PTI - Miami TRIUMPHS Over Ole Miss + Who's Better: the Seahawks or the Broncos?

Episode Date: January 9, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss the CFP, the NFL, and Carson Wentz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.esPN.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. It's Quidders Day, Tony. Have you given up on your New Year's resolution

to be even more humble? Tony Cornheiser, no way. My humility has reached breathtaking levels. Is there a panel that decides that? Who decides that? I've worked on my humility. Okay. It is now off the charts, I am so humble.

Okay. Yeah. It floats above the charts. I am so humble. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls. In today's episode, Oregon, on Indiana. The Bears and Patriots try to justify their two seeds, and the Jaguars and Texans try to stay on their heaters. But we begin today with Miami beating Ole Miss last night, 3127,

to advance to the national championship. Miami was the last team chosen for the playoffs, and they have now won three games. There were four lead changes last night in the final seven minutes of that game, but Carson Beck ran in the winner from three yards out. Wilbon, what do you make of what you saw? It's a good game. Great game, exciting game. not all that well-played necessarily, mistakes, penalties, mistackles. Fine. So kids, even though they're getting paid. But I can't get over the end of the game.

Carson Beck, great for him. But I can't get over the end of the game. It's past interference. Have the guts. When you got this, that's past interference. And so I hear the official in the broadcast come in and say, well, you don't call that because there's hand-to-hand combat. No, there's not.

No, don't be a sniveling idiot. There's pass interference. Have the guts to call it or criticize your colleagues down on the field. And by the way, the ball wouldn't have been at the one. It would have been 15-yard penalty. So the ball would have been at the 20. It's not the pros. It's not the NFL.

So just call the damn penalty. So this was the last note that I took in order to read this on the air. And I'll just say that I wrote down, we need to talk about the last play of the game. We need to talk about the Hail Mary and Or. all the interference on the Hail Mary, but here's where you and I differ. Because I don't think they're ever going to call that on a Hail Mary because you don't get a second Hail Mary.

And by the way, as you know, I was out of the game in which Miami got beat by a Hail Mary by Doug Flutie. It wasn't a Hail Mary. I'm going to... It's a 35-yard pass. It wasn't... It was too long anyway, Mike. It was too long. Maybe you catch the end zone.

It was out of the end zone. Let me get back to the game itself. I thought Ole Miss was going to win. I thought they were the Cinderella. a story. But Miami came into this game as a three-point favorite and justified it throughout the entire game. Every time I watched Miami, they were on an 85-yard 15-play drive.

Okay? Do you know that they held the ball for more than 41 minutes and Ole Miss only had it for 18 minutes? But Ole Miss was, Tony, was hurt by the fact that they're running back, who went 73 yards on Miami for a touchdown and was injured after that and they had to use them sparingly the rest of the game. But I felt that Miami controlled the line of scrimmage with their offensive line. And they were always making third downs.

There were 11 out of 19. Meanwhile, Mississippi was, I think Ole Miss was 2, 411 on 3rd Downs. So if you do that, if you control the game by making third downs and fourth downs, you're going to win the game. You mentioned Carson Beck. Do you know what his record is now in college against ranked teams? Something in 3. 18 and 3. Yeah.

Now, he played at Georgia and he played at Miami. Those are good teams. He often had the best team in the race. Right. But 18 and 3, you can hang your hat on. And that last drive, that was his drive. To Ruther career, he played the greatest and the biggest, most demanding high pressure moment. Good for him.

Yeah, yeah. I just don't want to see the game in that way. Tee it up at the 20. You're going to go to the 20-yard line. It's going to be untimed down. I don't think anybody gets that call. Not on a Hail Mary. I just don't think of it.

It wasn't a Hail Mary. It is a Hail Mary. It's a last play in the game. Chambliss was denied his sixth year. apparently, but says he's going to appeal. Well, if he gets a six year, he'll go for a seventh and eighth, because he gets paid so much money in college, and you're not going to make that to pros.

He's not going to make that. He might. No. You don't think he's a pro? I don't think he's going to get paid that kind of money when he starts. I don't. It starts if you stick around for a minute. Miami will face the winner tonight's second semifinal

between number five Oregon and number one Indiana. Those two played on October 11, Hoosiers' by 10 and Eugene. Are you leaning toward a repeat, Tony, of that result? I find myself honestly rooting for Indiana. I think what Indiana has done in the last two years is kind of sort of remarkable, right? Signetti's record at Indiana at the moment is 25 and 2.

And they do not have the prestige of Oregon. They do not have the Nike NIL money of Oregon. They do not have the blue chip recruits of Oregon, who 80% of their recruits are blue chip, only 8% of Indiana's are blue chip. They're the best team in the country right now, and every time they go out there, they're still doubted. They beat Oregon, there's doubts.

They beat Ohio State, there's doubts. They rolled Alabama, and there's doubts. And the reason there's doubts, as you know, because you're a Big Ten guy, it's a hundred years of lousy. It's a hundred years of lousy. So that's the motivation. A coach can go to the players and he can say, everybody doubts us.

That's right. Let's go out and prove the room. Yeah, and let's go out and prove the run. Here's what worries me in this. This is a repeat this year. It's a second rematch. Now, if I'm not mistaken, Alabama avenged a loss by beating Oklahoma in the playoffs. I'm confident that Ole Miss avenged a loss by beating Georgia in the playoffs.

So why can't Oregon? They can. And I'm thinking that they will. I just think Dan Lanning's a hell of a coach, too. Yep. He's been on the scene and had more big games for a longer time than Signetti. Yep. And Oregon, as you point out,

these are two teams I've seen actually in person a couple of times the last two years in Big Ten games. Oregon's loaded. They're loaded. And they lost a game that they were favored to win at home. People thought they were going to win. They were surprised when they

lost that game at home. Lannings seemed, it was an interesting mood that he had in the days following the game. He wasn't loud or obnoxious. He just seemed to convey the feeling that we know who we are still. We lost one game at home to a team that doesn't lose.

Well, maybe we'll get another shot. You got another shot. Here's the shot. Yeah, they get a shot. And so, Tony, look, Indiana is the best team right now to me in the country. They're better. When you beat Alabama like they did, they haven't lost. They haven't lost.

But I think it's going to the other way. I think the familiarity is going to lead Oregon. So what we've done, we lost, if we lose Indiana, we lose a great story about them going undefeated after 100 years of Lousy. That's right. We have already lost Ole Miss with a great story of the desertion by their coach, and so people rooted for them to win. Here's what we get if Oregon wins. What?

Mario Cristobal coached there. Oh, yeah. Right? He left Oregon to return home to Miami. So you get a good story. You get a good story. Not as great story, but you're on the record. Yeah.

I don't want to say I'm picking Oregon, but I think Oregon is going to win. You? No. I'm going Indiana. Well, I'm rooting for Indiana. Okay. Let's move to the NFL and the upcoming games over the weekend. The number one seeds get a buy so the number two seeds become the subject of our attention.

Number two, Chicago hosts a vision rival, Green Bay, and number two, New England, host the Chargers. Wilbon, which number two seat is most likely to go out? You know the answer to this. We've already seen the games. We've seen the games. People watched primetime Bears Packers, two stunning games, two emotional games, two games with unbelievable precision and playmaking. late in the games. And then non-playmaking,

because defensive play was made on Green Bay's part to seal that game at home. The Bears and the Packers are two even teams. We know that because they play two even games on each other's home fields. They're even. New England, I know they're a neophyte, but I don't think they're even with the Chargers.

I think they're better. And I think that the Patriots, I'd be surprised if the Patriots lost. No result's going to surprise me from Bears Packers in Chicago. I don't need somebody. in my ear to tell me this. So there's nobody in my ear.

I've known you a long time. You're emotionally invested in this game. Yes. You talk about my bears. Do you think the bears are going to win? It's a gimmee. It's a 50-50. Pick them.

Do you think they're going to win? I want them to win. Right. With every fiber of my beat. Are you afraid of this game? Yeah. What did I tell you when we projected and the bears could either get one of those powerhouse teams in the West, NFC West or the Packers?

What did I say? You wanted the. powerhouse statement. Yeah, I'm old enough to have covered Villanova Georgetown. What do we just talk about with Indiana and Oregon? Familiarity. I'm scared of this game. This is the key phrase. They are familiar. In other words, the bears are not unknown to the Packers. That's right. And because the Bears just beat them an hour ago in Soldier Field, the motivation to me ends up with the Packers. And so, yes, I would be afraid of that too. My thoughts on New England are different. I have no reason to trust New England.

They played a fourth place schedule to get here. They never had three games in a row like a lot of teams have of, let's just say, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Seattle. They didn't have anything like that. They got a fine quarterback, an accurate quarterback, but so do the Chargers. Justin Herbert is an accurate quarterback. He's rested, he's ready. Both coaches know what they're doing. Yes, they do.

Me, I'm just not sold on the Chargers. I'm just not. I am more sold on the Packers than I am with the Chargers. And in this particular case, Jordan Love, I believe, has won a playoff game with this group. And it's all new to the Bears. I was told this morning, you can corroborate this. Bears haven't won a playoff game since 2010. Is that true?

Yeah, got the NFC title game that year and lost Aaron Rogers. Jay Cutler, your boy. Yeah. He must have done something soul-crushing. I was at that game, and I choose to forget. And so the last game we played in Soldier Field, in the playoffs, it's called double doink. Right.

Against the Eagles. Right. So this is not gone well for a decade or so. But you're saying you think New England will lose. I think, no, no, no, no. I think New England will win that game against the Chargers. And our game is a pick-em game. I don't know.

I don't know. I want to get off to an early start. I don't want to see Caleb having us come from 16 down in the fourth. That's not the recipe. Let's take a quick break when we return the Jags and Texans are both in the midst of impressive winning streaks, which team is more likely to keep it going. And two NFC West teams, I spoke of them already,

have playoff games this weekend with both advance. Tossup is next. Will you watch the game alone, or were you watch it with others? Matthew and I are going to watch this. Will you tell Matthew to shut up at various points during the game? No, because he's obnoxious during games like that. He learned.

The seat of the master. Time for toss-up. Two men enter. and leaves, finishes the show, and spends the next 54 hours. Either watching football or texting Wilbon about it, what's first. Toss up more likely to keep their winning streak going. The Jaguars or the Texans? So I think it's the Texans because they have a terrific defense,

and I know they're on the road, but defense travels. And let's be fair, the only reason the Steelers are in the playoffs is because the kid missed a 44-yard field goal. If he makes that field goal, John Harbaugh is still coaching. Right? And now I know that you believe that the Jaguars are going to beat Buffalo. And maybe they will. My feeling about Buffalo and Josh Allen right now, this is Josh Allen's best chance,

because the Chiefs aren't in it and the Ravens aren't in it. The Bengals who were good every once in a while, they're not in it. I think it's on his racket. And I'd like to see him win it, but I'm afraid of the fact that he's got an 0-and-4 record on the road in the playoffs. Yeah, and the Jaguars just look good. They do. They just looks really good. But I'm going to shock you with my answer to this.

Look, they got Josh Allen. Josh Allen has left the field in big games before, Hello, Kansas City. And won. With a lead, like the final 15 seconds, even then he lost that game, but it wasn't his fault. That's right. Josh Allen can lead Buffalo and can keep them in the game, and they can win a close game. I'm picking the Jaguars, but I understand that Buffalo could win that game. I think Houston, with that pass rush their ability to get after the quarterback to him.

that Aaron Rogers, this ain't looking around at a subpar Baltimore defense. You know, no, no, he's looking at a carnivorous Houston. But he can get rid of the ball quickly. He can get rid of his hands quickly. I'll tell you what. And he's got Metcalf back, right? He's got Metcalf back. But, Tony, I don't think that even Metcalf's return can save Pittsburgh from Houston

just coming after him and get into him. No, I agree with that. That's why I said it was Houston. I mean, because the fact is, now, Pittsburgh, closed the season well. They won a bunch of games. But this particular game, they should not have won that. A 44-yard, 44-yard field goal should go through. Should go through. Yeah, it should. So, Josh Allen, his team is not as good, Tony, as has been in past games. I know. I know. I know.

It's a lot on you. I know. I know. What's next? Toss up, how many NFC West teams do you see advancing this weekend? One, two, or none? Okay. Well, Seattle has a buy. Right. So they're going to a advance, so that's one. I believe the Rams will beat Carolina in Carolina, acknowledging that six weeks ago they did not. I believe that they will take them more seriously than they did six weeks ago. So this brings me down to San Francisco in Philadelphia. San Francisco is great fun to watch. They are capable. They didn't do it against Seattle, but they are capable of scoring over 40 points. And they need to because they give up a lot of points and they give up a lot of yards. Mike, I think it has gone on

in the last six weeks. That Philadelphia won the Super Bowl last year. It's got unnoticed all year. They know how to win playoff games. They grind you down. They are now, I want to get this number correct. They have won their last five home playoff games. They have turned the ball over no times,

and they have 14 takeaways. Yeah, I'd like to have some honest disagreement with you, but I'm not. The Rams are not going to lose a second time in Charlotte. This is not going to happen, all right? And so we're talking about the 49ers. And I watched the 49ers really closely in the last few weeks, including a game they gave up.

38, I think, to the Bears. At home. And you talk about not stopping anybody. They're not going to be... I see Philadelphia running it up on the 49ers at home. By running it up, we know that offense is not precise and it doesn't play as well as it should for an entire 60. But I can see that game.

being a 30 to 17 final in Philly's field. I can see Philadelphia controlling the ball the way Miami did last night, getting a huge amount of numbers in terms of the percentage of the 60 minutes. I don't think they're going to score a tremendous amount of points. I mean, again, playoff games by and large, they're tighter games. They are. They are. But Philly's got to be, look, if anybody in the entire playoff field is due for a breakout, go-to-heel,

game. Philadelphia Heels. That's it. Starting the year off right, with a win, and I'm humble about it. Let's take one last break, but coming up with Major League Baseball be wise to ditch the American and national leagues, huh? What? Spoiler alert. What?

It would not be wise. What kind of offers is a Grizz going to give for Jock? Not much, it's my guess. Right? Yeah. I'm not, I can't have them. I can't have them. I'm not going to do it. Happy time, people. Happy 40th birthday tomorrow, Marcus Freeman.

Already? The Notre Dame coach is one of those college coaches at the NFL seems to be intrigued by, though Freeman has publicly declared his intention to stay in South Bend. Freeman got the Notre Dame job in 2021, coaching one game after Brian Kelly announced he was leaving for LSU. Freeman coached the Irish in the Fiesta Bowl losing to Oklahoma State. The next season, Freeman was 9 and 4 and won the Gator Bowl. Season after that, Freeman was 10 and 3 and won the Sun Bowl. Season after that, Notre Dame went 14 and 2 and went to the national championship losing to Ohio State. This last season, Notre Dame was 10 and 2, but refused to play in a bowl game after getting hosed by the playoff committee.

He's 43 and 12 overall. That's a wow. How many of those NFL jobs could be more gratifying than having that job if you're Marcus Freeman? That specific job at Notre Dame? I think the NFL could find a job that he would like. I do. Happy anniversary, Carson Wentz. On this day, 10 years ago, the college quarterback returned from a broken wrist with two rushing scores and a touchdown pass to lead North Dakota State to its fifth straight, one double A championship. Wence was then taken number two overall in 2016 draft by the Eagles, who traded a load of high picks to move up and take him. Wence set a then NFL rookie record with 379 completions, and the next year got MVP buzz. Remember Wensylvania? But a torn ace. C.L. kept Wentz from the Super Bowl that the Eagles won. The effects of injuries have dog Wentz through Indianapolis, Washington, the Rams, the Chiefs, and the Vikings. But Wenz is the first quarterback to start for six different teams in six different seasons.

Yeah, I'm sure he'd take one team. Yes, he would. Six seasons. And the thing is, at the time, you don't think it's going to be so fleeting. But everybody, and this is cautionary for everyone who puts on a jersey. I agree with that. Happy trails to the American and National Leagues. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred told the Carton show on WFAN that should the majors expand from 30 to 32 teams, he is considering the idea of realigning the traditional leagues based around geography. 16 teams in the east, 16 teams in the west. This would mean shorter travel throughout the season and more four-game playoff days, as two matchups would have East Coast-friendly start times and two would have West Coast-friendly start times. He's also floated the idea of eight four-team divisions like the NFL. How does this all sound to you, Wilbon?

Sounds great. Not going to happen. Not in his lifetime or ours. I think there's one person out there right now who can make some of these things happen, Theo Epstein. And the question is, does Theo want to be commissioner? Would anybody make him commissioner after Manfred? Would there be a groundswell? Theo Epstein is smartest man in baseball.

Baseball could do itself good by embracing, hugging Theo Epstein and keeping him close in the commissioner's office. I'm not sure that people are that smart. Okay. I thought about this today. For people of our age, this is a radical change. And we don't want it. We viscery don't want it. But I also believe, and will be long gone, that within 20 years, nobody will care anymore

because they'll like this. I agree. They will like this. That's why I said not in Manfred's lifetime or ours. Well, I don't know. Manfred might get everybody to do it because you're telling owners it's going to cost you less to travel, and that's an incentive. They don't ultimately care.

All right, one omission. Anthony Davis, ligament damage in his left hand, and depending on a second opinion, could miss a number of months, I said. This makes me feel bad because I have a sense of how desperately Anthony Davis wants to be out there every night and play.

It's not happened, and it's not happening. No. Everybody's body is not built for the rigors of professional sports, and maybe it appears AD is just one of those guys. He's a great player when he's there, but he's not always there. And that's why that Nick

name. It's mean, but it's funny. Street clothes. Come on. Let's go to the big finish. The Grizzlies are reportedly entertaining offers for John Morant. Does that make sense? Sure. You want to get rid of them because it ain't working. But it doesn't make sense that anybody else would take him on. He's going to shed the baggage

before he gets to his next stop. I don't see that. Sophomore quarterback, DeMont Williams, Jr., they're talking about him, has decided to return to U-Dub rather than enter the portal that you're surprised. What? What? Does this mean the agent goes back with him and the coach.

Is that how it's going to work? The Dolphins are reportedly close to hiring Packers, player personnel guy, John Eric Sullivan as their new GM. Your thoughts? You want to go and get somebody here, the Dolphins, who's been in a culture you want where you are, and he's been with the Packers at like almost 25 years. Yeah, that seems like a smart move.

Former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway visited Baylor, but will take more visits before committing anywhere, your thoughts. Check the money. Last one, Patrick came to the run. Red Wing scored his 500th goal in a win over the Canucks. Is that significant? I didn't hear that. Of the Red Wings.

I didn't hear that. Don't want to hear it? You love them, though, don't you? I do love them. You always love them. Birthdays always love them. I do. Yeah.

We're out of time. We'll try to do better than the next time. I'm Tony Corny. My favorite hockey player of all time. I just can't hear that. I'm Mike Lawbond. Have a great weekend knucklehead.