Bussin' With The Boys - Mike Elko On Brian Kelly Firing, Texas A&M Undefeated & Marcel Reed + NFL Week 8 Recap W/ Greg Olsen

Episode Date: October 27, 2025

The Boys, Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, are back for another Monday football recap on Bussin’ With The Boys! This week, they’re joined by NFL legend and FOX Sports analyst Greg Olsen to break down Week 8 of the NFL season. Greg and The Boys dive into the biggest storylines around the Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, and more. Olsen also looks back on his undefeated middle school football season with Luke Kuechly. Later in the episode, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko hops on the bus. With his Aggies sitting at 8-0 and ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll, Elko talks about what’s driving their success this season, his thoughts on Brian Kelly’s firing at LSU, and whether Marcel Reed deserves to be in the Heisman Trophy conversation. The Boys also get into the culture Elko is building at Texas A&M and how he’s keeping the team locked in heading into November. To wrap things up, The Boys recap an exciting Week 9 of college football, covering Alabama’s win over South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Diego Pavia proving they’re for real, Texas A&M’s victory over LSU, Michigan’s dominance against Michigan State, and Nebraska’s big win over Northwestern.   TIMESTAMP CHAPTERS  0:00 Open 1:20 Taylor Didn’t Dress Up 6:00 Brian Kelly Got Fired 14:50 South Carolina VS. Alabama 22:30 Michigan VS. Michigan State 25:00 Northwestern VS. Nebraska 32:10 #TierTalk 37:15 Vanderbilt VS. Missouri 49:45 Greg Olsen Begins 50:40 Falcons VS. Dolphins 56:41 Bills VS. Panthers 1:06:11 Patriots VS. Browns 1:10:36 Bears VS. Ravens 1:12:48 Packers VS. Steelers 1:14:00 Bengals VS. Jets 1:15:00 Eagles VS. Giants 1:23:00 Best Team In The NFC? 1:31:53 Cowboys VS. Broncos 1:46:43 Coach Mike Elko Joins 1:48:29 Marcel Reed Is BALLING 1:49:47 His Team Has JUICE 1:50:44 Relationship With Brian Kelly 1:52:57 Relationship With Trev Alberts 1:54:07 Establishing His Culture 1:55:37 Dealing With The Hype 1:58:37 Elko’s Career Journey 2:03:07 How He Deals With The Noise Of Being In Talks Of Job Openings   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The greatest holiday of all time. Spooktober, round of applause. For Spooktober. For someone who's super big into Spooktober. Time out. Time out. I know. I think we got to have a conversation.

You're absolutely right. What's going on? Buddy. Just for reference, here's the back of the bus. And there's the front of the bus. Listen, we're going to eliminate distractions when it comes to this show and when it comes to spooktober. I will, I'll talk about what's going on on this bus.

I want to first point out that all of you in the back look fantastic, especially Clump. Clump. Send it back. Let me see Clump again. Yep. Yeah, yeah, Clump. Keep going. You know, keep going.

Keep going. Give us another flex, dude. It looks like a stuffed animal to bring home to, hey, Roo, got you something. Yeah. Dog. That actually might be too much. So listen, Spooktober is my favorite holiday. And I'm not going to make excuses about how it was a Disney role that did over 40,000

steps this weekend. I was a little tired. It's on me. I need to dress up. I showed up today. The first thing I see is Sherm and a policeman's outfit. The next thing I see is Mitch as a stitch, which, by the way, is my kid, my kid's favorite character at this time. Will shows up 20 minutes after the pre-production meeting, and he's Rocky Balboa.

And so, did I shit the bed? Yes. Is he going to take away from how great you guys look? It shouldn't. This is about Spooktober. This is about ghouls, goblins, inspectors. And I appreciate each and every one of you for dressing up. I need to be better.

I need to be better. For that, I say I'm sorry. I think where the disappointment is is every year. You're like, hey, we got to sell out. It's spooktober. We got to lead out. Hey, hey, we got to have the bus dressed up. We got to do all.

Like, there's like a standard you implement on everybody. Yeah. That you force on everybody. And just to see our guy from the front, like weekend one, you don't hit a spook. And you don't, you're not even taking this conversation seriously. Like, I don't know what's happening on the phone that's more important than a spooktober conversation with our guy, our leader. and then we get into the week of Halloween,

and you're the one guy that's not in a costume. Yeah, I was looking at my phone because I thought I addressed it and you still wanted to go in it, which is great. Here's what I think, guys. I think I've already said that I shit the bed. I did. When it comes to Spooktober, I do like to carry the flypole. I do like to say, hey, we should have standards and expectations.

And it's a bad look when the leader says, hey, we need to have these standards and expectations, and it doesn't work out. He doesn't follow suit with what he should be doing. I gotta stop looking at Sherm. He's kind of freaking me out with the helmet. And I don't know if he's looking at me or looking at somebody else.

But yes, I fucked up. I should have been dressed up. I wasn't dressed up. And you know what? To make matters worse, it didn't even cross my mind this morning. It didn't even cross my mind to get this done. That's the problem.

You're absolutely right. And so if you guys want to spend the show, me figuring out how many ways they can say, sorry, I can do that. But I am just letting you know. I shit the bed and it's, it's, I let you down. I let you down. And you know what's going to happen come September next year?

I'm going to do, I'm going to say, guy, we got to make this the best spookover. We got to do this. We got to do that. And it'll be a great time for you guys to hold me accountable and be like, okay, you want to be the guy. This is the guy we saw in 2025. What's the guy you're going to be in 2026? And that's, once again, from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry. This, this is mere Monday.

Yeah. This spooktober for me, from me, from. just a Taylor Luwan perspective has been very underwhelming. I will say, however, from Taylor Luan, the dad, this has been the best spooktober of my entire life. We have done so many, the kids are fully bought in. We've done so many things with the kids, and I'm very proud of that. But you can't have one without the other.

You can't have a good run game, but no pass game. All right, you got to put them both together, and I can promise that to you guys in 2026. That just means on Thursday for our stream, when we all dress up, you need to. You need to win. All out. If you don't win the costume contest on Thursday, there's going to be some real, real chatter around this locker room.

You need to win. You already start thinking. I'm excited that you guys are giving me an opportunity to make this right. So thank you. You're welcome. Let's go. I got the spirit. I got myself a nice little, you know what?

One piece? Yeah. We'll see you Thursday. We'll see you Thursday. See you Thursday. I'll see you boys Thursday for the stream. For the stream. But it is the weekend recap.

Do we want to get some football? Yeah, Brian Kelly got fired. would you about to I think yeah we talked about it with Pate before and he's like if this game doesn't go the way they want I don't think that happens but I think a conversation takes place with this coordinator

with the staff that's also going on and then it's essentially on Brian Kelly are you going to fire these guys that you need to fire but after that ass beating that A&M put on you. It was bad man and it was close I mean LSU was up for a minute it was close in the first half

and it just it's snowballed to our LSU, the fan base is chanting fire Kelly. And I think you walk out of that stadium, Tiger Stadium. I think the administration knew right then and there. This can't be our guy anymore if we want to keep this fan base intact. Is there a scarier stadium to have to leave after you're on the hot seat? No. Yeah, Louisiana is essentially always in Spooktober.

Like, that is a crazy state. He got a state overnight to leave when everyone's asleep. Dude. Yeah, Sherman, you're talking about there's a clip. There's a clip of Brian Kelly that somebody hid in the bushes. while he was leaving the stadium or leaving the facility. And he's like talking to people and all that. And he like books it out of there.

I have not seen this clip yet. And I saw that Harold Perkins, their best linebacker is basically, it was like I'm not playing the rest of the season. Now hold on. I saw that too, but I thought that was no three. I think that was no three. Did you get no three? Hey, Harold Perkins, if you're listening.

Because, well, I looked it up last night and I didn't see anything. Because I went to retweet it or quote tweet it and be like this guy, we, Maze and blue, we need this guy. Of course. And then I checked one more time and it said no three. Perks right. Yeah, I think he got no three. And actually does chill out because this is.

Dude is way too good. This is BK leaving the building right now. Also, okay, is he parked in a handicapped spot? Take one last look at it. He's allegedly halfway parked in his reserve spot and halfway parked in a handicapped spot. Well, that's all allegedly. We're not going to kick a man while he's down.

Does the door open? It does. He's pointing at somebody. I mean, that's a $53 million man walking around right there. That's a 53. Yeah, that buyouts. I think it's close to $200 million in buyouts so far.

And three fires. In totality. So, yeah, that's the video of the BK. Josh Pate going off about him. I saw the clip of Josh Pate going off about him on a show. And I think what I'm appreciating is seeing the fan base. Like there's been other figureheads as well talking about it. It's just talking about the optics.

Coach Kelly, they're allegedly saying that he was doing knowing he's going to be on camera a lot and kind of going off on all of his coaches. Like every time that there was an opportunity, like if a bad play happens, he's like, what the fuck are we doing, Joe? Like always just, you know, in the microphone. like kind of going at his coaches and thinking it was more of like a like an optics thing of

you know coach kelly kind of removing himself from the accountability factor yeah that is um yeah yeah trying to make it cinematic that's not that's not were you seeing these were you seen i was not i was not seeing those clips uh i'll take your word for it though and like just every time a moment every time a moment would happen it's like people were doing the you know where they're they're saying what he's saying like quoting like like lip reading and everything else but every time the camera would come on me it'd be like he'd pull down the mic he'd be like what the fuck are you doing here joe you can't call that you know with no timeouts right just yeah always like these situations a lot and they happen i i believe multiple times

is what people were talking about and you if you go off pate you know if there if there's if there's going to be a way like if there's going to be a hard decision to be had the position that coach kelly would be in he'd be put like an ultimatum like you're going to have to you're going to fire guys internally on your staff or coach coach kelly is going to be the guy that falls on the sword and optically like if you're trying to blame the staff this is the way that you would be reacting if the camera is on right yeah because if josh peyton knows the noise and all the noise surrounding he's obviously very aware and it seemed like just that small little clip of what you're saying is he is preparing himself to fire guys in order to save his job but that ass beating was so bad

that it was just like you know what we're going to have to do we got to go another direction we're to take out the trash. LSU's now the hottest job. It's open, yeah. Is that the, is that what we're thinking? That's over Florida. LSU, Florida, Penn State. Yeah, I mean, LSU.

Clump brought up a really good point where Florida might be better than LSU if you were a coach looking for a longer leash. Because at LSU saw Coach O, he was a national championship won two years later. He's gone. That fan base knows they can be national championship. of contenders every single year and they just think all right if you're not going to get done

in one two years we got to find the next guy which could be the quickest way to ruin a program because you want a little more you need to see these things kind of develop a little bit Penn State very similar 10 and two coach over and over and over again he's got to go and so next coach it comes in the expectation tenant you get 10 and 2 there's going to be a panic setting in there Florida you win yourself nine 10 games for a few years everyone's like all right slowly cooking so get back on the right track. Did I hit that correctly, Clump? Yeah, I think that's perfect. I think for expectations, for sure, the coach Othing's the best. He won a Natty, and I think it was 20 months later was fired. And you're also stepping into a place

that did hire Brian Kelly, which scares me. So it's like the people making those decisions, I wouldn't want to be part of that. No doubt. Yeah, you got to make sure everything's aligned. I don't think they would, they would just, you know, ensue just all this expectation. There is a standard at LSU, but I think these years of Brian Kelly, fan base is going to welcome if they have the right hire like they're going to have they're going to have a leash not to be like a losing you know losing record multiple years in a row seasons but i think that they will have like patience with this next head coach if it calls for patience and they're having like nine and three eight and four win seasons um but yeah dude a lot of jobs open a lot of jobs opening up more jobs open at this point i think we've seen in a long time but also more head coaches kind of rearing their head earlier in this season. being like, oh, that guy could be a head coach at a major program, that guy. Alex Golish at USF or UCF, which one, USF, Matt Campbell, Iowa State. Like, yeah, Summerall, he had two lane coach.

You've got all these kind of coaches that are like, hey, we're ready for the next step. And it just seems like everything's working out where these big programs are ready for a guy to take the next step. Horrible year to be the Virginia Tech's UCLA's of the world that need a coach. Not UCLA. I mean, I know they got their ass beat by Indiana. Yeah. But I think they're set. But it's not the year that you want your coach to get fired.

Not a year that you want your coach. Which brings us to Baylor, Cincinnati. I was talking with Sherm before, and he was just up in arms. He's like, dude, Baylor. I was like, I feel you, but Cincinnati is a tough team. Like, you kind of knew that that was going to happen. Shuram, if you don't, like, don't do the staring thing. This is real conversation time with Baylor.

But, yeah, where do you go if you're Baylor? Because you said there was an opportunity a couple years ago. to separate yourself from the head coach? We could have got rid of a Randa two years ago after the Air Force game. We did not. We actually extended them, paid him more money, and then we got more of the same thing. And now we're looking down the barrel of the gun in a college football environment

with now 12 head coaches. There's 12 openings. And it's like, now I don't want a Randa fired. Because what the hell are we going to do? Nobody's going to want a bailer job. in this economy. In this economy? Go down to Waco?

Yeah. God, dude. It hurts. Sick them bears. Sick them bears. Baylor seems like the perfect school to be a casualty of the NIL era. Shipping Joanna games.

Yeah, I was about to say there's a lot of money at Baylor. I don't think there's a whole lot of direction of like not only building an NIL, but like, going about finding talent, if that makes sense. I don't know, dude. I'm just very broken. I'm very empty. I'm very sad.

And yeah, Baylor's got to write the ship and do a whole lot of things if they want to find success in this era of football. I think a lot of schools could say that. But especially Baylor. Who should we talk about? Well, we should talk about me almost being a genius over the weekend.

almost shocking the world and hitching my wagon to the South Carolina Gamecocks so fucking close dude and that is there are two games other than the Michigan game while I'm at Disney World and I had to see I kept the box score up one was Michigan Northwestern

and the other one was South Carolina Michigan State or Nebraska other than the Michigan game Nebraska Northwestern yeah is one I'm not She should get Northwestern. Oh, sorry. Nebraska and Northwestern. I kept watching the box score on that.

And then I did pop on at one point, Alabama, South Carolina, when I'm in Epcot. I'm thinking I'm in China. And I go and look and I'm like, damn, we might be it. And JP and Earth, throw it a couple texts back and forth. I shoot them a little text like, hey, you guys can do this. Student section lines up to go rush the field. Alabama pulls through. JP, let's get your thoughts.

It wasn't fun putting it on this costume today. I felt like the clown thing Another you know like the clown gif Yeah But man it's hard It's like we outplayed The number four team in the country For every single minute of the game

Except for maybe the last five minutes The defense played incredible The tie Simpson passed the ball 44 times And I don't know Did he throw for Did he have one touchdown? Yeah but like we took

We took their weapons out defense played amazing. Offensive play calling was better. Still could have, still definitely could have put the game away. Beamer said it in the post game. When you're up by eight with four minutes left and you have the ball,

you have got to step on their throat and put the game away. And we didn't do it. And the most sickening part of the game, I think, is just the first play pick six, where we throw it out wide, swing pass, off our guy into Alabama's hands, 7-0.

And it's just like, we did that exact same thing against Georgia when we were ranked number 24, Georgia was number three. Swing pass out wide, pick six, Georgia touchdown. And it's like, how do we have identical plays against a number four team in Georgia and then a number four team in Alabama? We've given away every game this year,

minus the Vanderbilt game. And it's just like, when does it, when does it end? Probably next year when we make a run. But it just sucks, man, because it says a lot about Beamer two to get the team ready. we've been kicking ourselves in the butt all year. Moralc would be an easy thing to lose, but he didn't lose it.

The team showed up, the crowd showed up. And so when you walk away from that game, three and five on the year, going to Ole Miss playing at night, going to Texas A&M, I believe, playing at night. And then Coastal and Clemson, it's like he's done an amazing job keeping the team in it for all the things that haven't gone our way.

And it kind of hurts too because it's our first game, injury report has been pretty much empty. And we competed with the best team in the country, one of them. So it just, it's just like every single year. Just pain, man. Pain. Is there any part of you that's nervous about the portal world with you guys being three and five?

And what it could potentially look like at the end. I'm not saying that's what it's going to look like. Yeah. It's just so tough to say because with sellers, you really have no idea if he's going to go to the NFL or stay. I think if he stays, he does stay at South Carolina. Dylan Stewart, he's an interesting one because he's not from South Carolina. He has no home ties.

He's been playing his butt off the last three weeks. And the whole defense wants to win, but you can see it. I mean, Stewart is, he's getting gassed like because he's going hard every single play. He's making so much impact that as an ultimate competitor, you wouldn't, it wouldn't be the most shocking thing in the world if he went somewhere else. Hopefully he stays. I know that he loves Columbia. Nick Harbor loves it. I met Nick Harbor on Thursday before the game.

And he was a good dude, good kids. Meeting him was just like a good reminder of like this guy is like 20 years old. Really just started playing for real football three years ago. And it's kind of enjoying just every piece of it. Yeah. Has like a naive love for the game, which I wish I could say the same for myself. But I don't know. I mean, it's tough to say.

day. Like, I want what's best for all of our best guys. And I believe what's best for him is in Columbia. But it's tough. You're three and five guys want to win championships. And this is a letdown of a year. Yeah. Yeah. Should you tell him about a couple of whispers we've heard? No. You have to. I thought we agreed not to. And I was really hoping to get to Alabama right now. But it's too late, Matt. Now you have to tell them. There's whispers that there's $7 million on the table for Lenores sellers. There's whispers.

There was eight last year. Okay. Again, just whispers. I'm not saying it's a guarantee or anything like that. That's one of the whispers, though. Is it in the southeast? Yeah.

Yes. So one stayed over? Well, does it know. Let me blame. Let me look at it. But yes. Is it one state over? Yeah.

Let me zoom out here on my phone. Give you a hint. One of the jobs, the head coaches, may or may not be there next year. Oh, so probably not one. What I'm seeing and what I'm thinking is it's two states over. Yeah. There's a golf to it and there's a... Again, it's whispers.

Yeah, money's going to be all over the place for him. Yeah. Because there's also still a bunch of NFL scouts that are clearly watching the tape. He got to see it in person of like, Lenore Sellers leads the nation in broken tackles. Yeah, he's a freak. So it's like the, you know, the stats aren't there. So the stat watcher football fans have no idea.

They all say, oh, Lenore Sellers, he's overhyped, he's this, he's that. But then the scouts that are watcher, like, this is one of the most special athletes we've seen. So it's like he could leave and goes to the draft. And I like Sellers' chances of staying at South Carolina. I'm more nervous of Dylan Stewart. Yeah. Yeah. I'll tell you what, Dylan Stewart looked great.

He looked amazing, man. He would look great and maize and blue. No. Hey, keep it in house. He looked horrible up there. It's cold weather up there. He's a short-sleeve player. Good.

D.C. Swim D.C. It's cold there? No, he looks tough in the garnet and black. And we just had the number two, D.N. Come and visit this week. I would love for him to stay there for you for South Carolina. You guys deserve it.

If he were to leave, though, keep it in house. No. Keep in the house. Yeah, I feel like SEC players that, oh, I mean, that's, Haynes was Alabama, went up to Michigan. I felt like a lot of those guys. Had himself, what, 130? I didn't watch. He had 130.

Two touchdowns. You said, don't spoil it. So I didn't watch. Thank you. I appreciate that. I couldn't help myself, too. I was like, don't, I was like, I'm going to get home. I'm going to watch the game.

I have it saved on the YouTube TV or whatever. And then I, we get back. And I'm like, let me. can just see what's going on. I was like halfway to the first and I was like, I got to watch this entire game now. Watch the entire game. Yeah. It was a rivalry game.

I think the Michigan State got a garbage time, backdoor cover, but the offense wasn't like the best performance through the air. It's not what you want. It was like the most conservative game plan I've seen at a Michigan this entire year. Defense, though, like the last two weeks since USC has completely changed their game plan to where they were blitzing 50. of time last week was 25% of time I wouldn't be shocked if the number was even lower this week but they're letting the horses run right now and it's giving me a lot of excitement watching that

defensive group play the way they are right now so I'm very I mean there's a very strong chance we're we're playing Ohio State for a playoff bid which would be don't sleep on northwestern don't sleep on northwestern who else you got you got a buy week this you know we got we got Purdue this weekend and then we have maybe Northwestern after a buy and then we have Maryland, which is going to be tough at Maryland and then Ohio State. Got you. How did Bryce play this week? Good.

Statistically not great, but I think he put the ball in positions for guys successful. There was one, two linebackers and a receiver that will not be named, and he thread the needle perfectly hit that receiver in the face. Literally hit him in the face. And so, yeah, there was, he had a couple of nice throws. but it was like he threw the ball 17 times like it was the game was we're going to run the football and play defense there was no offense or butts about it third and seven plus i could do away with that game plan i could do what i could do away with that let's not be in third or seven but don't

ever apologize for a win that's what i'll say about that and it's shout out michigan state i this probably my least favorite school of all of the schools they got up for that game they played hard there was a lot of times michigan could have stepped on their throat and they fought back their way and to get that child's kid the quarterback for michigan state he i mean he had a horrendous game but then he had a couple of drives it's like oh this kid he's you could tell he's a special athlete like he's yeah he's young he's young so team that had nothing they had nothing to play for their three and four three and five whatever it was and they uh yeah they got up they got up for that game east lansing stated it the whole time so a lot of credit to them a lot of credit even though i despise that school anyway got the

little brother got the little brother i did it again Yeah. I think that's five, five years in a row, four years in a row. Talk to me about Northwestern Nebraska, because I'm watching that game on just like kind of refreshing and just seeing the scores go back and forth, but I don't know it really unfolded. We took care of business. I was saying it last week.

Like this isn't, this wasn't a, you know, you guys play Northwestern. You guys should handle Northwestern. I'm glad we got out that energy because you had to show up for this game. There was a moment there was like 21 to 6. and the refs have absolutely fucking screwed us on a fourth and short to where they completed it. They even reviewed it. But the dude was clearly short of the first down.

Not like clearly, but you just know he was short of the first down marker. To where he double caught it. Anybody catch this replay? Anybody see this play? To where he caught the ball coming back to it. And if he catches it, he's got a first down. But he double caught it to where he bobbled it and then fully secured it once he hit the ground.

And when you're, watching it like he wasn't he didn't get the first down but they end up giving them that conversion they go down to score that drive Dylan throws a pick they end up scoring they're back in the fucking game bro it's it's uh it's 21 all because they got a two point conversion we end up winning 2821 but um look there's things you got to take care of they had another explosive on us on the run game whereas another fourth and short and the d end is just crashing down the right tackle and mostly just focuses on. They think it's going to be a pile for the fourth and short.

So the end just crashing them down, not even looking at the ball. And buddy scoots out the side and takes it to the house when they scored off of that interception. Massive game this weekend. Massive game this weekend. I mean, like USC to me is a very good football team. Very good football team. They're coming to Nebraska. It is a blackout game, which I'm stoked about.

They got the all-black unies on. But this is a tough fucking football team. This is. And right now the line is like minus six and a half USC at Nebraska. And it's obviously, this is a money line game for Willie C. But I'm looking at that line. If you're everybody else, you're almost salivating at this USC minus six and a half at Nebraska. Like I think they're giving us some fluff there because we're going to have to come correct.

Like this is, this is a fucking game. This is a tough game. Yeah. I have a lot of respect for USC. Right. This is the season. This is the season. This is the season.

Absolutely. And that's a good ball club. The huge win is it being in Lincoln. It's in Lincoln. Yeah. That crowd 92,000. Whatever it is. Yeah.

No, they're going to pat. Everybody's, you mean they're blackout? Yeah. They might need Willie C on the sign luck. You might have to go. There's been some conversations. Walk out of the tunnel. Yeah.

Yes. Well, go to meet in attendance for the epic USC versus Nebraska night game Saturday. Hashtag tier talk. That's from Garrett Lake, Lake underscore Garrett. Yeah, there are some internal conversations being had at the household. You know, I'll either be at the game or I think this could very much be a stream game for myself. Either way, this is, this is, this is, J.P. said it, this is the season. Like, ah, yeah, we need everybody.

What time's the game? Night game. This is night game. If there was ever a time for Nebraska. And it's perfect. They get back in the top 25, another opportunity on the drought we've been having against top 25 teams. People are question marks about the offense, the explosive plays. USC they have a lot of explosive plays.

USC beat up Michigan. And the thought too is like there is very much a controversial. We could have got called for holding on the game. I want to say it was fourth down. They hit us on a double move. Oh, buddies grabbed them coming out of his. route coming out of the sluggo and uh fortunately you know they don't call it we gotta get back i'm thinking this is a get back for messing up the fourth and short call on our end but it happened a

couple times they had a couple big plays on third and medium to where we're sending the house and so all the guys are blitzed feet on islands and they hit us with the double moves so if you're USC and you're looking at that tape it's like they got some cats like this is this is a game baby I'm excited about it Yeah I'm excited about it Dude Emmett Johnson Has been running his ass off bro

I think he does he lead the big 10 And rushing yards Yeah look that up Led the entire country And broken tackles over the weekend Didn't play See I mean Jeremy I love had a ton of success

Running against USC Hayes Yes Yeah the formula The four like Emmett Johnson does not lead The Big Ten in rushing Michigan's Justice Haynes does.

Yeah. Well, last week, Evan Johnson was because Justice didn't, he only played a quarter and a half versus USC, missed the entire Washington game and then played this first game. So he missed about one and a half games.

Yeah. Either way. Washington is a good ball club. That's a good ball club right there. Yeah, they handled Illinois. They handled Illinois. Emmett Johnson's having a year, though. But Emma Johnson's just having a year.

Like, this is, you know. And this game's going to be awesome. I'm excited. I'm obviously nervous because USC's a very good football team. This is very much a spotlight primetime game for Nebraska. And because you win this game, you're back in all the conversations. You win this game. It's like, oh, this is a playoff.

There's a playoff team. You win this game. You control your destiny. Right. And we control our destiny. Period. Right. But if you, we're not even to talk about it.

This is, yeah. We're in the playoffs from here on out. Right. We're in the playoffs from here on. Every two-lost team is in that situation. Because I'm looking at Michigan, like, yeah, you're absolutely right. Yeah. Every two-lost team is in playoff mode right now.

And it's very much a playoff game this weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska at night, prime time, under the lights. We need everyone. We need everyone. We need everybody. You got to be there. Black unis. There's got to be a fly-house situation. Will goes, you've got to get to Lincoln in the morning.

With everybody. Gotta get to Lincoln in the morning. Our flight Walk the boys out This might be it, man Talk about Look at what me and Matt Rule have done Me being Will

This is the time It's also the opportunity though For Nebraska to let Will know like Hey, we got you You don't even need to make the trip Because it won't be worth I won't even I don't want to give USC any

No Baltimore Bidaria It's a great ball club They're playing very well That offense is high powered Yeah, man. But great spot for Nebraska this weekend. Need everybody. Need everybody.

Everybody. I'm with you. But yeah, that's not feeling. I am glad that we came out and handled business against Northwestern. It's a tough football team. Nobody should sleep on them. Nelson 8.8 at 808 Nelson says, who do you think has the best chance to make the CFB, CFP,

BYU, Navy, Notre Dame, or Texas Tech? I think the answer, I mean, Texas. Tech in Middardame. Who has the better chance? Why would it be BYU. BYU is undefeated. BYU is undefeated. Big 12.

Big 12, you're thinking BYU, Texas Tech. It's there, a Cincinnati. Cincinnati's right there. All these teams, I think they're playing each other on the back of the season. BYU and Texas Tech, I think, play this week. Yes, and Texas Tech is on their third string quarterback. They're back up. Oh, no shit.

No way. No. That sucks. They were rolling. rolling every conference is like there's no clear-cut champion except maybe the a cc georgia tech true yeah i'm seeing georgia tech Miami like probably would be a good game but that seems like it's going to be the championship right yeah those two play do they play i don't know if they play Georgia tech and miami but the SEC like any i mean

Alabama's play calling at the end of the game i don't know if you're y'all saw it no you know about my selfish it was it was lethal like wildcat to win the game fake reverse yeah he can talk about it but like those are the plays that i'm like that's championship that's championship football yeah they never had to have it moments and germy wasn't having the best day and when we needed him most the infection he was there i will say at the game jp and i talked about it you've been there Jack you've been there sandstorm gets insane it got the most hype during the game

but South Carolina had to come out with the ball so the stadium goes from being as loud as possible to coming back down it was probably the best case scenario for Alabama yeah yeah yeah yeah and the first time I was like I think half the stadium forgot it's second and nine when we come out of this and it was just it's so funny listening to you with your costume

one right now. But it was great, dude. I mean, yeah, we already talked about Sub-Carolina, but JP has motion in Columbia. That is for sure. Really? For sure. He's out there speaking to the school. He's at there speaking to the classroom. How was that, dude?

How was speaking to everybody going to that? I saw you and Beam and get a little coffee, old beer, little bud light together. What's going on? No, going back to talk to the classes, that was awesome. The pregame rush I had before was like when you're getting ready to play a game. And when you don't go play college, you miss that feeling since from high school to, you never know if you'll get it again. So my heart is beating through my chest as I'm standing up there. And then finally,

you know, probably two minutes in as they just ask you, like, introduce yourself. You settle into it. And I put it in my post, but like it just felt, it was one of those crazy moments where like I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to do, where I was meant to do, and to talk to like 20 kids after they're all lining up to come talk to me, ask me about different. advice as well as the other speakers and just like seeing the the looks in the eyes that some of the fears that they had in the as a junior in high or junior in college senior in college and to be able to like try to impart some wisdom after sitting in their seat and feeling those exact same fears was just like a dream come true at a school that I love and it's like I grew up a fan of

South Carolina my whole entire life and now I was able to speak at the journalism school where I graduated from and the business school Mitch's aunt is one of the professors there. He spoke in my aunt's class. Yeah. And when I tell you that she might have the best class across the whole school, it's like I'm not exaggerating at all. She's getting these kids prepared better for anything in the next part of life than I've seen any professor do. So shout out Beth and shout out that class because she's dialed in on all of the right things that a lot of professors are not. But it was, I mean, it was yeah it was it was awesome i almost don't have words for it even though i just gave a little speech on it was just like it was so cool no that's awesome dude because you do you your mind body and soul

love south carolina and getting to whatever range of impact you're getting to have but just getting to have an impact on a school that you truly love so much dude they they interview me before the game like one of the media people shout out ethan and they're basically like what's it like being back home all the stuff and i'll just stay in garrant and everybody he said it means everything it was so i was like getting emotional they asked what was your favorite moments of being a game cock lo blah blah i was seen it all i was there for the hit yeah i got jasper brinkley's glove yeah i got this i got that was like that was cool it was third and short got to have it moment yeah yeah that's awesome man that fires me up for you uh on the on the on the SEC

the SEC is just going to be so fun to watch, man. Shout out to Vandy, winning 17 to 10. Yeah. How about that last play? Yes. Oh, my God. Did you see it? I did not.

Last play of the game, Missouri throws a Hail Mary. And the ball is, did they end up saying it was caught? Yes. It was caught on like the one inch line to where the receiver falls on the ground and his body is on the goal line, but the ball is not. Oh, my God. Bro, we were, me, me, Matt and Ryan were all there.

And, like, that play happened, and it was so loud. And then that play happened, we're like, oh, shit, like, what just happened? And, like, so vandy players are on the field. Like, Matt and Ryan and I start walking on the field. And then the refs, like, hold on the previous plays under review. And so, like, everybody's just staring up at the big board of, like, what happened. Look at this. Yo, that is crazy.

Crazy. Literally six inches away from being a tie ball game. Was it a backup quarterback too? Yeah, backup quarterback broke Pubula. Unfortunately, got his ankle rolled up on kind of like a scataboo situation, like aircast and everything. But that backup, like he was, the offense did not slow down one bit once he came in. So I think they're going to be in a good spot, like moving forward with this guy.

Man, that is nasty. That is, I, I'm just getting even more mad about the wedding. It was a great weekend for ball. I mean, I missed all of Saturday. I know. I had to go back and combed. through and find some of these clips. I do need to give a shout out to Cade on their like I guess you could say Pavia's game winning touchdown. I saw that clip bro. That is so sick. Yeah, the one of you

guys put in the group chat, right? Yeah. What you're talking about? We, uh, like the play before Cade saw Matt and I, like with our cameras and stuff and like made eye contact and was like we're that close. Next play. They score. You can literally like Pavia is going over here. You can see Cade come in, pull him towards Matt and I. And like, after. the game we're talking like oh yeah i saw you i did that completely on purpose and it was da that's you just see it because pavia's about the role and he just grabs them though you're coming to these boys right yeah yeah so sick man dude he's got a good video from the other angle where you can like see it all happen from a different point of view yeah awesome the uh it was on here

pavia on nightcap too i did i saw the clip pavio's on nightcap dude i saw that as well what do they say you have any more eligibility is yeah, you have about 13, 14 years in the league. He did the Chad Johnson silent laugh. Theo? Theo, was that with him? Was that Pavio's mom? Yeah.

That's so funny, bro. Theo with the recruits, too. Yeah. No, yeah, there's like six of them in a wheelchair. He needs some rest. He needs to be with the Lord. So now is like 150. That clip does go so hard, dude.

And Pavia, so we have the Heisman favorites right now. Fernando Mendoza's plus 260. Ty Simpson 350 Julian Sand Julian Sam He's having himself a year Plus 400 Check down Charlie

Marcel Reed Plus 500 And Diego Pavia Plus 850 A lot of respect For all these guys I do joke around By saying

But like This bus might have to become Advertisement For Diego Pavia to win The Heisman We might have to Stand on that And sway any voters

That might watch this show We should see If the bus is on board With that With that take. He didn't have... I love the pavia. Like, I love the pavia magic.

I really do. But I also love some Tysons. Tyson, that is the other one you look at you. Like, yeah, maybe. Diego didn't have, like, the craziest game this weekend. 29 passing yards and interception. But it's just something about, like...

He didn't win in the Heisman, man. It sounds so weird to say, like, he has these... Fuck, man. Jack's first words in the show. Because I've been seen it all day, and I'm not trying to do this Tennessee. versus Vandy, but Joey Aguilar had 20 less passing yards against Alabama than Diego Pavia had versus LSU and Missouri combined.

I love this for Vandy, seven and one, but I just don't know. I don't know. It's fair. His vibe is. It's the vibe for the program, but I think that it's like they're taking Vandy as a whole and they should be doing this whole Heisman-Kand-Cannisy thing that they're trying to like push, but I don't. Yeah, I mean, like the aura and the vibe of Diego

like just radiates through the entire team. Yeah. And that's what makes it like, yeah, like probably it didn't have the greatest game. Like it hasn't really had like that Heisman moment. But like the entire team embodies his swag. And I don't like, obviously I don't think that's Heisman worthy,

but like there's something to be said about it. That might be Heisman worthy. What? Establishing an entire culture on a football team. That I can get behind more. Taking a dead program. Transfer in. and everyone be like,

yo, who the fuck is this Mexican kid with a wrestling brain? And he's just, this is my team now, takes over. And dude, they walk around.

Like, their shit doesn't stink. And it's like, yeah, it hasn't. Like, they kind of just keep doing their thing. They might be flipping

a five-star commit to Georgia, who's a Nashville kid. Like, he was at the game. So, like, the aura of Vandy is really. They've taken on the identity of old Diego Pav.

Yeah. And that, I think there's lots to be said, but that, listen, we don't have to say, he's got to win the Heisman, but can we get him to New York? Let's get him to New York so I could see it.

And I'm hoping he wears this crazy, gaudy, iced out chain that might just say pavion on it, big as fuck. And he's like, yo, this kid went to New Mexico, no offers, goes to an SEC school, and he's seven and one in the SEC right now. That's incredible. Some of the- Undersized. I was talking to some of the coaches, like after the game, like we were somewhere. and they one of them was the O-line coach and he's like

tell Taylor to fuel that jet up Oh fuck! And I'm like Taylor is shitting himself right now. I am and I'm also like I think this is I wouldn't be upset anymore. It's like one of the cooler stories ever. It's the point where Kate's coming to the shop today so we can watch film together.

Like he's coming over at three today and we're going to break down the film and he's like, yeah, I want to watch film and say yeah, dude, let's watch film I don't have to work on some stuff. It's so cool. Yeah, because I got to get him in Amazing Blue uniform next year. I mean, it's all hands on deck. Anything you do to help the program.

So, yeah. Dude, I do. I want him all. I didn't tell him I see somebody to make a play. There's a kid from Michigan State. Dude, he's like 60. His last name is Marsh also. And I'm like, this guy,

he's a selfless player. He runs? No, dude, our Marsh is awesome. Our Marsh is good. Former 5 star, Klump knows all about him. But yeah, I'm just kidding. and I see all these cats and I see the world we live in now and I know Michigan's got the funds I'm just thinking myself

Yeah We did That was a nice post by them That was a nice post by them Adam Schefterer posted too that was Yeah Shepty posted Yeah I'm also recruiting I'm also

Recruiting Cade Are you the two states over in the Morg? Yeah Yeah Yeah Vanney's got a real shot to be in that college football playoff man A real shot. Yes.

The rest of their schedule here, they're at Texas. Right now, Texas is favored by two and a half. And Texas is way different. This week, I didn't get to watch the whole game, but I did see the box score of that while I met Epcot walking through Finland, and I'm just like, this one's in the bag. Auburn.

These motherfuckers, dude. Texas, Auburn, Kentucky, and Tennessee. That game's in the nuts. Tennessee venue. Yeah. That might be. Who's the rest of your schedule, Jack, with Tennessee. We got Oklahoma this week, which would be awesome. Dark mode activated. And then we

have New Mexico State, Florida, then New Mexico State, and then Vandy. So, I mean, we got three big games, too. Big ones. Big ones. Yeah. Florida away, Vandy Home. Vandy, Tennessee might be a win in your end. Was Florida on by this week? Vandy Tennessee can be a playoff game. We were on a buy this week. We were looking for our next time. Yeah, okay, fair enough. Any rumblings? It's Lane Kiff and her bus for Florida. Lane Kiff and her bus.

All right. All right. Old Miss, too. They look nasty, too. Old Miss is nasty. Any of those places. Dan Lannning? I'm sure LSU will throw him something, but he will go.

Yeah, I don't know. Joe Brady to Ellis. That would be heartbreaking for Oregon, man. Joe Brady should go back to LSU, be the head coach. He was OSC when they won the Natty. There you go. All right, we got to wrap this up, boys. Let's, any parting thoughts?

Anybody, their team, anything? Titans suck. Titans are the least competitive team in the NFL. I message with Ty Simpson after the game, and he told me to let you know that you picked the wrong team. And he left it at that, which hurts me. Just, that's crazy. He would just hurt you in order to hurt me.

I know. And yeah, hey, Ty, you were right. You keep that ball high and tight, brother. after I get Diego to New York my goal will listen you'll be there too you'll be there too we got NFL talk coming up with

Greg Olson and we also who's on this one Mike Elko I know we have a few interviews today Mike Elko Coach Elko from A&M you'll get to hear from him awesome show

Big Huck signing kisses don't forget to leave comments and make sure you are subscribed enjoy the rest of the episode Hey it's us the Jonas brothers and guess what we have some big news What's the news news news news

we created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to our first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember.

I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band Before Jonas Brothers, This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas.

And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. and I know firsthand because I competed there myself.

I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris, every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jenchian went. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now,

and I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court-side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the podcast. the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We're going to interrupt this episode real quick to tell you guys, by the way, I just bit my

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We love SimpliSafe so much that we do. What do we do, Mitch? They're protecting us here. They're protecting us here in this shop. Because all right, we have people lurking around every once in a while. Air powered monitors, bang. bang they got them no problem and while we're in our safe shop what do we like to do we want a nice

little snack Mitch we go to blue diamond blue diamond almonds are the super nut that hits when you hit you with a little protein punch to keep you going it's a bit there's 20 flavors that are available they wrote here honey roasted wasa wasabi and soy smokehouse boys that have been narrow barbecue for me i like myself a little spice makes me feel extra nice i like to have that and it's a nice little treat I have a little water on the side because then boys can get hot. But listen, this football season, you can win $10,000 grand prize or hundreds of other instant win prizes with Blue Diamond. Visit BD Sweeps.com for a chance to win. There's no purchase necessary in the end's November 30th, 2025.

This is the last week of Spooktober. After this, boys, bang, we're gone. Open to 50 U.S. and D.C., 18 plus. For rules, visit BD.Sweeps.com. Voidware prohibited. Blue Diamond Alman's, the official snack of the Big Ten and football fans everywhere. Let's get back to the episode. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what?

We have some big news. What's the news, name? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a... We're the first people to do podcasts.

Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name? Hey Jonas, guys. I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Oh, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was...

This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs. And on the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris.

Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on clay. Genschen win. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck.

Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'll be fully transparent. This is going to be a legitimate, full-on old-school podcast for your boy because I had a really good buddy of mine who had a wedding over the weekend. And it was out in Sleepy Hollow.

Service was rough. The wedding was on Sunday. I didn't get to watch a lick of football. I got to follow some of the scores. I was involved in the wedding. I had to fly into LaGuardia, drive an hour and a half to get up to Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow was wonderful. I'm talking about it is Halloween Town.

It was a good time. But as far as watching Ball and coming correct on this podcast, this show today with Greg Olson, it's more of like I'm going to ask a few questions, sit and listen a little bit, maybe tell a couple jokes. Because I didn't really get to watch. The only thing I see is it feels like it was Separation Sunday because there were a lot of ass beatings. A lot of ass beatings out there for sure. Yeah. Let's start with.

So Greg called the Panthers Bill's game. The Panthers got absolutely blown out. I saw that. Dude, what the fuck happened to the Falcons? Falka. Okay. That's a different. That's different team. What happened? What happened with the Falcons? They're unimaginative in the run game. They've gotten found out.

They have not used Bijan Robinson the way they should. I know, Greg, we're not going to have massive takes on this thing. But like, if you got arguably the best running back in the NFL, maybe keep them in the game more consistently, right? Yeah, I'm not sure. Week in and week out, the Falcons are probably one of the biggest anomalies in the NFL. I mean, I just got done studying the Bills because I had the Bills Panthers game. And the last game the Bills played before their buy was against the Falcons and the Falcons beat them.

And they looked great. Bejohn's running for long touchdowns. And they looked really good on defense, getting after Josh and sacking them a handful of times. And you're like, all right, Falcons are back. You know, Falcons found it. You know, early in the year, they lost 30 to zero against the Panthers. And then they beat the bills. And it just seems like every week they just,

alternate. Handled Washington. Handled Washington. Handled Washington. Then you get beat by the, was it the Niners. It was close, though. Like they went out to San Fran. It was pretty, it was close, right? It was close. It was close. It was 20 to 10. But the run game was like non-existent in San Francisco when they played. Because we, Will, after the Falcons Bills game, I saw the

score. I didn't watch the whole game. There were other games on. So I was like, man, I wonder what happened there. And Will was like, buddy this team they're sticky in the secondary their defensive line standing up their run games incredible penix he's getting up he's dishing the ball they got drake one and they got pits he's coming back so i'm like and they bullied the bills yeah i'm like oh i got to go watch this film you turn it on and like there's not a better team that one game there runs 11 personnel outside zone better than the Atlanta falcons you're like oh dude these guys really have it figured out like not a lot of motion not a lot of like window dressing on their plays but they're like

all the office linemen are getting to their spots they're getting push on the front side. They're cutting off in the backside and Bijon looks incredible. So I joined the Kool-A with him, too, to where we're on the locker room the next week. And we're breaking down, who's going to win? 49ers are the Falcons. And I'm kind of up in the air because Kyle Shannon, to me, he's coached the year candidate with all the injuries they've had and been able to still operate at extremely high level.

Obviously, they dropped this week. And Will goes, don't overthink it. It's Falcons. I'm not saying that the throw shake because the Falcons end up losing that game. I'm saying I saw the film as well. I'm like, this team can be dominant. And then these next two, weeks happened.

Yeah. And they play the dolphins who are like a walking. It's October. They're a zombie walking around. I'm thinking they're done. And wouldn't you know it? They dropped, what, 38 on them? When I checked the score one time, I was like 30 to 3 or something like that.

I was like, it wasn't even close. It wasn't even competitive. Yeah, I don't get it. I don't know how you can be so good one week and so bad. I understand stubbing your toe once in a while, right? It's the NFL. You're going to have a bad. game you're going to have a bad outing to be so back and forth week in week out get blown out

look like the best team in the league get blown out that it's it's almost hard to do it's I don't even know how to wrap my head around it it's pretty it's pretty amazing especially when you're uh you know you're uh coach Morris and you're walking in like you know those vibes like we're all professionals And it's like, how are we this wildly inconsistent? Right. They're the number one team in the NFL that reminds me of a college football team when it comes to inconsistencies. Yeah.

Like, all the boys went out last night. Like, guys, you're paid professionals. Like, we can't have this big of a drop off. Yeah. I'll tell you what I don't like, though. I don't like all the pistol. Yeah, dude. I don't like pistol zone.

I like pistol counter. I like pistol pin and pull. Like, I think pistol is nice because if you are going to be primarily a gun team, which they are, especially with Pennix. Again, I didn't see much of the game yesterday. Did they change much with, I know, with cousins playing? I'm not sure. But prior, they had been so pistol heavy, gun heavy.

And I get why you don't want to just be single back run offset back. And it gets very telling where you're going with your zone stuff. So I get the pistol idea. I don't think the angles are good. I don't think the play action is good. I don't think it has nearly the benefits that outside, inside zone have from under center. I think that's a part of the issue in the NFL. I just don't think the angles front side.

I think it gets really wide. It gets really strung out. Yeah. Not to get into super football in the weeds. I just think being so exclusively pistol makes everything else a little bit of a challenge. No, dude, I agree with you. And Dan Olofsky talks about this all the time. He's like, his big trend this year is we need to make football under center again.

That's like kind of like what he wants. And everybody's doing it. I completely agree. with getting under the center, snapping the ball, because when the quarterback's back is turned, and obviously, like, it's going to help the play action pass so much more,

which is what you need against these, like, super exotic defenses nowadays, is you need guys to kind of get up so these zone windows are more open behind them. And when you're in the pistol, it's a quick little turn to the side, and there's nothing like demonstrative about it to where it makes, and you could speak on this well

from our linebacker's perspective, if you're in the gun and he's just kind of turning and then goes into setup, it's like, there's nothing giving you like, oh, I got to get down in that gap to stop the run. Am I correct in saying that? Yeah, you can transfer. You're able to transfer your eyes quicker

and you feel like play action and everything else. If you're under center and they're pressing the gap, you're going to take that extra step as a backer to whereas in pistol, everything kind of unfolds a little bit quicker for you. Yeah. So yeah, it's just, but that being said, the Falcons, if I'm a betting man, which I am, I'm staying away from the Falcons the rest of the year.

You just have no idea what you're going to get. Like if I'm going to go in the fan, into a sportsbook app and I'm not even to look at the Falcons logo anymore. It's, it's terrifying. It's probably the scariest team to bet on. But the game we almost started talking about was the game you called. And I want you to break down. Bill's Panthers a little bit short drive for you.

That's where you played your career at. I'm sure like when you're calling these games, you're thinking, you know, you want to be as unbiased as possible. There's probably a piece of you. It's like, man, I really hope Andy Dalton can step in for Bryce Young here and they can, you know, keep his home win streak alive. And the bills come off as by and just absolutely dominate all phase. is James Kilk has 215 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns.

Like the defense stood up in a big way. It was obviously an extremely dominant performance across the board in all three phases for the bills. What did you use, what was your biggest takeaways from those games? Before you answer that, how the fuck did the Jets win? Just always get that much closer to getting in the game. Yeah, what's talking about Joe Flacco? Yeah. What in the hell happened with Joe Flacco?

I think, you know, We're going to stay focused here. You're coming off the wedding. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot on your mind. Let's stay locked in. Yeah. Me and Taylor, we'll keep this on track.

You just hang in there. I said, yeah, Rocky out there, but they had a couple too many times. You're wearing a rain jacket. This is a Rocky Boutre boy. This is a Rocky Baboor. Thank you. You know, so it's actually fine.

So what we were just talking about with the under center stuff, when you watch Buffalo, the Buffalo we all remember of years ago of Josh being in, you know, Josh Allen being in the gun. and every ball being in his hand and it's drop back pass and it's they have made a pretty remarkable transformation to a heavy under center run first mix in play action run dominant offense and it's been very intentional i i don't think their outside weapons are like traditional x you know they don't have like a traditional ex receiver that's going to work you know the deeper zones

and go up i think keon kohman they're still trying to get him going it's a lot of quick quick passes a lot of run after catch, Khalil Shakir, you know, guys trying to, you know, Kincaid, trying to get the ball in guys' hands and run after. But yesterday it was just all about the run game. I mean, James Cook was incredible. He had like 135 yards after contact at, I mean, before contact, at halftime. I mean, he was, he was 10, 15 yards into the teeth of what was a very good run defense in Carolina. He was 10, 10, 12 yards into their, into their defensive. second level before he was even being touched. You know, he broke a 40-some 50-yard. I can't remember exactly how far it was in the first half. He was incredible. The offensive line was great. So

it was funny. We're calling a game with Josh Allen and he's arguably the best player in the world and of course the reigning MVP. And he made some good throws. He made a couple typical Josh Allen's scramble drill, keep the play alive and get a conversion down. But like, he was a pretty non-factor, which I said at the end of the game, if I'm a Bill's fan and I'm the Bills, I'm wildly encouraged by the fact that the best player in the league, potentially, if not the top two or three, we were able to put up a 40 spot, be utterly dominant the entire game. And our best player had a much less impact than what we're accustomed to seeing. I think that's highly encouraging because we all know, come the end of the year,

come playoff time, there's going to be some Superman moments where it's going to to be, all right, Josh, the days of just you lining up under center hand in it to James Cook. Like, we need you to be Josh Allen. We need you to be the MVP. And we're going to let you go roll, designed quarterback run, scramble, obviously pushing the ball down field. Like those days are coming for them to be as good as they were offensively. And now say, okay, that's not even with Josh Allen being Josh Allen is, I think it's scary. I think that's the recipe they want to be in the regular season. I think that's the recipe they think gets them over the hump in the playoffs.

Defense was much better. Took the ball away four times. One down to like the one yard line. AJ Epinessa had an incredible tipped interception on a like a little tunnel screen, hit him in the hands, caught it, took it down to the one to set up a touchdown before the half. So it was a overall Buffalo dominant performance.

The whole Josh Allen's got to be great. That is coming. I'm assuming in the next week is they're going to have to play the Chiefs. I don't know if it's at the Chiefs or at the Bills, but the Chiefs played a night on Monday Night Football. So I think they'll have to look at Josh John and be like, hey, now you have to be this reigning MVP top three player in the NFL. But this is a Will Compton after the Atlanta Falcons game,

which is a big brain move by him by him by getting us to talk about that game. I asked him and say, hey, what do you think happening? He goes, bro, they got away from the run way too quick and just try to make Josh do everything in that Falcons game. They go on the buy after that. And it seemed like they were in Will Compton's head where they're like, hey, let's run the ball till we can't type of situation, get under center and utilize the play action.

Especially if you got like the Bill's question, like I know they're in the conversation. Are they going to go pick up like a defensive player? Like they're pretty light in the ass at the second level. Yeah. Like when you see them against the Falcons or a good run team that gets you going sideways, that is where their weakness is. I love that they had takeaways.

But an example of that too is you look at the bears. The bears were like number one in the league at takeaways. And then you go and play against a team. team who ends up taking care of the football that game. And when those weaknesses start to show itself, what fires me up about the bills is if you're winning the football game, especially under center in the run game with James Cook, you're going to be able to control the clock more. You're going to be able to sustain drives longer.

But if you do get in that shootout, if you do get in those high scoring matches against good offenses, that's where I get nervous because I feel like their front seven has been a little questionable when it comes to stopping the run and everything else. Because you can't just assume they're going to take the ball away. You know what I mean? Like if you're leaning on that, I know that's like, you know, some momentum. Once you get hot, it starts to happen. You start taking the football away.

But if you're just leaning on that, I feel like those weaknesses in late season football will start to rear its ugly head if, you know, if they don't go and get somebody on defense or if they just don't consistently eat weekend and week out, start taking care of these things defensively where they do, where they have had question marks. So I am, like I'm fired up that they ran the ball a lot more with James Cook. I think this is an offense that you get going. And when they're not getting touched, you know, they're getting into the second level of the defense.

My only reminder and experience is the Tennessee tights when Derek Henry gets going in your run of football really well. And then when Josh Allen makes a playoff of it, it's like, oh, shit, they also have Josh Allen, the reigning MVP. But I know for me, not watching them defensively against the Panthers, for me, my whole question mark was, man, they just don't, they don't seem like their defense is going to match the offense unless they're living under center

and they can keep them kind of off the field. Yeah, the impressive thing about the Bill's defense in this game was not just the turnovers, but, I mean, Panthers, their bread and butter is running duo, running gaps game, double-teaming the inside guys. And getting into the meat of the secondary between both the tackles. And I hope they did a great job in that game. Like, they did a good job of stuffing the run, making them pass, causing turnovers because of it. Chiefs will be a great benchmark form because chiefs are playing fantastic.

They're playing great. And they obviously put it. One last thing to add, because what you guys are saying is the real teeth of the conversation that I think sometimes people ignore the ability. So we'll just take Buffalo since we're obviously talking about that. Their ability to play run defense obviously has been a conversation going into that Panther game. The run defense was historically bad. They were giving up chunk plays at a record rate, giving up a lot of yards before and after contact, the tackling. like that was everything Buffalo was talking about addressing at the by week, right,

going into the Panther game. But the part everyone has to realize is if you want to get better at run defense, just score a lot more points on offense, right? Like your ability to mask one side of the ball or the other is less about just improving that phase of your team and more about phasing the complementary piece on the other side of the ball. So if you're a team that really struggles running the ball, you've got to make this. a shootout. You've got to have an offense that can generate points, finish drives. And then, yes,

if you get takeaways and that can also mask some of those issues. But all of a sudden, you get into a slug fest and you get into a game where maybe you're not finishing, you're kicking a lot of field goals. Maybe your run game is going into a tough matchup up front. You just can't get anything going. That's where Josh Allen, that's where having the best player in the league now. They get untapped that and say, all right, Josh, it's time now to put this game on your back because we don't want to be in a 1410 second half game when a team could just run the ball at us 30 times. So that's kind of the back and forth.

That's the cat and mouse game. And that's why having ultimately Josh Allen as your quarterback, even if right now you want to be a heavy run team, there is going to be a time where Josh is going to have to take the game over because they're not built defensively to play a 30 attempt run game in a low scoring battle. They have not shown that that's the strength. and at Oliver goes out to injury with a bicep yesterday hoping it's not as bad as it looked.

He did not return. So, yeah, little light up front, little light on the second and third level. I don't know if that's the type of game they want to make a, you know, they want to major in. Yeah, the game, the game coming up against the Chiefs is massive because obviously when you win the division, you play the best, best teams in all the other divisions and the Patriots who get what, they were fourth last year in the division, AFC East. I believe so. Yeah. four third they were they were not great last year at all they're in a six game winning streak right now

they just took arguably one of the best defenses in in all of the NFL and put 32 on them drake may 282 three touchdowns so they have to get their ass going like there there's no if you want to win the division you want to end this year with possibly a buy you've got a you've got to win out yeah because the patriots are in a great spot and i'm i'm curious too to dive into all their second half statistics because they seem like a team that's adjusted really well at half time because I want to say just checking the game. To sign a great coaching. Yeah, it seemed like it was close going into halftime.

And then obviously like Drake May, he's one of the best quarterbacks right now in the NFL. And the Patriots are just a team. And they have the schedule. Like, they could win. I feel like they're going to win the AFC East. Yeah, their schedule definitely sets them up for sure. They have Drake May, perfect passing rating over 20 yards. Dude, he's bawling.

He's bawling out right now. And it did get Harry for a second. Like, you know, the rookie, what's his name, Will Campbell? Will Campbell, he had himself a tough day against Miles Gary. People said he gave up five sacks. This is not, he didn't give up all five sacks. When they were showing the highlights, there was a couple on the right tackle as well. I know that personally.

That's something I want to defend from my boy, Will Campbell. Taylor sees five sacks in a game. And I literally went back and watched all. It wasn't all Will Campbell, okay? Also, drink me, you got to get the ball out a couple of times there. But yeah, this team, you see Miles Garrett. He's frustrated. He gets five sacks in the game and he's still slamming his helmet on the sideline

because their team just cannot win games, even though he's being Superman out there. But these Patriots, dude, were you able to watch the game at all? I saw some of the highlights. I saw some of the clips. I went back. I try to, you know, after my game's over, if it's not in the late window and I'm home to watch the late window,

I try to just go and just at least familiarize myself with, you know, the matchups and who played well and take a look at the box score and the highlights and try to get some context. You know, I think the Miles Garrett thing is going to be a storyline all. year. I think, you know, you go back to that, I think he goes back to that decision in the summer where he made it pretty clear that he wanted to be out, that he wanted to go somewhere else. And then obviously they threw a ton of money at him. And he signed up for it, right? You signed up knowing you had some questions at quarterback. You had some questions in a lot of

different areas. The defense was going to be good. You knew that. But the reality is in the regular season, offense is where you're going to win, right? Offense is going to drive it. And then defense will kind of tip the scales a little bit more once we just get all the bad teams out in the playoffs. And defense seems to have a lot more correlation to advancing in the playoffs than it does in the regular season. So he kind of knew what you signed up for. He is incredible. I think he's going to make a lot of offense alignment look stupid. I don't think it's the young rookie from New England. I don't think it's unique to him. But yeah, they've got serious issues, especially offensively. They got a lot more questions than answers. But Drake May, I mean, he's in the MVP conversation.

I think what's so cool about this year is the MVP conversation through week eight is really a bunch of, it's not the typical Josh Allen's and Mahomes as good as they are. And maybe by the year end, they'll be the last one standing. But like Daniel Jones, Drake May, I think Jordan Love has been incredible. I mean, this next kind of crop of young quarterbacks is playing incredible ball through call it the first half this season. I think that's what's made this season so fun to follow as just a football fan. it. Baker Mayfield as well. He didn't have the best downline.

Sam, Sammy, Sammy Darnallon. Sammy Darnal. Like, yeah, those, it's a bunch of them. It's funny because,

like Mahomes, he's playing, he's playing incredible. He'll, he'll be in the conversation. But just taking that crop, you listed where it was like, whether it's Baker Mayfield,

Danny Dimes, Sam Darnold, Drake May. If those four, if their names were all these upper tier guys, like the Mahomes, Josh Allen,

Lamar Jackson, if those guys are having the season that these young cats, are having that we're naming, nobody else would be in the conversation. It would just be those three to four guys. But no matter what, we're always going to hang on to even if Lamar pops off at the back of the season, he'll still be in the conversation. Like you'll still give these guys chances to be in the conversation, even though they're

not having the season that these other guys are having. Right. And talk about Lamar, as bad as things have looked for Baltimore. Buddy. They're going to get Lamar back at some point. and obviously that changes everything. That win yesterday, now obviously only their second.

But with the way that AFC North Division is shaping up, it seems like Steelers can't run away with it. They haven't been able to run away with it. They lose last night to Green Bay. I think it seems like the world is coming to an end in Baltimore. There are two games back. And the idea being that you have to imagine Lamar is probably back this week, if not the following.

So as bad as things have started, you have sometimes the benefit of being, in a bad division. I've been there. I won a division one time in the NFC South that we went seven, eight and one and we won the division and hosted a playoff game. Like sometimes the nature of the league is your division stinks and you have a little bit more margin for error. So don't, I'm not completely out on Baltimore, even though things have looked really bad and obviously Lamar's return is a big part of it. Yeah, just going off of that game, I think this is a bigger win for the Ravens than people even realize because what is, what, we're,

What the Bears done so great is they played great defense. They get in takeaways and they ran the ball incredibly well, where the Ravens have really struggled to go back to that Lions game. Those two running backs for the Lions were running all over the Ravens, and you get Rokane Smith back, you get Kyle Van Nuy back, and their defense, I mean, Kyle Hamilton, dude, he is absolutely incredible. They were able to stop the run pretty consistently. And I saw her to cool, maybe not cool staff for Caleb Williams,

but first quarter, the Bears are a plus 22 in their point differential. And Caleb Williams is throwing at 71. percent quarters two through four Caleb is like 51 yeah yeah yeah was that uh so it just shows was that oh was that our boy coward that what you're you're popping on coward as well um

but yeah it just seems like when they're on script ben johnson he he his play calling is great he does everything he does everything the way he wants but then his quarterback looks at the first or second read and then just wants to run for his life when i think that ben jonsons is like really not about that but their defense has played really well and for a tiler hunt Tyler Huntley, for him to be 12 but 13 after the first half is awesome. So they keep getting healthy. The Steelers, they probably should have lost this game against the Packers.

I think everybody thought that was going to happen. But the Bengals, the week prior to that, it's like that's a wide open division right now between those two teams. And I think the Ravens come back and win it now. They had a chance to put it away with even that Bengals win. The Bengals game, the Bengals game, losing to the Packers. I think the Packers are good. I think Jordan Love is good. I think that's a young team.

They're super talented. Kraft was insane. I mean, he looked like the best player on the field. I got Green Bay this week. I go to Lambo this week. I got them hosting the Panthers. So we'll see how that goes. We know how that'll go.

That's going to be tough. Yeah, it's going to be a tough one for the Panthers. Yeah. But yeah, for the Steelers, that game against Flacco and the Bengals, and Mike Tomlin called it. I mean, Mike Tomlin was like, I don't know what the Browns are thinking. They must be smarter than the rest of us,

but they send a guy that was their week one starter to an in-division rival that is reeling at the position and giving them fresh life. And now the first game, he beats the Steelers. And Tomlin looks like a genius. And then obviously they lose to the Jets, but he scored 38. Yeah.

So he's definitely given the Bengals a little bit of life defensively there's still a struggle bus there in Cincinnati though. Dude, the Jets getting their first win. To me, who would have thought they were going to score 39 points? Right. Yeah, and that's what sucks too, is because we've all kind of like said

that Bengals defense is horrendous. But like, it's kind of been masked and the quarterback play has gotten a whole lot better, so it's kind of quieted down, but you lose to a Jets who's won zero games. It tells me two things. One, the Bengals are as bad as we thought they were on defense. And two, we stand.

Nashville, Tennessee, I think we're looking at the least competitive NFL football team in the NFL right now. And that is the Tennessee Titans because of it. And it's just, it sucks to say, because that's where I played my career at, but we got a whole lot to figure out over there. Yeah. Eagles. Yeah, we've all, hey, buddy, we've all, we've all had some tough times. It makes the good times that much better. Eagles are back. Dude, I, listen, Sikwant, he's on my fantasy football team, seeing him put up north of 30 and seen him, what did he have? Like over 100 yards, a couple touchdowns. 150 and a touchdown on the ground, one through the air, 24 receiving as well.

Hurt is groin. Jalen hurts. He gets four touchdowns? Four touchdowns. He didn't throw for a lot of yards, but he threw four touchdowns, which was super efficient. I think Sequant popped off the second play of the game. Yeah. And that's, dude, that has been a trend of theirs.

If you pop on like the first series of every one of their games, like they run the ball very effectively. And then all the time looks like he's going to have a game. Yeah. And then all of a sudden they like change their. run game and it doesn't work out. I haven't gone back in Washington film. I just saw it live. But it seemed like they kind of stuck with the same type of run plan as they did in the

first series as opposed to going like to a bunch of different kind of run type of schemes. And it worked out well for them. Their office line obviously seemed like they played a whole lot better. Cam Scadaboo. R. IP the boy, dude. Like the heart and soul of the giants like I don't want to, we're not, we're not

going to be massive takes, but the giants are dead. Like they're not it's over for them. I saw the clip. I just saw the group chats firing up. I saw, you know, clump. He's like, Eagles are back. Sequin yada yada. Then I see the Cam Scatibu post and it's like, dude, take my leg.

Right. Take a limb from my body. Don't take Cam Scadibu. Did you see him put his hands up to his team, like to his buddy? Like he like with the instinct of like, hey, help me up. And everyone was like, no, man. Like we're going to stay right. where he are.

Yeah. To get you to your help. Like his instinct was like, I got to get up. Yeah. He like put his hands up in the air for someone to like lift him off the ground. And I think his teammates were like, sorry, brother.

But yeah, there's always. Yeah, if you're seeing what I'm seeing, you're going to have to. There's always that one. That was awful. One pennant's offensive lineman that's like,

please God, get him out of here. Because it's all, dude, when you see that, I'm sure you've seen it during a game when you were playing. I have. It's, dude,

it is a mentally torturous. I mean, you hate it for the, who it happens to the guy. But the next five or six plays, if you're able to sustain a drive, is like everyone, even the defense is like,

hey, let's all kind of look out for each other a little bit. Isn't it weird? Like a weird little like, we got to make sure everyone's good here. Hey, we can really get fucked up in this game.

Yeah. We, do we were playing the dolphins. And it doesn't matter if it's your teammate, the other team. Like it's just for a moment there, it doesn't matter what team it is.

It's just everyone is having a collective like, this is awful. Right. Yeah. We were playing the Panthers. And it was late in the game, y'all were blowing us out. And I was playing against Jared Allen. And one of the receivers went off in the corner of the sideline,

had us like an ankle dislocation. Jared and I kind of sat there. The next three plays, he's like, I'll tell you if someone's behind you. And I was like, bro, thank you. So we got hemmed up. And there was one play we got hemmed up. And he kind of stonewalled me a little bit. He goes, behind you, behind you.

And we kind of like shifted together for a little bit. It's like, that is really the mental thing for everybody. after that's like once you see everything you know the health issues it's crazy because good news is it looked like a straight up just a dislocation because it was right there at the bottom of that bone and look at his leg like the middle of his leg was facing the wrong way but yeah that's that's the heart and soul the giants i think dable saved his job for sure seeing this this boost of energy and he should keep his job but uh that was tough the eagles however the eagles are for real now they're for real i call so i mean their ability offensively

I always thought defensively they'd find their way. I think Fangio's really good. I think they had some issues on the edge that they're still trying to work through. But I think defensively they were always going to end up being good and figuring it out. I know they had a couple games here and there. Obviously, the Giants game being the one couple weeks ago. But offensively, I saw them against Minnesota last week. And Hertz played probably the best game that we've seen him play in a really long time.

I mean, he was pushing the ball down field. He was accurate. he was buying time with his legs. Like, Sequin on the run game was a pretty non-factor against the Vikings. And Jalen Hertz was awesome. And now this week, Sequin gets off. He goes for 150, getting back to those early explosive runs for touchdowns that really powered their Super Bowl run last year,

where he's running for 60 and 70-yard touchdowns. The defense is taking the ball away. Now you get Hertz and the passing game back going thrown for four. They're never going to be a consistently high-volume passing game from a sense of like pure yardage. They'll pop off every now and then. Obviously he did against Minnesota, but four touchdowns.

I don't even think he threw for, did he throw for over 200 yards? I don't think he did. No, he threw for 179. 15 for 20, 179. But obviously you get Sequin. They've always been, I've always said,

they're the hardest beat in the league because they can just beat you in so many different ways defensively. They can take the ball away. They've got fourth down. They can pass, throw, skill, roster. Like, I, I don't know why people are so quick to jump off their bandwagon.

It seems like every year. And then it's just by the end of the year, they're the team to beat in the NFC for all those different factors. You think they're the team to beat in the NFC? Because I feel you, like Eagles, to me, I'm not willing to say, I'm not convinced enough to say that they're back, that they're the team to beat. Who's the team to beat in the NFC in your mind?

I think it's the Lions. Lions. Yeah. I think the Lions, lions are playing good for. You got the Lions, you got the Lions, you got the Packers. You know, Tampa... See, I'm not sold in the Packers. I'm not.

I like the Packers. Seattle, the Rams. Yeah, I had the Rams Philly game a week. I don't know, God, I can't remember now. Like week two or three is probably in the year. And Rams dominated the first half of the game. They couldn't score a touchdown. It was a red zone field goal contest.

And then Jalen Hertz came to life in the second half with A.J. Brown. And they came back and won. And that's when Jordan, Jordan Davis blocked that field goal. and took it back as the walk, you know, not a walkoff, but like the last play of the game. Save the game. Yeah, I think all those teams are good. I think the Philly just has that pedigree right now, right?

They're used to winning. They're used to winning those close games. They can play a lot of different formulas. If their offense isn't great, they can get picked up defensively. If Jalen's having a bad day, Seekwan. If Seacuan can't get rolling, they got the receivers. And like the offensive line can they stay healthy and get healthy. Dickerson, like, they got, I think the best tackle combo in the league, Taylor, I'd love your

perspective. Like, I think Lane and Myelot are the best combination to duo in the league. Like, they just got so many different things they can hang their hat on. They don't have to play perfectly to win. I think we've seen that over the last two years. Those teams seem to do well in those, you know, win or you're out kind of situations. They're not best of five series. You got to win one game and they're really tough to beat. Yeah, when it comes to the tackles, I haven't been able to watch and break down this film just yet. So I'll save my opinion on this past game. But the couple weeks prior to that, with the offensive line, when it came to the run game, it was like one guy here or there.

And especially during the Vikings, like Maya Lada had himself a couple of times being at the point of the run game, he was having a very difficult time guys going inside, moving around. Like he wasn't moving his feet very consistently. And then laying on the backside of a lot of place, he was kind of, he wasn't getting that cut. off the way you usually see him. He had to go get savvy, get a couple of those reach around blocks. A duo to me right now that is like number one in the NFL is Penae Soule and Taylor Decker. And that's kind of what keeps me leaning towards the lions is they had a tough game a couple weeks ago against the chiefs. I don't know if it was last week or two weeks ago. But from a defensive standpoint, no, it was a couple weeks ago because they played the

the Buccaneers, right? Last week. Put the bucks and they had every single guy and their defensive secondary, their starters were out. And they're secondary plate and they pretty much shut down Baker Mayfield and their and their offense of the wide receivers and I just think something about that under center Jared Goff throwing on time play action pass like with

both those running backs that team to me along with their culture when things don't go their way they don't waver that is a team that I can see winning it all or at the very least winning the NFC and making it to this group this year when it comes to the Eagles it's like you see it here and there like okay the run game wasn't great but the defense stepped up

Jalen Hertz has a game a couple of weeks ago. And then this is the first week I've seen it where it's like, okay, this looks like a championship caliber team. Now we have to see it more consistently for it all get done. But it just seems like one or two things here and there. I think after seeing this thing this week. Lions got the run game. They got the play calling.

They got a quarterback that can win you the Super Bowl. They can take you through the air on the ground. Their defense is very salty. Their front seven. Hutchinson and them will just get after your ass. Does Hutchinson lead the league in a, in pressures? I think he, no, I think Garrett leads the league in pressure,

or Benito leads the league in pressures. Hutchinson has had a sack and a pressure in every single game. Dude, he gets after people. It's just the back, like the way the de-coronator Kelvin Shepard has those guys playing, especially when you have a full backup squad in there in the secondary. I just feel like they're the more complete team that looks like an operation and a machine. They did drop against the Chiefs, but that game the Chiefs had against the Lions, like that was that was potentially a preview of the Super Bowl like that was a heavy weight that was a

let me ask you this though right and and I agree with everything you guys are saying it's probably fair you know I wouldn't disagree if they ended up winning the NFC and going to a Super Bowl I wouldn't be shocked here's what I will say though you start looking at okay what I know it's early we're doing like the whole playoff projection thing but do you think it's a foregone conclusion that the Detroit Lions win the division I know you're going with this and the answer is no because the Packers are still in that division do you think it's a foregone conclusion can you see a scenario that the Eagles don't win the NFC East? No, correct. I see, yeah. So you're saying, you're saying that Detroit could be going.

And I think that's all, the best teams don't always make the biggest runs, right? Like there's so many factors. There's luck. We just got done talking about how your division can stink or you can, you know, last year, the Minnesota Vikings win 14 games and they got to go, they're not even the division winner. They're a wildcard team because the division was so good. Like there's a lot of factors that go into all of this. And that literally could be the deciding factor. Detroit could be better than Philly.

But all of a sudden, that game's in Philly and it's cold and it's the home field advantage. And it's one of one. You don't get to play a home and away series. It's not baseball, right? Like you're not getting, no, don't worry. We'll get to their place. And then we get to come back home to Detroit and the Dome. Like that's sometimes the luck of the draw.

So I think there's a lot of factors on how it all plays out. But yeah, you're probably right. Those are probably the two clear cut. Maybe not clear cut, but those are probably the two leaders in the clubhouse. I still think the Rams are really good. Yeah. I think defensively they're nasty.

I think Stafford's awesome. They got to get Pooka back. Outside of that, I think there's a lot of one-dimensional NFC teams that have different areas that they're good, but just don't have the whole package to see them right now making a big run. Right. But hold on. What about Seattle?

What about Tampa? Like those are two teams to me. I just fear that Tampa's lost too much juice. I do too. I agree with you. I agree with you. I think Baker's been awesome. Whether in the storm has been incredible.

I just think at some point you can only weather losing. We saw it happen to Detroit last year. Right. It was like, oh man, Detroit can lose anyone and they just keep playing. They're so good on defense. Well, at some point as good of a coach, as Todd Bowles is, as good of a coach as Dan Campbell was last year, and Aaron Glenn, the de-coordinator, trying to figure out ways to play without their best players. Like, the NFL man, when the playoffs come and all the bad teams have been sent home and were only left with the top dogs,

eventually it catches up to you. That's what concerns me about Tampa. That's an extremely fair point. Good news for Tampa, though. they're in a division that's you got the same. Yeah. Oh, they're going to be in the playoffs. Yeah,

they'll be in the playoffs. Their division is brutal. But you're right. When it gets to the cream of the crop, like all the bad teams have out now, they're all in Cabo, San Lucas or Cancun for the week. These teams, like Tampa's probably going to have to go to these place,

these cold weather places during the playoffs. And can they stand up? Can they keep this level of consistency with Baker for the whole entire year? So yeah, it's a great point. Seattle, though. I think Seattle's really good. now. I think they're solid. Yeah.

The run game, their one game's solid. I wish Kenneth Walker would be more, more north and south guy. I can't stand the East and West movement. He's a bouncer. He's a bouncer. And it's awesome because it's home run hitting. But also, you live by the sword, you die by the store.

There's a lot more TFL's income than home runs. So baseball. I like Seattle a lot. I had them, I had them early in the year. They were still trying to, you know, Kubiak, the new OC. They were trying to get, I actually had them week one. I had them week one against San Francisco. Sometimes all these games like blend together.

I can't remember who I call, when, where. But yeah, I had them week one. So obviously first game of Darnold, first game of Kubiak. I like McDonald. I like the head coach. That's a tough place. I mean, we've all played there. That is a nightmare place to play on the road,

let alone in a playoff game. So can they win the NFC West? Right. Similar situation with Lions Packers. Like Rams and Seattle is going to be fighting there to the end. And also, they're going to be fighting.

The 49ers too. Niners. Again, I just, injuries. I think Shanahan, I think Shanahan and Robert Salah have done a remarkable job. I just,

it might be the best coaching job of Shanahan's career. And Robert Salah is going to probably get a head job again because of what he's done. But you can only weather losing these guys for so long. Like, you're not getting Fred back. Yeah. He's arguably by the best, like you're not getting them back.

Hopefully they get. purdy back and they finally got kiddle back after missing the first five games. And like, it's just the injuries in San Francisco, you just scratch your head and say, like, how long can you weather this? And can you get enough of these guys back early enough that you're still in contention that even if Seattle runs, even if, you know, even if Seattle and the Rams run away with the division, but like, can you stay afloat? Can you get a, can you get three teams from one division in the playoffs. We've seen it.

It happens, but it's, you got to get, you got to get your guys back before, you know, you're in the final stretch of the season. No, yeah, it's a good point. We're definitely getting to the point of the season where all the fun storylines of injured teams that are still rallying through. It seems like that might be coming to an end at this point. Like you can only, you're right. You are absolutely right when you say you can only do it for so long.

And again, a lot of the teams that seem like they're weathering the storm and the teams that don't handle injury loss as well. Some of it's internal, right? Some of it's just roster depth, roster construction, the ability of a play caller to mask injuries to O-line or, you know, whatever it is. But there's also an element of like, can you get lucky in the game that you don't have your starting quarterback or you don't have your starting left tackle or you lose your mic backer for two weeks?

And you play into a stretch of games against a bunch of teams that just aren't very good. Yeah. Right? So there, and some teams, you're like, all right, I just lost my three best players. and now I got to go play the Chiefs. And now I got to go play the bills. And you got to go play some of these high-level teams. So there's so much luck in randomness to the NFL.

I think that's what makes it so fun. You know, some years your schedule is incredibly difficult. In other years, your schedule is really easy. I think that's part of it. That's why the regular season I don't always think is the greatest predictor of playoff success. Because as we've said now, like when all the bad teams get sent home, typically everybody in the playoffs has a good offense. You're not in the playoffs if you're not scoring points.

And then the defense now becomes the X factor of what now is the next differentiator between advancing or just being happy that you made the playoffs. Yeah. And then late October 2, like we're getting into November football. Like teams are going to start hitting their stride a little bit and seeing what their identity is rolling into the playoffs. Because again, it's like you look at all these scores over the weekend, like pretty one-sided.

Right. Yeah. It honestly is a perfect transition to the Denver Broncos and the Cowboys because the Cowboys, sorry, the Broncos defense is incredible. Bow Nix is just getting better. They start slow. They started slow in this game, but it ended up being their best first quarter they've had. Buddy, I feel like I transferred high schools and I see the pretty girl, the hot cheerleader. And the hot cheerleader is the Dallas Cowboys.

I see them, you know, it looks kind of nice. And everyone's like, you got to watch out for her. rumor has it. She's a little bit like the town bicycle a little bit and I'm like no this one seems a little different

so I go on a date with said girl this week sounds like she's turning a page yeah sounds like she's turning a page like there's maturity involved she should be different with me yeah with me I go and I

hitch my name to the wagon of Cowboys fandom for one week and I literally got there I got on the bird yesterday I sat there and I was like I my heart goes out to all you cowboy fans

who got to feel this like life of luxury in the 90s and 80s or whenever it was and now you for the last 25 years you've had to deal with this because I walked into that Broncos game haven't won there since 1996 all those things and I'm like

defense looked really good against commanders this is the number one scoring offense in the entire league like maybe we're flipping the strip maybe I'm buying this stock low who would have known it was a 2008 market crash because it was horrendous I bought it high when you say jumped on the bandwagon you mean you

put some action on it no I actually didn't see I actually did not I was, I just want to make sure. No, I took up in the bandwagon publicly. I was publicly being like the Cowboys can really get this. Yeah, and all the shows, Taylor was heavy. Taylor was like, you know what?

I'm buying the Cowboys. I'm buying the Cowboys. Dude, Schottenheimer, his play calling on offense. The run game, like he's what, I think he's number two in the league in rushing. You got, yeah, yeah, pick in CD Lamb. It's like, how are you stopping them? Fun fact, the Broncos knew exactly how to stop them. Like, it was extreme.

It was, man, bro, it was so impressive to see. And the first drive, Bo Nix, those a pick. And I'm thinking,

I did it. I finally cracked the code on how this works. I'm the man. Tweet out, maybe I was right, kind of type of thing. We go down,

they get three, score, score, score, score. Three, six cold takes then just wears you out. Oh, you're looking at it.

And you're just like, why did I tweet this, dude? It was brutal. But yeah. Yeah, and again, obviously the week prior,

Denver has the, getting blown out, 19-0-0, and they score 33 in the fourth against the Giants. And that game was obviously hotly debated about end-of-game strategy and the clock and whatever. But like, I don't know if anyone came out of that Denver game against the Giants saying like, oh, man, these guys are, they had an incredible comeback and almost felt more of like a Giants meltdown than it did. Again, you score 33 in the fourth. You deserve a lot of credit. but like the Giants certainly didn't help themselves closing that game in the fourth quarter with some of the things they did on both sides of the ball.

The problem with Dallas and we cover a ton of Dallas games is like for, and I know their offense wasn't great yesterday and partly was the Broncos defense. But their offense weekend and week out, especially now with CD back going with pickings. Like that offense can light you up for 30 in a minute. Like they have been putting 30 on people. They've been scoring. Dax's been really good. they're historically bad on defense. And I think at some point for a play caller who's also the head coach and you're trying to match sides of the ball and you're trying to come up with the script for the week to say, okay, how are we going to win this game?

When you have to go into every game and you just have to assume it's going to take 30 to win, it is filtered into every decision that you make and from every first down play call to every. it is so hard mentally to go into the game and say every time we kick a field goal and every time if we have to punt or God forbid DAC throws an interception, the game's probably over. Like that is really, really challenging. That's terrifying. So until Dallas can figure out how to keep people from scoring a million points, I think that's going to weigh down the Dallas offense for as good as they are. I just it's virtually impossible over long periods of time to operate in that headspace where if we don't score on every possession we're going to lose. Yeah, you're absolutely right.

Yeah, I mean, that is, that's, that is well said. And I know we're playing Monday quarterback, but it's like you saying that, I'm thinking to myself, how do I not see that the entire time? No, I've been high. I know the last couple weeks maybe he's cooled off, but I think I said on, I can't remember what show I said it on, but like, people like, all right, who do you think is in the MVP conversation through week five? You know, all this stuff that me and you talk that we don't love doing, but I got asked.

And, you know, you mentioned, you know, the usual suspects and then kind of this new cast of guys we touched on with Drake May and Daniel Jones and whatnot. But I'm like, hey, Dax's playing as good a quarterback as anybody in the league is, the problem is at the time, I think they only had one or two wins. You know, his defense is historically bad. But as far as just playing the most important position at a high level, DAC is in that conversation. So I've been high on Dallas for years because I've seen the potential there offensively when DAC's in the game. It's just they can't seem to recapture any of the magic

they had on defense. And you don't have to be a killer defensively to be good in the regular season in today's NFL, especially if your offense is scoring 30. You just can't be the worst. and that's, you know, they just need to somehow get to like middle of the road with a top five offense. You're going to win a lot of games in the NFL. You're absolutely right. If you can just tag the Cowboys defense with the word mediocre. Yeah, just be average. Yep.

Then they would be contenders. Even just. Now you're not going to win the Super Bowl. Yeah, but even maybe below average. Yeah. Just not the worst. You could actually be the worst, just not historically the worst. Like you could even take on the title of, yeah, the 32nd.

But they're not historically bad. In points per game, as I haven't had Dallas in the last couple weeks, in points per game, Dallas was like two within a couple weeks. So where are they now as the dust settled through this past weekend's game? Can you guys look that up fast? The Cowboys are, I think, are scoring 31, just over 31 points per game.

Which is what? I think it was like one. I think they were number one. So they're one. And defensively, I want to say they're, 31st or 32nd. They're 32nd and they're giving up like 32 or 33 a game. Right now, here's where they stand.

They are third in the league with 30 and a half points per game, 31st in the league defensively giving up 31.3 points per game. So even on average, they're giving up more points. What's the 20th best defense in points per game, Will? What's the 20th? 20th. How many points? Let me see here.

Give me a second because I was clicking on the team. Yeah. I just didn't know if there was like a list and you can just see like the difference between 31st and 20th. Well, yeah, just be bottom half. That's my point. Like, you don't even need to be, you're scoring 31 a game. 30 and a half a game.

And I'm so curious. 25th is Chicago. At how many? 26. 26. Yeah, 26. You score 31. You can win 31 26.

The math works. The math math there. Yeah. Yeah. I this is not a question for you to answer because it's like puts you in a position but this is me being curious that maybe people can comment on like what is the problem there at the cowboy's defense is it iber flus and his play calling or is he doesn't have the horses i know they've got a couple of injuries but there's no way micah parsons changes the defense that much there's no

way there's still toward the bottom i feel like last year yeah they weren't great last year it's a mix of both things this is just my observation so people and take it what they want, but I'm happy to ask the question because I actually think it's bigger than just this sample size of, you know, whether they played seven games, eight games, whatever it is. You go back to the, you go back to the 2003 season when they obviously get upset at home. They have an incredible, incredible season. Dax's a potential MVP, Michael Parsons, you know, defensive player of the year type, like that 23 season that came to a screeching hall, they get upset against Green Bay at home. in the playoffs. You go back to that team and you say, okay, what made them so good?

Obviously, Dan Quinn's the defensive coordinator. You're scoring 30 a game. Mike McCarthy, Dax's playing out of his mind, CD, you're really good offensively. So how did they build that defense? They've got Duran Bland getting record-setting pick sixes. They got Trayvon Diggs, record-setting interceptions, ball hawk.

They've got Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence and Oso Diggi-Zua. and they've got light bodies that rush the passer. They play a lot of man coverage, sticky coverage, and they're playing with a lead for so much of the game that you might get me here and there. Diggs gives up a long completion.

Bland gets beat. Their run defense was always crappy, but it didn't matter because they're scoring a million points that they built the defense with Dan Quinn to defend the pass and defend a lead. So all of a sudden at the end of the game, Michael Parsons, games over. Blanded Diggs, pick six, games over. That was what they bought into and that formula works.

They pay Bland a million, bazillion dollars. They play Diggs a bazillion dollars. Now you look over last year, they're injured. They're not playing, right? They lose Mike for a part of the season and then he comes back. Then they lose Dack. And all of a sudden, this past defending man coverage, pass rush that they had built to complement this high scoring offense, the offense goes to the bottom. of the league. They struggle. They can't score. They turn into a very ball control running back. Rico Dowdell, who's now having a career year in Carolina, he becomes a thousand-yard rusher in Dallas because they just have to lean into the run game to just stay remotely competitive. But as we said earlier, all of a sudden, that style now of low-scoring bloodbats doesn't match

what we do well on defense, right? So everyone gets fired and they start all over. I don't think they've now from a personnel standpoint, DeMarcus Lawrence, gone. Micah Parsons, gone. Diggs and bland aren't pick six and guys five, six times a year. They're not having an interception per game. They're not getting all the splash negatives that they really made a living on, even though now their offense is back to that.

So it's really been like a two and a half, three-year journey of when they had both sides of the ball matched, man, they were as good as anybody in the league. They lose the Green Bay and the playoffs. All hell breaks loose. Last year is a dumpster fire of injuries. They fire Mike McCarthy. And now they're trying to kind of start back over. They haven't been able to use any of the draft picks they got for Micah.

So those trades, with the exception of Kenny Clark. Yeah, Clark. You lost Micah. You haven't gotten the future picks yet. And I just don't think they have the defensive roster to be that good. Well said. That was honestly a great breakdown. Yeah.

That's two and a half years as short. I'm a long-winded guy. That's two and a half years of watching them. That's as quick as I can make it. I'm sorry. Dude. As far as seeing the entire field and understanding what your offense does to teams, here's how we're going to have to build the defense.

Here's the philosophy that goes with this defense. Takeaways pass rush. The scheme that kind of goes with those guys, how it's kind of falling apart over the last couple of years. Guys have been injured when, you know, it's like even, even, um, what, uh, Diggs. Diggs was out for a little bit last year as well. No, those are great points.

I do think it's a massive combination of a lot of it. And it's not, unfortunately, it's not going to get better this year. No, it's not going to get better this year. And it really reminds you of a Peyton Manning's Colts run team where you play on the turf. You got two edge rushers that can rush the passer. The team is built to play from a lead. And when you don't have those key pieces, you don't have the lead there for your team

is in a precarious spot. So, yeah, no, that was a fantastic breakdown. And it also goes to show how short-sided we can all be as the viewer of seeing like game-by-game basis or even just like this year sample size and taking it as like this is the reason why. A lot of times you have to pull back the curtain a little bit, see a couple of years back and be like, this is how we got here. How do we get back to there? And so, yeah, it was a fantastic breakdown, Greg. I appreciate it. My assumption would be if you're Dallas, all these picks that you have coming up, you just double quadruple.

triple quintupe whatever all them and you just go defense defense defense defense they've got all those first round picks on the offensive line yeah they got to figure out how they're going to resign george pickens i think that could be a tricky situation when that time comes um because obviously he's not yet on that big deal when they traded for him from pittsburg um but i think offensively i think from a personnel standpoint they're in really good shape Ferguson i think they like their backs um i think it's dump every resource in the draft. If you have a couple bucks left over and free agency, like it needs to be defense, defense, defense. And if you hit on those draft picks over the next two years, you got a shot. The question is, it just puts a ton of pressure. You've got to hit on those picks.

You're going to hit this picture. You got to keep CD Lamb, George Pickens, and Dak Prescott young. And it's like, who are those players? Nobody beats Father time. No one beats Father time. I have to let you go. Give a great round of applause. We got Mike Alco coming on next year. Hey, Greg, next week, I would love to do a deep dive into the philosophy of how, like, the running game, 12, 13 personnel, how it's making sense of surge, quarterback under center because like a decade ago, when teams were like in 12, 12 personnel, they're kind of

utilizing 11 looks, how teams, you have to decide if you're going to go base or, hey, you know what, we're going to call this game Nickel philosophically on defense toward now it's like those big bodies and the way the game is changing kind of back in a circle. I would love to do a deep dive and break that down next week. I would love nothing more than to do that with you.

I'll come with some thoughts and some ideas. I love those conversations. Done. Okay, perfect. You're the man, Greg. Thank you very much. Oh, man, Joe. Man, what's up? Hey, guys. How are you?

You see him on the screen? I'm leaving. I'm Greg Olson, by the way. I was the best of you. Good to see you, Coach. From the Jersey roots. I know exactly here. Yeah. You recruited in my dad's school, didn't you?

Yeah, absolutely. Now, remind me where you were when you recruit? I knew you recruited in North Jersey because my dad's told me, where were you when you recruit, Wayne Hills. A bunch of schools that you won't remember, Fordham, Hofstra. Of course. When I was down at the University of Richmond, we were up there. Yeah.

Yeah. Wayne Hills. Wayne Hills, yep. My dad tells me, every time he sees you guys on national TV, my dad reminds me that, he said hey he's been a hell of a coach now for a long time he used to sit in my office 10 15 years I was like I know dad you tell me every Saturday every Saturday that's how they go I'm gonna leave good luck coach yeah you guys have been awesome man you're doing a great job thanks appreciate you Greg yeah yeah thanks Greg see you brother that's awesome that's awesome when you get two jersey guys

on a show together yeah I got to sat back here and just watch you guys talk for the next 15th We could have took all the time just listening to you guys break down Jersey football. You can feel Greg's dad, Mr. Olson, just got, hey, that's a hell of a ball coach. You used to sit in my office. And it's like the first time you're like, that's pretty damn cool. Hey, it's us, the Jonas brothers. And guess what? We have some big news.

What's the news, huge news? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special.

special. So how did we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, Jonas, and offered it up as a, potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs. And on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris.

Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on clay. Jen she won. I mean, she went down to three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Uncle, he's just sitting in your office. And then after like, it's like week seven, it's the eighth time he said it. It's like, Dad, I know he's the man. I got it. Coach, let's give Coach Elko a round of applause for being on the bus. Taking time out of his day, just got back from putting an ass beating on Baton Rouge, Louisiana, LSU.

We can say that. Coach, I'm sure you would not say that. I'm sure you're going to say. Oh, I appreciate it coming from you guys, though. It sounds good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hard fought game. Guys ended up pulling away in that second half. Your quarterback right now. Let's talk about this cat, Marcel Reed. He's fourth in the Heisman running. I'm sure as any coach would be, you're ignoring that type of noise. So I'm

just going to ask you about the score of me. Like, what is what is about him, Reed, that makes him so great right now for you? Yeah, I think he's really taken the next step this year in terms of his ability to beat people both ways. And I think that was the big challenge that he had coming out of last year. He's a phenomenal athlete. I think you saw that Saturday night. What he can do when the play breaks down, what he can do improvising is at an elite level. I think what he's done is he's transitioned himself to where he can also beat you in the pocket throwing the football now. And I think his ability to do both really put stress on a defense. And I think that's been a huge part of the offensive success this year is we are.

We're multidimensional. We have a lot of different ways that we can attack the. Well, coach, can you remind me who is number five on your team defensively? Number five, the dude that was barking at the entire offensive line. Was it number five? It might have been a different number. Oh, no, number nine. Number nine. Yeah, okay.

Yeah, I was going to say, had me puzzled for a second. Yeah, that is my fault. That is my fault. I'll scroll and I saw a clip. I saw this dude barking at basically the entire offensive line at LSU. What type of juice do you feel like that brings to a squad? And again, I was, Greg was on and I was kind of telling the boys, I'm kind of going at the seat of my pants right now. A friend of mine had a wedding over the weekend.

Absolutely selfish decision on his part. I didn't get to watch a whole lot of ball. But when I'm watching that clip, like obviously you're trying to reel it in and everything else. But internally, and you know when you're in the locker room and even watching this stuff after the game, what kind of juice does that bring to a team when you're putting an ass whipping on somebody? No, I think that's the line you want your team to walk. You know, you play in the SEC, you go into some of these environments at night. You can't be timidate.

You can't be just kind of, oh, we're just going to tell the line. Like, you have to be on an edge. You've got to be willing to play on an edge. And you've got to be willing to do things sometimes to give yourself an edge and an opportunity. And so that's what we want to do. That's how we want to go about it. And obviously, that was a really, really big game for us. And the kids were fired up.

One of the big news stories after this weekend, after your game against LSU is, is Brian Kelly was relieved of his duties as the head coach of the LSU Tigers. It's such an interesting situation that you're in because you're the last coach to play him. You're the last coach to beat him. But at one point in time, he hired you as the D.C. for Notre Dame. And so you can be as long winning as you want in the situation. But what is your relationship like with Brian Kelly, that game, how it unfolded? I know that a lot of LSU Tigers fans were chanting.

And I'm sure you guys have established. some sort of relationship since you guys have parted ways, whether it good or bad or indifferent. And I just kind of want to hear your thoughts about, you know, your relationship with him and then how that game unfolded as they were chanting fire Kelly. Yeah, obviously, I have a ton of respect for Brian. Brian's the guy that gave me my first opportunity to kind of get on the big stage at Notre Dame. And at that point, I was a defensive coordinator at Wake Forest. And he was really the first guy to give me that chance. And so I have a ton of respect for him.

We've got a great professional relationship, a lot of mutual respect for. each other. You never want to see that for anybody. You certainly don't want to see that to a guy who has helped you in your career at some point and the guy that you respect. And so I think it's a lot of things. I think one, I appreciate him and appreciate everything he did for me and my family. But also it's probably a quick notice to where this profession is. I saw this the other day. I think three of the top 15 teams in the preseason eight people have already fired their coach at week eight. And so this is a week to week business more now than it's ever. bend and you got to keep your head down you got to keep grinding i was going to say it's like you got to

just keep your head down and just roll because i mean bullets are flying everywhere there's barbed wire over your head and elko's just out there front of the pack ain't no just crawling away being like i can get got at any moment but still trying really hard to not catch any strays as you go to it's got to be a terrifying position you got your buddy to your left and your right getting shot down you're like ha we i got to keep this thing going here yeah the buyouts there you know everybody posting about the buyouts that are happening it's like hey college football these teams want to fucking win and nobody nobody nobody is safe talk about your relationship with trev alberts obviously he's a he's a he's a friend of the show i've had him on this podcast before he was a nebrassic guy

and a linebacker that i admired going through that university what's your relationship been like with him because he did a great job your your guys is staff everybody did a phenomenal job hosting us last year when we came out to the game i believe it was against notre dame yeah uh but just talk about about that relationship with Mr. with Coach Alberts, Trev Alberts. And, yeah, fluff up the boy. I think it's a great partnership. I think when you're the head football coach,

what you would love to have as an AD who's a former All-American and a first-round draft pick, who kind of understands football through the lens of a football player. I think that's a really, really good starting point. I think there's a lot of similarities in how he believes a program should run and how I believe a program should run. And then I think we both believe in what Texas A&M is capable. of. And so it's been a really good partnership. I've really enjoyed getting to spend time with him,

getting to know them. And again, as we try to build this place into, you know, what everybody on the outside thinks it's capable of being, it's good to be able to do that with somebody who knows football the way Trev does. And so it's been really good. Culture-wise and standard-wise, how do you feel like this mentality is shifted? Because I know just externally watching it from afar, watching A&M fans from afar, you guys historically have been known as like, you know, the three-lossed team that eventually comes. I feel like everybody's kind of, you know, clutching their pearls every week now since you guys are undefeated

and at the top of the SEC. How do you feel like that mentality and culture has shifted now being in your second year as the head coach for A&M? Yeah, I just think what we did was we tried to instill a little bit more of a blue-collar work ethic into this place. And I think, you know, one of the challenges when you have a place that has a lot of really nice things is entitlement starts to creep. in and all of a sudden you start expecting things to happen for you and you really don't go out

and work to make them happen for you. And I think that's kind of been our mentality since day one is, is we want to make sure that in those times of the year when no one's paying attention to us, that we're outworking people, that we're doing things the way they need to be done so that when we get into the fourth quarter in Arkansas and things aren't going the way we want them to go, we can find a way. When we get into the fourth quarter at Notre Dame and we're down, we can find a way. And when we come out in the second half at LSU, we can run away with the game.

Like all of that stuff gets formed with those things that you're doing throughout the year. And I just think we've focused a lot more on that than we have about, you know, pounding our chest about, you know, our facilities or how nice this place is or those types of things.

I think maybe that's flipped a little bit how we see things and how we think about them. You're a, no right now. You're standing atop of the SEC. Keep saying that like you're trying to jinx it. Like I'm pitching a no-hither. Yeah. You're right. You're saying enough.

Yeah, you're right. Yeah, you're right. Let me try to rephrase it. You've lost zero times this year. So we don't jinx it. And so the head coach, the pitcher can continue to throw his no hitter. What are the messages taking place in your building right now? Because like Will said, we've been to your campus.

People say it's very much cult like when it comes to your fan base. I tend to agree with that. And I mean it as a compliment. like the midnight yells all that like it is you you watch it and if you're a hater of texas a n ms you're like this this stuff is a little bit crazy but as a as a michigan guy like i would love it if my fan base got together at midnight in uh michigan stadium and like went over what kind of chance we're going to do so obviously like the expectation is just grown and grown and grown and grown and grown where pearls are maybe no longer being clutched from the outside they're now like hey

maybe we actually maybe we can do it like we had a hard time at lSU We don't have a hard time at LSU more. How are you keeping those boys focused going to these last three games of the year? Yeah. First of all, we use the term passionate. That's what our fan base is. Yeah, yeah, yeah. When you talk about passionate fan bases like they are at a lot of places around the country,

they have high expectations and expectations grow every time you win a football game, and that's just the nature of college football today. And I think the biggest thing that we talk about internally is, is one, how much the noise can impact you. And that's a year-round conversation to a, avoid the noise for the good, for the bad, no matter what, you're going to be on a seesaw. You know, and so you go out and lose a game and you're going to be the worst team in the history of Texas A&M. You go out and win a game and you're going to be the best team.

And it's just how this stuff goes nowadays. And so a lot of it is that. A lot of it is just education on how to avoid the noise. And then I think we're in a fortunate situation because, you know, we got this program to this spot or very close to it last year where we were five and O in the SEC and we had just beaten LSU and things were trending in a really positive. direction. And I think that was really the first time this program in this last few year iteration of it experienced that, you know, people talking positive about them, people talking about potential play. And we didn't handle it the right way last year. And they know that. And so I think we have the opportunity to kind of point back to that and keep them grounded on a one game

mentality or one one week mentality and finish this thing the way we want to so that we can get done what we want to get done. Yeah, because you can see that. the rat poison, even as players. Like you can see the rat poison that can start to creep in at times, especially if you are you guys right now and you're looking at Missouri, who just lost, there are two lost team. We got Missouri, South Carolina, Sanford, and Texas, who Texas has had so much conversation around negatively.

You can very much see like, hey, boys, this is, we don't let our, we don't let our foot off the gas here. Especially as a coach, Coach Elko, I want to just read you your career, man. Stony Brook, Penn, Merchant Marine, Fordham, Richmond, Hofstra, Bowling Green, Wake Forest, then you get your lick with Notre Dame, A&M, out at Duke, and then back at A&M. Man, what, when you reflect back on your career and your climb in this business, because you clearly took, you were, you were at the absolute bottom, you had to climb and earn

every bit of where you received at Stoney and right now. Crazy shot at Stony Brook. But in this business, you've done clearly an incredible job. What advantages do you feel like you had making this route, making your own way when you look back and reflect on a resume like this? Again, all due respect to all these teams I just named. Talk about catching strange. Talk about catching strange. Yeah.

You did just go crazy. All these teams suck. And now you're at a good team coach. How do you feel? I don't even mean it like that, bro. I don't even mean it like that. But it's just, you know. No, I get the question.

This is what I would say. It was a unique path for sure. I've said that a lot of times to a lot of different people. It's something we talk about in recruiting. I was never the guy who went and elevated himself as a GA or position coach. I became a defensive coordinator at Hofstra when I was 26 years old. And I just climbed the ranks of football as a defensive coordinator. And that was just the path that I took.

That was how it went. And I think what you learn from it is, is one. a humbleness and a humility that, you know, you're great coaches, great players. They come from a lot of different places, right? And it's not necessarily who the most star-studded names on social media are. It's the people who are capable and do the work to be really successful. And I think that's, that forms from that. Also, it's probably an appreciation for the opportunities that I have because that first job, I'll tell you, you know, the first job I was at Stony Brook, my office was in a portable trailer right next to the bathroom. And so I can't say that when I was sitting there going to

work every day, slicing cut up tapes that I envisioned this would be the ending point. I think it keeps you, keeps you humble, keeps you grounded and just kind of makes you stick to the process that you've always gone through your whole life. What were you getting paid as a GA in Stony Brook? Oh gosh. I think I was getting paid like $6,500. I'll tell you the best one. So the second, so I'm a Penn grad. So a lot of Penn grads make a lot of money when they get out of college. I didn't. My second year, I went back to Penn and I kept having to bring recruits through this presentation where they were showing the average starting salary of a Penn grad. And I think I was making like 17,000. I think the average grad was making like 90. At that point, I'm thinking to myself, geez, I'm not sure that I made

the right decision with my life, but it's worked out. We kind of got to the point that. That is a funny story about questioning your path. Has there ever been a real question for you, be like, maybe you have a tough season or two, and you're like, I don't know if this is the path I truly want to go down. Have you ever had one of those moments as a coach? No, I really haven't. I really have been fortunate. I've been fortunate that, you know, most of the time I've been part of programs that were ascending. You're never really been been up against the block where things were trending backwards or trending downhill. Knock on wood, I've been fortunate enough to never have been fired. And so, you know, I've had a

blessed career if you can think about how many pitfalls there really are in football. And so even though some of those names aren't the most prestigious names of schools that I've been at, you know, I have been fortunate to be part of a lot of really good seasons and a lot of really good situations. Hats off to you for being selfless to know I'm going to take these recruits through this presentation. Honestly, you're just, you're taking strays left and right. Like you're going to get slaughter. Your ego is going to get slaughtered every time you're running them through this presentation. I kept asking the lady when I would leave. I'm like, this have mine like in it like is this counting what i'm making or is this like a previous graduating

class or how does this work that is awesome coach we appreciate the hell of you taking the time out of your day busy schedule i have i have one more question oh will's got one more question now i'm going to start you had a this one comes from the wedding yeah yeah this one comes from the wedding who's number seven you had a famous quote last year this is a real program it's not fake it's not a politician run it's not a politician running this and bullshitting everybody. This is a real program for all the recruits out there. This is a real place. And if you want to be really good at football,

this is a really good place to be. Your name with all of these job openings coming open, your name starts to get in those conversations because the belief on the outside is also Texas A&M, the brand, the logo, everything else. This at one point in time was a stepping stone to all of these other schools, these jobs that are now opening up with LSU, Florida,

Penn State for you sitting where you're at and the movement of NIL money, you building this place to where everyone talks about on the outside of what Texas A&M could be. What do you feel? How do you feel about that noise? Are these conversations you have with the players when your name comes up in these conversations? As far as a Texas A&M is a spot I want to be. This is the most focus I'm putting into as a coach of the Texas A&M Aggies. What are those conversations like when you're compartmentalizing everything being

at A&M. Yeah, I had a really other famous quote that came out like a week and a half ago that was on social media about my thoughts on these other jobs and it being a waste of brain space. I think no different than we talk to our players. I think it's really important to focus on what's in front of you. We have a lot of confidence

in what we're doing here at Texas A&M, what this place can be. And I just don't think those conversations are things that are important at all during the season. And so internally, we address the things that we need to. But like we tell the players to avoid the external noise, I think it's really important that coaches do the same. And that's how we try to go about it.

Coach, man, you are, I tell you what, I'd love to have an ice cold bud light with you one day. You saying strays, you having some laughs. Like, I can just tell you're a fucking guy's guy and we'd love to have a beer with you at some point. When we visit you. We'll get you guys back down to college station and maybe we'll make that happen.

All right, all right, brother. Coach, thank you very much, man. Thank you for taking the time, coach. Yep. 21 plus and present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus and present in DC opt in required bonus issued as non-withdrawable profit boost tokens restrictions apply including any token expiration and max wager amount see terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com gambling problem call 1-800 gambler or visit rg dash help.com call 1 8887877 or visit ccpg.org slash chat in

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