1-1-24 After Hours with Amy Lawrence: Hour 4

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Yep, Graybar does that. Hello listeners and welcome to the end of the year edition of the Hey Did You Know Podcast. So year end means holidays. Hey, did you know Americans eat 1.4 billion pounds of turkey every Thanksgiving? Well, year end also means the Hyundai getaway sales event. Hey, did you know it's the best deals of the season on Hyundai's most popular vehicles? Well, isn't that interesting?

And since we were talking turkey, hey, did you know only male turkeys gobble? Hey, did you know every new Hyundai comes with America's best warranty and three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance? Hey, did you know the Statue of Liberty is the largest holiday gift ever given? Hey, did you know when the year ends, so do the deals? December 30th is National Bacon Day, you know.

It's your journey. Own every mile at the Hyundai getaway sales event. Sign and drive a 2024 Hyundai Palisade with zero down, zero first month's payment, and zero security deposit. Now during the Hyundai getaway sales event. Offer ends January 2nd.

Call 562-314-4603 for details. It's a football feeding frenzy. After Hours with Amy Lawrence. I know we say this every year, and this is what the NFL has become, but it is so all-encompassing. Sure, there are other things going on. Sundays and the NFL season in general. Anything can happen, and O does it. You want to know why Roger Goodell's job is not in jeopardy? Because we cannot stop consuming the NFL. It's because you cannot predict what will happen from week to week, from game to game.

Hell, you can't even predict what will happen from half to half in the NFL. This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Good morning. Happy New Year to you. I hope that you didn't have to wake up at this hour on New Year's Day 2024. But if you do, and you haven't been up all night still listening, that's much easier for me. Actually, I'd rather be up all night and see this hour from that side than from waking up early in the morning. But I know there are some of you that have to work, jobs that continue regardless of whether or not it's a holiday. Hours is not important.

You'll never hear me say that talking about sports on the radio is important. However, I do like to keep you company while you are doing your important job. So some of you are driving people home or driving people to their destinations. Others of you are working as first responders. So police, fire, medics, paramedics, thank you for your service. Others of you are nurses or doctors. Some of you work in media like we do here. Whatever the case, whatever your job, it's always noble to have one and to do it to the best of your ability. And we are again happy to keep you company on what is now January 1st, 2024.

Wowzers. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio. I enjoy working holidays for a bunch of reasons. Number one is because we've got people who either have never heard the show before and are catching it for the first time because of their atypical routines around the holidays or maybe you haven't heard us in a long time and you've missed us and we're reunited now so it feels so good. We've been talking about week 17 in the NFL and we're going to run through what we know about the last few games of the regular season. So next weekend that's it. It's the ultimate regular season weekend and we've got a bunch of scenarios and a bunch of intel on what's to come. But also this hour we're going to spend a little time on the college football playoffs since we've got those national semifinals in mere hours. In fact the first one kicks off 12 hours from now.

Are you ready? Since I have recently married into a Longhorn family I have no choice but to be ready. Now I would be watching anyway just because I love college football and because it's part of the gig I get paid to watch football.

Who knew? But that's not the only reason that I'm looking forward to these semifinals. The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Michigan Wolverines that's the one versus four matchup. It begins at the Rose Bowl.

How about that? At two o'clock pacific that's five o'clock eastern time. It's then and we'll hear from both Jim Harbaugh as well as Nick Saban but it's then followed by the second national semifinal which is Washington and Texas and now I have emotional rooting interests. Oh my gosh and the horns are being flashed at me right now here in studio because the hubs was desperate to know what it looks like from inside the studio.

So also we wanted to spend our first new year's eve slash new year's day together. So he's here. He doesn't want to talk but also I'm not letting him talk.

So both of those things seem to be true but it's more important to highlight that he does not want to talk. Not that I'm being a microphone hog and not allowing him to talk but it also this kind of cracks me up it does perpetuate the conspiracy theory that there's actually no husband. No I'm serious every day I get at least one tweet or Facebook post from a listener who believes that I've made the whole thing up. Could you imagine going to such an elaborate scheme where I've made the whole thing up? Now I know I haven't shared photos of either the wedding or of the hubs and I'm not sure I'm going to. Maybe a photo of a silhouette or from behind us at the wedding. We're still deciding but we really wanted a wedding that was not on social media and so there may be a few pictures on my blog but if you're not going to believe until you see photos from a wedding well then I feel like the conspiracy theory would be well oh she just staged a wedding.

Oh yes I spent all that money just because I thought it would be fun to to freak you all out. No it's not April Fools this is not a joke I would never joke about something like this anyway. But yeah producer Andrew can you just confirm one more time that there is in fact a husband in the studio? I am here as witness. I'm here as witness you are the witness and actually we just had another employee who is working on this new year's morning who's stumbled in and said I guess he said something along the lines of do you work here or something like that or or good morning and so he said good morning to my other half here and when the hubs responded with his Texas accent Jack's response was are you from the south? So yes there is a man in studio and yes we are married and thank you you all have sent so many congratulations and so many happy new year wishes. My hope for you in 24 is blessings and breakthroughs.

You never know what a difference a year can make and I am living proof of that. It's after hours here on CBS sports radio yes we'll talk some college football but right now we're looking at the NFL and what we know coming out of week 17. Okay so here's what we know the ravens still good in fact the ravens are a big bad they're flexing their muscles and they just embarrassed the Miami dolphins. I mean his performance was even better than last week you know and he played he played really a great football game I mean he played a perfect football game in terms of the passing game he's on point the pass protection was fantastic I mean that's a really good pass rush. Knowing that we still have a lot to get going on you know we got it from this season the right way we had one obstacle we finished that obstacle um we gotta still is next week you know so that's how that's how I'm staying focused this season just taking one game at a time like I've been preaching to you guys all season. The familiar voices of John Harbaugh so the Harbaugh brothers are sitting pretty there on top of the football world right now the Harbaugh brother that coaches in the NFL and then his quarterback Lamar Jackson and yes a perfect passer rating for Lamar five touchdowns he misfired on just three of his pass attempts he was over 320 yards and the Baltimore run game just as dynamic 160 rushing yards for the ravens the defense with three sacks and three takeaways against these dolphins and we knew this was a battle between the top scoring offense and the top scoring defense. Defense wins not every time but a lot of the time ravens though were damn good on offense themselves they go five for five in the red zone and as they win again and this is what now six wins in a row for the ravens they have locked up the top seed in the AFC which comes with not just home field advantage but also comes with a bye in the first weekend of the playoffs the ravens best record in the NFL they're now at 13 and three meanwhile the dolphins are in this situation look what we have here sunday night football next weekend it's for the AFCE's title the bills are still alive they've won four in a row but here's the crazy part even at 10 and 6 the bills could win the AFCE's crown by beating the dolphins on sunday night football or they could end up outside the playoffs looking in how nutso is that so Miami is hosting this game against the bills it's been flexed to sunday night football next weekend it'll be the very last game of 272 it'll be the very last game on the NFL regular season slate and it will decide the AFCE's champion now the dolphins are already into the playoffs they'll either be the division title the division title winner or they'll be a wild card so they'll be a division winner or they'll drop right and end up as a wild card and have to be on the road but the bills could actually win the division crown and extend their streak there atop the east or they could be on the outside looking in that's freaky it's after hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio for the Niners in the NFC you've got a team that has unfinished business and that's been the sole focus for these Niners going back to last year's NFC championship remember Brock Purdy got hurt he had the torn UCL which meant that they were unable to really put up a fight against Philadelphia okay we'll get to the Eagles coming out but for the Niners the Niners have fought scratch Claude they're coming off what was Brock Purdy's worst game to a game in which he was steady Eddie again and this is pretty typical of him doesn't need to do everything himself he's got Brandon Aiyuk he's got Deebo Samuel he had Christian McCaffrey until the third quarter when he left with a strained count on the McCaffrey until the third quarter when he left with a strained calf is what they think so not sure that it's going to be serious but you know how incredibly valuable that victory and the top seed that comes with the buy for the Niners right because if there's any chance that Christian McCaffrey has a relatively serious injury or an injury that requires more than a couple weeks well now they have it because they have the top seed and the buy first time since 2019 when the Niners did in fact land in the Super Bowl and lost to the Chiefs there but the defense was great only allowed 12 first downs against the commanders pair of fourth quarter interceptions off Sam Howell and yeah Kyle Shanahan on a day which Brock Purdy bounces back Shanahan and the Niners are the top seed in the NFC so good you know be able to come back in and get the ball moving you know throw it around to the guys and then be able to obviously just get the offense the flow again feeling it so felt good it's huge you know these last couple weeks just we've been a little banged up there's been a couple positions that just we've been getting real thin at guys had to push through it a number of spots and some of those guys are doing that hopefully this will help them out the commanders are not in the playoffs by the way and so this was obviously the haves versus the have-nots in the NFL on Sunday but be expecting a change at head coach the writing is on the wall there the reports are that Ron Rivera is likely out of a job and would be available as a veteran coaching candidate but it's been a tough row to hoe there since he took over in Washington think about the number of quarterbacks that they have gone through there in Washington the number of misfires or hits and misses it's it's been a mess there and Sam Howell he was their QB one to start the season he may very well finish the season as QB one but they are on the hunt for new faces in all of the veteran or all of the critical positions there in Washington with this new ownership group it's after hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio again you've got the Niners as the top seed and the Ravens as the top seed in the NFC and AFC respectively that comes with a bye as for the Eagles they squander a lead against the visiting Cardinals on Sunday and now Philadelphia has dropped four of five and finds itself in a position of having to wait to see what the Cowboys do next Sunday so the Eagles no longer control their own fate the Eagles instead even though they are a playoff team so similar to the Dolphins right so you've got the Dolphins in Philly in in similar positions where they've been leading their divisions most of the year but because Philadelphia squandered what was a double-figure lead against the Cardinals Kyler Murray and the Cardinals scored on every possession in the second half four touchdowns on four possessions in the second half at Philly yesterday and because of that the Eagles who've as I say they drop four of five now have the unenviable position of watching the Cowboys try to win this division next weekend so Dallas is on the road at Washington okay so not as great a team on the road as they are at home they're perfect at AT&T but the Cowboys can beat Washington who stinks let's be fair and really isn't even trying to compete right now the ownership group is already focused on the future that that doesn't mean the coaches and the players aren't trying but just that the ownership is not concerned with what happens the rest of this year so Dallas can win the NFC East with a victory in week 18 while Philadelphia who will be at MetLife Stadium against the Giants we'll talk about them in a second here Philadelphia has to hope the Cowboys lose the Eagles need both a win next weekend and a Cowboys loss or they are relegated to wild card status so for Nick Sirianni for Jalen Hurts I mean this is it's not where they wanted to be so Sirianni and the Eagles started out like a house on fire right but a backpedal they've never been as consistent offensively as what we expected from them so it's been a tough year for them offensively anyway I'm not sure they've ever really played up to their potential and back-to-back weeks but they did start out with the best record in the NFL and they were the reigning NFC champions but now in a position that's maybe unfamiliar to them I still believe in the guys in that locker room the players I still believe in the coaches we think we got the guys in this place to to get turned in the right direction we don't have much time obviously right we got one more game before playoff starts and you know we got we got to do everything we can do to get back on track this or this upcoming week thinking about ways we could have been better thinking about ways we could have been better been more efficient just really taking advantage of our opportunities you know that's the goal that's what we strive for strive to take advantage of everyone and no credit to them and in the way they played I hung in there I believe that similar to the Niners similar to the Chiefs actually the Chiefs are probably a better comparison right now the Eagles and Chiefs both have guys that have been there done that right not win the Super Bowl for the Eagles yet but they've been to the Super Bowl their leadership Nick Sirianni his coaching staff they've been through a couple of seasons together now obviously have had great success and and Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown and Devante Smith and Swift DeAndre Swift that's just the offensive side of the ball right the defensive line they're full of veterans they can play better they have a higher ceiling we just haven't seen it very consistently in 23 same thing with the Chiefs right the Chiefs win their eighth consecutive AFC West crown and maybe it means more to them because they've had to fight through adversity but with them it's been adversity they created they lead the NFL and drop passes it's constant penalties and mistakes and miscues even Patrick Mahomes not playing his best now does he have a receiving cord that isn't as good as what we've seen in the past sure but they're also averaging far fewer yards now per pass play or per game I should say than what they have in Patrick Mahomes career so does adversity sometimes make you stronger make you more battle test to prepare you for what's to come yes but as I've been frustrating to watch not just the Eagles but the Chiefs this season because of the missed opportunities I mean even on Sunday against the Bengals Patrick Mahomes knows that it was Harrison Butker going six for six that led them to victory I mean it's great when you have a kicker who can be relied on but that's not necessarily a formula that you want to use moving forward into the postseason offensively I thought we did a good job of just just letting the game come to us not trying to force it not trying to do too much obviously we had the one fumble in the first half but other than that if I guys did a great job and yeah we continue to get better in the red zone but I mean Harrison Butker he saved us man he knocked through so I think six field goals and when you have defense like that shut the doorman I mean that's how you to win football games everybody's been so positive through it and supporting each other I mean you've seen it on the sidelines guys support each other the want to by Chris Jones by Patrick by Kelce I mean and then the guys follow them and when they're you know when they bring that energy like they do every week I mean guys believe that it's gonna get changed Andy Reid deserves a ton of credit for being a glue guy right they love to play for Andy regardless of age and generation gap and whatever else he's got a great rapport with his guys and I really my personally think it's the loud Hawaiian shirts but what do I know I don't think that'll change for Andy Reid in 2024 he's got now what is it 10 10 win seasons in nine consecutive years that's incredible and here are the Chiefs not playing their best football this season and yet they've won eight division titles in a row which is right up there with the New England Patriots and what they did in the Belichick Brady tenure so the Chiefs end up as the AFC West champions though I know both Chiefs and Eagles fans are still left wanting more at least the Chiefs have locked up the division title and while they will likely go on the road at some point in this postseason that's if they they win after the first wild-card weekend well they're gonna have to face a road playoff game for the first time with the Patrick Mahomes era I lived era quote-unquote what is he the ripe old age of 27 and there's an era all right so we got a lot that we want to sift through here right we're doing the best we can as we head up to the top of the hour this these three and a half hours just flew by happy new year to you the Rams what the Rams are in the playoffs so we'll get to that coming up and also the college football playoff on New Year's Day so there is no money I football the NFL has graciously cleared the deck for college football to have the stage on this New Year's Day these are matchups that maybe people were angry about when the the final playoff rankings were revealed but can't be angry about it now Michigan Alabama Washington Texas and for the Longhorns their first trip to the playoff for Washington only their second so that should be one of those games in which you can't roll your eyes and say oh it's the same teams all the time Michigan Alabama though can't wait I'm making chili the hubs gets my chili for the first time I don't know this could be the end of a beautiful two-week relationship oh I sorry two-week marriage happy two-week anniversary babe we're so cheesy it's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio says here that Graybar is a distributor yeah we support electrical and datacom projects all over the country so you can get me the products I need where and when I need them yeah thanks to our national logistics network any industry yeah construction industrial plants schools hospitals so you could say Graybar is much more than a distributor yeah you could say that when you need a hand powering connecting or maintaining your operations doing the thousands of professionals rely on Graybar to help keep them up and running yeah Graybar does that hello listeners and welcome to the end of the year edition of the hey did you know podcast so you're ending holidays hey did you know Americans eat 1.4 billion pounds of turkey every Thanksgiving well year-end also means the Hyundai getaway sales event hey did you know it's the best deals of the season on Hyundai's most popular vehicles well isn't that interesting and since we were talking turkey hey did you know only male turkeys gobble hey did you know every new Hyundai comes with America's best warranty and three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance hey did you know the Statue of Liberty is the largest holiday gift ever given hey did you know when the year ends so do the deals December 30th is national bacon day you know it's your journey on every mile at the Hyundai getaway sales event sign and drive a 2024 Hyundai Palisade with zero down zero first month's payment and zero security deposit now during the Hyundai getaway sales event offer ends January 2nd call 5 6 2 3 1 4 4 6 0 3 for details deck your home with clients calm DIY or let us install free design consultation plus free samples and free shipping the holidays aren't over celebrate big savings at blinds.com biggest year in blowout they invented a better way to buy custom window treatments 100% online with upfront pricing no showroom markups or misleading quotes from pussy salespeople go right down to blinds.com satisfaction guaranteed hurry to blinds.com biggest year in blowout and save 40% site-wide get 40% off right now at blinds.com rules and restrictions may apply you know that big bargain detergent jug is 80% water right 80% water I thought I was getting a better deal because it's so big if you want a better clean Tide Pods are only 12% water the rest is pure concentrated cleaning ingredients Oh pass me the intercom thing don't pay for water pay for clean if it's got to be clean it's got to be Tide Pods water content based on the leaving bargain liquid detergent the coup in motion left to right hand off straight ahead Kyron Williams following his surge he breaks the plate and he's got a touchdown touchdown Kyron Williams touchdown LA first down and goal handoff straight ahead Kyron Williams punches it in 80 yards on the completion to Nakua and the final two belong to Kyron Williams hands off right side Kyron Williams cuts it up the hash mark breaks it right side five end zone Kyra's got a hat trick Williams leaps into the stands to celebrate his third score of week 17 follow Amy Lawrence on Twitter after hours or anytime her Twitter handle is at a law radio and what I want to know is where are you and how are you listening on this New Year's morning just got this from Donna listening in Vancouver not British Columbia Vancouver Washington on local radio 750 the game on the I heart app happy new year to you Donna someone who's been listening for a long time Edward says Detroit Michigan 91.7 the ticket second time the Lions were robbed in Dallas if you missed my discussion slash opinions on the Lions Cowboys game from Saturday night you have to catch the podcast we always post the link at some point during the daytime but it's easy to find just Google after hours with Amy Lawrence the podcast and it'll pop up you could bookmark it then once you find it but it was the top of our third hours on top of our number three so Edward happy New Year's to you listening in Detroit let's see another one from San Francisco just got done with work great show as always always nice to hear from people who've been listening for a very long time and then this one is TJ happy new year listening on radio sports channel in South Carolina but as a Pittsburgh fan oh one more in Knoxville Tennessee listening on 99.1 the sports animal so a law radio or after hours CBS and then our Facebook page to after hours with Amy Lawrence if you missed it this is actually our birthday as a network we went on the air for the first time January 1st 2013 at 1201 a.m. Eastern Time which of course was before the new year began on the west coast however we have survived or we were a fledgling startup network we had amazing bosses with great vision and innovation and for me it was leap of faith but best career move I ever made I wouldn't trade it for the world even though it was scary at the time hella scary at the time and now here we are starting year number 12 and for me it is actually year number 12 on after hours year number 10 10 you guys on this particular time slot five nights a week so that's nearly unheard of in our business and I never thought I would say that so really happy to be part of this network still congratulations to my colleagues especially the ones who like me go back to the very beginning and also we appreciate our bosses and then your support so again on Twitter after hours CBS or our Facebook page love to hear from you on this New Year's Day the Los Angeles Rams are celebrating the new year with a playoff spot believe it or not they are one of the hottest teams in the NFL so the Rams with Matthew Stafford healthy now go into MetLife Stadium against the Giants and as much as Stafford can make any throw on the field still they love their rookie running back Kyron Williams a career high three touchdowns you hear them there with JB Long on Rams radio 87 yards it's not just the third straight victory for LA but their sixth in the last seven games this reminds me of the Lions from a year ago or the Jaguars from a year ago except the Rams with some of their key pieces do have like Aaron Donald Matthew Stafford part of their Super Bowl a couple years ago a lot of these guys are brand new though and under Sean McVay who of course guided them to that Super Bowl win they're learning it on the fly but because they hold off the Giants and also clinched us we'll see the Seahawks lose they clinch a wild card it wasn't a pretty game it was ugly at times they turn the ball over three times Stafford has a couple of interceptions but they go three for three in the red zone so it's again a young team they're learning as they go there's no shortcut to experience but they've got a solid foundation there in LA and they know how to put the pieces together interesting though the Giants as much as they don't have a whole lot to play for outside of a pride B jobs in the future and then I we had a caller earlier from New York because we're on WFAN in New York on this New Year's Day who said the Giants actually hurt themselves by winning but I never believe that I get that you're thinking draft capital and draft position but I never believe that the guys on the field or the coaches hurt themselves with a win and they gave it the effort until the very end did you guys see the if you haven't yet you should google it the Tyrod Taylor bombed Adarius Slayton that goes 80 yards why he was a rope that was late in the third quarter and then they have a punt return for a touchdown for Gunnar Olszewski that goes 94 yards so against that Rams defense slash special teams they had these two enormous plays 80 yards and 94 yards and there's 325 to go after their touchdown they're trailing 26 25 but instead of this is reminiscent of the Lions on Saturday night right instead of going for the PAT to tie it against the Rams on Sunday they go for two in the win now to me it makes more sense when you're the Giants you're doing it because what do you have to lose zero you might as well try to pick up that win the Lions as much as they've already clinched the NFC North to me they've got more to play for however this is who Dan Campbell is he loves fourth downs he loves going forward on fourth downs and he certainly loves the two-point conversions over the PAT he's aggressive that's who he is that's who the Lions are now but the Giants go for two in the win and there's this moment again if you haven't seen it google it Tyrod Taylor and Saquon Barkley are both well Barkley's kind of cutting through the line over to the right he's already into the end zone Tyrod is rolling over there now had he just kept going and followed Saquon he's easily into the end zone maybe he gets knocked over as he hits the goal line but he had full momentum and there was no way that anyone on the Rams was gonna get to him to prevent him from getting into the end zone so all he had to do was follow his running back that same trajectory right into the end zone and they've got the two-point conversion but there's this indecisive moment where he decides to throw it to Saquon now he sees him wide open decides to throw it but chucks it behind him it was an awkward kind of a throw he could have shoveled it I even said to my husband I could have made that throw again all you gotta do was just kind of chuck it up to him go left-handed if you want to that's how close you are to him but it was an indecisive throw and my gosh I'm seriously watching it right now on TV in front of me he was incredulous both hands to his helmet I can't believe I just missed that this is a throw that he can make in his sleep right and he had such a good game but on that in that moment he it was an indecisive type of the throw it was behind Saquon and they end up unable to get that to two-point conversion they end up with another try right in the last stages right Mason Crosby though from 54 yards his field goal is a whiff and so the Rams end up winning but give them credit the Rams have six sacks they have ten QB hits they made life difficult for the Giants and ultimately are back in the postseason at nine and seven so congratulations to the Rams and I know for Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford it's been a bit of a reset it's been a rebuild and yet here they are first of all a lot of credit to coach stable and the Giants they they gave us everything that we had and there's a lot of things that we can learn from we're never gonna take for granted you know being able to get wins and there was a lot of things that we tried to do to not win this game today but our guys found a way we obviously didn't play our best on the offensive side of the ball our defense did a great job you know getting some critical stops there late special teams was a huge factor in the game on both sides so just as a crazy game you know not the cleanest of football but found a way to win the game sometimes a win is a win is a win is a win and you know that come three weeks down the road four weeks down the road four years down the road how you want it doesn't matter so you take the win you get the heck out of Dodge but ultimately wins like this when you can win ugly that shows you're getting better as a team I once had a golf instructor tell me this when your bad shots start to get better so when your miss hits and your misfires start to get better and you can play them they're playable and you can actually win with bad strokes well then you're getting better as a golfer and I think that's the case for a team as well in this case a football team when your bad games are still wins when you're bad games or your games in which you don't play your best you still find a way to escape with the W well you know you're getting better overall on Twitter a law radio on our Facebook page to just saw this from Robin she's listening on the I heart app on the big island of Hawaii and the station is out of Harrisonburg Carleton in Lake Forest Illinois only a few miles from Chicago oh and actually from bears Hallis Hall he's listening on our great Chicago affiliate am 670 the score let's see another one listening on WF a n in New York sorry to hear your stomach pain but I hope you feel better soon and then Amy out of serious out of Shippensburg Pennsylvania serious XM heading to work for the holiday pay I like that Steven on the Odyssey app and said Pablo California congrats on the 2023 blessings good to hear from you all after hours with Amy Lawrence and we're gonna do a little bit of the college preview plus just kind of reset what we can we'll see if we work in a couple calls before the top of the hour every Sunday night into a Monday during football season this is my my conundrum how did I not get to everything how did I not get to everything I had four hours here's our latest sports update and here's Manny Rodriguez I'm Tony Kornheiser and this is my show my friends come on and you know them we talk about the sports you care about football and now basketball too though we don't really pay attention until later in the year and the absurdity that is our lives line etiquette at your local pharmacy the current phase of the moon the importance of talking to a human being on the phone and most importantly the power of a box of that listen on the Odyssey Apple wherever you get your podcast certainly we appreciate the opportunity to be playing in the college football playoff we appreciate the opportunity to be in the Rose Bowl and we certainly appreciate everybody's effort for the hospitality they've provided us and it's been a good experience for our players we're preparing the right way all the leaders are stepping up we have a player led group and they're doing a really good job with leading effectively and moving in the right direction that we need to be so we can be successful in this game and so I applaud our team with where we're at right now but we know that the job not done we were have unfinished business keep your radio locked in at home in the office or your car too and that's it that's all you need to know it's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS sports radio Thank You voice got happy new year to you and happy new year to college football fans what a way to ring in 2024 with the national semifinals not on New Year's Eve like they have been multiple times over the course of this current iteration of the playoff but on New Year's Day and that includes the Rose Bowl the one they call the granddaddy of them all right the college football playoff national semifinals begin at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena it's an incredible piece of property just walking on the property gives you chills or gives me chills and so it's the Crimson Tide is the number four team in the playoff guided by Nick Saban who who's won six national titles there at Alabama most successful program of the 21st century by far but not dealing from a position of strength unless you're talking about his experience the Michigan Wolverines they now are taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide regardless of public sentiment knowing that they've got a better record and that they are a team that's favored in this one they manhandled Iowa they've got now their third straight college football playoff so plenty of experience there as well and so these two figures in Saban and Jim Harbaugh maybe the most recognizable people in their entire state but certainly two of the ambassadors and longest tenured coaches in college football so the Crimson Tide and the Wolverines in the Rose Bowl and for Jim Harbaugh you know he's an odd duck at times he's obviously been through some ups and downs some highs and lows this season the whole suspension and all that jazz but exactly where he wants to be feel the team's in a good place and we're things things we've learned from being in this you know in this in this game for the last couple of years we're playing those I just pretty really locked in you know we're ready ready to go ready ready to to play JJ McCarthy is one of those quarterbacks that people are already evaluating will here won't he be successful in the NFL sometimes guys are made for college football and that's their bread and butter and it's not really about the future it's not about moving forward but he's certainly been the right man for Jim Harbaugh in that system I would call it growth I mean just better each day I see a better better today than he was yesterday better tomorrow than he was today it's just that's that's his mindset it's it's it's fun to be around it's infectious you know rubs off on everybody including including us coaches and me so it's interesting to to think about how these two teams got into the playoff right because Michigan they essentially bull rushed their way into this number one ranking first time in a long time but they have absolutely earned it beat Ohio State in their annual rivalry and then shut out Iowa for the Big Ten title Alabama comes at it from I don't want to say limping in because that's not fair Alabama beat Georgia in the SEC Championship on that crazy miraculous touchdown pass from Jalen Monroe to Isaiah Bond remember that was the fourth and 31 in their last game that was the Iron Bowl right to get into the SEC Championship and then they upset Georgia who'd won 29 straight so the back to back wins to wrap up their season put them where they are here is the number 14 but again compared to Michigan coming in from two opposite trajectories and angles it's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio the other matchup the national semifinal and right the winner of Michigan Alabama will then take on the winner of Washington Texas you're talking about decidedly less experience not that it matters but for Texas this is a resurgence of a program that is kind of gone around the mountain multiple times trying to find the right combination of coach the right combination of quarterback and leadership they've had obviously some incredible individual players come out of Texas even in what I call this like the wilderness stage for Texas where they've not been the power that they've been for so long now they're getting ready to make that jump to the SEC with Oklahoma and so their first trip to the playoff right because of whatever reason maybe it's being in the Big 12 not quite being the right team not the ability to win games and then sustain that a success as I say the leadership has changed a lot which has been a challenge for them do they finally have it right with Steve Sarkisian with Sark who of course came well he's been at Washington so his opponent but also has had some tutelage under Nick Saban which really resurrected his career and even though they've got a Manning on their roster it's been Queen Ewers for the most part for them as the starting quarterback and so have they found this right combo have they found the right formula are they building a winning culture moving forward that's sustainable well that falls on Sark but this is a huge step that's the exciting part to be part of this final four to be playing for a shot for a national championship you know I think that that's why our guys came to the University of Texas and so the idea that we're here this year is like I said a great honor it's a great accomplishment and so we're looking forward to the ballgame Monday night through everything that we've been through whether it been last year you know win a workout some workouts I think we always just rely on each other you know I keep saying this but we just are enamored with us and we're not focused on what other people are doing and you know what other opinions are you know if we if we were focused on that we'd go crazy I like how he says that we're enamored of us I feel like that's similar to what Tyree kills us about the Dolphins we love us we're all about us yeah so maybe this is it there's certainly some hope think around Longhorns fans even as they get ready for the SEC but some hope that this is the next huge step for them and it's not going to be one step forward two steps back because that's what it's felt like for these last few years as for Washington their second playoff at 13-0 right so they they know Sark well there at Washington but now led by Kaelin DeBoer and this is a I love the pack 12 wrinkle it's almost like thumbing your nose to the teams that are leaving well Washington as this division or this conference excuse me gets ready to break up Washington will have a chance to make this last big statement for the pack 12 a lot of new adventures for our guys you know being in this particular game in a national semifinal game first pack 12 not just the first UW team but first pack 12 team to ever be in the Sugar Bowl so a lot of exciting things we always just did our best to find a way to win you know that's that's what it's all about you know winning football games and we've been doing great at it so whatever we can to find a way to win you know that's what we've been doing Michael pedic's a lot of spotlight on him as well so Washington Texas the second game and it's gonna be fun to think about how it plays out right between the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl two incredibly iconic events and yet even more magnified on this New Year's Day before the pack 12 breaks up the SEC expands some more the Big Ten becomes a behemoth more than it already is and the transfer portal and the whole NIL lack of rules really do continue to drag college football into a place that we've never been before and on top of that the expanded playoff is coming whoo okay so that was a show it was four hours and there's still so much I didn't get to but I want you to know even as we get set for the end of the NFL regular season of the playoffs beyond that we're once again partnering with Southern recipes small-batch pork rinds this time heading to Vegas for Super Bowl 58 and so part of our show part of the next two months brought to you by Southern recipes small-batch pork rinds between this pork rind giveaway and delicious recipes you'll want to ask your friends to pass the pigs kit and you can do it at pork rind a.com we'll tell you more about it as we head through these next few weeks are you kidding me it's January 1st 2024 we've got one week left in the NFL regular season by the time you hear my voice later on tonight we will know the championship matchup in the college football playoff says here that Graybar is a distributor yeah we support electrical and datacom projects all over the country so you can get me the products I need where and when I need them yeah thanks to our national logistics network any industry yeah construction industrial plants schools hospitals so you could say Graybar is much more than a distributor yeah you could say that when you need a hand powering connecting or maintaining your operations doing the thousands of professionals rely on Graybar to help keep them up and running yeah Graybar does that hello 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