Happy New Year Special

0:45 Welcome back to The Foundry Corner podcast, I'm Curtis Wilson. I'm Brian siglo buddy, what's up? We're on a Thursday night again, Thursday night, Thursday night, back to the old time slot. Not the new time slot. It's been a week for us here in Richmond, man. Snow all over the place. Kids. Not in school us. Trying to work from home. Yep, with kids, not in school, they push us back until At least the 17th before we are can go back in the office. Oh wow. Yeah. Well I'm going to be here for a while. We have not been given the official date yet, but needless to say the week after the holidays, which was a lot of fun, a lot of fun.

1:35 I know me. And you talked, numerous times texting back and forth. Yep. Got to say your son's Rainbow Road. Sweet. Yeah, I've been having just as much fun as he has with that. Anybody that's got kids of a certain age, get that Hot Wheels Rainbow Road, it is the shit. All right I'm going to give you all another suggestion kids of a certain age and we say a certain age I'm going to say five to ten eleven maybe even 12. Nintendo switch, Hot Wheels, Unleashed dude, that game is sweet.

2:17 I mean sweet like a, if you're like us, we have probably three or four hundred Hot Wheels cars in this house. You've seen it feels like you go into this race and you notice and can identify every single car that's on there. And you can customize the cars and you can build tracks. And you can customize. Its it's like so sweet. Like I said here, one day and we were playing like four and a half hours went by like Loops, but but the holidays were a lot of fun. This week's been kind of crazy with all the snow at six, six and a half inches here in Richmond. Yeah we have about five on this side. I know y'all had about another inch or two more than we did. So just lots of crazy stuff man and I tell you it's been too long over two weeks in We were last recorded, and we have a ton to unload tonight in all aspects of hokey football, but we're going to start with a couple hokey headlines, not related to football and Brian.

3:23 I didn't get to watch this last night. Following try to follow it. What an ugly loss to a windlass conference eight and seven and six tables. Back Hokies fall 68-63. I know you got to watch pieces of it. What what was what seems to be the issue? Ooh, I mean, you know, after that, great Saint Bonaventure win in battle and Duke. It seems like all the old stuff is back up. Yeah. I mean I blame a little bit of it on the layoffs but I mean some of this isn't isn't layoff related. You know, you can't miss point-blank layups, you can't miss the easy ones. You can't miss that many free throws.

4:06 You know, naheem just has not been himself. The last probably seven or eight games. You can't hang with him that long if he's struggling. You got to get get somebody else out there. There you can't let someone that struggling that badly with their shot, get that many minutes. Yeah, I mean, when you, when you need, when you need points generated because other guys were, we're also not having their best night and then you got a guy that struggling like that you got to you got to do something different and mix it up. I think Mi kyung's problem right now is that he's being a little too he's giving them a little too much leash to try to get their shot back. He was doing a little It was storm when he was struggling, he's doing it.

4:49 Now, when I eme, I think just a quicker hook and mixing things up a little bit more with the lineups could maybe generate some more offense, but it was also a game where NC State for about two stretches look like they couldn't miss. So that didn't help that it all yes. All people saying that for a couple stretches, one of the first half and one in the second essential when they took the lead and kept it like Five, six minutes where it's like every shot. They take her. They can't miss and I know me. And you talked about the heme yesterday he shot 18 percent from the field. I mean, it's okay to let guys try to shoot their way out of the funk but it comes to a point where it's detrimental to the team and when you still shoot 40% 43 percent from the field.

5:40 And one guy shoots, you know 18% in your it's a five-point game. Like you said, maybe take putting somebody else in the other piece and I don't think there's any way to fix this just based on how the team's constructed hey I'm murdered on the boards. Yeah or outrebounded by the offensive rebounds were ridiculous team sport. There was a period where there was there was one offensive board on like five or six straight possessions for it. You state. So it was, it was, it was pretty awful. That, that stretch was pretty awful to watch, but, you know, I still think this team has talent, but they dropped so many games at this point, we're seeing a path to the NCAA. Tournament is its narrow at best very narrow. It's going to have to be something like out of the next 12 games and I'm trying to look here at the thing. Yeah.

6:39 The next 12. Games, which is basically. Almost the rest of the regular season I mean it's gonna have to be 10 the 110 win. I think what we're looking at is like I think what they're 16 left I think they need to go 12 and 4. Yeah it makes sense. Yeah yeah. Yeah. That's pretty much what they have to do. Yeah so we'll see we'll continue following it and we have our and some of those wins need to be quad one wins. So got to beat the upper echelons. All right? Other news this week, not related to what Related to football, but not related to football. Was John Ledger stepping away? He tweeted this out on the third Hokies, this will come as a shock and I hate that as effective.

7:26 Today, I'm stepping aside as voices. The Hokies, my lifelong passion has been sportscasting and representing. You has been my joy and privilege of a lifetime. However, when my dad passed, I started thinking about wanting to do more to help people primarily through mental health, advocacy history, I'm over the last few months, that urges grown, this is the hardest thing I've ever done, but I feel a peace knowing all that we can do. I'll be focusing on Mental Health initiatives in the short term but I will be back in the booth at some point soon know that I love you all and will always appreciate the faith you put in me. And I respect, you always treated me with. I'll always be a hokie. Thanks for being there. And thanks, always for being so keys, please.

8:10 Kind of a shocker because he was in New York just a few days ago called game. Yeah. And it's kind of funny because some people have laser has grown on them. Right. We hear that from people lasers. Growing on me, I think for me and you heat it was okay from it was great from day one. We were so used to him here in Richmond. Yeah, that was already we associated with it. Yeah, I think that's a difference for Richmond folks. Is that, you know, you were already hearing that voice from time to time. In your sphere. So there wasn't that much jarring. I mean, you know, you heard something, you know, it wasn't touchdown tech. But yeah, it was it was it was different but we were familiar enough where it wasn't as jarring as it was for probably some of the the Roanoke, folks, the Blacksburg folks other folks in the NRV that, you know, were full on or off disciples and don't get us wrong Roth is a disciple. If you are A tech fan of our age. So many calls, whether you heard them on the radio or later, like watching the highlights and they play it, it's always my Vic's. One always appeared in Morgantown. But for John, you know, the Clear Mountain Air, it started coming and, you know, whatever's going on, you know? you know, laser is from every account anyone's ever had lasers a great human being Rick even being. And so hopefully I mean, I don't

9:41 know if this means he's going to come back to Tech or if he's going to do other things. But for him, God bless him. Whatever. He and his wife decide to do, I know it looks like they're going to be going on around the country road trip. Yes, sounds like they're going to be hitting all the all the points of interest throughout the country and throughout the country. Are we doing some good shit around the along the way? So good stuff. Yeah. Best of luck to him and on this next step and hopefully we'll, we'll get to see him at least in Virginia, when everything settles down, if not, you know, back in Blacksburg, so best of luck to you, ladies, abso-freakin'-lutely. All right, Brian was cut it off. And let's jump straight into the football. And let's talk about some of the new hires. And before we get into the big new hire brine, it's kind of been breaking the last couple days to names have emerged. As FrontRunner for the wide receiver job. Mike Brown down at Cincinnati, played at Liberty from Charlottesville.

10:42 So if Virginia native and Tony Washington down at kostal, from High Point, North Carolina played down at appstate. These, these guys are like in their 30s, both have NFL experience. They both were in the league about three years. Brown had some significant playing time Washington hung around a few. Good practice broad rosters. In whirling mentioning these guys names because this is stuff that came out in the public. Jason Statham you know I used to write for Rivals rights forever other sources. Now he is set it and I can't remember who was who mentioned Tony Washington out. There was a couple there was a couple guys that mentioned, Tony Washington. I can't remember right off the top. So um, I'm good for either.

11:28 One of these guys. I'm good for either. I'd probably prefer. Mike Brown It's probably like a like, a 60-40 for me Mike Brown but yeah, I'd be happy either. Way here. I think, Mike seen it, done at a little bit higher level in his current role. Well, I think that probably is probably a little bit more of the reason that I'm kind of leaning that way the mentorship he's had, is a little bit more official. In my, in my mind, I mean back-to-back, I mean, back-to-back New Year, six bowls. Yeah. Welcome back AC titles.

12:09 I mean, you know, we're going to discuss a little later. His, he's got a guy who's a junior. That is sauce is getting heavy, heavy praise. And he's probably going to be drafted in the first two days. And here's the, here's the one thing on a joke about Brian watching, you know, watching some Coastal games, definitely watching more Sensi. Our wide receivers are still going to run block. Good. Did you watch them? It's but it's all the other stuff that, yeah, they do a lot better, if the stuff you expect wide receivers to do, not the stuff that is, is the nice icing on the cake that we've been getting.

12:50 So, whenever this breaks, which I think this is probably going to come to fruition probably probably before the next time we jump here before before you hear from us, again, more than likely will have a wide receiver coach. So we can talk about, We'll get all right Brian. When it came out, was about two weeks ago. About a potential offensive line coach. Yeah, we were on watch like just before Christmas holidays. Yeah, but it was about it for that is when the smoke started. Yep. Give me the first thought. Did you think this is bullshit? I'm not getting my hopes up when I first heard Joe Rudolph's name. Floated out there.

13:35 I was like Well, that certainly would be nice. But that was kind of like, you know, when we were first talking about who a good OC was and we well, if we get Joe, Brady, that'd be great, right? Joe Rudolph was my Joe Brady of offensive line, so that tells you where I landed on this, is that I'm ecstatic. Oh my God. So Joe, Brady are shooting Joe Rudolph announced associate head coach Run game coordinator offensive line. His track record in every sense speaks for itself. He played offensive line at Wisconsin. While Barry Alvarez was beaten up. He was part of that early 1990s, Rose Bowl team.

14:18 He then played in the NFL five years including with my 49ers back in 1997 after that took some time off and then got back into the coaching ranks in 2004 where he was with Ohio State. it's a g a then doing some strength Kochi moves over to Nebraska goes back home to Wisconsin, coach tight ends then Then we got to know 2012-2014 with pit. Oh, see there with Paul, Chris tight ends coach, then he goes back to Wisconsin where he was basically the.

14:58 I guess. Secondary offensive coordinator in the old line. Coach? Yep. And man, over that time he has lines. Had blocked for Montee Ball, Montee Ball, Jonathan Taylor. I mean, so many good running backs. He had a guy won the Remington just a couple years ago. I mean, I don't know what to say because this is one of those hires where As fans, you sit here and it's just kind of like, we're going to go get the Wisconsin offensive line coach where you're full of shit before. Yeah, I mean the only the only probably other. I mean, the only thing that would be higher than that would probably be.

15:46 Okay, well, you getting got Notre, Dame's offensive line coach. I mean, mean, is that is that really the only other coaches? Probably in the same realm in terms of prestige made in terms of what they've done is a program. The guys they put in the NFL, the numbers that they're running backs, put up things like that. I mean it's production central four, running backs and you don't get running back production without good offensive line play. So you can Joe Rudolph. Give me the associate head coach tag. He's getting the running game coordinator tag and he's coaching ol and I mean to me this is as good as it gets in terms of establishing what we want to do and get dark.

16:28 Identity back. I don't think it's going to be the full-on ground-and-pound that. You see it Wisconsin. I think I definitely think it's going to be more of that kind of a power rpos Smash Mouth spread type type philosophies but having having a guy that can coach that zone but also coach those Gap techniques so you can. Yeah yeah and he can run free and he can recruit and just kind of already having a good understanding of what it means to, you know, strategically set up an offense each week and things like that. He's not just been a position coach. So he's already got that coordinator experience where he's coming in partnering with, what we believe is going to be Tyler bow and we haven't still got the official announcement, but I mean everything's out there that that's the movie. We just got to get this Jacksonville season over with. We just got a good one.

17:27 Been done. Y'all gotta smash them Sunday and get to the playoffs. Yeah. And we're going to end Tyler Bowens NFL year and then he's going to come to Blacksburg exactly. But just still I think. Now in bronze, kind of you kind of already talked about the Zone in the power schemes that Rudolph. They run both. I think what you get to do for the next, what about six weeks? Because we're a man about six weeks from now. We're going to do a breakdown episode. Yeah, probably. It's going to be either either going to see me doing that episode here with pretty much nothing on the walls behind me, or at the new house with pretty much nothing on the walls behind me.

18:09 So but either way, Brian gets to start looking at, you know, we already talked about Brad twins. Howard bone stuff. Rudolph stuff. Probably looking at some JoJo Moorhead tape where bones kind of kind of cut his teeth. I mean. Right now and we don't have the wide receiver coach. We don't have the offensive coordinator in name yet, but let's just talk just a second about the staff in general. It's going to mean so much experience, David Cunningham. Shout-out him. He continues to put these spreadsheet together. I think we got, like, 200 years of experience. I'm joking, but we have a ton of experience at the division.

18:53 One level we have guys who are really good at what they've done. And I was told Brian, right before we got home, you know, this isn't a buddy, buddy thing. Joe Rudolph and Brent pry have no prior connection. If they don't. You start looking like Brad blind? Yeah, he coached with Brent, when they were super young 20 years ago this we must do. You hope Chris Marquis aren't these aren't produce a sip situations. This isn't a produce a situation that wasn't core Nelson and Fuente. The closest thing you can say is a protégé would be Chris Mark. Yeah, that's a kid he coached 10-plus years ago at Vanderbilt But since in the coaching ranks, they've had no connection to each other. Yeah, so it's a staff of guys that he knows but I thought I think I mean the only one he's coached was significantly is Bowing in the last five years.

19:54 Yeah. so you kind of sit here and it's one of those I think Brett pride has put together a very good staff, but I think if anyone starts slipping I don't think Brent Pratt has that connection where he want shape up or shape up or ship out. Yeah, I think that's the big thing is that, you know, he has the I mean everybody's going to Foster from relationships, especially as therefore as a first-time head coach. Yeah, you're not going to start making calls to just random big names. Yeah. Like hey you want to come here that? I mean that that's Good way to miss on the guys you're aiming for and then other guys that you wanted are now getting jobs elsewhere, you target the guys that you've got relationships with that, you feel like would work at the University that you're at, want to come there and then you go seek them out and I think, coach prize done a good job doing that.

20:51 Brad Glenn is a great example. I mean I think from a quarterback and passing game coordinator standpoint, it's a good compliment with what we have at OC and what? We now have at offensive line, I think those are those are going to be good. Compliments to one another you know, we're still waiting to hear on on wide receiver but I feel like both of those guys kind of fit that same mold of, you know, and I think again, the focus on recruiting so they the the mold we're looking. At solid reputation is a on field coach. Most of these guys are above average or better recruiters. Yep, abso-freakin'-lutely. And I'll tell you, what else? Braun lets go to support staff because he knocking it out of the ballpark there.

21:37 Obviously got the white gold on staff. There's a rumor Jarrett Ferguson was in Blacksburg today. Sorry following Galt started following a couple of their Hokey Pokey that he didn't have on. Yeah okey staffers that he didn't have followed the for ya T least ely's but over the time that we were gone. And now if I can't pronounce the name, right? Mike filigrana is going to be the senior director of player Personnel. He comes over from Marshall where he was essentially a GM and basically assembled their recruiting staff, the highest-rated recruiting staff, Have or recruiting in Marshall's history.

22:17 He had also been director of recruiting at Mississippi State with bleach and Moorhead. He was with pry up a Penn State from 15 to 17 basically in the recruiting department up there. So the way it seems to me is Mike's role is Mike's, probably going to be heading. Recruiting in some way, under a player Personnel? Is that what you're getting from it? Yeah. Yeah. And you know what, I liked about him right off the bat, is that, you know, he brings the Bona fides, but I've also seen him. He's pretty active on Twitter. So he's using social media as a leveraging tool, pretty, pretty off the bat and he's and he's interacting with fans.

23:03 He's he's like some some post from fans, retweeted some stuff so you like to see that. From a recruiting side off, the field staff perspective. So that's a good start and I thought that was going to be it in terms of kind of big big booze on the off the field stuff. And then we got the news what a few days ago just like, oh Hazel, Michael Hazel, chief of staff and this was a coup because essentially this guy had been doing the same thing for James. James Franklin for quite a few years obviously with prai fostering a relationship up there, he comes down here, he was the senior director of football operations up there and down here.

23:54 You know, he gets Chief of Staff like up there. He was looking at external operations analytic facility projects, He was the liaison between football and the athletic department marketing. So it sounds like he is going to be the guy. Why that is going to essentially be John Bale on the kids. He's going to be Brent price John beilein and you know you know had got his I tell you this right here this is the one that He went to Elon, he got his MBA from Elan. He got a masters from Bandy, you don't just get to go. Get your master's from Vandy.

24:36 This guy seems smart and it seems like he knows what he's doing in foreign guy who's going to be the right hand of the coach he needs to know everything. I mean I'm still a little bit shocked that he left in state. Yeah this is a big move. This is a big-time move to get a guy from the program that you're leaving to kind of follow you in in terms of off the field, I can't really think of a better better fit because Is this is a guy that knows what it takes to recruit big-time players to a similarly positioned University. Yep. And I think that that's something that we need understanding our landscape, understanding the benefits and limitations that Virginia Tech has to offer. And being able to sell that properly. I think that that's huge and, and I really don't know of a better off the field move.

25:37 I couldn't I should say I couldn't picture a better off the field move situation than we've had recently because it tells me that you know we're not that mom-and-pop recruiting and support staff operation anymore. These are Big Time moves that we haven't seen ever. No, ever. And what set it back in with the spring. About the stuff that was going to be happening, right? Yep. And it's happening. Like you said we're no longer mom-and-pop, it's starting to look like a modern-day Collegiate football program in putting all these guys in roles and I don't know, I think me and you probably can't wait probably most of us out there.

26:23 You probably can't. Wait, what's going to probably happen? Really in the next month, as you start seeing the analysts, as you start seeing the recruiting and how its it's shaped out, obviously me and Brian have thoughts of the way, we like to see it. I'm just interested how it develops, how Brent price puts it together and how he creates his model. All right Brian, let's skip over this. We did have one more hokey, essentially declare for the draft, pay daily transfer. Although he did have a year of Eligibility left Left. He's 23 years old, he had a pretty solid season, you know, good, take to put out there.

27:07 He's got a Vanderbilt degree. He's probably got his master's from Tech in the next few weeks here. I mean it stinks because you know now it's some very very young back in the safety. We had some guys play while ago, but we're young. Yeah, I think that's something that we need to look into Tay had a good season. I wouldn't call it a great year, but I mean he played well in spots and there were certainly times where he was playing as good or better than everybody else on the on the field there.

27:51 So it's a loss certainly. But we do have some young guys in that position that are coming in and coming of age. So look for them to make some Make Some Noise this year but congrats to Tay you know once a hokie always a hokey and you know go do your thing. Yes sir. Best of luck to him and all everything came in played great, great teammate. But you know so that that probably is cabinet, you know, to new to gone by the one guy, we think probably should come back but um, the rest of them sometimes it's just time. Sometimes it's just time to go a lot of these guys have their degrees.

28:38 It's either now or never you keep playing college eventually you know Darrell Smith love to real Smith but not too many guys can go you know seven or eight years in college. And you know what? We're going to jump into next here. We're going to look at the portal and you know I buddy read over from pick six previews we've already talked about it but from previews have been keeping real track with it. In Bryan. There have been 1,000 entries into the portal since August, if a lot of people, a lot of people in the portal that's a ton of people in the portal where I feel for it is I mean there's a lot of guys declared for the draft leaving going to be asked to leave just because they have their degree.

29:35 There's going to be a lot of kids that don't have anywhere to land that don't have their degree that we're giving bad advice and that's what sucks because we were talking with our buddy, Robbie the other day and it's just like it's free agency now, create is great. You don't happens a lot of time to guys, you go in free agency, they never get signed again and ever play again. That's my fear. There's gonna be kids out there and it that just are never going to find a place to play. Yeah, that's the concern, you know? And obviously, we saw this coming. The transfer portal is free agency for good or ill and I think it's more or less.

30:16 I mean, it does give players Freedom, which I'm all for, but obviously, with freedom comes risk. So, you know, you take the safety, net away a little bit as well, in exchange for the fact that Hey, you can pack up and move when the when the mood strikes, you when the when you feel it is in your best interest. But again, you're doing that with much less of a safety net than you were before you did because you can do that before you have your degree. You know, you don't have to think about the decision because you don't have to sit a year. So there's not that there's less of a impetus to kind of step out there and see what's out there because if something is out there that that does strike your fancy, you know, you can make the move at any time. So I you know we'll see how this continues to shake out but let's go ahead and while we're talking about the portal let's talk about some of the positions that we are targeting and you know, we had talked about this I think a couple episodes ago where we really need to focus.

31:26 We I said quarterback was number one. We said probably defensive line was number two. Offensive line and wide receiver or probably 3A and 3B. And and the top notched 11, that we needed to get taken care of 6 p.m. tonight. Brian, you saw it? I saw it. Hooking Nation solid. That that we can erase that. Now, go ahead Mark to scribble QB. Room is now significantly better With the commitments of Jason Brown, coming from South Carolina and Grant Wells coming over from Marshall.

32:09 Who do you want to talk about? First Prime Jason or Grant? Let's start with Jason. Jason first of all, he's coming home. This is a Fredericksburg kid play with Taiwan Garbutt, spent some of his early years up at FC St, Francis, where he was a starting quarterback in 2019. Threw for over 3,000 yards, 62 percent completion percentage, 28 touchdowns 600 separations when the 2020 canceled season cancelled, he decided to transfer over to South Carolina where he started four games this year went to and to including beating Auburn and Florida. Seven hundred twenty yards there by a touchdown six, interceptions 63 230 pound.

32:58 Guy. So, well, built older guy. Do you think he is in the lead as we sit here and they just drop their commitments to come to Tech? That's hard to say. I feel like so we'll talk about granting a second. I feel like Jason. Is that guy that gives you kind of a high floor at the quarterback position? He does a lot of things pretty. Well, he doesn't make a lot of mistakes. He may not win, you a ton of games but he could, he's a guy that can go out there manage the game. Make all the throws won't hurt you and usually.

33:40 Ali, you're going to go home with the w there so that's what I like about him. Obviously being a HomeTown kid, wanting to play for Tech when he was in high school you know. Finally getting you know the the come around here for for a chance to be a hokie. So that's big and I'm happy to have him. I feel like already that's that's an upgrade to the quarterback room. Even for the 2021 campaign let alone what we thought we might be working with in. Two. And then at the same time we got Grant Wells with the commitment and I feel like he's the he's the higher higher ceiling guy.

34:21 He's had a little bit more recent playing time playing G5 opponents playing Power, you know, some power 5 opponents on that schedule did well. The only thing I'd like to see him clean up is the interceptions. But efficient otherwise, if he can cut his interceptions in half then We're looking at a damn high ceiling for for that quarterback, especially if we're not leaning on him too much, within the running game. Yeah, he is. More of a, he's out of pocket passer, but he's not a true dual threat. He's kind of he's that pocket guy was some wiggle. Exactly what he is.

35:04 Where Jason doesn't have quite the wiggle, but Jason's 63 230. So you kind of, it's one of those things where, you know, Jason probably can take some hits, especially plane for games down in South Carolina, playing more since we played better competition, he played Clemson, he played Auburn, he played Florida, he saw a better competition and more athletes than Grant Wells did. But don't get me wrong, Grant Wells, you He was the COS a freshman of the Year back in 2020 in his career numbers are really insane to only play two years over fifty six hundred yards over 30 touchdowns you said it perfectly. He does have to clean the interceptions up and the turnovers in general.

35:48 He's also fumbled the ball a lot but he has. They both have arms right that both of their arms are better than Braxton's. Are they the appellee? No, they're not. But that's okay. And what we're probably projecting what we're going to Be doing on offense the way. I kind of see it right now is just because Jason Brown has played the level of competition. He's going to see week in and week out here at Tech next year. I think he's in the lead. I also think he's in the lead. He has one year of Eligibility left. One year Grant Wells. Is he just completed his third freshman year, Brian? Yeah, that's impressive.

36:30 It takes a lot of skill to do that, so, He has essentially three seasons left of Eligibility after this year, and you have Taj Bullock. And I'm going to go in through taaj in there Taj has 4 Seasons, lots of Eligibility so from where we were looking at, oh my God, how are we going to figure this out? You got your one year, Gap guy and then you've got a guy who's played Solid backup. And then you got the project. So, that room went from shit too. This isn't terrible in. Our backup quarterback situation is 100 times better than what it was last year at this point in time.

37:11 Yeah, we actually have your, regardless of who ends up winning the job. You at least have one guy behind that person, that, you know, can go in the game and get you, get you a winner too. If the starter estimate significant time that, you know, you won't see us in the You can drop off. Like we saw this year where you had to pretty much improvise and offense around the limitations of your backup versus essentially playing playing your offense with a tweak here or there. It's the difference between calling certain plays that you know that guys. It's their bread butter versus having to tailor the entire offense around what that guy does. Well exact Connor blumrich in the game you had to tailor the entire offense. surround power quarterback runs play action passes, things like that, there wasn't A whole lot of Rhythm, none in that offense with Connor at quarterback, and that's not Connors fault.

38:15 He was put in a situation where he was the best available option which is unfortunate but that's just that's how things shook out. Between knox's, injury between Knox, leaving between noxious limitation between Braxton's injury, Braxton's limitation Braxton into the transfer portal. It'll 20-21 was as bad of a quarterback situation as we've seen. probably ever at least since the I'm trying to even think of wind when it was worse yet to be the only other time. It was really this bad.

38:57 We were Motley, maybe let me Molly could play me Molly beat for to you. By looking at least throw the ball, he could make all the throws. Can I say in this is no disrespect but 20 years ago when thick went down. Yeah. No disrespect. But we didn't have essentially a backup quarterback. Michael Vick the front end was much higher this, all just a little bit even in the Years with like doorman and tie rod, you felt that maybe Tara I'm out because a couple times Logan had to come in, he made good passes. So probably 20 years ago is probably the last time it was as bad as it was last year because there was no one behind the Over one guy. Yeah, I was thinking maybe I was thinking like front end quarterback that has limitations backup quarterback, that is even a drop off from that.

39:52 That's why I went with the Brewer Motley thing. You have at least eight. I mean, it felt like they could play. So who knows, man? All right, Brian. The other position we've talked about, and we know two big offers and things are very interesting, the wide receiver room, Jaden blue, got a temple hook up, his numbers, Very good wide receiver has shown, he can do it against P5 competition and Antoine Wells from up at JMU Highland Springs product. Wells is getting a bunch of buzz from a lot of schools everywhere. Yeah, so, you know, if we, if we end up pulling that that's a that's a big pool. I'm not necessarily put it in the bank, especially since we don't have a wide receiver coach yet, but I'll say this. Now that we've got a got quarterbacks it's going to be a lot easier to start talking two wide receivers because up until this point it's hard to say.

40:54 All right come here but we got Connor blumrich throwing balls and we got a red shirt freshman that saw a handful of Series in a bowl game and that's it. Now, you got two quarterbacks that have seen a good amount of time at various schools. You got something that you can sell. Now you get yourself sell to the wide receivers well, and for God's like Wells, I think blue might have two years of Eligibility left. I think got to go back and look but a guy like Wells, it's like you're not going to be screwed next year. Look at our plan, he's a freshman. You have, if you're going to be here three years, you're going to have a good quarterback and all points in time. And you know, you have the kid from Hawaii went in the pool. Portal the Wyoming kid who blew up this year's in the portal? So you know it's now something you can sell of what you've got. Can I say something else behind this drop before? After you build that run down here, we made an offer to Ryan Johnson, a DNA out of Stanford the this afternoon and again there's your DL.

42:11 And that's pretty big that again. We're starting to make those offers trying to kind of see what Brent problems to do. Nobody's, additionally left in the last few days but we did have a confirmation and I know this makes you feel good. Maybe not as good as Joe Rudolph. It really good solid stance. He says he's coming back for his super senior season. Yep. That's big for us because that gives us three returning, offensive lineman, with some significant playing time. Time between him and Kate and more and then Parker Clements. So getting those three that at least gives you some foundational lean on. We're probably still going to Target at least one or two offensive, lineman in the portal.

42:56 Well, we got some younger guys that are coming in. We got some guys that have been in the in the program for a few years that might be able to step into that role thinking of a Jesse Hanson. Shout out, Matt deal. Man I'm sorry you got drugged it was a funny one but yeah but I think Silas coming back to is now you feel like Alice has played both tackling guard, he's played a lot of tackle more than a lot of people think but he's really built through to be a guard. It's one of those things where you've got you feel like I got two of the three, two or three.

43:39 Insiders figured out Clemente probably can play, I Believe. Guess he's going to be it, right? I think we'll probably go after a left and the portal and sinners wide open which is a little scary. I wish Johnny abroad could come back for one more season but that's probably not going to happen. So you know you sit here and it's just We have three guys who all had played significant time, we have a really good offensive, line coach coming in. You have guys, you can sell in the portal, you have guys who are already on the roster, who may be Rudolph unlocks the potential in them. So all in all not in the bad spot on the offensive line I think me and you were worried likes.

44:24 If Silas leaves you your best to starters are freshmen And that's scary. Yeah, I agree. It's going to be interesting to see. If they, who they specifically Target in the portal. If they target anyone and how much progression we see in development that we see in the spring. Like, if we see some jumps from guys, in the spring that we weren't anticipating. I think that's a really good sign. You know, if we can find, maybe two other, guys, and again, you've talked about Silas at guard, you know, Silas is going to play whichever a position we needed to play the most, whether that's left tackle or whether that's guard. Probably left guard.

45:21 So he's either slide in for Lucy to Smith or he's going to take over for Luke to new de. What that looks like is going to is the big question who plays center is a probably a bigger question. I can see his targeting a center in the portal more that I can see is targeting other positions. Just because that's the most need position that we probably don't really have. And established season player on the roster. It's true. So if we if the targeting a player in the portal and we only we're only taking one.

46:04 I'd like to see his take a center and potentially a left tackle. There's not going to be a ton of left tackles out there in the portal. That that's where I would go. But I'd go center before, left tackle, because I think Silas could potentially hold it down for one season. All right here that man, I hear that yeah it'll just be interesting to see where guys are transferring out of where guys are transferring into and and again it's development upfront to or combat up front but a development of who's there. Yeah. Because again that's going to tell a lot if you don't see us attacking the portal for offensive, lineman a lot. We can then speculate, we really can speculate for the next three and a half months.

46:54 Who does Joe Rudolph like, and who's we're on the springing, the out there on that first unit. The question is going to be, you know, right now we're seeing guys that are making moves in the portal right now. Want to get on the spring semester with their new team. They want to get spring practice under the belt. There's going to be a bunch of guys that aren't sure where they're going. Haven't got enough B shit where they feel comfortable, pulling the trigger. They're going to ride out the spring and be ready for summer exactly which helps them and hurts them in some way.

47:38 So it helps them because they get to process. The transfer portal offers and make a better decision for themselves. It's not as rust of a situation there but therefore going the foregoing the chance to get that Spring ball. Get get their position locked in heading into fall camp. They instead of having to go into fall camp for, they got to earn it. It's true. But the other piece is with Spring ball in. For example, let's say we don't come out and we don't have a starting center. We don't have another starting tackle or guard. You go. Put your name in the portal, then look at his tape, he started for two seasons, ain't All-American but We just looked at Spring and what we saw and it won't great. So let's go get someone who going to tape we have so yeah. All right Brian before we get into wrapping up the bowl and taking up looking at a few other topics. We are going to take a quick pause for a message from our digital partners.

48:43 Because we take a quick break, we'd like to tell you about getting your free website report from our digital partner, Grassroots, digital marketing Studio. They'll tell you how your website ranks on Google on-site, SEO and social media. No commitment to buy anything. You can get your free report by visiting. Grassroots digital studio.com forward slash free Dash website, Dash report. Now back to the episode All right, so the Pinstripe Bowl, wrap brine. Let's start this. Even though we are not Yankees fans by any stretch of the imagination. Nope. Any stretch of the imagination.

49:24 The helmets that they did were cool as hell. Yeah. Some of the, some of the coolest elements that we've seen, in terms of alternate logos and things like that, getting the Yankee NY on there. That's pretty cool to see, you know, hearkens back to when the Yankees came down to Blacksburg, we're in the maroon and orange. So that was that was really kind of big, probably one of the better. Like I said, better alternate design helmets that we've had So shout out to to the the folks behind that team Clark and everybody else.

50:06 Yeah, big shout out whoever designed it. It looked great on. I'm I am sure if one of those ever sneaks out of buildings at things going to fetch a lot of money because they said they were not going to auction them off or sell them so that tells me that they're going to people whatever. All right, well let's talk about the game itself. Brian it was an ugly. Ugly game really ugly, Hokies lose fifty four to ten and run. I want to go through our game plan and let's see what, how many X's we get? First of all, we had to field a team. Barely. We did clearly clear. That bar barely Guys like Dwayne Lofton didn't play several other guys didn't play.

50:51 And I think that was nobody heard nobody had sent home. We were thinner than we thought we were going to be and we already knew we were going to be thin. Yeah, we had starting offensive tackles playing defensive tackle near the end of the game and you know, with all the opt-outs we had. You know, in the time of covid where it was right before all the new guidelines came down. We were super thin and you know it showed in the game plan. And speaking of the game plan, one of our big game plans problem was we said, hey, we need to control the clock.

51:33 We got to control the clock in this game and, you know, we kind of did it rhyme, you know, we all possess them 34 to 2030 4226. There's a reason we did that though. There is, but it was one of our keys and we did it. The reason we did it is because we could not limit big passing plays or just big plays in general, the entire game on defense. Oh yeah, I mean, the last two points we talked about for our defense was Bend, don't break and limit the big passing plays.

52:15 We broke a lot and a lot of those were big passing plays deep down the field for touchdowns. And 70 plus yard runs. Multiple receptions over 25 yards. Multiple runs over, 20 yards. Punt returns of 90 plus yards. Yep. Yeah. Um and I think what kind of me and you were talking about the bend don't break in limiting. Those big passing plays. You said, straight up Brian. Like we need to run cover three quarters old game. I saw a lot of man I saw on a single highs.

52:56 Maya is did you see that or is it just me not knowing what I'm looking at. There was some of that some of the some of it was covered three that because of their alignment became De facto single high based on the routes that were ran and the alignment of the wide receivers, someone was just bad technique. Some of it was just perfect play call against that defense call or the defensive call that time. And so it was just sloppy play and you get that when you have guys that are playing more snaps than they're used to, but to me, The offense, I give a little bit of a mulligan, the players, the players, your defense, the defense.

53:42 I don't, I don't give them a whole lot of a pass here. I feel like there were enough guys that had played significant snaps on the defense that they should have had more life than they had. If they had given up 38 points, maybe 38 or less, I'd be like. All right, well, that's not a bad effort, considering the thinness and losing a couple. Outline players. What I mean, it's the extra two or three touchdowns there, that really makes the difference. And what was it? Would have been a respectable outcome versus the clown show that we saw now on offense? The thing that I've got to criticism for is the thing. I've criticized the whole year, the play go with the play caller. Yeah, three years.

54:28 Five years. Yeah. And my big thing is that. Yeah, you started Connor, but This was not a empty the clip, throw everything but the kitchen sink at Maryland. This this was a we do over one borderline conservative, do we do the same offense that we saw rolled out against Miami and UVA. We saw rolled out against Maryland and there wasn't any significant wrinkles added in there to give any sort of new look. There wasn't as much of an emphasis on the running game. I feel is there should have been in terms of getting the ball to the running backs.

55:17 And I thought there was some opportunity to get the short passing game involved, which we haven't done all year and we didn't do again. You'll do again. Yeah. It was it was same old, same old. And for a guy who potential is coaching for his job, there were no tricks. There were no interesting. And I know people were saying, well, look what we've got here. Here, you know what can we do? Well, that's the thing. You look at what you've got and if you even don't have that much, you still say, we're going to dial up some things, we're going to do some different, and we're going to take some risks because you are playing for, it's a bowl. You're not playing for a championship, you're just playing a football game. It's the last one of the seasons and it's like no we're just going to do this. We're going to do the same old.

56:01 Simple game Plants going to work. No trick plays. No you know, double reverse passes, anything like that. It was literally I'm just calling these eight plays on a place. She and I'm trying to get out of here as quick as I can. And, you know, yeah, I say he keep play called his way into a high school job. Ooh. Ooh. Um, there was a Jamie Pete. Citing heck of a catch by him on the sidelines. Yeah. Malachi Thomas had, you know, Malik has a freshman. And I think what we saw those last few weeks was a freshman body hitting the wall like so many times but You know, plumber it did the best he could.

56:53 And should have been a quicker hook to ties your my opinion. If you weren't gonna, if that's the offense, you're going to call, then you should have gotten Taj in there sooner. Every fourth drive, it should have been every fourth drive. He should have been out there running think not going in handing the ball off and then running off the field. He did finally. Come on. Had a couple passes completed. The only seven wash ran the ball a few times. Definitely, I will say this. Look at that. Was like the out pass. He threw like 15-yarder making that up. Nah. That ball had some zip on it and you do it. Nice. On the back shoulder to kind of not Connor.

57:36 Blundering. Luke bustle the walk on. Yep. Very nice-looking passes. Yeah, you did have the like, what, one overthrow on the little dump. Yeah. So you know there's things to work on probably, you know, working on a touch a little bit and things like that but you know when he got his read knew where he wanted, what knew what he wanted to do with a football right away. Way and was able to step up and make the throw it looked pretty good. You know, there's still obviously things to polish their but that's what spring balls for, that's what fall camps for. And that's what probably one more year of sitting behind somebody's for, I'll follow you guys. Also, he's getting much better coaching staff. Now.

58:25 Yeah, he's going to coaching staff that honestly based on his frame and his tools is more more designed to take advantage of the skills that he has. So, you know, I think what what we're getting with with Bragg Glenn and what, what we're getting with with Tyler Bowen, and what he likes to do in that system can really work to the skill, set that bullet yeah, I think that's gonna it's going to play play, play to his skill set a little bit more and you know it won't be a run read run go offense anymore so Not at all. And you know, the one thing I'll also say Brian, I think every player we hit on had Maryland had a good game at some way shape or fashion.

59:18 I hate being right. But that we you know, every every week we sit here guys and we we sort of we kind of independently look and then decide who were going to get and I mean we hit like obviously the Back lit up running back, have a nice day. You know, Darryl Jones was not on our radar. Shout out to that kid from the 757, having a hell of a day against the, the Hokies, you know, what can you say? They played great, they had a full staff. They had everyone vested Mike's Loxley is still 26 games under 500.

1:00:01 He could win 10 games, the next Four Seasons, he still wouldn't break 500. You know, that I don't think like locksley and that stuff, they had, they called a great game against a depleted team and that's all I guess they've. Yeah, I don't think that's an indication that they're taking another step. I think that's just, you know, they play the team that was already down numbers and they were down some more and they had an interim head coach, and they were starting their essentially third-string quarterback, that probably should be an HVAC. There's a lot of things going on that are playing into that. So, you know, locksley and I know Marilyn, social media had a lot of fun with that, but oh, yeah, the prophet thing, they had fun with that.

1:00:48 Yeah, they were beat. They were beating the shit out of their chests for, for being a team that was down like 20, 20 players, a 10-plus starters and, yeah, it was good job. Good job, Maryland. Well, the Penn State folks were then just ripping them especially about the private because you'll cry on. The 70-yard touchdown and they were like, yeah, we see what it is. He smacked y'all multiple years in a row so you can come out and like this. All right. And you remember I think he'd it's didn't Stout even say something about it. Yes, that's that's um, just remember 2026 right after you just remember that Mike locksley will not be the head coach of Maryland by the time we played them. If he is they are, you know, they want to be mediocre which they are.

1:01:37 All right Brian, let's hit a few other topics here. The playoff games. Let's talk about the Cotton Bowl first. Bama Cincinnati. What's your take on that? Just You know, I thought that Cincinnati played pretty well overall, especially on defense. Just what you saw with what Bama was able to do on both sides on the trenches is where the differentiator was. Yes, once they got a decently, they were able to just grind the game out on offense and they were able to dominate Cincinnati upfront with their defensive line. And their friends seven Kim. Can I ask this into something, you know, everybody to White Vic kept talking about?

1:02:21 He said he loves to run those three man. He loved to play against three men fronts. Were you shocked at Bickle and that defensive staff didn't adjust? Because my thought was, could you take one of those outside linebackers and that 335 stacking almost make them like a 9 or an 8 in shift, shift, everybody different gaps? They never did it now. And I think if you still had Marcus Freeman, you would have Okay, because he was he was known that despite the the base alignment, he would throw different fronts at you especially if he saw problems that we're going on. So I think if you still had Marcus there, you would have probably seen that adjustment. That's I'm not, I'm not trying to knock here but I think just the feel of it and the flow of it. I would have probably got more guys on the line of scrimmage and taking my chances that we'd be able to To get them before they got past.

1:03:19 The second level also think that saving is what he is. He had a month to prepare. He saw how good those quarterbacks were he was without Michi his best wide receiver. He wasn't going to challenge them that much. He wouldn't go to go out there and say almost just sling around all day. Not we're going to run the ball, we have more Joe's than they had. We're just going to grind them down. Now. The Orange Bowl. I mean I hate to say this Georgia just used the game plan. They should have used Monday, they have played the game plan up to show Alabama. Hey here's how we can beat you guys. Quick short passes will running games and taking shots over the top occasionally.

1:04:07 But what does the quick short pass do? I mean so so Michigan. If you do with the gate will Anderson exactly. You can't, you can't impact the quarterback at the balls on in the quarterbacks hands anymore and you Right. And you saw it. I mean Hutchinson I mean that guy's going to be a stud NFL player. Don't get me wrong, he is. But to me Kirby Smart. Again, they had that month to prepare. He knew what he had to do, but he laid the game playing, this can beat Alabama. He gave Nick Saban a week to say, oh you're going to do this watch for a lot of press in that game.

1:04:48 Watch for a lot of, get your hands over here. Don't come up because he's trying to get them out here. Here where they did. If they ran their normal offense, they would have beat Michigan. It would not have been a blowout, but they would have beat Michigan. And I don't I don't get that, maybe it's one of those things where they thought, well, if they're hidden, some of those trick plays and some of those into rounds and they get to the mid-20s, we've got a score, it shows pretty early. I don't think they, I don't think they thought that Michigan. I think they thought Michigan was going to be able to score more, so they thought they had to match on point for point.

1:05:30 So ultimately, because they were able to get them out of the game a little bit early, they were able to Feast on them in the way that that defense likes to yes. So once it once they got the lead, it really played into that defense has strengths which is the opposite of what happened in the the Bama Georgia game in the SEC Championship. So, yeah, I think, I think that's the big thing in Georgia is going to need to do that again. They're going to need to in my opinion. If they're gonna win that game, they need a lead. Late. Second quarter. Something to keep keep that game, slow down get bad. My little bit out of their game plan because band was going to be a I think again is going to want to run the football. Well they're going to run the football but they're going to they're going to throw it like they did and that first game. What Bama did is Bam has got the blueprint. The question is, can Kirby a just enough to take away that Without without exposing other parts of his game which savings and chess master because if he see, I think Kirby's going to do this, he's going to have the game plan already laid out of what him and bother going to.

1:06:50 All right. Can we just say this prayer on what we're talking about? Now is y12 is a better format. We're talking about so much time to prepare so much time to get ready. Savings guy, saving and Kirby, Smart both have thousands of analysts. They really don't have thousands, but they have a lot of Staff. Where if you go when it goes to 12 and I truly believe it's going to go to 12 before, 2025, you're not going to have that time anymore because on the 12 models, you're going to have probably two weeks, right? Two weeks is going to be the longest span. You have to Weeks to four weeks. And in that case, I know somebody says, well, that's a lot of time to break things down. It's a lot of time to break things down, but what it's not a lot of time to do is to implement the game plan, right? Yep.

1:07:44 You can't move, you can't do a week of break down a week of installation and then two weeks of practice. Yeah. And that's why I still think going to the 12 model which we're going to get probably some time into the spring when we have one of these weeks. I thought Brian, what were you doing the day? I sent you. Like 19 text like this long. Each your phone drops up. I'm trying to let you come back to me and you're like, hey, dude everything. Okay, all right. Oh sorry, could you like I'm doing something like oh shit. Sorry bro. Yeah, for you. What I was doing, he was doing something and I, and I I sent him a ton of text about the way 12 has to break down and we'll do that later but that whole having not having as much time is where it's going to give the Lesser teams and Advantage because when you give, Nick Saban or Kirby Smart all that time, to break it down, implement it run practices implementing it, that's why they win. That's why they're so damn good.

1:08:49 Let's hit this other Hot Topic Brown because it It was so hot over the past real 10 days, the bowl opt out. What's your feeling on? This is a guy who plays. Oh man, I've said a lot about this on Twitter off, Twitter around Twitter. So anybody that's seen what I've said, probably either already knows what I'm going to say and hates it or loves it but To me, I think the problem that we have is that we wrap the bowls in, with the current playoff format, and then say these bowls that used to matter no longer matter, okay? Yeah.

1:09:33 Because you've wrapped them into the same package that you have with this college football, playoff. But obviously, the playoff games matter more, they mean more. And when you had a scenario before, with the BCS, you had two teams more or less that we're playing for it all, but New Year 6 still mattered to a degree. It matters less now with the, with the current format in my opinion. If you're not in the, if you're not in those college football playoff games, the new year, six game mattered, Less in terms of prestige in terms of players wanting to go there and and the opt-out so the opt-outs, I support the opt-outs. I'm not anti opt-out.

1:10:22 I personally wouldn't be a person opting out of these games. That's because that's I'm an experienced guy. If I've got a chance to experience something, I'm going to take advantage of that. I didn't get seriously injured enough in my career, where I would have been too had that in the back of my mind. I had one, I had one, Serious injury, and a couple injuries that kept me out of game or two. I was never injured to the point where I was missing, you know, 10 plus games or anything like that. That I had lingering injuries that cost me things and probably limited My overall ability but I never had anything catastrophic that kept me from playing games.

1:11:11 Except for one again, one injury that that I talk in there. Yeah, your ankle. Yeah. And that was nearly a thousand that was half. That was halfway through the next to last game of the season, my senior year. So yeah, so I missed a game and a half for that. I missed an entire offseason recovering, so really, when I rolled into my freshman year hampden-sydney, I was pretty much not in the shape. I'd like to be in a boot forever. Yeah. So But like, that's neither here nor there but I but when it comes to bowls, you know, that's something, just the experience of it would be a big deal for me, but if you know, if my bank is is dependent on that in my family is depending on, you know, me doing something.

1:11:58 And even guys that are kind of that Fringe draft player that are opting out hoping to just make a camp as an undrafted free agent. I mean, you're not going to do that if you get injured and I know, you know, we can talk about, you know, one catastrophic injury in the bowls being a big deal and it's missing. Yeah. So with McGee all of that mess. Yeah. So I mean there's always the chance of that happening but in my get the people say, well if that's going to happen, I want to be playing for something. um, Again, this, this is why I go towards the 12 team playoff because you can you can get more of those those formatted games in there and something. Yeah, they mean something more games mean something that's going to limit the opt-outs.

1:12:58 So that'll help your, your school's roster your school's ability to be competitive in those games. And, you know, again, I'm not for getting rid of the bowl format all together, but I think, I think we need to stop kidding ourselves that You know, bowl games matter if you want to attend them, I don't think they matter outside of that. I don't think you necessarily oh, your team. A exhibition game. If you have bigger things in mind for your future. Exactly. That's, that's my feeling. That, like, you can sit here and you can say, Well, I would play, I would play if you knew you were guaranteed a figure paycheck.

1:13:49 You would think, not think you say you wouldn't think twice bullshit if you're guaranteed an eight-figure pay say, well, if I get any time, we'll still get drafted what you just said and they figure paycheck or get into a camp. It makes sense. Now, what could be done to entice, these kids, we have name image and likeness. Now if you're one of those bowl games and you really want one of those kids to play shell out the money for them. You can do it, you can make them a, they can be in a commercial for your company. Here's a million dollars. Come play for us, then you'd have the kids thinking about things. And to your point to I think the way the new year six is going to go in the way it's kind of shaping is those bowls are going to be involved before New Year's day. They just are They are.

1:14:43 And then the those bowls will matter in a in that regards if they're being played earlier, the other bowls are going to start getting more prime-time spots. You know, more Prestige. So you still have a chance to go out there and play anything that I've said. I'm not upset, you know, you know what, have somebody on the team that teaches these kids, how to understand, and get those insurance policies. Like, we want you to play the cat is in the room with you. By the way, just it just jumped on the table. I have someone to educate, like, you know, I really don't want to play in this.

1:15:28 I want to play this game but I'm I don't want anything to happen. I'm going to get drafted in the first round. All right, cool. Bring this guy in. Hey, you can look at taking an insurance policy and if something catastrophic happens to you, Your policy covers you up to whatever? I think the Jadeveon Clowney was, like, 5 million dollars, which life-changing money. He's clearly made a lot more. So, it is what it is with life-changing money. Even if you know that that's your ceiling, it's absolutely. You know, if you're not, if you don't have to use it then you know, that's all the better, especially if you're high caliber player because you're probably making that. First-round picks are making that in there their first year in the league more or less between incentives and rookie deals.

1:16:18 Exactly. All right Brian. Let's touch on one other thing. Real quick, the passing of John Madden. For kids like us. I think our generation is man encompasses everything. Yeah because and this is why I'll say this we didn't see him Coach but we need he was a coach and when you who was a really good coach then he became the voice of the NFL for us. Yeah and then when we were you know, Les elementary school early, middle school Madden comes out. And you know it was everything he was all part of her life.

1:17:05 It literally changed the game of football in terms of how we think about it. Everything that we do with fantasy football. Now is in a lot of ways tied to Madden and some of the the the redraft formats that they had in some of the bad dynasties and things like that. That. So I mean a lot of these things are tied into that. Yeah. What's the first one? You remember, what's the first one in your head when you when you think mad and what was the first one? You remember playing the first one? I played a lot was 94. I play 95 a lot. I think that's your also got my Sega to so need sense. But what's your favorite Favorite. Oh man.

1:17:56 That's tougher. Probably I can't remember the year but it was the second one that was on the PS2. Because the the first one there were still a lot of bugs with the because it was the one with the first true. It was hang on everything free. Let's see. I think it was Either three or four. I think it was 03, okay? All right.

1:18:44 Yeah, actually. 2002. Well, okay. Okay. Okay. So one was the first one that was on on PS2 senior year in high school. Then right? Yeah, that's the one I'll go with. I mean, there's been others. It had more features and better features but I feel like that was the first one that kind of Made it more of a true football simulation versus yeah. Some of the less graphically capable games in the in the Sega generation. And PS, one generation and the PS1 generation. I'm 06.

1:19:25 I'm 06, guess I don't use the vision thing. I always took off the vision thing, but every other thing, it felt like you were truly running, the franchise, the draft, and stuff had been there. The practices have been there. But when you could do the practices midweek with plays, And like, if you ran those plays enough, it would like make you better during the game. That was always mine, but the guy himself was an incredible football coach. And again, if I said our generation when, we were 10 or 12, you start hearing John Madden, the 1970s weren't that far off. It was like, I was only 20 years ago, you start reading. Holy God, he won, 100 games, he won a Super Bowl. He coached all these, you know Hall of Fame players. And what ends Bill, he's still the the king of win percentage rate seventh.

1:20:15 He wants 75 percent of his games at Sun bean and I don't think that'll ever be touched because going to more games, but then watching him, you know, as a Niners fan in the 90s, He called so many of our big games lip and I mean you got to get him later with with Peyton, but you knew especially in the mid 90s mid nineties. If it was him and summer, all calling your Grant. You a game of the week is a big ass game was a big game and I always like what somebody said because some people said he was bombastic and over the top and he was silly with the drawings. He brought football to where someone like myself who didn't play understand it.

1:21:06 He was able to easily break down the nuts and bolts and then give it to you like he, he essentially so he took the ingredients and then he gave you a dish. Yeah. Like I can take the ingredients and see the dish, but you might not see the dish looking at those ingredients. But once he breaks it down into the meal and gives it to you on a plate, yeah you can digest it. So he did that so well and I think you know, just an infectious personality. You know you can call it bombastic if you want to infectious. You better work? Yes. Just you just felt like you felt like if you said Talk to him like he would explain it to you and I don't know if you heard this story. Did, you know who used to teach a like an entry-level class like an intruder football?

1:22:02 Laughing. If you taught him how? Yeah, he taught an account and someone said that's why he became so good at being able to what you just said. Convey it to just anybody. Because in that class you to be, get into the nuts and the bolts and getting hard and he would see deer. And they were like, he would see the deer in the headlight. Looked when you pull it back. So essentially, every year he had someone to go to, but, you know, it's an icon lost. It was literally days after the all-madden documentary, which I have not At watch. But I heard it's pretty cool. I did I watched it on the day. Came out. Yeah. Christmas Day night. I was sitting there with my father-in-law, very nice. Yeah, in the living room, watching that kind of just wrapping up a nice Christmas Day. And I mean, I know, I know when they were talking about the making of it, you know, that, you know, his family told him, just the sections that he was, he was interviewed. It was just going to kind of be a little small thing and then obviously they brought And you know, these all time guys and guys that he spent a bunch of time with and folks that he was on the road with, with his crew, you know, and it turned into the, the documentary that it was. And I think that, you know, him living this to see that I think was really, really big for him.

1:23:21 So it was really great. So, rest in peace, John Madden. Now, Brian, let's go look at The bowl pick ones. I'm still trying to figure this out. We ended up with the same number of total wins predicted, you have more losses. I'd still don't figure that out. That's the whole all Saturday. Pickens Brian wins. Bold pickles though. I take on the regular season, Brian takes on the bowl season, if you would have went with Brian 2114, you'd have made some people, some money. I ended up 17 and 18. I still don't know how the way I started like winning. Like winning one game out of first aid, but uh, real good bowl season.

1:24:07 Lot of really fun games, especially the games don't matter. But New Year's Day those three games on New Year's Day, man. The the fiesta, the Outback in the Citrus were probably three of the best games of the year. Yeah, absolutely. And and then the rose just unbelievable. I mean You know. It's why you need, why you need talented guys, schemes great in Utah, played their nuts off that game but you saw that talent in the end you know with you know especially Jackson Smith new Java, holy shit. I mean that kid went 300-plus yards, lit It Up, made a name for himself, definitely a first round Talent, probably coming out next year.

1:25:07 So, you know, great bowl season. And there's there's one more Brian just to begin. Today's from, we got one more, man, For national championship game and we'll do our pics on it. I will watch it. That's just the love. I know some people were saying not going to watch. It's just an SEC thing. Bama Georgia, nnd Georgia, the favorite land three points. Brian, what do you say on this one? I'm taking Georgia. I think the money line in spread money line in spread. I think it's a, I think it's a title that's like a four-point win for for Georgia late.

1:25:59 Touchdown retake the lead. Okay, and Bama can't get it down the field and enough time. So I'm gonna go Georgia. I think them seeing what Bama did in the SEC championship game at is the difference. I think this is kind of an inverse of the previous SEC National Championship where a matchup was played earlier and the victories were swapped. I think this is another situation where the victories are going to be swapped. So I think that Georgia takes it here. All right.

1:26:41 I'm not going to bet against saving. I don't know what they'll win, but I'll take Kamon. Once on my thought is smart has to eventually get a win here. He eventually. Right? But I just again, if Georgia had one, I think it's Georgia had won the Michigan game, closer, and not shown a lot of cards. I think I might be leaning Georgia, but that, that worries me, You can't show that much to Nick Saban unless you've got something really schemed up. Deep Todd Monken for Saban in that offense because they've shown they can crack the armor of what seemed to be an impenetrable defense already.

1:27:26 So I just want a good game. Yeah. And next year we got a crummy game the year before that we got a crummy game. The year for that, we got a crummy game. We haven't had a really good national championship game and almost four years. Yeah, so I just want a good competitive, fun game to watch. I've been to need earlier, Brian, both of our proteins, when you're in, right. Dip, when y'all are definitely in, we win, we're in. If we lose, we'll need some help if we win. We're in regardless.

1:28:07 Yeah, we could have closed it out last week but We played down to a lesser competition, like, we've done and we lost another, you know, one score game. Yeah. Well, we beat up the Texans with the rookie quarterback and now the discussion is, do you start the rookie against the Rams, or do we start Jimmy against the Rams? I don't know. Don't care if the Saints beat or lose to Atlanta, where, in regardless, And I'm trying to look up when that game is hold on a second. Efforting, efforting here. Efforting, all we have to do is beat the Jags who don't have a head coach, and have eleven one there. One there in seven years.

1:28:55 Y'all got to get a monkey off, y'alls back? Yeah, seven years Braun lets see which well to me because we never lost there for so long over. Yeah. The the Saints game is of course, going to take place the same time as our game that 425. So, you know, you got to play your nuts off regardless. We gotta play. I mean, this is why they've set this up like this and the funny part is you heard what could happen right with that old if y'all lose or if y'all was y'all, if y'all lose the Chargers and or if y'all win, The Chargers and Raiders like should play to a tie or something funky like that. I'm we're sure we're if we filled the stands here it was like if So if y'all lose the rate y'all be 9 & 8. Oh yeah.

1:30:00 They should play do Thai. So they have one less loss, they had their 97 and one which percentages take them above y'all them. Which would be crappy. But then the Steelers can make it into doing that. So it's kind of funny, but it is what it is. Let's just write them. So we don't have to worry about any of these scenarios, that's all I want. I just want to see my team play in January and relevant football. So, you know, is what it is, Brian. Has anything broken, the last hour and a half since we jumped on here and some fun man? I think we're good. All right, well, that will wrap up this episode of the boundary. On a podcast.

1:30:41 I'm Curtis Wilson. I'm Brian Sigler. Excuse me, visit our website at boundary corner, be t.com to listen to all of our episodes, while you're there. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter. Facebook, Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube account or your favorite podcast Source Spotify, Amazon Apple podcast, I buddy, Jason long plays, this in place, and I'll check him on Apple podcast and apple and Spotify music. We thank you for listening. And as always, let's go. Okay. Okay.