Bowl Previews: Part 2 (12/14/2016)

Welcome to the Solid Verbal.

I'll that for me. I'm a man, I'm forty.

I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy. You want to be happy for day Edith State?

Is that? Whoo whoom? And Dan and Tye welcome back to the Solid Verbal Boys and girls. My name is ty Hildebrant. I am joined as always by my trusted co host and colleague and friend of many years. His name is Dan Rubinstein. Don't forget You can subscribe to our show. We broadcast all off season, though not always, twice a week at iTunes, dot com slash Solid Verbal.

We are also available.

Let's see Dan on Google Play, on tune in, on Stitcher, on uh where am I forgetting?

What am I forgetting? Facebook?

Facebook, Twitteritter, dot com, Instagram, Snapchat, A whole bunch of places.

Sir, how are you good? And I just and this is actually breaking news. We're now on farmers only, so okay, listen. We don't plow fields, but you get the idea. You get you get the idea. Yeah, we're everywhere, and we are also speaking of being everywhere. On January fourteenth, in New York City, we will be announcing the details about how to get tickets soon, and it is a very limited engagement. But we are doing a live show here in New York. I say here because I am in

As you said, we'll be announcing details of it. You and I still have a lot to plan on this front, not the least of which is how we're selling tickets. And we're gonna get that barter system barter system right. We'll get that figured out here in relatively short order. But do stay tuned to all the social media channels. That's probably the best and quickest way to get updates.

So be alive.

Okay, we've got some actual breaking news, backing news. We've got a new head football coach at Florida Atlantic University Dan As some have said.

The owl owls.

The new coach is Laying Kiffin.

Huh it is And this and thus concludes a pretty exhaustive question that you've asked a lot of our guests.

How what is the over under?

What if I gave you an over under of three and a half four and a half two and a half years after Lane Kiffin was unceremoniously let go at the tarm at Lax from USC, what is the number of years that will go by before Lane Kiffin gets a new head coaching job.

Well, that was one of the over unders, But the big over under is still on the table. The big over under is how many head coaching jobs will Lane Kiffin have in his career? Sure, so it started. It started with the Oakland Raiders.

That was one.

Then he moved to Tennessee that was two, then to USC that was three. Then he got fired all right, So the over under was always I believe five and a half, all right, which means that he's got four now with Florida Atlantic. You would assume if it goes well at Florida Atlantic, there will be a fifth. The question is will there be a sixth? So you're over under five and a half still on the board. But it does get interesting now as he takes his FAU job.

We've got Mark Richt, who is also.

In the Florida area, a lot of artillery when it comes to the coaching side of things in the great state of Florida. And also he took a pay cut to get this gig. I thought the most insightful comment of all came from our friend Stuart Mandel, who I believe wrote a piece about how now at forty one, Lane Kiffin gets the job that he should have had at thirty one.

Yeah, it's not a bad point at all, and it would be somewhat easy to see him succeeding at a place like FAU, if not for the fact that Charlie Strong is now which is also breaking news officially, Yeah, it's at USF and taking the place of Willie Taggart who moved on to Oregon. Butch Davis is at FIU, Jimbo Fisher, of course at Florida State, Jim Mclawaine at Florida, and Miami has Mark rickt all of whom are very good recruiters. And not to say that three star recruits

Knee jerk reaction South Carolina. But it's somewhere in the southeast. I'm going to say San Diego State. Rocky Long a sixty six mm Okay, interesting. Yeah, well we'll see. We'll see.

Lane Kiff and your new coach at FAU. The state of Florida gets really interesting on the recruiting front. The other news, and again we're recording this on a Monday. We should add there are probably going to be other news tidbits that drop now that going to FAU to be head coach, some coordinator moves and things of that ilk that I would imagine are going to pop up here over the next couple days that we might miss on this show. But at least before we hit record,

And I just feel like it was the right move across the board. I did what was his best game against a decent team this past year.

And I'm totally willing and I saw I don't know if it was our Pyle Pete Sampson talking about that the wide receiver targets that he had were something like six to forty on contested targets like it certainly was a step back from twenty fifteen in terms of what he had out wide, But what was his best game? I have his game log right here. Obviously there was a disaster in the monsoon that North Carolina State, I would argue was probably not even decent. Michigan State is

This year.

He finished twelfth in quarterback rating against ranked teams in twenty sixteen forty eighth. Yeah, so that certainly struggled at times. That makes sense to me. I just I don't think he trusted his line. I don't think he trusted his receivers.

Okay.

I think he's got some ripening that he needs to do as a player before maybe he can grow into his full potential. But I think a good move for him. I think the time is right to part ways. And you know, cik new beginning in the NFL. Is he a first round pick. I'm not a draft expert. I think he's probably got first round talent. I just don't know if it's if it's quite there out in the open yet. There's definitely room to grow. He missed a lot of open guys is here.

And the future for Notre Dame ic quarterback now without Shaun Kaiser on Malik Sayre, the future is Brandon Wimbush, And behind the scenes, folks are pretty excited about Brandon Wimbush.

He's no competition, a true dual threat guy. I can't imagine there'd be much competition. I think it's his job, barring any kind of crazy injury or anything like that. So we'll see which direction they take the offense now with Wimbush, he's more Zaire than I think Kaiser with his running ability, So you know, we'll see what. We'll see how they tailor the offense in twenty seventeen.

What direction do you want to see the offense go with the talent available in South Bend.

I want to see them get better at running the football. Okay, that was a problem this year. I expected them to be way better running the ball. They just they didn't have it, So they got to get better at running the football. If they get better at running the football, I think that helps you unlock Wimbush as a passer. He's got a cannon, right, He's got a cannon for an arm like Ken Phelps. But you need to get that running game in place first before we can really utilize his entire skill set.

Okay, but your takeaway from Deshaun Kaiser's legacy his time at Notre Dame net positive.

Total net positive, total net positive. He represented himself and the university. Well, I thought he did an admirable job in twenty fifteen, nearly leading Notre Dame into the playoffs, and this year was just a systemic failure on a number of different fronts. He contributed to it, but he wasn't the sole reason. Okay, let's leave it at there. Enough any other news for you, Dan, No, that's all I got. All right, Join our bullpool. We're going to

What's inside some chicken lettuce wraps? Got some onions in there.

Got some other stuff that I probably am not pronouncing correctly, water chestnuts. You know, siracha, I believe is the proper pronunciation of it.

Good job.

Here's my problem though, with cooking. This has long been an issue I have. I never know exactly how much to buy. I can look at the recipe online or wherever else and I can double it or triple it, or however much it if I want to make more. But something like Blue Apron really comes in handy because they send you exactly what you need. They tell you precise instructions for how to cook it.

Mm hmm.

You combine that with the fact that it's less than ten bucks a meal. They deliver it to you dan whether it's like ramen noodles or wild caught Alaskan salmon, heirloom tomatoes. Blue Apron brings you the very best you can cook incredible homemade meals. Now it's it's stupid easy. If you can stupid easy. Yeah, if I can do it, you can do it too. They send you high quality ingredients from their community of artisanal suppliers, family run farms,

Here, here we go, here we go.

All right, this would be cracking my knuckles. You ready, all right, let's hear all right.

Roasted pork and braize cabbage with barley and glazed apples.

Good job.

One for one, ty, green coconut curry with sweet potato and jasmine rice.

Okay, can you name a type of ty curry? No you? Okay? Not even nang masimon? Great? And then finally brown butter and chestnut yoki.

Nope?

Oh oh, good job. I think you got that with Brussels sprouts and pea shoot salad. Thank you, Dan. I worked on that just for you. I actually did practice that. It came through.

Ty, you nailed it and were I think everybody's everybody's proud.

Thank you.

Check out the menu and get your first three meals for free with free shipping by going to blue Apron dot com slash solid. You're gonna love how it feels, how it tastes to create incredible home cooked meals with blue Apron C. You don't want to wait, go to blue Apron dot com slash solid. That's blue Apron dot com slash solid. Damn blue Apron. As you know, it is a better way to cook.

I'm in the process of booking and researching my honeymoon in Italy. So as soon as I land, it's breaking news, break pit it breaking news. I'm too late now, but okay, as soon as I land, I will ask the gate agent how to pronounce the potato pasta.

I know it to benok. Perfect. All right, let's get some bowls. Let's do it.

The week.

I almost need a different sound for this because they're not really picks of the week, are they.

I'm looking here.

So we've got Thursday of Thursday the twenty second through Tuesday the twenty seventh, so it's like it's picks of the week, and that there is a week span.

Sure, picks of a week, Picks of a week. All right, So here's what we're doing. We're doing bowls and waves and five waves. The fifth wave is going to be the Biggins. Like the New Year's Six Games, the playoff games and whatnot. We've got a bunch of other groupings in between. Today we're going from the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl all the way up through the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl.

All right, are you prepared for this? I am tie yes. When I give you the signal, hold on, yeah, I gotta load this. This has taken a little bit, but it's gonna work out. I'm very confident. When I give you the signal, I need you to repeat the two bowls that we are spanning. Okay, yeah, okay, once again, Ty tell me which two bowls we are spanning on this show.

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl.

That's right. It needs a little bit of seasoning.

Ky needs a little bit of kosher salt, some crack black pepper. Yeah, a little siracha, maybe little saffron.

Okay, yeah, all right, Famous Idaho Potato bol bois Idaho.

Thursday, December twenty second, seven pm on ESPN. This game is played on the smurf turf of Albertson Stadium. As you mentioned, is where Boise State plays.

True or false?

Dan, a little snoops trivia for you.

True or false that local waterfowl confuse this field for a body of water and crash into it.

That I thought was true? Is it not true? That is apparently a myth. Oh that's garbage, fake news. It's everywhere, even college football. Not true? All right, fair, not true? Okay.

This game is between Colorado State and Idaho the Vandals. Yeah, sort of playing a home game, if you will. Colorado State a thirteen and a half point favorite, now you know, I look at these home game things again to reiterate my formula. I'm looking first and foremost at motivating factors for the teams involved in these bowl games, and then secondly, I'm looking to try in front load points wherever I can. That's a new and improved formula for this year.

Yep.

I'm inclined to say that this is a home game for Idaho. However, that's not really a thing because they're three hundred miles away from the stadium here.

Yep.

Idaho's a big state. It's like five and a half hours away. So it's a home state game, which I'm going to say is like half credit. If that's cool with.

You, that's great by me.

Idaho's played well down the stretch. They've won their last four games. The question, though, is the competition. The competition's been a little suspect, not so much for Colorado State.

They've played way.

Tougher competition this year, and according to the SMP, Colorado State's like the twenty third best team in the country. That puts them ahead of teams like Virginia Tech and pitt in Houston and Notre Dame, which is twenty fifth. Somehow, just forget about that and nothing's perfect. Do you have a leaning here, Dan?

I do like the Rams.

I do like Colorado State, and not a lot of people in the football world like rams right around now. No, No, Colorado State hugely improved on offense, especially at the end of the season. If you paid a little bit of attention to Nick Stevens, the Colorado State quarterback, they finished season winning four or five. They dropped sixty three a very good San Diego State defense. They beat New Mexico

Yeah, I'm with you.

I don't think it favors Idaho on offense or defense. From what it's worth, my hunch is that this game means a lot to them being so it is an in state kind of thing. So it wouldn't surprise me if they cover thirteen and a half.

Potentially they're second to last FBS Bowl game in a long time.

Yeah.

So yeah, I just feel like Colorado State's got got a little too much. So I'm gonna do we agree, We do agree. I'm gonna go Colorado State thirty nine points.

Dan, and the players in this game will be going to a gift suite. They'll be getting a backpack tie is your prediction? Oaklear Ogio gonna go both. It is just Oakley, a beanie, a football, and proof eye wear sunglasses. So they'll be walking away from this.

All right?

You ever been to Bois? I haven't been to Boise. I've heard great things though.

I've been to Boise a few times. It's a it's a pretty fun town. It will dawn on you after a little while you're like, oh, this is Caucasia. This is as far as the eye can see, it is Caucasia. So there is that element. But other than that, it's a it's a good enough place.

Okay, fair enough. So we're both going to Colorado State.

I don't know if you're prepared to give like an exact, an exact readout of where your confidence points are.

On all these games. I don't have it in front of me. I'm gonna take a picture.

I'm gonna I'm gonna snapchat out this little grind that I've drawn, which is a mess.

But level of confidence here? Are you very? Are you medium? Are you low? Confident?

I am upper? I'm pretty confident in Colorado State here?

Okay? That works? Popeyes Bahamas bowl mm hmm. Your Popeyes chicken fan.

I mean not like I am for Blue Apron, but my Popeyes fan. Ah. Yeah, I don't really go to I don't really go to fast food. Places all that often. But if somebody presented me with a bag of Popeyes right now, I'd be pretty happy. I like Popeyes, like Chick fil A my number one in terms of just a chicken, tender fry and biscuit order. Maybe Bojangles, Bojangles and maybe Bojangles.

I feel like this is the next frontier for me because obviously I like fried chicken. Mm hmm, no problems with fried chicken. I'm fairly limited though, in terms of what I've actually had a chance to try. There is a Popeyes nearby, but mostly my my chicken experience has been Chick fil A. I don't even know if that's considered the same category here.

But Popeyes is very good.

Haven't been to Popeyes. I have been to Crowns Fried Chicken. You ever hear Grounds Fried Chicken? No, absolutely not. Crowns Fried Chicken, I believe is an establishment in the Philly area. And we talked about our late night drinking endeavors after the Pisman ceremony.

I had a little bit of.

A late night adventure at a Crowns Fried Chicken. They have like ninety four fast meals on the scrolling marquee behind the registrate. I've never seen anything like it. I'm wondering if anyone out there has had a similar experience. Not really good chicken, but the menu slash ordering experience is unique.

We'll say, what does that mean unique?

It means they've got every possible permutation available by a number code behind the register. It's a little confusing.

After a few drinks, you know who, I really like Ty, and then we'll get to the game. I really like canes, canes, Yeah, yeah, raising canes the chicken tender chains never had it. Oh really, it's a focus on tendo's and good sauces. You can get like a hunt tendos in a bag and just go crazy, really good.

All right, Well, speaking of fried chicken, Popeye' Bahama Bull Nasau Bahamas Thomas Robinson Stadium. I don't know much about either of these teams.

I'm gonna be honest. It's Odiu's first ball ever, Odius.

It is, I believe, Eastern Michigan's first Bowl since nineteen eighty seven.

They've been trashed for quite some time. I don't know a whole lot about either of these teams. I'm not even gonna pretend we're all friends here. Anything that I would say at this point would be disingenuous.

All I know is this All Dominion's got a pretty good offense. And for Eastern Michigan, they've got a quarterback named Brogan Roeback Brogan, and if you abbreviate their name, it's EMU.

This is true. They improved on defense this year. They're a decent passing team. EMU is they're an Ipsilante. I went to a very bad strip club in Ipsilante many many years ago after on my Yes I tour guide days and it was very strange. I have ODU here forty five forty and that is even. And I look this up. How many teams with a winning record has Old Dominion played this year and they're to reach their first ever Bowl game?

Four?

That'd be two teams whoa two teams with a winning record FBS teams excuse me, with the winning record, So there is that element to listen. I'm not going to sell them short. Getting to a bowl is a thing, getting to your first ball. It's a fun thing for this uh, this school and fan base. I have ODU winning forty five forty A bit of a shootout in the Bahamas would be a fun game.

I'm gonna go o to you to win their first bowl game. But I'm not pretending here.

I have no idea. I'm gonna go five points, five confidence points in this game.

Okay, Popeye's Bahamas ball, give sweet Swell insulated drink bottle. Swell, it's s apostrophe w.

E l L.

Huh so well okay, okay, insulated drink bottle, which, Okay, I think that's good. A jaba jaba bluetooth speaker or speakers. Okay, drawstring backpack. I'd like a full backpack. That's give me minimum, full backpack, beach towel and a bowl pin. I at least tell me if you're giving away like one hundred dollars gift card to the to the Popeye's nearest, the ODU or EMU campus, give me that'd be cool.

Have you tried they mentioned the insulated drinking bottle? Have you tried any of those vacuum sealed cups yet?

I don't like they keep the ice cubes in there all day.

Oh yeah, yeah, you could buy I don't think I could buy the super expensive brand. You can buy the generic brand off off Amazon, not saying their name because they haven't sponsored the show. Absolutely, but I'm telling you it's a wonder of science. I don't know how they figured out how to do that. I got one at work.

It's awesome.

Okay, all right, Locky Martin, arm Forces Ball Wow, Fort Worth.

Texas m G.

Carter Stadium. Navy nine and four versus Louisiana Tech eight and five. This one's a pick them, Yes, pick them. I think there's a lot of reason to like Louisiana Tech in this game. First off, you've got Navy's Will Worth, who broke his foot and is out for the year. He was their quarterback, their best player. He did an impressive job taking the baton from Keenan Reynolds, who was all world everything a year ago. They've also got Tonio Gully I believe is how you pronounce his name. He

That is correct. Their run defense is actually pretty good. They got run on by wku now who doesn't have their coach, but consistently in that game. Otherwise they've been very good against the run at least, and maybe he's not going to throw the ball a ton, especially not without will Worth. LA Tech two fourteen hundred plus yard receivers from Carlos Henderson and Trent Taylor. That is not a usual thing, so good on them and quarterback Ryan Higgins.

I'm going La Tech here too. I don't have nearly as much confidence in the pick, but I feel like the combination of Navy's best player being out with really a bad pass defense against a good passing offense like Louisiana Tech. I am going to take La Tech to win here. I'm going to say seven confidence points. Okay, what's the gift situation?

Looking like?

I just looked it up because there's a product I'm not familiar with, and I don't know how I feel about it. It is gift sweet obviously. Finn Rod's Festive Weere holiday sweater, Finn Rod's Finn Rod f I n R O find. It's like it's Neon with snowflakes and snow snowmen and it's a very I'm not seeing the exact sweater, but it is. It is is weird, it is colorful, it is loud, and.

See that's just trying. That's trying a little too hard.

You get a football and a beanie on top of that. I think Lockheed Martin, for all the cash that they appear to have, do a little bit better, do a little bit better. You're building fighter fighter jets. Take some of that cash not as many as they used to, but not as many. Yeah, okay, huh. Speaking of being frugal, Dan, let's go to the Dollar General Bowl. I love a good Dollar Store by the way. Yeah me too, Dollar Store, Yeah me too.

Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, Alabama and lad People Stadium. Friday, December twenty third, eight pm on ESPN. We've got the Troy Trojans at nine and three. They are a three and a half point favorite against the Ohio Bobcats, who finished the year at eight and five.

Dan, We've been pretty high on Troy this year, haven't we love Neil Brown and the Trojans? Yeah? How you feel about this game?

I think I actually may like Ohio a little bit more than Troy after the app State win. They won that game twenty eight, twenty four. Late, they had a letdown situation which they just sort of got trounced by Arkansas State. But they're the thing about the Trojans is they're pretty good at everything. They're not great at any one thing, but they're good at being not bad, if that may sense. Ohio improved a ton on defense this year. Their run defense was actually like lockdown, lights out, really

We've been hanging around too much. Who didn't almost beat Tennessee, by the way, that's true, fair. I don't know how much of a badge of honor that is. But still they beat Toledo, which is a good win. They hung tough with Western Kentucky. I think in terms of on field product, both teams have played like garbage over the.

Last month of the year. Look at what both of them have done.

Neither one has been impressive throughout the course of November. For Troy, though, it's been a fairly drastic drop off, and I think that's what scares me most.

Here.

I am gonna side with you. I am taking the Bobcats to win this one outright, but I am not uber confident in it. I'm gonna say six confidence points here. Okay, give me the Bobcats.

Okay, I'm I'm right around there myself.

So the question is, though, is this gift suite from Dollar General better than the gift suite from the people that make fighter jets and the like?

Without questions? Y?

Really, we're talking about a leather Duffel bag. Okay, great, you're going away for a weekend. You going to overnight trip, wonderful leather Duffel bag, Pure Boom wireless headphones. Have I heard of pure Boom? I have not, but wireless headphones?

Sure?

Yeah, I think that's a good enough gift. A Wilson Souvenir game Ball, RTIC soft pack forty cooler.

See that's the thing. That's what I was telling you about. Oh that is the Arctic Yeah, the vacuum see Arctic. Oh, I get it.

Art okay, artic okay, and a Timely Watch company watch.

See that's a pretty good stock up there.

I'm totally good. I would rather go to the Dollar General Bowl?

Where is this? One? More time? Dollar General Bowl was in Mobile, Alabama? Nice town.

Okay, Now, I'd rather go to four Worth than Mobile, but I'd rather have this gift bag.

Absolutely Dollar General doing it up. Good for them?

Yes, all right?

Christmas Eve eight pm on ESPN, We've got Hawaii at home in the Hawaii Bowl in Hawaii in a Loja stadium against Middle Tennessee State. So Hawaii went six and seven. Middle Tennessee went eight and four.

I like Hawaii.

I root for Hawaii. They beat Air Force this year, which was a nice win. They also played a surprisingly brutal schedule. True, this concludes all the niceties I have to say about Hawaii football this year.

Oh man, really that's it? Okay?

Well, ty, I know the people are clamoring for some analytics, and let me tell you something. Hawaii top twenty and offensive and defensive touchdowns per playment.

Throw that out the window.

No, absolutely, not touchdowns per play. It's simple. You want a touchdown. You want to be efficient scoring touchdowns and preventing them. That's that's fine. The Hawaii offense is nothing special. The defense was decent enough against the pass, which is good news. Brent Stockstill, who broke his collarbone, I think earlier on in November, maybe back for Middle Tennessee, h not Middle Tennessee State tie. Middle Tennessee. Excuse me, Middle Tennessee.

I think they take it.

What concerns me a little bit is that Middle Tennessee played their best game of the year back in September. Yeah, and ever since then it's sort of been a story of diminishing returns. They fought Western Kentucky, the only lost by one. They beat Missouri, which is a win over an SEC team. Great, fine, but you mentioned they lost. Brent Stockstill will have to wait and see on his front, and it's been a bit of a struggle bus on

I just don't.

I don't think that's the case here. I think this is a story of a team learning to play with a freshman quarterback, and they have been getting better through that process. So I'm reasonably confident here. Not as confident as I expected to be, but still confident enough that I'm gonna know the big guns.

Let's go thirty four points? Wow?

Are they still the Blue Raiders? I believe, so give me thirty four in the Blue Raiders Dog.

Yeah.

I wonder if Hawaii players are going to be tired from having no benches in the fourth quarter the third quarter of that game at this point and it should also be noted, here's something that's great about this game, the whatever it's called, the Hawaii Bowl.

I've gone to warmer.

Places, beachside places, and I've forgotten bathing suits because I didn't think I was going to go to the beach. Then we ended up at the beach. Guess what, the Hawaii Ball They've got you covered. So we're talking about an electronics gift, Sweet Oakley backpack, Wholebrook sunglasses, A Tory Richard a Loha shirt. I just looked it up. Tie Tory Richard, Tory Richard a Loha shirt. The shirt is just a dad's shirt as hell, but it's as far as those go, it's pretty sharp. I gotta tell you,

I don't know. Yeah, seems weak to me. All right, all right, uh Saint Petersburg Bowl. Oh okay. Was this the game that people were urging us to try and sponsor. I don't think it's too late.

Tie.

We can call it the Nioki.

Bowl, the Yuckey Ball, or the Bowl of niok There you go, Saint Petersburg Bowl in Saint Petersburg, Florida. This one's on Monday, December twenty six. It's at eleven am bright and early day after Christmas.

Yeah, on esp and Mississippi State.

They are five and seven on the year, but they're going bowling and they're a twelve and a half point favorite.

Against Miami, Ohio.

They finished six and six, Dan, tell the people the fun stat about Miami, Ohio.

Miami of Ohio is also the name of a city in Florida, Miami of Ohio, Florida. No Miami started the season oh and six. I'm a dumb person, Ty, Miami of Ohio started oh and six, and they finished six to zero to get ball eligible at six and six. Again, Ty, I know what you're saying. Give me some d analytics. I got them for you.

Ty.

Thank you to another top twenty both offense and defense in terms of improvement touchdowns for And this is where I turn the floor over to you. Tell me about your favorite Gus Raglan interception this year.

Ty, that's because there were none, Dan, there were zero.

There were zero Miami of Ohio interceptions. But they cannot run the ball.

So they can't run the ball. But your favorite stat about them starting zero to six and finishing six and zero. A big part of that turnaround story is because of that quarterback change to Gus Raglan. He's a sophomore. He played the last six games, completed sixty two percent of his passes through fifteen touchdowns to zero interceptions.

Hell of a job by him, Hell of a job by Chuck.

Martin, kind of keeping this thing together and getting Miami Ohio even to a bowl game.

I believe they are motivated.

I don't see how you could see it differently after they won their last six games.

Clearly though, this is going.

To be a challenge for them going up against a guy like Nick Fitzgerald. Yes, I think he takes over this game. Ultimately, think they win. If I'm betting the points spread here, twelve and a half feels like a lot. I could see Miami Ohio fighting the Bulldogs here for a while, But the best player on the field is going to be Nick Fitzgerald. And especially with a team like Miami Ohio, which is so one dimensional still against

Wow, you're not about that for education, Fred Ross, You're not about a J.

Jefferson. J Jefferson might be the best player on the field.

To me, I do like a good freeducation, But I still think miss Gerald is the is the X factor here, Ty.

This podcast is about many things, and not the least of which is inspiration. And did Mississippi Mississippi State let not getting to six wins stop them from getting to a bowl game?

No it didn't.

I ask you that type did Mississippi State. And this is for the kids out there, all the kids out there who think that you can't post the worst SEC pass defense and still.

Get to a bowl game. Nah, absolutely not.

Do not think like that, because here is Mississippi State completely unable to stop anyone from passing on them. After many DZ takes off from Miami and they hire Peter Sermon.

They still get to a bowl game. They still get to Saint Pete.

I'm gonna take Misssippi State here by seventeen eighteen points.

I have at thirty eight twenty.

Thirty eight twenty Okay, Yeah, what's the gift situation in Saint Petersburg?

So A J.

Jefferson and the fre Education will be receiving a trip to a gift suite. Oakley turbine sunglasses, A trip to a gift A trip to a gift suite. That's what it says, gift suite. Okay, Oakley turbine sunglasses and an Enduro twenty backpack in Duro twenty sounds like budget condoms. It sounds like many of them. I'm looking up Oakley turbine sunglasses right now. It kind of sounds like, if you need to name it the Oakley turbine, they're probably

Okay, right, I got you.

Did you watch Laguna Beach the Real Orange County?

I did a little bit here and there. Yeah. Oh it was such a good show. Tie that's in your old stomping ground, isn't it.

I mean it's about an hour and a half for my parents, but it's still deeter with the fashion shows. Tye, are you kidding me? Yeah, you're not reading play a game based on Laguna Beach the real Orange County called dounzo or not done.

So yeah, so it is important we will do that again. Yes, all right?

Quick Lane Bull, oh god, oh god, Quickleain Bowl Detroit day after Christmas, talk about a turn in the stocking Ford Field. The day after Christmas two thirty on ESPN, Maryland six and six a two point favorite, somehow, some way over Boston College six and six. Dan. This one I think is neck and neck with Florida Iowa for worst bowl game of the year.

It really shocks that not only are both Maryland and Boston College Bowl eligible, but they play each other like we're quarantining this technicality. Do you have nice things to say?

I mean, this.

Game is really evenly meshed, and it's not this it's not a badge of honor. But seriously, they've got identical records in the S and P plus Maryland I believe is eighty seventh and BC is eighty eighth. The point spread as this one damn near a pick'm these teams deserve each other.

Okay, it's they're the worst of bowl games. They deserve each other. It's a very equally matched contest. I'm gonna take Boston College. I don't feel great about it. It's like a one confidence point kind of thing. I just believe the best entity in this game is going to be their defense, and I'm willing to wager one single solitary point on it. So do you foresee a bunch of guys acting like dudes?

I believe?

Yeah, Okay, I'm gonna go with Maryland. They didn't take really huge steps forward or back. It was kind of an atrocious season. They ran the ball all right at times, especially early on, but that was about it. Boston College got way worse defensively.

Without Don Brown, they got way orse.

They got a little bit better on offense just by not having everybody go down with charred bones. I'm gonna go Maryland twenty one to seventeen.

Twenty one seven. That's a lot of points for this game.

A lot of points for this game. And listen, Detroit is not the sexiest destination to go in the middle of winter, at the beginning of winter. But I had a pretty good time in Detroit a few months ago. And you know what, at the very least, they're gonna be walking away with a bunch of stuff because they

I believe Quicklane is is like an install loube Yeah, yeah, okay, insta loup hotline. The Camping World Independence Bowl dan mm hmm, Shreveport, Louisiana in Independent Stadium. It's a clash between NC State at six and six and a four point favorite over Vandy at six and six ten. NC State coming off a big win over in state North Carolina to close out their season. Vandy coming off two giant wins over Ole Miss and Tennessee to close out their season. Both

So the d Analytics pluckability factor for North Carolina State is four point one ty fourth. Okay, no, there is not a pluckability index.

No, you're right.

You know, North Carolina State a field goal away, as I'm sure we'll back fans know from beating Clemson. You said four point favorite in this game.

Yeah.

NC State's offense got worse, and that's not a great sign against the Vanderbilt defense that is, for the most part, excellence. I don't say that likely, I don't say that lightly.

Excuse me.

Vandy's offense got better over the course of the season that did struggle initially, I have Vandy not only covering this spread, tie outright and lock it up?

Whoa absolutely look of the week? Okay, all right? Ok twenty three to thirteen doors. How about that.

NC State dan went two and five in their last seven games after beating Notre Dame. The nd stank shouldn't be overlooked if we're considering these intangibles here. Yeah, in Bowl season and Vandy was fired up, fired up with how they closed out their season against Tennessee. Vandy to me is a cool story, a cool story with how I feel they turned the corner late in the year. People are excited about Derek Mason where he could be

Ooh okay, that's significant.

And this is also a reminder don't say anything bad about Shreveport, Louisiana or Shreveport's owned. Tim Brando will hunt you down. He will hunt you down, and I imagine he has blow darts. I do imagine that.

Ah, what are the.

Gifts nothing too special? Come on Shreveport Gift Suite, timely Watch company Watch which for my money, tie is no MVMT. A new era skull cap and football a football or just the gift of football. It just has singular football.

Do you ever wear a skull cap?

Is that it's like a tighter version of a beanie? Yeah, yeah, it's like real. I don't like that as much. I've got a weirdly shaped head.

Like a second skin atop your head. You don't like that?

Now?

I got a weirdly shaped head tie I did wear for the first time this season. This winter, I wore a beanie two brunch on Sunday. I got a wonderful Mexican brunch and wore that because it was cold as hell and I was uncomfortable.

Yeah, I'm press.

I'm a fan of compression gear pretty much across the board, except the skull cap.

Okay, just sort of a weird feeling when you take it off.

I like that.

Fair.

Let's talk a little bit about Harry's so I have full disclosure here. Did you happen to notice when you saw me on Friday evening that my lip was torn to shreds.

I mean you looked particularly smooth tie.

My lip was torn to shreds. I tried shaving. Did that happened?

I tried shaving with an electric razor. I veered away from Harry's. And it's just somehow got like my lip caught in it and it tore it the like smithereens.

What are you doing with your life? I don't know.

Okay, I'm a big I didn't notice that tie. I did not, So I feel okay about yourself.

Here is your opportunity if you're looking for the right fit for a guy who you don't know what to buy for the holiday season, by the guy on your holiday shopping list Harry's. It's useful again practical, You get close, comfortable shaves, don't got to worry about that beer to bees, don't gotta worry about chopping off your lip.

I think smooth is generally a very positive thing for a body as rightly, Yeah, nice and clean, smooth. But I will tell you this, and I don't know if I've brought this up on the show before. Are you are you near your near your computer?

Yeah, I'm right in front of it. Do you have Google dot com? Reataly available.

Yeah.

Yeah, have you ever googled because we're talking about, you know, staying smooth. Yeah, have you ever googled hairless bear? No, ty, go on Google image right now and google hairless bear like b E A R like the animal.

Oh bear, it's awful.

It's so weird.

Oh, it's so weird. Everybody at home, poor pairs. That's cool.

It is some sort of issue. It's a disease of some kind. So I hope this does not happen to your personal bear. But whoa is it weird?

Personal bear? Right? Okay?

Harry's Right Now has a limited addition set and a special offer for harver ballers. If you haven't heard of Harry's before. It was started by two best friends, Jeff and Andy. They were fed up with being overcharged for razors, so you started their own company. They wanted to give people what they deserve, a great shave at a fair price. Dan Harris has a ready to gift shave set at all different price points. It starts to just fifteen bucks.

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Special offer if you're listening, We have partnered with Harry's to give you five bucks off your order when you enter the code solid at checkout SOL I'd enter it at checkout ground shipping for the holidays and on December sixteenth, two days from now. Act now go to Harry's dot com get a holiday shave set. Don't forget to enter the code solid for five bucks off Harrys dot com. Your code is Solid Dan Simple. All right, We've got one more game and then a special treat here.

Let's talk about another chicken bowl. More fried chicken. Yeah, Zaxby's here. Ever been a zach I've never had Zaxby's. I know what it is.

And they have all sorts of like you can get a zalad instead of a salad. They have all sorts of punny names. But never had it.

Have heard It's totally fine. Zaxby's.

Heart of Dallas Bowl, Dallas, Texas Cotton Bowl Stadium, Tuesday, December twenty seventh, at high noon on ESPN, it is the Army Black Knights against the North Texas Mean Green Army seven and five North Texas five and seven. Army a nine point favorite.

Dan.

It's going to be their second Bowl appearance since nineteen ninety six. Dan, it's up against a team that I feel is ill equipped to handle the Army rushing attack. So I'm heavy Army. I'm heavy to the tune of thirty seven confidence points, Dan, lock them up? Wow, yeah really yeah, yeah?

I think I think Army wins this game. North Texas a good story. First year coach comes over from North Carolina. North Carolina's own offense, losing Seth Latrelle took a bit of a step back at times. They've improved, but they're still sort of underwhelming everywhere. It's going to take a little bit to get better. Army can certainly run. We just saw what they could do against Navy, and they stopped the pass relatively well enough. So I think I like Army as well by a couple touchdowns. I'm gonna

Correct?

I don't know if I should spill the beans on this or not. Okay, just tell me what you think of the products first. The product is awesome.

Okay.

We also may or may not have a solid verbal college football news briefing that will be available.

Nice. Let me ask you this. Will you test it?

It's not in the room in which you are podcasting, right, no, no, no, no, no no, will you say? And let's just test it and see if it works at the volume at which you're speaking right now? Hey, Alexa, come on, feel it, feel it. I will test that. Okay, test it right now?

Here we go. Let's just see what happens. Hey, Alexa, come on, feel it? Feel it? You feel it? Baby, you feel Oh you you're too much. It's the greatest song ever written.

All right, so we mentioned Army. We've got one final nugget for all y'all. As we mentioned on the last two shows, our good friend Taylor from Talking Terps from Zardcast, particularly from the saliverbal He's been helping us for years now. We sent him in our place down to the Army

Can you describe what you're wearing? I got my old grad T shirt on Why? Why just the old grad T shirt? Today we're gonna beat Navy.

Why.

How are you feeling right now? Are you cold? And are you Are you resolved against the winter? I'm resolved.

I'm spending quite a bit of time up at Fort drum Well north of here. And this is our This is our general kind of spring highs usually like early June, late May. So this is summer right now.

So they're gonna break the streak this year. This is the year they do it. Yes, this is the year. Everything else has happened this year. Why not, Hayberballers.

This is Chief reverb Engineer Taylor Schwink coming at you from Charms City, USA, Baltimore, Maryland for the twenty sixteen edition of Army Navy. I'm on the scene at USA's media row here in the Baltimore Convention Center, chatting with a couple national media types. We're going to talk about the game, college football in general, the playoffs, and what everyone's watching on TV. Let's go, joined by the Desen Howard of College Game Day fame here on the solid verbal.

How are you doing? Sorry, I'm doing fantastic. How about to so doing well?

Doing well?

Thanks for joining me? Thanks for having me join us? Now Klay Travis out kick the coverage?

How are you, sir? Thanks for joining me. I'm excellent. How are you doing well? Doing well?

Okay, we're here with the great John Feinstein, author, columnists, multi media mogul. These days, you're you're a radio guy, you're a TV guy.

Thank you for joining us.

Good to be here, Taylor.

Thanks Nate Boyer, Army Green Ray Texas Longhorn five minutes with the Seattle Seahawks.

So you've been How many Army Navy games have been?

This will be my twenty fourth.

I first went.

In nineteen ninety and that was where I got the idea being at the game for the first time to do a civil war. And I've been to every game since. The kids who play in this game, in nine hundred and ninety nine cases out of a thousand will not play in the NFL. The only uniform they're were when they graduate, it'll be Army, Navy or Marines. They have volunteered, as have all eight thousand cadets in Midshipman who will be in at stadium tomorrow to die for their country

So it's different than any other game.

Do you have like a preference, maybe a bias Army Navy? Do you go one way or the other?

You know, I'm really torn between the two, to be honest, because my football mentor was actually the head coach at Army in the mid nineteen seventy He's a man named Homer Smith. He was the head coach there from nineteen seventy four to nineteen seventy eight, and I ended up being a graduate assistant at Alabama under coach Smith followed him to UCLA, and ninety percent of what I know

We were in the car on Thanksgiving and we were driving to my parents' house or my sister's house, and I was talking to the two oldest boys. I mean, the two year old was in there too, but he can ignore me without any consequence. Right now, I was trying to explain to them how much we had to be thankful for, and about halfway through, my six year old just said, Dad, my iPad's not working, and so, uh, you know, obviously you try to make I thought I

So, now that the season's winding down, you got any you got any vacations lined up?

That's what I'm interested in I'm gonna go to uh to Columbia. I'm gonna go, uh may go to Columbia.

By maybe anything lined up yet, but those are those are the places.

That ow on my radar so far.

Okay, okay, international, I like it, sir, Yes, sir. What does Gary Danielson do once the season is done? Are you catching up on TV shows? Do you have a patients lined up?

A little bit of everything? Number one?

But that's true.

Yes, I don't get to watch much TV during football season, so a little bit of that. It's nice to have your DVR ready for you know, uh, a.

Little bit of Ray Donovan, a little bit of suits, a little bit of a.

Game of Thrones, you know, my my my favorite shows.

So yes, that's part of it.

Get back in shape a little bit, start doing my exercise a little bit more diligently, and uh play a little golf and enjoying my family time.

Or walking around the parking lots between Canden Yards and M and T Bank Stadium. We're gonna find some tailgaters to talk to, uh see what they're eating, Thoughts on the game, thoughts on life. And it's really really cold out here, so let's see what they got to say, can you tell everyone what you're doing right now?

Oysters?

Shocking oysters? And what's your what's the proper technique to shuck oysters? For those who don't know?

Not cut yourself? And is this year? Is this your heating tower over here too? It is? That's pretty serious. I'd love an oyster.

All right?

Go you got the hot sauce, cocktail sauce lemons.

I'm just gonna I'm gonna go for one raw, all right? Can you describe what you're wearing for me? It's a ship head, a shiphead, a shiphead, a foam shiphead, shiphead?

What? What kind of ship is on your head?

Some kind of a destroyer?

I notice you guys have a Chick fil A nugget platter. Is the Chick fil A nugget platter the number one seed for tailgating food?

Had to think about it, I would like to say it is.

I think that most people don't think about bringing Chick fil A nuggets to the tailgate, So we're ahead of the game.

Would you mind telling us what we're standing in front of right now?

Sure?

This is the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

Till in Layman's turns we've got a twenty five millimeter Bushmaster cannon on the front. We bring himctrymen into the fight and then we support him with that twenty five millimeter cannon.

Awesome, awesome, only at Army Navy. This is my pal Richie over here. How you doing, man, I'm doing pretty good to you. How are you doing great? Doing great? Army Navy?

Big day in the Sherman family life. What's going on here? What do we have happening around us?

So we have the tailgates of all tailgates.

I think we've got three cars set up, about thirty pounds of burgers and dogs and brats, two coolers full of beer, and it's great. We've got obviously it's some Navy fans, but we do. We have a small group of Army fans here and they're always always welcome here. That's the great thing about this game, as the respect between the two teams before last year?

How long was your Army Navy game streak? Thirty one straight games. Today's my forty fifth game. Right on.

So I was told that you missed last year. Can you tell us why you were unable to attend last year?

Well, unfortunately, I was putting up Christmas lights and was attacked by a giant beaver and fell off the ladder and broke four ribs. And despite the medications I was provided and the Jimmy Hendricks music that I was listening to, I could not attend the game and the streak was broken.

Sadly, Army just won. Can you put your feelings into words at this moment?

So it's phenomenal.

I've been in to the Army thirteen years.

I've never seen a w my first Army Navy game, and they get to win.

I gotta say, I think I'm the good luck charm And I just.

Wish Brandon was here to celebrate with us, because I know right now he's celebrated out there.

So it's all for b Jack.

I know they played this game just for him, and it just feels sober warding to know that we finally beat the hell out of that.

You guys made it on the field, Oh yeah, absolutely absolutely.

We were eyeing the goalpost, but those are pretty heavily guarded, so we stayed off.

But aw York.

No, no, we're staying down here for the night celebrate. I don't know, we'll see.

So we watched the game in the press box. How many outcrip did in the press box?

Stop?

How many claps did you get in the press box? So you think three?

I clapped three times total in two different instances. I clapped. I had a one clap early on and then stopped myself and we had a big we had a big third down conversion or a fourth down conversion. I had a double clap after that one, and but that was it.

Three claps.

I went down on the field with five minutes left in the game after we scored the go ahead touchdown. I clapped a lot there. Yeah my uh, my cheeks still hurt from smiling. It was a freaking awesome.

Wow. There you go. I like it.

I felt like I was there, Ty, and I'm glad I wasn't because it seemed cold.

The verbal represented well by our good friend Taylor did a great job.

I got to get to that game someday. Send him your tweets of love at ct schwink do it all right?

Thank you Dan for hopping on with me helping give some insight into this next wave of bowl games.

Ty, I do have actual college football breaking news. If you want to hear it, oh please, It actually deserves the sound.

Okay, late breaking news.

Notre Dames losing their offensive coordinator. Oh wow, Mike Sandford expected to be the next coach at Western Kentucky. SIS Pete Fammel tweeted that out about an hour ago.

Good for him. What is that?

Is there?

Any you had some negative reactions to some play calling this year?

The play calling was part of the issue this year. Yeah, but Mike Sanford's a young guy. He's got coaching in his jeans, so I don't think this is entirely unexpected. There was some smoke that maybe he would be bolting for Houston for some of the other yeah gigs that became available. I'm not surprised to see that he is getting the gig at Western Kentucky.

Good move for him, all right, fair enough, good move for him.

Okay, On that note, thank you as always for tuning into the very bal check us out iTunes dot com, slash solid Verbal. Don't forget to get on in the bullpick and pool. You still got time for that guy over there, Dan Rubinstein for myself, Ty Hilton Brand, catch you all in a few days.

In the meantime, stay solid. He