CFP Predictions (Hour 3)

Gear it up for the start of football season. That's right, it is the Zach Gelb show on the Infinity Sports Network. We had a little appetizer last week with college football as you did have Georgia Tech have the first upset of the season against top ten ranked Florida State 24 to 21. It was almost like Florida State. I thought they won the game after they took the ball, went right down the field, scored a touchdown, then did go for two and ended up losing by three to Georgia Tech on that last second kick. When we flip the page for the rest of the week, you do have Colorado with Coach Prime returning to the field tomorrow up against North Dakota State.

That's an 8 p.m. Eastern Time kick on ESPN. I think that's a game that's going to be fun to watch because you look at Colorado and you see their offensive line changes and you wonder how that's going to play on out. And you know what the hype is with Chidor Sanders and also Travis Hunter. Yeah, my alma mater, Temple, that spreads 42 and a half up against Oklahoma on Friday. But Saturday, Clemson, Georgia, going to be a big one.

You know, this is a huge test for Dabo Sweeney, where he was once great. Now, Clemson's just good. Georgia is the standard. You got Penn State, Virginia as West Virginia as well. Miami, Florida, big year for Mario Cristobal and also Billy Napier, Notre Dame, Texas A&M is going to be a good one as well. And then Sunday, you do have USC and LSU. So we got a big college football slate this weekend to really kick things off with week zero behind us. And then next week, it's the start of the NFL season. We continue our NFL preview. Let's delve into the Indianapolis Colts. Football season is right around the corner.

Will it be your team's year to hoist the Lombardi? In the shotgun, Mahomes. He runs and he throws, caught, touchdown. It's caught.

Hardman caught the ball. The Chiefs have won. The Chiefs have won.

The entire Big Jumpies chasing Mahomes in the end zone. Their third Super Bowl in five years. We preview all 32 teams right here on the Zach Gelb show. The Indianapolis Colts. And we welcome in the Pro Football Hall of Famer. And that is our pal Dwight Freeney.

Kind enough to join us right now to preview his Indianapolis Colts. Dwight, how you doing, my friend? I'm doing good, Zach. How you been? I've been fantastic. That doesn't get old, right? Hearing you be announced as a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Correct, Amundo? Never. It's nice and fresh and new for me.

We'll see how long this lasts, but I haven't stopped smiling yet. How's the golf game been? You and the great Michael Jordan playing golf recently?

You know what? We hadn't played. We hadn't played. The weather has been so spotty over here.

But I can't complain to anybody. I'm in Florida. We get 300 days of sunshine, so this last few weeks took it off. Now, you used to play in Indianapolis. I know you guys played in a dome. You played your college football at Syracuse, so you know about the cold weather. You're not one of these guys, though, now, when it gets to 55, 60 degrees in Florida, you're walking around with a North Face on, right? You know what?

That happens pretty quickly. Once you stay in Florida for more than maybe a year, all of a sudden it becomes like 55 degrees. You're over here in an Eskimo-looking thing. You're like freezing. You know, for me, I like the cold weather, to be quite honest with you, and I can't even consider that cold.

But when you're used to 90 degrees every single day or 85 every single day, and when you get that 55 degree weather, you're going to feel it just a little bit. Now, it's not like Indianapolis or New York or Connecticut, but it's something. Now, all I'm going to say is I haven't even asked you a question yet about the Colts. My biggest takeaway from this conversation, Dwight Freeny, we all know he was a tough guy.

We all know he was a great edge rusher in the NFL. I think you're getting soft with old age now, if you're putting on North Face and 55 degrees. Super, super soft. I got two girls now. They softened me right up.

You know what? The thing is, if we're talking about golf, I'm spoiled. I'm absolutely spoiled to death. I want to play golf at 75, 80 degrees. I do not want it at 55.

I am terrible at just playing golf when it's under 60, so yeah. The Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Freeny here with us. Anthony Richardson gave us a little taste last year of what he could be, and then unfortunately was out for the season. When you look at him individually, forget the team standard, just him individually, what do you think the Colts have at quarterback?

Well, I think they have tremendous upside in a game that is evolving and changing into more of what he is. He's a guy who can run. He can throw the ball a mile. Those are things that, you know, it's hard. You can't teach those things. How far, how strong your arm is, and how fast you are. That is God-given abilities, and that's what they have.

All right, so that means he's a huge X factor. All right, you can prepare on paper exactly how to stop this guy, but somehow he gets out of the pocket, or somehow he makes that impossible throw. So I think what they have is something that most teams would love, is somebody who can change the game on just one play. Now that being said, the quarterback position is a disciplined position, and that needs to exercise a lot of discipline and control, and throw the ball when you need to throw the ball, run the ball when you need to run the ball. When that check down is open, throw the check down.

You don't need to go for the home run. You know, kind of how Tom did it, how Peyton did it. You know, they'll take their chances when they need to, but they have to be, you know, really smart in the pocket, and know when to take those chances, and I think that's what he's going to have to learn. The Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney here with us. You look at Anthony Richardson, and you also check that backfield with Jonathan Taylor.

That could be a great one-two punch. Like, you look in Philadelphia, Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. In Baltimore, now you got Lamar Jackson, and also Derrick Henry. Man, that's like a nightmare for defensive coordinators if you roll into the red zone, and you get there, and you don't know who's getting the ball, and who's going to be getting that ball in the end zone between Richardson and Taylor. That's a heck of a problem.

Yeah. Yeah, it definitely is, and I think teams probably what they're going to be doing is loading up the box, eight in the box all day. You know, maybe some nine in a box. Don't be surprised if you see just everybody just kind of crouching the line of scrimmage, which opens up the passing game, which opens up the receiving receivers, and for slants, and different routes, and phasing, et cetera. So I think, you know, if they do what they need to do on paper, it seems like an impossible mission for a defense to figure out how to stop the RPO game based on that talent that they have back there.

But it just depends. It just depends on can they be effective when they load the box up. Can they be effective at throwing the ball?

Yeah. What did Shane Steichen show you last year? Because I know he was good in Philadelphia, right? He has a reputation in this league, but I was unknown what he was going to be as a head coach, and losing your quarterback early on, getting the level at a Gardner Minshew that he did, and I was impressed with Steichen last year.

No, absolutely. I don't think anybody would have thought losing Anthony when they would have lost Anthony, all the injuries that they had, Brad Taylor being hurt majority of the year. They would have never thought that the Colts would have had a chance to make the playoffs.

And it literally came down to the last game of the year. That tells you what type of coach that he is. And he has a great scheme, and usually what happens is in year two, there's a more familiarity there. He understands the players and the personnel a little bit better. The players and the personnel understand him and the scheme a little bit better.

So things are supposed to be trending up here for him, but you saw what he did last year. He did a great job, and the guy stepped up, and he knew what to do with the guys that he had. The Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Frini here with us for a few more minutes previewing the Indianapolis Colts. So we talked about Steichen, Richardson, and Taylor. How about the other guys on this team? Michael Pittman Jr., who is a really good wide receiver. You got Mitchell, the rookie.

Josh Downs, I know he's a little bit banged up right now. You talk about maybe going into that passing game and loading up the box. How about the wide receivers on this roster and how you evaluate them?

Yeah, and that's the thing. You don't need a super dominant receiver. You would love it to have that number one, no matter what team he goes to type of guy. But I think they have a collective great group. I think Pittman does all the intangibles, all the run blocks, all the dirty work form.

Downs is a shifty type of guy. So you have this young group. You have a veteran in Pittman that can kind of lead these guys and show them the right way and how to go out there and perform. You got Reggie Wayne, who hopefully soon will be a Hall of Famer coaching those guys up.

I think that they have a really great group. It just depends on that running game. And I'm going to keep saying that if they can get teams to commit eight people into the box, that is going to open things up for their passing game.

And those guys will be able to do some damage. But if they're not able to run the ball effectively and then you have guys dropping back seven, it's going to be a lot tougher for them to do the things that they want. And just basically because they don't have a guy, I don't think that no matter what team he goes to, he's that number one receiver dominator. The Justin Jefferson type of guy where it doesn't matter. They don't have that guy.

But they have really good players. So we'll see what happens. Let me get to the defensive side of the ball with the 15th overall pick.

They got light two, lot two. That being your forte. Get into the quarterback. What are your expectations for this young man? Well, you know what really impressed me and that I saw, you know, and I didn't see a whole bunch, but I got a chance to see a little bit was that he was using moves. Now, that might sound silly to some of the people who are listening here and watching, but a lot of guys, they don't work the pass rush moves consistently.

Okay, so there's different moves and club rips and club swims and arm overs and all types of spin moves and all that stuff. Usually that stuff develops a little bit later in your in your pro career for some guys. And in college, some guys just use athleticism to make all the plays.

Okay. I saw him doing those things in the college game, working moves. You know, you saw a lot of that from the Bosa guys. You know, maybe that came from his pops, but that's what I see in him. And the more that you use moves, the better that you're going to be. And I think how they're going to utilize him is pretty smart.

You know, you're not going to throw him out into the fire, let him get his feet underneath them, get better, learn the ways of how you're supposed to play this game. And I think he has, you know, the ability to be a really good player. Let me get your thoughts and some of the other teams of the division will have you here. Houston last year, right?

It's crazy. You got a coach, you got a stud defensive player and a quarterback, and you go from the outhouse to the penthouse. But now people look at them and they go, are they ready to take that next step or do they maybe fall back a little bit after getting a little taste of success? Your read on the Houston Texans from afar. Well, I think they're a very good team.

On paper, they look great. What they did last year, I think they snuck up on a lot of people. I think a lot of people didn't realize how good they were. Now, it's going to be a lot harder this year because now they're going to be ready for them and they're going to understand, hey, you know, this team is a real good team. It happened a lot when we were at the Colts back in the day where, you know, you're getting every team's A plus game because everyone wanted to beat the Colts because they know how good the Colts were. So you really wrapped up and got ready for those games. But some of the games you struggle going against another opponent that you think you should win.

You know, when those sleeper games, they call it where you're like, OK, you know, this is a stat game, you know, there's a lot of players that fall into that trap. Well, playing Houston this year, teams are going to like and this is a playoff team and they have a lot of talent and we have to come with our A game. Now, that doesn't mean that Houston is going to have a bad year because it's just that they're going to have to be more consistent in how they play more often. And, you know, on paper, they look great.

You know, they don't have a piece that's really missing, as I can see right now. So for them, you know, I guess sky's the limit now. Will they be in the upper echelon of what happens? Well, you never know. You know, every year, you know, you have surprises and teams that are supposed to be good are bad and teams that are bad are good.

So we'll see. You get to the Jaguars. They were supposed to be that team that was ready to take the next step last year.

They didn't do that. Just missing out in the playoffs. There's a larger conversation. I think they bounce back this year. But people are wondering how to evaluate Trevor Lawrence. Like when you look at him so far with the hype was, do you feel like he's an overrated quarterback? No, I don't think he's overrated at all.

It just depends on what you're looking for. And everybody wants to put the crown on a guy and say he has to be, you know, the same as he was in college and winning champions, championships and all that. Listen, there's only one team that wins a championship every year.

You have 31 people who are pissed off and upset. And this quarterback sucks because he didn't win the big one. And this defensive lineman sucks because it happens every single year. I think he is a good player. I think he's a good talent.

All right. I think he's trending in the right direction. He's not going backwards. For a stretch there, they were in first place in their division. Yes, they didn't follow through. The injury happened. He got hurt.

There's a couple of the guys that got hurt. It's part of the game. But the truth is, he's going like this. Now, will it stay this way?

Will it plateau? We'll see what happens. But I think a lot of teams would love to have a quarterback like him.

It's a great answer. Before we let you run Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Ferene, I will put you on the spot. I know that you love the Indianapolis Colts. But when you look inside this division, how do you think this division is going to play on out this year? Who's your pick to win the division? Man, it's going to be a black and blue division if I had to say something right now based on paper. I'm going to say paper. I'm taking my emotions and feelings out of it. I'm not going to say Indianapolis Colts because on paper, it looks like Houston.

So I'm going to say Houston based on what it looks like paper. But you never know. I never know. And I think the Colts are a sneaky, scary team. And you'll see, hopefully in week four or five or six, who they're going to develop into being. And hopefully they're in the conversation winning that division.

One more for you. I know Fran Brown very well because I'm a Temple Owl and he was at Temple for a while. You have any connection with the new Syracuse coach? You talk to him at all because I feel like you guys would really mesh well. His energy is just through the roof.

Yeah, no, absolutely. He's a tri-state guy. I had a conversation with him on the phone. He's exactly how you describe. He's high energy. He's what Syracuse needed.

Now, I don't know from a scheme standpoint what they're going to be doing. We'll see here soon. But I know from a relatability with the players that are there recruiting, he is A-plus. He is A-plus and that is definitely what Syracuse needed. I'll be going up there on, let's see, September 7th, the Georgia Tech game. And I'll be talking to him and talking to some of the players. So I'm excited to see what they got. Yeah, no, that staff, Elijah Robinson also A-plus as well.

It's going to be fun to see what they can do this upcoming season. Anyway, Dwight Freeney, once again, congratulations to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We always appreciate when you chop it up with us for a few minutes. Yeah, man, I appreciate you. Take care.

You got it. There he is, the great Dwight Freeney on the Zach Gelb show on the Infinity Sports Network. I know we're on in Indianapolis each and every day. So I'm sure the folks back in Indy absolutely loved that conversation. We'll take a break.

When we come on back in five, I've got to give you my 12 teams that are going to make the college football playoff this year. We've been rocking out to Avril Lavigne all day on the Zach Gelb show on the Infinity Sports Network as David Emmerman, who is her great guitar player, is a listener to this show. Going back to either 2020 or 2021, where he reached out to me and informed me of him being a listener to this show. And he invited me to the show last night. Really cool. Great show. And it's him playing on before. And then it was Avril Lavigne who rocked the stage last night at Jones Beach.

Really, really good show and was fun to go backstage before the show and chop it up with David Emmerman. Not optimistic about his Saints this year, which there's not much to be optimistic about. And I actually saw he's in Philadelphia right now because they're playing in Camden, New Jersey tomorrow.

And he has family from New York and Philadelphia and lives in New Orleans. And he's taking in the Phillies game today. Let's see how the Phillies are doing right now.

Oh, six nothing. Astros taking care of the Phillies right now in the bottom of the fifth inning. OK, let's fire up the music here as I will have to predict my 12 teams for the college football playoff this year.

OK, so let's do the four buys first. That's how we'll do it. Sitting in with the number one seed, the SEC champion, Georgia Bulldogs this upcoming year. I know they lost to Alabama last year in the SEC title game and then were out of the college football playoff. Now it's a 12 team playoff. They're going to be in regardless if they win the SEC or not. But they will win the SEC and they will have the number one overall seed in at number two.

This is for Michael Fry, who DMed me the other day. Big time Buckeye fan listens to this show. My calls, my tweets, my participation are about to pick up because Ohio State Buckeye season is approaching. Even though I hope Michigan beats the crap out of Ohio State this year. I got to be fair.

I got to be like Dwight Frini. The team that's better on paper is Ohio State. I think Ohio State wins the Big Ten this year. Not only wins the Big Ten.

That crying day finds a way to take care of Michigan this year. In at number three, the Big 12 is so tough to predict because I think there's like legitimately eight or nine teams that feel like they could win the Big 12 this year. I almost went chalk with Utah because I love Cam Rising.

Come on up for the rising. And I love Kyle Whittingham. But I'm going to go with one of the more underappreciated coaches in the country and Chris Kleiman. He won the Big 12 two years ago and that was the year TCU went to the national championship game. So no one talked about Kansas State winning the Big 12. I think Kansas State is going to win the Big 12 for the second time in three years. Give me Kansas State winning the Big 12 and then getting the three seed. Now the four seed.

This is my surprise. Now, I was not going to pick Florida State even before their loss to Georgia Tech. I was going to pick Florida State to make the playoffs, but I've since altered that. I'm not taking Clemson. Will not go with Clemson.

I'm taking Virginia Tech. I like the quarterback drones. They got a good backfield. They got a loaded, I mean a loaded wide receiver room.

Brent Pry is about to have a big season. I like Virginia Tech to win the ACC for the first time since 2010. And they will be your four seed.

So the four highest ranked conference champions get bys in this new format. Georgia won. Ohio State two. Kansas State three. Virginia Tech four.

And then there were seven. Next team. Big 10 team.

Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, Mr. Duxworth. I am going with the Ducks of Oregon. Dan Lanning is a sensational coach. He has proven he could be a good coach at a young age coming over from Georgia. He is the proper level of a football psycho. And I've told that to his face.

And I mean that in the most positive way that I can, even though it doesn't sound all that flattering. But I love, like he, like the football field is his sanctuary. But I look at Oregon, they got Dylan Gabriel. They got a ton of money. They're going to the Big 10.

I don't think that's going to be a problem. I like them to be the first wildcard spot, the first non-buy spot. And they'll be the fifth seed, the Ducks of Oregon. In at number six, I have warmed up to the idea of Alabama football without Nick Saban. I love, absolutely love Kalen DeBoer. Guy's a winner everywhere he goes. Sioux Falls, Fresno State. Just took Washington to a national championship game.

And Jalen Milro is going to benefit the most, as I told Sean Alexander earlier when he joined us, from having Kalen DeBoer because of his offensive background. Alabama will be the second best team in the SEC this year. I know most are saying Texas. I go Alabama to be the sixth seed in the college football playoff. So the first six teams, and quite frankly, should only be six teams. Four to six would have been better.

Four to eight I would have been fine with. But going to a 12-team college football playoff, hmm, could be fun games when we get to the matchups, but I'm sorry, I think it's too many teams. In at number seven, we are finally going to the college football playoff. James Franklin is the coach that is kissing the ground and looking up to the sky saying, yes, they finally expanded the playoff. Because in most years at a 12-team playoff, James Franklin would have got in.

Now, James Franklin's just a good coach, not a great coach. Once he gets in the playoff, I can't say I expect much out of him, but they better get Drew Aller going. And I think Drew Aller will have a bounce back year. And I look at their schedule, at most they're only going to have two losses. Tricky game right out of the chute, though, with West Virginia. With their one-two punch at running back, and I like their quarterback, too. And the coach for West Virginia, Neil Brown, man, talk about from, everyone thought he was going to get fired, and now there's expectations for West Virginia this year.

Just crazy after what they did a year ago. Alrighty, in at number eight, I go with Texas. Horns up, not horns down.

Horns up. I will take the Longhorns in at number eight. It's kind of crazy, Quinton Ewer is like the most underappreciated quarterback in the sport. Everyone just wants to see Arch Manning this, Arch Manning that, Arch Manning this, Arch Manning that. Quinton Ewer is the last two years, I know he's had some injuries. He's been a really good quarterback, and last year took Texas to a college football playoff game, and possibly lost to Washington. In at number nine, outside of James Franklin, the coach that's probably the happiest that this team is going to a 12-team, or this format's going to a 12-team format, is Notre Dame with Marcus Freeman.

I don't know if I love Riley Leonard as a quarterback. Like, I like Hartman better last year, and you look at Notre Dame, they are just the definition of a good team, not a great team. But I'll put the Fighting Irish, it feels like they'll get a spot almost each and every year in a 12-team playoff. So, got three spots left, one reserve for the highest ranked conference champion.

Right? The four highest ranked conference champions get by, then the next spot is sitting there, they'll probably be the 12 seed. I will give that pick first before I get to 10 and 11. So, my 12th team is Liberty.

Liberty, Liberty, Liberty. You could argue Boise State, there's a few other teams that you could go with. I'm going to go with Liberty.

So, I got two more spots to go. I was thinking maybe an ACC team. You got two teams in, or another big 12 team. I'm going to go SEC in big 10. Give me Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin and Jackson Dark get into the playoff, and Ole Miss on offense is loaded with talent. We just got to see what their defense is going to be.

And in at number 11, I'm taking the Wolverines of Michigan. Sharone Moore, first year as the head coach, even though he had some games last year because Harbaugh was suspended. But Sharone Moore with that offensive line, also you take a glance at the defense with Graham and Will Johnson, maybe Rod Moore could come back midway through the season. The quarterback, we still don't know who's going to start a quarterback for Michigan.

And I thought it was going to be Alex Orgy, and then John Janssen was out in Vegas telling me it may not be Alex Orgy. But they do have Donovan Edwards, and I think Donovan Edwards gets back to two years ago Donovan Edwards. Not just the Donovan Edwards that you saw in the national championship game was great, but last year was not his best season.

And also you have one of the finest tight ends in the country in Colston-Lovlin who I think is going to win the Mackey Award. So my 12 teams in the college football playoff, Georgia 1, Ohio State 2, Kansas State 3, Virginia Tech 4, Oregon 5, Alabama 6, Penn State 7, Texas 8, Notre Dame 9, Ole Miss 10, Michigan 11, Liberty 12. Now the first round matchups, Liberty at Oregon 12-5, Michigan at Alabama 11-6, Ole Miss at Penn State 10-7, Notre Dame 9 at Texas 8. And remember for the opening round, the lower seed, the 5-6-7-8, they are the home team at their stadium on campus. Now I'll just give you the semifinal.

And it's a bracket, they don't reseed. So on one side of the bracket I have Oregon against Georgia. On the other side of the bracket I have Alabama against Ohio State. And in a 12-team college football playoff, the first ever 12-team college football playoff, it's going to be a battle of the SEC. Even with Nick Saban no longer there, I have Alabama going to the national championship game, and they go up against Georgia and Kirby Smart. And even though there's a lot of off the field problems with that program, I think Georgia is going to prevail on the field as we will see a national championship game. But I have Georgia taking down Alabama by 10 points, 27-17, Georgia gets it done against Alabama, and the dynasty has been born for Georgia. Alrighty, this is Zach Gelb's show on the Infinity Sports Network. So Georgia against Alabama in the national championship game, Georgia 27, Alabama 17.

Those are my predictions for the college football playoff for this upcoming year. We make those on August 28th today in the year of 2024. We'll take a timeout, we'll come on back, we'll update you on some of the biggest stories in the world of sports with some audio.

We call that segment the News Brief. Alright, it is Zach Gelb's show on the Infinity Sports Network. It's now time to answer Ask the Pros' question of the day, and it's brought to you by O'Reilly Auto Parts. Bella B. in Calgary says, Zach, are you a regifter? Hmm, good question. You could submit a question by tweeting at infsportsnet or at Zach Gelb using the hashtag askthepros, think O'Reilly Auto Parts for all your car care needs, guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people.

At O'Reilly Auto Parts, O-O-O-O-O-Reilly Auto Parts. I am not a regifter. Nico, did you ever, have you ever received a gift and ended up giving it to somebody else? I don't think I've ever recalled doing that, no.

Right? That sounds so terrible. Well, if you get something that you really don't like, and then maybe it's someone that doesn't know the person that gave it, that gave it to you, okay, potentially, but that would be my fear if, let's say, I don't know, like someone got me, hmm, a necklace, let's just say. And I was like, eh, don't love the necklace. And then I gave it to someone and they know someone that gave, they know the same person that gave me the necklace and they see it out, it's like, oh, where'd you get it? Oh, Zach gave it to me. That's a mortifying experience. Also, too, like if the person that gave it to you is like, oh, do you still have the necklace I got? Like, let me see it. And then you're like, oops, don't have it anymore. So I got my, hmm, I'm debating if I should say this on the air.

Too late now. Oh, well. I got my brother-in-law one of the Barstool girls' dad hats. And I love Barstool, but I guess my sister isn't the biggest fan of Barstool. And I don't know what my brother-in-law's views are on Barstool, but I love Barstool. Like, you know, Stu Feiner is a friend, Jersey Jerry used to call us and he used to always come on the show. You know, I'm a big Portnoy and big cat fan as well. And I love, man, I can't wait for Barstool sports advisors on Friday evenings when that drops and you get Stu Feiner and Portnoy and Jersey Jerry and big cat.

So I'm a big Barstool fan. But I got him that hat. And I got my dad also that hat. You know, I think it was a dad hat for my dad and it was a girl's dad hat for my brother-in-law. And I've never seen my brother-in-law wear it. I wonder if my sister or my brother-in-law, did they regift it?

Or did they just, like, get rid of it? So I have wondered that. Maybe Labor Day weekend I ask the awkward question. Make it a little awkward?

Yeah, make it a little awkward. So Friday night I'm going back to my folks' place. Then Saturday I'm going to Mraz's house and we will do our annual college football Saturday all day drink and eat fest and place a lot of bets and hopefully win some games. Sunday I got no plans. Sunday I think I'm just sitting by the pool. And then on Monday I'm playing golf with some friends and then we are working. Hard hats on working the rest of the year.

No more vacation. I'm not a regifter though. You know, I could talk a big game. There are certain things I'm allowed to talk a big game about.

In terms of doing the right thing, I don't think I have the stones to regift something to somebody else. All right, anyway. Without further ado and I'm not talking about Freddie O'Doo, it's time to update you on some of the biggest stories in the world of sports with some audio. Let's get to a news brief. Extra, extra real about it. Extra, extra real about it. Time for your daily news brief.

We get you caught up on the rumors, reports, and reconnaissance from the day in sports. C.D. Lamb got paid. Now what about your quarterback? That's my quarterback. That's my quarterback. Dak Prescott getting paid next. Here is C.D. Lamb on that. How important is it for you to have Dak in the future here with you?

It's amazing, bro. You go look at our numbers together, they're at the top of the charts. And I have no doubt that they're going to get it all done. And we all know that I won Dak here. Jerry wants Dak here too.

So let's just get this under control, kill the speculations. I do think Jerry wants Dak back. I don't know if Dak wants to be back with the Cowboys.

I still lean, like gun to my head, yes or no? Is Dak back with the Cowboys? I say yes next year. But would it behoove him to maybe go to like Seattle?

Yeah, I think so. Let's go to Jacoby Bressett. So the Patriots have, they know who their starting quarterback is, but they want to announce it. I think it's going to be Jacoby Bressett. Drake may have won the quarterback battle in my opinion, but I think they're going to throw Jacoby Bressett to the walls. Here was Jacoby Bressett answering that question on sports radio WEEI.

Jacoby, this may be a weird question, but oh, here we are. Are you the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots? In my mind, I am. Does that mean you will be starting against the Bengals? I mean, like I said, in my eyes I am. I haven't heard anything differently, so that's what I got to go off of. So, he's the starting quarterback.

That's the way that I take that. Yeah, I know guys, but I'm not going to say it because they're doing these stupid Belichick games where they're telling us basically not to say anything. Here is Zach Taylor. This is a two-parter. We'll play you the first part here. He was asked about Jamar Chase's status for Week 1.

Listen up. You say the plan is for Jamar to be ready for Week 1? Yeah, he's going to practice this week and we'll just keep taking it from there. Zach, are you confident he'll play Week 1?

Yes. You're going up against the Patriots. You don't need him to play. So, Jamar Chase could do a little holdout if he wants, but I think he'll be on the field come Week 1.

And how the mighty have fallen in New England, how no one expects that to even be a game. Now, here's Zach Taylor from today after Jamar Chase didn't practice. He's a huge member of our team and I appreciate him and look forward to getting him back hopefully at some point soon. It's fair to say when you talked to us yesterday that it was your expectation that he would go to the rest of the team.

I think I probably put my foot in my mouth a little too quickly. And it's just, again, this is a day-to-day situation. We'll just keep seeing it as that.

Alrighty. So, there you have it. What does Zach Taylor know and what does he not know? Let's go to Robert Salah. He's dealing with the Hassan Redick holdout. I did see that Hassan Redick's team has been putting out some videos of him going back to his alma mater, Temple University, and working out. But how about the coach of the Jets? Will Hassan Redick play Week 1?

Yeah. You know, depending on, I'm assuming he's in phenomenal shape. You know, like I said, he's a veteran. He knows what he needs to get ready.

You know, he's had success in multiple buildings and multiple schemes with multiple coaching staffs. So, he's going to know what he needs to do to be ready for Week 1. So, he still has plenty of time. So, in that conversation of, can he play?

Yeah. He's here. Robert Salah is going to say, let's go. Will Leviss. He was on Bussin' with the Boys with Will Compton and Taylor LaJuan.

And Will Leviss has a crazy draft story for you. Like waiting on maybe a phone call. I think I'd pick 29, get a phone call from somebody. It was a prank call from somebody. You got a prank call? Yeah. It was somebody you knew?

Random number. Oh my God. I still have the number saved. I'll find them someday. No, they just like snickered and hung up. They left? Yeah. I literally got off the phone. I said, let's go guys. That's cruel. Because there was at times, I never thought he was going to be the number one overall pick of the draft.

Let me be clear. But he was the odds on favorite for like a little bit being the number one overall pick in the draft. And he fell all the way out of the first round. And think about that embarrassing moment.

And eventually goes in the second round by Tennessee. But he had to wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait. And the Thursday night isolated night, you don't get called. You're in the green room. You have to do that like walk of shame.

And you get a call thinking, okay, here it comes, the 29th pick. And it was a prank phone call. Whoever that person was, they're just cruel. That's cruel. That's nasty.

That really is cruel and nasty. Here is Manti Teo. He's now on Good Morning Football on the NFL Network. And he has a take on the San Francisco 49ers. There is a look that you see when somebody truly believes they're better than you. And I think for the past five to ten years, we've got so accustomed to the San Francisco 49ers walking around not only the NFC West, but the NFL in general as these big bullies. I flipped on the TV and watched their past two preseason games when their starters played.

And I just see an emotionally drained team. I can only imagine for the San Francisco 49ers what that feels like. And then I put on, we just saw the Seattle Seahawks preseason game.

And you see that party that's in there. It's not the same, you know, when I watch the San Francisco 49ers. So they're not the favorite for me. Well, if your analysis, Manti Teos, of the preseason, why do the Niners need to get up for the preseason? Why would they show any life for the preseason? They know it's Super Bowl or bust. And they know how to navigate through the NFC. You want to tell me they don't get to the Super Bowl? That's fine.

I'm not picking the Niners to get to the Super Bowl this year. Close to a million dollars. And so once you hit that million dollar threshold, then you pay more state tax in Massachusetts. So, yeah, just another thing you got to contend with in negotiations up there. It's not like Tennessee or Florida or Nevada or some of these teams that have no state income tax. So you get, you know, you get hit pretty hard on that, you know, with the agents.

They'll come and sledgehammer you down about, you know, checks and taxes they're paying. Belichick. Oh, Pepin is step now being a media mogul. That's as upbeat as I've ever heard Bill Belichick talk. Let's go to Tony Petitti, the commissioner of the Big Ten. He was on Mad Dog Radio.

And I love Christopher Mad Dog Russo. But the question here, I think, is a little out of touch of the reality with college football, but a lot of people expect. But listen up. Would you be disappointed if you didn't get three teams into the final twelve? I mean, at least we talk about four over here, Chris. Oh, really? If my coach has heard me say three, I'd probably get some phone calls. Oh, really?

No, no. We want as many as we can get. Like, you know, it's the thing like it's the league is deep enough. And we just think about the biggest numbers because our coaches, that's the bar they see.

You know, they think the league is going to be competitive enough and deep enough that we should be thinking as big as possible. Oh, really? Wow.

Couldn't believe that. I thought it was three. You think you're going to get four? Nonsense. Chris, come on.

Come on. Everyone knows they're going to get three. Big 10 champ. Then you have seven spots after the conference champs. They're definitely going to get two more in there to make three. The question is, do they get four or not?

Not three. All righty. Eddie Erickson. You know, maybe do a little more prep there on the question next time. Five to the top of the hour.

Christopher Mad Dog Russo, Mad Dog Unleashed. All righty. This is Zach Gelb's show, the Infinity Sports Network.

That is the News Brief. Fun show today. Big thanks to each and every one of you for hanging out and rocking and rolling with us.

We'll be back tomorrow at 3 p.m. Eastern, noon Pacific time. Big thanks to Shawn Alexander for stopping by. The legendary Tom Moore.

And also the Pro Football Hall of Famer, Dwight Frini. Santa, great job. Nico, great job. At, great job. We'll talk to you tomorrow, everybody. We out. Bye-bye. Peace.