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Speaker 1: And now move the sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks. Hey,

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Speaker 1: what's going on? Everybody? Nick Foles back in the saddle

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Speaker 1: Nearritoria alongside my man Bucky Brooks. I love it. I'm

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Speaker 1: just gonna go around and introducing I'm also known as Nicko. Uh.

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Speaker 1: Everybody at lewis here with Buck again, DJ out today

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Speaker 1: and we've got a fun episode today. We're gonna take

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Speaker 1: a look at the wild Card round matchups on Sunday,

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Speaker 1: which I'll be in the house for here on NFL Network.

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Speaker 1: A little game Day highlights actually fun. Yeah, yeah, good,

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Speaker 1: good fun. There a lot of a lot of fun,

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Speaker 1: good fun. Yeah yeah. We'll do some post games, some

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Speaker 1: halftime probably as well. It's all right here in NFL Network.

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Speaker 1: And then we're also gonna be joined by the color

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Speaker 1: voice of the Alabama Crimson Tide as they gets up

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Speaker 1: in the National Championship Game on Monday. John Parker Wilson,

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Speaker 1: former Alabama quarterback, will join us here shortly as well.

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Speaker 1: That'll be good time time as we preview Alabama and Clemson. Uh, Buck,

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Speaker 1: you want to get started here with the wild card

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Speaker 1: matchup will kick it off in Baltimore. This is the

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Speaker 1: second game in three weeks for the Chargers and Ravens,

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Speaker 1: this time in Baltimore. Does that make a difference. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I think it makes all the difference in the world

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Speaker 1: for the Baltimore Ravens. Um playing a home game in

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Speaker 1: front of that crowd, being able to get those guys excited, uh,

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Speaker 1: the fans and everything embracing Lamar Jackson and what he's

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Speaker 1: been able to do to that running game, I think

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Speaker 1: it does have an opportunity to give them a significant advantage.

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Speaker 1: Um when I look at this, I mean and and

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Speaker 1: just looking at the numbers, the Baltimore Ravens are averaging

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Speaker 1: two hundred and fifty yards on the ground rushing attempts

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Speaker 1: since Lamar Jackson has taken over. Lamar Jackson is averaging

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Speaker 1: on his own almost eighty rushing yards a game. I mean,

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Speaker 1: we've never seen a quarterback have that kind of impact

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Speaker 1: on the ground game. And yet when you look his

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Speaker 1: passer rating for Ricky quarterbacks was second behind Baker Mayfield. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's been solid enough and each week they've given him

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Speaker 1: a little more. And so you're the Charges. You saw

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Speaker 1: this offense a couple of weeks ago. You did a

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Speaker 1: decent job. You held them to under I think two

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Speaker 1: h yards something about a hundred and sixth years. So,

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Speaker 1: but you still have to deal with all of the

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Speaker 1: new iterations and variations that they throw at you, uh

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Speaker 1: each week, and it's just tough. It's just tough to

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Speaker 1: deal with it. And you gotta figure out a way

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Speaker 1: to make them uncomfortable. And the only way that you

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Speaker 1: really can make them uncomfortable is by making them play

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Speaker 1: from behind. But you're throwing into the teeth of their

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Speaker 1: number one defense. So do you work against yourself by

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Speaker 1: trying to be aggressive? So a couple of things on

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Speaker 1: this one for me. Chargers actually held the Ravens to

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Speaker 1: their lowest rushing total of the Lamar Jackson starting era

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Speaker 1: this year. Now, if they can do that again, they'll

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Speaker 1: give themselves a shot. Because if you remember watching that

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Speaker 1: Week fifteen game, gosh, I kept thinking, well, Ravens have

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Speaker 1: the ball the whole time, uh, But somehow the Charges

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Speaker 1: were in the game. Antonio Gates doesn't fumble. They might

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Speaker 1: win this ball game, you know. So again it will

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Speaker 1: be about turnovers, and I actually feel like the Chargers

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Speaker 1: run game might be even more important. They just forty

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Speaker 1: one yards against the raven Melvin Gordon had forty one yards.

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Speaker 1: It was his first game back from the injury. He's

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Speaker 1: now got a couple of weeks under his belt here,

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Speaker 1: maybe he's more healthy. Uh, But the way Philip Rivers

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Speaker 1: has been playing the last three weeks, three touchdowns, six interceptions. Problem,

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Speaker 1: gotta run the ball. Limit the amount of times that

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Speaker 1: balls in the air, the limit the amount of times

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Speaker 1: that Ravens defense can turn it over and give it

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Speaker 1: back to Lamar. That's how the Chargers win this thing.

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Speaker 1: So it's funny coming in. I was listening to serious

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Speaker 1: NFL radio and Anthony Lynn was being interviewed and he

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Speaker 1: talked about playing the Ravens, and the one thing that

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Speaker 1: he talked about, he said, the style of play that

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Speaker 1: the Ravens have, the way they play, they gonna make

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Speaker 1: every game be a close game. So you just have

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Speaker 1: to know that it's going to be a tight game.

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Speaker 1: And he said, what we need to do is to

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Speaker 1: start fast to make them uncomfortable by putting them down

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Speaker 1: a couple of different scores. And then what was funny.

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Speaker 1: I called a buddy who was a defense coordinate in

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Speaker 1: the league, and I was like, Hey, what do you

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Speaker 1: think about like being aggressive against the Ravens to start out,

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Speaker 1: because he said in a way, when you do that,

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Speaker 1: you play into their hands. Because the way that you

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Speaker 1: can beat the Ravens is you gotta out raven the Ravens,

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Speaker 1: meaning you need to make their offense uncomfortable. You need

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Speaker 1: to be committed to running the ball so you retain

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Speaker 1: possession and make them have to kind of play catch

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Speaker 1: up in a different way. But if you come out

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Speaker 1: and thinking you're gonna throw it all over the yard

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Speaker 1: against their defense, which is their defense is built to

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Speaker 1: defend the past, you're creating an opportunity for them to

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Speaker 1: get a turnover a short field, something bad to happen,

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Speaker 1: and then you look up. It is just like the

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Speaker 1: week fifteen game. You're now down ten three thirteen three,

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Speaker 1: and you spend the rest of the game chasing points

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Speaker 1: as opposed to being able to play in a standoff.

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Speaker 1: I think if you're the Chargers, you play a little

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Speaker 1: more conservatively early because you feel like you got the

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Speaker 1: better quarterbacks. So if you get into the fourth court

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Speaker 1: in the game inside, you should feel like Philip Rivers

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Speaker 1: can get us over the hump. Don't lose the game

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Speaker 1: in the first half, just try and find a way

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Speaker 1: to stay close and then win it in the second half.

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Speaker 1: What's he had. I think he's had three interceptions in

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Speaker 1: the first quarter in the last three weeks. I think

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Speaker 1: two of the last three they have been on the

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Speaker 1: first possession. That you cannot put yourself in a hole

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Speaker 1: against the team that's gonna grind it out and and

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Speaker 1: this will be a limited possession game. So just you

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Speaker 1: gotta make them count. Yeah, you got, you gotta. You

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Speaker 1: have to make them count. And playing in their place

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Speaker 1: with all of those uh goons and stuff that would

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Speaker 1: be understands. You don't want to give them anything to

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Speaker 1: be excited about early in the game. And then the

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Speaker 1: other thing will be um DJ had talked about this

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Speaker 1: in the past. The Charges had gotten away with playing

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Speaker 1: a lot of undersized bodies on defense, meaning they're playing

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Speaker 1: their sub package nickel and dime, putting dbs in and

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Speaker 1: linebacker spots, and that is how they play really really

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Speaker 1: good defense. The issue when you do that against the

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Speaker 1: Baltimore Ravens. The Baltimore Ravens line up in tail personnel,

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Speaker 1: three tight ends at the three tight ends, and so

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Speaker 1: now you have your littles trying to face the big

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Speaker 1: and they're coming downhill. Um. In the first game, the

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Speaker 1: Charges did a really good job of having a defender

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Speaker 1: assigned on Lamar Jackson and he did a good job

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Speaker 1: of kind of running them down. They played the option

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Speaker 1: really well and that and that is great. You have

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Speaker 1: to play man to man, but in playing man to man,

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Speaker 1: you're susceptible to big place. So you guys on the

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Speaker 1: outside have to be able to hold up. And so

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Speaker 1: this game really would come down to the perimeter and

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Speaker 1: can the Charges DBS hold up against the scale guys

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Speaker 1: for the Ravens, because if if they're playing cover zero

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Speaker 1: and really committed to stop in Lamar, if Lamar takes shots,

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Speaker 1: they're gonna be some home run opportunities. There doesn't matter

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Speaker 1: of which squad wins those. The X factor is Hunter

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Speaker 1: Henry absolutely coming back. Who knows, I mean handles really

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Speaker 1: you know, played competitively and over a year calendar year,

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Speaker 1: you know, so that makes you wonder a little bit.

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Speaker 1: And then uh, lastly, Chargers don't lose when they get

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Speaker 1: on a plane on the road, save for the game

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Speaker 1: here in l A against the Rams, and even the

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Speaker 1: home games they played London. Yeah, so they've been. I

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Speaker 1: mean they've been they've been good. They're battle tested, they

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Speaker 1: have a great defense. They haven't experienced quarterback. But it's

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Speaker 1: been a while, you know, it's been a while since

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Speaker 1: they've been able to get on track. Okay, we'll end

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Speaker 1: up once that game is in the books, we will

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Speaker 1: kick off in Chicago, the Bears hosting a playoff games

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Speaker 1: the NFC North champs. They are welcoming the defending Super

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Speaker 1: Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles. Led by me back into

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Speaker 1: both is back, all right, how do you see this one?

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Speaker 1: What do you see your match up to watching this? Man?

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Speaker 1: This is a thing Like I just did a thing

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Speaker 1: in my notebook where I was reading the quarterbacks. How

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Speaker 1: I see the quarterbacks going into the playoffs? And I

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Speaker 1: put Nick Foles at number three, behind Drew Brees and

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Speaker 1: Russell Wilson, ahead of Tom Brady. And when I looked

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Speaker 1: the last eight games that he has played in the

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Speaker 1: simmer in January, he's undefeated, Like he's unbeaten, Like you

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Speaker 1: can't He's the highest rated playoff passer in NFL history.

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Speaker 1: I mean, so we can say what we want, but

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Speaker 1: in the postseason, this is when it really works for

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Speaker 1: them and looking at what has also happened. Darren Sprowles

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Speaker 1: has come back, has given him a matchup option on

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Speaker 1: third downs. They've been hitting the back up the backfield.

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Speaker 1: The two tight ends that they have um Zach Erkson

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Speaker 1: and Dallas got it. They're working them and in all

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Speaker 1: Sean Jeoffrey for whatever reason, he and Nick Foles have

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Speaker 1: a chemistry in the connection that makes it very tough. Defensively,

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Speaker 1: Jim Swartz has done a really good job. This game

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Speaker 1: is going to come down to, and I know every

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Speaker 1: Bear fan kind of cringes. It's Mitchell Drobiskie. Can the

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Speaker 1: young quarterback score enough points to handle whatever the Eagles do?

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Speaker 1: And can he make enough plays in the passing game.

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Speaker 1: He has terrific athleticism. They've been using his legs. He

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Speaker 1: can run around uh their running game with Jordan Howard

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Speaker 1: and Tariko and has been solid. But at the end

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Speaker 1: of the day, he is going to have to make

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Speaker 1: five to six plays in the passing game that creates

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Speaker 1: supper ration for the Bears against the Eagles, and we'll

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Speaker 1: just have to see if he's able to do it.

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Speaker 1: That's a good that's a good way to break it

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Speaker 1: down for Trabinsky, it's gonna come down to five or

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Speaker 1: six big throws for him, or maybe even like big runs,

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Speaker 1: you know, maybe maybe it's their scrambled right. Um. So

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Speaker 1: to me, the perfect stat line for Trabinsky is nineteen

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Speaker 1: for about two twenty. I don't even care if he

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Speaker 1: throws a touchdown as long as he doesn't throw a pick.

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Speaker 1: You can't turn the ball over in this game. In

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Speaker 1: this game, which is different for the Bears because the

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Speaker 1: Bears inexperience when it comes to the playoffs, playing at

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Speaker 1: home that little it's gonna be tough to deal with

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Speaker 1: the conditions and Soldier Field best fan bay, one of

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Speaker 1: the best fan bases you will find. But the Eagles

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Speaker 1: are battle tested. They are coming off the season where

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Speaker 1: they won the Super Bowl. They understand the speed of

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Speaker 1: the game and the intensity, and so the first quarter

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Speaker 1: will be one to watch. Do the Bears continue to

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Speaker 1: play fast and aggressive like mcneggie has one, or did

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Speaker 1: it kind of ease into the fight The Eagles know

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Speaker 1: how the physicality and toughness and urgency kind of picks up.

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Speaker 1: Will the Bears be ready for that kind of fight?

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Speaker 1: Here's my one matchup to watch in this one we

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Speaker 1: broke it down an NFL playbook Wednesday on NFL Network.

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Speaker 1: All Sean Jeffrey has come alive since Nick Foles has

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Speaker 1: come back into the line up. Week fifteen against the

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Speaker 1: Rams was his best game of this season a hundred

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Speaker 1: sixty yards. He's had his best his best three game

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Speaker 1: stretch of catch percentage, which means catches on targets of

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Speaker 1: any three game stretch he's had this season. He is

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Speaker 1: a bigger part of the pass game and a more

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Speaker 1: effective part of the past game with Nick Foles a quarterback,

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Speaker 1: and this is his first game back in Chicago since

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Speaker 1: leaving the Bears. So that's that's one to watch for

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Speaker 1: me and Ken the Bears secondary match up with him

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Speaker 1: because even when he's covered, he's open. He's open. There

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Speaker 1: you go. All right, let's look there at our wild

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Speaker 1: Card round games on Sunday. Now, time for our conversation

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Speaker 1: with the voice of the Alabama Crimson Tie, John Parker. Wilson.

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Speaker 1: All right, John Parker is so glad to have you

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Speaker 1: here with us. Man. Uh, you know what a great

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Speaker 1: career you had from two thousand and five two thousand

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Speaker 1: eight as a quarterback for Alabama. Spent two seasons with

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Speaker 1: Nick Saban as your head coach and now your first

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Speaker 1: season as the color voice of the Crimson Tide. How

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Speaker 1: cool has this year been for you get to be

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Speaker 1: on the call for these games? You know, so far,

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Speaker 1: har it's going pretty good. Oh uh, you know, Coach

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Speaker 1: Saban was nice enough to let me come back and

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Speaker 1: do this after playing for him for two years. So

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Speaker 1: take what's I had no idea. I've never called a

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Speaker 1: game before this year, but it's been so fun to

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Speaker 1: get in there kind of pre game is just like

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Speaker 1: going down to play for a game. Get those butterflies

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Speaker 1: right before they kicked call. But uh, it's been a

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Speaker 1: it's been a good learning experience and trying to get

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Speaker 1: better every week, just like playing ball, you know, and

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Speaker 1: thinking about that because you do have a unique perspective

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Speaker 1: having played for the head coach and now you sit

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Speaker 1: in the booth and you're able to watch this team

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Speaker 1: and kind of watch the evolution of the quarterbacks. How

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Speaker 1: much has he changed in terms of the way that

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Speaker 1: he manages his offense from the time that you play

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Speaker 1: for him to the time that you re entered the

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Speaker 1: press box to watch him up top. So it's it's

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Speaker 1: been kind of completely night and day. I mean, when

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Speaker 1: I was playing, we were still doing seven step drops

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Speaker 1: play action to the fullback running two tight end sets.

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Speaker 1: There's not even a fullback on scholarship anymore. So it's changed.

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Speaker 1: But to be honestly, I think that's one of the

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Speaker 1: things that makes coach Saban so special and unique that

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Speaker 1: he's not scared to adapt. He's not scared to change,

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Speaker 1: especially in offense. Dating back to Lane Kiffin and now

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Speaker 1: Mike Lockley, what he's been able to do. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I wish we had these r p O s like

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Speaker 1: they do now back when I was playing. I bet

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Speaker 1: you do, you know? And it's kind of I like

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Speaker 1: what you what you mentioned there about coach Saban because

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Speaker 1: listening to a lot of the things um that he says,

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Speaker 1: complacency creates a blatant disregard for doing what's best. So

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Speaker 1: even when you find the ultimate success, how do you

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Speaker 1: get better at it than next year? How would you

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Speaker 1: describe like his pursuit of better of improvement. It's relentless,

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Speaker 1: it really is. From the second they won the national

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Speaker 1: championship last year to now getting ready for this one.

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Speaker 1: It's three sixty five days a year. It's always trying

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Speaker 1: to improve. Whatever you're trying to do is trying to

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Speaker 1: get better. I think that's been a unified message that

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Speaker 1: he's had since he got there and why they're able

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Speaker 1: to continue being good from one year to the next

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Speaker 1: with new players, with new coordinators. Look, it changes a

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Speaker 1: lot in Alabama, but his process has remained the same,

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Speaker 1: you know, and and thinking about that process, Uh, the

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Speaker 1: process of developing quarterbacks. Alabama obviously has two really good

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Speaker 1: quarterbacks in Jalen Herston, then you have to u, um,

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Speaker 1: we've seen Jalen b the support of backup player. What

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Speaker 1: is it about two that has separated him from some

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Speaker 1: of the other quarterbacks that have played at Alabama prior

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Speaker 1: to his arrival? Uh, you know, I think two is

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Speaker 1: a special player. He's a special talent that you don't

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Speaker 1: see every year or every other year. He just kind

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Speaker 1: of got that in native ability. Came in last year

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Speaker 1: in the National Championship game. He saw what he do

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Speaker 1: in the second half. I think he's continued to get better.

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Speaker 1: His presence is unbelievable. He's got extremely quick release, he's

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Speaker 1: deadly accurate. He's got a really good feel for the defense.

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Speaker 1: But I think the word you just said was development

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Speaker 1: has been the biggest thing that we've seen this year

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Speaker 1: with Mike Locksley and dedicated quarterback coach pan Enos. Was

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Speaker 1: Jalen when he had to come in the SEC Championship

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Speaker 1: game probably didn't make some of those throws last year

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Speaker 1: that he did this year. Became in with confidence. You know,

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Speaker 1: had a big third down completion early and then some

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Speaker 1: completions later in the game, one touchdown pass the tiet.

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Speaker 1: His ability to to get better is pretty remarkable, from

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Speaker 1: being a two year starter to now being a pretty

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Speaker 1: I think good password. What does this say about this

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Speaker 1: program and about Jalen Also in particular, while we're on

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Speaker 1: the quarterbacks here that in this age of you know,

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Speaker 1: you're not the starter, I'm out of here, let me

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Speaker 1: go find another place to play. Uh, the ability to

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Speaker 1: keep too high quality quarterbacks on the roster ready to

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Speaker 1: play and obviously play at a high level when called upon. Look,

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Speaker 1: it's unbelievable what took place with with Jayalen being twenty

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Speaker 1: six and two as a starter, losing his drive in

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Speaker 1: the second half of the National Championship game to give

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Speaker 1: it up to the most prolific passer in school history.

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Speaker 1: But to be able to continue to leadership and have

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Speaker 1: the kind of personality character that he does. I mean,

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Speaker 1: if you're not doing the right things all year long

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Speaker 1: when you're the backup, if you're not getting ready for

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Speaker 1: the game and you have to come in at the

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Speaker 1: fourth quarter of the SEC championship game, you don't get

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Speaker 1: it done like he did. So, you know, coach Sabans

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Speaker 1: recruit good guys, but that that's a good quarterback for

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Speaker 1: him right now, too good high quality guys. You know,

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Speaker 1: when you look at this team and having watched them

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Speaker 1: and watched him kind of run through SEC competition, you

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Speaker 1: watched him in the semifinals, uh to kind of dismantle Oklahoma.

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Speaker 1: What would you say the biggest advantage that Alabama enjoys

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Speaker 1: over Clempson heading into this matchup. You know, I think

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Speaker 1: they're too really match team, really are similar teams of

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Speaker 1: what they're trying to do. You would typically say with

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Speaker 1: an Alabama team, it's experience, but Clemson has been there

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Speaker 1: just as many times. I think it's the depth of

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Speaker 1: Alabama and their playmakers. I mean, they've got five guys

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Speaker 1: right now that can go out and catch the ball

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Speaker 1: and beat number one receivers and include IRB Smith as

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Speaker 1: as a receiver because he can split out and hurt

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Speaker 1: you just as bad running routes as it can blocking

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Speaker 1: and the dimension of trying. Okay, we're gonna try to

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Speaker 1: take it with the pass game. Well then you've got

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Speaker 1: Damian Harris and you saw what Josh Jacobs did in

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Speaker 1: the playoff game. I mean, it's just just a well

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Speaker 1: rounded team. And to beat them, you've got to be

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Speaker 1: balanced on offense, defense, and especially defensive line has got

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Speaker 1: to get pressure to free up some of those secondary Yeah.

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Speaker 1: So I think it's the the weapons on offense that

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Speaker 1: really sets his team apart. It certainly seems like to

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Speaker 1: me and John Parker, you can certainly speak to this

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Speaker 1: the best group of skill players at collectively the last

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Speaker 1: decade that Alabama has had. Would you say, yeah, I

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Speaker 1: venture to go back further than history, like like I

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Speaker 1: should be. But you know, from Jerry, Judy Davote, Henry Ruggs,

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Speaker 1: true Freshman, Jalen Waddle, anybody can beat you. Anybody has

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Speaker 1: had their game where they're the number one guy two

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Speaker 1: spreads the ball around and then they you know, as

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Speaker 1: soon as you start trying to figure those out Josh

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Speaker 1: Jacob's hitch in the face. So then knowing what Alabama

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Speaker 1: has and obviously I'm sure you've you know, watched a

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Speaker 1: ton of Clemson games this year as well, where do

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Speaker 1: you see Clemson trying to take advantage of this of

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Speaker 1: this Alabama team, whether it's offense, defense, what what do

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Speaker 1: you see is there as a place that they're going

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Speaker 1: to try to exploit? I think it's gonna be the

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Speaker 1: defensive line has been able to got to get pressure.

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Speaker 1: If Alabama has had a weakness this year, uh and

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Speaker 1: we can call it a weakness that's relative, but it's

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Speaker 1: been where against team like uh montest what Jeffrey Simmons

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Speaker 1: at Misissippi State, who can rush up the middle and

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Speaker 1: affect the passer with just four guys rushing. So if

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Speaker 1: if clemes In is gonna be able to slow down

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Speaker 1: about me, it's gonna be after be with their defensive

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Speaker 1: lind play for sure, you know, And and flipping it

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Speaker 1: and looking at Alabama's defensive line, everyone is buzzing over Williams.

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Speaker 1: Win Williams is one of the dominant players. You saw

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Speaker 1: him dominate the Oklahoma game. What is it about him

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Speaker 1: that kind of push him as the next great Alabama

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Speaker 1: Crimson Todd defensive linement that's going to have an impact

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Speaker 1: on the National Football League. I don't think there's any

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Speaker 1: question he's gonna do that. And it's just like the

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Speaker 1: long line of Alabama guys the defensive line, you don't

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Speaker 1: know their name because they're Gallon guys like Jonathan Allen

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Speaker 1: and the Ron Paynton playing in front of him. So

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Speaker 1: he's learned from these guys. And you know, teams have

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Speaker 1: tried to double team him with Garden center bringing the

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Speaker 1: running back. But his power, I think his motor is

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Speaker 1: NonStop and just the strength that he has as a

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Speaker 1: red shirt sophomore, I mean, he affects games solely by himself.

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Speaker 1: Didn't have a lot of stats this game, but man,

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Speaker 1: I don't think if he was getting up the middle

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Speaker 1: against Kyler Murray, Gyler has a little more time to

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Speaker 1: throw it, and he's elusive. If he was, it was

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Speaker 1: number nine two. Just recond have it back there. Quarterback

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Speaker 1: to quarter back, what do you see Trevor Lawrence. He's good.

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Speaker 1: I mean, he he can he can to be a

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Speaker 1: fracturing like he is, to be able to feel it

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Speaker 1: kind of like two you gotta have good feel, you've

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Speaker 1: gotta you've gotta be a player, and that's what he is.

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Speaker 1: He's a good passer, he can sit in the pocket.

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Speaker 1: He looks great doing it. But he's just a player

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Speaker 1: and you've got to go out there and make plays.

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Speaker 1: And I think, you know, we've seen it now. And

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Speaker 1: I think the big part of this is these guys

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Speaker 1: are doing in high school now. They're starting seven on

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Speaker 1: seven when they're middle school. They're getting these reps that

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Speaker 1: typically you know, we were out I was up playing

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Speaker 1: baseball or basketball. They're they're getting these reps now when

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Speaker 1: they're in high school, so they're coming prepared to play

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Speaker 1: in college. You know, if there's one X factor from

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Speaker 1: the Alabama side in this game, who would you say

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Speaker 1: it could be? You know that that's that's a good question.

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna I'm gonna throw it out here. It's gonna

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Speaker 1: be the kicker. I think these big games come down

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Speaker 1: to turnovers and you've gotta be able to make a

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Speaker 1: big kick. I thought it was gonna be in the

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Speaker 1: SEC champions Hip game. Luckily, Jalen scampered in for the quarterback,

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Speaker 1: drowing a touchdown, but at some point You're gonna have

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Speaker 1: to make a big kick, and I think this week

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Speaker 1: will be at so John Parker just just thinking of

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Speaker 1: this run here since Nick Saban has become the head coach.

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Speaker 1: We touched on it briefly there at the top of

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Speaker 1: our conversation here, but with a national championship this year,

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Speaker 1: he would break the record he currently shares with Bear

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Speaker 1: Bryant UH for his seventh. So UM, when you go

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Speaker 1: back and look at the body of work and knowing

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Speaker 1: you know how he believes successes is not a continuum.

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Speaker 1: It's momentary, and it's about your ability to continue uh

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Speaker 1: and to thrive in each moment. How would you like

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Speaker 1: best describe um like the defining quality of this success,

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Speaker 1: of this continued success in this run. You know, I

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Speaker 1: think there's a lot of things, and the process that

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Speaker 1: he has built has stood the test time. I think

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Speaker 1: it's relentless, relentless pursuit. It's no matter what's going on,

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Speaker 1: he's trying to get better. He's trying to make everybody

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Speaker 1: else better. He hires great people around him, but man,

429
00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,200
Speaker 1: look what they've done with just his assistant staff of

430
00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,520
Speaker 1: elevating everybody around him because he knows it's not just him.

431
00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:17,480
Speaker 1: You canna have a good offensive coordinator. You could have

432
00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,200
Speaker 1: Kirby Smart. You're gonna have TODJ. Lupoy. He gets good

433
00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:22,600
Speaker 1: guys around them and it makes them better. Lastly, here

434
00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:24,679
Speaker 1: we'll get you out of here on this one. I

435
00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:27,640
Speaker 1: mean you mentioned you get the nerves as a team

436
00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:29,760
Speaker 1: comes out of the tunnel before the first call and everything.

437
00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:33,960
Speaker 1: But this you're calling the National championship game on the

438
00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:36,639
Speaker 1: radio here for a rabid fan base. I mean like,

439
00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:38,160
Speaker 1: do you have a do you have a call ready?

440
00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:40,320
Speaker 1: Do you have something ready if if you guys are

441
00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,639
Speaker 1: able to hoist the crystal? Again, No, I don't look

442
00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:45,520
Speaker 1: Eli old. He's our play by play guy. I've been

443
00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:48,160
Speaker 1: doing for thirty years. So I'm just trying to actuate quarterback,

444
00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:50,720
Speaker 1: react to what's on the field. I don't have anyone

445
00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:52,960
Speaker 1: finders yet, so I guess I got to develop that

446
00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:56,280
Speaker 1: as the years go on. Well, congratulations here in your

447
00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:59,000
Speaker 1: first season as the as the color commentator for the

448
00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,600
Speaker 1: Alabama Crimson Tie Radio. We look forward to uh to

449
00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:04,879
Speaker 1: watching the game and and listening to your call and

450
00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,880
Speaker 1: a wish all the beout my man. Appreciate you guys.

451
00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:10,880
Speaker 1: Roll Todd alight, that was fun. They're getting to get

452
00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:13,320
Speaker 1: some insight from John Parker Wilson, the voice of the

453
00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,160
Speaker 1: Albam Crimson Tide. There. I'm sure he's uh, he's gonna

454
00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:19,200
Speaker 1: enjoy that call, having not got a chance to play

455
00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,960
Speaker 1: in a national title game as as a player for SABAN,

456
00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:24,439
Speaker 1: but now kind of getting to watch it with a

457
00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:27,600
Speaker 1: bird's eye view. And we're all obviously gonna be watching

458
00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:31,800
Speaker 1: this game. And I from Afar Bucky have been watching

459
00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:36,959
Speaker 1: the pick standings and you made a concerted effort this

460
00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:41,040
Speaker 1: year to bump yourself up the standings and I don't

461
00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:46,360
Speaker 1: remember started. And okay, so we we you know, we've

462
00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:47,600
Speaker 1: got you at the bottom of the barrel. This is

463
00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:49,680
Speaker 1: a five point game, but I mean, you know, Hunter

464
00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,760
Speaker 1: and two wins and that's pretty good, right, It doesn't matter.

465
00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,600
Speaker 1: Kitten Sellier tied at a D seventeen and fifty four,

466
00:22:56,720 --> 00:23:00,800
Speaker 1: within striking distance of DJ, who is on top by

467
00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,640
Speaker 1: a game. So this is technically a five point game

468
00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:05,399
Speaker 1: right in the college pick him, but it doesn't doesn't

469
00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:09,760
Speaker 1: really matter. DJ is picking Alabama. So Kin and Sally,

470
00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:13,359
Speaker 1: you guys are just explain this this. Did you actually

471
00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:15,360
Speaker 1: believe Clemson is gonna win. Are you just picking them?

472
00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:17,040
Speaker 1: They have to pick them, They have to pick in

473
00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:18,679
Speaker 1: order to get a win. Yeah, you have to. It

474
00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,960
Speaker 1: was two years ago the same situation. I needed Clemson

475
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:24,439
Speaker 1: to come through to beat Alabama with the five pointer

476
00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:27,240
Speaker 1: to win the first of our college Pick Him Championships.

477
00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:29,639
Speaker 1: I'm now two time defending champ. I'm trying to go

478
00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,359
Speaker 1: for trying to go for in, trying to go for

479
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:34,000
Speaker 1: the three p And you know what if Sally and

480
00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,960
Speaker 1: I have to do a little Nebraska Michigan nineties seven

481
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,800
Speaker 1: co champions you c f last year claimed they were

482
00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,520
Speaker 1: a co champion, they didn't win it on the field.

483
00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:44,000
Speaker 1: Sally and I are gonna try to win this one

484
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,800
Speaker 1: on the field. We're gonna go for the Clemson Tigers

485
00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:49,120
Speaker 1: in this one, and look, it should be a really

486
00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,560
Speaker 1: good game. These are two of the most talented teams

487
00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:54,160
Speaker 1: in the country, two teams that pretty much never lose

488
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:58,320
Speaker 1: to anybody not named Alabama or Clemson. So if Clemson wins,

489
00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,560
Speaker 1: DJ doesn't win again, and Sally and I end up

490
00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:04,520
Speaker 1: being co chance, which I'll take it at this point. Sadly,

491
00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,560
Speaker 1: I went with my heart for the Notre Dame fighting

492
00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,159
Speaker 1: Irish over Clemson and the cotton Ball. Had I not

493
00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,440
Speaker 1: done that, I could have probably taken Pama and thus

494
00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,399
Speaker 1: maybe had a victim. Maybe go Tigers. I have my

495
00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:17,639
Speaker 1: my older brother and his wife is a Clemson grad.

496
00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:20,240
Speaker 1: They'll be up there in Santa Clara watching this game.

497
00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:24,320
Speaker 1: So my family's supporting Clemson for this game. I'll support Clemson.

498
00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:27,600
Speaker 1: So I'm all in, as Dabo says, all in, Go

499
00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:31,080
Speaker 1: Go Tigers. You can buy tickets to the game now

500
00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:35,520
Speaker 1: for like peanuts. Yeah, down thirty bucks for National Championship

501
00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:38,440
Speaker 1: game ticket. They're less money than that Ravens Chargers game

502
00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:40,719
Speaker 1: out and StubHub was a couple of weeks ago. Well

503
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:43,840
Speaker 1: the reason is you look at that, Well, these fan bases,

504
00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:45,280
Speaker 1: like both of the fan bases that come from the

505
00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:47,560
Speaker 1: Deep South to come all the way out West California.

506
00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:51,640
Speaker 1: And I'm not gonna all the prices the ticket that's expensive.

507
00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,800
Speaker 1: Everything has got the hotel prices up like so, I

508
00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:57,720
Speaker 1: don't know, I don't know why. You Maybe it's fatigue

509
00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:02,480
Speaker 1: as well for these two. Maybe maybe in here done that.

510
00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,520
Speaker 1: Just just to quickly go back, as Sully was mentioning,

511
00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:10,160
Speaker 1: he um uh, he picked Notre Dame to win over Clemson.

512
00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:12,920
Speaker 1: He wasn't the only one I did. Sally didn't pick

513
00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:17,000
Speaker 1: Yeah you did right? Uh budget you Okada dinner had

514
00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:19,199
Speaker 1: to steak dinner on that. I was trying, and I

515
00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,399
Speaker 1: thought with ten points I would be protected. I was

516
00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:23,920
Speaker 1: like ten points. I was like, they can cover. I

517
00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:26,000
Speaker 1: should have taken Brian Kelly a few more times. I

518
00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,280
Speaker 1: got a plan for you, though, Um you just go

519
00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:30,800
Speaker 1: find uh Prime, go find Dion. He might give you

520
00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:33,000
Speaker 1: a deal for Golden Crowd. Oh I know his voice,

521
00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:35,440
Speaker 1: I know, get your deal to take DJ to Golden

522
00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:38,160
Speaker 1: I man, I'm gonna have to double up. Like Carolina

523
00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:40,040
Speaker 1: doesn't play in the end of issues, So I can't.

524
00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:43,840
Speaker 1: I can't squeeze that one out. But I got I gotta.

525
00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:45,560
Speaker 1: I gotta fige out a way to kind of weezel

526
00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:48,920
Speaker 1: out of Okay. So look, it's not gonna put you

527
00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:50,400
Speaker 1: up on the top of standing, but who you got

528
00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,399
Speaker 1: in the game. You know. I think Alabama is a

529
00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:54,600
Speaker 1: better position to win this one because I think this

530
00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,040
Speaker 1: is a game where the Clemson misses dex Tol Lawrence

531
00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:00,399
Speaker 1: and we'll find out for sure before World I think

532
00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:02,159
Speaker 1: as we go into the weekend, whether he's gonna be

533
00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,479
Speaker 1: available or not. Yeah, and and I think like it's

534
00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,320
Speaker 1: it's a long shot. But if he's not available, Uh,

535
00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:11,280
Speaker 1: their run defense is drastically different without him. Oklahoma was

536
00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:13,280
Speaker 1: a team that wanted to throw it. They didn't necessarily

537
00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:14,879
Speaker 1: want to run it and kind of grind it. But

538
00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:16,800
Speaker 1: the thing that we know about Obama, they want to

539
00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:18,719
Speaker 1: pound it. They want to kind of pound you. Uh.

540
00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:20,480
Speaker 1: They have three running backs that can all play and

541
00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:22,119
Speaker 1: they can hit it between the town because then without

542
00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:24,480
Speaker 1: the big run stuffer in the middle, I think it

543
00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:27,560
Speaker 1: can be problematic for Clemson. I think this is the

544
00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:31,600
Speaker 1: game where the defense kind of begins to fatigue and

545
00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:34,400
Speaker 1: then on the outside, I don't know if they can

546
00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:37,680
Speaker 1: match it with Alabama scale players. You talked John Parker

547
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:40,240
Speaker 1: talked about all the playmakers that they have outside having

548
00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,480
Speaker 1: four maybe five number one receivers. He is absolutely true.

549
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:45,639
Speaker 1: We'll see because they can run it, they can throw it.

550
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:48,960
Speaker 1: The quarterback is special. Tough matchup for Clemson, but I

551
00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:51,640
Speaker 1: am excited to see Trevor Lawrence because if Trevor Lawrence

552
00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,200
Speaker 1: can kind of do it against this Alabama team, you

553
00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:56,879
Speaker 1: talk about someone who's I mean, we can't even call

554
00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:59,720
Speaker 1: it draft stop. But here legend would be through the

555
00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:01,800
Speaker 1: route knowing that he has a couple more years before

556
00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:04,840
Speaker 1: no question, I mean two more years. If if he's

557
00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:08,080
Speaker 1: able to win this year, it's it's nuts. But I'm

558
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,200
Speaker 1: with you on that. I'm picking Alabama as well. We'll

559
00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,360
Speaker 1: run no go wire to wire fifteen and oh with

560
00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:15,240
Speaker 1: a victory. And it to me, it comes down to

561
00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:18,440
Speaker 1: the skill guys as as John Parker mentioned to us

562
00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:23,320
Speaker 1: five deep um and uh, I just I feel like,

563
00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:27,560
Speaker 1: you know, they are as potent as we have seen

564
00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:30,640
Speaker 1: on offense and in the past game, and that makes

565
00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:32,520
Speaker 1: a big difference because you know, even if they need

566
00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:34,320
Speaker 1: to muddy it up a little bit, we know they can.

567
00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:36,560
Speaker 1: They can do it on the ground. But this is

568
00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:39,000
Speaker 1: the their ability in the past game this year separates them.

569
00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:41,280
Speaker 1: So that's why I am going Alabama, which you got Ken.

570
00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:44,520
Speaker 1: How much do you guys think the fact that Clemson

571
00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:47,240
Speaker 1: has a bunch of guys that beat Alabama in the

572
00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:49,760
Speaker 1: title game two years ago factors in? Because I think

573
00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:51,200
Speaker 1: a lot of it is when you play a team

574
00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:53,880
Speaker 1: like Alabama, and frankly, when you play a team like Clemson,

575
00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:56,960
Speaker 1: you probably go into that mindset you're hoping to beat them,

576
00:27:56,960 --> 00:27:59,320
Speaker 1: but deep down you think we need every break to

577
00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:02,320
Speaker 1: get done. Clemson, on the other hand, they've been there,

578
00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:05,120
Speaker 1: done that. Last year they got crushed. There's no there's

579
00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:07,000
Speaker 1: no way around that. But two years ago in the

580
00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:10,520
Speaker 1: title game they beat Alabama. They move the ball up

581
00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:12,439
Speaker 1: and down the field, they had almost a hundred plays.

582
00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:14,639
Speaker 1: And then the season before that, there's still some guys

583
00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:17,840
Speaker 1: on this team, Christian Wilkins, Hunter, Renfro, guys that played

584
00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,440
Speaker 1: as freshman and they nearly beat them. So I think

585
00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,720
Speaker 1: the mindset Alabama probably takes the field and ten of

586
00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:25,800
Speaker 1: their games a year they've already won the second ary

587
00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:28,040
Speaker 1: uniforms are on the field. Clemson is not one of

588
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:30,840
Speaker 1: those games. I think Clemson expects to win this game.

589
00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:32,920
Speaker 1: That's a good point. I don't. I think they're not.

590
00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:36,000
Speaker 1: They're certainly not intimidated. They've been there, done that against

591
00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,920
Speaker 1: this team. I mean, now, this this juggernaut version of

592
00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:40,719
Speaker 1: Alabama is a little bit different than the one they

593
00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:43,760
Speaker 1: beat two years ago. Yeah, I mean, I think there's

594
00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:45,959
Speaker 1: certaintly that definitely has something to do with it. Like

595
00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:49,280
Speaker 1: I think you have to get past the mystique or

596
00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:52,440
Speaker 1: the the off factor at Alabama can't create when they're

597
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,320
Speaker 1: on the field, Like just watching them. If you ever

598
00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:57,600
Speaker 1: have the opportunity to watch Alabama and Washington come out,

599
00:28:57,600 --> 00:28:59,840
Speaker 1: and Washington come out and they're splendid with all of

600
00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:04,240
Speaker 1: the roll tide folks with toilet paper rolls and all

601
00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:06,480
Speaker 1: that other stuff like kind of doing the deal, it

602
00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:08,360
Speaker 1: can be a lot. And then you look down to

603
00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:12,600
Speaker 1: the other end. They're big, they're imposing. Uh, they're like

604
00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:14,920
Speaker 1: a machine when you see them in warm ups in

605
00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,800
Speaker 1: terms of the way they're going through things. But for Clemson,

606
00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:19,880
Speaker 1: and Clemson's old had they've seen this three times, didn't

607
00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:21,600
Speaker 1: know exactly what it looks like, they knew exactly what

608
00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:25,080
Speaker 1: they expect. They have kind of tasted their power in

609
00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:27,520
Speaker 1: terms of like they've tasted their physicality and toughness. So

610
00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:29,680
Speaker 1: I don't think it's anything that they have to get

611
00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:33,840
Speaker 1: used to. It really comes down to can't Clemson execute

612
00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:37,240
Speaker 1: at a high enough level to knock off Alabama? Because

613
00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:40,400
Speaker 1: Alabama appears to be a team that can give you

614
00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:44,000
Speaker 1: problems not only with their offense but also with their defense. Yeah, yeah,

615
00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:45,440
Speaker 1: I'm with you on that. That's a good point. A

616
00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,240
Speaker 1: couple of good points there by Kent as well, and

617
00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:50,000
Speaker 1: having seen this uh this team and beating them a

618
00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:51,360
Speaker 1: couple of years ago with some of the guys that

619
00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,440
Speaker 1: are still there for Clemson. So, uh, look, can't wait

620
00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:58,840
Speaker 1: to watch it Monday night, January seven. I'm going Bama.

621
00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:00,920
Speaker 1: I'm going Bama because the skill guy. Wait to go

622
00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:04,520
Speaker 1: out on? Yeah, I'm going on a limb on this Yeah,

623
00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,040
Speaker 1: pretty good team, but the limb. Come on, This is

624
00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:10,720
Speaker 1: not David versus. I'm just I'm trying to go one

625
00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:14,720
Speaker 1: and oh in the in the wait wait wait wait,

626
00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:17,640
Speaker 1: wait to go out on the limb. Uh. That was

627
00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:20,040
Speaker 1: fun though, That was fun. So what else we got here?

628
00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:22,880
Speaker 1: Anything else? Anything else you want to get to you? Good? No,

629
00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:25,440
Speaker 1: I mean I think I think that, man. Yeah, I

630
00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:28,680
Speaker 1: think it's crazy. We got a great gundown countdown to

631
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:35,760
Speaker 1: uh path to the draft, especially middle of March. We're

632
00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:38,520
Speaker 1: coming at you right here an NFL network. So crazy,

633
00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:41,800
Speaker 1: I know, but I know, all right man. Well, as always,

634
00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:44,360
Speaker 1: you can check out all of our Move the Six

635
00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:47,520
Speaker 1: content NFL dot com, Slash Empts Video YouTube dot com,

636
00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,760
Speaker 1: Slash NFL Apple podcast. Wherever you get your podcast, download,

637
00:30:50,800 --> 00:31:01,720
Speaker 1: subscribe and leave a comment. See you next time you

638
00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:03,880
Speaker 1: are here,