Panthers Are A Mess (Hour 2)

I'm Snoop Dogg, and I'm giving up smoke.

I know what you're thinking. Snoop, smoke is kind of your whole thing. But I'm done with it.

I'm done with the coffin, and my clothes smelling all funky. I'm going smokeless. Solo Stove Fix 5. They took out the smoke. Now you can have a nice blaze without any clouds ruining your day. Go smokeless.

Go to solostove.com. Tell them big Snoop Dogg sent you. Hahaha. Hey, this is Richard Deitch, the host of the Sports Media Podcast. If you're interested in what's happening with all the places where you consume sports, the Sports Media Podcast has you covered.

Here's longtime NFL and NBA announcer, Ian Eagle. Would I find this entertaining if I was sitting on the couch watching the game? Or would this be a nuisance? Would this get in the way?

Does it enhance the enjoyment for the viewer? Or at some point, are you becoming an annoyance? Listen on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Oregon missed a field goal that would have put the game into overtime. Now we get the rematch, and Oregon is humming right now, and we'll see if they can get some revenge coming up on Friday. Dan Lanning, by the way, the coach of the Oregon Ducks, is going to join us on Thursday this week. So the day before his Pac-12 Championship game, we will talk to the coach of the Oregon Ducks in Dan Lanning, friend of the show. I guess he'll officially be a friend of the show coming up on Thursday when he joins us, because in my rule of thumb, to be a friend of the show, you have to at least come on three times. And he's been very kind to us this year during the college football season, and that'll be the third time I'll get a chance to speak to him on the air coming up on Thursday. I'll get back to the calls in just a second. 855-2124 CBS, 855-212-4227. We had a very passionate conversation, heated conversation, about how just stupid it is that the college football playoff is going to 12 teams next year.

Samter's on the side of expand, expand, expand. I'm on the side of I don't need to see it go to 12 teams. And what's been a great college football regular season, it does take away the importance of these excellent regular season games with the soft landing spot that would be provided for a lot of these teams where they could afford to lose a game or two that they usually couldn't afford to find their way into the college football playoff. But last night we had week 12 of the NFL season wrap up, and it was a game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears, and what a brutal football game that was. But with that being said, it was so bad that it was almost entertaining, which those games happen because a lot of times we watch football and we have the pain of a bad football team or you have the appreciation of watching a great team. And sometimes you just see two football teams, even though the Vikings have a solid record and we know the Bears don't, but when they just have mistake after mistake, it's almost as if you're watching a comedy show.

And sometimes we like to watch bad comedy because it's so cringeworthy, it's so bad that it actually turns out to be funny, and that was the football game last night. But coming out of that football game, there is a big take about the Chicago Bears, and even though Justin Fields didn't play well in the game, there are some moments where you watch Justin Fields last few weeks when he's been back where you're like, oh, maybe they should keep him. Because the Bears are going to be in a position where in all likelihood, they're going to have the number one overall pick, and then they're going to have another top five pick because they're going to be bad in their own right.

And the Panthers are the worst team in the league, and they get the Panthers number one overall pick or the first round pick because they made the trade where the Bears moved back, the Panthers moved up, and Carolina gave away their first round pick for this year in the process, and then some. So, for Chicago, Justin Fields has become the talking point, and with the turnovers in the game last night, the bad awareness in the game last night, and I do believe Fields could have success somewhere else, but when you look at this rookie scale where you got to start paying these quarterbacks earlier than normal, and even though Fields is a first round pick, and he gets five years with the option, and he's only in year number three, I don't think there's a good chance that in Chicago, the narrative and the trajectory of Justin Fields is going to be able to change enough in the next year, where you're thinking about giving him an extension going into year five to get ahead of the curve or wanting to see year five occur in Chicago, so I think you need to follow the trend where a lot of times in the NFL, you get a second or third opportunity as a quarterback that gets drafted in the first round, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but a lot of times there's coaching staffs that look at another team's misfortune, and I don't want to call Justin Fields garbage because he's not, but another team's garbage, and they think they could turn it into gold. They think they could make it work, like even look at Sam Darnold with the Jets. Sam Darnold was horrible with the Jets, absolutely brutal, and the coaching staff in Carolina thought, we could make it work with Sam Darnold, and it was a bad decision, and Sam is now a backup with the San Francisco 49ers, but it happens all the time where a quarterback fails, and a quarterback's been hyped up so much, and when he doesn't have success, usually those quarterbacks go to bad organizations, and yes, the organization does deserve some blame, but the player also deserves some blame as well.

It's a two-way street there, so the player may be better somewhere else, and teams look and think, okay, that player could be better somewhere else if he gets the right coaching, and most of the times, the player doesn't make enough plays, the player goes somewhere else, and then it ends up being a disaster. Sometimes it ends up working, like look at Jared Goff. Jared Goff wasn't a disaster.

He got to a Super Bowl with the Rams, and I know he didn't play well on Thanksgiving, but there's a lot of people now that believe Jared Goff's the franchise quarterback of the Detroit Lions. There are tons in sports where the second and third chapter end up being better than the initial chapter of the career, so you could get a second-round pick, I think, for Justin Fields, and I think you make that trade, and then whoever the new GM is, because I don't believe it's Ryan Polls, they got to hit. They got to make it right on that quarterback, and there's going to be a big discussion here. Caleb Williams and Drake May were not even close to April yet, but when you have bad teams, you're looking to go get that new quarterback that changes the direction of the franchise, like what C.J. Shroud did this year very quickly for the Houston Texans, what Joe Burrow has done for the Cincinnati Bengals, what Trevor Lawrence has done for the Jacksonville Jaguars, what Josh Allen has done for the Buffalo Bills, and it could change very quickly, very quickly, but if you don't have that dude, you're looking for the dude, and just this year, Caleb Williams had a good individual season, but USC wasn't anywhere close to competing for the college football playoff or Pac-12 championship, and Drake May, even though UNC was supposed to compete for the ACC, and they didn't get to an ACC championship game, both of those quarterbacks had good moments, some of them had bad moments, and it creates this conversation of who's going to be the guy, because heading into the year, there was no doubt about it, everyone knew how good Drake May was, but the transcendent generational talent was Caleb Williams, and now, there is a healthy conversation about it. Ultimately, I do believe Caleb Williams will be the number one overall pick, but we had Greg McElroy on yesterday who watches more college football than pretty much anybody, and he said he'd rather have Drake May over Caleb Williams. Who else did we have? Bobby Carpenter also made the case for Drake May over Caleb Williams.

So it's starting already. So ultimately, I think the best course of action here for Chicago, long story short, you trade Fields, you get something back for Fields, and maybe Fields goes on and has some success somewhere else, so be it, and with two top five picks, you really try to go get Williams or May, and then Marvin Harrison Jr. as well. So that's the way that I think right now with the Chicago Bears.

I think they're going for a full reset this year, where they'll get a new head coach, they'll get a new general manager, even coming off of a win, and then they will be picking a new quarterback and a new other star in the first five picks of the first round of the NFL Draft. I also want to quickly play you a little David Tepper press conference from earlier today, as David Tepper yesterday got rid of Frank Reich as his head coach and even make it through one season. This is David Tepper responding to the rumors that Frank Reich wanted C.J.

Stroud. Let's listen up. Originally, we were going to go to the number two pick, and we thought we'd get C.J., because we thought the Texans were going to pick Bryce. And listen, we preferred Bryce.

He was our number one pick. We had a lot of conviction, but in answer to your questions, it's just not the way the process was done. The process was done the way the process was done. And again, even though if there was a process with five people in the room, and the way the votes came in, it was Frank was the first choice, I always could veto that choice. And even if it was Bryce and the votes came in unanimously in this particular case, I could have vetoed that choice. In both cases, I supported both choices.

Okay? I'm just going to say that I supported both choices. I supported the coaches. I supported the scouts, their unanimous opinion. And I supported Frank Reich. So whatever's good, bad, or indifferent is ultimately because the buck stops here, and I take full responsibility for everything.

But that's the way the process runs. And just one last thing, and then we're going to go here. As far as Bryce Young is concerned, I cannot say this, you know, for myself, and I think everybody in this building would share this sentiment, we are totally confident in that pick. Okay? I think the people that made that pick first, you know, would be totally confident in that.

You know, some of them you could ask. Okay? And I think the, and for me, I'm totally confident in agreeing with that pick. Doesn't seem all that confident just by listening to the rambling and the incoherent rambling for the last 90 seconds. I'll give a little advice to David Tepper, who I've made it abundantly clear I'm not a fan of. Stop talking about CJ Stroud. You have Bryce Young. Don't give a 45-second answer on CJ Stroud, Bryce Young, and the process.

And then on the back end, say, yeah, I feel really confident still, though, about Bryce Young. And also, here's what doesn't sit well with me, because I think David Tepper is trying to believe something that's a lie and make everyone else believe that it's the truth. There is no way that Frank Reich preferred Bryce Young over CJ Stroud. Frank Reich wanted CJ Stroud. And I ultimately believe that he looked at that situation and you know how demanding David Tepper is, and David Tepper is going to get what he wants, that ultimately he may have said, yeah, my preference is Bryce Young, but that's because he knew who his owner wanted and the owner made that abundantly clear through the process that they wanted Bryce Young. Because think about what he just said, David Tepper.

Is this really a healthy process where you get the honesty? He could say, everyone in the room was unanimous about Bryce Young and taking him, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But then he says, ultimately, four or five guys could say they want this player. I have the veto power.

I could do what I want. And there are times, I guarantee you, where that plays a factor, where McCown, where Reich clearly wanted, clearly wanted Stroud. And then ultimately, the owner makes it clear who he wants and they know, well, we say Young, then that's going to make the owner happy. But if we give the owner our honest opinion and say Stroud, he still already made it clear that he wanted Young.

So what kind of process is this? Think about what the owner just said. The five people that are in charge of football personnel decisions could have all unanimously said, CJ Stroud. But if he really wanted Bryce Young, he has the veto power to do it. That's what happens when you own the team.

You could operate your organization that way, but it's not a smart way to operate your organization and not listening to the people that you hire. 855-212-4CBS, 855-212-4227. We'll play you more of David Tepper coming up later. Let's get back into this college football playoff expansion. I am so against this 12-team format next year. At most, I would go to 8, 6. I would keep it at 4.

I could live with going to 6 or 8, but 12 is just absolutely ridiculous. Let's go to Jeff in Missouri next up on CBS Sports Radio. Jeff, go ahead. Hey, first-time caller, long-time listener, Zach, big fan. Appreciate it, Jeff. Yeah, I'm with you.

6 to 8 is the tops. I think you can't expand out past teams that don't have a legitimate shot. I don't need to see Louisville or Missouri in the mix. No, it's definitely a fair point, and nothing against Louisville. They had a remarkable season this year with Jeff Brom, and they had a chance to be one loss headed into that ACC Championship game. And then Jeff Brom comes on this show, and I'm a big fan of Jeff Brom, and he says it's the most important game we'll play this year. Well, he's not wrong, because you were about to go to New Year's 6 Bowl. Maybe you still do. You have the ACC Championship game, but you lose to Kentucky.

It takes, you know, a lot of what you were doing, and it doesn't ruin it. Louisville still had a remarkable season, but does it make me say, now I need to see more of them? Like, you tell me, Louisville, one loss, ACC Champion, all right, you want to throw them in an 18 playoff. I don't even know if they're going to get there, but you want to throw them an 18 playoff? I'm okay with that.

But I don't need to see more of them when they already have two losses going into the ACC Championship game. Let's go to Kevin in Oregon next up on the Zach Gelb show. Kevin, what's shaking? Hey, Zach, thanks for taking my call.

You got it. What's going on? I'm a big Oregon fan. I look at the standings as they are now. The top six teams really, I think, are deserving of being in the playoffs. I think four teams this year is actually 2-2. Now, you look back at last year, TCU was that embarrassing loss they had at Georgia.

I mean, they really had no business being there. I know the regular season record was what it was, and that was going to happen anyway. But I mean, even a four-team playoff can have its problems. But this year in particular, I think a six-team playoff would make a lot of sense. And this is one of the rare years with how long it's been at four where we've said, okay, I'm good with seeing six. I'm good with seeing eight. John Kincaid, who used to host here on CBS Sports Radio, for years would say, don't move past four. Tell me a year.

And I remember John saying this all the time. Tell me the year that you need to see more than four teams. And up until this year, there hasn't been a great case where maybe you want to see a fifth team.

But you're never saying, oh, we need to see six, seven, or eight, except this year because you have Georgia, Michigan, Washington, Florida State, Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, and Alabama in your top eight. Let me go quickly to Adrian and Marilyn next up on the Zach Yelb show. Yo, Adrian, what's happening?

Yo, Zach, what's going on? Doing great, Adrian. You seem like that type of person in the March Madness that takes chalk all the time, right?

No, not at all. I love upsets. Okay, well, I was telling Santos, 12 teams is good. I mean, we're six, eight. Yeah, if you ask for eight, you're going to want 12 probably the next two years after that.

Because you're going to think somebody got cited out. But what I'm saying is if you go with 12, there's going to be an upset. If that 12 team upsets the two or three seed, that's a good thing, I think. Don't you think?

I don't think it's a bad thing, but let me just ask you this. If you go to 12, like I'll throw Penn State out there. Penn State this year beat West Virginia, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, UMass, Indiana, Maryland, Rutgers, and Michigan State. And their two biggest games of the year, they lost to Ohio State, they lost to Michigan. Do you need to see more of Penn State? I do, because maybe on any given Saturday, they could be Oregon or Washington.

Do they deserve to belong? Not this year, no. No, because it's top 14. But in a 12 team format, are you really begging to see more of them? 12 team playoffs, they deserve to get in. Okay, so how do you think Penn State would fair up against Georgia?

They'd probably lose, but we don't know that. You don't know that. Well, would you agree that Georgia's better than Michigan? Yes.

Okay. And Penn State lost to Michigan, where Michigan threw the ball one time in the second half. Zach, you don't know that until they play the game. Just like when Dallas and Dallas and the Giants, remember the Giants? Dallas beat the Giants two times that year.

And when they got into the playoffs, the Giants got in as a wildcard. In a single elimination, sure, you could win any game. But do you think that team's then going to get hot? And do you think it's likely that Penn State's going to go win a few rounds and win the national championship? They can. No, they can't. James Franklin is 3 and 17 against top 10 teams in his career.

I can guarantee you this, he ain't winning 3 or 4 games in a 12 team playoff, Adrian. Come on. Alrighty, we'll be joined by Yogi Roth next at his Zach Gelb show. Most of us have clothes that we've loved for years, maybe even decades. But it's harder than ever to find clothes that will stand the test of time. So before you update your closet this summer, take a look at American Giant. From hoodies and t-shirts to denim and more, they've got everything you need to build a wardrobe that you'll be proud of for summers to come. American Giant is made in the USA. That ensures that they can deliver items of exceptional quality. But it also creates jobs across the country. You're not just buying clothes that last.

You're helping create a lasting change in the communities where they're made and a connection to the seamsters, cutters, and factory workers who make them. Discover the American Giant difference today. Shop wardrobe essentials that last a lifetime at American-Giant.com. And get 20% off your order when you use code LT23 at checkout. That's 20% off at American-Giant.com.

Promo code LT23. Alrighty, we continue this Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. Let's welcome in my pal Yogi Roth. He does a great job for the Pac-12 Network. Big Pac-12 championship game coming up on Friday. It's been the game of the year so far in college football between Oregon and Washington.

And now we get to see it again between Dan Lanning, Kalen DeBoer, Michael Penix Jr., and also Bo Nix. Yogi, appreciate the time. How you been? I've been great. I've been great, man. Great to hear your voice and see you.

Congrats on the setup and your success and always down to talk football. And this time of year, it's fun because we don't have to like be banging the drum like we've had to at times in the past. I think the whole country recognizes how talented A, Oregon is. Look at the point spread. And then B, what Washington has done, which is no one in the history of the Pac-12 has ever gone undefeated.

We all know the deal. Nine conference games. Nobody's playing Chattanooga in week 11.

They battle and they've earned it. And I think it's not only a playing game for the CFP, but if there's chaos in other conference championship games and Oregon wins this one, who knows? We might be talking about two teams battling and if other teams lose that are probably heavily favored in their respective conference championship game. Well, for the last like 90 minutes of the show, I've been yelling at my producer, Michael Samter, because he's a big fan of this expansion for the college football playoff next year to 12 teams.

And I was at Michigan-Ohio State. I love the do or die element of it that we got to see over the weekend. And I'm annoyed that we're still going to 12.

So let me ask you this just because it's been a major part of the show so far. We all know it's happening next year, but do you think that's the best thing for college football? Yeah, I think any sort of expansion is the best thing for college football.

Number one, I think that with the inequities that are dramatic. I referenced Chattanooga and it's not even jokingly like week 11 games that I think are an embarrassment to the sport. It's a dramatic advantage for teams in the SEC or in the ACC where they play eight conference games to have that type of game. So until like the sport got on some sort of equitable playing field around conference games, home games, road games. Georgia had four games, I think all year where they had to leave the confines of their stadium right in the SEC title game. They're not going to leave the confines of their state. So I just think that you have to expand it, especially when there were five power five leagues.

And now with the transfer portal, I think it makes sense. I have heard a lot of whispers, though, around conference championship games. You know, what's going to happen with those? You know, you look at the world last year, SC, they didn't play in a conference championship game. They would have gone to the playoff right this year. If Washington doesn't play in a conference championship, they're already in in the current model. So what happens with that?

Because I'm with you. It felt like it was a playoff game in the game that you referenced that you were at. Winner advances, loser goes home. I love that as a build up towards, you know, late November, early December.

I'd love to see that. And it'll be interesting to see what happens to these championship games, because right now it's mostly a money grab for a lot of these championship games once you expand the playoff. And let me be clear, Yogi, you're off. Like, I'm OK going to six. I'm OK going to eight. But when we get to that number 12, I just feel as it provides an even softer landing spot for some of these schools where, like Penn State, their two biggest games of the year, Michigan, Ohio State, they could lose. And then they would still get into a 12 team college football playoff in all likelihood.

Yeah, it's a it's a super fair point. And that's why scheduling seems so unique to watch over the course of the next couple of years. I mean, there was a world where at first it was, hey, get me to six wins.

And then when you got into the CFP world that we're in now with four, it was, hey, give me the easiest path. I mean, Bama and Georgia never play each other in the regular season. There's a reason for that right outside of 2020. I think it was a decade ago when they played in the regular season in 2020. There were no noncon games because excuse me, because of the pandemic.

So, yeah, I'm with you, man, in that regard. I mean, but it really is to me an 18 playoff because the top four are going to pass anyway because they're going to get a bye. And I like the idea, especially now, if you look at the lunacy that's happened to Washington State and Oregon State and how unfathomable that was to think about a year ago, a week ago while watching the Apple Cup, per se. And now I think those two teams are well positioned to finish a year at 11 and one, 12 and 0 and be 11, 12 seed and see if they can get some chaos. So I like that part of it versus just the rich getting richer, because that's basically what has happened with these super conferences with pay for play, which is code for NIL. And and I like it. I like that part of it. I think the those of us who still love seeing some upset, some darlings in college football.

This expanded element will allow for that. But I think we'd be kidding ourselves. We didn't think there was going to be another iteration of changes in this sport that we've all grown to love over the next couple of years. I'm glad you brought up Oregon State as Yogi Roth is with us.

Right. They have one of their own as their head coach and Jonathan Smith. And they don't have a conference. And now he's the head coach of Michigan State. I felt as if they if they still had a conference, he would probably still remain there.

I don't fault him for taking the Michigan State job. But what do you say to to the Oregon State fan now who probably feels down in the dumps that they lost one of their own and they don't know what their future is going to look like? Yeah, it's a it's a fluid time. That's for sure. I mean, I think that they do have their conference where they're going to stay with two and then they're going to rebuild it. And I think for some that that's really scary.

For some, that's really exciting. But we all know the reality of what's going on in college football. And Jonathan Smith saw that and decided to take a really good job. I don't know if it's a great job at a really good job and take an opportunity to go build it in a really competitive league versus go do what Chris Peterson did at Boise State, which would be when 11, 12 games every year. And they kind of punch your ticket to the playoff.

And I think that's what I have continually and will continue to say to Oregon State fans to answer your question of you for the next two years. Everything I know is you've got a good amount of money coming in more than some Power Five teams are going to be making on their own respective TV deals. So you're going to be able to fund collectives. You're going to be able to fund coaches. You're going to be able to fund all the things that made you a quote unquote Power Five team. And you're going to be able to win. We saw inklings of a schedule earlier today that came out and the Sports Illustrated is one of the first to report it. You know, they're going to have some crossover games with the Mountain West and then we'll see as they slowly piece together the logo that has a ton of brand equity, which is the Pac 12 logo, of course.

And what that becomes in three or four years, I don't know. But to those fans, I always ask, like, what matters most? And if it's winning, I think you're in a really good position to go win. Now, you're not going to be able to play some of the games that we've been accustomed to watching.

Right. That's what the Pac 12 was so unique for. You played Arizona, you played Washington, you played USC, UCLA, you know, all the teams that we've grown to love and teams that Oregon State have beaten over the course of the last couple of years and put themselves in a position to be on the doorstep of a title game the last three seasons. So I think it hasn't been fun up there by any stretch of the imagination.

Same thing in Pullman. But I think both programs are really healthy when you start looking at the group of five and those teams, they're going to have to play. And I think if winning is what matters, you have a chance to go to a playoff, probably a better chance to go than a lot of these other teams that just hired head coaches.

Right. I'd say Oregon State next year, are they going to the playoff or is A&M going? I'd say, well, if Oregon State can keep some of their roster together, Damian Martinez, their best player, one of the best running backs in America. And that's earlier.

He's coming back. They got a better chance to be an eleven twelve seed than a rebuild in a reloaded SEC, for instance. Yeah, it's an interesting point, because in a twelve team format, here's what I fear that like the SEC, because of their brand and because of what it means to college football. Now, you could have similar resumes, maybe A&M and Oregon State and the brand of A&M would get in over Oregon State.

Yeah, that'll be interesting to track. I mean, I get to present to the CFP committee every couple of weeks. We'll do it again later this week. I've done it the last handful of years on behalf of the practical conference, along with our commissioner.

It was first Larry Scott, now George Klyavkov, along with Martin Hanks, Jim Thornby, other people within our within our league. And you go present and you give context in your best case. And it'd be curious to see what they do in that regard, because they've always said the games matter. I think that there's always going to be a world for one or two of those at large bids to be a group of fives. I think we all look at that and say, sure.

Yes. If A&M had a month off and if UNLV had a month off, sure, we'd give A&M. But that's not reality. And that's the position that the committee is in that's really unique because they're humans, right? This isn't the computer system that created the Mountain West Conference championship game, for instance. These are human beings that have to evaluate for best today or for best bodies of work or for best if you give them a month off or for best if you evaluate recruiting classes.

Like those things are going to be really fascinating to track over the course of, heck, the next few days, let alone the next couple of weeks. But my gut says that there's always going to be one or two slots saved for one of those teams versus what you reference. And LSU, it would be that team this year over an Oregon state, for instance.

So we'll see. But I think that those those schools that have been left outside looking in and what's happened in unfortunately in realignment, I think if you're the best one or one of the top two of those, you'll find your way in. That's why I do enjoy the 12 team playoff where we sit today. Well, the most fascinating part about the game's mattering, we'll see how true that is. If, let's just say, Alabama beat Georgia in the SEC title game and then you see Texas win the Big 12 championship, if it came down to that, Alabama and Texas. Well, Texas beat Alabama by 10 points. And that's going to be the fascinating part in this final installment of the 14 playoff if they would put Texas in over Alabama. Yeah, I hope they would, to be blunt. I mean, look, we when we talk to the committee, we're very clear because I think when you looked at the last couple of weeks of the rankings, when Florida State and Louisville were higher than teams in the Pac-12 or Iowa was higher than Arizona, you're saying like, what?

What do you what are you watching? Like what is happening in that regard? I'd be curious to see what the committee decides, because I think there is a world where head to head, of course, matters. Conference, conference championship matters.

Those are the first two things that they look to the cluster of decision makers when it's tight. So that would lean towards Texas. I think we can't ignore that Alabama is a different team, right? They were rotating quarterbacks from that game for the next couple of weeks, then finally came back to where they started with their starting QB.

So I don't know what they would do. What I hope doesn't happen is the committee say, well, Alabama beat Georgia. And well, of course, Georgia's in because they've won the last two. And I would say, hey, coming from a guy out here who studied the West Coast for the last 20 years I've been in this league, man, this league has never been as deep as it is. It's never been as talented at the top in the middle towards the bottom. I mean, that's the shame. Why it's going away.

It's been phenomenal. That's why I know that that's a whole other conversation that I'm happy to have. But I think when it comes to the playoff, if the committee sits there and says, well, Bama beat Georgia in a great game, let's put them both in.

I would say, what's the game? What's the point of conference championships? It's the same thing why Ohio State season is done in terms of the playoff.

There's no chance in my eyes they get in, no matter even if there is chaos. We're going to have one loss conference champions or even a two loss possible conference champion that to me should get in because this extra week matters. So I'd be really curious to watch how it shakes out, because I do think if there's two teams from a league, the best case is if Oregon beats UW in a thriller.

Let's just say it's a walk off field goal. And you look at a team that went unscathed in the most in one of the most challenging schedules in the country, more challenging than anybody else who's in the conversation right now for the college football playoff berth. And you sit there and you say, oh, yeah, it kind of makes sense versus put in Georgia's because they lost in their title game based on what they did the last two years. Fact or fiction, Yogi Roth, the winner of the Pac-12 championship game will also have the winner of the Heisman Trophy in a few weeks. I think so. I'd say that would be fact. I do not I think with with every morsel of my body, if you're a Heisman voter and you have already voted or you plan on voting prior to kickoff on Friday or you're an idiot snap on Saturday.

Well, I don't want to attack anybody's character. You could say that, but I'll say you should lose your vote. I said that to the Heisman Trust. I've said that every year I go to the Heisman. I'll be in New York City again next week for covering.

It's just irresponsible. I'm a huge Jane Daniels fan. He was in the Pac-12. I met him when he was 16 at the Elite Eleven. He had an incredible year, statistically was phenomenal. But the definition of the award is excellence with integrity. The athlete who pursues excellence with integrity and the excellence is the part that in this year with an undefeated Michael Panics Jr. and a one loss Bo Nix, that's different than multiple losses.

And that's just the reality of the award, because this isn't to me. I understand his numbers are bonkers, but the SEC is down compared to what it's been in the past. And B, it's not the same year like it was when Johnny Manziel won or RG31, when the stats were so overwhelmingly in one person's favor. And it didn't matter if they won. I look at this and I say winning matters. And I say going through the gauntlet of nine conference games matters and having to compete against the team twice in a championship environment matters. And you look at what Bo Nix has done.

It's been masterful. I think he's got a slight edge heading into the title game. But what Michael Panics Jr. has done numerous times this year is he's had Heisman moments in terms of winning games. He's the one who called the audible and threw it to Roma Dunes, a that ended up beating Oregon. He's the one who threw the game winner on the road against Oregon State.

He's the one that called the audible to win the Apple Cup on the end around. I mean, he's the one that stood in the pocket and took a shot like he's he's done those things, whereas Bo Nix, they've been rolling team. So he hasn't had his moment. And I think Friday night, both of them will.

I'm not a fan of moments winning this award. I think it's the totality of the season is what should matter. But every voter is different.

So knowing that most voters will watch Friday night and probably make their vote based on that, I say just at least wait. Because what you did, what you did as a voter, not you specifically, man, but the voters did to Christian McCaffrey was criminal years ago. Absolutely criminal when I think it was 15 percent of the vote was already sent in prior to him running for a Pac 12 championship game record in terms of rushing yards, total yards, all purpose yards, let alone breaking Barry Sanders, a longtime record of all purpose yards. I mean, it was it was robbery to me when it came to the Heisman. I'm not taking away from any anybody else who was at the finals that year. I was there.

I stood there and watched it. But Christian had the greatest season in the history of a running back in the history of the sport. And I believe he lost it because the voters voted early versus actually doing their homework and watching. Last thing I'll ask you about a minute left here with Yogi Roth. How do you think we're talking about Deion Sanders next season after your two at Colorado going back to the Big 12? I think it's really easy to pile on Coach Prime. And I don't think it's it's fair to where that program was. They were one of the top three worst teams I'd seen in my career a year ago. They really struggled. They had to flip that roster. They did.

I get it. Same amount of conference wins a year later. But the margin of losing was dramatically different.

I mean, this team was dramatically more competitive. They're going to be better. They're going to a league that isn't nearly as competitive as the Pac-12 was this year. So they'll have their chance.

Sure. Sanders, I'm imagining he's returning. They're bringing back Travis Hunter. I don't think they're going to go and get the 12 seed in the playoff. I don't think they're going to win the Big 12, but they should go to a bowl next year.

And it's going to take a little bit of time. I still think you've got to develop a culture. And there's a reason why the teams that are all in the top six right now in the CFP majority of their rosters, especially on the defensive and offensive fronts, have been there since high school. And I think that's still what wins championship championships. You know, you got to be winning in the trenches.

You got to develop a culture over the over a period of time. He had to flip that thing quickly. I think he did an admirable job in year one. It was crazy in September because they took over college football. And now it's easy to pile on. But I like where they sit. I think he'll make the right changes on his staff.

I think they'll get enough players in there to ideally, I'd imagine, get to a bowl game next year. Yogi Roth, always great to catch up with you. Appreciate the time. Always enjoy the insight. Anytime, Zach.

Holler at me anytime. You got it. There he is. Yogi Roth joining us on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. Really fun conversation as the Pac-12 championship game will conclude on Friday. And I can't wait for that one between Michael Penix and Bo Nix. And Dan Lanning will join us on the show coming up on Thursday. Well, come on back.

Let's take a break, though, first. Here's the latest CBS Sports Radio update with the act man, Rich Ackerman. Time for your Daily News Brief. We get you caught up on the rumors, reports and reconnaissance from the day in sports. This portion of the show is brought to you by Wesley Financial, stuck in a timeshare and want out.

Contact us at Financial Group now and get a free timeshare exit information kit at WesleyFinancialGroup.com. Let's go to Kevin O'Connell, the coach of the Minnesota Vikings on their current QB situation, with Josh Dobbs playing back-to-back games that did not go their way. We're going to take a look, you know, really evaluate, you know, the inventory of plays now we have of Josh. We got healthy. We got Jerram back, you know, available to us.

And then Nick Mullins is available as well. That team was 6-4, and you probably thought they'd beat Denver, you probably thought they'd beat Chicago, and somehow, someway they'd be sitting at 8-4. Now they're 6-6. With the final five games on their schedules, they're about to enter a bye week.

Raiders, Bengals, Detroit Green Bay and Detroit. You probably got to get three more victories to make the playoffs. You should beat the Raiders, but the Raiders we know can sometimes score some points, at least for half.

Bengals don't have a quarterback, but neither do you. And you play the Lions twice, at best you maybe win one, and Green Bay is starting to trend in the right direction. So a few weeks ago, it's funny how the Vikings go. To start the year, up, they're disappointed and they got no shot.

Then, they go on this four or five game win streak, and it's like, up, here they come, they're back. And now it's, eh, I don't know what to make. This is going to be a rollercoaster ride with Josh Dobbs. It's been a good story, but he shows you why he's not a starting quarterback for an entire season. Here is Joe Buck and Troy Aikman at the end of this Vikings-Bears game last night, which was a dreadful football game to watch.

The only reason you enjoyed watching it because it was so bad that it made it somewhat entertaining. But let's listen to the end, courtesy of ESPN. Madison laterals, Osbourne back in control. Dobbs has got it. This looks like a forward pass, and an illegal forward pass at that, but we're going to keep playing. Yeah, this is entertaining.

It's not going to count, but keep it rolling. And with Benny Hill music playing in the background, this game is over, thankfully. Thankfully is right. And I love when you're an announcer, and you make that much money as Troy Aikman made, probably more in his, definitely more in his announcing career than his playing career, just because of how much money these announcers make now, and how the quarterbacks just get paid a ridiculous money now, but not back then. And he just said, thankfully we all get to go home. And I think he spoke for many people. Here is Hassan Redick on the 49ers talking after the NFC title game how much they would have kicked the Eagles' ass if they would have had a quarterback.

This courtesy of KYW Newsradio. Talk is cheap. You know, they get to come back in the link. It was a lot of boo-hoos last year, a lot of crying, a lot of what if, a lot of this, a lot of that. They get a chance to come back in here, line that s*** up and prove it again. So this is not a traditional rivalry, but right now it could be the best rivalry in the NFL. And I don't know if it's going to continue that way, but what I mean by a rivalry, there's something as we say something is a rivalry and the teams don't hate one another. These two teams hate one another. Deebo Samuel called James Bradbury trash so they would have beat the Eagles by 20 points if Brock Purdy didn't get hurt. Then hangs up the phone on me when I asked them about it over the summer, and you've had both of these teams just going back and forth at one another, and then we get to see them line up in all places, Philadelphia on Sunday.

Oh, I can't wait for that one. Here is Aaron Rodgers on the Pat McAfee Show, and he was asked what factors into his return this year. It's always been, first, am I healthy? And then, are we alive? Are we in it? Are we playing good enough to make a run? Can I step in and protect myself and play at the level that I feel like I'm capable of playing? But the first part is to help.

Okay, this I think they'll probably handle it. I don't hear any of that stuff. I've been here for 24 years and this is where I want to continue to be. I enjoy being the coach of the New England Patriots. Listen up. Even some national media members, Dan Orlovsky being one of them, saying that you already have another destination set in place for next season. Do you have any comments on that? I'm sure it's annoying to hear your name and headlines when it comes to you specific while you're focused on this team.

Yeah, that's ridiculous. Can you ever imagine yourself coaching anywhere else? I'm just going to do the best job I can right now. Obviously, I need to do better.

Man. So, him just saying that's ridiculous. Okay, you could read into that.

But then the second part of that answer, I'm just trying to do the best job right now and obviously I need to do better. That doesn't mean that he's definitely coming back next year. So, I still believe Belichick is away from the Patriots after this year and he'll land somewhere else. Let's go to David Tepper on not being patient with coaches.

Now, this is the third head coach that he's fired all in season since being the head honcho, the owner of the Carolina Panthers. I do have patience. My reputation away from this game is one for extreme patience. You know, there's no reason why that doesn't come here too.

It does. Now, that patience comes with good performance and things that you want to see progress be made on different aspects. I would like to have somebody here for 20, 30 years. I'd like to have somebody that would say eulogy at my funeral in 30 years. Okay, maybe it's 40 years, I hope. But that's what I'd like to have. Well, you don't have the patience for any coach to want to work with you for 30 years.

I can guarantee you that. But isn't it very ironic? And I'm not saying Frank Reich didn't deserve to get fired.

Frank Reich wasn't the right choice. I said that from the start. But it is ironic to me that you fired a coach after 11 games, and then you're basically saying, oh, because my business world, I have patience. That means I have patience here. He's 11 games into his tenure as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, and you fire him. You don't have patience. You may have patience in the business world. You don't have patience in the NFL. All right, that's a news brief for this Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio.

Man, those two hours really did fly by. We'll take a break here. When we come on back, we'll get back into the college football conversation.

We will move off of the expansion, and we'll work on what we have to deal with right in front of us. I got a nice little what-if scenario about what transpires during this weekend in college football. Hey, yesterday Greg McElroy, who attended Alabama, was on this show. He said he believes if it came down to Texas and Alabama, Texas would get in. Yogi Roth today, who talked to the college football playoff committee, would like to think that head-to-head does matter, but will it? If it comes down to Texas and Alabama, Texas beat Alabama back in week two by 10 points in Tuscaloosa. Alabama, let's say this weekend, beat Georgia in the SEC title game.

Would the committee leave out Alabama one loss SEC champion for a one loss Big 12 champion in Texas? We'll discuss next Zach Gelb show, but where else? CBS Sports Radio. Well, well, well, shopping for a car? Yep. Carvana made financing a car as smooth as can be.

Oh yeah? I got pre-qualified instantly and had real terms personalized just for me. Doesn't get much smoother than that. Well, I got to browse thousands of car options on Carvana, all within my budget. Doesn't get much smoother than that. It does. I actually wanted a car that seemed out of my range, but I was able to add a co-signer and found my dream car. It doesn't get much- Oh, it gets smoother. It's getting delivered tomorrow. Visit Carvana.com or download the app to get pre-qualified today.