This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jake and Zalaz on Fox
Sports fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services and Sure Your most Prized Possessions kat
z R two SA at iHeartRadio Station. Yet. Hey, good afternoon,
everybody. Welcome to Eye on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
I'm Steve Rivera, He's Jacon Zewis. We have our guys Sammy with us.
I'm glad you guys didn't enter the portal. And then again, you
guys have nowhere to go, so I understand why you're here exactly. Yeah.
I don't have any any nil money sitting anywhere else for me, So
I'm just right here. And what in fact, I don't have any money
here. I'm just gonna stay so I don't have to place to live.
Yes, No, Well, welcome to the day's create craziness. A lot
of big names in the portal. We'll get to that. Jed talked about
that a lot today in the Prescott talking right, and he made some great
points and he has some great examples in house and otherwise. Right right,
So, Arizona plays Oklahoma. Not a shock. We've kind of down that
bus as a bust ability. Yeah, that was the one ball all week
long last week. People were kind of like pretty sure that that's what was
was gonna happen, and it did. Yeah, and so ANW they're head
of the San Antonio. I know us two will not be that that weekend
or that week. We have other things going on, so we won't be
done there. I'm not sure how many people are gonna be down there from
Arizona. Typically they don't they don't travel well at this time of year.
Well, you know, I was having this conversation with somebody and saying,
you know, Arizona fans, particularly football fans, travel to where they can
drive. Sure, so they're gonna go to San Diego. Remember there are
a lot of Arizona fans. Huge game. They're gonna go to Southern California.
You know, there's always a lot of fans in La At there's all
love and then they go to Vegas. Right, there's a lot of the
butchery r exactly all driveable. San Antonio is just just a bit about six
hours. Get a little out of the driving, you know, out of
the driving this. And so I don't think historically I think Arizona has been
in a couple of Almo Bowls. Yeah, and I don't think historically they've
Arizona fans have traveled well to those who knows what the excitement is sure level
is for this team having having not been in a boll since twenty seventeen.
Yeah, well I would just but they think about it, they're going,
and good for them, and we'll talk more about it with Jeff Jed's press
conference information. Yeah, he was very good, mister positive. Yes,
he always did. Yeh. He even self described it smiled when he said
that. But you know, I mean like I'm an example. Okay,
First of all, you know, I didn't think Arizona was going to a
post Christmas bowl game. I thought, you know, if they get at
what point I thought they know beginning of the Oh, of course, I
thought. I thought, if they get into a bowl game, they're going
to the l A Bowl, the Independence Bowl, maybe even the Las Vegas
Bowl, all before Christmas. So my family planned a family trip between Christmas
and New Year's sure that we can't change because of you know, you know,
we paid for stuff. Well, would you be going to this anyway
if you were not scheduled to that would you be going to this. I
think I would certainly be considering going, you know, if a destiny,
right, I haven't been to San Antonio since I was fifteen years old.
Yeah, it might not let you back. I know, Well my you
know my dad's rally. My dad's family lives about an hour outside of say,
definitely won't. Yeah, well, no, that's the good side of
the family. Well yeah, they get rid of Okay, I have the
dark side, but the dark side is here, the good side is over
there. And we would go there every couple of years, you know,
to visit his family. And the last time I went, I was fifteen
years old. Wow. And so I haven't been there since then. With
all the tournaments and like, remember there was a final I think the year
they lost to Kansas Jason Gardner year. No, no, they played in
n Anaheim. That was that was no, no, no, no.
The Jason Gardner year that they were in the Elite eight lost to Kansas and
the lead eight they San Antonio was that final four. I'd have to go
back and think there was a final four during that time frame. Sure,
it was the final four. During that time frame, Arizona was in the
lead eight and and lost that we were going. I think it was you
know where, uh yeah, for Jason Gardner missed a three pointer at the
at the very end against Kansas. I think that year the final fours in
sand Jina, we were locked, we were ready to go. We had
tickets, we had flights, we had hotel. We were going. And
that's the last time even came close to go for our family. We've got
We went through a lot for because if there's a lot to do and then
it's inexpensive, it's a lot of amusement stuff. The river Walk obviously,
and I'm from I came from Texas before I got here. But no,
it's a great place up So we'll see, I mean, they'll have fun.
I will see the girls. The women's final four was there two three
years ago, right right, So we'll get to that and we'll talk a
lot about the the the positive and negatives of yesterday's Big four. And I
want to go off on that. Go ahead, because I think you will
disagree with or you will disagree with him. But playoffs, Well here's the
thing, and I get it. I wait, wait, wait, who
did you think? Who'd you think should go in? Before the announcement.
Who do you think I thought Florida State should have gotten in with well along
with with Texas. I thought Alabama should have been left out. Okay,
so you're looking at Michigan, Michigan, Washington, Texas, Florida State.
That's where I thought it should have been. So you would have Florida State
as the four seeds. Yeah, so that my point. If they're an
undefeated team, they should have been the three over Texas. Yeah, but
but you know, in the in the same regard I think Washington. I
think Washington should have jumped Michigan. But since they were one and two they
both won, I thought, you know, well, the one that's through
this altogether bad was Alabama. Right, they won and through the missis right,
we expect what happened. I thought Florida Station got in, but I
thought I thought Alabama was gonna get in, and they did. It would
have happened the same way if Georgia would have won. It would have looks
as though they would have left Florida stayed out, and or State was out.
So yeah, Texas would have had to look because, yeah, because
they had to lose or win in like a narrow narrow fashion or something like
that. Yeah, but I mean if you watched the Florida State game,
it was clear. But see my thought on having Florida State in. But
the number four team acknowledges that they're not the team that they were because of
the quarterback situation. But to me, because they went thirteen and oh,
they should have been in. I don't care if Alabama and Georgia and anybody
else in the you know, in the in the country could beat them,
which I think they could. I think Georgia would beat them. I think
Alabama will beat them, But I think they earned the right to be in
there by going thirteen out and Alabama did not. And Alabama did not because
they lost the game. Let me throw this conspiracy to Texas though I don't
care who they lost, they lost the game. Before you start to throwing
closer, let me let me throw this conspiracy at you with a with a
not a competition, but the ESPN, because what fox that that esp Do
you think a bias was there given given Bama is the SEC. ESPN is
kind of tied to the SEC. YadA, YadA, one thousand percent.
It was it was about it was orchestrated a little it was orchestrated by all
of that A million percent that it was that. Okay, let me flip
it on you. Okay, do you think if the tables were turned if
Florida if Alabama was thirteen and oh with a second or third string quarterback playing,
all right, and Florida State had lost one game to say Texas,
but was a conference championship. Who's in It's a different conference, the ACC
state, the point being, the point being, flip it. Okay,
all things mean, flip it. Uh, Florida State's twelve and one,
likely twelve and one, good schedule really maybe even no, wait, maybe
even the beating Georgia sometime during the year. And Alabama is thirteen and oh,
but they're gonna play with their third string quarterback. Who gets in?
Alabama gets in because of the SEC. Well it's the SEC though, and
that and that didn't happen. Okay, if you do flip it, No,
but you don't know if Clemson was thirty no different, no hypothetical.
Okay, again, let just assume. Let's also assume that Florida State looks
like the better team than Alabama, but Alabama's undefeated and Florida State's twelve and
one, who's getting in. You can't say that though, that's what the
committee did yesterday. You can't say that, but I understand the art.
That's exactly what the committee did yesterday. They can't say. They can't say
for sure that Florida State would lose to Alabama. What's different too, because
the quarterback that got hurt for Florida State was one of the best quarterbacks in
the country. The quarterback Alabama has been substituted most like Sammy, you're not
understanding the well I understand. Hypothetical is if Alabama was in the situation that
Florida State is in, all right, with the with the whoever the quarterback
is, and Florida State was in the situation that Alabama was in, had
just won their league, beaten a great team. Let's say, okay,
let's say Clemson was number one, thirteen, twelve and zero going into the
going into the a SEC Championship game. Florida State's twelve and one. They
beat Clemson, all right, now, they're the conference champ. Clemson is
out. Alabama is undefeated, but they're going into the game game with their
third string quarterback who's in Florida state. Absolutely not. Alabama is in because
they've that's that's the point they've been making in the last couple of years that
the best four teams are in. And by point is that Alabama's in because
of ESPN and the SEC bias. Definitely is there, Definitely is. But
No, because of all this, who would you bet to win it all?
I'm taking Washington and I'm taking Alabama. Right in Alabama, I think
they might win their next title because of all this. I think Alabama and
Washington is your championship game. Michigan's too good, They're not Michigan's the best.
Would it be? Would it be America twenty twenty three? America?
If Michigan wins it all? Yeah, wouldn't it be? Are you saying
this because you're a fan of No? No, I think they're the best
team by far. I don't think. I don't know. I don't know
because I haven't seen them enough. But they've beaten some pretty good teams.
But I think that Baton's going to beat the Scannwal muscle lemanold do. I
think that's what Michigan does. So should be a great game. I think
it will be. Dude, talk about your strength of schedule? What is
who's Michigan played Ohio State and Penn State, and that's it, both both
top twelve teams in the country and the rest of it. Okay, and
they brought somebody ran off the offenses. For the all the other teams,
they were all one hundred or worse, all of them. They didn't have
to play weekend and week out. But if you look at Washington did okay,
I mean you can. You can look at Washington. They're undefeated and
the PAC twelve is better than their conference. But Michigan is a better football
team. I'm not sure we'll see. I think there are are four points,
what's your? What's your? Michigan's are one and a half point.
I think Washington opened as like a two point favorite. Yeah, well let's
go. Let's go to the PAC twelve because we know the PAC twelve and
won't come back to this. I think Washington's an underdog. No, I
think so that need their favorite. Let's take a call, so you want
to call back, just please do. Let's go to Washington. I hadn't
seen that Washington team in a long time, but again, they beat the
crap out of Oregon, and I thought Oregon would be the Washington team I
saw on Thursday on Friday, because they beat the crap out of Oregon.
Oregon didn't have a chance even when they took the lead. Yeah, it
was like, who's this team? Well, and that's and that's why this
whole thing, Steve of we we're gonna put Alabama in the in the in
the playoffs because we think they can beat Florida State. You don't know,
everybody in the country thought Oregon was gonna win that game, not only just
win that game by a lot, and they got their ass. Kid,
there was another wrench that I thought would go in there. If Oregon would
have won the game, would they've even been in That would have been the
whole thing too, right then Florida still in Georgia would But see they they
raided Georgia below Florida State first. They came in at five and Georgia sure
and whatever number the six they think. Well, the funny thing about it,
we can debate this as we always do. Let's take this. HI
on the aar and I on the ball. I hit Jay, I'm I'm
riled up, as you can tell. Well, I don't blame you.
I don't blame you, you know, and showing that logic they were talking
about the other day, well yesterday they were saying that Alamba Alabama's you know,
their last six seven games, they've been playing great. Well, if
you go by their logic, why is in Arizona in the top four,
they've probably been playing for anybody else in the country in the last six seven
games, you know. Yeah. Also one thing too, is the ACC
had a better record against the SEC this year. They did. They did?
Yeah, yes, and so you know as that makes you know,
shouldn't that mean that the ACC is a better conference? You know, the
SEC is just so top heavy with a couple of teams. Well, the
committee had every reason to go ahead and not put an SEC team in the
in the playoff. There was all kinds of evidence as to why you could
do that, and then they didn't do it, right, right, I
totally agree. I don't think Alabama should have gotten And I think, you
know, to me, what's amazing that Florida State went undefeated without that quarterback
exactly continue the winning two games they look, I mean, but that doesn't
mean you have to win by fifty right, Well, it doesn't matter probably
how did Alabama? What did Alabama look like against Auburn? Right? A
miracle pass play? And they're not in? So hey, Brian, we
gotta run because we gotta we gotta get a get our guests, so that
thanks for colling. Look there, look we can. I mean, there's
good arguments on both sides, but I think all the ones on the Alabama
side are bad myself, and I still think they're gonna win it all,
which is and they could. I don't think they will, but I think
they could. And so if Alabama wins, then everyone that's saying that Florida
State should have gone in is going to be sitting there saying, well,
guess what Florida State might have won it? I disagree because because Florida State
is a thirteen in a point underdog against Georgia again again and and deservedly so.
But again, Oregon was a nine and a half point favorite of the
Washington and why are they all right, let's get out of here. We
gotta Kayden Luke, the star of running back for the state champion CDO,
won a state championship on Saturday in Phoenix, and so he'll be joining us.
We'll talk to him a little bit about what that's like. And then
in the second hour, we've got who do we have Steve? Oh,
we got Michael from There's a Daily Star stick around for all that. For
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exes at OHS. It's Steve Rivera and Jacin savits I on the Ball on
Fox Sports fourteenth. Hey, welcome back to ian the Ball here on Fox
Sports fourteen. Becaunty. I'm Steve Roberta. He's jacinb z Owtz. Now
when the phone, we have State Champ Kayden Luke from CDEO. How are
you, Kayden? I'm doing good. How are you guys doing We're doing
well. Congrats on the big, big win. You had a fantastic game.
How does it feel even what three days later? Oh? It feels
great? Is this great? If it's something that you can't really explain,
It's a feeling that I think you can only understand in the moment. I'm
goohead. Well you want Have you won a couple of state titles in wrestling?
Have you? Yes? Sir, there's a party, a big difference
in as much as you have teammates now to join in on the fund rather
than individually, or I could be wrong. Yeah, yeah, explain please,
Okay, can you can you ask the question one more time? I'm
suing the the championship of the team must feel much different than it is for
your individual state titles in wrestling. Oh yeah, yeah, it does for
sure. I Mean, in wrestling, it's all on you. What you
put in is what you get out of it. And I think it's pretty
similar in football, but there's much more that plays into it. I mean,
at certain times you kind of have your lines got to make blocks for
you guys to score, and you guys got to run the ball good for
you to win the game. But in wrestling, I think it's kind of
just you and it's it's you and you. That's pretty much it. So
I think that's pretty much a difference. So going through the season, again,
we kind of asked this every time, you know, somebody wins a
championship like this, but going through the season, at some point you know
you're you're hoping, and then there becomes a point where you kind of expect
something like this to happen. Was there a point a game, something that
happened during the course of the season, a week of practice or whatever where
you got the feeling that this is a state championship team. When did that
happen for you guys? I think it really kind of kicked in there over
the summer when we were doing lift workouts and kind of just field work and
stuff like that. When we were kind of coming together and being a team.
Our chemistry was insane where you're just you could just tell right off the
bat. I mean you'd go up into practice and it's sharp. Everything is
almost pretty close to perfect. So once you kind of get a feeling of
that, it's just you kind of realize, yeah, we could we could
go all the way. And then I think kind of towards the middle of
the season, once we were doing pretty good, we were like, all
right, this is really happening. So well, you know, we saw
what happened last year. Obviously, we talked to coach p So a few
weeks ago before the playoffs, I think it was, and I think I
asked him about what happened last year kind of even brought you guys closer together
and helped with that as well. For one fact, Yes, how was
that? How did you guys yield that didn't deal with that? Yeah?
I think last year it kind of made us closer, just because there are
people trying to tear us apart and separate us, but they could. And
I think this year we really came together and became a family. And I
think when you when you when you expressed the same feelings as as people,
I think you kind of create a bond no matter what. So the blood,
sweat and tears that we went through last year and this year during practice,
every single day, during games, every single game, I think you
kind of just come together and become a brotherhood. So let me ask you
this. So we Jay and I went to your MIC come out and game,
the first one a month or so ago, right, and we were
there very impressed with both teams because you guys were very close obviously. Did
you think that did you think that we saw a state championship team there?
I didn't know because I didn't have anything to compare it to, but I
knew we saw two really good teams because you guys just you know, you
guys just fought and you didn't you have to do to win the right and
again exactly, you know, I mean, it looked like two really good
teams. It was hard to tell, though, and I guess when you're
seeing two really good and you're not seeing one good and one bad, you
see some differences. It was hard, but I you know, I think
what impressed me, you know, standing on the sidelines was the physicality of
your team and you in particular, just you know, just the way you
guys just pounded on people. And that was to me. Is that sort
of what the personality that your team took on early in the year or maybe
even last year, you know, when did you become that team that would
just love to just go out and beat the living you know what? Out
of teams like that. I think our motto is rushed for gold. So
I think in order to be able to do that, you kind of got
to go out and punch people in the mouth. And if you don't do
that, then you don't win games in our in our style of football.
So I think it's kind of almost a must in our program. It's funny
because there's there's one person that I would not mess with, and that's a
wrestler. They know they are their angle. They know angles, they know
leverage, they know dedication to the sport and all that, and then you
brought it up. You brought it to football where you're like Jonah, you're
hard to tackle because you're like a human bullyball With all due respect, Yes,
sir, do you feel that way? Do you feel that way because
you are all that? I'm humble, I think, I think, I
know, I know I'm a pretty good ball player, but yeah, for
sure, definitely plays a huge role in it. Yeah, I think wrestling
kind of set me up to play football the way I do. It's all
a mentality, and I think the I think it's about eighty percent mental and
the rest of it's physical. I mean, it's usually how you prepare your
mind before a game is the way you're gonna play. So I think wrestling
pretty helped me out with that pretty good. So walk us through your run
in the playoffs, because you know you're you're going in, you're you're you're
you're undefeated, you know you haven't lost the game, and you handled pretty
much everybody. Mike Comount was you was a close game. You know,
you pretty much handled everybody really well. Pressure, expectations, confidence. What
were all the things that were going through your minds as the playoffs started?
Then as you went through that, I think confidence was super high. We
knew, we know what kind of a caliber team we are, and I
think once we kind of went through that first round of playoffs, so we
knew how it was going to end up happening. And I think, uh,
it really just played itself out, and I think it kind of just
shows you, uh what what happens when you have players that lead a team.
I mean, Coach Piece is a great coach, the greatest in the
state, I feel like, and I think you we have such a veteran
group that we we almost lead ourselves in some points, and I think that's
something that Coach Peace has showed up very greatly. So it's funny. I
was gonna ask you about Piece before you said that, because we've had him
on the show. He's a friend of mine, he's a neighbor of mine.
He's kind of like just a dude. I mean, he's not a
flamboyant guy. He's a mild mannered guy. How is it playing for him?
Oh, he'll get on you, if that's for sure. He will
for sure get on you, but he you know, he loves you at
the end of the day, and he has your back no matter what,
through sick and sin. I know he's had my back. So I'll vouch
for that guy any day of the week, no matter what. And he's
one of only he's a few won two titles, yeah in the state and
from Tucsa. Yes, sir, Yeah, he's a very very good coach.
A lot of people have mentioned also Coach McKee, who has been a
head coach and who was a very good head coach in Tucson. Joining the
staff, you know, how much of a difference can somebody like that make,
you know, to come in as an assistant but with a lot of
high level experience for you know, for for high school football, how much
of a difference can can that have overall the team? I think McKee is
a very very different human being. He knows his place and he knows his
level of respect for coach piece and I think that's kind of what set him
aside from everybody else. I mean, I think bringing in another head coach
from another team is a pretty difficult thing because they feel that they play the
role of almost becoming another head coach. But McKee really knew his role and
he was he was there making it easier for coach Piece and I think he
was probably one of the greatest things that happened to our football team coming to
us. So he's helped us out a lot, a lot this year,
So thank you to him for sure. So Steve mentioned, you know,
we were at that Mike Mountain game, which by the way, was in
mid October. Steve so, well, yeah, but then you guys play
him again in the in the semi finals. You handled them pretty well twenty
three to seven. It's a what was the difference between those two because the
other game was that was, you know, nip and tuck all the way
to the very end. Well, what do you think was the difference the
second time around? You guys being in twenty three seven so pretty well handled
them. I think we're more confident in the second game, just because we
kind of knew what we were up against. But I think that's a hard
question, and I don't know. We were more confident and we were just
playing like football. I think the first time we played them, we were
kind of playing to win, but the second time we were just doing what
we do in play. So we got about four minutes. I wanted to
ask you about you You won a state title or two in wrestling, right?
Yes? Only one? Right now? Only one? Well of them?
Sure's another one coming up ahead. What's what's your future like? Given
that you're you're what five ten twenty ish? Yeah? Five ten? More
on the five to eleven. I believe I'm a five eleven guy. You
So what you do? You have a chance to play at the next level
football wise? Uh, I'd like to think so. Yes, anybody chasing
you down, I think they're showing a little bit of attention, but definitely
not not like odd life, okay for sure? But would you would you
rather wrestle or play football? I'd rather play football in college? Yeah?
What? What? What? What? What? What is it about football
that that you say that? Uh, there's there's just a different love for
it. It's a it's a different ball game for sure. You go into
games and it's kind of it's a brotherhood, and I think that's something that
I love about it. And wrestling. I love wrestling. Uh, wrestling,
you're kind of just by yourself, But in football, it's it's definitely
a camaraderie in a brotherhood. Yeah, no question. I'm surprised. So
no offers yet at any level for the college. I have two offers as
of right now. They played Division two, so one from Lake Forest and
then the other is from New Mexico Highlands. Oh, okay, okay.
In fact, in fact, the quarterback, the former quarterback for the Sugar
Skulls went to Highlands in Las Vegas. It's amazing to me. You kind
of you know. The thing about it with you is you're kind of an
old school running back, right, You're kind of more of a full back
fullback guy. Yes, for sure, Yes, do you like that?
But you can't teach what he's got, you know what I'm saying. Yeah,
I think I think I kind of grew up watching the select few guys
and I think I kind of just made it into my own. And I
think it's it's a dying breed for sure. You don't really see much of
it anymore. So I love it. I think it's definitely something that you
don't see very often, but it does. It's a dying breed, and
I think very little colleges kind of rolled that way anymore. So I think
it does kind of screw me a little bit in the recruiting style. But
we'll see. Yeah, well, I do know. I think I recall
saying to Steve when we were watching you that might come outain game that I'm
pretty sure that I wouldn't want to get in front of you for whatever that
for whatever that's worth. So uh, but you're not exactly exactly there's that
too, But well, well, Kayden, we do appreciate. Good congratulations
again, you know you guys came close last year then you know you got
all the way through. Congratulations to you and and your coach. Yes,
sir, thank you. I appreciate it. Okay, be well, be
well enjoyed this, so enjoy this moment. Then it doesn't happen very often,
right and doesn't happen to a lot of people. Okay, good luck
to you for sure. Thank you, guys. I appreciate everything. Can
Luke. Very impressive, dude. You're impressive, dude, because man,
if you if you've met a wrestler, yeah, you know, Dick told
me would have loved him. You know, why, who's the guy from
St. David that was a wrestler, that was a linebacker? I think
it was Saint David. No, you're thinking you're thinking of Marcus Bell,
who from from up in the Pine Top Show. A small time dude,
but a heck of a player. Was a former wrestler. You don't mess
with these dudes. But he was. He was. He was the anchor
of that defense in ninety eight, and no one really chased him down right
because he just do was a good athlete. You're just a really good college
linebacker. How to where to get to, how to play? And and
and my guy here you what's your what's your name? Sammy? You played
some sports. I mean it's all about angles out smarting and if you're talented
even more, Oh, no doubt. I was a strong safety in high
school and I'm all of five eight one sixty. Yeah, how strong were
you? I could go? Okay, yeah, see he's got some guns,
got some goods. So stop arguing with him. I didn't say I
was gonna fight him. I'm just gonna argue with him. Okay, we
gotta go all right, let's say, let's talk about hoops. We gotta
talk about hoops. It's coming up. I know we're going to talk about
this at Alabama Florida State thing for a month. And we got some Jets,
and we've got some jet clips to play from a press conference today,
so be sure to come back for a bunch of them and home about the
time I had that Thursday to'd say that girls good. He's gone now and
Thursday he came in around. Now is all alone sou for drive claim.
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I on the Ball with Steve Braverera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen to
fifty. Hey, welcome back to I'm back here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
I'm Steve, He's Jay. Can send me with us. We got
fourteen minutes and on the next Cactus Moon segment of our show from the Country
Western Tour. We'll get to that later. See you know. I went
to the dentists for a new Dennis right last week and my old Dennis played
I think the ninety four point nine, which is just, you know,
kind of soft rock kind of thing. My previous tennis before that played what
I call smooth. Asked which I happened to like, right, like jazz?
Right, not yacht rock, which is kind of like jazz. So
I love with this one. Yeah, country, and I asked, I
asked, I asked the hygess. I said, Okay, who picks the
music? She said, Wow, we try and pick something that's sort of
neutral. I said, country is not neutral, definitely, There's nothing neutral
about country. Oh no, no chance. How you do how you do
bigging ingredient. Hey, let's we'll talk more about basketball on the other side.
Let's do that. Let's get to Jezz Okay, okay, because he
had a lot of cool things to say on a lot of great a lot
of great questions like you, and a lot of portal stuff. So let's
get to the portal stuff. Because the portal has opened. Always worrying that
you know, who's gonna leave Arizona. They had some things happened last year,
some guys who left unexpectedly. So first just his general impressions of the
portal, uh and and how they handle some things. He he this is
kind of a long answer because it was or long because it was an answer
to two different questions. Let's just play what you had to say. Yeah,
you know, I think that in regards to players that have gone into
the portal from other programs, there's certainly been some people that I've had to
evaluate and make decisions on. You have to make very fast decisions, and
recruiting, you can make long decisions. You know, you might know them
when they're a sophomore in high school, a freshman in high school, a
junior in high school. Here, now you have a decision that you need
to make. If you want to use one of your spots on a guy
that you evaluated for seven minutes and things are very very different in that regard,
then you have to start trying to do research. But while you're doing
research, and other team's trying to get them, So it's a much more
challenging deal for a head coach. And then you know, maybe there's a
couple of meetings here or there. I haven't had any with our own roster.
I did not have to do that, but a year ago we did.
But you know, there's always going to be people that are trying to
take your players, so you've got to avoid that, and you've got to
make sure that these players understand their value to this program. And as I
told our guys, you know, if our whole team stays together and that
recruiting class of twenty twenty two and that transfer class of twenty twenty two,
if you start adding that group together, when you start adding Tanner McLaughlin,
Jacob Cowing, Jaden Delora, Noa Fa feed a Team, Kevin Green,
Price Sock to Carrio, Manu Keyan, and you just go down the list
of guys that played that were in part of that class of twenty two.
There should be an ESPN thirty for thirty done about them in ten years and
that which should be if we all stay together, and the amount of games
that I think they can win this year and next will be the story of
college football. Yeah, in fact, you said thirty for thirty es,
it would be a good time, would be funny, they would. I
smiled for that one too, It would be. But it's gonnas a nice
story. Come on this team, this team was not. He's getting a
lot of talk now. Yesterday on the shows they mentioned in Arizona. They
said, how good of a job he's done? So they're being noticed.
I We'll ask the questions down the road, because I've asked you the question,
didn't I didn't think it was appropriate today. But historically they played well,
right for a year or two a year, and then it doesn't go
anywhere. Historically Historically, that that's what that's what Arizona football has done over
the years. You know, three times really in mind that I can think
of maybe four they thought, Okay, Arizona is on an upward path,
right, and they had a great season. Eighty six was one ninety three
was one, ninety eight was one, and twenty fourteen was one, and
in all four cases he fell flat the very next year and lost all everything
that they'd gained. So let me let me ask you. We know a
couple of those were during Dick's time, and we experienced some of because we
covered so and we knew how he was because we covered the team back then.
But do you think that he because of the success, You think that,
Okay, the prettier girl's gonna like you now because you're having success.
And then he shoots for those threads. He shot for those guys, remember,
and and he didn't get him, and he came in second place a
million times exactly. So then you have to get what you get, right,
right. Was that a problem? Well? I think that's I think
that was the case in ninety eight, that they thought, Okay, we're
here, we're gonna go after that guy. In ninety four, that season
went flopped. Later, Dick, you know, just told me himself because
he didn't think that the guys were as committed in ninety four in the off
season to doing the work that they needed to do to sustain that and and
he felt that they really kind of let you know, let themselves down in
that particular one ninety eight was the year where, like you said, he
said, Okay, we're gonna try and go get you know, the five
star guys or whatever they the system was back then, and they kept finishing
in second place for those guys, and you know, the U c l
A's and the US season, the Notre Dames and all those, you know,
kept sweeping those guys up, and that's what happened. But you know,
you hope for that, right it's just if Arizona can get some pooting,
some putting and maybe maybe a jet is that guy that'll get some.
But his footing personally is questionable too, because now that you've had so much
successful people are going to be chasing well again you haven't managed so much and
you're having to manage, you know again, as they keep saying, you
got to recruit your own guy, right to make sure. And he talked
about that, and you know, he was asked about, you know,
what are you doing to make sure that you're you know, guys aren't coming
to get your guys at the same time you're going to get other other people's
guys. Here's what he had to say. Yeah, well, I would
say that the last year group was very different than than this group, you
know, And then I would say that we all learned from a year ago
and what that what the results are, and what that looks like. H
I would say if a guy usually they don't come to you. Usually they
come tell you. But I don't envision that with the team that we have.
And I have challenged all of our players, ask all the guys that
have transferred in here, what do they like about here versus what do they
like about their other places they've been, and which way where would they choose
to go if they could do it all over again, And then research all
the guys that aren't here and that have made decisions for wrong reasons. Now,
there's a lot of people that transfer because of the fact that it's the
right thing to do for that person. Hey, I don't think I can
be a starter here. I don't think I can be in the set too
deep, and I want to go play football. And if that's the case,
that's why a lot of people transfer. There's the few that everybody likes
to talk about that make decisions for financial sake, And at that case,
is that really a wise decision. I can tell you that if we're only
making decisions based on money, there'd be a lot of different scenarios that are
occurring out here. There's a lot more that has to go into it than
just money, and I think that is really the key. No, No,
he's right, and the college landscape has changed tremendously, especially since we
covered it many years ago and even in the last five ten years. I
think, Michael Luke, did you cupe the last question about everything that's going
on in the whole calendar? And all? Right, there's no right or
wrong. It's like the four that you pick. Is there a right,
right or wrong answer for this one? It all involves timing, hoping right.
And the question was about, you know, last time he was a
coach in a bowl game, he didn't have transfer portal, nil, all
the stars to deal with, and there's all these things. Plus you've got
you know, the early sign period coming up, right, and you just
talked about having to manage that calendar and change that he thinks how to be
made. Yeah, I would say this, Michael, that it's certainly unique.
It's a unique time in college football to like balance it all out like
we had our end of year banquet yesterday, and then yet you know you
have the transfer portal opening today, and then yet we have all of our
coaches out on the road at home visits. Tomorrow, I'll be in home
visit in one state, then the next day in another state, then the
next day in another state. And yet you're still trying to monitor what's happening
back here. I've got Oklahoma film on in my computer, because you know,
I don't just recruit and be mister positive. I also have to call
an offense and run the offense, and to do that, you know that
takes a lot of work. So there's been a lot of different things that
are happening the same time. There has to be a better way to regulate
the roster from the NCAA perspective, and what that means I don't know.
I mean, I've always said maybe a salary cap would be a great thing
to have so your roster isn't dealt with in a piece meal and you just
have a better idea on how to do it. Maybe it's a better way
of having an early signing period. Can maybe you can just sign it any
time as long and that commitment has to stay firm unless there's a coaching change.
Maybe there's a way to just figure out a way that you can open
the transfer portal up after bowl games, not before. So let the CFP
finish and then open up the portal, especially if I was coaching a team.
You know, if you're coaching a team like like us, there's playing
a first bowl game since twenty seventeen, and you know that's a big deal,
and the last thing you want to do is start losing players in the
portal. And you know you're asking donors and you're asking alumni to come support
the game, and then they're like, who am I supporting? So it
would be a nice thing if they said, hey, your team is your
team, and when the football season comes to an end, that is the
day of the National Championship game. That is when the season comes to an
end. At that point you can enter the portal. And if you have
to do an early signing period, then maybe you could say we're going to
use some time in December. But how fair is that to the guys that
are playing a bowl game December sixteenth. You know they're trying to prep for
a bowl game, and now you're saying, at the last second, you
got to try to also sign your players. At least we have an eight
day runway between the signing day and the bowl game. So I think a
lot has to change. It's not where it needs to be by any means.
Yeah, there's a lot there, just a lout there. Well,
you know, I'll just all this again, you know, all the stuff
they got to deal with. As he said, I've got to do.
You know, I got you know, I gotta go recruit. I gotta
go be in house, in in home so that I can get these guys
and get them signed, so I get my recruth. I gotta pay attention
to who might believe in my program and pitch attention to who I need to
go get for my program. At the same time, I gotta start figuring
out what plays we're gonna call against Oklahoma, right, you know, and
and look at it and then look at it from the Oklahoma side, right,
product of breaking new stuff. But they've had a couple of key players
jump into the portal, well, the whole landscape. The season's over.
But it's not because people are jumping ship unbelievable people. Because there's always a
bag to be found and your bag at the house, is Bobby not as
good as the bag that you're gonna get presumably presumably right? Uh, and
that's what they're hoping, right The quarterbacks, I will get to that.
We have too many circul waits for that. But I'm sure you have a
long list of people that are I mean sure I have a couple. But
yeah, the whole the whole Bull season. He brings up a good point
with the transfer portal starting today and Bull Season happening after this, with a
lot of gettings to be played, And I totally get it's fair if if
we use Kayleb Williams as an example, if he's not going to play in
his bowl game to get ready for the NFL. I understand he's not playing
in the National Championship. Sure you want him to play, but he's not
going anywhere that's not the NFL. He has more to lose than to gain.
Sure, it's it's different to be like the quarterback for Oklahoma's like I'm
not going to play for a team that I've poured my sweat and blood and
tears in for this year just because now all of a sudden, I'm going
somewhere else, Like I feel like that that's a tough thing, even as
a head coach and as a program to like come to terms with. It's
it's like Jed said that a lot does need to change, especially when it
comes to the portal well, and it's because things have changed. I'm sure
enough to move change with the changes. And here we are because there's been
a ton of changes in the last three four years. And I understand it
from a student perspective, like if you're transferring, you you want to be
able to get to your next school over quote winter break. I guess that.
I guess that makes sense. But it's also like, right, these
these kids, most of them like have their classes hand picked by whatever mentor
or whatever. So it's like that that's a that's kind of a cop out
from the n c A of like they're gonna be fine if they if it
takes them a week more to get to wherever they need to go. I'm
pretty positive, right, right, Okay, cool, the good first style,
right, good fun, We're gonna have no blood, no blood in
the studio. We're gooding. I told you I'm not fighting. Then he's
a strong safety leave for your own good I was. I was a week
Safety all right, we'll be right.