, there is going to be like, for example,
if Childs were to get injured for a bit this
year and Alicia was to come in and play well
in a spurt, and then Childs would be the starter
for a year and a half, there would be people
offering him a decent amount of money a year ago.
So there are going to be challenges with it. But
I thought that was interesting where they are with that
and how they played a plan to handle that long term.

(11:16):
And then the other takeaway and I'll have maybe more
after Thursday's availability. Was there a couple of the players
that talked, including Jalen Thompson, who talked about the depth
on defense and how the second unit and third unit
guys were much better and much more able to play
and much more in line with who the first unit
guys are. My first thought, and I don't think he's

(11:38):
realizing as he's saying, there is good in that. For MSU.
You need depth. The depth hare's been a problem in
late in seasons when they get beat up, they're no
longer to able to you know, that's part of the
reason they slid so badly at the end of last year.
But also it's not good in the fact that you
need difference makers, and difference makers should only be on
your first unit. The first unit should stand out from
the backups to some degree. You should be eventually you

(11:59):
want to be recruiting the certain level that the backups
aren't too far behind everywhere. But you want real difference makers.
And I don't know on this defense how many of
those guys they have, and that's gonna be really I
think a telling part of the season. The depth would
be good if they can be solid and depth, but
at some point they need to have difference makers, and
maybe they will, And there are guys that have developed

(12:20):
or that we want. But that's that's I think going
to be the I think that my point of least
confidence in this MSU football team going forward. We're going
to talk also about the Central Michigan thing a little
bit later after the notice of allegation from the NCAA
towards them and Connor Stallion's being on the sidelines, and

(12:42):
also we'll talk with Harry Gagnaw. But first let's get
our friend Scott on the phone and talk some Big
Ten football, some college football playoff and all that good stuff.
A reminder Front forty three and Casting Company, like we
talk all the time about how you can support us
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(13:04):
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(13:26):
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terrific drink selection as well at Front forty three and
Cask and Company. Very pleased now to be joined by
reluctant national writer for The Athletic, the one and only
Scott Doctrment. Scott, how you doing, great, Graham? How are

(13:49):
you today? I'm well, I think one thing I've discovered
and guys like you and h and Joe rex Rode
at the Athletic and even Brendan Quinn is some degree
guys who were really happy and great covering a beat,
who have moved into bigger roles. And I can can
firmly say, reluctant national writers, I feel better about your

(14:11):
status as a national writer just being able to stay reluctant.
I guess that's.

Speaker 7 (14:16):
I appreciate that.

Speaker 2 (14:18):
I know.

Speaker 7 (14:18):
I grew up here in Big ten country and wrote
a lot of Big ten along with Iowa for you know,
a couple of decades, and and so yeah, I appreciate
it that I can. I still enjoy the local beats,
and sometimes I wish I was still back on one.
But but by and large, I you know, I like
what I do. But yeah, Joe is you know, a

(14:38):
happy guy in Nashville now, and we seem to we
seem to have a lot of disagreements on different things
over the last couple of months, which has been kind
of funny.

Speaker 4 (14:46):
Well, he's he's an SEC country, so he's gone down
there where the you know, where the heat and the
and the oppressive heat sort of gets to your brain
a little bit and you make you make bad decisions.
But you wrote about so you were in and and
wrote about you wrote some really good pieces out there.
And you know, one of the things I just your

(15:08):
what we learned piece from media days from the the
Big Ten and SEC you know rift so to speak,
and and the favorites and everything I really enjoyed as
one of the better primers I've seen at this stage
in the college football season to get But let's start
with where Let's start with the college football landscape and

(15:31):
playoff and sort of this out between these two power
leagues and where you think this will ultimately wind up.
And like the the idea that, like everybody seems is
you wrote to fall in line in the Big Ten
with Tony Pettiti's idea of these auto bids you know,
and what that would be for the college football playof
which is like four auto bids for the Big ten

(15:51):
and SEC and two for the A C C and
Big twelve. And my my big issue with it, and
this is where I you know, it's just the idea.
You can't predetermine what league going to be better. If
you're talking Power four league, you can't. I mean, as
much fun as it would be to have a fight
for the top four spots and what that could create
in terms of like an English football model, and I
think fans would enjoy that element of it, I just

(16:12):
don't think from a level of competitive fairness that it works.
And I don't understand why more people can't see that.
If you want to go to a twenty team playoff
and everybody gets four, then we can talk, but I don't.
You can't have four four to two two. Am I
right on this or what am I missing?

Speaker 7 (16:30):
I'm kind of on the I'm clearly among media members
among the minority that I actually kind of liked the plan.
And part of that is the way that expansion has
changed it. And when you look at the teams that
have gone into the Big ten and SEC, and I
took a look at like the eleven years since they
instituted the playoff, and how many teams for me, from

(16:52):
the current makeup of these teams would be in it.
Fifty four Big Ten teams, fifty one SEC and then
only twenty seven of each of the ACC and Big twelve.
And in fact, in the current Big twelve they've played
a total of two playoff games and that was you know,
accounting or before last year, and then the four team

(17:12):
model and that was TCU twice. And so I kind
of I understand why the Big Ten and some accept
the SEC is saying our leagues are much bigger, we're
full of better teams from one to whatever I mean
in the Big Ten this year, I think you look
at one to eleven and say they all have a
reasonable chance of competing for the playoffs. And yet when

(17:37):
you start to stack it up, and this is where
Tony Patti and the Big Ten has an issue, is
that when you start to get into this perception race
and this discussion race towards the end of the of
the season, and the Big SEC always wins it. But
what happens if and I'll just use as an example,
Iowa goes to Iowa State and wins, but their schedule

(17:58):
includes four teams that eleven games last year and they
go nine and three, where maybe Iowa State goes to
the Big Twelve Championship again and loses, and they're eleven
and two, and the committee says, well, you know, they
won eleven games, they're a better team. But bya was like,
look we beat them head to head. We're nine and three,
and we should have, you know, when we had much

(18:20):
more difficult path to there. And then so I get
the need or the discussion for auto bids, because sometimes
you get lower in, especially in a lower tier, you're
going to have those issues. But I also think that
the Big Ten has handled this narrative about as poorly
as possible. That when it started getting kind of discussed
back in May at SEC meetings and they really in

(18:44):
the eighties and the coaches real they were talking against it,
that that would have been a perfect time for Tony
Pettiti and maybe some other Big Ten people to come
out and say this is why we like it, and
this is why we think it works. And instead they've
allowed the rest of the country to seize the narrative,
and it makes the Big Ten look like a bunch
of ogres, you know that they don't want competitiveness, and

(19:05):
I think that's not really the way it plays.

Speaker 4 (19:07):
How Yeah, I mean, I think that's part of my
problem with it is just what is now or what
you know, what has been in a four team playoff
might not be what isn't a twelve or sixteen team
playoff in terms of the strength of you know, how
many teams are from the ACC and Big twelve, And
there's no question right now the Big ten in SEC
are stronger leagues or have been for the most part.

(19:29):
But like you just can't predict the future and it
to predetermine it, I don't know. I mean I understand
like even in you know, you go over to European soccer,
there are leagues that get three teams in the Champions
League and teams that get four in and and there
are things where that are in place where what you
do the year before than matters to how many places

(19:50):
you get the next year, right, And so maybe there
maybe there could be you know, something like that to
make it more current. I do love the idea of
I mean, I do think if you had a true
top four and you inside your league that really really mattered,
that you would the race to be in those places
beyond the champion would be really fun deep into the season.

(20:13):
And so I understand that, and I think some of
it comes down to just not being able to trust
the committee too. And that's that's because most of the
time you think the Big ten is going to have
foreign or at least when they deserve to have.

Speaker 3 (20:26):
Four.

Speaker 4 (20:26):
And where do you think, where do you think this
ultimately lands? Now that there's been the pushback there is
I mean, it seems like for the short term there's
a stalemate and the Big Tennis stood firm enough that like,
we're going to stick with twelve and stick with what
we have. Where do you think this ultimately lands?

Speaker 7 (20:43):
Yeah, I mean I think first to your point about
the Big ten getting burned in the past, and I
think that's true in the last decade. I think we
can make reasonable people can make in a case that
twenty thirteen Michigan State deserve to be an over Auburn
for the national title game against Florida State. I think,
you know, when you look as twenty seventeen, eighteen, and

(21:03):
that's kind of the impetus of this whole thing that
Ohio State got left out by playing nine league games
because they went on the road at West Division teams
and lost. Had they only played eight league games, they
might not have played those West Division teams and then
they would have been undefeated in the Big Ten and
qualified anyway. And so I think that's why they're kind
of burned. But you know, the one interesting part about

(21:23):
this is that the Big Ten and SEC are the
ones that actually have they control the outcome of what
the next iteration of the playoff is going to be.
So it's between those two. Now, granted, they're not going
to just do it unilaterally and say, you know, we
don't care what you guys think, but I mean they
do care, but they have the focus and the charge

(21:44):
to do it. I think it's going to be a
combination of both. And here's where I think the Big
Ten can get what it wants and not lose face
and allow everybody else to kind of get what they want.
Is if they drop it from four to three, but
they still get their playing games, you know, which is
three versus six, four versus five, and then the championship

(22:04):
and say the winners automatically qualify and then the losers
of those three games enter that large pool, they're going
to get four because it's the runner up, and the
Big Ten is going to get in no matter what.
So I think that's something that they can kind of
cut it down and say, look, you know, and there
may be a year where a team that seven and

(22:25):
two accidentally qualifies for that championship game and gets blown
out and maybe falls out, but that's what one out
of ten. But I think the Big ten would get
the teams at once through that system and still give
at least the perception that hey, there's only there's still
five at large spots and we think that we deserve
at least three. I think that's probably something over But.

Speaker 4 (22:47):
Doesn't that seem pretty sneaky, not just automatically including the
second place team if you're having a plan for the
third and four. I mean, to me, it seems like
number two has to be in and if you want
to do a plan beneath that, it would I mean,
it seems it seems like people would be able to
see through that, right, I mean maybe not maybe maybe
maybe they get what they I mean, there's been all
sorts of asenine systems in college football over the years,

(23:08):
so I'm not saying it just seems to me if
you're two, I mean, you're right that in that system
they're going to get in. But that people would, Yeah,
it's that's a very good point. They could, they could.
It's a work around. I don't know that I love it.

Speaker 7 (23:23):
Yeah, well, you know, let's say, and this is something
that totally can happen in any of these leagues down
that they're so big that you know, team number one
is nine and oh goes to and then teams two, three,
and four are all tight at seven and two, right right,
and you know, say, you know that could have Let's
say that reasonably would have happened last year with Indiana,
and Indiana would have been seven and two, you know,

(23:47):
even though they were one, but you know there was
a three way tie, and then they go and get
waxed by Oregon, you know, forty five fourteen or something
like that. There's they conceivably could have fallen out of
that a lot. But but by and large, yeah, I
mean they're going to do it. The main thing is,
I think, even more than the actual playoffs number of guarantees,

(24:08):
is that Tony Titi wants the three games to lead
into that, and part of that is a lot of revenue.
I mean, you're getting two high powered games the first
week in in December, and that's gonna that's gonna matter
a lot. And then you know, one of the points
he's made to me previously is it related to Indiana.
And now I think Indiana played a much better schedule

(24:28):
than people gave him credit for. But you know, who
would have known who would have won between Illinois and
Indiana Last year? Illinois lost at Penn State, got smoked
by Oregon, and then lost to Minnesota. Won eight games.
They're not a bad team, whereas Indiana, you know, played
some teams that nobody thought were going to be down
in Michigan and Washington lost only to Ohio State. But

(24:50):
you know, is that eight and one season better than
a six and three year? We just don't know. And
I think that's kind of what you know, is the
hope is here that you get Hey, you know, maybe
that six and three team is actually really good. They
just played a really murderous schedule. I mean, like like
take Iowa for instance. This year, They've got to play Indiana, Oregon,

(25:11):
Penn State, and Iowa State. All four teams won at
least eleven games last year, plus games like at USC
and Nebraska and Michigan stayed at home and some others,
and so there's an opportunity there for them to be
a really good six and three that maybe finishes fit
their sixth in the conference, but they get in and boom,
you know they're up there. Or you know, Ohio State

(25:33):
was the fourth team in the Big Ten last year.
So I think that's why they're kind of wanting to
do this now. You know, they do have to convince
the SEC that it's the right path, and if they
do it in a way then, you know, even if
it is a kind of a cheap way to get
here four teams in by calling it three, I think
that's probably something that they'll do and to you know,

(25:53):
because I don't think they don't want five plus eleven
unless the SEC goes to nine games.

Speaker 4 (25:58):
I would just love to see us get to the point.
I don't think we're going to get there where there's
just a uniform understanding that you got to play five
true road games and you got to play ten. And
you talked about in one of your pieces the number
of teams in both leagues that are playing ten Power
four opponents like that, just to be eligible for the playoff,
you play ten Power four opponents. The intent in scheduling

(26:19):
matters to some degree, and then from there there are
going to be unbalanced schedules. But I think everybody would
at least not feel quite like you wouldn't get the
response you're getting from Indiana right now, which because part
of my issue with what's happening with like I mean,
I understand from a logical point, Kurt Signetti is looking
at it like, well, this worked last year, This was

(26:39):
a better path for the program. But the point of
college football isn't define the cheapest way into the play
Over years it's been you know, you're supposed to create
great out of conference games, you know, in matchups and
experiences for fans, and there's nothing better than you know September,
you know, late afternoon game and you know Ioiowa State,
when Michigan State hosted Oregon in twenty fifteen. Don't want

(27:00):
these games to go away that can have meaning, and
you want to encourage them, and I think we have
to get to a system that encourages them where they
have meaning. And maybe it comes down to the inability
to trust the Selection Committee, like you think a lot
of the people could point out, and maybe it takes

(27:20):
teams that dodge certain schedules really being punished at some point.
I don't know how we get to a point where
everybody sort of says this works.

Speaker 7 (27:28):
For us, Yeah, you're right. And I think part of
it is the Big Ten doesn't trust the SEC at all.
And they don't And remember what ten years ago and
Jim Delaney unveiled this plan where We're going to play
nine league games, championship game, one major out of conference opponent,
and no FCS teams. Well, that backfired because of those

(27:50):
those Ohio State years where they didn't make the playoff.
That backfired. Even in that new year, sixth year where
Florida played two FCS teams, didn't play anybody out of
conference with the winnings, or yet they got into a
Major Bowl over Penn State, who played Pitt and played
like an eleven and two app state team, And and
and so that's where the roots of the of the

(28:10):
Big ten's mistrust of this system goes forward and and
and again. When when you look at the Big Ten
playing nine league games versus the SEC playing eight, the
SEC has that Layup weekend in the middle part of November. Well,
that's when a lot of upsets happened in these major conferences.
When you've got a really good team, they're going on
the road, they're playing at a decent team. Sometimes that

(28:32):
maybe just puts it all together. Maybe the good teams
having a bad day well in the SEC before their
big rivalry games. A lot of times you see them
play in an FCS opponent it's like, we can rest
these guys and and and then at the end of
the year you look at the and they're not really
taking into account that they played Mercer or Furman or
something like that, and instead they're they're saying, well, you know,

(28:55):
they're they're ten and two, and the Big Ten team
is ten and two as well, but they looked better
and they're big games, and that's what they want to
kind of remove. And I think that's why I understand
the point of winning guaranteed games. And to your point
definitely about non conference is if it goes five plus
eleven and the SEC doesn't change, then in the Big
Ten it's going to go to a race to the bottom.

(29:16):
It's going to be what Penn State and Indiana are
doing right now, which is what advantage do we have
in playing these non conference games with our conference schedules
so difficult. It doesn't benefit us, and if we lose,
it's going to make us way look way works, So
we might as well not even take that risk. And
college football shouldn't be about that. As you said, I mean,
I'd much rather watch Michigan State play Notre Dame or

(29:39):
you know, Kentucky or you know, any other power conference
team as opposed to a directional school or you know,
multiple times. And I think unfortunately, unless the guarantees kind
of come in where that you can play that game
and it's not going to affect you and your playoff posite,
you know, playoff opportunities little on positioning and seeding. But

(29:59):
I think unless that happens, I expect most teams. I
think uscal enough dropping Notre Dame. And I think I
wouldn't be surprised if in a few years of Iowa
dropped Iowa State because of the same situation.

Speaker 4 (30:10):
Yeah, now that would be a shame because not a
lot of stuff is being done right now with the
fans in mind. And I think you you know, I'm
not saying college football is going to I mean, fans
ultimately want their team in the playoff, let's be honest,
but more than anything, but people also want those games.
And so all right, let's talk about this year's Big Ten.
It's every year when you look at it now with

(30:32):
with eighteen teams, it is, it's just a lot. It's
a lot of it's a lot to figure out. There
are a lot of unknowns. Like I look at Michigan
State schedule and there are teams, you know, Minnesota, Nebraska,
you know, Michigan playing a freshman quarterback, USC Indiana. They
are like five, you know, a number of teams you
just don't know what they're going to be. So people

(30:52):
talk about what's Michigan State is going to be, will
be five wins, six wins. I don't know what those
other teams are going to be. And I think there's
a lot of that in the Big Ten. But you
did a nice job sort of breaking down the top
of the Big Ten in the middle and teams that have, uh,
you know, a chance. You started with the reluctant favorite,
Penn State, and I think everybody feels this way, like I,

(31:13):
I just it's so hard to picture Penn State doing
what everybody thinks they should do, because they just haven't.
They haven't been that team in a league where they've
got to get through other powers. Do you think this
is finally Penn State's year, And what's your level of
trust that they belong their other you know, above Ohio
State or Oregon per se.

Speaker 7 (31:35):
I have them there, But I'm I'm kind of reluctant.
I think, you know, you look at their everything points
into their this is their year. They are a big,
powerful program. They return everybody they're trying, a really good
quarterback and and a great defense, and then they picked
up some nice pieces in the portal, so everything points
into that direction. And really even their schedule for the

(31:55):
most part isn't so bad. But but I'm I'm timid
because they've had these opportunities. They have a beat Ohio
States in twenty sixteen, you know, James Franklin's one in
fifteen against the top five teams. You know, even when
you look at Drew Aller in last year and in
the three games they they'd lost, he had an opportunity
to tie or win the game in the final minutes

(32:17):
and either through interceptions or an incomplete on fourth and
goal and so you've got to kind of break that,
you know, barrier, and I don't. I think they can
do it, But but do I truly believe it like
an Ohio State or even a Michigan a few years ago. No,
I don't have that kind of fate. But I do
think that they're the best team on paper coming in.

(32:37):
And really, if it wasn't so much there wasn't so
much change with some of the other teams Oregon and
Ohio State in particular, I probably wouldn't have picked him
just because of that history. It's like you've got to
prove it, and they haven't proved it yet. Although I
do think they do have a very good team, and
you know, maybe a team that is capable of when
in the national title.

Speaker 4 (32:58):
If there is a Big ten team, and you mentioned
the depth, you know, Michigan and the USC, Iowa and Nebraska, Illinois,
a lot of people are really high on Indiana. We'll
see what they are in this sort of year. After
the great year out of nowhere, Washington wasn't bad a
couple of years ago, you know, we interested to see
what they are in Minnesota. You talk about their high expectations.

(33:20):
If there is a team or two that you think
are I don't know to he even slept on because
people know these teams could be good, but might be
in that next tier, might be in playoff consideration, who
would they be.

Speaker 7 (33:33):
I would I would probably start with like, the team
that I think has got the best chance to really
bounce in a really high way is Washington. I really
like Washington. I think Demon Williams is a dynamic young quarterback.
He showed in a Bowl game, but you know he's
got to flash that all year. Joonan Coleman is a
terrific running back, and Denzel Boston. They did a nice

(33:56):
job in the portal. You know, the their schedule sets
up for them in decent fashion. You know where they
have a couple of really big, challenging games, but they're
kind of wrapped around games that are manageable, and you
know in those games, all three of them are at
home against big teams Ohio State early, Illinois mid part
of the year, in Oregon late. So I think Washington

(34:18):
has a chance to really bounce into that. I like
Iowa for a lot of reasons. I think they have
one of the best running games in the country. You know,
even though they lost Caleb Johnson, but their offensive line
is a lot of it's intact. And I think getting
Mark Gronowski from South Dakota State is something that's really
kind of gone under the radar. But this guy was
the FCS Player of the Year two years ago. He's

(34:41):
led South Dakota State to forty nine wins, two national titles.
Would have been in the draft last year, but he
had a slightly torn laboram that he took care of
and he's perfectly fine now. And as we've seen over
the years, if Iowa just had that quarterback, that they
might be a much better program. And I think he's
maybe the best one that they've had decade, for sure,

(35:01):
And so I like them. But you know, Illinois is
just kind of enigmatic to me because every time that
they've had a good year, they've bounced with a terrible year.
And last year they were five and one in one
possession games. And for programs like Illinois and those teams,
they tend to kind of revert back where the breaks

(35:22):
go against them. And I've seen that happen to really
good teams time after time, Iowa State being the most recent,
where they won the Fiesta Bowl and had Brock Purty
and Brice Hall, and then the next year they go
seven and six, and so it just bad things happen.
And I'm not saying that this year they won't, you know,
exceed that. But you know, Indiana is really I'm fascinated

(35:44):
with them because I think they really improved in the
portal and even though I thought Curtis work was a
terrific quarterback, I think Fernando Mendoza is better and Kirk
Signetti has kind of proven himself as a really good coach.
You know, not only James Madison, but now in Indiana,
they've got that three game stretch early in the season, Illinois, Iowa,
and Oregon the final two on the road, and you know,

(36:07):
that could be really challenging for them. So you know,
I guess I look at that whole list and I
think they all have opportunities, they all have flaws, but
you know, and ultimately, you know, I know in Iowa's
case that they've proven year after year to be pretty good,
and I think that they can go from good to
very good, and I think Washington has the firepower to

(36:28):
really put them in that conversation.

Speaker 4 (36:31):
Well, Scott, this makes me just want to say take
the under on Michigan State when I hear all this
stuff so well. But fortunately for MSU, they don't play
all of these teams and there's just some of them
and we'll see where that where that lands. I hope
to see you in a press box before the Michigan
State Iowa game, or at least I hope you're there
when I'm there, and really enjoy chat with you man,

(36:53):
Thanks for taking some time.

Speaker 7 (36:55):
Yeah, thanks Graham. Love to talk to you and hope
to see you this fall.

Speaker 4 (36:58):
That is the great Scott from the Athletic. Love reading
his work and love the way he's you know, he
was a guy when he was hit the Cedar Rapids paper,
loved writing about big ten issues, loved writing about bigger
picture stuff, and so it really fit when he's been
one of those guys that's thrived with the Athletic as
they've taken more of a national approach to things. Yeah,

(37:19):
it's a big, scary league with a lot of teams
with a lot of potential. I think Michigan State's gonna
be okay, but you know there's an argument that there
are you know, half the league is more seasoned in
a better place than them. They're gonna have to be
really good at quarterback and they're gonna have to be
have good playmakers. I don't know you leave that conversation
with any any thoughts, Jason.

Speaker 6 (37:40):
I do you guys covered a lot, but how much
money I'm gonna lose on Penn State and James Franklin
this year? I forget that top five record that he has?
Was it one in fifteen? So the doc just said, yeah,
I forget about that every once in a while, and
in the preseason it gets brought up again.

Speaker 4 (37:56):
I go, oh, right, my trust and Drew Aller is
not a ton like. I don't trust anymore trust Aller.
I don't trust Franklin. I think Franklin gets in those
situations and he pukes on his dick. I don't know
if it's Drew Aller I trust him. I think I
don't know that I trust you out. I don't Franklin
a big game coach. I mean, well, no, that's a
that's a huge question me. I don't trust Drew Aller
anymore than I trust Aidon Chiles and Aiden Chiles had

(38:16):
a rough year last year, right, Like I think if
you'd put Aiden Chiles in a much now. I think
Aiden Chiles was going to struggle in certain ways as
a sophomore either way. But I think if you put
him in an ideal situation right with elite talent around him,
he would have looked like a very different quarterback last
year and he wasn't running for his life and all
that good you know, all that good stuff, And so
I that you can look at that two ways. I

(38:36):
think for a place like Michigan State, that's the hope
that they have a real difference maker at that position.
They have guys at receiver who are like that, and
that's going to allow them to be in games that
they you know, it might be allowed them to be
ahead of schedule and win some one possession games and
win some shootouts and maybe they're that sort of team.
And yeah, Illinois I've been really high on and now

(38:58):
he made me feel less high in Illinois. I I'm
serving big Brett Beilama guy. I am a bet just
because you know, he looks like what I'm gonna look
like in ten years. Oh so there's there's there's that.
Uh let's uh, let's take a really quick break and
we come back. We'll talk some some games and some
gambling with the great jounting at the bit Yeah Yo,
all right.

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Speaker 4 (41:30):
Very please now to have our good friend, uh Harry
Gagnott from mckinstall Odds with cousin sal and betonline dot
Com here and couch in the Room our Wednesday show
presented by our friends at Front forty three Neighborhood Pub
and Cask and Company Kitchen and Bar. Harry, how you doing, brother?

Speaker 2 (41:48):
Hey?

Speaker 4 (41:48):
What's up?

Speaker 2 (41:48):
Guys? How's up?

Speaker 4 (41:49):
Really doing?

Speaker 2 (41:50):
All?

Speaker 4 (41:50):
Right? Doing? Okay? The what? How early in your process
of over unders season over unders? Are you right now?
Because I find my biggest my best years are when
I really do some research and then fire all at once.
My worst years are when I get bored and just
start doing them bit by bit and then realize I

(42:14):
have thirty seven of them before kickoff and I need
everybody to make the playoffs. Where are you in your process?

Speaker 2 (42:22):
We free agency being over and everyone reporting now and
you still look for you still hold off a little
bit because the possible injuries that could happen, but you
still have I think at this point you have a
pretty good feel about what you think teams are gonna
be there's still some question marks on some teams, some divisions,
like again for the second straight year, I think the

(42:44):
NFC North is stacked. It could go any which way.
I mean, you could go. You could think the Bears
are going to be first. You could think that, and
then they end up last. Same things you go from Minnesota.
Don't know what we're gonna get out of McCarthy. We
think we know, but we're not sure. Love didn't have
a great season last year overall for what people expect
from him. So again, you know, and now with the

(43:07):
Detroit having both coordinators moving on, you know that that
makes things interesting too. So there's some some definite question
marks that you have to still investigate. But I think
for the most part, I got a pretty good feel
at this point of what I think teams are gonna do.

Speaker 4 (43:23):
Iguna Yaba Gita Jared, I am.

Speaker 1 (43:29):
I don't know what you guys know. It's it's fantastic,
It's it's I have it on my phone. I played
every once in a while. It's in the season. It's
a piece of joy in my life. Every time I
hear I am. I am fully in on the Lions.
Over ten and a half, I just you know, I
understand it's it's it's a tough schedule, whatever, But this
is a fifteen win team a year ago despite all

(43:50):
the injuries. You know, I understand that the regular season
might not be as important to them after what happened
in the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (43:56):
Man, getting to eleven seems just schedule or not. They
should get to eleven, right, Like, It's like the Texans
above nine and a half. I know they've got a
few issues here and there, but you look at their division,
it's like you're telling me that team is not getting
to ten wins too, And.

Speaker 6 (44:12):
The Bears are getting a lot of hype because of
Ben Johnson. Now, so those are the the Texans and Lions.
I think I'm all in on the post exen Texans Texans, well,
not as a team overall, but getting into ten wins.
I'm not saying they're going to Super Bowl. I just
really like the idea that they get to ten because
you would think with the Lions, unless there's like a
catastrophic injury. Again, but even last year, look at what

(44:36):
happened with Hutchinson last year and they still won fifteen games,
it would have to take Jared Goff kind of injury,
like we just mentioned, you know, for them to not
get to that point, I think the.

Speaker 4 (44:47):
All right, well, you have some stuff right now, Harry,
and Jason does as well. You like betting the golf
this week. You are a fan of Lucas Glover. Explain yourself, sir.

Speaker 2 (45:00):
Yeah, I am. You can get him. Look if you
want to bet him to win thirty five to one,
top ten, plus three forty, top twenty, I really like
this bet at plus one fifty five. He's a Southern
guy from South Carolina, a tournament in North Carolina. He's
got two top tens in his last three events. He

(45:20):
won this in twenty twenty three. And his iron play
lately has been very good too. And actually it's been
great all season from one hundred and twenty five to
one hundred and fifty yards. Guys, he's first first in
the PGA. I think that's gonna help here. The field
is decent this week, it's not great, So Lucas Glover again,

(45:41):
like I said, top twenty is my best play here
out of the three at plus one fifty five.

Speaker 4 (45:47):
Nice. I like that. So I think one of the
things that's key with golf Jason in area is this
time of year, it's like tennis, like I've fallen in love.
I'm you know, betting the Toronto Masters Series. The women
are in Montreal, the men Toronto last week, that's in DC.
There's you know, there's games in Croai, matches in Croatia
other weeks and other things. These these tournaments between the

(46:08):
majors or after the majors where it's about motivation, who
shows up, who really wants to be there, And I
think that's what. Yeah, it's part of figuring it out.

Speaker 2 (46:15):
Now.

Speaker 4 (46:16):
There's obviously just the randomness of golf too, but like.

Speaker 6 (46:19):
It's the last regular season event for the PGA, they're
going to get into the FedEx Cup, so a lot
of guys are trying to get into that top seventy.

Speaker 4 (46:25):
Okay, okay, So who do you like this week? Jayson?

Speaker 5 (46:29):
Glad you asked Graham.

Speaker 6 (46:32):
I got two top forty parlays boys and to ay
overall winner. Let's go with the first two leg two
player parlay here top forty finish. Jackson Coven, the world's
number one amateur golfer from Auburn.

Speaker 5 (46:45):
Unbelievable player. Young. I wish I was that good. He's
so fun.

Speaker 6 (46:49):
Gaining strokes with his driver and gaining over a stroke
per round on the greens. Two top fifteens in his
last three starts. I'm gonna couple him with Doug gimm
who ranks eighteen eighteenth the shots gained approach. That is,
with almost a stroke gain in his last five events.
He's clean off the tee and accurate from one hundred,
one hundred and seventy five yards. He would have to

(47:10):
win this thing to get into the FedEx, which is
a stretch, but I think he can snag a top forty.
And I'm gonna give you the winner in between of
these two forty top forty parlays, and it's my guy,
Harry Hall.

Speaker 5 (47:21):
I can't. I cannot deny Harry Hall.

Speaker 6 (47:24):
I had him as an overall winner a couple of
tournaments to go, and that putter is just way too
good forty to one. You could also bet him in
a top twenty. I think he can get plus three
hundred round there, plus two hundred something like that. But
winners at Sedgefield in the last decade all ranked in
the top twenty and shots gained approach. Hall ranks nineteenth

(47:45):
in shots gain approach Analyzi shots that are not t shots.
That's the whole thing, with the shots gained, approach par
fours and fives and all shots.

Speaker 4 (47:53):
Part three is blah blah blah.

Speaker 6 (47:53):
Sorry I put that in by excident my last Sorry,
I forgot I put that explanation in there.

Speaker 4 (47:59):
The last top four.

Speaker 5 (48:00):
It's a three leg one.

Speaker 6 (48:01):
But it's a desperation guys that are desperate, like I
just mentioned, to get into that FedEx Cup. I usually
don't do top three players to get into the top forty,
but here we go. I like these three selections. And this,
by the way, the first top forty with Cooyvon and
Doug gimm it pays plus three seventy three. This top forty,
it's gonna pay out plus six fifty one. And I

(48:22):
got Christian Beizenhoot. Tough name to pronounce, but he tied
t twenty two last year and has made the cuts
every time he's played there. He needs solo thirty six.
They're better to make the FedEx playoff, and Graham likes
that pick. Next pick, I know Graham likes this guy,
Ricky Fowler.

Speaker 4 (48:39):
Oh yeah, five.

Speaker 6 (48:40):
Top twenties in the last ten starts and needs top
twelve to clinch a playoff spot Chris Kirk finally to
wrap up this top forty playoff plus six fifty one
Boozin Hoot Foller and finally Chris Kirk. Three top fifteens
in his last five starts and he doesn't have the
greatest track record at this course, but is putting in
his and needs a top forty finish to get into

(49:02):
the FedEx. Played well at the Rocket Classic, which I
was at, By the way, I like to mention I
was at that Rocket Classic. So two top forty boys
and an overall winner Harry Hall.

Speaker 2 (49:14):
I'll tell you you know that's gonna be a tough one.
That last party. And Beason Hoot. I've had him a
couple of times just when it seems like when I
take him, guys, he just he he. He doesn't do great,
he doesn't do terrible, but he never does great, and
I always seem to kind of end up losing with him.
But uh, we have your explanation. I know you've been

(49:35):
on haul and great call the past couple of times
you've taken him today, But the first partly, I really
kind of I'm definitely into that, and uh, you know,
you know, Doug gim guy, give me some of that game.
I like that. I like that.

Speaker 5 (49:47):
You know it is a top forty.

Speaker 6 (49:49):
We all have those golfers that we have burned us before,
so I can understand the booze and the booze and
hohot hate. But it just need him to get a
top forty. Make that cut Christian and get us a
nice top forty. You mean cash is bad?

Speaker 4 (50:01):
I don't.

Speaker 5 (50:02):
I don't usually the boys.

Speaker 6 (50:03):
I don't like doing the three leg top forties, but
those three guys in an environment like this, where these
guys are trying to grind to get into that FedEx Cup,
I had to do it.

Speaker 4 (50:12):
All right, Harry, you have some stuff you like. Tonight
in baseball, too, Otani is back on the mound. That's
right for the Dodgers against the Reds. What do you
what do you see there?

Speaker 3 (50:23):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (50:23):
I mean he had a bad night last night at
the plate on ozhover five with four k's, but he
is on the mound tonight. He's over under, sitting four
and a half strikeouts. I'm going under guys under the
one under four and a half k's at minus one
thirty six starts this season, he hasn't gone more than
three innings in any of them. He's gone under four

(50:45):
and a half in all six and he's gone under
four and a half strikeouts and eight of his last
nine starts. Gimme O'tani under four and a half strikeouts
night and then the Rangers Angels games. Guys, I got
the under eight at minus one oh five. Nata Valdi
on the mound for the Rangers. He's been tremendous all season,
Era one point five zero. His whip is under one

(51:08):
and in July. In the month of July, guys as
Era is an outstanding zero point three eight. He beat
the Angels July eighth, went six innings, gave up zero
earned runs. And Soriano, who is on the mound for
the Angels, four of his last five starts two earned

(51:31):
runs or less. Gimme Rangers Angels under eighth.

Speaker 4 (51:34):
You're a beautiful man. Beautiful man. I will be on
Club America tonight and their league's cup game. I love
this league. This is what MLSH you do all the time.
There are games every single night, all the time. I
don't like that some MLS teams are like just off
for a couple of weeks. Essentially. I think that that's
total shit. But I do, like I did love that league.

(51:55):
Amax was so good last you know, I was on
Pachuca last night. I've had a pretty good but run,
which is better than MLS and people don't people are
are slow, slow to realize it. But I do think
there's value on Club America and Club America by the way,
against Salt Lake minus one thirty, you know, look, that's

(52:16):
a place where there's not a huge Mexican crowd. I know,
it's at altitude. Still like still like Club America probably
also like probably also like the over in Pumas Orlando City.
It's just at two and a half at minus one twenty.
These these tournament games go over. I mean, these are
two teams that go over. I like the over two

(52:39):
and a half there. And that's if you're if you
get in before tonight and you're you're listening, Jason Sowick,
what's that?

Speaker 6 (52:45):
I just love that you're mad at MLS teams for
taking two weeks off, as we just took two weeks
off in July for the show.

Speaker 4 (52:51):
Yeah. Well, who was that first team that you liked,
Club America?

Speaker 2 (52:56):
Well you said that was a different name. Was who the.

Speaker 4 (53:03):
You mean the Puma Orlando boring Americana, Oh pa chewa
from ye last night?

Speaker 2 (53:10):
I thought I thought you were talking about what the
latest uh brand of weed soda? Jason.

Speaker 4 (53:16):
Oh, well, this is how I learned Spanish. I watched
t U D N and and in Mexican soccer all night.
That's my uh, that's my way in you know, who
needs high school temnda.

Speaker 2 (53:28):
Yeah, it's funny, you know, put on Telemundo when you
watch the soccer, because sometimes that's all we can bet Graham,
And even though I don't understand Spanish, I have the
volume on.

Speaker 4 (53:37):
Oh same here. It's funny how I prefer like sometimes
if it's something's boring enough event, I'll put a podcast
on and watch the event. But like if I'm on
the treadmill and I got Mexican soccer, because I want
the emotion I want, I want the tone, I want
the what the announcers are saying. I may not understand
all of it, but I get it. We're on the
same wavelength. I'm with them, you know, and uh that stuff,

(53:58):
that stuff is really important. Harry. You are beautiful man.
We will talk to you really soon. Man. Thanks Man.

Speaker 2 (54:04):
Sounds great guys, and by the way, real quick, real
quick w NBA tonight Liberty Links give me the over
one sixty six. Both teams are one two in scoring
in the league this year. Liberty for the last five
games they scored eighty nine points or more and their
defense lately has been shotty. They've given up ninety two
and one to one in the last two games, and

(54:24):
the Links best team in the league. They've scored eighty
six more and four of the last five Liberty Links
tonight over one sixty six.

Speaker 5 (54:31):
Harry, do you have the sound on for the WNBA
game too, or just to get the sound environment.

Speaker 2 (54:36):
I mean, normally I kind of wouldn't, but since, uh,
you know what, in the last couple of days, we've
seen we've seen a wig flop flyoff a woman. We've
seen I don't know if I can say this, but
you can say Bill Bildo on the court you can
say that.

Speaker 4 (54:51):
Yeah, you can tell.

Speaker 2 (54:52):
I mean, it's it's very interesting to see what the
announcers can come up with them when crazy something like
that is happening.

Speaker 5 (54:58):
I like that you asked if you could say it,
then just said it. Yeah, that was my favorite part.
Can I say clean Dildough. How do you know it
was clean?

Speaker 2 (55:12):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (55:13):
Sorry, I thought you were said this. It's gonna be
a heck.

Speaker 2 (55:17):
I hope it's gonna be a heck.

Speaker 4 (55:19):
Of a night. Heck of a night. Harry, you're a
beautiful man.

Speaker 2 (55:22):
Man.

Speaker 4 (55:22):
We'll talk soon, see you.

Speaker 2 (55:23):
Man.

Speaker 4 (55:26):
It's the great Harry gag Nan. Man. I love that guy.
I really do.

Speaker 5 (55:31):
Before Green Dildough.

Speaker 4 (55:33):
Yeah, yeah, no, I I love when I leave a
conversation with Harry and I've got like five or six
things to bet on that night. And it's kind of funny.
Sprinkle a little here and there, and all of a sudden,
you're you're like fired up about the Angels Rangers under
and you're you know, previously didn't even know that game
was happening before. Before we go, uh and we'll be
back Friday, uh with uh your Groovy Donut Twitter questions

(55:54):
and Groovy Donuts you can open uh seven am to
one pm Thursday through Sunday, power restored. You know just
I'm telling you right now the Groovy Donuts if if
you want to help them out because they are closed, great,
but they'll help you out. They'll bring joy to your life,
and it it's just worth doing if you if you're
if you're nearby or or want to make that trip,

(56:15):
or you're going to be any in any gathering or
or any place where you may want people to like
you bring groovy donuts. The other piece of news that
I wanted to get to before we go is Central Michigan.
And this is a couple of days old at this point,
though Central Michigan was sort of notice by the nc
double a hit with the notice of allegations about Connor

(56:37):
Stallions and him being on the sideline. And this is
the story that everybody's sort of waiting for. And it's
amazing that it takes this long. It's just unbelievable that that,
you know, you can have something like the O. J.
Simpson trial, as I mentioned the other day, go more
quickly than I mean, even as long as presidential campaigns are,
which is like a year and a half at this point,

(57:00):
these things are shorter from the beginning of primary campaigning
to inauguration. Then it's taken to get to the point
of a notice of allegations from the NCAA to Central Michigan.
I think some of that had to do with the
Michigan case needing to be resolved or adjudicated first. And
the good news about this is CMU is going to

(57:22):
have to respond right and it's going to take a
while still. But now CMU cannot hide behind the idea
that investigation is ongoing and so they can't respond. When
they've said they've looked forward to responding, I want to
hear the response, so we'll give them their due, their
chance to do it. I'm very curious to see here
from Amy Folan. I know a lot of people are
upset Michigan State fans. It is one thing I will

(57:43):
definitely ask Jay bad about when I first talk to
him about the you know, the CMU's football series and
whether that's still on and what he thinks about all
this stuff. I guarantee you at some point in his
email box or from a donor or from a a fan,
he has run into how he has been brought up
to speed. Somebody is probably like, Hey, what are you

(58:04):
gonna do about the CMU series?

Speaker 2 (58:06):
What?

Speaker 4 (58:06):
What about the CMU series? Why?

Speaker 6 (58:07):
Why would that be a thing? Is it David Jackson
on the phone again? Is that the same guy he's
called here like ninety four times. But when you're new,
you learn about these things fast. As Jonathan Smith has
found out last last year, it was this Matt c
that keeps calling the office. I can't it's unbelievable he
keeps yelling about CMU.

Speaker 4 (58:25):
Or What's interesting about this whole thing is I've always thought,
now Michigan plays a role in this, because Connor Stallions
was on Michigan's staff at the time. Right, you can't
say Michigan has no role in this. But I've always
thought and and and wrote about this in the initial
report I did on this story when nobody else was
really reporting on that much. Yet there were a couple
of people out there. I shouldn't say that, but that

(58:49):
this was more about a friend at CMU who had
been on the Michigan staff, an offensive coordinator who's no
longer there, wanting help for his first day as a
play caller and reaching out to a friend, and he
was there to help CMU as much as he was
to advance scout Michigan State. I've always believed that. Doesn't
mean it's any more right or wrong. I mean, CMU
still has to be held to account. He was still

(59:10):
a Michigan coach. But I believe the motives for that
were less about scouting ahead and more about helping CMU
on that given day, or at least I shouldn't say
more about it. I should say they were at least
partially about helping CMU on that day, and CMU, I
think their head coach knew it. Of course he's no
longer there, but the ad is there, and she at
some point is going to have to actually answer to this,

(59:32):
and I'm curious what she says. It's going to take time.
All this shit takes way too much time. But finally
there is direction and we will get to a resolution
and there should be a response, and she won't be
able to hide behind that anymore if we ask for
a response, if she doesn't give an adequate response. So
we'll see where this all goes. I wanted to get
into that a little bit before the end of the show.

(59:52):
We'll be back Friday. Yeah, dig into your groovy done
at Twitter questions and get to the one from David
Jackson that I forgot last week. It'll be there, David,
don't worry. Appreciate all you guys, Appreciate everybody listening. Thanks
to Scott Doctorman for the conversation. Always enjoy chatting with him.
Thanks to Harry, Thanks to our friends at Front forty
three neighborhood Pub and Casking Company Kitchen and Bar, an

(01:00:13):
outstanding place for any occasion for a night out, for
a drink. You love the menu, you love the food.
We appreciate them being with us all this time for
most of our more than a thousand episodes Good Chow
man Y Couching.

Speaker 3 (01:00:26):
The group

Speaker 2 (01:00:47):
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