Latest / The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon / Scott Dochterman talks Hawkeyes & the College Football Playoff, NFL WIld Card predictions & Mr. Monday Night presented by Circa Sports

Transcript

Scott Dochterman talks Hawkeyes & the College Football Playoff, NFL WIld Card predictions & Mr. Monday Night presented by Circa Sports · The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon

• 0:07
  I'm Mary Condon. Welcome back to the Iowa Sports
• 0:09
  Radio Network. Wherever you are listening in
• 0:12
  the state of Iowa or anywhere on the iheart app, we're grateful
• 0:15
  that you are Trenton. I've got an hour to go.
• 0:18
  Mr. Monday Night got another appearance.
• 0:20
  He's coming up. Of course, we'll take a look at
• 0:22
  the FCS finale tonight in Nashville.
• 0:26
  That's coming up here with Trent and Mr. Monday Night at 1:50.
• 0:29
  Right now, let's get our friend Scott Dockerman.
• 0:31
  He was in Pasadena for New Year's Day.
• 0:34
  Lucky duck, although he needed to be a duck, didn't you, Doc,
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  with that weather? But nonetheless, quite a great
• 0:40
  place to spend the first day of the new year.
• 0:43
  Good to talk to you, Doc. How are you?
• 0:45
  You know, I'm doing good guys. How about yourselves?
• 0:48
  Doing just fine. Wish there was more college
• 0:50
  football. We've got what, three games
• 0:51
  left? But all good things have to come
• 0:54
  to an end. Then let's start with with your,
• 0:57
  with your New Year's Day and the fact that you were able to cover
• 1:01
  the Rose Bowl and watch Indiana do what they did, man this.
• 1:04
  And, and then you see, you know, the, the this past weekend with
• 1:07
  Signetti, just some of the guys that he's been able to commit to
• 1:10
  his program. Doc, I know you, I'm sure you've
• 1:13
  got been asked to find a comparison to what Indiana
• 1:17
  football is doing and what they've become and how quickly
• 1:20
  it has turned. I don't know if there is
• 1:22
  anything that comes close to this.
• 1:24
  Have you been able to pinpoint anything?
• 1:27
  No, in fact, I, I think a few people that reached out, whether
• 1:31
  it's on social media or what have you to, to complain that,
• 1:35
  you know, if Indiana can do it, so why can't we?
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  And it doesn't even matter the team.
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  And I said, you know, this is biblical.
• 1:41
  This is, you know, miraculous loaves and fishes here.
• 1:45
  I mean, you're, you're, you're talking about the, you know, up
• 1:47
  until November, this was the losingest program in NCAA
• 1:52
  history. And but you combine, you know,
• 1:55
  the confluence of so many different elements into play.
• 1:58
  First you got to start with a great coach, and he certainly
• 2:01
  is, and with a great system, too.
• 2:03
  We had a great foundation of players and James Madison.
• 2:06
  And you kind of wonder how good James Madison would have been
• 2:08
  this year if they still had all those players.
• 2:11
  And then the ability to go out and recruit and retain and, and
• 2:16
  pay your players to keep them in place and, and build a winner
• 2:21
  and then supplement it with players like Fernando Mendoza
• 2:24
  and then some of the others. And you've got yourself the guts
• 2:28
  of a really good team. And, and I think this year just
• 2:32
  to watch the way they played, I mean, they're the best team in
• 2:34
  the country right now. And I mean, they may lose a
• 2:37
  game. It's possible.
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  But at this point, I mean, they they played the best football
• 2:42
  out of any team in the country. And it's just really hard to
• 2:45
  wrap your mind around if you've watched Indiana for, I don't
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  know, their whole existence until the last two years.
• 2:51
  You are O and three now and seeing good games when you've
• 2:54
  been out there covering the Rose Bowl.
• 2:56
  We know the Rose Bowl committee has a lot of sway.
• 2:58
  They're going to kick you out of there.
• 3:01
  They should or or. Or maybe maybe it's, you know,
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  and nobody wants to hear about my travel woes, but maybe it's,
• 3:07
  if you Get Me Out there without at least an 8 hour delay like
• 3:11
  the other three, Like the other three trips, maybe I'll bring
• 3:16
  better luck. But now it's it's it was pretty
• 3:19
  interesting to see the dominance on the field.
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  I mean, if you were to switch the helmets and rewound time,
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  you would have expected that to be in Alabama beating the
• 3:28
  daylights out of Indiana and not the other way around.
• 3:31
  Speaking of the Rose Bowl, so we go through and the Rose Bowl
• 3:34
  still wants to have their window on January 1st and we anticipate
• 3:38
  a change in what this bracket looks like going forward.
• 3:41
  A big component though, people talking about these TUM teams
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  coming off the long by the long layoff that they've had and how
• 3:47
  much that they have struggled. Now that's the case for Indiana
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  as you saw, but a lot of other teams have been.
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  Is this going to maybe even accelerate a little bit more the
• 3:55
  push to getting to 14 or even 16 teams in the bracket because
• 3:59
  that layoff is so long? Or is it more likely we see a
• 4:02
  change in the way and the times that these games are played in
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  the calendar? What's more likely to happen for
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  16 teams or a change in the calendar?
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  I think both, I think it goes to 16, you know, within the next
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  two to three weeks. I mean, they have to decide
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  January 23rd what they're going to do and it and it's up to and
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  that's for this upcoming year. Everybody wants to go to 16.
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  It's just a matter of how do you put the pieces in place?
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  Is it going to be 15 and or five and 11, which is what most
• 4:31
  people want, you know, through a selection based committee or you
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  know, Petiti's plan seems dead right now, which has a lot of
• 4:38
  auto bids, but but everybody wants to go to 16.
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  So I would expect that to be the case.
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  But I think they also have to revisit the, the calendar and,
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  and I actually have a column going out on that good in the
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  next couple days that I, I think you've got to probably wipe out
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  championship weekend. You got to start the playoffs
• 4:56
  that weekend and try to get this thing done by the 1st week of
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  January. You know, where you do, you have
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  like your semifinals maybe on January 1st and then you have
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  your championship, you know, 810 days later.
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  Because as we're seeing right now with the portal, it's just,
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  I mean, you're, you're devoting a lot of time if you're Kurt
• 5:18
  Signetti or Dan Lanning or or Pete Goulding, you know, and Ole
• 5:22
  Miss trying to do a bunch of that stuff along with Lane
• 5:24
  Kiffin issues. You're just splitting your time.
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  And it's really not fair to yourself, your team, your
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  program or the players themselves.
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  Because I'm sure there's several for both, for all four of these
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  teams that are thinking about their options.
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  But they also don't want to miss out on the opportunity to win a
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  national championship. So they they've got to hike this
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  schedule back up. And I would expect it to still
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  go to 16 teams very shortly. Obviously if if indeed we do
• 5:52
  wrap up early, they they would have to move off Monday in all
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  likelihood for the championship game because it's because the
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  NFL is scheduled their opening week wild card to wrap up on
• 6:01
  that Monday. Are they married to that Monday
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  or they'd have to be flexible? Obviously, you're not going to
• 6:06
  go up against the NFL. Yeah, you got to avoid the NFL
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  if you can and and, and I don't know that you have to go on
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  Monday. Sometimes it's a I I found that
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  Monday is, is kind of been a tough day for college football
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  when it comes to the championship, because
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  everybody's talking NFL and that's that's going back to the
• 6:24
  four year 4 team era where they would play, you know, the last
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  weekend or even the wild card weekend and everybody would kind
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  of forget about college football in that time frame.
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  But I think in in this situation and, and kind of what my
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  proposal at Hunt writing is, you remember the Champions week
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  discussion in 2020 where you'd have kind of this crossover week
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  between the divisions. Well, obviously there are no
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  divisions now, but instead make the last the week of
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  Thanksgiving, make that war of a just a match up week in the big
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  10 or you know, other leagues to do the same thing.
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  And you know, so you can have one versus 2, but then you can
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  have other matchups that make sense and can kind of bolster
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  some teams opportunities to maybe make the the playoff as it
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  at large and and then start your playoffs the next week.
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  Whether you you know, you then there's potential for it to even
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  grow beyond 16 at some point and maybe even soon.
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  So, But but either way, I think you got to get it wrapped up
• 7:26
  where the semifinals at a minimum are January 1st.
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  And and then, you know, figure out a day of the week to
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  broadcast yourself because you don't want to go against the
• 7:35
  NFL, as you said. Is there a way to take Petiti's
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  idea of the 2014 bracket, not make it an actual 2014 bracket,
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  but still have those play in games?
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  6th place team from the Big 10 against the third, something
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  like that, and then play into a 16 team bracket.
• 7:50
  Is there something where you can kind of marry the two what the
• 7:52
  SEC wants with the Big 10 wants? Or are we just talking about two
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  behemoths butting their heads together and nobody is going to
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  come to some kind of conclusion that would work?
• 8:01
  Yeah. And, and what I kind of this is
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  part of my proposal too, is that the first week of December would
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  be called a wild card round and you'd still have your twelve
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  playoff teams that you have currently.
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  But then you would take the next 8 and they would play 4 games on
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  your wild Card weekend and then those four winners would then go
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  into the the tournament and then you'd start your 16 team
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  tournament the second week of December.
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  And and I think if you could do that, you know, you might be
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  able to take to incorporate more auto auto bids, maybe say 4433,
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  something like that, you know, and then you'd have plenty of
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  room for at larges, but you'd also have some directives
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  because I think when you're looking at these big conferences
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  and the odd scheduling, it's hard sometimes to know who's
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  really good. I mean, you know, take the
• 8:54
  difference between the Michigan and Iowa this year.
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  Iowa was a better team. Michigan had an easier schedule.
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  And if you know, and if so, Michigan's been ranked higher
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  because it's had a better record, but Michigan's not
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  better than Iowa. And and yet if Iowa play
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  Michigan schedule, it would have a much better record.
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  Well, you don't know that unless you play, but if you're to have
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  them play head to head, you know, the last weekend of of
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  November, then you might, you know the winner will have a
• 9:20
  stronger case to be an at large team in the in the tournament.
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  So you know, I'm throwing this idea out there.
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  Who knows if anyone will like it or everybody will hate it, but
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  right now they do need some options.
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  I totally agree with you one one more on this because I'm
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  fascinated by it that that wild card.
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  So the loser, would they then be eligible for the for the other
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  bowls? Because we you've seen the
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  numbers, Doc. I mean, we think that they're
• 9:45
  dying, but yet people are tuning in a you can bet on them in a
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  lot of States and that goes a long, long way.
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  Let's be let's be clear about that.
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  But would the losers be eliminated with their season
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  come to an end? Or is the door still open for
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  them to, you know, to get to the Liberty Bowl or to whatever
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  field? Absolutely.
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  And I do have that as part of it too, that if the the wild card
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  round is say December 5th and 6th, like based on this year's
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  schedule and you have four teams losing, then those teams will be
• 10:13
  eligible if they choose right, to play in a bowl.
• 10:17
  And now they can opt out and all as well.
• 10:19
  Like let's say if Michigan played Utah and Utah wins,
• 10:24
  Michigan could say, yeah, we're not going to go to a bowl game
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  because we got a coaching change and everything like that.
• 10:29
  And obviously with Utah that that's an example that could be
• 10:32
  really strange in retrospect. But I think this, but you know,
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  you're going to have a team that decides to opt out.
• 10:38
  Or you can say if you're Virginia and you play or Georgia
• 10:42
  Tech and you play on that weekend and you lose your that
• 10:44
  game, you can say, you know what, we want to go play in the
• 10:47
  Citrus Bowl, Gator Bowl or whatever too.
• 10:50
  And I think that they should be open to that.
• 10:52
  So absolutely, I think, you know, because as you said,
• 10:55
  people want to want to whatever on the bowls right now.
• 10:59
  But when they're generating 8 million viewers for the Pop
• 11:03
  Tarts, and I'll be sure the Lion Quest poll has some pretty good
• 11:06
  numbers too. You know, people like college
• 11:10
  football use games. So who cares if if it doesn't
• 11:14
  really mean anything? It means something to the people
• 11:16
  playing and the people watching. Dock, it's not a full time role
• 11:20
  for you anymore on the Hawkeye beat, but obviously you were
• 11:22
  there often throughout the course of the season as we put a
• 11:25
  cap on the win against Vanderbilt, a successful nine
• 11:27
  and four season and a lot of woulda shoulda could have with
• 11:30
  this squad. How are you going to remember
• 11:32
  the 2025 Iowa football team? I remember, I think you got to
• 11:37
  remember it fondly at this point, You know, it's nine and
• 11:40
  four, which is I think gives it kind of like AB plus feel to it.
• 11:45
  It's like, you know, they they to me, they should be a ranked
• 11:48
  around 15, but they won't be because the AT voters really
• 11:52
  missed the the boat on this one. But you know, I I think they've
• 11:56
  been a very, very good team and they deserve some praise.
• 11:59
  They they lost a lot of close games as you know, that are
• 12:01
  heartbreakers, but but then they never really gave in or gave up
• 12:05
  or, you know, and, and you look back at, you know, the wins that
• 12:09
  they've had recently. I mean, you know, Vanderbilt was
• 12:12
  a team that, you know, was highly ranked at 14th and a lot
• 12:15
  of people thought that they should be in the playoffs and
• 12:17
  they had the Heisman runner up. And yet they they really
• 12:20
  dictated the tempo of that game. I mean, outside of, you know,
• 12:23
  colossal mistake at the goal line and, and allowing a 75 yard
• 12:27
  touchdown pass. I mean, that was really Iowa
• 12:30
  dictating it. And I think you look at Mark
• 12:32
  Gronowski and to me, his career arc is real comparable to what
• 12:36
  we saw from Lucy Olson, which was struggled for a little
• 12:40
  while, came in hi, everybody expected a lot from her and from
• 12:44
  him. Didn't really fulfill it early,
• 12:47
  but then gradually got really good and elevated this program
• 12:51
  to a place where I think it it's a much better footing because of
• 12:55
  Mark Gronowski and Tim Lester. So, you know, it, it wasn't a
• 12:58
  perfect season. There's some close losses, but
• 13:01
  you know, two of those closest losses, those two teams are
• 13:03
  playing in the semifinals this week.
• 13:05
  And I, I know from talking to Indiana, Indiana fans for sure,
• 13:10
  but the players unprompted, they bring up that game as one of the
• 13:14
  most important moments of their season that they felt like, OK,
• 13:18
  we beat Iowa on the road. We feel pretty good about
• 13:21
  ourselves and and it just shows you the amount of respect that
• 13:24
  everybody's has for Iowa. And I think, you know, the fans
• 13:27
  could be a little bit disappointed that you didn't go
• 13:30
  the distance, but I think they should be happy and proud of the
• 13:33
  way they competed because I thought it was a really good
• 13:34
  year. I'm.
• 13:35
  With you more that passed through the rain on that
• 13:37
  Saturday night, just 1000%, right?
• 13:40
  Well, we've got two games, DACA this week, Thursday, Friday, one
• 13:44
  in Arizona, the other one back to Georgia.
• 13:47
  They go Big 10 versus Big 10 and ACC versus Ole Miss, which is
• 13:52
  quite a story in and of itself that this team is still alive.
• 13:57
  I I guess Indiana's of the the right favorite if I had to look
• 14:01
  at these four teams. Just your thoughts on the four
• 14:04
  remaining squads. Indiana's the most complete team
• 14:08
  of the bunch. And I I think when you look at
• 14:11
  talent wise, Oregon and Miami match up fairly well with
• 14:15
  Indiana, But Oregon just does some things that bug me.
• 14:19
  I mean, you know, the constant going for it.
• 14:22
  I mean, it's kind of like Dan Campbell, Dan Landings in the
• 14:24
  same ballpark. And you're just like, just take
• 14:26
  your points. You gotta win right score.
• 14:29
  And instead of being overly aggressive and doing some things
• 14:32
  that just kind of to me, I'm like, that's counterproductive.
• 14:36
  And and even though Oregon has the pieces and to, to hang with
• 14:40
  Indiana, Indiana bludgeoned Alabama upfront.
• 14:44
  They're really good. And every single facet, if they
• 14:46
  wanna, if you wanna play slam ball, they'll play slam ball.
• 14:48
  If you wanna, if you wanna, you know, have a, a shootout, they
• 14:52
  can win that way too. And so I, I really like them
• 14:55
  and, and Miami surprised me with the way they played at Ohio
• 14:59
  State, not just because they won, but because they were just
• 15:02
  way more physical than Ohio State.
• 15:04
  I thought Ohio State just came out flat and really it was
• 15:09
  really disappointing performance for them.
• 15:10
  But Miami has the talent. You know, you just kind of
• 15:13
  wonder, you know, can Mario Cristobal kind of, you know, get
• 15:16
  past the defeating of this himself stage this and an Ole
• 15:20
  Miss and that? That's such a tough situation.
• 15:23
  I mean, you know, for Lane Kiffin to leave and then his his
• 15:27
  assistants that he left behind that are coming with him and but
• 15:31
  they're having to endure right now.
• 15:32
  I don't I don't know that that ends well.
• 15:35
  And it's really unfortunate for the Ole Miss fans who this is a
• 15:37
  dream season and they're stuck right now because they can't
• 15:41
  really enjoy it. And I think that's real.
• 15:43
  That's really sad. That's something that has to
• 15:45
  change in the sport. College football, one thing that
• 15:48
  hadn't changed for a long time. It was about the big boys and
• 15:50
  that was it. There are only a certain number
• 15:52
  of teams that could win a national championship.
• 15:54
  Well, we have. Ole Miss hasn't been there since
• 15:56
  the 1950s. They went out, spent a ton of
• 15:58
  money in order to get to this spot.
• 16:00
  Miami's always spent money, just unfortunately poorly for them
• 16:02
  many of those 23 years. Indiana, we know the investment
• 16:05
  that they have made. Oregon, same thing over the last
• 16:07
  30 years out of that program. Are we seeing a changing of the
• 16:10
  guard? Is this something to believe
• 16:12
  that suddenly there is a much wider swath of teams that can
• 16:16
  win a national championship of college football?
• 16:19
  Well, yeah, I think the proof is is correct, Yeah.
• 16:21
  And and that's if anything, that that's what makes this era much
• 16:25
  better holistically, is that more teams have opportunities to
• 16:30
  win at all. You look at Texas Tech, if Texas
• 16:33
  Tech had a little bit better offense, you know, maybe it
• 16:35
  would have been able to, to get to this point in the season.
• 16:38
  I think when and if you have, if you're lucky and you stay
• 16:42
  healthy. I mean, I look at Iowa State
• 16:44
  this year and if the the secondary was healthy, I think
• 16:47
  they had a chance to get, you know, pretty deep into the
• 16:49
  tournament. And Iowa as we know is 4415
• 16:54
  points away in four games from from going there.
• 16:56
  And I think that that does add to it because it spreads the
• 16:59
  wealth if you don't have Alabama and Ohio State holding on and
• 17:04
  hoarding all of these 4 high four and five stars over the
• 17:09
  years. And because they want to play
• 17:10
  right away and they want to get paid right away.
• 17:13
  And now you've got opportunities for them to play all over the
• 17:15
  place. And I think that really shows
• 17:17
  you something because, I mean, again, what if Kurt Signetti
• 17:20
  would have stayed at James Madison with, I mean, this team
• 17:23
  made the playoff? And then you throw on all the
• 17:27
  players that are in the Indiana that were there.
• 17:29
  I mean, they can be a real dangerous team.
• 17:30
  I mean, I wouldn't even be surprised if they would have
• 17:32
  made it to this part point this season.
• 17:34
  Yeah. No doubt, Scott, Dr. and Doctor
• 17:36
  look forward to that piece coming out as we do your work.
• 17:39
  I always put a lot of thought into stuff the Athletic.
• 17:41
  If you're not a subscriber, you should be.
• 17:43
  And I speak from experiences. Trent and I were on board the
• 17:45
  athletic subscription train when you guys first launched prior to
• 17:49
  you, Scott Doctorman. Doc, thanks for doing this.
• 17:51
  Appreciate it. And if your schedule allows,
• 17:53
  we'll run you down next Monday. Thank you doc.
• 17:56
  Thanks so much, have a good one. Yeah, good to talk to you.
• 17:58
  Scott Dockerman as we check in on college football recap Iowa
• 18:01
  from his perspective, if we would have should have right
• 18:04
  that that Oregon game. I I thought Hawks were going to
• 18:07
  get their moment down the field. They go take the lead.
• 18:13
  But I think B plus is fair. Yeah, I think it's fair.
• 18:16
  Nine and four. Good year.
• 18:18
  It's a good year. They only had three, nine win
• 18:21
  seasons in Kirk Farrance's tenure, which seems.
• 18:23
  Weird. It does, yes.
• 18:24
  They're either. Yeah, a little.
• 18:26
  Bit below that, but it feels like there's been so many Night
• 18:28
  One seasons, but it's actually been a rarity that they finished
• 18:31
  with that mark. I would not have got that trivia
• 18:33
  question right. We'll take a time out, come
• 18:36
  back, get into more of the NFL. 14 teams remain.
• 18:40
  We'll do that. Miller and Condon, we're glad
• 18:43
  you're with us. We're talking sports and we'll
• 18:45
  do so right up until 2O clock. At that time, we'll turn things
• 18:48
  over off the bench. Lucas Strange, Sean Roberts,
• 18:51
  they take you until 5 overtime. Iowa at that point and tonight
• 18:55
  at 6:30, Iowa State coaches show.
• 18:57
  Iowa State coaches show tonight at 6:30 on KXO.
• 19:00
  Miller and Condon back after these.
• 19:04
  Mary Connor is just about 1:30 on a Monday.
• 19:06
  We're glad you're with us, talking sports with you right up
• 19:09
  until well just before 2:00 off the bench.
• 19:11
  Coming up at that time, Adam Eminecker.
• 19:14
  Tomorrow we begin our weekly look at the Missouri Valley
• 19:17
  Basketball Conference. Adam Eminecker, former player of
• 19:20
  the year in the Valley, will join us each, well, most
• 19:22
  Tuesdays got a couple of conflicts, but for the most
• 19:25
  part, Tuesdays at 12:40, we'll obviously spend most of our time
• 19:29
  talking Drake and you and I with Mr. Eminecker. 1240 Tuesdays
• 19:33
  don't cope Pizza Ankeny and the original location on the Forest
• 19:37
  Ave. for Doco Trump before we get into the NFL.
• 19:41
  Since we spent some time with Doc, I don't think that on
• 19:44
  Friday you and I are especially you.
• 19:47
  I picked your brain on these two semifinal games from a betting
• 19:50
  perspective. Miami's bought a field goal
• 19:53
  favorite. Likewise Indiana a three 3 1/2
• 19:56
  point favorite. Do you mean does it seem like
• 19:58
  it's Indiana and the other three to you or do you give Oregon a
• 20:01
  chance? I give them a chance, but it
• 20:03
  does feel like the gap is pretty significant.
• 20:05
  Look, it's a football game. Oregon's a really talented team
• 20:07
  and what they can do upfront I think definitely is going to be
• 20:11
  there. Plus playing them up rematches,
• 20:12
  we've seen that in the past. We're getting that second look
• 20:15
  against a team knowing what Indiana's going to be.
• 20:17
  And remember that Indiana team at the time, We still all right?
• 20:20
  They're good. Yeah.
• 20:21
  But can they do this again? It was one thing to do it a year
• 20:24
  ago. We'll see.
• 20:26
  Obviously, they can as they sit now at 14 and O.
• 20:28
  But Oregon has the guys in the trenches.
• 20:31
  They're getting healthier on the outside.
• 20:34
  I think they have the dudes that can.
• 20:35
  I won't be fawed in my chair shocked if Oregon wins this
• 20:38
  game. I have no feel at all in the
• 20:41
  Miami Ole Miss game. I cannot get my mind around how
• 20:46
  I think this game is going to play out one way or the other.
• 20:48
  Is Beck the worst of the four quarterbacks remaining?
• 20:51
  Oh yeah, I think so too. What's?
• 20:53
  It's not even close. We talk about a gap.
• 20:55
  Yeah, and for that reason, I kind of and what I saw Lacey do
• 20:59
  in the football game and obviously Chambliss, the place
• 21:02
  that he made. And I didn't know how healthy
• 21:03
  Lacey was. He wasn't healthy going into the
• 21:05
  Georgia game, and that's why I didn't like Ole Miss much going
• 21:08
  into that one, or at least didn't give him a shot to win,
• 21:11
  right? Yeah, they can hang around,
• 21:12
  right, to win that game. If Lacey's at any point, you
• 21:16
  know, not the guy that certainly we've seen throughout the course
• 21:18
  of the last couple of years, they're going to be in trouble.
• 21:21
  Here he is. And he looked like a bulldog,
• 21:23
  didn't he? Oh my God, yeah, he sure did.
• 21:25
  Just about to get him on the ground.
• 21:26
  No doubt about it. Yeah, I'm with you.
• 21:29
  I, I, I lean, I hate to pick the favorites, so I'm not going.
• 21:32
  I'm going to go Miami. You hate to pick the favorites.
• 21:34
  What are you talking? About what?
• 21:35
  I mean, whatever for. Me.
• 21:36
  What's your picks for the last decade?
• 21:38
  They're all favorites. When it comes to that, by the
• 21:41
  way, how did you do this week? Five and oh.
• 21:44
  You really did, yes. Navy win, Indiana win, Carolina
• 21:49
  cover, Lions win, Raiders win, couple outright winners.
• 21:54
  In there got him. We are now combined.
• 21:57
  Because I stunk. Yeah, you're 2.
• 21:58
  And three two is doing 3. Yeah, he combined 9690 and four.
• 22:03
  Yeah, the boys. Yeah, 9197 and 2.
• 22:07
  So it's not over yet, but now it's the the the the games, the
• 22:11
  pool of games that we can pick from is so limited.
• 22:15
  We've got them. All right, let's get into let's
• 22:17
  get into this weekend. What we're going to see
• 22:19
  starting. I mean we got a hell of a ride
• 22:20
  right? Thursday a semi final playoff
• 22:23
  game, college, Friday likewise and into the wild card weekend
• 22:27
  2-3 and then one on Monday night.
• 22:32
  Are you buying Seattle yet? Did Saturday night change your
• 22:35
  opinion at all? What?
• 22:37
  What did you see there were. Turtle was really good.
• 22:39
  He was not. He had his.
• 22:40
  Numbers were really good. He had two third down plays.
• 22:44
  They scored thirteen points against the 49ers defense.
• 22:48
  No, I am not changing my opinion that Sam Darnold's going to win
• 22:51
  in a. Super Bowl.
• 22:52
  So when he gets to the Super Bowl and you're playing whoever
• 22:55
  from the AFC, will you still be on this?
• 22:59
  Yeah. You just don't think he can do
• 23:01
  it, dude. I don't.
• 23:02
  Yeah. I have a lot more ammunition
• 23:04
  that he can't as opposed to that he can.
• 23:07
  Let's let's go through them. Well, let's start in the AFC and
• 23:11
  should we do it in order? Do I have the let me get the the
• 23:13
  correct order in front of me, the schedule itself in front of
• 23:16
  me. All right, so wild card weekend.
• 23:18
  We will start on Saturday. By the way, for the first time
• 23:20
  in their existence, the Houston Texans do not play the early
• 23:24
  game. They've they've been in the wild
• 23:27
  card. I think I saw eight times.
• 23:29
  Every single time they have lifted the curtain on the NFL
• 23:33
  play offs. We're going to get the we're
• 23:35
  going to get the Rams in Carolina.
• 23:36
  I don't give Carolina prayer. You mentioned rematch.
• 23:39
  I know that they beat him during the regular season.
• 23:41
  I have no idea how I think. If memory serves, LA had a real
• 23:44
  emotional game the week before, then flew across the country and
• 23:48
  got beat Matthew Stafford against Young.
• 23:52
  Please, I, I, I give them no chance.
• 23:54
  Do you give Carolina a chance? Oh absolutely.
• 23:57
  To win the game outright. Yeah, they already did it.
• 24:01
  Cold, ugly environment, Rams outdoors, probably going to be
• 24:07
  still banged up puka that's just doing puka things.
• 24:10
  But. Well, the fourth quarter he was.
• 24:12
  If Devante Adams isn't out there.
• 24:14
  No, he will be, won't he? I thought they it's a.
• 24:17
  Hamstring injury, though he might go out there.
• 24:19
  Is he gonna finish You gonna get 60 out of him?
• 24:22
  I know he's they said on track, I think was the the terminology
• 24:25
  that was used on track to play in the wild card round.
• 24:28
  I don't know. Speaking of hamstring injuries,
• 24:30
  they also got Ferguson another one of their as they go that
• 24:32
  three tight end set from time to time.
• 24:34
  He's also out in this one. Here's the other component for
• 24:37
  the Rams is that defense that looks so good in the middle part
• 24:41
  of the year. They've taken a step back.
• 24:43
  They have regressed a little bit.
• 24:44
  They can score, they can move up and down the field, but no shot,
• 24:48
  I can't go there. We've seen these crappy wild
• 24:50
  cards teams to go back to Marshawn in Seattle that came in
• 24:54
  with the 7 to 9 record at the time.
• 24:56
  We've seen them at times be able to punch up.
• 24:58
  I can't go that. They have no shot here.
• 25:00
  I don't think it's going to happen.
• 25:01
  I'm not going to pick Carolina certainly to win this game, but
• 25:04
  I can't go no shot. So you would take the points.
• 25:07
  I think so. The nightcap, and by the way,
• 25:10
  you're going to need Amazon Prime to watch it, is your Bears
• 25:15
  against the Packers? I, I think the Bears advance.
• 25:18
  You do I do I think that the Packers and I and I will go step
• 25:23
  further. And if it is the Bears
• 25:24
  advancing, I'm not so sure Matt Lafleur survives.
• 25:27
  If they do go down in this one. 'Cause they they've been the
• 25:30
  seven seed four straight years now.
• 25:32
  Is that what it is? It's been a lot.
• 25:33
  That's crazy, isn't it? There's you're waiting for that
• 25:38
  next step for Jordan Love. He's been really good at times,
• 25:42
  but the consistency is not there.
• 25:44
  I can see them absolutely moving on if that does play out.
• 25:47
  But Eileen Green Bay. Look, you just because you're a
• 25:51
  Bears fan or because you really, legitimately think they can win?
• 25:54
  They beat him once the second time and took one of the more
• 25:56
  miraculous comebacks that we've seen in the NFL, But that's.
• 25:59
  The bears, though? That is the bears.
• 26:01
  They almost did it again yesterday.
• 26:02
  They were going to. I think a healthy Green Bay goes
• 26:07
  to Chicago and gets the win and it's going to suck.
• 26:10
  Oh my God, that'll be brutal if that's the case.
• 26:13
  This team has been so much fun. Same thing the last two games on
• 26:16
  Sunday for the Bears, both losses and yet I just walk away
• 26:20
  and I I just love this team. They're so entertaining.
• 26:23
  There's it's so fun. You don't know what you're going
• 26:25
  to get. They are at times by numbly
• 26:29
  dumb. They didn't just do stupid
• 26:31
  things yet. They're there and they got a
• 26:33
  chance. And how are they doing it?
• 26:35
  They've been entertaining. I want to get at least another
• 26:37
  week out of this squad in another game at Soldier Field.
• 26:40
  Unfortunately, and it's probably my Bears fandom for the last 40
• 26:42
  years starting to play in. But I think they take the L.
• 26:47
  I can't go there with you. I, I, I'm going to, I'm going to
• 26:50
  pick the bears. In SO, kind of disagreeing on
• 26:51
  both SO. Far, so far, we're going to
• 26:53
  disagree on both. Let's let's Fast forward to
• 26:56
  Sunday where the curtain will go up in Jacksonville with Buffalo
• 27:00
  and Jacksonville. I keep hearing this is Josh
• 27:02
  Allen's best chance. I don't disagree with that.
• 27:04
  But unfortunately, Jacksonville, who, you know, normally would
• 27:08
  think that's Jacksonville, right?
• 27:10
  Right. But this is a good football
• 27:12
  team. Liam Cohn is a hell of a coach.
• 27:14
  Yeah, he's a hell of a coach. And don't look now, but Trevor
• 27:17
  Lawrence looks like he deserves to be the number one pick in his
• 27:20
  draft year. And they are playing the Nobody
• 27:23
  believes in US chip on the shoulder.
• 27:25
  We've heard Trevor Lawrence a lot lately talking about that.
• 27:28
  Same thing here. Buffalo is favored in
• 27:31
  Jacksonville, a Jaguars team that is playing at an elite
• 27:34
  level. They just.
• 27:35
  Plays right into their hand. Trent is that underdog.
• 27:37
  I absolutely love the Jags in this.
• 27:40
  I do too. And it'll be yet another
• 27:41
  indictment though Josh Allen, Fair, unfair.
• 27:45
  It will be another one that you put could even be Jacksonville,
• 27:48
  right could in a year where there's no.
• 27:51
  Jackson, There's no Mahomes. There's no borough.
• 27:53
  And you couldn't even get by the Jaguars.
• 27:56
  It's not fair, No, but it'll be another one that'll be against
• 27:58
  Josh Allen. Josh Allen, what's his health
• 28:01
  look like too? Well, that's the other thing.
• 28:03
  You go back to that Philadelphia game and the way that we saw
• 28:05
  them, I questions certainly with the Bills team and we know about
• 28:09
  the defense. I like Jacksonville.
• 28:12
  I do, too. We're on the same page there
• 28:13
  right here come the Eagles and then here comes the Niners
• 28:16
  across the country to play them. And and San Francisco's got
• 28:20
  their own injury issues and Philadelphia's got a terrific
• 28:23
  defense, but that offense is putrid, including Barclay has
• 28:27
  not had a good year. And you would think that when
• 28:29
  you take a look at the just look at their depth chart, you're
• 28:31
  thinking how are the Eagles not the favorite to win at all?
• 28:34
  I mean, that depth chart, both sides of the football, but they
• 28:36
  haven't been good. I don't know if it's infighting,
• 28:39
  something is wrong in Philadelphia.
• 28:42
  Can they turn it? Can they repeat?
• 28:44
  No, absolutely not. Can they get by the Niners?
• 28:47
  Well. Will they get by the?
• 28:49
  Night we got to start by Brock Purdy.
• 28:52
  He had a Stinger on that final. Play, yeah.
• 28:54
  I wasn't sure he was going to get up.
• 28:56
  He was slow to get. Up.
• 28:58
  He was slow to get up. And he was not good against
• 29:01
  Seattle. Seattle's defense is excellent.
• 29:04
  Pierce all was out. Yep, Kettle was back.
• 29:06
  Yep. Got scored more than three
• 29:08
  points, so against. I agree.
• 29:09
  I agree, but he's running for his life.
• 29:11
  He was offensive line putrid. Is Trent Williams going to be
• 29:13
  back? A good question, don't know the
• 29:16
  answer that didn't didn't play on Saturday.
• 29:18
  Feel like a necessity, right? He has to be certainly against
• 29:21
  that Philadelphia front floor. He has to be out there if you're
• 29:24
  going to give San Francisco, I think any shot in this game.
• 29:27
  Doesn't this thing feel ugly? It's like 13-9, you know, as we
• 29:31
  go to the fourth quarter, something like.
• 29:33
  Yeah, I could see. That I think this is going to be
• 29:34
  just an ugly, low scoring, slug it out kind of game.
• 29:38
  Need help for the 49ers. Williams needs to be out there.
• 29:41
  McCaffrey needs to be close to 100%.
• 29:44
  I lean San Francisco at this point, certainly with the four
• 29:47
  that is out there. Hopefully there's a 4 1/2 at
• 29:49
  some point. I'll now I'll grab that one.
• 29:51
  Lean 49ers. All right, since we're done with
• 29:54
  the with the NFC, give me your top three teams, the three most
• 29:57
  likely teams, one of which will obviously, if you're right, make
• 30:00
  it to the Super Bowl. Who would be your top three NFC
• 30:02
  if you had the power rank them? Top three NFC number one, you
• 30:06
  know, it's hard to even come up with the number one.
• 30:08
  I don't I don't like any of. I know you don't, I for me it's
• 30:11
  easy. I Yes, I the Rams won.
• 30:14
  I guess I've. I've got them too, so it's not
• 30:17
  crazy. #2 to get to the Super Bowl, to get to the Super Bowl,
• 30:21
  I, I don't like any of them. It's Philly.
• 30:26
  I I'll go Seattle. Rams.
• 30:27
  Philly. In that order.
• 30:29
  Seattle's defense, Philly's defense.
• 30:31
  Yep. Rams I I think Stafford should
• 30:35
  be the MVP. I'm not sure he will be.
• 30:37
  You think he is, I don't. Think he should I think the
• 30:40
  ammunition in the non. Conference or this the
• 30:42
  conference straight the schedule should should factor into
• 30:44
  things. By the way, do you know how do
• 30:46
  you know how Denver got the one seed and and because their
• 30:48
  record same record as New England, Do you know what the
• 30:51
  tiebreaker was? When did they get down to week
• 30:53
  1? The Raiders went to New England
• 30:57
  and beat them. Yes, Week 1 and that is the.
• 31:00
  Difference. That's the difference maker from
• 31:02
  New England. Staying at home this first
• 31:03
  weekend as opposed to the fraudulent Denver Broncos.
• 31:06
  And let's finish off Saturday, Sunday night rather Chargers and
• 31:10
  the Patriots. Trent, I think.
• 31:14
  I love chargers every year one. Of these years, they're going to
• 31:17
  win it. Yeah, I think that this could be
• 31:19
  their year with that offensive line.
• 31:21
  Come on. I think here's what's.
• 31:23
  Here's why I. Say that and I'm not.
• 31:25
  Going to put Herbert in. The conversation.
• 31:27
  I think this Chargers defense is one of the more underrated units
• 31:31
  in football. Very fair.
• 31:32
  Absolutely agree with. You on that front, no doubt,
• 31:34
  Yes, that is I completely agree. The level that they're playing
• 31:39
  at both against the run in the past.
• 31:41
  It's not just, you know, they're stacked up on one side, but you
• 31:43
  can throw against them. No, they are a complete defense
• 31:47
  and that's what I agree with that offensive line.
• 31:49
  You need a big third and three conversion.
• 31:52
  I can't get there for four consecutive games for the
• 31:55
  Chargers to win a Super Bowl. No, you know me.
• 31:58
  You've heard me long enough. To me, talking about offensive
• 32:00
  lines, it's a necessity. I can't get there.
• 32:03
  But do I give them a shot in New England?
• 32:05
  Oh, absolutely I do. Yes, I am.
• 32:07
  Right there with you. We got to see from New England.
• 32:09
  We don't know, right? I mean, this team went 14 and 3
• 32:12
  and it feels like we know very little about you know what, let
• 32:16
  me. Let me, let me pull up their
• 32:17
  schedule. The England's best win would
• 32:20
  probably be Buffalo, right? But unless you take a look at
• 32:23
  Buffalo, it's not like Buffalo was was Buffalo.
• 32:26
  Who's their second best win? Dolphins, Panthers, Bills,
• 32:29
  Saints, Titans, Browns, Falcons. Stop me when you hear a playoff
• 32:33
  team. Bucks, Jets, Bengals, Giants
• 32:36
  Stop me when you hear a playoff team.
• 32:38
  Ravens stop me when you hear a playoff team.
• 32:41
  They didn't beat anybody. Other than Buffalo.
• 32:42
  This is the playoffs. We don't know.
• 32:45
  We don't know. I'll be grabbing those 3 1/2.
• 32:47
  I will. Too.
• 32:48
  I will too. Oh yo-yo, yo-yo.
• 32:52
  And then. The culmination Monday.
• 32:53
  Night Three Rivers, culminating in the Steel City.
• 32:58
  You don't want to give the Steelers a shot.
• 33:00
  They have Aaron Rodgers. They.
• 33:01
  Have Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Rodgers first opportunity to run
• 33:05
  looked like, you know what, it was a business decision.
• 33:08
  I'm going to run out of bounds and not try and get the first
• 33:09
  down, which, you know, hindsight being what it is and his age
• 33:12
  being the other factor, probably the right decision because he
• 33:15
  ran later on in the game and looked like Aaron Rodgers.
• 33:17
  Young Aaron Rodgers still throw it, still sees the ball or still
• 33:20
  still sees the field incredibly well.
• 33:23
  But I love Houston's defense. I do too.
• 33:26
  I love Houston's defense for that reason.
• 33:28
  I'm going to take the Texans. Do you love the Steelers
• 33:31
  defense? With TJ Wattback now, they're
• 33:32
  obviously better. Significantly better. 3 1/2
• 33:42
  Another one where I'd probably grab the number.
• 33:44
  It's Toblin. He's a wizard and how he does it
• 33:47
  year after year after year. If I had to make a pick right
• 33:50
  now, and luckily we don't, but if I had to make a pick right
• 33:53
  now, I'd probably grab the points in US.
• 33:56
  Did you hear? What's his name?
• 33:58
  Florio prior to the game on the pre game show he thinks Tomlin
• 34:02
  might be headed to TV. Really.
• 34:04
  Yeah, he's a football coach. I agree with you.
• 34:08
  Did you see right after the? Game where they cut to him on
• 34:10
  the No I, I turned it off. I was right.
• 34:12
  It it was right afterwards. And he's like, it was a very odd
• 34:16
  because he's very stoic, yeah. And he was like, kind of.
• 34:20
  Celebrating and there was a smile on his face.
• 34:22
  It was just weird because you just don't get that out of
• 34:24
  Tomlin. But he'd be good on TV.
• 34:27
  Hard to say. I mean, we've seen.
• 34:29
  Guys that you don't think are going to be on TV and
• 34:31
  conversely, you think guys are going to just star on TV that
• 34:34
  fall on their faces. Of the one seeds, who's the
• 34:37
  first? Well, that's an easy answer.
• 34:38
  It's Denver. I think Denver is the first one.
• 34:40
  I don't think that they win next weekend.
• 34:42
  Who do you want to see? Who I want to see knowing the
• 34:44
  way. That this Pittsburgh.
• 34:46
  You. But that would.
• 34:48
  Mean that we did 2. And the three would have to the
• 34:49
  two, and the three would have to play.
• 34:51
  But the wild card teams that they had to face a wild card
• 34:53
  team, I guess Buffalo, really. Yeah, I guess you want to see.
• 34:57
  Josh Allen, Well, that. Denver's defense is their.
• 34:59
  Calling card how much breath you've used on.
• 35:01
  Josh Allen and the Broncos not taking them, and you want him to
• 35:03
  walk into Mile High? Yeah.
• 35:06
  And rip your heart out well. It's going to be ripped out.
• 35:09
  Either way, because I don't give any, but I don't give them a
• 35:10
  chance. Fred Bonex was awful.
• 35:12
  The offensive line was terrible. They have no receivers.
• 35:15
  The receivers are the worst receivers combined in the
• 35:17
  league. They're just not good.
• 35:19
  Cortland Sutton's a nice player In no, in no world is he a
• 35:23
  number one on half the teams in the NFL.
• 35:26
  Nice player, nice #2 but he's your one now.
• 35:30
  I think that this team is like, it's been a heck of a year and
• 35:32
  like you with your Bears, I've enjoyed the hell out of this
• 35:34
  year. A lot of close wins for my
• 35:36
  squad. I just think it's going to come
• 35:38
  to an end and it's going to do so in front of the home folks.
• 35:41
  2008 I. Think we are trending into a
• 35:44
  wild? So what?
• 35:45
  What were? They use it was 4 versus 6 and
• 35:47
  what and two versus 6. Yes, Yep.
• 35:50
  Those were the 2 matchups. 2 six seats got there.
• 35:52
  Back then it was only 6 teams in the playoffs, not 7.
• 35:54
  Good point would. You fall out your chair, though,
• 35:57
  if the Packers. Are playing in the NFC
• 35:58
  Championship game? No, I wouldn't either.
• 36:01
  Who are they playing? First of all.
• 36:02
  If the Bears got there. Winning two home playoff games.
• 36:07
  Yes, because they're luck in close games has to run out at
• 36:09
  some point. That's just winning two home
• 36:11
  games. Beating the banged up Packers
• 36:13
  and then one more and it'll deal that they already beat in
• 36:17
  Philly, in Philly on black. Friday.
• 36:20
  No, I look. At pretty much everybody short
• 36:22
  of Carolina, even the Steelers, could they do it 2 times and get
• 36:25
  to the AFC championship game? Well, one's a home game.
• 36:29
  And Speaking of ugly 1615 something dumb. 3 field goals,
• 36:35
  Boswell knocks one end at the gun.
• 36:36
  Well, here they go again. Outside of Carolina.
• 36:40
  It doesn't take a whole lot because all these teams have
• 36:43
  issues. All these teams have warts to
• 36:44
  paint a picture where they could.
• 36:46
  That's why this thing's going to be wild.
• 36:48
  It is no doubt Miller. And Condon back with Mr. Monday
• 36:51
  night we've got the the FCS championship game to get a pick
• 36:55
  on Miller and Condon back with one more segment, it's the Iowa
• 36:58
  Sports Radio Network. I'm Millie Condon.
• 37:05
  Welcome. Back, not the NFL tonight, but
• 37:08
  we do have football tonight, championship variety, NFL wild
• 37:11
  card a week from tonight. We will get that.
• 37:14
  But tonight we get Illinois State and they're getting 1010
• 37:17
  1/2 Wolf super books up to 11 1/2.
• 37:20
  They took a big bet trying to get some buy back 11 1/2 Montana
• 37:24
  State favored Montana State probably going to win the game,
• 37:28
  right? But that's a big number to
• 37:29
  cover. I bet against Illinois.
• 37:31
  State 3 consecutive times. Why not again?
• 37:35
  Well, starting with North Dakota State continued in the next
• 37:39
  round. They went out to Cal, I think
• 37:40
  they take down, took on UC Davis, won that one.
• 37:44
  Villanova. So let's make it four in a row.
• 37:46
  Give me the Bobcats. Montana State.
• 37:49
  I'll leave the 10 that is currently at Circa.
• 37:51
  It is 10 at circuits. 10s, there's a bunch of elevens
• 37:54
  numbers moving. All right, that will do it for
• 37:56
  us. Going to watch that game
• 37:57
  tonight. It's the Big 9, the Big 10, Ohio
• 37:59
  State, Nebraska. Kick it off at 5:30 on FS1.
• 38:04
  Then there's another Big 10 game.
• 38:05
  It's got my interest as well. Rutgers, Oregon.
• 38:07
  You're excited. About that, That's not the one.
• 38:09
  There's one more. Maybe there isn't.
• 38:14
  I thought there was. Well, there's 10.
• 38:17
  Michigan State USC. Oh, OK.
• 38:19
  Yeah, that's it. Michigan State USC.
• 38:20
  It's decent little Sparty action at their big favorite 10 1/2
• 38:24
  point favorite in that 1. So it's a little college hoops
• 38:27
  and a little little football on the agenda tonight for me.
• 38:33
  How do you? No, I don't think so.
• 38:36
  Jets play tomorrow. So between Minnesota and Iowa,
• 38:39
  my Jets, who have gone from first to worst.
• 38:42
  No, it's they're terrible, absolutely terrible.
• 38:44
  It's not going to be a fun spring for you, no.
• 38:47
  I have. To think back to last year, but
• 38:49
  it will be a hood fun spring in other areas as we get closer.
• 38:54
  That's going to do it. Coming up next off the bench,
• 38:56
  Trent and I are back tomorrow at noon.
• 38:58
  We're with you every Monday through Friday from noon until 2
• 39:01
  to talk sports with you. Thanks for being with us.
• 39:03
  Des Moines Sports Station One O 6.3, KXNO and the Iowa Sports
• 39:07
  Radio Network.