The following takes place between six pm and seven pm.
You want answers. I think I'm entitled. You answer the truth. You can't handle the truth.
Truth, Truth.
All right, good evening, Welcome in. It is six o eight pm. It's Tuesday, December two, and this is RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet. However, this is not Lance McAllister. It's Tony Pike with you tonight till nine o'clock. Happy to be here on the Big one, seven hundred WLW right down the hall from my normal location on ESPN fifteen thirty. Happy to have you along. Welcome you to be a part of tonight's show. Five one, three, seven, four, nine,
seven thousand. We have Bengals galore to get to in our number one, and that will sprinklin to our number two as well. James Rapine, covering the Bengals for SI, is going to join us around six thirty five. We'll talk all things Bengals with him. Seven thirty five tonight, the executive director of the Reds Community Fund, Charlie Frank, is going to join us to talk about what's happening right now with the Reds. It's giving Tuesday, and Charlie Frank's gonna get us all up to speed on that.
And yes, I would be remissed if I didn't have a chance to come on seven hundred WLW on the week of the Crosstown Shootout and fail to mention anything with the Xavier Musketeers and the Cincinnati Bearcats. So yes, as we get into our number three we'll talk Crosstown shootout as well. Eight oh five Kegan nickoson Bearcat journal dot Com will join us to talk the shootout, the
buzz or lack thereof surrounding this year's Crosstown shootout? Is it a must win for Wes Miller and the Cincinnati Bearcats. I think everyone's in agreement Trick Patino and the Muskies that they get a little bit of a pass this year, and that comes from Musketeer fans themselves. They get a little bit of a pass this year. Is it must win situation for Wes Miller? I also want to know from you the Cincinnati Bearcat football season was blank? Was
the football season of success? A failure? A disappointment? Seven wins and what over their posted total? According to Las Vegas, they're Bowl eligible, They're going to be playing in a bowl game. Which bowl game they'll find out on December seventh. They lost four in a rowa in the season. Some would venture to say that is a disappointment. What say you let us know tonight? Five one, three, seven, four, nine,
seven thousand. Also, can we be thankful in this time of the year that the month of November has passed. The month of November not kind for the football teams here in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Bearcats finished the month of November zh to four. The Cincinnati Bengals, albeit ending the month of November strong, finished one in three. That is, it combined one in seven locally for the Bearcats and
the Bengals in the month of November. And yet the Bearcats will go bowling and the door remains opened, albeit slightly, for the Cincinnati Bengals. Week thirteen is officially over in the National Football League. It was a long week that started Thursday night, which finished Thanksgiving Night with the Bengals win over the Baltimore Ravens thirty two to fourteen in a game that saw Joe Burrow drop back to throw thirty two times in the first half forty six times total,
but was only sacked one time. No turnovers, two touchdowns. Chase Brown ran it for five point two yards per carry. Jamar Chase one over the one hundred yard mark and only did so, catching half of his targets seven of his fourteen targets, and the much maligned Bengals defense put together what I call their most complete performance of the year. The offensive line is playing better, the protection has been better,
the run game has added balance. And there's questions that the Bengals have and some of those questions have already been answered, and some will as the week goes on. Trey Hendrickson is already doubtful for the game against Buffalo on Sunday. T Higgins is going through concussion protocol. The Bengals hope to get t Higgins back on Sunday. We'll talk a little bit here, and I remember one about the Buffalo Bills, but more than anything else, as I mentioned,
the NFL week comes to a close. We are now on to Week fourteen already in the National Football League, and all I see is parody the National Football League. With a win last night on Monday Night Football, the New England Patriots have moved to eleven and two on the season. The Denver Broncos are ten and two on the season. They are the only teams in the National Football League that possess double digit wins as December gets underway.
And yet I would venture to say, if you talk to most and you're putting an amount of money that matters, are the Patriots and the Broncos super Bowl contenders. In the AFC. The Jacksonville Jaguars have eight wins, The Indianapolis Colts have eight wins, the Los Angeles Chargers have eight wins.
The Buffalo Bills have eight wins. And I think you could look at all four of those teams with eight wins and make the argument they don't They don't feel like a Super Bowl contender as the month of December starts. And then there's a different pack. The Houston Texans winners of four in a row, Davis Mills at quarterback, I think the best defensive front in all of football. Josh Allen thinks so as well. He was sacked eight times by that Texans defense. They're trending in the right direction.
But outside of that, the Chiefs are six and six. Outside looking in, the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers are six and six, and the Bengals are at four and eight, and yet it feels like no one would want to play the Bengals if they got in. Moeger mentioned this yesterday on Thetonian Mo Football Show. The Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers both had chances this season to essentially end the season for the Cincinnati Bengals, and
they didn't do it. And now the Bengals are alive mathematically, they're alive in their playoff hunt. We'll get into that. In the NFC, it's much of the same. I think the Rams are the favorite for me, but the Rams just lost to the Carolina Panthers. The Seattle Seahawks might be the best defensive team in the NFC, but I
still have questions around Sam Darnold. They have nine wins and the San Francisco forty nine Ers have won three and I already get nine wins, but you look at their schedule, They've not really played anyone of significance this year. The Tampa Bay Bucks, dealing with a ton of injuries, are seven and five or are they a Super Bowl contender? Is anyone buying stock? And the leaders in the NFC North the Chicago Bears at nine and three, the Packers
eight and three. The Detroit Lions are seven to five. They're on the outside looking in. Eagles are sputtering at eight and four. Cowboys are playing better. But there is more parody as we entered December than I can remember in quite some time. And with that parody also breeds openings not opening for the Cincinnati Bengal Bengals to make some moving here in December, and why not. It's what
they've done under Zach Taylor the last three years. In the month of December and January, the Bengals are fourteen and two. Yes, the Bengals fourteen and two through December and January the last three years combined. It's a one week season. Joe Burrow said as much when he came back that every week is essentially a must win. And regardless of how they did it, and we'll talk about how they did it against the Ravens, they're probably going to have to do it a different way against the
Buffalo Bills. But it's a chance to go one to oh and if you go one to O this week as a six and a half point underdog, you at least keep your season alive. I'm excited to be here until nine o'clock on seven hundred WOW. It's RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet. Phone lines are open five to one, three seven, seven thousand, plenty more Bengals as we return next on seven hundred WW.
From the uc Hell Traffic Center, Health's Weight Loss Center offering surgery, com and medical to b City Care nexpertise called five point three ninety three nine twenty two sixty three nine three nine twenty two sixty three seventy five southbound to seventy four. Accident now cleared from that exit ramp. Were moving better there. Shoulder taken up onto seventy five east bound after Kellogg left hand side is well. We have a Cruz getting an accident taken care of now
Ronald Reagan Highway west bound between Plainfield and Ridge. We have the left lane bunch with an accident and Warner at Ohio Avenue crash as well and delays on seventy five southbound with heavier pockets of traffic. Ronald Reagan Highway to Norwood lateral lane shifts in place here to seventy five of the Combesail Bridge. We have the work of the westbound lanes continuing through the end of the year. By Rick Shrepp, News Radio seven hundred W do weil W.
Overnight tonight, mostly cloudy. Skies are low down to twenty degrees. We are expecting the sun to return tomorrow. High of thirty five tomorrow night. There's a slight chance of snow, but no real accumulation is expected. Cloudy to start Thursday, then gradually turning sonny, with a high still in the low thirties. We should be in the mid to upper thirties to start the weekend. That's the forecast on news radio seven hundred W.
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Sports Talk for by Kelsey Chevrolet seven hundred wl W Tony Pike. Here in for Lance McAllister James Rapine covering the Bengals for Sports Illustrated. We'll join us after our six thirty break. We got a couple of minutes here. Let's grab our first couple of phone calls of the night. We have John calling in from Boston. What's up John, Tony Pike at night?
How are you?
How are you?
I'm hanging in there.
I found you.
Yes, Yes, this is different. It's it's dark outside. I don't know what I'm doing.
It is and you got snow like we did today. We've got about three inches of snow and the roads were a mess.
And I hate the winter.
Yeah, yep. It made it a good night to come in late and not early exactly.
First of all, I'm ancient, so I've watched the league for a long time and I never remember this.
Seam wide open.
I mean, it almost feels like you're trying to handicap the Kentucky Derby three months before the race, Like, who knows who's going to be in the playoffs, let alone who's going to be the hot team going into the playoffs. Remember the twenty twenty three Major League Baseball Playoffs, you had ninety and seven, the ninety and seventy two Texas beat eighty four and seventy eight Arizona in the World Series. It kind of has that feel like, I mean, pick a combination, it could happen.
It feels like to me the most ever, get in and you have a legitimate chance. It's not get in and there's the you know, the the goliath that everyone is gonna come up against it. If you're in, you you feel like you heavy legitimate chance without question.
Last year, I think going into the play Philadelphia looked like the best team right both sides of the ball. They dominated the line of simmage, they had two really good wide receivers, they had it all, They had two.
Thousand yard rushers.
They looked like they were going to breeze through the playoffs, which they pretty much did except for that Division On game against Detroit and I think that gives the Bengals a real chance sweep the table, sweep the board, get a nine to eight and you're in there, and with Joe Burrow and with an improving defense. Who knows, And that's where they wanted to talk about tonight, Tony was that in pooling defense. I know we talked yesterday, what
kind of touched on? Is that defense better without Jamar Stewart? And to a lesser degree, Trey Hendrickson and I did some research on it, and again it's not high level research. It's just points per game. But the last three games that Jamar Stewart played in, the Bengals gave up thirty one to Pittsburgh, thirty nine to the Jets, and forty.
Seven to the Chago Bears.
That one hundred and seventeen points. That's a thirty nine points per game average. Henderson did not play in the game against the Jets, and he did play in the game against the Jets, but he hasn't played since. In the three ensuing games since that forty seven to forty two loss to the Bears, the Bengals have given up
twenty to the Steelers, nineteenth to Patriots. In fourteen to the Ravens on Thursday night, and Trey Henderson hasn't played any of those games and needed the Jamar Stewart and I talked to a couple of friends of mine who are coaches high school, college level, and they feel that maybe Al Golden has kind of simplify things. And they both told me that the Bengals have a lot of really good athletes out there and he's just letting them play, you know, Seaball hit ball like he do in baseball.
And those two young men, Murphy and Osai beginning more reps and as you know it's in any sports, the more reps you get, the better you get at it. I mean, that's gonna be difficult for an edge rusher to play three plays in the maybe six for half hour. I think, come back in and be asked to do something right.
I think it helps the preparation as well, going through the week knowing that it's your job. Miles Murphy and Joseph Osai, they're not looking over their shoulders. They're not going out there for a series and thinking, man if I don't make something happen this series, I'm coming out. They know it's their job. And I think that helps their preparation, and I think it gives them a little
confidence in how they prepare and how they perform. I do think there's some validity to that if you are looking into the uptick in Miles Murphy and Joseph Osai, and I mean Osai wrecked the game defensively for the Bengals. He hit Lamar Jackson four times. He sacked them twice. You know, he had two tackles for a loss. He was all over the field and it's not an easy
guy to bring down in Lamar Jackson. I do think there's something to be said about knowing you're the guy and you're getting the lion's share of the reps, not only in the game, but in your week of preparation.
Leading up withough question, we just got to teach Joseph Asia how to eat a turkey lager.
He was the next struggle with progression.
He struggle with that.
I was.
I was proud of my boy Joe Borrow saying, no, I don't know where that's from and I don't know who cooked it, so I'm gonna a stain from eating that turkey Like that was pretty cool, But that's Tony. Great to hear yet night, and I'm sure we'll chime in and talk later in the week.
Awesome, John, thanks for calling in. I appreciate that.
Uh.
To John's first point, the parody that we talked about in the National Football League right now, if you're looking at strictly a betting favorite, the Los Angeles Rams, you could get them at plus four fifty to win the Lombardi Trophy. After that, the Seattle Seahawks plus seven to fifty, the Green Bay Packers plus eight fifty, the opponent for
the Bengals on Sunday. The Buffalo Bills currently in the AFC, are the top favored team at plus nine hundred, the Eagles plus one thousand, the Patriots eleven wins plus one thousand, and the Denver Broncos are plus eleven hundred. For what it's worth, the Chiefs and the Ravens both on the outside looking in plus eighteen hundred, lions outside looking in plus twenty five hundred, you could get the Bengals still
still at plus one hundred and fifty thousand. That's not bad, not a bad bet to make for the Cincinnati Bengals, But it goes into just a little bit more of the parody that I had talked about and that John brought up there as well. I know we're up against the break. We're going to get to our break when we come back from Sports Illustrated. Right here in Cincinnati, James Rapine covering the Bengals is going to join us. We'll get to more of your phone calls as well.
It is the RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet on seven hundred WLW H Right, welcome back, RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented by seven by Kelsey Chevrolet on seven hundred WLW. Tony Pike in for Lance McCallister. Let's get right into it. Our guy, James Rapine. You can find him literally all over the place. Cincinnati Bengals on SI. Also the host of the Lockdown Bengals podcast Cincinnati Bengals Talk on YouTube. Also an author, published author as well,
Joining us right now. All those things you are, James, a basketball player, you are not? How are you?
You can take your digs all you want, but there are plenty of people on this planet listening that can't guard me and my friend.
You are one of them.
How you doing. I'm good. I'm good James. I am still in awe of not only Joe Burrow making it back to play, but watching Joe Burrow on the first nap of the game go under center, play action, roll out and essentially eliminate all concerns going into that game. I'm still looking back on it shocked that not only he played, but he dropped back and through the ball forty six times only got sacked once. When you just take in what he was able to do and also
deliver a win. What's your first thought as it relates to Joe Burrow.
No one listening or anyone related to the Bengals in any way, whether you cover them, root for them, and heck even root against them. Pretending like he doesn't matter, I can't impact winning for a Bengals team is just insane. And there were people saying how Joe Burrow's caught his return wouldn't matter. It matters if he's throwing to you. It just matters, right, And I think that that's it is his impact. You felt it even when he wasn't playing his best in the first half. Just the confidence
that oozes through this team when he's out there. They believe they can beat anybody. And so for him to do what he did, You're right, I thought he moved great. I mean just really moved well. And when he's doing that and then settling in and you look up and he makes the throw of the game in the second half to Andre Josabash essentially dagger. To be quite honest with you, that made it twenty six to fourteen. That that's Joe Burrow. And so that's the first thing He's like,
I'm never going to doubt Joe Burrow. And if you want to, I guess you still can, but doubt am at your own risk. And that's been my mindset for the past few years covering Joe and I'm going to continue to keep that mindset because he's very unique, a unique individual and someone that has a unique skill set. And that skill set isn't just being accurate or the physical stuff on the field, it's what he brings and how he affects winning when he's in your organization.
It's also a breath of fresh air to watch him drop back forty six times and only be sacked once. This has been something that was building up even before Joe Burrow's return, but we haven't talked as much about the old line. That's always a good thing because it means they're not noticed. How much of a stride James when you really look at him, has this offensive line taken?
I think a significant one, and I think a significant one for a few reasons. Number One, when you have a guy that to me has a chance to be a perennial pro bowler and a Marius Nimms, and you have him take a step in year two, Orlando Brown Junior, There's been a lot of criticism about him, but I think for the most part, he settled in and is playing well, played well the other night, and so you
have two tackles that you really believe in. And then when it comes to the interior, Ted Carris is pretty darn steady, I would say, and had been steady and probably a less than ideal start to the season. When you look at how Ted performed work really over the past two months, I think he's played well. And then both guard positions they've settled in there, and one's a third round rookie and Dalton Fairchild who I think is just going to be really darn good, and they got
that pick right, no doubt in my mind. And then another guy in Dalton Reisner who kind of got a deal.
He signed here right.
Before the season started, ten days before the first game. Lucas Patrick gets hurt. He gets thrown to the Wolves in Cleveland. They get out of that game. He doesn't play well. In week two, Joe gets hurt and that's a big reason why Dalton Raiser was in town. Was the black for Joe Burrow and he loses his job. Well, he took that and stride, He got better, he got comfortable, and now I really don't see a scenario how you can take him off the field with the way he's playing.
So yeah, this has a chance if they do what they've done over the past five weeks over the next five weeks. This is the best offensive line of the Joe Burrow era.
Bardner only question I have on the offensive side of the ball, and I don't know if it's how the game played out. Chase Brown's been awesome. Another game where he goes over one hundred scrimmage yards, caught all seven of his targets. When you look at the carries, he carried it over five yards of carry. But him and samaj p Roun essentially split the Lions sheriff carries fifteen and fourteen. Is that who the Bengal want to be or is that just how the game unfolded against the Ravens.
In your opinion, that shouldn't be what they are, and it shouldn't. You're right, it just it shouldn't. That doesn't mean to a JP Ryan can't be in the mix. Give him eight to ten carriers. That's fine. They ran a lot of plays. They just it was a unique game where we haven't seen it a lot this year, where they they ran eighty plays. They had the time of posession, a crazy time of possession advantage, and that's just not usually how they play. Well that's how they played,
so hopefully this is just an outlier. But I want Chase Brown getting two thirds of the carries yep, not fifty to fifty. And I get spelling him and heck I mentioned andre Yosabash touchdown, so a Jpron made that happen with the way he was fast protecting and able to knock the blitzer off his path a little bit so Joe could step up and throw it, Like, I
get it. Pierroon has a ton of value. I also think Chase Brown has a chance to establish himself as one of these elite running backs in the league, and the way he ended the year last year and just wasn't coming off the field at all this year. You do have some maj turon, you can keep them fresh, that's great, but some maj turon needs to be a compliment to Chase Brown. It should not be a fifty to fifty split or anything like that. I would say sixty forty or seventy thirty.
On the defensive side of the ball. James, I'm fascinated at the continued growth from Miles Murphy, who's now strung together a couple really strong games, and Joseph Osai and it has me wondering. For the last couple of weeks. Samar Stewart has been out, Trey Hendrickson has been out, and this was made a topic when Burrow was coming back, and the conversation was starters and really how many reps you can get in a week of preparation leading up
to a game. Do you see any correlation in the growth of Osaia and Murphy and the fact that they have been able to take all the reps for the ones and they're they're not splitting reps. They're not looking over their shoulder. They know that they're gonna get the lion's share. Is there value?
There?
Is there a correlation in the growth we're seeing on the field versus them getting all the reps at practice.
There's no doubt about it. There's no doubt about it, Tony. I'll do it, Tony Pike anology because you're in every day since three sixty into three down the hall on the SDN fifteen thirty shameless plug. Right, you're in every single day, well, when you were spotting and in here and there and filling in promo here and then doing guest spots there and then doing what you're doing now, filling into lance versus the growth you made when you were on air every single day and you knew it, well,
of course you're going to grow. Of course you're going to get better. And I think that's what we're seeing.
Now.
Here's the hard part for the Bengals.
They have in their minds been in win now mode, not evaluation mode, and so it's hard. Last year, it's it was hard to say, all right, well we're gonna let Miles Murphy take his lumps while we lose games. That we need to be a wing and so I get that. But part of why you brought in Al Golden was to get the most out of these young guys. Part of why Jerry Montgomery is here is to get
the most out of these young guys. And don't look now, Tony, but it does look like with those everyday reps that their talent is coming to light and they need to continue to show it now.
And that's the big thing.
Like, if you're Joseph Osi, you're in a contract year. These five games are ultra like there should be a ton of pressure on him because he could really get paid this offseason by the Bengals or somebody else. And for Miles Murphy, if he closes out this year strong over the next five weeks and who knows, maybe they go to the playoffs, then we're talking about the Bengals picking up his fifth year option, which would have been insane to say two months ago, and yet that's that's
what he could play his way into it. By the way, for those that don't know, sixth year option is big money, double digit million dollars, and so that's going to make Miles Murphy a very very rich man. If he's able to his way into that conversation. So both guys have a ton of money on the line, and the Bengals are banking on them to continue their stellar play.
Is there anything in particular from a scheme or adjustment standpoint you've seen Al Golden make that has allowed this defense? You go back to the Steeler Game two defense, I mean they offensively, they gave up two defensive touchdowns to the Steelers, So I say the defense gave up twenty. I thought they had a winning performance against the Patriots,
certainly a winning performance against the Ravens. Have you seen anything just playing game plan and schematic wise from Al Golden It's been different.
Yeah.
I like how aggressive he's being in the different blitzes. He's dialed up, and I think that's important when you have.
Honestly, I think they have a decent.
Secondary, like I like the Corners. I think DJ Turner and back Hill are really good. Talk about guys you can build around. I think those two guys compliment each other well, dack Hill's versatile, DJ Turner is just sticky in coverage. Makes sense, and so all right, well, how do you get more pressure? Will you get more pressure by blitzing and it's worked. Jalen Davis, Cinos Stone that used those guys in its work to their advantage. Now that needs to continue. Now there's some film out there.
Al Golden wasn't known for his blitzing necessarily coming into this, but that's something that they they have to pick into their moments and get the most out of it because it's a flaw of defense. They're so, I mean, they're not going to go out there and hold the Bills to three point and that's it. Like the be a sound tackling team that does the basic stuff, enforce a couple turnovers like but that's it. Be a sound defense that's opportunistic and and forces a couple of splash plays.
And those splash plays don't have to be pick sixes. They could be strip sacks like we saw last week. They could just be sacked and tackles for lost plays that change the game. And so we have seen that in recent weeks. You're right, one of the big what if to me is man had the Bengals brought up Joe Burrow, you know, the defense really gave them a shot in that New England game, yep, and had the
splash play then did their job. If they continue to play like that, I think they're going to have a shot, not just in Buffalottle, but a shot any team any week, given the state of parody in the.
NFL's that's the thing. It can be one thing to say, Man, if they just won the Jets game or they just won the Bears game, they are what they are right now, but they're gonna be dogs this week. You could venture to say they'll probably be favorite in each of the games after this with Baltimore coming here. If that's the case, is there a realistic shot you see them running the table? And if so, how realistic is that playoff chance?
Yeah, I'll say this, if they run the table, if you tell me the Bengals get the nine to eight, book those playoff tickets like book it, book the trip like I'll be planning it because it like planning on me going to wherever they play, which very well would be probably at home if they're winning the division, which sounds great to me. Look, this AFC North sucks. Let's call it like it is.
They stink.
The Baltimore Ravens stink right now, and who knows, maybe they rattle off my games in a row and finish eleven and six. I don't see that happening. I think the Steelers are awful. And so when I look at this division and yeah, the Bengals, they got to play the Bills this week and then they play the Ravens. If you get through those two games, I think you're winning the division. They'll be six and eight. And you look at the Steelers. The Steelers have the Ravens twice, they have the Lions, that.
Have the Dolphins.
They have the Browns at Cleveland, which I think is going to be a tough game for the Steelers and the Ravens. They play. The Steelers place the Bengals, the Patriots and the Packers. All you need if you're the Bengals is the Steelers to lose two of those games, the Ravens to lose one game other than the game you play, and you win out like that's going to happen. If you win out, I think the losses will happen. So yeah, I'm buying the facts. At nine wins wins
the division. I just don't know if the Bengals can do that. That's a lot to ask. It just is hey, Joe, win every start, So eight no is a starter right this year, and that's what he would have to do. But I'm not gonna put it past him, and I certainly think they have a shot, which is all you can ask for when you're four and eight a chance.
That's all we want. Awesome stuff, James Man, I can't thank you enough for helping me out tonight. What's the easiest way to uh to follow along with everything you got going on around this team?
Yeah, you can check me out at Tony Pike cantguard me dot com also Bengals Talk dot com, the Lockdown Bengals podcast in Cincinnati, Bengals Talk on YouTube.
You're the best, James Man. Thank you so much and I can't guard you bye.
I'm about to get that website out right now.
Thank you, James, I'm going to it.
Appreciate your tone.
All right. That's James Rapine. This is RNEL Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet on seven hundred WLW.
The following takes place between seven pm and eight pm.
All right, seven oh seven. Thanks for joining RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet. Tony Pike in for Lance McAllister. Many thanks to James Rapene for joining us there, and hour number one to talk to Cincinnati Bengals. We've got Charlie Frank of the Retz Community Fund, who's gonna give us a caller on seven thirty five to talk about giving Tuesday, Keegan Nickolson and hour three we're gonna spend time in hour three diving in to the Crosstown
Shootout and the Cincinnati Bearcats. My question to you as a Bearcat fan football season was blank, success, disappointment, failure. How do you know the football season for the Cincinnati Bearcats? And what's your take on this year's edition of the Crosstown Shootout? Does it feel like there's the same amount of buzz? And I know that the Shootout isn't until Friday, it's only Tuesday. I get that. But something to talk about as we get into hour three. But for now
a little more on the Bengals. Some phone calls along the way right now happening live, they are revealing the college football playoff rankings, the final college football playoff rankings of the regular season, the Week fourteen edition. Once those get through, will update you on those and an interesting piece of note to watch for as it pertains to the Buffalo Bills. Their pass rusher Joey Bosa left the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a hamstring injury. He
leads the Buffalo Bills with five sacks this season. He does have a big injury history, and the hamstring injury is something to keep an eye on for the Cincinnati Bengal as they had to Buffalo. It would certainly certainly help the offensive line going forward if they don't have to game playing around Joey Bosa and the Buffalo Bills. We'll get you up to speed on the college football playoff rankings in just a few moments. Let's grab a couple of phone calls here that've been holding on to
kick off the second hour. What's going on? Mark? How are you?
Yeah?
I'm doing all right.
You know, I got Tony Pike question.
Let's go.
Yeah, I asked this question earlier today, but.
I wanted to ask Tony pipe out my eyes lying to me that when they added McKinley Jackson to the rotation on the defensive line, they start doing a better job than stopping the run.
I don't know if it's direct. I mean, you could certainly point to that McKinley Jackson has actually been playing in football games, which was a big step from where he'd been. I just look at the defense as a whole. I think when you look at stopping the run, I think McKinley Jackson can play a role. I think others play a role. But as James Repeat noted, I think there's something to Al Golden and dialing up more pressures and putting more pressure in guys at the line of scrimmage.
I think that's going unto it as well. They're gonna get tested this week though, Mark we know Josh Allen is a very capable runner and James Cook has been fantastic for the Buffalo Bills. That run defense will be tested like it hasn't been in quite some time against Buffalo.
Okay, my last question for them to win this game this week, would it be safe to say they gonna They're gonna have to get some turnovers like they did in his last game for them to have a chance.
I think turnovers certainly give them the best chance. But I think if you look what the Ravens did to the Bengals in the first half and held the Bengals to four first half field goals. I think that can be a storyline as well. This is not as dominant a Buffalo team as people thought they were going into the to the year. They have struggled at playmaker, at wide receiver. They have relied a lot on the ground game.
So for me, against Buffalo, can you limit their opportunities in the red zone to touchdown or to field goals instead of touchdowns even if you're not getting the turnovers. And I know that the path of victory against the Ravens was helped with five turnovers that they forced. But if you can hold Buffalo to three instead of seven, I think you give yourself a good chance because I'm confident that the Bengals can score offensively against Buffalo with Joe Burrow.
Okay, got it. Well, I get off and I'll listen to the rest of the show.
Appreciate you, Mark, thank you. I mean that to me. Yes, if you could go turn the Buffalo Bills over three or four times, that would be awesome. But Buffalo, I mean, Josh Allen was an MVP for a reason. Buffalo is still playing for a lot. They're eight and four. This thing could still unrailvle for them a little bit. And look, let's face it, whether you're Buffalo, You're Baltimore, or or you or any other team in the AFC, your chances in the playoffs are better if the Bengals don't make it.
So make no mistake about it, Buffalo, you want to win this game to win. You also want to win this game to try to keep the Bengals from making this run. And you can essentially end the run. I know mathematically it wouldn't, but you could essentially end the run if you beat the Bengals on Sunday. I sure
wouldn't want to be an AFC playoff team. And think, man, we should have put the Bengals away when we could have at home, Because now the Bengals are getting hot and we have that conversation we had last year down the stretch. If they just get in, what can happen? I think that is a viable, viable possibility. One more here, what's up, Jeff?
Hey, how are you doing?
Tony good? How are you all right?
Your question was about the beercat football. Yes, very disappointing. Yeah, no, very disappointed.
But before I get that that answer from you, Jeff, if going into the season, I would have pitched you seven and five, would you have felt differently?
Yes, yes, yes, I thought they were hyped up pretty good in the off season about what some of the transfers they got in stuff like that. I just you know, they played the average teams, the above average teams. They played pretty well when they got into the meet of the schedule. I mean they just got beat up yep stakes after mistakes and and you know, I don't know, I don't know if he's gone away from recruiting Cincinnati
kids and relied more on the transport portal. But you know, for that program to be successful, it's got to be loaded with Cincinnati kids. You've got to get your older guys you're saying next guys and some of the more were guys. You have to keep those kids in town. And we're just not the top twenty you see, didn't get one of them, not one, And that can't happen. Do you know you're close to the program. Does he neglect recruiting the area or what's the problem.
Well, I think it's it's a couple of different things, Jeff One. I think it's a different time when you're building your roster. They have they have prioritized the portal. And I know that's hard to live and die by that, but that's that's been more who they have been. And I think the argument to that is looking at a guy like Dante Corleone, looking at Joe Royer, who were on that roster this year. The years that I was there, there was a direct correlation with recruiting Cincinnati and having
success on the field. The years that Luke Fickle was winning, there was a direct correlation with recruiting the area and winning on the football field. And I agree, you don't have to go far to see why other major teams come in to Cincinnati because the football is just that high calor at the high school level. I just don't know how much they prioritize high school recruiting over now. The transfer portal that you see, I.
Just don't get it.
You know, the top twenty five by a reference before. I think Indiana got a couple. Yep, Illinoi's got a couple. I think Northwestern got one or two, and we got.
A better program.
I mean, this program has an opportunity to be special if you work it the right way. And I just don't I just don't think it's being done down there.
I'll leave it at that.
Yeah, No, Jeff, I appreciate the phone call. Thank you for calling in. It's something that I was going to get to with Keegan at the top of our number three because signing day is tomorrow. But I do I think there's always been a correlation with the great high school football played here in Ohio and a reason why some of the best teams in the country are coming
in here to recruit this region as well. Speaking of high school football, shout out as well to the Anderson Raptors and the Sex Bombers, both teams playing for a state championship this coming weekend as well, so shout out to them. This is RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet. We'll talk more about those college football playoff rankings that were just revealed when we come back on seven hundred WLW. Welcome back, Arnel Carrier Sports Talk presented
by Kelsey Chevrolet. I'm Tony Pike in for Lance McAllister. Thanks for spending part of your Tuesday evening with us. Hope you are warm, Hope you're comfortable. Hope you're settled in and safe from all the snow. We received earlier this morning here in the Tri State area. The college football playoff rankings were just released as we went to break, and since we have a couple of minutes here, let's
touch base with that just real quick. Briefly, not many changes to the college football playoff rankings in the top ten, however, there is some significance after Texas A and M lost to Texas, Texas A and M drops to seventh in the rankings, so everyone that was behind them just moves up a slot. Georgia to three, Texas Tech to four, Oregon to five, Old Miss without Lane Kiffen to number six.
Texas A and M is seven, Oklahoma is eight, and then Alabama with their win over Auburn, jumps Notre Dame, who stays at ten, but now Alabama is at number nine. BYU is officially number eleven, Miami, Texas, Vanderbilt, Utah round out the top fifteen. Of course, from the bracket itself, it is a little bit different because you're gonna get that conference champion. Two levels of the conference champion that'll
end up being the eleven and twelve seeds. So right now, if the bracket were to be played today, the number one overall seed, Ohio State would await the winner of Alabama and OU Oklahoma. That would be the eight to nine matchup. Texas Tech would be the four At the top end of the bracket with Ohio State, they would play the winner of a conference champion and Oregon taking on then Texas Tech. In the bottom half of the bracket, Indiana would await the winner of Texas A and M
and Notre Dame. That is a rematch of an earlier game where Texas A and M de'd beat Notre Dame and that ole Miss the sixth seed would await the other conference champion yet to be revealed, and they would take on the Georgia Bulldogs after that. So that's how the bracket plays out right now. I do think it's interesting when you look at Ohio State in Indiana, both of those teams are in. Nothing that happens this weekend is going to change that for Indiana or Ohio State.
How do you coach? How do you prepare in the game for Saturday night? That doesn't mean as much now because you could very well play that team again in the College Football Playoff. Do you hold stuff back? Do you keep things vanilla? Do you go all out? How do you coach the game if you're one verse two knowing that both teams are going to play in the college football playoff? Now, what's interesting about the most up to date rankings of the teams that are going to
be sitting around watching this weekend? Oregon, the number five ranked team, does not play in the Big Ten title game. Oh Miss number six, does not play in the SEC title game. Texas A and M does not play in a title game. Oklahoma does not play in a title game. Texas thirteen outside looking in Miami, outside looking in Notre Dame, being an independent outside looking in, which begs the question, what's the point of the SEC title game? If you're Alabama, why would you want to play in an SEC title
game against number three Georgia? Because if you're Alabama and you lose the game, does that loss in an SEC title game do more damage than if you would have just been like Oklahoma this week, sitting around waiting. I think that's a viable question. I don't know how much Alabama can help their playoff stock by winning. I suld think they can hurt their playoff stock by winning. And it's different for different teams, right, For instance, I think the Big Twelve right now is a one bid league
Texas Tech. However, with Texas Texas Tech ranked four, If BYU upsets Texas Tech on Saturday, then I think the Big Twelve becomes a two bid league because I don't think Texas Tech would drop all the way out and by You would then be your automatic qualifier in the Big Twelve. So I'm fascinated at the thought of the college Football Playoff and how the games that just don't mean as much are handled this weekend. Again, how do
you coach the game? If you're Indiana and Ohio State, you could very well turn around and play that team again in a few weeks. If you're Alabama, do you have to win the SEC title game? Can three losses keep you in? When you have teams on the outside like a Texas, like a Miami. I don't think Vandy can reach that far, but you've got Notre Dame in the wing, Bama or Oklahoma. It almost becomes a must win if you're Alabama. ACC Title game interesting in itself
because seven and five Duke. After a slew of teams finished in the ACC with two losses, Duke is playing Virginia in the ACC Title Game Friday Night, American Athletic Title Game, North Texas Tulane, Troy and James Madison. And of course, because it just feels like it happens no matter what every single season, the Miami RedHawks and Chuck Martin are back in the MAC Championship this year against Western Michigan. At this point, Miami should just get resident
and see in Detroit. They're at Ford Fields seemingly every year. And this path by Miami has been even more impressive because they did so by moving on from their quarterback towards the end of the season and they've still found a way to win and gotten themselves again playing for a MAC Championship. The other game that will happen on Friday night the Mountain West Championship between UNLV and Boise State. So a lot of things happening there in the college
football world. We'll spend more time in the college football world and college basketball and Hour number three.
But.
When we come back, let's switch gears just a little bit. It's that time of the year, right Friday was we got Black Friday, shopping, Cyber Monday. There's deals everywhere. Then you turn the page to what's called Giving Tuesday, and the red Community Fund is doing some awesome stuff. And when we come back, the executive director of the REDG Community Fund, we'll stop by to join us for a few moments. Charlie Frank is next on this the RNL
Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet. You are listening on seven hundred WLW seven thirty eight Tuesday evening, RNL Carrier's Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet. Tony Pike in for Lance McAllister. Happy to have you along. It's more of your phone calls in and now our number three five one three seven four nine seven thousand. For now
we know what it is. We have Black Friday now on the day after Thanksgiving, and then Cyber Monday happens that following Monday, and now today it's it's not about the gifts that you can get, it's it's about giving. Giving Tuesday is happening right now and that carries a little more weight right now with the Red's Community Fund as well. So to help us understand more about what's happening, is the executive director of the REDS Community Fund joining
us right now. Charlie Frank Charlie, what's up.
Hey, Tony.
Yeah, it's uh boy. It's a crazy few days for your inbox, isn't it? With Black Friday, Feber Monday, and Given Tuesday. It's a lot to keep tracking.
It is. It's a lot, but we've gotten to the tail end of it. We've gotten to December second here at Tuesday and it is giving Tuesday. Tell us a little bit about what's going on and what's happening with the Reds Community Fund and what they're doing.
Yeah, well, you know, we're we're always trying to make sure that you know, our key programs are properly funded, so we are trying to find our our way amongst all the other messaging that goes on on this day, and for us, we decided to do something different this year, and that was to kind of tell the story and
connect the dots. You know, a lot of people, you know, may be familiar with the Community Fund, with the field renovation programs and with our youth Academy in the Roselawn Bond Hill neighborhood, but you know a lot of folks may not know that. You know, we got about three hundred and fifty kids that play Red Nike RBI based on softball. It's about a fifty to fifty uh split between the boys and the girls. And you know, we're
teams are from ages eight to eighteen. And you know, these three hundred and fifty that use our academy on an almost weekly basis a lot of them more than that. I mean, these are the primary tenants. I mean, this is why we really went about the process of raising the money to build the academy over a decade ago. And of those three fifty, about one hundred and fifty of them are high school aged and for those ninth through twelfth graders, they are part of our Red's Community
Fund scholars program. You can't opt in or opt out. I mean, if you want to play Red's Nike RBI, you're part of scholars Because you know, our goal, Tony, is to raise major league citizens. You know, you're not going to be able to send everybody off to college to play, or to Division one or to Pro ball, whatever it is. You know, we're trying to get them
ready for life. And today, with Giving Tuesday, you know we're asking people to help meet a ten thousand dollars matching gifts that are board set out where we're providing scholarships to our thirty two seniors. So for our thirty two seniors, if you know, if they get to the finish line, they're going to get a fifteen hundred dollars scholarship even without having to apply, because we've been with
them for a long time. So we're trying to raise some exposure, you know, for these kids that work so hard in our game, but also in the classroom and outside of it, and then and hopefully have scholarships for them by the time they graduate high school.
That's what I was going to go into next. Just the support that folks can give, the ways in which people can donate. How is that support directly impacting those those seniors.
So you know a lot of these young men and women, Tony, I mean, they're with us for six seven years, you know, So that the dollars that we raided through the corporate community, through individual grants and gifts on days like today, through Giving Tuesday, or through the Red Legs Run some of other events, these are what keep the lights on at the Youth Academy, and these are what allow our dollars to go further so that the kids that play with us that are you know, playing for a fraction of
the fee that this experience would cost anywhere else. They get to travel more, they might get you know, a practice jersey to where since they're with us for twelve months, they're going to get more resources that we can invest in the scholars program, more seminars, more workshops that we can provide for them. We had an NIL workshop within the last week. We have a new parenting program with beech Akers to help the parents get more engaged.
You know.
We do a Strength Finders program with different partners so that the kids have a better understanding of where their strengths lie, not just as baseball and softball players, but
as young adults. So, you know, every dollar we raise through the Community Fund throughout the year is again trying to mbellish these programs, but for tonight, it's to try to raise money so that we can sure each of these seniors if they meet the GPA requirement, if they meet the community service requirement in terms of hours throughout the year and they all crush it, and if they attend the minimum number of seminars and workshops, that they're
going to get this fifteen hundred dollars and thirty two student athletes for us in the senior class. I mean, that's a big number to RAID and we're you know, we're grateful to our board for giving us a tremendous at start, and we're excited to kind of share the story with the community to let people know how they can get involved as well.
The Reds Nike RBI program is awesome in itself and everything that that falls under the umbrella of the Reds Community Fund, the red Community Fund scholars. I think it's important as well. When you think about that, it's it's not just the athletic side. You're getting high level baseball and softball training, but how important is it with these athletes that you're getting with that they're also getting the academic support, the life skills development for these programs for
these athletes as well. I think it's it's so much and in today's where you focus so much on this sports specific training that sometimes we lose sight of the academic side and just the life skilled development side. And I know that's a big focus for you guys as well, totally.
I mean it is the differentiator for what we do. I'll give you an example when when we had the ability to travel to Los Angeles before our academy was built. So this is going back to maybe twenty eleven, twenty twelve, and we saw the very first urban youth academy, the one that Joe Morgan inspired Bud Seely to build, and the one that Hunter Green came through and JP Crawford and you know, Dominic Smith, a lot of you know, terrific uh, you know, players of color that have made
their way up to the Big League. That facility had a Hall of Fame wall, and that Hall of Fame wall was young men and women who excuse me, young men that had signed pro contracts. That was their measuring stick. And when I was there, I was really inspired by that, you know, because I understood that's what the game needs. They need to get more black and brown kids back.
To this game.
But at the same time, when we got home and we were processing a lot of things that we've seen, we realized that that's right for MLB in Constant California. It's not who we want to be here at Cincinnati and Greater Cincinnati, norn of Kentucky, South East Indiana. I mean, we want to be something that helps young men and young women and our Hall of Fame wald Tony has
as many young women on it as young men. And of this group of about you know, thirty to forty kids that have come through our program and earned scholarships, I would say at least a third of them are still coaching volunteering, and they, to a person, will tell you that they got just as much out of the extracurricular, out of the education, out of this, you know, the life skills piece of it. There are plenty of great baseball on softball travel programs, but that's what you're looking for.
We're very lucky in this community. We've got great options all over the place, but we're we're asking kids and families to take on as a different mindset that you know, we're trying to build the complete person in the Major league citizen because you know, it's only once in a great wild that we're going to be able to send a young person to a D one program or have them sign a cook contract.
Charlie, I know that donations themselves can be anything from small to large, twenty five to fifty hundred more on on this Giving Tuesday. I know that there's the dollar for dollar match as well being put up by the REDS Community Fund Board of Directors. So for those interested in being able to impact or to make a donation, how do they go about doing so?
Yeah, thanks, it's REDS dot com slash Giving Tuesday, and that'll stay open. Of course, we're trying to get to that ten thousand dollars match tonight, so we will appreciate the amount of interest that they're staying already, you know, through the red social media sites and and email changes
that have gone out, there's been a great response. But folks, the easiest way to do it is red dot Com slash Giving Tuesday, and again you can help us sort of reach this goal the stream of ours to make sure that not only every young man and woman from the senior class this year has got the opportunity to have fifteen hundred to put towards college. But you know what I mean, a lot of these kids, you know,
may not go straight to college. They may go to a junior college, they may go to a trade school, they may go to the military. We have a young men last year that went to the Coast Guard Academy, So I mean, we just want to make sure that they're moving in the right direction. And Reds fans and listeners, so I can help us get there. And again it's Reds dot Com Slash Giving Tuesday.
The Giving Tuesday part alone is incredible and especially this time of the year, and to be able to have an impact like folks can have. I'll also urge folks to go check out just the Reds Community Fund and their website just to see everything that you guys have been able to do since your inception in two thousand and one. Again, you're using baseball and softball as a way to improve the lives of youth that are right
here in our community. So whether it is events or outreach initiatives or ways that folks can get involved the Reds Youth Academy, there's so many different things that you guys cover. What's the one stop shop, Charlie, that that folks can just get more acclimated and have a better understanding of so many there's so many things under your guys umbrella. What's the easiest way that folks can just learn more about everything the REDS Community Fund does.
Yeah, the easiest way is to go to Reds dot com slash community that can introduce you to not only a lot of the fundraising events, whether it's our Red Legs run, whether it's opening to a block party or the Reds Community Fund telethon. But also you know, fifty fifty rapful of home games and how folks could play that.
But there's information on all of our youth programs, so you know, if you're a fan of the Reds, if you're a fan of the game, you know, and how many people that are from this community don't have it in our blood to some level. You know, I think it's important to know what your hometown team has been up to in this space for the last twenty five years.
And you know, our Youth Academy just you know, we could go Thursday, you know, help serve seventeen hundred and fifty meals in partnership with Freesource Food Bank, so you know, we had our GM Brad Metter and you know radio broadcaster Tommy Trawl with us handing out meals. So you know, I mean it's our academy gives us that opportunity to really touch lives on an everyday basis. It's an incredible privilege. But Reds dot com slash community, We'll let you know,
and it will also help you. If you're a family that's recently new to this area, you're trying to figure out how your children could get involved in the game. You know our website can help you there as well.
Charlie Frank, the executive director of the Red Community Fund, on this Giving Tuesday. Charlie, it's always good to catch up, Man, and I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoy and appreciate everything you guys are doing with the Red Community.
Hey, we appreciate all your support over the years, Tony. Our community fucky to have you as well. And I got to tell you what you said at the outset is so true. I mean, you know, and we're all in the holiday spirit right now of trying to get organized ahead of whatever holidays to celebrate, you know, to have the to have that day of giving, to have that intentional day where you know, we're people in your community and well beyond our focused on helping you know,
all these various nonprofits. It's it's a great addition to the season. So I'm glad you brought that up.
Fantastic edition and we can't thank you enough. That is Charlie Frank, Charlie, we'll talk again, Sue Man.
Thank you okay, thank you, Tony there.
He is the executive director of the Reds Community Fund. That is Charlie Frank awesome, awesome stuff from the Community Fund, and and even better to see what the Reds are doing, it's Reds dot com slash Giving Tuesday. You can find out more information and make a nation as well when we come back. I know this is football driven. I get to do it every single day for three hours down the hall on Sincy three to sixty. Get to
talk about the Bengals every single day. This week's a little bit different, and it's still Bengals because it's the Bengals and the Bills and the Bengals are still alive. But we're not talking much UC football. We're talking about the Crossdown Shootout. If you were born and raised in this area, you know what Friday means to both of these schools, To Xavier to Cincinnati, both teams coming off a win last night. For the Xavier Musketeers a little
bit easier. They beat up on Saint Francis ninety six to seventy four. Xavier's winners of three games in a row. They had that stretch where they lost to Santa Clara and Iowa. Since then, a win against Old Dominion. They took Georgia to the finish line. They lose that game seventy eight, seventy seven. Since then, a ten point win against West Virginia, a win over Texas A and M Corpus Christy, and it went over Saint Francis last night. For the Bearcats, it has not been as easy. They
lost that game to Louisville. They came back and beat the New Jersey Institute of Technology before falling to Eastern Michigan last Wednesday, sixty four to seventy six. They did bounce back last night and beat Tarleton State, although they were only up two and a half. That all culminates Friday night in the Crossdown shootouts. So we'll talk to Keegan nickoson when we get back Bearcat Journal dot com.
To get us started at an hour number three, It's RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet right here on seven hundred WLW.
The following takes place between eight pm and nine pm.
One final time, One final hour, RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet. I am Tony Pike in for Lance McAllister. Just tonight back at the normal slot tomorrow right down the hall on ESPN fifteen thirty for sincey three sixty from noon to three. If you listen weekly to sincey three sixty, you know our next guest. He joins us each and every Thursday, and yet there's so much going on this week that he's going to join me tonight as well. Covering the Cincinnati Bearcats for Bearcat
Journal dot Com. Kegan Nicholson, what's going on, Kegan?
I'm doing great, as you know, I've never been better.
Keegan, How excited are you that the month of December is here? The month of November not so good for the Bearcats four losses in football and a lost to Eastern Michigan and basketball. You've got to be a static that we're in December.
Yeah.
I don't know if you know that meme, but it's that like kind of dog looking figure sitting in that kitchen when it's on fire and he just says, this is fine. That's basically what the end of October and all of November felt like. Tebergham Cincinnati. But I'm glad cross overseason is over and I can just focus on basketball.
Now.
Let's get football out of the way first and then turn our attention to the shootout. Let's just make this very simple. If you would have told a lot of people before the year seven and five that hits the over for the Vegas win total, I think there was a large contingent of fans that would have said, yes, seven and five kind of feels like where that conversation would be, okay, the way in which seven and five happened, losing four down the stretch. How do you how do
you view the UC football season? Was it a success? Was it a disappointment? How do you Where does that fall in for you?
It's it's a weird one because I think I agree that if you asked me before the season, if they were seven and five, would it be a success. Personally for me, I was much higher in Cincinnati before the season than a lot of people were. I predicted that they would go nine to three. I just saw all the talent on offense, all the talent that they were able to bring back, and kind of the culmination of the first two years was year free and this is going to be the best chance by far out of
the three years to get to their goals. And I think like you said how seven and five happened was the biggest difference maker, and just the continued struggles in November, which is the most important part of the season, and how a lot of the losses are because of self and afflicted wounds and you're not just going out and getting beat really bad like you did it into Utah.
In a way, it makes it worse because it feels like it was right there for the taking, and it's right there for the taking, and then you have a fumble in the red zone or you don't conform, you don't convert a fourth and one at the goal line. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So it's just I don't think it was a success. I also don't think it was an abject failure. The only thing that I would say is how can you capitalize on this year and to next season like you
did after twenty twenty four. And that's where things start to get a little mushy from me.
Yeah, the question around Brendan Soarsby. I saw the answer he gave to you, which was vastly different than the answer he gave a year ago when asked about coming back. Corleone Royer Golday, A lot of the offensive line that was so good. That there are so many meaningful pieces of this team and good players that will not be here next year. That is a huge question mark. I know, signing day is tomorrow. I know there's a a completely
different offseason. Anything big expected from a signing day standpoint. And do you feel like this staff is recruiting Ohio as much as they need to?
Yeah, I mean they're recruiting Ohio pretty well. I think when I looked earlier today was seven or eleven of the guys that they currently have committed are from the state of Ohio, kind of scattered across Columbus Northern Ohio. And then you've got a J. Kurty some Task and Evan Weinberg from Springboro kind of a semi local guy.
In terms of what could happen, you know, I wouldn't be surprised if you saw some trips away from Cincinnati, in large part because of the end of the season and a lot of these guys are going to be entertaining offers from other schools that might have a little bit more money, and then they're going to have to balance it with Okay, well, if I have to make a decision for myself, do I want to go to a team that lost four years or four games to lose the season, and then it's seven and five. Maybe
this team might offer a brighter future. So there could be some slips away. There could also be some slips to Cincinnati that wouldn't shock me at all. But as we get into this day and age in which it's a lot of money and a lot of transactional stuff, you never know what can happen. And here can take up an offer very late.
Kicking his cross down shoot that week. I don't know if you're aware of that, because I know it took you a little bit to probably get over what you witness against Tarlton State last night. I know I struggled getting over that last night. Let's backtrack just a little bit. Let's go back to last Wednesday, the loss against Eastern Michigan. How alarming was like I viewed this loss. I said it on social media. I thought it was the worst loss I've watched as a Bearcat basketball fan. I remember
they lost to Colgate. I remember that was also John Brandon's first year. Yeah, you look at Eastern Michigan. They didn't have anyone go off for thirty points. It was kind of balanced scoring. They didn't make twenty threes, they only made seven threes. It just felt demoralizing and I can't shake that feeling. How did you view what you witnessed last Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving against Eastern Michigan.
Yeah, it was. It was really weird because I'm watching the entire game and it's like you said, Eastern Michigan wasn't shooting the lights out, like when I think of those kind of under the radar, scrappy teams. A lot of people remember this game, but when Marshall came to fitzerd Arena and I think it was twenty sixteen maybe, and they aid like twenty two threes and I think the final of that game was in the eighties. For Copaine,
it's a floater at the buzzer to win. That's the kind of game where, okay, you can't really do much about a team that's just making every shot they take, and Eastern mission was not doing that. The effort and intensity was not there for Cincinnati, and west Miller called it out after the game. He saw guys like Sincy Harrison, Dane Thomas do everything they possibly could. They try to give a spark, but then it's just the defense would
fall through and then the offense was non existent. And you know, it was definitely the worst loss in west Miller's tenure. From a purely analytical standpoint at numbers, it wasn't the worst ken palm loss. I think they lost to East Carolina, which was about fifteen spots worse and
ken palm than Eastern Michigan was. But that was in year one, and this is in year five, when you have all the investment, when you had the talent, when you built your foundation, when the roster is suppose to make more sense and fit together better, and yeah, you're missing Jalence Lesting, you're missing Baba Miller. Absolutely that played a factor, and I think if Baba Miller plays in
that game, they would probably win. But that is no way to say that they should have any excuse for losing that game at home, especially with how they had played against Louisville and how they looked pretty good. So yeah, it was I'm not a huge John Rothskin guy, but as a pio mer, brutality is a very accurate representation about how that felt.
So then you fast forward to last night, you get back on the basketball court. You're playing a team in Tarleton State who without what their top without six or seven players over sixty percent of their scoring, and yet it's a two point lead at the half. It was sloppy at the end of the half with the turnovers. What were you able to take, if anything, from a positive watching this team last night, maybe even in the second half making some threes and the balance that they showed.
But what do you take from last night to look forward to Freud?
Yeah, the positive is that Baba Miller got back into the lineup and got the rough knocked off. Other than that, I would say that they made a lot of shots. They had a really good three point shooting night. Dade Thomas made five threes. Kirk Cresa made six threes for the first time since I think twenty twenty four, maybe late twenty twenty three, So the ker Cresa, a guy that has struggled from three, had.
A good night.
Other than that, you don't really see many positives on Hillery. He had a Tony Smell line like have you seen that of Tony where it's zero zero? I that was like they reminded me of the Howard game when we all watched the Howard game at Howard and the guy kept on yelling mouse in the house, Like I guess Mustapha Sham just doesn't react well when he has a guard, like a sixty seven forward guarding him in the paint. Because you think you should have twenty five points and
twelve rebounds, he has your points. He was ever for one from the field, the three rebounds in four blocks. Yeah, so I don't even know what happened with that, but yeah, there isn't much positive Keith on Tylor. Your backup point guard plays four minutes. I asked Wes about that, and he just says it was a coach's decision and doesn't elaborate on it at all. And then ironically, when your backup point guard doesn't play that much, your old point guard is in the stadium watching five roads.
Yeah, what are we doing? They were showing them on the jumbo tron, Teak And what's going on with Gisel James.
Yeah, there were a lot of people were not happy Tony. If I see him come out in the uniform, I will pack up and leave. I will leave the sent off center. Yeah, there were a lot of Cincinnati people who were not happy with the jumbo tron operators. When that happened, I don't think that's where you want to
be at from a PR standpoint. But nevertheless, Wes Miller said after the game, he's always been enrolled at you see, So he was dismissed from the team, but like I guess technically still allowed to be on the team because he was enrolled. But you didn't comment on his official status and say like, hey, he's he's back on the roster, he's back on the program, that kind of thing. So it's still up in the air from from some standpoint.
You know, when the season started, I'm asking Xavier fans and what's the expectation this year, and they're kind of laying it out as there were no expectations there. There's a pass right now for Richard Patino. But I do know that their team has gotten better every time I've watched them. I know, I know Patino seed is not warm. Is Friday night a must win for west Miller in the Crossdown Shootout?
I I don't think it's a must win because if he loses and makes the tournament, he's probably good to come back for another year like that. That's the standard
right now. But if he loses, and I've bos Chad Brendle said this after the Eastern Michigan loss, that will be used as proof or as a reason to why they would fire him at the end of the season, Like you only got one win against Xavier, You should have probably beat them in twenty twenty three when you played, and you should have beat them in twenty twenty five when they had a year one roster and looked really really disappointing to start the season and then started slowly
kind of getting better. But right now, I don't know if I'm gonna say that Cincinnati is going to win that game with any sort of confidence. Like what this team has shown through the first is seven eight games of the season, I don't know if they can go into that tough environment with this group that they have and make the necessary plays to win. They just really haven't proven that they could do that outside of the
Dayton game. So yeah, it's it's a it's a bad situation for west Miller and his team right now because fans are going to go into that game expecting to and win handily, and how they're playing right now, I just don't see that happening.
The shootout itself. I've always wondered about the rivalry games in today's college athletics, because you know, gone are the days where you have a roster full of full of four and five year guys that get this rivalry or maybe even grew up around this rivalry. You got a lot of guys now that are transferred in, they're still
new to campus, they're still new to the city. Is there an understanding, Like I know Wes talked about it a little bit last night, but do you sense that there is a standard in a tone being set by Wes Miller about how important this game is on Friday.
Yeah.
I think he definitely thinks it's important because I know how much he loves to compete. Like in all our conversations that we've had, and the vibe that I've gotten from him is there's nothing that he loves more than competing and being put in these kind of atmospheres. So he fully understands it. I think what you say, with the roster turnover and all that kind of stuff and the new players, I just think this rivalry at the end of the day doesn't mean as much as it
did in twenty seventeen or twenty eighteen. And it's also not just the roster turnover. It's also both programs have combined to make the tournament four.
Times since twenty eighteen.
Maybe, like when you look at it, this used to be a game where both teams were ranked consistently, like it was really good programs with really good coaches, really good players that we're going to end up playing in the NBA. And also it was like fans loved all the players on each team, Like think about getting the root for Sean Kilpatrick and Gary Clark and Joe Cumberland, Troy Copain, Kevin Johnson, Cashmire Wright. That's just not really
true anymore. You don't really build that bond and want to see these got these specific guys succeed in addition to seeing the team succeed. So yeah, it's definitely weird, weird time. But you know, all you need is a punch thrown and then the rivalry is back on. I don't I don't know if that's going to happen now, but that could really happen in any game. Because David Thomas ad ejected against both con st so you never know.
I would be remiss if I don't backtrack and at least ask you this because my own mental and really physical well being is on the line here.
Uh.
Do you have an indication in which bowl game the UC football team will be playing in?
I've heard rumblings of the Rate Bowl and Scenic, which I think is better than.
Listen Kegan as as a dad, as a dad who missed Halloween and left the day after Thanksgiving. If I have to explain or talk my wife into leaving on Christmas night for a bowl game, I will be moving in with you at some point. Can we do anything else with the Rate Bowl?
Tell the kids you have all their presence in Phoenix. You have to go and get them. That's yeah, unbelievable.
All right, I'll take report. I never thought i'd say that in my life, but give me sh report. Unbelievable. That's awesome, Keiegan Man, I can't thank you uh enough appreciate you joining us. What's the easiest way for listeners that uh that aren't familiar with your work to follow along with more of your work?
Yeah?
Follow knickus some forty two on X and then make sure you.
Subscribe to Bearcat Journal. I'm gonna have a ton of signing Day stuff. Gonna have a ton of danger stuff coming up. It's a it's a packed week, so it should be fun.
Chigan, Thanks man, we'll talk soon.
Thanks Henny, Too.
Keig and Nicholson Bearcat Journal dot Com on this the week of the Crosstown shoot I it just it means so much here in the city of Cincinnati. I love and hate the shootout week all at the same time. But we'll spend more time and as we go we'll talk more Bearcats. We'll talk some Muskies when we come back.
If you'd like, give us a call. Five one, three, seven four nine, seven thousand RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet, and you are listening right here on the Big one seven hundred WLWE one hundred WLW fucking more UC Xavier football, basketball, whatever you want to do. It's Crossdown shoot Out week Giving Tuesday as well. Hope you're having a great evening. Let's go back to the phone lines. Flip, what up?
How are you doing?
I'm good?
How are you?
I'm good, buddy, I'm lonely down here in Charlotte, but I just it's been down bad.
Well you're in Charlotte, but you're a Steeler fan, so you shouldn't be down bad, Nick, because you you got rid of Darius Lay and you just got Adam Thielen.
We just got older out some way to the Steelers continue to age themselves. I proposed my trade to you, but we'll keep it silent because who knows who's listing.
You're down bad though, because of our Cincinnati Bearcats.
I'm assuming. I just don't get it, Tony, I don't get it. This doesn't seem like there's any light at the end of the tunnel here, and dare I say, I feel very post Huggins Nancy Zemfish to where we just don't see the improvement coming in the near future. It just seems like we're lost. I think in all fronts, football, basketball.
I think that to me is the it's the most worrisome part because I get Scout Saddlefield saying, well, you went from three wins to five wins to seven wins. I get that, and I support that, but it's the way in which they did it, and for football, you just leave. You lose such a big part of your core that you had coming back to this year, and to start November you were you were in the driver's seat. You were seven and one, top twenty five and you were in the driver's seat to play for a Big
twelve title, and you completely collapse down the stretch. And yet I think, Nick, if there are people that are asking between Scott Saderfield and Wes Miller, the feeling around Wes Miller, I think is a little more worrisome because it's year five and a lot of the conversations people are having are the same ones that we're had in year one.
I agree, Tony, it's just tough.
You know, we we not you and I, but as a state university pay coaches and administrators and awful lot of money to produce put a product on the field that's worth and worthy of our of.
Our fandom and our allegiance, and we're not getting those things. And I think it's it's difficult, right, Like it's a sin sinty sports fan thing, right. I wasn't always that growing up, and I'm not always that when the professional ranks are playing, but in between there I am, and it's it is disappointing, and I don't know what the answers are that. So I'm going to ask you, when do we get out of this mediocrity? How do we
step out of it? Will we well? Will will the powers that be he finally makes decisions that put us in that trajectory. I'm not overly confident, but we can be hopeful.
Yeah.
I think that's the ultimate question. Now for the Bearcats. I went into last year and I thought that I liked what UC had on the roster. And I went into this year and I thought, man, I like what they have on the roster. I think they've spent the money necessary to compete in the Big Twelve. And another thing I worry about openly is if you look at what players are doing right now that left this team from last year, Dylan Mitchell, Arrington Page is averaging fifteen
points a game for Northwestern. You look at Dan Skillings at Baylor. Connor Hickman has averaging fifteen points a game at Charleston, couldn't get on the floor at Cincinnati. I go back to watching Mustapha Chom last night, took one shot attempt as a center who had a height advantage all night. I just worry because it's year five, and my biggest concern is a UC sports fan, and is if you wait until it's too long. Can you ever get it back? That I think is the biggest worry.
In sports, and we have to xavior on Friday, and on.
Friday it's tough. Listen, it's been good. I appreciate you taking my call. I appreciate you shouting out and picking my high school, London Red Raiders London for the past few weeks.
London, appreciate that shout out to London. You got the kids are in bed? Are you are you guys like, has the elf come back?
You guys?
Do the elf on the shelf?
Yeah?
We got to get that before we lay down, because you know, once you lay down, it came over. There's no waking back up trying to move that thing to get up earlier in the morning.
Well, Flip, thanks for listening, Thanks for calling.
Yeah, you bet, buddy, I appreciate it.
Yes, sir, that that to me is a majority of the conversation I have with former teammates of mine or fans of the University of Cincinnati is there is a genuine and legitimate concern around the University of Cincinnati. Let's grab one more phone call before we take a break. Steve is calling in, what's up?
Steve Steve can Tony, can you hear me?
Yeah?
I got you, okay, kid.
I love your show during the day. I listen to talk back all the time. I try to rip on Audi as much as I can, but he's sabots me.
That's fair. I get it.
Anyway.
God bless you, you know. But uh, my point is is whether you're talking reds or Bangles or FC or the new where they're going to do build up pavilion or something like that all along the river. I'm an old guy and I've been going down to a river front or since they tore down the old one over by highway. First time I went to a game, I was like six years old and my daddy hold my hand.
And the first thing is shocked me in my whole life was I saw some guy laying up on the steps in the way everything and said I need food. And ever since, the whole thing has gotten even a little bit worse over time, and I've gotten to the point where I won't go to these venues. I'm a
disabled be one hundred percent. I would love to go down there, but I can't get through a lot of those neighborhoods are put up with the crime that goes on when I park, and and my point is is why do they keep cramming stuff down there where people like me won't go? And then they wonder why they can't buy players because they can't sell them the seats,
And it's it's perpetually a big problem. It's been going on for decades, and I should would like to see them do something about it, whether they're busting us in or training us in, or some way we can get there safely and leave safely without being a constant. That's that's my whole.
Point, Steve. I thank you. I appreciate your phone call, thank you for listening. That's the stadium stuff to me. I just not a venture I go down. I love the venues in Cincinnati. I like, as much as it pains me to say, I like going into the Cintas Center on Friday Night. I think that's a world class venue. What they've done to Nippert Stadium and Fifth Third Arena, the upgrades coming to pay Corps in Great American Ballpark, and obviously what TQL Stadium means is awesome for the
city of Cincinnati. We'll put a bow on this. We'll wrap things up when we return RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet on seven hundred WLW. Welcome back, RNL Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet. I'm Tony Pike. I'm in for Lance McAllister. Back to my normal station tomorrow. That's right down the hallway here in our Kenwood studios on ESPN fifteen thirty for Sincy three sixty from noon to three. So would love to have you join us
for that as well. Appreciate you listening in throughout the evening tonight. There's a lot of good college basketball happening right now. Duke took a massive lead. Florida has closed the gap right now in the sec ACC Challenge, Duke leading Florida forty to thirty three. Tennessee and Syracuse are in a good one right now. Nine o'clock top of the hour, Connecticut against Kansas and then nine thirty North Carolina against Kentucky. That's some blue blood basketball being played
tonight on a Tuesday night here in December. Also give shout out to Charlie Frank of the REDG Community Fund, the executive director of the REDG Community Fund, who gave us some great stuff talking about giving Tuesday. Check them out at the redg Community Fund and see how you can be a part of that as well. Also thanks to Keegan Nikison to set the stage for the Bearcats and for James Rapine who got us all set with the Bengals and the Buffalo Bills coming up on Sunday.
It's a massive game on set. There's no downplaying anymore of the Bengals games. They are all massive, right like this. This this isn't reinventing the wheel. I'm not telling you something that you don't already know. But again, the month of November was awful for football. The Bengals and Bearcats canbine to go one and seven on the month. One wins, seven losses in eight hours opportunities. That one win is a game for the Bengals that kept their season alive.
We talked a little bit about this, and I know Mullager hit it with a rocky boyman. December and January have been good to the Cincinnati Bengals over the last three years. They are fourteen and two over the month months of December and January and the AFC North is the path. Is anyone scared of the Baltimore Ravens right now? Are you scared of the Pittsburgh Steelers right now? One of the best memes that I've seen come out is that Aaron Rodgers looks like he should be in the
movie Home Alone as one of the wet bandits. And now I can unsee it. But that's who Pittsburgh is right now. Pittsburgh is not dominant. Baltimore is not dominant. We talked earlier in the show about just the parody in the NFL. Who is dominant in the NFL right now? Because going into last week I would have said, well, that's easy, it's the Rams, and then the Rams lost to the Panthers, and maybe you could try to make the argument that it is Maybe the Buffalo Bills are
that team in the AFC. I've watched Buffalo lose to the Dolphins, the Falcons, the Texans. I don't think Buffalo is that team. I don't know if Kansas City. The crazy thing about Kansas City is if they were to get in, they probably would be that team that people would fear. But right now they're occupying the ten seed in the AFC. The Colts are sliding, the Chargers are sliding, the Jaguars. If there's anything about what the Jaguars have
done that tells you it's coaching matters. I think Liam Cohen's a really good coach and I think he's made a huge difference with that Jaguars team. But the two top seeds in the AFC, New England with eleven wins, Denver with ten, I'm just not sold. So if you're the Bengals, do you fear that? I don't think so. Let's be honest. For the Cincinnati Bengals at four and eight, nine and eight's gotta do it. Joe Burrow alluded to that himself. But at nine and eight, I legitimately think
the Cincinnati Bengals get in to the playoffs. And at nine and eight, if the Bengals get into the playoffs, who wants to play them? At that point? That would mean they would be winners of six in a row. Joe Burrow's eight to no going back to last year as a starting quarterback, he's won his last eight. That would mean them winning six more in a row. Who wants to play them?
Now?
They are underdogs, and rightfully so against Buffalo six and a half point underdog. Will they be an underdog to the Baltimore Ravens, I don't think so. I think they'll be a slight home favorite. Will they be an underdog on the road at Miami? Now Miami is playing much better, but I still think the Bengals with Joe Burrow, go into that as a slight favorite. Are they favored at home against the Arizona Cardinals and the Cleveland Browns? I
think so. So what you have in front of you if you're the Cincinnati Bengals, it's Sunday, And yes it is game by game, it's week to week. I fully get that. But if the Bengals get by Sunday, what's the conversation now become of? Okay, can you win four in a row as favorites? Because I think they're favorite in all four? This is the game. Sunday is the game. Win Sunday, and let's jump back into this. A lot of people are still hesitant. It's a lot that still
has to happen. I think the Bengals are favored in their final four when Sunday as an underdog at Buffalo, and I think this gains traction all over the place that the Bengals can legitimately legitimately make a run at this, especially because no one else in the AFC seems to want to do it. Teams have lined up to have their chance. The Steelers on Thursday Night Football when they came to Cincinnati, they had the chance to deal the
final blow to the Bengals. They didn't. The Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving Night had a chance to deliver the vinyl blow to the Bengals. They didn't. Buffalo in the AFC has a chance to deliver a final blow to the Bengals. That's what the Bengals look to fight against on Sunday on the road an Orchard Park against the Buffalo Bills. This has been so much fun for me, from the Bengals in our number one to James Rapine joining us
to the conversations in Hour number two. Charlie Frank Keegan nickoson getting a set up in Hour number three with a huge week for the Cincinnati Bearcats with the Crosstown Shootout and the Cincinnati Bearcats football squad so much around this time of the year to be thankful for. I'm thankful to have an opportunity to sit here and talk about sports each and every single night. So thank you
for listening. If you're so inclined, tune in tomorrow and every day from noon to three for SINCY three sixty. It happens on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. For now, we're done. It's Arnel Carrier Sports Talk, presented by our friends at Kelsey Chevrolet on seven hundred WLW