Indiana Wins Big Ten Championship | College Football Playoff Reaction - Miami's In, Notre Dame's Out

I feel like starting this with like the hangover, we are back! We are back! How long has it been? It feels like... I know the number. The exact number.

Neil (03:13)
I feel

like we've been hibernating for the winter. We've just come out of the cave.

Nick (03:20)
It's been two and a half weeks, almost, which is way too long.

Neil (03:22)
my god.

We probably lost all of our listeners in that time. They probably thought we'd be... They thought we quit. Maybe they thought we were beefing. Maybe they thought we broke up.

Nick (03:27)
all of our four listeners.

All of our four listeners.

I mean,

that makes for a ⁓ better pod of beef. It makes for a better pod.

Neil (03:42)
No beef, you just decided to jet off to the Cayman Islands for four weeks or however long it seemed like you were gone and just decided to sit on the beach.

Nick (03:53)
Well, to be fair, was 83 and sunny every single day. I did try to get you to do one one night and you had something going on. It was the night before Thanksgiving. Wednesday night, I was like, hey, let's do it.

Neil (04:01)
I mean,

we had a men's basketball game that night that I attended.

Nick (04:06)
But I will say,

I don't know, like, if we're gonna do this pod and somebody's traveling, we gotta be better, you gotta bring the mic, you gotta have better wifi. I set up the entire night when we recorded before I flew to the Caymans in the Cincinnati Airport Hotel and downloaded that, it took the entire night for that thing to upload. And I still don't even have it uploaded until I got to the Charlotte Airport the next day. I did not sleep that night.

⁓ So that shows commitment.

Neil (04:39)
Sounds like a lot of complaining, whining and crying over there on your part.

Nick (04:42)
I think it sounds a more like just grinding. Just grinding.

Neil (04:45)
Friday. ⁓

Nick (04:52)
It was

the last night. It was the last night and...

Neil (04:55)
I see where your priorities are. I see that you go to the Cayman, you

make new friends, you don't want to talk to any of us in Louisville anymore.

Nick (05:01)
I

I've gone to beats the entire day. A lot of Seven Fathoms and RUM, some K-Brew lights.

Neil (05:08)
So why do you look like you're out in a snowstorm when you're sitting in your living room? Like is your heat broken over there?

Nick (05:11)
Because I'm not in my living room.

No, it's just cold outside. Came in from outside. I'll play some sports. Hockey's not going to be one of them. I don't do anything that rolls or slides underneath my feet to where the legs can go opposite directions.

Neil (05:18)
You like you're about to go play pick up hockey on the ice pond out back. Like, what you wearing? You're bogging off. No.

Nick (05:40)
Yeah, that's not it for me.

Neil (05:41)
Yeah.

You just look like you're cold in your own house. looking to get like some heating and cooling business out there to take a look at it for you.

Nick (05:50)
Mean

it I was used to 83 and sunny for every day and then I come home to a damn blizzard Let land land at 1230 What Tuesday morning at this point? I traveled all day last Monday Land at 1230 Tuesday morning. They're supposed to be snow. I'm like it ain't snow. Let we're Drive for about 20 minutes and then it's a blizzard

Neil (06:12)
Bye bye.

Boo hoo. I had to go to the Cayman Islands and now I have to go to a blizzard.

Nick (06:19)
There's

18 Willers just blowing by me like nothing's going on. You can't see five feet in front of you. I I'm going down 71 should have stopped at the Verona exit and it's like 10 miles to the next exit Finally got there camped out at a gas station for like four hours two hours into the stay I get a knock on my window because I'm actually at the pump because I'm covered Get a knock on the window. Hey, you can't park here. We got customers

Lady, you ain't got nobody coming to get gas in a blizzard. So I have to move at 530. I'm like, all right, I'm going. Go like 25 miles an hour for about 30 minutes. And then finally the roads had been hit a little bit by the trucks. Was able to get up to about 45, 50, pulled in the driveway at about 7 AM.

Neil (07:05)
Man, what, you're just a superhuman hero. Like, look at you.

Nick (07:10)
No, I mean, I sat and did nothing for four hours. I don't think that's very superhuman. It took a-

Neil (07:16)
You make it seem like

you're like the old man. Back in my day, I had to go 15 miles up the hill with no shoes.

Nick (07:23)
It's just

a week ago back in my day. A week ago back in my day. It takes a lot for me to pull over. I don't actually know if I've ever done that, but there you could not know. There was no way. There was no way.

Neil (07:26)
Like, toughen up. You need to toughen up. You need to toughen up.

Nick (07:39)
but we made it, slept for a couple hours, got some work in on Tuesday. And then we couldn't do the show last Wednesday because you were on the road at Arkansas and we were finally back. That is the six foot six deal. I am the four foot 10 Nick. It is finally back, the height differential and we got a lot to talk about.

Neil (08:04)
Yeah. Sure did.

Nick (08:06)
College

football playoffs are here. We have the first round matchups. We have the buys.

Neil (08:13)
We have it all, we've got the controversy, we've got the matchups, we've got the playoffs, we've it all. A little bit of everything.

Nick (08:20)
We'll talk a little NFL. We'll talk to Bengals after getting a big win at Baltimore. Looking like they, what you wanted them to kind of look like, because you knew their defense wasn't going be to be great. They were moving the ball, but they figured out a way to lose. We'll obviously go into that. LeBron scoring streak of 1 million games with 10 plus points came to an end in Toronto. A raccoon gets drunk at a liquor store. And I think we'll end it with another team tall versus team small draft.

We'll do Christmas movies. We'll see if we can throw in another ⁓ hot take like the noodles and gravy.

Neil (08:56)
To this day, people still come up to me and be like, what is wrong with Nick Evans in noodles and gravy?

Nick (09:03)
Well, you're have to tell Grandma Waylon that she's wrong.

Neil (09:08)
Was Grandma, I mean

was Grandma Whalen, was she German?

Nick (09:12)
⁓ Her maiden name was Rock. ⁓ My other grandma was German.

Neil (09:14)
According to

according to my mother, she says that when she was growing up, her grandparents made noodles and gravy as well, and it was a German thing. But that stopped along the way somewhere, thank goodness.

Nick (09:24)
Okay, so I'm sure.

I'm sure that's where it's derived from. ⁓

But yeah, I mean, I shouldn't have picked it so high, but I was picking what my favorite things are. I was picking, no, I love it. I'm definitely gonna pick it, but I could have picked it six or seven.

Neil (09:36)
You shouldn't have picked it at all! You shouldn't have picked it at all!

You could have picked a dead last behind every

Nick (09:46)
I mean, I also

will agree we've gotten some beef for not taking the white turkey. We only took the dark turkey. I don't disagree with that, but.

Neil (09:52)
Dark Turkey is superior.

We also messed up. Pumpkin pie should have been in there. I'll take blame for that. Should have put pumpkin pie in there.

Nick (10:02)
Hey,

it's not gonna be perfect. It's not gonna be perfect, but it's fun to hear everybody. I mean, for last two weeks, all I've heard is, you're an idiot. Noodles and gravy. I'll say, sorry. My grandma's noodles and gravy were delicious and my mom has carried on the tradition.

Neil (10:15)
I I lost the last two weeks.

I mean, that's just another reason for people to call you an idiot. You usually get called an idiot throughout the year, not just around Thanksgiving, but that's just another reason. You just give people reasons.

Nick (10:27)
Yeah, because I love

what my mom and my grandma cook. Whoa, you're an idiot. Like, are you kidding me? I admit there's some things I'm idiot for. That ain't one of

Neil (10:36)
Peking noodles and gravy, second overall, pretty good.

Nick (10:39)
All right, well, let's let's get into this playoff.

Neil (10:41)
Yeah.

Nick (10:42)
So going into it kind of had an idea. The really, guess, were there surprises on championship Sunday? I the IU Ohio State game was a great game. Didn't really have an effect on the other than one and two. Texas Tech kind of put BYU to bed with BYU could have got in if they would have won. But after going straight down the field and look like this is gonna be different, they did nothing the rest of the game.

Neil (11:01)
Yeah. Yeah.

Nick (11:10)
and Georgia puts it on Alabama, which really, I mean, I guess, I don't know if you should get penalized for making this a championship game and losing, but BYU clearly did as they fell multiple spots. Alabama doesn't fall at all. But I guess you got to start at Notre Dame being moved out and Miami being moved in despite the fact that neither one of them played.

Neil (11:37)
Yeah, I mean that's what everybody's talking about is you know like that last at large spot and who should have had it was it Miami, was it Notre Dame, should it have been BYU and people were... And even Vanderbilt was even mentioned as an outside chance of maybe getting that last spot but I when you look at it all, yes BYU got penalized for playing in that game because they got moved back a spot. They weren't in the playoff.

Nick (11:48)
Well, and I think Alabama needs to be in there too. Yeah.

Neil (12:04)
last week in the rankings, but they got jumped by a Miami team who did not play a game. So when you do that, then the committee all of a sudden uses that logic as, wait, Notre Dame and Miami are back to back in these rankings. Well, let's use the head to head, which they should have done from the beginning. They just decided to do it in the last week when neither one of them played a game. So I think the committee got it right. I just think that they got it right too late. I think that Miami probably should have been ahead of Notre Dame.

before now.

Nick (12:36)
Well, mean, look, we've talked about how these 30 minute shows that are made for TV are kind of annoying, right? Like they just drag it out, drag it out, and it's all made for TV. If you don't have these, there's no controversy at all. Because if you look at it side by side, their resumes are very similar. And I know it's the first game of the season, but

Neil (12:46)
They're very annoying, yes. Yes.

Correct.

Nick (13:06)
Miami beat Notre Dame. There you go. I mean, that's it.

Neil (13:09)
I

don't think that you wouldn't have what you have now. mean the made-for-tv stuff is just the entertainment. You still have the rankings. So when the rankings come out and there's Notre Dame's ahead of Miami, there's I mean you're gonna have rankings every week. Even if it's made for TV entertainment or not. You're still gonna have rankings and there's still gonna be controversy. So just having it on TV to me is just pointless anyway. I mean it's not very good. You're making money off of it, but I mean I'd like to know what the ratings were every week.

Nick (13:32)
Well, they're making money off of it.

Neil (13:38)
mean, are people really watching it? I mean, you're doing it at halftime of basketball games or in between double headers of basketball games. So you're still gonna have rankings. You still need rankings because you wanna know if you're, where your team is, if you're a coach, where are we? Like, what are we expecting? So I just think that they got it wrong leading up until now and they finally got it right, but they got it right at the last minute and that's what everybody's all upset about.

Nick (14:02)
Well, Neil, so the first rankings was November the 4th. And in that ranking, Notre Dame was 10. Do know where Miami was?

Neil (14:13)
Were they like 16, 18? Yeah.

Nick (14:15)
were 18.

And at that point both teams were were 6 and 2. And obviously Miami had recently taken losses to Louisville and SMU. So that was kind of a recency thing. Notre Dame's first two losses came at the beginning of the season. Since those rankings came out on November the 4th, both Notre Dame and Miami are

both them have one win over ranked team and actually the ranked team is the same ranked team in Pitt

Neil (14:51)
Yeah

Nick (14:53)
And both teams have blown out their opponents. Notre Dame's average margin of victory is 38. Miami's average margin of victory in those four games is 28.

But when you go, you're eight spots behind. You're eight spots behind. And your resumes are super similar in those four games where they move eight spots and jump them. And that's why the head-to-head didn't matter then because they had them as eight teams better.

Neil (15:24)
Well, but how many teams between those, but with your 18, I mean, those seven teams that are in between Miami and Notre Dame, they probably all lost at some point, which then when a team loses, they get dropped. So Miami's gonna move up, even though you might say they didn't deserve it, or they didn't earn it because they didn't beat anybody. Well, you're not gonna keep, like people that lose are gonna go behind them. So eventually, in those four weeks, Miami caught up because people lost, teams lost.

Nick (15:50)
But

the committee still thought that Notre Dame was eight spots higher than Miami at one point when they had very similar resumes and knew that Notre Dame had lost to Miami.

Neil (15:56)
at that time.

Which I don't know why Notre Dame was even that high to begin with. They should not have been 10th even back then. You look at what they've done all year, yeah, they have two really tough close losses, one to Miami and one to Texas A ⁓ combined four points. But then outside of that, who else have they beaten? What is their best win? mean, you played Purdue, Arkansas, Boise.

Nick (16:15)
I combined four points.

Neil (16:29)
NC State, I they beat a USC team which is probably their best win. Probably their best win but you close the year with Stanford and Syracuse and Navy and Boston College. It's like, ugh, know, like not great teams. I you can only beat the teams that are on your schedule. you know Miami's head to head win over Notre Dame is better than anything Notre Dame had done. when ⁓ they're back to back, you gotta pull them.

Nick (16:32)
That's their only ranked win. That's their only ranked win.

No,

I think they got it right. I just, don't know how at one point you have them eight spots higher and then their resumes were similar then, they're similar now and now all of sudden they're in front of them.

Neil (17:11)
I just think it came down to Notre Dame was too high to begin with. I don't know if it's ever.

Nick (17:14)
Well, if

you talk about strength to schedule, Notre Dame's is 42, Miami's 44. ⁓ Miami's best win, only ranked win, is the win at Notre Dame. I mean, obviously that's the difference. ⁓ I mean, look, to me, like, you can throw Alabama into the mix. Like, they look terrible on Saturday. And I don't know if you should be able to be penalized.

for making a conference championship game.

Neil (17:46)
You shouldn't.

Nick (17:48)
Now, Smoot dropped several spots last year when they lost, but they still made the playoff. ⁓ Alabama didn't move at all.

Neil (17:52)
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, you're really all, I mean, the only place you're gonna move them is to what, 10?

Nick (18:02)
Well, that's the yeah, I mean, if they're going to get in, yeah.

Neil (18:04)
Yeah,

so then you would just put Miami at nine and I don't know if you're gonna do that. So I mean, Alabama, they did not look great against Georgia, but you look at their whole season and they beat Georgia earlier in the year. They beat a Vanderbilt team that was being mentioned as one of the teams that could sneak in there at the end. So a team that's on the fringe playoff. They beat a ranked Tennessee team at the time. They put a close game against Oklahoma who they're gonna face again in the playoff.

You they have some really good wins. They have a bad loss. They have a, yeah, they do have the worst loss, but they also have the best win and probably, I mean, you look at that in Vandy in Tennessee, they probably has a resume when you compare it between Notre Dame and Miami and Alabama, they probably, even with that Florida state loss, still have quite a few better wins.

Nick (18:38)
They have the worst loss of those teams.

Yeah, and their strength of schedule is 11, which is way higher than 44 and 42. The Florida State loss opened the season, but it ends up being just a terrible loss. Now, at the time, you're thinking maybe Florida State's back.

Neil (19:13)
And I mean, think that makes a difference. don't know if you... Yeah.

Which, if you're the committee, and mean, this is an argument in Notre Dame's favor, is, you you look at that bad loss and you're like, well, it's week one. You know, like, how are they playing now? How did the rest of the season go? And maybe you give a little leniency because that loss was in week one, compared to if they had lost to Florida State in week 10. I think if you would have lost Florida State in week 10, you're probably going to get penalized a lot more than you losing to them in week one.

which Notre Dame's counterpart is that they lost week one to Miami. So, I don't know.

Nick (19:46)
Yeah,

mean, VUI used, mean, they weren't in head into the week. So obviously them getting trounced is not going to move them in to the conversation. But I mean, they've got wins over Utah who was beaten the breaks off of a lot of teams there at the end of the year. They beat Arizona who was playing really well at the end of the year. They're two losses into the same team. Their strength of schedule is 34.

I'm not saying that they should have got in over Alabama or Miami, I don't know. just.

Neil (20:24)
How much do

you think the fact that, in the committee's mind, I don't know if this was asked of them or not, if you don't put Miami in, you're shutting out a Power Four conference. Are you willing to deal with the consequences of that?

Nick (20:36)
Well,

to me, that's the ACC's fault. Like figure out a way to get Miami in the championship game when you've got a five way tie for second place.

Neil (20:41)
don't disagree.

You just gotta follow the tiebreakers that are in place and I don't know how do you do that? I mean, people say you go off the college football playoff rankings. Well, those don't come out until Tuesday and you have a game on Saturday. So teams that are playing in the game on Saturday are gonna need to know, hey, I'm playing in this game before Tuesday rolls around. You can't go off the previous week's rankings because that could change.

Nick (20:53)
You

I know.

But if

Miami's playing Virginia, you don't deal with all this.

Neil (21:13)
How do you just say, all right, you're in because we think you're better? That's just the subjective thing.

Nick (21:18)
I mean, that's what the Playoff

Committee does.

Neil (21:19)
have an ACC committee and then the standings don't You're just gonna say that the regular season standings and the results just don't matter?

Nick (21:21)
I mean, 100%, that's what the Playoff Committee does.

I don't know, like...

I don't know what you do, but having a Duke team that's seven and five, that's JMU's best win, right? James Madison? Isn't that James Madison's best win? They beat Duke? Or was it Tulane that beat Duke? Tulane beat Duke. Yeah, yeah, I've got their schedules up here. But that's what opens it up to this happening, is Duke playing in that game.

Neil (21:37)
Who? No, they didn't. They did not play Duke. Too lame. Too lame to be Duke. James Madison didn't really beat it.

Nick (21:53)
Does Tulane and James Madison, do they have a chance? We saw James Madison in person.

Neil (21:59)
No, mean clearly, no. Like Notre Dame is by far a better team than both of those. BYU is a better team than both of those. But you can't just tell the non-power four teams you're never gonna get a chance to win a national championship. Because then what are you playing football for? You gotta give them a chance.

Nick (22:19)
⁓ it's just they're both going to be 20 point dogs. Wait, did they? Let me read you off James Madison's wins.

Neil (22:24)
But they earned the right to try

What do you want him to do? Nobody's gonna schedule them

Nick (22:33)
But like still, like Weber State Liberty, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, Old Dominion, Texas State, Marshall, App State, Washington State, Coastal, and Troy.

Neil (22:35)
Like they're lucky Louisville...

What do you even do?

I understand that, but what do want them to do? They can't change, the SEC is not gonna say, come on James Madison, we'll take you on as a member. Neither is the ACC or the Big Ten or the Big 12. They're stuck in a Power Four conference. They're always gonna be in a Power Four conference, at least for the foreseeable future. So they can't help who's in their conference. They just play the teams that's on their schedule, and I guarantee you the Alabamas of the world aren't gonna wanna schedule them, anybody like Louisville did, Louisville did, cause Louisville will play anybody.

Nick (23:12)
I don't know, I'm down.

Neil (23:15)
and they lost the level but but I guarantee you James Madison would jump at the opportunity to play the big boys if the big boys wouldn't what was this game so they don't penalize James so don't penalize James Madison because nobody wants to play him and that they're only can only beat the teams on their schedule and that's what they did

Nick (23:15)
I was, I mean, yeah, and I mean, it wasn't the prettiest game.

1000 % but if you look at that schedule

Tulane wins Northwestern South Alabama Duke They're gonna get a rematch against Ole Miss where they lost 45 to 10 already. That's exciting La beat Tulsa East East Carolina Army lost to UTSA Memphis FAU temple Charlotte, North Texas and

We get them. ⁓

Neil (23:55)
So

how many of these playoff teams are missing their coaches? will be missing their coaches? Coaches are leaving or have left already. I know, and so is the James Madison coach, I'm pretty sure too. So will we have three playoff teams who are having coaching changes?

Nick (24:04)
So I'm not approaching Tulane.

Yeah, that's because you got two non-Power 4 teams in the playoff. And if you get a non-Power 4 team into the playoff, guess what? You're probably going to be coaching somewhere else next year.

Neil (24:26)
Yeah, you're right. I mean, I don't think this is a thing that's gonna happen often.

Nick (24:31)
No, ACC's

gotta be better, it's the ACC's fault.

Neil (24:34)
They see Miami's Miami's good. They just didn't make the quality.

Nick (24:39)
They weren't good

enough to play in the ACC Championship game.

Neil (24:43)
I don't know.

Nick (24:44)
which causes

all this. Like, the point was to get one of these in here. The good news is they changed the rules from last year or Tulane would be getting a bye

Neil (24:54)
That would be insane. Yeah, no, you're right. No, I know the top four, yeah, top four conference champions that would get a bye Yeah, we all agree that that was a bad rule to begin with.

Nick (24:56)
No, seriously!

Don't I don't know and you know, know who gets

Neil (25:07)
I mean, honestly,

here's how you fix it. There is a fix and the fix is coming. You go to 16 teams, you get the...

Nick (25:15)
We're just gonna keep increasing it. It'll be 64. And then they'll be like, and what we need, we need two, we need the first four and then it'll go to 68.

Neil (25:17)
the service system. ⁓

16 teams is the answer. That's enough teams. then if you want to, I mean, then, all right, so then if you want to cry about who should get in, Virginia or I don't know, like what Cincinnati at that point, then like, no, like that's dumb.

Nick (25:27)
No, then they'll be crying about 17 and 18.

I

I would love to see Vanderbilt in this thing.

Neil (25:45)
If it was a 16 team playoff, they would be.

Nick (25:47)
I know, but like...

Neil (25:48)
Hey, who's that?

Nick (25:48)
Everybody's

talking about everybody's talking about Texas and how good they played at the end of the year that they beat A &M A &M had the weakest SEC schedule was undefeated through 11 games. I mean, I think they're They beat Notre Dame But I don't know like everybody's like if Texas didn't play Ohio State would they be in and Now they're crying because we went on the road and played Ohio State in week one. Well, you lost to Florida to like

Neil (25:57)
rights.

Florida yeah

yeah

Nick (26:19)
It's just all goes back to the ACC. Because having Tulane in this thing as the 12 would not be that big a deal.

Neil (26:29)
Honestly don't think Tulane should have in over James Madison. What? Put James Madison ranked ahead of Tulane.

Nick (26:33)
Did you just read

the teams that I said James Madison beat?

Neil (26:37)
Yeah,

they beat them all. You just told me Tulane lost to Texas San Antonio. If you lose to Texas San Antonio, you don't get in the playoff. If you lose to Louisville, you do get in the playoff because there's two teams in the playoff that lost to Louisville and they're still in it.

Nick (26:40)
That's a good point.

Good point.

Let's see, UTSA at the time was four and four. And they didn't just lose, they lost 48 to 26.

Neil (26:56)
Yeah, that's an automatic disqualification from the playoff. Get out. James Madison, you're in. Tulane, you're going to the Liberty Bowl.

no, you died.

Gah!

⁓ are you back? That was you. That was not me.

Nick (27:07)
Yeah, are you back? It was you!

Alright, I'm gonna go to where I'm talking about that loss.

And I'm gonna look this up. They didn't just lose. They lost 48 to 26 and at the time UTSA was 4-4 and 2-2 in the league.

Neil (27:25)
Yeah,

like that should be automatic disqualification from any playoff, anything. Like Tulane, you're out, James Madison, you're in, you actually beat everybody on your schedule, except for a Power Four team. And Tulane, you can just go to the Liberty Bowl.

Nick (27:39)
And you know, so TNT is getting playoff games for the first time. Do know, do know the games they get?

Neil (27:47)
The first, are they first round games? They get the James Madison and Tulane games.

Nick (27:51)
Yeah.

Neil (27:52)
Let's talk about like keeping it with the playoff is Obviously, Indiana Ohio State were two best teams all year that everybody they were ranked one and two they play each other and a great game defensive select fest Indiana wins so they get the one spot the one seed and Ohio State loses and they just dropped one spot to number two, which I agree with I think that they should be the two but then you look at the path and who these teams are gonna play your Indiana you're playing

Nick (28:13)
I agree with that.

Neil (28:20)
the winner of Oklahoma and Alabama, and Ohio State gets the winner of Texas A and Miami. I, if I was IU, would rather have the Texas A and Miami winner. Personally, I think you get the harder road being the one seed here.

Nick (28:36)
Yeah, mean, Oklahoma's offense has not been the same since Matir got hurt early in the year. Alabama looked terrible on Saturday and they're kind of banged up.

Neil (28:45)
They've

beaten Georgia, they've beaten... Like we talked about Texas A &M having the easiest SEC schedule. I think they're good, but I don't think that they're that good. You know, they had a miracle comeback against South Carolina when they were down 31-0 in halftime or whatever it was.

Nick (28:48)
⁓ I don't know.

mean, Miami's the best team they've played all year.

Neil (29:03)
Yeah, think IU kind of has the harder second round matchup being the one seed.

Nick (29:09)
To

be fair, these are the 10 best teams in the country. Leave 11 and 12 out of it. You're not going to get an easy road. Every game is going to be hard, especially if you get a bye.

But I mean, do you started talking about the eye like it's just can you comprehend the fact that Indiana has beat Ohio State to win the Big Ten championship?

Neil (29:35)
It's pretty surreal. Like, no, like nobody in our lifetime, nobody would have thought this was possible. Like they've always were, they stunk when we were kids and even up until all of our adult lives until last year. So no.

Nick (29:49)
They

were the worst, like, Power Four team that exists!

Neil (29:52)
in the history of football.

They had the most losses ⁓ in college football. think Northwestern might have just overtaken them this season for most losses in college football history. So no, it's absolutely a miracle what Kurt Signetti's done. ⁓

Nick (30:08)
And

honestly, the miracle is the word.

Neil (30:11)
Yeah. I mean...

Nick (30:12)
Like in

your biggest dreams, you would not have imagined this.

Neil (30:16)
⁓

and they're not doing it with five-star recruits and all that. Like, they're doing it, like, the key players on this team, I Mendoza's a transfer from Cal, but a lot of these guys that are still around were transfers from James Madison. Fischer, Surratt, like, both James Madison guys. Pons, James Madison guy. Like, they're star players, been major players just three years ago.

Nick (30:42)
And dude in the introductory press conference just like Google me, bro. I win. win.

Neil (30:47)
Yeah, and then

he comes out at the halftime of the basketball game after he's introduced as head coach and just goes on a thing of Purdue sucks, Michigan sucks, and Ohio State sucks. Look at it.

Nick (30:59)
I mean, he's a maniac.

Neil (31:01)
He talked his talk and he backed it up 100%.

Nick (31:04)
You

mean you have to be a little bit of a maniac to be a really good coach. You have to and he clearly is that and how much did you love the third down call? Where they just give it to me and those are letting make the throw down the field and just put that game on ice.

Neil (31:18)
Yeah.

Yeah, I mean it.

Nick (31:21)
I mean, a lot of coaches that are in there. I feel like you just play conservative a little bit, your defense has been great the whole game.

Neil (31:27)
Try to run the clock.

I mean, play to win the game. That's what Herm Edward once said, play to win the game.

Nick (31:31)
I just... No, I love

it. I love it.

Neil (31:36)
Yeah, I mean Mendoza, he was good. It was 21 to 28 or something like that. I think for 250 touchdown at the one pick that he threw was just kind of a busted play on that screen. It just was weird, but I don't know. He did enough to win. made the winning plays. He made the winning throws through the back. The back shoulder fade to Surat for the only touchdown that they scored that game and that was enough defense. It was defense is the story like they got.

Nick (32:01)
Well, well, and

we've talked about that a lot this year, how everybody talks about their offense and everybody talks about Ohio State's defense. And we've talked out, yeah, it's not as good as Ohio State's defense, but they have one of the best defenses in the country and they put pressure on saying all night. And yeah, when you went 13 to 10, your defense is going to be the story of the game.

Neil (32:06)
We did.

Nick (32:30)
I don't know, that defense hasn't got enough credit all year and I think it's impossible not to give them credit now.

Neil (32:35)
no.

Yeah, I mean they held Ohio State to just 58 yards rushing. Let's see how many sacks they had in this game. They had five sacks as a team. Most of them forced the interception. I mean they got after it. They got after saying they put pressure on them and that's what won it.

Nick (32:46)
Please.

Yeah, 13 to 10. I mean, I think the over under was like 44, which I thought was kind of high with both those defenses. I don't win a lot of bets, but I got that one home. I got that one home.

Neil (33:07)
I think with

Mendoza getting this thing across the finish line, 12 and 0, 13 and 0, Big 10 champion, beat Sane. think he's the heavy, overwhelming favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. And what do you think? Nobody's gonna touch him,

Nick (33:20)
he's gonna win. He's gonna win.

They announced the field earlier today. It's ⁓ Mendoza and Sane and then Jeremiah Love and Diego Pavia.

Neil (33:30)
Guy Rodriguez got snubbed from Texas Tech.

Nick (33:32)
He got

snubbed. He got snubbed, but I mean, dude, that team, that team can win it all.

Neil (33:37)
Yeah, absolutely good.

Nick (33:40)
And I mean, we've talked about them a little bit, but we started talking about them late in the year.

Neil (33:45)
I haven't watched much of them, maybe a game here and there, but I don't know a lot about them except for Rodriguez Rodriguez Rodriguez.

Nick (33:52)
Yeah, I mean, they put a lot of money into that team. A lot of money in that team and doesn't always work when you're spending that kind of the big bucks and got to mold everything together. But that team stuff and that's a good BYU team that went straight down the field that first drive and then Texas Tech made adjustments and they could not do anything the rest of the game.

Neil (33:56)
They sure did.

Nick (34:17)
But to get back to Signehti, we were talking about off air a little bit. Is there anything even comparable to this in college basketball?

Neil (34:28)
No, not the success that he's had with the program that he basically had to start over with. know, when Tom Allen left IU a couple years ago, they won what, two games, three games the season before Signeady got there. So he starts fresh, brings in basically a whole new roster, and in two years builds them up to the number one seed, the Big Ten champion and number one seed in the college football playoffs. So there's nothing that's close to it to where you could have success that quickly.

Nick (34:52)
There's nothing, yeah.

Neil (34:57)
And the only example that I thought about, and I told you this, was Scott Drew at Baylor and the mess that he took over when, you know, Baylor basketball was coming off one player murdering another player and the head coach was covering it up and they had to cancel all their non-conference games. They basically played a half a season of basketball and it was just a complete mess at Baylor. And Scott Drew has taken that program ⁓ to a national championship in a perennial, usually a ranked team. So.

Nick (35:24)
I mean, yeah.

Neil (35:25)
It was a

long term, it was long term plan that ended up working, but no, nothing comparable to something this quickly.

Nick (35:31)
Well, to be fair, not many coaches have came in and had to recover their program from a murder scandal. Took him like six, seven years to get to the Elite Eight, but I mean, still, no, I agree with you. Just the job that he did there was remarkable. What Kelvin Sampson has done at Houston, I think, it's not the same thing, but it's been impressive. They had some history though in the early 80s.

Neil (35:36)
Yeah.

and NOT THE-

Nick (35:58)
of being one of the better teams in the country. ⁓

Neil (36:04)
If you use a recent example and it's not comparable because IU football has been bad for so long, they're losing its team and basically college football history. But look at the job Pat Kelsey's done in two years at Louisville. I mean, that's a quick, you talk about a quick turnaround like Signetti had, Pat Kelsey came in with basically after the two years of a four win season and an eight win season and a brand new roster that he had to construct and put together for the portal. And you know, in year one, he

goes to the NCAA tournament and wins 20, however many games. And then this year he's ranked in the top 10. depending on where this is, if the season finishes out like fans hope it does with the Final Four or potential national championship. I mean, that's kind of all on the same path.

Nick (36:52)
Yeah, I mean, but you're also talking about a program that's probably top five program all time, tradition wise, and has won three national titles. I mean, it's just, that's why this is impossible. Even like, Brad Stevens at Butler getting the back to back championship games, they at least had a little bit of history. mean, some people talked about the job Lude Olsen did at Arizona when he first talked to

Neil (37:01)
Yes. It's not the same, but yeah. Yeah.

Nick (37:19)
took the job, he got them rolling pretty quick and turned them into a powerhouse a little bit before our time when he took over the reins at Arizona. So maybe need to look into that a little more, but it's it's unparalleled. It's absolutely unparalleled and no Indiana fan in their wildest dreams would ever be like, we're gonna make the playoff in year one.

And in year two, we're going to be the number one overall seed 13-0 in Big Ten champs. Nobody. And if anybody did say that, you'd be a maniac. And the only maniac that was saying it was your head coach, and he made it happen.

Neil (38:00)
That's a true story. That's just a true story.

Nick (38:03)
So Oregon James Madison, do we even need to debate it? Oregon is gonna win, right? So you got Alabama, Oklahoma.

Neil (38:09)
Morgan's gonna crush them.

It's at and Norman Oklahoma just beat Alabama in Alabama. I mean, I guess I got to the edge to the sooner small edge to the Sooners. I don't know who's favorite in that game, but I'm getting to you that. Yeah, it's gotta be close. I think that would be a great game, but with it being in Norman and the way that Alabama looked on Saturday, I think maybe Oklahoma. They have an extra week. They have that extra week to rest up as well.

Nick (38:13)
in Norman.

I think it's like a one point spread.

in a

Yeah, I think it's gonna be a really good game. I think it's gonna be really low scoring. Neither one of these offenses look great right now. ⁓ Oklahoma got turnovers in that first game to really kind of propel them to the win.

I don't know. I think I would lean Bama just because they're Bama. Oklahoma's a one and a half point favorite.

Neil (39:02)
It's basically a pickle. Awesome. ⁓

Nick (39:03)
We got

Oregon's 21 point favorite, thanks to James Madison being in the field. That game is on December 20th at 730. The Alabama-Oklahoma game will be the Friday night game at 8 o'clock. And then you got Tulane at Ole Miss. That is the 330 game on Saturday. I mean, they already showed what they can do. Move these games. Why are we watching rematches? Two rematches in the first four games.

Neil (39:24)
That won't be good.

I mean,

I think Ole Miss wins that game, but I think it's closer than people might think. I mean, is there going to be any kind of adjustment without having Lane Kiffin on your sideline? Like with all the distraction in the circus that went on, you know, for the last two to three weeks, like maybe by then it'll be in two weeks when they end up playing, that'll all be in the past and everybody's moved on, but I don't know. Without having your head coach that's been there for all 12 of your games, like.

Is there an adjustment? I think you're closer to the new thing.

Nick (40:01)
I don't know. ⁓

I mean, that game is their 17 and a half point favorites. They've already beat them by 35.

Just flip Ole Miss and A so we don't have to watch this rematch. A &M's undefeated the whole year until they lose to Texas in a rivalry game and they move all the way down to seven. I know. And then you get the nooner on Saturday is Miami at A A is four point favorite.

Neil (40:22)
because it didn't play anybody.

I'm taking Miami now.

Nick (40:35)
I knew you would. I don't trust Carson Beck.

Neil (40:38)
I hear you, but I don't know. think Miami, they're playing really good football at the end of the year ever since that Louisville and SMU loss. And they've already proven they can beat good teams. They beat Notre Dame. A struggled with a couple of games at the end of the year with Texas. And like I said, will they come back from 30 to nothing? The bad South Carolina team. ⁓ So they might be a little overrated.

I think Miami can go in there and take care of business, especially an afternoon game. I think noon helps Miami's cause.

Nick (41:16)
I just also think that's a tough place to play and that gives A such an advantage. know, being an A player on their home field, I'm taking Marcel Reed in the Aggies. I also really like Elko. I trust him more than Cristobal, 100%.

Neil (41:33)
You're an ACC hater. ACC hater. You're an ACC.

Nick (41:34)
Do what do you want to close these brackets out so you then you've got Oregon

at Texas Tech in the in the orange bowl

Neil (41:42)
It's a long way to go for the organ ducks.

⁓ I know Oregon's good. I know Texas Tech is really good. I just don't, I didn't watch much of Texas Tech. I did watch, I watched more of Oregon than I had Texas Tech. ⁓ Both Oregon coordinators are leaving. I mean, they're probably distracted with trying to set up their new jobs and get their players on their new teams. So give me Texas Tech, simple facts of Oregon's going so far and they're.

Nick (42:10)
Yeah, I'm going tech in that one.

Neil (42:11)
Tornadoes are both

leaving and I don't know, I think they might be a little distracted.

Nick (42:15)
I'm going to check in that one. I really think they can win it all. ⁓ And then I don't care who, if it's Alabama or Oklahoma, I'm not picking against the Hoosiers, which how crazy is that? You've got two blue bloods in Bama and Oklahoma coming in to play Indiana. We're going to the Rose Bowl to play Indiana. I mean, coming in like they had to win a game to play. But yeah, I mean, I ain't picking against the Hoosiers till I see them get beat.

Neil (42:30)
They're not coming in to play Indiana, they're going to Roeville.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I think that.

Nick (42:43)
And so then you got a Georgia Ole Miss rematch. Yeah, without Lane Kiffin, I'm definitely going Georgia in that one. And then, I mean, I don't think Miami or A can beat Ohio State. So then you got Tech in Indiana, and you got Georgia in Ohio State. So we did all the four, five to 12 for nothing because we got the top four seats in the Final Four.

Neil (42:47)
Georgia.

And those semi-final games are gonna be awesome.

Nick (43:10)
they're supposed to be, right? Well, and that's why they fixed this last year because the first four seeds all got beat when they were conference champions.

Neil (43:20)
I think if there's a team that's gonna give IU, and I guess don't know much about it, but for some reason I just feel like Texas Tech would be a huge challenge. If there's a team that's gonna beat IU, I think it would be them. If IU can get through Texas Tech, I think they can win the entire thing.

Nick (43:35)
Yeah, do you think Georgia can beat Ohio State? I mean, the way they played on Saturday against Bama, they're clicking, they're playing their best football.

Neil (43:39)
now.

I'm still taking Ohio State.

Nick (43:45)
I think you're gonna see a rematch of the Big Ten Championship in the National Championship game.

I mean, yes, like it's just amplified by a hundred. The Indiana is playing Ohio State for a Big Ten Championship and it's like the biggest thing ever. And then if they can do it a month later for the whole chip.

I mean, it's not even real life.

Neil (44:08)
So if Ohio State beats them in the national title, do we get to get game three?

Nick (44:12)
No, I don't think that's the way it works,

Neil (44:15)
should.

Nick (44:16)
I don't think I see why it works, but.

Yeah, I don't know. It's gonna be fun to see Indiana try to win the thing. But you're right, if everything plays out, those semifinal games are pretty dang good. And they should be. And maybe we just skip all this and go back to the way it used to be because that's what we would have got. If you just go to four teams, that's just what you get. But everybody wanted 12. Everybody wanted 12. So we can get Tulane and James Madison in here and get waxed by 40.

Neil (44:30)
Really good. Yes.

Yes.

Yeah, I mean, yeah, you know, I don't know.

I just think somewhere along the way somebody's probably gonna pull an upset. I you look at last year's national title game between Ohio State Notre Dame and both Ohio State Notre Dame played in the first round. They both hosted playoff games in the first round and yeah. Yeah well that was before conference. That was back when conference champions automatically got a vibe. We all agreed that they probably shouldn't. What?

Nick (44:59)
All teams that got by is lost. All four.

Right.

But how do we get this wrong? How hard is it to make a 12 team tournament? Like how do we, we're going to make more changes again next year to keep this from happening. We just, they keep getting things wrong. Like shouldn't be that hard.

Neil (45:18)
Yeah. Yeah.

Then you fix it.

Nick (45:27)
I mean, I do agree one team should be able to get in. That's not a power for. But having two of 12 is too many.

Neil (45:28)
Yo, it.

Okay.

Nick (45:40)
17 % I had to do the math on my calculator. 17 % of the teams are Tulane and James Madison that have no chance to win at all. None. Zero. They cannot win. If they can't win one game.

Neil (45:55)
I really hope James Madison goes to Eugene and wins and this just shuts you up.

Nick (45:59)
But even if that happens, they're not going to win the whole thing.

Neil (46:01)
Don't

sleep on Tulane. I'm not convinced Tulane can't win at Ole Miss.

Nick (46:04)
They

lost to you TSA. You just cussed them out on your own 15 minutes ago.

Neil (46:08)
⁓

I did you're right. I don't know. I just I'm not sold on omits

Nick (46:16)
Well, anytime you lose your coach, you don't know what's going to happen.

Neil (46:19)
but who did they struggle with earlier in the year that wasn't a great team? They beat them by like three at home.

Nick (46:25)
mean, teams are allowed to struggle.

Neil (46:27)
No they're not.

Nick (46:29)
No, they're not. Okay. As long as you figure out a way to win.

Neil (46:33)
They're not allowed to me see, who was the Ole Miss? They had a ⁓ terrible team that they barely beat.

Washington State, they beat Washington State at home by three. They beat a bad Arkansas team by only six.

Nick (46:50)
Well that's James

Madison's best win. They beat Washington State by four.

Neil (46:54)
They don't James Madison's not playing Ole Miss though, too late is. I really hope one of those teams wins and I just get to get back on here and cuss you out.

Nick (46:55)
So I guess they belong in now. Put them in! Put them in!

Quirrell man!

You do see what I'm saying.

Neil (47:10)
I see what you're saying. So what you do is you go to 16 teams and that shuts everybody up. It does fix it. It fix it.

Nick (47:14)
12 is fine. 12 is

fine. All you have to do is have Miami the ACC Championship game. They beat Virginia. They're in the tournament.

Neil (47:24)
You don't just get to hand

pick who you want in your championship game though, that's how it works. You can't just hand pick teams that didn't earn it. Huh?

Nick (47:30)
If there's a five-way tie, Commissioner picks.

If there's a five-way tie, Commissioner picks.

Neil (47:37)
So like, let's say like, alright, so then like, let's say a team like, so let's say like team like North Carolina loses all four of their non-conference games. Maybe two of them are to some really crappy team. They lose all four non-conference games, but they run the table in the ACC. You gotta tell them you can't play for your conference championship, even though you won every ACC game, because you lost four other games that were crap.

Nick (47:40)
It would solve all this!

Well, okay, here's what I'm gonna say. Why do we need conference championship games?

Neil (48:08)
Well, for some teams, it was a chance to get into the college football playoff, like the BYUs of the world.

Nick (48:12)
But

should it be a chance to knock you out?

But it is.

Neil (48:16)
Good luck.

Nick (48:18)
It didn't this year. But, I mean, if BYU is going to fall three spots, how does Alabama not fall at all?

Neil (48:21)
I there's too much money.

I don't disagree. They weren't ever going to keep Bama out and the only other place you can drop them. But the only place you're going to drop them was one spot to number 10 because that's the last possible spot you could even get.

Nick (48:30)
Right, because it's Bama. Because it's Bama.

because it's VAMA, which is why everybody's

so shocked that Notre Dame is left out.

Neil (48:41)
And you're not gonna put Miami ahead of Alabama, but then you're also not gonna put Notre Dame ahead of Miami at the end of the day either, so I don't, look, go to 16 teams. Just go to 16 teams.

Nick (48:47)
Dude, and what about... Do what?

I don't think it solves it. You still could have the same issue.

Neil (48:55)
you're not gonna have the same issue because you're gonna get those Texas's and the Notre Dame's into the playoff with 16 teams and at the end of the day, then you're gonna start debating, like I said, you're gonna debate Illinois and Virginia and nobody cares about you. Yeah, but it's not gonna be the Notre Dame's that are gonna get debated. Notre Dame's gonna be in.

Nick (49:07)
Right. There's always going to be a debate.

Neil (49:15)
And if Notre Dame's sitting there at 17th in the college football playoff with three losses, then I have.

Nick (49:18)
Like I knew

we were gonna talk college football for a long time I didn't know we'd go almost an hour and still not be done But another thing is Notre Dame's 80 is pissed at the ACC

Neil (49:29)
I saw that. Also, join the conference.

Nick (49:33)
Do you know how many times the ACC network showed Miami's win over Notre Dame in like the last week? Like 10 times. No, I don't. I don't.

Neil (49:34)
The ECC Advocator.

As they should, as a conference. Do you disagree with it? As a conference, don't you want to

advocate for your member to get into the college football playoff?

Nick (49:53)
Also, Notre Dame, you're not a member of the ACC in football. ⁓

Neil (49:56)
Exactly. So that's why I don't understand

his anger. He's mad about it because I mean, yes, they are a good ACC partner in 22 other sports, but when you're not a member in football, you can't get mad at the conference for advocating for their own schools. ⁓

Nick (50:09)
actual member. What does he want

Jim Phillips to do? Miami, don't put Notre Dame in.

Neil (50:15)
Yeah.

Nick (50:17)
Alright, take that

off the network!

Neil (50:20)
Yeah, to me, it's... I get the frustration.

Nick (50:25)
It's sour grapes

and them not playing in the bowl game sour grapes.

Neil (50:29)
I get the frustration and I understand the frustration but it's not the ACC's fault, Notre Dame's not.

Nick (50:35)
⁓ I mean, I 100 % understand it. You were ahead of them the whole time. You're eight spots ahead of them, what, a little over a month ago. And then you do what you're supposed to do over four games and sit at home and you lose the spot while both of y'all are at home eating bonbons.

Neil (50:53)
mean, Notre Dame, if you want to be in the college football playoff, you beat Miami. You want to be in the college football playoff, you beat Texas A &M on your home field.

Nick (51:01)
They're gonna go back to that holding call against A too.

Neil (51:04)
That's where you should be mad about. That's where you should get mad.

Nick (51:06)
Right?

Right.

Yeah, but I don't know we could talk about this for a long time. Do we need to get to the NFL a little bit?

Neil (51:12)
was movement.

Yes.

Nick (51:17)
I guess we'll start with the bangles, just get it over with.

Neil (51:19)
It was so good for the first.

Nick (51:20)
Do you miss it? Yeah,

you started off. Just give me your thoughts.

Neil (51:24)
I I love what I saw. I first of all, love snow games. Reminisce of Buffalo when we beat him in the divisional round of the playoff. What was that, two, three years ago. What? 22, yeah, 23, 23, I don't know, 23. But anyways, Bengals came out, they took the ball, they said, want the ball. And they went down and just shoved it right down Buffalo's throat, right down the field, touchdown. Second possession, touchdown.

Nick (51:36)
Me too.

Neil (51:53)
And then was it the third possession, another touchdown or was it the fourth one? Yeah. Like jumped out, jumped on him early. Joe Burrow looked like healthy, good MVP candidate Joe Burrow. T Higgins was looking like T Higgins. You the offense was clicking. The offensive line looked great. Defense, first half, it was hit and miss. They made some good plays. Got a couple sacks. Yeah.

Nick (51:56)
Thank you.

It doesn't get stopped on fourth down.

Neil (52:22)
Couldn't get stops on fourth down and then the second half, the wheels kind of, not even the second half, the fourth quarter, the fourth quarter, you're up by 10 with seven and a half to go. You need to win the game. And the defense didn't get stops. Joe Burrow made a few errors, some costly mistakes. The tipped interception and then that screen pass, which I don't know what that was. If you're just going to throw that, you might as well just run the ball since it was on first down. Just hand the ball off and chase it right.

Nick (52:49)
Well,

it was a called run. Well, it didn't audible. just was gonna run a little flip over. He saw the corner blitzing and was gonna try to throw it over top of him. I don't think he got a good grip of the ball. I also think he didn't have great footing. yeah.

Neil (52:53)
It was a car. You audible out of it.

Did Joe say that he did that?

I messed that up.

So yeah, so that's on you Joe. You know, if you're not gonna run the play, you're do your own thing, you better make sure it works. And it not only did it not work, it worked in seven points in Buffalo's favor. And after that, you your defense wasn't gonna stop them. And it was lights out.

Nick (53:16)
Look,

Well, and we give Zach Taylor a lot of grief, And a lot of it, most of it is deserved. But you're driving.

Neil (53:32)
Yeah, clutch is not all about

kicking in that weather. You don't onside kick and you think that your defense is gonna get a stop. What are you doing?

Nick (53:37)
100 % I agree with you. I agree with you. You're

you also have the lead with five minutes to go where you're milking the clock and you call a run play and you're thinking worst thing that could happen here is we lose a couple yards and instead your quarterback tries to a little out to quick out the Jamar chase over top of a blitzing corner and They're going the other way to score ⁓ Which is the tough beat?

And look, you've put all the trust in Joe Burrow to make any decision that he wants to make under center because he's earned that.

Neil (54:15)
Yeah.

Nick (54:15)
But just eat that. Even if you're gonna run it or pass it and you see that corner coming, just eat it. Just take the sack. Let's go to second down. Or just hand it off. Or just hand it off.

Neil (54:26)
or hand the ball off and run like you're supposed to do. Like you're supposed

to do. And like you said, the worst thing that happens is you lose two yards, the clock runs, and you live to play second and 12.

Nick (54:35)
I mean you were getting to the point where the clock was a factor.

Neil (54:38)
Yeah, if you would have got

another first down there, Buffalo's gonna start calling some timeouts. Right.

Nick (54:42)
You don't even need to score again. It's

to where you can put the game away. And yeah, you're right, the next possession, you're like, Joe's gonna be mad and you get to pass, go straight into the defenders hands.

Neil (54:47)
Yes.

You stared down

the word, like his eyes were just staring at the receiver. So the defensive lineman just put his hands up because he saw Joe Burrow basically staring right at him and Joe just threw it right at him. It was a bad throw.

Nick (55:06)
Well,

hey, and then they get the ball back. go straight down the field. Higgins gets pass interference in the end zone, makes an unbelievable one handed catch. They didn't even call P.I., which is just wild. ⁓

Neil (55:13)
They don't call. They don't even call it. They don't even call it.

And he's out there with a concussion. Like he's back in concussion protocol today. We all saw it on TV. pointing to his head multiple times. He did not look right. He looked off. Like he looked like he was something was wrong. And they continued to throw him out there. And we all, and we all sit there at tailgaters and we're like, there's no way you can put him back in this game. And he goes back in.

Nick (55:21)
Yes. Right.

And then he makes a catch!

And he comes back out.

I mean, he talked about it post game. He used this word, I didn't, I'm a soldier. And I mean, that's one of the best catches I've ever seen with one hand. And he didn't catch it with one hand because that was the way to do it. He only had one hand.

Neil (55:47)
Holds it. Yeah.

He's looking sideways out of his face mask and he's one hand catching it.

Nick (56:01)
And then like you said at that point you do you got to go on sidekick in the snow because you never know What kind of bounce you're gonna get?

Neil (56:09)
And with the defense that you have, you cannot trust them to get the stop. And what happened? Was it third and 16, 15?

Nick (56:14)
Well, third and

15 and you're gonna get the ball back with plenty of time. I after you'd already seen Josh Allen have a 40 yard run for a touchdown. I mean, it wasn't even difficult 15 yard pickup. wasn't even like there was nothing. Now I will say some of the throws that he made that that touchdown to Shakira on fourth down where Demetrius Knight was right behind him.

Neil (56:20)
Yeah.

Nick (56:42)
I mean, there's angles of that throw. It's just an incredible play. bottom line is the Bengals defense is who we knew they were all season long.

Neil (56:45)
Yeah. Yeah.

Buffalo did not punt yesterday. Did not punt. When you can't force the other team to punt, you are not going to win the game.

Nick (56:58)
No. ⁓

And I mean, Joe sounded pretty dejected in his post game.

Neil (57:08)
Well, it ended your season.

Nick (57:10)
Yeah, I mean they're still you're if you're playing break the ice you you've got like one cube left In the game like it's almost over. Please tell me you play break the ice Okay The Bengals scored 33 points again, they scored 34 in this game in The last two years there now four and seven when scoring 33 points or more the rest of the NFL is 136 and 10 and two

Neil (57:22)
I did, yes.

Nick (57:38)
⁓ Entering Sunday, they were 16 and one, went up by 10 plus at half with Zach Taylor as their head coach.

They are now 16-2 and both of those losses have came this year as the other one was against the Jets. You just win those two games?

And you're right there. You're right there.

Neil (57:56)
You're

playing in the worst division in football And it's not even close and you still can't even Yeah, I mean over the last five years it's probably been the best ⁓ But I don't know I don't know who's good in the NFL I mean we talked about the Bengals and you know my thoughts of we just need to fire everybody Duke Tobin and Zach Taylor and especially Al Golden maybe Al Golden

Nick (57:59)
⁓ and both. Which is just wild to say, right?

Or just hire a GM, like hire a real

actual GM that can, that is allowed to make his own decisions.

Neil (58:26)
Well, that requires ownership to give up some control and you know how that goes in Cincinnati. But who is good in the NFL? I mean, you keep beating on the Rams drum, which I get, but they just lost to the Panthers last week. I keep beating on the Seahawks drum. They won 37 to nine ⁓ yesterday. I mean, are those the two best teams in the NFL?

Nick (58:48)
Man.

Patriots?

Neil (58:50)
Yeah, maybe? Yeah?

Nick (58:54)
if like the only two 11 and two teams in football are the Patriots and the Broncos and If you're making me pick between the Patriots and the Broncos Yeah, I'm 100 % going Patriots. I trust Drake made way more than I trust bonus

Neil (59:00)
I'm still not sold on the broadcast.

put art. But do you think either

one of those teams are better than the Rams or Seahawks?

Nick (59:14)
No, and is that me being hard-headed like I'm not gonna lie in my head like I still think the bills I still think the chiefs like you know what I I Still think the Ravens a little bit, but no after watching in the last two weeks Lamar is not Lamar

Neil (59:30)
No, no, no, no.

No, the Ravens are not a good football team. The Chiefs are not a good football team.

Nick (59:40)
No, like-

Neil (59:41)
Chargers might be a good football team. What are they doing right now? They're up 10 to 6 Are you watching you can go back and watch the monsters Inc? Monday night football Chargers Eagles game tonight

Nick (59:47)
I don't.

I don't know, but that was the beginning of the Bengals run last year when we had the Simpsons Monday Night Football game. We didn't lose a game after that.

Neil (59:56)
Yeah, that was fun. I

know that was fun. I mean, the Lions look good on Thursday night. I don't know. The Colts are done. Daniel Jones off the season. Colts are toast. Yeah. They won't maybe make the playoffs at this point now.

Nick (1:00:10)
The coats are cooked, right? They just worked out Philip Rivers.

They

just worked out Philip Rivers. You didn't laugh the first time. I had to say it twice. He hasn't played since 21.

Neil (1:00:20)
It fell over every... Oh, but these... Oh,

he's got 15 kids! You might need to come back and get another NFL paycheck! He needs to feed up... feed an entire army over there!

Nick (1:00:31)
the hell up? Rivers!

Neil (1:00:33)
Maybe you still got it. The old gunslinger.

Nick (1:00:36)
I mean, wouldn't you be better off going to get Andrew Luck?

Neil (1:00:39)
See if Peyton Manning wants to come back.

Nick (1:00:41)
I I had to refresh it. Did I read this right? Philip Rivers?

Neil (1:00:48)
I mean what's so... Jones is out for the year, Leonard hurt himself, where's... what's his name? With what? Good lord.

Nick (1:00:56)
Richardson's out. These are injured too.

Neil (1:01:00)
Yeah, if the trade to that line hadn't passed, they could have Joe Flacco back. We'd sell it to him for a fourth rounder.

Nick (1:01:06)
fourth rounder. Would we give up? We gave up like a six or a seventh. So you're turning that into a fourth. Yeah, let's go. Let's go. And then, then resign him as Joe as the real Joe's backup next year. ⁓

Neil (1:01:11)
They're desperate. They're a playoff team. They're a playoff team. need a quarterback. They're desperate.

The Buccaneers lose to the Saints.

Nick (1:01:24)
Dude, who is good? Have we ever been this late in the season and we don't know who's good? Or are we just being hard headed and not just looking at reality and being like, you know what? The Patriots and the Broncos are good at football.

Neil (1:01:38)
I don't think the Maroccos are good at Their record says otherwise, but I just, I'm not a believer. I am coming around on the Patriots.

Nick (1:01:48)
We could have beat them with Joe Flacco!

Neil (1:01:52)
I know we could have. Yeah, Joe Burrow plays in that Patriots game. I think we do actually probably win that game.

Nick (1:01:56)
I don't know. I really don't. Like the Eagles? Like... Are the Packers good? Again?

Neil (1:01:58)
I think the seahawks are good. The Rams are good, the seahawks are good, not so much.

Maybe.

Nick (1:02:04)
Like they beat the Bears, but who knows how the Bears are good?

Neil (1:02:07)
I don't think the berries are good.

Nick (1:02:09)
I I just...

Neil (1:02:10)
I don't know.

It's crazy.

Nick (1:02:13)
I guess we'll do a ranking at some point, but we ain't doing that today. We're already too deep in the weeds. What else we say we need to talk about? LeBron.

Neil (1:02:20)
seven.

Nick (1:02:26)
I I'm an MJ over LeBron guy. ⁓ but just, just because. But last week, LeBron's NBA record run of 1,297 consecutive games with at least 10 points ended when they were in a win at Toronto. ⁓ The streak started on January the 6th.

Neil (1:02:53)
I

Nick (1:02:56)
2007 Lasted almost two decades. The second longest streak is Michael Jordan with 866 Kareem had 787 and Karl Malone had the fourth longest run at 575 his like it's almost it's not quite three times, but it's almost three times as long as Karl Malone streak

Neil (1:03:18)
That's insane.

That's insane.

Nick (1:03:23)
Like what were you doing in 2007?

Neil (1:03:25)
probably studying for finals at Indiana University.

Nick (1:03:31)
I mean, like what was going on in OSEF?

Neil (1:03:35)
Well, let's see. What do you think the number one song in 2007 was?

Nick (1:03:39)
What, January of 2007? That's when his streak started, January 6, 2007.

Neil (1:03:41)
Is that what it was?

one song January 2007. What do you think it was?

Nick (1:03:53)
I have no idea. Do you think I'm just keeping my memory the songs of 2007?

Neil (1:03:55)
Beyonce's

irreplaceable was the top spot for the entire month of January. Also included in the top five were Fergie's Fergalicious and Nelly Furtado's Say It Right. That's how long ago that's been.

Nick (1:04:13)
I mean,

W was still the president, right?

Neil (1:04:16)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Nick (1:04:17)
It was the end of the, it was almost the end of the Tubby Smith era at Kentucky.

Like I'm just trying to think, like... ⁓

Neil (1:04:25)
No, that's incredible.

It's absolutely incredible what LeBron has done in his career in that streak. And I know you're an MJ guy. I'm on LeBron's side of things. ⁓ But that's a whole other debate for a different time. But I...

Nick (1:04:36)
God.

Yeah, we don't need to get into that, I will

say how many NBA finals did Jordan lose?

Neil (1:04:44)
How many NBA finals did Braun take just crappy players? He took, he took, look at that roster that he took the Cleveland Cavaliers in his first go round. Look at the roster he got. Fine, you're just wrong.

Nick (1:04:47)
We're not doing this. We're not doing this.

Hey, this is a summer show when there's nothing else going on. We're

already, we're already an hour and 10 minutes into this.

Neil (1:05:01)
You're wrong. Incredible by LeBron. I mean, it's never gonna be probably replicated.

Nick (1:05:10)
Oh, I mean, he's a million years old and he's still hooping. mean, I like Jordan had already retired and came back and retired again. Like for real. I mean, I that's the remarkable part of it all. Um, I wanted to get into this real quick because

Neil (1:05:22)
Yeah. I dunno.

Nick (1:05:32)
Did you see the drunk raccoon in a Virginia liquor store?

Neil (1:05:35)
I did see it.

I sure did. Lil buddy had himself a time. He had himself a time.

Nick (1:05:39)
So dude just breaks in, knocks down a

bunch of bottles, and just goes in.

Neil (1:05:48)
Yeah

Nick (1:05:50)
And then he's smart enough to be like, I gotta pass out. I'm going to the bathroom. Yes.

Neil (1:05:55)
How about that the self-awareness of just

knowing where when you're too drunk of where you need to get to and you're by the toilet like just the self-awareness to get to the toilet in case something needs to happen, but man

Nick (1:06:01)
Ha

Dude

is just like on his back, butt just straight up just passed out.

Neil (1:06:15)
Why? He should have, once he got gained entry into the liquor store, he should have called all of his other like forest friends and been like, yo, we're having a party tonight. Get over here to the attic hole and get down in here and let's do some tequila shots. Like we could have had, we could have had, what's the fat squirrel? What's his name?

Nick (1:06:22)
That's... Yep. Bro.

Bro, I got all the bourbon. It's all on the floor. Let's go

That's all you gotta do is just say ⁓ what was it? Chondrosaurus Rex or something

Neil (1:06:46)
No, Norris? We could have had

Chuck Norris and Chuckasaurus, Rex and the raccoon and all the chipmunks and the squirrels and the bunnies and they could have had themselves a little rave party. Tequila shots and all of it.

Nick (1:06:58)
Well, I would watch...

I would watch this Disney cartoon.

Neil (1:07:02)
I mean it has, yeah, like that has good movie written all over

Nick (1:07:06)
And they

just throw a rave? Like it... Dude, we might have an idea.

Neil (1:07:10)
We could be, we do need a I don't think, I don't think that's going to be a Disney movie. I think that's more going to be like a Netflix, you know, 17 and over type type movie. They're like a PG-13 rated R type deal.

Nick (1:07:12)
The raccoon sneaks into a liquor store, knocks all the bottles down, brings in all his buddies.

Yeah, it'd probably be more like a, ⁓

Sausage party-esque. Something like sausage party.

Neil (1:07:29)
It would be sausage

party-esque. But no, Buddy, and then the liquor store, did see that? this earlier tonight. They embraced Lil Buddy and they came out with three names for raccoon-themed cocktails. We have the Rye Rascal Sour, the Trash Panda Old Fashioned, and the Midnight Masked Gin Fizz.

Nick (1:07:47)
Okay.

What's in it?

Well, I do not think raccoons like being called trash pandas. I think they find that a little derogatory. I don't think they think they find that a little bit derogatory. So I don't think they're going to like the number two. What's in these things?

Neil (1:08:02)
Have you spoken to a raccoon about this?

Well, I don't know, if you go to their website, they do have the ⁓ ingredients or the recipes posted for if you want to make yourself a trash-pan old-fashioned or a midnight masked gin fizz or a rye rascal sour. Head on over to the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Authority's website and you can make those from the comfort of your own kitchen and living room.

Nick (1:08:38)
Yeah, I bet he had a long Sunday, too, recovering. Yeah.

Neil (1:08:43)
Like you think now he's like, they did say they released him back into the woods or wherever he came from. You think Lil Buddy's gonna try to get back in? He's like, man, that was awesome. Yeah, you gotta invite the forest friends the next go round. I feel like you got to.

Nick (1:08:48)
Okay

he's getting back in. And next time, next time, Chunkasaurus Rex, Chunk Norris.

in the round mound of acorn, all of them are coming.

Neil (1:09:04)
I don't think the round-mount's coming. That's not a person. That's not a person.

Nick (1:09:06)
You

⁓ But dude, yeah, he had him a good time.

Neil (1:09:13)
Good for him. I'm proud of that little guy.

Nick (1:09:15)
But just the, you're right, the self-awareness to just like.

Might have to go to the bathroom. Might have to

Neil (1:09:20)
You

Kinda reminds me of the juice picture.

Nick (1:09:23)
⁓

What? So now I have to put that up on the video portion of the pod. ⁓ But yeah. Hey, I finally got the tree up at the house.

Neil (1:09:25)
So it kind of reminds me of the juice.

Huh, you get the ornaments, the whole shebang on there?

Nick (1:09:41)
Yeah, we did after I got back.

Neil (1:09:43)
You get one those pre-lit

trees or you get on a step stool and wrap in the tree yourself and s-

Nick (1:09:47)
I

don't have the hugest tree, it's probably like a 5-6 foot tree.

Neil (1:09:51)
That's about double your size.

Nick (1:09:53)
Close to double, close to double. Close to double. But yeah, we... We got- I don't put a star. Do you know what I put up?

Neil (1:09:57)
Don't hurt yourself trying to get the star up there now.

god, it's probably some dumb tradition of yours. What do we got?

Nick (1:10:08)
It's just a Santa Cincinnati Bengals hat.

Neil (1:10:10)
I'd burn it. I don't think you see I think you should only put that up on certain year like if the Bengals have a winning record the hat goes on the tree. The Bengals have a losing record huh?

Nick (1:10:12)
I should.

It would never be on the tree!

It would never be on the tree! It be on the tree like two years of my life!

Neil (1:10:28)
Well,

that's what it is. Don't celebrate the franchise that is the Cincinnati Bengals when they don't celebrate you, Nick. They don't care about you. You should not care about them.

Nick (1:10:31)
New Year's! I'm gonna put it up!

I do have like, it's broke a little bit because it's old, but I do have an ornament with Carson Palmer, Rudy Johnson and Chad Johnson. Yup. Since we got so much feedback for the Thanksgiving food draft, I think we should do a Christmas themed draft. Let's do Christmas movies.

Neil (1:10:51)
Peter Rudy.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I'm in for that.

I'm in for that.

Nick (1:11:08)
You got the first pick with the dark turkey. So I'm going to go first pick.

Neil (1:11:09)
Yeah.

Hey, can you make sure this time at least you put the graphics on the right side?

Nick (1:11:15)
Yeah, like-

Neil (1:11:17)
Nope, you screwed up.

Nick (1:11:18)
Yeah, I will make sure.

Neil (1:11:19)
Thank you.

Nick (1:11:21)
I was doing all that in the high school gym in the Cayman Islands with no Wi-Fi whatsoever. There was no chance, like I agree that I messed it up, but there was no way I was re-uploading that. After sitting in the back of the media room, just watching it go 1%, 2%, 3 % for over an hour. There was no way was doing it again. But yes, team tall, team small.

First pick.

Neil (1:11:50)
Alright, go ahead.

Nick (1:11:52)
And like I said,

I almost would rather have the second and third pick because I'm having a hard time picking between one and two.

Christmas vacation.

Neil (1:12:03)
I mean, that is the clear cut number one pick. That is a great pick. Christmas Vacation is a movie that you can just quote all year round. Like there's just things from that movie that you would just say to your friends and relatives in the middle of like July. But no, a classic, always hilarious movie. Clark Griswold, definitely number one. All right, number two pick.

For me, a lot of people don't like this movie, but I like it. No, no, this is way, way better than that.

Nick (1:12:34)
Ooh, so is this your noodles and gravy? Okay.

We're going, people don't like this movie with your first overall pick.

Neil (1:12:43)
No, mean there are people that don't really like it, but it's on 24-7 on Christmas Eve on two stations. You flip it on TNT or TBS and it's just gonna replay over and over for 24 straight hours. I usually watch it a couple times during that time frame, but a Christmas story with Ralphie and the BB gun and the whole family is probably... I've heard people say they don't like it.

Nick (1:13:09)
Who doesn't like the Christmas story?

Neil (1:13:13)
I don't know. mean, those people aren't very smart.

Nick (1:13:13)
What?

That was my that I was trying to pick between Christmas vacation and a Christmas story as my number one and that's why I'm like one to the really ⁓

Neil (1:13:22)
I

figured you were probably going with my third pick is your debate. ⁓ I don't think Erica, I'm pretty sure Erica doesn't like Christmas Story.

Nick (1:13:35)
Well, maybe you need to rethink that marriage.

Neil (1:13:37)
Yeah, it's all because of a movie. We have to talk.

Nick (1:13:42)
Like it's a tradition. it, I don't understand. Like I could watch that movie. I can't wait to watch that movie during Christmas. Like there's certain movies that I watch every year at Christmas. The first two that we've mentioned are automatics.

Neil (1:13:50)
Alright.

Yes.

Yes, automatics. And my number two pick, or number three overall, is the OG Original Home Alone.

Nick (1:14:06)
Yeah, I mean, bro, I got nothing. Like those are those are the we I would have the exact same order right now.

Neil (1:14:13)
I'm through.

Yeah, I think I would too. So now we start getting into the, how many picks are we doing each? Four picks, okay. Okay. Now it starts getting a little bit tougher.

Nick (1:14:19)
And now the question

We're doing four.

⁓

It does get tougher but I think it at number four I'm going elf

Neil (1:14:35)
Yep, it's a pick.

Nick (1:14:36)
and... Dude, sequels aren't normally that good.

Neil (1:14:43)
You going to Boston, New York?

Nick (1:14:45)
⁓ If I watch Home Alone 1, I'm watching Home Alone 2 next.

Neil (1:14:49)
I Home Alone 2 was good. It was a very good sequel.

Nick (1:14:53)
So yeah, I'm going elf and home alone 2

Neil (1:14:57)
Okay, okay. I like that. ⁓ My next pick, we're gonna go with Tim Allen and the Santa Claus.

Nick (1:15:07)
See, this is not good because I'm not able to cuss you out and you aren't able to, because we are getting this right.

Neil (1:15:15)
Yeah, there's like, I feel like most of our listening audience would probably agree with this. So Santa Claus, and then, I have one more pick?

I mean I'm gonna go way off the path here just because I really enjoy the movie. And it's not really like a hundred percent a Christmas movie but it is based around Christmas. No, no, no, no, no. This is more of a Christmas movie than that. Just Friends with Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart.

Nick (1:15:25)
god. This is your last pick.

Don't do diehard!

Neil (1:15:40)
Just Friends is a great... yeah, yeah, he's not an... it was an Antifarious I think it's another... yeah, yes, it's so good. It's a great movie. It's a great movie. It's hilarious. It belongs on the list. It belongs on my list. I love Just Friends. I would watch Just Friends right now if I could.

Nick (1:15:41)
Is that the one where he's

Yes, and she's like, he's like her agent or something. There's no, there's no way this is a, I mean, it's a fine movie. It does not belong in this list.

mean,

aren't there a lot of that are surround like around Christmas, but they're not actually a Christmas movie?

Neil (1:16:13)
I don't know.

Nick (1:16:14)
Like that's, would say diehard is in that same.

Neil (1:16:17)
No, like, like, like... No, like, Just Friends is more of a Christmas movie than that.

Nick (1:16:22)
I just, I don't know.

Neil (1:16:22)
Alright, you got one more pick.

You have to, if we're gonna do these lists, you gotta put a controversial pick in there. And watch, when our listeners hear this list, they're gonna be like, ⁓ yeah, Just Friends, that's a great movie, that's a great pick. That's what they're gonna say. They're gonna say.

Nick (1:16:29)
You don't have to!

This is another movie that 100 % I watch every Christmas.

Bad Santa.

Neil (1:16:45)
⁓ my god. Billy Bob Thornton.

Nick (1:16:48)
Yes. Underrated Christmas movie.

Neil (1:16:52)
I'm sure that's

like Bad Mom's Christmas or something.

Nick (1:16:55)
I'll watch that because of Mila Kunis, but it's not going on my list Just because Amy smarts carrying just friends and getting them on your list. That ain't a reason Bad Santa, dude. The little boy is one of the most hilarious characters in the history of film

Neil (1:16:58)
cool

you

It's a history of-

Nick (1:17:13)
What did you do with sandwiches? I can't really say what he what he says, but it's it's fat like unbelievable Those like I'll watch it all 100 % will I'll if I have to pay for a streaming service For a month to be able to watch bad Santa. I will do it

Neil (1:17:18)
You

I might just go out and find the DVD as a Christmas gift to you and get it for you.

Nick (1:17:35)
I

already have it. I already have it. You don't need to be doing that.

Neil (1:17:38)
Well then what do need a streaming service for?

Nick (1:17:41)
Cuz I don't even think I have a DVD player anymore. It's 2025.

Neil (1:17:43)
Good point. Now you can

pop it in your PlayStation. the classics that we left off. So, I mean, I mostly agree with our list, except the last two picks are a little controversial, which we needed, because I think Bad Santa is a bad pick. Bad Santa does not belong on the list, my guy. It is a Christmas movie. It absolutely is a Christmas movie. They sing Christmas carols to, like, the people at the church.

Nick (1:17:47)
Yeah, my PlayStation doesn't have it. I don't have a disc.

I don't think mine is controversial at all. Just Friends ain't even a Christmas movie.

Christmas carols in lot of

All right, what would we leave off?

Neil (1:18:13)
I mean, some classics that we left off, but these were before our time. Like The Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life. No Grinch. No Grinch on the... ⁓

Nick (1:18:18)
Yeah.

We're probably gonna get left out for leaving those off.

If you were going Grinch, which one would you put on?

Neil (1:18:27)
The

Jim Carrey Grinch.

Nick (1:18:28)
Everybody said the new one was really good, but I haven't watched it.

Neil (1:18:31)
mean,

Polar Express is a good one, but...

Nick (1:18:33)
We are not putting Polar Express on our list. mean, all the Christmas... Flintstones Christmas Carol is the best Christmas Carol. Charlie Ryan Christmas could have been on the list. Rudolph the Red Nosed Ranger, the old... the... Yes, I mean, that was my favorite as a kid. The Abominable Stoneman, I'm still kind of... he's one of my favorite Christmas characters.

Neil (1:18:35)
What about the Muppets Christmas Carol?

Charlie Brown Christmas.

The claymation?

Yeah. No, I think I won the draft though.

Nick (1:19:00)
Well, friends lost you the draft.

Neil (1:19:02)
No, well, runs actually put me over the top. It put me over the top.

Nick (1:19:05)
We didn't talk

about Scrooge.

Neil (1:19:06)
Yeah

Nick (1:19:08)
I mean, there's like 47 Santa Clauses now. I don't like...

Neil (1:19:12)
Yeah, just the original OG

Tim Allen, number one, is all you need. I'm just glad that Neil got his weenie whistle on that one.

Nick (1:19:17)
⁓

You didn't mention a very Harold and Kumar Christmas.

Neil (1:19:22)
That was going to be my next gig. That was going to be my next gig, but we ran out of time.

Nick (1:19:22)
It's actually good. It's actually good. It's actually

a good movie. It does deserve on a list, but.

Neil (1:19:29)
It

doesn't serve on anybody's list.

Nick (1:19:31)
Charlie Brown, was probably, I don't know, it's just.

Neil (1:19:36)
I won. I think I won the

Nick (1:19:37)
I don't think you did, but I mean Just Friends loses you, bro. You couldn't have come up with anything better than Just Friends.

Neil (1:19:40)
We'll let the listeners. We'll let the listeners.

I don't need to come up with anything better than Just Friends, because Just Friends is that good. It's that good.

Nick (1:19:50)
We're gonna be doing this show in 10 years and that's gonna be your noodles and gravy. Just friends.

Neil (1:19:55)
That's not a- that

is not a noodles and gravy type of pic. First of all-

Nick (1:19:59)
It is a pic. And also, there's

no family tradition with it. Like, don't even... Grandma didn't make you just friends. She wasn't the director and the producer of Just Friends. Like, Grandma made my noodles and gravy.

Neil (1:20:10)
but I also didn't put it as my second. I would

have put it as my second pick, then maybe I'd get cussed out. But since I put it as my last pick, and it is a great movie, it deserves to be on the list. Weasels and Gravy does not deserve to be on any Thanksgiving list, ever.

Nick (1:20:20)
I will get-

I'm, this might, you keep ragging my grandma's traditions, dude.

Neil (1:20:30)
⁓

your grandma is a lovely lady. She was a lovely lady and I've got the utmost respect for Grandma Evans, or was it your mom's mom? Grandma Whalen. Upmost respect. But the noodles and gravy.

Nick (1:20:39)
Wait, grandma will.

I'm dude a hundred percent. I'm getting you some next year. I Can't wait. I can't wait

Neil (1:20:48)
Can I have it in like March when like normal people eat noodles and gravy?

Nick (1:20:53)
No, but you can have it early because I think I'm going to the Caimans again. So you'll get it in mid-November.

Neil (1:20:58)
Speaking of early, you got cussed out yesterday a little bit from William Brown. I told him I would give him a shout out on here. You went to your mom's birthday three weeks early. We had a little birthday celebration for Shirley early. So happy three week early birthday to Shirley. And you said you're have Italian for dinner. And William Brown straight guests you out because he's like, well, that's weird. Because you're eating Italian on the weekend and he only eats Italian.

Nick (1:21:01)
before.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, two weeks early.

Hmm? Who hasn't done it on weekends?

Was it Sunday or

was it the weekend? He's like normally normally you have to tell you on the weekdays ⁓ We had al pastor it was delicious ⁓ It's it's a it's a restaurant ⁓ Pretty authentic we got some carbonara. We got some we got some pizza. We got some spaghetti just the cat

Neil (1:21:29)
the weekend because you were having it last night. He's like, I only eat Italian on the weekdays.

I don't know what that is. Is that a restaurant or is that a food?

Okay, once you get it. We'll check the farm.

the the basic food groups.

Nick (1:21:54)
Regular old, yeah.

But yeah, we did mom's birthday because she's birthed on the 21st and everything gets busy around Christmas. if you're a Christmas baby, your birthday always gets forgotten. I don't know, nobody cares.

Neil (1:22:07)
So when's your birthday party?

They don't even, did they even like, did they even sing happy birthday to you last night or was just mom?

Nick (1:22:14)
That was just mom, but I wanted this to be just mom.

Neil (1:22:17)
Your birthday's on the 24th. We gotta get you a birthday party.

Nick (1:22:20)
Yeah.

Yeah. We're fine.

Neil (1:22:22)
We'll bring some cupcakes to the tailgate next week against the Ravens.

Nick (1:22:26)
We don't need a birthday party. But we should throw a party because we're back on air for the first time in two and a half weeks. I knew we'd go long today because we got a lot to talk about.

Neil (1:22:26)
life.

Yeah, we're not dead.

Yeah, it a show.

Nick (1:22:40)
But

you keep telling yourself that. But we gotta figure out when we can do this again because both work in the women's game on Wednesday night. I have a Christmas party on Thursday night. Sundays have been tough because.

Neil (1:22:57)
Christmas party on Friday night. Basketball, yeah.

Nick (1:23:00)
So we'll be

in Cincinnati on Sunday.

So Monday, next Monday at the, I was saying.

Neil (1:23:06)
I mean,

could do a pod from the Yom Center since it's a nine o'clock game against Ball State on Wednesday night. Yeah.

Nick (1:23:14)
Ugh. Ugh.

Yeah, I guess we could do it before.

Neil (1:23:19)
That's what saying, a little 7 o'clock pod, 630 pod from the locker rooms of the KFC Young Center.

Nick (1:23:26)
Okay, we'll talk about it.

I don't know. I'm just glad it's not going to take me 47 hours to upload this because I'm at the crib.

Neil (1:23:35)
There you go. Well, while you're uploading it, you go pop in that Bad Santa DVD and have yourself a night.

Nick (1:23:44)
When was the last time you watched it? Watch it.

Neil (1:23:46)
It's been a while.

I'm just gonna go out, I'm gonna watch Just Friends.

Nick (1:23:50)
I will watch Just Friends, but you promised me you're gonna watch Bad Santa, and next year that will probably be on your list.

Neil (1:23:56)
It won't be, but also you gotta get busy watching the Fast and Furious franchises because you owe us a 10 page paper at the end of the football season.

Nick (1:24:03)
That's true.

From first to worst. It stings giving that belt away when you come in last.

just a sham all time shambles of the season for my fantasy squads all three of them is rough here and I'm used to used to winning but all right we've rambled long enough for the 6-6 Neil I'm the 4-10 Nick you've been listening to our High Differential make sure you're following us on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube hit that subscribe button so you know hey we haven't done a show for two weeks you'll at least get notified and be like hey

Neil (1:24:14)
The hoodies.

Nick (1:24:39)
These idiots are back. We'll talk to you sometime next week.