REShow: Bruce Feldman - Hour 2

This is the Rich Eisen Show. This has got to be America's team. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. This has got to be America's team. You truly believe it.

We at the University of Michigan and our fan base are the only ones who feel this way about this team. Earlier on the show, ESPN college football and NFL analyst, Robert Griffin III. Coming up, Fox Sports college football analyst, Bruce Feldman, co-host of Good Morning Football, Jason McCourty. And now, it's Rich Eisen.

Yes, it is. Our number two of the Rich Eisen Show on the air. Bruce Feldman's making his way to our studio.

So much to talk about with him. The obvious with Michigan and the Big Ten having a court date on Friday, the day before Michigan takes on Maryland, and eight days before Michigan takes on Ohio State. I think that's top of mind. Are you more interested in watching the court date or the actual game against Maryland? Well, the game against Maryland coincides with a huge basketball game involving Taylor Mattingly Eisen.

I think the court date is of greatest interest. Is that televised? Is that on the Big Ten network?

Is it? Think about the ratings for that. I don't know. Maybe that's part of the reason why they suspended Harbaugh. The ratings for Penn State went up. The ratings for Ohio State is going to be through the roof.

I'd rather watch Taylor's game. I don't know. You know what they probably did? They said, let's suspend Harbaugh in advance. Ratings will go through the roof. We'll sell 15 more four-minute long commercial pods. The game will be five hours long.

It'll be great. Honestly, it is maybe the most get-off-my-lawn-old-man thing. I just seethe watching college football games and it's just like, okay, kickoff, three-and-out, timeout, coming back, three-and-out, timeout, coming back, long drive, field goal, timeout, kickoff, timeout. And it's just like, you know, it's so offensive to me. I don't, honestly, I'm offended.

It's just like, well, you're, you're, you know, you are totally captive. We do not care how long the game takes. Oh, and then by the way, to make sure the Tuba player gets their stay, you know, we've got to have a half hour long halftime student-athlete too. I get it.

Yeah, their parents are watching too. I get it. I know. I know. I know if one of my kids starts playing the oboe, you know, I'll be like damn straight.

You should get out there in March. Rich, what offends you more that as a college football fan or the fact that Brockman was credited as an actor? Great question. Brockman being credited as an actor.

Honestly, players, seriously. Did you see he gets credited as an actor and immediately they go on strike? You thought it was about residuals and artificial intelligence?

No. They struck because Brockman was referred to as an actor in a charity golf tournament. Our previous guests, we were co-scene mates. That's true in the, in the, in the league, an episode of the league. I know right as Robert got drafted with Trent Richardson as well. If I'm not mistaken, jinxed both their careers.

How's you? Also, there is a hot rumor in this town that Chip Kelly's seat is quite hot. Yeah. What's up with that? I don't know. We'll ask Bruce Feldman. And then of course there's the, uh, the pay plan, the pay plan.

Everyone wants the Jimbo Fisher pay plan, which would be if there was a, if I was in a college football fantasy league, that would be in my team. Yeah. Right.

Or Connor Stallion's, uh, um, goatee. Yeah. Fake goatee. Was it fake? Oh, I don't know. Like, that's what I want to know.

Also, that's what I want to know when this thing finally investigated, finally investigated fully and finally investigated. Did Connor Stallion's wear anything that he'd fake it up to get on the sideline of central Michigan? Did he go to the student bookstore that day and buy the hat and the sweater?

One size fits most. What was he doing? He was like face snare from 18. He had a hole in his van. I mean, I still can't believe it.

I still can't believe it. Well, at least use the stickers, right? He used the eye blacks mustache. Yeah. Yeah. The eye black, like the Reggie Bush, six, one, nine things. You know, it was a mustache. I don't know.

Sunglasses in the mustache. Yeah. Bruce Sullivan's going to join us.

I don't think we're going to drill down that deep with him. Yeah. So that'll be fun. I just got, I just want you two to be cool again, baby. That's all. So I'll be straight up with you. Um, is it's now time, um, for my power rankings. Oh, nice.

I did it this morning. As you know, I'm still a little jet lagged. Sure.

Understand. Um, around five ish in the morning. Um, not Finkel, different five ish.

Um, boy, that's a very strange LA law joke. I just made five ish Finkel. Um, I don't know what that just popped in my head, but five ish in the morning. And, uh, I wrote out my, my power rankings. I had the Browns in there.

I think that's fair. I had the Browns. Well, I had the Browns in there last week and they just beat the Ravens. Exactly. You know, we're in my top five and you know, and, and, and the Browns were in there and I removed him. Really? I did. Oh, wow. I didn't. I know I opened the show by saying, Hey, I got to see, you know, I got to see the Browns play before. I'm not going to say their season's done. They got a championship defense and things, but I took them out. So the line moves two points. You take them out of the power. That's exactly right. And here it is my top 10, uh, after week 10 entering week 11 edition of my power rankings. Hit it. This is my power rankings.

There are many like it, but this one is mine. Power rankings. No, I know Brown's fans might sit there and say, really this team's, uh, in your power rankings. And we're not after they just lost at home too. Uh, I, I'm not quitting on the Bengals yet. I'm not quitting on them. Um, and, um, this son Thursday night might prove it, uh, to me is it looks like Trey Hendrickson will be able to play on Thursday night despite hyper extending his knee and his home loss. It does appear the Bengals are going to have him back. And again, I, I, I still think the defense is terrific. I still think that the offense minus T Higgins, uh, in this last game is terrific. I still believe in Joe burrow and I'm just not going to remove this team. I still think they're in the top third of this league, despite that shocking home loss.

And we might learn that losing to the Texans is no shame at all by the end of the season. So there are number 10 on this list down four spots are the Jacksonville Jaguars. They're still in the top third of my list. I know you keep referring to them as for Gazi. Um, and that was a coming off a by disastrous home loss.

Not what you want to do off. I think they will bounce back at home against the Tennessee Titans this week. They're down four spots.

They are six and three. I still believe they're, um, going to win. Uh, I guess if you're in the top 10, you'll win two thirds of your games.

They already have right there. Six and three is exactly that. Uh, they are, they're number nine on the list. Number eight on this list, new to the list. They're a top 10 team. And the sooner everyone realizes it, I think, uh, we're beginning to see it. The Houston Texans are finally in my power rankings.

They are number eight on the list. They have a kid playing at the quarterback position. Lights out. Robert Griffin, the third came on last hour and said he's throwing in such a way that he's fixing the mistakes in real time of his route runners. That's what he says that some of his young receivers are running the wrong routes and he's throwing them back into the proper route, real time, recognizing it and shaking things off. And then defensively, um, I know they could have gotten beaten in Cincinnati, but they're winning games. It's so tough to close games.

How many times do you see guys in this league and teams in this league unable to close? Texans are closing and they've got Arizona this week. Let's see. This is what, this is the first game I think in a while that they're supposed to win. Right. Would you say they're supposed to win this one? Yeah. A two win team coming in.

I know it's Kyler Murray coming in. Absolutely. This is one of those you should win if you're eighth in a power rankings. Let's see how they handle that. The expectations are now real for them.

Let's see how they handle it. Number seven on the list. They had, I think the best bye week ever. Uh, honestly, they have the best bye week ever. Everybody in their division lost and they're getting Dave Devin Aichan back that the Miami dolphins are up one spot without playing a game.

Seven. They're seventh. They're seventh. I'm going to put them there because the teams above them are all winning teams that might beat them. They might beat them up because they've got tough defenses and we'll see. We'll see what happens as the dolphins coming off a bye with a winnable game at home against the Las Vegas Raiders.

They're seventh on the list down four spots from the second spot down to six. I'm putting the Baltimore Ravens right here. I think the Ravens would beat the Dolphins right now.

I think they could do that bang thing on Miami, which is why I've got them above them right now. And the Ravens are seven and three. I've got them at six at five back in my top five up two spots.

And if you don't like it, hope you're wearing a diaper. The Detroit Lions are right here at five. Seems low, low. OK, I'm putting them at five. I think they're in the top five of this league.

You think they're a little higher. I love the way they play, but I'm putting the Cowboys above them. And we'll find out whether I'm right here in week number 10 when they face each other. We get this exactly right because the Cowboys are going to, I think, make the Carolina Panthers rue the day that they're suiting up at home against them. Obviously, this is one of those games where clearly they could fall apart and have a problem when they punch down, as they usually do.

The Dallas Cowboys are taking on the Detroit Lions in week 17 on a Saturday night. So we'll see if I'm right. We'll see what happens between now and then. I'm OK with that. Number three, they're back on the list. I've I'm putting the 49ers here at three.

So I'm doing it from off the list because of a three game losing streak back up to three. Well, they beat you. I mean, why are you bringing up old stuff?

Because it's not that old. It's just a month ago. The Lions had maybe the most impressive win. Yep. Other than other than Houston in the top 10 and they're below San Francisco. Yes, they are. Dallas. I think San Francisco would win that game right now.

They're fully healthy. Come on, man. Chase. Dude. OK. We go back and forth about what's recency and what my power rankings combines recency with long run. You don't like it.

Do your own damn thing. OK. This is my power.

There are many others like it, but this one is mine. You heard the drop. It's just the fact that you had to put up your list off my list for the three game losing streak. Correct. You just made the list. Yes, they did make the list again.

Trent Williams is back and then Deebo Samuel is back and then Chase Young is added. You go take on the 49ers. You think there's such a pushover. Well, they'd have to go to Detroit right now. Right. And I think they would win that game.

Wow. Number two on the list are the Kansas City Chiefs. Up one. They had a nice bye week, although Denver one in Vegas one Chargers lost. But here come the Chiefs, man. And number one on the list is a team that they are hosting on Monday night.

Boy, how excited is ESPN and ABC and their family networks for this one record break? It is the Super Bowl rematch. And when you have Super Bowl rematches sitting there in week 11, you're hoping against hope that everyone's healthy and you're hoping against hope that they're equally as good as last year.

And check those boxes. I think the NFL purposefully had this Super Bowl rematch with both teams coming off of buys just to make sure. Smart. Anybody with a ding here or an issue there and a one to two week injury is going to be ready for this one. It does appear that most everyone is going to be ready for this one. And I couldn't be more excited for it. And it's going to be awesome.

And I can't wait to see it. And they're number one on the list. And dropping out are the Browns because I feel in the long run, this is going to be a problem for them. And then the Seahawks, I dropped them out, too, because I think the Bengals would take them out if they played them right now. No Steelers, huh?

No Steelers either. They're they're right on the cusp. They're like 10 A, B and C. What can I tell you? But I can only put 10 in here and that's my power rankings and I'm sticking by. It ain't easy. It's getting tougher.

It's getting tougher each and every week. But I thought of you when I put the Cowboys above the Lions. I did that for you.

Really? You know how I feel about the Lions. I did that for you. More importantly, I know you feel about the Cowboys, so I just I'm not sure. Let me cape on a cape one more time or put a cape on.

Oh, I'm going to cape make up for that for the Lions fans who thought Mike. Oh, there you go. Yeah, because, you know, that's a five as well. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Everybody, everybody just relax here. OK, relax. All right, here we go.

I'm going to call up this game log. Here we go, baby. Let's talk.

Let us talk. Campbell Stones. Is that what we're talking about?

No, no, no. Let us talk about Ahmaan Ross St. Brown. Son, I said on this show last year, he's a top 10 receiver.

And you guys like, really? I don't know that you were less than he was. I was the one who was one of the first ones on to that nickname.

I think I was the first one to say it in the top 10 top 10 top 10 top 10. Here is Ahmaan Ross St. Brown's last four games, last four games against Tampa Bay in a 20 to six win, 12 catches, 15 targets, one hundred twenty one hundred twenty four yards in a touchdown. Remember that one that he got that block?

I believe Craig Reynolds opened it up and goes in. He's so smooth catching the football. And then after he catches it, he's so quick to the sidelines and he is just brilliant. And he's got a catch radius for he's unbelievable man for somebody who's six flat 202 officially. And then at the Ravens, when he got crushed, 13 catches, 19 targets for one hundred and two yards against Vegas, six catches for 108 against the Chargers, eight catches for one hundred and fifty six and a touchdown against Green Bay.

Amir five for fifty six. And that touchdown, though, that was huge in that blowout. Before that week three against Atlanta, nine catches, 12 targets, one hundred and two yards against Seattle, who for some reason the Lions can't beat six catches, one hundred two yards in that one. Dude's amazing.

Dude is amazing. And I know C.D. Lamb said he's the number one receiver in football right now. Tough to argue with that.

I mean, just I get it. No, no, no. I mean, he is one hundred percent against many odds, including from within the calls from within the house. Has turned himself into a number one receiver of the bona fide A plus plus all pro variety. One hundred percent top five receivers, top five receivers right now. I would go C.D. A.J. Brown, Tyree kill just off the top of my head.

Now, those are good top three and receive. I'd have to throw Keenan Allen in there. He's bawling.

He's bawling. I'd have to throw him in there. He's fourth in yards.

Maybe I'll throw Amman Ross St. Brown in there because I love him so much just because I covered him. Justin Jefferson's been hurt. Yep. That's the only reason.

OK. No, no, I know. Justin Jefferson's been hurt. DeMonte Adams has been missing completely. Who else am I missing off the top of everyone's head right now? Jamar Chase. Chase.

Stefan Diggs. I'm in Rob. I'm in Rob's top 10. He's top 10. Puka is sixth in yards. I get it.

But, you know, that's been an issue lately. Cooper Copp is in this mix, too. I think Evans is bawling. I get it. But Amman Ross St. Brown, top 10. Come at me.

Come at me. And I said it last year and he's proven it this year. And, man, he's so good. He's so smooth. He gets so open. And then he's he's tough to he's tough to tackle. Yeah.

One of four receivers this year averaging over 100 per game, 100 yards. Unreal. Unreal. Let's take a break.

Let's get Bruce Feldman out here, shall we? All right. Fantastic. This is going to be great. What are we going to talk about? I don't know. College football. Anything.

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Visit prizepix.com for restrictions and details. All right, we're back here on the Rich Eisen Show. We're back.

Bruce Feldman is here, everybody, from Fox Sports and The Athletic. Good to see you, sir. Good to see you. Where are you going this week?

I'm in the studio. Hey, hey. So, yeah. That's great. So no plane trip for you? No.

When was the last week you did not get on a plane? Emmanuel Acho had something to do, and so they flew me, they kept me in the same deal. Like both Acho and our buddy Chris Peterson are not going to be in the studio, so I'm stepping in.

Okay. So you're, that's cool. And I'm there Friday when your old buddy Dion has a game on FS1.

So that's a good game, so tune in to watch the Buffs. And Saturday, you know, I won't miss being, I like Maryland, but I won't miss not going all the way across Penn State. That's a long trip for me.

Oh, I mean, so what is that? You're connecting through Chicago? Is that what it is, or what is it? Either that or you're going through Philly, and then you're basically riding a bus with wings down to State College. A bus with wings. Reminds me of one of those kids shows I used to watch.

My kids were, it was like a magic, there's a magic school bus or something like that. At any rate, all right, so our radio audience is going to return in a minute. So a few things I want to hit you on is a coaching carousel that's already spinning right now. It started spinning big this weekend. I know, right, exactly, and obviously something that's going on here right now, I want to hit on that as well with Chip Kelly.

And then, you know, there may be something else going on on Friday other than the Dion game. You mean legally? Yes, I mean that. Legally? Yes. You know, I have a sports legal degree, just to give you an advance. Do you actually? I do. From Tulane University, Gabe Feldman, is there any relation?

No relation. That Gabe bestowed it upon me because of the... Is this like a key to the city deal? Well, I mean, I wouldn't hire me to argue legally in a court of law, but I had it.

He gave it to me because of all the nonstop, you know, hits that we did during the NFL lockout, but he forgot to sign it. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, 844-204-RICH, number to dial here on the program. We're sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Grainger has the right product for you.

Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. Bruce Feldman is here, everybody, right here from the athletic and Fox Sports. Good to see you, sir.

Good to see you. Let's just jump into the coaching carousel. Is Chip Kelly on the hot seat right now here in Los Angeles? It definitely warmed up with them losing on Saturday night at home against a really terrible Arizona State team. And the interesting part of this is for most of Chip's run there, they really struggled on defense. Well, he made a really good hire this offseason.

Danton Lynn, whose dad is a former NFL head coach, everybody knows, you know, was a guy who grew up in football. They've been really good on defense. They have some really good players. Offensively, they have really struggled over the second half of the season, especially, you know, they're down to like their third string quarterback.

That hasn't helped. Their offensive line isn't particularly good. They feel like they're just kind of fizzling on offense. They're six and four and they have a reeling USC team. And it just right now, they really need a win.

I don't know. There's a lot of chatter about frustration with fans. I think there's a lot of frustration with fans at UCLA for a couple of reasons. One, he got off to a super slow start the first three years, turned around in the last three years. He's got it going pretty good.

But then they want it. You know, he doesn't recruit the way a lot of other people want to see him recruit in terms of like doing what Oregon has, you know, does or doing even what USC does where you're competing for five star guys. You know, they have Dante Moore, who is the five star big get, you know, a quarterback, but almost across the board.

The best recruiting he's done has been in the transfer portal. And so there's that. And also, you already have an apathetic fan base that no matter who's the coach there, I think they're going to they're not coming out. They don't. This is not like USC football. They don't approach it that way. So, you know, if he loses and goes to six and five, it would definitely be a disappointing year, given that they are backsliding into the season. But again, you know, I think I think it's hard to say how they're going to operate. I don't think he has a huge buyout there. So so is he coaching for his job against USC?

Do you think? I wouldn't I don't know if I would say it as as bluntly as that. OK, but he definitely could use a win to quiet all the chatter around there, because, again, I think it was just it was a really bad loss. They just had that people looked at Arizona State as the worst team in the conference.

And how do you lose them at home and only score seven points? It's it's odd because Chip Kelly is one of the brightest offensive minds in all of football. And we've seen that a lot of times, you know, through there. But what's what's definitely noteworthy is they've really DTR was a wild roller coaster ride and he played there for a long time.

Yeah. And there was a lot of spectacular. There's a lot of like shaky play. But they've definitely missed him because they just haven't had as much of a spark. The run game has been at times good, at times not so good.

The passing game hasn't been what I thought it was going to be. But again, I mean, I think, you know, he's I could see them looking and saying, who are we going to get if he doesn't? You know, they try to post Jonathan Smith, who's done a really good job at Oregon State, who's basically from Pasadena. I don't know if that would be an answer to they bring Jed Fish back. Jed Fish was a UCLA offensive coordinator and he has done a terrific job at Arizona. Yeah. And I know some people there are very fond of of Jed. I don't know if if a Jed would leave, but like it's now a Big Ten school as opposed to a plum gig just for that alone.

You know, one would think, you know, even though the Pac-12 is definitely a tougher conference as currently constituted. Absolutely. Yeah. Question about that. So it's a it's an interesting dynamic that has come that has come to light in like the last week.

In the last week. Yeah. Bruce Feldman here on the Rich Eisen show. Walk me through Texas A&M's options. There's a lot of crazy names being thrown out there. We're going to throw some of them out.

Right. Like so I think if you're a Texas A&M diehard, your dream candidate is the guy who's got the Detroit Lions rolling. He's a Texas A&M guy. Every time you see a minute of Dan Campbell in a locker room scene talking to his team, you're like, holy cow, that guy. That's the guy who should be the head coach here.

But he's also the guy who may have them make a playoff run. The timing's awful. You're not getting them to leave. Right.

So right out. You have some other candidates. Dan Lanning, who has SEC ties and worked under Nick Saban and worked under Kirby Smart and doing really well at Oregon. I don't think you could get him right. I don't think Helen DeBoer leaves Washington to go there either.

The guys I think are more realistic. Mike Elko, the head coach at Duke, was a former Texas A&M defense coordinator. Really well thought up. He's done a terrific job at Duke. Now, he doesn't have a big, you know, long tenure there.

He's been there for less than two full seasons. But I think in a lot of ways, Jimbo, I don't want to say Jimbo is more style over substance or anything like that. But I don't I think there is an opposite component with Jimbo to me felt like and everything I've you know, I've talked to a lot of people this week about there who coached there who felt like Jimbo at at at Florida State was hungry and energetic and led him to a national title. And then the thing started to crumble underneath him and then he moved. And what what A&M got was some guy who's like had been almost consumed by the ego and the contract. And then they started recruiting.

You know, they chased stars and had a lot of entitled kids and the discipline got off and it was a mess. I don't think you I think Mike Elko could manage all that way better. I think Lance Leipold, he's done a remarkable job at Kansas.

Quite honestly, Lance Leipold has done an amazing job everywhere he's been. He has no ties to the SEC. And maybe that would be a deterrent to some of them. But he is a culture builder. And the culture of Texas A&M was sorely lacking. So I think those are two guys that could be very attractive to A&M once you get past. These are not flashy names and they're not big personalities that the average college football fan doesn't know who either of those guys are.

But that shouldn't matter. Do they make a run at Dion? I don't think so, because as much as Dion has strong recruiting ties and roots in Texas. And he's done a really good job, you know, elevating what Colorado was. I don't think like on the Dion side of this, even on the A&M side. You have at Colorado, they went all in on Dion.

The AD, to his credit, has what do you need? We're going to make this happen. And they've ridden this ride and I think it will get better. There's been certainly rocky moments on a big losing slide right now.

But at A&M, I don't think they get that kind of alignment for him. They don't have it because you had a lot of turnover with the president there. You have an interim and it's just like it's it's a lot of cooks in the kitchen, a lot of money people. And I don't think they go all in on what Dion is and what he brings. And if I'm Dion. Well, then if I'm Dion, then forget that. I'm not dealing with it.

I'm not dealing with it. If I'm Dion, I also probably am not in position to leave because I think he knows Chidor stays another year. Chidor could be maybe a top 10 quarterback pick.

Travis Hunter, who's like a son to him. He just transferred, you know, last year. He can't transfer again because the only way you can is if you graduate.

And he's too young at this point, I believe, to get another degree. So it's like it behooves them to stay longer. So I think it behooves them to keep recruiting in the portal because I think he can get them. You know, they'll go to the Big 12. There'll be much better position there if they can get a lot. They need to get a lot of big people in there who can play. They have almost none, right? Yeah, they need sand in the pants, man. A lot of sand.

They need a lot of sand. And they if you can upgrade it, then, you know, he can win eight, nine games, I think. And then all of a sudden he can say, all right, you know, my guys are ready to move on.

Now, what's my next move? And maybe he wants to stay there and he could. And I think he appreciates, you know, what Colorado had done.

They've rolled out the red carpet and it seems like they have they have honored their work. Yeah. And it would just strike me as nuts for anybody to reach out to Dion and go, well, here are our terms. Just like, OK, get out of here. You know, like that. What's the point then?

If you if you hire Dion, you literally have to do the Dion plan. It's just got to be that it's like having it's like buying a super sports car and driving it in like Del Boca Vista. You know, it's like, what's the point?

Perfectly said, sir. Available, you know. Yeah. Take the pen. Yeah.

Bruce Feldman here on the Rich Isaac show. OK, let's talk about America's team. What do you think of that comment? Part for the course.

Look, none of us can look away from this because he's incredibly polarizing. You know, it's funny when this stuff started to kind of when I said this stuff, I mean, like two days ago stuff. It's all so long. But I was like, oh, yeah, I forgot. He's I got this big thing with Judge Judy.

Yeah. And him and I think Jack, this is may have been the first day. I remember we did like one of the first national interviews with him in Ann Arbor and it was like, just get there. Jim's going to do it now. And he went off on this random not a rant because it wasn't a rant.

He wasn't. It was like something about like Judge Judy. And I'm like sitting there going, are we going to use this? Like, you know, he went down this like he's fascinated by all this stuff. Probably Perry Mason. I think he referenced a few good men the other day. And, you know, like maybe Rob Reiner.

I, you know, like it's very surreal with Jim Harbaugh. Yeah. Yeah. He talked about, you know, because he sounded like he had a cold or something like that. And he said viruses. He's the wall that viruses bounce off of.

And now he's now raising chickens so he doesn't have a problem with people eating the nervous bird and stuff like that. I mean, bottom line is what happens Friday? What is going on here? Like what what happens on Friday when there is a hearing for a temporary restraining order to get Jim Harbaugh back on the sideline?

And get them through Ohio State. Well, I guess I don't know. I mean, you know, what's your sense on how this works?

Is this going to be like a Jim? You know, he's the team's flying to Maryland while he's sitting in front of a judge testifying. I will say this. Almost all the people who you would think matter were very convinced that they that they will win this on Friday. Well, weren't they convinced that they were going to win it last Friday?

Friday. I mean, people, you know, whether it's the Big Ten, whether it's on the Harbaugh side or like, oh, yeah, legal people are like, OK, this is going to he's going to get cleared like that. And it was almost like, OK, maybe this is the best case scenario for Tony Petitti in that he looks like he's stand. He looks like he's standing up for the rest of the Big Ten, does what he can do. And then all of a sudden it goes into a Michigan judge in the Michigan judge was like. And he's cleared now, look, that's that judge right now on Friday, Jim. You know, Jim Harbaugh being there in person. He says he wants to speak. Let him speak. And like I do think. You know, the part that's that's crazy in this is like in the statement, Tony Petitti, Tony Petitti put out on Friday, last Friday was we're not sanctioning Jim Harbaugh.

That was that was the legalese to try and, you know, basically tell a judge that's looking at this. There's no irreparable harm because we're we're not going against the coach. This is nothing personal at all. Remember last month or whatever we were talking about. And I've said it's not personal with Jim.

And you kind of shot me one of your famed looks when we're having this conversation. Of course, it's personal. There is nothing in my mind that I don't doubt that it is something personal against Jim Harbaugh.

Where. But but they're allowing him the coach during the week, but just not on the weekend. Like what sort of cockamamie arrangement is that? The weird part of this was we take like two steps back is that I think I think Tony Petitti got himself in a in a untenable position by having these meetings with the other coaches from the conference, because at that point it comes into. You know, I don't know if I can say so if I don't know if I can say it, I can't say it on this, but like a crime, you know, like you're just all coming down and going, hey, this is wrong. Hey, this is wrong. And they're putting so much pressure on him where you almost never have that in any form of an NCAA justice.

Ever. This is this is so unprecedented in the fact that we the investigation is not complete. It's not complete. And it's just like if you have something, put it out there. You know what I'm saying?

So I will I will like push back on that. It's like, OK, the evidence that they have and they shared it with, you know, the the NCA on a call with Michigan lawyers and regents were listening in or something like this. But they shared it with Michigan. And so they can go through the evidence and some of the video evidence that they have could be damning for Connor Science and Michigan. And Jim Harbaugh is the head is the head coach.

So he's oversees all that. Now, what the punishment is for all that? Because if I'm sitting there going, OK, that taints, you know, Jim Harbaugh is the head coach that this happened on them and they can they've shown this evidence or whatever. But then what is that worth?

Is that worth, you know, X amount of dollars? Because they could find him a billion dollars. And that wouldn't matter like that, you know, to me would be like that's not going to be good enough for anybody in the Big Ten.

You know, they could. But it has to be the suspension of Jim Harbaugh. But what is how long is Jim Harbaugh supposed to be suspended for? Because we don't know.

You don't you you can't tell. It's totally arbitrary. Let's just choose three games because it's the rest of the regular season because we don't know what Jim is guilty of.

Other than currently right now running a program where somebody was running completely amok. But he's responsible for it, according to the NCAA, not the Big Ten. Am I wrong? That's part of the NCA. Well, no, but the Big Ten's rules. Yes. Right. I mean, I did my best to read that 10 page document or 12 page document, whatever was that was attached to the four paragraph statement saying Jim's out where there will be no questions taken.

And I did my best to read it. And all I kept thinking to myself was where did the three games come from? Is it just because it's the rest of the regular season? It's the most important part of the regular season.

I guess. Look, man, we can go back and forth on. Let me ask you this. If you're Ryan Day, the last two years have been what they have in the Big Ten. Ryan Day, great coach. Michigan's had their number the last few years. If you're going into this, do you like this shouldn't be the justice system of how the Big Ten operates. But if I'm them, if I'm Ryan Day, I actually want Jim Harbaugh to be the coach of Michigan when I play him.

Because what happens? You beat them. Now, we just saw them beat Penn State. It was at Penn State. They were the better team.

Maryland, I think you could coach them against Maryland. Oh, you do. Oh, I do. OK. All right.

I'm not available. But, you know, but again, not a knock on Shronemore, not even really a knock on Maryland. It's just like I think they're that much better.

OK. But Ohio State, if you're let's say let's say Jim Harbaugh is still suspended for that game and Ohio State ends up beating them, upsetting them like thirty one twenty eight or whatever. Like if you're an Ohio State fan, does that really get all the pressure off Ryan Day?

Oh, absolutely it does. Oh, please. Let me speak on behalf of Ohio State fans. All it takes is just one tenth of a point better than Michigan. And what it proves is that Michigan only beat Ryan Day over the last two years because of the cheating.

That's it. But there's no, that's what Jim Harbaugh is not coaching in that game. There is no other piece of stakes on this game than that. And I and I say this knowing that this means the winner moves on to the Big Ten championship game and potentially the loser is out in the college football playoffs. That's just the twenty twenty three stakes.

I'm talking about legacy stakes, all time stakes, argument stakes. All it takes is for Ohio State to beat Michigan by one infinitesimal tenth of a point. Whether Jim Harbaugh is there or not. It proves, oh, the reason why we've gotten our ass kicked the last two years. The reason why, forget about the whole idea of not being able to stop Donovan Edwards or Aiden Hutchinson. We could go on and on about the line of scrimmage argument that Michigan dominated in front of everyone to see. Doesn't matter. Ohio State beat Michigan this year.

Doesn't matter if Jim's there or not. It's because Michigan was cheating. And everything that Connor Stallion's did was one hundred percent with Jim Harbaugh's knowledge and everything that they did every step of the way from buying the tickets to shooting the video to taking the video and discerning off the video. What they were doing with the play calling. And then in the moment, in real time when they did it, it was all worked pristinely. Never once did it fall apart or they got the wrong information or the video was shaky.

Never once. That is what is at stake if Ohio State beats Michigan by any stretch of the imagination. So the flip side of this, as I infer from you, is that whether Sharone Moore is the head coach or Jim Harbaugh, if Michigan wins and let's say Michigan covers whatever it's going to be. Let's say Michigan wins 28-20. Then does that invalidate everything else from the last two years? Absolutely. That's where we're at?

It invalidates what? Because, hold on a second. Michigan has not lost since Connor Stallion's has been ripped out root and branch and sent packing with all of his vacuum cleaners and everything else. They have not lost.

They have actually, everybody's been given a heads up for weeks. But this was the first really good opponent they played. Correct.

Fine. But if Michigan was so inept over those years that they needed to cheat in order to actually not lose a Big Ten game. And by the way, forget the fact that some of these games against Ohio State, Michigan was losing. Forget the fact that Rutgers beat them on one play earlier this year, you know, to go up early. Forget all those moments where these systems clearly didn't work or weren't completely effective. Forget all of that. They cheated.

You know, Paul Finebaum thinks that this guy's the worst human being on the planet. We're seeing that on ESPN. All of that gets flipped if Michigan goes the rest of the way without this system ripped out root and branch. You don't believe so? You don't believe so? It doesn't, it doesn't, it doesn't remove the fact that they should be held responsible for it when an investigation is fully complete. Doesn't mean that they shouldn't receive criticism or scorn for it. But what it does remove are any asterisks in anything that Michigan needed it in order to be dominant.

How does winning the rest of the way not communicate that? I think this is like nothing can be that cut and dry. I get where you're, I totally get where you're coming from.

OK. I feel like I cannot wait for this game. I cannot wait to go there for Thanksgiving. Like, I feel like it's going to be like the last scene from Slapshot. You know, where you're having like such a like, you know, there was a part.

So I think we did talk about this like a month ago. So a Notre Dame game, Ohio State wins there. And Ryan Day, very emotional.

Where's Lou Holtz? And it's Ohio State versus everybody. Being on that sideline, the Michigan sideline, like right before kickoff and right after. You know, there was definitely t-shirts and sweatshirts.

Yes. There were Michigan versus everybody. With the possible exception of like when Cam Newton was Superman for Auburn. I cannot remember a now there there might have been like a Jerry Tarkanian UNLV team.

That's like pre my time covering the sport. But like, I can't remember an elite team that had this much of like feeling like we are against the establishment right now. Like Miami definitely had that, you know, when Jimmy Johnson was there, when Dennis Erickson was there. But this Miami was like an independent. This is Michigan against the Big Ten.

So much so. And again, I hesitated to bring this part up, just like being there. I remember thinking one of the first series of the game at Penn State, it's like a fourth and three for Michigan. And Penn State gets a running into the kicker penalty, running into the punter penalty. They picked up the flag.

And Fox didn't show the replay. I heard about it through so many of my friends and they're like, where was it? And then I looked at it through an unbiased eye. I swear to you through an unbiased eye.

I'm at the craft party in Germany. I'm watching this on my phone and scrubbing it back. And I didn't see it. And I did think to myself, OK, well, you didn't see where you didn't see him being shoved into it. Oh, OK. I didn't see that to pick up a flag, but to pick up a flag.

Yeah. The part like the part that I wondered about was after that thinking it was a five yard penalty and then you get a first down. And it's basically a turnover. It's a turnover. Was this is where we're at with Michigan and the Big Ten right now, where every call is going to be questioned, because now the way this language and the A.D. Ward manual issued, maybe it was an hour before kickoff, like a scorching statement about the Big Ten.

And I was just like, oh, my goodness, this is nasty. Why don't they go to the Big 12? What? Yeah.

They're so angry with the Big Ten. Leave. Everyone else is switching. No, no, no.

I mean, there's contracts is all sorts of stuff. And, you know, can you stick around? Let's take a break. We got to take a break. Let's continue this on the other side.

This is too good, as they say in the business. Jason McCourty as well coming up right here. Bruce Feldman sticking around. The football season is under way and believe podcasts are talking about it when he went home and went to sleep. Michael Parsons is terrorizing him.

Believe has podcasts covering all 32 professional teams and many of your favorite college teams, too. And to be only producing 15 points a game, that's something that is definitely disheartening. Sideline to sideline, end zone to end zone.

As a quarterback, I would expect him to be acting like that. Take the accountability. Put that on yourself.

Don't put it on your teammates. Search BLEAV podcast wherever you listen. Ship that movie putting on airs. The podcast is on YouTube and wherever you listen. All right.

Two minutes in Roku and then about five after that with you, sir. Bruce Feldman, is there do you know the actual legal part of this on Friday? Have you gotten have you dug in? Do you have I mean, like, will there be a decision Friday? Yes or no?

From the bench, you can go off to Maryland. I don't know for sure. OK, I know that the stuff we thought was going to happen, you know, then to find out that this is the judge who people initially talked about, you know, has stronger Michigan ties than you would have thought. But. They were. Yeah, people were so confident they thought we're going to have it. I know. And now and now I wouldn't be confident either, because, you know, I'm everything that I'm reading is just. You know, you normally when a TRO is asked for, it's either granted or denied, they're not like, we'll talk about it in a week. Yeah.

And then and then it'll be difficult for. How can Michigan say there is irreparable harm here when you just want? I know this judge could be like, well, if I'm not mistaken, you ran it 28 straight times. You know, like this also ruled, you know, like this reminds me a little bit of Mike Leach's case against Texas Tech in that. There was a lot of pushback, hazing and stuff like that. Well, yeah, he was like owed a lot of money.

And then it was like, was he smeared in this? And then he ended up getting a job. And it was like, I think people and again, I'm not a legal mind at all, but like I think there was a rationalization part. It was like, well, he's still getting he's still going to make a lot of money in this job.

So it's not like he can't get a job or can't get a similar paying job. Right. The part where I would say you do maybe feel more confident is after what I saw the other day. It's a really talented team. Like I still say, you know, I told you this like three weeks ago.

I don't think they I think they're fine without Jim Harbaugh. He's there Monday through Monday. You know, Sunday through Friday, which is crazy.

I mean, like that's nuts. But no, it's not against him. It's only against the school back here on the Rich Eisen Show Radio Network. Five minutes left with Bruce Feldman. Let's hit a little bit on what Chris was talking about, because I do hear from a lot of Michigan fans and friends are like they should leave the Big Ten. If that's the way the new commissioner feels about him and this school, and that's the way he's treating them, one of the most valuable assets of the NC. Like, I mean, you're in the I don't think so.

I don't think this is possible. But you're you brought it up like it was just a Twitter topic over the weekend. What are the stupid things that are on Twitter? Of course. But why can't they go to the Big 12? Why would they go to the Big 12? The Big 12 makes way less money. Easy win for them every year to be in the college.

He's talking about money. I'm talking about the SEC wouldn't take Michigan. The SEC wouldn't take that.

You know what would be interesting about that? The SEC, I don't want to say ESPN runs the SEC, but it's a completely different like orbit they'd be in. Well, I imagine my school is not too fond of the four letter network in Bristol. I would imagine they are not.

You know, I would imagine that they're not terribly pleased with them. But there's all kinds of TV contracts that I think that are so tied into this. You think you think there's a legal battle with Jim Harbaugh now? I can't imagine what that would be like if Michigan tried to leave the big to leave a better chance.

Go to the CFL. I get that. But you just see all the conference change up in the last few years. It just seems like, well, you have what's going on here. Go somewhere else, man.

Good luck for the Big Ten asking Michigan for anything. In a long time. You know, and at some point, you know, hey, can you move this time for the start time to accommodate this partner, that partner? And it's a new phone who dissed. You know, I'm sorry, I gave my phone to Connor Stallion's two years ago. You know what I mean? Like, honestly, get out of here. You're a relatively new university president, though, is all in. I know.

It's like he is. And I'm sure Jim appreciates it. I would imagine. And Ward-Manuel, that was a conversation is that, you know, the athletic director and Jim, despite both being, you know, on the same team, right?

When Bo was coaching, you know, that they were gear grinded, too. Absolutely. That's all you hear about it.

But it was a scorched earth release. Definitely had their back. And again, I think some of this that we overlook in the media is like, it's the players in the middle of this, right? It is the players in the middle of this. And, you know, I've seen people argue, oh, J.J. McCarthy shouldn't be in the Heisman race. Or, you know, it's like Stephen A. Stephen A. was saying they shouldn't even be in the they should sit out and watch college football. I mean, look, but but then Desmond pushed back and told him like, look, you know, these are the actual facts and this is what's going on in the field is what the game tape shows. And even Stephen A. changed his mind.

But we had RG3 on before. And I'm like, you know, did fine bound, you know, not get a hug once from Harbaugh? Like what happened? And and he said that there's some things that they can't report that they know of.

That makes them feel, I guess, a little more strident. And that's the whole thing. Again, it's like, what is known? And the fact that some of the video stuff that I think that the Big Ten feels like it has. Again, it's like, but but that video, do we know it actually led to Jim Harbaugh saying, pay, pay that guy to buy more tickets?

You know what I mean? Like, that's the point. It has to come down to if the Big Ten is as said, which it has, that it can conclusively say that Jim Harbaugh had knowledge of this. It's still, to me, gets you back into this area where, OK, he's guilty of him because of him, because it's that NCA rule where it's like he's on your staff. And I think if a lot of other people knew where there's other assistance, they can say have knowledge of what Conor stallions do.

But whether Jim Harbaugh did. I mean, to me, that's a different threshold, right? It's all like it's all new stuff, meaning it's like unprecedented. So like, again, what is the punishment for this? Because I mean, you know, as much as the Big Ten coaches spoke out to Tony Petitti, there's also a lot of coaches who will speak out and say, you know, this is wrong. You know what's worse? Tampering.

And, you know, what is like? Although, you know, Amy Trask would say on what the football as she did the other day, what's worse is stealing teams to break up the Pac-12. You know, that's what's worse.

The Big Ten definitely did that. That's what she said. You know, she's just like, what's worse?

What's worse behavior? You know, at any rate, thank you for coming on, sir. Have a great thanks. I'll see you next week before Thanksgiving.

I can't wait to see what happens with your alma mater. Nor can I, because the stakes are as high as they have ever been. Period. End of story. Jason Cordy coming up.

Still here for another minute and a half. Yeah, man, I mean, exactly what I say. Trust me, I want to win the Natty.

Certainly, if Harbaugh's going to leave, you know, I'd love to do that. But when it all comes down to it, you know, this is about the last two years, about the turnaround of this program, about what Michigan has been, and in terms of our fans, me, prideful of the most that there's this team. I mean, do you see the ESPN graph? The number of times I've had a text to me from Ohio State people and tweeted at me by Ohio State people of like, this was the record before, you know, the last two years, and this is the record, you know, since Connor Stallions has been around.

By the way, Stallions wasn't there from the very beginning of that point of demarcation that ESPN keeps putting up there. So every single day, like, do you hear what they say on first take? Do you see what they're saying? I'm like, whatever. Just win. And you're saying that that doesn't eventually technically erase everything. I don't know.

Like, what do you do? Not you, but like, if Ohio State wins by two touchdowns, does it invalidate the last two years? I don't think so, but it's really interesting to me this part of it. Just don't turn on channel 206 on DirecTV when that happens. It's just really interesting, because then if Michigan wins by two touchdowns, then do you say, hey, everybody shut up? Same intensity is what I keep texting. That was a Michael Irvin line. Correct. Don't lose that intensity. Same intensity two weeks from now, two Saturdays from now. That fucks.

That will not be it. Good to see you, sir. Good to see you. Bruce Feldman, everybody.

Jason McCordy coming up as well. And your phone call is 844-204-RICH. For decades, Rolling Stone has set the bar for entertainment publications. Today, Rolling Stone music now takes over in podcast form. We have Michael Azerrad, who was Nirvana's very first biographer. I'm not sure how many people realize how many of the best songs on In utero were written way beforehand. To be fair to Kurt, he was also a new father. There was a lot of stuff distracting him. It wasn't just drugs, although that was certainly a major factor. Rolling Stone music now, wherever you listen.