The McShay Show - CFP Semifinal Reactions: Indiana Stays Perfect and Dominates Oregon | The McShay Show

Episode Date: January 10, 2026

Join Todd and Muench as they react to the semifinal matchup of Oregon vs. Indiana in the College Football Playoff. 0:00 Welcome to The McShay Show!2:08 CFP semifinals live reactions: (5) Oregon vs. (1) Indiana8:35 (1) Indiana defeats (5) Oregon: 56-2217:20 Takeaways from Dante Moore's performance45:20 What's next for Oregon?54:15 Takeaways from Fernando Mendoza's performance1:06:25 Recapping Miami's win over Ole Miss1:12:35 Evaluating Carson Beck's draft stock1:20:28 Draft Expectations for Trinidad Chambliss1:32:55 Previewing the CFP ChampionshipThe Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available.Host: Todd McShayGuest: Steve MuenchProducers: Tucker Tashjian, Conor Nevins, Daniel ComerSocial: Alysha Tsuji Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's going to be a fun one. I don't care. I don't care if there's a blowout. I don't care. It's just going to be a fun. We've got a lot of things. There's a lot to talk about. There really is a lot to talk about.

College football, the national championship. I got a couple of things I want to go back to last night that we didn't cover. Right. And there's some draft implications. You're absolutely lying to yourself if you don't think that there are some draft implications and what went down in this game tonight. And with all that said,

there are just 104 days until the NFL draft. Wipe that smile off your fence, Pace Mench. I'm excited. So Mench, you good? I'm good, man. All right, roll that beat, tuck. The kid's short a little bit last night.

They were frustrated. They wanted us to go later. Really? I didn't see that. Then the comments were, you're going to a live show? I don't know. I got to go to bed.

I forgot people had to work today. Yeah. The McShea show is presented by Fanduel. Fan Duel's got it all. Same game parles, quick bets for jumping in live, and your way so you can build the bet that fits your play. Plus, don't miss out on all the action during the rest of the college football playoffs. Download the Fandul app or head to fandul.com slash McShay to get started.

Must be 21 and older in President Select States or 18 and older in President D.C., Kentucky or Wyoming. call 1-800 gambler or visit r g dash help.com call 1 888 789 777 or visit ccpg.org slash chat in connecticut people don't know what's a nice show man that's tough but they don't have to work tomorrow most most of america we're going to hang tonight maris can wait the kids are at sleepovers we could go we can go to 3 a.m. tonight i don't care could have. Let's start with this. If my math is correct, and the game's not over yet, Oregon's got the ball second and goal. So it will be, you've got Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and then you follow that up with Oregon and the Peach Bowl. Alabama and Oregon,

one of the most story programs in college football history and for the last few decades, one of the greats in Oregon. You go and drop 94 on those two programs consecutively. And I want you to throw up this graphic, Tucker, if you've got it available. I couldn't believe this. I saw this in the pregame.

I don't cover the recruiting as much, neither do you. We're season ends. We get in the NFL draft. You know, other people are specializing in the recruiting. Either they're not specializing really, well in it, or what Coach Signetti has done at Indiana is in a single season. Forget the big picture of the two-year turnaround and all of that. You and I had the Belichick fight and Leicester and soccer.

The 1980 American hockey team, but whatever, whatever. All of it. 55, four or five-star recruits for Oregon, 45 for Miami. 40 for Ole Miss. These are the four teams in the college football playoff semifinals. Indiana's got eight. Eight. Are you building a collection of talent?

Are you building a team? And they're building a team. And let's talk about NFL talent. There are some good players that will get drafted from Indiana. Surat's one of them at wide receiver. Cooper's another one at wide receiver. Kugan at center, the left tackle.

A couple defensive tackles might play in the league. A couple linebackers. DeAngelo Pons, really good player, but he's 5'9-175. He's going to be a mid-round pick. He's had a great year. Phenomenal year. Great young man, physical. All the pick six tonight.

But you might see one Indiana player in Fernando Mendoza player. You might see one, and we'll get to the Mendoza. Mendoza versus more. I see you spook-tastic. More over Mendoza. We'll get to it. You might see one in the first round. And you're going to see one in the first two rounds.

Yeah, the only way you wouldn't is if Mendoza doesn't come out is what you're saying, right? No, no, no, I'm counting Mendoza's coming out. Oh, you think there's going to be a second Indiana? No, I'm saying there's not going to be. There's going to be one. Okay. All right. I'm confused.

And the first two rounds probably is my point. So whether it's high school recruiting or NFL draft prospects, I was texting with Urban Meyer tonight. He's like, I'm on the field pregame and I'm watching. I don't know if he was talking about the first. I think maybe there was the first game. I don't know if he was there tonight because I know ESPN had the broadcast. And he's like, it doesn't make sense.

Make this. He's like, Todd, make this make sense. Who's getting drafted? So I gave him a list and we're going back and forth. And he's like, yeah, but what about Oregon? I'm like, yeah, well, they got a quarterback who'll get drafted high. We'll get to that in a little bit. But they also, I mean, look at the defensive side for them.

I mean, Finney's going to be a first round picket corner in a couple of years. He's just a true freshman. Betcher's going to be a mid-round guy. Thien a minute safety was going to run unbelievably well and work out unbelievably well. Might be a day two pick because of the traits. Tatum Tuio Uiote, Mateo Uiangalalei, Omori Washington, your guy.

There's a lot of players there. You got two offensive tackles that'll get drafted. Oh, Sadiq in the first round. Sorry, Kenyon Sadiq in the first round. I'm just going off the top of my head. Yep. It's an imbalance of talent. There's an imbalance of talent even at Alabama.

And Alabama's not the Nick Sabin level, what we're used to seeing. Four or five first rounders. 11 guys in the first three rounds, those kind of years. It's an imbalance of talent. I'm saying all of this to say, in my lifetime, at least, I can't come up with a comparison in terms of a coaching job in a single season. Because right now I'm listening to the broadcast, and congratulations, Sean McDonough.

And I texted him earlier tonight. And now it's during the fourth quarter of the game, broadcaster of the year. And honest to God, he's one of the greats to ever do it. And the fact that he just picks up then going to hockey and I grew up watching him on baseball. Red Sox kids.

He's so special. But I'm listening to Sean and Greg McElroy talk about, and I don't disagree, this might be the best team, most dominant team in a single season since LSU 2019. similarities are a quarterback, an undefeated team, dominant too, in a lot of big games, a quarterback who wins the Heisman, projected first overall pick, but that's where the similarities end. Because I don't have the list in front of me.

Yeah, we can go and research it right now. But who are Joe Burroughs' wide receivers? Was that, was it, I'm trying to think, was it Justin Jefferson? It was Jamar Chase. Yep, is Justin Jefferson, too. I'll find it right now if he just gave me one second. It was a Clyde Edwards-Alair who was a first round pick. Yep, yep, he was the running back.

The talent level is just completely in balance. Terrence Marshall, remember him? He was pretty good, too, man. Thaddeus Moss was the tight end. Pretty good tight end, not great, but good tight end. Yeah, I mean, but just Jamar Chase and Justin Jefferson are two of the best receivers in the NFL right now. alone. That's that's that right there.

So my point is to have a team that's going out there as a collective unit, all three phases. You saw like the coverage teams, the block punt, the defense dominant. I don't know if Oregon scored at the end, but yeah, 22 is what they scored. It's a final. 56 to 22. So 25 points they've allowed to Alabama and Oregon and in 15 of those were kind of like, you know, games are already decided. And they score 94 points to 25. It's wild. We're seeing something special, you know?

I agree. I agree with everything you just said. There's some things that I thought that we can get into later on in this conversation that I thought were kind of caught my attention tonight. But you're right. The teams are different. By the way, this Indiana defense is different. that LSU defense gave up twice as many points.

This Indiana defense is just tremendous. It is so good. But I agree with the idea they are very different teams, though. I think they are drastically different teams, even more so than you're saying. But they're both dominant. That I can get on board with. So it was 2019 season. So it was the 2020 draft.

Joe Burrow, number one overall. Kay Levin Chasin. went 20th overall. Justin Jefferson, 22 overall. Patrick Queen, 28 overall. Clyde Edwards, Allaire, 32 overall. That's five guys in the first round. Grant Delpit, safety, Christian Fulton, safe defensive back.

Yep. Both in the second round. Third round, Damien Lewis, guard. Lloyd Cushenberry, guard. center, no, sorry, Cushabary was the center. Damien Lewis was a guard. Then also in the third round, Jacob Phillips lineback. Loaded.

Just loaded. All those guys. Yeah, it just loaded. I think you're going to see. That's 10 players drafted in the first three rounds. Indiana might have one or two. Correct. Yeah, I get it.

And it goes right to what you're saying. I understand it. That's the proof is in the pudding, man. Like the fact that Signetti is winning with this level of, of talent, and I hate saying that because they played so well this year, these guys are going to go earlier than they ever would have gone, if they would have gotten drafted at all two years ago. So yeah, it speaks to it.

And I'm not going to get back into the argument with you about it. The only thing I'll say is it doesn't matter if they don't win against Miami. It could be the greatest coaching performance until you don't win a championship. They have to finish. They have to finish. That is the thing. I will say that. they have to finish.

I believe they will. I wholeheartedly believe they will. I think it's funny that one of the people in the group chats does mention believe that Indiana is a good team now. I'm not sure when I was ever off Indiana being a good team. I mean, at the beginning of the year, yeah, at the beginning of the year, I was saying that they were going to be, oh, wow, look at that, Shay. Look, don't give it out to everyone in the chat.

I won't, no, I won't, but wow. Spread just came out from Fando. Fandall is the best. They get us the information right away. It's crazy. Yeah. I don't want to say they're just doing it for us, but they make sure that we get the information right away. We just got the spread.

I actually, I'm asking everyone in the chat right now. We all know that Indiana is going to be favored over Miami, even though Miami is quote-unquote home game, right? What do you think the spread is? I was thinking about it downstairs before I came up here. And I was thinking they may go as wild as like nine and a half, 10 and a half. Really? I thought honestly watching this team. felt like Miami got a little beat up last week,

the discipline issue. You can't play. Did you see Nick Saban getting after Cristobal? That was pretty good TV. Free game? Yes. And do you want to do this like TV cute stuff? Right.

Or do you want to back to 2015? I think you said 2015 or whatever it was when they coached when he was on the staff. Or do you want it to be like a staff meeting? And Nick's got his hands going. And Mario's like, well, he's like, you know, we could do it. however you want coach, but I know that you were like getting primed

and get your makeup on a few minutes ago, so maybe you're not the same guy you were in 2015 if you're ready to come at me. It was funny. Save is on a roll, by the way, lately. That's for another pod, but he's on a roll lately. He's killing.

All right, so pop sodas, yes, he is. He's comfortable now. Pop soda says four and a half. Anthony J. 504 says six. Jeffreys Nuffin says nine and a half. We can't keep up with these. He says 13 and a half. Weech, you might be right.

It's not the number of fan duels putting out, but that might be around what it is. Everyone's kind of in the three and a half is light. See Young. Ligon TD is two and a half. But everyone is basically in that like four and a half to 13 and a half range. A lot of eight and a half, seven and a halfs. Now everyone's coming in at seven and a half.

That's the number. Yeah. Everyone gave. We're not saying. We're not saying that someone might have looked it up, but. It took a minute to get on the FanDuel app. There we go. Get that down before you see my account number and balance.

Amazing. Which, by the way, decreased a little bit tonight. Yeah. Embarrassed to say we both had Oregon. That's fine. You take your lumps. Yeah. If we're going to sit here and give ourselves Tommy John surgery, patting ourselves

on the back for... I was seven and two coming into the night. I love the we. I love the we there. Well, I was. I mean, when you go, when you're, when you're seven and two in the college football playoff against the spread, and you're, you sat here and got berated by everyone nationally and privately, you and Steve Cochland had a field day, like giggling as I ripped out my experience

sheet. I don't know if we can get that in focus, 2,881 snaps for Carson Beck and said they're going to make a run. And they did and they have. They've actually made a run longer than I thought they would. So now the matchup is in. Oregon is out. Indiana rolls past Bama,

rolls past Oregon. And now we've got interesting, right? Carson Beck's new home, Miami. They get to go back to Miami their home collectively. But Fernando Mendoza gets to go back home, where he's from. and play against a university, you ready for this? Wouldn't even allow him to walk on.

Yeah. You think that's not personal? He lives 0.5 miles away. His mom and dad live 0.5 miles away from the campus and Coral Gables. They wouldn't let him walk on. So that's going to be fun to watch. We'll get, we're going to finish this show up with some review of last night. I want to talk about Carson Beck a little bit, move the narrative forward a little bit.

Some news on Trinidad Chambliss today. Very unfortunate. We'll get to that and what the fallout is there. And then I want you and I to kind of early on, and we'll have plenty of shows between now and the national championship game to dive in, tape study and what we're seeing. But give some initial thoughts on what stands out in that matchup, okay? But for now, I do want to go back. and I want to walk through some of this game.

How about the pick six to start it? Two mortal sins. The first is you stare down. That's a Frank DeFalise. Boy, mortal six. You know, like 30, 3-0 swinging in an outside pitch. Mortalson. Mortalson.

But you start the game out against a defense that's opportunistic, against a defense that, that the top two guys, Lewis Moore, your guy, Munch, and Amari Farrell, had 10 interceptions combined. I think Pons came in with two or three. Maybe two, and that was his third one.

And you stare him down. Forget even the read. It's a bad read. He squatted. You can't throw that ball. He can't throw it. Stares them down so he walks him to it. And then the ball,

thrown inside. If you're going to try to fit that, even though you know, every instant in you says, I stared him down, he squatted. I got to go to the second read or take off. You throw it and you throw it to the inside. You got to throw that outside.

And the game starts, bang, 7-0. It was like, oh, man, we're in, we could be in for a long night. But then, and I put this on threads and X. I feel like I learned more from, from Dante Moore in that, in the follow-up drive,

than I did necessarily in one bad read, one bad play, right? Yeah. There was, I've seen Brady do that before, okay? It was, I will say this for you, by the way. I don't want to interrupt your, your rhythm here. But it was a bad vibe from the time I turned on the, the game. I mean, right away. When they were, when they said that it was about 80% Indiana fans,

it might actually be, it might actually be a higher number. And then Noah Whittington's all of a sudden on the, on the injury report. Well, I knew that earlier in the day. Oh, I thought. Because he was on it last night. Not to,

not yesterday. I knew it today. Yeah, he was on it last night. I mean, right away, I was, oh, not good vibes, man. If you had Oregon in that games, right out of the game.

And then they did a, they did a, and the kid on the kickoff return, the first kickoff return got. Oh, lit up. lit up. And then it's a pick six.

That it was all down quickly. This thing's going to get ugly, fast. Yep. Yep. And my initial instinct wasn't wrong. But they did an overhead shot of the stadium, man. How about Indiana fans?

It was 80% was being kind to Oregon. I think so, yeah. Like, yo, Phil. Hey, Phil Knight. Can we buy some seats and send some people? Fuck is going on. I don't understand. Are we all just wait, like, we'll only show up to the national championship?

I get it. That Indiana, this is like, they have gone through basically the history of the program to get here of despair. The second losingest program in college football history. And some argue that it's the, they've had the most losses of any program. It depends on what history book you're looking at, I guess. The point is, I don't know that there's a fan base out there that has endured more horrible seasons and just no hope than the Indiana football fan in college football, right? And so I get that there's this hunger. But it's still like, do you not remember last year at the Rose Bowl, Oregon?

Like how quickly this thing could turn ugly? And we'll get to that in a second, too. Not a great look for Dan Landing the last two years. I want to talk about that when you have a second. But I will say this, too. Did you see that the state of Indiana moved high school basketball games to make sure that people go watch this game? I love it. Yeah, it's great.

It's great. It's what it's all about, man. You love it. Yeah. It's a basketball state, right? It's a basketball school till it's not. You got news for you. New England was a baseball region.

and Boston and Massachusetts was a baseball town till Brady got here. Yeah. You'd argue Belichick, but I'd argue Brady. All right. But then the response, and I'm like,

okay, one bad mistake, but how about this response? They drive down the field. Oregon does. And it was, I wrote down, it was like seven minutes, seven and change minutes. 38, I think.

Seven minutes and 38 seconds, I think. Okay, 738. 14 plays. Dante Moore goes five of seven, 50 yards passing and completes it with a touchdown. And there was a drop, I believe, the tight end had the back of the tight end of the top.

A bad drop. It could have been a first down. That should have been a first down. Bad drop. And so I'm like, all right, here we go. Oregon's fine. But then the defense comes out for Oregon. And it just didn't feel right from the jump, man.

Nope. I'm watching an undersized center who's an awesome college player and might have a chance to get it done in the NFL, push around Amari Washington. All right. Here's the thing. I know I'd get you. I knew I'd get you.

You know what? I can't believe I'm taking the bait. That's, but whatever, whatever. I'm not, you know what, I'm not going to even do it. Like I've said, I don't know if it's line for Indiana played awesome. That's what I'm saying. I'm not saying.

I'm not saying. I'm not taking that away. I know. But the point is, I remember watching last year when you and I weren't buying completely in and we shouldn't have. And saying, my biggest takeaway is this is the best coach team in college football. As a collective unit,

no team is doing like the detail. like old school stuff hat on a hat gap discipline on defense communication angles leverage pursuit like all of it and this team's just a little bit more talented

and some guys have been in the system for second year and they've got a quarterback who's just better Curtis Rorke was a nice player Mendoza is about to be the first overall pick in the NFL draft okay we'll see Ask Fandul. Hey, Tuck, get me that.

What's the number one? Do I think that Fernanda Mendoza will be the first overall pick in the draft? I do. Do I think that right now the odds are that he is? The draft's not tomorrow. We are a long way off. Let's calm down with, like just making, like announcing this guy is the first overall pick. He is in the driver's seat right now.

He's earned the right to be in the driver's seat. Well, we can have the conversation, but I kind of wanted to recap the game a little bit. But yeah, go ahead. Whenever you want to do it. I'm just not going to, like, some of the things that came out tonight were a little wild with Fernando Mendoza. Just going to say it. I don't disagree. He's not, he's not as perfect as the numbers look.

He's not, he's not Joe Burrow. He's not, he's not Jaden Daniels. And I was just saying, and I talked to an NFL, and I have my own opinions too, and I agreed with him. We were agreeing back and forth. I told you I talked to an NFL head coach for 55 minutes two days ago. and he has been he'd been doing some of the tape and really likes him and i've got i've got all these notes i really like him we're here he's really good we all do but but talking about he's not jaden nope this guy i talked to didn't love caleb as much but was not caleb not drake nope and

even went as far as he's not cam for him um but this is not a great draft class at the top. And my question to you would be, if not Mendoza, who? Dante Moore is still in the mix, absolutely. Dante Moore is absolutely still in the mix. All right. So we're going to have the conversation. I want to see the tape.

I want to see the tape, too. And part of that is I might go back and watch that tape and be like, oh, I mean, to pick, I'm making no excuse for. The fumbles, the one that went off the running back. That's kind of a fluky play. I'm not really worried about. The other one, I don't think he had anyone downfield. Again, want to see the all 22.

You got to take care of the ball, even if you got to either get rid of it or you got to cover it up. You can't, you can't fumble. I mean, no, there's no way you shape that as a positive play. But Dante Moore is just as talented as he was yesterday as he is today. I mean, there's just no getting around that. And I think Dante Moore has a chance to be a better quarterback than Vernon and Mendoza because of some of the tools. So to sit here and say that I think that Fernandez is definitely going to be the number one overall pick.

and Dante Moore is no longer in the running because Oregon had a terrible game. I just, I think that's reactionary. And Fernando Mendoza deserves all the flowers in the world. And the Indiana deserves all the flowers in the world. They are an incredible team with a player having an incredible year and performance in the playoffs. All of that is true. It doesn't change the fact we're talking about the NFL draft and maybe we're saying that the Raiders can't fall in love with Dante Moore and like him a slightly better

than Fernando Mendoza. that can't happen? It's a knockout. Let me remind you something because we brought up the Joe Burrow thing, and I had to go back and look at this, okay? Joe Burrow averaged 378.1 passing yards per game and threw for 60 touchdowns compared to six interceptions. Mendoza right now through 15 games, same amount of games.

He's averaging fewer because he had less than I, fewer than 226.4. And he has 41 touchdowns compared to six. interceptions. It's not even close. Indiana, LSU was balanced. Indiana is a run heavy offense. There's no getting around that. Indiana's a run

heavy offense. And there's nothing wrong with that, especially when you have a quarterback that is an absolute surgeon given the opportunity. But when we're talking about prospects and talking about generational guys, he is not on the same level. You're yelling at me about some. Because I heard it tonight.

I heard it. I heard it. I just afforded you more patience. More patience that... What? If he's not Joe Burrow, is it unthinkable that a Dante Moore could be in the mix to be the first overall pick?

These are two different conversations. Okay, well, I'm having a conversation about whether or not Dante Moore could be the first overall pick and the fact that I don't think Fernando Mendoza is an absolute lock. I'm having a similar conversation that's not identical.

Okay, just give me the nuance of what I'm missing. The amount of patience I just showed you, I should go straight to heaven. I am fired up after listening to all this for the last hour. We agree that Fernando Mendoza is not Drake May. Correct. We agree that he's not Jaden Daniels. And hopefully Jaden bounces back next year,

but we know what that talent is. I think we both agree he's not Caleb Williams. Because Caleb Williams, yeah, he struggled as a rookie. He's playing better this year and the ceiling's still higher. We can get into a discussion about Cam Ward. But from a talent standpoint, Cam Ward is more talented. From stepping in right away as a rookie who would have more success,

I think actually Mendoza would, but neither is going to have success in Tennessee, which kind of leads me to this point. I want to separate the two conversations. Before a second, and we can come back. I'm not going to ignore what you're saying. But in my mind, these are two different conversations. Mendoza's not that guy.

Right. And he sure is shit is not Joe Burrow. Right. He's not. So I'm agreeing with you on that. And all those numbers back up what we saw on tape. Joe Burroughs special. Different.

Joe Burroughs in this like elite of elite category. And it's one of the most unfortunate. It's starting to feel a little bit like the Andrew Luck stuff with Burrow that like is the good Lord going to rob us of one. one of the great talents to play that position. And it will be devastating. And I'm not saying, I'm just saying like, how many years do we have to go through

or an injury just like shuts it down, okay? I hold Burrow in that grade I gave him in a very rare air, but also in that rare neighborhood, at least, is Caleb and Jaden and Drake. Yep. Okay. Fernando's not.

Nope. we can have a discussion about would you take if same draft cam Fernando like let let's spend the let's spend the next few months having that conversation but we do agree that Fernando is a damn good quarterback a first round talent I think we both also agree and this can I say some yeah just just to be really quickly at worst Fernando Mendoza I think goes second over on this draft and I'm happy if my team I'm happy if my team drafts them I want to be clear about that Also, Dante Moore, not that guy either. Dante Moore's not that guy either.

I agree. I agree. I'm not saying that Dante Moore is that guy. I actually think Dante Moore, if seasoned properly, if he gets enough water and sunlight in the right crop with the cool nights and shades at the right time, will be better than Fernando Mendoza. That's what I think. But back to Mendoza for a second.

before I get to more. This draft class, man, and I'm just solidifying what you just said, Vegas picks one, Jets pick two. That's locked. It got locked after Week 18 last year.

Right. I mean, last week. Last week. Yep. I'm looking at this mock draft, and you can debate my mock. Forget the mock. Let me go through the top prospects.

And these are handwritten on a quarter piece of paper as I was going through. I got you fired up. Let's go. We're waiting on a day base is going to come together soon. We're going to have it all in one place and that's wonderful. However, right now, I would argue, throw the quarterbacks out. Let me give you some of the names of

the top prospects in this class. Arvel Reese. He's a linebacker. Maybe he can be in that. He's a linebacker right now. Jeremiah Love, awesome talent. He's a running back. I mean, Maui Noah. I got Bailey. Bailey. The Edge for Texas Tech. Yep. Bailey. Bailey's an awesome. awesome edge, but he's undersized. Doesn't fit every scheme and like undersized edges have not always translated well. Downs, awesome player. Safety.

So you got a safety of running back and off the ball linebacker and an undersized edge rusher. Then you get into Maui Noah and Fano. You're higher on. Bain. You got Bain, short arms. Is he a three technique? I saw a kick inside of three technique the other night and get his ass kicked.

Last night, then you get really good wide receivers, but they ain't Justin Jefferson. No. And they ain't Jamar Chase, right? So my point on Mendoza, let's wrap this up, is he's going to be the first or second overall pick. Correct. He will be the first or second overall pick. Okay. Because not only are they quarterbacks for quarterback-needy teams, there's not a, there's not a,

a Miles Garrett staring at you. Right. There's not a Joe Alt, where you're like, you know what, we're the Jets. We got two first rounds

this year. We got three next year. Let's build around it before we bring in a quarterback. And let's bring in Miles Garrett. Let's bring in Joe Alt. Let's solidify these positions of value.

Right. We don't have it this year. We're going to take a running back? I gave Arizona running back at what? Stunner. Three. Three. Yeah, because this class is a nightmare when it comes to trying to match positional value with the actual talent.

Yeah. Now, I get it. Here's what it. Go ahead. I like Ben Do it's better than I like Cam Ward, by the way. Okay. And we can have that, and I'm here for that discussion. Right.

February, March, and April. Not tonight. I got you. Tonight's conversation, this is the urgent breaking news. And I see you. social media and I hear you New York media. That's great. The impetus

behind me talking about the Jets and how some prospects might not want to go there because you're ruined organizationally. Not Aaron Glenn, not Moji, not this new group, but

it's been an organizational top-down problem. Young, in experience, quarterbacks go there to fail. Mark Sanchez had a little bit of success with a great defense and all that stuff. Done. Sam Darnold. Four years, I think.

Four years he made it? Yeah, four years. Sam Darnold, look at him now. Favorite to win the Super Bowl had to get out of there, get with someone to get him right. Zach Wilson. Not saying that he's going to be anything great in the league, but he was young and, like, no shot to succeed. So that was my point in all that with the Jets.

My other point that got lost in all of it is, I just want Dante to go back. Me too. Because I got this list and I'm going to do this again and I promise I won't do it. It won't be my new 2,881. I'm not going to do it 100 times. Maybe once a month.

But I'm looking at the guys who are succeeding in the NFL either this year and this year and or previous years. And the bars, Bill Parcells was ahead of his time, man. Got to graduate, got to win a certain amount of games. I forget if it was 23 or 20, but 25 starts is like the, is the bare minimum. Because the first rounders who have been drafted a quarterback in the last decade are Dwayne Haskins, God rest his soul,

but Dwayne Haskins, Mitch Trubisky, and Anthony Richardson. And we talked about this with Ty Simpson, right, with his 15 starts. Yeah. But we better start having this conversation. And I hope, and everyone in Dante Moore's camp, and even the head coach I was talking to was connections around Oregon, it's like, everyone I talked to this. He is so mature, like beyond his ears.

He's a special individual between his ears, maturity, all of it. I hope he taps into all of that and takes a look at this. it's not about, man, I may be the fourth quarterback next year. And you know what? If you believe in yourself and I know Dante does, come back and be the first. I know every, it's a, it's a lock. Ask Orlovsky. Arch is the number one overall pick if he's in this draft.

I actually agree with that. I agree that he would be the number one overall pick in this draft. But I don't know that he is going to be next year. That's a different conversation. We can have that later. Yeah, you got me like now the wheel is spinning. Go ahead. But Bo Nix.

60 plus starts. 50 plus starts are Cam Ward, Jaden Daniels, 40 plus, Baker, Purdy, Pennix, Herbert, Hertz, Dart. 30 plus, cousins, Gino, Gough, Daniel Jones, Trevor, Stafford, Lamar, Dak, Caleb, Love. I told you the two guys sub 30 that are having a lot of success. Bryce Young's another one. We'll see how that plays out. A lot of struggles early, but it's pulling it together. the two guys that are sub-30 but still had 25 or 29 in Mahomes and Josh Allen,

respectively, are superhuman. And Mahomes sat a year with Alex Smith teaching him in the quarterback room and Andy Reed, one of the great developers. Everyone seems to forget Josh Allen really struggled as a rookie and early in his career. And he also had Brian Daibold there, who was one of the great, in my humble opinion, I agree with you. One of the better quarterback developers

and understanding the position in the league when he was in the league, and he'll be back, I'm sure. So my point is, I'm looking at Dante Moore in his 20th start and he looks like a guy. And yeah, the running back on the RPO shouldn't have hit his elbow

when he went to throw. Yeah. But the strip sack and several other plays, I'm watching a quarterback. Yes, your receivers are covered up. But we got to speed up that clock, man. I don't think Dante Moore's ready. And it's part of what I was saying on the last episode

that everyone in New York media picked up. And now, by the way, Stephen A. Smith and Bomani Jones and like every talk show, every podcast, every ESPN show, everyone's covering that subject. or Lewis Riddick on a local ESPN radio in New York. I don't know that anyone's disagreeing with my premise of maybe you look at the New York if you're a young quarterback with 20 starts and maybe you factor that into your decision to go back.

But it's not even my greater point. The Jets are going to take who the Jets want to take and hopefully this new regime is ready to protect them and support them and allow him to flourish, whoever that quarterback is. My greater point, Steve, is what do we have in this business without trends and analysis and history? Right. And the history tells us, especially in this day and age of NIL and transfer portal and guys getting forward.

A lot of those names, Knicks, right? A lot of those names are part of this new regime. Cam Ward, Jaden Daniels, DART, all transfer guys that got extra time and actually. went through some tough times and like when they were hardened when they got in the league. So I don't disagree with you that Dante Moore could be the better quarterback.

But I'm asking you this question legitimately. Knowing the history and knowing all the problems and knowing the Trudebiscuits and the Haskins and the Mark Sanchez's and the Anthony Richardson's, right? Right. And here in that list I just gave you and watching him then tonight

Are you comfortable taking him at one over, all over? And I mocked him there because I was trying to show everyone that Dante Moore is just as talented, if not maybe more talented, maybe has a higher ceiling than Mendoza. It's the first mock draft. Plenty of things will change. My point was to show this is not just Mendoza and everybody else. But would you take more over Mendoza even after watching this tonight? And then more importantly, knowing that's just his 20th start, he can come back next year,

played 12, 13, 15 more games. And now he's in the range of like, now he's in the range we're talking about with, with Stafford, Lamar, Dack, Caleb, love. I feel a lot more comfortable then. But he also,

that's the last game he played with Will Stein, who's going to be the Kentucky head coach. There's just a lot of factors here, bud. I hear you. I agree with you that he should go back. I think that it will be better for him. I agree with you that if I had to draft tonight, and I said this earlier,

I would draft for an Anda Mendoza first overall ahead of Dante Moore. That's why you don't draft 10 minutes after a semifinal game where a kid has a bad game. It's why you don't do it. It's why you wait. It's why you go through the process of interviewing these guys. It's why you go through all these steps of getting to know a player and getting to see what makes them tick,

how they fit in your building, how they work out with you. My thing, my beef after this was, we are on the national telecast saying that he is the first overall pick, and we're comparing him to Joe Burrow. In fairness to Sean. Not so fast. In fairness to Sean and to Greg,

they were talking about the college football season, which has been comparable outside of the yards and all that, in terms of undefeated dominance, efficiency, those sorts of things. I'm not trying to protect them or put words in their mouths. I don't think it was necessarily as much the same talent level. And I don't know, maybe it was, but that's not what I heard. Maybe not.

I've heard things, you know, we all have our biases that cause us to hear things a certain way. And maybe I wasn't hearing it the way that they were meaning it and you were. You know him better than me. And he is, I'm not just saying this. Like, I'm not what he's great. He is one of the all-timers. That being said, what I was hearing was that somehow he's, they're comparing him to Joe Burrow. And, you know, there was a couple times where I think, well, I don't think there's any more question about who's going to be the first overall pick in this draft.

And to me, you know, there is some question. There is a process. There is a, this is a long run up to, and I'm sure Mendoza will do well. And I'm sure if Don DeMore comes out, he will do well. Again, we're not changing what, one of the principles, one of the, one of the. bed rocks of this of this show that you've created is the more you play in college as a quarterback the better off you're going to be in the long run i am 100% on board with you as much as i like to bust your balls about being the snaps guy that is i think that's just true so i

obviously i want him to go back i think it would be better for him i looked down in our chat to see what's going on and i'd love how everyone's getting involved uh but i also i saw a comment before i saw the handle and the comment was simpson will be the number two overall pick said with authority, definitive, decisive. Then I looked at the handle, at Tank for Ty. Can I also say, can I give you, because we're going to move on here.

Can I just talk about the reality of where Oregon is right now? Can we do that really quickly? Yeah, do you want to transition? Dan Lannning took the job in 2022. He won 10 games, right? Looks pretty good. Only problem is Mario Cristobal won 10 games the year before at Oregon. 2023, they go in and they are, I think, 13 and 2,

but they lost both games to Washington. They were favored in the Pac-12 championship. They lost that game to Washington. Washington goes to lose to Michigan in the national championship game, but made it to the national championship game, and Oregon beats Liberty in a bowl game. Go to the next year. They go undefeated.

They're the number one seed in the playoff. They get smoked by Ohio State in their first playoff game. Now we get to this year. They lose to Indiana twice. Again, you're losing to the same. team twice in the same season. We all say it's hard to beat a team twice. Well, this seems to be a little bit of a trend that's concerning.

And they get smoked in the playoff again. Dan Lending is 39 years old. He will be 40 in April. To put that in perspective, Kurt Signetti was the quarterback and tight end coach at North Carolina State when he was Dan Linnings age. So let's keep that in mind. And Dan Lending, I think, is 48 and 8 at Oregon now.

He's a talented coach. He is a talented recruiter. but he's now lost both coordinators and they can't seem to find a way to get over the hump despite all of the talent that we talked about, despite this quarterback that I seem to love and I do love and they can't seem to get over the hump.

He's preached with this team all year about growth and about learning from moments and getting better. And I think this is a real pivot point in his career and about whether or not they're going to be able to come back in and where they're going to be able to come back next year and win big,

games and find a way to get over the hump. They've scored 43 points in their last two postseason losses. They've given up 97. And he's a defensive coach. I'm not trying to start anything here. I'm a Dan Laining fan. I actually am. And there are some people who are.

I actually, just so everyone understand, I defend Dan Lanting. This is the reality. These are the facts. this is what's happened. Yeah, and what concerns me most, if I'm being honest, Will Stein was such a big part of the success the last few years. Yeah. I put Will Stein up in the top, like, you know,

handful of offensive minds and coaches and what they were accomplishing in college and most importantly, the development of quarterbacks. I mean, Bo Nicks, came to Oregon as a wounded duck. It's so, it's true. It's had a lot of laughable moments like, oh,

cringing and like at Auburn. And they spit out a 12th overall pick and the guy who's, who's, uh, but a number, is a number one seed in the AFC, right? The starting quarterback for the number one seed in the AFC. Okay. Dylan Gabriel came to him as kind of,

you know, it's cute. He's fun. He spreads the ball around. He runs around. ha ha, you know. Win some games here, win some games there. Remember when he beat Texas at Oklahoma? Look at this kid. Yeah. Yeah, it's so cute.

And then he gets him there, and now he's the third round pick, and he's starting a bunch of games as a rookie, albeit circumstance and Cleveland and everything else. But he takes a quarterback and spits out, he takes coal and spits out a diamond. And maybe I don't want to call him coal, but he spits out something.

Right. Dylan Gabriel wasn't sniffing the NFL before you got to Eugene. I mean, it wasn't a thing. Correct. And so now you lose him. That's what I'm saying. And now you've given up almost 100 points in your last two postseason losses. Like, yeah, this is a tough time for Oregon.

It's going to be a long off season. And by the way, where are your fans? Not that that Matt, but where are your fans tonight? It's going to be a tough one to overcome. And then now hearing about Dylan Rayola, Pete Thammel came on before the broadcast and was talking about how he pulled. He does a great job, but almost like it feels like quarterly if it was a full year. But like once a month or so, he'll come on. And what take, provide the temperature from NFL GMs and people he's talking to, typically GMs.

You know, who's the top quarterback prospect? What are the rankings, all that stuff? And he said that majority of people that he talked to in the league would take Mendoval. over more because you could plug them in right now and go win 28 with them go score 28 points with them. I disagree with the premise. No, I agree with the premise. I disagree with the 28.

I get it. I'm with you. Yeah. I don't see that Raiders team just, you know, ripping off 28 points a game. No. But with Mendoza. But there was some intel into that. just kind of a throwaway line,

but that this is a win let now league. And there isn't a first round quarterback that gets drafted that sits a year. We talked about Jordan Love because of circumstance. And Patrick Mahomes because they just did it the right way. Yeah. But other than that, all these other guys, dozens in the last decade,

dozens start even when they're not ready to start. And so Mendoza, I'm watching Mendoza, and I think there's a ceiling that's lower than you would want to have and that you certainly have with Burrow and Drake and Jaden and Caleb, and we've talked about all of it. But I do think he's pretty NFL ready from coming out of college standpoint, maturity standpoint, hardened, bounced around. You can't work his ass off. He will win over an NFL locker room with his work ethic. Yes. People could talk about how quirky is, but when a vet sees a guy come in and work the way that this kid works, it doesn't matter what you, it doesn't matter about all those quirks.

That conversation I had the other day was enlightening because it's from a coach. We normally talk to scouts and GMs and some, you know, most of our conversations. But every once in a while to get the coaches perspective and from the offensive side, he's like, he's like, yeah, I hear the interviews. I don't like, whatever it is what it is. He's like, you know, the only thing I study of quarterbacks is, does the inter, inter, interesting. city kid after a bad play from Mendoza or after something goes, does the inner city kid come and pat him on the back or go celebrate with them? And does the country kid do it? Yeah. And he goes, and you watch on that team because they got country, country boys and inner city kids. And no question,

you know, and I thought it was an interesting perspective, like the little things that, you know. So yeah, So that's what is working in Mendoza's favor. But more now, and rightfully so, you wait until the end of the season. Your focus needs to be on the next game. Moore's got a tough decision to make. And now you lose offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator. You come off of this loss and all the money in the world and the portal and Phil Knight and the facilities and the uniforms and all of it.

But what does this look like next year if Moore leaves? And then what if more comes back is? Is it just, oh, we pick up the pieces and we go? Everything's easy? I don't know. This is going to be a crossroads for Oregon. I agree with you. It feels like a real moment for them.

No, we've talked a lot about the draft. And I think we cover the more. I hope Dante goes back. I truly do. I honestly hope he goes back. If not, then we can have, we'll have several months. We'll have the rest of January, February. And the date is the 12th.

And what's today? Today is the ninth. I don't know if they get an extension if they played in this game or not. But I do know if you play in the national championship game, there's an extension for the Declaration Day for underclassmen. But it's coming up. If it's not the 12th for them,

then he's going to have, it's going to be within the next week. That we're going to know if Dante Moore, and my guess is he's going to make a decision and make a public in the next few days. But I do want to talk about, I want to talk about, want to talk about Mendoza in this game.

Unbelievable. He was unbelievable. Go ahead. Surgical. He's just, you know, it's, I was watching this game and I'm thinking to myself, football can be so complicated when you start getting into different coverages, different pressures, and different protections and how we want to block this guy and specific matchups and how we're going to adjust to this and to that.

But it really is, and I don't want to sound like a coach, it's really simple when you boil it down. And when you make it simple, the game slows down. Haas is out of his mind. Haas is just a shock jock over Mendoza, Christabal over Signetti. Haas just does it to get people riled up. And every once in a while, it'll work on me. Go ahead. Finish your point. That was on a roll. I know. Go. So I, from him, they talk about this all the time with it slowing down for quarterbacks. And for him, it is so, when you prep the way that he does and understand what he needs to execute within each play, it becomes easier to execute the throw, I think. And I think you've seen that. He doesn't, he didn't have a big night in terms of attempts tonight, but he knows exactly

what he's doing. I mean, whether he has to get off his first, he to get to his third breed, which, by the way, I think he's done a better job as a senior suppressed. So that's, that's a real area of improvement for him. He's gotten better over the course of the year regardless, but that's specifically one area that I think that I've seen him get better as getting through his reads. But just when you know, when you're that confident and you're that prepared, you put yourself in the best position to execute and you see that happening with him

consistently with how accurate these throws are, how on time these throws are. It's just, it's impressive. The efficiency, he may not be as talented as the quarterbacks I've mentioned. but his efficiency is a superpower, I guess. And it is, if you're a football fan, man, it's fun to watch. It is just fun to watch. It's starting to look kind of easy for him, isn't it? I mean, I guess that's all the words I just used.

That's basically what it is. I kept writing down on my notes as I'm watching the game, and it's different than the notes you take when you're watching the tape and putting together your draft reports and everything like that. But I kept writing down on time. on time on target. Like every ball is just like right when it's supposed to get out and then right to the spot.

And then he had some off-schedule stuff. He had some rollouts, kind of few and far between tonight. But when he did on target again. And then a couple of times he had that fumble on the one lucky that his center came and got it for him. But that was a pretty cool run. before the ball popped out. Do you see Coogan after he picked it up?

He did the first down. That was awesome. It was awesome. I mean, it's probably more rare for an offensive lineman to get a first down sign than it is a touchdown. You know, he was the MVP of the Big Ten game with Coogan. I know. That was awesome.

Unbelievable. Yeah, that was awesome. I mean, this whole thing for Indiana is like field of dreams. It's just like it is. The center is when an offensive. Everyone's celebrating. with him. The coach pulls a bunch of, you know, throwaways and one stars and two stars and three stars and get some JMU and here and there and everywhere. And they are the most dominant

team in college football. His coordinators were making $6,000 a year at IUP and living off food stamps and now they're making millions. Prying in production meetings with Sean and Greg. Because they're going back to those times. That's a great note. I don't think people realize sometimes what these guys have to go through. It was a great note. And they, make all the money in the world now, and I get that. But to get there and what you have to sacrifice in terms of time, all of it is, I thought it was an awesome story. But he comes out, Mendoza does, on this stage, now granted with the home crowd, but on

this stage, after already beaten Ohio State in the Big Ten, after already beaten Alabama out in the Rose Bowl, and I know that Alabama team was fractured, but it's still a unbelievably talented team. And then no, like, there's just no let down. There's no, there's very little inconsistency. And it's just so, I mean, we're saying the same thing, but he goes 10 for 11 in the first half. And then, yeah, it's not 170 yards, but it's 10 for 11, 110, one touchdown.

No turn over. It looks like a pro day workout at times. It looks like a pro day workout. That's why I kept saying, like, why's it so easy for him? And then Dante's back there. And, like, yeah, they drove it down. And he was five or seven on that next drive after the pick six. But he was having to kind of work a little bit.

And, like, you know, and the reeds were a little harder. And so, like, maybe Will Stein's recruiting and getting his staff ready for Kentucky and they weren't as prepared. I don't know. Yeah. But I can tell you this. I've watched a lot, like probably 80% of the dropbacks, at least for more. And at least 80% for Mendoza, as we're preparing for this thing.

and we've been doing tape trues and everything else throughout the year. And for one guy, one guy's more beautiful throwing the football. One guy makes some throws at the other guy you just don't see a lot of. One guy, it really looks NFL

and it looks C.J. Stroud when things are going right. And you see what the future could be. And it's enticing and it's intoxicating. The other guy just murders you with deaths by a thousand cuts, yeah, a million paper cuts. Yeah.

He just slices you. Pick up seven. Pick up nine. You know? And we get 15 there. And then when you get him in coverage or you flush him, takes off running. It's like, oh, he's 6'5, he's 220.

He looks gangly. how do you just rip off 17 yards it's annoying right yeah the whole thing and by the way i've been watching it all season long the back shoulder stuff especially to sarat is just lethal yeah it's just a it's like you could put it to to classical music it's like a poetry meets art meets like it's so special when des with the with cowboys and romo that was a play that was almost you couldn't defend it with those guys. And it looks the same way. I don't know.

What else you got on the game before we move on? That's, I mean. I mean, obviously it was tough not having Whittington. But obviously outside of that one phone, the one arm into it and the delivery and the ball gets loose from Dante Moore because his running backs too close, I actually think the running backs did pretty well.

Like I don't have, I'll get the, I, like, you looked up and, and, and Jay Harris, like, it was the first, it was the first driver to, it was a five carries, 15, 15 rush yards, two catches for 17. Then the next, he had three catches early in the game. Yep. That, that wasn't the problem. It was sloppy. It was mistakes. And quite honestly, I thought way too early in this game. I got the sense that Indiana had robbed Oregon's defense of its will.

I did feel that way too. I felt that way too. I'll say this. I think this was true last year and I think it's true this year. The two most physical teams in the country are in the final. And it was bully ball. I thought that Oregon defense was going to play much better. I just thought they were.

They have the talents to play better. But it was bully ball. And it was, we may not be as talented to you, but we're willing to do things that you're not willing to do. And we will, we're going to run the ball right down your throat. And we're going to just keep coming and we're going to get downhill. And are you willing to step up and stick your face in the fan and play physical all night? The two most physical teams were in last year and the two most physical teams are in this year, in my opinion. Yeah, they were.

It was Notre Dame and Ohio State. And they both had what? To go along with that physicality. in strong run games. A quarterback who played a lot of snaps. And where's my chart? Here we go. Mendoza had the third, fourth.

No, you know, Mendoza had, it was Carson Beck, 2,881, Baron Morton, 2,536. By the way, there's more interest in Baron Morton in day three of the draft than you and I thought. Go ahead. One has nothing to do with the other. I'm just dropping a nugget. If you're going to hang with us at 1203 in the morning,

Eastern time, and I've got a little nugget for you when a name comes up that's like nobody else in the world will give you, I promise you. Conversations I'm having recently, I'm surprised by the like, hey, kind of want to grab Morton in day three. There's a backup,

but like I see some stuff, maybe win some games for us. Mendoza, number three, on that list. okay 2,135 snaps coming into the college football playoff. The same thing. Discipline physical teams, physicality on defense, strong running game, and experience a quarterback. Yep.

That's the recipe so far. You and Steve Cochland can send me a fruit basket. All we asked for was clarification on how you were seeing certain snaps, and I think that's all right to ask. No, because you guys were being smart asses. We were asking about the Drake May versus Matt Stafford situation, NFC West snaps versus AFCE snaps and, you know, Stafford's played more snaps.

We just didn't know how it all, how it all factored in for the MVP race. The fact that you and Steve are still trying to bust my balls about this as we're looking at a college football national championship game, that literally my entire premise that entire day is you were yelling at me and then you got your buddy Steve, 82, the old tight end at Stanford, on your, the fact that you're still coming at me, can you imagine?

It was one of the most genius prognostications in the history of this space. You're on a little bit of a run with your bets and all Miami over Ohio State and your snaps. If you think that right now is the time that I should be building, like, do you think Signetti would be building you up right now, or do you think you'd be knocking you down a peg? We need to knock you down. We need to keep you a little level-headed because you're having a little too much success right now. And when you're- I don't just agree with.

But I'll pump you up and-you-lap and-a-er especially that keep me very grounded, I promise. You've got to keep you level. All right. I want to move on to a few different subjects. I want to go back to last night. Go. Not that everyone watches every minute of every show, although ATB and Cole Marie and Matt Mateus and MLS, Weech, And our whole group, they come close and they do their best and we appreciate them for it.

I did feel like I wanted to get a quick comment because I felt like we didn't because it was in the moment and then we were transitioning games over. Let's get to the live show. Tuck, roll the beat, you know, all that. I don't think we gave enough to the past interference at the end of the game. What do you mean? The non-call or the call? The non-call. Okay.

So you saw that. You saw that as blatant. First of all, I don't think even in a traditional Hail Mary, you should be able to rip someone down by their shoulder pads. I agree with you. Without their being a call. I especially think with the college rules, it should be called a little closer to the vest

than maybe it is in certain NFL circumstances because in the NFL you get the ball at, what, the two? And in college, it's 15. Well, the snap, I believe, was from the 35 last night. That means you get the ball at the 20. Okay? It's not half the dis... But this also wasn't a true...

This wasn't like midfield or from your own 40. It was in stride. They had earned their way down where this was a legit... This was not dissimilar at all from the circumstance that won the Iron Bowl with Jalen Milrow throwing that dart to the back left corner. You remember that, obviously? Yes. And so to watch and then to watch today,

because these are all the things we're starting a show, we've kind of moved on. To watch today on some of the shows, that ref wasn't in position, bro. He was like surprised it went in the back. Like, where did you think the ball was going to go? And why don't we have another back check? Like, can't we know the ball is going to be thrown

in this 10 to 50 yard area, right? Yeah. And as, and as the quarterback rolls to the left, Shouldn't we have more eyes down there? And shouldn't the guy who's responsible for the goal? But again, this isn't the conversation that this show needs to have. I know. There's two parts of it.

It's a crying shame that wasn't a pass interference. Ole Miss absolutely deserved another snap. But there's also the element of they still get one play from the 20, you know? Yeah. So I'm not about to be like, like, it's different from he caught the ball. and we're looking at replays and they got the call wrong. It's, all right, now they get a, they got a one, what are the odds? I mean, I don't know what the win percentage would be or some, some analytics.

It wouldn't be very high. No. You're right. I mean, I think you could have called it both ways because there was some hand fighting, but it wasn't nothing. It was different, though. I know. Either way, if you wanted to, if you would, I would have felt better if you call it both

ways. It's definitely, the definitely defensive pass interference. in the end, it didn't bother me. And it probably should have more, to be honest to you. I just felt like the better team won and you're getting it from the 20. But you're right. Like, that's not how it goes, man. Like, you've got to call the game until the end.

We expect kids to play until the end. There's a lot on the line for both these teams. You're right. You're right. It didn't bother me in the moment, but you are right. I definitely should have been, there should have been a flag on the play, and they should have got one more shot. I do want, because it was Dejohn, stribling.

who was interfered with, but it wasn't called. And by the way, they did, I think someone might brought this up to. I also think that they, in fairness, I think Ole Miss got away with a couple calls that should have been called on them at other points in the game, specifically on defense. Yeah. Yeah. So it comes out in the wash, I guess, but your point stands, though.

I mean, that's a big part of the game. I just, I do want to make a note on Dejon's stribling because this is a, heavily a draft show. And at 6-2-210 pounds. His production was not off the charts, but I was frustrated because I thought he kind of disappeared early in this game.

Finished with 5 for 77. Made a couple critical, tough catches late in that game. I was very surprised considering like he's not been the most, I mean, you go through his, like early in the year, it was three catches, 55, one for nine, two for six,

three for 62, two for 40. He didn't have a single game until Georgia, where he's over 100 yards. But he picked a hell of a good time to finish the season strong. Starting in November, it was five catches, then four catches, then four, then five for 79, then seven for 122 in the playoff, and then five for 77. And that all, I think it all came in the second half. Stripling's the guy who's going to rise. I'm just going to mark it down. What is it, the ninth of January?

he's going to be a guy that might wind up in the top 100. I'm just going to say that from looking at some of the, yeah, that people wouldn't quite suspect. So I'm telling you Baron Morton's going to get drafted higher than people thinking. I'm telling you, stripling is too. Next thing. I was interested today. I had a little time this morning, obviously popping around.

What are people saying? I wanted to watch the highlights and stuff. You know, we lay up late last night, kind of slow start to the day. And then it got, and then it got heated up. you ever notice in life that when you have those days or you're like, oh, this actually works out well.

I've got to show Thursday night. Don't have a bunch of the next morning. I'm going to get a good workout in. I'm going to, maybe I'll like sleep in a little bit. Or maybe I'll like hang on the couch and catch up or maybe, you know, maybe I'll like do a couple things around that. And it's like five alarm fires.

Always meet you on those days. And you can look at it positively and say, I've got the time. Thank God it didn't happen on a day where I was loaded, stuff or you can bitch like I did for like 15 minutes today and be like why does it always happen on this day you know why now yeah but I'm watching some people and I'm not going to mention any names because it's that it is what it is and I'm not saying they're wrong it's just fast it just like you said I'm not going to five 20 minutes after a semi-final game make a decision on where Dante

Moore is going to be drafted and I don't disagree with the premise but I'm starting it's almost like the thing with Nussmeyer last year in October where it's like I had him QB1 in August. No, I had him in July. I had him last year and he hadn't even started a game. Like it feels like I got to say it a little louder, a little bolder. So all of a sudden I'm listening today and I'm literally walking by the TV and someone who's very well respected. I think first round for Carson Beck. I'm not saying it's wrong.

And in this quarterback class, especially if Dante Moore's going back to Oregon, demand is going to be a lot higher than supply, as it always is, typically always is. I don't think he's played to that level, but I also remember talking to you in like October or late October when Beck had thrown the multiple interception games back to back, and I was kind of like, here we go again,

I can't trust him. And the one scout I talked to who had just left Miami a little earlier was like, yeah, but the things he's saying post-game aren't wrong. And his play has been significantly better. They love him there. Teams rallying around him. He's big.

He's got a strong arm. He's tough. He's endured a lot. Played a lot of football. Couldn't even extend his elbow a few months ago, Todd. So, like, he's in a system that fits him better. Georgia, for his, what he is, kind of, you know, made him impotent. It's after dark.

after dark here we go I like how you didn't react that's my new thing is to say something absurd and to see how long because you're trying not to react what are your thoughts I think the the race between him and Simpson

for potentially quarterback three or quarterback two is closer than maybe people want to admit I think that's going to be I don't think you're wrong I think it's going to be more of a conversation I've kind of been hinting at it I've been saying it like that's why I'm bringing

it to you. I'm handing this to you because you have. I can pick up on it. I know. And it's not that I, it's funny because I love Mendoza and I love more. And I don't love Simpson and Beck as much. But there's things I like about both of them. And I get that I could get a team wanting to take a chance on one of them, not necessarily early first round, but I could see a team wanting to bring them in and seeing what they, what they can do. Dr. YV-8R-H brings up a good point. I said this to you. I did a tape study early in the season on him because remember I was all excited.

And rightfully so. And look what, look where it's led. And we were right to like, holy smokes, Beck is back. Because remember two years ago, man,

going into the 2020, four draft, no, going into last, going into the 24 season before last year's draft, he was the guy that was projected to be the number one overall pick. Yes.

Top 10 grades. Pete Thamble comes out. I just referenced Pete, good friend of ours. Loves her show. Love, appreciate his feedback. But he came out with his first thing with game day. Before this show even started.

So I'm sitting in my couch and I'm stewing. Don't even know, didn't even know then we were going to have this show. And I'm listening to Thamble talk about the draft prospects. And I'm like, I've already done this for a year. I'm like, let's go, let's go. But he talks about Carlin.

Carson Beck got the most first, you know, QB1 votes of all the guys in that class. And then that season, 24 happened, and then the injury happened. And then, hey, we're good. We'll take Gunner happens. And then all the other stuff happens. And he goes to Miami.

And so, like, you just didn't know. Give the people what they want, McShay, don't you can't. Just gloss over it. I will not. Give them what they want. I will not. Lamborghinis. You said it.

Was it the Cavender Twins? That he said their name? You said it. Give him what they want, McShea. I will not anymore. I'm not that guy. But my point is I saw him playing, I saw him playing loose and free.

And the things I was hearing about from camp and some of the sources of like on time. And he's playing the game with love. And he doesn't look like that uptight. I'm scared to make it. And I'm holding on the ball too long. I saw that. But then when I came back after watching the tape, I said, yes.

And I even think he might be a little bit more mobile. Remember I said? I'm like, I don't know this Carson Beck. He's moving around a little bit. It's exciting. He loves ball. He's not angry and uptight and scared and all these things that we saw at Georgia. But I really am struggling with his deep ball accuracy.

And it's reared its ugly head. And I forget who it would. I started this with the doctor. It was a name I hadn't noticed. and I appreciate him being here. It was like ZYJ. It wasn't anything that I remember. But he made a good point.

Mail Kiper's on you tonight. I'm dying to know who male Kiper is. The deep ball accuracy is concerning. He was a little harsher on it. But he was 0 for 6 in the college football playoff before hitting that 52-yard strike to Keelan Marion. And, yeah, I just, for if you're going, and I know he's been more mobile, but he's still a pocket passer,

especially in today's day and age. Yes. If you've got the big arm and you're a pocket passer, you got to, you got to be able to drill it down the field. And I think that that's an area that is going to be, and when we're debating the Ty Simpsons versus him versus some other quarterbacks, I think that that's, or not even that, just debating, is he a guy that we want to bring in and use a day two pick? or if this person today that I saw on TV was right, a late first round pick on, what's the deal with that?

Is that a mechanical thing? Is it something we can work out? Like what, you know, so that that's one area that I'm still like, I feel more comfortable. I feel more comfortable in the second, but I think they're going to get driven up. I think that the Beck probably will end up going late first.

You do? That's where I stand now. I'm not going to give him a first round grade. I'm not going to give him anything close to a first round grade. but I think that that's what happens is that you go through this process and we'll see. And I think that that was kind of the point

that I heard today too. It's like, why are we just automatically assuming? And I think it's the interesting conversation that we're going to have. And I'm excited to see him against this defense. Yes.

That knock, it was a knockout blow to Ty Simpson. It was a knock and quite literally too with the cracked rib. It was a knockout blow to Dante more. Okay. I'm not saying

they're not going to get drafted where they should. And yes, three months will happen. And those guys, if Moore's in the class and Simpson already declared and they go interview

and they have private workouts and all, it will all mess in the wash. Yep. And it will be honestly, by April, it will be appropriately counted for,

accounted for. But it would be pretty interesting if Carson Beck takes it to Indiana's defense after Ty Simpson and Dante Moore got their asses knocked out by it, right? Mm-hmm. It'd be very interesting. Just saying.

Yep. All right. I am not surprised, but I continue to be just, like, rowing stuff in the office pissed off. I know where this is going. For all the negativity and all of the craziness and the four or five million dollar NIL deals. and the agents working the backroads and kids getting recruited in junior high school and the nonsense going on and all the nonsense that was going on in a lot of places is now public but it's gotten ridiculous with corporates and NILs and collectives and all this stuff

with all the negativity about the college game and all the change and all the adjustments and everything else. we got this one pure thing. We've got this like Division 2 quarterback who's grinding it out at Ferris State is in Michigan, by the way. With a mom and a relationship is so wonderful,

they find each other in the stands at these big stadiums they used to do it at Ferris State with 3,000, 4,000 people there. Now they do it with 105,000 people and they say the prayer together, love each other and the family and he works and he grinds and he's a 250th or whatever it was portal prospect at the quarterback position quarterback not not at quarterback at quarterback we give we give 30 grades and it's kind of like that's an undrafted free agent we used to give

20 grades and it was like that's a reject essentially for lack of a better phrase that's a reject ranking for power four. But Lane found him. And he wasn't even supposed to start. And then all of a sudden he gets an opportunity. There's an injury. Never gives us a job back. Turns out this guy's smart.

This guy's got a strong arm. This guy's a program guy. He got better as the season progressed. He worked. Stayed out of trouble. Did the right things. Became a good leader. Like everything that you want.

When you send your kid off the cup, to go play football, any sport for that matter. You send him off a boy and you hope he comes out a man. And it's exactly what Trinidad Chambliss is. He's given to football, football's given to him, and it's like it's all the things that are beautiful. And then his guy who plucks him, who is a great appreciation for, because one guy in the country saw something in him that nobody else seemed to see. and while appreciative,

Lane moves on for damn near a billion dollars and everything else under the sun and every opportunity to go be the next Nick Sabin in his mind. And hopefully for Lane he is. You know, I'm becoming a monon island. I like Lane. I like Lane a lot.

And I get that there's, yes, I know who Lane is and I know what it's been, but like as a. coach if you don't think he's a good coach something's wrong with you and i kind of just appreciate because honestly you know me i'd say let's go against the grain i've had enough of being like the this like buttoned up and maybe it's it in the buttes like let's mess with people a little bit and that's what we do in the show sometimes i do and then you blush and all that but you got this young man who's doing all the right things and there was an illness that happened in 22 i guess it was at ferris state

Meanwhile, Diego Pavia is out at clubs, F-U-F-U-F-this. And he gets like a 12th year. What's the difference? Did you go in the standard? Like, college football is the wild, wild west right now, man. It is. It's a mess. And every coach I talk to, every coach.

And I talk to a lot of them. and guys who have left coaching, who are the best ever, urbans, the Knicks, have personal conversation with them. It's like it's going to take Congress. It's going to, you know, because it's that big of a mess and too many people have their hands out.

Why wouldn't we give this young man another, and Lane's leaving, but I want to stay here because the people here have embraced me. And I've, you know what I mean? Yeah, I hear you. I read the Pete Dammel's article about it today or post or whatever on ESPN was really. really good. It gave both sides of the story. The NCAA's typical monotone. They didn't provide

enough information. We talked to the school. He probably wasn't a sick. We got one doctor's letter. Is it Charlie Baker who's running in the NCAA now? Former governor of Massachusetts. Former governor of this state that we live in. And I on the flip side. I'll avoid the boss lives in Swampscott, Massachusetts, where I grew up in. On the flip side. I love I love and help shape me into this maniac that I am. I was hopeful when Charlie came in that maybe there would be a little bit more, I don't know. It's a big institution, man.

Yeah, I get it, but like a little bit more reasoning. I hear you. But it feels like it's the same feeling I used to get when I was like in seventh grade or eighth grade and like you'd go into the vice. I don't know, or a teacher would come up with this rule. It's like, yeah, but can we see the big picture here? You know?

Yeah, I mean, I'll say this. The flip side is it sounds like this is not over. It sounds like they're going to. I understand that. And it sounds like this lawyer is ready to take them to court if he needs to. And that's all interesting. But the problem is the clock is ticking now. He's got to figure out whether or not he's getting the draft.

The Ole Miss has got to figure out what they're going to do at quarterback. And you're putting a young man and they really, bad position for I mean like whatever you're going to go back if I'm advising Trinidad they're going back and investigating whether or not he was healthy to play one year at the Division 2 level that he didn't play

my understanding is he didn't play that year whether he's healthy or not he turned over like 90 plus pages of medical documents like it's like red tape so give me a break but I know you have to have rules but like I really this is the one we want to bust balls about I don't pretend to think a that this show

yet is going to create enough waves, although we've created some waves and some different things, I promise you. And we created some this past week. I don't pretend for a second to think that this show is going to have anything that, like Charlie Baker's not going to, oh, he's from Swampscout too, and he thinks, I get it.

But I do hope that people watch this and listen to this and push, because it's not going to be for Trinidad necessarily, but it's for the net. Like, I just don't understand. Did you? More importantly, I hope that Trinidad hears this loud and clear. Go say thank you.

Go shake everyone's hands, as I know you will, because you're a great young man. Go be appreciative. Hold your head up. Get with your agent and go start working out for the draft. Yeah. Do not. Do not, Trinidad, do not start hoping and putting your fate in your future. into the hands of a bunch of people that don't care about you.

They don't. People want to use you and people don't care. People in the NCAA side don't care about you. If they cared about you and actually got to know the human being and saw what you've done and what you stand for, they would have found a way to create an exception to allow you to play, like they did with Diego Pavia. They didn't.

So anyone who's going to try to push you in the direction of, well, we can fight this. It's for their own selfish reasons. You're good enough to play in the NFL. I'd love for you to come back for another year. But it's time to go start training for it and go work with people who can help you. What do I need to know in terms of getting on the board?

How do I prepare for those NFL draft meetings? Let's get ready for the combine. Let's, I don't know, is it too late? Is it too late to get to the senior bowl? I know they've got their six quarterbacks. They've made exceptions before and gotten a set. I'm guessing, and we're going to have, we're going to have Drew the new,

the new executive director of the senior bowl on just a few days before. I'm not trying to put pressure. I'm just saying, investigate, though. Spend your time figuring out what you can do best for the NFL draft, because the last thing I want for this young man who's had this journey and has fought this hard is for him to get,

become this poster child for, we'll help you get it done. And maybe the people will. And they do have good intentions. But deep down, It's probably selfish intentions, right? And the NCAA don't give a damn about you, Trinidad. So that would be my advice.

Did you see him on the potentially game-winning touchdown pass, what he did, where he pointed out the blitz, and I think it was, and he waved him on, and then through the touchdown, oh, man. I like his talent. I wanted to ask you this question, because I said I started this in October after I did my tape study. and there just wasn't enough to go on at that point. But I remember saying to you, and you didn't say no, you said, huh, I'd draft this guy, is what I said.

I would draft him. I would draft him. That's what I said, right? Yeah. I think that's verbatim. Yeah, I would draft him. I'm with you now. I didn't know about it then.

I am with you now. He is a different. I was referencing day three then, and he is different. He, I, man, he's grown, huh? Yeah. since the Georgia game specifically, I think. And he was good before that. Don't get me wrong.

It was just that that adversity creates opportunity. And he took that adversity and that opportunity and said, I am not who you saw in the fourth quarter of that game. I am better than that. And he was the rest of the way out. What's his, I wonder what his real height is. That'll be interesting to see. Not that it necessarily matters, because what was Bryce Young?

5.10? Yeah. He's listed, he's listed 6-1, but why do I keep hearing people say they think he's closer to 5-11? Anyway, let's call him 6-foot. He doesn't have a ton of touch to his game, right? But man, he can drill some balls in. He's become so much more confident with his reeds, composure, poison the pocket. He looked like a D2 guy who got thrown in the SEC. And by the way, he should have, because he did. you know what I mean? It wasn't even like they were prepping him to be the starter in August. It wasn't like that.

So it wasn't even that he didn't have any runway. There was no runway of we're going to take this kid and mold him into an SEC starter. It was, hey, get in there. Let's see what you could do. I'm telling you. I'm telling you right now. And we'll break down all of his tape and we'll get into it. And if he declares for the NFL draft, we'll go through the whole treatment.

off of what I'm seeing, it's like, I don't know, man. Is Carson Beck that much better than him in today's NFL? I'm more comfortable with the skill set. I am too, but I'm saying let's open our minds to maybe Chambleus is one of the five best quarterbacks in this draft. Let's just open our minds to it. Depending on who comes out, that's not a crazy statement, depending on who declares. That's not a wild statement.

Last thing, national championship game. We already said seven and a half point favorite for Indiana. I actually might go. I don't know. We'll see. My initial gut is after watching, but this is why you can't make a decision on a quarterback 20 minutes after. Yes.

And an hour and a half after you can't make a decision on what you're going to play on Fanduel. However, I kind of like Indiana, I don't think of a route. here's what concerns me and I want to get your take on like what's your biggest thing you're looking forward to or whatever you want to go it kind of felt like Miami what's Messador's injury

it kind of felt like they didn't that violence we saw them against Ohio state in the first two games defensively it felt like it was muted a little bit in this last game and granted it's old miss's office and granted

like Ole Miss had the ball for like three minutes in the first quarter and seven, seven and a half in the first half. And so maybe it didn't feel as dominant because there weren't as many snaps. But I just didn't feel the Bain, Messador, Vient, like, and I went back and watched some of the tape of Bain today. There were some really good snaps, and he did some really good things. But then Messador gets injured, and we saw a couple of guys getting, and then who is it from Miami got

a Moten? Amad Moten. Moten with the injury. Yeah. Now we get two guys in the defense. Yeah, and he tried to come back in. Moton, I think he came back in later in the game with shock. He did.

Messadori already in 10. He did. Okay. But it just, it'll be, can 10 days get them back to that violent playing? And then what is Signetty going to throw? I want to, this is my takeaway and you take away. And you take it wherever you want and go as long as you want. I so desperately want in my soul for so many selfish reasons

because I love college football because I want an awesome national championship game because I really want to get to the bottom of is Mendoza even better than I think? Is he not as good as I think or is he just where he is right now? I'm desperate to see Miami. That Miami defense that we saw against Ohio State like a plus game

with Thomas and Scott and Torre and and and but a besaint and and all those guys. Messador and all. Bain just getting after Indiana. And then what do you got, Mendoza? That's what I want to say. What do you got? I mean, there's so many aspects of it. I mean, you look at the flip side of Carson Beck versus that outstanding Indiana defense.

There's that side of it. I mean, there's a lot of different. storylines here, just like the intangibles of, is this really going to be a home game for Miami? Or these Indiana fans are going to continue to travel and just continue this magical thing where somehow Indiana fans are the, Indiana is the best team for travel in the country? But to me,

it builds off a little bit of what you're saying, what I said earlier, who's the biggest bully? And my sense is, my gut says that Indiana is the biggest bully, that they will be the most physical team. But this Miami team, it's been pretty tough, man.

On this run, they have been pretty physical and pretty tough. And if they cannot make the mistake. Don't get it twisted. They should have beat Ole Miss by damn near 20. Yeah. There are some issues, I feel like. I feel like Miami, the strength of Miami's defense is the defensive line. And then their nickel and safeties, that's in the middle of the field.

How are they going to defend a serrat? How are they going to handle those back shoulder throws? The corners are good, not great. I think that's an area. I think Mendoza can get the ball out quickly and maybe, you know, keep that pass rush out on its heels. They also, as much as I love the Miami defensive line, not as deep as you'd want. And so can that run game wear them down a little bit with those two backs and that offensive line that plays just extremely well as a unit? There's all of these things, but I really think it comes down to physicality.

Who is the most physical team that night? And to me, my sense is it will be Indiana, but I don't see Miami backing down. and I think it could be a real brawl. Cole Marie, I like where your head's at because you can't trust me and you shouldn't when it comes to pick. She said, LOL, L.O. Mickshay is going to swerve us and pick Miami next show.

Those points are, those points are intrigued. Mench keeps talking to me about those defense. That spread seems high to me. A prospect daily. I'm like, I don't know you. Welcome to the show. It's probably not your first time. I just haven't noticed you before.

And you're on a role. we are not off to a good start when you say Simpson screams Jimmy Claussen all over again because Jimmy Claussen was just about my least favorite. And I do like Ty Simpson a lot, but I understand where we are with him. This chat's been awesome, man.

Outside of the NFL draft, it might have been the best, the longest, like, most consistent chat that we've had. And we can't, like, and I know we give Cole Marie and we give Weech and Mattias and 18. TB and Haas and I'm missing some names, but we give the regulars and the core group that started this thing

and have stuck with this, and hopefully we see him at the senior ball in the combat, but like the new people that are here, ghost of Steve Adazio too. He's not new, but he had some funny lines tonight. Anyway, just want to thank everyone. This has been awesome. You got anything else for us mentioned?

One quick thing. Yes, yes, yes, sorry. This guy on X who started following the show. last year and sort of following me his name it was at st. Skolvikes and all of sudden you remember that that north face hat that I was wearing out last year I were wearing like every show all of a sudden this kid was wearing the hat never showing his face but all of a sudden you see the hat and he'd send me these tweets well his name I kind of got a little worried I was I wasn't worried but it was like this is this is funny it's still funny right and then we go to the chicago show and he normal awesome dude

Well, we got a tweet said. I'll see it tonight. Yeah. And I was like, oh, okay. Yeah, that'll be good. Well, his name's Seth Thompson. Thompson, I'm hoping I'm saying that right, Seth. We met him in Chicago.

Awesome, normal dude, day one listener. Really cool guy. Turns 30 this weekend. Yeah, he's a pop too. Hopefully he's not listening to the show until tomorrow morning. He's out having a good time with the boys. But happy birthday, Seth. That's awesome.

Yeah, I remember being a little worried about him. him. But it all worked up. I thought it was hilarious. Yes. Yeah. She did, but she's also behind the scenes was like making sure we had some guards there.

Weech, I'm with you, brod. I can't wait for Pons versus Malachi Tony either. Because we're going to find out. Because Pons is physical. Pons is undersized. But if you're going to be 5-9-175 in the league, you better be able to give that freshman pup,

as talented as he is, some trouble. There's a lot to break down on these matchups. We're back on Monday, I think, right? Yeah. I don't even know what we're going to do in the show. I'm sure we'll figure it out between now and then. I get a weekend looking forward to it. You have a weekend as well.

I hope everyone who was here tonight and made this chat and show, like, it was awesome. Lousy game, awesome show, Mench, five stars chat five stars appreciate our five stars have a great weekend guys must be 21 plus and present in select states for kansas in affiliation with kansas star casino or 18 plus and present in dc gambling problem call 1 800 gambler or visit r g dash help dot com call 1 888 789 7777 or visit cc pg dot org slash chat in connecticut Or visit MD gambling help.org in Maryland.

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