All right, we're live today right downtown Salt Lake City. Beer Bar is where we're at, as we are often on remote one sixty one East, two hundreds south.
Come on bye.
We've got some football replays going on, both college and pro.
Little fantasy football show.
On my left, they're doing the top fifty NHL player countdown on the NHL Network.
So we've got a lot going on.
They've got one hundred and fifty beers on tap, fifty beers and cans and bottles, sausages, burgers, brats, fries.
It's a great spot. Come on down and say what's up.
We'll talk more football now, our buddy, Dalton Wasserman Pro Football Focus back on the drive, Dalton, Happy Wednesday, man, How we doing Happy Wednesday?
Pretty good? I'll tell you what you mentioned all those other things on the TV there. But we're squaring the herd of football season, now, aren't we?
Yes we are, Yes, we are.
So I want to get your take on a situation that we've discussed on the show so far.
And that is and this is. I don't want to say I'm not an alarmist.
I'm not saying it's a really bad omen, but it really feels like kind of a first. UNLV is three and oh they've being a couple of Big twelve teams. They're the Vegas favorite to represent the G five and the CFP, and their starting quarterback left the team this morning over a one hundred thousand dollars nil dispute. Ultimately, this is a promise that Matthew s Luca and his agent are claiming that an assistant coach made via a telephone call. Vegas is denying that that promise was ever made.
So we'll get to games, we'll get to all the things you want to break down. But I view this as a pretty big deal. Man, give me your thoughts.
Dalton.
It's a huge deal because just on the football field, Sluca was playing excellent, just like he was at holy Cross for several years. And UNLV was a legitimate threat to win the Mounta in the West and a legitimate playoff threat. And now you take you you know, you bring that into question now if you're starting quarterback Leeds, who was playing really good, and to get two Power five wins already over Kansas and Houston and possibly they
got Syracuse coming not this week. They got a big game at President State this week with Syracuse next week at home who with slogo. You couldn't put it past them winning that game either, And if they had won that game and had three Power five wins, you almost have to you would have had to consider them the favorite. And they still could be, maybe with Hodja Malik Williams
or whoever's going to play quarterback there. But it's a huge deal, and it says so much about just the lack of regulation and what's going on in college football right now. There's so many battles to be fought and so many so much gray area that just has not been handled properly so far, but by just by anybody involved. There's just no oversight and no regulation for this sort
of thing right now. So I understand certain things from both sides on this, and it's hard to really it's hard to really make judgments when when at a higher level that this is not the first or the last time that we're going to hear about this.
Yeah, it's certainly the first time.
It seems to have kind of unfolded the way that it has with all the different dynamics, But yeah, I mean it's it's it's.
A tenuous time.
The product is still the product which I always talk about, Saturday's in the Fall still feel like Saturday's in the Fall, and TV ratings for college football very healthy attendance through the roof. So the product itself, Daldon, is still the product that we all love. But whoever ends up getting this thing right, whoever ends up getting college football right, you know, the product is amazing. It's a multi billion dollar yearly revenue stream business without legitimate leadership.
Whoever ends up kind of.
Getting this thing right and studying the ship is going to be looked at as some crazy hero for a long time because even though the product is what drives the business, which means you have an excellent business, it does badly need the right guys in the right seats in charge.
Yeah, absolutely, I mean, and a lot of that comes down to, you know, at the NCAA level, where they're just going to have to figure out some sort of solution to this because the lines were always blurred as to whether these players were actually amateurs or semi professionals
that they should be paid or what. And then eventually, instead of finding a solution for all these years, it just broke down and the walls came down and they said, well, it's pretty much pay to play at this point, but there's no rules to it, right, So you know, and it makes life harder for teams and for coaches and to find success.
Right.
It used to be where, well, we're the program and we have the notoriety, so this is where people go. But you know, I can't remember what we had on our PFF College Football show a while back, months ago, we had Mac Brown on the show, and one thing he had talked about was recruiting used to be a one road of just battle right, high school recruiting. Now
there's three. There is high school recruiting, there is bringing transfers in, and then there's what you have in this case of keeping your own players happy and paying your own players enough so they'll stay. So it's only gotten harder at all levels to regulate this thing.
All right, let's move over to who hello, let's fix those levels. Let's move over now to some college football. We'll end with a little NFL. But you know, around here, Utah continues to do what Utah does, and that's win games, regardless of who's under center.
It's about that you on.
The helmet, not the name on the back and no Cameron Rising last week and still Water and they still were able to get it done. Got a little dicey at the end, but Utah off to a flour and zero starts after beating Okay, Stayton, Stillwater, where you at with our ut sade this way, Daldin.
Look, that's a huge win because I think one of the concerns for Utah for me last year was the difference between kind of their home and road splits in production. But it's a huge win to go and beat one of the bigger contenders in the Big twelve. And Utah they just look, they almost defy the metrics and the analytics and stuff. They just find ways to get it done right. And they played good defense, and the run game works and even without their quarterback. We saw it
last year with several different quarterbacks. They find a way to win games. So another huge game this week with Arizona, but at home, coming off a big win like that, and maybe Rising will be healthy this week. You have to think they have an advantage here.
So let's stay in the Utah space for a moment. Let's talk about this Arizona game. Arizona thump him a year ago, and the players have all talked about it a lot this week. Coach who had joined the show earlier, so I asked him how much payback is on the mind, and Kyle gave a Kyle coaches answer. But they're ready, you know, they want to get.
This thing done.
And Dalton I can't shake what I watched when k State. It's not that they beat Arizona, it's that they bullied them. They bullied him in a way that Utah wants to bully you. I don't really have a lot of anxiety for Utah football this Saturday night. Either an eleven point favorite, it's a late kick eight to fifteen, but it's gonna beautiful. It's like seventy degrees. It's gonna be an awesome night. Cannot wait. I'll be there.
But what should what would you say to youth fans about the challenge? Eliza Ahead, what are your thoughts on Utah Arizona?
No, I mean, I think you should have a lot of faith going into this game because Arizona, look, on top of getting bullied like you mentioned against Kase State, Arizona doesn't have the depth on offense like they did last year. Right now, they need to find playmaker is other than Tetro McMillan, because he may be the best receiver in the country. But their offense right now is struggling to manufacture yards and points in ways that that are you know, that go the boat where the ball
goes away from him. Right they he accounts for a ton of their receiving yards, a ton of their total yards. But last year, when you look at Arizona's team, they had Jacob Powing, they had Michael Wilie, they had Jonah Coleman, they had other guys that were able to support him. So right now, the entire offensive centered around McMillan, and Arizona doesn't have a ton of other threats that we've seen through the first three games.
Tell me what your impressions are of this young freshman quarterback as you've watched Isaac Wilson really grow.
A little bit over the past few weeks.
You know, he he was able to get some run week one against SUU Southern Utah because Utah was thumping him and it didn't look great. And he really has from my vantage point, improved week to week to week. Now, we still don't know the deal with Saturday Night as far As who is under center. Coach Wit on the show just about thirty minutes ago said that both are going to get reps with.
The Ones this week.
I don't love that, if I'm honest, I feel like, if you know who the guy is, he needs all the reps with the Ones. Scott Mitchell jumped on the show yesterday and talked about that very dynamic, like, if you're going to be the starter on Saturday, you want the reps with the Ones all week. But they're still hoping that Cameron's going to be healthy on Saturday, but
keeping Isaac waiting in the wings as a contingency. Tell me what your impressions have been as you've watched Isaac Wilson now for about three games.
Well, I think two things you see from Isaac is he's one. He looks really young, right, he looks like a young freshman quarterback out there. And part of that is ball security. I believe in this game it was it three turnover worthy plays I think he had in this past game and they were able to work through it and lean on the run game in the defense. But ball security is a must that you have to
get better with. You don't want to give Arizona short drives where they can just get some easy access points, because that was a big thing with Arizona last year. They got ahead in this game. But Wilson, it's ball security. But he is gutsy. I will get that much. It's not easy to start on short notice like that in such a high pressure environment on the road in big games.
So I think it kind of it kind of goes along with that correlates with the rest of the Utah team where it's just like it's gutsy and he finds a way to have enough success to win a ball game. But there's definitely a lot of things he could improve on.
So there might be a chance, Dalton, that we have two really good college football teams in our state. And you know, I'm not ready, at least as of now, to say that BYU is a legitimate Big twelve, you know, conference championship contender.
But Dave State clean, they're four and zero.
They get their first conference win as a result of just a curb stompion of k State. Like that game was. It was crazy, it was bizarre, It was weird, but it wasn't close. A lot of people in Provo say that's a statement. I kind of say, that's a combination of unbelievable fortune and prepared skill and Aaron Rodgers capitalizing on his red zone opportunities. They get touchdowns, not field goals. That defense is so much better than it was a year ago, year.
Two under j Hill.
There DC Kalani is a guy who cut his teeth under Kyle, so he knows defensive football.
What are you willing to say about.
Who you believe BYU football is this year as of today?
I gotta be honest, it's hard not to look at him at least having the possibility of contending because that wasn't some miracle last second field goal win, you know, And I know there was a little bit of luck obviously the punt return and all of that, but that was a three phase beatdown, and you you rarely see that over a team, Over a Kansas State team that's very fundamentally sound generally, and their defense is definitely better.
Jake Restloff has definitely improved from what he was last year for a few starts, and I just think the overall physical nature and the well rounded nature of that team. If they as long as they avoid a letdown against Baylor, and we saw Baylor play a fun game with Colorado last week. As long as they avoid a letdown coming off a big win like that, I think they could contend because they're very well rounded and they're very physical.
Before we move off the Big twelve, let me ask you the question, and again, just as of today, everything could change as of next Monday. How many teams do you believe as of today, on this Wednesday it can actually win this conference.
Let me count this out. Utah absolutely, Kansas State can. They can rebound. They need a big rebound, but the Kansas State can still rebound. They're not dead out of it BYU if they can, if they can keep up, Look, you bk State like that, you at least have a chance. And I'll tell you something. I think the most fun game of the week this UCS Colorado game. I'm gonna be honest with you. I think this is a bit of a pole position game. I think these are two
very good teams. UCFS a fourteen point favorite, and I don't think it should be that wide. I think people are under they're underestimating the progress being made in Colorado's front seven and their run defense. If Colorado goes out to Orlando and they prove that can slow down a run game like UCF. You know, the last two weeks they've been good, but lighter run games bailor in Colorado State. If they can prove their run defenses for real against UCF and come out of Orlando with a win, that's
a huge win for Colorado. To put them on the inside track is We've got a couple of teams like Kansas and Westbawln and Oklahoma State who I don't think are what we expected them to be. There's probably five, five or six teams in there, but that Colorado UCF game is gonna be a really important game for that question you.
Just asked all right away from the Big twelve, but sticking with little college football for a moment, we'll end with a thought or two on the pros. Last year, For me, Daldon, I can only speak for myself, it was hard to know who Michigan was because early on they didn't play anybody and they were thumping everybody, and a lot of people believe that they were one of the best teams in the country. I just didn't really see that because they weren't playing anybody.
Are we dealing with the same.
Thing with Ohio State right now, because it feels like everybody's talking about Texas, everybody's talking about Tennessee.
We'll get to Georgia Bama.
But Ohio State, in my opinion on paper, is as as stacked as any of them. But we're not talking about them because all they do so far just beat up, beat up dud teams. Are we kind of dealing with the same dynamic this year with Ohio State as we did with Michigan a year ago.
I think it is similar, and they have a little They have a little more of a real challenge this week against Michigan State, although I still think they should take care of business. Look, we're gonna learn all we need to know about Ohio State in a couple of weeks against Oregon October twelfth, they go to Oregon, they go to Austin Stadium and play Dylan Gabriel in that team. We're gonna learn everything we need to know about them and then how they readjust after either a win or
a loss from that game. You're absolutely right. Though they're loaded with talent. They've got a boatload of defensive talent. I think they're the best pair of running backs in the country with Trayvon Henderson and Quinchawn Judkins. The true freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith is just amazing. I mean, he doesn't look like a freshman at all. The question will be at quarterback in Big Spot, is will Howard the guy who can get him through a game like the Oregon game or the Miss game or the Big Ten
title game. Right, it's going to be the quarterback. But everything aside from their quarterback situation looks absolutely elite and at the very least, we're seeing them get through these games and take care of business.
Tell me what what that win? If if this did anything for you at all?
Because I actually thought Tennessee was going to go down and smoke Oklahoma pretty good. I just had not been impressed with it sooner so far. Uh, And it wasn't as much of a lopsided game as I thought it would be. They're going to be at Arkansas and then home against Florida before they see Bama. What are you Dalton today willing to say about the start that we've seen from Tennessee?
What what? What? What? What? What? Cold? This act did they live in? Right now?
They absolutely should make the playoff. Assuming they don't have any major slip ups, and if they actually it sounds funny, but they're two best players that we thought were gonna be the two best players coming into the season, quarterback Nico Iamalayava and edge rusher James Pierce Junior, and neither one of them is dominating. Yet they are dominating with the rest of the football team, with Dylan Stampson in the run game, with the rest of their defensive line,
with the receivers. If they get those two superstars going, the actual two biggest names on the team, if those two guys get going at an elite level, because I don't think we've seen Nico's best football yet. We've seen flashes. The one touchdown throw against Oklahoma was amazing. The kids got all the talent in the world. But they're actually
doing this with a team wide effort. And actually it slipped from my preseason expectation of them, where I thought, Okay, the quarterback and the star power is going to carry them. But right now the depth of their team is carrying them. And they're doing this, I could argue without even playing their best football yet. So there's still quite a heavy range of outcomes. You could see with Tennessee, but they should.
They're very close already to being if they go ten and two at least locked into the playoffs.
All right, let's move over to some games this weekend, and let's just head on down to Tuscalusive, because why not where Alabama is a home underdog for the first time since two thousand and seven. Georgia is getting too They're George's two point favorite. And the conversation this week, Daldin, as you know is does Kirby Smart have.
A Bama problem? Or does he have a Nick Saban problem?
I mean, I watched Kaylen Debor out coach Dan Lanning twice last year, and I'm not saying he's Saban, but.
You know we've seen what Kaylen de Bor can do. What do you make of this matchup coming up?
I mean it is the conversation is, you know, does Kirby Smart have a Bama problem or a Nick Saban problem? How do you think Saturday is going to play out down in Tuscaloosa.
Well, honestly, I think what you have is Alabama is just one of the few teams that is on a similar talent level to Georgia every year, Right, and look. And I know Nick Saban was famous for beating all of his assistants, right I think I don't remember view. I think he was what he went like years and years without losing to an assistant before. What Jimbo Fisher
did it? I think it was. I can't remember, but it's I think you just have teams of such similar talent that the margin of error is so small in these games. Personally, I have picked Alabama to win this game. I don't love what I'm seeing from Georgia's passing game right now. I think I think this game is going to be decided in moments when George's in third and seven, third and eight, third and ten, and if they can drop back in obvious passing situations and make things happen.
I don't love what they have going on at receiver and at tight end right now in the passing game. Georgia really needs to lean on their run game, lean on play action to stay in this or Alabama's secondary could take over on third downs.
Baylor are two point favorite over BYU. Let's go back there real quick, because I didn't ask you about that game. How do you think it plays out in Waco? Ten Am Mountains on kick.
It's very odd to me that BYU is the underdog after what they just did. So I don't know if somebody knows something that we don't, but BYU looked fantastic. They look well rounded last week, and you know, maybe it's is it a letdown spot? I don't know. I know it's a road game now and and you know, getting away from Provo and the and the friendly confines there.
But I think BYU should win that game. I mean, I know, I know Baylor played a good game with Colorado last week, but they they are just they're one of the lower tier teams in the Big twelve, and if BYU is looking to contend, this is a game to have to win, first of all. But I do from what I've seen so far, and they've grinded through the first three games and then a huge win last week, I think by US a better football team.
All right.
Before I say you lose, just a couple of quick NFL questions. First of all, THURSD in that football look, I don't think the Cowboys will lose. But what's the conversation sound like if the Cowboys can't beat the Giants tomorrow night?
You're gonna hear, you're gonna I think you're gonna hear about Mike McCarthy. I just I just think. And the Giants look they look better with Molik Neighbors. Their defensive line looks great. They they really really put a good beating on the Browns the other day. The score was closer than a lot of that game was because they fumbled the opening kickoff. But no, this is I'm in the boat where this is the must win for the
Cowboys or you really start questioning them. But honestly, there's been a lot of talk about their run defense, but they need to be better upfront on offense two. And the Giants are a tough team to block with guys like Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns up front. So that game could absolutely be tight. And the Giants looked really good against the Browns this past week, especially upfront. They
could cause the Cowboys issues. But I think if they lose this game, you start you're gonna start hearing Mike McCarthy's name in some conversations.
All right, but before I set you loose, let me just ask the question this way. At this point, when you look at the at the way that things have played out. I mean, I talked to you when you first joined US preseason that Vegas is telling us Chiefs Niners, if you're going to bet on a Super Bowl winner, bet on Chiefs Niners. They're the two most Eleague teams
by far. Injuries happen, things change. Who else now lives in the same neighborhood as the Chiefs and the Niners that you think will be in it come February next year.
I think the Buffalo Bills have obviously said a great three weeks, and you've got a quarterback playing the way Josh Allen is playing at an MVP level, you can't take the Bills out of I think I'll tell you what I think the Green Bay Packers getting these two wins with Malik Willis and stalling until Jordan Love can get back. I think that's huge, and I think that shows you something about the rest of our football team.
I think the Packers and the Detroit Lions, and they've got Minnesota standing in front of them right now in that division. You know, the Lions are starting to figure some things out. They're trying to get back to their roots a little bit. But I'm so impressed with these team wins that the Packers have gotten the last two weeks that I think they're a team in the NFC, especially with the Niners. The Niners are kind of limping a little bit. You've got pushed to McCaffrey. I read
something that he might be out till December. Javon Hargraves out for the year, and that's not a great loss that they just had to the Rams. So I think the NFC is pretty wide open, honestly.
All right, man, thanks for the time, great football weekend ahead. Can't wait for it. We'll get you back on soon.
Thanks Dalvion, absolutely appreciate you, all.
Right, Daldin Wasserman.
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