Big Ten Double Dipping (Hour 3)

Alrighty, away we go. Hour number three in a Football Friday. Zach Gelb show rocking and rolling right here. CBS Sports Radio on the free Odyssey app.

Sirius XM Channel 158. And of course, in the YouTube chat. We have a great community of people. If you want to check out the show on YouTube, you can always check the link on my Twitter page, at Zach Gelb. And enjoy the wonderful conversation and the wonderful chat room that we do have going on on YouTube.

Alrighty, let me do this though. We're going to talk some more college football here. In just a second, but I just want to circle back on a college football point that Kevin Carter, who just joined us in studio, did make.

He is 100% right. Where we got accustomed to two teams from the SEC making the college football playoff. Whether it's been Alabama and Georgia or whoever have been the two best teams in the SEC.

That's not going to happen this year. The SEC is not strong as it's been. And last year, we saw a major turn. Where it was actually the Big 10 that put two teams into the college football playoff with Ohio State backing themselves in after losing to Michigan and getting stomped out by Michigan. And then Michigan won the Big 10 and they ended up losing to TCU. We had maybe like the most improbable championship game ever, where we all knew that Georgia was going to be there before the start of the season. But no one ever thought that TCU was going to make the national championship game, let alone the college football playoff.

But there they were and it ended up being a massacre. In the national championship game this year, though, there's going to be a conference that sends two teams to the college football playoff. It's not the SEC. And it's not the Pac 12. The Pac 12 is the best conference in college football right now. But those teams are going to beat up on one another. You go through all those Pac 12 schedules and you had at one point like eight teams in the top 25 earlier in the season in the AP poll from the Pac 12.

They're going to beat up on one another. And if they get to two losses, we've never seen any team make the college football playoff with two losses. The conference that's going to get two teams in this year, if there is a path for two teams to get in from one conference, is the Big 10. Because you could have a good chance with the way that it's still structured that it is by divisions and you have Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State all in one division. It's a good chance that whoever gets left out of the Big 10 championship game in Ohio State or a Penn State as well, that they could only have one loss on the resume. And it may be a similar situation, eerily similar to last year, where a one loss non-Big 10 champion gets in.

But you're going to need help in other places. Like right now, if Florida State wins out and they're undefeated, even if Florida State has one loss and they win the ACC, and I know the ACC isn't that strong, but you do have a Florida State team, and I know these wins have not aged well, but they did beat the pants off of LSU in the second half to open up the season and they survived up against Clemson. If you have a one loss ACC champion Florida State team, I think they're going to get in.

You take a look in the Big 12, the brands of Oklahoma and Texas are massive. We all know they're going to the SEC after this season. They play Red River this weekend at the Cotton Bowl. If one of those teams wins the Big 12 with even one loss, they're going to be going to the college football playoff this year. So you're going to need some help, and you're going to need, if you want two teams in from the Big 10 this year, either a team like Florida State or whoever wins the Big 12 to have two losses. Because if that's the case, they won't get in to the college football playoff. You have one loss, conference champ, you'll get in. But if you have two losses and you're the conference champ from the ACC or the Big 12, the committee who operates under two words, eye test, they like to kind of use that as an excuse to put the one team in that didn't win the Big 10 that's at one loss in the college football playoff. So you look at it now, until someone beats Georgia in the SEC, I got to think Georgia's still going to make it.

Michigan, this may be the best Michigan team that they've had in the last three years, and that's saying something. But you look at Wilson who's been a touchdown machine for them. You have Corum and Edwards.

McCarthy's really good. I know they've played nobody yet. But Nebraska does have a good run defense.

I was at that game, and Nebraska's not a good team this year, but Michigan ran right through that defense like a hot knife through butter. And ultimately, Michigan, they have two games this year. It's the Penn State game, and then it's also the Ohio State game.

And those are their two tests. And the same could be said for Penn State. They really only played two games this year. It's Michigan, and it's Ohio State. And at least Ohio State, they've played like an actual opponent in Notre Dame, and I walked away from that game. I wasn't really impressed with Ohio State.

I was more disappointed in Notre Dame with the kid dropping the interception and then Marcus Freeman getting only 10 people on the field when Ohio State runs into the end zone. So if you look at the chase to four right now, if I had to give you my best guess, I do think George is in. I do think Michigan is in.

You know what? This could be the year where a two-loss conference champ gets in because it may come from the Pac-12, and that's the only way a two-loss conference champion should get in. But whoever wins the Pac-12 with how dominant the Pac-12 is this year, I think they should get in the college football playoff.

And right now I would say Washington. And then you look at that final spot, it could be a fight to the finish between Florida State, probably the only worthy ACC team of getting into the college football playoff. And then you look at Texas right now. If Texas could beat Oklahoma this weekend in Red River, they now have two great wins, where Texas went on the road to Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and they defeated the Crimson Tide, and they could beat Oklahoma this weekend, and they're expected to beat Oklahoma this weekend in Red River, where we started to see Brent Venables get his act together with his second year.

The defense has improved immensely this season from the garbage defense it was a year ago, and now Dylan Gabriel is playing some good football. So that's how you kind of monitor the race right now and the chase to the final four teams. It's going to take some teams to go down for the Big Ten to get two teams into the college football playoff, but that's what happened last year. Where when Ohio State lost to Michigan, everyone thought their season was over, and then you had a late Clemson loss when Clemson had a backdoor chance to get in. You had other teams go down and just falter, and you sat there and you're like, okay, you know, Ohio State's going to find a way to get into the college football playoff. Remember, Saban was on ESPN and they had two losses, and he was like, oh, well, if we played this team in the college football playoff, what would be the favorite?

And, you know, it's a fair argument. You can't really argue it from Nick Saban, but what I would say to Coach Saban is you had an opportunity to get in if you only had one loss. Because the committee would have gone with Alabama last year if they had one loss compared to Ohio State, but you had two losses, and also you were favorite in both those games.

What was it? I believe against LSU, and I remember it was definitely Tennessee. It may have been LSU, which is the other game that they did drop last year. So there was no excuse for Bama last year, and there was no reason to put Bama in the college football playoff. But if I'm a Texas fan, you got to take care of business this weekend, but you hope Alabama, that one loss to you was just an anomaly for Bama, and you are rooting for Bama to beat A&M this weekend. Because you want that victory if you're Texas up against Alabama to age well, because look at kind of Florida State. Florida State, they have a victory against Clemson, who's not strong, and Dabo Swinney is just so arrogant. And then you also have a victory up against, you know, for Florida State early in the year up against LSU, and the LSU team already has two losses, and LSU, as Kevin Carter even just said, and I agree with him, they're the most disappointing team in college football. That was a team where, when I was making my predictions before the start of the year, you know, I picked Florida State to win the ACC, I picked Texas to win the Big 12, but I didn't have either in the college football playoff, because I thought they'd have some losses attached to their resume. I actually had two Big 10 teams and two SEC teams in the college football playoff, and it was Georgia and LSU, and then it was Michigan and Ohio State. But you look at a program like Florida State, and it matters how the victory that you have, how it ages throughout the season, like you look at that Florida State victory against LSU, it's not aging well, because LSU already has two losses, and I expect them to have a few more losses before the season is all said and done. So, let's put a bow on this conversation, and let's just get what we're going to really look for this weekend in college football. Bama and A&M.

I said it to Kevin Carter, I'll say it again. I never liked picking against Alabama. I have the utmost respect for Nick Saban. Nick Saban and Alabama remind me a lot like the Patriots, where a lot of people try to declare the dynasty dead, and I'm talking about before Brady left, because now the Patriot dynasty is definitely dead. But you try to declare the dynasty's dead, and any time they don't find a way to get to a college football playoff, which was the first time last year, or get to a national championship game and win the national championship game, it's like up, Alabama's crumbling, Alabama is a disaster. Alabama just doesn't have a quarterback right now.

That's what it is. Like, Jalen Milro may be better than what he's put on tape so far, and now they're back to him. I don't think Nick Saban wanted to bench Jalen Milro after the loss to Texas, but I think for the first time, Saban actually heard the public pressure and the public outcry, they go to the other two quarterbacks, they both stink, now you're back to Jalen Milro. Alabama has a really good defense. Alabama is back to Alabama before we heard of the names of a Jalen Hurts, a Tuatunga Vailoa, a Mack Jones, and a Bryce Young, where it's their defense that wins, and it has to be the run game that wins, and you need the quarterback to just manage the game and find a way to put up like two touchdowns a game. That's going to be the formula this year for Alabama to win, but I look at this A&M team, and I've said it all throughout the week, I don't believe, because I don't trust Jimbo Fisher, that A&M is going to go on to do what LSU did last year, but I just see the same script playing out right in front of our eyes, where last year LSU lost early on in the season by an extra point to Florida State, and then no one talked about LSU the rest of the season, and we all woke up in the SEC title game, and it was like, wow, look at Brian Kelly. Brian Kelly's in the SEC championship game where you knew they were going to lose to Georgia, but at least they were there up against Georgia. Maybe that's happening right now with A&M, and Max Johnson's a better quarterback than what people give him credit for. I know Connor Wigman's now out for the season. They got so much talent, so much firepower at A&M.

I'll say this. If we don't see a victory this weekend from A&M, and I have the utmost respect for Alabama, if you're a fan of the Aggies, I don't understand how you could justify keeping Jimbo Fisher as your head football coach. Jimbo Fisher has to win this game this weekend. This is a must-win for Jimbo Fisher, because his team was embarrassing up against Miami.

They were embarrassing last year with all this talent. Jimbo's been there long enough. We all know he makes so much money, and that's the only reason why he still has the job, because he probably should have got fired last year if it wasn't for the enormous buyout in his contract and how much money they would have to owe him and pay him. But Jimbo Fisher has an Alabama team that we could call vulnerable, and people are questioning Alabama. There's no pressure on any coach more this weekend than the coach at A&M. He has to win this game. If Jimbo Fisher doesn't win this game, I don't want to hear from any A&M fan why Jimbo Fisher should still be the coach.

Take the excuses, crumble them up, throw them out the window. Jimbo Fisher must, must, must win this weekend, and I do think he is going to slightly get the victory and just survive up against Alabama. Kentucky and Georgia, here's what scares me about Kentucky. I love their coaching stoops.

I love their running back, back when he was at my alma mater in Temple a few years ago before transferring, going to Vanderbilt, and then Kentucky. Kentucky's coming off a dominant victory, a dominant victory against Florida. Even Mark Stoops said it to us earlier in the week on this show.

He didn't like the effort and practice, and he had to go after his team a little bit. We all look at Georgia. Georgia's the cheese from last year, where we all sit there and say they could be a team that could be beat, they could be a team that could be got, and still no one takes them down.

I will trust that this is a coming out party for Carson Beck, the quarterback of Georgia. We know all the dogs that Georgia has on the defensive side of the ball. I do like Georgia to win the game. Kentucky will give you kind of like a South Carolina effort, and Kentucky's a better team than South Carolina. Well, they'll show up for the first half, but as the game goes on, the talent of Georgia will prevail. And then finally, Red River, Texas and Oklahoma. Who needs this win more?

And I think it's a fascinating question because Sark is starting to get people to believe in what he's building, with Arch Manning also waiting in the wings. And Quinn Ewers has played a really good year, and Texas has aspirations to not only win the Big 12, but get to the college football playoff, and they already have the best win in the country, taking down Alabama in Tuscaloosa. But you look at Oklahoma, even with the national playoff picture for Texas, you could make that case. I think there's more pressure here, or who needs to win the game more?

It's actually Oklahoma. You know, there's probably more pressure on Texas because they already got the big victory, and now people are believing. And if you don't win this game, it's like, all right, you took two steps forward, but then one step backwards. But you look at Oklahoma, this is a statement victory if you could get the job done for Brent Venables, where Venables was tied at the hip with Dabo Swinney for years, and people never thought he was going to leave. He had the best job in the country, assistant coach, offensive coordinator, the Clemson football team, and he said, I'm not going to leave until I get a great job.

Then a school that he knows very well in Oklahoma comes calling after Lincoln Raleigh jumps ship and goes out to the West Coast to USC and takes Caleb Williams with him. And all of a sudden now, Oklahoma last year had a miserable season that Oklahoma fans are not accustomed to. So Venables is off to a really good start. The defense is playing well, and Dylan Gabriel coming over from UCF from two years ago is playing some solid football. So for Oklahoma, this is your first statement victory under Venables, and we'll see if they get the job done.

So it's weird how I'm going to phrase this. I think there's more pressure on Texas because they've already made the big statement this year. But in terms of who needs to win this game more, it's actually Brett Venables because if you lose this game, then maybe some of the similar feelings start to pop up from last year, which was a disastrous season for Oklahoma. So those are some thoughts on this weekend in college football.

You could jump aboard. We've got about 40 minutes to play. 855-212 for CBS, 855-212-4227. We'll take a break here on the Zach Gelb Show. When we come on back, good friend Ryan Horvat is going to join us from BetMGM tonight. He'll give us some thoughts on the college football landscape, and also we'll go head to head, and I'll give you some NFL picks for this weekend. This season, I am a lovely 6-5-1, so we're above.500.

We've been okay. That one game that was a push, Sean McVay, I still don't forgive you. Because that was when McVay was going up against the 49ers, and the spread was, I think I got it at 9.5, and it was a 10-point game, and as the time was expiring, he elected to kick a field goal.

So McVay, I don't like you for that, and I think the NFL should launch an investigation if you had some money on the game, if I'm being honest. So Ryan Horvat joins us next for NFL picks, and some college picks too. Zach Gelb shows CBS Sports Radio.

Ryan Horvat joins us right now from BetMGM tonight via the Beck QL family. If you can't see Ryan right now, he's hiding that Notre Dame logo. And I just wonder, Ryan, where's your confidence with this Notre Dame football team, who should have defeated Ohio State, and then last week had to really scratch and claw to get the dub against the Dukies? Yeah, I'm glad actually that we're starting here tonight, Zach, because I think this Louisville crowd is going to be juice for this game.

I'm a big, big Jeff Brom guy. I actually grabbed Louisville at 6.5. The number actually seems about right, because Notre Dame is the more talented team. They have the more talented offensive and defensive line. Audrick Estime is the best running back in the country.

I'm a big Sam Hartman guy. And also, you know, the one issue with Notre Dame this season on the offensive side of the ball has been throwing the ball outside the numbers, the wide receiver play, but they get a little bit healthier. They get Jaden Thomas back this week.

They get Jaden Greathouse. But here's what concerns me. I just feel like this is going to be a field goal game. I think Notre Dame survives, but man, look at the last couple weeks. How many more games could you continue to get up for?

It's kind of like Colorado, right? You're getting everybody's best shot. Two weeks ago, it was Ohio State. You lose in heartbreaking fashion at home. You turn around, you travel, you take on Duke and Mike Elko and that team.

You know, you need Sam Hartman, a ridiculous fourth and 18 run just to survive in that game. So I like Louisville with the points. I think this is going to be a close game, and I love what Brom's doing year one there. So Ryan Horvat's first pick, he goes with Louisville, plus the six and a half point against points against his Notre Dame fighting Irish. I want to throw you to Alabama A&M. Alabama's a two and a half point favorite. I like A&M, though, this week, and I never, ever, ever like Jimbo Fisher. Where are you at between this game between the Crimson Tide and the Aggies? I'm glad we're on the same side here because we're friends and I want us both to have good weekends.

It's my birthday weekend here, man. A&M always plays Bama tough. I hate betting against Nick Saban, but here's the thing. I worry about the health of the starting quarterback over at Alabama, and if we have to see Tyler Buckner in this game, and it's not Milro, Bama could be in big trouble, man, because they've reinvented this offense. No longer are we seeing like the Tua offense or the Bryce offense. This is back like the old school Bama offense, where now they're running the ball.

It's quarterback design runs. It's Milro having to use his legs, and here's what scares me about Bama. Their offensive line, that's what I felt really good about coming into the season, other than their defense. On paper, and when they get off the bus, they look like they should be the best offensive line in the SEC. They're getting pushed around a little bit. Texas A&M, their front, man, they're really good.

They're tough defensively. A little bit worried just with Mack Johnson. I like Mack Johnson. We talked about this last week. He's a veteran quarterback.

He's seen it all. But Connor Wegman, he's better using his legs, and with Johnson, the last couple weeks, the thing that makes me nervous, he's prone to some turnover. So if he coughs it up a couple times, Bama could steal this one, but I'm with you. I like A&M. I think they have the better weapons.

Bama just doesn't have their usual weapons in that wide receiver room. The game I'm most excited for is Red River, Oklahoma, Texas. I feel like you got to just bet the over in this one. It is 61 points. Texas is a 5.5-point favorite.

The Ryan Horvat play here from BetMGM tonight is 1. Oh, no. Well, we won't be on the same side on this one on Saturday because I actually, all right, this is scary. You like the under? I like the under.

You're so boring. I like both of these teams coming into the season, their defense, right? Year two preventable. Their defensive line right now, you look at stuff rate, they lead the country. Their 10th in EPA per rush right now, their third in defensive line yards, all the nerd stats. The defense is for real. Now, then again, though, they haven't seen an offense like Texas, but Texas, the one area they've struggled, the numbers look good. They're averaging five yards per carry, but that's because they hit a bunch of explosives and they had a 200-yard outburst last week against Kansas, whose run defense is outside the top 75.

They've really struggled to replace Bijan. I think this is going to be a lower-scoring game and, you know, if we got to six, six and a half, I'm going to take Oklahoma. Texas should win this game, but I think it's going to be close, man.

I really like what Venables is doing. I think the under is the play here, though. What side do you like Kentucky? Georgia. Kentucky comes off a big win against Florida.

We had Supes on earlier in the week and he wasn't happy with this team's effort in practice. He was like, Zach, it's a good point you make how you get the team to refocus after you have a big victory and you have another big opponent because, you know, they have to give everything to go take down Georgia. I look at this 14 and a half point spread. I have all the respect in the world for this Kentucky program, but I feel like this is Vegas begging everyone to plus the points, so I feel like I should lay it with Georgia.

You said it right there, right? Because you got Kentucky is coming off a victory over Florida, who like, let's remember, though, Florida was the projected five and a half win team with Graham Mertz as their starting quarterback, right? And so you come into that game and here's what I don't like. That's I actually thought we might get to 13 and a half because I like Georgia. I'm with you. I laid the 14 and a half.

I wanted a better price. I don't think we get there, though, and I think that's very telling, right? Because Georgia's had to rally the last two weeks. We haven't seen that in forever from double digit deficits. They don't look very good, but we also got to remember they're getting a little bit healthier on the offensive side of the ball. Carson Beck now has a couple starts under his belt. They got McConkie back last week. Brock Bowers is the best non quarterback in college football. I'm really hoping that he gets some Heisman looks looks because I did play some futures there, but I think George is the right side here.

Kentucky. It looked really good against Florida. I was actually surprised the way they ran the ball, but Devin Larry just hasn't really looked the way that he looked at North Carolina State. I worry, man. He's coming off a torn peck last season.

I don't know how healthy is. The wide receivers have had way too many drops. I think this is the perfect buy low spot on Georgia, who is still the best team in the SEC. Ryan Horvat here with us from BetMGM tonight via BeckQL. We'll get to the NFL part of this segment. We'll go head to head on picks. Stuart Kovacs hit the music, please.

All right. Now it's official here. Now we get the big NFL films music. It's Zach Gil, but it's Ryan Horvat right here on CBS Sports Radio. It's CBS Sports Radio going up against our friends at BeckQL.

I'll start things off, Ryan. The Cincinnati Bengals. This is probably a sucker bet. It's probably too good to be true, but they got to win this week. I know the Cardinals are scrappy. I know everyone loves the story of Mr. Boop, Boop, Boop, Boop, Boop, Boop and Jonathan Gannon and also Joshua Dobbs, but I like the Bengals this week. Laying the three points. Give me Cincinnati minus the three is my first pick.

What do you got? All right, I'm going to come out of the gate swinging, Zach, because this is the debut of our little duel right here, and I'm going to go with the Cowboys. Now I played him at four.

We're down to three and a half, three in some shops. I'm fine with whatever number because I think the Cowboys are actually going to win this game outright. Give me the Cowboys any line.

I don't care. So the 49ers have ended their season the last two years, but I like this Cowboys offense. Man with Tony Pollard is the lead back. Michael Gallup has had back to back 60 yard receiving performances.

He looks like Michael Gallup before he got injured in 2019. Brandon Cooks is getting healthier every week. Learning the offense a little bit better.

I like CD Lamb. I want more Tony Pollard, especially in the red zone. I think that would solve the red zone issues defensively, though. There's not a better pass rush in the league.

And so, you know, Trista, my co-host, she's a big Cowboy fan. She's worried about the middle of the field, obviously, because you have George Kittle. But with that pass rush, we might see George Kittle use more and pass protection as a blocker. He's one of the better pass blocking tight ends in the league and Debo didn't look very good last week.

I think he's a little bit banged up right now. So I like the Cowboys revenge game after they've lost an embarrassing fashion the last two years in the playoffs. Even though those games are close, I say embarrassing because look how they've ended last year. Ezekiel Elliott's your center quarterback draw with no timeouts.

And I think they get their revenge, though. I'm going with McCarthy over Shanahan, which is always scary. Alrighty. So I'll give you the Cowboys that plus three and a half. That's the number that I'm looking at right now for my next pick. Go Pack!

Go! Give me the Green Bay Packers. I saw Jimmy G was just cleared at a concussion protocol, so he'll play this week.

I don't care. I think this is a good spot here for the Packers to get back right against a defense that's not all that good outside of Max Crosby with the Raiders. I love Jordan Love in this game. I love me some Aaron Jones. I love me some Christian Watson. And I love me some cheeseheads and some cheese curds as well. So give me the Packers to get to three and two and I'm getting a point in this game.

Yeah, give me the pack plus one. Great pick. I'm not good. I was going to go with that one, but now I'm going to switch it up a little bit. I'm going to throw out the over, but that's not going to be a duel with you. Give me the here's the disgusting hold your nose Horvat Classic of the week. Let's go with the Minnesota Vikings at home with that stupid chant skull skull that that horn the Vikings are going to keep this game close. The Vikings might even win this game outright. We know how terrible their past defense is.

It's a past defense that's so bad that they gave up 300 yards to Daniel Jones twice last season. And the Vikings, though, they could score some points. I think it's going to be a big Justin Jefferson game. I'm going to play Justin Jefferson to score a touchdown in this game. I like Vikings. Anything over a field goal, they'll probably lose and they'll find a way to lose this game. But I think they're going to keep it close.

So give me the Vikings plus three and a half right now over the Kansas City Chiefs. Travis Kelsey just celebrated his birthday. He's distracted. Maybe him and Taylor Swift broke up.

Maybe they were never really dating. I don't really love the other weapons yet. Give me give me the Vikings here, Zach.

All right. So two picks down each one to go. I go the Bengals lay in the three, the pack plus the one Horvat takes the Cowboys plus three and a half and the Vikings plus the three and a half.

You talked about holding your nose. This is going to be a hold your nose and stab your eyes out type of game. It's the Jets and the Broncos. I can't stand the Denver Broncos. I think they're obnoxious football team. But there's too much jet love here with Zach Wilson.

We're now people are trashing Rodney Harrison for just saying what everyone said about Zach Wilson before he played his best game ever against the Kansas City Chiefs. I know the only thing that scares me here is the Nathaniel Hackett revenge game. But Sean Payton, you can't lose this game and you got to win going away after you ran your mouth this offseason going after poor Nathaniel Hackett. I don't like it.

I don't even feel good about it. But I look at the Broncos minus the two and a half points. I'll hold my nose and I'll lay the two and a half points with the Denver Broncos with that dumb chant in that stadium to come after every incomplete pass the dumbest chant in the NFL. And I got a smile out of Stuart Kovacs because he's a Raiders fan and he can't stand those obnoxious dopey Denver Broncos fans, even though my sister and my niece and also my brother in law do live currently in the Denver area.

But I go with the Broncos playing the two and a half points. Hey, that's a great area. I would be I would be there every other weekend, you know, especially with the money that you're making, Zach.

I see you in your studio right now. I were already going to the dispensary is what he's saying. It were. Hey, we're.

Hey, we could do that in Maryland. I mean, you were in agreement on that one, actually, though. Nathaniel Hackett, like Sean Payton, cannot lose that game, Zach. All right.

I'm going to throw another one at you, though. The last twenty one times these teams have played and the team has been favored more than three points. If you took the dog, you would have won 20 of those games. These games are always decided by a field goal or less. So it seems so easy. Right. We're up to four and a half right now. I should just grab the Steelers at home.

Not going to do that, though. You know why the Steelers are a mess. The defense a little bit overrated. I love TJ WAPA right now when they're not getting pressure and they're their secondary is getting exposed, man.

And then on the offensive side of the ball, I would actually feel better about the Steelers if Mitchell Trubisky was going to start. Oh, right. Busky.

Jeez. Kenny. Kenny Pickett has the higher ceiling. He's my hands. But Kenny Pickett, Zach is playing with a big brace on his leg right now. Trubisky could move around.

And man, I've seen enough. Matt Canada. He fooled me. He pulled us all this three season. Kenny Pickett was pushing the ball down the field. I've said, you know, who is pushing the ball down the field? Lamar Jackson.

Look at the tenant area is the last couple of weeks. They're getting a little bit healthier, a little healthier on the offensive line. I like the Ravens. I'm really high on the Ravens this season, as long as everybody stays healthy, which I know we've already had a bunch of injuries. But I love Baltimore, man, with Todd Monk and calling the play. So I'll go Ravens over the Steelers. So one favorite and two dogs for me this week. So Ryan Horvat goes with the Ravens lay in the four, the Vikings plus the three and a half.

Do your skull chant. The Cowboys plus the three and a half. And I take the Bengals minus three.

The Packers plus one and the Broncos lay in the two and a half points. You could listen to Ryan Horvat each and every evening on the Beck QL network on his bed MGM Tonight Show. Ryan Horvat. Appreciate it. And we'll do it again next week. Thanks so much for having me. Good luck this weekend.

Thank you. There he is. Ryan Horvat will come on back.

We will reset the poll question when we return. Is it time to trade Justin Fields? Or did you see enough last night to say, hmm, the Bears have something.

They should use that draft capital somewhere other than the quarterback position. Let's get to the latest CBS Sports Radio update with the act man, Rich Ackerman. All right. It is that Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio since they're asking in the YouTube chat, I will comply here on a football Friday and we'll quickly deviate for about a minute to a little Major League Baseball. Just the picks in the LDS and LDS.

I'll give them to you real quickly. I'm rooting for the Orioles over the Rangers. The Rangers, even though the Orioles are much better team on paper, the Rangers do scare me.

They've had to deal with some injuries, especially in the in the rotation. But I'll take the Orioles with their youngsters to punch their ticket to the LCS and really make that pick for one of our loyal listeners. Brian, who I know is a big Orioles fan, twins and Astros. I thought the environment in Minnesota was incredible, but I said it at the at the trade deadline.

And I'll say it again early. The All-Star break until someone takes down the Astros in the AL. I'm not going to pick against Houston. So I'll take Houston to prevail up against Minnesota Braves in Philadelphia. I think this is a revenge for the Braves after last year with the Phillies bounced them out of the postseason. That Atlanta offense is just ridiculous. But the Phillies right now are hot. And I know this series starts off in Atlanta, but when it goes to Philly last year, the fight ends were six and two at home in the postseason.

But I'll give the slight edge. I think this is going the distance, but I'll give the slight edge to Atlanta and that Diamondbacks team. I like them.

I do. Corbin Carroll is so fun to watch and they found a way after getting off to a great start. And then they started to take a step back to still get into the postseason. I know the Dodgers are banged up in the rotation, but that Dodgers offense led by Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. I'm not going to pick against them against the Diamondbacks. That is, you know, the two matchups here you get in the NL side. And then at least teams going out and then two NL West teams. But to advance to the next round, I guess I'm going all chalk here, which usually does not work. But I'll take the Braves to meet up against the Dodgers in the NLCS and then the ALCS.

I'll take the O's to go up against the Houston Astros. But it is time to answer. Ask the pros question of the day, and it's brought to you by O'Reilly Auto Parts.

Jim in Chicago says, Are you believing now once again in Justin Fields after his last two performances? You could submit a question by tweeting at CBS Sports Radio or at Zach Gilb using the hashtag. Ask the pros. Think O'Reilly Auto Parts for your car care needs. Get guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts.

O'Reilly Auto Parts. So I'll answer the question first. Am I believing in Justin Fields again? It's never that I didn't believe in Justin Fields. It's just do I believe in Justin Fields to get the job done in Chicago? I think Justin Fields could be a good quarterback.

I think Justin Fields, and I hate this term, but I'll use it here, has a high ceiling. Justin Fields last year was marvelous running the football. He needs to improve as a passer. But he did a damn good job last night and really the last two weeks passing the football. Now, I'm not ready to say that Fields is the guy in Chicago because the last two weeks you were going up against a Broncos defense that stinks. And then against the commanders the last two, three years, we've been told the commanders had this great defense.

Yeah, because of the names, because of the talent that they have on defense. But Jack Del Rio has done a bad job as the defensive coordinator. He should no longer be the defensive coordinator of the Washington commanders.

Ron Rivera is sticking with him. And I give credit to Fields because no one gave them a shot last night against the commanders. And we know the commanders aren't this great football team. And you find out right before the game, unfortunately, that Dick Buckus did pass away.

And rest in peace in our condolences to the Buckus family. And the Bears had a great showing last night in honor of Dick Buckus with the way that Justin Fields and DJ Moore had that connection. And the way that the defense for Chicago did play as well, because that's a good commander's offense. They have some talent there.

And I thought we would have seen more of Terry McLaurin and more of Jahan Dotson last night. But the thing is with the rookie contract and when you bring in a quarterback here on his first contract, Fields is already in year number three. So like year one, it's a wash. Year two, get better. And then year three, you've got to go contend and be a playoff team.

We know the Bears are nowhere close to being a playoff team. I give them credit because it looked like this was about to flip upside down and become a disaster. And to the credit of Justin Fields, he kind of blocked out the coaching or blocked out the noise. And they incorporated miraculously DJ Moore into the offense.

I don't know where he was the first few weeks of the season, just like how I didn't kind of know where he was when he was supposed to join us on the show earlier and never called us. But DJ Moore is now back. DJ Moore. I use this term like a Keenan Allen wide receiver. And what I mean by that is there's a few wide receivers in the NFL where everyone goes, oh, he's the most underrated wide receiver in the league.

Right. Terry McLaurin is one of those guys. And DJ Moore is another one of those guys where he's a top 10 wide receiver. And he's an exceptional wide receiver. And look at the bad quarterback play that he put up with in Carolina.

And the last two weeks, it's not brain surgery here. You don't need a Ph.D. in football to figure out that you should be utilizing and implementing DJ Moore into your game plan. And when you have him being that number one wide receiver, which you traded him to be and traded for him to be, that's when Justin Fields takes off. But I think that Justin Fields could be a good player. I just don't believe he's going to be the quarterback of the Bears next year.

And I'll get to the poll question right here. The Bears will blank Justin Fields this offseason. Fill in the blank is probably the way that I should say it. That doesn't sound right when I just go, the Bears will blank Justin Fields this year because most of the people think that's a curse word there, Samter. Yeah, because every time you read that, I think that you're saying something else. Like ad libs, I'm going to put in the dirtiest, most obscure word that I can possibly think of. Well, for people that don't have a dirty mind like Samter, which let's be real, I also have a dirty mind.

This is sports radio. We all have dirty minds. You're not wrong.

We're very sophomoric in our humor. But when I fill in the blank on the poll question here, it's the Bears will fill in the blank with Justin Fields this offseason. And don't let your mind go anywhere. There's only two choices. It's trade him or keep him. I think they're going to trade him. Now, you could tell me that Fields continues to play this way and maybe they don't get the number one overall pick, even though they have a good chance with their own pick and then the Panthers pick. And then just maybe if you don't get the number one overall pick, you don't love Chidor, you don't love Drake May, you don't love Michael Penix, you know, whatever it may be. And you go, OK, we could get Marvin Harrison Jr., the offensive lineman from Penn State or a solid defensive player like Jared Verse from Florida State.

And you get two big pieces to pair up with Fields and to pair up with Marvin Harrison Jr. But I just think there's such a good chance that the Bears are going to get the number one overall pick where the last two weeks, I don't think are reality in the win loss column for the Bears where they should have beat the Broncos and they choked that game away and they beat the commanders. Like this team at best is only going to win, what, four games this year.

And if you have four wins, maybe you aren't the number one overall pick. But even if you don't get the number one overall pick because of your own record, the Panthers, they're the worst team in the league right now. The Panthers have showed you nothing this year and their line stinks.

They got no weapons. They have a good defense, but that defense could only hold up for so long when the offense is giving you nothing. And I look at the Carolina Panthers as a team that's destined to be in the number one overall draft slot this year. And unfortunately for the Panthers, you don't have that pick because to go get something, you have to give up something. And you made that move with Bryce Young. And I hope they just don't ruin Bryce Young. So they get the number one overall pick because of the Panthers with how generational of a talent Justin Fields or actually Caleb Williams is sought out to be and being talked about. I think they're going to pull the trigger and take Caleb Williams and then trade off Justin Fields. And if Justin Fields continues to play well, you'll get a good amount back for Justin Fields. Even if he doesn't play well, I still think you're getting a second round pick for him, bare minimum. And then you have another first round pick which you could trade back or you could go get an offensive lineman or you could go get a Marvin Harrison Jr. as well. So I know right now maybe this is in the moment and that's why the majority of people say keep, where the Bears will keep Justin Fields this offseason.

If he didn't play the way that he did last night or if we put out this poll question, here's a better way to say it. If we put out this poll question yesterday, there's no doubt about it everyone would have said trade Justin Fields at the end of the season. Because I think there's an acknowledgement that the Bears have messed up Justin Fields and Justin Fields could still be good. But eventually you could only give a guy so many opportunities in the current spot and I'm still operating under the belief that at the end of the year, polls will be out of a job, Iberflus will be out of a job, and Fields will get a fresh start which could be the best thing for him. Because the Bears have just been disastrous with quarterbacks, they've never had a 4,000-yard passer, and Fields will be somewhere else this time next year. So I cast my vote that they're going to trade Justin Fields in this offseason, but it's crazy how the pendulum swings after one big-time game that he did play, in really two games the last two weeks, and I know he leads the league in passing touchdowns, but I think it's more just so the timing of the situation and not an actual reflection of who the quarterback is. And I said this earlier in the week, and I'll say it again, if I'm a team like Atlanta, I would call and try to go get Justin Fields.

I don't think the Bears are going to trade him in season even though, I forget who it was, but I saw someone in ESPN this morning was advocating trade him now and strike while the iron's hot right now because who knows how we're going to be talking about Justin Fields in maybe six to seven weeks, and it may not be because of him failing, but more so the Bears failing him. Alrighty, that concludes this week of the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. We'll be back on Monday as we'll have to go through all the craziness from the college football field and the NFL field as well. We'd like to thank Michael Samter, we'd like to thank Stuart Kovacs, we'd like to thank everyone for participating in this show, whether it's via the radio or on the free Odyssey app or in our very active YouTube chat as well.

We'd like to thank Kevin Carter for coming in the studio, Ryan Horvat as well. You can catch me this Sunday for eight hours on the eight-hour marathon of ION football from noon to 8 p.m. Eastern. And if I survive that, I will be back here Monday at 3 p.m. Eastern, noon Pacific on CBS Sports Radio. Have a great weekend, everybody. Be safe. We out. Bye-bye. Peace!