The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - The Big Suey: The Duke's Peak

Episode Date: August 26, 2024

Stugotz is sad that his "if you're going to lose, it's better to lose early" theory has lost some weight with the expansion of the College Football Playoff. The crew breaks down where things went wrong for FSU and DJ Uiagalele in Week 0 against Brent Key's Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech. Then, Billy 'The Duke' Gil wants to play "Win or Loss" with FSU's remaining schedule and explains to the crew why his ascension through the ranks as a football analyst has seemingly come to an end. Plus, Paul Finebaum says it's time for The U to return to national prominence, the hiccup in DJ U's name, and Billy's new media job at FIU. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. Reserve your Uber ride up to 90 days in advance. Uber Reserve. See Uber app for details. Now's a good time to remember where the story of tequila started. In 1795, the first tequila distillery was opened by the Cuervo family. And 229 years later, Cuervo is still going strong. Family owned from the start, same family, same land. Now's a good time to enjoy Cuervo.

The tequila that invented tequila. Go to Cuervo.com to shop tequila or visit a store near you. Cuervo, now's a good time. Trademarks owned by Beclet, SAB, the CV, copyright 2024, Proximo. Jersey City, New Jersey, please drink responsibly. Welcome to the Big Sui, presented by DraftKings. Why are you listening to this show? The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan LeBattard podcast. I'm sorry, I'm not going to apologize for that. In fact, the only difference seems to be this imaging.

I have been tempted in restaurants just walking past tables to grab somebody's fries if they're just there. That hasn't happened to you guys? I've done it. And now here's the marching man to nowhere fat face and the habitual liar Aaron donald's locker is fully intact What just happened there stugat? I was watching a story about adam schafter. I forgot that we started stugats happened there But his locker is fully intact. They're keeping the seat warm, Dan.

But the last thing that we told you is that it was a countdown. I was here. You were talking first. Yeah. Look, he's fried. My bad. I don't know what the Grateful Dead have done to him. Nothing.

I know, I need to tell people what just happened in the eating area with you and me. Commissary. Yeah. And apologies to all of you beer elitists to tell people what just happened in the eating area with you and me. Commissary. And apologies to all of you beer elitists who have corrected me on Labatt's. That was a weird comp. Didn't want to embarrass you.

Labatt's. And I understand why you think it's stronger just because it's heavier. It's heavier, it's creamy, it sits in your stomach, but the ABV is nothing really that strong. I thought, well, it is with Labatt. Labatt. I don't know why you're comparing,

like one's a stout, Labatt, I mean. I just, it's a heavier, darker beer. I thought darker beers had a big, I thought, I thought. Not bad, they got the blues and the lights. I don't think of Labatt. I think we're all saying the same thing. The only beer worth talking about is Miller Lite. Yeah, exactly.

You're in luck that LeBet has several partnerships across the DKN network, all right? Because I watch that all the time. I've seen a big sign behind Ross Tucker. But here, just so we're clear, this is a Miller Lite show. I know it is. And Roy, out of curiosity, when you were winning your barbecue competition,

I'm sure debates sprouted everywhere. What is the best way to barbecue? Since the dawn of mankind, man has been having this debate. But one thing that's not up for debate, the undebatable quality of Miller Lite. You tell them. Oh, it's slow, it's slow by the way. Over the last couple years, you know?

One thing that hasn't changed, great taste of Miller Lite. And another thing that hasn't changed, less filling. Only 96 calories per 12 ounces. You know, they started, they sparked this debate way back in the 1970s. The original light beer. I was in the eating area with Stugant. Thomas there.

And he says to me, I've always liked to say that you can lose during the college football season, you just have to lose early. If you're gonna lose, lose early, yeah. Used to be the case. But you can still say that. Well you can't really, no, I mean. Doesn't hit the same.

Yeah, just don't lose three times, it doesn't matter when you lose, I mean. If you lose two, lose too early now, you could say I guess. Right, there was a charm with losing lose two early now, you could say, I guess. Right. There was a charm with losing the first week game, you know? It was like your season was over.

I didn't even feel bad for Florida State. Like their season is still, they still have plenty to play for. Oh, but their season is over because their quarterback's not good enough. Like that, you can't, they're not gonna dink and dunk their way to anything. Like their season is over.

Time will tell, I mean. That is, it's not because their season is over because they lost that game, it's because that game reveals to you that they're not gonna be that good. Their quarterback is why they were undefeated last season, and the reason they weren't in the national championship game is because their quarterback got hurt.

And they replaced that quarterback with a quarterback who wasn't that good at Clemson when people were hoping he'd beat Trevor Lawrence, and he was okay at Oregon State, but he wasn't great. Like we know what that quarterback is and it's not good enough. Last week their collective went on the record with a media company that escapes me, but they were asking for their approach when it comes to NIL and they said, our NIL spend is 70-30. Why waste all this money on a high school kid if you can just spend it in the portal with more known commodities? Whether they knew it or not,

like that is already getting circulated by all the other coaches and showing that to every high school parent that there can be about how you approach recruiting. I do think that for two years there was validity to their argument, which is look at us, we came all the way back because we hit the portal. But if you don't back up the portal with a recruiting base and actually have kids develop in your program, you can have a house of cards situation,

which I think Florida State has, because you're only as good as your ability to close top level talent in the portal, and that can change year to year. It wasn't as strong a portal this year as it was previously, and they got really juiced up on a bunch of guys that came from big programs like LSU and Alabama, but weren't actually playing in these programs, LSU and Alabama. They just figure, oh, you weren't getting an opportunity there.

You can be the player that you truly are capable of being here, and that's not always the case. Stigatz, you say that it's better to lose early, but Miami in 2000 lost to Washington in week two. What would you say about that? No, but Roy, you can no longer say it because 12 teams made the playoff. So, I mean, it doesn't matter. It's not four teams anymore.

It's not two teams like it used to be. It's 12 teams. I mean, Florida State can very well still make the playoff. There also, Stugats kind of touched on it very briefly when we moved away from it. There was a great feeling about losing early and knowing your season was done after week one or two, right, because then you just knew, you know what,

let's just enjoy the rest of this ride. There's no pressure, we're not gonna make the playoffs, we're not gonna play for the national championship. Let's just ride this out, let's enjoy this, let's enjoy the team, the coaches, let's just all go for this ride together. And then, best case scenario, we win out and then we complain about being shafted

at the end of the year because we lost week one and it didn't matter that much anyways. This happened to me in bowling where I'm trying to get a perfect game obviously. I had one game where I opened the first frame and it took all the pressure off for the perfect game and I got striked out the rest of the way. So I had 11 straight strikes,

I ended up with 279, my best game ever. But it was all because of that first game, I got striked out the rest of the way. So I had 11 straight strikes, I ended up with 279, my best game ever. But it was all because of that first game, I got the loss out of the way early, no pressure. What'd you get that first frame? A nine open. Oh wow, that'll kill ya. If I make fun of you, Stugatz,

for doing what a lot of people did on the opening drive of the college football season and everyone, you should've seen my phone light up with everyone saying, whoa, FSU is going to be good. Look out. Like because they just kept running the ball 14 yards at a time. And everyone had that reaction. And now I've pulled in the other direction after four full quarters of seeing something that didn't look like that. And I'm like, yeah, their season's over. They're not good enough.

But I don't believe in Georgia Tech. I believe that Georgia Tech is just another team. However, I am prone to being wrong here in a number of different ways because I don't know who's in the ACC. I don't know anymore. Like if we did a quiz right now on where is everybody, like where's California? I'm guessing that Stugats is going to take a lot of guesses before he arrives at where is California playing football this year big 10

Cal Stanford ACC Smu fought like how they get in the ACC get in the ACC fought like how to win a game at, Nevada So nothing on Chris's bowling, huh? I mean, I've got nothing on that. It does take the pressure off. I'm sure failing to get a strike on the first one is going to make it so that you, we all- Settle down. We just all realize that there's gonna be more pressure on the last one than there is on any roll

you have before that in bowling. But if I bowl seven straight to start, my knees are shaking. Of course. Yeah. Right, yeah. Wow, it's crazy how that one pin and nine open cost you what, 21 points Of course. Yeah. Right, yeah. Wow, it's crazy how that one pin and nine open

cost you what, 21 points. Crazy. Yeah. I think Georgia Tech's gonna be solid this year. I think they're gonna improve year over year under that head coach. They're finally starting to recruit. If you look at the commitments,

they got a five star commit there. They're starting to recruit in an area that you could argue has the best high school talent in the nation in Georgia. And they've never run a style that kind of was enticing for the local talent to play in. And now they are. And they got a good head coach.

They have a veteran quarterback that is the worst type of quarterback that you can go up against, which is an experienced guy that can also run the ball. I don't think on defense, they're really that good. Their defensive line looked really good, but I think they were aggressive and then they grew into that game because they realized,

oh, we young LLA is not gonna actually throw the ball down field we can actually be aggressive with our blitzes and get more pressure on this guy but that is a secondary that you can make an argument in Georgia Tech was the worst secondary in the in the ACC last year just to be clear I do think that Georgia Tech is going to be improved and I do think Georgia Tech is going to be relevant I just don't think they're one of the best 12 teams in the country. And I think that Florida State struggling that way against them when I've been told that they were going to have an offensive and defensive line size advantage and then

I'm watching the game and I'm like, nah, this is the same team that got exposed at the end when their quarterback got hurt because you need great quarterback play with all of those athletes. It can't just be athletes and your quarterback wants to throw it four yards every time. And I do think people touting their defensive line, there was legitimacy to it. Darryl Jackson was a very good player from Miami. He didn't play all of last year, only played in that bowl game, which was a disaster, but they were attacking Darryl Jackson. And I won't, I'm not going to lie to you and say Darryl Jackson's a bad player I don't know what happened there. This is why though. I'm making the assessment

I'm making which I can be accused of the overreaction You can complain about the offense all you want in that game That was third and 17 late All you got to do is hold them to something that isn't a screen pass for 12 yards like that's third and said Georgia Tech gave you you the game back by going backwards 10 yards. And all you need to do there is just, third and 17, they're not gonna throw the ball down the field, you need to get them out of field goal rage

and keep them out of field goal rage. We are back. Yeah, Dan, you're overthinking this. You guys pointed it out. This is early and it's just one loss. Florida State gets right back out there for the second game of week one next week and they, who do they take on? Boston College I believe.

Boston College, yeah. This is a, ooh, schedule this. Week zero in Dublin and then right back at it following week another conference game. Then Memphis. They get a Monday night game though I believe. They had three straight home, yeah, Labor Day. They almost lost last year at Boston College. Well, this one's at home, so.

They had Boston College, Memphis, Cal, they could be three and one, then they head out to SMU. What are we thinking there? That's probably another W, four and one, they're right back in the thick of it. Remember, you just need to be in the top 12, Dan. Gotta put the town on alert for that. Then you have Clemson.

Wow. Put the town on alert. Yeah, Memphis can beat them. Really? Okay, so we'll say maybe one and two then. But Cal, that's a win. Really? I know you're dying to do it.

They have SMU. Otz, a really good running back. I'd like to do this dance one. I know, but Cal out of the big 10. Where's that game? Is that in Talley? Which one? Cal is a home game for FSU.

Yeah. Enough. So thank you, Billy. I know you're desperate to do wins and losses. I know you want to do a schedule. You can go in another room and do it by yourself We're getting close Dan like this week and next week are the last weeks that we can do preseason W's and L's and O's and use and if we're gonna get to them we got to get to them soon

Do them on God bless football Hearing all of that on Yeah, I prefer you here. Yes of that on God bless football. I'd prefer you not to do it here. Yes. Don't need it here. Thank you. I could do without it for the rest of my life. Appreciate it. Yes, don't need any of it. You want to do our preseason college football playoff teams? We could do that. Here's a request. I haven't asked you guys for anything after my death. Just one rule. He's never allowed to do that here. Just never, ever allowed. Like, it's the only request I have.

After you die? After I've died. Well, and before I've died as well. I just like to- I thought you already died. So he can never do it. He's confused. That's not what you're talking about. He can never do it. Why?

Not when I'm alive, not after I'm alive. Out of respect for me after I've passed. I want, it's a dying wish. Put it in writing though. Well no, I'm just, I'm doing that now. You can put it in writing for me. I'm telling everybody I'm not gonna put it in writing because I need it formally. I'm telling all of you these are my wishes.

Is this specific to FSU? It's everybody. I would prefer you never to do wins and losses looking at a schedule again here But God bless football all you want. It's why you're the fifth ranked international football insider I have a bone to pick with who was the The Atlantic is that who it was that did it who was it that put that out there they moved our guys They moved our guy off of that beat so now he's covering soccer or something, Oli. So now there's never going to be rankings again.

So I peaked. That's it? Yeah. The Duke finishes ranked fifth. Peaked at fourth. But the last time it came out, you were on there. So you can just say forever, you're the fourth rank. Yeah, but I can't keep continuing to work up.

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There's no safe like SimpliSafe. Don LeBattard. Could I interest any of you in an opportunity to make money? Where I buy some calling cards and I sell them to you. And then you get three friends and then you're making money off the ones they sell. Ha ha. Amilam. Stugats.

And he's saying Twitter. The more friends the more you make friends. Amilam. This is the Don Lebatar Show with the Stugats. I am remiss though in not talking about Stugats locally what is approaching, which Mike Ryan has said for the business of Miami football is the biggest game in program history and I've got an announcement to make because I don't know if all of you saw this, Paul Feinbaum says, it is time for the you to return to national prominence. Wow. It's been said, it has been said,

what do you mean, Billy? What does that mean? It's time for them. Play along, Billy, do the show with me. It's time for the you to return to national prominence. Paul Feinbaum has said it, It's time for the U to return to national prominence. Paul Feinbaum has said it. A national voice has said that it is now time. It is time right now.

I don't know if he's predicting, if he's putting, it's not even an upset if Miami wins at Florida. It wasn't last year, it's not next year, it's right now. That's what I'm asking. It's right now, it's right now, it's time right now, this minute. There's been so much rat poison and the media has been very positive It's right now. That's what I'm asking. It's right now. It's right now. It's time right now, this minute. There's been so much rat poison

and the media has been very positive with Miami's chances. Favored by two and a half at the swamp. Very heavy public money coming in on Miami there. But I think I figured it out, like why people like Paul Feinbaum are sharing this sentiment, which is, all right, it's been long enough. Let's get the U back.

And it has nothing to do with Miami. It has everything to do with ESPN hating FSU, I think. Because it's legit. FSU, they hate you. You haven't made it easier for yourself, though. Like you thought there were all these conspiracy theories. It might've genuinely been Jordan Travis got hurt, but okay, eff it, we're here now.

You're gonna go after us? Yeah, bring Miami back. Let's take that program out once and for all. FSU, flash in the pan. That's what they're probably thinking. You were talking earlier about Herb Street and FSU and I know that he's been vocal, he's a face of college football and FSU.

Man, Sugans, in my lifetime, there hasn't been a college football fan base that will react reasonably to what happened to fs you last year absolutely i mean that is it it's really hard to go on beaten in that sport and so anyone at fs you who is legitimately bothered by that you can only offer condolences because it any fan base would be rabidly hating anyone who did that

to them when they went undefeated and they clearly looked all season like they any fan base would be rabidly hating anyone who did that to them when they went undefeated and they clearly looked all season like they had fixed the program in a way that it hadn't felt since Bobby Bowden. So well, Jim O'Fisher with James Winston. He won a national championship yet. They lost their quarterback though. I mean they lost their starting quarterback.

One of the main reasons that they got to that point was but that's what you're right any fan any fan base would react the same way because you have, well, Mike, no, you have an undefeated team not making it to a playoff. I will say not the same way in that Georgia, and someone made this point on game day, they weren't even allowed to say, hey, we kind of got screwed over by the CFP

because if it's about getting the four best teams in there, Georgia is one of the four best teams. They weren't even allowed to gripe because they had won national championships and FSU was complaining so so loudly. So not every fan base reacts that way because Georgia certainly didn't. No no no no no no wait Georgia lost. Yeah they lost to Alabama in an ACC championship game and the arguments that were holding FSU out if you held it up as like, all right, if our job is to get the four best teams here,

Georgia should have been in it. I remember many years ago when BYU would go undefeated against nobody, and we were just doing, asking sports writers who should be champion and remembering their outrage. UCF ran through this same thing. If Georgia hadn't lost, Georgia and any other fan base would react with poison to the idea of football

randomly happening to their quarterback at a bad time and it totally nuking a season for reasons that had nothing to do with how good they were. Just football happened, and I'm surprised that hasn't happened more often, but it just speaks to how hard it is to go undefeated because football happening at the end and ruining FSU season I totally understand why it is that FSU would feel persecuted in every realm by being wronged because they felt they had

rightly earned something furthermore adding to it sports is supposed to be a meritocracy if you win all your games you get to play another one that matters that's always how it's been yeah I was in agreement with you and I'm really looking forward to this here because there are legitimate gripes like NFS you by the way in their history has been the benefactor of very kindly given national titles if you look at some of those they've actually been the bell of the ball

and gotten a lot of favor there. But I'm happy that these debates, TCU was always perpetually, are they or aren't they gonna be in the college football playoff? These were discussions that we were having, Miami, FSU, Washington at the turn of the century. These were debates that genuinely affected

the national title. I'm really welcoming the fact that we're gonna have these conversations about the 11th best team in the nation. Teams that probably don't have a legitimate shot to go through the CFP and win the national title and while it'll spark maybe even more debates they won't be as crucial as getting the best team to win the national title. Dan you're right I think most fan bases react the way Florida states reacted.

All of them. Okay, all of them, that's fine, but Florida state did get another game, was against Georgia, they lost 63 to three. Understood. I'm not here to re-legislate any of that. I'm just telling you that there isn't a fan base in the history of fan bases that wouldn't poisonously

go after any herb street who they thought was responsible for what happened there and i'm not just making a college football make it throughout all of the history of sports if you're gonna make it that subjective and some team wins all its games they get to play another one that matters now you're right fan bases will seek that person whoever that person is who's the person saying our undefeated team is not deserving of making it to the college football playoff? They will seek it out. They will crush that person. I just thought though with that FSU team, they were returning a lot of starters. It

just wasn't transfers from LSU and Alabama. The problem with that team was their quarterback last year was great and this one's not. And we've got enough of a sample now and it was unfair to him at Clemson. I'm just gonna call him DJ U because I don't have the confidence that Mike has to say his last name even though Mike even got a little scared of it right in the middle, like did a little bit of a hiccup.

Well no, there's a hiccup in the name. That's why there's a we younger life. Put it on the poll please. There's an L-E before the next L-E. At LeBretard Show, is there a hiccup in the middle of DJ U's name? At LeBretard Show. I feel bad about this part, and this is a sea change

I'm gonna lose on Stugatz, because all of my life on this show, you've never heard me do to a quarterback what I just did to this kid in the last segment where I'm like he's not good enough. The professionalization of this sport and the paying of players all of a sudden makes it so that even I feel permission to be more critical of what are now professional players, even though I have never done that to a college quarterback before where I'm like, that's just not good enough. That's not that's not going to win you anything if you're playing the top 12 teams in football. Yeah, I'm struggling to find what the rules are. Do I apply the context of DJ use on his third program,

he's a redshirt senior, he's presently 23 years old. He's made money in the NIL era, I think at three different schools, and now it's time to have some accountability at that position, I do think you can criticize a player, just no personal shots, and I think everything that you said had been in play. Well, but I've never even done that before though.

Like it's not, I- Well, welcome to the party, pal. Yeah, I mean, I don't even like it's not i i welcome to the party pal and then i i i don't even like it though i i i i feel like it feels like a rationalization on my part for bad behavior that that that that we celebrated rory earlier because he's a champion in barbecue and fishing and knocked out some key west some halt some general hall of famers in key west with what has to be just a real upset but one thing we did not celebrate i'm glad we get to do it here locally we've mentioned briefly that the

Duke is doing FIU football games this year at the pit at the cage the pit bull whatever the name of that stadium is going to be. The cage. We have to figure that out. It's going to eventually be the pit. Well I don't know. It should be. We We'll see if I come in here daddy big bucks over here and just change the name of the cage I mean it's called pitbull stadium But it's the cage as far as I'm concerned or as far until I'm told otherwise it will always be the cage Right so much history you're on the official broadcast and he's paying a lot of money for those name and rights I saw Goldie are you gonna be working with Goldie? I will not be no, but he's part of the team Yeah, there are a lot of broadcasts and Bo camper Goldie, are you gonna be working with Goldie? I will not be, no. But he's part of the team, yeah.

There are a lot of broadcasts. Kimbo Camper as well. Kimbo Camper, there's some heft on that. FIU's serious about football this year. Well, they're keeping me away from those names. What are you doing? The stadium's named after Pitbull. What are you doing this season?

I'm gonna be on the radio call this season for four of the games this year. Because as you mentioned, there's a number of people and there's gonna be rotation going. I will be doing four of the games this year. Because as you mentioned, there's a number of people and there's gonna be rotation going, I will be doing four of the games, twice as many as the two last year. So, you know? I don't know if I can tell you the games that I'm doing yet,

but I'll tell you I'm gonna be doing the first game at Pitbull Stadium. You better believe it. And you're not gonna call it the pit? Because you should do that. You should be the one who, you're the one who should change the name from the cage to The pit well I'm conflicted if I'm gonna be honest with you

And I feel like this is as good a place as any to do some some therapy here look Gang if I'm gonna be honest I feel like I'm being invited to be a bit of a clown on these broadcasts No, I'm wondering if that's the case and are you the third man? I will be the third man. Yes I didn't know if it was two men. No, it's a three-man. It's gonna be a three-man booth I'm with the other people. Well, it's a rotation. Yeah, so yeah, but you said there's three people in the booth Is there an actual former football player like there there there will be yeah in some of the games I'll be a former football player in there former FIU Panther tight end cards close Well, but Billy before you go too far down this path,

I do believe that- You think this is an embargo or Billy doesn't remember? No, no, I just say, I don't wanna, you know, I don't wanna step on any toes. I don't wanna, you know, put anything at risk here. Well, you gave us former FIU tight end. Yeah, there's a number. I mean, it could be John New Smith.

I'm just picturing Barry Jackson listening right now, like, give me more, Billy. Unlike number. I mean it could be John who Smith. I'm just picturing Barry Jackson listening right now like give me more Billy Billy you have noticed we have noticed everyone has heard us notice that media jobs all over are shrinking but football remains a monster economy and I saw Andrew Marshand wrote in the New York Post that Peter Schrager and Mina Kimes have been so good on preseason games that he's wondering whether we're going to see finally someone other than Tony Kornheiser and an ex-athlete be someone who gets to broadcast games who isn't an ex-athlete. Billy, you've got a lane here as both the Duke

and if you can provide clown to give them something Kim Boe Camper will not give them. You could be Clown Boe Camper. Well, no, okay, I don't aspire to be Clown Boe Camper. Let's bring some humor to it instead of clown. It's gonna be me, Jackson McDonald, now that you've twisted my arm, you got the tight end out of me.

You looked it up. Jackson McDonald's gonna be there and then AJ Ricketts and Cory Brooks will be doing a play-by-play. It's a rotation. We're a team. We're all a team here. I saw that index finger you were trying to hide, scrolling, trying to find the name of your teammates.

It's a team game. Don't tell me no, I saw you doing it. It's a big team game. You don't know the name of your teammates. Yeah, I do. Now Jackson something.