Be. Following is a presentation of play Fly Sports properties guys and trying to
curdle the goal line. What's the hands? Pat Sham? Go up here?
How's this button? Now? The side guy shot? All right,
Welcome to the first episode of This is Spartan Podcast. I'm your host Jason
stray Warn, along with my co host Otis Wiley and Jay u Cho Chu
Colchrik. How fella's doing? Oh? Feeling good? Tomorrow? Is this
game day? Man? Is juice is flowing? I mean, went out
to practice. I'm ready. I know they're already been ready, but how
are you feeling? It's always like that this time of year, right,
Jay, football player, This time of year just brings back that them juices
exactly. It's great, you know, just driving through campus, seeing the
stadium set up, seeing the TV trucks come in, and it just takes
you back to you know, when you played and you're walking around campus and
you're like, damn, this is all for me, is for us?
You know, it's really cool. East Lanton's buzzing right now. It's gonna
be a lot of excitement in the stadium tomorrow. Oh, looking at how
many students were just walking around on campus. You could tell there's a lot
of energy here. Definitely, buzz is high because the expectations now are high
for the Spartans after an eleven and two season a year ago. Mel Tucker
a year ago unexpectedly just shocked the world if you think about it, what
he did in East Lansing with forty seven new players on the pro on the
team and then takes him to a Peach Bowl win, a New Year Six
Bowl game and eleven and two record. What do you say about this season?
Oh, it's to like to that point, it's pressure and uh and
I think they understand the the platform that they have and what they've built and
the expectations. But I also think that they know their DNA as a team
where it's us against the world still mentality, so regardless of win or lose,
but you're going to get the best effort in. You're going to see
high volume, fast paced football where you know, back in the years prior
it was you just never knew what was going to be you know, our
offense or you know our defense for a few years. So I'm excited about
what they've been putting together for for Friday and Marrow, still being able to
keep that chip on the shoulder is something that's the DNA of Michigan State and
something that Mel Tucker has definitely adopted into his program. And what do you
see with Michigan State ju into this year, Like what are you what's your
outlook? Yeah? I think this is the most important year for coach Tucker
and his tenure at Michigan State. You know, coming in his first year,
it was the COVID year. Didn't know what to expect, No one
knew what to expect. Was there a season, there's gonna be a season,
There's not gonna be a season. We're gonna do a season in the
spring. Then we ended up having the season and then next the next season.
Last year, under the Radar going Undetected had a great year, you
know, brought in a bunch of guys, brought over under on wins last
year. I think it was six wins. Yeah, it was the very
best. Yeah. Yeah, brought in a brought in a running back no
one heard of Kenneth Walker, the third from But so this is gonna be
the most important year because the spotlight are shining bright on East Lanton this year.
There's a lot of emphasis there's a lot of buzz going around the football
program because of the success coach Tucker had and also recruiting that's huge. With
all that, I think are somewhere in their coach Tucker's in the media more
than any coaching football Oh by far right, you know. So that is
adding to the pressure, and that's why I think, you know this year
is going to be the most difficult year for him to continue to have those
guys play with that chip on their shoulder and not read the press clippings.
Oh yeah, you know, I think you know that. You brought up
a couple of great points there, Ju, And then we're going to get
back to you about, you know, with the Kenneth Walker as a running
back and your assessment on the running back position because there's some transfers that are
now coming in that are running backs that we're going to talk about. But
before we do that, we're going to talk about the staff and how that's
been intact. And with the defensive backs a year ago, Michigan State ranking
fourteenth and the Big ten in past defense. Otis you know you see mel
Tucker in college football? Yeah, dead last in college for one hundred and
thirty years. So there's there's only one way to go right, There's only
one you gotta go up. And Mel Tucker is now the cornerbacks coach.
How do you see this playing out from Missigs State? You know, it's
crazy with when we played with John l and we had a new coach come
in and Mark D'Antonio. Coach D was also a cornerbacks defensive backs coach,
and he took the safeties and then coach Bartnett had the corners, but collectively,
coach Bartnett controlled the room right, but coach d spent one hundred percent
time with the safeties because they are the quarterbacks of you know, besides the
middle linebacker. They got to be the smartest one on the field. When
you look at the difference now from this year from last year, I think
it's all about the mentality of knowing how to just check your man and run
pound for pound with them. And I think it's a point of emphasis this
year is you know, we have a corner in Charles Brett Brantley who is
undersized but got the heart of a lion. And then we got a mere
speed that comes from the SEC and I mean this guy, I feel like
six, the size receiver, powerful power like this. This guy's is a
body man has a body type, but I think it's the point of he's
straight line speed, and so it's going to really test him on you know
where this is not the SEC. This is more of fast paced and power
football. So we're gonna see, you know, how he handles that.
But he helps that secondary and you look at x xavier henperson like this guy
is smart. Man like he is. He is a coach on the field
and he controls the room, commands the room. But also you'll see a
new vibe of new kind of trajectory of like that Spartan defense that we get
three and out, we get the ball back to the offense and then you
know, we let the guys do the work and then we just handle what
we can control. So I'm excited about it. Yeah, that's something.
I mean, that's great points because you think about mel Tucker being a defensive
back specialist, Mark D'Antonio as you talked about being a defensive back specialist,
and Nick Saban, who had all three of those gentlemen on one staff at
one point in my era. They played together, they all coached together,
and they all three head coaches at Michigan State and doing phenomenal job. And
you know, let's go over to the offense a little bit. Say we
talk about the continuity Jay Johnson offensive coordinator back again. You know, mel
Tucker was able to retain him, give him a raise his play calling ability.
Uh what did you think about what he brought to the table a year
ago? I thought he brought a mixed bag to the table a year ago
because going to Spartan, fans before that were very frustrated with the offensive play
calling and rightfully saw it was very predictable. And we get it in the
short side of the field jets sweet, yes, you know it's that toss
pitch. You know, hey, we got a big tight end. Let's
uh give him a jet sweep to everyone gets a jet sweep now. But
it was very predictable to him coming in and changing things up. He and
the thing I really liked about what he did last year he made Peyton Thorne
feel comfortable. Peyton Thorne was never put in a position to say, go
out and win the game for us because they had a dog in the backfield
and Kenneth Walker the third to take the pressure off and no one knew exactly
what to make of Walker, you know, last season, but you know
that Northwestern gave first carry as a spartan seventy five yard tuddy. Pretty impressive
about those studies. You will remind us all longer. I guess I had
no more than any back That's right, that's a whole lot. Yeah,
But no, with the offense there, I know you're gonna deep dive,
take a deep dive into the offensive line, which I think is an important
part for this backfield here. But you know, who's gonna replace Kenneth Walker.
That's the big question. Who's gonna be the person to step up and
be that guy. Is it gonna be running back by committee, you know,
or someone gonna step up and h you know, take control of that
room and be the guy. That's something that we're gonna find out tomorrow,
and that's something I'm really excited about. There's a bunch of people coming in
that can do the job and fill the role, but no one's really stepped
up yet to say, Hey, I'm the guy in this room. I'm
gonna be the one to replace Kenneth Walker. Wow, you know, you're
very exciting to be able to see what's gonna unfold at the game tomorrow when
you think about Michigan State versus Western Michigan. When you think about the defensive
side of the ball again though, that's when we take it from the defensive
secondary and go down to the second level, the linebackers. I mean,
you have a room there that's stacked full of athletes. What do you see
there? I mean, obviously we got returning my man, you know how
today like that guy that guy man guys we called Paul but Jr. That
guy is uh, he is just he just goes out there and gets it,
like you know, that powerful pound every down he's giving it his best,
right, and I think that it's leading by example. And the other
guys in the linebackers in that room see that if you work hard and you're
smart, and you're smart enough, you make plays and you make him quick.
I mean you think about how he capped off last season with that pick
six, right, Like the guy is an athlete man, no gloves,
no glove, no glove, and so you know I'm and then you know
you got you got Darius no who is obviously a dog by leniags right,
and the guy is one of those guys smart. I mean he was on
the coaching show yesterday and you know him and him and Coach Tucker talking and
just you know, casually, but it's it's a guy who's smart. I
mean he said he's at three point eight, but his dad has instilled that
dog in him, right, Like it's all about it's not football, it's
the whole experience. But him coming on out out there, we got some
speed that we're able to go sideline a sideline and dropping the hooking curl where
I think that's going to add a better element for you know, for safeties
like myself, where you know that that linebacker is going to be you know,
re routing that receiver getting the hooked curl, but he also know he's
going to fill the hole to hit that the running back. So I think
it's a great kind of committee as a start comfort if you're as a safety
back there looking at some linebackers like Cal Holliday, as you said, snow,
does that give you comfort to be able to have that eye control it.
I mean, j J, you probably can attestment. We had johonn
L. Smith Man, like I was running up there, you know you
in the box yeah, I was like just like eating right, just coming
out smack and trying to smack and hit. But like you know, I
had like what leading my software. It was like second tackles and leading this
in the defense. Like when coach d came over, he was like,
that's a problem and we had athletes, but like it was the scheme that
we had that was just not as fitting. But it is comforting to know,
like, Okay, that guy I know in trust, he does his
job. I'm gonna do my job. So I know the defensive line,
hey, get get to the quarterback in three seconds if it releases, I
got my guy locked down where I can get a cover sack for you.
Like I think that's the the whole trust factor of the eleven and whoever comes
out on the sideline just adds to that too. So so with that,
I think this defensive group on this team had the longest offseason of all time
because they had to hear the noise about how you know, they were not
good enough. It was because of the offense. That's why they found the
success. So I think these guys talk about playing with a chip on your
shoulder. I'm excited to see them play tomorrow night. Oh yeah, I
mean practice. I mean I would now it's the emphasis of attention to detail,
because it's like when the dogfight is gone and it's pound pound who's going
to let up? You know, it's not gonna be us, Like we
got to be attention to detail, work the same technique just as the beginning
of the game to the end of the game. So I think it's gonna
be great Friday where we can get hopefully a big lead, where we can
see some of our young guys get some game game time. Absolutely, you
know, looking forward to seeing a lot of guys play against Western Michigan.
I mean, everybody's talking about the combination of Peyton Thorn playing against his father,
who is the offensive coordinator for Western Michigan. Jeff Thorne, who won
a national title at North Central College, did take the job in Kalamazoo for
Western Michigan. Now, so this is something that's a little wrinkle that we
haven't seen where you have a player actually going against the father. And I
know we have interviews with him and all that, but we'd like to talk
to his mom if we could. That's something Cindy was talking to us about
earlier. But like, what do you think, Jay, you look that
Peyton Thorn, returning quarterback of his caliber brings to the table. Like when
you have the newer running back so Ken thea Walker's gone and now you have
two transfers who are here and Jalen Berger and Jared Broussard, how does that
take pressure off of those younger guys? Of those newer guys, I won't
call him young when you have a quarterback like Peyton Thorn. I think Peyton
Thorne's confidence is through the roof right now, as it should be, because
he had a year under his belt where he didn't have to be the guy.
He had Walker he can lean on. Now he has to be the
guy on the offensive side. He's getting the accolades, he's getting the recognition
now. So I think he's gonna be that common controlling factor in the huddle
for those guys who are going to be like, Okay, Peyton's got us,
He's gonna lead us. My question is this all right? We all
played, you know, we spoke to you know, family members during the
week about you know, hey, how you feeling. Peyton's Dad's a coach,
Peyton's a player, He's coached his son before in the past. I'm
sure every week Peyton's leaned on him for Avice to say, hey, you
know, what do you think about this? As his dad's called him,
how are you think do you think they spoke this week? I guarantee you
they spoke, but I don't think it's about I don't know. I know.
George proposed a question to coach Tucker like, hey, have you have
you picked Peyton's brain about like, you know, the you know, offense
over there to prepare for the defense and I mean, listen, you know
mill it. Coach Tucker is a smooth brother man, like you already know.
He was like, he goes, he goes, man, that's almost
a sin against the football guys. And that was the best answer. He
was like He's like, we prepare for like we prepare for anybody else.
And that he was like, you know, it's great to have a quarterback
who is a coach's son and you have a guy out there who knows how
coach wants this to be ran and he's out there with full confidence. I
think it's really good to get Noah Kim out here once, you know,
hopefully tomorrow, like I said, we get a lead where we can see
him and we can see kind of what the future may be. Or for
some guy reason that you know, somebody, something happens. We have contracts,
if you think about it. We haven't had quarterbacks strong like in that
room that we know we can trust. That's right, death wise, Right,
we always been putting eggs and there's always one guy and it's like,
yeah, there's a drop off. So interesting to see how that goes.
But I think conventionally the brand of Michigan State football, but even this university,
is that we can't play around with these games like this, right,
you know we've seen it, right, Oh yeah, yeah, you gotta.
You know, when in games like this, you have to throttle the
opponent if you plan on being at that elite coward. I know that Mel
Tucker talks about it a lot. He does it every day and practice his
recruiting style. It's all about playing at a high level. You know.
You talk to those guys in that locker room. They expect to win every
game that they play. They don't shy away from it, and that's something
that you know, don't Yeah, that's quite frank exactly how it should be.
That way. They should feel that way. But you know, when
you see a guy like Peyton, I love that the answer that Mel gave
the sin against the football guys, because we talked about it as well from
the Western Michigan side. Do you think the defensive coordinator goes to Jeff Thorn
and says to him, Hey, what are Peyton's weaknesses? You know,
like that shouldn't happenes. It never lies, man, And you know,
going into you know, looking at the big fellas in the trenches on the
defensive side of the ball, You've got you know, Marco Coleman as a
new defensive line coach, along with past rush specialists, uh Brandon Jordan,
who is just phenomenal. Kevin Vickerson analysts that it's a spartan dogg that's doing
everything. I mean, these guys, the players love the combination of these
three coaches up front, and all accounts from what has been going on in
camp and scrimmages is that that defensive line is ready to go. Man.
That's speed. I mean, when you got linebacker speed on the d lineing
like we trouble and rubble. Yeah, I just can't wait, man,
sit on this island. Just I want to see it, breathe it.
But it's practice. It's going to be the same level. It's always high
intensity coming off in bull rushing and you know, being the defensive guy.
We always wanted the quarterbacks to go live, but they're ready to hit another
live. Yeah, look at their jobs, aren't they. You know,
that's one of the things that you know, I think about what Xavier Henderson
was quoted in saying a few weeks ago is that we're going to go as
far as our offensive line takes us. To me, what that is saying
is, you know, we only go as we're only as strong as our
weakest linked. So this is where there if there's any areas of concern,
it's gonna be the offensive line. And you know coach Capron Kapelvic Camp,
coach cap Man, that's what I call him. Yeah, Coach cap He's
got his work cut out for him. He's got some returning players. Obviously,
the three guys in the middle. You're looking at guys like JD the
Plane, who is a strong guy, very athletic guy, plays guard and
center. You have a transfer Brian Green from Washington State that's gonna be a
guy who's rolling in their guard and center position. You know, the tackles
are where Michigan State had struggled a year ago a little bit. You've got
you know Horst, who's a guy who who's had some up and downs with
at Michigan State. And but there's an emergence of a young player like Brendon
Baldwin, who's who's playing really well, had a great camp, you know.
Yeah. Spencer Brown though, who is a straight up guy. This
guy's work ethic is through the roof. He's really made himself into a fine
football player. I tell you that much. So those guys. But he's
unproven for a full season. So on the tackles, you know, what
are they gonna do? You know, against the heavy speed rush, those
those those power rushers that you can find at Michigan and Ohio State and Wisconsin,
those teams that are gonna bring the paint. Well, yeah, I
think with the advantage that this offensive line has right now, it's they've been
going against this defensive line from Michigan State, so they can they have a
little edge to them about it. And also too, I think in their
heads they know like, hey, we didn't get the credit we deserved last
year. You know there was musical chairs there. Sometimes there was up and
downs and everything like that. So this year also too' that's the biggest point,
focal point on the offense is that offensive line. You know, with
them going, then Michigan State will be able to do different, multiple sets
and different things in the offense. If they're just strictly a great run block
team or a great pass block team, that's gonna turn us to one dimensional
and we're gonna have it's gonna be dog fights in games. Defense is gonna
have to make a stop. And now you're talking winning games seventeen fourteen as
opposed to going thirty something to seventeen. So that offensive line, that's a
that's tomorrow. That's where my eye is gonna be one of offense on the
field right. And the other key area I think for Michigan State offensively is
gonna be the wide receiver position. You look at Jayden Reed coming out after
a phenomenal year a year ago, number one, and you're on the jersey
and number one in your hearts. Jaydan Reed is out there. They call
it bird and Peyton Thorn is the bird feeder. So you have him and
then you have players like ke Coleman. Now, I mean talk about Coleman
and Trey Moseley, those type of guys. Coleman, you know, Reid
is gonna do what Reed does. It's that simple. He's gonna do his
thing. Who's gonna be the next person to step up and take some of
that pressure off Reid. Who's gonna be the person that is that's gonna fill
in for what we lost in Jalen Naylor, Kean Coleman, athletic to sport
athlete. But I'm telling you, guys Moseley, well, you know it's
good that they got game spirits last year. It was they were they were
key pieces, like key pieces in some of those drives last year, right
like and even like I mean Kean Coleman, I mean, have you seen
this guy in the warmost basketball though? Like this man, it is a
I mean, I mean, it's ridiculous, but it's to the point of
that he is a matchup problem from a strength standpoint. Ke Coleman is right
speed. Now, Trey Mosley, we're tall. It reminds me of Ohio
State's trio last year. Like the chemistry that you see them like build uh,
it's it's basically read being that leader that he is leading by example.
But like those guys have like legitimately wanted to be better. And let's talk
about coach. Coach Hawkins has changed this whole trajectory where we used to have,
you know, a few receivers that we was a bride receiver you for
a while. He has changed the trajectory with them guys working hard, but
like if you don't block, you don't get no time. No block.
That's right. Yeah, So let's let's step back here and give some shoutouts
and kudos to coach Hockeys. For sure, he put that blue collar mentality
in the in the wide receivers room there because a lot of wide receivers they
don't want to get dirty. They want to get they want to be pretty,
get get dressed up nice with the arms they got out of shine everything.
I'm just saying, these guys don't traditionally like to get their hands dirty,
want to come back and do a crack block and you know, different
things like that. But I think Coach Howkins has done a great job of
instilling the spartan way with these guys. It's saying, you know, back
in the day with the Andre Risings himself, the Plexico Burrs, all these
people who had success here. I think that's where we're coming. And how
one of you guys, Trey, that's my guy. That's he's gonna be
the unsung guy in the wide receiver cords. He's sneaky, he's not as
big as you think. And then you see me like, wow, he's
big. He's and then you say, oh, he's not that fast,
and then you see him run. He's fast. That guy, he's gonna
be the one that emerges. You know. You know what I saw last
year is that the receivers if for some reason like drop the ball or miss
a block, Like you never saw anyone get locked up in that failure,
right, It was like next play, next play, next play, and
then you short memory and then you see big players happen, Reed or Naylor,
like just the mentality of look that's yesterday, let's go the next next
play, memory of a fish. But let's talk about our tight ends.
Oh yeah. But then also the freshman. Though there's a freshman, we're
gonna like reserve our judgment until he actually gets yeah, yeah, practice,
I'm waiting till I see it. But yeah, smooth, yeah, yeah,
I think they're moving the number. But yeah, but he looked awful
good out there. I'm like the show Missouri to show me State, show
me my true dog right here. My grandfather talk is cheap good whiskey costs
money. But it's the tight end room. I'm an elite car and the
NFL tight end. Yeah, Barker, Barker, NFL tight end, two
of them. Yes, Now what was Barker's Maybe, as Hill is,
you got to learn the system, you know Illinois. I mean, so
he had a game against us when we played them, right, all time
leading touchdown receptions for a tight end in Illinois history. And he and he
still has eligibility. He leaves crazy. Get this guy. I mean you
look at the eye test those two guys they got and but the hands,
you know, you see, I've seen Barker probably five or six times he
called everyone and some of them weren't break passes. Yeah, when you get
a hybrid tight end, you probably you can attest this in the league that
can go slot and be a threat on the on the on the line,
and also in emotion, you know, as as back coming off that blot
like just a triple threat that causes problems for the defense. Sure, because
if you're game playing for Michigan State and you have a tight end that you
can go on the slot and play in the slot and run, what do
you do? Do you put a blindbacker out there? Okay, he's gonna
be fasten them. Do you bring a safety down? Now you're leaving exposed
over there. So that causes problems, and that makes a defense have to
spend extra time trying to figure out what we're gonna do if they go to
this set. So that's great. You know my issue with the transfer,
what's he gonna do with the bright lights? He's from ill Nois. I
get it. You know, it's a big ten football, but now it's
eighty thousand people week in and week out that's gonna be watching them. They
didn't get it a successful season a team who is half success exactly? Yeah,
you know the deep water in the deep water. Can he be comfortable
in the deep end to see see? You know you like challenging, you
know he likes to challenge people. That's what football really is, just like
life. It's all about challenges and how you're gonna face them. And we
don't we reserve our judgment for players until they actually show up. It's hard
like nowadays in recruiting. We love kids, but until they actually show up
to campus, real dogs don't really buy into any of that, right you
know? So, I mean I understand what you're saying. So that's a
deep breakdown into the players for Michigan State. Now, what do you guys
think as far as this season's record. When you look at the game and
I think you were gonna say something about kickers, like they're not people,
we got to Yeah, geez, I'm just gadding clock and finally ran out
after twenty years because he set the record so far somewhere, I will wait.
So we don't like receivers and we don't like kickers. I love receivers
because our kickers can go gamble or play some cards during practice. Yeah,
these kickers took the cart to the Oaklands Mall during two days, the trainer's
cart. Really. Yeah, nobody missed them because they're not players. Oh
my, you need them, We need them, We'll tell you. Stone
is one of those guys that once you get past the forty of the opposing
defaul money, you got the big games. Yeah, big games. He's
got a big time. Gh me, that's I was about to pull up
point of I don't want to bring up the day with one of our kickers
who've got ghosted after but it's a that's a high pressure position. I'm sorry,
my god, I'm sorry. But he said this because you what it
is. Oh yeah, yeah, that's what it is. Yeah, that's
what he's like. If I could do it, you should do it.
People. They're not people are players. Listen. Let's be like coaching our
doozy where you line up the punters and the kickers in a tackling drill against
the defensive backs, telling get over here, you're not doing anything. There
are tackling dummies exactly. Dudes. We got to talk to dudes man,
like they would have won that game. They had what he wants the kickers
to get that back in the day. You can't do that, right yeah
right yeah. So, like looking at this season game by game, if
you want to go through the schedule or just give us a just in your
mind this, what do you think Michigan State does this ship. I think
we will win, will be we'll be undefeated. To when those Buck guys
come into town undefeated, and do you understand like they got that, they
got that marked up on that calendar. Obviously it's game by game. We
can't overlook it because everyone is as an opponent and you can get me any
any day. But that Ohio State game last year truly truly measured our program.
And I think now it's like, look, we're not one. We're
worried about everybody. But if we want to be elite, if we want
to get to the CFP, if we want to get to the national championship,
you gotta beat the Buckey goes through Columbus, goes to Columbus, and
then we gotta take care of those guys down the road. But for sure,
Wisconsince comes back into town. That that rivalry that you know, Russell
Wilson and Kirk Cousins, and we went out to play them, but it
was like a two year off, two year on. We would never get
that that that rivalry going. But that started around that big ten championship game
where we should have won that game. That punt that ripped it amount out
of it. So they're coming back, and we already know Wisconsin is pound
pound pound right office in Linemen are always ingredients. They're coming so those are
these and it's back to back. So it's one of those where back to
back to back. Yes, Wisconsin, Wisconsin at home and then on the
road to Michigan. And I think that's where we have to truly, they've
been working on an off season to build that perseverance in that body and that
mentality and that mental perseverance to get to that, because that's gonna be that
that that October stretches like it's a murderous row. Yes, dog, yeah,
I mean October. Now we talk about TV rights, now media is
perfect for that. Right. The numbers are gonna be off, yeah,
I mean I don't want to play back back back to back, but right,
yeah, yeah, the ratings are gonna be high. What about you,
Jay, what are you thinking? You know? I think, uh,
just the Spartans are going to play with the chip on this shoulder.
I feel they have a lot to prove. I think there's gonna be one
slip up this year, but it's not gonna be against a team that we
think like, oh my god, like something like Ohio State. It's gonna
be some fluky game, you know, something like like like yeah, like
a Purdue like last year kind of thing. And but I think we're gonna
be writing contention, you know for the Big Ten title. I you know,
definitely feel with the coaching staff that we have, the players, the
program, the way that things are being run, we're gonna be in a
position to make a run for that playoff spot. You know. For me,
I think one of the most key games, the most critical games for
them will be going on the road for the first time out to Washington.
You know, go to Washington to Seattle. That's an it's not an easy
road trip. You know, Michigan State has gone out there to play Oregon
before and not had a lot of success out there. But yeah, oh
yeah, yeah. It was extremely high, extremely high. Yeah, unseasoned,
very loud. You think that the Pacific Northwest doesn't have they have fans
that go crazy in small stadiums. So and then you're also facing a familiar
opponent in the quarterback in Pennix who played for you. He's an Indiana quarterback
transfer who has beaten Michigan State and he's got that redemption song like coming back.
Like to me, that is one of the games that if Michigan State
can go out there and handle the b and like, take care of business
seriously, not just win closely, but convincingly. Then I think they can
be on a way, you know, to try to get into that college
football playoff discussion. But it all comes down to what's gonna happen in October.
I think, yeah, I think that Washington game, it's not gonna
come down to ex's and o's on the field, if we win or lose.
It's gonna come down to the preparation and how how you carry yourself going
in there. East Coast team going to the West Coast. It's a little
easier than West Coast coming to the East Coast, but you know, you
have to get there, probably a day earlier than usual, change everything up.
Don't get sucked into you know, because Washington beautiful stadium. You know
people do instead of tailgating to do ce Gaden sail gate on the boats and
everything. The stadium overlooks it looks the Pacific Ocean. You can't be focused
on it. You can't get caught up in the noise. You got to
keep your poison the noise. And I think if they get pie all those
distractions, they'll handle business. I mean, the beautiful thing about coach Tucker
and his leadership is that it's pro style across the entire board when it comes
to travel and game prep on game day or the night before, like treats
them like the pros that they're supposed to be adults, right, Like,
it's not heavy, heavy, heavy meetings. It's really led like it's up
to the coach, the position coach to you know, do a small meeting
here and there. But it's pro style. So it's like he wants the
players to be relaxed as possible, to be like just low key chill.
And then if you're not prepared by time, you know, the game before
the game or day before the game, like you're not gonna get prepared.
So I mean that's kind of like a coach d was was like I'm not
gonna hoo rah ray you and your blood should be boiling and if it's not,
don't run out the stands. I think that you know, last year's
a big road game going down to Miami. Meltucker showed, you know,
in the preparation and the week's leading up to the Miami game that they were
ready. They did the hydration plan, the nutrition plan in order to not
cramp up it's very easy, dude, down there by the equator in Miami.
Similar approach to this game. Going out to Washington is something they're gonna
need to take and handle that as a business trip, as you just said.
But you know, looking at this season, you know it's gonna be
an exciting time. We're all very excited about what tomorrow's game is going to
look like. Right now, we are going to close this show up man,
where my co hosts Otis Wiley and j u Culchrick. I'm Jason Strayhorn.
Until next time, good night, God bless and go Green, Go
White, Go White. Knock down. That's smart