11.4.22 - JR Interview with Emory Hunt

Is there something really absurd that skews you out? Getting a paper cut on my eyeball. A fear you can't shake? I'm gonna leak ocular fluid on my cheeks.

It's gonna go into my mouth and I will perish. Whatever scares you, I wanna talk about it. Join me, Larry Mullins, on my new podcast, Your Weirdest Fears. Listen and subscribe to Your Weirdest Fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast from. Catch up later, there's a lot to listen to.

So get started and download the free Odyssey app today. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief on CBS Sports Radio. That's right, it's the JR Sport Brief show here with you on CBS Sports Radio. We got a jam-packed weekend. World Series is going on, NFL is in its midway point. The NBA is a topic of conversation for a variety of reasons. And also, we probably have the biggest game of the college football season. So far, taking place tomorrow between Georgia and Tennessee. We know that we've had the first rankings of the college football playoff released. We got a lot going on as we head into the stretch run here. And to have that conversation, we are being joined right now by no one other than someone who I say is an expert because he is. He's a color analyst, he's a speaker, covers everything.

College football for CBS Sports HQ as well as Sportsline. It's my main man, Emery Hunt. How are you, man? I'm cool, man.

How's everything going? I appreciate you having me on. No doubt, no doubt.

Looking forward to having you on every Friday as we get down the stretch here in the college football season. Obviously, we know about the big game I just mentioned. Undefeated Georgia, undefeated Tennessee, both eight, no.

This is, I don't want to say this is for all the marbles. This will obviously determine or help determine who will be ranked number one. What is the ultimate importance for the winner and loser of this game?

You know, that's a great question. I feel like the ultimate, a lot of people will obviously say to win the game. But I feel like the ultimate goal for both because everything is so style points based is to show well. What both are hoping for outside of them winning the game is that they show well, that they play competitive, that this game comes down to the wire to where you could make a case that, oh, man, if so and so would have did this, then they could have won the game. You want that type of matchup, that type of game for this matchup, similar to what we saw Tennessee and Alabama have. So therefore, you know, projecting forward, you can say, okay, if this is something that played well now, imagine what could happen if you saw this matchup again in the playoffs. And that's what they're ultimately hoping.

That's what the FEP is hoping as well, too. Absolutely. Emory Hunt is here with us from CBS Sports HQ, All Things College Football. Who are you favoring in the game, man? I'm leaning towards Tennessee, man. I feel like because of their offense, you know, how many plays they're able to run during a normal football game, we're seeing maybe 60, 65 plays, but Tennessee is upwards toward 80. And so you figure an extra quarter, quote unquote, of Georgia playing defense, that wears you down, man. And the fact that they are able to get so many plays in at a high execution rate, I just feel like because they are attacking this defense like you would attack an Alabama defense, you got to be afraid and not afraid to throw the football against a defense like this and like them.

And we've seen them proven to be not afraid. So I think that's going to be a problem for Georgia. It's going to force Georgia to play sort of a fast, great type offense. I don't think Georgia's built that way this season, especially outside of their tight ends. So I feel like this is just a bad matchup in our life, Tennessee.

I can hear that. We know Hooker basically leading the way for Tennessee. Will this stamp him as the Heisman winner if he shows out tomorrow?

Is there anybody else that would still be at his heels? That you know what's funny, man? Last time we talked, it's the same thing. It's just the fact that we are as a people conditioned to focus on what we saw last. And if we see Hinton Hooker go out, think about how much we started to talk about Hinton Hooker after what he did against Alabama. So imagine now a couple of weeks later against Georgia doing the same thing and having the same game and winning the game as well. You could pretty much stamp his number one lock spot as the Heisman winner.

Because games like this, these quote unquote Heisman moments, they matter. And if he is able to do it against both Alabama and now Georgia, you can say you almost write his name in on that trophy because he's going to take home back to Tennessee. Emory Hunt is here with us.

The JR Sport Brief show, CBS Sports Radio. When you think about some of the other teams that are currently ranked in the playoff, we know the Vols are number one. Ohio State is there at two. Clemson rounds things out at number four. There have been a lot of people talking about TCU being the Cincinnati this year, being the, I don't want to say the little engine that could, but being the one that might be left out.

What are your thoughts on Clemson, what DJ Ooyang Lele has been able to do? And kind of that next line up of teams moving into Michigan, etc. You know, that's the one team when you look at the four playoff spots.

So you think, all right, this is a team will be the weakest link in my opinion. I don't think Clemson is number four type talent right now this year. So TCU does have an opportunity. But for TCU, in order to usurp Clemson, two things have to happen.

One, Clemson will have to lose. And two, TCU can't find themselves getting down in games and playing these back and forth type of games. They got to start really winning these style points match up. So they got to blow out their opponents. They got to make sure they win significantly. Like they play Texas Tech tomorrow. They got to really blow the doors off Texas Tech where it's not even in doubt. And so if they start to stack these impressive wins, these eye test victories, then they can help them take over a team like Clemson. Otherwise, they're going to need Clemson to lose and they're still going to have to win out. But I feel like Clemson to me, out of the power five programs, they are the weakest link.

I would feel more confident in someone if someone put USC right there as opposed to Clemson, because I just feel like Clemson quarterback situation just doesn't yield itself to really winning one or more in the playoffs. We've seen progression, I mean, year over year, I could say for Ooyangulale. What's missing from his game to take that next step to reach that top two, three, four? I feel like it's just the consistency. We'll see flashes, you'll see the wild throw, the tight window throw. You'll see the running ability that has now been added towards his game.

Now they're actually incorporating that more so into the offense than years before. But it's just consistency. You don't know what you're going to get from series to series. And at least he's progressed from a throw to throw basis. But series to series, you want to see him at least be able to be flat lining. And that for you won't have to worry about the questions of Cleveland coming into the ball game.

And so for me, it's just a consistency from him, series to series, that really limits him from being someone you could buy all into. Emory Hunt is here with us from CBS Sports HQ College Football Expert. We saw an ass whooping, like a literal physical ass whooping last weekend in a tunnel in Ann Arbor between the Spartans and the Wolverines. There were a lot of callers earlier this week who weren't happy with how Michigan State handled that situation despite suspending eight of their players and some of the charges that will be pressed.

What does Michigan do into the future, if anything, to prevent that from happening? Or was that just a one-off between two fierce rivals? I feel like that was just a one-off because we haven't seen that from them two ever. Usually, if you're going to see a fracas who's going to be on the field and it'll quickly get separated, or maybe it happens before the game where both teams are stretching and they meet up at the middle and start drawing at each other.

That seemed personal, that seemed like an individual-based type thing. Therefore, I'm willing to attribute that to a one-off because I'm pretty sure next year's game, they'll have measures in place where we won't even see them come together as a group because of this situation. I don't think it's something that we're going to have to worry about moving forward. On the field for the Wolverines, between Harbaugh and his future, which is seemingly always discussed in his race, what do you foresee taking place with them the rest of the year? I like Michigan, man. I feel like they play the closest style to the old-school SEC. They're able to run the football extremely well. They're built well on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

And now, they have the added element of the dual-threat quarterback in McNamara. So for me, they give you more of a problem than your average Big Ten team. So this is a dangerous Michigan team. This team, I think collectively, is better than the Michigan team we saw last year in the playoffs that got beat down by Georgia. So I like the way this team is built.

I like the way they've been battle-tested throughout the season. I think they're going to be a strong out in the playoffs and get in and make some noise. They have a chance to get to the title game based on how they're built and where they're different at this year.

Like I said, the quarterback position gives you more of a dual threat. But that added element just enhances their run game. They seem to be locked in to try to finish what they started last year. They didn't like how they got exited out the playoffs. So I think this team has a little bit more focus going forward.

They're not just going to be happy to be there. Last question for you, Emery. We got a lot of other games that take place tomorrow.

Anything else that we need to pay attention to, whether it be a player or game, as the season gets into the stretch run? While you talk about highest in trophy contenders and finalists, Alabama versus LSU. If LSU wins this ball game with Jake Daniels at quarterback with how well he has played the last couple of weeks and building that momentum, LSU wins. They go to number one in the Western division and can pretty much write their own ticket and would face the one out of Georgia, Tennessee in the SEC title game. So this game in Baton Rouge is going to be huge.

So I think that's the game everyone needs to be watching. I think LSU gets them. I'm down here in New Orleans covering stuff for CBS all day tomorrow and Sunday.

That's the Cesar Sportsbook at the Harris Casino in New Orleans. And there's a lot of LSU fans and Bama fans staying at this hotel is going to make that drive that 40 minute, hour drive out to Baton Rouge and it's supposed to be raining all day tomorrow. So bad weather, close game. I think LSU has a chance to really pull off the upset.

Yeah, and that also bad weather or not, that's not going to stop any of the partying out there. Let me ask you a question. Are those fans, are they still out there chanting those dirty words out of the opposition? Right now at this time of the night, they all are full of that liquid courage. You know it's coming out loudly at each other because they all buffed up off that liquid energy that they're getting right here.

Okay, yeah, we want to call it energy. Emery, I appreciate you for joining us. Where can people keep up with you, follow you and all your great commentary? Follow me on social media at Twitter, on Twitter at fballgameplan. YouTube.com slash footballgameplan, smash that subscribe button. But keep it locked on CBS Sports HQ. You'll see me there all day, all the time, especially this weekend, covering college football and NFL, Saturday and Sunday. Looking forward to it. Thank you so much to Emery Hunt for joining us.

We're definitely going to have him back next weekend and continue the conversation. Throughout the 60s and 70s. What makes your skin crawl? No matter how absurd, I want to know.

Tails without fur on them, such as rats or opossums. I'm Larry Mullins, the host of a new podcast called Your Weirdest Fears. You send me your fear.

I'm just so weirded out about the texture and how they can just move around and flop. And then I go to the experts to learn how to overcome them. Listen and subscribe to Your Weirdest Fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast from. Football season is here. The new Odyssey app lets you stay connected to your NFL team, your station, your shows, follow your favorite stations and come back again and again. Get real time updates on everything you care about.

Miss your show? Jump back to their awesome re-wide feature. The Odyssey app is NFL football, live and on demand. Wherever you are, whenever you want. And do we mention it's all free? Download the Odyssey app today. I'm Larry Mullins, and I'll see you in the next video.