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Zach Makes His National Champion Pick (Hour 3)

Zach Gelb Show / Zach Gelb
The Truth Network Radio
December 20, 2024 6:28 pm

Zach Makes His National Champion Pick (Hour 3)

Zach Gelb Show / Zach Gelb

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December 20, 2024 6:28 pm

Teams that can with it all in College Football I Chris Brockman, Rich Eisen Show Producer I Zach's CFP Bracket

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Yo, yo, hour number three of our radio program, Zach Gelb's show, Infinity Sports Network. Stu, have you locked in what you're doing tonight? Notre Dame, Indiana, if you tell me I don't know, I'm going to be annoyed here. You got to know what you're eating food wise tonight for your Notre Dame Fighting Irish, right?

Yes. It is funny that you said that because literally this last break, I've been texting with the girlfriend. We are trying to lock down a pizza place to get pizza wings. She wants us out as well.

So we will get that. I will not be consuming the salad. I will have just the pizza and wings. You could have the salad.

We don't need to shame you. I don't want the salad. You had salad last night, so now it's like, okay, you don't go back to back days with salad. Got the pizza tonight. What kind of wings? You go on hot wings? You go on like barbecue? Buffalo wings. Buffalo wings I think will be the plan.

Good. Blue cheese? Ranch. You're a cat guy? I'm a ranch. And a ranch guy?

Yes, strongly both. Now I'm more of a dog guy over a cat guy, I will admit. I'm not a big fan of cats.

But that's like, I'm not going to say that's a minor character flaw. You know, people love animals. You should all love animals. But when you tell me, Stu, and I love you, Stu, that you're a ranch guy over blue cheese, and you also live in the Northeast, like as Jonathan Taylor pointed out to us, if you say ranch, it's more of a southern thing. Blue cheese, definitely East Coast. But you'll be an East Coast guy, and you like it to take a perfectly awesome hot buffalo wing, bone-in because you're a man, right? Good job. Not boneless. You got a bone-in wing because you're a man, and you're dunking that sucker in ranch?

Definitely. I don't know if we can continue this relationship. That's just terrible. Like, there's awful people, and then there's Stu now. The fact that Stu is going ranch. I was going to pick Notre Dame to win tonight. If Notre Dame loses, I think it's because of the ranch.

Oh, no. So if you're a fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and you lose tonight, and you're walking out of the stadium, I would say we direct the mob towards Stu putting ranch on a wonderful wing. Now, where do you go on pizza-wise? Just pepperoni? I think we'll go just pepperoni, yeah.

Make sure you get it well done. Definitely. If you wanted to go chicken, bacon, ranch on the pizza, fine, but buffalo wings with ranch?

Stu, that's the first time I've ever been upset with you. The girlfriend will have blue cheese. She prefers blue cheese. Oh, so she's sane. She's the better part of this relationship.

Wow, I'm not going to argue that. I like your girlfriend better than you, I think, now. That's a keeper. Out of all these moments that you probably realize that Angie's the one for you, the fact that she dips her wings in blue cheese, that's how you know she's the one.

She's the one. You know, I got a little Bruce Springsteen on you there for a second. Okay, so you're doing pizza, pepperoni, well done pizza. Wings, your better half is actually smart. She's dunking those wings in blue cheese. Stu is going with ranch, disgusting. And then there's also a salad. What kind of salad? A Caesar salad? Whatever she wants. I mean, it'll probably be like a house salad.

House salad, okay, gotcha. So that's what Stu's doing when he's sitting there having the munchies. I mean, just watching the football game. Chris Brockman, the producer of the Rich Eisen extravaganza, which you can hear on the Infinity Sports Network, starting on January 6 from noon to 3 p.m. Eastern time right before us. He's going to join us for NFL picks.

And we'll have a fun little conversation with him coming up 15 minutes from now. But, all right, so you're watching the game tonight, Stu. I know you're rooting for Notre Dame. Let's go through all the 12 teams here in the field. And the question is just this.

Can you see them winning a national championship? Now, I'm not going to lie. I look at the graphic you guys just put up, going all the way, and it's Drew Aller and it's Riley Leonard. In the corner of my eye, because I know Santa's a part of this, and I'm thinking to myself, did Santa think this segment was going all the way in football and just wanted to troll and put up the Cowboys?

And I squinted out of the corner of my eyes. I'm like, that looks like a cowboy. And then I realized that it's the Notre Dame blue jerseys and then the Penn State jerseys, which are those white jerseys. But out of all the going all the way options, no offense to Riley Leonard and Drew Aller, I just didn't think those were the two guys we were going to see. You know, if you had to put two people up on this graphic, Stu, with all these teams in the college football playoff, I actually think the two people I would put up there are Kirby Smart and Dan Lanning. And I know it's not players, but usually when it comes to college football, you think coaches first. But I had to pause and do like a double take.

And I was like, did I write something wrong? When it's Drew Aller and it's also Riley Leonard. I think Mike wanted to make sure that there were two participants that are playing this weekend. And that are questionable if they can go all the way. Yeah. I'm not saying you're picking a Notre Dame Penn State.

Well, I guess they wouldn't be able to meet in the final, but semifinal. Yeah. Oh, no.

It's not a these are your two guys that you think are going to go all the way here. I was taken aback first. It was jarring.

It was surprising. Now I have to envision a world Penn State in a semifinal. I need to do that to me. All right. Let's start it off.

We'll just go the order here. Oregon, do we really need to give an analysis? Stu, can they win it all? The Ducks of Oregon? I don't know. Yeah, they can. Georgia, right?

Same thing. Georgia, obvious. They could win it all, correct? The quarterback situation is a little scary, but yes, I think they still can.

Like if I said to you, Stu, your life is on the line. You have to pick a national champion. Who would you pick this year? Oregon. And then if I said you get two guesses, who would you then pick? Oregon and who else? It would still be Georgia for me.

All right. Boise State. I love Boise State.

I love Ashton Gente. I don't think there's been a voice in the national media that has been more complimentary to Boise State and Ashton Gente this year. I think their ceiling is just to get to the Final Four. I don't think they could get to a national championship game, and I don't think they could win the national championship. I agree.

Okay. Same for Arizona State. I love Sam Levitt. I love Cam Scataboo. I love the way that they were able, even though Tyson going down, the wide receiver stepped up in a big way.

And you look at Dillingham, he's awesome. I think they could get to the Final Four. I don't think that's crazy. You know, whoever wins here, Clemson or Texas, I do think that Arizona State can find a way to beat them in the quarterfinals. But Stu, I don't think anyone's saying that Arizona State can get to the championship game or win it all. I would, there are probably not a lot of people that would say that. I agree with you again.

Okay. So out of the four bye teams, we're in agreement. Two teams could get there. Two teams could win it all. Now this is where it gets interesting.

And it also brings up another point. I think if you win your conference championship, you should get a guaranteed spot in the playoff. I don't think you need to be guaranteed a bye. And you have some teams, if it wasn't the current format that it was, that would have been in front of an Arizona State or a Boise State. I think you should just be guaranteed maybe a bye in a home game.

Just a spot in the playoff and a home game is what I would say. I don't think you need to be guaranteed a bye. So let's start off with the matchup tomorrow.

It's at 4 p.m. Eastern time. Texas and Clemson. Stu, do you think Texas can win a national championship?

I do, yes. That's actually the third team I would have picked. You know, gun to my head, I have to be right about the second team to win the title. It's between them and Georgia for me, but I definitely think they can win it all. So I have trust issues with Texas.

I do. And I keep on looking at Texas, and even though they're back with what they've done the last two years, I keep on thinking to myself, next year, next year, next year, because it's whenever you fully unleash Arch Manning. But I do look at Texas, and they are well-rounded. I hated how their offense performed in that SEC championship game, but they've only lost to one team this year, and they've done it twice, and that's Georgia. Now, you can't play Georgia in this format until you get to the national championship game and Georgia's there. Now, I think Oregon's tougher than Georgia, but if let's say Tennessee or Ohio State, the winner of that game, picks off Oregon, I guess I then could see a road for Texas, and maybe even you see some more Arch Manning.

That could be a possibility. Oh, Jalen Hurts to a Tonga Vailoa situation back with Alabama years ago, but I can't see Texas getting to a national championship game and winning it all. So we have three of the same teams there. What about Clemson?

I do not. I wouldn't be totally stunned if they won this game, but I don't think they can then beat Ohio State or Tennessee, and that'd be too many games for them to have to win. Yeah, so if they win this game, they play Arizona State. Do I think they could beat Texas, then beat Arizona State?

Yes. But then, like Stu was saying, you had that trifecta of Oregon, Tennessee, and Ohio State. I think they would have been playing above their head if they get to the semifinals, and Dabo, we all know, even though I have not been as kind to Dabo, he's really done it to himself the last three years, and he's basically just made it very easy to blast Dabo Sweeney.

He's a heck of a football coach. That offense to me is just too inconsistent, and I know there's moments like where Kate Klubnick really won them that game up against Pitt, but I can't see them winning three games to get to the championship game and then also winning the championship game, so I'm in agreement with you on Clemson. All right, what about Tennessee? You think Tennessee could win it all or get to the championship game, one or the other? I don't think they can get there. I don't think they can win it.

I just have a tough time. They have a lot of talent, but the freshman quarterback still concerns me a little bit. I just think it's too soon for them. I think Tennessee is a team that could get to the championship game and win it all, and it's going to be if Nico Iamaliava, doesn't have to be as great as he was in the first few weeks of the season, but if he could just be good because that defense is awesome. Dylan Sampson is a heck of a running back, and Nico Iamaliava has star potential, but it's a lot to ask from a freshman quarterback, but is it inconceivable that he goes on a four-game run here? I don't think it's inconceivable. I'm not saying it's likely, but can I see Tennessee somehow getting to a championship game? I can. So that's the one that you think they could get there, just not win it all is what you said.

Yes. What about Ohio State? I do think they can win it all. I don't, and I know people are going to say, Zach, you're just a Ryan Day hater. You may be right on that one, but also that mental toughness of that team. I know Michigan's not in here, and I know they have a ton of talent, but in a big spot, I just don't trust Ryan Day.

And I think Ryan Day in a year where it was, right, born on third base, Ryan Day, they put the ball right in the tee for you this year to beat Michigan, and you couldn't do it. I just think that's a mentally soft football team, so I can't see Ohio State winning at all. SMU, I don't think either of us, I think they could beat Penn State, and hey, if they then beat Penn State, they'd play Boise State, but then winning after that and getting either Indiana, Notre Dame, or Georgia, yeah, I don't think that's likely, so we're in agreement on SMU. What about the Nittany Lions of Penn State? Can they get to a national championship game or win it all? Get to yes, win it all, no.

So their road's not terrible. SMU, Boise State, and then you get the winner of whoever wins between Indiana and Notre Dame. So let's say if it's Notre Dame, then Notre Dame, Georgia, whoever wins that game, then goes up against Penn State with a trip to the college football playoff on the line. Drew Allers, really, I think he's someone that could really be one of those guys in the college football playoff that has the most of the game this year. Tyler Warren's a stud.

Abdul Carter is great. But I can't, and this is why I'm going to say no on Penn State. It's because even if they get a win, I think there's an exhale level with that team.

And then it's like, okay, can you then get up for the next game? And I just don't trust, just like Ryan Day, I just can't trust James Franklin in a big spot. So I'm going to say Penn State can't get to the national championship game and they can't win it all. So, so far, teams that I'm considering that could get to a national championship game or win it all, Oregon, Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee. Now, we go to Indiana.

Can you see Indiana? I know you're rooting against them tonight, but let's say they beat your Fighting Irish. Can you see them finding a way to get to the national championship game or win it all? I can see them winning tonight, but I have a hard time seeing them winning after that.

Yeah, I would agree with you, especially in their biggest game of the season. It was Ohio State, and Ohio State wasn't even that great in the first half. And we still saw Indiana lose that game pretty much. It was Ohio State going away.

It was a blowout. You had Will Howard doing the cigarette, putting the cigarette out and stomping on the sideline within all those Ohio State Buckeyes fans. Oh, Michigan planted a flag in the middle of the field. All right, Notre Dame. Can you see your Notre Dame Fighting Irish?

Here come the Irish. I'm seeing college game day right now. It looked like it was going to be a snowstorm there. Yeah, it stopped, didn't it? It stopped the snow. It just looks chilly there. Did you see how much snow was there? There was a lot of snow down this morning. Even early afternoon.

So, they did a good job clearing all of it out, and it looks like it stopped. Let's get snow. Let's get snow. Let it snow. Let it snow.

Let it snow. But, Stu, can the Notre Dame Fighting Irish get to the national championship game or win it all? I think they can get there.

I think there's a path for them to get there. But if they're going up against an Oregon, Texas, one of those type of teams, I just don't see them winning at all. So, earlier in the week I asked, out of all the teams playing this weekend, not the teams on a bye, who do you say if you had to pick one to win the championship, who would it be? And I actually picked Tennessee. I am starting to feel bullish. Bullish on the Irish. I do think in a year where this is open, and maybe like someone could pick off Oregon, and then if they do win, they would play Notre Dame, with the way they run the football with Jeremiah Love, having Xavier Watts in the secondary. It's kind of one of those years where if I would have told you back in September, do you remember, when Notre Dame lost to NIU, you would have said, huh, them making the playoff? What are you, on crack? Right?

That's what people would have told me. I could see Notre Dame going on a run. So, I will give you my official predictions later. I'll give you every pick on the bracket.

We'll do that at 5.40 p.m. Eastern time. But right now, considering winning it all, I'm considering Oregon, duh. I'm considering Georgia, duh.

But after that, I'm only considering Texas, Tennessee, and the Irish of Notre Dame. And if you listen to this show, ever since I started here on the weekend overnights, I have never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever considered Notre Dame winning a championship. Chris Brockman of the Rich Eisen extravaganz is going to join us on the other side. He'll do NFL picks with us next. All right, this is that Gelb show on the Infinity Sports Network.

This has been talked about a lot this week. And we are very happy that the Rich Eisen show is coming right here to the Infinity Sports Network starting January 6th. And you can listen to it on many of these same stations that you're listening to right now, from noon to 3 p.m. Eastern time weekdays. Also on Sirius XM channel 158, a bunch of apps, streaming services. It's like all over the place. If you struggle finding the Rich Eisen show, right, Chris Brockman, that's on you.

I'm not saying you, but I'm saying the listeners because you guys are everywhere. No, no. What is it from Boogie Nights? That's not an MP.

That's a YP. That's a you problem. Oh, dude, I'm fantastic. Merry Christmas, happy holidays to you and all your listeners. Things are great, man. Look, what did I tell you way back in June?

Celtics in five, that happened. Yes, this Patriots season has been a disaster, but we have Drake May who's going to be a top ten quarterback next year. And everything is great in my world, man. How are you guys? I've been fantastic and we're excited to have you now leading the way here on the Infinity Sports Network along with Rich and the entire crew.

But, yeah, you're right. At first when Drake May was a choice for the Patriots, I was like, oh, I really wanted Jayden Daniels. And then I talked myself into Drake May. But the way that he's been able to do more with less and this roster is an absolute just repulsive roster. He really has impressed me this year.

Oh, dude, if you look at all the advanced metrics and all the analytics and all that stuff that the old fogies, you know, just kind of bash because they don't understand it. What he's doing is so incredibly impressive. He literally has if you think about the Patriots 53 man roster on any given Sunday, there's what, maybe four good players.

And of course, I say that with the utmost respect because they all could kick my ass. Like it is just unbelievable what Drake May is doing out there running off script, the arm talent when they win. Alex Van Pelt lets him throw deep. He's connecting on deep throws when they allow him to run the ball like they should have last week on third and one and fourth and one cost in the game.

He's getting big chunk yardage and getting first downs. I couldn't have been happier. I was with you. I thought before Jayden Daniels really broke free in the second half of his college season and won himself the Heisman Trophy.

I was like, look, let's go off script. Let's take Marvin Harrison third. Then we trade up back to the first round and take this kid. Jayden Daniels on LSU.

They're not going anywhere. No, then, of course, Jayden Daniels gets himself to the second pick of the of the draft. And we get Drake May couldn't be happier.

Kid's an absolute stud. We need to capitalize on his rookie contract window now or, you know, you risk kind of blowing it like some of these other teams have. Yeah, it'd be nice if they go get T. Hagen's. I know they tried to swing the last year and a half of getting a wide receiver. They haven't been successful. But also with that being said, I love Gerard Mayo as a player this time last year when you knew that Bill wasn't going to be coming back.

I was like Vrabel, Vrabel, Vrabel. Then we find out that Robert Kraft had disagreement with Gerard Mayo like five years ago to take over. I don't usually advocate Chris Brockman for one and done. And this roster stinks. So I'm not saying that Gerard Mayo should be fired. But with Mike Vrabel still out there and the possibility of him going to the Jets. Sorry, Gerard. I would get rid of him after one year and go get Mike Vrabel.

I know. And then and then what the Greg Bedard report that said that, look, if it is Vrabel, Josh McDaniels is coming with them and maybe some of that old Patriots bands getting back together. And your mouth starts salivating at the possibilities because the one good season back Jones had Josh McDaniels was the OC and he made the friggin Pro Bowl like and he looked competent. He looked like an NFL player. He was in the top 100 list.

So you just kind of think about that. And look, I love Gerard as a player. He was awesome. The personification of the Patriot way and the toughness and the grit and everything that you love to see and got accustomed to watching those Patriot defenses.

And I don't want to advocate for anybody to be one and done. You'd like to see him get an opportunity to turn this around. But if you just look at the games coming up to finish the season, it's two against Buffalo and then the other one against the Chargers. And I don't know how any of these games are going to be close. So how does that carry into the off season and the vibes? Well, we mentioned that the roster is, you know, so we've so much to be desired. I just don't know what's going to happen when I love Mike Vrabel. Yes, should have done it last year. Didn't even give him an interview.

That's such a dereliction of duty, you know, on the front office and the ownership in that regard. A guy who's in your Hall of Fame, a fantastic proven to be an excellent head coach had Tennessee as the one seed in the AFC with Ryan Tanahila quarterback. Got to give him a look last year, man. But the fact that he's still out there, anything to keep him away from the Jets.

Jeez. What are you most buzzed about for this weekend in college football with the playoffs started tonight? You got Notre Dame, Indiana, but you look at all four of these games. What's your biggest take for this weekend? My biggest take from this weekend, I'm I'm worried that we're just going to get home team chalk, which I know probably isn't going to happen, but it feels like it probably should happen. If you think like, what do you think?

What do you guys have been discussing about this? Who's the home team most on upset watch? Is it Ohio State? I think it's Ohio State because I think Tennessee is really dangerous. I love their defense.

I love Sampson. Yeah, it's just what is the Amalia going to be? But that Ohio State home game could feel like a road game very quick, because if they go three and out after the disaster, I thought it was glorious, but Ohio State fans think it's a disaster up against Michigan. If they go three and out first drive of the game. Oh, those boo birds are going to be coming down loud.

Yeah, it's going to be coming down pretty loud. Are we overlooking Indiana? I don't think it's overlooking Indiana. I'm just surprised how bullish I now am on Notre Dame, because I have in my entire history of being here on the network, I've never ever thought Notre Dame could win it all. I kind of think they're a dark horse to now win it all this year. In a year where outside of Oregon, it doesn't look like we have a great team in college football. If someone picks off Oregon, which I guess it's possible ever wins this Ohio State Tennessee game, I would not be surprised if Notre Dame goes a lot farther than what I usually anticipate them doing. Yeah, especially because they're on the Georgia side of the bracket, right? So with Georgia dealing with the injury there, yeah, I could see that. I'm just kind of excited to watch this finally play out. We've been talking about a playoff, it seems like for 20 plus years, of this scale with the 12 teams, and I'm just kind of see, is it going to just be chalked the whole way? It does feel like it's Oregon's to lose.

Plus we're getting elements. I mean, there's snow at Notre Dame. There's snow in Penn State. That's going to be just fantastic to watch, kind of like the Browns game a couple weeks ago. We have the snow angels in the end. That's going to be touchdown Jesus, snow angels. What are we talking about?

It's going to be amazing. I think this is the way to ask the question. I think this is the way that we should be talking about this. If let's say I tell you Georgia and Oregon cannot win it all, who would you then pick to win it all if it's not Georgia, if it's not Oregon? Because most people, when you see everyone that gives takes, it's like, oh, we're going Georgia, we're going Oregon to get the national championship.

If both those teams get picked off, who then wins it all in your opinion? Who's the quarterback for Texas? Oh, so you think there's a chance that we see a little Arch Manning doing a little to a tongue of eye line when Ewers plays the role of Jalen Hurts?

Look, what I'm saying is, is that I had this as an overreaction Monday topic a couple weeks ago. I said, look, Texas wants to win it all. Are they serious about winning at all? Start Arch, start Arch right from the jump, have him take over in the playoffs. Look, it's not an injury situation like Cardell Jones a few years ago for Ohio State, but we've seen this before where quarterback has come in and a team has won the national championship.

Thing is we've seen Arch play here. We know he's the real deal. He's already the betting favorite for next year's Heisman Trophy.

That's for a reason. So let's just go for it. How quickly is Quinn Ewer is going to get pulled? If he turns it over on the first drive or in the first quarter, is he going to get benched again, like he got benched earlier this year against Georgia?

I think Texas is probably that team that could win it all if it's not the top two. All right, he is Chris Brockman from the Rich Eisen Extravaganza, which will be joining the Infinity Sports Network lineup on many of these same stations starting January 6. Stu, I'll sound like Coach Prime here. Give me my theme music as we get to these NFL. It's time for NFL picks on the Zach Gelb Show.

All right, Chris, you know the dealio. We do three picks against the spread each. I will start you off. What's the first game that you like?

The first game is the easiest game. This is not financial advice, but 401K, IRA, all your Bitcoin, whatever you got, lay the 14 at Buffalo because there ain't no chance this is going to be a close game between the Patriots and Bills. And you know what? Rich always says that you're a mass hole homer. That's not a homer pick right there. You end up going with the Bills laying the points.

You know, I think they've had some objectivity. This is the pick of a man. This is the pick of a man who's watched his team every single game this season, and they don't have any good players. The only one they have is number 10, and he's not going to score 35 points because that's what's going to take at least to keep up with this Bills team with the heater Josh Allen has been on.

My goodness. All right, I'll give you my first pick. A lot of people started to second guess this team with all the injuries. The game was close on Thanksgiving at the end that Matt Iberloos found a way to mess it up and just get fired. I don't think this game's going to be close whatsoever. I'm taking the Lions. I love the Lions laying six and a half points. I still think that the second best team in the NFC. I put the Eagles in front of them, but give me Detroit on the road in Chicago when the Bears have checked that on this season.

Lions laying six and a half. Your second pick. Yeah, I couldn't agree more, so let's just make that my second pick as well, and I'll get to my third pick. I couldn't agree with that more. Here is my third. Also, Dan Campbell just wants to prove to everybody this is kind of an F.U.

game. Hey, you guys are counting me out. You're dropping me in your power rankings. I heard Peter Schrager say he's kind of given up on the Lions today. Like, come on.

He is just going to stick it up everyone's you-know-what. All right, my third pick, because it has to happen, because the team they're playing against should really be six and eight if you really think about it and you count it all out. Give me the Texans plus three and a half in Arrowhead against Patrick Mahomes and company.

I got to do it. So it's so funny because you don't know my picks as well. I do have the Texans plus three and a half as well, because I was going through the spreads and I'm like, ah, Chiefs line three and a half, I'm going to stay away. And I'm like, wait, wait, that's only a three and a half point spread. The Texans haven't been able to really win a big game this year. I think that's begging people to take Kansas City.

So I'm with you. I plus the three and a half points on the Texans. Then for my final pick, a little exhale spot could concern me with this team just because they were so dominant last week and right they had all the locker room fighting and they came out on the right side of it.

So I could think this could be a sucker bet, but I'll be the sucker here if that's the case. I'm taking the Eagles laying three and a half points. Oh, you're going to do it.

Yeah, I'm going to do it. I'm going to take the Eagles laying the three and a half points up against the commander. So the picks this week, I go with the Lions laying six and a half, the Texans plus three and a half, the Eagles laying three and a half, and Chris goes with the Buffalo Bills, who are a wagon right now, laying 14, Lions laying six and a half, and the Texans plus three and a half. Chris, before we let you run, I know you guys don't really need to sell your show because you guys are everywhere and it's been a juggernaut, the rich eyes and extravaganza. But for people that have not heard the show that are listening to Infinity Sports Network for a long time, even though we share many of the same affiliates for it to begin with, what can people expect come January 6? Look, you're going to get some of the best sports talk in the business. You know, this overreaction Monday, what's more likely and some of the best celebrity interviews. And we're not just doing the tour. This isn't the six minute late night show.

This is 20 to 30 minutes. Talking sports, talking the latest projects, talking their absolute hits. We had Jon Hamm on this week.

You're talking about Landman and the Mad Men recap. You're just going to get that type of crossover that you're not really seeing anywhere else between sports and pop culture. And of course, the NFL, NFL, NFL, NFL. And look, Rich and I are one of the few shows who talk a lot of baseball. He's obviously a big Yankees guy. I'm a Red Sox guy.

TJ on the show is a Mets fan. So we got everything covered. We got everything covered in Major League Baseball as well. Waiting for this hot stove to heat up. I thought this was supposed to be tons of off season moves here. Well, you got like three big moves, three big moves. And that's it.

Like what's going on? Yeah. Soto sign. Great. Christian Walker goes to the Astros.

Cool. Where's Alex Bregman going? Where's Corbin Burns? Any of these guys going to sign or what? Zach, come on.

You're plugged in. Well, tell your organization to stop pinching pennies. The Red Sox used to be this respectable organization, the standard.

And once you get rid of Mookie you're like, what the heck has happened to the Boston Red Sox? Did John Henry go broke? Did I miss like a Forbes report or something like what is going on? I thought Liverpool was making dollars hand over fist.

What is happening? Well, bronze part of this ownership group can each up in some money. We need some starting pitching and we need a bat. Let's go. Oh, I wouldn't hold your breath. But anyway, happy holidays and excited to welcome the Rich Eisen show to the Infiniti Sports Network on January 6. All the best. Good luck to our picks. I also like the Bengals minus seven. Just lay it.

They're on a heater and they don't have a heater. You know what I mean? There's a bonus pick. You got it.

Thanks so much. There he is. Chris Brockman joining us on the show.

Crystal Presti is standing by. We'll come on back. I'll give you all the predictions on the college football bracket.

I'll pick each and every potential game in the college football playoff. Update time first though. Here is Crystal Presti. All righty. It's time to answer our Ask the Pros question of the day. It's brought to you by O'Reilly Auto Parts. Gerald in Houston says Zach, you won the national championship this year in college football with the playoffs starting tonight.

You can submit a question by tweeting at INF Sports Net or at Zach Gelb using the hashtag Ask the Pros. Think O'Reilly Auto Parts for all your car care needs. Get guaranteed low, low, low, low, low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts.

Oh, oh, oh, O'Reilly Auto Parts. Stu, give me our college football picks music. All righty, we will start it off tonight. Even though I'm very, very, very annoyed at Stu for electing to get wings tonight with ranch when you should go with bluecheese, I will not hold that against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish because I love Jeremiah Love. I have Notre Dame defeating Indiana. Notre Dame is off to round number two to have a battle with Georgia. Penn State SMU.

Our pal Hot Take Hickey is off to Happy Valley right now. Hopefully the Penn State fans elect to show up. There are questions about if the Penn State team is going to show up. I know it's a playoff game, but it's not your stereotypical big game that you expect James Franklin to lose. This is a medium-sized game for the Nittany Lions and these are the ones that they usually win.

Give me. I'm not going to say we are. I just won't do it. I won't do it whatsoever, but give me Penn State taking care of business up against SMU. We then keep it moving and we go to Texas and Clemson.

This is the game that I'm really conflicted on this weekend. I think Texas is going to win, but I'm a little bit afraid of Dabo, Sweeney, and Clemson. And it wouldn't surprise me if we see a little Arch Manning.

You know, maybe he has a rushing touchdown in this game because he has wheels on like Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. I'm going to pick Texas here and I'm going to trust Steve Sarkeesian. So I'm going to take Texas to get the job done in the new look version of the Texas Longhorns, what they've been the last two years under Sark. Give me Texas over Clemson.

OA. Ohio State, Tennessee. Tennessee, Ohio State. I'm going with the volunteers at Tennessee. Don't trust Ryan Day. I get it right.

Redemption spot. You lose to Michigan. That team to me, they have so much talent, but the way that they've talked this week and the way that they've talked the last few weeks, they have talked me out of picking Ohio State. When this game first came out, I'm like, Ohio State, Tennessee. I really like Tennessee, but I'm going to pick Ohio State.

And then you hear them just try to devalue the game and talk about a championship robust. I think it's all backwards at Ohio State. Sampson, he's going to run right through Ohio State. The defense for Tennessee is going to cause problems for Will Howard.

And I just don't trust Ryan Day when it gets into a close spot. Give me the volunteers of Tennessee over Ohio State. So that leads us into the second round. Tennessee up against Oregon. The Sun Devils up against Texas. You have the Fighting Irish up against Georgia. And you have Boise State up against Penn State. I will start with Tennessee, Oregon.

Quack, quack, quack, Mr. Duxworth. Give me the Ducks of Oregon. They've been the most consistent team in the country. They've been the best team in the country. Dylan Gabriel's been really damn good. Tez Johnson is an absolute stud.

And I love me some Dan Lanning. As much as I've enjoyed watching Tennessee this season, I will take the Ducks to take care of business up against the volunteers. All right. Now we're about to get funky. Now we're about to get real funky. Even though Arizona State is the better seed, they're the four they had to buy. Texas is the five. They had to beat Clemson to get here. I think a lot of people would list Texas as the favorite.

Not so fast, my friends. I am not taking Texas in this game. When this bracket came out, I said I really question SARC and I question James Franklin in a big game. You get to round two, even if the opponent's not your stereotypical big game opponent, that's when the games start to matter just a little bit more.

That's when they become big games. I'm going to take Arizona State to take care of business up against Texas. Give me Cam Scatteboo, give me Sam Levitt, and give me the Sun Devils to stick a fork in the Texas season. Boise State, Penn State. The two best players in this game, Ashton Genti and Tyler Warren.

And then, if you said who's the third best player, Abdul Carter. But this one comes down to coaching. And what Spencer Danielson has done in the last year and a half is really damn impressive since taking over as interim head coach and then getting the head coaching game. I think Boise State upsets Penn State. And then, we get to Notre Dame and Georgia.

What's that coming down the track, Stu? It are the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Not the Georgia Bulldogs. Layoff a long time. Questions at the quarterback position for Georgia.

Jeremiah Love. Run, run, run. Even though Georgia has a heck of a defense, I'm taking Notre Dame to get to the Final Four. So then, there was four. Oregon, Arizona State, Notre Dame and Boise State still wouldn't even know what to do with themselves right now if this is the Final Four. Give me the Oregon Ducks over the Arizona State Sun Devils in what was an old Pac-12 matchup now meeting in a Big Ten team up against a Big 12 matchup in the semifinal. That's when the wonderful run of Kenny Dillingham, who was on Dan Lanning's staff in 2022, that's when it comes to a close with Oregon going to the National Championship game. And Stu, Notre Dame and Boise State, a battle of two great running backs, Ashton Gente and Jeremiah Love. Brylee Leonard is going to play a big part in this.

Xavier Watts is going to play a big role in this. And Notre Dame will see the Boise State Cinderella story hit midnight. Notre Dame is advancing to the National Championship game. Oregon and Notre Dame. Notre Dame and Oregon. I got to this network I think in 2017, 2017 to 2018. When you have so much fun, who even remembers?

And who wants to go back that many years? When I got to this network, I would fight callers who would tell me, Notre Dame's great! And I'm like, no, they're good. They never win a big game. So it's very unlikely of me to put Notre Dame in a National Championship game. It's very unlikely for me to pick Notre Dame to win the National Championship game.

So, Stu, fade down this music, please. We have Oregon and Notre Dame in my championship predictions. And winning the National Championship this year, Stu, give me the music.

Cut it, cut it, cut it, cut it, cut it, cut it, cut it. I'm not picking Notre Dame to win the National Championship game. Give me the Oregon Ducks to win the National Championship over Notre Dame 31 to 20. Stu, your reaction on my bracket? I was almost going to scream at you because there's no way. I mean, yeah, I could see them getting there.

I don't think they would win it. On that side of the bracket, though, the only school that can't intimidate you is Georgia, correct? Uh, yes. Not Penn State. Yeah, yeah. It's just Georgia. That's the only one that really... Just do me a favor. Indiana doesn't intimidate you, right?

They don't. Okay. I just, you know, somehow I have my team that I picked to go to the National Championship game and lose loses tonight.

That's just a social media clip we may or may not use. I think Stu realized that. I sure did.

Like three seconds in. So, yeah, I'm going Oregon to take care of Notre Dame. If you would have told me three weeks ago I would have been picking Notre Dame to go to the National Championship game, I would have never believed you. But I was going through the bracket, and I kept on hearing everyone say, Georgia and Oregon, Oregon and Georgia. I'm like, everyone's picking Oregon and Georgia.

I like the Ducks to win it all. So I'm like, let's pick someone else on the other side of the bracket. And I wasn't trusting Indiana. I wasn't trusting Penn State. You will never get Zach Yell to pick Penn State in the National Championship game. I love SMU and Boise State, but I just didn't. And I'm like, all right, I got to take Georgia out. Who's got the best chance on that side of the bracket to take Georgia out? I'm fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

So Oregon, Notre Dame is my National Championship game pick, and I'm taking the Ducks of Oregon over Notre Dame 31 to 20. And that will do it for another week of the Zach Gelb show. Next week, we are in Monday. We are not here Tuesday and Wednesday, but we're here Thursday, Friday.

So we still give you three days next week. I'll be on WFN in New York City tomorrow from 9 to 930 a.m. Eastern time, Sunday. Sunday morning football from 10 a.m. to noon Eastern as well.

We'll be back on Monday to recap it all in the college football world, in the NFL world at 3 p.m. Eastern, noon Pacific time. Big thanks to each and every one of you for tuning in today. Stu Sanford, thank you. Dan Lanning, thank you for joining us. Chris Brockman as well.

And Dan Jackson. We'll talk to you on Monday, everybody. We out. Bye-bye. We'll see you next week.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-12-20 20:21:48 / 2024-12-20 20:41:42 / 20

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