LeBron Benched, Legends Debated, Futures Decided

We push past the headline of LeBron’s All-Star snub to unpack a season where maturity, discipline, and staff continuity powered an unlikely champion. Then we fight over playoff math, coaching hires, and why the calendar keeps killing the product.

• LeBron’s non-starter status and what fan voting really signals
• Why IU’s discipline and special teams beat raw stats
• Age gaps, NIL, and whether the three-year NFL rule still makes sense
• 12 vs 16 vs 24 playoff formats and the case against auto-bids
• Expectations for IU next season under real pressure
• NFL coaching fits, windows for QBs, and development vs scheme
• Officiating swings, penalties at key moments, and game control
• The fix for mid-season staff moves and portal timing
• Boxing preview: Teofimo vs Shakur, Keyshawn Davis, Bruce Carrington

“Check out that fight January 31st on DAZN”

Chapters

• 0:00 Opening Banter & Sports Weekend
• 1:54 LeBron’s All-Star Starter Snub
• 6:17 Honorary Starters & Fan Voting Frustrations
• 9:17 Logistics Tangent: Shared Stadiums
• 12:23 IU’s Title Win: Control And Clutch Plays
• 15:45 Age Gaps, NIL, And Player Readiness
• 21:28 Greatest Season Debate: Context And Comparisons
• 27:05 Playoff Format Fight: 12 vs 16 vs 24
• 35:21 Expectations For IU Next Year
• 40:52 Officiating, Discipline, And Key Calls
• 45:28 NFL Coaching Carousel & Fit
• 53:28 Belichick Speculation And Pressure Windows
• 57:01 Championship Picks: AFC And NFC
• 1:03:34 Media Narratives And QB Injuries
• 1:06:40 Defunding Early Hires: Portal And Timing
• 1:13:12 Recruiting Stars, Continuity, And Culture

Transcript

SPEAKER_04: 0:53

Yo yo yo welcome back to another episode of the Epic Podcast. Me and Jared in here tonight, man. How's your sports weekend, man?

SPEAKER_05: 1:03

Uh, cool. Nothing really to talk about. Um, I guess we saw some good NFL, but you know, other than that, been pretty chill about yours.

SPEAKER_04: 1:12

About the same, man. Uh, sports have been pretty good. I mean, you know, football's coming to an end here soon, but they've been getting some decent games. Uh, some sloppy games also, but you know, not no real blowouts or nothing like that outside of the Seahawks Niners, but I mean, yeah. That was I won't gonna say to be expected, but half of the Niners team is hurt, so it was gonna be what it was gonna be. So it's unfortunate. Yeah, it's always this time of the year usually gets them, and they usually very, very, very hurt around this time of the year. So, but nonetheless, let's jump into these topics, man. We're gonna start off um with a little NBA. We're gonna talk about LeBron not being a starter for like the first time in like 20 years, I want to say.

SPEAKER_05: 2:05

21 years. Basically, every year outside of his first his rookie year, which he didn't go to the all-star game, but every other year he's been an all-star and a starter.

SPEAKER_04: 2:15

Well, um, I'm gonna speak for myself, just being a LeBron fan or whatnot. Like, um, I don't care. I mean, because when you look, I mean, if you look at the West, I mean, of course, you got Luca, uh, Jokic, Shay, Wimby, uh, Curry, Giannis, or yeah. Uh I mean, well, not Giannis, but you got you got all those guys. I mean, does he who do you like you said, like we were saying yesterday, like who do you really take off? I mean, he could have possibly got Steph's spot.

SPEAKER_05: 2:58

Steph actually should have lost his spot to Anthony Edwards, arguably. But I mean, that's a whole that's a different story. I don't know. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter, but do I think he should have started given what he's done for the game? And uh, like we talked about last night, like, you know, of course, now everybody wants to be all literal. Well, is he literally having a better season than other guys? No. But the all-star game's never been literal, so you know, it's kind of funny how you know everything's out the window now when it comes to, you know, just just having an all-star game. But I mean, it's cool, it is what it is.

SPEAKER_04: 3:30

I feel like it's a little, it's a tad bit disrespectful, but I mean, he's averaging what 28 or no, uh, Curry's averaging 28. I'm just trying to see, like, I don't see a lot of I mean, I mean, outside of Luca doing his thing, I mean Jokic 29, 12, and 11. Shea, uh 31, 4 and 6.

SPEAKER_05: 3:58

Guys are definitely open.

SPEAKER_04: 4:00

But yeah, that's what I'm saying. I mean, even Wemby's 24, 24, 10, and in dim near three blocks.

SPEAKER_05: 4:06

So I I don't know if I recall Kobe ever coming off the bench in an all-star game, even down the stretch when he was healthy. I could be wrong. I I don't either. Even his last one where I don't, I mean, I don't even know how many points he was averaging his last season, he still started the all-star game. Granted, maybe maybe the NBA will make it happen for LeBron's last once he confirms that you know it's his last time, but that's right, too.

SPEAKER_04: 4:30

He could have been in the starting lineup, bro. Yeah, and even if he didn't play that long, like could have started E-Man. You know what I mean? Sadie met the first pair ball.

SPEAKER_05: 4:40

Maybe they might do that. I don't know. I just thought it was odd that he didn't get the fan vote. That just goes to show you that people really hate LeBron. Like, that's that's just that's just what that goes to show you. Because I mean, granted, I haven't voted. We talked about it last night, you didn't vote, but I I haven't voted. I probably haven't voted for All-Star Games since high school, just keeping it, keeping it 100. But for the people who were voting for him to all of a sudden not vote for him now, it's crazy to me. It's just absolute outright disrespectful. But I mean, what what do we expect when it comes to LeBron? Like, I think we're pretty much used to it as fans at this point. So, I mean, it is what it is. He probably didn't want to go anyway, but I mean, I still think he will, which thing's well, yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 5:20

I think like we were saying, I say LA also, like I mean, he lives in LA, so it's like yeah, like there's no reason. It's not like you gotta travel or anything to go to the game, so yeah. I mean, he's gonna have to travel back from wherever he is, you know. Yeah, but I mean, I'm just saying, just for that, you know, that weekend, usually that Thursday, there's no game. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05: 5:40

It's like accommodating wherever he is, he's going and then come back some. Cause I think the last two years he's done that same thing. He hasn't been participating in the entire weekend for the la at least the last couple years.

SPEAKER_02: 5:54

So uh, you know. Oh, just the knee.

SPEAKER_04: 6:17

Yo yo. What's going on? Not much. Uh we were just talking about LeBron not being a starter for like the first time in 21 years at an all-star game, even though we know the all-star game is what it's been, and they still are trying to figure that out. Uh, what do you think about that? Do you think they should just make him an honorary starter just based on how long he's been going to the all-star game and you know his contribute his contribution to the NBA?

SPEAKER_02: 6:48

No.

SPEAKER_05: 6:51

I think we knew the answer to that from him. I was just asking.

SPEAKER_04: 6:56

Because I'm looking at their schedule. Yeah, February 12th, that Thursday is Dallas. And then they don't have another game to the 20th, so like that's that that week in between. That's the eight days. Yeah, he's gonna be out.

SPEAKER_05: 7:10

He's probably shitty. He's gonna have to be in LA.

SPEAKER_04: 7:14

But but I mean, I think their next game their next game is at the Clippers, so he'll still be in LA.

SPEAKER_05: 7:21

Random. But I wonder what you guys thought about this. When teams play road games in the same city, do you think they drive to the arena they sell, or do you think they still travel as a team?

SPEAKER_04: 7:34

Uh definitely drive.

SPEAKER_05: 7:35

I mean, do you think they pull up at the Clippers arena like like it's the staple center and park and get out? Yes. I would think the home game, but but it's almost like do the teams have like player parking for two teams in that instance? Or maybe they've already thought about that. Yeah, I think they probably do since they have enough parking. That's just something I've always wondered.

SPEAKER_04: 8:00

Especially like the the Lakers and the Clippers with them first sharing a stadium. So you know, definitely at the whatever it's called now, um crypto.com. Yeah, crypto stadium. There's definitely enough for two parking because they shared it for so long. And you would imagine that the Clippers would build the same thing over there, just knowing that there's another team in town that they play four times a year.

SPEAKER_05: 8:22

So, but then it's like, do you make this extra parking for two games a year? I think you do. Huh? I don't know. It wouldn't make sense not to. You get to the like the Mets and the Yankees, and you know they play like three days in a row when they play, they play like a series. So it's just like I've always wondered, they just go home, drive themselves home after every game, and just pull back up. Like it's weird.

SPEAKER_01: 8:48

I would imagine so even for like the Rams and the Chargers, I'm sure they do.

SPEAKER_05: 8:52

Yeah, no, no, no, yeah. Well, yeah, they would have to because yeah, they actually share that, so yeah, there would be no doubt that they do it. So it's actually the same facility, but I've always wondered that it was just random since you mentioned that. I was like, eh. I don't think you prepare for that.

SPEAKER_04: 9:06

Um, but yeah, man, I it doesn't seem like I mean you haven't heard anything about LeBron actually tripping about it, so nah, I don't think he cares. At this point, it's like I done done it for so long. It's gonna be rare for somebody else to start for 21 consecutive all-stars, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05: 9:23

So you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_04: 9:25

So it's like, eh. So just wanted to point that out. This conversation we was having had over the weekend. Um let's talk about the important stuff, man. Congrats to IU, man. It was a good game. Definitely better than what probably a lot of people thought it was gonna be.

SPEAKER_05: 9:47

Yeah, definitely better than I thought it was gonna be, but um, really had control of it. So even though the score showed a six-point game, I mean, they had their opportunities, but they they at no point in the game like had control of it. So it was kind of still like a a a wire-to-wire for you in the literal and uh, you know, in the literal sense, as you know, as well as uh, you know, physically.

SPEAKER_04: 10:11

So but I mean, but I think Miami, like, all you could ask for was a chance to win the game at the end of the game. You know what I mean? The fourth quarter, like and you had that opportunity. That's that's literally all you could ask for. I mean, of course, you nobody wanted to blow out or nothing like that. And I didn't feel like it was gonna be with Miami's defense, but I mean, you had a chance to win the game, and that that's all you could ask for is the opportunity to win the game at some point. So and they just didn't uh convert. What was your thoughts on it, Justin? Did you watch last night? I'm sure you did.

SPEAKER_01: 10:43

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I watched it. Um I mean, it was a good game. It was a good Reuben Bain is a dog. That's just a dog. Uh you end up on the rave in some kind of way. No, they're gonna go get Joey Bosa. But that's a whole nother conversation. Um probably. Uh, I would say I I agree. I I agree with Jared, where I felt like when I watched it, every time Miami had a chance to change the momentum, IU made a play. So you never felt like Miami truly got control of the game, even when they didn't make plays, because you know they make a play and then IU blocks the punt. You know what I mean? It was irrelevant, right? Like it was always it was always IU making a play when they needed it. They're running back on third and 17 and rushes for 19. You know what I mean? Like it's they were just making plays when they needed to. So I felt pretty pretty good about it, although I did I did not like the fact that they weren't as aggressive as I would have been to end the game and settle for the field goal. But I mean, it is what it is. They had a lot of confidence in their defense, and rightfully so.

SPEAKER_05: 11:52

Yeah, I I just what what what what blew my mind the most about the game is they completed a perfect season, and I'm not even speaking record-wise. That team didn't make any mistakes all year. Any mistakes, and it's just like the way they won the games, too, is just like it's crazy because like the quarterback had no touchdowns, well, no passing touchdowns. Both the running backs had no rushing touchdowns. You if you if I told you that before the game, you'd be like, oh Miami must have just shut them complete. They just they just found another way to win. And then it's like number 80. I think he should have been the I thought he should have been the MVP.

SPEAKER_01: 12:32

That dude Becker, yeah, he made some huge catches. He made some huge catches.

SPEAKER_05: 12:37

He made some against us too. He made two huge catches against us. That guy, I just I I just don't know how you assemble a team. But then then on the flip side of that, the age. I never really thought that mattered until we saw it this season. We saw that age that age matters, and then you think about uh Miami's best uh player, their wide receiver, Malachi Tony, he turned 18 back in September. Yep, he's out there playing against guys that are 24, 25, 24, 25 on that IU defense. That's a big ass guy. And it's like it never really was until last night. Barely 18 in 24-25.

SPEAKER_01: 13:20

All right, you I'll bring up a you bring up a question that I I I'm gonna ask just because it's always been one that I've asked. I'm just curious to hear people's opinion.

SPEAKER_02: 13:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 13:28

Do you agree that there should be an age limit in terms of players leaving from being able to go to the NFL, you know, that three years removed from high school. So you mean should they be able to go sooner or should it be like limited to do you agree with that or do you think they should be able to go sooner?

SPEAKER_05: 13:47

Uh I don't uh I never really thought I've I've I've got an answer to a variation of your question, but that specific question, I don't really know. Because I mean, I I don't really know. I guess no, I don't agree with it. I mean, if you feel like you're ready, you know, as at at 18, 19 years old to go to the NFL. Because I mean, what if you're a place kicker? You know, why don't you have to go to college for three years? You know, so do I think that every 18-year-old is is physically prepared for the NFL? Absolutely not, but some are. Like I think Jeremiah Smith probably could have done it. Yeah, you know. Um, there's some other guys. I haven't thought about this question ahead of time, so I don't really have a list of guys that I think that could fit that criteria.

SPEAKER_01: 14:33

But well, when you when you said the age gap, that was kind of my thing, and this was probably a few years ago now where the conversation came, and I said, there's already age gaps, and I get it, you know, the 24-year-old is more developed than the 18-year-old, but at the same time, uh that don't that doesn't that doesn't mean he's gonna get hurt by playing with him. You know, as you can see last night, he just plays smarter, you know what I mean? So even and it actually takes me back to like the uh was it Maurice Claret and the uh was it Mike Williams at USC who you know tried to go to the league early and were not able to go, you know, because of the rule. It's the stuff that like that that made me think, you know, it's like I think there are some guys that physically are able and capable of playing in the league at a you know 18, 19 years old. I don't I don't like the three-year rule personally, but that's just me.

SPEAKER_05: 15:22

I think it's it's it's really just because I was gonna say I think it makes uh the product better, but with transfer portal, it don't really. I mean, you could be out three years and go to three different schools, and you know what I'm saying? So it ain't like that improves the product that we're watching. I don't really know. I I I honestly don't even really have an opinion on that. So I guess the default would be to not make them go. So I mean it's a shit show anyway. Like, like the NCAA clearly has no control over uh you know um college athletics anymore. So might as well, might as well let them go.

SPEAKER_04: 15:59

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too.

SPEAKER_05: 16:01

I'm like, what's what's the penalty?

SPEAKER_04: 16:03

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05: 16:04

Like show at this point. Now NFL teams might be like, we don't want you, but then that's on them, right?

SPEAKER_04: 16:11

That's if they decide to give up their you know their eligibility college eligibility to go to the draft because they think they're good enough and then they don't make it, then that's on you. That's your decision.

SPEAKER_01: 16:22

That was always my argument for the NBA and college basketball with this one and done rule. That was always my argument there, where if you if they if NBA type you know personnel, however you want to word it, whoever it is, if they don't think a kid is good enough, then don't take them. Right. But I don't know, I don't know why you keep kids from coming out of high school when school ain't for everybody. Let's just be real, man. School ain't for everybody, man. So I mean, if you don't think a kid's good enough, then no. That kid ended up overseas or something. That's fine. You know what I mean? But college wasn't gonna be for him. So give them an opportunity. But wasting these scholarships anyway, like yeah, that part. That part, yeah, that part, yeah. Because there are kids who need college to develop, right? You know what I mean? So let that be the place for that. But that's here nor there. Not to uh regress from that question, but no, no, I that was a great question.

SPEAKER_04: 17:10

That was a great question. Because I mean, we talk about it in NBA, it's not so much talked about in the in in NFL, like, should they be? I mean, because you got some linemen, like you got some big boys, you know what I mean, that could probably hold their own in the NFL, D-linemen, you know what I mean? Like O-linemen, like, do I gotta do three years? You know what I mean? I'm already, I'm already six four, 290. Like, I mean, you can't teach that what we doing. I mean, so nah, like you said, kickers and things of that nature, like, what are we doing? So, nah, I I definitely agree with those. Um, so some people are saying this. I do you think this is the like the greatest championship ever? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05: 17:56

I do. I think I I I do.

SPEAKER_02: 18:01

Um depending on what you make.

SPEAKER_05: 18:03

Like one of which I already went over. Like, man, they've played perfect football. I mean, they made no mistakes, bruh. They made no mistakes. I've never seen that before. They make no mistakes. They went through the playoffs with no turnovers. Like our run last year was pretty decent, but I mean we turn them all over, like we faced some adversity a little bit, you know what I'm saying? Like, they just they just I've I I've never seen anything like it. You know, and as much as it pains me to admit that, but this this is only 16 and no team. I mean, it's hard, it's hard to say that anybody else's run was better than theirs.

SPEAKER_04: 18:44

What you what what was you gonna say, Justin?

SPEAKER_01: 18:47

Uh I I uh my answer would depend depend upon what you what they mean by that question.

SPEAKER_04: 18:53

So, like, as far as I mean, dominating, I mean like this the I mean the way they won, I mean, just all things that you would factor into something, considering something a great season from beginning to end.

SPEAKER_01: 19:08

Uh it's it's it may be one of the greatest stories because of the turnaround and IU football. But in terms of great, no, only and I only say that because I remember some of the, I can't remember exactly which team, but some of the Miami Hurricanes teams that I watched back in the day, man, they were so daggone dominant and crazy to watch. Uh USC, you know, uh some of those teams.

SPEAKER_04: 19:28

They gotta run for a minute too, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 19:30

You know, like some of them teams were just crazy good. Um, I mean, if we're gonna be real, what I saw Cam Newton do at Auburn was freaking crazy. That year was crazy too. That was crazy. Like, you know, some of that stuff. It just I that I don't so story, yes, but in terms of dominance and like run, like like a single-year run.

SPEAKER_04: 19:52

You could probably put it, okay. You got some other one. No, you I agree with that. Because even Alabama, like, they had a couple runs. I mean, everybody, I mean, you can look some Ohio State Right.

SPEAKER_05: 20:02

I mean none of us I I nah.

SPEAKER_04: 20:06

I don't even know if we've have we had well we had the the the O3 championship was undefeated for like and that's what I'm thinking I'm thinking like maybe like putting like two like two seasons like this together where you had you know what I mean a good season and maybe came back the next year and won it like I mean even Florida you know the Tim T bla year like you know what I mean like there's some teams that done put together two like dominant seasons back to back and maybe didn't win it the first year and won it the second for me what makes this different is we have a playoff now so that's that's more more games that you have to win to get get it done um back in back I don't did they even have did they have a SEC championship back in Florida days when they was how long was the SCC yeah yeah okay I mean like the actual championship game yes yes I mean because the Big Ten one just started in 20 early 2010s 2011 somewhere around there so I wasn't sure if the SEC had you know but yeah I think the SEC's been around long it's just a lot more hurdles now than it than it was for any other team except for us last year but they they did it undefeated so it's like I mean 12 team playoff big ten championship that's a that's a lot that's a lot they did a combat a lot in one year I mean you got the Heisman champion you got the national championship like you said you got the Big Ten championship I mean going undefeated you didn't lose 16 games and then look to that Penn State game that catch like you know what I'm saying like that you know what I mean that could have been a a uh you know what I mean a an asterisk and on the on the season and then the fact that they only beat uh old Dominion by like two touchdowns first week of the season yeah like I when I seen that game I was like oh here we go IU's back the the real IU shit with with the turning point for me is when they when they beat the sleeves off of uh I I've said this before on the show when they beat the sleeves off of Illinois when I when I seen that game I was like oh yeah they serious and I immediately looked at our schedule I'm like yeah we're not gonna beat them 60 to 10 that's that's not gonna happen it's not even like they to have won that game 60 to 10 and they did it so I was like yeah they they serious and that was what about um LSU and Joe Burrow year they gave up a lot of points defensively though that's the only thing that's they weren't undefeated too did they have a lot of points yeah they gave up I believe they were undefeated so that would be the only difference I you had like one of the most efficient offenses and defenses LSU defense that year was kind of I mean people was putting up numbers on them they won but people was putting up numbers on the LSU team and then still it comes back to the 16 games granted they didn't have the chance to play 16 games but I don't want to take that away from you know what I you did so I don't know now if you're looking at Heisman for Heisman I mean Joe Burrow's Heisman season smoked this kid's Heisman season but that ain't really what it's about that wasn't a question so you know for sure for sure all right one more thing um so I was reading and we've been talking about this uh on the on the show for a couple months now about the format changing from 12 to 16 so right now I see Justin shaking his head already uh so now from what I've been reading it's coming down to the SEC and the Big Ten determining their presidents determining if they're gonna go from 12 to 16 so right now the the Big Ten is saying they want to go from 12 to 16 only if in three years the SEC agrees to go to 24. Man fuck that no no this is just starting and he was saying and he was saying and SEC is opposing that because they don't want to get rid of the the uh the conference championships so that's the hold up right now with making that decision y'all know how I feel get rid of the conference championship just award the the conference championship to the to the best team uh the best team you know the the highest record whatever the best team in the in the conference with the with the best record in the conference yeah and then just start the playoffs 16 teams everybody plays no buys run it um i agree with that also i and i don't know why big ten is hijacking the conference championship like you know what i mean to go to 24 like 24 is too much that's too much you know i mean that's like every ranked team is you gonna put the number one team against the 24 team like how does it even work like who wants yeah i mean 16 isn't work i mean the changes they haven't even got to that point because they can't even agree on it but i mean agree exactly like how does that work i mean it's like march like march madness yeah like no man this is see this is the stuff that gets watered down and then it it starts to take away from it yeah you know what I'm saying nah we'd we'd end up with less lower quality basket football than we have now like nobody's gonna watch those first rounds like you said just one versus 24 two versus 20 like nobody's gonna watch um ohio state versus Tulane yeah nobody's gonna watch that first round because they're gonna assume that the top seeds are gonna dominate which which this year should have showed you that when you put Tulane and and and that shows you like even if you if you drop them in the pool of the top 10 they're not competing no you know what I mean not even close and the teams they lost to the they got smoked in the next round you know what I'm saying like it wasn't even it was just oddly bad I would say keep it at 12 possibly move it to 16 but that's it but get rid of the automatic crap just and that's what they were saying like if they can't agree because it's I think it's like a week they got to agree.

SPEAKER_05: 26:17

I get why you're trying to like include conference champions because somebody's there's always going to be somebody mad because if you do just straight up one through 12 then number 13 is going to be like well we should uh you know there's always gonna be some team that's gonna feel left out but I'd rather that you tell me hey we're ranking you number 13 you got to sit this one out than saying I rank you number 11 but since you didn't win a conference championship we put number 17 that's stupid that makes no sense yeah it makes no sense I'd rather just be like hey we cutting it off a 12 if you 13 you cooked but like having that final ranking saying hey yeah you're the 11th team in the country but you're not getting in the 12 because we gotta put the the highest rated conference champion it makes no sense bro so whoever thought of that rule is is just put the top 12 teams in yeah but I think they was kind of like looking at the the NFL in a way and kind of like doing you know what I mean I don't agree with that either no I'm just saying I'm I'm just saying like they would it look like they were trying to copy that in some stupid or even if you take even if you since it's you know it's the conference champion or division champions in NFL is a little bit more condensed even if you take those but then just rank them one through I don't think a team that finishes nine and eight or eight and nine wins the division should have a home game just because you know when you got teams that are you know you got a division with a team that's finished you got a wild card team that's that's 11 and 11 and 3 or you know I mean 11 and 5 or something like that and and they got to play on the road on the team to a team that's that's eight and nine or nine and eight. Yeah if you want to keep the automatic bids for the division champions cool just just just rank them just put them in the playoffs in order and let it go the only team that gets that gets home games should be the top seeds the top the top seeds and let you know what I mean let everything else play out by our record. Yep I I agree with that but I I'm we had this discussion uh one day and I don't even want to like go into our whole tangent again but I'm I'm cool if they eliminate the eliminate the uh the bye I don't I don't like that either but that's we did talk about that that's something that's just just an opinion I'm not saying that there's any factual it's just my opinion I don't I don't I don't agree with the the the the buy I don't like it.

SPEAKER_04: 28:39

Well what do you think uh Justin as far as how they should I mean do this playoff do you think it should go to 16 keep it at 12 I know we definitely don't agree on 24 and what about buys do you care?

SPEAKER_01: 28:52

I don't care one way or the other but I mean to me I wouldn't be mad if they keep it at 12 and get rid of the buy. Play straight up at 12 keep it moving. They that wouldn't work like uh numbers wise though because you because they they have to make it like a it would still have to be a bracket because you would end up with if it's 12 teams wouldn't it be six games yeah it would be six and so then you would get the six opponents and then you would have you would end up with three teams after that second week and there would have to be equal you would have to go two four eight oh it won't be even the winners it'd be a game short essentially but you could make it I think even if even if we apply the same logic the number one team gets a bye yeah and then you know I mean go that route you the it move it to 14 teams add two more teams to equal that out it still wouldn't it would have to be 16 it would have to be 16 if it if there's no buys it would have to be 1684 two yeah oh for the units to work out then 16 yeah 16 yeah or something like that so yeah so that's fine i mean I guess 16 works if you but just eliminate the buys and keep it moving I'm fine I like that would be fine but I think anything beyond 16 is way too many.

SPEAKER_05: 30:17

I'd rather you I agree with that complain about revenue because those top four teams also get a home game for the playoffs. I mean I feel like if you want to name it the you who bowl or the or the the the the Trojan condom bowl whatever you want to do whatever like make the money whatever I don't care about that but yeah it's still like the revenue is still there so I just you know you know sports now is just all about money I was talking to my stepdad about this uh yesterday we were over there because he was trying to figure out why he has to have so many different services to watch the games I'm just like it's a it's a money grab I was just like if HGTV came to the NBA and was like hey we got three billion can we get a couple games a week NBA gonna be like oh yeah and then we're gonna be watching the Lakers and the Spurs on HGTV yep they don't they don't care about what the fan wants to see it's the money or what's convenient for the fans they don't care they don't care about that they don't care about none of that it's the money oh go ahead my bad no I was finished I was just saying whoever comes with the money is gonna get the concession so yeah I was gonna say the only way that that changes is if the consumers make them pillow in the pockets.

SPEAKER_01: 31:26

Yep and but but until you have people who are willing to take that stance they're gonna continue to do what they do to your point because it's all about the money.

SPEAKER_04: 31:34

So we're gonna keep watching just like ESPN getting getting getting all the playoff games. Yep yep like they have a voice in in this playoff too you know what I mean so like they're one of the deciding voices on on that number too if it changes or not and then all they're gonna do is for once this contract expires they're just gonna put it up to have everybody else bid on it.

SPEAKER_01: 31:56

It's bid then I'll be surprised if the playoffs is on TNT uh you you pee it well what's the other it's gonna be five yeah you yeah right right whoever comes with the money because I never I never thought I'd be watching NBA well watch a season where TNT doesn't have NBA games here we are money talks yep now we're watching we got we got watching it on prime yeah we got fucking games on NBC during the week regular I'm like shit I could have been with okay why to just watch the NBA on the on the NBC nights you got that right for sure for sure for sure yes whoever whoever whoever got the money man and he was just like yeah I don't understand why I'm like hey they don't care because they know you're gonna go buy that subscription you because you want to watch the game right and that's what it's all about people people people are consuming most of their content on their phones and so if you got an app you can lock in no TNT app not that I know of you know what I mean is which is crazy and then also like I'll see I didn't even know it is I used to have it when they when they were having more stuff on it oh see that's what I'm saying like but everybody knows peacock peacock is popular so you can jump on there and like you said watch the NBC games yep so that's just that's the world we live in man it's it's all it's ruled by money they don't give a shit about you know what's convenient like you said convenient for the fan or what the fan wants that so um kind of coming back to the original conversation so I you win it with like no five stars no four stars do we start rating players differently now does that matter I've always necessarily anyway I've always hated it anyway they rate kids when they five years old who cares so it's too many stupid so it's too many damn high schools there's no way that you can tell me that oh this kid is better than this kid when there's high schools in in the country who knows there's no way that you can like that you can put a put a ranking I've never understood it never like accurately rank rank a kid yeah you do understand Indiana and then rank another one in in in Arizona like is the competition all the way to Alaska from Southern California to New York there's no way that there's you don't understand it though you know why money you already said it it's money man it's it's that's all it is it drives money it drives interest in players so it allows them to get their name out allows them to build up kids when they in middle school through high school builds their brand up and then they can they benefit when they get by the time they get to college well it's even earlier now it's in high school now that they're able to make the money off of these kids so you know what it is come on you you know what it is be honest you it's money like you said it's everything comes down to money and how can they monetize somebody period that's period yep no I agree I agree I was just thinking about that because you know they were talking about uh earlier today just with them recruiting differently and how did he get you know the guys did he get uh the buy-in and all those things and it's like they were talking of course they're gonna talk about the stars and whatever and it's like they didn't have any so I was just like I wondered will that start changing the mindset with with coaches and scouts and stuff start looking at these high school kids differently it's not like hey this was a five star receiver from you know who wherever is like all right like how does he fit in like things that they're looking at the intangible things.

SPEAKER_05: 35:25

And then what they talk about the stars is out of high school nigga you're 26 you're a correct eight star at this point like you're a fucking third year NFL player. Correct so I don't even want to hear that oh we only had we he's a two Fernando he's not a two star no more he's had four years of college football like yeah like you know he's five I think damn near so like I don't I don't understand that point but I'm also not I'm not one of the ones oh no they they uh they did their win isn't legitimate because they had oh no they did everything by the book so that they could have that but don't I don't want to also don't want to hear that oh I'm a two star I'm a three star bro you you got a wife and three kids like you know you're on your second marriage homie what you yeah bro like you I don't think that you talking about some stars that you was given five years ago like you got four five six years of college football experience so that that don't apply no more not to be if you say I beat you with all two star freshmen then even sophomores then okay like that you yeah but 26 year olds talking about some I was a two star at a high school brought to hear that like you're 26 like I I don't the beauty though about it is every there there's very few coaches who can do what he does so what he's doing is not going to be easily replicated.

SPEAKER_01: 36:51

So they have a chance to be good for a long period of time because of who he is as a coach and his ability to get the most out of those guys.

SPEAKER_05: 37:00

So regardless he's got a good system I'll say that and they do have a chance to be good for for a period of time for a long period I re I was reading up on him and I don't think a lot of people know I bet all these brand new IU fans don't even know the backstory his backstory but like them coordinators they've been with him since day one. Yep you know what I'm saying so you you talking they're they're they're mine they're linked because they're not they're not you know all leftovers from another university or I went here and I had to lose him and poached him off of him or yeah no ever since he's been a head coach he's had those same coordinators and that's underrated that's underrated that really really makes a difference and something else that I read up on him about um is he's very particular when he's selecting players he said sometimes they'll be like Signetti will be like you know what I don't like the way he walks I'm gonna pass on him you know I'm saying so he really be locked in to everything including body movements everything down to a T and they have a system so like it's because I I don't know if y'all know by now but stuff that I don't understand bothers me. So if I don't understand something like it gets it it it gets under my skin. So I just had to go dig and I'm like what is this guy doing it's beyond X's and O's what is this guy doing how is he how is he able to do this? And I found out that them coordinators is locked in like and it and it's one thing when you got coordinators that that that fall so much in line with what you got going on they're not going nowhere they both they both just resign. And it's like that's underrated like even Nick Saban's losing assistance and uh coordinators every year. Every year yeah every year so to have to have two guys that you know they're locked in and you know you can give them the one I think the defensive coordinator he hired him his first job for 8000 a year you have that man sold so you can give him one two three uh hundred thousand a million whatever he's in there because he's he started from the bottom so like that stuff makes a difference so not only do they have the right players and they got older players and experienced players they have those coordinators all those coaches and they've been running the same band since since since he started that's important that's something that you you don't see you don't see that these days that's and another thing I heard too is like he checks he checks grade averages in high school he checks attendance records like oh is this dude punctual like is he late a lot like all the character things and territory things like like no what you're saying is true he he he definitely does his homework yep you you're not making it on his team accidentally yep and he handpicks everybody yep everybody hand picks yep

SPEAKER_04: 40:00

Nah, for sure, for sure. Well, we'll see, man. Next year, man. Um, I guess the expectations, I mean, they're tied right now on the odds to with with Ohio State to win the national championship next year, but we know how that goes.

SPEAKER_01: 40:15

I mean, you got to think this is the first year. Next year is gonna be the first year IU has expectations, though, now. So you got to see how they deal with that. Now there's an expectation. You don't want a national championship and won that defeat it. Now that expectation is gonna be thereof. You got not only do you got to make the bowl, you gotta make some noise now. You know what I mean? Like it's I ain't gonna say championship or bust, but it's dangerous championship or bust. So now it's great that they won the national championship, but people gotta understand to your point when you're talking about real IU fans, because I know some people who done been IU fans since I mean, even when IU was bad, bad, they still was IU fans, like they ain't changed. Right, you know. Oh, I do. I work with a couple.

SPEAKER_05: 40:53

Everybody's around everybody around me has been, you know, just it's just like even oh, I went there back in you know 06. How many football games have you been to since? Yeah, I've been to more IU football games, and a lot of these people that are IU fans all of a sudden, so it's just like man, and I and then and then again, and that's not me being petty, that's just something that I don't understand. So, like I said earlier, stuff that I don't understand bothers me. Why, why, why you would want to be so attached to a winner that you're gonna put on a whole facade, it's like a mental illness, and I I don't I don't understand it. So that's why I've been off social avoiding social media because that kind of stuff just just it hurts me. So that's just me.

SPEAKER_04: 41:38

Let's see. 715 losses is the most recorded by any team in 156 year college football. Indiana held that record. All time three and eight in bowl games.

SPEAKER_05: 41:52

Um you only been to 11 bowl games in the history of your school since 1887.

SPEAKER_01: 41:59

Yeah. So that tells, I mean, that tells you what this has done for the program. But like I said, this I think uh it's underrated too. I don't think people understand. It's it's easier to win when nobody expects you to win.

SPEAKER_06: 42:12

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 42:13

But then when there's an expectation now of you to be here, and it's not gonna matter if you get hurt or have injured, like none of that's gonna matter.

SPEAKER_04: 42:20

None of that's gonna matter.

SPEAKER_01: 42:21

Now there's an expectation. Everybody's best shot, too. Yep, everybody's best shot. So now I want to see how they respond next season to see, and again, that ain't about them necessarily winning the national championship, but let's see. Well, are they still competing at that level? Yeah, are you still competing at that level?

SPEAKER_05: 42:37

You know, I think for the first time ever in any of our lives, Ohio State will be the underdog at IU next season. Facts. I don't think any, I don't think uh that's ever been the case. And we're more than no, that never been the case. Unless they start off slow, unless they lose a game or two, and then we go undefeated. But like now, I'm guaranteeing you that you know, we would be the underdog in that game. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's never happened. So they they definitely got, you know, they they gonna have to they definitely gonna have to step it up to take it to another level. But the way he's coaching that team and and they are, and it's even when they got like them false starts. I was like, whoa!

SPEAKER_03: 43:19

And he was and he was he was hot, he was hot, he was pissed, and I'm like, bro, that's one false. Y'all got two, y'all have had two flags on y'all the whole game.

SPEAKER_01: 43:29

But that guy his false start took him from third and one to third and six, and that was a crucial play. That's where I that was one of those plays where I said that could have changed the momentum if Miami was able to take advantage.

SPEAKER_05: 43:42

That's what gave him a chance because when they were second and one, they ran that ball nine yards second and one. I'm like game over. Yep, game over. Because all they needed was the they didn't even need the field goal, they had a bit of that. That was it. Yep, that was it.

SPEAKER_01: 43:55

No, for sure.

SPEAKER_05: 43:56

They had no more timeouts. I think well, they had like one at that point. Yeah, they had one, they had one, they convert that first downs right.

SPEAKER_04: 44:02

That's ball game, and that's what I'm saying. Like, Miami, you couldn't ask for much more, but that chance at the end of the game to go down the field and score.

SPEAKER_05: 44:12

Oh, that's it, they're winning. I don't even, I don't even think they got what three first downs in the first half, yeah. No, then they missed the field goal, which it just goes back to everything I was saying last week. I'm like, they're gonna have to play a perfect game. And I'm just like, IU can play a half-ass game and still win. Like you, like I said, no passing touchdowns for Fernando. That's what I was saying.

SPEAKER_04: 44:34

That wasn't IU's best game. Nowhere near. And they still won on either side of the ball.

SPEAKER_01: 44:39

But you want to know what really part of the bitch the difference was is to you guys' point, the discipline that IU showed, Miami had a lot of penalties that killed him. A lot of penalties that killed him at the wrong time. You know what I mean? Like, even if they do away with half of them penalties, I'll be honest, we might be talking about Miami, you know, uh being the champions.

SPEAKER_03: 45:00

It was kind of weird too.

SPEAKER_04: 45:02

Like, like, I don't know, like they was letting them play, but it seemed like go ahead and say it. You was getting some of the like calm Miami ways. I'm like, me and me and Jerry, we literally sitting right there watching the game together.

SPEAKER_03: 45:18

I'm just like, I'm like, bro, like he's grabbing him the same way. Did y'all not just see what happened on that side of the room?

SPEAKER_04: 45:23

A lot of 50-50 that didn't go Miami's way. That does not go Miami's way. And I was just kind of like, I don't know, I just felt some kind of way about it, but I'm like, I mean, what do you say?

SPEAKER_01: 45:36

Like it was some of that, but then that play earlier in the in the uh game where Buddy drilled his helmet dead into Mendoza's face. I did say, I said, now that should have been called. Like, I ain't one who who says anything about hitting quarterbacks, but that that should have been called. Buddy, Buddy took the crown of his head and he cracked Mendoza.

SPEAKER_04: 45:56

And I know sometimes ref when they when they miss something or they you know they figure out they miss something. Oh dang, we missed that one. Like, I know they kind of like you know, try to tilt the scales and try to balance it back out, but I don't think it ever bounced back out in Miami's in Miami's favorite at all. Because it was a whole lot of grabs. The passing affairs that they called on Miami, man, it was an egregious one on IU. And like, I'm like, this dude, remember because we were talking about it, like he he grabbed his arm when he tried to go up to catch the ball. Yeah, the dude had his whole arm over his arm. We like, how can you know where to catch a ball? She couldn't get his head up. He couldn't even get his left arm up.

SPEAKER_01: 46:35

It's like so it was And sometimes what I did notice on those, and I and I had to learn this. Um forgot what what it was that that kind of had to remind me of it. Every the angle for the rest is different than what we used to see on the TV. So it'd be clear on the TV to us, but sometimes the ref who's in charge of some of that, they may have a different angle. We all know some of them angles, man, it's hard to tell. And I'll be honest, and in those moments, I don't want to throw a flag on something that ain't a flag. I'd rather err on the side of caution. You know what I mean? Like I hate to be the one to change a game. So I kind of try to give them benefit of the doubt, but to your point, there were some that I thought were obvious, but I guess, you know, maybe not. Maybe they really couldn't see it from you know that angle. So I guess it is what it is.

SPEAKER_04: 47:20

Nah, nah, fair enough, fair enough. I just wanted to point that out because I was like, man, like I I know they letting them play, and it was a good game, and I think they should rest more like that. They should let them play more. Yep. Um, I don't think penalty should ever decide a game. Um, like, ever. Like let the play, let the let the player's uh ability on the field determine the game, not not uh not a pass interference or whatever, unless it's just super egregious. Um if they both are grabbing and tussling, going for the ball, let them go for the ball. For the ball. Uh but yeah, no, I just seen a couple that was like, uh, that probably could have helped Miami, you know, maybe another first down in the first half, you know what I mean? Sustained another drive, you know what I mean? But again, Indiana was holding. It was a lot of holding on that D-line. Like, you see, guys is like this close to Mendoza, and you're looking at that old lineman and so it it it was it was it was a good game, but it was also like it was it was some borderline calls that was missed. Um yeah, I would say on both sides, though.

SPEAKER_05: 48:28

Yeah, on both sides. No, definitely on both sides. I would definitely not, I don't want it anybody to get me can you know misconstrued.

SPEAKER_04: 48:34

No, I'm not saying it was lopsided, but it was just like Indiana's like was kind of yeah, it wasn't enough to to make it. I don't think it was even, but it was just like untimely for Miami. So that's that's mainly what I'm saying. Uh but man, all right, let's jump over to the grown man league, man. Talk about these NFC, I mean these uh NFL championship games coming up. Uh recap a little bit on last week. Well, first off, I guess we gotta talk about these uh these coaches being fired. So Buffalo's coach is now fired also. I knew that was coming. I didn't know if it was coming. I didn't when I heard about it. I wasn't like, I mean, nine years and like I was kind of telling Jerry, like, you've done it every which way. You've loaded up on defense, you've loaded up on offense, like you've had Which was also a great point, too. That was you done balanced it out on both sides, like you know what I mean? You done had everything you can have. Great running game this year. You had great passing game with with Diggs, and you know, all those got Gabe uh Davis and all them and tight ends. You done had it all. You got defensive line, you got the the Joy Bo, you dad had it everything, the great DBs. Like, what else can we give you on this team to help you be successful and you keep losing to Patrick Mahomes?

SPEAKER_01: 49:58

Yeah. Can I say this though? I will say that the thing that I didn't understand though is I don't know if y'all remember before the season where Buffalo's GM was talking all that stash in terms of them having the receivers needed. Oh, did you yada it? And it's like, my thing is this, y'all didn't. They never have had receives. Come on, like since Diggs, Diggs was it. And then they never replaced that. So let's let's be real. So I don't understand how the GM kept his job, but um, I understand the coaching change. The same thing I told y'all with Baltimore, same thing why I think Tomlin stepped away. Is I just think that certain organizations, for some organizations, winning the division is good enough. And that's good. That's they're good with that. Other organizations they're standing for hype. Yeah, like so, like some is just uh we went on winning record, whatever it may be. But you're talking about organizations, you know, such as, you know, whether it's the Steelers or the or Buffalo or even Baltimore, where winning the division making the playoffs is no, no, no. That's the bare minimum. Now we got to see you elevate beyond that. And um, now to his credit, coaching didn't lose him the game this year. Josh Allen just didn't play good, unfortunately. And, you know, they just didn't have enough to overcome uh some of his costly mistakes that he was making in the game. But ultimately, I mean, I think at the end of the day, it's kind of the same thing that a lot of teams suffer from. They they have a great quarterback that they want to be Superman, and when they can't be Superman, teams don't know how to how to win without him. Because James Hook Cook had a good game. He had a costly uh fumble, but like he had a good game, you know what I mean? So it wasn't even like you didn't have the run game. Yeah, I just didn't have enough, I don't think, going through the air. Like it just it's a number of things I think that that go in the hand, but I'm not surprised by the coaching firings, but I mean we'll see.

SPEAKER_04: 51:45

Because we'll we'll see who they replace him with to see if it's what I'm saying, because it's like who's like probably Mike Tomlin is the best out there right now. And he said he ain't coaching.

SPEAKER_02: 51:53

Definitely not coaching in this year. Yeah, he said he's not coaching in 26.

SPEAKER_04: 51:56

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. So, like, like who you gonna go get? Like, I mean, there's some coordinators out there, but it ain't no elite ones that haven't already been head coaches that showed you that they're probably not ready to be head coaches.

SPEAKER_05: 52:11

This is the thing that this is the thing that always kills me about uh the coaching changes, because like the teams who have hired their coaches, I wondered, are they like, well, shit, I want uh I want uh uh old dude from Buffalo. But it's like it's too late now, you know, because you made your selection from who was available at the time.

SPEAKER_01: 52:31

But I think only two teams got, or three teams got coaches, though, I think. So it's still a lot of them that don't have a coach. Yeah, but I mean, like the ones who have, shit.

SPEAKER_05: 52:39

I wonder if they just think back like, damn, we hired Stefansky, but we'd rather have, I can't think of his name. What is his name? Who? Buffalo's coach or overcoach, Dermot. Like, we hired Stefansky, but shit. I want McDermott. Yeah, I wonder, has that ever like crowded? I'm sure it has, but I mean, yeah, I guess you have to chalk it up.

SPEAKER_01: 53:00

I mean, but at the same token, Stefansky was coach of the year, two years in Buffalo and uh in Cleveland, so that tells you something. I mean, he might be able to coach a little bit, maybe. I don't know.

SPEAKER_04: 53:10

Yeah, but but but like like me and like I was telling Jared the other day, too, when we were talking about it, like you're going to a team with a with a bunch of young guys that you need to develop, which you've shown over the years, like you've not been good at developing young guys. Like in Cleveland, he wasn't he was a good coach, but I don't he wasn't developing. He had his best seasons when he had veterans on the team who who are who kind of knew what they was doing. But now that the team that that that Brown's team got younger, he couldn't do nothing with them. And now you go into a very young Atlanta team, you know what I mean? With a bunch of studs that just like hopefully you could just coach them, you know what I mean, into being better. You know what I mean? But as far as developing, and like you were talking about, we were talking about those draft picks and stuff like that. Like, I think that Cleveland got rid of him at the right time. You got to bring somebody in there in the Browns that can develop talent.

SPEAKER_01: 54:05

But well, but the the thing is with that, every head coach doesn't have to be a good uh player developer. That's why they got other people in in their front offices. That's true. That's why sometimes the GM is the is the is the guy that they look for for that. Like Jeff Hadley, the the one that the Dolphins uh hired, that that's actually one of his known traits. He was good at developing young talent. Like, so you don't have to be as the head coach, the guy who does that, but you do have to have the people around you to your point to help you develop that talent. So we'll see who he brings in and um you know, as far as that goes in Atlanta, but we'll see. Uh uh, yeah, I don't know. Me and Ike were talking because I told him I hated I hated Robert Salah taking the Titans job. I said he's he's going right back to a jet situation. Like you can't be dead about the failure, too. Like he needed to be like Ben Johnson, be very strategic about where you go so that you have the best chance of success. And he said it's up for failure. Then what happens when you're you're a failed head coach in two different locations? People ain't gonna look at you and take you serious as a head coach candidate anymore. And Robert Zala, I think, can be a good head coach. Problem is, I think he has to be in a situation where he already has some some talent. Tennessee ain't got no talent, man. Not no talent that you're gonna be able to win with, and you're in the division with the Jaguars and the Colts and the Texans.

SPEAKER_04: 55:16

Like, what are you talking about? I I want to see who who he brings in as his OC. OC. He's probably gonna call, you know, he's gonna probably coach the defense. But who you're gonna bring as the OC to rumor coach is Mike McDonald's offense.

SPEAKER_01: 55:34

Rumor is Mike McDaniel if he doesn't get a head coaching job.

SPEAKER_04: 55:37

And and and it I I think that would be good for him. Somebody who's been a head coach that that's good at figuring out what does this this quarterback or this these the players I have, what do they do well in scheming around the players and not just bringing a system in.

SPEAKER_01: 55:52

Yeah, yeah, I agree. They just don't have the the problem is they don't have the talent. Like you could you can scheme as much as you want, but if you ain't got the talent to make it work, you hitting. Tennessee ain't got the talent, in my opinion. I don't think they have the talent, I don't think they have the offensive line. I don't like I just I don't see it as being. You gotta start.

SPEAKER_04: 56:08

I mean, you gotta start somewhere, you gotta start building. You need some building.

SPEAKER_01: 56:12

But you know, many of you both know most times coaches don't get that, don't get that opportunity. I heard, I mean, to me, I I thought it was ignorant. You heard people calling for Aaron Glenn's job. The man was there for one year. Why y'all want to fire the give him a chance, see what he can do, give him time to bring in his own people. Like, that's why I say, like, you can't take jobs nowadays, especially not in the NFL, because you get a year and they'll fire you. It's happened before.

SPEAKER_05: 56:35

I thought that was wild with the uh with the um damn, I can't think of nobody's name, Raheem Morris, too. Yeah, like that was crazy to me. How do you get fired and you finished like you know, decent? I mean, you had respectable seasons, and your quarterback is injured both years. Yep. Like, how do you fire somebody in that situation?

SPEAKER_01: 56:56

Yeah, and I think he should have brought a new OC in. I've been saying, y'all heard me say that several times. They I think Atlanta needed uh a different OC. And I think that the outcome would have been way different from them uh this season. But they they stuck with that OC, and I think it cost Raheem Morris's job, unfortunately. Who who was the OC? Um uh oh, used to be a Cincinnati, I think. Um what's Buddy's name, man? Um was it not Callahan, was it? No, no, no. What's the other dude? Um uh Vernon, look it up, bro. I know his name. I know his name, and I can't think. I thought he was in Cincinnati, though, at one point.

SPEAKER_05: 57:38

Yeah, five point. I know the offensive coordinator we just had was the one that got fired by the Titans.

SPEAKER_04: 57:46

Let's see. The Falcons retained defensive coordinator. Uh Bill Callahan as offensive line coach. Uh that's offensive line coach. No, no, no, no. That's not gonna be uh look it up. I think they look at uh this is my bad. This is this year. Who they talking about the fans uh 2024, I'll see.

SPEAKER_01: 58:10

Zach Robinson. Zach Robinson, yep, it just popped up. He was in Cisley. I thought he was, was he not? I don't know. Oh man. Well, never mind. Uh no, he's from the Rams. Rams, okay, my bad, Rams. Uh Chargers are about to hire Mike McDaniel as their new offensive coordinator, so never mind. That's a great move. Hey, that's not bad. That's a great move. Yeah, that's a good move for them.

SPEAKER_05: 58:38

That that's I hate to see people have to go from head coaching down to coordinator, but a lot of times they come from court.

SPEAKER_04: 58:45

They was a coordinator before, so he was a good one. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Going back down. Oh, back down.

SPEAKER_01: 58:50

You know why I don't mind this one though, Jared? Because the Chargers are gonna win, so that's good, he's gonna put himself in a position to get another head coaching job. Because I'm gonna tell you now, if their offensive line is healthy, he's gonna be able to run those daggone crazy offensive schemes he likes to run, you know, with all them daggone motions and all that non-stop stuff he does with the running back. So I I think he'll have that offense humming as long as they can get that offensive line uh fixed. And Slater and Joe Alt stay healthy.

SPEAKER_04: 59:16

So nah, for sure, for sure. Um, one more thing uh before we talk about the games. Uh Bilichek and Buffalo, I've heard, may be a thing. Stop.

SPEAKER_01: 59:32

I mean I can see it happening. I can see it happening, but Bill's 80. I mean, I think I think I just think you got you should bring in a coach that can actually be there for the rest of Josh Allen's tenure. You know what I mean? Like I don't think it's ever healthy for head uh for you if you have a franchise quarterback in place for him to have to go through multiple head coaches. I just don't I don't think that's a good look. So you really need to try to find somebody that you think can be there uh through the rest of Josh Allen's tenure.

SPEAKER_04: 1:00:00

So that's fair.

SPEAKER_01: 1:00:01

But I can see that happening. Don't get me wrong. I definitely can see it happen. I just don't know.

SPEAKER_04: 1:00:06

Because I was talking, I was talking to a friend about this too. Like, if the if that does happen, like how long of a leash do you give Bilichek as far as you gotta think you've already been to uh you already won the the division, you've been to the divisional round, you've been to ASC championship games, like is the pressure to get to a Super Bowl right now?

SPEAKER_01: 1:00:28

You gotta win a Super Bowl and or get to the Super Bowl in the next two years, period. Okay. I guarantee you that's the type of pressure they're gonna be on. The next two years, maybe three, it has to be a Super Bowl. And that's what I was telling him. I'm like, you at least gotta give them three years to no. I don't I'm being honest. I don't even think he gets three. I I like I'm serious. Like, I think within two years, you better have been to a Super Bowl or somehow lost in a AFC title game. Otherwise, I think you're out of the job, period. Because you got Josh Allen's windows is closed. I think people forget Josh Allen ain't as young as he used to be.

SPEAKER_04: 1:01:08

I'm with you. I'm with you on that. For sure, for sure, for sure. So looking at these games coming up, man, we got the AFC uh conference championship game, New England and Denver, Sunday, 3 p.m. on CBS. Uh, who y'all got, man?

SPEAKER_01: 1:01:24

New England. New England? The way that I seen Buffalo run on uh oh yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_04: 1:01:32

We have we have no bow Nicks either.

SPEAKER_01: 1:01:33

So yeah, bow Nicks, but and and the way that the thing is, I don't think it's great that you have the number one team in the NFL in terms of sacks. Doesn't matter if they don't have to throw the ball on you. Yeah, for real.

SPEAKER_04: 1:01:47

That's true, that's true. You agree you going with New England also?

SPEAKER_05: 1:01:51

Yeah, just I mean, the the no boat nicks does it for me. Yep. Yeah, same here, man.

SPEAKER_04: 1:01:57

I was I was rooting for Denver, but yeah, once they said no boat nicks, I was like, uh yeah.

SPEAKER_05: 1:02:03

That was crazy how that all went down, too, man. How you watch a game, they the game ends. He finishes the game, finishes the game, wins it, walks off.

SPEAKER_01: 1:02:14

Yeah, yeah. Did y'all notice this? Because I I said I don't like Sean Payton. I'll be real with y'all. I can't I didn't like him in New Orleans. I don't I don't care anybody. But it's like I watched and I said, This is all his fault. I think his running backs only had six carries in the whole game. Bo Nicks had like 12. Why are you running your daggone quarterback that much?

SPEAKER_05: 1:02:38

Why?

SPEAKER_01: 1:02:39

Yeah, he's not the brightest man in the bus. Man, I can't stand him. And I don't know if that's the exact numbers, but it was something crazy like that at one point in the game when they showed it. I'm like, you had like six, seven carries with your running backs, and Bo Nick's had 11 or 12. Like, what are you why? Why when Buffalo's weak spot, everybody knows is they struggled against uh stopping a run.

SPEAKER_04: 1:03:02

Yeah. Uh RJ Harvey says sit had six carries, and uh jail mclaurin's four carries. Yeah, so 10 carries total and bone's at 12 for 29 yards.

SPEAKER_01: 1:03:18

So he had 12, they had 10 combined. Come on, man. Come on, man. Yeah, it's crazy.

SPEAKER_04: 1:03:23

And he also threw the ball 46 times.

SPEAKER_01: 1:03:25

Yeah, I saw that. Yeah, he did. I saw that at one point, too.

SPEAKER_04: 1:03:34

For 279, bro.

SPEAKER_01: 1:03:36

Yeah, that part. That part.

SPEAKER_04: 1:03:38

Like, yeah, you shinks and dunks, like legitimately. I'm trying to see how many times he wasn't sacked, but I was trying to see how many times he was hit. QB hits. So the teams, they only had they had three QB hits on him. Yeah, I don't think it was a lot. Nah, nah, okay. So that's what I was trying to see. Like, is it was he was he hit a lot? Like, you know what I mean? After he got rid of the ball. I mean, like I said, one sacked at all. It's just like you say, those running plays, sliding and trying to avoid hits and stuff, cutting. Yeah. Might have might have cost him a trip to the Super Bowl. Yep. All right, NFC championship. We got the Rams and Seattle. Sunday, 6 30 on Fox. Give me the Rams. Yeah. Give me the Rams too. I'm going Seahawks. That Seahawk team, man. They I kind of don't want to look at the Niners game as a like as a staple. Like, is that that them? But hey, they didn't let up. So I don't know if it's just because it was, it was, it was the Niners and like you said, they're in the same division, but you got the Rams and the same division too.

SPEAKER_01: 1:05:00

It's like how poetic is it for Patriot Seahawks in the Super Bowl again, right? Think about it.

SPEAKER_05: 1:05:07

Oh yeah. Possibly.

SPEAKER_01: 1:05:10

I again I ain't saying it from a conspiracy standpoint. I'm just, yeah. But I'll just I'll just say this. I don't know if y'all remember when McDonald was the defensive coordinator in Baltimore and what he did to Kansas City in the playoffs when freaking they let Ty Munkin run the ball two times and then they Lamar threw it like 50 times in that game.

SPEAKER_04: 1:05:31

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:05:32

Yeah, that's a whole nother story. But I've grown to realize that he's one of them coaches. I think when he has enough time to really game plan against you, game plan against you, he can create some problems for offenses. Uh because I think he's he's a good enough defensive coordinator. Uh and they got a lot of talent on that defense. So I just think that he's gonna give the rent. I mean, let's just be real, the way that Dennis Allen was shifting and moving that uh Bears defense around, it gave Stafford problems. I so I just don't I don't see how a better equipped defense like Seattle can't do the same thing and create some some problems for Stafford.

SPEAKER_04: 1:06:09

So yeah, I don't know, man. I'm I'm gonna stick with the Rams, man. McVay always got something. It's always something, man. He didn't against the Bears. His defense bailed him out. He admitted that. Yeah, but I mean, is it gonna keep happening like that though?

SPEAKER_01: 1:06:28

It ain't gotta keep happening, it's gotta happen one more time.

SPEAKER_04: 1:06:32

That's true. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. It's hard for me to go against the Rams, man.

SPEAKER_01: 1:06:38

I feel I feel and I'll be honest, the Rams' defense hasn't impressed me either. The last like the last uh half of the season, I just felt like their defense hasn't been as good as I thought they were. Um, so I I had some concerns with that as well, especially in the secondary. Um so I mean, but they also playing Sam Darnold, you know what I mean? So I don't have a whole lot of things.

SPEAKER_04: 1:07:00

I was gonna say you gotta kind of sprinkle in the Sam Darnold effect. We don't know when Sam Darnold's gonna show up, and I feel like every year. Yeah, Zach Sharp and Times.

SPEAKER_02: 1:07:10

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 1:07:11

So we'll see, man. This is definitely gonna be. I mean, it could be two good games. I mean, that New England Denver game could be bad. Yeah, uh, I think Stinnelman starting.

SPEAKER_02: 1:07:20

Yeah, he is.

SPEAKER_04: 1:07:22

So, I mean, he has a few starts. I mean, he's played for New England, he's played under some good coaching, but we don't know.

SPEAKER_01: 1:07:27

Hey, y'all want to hear it funny? I don't know if y'all heard it. You know, we tell y'all, I don't listen to the national media, but sometimes like an ad will pop up and then another video pop up on YouTube or something, and this video popped up and I didn't change it. And they were, well, I mean, Sean Payton really wanted Jared Stidham. I mean, he went after him harder. The Patriots are going after him too. Like, oh, he believes in him, believes in his decision making athleticism. Like, man, y'all really be trying to sell this diet, sis, man. Jared Stidham, bro. There's a reason why Buddy ain't never he don't see no meaningful time. Like, stop. Because but it ain't like Bo Fit Bo Nicks is some great quarterback. So we're not even talking about he's being kept. He can beat out a rookie. Yeah, like beat out, yeah, like beating out Bo Knicks. Yeah, so but I did hear something that I thought would be funny, even though it it wouldn't have. I don't know if y'all heard uh Richard Sherman say it. He was like, with that injury, Sean Payton needs to go ahead and um uh call Brady. He said, if there's a quarterback that can play in a week's notice, he said, you can call Tom. Tom will be ready to play, and he gives you a better shot. And I agree. I would be brave, I would right now. I feel like they had a better shot with Brady than Stidham. That's just me. Oh, for sure. Can that like happen if they wanted it to? Can that is that something that they could do? I don't, yeah. Because they, I mean, he's a I mean he's a free agent. I don't know. Uh you know, and I I mean, did he file his retirement papers officially and all that? I mean, you can still come back though. You can still come back, yeah, even if you did. So yeah, he could. And and I'll I said this, even though I know people think that I I think Brady would think about it because of Phillip Rivers coming back, and the and the competitor that Brady was would say, I can do better than what he did.

SPEAKER_04: 1:09:06

And I and I can shoot like, you know, but with him having ownership of the Raiders, does that have anything to do?

SPEAKER_01: 1:09:12

Okay, my understanding is yeah, my understanding is that wouldn't matter either. Oh, okay. All right, and for a guy who I mean, if we're gonna be real, you come back just to play the AFC Championship. If y'all win somehow, you end up with another Super Bowl. Uh hey, that'd be crazy. That'd be crazy. Eight?

SPEAKER_04: 1:09:31

Eight. Hey. I would be sick. Yeah. I would be sick. No, no, definitely hilarious. Um, but yeah, man. That's all I got, man.

SPEAKER_05: 1:09:45

What are we defunding? Oh, I got something. Man, we gotta stop, we gotta stop letting these coaches uh take these jobs before the season is over. Because I don't think I I'm not the brightest crown in the box, but I don't think there's no coincidence that, you know, the 49ers have their worst defensive performance of the year, and then the next day, Buddy's taking the job. That means there's been some conversation before, and I still point back to Ohio State's last two games. We scored 24 combined points last two games, and you know, offensive coordinators parlaying around with his new team the whole right in the middle of preparation for the two biggest games of the season. They gotta cut that out, man. And it could be just coincidence, but I don't I don't think so.

SPEAKER_04: 1:10:28

Yeah, push that portal, push that portal time back, push all that stuff back to after the national championship.

SPEAKER_05: 1:10:32

Nothing happens until the day after the national championship, bro. Yeah, nothing. That means nobody loses out on opportunities. That means kids that play on a national championship team get the same. Get the same time frame, time, yeah. It just makes sense, bro. It literally just makes sense. No coaching changes, no uh player personnel changes until the day after the national championship book. Like just just just make it. I don't know. Like even with the with the whole um with the whole um not Lincoln Riley, uh, but uh my memory is just shot. Lane Kiffin. Like you could have screwed the you could have been the part that screwed that team out of a national championship opportunity, just because you know you had to leave in the midst of all that. I know he'll probably say, Oh, I wanted to coach, but still, bro, you took another job. You're not you can't tell me that you're locked in if you're interviewing for jobs.

SPEAKER_04: 1:11:31

Not just interviewing, but accepting another job.

SPEAKER_05: 1:11:33

I mean, that's that's what I'm saying. But even in the process, like, bro, you're not locked in. You're not like you there's no way that you can tell me that Brian Hartline was locked into Ohio State's gameplay and going into the Big Ten. It wasn't even that much time in between. So that whole week in between the last game of the season and the Big Ten Championship, you're down in South South Florida with your with your new job. And then you're supposed to like come back and and and and and coach the the Big Ten Championship. We lose that. Then you go back down there the day after, you go back right back down there, and then you're there all that you know a little bit longer, and then you come back for the you're not locked in, bro. You can't tell me that you're locked in if that's what you're doing before the biggest games of the season. I don't believe it.

SPEAKER_04: 1:12:20

Nah, I I agree with that. Yeah, they it should be like the NFL, push everything back, like facts. Push everything back, have an off-season just like everything else does. You know what I mean? Like you said, start the the day at the the week, uh, the day after the national championship, then hey, everybody's free game. Portals open, coaches, whoever's available, you can interview, all that stuff. You cannot accept it. Nobody, and I would do it across all in college football. Nobody can accept the job, nobody can enter the portal, nobody can lead A school into the day after the national championship. Yep. In order to give everybody a fair chance, every coach, every coordinator, every kid the same opportunity to go out and switch schools or switch teams if they want to. I agree. So, no, I definitely agree with that because that is crazy to be putting these humans, because there's a human aspect to this too. You know what I mean? In these positions, and there's money involved, and people's futures, coaches' jobs on the line, and your coordinator is over here thinking about what he's about to do. You know what I mean? So I'm definitely with that.

SPEAKER_05: 1:13:25

And it's costing, it's directly costing these teams, bro. Again, no excuses to why we lost, but to be the powerhouse offensive team that we've been, not just this year, but over years, and we score 14 points in two games. Yeah, not our offense coordinators dating somebody else, like I don't mean.

SPEAKER_01: 1:13:48

Can I take it a step further, though, Jerek? But the schools, they're doing a disservice to these kids, these young men, uh by not uh not by not being there for them in moments that this this may be the biggest moment they have in their football career. You know what I mean? So they're doing a disservice to these young men. That's so I agree with you 100% on that. Absolutely. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05: 1:14:09

But I and then again, they're probably like, ah, well, they're getting paid, so fuck that. Like that part. Money just complicates everything. It's just like a catch 22. Yeah, you're getting paid, but the the care for you lessons, you know, they don't you don't care, they don't care. Nobody cares. Like, so it's just everybody show the trunk.

SPEAKER_01: 1:14:30

You know what my comment is for that though? My comment for that is the coach has been doing it before the before the NIL money game. So so the kids are only doing what y'all taught them. Period. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05: 1:14:41

There's no refuting that at all.

SPEAKER_04: 1:14:42

Can't nobody be loyal to all these years. Why should we have to be loyal now that we're getting money out of it? I'm with you. I'm with you. Yep, we all agree. Sure. Um, we got coming up boxing, man.

SPEAKER_01: 1:14:58

Yep, I was gonna say the only thing I'm gonna tell y'all, uh January 31st, the ring six. Uh, so fight card. Good actually, it's a real good fight card. You got the TO FEMA and Shakur. They headlining the card. Oh, it's separate, they fighting each other? Yeah, they fight each other. Oh, yeah. TL Fima and Shakur, that should be a real good fight. And Shakur is moving up to 140. So he's moving up uh in the in the division, too. So this would be a be a good test for him. Um TO, he's always fought well when the lights are the brightest. So he's always showed up to big fights throughout his career. Um, so you know, I know people say with the convulsa, well, the man was danger dying and didn't know it in the convulsives fighting, still almost won. So I don't even hold that against him. But the undercard, I just I was looking it up because I heard something earlier. So I wanted to make sure what I what I heard was correct. They actually got a real solid undercard. So Keyshawn Davis is fighting again finally. Uh so he fights Jermaine Ortiz, which is gonna be a huge, a few, huge opportunity there. Uh, you got uh Bruce Shushu Carrington, he's nice. He's fighting Carlos uh Castro, and then uh Carlos Adamez is fighting Austin Williams. The other two are cool. It's uh Jarrell Miller and some other ones, but those four fights right there, uh, or at least those top three that I said are gonna be definitely worth worth watching for sure.

SPEAKER_05: 1:16:19

Cool. I'll tapped in. Just send me a reminder, bro, because you know I'll be yeah, I already know.

SPEAKER_01: 1:16:25

I got you. I got you. I'm gonna be locked in.

SPEAKER_04: 1:16:28

So I'm about to say that might be that might be uh you know, that might be a fight night situation. I was gonna say those some big fights, so that may be something we may need to just link up and and kick it, make a night out.

SPEAKER_01: 1:16:42

Yeah, I'm definitely open to it. We can talk about it. Uh yeah, we could talk, definitely talk about that. But yeah, that should actually be a real good uh fight card, man. So looking forward to that. We got we got 11 days uh until that one takes place. And um, cool. It's yeah, it's gonna be it's gonna, like I said, it's gonna be a good one because I think um the TO Shakur dynamics, because it goes back to amateur days with a lot of these boxes and stuff. I think it's just gonna it's gonna show you a lot because uh Shakur has a lot to prove, and TO has a lot that he's still trying to accomplish because you know he was also trying to call out Bud before Bud retired. You know, he was trying to get a Bud Crawford fight as well, uh, which Bud would have hurt him in a bad way, but that's the only conversation. But uh, but yeah, so check out that fight January 31st. Uh on uh I believe it's gonna be on the zone.

SPEAKER_04: 1:17:31

So looking forward to it. Cool, cool, cool. All right, man. Well, if that's it, man. I appreciate y'all joining us today, man. And this has been the Epic Podcast. We will see y'all next week.

SPEAKER_02: 1:17:42

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_05: 1:17:43

Appreciate it.