Ep. 1061: Shawn Windsor on Michigan football's punishment, MSU basketball and the Tigers

Detroit Free Press columnist Shawn Windsor joined us for a conversation on Michigan football's NCAA punishment and his column on it, whether the Tigers are World Series contenders, and Michigan State's basketball team (8:00). Then Harry Gagnon joined us as we went around the horn with our favorite college football and NFL futures bets (39:00). 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Call up, all.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Up, ooh.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
All, oh oh.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
Oh.

Speaker 4 (01:31):
What do you get when you cross a know it
all newspaper columnist with an awkward, unsophisticated every man.

Speaker 5 (01:42):
Yeah, well, I'm just not sure about.

Speaker 6 (01:45):
That right now.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Welcome Couch and the Room.

Speaker 6 (01:59):
Welcome to Couch in the Room. Our Wednesday show presented
by our friends at Front forty three Neighborhood Pub and
Cask and Company Kitchen and Bar. It is football season
and if you are looking for an amazing place to
go camp out watch football games, grab a seat at
the bar, grab a table, enjoy. Look whis week zero?

(02:19):
They got college football this weekend? Or maybe it's soccer
that you love. I am going to be there Friday
afternoon to watch the Chelsea West Ham match at Front
forty three and Casking Company. Two amazing adjoining places, different vibes,
One great menu, fantap fantastic drink selection, underrated patio, happy
hour specials right on that Lansing East Lansing border on

(02:39):
East Saginaw near frandor Jason, Now you doing, brother, you.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
Already know what I'm about to do to start this video,
cut the hobby shirt out for this one. Get your
hobby shirts out, get your hobby jerseys out, the magic wands,
all in the magic ads.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
Peacock, what's up, buddy? You had me until soccer. I
was all excited, zero and everything.

Speaker 6 (03:03):
You don't have to watch soccer, that's why you go.
You can watch something else, that's true. A couple of TVs. Yeah, yes, yeah,
we don't have to all be watching the same thing.
You can be turned away from me.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
Which can't be any worse than that game last night,
A walk off walk Jesus, especially when you have a
single game parlay with three players with two plus bases,
and watching that game, you just get a little frustrated.

Speaker 6 (03:23):
But man, loved it. Had the under was pretty excited.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
If you have the under, yeah, you're loving that game
all day long.

Speaker 6 (03:28):
But this is this is where Vegas screws up. You're Vegas.
Yeah yeah, hell yeah. Well so if back now, if
like the Tiger, the two worst pictures in the world
are pitching, Vegas would be like the over under is eight.
Last night you got like two amazing pictures, two the
better pictures in baseball. The over under was seven. One
run is all it was. I was like, please give

(03:49):
me the under. I mean, it's not a guarantee, But
are you kidding me? Yeah, I'll take the under one
hundred times out of my own local guy too. Yeah,
it was Vegas gets it wrong a lot now. People
I've talk to a lot of people that frequent Vegas.
They are like, yeah, I just don't know if I'm
going back anytime soon. Well, yeah, you don't need to
go back when you got you know, fire keepers.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
I knew there was a lie reading there somewhere. Yeah,
But I was sitting there looking at some of our
over underpicks. I'm like, did we get in too late?
Like should we have been doing this pic show like
a month ago? Do you have to sit there in February?
Like look at these you're talking football? Yeah, because I'm
sitting there like minus one fifty fucking Iowa to bet
the the what the over seven and a half or
some of these bets? Well you needn't to an airy,

(04:28):
But I'm just like, I don't want to do these
season long bets like this.

Speaker 6 (04:32):
But some of them haven't moved too much. They just
started with a lot of juice because they're trying to
set a line and yeah, it's it's okay, but what.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
Fun is I mean? To sit there and have to
sweat a season long bet paying I have a bunch
of heavy juice on it. I'm just like all right
to you know, and a lot of guys are in
my situation where I don't have a thousand. I mean,
to honestly place bets on these you have to place
one thousand dollars to get some fun out of it, right,
I mean it depends on your bank roll. But I'm
saying if I put one hundred dollars to one hundred

(05:01):
and forty dollars to win one hundred, and there's all
those months in between, I have to sit there and
sweat balls over it, Like what No, I'll just do
my twenty five dollars parlay and you know, cross my
fingers and hope it works. I like talking about the
over runners, what we think teams are going to do,
but placing these bets, I mean we really doing that.
I know you are.

Speaker 6 (05:20):
You're going to place all of these bets. I think, Yeah, well,
I don't play thousand. That's a lot.

Speaker 5 (05:24):
No.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
No, no, no, no, no, I no, no, I know
we have different bank I'm just saying I would like
to bet a thought like if I'm going to do
these bets. I don't have the bankroll to make those bets. Hypothetically,
if I would need a bank roll significantly to place
bets to where I would feel comfortable.

Speaker 6 (05:38):
See, psychologically, I'm not that sort of game. But I
don't need huge amounts of money. Like to me, if
I have a couple hundred bucks on a season long
on a season long bet, that's all I'm saying. Yeah,
whatever works in my brain, whatever stimulates my brain, that's enough.
If at the end of the year I might get
one hundred and fifty bucks out of something, that's enough
for me to have some juice on it and keep
me from doing.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
That much juice on top though. I Mean some of
these bets said, well, we'll get into it, but man,
I would I would rather pay the juice than lose
the game.

Speaker 6 (06:05):
In other words, I would rather pay. If I'm want
over seven and a half and it's minus one fifty,
I'd rather that than it's eight and a half and
it's even money, right, you know, so that you want
to win to understand that's the that's the I'm just
saying for the season long sweat is all. We're gonna
get into that In a little bit. Where have Harry
join us in a little while. We're gonna have Sean
Windsor join us here shortly talk about Michigan football and

(06:25):
the punishment. He wrote a good column in the Freep,
you know, loyal member of the blue Wall there. I
would love to read it, but I don't have twenty
dollars I will, I will send you. Well, well, we'll
just you know, we should have we should have Sean
what does he think about it? We should have show
well he wrote about it.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
No, no, no, I'm talking about the newspaper industry and
you know the Detroit News and other papers. We'll get
trying to rope you into a dollar thingy and then
going haha, now pay me twenty fatty.

Speaker 6 (06:50):
You know, I don't forget. I don't know, I forget
into that. I don't want him to get in trouble.
I don't know speaking it, but we'll we'll get into
it way. You guys shouldn't speak up. You guys should
just get fired and lose your jobs. And I have
to have an opinion on it. That's it.

Speaker 5 (07:01):
You know.

Speaker 6 (07:02):
We'll stay quiet. We'll maybe talk a little MSU hoops
some tigers with him. I love talking MSU hoops with
with Sean and so yeah, he's away though it is,
but I don't think it's ever completely off people's mind.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
If we said with somebody, please guard somebody.

Speaker 6 (07:18):
Yeah, I can't wait till those soundweights come back. November
is gonna be awesome and little programming. We'll do a
Friday show next week. We will do Monday, Wednesday Thursday
because of the Michigan State football seas an opener, so
we'll be be a day or three shows still three
shows in Yep, We're gonna make it work. We're back,

(07:38):
absolutely absolutely. How you want to get you want to
get Sean on the phone and we'll get this rolling
why he's doing that or a reminder if you have
not been to Front forty three and Casting Company. It
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(07:59):
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my wife and I just love the love the options there.
It is just great vibes, great food, outstanding place. Casking
Company in front forty three again Caskingcompany dot com for
reservations today. Very pleased now to be joined by a

(08:22):
good friend and somebody I had a dinner with the
other night along with his two boys, and Joe Rex
Road and Salari and Matt Sharbon. I tell you what,
Seawan Shawn Windsor here with us from the Troy Free Press.
If we had just put a mic on that table
and recorded it, that would have been a good podcast.

Speaker 5 (08:41):
Yeah, not too bad. Not too bad, mostly because of
you and some of the things that you said, which
you probably can't repeat here, but let me just tease
your listeners that way. It's because of you.

Speaker 6 (08:50):
Wait a second, what did I say that I couldn't repeat?
Give give, like a give something that's on that fine
line that you're not sure how.

Speaker 5 (08:58):
You would recruit players from the South.

Speaker 6 (08:59):
They all know that this podcast knows that. I mean,
you know, I've said before like the civil rights movement
would be heavy in my uh in my recruiting of
the South. I would not let yeah, put it that way.

Speaker 5 (09:12):
The picture is a bull counter and that sort of thing.

Speaker 6 (09:14):
Yeah, yeah, right, yeah, fire hoses all the stuff, you know,
reminding them of what their fan base really thinks of them.

Speaker 2 (09:19):
Yep, know all that.

Speaker 6 (09:20):
I would be a very dirty recruiter. There's no there's no, no,
no questioning that, all right. Uh. You wrote is a
column that I think surprised a lot of people. As
a card carrying member of the Blue Wall after after
Michigan's uh, after the NCAA's punishment of Michigan. I thought
it was a good column. And and you really talked

(09:42):
about the biggest punishment is that the championship in that
whole run they had now was tainted. Right, That's that's
the punishment more than anything. Get into your your line
of thinking on what came out of that and what
led to that column.

Speaker 5 (09:56):
Well, I just I just I guess I don't think
it's interesting because I have an opinion obviously myself, but
I also want to represent at least what I think
is reality. And I know that's subjective for everybody, for
all of us, right, but outside of this state, and
this is war going on what two years now, two

(10:18):
years right, two years since this whole business started more
or less, you know, and like you I travel for work.
I've been around the country. I had no college football
fans and lots of places, and not necessarily you know,
obviously you would expect it from Michigan State fans, Ohio
State fans, those two to start with, but just college

(10:38):
football fans had Florida or Georgia Tech or Texas or
you know, even USC and Oregon, those sort of places,
And that's how they feel. That's how the bulk, to me,
the bulk of folks feel. They think that the state
of whether or that's completely wholly fair. Obviously, it's devoid
of a lot of nuance. I mean, that team had

(10:58):
what sixteen seventeen NFL players is on. They won, They
won all those games without stallions when everybody in the
world knew what had happened, So they kind of had
to win on the field that way. I mean, that's
part of it. But you know how this works, right,
especially for casual fans, They're gonna associate this scandal, this

(11:18):
science dealing scheme with Michigan for a long long time.
And and I think Michigan fans feel that even if
they don't want to, you know, they can tell you
they don't care. Maybe maybe some don't. But if they truly,
truly don't care, then you're what we're saying is that
they're sociopaths. And most look, that may be on the
rise in our country, but that most people are still

(11:41):
not sociopaths, even in their fandom when they're sitting alone
at night or early in the morning or whatever they
know they do. And that's not that's not necessarily fun
and there is there's a comic, psychic price to that for.

Speaker 6 (11:56):
Me now, and that's the shame of it is it
was a team that was so good that it may
not have been needed at all. And that's you know,
one thing, if you knew deep down that whatever was
done to gain an advantage against the rules was absolutely
needed to make that title happen, and that was worth it,
but it really, you know, and obviously the timing is

(12:17):
why it's tricky, because everything turned right at the moment
that Connor stallions and the advance signs stealing stuff happened
and it was against the rules. And there's some games
where they were very very good, very quickly there, and
so that's always going to be a question for people,
and that's right. I mean, everybody can feel how they
want about different titles. Michigan State claims the nineteen fifty

(12:38):
seven National Championship. It's a trophy that's right behind where
they like interview Jonathan Smith every week, and yet they
did not win the Big Ten. You can feel like
you won that national championship trophy when it was like
six guys on train cars and Jack Eblin making the
votes every year, but that is not really a national championship.
You can't not win the Big Ten legitimately not win
the Big Ten and be the national champion. But you

(13:00):
can feel how you want about it. And so people
can feel how they want about it about the Michigan thing,
but there will be more people who don't, who believe
it's tainted and that that's just something they're going to
have to live with.

Speaker 5 (13:12):
UH live with forever, there's no question and to me,
and it's interesting because on a podcast that I'm part of,
the mL Solar Detroit, I'm sorry, I'm trying to plug it.
Every we had Dan Wetzel, right esteemed national columnists now
for an investigative reporter now for ESPN, we don't want
the show the other day and he was actually more
and I don't want to put words in his mouth.

(13:33):
But this, this is out there already. He's more bothered
by the recruiting into their Michigan's violations. He thought they
should be hammered more for that that they gained more
of an advantage because they were illegally making contact with
the recruits during COVID. And I understand that, right, And
because it's I think the word he used with the
tonner Stein stuff is nebulous because we don't know exactly

(13:57):
what advantage was gained or not, and how far there's
no proof it still at the hardball, we can speculate,
we can assume. I mean, you know, my guess is
probably a little more broad than the NCAA. And they
hinted it that a little bit, the NCAA did when
they when they spoke at the quarters last week. So
I understand it. But to me, if you just step
back for a second, I think, and I and I
pointed this out on our show the other day, I

(14:19):
think that because we are so used to we in
college football, college football is not fair inherently. The players
are based on where the sun shines, what booster or
what alumni, what schools have the wealthiest alumna. It's always
been that way, and let's maybe change it a little
bit within an aisle, but we we accept in our gut,
for better and for worse, it's never been a level

(14:41):
playing field. So when somebody's breaking the rules to get recruits,
we don't love it, but we've we've come to terms
with that for the last fifty years. What this was
was on the field, right when the whistles blows on
that Saturday afternoon or Saturday night, that that's what this
was about. And that and in that way, it's unprecedent.

(15:03):
It's closer to point shaving than to me it is
recruiting violations, which is why they didn't c a even
though they didn't have maybe proof of exactly play by
play how they gained advantage or not. The fact that
it speaks to that sense of what's fair in the
field of play, that that's what this is about. And

(15:24):
that's the taint, right, excuse me, that's maybe not the
best word right there. That's the stink, that's the stench.
You know what I mean?

Speaker 6 (15:32):
Yes, I do know what you mean.

Speaker 5 (15:35):
The uh.

Speaker 6 (15:37):
I love you man, So Jason, Jason's doubled over in
the other all right, Do you think there is any
so going forward? There's obviously a fine, which is not nothing.
I mean, that's why they're appealing it. But it is

(15:58):
also something at school like miss you can can handle
more than say a school like Central Michigan or even
some others in the Big ten. Do you think there
is any lingering effect of this on the field with
the staff which you're own more? Does it change how
quickly he has to win? What it looks like or
do people rally around each other and and and other

(16:19):
than what's thought of that time gone by? There is
no effect going forward?

Speaker 5 (16:23):
Yeah, I don't. I don't. I mean maybe a little
bit of rally. I think a lot of Michigan fans
are relieved moving forward that the penalty wasn't worse, right,
that there's there's a there's no postseason banned. That's that's
always the big one, you know, and insane maybe could
have said, hey, because of the how quickly kids can
move around these days, young man, I should say young

(16:44):
as student athletes, how about that? Maybe they could have said, hey,
you're going to be banned in a couple of years
from now. That would have been almost like a death
penalty because the who's going to want to come and
then they're not going to be able to recruit during that.
So I none of that happened. So I think moving forward,
a lot of Mischigan fans are relieved. I mean, they'll
they'll andle the psychological part of it, so they'll process
that that we do. We all do that. We make

(17:05):
bargains with ourselves and with our lives all the time,
and all sorts of ways big and small. That part
they'll they'll figure that way through. Although if Michigan URD
went on a national championship the next ten years, I
guarantee you and nothing like this happens, I guarantee you
that will be more fun for them and they'll and
maybe they'll admit it then, right, But anyway, no, I

(17:26):
think I don't know that he has to win anymore quickly.
You know, he's recruiting really well, right, So, I mean,
obviously because of some of the factors we're just talking about.
By the way, I don't know if you've ever talked
about this in your show, and I'm in college football,
when we say it's kind of inherently unfair because of
the geographical advantage, is my advantage. It's just it's the

(17:46):
same those It's like baseball. Those are our two sports
where we accept that there's not a level playing field
that's going to be based on how you evaluate talent,
develop talent, you know, right, draft talent, how well you coach,
you know, like the rest of our leagues are baseball,
it's again it's money and the markets she happened to
be in La City. College football is very similar to that.

(18:07):
But anyway to your question, No, I think he's got
to win like normally, the normal pressure of winning at Michigan.

Speaker 6 (18:16):
The let's talk some Tigers. The I used to feel
really bad for you when the Tigers were horrible, because
if you're a columnist to Detroit Free Press and you
can't lean on the Tigers, summers are long and they're hard,
and you've got to really grind the ability to like
go to a Tigers game and write about relevant baseball
and and has got to be nice. What I did

(18:40):
think this Tigers team a couple of weeks ago had
hit the skids in ways I didn't know if they
were going to come out of like I really, I mean,
I placed a little wager on the Guardians to win
the division because the odds were good, like thirty three
to one at the time, and thought, boy, I don't
know if this team's gonna do it. They they've found themselves.
What is your sense of what the team is now

(19:01):
and whether they are I mean, you know, two wins
against the Astros here promising things, Whether whether we've probably
been too hard on their flaws and they actually have
you know, a decent chance in most series in the postseason.

Speaker 5 (19:16):
Well, you know what we're not talking about here in
Detroit is when la How many did did Dodgers lose
a month ago? Six out of seven, out of nine? Whatever?
Yet nine you go through, you go through. I mean
it was tough because Toronto was ripping off a bunch
of winds and I think Seattle got a little bit hot.
So there were some team Milwaukee obviously it's the other league,

(19:38):
but nationally, but it's we don't focus we don't focus
on that. And by the way, to your point about
the tough summers, it wasn't just the summers, my man,
I mean it was the whole calendar. Yeah, the Detroit
sports scene was four or five years ago, you know.

Speaker 6 (19:57):
What I mean, it was bleak. You had to lead
into the colleges pretty heavily hit for a while, pretty.

Speaker 5 (20:05):
Much, no, pretty much, and there's always some interest in
the lines even when they're really bad, and especially you know,
the first part of the year and so forth, and
they fill at Portfield even when they've only won a
couple of games. But anyway, no, but no, you're right,
it's it's it's changed this summer, because even last summer
the winning didn't really start the longest. But I I
just it's we haven't been in by we I mean,

(20:28):
you know all of this, we have not been in
a penny race. That's kind of an old school phrase,
in a playoff chase from start to start to finish
in what thirteen fourteen years whatever something something along those lines.
Maybe maybe not quite that long, maybe ten eleven years.
It had been a long time, and so you forget
the ebb and flow of one hundred and sixty two games,

(20:49):
and it's easy when you're struggling, like they were struggling
around the All Star break. They wouldn't lose eleven or
twelve or even or thirteen whatever it was, two six
game losing streaks. I think it's easy to think, oh
my goodness and not think about the fact that even
some of the best teams lose like this. Maybe not
twelve or thirteen or or twelve fourteen or whatever it was,

(21:11):
but close to that. And so that's one that's that perspective.
It's just gonna happen. It's just the same with individual players.
You know, Riley Green didn't hit for thirty at bats
really early in the season and then looked like one
of the best two three hitters in baseball for the
next six weeks, two months, whatever it was, and then
fell off again and now he's hitting again. Right, Maybe

(21:35):
hobby bias isn't up and down. It's a little bit different,
but when your best hitters are going to do that,
Tarkosen is found disgreove a little bit again, and Carpenter
has been raking since he came back. Labor Torres was
the most consistent hit of the season. He fell off.
Now he's kind of fine his way back and had
to walk off walk last night. So you think about

(21:57):
how a player gets through a season, and the same
goes for pitch. It's a it's a good metaphor for
what the team does, and it's easy to forget that
when you're not used to it and think the sky's falling.
And you probably did that because you're you're not thinking
as a columnist at that point. You love the Tigers
at that right, So you it's not Graham the sitting

(22:17):
back and I'm gonna I'm gonna sit through all this.
It's Graham. I'm thinking for my gut and what the
hell is going on?

Speaker 6 (22:23):
Well, I don't know if love I mean, I put
money on the Guardian, so that's that's where my head was.
But I'm I'm thinking financially, how can I profit off misery?
That's a whole different, whole different conversation. But yeah, no,
I I I see where you And the other thing
that that's interesting is it is amazing how you know.
I think what happened. First of all, during that really

(22:43):
bad stretch was it coincided right around the trade deadline
when they didn't do a ton. I mean, it turns
out that you know, there were a couple moves the
Finigan addition and Morton will see, but those two that
could be really important, but it coincided at a moment
where they didn't make the huge move and try to
upgrade the Ross and so it looks like, you know,
the sky is falling and they didn't do anything about it,

(23:04):
and you're sort of wasting time. It is interesting, though,
how you can look at this Tigers team, the same team,
the same group of guys, and think this team in
a seven game series against a really quality team in
the postseason just doesn't measure up. And one night you
can really feel strongly about that. And then you can
look at it. You know, postseasons are about bullpens, right,

(23:25):
and you can go, well, they got two guys invest
in Finegan at the back end of the bullpen. For sure,
somebody out of that starting staff is going to move
to the bullpen. You know, Melton's been, you know, a
pretty good young player. Like if you got three yeah,
oh yeah, so all of a sudden, maybe you do
have three arms there. And then you know the postseason,
you got one day on sixteen days off and then

(23:45):
he played Game two, you know, so like maybe you
don't need as many as as you know, So you
start to look at it and you go okay, And
then you look at Houston, who's sort of respected as
a hot as a more quality team, and you they're
going through it a little bit they're pitching staff beat
up and Tigers take the first two for them, and
you go, oh wait, and they beat them last year
and you think, go, wait a second, maybe this is

(24:07):
an overreaction. Maybe they are capable of it. I don't
know where do you stand on what they're capable of.
And look, we've seen an eighty three win Saint Louis
team beat the Tigers in the World Series, So I
guess anything's possible in terms of their ability to win
three series, because right now they're five and a half
games up. I think on getting that buy out of

(24:28):
that first first series, which I think is important with
their ability to win three series legitimately, where do you
stand on that?

Speaker 7 (24:33):
You know?

Speaker 5 (24:34):
I mean, if you look the picture a pitcher, batter
for batter, hitter for hit or whatever, it's not they're
not They're not quite at some of the very top
teams right the rosters, there's a difference. I mean, the Dodgers.
It's funny if people said, oh, the Phillies, well they
went to Philly, and this is kind of when they
started turning around. They went to Philly and I know

(24:54):
they lost to to three, but they had a lead,
and I want to say, the first game late and
the blew up and Finnigan won ready to pitch yet,
right if you'll if you'll recall in that in that
game one, so they kind of were. They were right
there with Philly. I mean, you know, you go there,
it's a tough place to play. You take one if

(25:15):
they have the bullpen that right now, when some of
the acquisitions were ready, maybe they take two or three,
and then you're thinking a little bit differently, right, It's
funny how that works. But I but I think are
they good enough to win three series? Maybe they're not.
They're not. They wouldn't be anybody's favorite. I don't think

(25:35):
they thought Scott Harris and aj Hinch maybe just a
little bit differently that they thought, you know, hey, we're
the prohibitive, Well we're a world series type team. Maybe
we can get there and get a little bit of luck.
Last night, you know, they got a little bit of
luck right the Bang Bang played to play the would
have given use on one nothing lead. They win that game.
If that goes the other way, right, they win. You

(25:56):
got to have some of that, as you do in
most sports. But I I don't know that they were
convinced that, hey, we are an absolute World Series team
right now, we're gonna and they I think they were thinking, oh,
we're good enough. Obviously, we're gonna good enough to get
to the playoffs and maybe we make a run, and
we want to fortify ourselves a little bit. But we
don't want to. But when we want to keep development,

(26:18):
when we want to see what we look like, we
want to get Carpenter back. That's no coincidence that he's
come back and they've gone on a roll, right, It's
not the only thing. Obviously, the both Pan has settled,
Mines has been a little bit better again when Flaerity's
been up and down the whole time. But but they
didn't have their their their full roster there for a
little bit. I mean, Carpenter's they're the second best hitter probably, right.

(26:42):
That's that's that's pretty important. By the way, there were
no hitters to go get. I haven't seen Suarez's numbers
from Seattle, you know, the third basement out of Arizona.
I haven't seen his numbers in the last week or so.
But he really struggled that first few weeks in Seattle,
and that happened a lot of times there's there's no
guarantee in any of this, and they want that many
other bats to get it was it was the pitching,

(27:03):
and they got a really good enough sentigans. But but
that's that's there's a long answer gram. But I think
they didn't think they were quite there yet and they
wanted to stay on their path but at the same
time try to get a little bit better. And it
turns out, you know, it looks like they made a
great move with the closer and Finnegan.

Speaker 6 (27:21):
I know it's football season now and postseason baseball season,
but my favorite thing to talk to you about is basketball.
And I think you and I don't know. I just
that's the.

Speaker 5 (27:30):
Sport, right, Yeah, you might have a Bowl team up
there this year. Are you put ping that? No?

Speaker 6 (27:36):
But I I can talk m SU football a day
without you. I mean, we can talk m SU football.
I was going to talk a little, we'll talk, we'll talk.

Speaker 2 (27:44):
I wanted to.

Speaker 6 (27:46):
I want to get your impression right now on this
m s U basketball team and sort of what you
when you look at them guys they brought in obviously,
but the returning nucleus of of Cohen car and and
and uh Jackson Cohler and Jeremy Fears and those guys
and what you see and what you see is the

(28:07):
potential of this group and under you know, I understand
we underestimated the potential of last year's group, But when
you sort of see them from right now, what do
you picture, uh, this season being for them?

Speaker 5 (28:18):
Well, by the way, it was easy. Well, first of all,
since it was easy and underestimate last year a little bit,
right who the staff Thomas though, didn't totally understand. He
admitted this that Jace richards could be that good that quickly, right.

Speaker 6 (28:33):
Nobody did Jase Richardson he was the one and done recruited. No,
Jace Richardson thought he was a two or three year
guy at this time last year, Like he didn't know
he was that So yeah, no, it's it's even the
player himself thought it was going to be, you know,
come off the bench type season for him. So yeah,
nobody saw this.

Speaker 5 (28:51):
Yeah, that was and that's the whole key that that was.
He was the key that last year. I mean there
were other important parts for sure, but he was. He
was the key. So is there a player this year,
either on the team or coming in that that can
be that good. Whether it's a front going player, perimeter player,

(29:12):
you know what I mean, that could be, Hey, I'm
a I'm a dog. I'm gonna take over the game.
So I have anybody on a roster like that.

Speaker 6 (29:19):
I think there are a number of players who are
either we don't know and could be pretty good or
could take you know, could elevate themselves to the point
that it's a really good team. Do they have a
player as efficient and smooth and takeover is ishes is
Jace Richardson like I like? I think Trey Fort's canna
be really good for them, and they like Trey Ford.
Do I think he's gonna be Jace Richardson? I don't
right now. I mean I would have to really see

(29:39):
that it hasn't. You know, he's a twenty four year
old guy. You'd think you would have seen more of
that elsewhere in his career, even though he's had you know,
he had good numbers last year. You know, is Cohen
car that? I mean, yes, at the pro am you
see him, you know, draining guarded threes and and and
you know, doing a lot of stuff. But is he
somebody who you can build a offense around? You know,

(30:01):
I don't know. So, you know, I think Jackson Cohler
could come a weapon from three point land and if
he's good inside and he's still an elite rebound, that's
a really really good player. Cam Ward could be as
a freshman, a real impact guy, and that could you know,
So there are a lot of guys Fears could can
you know, if he takes a step and can make
it all work, that's that's great. But yeah, I don't

(30:23):
know that there's that player. I think there might. I
think the collection around that guy might be better than
last year, But I don't know if there's that guy,
and so it's it's a different mold and whether and
and you know, whether the team specifically needs that player
or whether just having you know, six or seven guys
at a higher level is a way to have a

(30:44):
great season might be the better trick for them.

Speaker 5 (30:47):
Well, I think if this is maybe a lot to ask,
but I think if you see if Cohler, Fears and
Cohen a car take a step, then yeah, they're gonna
have a chance to compete with the conference style, I
would imagine because they were in their own ways good
last year. You know, the last time we saw Coler
play he was. He was unguardable on the block right

(31:10):
against game. Yeah, he really didn't should and you know
that that wasn't even the three. Didn't even look the
three point shooting, which I think will take even another step.
Car is the one though, Well here's in Car the
ones to me though, right, if those two guys can
take a step, especially Fears, because you figured Car kind

(31:30):
of is, and then they're gonna have a chance to
compete for that Pick ten title, I would imagine, because
they got a lot of nice as you just pointed
out pieces around, they got some depth and yeah they
got they got they got some size, right, you know,
I think, uh, maybe they'll maybe they'll surprise us again.
You know, I like I like the Why can't I
think of the big center in the middle all of

(31:53):
a sudden, Yeah, yeah, Cooper might get this a touch better.
He was a good defensive player last year.

Speaker 6 (32:00):
Yeah, no, they have there is no you know what
they don't have this year. I don't look at them
at any point say, boy, there's a spot that's really
you know, going in you're worried about being weak. You know,
I think they're pretty, but they should be pretty sound
throughout and have a lot of different intriguing line after.
We just don't know what they're going to be. You know,
I cam wore the freshman winds up being somebody who
has to be on the court. That impacts where you

(32:21):
play Kohler and who's at the five and the three
and how everything looks that. You know, if Trey Ford
winds up being a guy that you need to have
on the court and you're still looking to play Kirtang
and all these other guy like all of a sudden,
you know, you get do you play smaller? Do you
see you know a guy like Cohen Carr still spend
some time at the four. I think all that stuff
still way up in the air, depending on on how guys,

(32:44):
how guys develop. Sean you just me too is shooting right?
Maybe maybe that pops hundred percent. I think that they're
counting on they're counting on him being I think he
might have if he had had a role last year,
I think we would have seen more that it's hard
to come in, you know, tinety seconds every other game
and shoot well, and I think he'll have.

Speaker 5 (33:05):
I was just gonna say you this last thought is
for your your listeners. They they like their team. Yeah,
I've been told in a way that and you know,
and they're they're pretty realistic about that kind of stuff, right, So.

Speaker 6 (33:18):
Generally, Yeah, they've only been a couple of years where
ISO really missed and but it's it's very rare that
he doesn't have and that staff doesn't have a good
pulse on what what they've.

Speaker 5 (33:28):
They like their team. I think they I think they've
been pleasantly surprised with what they've seen in parts of
the summer. Yeah, that's that's what I've heard a little
bit right the days like oh okay, yeah, yeah right,
so take that for what it's worth.

Speaker 6 (33:41):
Well, Sean, I can't wait to see you in the
press box next Friday. Well here, yep, it's gonna be good.
It's gonna be fun. It's gonna be funnier.

Speaker 5 (33:50):
I think we didn't even talk. We didn't even talk
about the lines. We'll do that. We'll do that down
the road.

Speaker 6 (33:54):
Yeah, we got plenty of time. Plenty of time for that.

Speaker 7 (33:56):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (33:57):
I appreciate the time. Man always loved chatting. It was
great to It's great to hang with you and your
boys the other night, and look forward to chatting soon.

Speaker 5 (34:04):
Always a pleasure. And I hope Jason has composed himself
at this point. I had a chance to settle down.

Speaker 6 (34:09):
He's good over there. Yeah he's back. Yeah, he's back
in control.

Speaker 5 (34:13):
Thanks man, good, all right, take care. Talk to you
guys soon.

Speaker 6 (34:17):
Sean Winder from the Detroit Free Press with the word
taint throwing the interview and it was like his voice,
the whole thing.

Speaker 2 (34:24):
It was just perfect. Yeah it was, yeah, it was.
It wasn't on Mike, so you could, you know, you
have to say, I was dying over it was funny
to watch hear me because I love I love my
fifth grade you know what I find funny, So, you know,
I know, try to compose yourself.

Speaker 6 (34:42):
He's an underrated storyteller.

Speaker 7 (34:44):
You know.

Speaker 2 (34:45):
That's what I hear. Yeah, that's what I hear. He's
going on in the mL podcast telling other stories. Because
I hear it. It bleeds through with the Drew Lane
podcast that I love because they those guys know Sean.
So I do hear some of the stories and I'm like, wait.

Speaker 6 (34:58):
What he told me? A really funny story about, you know,
being a a high school senior and having a girlfriend
who was a freshman in college who you're trying to
like hang onto that relationship and then you know he's, oh,
yeah he showed up once to surprise her. Not a
good idea. She was hooking up with a deaf guy
who lived next story.

Speaker 2 (35:14):
Yeah, yeah, didn't he tell that?

Speaker 6 (35:16):
Or yeah, okay, okay, yeah, so yeah, I know.

Speaker 2 (35:18):
I'm always fascinated by like when you guys hang out
and when you announced that you guys hung out, and
then they're like, he was like, I don't know if
you want to tell that story. You were telling stories.
I'm like, what could he possibly because you on the
show you say everything off the top of your head
pretty much, right. I was like, oh, okay, yeah, just
that story. Yeah, he's done that before. It's a classic
couch story.

Speaker 6 (35:38):
Yeah no, there there are probably a few things he's
I'm probably say, drinking. It's the couch drinking game. If
he's told that story, you take a shot. What's amazing
is we're out and it's Rex Rod's middle son or
middle child is a freshman at Michigan State. Now is eighteen.
You know Sean Windsors at the bar. Windsor's two boys

(35:59):
are you know, well in the their twenties and it's
it's just get there there. Yeah, and it's you know,
it was good. It was a good crew. It's good
to see that crew. It was fun. So the before
we get to Harry too, I will have a piece
coming out I believe tomorrow morning.

Speaker 5 (36:15):
No.

Speaker 6 (36:15):
No, but I said no, I said, I sat down
with Jonathan Smith yesterday. So there was some some good
stuff there. I I the things I will say that
that stuck out. He did. He did. He did talk
about the receivers a little bit. And I think he
really believes that they have a chance to have a

(36:36):
great one two punch there and and be the kicking
game Mary Kelly and and uh and Nick Marsh kicking coach.
I think the offensive line, they're realistic. He likes that group.
But it's not yet like the best they had at
Oregon State. It's not like outlets like how how far
from the best at Oregon State? Why do we didn't
get into like, you know, can you rate this on

(36:57):
a one to ten, get a sliding scale.

Speaker 2 (36:59):
See that's where you need Matt c like Jordan Hudson
with a Bill Belichick interview. Yeah, right just over there,
you know, checking your questions.

Speaker 6 (37:06):
And he did and I was talked him about the
Michigan game last year and he talked about some of
the regrets of different things and play calling and other stuff,
but he also just the feel you get and the
arrogance of that place is how we put it. So
he used the word arrogance or the phrase arrogance of
that place and talking about Michigan, which I think a
Michigan fans will enjoy. So that'll be at the LSJA
and we can you know, talk about that more with

(37:26):
the groovy donate Twitter questions this this Friday, So we
are going to take a quick break and we come back.
We'll have Harry Gagnan, we'll do our NFL fure NFL
and College football Futures Bets, Couching the Roup. Our Wednesday
show presented by our friends at Front forty three Neighborhood
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(40:10):
their menu, to place in order, whatever it may be.
Very pleased now to be joined by our friend, the
great Harry Gagnan. This is my This warms my heart.

Speaker 2 (40:19):
I just hung up on Harry.

Speaker 6 (40:20):
Did you hang up on heretch? Jesus stretch, Stretch, the panic?
The okay more, Front forty three and Casking Company. If
you've never been, trust me, you will, you will absolutely
love it. One of the things I always talk about
the bar and the sports set up on the Front
forty three side. Sometimes I like the Casking Company side
just as much. It's just it's a it's one of

(40:41):
those square bars where you're kind of around the bartender.
The TV setups they're great. They'll put on whatever you
want there. The TVs don't overtake the restaurant too, but
you can see everything which is which is phenomenal. So
that is Front forty three and Casking Company. Now after
Jason Rudley hung up on Harry, Sorry, dude, we are
grateful to have our favorite man back. Harry. How you doing, brother,

(41:05):
good good better now.

Speaker 2 (41:06):
That you're wonderful?

Speaker 6 (41:07):
Yeah, yeah, we got twinkle toes over there. Work in
the work in the working board.

Speaker 7 (41:12):
So yeah, Jason, Jason can't wait till the golf them all.

Speaker 5 (41:15):
He's preoccupied.

Speaker 2 (41:17):
Hell yeah, dude, I'm going to live Detroit on Saturday.
I can't wait to be in that vibe. That's gonna
be wild. So yeah, man, sorry I hung up on you,
my bad dude. Yeah no, no mgs by the way,
that's the problem. No MG is going when I look
forward to hearing what you think of it, because this is,
you know, obviously you have the Rocket Mortgage event that
you were.

Speaker 6 (41:36):
In the Rocket Classic Rock Classic, change the name. Sorry,
and then you've got to live tour, and like how
different those two events are. I'm curious your your your thing? Wow,
it's obvious already with the music. I already find it
when I tune into a live event, like I already
get into the old guy, Like, yeah, I don't like
this music, you know, but I do when I'm playing.

Speaker 2 (41:55):
When I'm playing, I love, you know, having some music
on because I don't, you know, silence absolute kills me,
especially with my golf game. So you know, I would
love the music. But it's gonna be wild. Are you
a Hull Report? Next Monday?

Speaker 6 (42:07):
Are you allowed to go there with like a girlfriend
or something like that. I mean, it's why my wife,
that's fine, But I'm just saying it's a Saudi owned event,
so like, are you allowed to go there un married?

Speaker 2 (42:16):
You know, like I got to be covered?

Speaker 5 (42:18):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (42:18):
Right, and that's why that's what I always wonder about this. Sorry,
I know your angle couch.

Speaker 2 (42:22):
Sorry, make sure I think Teresa is going with me
on Saturday, so I'll make her wear a whole thing.

Speaker 6 (42:28):
Yeah, yeah, make sure she covers the ankles. That's us
all the task.

Speaker 5 (42:33):
Okay, what about your girlfriend? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (42:35):
Yeah, fully exposed the wife, she's got to wear a
full thing. Yeah, girlfriends get to wear shorts.

Speaker 6 (42:43):
All right. Well, this is the show I've been looking
forward to. We we I thought what we'd do is
sort of like we did with the golf Majors. We'd
sort of music, we go around and give our the
things we're either betting on or we really like for
college football or NFL futures. And you know, Harry and
Jason also have golf plays. We'll get to as well.

(43:05):
But let's let's let's do that and we'll just go Jason,
Harry and then me. If that works Jason, do you want.

Speaker 2 (43:10):
To I only have like four, I have four in
a golf bet. I'm just doing college. I'm gonna listen
to your guys NFL picks, but here are my college.
Just give it the first I'm all right the first
one here. I gotta say. I keep gravitating boys back
to Nebraska. I know the over under is seven and
a half and that's minus one fifty, but what's intriguing

(43:31):
is the plus nine hundred to make the playoff. And
with Nebraska has new offensive coordinator, my guy, Dana Holgerson.
I've won some money with Dana. I love his offenses,
Dylan Reyola, you know the Patrick Mahomes wanna be guy
and Matt Rule Harry in his third year. You know
Matt rule in his third year. Eleven and three with Baylor,
ten and four with fucking Temple. He did it with Temple.

(43:53):
They should start three to zero in September twenty at
that home versus Michigan will show us who they really are.
But we can't wait to bet that long. They got
the thirteenth easiest schedule. They avoid Ohio State and Oregon
with a bye week before they go on the road
to Penn State. I gotta say I gotta sprinkle a
little little on that plus nine hundred to make the playoff.
And I really like the over seven and a half.

(44:14):
I just think there's too much juice. I think I
waited too long to get that. But Nebraska, I keep
gravitating towards back to those guys game. Harry, you like
Nebraska as well. That's one of the things, the one
of the one of the games you are futures you
really like as well.

Speaker 7 (44:30):
Yeah, I'll lead with that. Jay, you stole a lot
of my thunder there. But I definitely do believe in
the cornhouts because this year over seven and a half
wins you mentioned, I think, you know, they get Michigan
at home on September twentieth. That's the game that can
really get this program back. Michigan has a ton of

(44:50):
off the field issues, so that could be a game
that they're really looking to win. You know, they got
to the bowl game, finally got to a bowl game
last year, so they got that uh monkey off their back.
And now I think, like you mentioned, they don't get
Ohio State or Oregon, which is pretty big. Rayola completed
sixty seven percent of his passes last year, and they

(45:12):
did lose six games last year, but five of those
were one score games. So yeah, I'm gonna go. I'm
gonna ride with you here on Nebraska. Good season here
for Rule and his Corn Hoskers. I'm gonna go over
seven and.

Speaker 6 (45:24):
A half wins, all right, I'm gonna I'm gonna play
Homer here because I think people will like this Michigan
State over five and a half, there is some juice
to it. Depending on what book you're at, it's one
forty to one fifty minus one forty to minus one fifty.
I just think they're gonna get to six or seven,
and maybe they could beyond that, but six or seven
to be and I understand that a lot of there's

(45:45):
a lot of variables in their schedule in terms of
other teams that have over unders of seven and a
half or better, including Nebraska, and so there's a lot
of tough games out there. I just think they have
enough juice in the playmakers. They have the type of
team that wins you games here and there. I don't
know if it'll be consistent, but I think they will
win somewhere that maybe you don't expect it and even

(46:06):
a team like Penn State, who everybody thinks is the
best team in the country. Michigan State has a decent
history against them at home. They get them at home,
they get Michigan at home, and we'll see what Michigan is.
Are they playing a freshman quarterback at that point, we'll
see what USC is on the road. The plan is
to go out there two days in advance. It's something
Jonathan Smith said. I mean, they learned from last year

(46:26):
on that a little bit. I just think I think
they've got a They won five games last year and
it fell apart, and they've just got a better, deeper
squad or a more experienced quarterback, better receivers. Like to me,
the idea that they wouldn't win one more game when
you don't have the back to back Oregon Ohio State
on the schedule like they did last year. I think
over five and a half is a great play. Obviously,

(46:46):
I'm not going to play it because I'm covering the team,
but I would tell people this year, wait to go
hurd Street. Sorry, I would tell people this year that
is a that is a that is a great play
this year, and you don't get that every year. Some
years the team gets over eighted on. This is a
year I think they're being a little underrated.

Speaker 2 (47:01):
I think it would be great though, if you did
gamble on it, so that way we could kind of
read the tea leaves when you're in your columns. If
they had a loss or something like that, you kind
of read through. That would be a trouble, big trouble.
By the way, we didn't really go over these beforehand,
So I'm sorry if I blow Harry's. Next one, I
guess because mine are so great. Uh, next one boys,
Clemson nine and a half the over again. I guess

(47:23):
there's some juice probably with that. But year three for
club Nick, I don't know. Are we gonna sit there?
Maybe you sprinkle a little bit on Heisman for this guy, Harry,
Do you trust Dabbo? He's won double digit game the
win totals for the thirteen of the last fourteen seasons.
In twenty twenty three he went nine and four. So
the nine and a half, I gotta jump all over that.
He's got some big guys coming in there, got some

(47:45):
guys coming back. Love Dabo. Nine and a half.

Speaker 6 (47:48):
That's good. I like, I do like Clemson. They got
a lot back. I got a lot back, Harry, what
you got?

Speaker 7 (47:54):
Well, how about this one, guys, I found this one.
You can do this. It's a parlay. You can and
pay minus one ten for Clemson and Penn State both
to win at least ten games. Now, I'll start with
Clemson and Davos squad. You mentioned quarterback Kid Clubton to
come back. He had a plus thirty touchdown to pick

(48:17):
ratio last year. Wide receiver Antonio Williams had eleven of
club Knick's thirty six touchdowns. Clemson doesn't have to worry
about Carson Beck and the Miami Hurricanes on their schedule,
and they have LSU, which is gonna be a tough
one to start the season. But they have LSU, SMU,
and Florida State all at home this year. So give

(48:38):
me Clemson to win at least ten games. With Penn
State eleven wins last year for James Franklin, and he's
had ten or more every year since twenty twenty two.
Penn State returns practically everybody a pallor, and in the
running back position you get Singleton and Allen both back.

(49:00):
Non conference is a cake schedule for Penn State. This
year and they get Oregon at home. They owe them
one for the Big Ten Championship game. You know, Oregon
down a lot of players, you know, in terms of
I think it's going to be kind of a down
season number. A couple of weeks ago, I gave them
under ten and a half to you guys, So Penn

(49:20):
State and Clemson both to win at least ten games
pays minus one ten.

Speaker 6 (49:26):
I like it. I like it a lot. Actually, at
one point, my next one is gonna be Northwestern over
three and a half. But the juice on this has
gotten unbearable. At one point. This is a great bet,
the idea that they weren't going to somewhere get that
fourth win. I was like that they're going to get there,
and what's the juice on it?

Speaker 5 (49:41):
Now?

Speaker 6 (49:41):
It's minus two forty. Some places can't do it, can't
do it? That is That is the stunning thing is
some places they've actually risen the line. But you can
still so long, you can still find places that will look.
I'm gonna give you an NFL one and another Homer pick.
I I love the Lions over ten and a half
at plus money. Hell yeah yeah.

Speaker 2 (49:59):
By Gita Jared.

Speaker 6 (50:02):
I mean you're talking plus one fifteen. I don't love
the win the division is only like plus one thirty five,
which doesn't make sense because you could you could win
eleven games and still not win the division. In so
to me, based on the value, the value is over
ten and a half. And I just think, you know, look,
this seam won fifteen games last year. I don't think
they're gonna be worse. They may, you know, have a

(50:22):
few things not bounce their wag during the season, but
I can't imagine the injury luck is any worse unless
something happens to like Jared Goff or something. But ten
and a half to me to get to eleven. The
Lions are sort of like you know, and I know
Harry hates the Chiefs, but the Chiefs are one of
those teams. There have been a couple of years where
they're over under's just been too low. It's a They're
a really good football team, There's no question of that.
And I think nationally there is not faith in that yet.

(50:44):
But this is still a really good football team, very
much in a super Bowl window. The idea they don't
get to eleven wins, I think is absurd, And you
get plus money on it. So I really like the
Lions plus one fifteen to get to above ten and
a half.

Speaker 2 (50:56):
At a boy, it's about time you're coming around in
the Lions.

Speaker 7 (50:59):
All right, say this, guys. If I can't, I do believe.
I saw a little earlier today that the Super Bowl
logo came out and the colors, and you know how
everyone and I'm one of them, farist that you know,
whatever the colors are means that you know, the NFL
season has been scripted, and those teams that match the

(51:20):
colors go to the Super Bowl and it's happened like
four or five years in a row, so with a thing.
So that being said, it's like a different type of blue.
So look, I think maybe we're looking at Bill's Lions.

Speaker 2 (51:34):
M oh, I thought you were going to go with
Taylor Swift route where the Chiefs were somehow going to
get back there.

Speaker 6 (51:38):
And I don't think, Harry.

Speaker 7 (51:41):
I can't. I can't, I can't be.

Speaker 5 (51:43):
I can't stomach that.

Speaker 2 (51:43):
I can't stomach it.

Speaker 7 (51:45):
I mean her her being on their podcasts. I couldn't stomach,
let alone another super Bowl.

Speaker 5 (51:49):
The Chiefs.

Speaker 2 (51:50):
Oh, my wife loved it, absolutely loved it, all right, boys.
You know what else is scripted. Brett Bielima will let
you down gambling wise, and that's why Illinois I'm taking
the under seven and a half wins at plus one fifty.
I just don't trust Luke Altmeyer and Brett Beilama Ohio State, Washington,
USC and Indiana on the road. I know some of
those teams, we don't know what they're gonna be, but
those are still big road games. Altmeyer had a few

(52:13):
good games last year, but that was Nebraska, Michigan State
a little bit perdue. But what do you do against
Penn State, Oregon and South Carolina very very mediocre. I
just think they're getting a lot of offseason hype because
of the record they had last year. Again, you have
to remember this is Brett Bielama, right, So I'm taking
the under seven and a half.

Speaker 6 (52:34):
What you got, Harry, I'm.

Speaker 7 (52:37):
Hitting my pros now guys, and I'm gonna say I'm
gonna start with my hometown here, Arizona Cardinals. I'm gonna
go with Tyler Murray under twenty and a half touchdown
passes at minus one fourteen. That looks you know, Terrey
mcbriden might be the best tight end in the NFL
right now, I had over I think he had one

(52:57):
hundred and twelve receptions last year and Murray could only
find him one time in the end zone.

Speaker 5 (53:03):
Crazy.

Speaker 7 (53:04):
He's had numerous injuries, injuries Murray has in the past
three years. He's averaged twelve games play the season in
the last three years in Arizona and just fifteen touchdown
passes over those last three seasons. I'm gonna go under
twenty and a half.

Speaker 5 (53:20):
For Kyler Murray.

Speaker 6 (53:23):
Yeah, Kyler Murray is just a hard guy to trust.
Its just a really hard I do like watching him run, though, Yeah,
it's fun to watch him run a little guy. Yeah, No,
I'm with you. I got one more college one that
I kind of like, and I hated it. Joel Klatte
light like this too. It made me not like it.
But I'm gonna kind of like when you like one
of mine him, like, ah, Yeah. I like Washington over

(53:45):
seven and a half wins. I think the West Coast schools,
while it's tough coming east, you know, last year was
a real shocker for those guys, and I think that
that will be I don't know, They're just still gonna
be a little more used to it. They'll handle it better,
they'll travel better. You know, they do have they have
some tough games at home, you know, Ohio State at home.
But we're talking getting over seven and a half. Right.

(54:08):
The game that's probably gonna determine whether they get over
there is or Illinois at home at Washington October twenty fifth,
and obviously that weekend a lot of people will be
paying attention to Michigan Michigan State around these parts. But
that'll be a big game for the over Washington's at
Michigan October eighteenth. I think that's a tough game for Michigan,
go either way. I just I think they've got a

(54:28):
real shot there. Late in the year, they're at UCLA,
who I don't think it's gonna be very good host
Oregon and the year we'll see where that goes. But
I think to get over seven and a half. They
don't play anybody in the non conference that you go, oh,
they do have the Apple Cup, but Colorado stay at home.
You see Davis at home Maryland pretty early on in
the calendar on the road, first road trip. They ought
to be able to win that game. As long as

(54:49):
they beat Maryland on the road. I think they go
over over seven and a half. I gave you some
music just to be that one out, Thank you, sir.

Speaker 2 (54:59):
All right, here here's the one that I'm not too
high on. But when I was crushing tape, I just
wanted your guys opinion because I was sitting there going like, ah,
I just don't know. And it's Wisconsin and the over
unders five and a half, and we all know that Wisconsin.
It all depends on their running game because the stats
are off the charts when they run the ball thirty
five plus times a game. I just don't know if
Wisconsin can do that. Their schedules brutal at Bama, at Oregon,

(55:22):
and at Michigan. But do you think I just think
that they can squeeze six wins out of that, right?

Speaker 6 (55:29):
I don't know. I don't think they're gonna be very
good this year. No, the schedule's tough. I'm really down
on really well, I'm really down on Wisconsin. I don't, Yeah,
I'm not. That's why I was throwing it out there.
I need you guys to help me with somebody. Yeah,
I wouldn't. I wouldn't. I wouldn't play there. Yeah, I
wouldn't be there, all right, Harry, you got anything else?

Speaker 5 (55:48):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (55:48):
I got two more. I'm gonna still in the NFL.
I'm gonna go Brack Powers of the Raiders over one
twenty five receiving yards at minus one fourteen. Look, he
was a stud at Georgia and was a stud in
his rookie season in Vegas. Had one hundred and twelve
receptions almost twelve hundred yards in seventeen games last year

(56:10):
with Bums at quarterback. Now he's got Gino Smith throwing
in the ball and a competent head coach in Pete Carroll.
Gino last three years in Seattle averaged four thousand yards
a season. Give me powers over one thy twenty five
receiving yards. And also, I got this one. Love this one.
Chase Brown ex Line nine for the Bengals now over

(56:35):
eight hundred and seventy five and a half rushing yards
was ten yards short of one thousand and second year
last season. The Bengals offense is loaded and may put
up records. It's so good this year since he Dumpszack
Moss after one year, so this is Brown's year. Brown's
team in the backfield for the Bengals Chase Brown over

(56:58):
eight hundred and seventy five and a half rushing yards.

Speaker 6 (57:02):
That's awesome. I'll be on beyond all that writing, writing
these things down as we speak, all right, my, the
last thing I really have in the NFL. There are
a couple of things, A couple of things I like.
I like the Texans over nine and a half, and
I like their defense. Obviously, I like Stroud. I know
there's some questions up front, but I like the division
they're in too. I mean, I think I think getting

(57:23):
to ten wins in a seventeen game schedule for the
Texans giving their I just I really like it, I
really do. I think that's I think that's a great play.
The the other thing that I'm I'm I've gone back
and forth on this a little bit, but at one
point I was I was much higher than I than
I am than I am today. I strangely like, well,

(57:48):
now you know, I'm gonnay. I was a Colts bet.
I don't want to stay away from that. I'm nervous
about the Colt Ross. I think the Colts roster is decent,
and the fact that they went away from Richardson at
quarterback now makes me a little nervous. They know, but
they just got to get over seven and a half
with what I think is a pretty good, pretty good roster. Otherwise,
I don't know. I could see them getting eight wins.
I like the Broncos over it's minus one oh five
over nine and a half. I think they have a

(58:08):
really good year. I think I believe in Sean Payton.
I believe in that defense. Give me the Broncos over
nine and a half. That's the other one I really
like in the in the NFL, you guys also have one.

Speaker 2 (58:21):
I got one more. Oh yo, I got one more.

Speaker 6 (58:23):
I got one more.

Speaker 2 (58:24):
And I know because Harry hates Andy Reid with a passion,
and I have the same hatred and same passion for
my hatred with Kirk Farrence and Iowa. I despise Kirk
Farrence and Iowa. I think he screwed the Iowa fans
over for all these years of getting to ten wins,
but never like sniffing close to a national championship in
the Iowa over under seven and a half. Give me

(58:45):
the under like I'm intrigued by Mark Gronowski, the transfer
from South Dakota State, everything I've read about Iowa is
the Kirk Farance is gonna let his offensive coordinator, new
offensive coordinator Tim Lester has run some run pass options
with this guy. I don't believe it. He's the most conservative.
Kirk Farrance is the most conservative, boring offensive mind in

(59:05):
college football history. So give me the under. I just
don't buy that Kirk Farans is going to let this
guy do some run pass options. He's going to run
the ball, run the ball, run the ball, and maybe
let this guy throw. The guy's throwing for over ten
thousand yards at South Dakota State. So give me the
under seven and a half.

Speaker 6 (59:22):
That's a spike bet a little bit. I can feel it.
I can feel the anger. That's an anti Scott document.
But yeah, yeah, I love Scott doctrman hate Kirk Farrins. Gotcha, gotcha.
You guys have a couple of golf plays yourself too, Jason,
what do you got there?

Speaker 2 (59:36):
Yeah, I'm just going one this week with the Tour championship.

Speaker 6 (59:40):
Harry, I just too. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (59:42):
You know you can do these bets, ludvig Abart, Now
you can do these. There is a win without category,
meaning you could do a win without Scottie Scheffler, which
means Ludvig a Bert could come up in second to
Scotty Scheffler. You still win. That's eleven to one. Also,
you can take him an eighteen to one, which I'm
sprinkling on to win this Tour Championship. By the way,

(01:00:03):
if he wins, he wins the whole Church Tour Championship.
Even though Scottie Scheffler's won all these things. It's kind
of ridiculous, but I think you get some value, Harriet,
eighteen to one.

Speaker 6 (01:00:12):
What do you got?

Speaker 7 (01:00:13):
Yeah? I hear you. And Scheffler. Uh, you know last
week was plus when we talked with when we gave
out plus two fifty to sixty, I hit a little
bit on that and now he's at plus one fifty.
Also last week, if you guys remember, I gave out
that Thursday Only parlay which hit, which was a winner.

(01:00:35):
So I'm gonna give another Thursday Only round parlay. I'm
gonna start here with I'm gonna take in this pace
plus two eighty five. Guys, I'm gonna go with Patrick
Cantlay over Corey Connors. Cory Conners finished last week really rough,
shot an eighty on Sunday, can't lay I did kind
of like last week didn't really materialize into what he

(01:00:58):
can do. So I'm gonna give can play another chance,
can't lay over Connors. I'm gonna take Andrew Novak over
to Keegan Bradley again that parlot based two eighty five.
Novak first time in the top thirty, playing in the tournament.
He's basically playing with house money here. Keegan Bradley better
player obviously, but you know, with the Ryder Cup coming up,

(01:01:20):
he's got a lot to think about whether he's gonna
keep himself on that team or not. Just on Thursday,
give me, like I said, playing with house money, give
me Andrew Novak over Keegan Bradley. Thursday only with can't
lay over Connor's plays plus two eighty five and also
top Englishman Justin Rose at plus two p eighty. There's

(01:01:40):
only two other guys. There's your guy, Jason, your boy
Harry Hall, who played real well last week finished sixth,
and Tomas Leet would again top ten last week, couldn't
get it done as usual, but at plus two to
eighty Justin Rose He's at a couple of tournaments in
the last few weeks where he's been right up there.

(01:02:01):
So at plus two to eighty when you only got
to beat two other guys and a guy who does
have a major compared to the other two guys who
don't give me Justin Rose at plus two eighty.

Speaker 6 (01:02:10):
Top Englishman, Harry. You also have a Premier League bet
for this week just for Jason.

Speaker 5 (01:02:19):
I did this.

Speaker 7 (01:02:20):
I did this for Ja, right, I did this. I mean,
obviously I know you love him, Graham and you appreciate
it and everything, but this is for Ja. Maybe Jai'll
even maybe throw maybe maybe Jai'll throw twenty out. It's
just for the heck of it. But I'm gonna go
brent Wood and aston Villa over two and a half.
You gotta lay one thirty year. Brentford's defense last week
and week one was awful. They give up three goals

(01:02:43):
four goals in that match overall, and no Villa didn't score,
So that gives me. You know, I'm thinking they're gonna break,
break free and get at least one in this matchup
against Brentford, who was terrible, like I said last week
defensively and four of their last five meetings these two
have three goals or more and in three of those

(01:03:05):
four there's been four goals or more. So give me
over two and a half. Brentford and Ashton Villa.

Speaker 6 (01:03:12):
Yeah, I think villas. Brentford, you know, lost a lot
and their team. That's my only concern with Brentford. But
I agree you don't like it, Couch.

Speaker 5 (01:03:19):
I like it.

Speaker 2 (01:03:19):
I like that.

Speaker 6 (01:03:20):
I'm hammered. I would have loved Brentford if this was
last year, I would have loved brent But I still
like it. I still like it over. I don't believe
in Brentford's defense either, so I think it's a good
a good play. Yeah, I'll I am. I'm still working
on this weekend. I Friday, I'll do what I'm betting.

Speaker 2 (01:03:33):
On pressing tape.

Speaker 6 (01:03:35):
But hold if people who hear the show in time
for tonight's League's Cup quarterfinals matchups between MLS and and
in the League MX, there's some I I love the
Mexican sides tonight. I usually do. I hate hate the
MLS teams, but at the restaurant, T grays U N
l U over enter Miami and they are plus one

(01:03:57):
seventy five on the money line. Now that they got
to win the tie loses, but you can get them
is a on the Asian line, so to speak. Uh
pick them half, pick them half plus one and a
half or minus one twenty five. You can get pick
them money in other words, pretty good. So you tie,
you get your money back. I like Teluca minus one
twenty at to pick them against against Orlando. Uh uh uh.

(01:04:20):
And that's in California, So don't even have to don't
even have to win the game. You get your money back.
To win the game, you win, you win your money.
I think that's a great play. And Pachuca pick them
minus one thirty five at l A Galaxy. I think
Patchuka is just a better team. There's the top of
league max right now. There are three games tonight. I
really really like u in in the League's Cup.

Speaker 5 (01:04:41):
And so why don't we just Teluca?

Speaker 7 (01:04:44):
Why don't we just parlow that.

Speaker 2 (01:04:45):
Pachuka and Teluca. And if you wrote you wrote down
all of couches picks correctly, you get a gift card.

Speaker 6 (01:04:52):
That's right, that's right. Well do you keep those straight? Yes,
it all pays the same, right, that's that's Harry. You are.
You're a beautiful, beautiful man. Look forward to talking football
with you every week, man, see your brother.

Speaker 7 (01:05:04):
Awesome guys, take care, have have fun. Do you live Jay,
have a good time.

Speaker 6 (01:05:08):
Yep, I'll talk to you the great Harry gag N Man,
it's good to hear his voice. That was fun go around.
There's some good picks there from him as well. We
will be back on Friday. Friday, groovy don at Twitter questions.
We'll also Yeah, I'll give you my Premier League bets
presented by our friends fire Keepers and the fire Keepers
Casino Sportsbook app on Friday. We appreciate Front forty three

(01:05:31):
and Casting Company, the original, the Ogs of Counting, the sponsors,
the originals. They believed in us before we even believed
in ourselves, and really there's really no reason to believe
in us now, but we nonetheless, they've stuck with us
all this time. Thank you guys as always for listening.
Thanks to Shawn Windsor as well. We will talk to
you Friday. Good show man, Y Couching the group