Preseason Q&A: Part 1

Welcome to the solid verbal.

I'll 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 Edo State?

Is that? Woo whoom? And then and Tye, welcome back to the solid verbal boys and girls, name is Ty hilde Brand joining me as always mind Dan Rubinstein over there in the NYC, Sir, how goes it?

Not that well?

Ty? What?

It's not that good? I think it's good is what I'm looking for.

No, it's.

I've gotten used to I've gotten accustomed to a certain lifestyle, okay, and that lifestyle is getting great feedback from a live audience when we do this show. Okay, and now I'm just speaking into a wall with soundproofing, and it's not as fun. I don't get to see you, I don't get to sit next to you, I don't get to meet for ballers, I don't get to see people's faces as they continuously ask Nate Stanley questions ironic. So it's just different, Ty, and I'm getting used to it.

Yeah, to that point, Dan, we did do our show in Chicago. That show that we did in Chicago will be released on August the twenty second, So a whip from this evening. A great show, great crowd at the historic Videom Theater in beautiful Chicago, and had a chance to go out meet other folks during the Tenders with Tie segment of the evening. If you listen to the broadcast when we push it out, you'll get to hear

But I thought just an awesome time.

Beautiful weekend in Chicago, and great to meet some ofverballers real quick.

Himmickcane wants to know how many tenders is ty hilden Brandt official did Tilting officially consume?

I believe the answer is two and a half. And can I be honest with you here, Yeah, wasn't too enamored with the tenders, Dan.

They were fine.

They were very dry, extremely dry, and two and a half is all I could all I could force down. How are the tots though that I ordered a lot of tots are very good. We were sitting at a table with some Notre damers and also some others who were at the show, and as I was turning to talk to other people, they were surreptitiously stealing the tots.

That's how that happens. And then I heard difficult.

I caught them and they looked at me as if they were deer in headlights, and I said, that's okay. You could just don't eat them all, because I knew you wanted some too. But of course the tots were very good in a popular attraction at the table.

When you order tots, there is a tot tax that has to be paid, and I don't know if you fall under if you're a progressive taught tax or tie if you're a more conservative fiscal taught tax or I don't know, but there is a toat tax that must be paid when tots appear at tables. Wow, I said that all correctly.

You just came up with that on the flight, didn't you. I did, just Yeah, that was pretty good.

Think about I think about time. There's also fry taxes and taught taxes, whatever, great time in Chicago. As you mentioned, the show will be up next week. Going to be doing more shows. We're going to look into doing some shows maybe at smaller venues, not full on theaters during the season, at bars and places where we can drink with everybody while everybody else is drinking. But certainly just

Awesome, Well, congratulations, sir. I know it's been a long time coming. I know you do good work. Obviously, I've been here for quite some time with you, so I know, yeh elber of what you're doing.

Looking forward to seeing it.

That's great.

Yes. Other housekeeping which is definitely not shouldn't be classified as housekeeping. Tie. So while we were in Chicago, news broke about Maryland. Yeah, and the Maryland program, which, in the wake of an offensive lineman's tragic death a few months ago, Jordan McNair first placed strength and conditioning staff

So yeah, Dan sort of caught us a bit by surprise, but I suppose we're going to have to wait and see what happens here.

Yeah, And I think the most important thing is to react, whether it's media, whether it's fans, whether it's whoever, to react within the context of, Hey, a person died needlessly because of overtraining, because warning signs were not heated or even seen, and people have been quick, not the least of which is Will Muschamp, who understands how this all works, both from a coaching perspective and a media perspective, who was quick to say something sort of smart. We criticized

All right, Well, we'll see what comes of this, Dan, There's no doubt more coming. We heard from Maryland within the last couple of days about the status of its strength coach, and my guess is that we'll be hearing more we'll do our best to try and keep everyone up to date with what's going on, at least as best we can here on the podcast. As for the rest of the content, tonight, we are doing a mega Q and A show, Dan, and by mega I.

Do mean mega Congratulations there it is.

You've got mail.

You've got mail on the solid ruble.

So what we've been trying to do all off season is one of these shows per month. We haven't done one in a while because we've been busy doing conference previews in the light. But now as we've got some open air here where we can really catch our breath and get down to the heart of the matter, we've decided that tonight will be part one of our Q

I guess two three weeks now that sounds reasonable.

So with that being said, Dan, what is our first question? Who's our first caller?

Here?

Let's go to It's always funny looking at the names because we ask on Facebook and then we get people's real names. We ask on Twitter, and sometimes we get people's real names, and then we ask on Reddit and there are no name, no names. So let's start here because I think it's a good question. We some possum. Yeah, okay,

I guess Miami, Well, Miami might qualify here. I don't think I believe in them as a perfect storm team.

But MII Miami is a national championship program.

Yeah.

The only team that I really believe in in the ACC is Clemson at this point.

But that's not a surprise.

Sing.

I'm talking like a perennial nine point two win team suddenly becoming eleven point two.

Yeah, I don't believe in eleven point two? Is my point for Clemson, No for Miami. Oh, okay, that's fine. I have a couple I think in the Big Twelve.

I don't think West Virginia has the defense, even though they qualify under the first like seven to eight win every year kind of team. I'd probably lean into Oklahoma State and TCU.

TCU, I could see. Oklahoma State scares me a little bit.

They're both quarterback de Pennant with Nuke starting quarterbacks this year. I like the experience Oklahoma State has on both sides of the ball. TCU has continuity on both sides. I love their skill talent. Their quarterbacks seems if he's even pretty good, should be pretty plug and play. They've had success against top teams in the conference, perhaps outside of Oklahoma, who they themselves have a new quarterback. So schedule wise, TCU has both Oklahoma schools at home, which it's love.

Was there a Michigan State that we could put in here.

I guess it would be Penn State.

It could be Penn State, could be Michigan State, one of the two.

Penn State has not won a national championship in the modern era, hasn't been really that close. I mean, they've flirted with playoff stuff the past couple of years, but you know, they weren't really in and at the end. But you don't according to the.

Question here, you don't need to have won a national championship. He says, a school who has perennially fielded a good.

Team, good but not great is how I interpreted that. Okay, So I think Penn State could qualify. I like their schedule a good amount. I think they have a bye week between Michigan State and Ohio State. They have Michigan on the road, but they have Wisconsin at home in consecutive weeks, and they have what I consider to be not necessarily a national championship. But that playoff duo of really good quarterback, really good defense, potentially really good defense.

Got a bit of a blow today, which I suppose we could have mentioned at the top. But Ryan Buckle it's retiring due to injury concerns, which is I didn't see that. Yeah, it's going to affect Penn State's depth along the defensive front a bit unexpected and unfortunate. We wish him well, but Penn State's got some holes to plug on that defensive side of the ball. I think they'd be a good answer. I also think Michigan State's a good answer. Michigan State brings so many back.

They've been to the they've at least been to the playoff. Though they've they've made that lead again. You're making up prerequisites here, Dan, I am because I'm interpreting.

I'm saying perfect storm Michigan State. I could feel it this year. That's what I'm interpreting.

It says, who should be looking to surprise us and pop off a few more wins than usual and maybe land themselves in the New York six or excuse New Year six or possible playoff game or the New York six. Michigan State has been to the Rose Bowl a few times recently they've been to the playoff. I'm not I'm excluding your actor can disagree, stricken from the record, even though I'm right.

You're wrong.

That's fine. Where we go? What's name like? One more team, one more team that has been pretty good recently, that could make the lead to very good. I don't know, that's all I mean it. If Stanford has a much better defense than what at least I think they'll have, that would probably Notre Dame could be an answer. Here went to the National championship game six years ago. Again, not a prerequisite in the question. Now my interpretation tie again, I'm right here. This is carrying at the fabric of

You know?

Once they look a little bit shaky, gets pulled, but then the new guy doesn't look great, and so then they're flopping all over the place like fish in the wild. Tie, who is what is the quarterback controversy, not battle, but controversy controversy. Huh.

Yes, Well, I looked at this and my initial thought was the Clemson situation as a whole, because Kelly Bryant started every game last year and got Clemson pretty damn far,

I think that's right, But there is an element to that of Trevor Lawrence being a true freshman. Sure, and so the expectations on Trevor Lawrence, even though they are super high because of the hype he comes in with, there is that element that they're not going to immediately give him a tough to shoulder.

Sure.

My answer, my answer is probably Alabama, and it's an easy answer, but allow me to explain. It's the biggest magnifying glass in college football, coached by the most well known and perhaps most successful college football coach of all time. Dramatically. The stage has already been said dramatically with the National Championship Game transfer rumors, Jalen Hurts saying that you never heard from coaches and he doesn't like necessarily how he

Okay, I could see how you'd make that case. I think he's got whoever the quarterback is more around him. That takes a little bit of pressure off that quarter of situation. So yes, if there's a reason to think it's not Alabama, that could be it Also second consecutive question where the answer could be Notre Dame throwing that out there as well.

No, that's a huge magnifying glass. And Brandon Wimbush the way he ended the season. I know you are throwing a third name after Ian Book into the mix.

I'm not officially throwing Filger Kovic in there. I think you like saying the words filter COVID. You know what I'm proud of myself. I figured out how to say his name a couple months ago, and now I just enjoy injecting him into the conversation, even though I know sure practically speaking, he's not going to be a candidate for that role, at least until halfway through the year.

Ty, Yeah, Dylan wants to know. Yeah, what are Ed and Lisa McCaffrey feeding their children to have four college slash pro football players? Well, how does it look on the Colorado schools that they can't recruit them? Well, obviously the answer is not good on those schools. I listen, it's incredible, and I think it's a lot of this is on the mother. You know, you see these guys who have or these women that have pro athlete parents. A lot of the time it's because both parents are

There have been discussions, but none that I will divulge here.

On the podcast. Do you have an upper number? Would you have more than three?

Oh?

God, no, okay, no, so we're talking one or two? Maybe three?

No, No offense to anybody who's in that category, but that's you're speaking for yourself.

Too rich for my blood. Yeah, I'm on the same page. Probably not more than two. We'll see if I gave us collectively, the host of the solid verbal an over under of zero point five children progeny becoming Division I athletes, not football Convision one athletes. Where is your money?

Probably under it's Kate a good athlete. I'm just gonna say, probably under Dan.

That is the I can tell you right now. Jody with and I is not a good athlete. Yeah, And that's why I brought up the mother element of this.

So if in fact it happens, it's because a hilden Brandt child inherits my defensive specialist jeens as it relates to baseball or my golf swing.

Do you are there any hilden brand Calarusso's formerly Division one athletes. I have one distant cousin who actually played tennis at Maryland, so I have that. I'm trying to think about of any others and I don't believe I do.

Actually, there is a history in the solid Wies family.

Oh, cret Ty. The gene pool while shallow swimmable, very swimmable, indeed, okay, good to know. Yeah, I'd probably put you ahead in that possibility. So this is going to be a twenty to twenty eight year to follow.

Alongst the long con that we're playing here on the podcast this evening.

This year, we're looking to see if cal is elite every week and if certain coaches are sexier than Randy Edsel. The long con is whether or not a hilden Brandt Rubinstein child makes the minor leagues. Here we go, Jeff wants to know, although there's still some time left in camp, the consensus to win the quarterback job at USC as JT. Daniels. Do you think this is a positive or negative for

I don't think it's either a positive or a negative.

For the season.

I don't know is there a reason to look at it one way or the other.

JT. Daniels comes in with a lot of acclaim well that he's so young and with no experience in practice beyond this fall and summer work.

But if he's the guy, if he's got the higher upside, I think it would be more of a longer term positive for USC to go that direction, get him some meaningful experience now and build on that later. USC is going to have a really good team again. But I don't know if we're under any illusions that they're going to win the Pac twelve and go to the playoff, They're gonna go to a bowl game. They'll be just fine. But if JT. Daniels is the starting quarterback, I don't

Yes, and so early reports out of USC are that it's not just that the other quarterbacks aren't good. I haven't really seen anything about that in what limited stuff I've read, it's that J. T. Daniels has been really, really good, which is and should be super encouraging for USC fans, like Jeff has formed a really good bit of chemistry with Get Ready for This one, Tie Aimon Ross Saint Brown, yep eqes little brother's right causing trouble, and that is that should be scary to everybody in

All Right, So we got a random question emailed into us here, not specific, but Dan, what is the worst injury you have ever suffered?

The worst injury I have suffered. I've sprained a couple of ankles playing basketball. The only time I've broken a bone, and I think I've told this story on the show, is when I have the growth plate in my left pinky shattered and it has not grown at the rate it should have since seventh grade.

And that was due to a friend of yours at the time, right.

Due to a friend of mine. I've also when I was like four years old, I jumped head first into a glass coffee table and split my head open. That's probably the answer.

Man, this is a good question here. I've got a bunch of really good ones.

Oh.

I thought this was like leading to an injury question with college football, but I like this. I'll curious about our bodies.

Actually I can't go somewhere with it, but oh, the question here. To answer the question here, I blew out my shoulder twice, needed reconstructive shoulder surgery, so that's probably the winner. But I've done all sorts of crazy stuff in hyper extending elbows and nearly tearing ligaments elsewhere in the body. I guess reconstructive shoulder surgery would probably take the cake.

Care.

Yeah, that's pretty good. I think that's pretty good. I think that wins.

And actually I didn't mean to go here with this, but you know, we've been talking a lot about the athletic.

So smooth over the last couple of weeks. I swear to God, I didn't mean to go here with them, but I know it's just in your bones. It jogged my memory. You're reconstructed bones.

That's right.

We've been talking a lot about the athletic here, and I saw a really fascinating article this week from Seth Emerson, noted Georgia writer about how the process of repairing an ACL has evolved over the course of time. And while the thing was right, yeah, we've talked about it on the show before, right, and we'll I'm sure give out the URL here for how people can jump on in

That's a problem.

But the level of detail in this story talk talking about how they've evolved that process to the point now where recovery is much better now than it used to be. The process itself is so much better than it used to be. That to me was quite illuminating. So I'd encourage everyone to go on out there and check that out from Seth Emerson.

I'm really glad I did not see this in early two thousand and eight after Jeremiah Johnson tour is need Dennis diickxonaur is the like at the ACL because it's amazing and this is you know, even well who was it. It was Adrian Peterson who came back even stronger. And what is incredible is how these guys figure out the rehab element. It's not as much and the surgery I

Yeah.

Theathletic dot Com slash Solidverbal is still the RL where you can get that forty percent off. It'll cost you about two ninety nine a month for your first year. Had a lot of good feedback from the live show from people who have jumped in. Just go to the Athletic dot Com slash Solid Verbal. Jump on in. It's good stuff. You get articles like the one we just discussed, and many Manny Moore from a bunch of friends of the verbal.

You're listening to a college football podcast, which means your media consumption habits are futuristic. That's right, it just makes sense. This is the if you're a college football podcast fan, get it on the Athletic move to the future with us. It's it's just wonderful to ninety nine a month. It's please you're paying how much for Spotify? How much for coffee? Every day? Come on, it's no pull that trigger. You're gonna be glad you did. We'll pause Ty, you and

Oh? Boy?

For some background, we are both fans of preseason top ten teams that are in different conferences. That's good, that's very power couple. Yeah, a little humble brag there from Drew. Our teams have no national rivalry and would only play in a bowl game or the playoffs this year. However, her team is a team that I have historically strongly disliked. So he is dating a noted AIME fan noted noted. To make things more complicated, her best friend is related

So you're assuming that Notre Dame's a preseason top ten team, which is giving?

Are they not? I don't think so. I haven't seen the top. Okay yet, but they want Jim Harbaugh one of Jim Harbaugh's kids. Okay, I think they might be too young. Okay, any advice, ty, this is they're a power couple. I don't understand.

Like, I don't think there's any trouble here at all.

No, there's a good life.

There's definitely like a flirtatious angle for your significant other rooting for a team either that could play yours in the playoff or you know that you've historically hated. You could definitely spin that to your advantage, just in a romantic sense.

I think, yeah, I think this is this is a great situation. Obviously, both teams are good here. You can watch football together. It's great that you share a hobby. Yeah, that you share a passion. And if you do end up playing each other in the playoff or some sort of national championship situation this year, next year, whatever, that's it's great too that that that builds the bonds tie. Yeah, you're not going to have animus like if like, here's

Yeah, I mean it does get pretty heated in here when Notre Dame plays Lee High. But aside Lee High from that, Yeah, but Oregon did play Michigan in the NCAA tournament last year, and Jody loves for Michigan Wolverines. I love my Oregon Ducks. And at one point late in the game it was a close game, Jody said, I'm really nervous.

Hold my hand and I said, no, Wow, I am not supportable in that. I'm not mean. I just said, you know what, we're going to have to rejoin after this tense end. Husband of the Year over there.

Yeah.

Yeah, So what I would say is lean lean into this. There's nothing to worry about. Life is good.

Okay, I agree with that. Where are we going next?

We'll stay on that relative topic. Andrew asked, like forty four questions, We're going to answer a couple of them. Okay, is Jordan Toamu to Amu to AHM a significant downgrade at quarterback from shape Patterson. I'm gonna say no, maybe.

I I that was part of the point that we brought up earlier in the year.

Andrew, we kind of don't know, do we. Jordan to Amu lit up not great teams in the SEC, and that's what they kind of had from Shape Patterson. He wasn't. He was okay, he wasn't. Not that accurate in the egg bowl, you know, losing effort. But I I think he's fine. I think he's more than fine. I don't. I don't see it as a downgrade really at all, if any maybe slightly.

The second part here is is Shaye Patterson going to be an impact player from Michigan, to which I'd say, yes, he will be an impact player. The second part of his two part question is whether or not Shaye Patterson will allow Michigan to take that leap to national type I'll contender, to which I would answer again, I don't know.

I am sitting at the table. I have a place, Matt, I have silverware, I have a nice glass of wine. I have a plate. You don't have my last wine shot on my plate. Okay, sorry, I have iced teak. My plate is empty, and all my appetite is telling me is you gotta get some takes in your belly, all right, and I need you. You're serving me Ti.

The last time I gave a take, I had to wear a Pilgrim outfit at live show.

I don't wow. Okay, so you reveal that. Sorry, I need to just give me your Shape Patterson limited data. Do you envision a situation in which if Shape Patterson is very good, if he has one of the best say twelve, you know, QB ratings in the country or something like that, and it is completing sixty five percent of his passes, that would be very good for Michigan, then they're a title contender.

Yeah.

I agree with that. Thank I'm getting full tie. Oh, belly's getting roundered.

You know, I feel like you and I got a little bit of a little bit of animosity here today, and I kind of like it.

Dan.

The season's about to start, kind of like it. This is what they're going for on the TV nowadays.

Who is this year's Royce Freeman type back? A guy in his third or fourth year that has been well above average for his career, but for some reason doesn't get the national media attention he deserves. I'm going to give such a boring answer and say, Damien Harris. Yeah, because he has been so consistently very good. But aside, we had a really good crop of freshman and red shirt freshman running backs last year. Are there any backs Miles Gaskin? I think is Anhing Miles to stay Miles Gaskin?

I was to say two thousand yards and like twenty two touchdowns something crazy.

I don't think the touchdowns are as important. I think they are important. But two thousand yards gets you to Andre Williams and Andre Williams and I want to stay twenty thirteen played for a BC team that went to a bowl game. Theybe the eight and four or seven and five or something like that. Two thousand is an unignorable number, and I think that's the answer. Yeah, okay, does that makes sense? Sure? Yeah, two thousand. Uh. Next, let's go to Michael wants to know how can we

Probably Boise State and the Troy Trojans baby boyd Trojans yehist Bois State is Oklahoma State, so they can make that big impact early on.

If they're able to beat the Cowboys.

FA, you could be interesting. They've got an early game against Oklahoma.

Yep.

I think FAU is a good at San Diego State has Stanford. Yeah, while on the West Coast and the Mountain West Pac twelve matchup is not going to create as much buzz beating Stanford again two years in a row. San Diego State beating Stanford, and if they are to run the table this year, that I think is cause for concern if you are a power five person intent on keeping attention for a group of five schools down.

And by the way, Josh Hernandez wrote in to ask about the best power five versus group of five games, I think we sort of answered that question.

Killing two week one has a great one. Well, it has a couple you said, FAU Oklahoma. I I don't know if I should go out on a limb. I don't even think it's going out on a limb.

Tie.

Do I even have the sound ready at this point? I don't know if you do. I'm not locking anything up, I'm trapping anything I'm just telling you, I am just if you can picture the eyeball emojis and this non visual medium. Sure, Northern Illinois, Iowa week one just as much as I like Nate Stanley and Iowa oo could be spicy. Nathan wants to know, and I don't think he doesn't specify a year here, So I think we can talk big picture. Will Paul Christ lead Wisconsin to

Take take plate MEA sure, Yeah. I think that Paul Christ is going to be there for a while. So, unlike some other situations that might be a little bit more prone to coaching turnover, I think Wisconsin is somewhat immune to that because Paul Chris is probably stay input so by virtue of that and also them recruiting very well, I'm going to say, over the course of his career, the answer is yes. Hell yeah, the answer is yes, over the course of his career.

I am going to agree, yeah, and this is why, And I think you're right, But I think it needs to be thought of like this. There are going to be years. Nick Saban's not going to be in Tuscaloosa forever.

Now that we've talked about Wisconsin in since I know that there are more Wisconsin questions out there, I want to pivot momentarily to a special guest that we're going to bring on to answer some questions. But before we do, just want to throw this out there. Hiring used to be hard because you have multiple job sites and stacks of resumes that you got to go through perhaps a

Thank you for having me, ty Dan, I appreciate it.

You guys obviously have a great thing going I've heard a lot about it. Got a chance to listen from time to time, and it's awesome to be on.

Everything you guys produce is great. Yeah, man, I've got.

A I've got five podcasts myself from my continued quest to avoid a real job as long as possible.

I'm I'm thirty nine and a half now.

As my daughters would say, so so far, so good. I've got the Ross Tucker Football Podcast is kind of the flagship that's NFL and that's daily once the season starts, and then you know, I kind of have offshoots of that, like Fantasy Feast for fantasy football and even money for gambling. And then the one that's that you guys would would be most interested in, the one that Dan came on recently,

So it's been really, really fun.

It always gives me a leg up, you know, once the NFL season's over and we get into the draft stuff. You know, I've already been talking about these guys for you know, six seven months.

Well, that's one of the things that we've been pretty tuned into here as we've gone through our conference previews, giving people a reason to care. Right, everyone's busy. What are the reasons that you should care about some of these teams? In particular, one of the ones that I know that that Dan and I were pretty jazzed up about was Wisconsin because Wisconsin brings a lot back, and

I am.

And can I just say this, because I know you guys talk about stuff like this.

I freaking love Wisconsin. I mean, yeah, I.

Love everything about those guys in that place. My wife actually got her NBA from Kellogg and Northwestern, and so, you know, one weekend we drove up there to Madison because I just wanted to see what it was like. They've got that main street, that road you know that no cars can go on.

You know, you walk up and down.

It's all kinds of bars drinking spotted cal beer and stuff. Then they even at this ice cream place where it says like nutritional information, It's like, don't ask.

You don't want to know.

This is one hundred percent Wisconsin milk fat ice cream. I mean, it's amazing. Then I don't know if you guys have been there. But their student union okay, is on a lake and the sell and they sell beer and brats. Like zero percent chance I ever would have gone to class even one time if I went to Wisconsin. I love that place. And then I love the way their team plays. You know, I've been studying their offensive line.

Is not easy to do.

And they all almost look like carbon copies of each other. It's amazing. I mean, they're all like six six and a half three hundred and twenty five pounds. It's it's a beautiful thing. I love the way they play football in a world in which everybody seemingly runs very similar offenses. I love like Wisconsin to Stanford. I mean, as a former offensive lineman, those are my teams. Those are my dudes.

He did a really nice job.

Even like watching the Big Ten championship game going against Nick Bosa, he did a really nice job. You know, I don't know if he's quite long enough or quite the athlete that they would want as an ideal left tackle. He might be a guy that the NFL would bump over to right or move into guard, where I think he would excel.

But he's he was good enough to me with his feet and hands.

But I would start him at left tackle, and I would give him that opportunity because I think he could do it on the other side.

David Edwards, the big red shirt junior.

He's kind of a right tackle all the way or maybe even get bumped inside despite how tall he is.

He's not as athletic as Deeter was.

He was a little bit stiffer, but still kind of your classic Wisconsin guy. All these guys were pretty good finishers. They all have real good pop in the run game and great size.

Obviously. My favorite one, though, is bo Ben.

Schwazzle or however you say his last name. First of all, I love the guy. I mean I love last names like that, So I don't even know if Ben Schwazzle's the way, but I love that, and that dude is a total badass. Like watching him, he plays the way I tried to play, and the way I wanted to play. I mean he's out there now. He's playing guard. He's playing right guard rather than tackle. So usually you think, okay, he's maybe not going to be as athletic as the tackles.

He's the one out there. He's really trying to do guys.

I mean, he's really trying to physically punish guys, which I appreciate because you know, blocking people is not really fun. Trying to kill dudes? Is that's what's enjoyable?

What let me ask you this though, what is the what is the secret sauce? What is the situation with Wisconsin where year over a year you can say Wisconsin should have a good offensive line and it's true sight unseen. How do you develop that reputation? Is it just because they keep putting guys in the pros where you know that sort of begets more high school offensive lineman, top

So it actually goes all the way back to Barry Alvarez because I've asked people about this and when he I think he was like the decoordinator at nerd A maybe when he got the Wisconsin job. And when he got the Wisconsin job, he asked a bunch of people. He's like, Okay, what do we have in Wisconsin? Like what like?

What what do we have in our own state?

And he basically was told, Okay, you don't have a lot of speed, you don't have a lot of skill, guys, but we've got really really big people.

And he looked at that and said, Okay, that's what we're going to be.

Everybody else is kind of starting to spread things out and you know, get the.

Ball, throw the ball a lot.

What we have in our state is big people and we're going to use that to advantage.

So it started with that.

It started with getting really big people, and then they got the run game, going and they just majored. That mean, I've taught the guys that played there, their practices were a blood bath. I mean they would just go inside, run like thirty plays in a row. The time they got the games, it was easy. And they had run those plays so many times that they were like a machine and they had a lot of success doing it. So then it became the second part of what you said, Dan, which is success, beget success.

Then you start to have guys going high in the draft.

You know, you can go back to Chris McIntosh and Aaron Gibson to you know, obviously Travis Frederick more recently Joe Thoms. So it's kind of like, I don't want to call it necessarily O line, you but it's about as close as they have. So now if you're an offensive lineman, that's a cool place to go. That's a place where you want to go. It's a pro style system, even though they run the ball a lot, it's pro

Lineman gets, you know. I mean, it's just it's cool to be.

An O lineman there, So I think I think that's a big reason why they go there. Plus, pass blocking is not fun like coming off the ball. Like you know, I didn't eat all that food to get to be three hundred and twenty five pounds to be passive. I did it because I wanted to be aggressive and I wanted to knock human beings backwards and down on the ground.

And a wisconsinent they let you do that. Ross.

We'll get you out of here on this. Let's talk more about again why people should care about this coming football season. I know you're pretty attuned to all things Big Ten. Give me two guys in the Big Ten conference that you are excited to watch and our listeners should care about.

So I'll give you one for sure, And everybody already knows about him, so it's not like it's a secret. But I'm gonna go with Tracey McSorley. Okay, the quarterback at Penn State. Guys, it feels like it's been thirty games in a row or I can't tell if he's lucky or just good.

But whatever keeps working, it is working, man.

I mean when he first the thing it's crazy about it is he got the job after like the most prototypical franchised quarterback looking dude you've ever seen in Christian Hackenberg.

Right, we don't say his name on this podcast anymore.

And then in comes Tracey McSorley, who I remember watching his high school video and I thought he would be pretty good.

I believely liked it.

I thought he had a better arm than he got credit for, and I thought we were coming into this age where height was not as important. But his video like he could have been a big time college safety. I think watching him in high school in northern Virginia, you know where the Redskins practice, That's where he's from, Ashbourne, Virginia. He has been so good and so clutch and somehow so durable for Penn State. You know, it's very rare even when they've lost games, that he's been the reason

But I just he might not be a.

Great pro prospect, and I still think he's gonna end up sticking in the NFL. But I think we need to do a better job of appreciating fantastic college football players like Trace McSorley and not getting all caught up in the fact that, you know, maybe he's not gonna go ahead and be an NFL star. Although you know what, what were people saying about Baker Mayfield at this time.

Like he is a rare bird, but his motor's.

Not always running and he still hasn't really figured it out, you know, like you can't just have one move, you have to have counter moved. You have to watch the tape and know how to set up offensive lineman. So he's unique to watch just because he's a freak athlete that hasn't totally figured out. Meanwhile, on the other side, Chase Winovich, who's a Western Pa guy. He is like a bat at a hell, rows an assortment of moves and is absolutely relentless, but doesn't quite have Gary's size

Good stuff, man, All right, Ross Tucker again, you can find Ross on five different podcasts. He does work for CBS Sports Network. He'll be all over no doubt this football season one more time.

Ross. Where could people find you?

Yeah, well, you know you can always just go to Ross Tucker dot com. That's where all my podcasts are and then we've got the feeds for you for you know, Apple Podcasts or Stitch or whatever whatever app you use, or you can just follow me on Twitter at Ross Tucker NFL because I post all of the stuff there. And we're almost there, fellas. Yeah, stuff better, we are almost there.

Good stuff man. Great to have you on the podcast. We'll have to, uh have to have you back sometime soon, all right.

I would love to.

And I gotta get tied get you on the College Draft podcast sometime as well. We're gonna talk some uh, we gotta go deep on Pennsylvania stuff.

Let's do it. That's all I want to hear. I just want to. I want to hear you guys rank your favorite Pennsylvania things. That's all I want out of it.

Well, I think Ty's just upset that, you know, reading and Burkes County are now better at football than the Lehigh Valley is ooh wow?

Fight?

Who do you have?

Who?

Who do you have to claim in the Lehigh Valley? Who is your big name?

Are you? Is it? Dan?

What's his name? From Florida State?

Dan Kendaquon Barkley went to Whitehall. I could throw Jim drucken Miller in there from my high school.

Matt Millan Matt Millan's Whitehall as well.

Yeah, Matt Millan, sure on any time you talk Jim Drunken Miller on a college football podcast in twenty eighteen. I think we just got to just find an entire podcast to talk about weird PA things with Ross Tucker and Ty Hildenbrand. There you go. Ross Tucker, thank you for giving us some of your time. We'll talk to you soon.

My pleasure. Thanks for having me guys.

All right, Dan, good stuff. Ross Tucker check him out. Was kind enough to invite us on his podcast. We wanted to do the Home and Home and bring him on ours as well.

I love it. I love nerding out about offensive lineman. That's just we've we've had Jeff Schwartz on. We've had a bunch of scheme stuff on. I love nerding about, nerding out about large people talking about other large people. If that makes sense, it doesn't sound weird, which it probably does. It probably does.

But you know what, here, here's what we do on the Celverbo. Yeah, we cultivate that kind of thinking. We're all about that show here. We celebrate got a bunch of crazy questions here, so many in fact, that we're going to do a two parter here. So whatever we couldn't get to on this first show, we're going to do our best to address on the Sunday show, which is forthcoming. We'll post it in a couple of days. Again, a man if two part Q and a show that we're going to try and you know, use to help

Buck Hogan, great name. You have ten dollars to see one Power five versus Power five game this season? What game do you go to? And so, what I think he's referring to is the fact that if you go on ESPN dot com, they tell you the get in price for each game, right, and there were a few group of five Power five that I highlighted. But you can get into Duke at Northwestern three dollars three dollars. And let me tell you something. This is early September.

That was going to be my answer. Okay, Now, I don't know where things are headed now given what we discussed at the top of the show, but Minnesota and Maryland were two teams that I was pretty bullish on when we did our Big ten previews, so that was going to be my answer.

Yeah, those teams are both on your pluckiness rankings, so that's not a bad answer. I would go see North Texas at Arkansas for under ten dollars again, group of five school I know, Temple at Maryland. Jeff Collins finished pretty strong there for the owls, and my final one is Wyoming at Missouri under ten dollars. As of right now. Those are the getting prices.

Bargain basement prices right there.

Yeah.

Next question, who will be further along in twenty twenty in terms of winning the Big Ten? West Purdue or Nebraska. My answer, and that comes to us by a tyler. My answer is Nebraska because I am positive their coach will be there in twenty twenty. Are you now, yes, my positive Scott Frost and me the coach of Nebraska in two years.

Yes, I think that's probably a fair bet. I am not positive to your point about Jeff Bram, whether or not he's going to be at Purdue. Also, I think that Nebraska is starting from a much different point than Purdue. They're really trying to rebuild the talent pool in westlof yet in a way that I don't think they quite have to in Nebraska.

Nate wants to know who do you think is the player or team for that matter, most likely to earn the quote in a losing effort Moniker this season? And this is where I editorialize it's either Manny Wilkins or Khalil Tape and they're both in the same state. No, there are other answers I have, but so correct me if I'm wrong Ti, because this is my interpretation of a thing. I don't know if we invented, but we

Right, So Khalil Tate very much carrying on that tradition carrying the torch.

And Tucson, Yes, I would say of the Pac twelve, those are the two teams. McLain Carter I think is going to start a quarterback for Texas Tech. And that's always a pretty good guess about somebody who could put up a bunch of yards in impressive fashion in a losing efforts. I don't know if i'd necessarily have somebody. Maybe Ty Johnson at Maryland.

Ty Johnson could be in there. I mean, I think Drew Locks an obvious answer.

Oh, great answer.

I also think you can make a pretty good case for Will Greer at Well. Yeah, I know you've been down on the West Virginia defense, so I don't know if they're going two and ten, but if the defense goes south, you could see five and seven, six and six with a huge performance all year by Greer, provided he stays.

Healthy, given that he's got David Sills coming back. Wild card to Puma pass Okay, yeah, sure at Louisville with the BVG defense, Yeah yeah, Oh god, I feel pretty good. If Puma pass is good, Juwan pass is good. There's some some pretty striking potential there. Gardner Minshew the presumed starters at State Washington State. I know their defense actually should be pretty good, but I think they're gonna lose a few. I don't think they're making a bowl game

Sure.

That question comes to us from Reddit user lasagna Fiend, whoa.

Ty Yes, we can't do any better than that.

We cannot do better than Lasagna Fiend, and we were going to honor his or her taste in Italian food, and I'm going to ask you this very controversial question. Please, Actually, there's a couple of lasagna questions. I have pro ricatta anti ricotta. I'm pro. I don't think lasagna needs ricada, though I believe that's the authentic way to make it, though it is authentically at least Italian American. That's right. I feel like there's already a good gooiness richness factor without it.

I'm not a I'm not a racata fan on its own, but in lasagna, I think it adds a little bit of necessary texture.

Middle side or corner.

Ah, I usually like side or corner. I like getting I like part of that crusty noodle at the edge.

A.

Corner. All day meat, ground meat or sausage or both. I prefer the ground meat. I think I prefer ground meat as well. Yeah, maybe some kind of like veal pork beef mixture. Yeah, that's right, that seems right to me. A spicy or a regular marin ea regular marinea, regular is right? Yeah, I think regular is right. I think spicy turns it into something that it doesn't necessarily have to be. In distracts. Yeah, do you make your own lasagna or do you just rely on mama age?

I haven't made my own lasagne, But you've never made your own lasagna. I haven't, No, No, but I could. I have Grandma's recipe, and I'm sure I could make that.

I just haven't. No, I haven't.

Okay.

I love lasagna and I have not had it in a long time because you when you commit to lasagna, lasagna, it's essentially the pancakes of Italian food. That seems right stacking you're dents. You're not doing much after no, But but yeah, lasagna is way better than a stack of pank All right.

Well, for that guy over there, my good friend Dan Rubinstein, for myself, Ty Hildebrand, thank you for sending your questions into solid verbal at gmail dot com and Facebook, on Twitter and Instagram, and lord knows wherever else. We've got a whole other show coming your way here on Sunday, where we're gonna pull from the same pool and address