1 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: And here we go big show tonight, late kick on 2 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: the air. It is Sunday night, January tenth year of 3 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: our lower twenty twenty one, on the eve of the 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: National Championship Game going down this time tomorrow night, hard 5 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: Rock Stadium in Miami. It's Bama, it's Ohio State. And 6 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: if you haven't gotten your fill on that game already, 7 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: or even if you just think you have, this will 8 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: be your show tonight. We're going biggest keys for each team. 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: We're going biggest questions in the game entirely, and we're 10 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: talking about the game from pretty much every angle imaginable. 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: We may even make some up that you haven't heard before. 12 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: So we've got a wall to wall here. We've got 13 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: a jam pack show as you would expect, expect nothing 14 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: less on the eve of the National Championship Game. Now, 15 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: as you can tell, I am still not in the studio. 16 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: We planned on being live in the studio tonight. As 17 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: it turns out, we'll be live in the studio Tuesday night. 18 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: Had a little bit of a hang up. Here's what's 19 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: been going on. I've talked to some of you, but 20 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: I haven't really made this public. It's not a huge deal. 21 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: I've had COVID for the last week. Has not been fun. 22 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: I was not asymptomatic, to say the least. I've lost 23 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: sixteen pounds. Several members of my family have had it. 24 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: As of this moment, everyone's okay. So a lot of 25 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: you have checked up on us. I appreciate that more 26 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: than you know. We appreciate that more than you know. 27 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: So getting over that. Trying to be in the studio 28 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: Tuesday night, I mean that's pretty imperative. It is the 29 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: national Championship game RAP, so we're gonna try to be there. 30 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: Director Colin and I have taken not a literal blood oath, 31 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: but kind of one of those digital blood oaths, you know, 32 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 1: where you just kind of draw a red dot on 33 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: your phone instead of actually doing it the old fashioned away. 34 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 1: So we're gonna be there Tuesday night to talk about 35 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: whatever Monday night brings us. So I'm looking forward to 36 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,199 Speaker 1: finally being back in the studio and talking to you. Also, 37 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: another little housekeeping note before we dive in, and when 38 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: I say dive in, I mean we are diving deep 39 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: on this game tonight. One more thing that I wanted 40 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: to say. So many of you, not some of you, 41 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: many of you have asked me about the Auburn coaching 42 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: staff hires, or Carolina or Texas or LSU. A lot 43 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: of coaching staffs being put together, a lot of moves 44 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: are being made, and you're asking, like, where are those videos? 45 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: At Penn State has a new offensive coordinator. Just hold type. 46 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: You haven't missed anything. I haven't done. Aside from the 47 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: Sarkeesian hire, I haven't really done a deep dive on 48 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: a lot of these new hires. That's intentional. I want 49 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: to let the dust settle on some of this. For 50 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: the record, I don't think we're done seeing moves in 51 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: the college coaching world. So whatever ellipses are to you, 52 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: that sounds like a spaceship to me, but it's really 53 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: just dot dot dot on the end of a sentence. 54 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: That's where the coaching moves are right now. It's a 55 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 1: dot dot dot situation. And so after we get out 56 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 1: of the dot dot dot and we just make one 57 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: of those dots a period and it's done, then we're 58 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: going to talk about it in totality. Expect that to 59 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: happen later this week after the national championship dies now, 60 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: but in the meantime, obviously we got a huge matchup. 61 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: I mean, those of us who love this sport, you 62 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: get these matchups. Alabama Ohio State, for example, last time 63 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: these teams played was twenty fourteen. It was a semi 64 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: final game. So these teams played in the national championship game. 65 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: You know, for all these folks who run around talking 66 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:09,119 Speaker 1: about how it's the same teams in the title game 67 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: every year and they're using this year as an example, Well, 68 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 1: whin in the world' is the last time I saw 69 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 1: Abama Ohio State in a national championship game. I don't know. Well, 70 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 1: I do know. I haven't seen them, That's what I know. 71 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: I have not seen this pairing. So it's a really 72 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: big deal talked about the other night. The element that's 73 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: on the table. It's the North South thing, it's the 74 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: big ten sec thing. But I think that there are 75 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: a lot of people in the South who view Ohio 76 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: State as an equal. When I say equal, I don't 77 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: mean every Alabama fan looks at the Buckeye program and says, ooh, 78 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: they're as good as us. I don't think that. I 79 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: don't think Alabama looks around and thinks anyone is as 80 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: good as them. And I don't blame you. What I'm 81 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: saying is there are a lot of qualities about that 82 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: program at Ohio State that resemble how serious you guys 83 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: down in the South take football. I grew up in 84 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: the South, so I'm of you like I've been among 85 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: you my whole life. But I go back to the 86 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: preseason before we start on this game. I just want 87 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: to say one more time the preseason Ohio State, justin 88 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: fields for example, Clemson deserved a lot of credit here 89 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: and Trevor Lawrence, players and parents of players in the 90 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: Big Ten went a long, long way, much further than 91 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 1: any nameless, faceless bureaucrat in some administrative role went in 92 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: getting this season off the ground. So I and I 93 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: know a lot of you listening and watching right now, 94 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: we appreciate it. I don't know necessarily how far that goes, 95 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: but I just wanted to put it out there. We 96 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: appreciate it. So let's dive into this. What are the 97 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: biggest keys for Ohio State to win this game, not contend, 98 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: not hang in there to win the football game. Well, 99 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: the first thing that has come to my mind throughout 100 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: the entirety of looking at this game is they need 101 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: to stay on schedule. Offensively. Now, don't misunderstand me. Sometimes 102 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: when I say that, I'll say it about a team 103 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: like Northwestern, for example, where they have to be first 104 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: and ten, second, five, third and two. It's almost like 105 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 1: a service academy mentality of we know we're running the 106 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:58,919 Speaker 1: ball ninety eight percent of the time, so got to 107 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: stay ahead of the chains. Can't be getting behind the chains. Well, 108 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 1: the reason you say it about teams like that is obvious. 109 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: They don't possess the explosive nature in their passing game 110 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: to dig themselves out of those holes consistently. Now that's 111 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: not Ohio State, and that's not what I mean when 112 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: I say it about them. Justin Fields could throw the 113 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: ball about one hundred and fifteen yards on a rope. 114 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 1: He's got multiple All American caliber wide receivers, good presence 115 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: at tight end to bail them out. And Alabama's pass 116 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 1: defense is not the best in the world. And so 117 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:27,119 Speaker 1: I don't mean it like that. What I mean is, again, 118 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: think about the challenge that's at hand. This is not 119 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: a situation where you're playing someone you can afford to 120 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: throw away multiple possessions against. You've also still got a 121 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: guy named Nick Saban who's very good at combos and 122 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: mixing coverages on third down and giving you some of 123 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: those good old fashioned exotic looks. Here's the thing. You 124 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: could torch them on the first third and twelve you 125 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 1: face in the game. It could go for twenty seven yards. 126 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 1: And then you could face on the same drive third 127 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: and thirteen and it goes for fourteen yards and you 128 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: move the sticks again and you start to feel like 129 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: you're getting in a rhythm. It's all a percentage game. 130 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 1: Knowing you got to answer every series. It's all a 131 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: percentagees game. And eventually one of those safeties spills down 132 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: in that scene Ali, and all of a sudden you 133 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 1: got to pick. You got a ball in the air 134 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 1: that really is born through being behind the sticks and 135 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 1: being in an obvious passing down. Balance is very, very 136 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: key for Ohio State in this game. Not necessarily something 137 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: you're going to steal on the stat sheet either. It's great. 138 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: You know if you could look at the stat sheet 139 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: and say, man, we ran for two fifty and through 140 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: for two fifty and look at that, that's perfect balance. 141 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: Well mathematically it is, but really all you need to 142 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 1: achieve if you're Ohio State here all you need to 143 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 1: achieve is making them think anything could be coming on 144 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 1: the next play. If you've achieved that and that alone, 145 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: then that's balance. So you can't let guys like Will 146 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: Anderson and guys like Christian Barmore wreck you. And if 147 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: you're in a critical amount of third and lungs, second longs, 148 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: even they can and they can change the game. And 149 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: the problem there, well, what could be a problem there. 150 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,160 Speaker 1: We'll see how the game plays out. Is mac Jones 151 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,600 Speaker 1: and Justin Fields. If you look at them comparatively QBR. 152 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, they're right there at the top 153 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: of the country on standard passing downs, but when you 154 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 1: start to mix the element of pressure in mac Jones 155 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:08,599 Speaker 1: is still there. He's one of, if not the best 156 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: against pressure in the country at the quarterback position. Justin 157 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 1: Fields has not been that this season. He's got the capability, 158 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: he hasn't been that so far this season. And so 159 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: you obviously ramp up the potential for pressure the more 160 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: pass rushing specialist types you have on the field in 161 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: obvious passing downs. Here's another key for Ohio State. Now, 162 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: I don't know how you go about this, could do 163 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: it a number of different ways. I think they need 164 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: to steal one possession each half, so get me two 165 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: extra possessions. Somehow in this game, that sounds like forcing turnovers, 166 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: and that's the easiest way to steal a possession obviously. 167 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: I mean it's kind of a net to possession because 168 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 1: you take one from them and you get one more yourself. 169 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: But you don't always have to force a turnover in 170 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: order to steal a possession. You could on side kick. 171 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: I mean you could steal a possession that way. I've 172 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: seen several games this year. Ole Miss was a perfect 173 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: example of a team that played Alabama really close. I 174 00:07:58,400 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: mean they were going up and down the field on him. 175 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 1: I thought they should have started on side kicking attempting 176 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: in the latter portions of the third quarter when it 177 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: became obvious Alabama was rendering your entire strategy for standard 178 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: kickoff's moot because they were already out to midfield by 179 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: the second or third play of the next series. I mean, 180 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 1: there was the risk reward that you're normally calculating in 181 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: your mind for attempting an on side kick Alabama, excuse it. 182 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 1: I mean, if they're in one of these zones that 183 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: they tend to find themselves in most every game they 184 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: play where it doesn't matter what you throw at them. 185 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: I mean, they're at least getting to midfield. I mean 186 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: their drives seem to start at midfield. It's what's the risk? 187 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: What's the risk? I mean, you're what getting an extra 188 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: twenty five yards that they're going to shave off in 189 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 1: two or three plays, go ahead and attempt the on sidekick. 190 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: I don't know why more teams haven't done it this year. 191 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: I do know. I just wish that have a special 192 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: playbook or a special mentality that they coach with against Alabama, 193 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: even though that's not how you're brought up, that's not 194 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: how you're trained to coach the game. You play every 195 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: game and opponent like they're a lifeless, faceless opponent and 196 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: you're just playing to a standard that's great. Have to 197 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 1: be smart enough and tactical enough to realize each opponent 198 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: is different, and this opponent's not like when you face before. 199 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: So if it takes that, if it takes an extra 200 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: on side kick attempt, if going forward on fourth down 201 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: in your own territory, if that's something you have to do, 202 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 1: if fake and a punt or two is something you 203 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: have to do. Do it, do it. The worst that 204 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: could happen is it doesn't work out. And Alabama's got 205 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 1: good feel position. I got news for you. They're gonna 206 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: have it regardless of whether you give it to them 207 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: or not at certain times in a game. So steal 208 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: one possession each half. And then thirdly, you need to 209 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: make Matt Jones move around. Now. I just read you 210 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 1: a stat earlier. I can't remember exactly what the number is, 211 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: but it's probably one or two mac Jones QBR against pressure. 212 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:42,679 Speaker 1: He's very good. He's very good. He is not a 213 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: mobile threat. And so I think a lot of folks 214 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,679 Speaker 1: look at the element of quarterback and they think to themselves, 215 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 1: and they're partially right. You know, if he were to 216 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: face Trevor Lawrence, he were to face Justin, feels like 217 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 1: he's gonna do Monday Night. Well, the Alabama's got the 218 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: disadvantage there because they don't have the mobile quarterback. Well, 219 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: it hadn't hurt them all year. The reason it hasn't 220 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: hurt him is because mo ability at the quarterback position 221 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: is not the paramount skill that you want that quarterback 222 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: to have. With his legs, it certainly helps, but all 223 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:09,680 Speaker 1: you really need that quarterback to do, especially in Steve 224 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: Sarkisan's offense with all those weapons and that offensive line, 225 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 1: what you need your quarterback to be able to do 226 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 1: is stay on his feet and to be very very 227 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 1: good at extending plays in the pocket. If you're good 228 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 1: at that, they don't really care. If you can run 229 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:24,719 Speaker 1: low four fives and once you get out of the 230 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:27,560 Speaker 1: pocket you start scrambling. That's great. That's how Joe Burrow, 231 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 1: for example, did it last year. That's how Justin Fields 232 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:33,959 Speaker 1: can operate. That's how Trevor Lawrence can operate. But man 233 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: yards or yards. And so if you pick him up 234 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:39,600 Speaker 1: by a scrambling seven yards to your left to buy 235 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: a drag route time to come open over the middle, 236 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: and you get nineteen yards off that versus a nineteen 237 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:46,680 Speaker 1: yard quarterback scramble, well guess what they're doing. They're moving 238 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: the chains and they're giving you a fresh shedded downs 239 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:51,200 Speaker 1: either way. And so mac Jones is very good at that. 240 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 1: What I'm talking about is making him move and changing 241 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,079 Speaker 1: his launch point entirely, not just moving a couple of 242 00:10:57,080 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: steps here, a couple of steps there in the pocket, 243 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: but allowing Alabama buy and large to keep the launch 244 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: point the same, I mean, collapse in that pocket from 245 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: the inside with hopefully you're healthy and ready to go 246 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: interior defensive lineman against maybe a vulnerability for the Alabama 247 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: offensive line at center and Chris Owens for Landon Dickerson. 248 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 1: You start doing that stuff, and I think it's the 249 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 1: biggest key for Ohio State in this game, to be 250 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: honest with you. If that interior pressure is more so 251 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: than maybe we all expect it to be, and it's 252 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:27,319 Speaker 1: a factor in its presence early on in this game, 253 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 1: then all of a sudden, you don't have mac Jones 254 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 1: just moving around in the pocket, stepping up in the pocket, 255 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 1: buying himself another fraction of a second. You got him 256 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 1: on the run. You're shaving the field and have depending 257 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,079 Speaker 1: on which way he runs, you're taking maybe some of 258 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: the best receivers in the country out of the game 259 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: on that specific play. And you start doing that several 260 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:47,079 Speaker 1: times a critical number of times. That could be actually 261 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 1: how you steal a possession or two. I mean, that's 262 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:51,679 Speaker 1: playing defense to steal a possession. It's you know, it's 263 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 1: kind of what they call football, but that could be 264 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 1: a way that you end up stealing some possessions from Alabama. 265 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 1: So those would be the three things that I'm largely 266 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: watching for Ohio State here. They do those, or maybe 267 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 1: just a number of those, a small combination of those, 268 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 1: they got a good chance to win this game. How 269 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: about Alabama keys for Alabama here? What are the biggest 270 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: keys for Alabama to win the National Championship on Monday 271 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 1: night against Ohio State. Well, I think they first off 272 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: need to look at doing, to their credit, what they 273 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: did to start the Notre Dame game. Most of you 274 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 1: probably haven't gone back and watched that game a ton, 275 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: maybe some of you Alabama fans have. What did you 276 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,439 Speaker 1: notice when they first started that game. It was a 277 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: game that was never going to be endowed as it 278 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: turns out, But what they did is they got multiple 279 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: receivers involved very early on. It ended up being another 280 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: star studded performance for guys like DeVante Smith. But to 281 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 1: start the game, they got Forestall involved, They got Billingsley involved. 282 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 1: Jalen Wattle could be back in this game, and now 283 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: we're talking about the key for this game. You get 284 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 1: him involved. John Metchi is a constant threat. Najie Harris 285 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 1: extremely adept as a pass catcher, out of the backfield, 286 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:55,320 Speaker 1: and then you got guy like Slade Bolden that also 287 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: got involved early. When you get those guys involved, I 288 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,319 Speaker 1: mean those are what one, two, three, four, I think 289 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: I named like six or seven guys. Then DeVante Smith 290 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 1: is added into the equation instead of being leaned on 291 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: to catch fifteen or seventeen balls in order to win 292 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,360 Speaker 1: a game. And he can do it, don't get me wrong. 293 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 1: But when you start varying the tempo early on, like 294 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: Alabama's known to do, and you also start some diversity 295 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: in your receiving corps early in the game, that's how 296 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: you get to the end of the first quarter and 297 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: you look at the quickie stat sheet they hand out 298 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: in the press box, and that says, wow, man, Alabama's 299 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 1: already got five receivers with at least one reception. That's 300 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:30,559 Speaker 1: a good sign. That's a really good sign if you 301 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: can pull that off. And Alabama not only can they, 302 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: I mean they have done it all ye're so really 303 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 1: I'm not asking them to do anything they haven't already done. 304 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: Second thing on defense for Alabama, they need to affect 305 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 1: justin fields, which is a very generic statement and it's 306 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:45,319 Speaker 1: what you want to do in every game anyway, there 307 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: is a specific reason in this game. And if you're 308 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,199 Speaker 1: trying to look at matchups, you're trying to find an edge. Statistically, 309 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: you're trying to find an edge. It's not in standard downs. 310 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: In standard downs, you know, in other words, when things 311 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: are happening the way they're supposed to in the down 312 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 1: and distance looks like it's supposed to, there is not 313 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: a quarterback. There's not a huge quarterback edge one way 314 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: or the other here on standard downs. I know you 315 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: may like the athleticism of Justin Fields more, or you 316 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: may like the cerebral nature of mac Jones more. The 317 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 1: point is, if you were to have to offer me 318 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 1: one or you and I were drafting, I just say, hey, 319 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: take your pick. I'll take the one that's left over. 320 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 1: I'd be fine either way. However, there is one area, 321 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: as I've talked about already in this show, there is 322 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: one gap, and that is pressure downs. QB are On 323 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: pressure downs, when there is actual pressure applied, mac Jones 324 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: is still fine. I mean, he's one of the best 325 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: in the country. On standard he is the best in 326 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: the country as far as I've seen, and the numbers 327 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: back it up. When pressured Justin Fields has not been 328 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: that this year, and so how many times can you 329 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: make him feel you just impacting or pressuring the quarterback? 330 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: That's really all you need, because I mean a lot 331 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: of times folks will look at a stat sheet and 332 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: they'll think, well, how many sacks did you have? That's 333 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: really indicative of how much pressure you got. Well, let 334 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 1: me ask you something. What's better? Is it better to 335 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: sack the quarterback or to affect the quarterback? I know 336 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 1: that sounds like a trick question. It's really not, though, 337 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: I mean, what would you rather have happen? So it's first, 338 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: let's say it's first and ten and you sack Justin 339 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: Fields and so not second and fifteen? Would you rather 340 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: have that? Or would you rather have affected him? And 341 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: you may be thinking, well, I'd rather sack him. Well 342 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: that's cool, but I didn't tell you what the outcome 343 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 1: of you affecting him was. What if you affected him 344 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 1: and you made him step up in the pocket and 345 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 1: then you kind of brush by his right arm, but 346 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: it was enough to throw the trajectory of a pass 347 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 1: off and it gets tipped in the air by Christian 348 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: Harris and then into the waiting arms of Brian branch 349 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: it's an interception gets returned for twenty yards in a touchdown. Well, 350 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, the affecting the quarterback is a 351 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: lot more than sacking the quarterback, as it turns out, 352 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 1: And so I'm not predicting that, although if it happens, 353 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: I absolutely will claim I did. But I can assure 354 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 1: you on the Ohio State side of things, they are 355 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: going to be very liberal with their amount of deep 356 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: shots taken against you. They've watched the same film a 357 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 1: lot of us have. Alabama's secondary, he can be vulnerable, 358 00:15:58,160 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: it can be had in the middle, they can be 359 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 1: had deep, and Ohio State's gonna test that as they should. 360 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: They got the arm strength and talented quarterback, and they 361 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: got the depth of wide receiver and the speed to 362 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 1: do that. On your end, because you know that's coming, 363 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 1: you're gonna have opportunities to not only you know, get 364 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: hands on justin fields and maybe hit justin fields, but 365 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: you're gonna have a chance to affect him. Those are 366 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 1: longer developing plays. Ohio State's got a very good offensive line. 367 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 1: Alabama's got some pretty good pass rushers, especially on those 368 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 1: types of downs, affect him, affect him and you force 369 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 1: maybe errant throws, or you at least force throws to 370 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: be made in a tighter window where you up your 371 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: percentage maybe even just three or four percent on a 372 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 1: given play of forcing a turnover. And you know, when 373 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 1: you score, like Alabama scores, don't take a lot of it. 374 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: If you can just steal one possession on your end 375 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: through affecting the quarterback, that could be all it takes. 376 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: And that's not even to talk about the potential. I 377 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: won't say injury risk. I mean, whatever's happening with Justin 378 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: Fields is happening. But you got to find out what 379 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 1: he's got early in the game. Find out, you know, 380 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 1: a play breaks down, he's in a situation where he'd 381 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 1: normally run and dive and fall forward for a first down. 382 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:07,880 Speaker 1: How does he handle himself at that point. It won't 383 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: be about what a doctor has told him he could do. 384 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:11,920 Speaker 1: It won't be about you know, what he's been shot 385 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,640 Speaker 1: up with or anything like that. It'll just be about instinct, 386 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,200 Speaker 1: the player's instinct in this case, Justin Field's instincts, how 387 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,679 Speaker 1: he handles himself. That'll tell you if you're an Ohio 388 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: State fan or an Alabama fan, everything you need to know. 389 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 1: Third thing for Alabama, big key here, they got to 390 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: let their horses run. And I don't have any concern 391 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,680 Speaker 1: about them doing that. But sometimes i've watched in national 392 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: championship games in the past, it's always boggled my mind. 393 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: A team that's good enough to get to a championship 394 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 1: game all of a sudden thinks they have to change 395 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 1: their formula to win, and what got them there is 396 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:45,320 Speaker 1: not good enough once they get there. And so you'll 397 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: watch teams overthink the room, and you'll see an offensive coordinator, 398 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:51,480 Speaker 1: for example, think that just because I've got all these 399 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:53,840 Speaker 1: plays on my play sheet, I got to call all 400 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: of them. And so you got a superstar wide receiver 401 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: on the field, and you got an all pro future 402 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: all Pro caliber running back on the field, and instead 403 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: you're throwing two like the fourth option at receiver on 404 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 1: a critical third down, and he drops the ball because 405 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:09,159 Speaker 1: he's the fourth option at wide receiver on a critical 406 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: third down. I've seen that stuff happen. You've seen it happen. 407 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,239 Speaker 1: DeVante Smith is the best player in college football. Let 408 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 1: him run. Naja Harris is the best running back in 409 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:21,399 Speaker 1: college football. Let him run. Jalil Billingsley is a freak 410 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 1: of an athlete at tight end. Reminds me a lot 411 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: of what oj Howard did in a championship setting several 412 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 1: years back against Clemson. Actually two years in a row 413 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 1: against Clemson could have billings Lee do the exact same 414 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 1: thing here. I mean, it wouldn't surprise me if we 415 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:36,119 Speaker 1: looked up and that's a guy who had four receptions 416 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 1: for one hundred and seventy yards. Because there's so many 417 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:41,160 Speaker 1: guys you have to defend that someone like him could 418 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,400 Speaker 1: leak free let the horses run. If Alabama does that, 419 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,879 Speaker 1: I'd feel very comfortable in just knowing because they let 420 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: their best players win their game. They ended up winning 421 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: their game. And let me tell you, when you've got 422 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:54,679 Speaker 1: a talent roster as deep as really both of these 423 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: teams do. I'm not selling Ohio State short at all. 424 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:58,879 Speaker 1: I follow recruiting just like you guys do. I know 425 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 1: good andwell how good they are are. The beauty of 426 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 1: it is when you get to this level, and there 427 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:04,440 Speaker 1: are only a few teams at this level. When you 428 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: get to this level, some people can over complicate things, 429 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 1: and it certainly is a complex game, but really you 430 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: could break it down like I just did. You got 431 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: the best players in the world, just let them go play. 432 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: I mean, if you told them only that, they could 433 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:19,960 Speaker 1: probably formulate their own game plan in about fifteen minutes 434 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,159 Speaker 1: with each other and take your headset off. You can 435 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: just sit there and cross your arms and watch and 436 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 1: they'd be pretty darn good. So those are the biggest 437 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 1: keys there for Alabama. Now this part, this part's not 438 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 1: really specific to one team or the other team. It's 439 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 1: just some things that as I was driving home to 440 00:19:35,359 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: Nashville from Columbus last night, and I mean late last night, 441 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: I was thinking about, you know, one of the biggest questions. 442 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:44,600 Speaker 1: If I could have these answered, you know that I 443 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: would go a long way and knowing what the outcome 444 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: is going to be here without knowing the final score obviously. 445 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,120 Speaker 1: So these are my biggest questions for the National Championship game, 446 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: Ohio State versus Alabama. Let's get into it. First off, 447 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 1: I want to know what's carryed over for Ohio State. 448 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,399 Speaker 1: A lot of folks in Buckeye Nation who watch the 449 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: regular season, you know that you just peaked at the 450 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:06,400 Speaker 1: right time against Clemson. You actually did against the Tigers 451 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,920 Speaker 1: what they normally do to other teams, Well, you turned 452 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: that trick on them, and it was beautiful to watch 453 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:14,160 Speaker 1: if you're not a Clemson Tiger fan. So what carries 454 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: over from that game? You know, I've seen time and 455 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: time again teams that'll play loose in the regular season 456 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:22,679 Speaker 1: or maybe loose in one particular setting because you have 457 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,880 Speaker 1: that kind of back against the wall, nothing to lose mentality. Well, 458 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 1: then all of a sudden you win. And it takes 459 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: a little while, but then all of a sudden it 460 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: sets in, like the gravity of the situation makes itself apparent, 461 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:35,639 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, you're aggravated because you're watching 462 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 1: that team the following week in the regular season, or 463 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: maybe you're watching them in a bowl setting or in 464 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:42,719 Speaker 1: a championship setting, and you're saying, wait a second, why 465 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 1: are we so tight in this game? Man? We were 466 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 1: so loose. Remember that other game? We were so loose? 467 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: Why are we so tight here? So that's the biggest skill, 468 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:53,240 Speaker 1: that's the biggest coaching point for Ryan Day. I'm certainly 469 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:55,159 Speaker 1: not telling him anything he doesn't already know, and I 470 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 1: don't think he's watching the show tonight, so it's irrelevant. 471 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: That's the biggest key here. If he nothing more then 472 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 1: bottles up what they had against Clemson from an intangible 473 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:07,880 Speaker 1: standpoint and opens that jar up and pours it onto 474 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 1: the field Monday night in Miami. If he only does that, 475 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,160 Speaker 1: then the rest should take care of itself. Because there's 476 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:16,360 Speaker 1: something that we've talked about with Ohio State. It's called 477 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: being in ascension mode. Again, I've referenced Clemson in the 478 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 1: past as having done that. Clemson has had a season, 479 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: for instance, like the one in twenty sixteen where they 480 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: lost a regular season game. They had several more close 481 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:33,239 Speaker 1: one possession type squeakers. But yet if you watched them 482 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: play Alabama in the National Championship that year, you would 483 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: look at that team and say, man, if that team 484 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 1: had played in the regular season, they would have won 485 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: every game by fifty Like, what's the deal here, Well, 486 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: that's called ascension mode. That's a team that all of 487 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:47,919 Speaker 1: a sudden starts to rapidly climb at the right time. 488 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,120 Speaker 1: Ohio State, we only have a one game sample size, 489 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: so we don't know if that's what's happening here or 490 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:56,159 Speaker 1: if we had a perfect storm present itself in the 491 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: semi final game. But if they are in ascension mode, 492 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: and you'll know early on teams. Teams don't come out 493 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:03,919 Speaker 1: flat in ascension mode. I can assure you that, so 494 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: we'll know it early on. And if they are, forget 495 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 1: about a point spread, forget about what records have said 496 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: this year, how many games you played, and how many 497 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: games they've all. That stuff's out the window. You're going 498 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: to have a four quarter night five? So what has 499 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 1: carried over for Ohio State from last game to this game? 500 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: Second question? What are we going to get out of 501 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: guys like Jalen Waddle and Lebrian Ray for Alabama? Lebrian Ray, 502 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,919 Speaker 1: I'll go in reverse here. Lebrian Ray. Obama fans know 503 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: who he is, but he's been a guy that's had 504 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: several injuries throughout his career. You know, he is a 505 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 1: guy that Nick Saban earlier this season called one of 506 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: their most irreplaceable assets defensively. Well, they lost him to 507 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:42,800 Speaker 1: a kind of a weird injuries, like no one really 508 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:45,919 Speaker 1: knew what happened to him. And so he is practicing 509 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 1: and looks to be able to play on Monday night. 510 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 1: I don't know how much he's going to be able 511 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:51,880 Speaker 1: to play, but I'll be really interested because hey, that's 512 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:54,680 Speaker 1: a really good defensive piece. And it's important to note 513 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 1: he didn't have a lower extremity injury, so it's not 514 00:22:57,359 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: a guy coming back from a knee injury or something 515 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 1: like that, and so his wheels should be good. I 516 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 1: don't know what kind of shape cardio of vascular wise 517 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:05,159 Speaker 1: he'll be in, Like, I don't know what kind of 518 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: pitch count they may have him on, but he could 519 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: make a difference there. Jalen Wattle is a guy who 520 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: had a lower extremity injury, and it's been sort of 521 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: a running joke around the Alabama program for about a 522 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: month and a half or two months now of when 523 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 1: is he going to come back? Are they gearing him up? 524 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,159 Speaker 1: Do they have a big sharpie circle in red on 525 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 1: a calendar that's the National Championship game? Are they just 526 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 1: making sure that he rehabs on a trajectory that will 527 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 1: get him back for that game. Well, I mean, if 528 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 1: I had to play some money, I'd say Jalen Wattle 529 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:34,919 Speaker 1: is gonna be on the field in some capacity Monday night. Now, 530 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:36,919 Speaker 1: I think what we're all waiting to see is I 531 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 1: mean he out there is some kind of decoy. I 532 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,400 Speaker 1: know that's kind of been a popular talking point over 533 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 1: the past week leading up to the game. Or I mean, 534 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 1: are they going to go to him first play of 535 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 1: the game. Are they going to hit him on a 536 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:50,240 Speaker 1: smoke screen or maybe quick slant over the middle? Jalen 537 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:52,479 Speaker 1: Wattle twenty seven yards after the catch and then all 538 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: of a sudden, you know, he pops up, gives the 539 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:56,920 Speaker 1: first down signal and you go, uh oh, he's back. 540 00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 1: He's a little more back than I thought he'd be. 541 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: So that's just kind of interest to see. Same thing 542 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: goes for Ohio State for kind of different reasons. I 543 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:05,800 Speaker 1: know they had some guys that were banged up in 544 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 1: the game against Clemson, but really what we're focused on 545 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,679 Speaker 1: here and you've kind of been focused on all year 546 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: if you're an Ohio State fanas who is going to 547 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 1: be announced as starting, as available and as out about 548 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 1: an hour or two before kickoff, Like which players are 549 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 1: going to be able to go and which ones because 550 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 1: of COVID related reasons or contact tracing aren't able to go. 551 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 1: And I know, you know a lot of focus rightfully 552 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,479 Speaker 1: so is on the interior would just really the defensive line. 553 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: Then there have been you know, rumors back and forth 554 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: about who tested positive, who had a false positive. You know, 555 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:38,720 Speaker 1: it's just impossible to know because there's only really a 556 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 1: precious few people who do know. And in lieu of 557 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:45,120 Speaker 1: you know, Ryan Day texting me about this overnight, I'll 558 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:47,119 Speaker 1: probably find out with you guys on the morning of 559 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,280 Speaker 1: or the afternoon of the game. But I mean, it's 560 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 1: important for obvious reasons. But the real thing I think 561 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 1: about is Ohio State recruits so that they can have 562 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,160 Speaker 1: depth to withstand injuries or personnel losses of any kind. 563 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:00,560 Speaker 1: I don't think about that, don't. I don't think that 564 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 1: if we have a certain number of guys that are 565 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:06,160 Speaker 1: announced as being out tomorrow night, don't. I won't think 566 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,119 Speaker 1: necessarily right off the bat all that means they're going 567 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:10,400 Speaker 1: to lose. No, that's not it, man. Ohio State's plenty 568 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 1: good enough. And so if as long as justin Field's 569 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:15,360 Speaker 1: names not on that list, they should be okay, Tray 570 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 1: Sermon's not on that list, they should be okay. What 571 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:20,359 Speaker 1: I'm looking at is, all right, how vulnerable does that 572 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 1: make you once this game starts to losing guys just 573 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 1: for game related reasons? You know, if it got twist 574 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:28,359 Speaker 1: his ankle, I mean, if a guy catches a cramp, 575 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 1: who is his backup? And if the guy who's on 576 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 1: the field catching the cramp is already a backup, how 577 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:37,480 Speaker 1: many critical areas could you be down to a number 578 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 1: three being on the field. Because Alabama is lethal at 579 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:43,960 Speaker 1: exposing that stuff. They're lethal it going after your starters 580 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:46,239 Speaker 1: to begin with. But if you've got an area of 581 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:50,159 Speaker 1: sustained vulnerability where you've got a prolonged situation where one 582 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,360 Speaker 1: of their ones is against one of your threes, that's 583 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: going to be exposed, I mean, they will dissect it 584 00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: and go after it like an assassin, because that's exactly 585 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 1: what they do. So immediately, you know, when you hear 586 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 1: those names announce who's starting and who's not, you pull 587 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 1: out your trust the Ohio State depth chart and you 588 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: check out, all right, now, how vulnerable are they, how 589 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:09,159 Speaker 1: thin is the layer of sand on top of this 590 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: roster at this particular position group, and how deep do 591 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:14,479 Speaker 1: you have to dig before you would get into real trouble. 592 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:16,400 Speaker 1: There just something to keep an eye on during the game. 593 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: Which one of these offenses blinks early. Now in this case, 594 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: it could just mean which one of them doesn't score 595 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 1: at least three on a drive. But I'm not talking 596 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 1: about that. I'm talking about something that I guess would 597 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 1: be kind of unforeseen if one of these offenses has 598 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: really early three and out and then the next series 599 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: looks shaky. You've gone two series in a row in 600 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:41,879 Speaker 1: a game that you figure to need to score pretty 601 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,200 Speaker 1: much every drive or at least you know, be moving 602 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 1: the ball every drive and put yourself in a position 603 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 1: to challenge. Well, then you get a little unsure of 604 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:50,920 Speaker 1: yourself and everyone else on the other side. Line tastes 605 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: blood in the water. I mean, it's really not even metaphorical. 606 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,200 Speaker 1: That's quite literally what they see from that press box 607 00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:59,119 Speaker 1: and that's what they see from the field level. So 608 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 1: will there be one of these offenses that takes a 609 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 1: little while longer to get it in gear? Is one 610 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 1: of these defenses capable of giving maybe some unique looks, 611 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 1: some unique pressure. Does something break down along an offensive 612 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:14,919 Speaker 1: line early? Do you have maybe a key injury early? 613 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,119 Speaker 1: Is there a guy you thought would start that doesn't 614 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: start that ends up providing a bigger vulnerability offensively for 615 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:23,919 Speaker 1: one of these units than previously thought. Just watch that 616 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,760 Speaker 1: early because I'm not saying if you grab a fourteen 617 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: nothing lead, this game's over. But obviously if that happens, 618 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:32,920 Speaker 1: then you force one of these teams into the very 619 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:35,680 Speaker 1: unfamiliar role of having to play catch up. I mean, 620 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,439 Speaker 1: think about that. When is the last time you watched 621 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 1: Ohio State this year having to play catch up a 622 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 1: majority of a game early against Clemson? They did, and 623 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:46,280 Speaker 1: they did a fine job of it. But otherwise, when's 624 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: the last time you watched that this year? When's the 625 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:50,200 Speaker 1: last I know the answer to this, when's the last 626 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:52,479 Speaker 1: time you watched Alabama have to do that? They did 627 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:54,640 Speaker 1: it against Georgia one time. I think that's about it. 628 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 1: And that was a situation where you were facing Stetson 629 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 1: Bennett and there was not exactly the overwhelming threat of 630 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:04,800 Speaker 1: the opposing team pulling away from you. So there was time. 631 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,520 Speaker 1: You know, Ohio State trail Northwestern, but they always knew 632 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 1: once we yawn enough and get the sleep out of 633 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,400 Speaker 1: our eyes, we can fly past them. And you did. 634 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:18,240 Speaker 1: How about Ohio State's defensive line Alabama's offensive line? I 635 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 1: told you in our keys section, and I've talked about 636 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:23,760 Speaker 1: it all week. I think the single biggest matchup, the 637 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:26,399 Speaker 1: single most important matchup in this game is the Ohio 638 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:29,919 Speaker 1: State defensive line against the interior here the interior of 639 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:33,680 Speaker 1: the Alabama O line. When Landon Dickerson went down their 640 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:36,880 Speaker 1: Remington Award winning center. When he went down against Florida, 641 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:40,440 Speaker 1: there were two reactions nationally. You know, people who aren't 642 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:43,720 Speaker 1: die hard Alabama fans, they probably watched that and said, oh, 643 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 1: one of their five All American caliber offensive linemen is down. Well, okay, 644 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 1: I mean they still got the rest of them. I'm 645 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,320 Speaker 1: sure it's Alabama. They recruit, well, they've got good depth, 646 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 1: they'll be fine. And that was the national perception, I 647 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:56,959 Speaker 1: can tell you right now, that was not the perception 648 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,800 Speaker 1: in Tuscaloosa. They know, even as deep as you are, 649 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:03,720 Speaker 1: even as good as you recruit, there are certain pivot points. 650 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 1: There are certain hinge points on your roster where you 651 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 1: know you can ill afford to lose a guy, maybe 652 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 1: more so than other positions, and center is a position 653 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 1: like that for them. Now, having said that, Chris Owens 654 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: is a guy who feels like he's about twenty seven 655 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 1: years old. He's been there forever, so he's got a 656 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: lot of experience. He is a quality reserve. But if 657 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:25,960 Speaker 1: you're looking at a heat map and your best players 658 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: are in green and your most vulnerable players are yellows 659 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: or reds. That is an area of this heat map 660 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:33,600 Speaker 1: matchup where if I'm looking at ours, we do these 661 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 1: sometimes I have got a bunch of green touching a 662 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:39,120 Speaker 1: bunch of yellow for Ohio State versus Alabama. There and 663 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 1: what that is is again, it's the interior of the 664 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:45,240 Speaker 1: Ohio State defensive line right up against an unproven center 665 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:48,920 Speaker 1: against high level competition. Chris Owens is serviceable. He is 666 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 1: not a Remington Award winner. And so all that does 667 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:54,960 Speaker 1: is it puts the possibility on the table of one 668 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 1: of two things happening. Either Chris Owens has the game 669 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 1: of his career and ends up, you know, being a 670 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 1: hero in Tusclusive for stepping in when he needed to 671 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: and fueling a national championship win by keeping Mac Jones clean, 672 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 1: or Ohio State is able to consistently disrupt from the interior. 673 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: When you think about these games, when you think about 674 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,760 Speaker 1: affecting the quarterback, most of the time, your head goes 675 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 1: to edge rushers and pass rush from the edge. That's 676 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 1: typically where the mind goes. That's not always the way 677 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,280 Speaker 1: it has to happen, and in a situation like this, 678 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 1: it's even more fortuitous if you're Ohio State knowing the 679 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 1: strength of this Alabama offense and the need to move 680 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,800 Speaker 1: the launch point for mac Jones in order to interrupt that. Well, 681 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: you'd rather get pressure on the interior. You'd rather collapse 682 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:38,720 Speaker 1: that pocket from the interior. You know, it doesn't matter 683 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 1: if you've got a bunch of Chase Young's on the outside. 684 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: You got those cats you have on the inside, if 685 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 1: they're healthy and they're able to play, and you've got 686 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: the vulnerability there that you think you may have, and 687 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:49,560 Speaker 1: that's a matchup advantage, go after it. Go after it 688 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 1: all day. And here's the final question I have. When 689 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:55,680 Speaker 1: are these strides hit? So these games, sometimes they come 690 00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 1: out and it is immediate fireworks. Other times it's kind 691 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 1: of choppy. Early on, you have some early jitters, nerves, 692 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 1: whatever you want to call them, Teams feeling each other out. 693 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: There are a lot of really good athletes on the field. 694 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:11,840 Speaker 1: You know. Sometimes a funny thing happens when you just 695 00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 1: expect that a defense that maybe statistically isn't great but 696 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:17,480 Speaker 1: has a lot of great athletes on the field, when 697 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:20,200 Speaker 1: you think they're just gonna get run over, from bell one. 698 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: Sometimes it doesn't happen. Sometimes when you got really good 699 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:25,040 Speaker 1: players on the field, they tend to, you know, push 700 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 1: back a little bit. So when are the strides going 701 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 1: to get hit in this game? Because there's going to 702 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 1: eventually come a point. In fact, I'd be very surprised 703 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: if this point didn't come where there are going to 704 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,360 Speaker 1: be a lot of points being traded. Okay, does that 705 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: happen early? Is it fourteen to fourteen at the end 706 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: of the first quarter or is it nine to three 707 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: at the end of the first quarter? And it's been 708 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 1: kind of shaky, and then you know, the team that's 709 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,960 Speaker 1: already up is in the red zone again, and obviously 710 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 1: one stride's being hit, but the other isn't. Do we 711 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: have a game that starts like that or do we 712 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:57,320 Speaker 1: have a game where it's just trading points the whole way? 713 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,360 Speaker 1: And when we do eventually get to that point, how 714 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:02,719 Speaker 1: deep in the game are we How long does it 715 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:06,000 Speaker 1: take before we reach that point? Now that's probably critical 716 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 1: as much for a totals better as it is for 717 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: you know which team's going to win the game. Having 718 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:13,440 Speaker 1: said that, you don't want to get down twenty to 719 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:15,560 Speaker 1: three before you hit that stripe. So those are some 720 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:18,520 Speaker 1: questions that I will be focused on. This is going 721 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 1: to be a great game, man, It's going to be 722 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 1: a really, really great game. There is a ton of 723 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: pride in these programs. These are supreme Alpha programs. Always. 724 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,960 Speaker 1: I'll take these matchups for one hundred years. A lot 725 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 1: of you claim that you want to see a Cinderella 726 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 1: make this game. That's fine. I prefer the big dogs 727 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 1: to make this game. I love watching this. I could 728 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:40,160 Speaker 1: watch this all day twice on Sunday, three times on Monday, 729 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:41,960 Speaker 1: and as it turns out, that's when we're playing this 730 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 1: game Monday night. So make sure you're following me on 731 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:47,520 Speaker 1: Twitter at Late Kick Josh. I'll have a lot to 732 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,920 Speaker 1: say there and we'll have our full live reaction show 733 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:54,640 Speaker 1: on Tuesday night. We appreciate as always you guys tuning 734 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 1: into the show. As I said, we hope to be 735 00:32:56,360 --> 00:33:00,280 Speaker 1: back in the studio Tuesday night. So hey, normalcy around 736 00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 1: the corner, well at least as far as Late Kick 737 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 1: is concerned. So until then, let's all enjoy the game 738 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 1: together on Monday night again at Late Kick Josh on 739 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:09,440 Speaker 1: Twitter if you want to kind of follow that game 740 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: along with me. I'll be watching it, uh hunker down 741 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:14,480 Speaker 1: in the twenty four to seven Sports offices and so 742 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:16,640 Speaker 1: that's where i'll be. Don't know what I'm ordering to eat, 743 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:20,000 Speaker 1: but that's where i'll be. For director Colin, for producer Jordan. 744 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:23,480 Speaker 1: On the podcast side, I'm Josh Paid. Have a great Monday, 745 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: enjoy the National Championship game. I'll talk to you Tuesday. 746 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 1: Until then, God bless