Latest / The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon / Monday Night stinker, A Path to Iowa in the Playoff still? Cyclones Hoops dominate Mississippi St, Bill Bender on College Football & Eliot Clough talks Hawkeyes

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Monday Night stinker, A Path to Iowa in the Playoff still? Cyclones Hoops dominate Mississippi St, Bill Bender on College Football & Eliot Clough talks Hawkeyes · The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon

• 0:09
  Hi, good afternoon. Welcome Miller and Condon on a
• 0:12
  Tuesday. The Iowa Sports Radio Network.
• 0:15
  Trent Condon and Ken Miller for the next couple of hours talking
• 0:18
  sports with you. Appreciate you starting your
• 0:20
  afternoon with us. Here's what's coming up on our
• 0:23
  program this morning. We will start with our buddy
• 0:26
  Bill Bender, who covers college football, amongst other things,
• 0:28
  but college football's bill's primary beat at the Sporting
• 0:32
  News, sportingnews.com. For Bill Bender, that will head
• 0:36
  to Iowa City where Elliott Cleft will be standing by the players.
• 0:40
  Football players meeting with the media as we speak.
• 0:44
  Kirk Ference coming up at 1:45. So between time, in about 45
• 0:48
  minutes, we'll get Elliot to opine on what he heard earlier
• 0:51
  in the day. Matt Postons covers the Big 12.
• 0:54
  We will head to Matt Poston's to kick off hour number two.
• 0:59
  We'll do some, obviously some football, basketball as well
• 1:03
  with Matt Poston sees what I want to pick his brain on who
• 1:05
  he's seen early in the basketball season, particularly
• 1:09
  some of the youngsters that have merged into this conference.
• 1:12
  So Matt Poston's coming up, kick off hour number two.
• 1:15
  And then Vinny Iyer, another Sporting News writer.
• 1:17
  He will join us. He covers the NFL and also does
• 1:20
  the Locked on Fantasy podcast, part of the Locked On network.
• 1:24
  But Vinny on the NFL as we wrap up a week yesterday with the
• 1:29
  Eagles getting by the Packers. If you like defense, a pretty
• 1:31
  good football game. Not a lot of offense in the
• 1:34
  game, but it was all right. It just it was different.
• 1:38
  Look at you put lipstick on that pig.
• 1:39
  That thing sucked. That was bad it.
• 1:41
  Was defense and we're not used to we're used to 30 something 40
• 1:44
  some kind of Big 12 scores. Back in the day, it was it was
• 1:47
  all right. But the Eagles.
• 1:49
  You know that what's coming here the end of the season.
• 1:52
  And so you're just you're trying to say, what do you mean?
• 1:54
  Well, the end of the season's right around the corner and you
• 1:56
  get sad at this point in time. So you're you're trying to say
• 1:59
  that any football game is a good football game, No.
• 2:01
  Denver and the Raiders was really bad.
• 2:02
  That was bad. That was awful.
• 2:04
  Last night was bad, too. Yeah, Jordan Love looked
• 2:06
  terrible. He did.
• 2:07
  He did, yeah. I don't know.
• 2:10
  I mean, are, are the Eagles a threat?
• 2:12
  You haven't been on that bandwagon, to say the very
• 2:15
  least. A threat.
• 2:17
  You talked about the depth of the NFC.
• 2:20
  Yeah. Do I like them more than the
• 2:21
  Seahawks? No, I don't.
• 2:22
  No. Lions no.
• 2:24
  Rams no Tampa. Maybe.
• 2:29
  Niners. Yeah, 4th. 5th though.
• 2:34
  Packers. Who knows what that team, We've
• 2:37
  been saying it all year. I mean how, how just up and
• 2:40
  down. I thought they actually played
• 2:43
  pretty well in parts last night because I think the Eagles are
• 2:46
  still a good team. I don't think they're last
• 2:48
  year's team by any means. And how about Lane Johnson?
• 2:51
  Yes, he comes back into the game.
• 2:53
  Gutting it out, it's. Unbelievable.
• 2:55
  I hear there was a a line back in the day when Alex Kerris was,
• 2:58
  I think he was in Iowa. Well, he was.
• 2:59
  I know he was in Iowa, but it might have been during his Iowa
• 3:02
  tenure that this guy staples up his socks with thumbtacks.
• 3:08
  Now, obviously he didn't, but just going to try.
• 3:11
  And that's kind of when I, when I see Lane Johns, I mean, he
• 3:14
  this guy, there's no way he should be back on the field,
• 3:16
  right? I thought he was headed to have
• 3:17
  it cut off. And there he is coming out with
• 3:21
  the team. You got to be you got obviously
• 3:24
  it's, it's a man's game, no doubt about that.
• 3:26
  And he is an example of that. So I I'm with you, Trent.
• 3:30
  I think the NFC is is a much deeper league when it comes to
• 3:33
  the AFC. Well, there's depth in the AFC.
• 3:36
  There is, but who's that team? Because right now, the Chiefs
• 3:39
  are the favorite to win the Super Bowl.
• 3:40
  They're not even in the damn playoffs and we're in double
• 3:43
  digit weeks of the season. And by the way, the Chiefs
• 3:46
  schedule next two weeks are pretty good teams.
• 3:49
  I know they have Denver and I love Kansas City.
• 3:53
  Oh, you do. I love Kansas City.
• 3:55
  And who do they have after that? And then Indianapolis.
• 3:58
  And they're just coming off their well, it's Andy read off
• 4:00
  his by. I mean, that's an automatic bet.
• 4:02
  Right. It's like 13 and one eight and
• 4:04
  one with Kansas City off a by. And I do not like the way Bone
• 4:08
  Nix is playing one little bit. I do not like the receiving core
• 4:11
  of Denver 1 little bit. Love their offensive line, love
• 4:14
  their defense. Wish Sir Tan was back.
• 4:15
  He'll get back. Will Lutz is a is a perfectly
• 4:18
  fine kicker, but it's that offense that has major problems
• 4:22
  in the skill positions. I want to just kind of go worst
• 4:25
  case scenario with Kansas City because they are the betting
• 4:28
  favorite as you said, though still on the outside looking in.
• 4:32
  So let's say these next two, they take a loss, one loss, they
• 4:37
  go one and one. So they're what, 5 and 4 right
• 4:39
  now? Puts them at 6:00 and 5:00.
• 4:41
  Then they have these next three games at the Cowboys.
• 4:45
  Who can score? That's Thanksgiving.
• 4:47
  That's Thanksgiving home for the.
• 4:49
  Texans who have a defense. And straw be back by then.
• 4:53
  Probably. Hope so.
• 4:54
  And then the chargers. Chargers beat them in Week 2,
• 4:58
  can you one? Can you paint a scenario where
• 5:01
  they go one and two in that stretch?
• 5:03
  Again, we're talking kind of worst case scenario.
• 5:05
  Yes, I think you can. Yes, you might have to squint to
• 5:08
  get there, right? But you can.
• 5:10
  They're 7:00 and 7:00. And then they've got 3 left. 3
• 5:13
  left and even and again, we're painting the worst case scenario
• 5:16
  outside of injuries. Yep, right. 7:00 and 7:00.
• 5:20
  But then they wrap up at Tennessee.
• 5:22
  Not losing that game. No home for Denver?
• 5:25
  Christmas night. And then at the Raiders, who
• 5:28
  will be? Done.
• 5:30
  Done. Yeah, done.
• 5:31
  I mean even painting a scenario like.
• 5:33
  That 10 and 7. I think they still get to 10 and
• 5:35
  7 and that's going to be good enough obviously to get in.
• 5:38
  I think there's the the reason that they are still the favorite
• 5:41
  in some respect. Well, the reason they're the
• 5:42
  Chiefs is the reason. But you remember back, I don't
• 5:47
  know, a month ago when the Baltimore Ravens were circling
• 5:50
  the drain without Lamar Jackson and this team had one win beside
• 5:54
  their name and somehow, some way, they were still the
• 5:56
  favorite to win the AFC North. It's kind of it kind of has that
• 6:00
  feel when it comes to the Chiefs.
• 6:04
  I guess it's just the respect factor about this team.
• 6:08
  All right, I want to bounce around a couple of other things.
• 6:10
  So when you we came in here, so somebody called me during the
• 6:17
  show yesterday, we didn't have time.
• 6:19
  And so I talked to him during a break and I love when callers do
• 6:21
  that. Don't want to go on the air.
• 6:22
  So made a case for Iowa in the playoffs and I thought it was
• 6:27
  nuts. What playoffs the this year's
• 6:29
  College Football Playoff? What?
• 6:31
  I it's not without the there, there's a path.
• 6:35
  It's a 99.9% not going to happen.
• 6:38
  OK. But I think the way he laid it
• 6:41
  out, and I wonder if it's it, it might be this guy's call right
• 6:44
  now. So let me find out here.
• 6:46
  Mark. Mark, did you call me yesterday?
• 6:49
  Yes, I did. All right, you hang on while I
• 6:51
  explain this to Trent. I'm anxious to hear this because
• 6:53
  I did a little homework last night and I'm with you now.
• 6:56
  It's a long shot at best. OK.
• 7:00
  You want me to go? Yeah, you go ahead.
• 7:02
  You you explain your your way, 'cause obviously you've got Iowa
• 7:05
  winning out, correct? You have to.
• 7:07
  Yeah, that's that's gotta happen, of course, right?
• 7:10
  Iowa's gotta win out now, Michigan.
• 7:14
  Well, OK, do you want me to pick through the teams and sure how
• 7:18
  they're going to fall off? Let's do it.
• 7:20
  So first, first of all, we'll assume Indy, Indiana, Ohio State
• 7:24
  and Oregon. And yes, OK, so now, so now
• 7:27
  there's six Big 10 teams that would have a chance in theory of
• 7:31
  finishing with only three overall losses.
• 7:34
  OK, USB 7 and 2, they play us and they play at Oregon, so I'll
• 7:39
  give them two losses there. Yep.
• 7:42
  OK, Minnesota's six and three. They also play at Oregon, so
• 7:46
  they're going to get a fourth loss.
• 7:47
  That's Friday night. Nebraska.
• 7:50
  Oh, is it? Yep.
• 7:51
  OK. Nebraska's seven and three.
• 7:55
  They lose to us again. We're counting on us winning
• 7:57
  out. They're at 4 losses.
• 8:00
  Washington, six and three. They play at home against
• 8:03
  Oregon. I don't know who else, but they
• 8:05
  play at home against Oregon. Probably a loss, although I
• 8:08
  mean, that one's dicey, you know, but probably a loss.
• 8:11
  OK, Washington, Just so we have Washington.
• 8:13
  Washington has Purdue at home, at UCLA and Oregon at home.
• 8:19
  So probably only one loss, Yeah. OK, yeah, they certainly could
• 8:23
  lose at UCLA. Yeah.
• 8:24
  But anyway, so they're at 4 losses at least.
• 8:28
  Illinois, they're six and three. They're home against Maryland,
• 8:32
  at Wisconsin, home against Northwestern.
• 8:34
  Pretty easy. Now there may not be a.
• 8:36
  What's that? Pretty easy.
• 8:39
  Pretty easy. There may not be a loss in
• 8:41
  there, but let's even say there isn't.
• 8:44
  We beat USC at USC. They got beat by USC at home.
• 8:50
  We came very close to Indiana. They got boat raced by Indiana.
• 8:55
  So I feel like Illinois would not be picked over Iowa.
• 8:59
  OK, OK. You guys still there?
• 9:02
  Yeah, no, we're still here. You have our undivided
• 9:05
  attention. Finally, Michigan.
• 9:09
  The one. Seven and two, I think there's a
• 9:12
  big problem they're going to lose against Ohio.
• 9:16
  State, of course. But could they also lose it
• 9:19
  wriggly against Northwestern? Maybe Northwestern or at
• 9:24
  Maryland? Probably not there, but the
• 9:27
  Northwestern 1, though, I, I came away last Friday night.
• 9:30
  I watched USC and Northwestern start to finish.
• 9:33
  Northwestern made some mistakes. I get it's a football game and
• 9:36
  the other team capitalizes as USC did, but Northwestern is
• 9:39
  better than you know, We just assumed Northwestern's a A2 and
• 9:43
  10A3 and 9 football team. They're not.
• 9:45
  They're better than that. So that's go ahead.
• 9:50
  OK. All right.
• 9:51
  So now we're done. So I think in all likelihood, I
• 9:55
  mean, I think it's pretty likely what I've just gone through that
• 9:57
  it's us or Michigan. OK, so we beat, we beat USC at
• 10:02
  USC. Michigan lost the USC at USC.
• 10:06
  Now Michigan has a fancy name, so that's kind of a problem.
• 10:10
  But but I, I, I don't think Michigan's beaten anybody, no.
• 10:15
  Meanwhile. Washington.
• 10:17
  That'll be their best win. OK.
• 10:19
  Meanwhile, we've come extremely close to Indiana and Oregon and
• 10:23
  also lost to at one time credible Iowa State.
• 10:26
  And you would have beaten USC. And we would have beaten USC.
• 10:30
  All right, So now, now, I mean, I even called in to Lucas and
• 10:36
  and Sean yesterday because they were also saying Iowa's out of
• 10:39
  it. I don't think that's true.
• 10:40
  And they they agreed with me that they really do think that
• 10:43
  there's a fourth team in it would be Iowa.
• 10:46
  But anyways, we, we could fight about that, you know, all the
• 10:49
  all day. What I, what I will say, Mark,
• 10:51
  was when you called, I thought you were crazy because I didn't
• 10:54
  think there was a path. And then I started to listen
• 10:57
  more and I think they're, I think like it's a longest of
• 11:00
  long shot, right? But there, it's not like you can
• 11:03
  say as of today, they're eliminated, Can you, Trent?
• 11:06
  They're not officially eliminated.
• 11:09
  The problem you're going to run into, Mark, it has nothing to do
• 11:11
  with the Big 10. It has absolutely nothing to do.
• 11:14
  It's the SEC and the likelihood that a nine and three Iowa
• 11:18
  team's going to get in over a nine and three Tennessee team or
• 11:22
  even a nine and three Vanderbilt team.
• 11:24
  They're not going to. Let me throw one more out there.
• 11:27
  Notre Dame loses to Pitt this weekend.
• 11:29
  Notre Dame gets beat by Pitt. Notre Dame is no longer in the
• 11:32
  playoffs. That would help putting up a
• 11:33
  spot. Yes, that would help a ton.
• 11:34
  Yeah, exactly. So it could be 5 SEC, 4 Big 10,
• 11:39
  but let's let's even say it's four and let's even say the SEC
• 11:43
  is going to get at least 4, the Big 10's at 3.
• 11:45
  Now they got to fill that last one.
• 11:47
  Don't you think one of the two power conferences, namely the
• 11:50
  Big 10, is somehow going to be insist that it gets the fourth
• 11:55
  team? They can root, root for Texas.
• 11:57
  This is tech to win every week. Yeah, big.
• 11:59
  We don't want a chance at a second Big 12 team.
• 12:01
  And the Big 12 right now is alive for two teams.
• 12:04
  You want Miami to take another loss.
• 12:06
  Here's another scenario. Miami doesn't get to the ACC
• 12:08
  championship game. They go 10 and 2:10 and 2:00.
• 12:11
  Miami with a win against Notre Dame.
• 12:12
  They're getting over 9 and three Iowa or nine and three Michigan
• 12:15
  or nine and three Washington or nine and three Illinois.
• 12:18
  Whoever big 10, a 10 and two Miami team with that is getting
• 12:21
  in there. So as I like to always say,
• 12:23
  there's a lot of football out there, but the Big 10's not the
• 12:26
  problem. And resume wise, Iowa stacks up
• 12:29
  as well as anybody out of those nine and three teams you talk
• 12:32
  about. The problem is the SEC and not
• 12:34
  just #4 or #5 'cause it could go down to #6 for the SEC.
• 12:40
  Yeah, it's true. Yeah.
• 12:40
  A couple of the real quick. Things and then.
• 12:42
  I can certainly drop 1. The ACC could get nobody right.
• 12:45
  I think that's true. Scenario for that?
• 12:47
  It's a path. Yep, Yep.
• 12:48
  Talked about that yesterday. Yep, Yep.
• 12:51
  And. I guess all I really want and I
• 12:55
  can't have the world I want, but all I really want, all talking
• 12:58
  heads, local and national and all fans to say is it's not that
• 13:02
  far beyond the realm of possibility that Iowa could get
• 13:05
  in. I mean.
• 13:05
  You need a lot of help. It's.
• 13:06
  Still in play? It's still in.
• 13:08
  Play. It's like a 15 team parlay.
• 13:10
  It can happen. Yeah, Mark, thanks for
• 13:14
  listening. Appreciate it and call anytime,
• 13:16
  OK. You bet.
• 13:18
  Love you guys. Thank you.
• 13:19
  Good to hear from you. It's unlikely.
• 13:22
  You're threading the needle. You're threading the needle.
• 13:24
  Yes, you're threading the needle.
• 13:26
  Well put. But I think the biggest issue is
• 13:29
  the SEC, yeah, because out of this group, A&M, Alabama,
• 13:33
  Georgia, Ole Miss, they're all it.
• 13:36
  So there's four teams right there.
• 13:38
  Oklahoma beat Alabama this week. Well, he had Oklahoma and Texas
• 13:42
  and Vandy and still Tennessee, as much as I don't think they're
• 13:45
  very good. No, I don't either.
• 13:46
  Even Missouri at 9:00 and 3:00, if they run the table and get to
• 13:49
  9 and 3 with wins against Mississippi State, a road win at
• 13:53
  Oklahoma and wrap up at Arkansas with a win 9 to 3, Missouri's
• 13:58
  getting in over Iowa. I don't like it.
• 14:00
  I don't think it should be the case.
• 14:02
  I don't think with Zohler's. He looked awful.
• 14:04
  By the way, over the weekend. I should have been listening to
• 14:07
  your boy Drew Lock, who said, oh, yeah, this kid's going to be
• 14:09
  a star. You're.
• 14:11
  Listening to Drew. Lock.
• 14:12
  Yeah, that's a problem. Boy, I bought a lot of Drew Lock
• 14:14
  stock back in the day. Not as good as your Ray O'durnia
• 14:17
  stock though, yeah. Yeah, really. 2 short stops in
• 14:21
  New York rookie. For for our new listeners and,
• 14:24
  and I know we got a ton of them now statewide.
• 14:26
  You got to tell that story overtime because it just popped
• 14:28
  into my head. It's one of my all type
• 14:29
  favourites. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm always
• 14:31
  looking for these, you know, bet a little or invest a little,
• 14:34
  make a lot, right? And I, and at the time I was
• 14:36
  into baseball cards. So there was 2 rookie shortstops
• 14:42
  in New York. One played for the Yankees.
• 14:45
  I didn't buy him because I didn't think it was very good.
• 14:47
  The other kid just dazzled me with his glove work in the
• 14:49
  field. I hadn't seen anything like it.
• 14:51
  That was Ray Ordonez from the New York Mets.
• 14:53
  The other one. Didn't work out very well.
• 14:55
  Yeah, they almost Derek Jeter. So if you would have taken, you
• 14:59
  know, the the what, dozens of cards that you had and instead
• 15:02
  of having Ray Ordonez, yeah, would have been Jeter.
• 15:06
  I mean not the gets rich scheme by anything, but you know, I'd
• 15:09
  like to try and get ahead of the market as but seldom works out.
• 15:15
  Thanks for reminding me. Ray Ordonez, New York Mets
• 15:17
  stock. I wonder what ever happened to
• 15:18
  him. I don't think he played very
• 15:19
  long. Who knows?
• 15:21
  I do know that we will be talking to Bill Bender coming up
• 15:25
  from The Sporting News. More college football tonight
• 15:28
  from Bill. Coming up here from Bill, Devin
• 15:31
  wants to join the show. Devin, how are you?
• 15:34
  I'm good. Hope you guys are doing well.
• 15:36
  Kenny, I don't remember. I don't remember the day, but
• 15:39
  you were saying at one point that you were listening to Drake
• 15:43
  versus Robert Morris with M and Ecker and Larry.
• 15:45
  I forgot. His last name, please forgive
• 15:47
  me. Larry Morgan.
• 15:48
  Yeah. Morgan So I photographed Drake
• 15:51
  basketball and I ran into Larry last night and I let him know
• 15:55
  that you were giving him some flowers on the air, so he just
• 15:57
  wanted me to tell you. Thank you.
• 15:59
  Nice. He's very nice guy I love
• 16:00
  talking to. He's great guy.
• 16:02
  Yeah. Wonderful.
• 16:03
  Yeah. Devin.
• 16:04
  Anything else bud? That's it.
• 16:06
  Thank. You, I appreciate you calling in
• 16:08
  and I see. Devin's pictures all over the
• 16:10
  place does a lot. Of that's the photography.
• 16:11
  Yes, yes, that's the guy. High school.
• 16:13
  Yeah, he's all over the place. Devin does a really good he.
• 16:15
  Does a good job. I I didn't put two and two
• 16:17
  together. I wish you were still there,
• 16:19
  Devin. Hopefully you're still
• 16:20
  listening. Yeah, I see him on on the
• 16:22
  Twitter a lot. DKG images.
• 16:25
  On Twitter, yes, Good stuff. All right, Bill Bender on the
• 16:30
  other side. We'll get you a keyword coming
• 16:32
  up already. You know what got the shame on
• 16:34
  us? Iowa State played basketball
• 16:37
  last night, Yes. We will talk more about that
• 16:39
  with postings. Yeah, what a performance.
• 16:41
  So two things, obviously. Taming Lipsy.
• 16:44
  Please God, let him stay healthy, yeah.
• 16:46
  Absolutely. Please stay healthy for your
• 16:48
  senior year. Torre is going to be something.
• 16:50
  And. Torre is a problem.
• 16:52
  That's going to help, yes, because you don't have to play
• 16:54
  Lipsy 34 minutes a game. Yeah, you can play 30 and get
• 17:00
  away with you're both going to play.
• 17:01
  Oh, absolutely. And you're going to play them
• 17:02
  together a bunch, too. But it just felt like so many
• 17:05
  times they weren't comfortable with another primary ball
• 17:09
  handler out there the last couple of seasons.
• 17:11
  You have that now at all. Oh my God, do you know what else
• 17:13
  you have? I really like this Blake
• 17:16
  Buchanan. You know, I've not seen a ton of
• 17:17
  it so far. You know, this was a guy, he's
• 17:20
  coming in from Virginia, all right?
• 17:24
  I know the numbers are different in Virginia because of the style
• 17:27
  of play. He is so much more.
• 17:30
  Athletic, she really is. He is so much more skilled than
• 17:34
  I anticipated. He was incredible.
• 17:37
  You know, I mentioned now a couple of times, Mulder, I
• 17:40
  thought he's going to be a stiff.
• 17:42
  I mean, oh, nice story. Local kid coming home.
• 17:45
  He's going to give them couple of minutes, 5-6 minutes a game,
• 17:48
  yes, and four that, you know, lunch pail guy coming in there,
• 17:53
  mix it up, play physical. He's going to give them more
• 17:55
  than I thought. Tori, obviously, he's going to
• 17:57
  give more, I think than anybody could anticipated.
• 18:00
  The story of the Utah Valley kid who they said, you know what,
• 18:05
  we're probably not going to take you.
• 18:07
  We don't got room because they thought they had, well, they did
• 18:09
  have Mason Williams. They have Mason Williams.
• 18:11
  Problem is he's hurt. And so they re engage with him.
• 18:15
  All of a sudden, you look at what he's doing, what he did at
• 18:17
  the end of the first half. I mean, Dominic Nelson, he's
• 18:19
  going to have a game against a good team.
• 18:22
  He's going to put up 18 points. He's got that kind of
• 18:25
  versatility and skill set that he's going to be able to do it,
• 18:28
  I guess. Knocking down threes.
• 18:30
  Don't ever question TJ Otzelberger in the portal.
• 18:34
  He knows what he's doing. He.
• 18:35
  Does this game started, I thought this was going to be
• 18:38
  complete rock fight because these both of these defenses
• 18:41
  because Jans wants to play defense too.
• 18:43
  They were getting after each other and then I'm state just
• 18:46
  took it to another level. They they wiped the floor with
• 18:48
  the Bulldogs. They really did.
• 18:50
  They were much the better team last night.
• 18:52
  Hubbard's going to get his. He's a terrific player and the.
• 18:55
  Guard injury hurt them. Yeah, 20.
• 18:57
  Six, Yeah. Without him, that's definitely
• 19:00
  an issue. But still, Hubbard's good
• 19:02
  player. Yeah.
• 19:02
  I mean, they're going to be a bubble team.
• 19:03
  I think Mississippi State, probably, they got some guys
• 19:06
  there and Hubbard, he's going to win quite a few games I think
• 19:09
  for them this season. The clones and BYU and Houston
• 19:13
  and Arizona. And Kansas.
• 19:16
  Oh God. Isn't it crazy it takes so long
• 19:18
  now for us to get to Kansas and basketball?
• 19:20
  Surely is. Let's get to you, to kxno.com.
• 19:23
  The keyword this hour is Bills. Bills at kxno.com Your chance to
• 19:28
  win $1000. Bills at kxno.com your chance to
• 19:31
  win a grand in this nationwide contest.
• 19:33
  Bender next Elliot Cleft Still to come Miller and Condon
• 19:36
  talking sports on a moist sports station.
• 19:39
  One O 6.3 KXNO I'm Hillary Condon.
• 19:43
  Welcome back Iowa Sports Radio Network wherever you are
• 19:46
  listening in the state of Iowa, wherever if you're on the Iowa
• 19:50
  Sports Radio Network, we're glad that you are on the iheart app
• 19:54
  anytime, anywhere. Bill Bender covers college
• 19:56
  football amongst others, but his primary beat his college
• 19:59
  football. Bill writes for The Sporting
• 20:01
  News, sportingnews.com, and he joins us.
• 20:03
  Bill Trenton. Ken, good to speak with you,
• 20:06
  Bill Bender. I guess we're going to start
• 20:08
  with you. Did Mendoza have his Heisman
• 20:10
  moment of this past Saturday as he led Indiana down the field?
• 20:15
  Just miraculous catch in the end zone to knock off Penn State.
• 20:18
  Might that have been his Heisman moment, Bill?
• 20:21
  Potentially and you know, it took literally took the words
• 20:24
  out. Of really did.
• 20:26
  In that throw. What a catch.
• 20:28
  The ball by Omar Cooper, you know, I, I think Mendoza's
• 20:32
  certainly in the mix and the build up leading to the Ohio
• 20:36
  State game, which that I think they're eventually going to
• 20:39
  play. Diane and Derek.
• 20:42
  I mean, the, the interesting part to me is Mendoza's the no
• 20:44
  doubt candidate there for Ohio State too.
• 20:48
  So how much does Jeremiah Smith cut into?
• 20:52
  And they're, they're both having incredible seasons.
• 20:54
  I can't wait to see it. I mean, Indiana, Ohio State, if
• 20:57
  it comes to that would be a great moment for the Big 10.
• 21:00
  Definitely is. And the question remains, who
• 21:03
  else amongst those two teams is may going to make it to the
• 21:06
  College Football Playoff? Iowa saw their chances
• 21:09
  definitely cut down to a very low level after their loss to
• 21:12
  Oregon. Washington losing to Wisconsin
• 21:15
  when they had a path in Michigan.
• 21:17
  Maybe their only path means beating Ohio State at the end of
• 21:20
  the season. Is it appear likely to you 3
• 21:23
  maybe the Macs and the Ducks, they still got some work to do
• 21:26
  themselves. If they fall to USC and
• 21:28
  Washington, could it get down to 2?
• 21:29
  Is is that realistic at all Bill and Oregon's really in the
• 21:34
  crosshairs right now. And it could have got a lot
• 21:37
  worse had Iowa pulled that victory out because you know,
• 21:41
  Iowa would have been hey, go go out and beat USC and they're in
• 21:44
  good shape. Oregon were picking apart.
• 21:46
  I did think they ran the ball well against Iowa and they did
• 21:50
  at the end of the day, is anybody that follows the big 10
• 21:53
  knows. I don't know if I've ever told
• 21:55
  you guys this is my my Ohio State buddies refer to games
• 21:58
  like that as per parent specials where you know, they they beat a
• 22:02
  top ten team and we act like it comes out of nowhere when it
• 22:05
  really doesn't. So credit to Dante Moore and I
• 22:08
  know you don't want to hear this in Iowa, but what a throw Emily
• 22:12
  Benson to set up that game-winning field goal.
• 22:14
  And yeah, I think Oregon's good to make ten wins and get to the
• 22:19
  playoffs. I'm wondering how the committee
• 22:21
  will value them given where they placed them last week.
• 22:24
  That's the fairest and nicest I can be, right?
• 22:27
  I'm so sorry to bring all that up again.
• 22:30
  What do you, what do you anticipate we're going to hear
• 22:31
  tonight, Bill, any change? I know there's a lot of Indiana,
• 22:35
  Penn State really pushed them. I'm not sure they're #2 not that
• 22:38
  the grand scheme of things. A&M looked really good going on
• 22:42
  the road and winning a football game.
• 22:44
  Is that maybe what you're watching for tonight when it
• 22:47
  comes to the to the top 12? Or is there another storyline
• 22:50
  that you are looking to unfold? We can see them bumping A&M over
• 22:54
  Indiana and it would generate some discussion, but to me, it's
• 22:59
  all for not. It's all for TV.
• 23:01
  Because when it's all said and done, if these teams continue to
• 23:04
  win. You are going to have.
• 23:06
  Some combination of Ohio State, Indiana, Texas and I'm in
• 23:10
  Alabama in those top four spots and what I think it's going to
• 23:13
  end up being after the conference championships.
• 23:15
  If I was picking it and it's projected, I'd have Ohio State,
• 23:19
  Alabama, Indiana A&M, depending on how that goes.
• 23:24
  I mean, I still need to. I love A and MI love the way
• 23:26
  they're playing. I'm really excited to see them
• 23:28
  play Texas in that Black Friday game because Texas has the
• 23:33
  athletes too, the defense in particular.
• 23:35
  And that is that that that rivalry not require hot sauce,
• 23:41
  you know what I mean? It's already going to be pretty,
• 23:43
  pretty appetizing when they get on the field.
• 23:46
  So Bill, when I called you up, you mentioned that you're going
• 23:49
  through tiebreaker scenarios right now in the Big 12.
• 23:53
  I just saw his ACC call him my God.
• 23:55
  And there's a lot to that one. So the Big 12 fill us in a
• 23:59
  little bit some of the past that you're seeing and, and just how
• 24:02
  crazy this Planko board is going to be with the Big 12.
• 24:05
  Well, can I say first what the ACC is if you're reading that?
• 24:09
  Yeah, I did, yes. The fact that Duke or and has a
• 24:16
  very clean look at Charlotte if they went out, it just tells you
• 24:21
  how naughty the ACC is right now.
• 24:25
  You know, the Big 12, it really comes down to I think Texas Tech
• 24:28
  was pretty good. So you know, the big question is
• 24:31
  who wins that Cincinnati BYU game?
• 24:33
  Can you tall wiggle back in? You know, they they have the two
• 24:36
  losses to BYU and Texas Tech, but they probably look the the
• 24:42
  next best right now, which is crazy.
• 24:44
  Ever since that second loss, they've just dominated teams.
• 24:47
  And then you still have Arizona State on the fringe.
• 24:49
  But I guess we'll be BYU winner, Texas Tech and Texas Tech is
• 24:58
  kind of separated to me. Separated to the point where
• 25:01
  actually I think, I hope I didn't say this on your show
• 25:04
  last week because I don't want to repeat myself, but I want to
• 25:07
  see them against an SEC or Big 10 heavily to see what that
• 25:10
  defense is all about. They're pretty damn good on TV,
• 25:15
  Bill. The Big 12 has the craziness is
• 25:20
  the only path though for multiple bids and not knowing
• 25:23
  what's going to happen in the big time.
• 25:24
  We talked about maybe only two if Oregon takes a couple of
• 25:27
  losses here down this stretch. Not knowing that the SEC how
• 25:30
  it's all going to play out is the only path Texas Tech BYUA
• 25:36
  rematch or is there another way that the Big 12 can get multiple
• 25:40
  teams into the College Football Playoff?
• 25:42
  I think they would consider A2 off Texas Tech team.
• 25:45
  I'm not sure they would consider a 2 off.
• 25:49
  Well, like so like if Utah got to the championship game and
• 25:53
  beat Texas Tech, the way that Utah's playing and we
• 25:56
  understand, we know you, they've been around the block a little
• 25:59
  bit. The committee might take both of
• 26:01
  them because like, let's let's play this game.
• 26:04
  You're the committee. Tech loses to Utah.
• 26:06
  They're sitting there 11 and two at that point.
• 26:10
  And then Vanderbilt sitting there at 10 and 2 is that fifth
• 26:13
  SEC team with Diego Pavia. What an intriguing debate that I
• 26:17
  would take Texas Tech, I would reward them.
• 26:20
  And when I feel like we had this very conversation involving some
• 26:24
  SEC teams last year, yeah. I love this time of year and all
• 26:27
  the different scenarios how it could play out.
• 26:30
  Bill, why don't I feel great about Georgia this year?
• 26:34
  Maybe it's they're still a good team, but maybe they're not as
• 26:37
  dominant or as as as frightening as they've been in the in the
• 26:41
  last few years. I think obviously they're
• 26:43
  beatable. I think I think I'll miss if it
• 26:46
  would have should have beat them.
• 26:48
  Obviously they fell to Alabama. Why why don't I love Georgia?
• 26:53
  What is Is there something missing in your mind with
• 26:55
  Georgia this year? I, I'm kind of the opposite.
• 26:59
  I, I really enjoy watching them because they're not the cheat
• 27:04
  code of 21 and 22 where it was like, Oh well, I always tell the
• 27:08
  story. I stopped watching the game with
• 27:10
  my son one day when they had those teams and I said, do you
• 27:13
  think Kentucky will get a first down this quarter?
• 27:16
  And they're not that team anymore.
• 27:19
  They but they're fun to watch because they are finding ways to
• 27:22
  win. I thought the offense went down
• 27:23
  to Mississippi State, which can be a trouble spot and really
• 27:26
  assorted the running game around Nate Frazier and Gunner
• 27:30
  Stockton's plant. Gunner Stockman's crafty.
• 27:32
  He's pretty good. So maybe we are undervaluing
• 27:36
  them. I think we would feel a lot
• 27:38
  different about them had they just beat Alabama and but
• 27:42
  they're capable. The teams that could actually
• 27:46
  challenge Ohio State because of the athletes they have.
• 27:49
  But they got to get there first. And man, Georgia, Texas is going
• 27:53
  to be a lot of fun on Saturday because we're going to, I think
• 27:55
  then we're going to get that question answered about Georgia
• 27:58
  in that game. Get out your crystal ball.
• 28:00
  What do we see tonight? What are they going to do to
• 28:02
  drum up some controversy for the stupid TV show?
• 28:06
  Well, I I watch it anyway. I do too, I love it.
• 28:09
  I think the A&M Indiana thing could.
• 28:11
  Happen. That could happen, you know.
• 28:12
  They could say, hey, we thought Penn State was, you know, had
• 28:16
  them or something like that. A&M looks really convincing on
• 28:18
  the road against Missouri. I think we're still under the
• 28:21
  head to head and I'm interested to see how high or low is the
• 28:28
  top ranked ACC team. You know, at what point are we
• 28:32
  talking about them versus, say, the American champion if it's
• 28:36
  South Florida? Hey, Bill, last thing for me did
• 28:39
  did you see yesterday it sounded like the ACC took a stand
• 28:43
  against Notre Dame in favor of Miami.
• 28:47
  If that was legit tweet, I think it was, but you never know
• 28:49
  nowadays. And I get I fall for them as I
• 28:51
  get older seemingly more often than before.
• 28:54
  But they it seemed like they took a stand Miami.
• 28:58
  They put the head to head up, you know, and they they covered
• 29:00
  it up the what do you call those blind resumes and and and they
• 29:06
  at the end came back with Miami over Notre Dame.
• 29:08
  Are they taking a stand against Notre Dame?
• 29:10
  The ACC. Well.
• 29:12
  I bet you if you gave the truth theorem over there, they would
• 29:15
  love to have Miami get to the ACC championship game.
• 29:18
  You know, and I think the other stand they really took against
• 29:20
  Notre Dame was indirectly Pat Narduzzi's comments that he
• 29:24
  didn't care if Notre Dame hit him by 100.
• 29:26
  And if you know, Pat, and I do, I've been around Pat for years,
• 29:30
  He's filter, He's really quirky, great coach in my opinion
• 29:37
  because he's, you know, look at the NFL development they've had
• 29:40
  there. That's a point.
• 29:44
  He shouldn't have said it that way, but they've got to take
• 29:51
  care of business and Georgia Tech and Miami, and if they do
• 29:54
  that, they're going to end up in Charlotte, and that's the game
• 29:57
  that really matters. And that's part of what's wrong
• 30:00
  with college football in some ways.
• 30:01
  What are you doing tonight? I'll be watching the rankings,
• 30:06
  obviously. Yeah.
• 30:07
  What else? You know, writing off that I'm
• 30:09
  busy doing these tiebreakers, which, you know, I'm not really
• 30:13
  in the mood to do after the Pack.
• 30:14
  The only tiebreaker I was looking at last night's rather
• 30:16
  not The Packers were going to get a first down.
• 30:18
  Yeah, that was brutal. I thought to be watching Match
• 30:21
  and Bill, that's where I thought you would.
• 30:22
  Be I'll be doing that too, you know that that's always on in
• 30:25
  the background this time of year.
• 30:26
  Oh. Yeah, good stuff.
• 30:27
  Thank you. Bill, talk to you down the road.
• 30:28
  Appreciate it. I'll talk to you guys next week.
• 30:30
  Thanks so much you. Sue, Will Bell, Bill Bender from
• 30:33
  The Sporting News. All right, Elliot Clef standing
• 30:35
  by an Iowa City. He'll join us next Miller in
• 30:37
  Condon on the Iowa Sports Radio Network. 1245 Hilary Condon,
• 30:49
  welcome back. It's the Iowa Sports Radio
• 30:51
  Network. Trenton, Ken with you until 2.
• 30:53
  Off the bench at that time, Lucas and Sean, 2 until 5.
• 30:56
  Overtime, Iowa, 5 until 6. Let's head to Iowa City.
• 31:00
  Elliot Cliff is there 24/7 sports, hawkeyeinsider.com.
• 31:04
  He joins us as he waits for Kirk Ference an hour from now.
• 31:07
  Elliot Trenton Ken, as always, thank you.
• 31:10
  Appreciate what you do for us on these Tuesdays.
• 31:12
  Mark Gronowski met with you guys earlier.
• 31:15
  Man, I, I felt bad for the 60,000 who, you know, shivered
• 31:19
  in the mist, whatever it was on Saturday.
• 31:22
  Had one of those moments right at the end of the game where it
• 31:24
  felt like, I mean, just euphoric, I have to assume, only
• 31:28
  to have it stolen away and give more than stolen.
• 31:31
  Oregon earned it. That was a hell of a throw.
• 31:34
  But Gronowski is, is the team over it?
• 31:37
  Are they still talking about it? Yeah, You know, I would imagine
• 31:42
  that in the building guys aren't talking about it.
• 31:45
  Of course we had to ask about that today.
• 31:48
  You can kind of, I mean, maybe maybe I'm misreading it, but you
• 31:51
  can kind of feel it in maybe on on social media and in the fan
• 31:54
  base and when talking to to other people around the theme.
• 31:58
  But it does still feel a little heavy around Iowa City.
• 32:02
  I can't lie. You know, the players won't tell
• 32:04
  you that. I don't think that those
• 32:06
  conversations are happening behind the scenes in the
• 32:08
  building. But you definitely have to feel
• 32:10
  for a fan base that felt like they finally got that first top
• 32:15
  ten win in a while for a top 25 win in a while, Saw it in front
• 32:19
  of them and then taken away from them in a matter of few minutes.
• 32:22
  But yeah, I mean, we get to go down on the field for the final
• 32:26
  5 minutes of the game and panic erupted in a way that I haven't
• 32:30
  seen when when Mark scored and haven't taken away.
• 32:33
  Like I said, it's just brutal. But you know, back to the
• 32:36
  grindstone and and Kirk Ference's teams will will always
• 32:40
  operate as such. Haven't lost back-to-back games
• 32:43
  in three years. It's something that's been a
• 32:44
  stalwart bouncing back and not letting things linger.
• 32:47
  And that's way maybe one of the greatest strengths of Kirk
• 32:50
  Ference as a coach. So reading through your
• 32:52
  conversation with Granowski, there was some fun things in
• 32:55
  there. We found out that on the road
• 32:58
  they like to use the phrase fee F EE and you can maybe imagine
• 33:03
  yourself what the F EE stands for that when they're on the
• 33:06
  road. His celebration with the little
• 33:07
  6-7, which Ken loved, I'm sure the 6-7 celebration.
• 33:10
  But then I became infuriated because the question came up
• 33:14
  about two point conversions and he says that they don't really
• 33:18
  practice them. What in God's name is going on
• 33:21
  here? They have sucked at this for the
• 33:23
  better part of a decade and now we know why they don't practice
• 33:26
  2 point conversions. Yeah, I was a little bit
• 33:30
  surprised to hear that. You know, I, I, I don't know if
• 33:35
  I'd love to play calling from from Tim Lester this season in
• 33:39
  those two point situations. To a degree, I kind of
• 33:41
  understand where he's coming from.
• 33:43
  Like you just got to get those three to fire, you know, the
• 33:45
  three yards. But at the the level of import
• 33:51
  that those two point conversions have have come to be this
• 33:54
  season, you'd think, you know, maybe and, you know, maybe
• 33:58
  they're the way it sounded was they operate as if it's, you
• 34:01
  know, third and three fourth and three, what have you.
• 34:04
  And I get that. I mean, it's just a really
• 34:07
  condensed area of the field and it's hard to convert on these.
• 34:11
  Clearly Granowski described it as unlucky.
• 34:15
  I don't know if it's unlucky if you're not actively practicing
• 34:18
  it so much as and I don't even know that they're not prepared.
• 34:22
  But it was it was a bit of a surprise to hear that, to tell
• 34:25
  you the truth, especially like I said and like you said, the
• 34:29
  better part of a decade and not really working and.
• 34:33
  Them. Just narrowly missing on that
• 34:35
  two points that they needed so bad.
• 34:37
  Mario Moulton lamented today that he said he needs to work on
• 34:40
  his his toe tapping skills. Of course, he didn't expect the
• 34:43
  ball to come to him. But yeah, you know, I was a
• 34:46
  little surprised to hear that. I don't know if that'll change,
• 34:50
  but something's got to change on those two point conversions
• 34:53
  because I mean. It doesn't happen a lot, but
• 34:56
  when? You do go for two.
• 34:58
  In football games, generally speaking, it matters quite a
• 35:01
  bit. It mattered on Saturday and of
• 35:03
  course they didn't, they didn't convert.
• 35:05
  So something something should change on that front.
• 35:08
  Yeah, too bad he wasn't in size 10 1/2 inside the size 11.
• 35:11
  Who was It was Durant in the NBA.
• 35:13
  Remember that kind of felt that same way.
• 35:15
  You know, Elliot, there was a time probably, I don't know, six
• 35:18
  weeks ago or so when we were batting around, you know, Most
• 35:21
  Valuable Player on defense or what?
• 35:23
  Hawks having the best season on defense, and for me it wasn't
• 35:26
  even close. It was Aaron Graves who was just
• 35:28
  standing on and he still does. Don't get me wrong, I think this
• 35:31
  conversation is open up to a handful of other players.
• 35:35
  I mean, Lowell has been a beast. He's been unbelievable.
• 35:38
  Obviously Lutmers made a ton of plays entering her.
• 35:40
  Likewise, those would be my guys, but it's more than just
• 35:44
  Aaron Graves and I'm probably missing somebody that should be
• 35:47
  in the conversation. Graves was early but man, he's
• 35:50
  got some company now. Phil Parker's defence, who will
• 35:52
  be tested on Saturday by the way, they certainly stepped up.
• 35:58
  They did. And you know, for the, the play
• 36:02
  that everybody's going to remember, TJ Hall to me has been
• 36:05
  the best player on the defense this season has really reached
• 36:08
  an elite level. The Malik Benson and I mean,
• 36:13
  Dante more like you said, that was an absolute dime of a throw.
• 36:16
  That was probably the best throw I've seen on on the beat.
• 36:19
  And Benson was so good. And one of the best things about
• 36:21
  elite receivers is they don't indicate that the ball is
• 36:25
  coming. And that's what TJ Hall shared
• 36:27
  today is like he reached his hand out at the very last second
• 36:29
  and TJ still almost got his hand in there to to to put it in the
• 36:34
  dirt. But yeah, I mean, again, I think
• 36:39
  there was discourse on Twitter people saying that he should
• 36:41
  have turned his head around. That's just not true because
• 36:43
  that's how Luke Benson gets the step.
• 36:45
  That's how that's a touchdown instead of a field goal.
• 36:47
  So that's that's just inaccurate.
• 36:50
  One. And two, TJ Hall has been so
• 36:52
  like, if there's anybody you want and coverage there, it is
• 36:55
  TJ Hall with this team because he is really reached an elite
• 36:59
  level, All Big 10 potentially and maybe honorable mention all
• 37:02
  American type of conversation. He he to me has been the best
• 37:06
  player on this defense. But you did mention a few great
• 37:08
  names there. Maxwell Welland has absolutely
• 37:11
  increased his draft stock this season.
• 37:12
  I think Zach Luttmer is descending into to stardom
• 37:15
  before our eyes. I don't think he'll leave.
• 37:17
  I mean, he won't leave this year.
• 37:18
  He'll come back a year or two. But Zach has been has been a
• 37:21
  really good Cohen and and Xavier have built some good and run
• 37:25
  support. I think deep Sean Lee for the
• 37:28
  mistakes he made earlier this season has gotten better.
• 37:32
  And of course, we know Ethan, her kid is Jaden Montgomery has
• 37:35
  has stepped up big time in the middle of the defense.
• 37:38
  I mean, and there's another bit of discourses that people were
• 37:42
  saying they were disappointed with the defense.
• 37:44
  They allowed eighteen points to a juggernaut.
• 37:47
  It's just, it's just this defense is another Phil Parker,
• 37:51
  Phil Parker masterpiece to take a lot of inexperienced guys and
• 37:55
  make him one of the better defenses in the Big 10 and in
• 37:57
  the country. Benson's good and Mackay Lemon
• 38:00
  is a stunt. And he might be the best wide
• 38:02
  receiver this side of Ohio State in the country.
• 38:05
  He is that talented. He's also the return man.
• 38:07
  So we flipped the script here. We get ready for USCA matchup
• 38:11
  built different, of course, the West Coast narrative for Iowa
• 38:14
  and the struggles that they've had out there and just bouncing
• 38:17
  back. I mean, not letting Oregon beat
• 38:19
  you 2 times, It's a difficult spot here.
• 38:22
  Little insight into the Trojans. Yeah, So I haven't done a ton of
• 38:27
  of looking into the the the Trojans at this point.
• 38:30
  I know my ABBA is is a solid quarterback.
• 38:33
  Their run game is actually amongst the best big 10, which
• 38:36
  don't expect with a Riley Leonard you LED team, you expect
• 38:39
  them to air it out. But they've got a they've got an
• 38:42
  offense that that's really clicking again, amongst the best
• 38:45
  in the big 10, a defense that has improved.
• 38:48
  Mark Granowski shared today that they will throw a bunch of
• 38:50
  different coverages after that. Yet they'll go man on 3rd down
• 38:54
  and really try to lock you up. But man, I from the Oregon game,
• 39:01
  at the point where I predicted Iowa would win, I also predicted
• 39:05
  in my head, I didn't share this publicly, but in my head, if
• 39:08
  Iowa beat Oregon, I'm definitely picking USC because it's tough
• 39:11
  to, it's tough to bounce back after a monumental win like that
• 39:14
  and go on the road and keep that same level of intensity.
• 39:18
  Right now I'm iffy because I I trust Kirk and his ability to
• 39:24
  bounce back from games and to rally the troops.
• 39:27
  But the same time, man, these trips to California have not
• 39:30
  been kind to experience of the Hawkeyes and a lot of Big 10
• 39:34
  teams from this part of the country.
• 39:36
  So man, I don't know, I, I don't know what to expect going into
• 39:39
  this weekend, but USC definitely has that that quote from Kurt
• 39:44
  bookmarks from a few years ago talking about their defense and
• 39:46
  such too. So we'll, we'll see what my Ava
• 39:49
  can cook up. We'll see what the defense can
• 39:51
  do to bounce back after allowing a ton of yards on the ground to
• 39:55
  an Oregon team and now facing one of the better Russian teams
• 39:57
  in the country. In USC, this is a Phil Parker
• 40:00
  special because they got some skill on the offensive side of
• 40:02
  the ball. Elliot, thanks for doing this
• 40:04
  for us. Appreciate it.
• 40:05
  We'll run you down next week if your schedule allows.
• 40:07
  Thanks, Elliot. Sounds good.
• 40:10
  Good. To talk to you LA Clef as he
• 40:12
  joins to talk Little Hawks. Matt Poston's on the Big 12
• 40:15
  kicks it off Finney Ire on the NFL.
• 40:17
  Miller and Condon are on Des Moines sports station 106.3
• 40:21
  KXNO.