REShow: Bruce Feldman - Hour 3 (12-5-2022)

Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the Rich Eisen Show.

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That is your ballgame. The Rich Eisen Show. We've got to find ways to score touchdowns. Earlier on the show, two-time Super Bowl champion and host of the Greenlight Podcast, Chris Long. 49ers linebacker, Fred Warner. Coming up, Fox Sports college football analyst, Bruce Feldman.

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We say thank you. If you missed any of the first two hours, Chris Long and now our number one. Fred Warner, the San Francisco 49ers, talking about Brock Purdy now having the entirety of Niners Nation in their hopes for the Super Bowl placed on his shoulders and in his hands after beating the Miami Dolphins. Fred was on this program.

You missed it. We re-air on channel 210 on the Roku channel as soon as this hour is over or there's our at Rich Eisen Show Twitter feed. Then, of course, our YouTube stream, youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show. The order of business is now done, and now I can turn to my in-studio guest and our number three kind enough to return right away after a fascinating weekend of college football. The College Football Playoff Committee has spoken. All Final Four has been set.

Bruce Feldman of the Athletic and Fox Sports right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Good to see you, sir. Good to see you. What do you think of the College Football Playoff Committee's work? Do you like it? You think they got it right?

I do. I don't think they screwed it up. I mean, look, TCU lost in the Big 12 title game, but they lost in overtime. They had actually beaten Kansas State earlier in the year.

And I think the fact that Kansas State's a top 10 team, you know, it's a weird way they kind of helped their own cause even in a loss because now K-State is in the top 10. And that's still a better win than anything that Alabama has, who's five. I mean, Alabama beat Texas. That's their best win. Well, so did TCU. They both beat them in Austin, except they beat Kansas State and they don't have two losses, right? As far as Ohio State getting in there, I think Ohio State's fine to be in number four. Obviously, there was a blowout loss to their arch rival late in the year, but they do have a win over Penn State. And that was at Happy Valley. We were at that game. So I think the committee got it right. I don't think Alabama deserved to be in. Yeah. And Nick Saban had an interesting halftime appearance on Fox on your station during the Big 10 championship game. I guess it fell on deaf ears that they are better.

Take a look at how many kids we have and how we would be favored and all that. Yeah. The favorite thing.

Then why play the game? Right. I mean, you can say we lost, you know, on the last play of the game at LSU. You know, you lost against Tennessee the last play. You also won on the last play of the game against a horrible Texas A&M team.

You know, that could go the other way, you know, if you want to use it. So they were very fortunate to beat Texas. They don't have any good SEC wins to show for it. You know, the fact that you would be making a case if you're Nick Saban, greatest coach ever.

This was not a great team he had, you know, and it's just that's the reality. And what about the fact that they kept Ohio State at four and avoided the rematch with Michigan right off the bat? Personally, I think Ohio State should have to earn that by beating Georgia.

And if Michigan is is is good enough and fortunate enough to get past TCU, then so be it. But to just go ahead and and match them up, I thought that that that wasn't right to just give them the right to just go ahead and want back into the playoffs and get their rival right away. Boo Corrigan, who is the committee chair, said they didn't even consider that. Do you think they didn't even consider that at all? I'm sure somebody probably kicked it around in their head.

You know, there's a lot of voices in the room. I think what helped them was that K-State did not blow out TCU. That was a game they lost in overtime. And I think if it was different, if K-State won like 48-14, they didn't. I mean, TCU has won more games than than Ohio State. They lost a game basically in overtime, whereas Ohio State got blown out at home at the end of the year. I don't know if you're Ohio State. Just be glad you're in. Right.

You have a puncher's chance. You're going to have to go through the best, you know, the defending champs, see what happens. But like, I don't I don't think they would have jumped off it because they would have said, oh, we just don't want a rematch. I just don't think that if you look at it, TCU was more deserving to be in that spot at number three than Ohio State. But the fact that he said it wasn't even brought up in the room, that nobody brought up in the room. Hey, do we want to get Michigan, Ohio State in a college football playoff semifinal? I mean, you want to talk about what people would watch on a New Year's Eve.

That certainly would be it. They're going to watch either way, I really think. I just think it's a moot point. You know, I understand why people are thinking that. Like, I think if it was again, I think if Kansas State got blown out as opposed to losing in overtime, the resumes are are relatively close. One team, though, you know, as they beat the team that beat them, the other team, I don't have to tell you this, you know, got blown out in the end of the game at the end of their season. Right. The last time we saw him, Ohio State was getting pummeled in the corner.

You know, so I just think maybe maybe they'll say that they never thought about it. They didn't have to. I mean, it was just to me, it's obvious three fourths, you know, the way it fell. Bruce Feldman here on the Rich Eisen Show, Caleb Williams was terrific until his hamstring gave way. And then Max Duggan, I mean, his final drive to tie the game was remarkable. Did he win the Heisman on that drive, do you think?

I don't think so. I think he probably if people held their votes till this weekend, which hopefully they did. I think he's a strong second, but I don't think he overtook Caleb. I think people know that Caleb Williams, he wasn't the same player at that point at the end of the game. But it wasn't like he threw five picks either.

He threw in one interception that he was valiantly played. I think he had a very big lead going into the final weekend. And I just don't know how many people looked at Max Duggan and thought, OK. I think for a lot of people, Max Duggan was actually not on their top three going into this week.

Is that right? That's why he was. He would be on mine. But I've seen him in person, you know, play a couple of times this year and I've seen him put that team on his back. But I think for a bunch of people, they had CJ Stroud still in there.

I think you have some, you know, some other guys. Hendon Hooker really put Tennessee on his back till he got hurt late in the year. These are all guys who were deserving to be in New York. Corum, Blake Corum too.

Blake Corum is similar to, you know, to CJ Stroud, to Hendon Hooker where at the end of the year he got hurt. But I think he will get certainly some votes. But ultimately, I think it's going to be Caleb Williams and then Max Duggan.

And, you know, who knows? You'll probably see some votes for some other guys who are, I don't want to say they're vanity votes, but you'll see certain guys who, you know, probably somebody is going to put third. And I think, you know, maybe there'll be a handful of ballots where Max Duggan won't get any firsts, but will get a lot of second and thirds where Caleb, I think, is going to get a ton of firsts.

So who gets the invitation in New York to sit there for 60 minutes in an all too, way too quiet room until they make the announcement? You know, to do some heavy lifting for ESPN, I think you're definitely going to get Max Duggan there because he's on one of the playoff teams. Obviously, I think you'll have Caleb there because I think he's going to win it.

And then after that, I think you look at teams. I don't think you'll have Stetson Bennett will have enough votes to get there, but he's obviously on the Georgia team. And then we're talking about, you know, I don't know if Blake Corum gets invited, if he gets enough votes. Right. He's it's not like a case where he's playing in the game where, you know, they can promote it and kind of back end it. But we'll see.

I mean, they always the number always fluctuates depending on the vote, the voting. And we'll see who who's like three, four, if it's close enough. Bruce Feldman here from the Athletic and Fox Sports with so much going on in the college football world. How about my guy, Prime? Walk me through how Colorado wound up on his radar screen and and why they were the ones who, you know, how I feel about it, smart enough to take what others consider a risk.

What do you got for me on that front? Yeah. So when they fired Carl Durell on October 2nd, some people behind the scenes at Colorado really work to say, hey, Dion is the guy that we need. We desperately need this program is right now irrelevant.

It's got a lot of issues. Dion has the presence. Dion has the charisma. Dion has the vision. Dion has the plan that he can.

And it's happening right now in the transfer portal era. And that means he can flip it pretty fast. The roster is atrocious. He can fix it. Kids are going to want to play for him. Kids who are at Jackson State are going to want to follow him.

And to the credit of Rick George, the AD, he worked he worked off of their lead and really got this the ball rolling. And I think it helped them that a few other schools, we talked about this the other day. You know, I think Auburn, for a variety of reasons, was afraid of hiring Dion. That's ridiculous. I mean, they will rue that decision. I fully believe it in my bones.

They will rue that decision. I was saying, like, could you imagine if he strolled into a living room in the state of Alabama? Who better to say, don't go to Nick Saban.

Come here. And if let's just say that you need to tip the scales, Dion has Bo Jackson on like. He doesn't even need Bo Jackson. He doesn't need Cham. He doesn't need Barkley.

Dion doesn't need anybody's help. He could get it. He could get it.

But I mean, I don't like I'm with you. Like, I think if he was I mean, if you're Georgia Tech in Georgia, you know, like he was a star with the Braves. He was a star with the Falcons. I mean, he's doing the work for you. He built the Georgia Dome. That was his house.

He would say it's my house. And yet, you know, you hear that they did not have the commitment to jump into this. I mean, like who he gives it. He would give them a fighting chance to compete with Kirby Smart. That that rivalry is so far, you know, from where it used to be, because Georgia Tech has fallen so far behind. And Georgia has as really just now they want a national title and Kirby Smart's got it going. But who wants to follow Dion Sanders in a in-home visit if you're the coach? You know, nobody. Kirby Smart's got a national title ring. But like, who's the second most charismatic coach in college football right now? I don't know who it is. I know who's number one, though.

And the thing is, how does that resonate with 17, 18, 19 and 21, 22 year olds? Who, by the way, now are looking at going, well, I saw what USC just did. They can flip it fast. And so I did a story over the weekend with Bill McCartney's son, Mike. I saw that.

Yeah. And Mike's dad was the only man who led to a national title. And he was over the moon about the idea that Dion was coming there. And one of the things he said that I thought really resonated was there will be kids who will be like, I don't have, you know, Colorado in my top three or four. But you know what? I'm really curious to go meet Dion. Let me see what he's about.

And they'll go there and then they will flip and they will commit to see you. I, I don't doubt it at all. I mean, his press conference yesterday, like I sat there and watched it. And I went downstairs and my wife works in PR and I told her, I was like, I, you know, and we know it. But until you watch it, you know, it's like you just kind of awed by what is going on.

And then there's video of everything. And I don't doubt like he will be able to say things and he has. And he did last night when he addressed his team in the first meeting that if somebody else said it, I think it would be like, oh, you can't really say, hey, go in the portal. You're not. I watched the film of you. You, you're not, you know, you're not good enough that that effort's not going to cut it.

Go in the portal. And I think with him, it's like this is the hard truth. Maybe there are some guys who are sitting there, you know, how do you feel where Dion Sanders is saying that team meeting about there will be no hats on.

You're sitting there with the Reds hat on or whatever, you know, like the Blue Jays hat on in the room. You know, it's just like it was a remarkable scene. And I think this program, it's beyond nationally relevant now.

It's like must see TV, everything like, oh, yeah, I'm I'm blown away by where this thing is. And to circle back, you know, if you're one of these schools that were just like, yeah, we're not going to take the risk. Well, your guy better work out great because, you know, I think, you know, he's playing with the house's money because they were so bad before. No matter what happens, we know there's going to be a lot better talent come in.

What's the worst they're going to do? You know, six and six next year. I'm with you. As you know, I was on this from the very beginning. And in terms of anybody out there who's sitting there thinking, well, how relevant is he with a 17, 18, 19 year old or 16 year old or anybody?

You're a fool if you're asking that question. I'm not saying you are, but you like I saw it at the combine year in and year out. Kids, half of Dion's age, definitely not alive, definitely not alive when Diem was on the back end of his playing career. OK, they all knew exactly who he was. And the minute he walked on the field as part of NFL Network's roving reporter on the field during the defensive back drills, they flocked to him.

They flocked to him. And then when he was just roaming the field with the microphone and some kid ran the 40 and he thought that he didn't run it. This he was we was weaving in and out or his his workout is this step didn't work that that step didn't work. He would call the kid over.

Hey, come here. And we'd have to cut his mic offices because sometimes we'd hear the conversation. We'd have to cut his mic off. And he would he would coach him up. He would coach the kid up.

And the kid was just immediately locked into every syllable that was coming out of Dion's mouth. This was him when he was just a youth football coach. And then to Chris, you've watched him watch football games with us. OK, yeah. And when a kid when an NFL player would do something so stupid and dumb, cut him.

He said, if I was a coach, I would cut him before he came back to the sideline. Yeah. So him saying to everybody, there's the transfer portal. It's not an act like this is this is prime. This is Dion. And in the day and age of NIL and portals, that's what I was going to say. It is like, you know, I tweeted out my story.

This is the perfect hire at the perfect time. And because of what you just said, the NIL era where it used to be, you know, five years ago. Certainly when, you know, there was an 85 person scholarship limit and everything you'd hear about guys were running people off. Couldn't do that. Everything. I think in this NIL era where there's the portal is rolling and it's like once you go on the portal, they can basically pull away from you. And and it's kind of all bets are off. I definitely think this is hard reality that's coming here.

Right. And, you know, if I was a Colorado fan, I would sit there and go, my God, look what's going on here. Like we're actually going to compete with real college football teams, you know, and it's been forever. They've had one season, really, in the last 17 years where they had a winning record. I mean, I mean, they were so bad. You and I remember and you guys remember when they were, you know, it was it was Eric Bienemey and Canavis McGee and Cordell.

Cordell. Yes, they had they had the cutting edge quarterback. Yeah, Heisman Trophy winner. Yeah, Rashawn Salaam.

Rashawn Salaam. They have had I don't want to say nothing, but they have had so little. And just now, all of a sudden, the fact that all these kids, like a five star offensive lineman who's committed to Iowa, Iowa has a great track record of developing offensive lineman.

Dion offered me now all of a sudden. I'm not saying he's going to flip right. But I wouldn't be surprised. Nothing is going to surprise me now. And I think what you will see on signing day is like there will be so many surprises of kids who want to go there.

You know, and again, if it's resonating with us at our age, you imagine what it's doing to 16, 17, 18 year olds who are like, I want to go play for that guy. Make I got to make a note of it. I got to call Fowler, our friend. I'm just asking.

I mean, he's he's you know, he's he's a buff. I can't wait to speak to him about that. It'll be great. I got Bruce Feldman here on the Rich Eisen show before I let you go. You called it multiple times on your Twitter feed today, an avalanche, the transfer portal.

What is happening today and why? Today's the day it starts this period for the next month and a half where you're going to see lots of good players, lots of players who are big recruits who maybe haven't panned out all sorts of that activity going in. I mean, we've already seen a bunch of quarterbacks. You know, D.J. Young, the lay lay who had the Dr. Pepper commercial last year, former five star quarterback at Clemson.

You know, he's from here in L.A. Huge arm, you know, has had a really up and down go at Clemson. Devin Leary at NC State, who is this starting quarterback, put up big numbers, but is hurt now. Keaton Slovis, who started at Pitt, started at USC. You're going to see so many guys that are in that are flooding in today, tomorrow and beyond.

And one of the things that was interesting, especially in the you know, as it relates to like Slovis. People are like, OK, you know, because I had talked to him and he said, yes, I'm going in. But they're like, coaches are waiting. When when is he actually in?

Because I want to talk to him. And, you know, you'll see this. How does this jive with the rest of high school recruiting?

Because you have to budget your roster. But it is a different level of recruiting that's going on now. And I think you'll see a lot of guys who've had good.

I know you're going to see a lot of guys who've had really good seasons who are going to say, all right, this is my situation here. What can you guys do for me? Basically telling, you know, all the rest of college coaches, what can you do for me? What can your NIL people do?

Why should I go there? Like it's it is really open season. It's free agency.

That's it. So is this the way it's going to be from now on? Is that the college football playoff makes its announcement after I'm assuming there won't be any conference championship games still around 10 years from now when we're when we have a Super League formed. But as for the moment, college football playoff committee makes its announcement. Playoffs are set.

Heisman Trophy's coming up and free agency begins. Is that basically the way that we're going to see how it goes? Because I think they always tweak it and see, OK, there's some issues that came up with this. There's a lot of stuff.

I mean, the fact that the the portal is one thing in the NIL situation is so murky right now. I think that is that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. But when I say it makes them a lot uncomfortable, I also think, you know, it's almost like Christmas for all these coaches. Because in one sense, roster management, I think they've already come to the realization roster management is not the same as what it was two years ago.

And these guys are all control freaks. And they've kind of realized, all right, that ship has sailed. Now, how do we operate in this new reality? There'll be there'll be some logistical stuff that I'm sure will get changed.

I'm sure it'll get tweaked and ironed out and some new problems will surface because you have a lot of third party people who jumped into the margins. But I mean, you know, it's like it's weird. It's those days that you have them in the NFL and certainly the NBA has it where it's like, oh, it's a trade down on or something like this. And there really wasn't the same kind of equivalent other than National Signing Day. But now it's it's it's it's weird.

It's almost like Christmas and tax day all together. And the same time for college coaches. Last one for you, Bruce Feldman of the Athletic and Fox Sports. My colleagues at the NFL Network, NFL Media Group, Pelosero and Ian Rappaport. I got to talk to them.

Those guys hate you, man. Kicking up dirt around Jim Harbaugh. The hell? He said that he was done. This wouldn't be a reoccurring thing is what he said after he and the Vikings did not strike anything other than just a note and a chord and a very difficult chord for Michigan fans to swallow. Happened on signing day last year and all he's done whenever and it was my message to Michigan faithful at the end of the first hour. It's like we were all wondering, did he blow the best opportunity to follow up on the best season Michigan's ever had?

Well, the answer is yes. He's followed up with an even better one. So this was Jim Harbaugh talking about the rumors that the Colts are hot and heavy for him.

This is him on a teleconference for the Verbo. Who knew, by the way, it's not VRBO, Verbo Fiesta Bowl on Sunday night. There's a lot of that time of the year type of speculation, but I think no man knows the future. But I think the people are people that are that we've done a good job and are pleased with the job that we've done here in Michigan. They're going to be very happy to learn that we will be back enthusiastically coaching the Wolverines in 2023. And for those people that don't approve of the job we've done or would rather see somebody else coaching here. I think they'll be most likely disappointed to learn we're back coaching the Wolverines in 2023.

Take that, Tom. I don't know. I thought he was going to leave last year. But you know what? It's one of those deals where I feel like Michigan football right now is in a much better trajectory than it was 12 months ago.

The signing day thing. Nobody knows for sure what's in Jim Harbaugh's heart, whether he's feeling like, all right, I didn't win a Super Bowl. I actually came close.

That's the only thing left. But I think on the other side of it right now, whether he can beat, you know, beat TCU, then beat Georgia or Ohio State, I feel like they are close. I'm not saying they're close to dominating college football or anything like that, but they are closer to winning a national title and and having really sustainability now than they were a year ago.

And I think like if you leave now and maybe if he wins a national title, then maybe it is mission accomplished. I don't know that. I don't I don't think anybody knows that. The part I'm curious about is the people who looked at him. Look, the Raiders job was open. We know he has a lot of affinity for that organization last year. He had some connections to the Vikings that didn't you know, that didn't work out like all of a sudden.

Now it's like, who are these people who are going to like? We know who Jim Harbaugh is. It's not like he's, you know, the 42 year old coach who's kind of like they know. Is it just going to take one of their Senate situations like, OK, now we saw that he whipped Ohio State again.

We you know, we saw it all of a sudden now it's like, OK, we're going to all jump on board for Jim Harbaugh. You know what he is. Well, the Colts know what he is. His name's in the ring of honor. And they just had a 50 piece put on him on Sunday Night Football. And one of the most I mean, in a performance that Chris Collins was called embarrassing and national embarrassment.

So that's why they're really hot and heavy for him. And then, you know, the national championship game is again, if Michigan's fortunate enough to make it is the so-called Black Monday in the NFL. It's because the NFL is now longer and they're playing the national championship game a little sooner.

It all kind of all times up, which is why people it does. But also this is the same guy who said last year, I'm not I'm not doing this anymore. And now all of a sudden it's like it'd be different if I think if he went at the similar year to last year, it was, you know, it was 11 and one. Maybe they don't win.

Maybe they lose to Ohio State. They got closer, but they don't win the big. It's still a very it's still a good year, but it's not what he had last year. Instead, I feel like they've taken another step towards it. So so I you know, I'd be surprised if he would back away. I thought last year he was going to leave, but he didn't really have the opportunity to get it.

So maybe now somebody gives him everything he wants and he's like, oh, yeah, I've done. Because I think if you're a Michigan fan, obviously I know you are like if you were to leave after this year, you'd be disappointed. But, you know, he is done what I think you could have hoped for him to do. He not only beat Ohio State, he kicked their butts in Columbus.

He got to the playoff twice. If he wins the national title, obviously that'd be great for Michigan. But the question is, ultimately, what does he want most?

Does he does he really think like a Super Bowl or does he think I'm at my alma mater? I can be the king of the Big Ten. I can be the king of the Big Ten.

Right. This is not a one time deal. I mean, I would think he would he would be staying now and say, all right, after what I said last year, they didn't want me. This is where I want to be. They want me.

I want to, you know, be here with my family for the for the long haul. Bruce Feldman, thanks for coming in. We'll have you back on shortly, if you don't mind. Look for my call really quick from the last time Bruce Feldman follow him on Twitter.

Must follow. Check out all his works on the athletic as well as Fox Sports back here on the Rich Eisen Show. My two cents on the Mike White experience and so much more from week 13 coming up. The world tournament of soccer happening in Qatar is finally here. And with all the weird kickoff times and all the other sports happening simultaneously, it could be kind of hard to keep up. So to make sure you're up to speed, be sure to listen to Qatar Kickaround for the daily wrap up of all the action from the tournament. From the group stage all the way to the final, Andy, Lars and Peter are here for you with recaps and opinions of what happened that day in Qatar.

Everything can be found at the kickaround dot com, the Cumulus podcast channel on YouTube or wherever you listen. As Bruce Feldman just left the building, Pete Famil of ESPN reporting that Jackson Smith and Jigba, who had a terrific Rose Bowl last year, record setting Rose Bowl last year and has been injured all year long, did not play against Michigan a couple of weeks ago. He's declaring for the NFL draft and will not compete in the college football playoffs. Quote, I was unable to come back on multiple occasions during the season and the doctors determined I would be unable to participate in the playoffs. He's still a top 10 pick.

Doesn't matter. So there you go. I know a lot of Buckeye fans were hoping that he would be back and give them a full complement of players to go against Georgia, which I think they will need.

I think you're right. What was Brian, what was Kirby Smart doing going for two to put up 50 as he was just going for a nice, neat number? What was that all about?

What was the interpretation in your household? Welcome Brian Kelly to the SEC. Is that as simple as that? Feels like just running up the score. That game was not close. I mean, it's close early on. I mean, it was zero zero.

Nice. That's when it started. Yeah, I was getting a lot of nervous texts from Michigan Faithful that I know. Even your game was close for a second. It was. Boy, they have got some walk-ons on that Purdue team that have a ton of heart and it was great to watch them.

And it got me a little nervous, just a slight wee bit. But, you know, Michigan's just on a nice little heater right now. Ones that I'm just loving life. I'm loving it right now. I'm ready for the rematch. Let's do it.

Georgia, Michigan. It's so far. Let's go. We might get it.

It's going to be awesome. You might get it. You know what?

Yeah, I don't know what. I'm just going to stick with you the rest of the season. Thank you very much. I think I am.

I'm going to stick with the Wolverines. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. There's enough room on board. You, sir, are being left at the curb. I don't want to hear it from you, Del Tufo. You're in the curb. You're out.

Rich, Rich, Rich, Rich. You're out. Actually, it'll be like the movie Airplane. I'm just going to leave you in the back of the cab and go try and save a plane. I won my last game against your school.

Scene Hall beat Michigan last year. I'm good. I just want to bust your chops as much as I can about it.

The dumbest conversation. We did. It's regular season. It counts. Like you say. It does.

It does. It really stings. That loss stings 20, what, three years later? I don't care about that.

It stings. That's the last time I 33 years later. 33. I know.

Rich, you're terrible at math. You want to hear something? You look at me like, I know it's terrible. I can't do it.

I'm much better talking. I can't do it. The 80s are 30 years away.

I also don't want to be as old as I am. You guys want to hear something that's going to like make you sad? In eight years. Yes.

The 80s will have been 50 years ago. Oh, my gosh. That's just something I. How about that?

How about that? Oh, that makes no sense, right? I know. It makes zero sense. We're getting older.

The 1980s specifically, not, you know. I want to say something. I'm going to take a page from Deion Sanders, my friend. You're going to put one of us in the portal? I am not putting any of you in the portal. Okay. I'm going to just talk plainly. Okay.

Uh-oh. I'm going to talk plainly, and I will say this right now, and I know it's just two games. I do not care if Zach Wilson doesn't start another game for the New York Jets. I don't care. I don't care. I know that's plain talk. I don't care. I like the way that this kid is playing football, and I'd like to stick with him. And I know their next assignment is really tough. And Mike White could turn back into a pumpkin, if you will, against the Buffalo Bills, who Zach Wilson, as we all know, was the quarterback when the Jets beat them.

But I don't care. If Mike White has one of those stinkers of a game, I would want Robert Salah to keep with him. I see the players wearing T-shirts, Mike F. & White coming off the plane, going to Minnesota. That is, I mean, we were talking about that with Kurt, you know. I'm like, were there any Kurt F. & Warner T-shirts, you know, back in 1999?

Where are your T-shirts? But in all seriousness, the players have bought in. Players dig him. And, you know, what he's doing, he's putting up 300-yard games. It proves that there are some players on this offense. Heck yeah. It proves that there are some players. Garrett Wilson is really, really good, and he damn near had 200 yards receiving yesterday because Mike White was looking for him and finding him.

Elijah Moore, there's proof of life there. He just needs to toe-tap, toe-drags. He didn't have the toe-drag swag. He only put one foot down, leading to an outstanding iron eagle call where, you know, Charles Davis was saying, where's you got to drop that second foot. He didn't. It was a grab in college.

You only have one foot down. I don't know if you guys saw this moment. I missed that. Yeah. So Charles Davis is like, where's that toe-drag swag?

Where is it? Like Nate Burleson would say, an iron eagle said it was toe-drag lag. I mean, I love that guy. He'll get it down the next time it happens. I hope you know that. Bam Knight, you know, you were talking about him in fantasy.

OK. Yeah. And he had a terrific game. I mean, Joe Douglas is drafting some really talented young players and Mike White is finding him. He is finding him. And, you know, you want to make Zach Wilson the backup. If you feel that you've determined that his reset is long enough and that he's done enough work and he can figure it out and he's seen Mike White do it. You want to make him the backup in case White gets hurt and he's in there.

I'm fine with that. But I know, you know, I know there's going to be a lot of Jet fans that just feel this is a mirage because everything good that happens is a mirage. And I understand that there are some Jet fans out there are going to be thinking, you know what? We still have to give the number two overall pick a shot because we can't just have that go right down the tubes.

And my answer to that would be why? Because normally you don't want the number two overall pick to go down the tubes because that confirms the general manager and the coach are not it. The general manager and the coach are it.

And if they can survive and the ownership can look at them and say, all right, you missed on that, but let's figure out what else we have. And Mike White is the what else you have. Why can't he be the guy moving forward? Why can't he be?

Why not? And I think you owe it to him now for the rest of the year to give him that shot. And give the players who wear Mike F. and White T-shirts the guy that behind center. And if it doesn't work out against Buffalo, because that's a tough place to win, as we all know, then give him another shot. Because in after that is Detroit in a Thursday night against Jacksonville. So-called winnable games. The Lions are I think you started to have to start looking at them as a team.

It's not just the it's no homecoming. So you got to put points up on the board and you can't just say, OK, Detroit's coming in and we'll give our quarterback that reset start. You got to go with the guy that's showing you. I'll put up 300 yard games. I'll hit my back foot and I'll make my read and I'll go. And the throws that are high, the throws that are this, the throws that are that are just maybe because he hasn't done it enough, not because he's just winging it because he's not paying attention to his footwork and things of that nature. I'm I'm just saying I'm just shooting you straight.

I got nothing against this kid at all. Zero. I'm just shooting it just the same way that Dion looks at everybody in that room and he's like, there's the transfer portal.

I'm here with my Louis Vuitton luggage. OK, I'm just saying the straight up straight up. Two starts. I've seen enough. I want to see more and give him the rest of the year. I don't know if he's going to make that announcement.

You know, he he doesn't have to make this announcement. He can continue to play it the way that he is playing it, certainly. And I'm not going to criticize it because the way that he's playing it has been terrific. You cannot argue with the way that he's played it. Jets are sitting here entering week 14 in the seventh spot and nobody saw that one coming.

So I think Mike White, even if he comes up with a clunker in Buffalo, deserves the shot to keep going. Eight four four two oh four rich number to dial here on the Rich Eisen Show. We'll wrap up the show talking a little bit more about tonight and set up the rest of the week.

That's how we're rolling here on the Rich Eisen Show. So I'll be honest, missed the first half hour of US Netherlands. Yeah, man, I slept. I slept, slept in, slept in, woke up, so we're down to one nothing. Yeah, I tune in.

See, two nothing. Yeah, so I'll take the hit on that one. You should have went back to bed. No. Did you go back to stay up?

I didn't. No, I stayed up. Coop then got in bed.

Susan and I and Coop with the other two kids are asleep. We watched two one two one was exciting, man. Two one was exciting. Two one's exciting. Thought it was coming. But then the third orange whip hit one, two, three orange whips.

Guys just standing around. It was so easy. So, yeah, third one. See, I can't sit here and talk about what ring you should have been. They should have put him in sooner.

I mean, I can't come in late. No, but the defense let Matt Turner down. Like, Matt Turner's just like yelling at these guys like, Marker dudes, like, come on.

How about that save that he pushed it over the crossbar for the top? He's great. I'm a big fan. You know, we got it's super exciting. The youngest team in the tournament.

Again, I'm a super casual, but listening to everyone else talk about it. Yes. Youngest team in the tournament. We got twenty twenty six is coming up. If we can just get like we just need a killer. We need a striker to just who can score. You know, he looks like not it. He's not it.

He's not it. He's kind of a set up guy who can do it. You think Derek Henry could learn enough soccer to be ready?

I think he'd get yellow carded a lot. Just like John Moran. John Moran.

Yeah. Let's take any small forward or two guard or even point guard in the NBA. We just need a killer. We need that like six three guy like like Ronaldo and Harry Kane. You see these guys like Brazil has four goals in the first half right now. Guys who can just put the ball in the net. Over Korea, did you see Mena Combs tweeted out Brazil? I have a family.

Yeah, it's for nothing. That's the first half. The one piece missing from Team USA, but super young team. They play really hard. They're going to get a sixth.

They got to just got to almost got a sixth goal. Love our coach. Like the next four years is going to be really fun. And the build up to the next World Cup that's here in the USA. It's going to be awesome. That's your that's your.

That's my analysis. I just feel sad for us because you just got robbed of of being able to tell everyone about fun facts about Argentina. You want me to do? Should we adopt the Netherlands and then move on to the next round?

I don't know what you have to do. You always have to root for the team that knocks you out. Right, of course. And they're a super fun team that to score the first goal.

You just want to do a segment about fun facts about Argentina. First off, the guy who scored the first goal for the Netherlands, his name is Memphis. He just goes by Memphis, which is awesome. OK, single name sounds like a Nick Cage character sleeping through Memphis. And he's super tatted up in his jacket. You see this dude?

He looks like an NFL running back. Look up Memphis to pay. That's all I'm saying.

OK, I do remember the name. I'm enjoying your love of football and your your zeal for that. I'm also betting on every game. That's why he's into it. I mean, he doesn't care. Tomorrow, let's do it.

Let's do our top five athletes that we'd like to see as soccer players from other sports. OK. Oh, I'll do it. And you handle it. Let's go.

I have no time for that. OK, we'll both do top five. OK, good. Very good. I like it. I don't like that you took Ja Morant from me, though. Too bad.

Ja's my first pick. Man, I feel for the Colts. I was watching that last night. I know you don't. I know you don't, but.

No, I did. It was it got a little out of me. Thirty three point fourth quarter on Sunday Night Football. They literally just missed the two point conversion. That was a tie game in the third quarter. It was such a blowout. It was such a total complete collapse. How much of a blowout was it?

It was so much of a blowout. My bad. That Zeke was benched for some sort of violation and nobody's talking about it.

He didn't start. Remember that last night when Pollard's got got all those first quarter reps. And I thought I was all about to text you, say they finally got this right. By the way, I was waiting for a text from you all day. I was too busy playing dad as well at the same time. I was juggling a lot.

You got a lot of ish going. I almost I almost texted you like they finally got this right. And Zeke was standing up there, but all was good by the end. They're chanting his name. He scored. Then he jumped in that Salvation Army kettle that's supposed to not be supposed to not jump in and not do that. It was like it was like Zeke in a box. Right.

We're we're back. It should have been back up back in the box. Well, they don't pay. Jerry's probably they don't pay for that.

That's like free advertising. We call it back in the box. Plus, it's a kettle. We don't talk enough about C.D. Lamb either. That dude is awesome. He is becoming a playmaker. A text message that didn't speak highly because CD dropped the ball once. He is almost like he saw that it was a September fantasy game I needed to have. I'm just saying ever since that. That's not for sharing on radio and TV when I'm when I'm enraged by fantasy football.

Now, I'm saying we love CD here. I know that. But I wasn't rage when he dropped that ball. But he made up for it later on. And he did. And you and then you and then last night I needed him to last night.

And that that business where he didn't go down, he just kept running in. I love this dude, man. And I feel like catch him with one hand now. I feel like, you know, when everyone was saying Justin Jefferson, I'm probably rightly so best wide receiver and Tyreek Hill. It's like almost like CD kind of looked at that and was like, I got to step up.

Of course. Don't he has don't sleep on Garrett Wilson either. Garrett Wilson had a strange day yesterday. Oh, he was terrific. He's good. And he's got that heart, man. He's got the heart of a lion. I see what I see what all you Buckeye fans were talking about.

I feel bad for pissing him off by saying I was his dad. I remember that was the only time I've ever heard Liz scream from the back. You said there's pre draft, right? Can I see something? Isn't it weird, though? Because I went through this with the triplets.

I have your father for me. Isn't it weird that when you did? I won't say hate, but let's just say it's fandom we hate. You hate a player because he goes to a school you hate.

Then he gets on your team and all of a sudden you just love him. What do you think the Browns fans thought of Donovan? People's Jones coming up with a a punt return to put the Browns up for good in a game. They were down five nothing and Watson's dirtying it every you know, he was really rusty yesterday.

Yeah, yeah, really rusty. But how do you think they like Donovan's people, Jones? And how much do you think they loved Garrett Wilson when Garrett Wilson beat him and did the O.H.

in their face? That must have been hard to take. It must have been, but not as hard to take as it will be when I make my triumphant return in August to Canton, Ohio. Oh, we might we got to go. You got to be there, please. Help us. We got to be there. I will just say this because, you know, I don't traffic in this sort of stuff.

Usually I want to be a whole bottle of wine. Deep. I will say this. Oh, a burning co-star next to me.

Let me try on this ring. I will say this because it's still real and it's still alive. And I think you'll agree it's more real than it was last year. If we win the Natty.

Oh, oh, I mean, this guy, I'm taking a week. I love it when I when I catch a mid set. That happens. You got to have a bright maze colored suit like rich.

I will need I will need special security to now. We're calling up to now. We're calling up game. I gotcha. I gotcha.

You need like that, that the bulletproof glass that they put up in front of like the public. Stop it, guys. Stop it. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I know that, but it's still two games to go.

That's why I said I'm going for you because I want to see what you do. Well, there's there's miles to go. There's miles to go. There's less miles to go.

We got lots. Thank you, too. Thanks for almost making me choke. I can't support a Michigan Natty, obviously, but I'm excited to see what you do with. That would be a nice maze and blue silver lining for you. You'd have to come there. You'd have to come to Canton, Ohio, just to witness it.

But there's lots of there's lots of there's lots to go. I also want to thank Fred Warner was great to have him on the program. And also also great to have our friend Chris Long tomorrow. Andrea Savage of Tulsa King will be here in studio.

Fantastic. So much more this week. Ryan Chazier will be in studio. Holly Robinson, Pete will be in studio. That's how we're rolling this week.