College Football Playoff Contender or Pretender (Hour 3)

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For home loan solutions that fit your life, well, Rocket can. We have a monster, monster, monster weekend upcoming. Just for college football. Sure, we have another big weekend of the NFL. You got Eagles and Cowboys.

You got Bills going to Kansas City to square off against the Chiefs. We got playoff baseball left and right. You had the big 7-3 comeback today. The walk-off by Yernan Alvarez as the Astros take Game 1 up against the Mariners. So there is just so much Phillies today take Game 1 up against the Braves.

They do hold on to surviving that one. Yankees right now going up against the Guardians later tonight. Padres and Dodgers. So you're going to have a big weekend of sports, baseball, NFL. But college football, and I don't know if you agree or disagree with this, Ryan.

This weekend, if I could only watch one sport, NFL, college or postseason baseball, I think I would go with college football. You get Penn State and Michigan at noon. You have Auburn, Ole Miss at noon. I know Kansas' quarterback is now done for the year, but you get Kansas, Oklahoma at noon. And I know Oklahoma is now on a down year.

You get some intrigue with Texas now, with Quinn Ewers back. They play Iowa State. You have the big one at 3.30 p.m. Eastern, Alabama up against Tennessee in Knoxville. You have Oklahoma State, TCU.

Sonny Dykes, by the way, going to join us tomorrow on the show. But Oklahoma State and TCU, that's a tremendous Big 12 matchup. Both those teams, undefeated. You know, even NC State, Syracuse, a little 15-18 matchup.

Mississippi State, Kentucky. And then maybe, I don't know if this is an underrated game, because it's two top 25 teams, but it always feels like the Pac-12 doesn't get enough coverage. USC, Utah. This is a moment for USC, which is massive, and it's also a big moment for the Pac-12, because how many times do we sit here and bitch each and every year? You'll fall in love with the Pac-12 team, and then push comes to shove that they just shoot themselves in the foot. And you look at Utah, they've already shot themselves in the foot twice, where you lose to Florida in a game that you should have won and cameraizing through the ball.

Oh, I at least should have tied it, bare minimum. And then last week up against UCLA, I liked UCLA. It's one of the few gambling picks I actually had right this year, where I put UCLA on the money line. But heading in, Utah on paper is a better team than UCLA. So I think this is a big week, Ryan, for USC, because USC, other than one close game, has just looked like a force in year number one of Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley, the receiver Addison coming over as well from Pitt. Their only close game was against Oregon State.

Other than that, you had 66-14, 41-28, 45-17, 42-25, 30-14. Now you could question the competition that they're playing. But this would be horrible for the Pac-12 this week if USC loses to Utah, because not only does it screw USC from that undefeated regular season, but it then makes Utah feel like, oh, what could have been if they didn't just screw up one thing to lose the first game of the season, but then screw up again and lose two games. This is a great weekend in USC, especially with Utah.

The one thing we don't know 100% yet? Toughness. We know they could score.

Great head coach, great quarterback, great wide receiver. Can they just be a tough physical team? It's going to be a great matchup. Like I said, it takes a little bit of the sales, because Utah lost this week to UCLA, which would have been a nice matchup. You get a one loss to Utah versus a zero loss to USC.

Wait for Utah to save their season. But this is still a great matchup. Like I said, it's a nice little nightcap to what is going to be, I think, the best day of college football so far this year.

You just lay it at the matchups. It is tremendous. Noon Eastern to midnight. If you could only pick one sport this weekend, college football, NFL, or postseason baseball, which one do you pick? I'm with you. College football. This is a great weekend for college football. Now let me just say this, because I've said this before, even though you may have picked Utah to go to the top four in the college football playoff and Oklahoma to be in the college football playoff, there is no one more knowledgeable at this radio station, on this very fine network, in the Monday through Friday lineup, talk show host producer.

There is no one that watches more college football and knows more about college football than the man sitting across from me. If the Mets are still playing, the Mets are in the NLDS this weekend, and they were in LA up against the Dodgers, and you could only pick one baseball, college football, NFL, which way would you go? I have to pick the Mets. It's the playoffs. It would kill me not to watch Penn State. It would kill me not to watch Alabama, Tennessee. I would be very depressed. But it's about to play baseball.

I've seen that like three times in my life. I can't miss that. Imagine then if Penn State, let's say the Mets are still playing, and you couldn't watch the Penn State-Michigan game and then Penn State wins. That would be a lock of the century. A 45-10 blowout.

It would just lock it up. They would just demolish Michigan because I can't. And then I'd watch the next week and they lose.

That's exactly how it would play out. This is a big week, a big next three weeks coming up for Penn State. And Penn State's been a lot better than what I thought. You know, I think this should be the week they go to Jirala, but that's not going to be the case. And that defense has been good.

You know, I don't like to give compliments to your defensive coordinator, but defense has been solid. And you look at the next three weeks for a Penn State team, you get Michigan and Ann Arbor in the big house. Then you have a whiteout at Happy Valley going up against Minnesota with Mr. Row the Boat, P.J.

Fleck. And after that, you get Ohio State. And I'm 99.9% certain I'm actually going to that Ohio State-Penn State game. Which I believe, it's not officially announced yet, I think it's going to be a noon kickoff.

Right? It's got to either be noon or 3.30 because you're going to have World Series games then. That's Halloween weekend.

Yeah, but you can put it on maybe AB. Yeah, it's a Fox game. It's a Fox game.

You can't put it on an eight. You got the World Series. Is that a guaranteed Saturday night game?

I guess you're right. They're not going to have the World Series. I would have to think Saturday night on a World Series with how... You're probably right. Unless there's some travel day in between if you're transitioning to... Or I guess if there's a sweep. But even at that point, you're not scheduling it that late, that close to kickoff. And you would think the big noon kickoff crew does the show in Happy Valley that week and then just easily transitions it over to 12 o'clock. They've done that for a lot of the big games. They're not shy about putting the best game, even if it's the best game of the weekend.

Doesn't matter. They got it. They'll put it right at noon. So I'm 99.9% sure I'm going to that game. What I think I'm going to do is leave the studio at 10 p.m. Eastern, right after the show on that Friday. Drive two hours. Stay at some hotel off the side of the road. And then the next day, finish the next two hours of the trip. That's what I think the game plan is there for the trip.

Not terrible. It's going to be a tough turnaround. I got to get back Saturday night. That's also why I don't want it to be an 8 p.m. game. I got to get back Saturday night because I got the Iron Football show on Sunday.

Quick turnaround. Boy, that's going to be a long Saturday. Big game though. I got to be there. Even though I'm not a Penn State fan, but that's a pretty big game. I really wanted to go to one college football game this year. That was a big time game. And that's a big time game that does qualify. Next year I'm going to take a trip to a little SEC country.

I think I'm going to do that. I think I'm going to do a big SEC trip next year. Anyway, big weekend in college football. You have a lot of teams that have impressed. UCLA, Penn State, Ole Miss undefeated, Oklahoma State.

I love them. Spencer Sanders could be a finalist for the Heisman. USC, a lot of sizzle early on. Tennessee out of nowhere, 5-0. Michigan, looking really damn good and they were great last year. Clemson, D.G.U.

and Gillelae has it together. Alabama has struggled a little bit, but they're still 6-0. Ohio State, their offense can't be stopped.

And Georgia only had one tough game up against Missouri. Let's do a little contender-pretender through what we've seen so far through the first six weeks of college football. On who's going to make the playoff or not, or who's in contention for the playoff or not. What are the teams?

All right, let's start with an easier one. Let's say Clemson. Contender or pretender in your mind? They're a contender. The ACC is no bueno. They survived that tough two-game stretch up against Wake Forest and NC State.

And not only survived, you got the answer that D.G.U. and Gillelae looks different than what he did a year ago. They should win out. You look at that schedule the rest of the way. You play Florida State this upcoming weekend. Syracuse, Notre Dame, Louisville, Miami, and South Carolina. They should be undefeated going into the ACC championship game. They should win the ACC championship and then boom, should be, should be in the college football playoff. Which, man, with how it looked early on this season, I didn't think we were going to be saying that. But D.J.

did save the ship from sinking with the way that he played up against Wake Forest and NC State. And you know how good that defense is. This is the first time this team is being asked if they are a contender or a pretender since the college football playoff was created.

But there's a first to everything, Zach. Alabama. Can we see them lose first before I doubt them?

Like, don't get me wrong. They look a little vulnerable with the way that they played up against Texas A&M even without Bryce Young. They look vulnerable up against Texas when Quinn Uwers got knocked out of the game and they almost lost that game. But this game is a huge one this weekend in Knoxville.

And it's a statement game for both teams. For Tennessee, you could really make a statement, hey, we're back. All the top 25 wins so far, nice wins, but this is Alabama that's different. And for Alabama, you could give that middle finger one more time and go, you wanted to doubt us after A&M? You wanted to doubt us after Texas?

Shame on you. This would not surprise me this weekend, Ryan, if Tennessee wins the game by three or Alabama wins by three touchdowns. Neither of those outcomes would result me when we look at this contest. Nick Saban, a whopping 15-0 against Tennessee at Alabama.

Safe to say that is a domination. Do you know what the spread is on this game? I believe the last time I saw was seven and a half Alabama on the road with a quarterback question mark. We believe Bryce Young looks like he'll play.

I gotta think Bryce Young is playing. Still question marks? I'm not a better. Definitely would not bet this game early. I'm not an expert this year.

I'm not an expert here when it comes to spreads, clearly. Or maybe just motivation. I think I am an expert in motivation. I believe, and it almost backfired on him, that Nick Saban knew last week he did not need to play Bryce Young. And even if Texas A&M threw everything at him, he would still find a way to win. I think for Nick Saban, he wasn't, not that you ever want to see a player get hurt, but he wasn't that upset with having to sit Bryce Young in that game, because it's an extra little bleep you to Jimbo, even though he only won by four points.

But I beat you with my backup quarterback, even though the A&M situation has been all over the place when it comes to quarterbacks this year. So our man, we said, Zach, we never did, right? We said they could beat him without Bryce Young.

It was ugly. We were right. Take that. We were right. Well, I didn't say lay the 24 and a half points like some others, but... Win is a win. Win is a win. You know, I just can't remember who that other person was that said that. I remember who said they don't need Bryce Young.

We don't have to worry about the point spreads and, you know, some of that, you know, nonsense that doesn't surround the actual just straight up winner, winner or loser. I forget short term memory loss recently. I think it was anyone but me is what I can remember. Amy, Jim, J.R., who was it?

All right, go ahead. How about the team they're playing this week? Alabama, Tennessee. They play Alabama this week at home. A few weeks later, they go on the road, take on Georgia. It's a tough schedule for the Vols. They are a legitimate contender. Undefeated 5-0. Tough.

Here's why it's tough. Because they still have to play Bama this weekend and then Georgia. Is Georgia losing a game? Probably not. So therefore, it's going to be tough for Tennessee to get into the SEC championship game.

I think. Now they control their own destiny. Clearly, they're undefeated and they play Alabama, they play Georgia.

But to ask them to be potentially need to be both. Like even if they win this weekend. And then that Georgia game on the 5th of November, they lose. You're not going to make the college football playoff.

They've been great this year. The Florida game was fun. The LSU game was a blowout.

Pitt was a good back and forth game. I don't want to get away from them, but to make the college football playoff, I'm going to put them still in the pretender category. How about Michigan? Number four in the country.

So far, so good. Pretender or contender? They're a contender. They should be undefeated leading into that Ohio State game.

And then it just comes down to can you beat Ohio State in the horseshoe? And the speed of that offense is a lot of fun. They have a better offense this year than they did last year. Bellback, McCarthy, Coram's been great.

It's just defensively. The last two weeks, the final score for Michigan appears that they took care of their teams and it wasn't really much of a sweat. If you actually watch those games like I did, they weren't as dominant as what the final score does read. But they're a contender because it's really just them and Ohio State in the Big Ten in my opinion. Safe to say your favorite team, maybe your adopted team this season. Oklahoma State, undefeated Mike Gundy, Spencer Sanders. The legitimate college playoff contender in the Big Twelve. Yeah, they are because they're the best team in the Big Twelve and they had the quarterback.

And we'll see. It's kind of like the Big Twelve in the Pac-12. They do this yearly dance where it's whichever team we anoint, they eventually shoot themselves in the foot. I look at Oklahoma State as that team, but they have a tough game against TCU. They play Texas then after that. You still have Kansas staying in the schedule. No, Kansas lost their quarterback.

Iowa stayed. That's a tough schedule. But if there's one team that I'm going to trust in the Big Twelve, I'm going to go with Oklahoma State. And could you lose one game and still get into the college football playoff? Yeah, absolutely. You just got to have some breaks go your way.

They're a contender to me. Did you see this article, by the way? I read it on Joe Buck's Fan.

I think which is Ira Kaufman's website or Ira writes for them. OK. Before the Buccaneers hired Greg Ciano, they thought they were going to get another college coach. And Gundy, I guess, said this in a press conference that he was offered the job or he could have got the job.

And he elected to stay. Imagine Mike Gundy. Coaching and Mr.

I'm a man, I'm 40. I don't know if that's flying in the NFL. Or into the NFL media. Yeah, I just I just saw it and I thought it was wild.

I've never heard that one before. Some guys are truly like perfect fits in the college football world. Mike Gundy is one of those guys.

Yeah. Mike Gundy said he interviewed with the Buccaneers three times in 2011. I believe that was the year Brandon Weeden was there and they went to the Fiesta Bowl. If my memory is correct, I think that's the last great year they had. I think you're right, because when I was reading the article yesterday, they were talking about. There was like they were getting ready for a big game.

So I think you're right on that, which makes sense. I think they finished three in the country. So great year.

Hey, here's one of those. They were the runner up for the national championship. Yes. Yes.

That's that's that's what they said in the article. I lost to Iowa State on a Friday night. Yeah. OK, I was doing in high school.

You feel like I'm not kidding. I missed a party. I was watching Oklahoma State, Iowa State on a Friday night.

And yeah, I missed one party in high school. Rangers game seven up against the devils in the conference. Game six up against the devils in the conference final. Why can't I remember the name of the jackass that scored the goal for the devils? Oh, do you remember the guy's name?

I do not. Yeah, you kind of blacked out that series. But regardless, I liked it. I didn't miss the party. I went late to the party. There was like a senior show that you're supposed to go to. And I just didn't go because I wanted to watch the Rangers. And then the next thing you know, I went to the after party for that and I was I was not happy. I could imagine.

Speaking of, you know, who is happy fans of UCLA. I didn't read it. Adam Henry. Sorry, Adam Henry. Go ahead.

He had who should not be named. Undefeated big win over Utah last week before that big win over ranked Washington. The Bruins are hot. Are they a legitimate cultural play of contender? It's good for the sport. Now, no one's been attending these games. Having Chip in the picture is good.

I like Dorian Thompson Robinson. I just don't think they're better than USC. So that's why I'm going to say that they're a pretender.

You got to work. And this week or next week, they play Oregon at Oregon. That's the ultimate like what Bo Nix is going to show up and Oregon's a team. They're now up to 12th in the country.

Everyone thought they were dead after the first week of the season. They got destroyed by Georgia. Now they're in the mix. Speaking of them, would you put them as a cultural play of contender? Oh, one loss was Georgia. They've they've rebounded ever since. The schedule is there to make a run. Can they make the run? I'm going to ultimately say that Bo Nix has a Bo Nix game that screws them.

That's why I say they're a pretender. And I still think USC is the best team in the Pac-12. Very fair. Three more here. TCU undefeated. Tough big 12, but undefeated so far. Nice win over Kansas last Saturday. Got a great wide receiver. I'm going to say pretender. Sonny Dykes is coming on tomorrow. Yes, yes, yes, yes. So contender. OK. No, no, no, please.

You think that that impacts the way that I make my opinions? Not coming in studio. Hey, coach, I love you. I'll say pretender. Just once again, I give the edge to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 until proven otherwise. USC, you made it clear, but on the record, contender. And finally, let's get a little wild here. You talked about this yesterday, but just to rehash your thoughts. Oh, I love this one.

I know right where you're going. Texas lose to Alabama by a field goal without their quarterback. And Quinn Ewers lose a Texas Tech without Quinn Ewers.

He is back. They run. They have a tough schedule.

You run the table. I may say, especially with that run game with Robinson, I may say that they are the best team in the Big 12 if it wasn't for Oklahoma State. If they would have would have just found the way in overtime to be Joey Maguire squad at Texas Tech, because then they would have been five and one and their one loss would have been without Quinn Ewers up against Alabama, where they only lost the game by one point without Quinn Ewers. If they could have just won that Texas Tech game, I would maybe consider them a contender, because that's for them to be in this spot still. And you just annihilate Oklahoma. I know Oklahoma's having a bad year and you kept it close against Texas Tech without Quinn Ewers. And you almost beat Alabama without Quinn Ewers. That's an intriguing team to me. Ultimately, I think their schedule, though, is going to do them in. They play, starting October 22nd, a back to back to back to back to back stretch to end their season.

Oklahoma State, Kansas State, TCU, Kansas, and then Baylor. Pretender for Texas. Zach Kelpster, CBS Sports Radio. Beyond Black History Month on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Thamy Redwood, host of the podcast Beyond Black History Month. Here's reason number five hundred sixty eight million of why you should be listening. From in-depth reporting on the shortage of black sperm to how one house of the dragon star is dealing with online trolls who don't love seeing black dragon writers.

I can't lose sleep over that over worrying about things that are beyond my control. Listen and subscribe to Beyond Black History Month on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. You're listening to The Zach Gelb Show. Zach Gelb Show, CBS Sports Radio.

Our pal Matt Nahagen, who is the program director for the game out in the Bay Area. His afternoon show just had Peter King on. NFL insider Peter King. Peter King gave an opinion on what it would need for the Carolina Panthers to move Christian McCaffrey, like what they would need in return and what he would take if he was the general manager. So if he was the general manager, Peter King, hot take. What do you think he would need back? In order to trade Christian McCaffrey.

What do you think Peter King said? Definitely a first round pick. Definitely. I don't think you're getting a first round pick.

Definitely. For Christian McCaffrey, unless you're a team like the Bills who you're all in. And you could afford to give up that first round pick with how loaded of a roster you have. The only concern is the run game. I would be surprised if they got a first round pick. That to me would be my bar. First round pick.

Isn't it funny? Because wide receivers, you throw out first round picks like nothing. Safeties. Jamal Adams and Jalen Ramsey got first round picks.

Multiple. Which is crazy. But the running back position, that's where we draw the line in the sand. And it's just for the draft, for trades when it comes to first round picks.

Left tackle, Larry Tunsell. That's a more important position. I'm just saying. You're right. We've seen plenty of positions go for first round picks outside of running back.

Which makes sense. It is not a first round pick. It's two picks. Two picks. A second and a fourth. Yeah.

Dead on. Second and a fourth. You wouldn't do that if you're the Panthers?

Now here's the thing. Depends which team. Because if it's to a team that is good, that second pick gets closer to a third round pick than to a first. It's not as if it's the, I don't know, the Texans trading for them.

Right. You basically view that as another first, a late first round pick according to some boards and the way that some things go down. Second and a four? If I'm the Bills and that's all it takes, a second and a four? I'd do that in a second.

I am with you 100%. Like thinking about the potential destinations for Christian McCaffrey, if the Panthers were to trade Christian McCaffrey. First off, if you were the Panthers, would you trade Christian McCaffrey? I think if I got a first round pick, yes.

Otherwise, right now, because they're under contract through 2025, so you got time, I would say no. Yeah, the tricky part with running backs and how much he gets hurt. The iron's hot right now. He's been healthy the first five games of the season, relatively. He has? And he's only played 10 games the last two years.

I think you got to kind of strike also. This roster on the offensive side of the ball is going to need a mega rebuild. You're going to need a new quarterback. You're going to have to go draft a quarterback. D.J. Moore, I think he's a heck of a wide receiver, underrated wide receiver.

When does he want to get out? I don't think Robbie Anderson's going to last long now in Carolina. I look at that off like defensive. They're they're good. They're solid defensively. But offensively, there's a lot of work that needs to be done with that team.

And hopefully that's what did Matt rule in for that job. He never got a quarterback that and all the close games that they lost. And a lot of the close game losses is attributed to not having that that stud quarterback. But isn't that, I guess, the thing then? So you're obviously the next head coach you want to bring.

You want to make it attractive. You're at the defense. It's like, OK, you need a quarterback, which is not easy to get. Don't get me wrong.

It's very important. You have D.J. Moore under contract. They're probably, I would say, two or three years away from winning.

Winning way back to the playoffs. Let's say let's just say, I don't know, give me a coach. Next coach of the Panthers. Just throw me a name.

That's not Sean Payton. Let's say D'Amico Ryan's. Sure. Like if you're D'Amico Ryan's, you get that job. I think I would say the same thing that I would say when Matt Rule got that job, where that roster is. Is you're number one to wash. You're number two. You have to improve.

And then you're number three. It's playoff expectations. That that's what my timeline would be for this new coach.

Whoever that coach is. So in that case, when you have a running back and McCaffrey. You could only expect two or three more prime years left in him, even though he's young, because the guy's never healthy. I think the timing lines up right now to trade him, even though it's a tough pill to swallow because of how great he is.

But with the inconsistencies on the health. I would pull the trigger on a trade if you could get something of value back. If you could get a second and then maybe a fourth that turns into a conditional three, something like that, or a team like Buffalo wants to go give a first round pick up because they're trying to go all in for a Super Bowl, then yeah, you do it.

I think I'm reasonable here. And if you wait till after the season to then try to move him, what happens if he gets hurt down the stretch? Then that's what, back to back to back years with injuries?

It makes it tougher to trade for him when the value goes down. So that's why I'm more in the camp, and I don't like trading with great players, but I'm more in the camp of trade Christian McCaffrey now than keep him on the roster. But if that's true, and that's just Peter King's opinion, and the tweet was Peter King just told the game in San Francisco that the Panthers should move Christian McCaffrey immediately if someone gives them a second and a fourth.

And then Matt, who's the program director, says if I'm the 9 to do that in a heartbeat, I know the injury and the cap issues make the call. If that's all it takes is a second and a fourth, Buffalo should go do it? The Broncos should go do it?

Finally give some positive life? Now, we got to see what picks the Broncos have after all the trading and willing and dealing that they did to go get Russell Wilson. Other teams that could make sense? That's probably it in the AFC. Does Tennessee go do it to help out Tannehill in the receiving game and you pair up McCaffrey and Derrick Henry? In a wide open AFC, would they do that? They might as well double down on what you do well. You know you could ever rule out?

They don't need them. Kansas City. Could you imagine McCaffrey in Kansas City? Clyde Edwards O'Leary, if he actually panned out to be what he thought he was going to be coming out of LSU. Yeah, I like Clyde Edwards O'Leary coming out of LSU. He's not a bad back, but he ain't no Christian McCaffrey, I'll tell you that. What about the Dolphins? They don't have a running back. They have like four or five, but not one that's a true bell cow kind of guy. Two is a quick passer. Can you make it work salary wise?

I know you could always manipulate the cap. Can they make it work salary cap wise with having Tyree kill probably maybe eventually have to either pay two or pay a quarterback? It's not a bad one. And also what picks do they have after the Tyree kill trade is another thing that I have to, off the top of my head, I don't know. It's not a bad option. I don't think the Dolphins would do it, but it's not a bad option. And their run game is not, was not great last year. And I know they put more of an emphasis on it, but it's not like you have a bell cow back there or running back that you love there with the Miami Dolphins. $60.5 million in caps race.

I think that's enough to squeeze it in. Yeah, it's not a bad one. Now in the NFC, who's the team in the NFC that makes a ton of sense? 49ers, it's not a bad spot. Now Elijah Mitchell, he's on IR. Jeff Wilson Jr. has been good when given the opportunity. Rams, they could use a spark of energy. The Rams would be phenomenal.

Or the Cardinals. Yeah, especially with James Connor now being backed up. Right. They, and they, you talked about some juice. They need some juice.

And you know what? It would take some of the load off the plate of, of Kyler Murray. It's not a bad one.

Not a bad one whatsoever. So yeah, that's a, you kind of look at teams like the Cardinals, the Rams, the 49ers, Bills, Chiefs, Broncos, probably your, your players, maybe Tennessee, your players for Christian McCaffrey. Can I give you one wild card that I don't think it would happen, but it would be really fun with all the talent that they have on offense if it did. I don't think you'll ever guess this team. The Vikings. No. They already have Dalvin Cook.

That would be great. That's why I said you never guessed it. Okay. With Jefferson, you also have Thielen, KJ Osborne, Madison. No, it was not the Vikings I was thinking of. It is an NFC team. NFC team, a lot of talent, not the Eagles. You're never going to guess this team.

And when I say a lot of talent, the Packers, just on the offensive side of the ball, they have talent on the offensive side of the ball. The Lions. I should have known you hate the Lions offense. How about I don't hate the Lions offense.

I just hate that everyone salivates over the offense and you have one win. Not the Packers. No. And they just had a running back injury. Not the Seahawks. Yes. You're going all in on Gino.

No, no, no. I'm not going all in on Gino. And their defense is not good. You have Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and Christian McCaffrey.

And it would also be kind of a stick it to rust type of move. Kick him when he's down. I feel like I say this each and every week. If I have one wish for the rest of the NFL season. Your daily NFL wish. This is my weekly one wish prediction. Or just wish. I want the Seahawks to finish better than the Broncos this year.

I would love that. Have you wished for that before? No. I've wished for the commanders to beat the Colts.

Yes. I think you've got like three different Colts. You wish the Colts to get back. The Patriots just to beat the Steelers.

Because I couldn't have them lose to Truboski. Check. Yeah.

There was a few others that I forget about. That's where I'm at right now. Oh that'd be great. Seahawks over the Broncos this year. Alright beat them in regular season then beat them out for the entire overall record. Check out Fantasy Football Today anywhere podcasts are found. Fantasy Football Leagues are one on the waiver wire.

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Start Sit, Grade the Trade, Fantasy Cops to settle your league disputes and so much more. Check out Fantasy Football Today anywhere podcasts are found. It is the Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio. So this was from yesterday. We reacted to it in the moment and I said it was pretty much verbal diarrhea from the head football coach of the Washington Commanders in Ron Rivera. But this is Ron Rivera talking about his quarterback Carson Wentz and a little exchange with the media. He's got his numbers from yesterday and he was okay. Look at his numbers he's had throughout the year. There was a time he was you know very solid and then you know we had the unfortunate Philadelphia game and he struggled a little bit in the Dallas game.

But the way he performed yesterday it just shows you what he's capable of. And you know we chose him because we believe him. We chose him because we looked at what we felt were things that pointed towards him.

Can we just be transparent Ron Rivera? You chose him because even though he's a bad option he's still better than what you had. Do you disagree with that statement whatsoever there Hattekiki, the biggest Carson Wentz fan there is on the planet? At the moment when they traded for him you're 100% right. He was better than Taylor Heineke, he was better than Kyle Allen.

I don't know if he's on the roster at this point but Ron Rivera has an affinity for Kyle and you're right. When they made the trade I think it was like March 8th he was the best quarterback on the roster. But just because you're the best quarterback in a crappy quarterback room does not actually make you a good quarterback. Not a single person when you had Carson Wentz get traded to the Commanders said aha the Commanders now have their franchise quarterback.

Not a single person said that because it was a bad trade with what you gave up because it appeared to be no market for the guy. But yes you did improve at the quarterback position but that would be like me saying hey I'm the skinniest guy at this radio station. You know and then someone asked me like who'd you work with? And I go oh yeah I work with like three large dudes that are just bigger than me. That'd make me like really skinny I just look skinnier than the other three guys that I work with let's just say.

No we don't need to name specifics on three people that we would say that I'd be working with at this radio station. Maybe you used to work with offensive lineman or defensive lineman. But yeah like Wentz is not a good quarterback.

He's not. It'll make the thrower to a game where you go wow that's the old Carson Wentz. But at the end of the 60 minute game you look back and you will go the guy's just not good. And the guy crumbles when the moment is the brightest.

But that answers all over the place. And it was so avoidable because they're asked what's the difference between those three teams in the NFC and you guys when the Eagles are five and oh they were in a retooling stage. The Giants are in the beginning stages of their rebuild. They're four and one. The Cowboys are four and one.

And your first answer is quarterback. There were major question marks about the Eagles quarterback position heading into this year. The Giants aren't winning. Now Dan Jones played well but they're not winning because of their quarterback.

They're winning because they have good coaching. And can you say the Cowboys are winning because of Cooper Rush? That's not really a quarterback competition.

When Dak's back and healthy he's going to play. They're winning right now because of good defense and a good run game. And Cooper Rush is not turning over the football. So do they need a quarterback?

Yes but that's not why you necessarily are so behind the other teams. Because it's not as if the other two teams the Cowboys and the Giants right now had that quarterback. Now when Dak comes back and changed the conversation and then also just his answer.

He's like trying to defend Wentz but it also sounds like he's throwing one to the bus. Yeah there's a couple games that he struggled. He only played five games.

This is not game number 17. And yesterday he proved something. He said that on Monday when talking about Sunday.

What did he prove? That he could make a big throw or two and then with the game on the line, almost threw a pick, almost threw a pick, then did throw a pick? Come on Ron. And if that was a rookie coach, if that was Nathaniel Hackett I would expect that. But that was an avoidable situation for a well respected veteran experienced coach in this league. Like Ron Rivera who oh yeah by the way this is not the first time he's had to deal with the situation when the quarterback has been a major conversation. And that to me Ryan is the surprising part. That a guy with that much experience went to that level. Where for the first time in his career with the commanders, when everyone knows Wentz stinks, people are not actually having sympathy for Wentz because the coaches threw him under the bus when he didn't need to.

Very bizarre, very un-Ron Rivera like too. To answer a question that directly. He was supporting him but then also throwing him under the bus.

You can't get the best of both worlds when you do that. I think what we just played was 45 seconds. The first second, why are you guys behind everyone else in the NFC's? Quarterback.

I don't care the 44 seconds after that. You cannot backtrack enough. You said it right there. No other caveats, it was just quarterback. And also I was in Philadelphia when Carson Wentz was so sensitive because Nick Foles had success. He was so sensitive when they drafted Jalen Hurts. That guy does not deal well with criticism publicly.

And quite frankly, if let's just say, I don't know. Our boss Spike Eskin was asked the question, you know why is CBS Sports Radio not like this station and that station? He goes, oh because of Gelb? Even if he goes Zach has shown his ability to have done a really good show but there's like a moment here where he messed up and a moment there he messed up. I'd be like bleep that guy. And I can understand if Carson Wentz is now like bleep Ron Rivera. But in the same breath, your career is on life support.

You're now on your third team and you're one and four. I'm not saying Ron Rivera is wrong in terms of, yeah Carson Wentz is not that great even though he tried to backtrack it. But Carson Wentz, you can't allow this to really affect you even though it could.

Because if you don't play well here, you're going to be a backup quarterback and you probably are a backup quarterback but you can't handle being a backup quarterback. Let's hear Ron Rivera today clarify his remarks and actually apologize for them. At the end of the day, I spoke to my team this morning. I basically told them that I said some things that were misconstrued. I didn't present it properly and that's on me. So I took accountability, told the guys that I should know better and bleep I had a bad day. Me of all people should know better to be honest.

I mean I've been doing this quite some time and for me not to finish my thought completely, I messed up. And so I just told the guys that it's on me and it won't happen. You better beat the Bears. You better beat the Bears. That's on Thursday night. What a wonderful Thursday night game that is. You didn't realize that Thursday night game? I actually forgot. I remember last week everyone was making the jokes but at that point I was too far into watching bad football to even remember that.

That's right. But this was already ugly. It could get uglier. Bears, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Minnesota, Philadelphia. Those are the next five games. They could lose all five of those games. Especially the way Carson Wentz has been playing.

It's not out of the question. And that roster is talented. You got talent on that roster. Now the defense has a lot of talent but they're not playing great defensively. And the quarterback makes mistakes. Coaching's an issue there.

It is. Jack Del Rio's not great. Ron Rivera's not been great. And you keep on being selective on how you get your quarterback. You can't be selective on how you get your quarterback. You gotta just go get the quarterback. You can't wait and wait and wait and wait and wait because then eventually time's gonna run out. The only thing that may be saving Ron Rivera is that everyone can't stand Dan Snyder and Dan Snyder knows if he gets rid of Ron Rivera then he has to find someone else and there will be someone to answer for all of really Dan Snyder's problems publicly to the media.

But Ron does do a good job in trying to save his disgraceful owner in Dan Snyder. Hey, I'm Thamy Redwood, host of the podcast Beyond Black History Month. Here's reason number 568 million of why you should be listening. From in-depth reporting on the shortage of black sperm to how one house of the dragon star is dealing with online trolls who don't love seeing black dragon riders. I can't lose sleep over that, over worrying about things that are beyond my control. Subscribe to Beyond Black History Month on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Fantasy Football Today, anywhere podcasts are found.