Big Sports Radio (Weekend of September 28, 2024)

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Reaching across the country for the biggest sports news this weekend,
from Atlanta to Seattle, from Boston to la This is
Big Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Hey there, Big Sports Radio. Larry Smith, Mike Kegley, Brad Sturdy,
Glad you're here with us. We've got another big weekend.
Hard to believe we're already the final weekend of September,
like October is coming in next week. But boy, we've
got some dandy games that coming up. Big only Penn
State game. We've got the analysts from both teams coming
up here in these next couple of hours. We'll also

(00:41):
talk about that situation UNLV with the quarterback in the
nil will break all that down. And also as well,
we've got to Alabama, Georgia. We've got some next perst
on with that as well. It's a big, big show.
Let's start in Happy Valley State College. Penn State number
nine of the country, Illinois nine tenth. I don't think

(01:01):
we thought that this would be a matchup of two
undefeated Top twenty teams when they unveiled the schedule here
for the twenty twenty four season.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
ILLINOI is one of the surprise teams in the country.
They've They're the only team in the country with two
ranked wins, including a win at Nebraska. Nebraska celebrating their
four hundredth consecutives sellout, Illinois celebrated the win. So this
is an Illinois team that has are gone on the
road in the hostile environment had been successful, but this
Penn State's gonna be a different test. Penn State is

(01:33):
obviously a further down the road in this program than
Matt Rule is in Nebraska. James Franklin has a team
that is capable of making the College Football Playoff, but
they know they can't slip up against Illinois on in
this big Saturday night showdown.

Speaker 4 (01:47):
Illinois is one of the big surprise teams. Luke Altmeyer's
been darn near flawless at quarterback, their defense has played
much better than people thought, and they have proved and
that when Illinois is good on the football field, they
can get ratings. As the Illinois Nebraska game was the
third highest rated game in the country last weekend, behind

(02:11):
USC Michigan and Tennessee Oklahoma, and they actually outdrew Ohio
State and Dion Sanders Colorado team. So this is a
team that the Big Ten might even want to be
successful as well as their fans.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
Four point two million households. Mike, you were telling us
before we started the show on that Friday night Fox game.
Just when you think Friday nights aren't good for college football,
nobody's paying attention. Four point two million households again for
a top twenty five team, both teams at the time,
Nebraska twenty two in Illinois at twenty four. How big
is this game for Penn State? Right now? You're the
Nidney Lions or their fan base. You finally get rid

(02:52):
of divisions. We have to face Michigan and Ohio State
every single year, right at hold off Maryland and Rutgers
every single year. And yet here you go in September.
You've got a ranked team playing as well as they've
played in years coming into your place. All of a sudden,
this isn't so easy.

Speaker 3 (03:09):
Yeah, I think this is a game that Penn State.
It's almost like a must win game. And I hate
to say that, but when you still have a game
at USC and you still have a game against number
three Ohio State, who may be the most talented team
in the country, you need to go ten and two
or eleven and one to have a shot at making
this playoff. Losing this game puts you behind the eight ball.
That means you have to win one of those other

(03:30):
games or maybe both, because the reality is the lack
of quality. Wins will be president if you only if
you lose Ohio State, even if you win at USC.

Speaker 5 (03:38):
We don't know how they're going to end up yet.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
I mean, they look good now on paper, but this
is an important game for Penn State.

Speaker 4 (03:46):
Yes, in Illinois, this is basically house money. Nobody expected
them to be four and oh outside of people in
the Smith Center along with coach Brett Bielman and his staff.
So the bottom line is they go out and they
have nothing to lose in this game. Doesn't mean they're
going to win it, but they don't have to have
any fear of what happens if they lose.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, if you're watching My Home, get your thumb exercises
done early on, start practicing right now, because you've got
Illinois Penn State at seven thirty at NBC. Then you've
got Alabama Georgia number four versus number two in Tuscaloos
at the same time seven thirty over on ESPN ABC. However,
they do this this year how about Kirby Smart, the

(04:30):
UGA coach, talking about, well, this rare trip to Alabama
one for Georgia. This hasn't happen very often, talking about
thankfully we're getting rid of all the divisions, right, we
get a chance to see these guys play in September.
You get to go back a few years to see
that happen. Kirby Smart first, talking about this Crimson tight offense,
even though Nick Saban has moved on.

Speaker 6 (04:48):
They've got explosive plays that are you know, what would
you call off schedule exposive plays, and they've got own
schedule explosive plays.

Speaker 7 (04:57):
So when you have a chance.

Speaker 6 (04:58):
At both those just to increase your opportunity, and their
explosives are super explosive. You know they don't you know,
they're not talking about the fifteen to twenty variety. They're
talking about the fifty sixty seventy variety. They've got some
really good skilled players out of the perimeter that are explosive,
and they got a quarterback that defines explosive, and they
got good backs. So you know, when you got good

(05:18):
football players and weapons that they have out on the perimeter,
he can be explosive. Our job is to try to
permit those typ give up big plays, and a lot
of that starts.

Speaker 7 (05:30):
With how we how we would play around the quarterback.

Speaker 6 (05:33):
Do you look at last year's game where you always
look at things like that from a personnel standpoint matchup,
you see guys in that game our game that overlap.
But with him, the challenge is a ver immense because
he's an incredible football player. I mean, there is no
design to a play that you can draw up and
then say, well, I'm pretty sure this is going to
happen on display with him, because you.

Speaker 7 (05:56):
Don't know what's going to happen.

Speaker 6 (05:57):
I mean, sometimes the worst thing you can do is
cover everybody with him, and sometimes the best thing you
can do is cover everybody. It just depends are you.
Are you capable of getting down the ground and tackling
him at times? What matchups do you have? He is

(06:17):
as different a football player in college football as I've
played against in a long time. Because people think he's
just a runner, and that's not the case. He has
a tremendous arm and can do things with his arm
that other people can't. He can reach spots on the
field and get it there faster than you can break
on it better than most arm TWN people. So it's

(06:40):
it's a tremendous challenge to defend a guy like him.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
That's Kirby Smart Brad. Huge game, huge game Saturday night
in the SEC.

Speaker 3 (06:48):
Yeah, no question, this is a game for the national title. Potentially.
You've got two teams that will be in the playoff
or want to be in the playoff, expect to be
in the playoff. So I would say that this is
the winner of this game is in the driver's seat,
probably going to be ranked number one coming up. I
would say that Alabama has been better offensively than I

(07:10):
expected them to be. Georgia, on the other hand, really
hasn't been great offensively, and I think they're gonna have
to score some points that they haven't had to previously
when they've played good defenses, they've struggled offensively and even
this year so far. So this is I at Alabama.
This is a really tough game for Georgia. I know
they're favored by one and a half. That's gonna be tough.

Speaker 4 (07:31):
Yeah, I got to be honest with you. I think
Kirby wants to win this so bad. We've got Caleb
Devor versus Saban two point zero, which is Kirby smart
and Saban's always been better than Smart. He's kind of
owned him. And this is an opportunity for either Kirby
to kind of take over the Alabama relationship or for

(07:54):
Caleb to step out and say, look, there's a new
sheriff in town.

Speaker 8 (08:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (08:00):
I feel so confident in Alabama that if that, if
Georgia wins, I will go out and eat a very
nice pizza at a restaurant on Sunday and have.

Speaker 5 (08:09):
A glass of wine.

Speaker 2 (08:11):
Yeah. Yeah, gee, such a such a challenge for you
to do that. Uh, no, no question. For Kaitlyn the Bor,
this is his first shot at really seeing what the
Alabama crowd was going to feel like. It's gonna be
a packed house at Bryant Denny. He's talking about also
trying to take on this UGA defense. Good to be
playing at home.

Speaker 9 (08:32):
We need a we need our crowd, our fans to
bring the energy, and obviously we got to do our
part to uh make it exciting and make sure that
there's things to cheer for.

Speaker 7 (08:41):
So looking forward to a.

Speaker 9 (08:43):
Great atmosphere and uh an awesome weekend for for our program.

Speaker 7 (08:48):
You're gonna have speed, but you've got it system.

Speaker 9 (08:50):
It's in place where guys are understanding, you know, and
trusting who's going to be where, and so you know,
what you got to try to do is create the
opportunities with your matchups. Create opportunities and try to do
what you can do to get a step or maybe
you know, have that that defense freeze or flinch.

Speaker 7 (09:12):
That's that's offensive football.

Speaker 9 (09:13):
You try to do that any week, but that's which
you really that's what becomes a bigger test when you
have a program like this that has so much continuity
in what they've been doing, you know, because of their system,
and especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Speaker 3 (09:26):
Once again, Georgia has a great defense. They have that
they have that wonderful defense, great defensive line, They stop
the run. They're like the movable object, right. But this
is a What makes Alabama special, I think is having
a guy like Jalen Milroe who can tuck it and run,
and they're they're allowing him to be more creative offensively

(09:47):
this year. That's one difference I've noticed this He's running
the ball more and more designed runs and that's something
they're allowing him to do a little bit, which I
think makes him even more more explosive and even better offensively.

Speaker 4 (10:00):
Alabama look fantastic against excuse me, Georgia look fantastic against Clemson.
We'll see if they're going to play up to the
level of competition. If they look that good against Alabama,
it's going to be a tough game. But if they
don't play well, I think it's going to be a
real challenge for the Bulldogs.

Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah, they had a tough outing two weeks ago at
Kentucky where they really got lucky, barely scraped out of
victory there in a place they have annually have had
a tough time playing up in Lexington. We will see
how it goes for this one again at seven thirty.
Kick for that one. It is a number two George.
I guess number four Alabama and just again right to
see an early early season, major blockbuster in college football.

(10:41):
It has been a fun month and what a way
to cap it off as we get ready for this season.
We are getting ready for the rest of the show,
talk about the Dogs and the Tide. We've got a
Georgia insider coming up next to talk more about this contest.
We are just getting started here much more from insiders
from Elmoy and Penn State as well. It's a big show,
big sports radio.

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Speaker 4 (13:26):
And welcome back to the show. This is Mike Kegler
here with Brad Sturdy, Larry Smith. We have producer Tony
Cordero here and we're welcoming Mark Weiser, the Georgia beat
writer for the Athens Banner Herald. Mark, I heard that
there might be a decent game in the SEC this

(13:47):
week that might interest a lot of people across the country.
We want to tell people who's playing and just how
big this game is.

Speaker 14 (13:58):
I guess you're talking about Georgia and Alabama maybe, yes,
seven thirty ABC. It's it's one of I think kind
of four monster matchups for Georgia in this sixteen team SEC.
They got a rogue schedule and this is going to
be the big one, you know, in the first I

(14:19):
guess quarter of the season if you're counting four games
into the season for them. You know, so much history
between these teams, always on big stages, and this is,
you know, a rare regular season matchup. It's only I
think it's the third since like two thousand and eight,
so it should be a treat.

Speaker 4 (14:37):
Yeah, this is a treat and it's different than what
you would see in the Big Ten from Ohio State
and Michigan who play annually. And of course with these
two teams there is always, as you said, something to
be played for. And as you look at this game,
I think some people watch and they say, well, that

(14:58):
Kentucky game was was a tough one. Is is Georgia
going to be okay? And I look at it as saying,
Alabama just played the Badgers. You have Georgia coming in
off of Kentucky and if you're not ready to play
each other in this big of a matchup, you have

(15:21):
got to be crazy. And I'm assuming that that the
our friends of the Georgia Bulldogs are going to be
just chomping at the bit to go at their tide. Yeah.

Speaker 14 (15:30):
I mean, I find it interesting that it's coming with
both teams off the week before. You know, there's there's
two open dates on the schedule this year. The way
the counter I guess falls, And you know, if it
was the week after Georgia against Kentucky, you know, maybe
Georgia would you know, be have a little bit more
of like anger for how they played and vice versa
with Alabama maybe a little bit complacent after you know,

(15:53):
kicking Wisconsin around. I think both these teams though, you know,
we're going to be well rusted, injuries mended, and just
geared up for you know, peak performance or at least
trying to be.

Speaker 13 (16:05):
Mark.

Speaker 15 (16:05):
When you look at the Georgia defense, they have been
outstanding again and it seems no matter how many pieces
go to the NFL Draft or hit the transfer portal,
they are always among the best. What makes this defense
so elite.

Speaker 14 (16:24):
Well, the guys that are in the system are bought
in and they know that they might not play right
away as four.

Speaker 7 (16:31):
And five stars.

Speaker 14 (16:32):
And they do have guys like kJ Bolgen Malachi starts
that were big time five star safeties that you know,
had prominent roles right off the bat. But you know,
if you look at some of the guys that made
it to the NFL for Georgia, you're Kai Walker's, Devonte Wyatt's,
you know, maybe they didn't have that kind of role
before they were first round picks. And I don't even
think Walker ever started, or I guess he did start.

(16:54):
It was another linebacker that year, but he didn't start
to his his senior season, his last season in Athens.
You know, it really helps you have continuity with Glen
Schuman in his ninth year in the system as a
defensive coach, his third year now is defensive coordinator. He
was co coordinator for one of those years, but he's

(17:14):
been you know, Kirby Smart's right hand man for like
seventeen years. Go back to Alabama. So they recruit well,
they they do what they're told in terms of coaching.
And you know, when you have a talent like Georgia
and you know, they always talk about going to fix
what's wrong, go to the doctor. You know, they have
a game like Kentucky where they didn't tackle the ball

(17:35):
as well, even though didn't tackle as well, even though
they still didn't give up a touchdown, that gives them
something to work on, you know, before the next game.

Speaker 4 (17:43):
Mark. I realize you're not a mind reader, but if
Kirby Smart were to tell you what his top two
or three priorities for this game are in order for
the Bulldogs to come out on top, what do you
think he'd say.

Speaker 14 (17:58):
I think it'd say, you know, limit the explosive plays
on Alabama with Jaln Milroe and you know the freshman
wide receiver that really has kind of made everyone kind
of pay attention to what he's doing. You know, just
explosive Ryan Williams, you know perfect, you know, deep ball threat.

(18:21):
Get the ball in his hands and let him do
some electric things. It probably needs to, you know, Georgia
needs to be able to control a lot of scrimmage better.
Particularly the offensive line didn't have a great game at Kentucky.
Their down Tate raleis now probably their best offensive lineman.
He's at for maybe five or six weeks with after
high ankle spring surgery. And you know, just be sound.

(18:44):
I mean, Georgia hasn't turned the ball over. Carson Beck
hasn't you know, has no interceptions that they would like
him to. You know, probably hit some more of his
open receivers than he has this season. But when you're
going on the road in the SEC at night, you
really can't afford to give out that much short field
and you know with miscues.

Speaker 15 (19:04):
Will Georgia Mark be looking to you talked about controlling
the line of scrimmage. Can they run the ball thirty
to thirty five times successfully against Alabama? And if they do,
what does it look like? Is it a lot of
pounding up? Is it some jet sweeps? How do you
see that ground game functioning on Saturday.

Speaker 14 (19:25):
I think a little bit of everything. I mean, you know,
Trevor Ettien is a guy that can get yards on
the outside. You know, Brinson Robinson. They didn't use him
as much against Kentucky, but they did give it to
him when when he was when they were near the
goal line, and he's a.

Speaker 7 (19:39):
Big, powerful running back.

Speaker 14 (19:41):
They'll put the ball on Aaron Smith's hand on jet sweeps.
But you know, I don't know if they're going to
need to run the ball, you know, as often as
you kind of mentioned there, I mean, I think Georgia
still is a team that would like to be able to,
you know, make plays, you know in the passing game
with the quarterback layer Carson Beck, that's going to be
you know, a fifteen NFL draft pick probably. You know,

(20:03):
they have playmakers. Don Lovett made some big plays against Kentucky,
a couple of thirty three yard catches. You know, they
really haven't gotten their tight ends as involved as you
would think. Oscar Delp I think has three catches so far.
You know, maybe big Kobe Young can can be a
little bit more of a focal point to get some
key first downs as well as in the red zone.

(20:24):
So I think they're going to try to be bounced
and take advantage of what the looks that Alabama gives
them show for.

Speaker 4 (20:30):
Those people who have been hiding under a rock for
the last you know, a few months. How would you
what would you say Carson Beck's attributes that are so
good that makes the NFL look at him and say
he's a guy that's worthy of a top fifteen pick.

Speaker 7 (20:48):
I mean, he looks the part.

Speaker 14 (20:49):
He's you know, he's not gonna he's not as electric
with his feet, but he can he can get first downs,
you know when it's needed. Kind of underrated aspect of
his game. He set it or just single season completion
percentage record last season. You know, one of the things
he's been working on and talked about before the season was,
you know, doing better in letting his receivers get to

(21:10):
the deep balls when he throws them, and they really haven't.
They really haven't tried as many or even connected on
as many as as they would like. You know, certainly
they're just trying to get in the ends of it.
They did in the first half against Clemson, they did
in the first half against Kentucky, and they were able
to obviously pour on a lot of points in the
second half against Clemson. You know, he's he's really poised,

(21:33):
he's calm. I think this road environment at at Alabama
will certainly be the toughest he's had. You know, he
wanted Auburn when Brock Bauers and him really just you know,
made the plays that they needed to. You know, went
to Tennessee last year. Tennessee wasn't as good last year
as there this year. But I think he's the kind
of guy you want on the road in these kind

(21:54):
of games. He's a guy that's been around a fifth
year senior, second year as a starters, only lost one
game as atar. So those are some of the things
I think, you know, in these big games, and I'll
have plenty of big games this season. You know, that's
going to kind of be the measure of whether he's
a top fifteen pick or maybe even you know, creeps
up into that top five.

Speaker 15 (22:14):
When you look at a quarterback like Jalen Milroe who
can throw it, he's also a good runner. Does the
Georgia defense are they going to need to assign somebody
to be a spy on mill Row to keep him contained?
In that pocket and not let him get a side,
not let him make too many plays with his feet.

Speaker 7 (22:33):
Will that be part of the defensive game plan? It
could be.

Speaker 14 (22:37):
I mean, Georgia has some very athletic guys that you know,
maybe can eliminate some of what he does well Jalen
Walker in particular. It'll be interesting to see if Michael Williams.
I presume he's going to be back this week after
missing a couple of games and then having the open
date with an ankle injury. But you know whether he'll

(22:59):
be the same Michael Williams remains a BC. I mean
that they have really good inside linebackers, you know, with
Smile Mundon and Raylan Wilson, c J.

Speaker 1 (23:09):
Allen.

Speaker 14 (23:10):
You know Milroe is gonna gonna make his plays with
his feet and and you know, getting the ball down
feel vertically. But he also takes a lot of sex
and you know he can he can surprise you in
some of the backpedaling he does, and that could be
George's chances to really put Alabama behind the sticks.

Speaker 4 (23:32):
When you look at the schedule this year, Georgia plays Alabama,
They played Texas Old Miss Tennessee, and three of those
look like they're on the road. Has there been any
discussion amongst SEC writers and and even the coaching staffs

(23:52):
on how many losses will be, you know, too many
for the CFP, because it seems like with these these
good teams playing each other so often, you know, there's
a chance that there could be some really good teams
that might have even two or possibly three losses.

Speaker 14 (24:14):
I mean, I think you can't say how many losses
you can take. It's going to depend on what your
schedule looks like. And with Georgia's schedule, you know, I've
heard people talk about even three losses. I'm not sure
that's going to play out that way. It might. I
certainly think that they can get in as a ten
and two team even if they don't make the SEC
Championship game, just because of the schedule. I mean, if
you lose to say Alabama and Ole Miss, but you

(24:38):
win at Texas, you win at home against Tennessee, and
you have a top fifteen win, which keeps looking better
and better. At Clempstince played very well since losing to Georgia.
I mean, I think you're You're definitely in as an
at large team, and it'll be interesting to see what
happens with three. If that happens to Georgia, you know,
I don't see Georgia losing to autun Misissippi State at home.

(24:58):
Certainly Florida's not looking like a team that's going to
be able to hang with Georgia. And then you know,
you got w against UMass and Georgia Tech. You know,
is interesting. They played Georgia pretty well last couple of years.
So I think two losses and maybe three you could
still get Georgia in. But you know, I probably think
George's I think George is gonna lose a game. I
don't know which one it's going to be, just because

(25:19):
the schedule. I can't see Georgia going twelve and oh
I can't see really anybody going twelve and zer against his.

Speaker 7 (25:24):
Schedule when you look at the game as a whole.

Speaker 15 (25:30):
Give me three things that if Georgia does these three things,
they're going back to Athens with a W.

Speaker 14 (25:36):
I mean if I think if they you know, if
Milroe doesn't have look, Georgia can give up one touchdown
which they haven't done this year on defense and be fine.
I think Milroe can have three or four touchdowns to
his credit.

Speaker 7 (25:50):
I guess he.

Speaker 14 (25:51):
I guess he could if it's gonna be like a
you know, a thirty five thirty one game. But I
think just you know, winning your share of plays against Milroe,
making your share of explosive plays, with which Georgia needs
to do a better job of, I think, and I
would say the line of scrimmage. You know, Georgia's defensive

(26:13):
line is getting healthier. I presume Warren Brinston's another guy
on the defensive line that could be back Kristin Miller.
You know jam Miller, and you know Haynes at running
back for Alabama. Georgia can contain them and you know,
limit the explosive plays. I think that's key. And Georgia
has been really sound in the kicking game. Maybe that's

(26:33):
an underrated aspect of this game, especially if it's close,
you know, that might be a difference.

Speaker 4 (26:39):
Yeah, the kicking game can be such a thorn in
your side when it doesn't work when it's supposed to.
That was Mark Wiser, Georgia beat writer for the Athens
Banner Herald. Certainly we would encourage you if you want
to keep up on what's going on with the Georgia Bulldogs.
Whether you're a fan or just somebody who loves to
you know, keep tracking of college football or SEC football.

(27:03):
Look for Mark. We really appreciate having him on this
week and we will be right back after these messages.

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Speaker 2 (28:12):
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(28:33):
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Speaker 1 (28:43):
You're listening to the Big Sports Radio Network with Larry Smith,
Mike Keighley, and Brad's Dirty.

Speaker 8 (28:53):
Well.

Speaker 2 (28:53):
It may be the big game of the weekend, at
least one of the big games. Number nine Penn State
hosting nineteenth ranked Illinois joining us now for the Atlanta
Guys dot Com football writer and analyst to Matt Stevens,
Who's going to be right there in the press box.
And by the way, nobody gets to press box before
Matt's I mean, he's there before they put the popcorn out.
That's how that's how prepared he is. Matt joining us

(29:14):
right now ahead of the game. Matt, good to see you.
I was joking with the guys here in the commercial
break that I'm not sure people many people thought ILLINOI
would be four and oh and ranked nineteenth as they
made the trip east of State College.

Speaker 7 (29:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 17 (29:29):
I think there's a lot of people at penn State
that weren't prepared for maybe to make this a second
white out that apparently they're going to do now. James Franklin,
I don't think the governor of Pennsylvania or the Attorney
General is going to be arresting anybody for potentially having
a second white out in Happy Valley. And I think
James Franklin can get these fans to dress however he
wants every week. But I do think that Illinois's position

(29:53):
in the national standing position and how they've done in
the last four games, and just the overall.

Speaker 7 (29:59):
Excite of this game.

Speaker 17 (30:00):
Illinois is making its debut on NBC Big Ten Saturday
Night on NBC, and I don't think that this is
being taken lightly anywhere in the Smith Center and champagne.
I think that they know that this is a big game,
and if Illinois can potentially get to five and oh,
you start talking about even bigger things. Brett Bielma talks
every week about how you know the next game is

(30:23):
always the biggest game, but for Illinois it's kind of
been that way ever since they played Kansas. Is that
in order to keep this thing going, you just have
to keep winning and keep putting up quality performances, and
so far Illinois has done that. I think the moment
coming out of the Kansas game, which you guys know
I talked about throughout May, June, July, and August, I
think that you can't under estimate how this continues to go,

(30:46):
literally up right now since that big winning champagne in
week two, Matt.

Speaker 3 (30:52):
I just want to make sure we know Matt gets
there first because he wants to be first in line
to get the popcorn, not because it's before the popcorn
is there us, so we know.

Speaker 4 (31:00):
He's just worried about me, you and Ted taking it all.

Speaker 5 (31:04):
The right up, beating he left right.

Speaker 3 (31:06):
So no, So, man, I look at this matchup, but
I see a Penn State team obviously extremely talented, very
good team, a team that's been putting the playoff on
many teams, and then I look at a team that
still maybe isn't as dominant as maybe we thought they
would be even at this point in the season, and
so I kind of look at it what Illinois has done.

(31:26):
I think, you know, Illinois kind of has a puncher's
chance here.

Speaker 7 (31:30):
I agree.

Speaker 17 (31:31):
I think if Illinois plays clean football like they have
the first four weeks. Luke Aalmyer has I think one
turnover and that's the fumble in Lincoln last week, but
has no interception. So if they play clean football, they
get some turnovers and then they get some stops like
they have the last four weeks. On defense, they figured
out in the fourth quarter against Nebraska how to run

(31:52):
the football against a quality defensive front. Penn State has
another quality defensive front of anybody in the league, so
Illinois figures they can do that. I do think that
everything matchup wise says Penn State. But I do think
that if Illinois can make it a bre had a
four quarter game. I've said this all week. I like
Illinois's chances in that fourth quarter because they've just been

(32:15):
proven throughout four weeks that if we make it a
four quarter game, we're going to be better than you
in the last fifteen minutes. And I think that one
thing that people are underestimating here is that we still
don't know how good Penn State is because I don't
think they've played a quality opponent yet. I think West
Virginia was about the most quality opponents that they've played
on the road in Morgantown. But I think Illinois better

(32:36):
than them. So these we've reached the quarter pool of
the season, and I think we've got a lot of
top ten teams right now where we don't know how
good they are or how average they are, and I
think Penn State's in that category.

Speaker 4 (32:48):
Matt, do you think the winner of this game is
going to be the winner of Andy Cotoiniky versus Aaron
Henry and Andy right now is want to zero.

Speaker 7 (32:58):
Andy's got Aaron's number? Yeah, I do.

Speaker 17 (33:02):
I think I think Aaron has looked forward to this
more than any game, maybe other than the Kansas game
for obvious reasons. But he doesn't get to have the
revenge game against Andy until they he goes to Happy Valley.
And I do think that Coolonecky has has unlocked some
things with Drew Locke, the quarterback at Penn State, the
former five star guy who I think is now back

(33:23):
on an NFL radar because of what he's done with
him in these first three games at Penn State since
being hired by James Franklin. And I do think that
Illinois has has a chance to potentially, with its its
way of playing defense like they did last week against
Dylan Royola, a chance to give Illinois its biggest roadblock

(33:44):
in a sense. I think they can throw things at
Drew Aller that he hasn't seen all year. And I
think Aaron Henry, look, Mike, we talked about this before
the Kansas game. Aaron Henry watched the Kansas game over
one hundred times last you know, this offseason. He did
it because he wanted to beat Kansas, but he also
did it because he knew he was going to see
Andy again in a different kind of connectation. And now

(34:06):
it's at Kansas at Penn State. So I do think
that Illinois has a chance to Aaron Henry has a
chance to get some revenge. And I think we've been
We've seen throughout the first month of the year that
Aaron Henry second year defensive coordinator is a much more
mature and better play caller and just prepare of a
football team than he was in game two of his career,

(34:29):
of his defensive play calling career last year. And I
think that that's it's just going to be a completely
different element when we go to Happy Valley on Saturday.

Speaker 2 (34:37):
You know, we were talking about and again talk with
Matt Stevens, Alanta Guys dot com football and writer about
the closing defensive efforts both against Kansas and again Nebraska.
No points in the fourth quarter against Kansas, only two
first downs, no points, only nine yards allowed in the
final ten thirty in overtime in Nebraska last week. All

(34:57):
that suggested to your point, Aaron Henry a quick study
and the things he's doing on defense right now, it's
a far cry from last year when look, it was
his first year in that role, learning some things, and
it seems like he's he's taking those lessons to heart
and applying him on the field.

Speaker 7 (35:13):
Yeah, I would agree, Larry.

Speaker 17 (35:14):
I thought the second the halftime adjustment that Aaron Henry
and quite frankly Brett Bilham a maid to put some
more pressure on Dylan Riola and try to dial up
a little bit more heat on him in that second half.
I felt like it was almost intentional. I felt like
they wanted to get through the first thirty minutes and
they did, and Okay, we're not you know, we're not

(35:35):
totally blown out yet, and so let's give him a
second look. Let's give this nineteen year old a second look.
And they did that, and then they just came after
him in overtime. I think you saw the most aggressive
you've ever seen out of Aaron Henry in that overtime,
and I mean they scored on that in that overtime,
and then Aaron Henry just said, Katie barrow the door.
We're just going to go after this guy and he's

(35:56):
going to have to beat us with somebody in his face.
I would imagine it'll be a similar game plan for
Drew Aller because he can throw it from different platforms
as well. But like anybody else, if he has somebody
in his face, I think he's gonna have some struggles
and he hasn't really seen that all year. West Virginia
didn't get any pressure, and Bowling Green didn't get any pressure,

(36:16):
and Kent State is quite frankly one of the worst
teams in FBS, So he hasn't seen the kind of
pressure and the kind of athletes Illinois has on defense
yet this season, and I he has yet to, I say,
exercise the demons of a lot of question marks about
Drew Aller from last year when he was not exactly
the five star guy that he was billed to be.

Speaker 3 (36:39):
It also, Penn State last year really struggled with big plays.
I mean, they didn't get chunks, and this year they've
gotten those chunks. They've had some athletes, you know, get
down a field of whether it's receivers, running backs, breaking
plays and so forth. Do you think like that's a
key And I guess that's shown in this for some
reason in this line here with Penn State being a

(37:00):
seventeen and a half point favorite, which seems like really high.
But I guess this has been why Penn States better offensively?
Is just the big plays? Is that the biggest difference?

Speaker 7 (37:09):
I think it's a combination of that.

Speaker 17 (37:11):
Brad and also I think since Saquon left Happy Valley,
I don't think they've been able to consistently run the
football the way they would like to and be a
consistently balanced offense in the sense that when the opposing
team knows that they have to run and maybe get
two yards, they don't have to throw it, you know.
And I think they've been kind of that kind of
a team where they're trying to be a little bit

(37:32):
more cute because they can't get physical. I think this
year Andy Kolineki coming from Kansas where they they have
been running the football and they do it in a
lot of creative ways. They've been getting a lot of
running backs and especially the Singleton kid, a lot of
touches in the backfield to help out Drew Aller. And
I do think their offensive line is better. So I

(37:53):
think that offensively they've been able to be a little
bit better because they can be more physical. But I
also think, yeah, they're getting a lot more plays because
that is his call. That is Andy's calling card, coming
all the way back from Plat, from from Whitewater, and
then when he was at Kansas with Lance and now
he's doing it on his own with James Franklin.

Speaker 7 (38:12):
If Andy puts thirty plus on.

Speaker 17 (38:14):
Illinois, I think you're going to start to see some
people go, hey, maybe he can be a head coach
really really soon. And I think that that there's not
a whole lot of people that would look kind of
cross eyed at that because of the success he's been
able to have Colin plays.

Speaker 4 (38:28):
If James Franklin has a nightmare about what could happen
in this Saturday's game, aside from the nightmare of having
to relive a nine overtime loss again, what would what
would that be for him? What would be the ultimate
bad scenario for Penn State come Saturday night?

Speaker 17 (38:47):
They can't run the ball. Illinois defensive front, specifically t
Ry Edwards, who I thought played a phenomenal game on
Friday night in Lincoln, is not allowing them to run
the ball. They have to put it all on Drew Aller.
He throws some picks and Louke Altmeyer is pitch perfect again.
He doesn't have any turnovers. They play clean football, and

(39:09):
at that point you're kind of relying on Penn State's
defense to save you. And I'm not entirely sure that
James Franklin wants to put it on this defense because
they are in the midst of a change between Manny
Diaz and Tom Allen, and I think they need to
score points in order to win at least early on
in this season. Even though Penn State's defense is very,
very talented and very very it has some NFL guys

(39:32):
on it, they have been vulnerable, especially early on in games.
I would think an early lead by Illinois at that
point where now you know Brett Bielam's team and Barry
Lunny's just gonna sit on you with the run game
and physically pound you. That's and then O by the way,
at that point, Penn State's offense is not getting the
ball enough and they're not getting as many possessions as

(39:54):
they probably wanted to have at that point.

Speaker 7 (39:56):
I think that's the.

Speaker 17 (39:57):
Nightmare scenario for James Franklin that now the crowd's been
taken out of it, everybody's kind of kind of subdued
a little bit. I think you take the atmosphere out
of it, very very similar to how Illinois started against
against Nebraska last week in Link and I think the
trains Franklin would do anything he could to avoid that.
I think the team that gets an early lead here
on Saturday night is going to be in the driver's

(40:20):
seat for trying to get a w.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
Matt, I want to get this in. We haven't talked
much about the Illinois offense. Am I crazy or Illinois
turned a corner since the first half of the Kansas game,
where it was just a lot of run the ball
three yards up the middle three times and you know,
hope that one of them is for four yards, you
get a first down and we move the chains. I
was enthused, overjoyed beside myself to see Illinois actually go

(40:46):
downfield a little bit in the first quarter and actually
throw some vertical passes, and I just to me, it
seemed like it just changed the flow of the game.
You couldn't now defensively just put seven in the box
and wait for you know whatever running back is back
there to hand the ball and you tap them with
three yards. It puts the pressure on the defense, and
I think show that you got some weapons and it
made it for a different ballgame. Is that me or

(41:08):
is that what you're seeing as well?

Speaker 7 (41:10):
No, Larry, I think that.

Speaker 17 (41:11):
I think Barry Lunnie wanted to get really, really vertical
early on in his script, and I look, Larry, I
think the game plan for this Illinois offense is actually
a lot more simple than people make it out to be.

Speaker 7 (41:23):
I think they want to.

Speaker 17 (41:24):
Get really vertical and maybe throw it around a little
bit more early on so that they can get physical
late in the game and sit on people. And I
think that that's if you want to call it throw
to pass or I'm sorry, throw to run. To have
your throw game open up your run game, maybe you
want to call it that. I also think Illinois just

(41:44):
got more physical in the fourth quarter than Nebraska was
more capable of being. And I think you saw Larry
I honestly think that some of those runs against Central
Michigan and early on in the game against Nebraska that
we're going for one or two. Suddenly now you're giving
the ball to Caden Fagan and they're going for twelve
and twenty, you know, because they're just tired of tackling
trying to tackle him and Josh McCrae, and for four quarters.

Speaker 7 (42:07):
I think that.

Speaker 17 (42:08):
They the Illinois has Illinoi's motto, at least throughout this
this season is going to be you may be able
to stop us for a quarter, you may be able
to stop us for a half, but you're not going
to be able to outphysical us for four quarters.

Speaker 7 (42:21):
That's just the way that we win. But in the.

Speaker 17 (42:23):
Midst of that we're going to build a lead because
Luke Altmeyer may be one of the better quarterbacks in
the Big Ten. He has two outside receivers and Pat
Bryant and Zakari Franklin who are really really solid and
might be able to be playing on Sundays next year.

Speaker 7 (42:38):
And we're going to.

Speaker 17 (42:38):
Build a lead that way. And then when you're trying
to basically get stops against us, we're going to play
time of possession football and we're going to limit the
amount of offense that you're going to be able to
play because we're going to still have the football, because
we're going to have eight minute drives running the football
with Caden Fagan and Josh McCrae and Aiden Loffery and
all of those tailbacks, even a Khalil Valentine, all of

(42:59):
those tailbacks that can go to I really think that
that's going to be the formula for how Illinois wins games,
no matter who the opponent is, and I don't think
Penn State is any different.

Speaker 2 (43:07):
This weekend, Yeah, fun to watch number nineteen versus number nine.
We haven't even talked about Illinois sixteen of sixteen in
the red zone this year. In that offense So there
we go, Matt, enjoy the game. We can't wait to
see your reports on Alana Guys dot com. Appreciate you.
We'll talk to you next week.

Speaker 7 (43:23):
Not a problem, guys, have a good.

Speaker 2 (43:24):
One, all right. Matt Stevens once again he's football rider
and analysts for Atlanta Guys dot com. Big game. It's
a seven thirty Eastern time kickoff on NBC Illinois at
Penn State. We've got much more to come talking about. Okay,
the nil stuff with this quarterback at UNOV Have you
heard about this? We'll talk about it. That's up next.

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Chief Sports app.

Speaker 2 (45:57):
Hey, welcome back. As we talked before the break, we've
got just a craziest situation going on out at UNLV.
So first off, let's set the stage. Un l V.
Obviously they're not in a power for a conference, but
they've already beaten Big twelve teams Kansas and Houston. Right
so there're three and zero right now that the odds
on favorite to be the group of five representative in

(46:17):
the new expanded twelve team college football Playoff. And then
the bombshell midweek that their quarterback, Matt Sluka, was trying
to say that the n I n I ideal nil
deal that he was promised from an assistant coach by
an assistant coach before he got there, has not been
paid and so he's walking away taking a red shirt,
tells the guys, hey, good luck with the season. Lots

(46:41):
lots of unpacked here. Want to get your thoughts.

Speaker 5 (46:45):
I mean, here's the thing, this is, this is inevitable.

Speaker 3 (46:48):
And here's it's happened before, Like we we haven't had
it publicized that guys have been out or whatever, but
it's happened like it's been happening before. A guy missile
game mysteriously out for a game or two. What they
but they don't publicize it. This kid literally came out
and said, you know, they didn't give me the money
they were supposed to give me it, so I'm not playing.
You know, it's Gary Templeton Day's right by ain't starting,

(47:10):
I ain't departing, and so this but this is what
this is where we're at, and this is this is
gonna happen. This is why we need to make this
stuff public. We need to have legit contracts, We need
to make it. We're gonna have an IL making an
IL do it the right way, and if we do
that then it cleans a lot of this mess up.

Speaker 4 (47:28):
Yeah, bottom line is we don't know for sure whether
he was promised something and it wasn't delivered on If
he was, you know, it seems unlikely he was negotiating
for more money like The Ultimate Warrior used to do
to Vince McMahon right before a pay per view. But
I do think that this is this is something that

(47:49):
we need either contracts or a CBA agreement, and then
they need some sort of transparency so that you know
what money is being spent. Because if one team, is
it a thirty million dollars pay roll and another team
is at three. It'd be nice just to know that
from a curiosity standpoint.

Speaker 2 (48:11):
Well, and then now, first off, like you said, the
letter of the law, and let me make sure I'm
clear of this. You're not supposed to wink wink promise
a certain amount of dollars, right, that's kind of against
the spirit of what this is about this number one.
And then now you've got reports that well, some are saying, well, yes,
the allegations were made, but because he's playing well, the
team is playing well, they're wanting more. There's that story

(48:35):
that's out there. We're not giving validity to it what
it is saying that it's out there. But the point
is that to your point, Brad, because there's no transparency
and this is all still done in the dark, and
the players won't talk about it, the schools won't talk
about it, the sponsors don't talk about it, anything goes
and I agree with you it was it was inevitable
that It's, like you said, we do know what's happened,
although it hasn't been talked about. We know this happened

(48:56):
to other players. We won't name those players that we
know about. But the fact is it's took off and
become became huge. It goes back to again this, like
he said, this is predictable that this is gonna happen.
I'm surprised it hasn't happened more than than than what
it has.

Speaker 5 (49:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (49:12):
I think I am too, and I think it has
a few more times than we think, just because a
lot of times it wasn't publicized.

Speaker 5 (49:19):
But we're gonna see this more and more.

Speaker 3 (49:20):
I mean we it started when players, you know, we
go back in a few years, they're opt out of
bowl games, people are quitting on the team.

Speaker 5 (49:26):
What are you thinking about this guy? Then? What's he doing?
I mean, this is as a team, potential group.

Speaker 3 (49:30):
Of five guy in the playoffs and they're like, yeah,
now I do I do know. They have a backup
quarterback who's good though, so the kid from Campbell who's
gonna be He's a good player, different kind of player,
but he'll be effective.

Speaker 4 (49:40):
I think, Yeah, It's just amazing to me how these
things evolve. And I really can't blame a kid when
you know all the dollars that are being made off
of a game. If he was promised something and he
isn't getting it. It's hard for me to fault him
because what other recourse or what other leverage does he have?

Speaker 2 (50:05):
Yeah? Yeah, Well here's my question for you guys. At
what point does it ever get cleaned up? At what
point does he get cleaned up? And what do you
think needs to happen realistically? I mean, we know what
should happen in CAA. This is why you shouldn't kick
the can down the road five years ago. But here
we are what can happen and the near and near

(50:29):
term and long term. To try to corral this and
to make this where it's a level playing field, and
to try to keep these things from happening regardless of
who's at fault.

Speaker 3 (50:38):
Well, I think the way to do it is, first
of all, I think they need to have some sort
of transparency, make this stuff public.

Speaker 5 (50:44):
And then the other part is make it set a.

Speaker 3 (50:46):
Per collective bargaining agreement between the athletes and the schools
and so that there actually can go in and say hey,
we need this, we need healthcare, we need this, we
need that, we need to have this salary, and then
there's no argument, right, You're just getting paid just like
every come employees.

Speaker 5 (51:01):
Yes, but I really think that's the.

Speaker 3 (51:02):
Only way you're gonna make this more palatable for the
fan base and also for the.

Speaker 5 (51:07):
For the players.

Speaker 4 (51:09):
Yeah, transparency is never a problem in these type of things,
and it would be like I said, it would be
nice to know how many resources are being put into this.
Put more pressure on the guys who have bigger budget
to win because everybody you'll know, they've got a bigger
budget crazy times.

Speaker 2 (51:26):
Unfortunate for UNLV, for the player Sluka, and for college football.
This has happened at this stage because it was they
were developing one of it to be one of the
great stories this fall. Maybe the Rebels still can be.
We'll see Brad's point. Like you said, the backup quarterback
can come through and carry the mail the way that
they've It's sluca in for them in the first to
three games of the season. Hey, for most of you,

(51:46):
our number two is on the way. Larry, Mike and
Brad right in here. Much more coming up next.

Speaker 1 (51:56):
You're listening to The Big Sports Radio Network with Arry Smith,
Mike Kegley, and Brad Sturdy.

Speaker 2 (52:05):
Welcome back to the show.

Speaker 4 (52:06):
This is Mike Kegley here with Brad Sturdy, Larry Smith,
and Tony Cordero, our producer at large. We've got a
visitor today that people probably can predict is going to
be on the show. He's a longtime friend of Big
Sports Radio. It's Joe Gaither ofbamacentral dot com. Joe, this
game is a massive clash. And here's what I think

(52:29):
the SEC has gotten right, because I don't think it
was a coincidence that both teams had the week off prior.
And I also think it is so smart to put
your two strongest teams to have their battle in September
so that they can both go on runs and get

(52:50):
higher rankings if they are one of the two in
the SEC Championship, which will help them on that you know,
to get either obviously you want to get the title
in many cases, but you've also got that advantage that
you're higher up in the rankings and less chance of
a loss. Now, the only X factor in this is

(53:12):
Texas got really good. But what do you think because
Ohio State and Michigan they could play each other in
theory in November, and then again in you know, in
the in the championship game, and then again in the
CFP I'm not certain if teams playing each other that
that often in such a small time frame is a

(53:34):
good idea.

Speaker 19 (53:36):
I'm definitely with you there that that is not a
good idea.

Speaker 7 (53:38):
You don't.

Speaker 19 (53:39):
I mean, obviously, Ohio State Michigan is a huge game,
But do we need it three times in three game windows.
I'm not sure that's crave that's exactly the best method
to keep that game special. This game for this weekend
for Alabama is extremely special because it's the first time
that Georgia has been to Tuscaloosa with a full capacity
crowd since twow thousand and seven. They were here in

(54:01):
twenty twenty with about fifteen twenty percent forality with COVID
nineteen and so I do think to your first point,
the SEC was intentional about giving Alabama and Georgia the
week off. Now, Georgia did slip in a conference game
with Kentucky, but Alabama had pretty much a non conference

(54:21):
free season schedule before the bye we and so it's
going to be a huge game this week. Obviously, Georgia
missing an offensive lineman, so the bye week didn't kind
of help with the Tate Ratledge injury, but Alabama getting healthy.
I think it's great you get the early season matchup
to really kick off SEC play for Alabama at least,

(54:41):
and really I mean, yes, Kentucky game, but kickoff play
for for Georgia as well. It's going to be a
great matchup, and I think it really kind of ignites
the second portion of the season, maybe the second quarter
of the season.

Speaker 15 (54:56):
I think looking at the matchup, Joe, when you've got
Alabama Georgia, we were talking about this in the break,
does it take away any luster that chances are they're
still both going to make the playoff? I mean this
game would have been fifteen years ago a make or
break for both teams, right. A loss here might do

(55:16):
them any chance they would have of being in the
running for a national championship. It doesn't do that now.
I don't think it really takes away any luster. I
think this is still a huge game that by playing
this in the regular season and having these kind of
matchups just makes the regular season that much more interesting
and doesn't take anything away from the battles that'll come

(55:39):
into playoff time.

Speaker 19 (55:41):
From a pure football perspective, You are right, the game
is huge no matter what, because you've got two of
really the top five teams in the country playing against
each other. I mean the matchup said at two verse four.
But I think your point is well taken because even
if it was just a game, even if we scheduled
last year to Alabama loses, well, you've got one. You
don't have any more mulligans. As you're going through the

(56:03):
rest of the SECUS schedule trying to get to Atlanta,
and you've got you know, you've got LSU, You've got
arkas Ole, miss looks really really good. George. On the
other hand, the same Georgia loses, they wouldn't have any
more mulligans. And Tennessee does not look like a cake
walk for the old SEC East. Now all those rules
are done and everybody's looking to be the top one

(56:23):
or two seeds in the conference. To be still in
the conference championship game in Atlanta, is it important? Yes,
for pride, you do want to be in the conference
championship game, and it is important just from a football standpoint, absolutely,
But we were speaking of it before we got started,
and just as you said, you can still lose this
game and be a six to seven to eight seed

(56:47):
and be right there set up for a good playoff
run and still claim a national championship. It's just how
much do you value the SEC Championship? Do you guys
think the SEC Championship in itself is still a valuable
or a worthy goal.

Speaker 4 (57:02):
I talked to one of the ads in the Big
Ten and asked them if the Big Ten Championship game
would be dissolved, and I might have gotten a better
response if I had thrown a rattlesnake in his lap.
He was like, the Big Ten Championship is the Big
Ten championship, and next to the national title, it's the
most important thing. And I do believe that that's probably

(57:26):
how the SEC folks feel. But when you talk about
you know, Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Old miss and then
you've got the people like Missouri and LSU that want
in there, there are gonna be some dynamite games. And
while at the moment you may not see, say their

(57:49):
life or death. If let's say the SEC gets four
schools in, I just named off six and there's gonna
be a couple of people who are real frustrated, and
of course one team that can lord the SEC trophy
over everybody else. I think the interesting thing is is
how frustrating will it be if you win the SEC

(58:09):
you have all that adulation, and some other SEC team
wins the national title and.

Speaker 19 (58:15):
Think about Tennessee right now. Tennessee haven't been really elite
in two decades. Maybe Okay, so you have a great sea,
a great start to your seas. I mean you look
like you have a really strong team, and they do
look really strong if they can win the SEC championship.
But maybe say Texas or Georgia or Alabama ends up
going through and wins the college football for the national

(58:38):
title game. The trash talk between the two fan bases,
the national championship winning fan base and the SEC championship
winning fan base is going to go through the well
we won the regular season, Well we won when it matters.
It's going to go back and forth. And so I
think it does create an interesting conversation of how valuable

(58:58):
the SEC champion is now all my life, the SEC
Championship game was exactly as you described, the number two
title behind the National Championship game. So it's weird for
me to even suggest that it's not that important. But
it may not be that important anymore.

Speaker 15 (59:14):
So looking at the matchup now diving a little bit
into this game. One of the keys for Alabama's got
to be the play of Jalen Milrow. He's got to have,
I think, a big game. What does he need to
do against that Georgia defense to put Alabama in position
to win the ball game.

Speaker 19 (59:35):
I think everybody's going to automatically look at the explosive
plays down the field, and Georgia has only allowed what
one play of twenty yards or more through the first
three weeks, and Alabama's been making a living off of
that offensively, So that's going to be the obvious place.
But I think that really what Jalen Milroe needs to
do is two things. Keep Alabama's offense on schedule and
take care of the football. You took care of the

(59:57):
football last year in Atlanta and large, you kept the
offense on schedule and you walked away with it with
a three point win. You were in control of the
game most of the second half with a ten point advantage.
Georgia kept closing the gap and Alabama kept extending it
back out. If Jalen Milroe can avoid the third and eleven,
third and eight, even seven or so, if you're playing

(01:00:19):
in third and short, third medium, then you're you give
Nick Sheridan all kinds of options on offense. But if
you're a third and eleven, well, you're playing basically all
goes for verts and you're letting the Georgia defensive line
turn up on you with probably a spy on Jalen Milroe,
and that's really not gonna go so well for you.

(01:00:39):
I think you just need to keep stay consistent in
the running game and maybe look for some consistency in
the intermediate passing game. You've really struggled with that for
the first three weeks for Jayalen. If you just don't
turn the ball over and keep Alabama's offense on schedule,
I think you're gonna have a really good chance because
the defense has looked really, really strong through the first

(01:01:01):
three weeks.

Speaker 4 (01:01:02):
What is the what's the one scenario that probably scares
Alabama in terms of how this game could roll out.

Speaker 19 (01:01:12):
The scenario is if Georgia is stopping the running back,
stopping the run, and you can't get any sort of
intermediate slash short passing game going, it's just Jalen Milroe
throwing deep bombs. I don't think that's gonna go well
for I don't think that scenario looks very good in
my head for Alabama because I do think I mean,
Jemen Millers are talented. But if you can't, if you're

(01:01:34):
only shot at beating Georgias, let's complete some balls over
the top of their head, I think you're in for
a long day. And I think that that puts a
lot of pressure on your defense, and Georgia's offense will
couldn't We'll grind you down and we'll we'll basically take
advantage of the opportunities that you give them. So really,
if you're going three and outs, three and outs and
you can't sustain drives, you're trying to hit some big

(01:01:55):
plays over the top looking desperate, I think that creates
a bleak picture for Alabama's offense and really Alabama as
a whole on Saturday.

Speaker 15 (01:02:05):
From the defensive side of the ball, you know, you've
got to try to keep Carson Beck from making big
plays in the passing game. Do they have enough up front?
We haven't really seen Alabama challenged yet. Do they have
enough to stop the running game to make Georgia somewhat
one dimensional? Because I always think that's a key for
a defense. If you can take one thing away. You

(01:02:27):
make it really hard for the other team to score.

Speaker 19 (01:02:31):
I think you're exactly you're exactly right right there. And really,
for Alabama the first three weeks, you haven't been challenged
the offenses that you've played. I mean, yes, South Florida
is going to be a good little team this year.
Western Kentucky TJ Family was not challenging you through the air.
And when Wisconsin's quarterback gets hurt, Teleivan Dyke gets hurt,
then Braden Locke, you know, he did fine, but didn't

(01:02:52):
really challenge you through the air. There were passes to
be made over the top against Alabama over the first
three weeks. My biggest issue for Alabama is you haven't
seen an elite running game, and you've had instances where
there have been cracks in the run defense and so
and a lot of that is the newness of the scheme.
You're playing a different scheme, everybody's playing different run fits,

(01:03:14):
and so there's a newness and experience and oh, I
missed my gap and they got a seven yard run.
All right, if that happens on Saturday, that's gonna be
a terrible recipe for Alibum because Georgia will just stick
with that they if they can't four yards, six yard,
five yards, six yards, whatever the case may be. And
then by the time you start figuring it out, oh, well,
here you go Carson Beck, mister accurate, and he'll just

(01:03:36):
dot you up over the top. I think for Albuma's defense,
the key is cleaning up those run fits, cleaning up
the misalignments from the first three weeks. And sure the
three offenses that you face didn't really orn't gonna be
able to take advantage of it, but Georgia can't. If
you can focus on stopping the run, well, I think
you're gonna have a really good chance because I do
respect Carson Beck and I think he's a great, great quarterback.

(01:04:00):
What are the weapons on the outside for Georgia e
lead enough to really allow for Carson Beck to make
those plays. Carson Beck was really, really efficient last December
against Georgia and really completed a lot of passes underneath
an intermediate, just wasn't able to make huge plays down
the field for Alabama. Stop the run, and then you

(01:04:20):
can really see if you can turn up the pressure
on Carson Bay.

Speaker 4 (01:04:24):
How do you how do you think the Georgia defense
is going to attack mill Road. Do you think this
is going to be pressure, pressure, pressure, or do you
think they're going to drop back and make him throw
into eight guys and see how accurate he really is.

Speaker 19 (01:04:39):
I think there's going to be a small I think
there's gonna be a little mixture. But if I had
to bet, I think Glenn Schuman is probably going to
be turning up the pressure on Jalen mill Road, and
I think it's going to bring it from a lot
of different areas. One thing that Jalen has struggled with.
He's grown in the air in this area, but he
struggled throughout his time reading defenses before us naps. So
if you can give him different pictures, maybe it's coming

(01:05:01):
from the left, maybe it's coming to the right, maybe
these three or maybe those three are coming, then I
think it will confuse jail and now he has grown
in that area. But really, if you just keep blitzing him,
keep bringing pressure at him, I think that's gonna be
George's best bet to bottle him up, keep him in
the pocket and make him uncomfortable throwing the football.

Speaker 2 (01:05:23):
Boy.

Speaker 4 (01:05:23):
Look, this is going to be a fantastic game. I
think the country will have its eyes glued on this one,
and boy, we can't wait for Saturday night for kickoff.
It's going to be great.

Speaker 7 (01:05:36):
How about a d from Joe real quick?

Speaker 4 (01:05:39):
Joe, who do you think is going to win this one?

Speaker 5 (01:05:42):
Oh?

Speaker 19 (01:05:43):
I think that Alabama will win at home. I think
that Alabama will win, but I think it's not going
to be very pretty. I think both fan bases will
walk away thinking all we could have played better. It'll
probably end up being twenty eight twenty four, something in
that range, twenty eight twenty seven in that range. I
think it's going to be a great game, but I
think both dam bases will walk away sand Oh, I
hope you get deploy them again later.

Speaker 4 (01:06:05):
Now, that is the perfect scenario. A great game to
wrap up a Saturday night would be a lot of
fun for college fans across the country.

Speaker 7 (01:06:14):
That was Joe Gaither.

Speaker 4 (01:06:15):
You can get him on bamacentral dot com. Make sure
you go that way if you want BAMA news. We
will be right back after these messages.

Speaker 20 (01:06:26):
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Eight hundred five oh seven seven two nine three eight
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Speaker 5 (01:07:38):
We're back on the Big Show here.

Speaker 3 (01:07:39):
Uh, Mike and I are going to talk some WNBA
and even without our WNBA experts, uh in this segment.
But Mike, Mike, I gotta say, Kaylin Clark, what a
fantastic rookie season. Wins the Rookie of the Year. And
although they you know about out in the PLAYOFFLEP for
a round. They still have a long way to go
to win a title. I mean, that team's not there

(01:07:59):
yet with talent wise, But man, she was fantastic. She
had a great year, and I think she just she
puts butts in the seats, puts Siye on the TV,
just has been. It's astonishing what she's done in just
a few months in the WNBA.

Speaker 4 (01:08:15):
Yeah, and the way she was the second half was incredible.
So maybe the best thing in the world was not
making the Olympic team, which allowed her to rest a
little bit and allowed that team to come together. I
really think as good as we all thought she was,
I think she actually exceeded expectations on the court, and

(01:08:39):
I don't think anybody could predict she would be that
popular leaving Iowa and being the rating steamroller she was.
It was pretty amazing that she did that. But I
think her on the court play and her accomplishments in
terms of what productivity she had each game was maybe

(01:09:00):
more impressive because a lot of people didn't know that
she could do that against the tough competition of the
w NBA and their veterans.

Speaker 3 (01:09:09):
Yeah, and a lot of the veterans, I mean, although
they they did, you know, talk about her talent. A
lot of them didn't give her like the you know said, eah,
you know, she'll it'll be tough. You know, it's hard.
A lot of these girls going in there, they're not
good and so this is a stuff. So yeah, I
think that what she did is the second half season
was just it was really impressive. I think the Fever,

(01:09:31):
with a couple of additions, have a chance to be
a you know, vanced a little bit farther next season
and and kind of move up that level if she
makes him typical offseason provement in one year, well look
out at WNBA. So another team that you know has
a really good rookie or really hyped rookie Chicago Bears

(01:09:52):
Caleb Williams, very hyped number one pick in the draft.
You know, the Bears had Justin Fields. They chose to
let him go, oh and take Caleb Williams. Justin Field's
now starting for the Steelers and they're three and zero.
Caleb Williams looks like a rookie quarterback does most of
the time in the NFL. Did the Bears make the
right pick?

Speaker 5 (01:10:13):
Mike?

Speaker 4 (01:10:15):
I still think they did, or at least I think
it's too early to tell. Justin Fields is not the
most accurate quarterback in the world. We will find out
if he can improve that. I'm going through my mind.
There aren't a lot of NFL quarterbacks that magically get
better at their accuracy, but maybe he'll be that guy.

(01:10:37):
I think where they made their horrible, horrible mistake was
in going wide receiver at number nine, Not that there's
anything wrong with that, but they needed an offensive line.
They needed to start that yesterday, and I just think
it's insane that I would literally almost every pick in

(01:10:57):
the next draft should be an offense or defensive lineman
of the Bears.

Speaker 5 (01:11:01):
Yeah, I totally agree. You know you talk about that.

Speaker 3 (01:11:03):
It's funny, how remember it was Josh Allen was going
to be terrible this year because he didn't have any.

Speaker 5 (01:11:08):
Wide receivers because they all left. Yeah, he looks okay.

Speaker 3 (01:11:11):
So maybe sometimes it's about getting those offensive linemen given
that quarterback an opportunity and time to make those throws.
Doesn't have gotta have doesn't have to have a huge window.

Speaker 4 (01:11:20):
I have two words for you, Brad Johnson, because he's
won a Super Bowl and they put enough of an
offensive line and of course, a good defense around him
that he was fine. And we can all go back
and go through some of the quarterbacks who've won Super
Bowls yet. Trent, Yeah, Trent Dilfery. If you get a
line around the right quarterback, you're good. And that's where

(01:11:47):
they need to go now for the Bears.

Speaker 3 (01:11:49):
Perhaps the hottest team in the NFL right now is
the Minnesota Vikings. So do they have the right quarterback
in Sam Darnold or do they just have all the
pieces around him.

Speaker 4 (01:12:02):
I'm I'm undecided on this because we all know that
there's guys who are brilliant in September, not so much
later in the season. And then there's Sam Darnold who
hasn't really been brilliant ever. So I I just I've
got to see him actually produce over the course of
a season before I'm going to jump on the bandwagon,

(01:12:25):
And and especially in the playoffs, where some players like
well Dak Prescott has been good during the regular season
and cannot crack the code on the playoffs. And I
don't know if Donald's gonna get all that this year
or not.

Speaker 3 (01:12:40):
No, they got the they got Green Bay. I think
this weekend this is It's interesting though, you know, Sam Donald,
I have to say, it's not like he was given
great pieces around him. It's not like they said, oh
he was he stepped into a ready made situation.

Speaker 4 (01:12:54):
No, it was kind of crap. You know, he stepped
into a ready made situation.

Speaker 7 (01:12:58):
It's not good.

Speaker 5 (01:12:59):
Ready made suis to fail, right.

Speaker 3 (01:13:01):
So yeah, I don't know that we know about him,
but I definitely don't think he's proven regardless over through
three weeks. But I would say this, he might be
better than we thought he was, just because he's in
a much better situation.

Speaker 5 (01:13:13):
They do have some pieces around him.

Speaker 4 (01:13:15):
I was gonna say, if I had justin Jefferson to
throw to, I might look decent when I threw to him.

Speaker 3 (01:13:21):
There you go, so and real quick, Mike, I got
to ask your opinion. How hot I mean is Mike
McCarthy's seat in Jerry world?

Speaker 4 (01:13:32):
You know, the bottom line is is it doesn't matter
who's coaching the Cowboys when you got idiot as the
GM and so we spend our time. You know, he
diverts to well the coach.

Speaker 5 (01:13:44):
The coach.

Speaker 4 (01:13:45):
Every key decision is made by Jerry, and Jerry hasn't
won a Super Bowl. In twenty eight years, owner Jerry
needs to look GM Jerry in the face and fire him.

Speaker 3 (01:13:59):
Well, I'm guessing that probably isn't going to happen.

Speaker 4 (01:14:03):
I know, and that's why, that's why the coach doesn't
make anything.

Speaker 3 (01:14:07):
So the chairs being rearranged on the Titanic continues in
Jerry world.

Speaker 5 (01:14:13):
So this is this is what they do. So yeah,
so clearly we're only we're early in the CENTFL season.

Speaker 3 (01:14:19):
We don't know what's going to happen here. If you
surprises a few disappointments, Cincinnati being disappointment, Minnesota being a surprise,
it's gonna be fun to watch the next few weeks
and we'll be back right after this.

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Speaker 1 (01:16:49):
You're listening to the Big Sports Radio Network with Larry Smith,
Mike keg Ley, and Brad Sturdy.

Speaker 2 (01:16:58):
Welcome back here to the show once again. The big
game of the weekend. It's nineteenth ranked Illinois at ninth
ranked Penn State seven thirty pm Eastern Time, kickoff on NBC.
It's the biggest game of the Brett Bielema era for
the ALIGNI and for the Nidney Lions. They really need
a win to prove they are truly among not just
the Big Ten's elite, but also the country's very best

(01:17:19):
as they try to march towards a playoff. Berth in
the New twelve team expanded playoff. Kegley catching up with
Mike Gross of Lancaster Newspapers earlier this week to break
down the game.

Speaker 4 (01:17:30):
Let's listen in Illinois fans, of course, are super excited
as number nineteen Illinois will visit number nine Penn State
at six thirty pm Central Time on Saturday night on
NBC and their only counter programming out there.

Speaker 7 (01:17:48):
I know where you're going with this.

Speaker 4 (01:17:50):
Is Georgia visiting Alabama.

Speaker 7 (01:17:53):
If you're interested in that sort of thing.

Speaker 4 (01:17:55):
Yeah, I tell you what you talk about. Is there
any way they could have a tougher game to go
up again?

Speaker 7 (01:18:02):
Yeah? If you care about ratings, yeah, I was just like, yeah,
it's not idy.

Speaker 4 (01:18:06):
But I will tell you though, this game is a
good one and big the Big Ten fans do like
to flex their muscles in terms of attraction, so maybe
Illinois and Penn State will do a nice number. Illinois
is a good ratings team when they're good. It's just
that they're not often good in football.

Speaker 7 (01:18:26):
So yeah, yeah, and you're I think the Big Ten
generally does pretty well. And of course ratings, why is it?
Of course they have this monolithic phailanks of partnerships with
networks and this is I think Penn State's first NBC
game under that arrangement anyway.

Speaker 4 (01:18:45):
Yeah, and that will be cool. Like I said, are
they doing a whiteout or anything like that.

Speaker 7 (01:18:49):
Well, James Franklin is calling for an unofficial white out
or at least, as he put it, white out energy. Okay,
he's kind of made a big thing of that. And
actually the original whiteouts were just sort of the students
informally coming up with the idea, Hey, everybody wear white,
and so there's no reason why they can't. It's gonna

(01:19:11):
be loud though, it's gonna be loud. Hey, they put
they put. The crowd was announced at one hundred and
nine thousand plus for Kent State. Now it wasn't really that,
but it was. I was surprised how big it was.
It's going to be. It'll be around that number. That number,
one hundred nine thousand will probably be for real on
Saturday night.

Speaker 4 (01:19:31):
I do think when they do the white out, that
may be the most intimidating look for a stadium in
the country, because it is unbelievable how that works, especially.

Speaker 7 (01:19:44):
If it looks straight on television and it's really it
really is loud to the point where there's been times
when it's impacted the game because teams have just not
been able to communicate and then they've had to call
timeouts or prease that penalties that kind of thing. U
Sometimes the old press box literally shakes with noise up there.

Speaker 4 (01:20:05):
Wow, that is just incredible. So let's talk a little
bit about this game. Illinois comes in with its third
four game winning streak to start a season since nineteen
fifty one. They did that in nineteen fifty one, they
did it in twenty eleven in ron Zook's ill fated
six and oh start that finished oh to six, costing

(01:20:28):
my job, and then this year under Brett Bielma twenty
twenty four. It's easy to keep track of liney high
success seasons in terms of football, and that's what Brett
Bielma was hired to change. So Drew Aller comes into town.
I think he's a guy who's got the million dollar physique.

(01:20:49):
He looks like a quarterback, and with Anti kotoiniki there,
it scares me that last year he looked like a
quarterback physically, this year he plays like a quarterback. Is
this development? Am I seeing what's really happening? Or am
I just making this up in my mind.

Speaker 7 (01:21:10):
I think you're seeing it. I think you're seeing it. Yeah,
it's his third year in the program, you would think so.
His arm talent, as the NFL people say, is elite.
I mean, he can absolutely fire a football. And I
was just talking with some other guys about this earlier
on a podcast. All of the throws that he was

(01:21:31):
physically capable of making a year ago, he now can see.
He now sees them and therefore makes them. I think
there's a difference in his demeanor, there's a difference in
his decision making ability. Also, he's a leaner, more athletic
guy just physically, and he's a pretty effective runner. And

(01:21:54):
certainly you know, a couple first downs a game and
extending the play year and there is what you really want.
So that's one of the big stories of them so far. Obviously,
factoring in small sample size and strength of schedule, it
appears that he has taken a significant next step.

Speaker 4 (01:22:14):
Well, that's exactly what we didn't want to hear as
a Lini fans, How has Andy kto Nikki's effect been
on the team, Because for a Lini fans who may
not be familiar, he was the offensive coordinator for Lance
Leipold and Kansas, and he has worked with Lance for years.
And Kansas really looks like Superman without a cape this year.

(01:22:37):
And I'm wondering if a lot of that might be
the fact that Andy is no longer there to call
the plays. Has he made a difference in what Penn
State is doing?

Speaker 7 (01:22:48):
There's no question about it. And as you know, if
you're familiar with Kansas, a lot of what the a
lot of what his magic dust is it comes before
the snap. It it's moving people around and doing some
very he's doing. He does some things that I've really
never seen before. We've had offensive linemens split out like

(01:23:09):
slot receivers and then in motion and coming in the
block against Kent State, they had the centers over the
ball ready to snap it. The other four offensive linemen
are out bunched together like four wide receivers, and that
what I've never seen before. And Kent State just called
time out. They just their kids. They were looking around

(01:23:31):
and talking to each other and and the coaches said,
let's just let's put a stop to this. And the
other thing they've done is the other thing he's done
is made a lot of He's made a lot of
interesting uses that. They have a terrific tight end, Tyler Warren,
and they made really good use of him. He threw
a touchdown pass from a direct snap on Saturday and

(01:23:52):
also ran, you know, ran from a direct snap. They
do a lot of different stuff. I don't think they
run a ton of play. I just think they do
a lot of things to confuse you about what's coming.

Speaker 4 (01:24:07):
Yeah, and for those people who are interested, I did
a podcast He Checks and Hail Mary's on September second,
where I actually noted that Penn State's Code Nikki might
be the next big coaching higher. I think if he
can make Drew Aller do and help be part of
his improvement, he very well made position himself after seeing

(01:24:29):
Kansas fall off as a guy who people want on
their sidelines. Now, let's talk a little bit about Penn State.
They've got a rushing attack. But before we talk about
the running backs, how is that offensive line playing right
now for the NWS Lions.

Speaker 7 (01:24:46):
Yeah, I think it's playing pretty well. I don't think
it's been a problem. And the offensive line, to a
large extent is you only notice it when they screw up.
But they've run the ball pretty consistently. Well. They have
not faced a great run defense, not even close. I
mean even West Virginia is a pretty good team. Uh,
did not have a great run defense. Uh. And they

(01:25:09):
they lost both tackles and the starting center to the
NFL and one of the tackles, Olufushano, I think, the
number ten pick in the draft to the Jets. Uh.
So they have some significant holes to fill, but they
they have some depth up front. They played kind of
played a lot of people so far. Uh. And they're

(01:25:30):
a little young, but I think they're I think they're
really solid. The new center, Nick Dawkins, who is Darryl
Dawkins's son, by the way, for.

Speaker 4 (01:25:39):
Oh my goodness, there is a chocolate thunder.

Speaker 7 (01:25:42):
From love Tron. He's not as big as his dad.
I think he's more articulate than he's that. He's really
a bright kid. But anyway, he's a good fit at center.
And then they have a couple of kids that were
really highly recruited at the tackle spot. And they have
a true freshman guard named Cooper Cousins. It was a
very highly recruited kid, a five star kid who is

(01:26:03):
playing a lot inside. So I think they've been I
think they have at least met expectations that unit I'm
talking about.

Speaker 4 (01:26:13):
Yeah, And when it comes to the running game, they've
been blessed with some pretty good running backs. How is
that working out this year? Because right now this is
shaping up as being a podcast that's not going to
be super enjoyable for LINEI fans.

Speaker 7 (01:26:26):
Well, you know how it goes. You know, I've seen
a couple of Illinois games so far, at least parts
of them, and I'm impressed with their team. Bielim has
done a great job. I think I like their offense.
I think their coordinator's done it really nice. But anyway,
you're asking me about running backs, you know, the big thing.
Nick Singleton is a super athletic, super strong, super fast

(01:26:47):
guy who needs to learn how to put the brakes
on once in a while, stop and go and make
people miss spin movie. That's what's missing, and we've seen
some of that this year so far. And also he's
a pretty good blocker and a pretty good receiver. And
I think the running backs as receivers that's gonna be

(01:27:08):
over time will be a cotal, nikky thing. I think
that's something that they will feature somewhat. And then the
other running back who's kind of their one A and
one B with Singleton is k Tron Allen, who a
guy from IMG down in Florida. He was also not
quite the recruit that Singleton was, because Singleton was a
national High School Player of the Year, right, right, But
but Alan is Alan is that guy who turns a

(01:27:31):
three yard run into a six yard run. He does
he is good at making people miss, and he's a
tough guy, uh and also very athletic. So I mean
they're they're blessed. I guess you'd say in that position.

Speaker 4 (01:27:43):
In that position group Illinois defensive backfield is last year
you could see and and in the line I guys,
you know, we get called homers a little bit for
being nice about the Illinois secondary, but.

Speaker 7 (01:27:57):
You could a non homer just said it here.

Speaker 4 (01:27:59):
Yeah, well that because you could you could tell last
year when they were getting lit up that the physical
talent was there. They were just young and inexperienced. And
you can't know something before you learn something. And unfortunately
Big Ten coordinators are ruthless men, and they exposed those
players on what they hadn't learned yet. And I think

(01:28:21):
they're using that very effectively this year. And I will
say Aaron Henry does one thing that really reminds me
of what codal Niki does is he disguises coverages, whether
they're coming up for the run, whether they're going to
drop into pass coverage, extremely well. And that was really

(01:28:41):
why they beat Jalen Daniels, because Daniels had several times
where he switched into a pass play and it wasn't
a good match and they actually suckered him into it.
And Illinois is doing a little bit of what you
see in the NFL. They're very good at disguising what
they're in so that as you walk up to the line,

(01:29:02):
a quarterback can't go, well, let's see, I'm going to
go to this guy first, that guy next, and have
his progression in his mind, which means, you know, which
means your quarterback is forced to read and react live.
And that's a lot different than when Peyton Manning would
know every single guy he was going to throw to
and in order.

Speaker 7 (01:29:21):
So I think that's that there. If there's a sort
of an X and O SKI or key to this matchup,
I sort of think it's that it's maybe our and
Kotal Nikki against that excellent Illinois secondary and and their
and their coaches.

Speaker 4 (01:29:38):
Aaron Henry is a very good coordinator. He unfortunately had
to leave after the game at Nebraska and fly home
his sister passed away, and then basically had a visitation
on Saturday, funeral on Sunday, and then back to Champagne
Sunday night. So he's coming back on that. But I
will tell you that that the whole line I defense

(01:30:01):
is probably very focused because Codel Nikki and Kansas won
in boxing terms, it was a unanimous decision. They put
it to them a little bit, yes, and so they've
got to be thinking like, Okay, we've got to be
really focused for this Penn State team. So let's flip
over to the other side of the ball. You've given
us a great understanding of what they're going to be

(01:30:24):
doing on offense. Defensively, Illinois, of course, is known with
Brett Bielma as a team that likes to run. They've
got a really good tailback room. Maybe don't have the
high end that that Penn State might have, but the
other guys are really good to do what they need
to do. What type of defensive line play in terms

(01:30:45):
of run defense, How good are they and what can
Illinois expect from Penn State's D line.

Speaker 7 (01:30:50):
I think that I think that the D line is
one of the areas that is kind of going to
be on the other side of the ball, a key
to dispatch up because I don't think that Penn State
has faced a really tough, physical running game to the
extent that they're probably going to on Saturday night.

Speaker 2 (01:31:07):
They have.

Speaker 7 (01:31:08):
They have two very good edge rushing gains of Dual
Carter and Denied Dennis Sutton, both elite recruits, mega athletic guys.
They're going to be pros. But are they at the
point of attack run stuffers. They haven't done a whole
lot of that. Carter was an all All big then
linebacker last year who moved to d N They have.

(01:31:29):
They have good depth at tackles. Zane Durant is a
guy named maybe you could remember who's a tough guy.
But they're not, you know, they don't have the gigantic
like a three hundred and fifty pound middle clogger type
of guy. They don't have that. They have a lot
of good athletes up front and a lot of death
that I mentioned about Carter and and and but here's

(01:31:51):
another thing about this. In the running game, I think
you know Tom Allen is the new coordinator, the former
Indiana coach, and and he likes to do he likes
to play three safeties at the same time. And one
of those safeties he considers like a hybrid. And they
have a guy named Jalen Reed who has been very
effective in that role. He's he was terrific against West Virginia.

(01:32:15):
He had a great game in that game. And I
thought their defense was great in that game. But anyway,
it'll be interesting to see if they try to do
that that look, that three safety look with Reed, or
go to three linebackers and play a more conventional four
to three when they're trying to face a team like
Beilama coach team and Illinois and what we've seen in them.

(01:32:36):
And a key thing here is a guy named Kevin
Winston who is a safety for Penn State, who is
a terrific player. He might be Penn State's best defensive player.
He's hurt and it's a long term thing. He's out,
so will they be. So they're playing a true freshman.
I think they're going to be mostly playing a true
freshman a kid named Dwan Lane in his absence, and

(01:32:59):
he played a lot against Kenn State and played pretty well.
But will they be able to do that three safety thing?
Will they have to play a three a third linebacker
in the game. I think that's something you can watch
even pre snap. That's going to be a key to
that because they are going to have to stop the run,
that's for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:33:16):
Once again, that was a Mike Kegley talking to Mike
Gross of Lancaster Newspapers ahead of this big game. As
we mentioned, the last time that these two got together
twenty twenty one, Illinois was unranked, losing record. That go
in and knockoff number seven Penn State twenty to eighteen
and that NCAA record nine overtime game that was a thriller.
Millions will be watching Saturday nine. We've got more to compent.

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Speaker 2 (01:35:52):
Okay, getting close to the end of the show here,
and it's time that we make our picks and listen,
get on your knees and repents, because you won't believe
who won last week. And that's yours truly, And and
Brad finished last. Brads. Brad is like the Jimmy the
Greek of our show.

Speaker 7 (01:36:13):
He never misses.

Speaker 2 (01:36:15):
But Brad two and three last week, what happened? Just
had a headache fever COVID. What happened?

Speaker 5 (01:36:20):
I sucked.

Speaker 3 (01:36:21):
There's no other way to put it. It's terrible, you know,
just obviously I I did. I chose the broke the
boat the boat rower first of all that was a
big mistake, and so then I picked that one and
then the other one was kind of one of those
games came down to the wire the uh you know,
Oklahoma State Utah could have gone either way. So yeah,

(01:36:42):
that was a tough pick. I was hoping the mullet
would would be successful, but didn't work out. I got
a man the mullet and the boat rower and they
both let me down.

Speaker 4 (01:36:54):
Yeah, We're watching Larry evolve into Danny Sheridan in front
of us, and I feel like, I feel like Bill Murray,
dogs and cats living together.

Speaker 2 (01:37:03):
The mass hysteria. Our producer Tony Corneroll mentioned, you know,
he said, oh yeah, Larry would form and one like
wait me this Larry. That never happens. So blind squirrel
finding nuts and it's what that's all about. So all right,
let's get to this week's picks. Let's start in Happy Valley,
Illinois and Penn State. It's a pretty good matchup.

Speaker 3 (01:37:25):
It's it's a better matchup than it looked like at
the being of the year, that's for sure. I would
say that I'm shocked by the line. So if I
had to pick against the you know, pick against the spread.
I think I might have a different pick, but I
think Penn State is gonna win this game. In Happy Valley,
they're having the uh you know, white out, white out energy,

(01:37:47):
so we'll see how that goes. But I think Illinois good.
I think this is a tough environment. I think Penn
State's just a little bit better.

Speaker 4 (01:37:54):
I think Illinoi's got a chance to pull the massive
upset here. Brett Bielma is gonna go for that, another
opportunity to maybe pull the big one, and he has
done that before at Happy Valley with the nine overtime victory.
Although God help us of that, we have to watch
nine overtimes to score twenty points.

Speaker 2 (01:38:15):
That was rough. So you got Illinois in this one?

Speaker 7 (01:38:17):
Is that what I'm here?

Speaker 4 (01:38:18):
Yes?

Speaker 20 (01:38:18):
I do?

Speaker 2 (01:38:18):
All right, all right, boy, it's tough for me. I'm
with Brad that if it's the points, I'm taking the
points all day long. I no way I see this
as an eighteen seventeen point game. I'm reluctant. You know what,
three weeks ago, I would have said there's no way
Penn State automatically, I'm hesitant, but I'm gonna go with
Penn State in a close one. On this one, and

(01:38:39):
I hope I'm wrong. Is I love what's happening in Illinois.
I love the underdog. I love what Brett Bulamu is
building in Champagne. Okay, let's go out West Wisconsin and USC.

Speaker 3 (01:38:49):
Yeah, I don't think Wisconsin's very good, so I'm going
with USC in this one.

Speaker 5 (01:38:54):
I think they have to get something back.

Speaker 3 (01:38:55):
Now, I will say this, I will say that I
don't know how good USC is either, but I just
don't think Wisconsin is great. I think USC is at home.
I think USC will put up some points. I think
they have something to prove after the way they kind
of struggled against the Wolverines in the second half.

Speaker 4 (01:39:14):
I'm gonna go USC. I just don't want Lincoln Riley
to shoot my prediction in the foot like he did
last week, because they had that game well in hand,
so Lincoln coached better.

Speaker 2 (01:39:26):
I'm going to USC because really they lost on one play.
One guy breaks the tackle sixty three yards. If if
if he if they tackle him, or if somebody else doesn't,
if the other defenders don't stop and watch the play,
they tackle him, and that touchdown doesn't happen and they
get the win. So I'm going to USC as well.
All right, to the ACC Louisville and Notre Dame. Look,

(01:39:48):
the Cardinals have looked good, good start for Jeff Bram
and his second season in town.

Speaker 3 (01:39:53):
They have, they've played, They've done well. You know, they're
three to no there. But this is a I think
this is different than the competition level they've seen so far.
You know, they've played what is Austin p and Jacksonville State,
you know, and uh, Georgia Tech. I guess it is okay,
but yeah, it's just I think it's a different level.

(01:40:15):
I do think if it comes down to coaching, I
would pick Brom, but I think Notre Dame is uh
gonna find a way to win this game. I think
it'll be closer, so I think Louisville's going to continue
to be I think there's six no in their last
six games against the spread, so I expected to win
against spread.

Speaker 5 (01:40:29):
But I think Notre Dame pulls out to win.

Speaker 4 (01:40:32):
I think Louisville is going to pull this one out.
I'm believing in Brom and plus I don't like Notre Dame.

Speaker 1 (01:40:37):
So.

Speaker 5 (01:40:40):
See you of course me now I have to cheer
for Notre Dame. See what you do to me.

Speaker 4 (01:40:46):
But you can't quit me.

Speaker 2 (01:40:49):
Just know how to quit you. Yeah, I'm going to
go Notre Dame has alternated. I mean, after they had
the close scare that the laws they blew out Perdue,
Brohm's former school, former coach where he coached Louisville, ain't Perdue.
I mean we know that much. I mean, they're much
much better team. But I'm gonna go reluctantly. I'm gonna

(01:41:10):
go irish on this one as well. And then the
big game in Tuscaloosa, Georgia and Alabama Dogs are tied.

Speaker 5 (01:41:18):
Woo.

Speaker 3 (01:41:18):
This is a this is a big game. I mean,
I I've I have not been as impressed with the
Georgia offense, especially you know early against Clemson was six
to zero at halftime. And I'm not saying Clemson was bad.
They were they beat Kentucky thirteen to twelve. I haven't
been I think I think Alabama wins this game. I
think Alabama has had Georgia's number. They're the one team.

(01:41:39):
I think they're the only team to beat Georgia in
like the last three years or something like that. I mean,
it's just an insane noumb where you think about Alabama's
the only team to beat them.

Speaker 5 (01:41:47):
So I think Alabama pulls this one out.

Speaker 3 (01:41:49):
In Brian Denny, because it's the first time, what is
it the first time since like two thousand and one
or some crazy numbers that they were an underdog at home.

Speaker 5 (01:41:58):
That's crazy. Yeah, since sabans first year, maybe Savens first
year or something like that.

Speaker 4 (01:42:02):
Yeah, in two thousand and seven, maybe it was a while. Yeah,
I will say that I really expect Alabama to win this.
I think it's going to be a white knuckler. But
Herbie Smart really wants to establish himself as the man
in the SEC and with Saban gone, I think he
sees that opportunity. But I think Kalin de Boor is

(01:42:25):
better than people think. And now it's a three dog
race there people aren't thinking. But you know, Georgia still
has to play Texas and this is this is going
to be a big, big game, and I don't think
Georgia can do it on the road.

Speaker 2 (01:42:41):
I'm going to give the home team the advantage. I
think that if this game is an Athens so I
would go Georgia, but because it's in Alabama, I'm gonna
go through Crimson's side, and yeah, the bor gets this
the first big win of the debor era, and he
puts not there any doubters yet, but those people who
will doubt him because he isn't Nick Saban and nobody
else is. At least it's a big win for him. Hey,

(01:43:01):
we've got to run, we were out of time. We
appreciate everyone stopping by as always, enjoy the games and
enjoy the weekend, and we promise we are right back here,
same time, same station next week. See it.

Speaker 1 (01:43:16):
This has been a presentation of LMBC Sports LLC and
Revision Sound. We'll be back next week on Big Sports
Radio Network.

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