It's the great Will Vandervort from the Clemson insider who stands on his own merits
a big Steeler fan, of course, Will welcome to the show. Happy
New Year, my friend. Happy New Year to you guys. How y'all
doing. We're doing good, man. We got to tee it off first
with some a little bit of basketball. Look, it's been a fascinating start
to the season for Clemson. Of course, we've got a big game tomorrow
Florida State Georgia Tech. That's disappointing, and obviously they've had some stumbles along
the way. You know, Rich and I were talking about this on the
last tip Off show that this team is hard to sort of put your finger
on, other than maybe the injuries and all that's going on now in terms
of some players they are getting back. I thought they'd beat the pants off
of Georgia Tech. I thought it was kind of a no brainer. They'd
been a little bit embarrassed at times, and they feel like they're better than
they should be, and their record doesn't indicate what they are. Is it
too early if you're a kind of level headed fan to panic about this team,
because they're very talented, and what do you say to those who say
time to fire Brunell again, Well, first of all, hold off on
the firing thing. You don't fire somebody off of a five games stretch.
I mean that's first off, second of off. You know, I don't
think you panic. I don't think you pushed the panic button. But I'll
tell you this much, this game against Florida State is as much win a
must win game as they've had all year. This is a game they have
to go win because you look at who's next, and they got to go
to Cameron next Saturday and try to be the duke team who I think is
starting to hit it stride, and that's not good. That's not good for
Clemson. So they need to win this game and then tried. Then they
get back on they get back on their home turf in a couple of weeks,
you know, with Louisville and Virginia coming, and that's just kind of
an opportunity to get right. So this game is big in a sense.
You don't want to fall in a two and seven hole in your car,
two and six hole in your conference, and and so that's why they need
to win this game to where they're not going into next week's game, saying
that's a must win at Duke. You don't want to ever go into Duke
with the must win, right, You just don't want to. And yeah,
exactly, So they really need to win this game to marrogus Florida State.
No, by the way, that's not going to be easy because Florida
State is probably playing its best basketball the season right now. They've won five
of their first six conference games and are really playing with a lot of confidence.
And you'd have told me at the beginning of the year, when Florida
State was sitting there five and five that they would be in contention for an
ACC championship the first, you know, three weeks into the conference season,
I would have laughed at you. But here they are. They're much improved,
they're playing a lot better. And let's be honest, Clemson generally doesn't
play well when they go down there. That won there last year, so
that's good. They know they can go there and win, but it's generally
a place they do not play well at. And so tomorrow is a huge
game for Clemson. And then, really, I'm gonna be honest with you,
guys, it's time for Joe Girard and for Kate under to step up.
Those guys have not this five game stretch here where Clinton's one and four,
those are the two guys that have been inconsistent, and Clinton needs those
guys to start playing better on a consistent level. So Clemson can you know,
because I think when those two guys play well, they're eleven and one.
Oh certainly no two guys. When those two guys don't, they're one
and four. So you know, it's pretty easy mass they need those two
guys to start playing well. It's you know, it's a lot like the
basics in football. We'll talk about the NFL playoffs here surely, but you
know your your team of choice for years. When you miss a guy like
TJ. Watt, you see the record without him. I mean that's you
need your big stars to perform in big moments. And not to generalize too
much, but Clemson, it is a tough road ahead. But I think
the talent level with PJ. Hall obviously have one of the best players in
the country right there. I think the coaching has been good, but I
understand you want to win. You want to win all your games. Everybody
does. We're gonna see what happens down the stretch here, and I think
Will, what comes down to is, you know, in these conference games
you mentioned at home especially, you can't be losing the teams you should be
favored over, not at this point. And if that continues, obviously the
heat turns up, and if you miss another opportunity to go to the big
dance after what happened last year, you just you can't find yourself in that
whole. We're gonna see what happens. Let's shift our focus to the world
of college football. You and I haven't spoken since well, the first wave
of all hell broke loose, I think a week and a half ago.
When I think, you know, it's like seeing the Beatles all split up.
They all retired, all of them. It's Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick
and then of course Nick Saban. Will you've covered college football for a long
time. Did you have an inkling that Saban was going to retire? I
did? They just seem like, you know, you started hearing the rumors
coming out of Tuscaloosa around the SEC championship game. Actually before that, we
started hearing some rumblings around it was about an Auburn game to be honest with
you, and so you started here that there's a chance he was thinking about
it or it might happen. And then it kind of went quiet there for
a little while. And then you know, I kind of said, like,
after they lost that game to Alabama, excuse me, to Michigan in
the in the in the collegetball playoff game, I kind of, you know,
thought to myself that he's gonna do it. He's gonna do it after
the national championship game, because that's who Nick Saban is. He's not gonna
want the attention to be on him and knock the game itself. And so
no surprise that he waited till that. I believe that Wednesday when he announced
he was going to retire, and you know, you know it was I
know it surprised some people. I don't think. I don't think it's surprised
the people in Alabama. I think they do. I think that's how I
feel. And you know, I do you want to say this. I
caught him on McAfee a couple of times, and you know, think what
you will about McAfee. I really don't care, other than just to hear
a few insights from the guests and Saban. He would comment a lot about
how special this team was in a sentimental type of way, and that to
me, I don't think that's an ultimate tell. But he was a little
more reflective I thought this year. So all the best to him. Obviously,
Coach Sweeney down there, Dabo is gonna stay put. I think that
makes sense for him. I don't know Coach Sweeney as well as you do,
and I don't think many people really work in his inner circle well enough
to know what a man truly thinks in his heart. But obviously he's an
Alabam man to begin with. He's talking about being a Clemson man. Now,
if that's the opportunity to get always wanted and it turned itself up and
you're still in your prime and you turn it down, maybe he truly wants
to be here. Maybe all the talk about well he's gonna bold any minute,
maybe that's not true. Fascinating times and in a couple of new coaches
on that staff, just your assessment of Coach Sweeney in his you know,
commitment to this operation down there, because look, when he got there at
eight as the head coach, there was not quite the infrastructure there is now
he's a large part of that. Yeah, you wonder how you know.
I do know that Dabo spoke with Alabama. I do know that it was
in a situation where Alabama offered him, where he offered. He told Alabama
he wanted to be there. I think it was more of a feeling out
conversation from both parties, and you know, whatever happened in that conversation,
I don't think anybody will truly know other than the fact that you know,
both parties decided when when they talked that that was kind of going to be
it. It wasn't go any further than the level of Jim Harball going to
meet with the will family for the Vikings job and then getting a welcome party
back for never leaving, right, So it was a yeah, So it
was a you know, I think a mutual kind of thing between both parties.
I don't think, I like said, I don't think Alabama Dabo turned
Alabama down. I don't think Alabama turned Davo down. You know. So
so I do think coach Sweeney, because of who he is, and I
do know that one of his dream jobs is Alabama. That was that was
like the thing for him and I know he said he's a Clumpson man now,
but listen, Devo, Alabama is always gonna be special. In Davos
sweety part, I mean he grew up an Alabama fan. He grew up
a fan human, grew up a fan of Paul bear Bryant. He used
to wear he said he were an Alabama T shirt and school every day when
he's a kid. I mean, this guy he said, I'm gonna go
play for Alabama, and he went and did it, and then he beat
him and the playoffs beat him twice in the playoffs. How meaningful was that
to him too? I mean that that's that's the ultimate compliment, that the
homage to your your your your place of of of football worship if you was
as a child man, I went against the old program that bear Bryant used
to run, and I played for Gene Stallings and I beat this team with
this great coach twice. It's a fascinating story and and it leads me to
my next question that you know, with this expansion of the playoff the twelve
teams, you know, the Clemson obviously becomes a more viable player right off
the bat, because you know they're going to recruit, well, you know,
the NAWA dynamic and the payments and all that goes into football. Now
in the college world, they'll get with the times as much as they feel
like they can. Your early assessment on what their class looks like coming in
here, because they've got some faces coming back, you're missing a few guys.
I know it's early to tell. The season just ended, but is
there still some positive trajectory? Are the feelings good from the closest people around
the program that cover it and the boosters and those that support it, or
are there's still concerns that coach Sweeney when there were four and four this year
that I don't know, man, I think that winning streak was great.
What was your thought on the carryover? Will it indeed carry over? Do
they still got to do some things to get things better? Well? Yeah,
That's what I was saying, was like, how motivated is Debo?
Did him not getting off for Alabama job? Does that motivate him? Do
we see Dabo, you know, become or as hungry as he was when
they won those national championships and were playing for it those four years. I'm
not saying Dabo lost his drive or motivation or anything. I'm saying, maybe
this motivates him more, right, so maybe this motivates them more. We'll
see. And with that said, I think, you know, yeah,
they had a good recruiting class. Uh. They they feel good about the
guys they brought in and the guys that have signed, and and you know
that feel good about what they got coming back. When you know, when
you get a Barrett carter back, that's huge on your defense and it's huge
for your leadership on the team. You know, you get a guy like
Jake Breenstall who stay committed and he's going to be back next year at tight
end and probably their biggest play. I think Jake could end up being and
I don't want to use this as sacrile as Georgia fans, but he can
enter the same type of conversation that brock Bauers was in at one point because
he's that athletic. He's going to have more experience under his belt. You
hope do offense is better systematically, because he really did play well on the
stretch last year, and he played even better at times the year before.
And film Afa too, I mean, his story was amazing that the contributions
he made down that stretch wherever he ends up in the future at long term
film, MafA has got to be personally one of your favorites covering that team
close range because he's physical, he's tough. Minds me of Stephen Davis away
runs and my god, he is humble. He's just a good dude.
Yeah, yeah, he is. And I think, you know, I
think, you know, Coach has got a chance there with him if he
stays healthy to really have a strong running game. It's gonna be interesting to
see who falls in at number two. Spring will tell us that yep,
they got they get. They recruited well at the running back position the last
couple of years, so they feel good there. Wide receiver, you know,
you know, you know, we saw the kid, you know at
the All American Game, what he did and what he can be. You
know, did I say that? I was like, you know, I
always ask Clympton fans this, you know, they talk about Sammy Walkins and
Nuk Hopkins and them, and I always say, well, let me ask
you this question. How many Sammy Watkins have come to Clemson in the last
fifteen years? And that answer is only one, Mammy Watkins. So you
can't count on it until you actually see. And that's that's what That's kind
of what my point is. They're like, they're still freshmen. I don't
know what they're gonna be. You know, uh, maybe maybe he come
in and be somebody. What I do know what they got coming back?
You know, you got a guy and and Tyler Brown, who I think
is gonna be He's gonna get even better Antonio Williams. I think now coming
off the injury season. He showed out in the in the Gator Bowl.
So getting him back because I'm gonna tell you old miss was very close to
grabbing him, very close to grabbing him. Yeah, yeah, you know.
So so you know, getting him back is a big deal for Clemson.
And and we'll see, you know, And I'm gonna tell you the
guy, I think he's gonna be a standout as Troy Troy. Late in
the year, he became a very consistent receiver. And if they get him
to be even more consistent next year, he's going to be a big time
playmaker for them. And he's got the best hands on the team. And
you know, we'll see if he's how much better he gets. And then
by the way, that guy is super fast too, so they can get
him out of face. He's going to be a playmaker. He's He's even
not quite as fast as his uncle Seawan, who represents Tommy Cutlets. But
I'll leave that aside here. I think I think Troy will do quite well.
And what a hell of an end of the year. That was one
of the most crazy UH Bowl games I've ever watched. And it just goes
to show you those who don't like the Bowl games, Look, they do
mean something to a lot of people, maybe not to everybody, and even
those who opt out, they're doing it for a reason. Probably Entuy did
it. Sure? Did you see a few teams out there laying in the
egg And maybe they don't have their their top guns, but it's good for
the sport. And and I stuck the pop tart thing? Oh my tree,
did you see the pop tart? The top tart with the top stuff
music played in the background and the coach, the coach, what what team
won? Will we're rhyme me? Was that Kansas State? Who's the winning
coach of the pop tart ball? And he had to eat that thing?
And I could tell you that Neil Brown didn't want that male bath. He
he looked like, you know, Maryland's coach loved it. Beam Er.
Neil Brown's like, can he get this off me? He just we all
got it. We got we gotta talk NFL real quick with you. The
Steelers obviously that's your team, it's Trey's team. He's driving me nuts about
this team every day. He wants to, uh, you know, hire
I guess every offensive coordinator in the sun. And rightfully so, just if
you give us a few minutes of your time on the state of the Steelers,
because you've followed this team, You've you've reported on football for so long.
I mean Tomlin obviously is deciding to stay and there's changes to be made.
I think that the staff, what's the status with that? And with
the quarterback. I personally, I think you got to get a new quarterback.
I can project it. I can see it now. It sounds like
Mason Rudolph is gonna be They're gonna work out a deal with Rudolph because it
sounds like from what Tomlin said that Kenny Pickett is gonna be in competition next
year for the job. And Mason Rudolph put out an Instagram story today where
it sounded like he was coming back. So there. Here's the thing for
the Steelers with Mason Rudolph. They have a couple of months here before free
agency begins to work out a deal before it even starts. So they're gonna
do everything they can, excuse me, to keep him. And so we
have that said. I think the Steelers are draft a quarterback, but I
think it's gonna be maybe fourth round or lower rounds. Those guys in to
compete. They're gonna move away from Trubisky. Uh, definitely gonna do that.
And and they'll they'll go get somebody in the draft to be the number
three quarterback and then they're gonna put it. They're gonna put competition in play
with Kenny Pickett, made and Rudolph and guys, I'll tell you what,
Mason Rudolph won me over even in the playoff exception of the ones that one
passed. And you know, he he's throwing the ball down the field,
and you know, Deontay Johnson, he told everybody what he thinks he did.
He wants Basan Rudolph to be his quarterback. You know it is,
well, you got a quarterback and a little bit of Bryce Young going on
here in Carolina with the same kind of thing. When Andy Dalton stepped in
in short order. It was this one game. But you have a six
foot three guy now that can sort of fire the ball around and seize the
field better. Picketts still learning how to operate in that world. We know
the hand sized thing isn't a huge deal. But man, with the weather
cuts in that Pittsburgh win, guys down to Mobile telling me that the senior
ball it wasn't pretty in that bad weather day. So it's the complete thing
with this. The chemistry element of the Steelers is interesting because these two receivers
that they tend to be a bit of malcontents, especially Pickens. I love
the way he plays, but they're wide receivers. Man, I think their
frustrations are warranted. That's where I'm getting that. I think they've got to
get instability at quarterback because he's guys, that's this is funny. I just
relieve you with this. That game the end of the year, and I
love Dan Orlovsky to a point, but when his analysis starts stinking, I'm
screaming the TV. Now, you know, at the end of that game,
they had to win, right so they need to get up by two
possessions. All they needed is a field goal. Is screaming the booth.
Pickens has had no targets right now, I'm taking a shot. I'm taking
a shot, and I'm like, run the clock out and kick a field
goal. Dan, I think the producers got in his ear final and you
said, Dan, O, they get a field goal, the game's over.
But Pickens needs a guy like Rudolph. I guess that's their next option
to do the thing they gotta do, which is somewhat what looked like Ben
Roethlisberger for a minute. Piket Ain't it man, He's just not who you
got, just real quick, who you got advancing here? I know it's
tough, but do you have a super Bowl I got? I gotta say
this, okay, Mason rus not Ben Roethlisberger, say that we'll keep that
in a different realm. I tell you you're the worst. You come in
our stadium every three years and you beat the living pulp out of us,
and I say, one thing like that will go ahead and then but as
far as the other games go, I mean, I think Buffalo can will
beat the Chiefs. This will this will be an interesting game. Pastor Mahomes
first playoff game, that's crazy. Yeah, and then I like, I
like, I like the Packers to upset the forty. I think that's I
think that's gonna happen because I just think this Jordan love kid man, he's
the real deal too, you know. And and I think they just put
a lot of pressure on defenses. Now San Francisco will be the best defense
they've seen, obviously, but man, they just put so much pressure on
the other team to score. And I'm not I'm still not a brock pretty
fan. I watched them play Clemson in the UH in the in the chie
Itt ball better him that night. I'm telling you, you know, you
throw a complicated defense at him. He struggles. And yeah, it's not
that it's very easy with the San Francisco team, and the good buddy of
var Neil the calls in. He's a big forty nine Ers fan. Tried
to push back on this, but overall the writing sentiment is most teams are
like this, but especially San fran for as good as they are, they
don't have the ability really to change what they are if they get down in
a game. And you see this time and time, and you saw it
in Baltimore. They're always leading games Baltimore exactly. You saw that against Baltimore
where they even at home, Baltimore did some things, they confused him and
they end up getting behind and that game was over. And so I can
back, can put a lot of pressure on their offense and we'll see what
happens there. Yeah. And then on the other side, I like I
like the Ravens. I think they're just too good on offense and defense.
I think, as much as I hate to say this, I think it's
their year and you know, I like them to win. And then in
the other game, trying to help me out here, I don't one everybody
forgot. It's the anti game, that the orphan game. It's the Rams
in the Lions and the Buccaneers of the line. Goodness, I'm sorry,
give me, give me Detroit to win that game. I think they win
it handedly. I'm kind of with you there. But this I told Trey
the same things I'll tell you. If all four underdogs win this week,
and this is not a betting show, I'm just saying undogs in general,
it would not shock me a bit. It would not shock me one bit.
If all four road teams won this week. But well, CJ.
Stroud is Dan Marino. I mean, this guy's he's him two point zero
Dan Marino. He is. His release is unbelievable. And I know people
are like, well, he's more athletic than dam MARINEO, and he is,
but he's he loves to sit in the pocket to the football and he's
got such a quick relief. Listen, I remember TJ. Watt earlier this
year saying after that game that he's never seen anybody that could throw the balls
fast as that kid throws it. And that's praise coming from t J.
Watt. Here's the real, here's the reality. If they beat Baltimore,
if they be will if they beat Baltimore, which to me is clearly right
now the only complete dominant team left in that AFC right now, maybe that
changes they went. If they're three wins away from putting something on CJ.
Stroud's finger that Dan Marino has never had a damn ring in year one,
and that's amazing in the in a rookie season. I can't believe more people
aren't talking about it. It's like an MVP candidate type of season. Yeah,
honestly, that kid's unbelievable. He's uh, he's gonna be a star
league and so so short Love. I'm telling you, man, after the
Dealers game, Jordan Love just is a different player. And I'm glad we
didn't play that Jordan Love when he came to Pittsburgh a few months ago.
We would have lost that game. We played that Jordan Love. That was
Bryce's best game all year, and I think it raised his game up a
little bit and I'm hoping for Panthers fans that it continues. But man,
they got a long road thanks to the former minority share owner of your team,
the Steelers. They got a lot of work to do. But hopefully
you can in some of that good uh that gins are luck down our way
and give us a few of those winning seasons you've had. Will you always
win? At the Clemson Insider, my friend, and we'll be catching up
with you soon, my friend. Good to talk to you, all right,
Nice talking to you guys. We'll talk to you later.