Latest / The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon / Home Run Derby, NFL Futures talk, Matt Postins talks Big 12 football

Transcript

Home Run Derby, NFL Futures talk, Matt Postins talks Big 12 football · The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon

0:22
Hi, good afternoon. Welcome Miller and Condon on a
0:25
Tuesday, the Iowa Sports Radio Network for the next 6 hours.
0:30
So we talk Iowa based programming with you.
0:32
Here's what's coming up on our program.
0:34
Matt Poston's covers the Big 12 for Heartland College sports
0:38
took couple of days off after Big 12 media days.
0:40
So we want to get his perspective on oh more than just
0:43
the Cyclones, the conference overall.
0:45
We will do that with Matt Poston's when he joins Trenton I
0:49
at the bottom of our number one, our number 2, Matt Snyder covers
0:53
Major League Baseball. He was busy yesterday with
0:55
player interviews during his normal 1:00 time slot.
0:59
So he's agreed to join us to kick off our number two of the
1:02
program. We will pick his brain perhaps
1:04
on what we may see tonight. But I think more importantly,
1:07
for the sake of our discussion, I'll look back, look forward to
1:10
what we may see as we enter the back half of ML BS regular
1:14
season. And then John Bowencamp, Iowa
1:17
had a was it basketball or football?
1:19
Basketball available ability this morning and John was there
1:23
taking that all in. So we'll pick his brain on what
1:26
he heard. Although I could just ask you
1:28
because you had McCollum on lockdown Iowa earlier this
1:31
morning on, you know, part of the locked on network.
1:34
And was he talkative? How long did you keep him for?
1:37
Yeah, I had him about 25 minutes or so.
1:39
And we will have that interview for you on Monday next week as
1:43
we'll be traveling and making our way out to Vegas.
1:46
One thing that I thought was interesting, I asked him about
1:50
the schedule because almost all college basketball has their
1:53
schedule release for the non conference.
1:55
And he mentioned to me it's somewhat dependent on what
1:59
happens in their MTE, their multi team event.
2:02
They're out there you and is involved in it.
2:04
Ole Miss, Utah, Colorado, a couple of Big 10 teams also who
2:09
they obviously wouldn't play in that if they're scheduled
2:12
basically 2 power Four games, then they're good if they only
2:15
are scheduled one power. Four-game search for.
2:17
One then. So he is looking for potentially
2:21
another power. For a pole, I'm guessing he
2:23
didn't let on who that would be, but in the back of his mind you
2:26
think he's got some 'cause everybody's schedules, you said
2:30
very few that aren't completed so.
2:32
We're kind of slim Pickens I wouldn't anticipate at this
2:34
point. Yeah.
2:35
So it's kind of that searching around and seeing who else
2:37
doesn't have their. Well, maybe nobody wants to play
2:39
Houston. Right.
2:40
Yeah, and somebody pull it out, pulling in Indiana football, you
2:43
know? What I saw that this morning,
2:44
that's disappointing. It really is for people that
2:47
missed it, they cancel their series with Virginia, which
2:50
still in the great of Virginia, Virginia, Virginia, Indiana, and
2:53
we're not talking Clemson, not talking Florida State.
2:55
You're taking on Virginia that has had what, 2 relevant moments
2:59
in the last 30 years? Yeah, Al Grohl got him at some
3:03
point. I don't even remember how long.
3:04
Oh, you're right, It's been a long time.
3:05
They have not been a power and yet you cancel it to get another
3:09
game against Kennesaw, Yeah. Ridiculous.
3:11
It's bad and this is going to be a negativity that's going to
3:14
surround now. I hope it.
3:15
Comes up next week when he's in Vegas.
3:17
Oh, absolutely, and I'm sure that it will.
3:19
Now you come full circle. How did Bill Snyder build that
3:21
program at Kansas? State playing garbage.
3:23
What did Hayden Fry do after initially the schedules already
3:26
set for the first few years and they took in Oklahoma and UCLA
3:29
very quickly. That changed for him also.
3:33
So when you are building a program, this is something that
3:36
there is a blueprint for doing it and we got.
3:38
But they were in a playoff last. Year and that's the thing,
3:41
you're ahead of schedule. Where I mean, that was his.
3:44
That was his surprising, I guess might be the best word as as
3:49
any. That came out of nowhere.
3:52
This wasn't even Purdue. Purdue, at least had been
3:55
relevant at different times. You got to go back to Anthony
3:58
Thompson in 1989, the last time Indiana football was relevant.
4:02
And not just relevant during the College Football Playoff.
4:04
They're playing under the Golden Dome, right?
4:06
That's that's a step forward. And yet you cancel a series
4:09
against Virginia to continue your garbage not conference.
4:13
I'm with you, I'm with you. I mean, it's happened before.
4:15
Of course he's not the first to do it, but it's just not on the
4:19
surface. It's not the best look anyways.
4:20
Hopefully somebody brings it up when they take the stage or
4:24
Signeti takes the stage or off to the side at some point next
4:28
week. So Home Run Derby has come and
4:30
gone. I know you were working last
4:31
night. I didn't see one swinging the
4:33
bat and I'm happy to say that really not one couldn't have
4:36
cared less. I enjoy the event so much, I
4:38
really do. And so for me, yeah, I had it on
4:41
and took a peek every once in a while and an extra peak while
4:44
Buxton was up there. But seeing him get to the
4:46
semifinals, that was a good moment for me.
4:48
The robbed home run of the. Apparently Lucas and Sean
4:53
brought that up in their show yesterday.
4:54
Which is great. That's awesome.
4:56
Sniff. That went out before it even
4:58
happened and there it was as that one played out.
5:01
But I do enjoy the event. I know I went back last night
5:03
when I got home and I watched it and, and Fast forward and going
5:06
through and kind of big moment. So you recorded.
5:08
It Yeah, yeah, that was part of the yeah, the watching last
5:12
night. So when I got home, it was it's
5:14
just an event that I enjoy every year.
5:15
I I still get into it, I still enjoy it and and seeing a guy
5:18
like Cal Rowley, the story that goes a long way.
5:20
It's. A good story.
5:21
I get it. I get it.
5:22
Dad throwing the pitches, little brother back behind the plate.
5:25
Yep, Yep. I'll watch the post game
5:27
interview with him as he's on the set and his little brother
5:29
comes up and standing behind him and they they give a microphone
5:32
to him. So yeah, it was a good moment
5:34
and a good moment in a time that is incredibly quiet.
5:37
Yep. You're looking for anything and.
5:39
I was on Netflix watching more quarterback episodes.
5:42
So how deep are into it? Are you 4/4 episodes in?
5:47
And it's really good. It's, it's really good.
5:50
Joe Burrow's a different cat. Jared Goff is Jared Goff.
5:54
Different how for Burrow his fashion yes.
5:59
Oh absolutely. And the first episode that.
6:02
Personality, yeah, just his personality.
6:05
And he's so damn good. He's so damn good, which I want
6:09
to get to the Bengals in just a second.
6:11
Oh no. Yeah, somebody was firing post
6:13
8:30 last night after a puff. But but I see I I like them
6:18
live. They're my guilty play.
6:19
I've got two. I'm gonna bet the Chargers and
6:21
the Bengals every year as long as sports wagering is legal,
6:24
because when they get there, I'm going to get there with them.
6:27
No, I'm not going to get even. No, but at least you've dug
6:30
yourself a hole, right? At least I'll have the
6:31
satisfaction of I told you. And at some point I'll call you
6:36
if there are still phones or however we're communicating at
6:39
some point when they get there. But no, it's really good.
6:41
But back to Home Run Derby. It's just, I don't know what it
6:44
is for me. I just couldn't get into it.
6:45
I knew that, you know, whatever I needed to see or whatever
6:48
moments were going to come out of it, it's going to be all over
6:51
X at some point. And apparently Pat McAfee was
6:55
not really well received during the event.
6:57
Last week I I I. Mean as and even Trey Wingo was
7:01
commenting on this today because some some ESPN critics were
7:05
saying, you know, I long for the day when I would turn on ESPN
7:10
and not be inundated with Pat McAfee and Stephen A Smith.
7:15
Well, if you remember the Home Run Derby for years and.
7:17
Years Chris Merman, but not just at ESPN.
7:20
At any time you turn it on, you're going to get a an
7:23
overdose of Smith and McAfee and Trey Wingo actually said, you
7:27
know what, I kind of agree with you.
7:29
You know, I don't know how he left ESPN.
7:31
Was it on good terms? Did they not renew him?
7:34
I believe he left on his own. Accord, I see.
7:36
I think you're right. That's memory serves, but it it
7:40
was, I think he's valid. His point is valid, right?
7:44
I mean, those guys are everywhere.
7:46
But apparently what wasn't received, I just wasn't.
7:49
This just doesn't float my boat. It's I mean, tonight I won't
7:54
miss a pitch. I can't wait for tonight.
7:56
I have No 0 tonight. I thought in my mind that I'm
8:01
going to be flipping back and forth amongst the WNBA.
8:05
I'm watching Major League Baseball's All Star game.
8:07
Locked and loaded. Locked and loaded.
8:09
Let's get a call in here, Thunder Joe, he's still
8:14
celebrating his squads that that was a hell of a game, wasn't it
8:16
Joe? I know that it's been a while
8:18
now. I just keep going back to what I
8:19
had a guy on last week that covers the Pacers and we're kind
8:22
of reminiscing a little bit about the series and their run.
8:25
And I didn't think the Pacers would give your squad the run
8:28
that they did. I know that's not where you're
8:29
calling. We'll get to your point of your
8:31
call in just a second, but that was such a turned out to be a
8:34
hell of a series when I think that I'd speak for most sports
8:37
fans. We didn't see a hell of a series
8:38
coming. No.
8:40
And The thing is, I hated to see Halliburton go out like that.
8:42
You want to beat A-Team at its best?
8:44
I mean, yeah. What?
8:45
The patient is still the fifth seat.
8:47
The Thunder is still the one seat.
8:48
Who knows what would have happened, but he hate to see.
8:50
Hate to see anybody go out like that.
8:52
But I got one of a couple points about the I finally got my
8:54
commemorative Larry O'Brien for my mantle in the male.
8:57
Very nice. Hey, I want to weigh in a couple
9:00
things on the Home Run Derby. One, it's probably, it's
9:02
probably going to sound like me being a Jackass, but actually
9:04
it's actually serious question, Trent, were you at one point
9:07
worried about Buxton? Oh God, he's going to hurt
9:09
himself. I thought that right when they
9:12
announced that he was going to be in the Home Run Derby, it is
9:15
always in the back of my mind. It doesn't matter if he's
9:18
running in to make a seemingly routine play in the outfield.
9:22
I always have that thought with Byron Bucks.
9:24
And so yes, of course, that was in my mind.
9:25
Yeah, because the dudes only played, what, two seasons?
9:27
Over 100 games in 10 years or something like that.
9:30
OK. My other question is, is what
9:32
would have happened on DraftKings had they not kind of
9:35
that home run that that kid rocked?
9:37
Great. Point you're you're betting
9:39
money and you're not expecting to make a wish kid in left field
9:42
to take back a home run from you.
9:44
Yeah. You know what would have
9:45
happened? I think there would have been,
9:46
there would have been a serious discussion about limiting
9:49
wagering on that event in years to come.
9:52
They would have to avoid it, wouldn't they?
9:53
Absolutely. It's like it's I get, I get if
9:56
you hit a bird or something, but you're not betting on a kid
9:59
bringing back a home run. Yeah.
10:00
No 100% Joe would have. Played by that kid by.
10:03
The way he was. Yeah, with a great kid.
10:04
That's awesome. I saw it today again.
10:07
I didn't need to watch. Anyways, Joe, thanks for the
10:09
call. Appreciate you listening, as
10:10
always. Get back to us anytime, OK.
10:12
Good to hear from you. Yeah.
10:15
Hit a bird or something. And my son killed a goose,
10:17
killed a golf course. Oh, really?
10:19
Yeah, He said. A little Randy Johnson got one
10:22
square here in a noggin. I hit a goose before.
10:24
Did you, did you feel bad? He did.
10:26
There's millions of them. You're doing the population, the
10:29
world a favor. I felt bad because mine didn't
10:31
kill it and it was like doing circles and.
10:34
Then you had to put it out of dismiss.
10:35
No, no, no, it wasn't. It wasn't.
10:37
No, no, I I let it go. It was, it was moving, OK, was
10:40
it? As the golf cart went flying by
10:42
and getting away from the goose and any angry mob that might be
10:44
after me. Every fall day, five days a
10:47
week, I would be in a pit in the ground with 40 Canada geese,
10:51
goose decoys spread out around me and call in the flocks one
10:55
after another and just have Adam.
10:57
Now I knew that you were a fisherman.
10:59
Well, I never haunted a deer. I never realized though that you
11:02
did also hunt. A single day.
11:04
Yeah. Not every single day because it
11:07
would snow in the end of October, and it was over at that
11:09
point. But from opening season, you
11:11
couldn't hunt on Sundays. And I took Saturday off because
11:14
everybody was out there. So Monday through Friday, I
11:16
would get up and be in the pit at sundown and start calling
11:19
them in. And I I just loved it.
11:21
At what age? Oh, this was in my 20s.
11:24
Oh, really? Yeah.
11:25
Yeah. Before I left, before I came
11:27
here. And I came here when I was 30,
11:29
so yeah, everyday. So did you continue hunting when
11:32
you moved here? No, and I haven't shot.
11:34
I haven't. I've picked up a rifle since my
11:36
gun. Still, I think Louie's got it.
11:37
So he sold it. Louie had a bad time at some
11:41
point. You, you know, he's hawked that
11:43
bad boy long ago. Got in a bad run.
11:47
So yeah, no, no illusions. I could go home and it would be
11:50
where I left it. No, But.
11:53
I I learned something new about you almost everyday.
11:56
You mean I, I loved living up there except when the snow flew
12:00
and that was a long time. Anyways, I want to play this
12:04
because I saw this yesterday on X and they, my football juices
12:09
are starting to flow because of quarterback and, and it's really
12:12
good. Kirk Cousins, he hasn't been
12:14
benched yet. I guess I'm getting to that
12:16
episode very quickly because he's actually playing very well.
12:20
As many have pointed out on Twitter, one of the stars of the
12:23
show is not a quarterback. It's actually one of the Jared
12:26
Goff's wife who's very good in the show and and and cousin's
12:32
wife is in it. And Burrows, I mean, he's by
12:34
himself other than his parents. And they play a pretty big part
12:37
in it as well. But it's but it's really good.
12:39
And some of the footage is unbelievable.
12:41
And you know, you, you have to in the back of your mind have an
12:44
idea how difficult it is to play that position at the highest
12:48
level. But I think it was his episode
12:50
3, just the 15 SEC, the final 15 seconds essentially is about on
12:55
average when they, you know, get to the line of scrimmage and
12:58
start, you know, they're watching the play clock and
13:00
they're moving everybody around. They're trying to read defenses.
13:02
It's fascinating stuff. It truly is if you if you're a
13:05
football junkie. So my quarterback juices are
13:09
flowing. And I saw this on X yesterday.
13:11
And then they really started to go.
13:12
So what we're going to play. And I want to see if Trent and I
13:14
are on the same page when it comes to, and these are 5
13:18
snippets. These are like, I don't know,
13:19
maybe 10 seconds each. And you know where I'm going?
13:22
It's the intro on Fox, it's the intro on CBS, it's the intro on
13:29
Sunday Night Football, It's the intro on Thursday Night Football
13:34
and NFL and ABC. So let's get these.
13:38
And I want to see if Trent and I are on the same page when it
13:40
comes to our favorite hit her TC.
14:13
All right, there it was. Has it.
14:14
So that was. Fox, NBCCBSESPN and NFL Network
14:18
Yes. Do you like?
14:19
Do you? Would you if you could eliminate
14:21
one? Which one don't you like?
14:23
Is the one that doesn't move your football passion meter as
14:28
much as the others. They're all good.
14:29
They're all, really. Good.
14:30
And they all get you thinking, you know?
14:32
What's coming up? Next.
14:34
Yeah. And because of that, they all
14:36
have a special spot as it pertains to just those football
14:39
sounds that we get. For me, bottom of the barrel is
14:43
CBS. Is it?
14:45
That's the one at the bottom of the list for.
14:47
Me so play that again. I think that's the third one in.
14:49
I think it goes Fox NBCCBS, are we right?
14:52
I know Fox is first. Here we go.
14:56
That's Fox. This is CBS.
15:00
That's CBS. That's ABC.
15:04
The the ESPN, that's number one for me.
15:08
Dumb, dumb. There's.
15:09
Just something about that because it's the oldest.
15:12
Probably, yeah, it's probably some nostalgia that goes into
15:15
it, and I'm going to guess that that is a piece.
15:18
So my rankings went like this. The ESPN ABC, right, Box 2.
15:23
Yep, I agree. NFL Network 3.
15:25
You like that one, huh? I.
15:26
Do I like the Bells? And maybe it's some of the same
15:29
Spence NFL films, you know, the the.
15:32
Bells, the NFL. That's probably a big part of it
15:35
for me because I could sit and listen to Sam Spence songs on my
15:39
next long drive. In fact, I might be doing just
15:41
that. Just put them in there and
15:43
listen to them on repeat for an hour because I absolutely love
15:45
them. 4 is NBC and #5 then a CBS.
15:49
All right, play from the top again, OK.
15:50
From the beginning, from the. Beginning because the beginning
15:53
is Fox, right? It is, yeah.
16:01
That's Sunday Night Football. Yeah, yeah.
16:05
That's CBS. This this reminds me of December
16:25
snow flying a little bit or just snowflakes coming down.
16:27
I don't know if I can eliminate any of.
16:30
Them I really like what's #1I. Think you're probably I, I think
16:34
I agree with you because it's the one I remember going back to
16:36
the 70s and there was no Sunday Night Football and obviously no
16:41
NFL Network and no, Fox didn't have it at the time.
16:46
I think ESPNI think ABC Monday Night Football.
16:48
So we got an agreement now #2 would be Fox.
16:51
That's what that was my #2. #2 is Fox.
16:55
I guess if I had to eliminate one, it would be the NFL
16:59
Network, 'cause it's the newest. Yeah, but they're all really
17:02
good. They are all right.
17:03
So let me go back to my Bengals and let me try and sell you on
17:06
Cincinnati this year. Well, you sold me on the
17:08
Diamondbacks and the Rangers before the season, so.
17:10
I owe you a couple, is that what you're saying?
17:12
I owe you or I'm going to push back maybe a little bit more.
17:15
All right, What do you got for me on?
17:17
I just keep Cincinnati. All right, their season last
17:19
year, they ended up 9 and 8, ended up 9 and 8.
17:22
Pretty good record, pretty good record.
17:24
Didn't get into the playoffs, but.
17:26
Could be a playoff team some years though.
17:27
Right. Absolutely.
17:29
And and they're the way that they lost their games.
17:32
Patrick Mahomes comes back and and beats him and Wheaton down
17:35
to week 1. There's no excuse.
17:36
I mean, you've got New England in your in your building there.
17:40
There's no possible way you can lose to the God forsaken New
17:42
England Patriots, right? And they did.
17:44
And they did and they knocked half of the people out of
17:46
survivor. As memory serves, you lose the
17:49
next week to the Chiefs. Washington Jalen Daniels has his
17:53
coming out party. They're oh and three, they beat
17:56
Carolina loose to Baltimore in overtime.
18:00
The one in four, their next loss was Philadelphia got them pretty
18:04
good. Philadelphia got everybody last
18:06
year pretty good. This just did.
18:09
But to Baltimore, they had an opportunity at Baltimore.
18:12
They're four and five at the time.
18:15
They went into Baltimore on a Thursday night and instead of
18:19
going for the tie with, like, I don't know, there was 10 seconds
18:22
left on the clock, they went for two and the pass was incomplete.
18:27
Game over. Then the Chargers beat them,
18:30
then the Steelers beat them, and then they they went on a run and
18:33
won their last five straight games.
18:36
But point being, at least my point being, well, how I'm
18:38
trying to convince myself that this is a legit threat this year
18:42
is I, I don't know where you have Jamar chasing the rankings,
18:45
the best receivers in football. If it's not him, it's probably
18:48
his other, his former college teammate Jefferson.
18:51
It's one of those two. And Joe Burrows, an elite
18:54
quarterback. I, I will die on that hill.
18:56
I think he's an elite quarterback.
18:59
And and as Spagnola said, coming off the field after the Kansas
19:03
City game, and I thought this was a pretty good line.
19:06
Other than our guy, you're the best in the game.
19:10
Other than our guy, you're the best in the game.
19:13
I mean, their guys got all the rings.
19:15
I would rather have Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow is an incredible
19:19
talent. Joe Burrow has also dealt with
19:21
injuries that we haven't seen in a quarterback position.
19:23
Well, he's one in his is there was this ligament in his wrist,
19:27
right? They said there's never been a
19:29
quarterback that's had that. Before he said that in episode
19:31
1. Episode 1, yeah.
19:32
And he's been banged up. That's not all.
19:36
You know, there's been other injuries with him.
19:38
And I guess the concern would be, is this just going to be
19:40
kind of part of his resume, right?
19:42
It's just a guy that's always injured, always had had
19:45
something crop up that would be a concern in terms of just raw
19:49
talent. He's right there.
19:51
He is right there that that is not a concern at all.
19:53
So he played every game last year.
19:55
So are you, are you hedging saying?
19:58
Can he do it again? Can he do it again?
20:00
I also go to Trey Hendrickson, who was going to get paid 17 1/2
20:04
seconds back-to-back years. Or a third round pick out of
20:08
Florida Atlantic. I better be player a defensive
20:11
player of the year last. Year and you got a run for your.
20:13
Money at a big price big. Price, is he going to replicate
20:17
that? Because the rest of that front
20:19
is not very good. That is not a a front from 4
20:24
that you look at and say they're really good.
20:26
They went out and got TJ Slayton from Green Bay fine.
20:31
Yep. I don't love the defense.
20:32
They're going to have to outscore people again this year,
20:34
and they'll be able to. Play did their did the the first
20:37
rounder sign yet? Stewart out of A&M, who was
20:39
holding out? I don't know, hadn't seen.
20:41
He was the I think he's the last first rounder to sign and I'm
20:45
not sure he has yet. 25th pick overall he but he will I mean
20:51
this is not the old days, right, right where guys sit out for a
20:54
really long time and and you're waiting and waiting.
20:56
Could he be that guy that can come in instant impact type of?
20:59
Player I didn't like the draft pick to begin with, personally.
21:02
But like a guy you could get at 38, right?
21:04
Not at 25. I like the team, I like Joe
21:08
Burrell. What about the division?
21:10
I mean, is the division gone? Can they win the division?
21:14
Yes. They can beat Baltimore.
21:15
They can beat Baltimore. They've done it before.
21:19
Baltimore also has kind of those ebbs and flows.
21:21
You see the ups and downs at times with that.
21:24
Now, here's an initial concern. They have been not just last
21:27
year, year after year, awful. Awful.
21:30
Early in the year, yeah, terrible.
21:32
Three of their first four are on the road.
21:34
They go to Cleveland divisional game.
21:35
Anything can happen Week one. We know that after playing
21:38
Jacksonville at home, they go to Minnesota.
21:41
You given a win there. You love the Vikings.
21:44
You think JJ McCarthy's going to be an MVP?
21:47
OK. Then they go to your Broncos.
21:49
Oh, they're not Win that. Game OK, so they're two and two
21:52
at. Best, Yeah, I think they can
21:54
start 2 and yeah, OK, two and two.
21:57
How about go having Detroit come in, then oh boy, when you
22:00
finally come home and then you go to Green Bay the week after
22:02
that you're home from Pittsburgh.
22:05
But then it does ease up and the back after 2.
22:07
So they dug themselves a hole last year.
22:10
They dug themselves a hole before they've been able to dig
22:12
themselves out of it. But that is another concern.
22:15
And the narrative starts up once again.
22:16
Another awful September for the Cincinnati Bengals and and
22:19
you're playing catch up again for another season.
22:21
How about? This three weeks, starting on
22:23
Thanksgiving, at Baltimore at Buffalo, home to Baltimore.
22:30
I mean, come on. This schedule so after that
22:33
Pittsburgh game that I mentioned Jets bears both at home, all
22:36
right, feeling good. Then you get a bye week, you go
22:38
to Pittsburgh. After that you get New England
22:41
before before mentioned 3 gates at Baltimore at Buffalo home for
22:46
Baltimore. They wrap it up at Miami.
22:49
Never easy. Now, it's not the humidity that
22:52
we sometimes see those September.
22:53
Questionable ones, but two of by then, who knows.
22:56
You like Arizona? I do.
22:58
And then it's Cleveland at home. Well, looks like 10 and 7:10 and
23:03
7:00 are going to have to win three to get to the Super Bowl.
23:07
And I think I'm painting the best case scenario maybe at
23:09
10:00 and 7:00. Yeah, I think you are too.
23:13
Just give me a call before that puff.
23:15
Too late, Too late you. Want to go to the Chargers next?
23:19
No, I want to do Baltimore. Do Baltimore.
23:21
All right. Do Baltimore.
23:22
The Ravens schedule. Here we go.
23:25
They open up on the road at Buffalo.
23:27
How? About thank God, that's Sunday
23:28
Night Football, is it not? What a game.
23:30
September 7th. What a night that is going to
23:33
be. Home for Cleveland, home for
23:35
Detroit, not Kansas City. Not a very easy.
23:38
Start for Baltimore three of the first four.
23:40
That is incredibly difficult. They're home for Houston, the
23:44
favorite in the South. They're home for the Rams, who
23:48
you love. I do.
23:49
After the bye week, they get the Bears at home at Miami at
23:54
Minnesota at. Cleveland back-to-back to back
23:56
Rd. games. 3 peat on the road for Baltimore, then they get 3
24:01
at home in a row. Jets, Bengals, Steelers and they
24:05
wrap up the final four games of the season for Baltimore at
24:08
Cincinnati, home for New England at Green Bay at Pittsburgh.
24:14
Where are you on the Steelers with Rogers?
24:18
It's very difficult. I talk myself.
24:20
I feel like I talk myself in circles, maybe with the Steelers
24:23
more than any team that is out there right now.
24:26
See, I don't, I, I just don't see it working.
24:29
I really don't. One of these years, Tom was not
24:31
going to make the playoffs. Or have a winning record.
24:33
Or have a winning record. And is this the year a Rogers
24:37
injury and it just all falls apart?
24:42
But he was also playing at a Jets team that had plenty of
24:44
talent. It did.
24:45
It wasn't a talent thing, but it was also very young and now he's
24:48
looking at a locker. Room they just paid Garrett
24:50
Wilson that, by the way, did. You see that as they should.
24:53
He's looking around now at some contemporaries, some veterans,
24:56
some some guys, and he's also walking into a locker room that
25:00
has an adult look. Robert Sala is not my cup of
25:03
tea. And the Hard Knocks last year
25:06
did not improve my view of Robert Sala as a leader of men.
25:10
And then he was fired. Mike Tomlin's not going to be
25:13
fired. That is his locker room.
25:15
That is his team. What about the running backs?
25:17
I mean, Caleb Johnson's going to walk in there with an
25:19
opportunity to play, isn't he? Oh, absolutely.
25:22
I, I wouldn't be surprised if he is basically a day one starter.
25:26
I I think that's what you're going to see from him and look
25:30
what he did to the Iowa offense last year.
25:33
They still didn't have a passing game to speak of and what he was
25:36
able to do a season ago. We've seen running backs before
25:40
and I think Caleb Johnson has that kind, that kind of ability
25:45
that he can be a difference maker right away.
25:47
Week 1 he can be that kind of guy do.
25:50
You love their defense. Yeah, they're, they're going to
25:54
be good again, because they're always good, right?
25:56
Year after year after year, they're going to be good.
25:59
That's just what you get out of them.
26:01
Why that division's been, well, with the exception of Cleveland,
26:04
and that seems like a free square.
26:05
All right, we're going to go to break.
26:06
We're going to come back, we're going to talk to Matt Post since
26:10
he was at Big 12 Media Days. We'll get into the Big 12, get
26:13
the latest there. Who does?
26:15
Who did he come away? Maybe a more impressed with that
26:18
he before he first got there. But right now I'll give you an
26:21
opportunity to win $1000. You can head to KX and o.com.
26:25
KX and o.com, this nationwide keyword this hour is cash.
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Cash at KX and o.com. Another opportunity coming up in
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an hour, and more bonus this Bucks later this afternoon on
26:41
Off the Bench with Sean and Lucas Miller and Condon underway
26:45
on Tuesday's the Iowa Sports Radio Network.
26:57
I'm Miller Condon, welcome back Iowa Sports Radio Network, Trent
27:00
Condon, Ken Miller with you until 2:00.
27:03
Matt Snyder, CBSSports.com from the All Star game.
27:05
We'll get him at 1:00. John Bowen camp was at the Iowa
27:10
basketball availability earlier this morning.
27:12
We'll pick his brain on that about 1:30.
27:14
But right now, Matt Postons, he was in Frisco Big 12 Media Days
27:18
last week as we take a look at take a listen to what Matt saw
27:22
and heard as he was there all week or for both days rather.
27:26
Let's get him in here. Matt Trenton.
27:27
Ken, thanks for coming on. I guess where I want to start
27:30
with you is give me a a school perhaps or two that you came
27:35
away with that, you know, maybe I should take a closer look at
27:39
this or yeah, that guy made a really good point.
27:41
Maybe I'm underestimating that. What?
27:44
Who would that school be, if there is one?
27:46
Matt? Yeah, I think there are probably
27:50
2. I think I'm going to take a
27:53
closer look at Arizona and talking to Brent Brennan and
27:56
talking to their players. They feel much better about
28:01
where they're at in year 2 than in year 1.
28:03
And you know, to be fair, I think that would be an accurate
28:06
reflection of any second year coach.
28:08
But in listening to Brent Brennan talk about last year, it
28:13
seemed like he was trying to satisfy a lot of different
28:15
audiences last year. And I think one of the things he
28:19
mentioned to me that kind of really resonated was, you know,
28:22
he was, he was more focused with the result last year than the
28:26
process. And now he's he's kind of
28:29
recalibrated himself in getting back to getting back to the
28:33
process of getting to the results.
28:35
He he felt like they kind of skipped a step last year.
28:37
I think part of that probably was the fact that he inherited a
28:40
team that with 110 games the year before, had talent coming
28:44
back. And and, you know, I, I think
28:47
that message kind of resonated with me.
28:48
And, you know, I, I was kind of high on Houston coming into, you
28:52
know, media day is not so much high on them being like a a
28:56
contender, but a a team that does, you know, you know, really
29:00
starting to make some strides forward.
29:02
And I came, I came away more impressed with with what they're
29:06
doing at Houston right now. I think they're I think they
29:09
have the potential to be a bold team.
29:10
I think I feel better about their quarterback situation now
29:14
after talking to Willie Fred. He really feels as if now that
29:16
Connor Weakman is healthy and is in the system that better suits
29:20
him, he thinks they're going to get better performance out of
29:22
him, better numbers for their offense.
29:24
So those are the two teams that I kind of came away with, you
29:27
know, OK, this these two teams in particular deserve a little
29:30
more scrutiny from me in the coming weeks.
29:33
Matt, we didn't get an official Big 12 poll that we got a couple
29:36
of unofficial ones on three and Mcmurphy was chased around to
29:39
coaches asking for their top two.
29:41
I know I think 24/7 did one a couple other places that have
29:44
been out there there get us into kind of the mind of the thought
29:49
process behind not having the media poll and if you actually
29:52
believe that it's going to matter.
29:54
And then secondly, any surprises to some of those polls that were
29:57
out there to you? Yeah.
29:59
So Brett, your Mark talked about that the first day and and his
30:03
their rationale was the poll. They felt the poll
30:07
disproportionately hurt Arizona State last year.
30:09
Of course Arizona State was picked last in the media poll
30:12
last year and in the coaches poll and they won the conference
30:15
and they felt that that disproportionately hurt the Sun
30:19
Devils. Now, if you think about last
30:20
year, they were a top four seed because they were one of the top
30:23
4 conferences and got a first round by if they were using
30:26
straight seating last year, they would have been the number 12
30:29
seed. So you, I guess you could make a
30:32
case that maybe they were disproportionately hurt by that.
30:36
The coaches seem to agree with that.
30:37
That's why they did away with the coaches polls.
30:39
They did the same thing with the media polls.
30:40
So that was the rationale. I saw a lot of consistency in
30:44
the non sanctioned media polls that were out there.
30:47
A lot of, you know, Kansas State, Iowa State, Arizona
30:52
State, you know, at the top, TCU and BYU, I'm sorry, TCU and
30:57
Baylor were both near the top in many of those polls.
31:00
So I think those five teams seem to be resonating with everybody
31:05
in these unofficial polls that were conducted.
31:06
But I thought it was kind of interesting.
31:08
You know, I, I took part Part 1 as part of Gambling Gauchos on
31:11
Twitter. I think there are at least four
31:13
or five different unofficial polls out there.
31:15
So maybe the Big 12 got what it wanted.
31:18
They don't have an official poll that might potentially influence
31:21
the committee, but they got a lot of attention and a lot of
31:25
traction out of it anyway. Yeah, because we're talking
31:28
about it and everybody's doing their own, which wouldn't have
31:30
been the case. So yeah, maybe mission
31:32
accomplished, that sly fox that he is.
31:35
So I want to ask you about a team that I'm starting to
31:39
because they were just so bad last year, right?
31:41
We go back to, you know, what you were referencing back in Las
31:44
Vegas last year and everyone's talking about Oklahoma State and
31:47
in particular, we're talking about Utah.
31:49
And both of those schools had, I mean, just inexplicably bad
31:53
years. But you talked to of the two, to
31:56
me is the one that, you know, maybe for whatever reason, just
32:00
draw a line through it, but don't sell them short.
32:03
Last year, new quarterback in Dan Fury, he's a threat, not a
32:07
great passer. I think 12:00 and 12:00
32:08
touchdowns to interceptions, which not great.
32:11
But when you add in the 1100 yards that he was able to, you
32:15
know, gain on the ground, that makes up for it in some
32:18
respects. Where are you on the utes?
32:20
Are they a threat to win this thing?
32:24
I don't think they're a threat to win it this year.
32:26
I think they're a threat to be better.
32:29
I think the advantage that Dan Pierre has is the reason he went
32:32
to Utah is because his offensive coordinator, Jason Beckley.
32:34
Utah. And Kyle Ledingham is very clear
32:38
they're going to let Jason Beck be Jason back as far as the
32:41
offense is concerned. So what Dan Pierre did well at
32:43
New Mexico last year is what he'll be asked to do well at
32:48
Utah this year. The thing that worries me is
32:51
that outside of DM Pier, I don't quite know where the running
32:54
game is going to come from. You know, and and I think that
32:58
his shortcomings as a passer overall could hurt them
33:01
offensively. But you know, more importantly
33:04
was that when I look across the landscape of this conference
33:07
right now, honestly, I see a half dozen teams that are better
33:10
than them. I mean, just to be honest, I
33:13
think they're in that second tier of teams that, you know,
33:16
things go right. If things go really right, yeah,
33:19
they can be a contender, but they're not, to me, like an
33:23
Arizona State or a Kansas State where they could take a few body
33:26
blows and still be a contender. I think everything has to go
33:29
right for Utah to be a contender.
33:30
And I think it just starts with the fact that who else is going
33:33
to run the ball besides Dan Pure and run it effectively?
33:36
I love Sam Levitt. I think he's a tremendous
33:39
talent. Dillingham's done everything
33:41
right, but they came out of nowhere a year ago and it's very
33:44
rare that we see those teams that have that kind of season
33:47
able to stack it up back and forth, do back-to-back years.
33:50
That's about the only hole I can point in though, because you
33:53
look at the teams and the talent and it feels like it's all
33:55
there. Can you poke any holes in
33:57
Arizona State and what concerns you coming into the year?
34:00
It's hard to poke any holes in them.
34:02
In all honesty. I think the one big hole is the
34:04
run game. You know, obviously not having
34:07
Cam Scataboo back there. He did a very special back.
34:10
He could do everything for you. Those kinds of guys are really
34:13
hard to find, you know, Kenny Dillingham acknowledged that,
34:16
you know, throughout his session with the media on Tuesday.
34:20
You know, they feel like they've got three guys that can do a
34:23
little bit of everything or a little bit of the types of
34:28
things that Cam Scatogue could do, but not the complete
34:30
package. So you're going to see a lot of
34:33
different schemes trying to, you know, accentuate what those guys
34:37
do the best. You might have a guy who's very
34:39
specifically a receiver out of the backfield, a guy who's very
34:42
specifically going to run between the tackles, a guy who's
34:45
very specifically going to do this and that.
34:47
And you can make that work. But the problem is you also
34:50
Telegraph that to the defense. If there's a certain back on the
34:52
field, you say to the defense, hey, we're going to utilize this
34:55
guy a certain way. So that takes some of the
34:58
surprised out of what they were able to do with scattered
35:00
through last year because he could do a little bit of
35:02
everything. That's the one big hole that I
35:04
can punch in them right now. But if they're healthy and Sam
35:07
Levitt is Sam Levitt and and their receiving core is where it
35:11
should be and their past rush is a little bit better, they're
35:14
going to be a hard thing to be. I mean, you can't bottle up what
35:17
they did last year from a magic standpoint, but there's still a
35:19
team that could win double digit games in this in this season and
35:23
get to the conference championship game.
35:26
The great thing about it is they they have that success to draw
35:29
from. They they didn't just retain
35:31
their starting line that they're retained a lot of depth too.
35:34
So they did, they get a few injuries, they have some guys
35:37
they can lean on. So I still like them, but I
35:39
don't. It's going to be a completely
35:41
different type of season for them when you've got the target
35:43
on your back as opposed to having the expectations of being
35:46
the worst team in the conference.
35:47
I really want to ask you about Baylor, but in the sake of time,
35:50
and maybe we'll have time, I got asked about Iowa State and just
35:53
what you, when you listen to Matt Campbell, when you look
35:56
closer, what Iowa State's going to bring to the field this year,
35:59
your take away from your two days there and then particular
36:02
day #1 when Iowa State was part of it.
36:05
Yeah. You know, we've kind of reached
36:07
the point with Matt Campbell where we just, we expect what we
36:11
expect from them. You know, he he always seems to
36:13
feel very good about where his team is at.
36:16
I think he feels very good about the the chemistry in the
36:18
quarterback room. Obviously they've got a lot to
36:21
replace in that receiving room. And I think they feel between
36:24
the development of players they had and what they pulled out of
36:26
the portal, they feel like they have the talent to to succeed
36:30
there. I really think it comes down
36:33
early for them about their Divas because they know they're going
36:35
to Ireland. We know we've got the the, the
36:38
schedule after that way they don't get a bye week for three
36:40
or four weeks and those kinds of stretches you've really got to
36:44
lean on your defense to to really kind of come through for
36:47
you. So I think that their defense
36:48
plays really well early on. I think that's going to give
36:51
Rocco back and those receivers trying to get the real chemistry
36:54
they need in game situation so that offense can start humming
36:58
the way it hums, you know, the way it should hum in September
37:00
and October. I like where most of the rest of
37:03
the team is at, if we're being honest.
37:05
I think it's just a matter of can they get off to a good
37:08
start, Avoid that, You know, avoid going two and two.
37:11
Like we talked about a couple of weeks ago, one of those teams,
37:13
either Kansas State's or Iowa State's, going to go 2:00 and
37:16
2:00 because of the way their schedules set up after Ireland.
37:20
And both of them acknowledged that, you know, it's going to be
37:22
a tough stretch for them. The business trip, Chris
37:24
Cleveland said we got to get on a plane and go home the next day
37:26
and get ready for the next game. So that's what you got to try to
37:30
avoid. You got to try to avoid going
37:31
two and two because if you go the wrong two and two, you could
37:33
be owed 2 and Commerce by the end of September.
37:35
Not. Good.
37:36
That would be wrong. Not good a lot of time for
37:40
today. Matt Poston.
37:41
Wanted to get a Baylor question because I don't get what Phil
37:43
still I I don't get it. I don't get it.
37:45
I don't get I love, sorry, Robinson, but I don't get it.
37:48
We'll talk later. Matt.
37:49
Thanks for jumping on. Appreciate it, brother.
37:51
I really do. Glad you found time for us here
37:54
today and we'll talk in the weeks ahead.
37:55
Heartland College sports for Matt Postons and the entire team
37:58
over there covering the Big 12. Thank you, Matt.
38:01
Thanks guys. Appreciate.
38:02
It good to talk to you, Matt Postons, as we check in on the
38:05
Big 12. Do you buy Baylor?
38:08
Yeah. You see, they're 60.
38:09
Everybody gets pumped up about their last six games.
38:12
They go over the ones they beat. Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU,
38:15
West Virginia, Houston, Kansas. Got to win them.
38:18
Yeah, but they're, was there a bowl team in there?
38:21
Texas Tech, I think, OK, maybe. That's a good win.
38:24
That's OK if if they beat them this year, it'd be a really good
38:27
win. Do they play them this year?
38:29
God, they're scheduled. No they don't.
38:31
Anyways, what is Phil still looking at?
38:34
Do we get Phil still this year? Yeah, good.
38:36
Yeah, we'll get him. I want to ask him that 6.
38:38
Straight wins. Six straight wins at the end.
38:41
I get it. Well done.
38:43
Maybe saved his job. And they went toe to toe with
38:46
LSU for a long time was. That the very last bowl game of
38:49
the year. Wasn't that That one after
38:50
January 1st? No, that was, this was December
38:53
31st, OK. That was kind of a precursor, I
38:55
think to. What is what's 1?
38:57
There's always like a Texas Bowl, like like January 5th that
39:00
makes no sense. Grateful for it and hope they
39:03
have it again. Miller and Condon back to wrap
39:05
up our number one, it's the Iowa Sports Radio Network.
39:17
Hi, I'm Melody Condon, welcome back Iowa Sports Radio Network,
39:20
Trent Condon, Ken Miller, final minute here.
39:22
Our #1 Baseball conversation will kick off the second hour
39:28
with matt.snyderwhocoversmlbandwritesit@cbssports.com
39:33
And then John Bowen camp was at basketball media availability
39:37
today. Players involved, you know,
39:39
Trent. Yes, I think there was a four or
39:41
five guys that were listed that was going to be available.
39:43
So be able to get a little content out of that and insight
39:46
from John Bowencamp. I did see a little note during
39:49
the break looking on Twitter. Entries are up for the Circa
39:53
Survivor contest. Way up 23%, No.
39:55
What did Pomp say? 21% when he joined me on Monday.
39:58
Including five already entered for grandissimo, they're 5 now
40:03
up to 5. It's going to be 30.
40:06
North of that. You think N you could be right.
40:09
That's, that's a pretty big buy in that would be $100,000 to
40:12
play in that contest. Steep for our liking.
40:16
Hour 2 Coming up next, Miller and Condon talking sports with
40:19
you on the Iowa Sports Radio Network.