Welcome to the solid verbal hell that for me, I'm a man, I'm forty. I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy. You want to be happy for Dake Edith State. Is that woo woom? And then and Tye.
Welcome back to the Solid Rebel boys and girls. My name is ty hilden Brandt, joining me as always over there beautiful Chicago, Illinois. Dan Rubinstein, sir, how are you.
I'm pretty good. I'm excited to nibble at the bones of the college football off season. I don't juicy wings. I don't know where I'm going with that, but I'm very excited for this episode. There are there's a really nice thematic crossover that we have going on with today
shows that I'm particularly proud of. Yeah, So, as we've mentioned here before, you are turning forty in the fall in the fall, correct fall, late Paul, Thank you, by the way, thank you for reminding me of this simple fact I had forgotten.
Several times so far this year. Thank you for reminding me your true friend.
Of course. Of course, Well, first of all, you don't look forty. You look like you're in your early to mid thirties, like I am. And whoa wa wait early to mid thirties. Yeah, I'm thirty seven, and so that's like in that like mid thirties ish.
Okay, you know alone, I like you, Well, i'll give you mid thirties about early, but mid we can.
Do mid, I know. So I was thinking about it, of course, and thinking about like, forty is a number where like, Okay, you're in your twenties, you're young, year out of college. Thirties you're you're a grown up, for sure, you're a grown up, but the twenties are just kind of in your rear view mirror. You hit forty and the rear view mirror is chipping off, right.
You start we're talking about portfolios once you hit forty, and you're just not when you're twenty five.
Yeah, you're talking ear hair, you're talking having to ice a lot more often after normal activities. And it's okay, we're all going to go through it, you know, us
us younger generations. So what I was thinking about was your progress towards forty and what you have and maybe haven't accomplished, because that is that big number as you enter this fifth decade of life, right, And so what I want to say is you're you're officially like, okay, so my people say you're officially a man when you turn thirteen, But like there is something you can call somebody kind of like boyish in their thirties. I don't
know if you can when you hit forty. Well, this is I wanted, Hey, this is the Mike Gundy thing. It's in our intro. I'm a man forty, So this is this is your official time. It's vah this year it's happening. And so I wanted to review teams that are definitely young adults. But are they men? I don't think so yet, and I don't know there's a certain thresho and it's to me, a double digit win program is an adult program. In this case, we say I'm a man, I'm forty because it's Mike Gundhy, So what
we'll go with a man instead of a woman. But you know what I'm saying here, sure that there are programs that have grown up, but are they fully realized? Are they fully hitting their potential as often as they should be? I thought about this about thirty seconds before the show. Are they Saturday Sundays? So what I'm saying there, that's Sundays with an e We all strive to make an enjoy ice cream, but those special bulls tie have what chocolate syrup or hot fudge, whipped cream, peanuts cherry
on top. That's what we're angling for. And you know, maybe it's just the hot fudge, but there are those four elements that maybe take you from eight wins to twelve wins. I'm going to say this show's theme is taking a look at five teams who I feel like are on the precipice of becoming I'm a man, I'm forty, like you, on the precipice of a double digit win ish program, but there's still some work to do to
earn that hot fudge, peanuts, whip cream, cherry. So I want to take a look at those five teams with you, one from each power conference, and figure out why they haven't been and if they could be that Saturday Sunday. I'm a Man, I'm forty. Does that make any sense? Sure?
Also a theme for this show are the two links that you send me, one of which is titled forty things to Do when you turn forty and another that says health checklists for men in their forties. I did one to zero in on number five on the things to do list, which is make a will. That's where we're going with this, make a will, get your first colonoscopy. Yeah yeah, good, indulge in one of your sex fantasies. I mean this is this runs the gamut here.
I mean it can be as many as you want. Are the other news items you wanted to get to? Are there housekeeping items you wanted to get to. We're doing an off topic show with our friend Bill Barnwell of ESPN about nineties kids sports movies that'll be released Friday morning to our verballers at verbalers dot com, our our Patreon patrons. That's right.
You can also go to newsletter dot Soliverbal dot com. I am steering hard into the newsletter angle this year. I don't know if you love it. If yeah, but the newsletter of ten is getting a bit of a makeover, and we're going to steer into that because newsletters, like podcasting are having a bit of a re birth during the pandemic.
So that's true.
I am always open to ways to try and add value to people's everyday lives. And uh yeah, so newsletter dot Soliverbal dot com if you are interested in partaking in the fun. If you haven't already, we're going to be revitalizing or offering in that department.
Yeah, not a lot of news, and that's I think worthy of the sound effect. It's, you know, more transfers some coming. I know the dead period ends, so we'll get some visits and more quote unquote normal recruiting happening across the sport, but nothing too enormous to me has been happening across the sport. I saw ESPN released like, what is it FPI, their Power into Power Index. Yeah, some sort of combination of returning starts and production and
I don't know what else they include. They're kind of opaque. Can I give a pro tip on the FPI? Please?
A pro tip on the FPI. So a lot of people will ask, we've had it on like some of the live stuff that we've done. How much would X be favored over? Why get that all the time?
Right?
An easy way just as a guide. It's by no means a tried and true way to get the exact number. But if you're just like interested in that sort of thing, go to the FPI. Look at the total ranking for both teams and subtract one from the other. And that's that's basically how you get a neutral field point spread protect we'll pro tip.
I also saw that you and Boston College are aligned with your new Balance associations.
Dan, I'm wearing Air Jordans right now. I've evolved into my is that true?
You are? Which ones? I don't know the ones that I sent you months ago? I think you. I think you sent me the ones. They're really nice. Good job.
You actually may have ones that look like this. I don't, but no, these are I'm wearing Air Jordans. The New Balances have been relegated to mowing the lawn and now entirely grass themed. Should we get into our five teams on the precipice of becoming Saturday Sundays.
I would love to.
Don't forget to tell all your friends to follow along on social media, to follow along on the podcasting app of their choosing, and as Dan said, go on out to verballers dot com. We are doing the nineties sports movies for kids with Bill Barnwell. It will be available again only to our patriot On subscribers. There will be a video version that is available to some of you as well. I'm very excited about this show.
Yeah, hornier than I remember the nineties kids sports movies. And I'm not even joking around about that, Like there are more references to adult themes in them than I immediately remembered.
Night nurses from Jersey. Are we going there with nurses from Jersey? Absolutely? Why don't we start with Iowa? Dan m Okay. So in twenty nineteen, Iowa went ten and three. They had the Big Bowl win over US see the resounding Bowl win over USC. This past year in the COVID shortened season, played eight games, went six and two. The defense has remained stout over the years, certainly over
the last two years. Explosiveness, though, has remained poor. And my guess is that we're gonna We're gonna talk a little bit more about this as it relates to Iowa maturing into that fully formed threat to win the Big Ten. The offense did improve marginally in twenty two, but my eye is trained on that explosivity number, which I know
we have come to know and love. The only other tidbit here that I'll offer just looking forward, is that the schedule in twenty twenty one actually looks fairly workable. It's not a bruiser of a schedule. They do obviously of Iowa State and the non con They've got Penn State as one of their cross divisional games, big matchup against Iowa. But it's as big ten schedules go, it's it's fairly workable. So when you looked at Iowa, what
was the first thing that jumped out to you? What is their next step?
So I rewatched. So what I did is I went back and watched the five games involving these teams that seem like we could have if one of those teams.
So if any of these five teams won the game, that we might be looking at this team differently in terms of hype coming into this year or and so i was a little bit different than these other programs in that they've won double digit games relatively recently, if you include the Bowl game against you USC recently than they won it that year, but they went nine to three in the regular season. I tend to look at
these things as a regular season thing. So I rewatched and scrub through the Northwestern game from last year, a game that Iowa essentially gave away because Spencer Peatris couldn't Petrus Petros Petris Petress, couldn't stop throwing interceptions. He was inaccurate, and he was At one point the announcer called his continued throwing style hot and high hot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, reminiscent of that. And so ultimately, over the course of
the season, I was defense was sensational. Iowa's offense was more creative, especially on the ground, but they lose their top two receivers, notably Ism and I don't know if we saw a ton in terms of the Hawks evolving going downfield successfully and more creatively in the passing game. It was a lot of what I like to think of as pickleball ball, where it's just real tight, twelve yard fields at a time. And do you play pickleball? Do you know what pickleball is? I know what pickleball is.
I've never played, though, I'm about to start playing paddle tennis paddle that is different but similar. Yeah, different different ball, different racket, different rules.
But yeah, okay, we're going to we may need to come back to this because I need to learn more about pickleball, but anyway, continue.
It's popular with older people, so I think you really do need to dig in Thank You a little bit more of that. Iowa is interesting because the offense when it's at its best, relies on an ethos of serving its defense, but also efficient passing. I mean, the running game hasn't been there over all these last few years,
but there's no reason to. It's just what I'm trying to say is it's a smaller margin for air when you don't have that explosivity which Bill c talks about in terms of the team that wins the explosivity battle, generating and preventing wins more games than any other metric could dictate, even more than turnover margin. And so IOWA was fantastic at stopping those big plays. But until they
fully shed that offensive I guess timidity. I mean, it's it's hard when you have a reputation for not developing explosive players on offense, but they need to continue going down that creative path. And with the Big ten where it is right now, with essentially a power as it stands in the off season of twenty twenty one, games are winnable for IOWA and there's no there's no real reason beyond I think the accuracy and ability in the downfield passing game. I mean that the Northwestern game was
so ugly. They were up early, they were taking advantage of short fields. They I mean, the second half was just a complete nightmare for the Iowa offense. And it was early on in the season. But it's not like we saw this offense suddenly come to life in the back half of their schedule. So I am hopeful that they can evolve, but I don't know that this is the quarterback to lead that way.
And so me as the elder statesman of this show, hearing this analysis, Dan, and looking at this list again forty things to do when you turn forty, I've been evaluating through the course of your analysis what Iowa may need to do, per this list, if they want to take that next step and if they want to be a man and be forty. Does that make sense correct?
Number eighteen update your wardrobe. Okay, update your wardrobe feels like a good step here for Iowa, especially on offense, because a lot of this program we want to remain intact. We want to keep the defense intact. You know, we've made fun of Kirk Farns before because he's kind of boring and he's been there forever. But He's also built something that's very very sustainable. It's a sturdy program and it's done well. It's done very well. Over Is that
not what you were mentioning before? That, like indulge a fantasy. Indulge a fantasy that might be a you sort of have a successful workmanlike experience in the bedroom, but it's time to zazz it up a little bit, right, So I mean we could go we could go sex fantasy.
Sure, we could go spice up your.
Marriage, which I don't that no one ever has like a real good answer for what that means.
I mean, how much time do you have?
Or thank you? Or I feel like update your wardrobe. It's got it's conservative enough that it fits the program, but at the same time it conveys the point what askman dot com says is as you enter the next phase of adulthood, you may want to reconsider how you dress for the part. Forty is a great time to reinvent your style, Dan, something a little bit more like that,
a little bit more age appropriate. No one's saying you have to retire all your torn concert ta ease, but as a forty something, you want to make sure you have some good options for business, casual and formal events too.
So I feel like we.
Want I want to get more of those cutoff T shirts, want them to be a little bit edgy shirts. Maybe they'd be wearing khakis a little bit too much over the last couple of years.
We do want to zazz it up a little bit by updating that wardrobe. Do you agree? Okay, yeah, yeah, I think that's fine. Do you have items that you are looking to check off in terms of wardrobe updating?
You know what, I actually made a rather large clothing purchase look at you before the pandemic, okay, before the pandemic.
Was there a theme to it at the time.
It was work attire, just like updating the work attire, because okay, I just I don't buy clothes that often, and so I updated the work attire. And I haven't taken any of it out of the packaging.
I have it at tear.
I could count on one hand the number of times in the last year I've worn a collared shirt.
Yeah. I decided a couple of years ago to invest more in premium ath leisure really the same joggers and stuff like that as Yeah, and then I really and this it just hasn't come to pass. And I again, I'm nowhere near forty in the way that you are, but I really wanted to. I have a couple of items like the like button down, short sleeve shirts with prints like little pineapples and stuff like that. Not full Hawaiian, but just you know, colorful prints, not full Andy Reid. No, no, no, no,
absolutely not. I'll get there eventually, right, but no, not that. Okay, So update your wardrobe. I think that's appropriate. Next team, What do you want a wardrobe?
Is the advice for IOWA to get to the next stage.
Why don't we go to Auburn? Dan Auburn?
Auburn could be a really interesting discussion here. So nine and four, two years ago, six and five, this past yere parted ways with Gus Melson, brought in Brian Harson. That's the obvious headline. Both offense and defense in twenty twenty took a mark riginal step back. It wasn't a horror show, but it was a marginal step back. And I feel like, especially an offense, there was just this air of inconsistency. That's what has plagued Gus malson what had plegged Gus mails on in the last few years
of his tenure at Auburn. The explosiveness in particular has been really bad for two years running. And if you look at things that ultimately are like antithetical to the gust Malson brand.
We think of Gus Malson, we think.
Of like what you did with Cam Newton, we think of the Nick Marshall year, like this is not necessarily an offense that I've come to know as lacking explosivity.
It's it's a good times of Jared Stidham. Yeah, there were some fun Yeah.
So it's it's supposed to be an explosive offense that zags, as you like to say, and canes teams off guard with its ability to do different things. We just didn't see enough of that. Now we could go into detail here on why that didn't happen, whether it was bone, whether it was any number of different things. But they're obviously moving on from Miles On. They're going to Brian Harson. I guess the question that we can ask is what
does this transition mean. It also means the arrival of Derek Mason, who was let go by Vanderbilt to come down and now run the defense. For the Auburn Tigers, Mike Bobo running their offense.
It was, yeah, he was going to be retained in Columbia, but yeah he got seduced away from South Carolina to Auburn.
Seduced away. So this is very much a program in transition, maybe a bit of a midlife crisis here.
What say you?
I know you watch some of your Auburn Auburn clips.
What do you think? So? I rewatched the Auburn A and M game, which was fun and strange and honestly there for the taking for Auburn. I don't know if that saves his job. I know that there were stories that after the South Carolina loss it was basically all but a done deal for gusmels On and moving in a new direction. But Auburn's interesting. So they're replacing their receivers,
they're they're changing things up on defense. After a really impressive stretch with Kevin Steele running the show, he's gone and as you mentioned, Derek Mason taking over and shifting a little bit in terms of scheme. I believe. So to me, what jumped out about that game and where Auburn needs to be and where they aren't is I just think they need a better quarterback, Like that's the starting point in the you know, the Mic Bobo system for as good it's as it's been at certain places,
but not every place. If bo Nix is not able to consistently throw on platform, to take a snap and make a read and step into a throw in the pocket, he's able to make plays. He made incredible plays in that A and M game, especially with his feet. But I just if we're talking about Auburn as a more consistent double digit win threat, they there needs somebody that you can count on at quarterback to be like a consistent B plus or they need that high ceiling dude.
And maybe it's d Davis, the freshman who set all sorts of records at Texas. He's a shorter dude, like five ten, five eleven, but I think he has an electricity to him that's pretty intriguing for the future, depending on if he's a good fit with whatever Auburn is running on. Offense. Of course, Brian Harson has his own offensive background, but I don't know the defense took a step back offensively. They're going to be relying on a number of new skill guys. But Auburn should always recruit
well enough, but it's very difficult to see. And now Texa and m has a very good defense, but that game was absolutely there for the taking, and there were just far too many mistakes and three and outs and miscalculations and missed receivers to feel like bow Nicks. Hope I'm wrong. Always hope I'm wrong with stuff like this because I'm always uncomfortable or I've become more uncomfortable criticizing college kids. But it doesn't seem like he's a double digit win answer at this junction.
Okay, So there are several themes I think emerging here again as the elder statesmen looking at this handy list from askman dot com, which I will link up for anyone interested. It's prepaucous, but there are several themes.
I think.
The one that is shining through the most is one of self awareness. Sure, one of self awareness. So there are a couple of different angles that we could go here in our advice to Auburn to get them in nineteen mentor somebody mentor somebody number seven get a colonoscopy, Okay, like just you know, just suck it up, get the picture. Taken and let's really medically assess what's going on here.
Well, I'm very excited to hear what you have to say in terms of comparing a colonoscopy to the Auburn offense. We could do that.
We could go go back at school. Could also go number twenty two. Embrace the change, embrace the change of the moment, steer into the Brian Harrison regime and just go with something new. Also, how about take dancing lessons number twenty nine.
Just to get out of the comfort zone. Get out
of the comfort zone. I'll ask you this then, just because you bring up an internal procedure, go deep inside and look at your gut, feel your gut, and do you see the Brian Harson, Mike Bobo, Derek Mason Bonix and or d Davis and whatever whoever comes after their at quarterback and just the general potential for Auburn given the situation the SEC West, do you think they can win double digit games once every three years, which I imagine does not sound unreasonable to an Auburn program that
has won played for national championships in the last decade, has been in the SEC championship game, has been in major games, is that an expectation that you think is unreasonable for the now Brian Harson Auburn program, ten regular season wins once every three years.
I don't think that's unreasonable at all. Okay, no, I don't think that's unreasonable at all. I think, you know, part of what Harson was good at at Boise was maintaining some general level of stability. He was consistent year in and year out. And I think if you're Auburn, look, Auburn, we've done the thing on this show where we talk about every other year. It's like every other year when you don't think Auburn's going to have a good year, they have a good year. When you think they should,
they don't. So it's been the tale of two Cities to an extent for the Auburn Tigers. If you're Brian Harson coming in, I think you want to try and establish that consistency. Now, maybe it's not ten wins every year, it probably.
Isn't in the SEC.
But if you can, if you can consistently be at like a nine win level and every so often bump up to ten eleven, if you're really lucky, twelve, I think that's entirely in the cards, but we kind of don't know what it's going to look like yet. And it's a difficult SEC schedule as it always is. They've got Penn State in twenty one coming up here in the fall. Second to last week is September. That's going to be a tough road non conference game. So it's
it's just not gonna be easy. And in the short term, I agree with you. I was really high on bow Knicks when he took the reins. He's a legacy. He did have moments in his freshman year, especially where we you know, the stats kind of kind of painted a different picture, but there were there were certainly moments in the.
Early Oregon in Alabama. Yeah, in the.
Early part of bo Nix's career where it was like, this kid's got some intangibles. I tend to agree with you. Now after another season, I'm not sure he's the guy. So I don't know if it's taken dancing lessons, I don't know if it's the full on colonoscopy, two different sides of the spectrum there.
You know, a colonoscopy just is a picture taking procedure. They're not cleaning everything out. I am aware of what it is.
Thank you, Okay, I do appreciate that I am aware, but in some way, shape or form, the move for Auburn is one of self reflection, looking in the mirror and being honest with oneself. And so whether it's hey, I got I gotta stretch my limits, I got to get outside my comfort zone and take dancing lessons, or it's I got this pain in my gut, I got to get this thing checked out. One or the other, they got to do something to just truly evaluate where they're at in life.
I would also add number fourteen, put yourself out there because they're recruiting to be expected with the coaching transition fell off a cliff, and this last class and this next class. Obviously there haven't been guys on campus and camps and spring days and all sorts of things like that, but hasn't started off in a gangbuster's way. And so I'm positive this staff is making things a priority out
on the recruiting trail. But it really needs to be seen in the twenty twenty two class that Auburn just landed, because I think they went from the number seven class to the number twenty class and all things considered, it's a pretty big drop off. So I am going to say put yourself out there, number fourteen and just really really sing the sort of praises of the Auburn brand, whatever that is. Let's go to North Carolina. Dan Okay.
North Carolina led by one Mac Brown seven and six in year one under Mac eight and four. This past season, COVID weird year offense took a huge jump forward, huge jump forward by any measure of the offense was outstanding both through the air and on the ground. On the defensive side, I think we were looking for more of an improvement, Daniel. It did sort of tread water. It wasn't as big of a jump as many were expecting, though they have recruited well on that side of the football.
Defense probably actually got a little bit worse.
Yeah, the defense was fine. I mean they played some tough offenses, but there were stretches there. I mean this you're looking at a program that what they went seven and three within the ACC and they beat like Western Carolina or something, so they had technically had eight wins. So they go eight and four if you include the bowl game loss to Texas A and M. But their losses during the season that were not that they were
going to have a good chance at winning. They were never going to win that Notre Dame game with the way that Notre Dame defense was playing, especially letting Jordan Travis run all over them and letting everybody on the floor.
State offense frustrated by North Carolina on the rewatch, weren't.
You I rewatched the Virginia game and Sam Howell shredded the whose They ran the ball fine, but Sam Howell shredded them all game long and did enough to win that game. The issue is Sam Howell and just mistakes in general, in terms of turnovers and mistakes. It killed
the Heels. It kept them out of the game, and they Sam Howe kept bringing them in and then so you have Sam Howell bringing them to the goal line near halftime in the first half and throwing a bad backwards pass that can't be handled and that ends the half right as they're about to score, and then another fumble in the second half. It's just one of those.
I mean, it was right away in the second half, and it's surrounded by Virginia getting it done right before the end of half and the end of the first half in the beginning of the start of the second half. That's just like God, this is such a winnable game for North Carolina, and yet, and yet, and it was on the road. They snatched what defeat from the jaws of victory. Yeah, that was an eighty I'm seeing let's say,
eighty six percent postgame win expectancy. If you look at the metrics in that game, the computer would figure there's an eighty six percent chance North Carolina wins. They give up forty five in a losing effort, and then that Florida State game, it was just, you know, a nightmare of a first half, and they fixed things in the second half, but they couldn't bring themselves back. So this was the team that was most obviously a double digit
win quality team. They weren't on A and m's level, which A and M is right there on the edge of the playoff. And that's fine in the bowl game, But as we move forward and what North Carolina is replacing its best receivers and best running backs. They've recruited well, and you know, ty Chandler comes in from Tennessee, but it's not obvious as to who is immediately holding up their end of the bargain with Sam Howell. Yeah, I mean at the skill position, So the one at the skill positions. Yeah.
The one caveat I would add here is that despite the fact that there are obvious targets, obvious skill positions that are going to need to be replaced, North Carolina is set up pretty well in the trenches. They do bring back a lot in the front seven, with the exception of Chaz Surrat. So I think this is a team that is set up well. They need to find some of those complimentary pieces as you said.
Yeah, I mean it's going to be guys who can hang with Sam Howell and at least a little bit more havoc on the defensive side of the ball, especially upfront. That's where they they got pushed around a little bit, and so that can make up for a lot of offensive green issues early on. But you know, I mean they've recruited well again, there are guys who can come into their own this fall. I don't have the schedule in front of me, but this is, without a doubt
a team who has shown flashes. And even though I like to call Michael Carter Williams, but Javonte Williams and Michael Carter are gone. It was as complete an offense as we saw, I guess outside of Alabama across college football. So that has me feeling good about the Heels and threatening to become a Saturday Sunday and when you know, ten games every so often or more often than they do now.
So what you're describing to me, again as the elder statesman of this show, I don't know if I've said that before, but what you're describing to me is somebody in there, like mid to late twenties where they've got things going in a good direction, totally not fully matured.
Yet no, not yet a woman, as Britney Spears like to point out the wise profit. Mm hm.
So I'm thinking things around, create a retirement plan, talk to a financial advisor, even things like, you know, don't hold grudges or get serious about dental care dan.
Which number thirty two. Your teeth are.
Slowly rotting away, thank you, AskMen dot Com.
Yeah.
I feel like the message of stability is what we need to try and convey here, because the other fact that you didn't mention is that Sam Howe is going to go pro after this coming season.
He's going to go going to be they've not a QB of the future as well, got a QB of the future Drake May. Yeah, however, Sam Howell call you call.
Lightning in a bottle with him, and not all of those top blue chip recruits work out, right, So my only point here is let's start thinking long term about how we can build this thing. The offense has been fun, the defense needs to get better. What can we do if for mac Brown, if we're really trying to turn this into a fully formed program something of stability, get serious about dental care feels a little more, a little
too morbid. It implies that there is an issue. But maybe we just go like surface level, talk to a financial advisor, like start start getting some stuff together, set up that IRA, make sure that you're make sure that your contributions to the four oh one K are going to the right spot for long term growth.
Yeah, but not too conservative with your investing hull.
When you're young, that's when you want to go risky. You just gotta you gotta go pedal the metal when you're younger. But maybe we're starting to talk about all right, we'll throttle it back a little bit. We'll go into into some you know some investments that are less risky that feel.
That I was the same page. Anything detail oriented on here make a will. So that's crossing t's and dotting eyes or in Wayne's world too lower case jays. It's the reason they lost those games is not because they were out talented or out scheme. They were just outplayed.
And so if they are not fumbling, if they're not muffing punts, if they are not getting beaten by Florida State's second or third string quarterback on the ground and good but not killer running backs, and they obviously showed that they were able to make the adjustment defensively in the second half. But yeah, it's becoming more detail oriented. I don't know if it's on your list, but it's you know, it's raking leaves. I got it, I got it, I got it right here. I found it. Number nine.
Look at number nine by property, by property, that's isn't that the ultimate?
Like I am maturing? Move right there? Sure, when that's paying attention, that's cleaning out your gutters.
Buy property number nine. So our advice.
Buying and maintaining, Yeah.
North Carolina is get out of the rental, get out of the apartment, find something that's going to start working for you.
Build equity as a program. That's it. Man.
Okay, you may not be able to I'm going to read this. You may not be able to afford your dream apartment in your favorite city, but you can probably invest in something that will develop and appreciate nicely over the next few decades. This is what we're talking about here. Not in this market. Time plus you plus you end up with the option to rent out your space and sell it down your line for a tidy I like
these words here, tidy, appreciate nicely, next few decades. We're trying to build this thing for North Carolina number nine by property. That's my advice. Okay, next team, Next team, let's go Oklahoma State. Dan oh would love to Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State eight and five and twenty nineteen, eight and three in twenty twenty. My thing with Oklahoma is that every team every year feels exactly the same.
You mean state, because that's very insulting to call them Oklahoma Oklahoma State.
Excuse me, yeah, please forgive me. Yep, every team every year feels kind of exactly the same.
Wait they bump up against that ceiling. Yeah, I mean every year we are always good, but then they'll have a clunker and a half and lose a game that they shouldn't and they end up nine and three, eight and four.
The really exciting bit for Oklahoma State that has left me actually feeling a bit frustrated is that the defense has improved.
Mm hmm.
It has improved. And whenever you see a defense in the Big twelve that plays at a really high level, that's a competitive advantage at least it should be. The offense, though, has been very inconsistent. And there are various reasons for that. Yeah, various for the nightmare, Yeah, various reasons for that. You know, like this past year there were you know, the Chewba Hubbard thing. Is he playing? Is he not playing? Spencer Sanders was hurt. Yeah, yeah, like there were there were
reasons for it. I'm not saying it's all self inflicted.
It's not.
But despite a lot of promise, it just feels like that offense has not really appreciated, I'll use the word again, in the way that we had expected. The defense has done its part. The offense just feels like just very frustratingly inconsistent in a way that we have not necessarily come to know from a Mike Gundy team, where typically we think Gundy, we think offense first. So I know you went back. I know you looked at Oklahoma State. What did you see, man? They handed the Texas game
to the Horns on a silver platter. They moved the ball so well, they made so many good decisions on offense, and then strip sacks and bad picks and picks run back to give Texas short fields. There was a ninety eight percent win expectancy for Oklahoma State given the metric
advantage that they had over Texas across the board. But Texas made plays on defense, and as we've come to watch, Sam Ellinger, somehow, through a mix of occasional deep balls but mostly slowly developing drag routs, comes back and helps Texas to win this game. Made plays at the end of the game that Spencer Sanders and he was getting beat up at the end of this game as he tried. But it was another instance of just not take I don't know if there's an item here like don't shoot
yourself in the foot. I don't know what that's analogous to. But there was something about Oklahoma State who as a double digit win ish team and program should do they weather a quarterback injury and they're able to survive and advance and win games with was it? Shane Illingworth was the one who ended up taking the majority of Yeah, yeah, Shane Ellingworth, who was fine but obviously had a very young ceiling.
But the offense was able to adapt and win games, which is, as far as I'm concerned, a very positive thing for the Pokes. But the Spencer Sanders element. I know he cut down on the interceptions overall, but the picks that he threw in this game were so backbreaking that I believe in Spencer sanders Is ability and his ceiling more than I do for Bonnicks. But at the same time, there is that seesaw element like you talked about, Like the offense has an amazing year and the defense
falls off a cliff. Then the defense steps up in a big way, and the offense is dealing with injury issues or turnover issues or something like that, and they fall down. And now we're dealing with an Oklahoma State team who is I think still pretty solid at running back if I remember correctly, their room is still pretty deep even without CHEWBA Hubbard, but no more Dylan Stoner, no more Tylan Wallace. So they should be fine at receiver.
They generally seem to and Mike Gundy and his staff and they have one of the better I guess he's now their coordinator, but the receipt of the longtime receivers coach has always done a great job finding and developing talent, so that Oklahoma States, I don't see a reason why they're making that leap to ten wins, but I could see the threat becoming more obvious that they're going nine and three, or they're going eight and four, but they're
only losing games because Baylor has gotten so much better, or TCU finally found a quarterback and they just go back and forth. It's it's easy to see how they could win ten games, but my confidence level is sort of on that similar. Oklahoma State seesaw that offense defense see, so I'm just like, I'm gonna need to see it more often before I believe it.
So this this is a message of not unlike North Carolina, trying to get more consistent, trying to get more stable. Sure, there is an item. There are a couple items again on the as the Elder Statesman on this askman dot Com list.
Right, I think, by the way, in terms of getting to double digit wins, they win because they won their bowl game, so that got them to eight wins, So there's seven to three in the regular season. They lose to TCU, scoring twenty two points in a not great offensive performance. Obviously, they're not competitive in the Bedlam game in Norman, and they eke out a win against Will Howard and Kansas State on the road backup QB. So it's not like the seven regular season wins were crazy impressive,
and it's a strange year for everybody. But I just I want to see a twenty seven touchdowns to six interception year from Spencer Sanders if that is, I mean, that's just it's kind of a hollow stat But if we're in that range, that's telling me that he's playing with a certain degree of confidence that makes me feel good about a ten and two Poke team.
The answer here is number twenty one. Eat healthier, Yeah, eat healthier. We are looking for a cleaner, burning, more efficient version of Oklahoma State.
Yeah, that was really close to what I guess t boone was trying to do, right, wasn't he trying to go wind energy near the end there, I think near the end there. Yeah, yeah, I think I think he was. Here's what this says. This is great.
Everyone knows you're supposed to live healthier as you get older.
The days of.
Smashing cheeseburgers and beer with impunity are over.
Yeah, my Gundy has had to change his ways. Yeah, not all exactly.
Not only is it easier to put on weight now as your metabolism slows, but threats like heart disease and diabetes are more real than ever. So start subbing greens for grease, and hedge your bets. I almost read hedge your farts, which is definitely wrong. Might apply eat healthier. We are looking for a cleaner, more refined, more disciplined, and more consistent Oklahoma, So it's the late night snacking
for Spencer Sanders. That's so tantalizing. That's just gonna mess everything up for the next morning.
Put down the cheetos, Maybe go carrot sticks. Okay, it's all same. I mean you would. I would. I've done it too. Yeah, next team, what do we talk about?
We got one team left here, Dan, Okay, talk about your Arizona State Sun Devils. Yeah, let's talk about the Asu Sun Devils. Also eight and five in twenty nineteen, just two and two in twenty twenty. COVID shortened year, especially so for the PAC twelve mm hm, okay, I am all over the map on Asu. Okay, I really like Jaden Daniels.
I've zoomed in a little bit. I've dropped a pin. You've dropped a pin? Yeah, Like, when you when you're all over the map, don't you drop a pin on like your phone to tell somebody where you are?
You drop the pin or if you're on the computer, or drop the pin and like spin the wheel to really Yeah, well continue, I am all over the map on ASU. I really like Jaden Daniels. I really like Jaden Daniels. I don't know if they figured out a way to put him in a position to succeed. He's had some talent around him that he's been able to utilize, but I feel like his interaction, especially with like his offensive line, hasn't been great.
We saw him run.
More this past year, which was which was both exciting and at the same time kind of like terrifying for his life. Necessary yeah yeah, like and on the defensive side. I feel like sometimes we get a good version of ASU, sometimes we don't like I don't know. Maybe the reason that we're playing this game for at least four of these five teams, Auburn, UNC, Oklahoma State, and now ASU is to figure out how they can get more consistent
and how they can play to a higher level. My opinion of this team, though, is very much clouded by the fact that I like their quarterback.
And I'm just unsure of pretty much everything else. There are a number of things to like about ASU. The secondary was pretty good last year. The skill talent was especially given some of the youth there. I mean a good mix of youth and older guys Lvi Bunkley, Shelton, Johnny Wilson's a huge dude. Frank Darby made plays. But they just had like a nothing season. They lose last second to USC. I didn't rewatch that game because I didn't want to rewatch anybody's first game because it's never
fully indicative of anything. But they lose that game up late and just completely completely fold, and then they're off for a month. ASU is totally snake bitten by the health and safety stuff, and so they get back on the field early December against U a month later, and there were cobwebs. The offensive line was not good and Jaden Daniels, who normally I believe he is not turnover prone. He does not throw a lot of picks. He I think,
had a fumble at the goal line. He lined up under center about to score and there's a botched exchange and UCLA recovers, and then he throws an exceptionally catchable ball. Unfortunately it's true when he overthrows it by about ten feet and throws a pick in the end zone. So the opportunities were there for ASU to go undefeated this year, and big asterisk, that's four and oh for ASU. They end up not playing in a bowl game. But they could have beaten USC quite easily in La. They could
have beaten UCLA in Tempe. They blow out Arizona. They have a nice win against Oregon State, who wasn't fantastic, but Oregon State won the Civil War, that's something. They had a sixty five percent win expectancy in that UCLA twenty five to eighteen loss, and they just which is where they're not moving the ball were too frequent, and then the mistakes when they do move the ball, so they Arizona State is quite close. They need to get better and deeper upfront on both sides of the ball.
Ucla had too many plays pushing around and running over, around and through ASU up front on defense and then on offense. Jaden Daniels was constantly under fire in this game. And the teams we've talked about, Auburn has been pretty good upfront on offense and really good on defense. Iowa, of course, is kind of an NFL factory on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and North Carolina certainly showed a lot of improvement on both sides, so they
got pushed around on defense a bit. That's one of those things where and Oklahoma State looked incredible upfront on defense for stretches last year. It's one of those things where it's hard to see ASU not dropping three games when their lines of scrimmage are not necessarily on the level of the rest of the field, or they're better opponents. So I can see them taking down good teams like they did a couple of years ago against Oregon. But
UCLA was fine, they were interesting, they were intriguing. ASU should have beaten UCLA at home last year. It was right there for the taking, and I imagine a Herm Edwards hyped team. They're basically two minutes from being four and zho. That's so it's it is tantalizing to me, and I understand the ASU hype, but there their big bodies need improvement big bye. So is it a question of cleaning up the sloppiness somewhat? Yeah, they didn't tackle particularly well against UCLA.
Number twenty three. Trim all the extra hair?
Is that?
Is?
That? Is that painting with two broad a brush? Well, Herm definitely did number sixteen reconnect with old friends. He did Tonio Pierce and Marvin Lewis. He did Hugh Jackson take care of your parents? Oh?
I mean Herm is an older gentleman, right, I man, ASU was tough for me. It is tough for me. It's certainly not switch up your career path because I feel like they're on like a decent enough track. It's it's really a question of getting better at some key spots as well as that clean up of the.
Slot sing Did Hugh Jackson not go? Was it just Marvin Lewis? I think Hugh Jackson was going to go to ASU and help out in some way. I don't know if he actually did continue.
So I think I think it's a combination of of a couple things. For starters, I will stick to trim the extra hair. You gotta you gotta clean the sloppiness, I think, oh yeah, especially up front and offense. I mean UCLA had plays where and this is more of a credit to UCLA and their front and creativity where.
I think ASU had obviously their five linemen in and they left their running back in to help out, and so you had a six man wall and UCLA showed pressure on one side and dropped guys back, and UCLA was getting to Jade and Daniels untouched with a four versus six disadvantage, And that's an issue.
I think they like really impressive overloaded sides and stuff like that. But I don't know if it's a Jayden Daniels or if it's an offensive line thing, or it's a communication between the two. But with the game on the line, Jade Daniels was running for his life and just couldn't make place.
It's a combination of Truman the extra hair with number twenty five making amends, Dan making amends. Here's what it says for making amends. And I think this is as the elder statesman. You know, this is something that I think about a lot as I enter the latter stages of my life. Mate, no matter how hard we try, make amends. No matter how hard we try, we all commit wrong doings from time to time.
Dan, Okay.
Often it can be easy to gloss over or hope that they fade into the ether. But now's a good time to make amends for those things you might have said or might have done that never settled right. Not only will you feel unburdened, asu you might just rescue or rekindle an important relationship with winning football.
I added that last part. I like it. Make amends and trim the heir. Number thirty nine. Learn basic survival, which you might need if Dimitric Felton and dtr are going to and what Britain Brown are going to keep running all over you.
Number thirty nine. You're an authority figure now like it or not. People are going to look to you for guidance and reassurance, especially when things go Southn't let them down. Know how to handle yourself. This is where it takes a turn in various survival situations. I thought this was just like medicals.
Is it also what's surviving at the end of the USC game with the lead sh Yeah, surviving a full drive without fumbling on the goal line. Okay, okay, it's a stretch.
Okay, So instead of making amends, since that's a little too deep for this show, yeah, why don't we say we got to do the trimming of the hair thing because that's too funny to us? And then thirty nine learn Basic Survival. It also says learn how to build a fire and a shelter, keep emergency kits in your house and car, know how to perform CPR or fashion
a splint. You're the one they're looking to. I don't know who is looking to ASU in this strange kind of comparison, but learning basic survival, as you said, they were two minutes from four to.
Oh yeah, that fits Dan. I actually liked that one a lot. Thank you very much. Those are our five teams, right, those are the five teams. Yeah, what across anything that you may have read in the literature I sent.
Yeah, thank you for that advice.
Yeah, yeah, the medical checklist and things to accomplish from your forty, and there's a lot of bucket list stuff on there. What makes you either physically or emotionally, mentally whatever, What makes you feel your age the most explicitly? Get your first colonoscopy? Yeah, yeah, I think that does make a will. Scare me, make a will? I mean a will's yeah, I mean you have to. Isn't that a little premature at turning forty? No? No, I think you so.
I think I need to do it more so than you do right now, just because I have potential heirs, clear potential airs. I don't know what kind of thought you've given you You're who's going to be your heir? But like next generation air, not solid wife, Kate. Sure, but I think it's the responsible thing to do to get your affairs in order. It's a crazy violent world. Make an archive of your life so far, number thirty five. WHOA, that's deep.
Hell, man, Chances are there's a ton of documentation about your life scattered throughout the real.
And online world. That's that's for sure. Let's go through each one of these real quick. I just want to know where you're at. Okay, there's forty of them, not all of you. Yeah, well, just real quick. Let's I know you don't have time, You've got We've got five minutes. We got five minutes. All right, celebrate? Are you? Are you grateful? Do you celebrate? Are you you know? Are you prone to celebration? Prone to celebration? Yeah, you will need a good life.
I'm not prone to celebration, but I'm not I'm not against I I believe we all need to celebrate a little bit more.
Well. Will you have a fortieth birthday party with friends and family? Will you go all out and let them shower you with happiness? It depends on what that means. If anyone is putting stuff in my yard, I will kill them. Okay, we'll murder them in cold blood. Otherwise I'm fine with it. Go on an adventure. I'm okay with this. Like, Okay, what what sort of adventure or vacation or trip? Sounds like the most out of your comfort zone? No? Like, do you want to go climb
a mountain? Do you want to take surfing lessons in Costa Rica?
No? I just let's like, let's go to Europe. That'd be fun.
Okay, that's a big place. TI. We're gonna need to be specific and we need to be specific about activities. I'm like, do you want to climb the Matterhorn? No? I don't care about climbing. I hate heights. You know me, You've been on a plane. Hate heights. What about some sort of water adventure? I like boats. I'm cool with boats. Would you go like, like serious whitewater rafting? No, I don't like boats that much. No, Oh, it's fun ty, No, I'm sure, but I'm I think that's a good one
for you. White water rafting, yeah, I don't. Maybe you can do it in Pennsylvania. I don't know, but I think you got to get out west. You can do it. In Canada. You can do it, you know, Arizona, Colorado, somewhere like that. You do in California, Oregon. White water rafting's really fun. And if you get thrown, you're wearing a life jacket and you sort of bob in the water.
It's great. I don't know how I feel about this.
I need I need to. I can give up. I don't really hold grudges that much, but you are crazy competitive about certain things. I do hold some grudges now that you mentioned Yeah, yeah, okay, we talked about make a Will you haven't made your will yet. You've started a family, and that you've gotten married. That's correct, So you have all sorts of relatives that you didn't before
you got married, so that technically counts. Sure. I did read about genetic material and what happens when you turn forty, so you were sending me this as well. I didn't.
We didn't include this as part of Yeah.
First colonoscope. We talked about this. You just got to do it. I don't think it's a big deal.
This is one of the ones that makes me feel old. You ask it's a big deal. I'm not saying it's a big deal, but I know, let me just do it. Create a new tradition, a chili cookof, a scavenger hunt, a family roast, a country getaway, anything.
I'm okay with new traditions.
This is this is like doing the college football playoff on New Year's Eve, Like they tried it and it didn't work. But I feel like I could do a.
Better job by property. You've already done that. Stop worrying about what other people think. I've gotten better with this.
I think just through the course of doing like our show here, I don't I definitely don't care as much about like when Michigan people write in and bitch about something I said.
Eleven. Indulge a sex fantasy. Don't go to your grave with a bunch of unfulfilled fantasies. Instead, find a few that are feasible and discuss them with your partner. So like nothing that'll be super threatening for your shoulder, because you've got a bum shoulder. Sharing a fantasy can bring the two of you even closer together, as long as you're honest and willing to be flexed.
This is this is the reason that you started doing this list, isn't it You want to.
Know it actually isn't. I'm not gonna. I'm it's not fun to hear you like divulge, like you're the inner workings of your ID. But I think it's important to think about. Okay, what's number twelve. Let's go to twelve. Hold on, we're not done with number eleven. Man. I once had a conversation, not with solid wife Jody. I once had a conversation with somebody, and it didn't go as poorly the conversation, that is, it didn't go as
poorly as I thought it could have gone. Like I was asked the question and didn't really have a good answer. Ask the question back and she had an answer. We did not indulge. I was like, huh, okay, that's feasible as number eleven likes to feasible, likes to indicate. Take them a team sport. Number twelve, you do this. You've played in rec leagues? I have, Yeah, I have.
I don't know if I'm in team sport material right now, but I'm always open to team sports.
This one I love. Number thirteen. Spice up your marriage. Spice. Don't let your marriage stagnate. It can happen naturally and slowly drive you and your partner apart. That's the stagnation. Instead, make the effort to keep going on fun dates flirty texts. So this is not necessarily the fantasy stuff. It's just are you keeping the embers? Are you trying to turn the embers into flames? Right? Would you say you are sure?
Always just making sure? Okay, throw some extra emojis at the end of a text, Yeah, you know, just you got to keep them guessing. That's smart, that's smart. Put yourself out there, yourself out there.
We've put ourselves out there more than enough.
That's true with number eleven and thirteen and yeah, discover a new passion. Is there something that you are looking that you've always said? I'd love to learn how to be a calligrapher, calligrapher. I'd love to learn hip hop dance. I'd love to learn Italian. Is there something there that you're like? Okay, if I had a swath of time, I would love to pursue. We should talk about this one later. We could talk please, We'll talk about this one later. Yeah, like off mic no in an upcoming show.
We'll talk about this. Okay. Reconnect with old friends. I'm very bad at this. I'm pretty good with this one. Oh, I'm so bad. I'm pretty I guess it has to do with grudges to take care of your parents. Parents. You do a good job with that. I do. I just saw mommage today. Actually nice. Update your wardrobe. We talked about that. Mentor someone I'm down to mentor somebody. Okay, yeah, I like doing it. Create a serious retirement plan. I
think you investing. Yeah, I'm good. I'm good there, eat healthier. We've talked about embrace the change. Look, your reflexes are going to slow down your memory will start to fade. I've totally embraced this. Yeah, sure, yeah, I'm exercising. I'm not great with change. Trim all that extra hair. We've heard from you on the Manscaped dads. Sure, treat yourself. Is there a luxury item tie that you've an eyeballing for? I'm not good at this one. A midlife crisis, No, I'm not. I don't know.
Midlife crisis not so much. But treat yourself could take on many forms.
I don't know. If I feel like you could treat yourself better, I could. I definitely. You haven't really traveled. I think that's the I think luxury travel is to treat yourself that you need to start travel. Make a man twenty five. I'm good.
Stop procrastinating. I will never stop procrastinating. That's sort of nicemo.
Go back to school. I'm cool. I'm good. I don't need that. Ease up on vices.
I don't really have that many vices. Take dancing lessons. I took dancing lessons, actually be remembered. Before the wedding, we were gonna do We're gonna do a little dance, mm hmm. And then we called a hot route at the end because cage dress was way bigger than I.
Oh. She had warned me.
She's like, yeah, like, it's been fun doing this as a couple. I'm glad we did this together. Had this moment right, there's no way we can do the dance and I was I was like, very dismissive, and she took exception to that. I was very dismissive. She's like, listen, listen this this dress is not going to support the day. And it didn't, so we didn't. We called it off at the last second.
Wow, could you do it tonight? No? If need be, you don't have the muscle memory still, Nope, totally forgot it. If you're almost bald, you have a wonderful head of hair, shave your head. No, that does not apply to you. Start a skincare routine. I'm good. Do you have a humidifier? Do moisturize? I don't do any of that. Do wear sunscreen? Are you responsible at sunscreen type? Nope? Nope. I'm not really get serious about dental care.
I'm pretty serious, but I'm a clencher and I'm a blinder, and I'm pretty sure right now at time of recording, I have another crack tooth. I did it last year. I think I did it again again this year through the pandemic.
Are you a water picker, a flosser, electric toothbrush.
I've got one of those quipped toothbrushes, which used to be a sponsor.
I think, yeah, Yeah, they're very good.
And I floss. Yeah, not as much as I should, but I do a good job. It's just I feel like the clenching is really grinding me away.
It's fair. Did were you a bracest kid? I was? Yeah, I definitely was. Yeah. Uh, stress relief, stress relief. Nah, I need to get better at that. What so you do take walks?
I take sleep, though I know I don't. I'm not very good at sleep.
You gotta start taking breaks too, I think you. I think meditation would serve you pretty well. I try to do them. I might have add I get bored. I try to meditate. Yeah, you'll get you can get past it. You guys got a practice. It's a practice.
Make an archive of your life. We talked about that's very morbid.
Yeah. I wrote a memoir when I was ten.
Yeah, keep a journal. I'm I've tried. I just I can't keep with it.
Support a cause you've done, start a business, you've done basic survival you probably haven't done. Haven't done? No, Were you a boy scout, no cub scout, anything like that? Same I was not either. Would you be okay? And like would you be okay in like a Sopranos pine barrens? I don't know if you watch Sopranos? Would would you be able to handle yourself if your car broke down in a forest and you needed to stay warm and you were like starving or crazy thirsty? Do you think
you could make do until morning? Until morning? Yeah? Or maybe twenty four hours?
Whatever I could last, I could last whatever the maximum threshold is for the human body before it starts to what I'm saying is I couldn't do anything on my own.
Yeah, I would make it two hours. I would last as long as my body would allow. Master a handful of recipes. Check you've done it, this is your thing? Yeah? Yeah? Oh man. I have a couple new projects in the works as well, food wise, non pizza. Wow. Okay, all right, that's it. That's all I have, Tai. It's been an honor and a privilege, and honor and a privilege as
the elder statesmen to the show. I appreciate this more mature discussion about where we're all headed super than later or or we we have people that listen that are older than forty, so if they want to weigh in on how to live your best forties for our dear boy Tie, that would be.
I would appreciate that. Actually, I would appreciate some advice. Someone take me under their wing mentor me.
Yeah, always ice, always always ice. Outside of always ice. Yeah.
Soliverble at gmail dot com is the email address. Don't forget to follow along on social media. Don't forget to go to newsletter dot soliverbal dot com for more info on how to join up if the newsletter, which again I'm sorr, I'm pretty pumped about. We're going to be ratcheting up a lot more so, I got Dan. I appreciate, I appreciate your candor in this discussion today.
Oh man, I'm just trying. Now. Everybody that listened to the show at one point said, yeah, I wonder what TI's fantasy is. Yeah, I think it's right. And the thing is, you're you. I'm across as so rational and straight laced and dependable that it almost makes what that possibility is that much more electric. I'm Iowa, is what you're saying. I'm Iowa. Yeah, But then what is your twenty nineteen holiday ball where they go crazy against USC.
I think that's where we leave it, Dan, Okay, don't forget. We've gotten Yeah. An off topic show with our friend Bill Barnwell from ESPN talking nineties sports movies for kids, available at for ballers dot com on Friday morning. For that guy over there, my good friend Dan Rubinstein, form myself Tie Hildebrand, thank you as always for downloading, for listening, for supporting. We will talk to you all soon. In the meantime, stay solid, peace,