Welcome to the solid Verbal coll that for me, I'm a man.
I'm for I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy, you want to be happy for dake Ado State? Is that?
Whoo whoom? And Dan and Tye.
Welcome back to the Solid Verbal boys and girls.
My name is ty Hildenbrand, joining me as always over there in New York City, my good friend Dan Rubinstein.
Sir, sir, how are you? I'm pretty good. I'm slowly but surely moving into what will eventually become the home studio slash second room, slash soft and soundproof experience. It's going pretty well. I've got three three shoe boxes stacked up for my mic stands that is hosting the microphone on which I'm speaking.
And by the way, I don't know if I've mentioned this in the show, but I recently purchased a house. Whoa yeah, and that means I get to rebuild my studio in a different locale, which I'm very excited about in all the nerdiest possible ways. You know me, I'm very excited about it. Right, So you're building your studio now in your new Prisi and in a matter of weeks I'm going to be rebuilding solid Verble. I guess it'd be West Soliverble, Pennsylvania headquarters over here on this
end of things. So exciting times ahead.
It's almost like a solid verbal compound because you like that so much more room. So on top of everything that I assume is horrible about moving into and buying and dealing with all of the extracurriculars involved with buying a house, right, I mean, it's all good stuff.
Ultimately, it's not ultimately good, but I'm just saying to truly complain about. But yeah, in addition to all the other considerations, Yeah, we've got to consider acoustics and lighting and things of that nature.
Sure, No, I'm thinking specifically, like there are headaches involved with buying a house. Sure, oh, you you specific are probably spending and I'm just guessing here seven to eight mil. Oh, of course.
Yeah.
And no, you're dealing with inspectors, and you're dealing with down payments in the bank and which neighborhood and you know, I guess you have to consider things like school districts eventually, and you know, proximity to family. There's just a ton that goes into it. I assume having never gone through that process, but something that I feel like won't be a headache. You have like a new audio pet project to look forward to.
No, absolutely, And you could ask Solid Life Kate about this, she'd back me up. But while she's in there asking about flooring and colors, I'm wondering, Okay, where do we set up the internet beacons in here to get optimal coverage? And which one of these rooms is going to be the eventual soliverrable studios?
Oh my god, the most how's the backyard? Backyard's much bigger?
Yeah, I can do my little Saturday Facebook things from an actual yard. Now going a little nature walk.
That's incredible. More to come on that, but okay, I see, I really enjoyed the process leading up to your web Yeah, just dissecting and deep diving.
Every Well, we'll tell story. We'll have story time after this whole thing is on ice.
Okay. So as it relates more to College ESA and the Solid Verbal what's new we got? What's not new?
Dan? We got a lot going on here. You're building a studio. I'm about to rebuild mine. Uh, We've got a new website coming, yes at solidverbal dot com. We've had people write in and ask about that here and there. Our website isn't so much an attraction for people because a lot of folks who listen to the show, they just subscribe in a podcast app. But we decided that we wanted to work with some of our friends, who I'm sure we'll discuss in a little bit more detail
once things actually start to materialize. But we wanted to build a better experience for people who were just finding out about us, or for people who you know, might want to go and find out about a deal something that they heard on the show. So we are in the process of getting the new website built right now. We're excited about that.
We have a new website. In addition to that, we've mentioned that in August we're going to do a live show for the Fantasy Things Draft.
Correct, that is correct, the live show. Yeah, very exciting.
We will be doing that in Chicago, Illinois. We are boom, very excited. A very big city for verballers, a big city for college football, being that so many people that go to Big ten schools find themselves in the Windy City, the second City, shy Town, and we could not be more excited to be doing our live show there, so that will be at some point hopefully mid.
Ish Yeah, I would say earliest early to mid August would probably be the ideal target for that.
Yeah. And part of the reason what are we doing the show in mid April? Yeah, part of the reason we are saying it this far ahead of time is we want to make sure that the venue that we choose is the best we can possibly do for the Fantasy Things draft, because we know we have a lot of listeners in Chicago, we want to make sure everybody can fit in Atlanta. Was a super fun show, but
ultimately the venue was kind of a pain. We were setting up chairs before everything started, which is not ideal as we wanted to get ready for the show itself, and we were promised certain capacities that weren't really accurate. So we want to go above and beyond for our Chicago show. And that said, tie, if anybody out there knows Chicago venues, live podcast venues, somebody in Atlanta too late had suggested a brewery that does live events whatever, let us know. We know we have a lot of
Chicago people there, so yeah, we do. We are. We could not be more excited for our Chicago show.
That is going to be our big end of summer shindig and gosh, you're coming in hot here. I know you took a nap before this show. I don't even know if the publicist had a chance to kind of get out in front of the story. You know, sure that we have one, but still there Coago. It will
be for the fantasy things in twenty eighteen. More to come on that front and reach on out if you're interested at sliverbal at gmail dot com, also Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all the social channels, and there may or may not be a bonus live show city yeah in there at some point as well. It's something that Dan and I
are in the process of discussing now. But lord knows, there's been enough interest around the country and at some point we want to make sure that we get to all of these cool places where we've got real hubs of verballers. So we'll see more to come on that front, for sure.
Yeah, it'll you know, might be on the East coast. We might try to go Central Texas or something like that, California. We know we have a good number of listeners, so we have options. But we are for sure doing the Fantasy Things Draft show in Chicago, for sure, so.
Plan on it probably a Saturday in early to mid August. Correct the final note, While we're talking about sites and shows,
let's talk about shirts. Because the Solid Verbal shirts have been immensely popular over the last couple of years, we have gradually gotten both better and worse at taking those orders, and so we have a completely rethought model that we're going to be rolling out in tandem with our upcoming website, where we'll not only offer new Solid Verbal shirts, but also other show related items as well, and maybe items that are just more school or town related as well,
strapless bras. Now I realize that's not exactly the most specific of details, but there will be more forthcoming on that front. We've had great response to the stuff that we sold in the past, and we're excited about what's to come in the future. Here in the immediate future, hopefully in the next couple months or so.
New Solid verbal shirts, new non Solid verbal shirts, but having to do with relevant interests in a streamline package.
There you go, that makes sense absolutely all right, well, Nail, And finally, the sun is out and it seems as if it's going to be much warmer by the end this week. A lot of folks are in this boat now where where spring is right around the corner, and it's starting to feel real, And so we wanted to kind of do a show on the heels of our spring forward show from a week ago something that was also spring themed. Is that right?
That is correct? Can I ask you something anything?
Dan?
Did you go to dances in like seventh grade, junior high, middle school? Did you do you remember those dances?
I didn't got a whole lot of them.
Really, Okay, Well, I'm going to open up something for you. I'm sure you've watched movies. I'm sure you've watched episode of Boy Meets World in two. Here's the general dynamic that you need to think about. There are a lot of shy thirteen and fourteen year olds out there, ty, I.
Was one of them. That's why I didn't go to that many of these.
Yeah, I get you, and a lot goes into having a good time at one of these dances, but you know you're going through changes. You got a crush on a fella or a lady across the dance floor, and the people who generally end up succeeding at these dances in dancing and having a great time and getting over their nerves. Are the people that have things put together, that they dress up nicely, they're confident, they're shameless, they don't care about having some fun on the dance floor.
They just look like they're having a good time and other people want to be around. Are you describing yourself here? Is this say? No, I'm definitely not. But there are different types of people at these dances. You mentioned that you were a shier kid. That's totally fine. I think everybody was. Basically, we spend a lot of time on this show talking about the popular kids, talking about the kids who just get out there, who have certain advantages.
Maybe they're tall, maybe they're tan, maybe they're strong, maybe they're athletes, maybe they are they have great hair, maybe they're just super confident. You know, we talk about those kids a lot. Tie and we're not going to go fully shy or fully sitting in the corner with a cup of punch or something like that. But I think the majority of kids at these dances, these junior high dances, tie,
they have potential. They're starting to put things together and understand how that world of the dance works world of the dance. Sure, maybe they cleaned up nicely. Maybe they made a good impression in social studies the past couple of weeks. Somebody they might have a crush on. On the other side of the dance floor. They're on the cusp tie. They're showing things, they're ready.
To blow, really playing this up.
Man, you know what I'm talking about here, Ty, We have ten teams here today. These are not the popular kids tie, but they're showing potential. They clean up nicely at times, they're wearing nice shoes. Hey, those pants look really nice. Brandon look like that when he wasn't covered in.
Dirt, Brandon, Right. Sure, So we have.
Ten teams here today that we admittedly don't talk about a lot. And I don't think and I think you'll agree with me. I don't know if that's necessarily right.
It's never right. We hear from all sorts of fan bases. I had the pleasure of meeting with a longtime listener a couple of weeks ago, and his response was that, yeah, I love the show. I wish you'd talked more Ohio State. And we can very easily meet a Michigan fan who would say gosh, I love the show. I really wish he talked to Michigan. It seems no matter what fan base we have the pleasure of interacting with, they always wish we talked about their team more.
I remember on signing day an Ohio State fan was like, they only spent five minutes on Ohio State's correct.
And that's the problem because we're a national show, and so many of the teams here that we're going to discuss today aren't ones that we had as much a chance to discuss as perhaps we would have liked. An important note here on how we picked these teams. M HM, Dan and I went through in a g chat and we looked at all the teams that we think we talk a lot about the big market schools, if you want to call it that, the bigger blue blood programs that everyone is used to hearing about on this show
and other shows. We eliminated them from the equation your lee high's your last yeats, your buckets. We had five round serpentine fantasy style draft. Yes, I had the first pick. I took Arkansas Welcome Hogs. I'm going to talk about them first here.
There's a lot of promise Ti promising potential. This is this is the very small periodic table of elements.
That's correct. Yeah, so let me start with Arkansas, now that I've given away the farm here, Yeah, let's do it. The Hogs went four and eight last year. Then they fired Brett Beilamah, which is so of a long time coming. Arkansas fans were had to be done, I think, ready to see the end of Brett Bieloman. Not because they didn't like Brett Bielma, but Brett Bielima just he didn't deliver on the promise. When he came in to Faetteville.
There was a sense that he was going to build this awesome ground attack, and to some extent he kind of did in spots. But the problem was defense. They just couldn't stop anybody, right, we saw that last year. They gave up something like thirty six points per game, so that being the worst in the SEC, the offense maybe not being entirely up to snuff, it just it wasn't enough to get the job done. They went four and eight, they got rid of Beilama and now they
bring in Chad Morris. H Chad Morris, formerly of SMU, formerly of Clemson Fame. He comes in what sort of the mantra of Chad Morris as it relates to the scheme that he's going to put forward Dan, He's.
Gonna spread things out, he's gonna take shots downfield, He's going to recruit speed. He is going to sort of have misdirection. If you remember, Chad Morris installed and succeeded with the Clemson offense that eventually not under his tutelage, but eventually won a national championship with the Shaun Watson. So he has the reputation of building offenses that can put fireworks onto the field on a national level.
Can you envision an offense more different from what we saw last year from Brett Bilima.
I don't think it's as different. I mean, I think his offense evolved. They threw a lot last year, but it was catch as catch can. It was not at all consistent and at least it had somewhat of an identity. But in terms of what they're going to do or what we believe they'll do under Chad Morris, it is certainly a departure in terms of philogoph Yeah, take time, big time.
So the Hogs, the Hogs are coming in hot here they rate played their spring game this past weekend. The read, the instant read from that game is that the defense played better than the offense, even though technically the offense won something like twenty seven to twenty five, whate whatever Byzantine scoring system they used down there. The offense won, but the defense actually came away playing a little bit better.
And that that is a site for sore eyes. Because for as much has been made about the Chad Morris hiring and his style and how big a departure it might be from Brett Bielama, it shouldn't be lost in anyone that the new defensive coordinator in Arkansas is John Chavis, right,
and John Chavis has been around the SEC forever. Might not have been quite the profit that folks hoped in Texas A and M when he went there after leaving LSU, but when you got the worst defense in the conference like Arkansas did a year ago, John Chaves works.
Yeah, that works.
To see that you've got somebody in there on the defensive side who's had some degree of success coming into town, I would think he would have to improve things immeasurably and right away.
Is that fair? Yeah? I think so. And The most success that he has had has been with defensive lines filled with NFL talent, So that was you know, LSU and Tennessee namely, And even though he had NFL talent at Texas A and M, I don't think the depth and consistency was necessarily there, but the talent most certainly was highlighted by Miles Garrett. The big thing for me, I mean, and the big thing I think for everybody looking at this Arkansas defense is fundamentally can they improve?
They've been so bad just doing basic things, making incorrect reads, wrapping up too many explosion plays yards after contact, basic things that an SEC West defense given the available talent. And I know Arkansas is never going to recruit on LSU or Texts A and M or Alabama's level, but they should be able to put together recruiting classes of high three star defensive players who end up looking like
star blue chip types every so often. So if they're able to recruit on defense and put and I know this is tough sometimes when you have an offensive minded head coach, if they can start shifting more and more of the talent to defense, you know, maybe not put a guy at receiver, maybe he's a safety, maybe he's not a tight end, maybe he's an outside linebacker. That's when I think you will see John Chavis if he is going to have success, that's when it'll come.
I think that's fair this year. I think you feel better about the secondary. You hope that Drake Greenlaw as the anchor of the linebacking corps can work out. Curious about what the front looks like and their depth up front, but they got some pieces to build around offense. I'm very curious because Cole Kelly is this giant man at six seven, like two seventy, just a big freaking dude who we saw with a couple starts last year. He's probably got the best physical tools of anyone on that
quarterback depth chart. Tie Story is another name who could work his way in. But if you're Chad Morris, if you're building something, you've got two quarterbacks, one who certainly has the smarts to run the offense, another one who just blows away with his physical tools, and just a lot back around those guys both along the line, all the top receiving targets the running back position, if nothing else after Brett Bielma is pretty stocked so there is
so much reason here I think to be optimistic. I feel like Arkansas is gonna knock somebody off at some point, Like they might not be consistent because they play an SEC schedule and it's hard to be consistent. But they're going to catch somebody in twenty eighteen. And I'm gonna go on record it's LSU. It's at home, it's November tenth. That's the game that they get that opens eyes.
It's a good time to be going through changes in the SEC West. We've mentioned this before, but new coach of Tech's A and M, new full time coach at ole Miss, new coach in Mississippi State, LSU's off. It's a new offensive, new old offensive coordinator. But this is right now a good time to have LSU on the schedule, given the uneven nature of recent LSU. So all things considered, it hasn't been that long since the defense of twenty fourteen, right the back half that shut out Ole Miss and LSU.
It's doable. It's modern doable to mount a good defense if you're Arkansas. So I don't know how much optimism I have, but I see the elements. We must move on.
Let's talk about one of your draft picks, Dan, who do you got your eye on here? Budding potential?
All right, so let's talk k State. I think Kseate is one of the more interesting teams and situations one because there is the element of how long is the coach going to be there that they treasure and love and has done so many excellent things for the university.
The man is immortal at this point, Dan, Yes, mortal.
When I was pouring through some things, just sort of getting up to date on k State, in the back of my mind, I was like, man, they are just the most seven and a half and four and a half team that exists. Sure enough. Their average record over the past five years so since the Colin Klein Fiesta Bowl team, their average record I believe is seven point four and four point six during the regular season. So that's seven and five, nine and three, six and six,
eight and four, seven and five. And they beat UCLA in their bowl game last year without Josh Rosen. So here's the thing about k State, new coordinators, same head coach. They played like fifteen quarterbacks last year. Jesse Ertz is gone. But if you remember, Skyler Thompson had a really, really nice game against Oklahoma State through for a bajillion yards in a very Unkansas State way, and Alex Dalton was really good. And I think Skyler Thompson is the better passer.
Alex Dalton's the better runner. No Byron Pringle this year, so that's a bummer. But they still have talent in the receiving corp and talent on offense. A lot of changes on defense, and you know it sort of is going to look more of the same because you're still talking about a Bill Snyder team, but it's more JC,
it's more transfer stuff for Kansas State. But I'm intrigued with their evolution opening it up more last year, even with backup quarterbacks developing receivers as you know, even going back to Tyler Lockett recently, and if Kansas State is converting those third and twos where the quarterback sort of hesitates, everybody's calling Client, even if they're not calling Cline, they're basically unbeatable in the Big twelve. They really are. That.
It's like that those fourteen and a half minute drives. Kansas State is perhaps at this point, and I want to be careful when I say this, but one of the best defined teams in college football. One of the most ironclad identities in college football, and they feel like they have that to definitive ceiling. But that ceiling includes, yeah, they'll beat anybody. They just will. They'll lose to somebody dumb, but they'll beat anybody, which is like, I respect that
in a very real way. So Kansas State different but sort of the same. And schedule's pretty good this year, but we'll preview them later in the fall and stuff in late summer. But it's sort of nice to have Kansas State in your life, is what I'm trying to say.
I liken the new version of Kansas State to like the new version of a golf club. All right, And I know you're not a huge golfer, but hear me out.
Here, right.
Every year the major golf club companies put out a new model, and they always champion some new bell or whistle that they put on it. It's ultimately the same club over the span of ten years. I'm sure it's a drastically different club, but from year to year it's basically the same thing with different packaging, different labeling. That's kind of how I feel about k State. Every year,
it's sort of the same team. You have a few odds and ends here that might be a little bit different that we need to pay attention to as we try to dissect what this team's going to be twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen, twenty twenty, so on and so forth. By a large same team, same philosophy, same team, same coach, And that is part of the reason why I'm with you. I find them so damn admirable.
I wish they would I know there's talent in the backfield. I wish they would do better at developing bigger time running backs because that feels like they'd be even way way better. Because defensively, I don't have a ton of questions even though there's new guys there, just because of
year over year they seem to develop nicely. They need to rush the passer, they need to figure out some replacements upfront, But no, there is something very comforting about Kansas State, and I honestly it was so fun to watch them not just win games twenty to nineteen. Last year it was forty five forty over Oklahoma State. When I think it was Skyler Thompson through for it was like seventeen yards per It was ridiculous. It was so fun to watch. So I appreciate that evolution, even when
philosophically things are pretty similar. I agree, budding potential, Daniel, butdding potential. Let's go to one of my picks here. Okay, I want to talk about North Carolina. Oh okay, No, Budding Potential is.
Made fun of North Carolina at our last live show. You know, North Carolina had a three and nine year, and I think we sort of liken them to just the like the senior who gives up best case of senior ride. It's worst case of senioritis. You know, they get a couple of games in and it's like dog, it's over. We're moving on to college.
Here.
It's things done. Three to nine, not.
A good year, super beat up, super beat up. It was senioritis, it was tendon itis, it was larryn Je, it was everything. ITAs Carolina.
Though, it's one of those teams where I looked into them a little bit more and I still don't feel like I really got anywhere. Okay, I think the outlook has to be better than it was a year ago, because you're right, the injury department was not kind to them at all. Warry Fedora as a coach, you might question what he can do defensively, but in terms of offense, he's generally got a pretty good track record. That was part of the reason why they hired him. Sure, he's
a guy who knows how to develop offensive talent. I feel really good about Anthony Ratliff Williams. I think he's a stud in the makings. I really like Nathan Elliott throwing to Anthony Ratliff Williams towards the latter part of last season. What I didn't like is that it took him like seven games to get to Nathan Elliott correct something crazy like that. And from everything that I could see in the early part of the spring here, the book is not closed on Nathan Elliott being the starter.
There's still a chance that they could go to Chaz Surat.
I remember Chazz.
For as much as I'd love to have a Chaz that we can talk about week in a week out, I think for the immediate future that Nathan Elliot is probably the guy they should go to.
North Carolina very much felt last year like a team if you were looking at somebody else in the ACC their resume, and they beat North Carolina and You just hope that whoever was listening didn't fully listen or know the context of what beating North Carolina in twenty seventeen meant. It was like getting a ninety three on a test that was out of one hundred and fifty. That's what beating North Carolina was. That seems fair to me.
You mentioned the injuries, and as our friend Bill Connolly has said time and time again, having injuries is bad. However, when you have the injuries, it gives you a chance to build some depth because you play a lot of the younger guys. This could be the year where North Carolina sees some fruit from that. A lot of their younger guys did get experienced because everyone was so banged up. So you know, along the lines at the skill positions, the offense has weapons. Larry Foedora knows how to use
those weapons. We'll see if they're able to elevate that side of things in twenty eighteen. And oh, by the way, don't want to get too far out over my skis here, but a very workable schedule, sure, very workable schedule. Listen to this schedule. I'll read through it very quickly. At cal at ECU UCF could be a tough game, sure, definitely Pitt at home, Miami on the road, Virginia Tech at home Syracuse and Virginia on the road back to
back weeks. Then you've got Georgia Tech at Duke Western Carolina n C State.
Here's my final question about North Carolina. Do you think there's an element that North Carolina peaked a couple of years ago? Absolutely in the Larry Fedora So I guess what was it twenty fifteen in where they went to the ACC Championship game. There is there an element where obviously they had a ton of success with Seth Latrell as offensive coordinator and he's moved on quite successfully to
North Texas. They had the gusmels On at defensive coordinator experiment that looked promising in year one and then sort of fell apart. That there is just an element of Larry Fedora looking elsewhere, perhaps a little bit too much to maintain that level that perhaps I wouldn't say he's checked out, that would be totally unfair, but it might seem that his heart isn't fully with North Carolina and that's reflective.
Yeah, the thought crossed my mind in watching three and nine North Carolina last year that Larry Fedora missed his chance to truly cash out while his stock was high, Right, was he truly in on the rebuilding effort?
They won what like ten straight in twenty fifteen before the AEC had a good year. Yeah, I remember talking like can Carolina beat Clemson? They were a wonky on side kick away. Yeah. I think to compare him to Sonny Dyke's and Kal isn't fully fair because he's had much more success. But Sunny Dikes was always that same guy who had eyes elsewhere, and ultimately things just went super downhill after that eight win year and they just had enough of each other. I hope that it doesn't
come to that. I hope that North Carolina is on the bounce back because it's an attractive school that can attract high level talent that succeed in a big way in the ACC. So I'm hoping that's not the case that there was a window. So we'll see.
They have talent coming back, They have some experience from a year ago because of the injuries coming back, if they can stay healthy, if they can build on some of that experience from a year ago, I think it puts them in a position where you know, maybe we're talking about them in a much, much different light. That's not to overlook that their offensive line isn't a bit of flux. And defensively, they too have been terrible thirty one points a game last year, awful against the run.
They do have deficiency that they need to get resolved. But I think by and large I feel better than three and nine.
Oh yeah, they should be a bowl team every year. Absolutely, Let's make a surprisingly easy transition to Cal Okay so Cal in their I guess last five years, that's four years of Sunny Dyke's and one year of Justin Wilcox one in eleven eight and five five seven five seven five seven, which is about right. I think we were pretty high on Cal early on beating North Carolina and Ole Miss early on in September, and then everything sort of came back down to earth pretty quickly. And then
they slaughtered Wazoo. I think was that an Adam a mean game? I believe it was. They beat Adam, they beat at them. They beat Washington State, generating like seven turnovers. Ross Bauers starting quarterback flips into the goal line for a touchdown. Flips over the goal line, and cal is a team where they have recruiting advantages of being in California and northern California. There's a lot of talent that academically they can attract high achievers that are also football players.
They have redone their facilities recently. I know the couple years ago they attracted the number one receiver in the country Demetrius Robertson, who's very good as a freshman, but got hurt early on last year. So that's a promising name coming back this year for his I think junior year unless he was given a medical redshirt last year.
They have a potentially promising transfer in Brandon mckaway who comes over from South Carolina, former blue chip quarterback, duel threat guy who I think was also really good baseball player. So in terms of positive things, offense potential with Demetris Robertson and possible quarterback change who knows defense, a lot of work. They kept mostly for the most part, kept a really solid staff in place Bo Baldwin was flirting
with the Oregon State job. He didn't get it, so he's back and he'll be calling plays, and I think that's a big positive that they're able to retain Baldwin. The Pac twelve North is tough. It's not a super easy conference to get better in. But with more quarterback experience, better offensive skill talent, I think they should be competing for a bowl year and a year out, if not. Beyond that, I like the defensive coaching staff. They are
actually pretty strong in the back end on defense. They have a lot of work in terms of new guys upfront, but when they generated turnovers, which is like every team in the country, they succeeded. They showed their potential against Wazoo last year and Ole Miss North Carolina whatever. I am hopeful that KL is able to take advantage of things that they have that other Pack twelve teams don't necessarily have. Have you been to Berkeley, tie.
I haven't. I've never been to Berkeley.
I love Berkeley, but I could understand why a seventeen year old wouldn't. I could definitely understand it. So I am I am buying on cal as A because I really do like Justin Wilcox. I'm buying cal as A starting this year and beyond making bowl games.
I you know what, I like cal last year? Why for all their deficiencies, and of course they weren't all that consistent, but they were damn plucky, weren't they.
Yeah, they finished the season what they almost beat Stanford and UCLA, And I like seeing that a team that is down and beat up and losing key players and you know, getting blown out by a couple teams. I like that they showed fight deep into November. I think that's a good sign for the Bears moving forward. Oh.
Absolutely, you can say that about Cal. I should have said that about UNC. They were in the same time. They only won three games, but you could tell that they were in every game. They were trying and they were playing pretty damn hard, despite the fact that maybe the record didn't reflect it.
To go back to my comparison, I think Cal is a really good looking exchange students, okay, who doesn't fully understand the concept of American dances and doesn't really speak the language. But the potential tensions there, Okay, it's a very weird, uh competiveon with you, I tye, I know it's weird, and I'm just sometimes you just have to to double.
Down, tie all right, double down, Dan, I like it. Yeah, let me stay in the pac twelve stay best. Utah went seven and six a year ago.
The Pac twelve's Kansas State.
That's right, seven and six a year ago. They won the Heart of Dallas Bowl, I believe over West Virginia.
If memory serves, I think they were the only Pack twelve team to win a bowl game. So I let's celebrate that wind.
We have this difficulty every year with teams like Utah, with teams like k State, you want to throw them in the mix as well, teams that maybe lack the sex appeal but don't ever seem to lack the consis And see every year they find a way to achieve the fundamentals and when they're out there playing the games, that goes an awful long way, doesn't it.
Absolutely?
And so what I like about this team first and foremost is the coach Kyle Whittingham. Kyle Whittingham knows how to coach those fundamentals. He knows how to get a team ready, and he knows how to be consistent, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
With Utah over the.
Years, it's really been upfront along that defensive line. This year, I think it could be a little bit different for him because he's only got one guy back along the defensive line, and much of his experience will be in the defensive backfield and as you look at like the backgate. Now, with that being said, does anyone doubt that by the end of the year, Kyle Whittingham will find a way to put together a top twenty five defensive line in
college football? I don't know. Which is what he does, right, that's his thing, it's his mm.
Yeah.
So defensively, Utah is gonna be fine, and that goes a long way in a conference that by and large is still dictated by offense. Sure, you pair some of those pyrotechnical offenses up against a quality, fundamentally sound defense, and that has That's where Kyle Whittingham's made us say, so, they're gonna be just fine on the defensive side of the ball. What I like about them in addition to that is the fact that Tyler Huntley, their quarterback, who
had a breakout year last year, he comes back. I like that they seem to have enough talent around him. Not guys that maybe have the sex appeal they might find elsewhere, but certainly plenty of depth on offense that can work around Tyler Huntley and outside of really just losing their top two weapons out wide, which is no laughing matter you lose a guy like Darren Carington who had a great year. I think Utah can be a team that is more than just consistent on defense and
fledgling on offense. I feel good about their prospects that take a leap forward on offense.
Yeah. Other than Darren Carrington, Utah offensively has been a who's who of huge depth of guys who can't get open downfield that's right, like real solid at like six yards and turn around and boom the balls right there. But as soon as you actually need to stretch the field, Utah has struggled finding those guys recently. But I have developed running backs nicely. You mentioned the lines all true. We've been able to count on a Utah November swoon
pretty consistently. Like they really start impressing us September into October, maybe knock off USC or something like that, and then just get murdered by Arizona, right or just get beat up by Oregon State and you're like, where what happened to the other Utah? What we were? So you know who Utah is at the dance tie double down. Dan Utah's let's say a little larger. I think that's fair to say, charmingly large, possibly Australian, very charming, affable, big personality,
convinces a crush to dance. You get close to them, ooh, should have put onto Okay, who should have checked the breath? Just those those little final touches just aren't there for Utah. And it seems to be the case year in and year out. But again, they were the only team to win a Bowl game.
So so, good bones is what you're saying. Good bones, but a little rough around the edges, yes, absolutely, Maybe no defining feature, Yeah, everybody knows and loves the what of soft features? The affable big guy? Yeah, great to have around. All right, all right, so Utah, All right.
That's Utah. We'll go to another team with an affable big guy. Affable big guy, appable big guy. Let's go to South Carolina. Ooh and I I'm going to take back the word affable and I'm gonna I'm going to fill it in with needlessly aggressive.
Right, that would be Will musch champ Nce. Needlessly aggressive feels accurate to me.
Yeah, I just shout out to the whiteboards out there for their sacrifice. Six and six, eight and four in his two seasons in Colombia, And I guess it's relevant that Steve Spurrier in three of his four final full seasons, so not the season that he left early where I think his son took over. He won ten games. So it's a very different sec East than the end dish of the Steve Spurrier era. But winning at South Carolina is doable, is one hundred percent doable, even with a
national championship contender in state as a rival. Now South Carolina and the story of their spring has sort of been the tanner leization of the offensive tempo that they're running with Brian McClendon, which is listen, we hope it works out, tigeh. I see story after story after story. They're playing with tempo, this new look offense. You know, they get rid of Kurt Roper at the end of the season last year. You know, George's Brian McClendon comes in.
He's a I think receivers coach has been promoted to offensive coordinator, Jake Bentley coming into his own. They get Deebo Samuel back. It's all happening in Columbia.
Yes, so you'll remember that Steve Spurrier in South Carolina parted ways Very early on in the cycle, we talked about the coaching carousel. South Carolina seemed like they were the first one to be out there advertising the fact that they were going to have an opening, and for a while it seemed as if they might get Tom Herman. That was the rumor initially, Tom Herman. Wow, what a get for the SEC East. That did not materialize, and actually, as this thing played out, they were one of the
last teams to get a football coach. It almost felt like a bit of a letdown.
Yeah, there were rich Rod rumors I believe in there as well.
Sure, and so eventually when they brought in Will Muschamp, it was like, oh God, a retread. A retread does not seem like what South Carolina wanted when they announced this move very early. But I'm pretty optimistic it was not pyrotechnic. But there are the bones there again, affable, big guy, overly aggressive, big guy. What have you that I think with the SEC East, you know, getting better as a whole and more mysterious and new. Yeah, and
more mysterious. Sure, there are plenty of reasons to feel like South Carolina's headed in a good direction to keep up with the Jones.
South Carolina felt like a very dependable neighborhood restaurant last year where they knew that the limitations were clear. And you don't watch a South Carolina game thinking that they're going to beat up on Georgia or they're going to beat up on somebody. Great, but Chick Bentley was solid,
maybe through little too many picks. Defense was nice. They lose a few key pieces, but we turned a couple of big ones up front and when they lost, they definitely should have lost, and when they won, they should have won. And we knew we were getting.
So what we're describing here is the old Applebe's commercial coach. Can you can you follow me over here for a second.
I wouldn't. I wouldn't wish that on South.
Can Will mush Champ? Will mush Champ hangs up the picture?
You know what I mean? I want to say, an actual, dependably good and consistent neighborhood restaurant money and good in the neighborhood dan that has specific limitations and maybe listen, maybe this new offense is like a dope happy hour that they're starting. I don't know, but I just wing. I am hoping for good things for with the returning quarterback in the SEC because and listen, Will Musshamp. Let's if we zoom out a little bit, Florida fans are
generally going to be, you know, upset about everything. They went to national championships ten twelve years ago, and that the expectations are through the roof, and to a certain extent, rightfully so, Will mus Champ was in demand. Will must Champ has succeeded with defense and recruiting everywhere he's been for the most part, or I think everywhere he's recruited super well. South Carolina signed a top twenty class, I
believe this past cycle. So there are multiple reasons to believe in South Carolina as a team whose trajectory is encouraging, with a returning quarterback with a new system on offense, with which, by the way, the faster you play, the more depth you need to have on defense for when things go wrong. So I don't have their depth chart in front of me, but that's something to consider. But all things, you know, being equal, I am hopeful and
encouraged by South Carolina and Debo's back. Debo's so good. Devo's back.
The final point I'll bring up about Will mush Champ, and then we're going to move on to Northwestern. It does seem like, well Muschamp learned from his previous stop.
Oh my god, Ty, if I can draft that right now, Will mush Champ has learned from his past mistakes, I would just throwing it out. Oh my god, Ty, put me down. I'm on the clock. That's what I'm taking, all right, Sorry about Northwestern? Okay, I was just there.
Northwestern was ten and three last year they won the Music City Bowl over Kentucky. I have no idea how they went ten and three. I never have any idea how they go ten and three or nine and three or eight and five. Northwestern to me is and forever will be a blind spot. Maybe when we get out to Chicago and do the live show, we can talk about this in a little bit more detail.
Unbelievable new practice facility right on the lake.
This is a team to me that I never get. If I'm always in on Texas, I always feel like I'm out on Northwestern.
Yeah, that's right.
And as I go through and look at what the future holds for this team. I gotta be honest, I feel the same. Clayton Thorson blew out his ACL at the end of last year. He's still rehabing it. Not going to see much of him this spring.
M hmm.
Jeremy Jackson's gone, Nate Hall also hurt and recuperating the spring. The schedule looks impossibly difficult to me. It looks seven and five at best. So I'm not sure why I feel optimistic at all about Northwestern, other than to say that I'm usually wrong about them. They weren't ten and three a year ago, and I didn't think it was possible. I look at the schedule now, I look at some of the uncertainty. I say, seven and five, Dan, they will do better than seven and five. Agree, Yes, oh.
Yeah, definitely. I'm a big believer in Dan Persa tie. Isn't he from where you are? Fromthlehem? Catholic? Yeah? Yeah, okay. So if you if Dan Persa showed up this year and just played quarterback for Northwestern, yeah, and we tuned in, would you have any sort of inkling like is that that can't be right? Would no idea? You would have no clue. Northwestern does things and succeeds because they they're
not conservative. Even though their offense has been sort of disappointing recently, it's been defense for Northwestern recently, and it feels very much like Northwestern is in a sea of volatility in the Big Ten West. I mean, with Nebraska struggling, with Iowa up and down, Wisconsin obviously has been super consistent, and Illinois has been down for a while. That Northwestern isn't necessarily succeeding because they are a very very good
team just bludgeoning lesser teams. They're just a consistent team. They're like there's somebody that is existing during a depression that decided, you know what, I don't trust the banks. I'm just going to keep all my money myself and I'll see what happens. They're not making any money, but they're just getting by. They're just living their best life. And that's what I feel like Northwest. They're developing, especially upfront on defense and the developing NFL level talent. They're
keeping themselves in games. They don't make a ton of mistakes. And in the Big Ten West in twenty fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, goes a long way, doesn't it.
Yeah, big time, pretty good.
Defense, not a ton of mistakes on offense year over year. The quarterbacks are always like a B plus that's great Northwestern home run hitter. And Justin Jackson he's gone this year though I know he's gone, but like it. It feels like they don't have to count on any one thing in the way that schools that have high ceilings sometimes do. The one thing is that they have the consistency of a coach, and they have the consistency of playing in a division that they can come in second in every year.
The ultimate in team football.
By the way, I really like Evanston. I was just there because I was in Chicago and we were kicked out of my in law's house because they were preparing for a big dinner. And it was nice. Evans is a nice college town right there on the lake. I'm sure it's just balls awful during the winter, but it was super nice in spring. I liked it all right.
Stay in the Big ten West, talk to me about Minnesota. Let's set called HEJ fleck Row the boat.
Yeah I am. I'm feeling pretty good. After seeing his first full recruiting class, and knowing what they might be able to do on offense, which is something they haven't been able to do in a long time. Do you know the last time Minnesota finished the season in the top twenty?
Probably gotta go back seven eight years, two thousand and three, whoa Lawrence morony?
Minnesota is the last time they finished in the top twenty. And you know, the Jerry Kill era had certain ups and certain downs, certainly Minnesota six and six, eight and four, eight and four, five and seven, eight and four, five and seven, and that all feels like I could have made that up up right there? Would you have known? Nope? No known? So no and apologies Nebraska fans. No decent wins in twenty seventeen, first year of the PJ. Fleck era.
But obviously that transition happened was in March February, March. It was not a natural transition from Minnesota. I guess he finished out the class, so I guess it was maybe January. I don't know, but Minnesota had a expectedly disappointing first year of the PJ. Fleck era. But here's the good news. Demory Croft gone transferred to I think Tennessee State. The starting quarterback. They have a promising juco
Maybe he's there, girod Evans. Maybe it's the Newish coach bringing a JC quarterback to run a certain style better than the incumbent guy. His name is vic vi Via Montes. It sounds like a phenomenal name, so I'm already rooting for him. Good size, dual threat makes sense. The big thing is PJ. Fleck recruited super well offensively, They have weapons. There's an incoming freshm and we talked to Bud Elliott
about Minnesota's incoming class. I believe it's was Rashad Bateman, four star receiver from Georgia who and I know there's returning talent offensively, skill position wise, but he could come in and offer something that they haven't necessarily had in a little bit, and that's high level offensive skill talent that could be consistent over the next three or four years. So, yes, Minnesota had a struggle is year. Last year the offensive line was just totally decimated by injuries. I am I
feel good about PJ. Fleck as he gets more and more of his own recruits to Minneapolis because he is somebody who is going to succeed. And they kept all their coaches from last year. He is somebody who will succeed because he gets this team ready, both physically and emotionally. If Minnesota is to win eight or nine games every so often or more often than not, it will be because this is a team that plays hard and forces turnovers and does things, and they do things that inspired
teams do really well. So I feel good about Minnesota improving as it becomes more and more flecky flecky, as it becomes as that roster becomes more and more flecky, because I think he's going to be able to recruit on a top forty level. Flecky flecky baby wow. So I you know, the Big ten West not too bad. It's improving, it's improving. Wisconsin obviously the titan of the
West for right now. Nebraska brings in Scott Frost. With Scott Frost comes a ton of talent on the coaching side of things, for sure, and a ton of promise being so he's an alum of Nebraska. You've obviously got Purdue in that situation, which has improved very quickly. Yep.
Now we're talking about Minnesota. We talked about old Trusty Northwestern.
And Minnesota can help to provide that depth, provided they've got to recruit better up front. On defense, they were so good for so long when Jerry Kill was the head coach. I think their defensive coordinators now at Washington State. He replaced Alex Grinch who goes to Ohio State. But they were so good at developing large, three star defensive men and that sort of fell off these past couple of years. So if they're able to get back to that point, I feel good about Minnesota as a once
again perennial Bowl team. That is good enough. God, I just remember Mitch Leidner's existence. That is good enough to get to and win bowl games and make this And you're right, I think the Big Ten West, for as much as we've made fun of it recently, with a just the most consistent team outside of I guess like Alabama and Clemson at this point in Wisconsin, not the best, but the most consistent Ohio State. But the consistency of Wisconsin, the upside of Nebraska, the intrigue of Purdue, and I
think there can be energy with Minnesota. And I say this sincerely, Tie, I want to get to Minneapolis. Everybody that I mentioned the word Minneapolis too, says, you know what, Minneapolis pretty fun? I need. I've been to a lot of places around this country. Tie, have you been to Minneapolis.
No, I've heard great things.
I got to get there sometime between. Yeah, exactly. So I don't know about twenty eighteen, but I can see, like through the haze, I can see a fun Minnesota. And they also got that Remember the giant. I think he's Australian, but he went to the IMG Academy in Florida and Andy Stables or a feature about him, Daniel Folele. Oh yeah, yeah, so he's at Minnesota. He's a project. He's only been playing football for like three and a half weeks. But if he is anything, he's like six
or eight four hundred pounds. If he can get his weight down a little bit, I don't know. That could be they could have a ridiculous freak on their hands. Who knows. So all right, I'm exa stay.
Let me stay in the Midwest here and talk about my final team. This was a crowd favorite last year. It's not so much a team that we didn't talk a lot about. It's a team that we haven't talked much about in the long story ten year history of the Saliver Ball. Last year was really one of the only years that we talked about Iowa State, maybe the only notable exception being when we had Paul Rhodes when he was coach on the program interviewed him one of
her favorite interviews that we've done with the coach. Iowa State won eight and five last year. They won the Liberty Bawl over Memphis in a good game twenty one twenty I want to say, more of a defensive game than perhaps we expected. They were the surprise sort of breakout team of all last year. Matt Campbell, there head football coach, was in his second year, obviously paying very quick short term dividends for the Cyclones since they brought
him over. What I like about Iowa State moving forward is that Kyle Kemp got an extra year of eligibility. Sure, I don't know how old Kyle kempt is, but anytime you win an extra year of eligibility, that usually means you're older than your peers. Kyle Kemp had a good season last year, took over at quarterback for Jacob Park and was it was just someone who came in and was consistent didn't shoot himself in the foot, was able to get the ball to our boy, Duke of his
Ard Alanlizard. They lose him though, right, they lose the Duke Alan Bizard. They still have David Montgomery though year. Yeah, David Montgomery was pretty good. We're down a little bit down the stretch, but still pretty good. They have some returning players along the offensive line, which I think is going to give them some stability. And I think the second half of their schedule is very gettable. Gettable for Iowa State.
Hit me with the second half of their schedule, Texas.
Tech at home, on the road at Kansas, Baylor at home at Texas, which is a tough game, sure, but who knows what you're gonna get out of Texas anymore? And then back home against k State getible gettable.
That's fine. I mean, we're talking about a team that beat Oklahoma and Baker Mayfield last year.
That's right. The first half of the schedule scares me a little bit more. I think maybe there's a feeling out process till this team tries to adapt to losing guys like Duke of Fizzard, Alam Wizart. You go on the road at Iowa, I always got a pretty good quarterback in Nate Stanley. Early season. Who knows what you're going to get there early September, even though you're home against Oklahoma the following week, you're still playing Oklahoma. It's a tough game. Sure, you also got to go on
the road to TCU on the road to Oklahoma. State also got a game against West Virginia with Will Greer coming back. So I think that's demonstrably tougher than the back part of that schedule. But it's getable. Yeah, it's gettable. Second half of that schedule is gettable. I'm concerned that they lose Alan Wizard. It feels like the meat of that wide receiving corps is gone. New guys are gonna have to step up. They probably will, just don't know
who yet. And they need to get some sort of answer at linebacker because the Big Twelve is by and large and offensive conference, and they're gonna lose Joel Lanning. They're gonna lose other pieces around Joel Lanning. I'm curious to see how that position group shakes out. And even though I mentioned earlier that they've got some guys coming back along the offensive line, they lose their two best guys in Jake Campos and Robbie Garcia, So it's just a lot of unknowns for me to start the season.
For Iowa State. I feel much better about the second half of that schedule. They'll probably be fine the full year through because they've got Kyle camp running the offense and that's gonna go a long way. But still feeling out to mystic about Iowa State. Maybe not as optimistic as I was towards the latter half of the year last year when we're talking about realistically a team that could somehow win the Big Twelve, which is weird for all of us, but Iowa State definitely played the part.
If you told me that I was State went eight and four again, I would say that's a rating success and still a big step forward for Matt Campbell.
I think Iowa State finished. I don't have I actually don't even know if I have access to the d analytics that may be associated with my own old work account that golduck. But I remember deep into the season Iowa State was leading the Big Twelve in points allowed or like points per drive.
It was a defensive showing. Yeah, very much led by their defense last year.
And one of my favorite things as somebody who watched a lot of Iowa State last year, but not closely
because other games were happening at the same time. But one of my favorite things, and people have written about it these past couple weeks is Iowa State basically at some point early on in this season, against obviously Big two twelve competition, they just said screw it, running like a base dime, but not just a base dime, like a three two six, and they played I want to say, because what's his name, Jacob Park was suspended for the Texas game or no, he wasn't suspended. He played in
that game, but he wasn't particularly good. It was after that game I think he got suspended and they completely shut down what turned out to be an only okay or pretty good Texas offense, but they did it running this crazy dime package where they were just sending six DB's everywhere. And apparently after that happened, Todd Orlando, defense coordinator of Texas, like went back and watched the tape
and was like, what the hell was that? And then Texas and like other Big twelve teams started running this crazy three to two six that got more speed on the field. And if you had defensive tackles like Texas did, like Puna Ford, who could hold up and hold the line a little bit. You have all this speed running around, you have to have specific talent to it. But that was Iowa State. That was Iowa State's defense. I think the defensive cour is Joe Haycock whatever however you pronounced
that last name. Iowa State was super fun and creative and that's why they turned so many teams over so many times. And to you what you just finished your analysis with, if they even make a bowl game this year, yeah, for the second consecutive year. If they make a bowl game. What's your favorite restaurant in the greater Allentown, Bethlehem whatever area?
Probably either White Orchids, a Thai restaurant, or.
You get some of that tom Kas soup.
Mexican place called Cactus Blue.
That's your number one. I've been there.
Yeah.
Would you be willing to wager a you know, a full meal, not just an entree but appetizer, entrede is or whatever, a side dish for the table? Would you wager that on Matt Campbell returning to Ames if they go to another bowl game this year?
No? God, Yeah, what sucks.
I wouldn't bet anything on that. Yeah. I don't know where he's he'd end up obviously, you know he is in the Midwest and there are a number of huge programs there. But man, what a story. Matt Campbell is a he's a processed guy too. He must love the Sixers. Yeah, he just loves the process and he has done a remarkable job.
I would not bet anything on that, Dan, Okay, just making sure I would not bet anything on that.
Okay, let's finish up with I mean, you mentioned a lot of Kyle Kempton his breakthrough year. I'm gonna mention the Wolford Wagon, who is not back unfortunately by Wake Forest. Wake Forest in the ACC in twenty seventeen. This is what they did. They go what seven and five and then they win the Bowl game over text A and M and the crazy shootout. So Dave Clawson's four years in Wake three and nine, three and nine, six and six,
seven and five. So the line on the graph, the line of best fit, whatever the line graph we're looking at, going the preferred direction. Last year, they beat Louisville, they beat NC State, they beat A and M. They're passed away from beating Florida State, they mount a somewhat impressive
comeback against Notre Dame. I know that game was sort of over, but they still scored points against a good Notre Dame defense couldn't really run, but the Wolford wagon was to this day, I feel like we do not talk about the Wolford wagon enough John Wolford and his evolution for Wake last year, and I don't know how good Kendall Hinton is going to be. I think his spring game was a little disappointing, but they have the receivers.
The defense was okay to sub okay, but the ACC is in an interesting place right now that I am confident that Wake, if nothing else, can be a little bit northwestern e or they don't screw up too much. They have an efficient quarterback of Kendall Hinton works out that they can just survive games and weather A's schedule to the point. And I don't have their schedule in front of me this year, but I am confident that Wake is a perennial Bowl team under Dave Clawson for
as long as he's there. Interesting because I think they're well coached. I think he's going to keep people in Winston Salem. The quarterback development has been there, and you should be able to recruit to Wake. Not on a high level, but you should be able to give in the location. This is not a desert of talent in North just both of the Carolinas. There should be enough
at WAKE. And I know Florida State's obviously going to improve from where they were last year, but there are enough teams with sizeable enough questions that if Dave Clawson is able to get even above average quarterback play from whoever's under center, that they should be pretty good.
The Wolford Wagon was a site to behold a year ago, and it's exciting to see a program like WAKE that has had trouble.
Punching bag total punching bag.
Over the last decade. It's exciting to see them go out there and can pete. And when I say compete, I mean it truly go out there and compete.
Yeah, basically, the Notre Dame game wasn't great, but they even they still acquitted themselves nicely.
They quitted themselves nicely. So there you go. Are ten teams here that we discussed today.
And nobody leaked their plays tie and nobody leaked their plays as far as we know. Amazing How that helps.
Arkansas, North Carolina, Utah, Northwestern and Iowa State for me, and k State, cal Minnesota, South Carolina and Wake Forest for you. Yes, ten teams budding potential.
I am a big believer. Tie to bring this bow back around. That's little little grease in their hair. Button up the shirts, put on some new shoes and just say screw it. I'm gonna talk to my crush across the dance floor. Good things will.
Happen, good things, good Juju right here? Oh?
Can I ask you one final question? And I promise we won't spend a lot of time on this.
Please.
It's the off season. We can do whatever we want.
Got What do you got for me?
Do you have Amazon Prime Video? Yes? Have you watched any of Michigan?
No? Yet?
Do you know what I'm talking about? I do? Yeah, Okay, so Michigan If you don't know what I'm talking about, Michigan is the subject of all or Nothing, which is I think the Hard Knocks crew. If you watch Hard Knocks and HBO with an NFL team, Last year it was with the Rams. They follow them the entire season. This year it's Michigan football. When I say this year, I mean the twenty seventeen season is airing now. It's on Amazon Prime Video. It's like a behind the scenes
is any good? It's really good Jody with and I doesn't love reliving some of the moments from last year. There is so I'm We're three episodes in. It's a lot of harbor understandably, right, there is something super illuminating that I just don't think I considered. Jim Harbaugh is definitely more human than he portrays himself, but there is
something that is very awkward. And it's not his faults about him trying to get to know and be a human around his players, okay, because he has eighty five players plus however many walk ons, and he goes to the when Tarik Black hurts his foot, he goes to the hospital and he's just he's an awkward because you just can't know everybody, right, but you have this responsibility.
So he's just like this very awkward dad around. Like he goes into like a walk On's dorm and like the walk On's like, yeah, I'm Keith, Like it's just like he's never met the coach obviously, but it's it's a really good look. And Rashaan Gary is great and his mom might be the MVP of the early episodes. Rashan Gary's mom is great. She at one point, like before maybe the Cincinnati game, Cincinnati, the air Force game, she tells Rashaan Gary, star defensive lineman for the Wolverines,
bring me that quarterback ass it was. She's wonderful and like Rashon Gary's awesome. He's like a four to zero student. Like it's I'm not a Michigan fan, but I love these behind the scenes shows and I think it's worth checking out.
All Right, we'll good to know. Personal recommendation.
Yes, I like it. So far, so good, and you get to if you don't like Michigan, you get to watch Michigan lose a bunch, so get.
To watch them lose. Yeah, all right, well, fun show, got to talk about some teams we don't always talk about. Appreciate everyone stopping by. As we said at the top of the show, a lot of exciting stuff to come here over the next days and weeks, so keep it tuned into the show. You can also find us out on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram if you'd like more updates about what's going on. My final note is that I'd like to congratulate the winner of our pick a pool, Anthony.
Oh who was it, gentlemen by the name of Anthony. I could have sworn you told me of Villanova won at all? I was incorrect.
Wow, and you were trusted to buy a house with that math?
Yeah?
Not good? Right? All right, Well, congratulations to mom H, which I'm sure it was a good showing.
Mama H won a different basketball pool that she was in good or came in second. I should say glad to hear it. But Anthony one hours are going to send him a shirt. Good on you, sir for winning. Long time listening to the program. We appreciate your participation in support over the years.
This is true.
And that's all I got, Dan, I.
Think that's all I have. I'm going to Atlanta in a couple of weeks now, maybe Nashville after that. All right, let me tell you when you have extra time, Tie, you say yes to travel. I will leave it at that.
For that guy over there, my good friend Dan Rubinstein, for myself, Tie Hildebrand, We'll catch you.
All in a week.
Enjoy your week, Enjoy your weekend. And in the meantime stay solid peace,