The Ryen Russillo Podcast - Are the Steelers Really Contenders? Plus, Indiana–Ohio State Picks and How Many Teams Can Win the Title With Brady Quinn.

Episode Date: November 22, 2024

Russillo starts the show with his thoughts on Cleveland’s win and whether Pittsburgh is a legitimate Super Bowl contender (0:43). Then, he’s joined by Brady Quinn to preview Indiana–Ohio State, dive into Notre Dame, and discuss who belongs in the playoff (8:59). Finally, the Alliance marches on (46:02), and Kyle and Ceruti join for Life Advice (52:49). Is it bad to tip $1 for opening a can at a bar? Check us out on YouTube for exclusive clips, livestreams, and more at https://www.youtube.com/@RyenRussilloPodcast. The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Host: Ryen Russillo Guest: Brady Quinn Producers: Steve Ceruti, Kyle Crichton, and Mike Wargon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode, we'll take a look at Thursday Night Football and a win for the Browns, but more importantly, a win for Jameis Winston and a win with the public. I'll explain. Brady Quinn, we get into it. He is at the shoe this weekend for Ohio State and Indiana. Who is he picking? Am I fair or unfair about my schedule complaints? And then we get into Notre Dame

and a bunch of different stuff, just taking a look at the college football landscape. It's gonna be awesome. We've got our alliance. Yep, still let me do it. And we've got life advice. At Desjardins, we speak business. We speak startup funding and comprehensive game plans. And we've got life advice. you do business. So join the more than 400,000 Canadian entrepreneurs who already count on us and contact Desjardins today.

We'd love to talk business. Okay. A little football open for you last night on the Browns win against the Steelers. All right. So I want to talk about Jameis because everybody loves this guy right now. Um, I don't know what that is. I don't know if it's the comeback story. I don't know if it's not having expectations for him.

I'll admit some of the quotes, like everybody seems to love him because they're so weird. And I kind of feel like it's this one guy in our friend group that's decided to dance now. He just dances in a room and kind of looks at you while he dances. And I'm like, what am I supposed to do? I don't want to dance with you.

And he just kind of looks at you. Another guy is like, what's going on over there? I'm like, I don't know. He just keeps dancing and he's looking at me and I want to leave. Um, maybe it's not that bad with the Jamies quotes, but the Browns get the win. Again, this is a Steelers team that I actually feel better about, um, after the Baltimore win, right? Like I was a little dismissive, great defense, not going to trust Russell Wilson.

Um, they beat Baltimore, felt much better about them. They almost come back last night night spirit to their toughness. I actually, as much as I like the Baltimore wind, I don't knock them a ton for a loss against the Browns. It's a division thing. It's the conditions kind of like the Browns last night, a little bit there as well. Um, just coming in kind of one of those NFL head to head things. I do think it's kind of interesting though, like in college football, be like,

well, they wanted to head to head. It's kind of like, well, what's the point of playing if we're not going to look at the head to head. The NFL has a little of that, but I mean, sometimes you're just going to lose to inferior teams. And in basketball, if the Hawks beat the Celtics, nobody's like, well, do they want the head to head? So it's their East.

Dan Orlovsky over at ESPN caused a bit of a ruckus just by saying he didn't think that Pittsburgh was a Superbowl contender and that you couldn't live on field goals. Despite the fact that they lived on the field goals in that Baltimore game. But I agree with him. Like I get his point. Like it worked, but they haven't been really good in the red zone. Better last night. I think it really has to more, more to do with the AFC landscape of quarterbacks.

Where if you're looking at Russell Wilson against all those other dudes and be like, are they going to win three games and get out of the AFC? So I got his point. So I still feel fine about Pittsburgh again, even better after Baltimore. And then the toughness angle of all of this Cleveland's interesting. Cause I wasn't picking them because of the

defense, cause the defense statistically across the board is really pretty bad. They're now 27th in opposing yards per play. Um, but the defense is connected to the offense and the offense for Cleveland has been so historically bad that I think eventually, even if you like the defensive personnel, it just starts to suffer. I have an example where the defense is connected to the offense. Let's bring it back to Jamis.

We know he's the number one pick in 2015, five year starter in Tampa. In 2019, he throws 30 picks. The starting field position for the defense was consistently compromised. They were 29th in scoring defense. Brady comes in, they win the Superbowl, a lot of the same roster, eighth in scoring defense. It's connected. So back to Jamus and his journey of likeability, unlikability.

New Orleans, I think people started to like him again. Man, that was a lot of picks in 19, but he was there four years, 10 starts, kind of in and out, obviously gets hurt, celebrates and crutches, starts doing more quotes, eating dubs. You're like, what is going on with this guy? He goes to Cleveland. There's no way anybody was going to like him less than Deshaun Watson. So maybe that was part of it, but he's the backup again. Then he was actually the third string behind DTR. When Watson tears his Achilles a month ago against Cincinnati, Watson actually is out, DTR comes in, he hurts his finger.

So Winston actually was third on the depth chart. If you go back and look at that week. So here we are with Winston now, four starts in, he's got the Baltimore win, but you knew that almost death spiral pick was coming. And it did Hamilton dropped it three interceptions the next week against the chargers. He throws for 395 on Sunday against New Orleans, but they were three of 13 on third downs, they were one of 10 on third towns last night, but they converted all four fourth downs they went for, but last night as this, this comeback story is building for the Browns and everybody's kind of feeling good about it. He's out there battling and his helmet gets broken and the things dangling on the two point conversion. It's like, man, is this kind of like a career comeback story or a

Thursday night comeback story for Jamus? It felt like everybody was kind of celebrating it until Jamus started doing Jamus things again, the fumble, and then the interception on the third down throw were on the second down throw prior to the third down interception. He almost threw it in the head. He almost threw it in the head. He almost threw it in the head. He almost threw it like the second down throw like, Oh, here we go. Like that was the appetizer. And then we got the real thing, but they went ahead with the game winning drive.

And when I think about Jamis and his popularity now, which again, I don't think has ever been higher. I don't know what it is. I mean, I have theories. Could it be that he's just trying to get the game winning drive? I mean, I think it's a good thing. I think it Jameis and his popularity now, which again, I don't think has ever been higher, I don't know what it is. I mean, I have theories. Could it be that he's just not Deshaun Watson?

That's probably a good place to start. Could it be that we have no expectations for him? So now it's not, Hey, is this number one pick the guy for the next 10 years? Or, Hey, it's just fun to see him out there. Cause you have no idea what's just fun to see him out there. Cause you have no idea what's going to happen. Good or bad. And then he's going to say something that's just

crazy that would be really crazy. If it were his first year, you'd be like, what's wrong with this guy? But there's a couple of different rules that apply here. Like sometimes you can talk about the branding of something, whether it's branding over college football team or the branding of somebody talking

for a living, right? Like sometimes I'll watch Paul George and think, is he Tobias Harris with better branding? That's entirely unfair to Paul George, but I think you get my point. With James, I'm not sure what that is. I don't know what that contemporary is other than he benefits again, from no one really caring what he is long-term anymore and that you just know it's going to be fun for three hours. And the Charles Barkley rule applies. If you are yourself long enough,

everyone else will catch up. And certainly that's the case with the Jamis post-game experience. Sometimes in basketball, 30 points could be worth more than 30 points. And now you can get a 30% profit boost from the Ringer with FanDuel's 30 on 30 during Friday's NBA Cup action. That's right. The Ringer is teaming up with America's number one sportsbook to give you a 30% profit boost when you either pick a player to score more than 30 points or bet on our new exclusive 30 on 30 special markets like any game to have both teams score 30 plus points

in the first quarter. Thought this would be a lot of fun. Bill reached out to Fandl and hooked this up for all of us. So thank you, Bill. And on behalf, I guess you're welcome. Just looking at the Friday slate, there's a lot to like. All right, so I don't know what to do with Jokic yet. Okay, so we can't go to him. Darren Fox last five, 24, 29, 60, 49, 28.

A lot of shots in there, but the roses not on their injury report for Friday. So that scared us off a bit there. Trey Young, seven and 12 points in his last two. So is he due against the Chicago guards or paid off for us last Friday? We gave you Donovan Mitchell to go over 30. He did that. Also Trey against the, the guards again, where it paid off for us last Friday, we gave you Donovan Mitchell to go over 30. He did that. Also Trey against the, the guards against the Vuch drop,

but he's Trey shot attempts are kind of down. 16 shot attempts in November. So we're actually gonna go with Janis here. We know he's in the MVP conversation. The guy has been incredible. He was so good against Chicago. I think this handles the best it's ever been. And looking at the Pacers lack of depth right now.

And I need it to be a game where it'll remain a game. Like if some of you want to play Curry against the Pelicans, if you've been looking at those Pelicans lineups, like you may only get like 27 minutes out of some of the better players if you think it's a complete mismatch. So we have a competitive matchup that we would think between these two teams. We have Giannis and we have, I think, what is a bad personnel matchup against him. So Giannis is the play to go over 30 points. So whether you want to ride with my picks or make your own, just look for 30 on 30

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and max wager amount. See terms at sportsbook.fando.com. Gambling problem call 100Gambler or visit rg-help.com. Okay, I'm excited about this. Good to catch up with them again from Fox Sports, part of the college football season coverage. It's Brady Quinn, also part of Big Noon Kickoff, which I watch every Saturday live from Columbus this week

for the big top five matchup this Saturday between Indiana and Ohio State on Fox catch Brady Quinn and the guys for pregame coverage from the shoe beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern on Fox. All right, man. Let's do it all. What's up? How are you? I'm doing well. I do well. When I hear you read that, though, I feel like you said the big top five matchup is like how you won this stand, but you didn't say it that way in regards to maybe Indiana and where their ranking should be or should not be. All right. So let's just start there because I know I was shocked how big of a deal that

thing became. I have a general thought on the expansion of the conferences, messing up two teams within the same conference, having two entirely different experiences based on the scheduling. Cause there's too many teams and then expanding it out to 12 that I just think there's gonna be seasons where you'll have a team who hasn't done anything if 12 and 0 Indiana which would be 13 and 0 or 12 and 1 with a loss to Oregon if that exists on the resume that it's entirely different

conversation but yeah with them at 5 not playing anybody I just have a hard time with that I would have a hard time with any school 10 games in having that kind of resume and being the fifth team in the country. That's it. And look, I think you could make the case maybe about Texas too. Like as you look at their schedule, what's their quality when? I mean, that's the tough one. Are we saying it's Vanderbilt and Vandy because Vandy is better this year? Are you saying it's Michigan on Michigan when we know Michigan's down? we saw Indiana beat them too. A little closer game, but still like comparatively speaking, I mean, I don't know, they don't have that like huge quality win on their resume either.

So I think that's a tough part. Like that's a tough job for the committee because if you look at that committee right now, Ryan, I feel like they're more basing things off of like who they've lost to. Like that's how they're kind of ranking some of this, maybe they just know of Notre Dame because they might have the worst loss of any team, whether the top 20 for that matter. That being said, they've kicked the crap out of pretty much everyone else that they've played. And they did go on the road to open the season of BDNM.

I think this is the hardest part about the conversations in regards to bias. Like we all have bias. I'll be the first to tell you, I look at Georgia and they have two losses right now. I think you and I would both say we've watched them this year a lot. And when I break down the tape, I go,

that team on its best day is still the best team in the country. Unfortunately, we've seen two circumstances where they have not played their best games and lost. We've seen other times where they've struggled at times and they haven't played up to their capabilities. I mean, they're receivers and pass catchers, you know, by and large have to me dropped the ball literally and figuratively for them this season where they have not helped out

Carson back. He shouldered a lot of the blame. That being said, part of my bias is based on what I've seen them do in the past. I think that's the tough part for a team like Indiana, because we look at them and we're like, well, they've been a doormat with the exception of maybe like one season in recent history. And so we don't want to buy into what Tripp Signetti has built, the fact that you could take a bunch of James Madison players and bring them onto the Big Ten and be competitive

right away. But that's what they've been, because outside of the close game versus Michigan, they beat the crap out of everyone too. I mean, we've watched them in the shoe where Ohio State played Nebraska and I watched in Bloomington, Indiana play Nebraska. And I'll put it this way, man. Indiana was much more dominant start to finish that game versus Nebraska than Ohio State was. So we can get into the nuances of comparing teams at this point. I think your point about the conferences is better, best taken because there's just so many that this is going to happen more often moving forward where you have 18 teams are

going to get a team that plays seven of what the eight worst teams in the big 10. Like that's going to happen. Now we didn't know that Michigan being the defending champs would be down. We didn't know Washington being the runner-up would be down the way they are. They're dramatically different teams from where they were. But the likelihood of that sort of schedule happening is much more likely now with these bigger conferences. So I would preach to this, can we all play the same amount of conference games? Can we just ask that of the SEC, play nine games like the Big Ten does?

And then could we ask maybe some of these teams to not schedule FCS teams for non-conference and not schedule some of these other teams? Because if you're going to get the benefit of the doubt for the conference parity and the SEC being supposedly the most, you know, the most parity, you know, most competitive conference, then let's go ahead and like make the scheduling more equal so we can at least have more of an apples to apples comparison. That's the only thing I'd ask at this point. Yeah. I look, I mean, I always get blamed to being this SEC Homer just by going to Vermont, but my thing is

a lot of you Vermont people just drew a duty for the SEC apparently. I'll tell you, if there was a state that was like the South and the North, you could make some arguments about once you, once you're outside of Burlington, it probably reminds some people of the South is just colder, but I can only go by like, you probably reminds some people of the South, it's just colder. But I can only go by, you talk about these carryover things. I don't know who does this job without some assumptions from previous success. To me, it's impossible.

You can pretend you're not doing it. I'll never forget, I don't know if you'll remember or not, but it was Doug Lamarice who used to be an AP vote. He may still be. Okay. And I bring him up as there's nothing critical about it. I remember there was like a Houston win in the very beginning of the season and he just put like Houston number two or three and his whole premise that he was trying to re-rank every week without any preconceived notion. And I was like, that is so admirable. Like good for him. He's resetting the deck every Sunday night and then he's sending in his vote. But the only reason you would take a team and move them from like not ranked to ranked really high was because that you're

really impressed with the preconceived notion of the team that they've beat. So it's still all connected. So like when I look at Texas and I watch a lot, like I don't, I watch them and go, I think they're really good. I know Georgia kicked their ass, which also speaks to your Georgia point. Cause I don't know that there's many teams that would have gone into Texas and did to them what the, what they did to that O line. But if you're comparing Texas, cause this got thrown at me a lot. It's like, well, how come you don't like Washington and Michigan? It's like, do we really have to go through the exercise of why Texas this conversation is different than Michigan and Washington when there's

overhaul and they already have a million losses where Texas, if you're bringing back the O line, the quarterback coaching staff, all of the receivers, the real only starting turnover is the guys on the defensive line. We know how well regarded so many of the other position guys are as far as their defense. I don't think that's some crazy assumption despite your valid points about their schedule. I mean, it's just tough to get to 12 teams because if you go through it, you'd be like, okay, well, Notre Dame, you can play that game. What about Penn State? I mean, at least Penn State has, I guess, the Illinois win and an out of conference thing here with West Virginia,

where I always feel like West Virginia is at least a competitive opponent. No, and that's fair. I think the same argument you're making though for how different Michigan and Washington are this year, which is what I would say to any Indiana fan is like, well, look who we've beat so far as these quality wins. It's like, dude, there's different head coaches,

they're different quarterbacks, it's different rosters, it's entirely different. It's like, dude, there's different head coaches. They're different quarterbacks. It's different rosters. It's entirely different. Washington's, I mean, anybody that throws the, how come you don't like Washington versus, like dude, that's a different organization now, but I'm sorry to interrupt it, but it's so obvious. I don't even know why I'm explaining.

But Michigan is too, right? Like it's not Jim Hardlaw. You don't have J.J. McCarthy. You have a slew of other players who aren't there anymore. They had a dramatic turnover on their roster to what's out there playing now too. So I think that's your counter argument to that. But I would also then say, well, so is Indiana.

Like outside of maybe Colorado, like Indiana is the next team you look at the roster and say, well, they're not the same team that were last year either. And Curtis Warrick has been incredible within the system and all the other, you know, playmakers they've got on the outside, the kids who stepped up, the kids who came from James Madison. Like, so you kind of can't look at them with the same bias you had in the past because it's not your same Indiana team that you're accustomed to seeing.

Like when I watched them on film, I keep coming away. And I said this earlier in the season, we said it before the Nebraska game after watching the Nebraska game and Watching you know after watching versus Michigan like they're just a really well coached team Like if all the teams that I've watched this year Indiana's got to be like top two or three as far as like everyone feels like they're doing what they're supposed to be doing Like you don't watch the tape and say well, there's a blat blatant miscue. Like some of the airlines going the wrong way, there's a miscommunication, or there's a missed assignment here.

You just don't really see that. They play very solid, sound, fundamental football in every capacity. Now, the teams they've played, have they been beating some of the best in the Big Ten, or the best in the country in the non-conference? Of course not. But I think they've earned a right

to be able to play for that. And they'll get a chance to, I think, if they beat Ohio State, obviously, or if they keep this thing close. And I'm okay with that because I don't want to take away from it. And I guess the reason why I'm making an analogy, I want to compare the March Madness. Look, it's way more teams, but percentage wise, as far as how many basketball teams there are versus how many actually are up for a potential bid to the tournament. And then same thing, like the 12 out of 134, which really it's not really 134, like the group of five, you have so many less opportunities, just one spot. So if we're looking at it from that standpoint, it's kind of fair.

And like, I don't want to take away from what could be a team like TCU who has this magical run. Maybe that's Indiana this year. And where everyone's questioned the whole season, they're like, are they good enough? Have they played it tough enough for schedule? Look, dude, they got to the national championship game. There's room for that. I know they got blown out by Georgia. Obviously they didn't play their best game, but that's part of college sports. We should allow for these Cinderella stories to take place and not sit there and scoff at them because of what their schedules look like. They didn't make the schedule and they sure as hell didn't make the schedule to look the

way it does. And all of them is dominated for the most part with the exception of their Windverse mission where it was a little bit tighter. Yeah. I mean, I've heard the TCA point and I didn't have any issue with it at all. And when you compare that with what Indiana is doing, they beat 18th Oklahoma, 19th Kansas, number eight, Oklahoma state, number 17, Kansas state. They beat number 18, Texas. Indiana doesn't have any of that stuff.

Now look, 12 and 0 Indiana, 12 and 1, don't care, they're in, totally fine with it. 11 and 1, I would have an issue with, but then again, it's 11 and 1, it's not in a vacuum, it's completely compared to what other options. I know probably I'd have to say the rest of it play out like, who knows we're due for a couple of weird upsets, the A and M Auburn spread makes me think like, what the hell's going on. We know the Bama Auburn game is like the weirdest game. Even when one looks like a powerhouse or whenever it's even, you never know what's going on there.

Like we're due for a couple of high pressure spots here, but I, I want to stay on Indiana and the matchup with Ohio state and kind of see where you're going with it, cause you're right. Like I've watched probably what three full games of them. Rourke's been incredible. Ellison's Washington game. You just, you're like this guy, you're watching him and you're thinking. Like, what was he doing at wake?

Then Kamara, the D lineman, I think it was the Michigan state game. I was watching. So, you know, he comes over to James Madison. Kurt has done a really, really good job with this group, but it's a funny Ohio state matchup because normally you'd think, okay, with their talent, they're just going to, they can do whatever they want, but they're down the two old lineman we know we don't trust a running game. I don't think they necessarily even trust a running game. With their talent, they can do whatever they want, but they're down the 2-0 linemen. We know we don't trust their running game.

I don't think they necessarily even trust their running game. So it's not like they're going to just line up and power little Indiana around because they haven't really done that to many teams at all. So let's go with it. Who are you picking in this one? Well, I'm picking Ohio State. And it's because I think that the weakness for Ohio State, and we talked about the offensive line and due to the entries, is still something that I think that the weakness for Ohio State that we talked about the offensive line and due to the injuries is still something

that I think they can overcome. And Chip Kelly is, I have a ton of respect for as an offensive mind and play caller, where he's just not gonna allow that to beat them. And if you look at like their ability to get the ball to Jeremiah Smith and Mecca, Bucca, those guys in space, Ryan Day, Chip Kelly, always find ways in big games to do that.

So I'm fully expecting that. I think what it's going to come down to is especially if Ohio State jumps on that early a couple of big, big place here or there, it's going to force Indiana into an uncomfortable position. I mean, for the longest time, they never trailed this season. And so when you, you're not really accustomed to dealing with that, having to come back from it, especially on the road and that environment, that becomes pretty difficult. But I think the only way Indiana wins this game is if defensively they find a way of mixing up a lot of the fronts and the different pressures or even types of pressures they kind of faint and look and then back out of just to force more pressure on Carson Hinsman at center, Sarah Vild at the left

guard spot, and then obviously Donovan Jackson. Because when we go back to the Ohio State Penn State game, one of the things that Ryan Day talked to us about, about why they put Hinsman next to Donovan Jackson and made that switch then, was because of the experience those two had together last year. There was the communication from the center to the left guard, and they wanted to replicate that again with Hinsman at left guard and then Donovan Jackson left tackle. And that's powerful. These are things that are nuances to the game that we don't always talk about on TV or even on a podcast. And it's important, especially for those guys

up front. Well, now you've got a less experienced guy who's in between. And Hinsman was playing much better at guard than he was last year at center. That's why Seth McLoughlin was in the first place where they went and got him. And if you look at the splits too, which is really interesting to me, up until that Penn State game, they were almost 50-50 as far as the rush attempts based on direction, left or right. After they put in Hinsman and Donovan Jackson, they actually increased the amount. Almost 20% more of the rushes were to the left, to that side, which is kind of interesting to think. You have two guys who are kind of playing out of position,

and yet you're leaning on that board in this instance. So I think if they find a way, if Indiana finds a way of forcing more pressure on those guys before the staffs, stemming the front, mugging up some of those linebackers, showing them variations of a bare front, a four-down front, all these different looks to them. I think that can maybe slow down some of that success they'll have running the football,

some of their ability to protect too. I think Will Howard, under pressure, has struggled at times this year. So I would not be shocked at all if Kurt Signetti, knowing his personality too, doesn't throw a little bit more pressure and a variety of looks at him to see how he handles that. But the scary thing is, is like, you gotta be careful. Cause you put Jeremiah Smith in space or one-on-one or Mecca Obuka, the game changes like that.

And then I think on the flip side, they're gonna have to find a way of creating some big plays. Indiana loves back shoulders. They love back shoulders cause they don't have elite speed like Oregon did. Right? Like you go back to Evan Stewart and you're going, holy cow. Like where was this guy up until that came that season for Oregon? Now he's Blossom and really kind of showed out. That was where Denzel Burke struggled. That's where the secondary for struggle versus Ohio State. Indiana does not have that type of speed. And that's one of the reasons why you see them constantly

with a guy on their hip and they're just kind of throwing to that back shoulder. Like I was at Notre Dame, this is not any disrespecting the guys I threw it to, but they're taller, bigger, wide receivers, similar fashion, like give them a 50-50 ball, give them a back shoulder, something where they place to their advantage.

Indiana's gonna have to hit on those and be successful with those. And that's gonna be tough to do versus Denzel Burke and Ibn Ignosin too for Ohio State. Yeah. I think you nailed it. Cause like, even when you're going up against Ohio State and, and by the way, like I love the Nebraska thing, cause it's close enough to go, okay, is this a

hint, is this like a, are we falling for the brands again here that Indiana's incapable, I wish this game were in Bloomington. I mean, I really wish this game were in Bloomington. Just to add the other layer of like, like, you know, they other layer of like, they're gonna find a way to pull this off. But what I see when I see Ohio State play this year is like, oh, hey, we got them on first down, or hey, we include confused Will on second, or they got stuffed on two run plays.

It's like, okay, now we're just gonna throw it deep on the outside. You know, like the Northwestern game is hilarious because it's up seven, nothing. I mean, nobody thinks the Northwest is gonnaern game is hilarious because it's up seven nothing. I mean, nobody thinks the Northwest is going to pull it off. And then it's just five possessions in a row. We're going to unlink. Thank God to the rest of the country that they can't consistently run the football like power. Because if they had that element to them,

then I don't think I'd pick anybody against that football team. It's so weird to me too. And I agree, obviously a rationale for I think again chip Joe is one of the smartest guys when you sit down and talk to Them about ball like he completely gets it, you know People need to get rid of the preconceived notions which which whatever you think of is for his time at you know Philadelphia or whatever but they actually put more counter than they do power and And I'm always like, it never makes any sense to me. I mean, I've watched my cousin's high school football team and they run counter all day, but then they don't run power.

And I'm like, dude, power is your base play. And then you have counter off of that. You can't just run that counter without showing power to the front side or the strength of the formation. Like it doesn't make any conceptual. But doesn't that tell us something? It tells you a lot of things, but I'm not going to get into that. I don't want to air out my cousin's high school coach, but the general point is

they've won more color than they have power this year. And then for, again, maybe leading, they feel like that's the better side. As far as getting some of those gaps, gaps, games involved could be a matchup. There's a lot of reasons for it. I wonder, I want to pick out this though, about Will Howard. Getting some of those gaps games involved could be a matchup. There's a lot of reasons for it. I want to pick out this though about Will Howard. He has really grown to feel a lot more comfortable within this system and how he's seeing some of these windows.

Early on this season, it was entirely different. I felt like at times he was holding on to the football. He wasn't letting it go. There were three different examples that I was combing through his throws this past week. And I could definitively show you like, dude, this is anticipation. This is like NFL level, like here's the zone coverage, here's where the window is, boom. And he puts it out there and the guys are running right through it.

He threw one to Omeka, he threw one to Jeremiah Smith, and he had a nice seam ball up to G Scott too for a big game. What was very kind of similar of like that's the sort of timing and rhythm. He's starting to really feel really comfortable within the passing game of this offense and that's a scary thing for Indiana because you don't want to play a ton of man to man versus this crew. So then if you play zone, you try to protect those corners and play more too high, I mean, he's getting to the point where I think Will Howard started

to play his best football and I think he can start to maybe pick you apart with some of the concepts they've implemented in. Okay. I want to get to some other stuff there. So it sounds like we're both picking Ohio State here, but it's a respectful from you. I don't think anyone, any Hoosiers fans are going to think them and respectful about the program, but is Notre Dame good? Man, I do. I think they are good. I think the hard thing is, is you question like, how does that

happen against Northern Illinois? And it's obviously a fair question, but when you take into account like, hey dude, it's your season opener, that it's a tough pill to swallow. It's a team that's what, seventh in the Mac right now? Like they've really struggled too. And it wasn't fluky, like watching that game,

like they just gashed him. I can give you a lot of reasons as to like my concerns, right. I've like, you know, Hey, it's, it's the David Goliath. Like it's the season opener. Yeah. You should be running out of that tunnel with your head on fire, but it's also not like, I remember our, you know, season opener is like my freshman year. We played Washington state top 25 matchup.

My sophomore year we played for our home opener, Michigan. I think game day was there. It was like a top five matchup. My junior year we played, we were on the road for two games, we came back, maybe played Michigan State or something. They were bigger matchups. These were guys that we were recruited with

or against, all this stuff that, it just, it felt different. It's hard, I think, to get psyched up sometimes like that Mac opponent, even though that shouldn't be the mindset, they should be saying, we're going to go stomp a muddle and then I'm going to go stat pad if I'm a quarterback to try to get my numbers up there versus these teams. But it didn't happen. And maybe it didn't because of, you know, the offensive system, you know, some moving parts in the offensive line and everything else that goes along with it I mean obviously the defense kept it a low scoring game. I thought they did enough

It's the offense not coming along. I also just simply chalk it up to this These are 18 to 22, maybe 24 year olds now we've held cam or comics like almost 30 at Miami, but my general point is There's a lot of volatility there like when you look at your floor and ceiling, I think in college it's like a lot wider than is the NFL. And that was one of those games that it's hard to not look at and go, well, we don't want that performance in the playoff, but it's also not the entire book on this team. If you look at everything else they've done,

like the NM win looks better and better. And then you look at some of the other wins they've had, they've been dominant. I mean, not even these teams haven't been close. I don't think Army is going to be even close. I think they're going to beat the crap out of USC. So if that's the case, then like, are they good? Yeah, I think they're really good. I just think they happen to have probably one of the worst days that we've seen for a team in Notre Dame Stadium ever. And that's what happens. Yeah. Uh, look, I know the answer to it is, is, is you're good. It's kind of back to the Indiana thing.

Like we can talk schedule all you want to win 10 straight games is still hard. Um, because of the Northern Illinois, the Northern Illinois example that we have, and maybe it's coming off the A&M thing. Cause I thought that A&M game was just a grind man. And then I thought they lost the game late. Like I was like, okay, this is the momentum has swung. No, this is not going to work out for this team opening night, see what they can do with the rest of the schedule.

It's funny. Cause a lot of the arguments, like whether it's about Indiana or it's about like some of the arguments end up being the same and you can just replace the name of the team and be like, okay, well, we have to come up with 12 teams. Okay. We have to come up with 12. We can't put in nine SEC teams that's against the rules.

I mean technically we have to come up with eight, right? Because you're going to have those four that are a part of it based on the four highest ranked conference champs. So we really have to come up with eight and I think it's hard to come up with those eight because of the language. Like you have a scenario where like Boise State I think would have had maybe the by this week or the Boise State has the by because they're ahead of the Big 12 right now and that's the kind of thing

But seriously like when that plays out if that were to happen then I think the committee and all the college football goes Maybe we don't want that. Maybe we don't want to be that in inclusive I also go back and forth, Ryan, about the automatic bids per conference. I know that's been a topic of conversation, something like the SEC Big Ten wanted to kind of like guarantee that. And there's a part of me that thinks like,

yeah, that's actually, I know it becomes a little bit predictable, but A, we have that in the NFL. And then B, it actually strengthens the regular season. Like college football has always been a regular season sport If you really go through the history of it, right like Notre Dame celebrating their hundredth anniversary of their first consensus national championship back in 1924 where they they've stopped an army or beat army that year when it defeated obviously the four horsemen

They're part of that legendary story But if you go back through like how we decided who was the national champion It was like, you know AP was like,, Oh, I'm voted by this team. Looks like they're the best. And just the AP go through it, man. I mean, there's all sorts of dudes handing out titles. And that's the thing is you'd have like three teams who claimed a title in like certain years. So we've obviously, I think Princeton has a couple where they went one and one.

Right. Of course. Like they'll go ahead and, you know, they don't want the national champion that are climate. But the general point is we've come, you know, such a long way from like kind of where we were. Sure. At the same point, there's like still those elements of it was about the regular season back then.

Even as we build up to the BCS and even the 14 playoff, like I don't want us to lose fact, but the fact of like this still being the fun part about the season is, you know, the regular season, some of these different matchups we get between conferences and regions, et cetera. And I think the bigger the playoff gets and the more folks there is on the playoff,

the less there is on some of those matchups, having some of those automatic kind of bids might protect a little bit of that where teams say, I know if I schedule a bunch of really tough non-conference opponents, it doesn't matter. Because in the end, as long as I win throughout my conference based on my conference play, I'll get one of those automatic bids into the playoff. And that's ultimately what we're shooting for. Okay. You have a team. See, you know, I think we're more aligned here than maybe people would think before we started talking, because I don't like that.

It's like, well, I think Georgia would beat everybody. And it's like, okay, but eventually we got to play the games, right? Yeah. The losses have to cost something. Um, I ranked Georgia ahead of Indiana and Penn state in my completely irrelevant top 12. But I don't like the default of, well, Georgia would beat all these teams and Tennessee would beat all these teams and Bama beat all these teams. Like, I think if you get Bama on the right weekend of Millrow not having a good game,

like we've already seen it. We've already seen it happen a couple of times and it almost happened a third time against South Carolina. So, um, again, I think, I think we are a bit more aligned here, but it's just the chance, maybe it's just me having to get caught up to the whole thing. Cause I think, as you said, it being generally a regular season sport that you've got to show me one thing for me to feel like you're worthy of playing for a national championship. Right.

I think that that's a really big deal and that's a big time invite. And the ACC being what it is this year. And then the big 12, cause there's even a little of the big 10 scheduling thing going on in the big 12. Or if you look at Arizona state and Colorado, who are clearly, I mean, Arizona state's not even comparable to last year. And the same thing for Colorado, it's just that when you have maybe the best quarterback in college football, you should be a good football team. But there's some scheduling stuff going on there where you're like, okay, I guess Arizona

state is now in the mix and control of what's coming forward to them. Do you feel like there's a definitive list though of like, if this team won a national championship, it's, it's not a surprise. Is it Oregon? Is it Ohio state? Is it Georgia? Does the list stop after that? Like how long would that list be for you?

Or I'm like, I can't believe that team won a title. I would throw Texas in there. Um, as I said, those four, I think are pretty definitive. And if, if I had to go look at the odds or, you know, that, I think those would probably be the four top favorites. Um, you're probably right. I mean, I can look it up while we're doing this, but I think you nailed it. Like, like Bam, uh, Bam would be probably part of it,

but that's like a little bit of like the, you know, bias of, of what that team is. Yeah. But, but yeah. So to your point, anyone, anyone after those four, you kind of go, yeah, it'd be surprising. Like the way Miami was able to remain undefeated for a period of time was surprising. It's like, okay. Um, but there's always those, you know, Cinderella seasons and where you kind of, you know, have that team of destiny that ends up finding their way. And maybe Miami would be that team or maybe there's someone else who throw in the conversation. But I would say outside of those four, I'd be very surprised if someone else won the national championship, but we don't know how the extended cloud is going to play.

You know, maybe a team gets hot, you know, getting to host a home playoff game and move through that. But, um, to one of the points that you made though, I would say this is one of the restructurings I'd love to see out of scheduling from here, moving forward, since basically anything outside of the college ball playoff, those bowl games have become irrelevant. So why don't we sit there and say, let's take those conference affiliations, move them to the non-conference schedule or portion of the beginning of the season, and start playing

neutral side games at those bowl sites. Why can't we do that? And so one, it creates way bigger anticipation for those matchups because it's early in the season. Everything's still on the line for both those teams. You don't get the opt out issue that we're going to have because the transfer portal or the NFL. And it gives those, those, those, those sponsors, those venues an opportunity to live somewhere. And I get there as an economic play to all of this, but there always isn't bowl games anyway. So that would be to me a better way of us preserving

like some of these, like what you're saying, like show me you beat someone or show me you played someone. There you go. Like there's your example of how to do it from a business standpoint, but also a scheduling standpoint of how we could make it work.

And I don't know why more of these bowls, especially the ones outside of what was the New Year's six that are a part of this, the College Bowl Playoff. I don't know why more of these bowls, especially the ones outside of what was the new year six that are a part of this, the college football playoff, I don't know why they're not thinking about this or saying like, let's go find a place where we can live for the foreseeable future. Whereas right now it feels like a lot of those bulls are starting to kind of pass by the wayside. Yeah. I mean, you could argue they're lucky they're even involved in this anymore

because they're what held this up forever. Um, but I like what you said. If it meant more marquee games, it'd be great. they're lucky they're even involved in this anymore. Cause they're what held this up forever. But I like what you said, if it meant more marquee games, it'd be great. But if I'm an athletic director or I'm a coach with a lot of juice, I think we're learning once again that the committee doesn't really care about your schedule.

I don't know that I would ever schedule, I don't think I'd go out of my way to schedule anybody with what I'm seeing again this year. As of right now, yes. But I do think the other, the committee does two things. Like right now they're kind of grading some teams based on their losses, whatever. I don't think they care about anything until the end.

I think ultimately they allow this schedule to set up, for example, because this doesn't necessarily play to like ESPN's advantage, but it plays to every TV network that has these top matchups. We can bill and sell Ohio State, Indiana as a top five matchup, even though you don't feel like Indiana is a top five team right now. That's the billing, that's the intrigue, that's the anticipation.

That's good for college football. It's good for the Big Ten Conference. It's good for those teams and players. There's an element, I think, of the scheduling where they kind of manipulate the rankings a little bit to help with their decision making at the very end, if that makes sense. Like I really don't care as much about the rankings till the final two, because I think the one before that conference championship weekend gives you a much more accurate idea of how they feel about those fringe teams because they're going to position

those fringe teams in a spot where they will get bumped by a team that may very well have three losses that loses in the SEC Championship game. Yeah, that's a whole other layer to it because I really hope that the committee, I would like to see them recognize a team in the conference championship game more so than a team that doesn't. But we've already seen that play out, whether it was the BCS system, whether it was the four team system where, you know, the big 12 for years probably felt like the championship game hosed them. Yeah. So then they didn't want it. And then it was just like, well, whatever everybody's doing it. So then they bring the whole thing back again.

Um, well, it was more of the, uh, what the TCU Baylor, it was like, it was more of the, uh, one of the TCU Baylor. It was like, the slogan was like one true champion that they could even figure it out. They had like a tie-break scenario. Do you remember? Cause Brials was on the podium with the big 12 commissioner and he was just, cause the big 12 is like a statement was like, yeah, they're both in, like hoping that they're going to pull something off. And, and you want to talk about brands and everything.

Like Baylor was right about it. They're just going, if this was Texas and Oklahoma, you wouldn't have done this. And that's, that's really hard for me to sit here and, and you want to talk about brands and everything, like Baylor was right about it. They're just going, if this was Texas and Oklahoma, you wouldn't have done this. And that's, that's really hard for me to sit here and say, you're wrong. The unfortunate part was like the highest state leaps up from what six to four, if I'm not mistaken. And they ended up winning the whole thing. So then you're going, Oh no, like maybe they were right the wrong way, right? They could have justified the committee's decision. Yeah. I remember like back when Van Pelt and I were kind of like,

we were on the phone. I don't even think we did the segment. And he was like, there's no way Ohio State, if they win this is being left out in favor of this Baylor TCU thing. Because again, the Baylor TCU thing was weird because it was one of those classic like one has the head to head, but the other team has the worst loss. It's like, well, so you're going to be rewarded because your loss to us is better than our loss. And I mean, it just gets, you end up kind of going in this circle where you kind of break your own rules and contradict yourself here a little bit. But I think the other thing I hate about it is, you know, there's times too, when

like you watch a team, they sell their starters in the fourth quarter. I'm like, dude, you're up by four scores. Like this game is out of hand. One, you're putting your players at risk to injury. And then two, this is like the time you put in those younger guys who you want to see what you have in them in a real live game scenario. And I just, I don't see that anymore.

When we talk to coaches, they're very well aware now of the numbers they need to get to, or the fact that they need to win in impressive fashion, especially for those teams that feel like the resume isn't as strong or if they've got a loss, they've got to make up for that. So that's one thing that I've kind of hated about all of this is like, not that people are box score reading, but there's an element of that of like, well, how bad did you really beat that team?

Like what's your scoring margin or margin of victory? You know, how are we looking at the, the, you know, stats that go along with it? I do kind of hate that part of this whole process right now. All right. I'll finish up here. Do you think Indiana is better than Penn State? I don't. Okay.

I've seen both and I think that large part comes to a couple of things. Um, you know, I think both running backs at Penn State are better. I think the offensive line is probably a little bit better too. Defensively, I think they are a, and look, we're going to find out this weekend, so I could be completely wrong. But I thought their ability to match up and their secondary is probably the weakest part or I should say most experienced part of that group for Penn State this year coming into the season. I thought that that team matched up better with Ohio State and Indiana does.

So you know, look, tough tough tough comparison because Indiana has got to do it on the road. But like I said, I don't know how close this game will be when it's all said and done. So you have 11 and one Indiana in. Yes, they'll be on the road, but they'd be at. Okay. I likely would not, but then again, I still have to look at the other stuff that happens because any of us just chalking it out

the next couple of weeks in conference championship games would be a huge mistake that we've all made every single year. Before I let you go, are you as surprised as I am that our good friend Tommy Reese is not on an NFL roster? What do you mean? As a quarterback.

Is he seasoned? Is he's gotten- I mean, he's coaching, he's in Cleveland, he's the tight ends coach. Yeah, I know, I know he is, but they've had some health issues, the quarterback there, I just, you know. Oh, come on. I really liked him. I love Tommy, but they're, they've had some health issues, a quarterback there. I just, you know, I really liked him. I love Tommy, but shoot, I mean, I'm a big advocate for Jamis.

Like not just watching what he did on Thursday night, but I thought before the season, I'm looking at a team like Las Vegas. I'm like, wait a second. You could trade for this dude. Like, why don't you go bring Jamis center or some of these other teams that I think they could have used Jamis or he would have been an upgrade based on a quarterback situation so I think I'm not gonna answer that I love Tommy but they've got a bunch of pro guys on the roster right now. Fair enough well said again you can see

Brady Quinn on big noon kickoff I love watching every Saturday you guys are gonna be from the shoe for a game that has as much anticipation for it as maybe any game this regular season I need to get yourself so I can text you at some point during the game and just get your like lives in the moment like get your thoughts on it cuz I want to I want to Feel like whatever that is like if Indiana's up by like ten points and you're like, holy hell, baby They are I mean, that's what that's what this comes down to. Right? Like we still at this point are 10 games in the season.

We don't know how good Indiana is. I think they're good. I just don't know how good look at that. If they beat Ohio state in Columbus, like I think it's, we can annoy them that state in the obvious, but if they play them close, I don't know. Like I think they, I think what they've done this year at this game is close. That's not like 56 to seven. I think Indiana should be a part of the playoff. We'll see. Because if it ends up being like a 28-21, and it'll be like that box score,

like, hey, they held them in one score. But there's also games where I'll watch and go, this team was completely in control and so much better. But I don't go into this. I think Indiana's just awful. I've never said that. I just, to the resume thing we've already covered a million times, and I somehow got it in three episodes all this week, I'll give you that sell when we're done here. Good us to you, right?

You really created a storm, a crap storm. I couldn't believe it. Yeah, it's great, it's awesome. Yeah, I don't know. It's just like football, that's the thing. That's what makes this fun I don't know. It's cause football like that's the thing. That's what makes this fun. You know, people get to debate and talk about it and that's part of the love of the game.

I also think it proved not many people have been paying attention to who they were playing in the big 10. Yes. Then I saw a bunch of pieces like I just, I hate the argument of, well, what are you supposed to do? You can only play who's in front of you. Like that's what I would say if I had a bad schedule too,

but I can't wait, man. I cannot wait for this game. I'm even staying, I'm getting to bed early tonight, just rested, gym in the morning and then right, right to the shoe. Hey, South Bay bro, man. You, Stoner, Feldman, Leiter, all you South Bay bros. It's, it's, it's gym tanked up flip flops, watch some football, baby. Let's go. I know I can't, I may pick out a new tank just for this. Thanks, man. Appreciate the time. Awesome job this season. I love you guys. All right. It's Robert.

The Alliance marches on. Okay. Didn't get it last week. Yeah, I know. How about those Johnny's though last night? You've said this. I'm so sad. I threw on a life is Good shirt just to try to cheer myself up. That was tough. That'll do it. I bet it worked though. Life is good. It was 10 minutes ago, but not quite there.

We'll get there. Okay. Wargon is just a beast. So I feel like the board is his, but he hinted at what he was gonna do last week. And now there's a discussion about it. So let's do this. Let's, why don't Saruti and Kyle go first, and then Wargon and I will figure out our strategy. Yeah, just so everyone's clear, Wargon nine and three.

He's hit four straight. I've also hit four straight, seven and five. Kyle six and and six and Ryan is three and nine. So I started to host like that would be a great spot for you. All right. What do we got Kyle? All right. Go ahead. Well everybody on CBS sports.com likes Colorado. That's good enough for me. So I'm going to take the Colorado money line. Okay. What's funny about that is everybody, everybody, I feel like on the action network likes Kansas. So we're just battling each other out. That's a tough one because Kansas posts that BYU win,

but Kansas has been in like all of these games this year. They started what one in five. So you got that quarterback recruit though, you know, Colorado feeling good. I CBS likes it. Why not? That's all I'm saying. Okay. Don't patronize me. If you're nine wins or whatever you got, I need that shit.

Uh, all right. So Rudy, I'm going to go Ole Miss. I'm going to take it down to the all minus six and a half. So get it under a touchdown, coming off a bye, off the Georgia win, Florida coming off the LSU win. I know it's at Florida. I just think Ole Miss is way better. I don't really believe in this Florida team.

So give me Ole Miss to win by a touchdown or more. Okay, all right. So Wargon, you had hinted that you were just gonna tease down Ohio State because that's what you're supposed to do against Indiana, but it sounds like you're wavering a bit. So if you want Ohio State because that's what you're supposed to do against Indiana, but it sounds like you're wavering a bit. So if you want Ohio State, you certainly can have it. I just wanted to know,

kind of wanted to know what you're doing first. Right, I was looking for a way to bet against Indiana. Ohio State minus six and a half I still think is gonna hit. I was looking at Alabama minus seven and a half against Oklahoma. I think Oklahoma kind of sucks. This is kind of a easy spot for Alabama. And then I like Georgia minus 38 and a half against UMass. Just fire their coach.

Only because they just canceled their senior day. They don't get individual announcements at senior day. Fuck them. I like Georgia. I like the storyline there. I think I'm going to go Ohio State minus six and a half. It's just too good. Indiana's not good. We've been talking about it for weeks. I don't think they're bad. I just don't think they're as good as Ohio State.

I don't think they're bad. I've watched three full Indiana games. I would say Iowa in 15, it's funny when it's like, do you even watch the games? Watching Iowa in that Wisconsin game ten years ago? Was what had kind of set the table for me to be like don't buy into them And then they were much better in the Michigan State game So I actually feel better about Indiana against their schedule than other teams But this is I don't need to repeat my I didn't love the one a little first, Michigan

No, I mean they get down ten nothing but All right, I probably shouldn't pick that game nothing, but, uh, all right. I probably shouldn't pick that game. So I'm glad we're gone. I was kind of hoping you would just either way. I know you went out of gold. Like if you just were like, fuck it, I just ride the Indiana hate train. Or if you just took Indiana, which would be great too.

Just a sag. Yeah. But see, it's never about, I don't hate Indiana. No, I know you, I know, I know. It has nothing to do with that. It is, it's never about, I don't hate Indiana. No, I know you don't. I know, I know. It has nothing to do with that. It is, if there were a team anywhere else in the country and it's going to happen with what we have.

But again, everybody's heard my position from this. I've campaigned long enough. All right. Okay. Ohio State down the center now. Who knows what the conditions could be? This is different. The Buckeyes power run game doesn't really exist.

I was almost thinking of taking it the other way and seeing if we can middle it. Can we not do that? Yeah. Could we do literally anything but that? Is that a possibility? We won't do it. I don't even know if we're allowed to do it.

We can. If there's somebody that shouldn't be getting cute right now It's me so that a and m auburn line is so stinky that I wouldn't even do anything with it because That one's tough the Kansas BYU thing Post BYU game scares me and trying to get a read on that one whatsoever. So why don't we go Penn State?

It's minus ten and a half Minnesota. So what do we get? Seven and a half. That's so pathetic that even with the help, it's going this bad. And those are two Wargon staple teams, right? Minnesota and Penn State. I know.

See, this is even worse. I could be trying, yeah, drafting off of Wargon's Penn State position that wins every week. And then I do it. Don't take the Ohio State game. That lines up to 11 and a half now. Let's give you six and a half. He's goofing, this isn't good.

Ooh, so what is giving you some extra juice? It's close, it's close to the threshold, but we're gonna give it to you, because we need the touchdown. I feel like we, you know, touchdown's safe. So if we do Ole Miss to win by a touchdown, if we do Colorado Moneyline, Ohio State to win by a touchdown,

and Penn State to't buy a touchdown. That's plus 445 boys. It's like helping your dad into a restaurant. Um, I don't love that. All favor, but we go wrong. Yeah. Okay. So what was it again? Plus 445 Ole Miss minus six and a half Colorado Moneyline, Ohio State minus

six and a half and Penn State minus six and a half. Okay. Let's couch money research you before we say goodbye to you. All right. I'm going with my couch pick Green Bay minus three against my Niners. I know it's tough emotionally for me. The money, 89% of the public money is on Tampa. So that means you're on the Giants without Daniel Jones, even on the roster. You won't have me to kick around anymore. Giants. Let's see the latest number, because I put this one in earlier this morning. It's plus six, and we continue to scroll.

Oh, we're at plus five and a half. All right, I could be a stickler here and say, well, when I gave it out, but let's, it's been too easy this year, so let's not take any favors. Plus five and a half and research again. The smarter people seem to like the Colts plus seven and a half at home against the Lions.

Really, really sharp side this year, the Colts. Feels like it's every other week with them. Okay, enjoy. You want details? Fine. I drive a Ferrari, 355 Cabriolet. What's up? I have a ridiculous house in the South Fork. I have every toy you can possibly imagine.

And best of all kids, I am liquid. So now you know what's possible. Let me tell you what's required. Live advice, rr at gmail.com. That is the email address of your car. We've got Steve, Wargon, monitoring in the Um, little feedback here. I'm a back flip guy, Dan 43, no real gym stats. I'm mostly mountain bike, former wrestlers, no basketball comp either. A couple of weeks ago, Kyle had a throwaway line

about someone being a back flip guy as a back flip guy myself. I can say it's a pretty solid move. Back flip guy instantly differentiates himself from the crowd. You obviously don't want back flips to be your only redeeming quality, but as a starting point, it's about as good as you could hope for. At 43, I'm starting to lose the standing back flip and back flip off a wall,

but I still have the round off back flip and can rock a trampoline. Love the show. Shout out to all the back flip guys out there listening. The back flip br out there listening. The back flip Rose, let's go. Yeah. I feel like the older you get, the more your peers dislike that you're the back flip guy.

I think when you're like the peak is probably middle school, early high school. You're like, man, who knows what that guy's capable of. Did you see what he just did at the pep rally? But I don't know when you're like 40 and you're like, it's like, Oh yeah, Todd's going to do a back flip minus, minus 400 odds that he's going to do. It's like fucking do track, but I think it's like, oh yeah, Todd's gonna do a back flip. Minus 400 odds that he's gonna do that's like fucking douchebag. But I think it's cool, but I just, I can see how your peers might,

like it might lose a little luster and get them to turn against you instead of being like in awe of you. But I think in high school, it's the coolest thing you could do. It's kinda like the guy who, you know, pulls out the guitar and goes acoustic after dark, on you, it's like, oh man, we're doing this again.

It's more impressive than that, but you're like, oh yeah, he's gonna use his go-to move. Cool. I would agree, it is more impressive. So I had one of my best friends, Jeremy, he was a gymnast, was he is, still alive. His screen name was Jerduabackfliff50. He was big time back flip guy.

This is an entire identity. It kind of was. He's also the guy that called everyone virgins when we went to that college party good times was on his own dude but he kind of grew get away with it and get backflip mmm I don't know that he got away with it it was kind of cool but again he was a gymnast so it was like kind of expected so but he But he did grow out of it as an adult. I haven't seen him do a backflip in a while, so good for him. Yeah, the guitar thing's a good call.

I mean, I had a buddy, because I attempted to teach myself how to do this John Fahey fingerpicking style. Don't worry, no one's getting that reference. And Ed Quinn was over, and he's obviously a musician. And was like, what's going on over here? And of course, whenever anybody strums it and they know what they're doing,

they're like, your guitar's out of tune. I'm like, actually it's open C tuning. And I was like, well, let me show it. And then I started playing it a little bit, trying to show them the thing I was doing. And then I just said, I'm not really comfortable right now. Just you and I in my living room and me with a guitar looking at you while I try to play this.

And he was like, I'm glad you're gonna stop. I was like, cool, who's gonna put it away? So it's not really a back flip. Yeah, it's not a back flip. It kind of reminds you just of Hartford Pete. Hartford Pete, my roommate back in college. He really, really great musician. But if there was a piano around, he would play it

and pianos are generally stationary and people would have somewhere else to go. We've brought this up before, but you would just have to leave them. Like I see if there were a piano there, he would sit down, he would play. I would probably hope some chicks would check it out. And, uh, we'd be like, Hey, we need to go. And he just wouldn't. And so you would, you would just have to

like go to the parking lot and leave before. Yeah, that's tough. I mean, if he stays there, he stays there. But if I see a piano and it's acceptable, like I might bang out a little Pirates of the Caribbean, see if I can remember how to do Star Wars. Wow. Yeah, that's a good one. I think it's one of those things where if you don't have the proper form, you can still kind of pull off Pirates of the Caribbean. Once you figure out which one of those black keys you got to hit. Um, it's just, it's a nice thing and

it's over in like 30 seconds and people are like, wow, that was cool. Yeah, I remember we got a keyboard and one of the guys got a keyboard in college and then said, dude started like YouTubing, how to play Coldplay songs and to Ryan's Ed Quinn thing. It like this is kind of weird you should stop doing this yeah you know it was a phase it's okay all right question this email well no no at all just a back up guy and I think we didn't know him enough credit for still being able to do a backflip so sorry about that one that's cool yeah that's a good point I I've always you guys are trying it with 40

I do a backflip like just you try in life, right? I would assume like you think you're like Oh, it's not that hard and then you just fall flat on your head because you can't rotate. Yeah, trampolines close. I've got Doesn't count. I used to do front flips into a pool. Yeah that too But I'm a diving board or like now just off of it off the side ledge Yeah, I think I needed a diving board. I Tried to do a backflip once I think into a pool and I broke my nose with my kneecap Cool thing when we were I was gonna wear I was growing up was like you guys do gainers off diving boards Jack nice now like the gainers like when you run forward, but do the back flip and it's like kind of terrifying, yeah, that was the big thing.

I have the spatial awareness to try that. Never did actually. Don't you have to scream gainer too, when you do it? Probably. Yeah. It's like calling it off the glass or didn't count. True. I just feel like I thinking of like along came Polly and then thinking about

Philip Seymour Hoffman screaming. Right, man. Did he do that in a movie? I don't know. All right. Uh, joining the wrong gym. Rosilla, please help Ryan. Long time listener.

First time emailer. Jim stats are respectable, but nothing to write home about. Pickup comp would be a shorter and slower Kirk Heinrich. Heinrich and ball, dude. I've been going to the gym consistently five times per week for over a decade, had been a member of many different gyms as I've moved around a bit. I've made a massive mistake at the gym I've joined.

I live up just the coast from you and belong to a gym called Redacted. All right, so he's not going to tell us the name. Uh, not sure if you've heard of this place. He does give me the name, but I've not heard of it. I didn't know anything about this. Um, as may as well be the live nightclub in Miami. I'm only 31, but I feel like I'm 65 in this place. It is louder than any gym I've ever been to and a tripod is a necessary accessory.

They have a live DJ during most of the times I have free to go to the gym. Pretty sure I've been in a few influencers a necessary accessory. They have a live DJ during most of the times I have free to go to the gym. Pretty sure I've been in a few influencers videos inadvertently. The problem is I signed a year contract with this place but I can't stand the thought of continuing to work out here. I've tried it for six months, can't do it anymore.

What's the best approach to try to get out of it? My only thought so far is to try to get a doctor's note saying my ears are messed up from the live DJs playing. They're opening in Equinox in the Palisades next month. So I'm thinking about joining that as they're offering discounted rates as a loyal member of Equinox. Priscilla, how would you recommend I proceed? How would you describe your Equinox experience?

My favorite gym I belong to so far as a lifetime athletic country club that had a ton of amenities for reference. Uh, I love Equinox just because I can go to another Equinox in other cities when I'm traveling. That's my favorite part of it. It was actually pretty funny, but I was so excited to join Equinox that when I knew I was leaving ESPN radio and it was right at the end, I think the week I left, I drove down to Greenwich, Connecticut and joined from West Hartford and then worked out. And they were like, we'll see you around. I was like, not really, I drove down to Greenwich, Connecticut and joined from West Hartford and then

worked out and they were like, see you around. I was like, not really, I'm moving to LA. I just wanted, I just wanted to start the process. Cause I think I had to be in New York. Yeah. I just, I joined. I don't know if it was, if it's Stanford or Greenwich, I could be getting it wrong, but

whatever it was, I drove from West Hartford down there just to join. Cause I knew I had trips coming up and then I'd be in LA. And I was like, I just want to start the process. That was like my present to myself. Um, loser. Anyway, uh, I, again, I, I like Eukanox a lot. So I don't know why you have to be such like so worried about this. Just go up to them and go, this doesn't work for me.

All right. I mean, it's a business and maybe they're trying to jam you the first time through, like whenever you put an insurance claim, but go a second time. I have no doubt that you can wear down a business like this where you go, this does not work for me. I don't want to pay the rest of the year. I cannot wait to quit. I hate it here. It's not a fit. And what are they going to say? Sorry, you paid. I mean, they may say it the first or second time, you just keep working your way up the ladder. It depends on how important the money is to you.

Some other people wouldn't care about the money, but I'm fighting for you here because this sounds fucking terrible. I imagine that all the loose benches are storage units and not benches. I imagine they use the flat benches as hip thrusters, not realizing that that's not what they're there for. Yeah, I hate this place. I hate this place. I hate it for you. So going fierce, show no,

show no potential swing when they go, well, you know, maybe you give it another month or come in at a different time of day, or maybe we can figure it out. Be stout in your position and just go, I don't want to do this. Yeah. I was just doing a quick Google to see if there was like, you know, there's like timeshare lawyers like, Hey, I really screwed this up. Do you think you can help that? I don't really see anything for. Can imagine super lucrative. Yeah. I wonder is like, is there one of those things? Minus $120 that you owe me. Here is. We're actually worse off now.

Yeah, I'm not seeing a lot. I just did a quick Google here. Can I sue my gym membership? I don't think they've really done anything. So yeah, I think like you said, just don't don't waiver and just get, get past the person whose job it is to say no. And then maybe get to the person whose job it is to say why.

So I don't know. Why don't you just take your shirt off at it? You go the other way, try to get thrown out. I ruined seven TikTok videos a day. Yeah. And just wait until it's like- Let's go headbands, goggles, shirts off, oiled up, don't towel down any machines,

you just start screaming, Gainer. Gainer. I don't know. There's there's not much else there. Yeah, I don't have much on this. Yeah. Just thought it was important. OK. I actually have I have a good one really quickly.

If you guys have time, my buddy texted this to the group last night I know we don't usually do like, you know, I Guess call in once but my buddy was my buddy was at a bar last night I think you guys like this one. My buddy was at a bar last night. I was like a work thing and He bought he had been buying drinks all night tip and cash and it was late He bought a Sun Cruiser, which is like I think it's like an iced tea Spiked iced tea type deal. It's a canned drink. Never. Uh, is that what it's called? Sun Cruiser, I think. Right. Yeah. Yeah. People love those.

They were a big part of the Pinehurst week. Yeah, they're good. Um, I think that's what it's called. I don't think it is. Not terribly important. Something else. Well, it kind of is to them. Okay.

Contest for anyone to move off of this part. No, true. But I mean, hold on. I'll get it. I'll get it. I'll get it. I'll get it. I'll get it. I'll get it. I'll get it. is not terribly important. Something else. Well, it kind of is to them. No, true. But I mean, hold on, I'll get the name right, but keep going. Anyway. Uh, so it was like last drink of the night. He buys a sun cruiser. It's like a $9 drink, which is insane. And he leaves a dollar tip. Leaves a dollar. Thanks, Ryan. It is a sun cruiser. I'm sorry.

I'm been listening to you a little time, Cerutis. I appreciate that. I appreciate it. Leaves a dollar tip. Guy out of nowhere, just like sitting at the bar goes, that's it, bro. Pitching at the bar. Some guy. Yeah.

And he was like, really? It's like a canned drink, man. Like, what do you want me to do? And the girl was behind the bar. My buddy's like, she's clearly embarrassed. And he, my, my friend was like, I don't know if he was? And the girl is behind the bar. My buddy's like, she's clearly embarrassed. And he, my friend was like, I don't know if he was like kind of simping a little bit or he didn't seem like

they were together. Maybe he was like interested in the bartender. So he ends up like being like, all right, here's a five dude, I don't really need it. And the bartender was like, no, no, no, no, don't just take it, take it. I don't need this, I don't need this. Clearly embarrassed.

But my friend was like, no, no, this is yours now. And he's like, was I the asshole for leaving a dollar tip on a canned drink? And my whole philosophy in most of my life has was like, no, no, this is yours now. And he's like, was I the asshole for leaving a dollar tip on a canned drink? And my whole philosophy in most of my life has been like, if it's a canned drink, it's a dollar. Multiply it by how many you get, but he got one canned drink. So, you know, basically that's the situation. Like, was he doing the wrong, which I don't think so, but.

No, and he was tipping cash all night. So he's doing the right thing by all stretches of imagination. So I know that's one guy who's probably planted in the middle of the bar. Has been talking to this woman as she passes left and right, right. To getting his jokes ready and probably like, Oh, look at this guy. I'm cooler than, you know, so no, that's, that's one guy who's out of touch and probably is doing the bar wrong anyway. So no, that's, you know, you're guys stand your ground.

One can is $1, that's how it works. Yeah, your friend's totally right. The other guy's an asshole. I can't, monitoring other people with that? And it was a dollar and a can. Yeah, all right. This one's different. 5'10", 170, 33 year old girl dad, two of them, no gym stats, ball comp.

Doug eater without the mustache. Pretty simple one here. Uh, my family and I live in a standard suburban neighborhood with houses, 10 feet apart, so over the last month or so, our direct side neighbor has changed their fabric softener and or dryer sheets and it smells horrible. Their dryer exhaust opens directly towards our house and funkifies our outdoor space on the

regular. Worse yet, they seem to be the daily laundry type of household. I've waited patiently to see if this was temporary shift, but no, it seems to be the new normal. Is this a topic that can possibly be broached with the neighbors? The husband is Jack and easily could put me in my place, but he's fairly gentle minded and his lended tools helps with tasks in the past.

They tend to run the machine right after you get home from work when I like to play outside with my kids, but practicing tee ball while gagging on the smell has proven tiresome. What say the boys on this issue? Do I have a case or should I suck it up and deal? Thanks for your advice. Man, that's tough. Cause I'll admit every now and then, like you, you smell a nice dryer sheet in a compressed.

I enjoy it. Yeah. Right. I'm not crazy. Thank you, Kyle. Like what's that in the air? The changing of the leaves, autumn honest, no, crisp linen chemicals.

Let's get a whiff kids. No, crisp linen, chemicals. Let's get a whiff kids. I think it's so crazy that it might be kind of funny. The fact that you have some kind of relationship with the guy, maybe that he's so jacked and tough, he's just totally secure with himself. And he's like, now I don't feel like I have to fight this guy because he's talking about my dryer bin exhaust. It sounds like it's probably dryer bin.

Um, and I don't think it'd be a fabric softer thing. I don't know. Not an HVAC guy, but, uh, that is, um, I think it's so funny and so strange. That I think you should be like, Hey, this is going to sound crazy, but now granted, you know, I don't know what the solution is. You, you, can I pay for someone to go clear out your tubes? Or is it like, do you think you could use this brand of dryer sheet? Because I was just thinking, what if it's food?

What if this was food? And you're like, on Wednesdays when you guys are experimenting. It doesn't work. You know what I mean? Then it doesn't work. You're like, I just kind of hate the smell that comes out of your house. Curry night sucks, Dave.

Can you say that? Not really. People be like, get the fuck off my lawn. Like, so your, your, your idea that this maybe is so crazy that this plan is so crazy at just my work. Maybe I just think that you could view it as like everything else. Like, I don't like what's coming over your fence for this reason, or I don't like it for that reason.

So I think it's both like, sorry. That's like, this is going to stay in the confines of my property here, but, um, yeah or I don't like it for that reason. So I think it's both like, sorry, that's like, this is going to stay in the confines of my property here, but, um, yeah, I don't know. I probably wouldn't say anything, but, um, I don't know if you wanted to get funny about it. Maybe it works. See, I don't, I don't think, I think this is kind of straightforward. One, there might be something wrong.

You could be doing the guy a favor. Like you could say like that. Yeah. You could, or, you know, to your, you know, how the people come by and they're like, Hey, we be doing the guy a favor. Like you could say like that. Yeah, you could. Well, or, you know, to your smart, you know how the people come by and they're like, Hey, we're doing the windows in the neighborhood. You know, wanted to know if you want it in next weekend, like maybe just get the dryer vent guy to come out and clear out everybody.

You know, you just make it like, it's your thing, but you're also helping out your neighbors. And then ends up clearing his thing. Cause like there's a good chance it didn't smell, but maybe something stuck in there. Who knows? Like you could be doing this guy a favor. So I actually don't think it's an asshole move. You might be helping them out. I love it.

I think that's the way to do it. You've just been smelling essence of raccoon or something. But if it is just a straight up change of dryer sheet, then cleaning out the vent may not solve the problem. There's no way a dryer sheet makes that big of a difference though, right? They're what if our emailers are good? How could it be just how could the company that makes that dryer sheet fuck up so bad where the neighbor is like? Queasy when he's mad you guys ever outside air stuck your toe into the organic world of dryer sheets

No, is it really bad? I had a lot of stuff going on out there and I don't know that any of it works. Is it like musky? Like what the? Sandalwood? Yeah, I have a full pack right over here. We don't use them. Got burned by some bad dryer sheets? I don't use them.

Rather not use them. Do they stink bad? They just, they don't do anything and yeah, I don't even like the way that they make my clothes feel in the dryer. Like it's a noticeable difference. So I just, they're just, again, I think this might've been a mother-in-law purchase.

We talked about the deodorant thing. That's just kind of our thing. It's okay. I just found out about dryer sheets like six years ago. Like in general. Yeah. Well, I mean, I knew they existed. I've been using these dryer balls.

I spent probably. They're probably not very good for you, but you know, I don't know. Dryer sheets? Well, chalk it up. We haven't done the aluminum deodorant, truth all, yet. So, yeah, Sarah Walsh and Matt Bushman were staying at my house when I wasn't here once, and I just gave him the keys, I was like, go for it.

I was out of town, and she was like, you don't have dryer sheets? I was like, what am I, what am I, a virgin? I love dryer sheets. What am I? What am I a virgin? I love dryer sheets. When I use them. Yeah, I'm out. I got a load. It's really I'm like, this is wrong. Something's wrong here. So I agree. Yeah, I don't think we helped anybody again today. I think we helped the last guy. Yeah. Anyway, all right. Talk to your gym. No, no, that's the last guy. Yeah. Anyway, all right. Talk to your gym.

No, no, the last guy. Oh. Well, the problem is, if it isn't the vent, but I love your idea, back door, because there's also a version of this where if you go to him and you're like, hey, this is gonna sound weird. I'm out here with my kids and like right when it happens,

he's gonna just go right to his wife and be like, that's psycho next door set. Right. Now you're not getting the tools, he's not helping you right to his wife and be like, that's psycho next door said. Now you're not getting the tools, he's not helping you with some general tasks. So I would try to outflank him with, hey, I've got the vent people coming over or whatever. Like, have you noticed you're smelling weird lately? Like, yeah, we're playing table tennis.

Yeah, when it's running, maybe knock on the door and be like, hey, do you wanna get out here and get a whiff of this? Cause like, I'm not making this up. But I would say like, hey, I'm having him come by, but have you used me? Yeah, get a whiff of this whole thing. What if he's out there? He's like, it smells awesome. Yeah, what are you talking about, dude? You're gonna have to buy your kids a PS5. Like we don't play outside anymore.

Your career is over. Everybody wants. It's too awkward. Okay, that's life advice. Thanks to Saruti, thanks to Kyle, and thanks to Wargon. Good luck to everyone, just in general. Check out our podcast on YouTube and subscribe, we 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 rg-help.com call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.