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Shaking that thunder, Moneyball number ten. Today's guest, ESPN college football analyst Josh Tate, actor Jalen Best, BYU head coach. Kalani Satake, and now it's Rich Eisen.
Well, hey everybody! Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show. Eight four four two zero four. Rich is the number to dial right here on the program here in Los Angeles, California. Eight four four two zero four.
Rich again is a great way to chat with us. Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN Radio, Sirius XM, Channel eighty. Audience, good to see over there, Chris Brockman. How are you, Rich? Good morning, my friend.
DJ Mikey D. Isn't D's nuts? Sir, how are you? I like the slow one. What's going on, TJ Jefferson?
You are lighting the candle, are you not? Candle is now lit. I love basketball. Hey, listen, and we will discuss this later on. It was an emotional night in Madison Square Garden watching that banner go up and those massive, you know.
Diamond stores that they put on on the players' hands, but the Sixers—you must have been great, man. They they look really good and formidable. And we'll talk about the tip-off to the NBA season later on on this program. But we have to start with breaking news out of New York City. Here it comes, NYC breaking news, or to be more exact, a GPS at exactly across the Hudson River at the Giants' facility.
In New Jersey, Christopher, what do we have over there? Yeah, pour one out for the experience. It's going to be JJ McCarthy moving forward, a quarterback for the New York Football Giants.
Now, moving forward, it's been announced that says he's starting this week.
Okay, yeah, he's starting. All right, so Jeremy Fowler is reporting that the Giants are going to go with JJ McCarthy this week against the Houston Texans, and then the Giants after that game have a bye. Before they go visit Philadelphia and have a home date with Washington, and thus the whole idea of like let's just see what James has left one more time, give JJ McCarthy more time to you know get his feet wet. Then we've got to buy. That's when we're going to install him.
Throw that one out the window because of what JJ McCarthy looked like and what he did against the New Orleans Saints in one quarter of action. Eleven of twenty-one, two hundred forty-three passing yards, which is the third most passing yards by a backup quarterback in a quarter since nineteen seventy-eight. And Malik Neighbors came alive, and Tyrone Tracy scored one on the ground and in the air. Even though one of them was with Jameis throwing to him, and you know Isaiah likely doing his things.
So I think this is the move, the only move John Harbaugh had that of relevance. I think to say I saw that we all saw that we damn near won a football game. We were all energized by it, but we're going to go to Jameis one more time. Flies in the face of not only what your own two eyes see, but also why else would you bring them aboard if a performance like that doesn't merit seeing what you got for a full week of prep and then moving forward? And JJ McCarthy is one root for folks.
I am completely biased. I know that those two statements. Should be reversed. I'm completely biased, and then I say it, but with all due respect, I had my finger on the chess piece. My eyes, okay.
My eyes see. Bottom line is, this kid has an it factor that didn't show enough in Minnesota. It didn't show enough in Minnesota for them to say we're going to stick with you. But the fact is, he comes into New York in a much different environment than Minnesota. He comes in to Minnesota being traded for and being a first-round draft choice.
Then he gets hurt. Then he comes back. Then they decide to bounce the guy who wins 14 games in his absence, or at least not. He bounces because they don't. You know, commit enough, or clearly are committed.
One foot in with JJ, one foot in with Sam Donald. He bounces. JJ McCarthy gets his opportunity. He struggles. He gets hurt.
He calls himself a nickname that he didn't deserve. Sam Donald wins a Super Bowl somewhere else, and they decide to bring in somebody else with JJ McCarthy, and then bounce him. When they see what they didn't see in Minnesota, which is not enough in New York, it's house money, house money. Because this kid is a placeholder for Jackson Dart, unless dot dot dot. And the unless is the script he can write.
What script can he write?
Now he's got his own LSU receiver in Malik Neighbors that he had in Justin Jefferson.
Now Justin Jefferson is the top of the wide receiver food chain. Malik Neighbors is trying to get there.
Okay. Malik, I know your guy was Jackson, but he's not coming. He's not walking through that door. You got me. He also has a head coach that is both feet in on him.
Kevin O'Connell once upon a time came on this show and said that organizations fail prospects essentially before prospects really fail organizations. And meant it. Didn't work out for whatever reason. But guess who's got both feet in on the guy? John Harbaugh.
They acquired him. They got him. He's just sitting around third string. Gets a call. Guess who wants you?
The New York Giants and John Harbaugh, the brother of your. Coach, when you won it all and made me a very, very happy man, to the point why I'm biased. See, it's all full circle. But biased or not, this is the truth. This is an opportunity.
The Philadelphia Eagles are completely decimated by injuries and retirement. One of them, right? The Dallas Cowboys cannot tie their complimentary all three phases shoes for the life of them right now. The Washington Commanders can't do that and tell time sometimes. True.
I know I keep going on the same joke, but it's the truth. The Giants are well positioned to win a division that everyone's wondering who wants to win. They're three, two, and one. Three, two, one. Correct.
Contact. And again, I'm. I'm told frequently I don't do the one. I do just three, two. Yeah, that's you never do.
So honestly, never do. This is a massive opportunity, and John Harbaugh is going to get asked at some point if it works out. I'm going to go. Hmm. I don't know.
I'm going to call my shot on this one. In three weeks, a month. I'll give it six weeks until he's asked. What about the future? Oh no, it'll be sooner than that.
Take the hundred.
Well, I mean, I I don't know how well JJ's going to do. I think. I mean, I can't. I don't think he's going to rip off like a Tom Brady right like run. Speaking of Michigan quarterbacks, I mean, you never know.
It would help to get Cam Scadaboo back on the field for him, right? Like let let let's get him out of the doghouse, or if that wasn't a doghouse, figure out how to get the dog the football, give him a bone, and see what can happen. Because they're going into Houston. That is a team that's the best two and four team in football. They're the only two and four team in football that everybody's treating like they're six and zero.
That's true. In our in our media, we're four and two. Yeah.
Okay. I don't know. Reverse it. Stroud is playing lights out, so McCarthy's going to have to play lights out defensively. They're going to have to put Stroud on his behind.
But guess what? Oh, this is just the lowest hanging fruit. JJ's beaten CJ Stroud before in his building. I might add, throwing the football, throwing the football. Look it up.
Look at the YouTube videos. I don't want to hear it. And he was also down in that game, so don't tell me about who had the plays and who did not. I don't wish to hear it. He had Balaki Karoon behind him too.
Well, let's get him Kamzkatitipo. Let's go. This is an opportunity for him, and Harbaugh would love. The first-class problem of oh, JJ won a division for you.
Now Jackson Dart's coming back. What are you going to do? Love that problem. Going to Houston, stop the Texans. I guess freight train right now.
Get a buy. Going to Philadelphia, beat up an Eagles team that's got division games before it. This. Week against the Cowboys on Monday night, an unflexed Sunday night game against Washington for Philadelphia, and then in come the Giants before a quick visit to the Thursday night store for the Giants against the Washington Commanders. Hey, they could wind up being three zero and one in division.
Taking control of the division, and then JJ McCarthy is just house money. It's wild to think a team with eight wins could win this division when it's all well. I mean, the NFC East is is shaping up to be last year's NFC South, with all due respect. And and this is just one more, you know, I guess I would say, just to weave it all together. Because you know, I don't just have takes; I weave tapestries here.
You know, sports tapestries here. I am the Carol King of sports hosts, right? Yes, okay, thank you. I don't care. Tapestry, listen.
Carol King was revered in my household with Billie Jean King and so many more. Listen, feel the ball. I will say this to the current backup quarterback at the University of Michigan: latest. Example of don't hang your head, hold it up high. Keep your head down, not hanging low, Bryce Underwood, because you could be right back in the mix.
If it's somewhere else where you're going to get an opportunity, go kill it. JJ McCarthy was ridiculed for calling himself nine. He's a meme, okay. You could say he earned it. I see your body language over there, Christopher.
Okay, kind of ask for it. All right, in the same way that somebody's trying to dig out of the gaudy hole he put himself in. Don't let that go. And I'm just trying to be consistent. And he was ridiculed, and he was forgotten.
He was traded. He was as heralded and drafted, and nurtured, and loved up, and given an opportunity, and then they didn't like what they saw with the opportunity, so they benched him and traded him. Bryce, you may now having been benched because it's Tommy Car this weekend against Indiana. And hearing from alums like myself from this chair, that we as Wolverines are excited to see what Tommy Carr is going to do with a full week of practice and a playbook that is now fashioned to his skill set and what he likes, and see how that works. And you, you may feel discarded and forgotten, but week three.
Right, JJ McCarthy was was when when when Kyler Murray came back, third string, not even dressed.
Okay, traded away.
Now he's the starter of the New York Giants against the Houston Texans. Set up more than the Cowboys, Eagles, and Commanders to win the NFC East for a head coach that is all in. Let's go. You know, I'd be excited if I am a Giant fan. Yeah, and I know t here is a lot of Giant fans who who went to the University of Michigan as well.
I would be fired up. Lowkey Malik Neighbors is balling too, and no one's mentioning him. What what he's getting done this year one hundred sixty five yards receiving, third straight game with one hundred yards receiving.
So some with the experience, and some now with. 18. Is that what he's going to call himself? I would count it. JJ just don't do that.
I think he's done with that. You could see when he was talking after the game, he looks bigger. You know, he he's he looks like he's been through it, and so now he's coming out the other side. JJ McCarthy is the starting quarterback of the New York Giants going into a Week Seven game where they're leading the division, and one would think if you had told me that. Couple years ago, you think, oh, so the Giants did take J.J.
McCarthy in the draft. They didn't. They took Malik Neighbors instead, and then took Jackson Dart the year later. And now J.J. McCarthy's thrown to Malik Neighbors.
Can't make it up. Can't make it up. Which is why in this week-to-week hot take league, sometimes you got to pull back a little bit. And for those who don't want to pull back, there's the Overreaction Monday podcast. And Crazy how it all works out, you know.
Rich is maybe the first person in the sports media world that said the Giants should go after JJ. I'm all, I'm all in this. Like, I hope it works out just to make me look good. Oh, very good. I didn't know that.
You should mark the date and time. I did actually. Very good.
So here we go. Do it. Taking on the Houston Texans.
Okay. I've got my power rankings today. Ooh, interesting. Oh yeah, see where the Rams are on it. Stay tuned.
Last week. Stay tuned for that. But coming up next, Josh Pate, Maryland has fired its head football coach. Mike Locksley has just gotten the gate. Is it hot seat season for coaches?
What is going on with Arch Manning in Texas? The one and only Josh Pate is next. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Here on a very busy Wednesday show. Before we take a break, hiring for a small business is hard.
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com/slash Eisen terms and conditions apply. The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, one big happy simulcast family. Josh Payte back here on the Rich Eisen Show. College football analyst, ESPN.
Josh Payte, College Football Show, must see every single week. Good to see you, Josh. How are you?
Well, I did the thing where I accidentally put twelve twenty instead of eleven twenty in my calendar. Oh, so I'm over at the bus and with the boys' shop. I have no idea. I know that is behind me. I'm not responsible for this.
You know me. You know that Pokemon to that. Oh, that got to be. It's got to be Will's. It's got to be.
No doubt, kids. No doubt. He's got pillows and everything in here.
So yeah, don't give Compton credit that his kids. Oh, I was trying to be nice. Don't give him Compton.
Okay, but glad to see you. I appreciate that. Let's jump in. Here, what what's happening in Texas with Arch Manning? I mean, it seems like there's something amiss, and the general sense that I see is like there's no way Arch is coming to the NFL.
He's going to stay in college, and he shouldn't stay in Texas. At least that's what Orlovsky threw out there on on X on Tuesday. What's your what's your take and your crystal ball here, Josh? Man, I. I hate to agree with Dan Orlovsky at any point, but I I think he I think he may be right on that.
I um look, zoom it out for a second. If you look at Texas in totality, I think one of the big indictments that I've heard a lot of people around Texas say is, "How is it we're this many years in?" And our specialty, our actual team identity this year is defense, is the absolute opposite side of the ball that the head coach specializes in, and so I sit there and listen to that, and I say. I mean, yeah, kind of, I guess. But Saban had some years where they scored a ton of points.
So, like, did we criticize Alabama because they became an offensive machine? But then, when you get back to it, like, if I've got Steve Sarkisian as my as my head coach, one thing I always want to count on is we're going to have really, really good quarterback development around here, and it's not happening. And it it didn't happen with Quinn Ewers, really, and it's not happening with Arch Manning. And but here's where I like talking about Orlovsky. There, here's where I've joked around with him for a little while, but I'm kind of serious about it.
Is how do we know when to criticize play calling, when to criticize scheme, when to criticize? Culture or lack thereof versus when does some of it fall on the player? You know, and I'm not someone who who grades that position week in and week out. I'm not someone who's going to pop on all 22 here.
So I'm just thinking at a different level here, but. They got a game against Ole Miss this weekend, Rich. And if they lose that, they're already out of the playoff picture, basically. And it's not Halloween yet. I think you know as well as I do what the conversation would be there.
We talked in August. I was on this show in August, and we were talking about coaches that could be in trouble and this and that. And I mentioned Sark's not entering the season in trouble in any shape, form, or fashion. They may win the national championship, but if it goes wrong, that'll be a special circumstance. Of a kind of place, you know, like James Franklin at Penn State last year, where it goes from no issue at all, sunny skies in August, to just thunderstorms everywhere by October.
So it's a really important game this weekend. But see, I looked at last weekend. Arch Manning versus a pass defense in the one thirties. That's how bad Florida had been, and they, dude, they had five completed passes beyond the line of scrimmage last week. It's woeful ineptitude.
So. I don't know, man. I just think this week's result—if it goes sideways, or if it doesn't—if they start slow—is he going to make the move? Is he going to put KJ Lacey in during the game? And just think—you don't have to know anything about football.
Think from a pure optics standpoint, or or storyline standpoint. The headline across the bottom of your screen: Texas benches Arch Manning. You think you think Michigan benches Bryce Underwood's a big deal? Imagine seeing Texas benches. Arch Manning during a football game for non-health related issues.
That's where we are. And then, of course, it'd be like, whose fault is it? You want to take a stab at that one, Josh?
Well, I've got a. All right, so I'll tell you my personal theory. My personal theory is. I think I think a lot of cases in college football right now. We're looking at quarterbacks who were former four and five star rated kids, and everyone's looking at the ones that don't work out, saying they were a bust.
People will look at Arch and say he was a bust. I just don't think it's as simple as that. It's case by case. But with Arch, I would look around and I would say, okay, so the quarterback situation hasn't worked here. We also can't run the ball.
Which leads me to believe that, combined with inefficient offensive line play the last couple of years, the offense hasn't worked.
So it's not just a quarterback thing. I don't want to absolve him because I guarantee you, Steve Sarkeesian, if he came on the show today, it would be the end of his career if he did what I'm about to say. But he could say, "Guys, I want you to look at these 30 plays I've cut up for you, where I, as a play caller, and we, as designers of this offense, did everything to get this guy open or that." Open and the read wasn't made properly. The throw wasn't executed. I'm sure he could do all that.
I'm sure he could. To me, even if you could validly point that out, doesn't it circle back to an issue with development at the position? This is not a true freshman we're talking about. This is a guy who is multiple years in the program now. And to say that Arch Manning's a bust.
Is to say that you believe he would be this inefficient no matter where he was playing. Because if you're saying anything other than that, then it's a developmental issue. It's a program issue. It's not just a player issue. Speaking of freshman quarterbacks, it looks like Ohio State might have to go with one for the rest of the year.
Now, where did you hear what's going on with Julian Sand? They've got to buy, and then USC out here in Los Angeles. After I guess, what would you say? It's like half an Isaiah likely foot away from losing in in in Indiana with that wild finish. Like, what do you think about Ohio State's chances now moving forward?
I think they'll lose. I think they'll lose at least three games, and I think they'll miss the playoff. I don't think they'll be in the postseason. I think they'll be a nine and three team, really good defense. And if they make it, it'll be because of defense, because that's another team.
Rich, I keep going back to this. Julian saying before he got hurt was not performing phenomenally. You watch that Indiana game, like I did. Neither of those quarterbacks were really dealing.
Now they're facing two really good defenses, but you know Trinidad Chambliss is going to face a good defense this weekend. I get. Guarantee you, he still has really good numbers.
So, I, I, I power rate him the number one team in the country with Julian saying.
So, like, it sounds like I am talking out of both sides of my mouth, but I am just watching them and thinking, man, they're going to have to walk a tightrope. Then he goes down, and you just assume. I guarantee, a lot of Ohio State fans assume. All right, here comes Tavion St. Clair.
Wait a second, the Fehki kids in. What's the deal with this? And.
So that's this whole side conversation of why is Tavian St. Clair not ready to play for Ohio State? He's another one of those former five-star guys. But anyway, the point I was going to make is: look at all these quarterbacks around here. Look at the way Sayan had been playing.
You could make this point about Marcel Reed. You could make it about John Mateer. You could make it about Arch Manning. All these dudes who are underachieving. Do you notice the common thread there?
In that every run game either sucks outright or it's woefully underachieving relative to what was expected. And then conversely, look at the guys that are thriving, like Gunnar Stockton. Always got a really good ground game. Connor Wigman at Houston got a really good ground game. And so it's almost like there's more.
To playing the quarterback position at a high level, than just well, how far can I throw the ball? How well can I thread needles? Yeah, all that factors into it, but this is still a team game. And in the portal era, you know, in the massive roster churn era, I think so many of these places are counting on going and buying a quarterback to bail out their failures at other critical areas of the program and organization, and it doesn't work that way. It's never going to work that way.
And so, like with Ohio State, as much as people are going to talk about the quarterback thing, I'm wondering, are they going to run the ball better? Also, I'm standing on the field at that Indiana game. Jeremiah Smith's just unbelievable. Believable to see in person, like he—he's insane, buddy. I don't know how many people have looked at Chris Henry Jr.
this year in person. Right. I—I—I was talking to some folks around Indiana after that game. They thought Henry was going to give them a lot more issue than he did, and. I'm not saying for those who didn't watch the game, I'm not saying that in a sense of oh, Chris Henry didn't deliver.
Henry was on the field, I think, eleven plays and had fifty something receiving yards. I think Indiana was surprised Chris Henry Jr. wasn't on the field more. I'm not going to sit here and question Ryan Day. I know they have reasons for doing what they do.
I'm just saying right now. When you're head when you're starting quarterbacks out, you got to run the ball a whole lot better. And man, every available weapon that's on that team, Jeremiah Smith being the first and foremost, but above and beyond that, like you're Chris Henry's, you're gonna have to. If you're gonna die, you need to die with those dudes on the field instead of.
Well, he's not quite where we need him to be. No, that's Plan A. Plan A's out the window when your starting quarterback goes down. You're gonna have to have some shot plays. You're gonna have to hit some cat buster.
You're probably not sustaining. Ten and twelve, thirteen play drives with your backup quarterback in, and they got a tough road to home, man. They got a tough schedule left.
Well, you know, interestingly enough, just to that point, real quick, end of the first half, goal line stand, Indiana's coming up with one. Ohio State takes four cracks at it, and For the first three cracks, has Jeremiah Smith standing on the sideline, and I'm like, "What in the world?" And sure, sure enough, they put him in on that fourth down. He's a decoy, wide open, wide open guy in the flat, touchdown. But you know, those are the things that just you know make your head explode if you're, you know, not rooting against Ohio State as I was heavily. Anyway, but in all seriousness, here the loss that.
Jumps out at you the most, Georgia's or Notre Dame's? Which one, Josh? Oh, easily Georgia.
Now it's explainable just from a pure scheduling dynamic standpoint. When you get mid-season in the SEC, there were always a few of these red flag games. Auburn, Georgia was one of them.
Okay, so Georgia playing their seventh consecutive game, coming off the Bama game. Auburn off a bye.
Now the reason it was overlooked is because we got in the season and we realized Auburn's not good.
So people, myself included, just looked and assumed. Even with all this leaning against Georgia, they'll be okay.
Well, they weren't because the gap between the teams is not nearly as big as it used to be. There's one of those this weekend. It's a lot lower point spread. Tennessee goes to South Carolina this weekend. Tennessee.
He's coming off an Alabama game. That's a huge letdown spot. They're playing their eighth consecutive game.
South Carolina's off a bye in in Williams-Brice Stadium. Just to circle a game for everyone. But I was really surprised by the Georgia game. You know what? It was rich.
The stuff that they didn't have to pay for in the Bama game, they had to pay for. They fumbled four times against Alabama and recovered all four of them. They just didn't recover the fumbles against Auburn. They turned the ball over three times. Auburn, to their credit, did.
Not Auburn finally ran Byron Brown, which is one of their best weapons at quarterback. And Georgia, I mean, it's close. You know that Gunner Stockton turnover at midfield. I just I look at Kirby every time they go through these games, and he's the antithesis of what you would expect. You would expect him to be fiery and you know breathe and fire on the sideline, and he's not.
He's really he's almost docile. I know he's not in real life, but it looks that way on television. And then you listen to him in the post game. He almost has like a "well, I told you so" kind of mentality, and you can tell he knew they were a beat up, tired team.
Now they get their bye week, but the Notre Dame result—I'll tell you what surprised me. Notre Dame losing was not the biggest shock in the world. Notre Dame losing and never controlling the game and having to play catch up, and and Brigham Young having the amount of offensive success they did, that surprised me a little bit. I just flat out did not think Brigham Young had that in them, and Bear Bokmaier. You go like all time performances.
You throw for one, you run for one, and you catch one touchdown as a as a quarterback in the biggest game of your life. I don't know how long that kid's going to live. Hopefully, 150 years. But like his dying day, he will be telling that story. Rightfully so.
Yeah, I know, and I can't believe we're talking about one second left on the clock, Josh. Oh, oh man, I had a I'm not going to name the conference or the name. Obviously, I had a head official because I just railed against this on the Sunday show we had. Yes, sir. Rightfully so.
How do you not? It's not even the first, second left on the clock situation we've had this year, but this one's right there, plain as day. And I'm not normally the person who gathers in with the chorus of "Oh, what about the missed holding calls or the misjudgment calls?" I mean, yeah. I get mad at that occasionally, but I don't make a big public spectacle of it. But this right here is purely procedural.
the the offsides on the onside kick that wasn't a couple of weeks ago in the Michigan State game. That's purely procedural. We just had this conversation last week. It's just we added another pancake on top of the stack here with one second left on a clock, and this is not. This is not a missed strike three call in Game Two of a three-game set in mid-July in San Diego.
We're not playing 162 games; we play 12 of them.
So the difference in Notre Dame having one more shot at the end zone from the four-yard line versus game over could be the difference in that team making the playoffs or not. It could be the difference in Brigham Young making the playoff or not. And to know that the officiating crew responsible for it. Just hops in a van and scoots out of town, and the conference that they're affiliated with the next day puts out a statement, just like I made fun of last week—the Sunday Twitter statement. Yeah, it turns out we messed up.
The end. Like that's it. That's it. And I, I'll have heads of officiating reach out to me all the time, and they'll say, "Well, that's not the long and short of it, Josh. Behind the scenes, we reprimand these guys.
Behind the scenes, there there are prices to be paid." Behind the scenes are the key words. There, we never know. No one ever knows. All I know is I watch guys occasionally screw up, and then I see him on my screen later that year or the next week or whatever. And I think the part that rubs me the wrong way is I get that officiating has to be treated differently because I get these dudes could could get put in some really uncomfortable positions in their personal lives if all of this is just broadcast publicly.
But Rich. If if a quarterback has Arch Manning had to face the media last week, Steve Sarkisian has to face the media. The AD at Texas, if if Steve Sarkisian doesn't get it right, he'll have to face the media. It's like the only lack of accountability in the sport is the rules enforcement mechanism. Which is just crazy to me because we're not guarding nuclear codes here.
It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to have a pool reporter meet with an official after a game and at least get some explanation on stuff. I'm with you, absolutely with you. And part of what you just said there, Josh, paid where you're like, "Hey, BYU, Notre Dame, this could decide who makes the college football playoffs or not." Not if we got a 2014 field. And I'll be honest, I watched so much football this weekend through that prism. Just because I I I want to have a mind's eye of this conversation moving forward.
Now, Michigan Penn State would be a and a twenty four team field. A game like that would have such stakes around it. And I, you know, even though obviously I'm emotionally invested in Michigan versus Penn State, it's much better to have a team like two versus eight be about those stakes. Right, I mean Georgia lost to Auburn, and you know they do have a tough schedule next two. You know, home Florida.
Who knows at Ole Miss? Right, like these are now going to be the stakes. If they lose another one of these two, like okay, you know what I mean? Like, well, we're going to we're going to keep two two lost Georgia. Is that we're really going to do coming up?
You know that that's. That's the the damn shame. I'm already. I'm trying to stay in the moment, but I just can't. Josh, I'm wondering what you're thinking on that.
I hate the 2014 playoff. I hate all the reasons for it. Both. Publicly stated, and then the real reasons for it behind the scenes. One of the things I could not stand the most over the weekend is these bad faith proponents of the 2014 playoff.
They'll watch the Tennessee Alabama finish, and they'll say, "Oh man, so you're telling me that these fans wouldn't be excited at this final in a 2014 playoff?" No, I've I've never said that. That would be stupid. Of course, Tennessee will always celebrate beating Alabama, and then they'll say, "Well." You're telling me this Notre Dame Brigham Young game would be meaningless, would have no consequence on it in the 2014 playoff. I'm not saying that either. I am saying it would have less consequence on it.
Yes, I am saying it. I am saying it's very foolish for us to claim that we're creating more meaningful games, which is a lie. When in reality, you're just redistributing the meaning. You're taking meaning off of games featuring teams capable of winning the whole thing down the road, and we're Manufacturing it on games featuring teams that are destined for three and four losses and a first round exit.
Well, Josh, it works in the basketball tournament. College football is not a tournament sport. Firstly, secondly, football is not basketball. Thirdly, I don't watch college basketball in December for that very reason. The tournament has taught me I don't need to watch it because it's a tournament sport.
So, like some of us look at it, and we don't do the zero one hundred. We don't do the all or nothing. I'm not sitting here saying a 2014 playoff destroys the regular season. No, it doesn't. It cheapens it.
It lowers the urgency on the biggest games. And some of us feel—I think a lot of us—feel that we've already got a playoff in college football. We've had it for a long time. It just doesn't have the sticker on it. But various Saturdays in the fall have that vibe.
The sport, if it's run properly, feels like a playoff all year long. I do understand. See, there is some nuance here. I hate like ninety percent of the twenty fourteen playoff as a concept. There are ten percent just here and there's that I like about it, but on the whole, it sucks.
And people lie about it. If you just look at me and say, you know what? I'm a Minnesota fan. I couldn't care less about what's best for the sport overall. I just want to see my team play in a playoff game, and I don't really care what format we need.
If we go to 50 teams, if that's what it takes, I'm for it. I hate that logic, but at least you're being honest about it. Other people aren't honest about it, and it's like so obvious what the reasoning and what the motivation is, and I hate it. Bravo, Josh Peck. You're getting you're getting a you're getting a sitting ovation on the Rich Eisen show set.
All right, say hi to the the busin guys, but more to Luwan. You know, yeah, clearly, clearly, we find Pokemon. Those are where are you guys going Friday? Where are you guys going? This one's one of the ghost ones.
Okay. Ghastly—that's what the sticker says. I don't know. We are going. We're going to South Carolina.
I assume you are familiar with the month of October. They certainly are in South Carolina. This is this is a big deal, man. This is a big deal. I love it.
It's a huge moment for Shane Beamer and company. You know, they put that guy on the hot seat. By they, I mean I put that guy on the hot seat earlier this year. And, dude, they. They they smoked Florida.
They went into the bye. They opened as a two and a half point dog. They're now two and a half point favorite. Tennessee eighth game in a row. Coming off the Bama game.
Lenora Sellers, Nick Harbor, Dylan Stewart went from being suspended to playing seventy plus plays against Florida, so he's back, and that's the whole NFL draft piece conversation. To it, I I think this is going to be an electric environment. I think, for my money, that's the most underrated home field environment in college football is Williamsburg Stadium in Columbia. Two p.m. Eastern on Friday on ESPN, Josh Payton's College Football Show.
Check it out on YouTube all week long. Great. To see you, Josh. We'll chat next. Appreciate it, Rich.
You bet. That's Josh Payte right there. About Josh and show he's going to go hang on a bus with no motor. Still doesn't have one. You positive about that?
Oh, it doesn't. Wow. You know the money's flowing right now. They could get that's true. They could get a motor that ran for a long time, and I'm not talking about the bus that bit.
Oh, the bit did for sure. Oh yeah, great bit. It was a great bit. We milked it. Then you let's take a break.
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Our WeatherTech fan line is up. And Adam, right now, let's go to Doug in Minnesota. What's up, Doug? Hey, everybody's going to hear me. I can.
Doug, what's up?
Okay, so I'm I'm Minnesota, obviously Vikings fan. Yes, always have been. Your name is Doug. We obviously traded JJ McCarthy.
Okay, and so. Here's the thing: He's obviously now named the starter in the in the weakest division of football currently.
Okay, the Vikings might be slightly biased. I think we're going to win our division. I also think the Giants have a compelling case to win their division. All right, as a Vikings fan. I uh I fondly recall what happened in 2022 when the Giants stormed into U.S.
Bank and they ran all over us and knocked us out with a wild card round. I want to be optimistic here, but I'm afraid I think it's going to happen again with JJ McCarthy at the helm. Oh, Doug, kind of went a little higher register a day too soon. Don't don't don't peek too soon, Doug. Listen, you're you're looking for the trap door as a Viking fan is basically what you're saying.
Right, like that's the worst case scenario. I let's. How about this, Doug? If you guys face one another in the playoffs this year, it's entirely possible it would be in the divisional round if both teams win the division. You know what I mean?
You'd have to win your wild card round unless the Vikings get the one seed.
So, I'm saying the likelihood of JJ McCarthy strolling into Minneapolis and. One and done in you, like Daniel Jones did. By the way, he was—he played, I think, his best game as a pro on that day with Saquon. Remember that without question. Just breathe, man.
Let's just let's just focus on the on the present. You're coming off your buy. You're five and oh, this is a winnable game against the Colts, big time. Take your Daniel Jones revenge this week and be happy about it.
Okay, how does that sound, Doug? I appreciate it. Definitely, calm me down a little bit. There, there you go. That's what we're here for.
Clarity. That's what we're here for. We're we're like melatonin on a on a on a more we're morning melatonin. Oh, thank you for the call. There you go.
Just trying to calm you down. For American-made floor liners and a cargo liner that laugh in the face of fall weather, visit WeatherTech.com today. I mean, in all seriousness, too. I mean, Daniel Jones having trouble protecting the football. They just fired their general manager.
They're probably all looking at each other, saying, "It's go time. It's now or never." And the Vikings are coming off of a bye, and they're home. And the Jolly Horns are going to be every single time Daniel Jones makes a mistake, and that happens a lot these days because the Daniel Jones that once upon a time started seven and one last year is not walked through that door just yet. And man, the following week you got to go to Detroit, and let's see what happens there. Before there's a big, big Monday nighter at home against Buffalo, a visit to Green Bay, and then San Francisco in Mexico City on a Sunday night.
That's that's fun. The run.
So take your win against Daniel Jones. Take a breath and don't worry about maybe seeing JJ down the road. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to three Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
