Latest / In The Pocket / Ep. 14: Victory Cannon at stake, Connor goes diet-Valenti, Dyspepsia Bowl in Ann Arbor
Transcript
- Andrew Graham: Hello and welcome to another episode of Mint Football. I'm Andrew Graham, your host for this college football podcast about the state of Michigan, and I just made my co host Connor Irgood laugh with a little joke before we recorded. Connor, how ya doin'? Connor Earegood: Doing good, doing good. It's it's a dreary, dreary Thursday night in mid Michigan. It's been some dreary Andrew Graham: It's about to rain. Connor Earegood: weekends it seems at at Spartan Stadium of late. We'll get into that later in the show. It might be dreary at Michigan Stadium too. A lot of stadiums. Not just 'cause Andrew Graham: yeah. It's it's a Connor Earegood: it's weather. Andrew Graham: it's a running joke, from like Dan Wetzel on his various podcasts over the year that it's like from basically like October about basically this time of October onward, it's just perpetually slate gray and cloudy over Spartan Stadium. so I think we're there. Connor Earegood: Pretty much. Pretty much. Andrew Graham: but we got a good slate to get into. We got all the all the teams in action because there is Big rivalry action up in Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan hosting Western Michigan for the victory cannon in one of the more bitter rivalries in college football that you may or may not have heard about. MSU's hosting Northwestern at noon, Eastern Michigan's hosting Toledo in what is actually a pretty big game in the Mac, and Michigan is hosting Penn State in kind of the dyspepsia bowl. so we'll get to all of that. first thing, and I will I'm teasing the end here, but Connor and I have been picking games, of course, and I finally like dug into how we're all doing in the picks. And I'll tell you at the end, but we we know now, and I'll just share so far. We've had each pretty bad miss misses, and Connor was L SU or picking Clemson against LSU in the beginning. That went pretty immediately wrong. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: And then I later picked Cincinnati to beat Arizona and they got like thirty pieced and scored seven or something like that. It was pretty Connor Earegood: It happens to the best of us. Andrew Graham: So we'll we'll s we'll reveal the actual records at the end when we make picks. But first things first, I think we gotta talk about the victory cannon, which is the first of two pretty big games for the Michigan Mac teams this week. I'm like just there's so many places I can start with this, frankly. I think the first one is just that it's gonna be kind of crazy in Mount Pleasant. Like this is a game you would want to go to if you didn't have to cover MSU this weekend. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Pretty much. Andrew Graham: Yeah. and so 'cause it's a I believe the first Saturday game there in Mount in since twenty eighteen. Western Michigan holds the victory cannon, won it last year in Matt Drinkle's first edition of the rivalry. And I think that's like maybe one of the more interesting points to start off is like Matt Drinkle like knows the rivalry now, whereas last year he didn't, like we kinda saw this through like early this season when Kyle Whitakham was like, I'm not gonna make such a big deal out of Ohio State. Not that Drinkle did that last year, but I just think it's a you gotta live it to know it. And so now he knows it and I'm kinda curious to see how that like changes things for Central. Connor Earegood: Yeah, I mean it's you have to have knowledge, right? And you think of Jonathan Smith at Michigan State and his lack of understanding of a rivalry was probably why fans like walked him by the hand out the door. No, and it was like Andrew Graham: It didn't help his cause. He was like, Let me just let me just throw away my political capital. Connor Earegood: Well, and that's the thing with with Fitzgerald that you see that he understands the rivalry and he understands where Michigan State's at and everything and you see why fans are are are with him and are are willing to, you know, maybe stomach some losses for now. Maybe not watch We'll get to that later. But certainly stomach and Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: and maybe give a little bit of patience of yeah, we'll see. you have to win rivalry games or at least win the messaging. Sometimes you won't win it on the field, but you at least Andrew Graham: Absolutely. Connor Earegood: give a shot and at least embody some spirit and some fight, especially when it comes to maybe these Mac level rivalries where, you know, you have a lot of year over year turnover, you are getting the cupboard rated every year. It is what you can piece together and there's so many more challenges than you see at the top levels. when you're a someone who can control a rivalry, Lance Taylor being two and one, probably wants to go three and one. big Andrew Graham: Love, love to go three in one. Connor Earegood: would love to go three and one. and Draco would love to get his his win and and even it up. Like that matters, right? And and that gives you some momentum, even if you don't necessarily have, you know, the titles and championships at the end of the season and bowl games and such. you know, that can give you a shot of of adrenaline. Andrew Graham: Yeah, and like it's kind of one of those tricky things where so like Central played really well in this game last year, came up a little bit short at the end, could have w very much could have won that game. No w like, you know, people were upset, but it's kind of the year one, they went on the road, they gave themselves every chance to win, you come up short, and so it's like you know, you can do the same thing again this year and it's probably understandable in a vacuum, and this is why Rival Freeze are so great. You're if you're and two against Western if you're Matt Drinkle, like that's a problem. I don't c it's not that's not fair, but it's true. and so I just like that is like the the why rivalry is great is like you can have two games where your team is on paper not as good as your rival and you play very well and just l like they lost by three points last year, say they lose by three points this year, you can lose two games by a touchdown. But everyone's just not happy with it no matter how well you actually play because it's your biggest rival and you have to win these games to s to speak of speak of credibility, like that's the best way to establish it. so big big pressure Connor Earegood: Yeah. I and to Andrew Graham: week. Connor Earegood: to the point you put down too, like there's fifty six players in this game this weekend that played Michigan high school football. So it's dudes that know the rivalry and like Andrew Graham: Intimate. Yes. Connor Earegood: it is intimate, it is and it's not just the rivalry of like You gotta think there's the rivalry in college of dudes that are gonna play against each other, but there's probably some dudes that didn't like each other in high school either. And there's probably some former teammates that wanna put BTA on their former dudes. Like i Andrew Graham: I'll put yeah. yeah. yeah. Connor Earegood: th the intimacy is what breeds a good rivalry. And that's why you see Andrew Graham: Absolutely. Connor Earegood: with Michigan, Michigan State, when they recruit in state, those games are the pinnacle of what the rivalry is. When they have the year over year retention of in state kids. And that's where a and I'll get to my out of school you know, out of state admissions rant at some point in the off season. Andrew Graham: Ha ha. Connor Earegood: But like that is the stuff that makes a rivalry have some real juice Andrew Graham: Absolutely. Connor Earegood: and some real steaks. Andrew Graham: Yeah, no, and I just like like to to your make your high school rival point for you, they they literally exists. Central Michigan, he won't he's not gonna play in this game, but true freshman quarterback Rhino Waters went to Rochester Adams and red shirt freshman starting center for Western, Spencer Beckman, went to bitter bitter bitter bitter rival Rochester Stony Creek. So there you go. and there's two there's a couple guys from Rockford on either side. There's a couple of guys I think from D C C, Wald Lake, Western, and Davison are the other ones. So yeah, just like it's it's it's very old school about like why this rivalry is a rivalry, and I think that's part of why it's so great. as far as the game itself, like Western's probably on paper the like degree or so better team, but not in a way where you're like, I don't know, like I don't know what you're thinking about this game, but I'm not certainly not writing off Central Michigan at home in a rivalry weekend, like that's ne not gonna be doing that. Connor Earegood: Well, the interesting thing is like if you're Western, you feel pretty good about your defense and you feel pretty good about what your defense has been able to hang its hat on and some of their performances. There's some weeks where maybe you won a little bit better, but for the most part it's been a really solid group. But the way Central plays offense and the way they run the ball and the way that both their line and their backs contribute to that run game, like you are putting a lot in the hands of your your exciting whites, your safeties. Andrew Graham: Mm-hmm. Connor Earegood: and and I I'd we'll get a health status update on on Mika Davis, but is he playing? Andrew Graham: Probably n probably not playing still from the Connor Earegood: Probably not. Andrew Graham: sound of it. Like it's it from what I can glean, it's basically a once the doctors clear him to like, hey, you can practice again, he'll quickly be back to playing because I think he'll just be able to club it up and play. He just hasn't gotten like cross that like yes, you're cleared to practice threshold. So it's Connor Earegood: Mm. Gotten to that point. Andrew Graham: just like it's it'll happen one of these weeks and he'll be back. Connor Earegood: And so there's the discipline factor of like when you have your your maybe not your your one in one safeties, right? And you have a guy who's working in as a backup and they've been fine since he's been out, but you know, other than the the Boise game. Yep. Andrew Graham: All it takes one bad play where like Dea McCullough's eyes follow the wrong thing, and not to not to say it's gonna be him specifically, but like Yeah. Well that's what Lance Connor Earegood: Yep. The wrong fill, you know? Like it's it Andrew Graham: that's what Lance Taylor said. Like you get undisciplined with your eyes, that's when they crease ya. Like lit like yeah. and so I think Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: like Central played bad like badly against Ohio, and I just like I wrote about this in mittenfootball dot com. That those things that like Central did wrong or sort of didn't execute on. Like the how you'd kind of work on fixing them and the focus you need and like playing well is also the sort of same way you'd want to like focus during a rivalry week. So like I'm not too worried about them like getting right. I just it's like Western might just be able to cause them problems and make them wrong, more or less. and I like if it comes down to Central needing to throw the ball in any notable capacity to like win the game or like move the ball, that's just exactly where you want them if you're Western. Like plain and simple. they're they're Connor Earegood: I Andrew Graham: overmatched in that regard. Connor Earegood: pound for pound by p position, is Brock Lowry the best player in in this game? I feel like he is, right? Maybe there's someone you would know defensively that's like Andrew Graham: Ooh It's hard to say like just 'cause of like the the different kind of like analogous like or non analogous sort of roles and positions 'cause like I yes is kind of my answer. I like it it might also just be Jalen Buckley too, which is the like that's a problem that's like not a great sentence to hear if you're Central Michigan. like that's their starting backfield. Connor Earegood: Advantage Western. Like Yeah. Andrew Graham: But I do think Connor Earegood: Well Andrew Graham: when you look at Central, like you you they do have some guys like Jayon Jackson is a very good football player. the problem is he plays corner, and I don't know if he's he's someone who it's like you could kind of isolate a corner out of a game a little bit as an offense if you need to. and so like can some other guys rise up for central? They've had really good transfer play in the linebacker core and like Cohen Ali at safety's really popped. Justin Taylor's been excellent at safety. So like I think Central's got the the a chance to like muck it up and cause Western some problems defensively, but like yeah, like if it's just if Brock Lowry's hoopin' again like he was against Kent State, which is a not very good team, admittedly, you're gonna have a problem if you're central. and I think that's like you you kinda need to get Western off kilter and kind of behind the the game in some regards probably pretty early if you're central to like get yourself some some j some good juju and some good game script. Connor Earegood: I I feel like too with with when you have a team that's coming off of a loss like that against Ohio where you expect a little more out of and like I think I think that's fair to say. Like you wonder Andrew Graham: that that is completely fair to say. Connor Earegood: yeah, I I wonder it like what the I was talking to on the hockey side of things, a couple of Michigan dudes, 'cause they're playing Denver this week, which is a team that knocked them out of the frozen four. And we're gonna go on a tangent here, which I sometimes do, but there's a mental calculus of like you can let a crappy loss against a team or the week before or something like that fuel you and motivate you. But if you want to take it a step further and be mature about it, it's the distancing that and going BTA anyway. And that's the sort of like that is what transcends the sports psychologists of the world. Like that is what takes you from B plus to A plus and how you approach a loss. And this sounds like coach speak, but it is a hundred percent true. And that's where if you're central, like you have to shrug it off and it's a rivalry game and you got you know, you probably think about last year, you shrug it off. Like you have to go into this clean slate because like as much as as there's the want to and the desire and the the passion behind it, especially with a rivalry where they know everybody and you know, it probably playing with some dudes they've played before and all these in state connections, all these things we've mentioned. Like, there is the other side of it where you are an underdog at home against a pretty good western team. And like their season has a way better trajectory than you right now. Well here's where you got a pull up bar and if you pull hard enough, Andrew Graham: Absolutely. Connor Earegood: you can vault. And that's, you know, Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: big measuring stick here. Andrew Graham: Well, and it it's it's like e like if you don't let the rivalry be a distraction, which like far easier said than done, and it still has to be like it's probably one of those rivalries where it's present no matter what. Like you do have to do some more kind of education just because of so many transfers and whatever. But if you can make it about like again, opportunity to play good football where we just go kick someone's ass. Which is like admittedly what every coach is trying to tell their team every week. But also, almost if you rather refocus on like because yeah, if your central teams would be like, well, we're screwed in the Mac now because we lost. Like go look through like the teams in the Mac title game and see how many of them have a conference loss. It's most of them. it's very rare that teams are getting to forward field 8-0 in the Mac. so like you win this game and you are right back in the thick of the Mac race. You knocked one of your Main competitors down a peg, and as a matter of fact, you happen to win your biggest rivalry game of the year and bring the victory cannon back to Mount Pleasant, which everyone wants to do, and you can then talk all your shit about it afterwards. And that goes the other way too for Western. So yeah, just like it it has every imaginable stake outside of like Martian's got the death ray and I want Iguadala, pretty much. Connor Earegood: And and maybe it does. Maybe you want Brock Lowry. Andrew Graham: perhaps. I'll try to like the most out of pocket player in this game. Like like Cavan Boone Nelson or something. like Connor Earegood: Yeah. I'm trying to think of receivers. Yeah. Andrew Graham: yeah, just r just random yeah, like third string defensive backs, you know, gunning on special Connor Earegood: Evian Chanel. Andrew Graham: team. Max Mecklum for Central Michigan gunning on special teams. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: yeah. Gimme gimme him. we should hit on Eastern Toledo here before we just go completely off the rails about the victory can and it's like Just as we all predicted, Eastern Michigan and Toledo competing for the Mac in week seven. I think actually, as much as I'm joking there, yeah, it's what Eastern Michigan would have told you that told you they believed in August, and despite it being a first year staff at Toledo, still kept some talent. Mike Jacobs knows what he's doing. I'm like kind of excited for what this game might be like, 'cause I think it could be some fireworks, which admittedly would not be the best thing for eastern Michigan's chances to win. Connor Earegood: Yeah, I mean it's it's the it's the with Pat Fitzgerald's Blessing game. The the Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: the schedule we joked about with, you know, Notre Dame and Wisconsin and MSU in their little triad, now you got Eastern and Toledo in the mix too. Like it everyone plays everyone the same and it's it's we c Andrew Graham: I forgot this was another one of those. Connor Earegood: can we get some unique scheduling here, guys? Come on. But no. It's and and Wisconsin played Eastern. Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: So like everyone's just dipping each other. We got Andrew Graham: gonna be it's gonna be wild Connor Earegood: Little little cartels here. Andrew Graham: wild when Central Michigan gets UTEP in a bowl game or something like Connor Earegood: It's the it's the fi it's the fish. It's the fish eating the smaller fish. Like that is the Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: schedule. And it's like the inverse like yeah, you lost Igotsity, but you're actually better because you beat this team by a better margin, like Andrew Graham: Yeah, Michigan's better than Texas 'cause they beat Oklahoma. Connor Earegood: Yeah, and that's like and that's the the the funny thing is like with this game I feel like Toledo showed you more earlier in the season and even like other than the loss against Buffalo, like they can be really explosive. Dabs is a great receiver. Like that kid has crazy separation, like good quarterback play, defense plays super tough and hard nosed, and then Eastern's play into its identity and and being Kinda nasty to play against and you know, you see Noah Kim is a a real game changer and and just a tremendous athlete. So, you know, each team comes in probably feeling good about what it brings. Toledo maybe a little bit less so because it just come off came off a loss, but Andrew Graham: To Buffalo at that. Connor Earegood: to Buffalo, who was still year over year a solid program. Like it's not like it's you know, it's not Sack State. So it's Andrew Graham: No. Connor Earegood: you know, not to make Sack State the the butt of the joke here, but like it's it's a good enough team. you know, it if you use that r the right way, like we just talked about with Central, that can have an effect for you. But I liked what Jacobs did week one in coaching. I haven't kept the the tightest of track watching them every game a little busy, but same Andrew Graham: Ha ha. Connor Earegood: thing with Eastern. I've liked what they've done as far as I've seen. but this is the game you gotta win. Like this is a early it's not a title game, but it is like it has real implications and how you get up for that is is really impactful as a program and I think shows some character. Andrew Graham: Yeah, so Toledo quarterback John Allen Richter leads the Mac in passing yards with fifteen hundred and sixty-five in six games and touchdowns with thirteen and he has only thrown one interception. So Buddy is absolutely ballin' Connor Earegood: Okay. Andrew Graham: so far this year. I mean probably like right now the favorite to you know, Mac offensive player of the year if you were handing it out today, pretty comfortably. And a lot of that's going to agitate downs and yeah, just like a very like They they I think what the Buffalo loss kind of showed is maybe what's not terribly surprising for like a year one team where you're importing some good stuff but you're like gonna have some holes that you're figuring out of the highs will be very high, and the lows might be pretty low. and so if you're Eastern, you're hoping to make it a low this week, the concerning bit is Eastern's like a hundred thirty-fifth or thirty-sixth in plays of ten plus yards allowed, which is not good. I think they've given up like ninety-two in seven games. the maybe silver lining in there, as those are almost all in the like ten to nineteen yard range. So they're really susceptible to the like twelve yard catch turn up field for four yards as you're getting tackled sort of play, which well not great is as Chris Creighton was talking about it on on Monday, far better than the mega explosive, like the say the touchdowns Toledo had in week one against Michigan State, which is what Eastern really wants to avoid here. and they'll try to try to still die die slow if they're gonna have to die at all on defense against Toledo. Connor Earegood: Yeah. It it's not the death by a thousand cuts, it's the death by like a hundred stub toes or like Yeah, I guess that's fair too. Like you could take it that way. Yeah, Andrew Graham: Sticking your hand in a blender or yeah. That's no that's the mega explosive way of like yeah. Connor Earegood: I I see it as more of the like ow, ow, ow, like that kind of thing Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: repeatedly, and then all of a sudden it's touchdown. Like you know, it's it's it's it's the mildly explosive. It's the you know it's the rolled ankle alone in Alaska, like Andrew Graham: Or it's or it's like you got like your arms full and you drop one thing and you go to pick it up and then like you drop another thing and then all Connor Earegood: Yes, yes, yes. Andrew Graham: three things, no yeah, like it just it it it it spirals on you quick. so I think they I like Eastern has every ability to win this game, we'll pick it later, but you do have to kind of avoid like it becoming a full on track meet 'cause Toledo will beat you that way, I'm pretty confident. Should we get I literally have it in the dock as the Dyspepsia Bowl in Ann Arbor is what I'm calling the next game because I am admittedly kind of glib. But like I just, if Michigan loses this game, fair or not, it's not going to be an enjoyable rest of the season at any point for anybody involved in the year one Kyle Whittingham Michigan Football Project. I just am pretty confident in that. Like you just, for the sake of your Own ability to like not have your life be miserable. Do yourself a favor, Kyle Whittingham, and don't lose this game. Connor Earegood: Yeah. I I mean that's the but that's the big what if with the staff is like Andrew Graham: Correct. Connor Earegood: they have not shown any propensity to be able to do that and you wonder what they do. Andrew Graham: Help you, help you, help you. Like Connor Earegood: Like the the Jake Butt rant was great because like the the point I got from that is like what it's the the office space. What do you do here? And it's Andrew Graham: Ha ha ha. Connor Earegood: like here's the million dollar sum football coach, like Utah won the divorce by the way, five and with the cool trick plays, as Austin Meek tweeted, like Andrew Graham: From the look of it, yes, yes. Connor Earegood: They're bawling and it's like you took scraps and you're paying for it, you know, not just in contract, but in result. And that's where Michigan's at. and and you know, I was anti-hire from the start and I look pretty good. Andrew Graham: Mm-hmm. Connor Earegood: but but no, I I I I think if you're Michigan, you have all the talent in the world, it's just if you can play to it. And that's what coming off of bye week, if you're Michigan or a Michigan fan, you hope, like, get your act together guys, figure it out. Like, you hope they can do that. but you never know. Like I they may not. And and that's the big what if. Andrew Graham: They should have beat Minnesota by like two touchdowns, like. Connor Earegood: Yeah, and and granted they have some dogs at Minnesota. Aiden West we saw at Michigan State last year, and that was a great pick. And I was like as soon as I saw that, huh? Dude, I love Aiden West. That kid's a dog. You have to realize how food You Andrew Graham: I love your your I love your Aiden West boosterism. Like you're just like you're gonna be called you're gonna be called top fifty draft pick next year. Connor Earegood: have to realize how food Michigan State's defense was when he was playing as a true freshman. Like Andrew Graham: Yeah, no, they were bad last year. Connor Earegood: The kid is a stud and is a like buttoned up and I don't blame him for going and taking the bag. Like I would too. Andrew Graham: Try not to do the same thing to Jeremiah favorite. Connor Earegood: Yeah, and that's like Yeah. And and we'll Andrew Graham: Ha ha. Connor Earegood: get to that, but I I th I think with like with Michigan, you have the advantage of that job is you have every resource you could want. You have to be able to put the pieces together and that's why you're tasked with doing that. And Winningham is a CEO type, but he's not the CEO type that Harbaugh was. Certainly not the type that Andrew Graham: No. Connor Earegood: a Charant Moore was. Certainly not the type that a Brady Hulk or a Rich Rod was. Like everyone has their own unique failing as to why they can't do this job or to why it takes them nine years to actually do something with the talent. And and that's Michigan's damning flaw is like there is no excuse. There never is. It's a program that should be in the Ohio State caliber of going every year. And I think that's why that four year streak in the rivalry was what fans were obsessive over and were like, it felt so cathartic. Because it fin Michigan finally put itself in that caliber of of achieving what it should. And it Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: it's gone now. Like it it certainly doesn't look like Whittingham has it. So we'll see against Penn State, who's equally struggling, and had the opposite problem of it it seems like James Franklin not being there has really hurt them and granted there's some recruits and and some Louis as you would say that Matt Campbell brought from Iowa State. But now you got the weirdos coming out with the Joe Andrew Graham: I don't know. I think it's Connor Earegood: Pa reverence and Andrew Graham: I think Matt Campbell brought more Samsonite than Louie, if we're being honest here. Which is part of the problem. Like I know what you're saying. I I get the joke you're making, but I think I Connor Earegood: That's fair. Li it's yeah, I I'm I'm quoting Coach Prime, but Yeah. Andrew Graham: I think the problem like the it's almost inverse for Iowa State where like you probably have a coach who will like I don't know, like Matt Matt Campbell's like almost got hired for by the NFL a couple times. Clearly like people think he's very good at coaching. I think he just like literally came and downgraded Penn State's roster because he wanted to bring in his culture from Iowa State, and that just can't hack into the Big Ten with this roster this year. Like Rocco Becht like a dead average college quarterback and maybe a little below average relative to like what he's having to do. Like whereas Michigan is like I the roster's good. Like I don't think there's much debate there. They've had like the the offensive line, admittedly, like some of the injuries and the weirdness there, like that. Sucks, that's been difficult, but it shouldn't it shouldn't look this bad. And it's more of the problem of if you had been playing in some way where it's like like that there had been like from Western through the first fifty six minutes of the Iowa game, you kind like or end of Western Michigan game, like you kind of could see like, hey, there was this like linear step to step progression, like, they're better, they're better, they're better. You could see it getting very good by the end of the year, and then they just go and unravel at late versus Iowa. They play bad for a half and worse for another against Minnesota. And it's just like it your ability to be consistent is very overrated or underrated, excuse me, in college football. Like we talk about like like why is Georgia so good? Because Georgia just wins every goddamn game that it should win and most of the ones that are like toss-ups. They are just consistently doing things where they win because they're very good. And they're very good because they're consistent to make it circular. But like even at the even with all of the talent in the world they have, it's it's what cuts them apart from plenty of other programs that have all the talent in the world is the consistency with which they show up and perform. And it's just like that is a coaching thing. And Michigan Connor Earegood: Absolutely. Andrew Graham: is just failing in that regard this year. Like it's just kinda that simple. and they can succeed. I think they've got six more, five more, seven more chances, whatever it is, to succeed. Maybe they go seven for seven. Like who knows? but I'm just not entirely banking on it looking right for Michigan this year. Alright, so second try, coming back from technical difficulties here amidst our rantics about Michigan, but to just sort of wrap it up and take it to kinda to Saturday, as we said sort of at the beginning here, like just win the game and keep it moving if you're Michigan. Have something to feel good about. Try not to just be this shell of a team that doesn't look sure of what it wants to do. And I think a lot of people will not be, you know, satisfied, but probably off your backs for the for the time being. No, winning winning solves all. As as everyone says. Like so, just win. Connor Earegood: Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing. The great scholars. Andrew Graham: I yeah, the Al da I'm I I'm kind of an Al Davis more just win baby. Like it's it's there's not a lot of thought behind it and it's honest. It's just what you n need to do. shall we talk about talk about Michigan State and just the the other sad state of affairs in the state of Michigan for i admittedly di different reasons. Connor Earegood: Yeah, the Dreary Overcast Different reasons, the Dreary Overcast skies above Spartan Stadium. MSU has a problem on its hands. Andrew Graham: Pewter skies. Connor Earegood: Not because it's taking Pat maybe longer than you expected for this rebuild, because the top half of his roster is banged up and bruised. this game they won't Andrew Graham: Yeah, yeah. Connor Earegood: have Jordan Hall, they won't have Brady Pretzloff, they won't have their top four corners, they won't have their left tackle, Ben Murosky, and Cam Edwards is out as the running back. There's eight guys. Dude, they might call Andrew Graham: I am starting at will linebacker this week. Connor Earegood: the press box and just ask if there's a body for kick return. Like, it's bad. And and Andrew Graham: Yeah. Like just get in the way. Yeah. Connor Earegood: You know, and hey, I I got filmed from eighth grade, so Pat you can watch it, but I I d I would get killed. I I'm a I'm a lot more svelte than I used to be. But the the point that I'll make with with Michigan State is that the problem is the fan buy-in. And people have been hearing just wait until next season, just wait until next season for this is Andrew Graham: For five years. Connor Earegood: the fifth year. Michigan State I ran the numbers, right? So Michigan State is doing everything it can to keep peats people in seats. Second half of the last game, they sold so few tickets that Tom Mizzo was going around the student section, meeting with students and taking pictures and doing all the sort of fanfare stuff to keep him in the seats. He was in front of a a row, like twelve rows, of tarps off students waving their shirts like terror towels. He's just standing there. There was one dude with a ton of chest hair, must have reminded him of back when he was at Northern. It was crazy. it was Andrew Graham: Did did Tom go tarp off or? Connor Earegood: No, he didn't go tarps off. He joked today that someone had a visual pollution sign and he he decided against it. That when he tried to, you know, attempt it. It was funny. He talked about it today. but the point he made is that you have to have buy-in in order to get winning, and you also have to win to get buy-in, and it's chicken or the egg. So if you want to see this team win, like it's better to be the guy that can say at the water cooler I was there at the start of something. And I thought he was spot on, and I do think that that's the sort of thing Michigan State's running into. But you have to like the cost when people are nickel and dimed every little cent when it comes to coming Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: to a college football game and the industry of it. Like, so here's what you're doing. You live in a Detroit suburb. You were driving up 96 in shitty traffic. You are parking for $20 to $30 to $40 on campus. By the Andrew Graham: by the way, gas is five dollars a gallon. Connor Earegood: way, gas is $5 a gallon. Good luck with that, buddy. You probably drive a truck. Most people do in Michigan or in SUV. Something Andrew Graham: Yeah. S U V, something like that, yeah. Connor Earegood: that drinks gasoline like water. Like the beers that are gonna be eight bucks a a piece at the stadium at least, and then you have to pay for concessions, and your kid's gonna want. a melting moment in addition to the food. You're gonna go watch football suck and lose and not be good enough yet because they're building and granted it's gonna take some time and you're probably gonna leave to beat the traffic. And all of that is gonna run you hundreds of dollars. The tickets Andrew Graham: Mm-hmm. Connor Earegood: alone Like is that worth it when you can watch it on TV and barbecue and be at home and do what you need to do throughout like you have to build build it so they will come. You have to build the field of dreams. Spartan Stadium has not been a field of dreams in years. Michigan State, I looked up the stats, sixteen and fourteen record at home Andrew Graham: Yeah, this is Grim. Connor Earegood: in the past five seasons, counting this one that's going. Eleven of those are non-conference wins. eleven of Like, that's really bad. That's almost damning, like, to to be in that position that that they haven't been able to year over year write the ship at home. Some of that has to do with crowds, some of that has to do with a stadium that really needs a facelift and and some amenities and things that would make it a place that people want to go. and and that's the whole purpose of a five hundred million dollar renovation plan that Michigan State has. But when they're selling ninety nine dollar family four pack with a drink and a a meal ticket packs, when they're putting Izzo in the student section, when they're giving students half off concessions in the second half because they can't get people to stay. Like those are people who have already ponied up that don't wanna stay. And granted the students and and you know, at when teams are too successful they run into this too. When the game's wrapped by halftime, you go to the bars. That's just a college kid thing to do. Andrew Graham: Yeah, they all leave. Why would I hang out? Yeah. Connor Earegood: Like, but it's it's a huge problem Michigan State has to to run into because when there's Rev share, when there's Spartan Ventures that is using all this money a and investments and you know, trying to bankroll this to to fund a a whole athletic department, like the bottom line really matters and how much money they make off this really matters. So, you know, it's it's not a crisis mode in East Lansing, but they're going all hands on deck to solve this and and credit to Dan Bartholomey for you know, giving it his best shot in what, f six weeks into the job, roughly, like and and coming Andrew Graham: As a as Connor Earegood: up with some stuff like putting Izo in the student section and just asking Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: him, hey man, you wanna go meet with some students? Like, Andrew Graham: His his here damn letter. Connor Earegood: Yeah, pretty much. Pretty much. And like again, they they the the plan is there, the intent is there. You can't speed things up unless you go spend a bunch of money. You can't get a bunch of money if you're not winning and people don't think you're gonna do something with the money and win games with the money. And it's the chicken and the egg. The whole concept of MSU football right now is the chicken and the egg. And so Izzo's plea today was give Pat some grace and give him some belief and he's got a good thing going. He also admittedly said the same thing about Smith, but it sounds different. Different when he talks about Fitz. That's his kind of guy, beer and a burger guy. And you can see when Fitz does his public addresses that it's someone who fits maybe the character. And I wrote about that after the Illinois game, but that is my soapbox rant about the state of affairs in in East Lansing. We can talk about the actual matchup 'cause it's gonna be a big one, but that's that's where they're at right now. Andrew Graham: I was firing up my section. I was doing my part. Connor Valent Connor Connor Earegood: Pretty much. Andrew Graham: Valenti over here. That was inspired. That was ins that rant no as Connor Earegood: Shout out Mike Valenti, by the way. He I'd I'd love to hear his thoughts on this. Andrew Graham: what whatever anyone thinks about Mike Valenti, that rant is like pinnacle sports radio stuff. It is Connor Earegood: No voice either. Andrew Graham: you can tell you you knew he was at the game from how he sounded on the show. but To to like get to your point, like it is just hard to sell, like and this is kind of a funny thing. I'll pull from what Dan Bartholomew's predecessor said at Western of and he's in a bit of an advantage position of like he's selling something that's already successful, sort of taking the reins, but like when you're trying to get people to show up for something, even maybe before success is something, success has started to manifest, seeing that you're you're kind of this credible operator that like what you're doing makes sense or or like has a plan is a big part of selling it. And like I just don't like in f in literal fairness to Dan Bartholomew, he has been on the job for six weeks and has not had a chance, I don't think, I'm guessing, to really absolutely get his arms around everything. That would be absurd. And to really kind of where can we take Spartan Ventures and They'll have to be ready for some things pretty quick here with the transfer portal and football and all that stuff. But just in general, like th there does have to be a I think to it's there's gonna have to be some fan belief that comes before success on the field, to like your water cooler point. And I think some of that might be seeded from when you talk about Spartan ventures and revenue share and 'cause you're what you're basically asking fans now is to pay for the team to be good. Directly or indirectly in some fashion. And and Spartan Ventures, in some sense, can take that away. That I maybe alleviate that burden to some extent in an ideal world. But if if what you're sort of asking the fan to do is, hey, fund this product and show up for it, you would do well to be someone who they trust a lot as an operator. and like, not like it's literally a hey, you've been on the job six weeks function that like I just don't think Dan has had the chance to like amass that much political capital 'cause that's kinda how that works. Connor Earegood: full disclosure is that Michigan State is not the only program running into this. Penn State, Robor Andrew Graham: No. Connor Earegood: Russo just had a a a store Ralph Russo, sorry. just had a Rob Yeah. Andrew Graham: Ralph, who I sat next to at the Western Boise game. Shout out Ralph. Connor Earegood: Well he just did a a a going that game is a banger, but also like he just wrote a a great story about Penn State and how there's ninety thousand stu season ticket holders Andrew Graham: It's a really good, really good story. Connor Earegood: and some of them aren't willing to go. They'll buy tickets and they'll support and try to get the team, you know, talent so they can have a chance. But they don't wanna go watch a train wreck and I don't blame Like and Andrew Graham: No no. Connor Earegood: it's it's you know And that's the thing with Michigan State where yes there's a lot of season tickets, but that is weeded out over losing season over losing season and eventually you run into a critical mass where you know you really like Andrew Graham: Yeah, apathy. Connor Earegood: have to reset and you can't afford to do that nowadays. And so I I don't have the numbers in front of me and that's a an off season story goal, so hold me to it, readers. but I I I do wonder what year over year those numbers look like and a lot of that's gonna be guarded with Spartan Ventures behind a closed door now. So all we can really see is the the people in the seats and And you know, week over week there's been a reduction by the thousands of of who's going to these games. And granted, weather has to do with that in matchups and, you know, what is going on those weekends and when the snow starts to fly, people don't usually go to the outdoor arenas. They would rather go to a Lions game or hoops or hockey or any of these. And granted, MSU hoops is gonna have a hell of a season and I wonder how many people would rather go to the Gonzaga game or go to Tennessee or one of these you know, marquee matchups instead of a football game down the stretch here, but But this one should be one I think fans will come to because this one has some real stakes, and we'll get into that. Pat Fitzgerald, former 17-year Northwestern coach, left in Scandal after he was fired and then won a wrongful termination suit against Northwestern, became Michigan State's head coach. He said, guys, this one's not about me. I called for the Detroit News BS on that because it does mean something about you, Pat. And it's okay to say that. He's never going to say it, and Andrew Graham: He's never gonna say it, but it does. Like, yeah. Connor Earegood: he's right not to say it too. Andrew Graham: No. Yeah. Connor Earegood: Full respect to him. but it is a game about him. None of his players wanna let slip that they want to go win this for him. I guarantee you they do. The coaches wanna win this one for him. And the guy on the other side, the quarterback Aiden Childs, who spent two years in East Lancing and kinda got run out of town by fans who made fun of him, harassed him a little bit online and his mom. and granted just lost his job and lost his coach and wanted to reset and hit the portal, but there were a lot of reasons, but it wasn't a super amicable split and now he gets to come home, quote unquote, come back to a place he called home and tear it up with a Chip Kelly offense that holy cow, how do you stop that? Andrew Graham: doing just just wicked shit out there in Evanston. Connor Earegood: Like just twenty yard like stuff Joe Rossi talked about this. They're running wing T looks he hasn't seen since he played at at at Allegheny in the early two thousands, like late nineties. They're running the t CFL z running start for receivers lining up twenty yards behind the line of scrimmage. Like they're running disgusting like Chip Kelly did Andrew Graham: Yeah, it's amazing. It's amazing. It's amazing. Connor Earegood: like a a a mad lib. to run an offense and was like, hmm, thirteen personnel, hmm, deep in the backfield, wing deep, like Andrew Graham: No, it's like it's it's like if you took like you got to take like one like formational subset set of plays from every Madden playbook and just threw all Connor Earegood: Yes. Andrew Graham: together and then ran it out of the Wing T. Like that's almost what Chip Kelly's doing. It's it's actually Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: like mad scientists. Like I don't know if you've seen the meme either listeners or Connor, but that's like gangs cooking up straight elixir. Like that Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: is Chip Kelly every time he's getting on a play sheet this year. It is absurd. Connor Earegood: It Chip Chip Kelly makes like Cialis for Dan Casey. Just brick the entire time of playbook. Like truly. Like that is that is what he cook he cooks up. Cause when you watch it and it's like Andrew Graham: That's so true. That's so true. That's so true. That's so s that's such a specific joke. Connor Earegood: And it's like you look at what he puts on the field and you just see like all the all the eye candy is the crazy part. Fitzgerald pointed to this, like Andrew Graham: it's absurd. It's great. Connor Earegood: the looks that you see and the eye discipline you have to have to keep on the ball and all the motions and splits and everything, like good luck. And for Michigan State, the challenge you run into now, you're like three of your best linebackers are gone. Your corners and the outside, four of them at the boundary are gone. Like your safeties mixed bag the past couple of weeks. You don't feel confident about your defense right now because of attrition the interior's doing its job. Ben Roberts genuinely looks like an all big ten caliber guy. I don't think he'll Andrew Graham: He's really good. Connor Earegood: get the nods. I'll I'll lobby as someone who's watched him, but I don't know if people are gonna vote because of the record at the end of the year. But like Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: it's it's it's gonna be an interesting one for Michigan State. And Aiden Child says he's having fun at football again, which is a of quote you do not want to hear from a guy that left your program. Andrew Graham: but yeah, like they they're just like I'm pretty sure Chris Solari was levitating when Joe Rossi was talking about his days at Allegheny, but Connor Earegood: yeah. Andrew Graham: but yeah, like and well I think there's like there's kind of a lesson in here about like you know, without getting into some like think piece about like the state of f football development or whatever. But how like it's kind of like the especially I think this might be more of a transfer portal thing where it's so hard to bring together guys and like ha have the kind of feel and communication and cohesiveness like on a defense or an offensive line or something where you've got new players every year. That like stuff like option football where it's kind of built on creating conflicts and reading defenders and getting guys to cut you know, just just detach a guy from a zone so you can run a route behind him or or run around him or something. Like so much of that stuff kinda becomes more potent. Like it's like the football cyclical thing and and you know, they they get heavy so we get quick and now they're light to match our quickness so we get heavy, you know, all that kind of stuff. But it's just kind of very fascinating. And Chip Kelly has kind of always, always, always been on the leading edge of it, even in his NFL days and shout out to I'll always shout out New Hampshire football where my great grandfather was a player coach way back in the day. So Connor Earegood: Who who took a club to Fitzgerald's first year team and and Andrew Graham: yeah. Connor Earegood: when David Ball set the touchdown record that Cooper Cup broke for at what's FCS now? Like Fitzgerald brought that up as the the scene from Tommy Boy where Chris Farley's at the diner and he says, It's my face hurts, not so much here or here, but right here Andrew Graham: Here, here, but right yeah. Connor Earegood: And and it's it's you look at the box score and it's ugly. It's it's ugly Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: for sure. And that's like when you have familiarity with a guy like Chip Kelly and like David Brown too is like a good coach and is like turned the ship around at Northwestern Andrew Graham: Great coach. Yeah. Connor Earegood: in a time when you didn't expect him to. Andrew Graham: My my preseason optimism for Northwestern after watching them paste Central Michigan at the bowl game is just so vindic vindicated. Connor Earegood: Well and it's like and they've gone to two bowl games and things and like Fitzgerald co signed and he's like he's doing a great job. I mean that's a guy he hired as his D C and then all of a sudden I'm the coach. Like and it's it's Yeah. Andrew Graham: I was gonna say Fi Fat Fitz Joel is the reason David Braun is at Northwestern is kinda the funny bit. Connor Earegood: And that's like and so there's nothing but respect between all the parties involved, but you have to think deep in the heart of hearts that everyone wants to go win this game. Because if you're Brown and and and Northwestern, you wanna prove that you aren't a fifth show and you can still beat the old man. Like that, you know, it it gives you a a a a Andrew Graham: Also if you're Connor Earegood: leg up, right? Andrew Graham: if you're Northwestern you're also like potentially playing for like a shot to go to the Big Ten title game if you keep winning here. Like that's the the Connor Earegood: That too? That too? Andrew Graham: like as c crazy as that sounds, like if they keep winning, like Connor Earegood: I mean it's four and one, one and one, they looked good against Indiana and the schedule is favorable. Andrew Graham: They they lost to Indiana, who may or may not beat Ohio State this weekend. We shall see. but yeah, like it's just it's a very like narrative loaded game, but I think also just the more practical bit is like this Northwestern offense against a heavily injured defense spells blong day for MSU, I think is also the practical point here. Childs is like fifteen touchdowns and like I don't think he's turned it over this year, so Connor Earegood: Yeah. Hey he's he's he's turned it over Andrew Graham: He's playing well. Connor Earegood: a safety that was a bad snap and then a bobbled handoff, two fumbles. But they're not bad turnovers. okay. But again again, you take that any day from your quarterback. Those are not even on him. That is again, that's Chip Kelly like teasing Dan Casey. Andrew Graham: that's right. I forgot about the safety. so he w he wasn't credited with that fumble, apparently. I think they gave that one to the running back. But like, fair enough, like that's he's part of it. yeah. Like Yeah. No interceptions, that's the big part. Yeah, like that's the the no interceptions is the really big part for him. And like he's sack avoidance is still a little bit of the problem, as MSU fans well know. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: but you'll take you'll probably take that with all the good this year if you're Northwestern. shall we shall we pick games? Well, should we re Well Connor Earegood: I think I think we pick games after many technical difficulties and a winding journey that involved references to Dan Casey's C L S prescription sponsored by Chip Kelly and Pfizer, so Andrew Graham: That's ups that's that's absurd. so first I'll reveal the records that I I know that's me telling this audit that I'm ahead. But I am ahead. I I am a thirty four at eleven and Connor is thirty one and fourteen. The difference all occurred in the first two weeks where I went thirteen and one just on a you know, Steph Curry seeing seeing God level sort of start to the season and Connor went ten and four, and since then we've both been twenty-one and ten the last four weeks. So here's to seeing if one of us can't get ourselves figured out and beat the other over the stretch. So I guess we'll start. MSU Northwestern, I'll kick us off if we can alternate who goes first. give me Northwestern. I just think they're kind of Hitting offensive machine not gonna be affected by anything other than a really good defense kind of level of things. MSU does not have a really good defense for any number of reasons. Bob's your uncle, give me Northwestern in a pretty comfortable win. Connor Earegood: I I'm gonna say Northwestern too comfortably. I there's just I don't think MSU's defence without its best players can can hang. I think it's gonna be Andrew Graham: It's as crappy as it is, it's pretty simple in that one. Central Michigan hosts Western Michigan, I almost said at as not the case. It will be in Mount Pleasant. God forbid I accidentally wake up and drive to Kalamazoo on Saturday morning. That would be miserable. Connor, who do you got winning the victory cannon? Connor Earegood: Western Michigan. But I think it could be close. I think Central might cover. Andrew Graham: I have no idea what the line's. I think it's like a touchdown. Connor Earegood: I wanna say it's ten. Andrew Graham: Really. Connor Earegood: think let me let me Google. Behind the scenes. Andrew Graham: The Google AI overview is gonna the line is the fifty yard line in the middle of the field. No I th Okay, so I was kinda yeah. Connor Earegood: sorry, six and a half. I think Central can cover. I I think this could be a field goal game. It depends on if the run game is able to to maybe make some some you know make some mistakes Andrew Graham: Go for central yeah. Yeah. Connor Earegood: on Western's part, but Andrew Graham: I think I'm gonna 'Cause last year was I would have been pretty confident taking Western, just 'cause like, you know, first year central Western's on a heater, da da da. I though the it being in Mount Pleasant on a Saturday, I'm just so I'm gonna take Western. I think it's gonna be really close. And please no one in Mount Pleasant treat as bulletin board material. I don't feel good about this at all. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: Let's let's let's leave it at that. But Western in a very close one. Eastern Michigan posts Toledo. I believe that's at three thirty. If we hadn't said already. I'm gonna take Toledo. I think Eastern's kind of flirted with a a Mac loss. Last week I think they're good. I think Toledo's also good. I don't think I like the again this could be back and forth and Eastern pulls it out of the fire. but I just I I like Toledo's kind of ability to just keep Keep punching and just keep scoring. Connor Earegood: I'm gonna go hometown team. I'm gonna go Eastern. I I I I I liked what I saw in the way Eastern in a comparative c opponent in Michigan State, I liked Eastern's result better. Even though they lost by more and didn't lead in the fourth quarter, like you saw where it could click and you saw where they could get something going. Andrew Graham: Yeah. Yeah they need to get a little healthy for this weekend too, which would help out big time, but that's also maybe a little concerning for me. Michigan Penn State Connor Is it the refs the refs win? Connor Earegood: I don't wanna pick it. I'll say Michigan. I'll I'll say I'll say I'll s I'll say Michigan's defense figured it out. I won't say Bryce figured it out. I'll say the defense goes back to playing very well and that makes it a challenge for Penn State. Andrew Graham: I think up with ya. I think up with Michigan as I yawn and talk through the pick because the game might not be terribly great to watch. Connor Earegood: We'll be yawning a lot on Saturday. Like No. Andrew Graham: yeah, I I just think like the best unit in this game is Michigan's defense and if they just can deliver without like 'cause Mi Michigan's defence was about to win them that game versus Minnesota until Bryce in the offense just melted down in the second half. So if you could just even play normally bad on offense, you'll probably be able to beat this Penn State team with that defense. So give me Michigan in a game I don't think anyone feels good about. To to the national slate. We got this is like a great week of like some some decent high level games. I left a couple other like pretty good ones off because of necessity. shout out Miami Florida State. That's not a good one, but a great rivalry. Notre Dame at BYU. I'm The fan banter for this one's been very fun because it's been very like Hey you religious fan base. We're a religious fan base. We hate you this week. And it's just like gone from there. It's been very amusing. Yeah. Like Connor Earegood: Yeah. I hope both sides of your pillow were warm. Like Andrew Graham: like just all sorts of good stuff. so I'd I think I'm I'm just gonna go with Notre Dame and just not overcomplicated here. Like I think Notre Dame is one of the six or five best teams in the country and BY is pretty good, but not that good. Connor Earegood: For the sake I also agree with you, but for the sake of contrarianism, I'm gonna pick BYU because Bear Bachmeyer is a guy who can just go off. And like I I I think Andrew Graham: At BYU too. Connor Earegood: at BYU, like I think there's wrinkles that could make this a BYU win. So I'm gonna take it as gamesmanship to try to be and catch up on the three losses I'm behind. But I I I I do think Notre Dame's probably at the edge, but I'll I'll be contrarian. Andrew Graham: I'm gonna absolutely screw up the next one here probably to to make you feel better. So it's Missouri at Old Miss. who you got here, Connor? It's the it's the Austin Simmons revenge game, to be clear. Connor Earegood: I got olmiss. Mizoo always finds a way to put its its cleats in its mouth. That's like the EY EY EY Trinkwitz special is like how do I bungle a really like good team and momentum? This is the game he bungles it. Andrew Graham: Yeah, that would be right. I think I'm going with Missouri. That old Miss defense Connor Earegood: Ooh. Andrew Graham: is that Ole Miss defense is bad, man. Like it's Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: not good. And Austin Simmons is hooping these days. so I Missouri will do it later in the season. They'll figure Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: out the way to screw this up two weeks from now. Right now they're getting it done. And more so knocking all and knocking knocking Ole Miss out of the discussion is more where we're at this weekend. Drew Locke, young jeezy aficionado. Connor Earegood: Shout out Drew Locke. Name a dude. Andrew Graham: Straight back to the dealership. Alright. Lastly, Ohio State and Indiana. the the game of the season, the game we've all been waiting for, according to Fox's own promotion of the game that Fox is showing on noon. I don't know if that is actually the case, but they have been really Connor Earegood: Is Shabuzi gonna be there? Andrew Graham: I I don't know. I don't care. I know I know you are. I know you are. You saw Connor Earegood: I'm making fun of the McAfee slop that has become all college sports coverage and now a twenty fourteen playoff which we'll talk or in the off season, but Andrew Graham: Did you see the the Mike Foss interview where he was like, I think Pat McAfee is really a journalist at heart and I just took the the the s the still from the I don't know if you know the game LA Noir or whatever, like the the GTA you're like an L LA murder police game and it's just a screenshot of the guy and it's just X and his doubt. I was just like Connor Earegood: yeah. Andrew Graham: Yeah, it's like I don't know if Pat McAfee's a journalist at heart. Connor Earegood: Yeah, or or forcing his coworkers to say his album was good. Andrew Graham: Hey, have you listened to it? Can you judge it fairly, Connor? Connor Earegood: I I I dis I stiff arm it, dude. I'm not listening to the Pat McAfee album. I don't need to listen to the Pat McFee album to know it's trash. Like Andrew Graham: I don't need yeah, I don't need to listen to the Pat McAfee album in the same way I don't need to watch friends jump off of bridges. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: but Ohio State and Indiana here to pick a football game. who you got? Connor Earegood: I'm gonna pick Ohio State. I I I think year over year you see more consistency and with Hoover, like, this is not the Indiana team that won an addy. There are some clear weaknesses and flaws and some kind of injury luck too that hasn't been super great, if I'm remembering correctly. So I I'm gonna go Ohio State and I I think too the way last season ended right in the title game and and what Ohio like there's bulletin board there and if there's anyone that can channel bulletin board the right way I know the Michigan rivalry losses hurt, but like Ryan Day is really good at getting his team off the mat. And I think he showed that in twenty four. So I give give me Ohio State. Andrew Graham: Well, and I think there'll be like less sort of just like psychological weirdness of trying to like unpack how you screwed it up against Indiana in the Big Ten title game. Like you could be a lot more cold and analytical and kind of Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: not get into your head about what went wrong there. Cause really what went wrong, and I think what Indiana's path kind of still is, is you pressure Julian Sane, you make him uncomfortable, he makes some mistakes, he misses some throws. I think Indiana might be able to do that a little bit, but I think the bigger other difference for me this year Is no D'Angelo Pons, who last year against Jeremiah Smith was like almost the thesis argument to my theory about when you're when you're covering one of those like freak of nature receivers who frankly you're not gonna like fully stop to begin with, like Justin Jefferson, Jeremiah Smith, Jamar Chase, like you're almost better off with like the five-nine like fire plug just get into that guy corner who will be sticky always at the spot and always competitive at the catch point. We're like they're gonna give it up, but like they're gonna be way better equipped to hang with this guy and not just give up the my god we got killed by that guy game. and to that point I think this might be a my god we got killed by that guy Jeremiah Smith's performance because that's what he's doing to literally everybody faces Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: this year, so I got Ohio State, in my very roundabout way of saying it there. Like I again, like we're actually like the fact that we could credibly talk about receivers, like he should maybe be the number one pick in the draft tells you pretty much all you need to know about how good the guy is. Like he it's it's amazing. Like he's like I couldn't we could do a I could literally if you just gave me an hour uninterrupted, I could start right now with no prep and just talk about the guy and how crazy he is. So I will not do that. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: but yeah, so be a big exciting weekend. I'm excited to see a Saturday Saturday victory canon day in Mount Pleasant. This not happened for a while and I've never been to one in Mount Pleasant so be a baptism for my own self. Connor Earegood: go. It'll be a good Andrew Graham: yeah. Connor Earegood: weekend, even if the weather's gonna be dreary, even if mid-Michigan is is it? Andrew Graham: It's supposed be nice. It's supposed to be nice in Mount Pleasant. Yeah, it's supposed to be clear there. Connor Earegood: I'm pretty sure lower mid-Michigan once you get into Ingham County all of a sudden the clouds rolled in. We're on moving soon, Andrew Graham: It's all the all the windmills Connor Earegood: so I can say that. Andrew Graham: all the windmills in on one twenty seven are blowing the clouds south. It's weather control, it's not power generation. St start a conspiracy theory at the end of the pod here. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: but that's pretty much all we got for this week on a tech abbreviated, restarted fun little time where we talked about everything from Connor Earegood: Play Maxfinity. Andrew Graham: from Dan Casey's Cialis to all sorts of other unhinged things and Tom is Tom isn't once you in the seat Saturday Spartan, so we better see you there, or Tom will be disappointed. Connor? Connor Earegood: Couldn't said it better myself. Shout out Dan Casey, who's the man and has the best Twitter possibly ever. Yeah. If you're a ball lover, yeah. Andrew Graham: He is. He really is. You should you should follow him if you want to like learn more about football. Yeah, you'll know more about football following him. All right, everybody. Thank you for listening. This has been another episode of In the Pocket on behalf of Connor Yeargood. I am Andrew Graham. And thank you for listening.