Latest / In The Pocket / Ep. 2: Week 1 has arrived! Plus, UNM beat writer Sean Reider joins
Transcript
- Andrew Graham: Hello everybody and welcome again to another episode of In the Pocket, a Michigan centered college football podcast brought to you by me, Andrew Graham of Minton Football, and Connor Irgood, the Detroit News' Michigan State beat reporter. Connor, how are you doing? Connor Earegood: Doing good, doing good. In the the process of selling a house and and doing all the maintenance things that probably would have been best if I did for myself, but ⁓ someone else is gonna enjoy the fruits of my labor, so. Andrew Graham: Well, if you hire an IBEW electrician, it will go a little bit to UTEP's field ⁓ jersey patch sponsorship so you can help support them and get the miners go and get them some linebackers. ⁓ so there's that to look forward to at least. I I'm doing good. As you can tell, I'm I'm like just so brined in college football at this point, ⁓ that I'm maybe close to losing my mind, but in a good way. We're gonna keep it on the Connor Earegood: Here we go. Andrew, how are you? Week one. Week one. Andrew Graham: We're gonna keep we're gonna keep it on the rails and hopefully keep it pretty tight here. ⁓ so it's we're recording this on Wednesday, September second in the evening, just to peop give people a little time stamp on where we are. and I think the first place to kind of reasonably start out is campus wound down, it's game week, pressers, player availability, all that good stuff's happened. And just kinda like what are we wondering about that will get answered on the field on Friday and Saturday in this case. ⁓ so I guess we'll start off like just going in the order that I wrote them down because that is the order that I thought to write them down. ⁓ go ahead, Connor. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Qu Question one here. Question one, the Bryce Underwood question. Is he actually gonna be what he's cracked up to be this season? Andrew, what do you think? Andrew Graham: It like it's yes and no, no and yes, probably not mostly, but like I think he'll be good. I think they will like Michigan will make good use of his physical talents and the fact that like he's not he wasn't disastrous last year on the whole. He had some like really rough stretches, like Northwestern Late, Purdue, a couple bad interceptions and turnovers in there. ⁓ the Texas just kinda like throwing a bunch of picks like the the bad was bad and it happened like a bunch. But I do think with a little more concerted, like we're building the ship around you and what you do well and your physical abilities, like I think he'll be better per se, but like better is a deeply, deeply contestable, colorable tur ⁓ I think is kinda where I get to on it, because it's it's the problem of being the number one overall recruit and Yeah, and I like you know, we yeah, it's not anything that hasn't already been hashed out. Connor Earegood: Ha is there like in terms of number one recruits, is there a way as a quarterback especially? Like, if you're on defense or something, I feel like you're more likely if your defense is good to like not get ricked over the coals. But ⁓ with like with a number one recruit, is there anyone who's been like a skilled offensive player that we're like, alright, that dude lived up to every hype, expectation? Like especially in this NIL million dollar player world, it just feels like there's unrealistic expectations. Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: Now granted, I Bryce could've been a lot better for Michigan last year for what he said. ⁓ well he's gonna be the best freshman ever. But Andrew Graham: It it doesn't help that it doesn't it doesn't help that Jeremiah Smith exists to like like that dude is worth every penny and he's probably getting like Ohio State's probably getting a relative discount on what that dude's gonna cost to like his services to play football in a little bit here. that dude he mm he is good at football. ⁓ but yeah, it's like it's just a difficult like and also it's like Connor Earegood: That too. Andrew Graham: Freshman quarterback underwhelms has flashes, has bad spells is like not a new story he. ⁓ so I don't know, I think just like the natural development curve also tells me he'll be a little bit better, but I like Will he be the prince who is promised is pr probably a bridge too far. But that kinda gets us into ⁓ you know, Michigan State's also playing and Connor Earegood: Jeremiah Smith week one. I just wanna throw that in there. How do we think th how do we think that kid's gonna do? Andrew Graham: Yeah, boss ⁓ I do not wish that that's don't don't you put that evil on me, Ricky Bobby. ⁓ but yeah, but we we gotta get to Michigan State here, and I think my obvious question for you is how are they gonna look on the lines of scrimmage? 'Cause that's it's a line of scrimmage conference, it's a line of scrimmage game, they wanna be a line of scrimmage program. They brought in a bunch of transfers on guess what, the line of scrimmage. Connor Earegood: The line's fifty and a half. Jeremiah Smith Week One. Yeah. Andrew Graham: What's the deal both sort of on the offensive and defensive lines? Connor Earegood: Yeah, well well Pat Fitzgerald didn't fool himself and he didn't give any false promises of of ⁓ there's pieces, this is gonna be a good offensive line, defensive line, wasn't that bad last year. He knew where he had to start the renovation and and setting a foundation. And it it was the offensive line. ⁓ the defensive line I asked Joe Rossi today about, ⁓ 'cause I was really curious. Like, you have a few tugboatish guys, I would say, in a Ben Roberts and a Derek Simmons, which is what they were built from last year. Like you think at Alex Vansumer and Jalen Satchel, like Andrew Graham: ⁓ yeah. Connor Earegood: ⁓ you know, Jalen Thompson was a little more lean and athletic, but not not to say the big fellows aren't athletes, but like it it's a different Andrew Graham: Yeah, like they're they're like their like twitchy dude was like Quindarius Dunegan, who is a good player, but is like not like beating you with speed around the edge. Connor Earegood: Yes. And it's Yeah. And a h his dad's huge. Yeah, h we met his dad. His dad is huge. Like Quindarius is small compared to Pops. Like but but to go, you know, the the stock that they were recruiting from was just big dudes and and now they're a lot more twitchy, they're a lot more athletic and ⁓ and Joe mentioned like length was a big deal for the defensive line, ⁓ especially around the edge. And I think of a guy like ⁓ Trey Lyle, Keannis Thompson, like ⁓ you know, some of the guys that they they've added. Kenny Sores obviously is gonna be a big part of that edge rusher room, but ⁓ you know, I I think Michigan State can take steps in in both sides of the the lines. Now granted it was a really low starting point. So of course there should be some steps taken. ⁓ but I think a guy like Ben Murowski, ⁓ is is gonna be a killer for them on on the offensive line. That's a a portal left tackle ⁓ and a guy that I think is six seven three forty and he moves. ⁓ i it was funny. So I'm I'm Andrew Graham: He is speaking of massive people. Yeah, he is a big dude. Connor Earegood: feature coming out in Detroit News ⁓ tonight, technically tomorrow, ⁓ morning about Cam Edwards and ⁓ I talked to his uncle Taron who ⁓ is a big mentor in Cam's life and ⁓ he was talking about Ben and he's like, Man, he he's like the the Tom Brady to Cam's Bill Belichick and, you know, he always thinks if if he's got Ben he's gonna be okay. ⁓ and and Ben was a huge reason why they got Cam Edwards who says he's gonna be the best running back in the country. Well that's gonna depend on what that offensive line looks like. ⁓ you know, you can be the best running back you can be. ⁓ I think of Nate Carter is a a guy in the NFL now. ⁓ playing a role with Atlanta and and, you know, could barely get to the line of skirmish before he's getting hit in the backfield ⁓ with some of those Michigan State lines. So ⁓ that's gonna be the key for them and I I do think that they've taken some meaningful steps. How far they've taken, I think this Toledo game is probably gonna be a good indication, especially with a guy like Andrew Zok on the other side who ⁓ loves to hit quarterbacks and and loves to get into the backfield. Andrew Graham: Yeah, l ⁓ Toledo has some some defensive talent left over from the Jason Candle run of it all. ⁓ we need to get into our ⁓ our max our Maxion trio sampler. Just just non non conference maxion, if that I guess some if I'm inventing that. Yeah. Half an action. ⁓ yeah no that that doesn't work. We'll find it. Connor Earegood: Yeah, maxin. Maxon. Not midweek maxion yet. We're still in the early part of the season when it's still like a 98 degree Saturday, but non-conference maxtion. Half maxion. Play play maxion. Ooh. There we go. We're working, we're working. We'll we'll have a name for this by week three. Central Andrew Graham: When it's we'll we'll we'll have a name by the time they're doing midweek max. Connor Earegood: Central. Who ⁓ who's playing linebacker, Andrew? Andrew Graham: ⁓ so it's in some ways kind of who I expected in that is looking like Xavier White, Mason Hitchens, Brett McCallow and Victor Earle are gonna be the the four sort of starters and central ⁓ by the depth chart and by kind of what their base is is a three four defense. ⁓ it's very malleable in kind of how like ⁓ again with like a linebacker will be down on the edge rushing perhaps or Or stuff like that. ⁓ and so it's it's kind of this mix of two guys, Xavier White and Victor Earl, who have been around in the program. ⁓ I believe Xavier White's the starting weak side linebacker and then or strong side linebacker. Hold on. Why don't I just look at the dev chart and get this correct rather than feeding you all misinformation? Like that's just foolish of me. So yeah, ⁓ Connor Earegood: And guessing through it. Yeah. Hey, how much of this is misinformation to begin with? When they get on the field it's gonna be different, right? Andrew Graham: It's all it's all all pro I mean, they're gonna rotate, so it's somewhat. So I was right. Zav Xavier White is the is the weak side linebacker. ⁓ Mason Hitchens and Brett McCallow are the two starting mid linebackers, and then the strong side linebackers, Victor Earl or they have it or Brett McCallow. So kind of that mix of dudes are your starters and they're gonna rotate heavily and I think that's an important group to watch 'cause ⁓ New Mexico State wants to run the ball better than they did last year and has a Connor Earegood: Toledo's watching this too, as Pat Fitzgerald would say. Andrew Graham: big old offensive line and you're gonna need your linebackers to to make your right a few times and make good tackles and and fill their gaps and be on their keys and do all that that good run defending stuff and gotta see. Connor Earegood: With ⁓ w with that group, ⁓ like where do you think as far as linebacker groups go in in the Mac? And don't know how much your your preseason research has gone and obviously we gotta see people in the field 'cause the portal and everything, but where do you think they could stack up as as Drinkler tries to take this ⁓ another step in year two? Andrew Graham: Think it's hard to say, and I think it's also a little bit like they might never be a defense where it's like, wow, this one dude or this one unit is like absolutely dominant in like, you know, the the 12 sat guy or whatever. Just because they're gonna be this rotating, playing 25, 30 guys if they if they really could on defense. ⁓ I don't know if it's gonna be that many on on Saturday night, but I mean like y you'd hope they're at at no worse than like middle of the pack with bringing in kind of new guys to starting or transfers. ⁓ I think there's decent upside there, but it's also just kinda hard to say with like I mean Buffalo just is gonna have a a like hundred fifty tackle that guy because they just exist in the the Niagara Valley for whatever reason that's that's just they come from there. Connor Earegood: Yeah. With ⁓ with Eastern we're gonna go down to Ipsy real quick. What do we think about their run game? Andrew Graham: We're gonna run to Ipsy. ⁓ so it's just basically the thing that Connor Earegood: I'm not running to Ipsy. I ran yesterday and almost died, so Andrew Graham: It's the thing they didn't do well in their opener, aside from punting, sort of kind of. ⁓ and it's they they got what they needed out of it on Saturday night when they beat Sack State. Like they were just able to like bully in a couple touchdowns, like Noah Kim made a move in space on a keep to run in a touchdown. So like it it worked. It wasn't this is, you know, bad news bears. But it just wasn't like very effective and it wasn't very like didn't pop a ton. Like Amarion Blue looked pretty good running the ball, but there were a couple like holding penalties that brought back brock back at least brought back at least one of his plays. ⁓ and so I just think they want to execute that better and I asked Chris Creighton about it and I was kinda curious if like is this a we just kinda don't have like that just kick you in the ass mindset that like really is important to run blocking or kind of just like we're missing an assignment we're you know, not getting to a landmark, we're losing a block, like and it was the latter. It's for they can clean some things up and this could look a lot better come Friday night against San Jose State. Connor Earegood: Yeah. It's the it's the is it one guy or is it seven? Like the age old question. Andrew Graham: Yeah, and it's it's looking like it's one or two here and there. It's not too bad. Like they weren't i i it was just kinda lane doesn't quite open up, a guy can get and you know, you're just three yard gain and it's just not that impressive and that's kinda what it was. So I think I think it's they are not far from cleaning it up and it looking better. Connor Earegood: Alright, now we're we're gonna go out west here. K Zoo, Western Michigan, Broncos. Defense, let's ride. How do they look? Andrew Graham: ⁓ I'll have a s apparently they wanted to have the new Buster mascot parachute into the stadium when it was introduced and I'll I'll share more about that at a later date one of these days. ⁓ but let's ride. So Connor Earegood: Yell. Let's fly. Andrew Graham: There it's just the question of their basically replacing an entire defensive front that was really, really good for them and helped them win a Mac title and win ten games last year. And I think they have a lot of talented players, like dudes who you look at and go, ⁓ yeah, like that dude's gonna be a decent football player. ⁓ Scoop Gardner from Long Island who has a win against Eastern Michigan in his career, which happened last year. is someone they're pretty excited about, Dewan Eccles from Paul State. These are also just like older guys, which is part of what you can go for with transfers if like they're just grown men. ⁓ which matters. There's a couple younger guys though, like Austin Alexander from North Carolina is someone who's interesting at at at Edge Rusher. And so I like the mix. I like the talent they have. ⁓ Excuse me. And I think they're gonna be pretty good in terms of individual talent and like depth, but it's just kinda how does this all come together? Do they have the the recipe, the the juice, if you will, to to couch it in vague terms, but it's I think they got a good haul and I'm just kinda curious how it comes together and what the the sum of the parts looks like. Connor Earegood: Did and maybe this is a question for later, so if it is, we'll put a pin in it. Did Jim Harbaugh give Michigan the assist by hiring away Chris O'Leary, taking him for his staff? Andrew Graham: Hm. I think Jim Harbaugh d hired Chris O'Leary because Jesse Mentor just wasn't there anymore. I think Jim Harbaugh is ⁓ far too myopic to be playing 4D chess like that. Connor Earegood: Unknowingly, he did not plan this. Yeah. Yeah. No, I d I didn't mean it in forty chess. That was that was satire, but it is a huge loss for that coaching staff. Like Andrew Graham: I ⁓ I I know, but I'm just ⁓ yeah, he 'cause he was I mean, basically running the Chargers defense and but like they ran it really well and he they brought in a guy from Houston who hadn't really played much and they coached him up and he was like I think led the nation in TFLs and was second in sack, something like that. Pretty damn good, like and that guy's now coaching an NFL defense. Which is good for Chris O'Leary, ⁓ definitely getting a pay bump, I would imagine. ⁓ but now there's kind of a lot of pressure on Career Martini to deliver and I think like they're pretty excited about what it's looking like and what it's gonna be, but you obviously have to like go out and win win some games and improve it. It's a results based industry. Connor Earegood: Yeah, to prove it. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Shall we get into matchups? Andrew Graham: Might as well. It's time to talk about football and games. Let's do it, please. Connor Earegood: Real games. More w there was a real game last week, but everybody's in the field now. Including two Michigan teams playing each other. Andrew Graham: Is it ⁓ As there I think's gonna be quite often going forward. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Saves everybody money. Makes everybody money. Andrew Graham: And makes makes people want me too. Connor Earegood: Yeah. All right. Andrew Graham: Yeah, I'm U San Jose State. Connor Earegood: Let's do it. Andrew Graham: Alright. So I think the my big question here is can Eastern Michigan's pass defense or pass rush as sort of part of the pass defense, because that's those things aren't joined together. ⁓ how does that hold up against a team that's gonna want to get into four wide, five wide personnel and chuck the ball around? ⁓ they s put up twenty-six points against USC and a loss, and their opener, San Jose State, also played week zero. and didn't look great for three quarters, but then looked pretty good for one. and so I think that's kind of your your test and they looked pretty good in the opener. ⁓ I think this offensive line is going to be a lot better than whatever Sacramento State was running out there, ⁓ just because of If they've been in the FBS for longer, they have, you know, recruited to an FPS level for longer. ⁓ and that's not a knock really on like where Sacramento State is, but that's just the reality of it all. Connor Earegood: It's progression, right? Like it takes time. Yeah. Andrew Graham: Yeah. Yeah. So I'm I'm just curious about how Eastern Michigan can can affect things and I think like when you look at that kind of depth and they've got some good young talent like rake guys like Raquel Atkins, ⁓ he's a sophomore, he's looking pretty good. He played quite a bit on ⁓ Saturday night, but then like Bryce Lowell and Jason Marshall, like very veteran guys, it's a nice mix and I think they can be pretty good and this would be a really nice moment for them to kind of show up. But like the one flip side of that, and this is something Chris Creighton brought up, is Ken Neomatalolo, and I'm very proud of my ability to get that mostly mostly on the nose, ⁓ who's a head coach at San Jose State, who was, if you know like ball knowers will know, was the coach at Navy for a long time and like is an option guy. ⁓ and now they're r but like they're not running the option at San Jose State. That is not what's occurring. But cr what Chris Creighton has kind of observed is they bring a really good degree of like blocking tackling being good at the fundamentals kind of stuff. And that really s like coupled with kind of being spread out and playing that way is something that he he was kind of talking about seems like like it's a unique challenge. Like if you're a a D B and suddenly like the guy you're covering is determined to block you downfield when he notices the guy like his teammates caught the pass. Like that's not the most c like that's you something you gotta like be ready for and like be able to play through and like I'm just curious to see that test for the defense. Yeah. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Yeah. Details. Fun fact, Connor Stallions was one of his ⁓ student coaches, not even a GA student coach at Navy back in the day. Michigan ⁓ Michigan football connection, central Michigan football connection for at least the game. Andrew Graham: ⁓ yeah. ⁓ yeah. That's a good point. just Connor Earegood: We'll move on from controversy. I will say with Eastern Michigan, the thing that's interesting to me, going into Spartan Stadium week ⁓ well, week two, ⁓ third game of the season, but ⁓ having that extra game under their belt I feel like is valuable, right? ⁓ especially when you're trying to figure out what you have, what you need to improve on. ⁓ and and I I think for ⁓ a Michigan State team that ⁓ you know there's been a lot of scuttle button, we'll talk about that in a few seconds about Toledo ⁓ and and sort of the the upset potential. Woo. Andrew Graham: Yeah. They they certainly feel that way. Connor Earegood: ⁓ that everyone has in in week one. I I think Eastern Michigan is the more of the game between the two to watch just because sixty minutes more of of live kind of bullets flying ⁓ does so much more for your ball club than ⁓ you know sort of the talking season and that extra week at rest when you've been resting the whole season. ⁓ you know, and and since February really. I mean practice you're still hitting each other, but ⁓ you know, it's different, right? ⁓ so that's the gonna be the curious thing for me is is where they go from here. ⁓ what they look like coming out of this game and and going into probably their biggest probably their biggest game of the season I would say. I mean it's it's power four, like if you win that, that's pretty huge, ⁓ at least from a momentum sense. But ⁓ I know there's a Mac title they probably, you know, would speak pretty well if they were able to win two, even if they lost that MSU game, which hey, Western Michigan, you talk about that. That was week one last year. ⁓ and and Western, you know, a team that won ten games, went ten and one down the stretch. ⁓ lost pretty convincingly to a Michigan State team that lost eight straight in the Big Ten and looked pretty listless. So ⁓ you know, that's that's the timing matters in these sorts of matchups, so it'll be interesting to see. Andrew Graham: Yeah. D exactly. Yeah. Alright, Connor. What what about MSU and Toledo though? Tell me about it. What what's gonna happen here? Connor Earegood: Alright, ⁓ upset potential I don't see it. ⁓ which is probably a hot take. Andrew Graham: Yeah, I'm I'm with you on that, I think. Like I get I think it'll be like a competitive game, but I guess. Connor Earegood: It'll be a competitive game, yeah. I still think Michigan State's a Big Ten program that brought in a lot of experienced guys who've played ball. Like if this was a class where Pat Fitzgerald said, I'm gonna go get young and I'm gonna get freshmen and sophomores and guys who think they can play at a higher level and we're gonna build a a youthful, energetic team that's gonna be good in three years, okay, maybe I'd buy stock in that. But they got guys who are able to help them be at least competitive right now. ⁓ yeah, we talked about, you a guy like ⁓ Ben Murowski, right? ⁓ Dion Crawford who was a linebacker at Buffalo. Not from the Niagara Valley, he's from Atlanta, but ⁓ you know, Niagara Valley in spirit. ⁓ fun fact, Genesee County, Michigan is named after Genesee County, New York, ⁓ 'cause they thought it looked so much like New York and they missed it. Which having been to Buffalo a few times, okay. ⁓ regardless, no New York slander. Shout out Syracuse, ⁓ which is a little further north upstate, but good winks. Andrew Graham: ⁓ yeah. Good good wings. Good wings. Connor Earegood: But no with with this Toledo game, like yes Mike Jacobs brought some Louie, quote unquote, with him from Division Two Mercer. Yes, or FCF, sorry, not Division Two. Lenore Ryan was Division Two. Either way, it's a different level of ball. ⁓ and and there are some talented c all conference type players, it is a completely different beast to being out there in in sort of a Big Ten game, especially with some guys who are proven ⁓ you know FPS and and power for a lot of these guys starters. ⁓ it is gonna be super interesting to see how Michigan State looks in the trenches, and we talked about that earlier. ⁓ I think this offensive line has the tools to be good and they most importantly have the depth. Like if someone gets injured, there's a guy who I think, all right, that guy probably could have been the starter out of camp anyway. They'll be okay. And they did a lot of cross training. Nick Tabak is a good offensive line coach. ⁓ and I think that you look at the guys he sent to the NFL playing in Wake Forest funky little system, like Andrew Graham: ⁓ yeah. He always looks he always looks like a little aggrieved and I mean that in like the highest of comp like like of just like he's just always like a little like there's something he's like I gotta I gotta deal with this. ⁓ Connor Earegood: That takes some talent, you know what mean? So Yes. It in in the ⁓ Connor Moore joked on Fitzgerald's radio show yesterday. He's like, hurry up is like the tagline and then he says, Alright, that's his like that's his ⁓ his little tagline. But ⁓ w w well reputed guy. So ⁓ I I do think for Cam Edwards to have the season he wants to have and Pat Fitzgerald wants him to have and every Michigan State fan's gonna want him to have. Again, read Detroit news tomorrow. ⁓ pretty good story coming out I would if I do say so myself. Self hype shameless plug. ⁓ I do think like Andrew Graham: Seal of approval. Excellent shapeless plug at Connor. Connor Earegood: the the key is gonna be not in his hands but the guys in front of him. ⁓ you know, Kenneth Walker had a season kind of in spite of his offensive line, I think you could say, in twenty one. I mean it wasn't like they were tackling him, but ⁓ certainly weren't the most impactful unit. And he got those guys to a ⁓ I'm blanking on the name. ⁓ the offensive line award. ⁓ my god. Joe Joe Moore. ⁓ my God. ⁓ anti ball knower. no, he g he got them a nod for that, which is crazy. Andrew Graham: To a degree, to a degree. The Joe Moore Award. Connor Earegood: 'Cause it was not a good offensive line. Andrew Graham: That's conduct detrimental to the podcast to not know that award. Connor Earegood: Yeah, I know, that's sad. ⁓ go ahead and edit that out, Jamie. But no, we don't we don't have an editor. And that was a terrible Rogan impression or ⁓ Rogan reference. But ⁓ who had a Traeger, by the way. That's a shout out for the ⁓ the the boys from 810 Arch, but if any of ⁓ are listening to this, I asked them to. but ⁓ regardless, I I do think this Michigan State team is is better than it was a year ago. ⁓ you know, how good and and the schedule ⁓ I they have a weaker schedule early in the season. And I do think that this is gonna be a good warm-up game for them. This isn't Jason Candle's Toledo, but it's still gonna be a team with some competitive players. ⁓ and so I I I am curious to see how they could look coming out of this. Defensively the linebackers are gonna be I think solid. ⁓ Jordan Hall obviously is back for his fourth year. ⁓ they have add Caleb Wheatland, who ⁓ a guy who really played well at Maryland and then, you know, some injuries and things derailed him at ⁓ at Auburn. But Dion Crawford's a guy I think I'm excited to see how he looks. He's a crasher. He is just gonna level you. if he gets the chance. In coverage, you probably don't want to see him. ⁓ but, you know, with with sort of the role he's playing in this defense, ⁓ you know, I I I think he's he's gonna be alright. And Kenny Soros as well, ⁓ is a guy we've heard a lot about. Apparently he's a great trash talker. Didn't hear that part about him until ⁓ recently this week. So ⁓ curious to see and hear what that young man plays like. Andrew Graham: So ⁓ that that tracks. Yeah, no that that that that makes sense. ⁓ Connor Earegood: That my yap session is over, by the way. We can ⁓ we we c we can talk about the other big games. Andrew Graham: Hey, no, like we this is the the sort of point of this is the like introduct. ⁓ so the in state matchup is Western Michigan visiting Michigan. This is on we're talking about the Saturday games now. ⁓ I think aside from the sort of likelihood of Michigan winning this probably by a couple scores, because that's how these things tend to go, and I'm not trying like generally not trying to be dismissive. Connor Earegood: Ha ha Andrew Graham: But literally, Michigan's never lost to a directional Michigan team. So it would it would be ⁓ it it would be a all-time upset. Like I'm not saying Western's incapable, but just like not the likely outcome if we're being very honest with ourselves here. ⁓ but I do think Western has the ability to like make Michigan sweat and work and not just like Connor Earegood: So you're saying there's a chance. Andrew Graham: be a game where they're rolling over a group of six opponents. Like this is a team that won 10 games last year, brought back all the starters they could brought back. Like they are going to come out and know what they are doing. I don't think the secondary like having your secondary specifically be the group that comes back when you're going to play in this kind of environment is very like I would prefer it to be probably that way than any other way where it's like they're gonna make you right. They're gonna save you from like the game breaking things where it gets out of hand. ⁓ and I think Western like we don't kind of don't kinda know about Michigan's linebackers and like defensive line depth. And Western's gonna be able to run the ball. Like Brock Lowry is probably one of the best between the tackles quarterback runners I've ever like covered or watched. Like the dude has just really got that innate feel for it. ⁓ Their running back room is deep. They do some good funky stuff in the run game, like shout out to Walt Bell. Dude is a good coach, UMass, UMass, that's what I'll leave that at. and he he he just like I think they will have a good plan to do some things that make Michigan go, ⁓ crap. And how far that takes you, I don't really know. but I think just when you look at like They're gonna be solid on the offensive line. They have a returning quarterback. I think they're pretty excited about their playmakers, and they're talented up front on defense with like the transfers they brought in and some of the guys they're bringing back. We'll see what that like means against a Michigan team that I think is just gonna be able to like run the ball still. But ⁓ in terms of like, ⁓ you know, crap, like we just busted a coverage because Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: the lights were a little too bright for this guy in the secondary. Like that's not gonna be happening 'cause like you're returning four starters there. And so you'll you'll at least like you will keep this game in front of you if you're Western Michigan and give yourself a chance. And that's like I know that sounds damning with faint praise, I but like promise it's not 'cause this Michigan team I think is gonna be not a team that loses games. It shouldn't lose under Kyle Whittingham. And so that's just kind of the difficult thing you run up against, especially like Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: Michigan I like they're they could lead the power for rushing legitimately. Like I don't think that's out of the question. Connor Earegood: No, I I think too, like the the question I I wrote this for our our previews for the games. We always pick all the games, so I I have to to have really wrong takes about a Michigan team. I don't get to watch that often. ⁓ but I I I will say the thing I noted is like one of these teams has a Jordan Marshall and one of them doesn't. And I think that that's gonna be a big swing here. He is a hell of a running back. And that's the thing, is like, okay, when Jordan Marshall's off the field, here's a freshman who is highly touted and you know, probably every bit is good. Andrew Graham: Correct. And the Savion Hyder, from what we've heard. Connor Earegood: And most importantly, he's got a number two next to his name on that depth chart. He's gonna be running angry. And they're running a a a competition for their guards, two guy or three guys trying to take two spots. They're gonna get some run blocking too. Cause that's how you get that job is through the run block. And it's not the pass protection. It's how you can create a hole. Andrew Graham: Sounds like they like ⁓ how Bryce Kozdal's done as like the number three running back too. They've talked about him, like they're so like I just think like they're gonna have they're gonna have solutions to to to whatever sort of rushing problems they might encounter, is I think probably the the poetic way to put it. ⁓ Breezing On will keep it fairly light about central New Mexico here because in a moment you all will be hearing an interview I did with Connor Earegood: That too. Yeah. They're gonna run the damn ball. Andrew Graham: The Albuquerque Journal's Sean Ryder, who covers the team and is a Michigan native. So a shout out, Sean, who will we will hear from him soon. but I think I'll just really like just to briefly hit on Central, since we talked mostly about New Mexico with Sean, or I did rather. ⁓ it's it's an interesting test for Central Michigan, because last year you would have said, okay, San Jose stays better than them, but then they went out and kind of sprung a trap on him and beat him. Connor Earegood: State News alarm. Yeah. One of our own. Andrew Graham: think this year you'd say, okay, New Mexico is a little better than them. And I don't think you can go and spring a trap and beat him. ⁓ and so it's a question of like, can you just do some you know, still week one surprise, you know, hey, you weren't expecting this on offense, or we kind of you know i at least present some things you weren't really expecting us to do. But I just think like New Mexico's gonna be very well coached, very well prepared. They're old, they're big, they're deep. ⁓ and like I think this is just kind of like a tougher I like ironically a tougher opener for a better Central Michigan team. ⁓ but they're not gonna shy away from that, of course. And I think it's I'm I'm just like very excited to see what they do end up doing. ⁓ especially offensively, because I know they're really kind of changing and evolving things from from last year and and drink Matt Drinkle has said they more or less put some offensive constraints. And he he he j he basically joked and he was like, if I were in Jim Shapin shoes, I would have wanted to choke me out for like the constraints I was putting on him ⁓ last year. So they those do not exist to the same degree this year. I'm sure there are still a couple like, hey I we should not be doing this things because he is the head coach. But Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: they're gonna be a lot more open and different and I would exciting w if I can throw an adjective ⁓ of of sort of opinionated nature in there. So I'm just very kinda curious to see what they do, and I think defensively they're gonna be transfer heavy and and rotation heavy and do some good stuff and I'm just less worried about that side of the ball being like, ⁓ my god, the bottom's falling out and I'm not worried about that on the offense either, but I'm just wondering if it's like Are is what you're doing effective or is New Mexico just gonna be able to kinda head ⁓ hand on Little Brother's head to an extent? Connor Earegood: Space bars. Andrew Graham: Yeah, like that's that's always a possibility. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Alright, shall we bring Sean in with the power of movie magic? Andrew Graham: We shall bring in Sean. We are ⁓ sh sh it is it is Wednesday. I talked to Sean on ⁓ Tuesday. You're probably gonna hear this on a Thursday or perhaps Friday or maybe even Saturday, which is the magic of show business. So without further ado, ⁓ we'll we'll get with Sean here and talk about ⁓ the Lobos. Movie magic time. Cut this out. ⁓ Connor Earegood: That was good. That was a good start. Andrew Graham: And then we can just get through the picks here pretty quick. ⁓ I'll just introduce the games and then we'll just you pick, I pick. Connor Earegood: Not with it. Andrew Graham: Alright, and we're back for our final little bit here. A big thank you to Sean ⁓ doing the home and home on the podcast with us, and I was happy to join him on on his his little show and talk about Central Michigan, so check both of those out. ⁓ it's time for picks because we of course have to like be involved in the take a sphere because that's how this all works. ⁓ so we're gonna go through we're gonna pick every week we will pick just straight up not against the spread, none of that. I don't feel like following betting lines or anything for this. That's frankly smacks of effort. So it'll be all the in-state games, all five of those teams, however many games that is, whether they're playing each other or not, and then three national kind of games of import, which we'll get to at the end. So first off, I'll go in ⁓ timeline order here. We'll start with EMU San Jose State Connor, who do you got? Connor Earegood: I'm gonna go Eastern Michigan. I I I don't know. I think Noah Kim's gonna have a good season and and continue what he's what he started last week. ⁓ and I I do think it would be ⁓ an interesting narrative if they were two and ⁓ going into Spartan Stadium. And I love ⁓ a hyped up matchup, so ⁓ we're gonna pick Eastern for nefarious reasons. Andrew Graham: He was ⁓ he was ⁓ C in the Matrix on Saturday night against Sacramento State, and I don't see any reason why that doesn't continue, so I'm gonna I'm gonna stick with you. I'm gonna take Eastern Michigan. ⁓ in probably ⁓ not a shootout, but maybe a little higher scoring game. ⁓ that takes us on to the the nightcap Friday night for for us, where you and I will both be. I will be at Spartan Stadium as well. ⁓ Michigan State versus Toledo Connor, who you got in the ⁓ Pat Fitzgerald and Mike Jacobs Arrow beginner. Connor Earegood: Yeah, I I got Michigan State. I I I think they handle this one easily. I think they cover the the ten and a half point line, which is crazy low. ⁓ I I I think a lot of the national media really hasn't been around and knows not a whole lot about this team. ⁓ I don't think us beat writers know exactly how things are gonna work out. I don't think Pat Fitzgerald knows how things are gonna exactly turn out. But I do think they're better than this Toledo team and I think they win it pretty easily. Andrew Graham: think if the good of Alessio Milovoyovic is like what he can be, I think this team has a chance to be a little better than anyone would predict. ⁓ that still probably means like seven and five, but I also think that means you're beating Toledo pretty unremarkably in an opener, which that's what you're supposed to do when you're at a place like Michigan State or a Big Ten team is you beat Toledo unremarkably in the opener. Which has not always happened. Connor Earegood: It would be a downer. It would be a huge downer if they lost this. Like for all the ⁓ off season hype and momentum, it would be hard to to recapture people, right? Andrew Graham: So I hey ⁓ I ⁓ hey ⁓ Just as just as Mississippi State, and Toledo can can bring the bell. ⁓ we will get to then ⁓ Michigan and Western Michigan, that is NBC on Saturday night. ⁓ and once more shout out to Noah Eagle. ⁓ Connor Earegood: Syracuse lighting. Andrew Graham: Connor, who you got in the in state matchup? Connor Earegood: ⁓ I have Michigan. I do think Western probably covers it, but we're not picking against a spread, so I'm gonna go with Michigan. ⁓ like I said, Jordan Marshall. I hard to pick against. Andrew Graham: Yeah, twenty twenty six and a half or whatever it is feels like a way for Vegas to make a lot of money off of people who are like, Yeah, Michigan and a group of like like people people from Georgia or people from like Georgia or California or wherever, just being like, Yeah, Michigan, of course, and like just not knowing. ⁓ so I'm probably with you in the exact same boat where it's this is a little closer than twenty four or twenty eight or that, but still Michigan and not, you know not not anything that's that's Connor Earegood: ⁓ yeah. Yeah, go blue. Andrew Graham: scaring anybody at at the fourth quarter or anything like that. And then the final game for a Michigan team this weekend is Central Michigan Saturday night in Albuquerque, ten o'clock or ten ten, I believe, is the very official kickoff time. Connor Hoodie you got between Jason Eck and Matt Drinkle, two bowl coaches in year one in twenty twenty five. Connor Earegood: Yeah, I I picked New Mexico in our our pick'ems for ⁓ for the news and I think I'm gonna pick New Mexico outright as well. ⁓ really like what Jason X done at New Mexico. ⁓ they played a Michigan team last year really tough, and granted it wasn't a great Michigan team and ⁓ the coaching staff wasn't worried about ball as much as other off field things. So ⁓ Yeah, the other jokes aside, ⁓ I do think this is is a New Mexico team that Andrew Graham: Well, they were maybe worried about Ball, but Connor Earegood: ⁓ is is gonna build off what was a pretty good first year for Jason Eck and maybe it's a ⁓ something that gets him vaulted into a spot in the Big Ten. Luke Fickle. ⁓ we'll see what happens at the end of the year. But ⁓ you know, I I do think that there's a lot of people who are gonna be watching Jason Eck this year. Your first year you get some hype and and probably get offered some jobs. But ⁓ you know, year two if you can have sustained success, I think that's where you see coaches really become a commodity and ⁓ you know, rise to that next level. So it'll be interesting to see how they look. ⁓ I think New Mexico wins this first one, but ⁓ you know, I'm curious to see what Central looks like. What about you? Andrew Graham: Yeah. I I think I'm in a similar boat and also just to to keep it ideologically consistent with what I did yesterday. I did pick New Mexico, so I'm going to pick them to win again. ⁓ but I do think this is probably a close game. It's like a nine and a half, ten point spread, and I think it's closer than that. Connor Earegood: We picked all the same games. How are we supposed to settle the ties? Andrew Graham: Because we're picking the three national games, Connor. ⁓ so we're gonna start with the I think everyone's gonna end up rooting for Clemson because they're annoyed with LSU bowl. ⁓ Clemson LSU, Clemson that's gonna be Clemson at LSU. Connor, who do you got? Dabo Swinney versus Lane Kiffin, two of the more opposite college football coaches you could come up with personality wise. Connor Earegood: There we go. Alright. I'm choosing God's name, image and likeness. Let's go. I I somehow Dabo's gonna get redeemed off of this and this is gonna buy him like three more years, I think. If if he wins this game and the national media like you know, wants him as a hero, ⁓ you know, against the the wicked ways of L S U and the the evil trio of Kim Mulkey, ⁓ Lane Kiffin and Will Wade. So ⁓ yeah, I'm I'm I'm picking Clemson. Andrew Graham: Clemson's never firing Davo, man. Like he's just he's that man's bulletproof. He won two national titles there. ⁓ I I want to pick Clemson for like manifesting reasons, but also just to differ with Connor here. I'm gonna pick LSU ⁓ on their villain arc. I I'm sure all of you or most of you have seen the sign that Lane Giffen or w someone had put up in the facility at LSU about like it's better you know, be the villain or some convoluted phrase. ⁓ but I also just think they are the better team. Clemson's starting a new quarterback for the first time in Death Valley, not their Death Valley, the other Death Valley. I don't love that, so I'm gonna take LSU and feel kinda dirty about it. So I think where I land on that. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Alright, well since since you picked that one to ⁓ in in inform by my pick maybe in some ways. Who knows? Boise State, Oregon, who do you got? You pick first. Andrew Graham: I this is one where the upset is is I think genuinely in play if Oregon does not come correct. ⁓ but I think even in that situation, Oregon can still win it on sheer like they're ⁓ this team is talented. And I just think I'm gonna take Oregon to win because that talent's gonna win out. I think Dante Moore is ready to be very good in college football this year. Connor Earegood: Yeah. I I'm I'm picking the same. I I mean how much of their defence was the all big ten defense? Like you pretty much just could have said, All right, ducks, just give it to ⁓ 'cause ⁓ yeah, it's it's a very talented team. Andrew Graham: Pretty much. Like outside of like linebacker because they're putting it some new guys, but like they'll be good I'm guessing. I'm n I don't th I don't think they're bad. I'm not gonna think that. Connor Earegood: Yeah. N Nike money's not gonna get you a bad football team. Full stop in this era, no. And you're gonna be dripped out. Which also attracts in recruiting. Andrew Graham: No, you're just gonna be solid. Yeah. Yeah yeah. Alright. Last one here, and I think this is actually ⁓ has potential to be the best game of week one. ⁓ Old Miss Louisville. I don't know if this is neutral site or home and home. I should have checked before doing this, but I'm gonna trust someone who is capable of listening to this podcast can look that up for themselves. I'll make it a little fetch quest of this podcast. Congrats, you can complete it, viewer. Listener, not viewer. ⁓ god. ⁓ Connor, who do you got? Connor Earegood: Maybe viewer. Andrew Graham: Who who do you got, old Miss Louisville? Connor Earegood: I got Louisville. I I I don't know. I'm fading what I picked in in our formal pick'ems ⁓ er earlier today for the news. I'm I'm going Louisville. I I don't know. It just feels like ⁓ a as much as as Ole Miss has a a heck of a team and ⁓ I it's still Kwan Lacey, right? Is is still with him. I'm not tripping. He was on the cover of the the video game, I should know, but he he's still there. Yeah, we're in powder blue. they're Hottitati, right? Andrew Graham: Yes, he he he is cor he is wearing powder blue, yes. Connor Earegood: I was I was getting lectured on SEC like chance and traditions today that I was flubbing because I'm a Big Ten guy. So but anyway, ⁓ no I I I I like Louisville to win this. I don't know. It's early season, some of these SEC teams are always inflated and ⁓ you know, who who knows? It could be a an interesting week one matchup. I think Mississippi's definitely the favorite in this one. Andrew Graham: Yeah. ⁓ I will take Old Miz, although I respect the Louisville pick. Like I think Jeff Prom's gonna have Louisville ready to play, doing good stuff. ⁓ but I'm kinda in on I'm kinda in on the Pete Golding experience at Old Miss. Like I'm just not like buying stock I think he's gonna win a national title, but like I I wanna give myself a reason to watch this, so I'll I'll I'll do that much. ⁓ so So we're we're we're in a we're in alignment everywhere, but I have LSU and you have Clemson and I have Oldness and you have Louisville. So you you you took ACC I went to an A C C school. What is going on? Connor Earegood: I'm I'm just doing the kiff and fade. Anything he's touched, far far away. No. It was funny hearing yeah. Andrew Graham: Connor is officially against ⁓ vanilla Labrador retrievers because Elaine Kiffin or whatever whatever breed of dog juices. But ⁓ that that pretty much wraps us up, except for one important thing we gotta get to at the end here that I wanna give Connor a chance to get to. Connor Earegood: And and soul cycle. Yeah. Yeah, so ⁓ I I'm sure you guys know I'm a a Michigan Daily alum and ⁓ and unfortunately we lost a a a really good guy in in Ethan White who who passed from cancer. ⁓ he was diagnosed when he was with us at the daily and ⁓ you know lived one hell of a life and ⁓ he's one of those guys that you just were better for having known and ⁓ I think we're all worse for having lost him. But ⁓ you heart goes out to his family. ⁓ i if you look him up on Google, ⁓ you'll find an obituary and it's it's very well worded ⁓ and and you know, where you can can give messages and and things for the family. ⁓ so hug your loved ones and ⁓ your friends and family and and everyone and you know it's a reminder that that life is ⁓ is short and and sweet and and bittersweet and all those things and college football is one of the things that unites us and ⁓ you know I think all sports in general and ⁓ you Ethan was a big college football fan, so ⁓ you know, th think about him and and those you've you know you can't watch a game with this weekend, not to get somber or anything like that, but just ⁓ you know, how much we love these sports. Andrew Graham: No, no. That's very well that's very well put, Connor. ⁓ long live Ethan. I I appreciate you you you share in that and I'll I'll link the the obituary in the the pod description so people can find that. ⁓ but on that on that somber, wistful, but ⁓ hopeful, I think. Again, well put Connor note. ⁓ that wraps us this th wraps up this episode of In the Pocket, if I can speak here. ⁓ I thank you all for listening. ⁓ Connor Earegood: Yep, long live Ethan. ⁓ that's great. Yeah. Check that out, everybody. Andrew Graham: Excited for week one of the college football season here. I am Andrew Graham for Connor Eargood, and that's all.