Welcome to the jungle. A very good Wednesday to you. I'm Jim Rome. The program is presented by FanDuel. My thanks to our pals at FanDuel.
Don't forget, we will have a FanDuel segment for you tomorrow. Alvie, Happy Hump Day! All right, so Wednesday is our busiest day of the week, and today especially. In fact, rare is the day that we have like today. Let me lay it out for you: four interviews and four hours.
Cell phone restol free. Let me start right there. One eight zero zero six three six eight six eight six. Exactly.
Well done, Alvy. Not not two, not three, four, three during the main show, and then of course our podcast coming up after the main show.
So one eight hundred six three six eight six eight six. Go ahead and use that phone number. Get to the X. Find me at Jim Rome. Get to email.
Find me at Rome RWB at Abatech dot com, and then get to our YouTube channel. Once you get there, please subscribe if you have not done so already. Ring the bell. Get to the chat. Do what you do.
All right.
So the interviews are setting up like this. Coming up at twelve forty, Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning. We'll go back to back. Top of hour number two, a defensive lineman for Texas, Hiro Kanu, one forty. BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake.
So, those are the three interviews for the main program, and then we have a podcast which will tape right after the show, and that is former NFL great Ricky Waters. I am going to talk to my man Rick in a minute. Really looking forward to that.
So we have got a ton of program.
So decide what you want to talk about. I mean, you can lay out, you can be passive, you can be reactive, you can wait for me to do what I do, or if you already know what you want to cover, get up in here. Want the engagement? Engage any way you want. All right, let me start first with my half fam.
Tough. Tough twenty four for you, Chows, and I do feel for you. I'm not piling on. I am you.
Well, I'm half you. And that Chowd half of me is really struggling today. After the Red Sox took that absolute beating in the Bronx last night, and if that were not painful enough for Chowd Nation, then everybody wakes up this morning to all this speculation about the guy that Chowd Nation thought was the next Bacon Face. The last thing New England needed right.
Now was yet another controversy surrounding a Mike Vrabel relationship, except this time it's not his relationship with an NFL insider that's causing all this drama. This time, the speculation is about his relationship with his QB one, and what role that that's played in Drake May being arguably the single biggest disappointment in the NFL so far. I mean, seriously. The hell is the deal with Drake May? When and how did Drake May turn into Will Levis?
Now you can blame the soft schedule last year, all you want, but it's still pretty jarring to see a guy who was statistically one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL last year immediately turn into statistically one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL this year. And somehow May is failing the eye test just as hard as he's failing the advanced metrics portion of the test. I mean, to go from being one vote away from MVP and second team All Pro to straight US before Week Four of the following season is about as severe. And dramatic, and sudden decline as we have ever seen.
So naturally, everyone in New England and my half fam is wondering what the hell is happening. Sure, he played terribly in the postseason, but he did get to the Super Bowl. What is happening to this guy? What happened? How do you go from being one of the best and a vote away from the MVP to looking like you've never played before?
Well, one viral report there was pushed by Greg Hill on WEI today is there was already tension between Mike Vrabel and Drake May, and that it all goes back to the fact that Drake May was never Vrabel's guy. Because Vrabel never drafted him, Vrabel inherited him, so he was never his guy, and things are rocky because of that. I mean, how rich is that? He was just coaching this dude in the Super Bowl five minutes ago, but now he's not his guy. What's next?
Gen Vrabel is not his wife either. We're really supposed to believe that Vrabel wasn't into Drake May when he led them to the Super Bowl last year and was the MVP runner-up and was widely hailed as the second coming of Josh Allen. You know, like not my guy, not my guy. Or are we supposed to believe that everything was all good then? Back in February, between these two, but now that May can't make a proper read or a good decision or a throw, now he's not Vrabel's guy and never was.
He inherited him. I mean, come on, man, miss me with all that. Like now that he sucks, Vrabel's like, don't look at me. I'm not the one that said select him. I didn't pick this guy.
This was never my guy. Never mind the fact that Vrabel said when he took that job that one of the biggest reasons he took that job was to coach Drake May.
Sort of hard to believe that the ultimate players' coach, the ultimate leader of men, somebody who played there and won there, would just run his quarterback right under the bus like that. Kind of hard to believe, right? But that is actually one of the narratives today in Boston. That yeah, well, May's not Vrabel's guy. Then again, the way he's playing right now, who would claim that, dude?
Look, May does suck right now. I'm not denying that at all. He's been terrible. He looks completely lost. His confidence is shot.
As Jonathan Vilma told us yesterday, May is seeing everything. Which means he's seeing nothing at all when he looks out over the field. He looks like a mess. This dude looks broken, and all this new drama—I'm sure—is not going to fix it. If we're playing these blame games in the media just to take pressure off the head coach, then I guess again the head coach is not that legendary problem solver and leader of men and warrior and baller that we all thought he was.
Because those types of leaders do not run around for years with insiders and then throw their quarterbacks under the bus after week three.
So exactly where is this coming from? Is it coming from Vrabel? I don't know. Is it Coming from May and his camp, I don't know. Is it just classic Chaud speculation?
Because this is what happens in that town when you play like ass. I don't know, but can you imagine Rabel? Picture of Rabel going up to May like, dude, dude, don't listen to any of this. It's just noise. It's nonsense.
Do not listen. You're my guy, and May being like, oh. I'm your guy, yes, sure, Coach. Just like Jen is your wife. I'm your guy, just like she was your girl.
Look how and look how much that meant. Anyway, nice mess y'all have in your hands. Nice mess, Coach. My man, I said it all off season. All off season.
What you needed more than anything else was to get to the regular season and start stacking dubs, and this would all go away. You needed wins, not a QB controversy. And I hate to admit it, but my guy Josh the Clone is not blameless here either. Josh McDaniels is probably going to have to dumb that offense down and try to help this dude out. And it's impossible to ignore that AJ Brown going down really hurt that team too.
But then again, what do you expect? What do you expect when you try to rely on AJ Brown? What do you expect when you bring AJ Brown in? Nothing bad to happen.
So it's a perfect storm of ass for all involved, but especially the quarterback right now. Because wait, there's more. There's more. Not only see allegedly. Not Vrabel's guy, but allegedly this shoulder is still an issue.
Well, depending on who you ask, right? Because whenever reporters ask May, he won't shut it down. He will not shut down speculation whenever he talks to the media.
So the speculation continues that the throwing shoulder that he injured in the postseason last year is the reason why he looks so awful right now. Problem with that is the Patriots reportedly are convinced that the shoulder is just fine, so they're confused why Drake seems to be keeping this speculation alive with evasive answers instead of just saying my shoulder is one hundred percent. I'm completely fine, which would then put an end to all of that. But apparently he won't. Actually, the word that Greg.
Butard used was quote, befuddled. That people in the Pats organization are quote, befuddled, by how Drake May is talking about his shoulder. He went on to say quote, there's nothing wrong with his shoulder.
Some people in the building think that this might be coming from his family, or his agent trying to bake in an excuse for his throwing. End quote.
So what is it? Is he not Frable's guy? Is he still dinged? Are guys looking to cover their own ass because they're all playing like ass months after being in the Super Bowl, or all of the above? I will tell you this: it is all jacked up, and it's getting late early for my half fam.
Obviously, something is going very wrong. Hence, all of this speculation, all of this noise. But you know me; I always say this. I'm always trying to find the positive in everything. I will always look for the silver lining, especially as it relates to my half fam.
So there was something good that happened over the weekend. The only remotely good thing that the Pats had going for them this weekend in that curb stomping that they took from the Jags was their ball, dude. Patriots ball, dude. I had a ball. Showed up with so much more intensity and fire than any of the actual Patriots.
Did you see this? Did you see this dude step to Josh Hines Allen after Travis Hunter's first career INT? If you didn't see it now.
Now that's what I call ball security. Unlike Drake May, that is some ball security right there. That dude was ready to go. That dude was ready to fight to the death for that ball. Dude was ready to die on the field for that ball.
Never mind that that was Travis Hunter's first int and his ball. Try telling that to Patriot Ball Dude. Wherever Justremski and McAnally are, you know they're proud as hell. You know they were like, "That's the way Pat's ball boys do it." Well, ball men. That's the level of commitment of a true Pat's ball man.
They're just built different. When you're getting out hustled by your own kooky ball dude, you know things are bad. Yo Braves, keep this up, and you're gonna have Bob Kraft pining for the good old days of Gerard Mayo. The only way to fix any of this is to win games stat. Because everybody can tell that if the Pats don't start winning, it's all going to rip apart.
And if this all rips apart, it will be one of the most dramatic collapses we've ever seen—from MVP runner-up and Coach of the Year and the Super Bowl to a couple of dudes that look completely lost and a team plummeting once again, like it did after Brady bounced and Belichick ran it right into the ground. But at least you have a nice get-right game this week. These schedule makers did you a solid, a nice get-right game this week in Buffalo. Have fun with that, half fam. Try not to embarrass yourselves or half of me.
If that's not too much to ask. Wow. We always talk about it. It can go from good to bad and bad to good pretty quickly in the NFL. But I didn't know it could go from great to horrible that quickly.
What a mess! And now the leaks are starting. We're not even October yet. It's not even Matt Tober yet, and already, yeah.
Well, he's not a Vrabel guy. What do you mean he's not a Vrabel guy? He was in the Super Bowl last year. He was the second coming of Tom Brady. The next Josh Allen.
He was one vote from an MVP award, and he had another year in the system. But but he's not a frail guy. Three games in. The hell are we talking about? But that came from somewhere.
I don't think that came out of thin air. I don't know that the Boston media did that, or maybe they did. I don't know. They don't take losing very well there. But where is that coming from?
The coach, the player, the media. I don't know. I just know that it's probably not helping the situation, unless Vrabel can somehow circle the wagons, galvanize the entire group. Because after all, isn't that what he's known for? Except, didn't he lose a little something in the off season?
And as far as Drake May. My guy, try easier. I don't think that dude. He is already gripping so hard, and his confidence and swagger are both so shot. I don't know that trying harder is going to work.
My man's already squeezing the air out of the ball completely. Drake, you and then Josh, like Josh has never had to work with a guy like this. I don't think, or never had to fix somebody like this. I mean, it's one thing to have bacon roll out there, right? Me and Josh can knock heads, and they loved it.
Anyway, half fam. I haven't even started on the Red Sox yet. What a disaster that was for them last night. Damn, half fam. This hurts me in California, and I'm only half fam.
I need to hear from Boston one eight hundred six three six eight six eight six. Cowboys, we're still talking about the Cowboys because the Cowboys are still talking about what happened in Brazil, and turn the damn page. But they won't. Denny and you know what? I really don't want to move on.
It's all pretty awesome. I've seen the Cowboys lose a lot of football games in a lot of crazy ways, but I'm not sure I've ever seen them lose one on a seven-second drive in Brazil. In fact, I know I have it. In fact, you know what? I don't want to move on.
I'm having way too much fun with it. And yes, there was baseball last night, and it was awesome in the Bronx, and it was awesome at Petco, but not so awesome in H Town.
So I want to talk about the opening game of the Wild Card round, and then I've got all these interviews. It's almost like a Super Bowl day on the road. Dan Lanning, Hero Canoe. Kalani Satake, a podcast with Ricky Waters, all of that coming up.
So let's take a break. Listen, this is really, really interesting and really important. Your personal information is valuable. And far more accessible than you might realize. Like every time you shop online, your data is collected, it's packaged, and it's sold to data brokers.
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So go big on your online protection. Visit NordVPN.com and get NordVPN with a next-gen antivirus. NordVPN connect and protect. One more thing, half fam, about the football and the fight for the football. Not to make this worse, but you know the entire planet—they think it's hilarious that Patriot Ball Man would not give up that ball again.
Another controversy with the Patriots and footballs. Like, why is Ball Dude fighting so hard for that ball? Why does Ball Dude? I mean, does he take that job that seriously? Why is it so important for Ball Dude to risk his life for that football?
Oh, he's Patriot Ball Dude, and we know how the Patriots are with their footballs. Hey, man, that's evidence. That could be evidence. I mean, what's next? Are they going to ask Drake May for his cell phone?
Is he going to destroy it like Brady did? Or erase it. It. I mean, I hate to throw in with Tinfoil Nation, half fam, because you are half fam, but you got to admit it is pretty hilarious. That that dude was going to war with somebody eight times his size over a football at the end of a beatdown, or during a beatdown.
For a player who had his first career INT, and yes, Patriot fan, if you're going to come up in here and try and make the argument that actually Rome every football has a chip and they collect the data, and he's not giving up that ball, okay, great. You think the internet wants to hear that? You think the internet gives a damn about that chip? What kind of information could you possibly get from that chip anyway? In the midst of a beatdown like that, they probably burned the tapes.
They probably erased the chips. You think Tinfoil Nation wants to hear about that chip? It's just you got to admit the optics are pretty hilarious. Oh, another member of Patriot Nation going to war for a football—pretty funny. Jay in Tampa, quote son chat.
Oh, hey chat. Good afternoon chat. What up chat? "Quote: I told you Drake can't sleep in the team hotel because Graves' adultery alarm won't stop going off. My wife sent her last song, sex with me.
That's not it. Considered a divorce. That's not it. It's not sleep deprivation that is making him play that way. Trying to pull me out of my ass, horse.
And Stephen Baldwin, forty-nine ninety." Maybe they can take a weekend off and hit couples counseling. Oh, nice! I like that.
Well done. Not even a whole weekend, just one day, like day three of the draft. Aaron in Iowa. Quote: How does someone forget how to play a sport? Signed Ben Simmons.
You obviously have not been listening to him since he came back. And did you know he came back? Not only did he not forget, but he's about to dominate every minute that he's on the floor. Ask him; he said so. At eleven, Hondo, hey Drake, take a cue from Coach Vaves.
Bring a doggy to the next presser and meeting with Coach Vaves. Hashtag Adultering Alarm. This is what I mean. It was so critical. To get through the off season, get to the regular season, and start winning games.
That would quiet all the noise, all the questions. And the exact opposite is happening. They hit that fire with a gas can, and finished W. Braves and May will be just fine. Just booked them a spa day in Arizona and a boat trip.
You see, it's all coming back all over again because they just got hammered. Ever been on a boat that's sinking? A dub, multiple dubs would make this all go away, and the worst thing possible is happening. They look nothing like they did last year. Of course, it's all coming back.
At Conky Joe on chat, quote, "Hold me back, hold me back." Signed Jag Ball Boy and five foot six bar guys everywhere. I mean, on the one hand, he actually stepped in the dude, but then on the other hand, he was screaming, "He hit me! He touched me! He hit me!" You can't do that. But but he held onto the ball.
So where is that ball right now? I saw one report that the ball did actually get to the Jags. Man, out of his cold dead hands, though. Like what? Again, dude, do you care that much about that job?
Is that what that is? Or do you care that much about that ball? Why do you care that much about that ball? Because that's the job. Because of the chip.
Because of if I don't, they're gonna fire me. I mean, that dude fought harder for that ball than any Patriot did during the game. Rick Bada, quote: "Winning solves everything." Trust me, I know. Signed Jed York. Winning.
Well, pork. One, the winning does help. They are undefeated. And number two, Pork is staying down. He's not showing up.
That's smart. Problem: the Patriots. They've got nowhere to hide. Vrabel has to come to work. Drake May has to come to work.
They have to show up on Sunday. Pork doesn't have to, and it's smart not to. And the winning does help. Stucknut Radio is in. Ball boy was late to his other job at Willy Wonka's.
I want another one now. I don't know about that. I don't really know if he was Wonka esque or not because most people standing next to the guy that tried to get the ball would look Wonka esque because that dude's like six five. Jermax three four nine. What?
No Jr. Swish Smack today, or did I miss it late yesterday? I can't satisfy y'all. I I can't get to everything. Look, hey, first of all, I appreciate.
I did say at the very top, bring me something, bring me something.
Now again, you're asking me to do all the heavy lifting. What you have no Jr. Swish Smack. If there is an athlete and there is a mugshot, there is a chance—a really good chance—I am going to get to it. And there was JR Swish, and there was a mugger, and no, I did not get to it yesterday.
So wrong. It's JR Swish. He's beating up family members, allegedly. There's the mugshot. I mean, it's time for a new stanza.
We have to add to that song, maybe a B-side or something. Man, that's so wrong, Swish. One thing missing from that was the 911 call from a family member. Like Hope Solo. Hope Solo's here.
She's beating people up. We need help. Actually, she's not here. She's going psychotic. Oh wait, it's not her.
It's Jr. Smith. Actually, we're hearing nothing. We know nothing. All we know is family assault, reportedly, and there is a mugger, but no nine one one call and nobody saying Jr.
Swish is here. He's going psychotic. He's beating people up. We need help. And then people said, "There's your mugger right there." If you're watching on the stream, and somebody's singing in the background.
When we come back, Dan Lanning is scheduled to join us. You're on a buy. In fact, we'll go back to back. Dan Lanning and a great story in Hero Canoe. Kalani Sitake coming up later on, and the Jim Roll podcast after this show.
All that still ahead. You're listening to the Jim Rome Show. That's true. Welcome back. All right, we are joined right now by the head football coach at Oregon.
He is in his fifth season there. He's made back-to-back appearances in the college football playoff. He went to the national semifinals last year. He's got an overall record of 50 and nine, and won the Big Ten championship in 2024. The Ducks are three and one.
They're one and zero in Big Ten play, and they moved up five spots to number 15 in this week's AP poll. They've got to buy. This week, of course, I'm talking about Dan Lanning. Dan, always good to have you on the show. How you doing, Dan?
Good, Jim. How are you? Good, good, good to see you. Appreciate you. All right, so since you're on your bye week, we could spend maybe a little more time on your last game than we might ordinarily might.
Let me ask you about this. You go on the road, you beat USC by 14 in a top 20 matchup, despite losing Dante Moore. We know this. What pleased you the most about your team and its ability to rise above all that adversity and finish the way they did? I'll be honest.
I was really hoping you'd start talking about the next game, but we can start highlight. I mean, I think the biggest highlight is our response to adversity and how our guys played together. I thought they were really composed. You know, knew to be a four quarter game with the talented team, and I thought they showed up the most. You know, right there in the fourth quarter where it mattered most.
So proud of that performance, Dan. I'll meet you where you are. Instead of asking you about the next game, I'll ask you maybe one sec. Excuse me. Instead of asking you five questions about the last game, I'll just ask you one or two more.
In terms of the hit itself, I mean, you described. I think the way we all kind of saw it is quote a disgusting play. Can you update us? How is Dante doing right now, and how are you proceeding with the concussion protocol moving forward? Yeah.
Again, proceeding with an abundance of caution, Dante's going to be okay, right? But taking our time to make sure that he's going to be okay, and don't need to rush it. Obviously, it was a serious injury, so making sure we're following all protocol when it comes to that. Talking to Dan Lanning, Dan. One thought also: you had a problem with the hit, obviously, clearly.
Do you have a problem with the Trojans or their program? No problem. No.
Okay. You you really want to talk about that next game, don't you?
Sorry, Jim. This is yeah. I'm ready to move on. I told our players that was Saturday, and nothing. You know nothing really matters now at this point until what we do next, and that's what we got.
That's really going to focus on. But no, I don't have a problem with thirteen. All right, so fair enough. I want to ask about some of the guys, though. That were in that game, Dylan Raiola, for instance, tremendous as the next man up.
He throws for nearly three hundred yards, a couple of touchdowns. How much poise did he show you in staying within himself and executing in a really emotionally charged environment? Yeah, I thought Dylan did an outstanding job. In fact, I showed the team this morning. You know, everybody wants a bigger role.
Dylan's a competitor; he wants to be out there. He's prepared as if he was going to be out there. But last week, you know, before the week started, he's he's giving us scout team reps on the other side of the ball, right? He's giving us a look. He's being Jade Mialva on the other side of the ball at times during practice this week, and then I'm able to follow that up with clips from the game of what Dylan's out there executing in the game because he was prepared for his moment.
So I think that's one of the great. Great examples of what kind of teammate you can be is say I want to go over here and give these guys the best look I can possibly give them to get them ready for what they're about to face, and then he gets inserted in the game where he's the guy and he's got to go execute.
So you know, great display of him being ready for his moment and also being a great teammate and getting his team ready, you know, for that moment as well earlier in the week. Dan Lanning joining us, Dan. I would take one step further on. Look, I'm not naive. I'm sure that probably there is some compensation involved because the way the game is right now, but we are talking about a Guy that could have gone anywhere else, pretty much, and started.
And when he came to Oregon, there were no assurances that he would start because it was still pending Dante's decision. What's it say about him that he did do that when he could have gone elsewhere and certainly started and been assured of that? Yeah, I think you know. Again, it shows the level of maturity for Dylan. You know, for for him to be able to do that, and he did come here for a discount in comparison to what he could have made to go somewhere else.
And I think Dante followed a really You know, similar path in a lot of ways. Of hey, I want to be here, and this is a place I feel like I can develop. And you know, Dylan was a guy that we recruited out of high school, decided to go to Nebraska, and did some really good things there at Nebraska. But I think he was saying, hey, I'm ready for you know new life and a new change, and knew that this could be one of the scenarios that played out for him. And I'm just glad that he's continued to improve and get better instead of waiting for his moment, preparing for his moment.
And he did a great you know a great job of that. He was ready. Dan Lanning joining us. Dan, one more guy. I want to ask you about.
Johnson, he was back after missing a couple of games due to injuries. Seven catches, game high, one hundred nineteen yards receiving. How much more dynamic and difficult is it to defend that offense when he's on the field? Yeah, it's a huge difference. You know, Jamari is is a guy that makes a huge difference for us.
He's great in the run game. He's great in the pass game. He's a matchup nightmare for people in the back end. He plays with a level of of juice, a level of energy when he's out there on the field that you can feel his presence just being on the sideline.
So we're a different team with Jamari. I certainly love having him out there on the field for us. Dan, I'm looking at that ticker in the background. I'm looking at all your guys and the guys who have gone pro. I like that.
Nice touch. Nice touch in the background. It makes me think about Bo Nix.
So you coached Bo Nix for a couple of years, and once again, he was in Denver's comeback win over the Rams, and he showed that he is one of the best closers in the game. I spoke with Broncos Hall of Famer Steve Atwater yesterday. He told me he thinks that being clutch is just in Bo's genes. How quickly was that evident to you when he showed up in Eugene, and then how often? Do you and he?
Do you and he connect? Yeah, it's funny you said that, man. Because it's bye week, I actually got to watch some of Bo's game. You know, and there was another guy on the other sideline, Terrence Ferguson, competing. You know, with the Rams.
But yeah, I talked to Bo the next day. I saw some things in the game and said, "Hey, man, you mind if we we catch up?" And we had a great conversation. But Bo's a Bo's always been a competitor, and I think for Bo, it gets the most serious. You know, those competitive juices go to a different level. I remember moments where I'd rip him in practice, and the next play, he.
Throws a touchdown like he thrives in tough moments, and that's one thing I always want to credit him. But obviously, he's becoming an outstanding player. He was an outstanding player for us, and he's just taken it to another level now with his time there at the Broncos. We are talking to Dan Landing. Dan, your favorite part of the conversation.
UCLA is coming up next. All right, so you're going to host UCLA at Austin Stadium in 11 days. 11 days. This will not be the first time you faced a team coached by Bob Jesni. You beat his James Madison team in the first round of the college football playoff.
Last year, what do you make of the turnaround? Bob has already pulled off in Westwood with the four and O Bruins, and then what are your early thoughts on that matchup? One, I think you know, Coach Chesney is an outstanding coach. He's won everywhere he's been. It reminds me so much of the Indiana team from last year, and I think a lot of people are maybe making those comparisons.
But he's got both coordinators that were with him there at JMU. He's got several players that were dynamic players for him, and James Madison that are now at UCLA. They're running the ball better than. Probably anybody in college football, and they're doing it really at high clip. They've got good quarterback play.
Their defense is extremely aggressive. They've got a lot of veterans out there on the field for them. Probably more third and fourth fourth fourth year players than anybody else on the West Coast. He's obviously an outstanding coach, and he's also you know he's a great guy. He, for example, he texts me as they were traveling back to L.A.
Hey, if you need my help with Dante or anything, he's still in L.A. Like hey, I'll go check on this. Guy, you know, I'm giving the team off tomorrow. Let me know.
So I think it just speaks to what kind of person he is as well. And I've got a lot of respect for their team and their program. Hey, Dan, is that as unusual as that sounds? Is that I mean, that common place? That that's pretty amazing.
I think pretty pretty amazing, man. Great great credit to Bob, and and he would and he didn't didn't do it so he could hear me say it on an interview like it was genuine and it was it certainly appreciated.
So I've got a lot of Like I said, a ton of respect for Bob and the way he runs his program, and obviously the results on the field speak for themselves. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning joins me for another moment. Dan, you mentioned that he's got both his coordinators. You know, one of the things, one of the trade-offs about having a program as successful as yours is you're going to have turnover, and not only with the players but the assistant coaches. Much has been made of the fact you've got two new coordinators.
So, how would you assess how that transition is gone now that you played four games? Yeah, we're still growing, right? I think our our coaches have done an outstanding job, but nobody in this program is satisfied, and we have a lot, a lot of work to do. But those guys are spearheading it. You know, Drew and Hamp are spearheading that work that we've got ahead of us.
They continue to come in and work every day, put their heart out on, and figure out ways that we can improve and get better. And I'm seeing glimpses of what I think we can be. I don't think we're remotely close to what we are capable of yet. At this point, so those guys are going to keep growing.
Well, it's not even October yet, so that's a good thing. October, and then once you get there, plenty of room to grow. Dan Landing joining us. It's a bye week, three and one, one and zero, and up five spots this week to number fifty in the AP poll. Appreciate you making time, Dan.
Always good to see you. Thanks so much for doing that. You as well, Jim. Appreciate you, man. All right, appreciate you, Coach Dan Landing joining us.
Oregon, he's fifty and nine overall. And did win that Big Ten title in twenty twenty four.
So I mentioned before that game, like you know what they need, they need that swag back. They need that Dan Landing swag back, and that's exactly what they got. Exactly what they got. We saw it before the game. We saw it at halftime.
The Oregon social media department. Dan was not going to talk about it, I don't think, but they did their job as they always do. There were some amazing clips floating around where you had USC and their juice boxes in the stands. You've seen the the big juice boxes, right? Where Lincoln Riley had said, "Yeah, yeah," the players would respond to that.
They get their juice from that. And Dan, it's not like I'm I'm speaking out of school. I would ask him, but he clearly wanted to move on to the next game. Dan, there's a clip of him telling his team. Man, fake juice.
That's where they get their juice from. He showed a clip of the juice boxes in the stands. You know, big cartoon characters. Fake juice, not us, man. We have warrior focus, and they did.
One more thing about Dylan Riola. Definitely a team guy. Definitely running that scout squad prior to. But man, what a luxury. I mean, who around the nation has a former five star that they could go to at quarterback or anywhere really?
I mean, that's I can't think of anybody else that has a backup like that. And and again, Dylan Raiola, he Dan Lanning just said he took a pay cut. He took less to come here. Not only did he take less, and I'm sure he's well compensated. Because we know, in terms of their roster, reportedly Oregon is top three, top five nationally in what they pay their players.
But maybe he did take less. I don't doubt that he could have taken less, but he's probably still getting paid. But to me, what he did was he took a step back, and he clearly could have started someplace else, someplace else really, really good. And decided instead to go to Oregon without knowing. I would imagine whether or not Dante Moore was coming back or not.
But then decided, you know what? Even if he does come back, it's okay. It's a good place for me to be. They develop quarterbacks there very clearly.
So if I got to take a step back, I'll get paid for a year and I'll reset. But then, when they needed him in a super emotionally charged situation, that dude stepped right in and bawled. This is the sound that I was referring to regarding Dan Landing. No disrespect to this program. USC has been a really historic program for a long time.
They have a lot of talent, right? They have good coaches, right? But there's a different mindset. This is how they create juice. It's a fake energy.
It ain't real. I anticipate bull from this. I anticipate warrior focus from us. It's going to be a separating this game. How come I didn't get that?
Just kidding, Dan. That's incredible on a giant screen. He's got who are they? Who are they? They get fake juice from their juice boxes.
I mean, what does the deal with the juice boxes? He's right. It is so lame. He said, "What I expect from us." Is warrior focus not fake energy and juice boxes? Man, that is so cringe.
That is really cheesy. What's next, Capri Suns? Hey man, we get mad energy from our Capri Sun and orange slices. Link, tell me you're not going to break out orange slices too. All right.
When we come back, talk some more college ball. Don't go anywhere.
