Steve Sarkisian: Fortunate We Play Clemson At Home

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Visit amazon.com slash prime to get more out of whatever you're into. This is the Rich Eisen Show. When I first heard Bill Belichick was talking in the University of North Carolina, I thought to myself, okay, live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles, the Thornton Mellon of college football, he's going to triple Lindy his way to Chapel Hill. Today's guest, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, actor Rob Corddry, plus latest news and more. And now it's Rich Eisen.

That's right. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show. 844-204 Rich.

Number to dial. So much to discuss on this Thursday. Kickoff to week 15 in the National Football League. Rams and the Niners with a monster big important game for both teams tonight on Prime Video, which you can see right here through the Roku portal. And on the Roku portal, we are seen every day through the Roku sports channel between 12 and three Eastern time.

We say hello to everybody out there who is watching. For those who are listening on Sirius XM, Odyssey, TuneIn, or this Rich Eisen Show terrestrial radio affiliate, I am in fact wearing a purple sweater. And that's just to make TJ Jefferson more comfortable because it matches the color of grimace for his New York metropolitan, right?

TJ Jefferson. Am I correct right there? Yeah. You hit the nail on the head.

I loved how you were projecting that you didn't want so yesterday. That's cute. Okay. Good to see you over there, TJ. Candle's lit.

I'm going around the other direction. Good to see you, DJ Mikey Diaz. How are you, sir?

And Chris Brockman. Good to see you today. Working on my lefty throw for Garrett Crochet. Okay.

Very good. I wanted him. We're back.

I see your Soto and raise you a crochet is not a word I ever thought I would ever hear. I mean, look, all three of our teams have got players so far and wetter beaks in the hot stove. We're all in the mix. Craziness, man.

So I wanted was a shot, baby, man. I got us just be straight up with you here. This is year 11 for us. And we just started 10th anniversary. We're in the midst of our 11th year of doing this thing. And, you know, I'm in the midst of season 22 in the NFL network land. And, you know, the more you do this job every day and you're fortunate to be in this job every day, the more you are just stunned by the headlines that come across your desk and mandates you to talk about on a daily basis.

And this is one of them. University of North Carolina head football coach Bill Belichick. I just said those words into a microphone. And I'll be always honest with you here. When I first heard about it, we had Tom Pelissero on last Friday.

Okay. Today is the Thursday of week 15 in the NFL. Last Friday after week 14 in the NFL began, we had Tom Pelissero on here to talk about the rumors that this was in the ether. And I basically said, so, you know, Tom, I'll imitate myself the way you imitate me and my kids imitate me.

So, Tom, you know. So are we to believe Bill Belichick is going to start getting ready for Wake Forest? The answer is now yes. Apparently so. Yeah. The answer is now yes. Look at just the mock-ups of Bill. And for a split second you think, did he take the Carolina Panthers job?

No. Those colors are also for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels football program. When Mac Brown got bounced at age 73, didn't see age 72 Bill Belichick coming down the pike as his successor.

They wanted a youth movement. But here he is. Yeah. He's younger than Mac Brown. Here he is taking this job.

Wow. When I was fortunate enough to be in the chair for all these dynastic years for the Patriots, I mean, we went on the air for NFL Network. Our year one was the year that Belichick and Tom Brady won their second together in the first of two years of the last back-to-back champions in the NFL we saw until the Chiefs pulled it off last year. And then throughout the entire time of his tenure, his all-time great tenure with Tom Brady, did I ever think Belichick would end his career, A, somewhere other than New England? You never know. B, end his career as a college head coach?

No shot on this planet. We were talking all dynastic tenure-long for Bill in New England about how Nick Saban was perfect where he was from the Belichick coaching tree that Belichick was the modern day Lombardi of the NFL and the modern day Paul Bear Bryant. Name any all-time great college football coach was Nick Saban in Alabama. LSU went to Alabama. And now Belichick is the college football coach and Saban is the pundit because he decided the current state of affairs in college football had changed so much that he was ready to just leave it at his advanced age.

Or as he said earlier this year, when you get to 72 years old, it gets harder and harder to promise people you're going to be there for four or five more years. And Bill Belichick's like, okay, I'll take it on. It's like, I got this. What the what? Headline, what the what?

Really? Bill Belichick is going to go into the living rooms of an 18-year-old and saying, how would you like to play for me? Or Bill Belichick is going to sit in an office somewhere and have a 19-year-old and saying, listen, coach, the amount of snaps I'm going to get is going to be a little bit higher. The amount of snaps I'm getting, I'm not into it. And a lot of people are coming up to me saying, I could get more snaps in their other school.

So if I don't get more snaps or if I don't get more NIL dollars, I'm out of here. Someone's going to have the temerity to say that to Bill Belichick, eight-time Super Bowl-winning head coach, and he's going to have to sit there and hear it? I know we were saying the other day he's going to have to have a lot of buffers, you know? A lot of buffers between that young football player and Bill Belichick. The playing time is two doors down, sir.

I'm just laying it all out there. I mean, Rob Gronkowski, we had him on the show the other day. As I go down the list of the, I can't believe this is a scenario that Belichick is willing to undertake or is going to be something that he will thrive in before I obviously go in the other direction. But Gronk had this to say when talking about the LA bowl that he is sponsoring and how there is a championship belt that goes to the MVP. Whoever is so fortunate to win this belt from either UNLV or Cal football at SoFi stadium next Wednesday for the LA bowl for Gronk. This is what he had to say when talking about the championship belt that's going to go to some kid.

Whoever wins, I think it's MVP of the game. They get the Gronk belt and that's what it's all about. That's what these college kids love. So is coach Belichick going to love all this gimmick stuff?

Handing out a freaking chain to a guy that gets an interception? I mean, that's not all about football. That's the question.

I'm still young enough and selling that era where I love better stuff. It's a good question. It's a good question.

Fair. Because in this world of young dynamic college football head coaches who seem to have the NIL thing all worked out and the transfer portal thing all worked out and the recruiting thing all worked out and the winning all worked out. We're going to talk to one in 10 minutes in Steve Sarkeesian of the University of Texas football as he's getting set for the college football playoffs. The only one that you could say that has professional football playing experience and also has the ability of Bill Belichick to say, I'll get you ready for the NFL because I've got NFL people around the program. I've got former players around the program.

I know exactly how to make you an NFL player is Deion Sanders. And the only other thing that I would say that separates them or one that definitely separates them is, you know, I got this sent to me just yesterday. Do you know Deion's got his own coffee? Oh, did not.

I didn't know. BLK and bold. Is that what it is?

TJ black and bold. Okay, great. That's what it's called. By the way, the flavor is smooth operator. That's the blend here.

Shout out to big daddy Kane. Yes. Okay. And then, oh, by the way, the blenders is, is, is coach going to have, yeah, going to have his blenders. You got your blenders there.

You know what I mean? Like mine are in the cards. Bill going to have his blenders.

What if he does? And again, like you could say, this is to help, you know, Deon expand his brand, but Deon expanding his brand only helps the kids expand their brand. By the way, remember when Deon got Travis Hunter, everybody's like, why in the world would Travis Hunter do that? Well, who's going to go win the Heisman in a Gallup this weekend and be a top five pick in the draft? Like, uh, his quarterback jokes on you, right? So, so Deon for one, just to turn this in the other direction, as I've now said, this doesn't seem on its face to be a fit Deon tweeted out that Belicheck is a coach's coach to us, to all us coaches, along with my man, coach Saban, they're game changers. They know how to move people forward. I know this is a great thing for college football and for North Carolina. God bless you coach.

If you're happy, I am too. Says Deon. Because when you, you look at the equation here, right? The question about what does it take to work in this environment is to basically tell these kids who are interested in NIL money or are interested in ultimate success here. How do you make the NFL? I think Bill Belicheck's an expert at that.

I think he has contacts like that. Does he have any opportunity to get the NIL money up? I would say he probably addressed this issue in the last 24 to 48 hours. It's not like he's coming into this with zero clue on what works right now.

I think he's probably gotten assurances. Like say Oregon has their billionaire in Phil Knight. My institution of higher learning as a Michigan adjacent man in Larry Ellison.

If only North Carolina had a billionaire that might be interested in athletics. Wait a minute. Who am I?

Oh, there he is. Tongue out and everything. Did MJ have anything to do with this, you think? What you got on today? TJ fives? Uh, you got a pair of fours?

Yeah, I got some threes on too. To basically, did somebody reach out to Michael and say, how about to the list of Dean Smith and Roy Williams and Frank Maguire? We had the name of Bill Belicheck to North Carolina athletic coaches. Mike and Bill could have sailed them together.

They both got boats, right? So I'm not concerned about the NIL either. Cause you know, bill, how to address that before saying yes.

And the pockets are kind of deep. And then bill probably looked and said, okay, so I can choose who's playing, huh? Every single roster decision is mine, huh?

I don't have to go and interview for the judge. Every single roster decision is mine, huh? I don't have to go and interview for the job and have say, you know, in Atlanta, Terry Fontenot, or if I took the Chicago job, Ryan polls, Jerry Jones, I don't have to have any of those people. I just basically say, these are the kids I want. You're the guy. I get to decide, huh?

And I get to decide the people who are with me to help me decide, huh? And then I got to play in the ACC and the ACC, let me see here. They had not only one, but two teams. So one sixth of the current new college football playoff teams are from the ACC. So I got two cracks at that. All I got to do is finish in the runner up here, right? Or, you know, I can win that conference and then I get a bye. Then now all I got to do is win the Atlantic coast conference and need to only win three college, three playoff games to win a championship. Where, where have I been used to getting a bye to where I only have to win three games to win a championship? Oh yeah. The league where some people are thinking of naming that Lombardi trophy after me.

You know, you look at UNC schedule next year, no Miami, no SMU, huh? So I didn't get to do that. I got to be the king of the campus. I got to choose the players. I get to also do what I love best, which is teach the game. I get to do that too.

I could do that. It's interesting how so many coaches like Gus Malzahn has now taken the offensive coordinator, he left central Florida to be Florida state's OC, right? And you're seeing Chip Kelly leaving UCLA to be the OC of the Ohio state. You're seeing coaches say, yeah, I don't want to do the NFL stuff.

I don't want to do the portal stuff. I just want to be the coach. And now Bill is leaving the pros partially because this allows him to coach, right? It's not like they, well, you know, you got to have fewer practices. Yeah. Well, there's a, there's a, there's this thing where you can't have them in the playbook coach. So he's now going to set up the people to handle the NIL and portal stuff for him.

And he could just focus on coaching and teaching the game to a bunch of 18 and 22 year olds that are dying to get his knowledge to get to the next level. Huh? So I don't know if this is going to work, right? I don't know if he's going to be like regretting a year from now.

Don't really, did I really do this? I don't know if the NFL options, he's already kicked the tires on and he's just like, I don't think I'm going to get the ones that I want and I'm not going to sit here in January and pass up this opportunity now. But I'll tell you what, in the same way, two years ago, nobody was saying, who's Colorado playing today? Next year, you're going to be, who's North Carolina playing today?

We're going to find out right away, Rich. They all by themselves, August 30th, TCU, let's go. You know what Dion's first game as coach was for Colorado?

TCU. And I remember his first halftime interview is he's running off on the field. I think he said, if Travis Hunter didn't drop a ball, the Heisman Trophy would already be in the crib. But he said, if they didn't connect on it, if they didn't miss on a pass, guess what? Year plus later, Heisman Trophy is about to be in the crib and everybody's talking about Colorado football. And North Carolina clearly said, I want a piece of that. And even though coach isn't going to have a, a WHT bowl. Thank you for saying that. Coffee and he's probably not going to say please.

Will blenders start making bifocals? I don't know. Oh, come on.

That's upside down. I'm going to make my point. You guys are missing the boat.

He could have a boat. It's kind of, they say, I want some of that. I want some of that. Look, I don't want to speculate already.

Okay. But then the TCU at Charlotte Richmond first three weeks, Bill's 3-0, ranked in the top 25. He's got to get a quarterback. There's, there's still lots more to go, but I, I get why North Carolina did it. I get why a lot of people are saying it's not going to work out, but in the same way, I'm like, I think it'll work out with, with prime. I kind of feel like I'll, I'll bet on Bill. Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely. Their win total is only six and a half next year. Chris, somebody I read, actually I heard on another show was like, can you really see Belichick going into 18, 19 year old living rooms and winning them over?

Maybe not, but you know who he will win over? The parents. The dad's going to be like, the moms are going to be, I want my kid to play for Bill. Exactly. But the parents, the uncles keep them away from the daughter, but the sons can definitely before we go, just again, it's just wild that, that, that, that North Carolina falls off because they didn't have a plan to follow up with Drake May successful enough.

And then Drake May winds up going to New England third overall because New England didn't have a successful plan after Brady that they had planned to have successful enough. Bill's bounced. Look, look, look, look who's in North Carolina now. You can't make it up. That's crazy. That's insanity. Let's take a break right here on the Rich Eisen show. 844-204-rich-number-to-dollar.

We'll ask Steve Sarkeesian what he thinks. He knows what it's like to be in the NFL and then succeed in college football with Sabin for business owners like you, the American express business platinum card works just as hard as you do to help you pursue your passions with its world-class business and travel benefits. You can get more for your business wherever it takes you. The Amex business platinum card offers a flexible spending limit that adapts with your business, enabling you to flex and adapt as your business evolves. And you'll earn five times membership rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com so that going that extra mile for your business is even more rewarding. See how the Amex business platinum card gives business owners like you the tools and rewards to do more of what you love. Not all purchases will be approved.

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That's OReillyAuto.com E-I-S-E-N O-O-O-Reilly Auto Parts. As many of you clearly know, I love going to watch football live. There's nothing like it, whether it's college football or professional football. There's nothing quite like the excitement of being in the stadium and game time tickets and game time picks through game time is exactly your way and your gateway to getting the seat that you want and the experience that you'll never forget. Game time picks is a new curation feature that filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great seats so you don't waste a single second searching through thousands of tickets. The all-in pricing feature, that's my favorite. You get to see your total upfront, no surprise fees at checkout. With game time, you'll always get the lowest price guarantee or game time will credit you 110% of the difference.

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Again, create an account. Redeem my code E-I-S-E-N. Boom, $20 off. Download game time today. What time is it? Game time. Welcome back here on the Rich Eisen Show. Joining us once again, last time we spoke with him, was in advance of the season, I believe.

In advance of his trip to Michigan. I told him to take it easy on my team. You didn't, coach.

You didn't. But nonetheless, happy to have you back, Steve Sarkisian. Good to see you.

Appreciate you having me on, Rich. Here we are months later, man. And you're getting set to take on Clemson in the first round of the college football playoffs. Your impression of that SEC championship game is what? A few days removed, coach.

Physical. That was a war. Kirby's done a great job at Georgia. And I think as you go through this, and you go through first year in the SEC, and the challenges that that conference presents, not only physically, but mentally. We went five straight weeks there at the end of the season, where we had two road games versus two rivals that were renewed. Going to Arkansas, and then finishing up the regular season at A&M. And then the very next week, going to Atlanta, essentially, for a third road game to try to win an SEC championship against Georgia.

So, very taxing. But I think we learned a lot about ourselves as a team. I feel like we could play with anybody in the country. Wish we would have played a little better last Saturday, but it was a heck of a game going all the way into overtime. And so, I think we're kind of in the right mental state to get ready to go attack this college football playoff. Well, I mean, again, I know the result wasn't what you wanted, but if I told you before the season you're going to play in the SEC championship game, you're going to have a ticket in the tournament. You'd have taken that, right? I mean, that's what you would have taken. I think so.

Yeah, I think so. Again, I would have liked to maybe execute it a little better in the red zone last Saturday and try to win the game. But in the end, you learn a lot about yourselves as a staff and as a team and where you can improve. I think the way the college football season is set up now, it's long. We started August 31st, and we're trying to play January 20th. And we've got four more games to go to get there.

And so, you're never not trying to improve and find ways to get better, whether it's schematically or fundamentally. And we have room for improvement, and that's what we'll be working on this week as we get ready for Clemson here a week from Saturday. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian here on the Rich Eisen Show. I mean, you mentioned that crucible of a three-week stretch, Arkansas, then that scene in Texas A&M. My lord, I know folks there in Texas missed that rivalry, for sure. Fans did.

Now it's back. What a scene that was. You came out with the win, then you go to the SEC championship game and go to overtime. And you've got four games that you've got to navigate in a span of less than a month.

And I'm wondering if you think this has got you road tested. I mean, you know what it's like to win back-to-back games in the playoffs, what you have to do in the playoffs. Just certainly, obviously, from your time in the NFL, you know what you have to do for that. Do you think that you're best equipped to come out of that non-bi-week spot? You're one of eight teams that has to win four in a row.

So does that help you, do you think, Steve? Well, I mean, I think we're in a good spot. Buys are great. And essentially, we got to buy this week to try to get ourselves healthy. Hey, I wanted to win an SEC championship, don't get me wrong. And I would have loved a first-round buy.

So I don't want to misconstrue what I'm about to say. But when you play that first weekend in December and then you don't play again until January 1st, that's a challenge in and of itself of keeping your team sharp and fresh and attentive to the details and executing at a high level. So in a weird way, we're pretty fortunate that, yes, we did get the buy before our first-round game. And then essentially, we get another 10 days or so before the next one. So I think we'll find a pretty good rhythm and routine. But again, we needed to get fresh and healthy this week. But we get back to playing football a little sooner.

And so we're going to try to take advantage of it that way. And I know when we spoke earlier in the season, you were saying that it's possible you and a lot of your colleagues in college football might start resting some guys middle of the season towards the end of the season because you know you have this stretch coming up. Obviously, that wasn't guaranteed for you until you did win towards the end of the season. Did you actually coach differently this time around knowing that you might have this stretch coming up? Well, I think the one thing that we adjusted was definitely our practice plans and schedules. And just the length of the season, the amount of games you have to play, I think is always challenging. We're going to play 17 games, hopefully.

And that's much different than before. And so I think managing your player, your player workload on a week-to-week basis, managing your days off and when you're giving them some days off to get away from the facility to kind of regroup and kind of recenter themselves have been really the main things that we've adjusted. Naturally, as the season's gone on, we've had to make some critical decisions on players that were nursing injuries of potentially holding them out or not or limiting their role to try to get them as healthy as we could for this stretch run. But nowhere did we ever just intentionally hold anybody out.

We never went to that extreme. And one of the managed players, is it Quinn Ewers? Would you say he's one of them? Yeah, we've definitely had to manage him throughout the season. He got injured early in the season, came back, had a nurse, an ankle injury here the latter half of the season. I think he's responded to it really well.

I give him a lot of credit for how he's managed that. But we've been dealing with that with a handful of players. We have not been a hundred percent.

Every year it's different. What happens to your team, the injuries that may occur. And we've definitely endured some, most notably on the offensive side of the ball. But I think our guys have responded to it week in and week out really well. And so, how do you think Ewers looks now? I mean, because that is part of the conversation from people in my chair is that he has not looked certainly like the kid that I saw against Michigan. How does he look to you going into these playoffs?

Well, I think it's bold. When you're not a hundred percent, you have to manage that. And I thought he was able to use his legs a little bit better here the last couple of weeks. Where I think we need to improve is we got to keep trying to play better around him. When our running game's not going, we become somewhat of a limited offensive football team. And we've got to make sure that we find that right balance. And we've got to make sure that we protect the passer well. Got to make sure we're catching the balls. We got to make sure we're disciplined in our routes. We got to make sure as a coaching staff, we're putting together a good plan that allows him to play to that level.

And then he's got to do his part too. And so, in the end, I think like anything, you're the quarterback of the University of Texas, you probably get a little more credit than we deserve when we play well. And you probably get too much blame when you lose a ball game and over time against a Georgia who arguably is the best defense in the country.

So, all in all, that comes with the territory. But I credit Quinn a ton for how he's handled everything and managed it and stayed focused on the task at hand. And that's playing really good football and being a great teammate and a great leader. I know in terms of managing somebody and potentially a banged up person as well, it doesn't usually mean take him off the field. But what about using Arch Manning more, coach?

Yeah, no, there's always opportunities to do that. And I think we found opportunities to do that against A&M and against Georgia. Arch is a great player and he's a great teammate as well. And so, we're fortunate to have both those guys in that room and utilize some of his strengths when those opportunities present themselves. So, but how do you manage that? Because you know conversations, again, in worlds like this outside your building get to be had certainly when he's taking snaps.

And man, he looks so physical and he's so fast, he's so big. And you know what advantage you might have when you employ him. I mean, he took the first snap for you in overtime in the SEC Championship Game, coach. But how do you manage that knowing it might cause questions, but it might also be quite helpful for you, but it's also one of those you got two, you might have none scenario. I'd like to disagree with you on the last statement. We got two and we're pretty good.

So, we're fortunate on that. I think at the end is, you know, I try not to consume myself with what y'all think. We focus on the task at hand and that's doing what's in the best interest of the team to win ball games. If I read, if I, you know, kind of led the emotional roller coaster of what other people think, I'd be an emotional, you know, nightmare. Because in one aspect I can read one article that says, you know, Quinn's the greatest thing since whomever and then next article is why don't you play arch and this and that.

And you can go back and forth all the way around and listen to, you know, talk radio and watch every show and whomever else. Or you can focus on the people in your building, you know, keep your head down, make sure that you're providing the right type of motivation and leadership for them so they can follow your lead. And I think our guys have done a great job of that.

And that's why it's no secret. You know, we're in the college football playoff. We went to the SEC Championship Game. We were really the third ranked team in the CFP, but because of the way they seed the teams with automatic bids, we go in as a fifth seed. And I feel really good about our opportunity to go out and compete for a national championship.

So I'm really not one to kind of buy into the opinions of others or the criticism of others that I would never ask for advice from. I know you've got, you had the signing period. You also had a portal and everything around the SEC Championship Game, my Lord. But have you been able to start a grind and tape on Clemson so far?

And if so, what are you seeing? It was, it was a challenging time. You know, while everybody else was getting ready for signing day, we were, we were preparing for an SEC Championship Game. And then you come out of that SEC Championship Game and you find out, okay, you're the five seed. And on that Monday, the portal opens.

And so now you're, you're concerned with your own player retention, but also concerned about who might be going to the portal and how you can help the roster. But all the while I'm watching Clemson tape and I'm watching a team that has gotten better and better as the year's gone on. A very active defense, very active defensive front, a highly competitive quarterback in K Club, Nick, a young wide receiver in Wesco, who they found opportunities more for and a really physical runner. So I feel like they've gotten better as the year's gone on. They've earned an opportunity to be in this college football playoff. And it's going to be a heck of a challenge. We're fortunate that we get them at home. No, I've spoken to two of your colleagues, Josh Heiple, Rhett Lashley. They're in college football playoff territory as well. Like you, Lashley had to get ready for a conference championship game around the signing day.

And then right after it's the portal. That's nuts, man. I mean, I think we can all agree that is absolutely nuts. You've got enough on your plate, clearly all the questions that I've asked you already. I mean, it's proof that you got a lot on your plate.

Who can make these changes? I mean, maybe another sport where you're in the playoffs and you got to worry about free agency and you got to like your new league year has opened up during the playoffs. That's crazy. Let's just think about the NFL playoffs starting up here in a few weeks.

And let's just think right when the playoffs begin, Pat Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen, whomever else, they're all free agents. How would that go? Not great.

Not great. That's the world we're living right now. But who can change it?

I know that you can only control what you can control. And I know you're getting ready for Clemson, but enough people like yourself can get together and say, let's do something about this calendar. Well, we continue to try to.

I know us as coaches, we've got our own thoughts and opinions on that. Obviously, there's an academic calendar that makes some of this stuff challenging. And there's lawsuits and all sorts of stuff going on. And we're trying to embark on revenue sharing and a lot of different things and collectives. And there's so many layers to this.

But the timing I think of it all is just what's really poor. And we've got two different entities operating. The college football playoff is operating as one. The NCAA and the rules and a settlement is operating as another. And they're just not coinciding the right way right now. But it is what it is. We can sit here and complain about it or do the best we can to maximize the situation that we're in.

And we're, hey, again, I've got champagne problems. We're a team that's playing in the college football playoff that just competed for an SEC championship. We've got a really good roster.

We just signed the number one recruiting class in the country. So, again, we feel really good about the position we're in. But again, do I think it could be better? Yes, I do. Yeah.

I mean, the first-class problem, champagne problem is no doubt about it. Before I let you go, you just described the crazy world in which you live in. But you and Texas are thriving in with NIL and Portal and Signing Day and Conference Championship and getting ready for the college football playoffs, which is the reason why a lot of people think only a certain type of coach can be cut out for college football. What is your thoughts, your two cents on Bill Belichick joining the world of college football?

He's now a college football coaching colleague of yours, Steve Sarkeesian in North Carolina. What are your thoughts on that? Fascinated.

I'm fascinated by it. You know, obviously, a ton of respect for Coach Belichick and the job he's done his entire career. I think we're all better coaches, quite frankly, because of what he's been able to do and studying him, and whether it's offense, defense, you know, management of rosters, all the stuff, you know, and obviously my time with Coach Saban and the connection with those two. But fascinating that he's back now and coming to college football and trying to implement some of those things there. So a ton of respect for the job he's done. I'm sure he'll do a great job there. But I think from most perspectives, and, you know, I don't know everybody, but ours and our building for sure, it's fascinating to see and to watch.

And, you know, how's this project going to go? Yeah, I know, right. Was he around when you were in Alabama? Did he show up on campus, practices, Zooms or whatever with Coach Saban? You know, pro days for sure.

You know, he in and out of the pro days. And I actually had a couple of conversations with him this off-season about our schedule now, because I think our calendar and our schedule is more, you know, from a team perspective and a college football playoff perspective is a little more NFL driven. And so I was trying to pick his brain on that. I had no idea that he'd be coming our way and getting into the college game. Isn't that nuts?

I mean, that is amazing how life works sometimes. Would you mind, what did he tell you? What insight did you gain from him? Well, it's just more about, here's a guy that's, you know, went year after year after year and had these long stretches of a season, right? The preseason, the regular season and year in and year out there in the Super Bowl, the championship game and how he managed his team. And I think, you know, you talk to a Bill Belichick and Andy Reid, you know, Sean McVeigh, Kyle Shanahan, guys now that have, you know, year in and year out, been in those positions of just how they managed the workloads of their roster and their team and how they practiced and got them ready to play. And so that was stuff I was trying to dig into to make sure that we were in a really good frame of mind and physically, mentally, emotionally come December.

And I think it's paid off for us. Okay. And so do you, listen, I know he's got a gajillion rings and things of that nature and he's been at it since 1975 in the NFL, but this is, you know, you're the college coach here with experience and success.

Do you have any advice for him now, if he picked your brain? What would that be, Steve? Wow. Hire good recruiters. You know, it's not a draft, that's for sure. It's not a draft. It's not a draft, huh? You don't just get to, you know, just it's my pick and I get to get you and now you're under contract for four years with one plus, right?

It doesn't work like that for us, that's for sure. Okay, coach. Hey, listen, thanks for the time.

As always, it's a pleasure to connect with you. My wife, Susie Schuster, said to say hello to you and she's like, who's on your show today? I'm like, it's Sark.

She goes, tell Sark I said hi. So, no, I have done so. So. You guys are the best. Appreciate you, Rich. Thanks, man. Good luck against Clemson and beyond.

And we'll chat again soon, hopefully. Thank you. You bet. That's Steve Sarkeesian of Texas Longhorns Football, right here on the Rich Eisen Show.

Get good recruiters. Bright man? Yeah. Essential.

I'm gonna tell you. It's crazy that, you know, maybe this is one of the reasons why Bill is going back to college. It's turning into the NFL a little bit. Look, he's got a general manager now, Michael Lombardi. Yeah, everyone has GMs of their programs, right? Yeah, Andrew Luck is the GM at Stanford now. You know, Adrian Wojnarowski is now the GM at St. Bonaventure for basketball. Like, this is the way of college sports now. The, you know, the professionalization of it. Right. And it's really interesting and fascinating. At some point, though, as he said, you don't just get to draft. I think that's the perfect word for it is fascinating.

And then it's fascinating to me. I know he said that he doesn't care what's coming from the outside of the building, but man, I'd expand that arch playbook a little bit more. You got four games to go. Yeah, I think so.

You know who's all on board for that. I know you are with your trading card, but I'm just talking football-wise here, right? I'm just talking football-wise. It happens every year in college football, you know, for whatever team that you root for. There's always some kid that didn't play weeks one through eight, that suddenly in weeks nine through 11, or if you were so fortunate to play a 12th game back in the day, now it's 15 games. Now for some, it'll be 18, 19 games, right? And suddenly they are coming on strong.

Happens in the pros too. Rico Dowdle is a perfect example for your Cowboys right now, right? Correct? Chase Brown had the Bengals not started Zach Moss and started Chase Brown week one.

Just enough. But there's always a couple kids on Michigan where I'm like, where did that kid come from? Why hasn't he been playing? Right. It's week 10. Well, because they're developing or some other kids get hurt or some other kids are like, I'm not playing because I'm getting ready for the pros or whatever.

There's a whole bunch of reasons. But he's like pushing back instead of two, I've got none. No, no, no. I got two good ones. I got one in Quinn Ewers who's got neck up more experience.

And I got another one, you know, neck down, maybe more athletically gifted and neck up. He's a Manning. So we're going to assume he's going to be able to catch up to speed pretty damn fast. Right.

Okay. And boy, is that a difference maker? He didn't love that question. It didn't seem like it's not like he hasn't gotten it. Yeah. He's hearing it from everybody all the time.

It seems like. But the first snap of overtime was Arch Manning. And remember they ran that crazy trick play that Arch was in and they snapped it between his legs when it looked like they were going to kind of tush push to the running back. If I'm not mistaken, the first score against Texas A&M was Arch Manning.

Didn't he get in? I think so. Yeah. You know, and when he gains the edge, he is big and it's difficult to put him on the ground. I don't know, man. That's a difference making kid.

You throw him in again there and a wrinkle and Clemson will be like, huh? Maybe. Oh yeah. Can't wait.

Neither can I. It is going to be fun. It's going to be great. 844-204-RICH number to dial here on the Rich House. By the way, Bill Belichick is going to speak at the top of the third hour.

We'll be dipping in on that. Rob Corddry, diehard Patriot fan. He'll be in studio then. Maybe we'll chit chat with him about Belichick. Middle of hour two, slated to join us is Seth Wickersham, who has been covering Belichick and the Patriots for 20 plus years. And in 15 minutes, Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings. Look at us. And then phone lines are lit. Love it.

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Learn what Amazon Q Business can do for you at AWS dot com slash learn more. You told a story about the genesis of. All right. All right. Yes. All right. Here's where that comes from. So days confused.

Yes. Genius film. I'm in the right bar at the right time. And a guy goes, Hey, you haven't done any acting.

You might be right. Just right for this part. Legendary cast director and producer Don Phillips. I come back and they do what's called a makeup and wardrobe test, meaning they're shooting another scene one night. I'm just going to show up. Directors going to step off the set and come and look and go, Great.

I approve. Well, he comes and looks. He goes, Jesus is worse. It's great. He goes, Listen, you're not scheduled to work tonight, but we're over here at the top notch drive through.

And you think Wooderson might want to pick up on the redheaded intellectual? And I'm like, Sure. And he goes, Want to shoot it? I'm like, Sure. So I go get in the car. I shoot my first scene ever in a film of your career, of my career. And I had been listened to a lot of 70s rock and roll at that time.

There was a certain live recording of a Jim Morrison concert in like Amsterdam or somewhere where he barks at the crowd. All right. All right. All right. All right.

Four times real aggressively, though. I'm not thinking about that, but this comes back. So I'm in the car and I'm like, Who's my man? I'm nervous about to hear act. Who's my man?

Who's Wooderson? I said, Well, I'm about my car. And I go, Well, I'm in my 70s Chevelle. There's one. I said, I'm about getting high. I said, Well, Slater's riding shotgun.

You know, he's got a Dubois rolled up. There's two. And I said, I'm about rock and roll. And I said, Well, I got Nuju, Stranglehold in the eight track, man. There's three. And I hear action.

And I look up and in my mind I go, And I'm about chicks. I got three out of four. Let's go get the fourth. All right. All right. All right. Wow. That was it. First words ever said on screen.

The Texas Longhorn himself. Back here on the Rich Iveson Show. You're your family's biggest supporter. So make sure they're protected today with affordable online health life insurance through Ethos. Up to $2 million of same day term life insurance coverage in as little as 10 minutes for as little as $2 a day. It's 100% online. There's no med exams, only a few online health questions. The mortgage, kids' education, other costs could be covered through Ethos. Straightforward protection for the people who matter most.

So get a free quote at triethos.com. That's T-R-Y-E-T-H-O-S.com. Let's go to the phone lines. Justin in Maryland here on the Rich Iveson Show. What's up, Justin? Hey guys, how are you today? What's going on?

What up, what up? Nothing much. So I have a pre-Friday what's more likely for the crew. Okay. What is more likely?

Bill Belotek goes to the college playoffs in his first year or the Patriots make the playoffs next year. Christopher, I turn to you. You got the Drake May. I don't want us to answer this because I had written this for tomorrow. Oh, did you really? Yeah.

So Justin in Maryland. Did you really? Yeah, I had this written yesterday. So how do you want to handle this one? You want to say stay tuned or give me a new one tomorrow? We can give you a new one tomorrow.

I'm inclined to say both. But you're not allowed to do that. Whenever I say that, you push back. This is my game. I can do what I want when you play it. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

All the crap that you get Rich when he says both. That's right, Justin. Get in there, Justin.

It's true. Get in there, Justin. Patriots. You think it's more likely the Patriots make the playoffs? They have a top 10 quarterback next year.

We don't know who's playing quarterback for UNC. Okay, Justin. So you're saying Drake May and Travis Hunter are going to go to the playoffs? Factual. Look at this guy. Are you a Patriot fan, Justin? Hello? Justin, are you a Patriot fan? I am not.

I'm a sad Jaguars fan, so I like to think of other teams this time of year. Okay, thanks for the call, Justin. There's Justin in Maryland.

So... I don't know who our head coach is going to be next year. Stop it. Stop it. It's Gerard Mayo. Does it have to be? I prefer if it was Mike Brable, to be honest.

Let me ask you this question. What don't you like about Gerard Mayo? You knew this roster was challenged to begin with. Yeah, I don't like some of the things he says in the press.

I don't like some of the... Isn't that amazing? The other coach never said anything in the press. You prefer that? It was great.

Yeah, it was great. Okay. Like, stop oversharing. Stop calling your players soft in the media. Right. I don't know, but they got a quarterback who's really, really good. And I imagine we'll get a wide receiver and free agency. All the mock drafts have Travis Hunter going three to New England right now, as long as we don't win any more games.

They're in a better spot than the UNC Tar Heels. I don't know. Let's see what Bill's going to do. Lambeau, his general manager. Who else is coming? I'd imagine they're all coming. Matt Patricia is coming for sure.

It just depends if Josh McDaniels wants to be a college offensive coordinator. Joe Judge will come. Yeah, Joe Judge is back. We'll get them all. Yeah, and imagine a lot of them are coming.

Brock and I went deep yesterday with the North Carolina people, too. I'd imagine Steve is probably coming. His son, who's the current Washington. Well, I think that would be... Do we know that that is still part of the deal, or was that... Well, actually, Bruce Feldman said yesterday it is not part of the deal, that Steve Belichick, his son, who is currently the D.C. at the University of Washington, gets the gig when Bill's done with it.

Here's what I'm going to need. I need L.T. being linebacker's coach. I need Dre Bly doing the defensive backs. Want to bring Ronald Curry back to North Carolina? They might be around the program.

Yeah, I would hope so. I mean, they might be around the program. I want to see Rashid Wallace walking on the sideline. Again, when you're looking at... What's the comp?

What's the comp here? Because you've had pro coaches try. You've had pro coaches try. Is it Pete Carroll?

Most notably... Well, no, no. Pete was... Pete... Was a failed NFL who went to college. Yeah, I don't think Pete's the comp.

You know, the most... There is no comp, Rich. The only comp is Dion. Not in terms of coaches. Not in terms of coaching. No, but in terms of celebrity. I'm touching the... Where you know this is going to be an NFL-minded program.

You know the person who's in charge is the dominant personality to attract the talent, to attract the coaches, to attract the sponsors, to attract the NIL. You know that. And you know that this person has so many connections to the world of NFL greats and pop culture. Not that he's, you know, Mr.

Pop Culture, but you'd think Bon Jovi will be strolling around every now and then. You know how... You see how T.O. is on the sideline? Irv will be on the sideline of a Colorado game.

Sap joined the staff. I mean, Bill can do exactly the same thing there. That's where the comp is. You know, a lot of people are saying, well, Lovey Smith crapped out in Illinois. That's a long list. You know, there's a long list of the pro coaches.

Charlie Weiss and... Well, from the Belichick tree. But I don't think that that's the comp. I think Dion's the comp. There's no comp in terms of rings and coaching. There's no comp in terms of coaching. Saban's that comp. Yeah, Nick is the comp. Saban's that comp.

Yeah. But Nick didn't have that when he went to... Alabama. LSU and Alabama. Well, it was Michigan State first. But he went from LSU to the Dolphins and the Dolphins was nothing. And then he was the Alabama coach.

He had already won at LSU, obviously, but he didn't have the NFL success. This is interesting, man. It's just fascinating.

I think that's the perfect word for it. The CEO coach, too. Like, Dion's the CEO. He's also the chief marketing officer. He's also the chief entertainment officer. Definitely entertainment. You know what I mean?

Like that... But that all matters in this era right now. But is Bill going to have, like, a documentary crew following him around all the time, like Dion does? No. No. Is he going to rank his children like Dion does?

Probably not. You know what's the best part about this? You guys are missing the best part about this.

He's a girl dad. Press conferences are back with Bill Belichick. That's all. That's the best part. Yes, but these are college presses. He's going to do it in this tiny little closet after a game in Syracuse.

Well, not just that, too. He's got student publication questions coming his way, too. Oh, this is going to be great. Whole new era. He's 18-year-old, like, newspaper majors asking Bill questions. They have no idea what they're in for. Hey, Bill, can you talk about...

Them. We're moving on to Wake Forest. Like a bailer next week. Yeah, it's all coming. It's all coming. It starts in an hour with his first press conference.

That's what I mean. At University of North Carolina. Let's go. He'll be in a spectacular suit with a big, huge smile.

It's great. Justin Jefferson coming up next, just like Justin in Paris. As we know, in the National Football League, there is no margin for error. One mistake can change the outcome of an entire game, season, careers. Science proves quality sleep can help boost reaction time, recovery time, and overall athletic performance. That's why 80% of NFL players have a sleep number smart bed. 80% of the Chiefs have a sleep number smart bed.

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