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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Times celebrate the previous team sport known to man, where
(00:03):
modern day gladiators collide for all the glory on the grid.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Ie, let's talk some college football a lot Cougar Sports
with Ben.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Crittle, Welcome back to Cougar Sports here on one O
three point nine and ninety eight point three ESP and
the fan Ronald the three Man Weaver here holding it
down for Ben Credel Brett Hammer of the Believe In
BYU Networking podcast. Here by my Side'm gonna get into
That's why you heard the music a college football segment.
(00:32):
Football drives the Ship, Brian Santiago said it, so that
means we're gonna keep it locked in. We are always
going to talk college football here on your Cougar Sports
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They're located at one ninety eight South eleven hundred East,
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six zero three six zero dental prosof Utah dot Com. Okay,
let's welcome in a guy that's great. You can listen
to him from six to ten am on ninety five
(01:36):
and ninety five point seven FM on KCMO Kansas City Talks.
We got the one only Pete Mundo on the line. Pete,
thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I appreciate you guys, Thanks so much.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Absolutely, Pete. Before we get into it, get caught up
on you. How is the season off season? The work
been for you lately this past year of college athletics.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Well for us, you know running Heartland College Sports and
that's where people can find all of our Big twelve content.
The radio show is more of a of a news
show that I do separately, but Heartland College Sports is
all the college football that we're covering, especially in the
Big Twelve. And you know, for us it's listen, we
got softball coverage right now, Texas Tech's heading none of
the super regionals. We got the Big twelve baseball tournament
(02:21):
this week. But as you guys know, it's always football season.
We got plenty of off season football content as well
that is coming your way. It's always updated on the website,
the podcast, and the YouTube show, and you know, for us,
for me in particular, as just a football junkie, I'm
always in football mode and that's what keeps me going
this time of year.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
I will never forget the first article when I was
first put onto Heartland College Sports. I remember it. I
have it pulled up right now. Oh, drafting Big twelve
football coaches, okay for an all bar fight team, Pete,
I don't know if you remember this article. This was
the first article I ever saw from Heartland College Sports.
And what I love about Heartland College Sports is that
(03:01):
it's a mix of its It balances like the barstool
fun aspect of just talking about sports with your friends,
but also the true journalist regular normal stuff. How would
you describe your brand? And do you remember this article?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I can guess which one of our guys wrote that article.
I know it wasn't me. But listen, that's what we've
tried to do. And we have kind of a mix
of writers where some guys are you know, straight news,
you know, just update you on everything going on in
the Big twelve as best as we can. And then
we've got you know, columnists who write weekly, bi weekly,
whatever it might be, and they're basically given free reign
(03:40):
to say, you know what entertain me, and that's ultimately
what we're in the business. And now you know, we're
not gonna have bikini photos on the website like barstool,
but you will try to be conversational. I mean, if
I get data saying I should do that, I'll do it.
But we don't really do that. So we try to
keep it straight Big twelve. But we have fun with it.
I mean, know, we're gonna let it rip, We're gonna
(04:01):
have opinions, We're gonna back this conference. But you know,
if people do dumb stuff around the league, coaches, athletic directors, players,
we're gonna call them out. Too, So that's been the goal.
You know, I've run this thing for ten years now
and it's it was a labor of love and now
it's become a nice business. As as our audience has
grown around Big twelve Country.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
It definitely has grown Big twelve Country. We'll get your
thoughts and takes on it. Obviously, not too long ago
our talks of expansion of the college football playoffs. The
Big twelve could get two automatic bids, there could there
would be three at largest, but the danger of that,
as we know the Big Ten the SEC wont four
automatic bids for both of their conferences. Pete, your thoughts
(04:41):
on that trajectory. Do you see it heading towards that
that the college FOOTBA playoffs will be expanded to sixteen teams?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Yeah, it's head in that way, and I think what
they're gonna end up doing is probably getting those first
round games, get rid of the buys, and do eight
games on home campuses. And obviously we're heading towards an
era of stacking them one to sixteen instead of giving
conference champions those buys. I get what they were going
for with that, but it just it didn't work, and
(05:09):
there's no to blame for that. They wanted to obviously
give some more emphasis on the championship games, but it
did create a fairly uneven bracket this past year, even
though Arizona State, which a lot of people were upset
with getting a buy, should have beaten Texas in that
game last year.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
So we're headed for sixteen. You know, I hate the
auto bid idea. I just think it's absurd.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
As much as I'll admit, yes, the SEC is better
at the top than the Big Twelve.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
As is the Big Ten.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
There is, especially in the Big Ten, a lot of
mediocrity to junk. When you get to the bottom half
of that conference, it's just undeniable. They're strong at the top,
but there's a major drop off. The SEC has more
strength and depth top to bottom, there's no doubt about it.
But the SEC and the Big Ten are getting greedy here.
They may actually end up hurting their own regular season
(05:58):
more so than the Big Twelve. If the Big Twelve
only gets two in their November games are going to
be enormously important. If the SEC is getting four auto bids,
why does an Alabama Old miss game in early November?
If they're both in the top ten matter if they
know they're both getting a bid, unless they just totally
collapse down the stretch. I know we're addicted to football,
but the best part of college football has always been
(06:20):
the regular season, and if you water that down too much,
which I think is where this is potentially trending, especially
for the SEC in the Big Ten, you could have
regular season problems on your hands. And that's always been
what has made this sport great. The regular season is
the best in all of American sports, and I just
don't want to lose that.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
That is not a take that I have heard from
any one, And as he was saying that, my brain
was just picking you know, Pete, that makes a lot
of sense. You really would dilute your regular season if
your top ten teams are all playing each other towards
the end. I want to ask you, though, College football
is interesting because it basically didn't change until we got
(07:02):
the BCS, and then for the BCS, we had that
for forever, and then year one of the twelve team playoff,
we're saying, Okay, we got to blow this thing up,
We've got to change it. It feels like college football
and college athletics really has changed exponentially more in the
last three years than it ever did in the last
one hundred. I do want to ask, though, to you,
(07:24):
because we're having so many conversations about change, what does
the ideal playoff situation look like in your eyes?
Speaker 1 (07:33):
I'd go to eight and leave it at eight and
not move off of it and have four games on
home campuses.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
I mean, college football, you talk about what makes it great.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
It's the regular season, it's the history, it's the pageantry,
it's the campus environment. And then you know, if they
want to do it the way they did with semifinals
and finals like they did under a four team playoff model,
I'm fine with that, but h your sweet spot number.
You get your comfort and champions in and if you
want to throw in one group of five and two
(08:04):
at larges, I would be absolutely fine. I guess it
would be three at large as in one group of
five that gets you to the number. I mean, the
reality is there's probably only eight teams, and that may
be a stretch in a given year that can actually
win the whole thing. I know more playoff games lead
to more money for the TV networks, but it's a
fine balance between watering down your regular season and having
(08:26):
a robust playoff. I mean, college basketball is now a
one month sport. Most people only care about it in
March madness. Most people, the vast majority of sports fans
are not watching any non conference college basketball unless it's
like a Duke North Carolina matchup in Maui, and then
you know, they start to check in after college football ends.
That's getting even later now to mid to late January,
(08:48):
and then you start to ramp up a little bit
in February.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
But it's become a one month sport.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
And that is something that college football has got to realize.
For all the greed, and I'm all about capitalism, but
too much greed can actually come back and hurt you.
And I just don't want to see that happen to
this sport. Which week one, you knew games had national
championship implications. Maybe that was too much under the old
BCS model, but we don't want to swing the pendulum
(09:13):
all the way to the other side.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Yeah, that's a good point when you bring that up,
of thinking of what games I was looking for to
watching the most in November. If you're gonna give those
teams automatic bids doing that, you're gonna dilute everything that
it used to be. I remember being a little kid
of watching Vince Young, right those games they mattered most.
And if you get rid of that landscape, speaking of
Vince Young, give the departure of those powerhouses, Tech Taklahoma,
(09:38):
they've been gone. I don't know if I've asked you this.
What programs are poised to be the new flag bearers
of the Big Twelve in football?
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Peat Well, Texas Tech feels like it's ready to pop.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
They obviously have the biggest.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
And most notable booster in the Big twelve and Cody Campbell,
who's supposed to be working with the Trump administration on
trying to figure out this craziness along with Nick Saban.
So you're seeing that with Tech in basketball, You're seeing
that with Tech in softball. Right now, you know they
are investing across the board. So from a just a
(10:13):
pure football perspective, Texas Tech would be right now at
the top of my list. It's amazing because a year
ago I might have said Oklahoma State with Mike Gundhy,
I might have said Utah. But I can't put either
of them anywhere near the top of that list. After
the seasons they had last year, So to me, Texas
(10:33):
Tech feels poised. I'm gonna throw Colorado in that group
as well, now that we know.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Dianna is hanging around.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
And I know some people may not like that, but
they have recruited out of the high school level as
well as almost anybody in the Big twelve. You look
at their high school recruiting numbers. They obviously are invested
in the portal as well in a tremendous way. They've
got the money, the resources are there, they'll invest. And
then I would put Arizona State on that list as well,
not just because of how last year went for him,
(11:01):
but Kenny Dillingham. I don't think we give this guy
enough credit. I know he's getting a lot of love,
but I don't think he's getting as much love as
he should for the turnaround there he's got. I believe
the best quarterback wide receiver duo in the Big twelve
this year two guys who could be top ten picks
next year in some mock drafts in Sam Levin and
Jordan Tyson. So I look at those three programs and
(11:22):
then Tier two, I would say it's Iowa State, It's
Kansas State, it's BYU, but my top tier for that,
you know, can they do it at a high level consistently?
Out of the Big Twelve would be Texas Tech, Colorado
and Arizona State.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
It's funny you bring up Arizona State because a year
ago Arizona State was picked to finish dead last in
the conference. What's weird about the Big Twelve is they
haven't had a team to win twice in the last
five years. It's just a tough conference to peg down.
Do you think that the title of this conference is
just that it's volatile and that's it. Or do you
(12:00):
think things will start to smooth out as conference realignment
smooths out or is this thing just going to be
chaos going forward.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Well, it's just impossible to know what happens with all
the nil stuff. I mean, if I could predict that,
I might be able to say, Hey, this is this
is what's going to happen. But if we continue with
the wild West atmosphere we're in, then basically whoever's got
stability and a big wallet is going to win out.
And you know, Colorado's got a wallet and they have
stability for now. With Dion, if there was a time
(12:30):
he was going to leave, it probably would have been
last offseason, so I think he's hanging around for at
least a little bit. Joey McGuire in Texas Tech, same
deal there. And I think that Kenny at his alma
mater is set for a while there at Arizona State
and they're taking care of him and they're taking care
of the staff. So it's really about that right now.
But if we settle into a place where suddenly the
(12:52):
playing field is equal when it comes to you know,
monetary the paying of the players, then it could be anybody.
Then it goes back to the old way of doing things.
Who's got the right coach, with the right staff, with
the right development, with the right strength coach, and those
things start to matter more. But in an era where
it's just like, hey, who's going to buy the best
(13:12):
players possible? And then also who can mold that team?
Which is an I think an underappreciated part of this
new job in college football. You've got forty to fifty
guys who have never played with each other before, putting
them together and making them a team is actually a
very different skill set than what college football has traditionally been.
So I think guys like Mike Gundhy are struggling with that.
(13:35):
Maybe you could say Kyle Whittingham a little bit is
struggling with that, but they had just so many injuries
last year.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
It's hard to tell.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
But some coaches will succeed in doing this model, some
coaches will fail miserably, and it still remains to be
seen who's going to do it really well and who's not.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
That's discussing by BYU. Last year, boor Way tie for
first place seven to two in the conference, finished eleven
and two over role. How do you feel like the
Cougars were fair this year? I think their wins were
I think it was seven and a half that they
were projected a f seven and a half win's he
taking over the under there. How do you think Kalani
(14:11):
Shataki and BYU will fare after that eleven and two season?
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Well, you know, I think with BYU they obviously were
kind of like Arizona State where they maybe not exceeded
expectations by that much. But we know two years ago
their first year in the Big twelve was not a
good one. Last year was obviously a huge jump and
a massive improvement, and I didn't see it coming. But
when you look at the Big Twelve standings, Colorado, Arizona State,
(14:37):
and BYU all picked the finish near the bottom, and
obviously they all basically finished at the top. So the
Big Twelve was more or less upside down. For BYU
this year, the schedule is fairly balanced, and you guys know,
and your audience knows as well as anybody, you know,
what they've got coming back. But I always look at, hey,
how does the schedule break down? Because now in the
(14:58):
Big Twelve with sixteen teams, you know, I had been
doing it for so many years in the Big Twelve
where it was a round robin with ten teams, and
every year you just rotated who you played at home
and who you played on the road, and it was
actually very easy because you didn't have to factor in
strength of schedule in the saying who's got a great
chance to win this league this year? And for BYU,
(15:18):
the schedule's pretty damn good. You open up with Colorado
on the road, and I like that there for BYU
because when you have a heavy transfer portal team and
you know Colorado's working in a new quarterback, you want
to get them in September not November. You get West
Virginia in that second Big twelve game, They've got fifty
players that are in in the transfer portal. These guys
(15:40):
are barely going to know each other's names by that game.
Then you go to Arizona, they're going to be I
think at the bottom of the Big twelve. And then
you're looking at that Utah game, and who knows. When
you have a rivalry game, it's always a toss up.
So right out of the gates you have three very
winnable games. The back end is where it gets tricky. Utah,
you go to Iowa State, you go to Texas Tech.
(16:00):
I think TCU is going to be in the mix
in November when they play YEP, and then it's on
the road of Cincinnati and then UCF. So it's that
middle four game stretch that will define the BYU season.
I think they'll be in the mix going into November,
and I could see that Texas Tech game in Lubbock
on November eighth be a game that could be one
(16:20):
of those knockout games in the Big twelve championship race
for the loser.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Last year, it was the same thing.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
We know that we know that that game in November,
Kansas was knocking out people, knocked out BYU, knocked out Colorado.
They were taking those bloats that Texas Tech verywell could
be the game.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
You bring up interesting point.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Brett and I both have discussed this and agree with
this that we discussed this on the podcast TCU and
Sonny Dykes. I saw an article of ESPN that Josh
Uber and crew and the backup I forgot his name,
good quarterback group coming back is TCU said they're going
to be in the mix. Do we see Sonny Dikes
and TCU just after a couple of seasons back in
(16:57):
the Big twelve title game this season?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Very possible.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
They're the team that to me is not getting enough
attention when it comes to the Big Twelve championship race.
I think they're going to have the top offense in
the Big twelve just based on pure statistics this year
under Sunny Dykes, under Josh Hoover, and they closed the
season strong last year. So the defense remains the question.
(17:22):
They brought in a new defensive coordinator last year and
it didn't really work out, but he's in year two.
It was a new scheme, so I'm intrigued to see
that side of the ball play out. If they get
that defense figured out and it just has to be
above average, I think TCU is going to be in
the Big Twelve title hunt late into the season. I
(17:42):
like what they've done. I love what they have coming back.
They had to retain Josh Houver. There was some thought
that maybe Tennessee was going to make a play for
him in the transfer portal.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
They kept them.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
So I'm high on TCU, and I think that when
you talk about the teams that are going to compete
for a Big Twelve title, TCU is the team that's
not getting enough credit.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
TCU is such a weird one because we really do
forget this was a team that was in the National
Championship and blew out Michigan in a first round playoff year.
It is weird how a narrative just kind of fill
off the map with TCU and Sandy Dykes is a
great coach. Speaking of great coaches, Pete, obviously we hold
Kalani Sataki in high regard around here. How do you
(18:23):
feel that Kilanie Sataki is held up amongst the rest
of the great coaches in this conference.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Well, I think he's highly respected and he should be
because listen, you guys know this as well as anybody.
He's basically got to play a different game with everything
he's got to, you know, deal with on the LDS
side of things. So it's just it's it's a not
a barrier in any way, that's the wrong word, but
(18:52):
it's just another element to recruiting and retaining players that
no one else has to deal with in the entire
conference and for the most part and all of power
for college football. So you know, it used to be
you recruit guys out of high school, you know what
the deal is. Coming in it's much more difficult. You know,
basketball it's easier because basketball you got ten twelve guys.
(19:15):
A lot of them are going to be there for
a year, maybe two if you get these top level
guys and they know the deal. But in football, you're
dealing with a different kind of athlete and a different
kind of player, and you've got to plan this stuff
out years in advance. And that's something that you know,
I think makes it a very unique situation. And if
he can make this program a year in, year out
(19:36):
competitor with all those things stacked up in some ways
against him in terms of what it takes to win
at a high level year and year out in college
football today, it will continue to be one of the
better coaching jobs in all of college football that probably
won't be appreciated at the level that it should.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Yeah, kilani Is, I don't want to say one arm
tie behind the back, but like you said, different barriers
and how you have to manage things. And that's why
at second year in the Big twelve was so dominant.
Well see what they do in the third lest transition
to some basketball. Pete obviously BYU basketball had a great
first year under Mark Pope before the staff disperse went
to be head coaches somewhere else. He went to Kentucky,
(20:13):
took Cody Figure with him, Jackson Robinson, such, Kevin Young
comes in, does a phenomenal job, twenty six wins in
that first year. As long as Kevin Young is the
head coach of BYU men's basketball, how do you see
the Cougars fairing out going forward?
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Well, I mean it's clear they're investing, right, I mean,
you know, you got to play it like AJ coming in.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
What more needs to be said?
Speaker 1 (20:34):
And if you combine what he did his first year
in the Big twelve, and you know what he can
do with this level of a talent going in the
next year. BYU, I think is better positioned to be
a year and year out powerhouse in basketball than it
is in football for some of the reasons that we
just discussed. So it's easier in basketball if you have
(20:56):
a guy like Kevin Young at the top running the program,
who knows the end and outs, who's also getting more
comfortable every day at this level, and they've got the
money to spend in this crazy world of nil, then
you know BYU is going to be there, and we're
going to be talking about BYU as a Big twelve
basketball powerhouse, and you're going to you know, be developing
this top tier in the Big twelve that could look
(21:19):
like some combination of Houston and Kansas and Iowa State
and BYU and Arizona, and I mean the list goes on.
Half this league in basketball is going to say, hey,
we're a top tier team in all of college hoops
in this conference. And that's just It's an amazing testament
to this league and what it produces in basketball that
(21:39):
I still believe is largely underappreciated around the sport.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
Pete I think we all agree Houston until you dethrone them,
they are the number one. Do you feel with what
BYU brings in with Aj Debonta, that Rob Wright, the
transfer portal and others, Richie Saunders comes back. Is BYU
the favorite in your eyes to compete with Houston for
the big title this year?
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Oh yeah, not even close. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
You know, Iowa State fans may not like that, and
actually I think Kansas fans will accept it. Kansas fans
and I'm here in Kansas City, they are I don't
want to say they're down on Bill self, but it
has been by KU standards, a really rough not just
one year, but two years now back to back, so
they're losing some of that luster. Bill self has not
done a great job navigating this new world of college basketball,
(22:28):
and that's a whole other conversation as to why. But yeah,
I mean, Houston deserves that top spot right now in
this conference. But if you're looking at that number two,
who's best poise to take him on? It's BYU. And
then the conversation would go from there.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
Do you think there's any way if I mean, what
would Kansas Because there's obviously whispers outside of Kansas that
Bill Self is underperforming. Is there any world in which
at the end of this season he's on the hot seat, Like,
what would that have to look like? Or is he
so beloved in Kansas that he could pretty much win
zero games next year and still be semi safe.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Oh no, If no, he's he's already feeling some heat.
And if this year goes like last year ten and
eight and you know, getting ousted in the second round
again in the NCAA tournament, that would be three straight
years without a Sweet sixteen for KU And they don't
really know a world like that. I mean, that has
never happened in the Bill Self era. You've got to
(23:30):
go back to the late nineties under Roy Williams for
the last time that that happened three straight years with
being ousted in the second round. But even that run,
when you go back to Roy Williams, he was first
or second two of those years in the Big twelve.
So sometimes you just get upset and it happens. That
will not be the case if Bill Self gets ousted
(23:51):
in the second round or doesn't even make you know,
the second round, whatever it might be. If he's finishing
fifth again in the Big twelve. I'm not saying they're
going to fire him, but he will be facing tremendous
pressure if this year goes like last year did.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
Yeah, that's that's a good point. Let's get your take
on this. Reports Darien Williams going to Kansas or NC
State thought BA he was gonna be in the mix.
Sounds like from what my sources, so tell me not
going to be able to get the pretty penny that
he would like. Who's the favorite? Do you see at KU?
Or do you see him ending up at NC State?
Speaker 2 (24:25):
What say you?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
I'll give the lean to KU. I just think Bill self.
First off, he's tapping into those donors right now and
he's saying, listen, if we're gonna turn this thing around,
we need your help. KU's a basketball school, They're a
blue blood. I think he's shaking down the right people
and he's trying to get the right players.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
The question will be how does he develop them?
Speaker 1 (24:46):
You know, Self has had some success in the transfer portal,
but some of these guys in recent years just haven't
worked out like he thought they would. And like frankly,
those of us who follow the program thought that they would.
But I will give KU the lien on this thing,
just because I think self is going to do everything
in his power to say, I've got high quality, high
talent guys, and I'm doing everything in my power to
(25:08):
bring those guys in, and then the pressure is going
to be on developing them and turning them into an
actual team, which really was was a struggle for him
last year.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Lasting Pete before we let you go. Bau men's basketball
Final four, run bruin, yay or nay.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Sure, I want to say, hey, but gosh, I mean,
you guys know as well as I do that when
it comes to that tournament in March.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
I mean, it is just such a crapshoot.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Yeah, and now we didn't have I will say, and
we know this, we didn't have a lot of upsets
this past year. There is some thought that in the
new world of college basketball, with the transfer portal, top
guys you know, will lead the mid major, they'll go
to the big time program, they'll cash in. We may
not have as many you know, twelve seed George Mason's
Davidson's going to eliteates and final fours. So I'll say sure,
(25:55):
I mean, listen, I really I love your audience. I'd
love them to check out Heartland College S.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
They're going to the four.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Look, they don't need any more plug. There is great
content on that website. There's I said earlier, there's great
basketball stuff. There's great stuff like wood Kalani uh be
the number one pick to fight in and all big
twelve coaches brawl.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
They they don't need.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
There's no extra gimmicks needed to head over to Heartland
College Sports. There is great stuff to read over there.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
There is. I appreciate you guys, Thank you, of course.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
Pete Mundo. You guys, you gotta download the podcast. You
gotta go check it out Hartland College Sports. You gotta
check out the website. He's got his website, Pete Mundo,
and they got Heartland College Sports dot com. Pete Uh,
thank you for your time today.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Brother.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
We will catch up with you again soon.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
We'll talk to you guys soon. Have a great day.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Brett commentary, Uh follow up. What'd you like from that
interview from Pete? A lot of good stuff? Yeah, a
lot of good stuff. I know it's not BYU stuff.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
But the most interesting thing to me about that conversation
was Bill self, Because you and I have had that
conversation but it's very different from what we would think
about Kansas versus the people who are actually there. The
conversations are very different because to me the way I
see it as a non Kansas guy, I look at
it and I say, I think Bill self could win
(27:13):
zero games next year and still be able to control
his destiny in Kansas because of what he's.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Given to that school.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
It's great to hear from Pete, who is very connected
everywhere in the conference, to say that's not the case,
not the case. In fact, it's not only does he
need to win more than one game, he needs to
have a successful, possibly Sweet sixteen season in order to
feel safe next season. That to me, is going to
be the thing to watch. We know everyone loves BYU.
(27:41):
We know that BYU is probably gonna make a Final
four and gonna be the favorite to compete with Houston.
It was nice to hear him say that because again
we think that, but we're here. It's nice to know
what other Big twelve national games. But yeah, BYU the
favorite to compete with Houston, and very interesting to see
what happens with Bill self and Kansas.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Yeah. My quick comments on that, if they get Darien
Williams and they having Darren Peterson, and they don't win
games in conference. If they don't or if they're not
in the Big Tour Championship at the semi final, if
they're not going to a Sweet sixteen, Bill Sell verywell
might be not be the coach. And before they would
do that, you would see him retire or step down.
You maybe see a Jeff Juckins BYU women's basketball thing.
(28:18):
I don't think they would that. I don't think they
meet to part way. You would let Bill self do
his own thing. Mike Krzyzewski type think he's earned that
right to you wouldn't. But it sounds like the seat
is getting warm for Bill self. I'll say this my
biggest take away. TCU, we talked about it, we talked
you said in multiple times that stretch of Utah, iowall stay.
(28:38):
Then the bye week, right, let's get fanza that they
do play Texas Tech. But the bye week Texas Tech
and TCU is your toughest stretch. I think tc is
gonna be right up there. I think I agree with
Pete getting Colorado early transfers. What I have always told you, Brett,
get team's early winners. Switching fast. Ye. Getting Colorado West
Jenia early is great. I really believe BYU is gonna
be going into the Utah game undefeated again. I believe
(28:59):
they're gonna er. I believe they have a very good chance.
But once you get into you know, maybe it might
be six or seven on my apologies, but when you
get into that four game stretch, very tough before you
get Cincinnati and UCF which I think they'll win those
last two for sure, but that four game stretch in
November gonna be tough. We'll see what the depth looks
like in the injuries. But that was your college football
segment always brought to you by Dental Prosofutah dot com. Guys,
(29:20):
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(00:03):
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Speaker 2 (00:07):
Ie, let's talk some college football a lot Cougar Sports
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Crittle, Welcome back to Cougar Sports here on one O
three point nine and ninety eight point three ESP and
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BYU Networking podcast. Here by my Side'm gonna get into
That's why you heard the music a college football segment.
(00:32):
Football drives the Ship, Brian Santiago said it, so that
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They're located at one ninety eight South eleven hundred East,
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let's welcome in a guy that's great. You can listen
to him from six to ten am on ninety five
(01:36):
and ninety five point seven FM on KCMO Kansas City Talks.
We got the one only Pete Mundo on the line. Pete,
thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I appreciate you guys, Thanks so much.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Absolutely, Pete. Before we get into it, get caught up
on you. How is the season off season? The work
been for you lately this past year of college athletics.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Well for us, you know running Heartland College Sports and
that's where people can find all of our Big twelve content.
The radio show is more of a of a news
show that I do separately, but Heartland College Sports is
all the college football that we're covering, especially in the
Big Twelve. And you know, for us it's listen, we
got softball coverage right now, Texas Tech's heading none of
the super regionals. We got the Big twelve baseball tournament
(02:21):
this week. But as you guys know, it's always football season.
We got plenty of off season football content as well
that is coming your way. It's always updated on the website,
the podcast, and the YouTube show, and you know, for us,
for me in particular, as just a football junkie, I'm
always in football mode and that's what keeps me going
this time of year.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
I will never forget the first article when I was
first put onto Heartland College Sports. I remember it. I
have it pulled up right now. Oh, drafting Big twelve
football coaches, okay for an all bar fight team, Pete,
I don't know if you remember this article. This was
the first article I ever saw from Heartland College Sports.
And what I love about Heartland College Sports is that
(03:01):
it's a mix of its It balances like the barstool
fun aspect of just talking about sports with your friends,
but also the true journalist regular normal stuff. How would
you describe your brand? And do you remember this article?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I can guess which one of our guys wrote that article.
I know it wasn't me. But listen, that's what we've
tried to do. And we have kind of a mix
of writers where some guys are you know, straight news,
you know, just update you on everything going on in
the Big twelve as best as we can. And then
we've got you know, columnists who write weekly, bi weekly,
whatever it might be, and they're basically given free reign
(03:40):
to say, you know what entertain me, and that's ultimately
what we're in the business. And now you know, we're
not gonna have bikini photos on the website like barstool,
but you will try to be conversational. I mean, if
I get data saying I should do that, I'll do it.
But we don't really do that. So we try to
keep it straight Big twelve. But we have fun with it.
I mean, know, we're gonna let it rip, We're gonna
(04:01):
have opinions, We're gonna back this conference. But you know,
if people do dumb stuff around the league, coaches, athletic directors, players,
we're gonna call them out. Too, So that's been the goal.
You know, I've run this thing for ten years now
and it's it was a labor of love and now
it's become a nice business. As as our audience has
grown around Big twelve Country.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
It definitely has grown Big twelve Country. We'll get your
thoughts and takes on it. Obviously, not too long ago
our talks of expansion of the college football playoffs. The
Big twelve could get two automatic bids, there could there
would be three at largest, but the danger of that,
as we know the Big Ten the SEC wont four
automatic bids for both of their conferences. Pete, your thoughts
(04:41):
on that trajectory. Do you see it heading towards that
that the college FOOTBA playoffs will be expanded to sixteen teams?
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Yeah, it's head in that way, and I think what
they're gonna end up doing is probably getting those first
round games, get rid of the buys, and do eight
games on home campuses. And obviously we're heading towards an
era of stacking them one to sixteen instead of giving
conference champions those buys. I get what they were going
for with that, but it just it didn't work, and
(05:09):
there's no to blame for that. They wanted to obviously
give some more emphasis on the championship games, but it
did create a fairly uneven bracket this past year, even
though Arizona State, which a lot of people were upset
with getting a buy, should have beaten Texas in that
game last year.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
So we're headed for sixteen. You know, I hate the
auto bid idea. I just think it's absurd.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
As much as I'll admit, yes, the SEC is better
at the top than the Big Twelve.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
As is the Big Ten.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
There is, especially in the Big Ten, a lot of
mediocrity to junk. When you get to the bottom half
of that conference, it's just undeniable. They're strong at the top,
but there's a major drop off. The SEC has more
strength and depth top to bottom, there's no doubt about it.
But the SEC and the Big Ten are getting greedy here.
They may actually end up hurting their own regular season
(05:58):
more so than the Big Twelve. If the Big Twelve
only gets two in their November games are going to
be enormously important. If the SEC is getting four auto bids,
why does an Alabama Old miss game in early November?
If they're both in the top ten matter if they
know they're both getting a bid, unless they just totally
collapse down the stretch. I know we're addicted to football,
but the best part of college football has always been
(06:20):
the regular season, and if you water that down too much,
which I think is where this is potentially trending, especially
for the SEC in the Big Ten, you could have
regular season problems on your hands. And that's always been
what has made this sport great. The regular season is
the best in all of American sports, and I just
don't want to lose that.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
That is not a take that I have heard from
any one, And as he was saying that, my brain
was just picking you know, Pete, that makes a lot
of sense. You really would dilute your regular season if
your top ten teams are all playing each other towards
the end. I want to ask you, though, College football
is interesting because it basically didn't change until we got
(07:02):
the BCS, and then for the BCS, we had that
for forever, and then year one of the twelve team playoff,
we're saying, Okay, we got to blow this thing up,
We've got to change it. It feels like college football
and college athletics really has changed exponentially more in the
last three years than it ever did in the last
one hundred. I do want to ask, though, to you,
(07:24):
because we're having so many conversations about change, what does
the ideal playoff situation look like in your eyes?
Speaker 1 (07:33):
I'd go to eight and leave it at eight and
not move off of it and have four games on
home campuses.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
I mean, college football, you talk about what makes it great.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
It's the regular season, it's the history, it's the pageantry,
it's the campus environment. And then you know, if they
want to do it the way they did with semifinals
and finals like they did under a four team playoff model,
I'm fine with that, but h your sweet spot number.
You get your comfort and champions in and if you
want to throw in one group of five and two
(08:04):
at larges, I would be absolutely fine. I guess it
would be three at large as in one group of
five that gets you to the number. I mean, the
reality is there's probably only eight teams, and that may
be a stretch in a given year that can actually
win the whole thing. I know more playoff games lead
to more money for the TV networks, but it's a
fine balance between watering down your regular season and having
(08:26):
a robust playoff. I mean, college basketball is now a
one month sport. Most people only care about it in
March madness. Most people, the vast majority of sports fans
are not watching any non conference college basketball unless it's
like a Duke North Carolina matchup in Maui, and then
you know, they start to check in after college football ends.
That's getting even later now to mid to late January,
(08:48):
and then you start to ramp up a little bit
in February.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
But it's become a one month sport.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
And that is something that college football has got to realize.
For all the greed, and I'm all about capitalism, but
too much greed can actually come back and hurt you.
And I just don't want to see that happen to
this sport. Which week one, you knew games had national
championship implications. Maybe that was too much under the old
BCS model, but we don't want to swing the pendulum
(09:13):
all the way to the other side.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Yeah, that's a good point when you bring that up,
of thinking of what games I was looking for to
watching the most in November. If you're gonna give those
teams automatic bids doing that, you're gonna dilute everything that
it used to be. I remember being a little kid
of watching Vince Young, right those games they mattered most.
And if you get rid of that landscape, speaking of
Vince Young, give the departure of those powerhouses, Tech Taklahoma,
(09:38):
they've been gone. I don't know if I've asked you this.
What programs are poised to be the new flag bearers
of the Big Twelve in football?
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Peat Well, Texas Tech feels like it's ready to pop.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
They obviously have the biggest.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
And most notable booster in the Big twelve and Cody Campbell,
who's supposed to be working with the Trump administration on
trying to figure out this craziness along with Nick Saban.
So you're seeing that with Tech in basketball, You're seeing
that with Tech in softball. Right now, you know they
are investing across the board. So from a just a
(10:13):
pure football perspective, Texas Tech would be right now at
the top of my list. It's amazing because a year
ago I might have said Oklahoma State with Mike Gundhy,
I might have said Utah. But I can't put either
of them anywhere near the top of that list. After
the seasons they had last year, So to me, Texas
(10:33):
Tech feels poised. I'm gonna throw Colorado in that group
as well, now that we know.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Dianna is hanging around.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
And I know some people may not like that, but
they have recruited out of the high school level as
well as almost anybody in the Big twelve. You look
at their high school recruiting numbers. They obviously are invested
in the portal as well in a tremendous way. They've
got the money, the resources are there, they'll invest. And
then I would put Arizona State on that list as well,
not just because of how last year went for him,
(11:01):
but Kenny Dillingham. I don't think we give this guy
enough credit. I know he's getting a lot of love,
but I don't think he's getting as much love as
he should for the turnaround there he's got. I believe
the best quarterback wide receiver duo in the Big twelve
this year two guys who could be top ten picks
next year in some mock drafts in Sam Levin and
Jordan Tyson. So I look at those three programs and
(11:22):
then Tier two, I would say it's Iowa State, It's
Kansas State, it's BYU, but my top tier for that,
you know, can they do it at a high level consistently?
Out of the Big Twelve would be Texas Tech, Colorado
and Arizona State.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
It's funny you bring up Arizona State because a year
ago Arizona State was picked to finish dead last in
the conference. What's weird about the Big Twelve is they
haven't had a team to win twice in the last
five years. It's just a tough conference to peg down.
Do you think that the title of this conference is
just that it's volatile and that's it. Or do you
(12:00):
think things will start to smooth out as conference realignment
smooths out or is this thing just going to be
chaos going forward.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Well, it's just impossible to know what happens with all
the nil stuff. I mean, if I could predict that,
I might be able to say, Hey, this is this
is what's going to happen. But if we continue with
the wild West atmosphere we're in, then basically whoever's got
stability and a big wallet is going to win out.
And you know, Colorado's got a wallet and they have
stability for now. With Dion, if there was a time
(12:30):
he was going to leave, it probably would have been
last offseason, so I think he's hanging around for at
least a little bit. Joey McGuire in Texas Tech, same
deal there. And I think that Kenny at his alma
mater is set for a while there at Arizona State
and they're taking care of him and they're taking care
of the staff. So it's really about that right now.
But if we settle into a place where suddenly the
(12:52):
playing field is equal when it comes to you know,
monetary the paying of the players, then it could be anybody.
Then it goes back to the old way of doing things.
Who's got the right coach, with the right staff, with
the right development, with the right strength coach, and those
things start to matter more. But in an era where
it's just like, hey, who's going to buy the best
(13:12):
players possible? And then also who can mold that team?
Which is an I think an underappreciated part of this
new job in college football. You've got forty to fifty
guys who have never played with each other before, putting
them together and making them a team is actually a
very different skill set than what college football has traditionally been.
So I think guys like Mike Gundhy are struggling with that.
(13:35):
Maybe you could say Kyle Whittingham a little bit is
struggling with that, but they had just so many injuries
last year.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
It's hard to tell.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
But some coaches will succeed in doing this model, some
coaches will fail miserably, and it still remains to be
seen who's going to do it really well and who's not.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
That's discussing by BYU. Last year, boor Way tie for
first place seven to two in the conference, finished eleven
and two over role. How do you feel like the
Cougars were fair this year? I think their wins were
I think it was seven and a half that they
were projected a f seven and a half win's he
taking over the under there. How do you think Kalani
(14:11):
Shataki and BYU will fare after that eleven and two season?
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Well, you know, I think with BYU they obviously were
kind of like Arizona State where they maybe not exceeded
expectations by that much. But we know two years ago
their first year in the Big twelve was not a
good one. Last year was obviously a huge jump and
a massive improvement, and I didn't see it coming. But
when you look at the Big Twelve standings, Colorado, Arizona State,
(14:37):
and BYU all picked the finish near the bottom, and
obviously they all basically finished at the top. So the
Big Twelve was more or less upside down. For BYU
this year, the schedule is fairly balanced, and you guys know,
and your audience knows as well as anybody, you know,
what they've got coming back. But I always look at, hey,
how does the schedule break down? Because now in the
(14:58):
Big Twelve with sixteen teams, you know, I had been
doing it for so many years in the Big Twelve
where it was a round robin with ten teams, and
every year you just rotated who you played at home
and who you played on the road, and it was
actually very easy because you didn't have to factor in
strength of schedule in the saying who's got a great
chance to win this league this year? And for BYU,
(15:18):
the schedule's pretty damn good. You open up with Colorado
on the road, and I like that there for BYU
because when you have a heavy transfer portal team and
you know Colorado's working in a new quarterback, you want
to get them in September not November. You get West
Virginia in that second Big twelve game, They've got fifty
players that are in in the transfer portal. These guys
(15:40):
are barely going to know each other's names by that game.
Then you go to Arizona, they're going to be I
think at the bottom of the Big twelve. And then
you're looking at that Utah game, and who knows. When
you have a rivalry game, it's always a toss up.
So right out of the gates you have three very
winnable games. The back end is where it gets tricky. Utah,
you go to Iowa State, you go to Texas Tech.
(16:00):
I think TCU is going to be in the mix
in November when they play YEP, and then it's on
the road of Cincinnati and then UCF. So it's that
middle four game stretch that will define the BYU season.
I think they'll be in the mix going into November,
and I could see that Texas Tech game in Lubbock
on November eighth be a game that could be one
(16:20):
of those knockout games in the Big twelve championship race
for the loser.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Last year, it was the same thing.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
We know that we know that that game in November,
Kansas was knocking out people, knocked out BYU, knocked out Colorado.
They were taking those bloats that Texas Tech verywell could
be the game.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
You bring up interesting point.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Brett and I both have discussed this and agree with
this that we discussed this on the podcast TCU and
Sonny Dykes. I saw an article of ESPN that Josh
Uber and crew and the backup I forgot his name,
good quarterback group coming back is TCU said they're going
to be in the mix. Do we see Sonny Dikes
and TCU just after a couple of seasons back in
(16:57):
the Big twelve title game this season?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Very possible.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
They're the team that to me is not getting enough
attention when it comes to the Big Twelve championship race.
I think they're going to have the top offense in
the Big twelve just based on pure statistics this year
under Sunny Dykes, under Josh Hoover, and they closed the
season strong last year. So the defense remains the question.
(17:22):
They brought in a new defensive coordinator last year and
it didn't really work out, but he's in year two.
It was a new scheme, so I'm intrigued to see
that side of the ball play out. If they get
that defense figured out and it just has to be
above average, I think TCU is going to be in
the Big Twelve title hunt late into the season. I
(17:42):
like what they've done. I love what they have coming back.
They had to retain Josh Houver. There was some thought
that maybe Tennessee was going to make a play for
him in the transfer portal.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
They kept them.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
So I'm high on TCU, and I think that when
you talk about the teams that are going to compete
for a Big Twelve title, TCU is the team that's
not getting enough credit.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
TCU is such a weird one because we really do
forget this was a team that was in the National
Championship and blew out Michigan in a first round playoff year.
It is weird how a narrative just kind of fill
off the map with TCU and Sandy Dykes is a
great coach. Speaking of great coaches, Pete, obviously we hold
Kalani Sataki in high regard around here. How do you
(18:23):
feel that Kilanie Sataki is held up amongst the rest
of the great coaches in this conference.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Well, I think he's highly respected and he should be
because listen, you guys know this as well as anybody.
He's basically got to play a different game with everything
he's got to, you know, deal with on the LDS
side of things. So it's just it's it's a not
a barrier in any way, that's the wrong word, but
(18:52):
it's just another element to recruiting and retaining players that
no one else has to deal with in the entire
conference and for the most part and all of power
for college football. So you know, it used to be
you recruit guys out of high school, you know what
the deal is. Coming in it's much more difficult. You know,
basketball it's easier because basketball you got ten twelve guys.
(19:15):
A lot of them are going to be there for
a year, maybe two if you get these top level
guys and they know the deal. But in football, you're
dealing with a different kind of athlete and a different
kind of player, and you've got to plan this stuff
out years in advance. And that's something that you know,
I think makes it a very unique situation. And if
he can make this program a year in, year out
(19:36):
competitor with all those things stacked up in some ways
against him in terms of what it takes to win
at a high level year and year out in college
football today, it will continue to be one of the
better coaching jobs in all of college football that probably
won't be appreciated at the level that it should.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Yeah, kilani Is, I don't want to say one arm
tie behind the back, but like you said, different barriers
and how you have to manage things. And that's why
at second year in the Big twelve was so dominant.
Well see what they do in the third lest transition
to some basketball. Pete obviously BYU basketball had a great
first year under Mark Pope before the staff disperse went
to be head coaches somewhere else. He went to Kentucky,
(20:13):
took Cody Figure with him, Jackson Robinson, such, Kevin Young
comes in, does a phenomenal job, twenty six wins in
that first year. As long as Kevin Young is the
head coach of BYU men's basketball, how do you see
the Cougars fairing out going forward?
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Well, I mean it's clear they're investing, right, I mean,
you know, you got to play it like AJ coming in.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
What more needs to be said?
Speaker 1 (20:34):
And if you combine what he did his first year
in the Big twelve, and you know what he can
do with this level of a talent going in the
next year. BYU, I think is better positioned to be
a year and year out powerhouse in basketball than it
is in football for some of the reasons that we
just discussed. So it's easier in basketball if you have
(20:56):
a guy like Kevin Young at the top running the program,
who knows the end and outs, who's also getting more
comfortable every day at this level, and they've got the
money to spend in this crazy world of nil, then
you know BYU is going to be there, and we're
going to be talking about BYU as a Big twelve
basketball powerhouse, and you're going to you know, be developing
this top tier in the Big twelve that could look
(21:19):
like some combination of Houston and Kansas and Iowa State
and BYU and Arizona, and I mean the list goes on.
Half this league in basketball is going to say, hey,
we're a top tier team in all of college hoops
in this conference. And that's just It's an amazing testament
to this league and what it produces in basketball that
(21:39):
I still believe is largely underappreciated around the sport.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
Pete I think we all agree Houston until you dethrone them,
they are the number one. Do you feel with what
BYU brings in with Aj Debonta, that Rob Wright, the
transfer portal and others, Richie Saunders comes back. Is BYU
the favorite in your eyes to compete with Houston for
the big title this year?
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Oh yeah, not even close. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
You know, Iowa State fans may not like that, and
actually I think Kansas fans will accept it. Kansas fans
and I'm here in Kansas City, they are I don't
want to say they're down on Bill self, but it
has been by KU standards, a really rough not just
one year, but two years now back to back, so
they're losing some of that luster. Bill self has not
done a great job navigating this new world of college basketball,
(22:28):
and that's a whole other conversation as to why. But yeah,
I mean, Houston deserves that top spot right now in
this conference. But if you're looking at that number two,
who's best poise to take him on? It's BYU. And
then the conversation would go from there.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
Do you think there's any way if I mean, what
would Kansas Because there's obviously whispers outside of Kansas that
Bill Self is underperforming. Is there any world in which
at the end of this season he's on the hot seat, Like,
what would that have to look like? Or is he
so beloved in Kansas that he could pretty much win
zero games next year and still be semi safe.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Oh no, If no, he's he's already feeling some heat.
And if this year goes like last year ten and
eight and you know, getting ousted in the second round
again in the NCAA tournament, that would be three straight
years without a Sweet sixteen for KU And they don't
really know a world like that. I mean, that has
never happened in the Bill Self era. You've got to
(23:30):
go back to the late nineties under Roy Williams for
the last time that that happened three straight years with
being ousted in the second round. But even that run,
when you go back to Roy Williams, he was first
or second two of those years in the Big twelve.
So sometimes you just get upset and it happens. That
will not be the case if Bill Self gets ousted
(23:51):
in the second round or doesn't even make you know,
the second round, whatever it might be. If he's finishing
fifth again in the Big twelve. I'm not saying they're
going to fire him, but he will be facing tremendous
pressure if this year goes like last year did.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
Yeah, that's that's a good point. Let's get your take
on this. Reports Darien Williams going to Kansas or NC
State thought BA he was gonna be in the mix.
Sounds like from what my sources, so tell me not
going to be able to get the pretty penny that
he would like. Who's the favorite? Do you see at KU?
Or do you see him ending up at NC State?
Speaker 2 (24:25):
What say you?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
I'll give the lean to KU. I just think Bill self.
First off, he's tapping into those donors right now and
he's saying, listen, if we're gonna turn this thing around,
we need your help. KU's a basketball school, They're a
blue blood. I think he's shaking down the right people
and he's trying to get the right players.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
The question will be how does he develop them?
Speaker 1 (24:46):
You know, Self has had some success in the transfer portal,
but some of these guys in recent years just haven't
worked out like he thought they would. And like frankly,
those of us who follow the program thought that they would.
But I will give KU the lien on this thing,
just because I think self is going to do everything
in his power to say, I've got high quality, high
talent guys, and I'm doing everything in my power to
(25:08):
bring those guys in, and then the pressure is going
to be on developing them and turning them into an
actual team, which really was was a struggle for him
last year.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Lasting Pete before we let you go. Bau men's basketball
Final four, run bruin, yay or nay.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Sure, I want to say, hey, but gosh, I mean,
you guys know as well as I do that when
it comes to that tournament in March.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
I mean, it is just such a crapshoot.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Yeah, and now we didn't have I will say, and
we know this, we didn't have a lot of upsets
this past year. There is some thought that in the
new world of college basketball, with the transfer portal, top
guys you know, will lead the mid major, they'll go
to the big time program, they'll cash in. We may
not have as many you know, twelve seed George Mason's
Davidson's going to eliteates and final fours. So I'll say sure,
(25:55):
I mean, listen, I really I love your audience. I'd
love them to check out Heartland College S.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
They're going to the four.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Look, they don't need any more plug. There is great
content on that website. There's I said earlier, there's great
basketball stuff. There's great stuff like wood Kalani uh be
the number one pick to fight in and all big
twelve coaches brawl.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
They they don't need.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
There's no extra gimmicks needed to head over to Heartland
College Sports. There is great stuff to read over there.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
There is. I appreciate you guys, Thank you, of course.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
Pete Mundo. You guys, you gotta download the podcast. You
gotta go check it out Hartland College Sports. You gotta
check out the website. He's got his website, Pete Mundo,
and they got Heartland College Sports dot com. Pete Uh,
thank you for your time today.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Brother.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
We will catch up with you again soon.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
We'll talk to you guys soon. Have a great day.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Brett commentary, Uh follow up. What'd you like from that
interview from Pete? A lot of good stuff? Yeah, a
lot of good stuff. I know it's not BYU stuff.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
But the most interesting thing to me about that conversation
was Bill self, Because you and I have had that
conversation but it's very different from what we would think
about Kansas versus the people who are actually there. The
conversations are very different because to me the way I
see it as a non Kansas guy, I look at
it and I say, I think Bill self could win
(27:13):
zero games next year and still be able to control
his destiny in Kansas because of what he's.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Given to that school.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
It's great to hear from Pete, who is very connected
everywhere in the conference, to say that's not the case,
not the case. In fact, it's not only does he
need to win more than one game, he needs to
have a successful, possibly Sweet sixteen season in order to
feel safe next season. That to me, is going to
be the thing to watch. We know everyone loves BYU.
(27:41):
We know that BYU is probably gonna make a Final
four and gonna be the favorite to compete with Houston.
It was nice to hear him say that because again
we think that, but we're here. It's nice to know
what other Big twelve national games. But yeah, BYU the
favorite to compete with Houston, and very interesting to see
what happens with Bill self and Kansas.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Yeah. My quick comments on that, if they get Darien
Williams and they having Darren Peterson, and they don't win
games in conference. If they don't or if they're not
in the Big Tour Championship at the semi final, if
they're not going to a Sweet sixteen, Bill Sell verywell
might be not be the coach. And before they would
do that, you would see him retire or step down.
You maybe see a Jeff Juckins BYU women's basketball thing.
(28:18):
I don't think they would that. I don't think they
meet to part way. You would let Bill self do
his own thing. Mike Krzyzewski type think he's earned that
right to you wouldn't. But it sounds like the seat
is getting warm for Bill self. I'll say this my
biggest take away. TCU, we talked about it, we talked
you said in multiple times that stretch of Utah, iowall stay.
(28:38):
Then the bye week, right, let's get fanza that they
do play Texas Tech. But the bye week Texas Tech
and TCU is your toughest stretch. I think tc is
gonna be right up there. I think I agree with
Pete getting Colorado early transfers. What I have always told you, Brett,
get team's early winners. Switching fast. Ye. Getting Colorado West
Jenia early is great. I really believe BYU is gonna
be going into the Utah game undefeated again. I believe
(28:59):
they're gonna er. I believe they have a very good chance.
But once you get into you know, maybe it might
be six or seven on my apologies, but when you
get into that four game stretch, very tough before you
get Cincinnati and UCF which I think they'll win those
last two for sure, but that four game stretch in
November gonna be tough. We'll see what the depth looks
like in the injuries. But that was your college football
segment always brought to you by Dental Prosofutah dot com. Guys,
(29:20):
all we're asking you to do is get it a
second opinion from doctor Schofield. They're located at one ninety
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(29:42):
go to break, don't go anyway more to get to
here on a hump Day edition of Cougar Sports on
one O three point nine and ninety EWO point three
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