This is High on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzale. Sound Fox Sports fourteen to fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app Just Surgery. Hi on the Ball. Hey, welcome back to Any of the Ball here Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Young Steve, He's Jay Sammy with breaking news. Is High on the Balls? All right? So the college football playoff rankings are out. They have U of A at seventeen seven and you got twenty one. Okay, And so that's kind of the consensus in Vegas
right now. Youuve's minus one. They're a favorite at home, which that doesn't feel right to me to hear Youuve is a favorite over you, favorite over Utah. And I was thinking about it. Juve hasn't really sure we've played in big games. Sure we've won. We beat Oregon State at home, but it feels like now this is the game where there's a bunch of attention on you. You're seven and three. The I don't think you of
A has played in a game this year. Sure, the players and coaches they'll they'll say like, we expect to win every game, but we haven't played in a game where now we're a favorite against a team that has just won the Pack twelve for the for the last two years. It just doesn't feel normal right to say before you entered, j I think you've been here
along five years. For four five years, so I think you've caught the the Ja Gonzales Arizona football fan syndrome that you're waiting for the shoot to drop and you just don't know when, but you know there's a win. Right. Well, we've been saying for four weeks that, or at least I've been saying for four weeks that this is a game Arizona doesn't win. You know, said that about Washington State after the great game they've played against USA.
You said that against Washington State. They're going to Washington State. Washington State was ranked they beat them. The thing about it, you guys are realistic, Yeah, because you you you've seen it before to make you think it won't happen again. It's been happening since I was five years old. But Jay, this is like what I said, this might be one off. This seems one off, which which I'm just as surprise you guys. Well, like I tweeted out on Sunday morning, this team is different I
wouldn't. I wouldn't be surprised to come Saturday morning or even Friday night, if that line moves back to an even or Utah minus one. I wouldn't be because if you, if you were to ask even college football teams, coaches, analysts, whatever around the country, I think a lot of them would still say Utah is gonna win this game. And I wouldn't say yes or no to that. It just feels it just feels weird that we're talking about it on Wednesday, that U of A is a favorite over Utah.
Yeah, I think I think when it comes to like Friday and Saturday, you know, the general public starts putting their money down on this game. I agree with you. I think I think the line will flip again. Sure, because not enough people who are in the commed Theah, they don't know Arizona. The hell? Why is there a favorite by one? What's wrong with this line? And hey, there's nothing wrong with the In real public, that'd be that'd be fine. Yeah, but this is game five
in a row. Now where you think this is? This is a game that his Arizona historically doesn't I don't know anybody, and you you probably do Jay. I don't know anybody, including myself, who would have thought that this would be in this position. Yeah, not even close. Jake, Jake Fisher, Jake, And I don't know if that's I don't know if that's crazy Jake talking, but he's he's nailed it, he's nailed it, But I don't know if he believed that he'd nailed it. And my brother
Rick, well, he's wrong for a how many years? He's hilarious, So he gets one right because well you get again at some point he predicted one of the Kevin Semlin teams is going to go ten to two. Well, at some point, at some point, at some point, the guy who says the end of world is coming, we'll find figure, we'll get
it right, right, you got it? Or as they say, you know, every clock is right once a day, right exactly, So that that honestly would probably be and this is you of a bias a side that's probably gonna be the best college football game this weekend, assuming but no one gets crazy upset because and it's unpacked twelve. Yeah, that's kind of screwy. Yeah, and we talked about it before the show. But assuming Arizona wins out, there's a path for uh them to make the Well, let
me give you this right now, two games left regular season games. Is in Jed Fish the coach of the year. It has to be. How could he not be? They're gonna give it to Kaylin debor or or Dan Lanning, but he has to be. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, maybe they don't know. Maybe they don't give it to those two and give it to Jay to Jed. If they went out and we're nine and three, you have I think he has to he went picked twenty eighth, tenth one? Would they picked eighth? And if you're if you're third?
He has come on. They knocked out three ranked teams in three straight weeks in Oregon State, who's now a top fifteen team with a freshman quarter rich from freshman quarterback. But people are also gonna they're even already now starting to pooh pooh the Washington State and u c l A games, okay, because they've gone so bad at the time. Why did they go bad to
break those days? My biggest thing with those two games is you can only play the team of who they are, and we kick the crap out of Washington State, who is a ranked team, and U c l A at home homecoming, we crushed them too, Like you can't you can't bash on U of A for being what was in front of them at the time. Sure, playing Washington dub fairly close, fairly close and sure, but so U have a seventeen in the college football rankings, Georgia, go ahead,
something's wrong with me, I'd be even talking favorable. What's going on? I don't know. Maybe it's that destiny, that destiny, the destiny. But the rest of the college football playoff rankings, Georgia jumped Ohiose State to one House State, to Michigan, three Florida State for so that's what they are now. And on the outside Washington, Oregon, Texas, Obama, Louisville. So from the five teams that are on the outside, I looking in. If you guys had to say, who would who has the best
chance of maybe getting in there? I know, I know if I were a college coach, there's one team I do not want to play. Yeah, I agree, yeah, And and it'll be interesting because Ohio State and Michigan will obviously play each other, and so one of those teams will have a loss and it looks as though Washington and Oregon might play again in the Pactworld Championship. And if Oregon wins that game, Washington Oregon both have a loss, Texas has one loss, Bama will have maybe so and the College
Football Playoff Committee will have their hands full. But if Georgia wins out, assuming Florida State and the kind of weaker acc went out, they'll be undefeated and they'll be in. But finding two spots with Ohio State, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Bama like good luck, good luck. It's going to be hard and nobody's and they're gonna get it wrong. A lot of people are gonna be Yeah. So that's the college football breaking news.
College basketball Hunter Dickinson and Kansas beat Kentucky last night and Dickinson had twenty seven points twenty one rebounds. And if I'm gonna be honest, that's not the player I watched for three years at or four years at Michigan. Yeah, so it looks like he's one of the best players in the country. And and Kentucky played a lot better than I thought. I watched some of the highlights and watched it back a little bit they're gonna be both those teams are
gonna be problems in March. And it seems as though in the offseason coach cow is kind of maybe coaching quote for his job this year. And I think they're gonna play. They're gonna have a really good season. And uh, Duke handily beat Michigan State, who you of a will play in the next couple weeks. But dude, Thanksgiving Day, Yeah, Duke seems Duke is legit. Let's be honest. They are. They still are. I mean it was unexpected lost, but they lost to a really good thing.
Their center was fantastic Yahouski. Yeah, he's a I've never really seen him play, but seen it in presson. He was very impressive. I think that's more of a statement of how good Arizona might be. Yeah, and how well they played that day. Yeah. The Michigan State, man, they've got two losses already. They didn't see that coming. We saw that three years ago the college basketball carousel, Like, if there is definitely one, Michigan State will play Arizona as tight as it gets. Probably right,
that'll be a great game. It will it'll be good, and it will be another good test because they're a different team than Duke, and you is going to have to win that game differently than how they So I know you have a lot of stuff. I got a couple more. Okay, we'll go ahead and we'll wet and we briefly talked. You see Irvine beat USC seventy to sixty without Boogie Ellis. But that's I mean, it's win that game. You still have to win that game with your without your point guard.
So the PAC twelve early on, Arizona is obviously the looked the best and probably is the best team. But Colorado is really good and UCLA is good basketball team too, So we'll see in the last year of the Pack twelve. Quick NFL news, Deshaun Watson's season is over shoulder surgery. He broke his shoulder, yet he still beat the hell out of the team. That I what the hell If that doesn't tell you, J, It's so the Browns are doing more Brown things again. You paid Deshaun Watson hundreds of
millions of dollars. You can't fault him for the injury here. But we'll see if it's PJ Walker or U C l A grad TRT, we'll see and then an interesting quote f Jets head coach Robert Sala about Aaron Rodgers. He said, if Rogers wants to play, he will play. And I just don't know if I believe that with the whole Achilles stuff, but it sounds as though if Rogers wants to step back out there, they're gonna let him. So I don't know when that is. I don't know if anybody
knows when that is. I heard this speculation the other day. What if I mean, what if Rogers is an Achilles injury was a little less than what we thought only Aaron Rodgers, there's people speculating that same. Well, then if you're if you're gonna play this soon, it wasn't a torn kill. I know. It's it's weird because you saw it Pop did. Really it was quick NBA stuff. The James Harden Los Angeles Clippers saga has not started. Well. I don't know if you guys watched the game last night.
It was a it was a good game, but more often than not, James Harden was either had the ball in his hands or was standing in the corner. And I guess that's the James Harden system from what he said, they're own six since he's been there. But they played the Nuggets tough last night and we'll see where that goes. It was a very fun NBA night last night. At the top we talked about Draymond, Rudy, Gobert Clay. That game was nobody had scored and three people had gotten ejected.
Dreamond just is an enigma. You know. I'm sure how this is Steve's way to get to heaven because he's gonna put up with him. That's fair. But I will say with the in season tournament, all the games last night were really good, and I think that's what the NBA wanted. Guys are playing a harder yeah, and that's all you can That's just another regular season game. That's all you can ask for. As an NBA fan that got off work early last night. I watched six games last night and I
was in heaven. There's something wrong with you, man. There's nothing better than just sitting down and watching good basketball. And that's that's what That's what as a fan you want, and I Adam Silver is doing his job. Devin Booker, uh Bradley Beal, and Durant will all play their first game together tonight. So that would be fun. And TJ McConnell the four thousand career points in the NBA for TJ. Who have thought? Man? Who would have thought? Give it up for him? Four thousand career points.
He's been in the league since what was his last year, twenty fifteen? Yeah, yeah, so eight years in the league. Nine years in the league, something like, what the hell? Still kicking it, still kicking it. And then Corbyn Carroll's I think it's also been better looking. You know, I'm looking at his picture and then oh, yeah, yeah he's not well, you's that he's gone that buzz cut when he was there. The money does a lot of saying good money for haircut, be better looking
with a better haircut? Mans ahead. You guys probably talked about it yesterday, Corbyn Carroll and Gunder Henderson Rookie of the Year's sweet and we talked about at the break. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the odds on favorite, both in Vegas and hearing. Some reports to sign show Hal Tani, who declined his qualifying offer from the Angels. Are they all right? I wouldn't have a problem with that. I'm sure you wouldn't. I would be pissed off
man. Uh and then Rory McElroy left the PGA Tour Policy Board yesterday. Yeah, I saw that. What the hell is that? He said? It had to do with some personal things that he wants to do in his career. But if your best player or your iconic player on tour, if you're not getting these notifications, you're you're being involved in these conversations. I don't blame them at all. Yeah, like see you. And then lastly, PEMA Soccer tournament. Right, they were one of the top teams in
the country going in, lost in the tournament and they won. They won enough in the pool play, but then they got beat last year. Yeah that's the first game. No, no, no, that was well, I guess in the regular they lost in pool play, but now they're they No, they wanted pool playing. Now they advanced the bracket and they lost. Yeah, so a tough year for but a but a good team. Obviously we'll talk about this maybe on the other side, but we're talking about
basketball, right and football now. I still and this is I don't know if Jay will agree with me. I don't think he will. Basketball in March to me is much more fun than college football in December. Oh yeah, you could talk about your playoffs and all that stuff, but they're nothing beats to three weeks of no nothing. No, I'm not I'm not debating with I'm gonna I wouldn't argue with you on that. What I love about December football those I just love that there's football every freaking day. Ye,
there's a there's a bowl game every day. Some of those in the middle. You know, you're there on a Tuesday afternoon, you're you're cleaning the kitchen and you've got a ball game on. You know, That's what I love about. Or you're you know, you're driving somewhere and there's a game on the radio. Whatever, that's what I love about both. Well, Steve, maybe what if you asked a student at Georgia or Bama that question.
Oh yeah, of course the football always there. But if they weren't always there, No, No, it's gonna be it's gonna be a whole different thing. When the twelve team playoff comes out, it'll be fun. No, But that's that's the reason, because because you don't have FAU beating somebody like the Alabama or somebody, that's the drama of it, right, Boston beating whoever, no doubt, and they can play every day. Yeah, you're right, all right, Well, we're gonna talk some high school
sports here in a minute. We've got Javier Morales, uh coming on. We're gonna talk about the high school football playoffs are in southern Arizona or two sons got four teams in the state playoff and so we'll see what I was thinking about that and the anything else going on along the prep. So stick around for hab Morobi. We got a dot cat im I have a good sampling in that the botsing the line of satin. I'm a good she's on
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Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve Levea. He's taking zalas now and if we have javea Moreles oh Wellsports twoson dot com. Javier, how are you good? How are you guys? Fine? I see that you're awake. You're always awake, you never sleep? So are you are you going to stay awake this weekend? Apparently this weekend's very busy and I have to wake up early for the altur to Tucson. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we'll talk about that in a bit. But what game are you going to
be covering this weekend? I'll be at the Northwest Christian Micah Mountain game, uh Friday night on Wait wait is that here or is that up at their place? That's that's here in Tucson. What what's different? What's different about this year is you got you got all these Tucson teams playing at home. This is a change. Yeah, video Plane at home against a Zy College Prep in the Fury Playoffs. And you have cellth Point playing at home against
Williams Field in the sixth A playoffs. And you have Micah Mountain playing at home in the Fory playoffs. So if you had to pick one that you say is gout that's the best chance to win a state championship? Who is that? Because as you said, South Points, South Point's got a home game, Sabino is in the is in the semi so they're they're one step away from the state championship game. You have Micah Mountain and you've got who's the fourth one? Cdo? Yeah? Well, cdo play? If Cdio
Mike A Mountain win, right, they play each other? They play each other if they if they both win on Friday, they play next week at CDO in the semi finals. So one team will one two sons team will be guaranteed a spot in the championship game. So okay, so pick a team. I think it's gonna be CDO. I've always thought that they're they're the top team in the in Tucson overall with the amount of seniors. They
have twenty nine seniors. They have a tremendous defense, and they have Kate and Luke as their running back who scat over I think over sixteen hundred rushing yards that I just think they're so balanced, and they're and they're tough up in the up on the trenches that they can really dictate how things go in
games. I really like Mica and Mountain though, I mean and at Deel Points the number two seed in the sixth A. So and then Sabino, like you mentioned, they're playing as they're playing a semi final, but it's at a neutral field. If that makes the high school against Mojave, who's the number one seed, they already beat Mojave. It's hard to beat a team number one seed twice or the same team twice, especially number one, so I know Mohave's probably you know, chomping at the bit. I think
given all the scenarios, I think CDO still has the best pass. But I can see any one of those teams going on in the championship game and winning. Really, So, how did last year's CDO team help this year's team because they went through a lot of adversity last year. Did that help? Oh? Yeah, yeah it helped because the majority of their team came back from that and there was seven seniors involved in that last year, so
they're they're not on the team anymore. Unfortunately, they couldn't play in the playoffs, but I think that that resonates with with the returning players and no, Dustin Peace took it very hard and they made it kind of a mission to get back what they thought was taken away from them last year. So and we saw, you know, Steve and I were both there. We saw the Micro Mountain CDIO game, which was a great game. So you know it's ah, I'm se cedio. Well, both teams very impressive,
but CDIO really impressive. It how physical they are, right, Yeah, I mean you guys probably remember Kate and Luke a big running back. Yeah, he's uh five pounds. He's like he's like a bowling ball. Yeah, and he played. That's, as you know, dominant on defense as a linebacker, and they haven't. They have a guy on the defensive end named Evan Greer who has twenty three and a half tackles for lost and eleven sacks and he only has about forty nine tackles, so more than half of
his tackles are in the backfield. What's what's a crazy number? What's your size? Five ten? Oh? Kayt and Luke about five ten? Oh bullyball and I'm shaped like a bullyball. Yeah, oh no, you should I remember him. I mean that dude was just like and he what what got mean is that he ran with no fear. Right, that's one of those guys who just I see you right there. I'm coming at you. Run you over, does it? Yeah? I'm coming. He was fifty one and oh as a wrestler last year at CEO fifty one and oh,
a state champion. Oh he's very strong. Those dudes. Those wrestlers are tough. Yeah, those those guys are tough. Okay, So so you're thinking CEO U the rest of hims. Do they have a good chance of advancing? Well, yeah, I could see Sabino's speeding Mahave and it's not a neutral field. They don't go all the way to Mohave. So they're playing and made the They have a chance to beat Mohave and then go on to the championship game and then Cell Point they they if they win on Friday.
They played the semi final game at all, so there's the time that the only time they wouldn't play at home is the championship game and then he got cdo playing at home next week. If they beat Asy College Prepp, they most likely playing mike Ah Mountain and that's a rematch one of those people on so South Point must be h they're more than their parts, right because
the kids that were committed here I decided not to come in here. So they have other other dudes on that team that are going to other places or how talented are? They not really ranked recruited by Division one schools, but they're really good players. And they got Nathan Spivey who will probably be recruited by Division one schools next year. He's a he's a junior receiver, AFT he's got six interceptions and he leads them in receiving. He's just an all
around athlete. He already looks like he can play in college football and he saws another year of high school. But yeah, they have Thomas Regina who's there, one of their top sack producers. He's a linebacker. So they're they're defensive seven front seven is really good and their secondary with Spivey is really good. That's that's how they're going to win the championship with their defense.
How were they? How are they quarterback? Because you know, we didn't get we didn't get a chance to look at them the time that we went to their game. But you know, quarterbacks win games. I mean, is he is this? Do they have a quarterback that can win them a game? Well, it's interesting. They had their senior quarterback, Taylor Negore played most of the season up until the last two weeks, and they went with more of a passing quarterback who's a true well they're all true freshmen high
school. But it was a freshman. Wow, Matthew al Avalar and he passed for more than one hundred and sixty yards last week. Mate the nine to fifteen passes in its first full game and it was a playoff game. So I think they're trending more to use him in passing situations and gore and you know, kind of like with the with the Saints, do they use that the Hill as a running quarterback when they need short games or run I think they're going to probably use that kind of thing because Evlar has has an
arm and he's keeping throw he can complete passes. Who's in the way for Cell Point. I know they're they're a number two seed, but you know who's in the way of a state championship for them? Well, they they Well they're playing williams Field this on Friday, which is interesting because they're The defensive coordinator is Calvin Hunter and he played on that ninety eight team, the U eighteen that went twelve and one, so that he's coming home and facing
Cell Point as the williams Field defense coordinator. But after that they would play maybe have a they would have a rematch maybe with to Worrow at home, because Toorrow seated three, Gottsdale Tomorrow seated three, and South Point seated two, So they might play Scottsdale tomorrow next week and at cell Point the other team is Perry possibly in the in the semifinal, so I mentioned the support kids that were going to come to Arizona but decided not to. How have
their seasons turned out? Uh? They started kind of slow, but they've come on strong. They I know, Elijah Rushing has thirteen sacks uh and Keona Willhde has about seven sacks and about ten tackles for loss. So they a lot of the def a lot of the offenses try to go away from Elijah mostly and then but lately he's been getting sacked. So it's kind of like pick your poison where you're going to where you can try to run and
up the middle. They have some good defenders. Like I mentioned earlier, the front seven is really tough, but uh, Elijah Rushing and Kona will Hide really come on as far as their stats go lately, especially Rushing with thirteen sacks. Yeah, who else around Tucson you know are in that kind of that category? Any other you know, uh power five guys around town. Well, Jimmy Leone at Micah Mountain, he's a he's only a junior.
He has seventeen sacks. He leads the whole state and for a level he's already been UH offered by a s U and I and I've been told that Washington, Oregon are starting to show interest. Wow. I would assume Arizona probably is two, so he's only a junior and he's already got he looks the part. And as far as other possible power, I've mentioned Nathan Spivey at cell Point, I think he could be one, and then from there it's just a lot of players that could play at the fd FTS level,
Division one and other other levels. All right, all right, So predictions for for UH Friday night with these four games, Yeah, well, I think I think that all the two Sons teams are gonna win at home. I think Dalpoint is going to be Williams Field. I don't think it. I don't think it's gonna be closed. And then I think CDO will take care of Asy cause prep and I think the closest game might be Mike and Mountain Northwest Christian. I think that might go down the wire, and
then Sabino up at up in Phoenix. I think it's it's a good thing they're not playing at Mohave and they're playing at a neutral field up there, and they know how to be Mohave. So I don't want to sound like a Homer, but I can see all all four of them winning. The toughest probably would be Sabino and and then the next toughest will be MIKEH. Mountain. Who's the coach at Sabino now, Ryan McBrayer. He's been in the playoffs every year he's been a head coach, which is seven years.
The one year was the COVID year he didn't go, but he's been there every year, and he went to the semi finals a couple of years ago. That's what's just about the four coaches that are still alive here, Pat News and at MIKEAH Mountain, he's been to a state changionship game. Dustin Piece of cdo he's wont to stay championship games. Let's see, you've got Ryan mcbragor who's been in the semi finals, and then he got Eric Rodgers at some point who's been to a championship game. So they have all had
both seasons success. They know how to prepare their teams, they know what to expect, and I think that's what sets them apart from other programs locally right now, Very cool, all right? Hof so uh, you know, since you're here, give us some give us some of your thoughts on this game coming up with Arizona Utah on Saturday. Uh. I always like those afternoon games in Tucson in November. Uh. Arizona generally plays well in
those games. So uh, and they're just on a role. I think a lot of it will have to do with Noah Afida, because if you noticed when he struggled against Colorado, is when Arizona struggled, they saw by they fell behind, and right, I think if he's on if he's on point, I think they have a good chance. I know that Utah defense is going to really try it off at him and try to try to take some of his straints away. So it's gonna be a scenarioson the counter is
at and I could see them winning a really close game. Well, okay, I think you're biased. Yeah, I think I have a Homer hat on it. I don't know anybody locally outside of the gym. I'm I'm not wearing a hat, right I don't. Yeah, Well you're good as your guess is as good as mine. Yeah, we'll see. Okay, thank you half have Thanks a much man. Thank you there's a lot of
good things going on in the high school. I love that. Well, you know when you when you know, just the reputation of Toucson football right now is that you know, it's just not as good as it is in Phoenix. It'd be nice for all these teams to do well. What was the last time you spend time in Phoenix? Like spend time like a week or a few days? Yeah, yeah, a few days? Like never. That's my point And I'm glad you said that because it's massive and you're
from there. It's massive. I lived up there in the mid eighties like for a summer or two working up there, and now it's massive and you can see what all the talent is. Yeah, it depends where you're at to like massive wise, Like I mean, come on in glen Glende. Well in Mesa now, oh yeah you have Mesa, Chandler Glendale Yeah yeah yeah, and how how does not have those talents? And that's what that's almost a it's a feeding for Look at the quarterbacks, yeah, the tons
tons of them, like they're all like anywhere. All these schools have good quarterbacks and like Hamilton, Chandler, Swarrow have been like the hub of Arizona high school football. All these kids, you see them in college football everywhere. Yeah. Yeah, the parties, both parties were Perry Grad's. Yeah right, just that. My point is, how do you how do you compete with that here in tiny Tucson. Yeah, you know, you're right, You're right, all right. Let's take our break, our last break
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Come be a part of a winning team the A Team apply online today at a Team security dot Net. Steve Rivera and Jake Gonzalez they have their eye on the ball on Tucson Sports State Yet Fox Sports fourteen fifty streaming live. I mean iHeartRadio wams Hey, welcome back to me of them all here in Fox Sports fourteen fifty m Steve he's Jake, you gonna send me with us? We got a call. We do have a caller on the line, Robert the How are you doing? What's up? I do much.
I just wanted to remind you guys. I called you guys a few weeks ago, seven weeks ago and said the UA was gonna go eight and four. You both kind of laugh because they're gonna play all these drank teams. The only team I think we should have last again again is Washington. We should have beat USC. We all played them. This is fifty date was just a what state cause of that game. But I'm pretty close to eight and four now, guys, Yeah, where did you get this from?
Would would you? Would you? Both of you? Guys? I said, both of you guys, We're gonna go eight four? He said no, we have to play five ranked teams in a row. I said, well, yeah, no, no, no. My question is, how did you come up with this? What was your think? Well? Yeah, what made you think? Eight games? I just amazing the team. I just thought we were good after they played the first, you know a few games, and then I saw U Baffita come in and start playing the
way he did. It were as good as anybody in the pack bow. I think, yeah, all right, we didn't get blown out by anybody. We lost by a touchdown to Washington, and I think we're going to handle Utah this weekend. So it's so horrible thing if we blowing the US as US the end. Yeah. So I so a couple of weeks ago, I said Arizona's gonna win it can win ten games. Do you think they get to ten? Yeah, because that would mean winning winning out and
then winning a bowl game. Yeah, I think yeah, I think we can actually, Uh, I think yeah, doab because you town's okay, they're not as good as them. If they had had Cam Rising in there, yeah, and was pretty horrible. I don't know how they used l A. I watched that game and that was kind of funny to see that running back playing quarterback in there. But anything can happen in the rivalry game. But yeah, you're right, hopefully we can win ten games. Robert.
I know, Robert, oh, I knows you're picking my lottery tickets to all right, tell me what numbers you want to know? You you need to pick the numbers. That's the whole idea. Yeah, the lottery. So I'm all right, Steve, split it with you. You're not doing it for you, Rubber, have a good one. Yeah. I think a lot of people knew that this was going to happen. They knew they predicted this. You know, a lot of people asked me that,
you know, okay, before the season, what did you think? And I'm like, look, I was thinking six wins, but I was having a hard time getting to six wins. Remember how many times we looked at the schedule. I said, sure, there were a lot of ifs in there. Sure, well, you got the games that we thought you needed to get, Oregon State, UCLA and Washington those you're three right there, right right, and you're you are where you're at. Who thought you'd get
all three? I didn't think they were gonna get all three, you know, I think we talked about they had to split Washington State and Oregon State. Then I thought, I thought from the beginning, I think they can take U C. L A. And they did, so, you know, I I you know, I didn't think six was the max, but I thought I also thought six is gonna be really hard. So what was the opener? Five and a half? Five? Five? Really it ended at five, five. Yeah, we went we went from maybe six wins
and now we're kicking ourselves over the USC missakes the games. Yeah, I think the thing they should be nine and one one one good spot from a ref and we have two losses. We go for two in that game, and now we're talking about one last Arizona team Like that's crazy. Yeah, and you can you can spot the number of different places why they're so good.
Well, I have a question for you guys. Is it more that maybe the PAC twelve isn't as good as we thought it was going to be, or U of A is way better than we I think we're both. I think it's that I still think is still pretty good. Yeah. I think Oregon State is still a pretty good team. Yeah. I know bad mouthed them all summer long, Like I was trying to talk myself into thinking that, don't feel like the Arizona can't beat Oregon State. They're still pretty
good well, and they're ranked the left. This is what we do. This is what we do in life, right, So I'll give this example. Over the weekend, you go into Duke and you're thinking Duke, you do well. Maybe Duke is in Duke right, and then Arizona goes in
and beats something. And you go to Arizona football, you thinking insiders on a football and you don't, you don't give them as much credit as you would normally, and and and they're better than they are normally and they show up and they do really well, and you're thinking, this is another team I thought i'd see. Ye. No, I mean that's yeah. I mean we're look and it's with their is on it too. It's not just that they that they're winning these games. They're pretty good. Yeah, they're
not looking into it. There's no there's been no flukes about any of that. They beat the hell of Washington State because they were that much better. They beat Oregon State because you know, I think of those three teams, they're as it's close to an equal, more with Oregon State than I think they're way better than U. C l A. I think they're way better
than Washington State. And actually there's a lot there's people now who are you know we talked to who I talk to or say they're kind of poop pooing the Washington State in the U c l A games, because you know, they they've gone into the toy. Sure, no, no, you know that you have the right before you. You don't know what's good. But Washington State was ranked. When Arizona playdoff, they beat them. I think you pointed that out. We played the guys in front of you at the
time. You play them, If you beat them, more power to you. Yeah. So, uh, you know, you know, Arizona's one of those games. And you know what, when when Colorado won those three games at the beginning of the year, we all thought, holy hell, that Colorado game is gonna be really hard. And it was and it was really hard. But then Arizona still won that game as well. Sure, and I think some of the human human element played the part. They were
nine point favorites. They're there, they hadn't been in that spot before. They're on the road. You know this home dogs play well and now we're sitting here thinking they can beat the two time defending packball champs, their favorite, their favorite. They would have thought that a month ago, two months ago, a week ago. Yeah, you know, so it's it's amazing. It's amazing what's happened. And you know, I was looking at going
going through Twitter, Jason Sheer made it made it really interesting. And this is true. He says, Arizona fans have a thing where we can't be happy. It's a long standing issue. And that's true. That's so true. You know, even after Arizona beat beat Colorado, well but they didn't play that, Well, shut the hell up. They won the game, you know, well, you know, well, you see, l it's not any good. Who cares. They did what they needed, they won
the game. There's seven to three. And now it's also, as you said, now people are going, god, we should have Mississippi State and we should have beat USC Just be happy with where you are. Don't know how to do that. They're like, you, guys should the proverbial kick dog in the corner hoping my owner doesn't come and hit me again. Well,
I think it's funny. I think we have the opposite expectation of that with basketball, right, Like it's like oh, we we ow this, yes exactly, Like we lose games, it's like like, how the hell did that happen? How did that happen? Or when we go to Cameron and beat Duke, it's like, well, this team is pretty we were supposed to. Yeah, it's like you just beat Duke at home, like enjoy it. Yeah, you know, everyone's like, but now Arizona basketball
fan is all nervous that God would beat Duke. So we're really good. So now if we're to win a national championship, it's a disappointment. Well, it's too extreme, it's overcorrected. They're nervous now. They're nervous that this team is so good that it's not gonna turn out the way they think it should turn out now because they beat Duke and typically doesn't work out that way. No, it does not, It does not, you know,
But but I'll tell you what it makes. You know, I know, I know Arizona fan is out there thinking they should win all five of those all five of those games against ranked teams because they beat well seemingly was the hardest. They won Tuly was the hardest. Sure, And it doesn't work out that way, you know, I know, I know there's nobody in Tucson that thinks are gonna lose to Michigan State next week. Michigan State is
still a pretty good shame they've lost. You know, I get they lost to James Madison at home to Ope in their season, but they didn't play horribly against Duke. They got beat and they and they couldn't have played worse against James Madison. Yeah, so they made one fleet in that game. You know if everybody saying, well they lost to James Madison, wells, yeah, that's that's then you talk about fading the common person, that's just it. The common person goes, well, this happened, so this will
happen. That's not how the world is. That's called it's like something rule. It's like the common person rule. No, No, it's like so and so be so and so and wins. It's kind of like do in in tennis. It's like that's you go down the rabbit hole. It styles make fights. It's this opportunity to say the same day, you know, it's how you play that day. That's my model all the time. How you play that day, Arizonna be Duke, they played very well that day.
Can they find that day in March exactly? You finds out on Saturday? Do you think because of how big this game is, there will be like the first five minutes of the game will be a little more juiced up, and maybe that will hurt them, like or are they treating this game? It's too much last game against Colorado helped them realize, Okay, we're normal people. We gotta we just got to play football, and some people don't believe that we're gonna win this game and squad and prove it wrong.
I mean, come on, what did you believe? When did you believe at the beginning of the season. When did you believe this team was gonna be any good? I mean, I like, I'd like the Laura before and I like Jed Fish, especially in their second year, so I had I had hopes for them, but it's not that team anymore. It's not that team, and I did not expect this defense to look as good as it does. Obviously thirty one points against Okay, So answer my question kid,
that what did you believe? I believed we would hit six wins? No, but what did you believe that they were going to be good? Oh? I still don't. It goes to our point of you don't know what what did you believe? I believe this game? Is if we win this game, we're damn good. Yeah, really, you're not. You don't believe? Yeah, I still think we're good. Steve. It's hard for me. You you have all the optimist of this room. It's hard
for me, Steve. There's so many times that I'm like, Okay, you believe, and then the ruggy You're undefeated, and again going into the game against UCLA in ninety eight, you're playing a great game and it all goes into the crapper in one quarter. You've been watching too many Charles Charles the Brabtoons and Lucy pulling the ball exactly. Well, that's what happened that day, Steve. Lucy pulled the ball out from us in that game, and then to make it worse, she did it again when Miami went and
beat the bat U c l A. The ball was right there. We were going to the Rose Bowl and U. C l A when it cracked the bed. Well, I saw it in Washington. That's what I'm convinced that that they had. I even asked Jen we had on the show, says when did you convince, When when did you see this happening? Because you can see it? Yeah you did, And then he talked about you you see USC how they played really well. They should have won that game.
They had him on the bringing Dinner and then a weekly they beat the crap out of Washington State and I'm thinking because of Jonah, give Jonah the wall, They're not gonna stop him. Yeah, I think it was one thing for me. I think Jed and his staff have done a great job with game plans, and early in Noah's like reigned as quarterback, they controlled the game for him. Now it's like this team knows what they are,
they know who they are. And in those in those like USC in those Washington State games and even Oregon State, we were still trying to be like, all right, is this team? Is their defense that good? Like do we need to see it more? Or is Faffeta is still the guy? Let me ask you this because he's the historian in the room. So there are a bunch of dogs, right, they are overachieving dogs. Am I say saying that? What was? Give me some other dog teams because
they're dogs. We talked about this in Smith's a couple of Larry Smith teams that the like the eighty three I would say the eighty three team eighty six maybe you know that team the due the Chuck Cecil thing. You know, there were just a bunch of guys like that, you know, even Chuck Cecil who did what he did there wasn't anybody spectacular on that team. That team had like four running backs that they ran. You know, Alfred Jenkins
was the quarterback. He wasn't anybody's idea of a great quarterback. But they but they had guys on the line, They had physical guys that had linebackers that were just really damn good. Maybe a couple of Dicks teams. You got to say that. You gotta put the ninety three team in there, right who just Danny White, the quarterback of that team, was a dog. He was. He was possibly the slowest quarterback arizonas every yet he was a winner. So yeah, there have been a few, There's been a
few. All right, that was fun. We will be back tomorrow. We'll have some more great guests. We're heading more towards this weekend. Used the big game with you thought, so be sure to come back tomorrow. Man can say the