FULL WED POD @SpenceChecketts on BYU @ Utah, #RSL season done, initial CFP rankings + more

All right, what's going on? Drivetime on a Wednesday afternoon? About nine minutes past the I got feedback, all right, about nine minutes past the hour, two o'clock on this Wednesday afternoon.

It's clear and sunny, just a little cold. We had our coldest night of the year last night, but about forty two degrees.

The sun is shining here in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. And as it is every single day, it's going to have you long for the ride.

Spence Check.

It's behind the mic Porter Larson, just a few blocks away from where I'm at today producing the program.

Where am I at today?

Well, I'm at a surprisingly crowded beer bar for two ten on a Wednesday. I'm not sure why so many people are day drinking today. Well I might know, but it's kind of hoppening here. So come on buy and join us on this Wednesday afternoon. If your chances are you're either looking to celebrate or drown your sorrows, let me just say things are never as good or bad as they seem, and we'll how to put that aside.

But come on down and have a good time.

With us here at beer bar won sixty one ees two hundred south. Of course, this is the spot that is owned by Ty Burrell, Nick Romondo. My guy's rich, good people, and they've got all the MILS games, no blackouts.

They have Apple TV.

Unfortunately that no longer includes Rayal Salt Lake as they have been ousted. We are going to do a little RSL autopsy. We have not done that yet because we've been pretty packed with our BYU Utah football coverage, and of course we'll continue to be packed with that today as well. But here at beer Bar, I will incentivize you to come by and say what's up. I have ten passes for our ESPN seven hundred ultimate tailgate for

If it's not, you can grab a little.

Top of Chico over there, but they've got great brats and fries, sausages, burgers. I'm told they're about to release a garlic burger over the next few weeks, but that's not available today. So come on out to Beer Bar Beer till six o'clock tonight at one sixty one two hundred south here in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.

All right, A lot to do on this Wednesday.

As I reference, we will kind of put a little bow on the season that was for our local soccer club for RSL and talk about what could be next with the off season. Conka caf is a reality, so Pablo Masjoetti will hop on the show today. I always enjoy my conversation through the head coach, Pablo, the head coach of RSL, Pablo Mastuenti, one of our favorite BYU goobs, Spencer Linton from BYU TV, Sweet Guy. We'll get with

My favorites to football with.

Of course, his college football podcast has become wildly popular, so we'll bring in Josh pay today. Things have gone in the wrong direction for the Utah Hockey Club. They got smoked by Winnipeg three zero last night. They have now lost six of their last excuse me, yeah, six of their last seven games, and if you expand it out, they now have lost eight of their last ten games

Six right now, so really bad start for the Jazz.

As we've talked about it, it is by design, so we'll get to some jazz stuff. But of course I speed ahead to the college football weekend. I speed ahead to the weekend in pro football as well. The NFL trade deadline came and went yesterday afternoon, and we'll get you some takeaways from that.

You're week ten. I can't believe it. You're week ten.

Weekend of college football will begin tomorrow nights in Baltimore at M and T Bank Stadium, where the Bengals roll into town to take on the Ravens. Ironically enough, the Bengals are really good on the road, but they just don't went at home. They're three and one on the road, Ravens three and one at home. Baltimore is about a six point five point favorite there, So.

Right around the corner football will be back. So we'll get to some of that on the show today.

And of course, the latest on the Utes, the latest on the Cougars, the latest on the rivalry game coming up on Saturday eight to fifteen is the kick time at Rice Cycle Stadium, And don't forget you can hear our pregame coverage beginning at four fifteen, four hours of pregame coverage for you guys. Porter Larson, Isaacasiada and others

The great listeners were live here.

Today at beer bar in just a couple of blocks away is where we find the producer of this program. His name is Porter Larsen. Happy Wednesday, pal, How you doing I'd be Wednesday?

Back atches Spencer doing well. How are you?

I'm well?

I wish I were a beer bar.

Well, come on down, just put it push the button that says, stay on air and then just walk off over here and grab a sausage and a beer.

Well, speaking of that, sorry about the the echo there at the at the beginning. You know, when we started with the new board, there were a lot of issues that were.

No, no, I'm not aware of any of those issues with a new board. I know what you're talking about.

Well, there were a lot of issues that were out of our control, out of my control, stuff like that. That one was not I literally saw the button that would send you an echo, and for some reason, I just I pressed it.

Oh sir, you're just trying to cause problems. You're just trying to kill the show off.

The top was entirely subconscious brain malfunction, there are you?

Are you familiar with the term self reflection, self reflectional behavior, You're familiar with that term self.

Actualization a little bit?

Okay, So what that says is your subconscious is actually a true reflection of yourself, and so you're trying to sabotage the show.

I'm sorry, that's what that says.

I'm just I'm trying to work with it, roll with the punches. But no, all right, we're good. We're we're one day closer to the rivalry game. We're in the midst of some I guess it's not so fun, hoops, But a lot to get to, whether it's good to discuss with the jazz or you know the bad, sorry, the good to discuss with BYU, the bad with the jazz and rsl ending their season.

But as you said, a lot to get.

To, a lot to get to live at beer Bar.

If you guys have never been to our ESPN seven hundred tail gate, it's really fun. I'll roll through porters, gonna be there doing the show, craft cocktails from Clearwater, distilling free food from wingers. I've got ten tailgate passes and I'll give you two per person, except for the people that stop in all the time. Like, let's spread this around a little bit so you know who you are. If you can hear my voice, don't come down here, but everyone else come down here.

Just not those people.

And trust me, you may not know who I'm talking about, but the people who are sweating right now you know.

Exactly who I'm talking to.

I do not want to see you, but I want to see everybody else down here at Beer Bar.

Come on down right downtown Salt Lake City one sixty one. He is two hundred south.

All right, my guy Pablo, right out of gates to do a little RSL. But before we get to Pablo on a Wednesday, courtesy of our good friends, you're good friends too at Standard Restaurants Supply, your one stop shop for all your tailgating need. Standard Restaurants Supply dot Com or check them out at their their convenience Salt Lake City location on a Wednesday.

Time. Now for your opening tip.

Welcome to the Drive with Spence Check. It's on Utah's number one Sports Talk. Now into the studio ESPN seven hundred to set the scene for the show. The opening tip of the Drive is brought to you by Standard Restaurant Supply, your one stop shop to build the best tailgate in town. Standard Restaurant Supply thirty five hundred south West Temple.

So, as we warned you last night prior to signing off, there were going to be results revealed last night that were going to really shake the ground underneath a lot of people one way or the other, regardless of which side you're on. We were going to get a result last night that was going to make people uncomfortable. I encourage you to sit back, relax, and accept the results, regardless of what side you're on. And if you're on the BYU side, see I did it again. If you're

Didn't land very well.

But let's get into a little bit of course, a big game coming up on Saturday with BYU and Utah. So what I tried to explain yesterday guy Scott Mitchell Opton, and I don't think he was fully grasping what I was saying. These are not the seeds for the twelve team CFP bracket. These are the rankings as the committee sees them right now. I don't fully agree with BYU at nine, but there's nothing about where BYU is that takes away what they eventually, in my opinion, will be

And then you get into you know.

What about Penn States, who does not have the two top twenty wins that BYU has. I'm not really here for the conversation about should they be ranked out at Tennessee that Bamma win. You know, the committee was looking at that with tremendous favor. I'm not really here for the Texas thing either, But I do think if you're a BYU fan.

Today, you feel a little bit hard done.

Well, you feel a little bit hard done every day because that's literally ingrained in your reality with this Woe is Me. Everybody disrespects us dynamic of that fan base, it gets a little bit exhausting. But you do have a beef in my opinion, when it comes to indiand and potentially Penn State, and that's kind of where I would stop.

But it doesn't matter.

Ultimately whether you're seven through nine. I said on the show yesterday, I was anticipating BYU coming in between seven and nine.

I thought nine was their floor.

I thought seven was their ceiling, and it turned out nine was the floor.

But the under talked about.

Thing here is Boise State's only three spots behind Brigham Young and the rules of the see is the five conference champs get the top five seed and the four top seeds get buys.

Okay, somehow, some way.

If Boise State's able to leap frog in the CFP rankings, not the bracket seedings, Okay, somehow, some way, if Boise State's able to climb up past the big twelve champ, maybe BYU falls to five and Boise State.

Moves into four. But in that case, still in the CFP, you.

Get a I believe you get to host the first round playoff game at Lavelle Edwards Stadium, so you don't get the buy, but you do host a game. So yes, I think you would prefer the buy because if you get to buy, you only have to win three games instead of four. But I don't foresee the scenario in play that Boise State can do enough to jump past either BYU or Iowa stayed.

I mean, you know, from strictly from strictly from a.

BYU standpoint, Today is no different than yesterday because everything is still in front of you. And I suppose the one caveat that we could throw there is if the committee ranks BYU at nine as an undefeated Big twelve conference leader, is that an indictment on the conference?

And it feels like it kind of is, And honestly, can you blame him? I mean really can you?

Like we talked about this yesterday, we were going to do our Big twelve power rankings, and I'm like, well, what do you want to do? Like BYU is at one, and then everybody else has tied two to sixteen, don't it's impossible to ascertain who's good and who's bad. There's a chance it's just a bunch of decent teams with no great teams and no horrible teams, which is no way to build a conference.

As we've seen with the love.

That the SEC in the Big ten is getting and will continue to continue to get. But that shouldn't surprise anybody. That's part of the deal. So I saw some of the reaction. I heard some of the reaction after the bracket was released, and you know, again, the rankings are different than the seedings. If I can continue to underscore that, because this inferiority complex where every time you don't get the benefit of the doubt you just cry into the ethos is exhausting. Do you have a bit of a

And here's the other thing.

You can't do the whole like, well, Miami had close games against it, BYU needed a miracle to beat the worst team in the Big twelve.

So y'all can just chill with that stuff a little bit.

You can't throw criteria teams that are in front of you that we can just throw right back at you.

About your team. You needed a miracle to beat the worst.

Team in the Big Twelve, and quite frankly, you had to sweat it out against Baylor. Okay, so you played close games against bad teams and barely escaped as well. So if that's going to be part of the criteria that you use to smash other people, you know, be careful about looking in the mirror at this point. So when it comes to the perceived you know, spot of where people are at. These are assumptions as far as conference champs, but there's so much left to do. So

State and Ohio State.

By the way first team out SMU b YU beat SMU on the road. That win continues to look better and better and better. But as we talked about last night, it was gonna be.

A nervy evening. People were gonna be on edge. You're gonna hear results.

They were gonna come spilling in and just accept the results, regardless of what side you're on.

And sure enough, it was an anxious evening.

As BYU comes in as the ninth ranked team in the first edition of the expanded twelve team CFP rankings, but it doesn't affect their seeding.

They still have an excellent chance to get a.

First round by as the fourth seed in the CFP brackets. All right, we'll catch a break. We're gonna do a lot of college football. Spencer Litton's gonna hop on, so we'll talk more BYU and the CFP. We'll of course get to the BYU Utah game. Josh Pate will be great with this stuff today as he's our guest later on Some Hockey with Neil Smith and the Voice of the Youths.

Bill Riley, by the way, Kyle Whittingham.

On Friday, Utah Jazz saunt out a press release that Taylor Hendrix has undergone successful surgery to addresses right fibular fracture and dislocated ankle. I've never seen a press release that says the surgery was unsuccessful, which is good. You don't want unsuccessful surgeries. But like everyone has the successful surgery, we're gonna risk wish Taylor a lot a lot of

Spent too well?

But thanks appreciate the time. I wish he was under different circumstances. But of course, the you know, the bottom line is there's only one team that finishes the season with a you know, winding their sales for the offseason as a result of winning their last game.

So my first question is, in all your years.

In MLS playing and coaching, how many times have you been a part of the team that actually wins the final game of the year.

That's a great question. Just once that was two thousand and ten, so eons ago. Now I think you said it right though, I mean, there's only there's only one team. And then the crazy thing is is we drew this last game, and that's a whole different story of those pks man.

Yeah, and we'll get there in the moment, but i'd bring up that point to underscore just how hard it is to win trophies. And of course I think a lot of people thought you were going to be in the group that potentially could have ended the year lifting a trophy and heading on into the offseason without winning

Yeah, you know, my reflection just thinking about the different things, and there's all kinds of variables that go into it, obviously, and it's going to be much greater.

Uh.

The one I'm about to speak about is but it's probably the one that sticks out the most is you know, between Andreas and Chicho, we had close to sixty goal fifty goal contributions, uh, come the beginning of July, and then from that point after, I think Chicho ended up with one assist. And so you go from fifty when we're flying, and then Andrea's obviously gets sold and chi Cho,

So I want to readdress something that we talked about right after andress sale. And I asked you, I asked Jason, I asked Kurt, I asked every RSL guest I had. Is there a danger that you sacrificed the potential for something special in the name of a long term game by sending an ondress on And look, I know the deal. Okay, I don't like the deal. I never will, but I understand that that price tag was too. I'm sure ownership

I just don't like that approach.

Because the type of sporting culture I was raised in.

But let's readdress it as we look back.

Did you guys potentially decide to take a paycheck and look at a long term game as opposed to sticking with the plan and maybe winning something special this year?

Yeah? I mean yeah, I mean I think, if to put it bluntly, I think that that may have been the case. And I think this is where it's really interesting, in particularly with MLS, is where you know, the depths of other teams around the world are such that you can move on from players because you have two or three of the same caliber.

Player in the States.

You know, in MLS you just don't get that because of the cap and because of the way all the little intricacies of the way it's run, you just don't get that luxury. And so for for teams in the MLS to do something like that, I think it's going to have graver consequences. And then again, we bring in a player like Dominic, who I think is going to be a top player. I think he's in a better starting position than Andres was when he first got here,

Yeah, and I certainly understand all that.

Like I said, it's just sometimes tough the stomach from the perspective of believing you guys had something so special. I mean, for me, Pablo at one point, and I talked about this on air, I talked about it with you, there's a real case to be made that for about I don't know, fifteen to eighteen games, it may have been the best soccer played in the history of the club,

I mean that, no, and I and I think so. And you know, I guess the way that I can interpret that is how much coaching we had to do versus you know, the big preseason, we're coaching quite a bit. There's a lot of new faces and a lot of new people, coaches included, and we were coaching our tails off.

So let me hone in on cheeto now.

And I'm just stunned that I have the stats pulled up and it still says seventeen. I mean, I thought I was gonna get till like thirty. I don't know, man, Like I can remember when I got the text about the suspension, and I just wondered in my mind in that moment, and then allowed while talking about the club, like what what if effect whether this have? Now it's really easy to Monday morning quarterback this and say it must have been the suspension, It must have been on dress taken off.

It probably was a lot of things.

But it is pretty stunning that our guy didn't score after mid July.

As the coach, what do you attribute that most to?

Yeah? I think your what your assessment is is pretty accurate. You know, we've we've gone down all kinds of path paths to try to figure it out with with obviously Chicho involved as well, and I had countless conversations about a state of mind, and and I guarantee you that Chicho can't put a figure on it, right, because if you could have, he would have. It would have changed and it would have changed a lot of things. And there's something to be said about.

The almost the alter ego that you have to have to be that kind of player, and the burden, the type of responsibility that comes with being that kind of player.

In his case, scoring whatever it was, seventeen goals and having I don't know, ten thirteen assists or something to such July in such a short span of time. And then a couple of big instances happens in your life where I think you start to think like the rest of us humans, right, and you're no longer the superman with a kate because of this situation and that situation. And it could have been just the feelings that those

All right, I'm about to lay a little Shakespeare on you, Pops. Ready, let's do it, all right, So Hamlet quote there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so right. And so ultimately, the reason I started the interview with asking somebody like you who has been an MLS lifer, how many times did you have the opportunity to walk away from a season as part of the one team that lifted the trophy?

And I'm actually stunned that it was one.

I thought there was more is to underscore how hard this thing is to actually walk away with a trophy, and what a marathon season it is. Now I am a results guy because I know the business of sports and I know what results means for the rise tied that that allows all both you know, they all boats to kind of go in the same direction.

And I botch that quote. That's not Shakespearean, but.

It's a long way of me asking it's it's a long way of me asking you do you consider this year success or failure?

Again? I think you have to. I wish it was his. Now I'm thinking this is Shakespeare and stuff. I can't I can't even find words. If it was. If this whole thing was linear, then obviously with with one goal in mind, which is to win the title, then then I would I wouldn't say it's a failure. I just said we didn't it wasn't successful, right, I wouldn't say it's a failure. And the reason why I'd say it wouldn't be a failure is because it's multi dimensional. In

Yeah, I figured, you know, you wouldn't utilize that to give you know, give me a binary decision, because there are nuanced parts of the whole thing that deserves me unpacked. So I appreciate that perspective, and let me add to it. Setting a single season record for points and goals that's not nothing, man, it really is. And now there's nothing

And maybe it's.

Because I have PTSD because the ending used to men like are we going to lose the team?

Like you know?

And there's so many, so many ramifications back in the early days when we lost. And that's why the two thousand and nine Cup team is memory, you know, is remembered with so much fondness because it literally allowed us to basically plan our feet in the cement and say we're here and that's what results can do. But have you been able to get to the point where you can reflect on the things that you did this year that really we've never seen before, because I think that's important.

No, I think yeah, I think obviously it's only been a few days since since our last game, and so it's it's it's hard, you know, you're you're frustrated, you're

All Right, before we get to the off season, since I have not been able to speak to you, we'll take our medicine with one more question, and that is now that you've been able to reflect and think about what happened up in Minnesota, Uh, just kind of get give us some thoughts about how the decisions played out.

You know, juli Anderson, Julio comes in.

In place of chi Cho, You get Vera back and unfortunately he had a goal that was called back.

It looked like that was gonna be a game changing moment.

Javane goes back over to his right back position, and a Mecca who was and is awesome, goes back to where you like him.

In the midfield.

So take us through those decisions and then ultimately, what are your trip you the inability to find enough solutions to the.

Most Yeah, So again I'll start with Chicho and and I think that decision had been coming for a while.

All right, before I say, you loose a little off season conversation, and I'm aware that a lot of these decisions will be made by Kurt and Jason, but I know they value you when they bring you into the circle, and you guys are very collaborative with this stuff. So Conker Calf may change the calendar a little bit. The draw is going to be in December, and then you

That's a good question, and I think Kurt will be better served answering those questions. Although you know, we've had conversations internally, you know, I'll just say just you know, we want to solidify our back line a little bit more, even though we had some some a good injection of of play from Javane is fortifying the back line, and then up front is another position, you know, And and it's just experiencing what happened when when your striker isn't

Yeah, but you need time off, man.

I believe at one point during our conversations this year, you said you've taken like one vacation in three years. That's that's unhealthy, dude. So are you gonna do anything to kind of unwind before you get back at it?

Uh?

My wife is looking at all kinds of trips and I'm telling her it. You know, for me, it's like, you need time off. But when you don't feel like it's work, when you feel like it's your purpose, if you wake up every day and you're like, man, let's go, you know. And that's why I said to the guys that that you know, after the season is like, I'm so blessed to be able to wake up every day and go. I can't wait to get to work with these guys, man. I can't wait to be a part

All right?

Man?

Well, like I said, a lot of good and it's just so tough when there's only one team that enters the off season having accomplished that ultimate goal.

So I appreciate your time today and all year. You're the guy for this. I got your back. Reach out if I can do anything for you.

Okay, thanks, Bence. Always a pleasure, man, appreciate your.

Help, all right.

Pablo Masconti, head coach of RSL. RSL has hit the off season, but it will be shorter than usual as a result of their qualification for the Conka CAF Champions Cup. We'll learn the date and details about the game in mid December, and then I believe it's played mid February, if I remember correctly. My task to border today was play cheesy happy music. Just play whatever's.

Cheesy and happy. Is this Jack Johnson track?

I were just playing because look, Jack Johnson is like an uncrustable right right.

It never changes.

It's never better or worse than it was, but it's always it's always pretty solid.

Yeah, Yeah, that's a I thought it was a good request from you some happy tunes. I don't know that it's even like a happy song. I actually think it's like a sad breakup song. But because it's Jack Johnson singing and playing to a guitar, he like makes it feel good.

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with an uncrustable. There's nothing wrong with a PBJ. Our next guest is kind of like a PBJ PB and J.

He's always reliable.

You always know what you're gonna get, and you're not were let down. Our friend from BYU TV is Spencer Lytton on a Wednesday. Spencer, Happy Wednesday, Sir, How are.

You indeed the happiest Spence, especially as you're comparing me to the greatest snack known to mankind in the encrustable sandwich?

Well said, grape or strawberry? Most importantly, I like both.

But I got to pick one of probably probably leaning strawberry.

Okay, okay, fair enough, fair enough. They're both very good and it is a very very close race, all right, Spencer. So last night we were gathered around our televisions, nervous about the results we were going to get, wondering if people would accept it when it came down and we see the states coming off, you know, bit by bit, and the fear kind of creeps in, and sure enough BYU comes in a number nine.

See what I did there? You thought I was going election. I didn't.

Now, as as I've been talking about, it doesn't mean that they can't lock in the number four. C rankings are different than seeds. But I do believe there is a very very legitimate conversation that we had as to why I would say Indiana and then probably Penn State.

I mean, Tennessee has that BAMA win.

Texas is Texas, but there's a legitimate conversation, and maybe even Miami because BYU has the two top twenty wins strength of schedule, I think it's four. So I do believe it's legitimate to have a beef with BYUO at nine, even though I still think the four seed is probably the reality.

What was your reaction when you saw briging me on at nine last night?

Unfortunately, it was pretty close to what I expected. This has become a situation for me where I feel like Charlie Brown and the college Football Playoff Selection Committee is lucy and you just think maybe maybe this time they might let you actually kick the football and respect what you've done. But ultimately they pulled the football away and here we are again. And so I was kind of brake for that. I thought it would be eight at worst. So nine was a was a little bit of a

Yeah, and the message, to your point, it feels like the message is you guys are one big league, regardless of what happens.

So it does feel like that's the message.

Do you do you think that BYU at nine is a direct indictment on the Big Twelve as a whole, because we do and I'm sure you guys do it too.

Anybody in the.

State and media does a Big twelve Power pol power rankings or whatever. And this week I told my producer, I'm like, dude, we're not doing it because the power pole is BYU won that everyone else two to sixteen.

I don't know who's good. I don't know who's bad. I have no clue.

So do you think this ranking last night from the committee is a direct indictment on the Big Twelve as a whole?

Because I do.

Yeah, And last weekend did not help the cause, right right is the State losing at Houston and then Iowa State losing at home to Texas Tech. Like, while those results help BYU's chances of getting to a Big Twelve championship game, it worked against the overall perception of the conference and ultimately what the College Football Playoffs Selection Committee clearly thinks. Like if Kansas State had won and Iowa State has won, you and I are probably having a

Yeah.

No, I'm with you as far as what the message seems to be.

All right, before we get to Saturday night, Let's pan back now and look at this thing from thirty thousand feet and you know, Kilanie's my guy.

Had a Monday day Rod Jay Hill.

You know, obviously the synergies in the kind of incestuous nature of the two staffs makes this thing kind of fun. But you know, I'm in contact with them, and they were telling me early on in camp like people are wrong about us.

But here's the thing.

Everybody says that every single year, every coaching and certainly in our state where we love to do the nobody believes in us thing.

It's like a mantra to go shock the world.

And so even though I was hearing from the coaches like just wait, this is going to be different, it seemed like everybody else on the outside did not believe this team was going to do much. I pegged them as a six to seven win team. That was going to go bowling, And I thought Utah at this point would be seven to one eight and oh. I thought Utah's offense would be dynamic. I thought their defense would be physical, forcing turnovers, creating chaos. I thought the special

What do you attribute this season to most, just right off the top, I.

Think a couple of things. There is real power. It seems that BYU in the being able to keep the core and just have that natural evolving nature of a team that in large parts stays together after having gone through some tough steams. So as bad as it was for Bia to do limp to a five and seven finished last year after some gut punch losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma States, it motivated them in a significant way to stick together. So they weren't a ton of new

And so he told me.

I interpreted that as okay, I think the AI is gonna win seven or eight games, and I got laughed to scorn when I said they had a shotover the A game. But here we are and they are on the cut of surpassing that very soon. But yeah, so year two of J Hill, the core sticking together and then a few key transfers, and I'll finish with TJ. Woods as an offensive line coach that BYU went out and paid. They actually invested in a guy, and they spent a little bit of money and they went and

And excuse me, I know I'm about to ask you the following question in the midst of an incredibly special season.

So you know, the answer of course is going to be yes for today.

But as you know, we we we we all are part of an echo cham chamber based off of our you know, our our inner circle family friends. And I was raised tried and true BUYU blue with a brother in law who still wears a T shirt with his freaking helim and Hall's number on it that.

I want to rip off of it every time I see it.

Okay, So I know, Spencer, I know that there were a lot of people that were down on Kilanie at one point and not sure if this was the guy. He's my guy, and so I want to make sure that he's taken care of. Has he answered every question? And you think it's a situation where maybe they're going to take care of him the way they take care of their basketball coach.

Now it is time, I'll say this much sence. I don't know what Kilanie's compensation and how BYU has specifically taken care of him by the numbers, but I have been told that he is in a better position than any previous doa football coach has been in, and they have every intention of sweetening the deal for him as he pushes forward, so and he has absolutely earned that right,

It's good to hear man, because I'll tell you what.

I'm not sure how many jobs Klannie would leave by U four, but I wouldn't be stunned if Southern Cal is looking around like what we do. And you know they want to buy out with Lincoln. I don't know if that's happening because they're paying him a ton of money. But if there's one job Colonie would look at, it has to be Southern Cal. So if they don't take care of him, man, I do think at one point he might look around.

I don't know that, but that's just my gut feel.

How do you not though, I mean any good age, any good eight, it's gonna say you need to look at this, and and Klana, they wouldn't say that if that were the case, So I'm with you. BUYU needs to continue to do what they say they're gonna do and.

Take care of him all right before we get to the game in a vacuum on Saturday.

I'm a little older than you, but you and I.

Both raised playing sports, raised with the BYU Utah rivalry is part of our lives now being in the media for a number of years, we've covered it.

Is there one moment, is it back to Harlen? Is it fourth and eighteen?

Is there one BYU Utah rivalry moment that for you, Spencer stands out above the rest.

Yeah, Beck to the Harlen obviously was remarkable, I mean remarkable. And then on the Utah side you go back to the youth there racing a twenty to nothing halftime lead and then for BYU and then even being down twenty seven to seven, to watch the youth storm back and win that game. As part of the list of the White Fence to watch, that is I will never forget what Rice Cycle Stadium sounded like. It felt like in

And because of the dynamic of this game, regardless of the situations between the two teams, you know, the chaos as possible. Now where I'm at is, there's if there's anybody out there that is pointing to any number or any data to indicate Utah is a better team than BYU, then they're looking at numbers.

I don't see. There's no proof.

There's no proof that Utah is better than BYU, not Vegas, not any of the rankings. There are some numbers that indicate Utah's defense is still very good. They're doing they're doing the quarterback thing.

You know.

Now for me, Spencer, I'm not reporting this because I don't know it. We're gonna interview coach with on Friday. After having clowne on Monday. Brandon Rose was made available to the media for the first time on Tuesday, and my man spoke like he's playing, but I don't know, Okay, So that's that's my guess. Ultimately, how much does that matter? We'll see there's a new play caller. There's no other way to say that the offense is atrocious, and BYU rolls in here as a four point favorite.

I think I heard you say the stat because I listen. I listened to the pod I've got you guys on in the car.

That hit me across the face when you said BYU was outscored teams off turnovers sixty nine to ten, which says two things. Holy bleep, that's impressive and that can't continue right like So, so you know, I have a hard time believing Utah is gonna win this football game. But I've seen so many of these things get weird that I'm not ready to say one way or the other.

What's your gut tell you about Saturday night?

That it will be weird. That's what my gut tells me for sure. The one thing that BYU have to absolutely avoid that they want to win this game is doing what they really haven't done all year, and that is be reckless and careless with the football. Because Utah defense is still so solid and so capable of ramping

You're making the trip up this way, you're gonna stay down south.

I will be on the sideline. Yeah, So I'm going to experience it. And I love college football. I love this rivalry, and I'm excited for it to be in the same conference again after a long, long time off.

All Right, man, well, I'll keep an eye out for you because I'll be there. I'll say what's up. I appreciate your time. Fun week, dudes. I'll see you Saturday.

Okay, you got it, brother, be well.

All right, We're live today at beer Bar right downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.

Great sausages and burgers, about one hundred and thirty beers on tap, another forty to fifty Canon bottled beers non alcohol options for those of you who don't drink. It's oddly crowded on this Wednesday. I think people are either celebrating or drowning their sorrows. We have tailgate passes for the Utah BYU tailgate coming up on Saturday.

Let's do some more college football.

Always enjoy my time with my next guest the Great Josh Pate from Josh Pat's College Football Show on Wednesday afternoon. Josh, Happy Wednesday, buddy, how are we doing?

I'm good. I assume that there are a multitude of reasons for people to be on edge out there and gearing up for this weekend, if I'm not mistaken.

Yes, certainly, and obviously, Josh. Last night, we're all sitting in front of our TVs. We're nervous about the results that are going to roll in. We see state by state by state by state, and then it's revealed that BYU comes into nine. So you thought I was doing an election thing, and I wasn't doing an election thing. I was doing a CFP ranking thing. So a lot of people around here wondering BYU at nine with a resume that you could argue is better than Indiana at

I thought they'd be higher. Honestly, I think they should be higher. I mean, I mean as much as as much as I personally liked the traffic in the way I teams based on a more pure power rating model. That's not what the Playoff Committee is supposed to be doing. The Playoff Committee is supposed to be judging purely off merit. And you notice how after all these years, we never have a static list of criteria put out. And that's very purposeful, so they can move the goalpost as much

Now.

What aggravates me to no ends with all these people who want to tell you, Bro, relax, it doesn't matter, it's just the first version of the rankings. Well, they're lying to you. It does matter. And here's where it matters. It doesn't matter if Bringing Young wins out of course they'll be in. They were always going to be in if they won the conference.

But where it matters, where.

Rubber meats road is. They are building a giant trap door under your feet and under Indiana's feet to where they can reasonably pat themselves on the back for having ranked you top ten. But you know full well, just like I do, as soon as either one of those teams incurs one laws, they're gone. Trapdoor opens and they disappear from the horizon, and that committee says, well, you know,

Yeah, No, I'm with you outside of BYU, outside of Indiana. You kind of gave us your take on Penn State. Any other Josh Paid reactions either good or bad from the rest of the rankings, which aren't the seeding for the bracket, but not one of the rankings. What are your other thoughts away from the dynamics we've already discussed.

I thought I thought it was interesting that seven of the top sixteen teams and that thing or sec but a lot of them are ten to sixteen range, Like you got your Alabama's and your shoes and no play this weekend. A and M and Ole miss are in there, so there's gonna be probably some elimination blows dealt, which

So ultimately, it does feel like the other message that has been since And I don't even know if this is the wrong message, because dude, we do a big twelve power rankings every week. You know, anybody who covers the conference does something like it. You have your your JA people, And this week I told my producer, we're not doing it because it sounds like BYU at one, then everyone else two through sixteen, and I don't know if they're good or bad. I mean, the problem is

And that's going to go to the conference champ no matter what.

Uh, that's a big question. I have I heard them say last night or I though it reported that they're trying to trying to crystallize the notion that you won't get punished for playing in a conference title game, which is great. That's the way it should be, Okay. I don't doubt that for the Big Ten. I don't doubt that for the SEC. I don't think their conference title loser will fall very far. I want to see what happens.

Going into that SAT.

If they lose in a game that they're only in because they earn the right to be in, are you going to drop them out of the rankings, because if you don't, then they go as well as the Big twelve champ going. And that means two Big twelve teams just crash the party. And I know that this is not the way it's supposed to work, but this is the way it will work. The folks in the SEC portion of the room will scream about that. The folks in the Big ten portion of the room will scream

One more thing on this. Boise State comes in and look, Boise State's good. I mean, we're kind of in that footprint because Utah State a Mound West Conference team. Is there any way Boise States in your estimation, and of course there's no way of knowing for sure because ultimately the football needs to be played, but there are only

I think it's possible.

It just you'd probably need a little chaos here down the stretch, and then one of the teams that emerges from the chaos ends up being the winner of the Big twelve championship game. So maybe like a two lost conference chant there, then I could see it. If it's just Britinging Young going on a run, no, I think that enjoy the higher seeds.

I've got one more BYU question for it.

Then we'll move on and obviously want to talk about the big game coming up on Saturday night. But you reference something early on in the interview about you know, the Michigan helmet or the Penn State brand, and certainly there's going to be brand biased and they're television executives that simply want the biggest and best brand on their TV show.

And I understand that.

What from a national standpoint, and not necessarily you because you cover and understand every team in college football, which makes you, you know, good at what you do.

But how would you.

Articulate as a national college football guy, what BYU's brand is nationwide?

I think the.

Brand is tucked away and isolated, hard to get to, really hard nosed team hard NOS program. They embody the mentality of their head coach to kind of always been that way.

There.

There are echoes from the past of big time teams. You hear from your dad. If you're my age, you've heard from your dad growing up about Brigham Young teams that did big things in the eighties, and you know of a few big time names will come through there. As for today, I think that people are still getting

Bring him young right now, So we have a little football game here in the market coming up on Saturday night. I made a plea early on to get a Josh paid appearance out here for Utah BYU, but that was dependent upon both teams doing their jobs.

BYU has Utah has not.

We can be simply as reductive as saying, Cameron Rising's not under center and he's been hurt.

Therefore everything is different. But nobody saw four and four for Utah, and no one saw.

Eight no for BYU. Everything I thought Utah would be BYU has been. How surprised are you, Josh on that dynamic.

I'm very surprised. I mean, if you told me I wasn't coming out there, I would have thought it was because one of these teams dropped the ball, I would just have the wrong team service right, And so as it turns out, I mean, it's it kind of. It surprises me only because Cam Rising not being available is not the biggest shock to anyone in the world. I just thought the program may be a tad bit more

Yes, indeed, I can't argue with it. As much as we would have loved to host you once again. Like we did last year against Florida. One more big twelve question. Then we'll do some other stuff with the remaining few minutes, and then I'll set you loose outside of Brigham me ONNG, who do you think is good in the conference?

Because I really can't figure it out week to week.

I think Colorado is the biggest wild card out there. I mean Colorado has improved defensively, fairly significantly. They run the ball much better than they did, so they are I mean, they're a complimentary, improving football team. And last week I thought they were the biggest winner out there, even though they didn't play because Iowa State Kansas State went down. I don't trust Iowa State or I don't

As as disappointing as Utah football has been, and how difficult that is for a fan base around here with different expectations, how do you articulate owen six Oklahoma states in conference?

I think I think Gandhi did a pretty poor job of putting his coordinators together. I don't think this is a very strong staff he has. It was one of my biggest concerns coming end of the year, and it is. It has really manifested itself into a poor result. I give him credit, and they went and played BYU hard in the game they played against him a few weeks back. Still lost, but I expected that team to kind of roll over and they didn't. But they're just it's not

Yeah, you know, you reference Colorado, and I'm not sure that I've really ever seen a talent like Travis Hunter.

Shouldn't he win the Heisman Trophy? Josh? And if not, who do you think does?

I think it's I think it's gonna come down to is he active on Conference championship Saturday. It's gonna be him and Camboard, I believe, and and Dylan Gabriel may be in that equation. But the thing about those other guys is Gabriel will be playing in the Big ten title game. I think I think cam Ward certainly will be playing in the ACC title game. If Hunter is just playing on that last Saturday, I think that's going to make a big difference, because otherwise, I think the

All right, moving off the Big twelve, now, just simple question, how good do you think Miami is? It's another team when you're looking at the resume and their number four and of course the bottom line is staying clean, which they've done. But do you think their record where they're at right now accurately reflects simply how good they are? And if they have the opportunity to go against another one of those teams that live in that cul de sac, do they stack up in your mind.

Talent wise? They do. I don't think the product they've put on the field measures quite yet, but we can't be sure because they you know, they haven't been pushed to the against quality competition. They've been pushed to the brink, But it's almost one of those situations where they played with their food a little too long and then took it serious in the end. If I put them on the field with Texas or Georgia, I don't really know

Do you think we were discussing this earlier, because we were talking about Byu and Klonie Satake and whether or not they were gonna actually step up and pay him. It's a private institution, but they're known for not paying their coaches very much. And look, I have no inside information or knowledge at all about where Southern Cal's head is with Lincoln, but ultimately Klannie's a Southern California guy, and if that job came open, I think he would

I think they may look around and ask the questions. I don't think they're looking around in the form of let's do our due diligence because we may make a move. I think they're a long way from that. I did a segment on the show last night, just did job approval ratings, and Lincoln Riley's approval rating would be a little low right now. But that's kind of detached from his hot seat rating. I don't think it's hot seat ratings anywhere. I'd say the same thing about Hugh Freeve

Where's the Josh Paid Tour taking place coming up this weekend? Where are you going to be.

We are headed down to Baton Rouge, Louisiana or Alabama at LSU on a Saturday night.

You know, I've never experienced that game.

I have experienced LSU, but I've heard that's the spot, man, that's the place to be with that game.

What I would imagine you've been there before. So what's that atmosphere going to be?

Like?

A is Bama is down in Baton Rouge to take on LSU.

The best way I can describe it is if you're standing on a runway at a major airport and you just hear jet engines around you. That's kind of the way it sounds on the field there in big third down moments and especially at night double especially if Alabama or Florida someone like that in there. I mean, especially if LSU show some life early and they get up on someone early.

It feels it.

Feels like you weigh one hundred and fifty pound or one hundred and fifty percent of your body weight. You just press it down on you. It is really really difficult to operate in that environment.

We do like to keep track of our former Pac twelve buddies.

What's the hulla baloo like the conversation like down and down there with Alabama and our old buddy Calein de Bor who's a great coach, but he's not Nick Saban, because nobody is.

Yeah, there's a lot of attention on that this week, just people and myself included wondering how they'll handle this moment because they did not handle Tennessee well for many different reasons, but one of them was Bama under Nick Saban was a big game program, and I, ironic used to feel more confident in them when they were on the road than I did when they were at home.

Last thing is Oregon firmly entrenched themselves as the best team in the country, and if not who else is in that kind of just in that area.

As of now, they're the best I've seen. I think Texas has higher end potential. I think Ohio State has high end potential. Oregon's the best I've seen. I've seen them all in person, some of them a couple of times. At this point. They are so multifaceted. They have got an assassinate quarterback right now. They can run the ball on you, they can stop the run. They're very multiple and athletic. Defensively, I think they're to get Test Johnson

Josh, thanks man for the time. Keep up the great work, and enjoy the games this weekend.

All right, all right, appreciate it.

Josh Pate, host of The Josh Pates College Football Show. It's one of my favorite college football podcasts. Josh is a very talented guy. Find him on social media on Twitter. It's at Josh Pate CFB or X or whatever the hell we're calling it. Certainly the day after what happened yesterday at Josh Pate CFB is where.

You find him. Maybe all right. We're live today at Beer Bar.

It's right downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, and we're having a good time.

Always due.

You can come on down and grab a couple of tailgate passes for our Utah BYU tailgates prior to Kick kick His eight fifteen Saturday nights. The pregame coverage we'll begin at four fifteen, So if you are looking for something to do prior to the game, if you want some craft cocktails from Clearwater Distillion or some free food from Wingers.

We also have non alcoholic options of.

Course, come on by beer Bar two per person and while supplies last, we have ten, so we'll hook you up with a couple of passes just for rolling on in here at Beer Bar on this Wednesday afternoon.

It is one sixty one just had the address.

It is one sixty one ees two hundred south, downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. They've got great burgers and brats. They've got fries. The fries are awesome of course, bunch.

Of beers on tap.

If you guys want to roll by porter, do you have your pregame lineup dialed in for the radio station on Saturday.

As dialed in as it's going to get because we have the on site kind of event going on with our friends at the NFL Players Association and a coat drive. So yeah, Isaacasciata will be alongside me for most of the ride, but we'll also have Stevenson, Sylvester and Austin Colly and a bunch of the guys that'll be there from both BYU and Utah. Trying to combine teams for a good cause, trying to get two twenty four coats to donate for the upcoming winter season.

So that's the goal.

Where we're going to be actually not at the seven hundred tailgate. We're gonna be across the street at the actual Guardsman tailgate tailgate with Nate Orchard and the folks up there. So looking forward to it. But yeah, we'll

There we go.

That will be an excellent time, So stay tuned for that and set your alarm on Saturday to remind you of the pregame show starting at four fifteen, and then Bill Sly and Scott I'll have you taken care of after that. Bill is gonna roll on the show today, not sure if it'll be in person or.

Over the phone.

Ran into Riles at the studios earlier, the Broadway Media Studios. He was once a middling midday radio host for US before he got big time and went to the U Porter.

I think that's probably where it's gonna settle.

What's your confidence level based off of as we've talked about with our guests, go ahead and dig through the data like there's nothing out there right now. Whether it's records, they're certainly defensive metrics that indicate Utah's defense is still elite. But BYU has earned the right to be the favorite Saturday Night. But this game gets weird, as you know. So what's your gut tell you about what we'll see Saturday Night?

Yeah, well, I think the gut feeling is along the to pardon the pun, along the lines of the line. It really is one where you know, I think it will be a close game, but Utah in order to win, would have to win the turnover battle. They would have to you know, turn a block field goal or an interception into a touchdown. One of those situations where you are a little outmatched with personnel because of injuries and because of the place you are in in the season.

Okay, So I've talked about this as far as my own personal opinion, and we've asked other people as far as you know, Scott Mitchell, etc.

About their opinion on this. I don't know, man.

There was something about Brandon Rose on Tuesday, who was made available to the media. He to me porter he was talking like a kid it's gonna get the start. He was talking like a kid that was gonna play. That's my guess. I don't know what the deal is with Isaac's wrist. You know, if he has legitimately been hurt, and then that might explain quite a bit. But what does your guy tell you on who's gonna start under and if so, what sort of difference generally speaking, do you think that makes well.

As you mentioned, part of the story here is that Isaac Wilson has been dealing with it at wrist injury. He's been dealing with I think some rib stuff, like he's just been beat up. It's a kid who, let's be real, wasn't expecting to take a bunch of snaps this year. And there is an adjustment that your body has to make when you go from playing as we've talked about, from playing Farmington and Loan Peek or whoever, to playing Big twelve opponents. There's an adjustment your body takes.

So another interesting narrative. And we talked to Spencer Lynton from BYU TV about this earlier. And I want to be careful because maybe I'm being part of the problem. I simply have heard from and am aware of more than a few Utah fans that do not want to be there on Saturday, And according to what they've shared with me, they have sold their tickets.

And some of the tickets online are very expensive. And so maybe you know, this is a way you can.

Recoup some of your season ticket deposit or what have you. But I don't know that that is going to have a massive effect on the crowd on Saturday. You have a different echo chamber than I do. What sort of feedback are you getting from people or you fans that you know about their plans on Saturday night?

Yeah?

Well, you know, I think there's always going to be a healthy, healthy interest in this game in particular with it being Utah BYU, I think the environment in the

That comeback, that twenty seven to seven comeback still to this day ridiculous, Oh my gosh. And you know what's interesting because I was thinking about this, and you know, I never played for a paycheck, But if you played sports throughout the course of your life growing up, like in a high school or college or whatever, and you never got to do it, there's a good chance you played against Arrival.

And I had two, you know, during my time playing.

And I'm not not the radio guy that compares his slightly above average high school basketball playing career to these guys that are playing for money, But there's just something so different when you know that you're playing against Arrival.

The whole energy is different all week. I love it, I always have. I just think that's kind of how I'm wired.

I know some people aren't necessarily all that fond of the anxiety that this week seems to bring some people. I mean, you know, people will say mean things to you during Elderscorma BYU Wins, and you know the internet is where cowards go to feel brave, So you're gonna get some guff online, But what about what about you and this dynamic of this week? Because you know Spencer

Shep would show up for.

Work on Monday of Rivalry Week and he would look like he hasn't slept in two weeks. He's not a drinker, but he looked like he was just smashing Jaeger all night and he hated it.

And he's not alone. There are some people that are.

Like that because of the potential ramifications of having their feel goods hurt if their preferred team loses this game. You were an athlete, I mean, when it comes to simply knowing that you're going up against your biggest rival, is that an energetic feel that you enjoy? Or do you understand where people are coming from when they kind of just back away from the dynamics of this week?

Well, I think it depends on the position you're in. Spence. I think that if you're.

Winning if you're confident, if you feel like your rival is not up to par, like you know, I think a lot of Utah teams felt like over the last

There's not much pressure.

You're four and four, the big twelves out of reach, uh for big For BYU, that's the team that now is within the top twelve of the CFP. That's the team with a bunch to lose. And when you add that on top of a rivalry that can get nerve racking, that can bring in a pressure, a feel they can kind of start to seep into maybe your thoughts the day before and into prep. And I do wonder if that's the feel for BYU. Credit to Kelani and co.

Tell me just from your advantage point, because you were up at the football facility and you know, you hear the sounds, you know you're watching the local TV guys at night kind of breaks some things down and watching the video they're able to get We're not able to give much because we don't see practice anymore. But you know, in politics, there's this thing where they call the October surprise, where something happens that is crazy that throws a wrench

But have you.

Witnessed anything, you know, going up there being around the players, because look, it's it's hard at this point for the coaching staff to keep these young men motivated when all of the things, all of the things we thought they'd be in the mix.

For, are no longer on the tape. I mean, as I continue to say, the only.

Thing worse than playing in a throwaway bowl game is not being eligible for one. So yes, they're still get the six wins, get the seven wins, you know, get to a bowl game, and you know who knows, maybe eight wins on the table. Unfortunately, my confidence in this team dwindled. I felt like I was the last one hanging on the proverbial final branch before my face hit the ground. But my face is clearly in the mud

Well, it's hard because the energy definitely has waned, but without you know, seeing them play against BYU, seeing them here at Rice Cycles and seeing their response to that spence.

I don't know.

I think we have to see how they respond and how they react to that on Saturday, right, because it wasn't until you drop to four and four that you really really kind of have all that set in, right. I think with three losses on the on the schedule, you look around and you think we can play our way back in, or we can at least, uh, you know, stay above five hundred get into a decent bowl game. Now it's you know, a sobering moment where you have to to look in the mirror and and kind of

So reminder, our pregame coverage on Saturday will begin at eight point fifteen, and we're gonna be live at the tailgates.

And I had to do it.

I had to do it on the Rivalry Week.

Say that slowly into a mirror if you're speaking into a microphone.

On radio or TV this week. But the voice of the utes, the appearance of.

Bill Riley on this radio show during Rivalry Week had to be the jam you guys listened to for twenty years prior to the start of Bill's show, Ryle's I'm disappointed that here at beer bar there's no beers with Bill, but I'll take the time anyway.

How are we doing, I'm doing good, Spencer. It was good to see you this morning for a few minutes. Give Duncan and Richard and all the crew down there my best.

I will for sure, I will, for sure appreciate your time. So what is what's the week like for the voice man? I mean, we've talked about it with a bunch of guests all week long.

I love it. I always have.

When you and I were doing our old show back in the day, we had a producer, so didn't it want But he didn't want.

Our producer did not want to get out of bed. During Rivalry Week, Schep hated it. Some people hate it. I love it. What's this week like for the Voice?

Well, I love it.

It's weird for the first time in what twenty or twenty three years living here not doing a radio show during rivalry Week. This was always one of my favorite weeks of the year. And I've been listening to you all week long and it's just great. And I'm you know, so much has changed at college football, spends at college athletics. The one thing that we have still are rivalries, and this week is just so good. You and I are old enough to remember. I'm old, You're You're getting there.

You know.

You know, we used to be able to talk about this game three hundred and sixty five days a year, the old Mountain West Conference days. You could crack the mic on a Tuesday in mid May and start to fire up from Utah buy you Tube. That's kind of tempered a bit in recent years different conferences, Utah kind of taken off, EYU had kind of leveled out. But now being back in the same conference this year and BYU having a great year and Utah dealing with some

So the question Ryles on a Wednesday Utah BYU robbery game hot or not.

I would say warm, heating up. I think if Utah is a little bit better right now and not having lost four games in a row, I think this game would be hot. I think it would be white hot. So I think it's warm with the possibility of getting hot Saturday night. But it's hard to call it hot all the way around when one of the two teams is struggling pretty well to try and find out who they are, and obviously that's Utah. They're trying to figure themselves out offensively.

So you continue to preserve and protect the sanctity. I do appreciate that.

Always you must preserve and protect the sanctity of rivalry week on a Wednesday, no doubt.

No doubt. So Riles the line.

The line opens with BYU getting five in Vegas, which essentially means Vegas is saying, on a neutral field, they think Byu is about a touchdown and a little bit more than that better than the utes. It moved towards Utah twice to three point five, it's settled at four.

I think that that's a fair line spence. Because of the way they've played this year. I still think Utah's talent is probably as good, if not maybe a little bit better. But they've not played to their talent this year, and obviously there's been a big gaping hole at quarterback again, and that's a big reason why b Yu I think has played above their level. I think they are a good football team that has not beaten itself and has been very opportunistic when other teams present them with turnovers

So so based on.

Where they are right now and the way they've played, I think that line's fair.

Okay, So I want to expand out because it's been a couple of weeks. We've had some scheduling stuff because you're very busy. Since we've been able to catch up and Bill, last time we spoke, I felt like, you know, I was the media guy that was holding on to the final branch of confidence before hitting the ground. And now my face is in the dirt. I mean, it's four straight ls. I didn't see this coming. I get plenty wrong. I'm not sure that I've ever been as

How do we find ourselves here?

You know it's you know, obviously the injury to Rising and you know the eggs were in the rising basket this year and that didn't work. It say, obviously, Cam's injury against Baylor and his inability to come back, and then the injury to the lower leg whatever that was against its was Arizona State. Now that sidelined you, but the backup plan to have a true freshman as your guy.

With the offense.

And I think that's probably the reason you saw him go to the bench in the second half against Houston. Brandon Rose had a couple of bright moments until he didn't until he threw that pick late. And so, uh, they're they're they're looking at everything right now, and they've had two weeks to get ready, and we'll we'll see what they rolled out on Saturday night. Kyle's called it the plan. I'm very curious to see what that plan

That's what we'll find out Saturday night.

So let's move over into that space now.

When it pertains to the plan that you have discussed the coach Whit has talked about and had your broadcast partner Scott Mitchell out on site at ARUP yesterday, and I said to you this morning when I saw you at the studio, and to what I said to Scott when he sat down and I said, I don't know one of my friends back East's Italian father, and I can't use the language, but he would say, I don't know.

Nothing from nothing, right, So I don't know nothing from nothing.

But when I heard Brandon Rose talk on Tuesday, I thought, that sounds like a kid who's getting to start. I have no idea, but where are we at right now with his progress of getting one or the other, or maybe a bit of both ready for this game on Saturday night?

You know, the stense I got listening to Kyle talk was they had given both these guys a look, and we're gonna give these guys an option. When they say they've got a plan, that makes me feel like they might have a plan for both quarterbacks, whether that's rotating guys or whether I don't know. I asked him last night and he was just kind of sly with me. He says, you'll see Saturday. So he didn't really give

So ultimately, y'all just kind of discuss the feedback we get from our inner circles. So I want to be careful with the narrative that I think is getting a little bit out of control. And you've got a poltse on youth fans, and obviously you're up there now full time. What I can tell you is I have been contacted by some people that haven't heard from in years that I went to school with, that are really really down

Man. It's not just local. It's not just on our station.

Like they were the Vegas favorite, they were the media pick and across the landscape, and I scoured predictions prior to the year. If Utah wasn't picked to win it, they were in everybody's top three. Ironically enough, most people you know would include you know, Oklahoma State, who can't win a conference game, and case State, who is good not great. I mean, I have no idea, but like I said, I've heard from a few people who are just simply not going to the game and they've sold

I've talked to some people that have considered not going. I said, are you going to sell your tickets to youth fans. I haven't decided what I'm doing yet, but I don't know if I want to go out in the cold, which you know, I don't like to call anybody out. I always say, I don't like to tell people how to fans man, sure, but this is a this is a rivalry game. I mean, this is Utah

It's just hard to do now.

But this is not a bad team, and with two weeks to get ready, I just I've been a little disappointed in some of the people I've talked to about there. It's okay not to be happy about where the season is, but man, this is your rivalry game. This is one you want to show up for. And these games have been fun over the years.

So I hope the.

People that are considering not going change their minds and show up, and there's a good atmosphere. They'll always be blue BYU fans always find a way to get into that stadium. They'll be a patch of blue. There might be a little bit more blue this year than usual. But I hope the Utah fans show out because I I really do, Spence, I do believe this is gonna be a one score game.

Yeah, And you know, it really does come down to the generational thing. And I know I used to crack on you for being old when you were like thirty two or whatever. When we were doing the show. But I'm now old enough to look back at and like some of the I'm sorry to be this guy, but some of these like millennial youthe football, like go vape or whatever you're doing, you know, like the they're spoiled, like the entitlement. Because I can remember, and this is

Miracle, right, those were the expectations.

Now expectations have changed, but it doesn't mean you sit out. Potentially the final chance you'll have to maybe see some of these coaches in this game, and the final chance you'll have, Bill quite frankly, and look, the game at Colorado is going to be awesome.

It's just BYU's different.

And you referenced Brett and you know we were talking about Jason Shelley and the twenty seven to twenty comeback. Yeah, the list of names that we talk about, the Mike McCoy's, the Eddie Johnson's, the Scott mitchells.

If these young men can for one night be great against this team.

If Dorian Singer goes for one fifty and three, touchdowns or whatever. No matter what has happened or will happen the rest of the way, you will be remembered and talked about differently in this community. Like Saturday Night to me is the maybe the last, and certainly the biggest chance this team has left to be great, and if they are, they will be remembered differently.

Even though the season has been a bit of a disappointment, Yeah.

You're you're one hundred percent on every single one of those points. And I would point out too, you're right. I think there there is a little bit of Hey, you know we've had this program has been so good for so many years in a row. Again, there's been a little bit of a dip this year. There's a lot of reasons for it, but you know that they're not a bad program. There's a lot of talent in this program, and there is an ability of a give

It can happen.

And I just think if you're really a fan and you really love college football. This isn't like the Jazz or the hockey club where there's eighty you know, there's forty.

Five home games.

You only have six home games, and you haven't played your rival since twenty eighteen at home. Come on out, and I just and I do. I believe it with all my heart. I think it's going to be a good game because I've just seen enough of these. I've called enough of these to know that they're unpredictable.

Since you brought up the Jazz, should we dig into the possibility that Utah football is actually tanking?

Nobody talks about that.

Is Cooper Flag available to play quarterback and or tight end or receiver next year?

Don't think that's how it works in this sport. I'm just saying, you know me, man, I like to zig when other people are zaging. Let's just talk about all possibilities. Since you referenced all of the games that you have called, I will tell you my favorite Bill Riley call was the Brandon Burton block, only because I knew in your head you wanted to punch Doulce for running over the call.

Do you have a favorite rivalry game moment? A snapshot of all these games.

That you fall.

Moments. I didn't call the game, but the famous Tostito the Tostito Bowl game in twenty two thousand and four, when the game ended and the fans stormed the field and it went from a green field to a field completely covered, well can get it from up high.

That was Mark Kroff's last home game.

Was crazy. I mean, it was just impossibly crazy. The third time is the Charm game, just a couple of years after the Brandon Burton Block, where Utah basically on the last play of the game had to beat BYU three times and they ended up doing it there. Jason Shelley's run was amazing too. I'll tell you the games fence and it was the last time BYU won at rise ecl Stadium.

Now Utah didn't win the game, but the game.

Itself was unbelievably entertaining.

Was the O six game.

It was the famous Beckt to Harlean game. The end of the game was not great, but it was the back and forth. It had thirty three thirty one I think was the final score. It was an unbelievable game. So those are some of the memories that I absolutely positively love all.

Right, let's move over here.

So we had the Coaches Show last night, you and coach with So you've been around the team, You've been around the coaches, and all we get are snapshots of sound that we play on the show. Sound we get from media availability or you know, videos you see on social or just on the local newscast.

So I don't really have a poulse on how they're doing.

If it's gonna be a close game, and if they're gonna you know, be in it, they're gonna have to mentally be ready because this is a good team. What's the I guess I obviously ask you what the kids would ask. What's the vibe like up around Utah football?

The vibe yesterday was great. I was up at the facility probably an hour before the show. You know, everybody was kind of buzzing and on edge a little bit coming off the practice field. Got a chance to talk to the final brothers on the show last night. These are two Utah County kids. They're Spanish four kids who went to temp You High School, so they were a

That's good to hear. That's good here.

So let's move over and out of the game and you reference you think it's going to be a one score game, and ultimately the line is settled at four, So that's not too far off, uh exactly what we'll see? What what gives you the most confidence? Because there really isn't a lot of data that would indicate Utah is a better overall team. There's some defensive metrics and conference play that do favor the uts What's given you the most confidence that you think this will be a one score game?

And what does Utah have to do to ensure that that's the deal.

Well, One, they can't turn it over. I mean they just can't. They've thrown way too many interceptions this year and BYU might be the most opportunistic team in the league, so they can't turn it over. But I think Utah's defense and I think the emphasis this week is forcing some turnovers if possible. I think the Utah defense has to play its best game of the year, and maybe you set the offense up with a couple of short fields. I have no doubt Morgan will be dialed in with

Okay, last thing, and I'll set you loose because I know you got to get to it. And the obvious answer, I suppose maybe whoever starts under quarterback, and I won't limit you to one name, give me a couple of names of the most likely candidates that you think will step up on Saturday Night that in twenty years we're talking about them the way we talk about Brett and Brandon and everyone else that we talk about having great games against Brigham Young, Who are the most likely candidates.

Well, I think it's whoever is the starting quarterback and whoever plays maybe the most snaps at quarterback if they both end up playing again. I don't know what that plan is, but I think it's easy to zone in on that. But it's just simply the case you've got to do that. I think there's two other guys. I think Brent Keithy has got to have a big game.

I think Keithy in.

The middle of the field when they can get him the football, can be that guy. Kalani defenses JJ Hill defenses generally don't give up a lot of big plays fence.

They kind of keep everything in front.

Of them, so I think they think you're going to hit them with a bunch of big.

Plays when you haven't done a lot of big plays this year. Might be a little bit of a stretch, But I think Keithy having a big game. And the other guy I would keep an eye on too is Mackay Bernard, and I think they would probably love to get Mkay out in some space and get him the ball, not only running the football, but also get that ball to him out in space and let him touch some passes too. So whoever the quarterback is, but I'll say

All right, man, Well it's a great week. I know you're busy, so I'll let you get back to it. Thanks so much for the time, and as always, have a great call.

Okay, thanks a man, I'll see Saturday, all right.

The Voice of the Utes, Bill Riley, on the program today.

Our University of Utah pregame coverage for the game on Saturday begins at four fifteen, So set your alarm for that. Porter Larson, isaac Osciata, a bunch of different utes like Nate Orchard rolling through drive at five time. Your commute home on this Wednesday afternoon starts right now. You are now officially halfway.

Through your work week.

You are one day closer the weekend, a couple of more days until Utah BYU, which of course has been a lot of our coverage this week. Your pro football weekend actually gets rolling tomorrow.

Don't forget. We are your home of the NFL here in Utah, in this market.

So hard to believe, but Week ten gets rolling tomorrow with the Bengals and the Ravens from M and T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. It's a night off for the Utah Jazz. It's a night off for the Utah Hockey Club. It's a night off for both Utah and BYU men's basketball. So tonight, if you're looking for something to watch, looks like NBA hoops is probably the deal for you, unless you want to watch some other college basketball.

We know what the Jazz are about.

But I always say twenty to twenty five games in pro basketball until we really understand the direction these teams are taking. Unless your direction is obvious like the Jazz, and that ultimately means they're not going to be good most of the year.

They got the first win in Chicago.

They're going to be in Milwaukee coming up tomorrow, taking on the one in six Milwaukee Bucks, leading to a lot of speculation about what they'll do Milwaukee meeting.

Do they move on from Giannis? I mean, the Yannis Dame thing hasn't worked.

Still feel really bad for Adrian Griffin who lost his job and they brought in Doc Rivers, who's my guy?

But man, it has not worked all right.

So most of the show today has been college football related, as you would expect, a really illuminating conversation with Pablo mas Guenni to start things off today as we did a little autopsy on the RSL season that is now behind us. Then moved over to Spencer Lytton from BYU TV Just Chatto with Bill Bill Riley, the voice of the Utes and Josh Pate's gonna come your way in about twenty minutes from now before we say to night

Come on buy and say hi.

And if you've never been to our tailgate, our ESPN seven hundred VIP tailgate prior to Utah football games, it's your chance to stop by and grab a couple of passes. So prior to Utah BYU we'll have our tailgate going on Guardsman's Way. You can come on up and say what's up. We have free craft cocktails from Clearwater to Stilling. We also have free food from Wingers on Saturday prior to the game, So even if you're not going inside the game, you can.

Come hang out at the tailgate. It is a late kick.

A lot of people probably scared away by the cold weather, but the forecast actually looks okay, it's about forty eight degrees and clear a kick. I'm not gonna tell you HiT's not going to be cold. Make sure you're dressed warm for that late kick. We'll be at the stadium till probably after midnight, there's no doubt about that. But if you want to come hang out with us, come on by beer Bar at one sixty one Ees two hundred South now drive at five Today has brought to you by sound Warehouse.

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When they heard that.

BYU came in at number nine last night in the CFP porter.

Why am I not getting more love for my clever?

Oh my gosh, she's going to talk about the election, but I zag and talk about college football.

I feel like I should be getting a little bit more love for this bit.

Well it's a good bit.

It's a good bit.

I just think that it's been done maybe just once or twice on the Twitter sphere, on air a little bit.

But I'm I'm I'm on board.

So it's sounding redundant, is what you're saying. It's sounding to move on from it.

Or we can you know, just hit it over the head for the next four years.

I'll just say things are never good or bad. It's thinking that makes it.

So keep calm and carry on, all right, It's never as bad as you think it is or as good as you think it is. But when it comes to the reaction of BYU landed at nine, it's a little bit unfounded, but at the same at the same time, what it is is an indictment in the Big Twelve.

That's undeniable. We've been talking about it today.

That is the CFP committee saying, if you want to get in from the Big twelve, you have to.

Win the thing.

Okay, and the margin of error for BYU definitely became a little bit smaller last night.

We'll talk more about this with Josh Pate.

Their path Okay, so the rankings were released last night. In no way does that reflect what the seeding will be. I mean, BYU's path to Dallas is still very clean. They're the favorite by most metrics to at least show up in the Big twelve Championship game. Interestingly enough, one metric I read today and I'm not really sure where the formula is. It was just on social and it was interesting, so I clicked on it. Their most likely matchup is BYU Colorado in Dallas for the Big twelve

That's teams for real. Utah's gonna see him in Bolder.

But even though BYU comes in at nine, their path to the four seed feels pretty clean. Okay, However, the fact that Boise State comes in at twelve, because the deal is this, the top five seeds are the conference

In the rankings.

So if Boise continues to stay clean, which I think they will, that's a really really good team. And BYU gets got once or twice, or whoever is going to come out of the Big twelve gets got once or twice, as every other team has already got got once and Boise State, somehow, some way rises up past the Big Twelve champ and Boise State home against Nevada. Yeah, dude, they're winning the rest of their games home against Nevada, at San Jose State, at Wyoming home against Oregon State.

It's an indictment on the Big Twelve.

Last night was the first time where I thought, okay, all of the conversation about the Big Twelve getting one team in regardless, and I mean that, like, this opens up a pathway for BYU to finish the season winning their finn four games at Utah on Saturday, home against Kansas, on the road against ASU, which has a little bit of a tricky feel to it, and then home against the much improved Houston team. But that's a manageable schedule

I mean, that is what last night meant.

Let's make no mistake there, Okay, but it doesn't change the fact that BYU still more or less controls their own destiny. And I still believe when the dust settles that Boise will not have enough on their resume to jump BYU or Colorado or whoever. Iowa State, k State will see how it plays out. I don't think Boise State has enough on their resume to jump into the

This year, I think there are six new members.

It's kind of a hodgepodge of current AD's former ADS administrators, you know, and every year it seems like they tab one member to go speak to the media, and then the rankings are released, the person comes out, and more often than not, it's a convoluted mess of a bunch of different things that don't really ever line up. So I think BYU has a beef as far as being behind Indiana, and even though Tennessee is the seven seed as of now, I would say they also have a

That it was.

So that to me, combined with the look, say what you want about the luck factor or the you know, fortunate circumstances against K State, BYU blew their doors off.

K State's still a top twenty five team, Like, that's not a throwaway win.

So I understand some of the frustration and some of the conversation around brand bias, and guys, I'm here to tell you I'm sorry. It is for real, and you want to know why. It's not just the committee, It's not just the CFP committee. It's powerful, powerful television executives that simply want the biggest and best brands on their television network.

That's what it is.

So that's why you're gonna see the SEC and the big ten get multiple teams in and also for the most part, that's where the best football in America's played. As much as people around here don't like to say

Certainly on the basketball side it is, but not on the football side.

I don't know that the Indiana brand as a football program is anything better than Brigham Young. I mean, probably biased because I'm local, but it doesn't feel that way. But Penn State certainly is in the realm of college football, true blue blood Tennessee because of their footprint, you know, a more you know, nationally recognized brand, certainly, And then there's no debate about Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, Georgia, Miami

In all of college football.

And if Brigham Young matched up to that brand, the TV data would tell us that it does. The only program out this way that actually has the ratings and eyes that some of these other blue bloods down in the SEC and the Big ten have is Colorado.

It's not BYU.

And BYU's brand is good. It's not a bad brand. You know, We're going to talk about it with Josh pay coming up. So how much of it is brand biased? I'm certainly. I'm sure some of that is there because every year the messaging is convolution. I heard the CFP reps say they used the eye test on Indiana, and yes, Indiana has smoked every team they played, But have you watched BYU like that? One to me was like, okay,

And then it's Ohio State at the Horseshoe.

They're probably gonna get smoked in that one home against a horrible Purdue team, so they'll be fine with the final game of the season.

But the Indiana. Stuff will take care of itself.

You know, if BYU continues to handle their business and they stay clean, their path is still very very clear.

But again, this is an indictment on the Big twelve. There's simply no doubt about that.

All right, wrapping it up here at beer Bar, the final home stretch of the drive is brought to you b our friends at LHM Dealers Larry H. Miller, Ford and Draper, the Ford King, Utah's number one volume Ford dealer. They'll beat any trade in price in town by seven hundred and fifty dollars anytime, any day.

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All Right, quiet night locally as far as sports go, Jazz off Utah, Hockey Club off Utah BYU, Men's hoops off as well. Both had dominant opening night performances. Not going to mean much when you're playing bad teams like that. So got some good NBA games and then, of course the football weekend will begin tomorrow.

Porter.

Have you ever bought anything off a website and then suddenly two weeks later find information that comes your way, mostly via your credit card statement, that you have joined a membership that you were not aware of.

I have done that a time time. Unfortunately.

Yes, not going to say the name of the company out loud. But I bought about a little Clone. Okay, it's a little Clone website where instead of paying ridic money for Clone, it's discounted and apparently I'm a prime member. That costs me seventy nine dollars a month. And the colone that I bought wasn't even that expensive. And I just found out via my credit card bill that apparently I'm like a VIP member of this website I've been to one time in my life.

It's pretty shady. If I'm not gonna lie.

Well, now you're gonna get new cologne like every week.

But I just got a new bottle. I don't need a new bottle.

I just don't need them to charge me seventy nine dollars because I've never even been to their website.

So kind of frustrated.

I did it with And this is a different story, but I had one where my gym got a hold of my credit card number obviously the automatic monthly thing. It was one of those chain gyms, and man, they would not let it go. It took me like lawyers to get them to not continue my monthly payment and canceling my card. And then once I canceled my card, they still were claiming that I was supposed to be part of the gym membership for like some crazy long period of time.

So I've been there, I've been there.

It seriously is the most shady thing in the world, because I went to cancel on their website and they would take you through all these steps and then you click on the button to cancel and it says sorry, problem.

Occurred, but there's no phone number there you go. So this is just like what is going you know what? I'm not going. I can't.

I've done I've gone all show and I've not done what is going on? Diatribe? I will not do the what is going on diatribe. We have a work dinner tonight. So the question is, who's the member of the staff that you least want to sit next to at dinner tonight.

Oh good question, that's a really good question. And I hope they're listening. I hope the whole staff is listening on.

Their way in. Yeah, the answer is easily Kurt.

It may be Kurt this week. Oh yeah, it's because I got I got beef with him. If he's listening.

Yeah, yeah, I mean, I mean it was a trick question because there's really one answer. The answer is Kurt, I kid, because if I said anybody else's name, I feel like they would have a meltdown to be mad at me. You can't say DJ's a sweet kid, he'd be mad. You can't say Steve, he's the boss. You can't say Jackie. She's in charge of sales, so we need her. Gotta be Kurt Man. That's I think the answer is Kurt tonight. That's the one I'd like to avoid.

I think you've landed on it. But I'll sit next to Kurt. I'll take one for the team.

Okay, I appreciate that, all right?

Porter, Before we say good night on a Chili cold now dark Wednesday evening, because it gets dark at five point thirty, what should our listeners know about what comes their way?

On a Thursday edition of the radio show.

On a Thursday edition of the program, A Big Hour, Greg Bowler, Jack Gordon months and they'll both stop by via the telephone line. Well Chot with Dave mcminnimon talking some hoops on the NBA Daily Assist and then it is rivalry time. We're talking hoops or we're talking football rather with our friend Stevens Silvester, of course, the former ute NFL linebacker. He's going to be up there at the end of Players Association Code Drive with me before the game on Saturday, and then of course we'll be

Out on today. Neil with a little sinus infection.

He had to call in questionable, then was downgraded to doubtful, then ultimately out. So hopefully we can talk some Utah Hockey Club tomorrow. They are in action tomorrow night. All right, with that, we will say goodnight special thank you, Pablo mash do any Spencer Lytton, Josh Pate, Neil Smith, and Bill riley Man.

Not Neil, he's going to join us tomorrow.

But that's three really good college football interviews and a really fun conversation with Pablo. So if you're an RSL fan, go grab that on the podcast page. And if you're looking for Rivalry Week content, we have that too. Website's an option. It's ESPN seven hundred sports dot com. Download our mobile app and take us on the go, called the ESPN seven hundred app that's available in the App Store of the Google play Store. Our part our podcast

You to do.

Do it for us, because if you do it, it actually helps, which is why we all ask you to do it. Special thanks to beer Bar Tanner, my on side tech of course Porter Larson, who produces this program. My name is Spence check it saying tonight, enjoy your Wednesday evening. Guys will talk to you on a Thursday.

Show as always. You can find it right here on ESPN seven hundred