The 6 Legitimate Super Bowl Contenders (Hour 3)

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Find it wherever you buy laundry products. That's what I'm talking about. That's right, it is the Zach Gelb Show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. We have an hour to play on this very quick Tuesday edition of the show. Coming up 20 minutes from now, James Bradbury from the 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles as they enter their bye week. And coming out of their bye week, they have the Kansas City, how about those Chiefs on Monday Night Football in week 11. But first up, it is a Tuesday coming off week 9 in the National Football League. We'll get to a little overreaction, proper reaction right now. Another NFL week is complete, which means it's another week to freak out about your favorite team. Which takes are truly crazy. But sometimes a game can be so bad, it's almost good. You know what I'm saying?

No. And which are so crazy, they might be right. He's 6'5", he's 245 pounds, he's probably a Popeye's biscuit away from being a tight end. Zach let you know in this week's edition of Overreaction or Proper Reaction. And I'm just going to say this at the start of the segment right now. We have big time news on Moist Mike Sampter that I have to go to the source in overreaction, proper reaction at the end of this segment. But there are a lot of things being said about Moist Mike right now and I got to get to the bottom of this. But first to the football, what do we got Moist Mike?

I don't know who that is. Carson Wentz has finally found a team signing with the Rams as their backup with Matthew Stafford battling various injuries. Wentz threw for 27 touchdowns as recently as 2021 with the Colts, but obviously struggled last year in Washington. So overreaction, proper reaction, Carson Wentz can still be a serviceable starting quarterback in the NFL. Are you just trying to get me to sound off today and yell? I'm going to be very calm.

I'm going to breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. Carson will not control me. That's what my therapist told me because I yelled too much about Carson Wentz. A serviceable quarterback? You are sitting in Carson's corner basically. No, no, that doesn't exist.

We kicked that out of this studio. Carson's corner. The last time this guy was a serviceable quarterback was when he played like an MVP. And that was all the way back in 2017. Now you could make a case in like 2019 he was good the final three games of the season.

2021 he was good except for the last couple games. Oh stop, with the Colts? 27 touchdowns, they were a playoff team except for that last game. What Carson Wentz was to the Colts that year is what James Franklin is to Penn State football. Where even though the stats and the numbers looked good, in reality everyone knew he wasn't the guy. He played terribly up against Tennessee, had that awful interception against the Rams. And also in the final game of the season against the lowly, pathetic at the time Jacksonville Jaguars where their fans were dressing up as clowns, he lost the game. So serviceable in the NFL?

Yeah, no chance. His NFL career as a legitimate starting quarterback in this league is shot, it's done, it's over with. So you ask me Carson Wentz can still be a serviceable starting NFL QB?

That is an overreaction. Well through nine weeks the NFL rushing leader is Christian McCaffrey with just 652 yards. And he's on pace to lead the NFL in rushing with just over 1,300 yards.

Since 1973, the NFL's leading rusher had under 1,400 yards just three times. So it feels like it's a very down year for the running back position. So overreaction, proper reaction, running back is the least important position in football right now. And I'm not including the punter. What about fullback?

Let's kick out fullback also. Fullback and punter don't count. Okay, then I would say that this is a proper reaction because I'm not saying the run game isn't important. To win football games you need a run game. But the individuality of the running back position for the last decade is not important.

Where you look at teams that win Super Bowls, whether it's the Chiefs or the Patriots or the Eagles or even the Denver Broncos. Whoever those teams are that have won Super Bowls, we've not had a bell cow back win a Super Bowl in a long time. Those teams go by running back by committee. So needing a Derrick Henry, needing a Christian McCaffrey, needing an Ezekiel Elliott when he was rolling, an Adrian Peterson.

Yeah, you want those guys because those guys are really good. But then when you have to pay them it takes away from other resources and you see the teams that win, they win with like two, three running backs and just continue to turn through them throughout the course of the season. Alright, now C.J. Stroud is letting it up for the Texans, sitting 7th and passing yards through 8 games, throwing 14 touchdowns and just one pick. Yesterday running back Dario Gumbawale told you that there's a comparison between him and Tom Brady. Do you see any similarities being around Brady when you start off the early tenure with C.J.

Stroud? Yeah, I would definitely say that command and that leadership, like I said, I mean, C.J. 's got it.

He gets into the huddle, everyone's confident that that play is going to be a successful play just because even the way he sparks it out, you know. So if he did got it, then I would definitely say there's similarities there between the two of them. Pretty early to make that comparison, but hey, that's not me.

Overreacting? He was just answering the question, to be fair. Well then maybe it was the question that's a little bit crazy to me. I think it's a good question. I'm not saying that you have to compare Brady to Stroud in terms of Stroud's going to be Brady, but he's been around Brady, he's been around Stroud.

Are there any similarities? I think it's a very fair question. So overreaction, proper reaction. C.J. Stroud is already a top 10 NFL quarterback. So the guys playing right now when you go division by division, absolutely top 10 quarterbacks.

Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence. That's the AFC, that's six. In the NFC, Jalen Hurts is seven. Then there's no one in the NFC West. NFC North, I can't lock anybody up right there. Now Kirk Cousins is out for the year, so he doesn't count. And there's no one in the NFC South. So you have seven quarterbacks right there, and you get to pick three. You can make a case for Jared Goff, you can make a case for Tuatunga Vailoa, you can make a case for Dak Prescott.

Going to the AFC, I think we covered everybody. C.J. Stroud, yeah. You know what? You know why I give C.J.

Stroud the edge here? It's because you look at the situation and the roster. It's not ideal. And I get it, they're not playing in the greatest division in the world. But look how he uplifted a franchise this quickly.

And this is when you're going to have ups and downs in a young career. It's wild to say it through nine weeks of the season, but I do believe that you can't tell me that there are ten other quarterbacks right now that you definitely want to have over C.J. Stroud. Also, when you look at ceiling factored into it, because let's say a guy like Jared Goff is having a very good season. I do think Jared Goff has limitations. Jared Goff's just a very good quarterback, not a great quarterback.

C.J. Stroud's already impressed so much through the first nine games. You can't tell me that his ceiling long term isn't going to be a great quarterback in this league. We'll see if he gets there, but you do have a feeling that this guy can be a great quarterback in the league. So I would say that's a proper reaction right now that C.J. Stroud is a top ten quarterback.

Now we discussed this a little bit yesterday. The Chiefs defense is dominating as they sit fourth in the NFL in yards allowed, and second in points, giving up just 16 points a game. Patrick Mahomes, on the other hand, is having a subpar year, just 17 touchdowns in nine games, and is on pace to shatter his career-high interceptions. So overreaction, proper reaction, the Chiefs window for titles is actually slowly starting to close.

That is an overreaction, and it's because if you have 15, you are always in it. And I'm not going to say it doesn't matter who you put around him, but he is the great eraser, and everyone did the same song and dance last year. Oh, the Chiefs are vulnerable. Oh, the Chiefs can get got. And the Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year, and the same thing's happening this year. And if the Chiefs aren't in the AFC title game bare minimum, I think we would all be surprised. So the Chiefs window for titles is slowly starting to close, you ask me.

That is an overreaction. All right, now all four teams in the AFC North are over 500, with the Ravens leading the way at 7 and 2, and everyone else at 5 and 3. Now the Steelers have some easy games coming up. They've got the Packers, Cardinals, and Pats over the next five weeks, while the Browns get Denver, the Rams, and the Bears in their next six-game stretch. So overreaction, proper reaction. Three teams from the AFC North will make the playoffs.

Great question. So Dolphins, I think, win the AFC East. AFC North, I think it will be the Ravens. In the South, it's the Jaguars. In the West, it's the Chiefs. So that's the four division winners right there. Bengals could still win the division, but bare minimum, they're a wild card team. I think the Dolphins get in as well. I mean, the Bills, excuse me, because I said the Dolphins are the division.

So that's six right there. Where else am I going to go? No one in the South. I'm not trusting the Chargers in the AFC West. I'm not trusting the Jets, obviously. Yeah, it's between the Steelers and the Browns. Here we go, Brownies. Here we go. So yeah, I go three teams from the AFC North will make the playoffs. That is a proper reaction. Toughest division in football right now.

Crazy. Now just when the Seahawks looked at the real deal, they get smoked in Baltimore by 34. Geno Smith has just four touchdowns and six picks over his last four games, as Seattle fell to five and three.

So overreaction, proper reaction. The Seahawks should start looking for Geno's replacement this offseason. I don't think you need to draft a quarterback this year because you're not going to have a good enough draft position. But I will say that this is a proper reaction because now we've seen a lot of quarterbacks get traded. Matthew Stafford got traded. Jared Goff got traded. Carson Wentz even got traded.

Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson. So it doesn't always work, right? A lot of those guys I just mentioned, some of them is like, oh, can we get a do over? Can we get a take back? You know, Stafford won a Super Bowl.

So you win some, you lose some. But if a guy like Kyler Murray becomes available, I probably the Cardinals don't trade him in their in their own division. But if someone becomes available or if you could get Kirk Cousins in Seattle, I think that's better. Either of those two names than Geno Smith. I don't believe Geno is as bad as the way that he's played the last two weeks. But I don't think he's the answer and he's the guy long term on the remaining of this new contract that he signed. So I do think it would behoove you. We don't have to pounce, but at least keep an ear out there and two eyes open when names do become available.

So I'll say proper reaction to see how it should look for Geno's replacement this offseason. Now, we were talking about the playoff teams and you mentioned the Bills and the Dolphins. The Dolphins fell in Germany on Sunday. And here's a crazy stat. They have now gone four hundred and seven days since beating a team over five hundred. A span of seven games dating back to week three of last year. So they are not beat like they're beating up on the bad teams and getting beat up by the good teams.

Wow. So the Bills, they lost as well, but they sit just a game back of the Fins in the east. And that was obviously a much closer match against the Bengals. So overreaction, proper reaction. The Bills are still a better, more dangerous team than the Dolphins.

I'm going to go overreaction there and two reasons. The Dolphins offense is right now better than the Buffalo Bills. The Bills basically keep on asking Josh Allen to do everything.

And that's when eventually a hole will be in Superman's cape and it will get ripped off of him and it won't be able to fly as great as Josh Allen is. But the problem with the Bills is they used to have this really special defense. That defense has regressed. Von Miller hopefully gets back up to speed.

He's clearly not a hundred percent coming off that injury last year. But they've now lost for Davis White. They had to trade for Russell Douglas to the trade deadline, which was a good move.

And Matt Milano, those two pieces were enormous for them. There's just nothing about the Bills that I feel great about. I think the Bills are just a good team. I think the Dolphins are just a good team.

But the firepower and the consistency of a Tyree kill and a Jalen Waddle, I know is going to for the most part show up. Almost every week when you're trying to see who's better between the two teams when they're both very good. So I trust the Dolphins more than the Bills. And also what I like, Miami last year displayed that they could play Buffalo. They played them three times and then they lost twice.

One was with Skylar Thompson. The other one was a very close loss. But this year they got blown out by the Bills. I think that match up when they go to Miami and the next time around will be different and the Dolphins will win. So I will take the Dolphins over the Bills this year.

So if you ask me, the Bills are still a better and more dangerous team than the Dolphins. I will go overreaction. Now, to the overreaction, proper reaction that everybody is waiting for. On Twitter, a very reliable Twitter account, Pat Boyle's dad just tweeted me.

I don't think this is actually Pat Boyle's real father, but the Twitter account is Pat Boyle's father at Pat Boyle's dad. He sent me his ballot because today is Election Day. Erie General Elections 2023. District Attorney is up for grabs. It's a four year term. It says vote for one.

Pat Boyle's dad wrote in Moist Mike Santer. So I don't know if you're going to get any more votes, but you did get one vote. If you win, are you resigning from the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio and going to be the district attorney for four years for the Erie general election in Erie County?

Just one day. Listen, the people over in Erie would be blessed to have my talents. Now, I might know a lot about the law.

I might not know anything about the law. But I sure know a lot about how to run things and do stuff. That's not where I thought he was going.

He's like, run from a train wreck. That's this show. Yeah. I know things. I know how to argue.

Like, I would be great like my cousin Vinnie. Right. I don't know anything about the rules or the laws, the decorum, but I'm a damn good arguer. So I'll stand up there and I'll argue at the top of my lungs for whatever it is that I think I should probably be arguing for. You'd be a good little litigious weasel.

Yeah, but I have no idea what I'm talking about. So yes, Erie, Pennsylvania, I got you covered. Ladies and gentlemen of Erie, if you need a district attorney, vote Moist Mike. Wow.

2024. He just said it still. I never thought he would acknowledge himself as Moist Mike. The nickname's growing on him.

It just took him getting some more power to use the word. So you're out on this show. If you win, you're done. You're gone. I might be out on the show today even if I lose.

That one vote might be enough for me to start my own political career. Moist Mike. Moist Mike.

2024. I'm Zach Gelb. I approve this message.

Alrighty. Zach Gelb Show. CBS Sports Radio. You know what we got to do? We got to get Paul Turner, the big voice guy, to just make Moist Mike political campaigns.

And I come up with a few by the end of the week or maybe by tomorrow. And I need the big voice guy in Paul Turner at CBS Sports Radio to just give us some crazy political campaigns for Moist Mike Sampter. As maybe we'll delay. We'll petition. We will not accept the results of this election going on right now. And we will delay the eerie general election to see if we can stuff some more ballots for the great Moist Mike. I don't know if we have the power to do that. Probably not. But who knows?

I don't get very political either. It is the Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio. James Bradbury from the 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles will join us next. The Eagles are rolling. NFC champions from a year ago to start this season.

They are 8-1 entering their bye coming out of the bye Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs. And now joining us is their Pro Bowl cornerback, James Bradbury. And just remember, Big Brother, Big Sister Independence Fashion Touchdown is on Monday, November 13th.

Tickets are still on sale and can be purchased at fashiontouchdown.org. And James Bradbury is doing some great work there. James, appreciate the time.

Thanks so much for doing this. And how are you? I'm doing good. How about you?

Well, I'm doing fantastic. Let me start you off with last week. Going up against the Cowboys. We all know how big that game is inside the NFC East.

A fun one that goes your way right down to the wire. Take a look back at the Cowboys game for me. Well, it was definitely a big game for us because it was a division arrival. And they also were the elite team over there because they got a great offense and great defense. They're pretty good special teams as well.

So it was a tough battle for us. But like you said, we were able to make enough plays to come out with a victory. You guys now are entering your bye week. You're 8-1. We all know how dominant this team can be. And the record reflects how great of a team that you guys are.

When you look at the first nine games, what has really impressed you so far with this group that you have in Philadelphia? I think we've just been able to somehow win. We haven't always played our best as far as defense, offense, and special teams overall. But we found ways to get down the stretch and win and make enough plays for us to get the victory. And that's the weird part about it because 8-1 is 8-1. We all know how tough it is to win in this league. But when you're winning these close games, people start to criticize and say, oh, the Eagles aren't as good as what their record says. And I say to that, well, they're 8-1.

If you guys could play better, man, that's going to be scary for the rest of the league. Just what's the message to people that are doubting your football team even after an 8-1 start? I think first and foremost, we're only worried about the opinions that's in the building.

But secondly, if I did have something to say to the people outside the building, I mean, it's the NFL at the end of the day. You're going against professionals. So the games, they're going to be close. They're going to be competitive. I know last year, you know, a lot of our victories were a little wopsided and we were able to blow people out.

But that doesn't always happen. And that was last year. This is a new year. And we got new coaches. We got new players. And we're still trying to figure out the chemistry and figure out the ins and outs of what our team is going to be.

But at the end of the day, we're winning. And I think that's the most important. How about your new defensive coordinator? I know Jonathan Gannon is the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

Sean Desai comes in. What has he been able to bring to this football team on the defensive side of the ball? You know, I think he's just been able to bring his overall knowledge of the game. You know, he looks at the game from a different perspective and a player might look at it. And having a coach that's very, very smart and is able to put us in a position to make plays and help us to get those victories is very important.

And so I would say that he definitely brought a knowledge of the game to our team and to our defense. Talking to James Bradbury from the 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles, with how last season ended, you know what the goal is this year. It's to get back to the Super Bowl and win it.

Now, when teams have that goal, sometimes people look too far ahead and it catches up to them. How has this team been able to really, truly just focus on one week at a time, as cliché as it sounds? I think we first got good veteran leadership. You know, the guys in our locker room, they help us and prepare us week in and week out to make sure we're focused just on that week. And then secondly, you know, we've had a tough schedule. You know, we play some really, really good teams. We've got a tough schedule coming in after the by-star and off with the Chiefs. And that's kind of how we've been able to keep our focus.

We always have a tough opponent during that week and that's what really gets our juices flowing and gets us motivated just to focus on that one week. How would you describe the leadership skills of your quarterback in Jalen Hurts? Because he seems like the definition of a franchise quarterback.

I would definitely say he's a, you could tell he's an even-kill type of guy. He doesn't really get too high, doesn't get too low. And I feel like that's the best mentality they have as a football player. Because you're able to deal with the highs and lows of the game. And, you know, he always has the right thing to say. You know, I don't know where he gets that from or what you would call it. But a guy that has always had some positive say and has the right thing to say at the right time, trying to get the guys motivated, that's what you need from your leadership.

You need a guy that can pretty much, I guess, correlate with the people that he's dealing with, his teammates and whatnot, and be on one accord with them and say the right things to them. James Bradbury here with us. I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you how you're feeling. I know towards the end of the game you did go down with an injury. Where's your health at? I'm doing good. You know, of course, as you saw on the play, you know, I kind of tweaked my knee. But fortunately, you know, it was just a little soreness, waking up the next day. And I've been able to move around, get a workout, and run around a little bit. And I'm feeling good going into the bye week.

That's good. And it's good timing for the bye week. Coming out of the bye, you got the big Super Bowl rematch. Will you definitely be playing up against the Chiefs?

Oh, yeah, I definitely plan on being out there. Yeah, I'm not going to miss anything. How about that Super Bowl rematch? We know how close of a game it was last year.

We were right in the middle of it with the holding penalty. Just what's on your mind as you guys get set to prepare for the Kansas City Chiefs? For me, and I think for the team overall, you know, we're going to let last year be last year. And we know we're going to face the Kansas City Chiefs offense that's really elite. And the defense is really good as well.

And that's my mindset. You know, we're playing another really, really good opponent. And we're not really going to try to think about last year.

We're just going to think about this year and try to defeat those guys and move on to the next opponent after that week. What's the toughest part about going up against Patrick Mahomes with how great of a football player he is? I think he has an elite skill set, you know, first starting off with his arm. You know, he's able to make throws that other quarterbacks really aren't able to make. And then you add in the fact that he can run and make plays with his legs.

That's the second thing that you have to worry about. He's also a smart quarterback as well. And you have a great coach over there in Andy Reid who does a good job putting those guys in a good position. And you add in the receivers that he has as far as Kelsey. And then you also got a great O-line in a good running game with number 10. I don't really know how to pronounce his last name, but he's a really good running back.

So they're able to attack you in different ways. Wrap it up with James Bradbury. We'll talk about this great event that he's doing. Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Independence, Fashion Touchdown on Monday, November 13th.

Tickets are still on sale and can be purchased at www.fashiontouchdown.org. Just going back to the Super Bowl, I thought you were classy with the way that you handled the holding penalty after the game. I didn't think the flag should have been thrown. Looking back at that, do you still have the same stance as why you understood why the flag was thrown?

Yeah, I still have the same stance. It is what it is. At the end of the day.

And I'm just working real hard week in and week out to hopefully get another opportunity to redeem myself. Well, let's get to your big boys up front. Because we only know a great secondary is only as good as the guys that are getting to the quarterback. You guys are just loaded in the trenches. We know on the offense side of the ball, but on the defensive side of the ball as well. Just how about the depth of this football team and really the depth of this defense? Yeah, I think we got a good combination of young guys and a veteran leadership. But you got Beecher, you got Fletch, you got Sweater, you got Haas. Then you got some young guys like Milton, J.C., Tua, who else am I missing? You got Nolan Smith. We got a whole bunch of guys on that D line that can get after the quarterback.

Fortunately, we got a good rotation of veteran guys and young guys that kind of help lead the young guys along the way. And kind of help them take care of their body throughout the season because it's a long season. Help prepare them for the NFL on and off the field. And also just tell them how the league works and how defenses are running.

How you need to attack these offensive linemen because these offensive linemen in the league are really really skilled. Alright, before we let you run, tell me about the great event that you're doing with Big Brother Big Sister Independence Fashion Touchdown on Monday, November 13th. Yeah, so I just wanted to give back to the community because the community does a good job of supporting us. And it's going to be a fashion show. I'm going to be walking.

This is my first time actually doing a fashion show and actually getting up there on the runway and walking. So I'm excited to be able to participate and thankful to be able to give back to the community. And Big Brother Big Sister, they do a good job of providing mentorship to the youth. And I'm all about mentorship. And I feel like we need more mentorship to play their part in the world today because youth is, you know, we need it. We know what's going on with youth day in and day out and what they have to deal with on a day to day basis. And just hopefully I can bring more light and more recognition to what those guys at Big Brother Big Sister are doing. During the bye week, have you been working on your pose and maybe a signature stare coming down that runway during the fashion show? You know what? I haven't, but you just brought to my attention that I should.

I'm probably going to start pricing tomorrow. Watch the movie Zoolander. You got to get that blue steel look.

That would be my recommendation. I just want to ask you, you've been in the league now for a while since 2016. You're with the Panthers, the Giants, now the last few years with the Eagles.

Last year got a lot of recognition making the Pro Bowl in a second team All-Pro. You're now 30. You've been in the league for a while.

You have an incredible story. Just what do you want people to know about your journey and where you're at right now individually as a football player? I mean what I would like them to know about me is I think first and foremost I'm a guy that went to a small school. And I was able to get drafted from a small school. Especially talking to the young guys that's in college and that's in high school.

A lot of guys they want to go to these big schools and they want to hurt up against the transfer portal and whatnot and look for a better opportunity. But sometimes you just got to stick it out and stick with the process. And also just enjoy your journey.

Live in the moment. And as far as me being in the league, I've done a lot of hard work and dedication being put into it. And I'm also trying to get back to community. So where I'm at right now in the league, that's kind of my goal. Is to also produce on the field but also try to get back into the community. Whether it's here in Philly or whether it's back home in Birmingham, Alabama and do more for the community. And just spread the wealth that I've been given based off what I've been able to do in this league. Well, phenomenal answer. Good luck the rest of the way. Good health the rest of the season as well. James Bradbury, we appreciate you jumping on board with us today. Appreciate you. There you go. James Bradbury from the 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles.

Once again, if you want to go get tickets to the event that he's participating in, it's www.fashiontouchdown.org. We'll come on back. We'll take a look at the playoff picture inside the AFC and the NFC nine weeks through the season. Also, new college football playoff rankings come out tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern. What should we look for when the CFP gives out another ranking in college football? Update time first.

Here he is, the Ackman, Rich Ackerman. Alrighty, this is Zach Gelb's show on CBS Sports Radio. So the second installment of the college football playoff rankings come out tonight in a little over two hours at 7 p.m. Eastern.

Or a little under two hours, excuse me, at 7 p.m. Eastern. And when we take a look at the latest rankings, things to monitor, here are the three things that I'm most curious about. Will Ohio State still be number one? Personally, I think Ohio State's the most overrated team in the country, where they're a really good team. They have a great defense. They have the best non-quarterback in the country in Marvin Harrison Jr.

But I don't trust the rest of their offense and Kyle McCord. So last week the committee told you they're 8-0. They're number one because they beat two top 15 teams with Penn State last week, who was at 11. And then Notre Dame was going to fall.

Notre Dame loses to Clemson and Notre Dame was 15 last week. Ohio State just struggled with Rutgers, who in their defense of Greg Ciano has done a good job this year. And Ciano has done a good job at Rutgers in the first stint, and now he's starting to move that program for whatever they could say is acceptable in the Big Ten. And so much is working against them in this second installment of Greg Ciano as their head coach. And also a little friendly rivalry here, and these two teams have been working in cahoots. Ohio State and Rutgers, according to some reports today by John Eubaken, to take down Michigan and given signs to Purdue in the Big Ten championship game.

So maybe Ryan Day said, Greg Ciano, we'll scratch your back a little bit. We'll let you hang around and then we'll find the way to beat you by two, three touchdowns in the second half. But I don't believe Ohio State should be number one. I do think Georgia should move up to one, and then we'll see how far the committee wants to move Ohio State back. The other thing I want to look for, Washington, who had the best win in the rankings in the college football playoff ranking last week, when they were ranked five and they beat Oregon six, they had the highest win against one of the rankings of the college football playoff. They just took care of USC, who's going to fall to the top 25, but USC was in at 20. So I don't understand how the committee can continue through two weeks to keep Washington out. I got to think, even though Florida State's done a phenomenal job this year, they're undefeated and they control their own destiny.

And let's be real, right? One of these Big Ten teams are going to fall out. We'll see what happens if Georgia could go undefeated and win the SEC once again. The winner of the Big Ten is going to get in.

And then if Florida State runs a table as an undefeated ACC champion, they're going to get in. And Washington controls their own destiny, undefeated as well. But for Washington, it doesn't make sense if you're telling me Oregon's the sixth best team in the country. And out of all the teams inside the top 25, Washington has the highest ranked victory up against an opponent inside the top 10 to keep Washington out of the top four.

And then the other thing that I'm really curious to see, I actually have two more for you. Even though this wouldn't make sense, I do feel as if Bama is going to move up a few spots tonight. And last week it was Ohio State won, Georgia was two, Michigan was three, Florida State was four, Washington's five, Oregon is six, Texas is seven, Alabama is eight.

Last week, and I know Bama has a loss, like don't say, but Alabama has a loss, like I know that, they lost to Texas. But Alabama last week heard from the committee and all the other schools that the reason why Ohio State was number one is because they had two top 15 victories. Alabama, where we currently sit, heading into last weekend and then what happened and now we'll see what the new rankings are. They have a win up against number 10 Ole Miss and they also had a win up against number 14 this past weekend, LSU. Now LSU is going to fall down in a few spots. But if they have two top 15 wins at the time that these games were played, is Bama not going to move up?

I got to think that they will. And even though it makes no sense for Bama to move past Texas, because Bama and Texas have the same record and Texas beat Alabama head to head, you know it and I know it. This committee wants reaction. This committee wants headlines.

This committee doesn't want to just do the show and have nobody talk about it immediately after the show and then leading into tomorrow as well. It would make no sense that Bama jumps in front of Texas. But I actually think the committee is going to put Bama in front of Texas. And I want to see how they justify it, because if you watch college football, Texas defeated Alabama this year.

So they have the same record. It'd be like one thing if Texas had two losses and Alabama only had one loss. But when you have the same record of seven and one and you know that the SEC is a better conference than the Big 12, even though Bama shouldn't move in front of Texas just now, I have a feeling the committee is going to do this.

And last week, everyone that was speaking from the committee said they did not factor in the pending investigation and the allegations against Michigan. That's going to be a national talking point to monitor. Does Michigan get graded on a scale here with more information coming out, even though I don't think they should? It seems like a punishment is coming right around the corner to Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh is going to appeal that and he'll get an injunction. And this will get all punted until after the season.

You've got to think and assume that. I don't think the committee is going to change anything up with Michigan, but those are just the things that I want to monitor tonight. Does Ohio State still remain number one?

I don't think they will. I think Michigan is going to stay put right there at number three. I do believe Washington will jump Florida State and get into the top four. And then even though it shouldn't happen, I think it will happen, though, that Bama will move in front of Texas this weekend, even though they are both or tonight, even though they're both seven and one and Texas beat Alabama head to head already.

So now we have nine weeks. Of the NFL season right now, if the playoffs were to start tomorrow, these would be your matchups. The Chiefs and the Eagles both would be on a bye.

The Ravens would be a two seed going up against the Cincinnati Bengals as a seven seed. Now, we just saw that last wild card weekend. It was in Cincinnati and Lamar Jackson wasn't playing.

It was Tyler Huntley. But think about that heavyweight fight. Then you would have the Jaguars as the three seed going up against the Cleveland Browns and you'd have the Dolphins going up against the Steelers. That would be a tremendous AFC wild card weekend. Now, the Bills would be on the outside looking in. The Texans are on the outside looking in. The Chargers and Jets as well.

And that's what will draw the line in the sand. I don't think the Jets will be a playoff team because they don't have a quarterback. The Chargers, I don't trust them even last night when you win and the score would indicate that it was a one sided game. The Chargers just keep on appearing like they're missing it. And what I mean by that is I don't think this team is all in on their head coach.

The players with Brandon Staley and it's showing because they have too much talent to only be four and four to start out this season. The Texans are a fun story. I think the Texans can be a little bit dangerous because they're playing with no expectations. But I don't think the Texans make the playoffs. So if the Steelers and Browns continue to stack wins at five and three. And I'm assuming the Dolphins here to win the AFC East, even though they're six and three.

And that's not a foregone conclusion. There's a possibility that the Bills miss the playoffs. Now, I, I would still put Buffalo in. And I still think Buffalo gets into the postseason. But with that being said, it's going to be really intriguing to see if Buffalo can still find a way to make the playoffs. With where they were a few years ago, where they were even heading into last year as being everyone's Super Bowl darling in the pick. And there's a legitimate chance they missed the playoffs this year.

Keeping it moving into the NFC. The Eagles are on a buy. You would have the Lions as the two seed. Lions, Vikings, NFC North showdown. Josh Dobbs against Jared Goff right now, wild card weekend.

That's the Saturday, right? 4.25 p.m. Eastern time game. Which if you're a Lions fan, who cares? You haven't won a division title since 1993. You haven't won a playoff game since 1991, so you take it. The Niners would be the three seed going up against the six seed Dallas Cowboys. Which if you're a Cowboy fan, that's your worst nightmare because the last three times you played the 49ers, you lost to them. And somehow you regressed this year in the regular season. Could that have maybe vibes of the Patriots beating the Jets 45 to 3 and then losing to them in the divisional round?

You have to wait and see. And you have the Saints going up against the Seahawks. Man, look at the AFC matchups compared to the NFC matchups. The NFC matchups are a little bit underwhelming, but you're starting to see that picture get painted. The teams that be on the outside looking in right now, the commanders, the Falcons. Man, the Bucks are the 10th seed right now and the Packers, they're the 11th. They're both three and five.

That's ugly. So you start to look at it through nine weeks. I think the way that you have to separate this, who are your Super Bowl contenders? In the AFC, I think there's only three right now. It's the Chiefs, it's the Ravens, and the Bengals. Those are the three teams I trust the most in the AFC. I know some Jaguar fans may say, oh, well, what about us?

We're 6-2. I really think Jacksonville's a good team. I like Jacksonville. You could buy stock in Jacksonville, but I got to see them beat a marquee opponent. And the Bills this year aren't a marquee opponent. And you had one week, too, even when the Chiefs were vulnerable.

And your offense crapped the bed and only scored nine points. So one of those three teams, Chiefs, Ravens, Bengals, going to go to the Super Bowl this year. I'm still going with the Bengals, who were my pick before the year. In the NFC, if you listen to this show, I have not wavered on the Eagles one bit. I think the Eagles are going to the Super Bowl.

I said that before the start of the season. But if you had to trust two other teams in the NFC, I think it's easier. It's the Lions and it's the 49ers. And you probably still put the 49ers, too, in the Lions, too, even though the Niners have lost three games in a row and are 5-3. But if the Lions could go get the second seed in the NFC and all they need are the Eagles to lose one more game and then they'll have the same amount of losses and the Eagles have a tough schedule the next five weeks, if the Lions could assure, with a win on Wild Card Weekend, that they would have a home divisional round game, man, that's going to be tough. I'm not saying the 49ers can't go into Detroit and get a victory.

They obviously can. But if we're getting divisional round weekend Lions and 49ers and that game's in Detroit, that's going to be one raucous atmosphere, which could be set up for disappointment. But if you have a fan base that's been tortured for that long, coming off their first playoff victory since 1991, you're not going to want to go to Detroit.

You are not going to want to play the Lions in Detroit. And that team has done a nice job this year at 6-2, even though two weeks ago, up against the Ravens, they got blown out. Now, they were able to bounce back against the Raiders, but also it's the Raiders.

If you can't bounce back against the Raiders, you don't really belong in football these days. Sorry, Stu, that wasn't nice towards the end of the show. And by the way, Stu, you want to hear what was a big thought in that stadium last night, MetLife Stadium, where I was at?

What's that? How many people said, how stupid is the NFL for not flexing Jets and Raiders Sunday Night Football this upcoming week? We see the Jets on Monday Night Football against the Chargers, and now we have the Jets and the Raiders on Sunday Night Football. P.E.U. Hey, this is the Antonio Pierce Raiders.

Oh, yeah. And very nice of them to put all the practice squad players on the sideline as well during the game. Good job by Coach Pierce. But come on, I know you guys are 1-0 after Josh McDaniels. But the rest of the country this weekend has to watch on Sunday Night Football the lousy Jets and the Raiders. That feels like an under, an under bet to me.

I don't even know what the spread is, but watch. Then we'll have like the best game of the season. It will be like 41 to 38. The Jets take care of the Raiders.

I don't even think the Jets could score 48 points the rest of the season with that dreadful offense. Alrighty, fun show today. This is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. The over-under Stu just told me is 36.

Imagine taking the under and having to root for basically no points in that game. That is brutal. Big thanks to John Rothstein for stopping by. Big thanks to James Bradbury, Stu, Samter as always. And each and every one of you participating, listening, call and tweet into the show. We'll talk to you tomorrow everybody at 3 p.m. Eastern, noon Pacific. We out. Fa baad. Peace!