We Know The Cowboys' Ceiling (Hour 1)

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Yep, Graybar does that. Live from the palatial yet not overly ostentatious studios of CBS Sports Radio here in beautiful New York City, sitting on top of the 10th floor of 345 Hudson Street, welcome on in to a big football Friday edition of the Zach Gelb show across all the great local CBS Sports Radio affiliates, Sirius XM, Channel 158, the free Odyssey app, and of course, streaming on YouTube. 855-212-4CBS is numbered to jump on and 855-212-4227. You could always get at me on Instagram where I'm straight flexing or via the good old cesspool of Twitter at Zach Gelb.

That's Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. We got Sargent Ortiz and also Stuart Kovacs along the other way and we're rocking and rolling all the way up until 6 p.m. Eastern, 3 p.m. Pacific, former college quarterback and also baseball player to Josh Booty, Friends of Show. Going to stop by 40 minutes from now. As we have a loaded show for you today, a lot going on in the NFL. We have to continue to preview the San Francisco 49ers going up against the Philadelphia Eagles. We got a conference championship game tonight that you actually care about between the Oregon Ducks and the Washington Huskies. That's been the game of the season so far in college football where Washington was able to edge out Oregon by three points after Oregon missed the field goal towards the end of the game. When it looked like we were going to get overtime so you'll see that big time rematch tonight. I think the Heisman Trophy is on the line as Kalen DeBoer's squad goes up against Dan Lanning's squad with their two Heisman Trophy looking quarterbacks in Michael Penix and Bo Nix. We'll go through all the conference championship games today.

We'll go through a bunch in the NFL with NFL picks coming up in the final hour of the show before we do say goodbye to you on this very busy football Friday. But we got to start with the drama Dallas last night not choking Cowboys and Dallas tried to blow that game at the end. But that was just incompetence really by both coaching staffs. I thought this was going to be a high scoring game. I thought the Cowboys as I said yesterday we're going to win the game. I had the Cowboys by four points. But you look back at that game last night it kind of shows you what you knew going into this game. Dallas was not going to blow out a Seattle team even though the spread was ridiculous at one point at like nine, nine and a half.

The fact that the Cowboys are a nine and a half point team when they can't find a way to beat really good teams and all they have done this year has beat up on bad teams. I thought that was disrespectful to Seattle who has hit a little bit of a down period but you knew with Geno Smith getting healthier that the Seahawks were going to have something in the tank last night and they almost pulled out the victory. But as the game did go on when you asked Geno Smith who played a good game and Dak Prescott who played a good game right. But when you ask someone like Geno Smith to go make a big play I'm just not going to believe in him to find a way to get the job done in a big moment and he had two moments at the end of the at the end of the game to go march his team down the field and go win that game for the Seattle Seahawks. And you look back at some of the play calling it was on that fourth down and four when Geno Smith had an incomplete pass it was deep to Jackson Smith and Jigba and like one of those moments where you know you take a deep shot there.

When the quick passing game has been registering when the quick passing game has been working it didn't make any sense to me why they elected to take a deep shot in that situation. But then Cowboys when you look at them with the field goal the Dallas approach when they were going to take a field goal it was on third down you throw the football but then on fourth down you take the field goal which I didn't get that. You know you could have this thing moving you could keep that clock moving and on third down you elect to go take the kill shot third and three at Seattle's 14 like go run the ball there and maybe you get the first down.

But if you don't at least you're going to allow that time to tick on down. And once that time ticks on down you could either take the field goal later or go for it once again. It made no sense to me why in that moment last night when Mike McCarthy says we're going to be aggressive with 152 remaining in the game we're going to be aggressive and we're going to throw the ball and then on fourth down you take the field goal. I don't hate it being a six point game. But at that point Seattle is is at a time out.

They just took their time out. So run the ball. And then you could eat more clock off and chew more clock off or you go for it or then kick the field goal. So I thought that was a backwards decision by Mike McCarthy especially when it's only three yards away from getting a first down. And then on the last play of the game when it is fourth and two I know Micah Parsons is a stud but you got to find a way to at least get a decent pass attempt off.

And the moment Micah Parsons saw Geno Smith Geno is just like up. I got to throw it. And it was almost as if he was throwing the ball away. And also in that game too the other thing that I did not like and this is when the game really started to turn because Dallas was down by five it looked like Dallas was going to struggle and limp to the finish line and let's see if they could even get there. The other play calling I did not like it was what they got to be like about seven minutes left.

Yeah it was 7 0 4. It's fourth and one at Dallas is forty six. I have no problem with the Seattle Seahawks going for it there.

You got to go for it up five. But as I said earlier the short passing game for the Seahawks which Geno Smith was working to a tee. He was getting that ball out really quickly and it made no sense to me there why they would run the ball and fourth and one with Zach Charbonnet and Dexter Lawrence made a heck of a play. Give him credit. Demarcus Lawrence made a heck of a play. Give him credit. And he blew up that offensive line and he ate up Charbonnet but on fourth and one there.

He's going to run it. This may sound stupid but why wouldn't you line DK Metcalfe up under center and do the damn tush push. And I don't think DK Metcalfe honestly needs anybody else the way that he was running through that Cowboys defense to push him to get the first down. But in that moment I thought you needed to use the mobility of your quarterback like if you want me to give you my serious analysis you should have had Geno Smith with the ability to quickly throw the ball or tuck it and run. But fourth and one with Charbonnet they're running the ball. I just did not like it in that moment.

Right decision to go for it. Wrong play call. So really the final seven to eight minutes of that game was not coaching 1 0 1. If you are a young aspiring up and coming coach and the irony is you had two really good coaches last night. Pete Carroll's going to the Hall of Fame. Mike McCarthy is underappreciated. But both of those coaches in the final seven to eight minutes and they have coordinators and things like that that make some of the decisions I'm talking about.

But neither of them really step up and found a way to go control the game and show that they belong in the wing column. But give credit to the Cowboys. Dallas goes to nine and three. You know let's give a little golf clap to the Dallas Cowboys.

They finally beat a team that currently sits at 500 or above. So that's a good win for Dallas. But ultimately when we look at the Dallas Cowboys I think last night even further shows even in a win. Why my analysis about the Dallas Cowboys has been right all throughout the season. People say I'm a cowboy hater.

I'm just realistic. I told you all year the Cowboys are going to win 12 or 13 games. The Cowboys are going to look like a good team. But there's a big difference in this league from being a good team and from being a great team. And if anyone last night believes when they walk away from that game thinking that the Dallas Cowboys are going to be a great team.

I just don't know what you're watching. And this is a year where there's not a lot of great teams in the NFL. But we know two great teams play this weekend. That's the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers. And I don't think I need to remind Cowboys fans you lost to the Eagles and you lost to the 49ers.

And ultimately as this continues to move closer and closer to January football being the first day of December. The Dallas Cowboys will do what they did last year. They will go up against the NFC South champion which will be some dog awful team. Some garbage team a team that's probably eight and nine.

It may even be the Atlanta Falcons or it's going to be the New Orleans Saints. And whether you're going into Atlanta or you're going into New Orleans Dallas will beat the snot out of either the Saints or either the Falcons because that's what Dallas does. Against the mediocre.

Against the below average. Against the bad teams. Dallas finds a way to look like they're the greatest football team we've ever seen. But you saw it last night just when the intensity picks up a little bit and the Seahawks are the farthest thing from a great team. Now the Seahawks are like a good team a solid team. You know there's sometimes you say there's good teams like oh yeah they're a good team. But Seattle is like a solid football team.

They got some playmakers Tyler Lockett Jackson Smith and Jigba DK Metcalf who's just dominant they have a nice secondary as well. But even saw it last night when you go up against the slightly better teams Dallas does not look great. And yes Dallas takes the victory but ultimately you'll go up against the elite teams and come NFC divisional round weekend either the 49ers or the Eagles will be the opponent. And I know that the Cowboys have played well up against the Eagles but playing well isn't what gets you to the next round of the playoffs. Because the Cowboys earlier this year played well up against the Philadelphia Eagles and Cowboys fans talk about that game as if they won. But ultimately they lost that game. And then up against the 49ers who they are just scared blipless about. They like at least the last two years in the playoffs they were in the game they were competitive. This year in the regular season the Cowboys look like the Comac football JV 9 team going up against the San Francisco 49ers. So for Dallas last night yes it's a win.

Yes you take it. Yes Dak Prescott's playing some really solid football. Yes Bland gets another interception after getting torched in the first half.

Micah Parsons who is amazing saves the game at the end of the day. But I don't think you could walk away from that game last night and you're saying yippee yi yi yi yi and you're like up here comes the Dallas Cowboys up the Cowboys are great. And I know some of you cockroach Cowboys fans and I say that in jest because there's some Dallas Cowboys fans that listen to this show that I like.

But then there is a good portion of you cockroach fans that you go right to my Twitter mentions you slide right into my Instagram DMS and you say a lot of hurtful things that I don't appreciate. But you're fooling yourself if you actually believe that this Cowboys team is going to do something that they haven't done since 1995. I might even go to the big prize the Super Bowl get to an NFC title game. I don't think those things are happening. You are seeing a ceiling once again with this Cowboys team and that ceiling is looking like you're the hot girl at the dance looking like everyone's going to come after you. You know you'll talk to someone that's a five or six but then when the actual good looking people come into that dance you go home it's time for you to call a cab it's time for you to put your head in the pillow and go to sleep and you'll be lonely. Because that's what's going to happen with the Cowboys.

We see this script all the time. Three years ago you go up against the Niners. You couldn't even get the snap off at the end of the game. Last year you beat Tom Brady. Yeah Tom Brady when he was quarterbacking an 8-9 team. And then the next week you go up against the 49ers defense gives you a championship effort and then Dak Prescott is playing good football this year. But Dak Prescott choked last year. Fumbles interceptions.

Oh it was ugly. And then this year it's going to happen again. Saints they won't be the answer. Falcons they won't be the answer. Dallas will get like a nice I don't know 35 to 14 victory on wild card weekend and then you'll either be going to Philadelphia or you'll be going to Santa Clara. And you know how it probably plays out. It'll be a close game.

Right. It'll be a good game. But in the final few minutes the Cowboys will do what they do best. And that's choke and not advance to an NFC title game.

So here's a simple poll question today because I'm curious where the pulse of the people are at right now. The Dallas Cowboys at the end of the season will do what. Will they lose in the wild card round. Will they lose in the divisional round. Will they lose in the NFC title game or will they be in the Super Bowl. Early returns right now 10 percent say losing the NFC title game 11 percent say make the Super Bowl 27 percent say lose on wild card weekend and an overwhelming 52 percent say Zach killed.

You're right. They're going to lose in the divisional round of the playoffs. What say you 8 5 5 2 1 2 4 CBS 8 5 5 2 1 2 42 27 Cowboys fans.

I want to hear from you today. I really want to know where your confidence is at with this football team. They're 9 and 3. They're doing it again where they're going to have a double digit win season. Their records going to say they're a really damn good team. But do you believe you have enough this year to go to an NFC title game. Do you think you have enough this year to go to a Super Bowl. Because whether you do or don't I don't think this team is getting past the second round of the postseason 8 5 5 2 1 2 4 CBS 8 5 5 2 1 2 42 27. We'll take a break.

Come on back. We'll do a little onside offsides Josh booty still to come in about 20 25 minutes from now off and running very very busy football Friday edition of the Zach Yelp show. But where else CBS Sports introducing Carvana value tracker where you can track your car's value over time and learn what's driving it. It might make you excited. Whoa didn't know my car was valued this high. It might make you nervous. Oh markets flooded my car's value just dipped two point three percent. It might make you optimistic. I low mileage is paying off our values up and it might make you realistic car prices haven't gone up in a couple of weeks.

Maybe it's time to sell but it will definitely make you an expert on your car's value Carvana value tracker visit Carvana dot com to start tracking your car's value today. Cowboys fans I want to hear from you 8 5 5 2 1 2 4 CBS 8 5 5 2 1 2 42 27 even with the win last night. I think it's happening again where your team's going to win double digit games get twelve thirteen wins and then come playoff time.

They may be able to get one victory against some crappy NFC South team, but I don't think you're getting to so the poll question today at Zach Yelp at CBS Sports radio the Dallas Cowboys will lose on wild card weekend losing the divisional round lose the NFC title game or make the Super Bowl. Let's start it off in Oklahoma. Gary is first up on CBS Sports radio Gary with shaking Good Friday to you. How are you doing doing? Great. What do you got for me? All right, Gary cell phone is just like the Dallas Cowboys in a big game.

It's a non-existent that cell phone connection. Let's go to hung in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Next up on CBS Sports radio hung what's happening? Alrighty hung do we got you there?

We do not. This is a wonderful start. You know, you asked for all these Cowboys fans and then I don't know where the heck they did go. Let's go to Steve in New York next up on CBS Sports radio Steve. Go ahead. All right. So how you doing today doing great Steve?

What do you got for me? All right, so I am a disgruntled 51 year old Cowboys fan. I've lived through the good I've lived through the bad coming into this season.

You know what? I can't I can't agree with you more that they're going to come in win 13 game and then blow it at the end and so far they prove that because they've lost to the good team just yet. The only thing that gives me a little hope this year that I think Jack is playing at a much better level that he has in the past. He hasn't made the big mistakes and I just I wouldn't be surprised they go and they get blown out of the business around but I do have a little hope that Dak is going to take us through that next level.

What do you think? Yeah, I just can't see it against an elite team like in the two biggest games of the year against the 49ers the entire team didn't show up. So I can't crush Dak for that but he's a part of that and up against the Eagles Steve he played well, but with the game on the line, he had the ball at the six and then he took his final snap at the 27. So he went the wrong way and when I when I look for a franchise quarterback, and I'm not saying that Dak is a bad quarterback. I think Dak's a really good quarterback. But when I say franchise quarterback, I got to have so much confidence that my guy is going to make the the throw on third down regardless of the distance and with two minutes left he's going to find a way to get the job done.

And against a big time opponent like San Francisco or Philadelphia. I just don't have that feeling that says to my to my brain. Okay, this guy's going to get the job done. I can't argue with you, but I'm hoping he's a little better.

Well, that's all you got Steve. All you got is hope and you could keep on hoping I keep on hoping one day that I'm going to go on a nice date with Beyonce and so far Beyonce has never said Zach. I want to go on that date with you and it doesn't make me feel all that. Well, let's go to Cliff and Erie, Pennsylvania next up on CBS Sports Radio Cliff. What's shaking?

Hey, how you doing young man doing great Cliff. Hey, listen, I'm thinking the Cowboys are going to make it to the NFC Championship game. Will they fumble the ball then? Most likely, but just the fact that we're having this conversation that the Cowboys could make the NFC champion champion with you. And I'm excited just to hear you talk in Cowboy football. I live here in PA and hearing the Cowboys on the radio every other day.

Whatever I love it. So yes, we get to the championship game. We probably get beat but the last caller said it. Well hope at the end of the year, whoever is the healthiest.

Whoever is that we could talk all day. Whoever is the healthiest at the end of the year, then we might have a little hope. But why is this year different from last year because last year you guys had that hope and I'll even be completely transparent with you Cliff last year and I rarely pick the Cowboys last year. I actually thought the Cowboys are going to be in the NFC title game. I thought they were going to beat the 49ers and go into Philadelphia and lose to the Eagles in the NFC title game and your guy Dak Prescott.

But he had no hope for that prediction becoming true last year because he was brutal in that game up against the 49ers. Hey man, I hear you, but I got one thing. Big Mike. Big Mike is calling the calls. He's calling the plays.

Wait, wait, wait, wait. Cliff, Cliff, the same Big Mike that you Cowboys fans have wanted to be fired the last two years when he's won back-to-back 12 win seasons. That same Big Mike? No, I did not want Mike fired. I wanted Mike. Hey, give him a chance, man.

Give him a chance. I like McCarthy. I think McCarthy's an underrated coach. I think he gets unfairly treated. Last night I didn't like some of the management at the end of the game, but I'm a fan of Pete Cowan.

I thought his management at the end of the game was poorly too. So, appreciate the phone call. Let's take one more. Let's go to Mark in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania next up on the Zach Gelb show.

Mark, what do you got for me? Hey Zach, I'm a long time Cowboys fan. I'm a glass half empty guy though. I'm a pessimist.

I'm with you. We probably lose in the divisional round. I just don't see it with this team. We're not real sound.

I don't seem totally prepared. We kind of just rely on skill at times. You see what DK Metcalf did last night?

Yeah, he was awesome. He had three touchdowns in the game and at the end of the half, it was typical Cowboys where how many times are the refs going to have a flag that would take the touchdown off the border? You had a reversal on the review and then I know there was a flag too. And I knew the refs were bad last night, Mark, but how many times are the Cowboys going to line up offsides? It felt like every other play it was encroachment on the Cowboys.

Exactly. What I'm saying is San Francisco has that dude. They have Cebo, AJ Green in Philadelphia. Those guys are going to have huge days. We got exposed last night, you know, and everybody saw it. Again, I go back to the Tom Landry era.

I'm an old guy. I love the Cowboys. I root for them all the time. I'm never jumping off the bandwagon, but I just, they just don't seem to have that extra thing that you saw with the Johnson team. They don't have a clutch gene.

That's the thing, Mark. This Cowboys team has a lot of talent. It's Stefan Gilmore, former defensive player of the year. I know he's a little bit up there in age, but he's still a good football player. I know Daron Bland was burnt like toast last night in the first half, but this dude has the most pick sixes in one season in the history of the league and he got not a pick six last night, but an interception. You know, you have Lawrence who's still a dominant defensive player.

Michael Parsons is one of the best defensive players in the league. On the offensive side of the ball, Tony Pollard is a solid NFL running back. Cd Lamb is a stud wide receiver. Dak Prescott is a good quarterback. Brandon Cooks is a nice complimentary piece in the passing game.

So is Michael Gallup. There's talent here with Dallas, but when you get into a big game, I just don't expect them to beat the elite. And you look at their schedule this year, they annihilated the Giants. The Giants stink.

They did that twice. They beat up on the Jets. The Jets stink. They lost to the Cardinals who only have what? Two wins on the season. They beat the Patriots. Anyone can beat the Patriots right now besides the Jets. You lose to the 49ers.

Even show up, it was 42 to 10. You beat the Chargers by three. You're a better version of the Chargers. The Rams 43 to 20.

The Rams aren't any good. You lose to Philadelphia in a close one 28 to 23. You smack the Panthers.

You smack the commanders. And against a team that is slightly better than the competition that you were playing outside of the 49ers and outside of the Eagles, Seattle is a close game. So it's a win. You take a win.

You never go, ah, it's a win. We shouldn't appreciate the win. Even the games that I'm saying, you beat up on bad teams, everyone loves a stress-free football Sunday. But let's not complicate that and let's not misconstrue those performances in thinking that when they go up against Kansas City or when they go up against the Ravens if they got to a Super Bowl or in just the same conference, Philadelphia, the 49ers, that they're going to get the job done.

Because you've seen it now two ways this year. Against maybe the two best teams in football, definitely the two best teams in the NFC. Against the 49ers, you saw it one way. They got blown out.

They got embarrassed. They got destroyed against the Niners. And then against the Eagles, even when they go into a tough environment like South Philadelphia and they play a good game, it still wasn't good enough to beat the Eagles. So Dallas is a good team.

And that's why I think I say this each and every day on this show. There's a difference between a good team and a great team. Now everyone just goes, everyone's the GOAT. And we try to make good people or good players or good teams as like the greatest teams. The Cowboys are a solid team. The Cowboys are a good team. But they're not elite. They're not great.

And they're not clutch. 855-212-4CBS, 855-212-4227. Let me go to Adrian in Maryland next up with Zach Galba on CBS Sports Radio. Yo, Adrian! What's up, buddy? What do you got for me, Adrian?

Go ahead. One thing I just have to say, my son came up to me last night, okay? And he said, we won this game, but guess what the media is going to say? They're going to say, oh, it was the Seattle Seahawks. That's all it was. They weren't a good team.

And that's what you get. But when Philly struggles against the Washington Panthers, two games where they probably should have lost those games, nobody had any problem with that. All they said is, oh, that was a good win. Good team pulled those games out.

But you realize the difference, Adrian, right? The Eagles get the benefit of the doubt. The Eagles a few years ago won a Super Bowl. The Eagles last year got to a Super Bowl. You guys haven't been to an NFC title game, let alone a Super Bowl since the 1995 season. I understand that.

I understand that. But you got to give us some credit for getting our five Super Bowls and going back to back and then getting another Super Bowl after the year after that. But what does that have to do now with 2023? That would be me like a Patriot fan saying, oh, excuse the Patriots for their terrible season this year because they won six Super Bowls and dominated the NFL for 20 years. There's nothing to do with 2023. Okay, so so let me ask you this. I could be one thing of us in a four or five year radius. We're not years removed here.

Exactly. You're saying you got elite teams right in the NFC. I think you got three teams that can win the Super Bowl or get to the Super Bowl in the NFC. Why can't the Cowboys be one of those? Because it's only two teams. It's the Eagles and it's the 49ers. The Cowboys can beat the Eagles. Did they not beat them this year? No, they didn't. But they beat them last year. And don't give me that Minshew stuff because that didn't play in the first game.

That's fine. But we're talking about this year. This year you played maybe your best game of the season up against the Eagles. You guys were good up against the Eagles and it still wasn't good enough to get a victory. This is what I don't get with you Cowboys fans, Adrian.

You're not the only one that does this. Oh, we played well up against Philly. You're past the point of playing well. Go win the damn game. I'm not with the moral victories.

I understand that. You just were. Last night McCarthy made a stupid mistake with not running that ball with 152.

I even said it. I said, I hope they lose the game because of the dumb mistakes and then he gets ridiculed. But if Philly comes into Dallas next week and we beat Philly, what's going to be the notion then? It'd be a good victory for you guys. I would say you guys are making progress. It means we can't win in the, we won't be able to win, beat them in the playoffs. I won't say you guys could win in the playoffs until you win in the playoffs.

Yeah. And I'm not even saying get to a Superbowl, get to an NFC title game, get to an NFC title game, and then I will get on the radio and I will say, we can no longer say the Cowboys are just a good team. We'll call them a great team. You promise it? Yeah, Adrian, I never hide. My teams win, I show up, my teams lose, I show up, I never hide.

Phil Frank. I always show up. Call each and every week.

You could call every day, Adrian. And at the end of the year, you know I'm going to be right. You know I'm going to be right because the Cowboys in a big spot. Oh, they're going to joke.

That's what they're going to do. One more before the break. Mike in West Virginia next up on CBS Sports Radio. Go ahead, Mike. Hey, Zach, how you doing? Doing great. Go ahead, Mike. Good. Real quick, as far as what you said, I agree with you. I'm a Cowboy fan and the Cowboys have to win the playoffs.

That's the bottom line. But let's wait and see how they play against Philly. That's going to say a lot. If they win that game against Philly. It'll be a great victory.

Yeah, it'll be a great victory and it'll show that the Cowboys can play with them. Now, the Niners game, Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator, he screwed that game up, I think. I don't think he called the right game. The guys were wide open in the middle of the field all day long for 49ers.

He never adjusted. Last night's game, Dorian Bland was getting torched. Second half, he makes a change. He puts Lewis on Njigba. He switched the corner so that DK Metcalf had the other guy on him and he put Bland on Lockett.

What happened? That slowed down the last two drives. That defense stifled the Seahawks because he got home at the end. Micah Parsons got home at the end. That won the game because they were locking them up for another second or so.

That's all that took. And Micah Parsons did his job and got in there. And as far as what you were saying, you were kind of criticizing Mike McCarthy last night about the calls and stuff. Yeah, he should have ran the ball, whatever. He was being aggressive. He was going to go for it on fourth and two. A penalty made it fourth and seven. He made the right call. He kicked the field goal. He took it up to six, so they had to get a touchdown. It was the right play. I'm not going to criticize a guy.

He's doing what he's supposed to do. And I like McCarthy, but you need to run the ball there on third down and then you could have got the first. If you don't get it, then go for it on fourth down.

You should run that clock regardless. Yeah, I agree. But if you're going to, if you're going to be, he was aggressive all night until that penalty happened. Now, as far as the difference, you said about what was the difference between Dak and the Cowboys of last year than this year. And you said that Dak choked.

You're right. He did. But the difference is this year, he's playing lights out and everybody's saying it's the same Dak or whatever. He, that dude is putting up numbers and playing. He's making throws. He's never made before.

Micah, I'm up against it, but appreciate it. He's, he's a good quarterback. He's been a good quarterback for a while, but he's got to get the job done against the marquee teams. That's the bottom line. Josh Booty next. Update time first.

Here's the Ackman, Rich Ackerman. Alrighty, conference championship weekend is here. Let's go out to the guest line right now. Some may say I'm in booty withdrawal. You know, you guys are so messed up on the other side of the glass that you took that in a sexual way. I'm talking about my dear friend, Josh Booty, who I haven't seen in some time. And he's like big time going all over the place. When he comes to New York, I'm not in New York. So we've just been missing one another, but Josh is here with us on CBS Sports Radio. Josh, how you been? I've been great, brother. You're the one all over the place. I see you at the Michigan-Ohio State game in Ann Arbor last week. I see you at a Patriots game every now and then.

You're the one running the roads, brother. But no, it's good to be with you, man. How are you doing, brother? Well, I'm doing fantastic. I know you're in Atlanta for this SEC championship game.

Should be a good one. It's amazing how Alabama earlier in the season when they lost to Texas, we all thought for sure they'd have another loss by now. But Jalen Milro has really improved down the stretch, and he's become a big part of this team as their quarterback. Man, he's an over-the-top athlete in terms of just, you know, he reminds me of a faster Jalen Hertz, to be honest with you.

And I don't think he's quite the passer that Jalen is. He's going to have to work himself into that. He baits the defenders in a little bit. You saw it against Auburn last week. He baits them a little bit and then makes either a fantastic throw down the field like he did on the scoring touchdown to win the game, or he'll make an outstanding run. He's just, you know, he's just an unbelievable athlete.

So it's been fun to watch him kind of progress. Early in the year after the Texas loss, they didn't know if he was really going to be the guy. They went with Ty Simpson. They went with the other QB. Not really knowing who were they going to go with for the starter, but I think now they've won 10 in a row, 11 in a row now, and they're on an epic run. And of course they play in the SEC West, which is better than the East.

So he's won some big ball games for them. That one no bigger than last week against Auburn. Last play of the game, spectacular.

It's amazing to me. Georgia keeps on winning all these games that each and every year, the quarterback does not get enough respect. It was Stetson Bennett. Now it's Carson Beck. What type of performance do you expect to see in the biggest game of the season up to date for Carson Beck coming up tomorrow afternoon for the Georgia Bulldogs? Well, I'll tell you what, Zach, I think if Brock Bowers is healthy, then you're going to see a great Carson Beck. If he's not and he doesn't play tomorrow, then we could see a Beck that could struggle because Saban, he knows how to defend certain things in a passing game. Saban's been extraordinary against guys that really don't run the football, not dual threat guys that Carson Beck is a thrower.

I think he's a prototype QB, 6'5". He can move, but he doesn't really look to run, so I think Saban can hem him up a little bit. I think if Brock Bowers is there, it gives him one of the best college football tight ends in the history of the game on Beck's side to help him kind of get out of some bad plays.

And then that forces double teams and maybe that leaves some guys outside open. So I think if Bowers plays tomorrow, it opens up the offense for Beck, but Beck's been spectacular from a completion percentage standpoint. He's been phenomenal and he's got the strong arm. He's got the big league cannon. So I think he can do some damage and if Brock Bowers is playing, it could be a lot of damage. I know there's a little personal motivation in this one for Nick Saban.

He'll never admit it, but now a lot of people refer to Kirby Smart, right? His guy as the best coach in college football. He's taken the baton now and has run with it. What type of effort do you think you see from Alabama tomorrow and how alive do you think they are to win this football game? Who are you going with?

Oh, it's all the way live. You know, Saban, he's got something for Kirby, I think. And I'm not saying that Alabama's going to run away with this ballgame. I think the five or six is a lot of points to give Bama.

They have not lost in this building in a long time. They beat them two years ago with Bryce Young when they had Jamison Williams healthy and Michi 3 healthy. But Bama's not the offense that they were on the outside on the perimeter that they were two years ago when they played them in this game last year. Georgia throttled LSU and Georgia had that magnificent defense. Georgia's defense isn't quite as good as it has been in the last few years. So I think it's going to be a really strategic game in terms of how they manage the situations.

I think it's going to be a close game. Saban wants nothing more to try to take that title away from Kirby. Again, Kirby who coached for Saban, of course, being a former assistant. This is something that Saban wants really, really bad. I promise you he's coaching extra hard this week.

If he ever needed any more motivation, that's it to stop this 40 game win streak right here in its tracks. Georgia, Bama, tomorrow it's going to be awesome. Josh Boudy here with us. I think you have a case to make for three people to win the Heisman this year.

Where are you at right now entering the final week of play? Jayden Daniels who's no longer playing this weekend. And then you also have Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix who will go up against one another in a few hours. Who do you think will ultimately win the Heisman Trophy this year?

Well, I'm partial to several of them. Bo Nix is a family friend. I've been a part of some of the award shows with him. The last few years at the National Quarterback Club and he was a recipient of that in high school coming out and in college last year. He was there to give the award away.

He's a magnificent guy, magnificent family. He's sharp. He's just a sharp player.

He's quick twitch. He's developed into a great passer. He's a competitor, great completion percentage. But what Jayden Daniels has done this year, and I don't want to take anything away from Penix because he's a great leader. He's a clutch player. But Jayden Daniels, what he's done in the SEC West, like I said, I don't want to be partial because I'm an LSU guy, but I've watched every game and I'm telling you no one's stopped him yet.

He's slippery. He's got 10 rushing touchdowns, 1,300 yards on the ground and then 4,000 something in the air with another 40 touchdown throws. He's got great players around him, but man, Jayden Daniels had flinched one second in the SEC West and what he's done, he's passed Burrow in some stats in terms of total offense. So I would have to say Jayden Daniels, the most electrifying player this year that I've seen as a whole, but Bo Nix does everything right and Penix is the same.

He hadn't lost. So if Nix beats Washington, it's going to be Nix and Daniels. If Washington beats Oregon, then Penix is going to rise a little bit.

But I don't know if he'll be able to topple Jayden just because of his numbers. Where's your confidence with this LSU program? Because there was big expectations. You're number two with Brian Kelly. And outside of USC, I thought they were the most disappointing team in college football because I had sky high expectations for them and they're not even playing this weekend.

Yeah, you know what? We have a lot of talent on offense. Our defensive coordinator, we've had real problems there, especially in the back end of our defense. We gave up 700 yards of total offense to Ole Miss. You can't win games like that. Ole Miss is going to score points and you've got to outscore them if you're going to give up to 700. We weren't able to do that and that was our third loss. I just really think that we've got to get better on defense next year to win a national championship. That's always our goal at LSU is to win a national championship.

Just like you're saying, to be in these big game situations. We were here last year. Our defense played horribly. We didn't really have a good push up front either.

Mason Smith, our big D tackle, kind of had a subpar year. I like our guys. I like our athleticism. I just don't think we put it together very well on defense and that's been a real problem. Our offense was spectacular. Number one in the country. How are things going by the way, Josh Booty, with the Bula app that you're a part of?

I appreciate you asking, man. We're excited. This year is going to be really big for us. 2024.

We've been going at this now for two and a half, three years. We've got compliance to do all the skill-based gaming or gambling. We're going to do a lot of skill peer-to-peer gambling stuff this year where we can really market it now.

We can add the banking features and then we're doing a lot of corporate challenges, partnerships and promotions that we're going to do with big corporations. We've already got a few of those locked in and we're super excited about next year. And what's the latest with the general?

General Booty. When are we seeing him on the field for Oklahoma? Well, man, you know, Dylan Gabriel's got another year at Oklahoma. This guy's got 17 years in college. You may have some eligibility left, honestly, my friend. Exactly. I think I do.

I'm going to have to come out of retirement, get these old bones ready to move. But no, Dylan Gabriel's there. He's a starter. He's been a starter for three years. They've got another kid, Jackson Arnold, which is a five-star super stud guy. I don't know what's going to happen there.

Their offensive coordinator, Jeff Levy, went to Mississippi State. So I'm kind of waiting to see what kind of unfolds in front of him in terms of the guys that played in front of him this year. He's got two years left after this season. So, you know, we'll see.

He needs to get on the field somewhere. You got it. Well, get your ass to New York soon. We've got to go get some dinner, go back to that cigar bar and break some bread with Mike Piazza. We'll be right into that one night. I love you, brother. You're the man.

Enjoy these games this weekend, my man. Thanks for having me. You got it. There he is. Josh Booty joining us live from some conference somewhere in Georgia.

That guy is all over the place. I do appreciate him joining us on CBS Sports Radio to break down some of the quarterback play in the Pac-12 championship game and also the SEC championship game as well. Alrighty, let's do this. We'll take a break here on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio and we come on back. I got some quarterbacks that I think there's some questions about or some maybe you think are locked to get to the Super Bowl this year. But let's go through a bunch of them. How many quarterbacks can we see this year in the NFL that could go make a run and make a run to the Super Bowl and be hoisting that Lombardi Trophy? We'll do that on the other side. We still have that on-site off-site to get to.

A news brief as well. NFL picks. It's a very, very, very, very busy Football Friday right here on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. We got week 13 in the NFL that got underway last night with the Cowboys finding a way to pull out a victory up against the Seattle Seahawks. We got a lot of good games this weekend as well with the Texans and the Broncos. You got the Eagles and the 49ers. And then tonight, Washington, Oregon. Tomorrow, a bunch of conference championship games.

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