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Now, on. On with the show. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. It's been a while since I've been this pissed after a game, too. This is the Rich Eisen Show.
Let me just go and sign Blake. Ian Rappaport. I understand being upset that you had a kickbox earlier on the show. Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, WWE Superstar The Miz. Coming up, ESPN College Football Analyst Josh Payte, and now.
It's Rich Eisen. Hour number three, the Rich Eisen show is on the air. First two hours, lots of fun. Kurt Warner and the Miz, and then the Miz joined us from his home theater.
So we started asking about candy, and then we got on the subject matter of putting chocolate candy in your popcorn, and it's lit phone lines up and. The the current, I guess, standings, if you will, the results of the poll question are what top of hour number three at Rich Eisen show on all the platforms. Yes, I threw this out there. Do you put chocolate candy in your popcorn at the movies? Eighty four percent help.
Some people don't like to have fun.
Well, it's clear eighty four percent. I feel like this is an under polled response. Not everyone's on our side of yeah. Oh, you are thinking just because? Oh, my buddy, Julie, Mark Joubert.
Uh, milk duds. Texted me milk duds. Separate. Are they in the pop? In the pop?
No. Mixed in the pop? Oh, milk duds. No. Again, I'm not hating on you for doing.
I'm just saying my personal preference is separate. Rock with me. Also, we were talking about getting a popcorn maker in here. Much like my wife, Rich, your wife, a woman of action, she has ordered one. Of course, she did.
Where are we going to put it, Suze? What do you mean? We got lots of space. We don't, Josh Pay. Help me out here, brother.
What's up, Josh? How are you, Josh? It seems to me that you just learned that information for the first time. Yeah, no, it's it's it's a smell thing. You know, it's a smell thing.
We have guests that come in here; they may not like the smell of it. Whatever.
Well, that's later on.
Well, how are you, Josh? Paid? Are you are you putting the candy in your popcorn, person? Josh? No, I'm.
My answer is no. But I also never really knew it was a thing. Like when I played little league, I grew up in the South.
Okay, so the South is like peanuts in your Coke country, but I didn't know that.
So there was this three fingered umpire named Little Floyd. Name is irrelevant. But we're after a game one day, we're up in the concession stand, and I just see him pop all these planters peanuts in the Coke, and I looked at him like he was an alien, and he looked at me like, "Why don't you know that everyone does this in the South?" So I did it. It was okay. It didn't become.
A habit or a hobby of mine or anything, but the candy and the popcorn, I could see it. Maybe I get with it. I guess the follow-up is. What's the next movie that gives me a reason to go to a theater? Because that really is the only place that I'll try it.
All right, hey, very good. I don't know the new Marvel movie coming out.
Okay, there you go. Never know. T here is a new Avengers coming out, Josh. Let's let's let's let's put it to the test. Good to see you.
Good to see you, man. The way Alabama, Georgia ended. Did that decide anything for you, or just got to play better than the refs? Ref, I mean, to me, that was pass interference, a total hose job at the end. But do do we have an answer as to who's better?
Do you think Georgia and Alabama? Yeah, I mean, I got my answer. I think Georgia's better. I kind of hate that the officiating stuff happened to cloud that. I mean, it was.
Does my shot look crooked? By the way, maybe the house is crooked. I don't know. That's good. I felt like.
The the all right look officiating was slanted against Alabama.
Okay, all I was saying afterwards, and all I'm still saying to you now, is sometimes I think the better team loses because of external factors. I thought the better team won this game.
Now it's fractions of inches, but I thought the better team won this game. To me, what stood out more, Rich, that got clouded because of the officiating stuff, rightfully so, was I mean that was the number ten run defense in the country Alabama had going into that game, and Georgia. As third string tailback, who is supremely talented, mind you, but hung two hundred plus yards rushing on him—that's a big deal. Gunnar Stockton went into that environment and was an assassin, just surgical on third down.
Now it's crazy that Georgia fumbled the ball four times and recovered all four of them. It is crazy that Stockton was able to go pinpoint nine of ten on third down. It's crazy some of the calls go against you, and so. If you're if you're trying to present to me the idea, if Alabama gets another shot and that quarterback will have grown up a little bit by then, maybe they'll beat Georgia.
Okay, maybe they will. But we're sitting here talking on October 14th, and October 14th suggests to me Georgia. Right there with a couple of other teams, best team in the country. I'll say this: Alabama goes to Neyland Stadium this week. If Alabama is right there, tit for tat, in the same conversation as Georgia, they will handle Tennessee.
Like I am very, very interested to see how they come out this week because that center is really banged up against Xavier Gilliam, who may be the best defensive player in the country right now, at least in the SEC. Ryan Coleman Williams probably going to miss this week, so Alabama's banged up. Everyone's banged up. No one cares. About your excuses, but if they really are that rich, we'll find out because because it won't be a close game in the fourth quarter if they are.
All right, and then you know, officiating did come into play between LSU and Kentucky as well. Josh, towards the end of that game, where Kentucky goes for two to win it, it sure looked like there was some procedure penalty before a timeout could potentially be called, and Lane Kiffin had a moment with the officials to basically say, "When did when when did when?" Did Coach Stein call that timeout? Because this shouldn't be a two-point attempt from the gimme spot or the closer. This should be an extra point. Let's play on here or attempt because you wouldn't think they'd go for two from further back.
Where does this leave LSU? Do you think, Josh? In a must-win situation, the rest of the year. Let me. Let me.
I'll get back to the officiating in a second. Sure. There are. A handful of teams right now. Maybe you've noticed that paid a whole lot of money for rosters that are already either out of the playoff picture or on the verge of being out of the playoff picture.
You mentioned LSU, Oregon's in do or die mode. Texas right now only has one loss, but they feel a little wonky. Texas A and M, for all intents and purposes, is out of this thing. And then conversely. We just talked about Georgia, Alabama.
They spend, but they don't overspend on portal players. They spend in evaluation and signing guys and recruiting, and then paying the guys they like already on their roster to stay. Just keep an eye on that, by the way, because it only takes one or two times paying forty-five or fifty million dollars for a roster that goes seven and five, eight and four for your donors to go. Whoa, whoa, whoa, no, no, no, no. We're not doing this anymore.
If if Ohio State and Georgia and Alabama are still doing the high school recruiting thing and they're Reinvesting in the assets they already know and they've developed. Maybe we want to go that route. Anyway, LSU couldn't go that route in year one because it's year one of a new coaching staff. I think, yeah, their backs against the wall. Anyone who's shocked by that, I'm not sure, gave a really, really deep dive look at how high a variance team LSU was going to be this year.
Kentucky, by the way, one of the stories of the year in college football. They go to Oklahoma this weekend.
So the officiating thing you just brought up. It's been a disaster. It's not even missed holding calls or stuff like that. It's like not knowing procedurally what we're doing. There was a there was like an egregious onside kick that was called off because of an offsides that wasn't in the Michigan State game.
Same thing happened to Minnesota a few years ago, if my memory is correct. There's a lot of stuff. Just this past week, that sort of reemphasizes a lot of the gripes that fans have. I don't mean the fans that complain about every call. I mean people who are normally pretty muzzled on complaining about officiating, like me.
Even I've got to come out and say. At the very least, can we have some public accountability here? I don't mean your your behind the scenes, behind closed doors Zoom meetings on Sunday. I mean players screw up and they're paid a lot of money now. They got to account for themselves.
Coaches they screw up, they fail. They got to account for themselves. The officiating mechanism in this multi billion dollar industry is so nickel and dime in the way that it's handled, and it's just kind of it's just kind of done that way. For the reasons, a lot of things are done that way in college athletics. There's no central authority.
You've got heads of officiating in the SEC and the Big Ten and the ACC. I talked to an official that's officiated in multiple leagues last year, and he said, "Hey, man, do we screw up? Yeah, but I wish you could see how different the emphasis is on different things, conference to conference." I was at two games Saturday, Rich, so I go to Nebraska. Hosting Indiana, that game is like a Greg Maddox 1998 special. It's done in like two and a half hours, virtually no penalty flags.
I go down to Tuscaloosa for that Georgia-Alabama game, flags all over the place. Like the difference alone in watching a Big Ten game versus an SEC game is crazy, just from the standpoint of how it's called. But then procedurally, you've got errors in both conferences, and all you get, maybe if you're lucky, is a tweet edit. Two days later, saying the conference has confirmed that they erred in judgment on this game. We're not going to change anything.
We just want to let you know. Two days later, we screwed up. The end. Move on. I mean, this game—the the weekend, obviously—the game of the the day is Ohio State in Indiana, the defending national champs who needed a remarkable fourth quarter comeback, and they they got it against Nebraska to hand Nebraska its first loss of the season.
They're undefeated, taking on the Ohio State, which is undefeated, and if they lose this game, that's two losses as well. I mean, and I see LSU got buried towards the bottom of of the top twenty five, and and that's the way I guess it goes with a two loss team. Or you know, it's college football playoff system now, right? And we're already seeing again more conversation about expanding it to twenty four teams, and so. I'm I'm just saying we need to start taking a look at things a little differently.
We we seem to have this conversation every week, and then I'm I'm wondering if we're going to see a three loss team get in over a one loss team because you know the committee takes a look and says, well, this one was much more impressive here and there. You know, I'm wondering if that's what we're going to end up seeing by the end of the year, Josh. No, all right.
So it sounds, by the tone of your voice, like you think that's a that's a bad thing. A three loss over. No, I don't. I don't think it's a bad thing. I think that a lot of people are going to be furious, up in arms.
You know, you could potentially hear it from Westwood. You know, UCLA could wind up losing once, maybe. Between now and the end of the season, I don't know. I mean, what's going on right now up in Westwood with UCLA is remarkable. You know, Utah is undefeated right now, right?
You know, BYU. Let's say BYU loses to Notre Dame this weekend, and that's it. You know, but Ohio State could wind up with three losses, or Texas could wind up with three losses, or LSU winds up with three losses. They're out. They're out.
Is that the way it works, John? You know, well, I don't think it's the way it should work. It's kind of been the way a little bit that it has worked, but it's different world now we live in. It is. It's supposed to be, yeah.
Um.
So, so I'm going to try and condense this answer as much as I can, please.
So, one of the sound bites that got no traction because it was in the middle of spring was from Greg Sankey, who commented. On how displeased they were in the SEC with the explanation they had gotten back from the college football playoff. Translation: The SEC went to nine conference games, and they were looking for the playoff to say, "Guys, we understand this is going to batter your conference. Don't worry, we'll properly take that into account." And instead, I've talked to multiple people who were in the meeting. They said the explanation we got sucked.
It's like we were speaking Portuguese, and the playoff committee was like. Huh? But but what it comes down to wins and losses, guys, and that was unsatisfactory to them. My opinion's been you don't need to expand the playoff to fix this. What you need to do is properly calibrate your playoff criteria.
Where in any given moment, if a three-loss team is more deserving than a one-loss team, the three-loss team gets the spot. There's such disparity. There is a such a gulf in strength of record, in strength of schedule in this league, team to team, that. That is warranted, but here is the other side of that coin. The entire reason this exists is because two conferences went and gobbled up all the value properties.
Yeah, and so they go, they go and voluntarily load their conferences up. And they completely like pillage and plunder the Big Twelve, and are looking to do it to the ACC. The Pac-12 just has to reinvent itself as a G6, and then they want to look at you and say, "But, but our schedules are too tough." There's another part of me that says, "Deal with it. You guys brought this on yourselves. Everything was fine.
College football was fine, and you had to go strap the dynamite under the bridge, and then complain that the bridge is impassable. Like to a certain extent, I don't feel.
Sorry for them, but then there is the other logical side of me that says, "Be that as it may, if Steve Sarkisian loses three games and Kalani Sitaki loses one, but Texas played five opponents tougher than Brigham Young's toughest opponent outside of Notre Dame, which they lost in this scenario." We got to be fair about this. It's it. The deeper you get in the conversation, the more muddy it gets. Yeah, I know. I like front-loading conversations.
So, like, just putting it in mind's eye of the viewer or the listener weeks in advance, just to keep an eye on it while we do sit back and enjoy the games. The Ohio State Indiana game comes down to what Signetti's plan to make sure Jeremiah Smith doesn't wreck the buffet. Like, what do you think it comes down to, Josh? I don't think it's about Jeremiah Smith. As disrespectful as that sounds, the only reason is because I had a guy yesterday morning.
I was at the I was at an event, and a guy said, "Boy, if Indiana can't limit Jeremiah Smith, they're going to lose." And I said, "Oh, okay." I came back to Nashville because I had to do my show last night, and I was looking at it and saying. Jeremiah Smith had eight catches for 144 yards against them last year, and Ohio State scored 10 points.
So maybe you don't have to shut down Jeremiah Smith. You're not going to even if you try. By the way, you can't have him go off for 275 and four scores. But I don't think it's about that so much. Is if he gets his, but it doesn't completely, you know, crush us.
We're okay with that. Check out Ohio State's second, third, and fourth leading receivers, and you'll find out there's very little that's proven there. I think McEwen's a good player, but outside of Jeremiah Smith, I'm looking at number one. Can Indiana run the ball more effectively than they did last week? Because Nebraska sort of clamped down on that ground game, and Indiana's just flat out got to be better there.
Second thing, you watch the Northwestern Indiana game, you watch the Nebraska Indiana game. Mobile quarterbacks have given them issue. Julian San is really not that right, and so we've seen. Few times now over the past season and a half, Miami physically just really got after Ohio State. Indiana did it earlier this year.
There were moments where Texas did it, even though that game's kind of weird because of the early lead, and then I think they let the foot off the gas a little bit. But if Indiana can force that kind of game, I think home field is really undervalued here. I was I was in Lincoln last week. Like that Nebraska crowd was great. Yeah, I think that Indiana crowd's getting the biggest game in the history of that building served in their lap this Saturday.
So that plus just the fact that they got to ask and demand really that Josh Hoover do a little bit more. You don't have to be Fernando Mendoza, but you got to do a little bit more than just poverty, poverty, poverty. Ooh, explosive play out of nowhere because that's the only way they beat Nebraska last week. And I don't know if that's necessarily there against Ohio State. Rich, my instinct when I left that Nebraska-Indiana game last week was, man, I bet I'm picking Ohio State next week.
But the closer I got, the more I talked myself into Kurt Zignetti and those guys. I think they can rev the engine a little bit more than they did last week, and I think that plus that home field factor here, a really, really hungry team, even though they're coming off a title, somehow, some way, I think they'll find a way to get the job done. And if that happens, that'd be seismic, man. That that Indiana would just Take Ohio State into their building and spit them back in a Columbus with a second loss. With this team, that's the way that they'd follow up their national championship campaign midway through.
Would just be seismic. That would be a, even though they are home, and I understand it. Other games that are leaping out at you as you get ready for bussing and paid on campus Friday, two Eastern on ESPN, Josh. I think that Missouri, Ole Miss has game of the week written all over it. There's a big, there's a big hubbub, as Mema would say, down in the SEC about.
Why that game's on SEC Network? That's a top thirteen matchup, and it's on SEC Network in the middle of the day. Getting networked is a verb in the SEC. That's that's code for why in the world are we playing on SEC Network? Anyway, I don't make the programming decisions, but that is Austin Simmons who got benched because of Trinidad Chambliss, and then had to go to Missouri.
He's coming back to Ole Miss now, and a couple of weeks ago they went to Mississippi State and played low key. I think the game. Of the day, and so you are going to get that. You are going to get Jamal Roberts, who has filled in very admirably for Ahmad Hardy. Because Missouri's been without probably the best tailback in the country so far this year, and all that kid's done is go over 200 back-to-back weeks, which has been done a handful of times in the history of the SEC.
Also, keep a very close eye on this Oklahoma State Houston game. That one's going to be overshadowed a little bit, especially with you know the Big Twelve getting ready to host Notre Dame in Provo. But that game, I think, low key has game of the day potential as well, and huge. Playoff implications because think about Notre Dame Brigham Young later that night. Not only is it a huge game for obvious reasons.
Imagine collectively how much the rest of the Big Twelve has to be rooting for Brigham Young because this is really your shot. Oklahoma State took down Oregon; that was one. If the Big Twelve also gets this notch on its belt, it's so huge. Come playoff selection time, when you're trying to figure out, are we a one bid league? Are we a two bid league?
So there's a lot to watch in the Big Twelve this week, too. No doubt. And baby Mahomes going to get the start against Nebraska as well as Oregon fell to you. UCLA and they they could be three and three if they don't hold serve at home. That is a very it's a very shaky situation.
I don't. I mean, watching them last week, I don't know that I've ever seen a game played that poorly. Like I'm not I'm not being hyperbolic. I've never seen a game quarterbacked as poorly as Riola quarterbacked Oregon last week. Seven turnovers.
UCLA turned it over three times in Eugene and one. That's how bad Oregon's offense was last week.
So, I mean, I always say you have the least incentive ever to continue doing what you're doing when what you have been doing doesn't work. I don't know what the different thing they do is this week, but that that Nebraska team coming in there, like in the preseason, I looked at that and said, "Oh man, Nebraska's got to go to Oregon. Like that's a guaranteed loss." I don't look at it that way. In fact, I look at it as Oregon's got to deal with Anthony Colandria. Nebraska's got the quarterback edge in the game by far, and that's just not something I thought we'd be saying.
So, yeah, if Oregon loses again. Before mid October, like I don't, I don't really, I don't know what you do there, but I could say that, like I said earlier, about a number of these high payroll rosters, it's not the old days. It's not where you just count on guys to still stick it out, you know, play hard through the whistle out of pride. That's not the way these rosters have been put together. Yeah, and Bob Chesney.
I mean, UCLA won the off season. Coach hiring sweepstakes, right? Would you say? No doubt, no doubt. And here is Will Stein's doing a phenomenal job at Kentucky.
The biggest insult, but also maybe a wake up call. Coming is in the old way. If a guy was blowing up at Kentucky or UCLA, everyone would be licking their chops that is in the job market because they know.
Well, no one stays at UCLA or Kentucky. I mean, so if we have an opening here or there, we'll go get them. That's not this world. This world, you don't you don't sit at Kentucky and UCLA longing for greener pastures. In the modern age of college football, if Bloomington, Indiana is a green pasture, then that means UCLA is.
That means Lexington, Kentucky can be anything if it invest properly can be a green pasture.
So those guys are free to live their lives. I wouldn't move a muscle if I were them, no matter how many big offers come their way. Yeah, I know. By the way, my phone blew up. From UCLA fans saying, "Stay away from my coach." My my my my alma mater had the week off.
They're taking on Penn State, a pretty big football game, obviously for both both programs. Great to see you, Josh. Thanks for the time, pal. Appreciate it, sir. You got it, Josh Page College Football Show on YouTube.
Over half million subscribers to that channel. Check it out. Check it out. Eight four four two zero four. Rich is the number to dial right here on the Rich Eisen Show.
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Rich, let's chat when we come back. O'Reilly Auto Parts can help take the guesswork out of your vehicle's check engine, ABS, or maintenance light with O'Reilly VeriScan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE-certified master technicians. Ask for O'Reilly VeriScan today. Today's forecast: falling leaves, football, and an eighty percent chance you're going to need a few more things for that backyard project.
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So, my costume's just got in my ear during the commercial break. You know how Jerry Jones on his one hundred and five, three the fans, we love those. It's on his birthday, yeah. Go figure that called another radio show on his birthday, and said that defensive corner Christian Parker's going upstairs, upstairs, moving upstairs, moving on up to the booth, to the booth. Brian Schottenheimer was asked about that today at his press conference.
No, none of those decisions have been finalized. You know, we've had great conversations, you know, throughout this whole process. You guys know, last weekend was a busy weekend for us, and of course, you know, spent hours with CP talking about different things and options. Why would potentially moving to the coaches' booth be a better view for Christian? Again, if that's what we decide to do, I think there's benefits to both.
By Mike Pettin, we might not have to do that. There's a good chance that Christian Parker is is on the field and Pettin is up, and we'll talk through those things as we go. And again, at the end of the day, we're going to do what we think gives us the best chance to play well and win. Again, is this? I'm not.
We don't play these sound bites every day from Dallas. I'm wondering, is this the first time Jerry has said something that Brian Schottenheimer has to is coming out and saying that's not yet the case? Is that the been the first time they're not on the so called same page? He doesn't know what he's talking about. I don't know.
Is that the first time? I don't know. It could be all much to do about nothing, and he could be up in the booth or he's down in the field, and it doesn't matter because they all collectively get together. And but Jerry just speaks in absolutes, you know.
So like you would think, you would think if if he says it, then yes, it's happening. It's a done deal. And then the coaches like, well, no, we that hasn't been decided at all. And you are like, oh, geez, what's going on there now? I just again, like I said, I I like.
The fact that they're doing something. Will it work? I don't know. But they have realized that what is going on hasn't worked well enough. Yeah, it's not working.
Right.
So let's work together to figure out something different to see if that does work. I like that. Yeah, don't like hearing Jerry say it's you know he's going upstairs. Yeah, but and then we find out he's it's not yet done. Which if you wouldn't hold on to that, like sure, I got it.
You know, Jerry's always going to have something to say. That doesn't mean that it's you know the gospel in most cases it is. I got you. You're not going to pick them this week, are you? I don't know.
I need to think about it more. Why? Why couldn't they win this game? Of course they can win this game, Rich. What no?
Why couldn't they win this? They just got lit up by an undrafted backup. They didn't get lit up. They made they made too many mistakes. He played pretty well though.
Played pretty well. I'm not denigrating. We're talking about a Packers team who seemingly found the Jordan Love is on fire. He's on fire. We're susceptible to a big play.
Who is they? They do nothing but have big plays.
Well, I mean, and of course, everyone's now wondering: you had to bring in somebody as a consultant. You know, is that a problem with the guy you hired? And Schottenheimer gave the old. Vote, O confidence, our defensive coordinator, and everything, all decisions will run through him. We're supporting him.
I support him. I believe.
So strongly in the guy, I do. I think the guy's an incredible football coach. We have to coach better. We got to play better. No one is sitting here pointing the fingers at Christian Parker.
But as the head coach, you have to make decisions that you think helps you win games, and that's in all three phases. And that's not just adding a Mike Patton. It's some of the personnel adjustments that I know you guys are dying to know about that are being worked on behind the scenes and. Communicated to the players, he's supporting him by bringing somebody else in. Yeah, and obviously, listen, if he was doing well, listen, if it was working well enough, they wouldn't have to bring Mike Pettine in.
It's that simple. And listen, I get it, I see it, I know it, but like I said, I give credit where it is due that the way it was working was not yeah good enough. And I'm assuming that their two philosophies are pretty much in tune, right? Because I'd imagine so. He gave Parker his first job in the NFL.
We'll see. Look, man, what am I supposed? What are we supposed to do? We we have to hang in there, and yep. But I I don't have a good feeling about this week, Rich.
Hey, man, really. Every time you don't have a good feeling about it, they turn around and play better.
Well, I hope you're right. Might be wrong.
So I don't know who I'm taking on Sunday night yet. It's just Wednesday, right? Yeah, it's only Wednesday. You know, if you're thinking about it, dogs in primetime games are seven and zero in the last seven games. Is that right?
So that means it's time for the the favorite to win, right? Or Denver upset Seattle tomorrow? Wow, Green Bay. You know, I mean, Dallas upsets Green Bay. Yeah, I don't know.
This season has been completely out of whack. Yeah, completely wacky. Honestly, if you are still in your survivor pool with no strikes against you, well, you're probably choosing the team that's playing Miami. Yeah, that's probably the one week where I didn't do that. Or Tennessee, yeah.
The one week where I didn't do that, I try to sneak in the Bucks over Cleveland because I didn't. I thought there's no way Baker Mayfield's losing this game. The Cleveland, hundred percent, and then that that knocked me out. Or you took the Chargers the first two weeks. I just love being able to talk about this that I'm in a survivor pool.
First chair, I know. Look at me, unbelievable. Feel like I am on free of the shackles, Rich. I am on shore leave right now. Rob in Toledo, Ohio.
What's up, Rob? You there? Good afternoon, fellas. Thanks for taking my call, Rich. If it pleases the court, I am going to talk directly to you because what these other guys are talking about with popcorn and candy, I just can't get behind.
Thank you, sir. Raisinets all the way. Dark chocolate raisinets will change your life.
Okay, all right.
Okay, milk duds in the popcorn with the dark chocolate raisinets. Sprinkle some M and M's in for color, and you have what I call movie salad. And it is movie salad, absolutely amazing. Movie movie salad.
Okay. I I I movie salad I like it and don't use a napkin use your sleeve be a man be a man I had no idea my manhood was in question at this point in time Rob but thank you for calling from Toledo Ohio birthplace of both Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh who who knew who knew who knew eight four four he's right about dark chocolate raisin nuts okay. It's very similar to the dark chocolate cranberries that you have.
Now, TJ, perfect case in point of just when you think things aren't going to go your way anymore, you got to play better, and you're going to figure it out. Defensive coordinators on a hot seat, and then suddenly they play better.
Okay. Detroit Lions are a perfect example. I understand a lot of people think the Cardinals aren't all that, but they have some really talented players. That they do. Trey McBride may wind up being first team All Pro, right?
A tight end. That's a good chance. Very good. I mean, right, right, right, right. B.
Rock Browder is up there. You know, yeah. Kittle's playing great. Yeah, no, I know that. Yeah, yeah.
He's definitely. I'm just saying that, right? Yep, for sure. Um, and their offense can put points on you. And I thought that Lions were going to have their hands full, and they did the trick.
Now they just and I was watching it. I'm texting with some of my Michigan buddies who are also Lions fans, and they're like, you know, why are their starters still in the game? And I'm like, because they can't take any reps off at all, and I don't think their coach is going to want that. And sure enough, this has gone viral. Radio audience, you're not going to see the what your TV audience is about to see, but Dan Campbell's viral reaction to being asked why he kept his starters in late when the game was essentially over.
Gibbs and the starters were in there pretty late in that game when you're up 21. I think you had an example from Miami. Like, what's the balance there, Dan, of when to know when to to pull back on some guys and make sure you keep them fresh for the duration? No, look, I'm with you. I think it's you know there is a fine line.
He went on a two minute answer. After that, we're going to save you some time here. But him basically sticking his head on the microphone and just I. And then realizing I'm a head coach in the National Football League here, I need to I need to countenance this question a little bit better here. But it's just like, listen, this guy is knows only one speed here, and it's to break somebody's, you know, his own foot off into somebody else's place where the sun doesn't shine, and it includes his own players.
Did you hear this soundbite from Sam Laporta talking about? What practice was like between the Sunday night loss in Carolina and the win in Arizona? And what Dan Campbell was like behind the scenes with the team? Roll it. He was just pressing us, you know, the little things, the details.
Any time you messed up something small, he made it a big thing because the little things are important. And I think that was on display today. Coach Campbell can be an intimidating guy. He's six foot six, former player, played whatever ten, eleven years. When he's out there barking at you, it doesn't feel good.
And in those moments, you feel two feet tall. But then on game day, you feel Ten feet tall when you make the plays and you show up in critical situations.
So he just wants the best out of us. It's nothing personal. You know, he's had his flare-ups in the past, of course, in practice. But it felt like a constant thing this week, where he wanted everything to be fantastic and perfect in practice. You know, of course, it'll never be perfect in practice.
So those were the moments he was kind of laying into us, and it obviously worked. And that's what you want to hear. He's had his flare-ups in practice, right? But he makes you feel too. Feet tall, but then when you do it right in the game, you feel ten feet tall.
Yeah, that's the coaching. And I know the conversation is like, "Oh, the window's closing in Detroit." Campbell's not the same without Ben Johnson. Those are the narratives, man. Drew Petzing's done a really good job. Drew Petzing, this offense is off the hook.
Clicking, and the crazy thing is, again. You know, after this game, you hear this locker room moment. You just want to go hit somebody. Listen to this. That's what I answer back, man.
Don't ever accept. Don't ever accept less than what you are capable of. As a human being, as a player, and as a team, ever. And some of you, when you become husbands, some of you aren't fathers. Don't accept less than that either.
Ever, ever, ever, man. You keep your standards where they belong. You don't accept mediocrity. That's not what this league is. People that do—that's what happens.
You ride the wave. All right, that's the way to answer back. We had a good week of practice. We stressed each other. We came out here and we handled our business, and it wasn't perfect.
We got so much room to grow. I hope he's the Lions' head coach. Exactly, right? Like he's perfect for this city and this state. Again, I know I've been tough on him.
I went to school there. You know, I know. I guess his kids go to Michigan State, which is why he wears Spartans colors, which upsets me. But that's just me. But in all seriousness, right?
I mean, he's perfect for the city. Talk about when you are going to be dad, when your husband's like life. He's about life. He gave the game ball, as you know, to the long-time play-by-play announcer. The team just lost his wife to cancer.
I mean, it's about more than just football, which means a lot. I, I know. Again, everybody thinks the window is closed, and this may be wishcasting because I called the Lions the NFC North champs this year. That was my prediction. But I see that, and I'm like, okay, the window may not be closed after all.
I know you still have to keep doing it. And by the way, he started giving out game balls. You know, the first game ball he gave out to the guy who said that he was up our ass all week in practice. Laporta was the first guy and got the game ball.
So, just why I, you know, kind of dig it. That's the sort of coach you want to have, and the conversation windows closed. He's not the same guy without Ben Johnson.
Okay, I I hear you. If they play better defensively with that offense, in the same way the Vikings, like if they played better offensively with that defense, they can win it all. Let's get the bolts tightened up on the defensive side. They're coming off of their bye after this week. Taking on this is it rubbers meeting road the home dates with Green Bay and Minnesota that that you know let's go you gotta hold serve I said this all the time on this program you gotta hold serve in division at home they visit Miami then they go to Germany to take on the Patriots is going to be a really good football game very good game yeah okay so they're three and two they can come out of this if they if they start ripping off some wins here.
Maybe they do win this division. You want to guess what the odds are for the NFC North? I'm sure it's the Vikings. They're five and zero right now. Yeah, Vikings first line.
I'm sure the Bears are second. Lions second.
Okay. Yeah, Bears slightly behind, and then the Packers. Wait till Caleb comes back, and then seven to one Packers. That's that's fun. Caleb is a full participant in practice today.
Yeah, he's really trending in the right direction. Here we go. Let's go. And they're going to be in Atlanta, and where Penix is apparently getting back on the field too. Yeah, they need him.
Oh, you got Ben Johnson. I hit it. Do you expect him to be a full participant in your projected injury report today? That will come out shortly, won't it? What he'll be full today.
He'll be full. Is it safe to presume that so long as he is full in practice throughout the week, that that means that he's good enough to play on Sunday, or is that a different conversation? We're going to figure out what's best for this football team to win this game on who plays on Sunday. You know, and I love him too, man. I love this division, and and you know, Dan Campbell doesn't get the credit.
For this guy being on his tree, right? Because he's his own man. Clearly, interesting. But so is everybody else who leaves somebody else's tree. You know?
Oh, Campbell's not the same without him.
Well, maybe he's not the same coach without Dan Campbell. I don't know. It's so much fun. I do love this division. Let's take a break.
Usually, you don't make announcements about your fantasy team, but I have to about this one because it's our league. It's a big announcement. Coming up next, big. Here it comes. Rich Eisen here.
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I don't usually talk about one of my teams here, but this is the show league, and I know Felly's not in the seat today. No, I. And he's a sweetheart of a guy. If there's anybody in our league I want to beat, it's the guy who once upon a time beat me with Rico Daddel and his 200 yards rushing. Goes, oh, did I have him?
I don't know. I had. Oh, wait a minute. Let me look at my roster. I do have him.
Oh, oh yeah. Eat a bag of you know what, Rich. Whoa. Honestly, that's that's basically. Whoa.
That's why I took it. By the way, so I'm facing him. I'm eating. I'm facing him this week. Oh, and I have Jared Goff as a quarterback.
Oh, and he's on a buy, buy. And my backup was Justin Herbert. Oh, oh, oh! I, I, he's gone. He gone.
He gone. He's full Magic Johnson. Oh, he ain't gonna be there.
So I'm making an announcement. Who I have picked up? No way! Announcement. Right here, breaking news.
Here we go. Oh, hold on! Breaking news. Here it comes. And instead of me saying it, it's going to be like Jeopardy.
Here's a video reveal. Oh, I'm heating up and I'm starting to get better, better and better. Like last week, you know, I was questioning if I could even throw. You know, this week, you know, I got people talking about the Jameis Winston experience. Come on, fella, no Jameis Winston experience.
Is now coming to my fantasy football team to be Jay Felly. You want? You want? How about that? And the crazy thing is, he was asked about it at the press conference.
No. Yes, he was asked about being picked up by my fantasy team. I'm just grateful for what the opportunity I have now, you know. And right now, you know, I get to smile and say, you know, I'm the I'm the strongest quarterback for rip torn wormhole. Whoa!
That is a scary graphic. I'm going to beat him with Jameis against the Saints. Speaking about E and W, come on, Philly. That's the that's where once upon a time. He played there, and that's in that building.
Is where he once upon a time told people, "Let's eat a W." Wow! And when you lose, I win. This one's in New Jersey. Oh, oh my! Here's the so Jay's not here.
No, and I imagine he's too busy. No, he's probably listening, remediating mold or whatever. He's not here. This, it's something important. I want so badly, Jameis, to destroy the Saints.
All due respect to Saints fans. I'm sorry. I know there's a bunch of people listening in the state of Louisiana. Don's here. Oh, Don's here, right?
Now for no contest wrestling, he's hearing about the Rich Eisen Show resident Saints fan. Apologies to you, Don.
Okay, I want Jameis to do so well and crush it, and then on Monday's show, I'll come and go. Oh, did I pick him up? I didn't know. I picked him up. Huh.
Here's the thing: You're you're questioning Felly's you know football intelligence. Is there a chance that he's just messing with you? He he was just messing with you. Felly does play worse in fantasy football than losing to somebody who's got dumb luck.
Okay, it's all luck. It really is.
Well, I mean, it also takes skill, like to look at the I don't know waiver wire and go. I'm going with the Jameis Winston experience. It's gonna be great. Oh, I can't wait for this one Thursday's show coming up. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast.
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