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PC Mag Reader's Choice used with permission. All rights reserved. Good. Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the Winklerverse, the first episode.
of twenty twenty six. Features who else? Then Ryan Horvod. Horvod, good to have you. Back.
How's your uh year going so far? Lazy. I haven't really done a whole lot. In fact, I was getting ready to wake up and go to the gym. And then you texted, Do you want to do picks?
And I was like, Yeah, talk some college football and do some picks. But all I've done is eat. And uh and drink. Yesterday we were going to do A college football post-game show. I told you I would jump on with you.
And you were like, you know, if you're not blacked out. And I was like, oh, I won't even be drinking. Yeah. I started drinking yesterday at like 11 a.m. All the way through.
That's when the game started. You had to. Right, yeah. And I mean, if you had money on Texas Tech yesterday and you had to watch that offense. You needed a couple beverages.
It's funny though, because you texted me and you were like, How much are we throwing down on Texas Tech? And I said, I really love. old miss tonight. What scares me about tech is everybody's betting Texas tech. Dan Lanning.
Tweet and then an anti-tech tweet. I didn't know where you landed.
Well, I was like, I like tech because they have the best defense in the country. Like, Jacob Rodriguez, they're pass rushers, they're insane. But my concern was. You know, they didn't play anybody all year. And in the two games where they actually played legit defenses, Baron Morton was terrible.
And he was awful yesterday. That was my concern. How many points are they going to be able to score against Oregon?
So I liked the under in the game. That was the only one that I lost yesterday, Texas Tech. That was more just like I was cheering for him, you know, the ultimate underdog, just like I was last year with Arizona State. Which is funny because I don't even like the Big 12. I should have just bet Oregon.
They're clearly the better team. I did bet Oregon this morning, plus four and a half. I grabbed the four and a half against Indiana. I just Dan Lanning is a defensive genius. He's a madman.
They're aggressive, they're going to go for it on fourth down. And I really do like Dante more. I think he's going to be a solid pro.
So I like Oregon to at least cover. I did have Indiana yesterday that ruled, but man, tech really let me down. The offense that. That set football back 30 years, you know. Let me throw two quick things at you before my bigger piece about the college football.
Landscape as it is. One, Here is my ranking of the Pac-12 schools that feel most like Big Ten schools.
Okay. One is Oregon. Yeah. Four is UCLA. And then I Think.
I think I still have Washington over USC. But I could be Swayed on that.
So right now I'm going to go Oregon, Washington, USC, UCLA. Pac-12 schools that feel the most like Oregon feels like a Big Ten school to me. Yeah, that's why I love the Dan Lanning hire. And I mean... UCLA does not at all.
They also, dude, I mean, their OC is the real deal. That system, I mean, Bo Nix was completing 80% of his passes when people thought he was a dud. Dylan Gabriel was really good last year. He was the Heisman pretty much for the first seven, eight weeks of the season. That offense is really good.
They're really aggressive. But I agree with you because, you know, like years ago, remember like marcus mariota dennis dixon the chip kelly teams They were like speed. They seemed like a Pac-12 team. They didn't play a whole lot of defense. But like they completely changed that culture where their run game is the best in college football.
They could obviously still throw the ball on you, but their defense is damn good. And again, that's what scared me betting tech because everybody was like, Tech's defense is so good, Tech's defense. Oregon's defense and that pass rush. Is legit. Baron Morton, he was seeing ghosts yesterday.
So I agree with that. They've. They've kind of like retooled the program to where they're more of a Big Ten school. The travel sucks, though, if you're in the Big Ten, but. Yeah, I would agree with those rankings.
UCLA. Doesn't just doesn't feel right. Still doesn't feel right. And nobody cares. The other thing I wanted to throw at you, doesn't 2026 Seem like 30 years into like 2025.
I don't know. We got to 2000 and 2010 and 2020, and we're at 2025. And okay, but now we're in 2026. Like that feels like the future to me. Does that make sense?
It does, but like, there's really not a whole lot of, I mean, other than like grok or whatever taking off people's clothes. There's no problem. The only thing you do at parties is say a vulgar insult at New Year's Eve party. That's a terrible Elon Musk.
Well, it's just so weird. Hello, I Elon Musk. The technology is obviously. Advanced, right? But like...
It's nothing that we hope for. We can't fly anywhere. We can't teleport anywhere. You know, we have robots, but they're mostly just online. Yeah, it does seem like we're.
I mean, we're getting old. Old as shit. Last night, I couldn't. I fell asleep in the third quarter for like 10 minutes. That game was awesome.
I've had two tweets in the last two weeks. One called me a boomer, and one called me another old white man trying to get his way. And I'm just like, shit, they might be right. 41. I think they're right.
I think I am a boomer and I am a I am an old white man.
Somebody called me unk before at the old company, one of the younger producers. Unk. And I was like, God damn, I guess I have reached Unk status. It hits, it sneaks up on you. It hits you really quickly, though, right?
Like some nights I still feel like I'm 23 years old. Oh, yeah. And then sometimes I feel like I'm every bit of. 40, 40 years old. And last night was one of those nights during the day, going strong.
My wife was like, But we went out to eat. My wife was like, I'm not sitting here until 11:30. You've been out all day. We got to go home and watch the game. And I was like, that's the death trap.
Our couch is just too comfortable. Every time I sit in that couch, I go down. I could be watching the best movie. It sucks. I used to get mad at people too, especially my dad.
If we watched movies and he would fall asleep, I'd be like, just go to bed then. You know, like, you're not gonna wake up every five minutes. Like, you know, I'm becoming that guy, though. I took my kid to AEW a couple of weeks ago. The pay-per-view ended at like, 1245 a.m.
And I was like, oh my God, this thing just won't end. I get tired. Get tired early. Um The other thing was just an overall thing on college football, and then we'll have some NFL picks. Um I've taken great joys.
In two things in this last week. One Is Jokic getting hurt? And now everyone's like, oh, the 65 game thing. We shouldn't have it because Jokic does get treated a certain way in the NBA by the media. And it's I just I want things to become clear.
All my little conspiracies that are not conspiracies, I want them to become clear. Like the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl, this is what I was trying to say yesterday. The Rose Bowl is a great game. It is a great thing.
It is New Year's Day. It is college football. I love it. But. It is still overrated.
Even if it's a 9.5 out of 10. Too many people think it's an 11 out of 10. And big rows, what they do is every game that they have announcers. They have them behind a backdrop that says ESPN or Fox or CBS. But in the Rose Bowl, they make sure they're turned so you can see the background.
There's a lot of other great backgrounds that you could have. You could do this in Pittsburgh. You can do this in Colorado. You could do this all over the place. You could even do it at Lambeau Field.
But only for the Rose Bowl do we see that two-shot. The thing about this Football playoff so far is that the SEC is a bunch of bums. The SEC is a bunch of bums. Indiana. Winning gambler says Siggy for the natty.
Indiana. Smoking Alabama in the way that they did. I think is the greatest thing that's ever happened in college football. in the last 25 years. It took everything out of me not to get on social media and just start chirping at Clay Travis.
Every single year, though, the Big Ten. Takes the SEC. To the woodshed. Just the better conference.
Well, where, and somebody, somebody tweeted like. Where is this man? And it was Paul Feinbaum. Yeah. And I haven't seen him.
Like, I know it's the holidays, but, bro. This is your week. Where are you? We're out here Busting our ass? Yeah, I don't know, man, but I mean Michigan a couple years ago, Ohio State last year.
Right? It's just It's the way that it's been going here. I love beating the SEC. The only school from the Big Ten I can't cheer for. Is Ohio State.
Like, fuck them for life, especially, you know, for last year in the national title game. What sucks for me is just Notre Dame. Notre Dame would have won it all. Um They had the third best odds. And I'm not going to sit here and complain because you got to beat Miami or Texas AM.
You had to win one of those two games, but they were a much different team, especially the defense. The defense was horrendous. They also had a brand new defensive coordinator, right? Like CJ Carr, that was his first start. On the road against Miami, and they only lasted.
I hope schools don't start ducking them. Punishing them for not being in a conference. I The the thing like Notre Dame Not being at a conference is such a weird. But unique Like college football, there's a lot about college football that sucks. But it's unique, so it doesn't suck.
Imagine any of the, like, do you want college football to be the NFL or do you want it to have its quirks? And Notre Dame not being in the conference, I think, is I like it. I like it. I don't want them to join a conference. I feel like after this year, oh, I thought Marcus Freeman was going to take an NFL job, but he's back for at least one more year.
And I thought they would probably, you know, here eventually join a conference. I mean, what do we want them to do, though? Join the ACC? They beat the living shit out of all the ACC teams, minus. The Miami loss this year, but like Pitt was really good this year.
Look what they did to Pitt, they absolutely destroyed them.
So I don't care. Nobody cares about Notre Dame. Signetti is awesome. I. I mean, I love night one.
He takes the microphone and he's like, fuck Michigan and like, fuck Ohio State. And everybody's like, who is this crazy old man? And what he's done, dude, is kind of like what a lot of these college basketball coaches have figured out, right? Like everybody, John Calapari. Every year he has the best recruiting class.
You know, last year, Rutgers had Ace Bailey and Ron Harper's kid, Dylan Harper, and they still didn't even go to the NCAA tournament because college basketball, I mean, there's different ways to win because Duke always, Duke also last year had a bunch of one and dones, but one of them was Cooper Flag, and they still made it to the final four. But in college hoops, like Houston every year, a lot of these teams are just grown-ass men, 23, 24-year-olds. And that's kind of what Signetti has done. It's been instead of, I mean, he still recruits, but these have been like college football all-star teams. Fernando Mendoza was the best pickup.
If you watch Cal last year. You knew he was a damn good. I think all the quarterbacks left are transfers. Yeah. I mean, like, and that's what the Indiana team is.
So he's done a great job, not only coaching, he's a crazy lunatic. He's a great motor. Do you like them to win at all now? You took Oregon plus four and a half. I took Oregon to keep the game close.
I could see Oregon beating them. I mean, like safe pick right now, I think it would be tough not to go or not to go Indiana. I mean, they've beaten up everybody. They beat Ohio State this year. And if the Big Ten can get three championships in a row, three different teams.
Like I it's how do you keep getting on ESPN? And being curb curb street and being... Joey Galloway and being Reese Davis and like cry for the SEC. Yeah, I want the big. I mean, I like the old miss story also because.
Fucklane kid, but also it's super lame that LSU is paying him out. On would have been bonuses. Like he made a half a million dollars last night. Right, for not coaching. I know.
And then he's tweeting, like, what a dickhead. I mean, I lost it. He's tweeting the Missouri or Mississippi flag. Yeah. Yeah.
I, dude, ole miss, though, that's what I was saying. I was like, what an overreaction. You know, like, I loved getting six and a half and getting better than two to one on the money line. And I bet Georgia in that first matchup, but I was like, oh, miss is going to get them because they're going to make the right adjustments here in this game.
Well, they were up in that first game and then blew it. Yeah, I mean, they should have won that game. I had to sweat that entire thing out. But Trinidad's awesome. And um You know, there was going to be no drop-off on the defensive side of the ball because Golding stays.
And then on the offensive side of the ball, I mean, it's not like Lane ditched them right before the season, right? It's the same shit that they've been running. And they're really talented, man. I like that old missed team.
Now, The Miami game is going to be damn good. I just, I always get afraid from. Get scared off of Miami, I guess, because Mario Cristobal might be like a little bit of an idiot. I mean, I think he's a good coach, but I could just never get out of my head when he didn't take a knee a couple of years ago against Georgia Tech and gets beat on that Hal Murray. But Carson Beck, like, if you get a solid pass rush on him, We saw the Louisville game a couple months ago where he had like four turnovers.
But if you give him a clean pocket and he's getting rid of the ball so quickly, and their run game with Fletcher is really good, they're averaging like five, six yards per carry. Um, but it's the defense for me with Miami. Ruben Bain Hopefully future Green Bay Packers somehow. He's my favorite player in the nation. If I had a Heisman vote, he would have been my Heisman.
I don't think a defensive player will ever win it, but their defensive line is legit, man.
So I don't know what to do with that game. I did bet Oregon, like I said, the four and a half. I feel like everybody's going to love Indiana, rightfully so, but. Dan Lanning's a... He's a madman, man, and I do eventually think he's going to win a national title.
But yeah, fading Signeti right now is scary. I love that guy, he's such a prick. But you can tell he loves his players. You can tell, you know what I mean? He's just.
He's like a heel. I like it. Did you know Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop. Voted PC Mag's Reader's Choice Top Laptop Brand for 2025.
Thin and ultra-lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere, and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com/slash iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PC Mag Reader's Choice Used with Permission. All rights reserved. Ryan Horvat here.
We are into the Winklerverse streaming, brought to you by Dan Shaney Insurance. I'm not just a spokesman for Dan Cheney. I'm a. Client? Yeah, that's the word I'm thinking of.
He insures this beautiful tack board. He ensures these these beautiful works of art, which... I think I might spruce up a little bit. I think I might. Change.
Did I ever tell you this? This uh this four-time Super Bowl champ thing. My wife got it for me when she was maybe still my girlfriend, which is so weird once you get married and you're like, you were my girlfriend. Yeah. Um, But I think she got it for me.
In the 2011 season. And I was like. This is a great gift, but we're only going to need it for four weeks because they're winning a fifth Super Bowl, and it still stays there. It still stays there as for Super Bowl. As ever.
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for twenty five percent off. I think the real reason is because you don't want to acknowledge Aaron Rodgers. I'm in. I'm rooting for the Steelers.
Okay, good. You better. I am rooting for the Steelers. I want them to be in the playoffs. I don't think Aaron Rodgers can string for.
games together come playoff time. I think he could, not when he's, and everybody's like. I mean, he's throwing the ball, dude, to Roman Wilson. Oh, yeah, their whole office, their whole audience. No, their whole offense is Kenneth Gainwell, 35-yard catch and run.
That's all they do. And Arthur Smith calling anytime they have any success, it's Rogers up at the line of scrimmage, like, you know, run this fucking hitch. You know, it's not like Arthur Smith's. You know, Kyle Shanahan or your boy Matt LaFleur. No, I uh, if the Green Bay Packers, and I don't think that they're going to, if they don't win the Super Bowl, I want it to be the Pittsburgh Steelers.
I want Rodgers to get one more. I don't know that I want him to win the Super Bowl. I don't know. I'm not rooting against him, though, this week. And I think that's something.
Yeah. All right.
Well, let's do the games that matter, right? The games that actually have.
Some something on the line. Saturday, and then we'll skip the entire slate of the year is always that first window, week 18. And we're in it. Let's just start with the Packers so we can end not talk about the Packers. We're starting Clayton Toon.
Against Max Brosmer. Yeah. I think was the line six and a half Minnesota? Seven and a half Vikings. I think the Minnesota Vikings are going to beat us 38 to 10.
I think, I mean, man, I know it's like tempting, seven and a half points, but it's Clayton tune. I don't think anybody should play in this game because I mean, the Vikings want to win. They want to be 9-8. They want to win. And this in in this uh yeah, this roster is just beat the shit.
I think I think this is Diggs going to play our new transaction. You think he'll play yet?
Now. Maybe. I have no idea, man. I do like that. My mom called me.
She's like, what do you think about this pickup? I was like, I like it actually because it means that you know you don't have to play a wide receiver in the secondary. We don't need Bo Melton out there in the playoffs.
So any depth helps. I do think he's pretty much washed, but. Know better than anything, better than any other corner, probably on the roster right now, and that's how sad. And he's bad, but he's still better than bad. Or bad is no better than us.
I mean, that's what I said, dude, to like. Greetings to the Bucky Boyd in Spain. Wow. I like that. Jealous.
I know it was only one injury, but... When Micah Torres ACL, it's over right there because he made everybody else on that defense.
So much better. And these guys. Like Rashawn Gary to me. Just has been a little bit of a letdown once again. A little bit.
A little bit. A lot of bit.
Okay, yeah.
Well, I don't, I mean, you know, like, I love this theme, but like, I like to criticize them, and then everybody on social media starts coming at me about shit. Did you not see week four? Gary had six pressures and shit like that. And it's like, you know, like when you go after LaFleur, which I'm not there with like firing LaFleur, I do think this year I give him like a C minus, a D plus. This has been his worst coaching job, but I'm not ready to fire LaFleur just because of the Jabronis that are out there.
I'm good on all that, man. And yeah, but I don't know.
Some of the like. I get it. Guys got hurt. What are you going to do? But also.
They were healthy when we lost to Cleveland. When we lost it, that was a bad spot, though. That was a bad spot. That was their first road game of the season, and Cleveland's defense was on fire at the time. And our whole line was banged up.
I get it. But. Micah, that's the biggest loss. It's over right there because one, he's a top five pass rusher in the league. Two, he makes everybody better.
And what them getting a pass rush, especially when they didn't have to blitz. With that disguised is how fucking horrendous this secondary is, man. Terrible.
So anyway, I like the Vikings by. Eighty. Yeah. I'm not betting that game, though. I'm not watching.
I would. I would. Vikings. No. There's no way the Vikings don't beat us by th three touchdowns.
It's just, I couldn't. I just can't, I can't do it. Remember the year that we went into the playoffs and we lost to the Jets like 42 to 10? Yeah. This is what that's going to feel like.
I mean, I kind of just want them to get the shit kicked out of them, to be honest with me. Me too. Yeah, I don't want anybody to play in this game. And then when they lose in the playoffs, I can say, LaFleur lost five in a row, and you want to keep this guy? See, this though, honestly, could be the game that comes back to bite you.
Because watch LaFleur put together his best coaching performance, and they're going to have 450 total yards of offense against a really good D on the road with Clayton Toon and a bunch of castoffs. And they're going to score like 45 and beat Minnesota outright. And I'm kind of here for that.
So if I were to bet the game, I would have to take seven and a half with Green Bay. In no world am I laying fucking seven and a half with Brosmer, Brosmer. I would. The two starts he's made, I bet his passing yards over. It's been like.
160 and 180. He hasn't. If you put his two games together, he hasn't fucking cleared it.
So, no, I'm good on that. I am going to bet this one, though, right? Are we going back to Saturday? We're going back to Saturday. And I know everybody's gonna love Carolina.
And if this was three and a half or four, I would also like Carolina. I'm not going to lay the three with Tampa at home, but right now you can get the money line minus 143. I'm probably getting a shitty price. I know because they were two and a half earlier in the week. I like Tampa in this game, man.
Their offense. Has been horrendous. It's funny because everybody, you know, all the content guys were like Baker Mayfield, MVP. Since then, down the stretch, since week 10. A bunch of turnovers.
They're only averaging 4.9 yards per play. They're in the bottom third of the league in yards per play. And Baker Mayfield, second most turnover-worthy plays, 23. Three more against the Dolphins last week.
So he's been horrendous. But just something tells me, man, everybody's going to like Carolina and Bryce, and they're the up-and-coming team. And It's going to be a close game, but Baker's going to have the ball in his hands down the stretch, and he's not going to throw a game-ending interception. I'm going with Tampa. In this spot.
So I would, but I would, if Tampa wins, that means Atlanta's going to win, and that means Carolina's still going to win the division. You think Atlanta's going to? Kirk Cousins has been damn good down the stretch. I think Atlanta would be a playoff team. If they just started Kirk Cousins and didn't roll with that Michael Pennix bullshit.
Hold on. Don't ever say that again. I love panics. He's Kirk Cousins has been awesome this year.
Well, listen to this. Did you see this stat? Since 2018 The Atlanta Falcons are fifty-three and seventy-eight. in games where they're still alive for the playoffs.
Okay. Since 2018, the Falcons have a 400% winning percentage. in games where they're still alive for the playoffs.
Since being eliminated in the last seven years, they are 12 and 4.
So, after they get eliminated, they start playing really well. And so, yeah, I'm going to be with you. I like Tampa to beat Carolina. Atlanta to beat the Saints. Carolina to win the division at eight and nine.
I think that the Saints are going to win that game, though, dude. I'm uh I'm a big Tyler Schuck guy.
So then, what's the record going to be? They're going to have like seven wins, too. They're not going to be any worse than we were. If there were four more weeks, if this was a 21-game season. The Packers would probably miss the playoffs to one of these teams in the NFC South.
Is that fair to say? I mean, yeah, that's why I don't I that's why I'm thinking that they're one and done, man. I mean, they're playing their worst brand of football going into the playoffs and they're all beat up. Everybody's dead. Yeah, but in the Super Bowl year, they were a wild card.
You gotta remember that. I do think. Do you like my bullshit where I say? I do like. If there was no seven seed, LaFleur wouldn't have made the playoff since Rogers.
Well, it's true though. I mean, but people get mad at me for it. Yeah. And then all of Packer Media this week was defending LaFleur for being a seven seed. Do you realize how much from this little basement, Horvat?
I have been setting the tone of Packer conversation this year. Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of homers. That's what I tell myself when I go to bed anyway. JR says, what's up?
But here's the thing, dude. What's up, JR? Here's the thing. I thought it was a good idea. I uh Are you like North Texas today?
I haven't bet anything yet in today's games. Let me see. Where's the Texas? Which one is it? I think it's North Texas.
I haven't bet anything yet today, but if I were to. Fan. Um Yeah, this is the weird part of it. I was trying to tell my kid this because he got into the college football playoff. You know what he did this morning?
What? My wife woke up 'cause she had to do a little work. He got into bed. And Big time cuddles.
So nice. And then he's like, I want to see the scores. He always wants to see the scores on my phone.
So he goes to the ESPN app and looks at the scores. And then for like 30 minutes, he was watching the 10-minute highlight packages. Like, I don't want him to get a lot of screen time, but he's basically watching Sports Center like we did as a kid. He's watching the highlights of all these games. And then I tell him there's college football today.
Because he loves brackets and stuff like that. But I go, but it's not. It's not that. It's. Navy versus Cincinnati in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
He's like, oh, can I watch YouTube then? Yeah. Well, and I, I, I. Navy's a seven and a half point favorite. I know Sorsby and none of the guys are going for Cincinnati, but.
The opener was a terrible. I kind of like Cincinnati. Yeah, Texas State plays rice. They're laying 18 and a half. Yeah, I was thinking about betting Texas.
Here's how I would play him if I were to, and I don't know that I'm going to. I would probably look at Texas State's team total. I don't really want to sweat out all day, 18 and a half against Rice, but I do think that they're going to put up some points. The total in the game is 55.5, so. Uh I would assume that it's Doing the math.
Ah, fuck it. I'm just going to look. I'm hungover. The team total would be. How about this?
Let's go. Texas State over 37 and a half on the team total against Rice.
Okay. Oh, wait. Wait. No, no, no. No, no.
I don't want to do that. Hold on. Okay. Let's do this instead. First, you guys are seeing how the sausage is made in Orvat's brain.
Let's go first half. First half team total for Texas State is twenty and a half. I'll take the over there. I probably will take the seven. I'm going to wait and see what Cincinnati closes at.
If that gets too out of control, I might take it. And I kind of like SMU against Arizona tonight. I haven't bet it yet though. All right, Saturday night, we have the number one seed on the line in the NFC West: the Seahawks and the 49ers. Yeah, dude.
I kind of like San Francisco in this game. I know everybody loves Seattle. I kind of like San Francisco to go to the Super Bowl. I bet that before the season, they were my NFC pick. I had San Francisco and Buffalo.
I don't feel as good about Buffalo. I mean, I don't feel good about San Francisco because of that. I don't like everyone's everyone's on New England's ass right now. Yeah, they're just too young for me. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if they go all the way to the Super Bowl because Drake May is awesome.
Do you know what the Super Bowl is going to be? What? It's pretty obvious. No, it ain't. It's good.
No, it's going to be Rodgers going. Two Levi Stadium.
Well Take it on the Niners. Beating his beating the story, he's gonna get an L Way. It's going to be, but it's going to be like bigger than LA because now he's going to the San Francisco, the team he could never beat in the playoffs. He's going to go to the Super Bowl. He's going to play them in the Super Bowl.
Wow. Pittsburgh and Fran. No way. Bart's lock of the day. Yeah.
No chance. I wish your boy Rogers. Yeah, at 42, throwing the ball to a bunch of Also, 42-year-olds with you don't believe in the story, huh? I see. I don't bet.
I don't believe stories. TJ Watt, TJ Wong, I called him. TJ Watts' lung is fucking collapsed and exploded. They're done, dude. They're done.
They got 100 tight ends on the field. One of them's hurt. Darnell's done for the year, which sucks. And like three of them are top 10 in the league and rushing. Yeah, they suck.
It's not happening.
So yeah, so I'm with, like, I want to take the Niners here, but here's the thing. How many stops is that defense going to be able to get in this game? You know, what do we get from Sam Darnold JSN in that in that run game? Man, Darnold is gonna fall on his face again. I like the nine.
Look, I think the Niners are gonna get the one seed, so I'm gonna take the Niners. I'm going to take Christian McCaffrey over 111.5 rushing and receiving yards, minus 111. I'm sorry, minus 112. I'll roll with that, man. If you look at.
I bet him to win offensive player of the year, probably not going to happen, but he leads all running backs and targets with 114. He's already got 96 receptions, 890 receiving yards, seven touchdowns. And Seattle's defense, I also might just play the receptions. As good as the Seahawks' defense has been, especially against the run, they've given up the most catches to running backs this season. Third in the NFL and run defense grade.
But even in that first meeting. McCaffrey had 22 carries looking at it right now, 69 yards, 3.1.
So it's not like he was going off for a bunch of explosives, but he was still getting the carries. And he caught nine of 10 targets for 73 yards, 110 receiving yards. Um Wait, actually, with 110 receiving yards, first player in NFL history with at least 21,000 rushing and receiving yards.
So I texted this. Um in our family group chat. You know, and I was like, Christian McCaffrey, and I, this is after like 15 cocktails. I was like, if McCaffrey was drafted by the Niners and didn't spend time in Carolina where he had those injury seasons, I think he would be a top five all-purpose back of all time.
Now, my cousin's husband read this the wrong way and thought I just said running back. And he was like, no fucking way, no way, and labeling off like Barry and Emmett in his list. But I was like, all purpose back, man. And this proves it. This could be two straight seasons: a thousand rushing yards, a thousand receiving yards.
And uh He's awesome, dude. Like, and imagine like Shanny, they run him into the ground there.
So, I love McCaffrey. I'm going to take his receptions, but I love over 111 and a half rushing and receiving yards. And I'm with you. I'll go San Francisco, but. The thing that scares me is that defense.
I know that they could get Fred Warner back, it looks like, in the playoffs, but they get no pass rush, man. And that's how you beat Sam Darnold. You have him seeing ghosts, and then he throws all those dumbass interceptions. But if he's got three, four seconds in the pocket, I think he's going to pick apart San Francisco. We're going to be on the wrong side.
So I like the McCaffrey props a little bit more, but I'll roll with you on the Niners.
So for me, San Fran and Tampa. Wait, did you go Carolina? No, Tampa's going to win, but so is Atlanta.
So I'm against you on Atlanta. I gotcha. All right, oh, so in that game, I like the Saints, catching three and a half in Atlanta, though. Did you know Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop.
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I'm going to bet that. We are not going to go through the entire slate of. We're not doing all these Sunday games. Unless there's any. Before the night game that you like.
No, I guess I was gonna ask you, what do you think about Detroit and Chicago? Chicago's a three-point favorite. I feel like Detroit might look to play spoiler here. But do you think that Ben Johnson? Goes for the revenge because Dan Campbell beat the living out of him.
What was that week three?
So, you would take Detroit plus three? No, I will still take the Bears to win. But I don't think, like, Ben John, like, he's not going to empty the tank to beat Dan Campbell. Dan Campbell, by the way. Credit to Carlos Ortiz.
For saying the Chiefs would not make the playoffs. But also credit to me. Bart Winkler. for saying the Lions would not make the playoffs. And I think the Lions When they missed, when they blew that lead against the Niners in the championship game two years ago.
I think it was so apparent that that they blew it. That was their chance. And then they follow that up by losing to the commanders. And now they're that I don't think I think they this era of Lions football has peaked. I think they've peaked.
Sorry. I don't know. They might be. I might be buying back in. But they're going to be on a fourth-place schedule next year.
I'm going to take them to win the Super Bowl next year. Yeah, me too. You're right. Fucking erase what I just said, Tim. Dude, just like last year, I took the Niners to miss the playoffs, and everybody's like, yeah, what the fuck?
And I was like, yeah, they did the fucking rule. I did too. We're smart. We're smart people. This year, I'm in my basement, and you're in wherever room you're in.
This year, I took Detroit to miss the playoffs. All right, there's only one more game that we got to hit then that matters, right? It's Baltimore, Pittsburgh. And you already know that I'm going with Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers catching three and a half at home.
Well, you already know I'm with you, and I might. I might quick order a Rogers jersey for Sunday night. You wanna borrow my uh fucking pajama pants? They're somewhere on the ground here. I don't know.
I had a Fav Jets jersey for I like two years ago, I found it at a shop and I bought it because I thought it was funny. And then I'm like, fuck, I don't like this guy. And then I just threw it back in the goodwill pile. Yeah, I mean, like, I don't like Brett Favre, the person, but it's really hard for me to say, like, I can't go back and appreciate Brett Favre, the football player. I mean, like.
Before we got on, we were just telling each other our favorite Bill Cosby joke.
So, shut up. Our favorite R. Kelly songs. I know. I with.
But dude, I mean like. I fell in love with football because of Brett Favre, unfortunately. I mean, dude was a fucking badass. I'll never forget that injury report. It's like concussion, mangled finger.
Um Poked out eyeball, and then it says probable. And he throws for 400 yards and a loss in that game, by the way. I just. Oh, here's my qu here's one question for you.
So, my mom. Wants me to go to the game. She's like, if they lose, it's his last game ever. And it's, it's right, it's three hours away from me. She's like, I'll buy your ticket.
But my son would wanna go? My in-laws are in town. They don't want to go, so it would be just me and Nathan. Does he have school the next day? Yeah, and it's 25 degrees.
So I think I'm going to pass and just watch it on the couch. Cause I think. Is there like club seating there?
Well, I'm hoping that he just they win And then I could just. See him again. But um I also don't care enough to drive, like to drive three and a half hours to watch 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers in a class. Who's your boy? I know, but I just feel like I've seen this movie so many times that I know how it ends.
He's coming back next year. No. I think it's it, man. What? Let's go.
Did you? Did you? I did. I told you I was getting out of the shower. Bart Dinky.
Yeah. Did you wash your ass before starting this? Mellon question.
Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I'm about to vet Christian McCaffrey receptions, by the way. Here it is.
Ready? It is. 42 and a half receiving yards. Five and a half grabs plus one fifteen. You know what?
I'm just going to go over rushing and receiving 111 and a half and call it a day instead. It's a lot of grabs. Anyway, You're Pittsburgh, did they win the game outright though? Yeah. Really?
Carl Lamar's playing, though. How does it say? No, they're gonna lose. Pittsburgh's gonna fucking lose. You know what I could see happening here?
If they win, they're going to the Super Bowl. No, you know what I think happens? I think the Ravens beat the living fucking shit out of them. And then I think the Ravens, who everybody projected coming into this season, now just make this run to the Super Bowl. Yeah, and then they're going to get, no, they're going to fall short.
Lamar is going to go to Miami. And then Rogers is going to go to Baltimore. No, none of that is happening. Lamar is not leaving Baltimore. If anything, fucking Harbaugh will be out.
Lamar stays. That's what these teams, you know what I don't understand, man, is like Green Bay did this for years. And maybe this is the case with LaFlore. Sustained success in the NFL is bullshit when you're winning 10, 11 games every single year and winning like bad divisions. Like Buffalo should have made a coaching.
If they don't win it all this year, you got to make a coaching change. You do. I don't care about injury. It either. You know what I mean?
Like, you got to move on from McDermott. If Baltimore, I know a lot of Ravens fans that are like, dude, Harbaugh, he's got to go. Mike Tomlin. Like when you're so easy when you're on the outside to be like, How could you fire Mike Tomlin? How could you fire Mike McCarthy?
Wins nine, ten games, they win the division. Yeah, but like... And I mean, as Packer fans, we don't want to just win the division every year. At some point, you got to get over the hump when you have these talented-ass rosters. And every year, Buffalo loses in heartbreaking fashion.
Baltimore, two years ago, man, they remember they had a historically good defense. And they get the Chiefs at home. And they're averaging six yards per carry. And Todd Munkin, or for whatever reason, is like, we're going to drop Lamar back 40 plus times. What I'm saying is, like, if you're winning these, you got to make some changes.
So, I want to see what happens here with Buffalo down the stretch. I don't know. How many years realistically do you think LaFleur has to at least make another NFC championship game, though?
Well, this is it because of the extension. Yeah, but I don't believe that this is it because he's got the injury excuses.
So then they're going to give them like a three-year extension. I would assume, yeah. I mean, do you see Green Bay? They made the playoffs. Do you really see the Packers?
and goudikens and you know you as an owner going into that meeting and being like, hey man. You've made the playoffs every year but one. You're out. I do not think they get rid of LaFleur. Me either.
Even if they get their ass kicked by the Bears.
So, what happens next year if they don't make the playoffs? Like, Micah comes back late. Speaking of comeback late, I'm going to pivot and tell you what I'm betting on today. And then we'll wrap this up. All right, cool.
I'm going to bet the Boston Celtics to win the NBA championship. Really? Yeah, Tatum's coming back. They're not going to beat OKC.
Well, then I'm going to take him to win the East. That's my money. I could light it down fire if I want. Good bet. My ass is dirty, I'll just wipe my ass with it.
Who is that? Do you know that guy? No. I hate how many things you can do with my name. Fart.
Dinky, stinky. Fart stinkler. I do like Dinky. That might be my favorite one. Dinky.
Thank you. In college they called me Drinkler. That makes sense. They still call you that. Yeah, piece of shit.
This game sucked today. Yeah, let's just not watch sports or like it ever again. I'm definitely going to be watching these games. Oh, one other quick announcement: Horvot and I don't have jobs. Yeah.
And uh you could hire me if you want, that'd be cool. That'd be awesome. I was like, man, this will be pretty cool. I'll just bet some games and just hang around the house. Work out twice a day.
It's getting a little boring, not gonna lie. Not gonna lie. I don't know. I'm good with it. I get to clean the once the basement, because I've been trying to clean this basement for a long time and I haven't had time.
And now I have time, but once this basement's clean, I'm going to be like. Fuck, I just want to get on the radio and talk Boston Red Sox prospects. I just, well, it's more like once the holiday season, once these bull games are done, like today, it just seems like we're on a long vacation, a holiday vacation. Yeah. We're gonna be watching Texas State and whatnot.
But man, once they're come Monday, once I take my kid to school, I'll be like.
So, uh fuck. Yeah, once I have to like wait until 7 p.m. for tip-off in a college basketball game. That's going to be tough. That's going to be tough.
There's not a whole lot. I can't, like, I don't watch a whole lot of TV. Did you watch Stranger Things? I did. I have not yet because my son comes home today.
And uh Didn't want to watch it without him. He didn't want me to watch it without him, I should say. I did want to watch it without him, but he would have been pissed. And then I was asking my wife, I was like, should we just watch it? Lie to him and then watch it again.
But then I was like, man, he'll know. And do I really want to watch some of these episodes twice? Yeah. No. Don't spoil it though, or I'll have to kill you.
But did you enjoy it? Um That's what no, I didn't not enjoy it. I have a very specific way to answer that question, but. I'll ruin it for you if I do. Yeah, so we'll just wait.
So once you, once you, then I'll, I, I, I think I tweeted about it, but. All right.
Well, we got college football to watch. Horvod, always good to talk to you. Thank you, man. It's always good to talk to you. Oh, hey, you know what, though?
We do got a really good college basketball slate tomorrow. I'll give you, here you go. Under 144, bet this, Michigan State, Nebraska. Take the under right now, 144. I like that.
And then Notre Dame. Against California. Give me Cal minus four and a half against Notre Dame. There's two college basketball debts for you. Excellent.
Thank you, sir. Great to see you. Thank you all for stopping into. The Winkler Verse. Having the right people in your corner for life's biggest milestones makes all the difference.
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