Roundtable time!!

One of my favorite things to do is check in with good friends. We've got Randy Slack in Wilmington and Josh Graham in Greensboro, Triad, Kernersville, wherever he is. I don't know because it's all on the internet and it's time for the roundtable.

Let's do it. There they are if you're watching on ESPN. I Wish was I out late last night at a hockey game until like 12 or so Last night if you're watching on WRAL Sports Plus There's Josh Graham sports hub tryout at Josh Graham radio And there's Randy Slack from ESPN Wilmington at our slack 37. All right, cause he's a big Andrei Svechnikov fan We're not starting with hockey. Well, you're not an Andrei Svechnikov fan.

Is that what you're trying to tell me? Like what? Why don't you like Andrei Svechnikov? I've just I've been a 37 guy since maybe since before Andrei Svechnikov was born So maybe one number maybe he is a Randy Slack fan.

I doubt that. No Why would you put anything past him? He's a smart young man All right, let's we'll start with college football and we'll start with the individual side of this So Drake May has been the best quarterback in college football for Probably the entire season people are just now noticing it and the numbers are Really glaring how good he is.

So tell me I'll start with you Randy. Tell me why he should or should not win the Heisman Well, he shouldn't win the Heisman just because he hasn't had the quote-unquote Heisman moment I love Drake May I've been a fan of him all season long But when you look at a freshman to try to win the Heisman they have to have that special Thing that they do like Johnny Manziel beat, Alabama He had that crazy game there Tim Tebow was Tim Tebow in Florida and it was exciting But Drake May as great as he's been Carolina hasn't really been in any high leverage games and he hasn't really done anything That's just been like oh my god. We have to watch that over and over again He's just been an incredible player all season long.

He has been an incredible player all season long We have data points left though, don't we? We have a few yeah Obviously if the if things go the way they're going for Carolina if he has a big ACC championship game I don't know when the voting is on the Heisman stuff, right? There's a if he is a great showing against Clemson. I think he is a legitimate opportunity that to me is his biggest I mean, obviously we care about the wolf pack and next week But the national spotlight isn't going to really be on that game.

Yeah No, not the Friday after Thanksgiving. It won't be especially when you got the Hurricanes and the Bruins Alright, Josh Graham same question to you. Why will he or Or why should he or shouldn't he win the highs? Two things need to happen in order for Drake May to win the Heisman Trophy What Randy was alluding they're alluding to there is true. You need to have that Heisman moment and You're gonna have a stage that neither Hindon hooker nor Bryce Young get because they're not playing in a conference championship That Saturday night against Clemson who at that time might be close to a top five top six team at that point Depending if there's some carnage the next few weeks That's the type of spot you can have an air quote Heisman moment. If you win the game, that's number one number two He needs CJ Stroud to lose if CJ Stroud has an unbeaten Buckeye season and beats Michigan and wins the Big Ten championship His stats are good enough and the stages he's been on are a lot bigger than the one Drake May's been on That he's going to win the award. So in order for him to have a shot him being Drake you need those two variables to break your way and even then You could start to have a conversation about if Ohio State's loss was to Michigan and Blake Corum's been really good We've seen in past years The committee has no problem given the award to running backs just ask Derrick Henry or Mark Ingram in the last dozen years All right. I'm at a loss for where CJ Stroud's Heisman moment is but Because I think the other part of that I'm not saying you're wrong, by the way I'm just saying he hasn't had that moment either. But the the reality is that for the same reason why For many people who know about college football That North Carolina is not Anything other than a fringe contender for the playoff if they go 12 and 1 because who they played Those stats same reasoning will be used against Drake May to say well CJ Stroud Ohio State third, but therefore he's the Heisman even though Drake May is the better player When you consider look at USC's resume Adam and put it side by side with North Carolina's Either USC is ranked five spots too high or North Carolina's ranked five spots too low The only justification for USC being five spots higher is because of their brand name and every year There's a there's a Bama Ohio State quarterback who's in this spot.

Well, I mean, what is the difference between the two? Well, one of them didn't get trucked by a mediocre team on their own field But one of them lost on a two-point conversion on the road at a top ten team That's I think it's a pretty big difference. No The fact is that they both played one ranked team and both of them lost to that ranked team No, those ranked teams. They lost two are pretty good right? I I get it. Yeah, pretty good now Notre Dame wasn't that then so we we have to apply some context when you play a team is Almost as important as who that team is and when Carolina played Notre Dame They were reeling they were coming off of several either losses or poor performances in wins lest I remind you that they nearly lost at home to Cal After also already losing at home to Marshall.

This is your right. You're right Adam, but the problem That's that's that's not reality of where we operate though No, but that's why that that's why we have that separation in the rankings No, because they can look at this logically, but it's but I would argue it's because of brand again because Nothing to do with it But hold one sec It's not just because Southern Cal fight on guy with a sword with a stupid hat on There's a there's an actual reason there's a practical reason for it You're right about the context But I guarantee you if it comes down to Clemson who is 12 and 1 with an ACC title Going up against Tennessee and there's one playoff spot I'm gonna hear everybody say well they beat LSU badly in Baton Rouge and no one's gonna give a rip about the context of when that loss happened for LSU No, I I love I actually think LSU was probably playing pretty well at that point anyway, but I'm I'm right No, I am so what? You can if you get off to a bad start it takes you a while to become a ranked team I'm not saying that they were this and frankly I'm not sure that I think Tennessee is going to be in the playoffs of a couple of things break for them Because they have two of the best wins on the board, you know, whether we think LSU is great or not It's still gonna be at worst the top 15 win on the road at their place and you have the win over, Alabama Which is still in the top 10 because Alabama apparently is it's it's impossible for them to be ranked any lower Which I maybe it's part of the system that we haven't read It's like Conference Champions get a certain amount of sway and that Alabama always has to be in the top 10 Randy slack. Have you heard anything here that you disagree with?

Viamently or should we move on? Well, first of all, I think Drake may another thing that goes against him is the fact he's a freshman and the voters can be Like well we can vote for him next year because he'll probably be even better or around the same level This whole argument on who's a good win. Who's a bad loss when you play a team This is all just more proof that we need to expand the playoff and just put all the really good teams in and let them Play each other instead of having a beauty contest and figuring out of beating a team in October What is better than beating a team in November? These are these are completely unrelated statements now So I can't allow this to go unchecked Randy slack all we're doing with we're gonna end up with the same 14 now, this is a weird year This is the first time in a long time in the in the playoff era the 14 playoff era Which is really just a bloated BCS, but this is the first time that we have ever had where it wasn't obvious Obvious who the teams were going to be science proves quality sleep is vital to your mental emotional and physical health the sleep number 360 smart bed senses your movements and Automatically adjust to help keep you both effortlessly comfortable and it's temperature balancing.

So you stay cool So you're your best for yourself and those you care about most life-changing sleep only from sleep number Don't miss our weekend special say 50% on the sleep number 360 limited edition smart bed plus special financing ends Monday to learn more go To sleep number.com special financing subject to credit approval minimum monthly payments required see store for details Not last year. No, no, the the only the the only question ever is the is the fourth team Everything else is pretty much obvious Who the two the the first three teams are it's the fourth team. That is always a little bit Yeah, I'm not sure but then by the time all the games are played Everybody sure they haven't gotten it wrong yet. They've made zero Or were you are you gonna are you gonna go Ohio State in in the first one?

Is that what we're gonna know? I'm gonna I'm gonna go Ohio State the year. They didn't win the Big Ten and Penn State should have gotten in Penn State Ohio but somebody should well, somebody else should have gotten in Ohio State gets in they don't win their conference They shouldn't get shut out against Oregon so that was it I was a great call, you know That was a good what what happens in the games? I I always separated it anything can happen in a game Right, Ohio State got in the first year at number four and they kicked everybody's rear end Right. Yeah that and they kicked everybody's rear end with like their what their eighth quarterback Well wasn't right. He was I don't he was Right, and the big argument always got it he should go pro should have gone pro shouldn't come back but That was the only one that was semi controversial. I mean if you lose twice Apparently unless you're in the SEC Then you're not going it's just it's just that simple But Penn State did win the right game when they beat Ohio State during the regular season so they ended up winning the division and they go to They go to and they ended up winning the Big Ten title, but it's alright They they kind of knew going in but the only people who weren't complaining Penn State wasn't complaining Until after the well after the fact they didn't complain about it I lived in Pittsburgh at the time. I heard a lot of complaining.

Yeah from Pittsburgh, but not James Franklin Jay James James Franklin was like, yeah, we know we're just we're just here to play a game Which is fine. I got I had no problem with it, but and Now I completely lost my train of thought. Why did you do that to me Randy?

Why'd you make me mad? So I lost no, it's fine look, I think ultimately Tennessee's gonna Tennessee probably will be the biggest beneficiary if UCLA does the thing this week and makes the pac-12 champion Moot, right because if everybody's got two losses, they're not sending a team to the playoff I think Clemson's only Argument to it. Is that their schedule is going to look better Than North Carolina's they both got blown out by Notre Dame But don't count out Clemson don't count out the ACC Adam how many times I'm not counting Clemson out Well, I all I hear is if Tennessee if it comes down to Tennessee and Clemson It's a no-brainer that Tennessee's gonna get in and usually the last ten spots pay attention to what the committee does they Usually use those last ten spots to justify what they want to do and the fact they kept NC State in this week and kept Florida State keep moving them up and Notre Dame keeps coming up and the fact that they were ranked number four when the first ranking Came out a lot of people not you but a lot of people were writing off Clemson. I think that's where we're headed I think we're headed towards Tennessee 11 and one Clemson 12 in a 12 in one ACC champ one spot who gets it and I don't think it's a lot that the Big orange team from Knoxville is gonna be the yarns team.

I don't think it's a lock either and uh If NC State wins this week, maybe they'll move up far enough where a loss to North Carolina won't knock them out But I don't think Clemson would need that Clemson would have North Carolina and they would have Florida State if Florida State beats, Florida State's gonna end up around 15 and they're gonna have two really nice-looking wins and the ugly loss to Notre Dame where they were non-competitive Although that game really changed on a block point. All right Let me move to NC State this this has all been very fun so far So I'll ask you the same question. I asked somebody before Randy when when ten years from now when you've got your your your granddaughter and she's she's bouncing on your knee and She says dad granddad What happened to NC State in? 2020 and 2022 What will you tell you first of all, I don't know how old you think I am I'm only 38, so I'm a little insulted.

I said ten years from now 48 I don't even have my own kid, but that's not the question you asked me. I'm sorry. I Feel like this is what we run into with NC State It's a team that there's times there's hope and it's like this is it this is when they're really gonna do something in football and Usually it happens mid-season and it's like oh this is turned into a good year this time It was the preseason. We were like, oh, this is you know, Leary the court They finally have they have a big-time quarterback to go with this defense.

They did here. We are another disappointing wolf pack team that is just like I Don't know when they needed to win. They just didn't Well, that is true They had they had their opportunities Josh you have you have a thought on what happened in NC State this year I'd say listen well sit on Grandfather's lap here.

Let me tell you about a little thing called NC State stuff. Oh, please Where where I should shut your camera Where you look like you're dead in the wall I should shut your camera off right now for that NC State stuff garbage you beat Wake Forest and man this add this to Jillio's law of the wolf where Now always be weary of Boston College always when you play Boston College after a big win Especially if it's at home that you should be terrified of this Isn't that what nuke Tom O'Brien to towards the end of his tenure a home loss to Boston? Well, he they almost they were really big They were losing big to Maryland and it was almost over for Tom O'Brien a year before it was over. I think but Yeah, that was an unacceptable loss.

It really was and and It for me and I've been saying this all year. I think approach is as big a problem for NC State as anything and sometimes like if if you're going to take the conservative route the safe route more often than not You better know that you have better players than the other team and they have to be significantly better So you don't leave things up to chance and that's what they did against Boston College. They just assumed I think there was a Fair amount of arrogance that when they went through BC in the first two drives like poop through a goose They just figured oh, we're just gonna roll here and then they played basically played the rest of the game With the sense that oh, we're much better than them and BC didn't go away BC kept scratching and clawing and they just they hung around and it was a Seven point game. Oh What ten point game at the half then state didn't do anything with the gift turnover early in the second half kicked another field goal and that was it in score touchdown on BC in the second half and I think part of that is mindset. They have to get out of that They'll they accepted a field goal at Clemson after Clemson started the game with their own field goal. Why wouldn't you go I mean Change your offensive philosophy Maybe not to fit your personnel But to fit the moment you had an opportunity Who cares that if you lose at Clemson if you have a chance to win you got to go for it I don't think they went for it It's that crazy either one of you. I'm still hung up on poop through a goose.

Did you get that from Logan? No, actually, it's It's it's a different word than poop the way my wife says it You play the win the game, you know, right go after it and I don't think there's enough of go after it There hasn't been there wasn't at the end of the BC game But I think they're gonna beat Louisville this weekend and I think really I do and I think state Carolina is gonna be a heck of a lot of fun. They still have a great defense. They can still look what they did to wake They still have a great defense they can get after they can get after the quarterback They can cause some problems. The defense is playing better. I still wouldn't call it good, but it's playing better All right Finally you have World Cup picks Josh Um, I think it's probably gonna be the favorites it's you know favorites are do you Either Argentina or Brazil just because you you look at this tournament you imagine if Messi won a World Cup, he finally won some world event Neymar.

They did. What was it? What did they beat Brazil? Was it Copa? Copa, Copa America Right, they finally win and Neymar felt so bad for Messi these rivals Brazil and Argentina that Neymar was like President science proves quality sleep is vital to your mental emotional and physical health The sleep number 360 smartbed senses your movements and automatically adjusts to help keep you both effortlessly comfortable and it's temperature balancing So you stay cool So you're your best for yourself and those you care about most life-changing sleep only from sleep number Don't miss our weekend special say 50% on the sleep number 360 limited edition smart bed plus special financing ends Monday to learn more Go to sleep number calm special financing subject to credit approval minimum monthly payments required see store for details Anticipation is building.

The holidays are just around the corner and at the Home Depot We can't wait with Black Friday's savings all through November you can count down to Christmas early with a Santa countdown inflatable special buy only $69.98 or anticipate when friends and family come to visit with an entrance full of LED lights that will welcome them and The holidays with open arms get the holiday magic started early the Home Depot how doers get more done? Come on It isn't to say there isn't gonna be surprises in this tournament I mean just look at the United States's group Lord knows what's gonna happen in that group and who's gonna get through But I think I think when you get to the end Especially given the circumstances surrounding this World Cup and where it's being played this year I think the the most talented teams are going to be the ones that show out at the end It sounds like a boring answer, but I think it's going to be either Brazil or Argentina And I don't know which of the two gonna win Now see I would go I think that the divide is more with France and Brazil and kind of everybody else the defending champs France brings back a ton of people Brazil Copa Americana, I think won 18 of 19 matches if you win 18 19 in South America, that's pretty good That's gonna be a really really tough team Team USA like I don't know Are we getting out of the group? Are we getting at a group B? Are we getting at a group B? I feel like we're the NC State of the World Cup. Oh man Come on United States stuff. Yeah, they They can't lose to Wales I don't think they'll lose to Wales, but I don't think they'll Randy if France wins the World Cup I will buy you a beer that's still allowed in the States, right?

Yes. See that's I was gonna close I was gonna close with that very quickly Should FIFA be mad that Qatar decided at the 11th hour? You know what beer sales? Nah Should FIFA be mad? No, FIFA can't be mad because they completely sold out to the Qatar government and showed how corrupt they were when they decided to give A World Cup. Let's not forget when the World Cup was awarded there they were still under the understanding that they were gonna play this during the summer until they weren't and they were still under the Understanding until this week that beer was gonna be sold. Yeah until it wasn't it turns out when you do business with a shady Saudi Arabian government Probably probably not the most trustworthy outfit Now now you're the one you're the one that can't complain when you decided to go there FIFA should cut a 75 million dollar check back to Budweiser Now I have heard and this could be hashtag not fake news But I've heard that if you're the VIPs and the hospitality, you know sweets There is still alcohol which to me the Adam Gold Adam Gold the most FIFA thing ever That the rich people are still gonna get everything that they want But all the the regular people that are as regular as you can be at the World Cup and Qatar Those people don't get the alcohol I'm sure they're that's not gonna come up at any point where all the people drinking non-alcoholic beer gonna be like Hey, all the rich people upstairs are just boozing up No problem chances that there's Budweiser in the suites of all these stadiums. Probably not great Come on we got to go there you got to go there with I don't think he's rooting for Messi by the way, that's Josh Graham sports hub tryout at Josh Graham radio. That's Randy slack ESPN Wilmington at our slack 37 cuz he's a huge Andrei Svechnikov fan. We'll talk to you guys again soon. Thanks, man Thank you The Wendy's $3 breakfast deal is here get a bacon or sausage egg and Swiss croissant plus a small seasoned potatoes That's a better breakfast for just three bucks in three easy steps one wake up To get out of bed and three head to Wendy's for your $3 breakfast deal choose wisely choose Wendy's $3 Breakfast a limited time only participating us Wendy's during breakfast hour select a request $3 breakfast He won't order to obtain discount not valid for all card or combos orders price and participation may vary in Alaska and Hawaii