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Enjoy the podcast a look at college football news, analysis and insight from
around the Sunshine Stage. This is Florida Football Insiders, a part of the
College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast Network. And here's your host, Jason Powers.
Welcome in Florida Football Insider's podcast. We are part of the College Gridiron
Coast to Coast podcast Network. Appreciate you finding us on your favorite podcast platform.
I'm your host, Jason down in Tampa. We are in week number
ten, Halloween week here on the Florida Football Insider's podcast. What Everybody's having
had a great Halloween, safe and sound. First college football playoff rankings are
out on Halloween, so we will see what the top four brings us.
We think that one of the Florida teams, Florida State, will be in
that top four. We will see if they make that top the initial top
four rankings. So if you haven't already done so, hit that subscribe button
on your podcast platform. Appreciate again, appreciate you finding us on your favorite
podcast platform, We've got a good episode for you today. We're gonna recap
the action in the state of Florida. Last week. We were three and
three amongst the Florida teams with USF having a bye week. Had a little
overtime backing down in Miami, so back to back weeks of overtime for the
Hurricanes. Had a convincing win by the Seminoles, had a convincing loss by
the Gators. Central Florida continues to struggle in their Big twelve debut year,
and we've got a good little say. We're gonna also got a great guests
for you this week. We're gonna preview the game of the week around the
country, the LSU Alabama game. We're gonna talk to the one of the
play by play guys for the Crimson Tide Radio network, mister Chris Stewart.
Obviously, Chris is very involved with the Alabama broadcast and obviously the game of
the week this week around the country, LSU Alabama. The reason we're bringing
Chris on one is to talk to LSU Alabama. Obviously, Alabama visited the
University of South Florida early in the year. We're gonna talk about how that
game was very pivotal in the Alabama season because if you remember, Alabama wins
the game ten to three, their quarterback Jalen Milroe did not play in that
game. It's kind of a benching situation following the game before against Texas.
So we're gonna get to talk to Chris Stewart about how that game against USF
was very instrumental in the trajectory upward for the Crimson Tied as they go into
this showdown with LSU Alabama still very much alive in the SEC to make the
championship game, potentially against Georgia, who dismantled Florida over the weekend. So
we'll talk to Chris Stewart a previewing the LSU Alabama game, and again we'll
talk a little how the game against USF was very instrumental in the upward tick
for the Crimson Tide. So all right, let's let's get to the recap.
Obviously, the game of the week last week in the state of Florida
was Florida Georgia up in Jacksonville. The Gators jump out to a seven to
nothing lead early on the first drive, very good drive by Grand Merchant Company
to go up seven to nothing, and then the Dogs turn it on.
They score thirty six straight points before the final ends up being forty three to
twenty Georgia. You know, kind of the moment of the game that kind
of put the nail in the coffin probably for the Gators was mid second quarter
Billy Napier decides to go for it on fourth down. A very interesting call,
kind of a trick play kind of call that they snapped the ball between
Merch's legs to the tailback who then was anticipating to be able to throw.
Being able to throw the ball, Georgia snuffed it out, completely blew up
the play and the momentum of the game was completely all on Georgia's side.
Following that, Georgia was the better team throughout. Georgia averaged seven point four
yards of play. Again, they were gonna win the game most likely,
but just disappointing that Florida was not a little more competitive again coming off the
bye week. Ricky Pierce all ends again ends the game with six catches for
ninety nine yards. Eugene Wilson had eleven catches, but for only seventy five
yards. He did score a touchdown, He scored that first touchdown on that
opening drive. Just Florida not able to get off the field on third down.
Carson Beck through for I think over three hundred yards, a very well
balanced attack for Georgia. Georgia had nearly five hundred yards to total offense,
and just a situation where George is just at this point in the in the
process in year two billion for billion Napier, they just got more good players.
They're just better, more more in tune, more in tune with the
scheme, just and just more more more quality impact players. Again, We've
talked about it with Florida all year. Just not a lot of impact players.
I mean, Piersoll is a good player, Gene Wilson's a rising player,
but just no dynamic offensive or defensive guys that you have to that you
have to defend against and you have to scheme against. Whereas Georgia just has
a ton a boatload of four and five star players that just seem to get
better and better each week. Again, losing Bowers, we thought would be
potentially an issue, was not. In this game. Again, Carson Beck
is showing why he's a rising talent as well. Big recruit out of Jackson
to a homecoming game for him. He played very well and the Dogs get
it done forty three to twenty against Florida. If you look at Florida's schedule,
Florida drops to five and three. Florida's got a brutal four game stretch
to finish the year home Arkansas, at LSU, at Missouri, and home
Florida State very easily could lose three out of those four. You have to
win this Arkansas game on Saturday in the Swamp. Very critical game. Arkansas
is struggling big time. They've gotten rid of their offensive coordinator. But again,
if you want to go to a bowl game, you almost have to
win this game against Arkansas to try to get to six and six. Again,
you got at LSU at Missouri Florida State to end it. After the
Arkansas home so Gamors fall to five and three. Big game for them on
Saturday at the Swamp. Need to win that game against Arkansas. All right,
Let's go to Winston Salem the Florida State Seminoles. Very convincing win over
Wake Forest forty one sixteen. A very professional performance by the Seminoles. Jordan
Travis twenty two thirty five three fifty nine to three touchdown. Trey Benson four
catches, one hundred yards in a touchdown, Keon Coleman two touchdown receptions on
seven catches. Florida State defense with five sacks. Again, this is the
kind of performance you want to see for a top five team, no doubt.
Performance on the road at wake Forest, a team they've had issues with
over the last three or four years. I remember they lost last year in
Tallahassee to wake Forest. Very professional performance by Florida State on the road.
They've got back to back road games. They go to pitt next week.
Florida State moves to eight to no. And obviously they got two more games
of note, Miami in Tallahassee on November eleventh, and then they'll finish up
with Florida in Gainesville Thanksgiving weekend. So again, very solid performance. We
will see where Florida State starts out in the college football rankings, which come
out Tuesday night. We're recording this Tuesday morning, so we will see.
I fully expect Florida State to be in the top four. They might be
three, they might be four. Heck, they might be two. Because
of their win against LSU earlier in the year. The one thing that it's
becoming clearer and clearer. They will have a tough time probably getting into the
playoff if they lose a regular season game because with Clemson cratering at four and
four North Carolina faltering a little bit, there's not any big wins in that
conference that is going to really help their cause. So Florida stake probably needs
to go twelve and oh thirteen to oh to get to the College Football Playoff.
But we will see where the Seminoles start off in the College Football Playoff
rankings coming out on ESPN Tuesday night. So again a very professional performance,
and they go to pitt who got destroyed last week by Notre Dame. The
interesting thing here will be what will the weather be like up in Pittsburgh,
And obviously you're gonna get a pit team who's coming off of an embarrassing loss,
so you will probably get a pretty good effort. Some very interesting comments
between by paton Ardoozy concerning the team and then currently the team responded back to
pat Nardoozy on social media, So we'll see what that Pittsburgh effort level is
this week up in pitt and again, to me, the X factor could
be the weather. I mean, Florid State would be a heavy favorite,
But if the weather's an issue, you never know what could happen up there
at Pittsburgh. So all right, let's go to UCF. UCF falls to
West Virginia forty one to twenty eight at home. UCF falls to three and
five and oh and five in the Big twelve. Just a tough law,
a bad loss there. Not that West Virginia couldn't win the game, but
to get beat by thirteen at home. John Reeche plumbley three touchdown passes but
three costly interceptions. UCF has four turnovers on the day. RJ. Harvey
rushes for one hundred yards on fourteen carries, and again you're to five in
the Big twelve. Nobody thought they would be oh and five. Obviously,
we know the tough loss two weeks ago in Norman, the collapse against Baylor,
so they should very easily be two three at worst in the Big twelve.
You know, Kansas beat him pretty convincingly, Kansas State beat him pretty
convincingly. So struggle city here for Gus Malazon and company in Central at Central
Forwarda they go to Cincinnati on Saturday, who they've been struggling as well.
So a kind of a get the program back on track kind of game on
Saturday at Cincinnati, because this has been a rough go the last five weeks.
If you are at UCF night fan again, John reaches Plumbing. I
don't love him as a quarterback to me. He's just too much of a
runner, doesn't throw the ball really well. But we will They're gonna obviously
go with Plumb Lee here. We'll see as UCF wraps up the month of
November or October and heads of November as they head to Cincinnati on Saturday.
All right, USF had a bye week. USF will be playing. Give
me one second and I'll tell you who Seph has this week, USF we
will be playing. They're at Memphis, which will be a tough task for
them. Memphis is having a good year as well. Memphis is six and
two. They go to Memphis on Saturday, coming off the bye week.
Alex goldishan company we will see again Byron Brown has played well the last couple
of weeks. They struggle to win at Connecticut heading into the bye they very
much needed to buy after playing eight straight games. USF's four and four very
much bowl eligible possibilities. They've got two more winnable games. Let's see here.
They've got Temple at home on November eleventh, and then they will have
Charlotte at the end both home games November eleventh and twenty fifth, Charlotte and
Temple very winnable games there, and then they go to Utsa on the seventeenth.
So very much a bowl game is very much in play for South Florida,
which who would have funked that if they get to a bowl game,
that is a tremendous accomplishment for this program after where they've been the last couple
of years. So we'll see if UCF can our us F excuse me,
can can potentially beat Memphis on Saturday. But they do go to Memphis on
Saturday. Shout out to my guy TJ Reeves and his Memphis Tigers, the
director of this podcast, Feed the Coast and Coat College Grid, our Coast
to Coast podcast Feed and Florida Football Insiders podcast, to our executive director our
GM, mister T J Reeves. So all right, FIU. They lose
to Jacksonville State last Wednesday night forty one sixteen. They are off this week.
They are four and five on the year. They will go to Middle
Tennessee on November the eleventh, following the bye week. Highlight here is Chris
Mitchell five catches, one hundred and nine yards and a touchdown again Jacksonville State
coached by Rich Rodriguez, the former Michigan in West Virginia coach. They come
down and they're having a really good year. They come down in thorough beat
Mike McIntyre and the Panthers of FIU. So again off week four of the
Panthers and they will head to Middle Tennessee on the eleventh. So FAU nice
win at Charlotte win thirty eight sixteen. Tom Herman and the Owls get to
four and four. They will go play my alma mater this week at UAB
up in Birmingham. That ought to be a fairly competitive game. Trent do
first struggling in year one up at UAB. Tom Herman can doing a nice
job year one, four and four with the with the Owls. Daniel Richardson
the quarterback in nineteen to twenty six or two eighteen and three touchdowns, but
the star of the game with Lejohnte Western ten catches, one forty nine and
two scores. He will be an all conference receiver for the He is an
all conference receiver for the Owls. He will be a guy that you will
see probably make an NFL team as a kick returner as a slot receiver.
Very shifty, very good punt returner. Kind of a reminds me of a
guy a former Florida proc small college Florida product from FIU. Reminds me of
t Y Hilton a little bit so. But le Jhonte Western, we saw
what he did against South Florida. He had a big game against South Florida
here and Raymond James Stadium a couple of weeks back, and another huge game
against Charlotte with ten for one, forty nine and two scores. So again,
interesting matchup, will be a very competitive game at UAB on Saturday.
And finally Chris before we get to Chris Stewart from the Crimson Tiger Radio Network.
The Hurricanes Miami get it done in overtime against Virginia six and Miami moves
to six and two. They win twenty nine twenty six. Tyler Van Dyke
returns twenty or thirty for once only one sixty three throws two interceptions. The
you know, star of the game here is Andres Bora Gallis the kicker.
You say what, the kicker? Yeah, the kicker went three for three
on field goals, made a forty eight yarder, made a fifty yarder,
and made the forty eight yarder with a minute forty left in regulation to get
the game to overtime from Miami. In a game that again give Virginia credit.
They just come off the win at North Carolina. They come back down
to Miami and play very well. They lose a heartbreaker in overtime. Mark
Fletcher scores a game winning touchdown and overtime on a touchdown run. But again
Bora Gallas, the kicker from Miami, is the hero here. Two kicks
over forty eight yards obviously the forty eight yard or to send the game to
overtime. Miami moves to six and two in the two losses in the ACC.
They still need some help. That just goes back to show how critical
and how much of a disaster that Georgia Tech kneel down situation could potentially turn
out to be. Louisville is still in the driver's seat to get Louisville and
North Carolina stool with one loss. You know that game is such a big
loss from Miami. That Georgia Tech game probably gonna knock them out of the
ACC title title game hunt because remember they lose the tiebreakerd of North Carolina as
well, So they need Louisville and North Carolina both to lose again and Miami
obviously to run the table. Miami's still gonna have some opportunity here. They
go to Florida State in two weeks. Miami, I believe is off this
week. Give me a quick check here, let me find this. Where
is Miami this week? Miami will be playing. They're at NC State.
Excuse me, so they do not They do not have a bye week.
They are at North Carolina State, who just came off a nice win over
Clemson. So again, if you again, be another tricky game up in
Raleigh, always a tough place to play. Again. We'll see what the
weather's like. But it looks like Tyler van Dyke is back, but he
needs to play better if they're gonna have any chance to go to Tallahassee in
two weeks. They're gonna go. They got back to back road games at
NC State at Florida State. They need to to make that Florida State game
a primetime game, which ABC has picked it up. So I think if
if Miami wins the game, I think that could be the primetime game on
ABC on November the eleventh. I am working on trying to be in the
building for that game, so we will see about that. But again,
Miami goes to six and two and they will head to NC State on Saturday
night, So there's your recap again. College football playoff rankings come out on
Tuesday night, Halloween. We will see what Florida State is in the mix
here and we were going to go to Chris Stewart Alabama Crimson Tide Radio Network
preview in Alabama. LSU give you a little flavor of that game as well,
so you will enjoy that. Remember hit subscribe, rate and review.
Tell your friends, all your college football buddies from the state of Florida to
subscribe to The Florida to Our podcast. You will be able to see the
video interview of myself and Chris Stewart on my YouTube channel, the Jason Power
Sports Channel. Reach out to me on Twitter, slash x at JPUS Sports.
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things college football. So stay tuned. Chris Stewart coming up here in just
a minute on the Florida Football Insider's podcast. As we roll into the holiday
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two zero five seven nine zero one four zero four. All right, welcome
back to the podcast. Appreciate you finding us. Remember if you haven't already
done so, to hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform. Great
pleasure to talk. We got the game of the week in college football up
in Tuscaloosa Saturday night, prime time on CBS. And new man who will
be in the building in the press box part of the Crimson Tide Sports Network
one is Stuart Chris is a very talented broadcaster with the Crimson Tide Sports Network,
lead play by play guy for the basketball program, baseball program, and
does a lot of work on the football side. Well, Chris Stewart,
Welcome in, sir man, Jason. I appreciate it, really do.
Thanks for having me and and those of you that are gonna maybe see this
on video. Chris is overlooking a beautiful golf course right behind him. Got
the nice I don't know which hole it is, but it looks very nice
up there. Look, it's more fitting for me. It's It's Bitbrook golf
Course, which is a great public facility in Birmingham. You're familiar with from
from from the days you lived in Birmingham. I think it had just opened
when you were at UAV. But fittingly I have the driving range right behind
me because I need to practice team more than I need the course, So
that's a that's a fitting proximity for me. Yeah, all right, Well,
Chris does a great job as part of the broadcast. I want to
talk. We're obviously gonna preview the game here before before you get to that.
For all football, why is this rivalry? I mean people think album
LSU the last seven or eight years been good, but this rivalry has been
a big robin for twenty twenty five years. I remember John Alexander ran for
like two hundred and seventy five yards in Baton Rouge one Saturday night. Why
does this robbery such a classic rivalry in the SEC? Well, both of
them have been really good, and both of them have been so dominant in
the West, And you're right, it does. It really all goes back
and there are those that again I'm trying to make myself sound younger than I
am, because I remember Coach Bryant and Charlie Mack squaring off and how good
those teams were, and you know, even before those you know days.
They it goes back a long long time, but most notably with television,
and it all comes back. Really it ties to Nick Saban, now,
not just his tie to Tuscaloosa, but he changed things in back group.
LASHU was getting popped on a regular basis until he took over, and of
course wins the title there, and it was it was kind of interesting.
You may remember the two years that Dennis Franchoni was at the University of Alabama.
He was he was approaching some huge popularity himself, even beat Saban into
US or in bat rouge. And there was a famous deal where supposedly Saban
had made comments about Alabama and where they were headed with the NCAA, because
you know, friend was there at that time, and I don't know if
there's any truth to it or not, but it was played up by a
friend and the BAMO side that Saban had made some pretty derogatory statements. Bama
pops them pretty bad. It's like thirty to seven a surprise, especially in
that time. And afterwards there's a famous picture of Friend shaking hands and pointing
his finger at coach Saban. Now we've all joked if we'd known then what
we know now, we wish sab It had clocked him, but it was
at the time, I mean, it put free. I remember the stroudosphere
in popularity, and there were some good games after that. But then of
course when Nick comes to Tuscaloosen becomes the guy. LSU understandably was upset.
Hated it, but they've gone back and forth and it's been special on the
field, but there's been some intense stuff off the field as well. And
the great point you make is both teams have been really really good the last
twelve thirteen years with a different coach. You know. Oo, the LSU
has had a couple different coaches, but they've won a national championship with less
Miles and ed Orgeron during that period, during this whole run as well.
So yeah, me to me, outside of I mean, I think that
this may be the pre eminent big time matchup rivalry in the SEC because Al'tama
Georgia doesn't get to play enough, unfortunately to be able to see that as
often. So to me, this has probably been the premier rivalry matchup of
heavyweight teams in the last fifteen years. Yeah, and look, you can
call it taking a shot if you want to, but I stand by the
statement. It proves what LSU can be, right, Okay, it proves
what LSU can be because Alabama has won its its national Now, I will
say from the Bama perspective, going back to the arrival of Bear Bryant as
the head coach in Tuscaloosa, every coach, every coach has had at least
one ten win season. Every coach, Mike Shula, my Devots, Franchoni,
everybody has won had at least one ten win season. Yeah, yeah,
absolutely, they all had at least one ten win season at LSU.
Though, while Alabama's won national championships with Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings, and
Nick Saban. Okay, so that's a grand total of thirteen between those two
guys. Those three guys, excuse me, Sallie's won one. Bryant with
six, h Saban with six. Those are those are pretty good coaches.
LSU's one three, yes, with Saban, but they even won them with
less Miles and at Orgeron not exactly Hall of famers, No, Bryan,
not exactly Hall of famers. Okay, uh, in those rings shine just
as bright as the others. I get that. But nobody's gonna nobody's gonna
go Bear Bryant at Orgeron when they're talking great coaches or even less Miles.
Right, So there's I think both have a lot to be proud of in
what they've accomplished. But LSU in the last twenty years to win it with
well, I guess those twenty years now, to win it with three different
coaches, two of which really we're not exactly Stellar's right, that's a lot.
Yeah, all right, I'm gonna ask before we get to the game.
I want to ask you a question that just popped up in my head
and something that just broke yesterday. And you have a very good sense of
this too, being where you where you're located in your interactions with coach Saban
over the years, the whole Dabbo Sweeney coaches quote, the question you saw
about the coaches, and I'm not gonna ask you about coach Saban, but
just that thought process of just the expectations versus what Dabo talk about appreciation,
how difficult fans can sometimes get those confused and just enjoy being how great your
program is, whether it's Clemson, Alabama, whatever, your favorite program that's
been dominant over the years. How much do we sometimes lose as fans.
We're so into it every single day, the appreciation of, man, we
got a great college football program or a team that we root for. Yeah.
Look, Dabo's a guy that we're the same age. We have some
we have some the same friends from his high school days. He wham,
Yes he did at Pelham and uh uh, you know we have. I'm
not going to sit here and pretend that we're type, but we have some
close connections that I have. I have tremendous respect for him and for what
he's done. He is, however, a guy who who most of his
influence. If there's one guy that influenced the influenced him the most in coaching,
and I may be wrong, he may disagree, but it seems to
be that it was Gene Stallings, who he played for and coached for.
But he also could be a little combative. Okay, and I'm not saying
that what the things that coach Stallings would say were wrong. I'm not saying
the things that Dabo said we're inaccurate, but there are sometimes that you may
be better served in not saying right. And those are two guys that ain't
afraid to fight. You know, good men, but they're not afraid to
fight, and they like they've been challenged. They're gonna fight back, which
is among their strengths, but it can also put them in a put them
in a position like the one he's in now, where uh, it may
not be the best look. But I'll say this Debo's far more about substance
than style. And there's not a better character guy from everything that I know
than him. So he's not afraid to take on that fight. But in
the in the pr battle and the world we live in today, didn't exactly
make it the easiest on himself in that regard. Sure, And you know
this, a team like Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, they lose one
game at the fan base think the sky's falling that. I mean, let's
just forget losing a game. Jason. I used to get when I did
the sidelines, get text from my wife, what's wrong with us? I
said, baby, we're up ten to nothing. Yeah, but we should
have scored a touchdown on that last drive. So honey, honey, you
know there's still like eight minutes to go in the first quarter, right,
Yeah, but we still should have I mean, that's she embodies the Alabama
fan base. I live with it. I don't have to you know,
I don't have to go and see it on the chat rooms. I got
it in my ear. Yeah, so I understand what that's that's like.
But that doesn't mean they're That doesn't mean they're always right. They're incredibly passionate.
Yeah, that doesn't mean they're always right. All right, let's get
to the game Saturday night. Obviously, you got LSU coming into six six
and two Alabama seven and one. LS you seem to has righted the ship
a little bit. Obviously offensively, we know they are very talented. Jaden
Daniels talk about the matchup between that LSU offense. You got a mobile quarterback,
a guy who's been in the second year versus Abama defense has been really
good throughout the really has any ups and downs. They've been above average to
grate all year long. Yeah, and I think one of the keys is
making sure you play your assignments. And I know that's you can say that
anytime, but especially when you've got a guy like Daniels and how good he
is and in the way he heard Alabama last year, I think Mama is
better in the secondary this year. I think they're they're able to defend the
you know, the back half a lot better than they could the back from
the backside a lot better. I think they're really starting to play well.
Uh, and they need to. The bigger thing is the offense right now
and being able if God forbid it becomes a shootout, do you have enough
bullets in the in the barrel to get it done in the chamber? And
so you tell how much I shoot? Don't even know how to make the
reference, right, but Uh, anyway, it's a it's a team that
does I think, seem to have a lot more going its way offensively.
But the defense is is what they're going to lean on, you know,
in a big way. And you know, I don't think enough gets said
about this, but Alabama's special teams are really good in terms of the kickers.
Yeah, kool aid, McKinstry has got to be more consistent and uh,
you know, he's had a couple of muffs that have resulted in short
fields and opportunities for the other side. And he's better than that. He
can be a true weapon in the return game. But I think he's got
to get his confidence back to make sure that's a positive and not a negative.
But man, in terms of Riker and uh Riker and the and the
punter as good as you'll find anywhere, really really good. And they've got
to continue to be that because this could be a I know Vegas is saying
it, but it could be a game, and and and what you do
with your your punt game as well as your your placekicker will be huge in
that regard. And Ryker just became the all time leading scorer in the SEC,
which is one hundred years of that conference hover long. I mean,
that's a hell of an accomplishment a kid who's from Birmingham or himself too.
So all right, let's talk about Jay. Let's talk about Jalen Milroe a
little bit. You know, up and down year. He started off.
You know, he struggled in the Texas game. Obviously they lost the Texas
game. To me, the key to his season, maybe his career was
what happened to him the next week down here in Tampa. You were here.
He didn't play it down Yeah, he didn't play He didn't pout about
it. It sounds like from all indications, he just stuck his head down
went back to work. You know, we saw what happened in the Alabama
game in USF They struggled, but they won. And then after that game
coach Saban went back and said, Milroe's our guy moving forward. How do
you think that little week of inactivity for Milroe helped him and basically has maybe
jump started their season. Yeah, it's how we managed it. That was
so big Jason, because I you know, coach said it flat out.
He didn't take the initial benching very well. Uh, he did just a
little bit, which is not his personality. He's a great kid, he's
a great teammate. But we all have our moments of weakness, and he
had one. Nothing. I don't think it was anything bad, anything major,
but it was enough in a time of uncertainty that it allowed the other
two guys to get an opportunity. And thankfully for him, they weren't very
good. Thankful for Alabama, they were still good enough to get it done
against USF and to grow and get better. And they have, They've improved.
This is a kid that the locker room really likes. It's very reminiscent
thus far. Now we're a long way from the finish line on this,
so please don't think I'm jumping the gun. But I said it before it
ever happened, that he ever got back in that it had the potential to
be similar. I think to twenty fourteen when Jake Coker was the starter,
didn't look great, lost the job for a week or two, and then
got it back and became the real heart and soul. He made some key
passes, but he just was a tough guy that the locker room loved.
Now, Jalen's a much different type of athlete, and frankly, this team
needs him more than twenty fourteen needed Jake Kocher to be electric. He managed
all of that well and did make some big plays at big times, but
the main thing was he didn't hurt you and got you in the right spot
and got it to real playmakers. Alabama's got some playmakers, but Jalen may
be the best athlete on that team, and so for him to play with
confidence and to play at the level he's capable of will go a long way
towards determining just how good this team could be by seasons in regardless of what
that looks like, ring or no ring. And this Saturday night again you're
playing Lsu. He's really shown the propensity to be able to throw the deep
ball really well. Lsu has struggled in the secondary this year so this year
so far, So that's part of the game. To really look for the
play action or the broken play kind of situation where he's scrambling and then hits
it over the top kind of play. So something to be really key here.
Two more things I get you out here. Another key matchup in this
game is not on the field, it's in the coaching box. Tommy Reese
and Brian Kelly. How much they know each other. See Reese used to
be the OC for Brian Kelly at Notre Dame. Tell to me how you
think that matchup is. Obviously they both had a bye week. You think
there will be some wrinkles formationally from Tommy Reese to you know, obviously Brian
Kelly knows how Reese thinks offensively to some degree. How do you think that
little matchup is going to play out. I think there is some validity to
that. I will say this, the athletes that both of them are working
with are so much better collectively in the athletes that they had to work with
when they were on the same sideline. Right, So, I think,
you know, yeah, I know what you'd like to do, and but
how do you do it with with with these RPMs. You know, when
it's when it's revved up? What what do you like to do? Now?
And look Saban's real clear to point out too, and I've been accurately
so when a new coordinator comes in offense or defense, they're running what we
want run. They're running our system. They're not you know, there are
some some wrinkles that they may bring, but but you're you're running our system,
and I think, you know, I think that helps keep it a
little bit. You know, it's not like you you automatically know what the
other guy is gonna do. Uh he Look, man, scouting is so
advanced right now, I don't know how much you know. There's there's one
thousand analysts on both sides. You've got it broken down a million ways to
Sunday or since it's not the NFL College Million ways to Saturday or Thursday night
if you got the SEC or the ESPN package. So what do you what
you do? I don't think is a big secret anymore. Who just does
it better? And hopefully Alabama's going to be able to do it better than
the Tigers at Bryan Dinning on Saturday at six forty five. And it will
be interesting to see how if there's any trickery in this game. Obviously last
year we all remember Brian Kelly went for two at the end to win the
game they made it. Will there be a whether it's a fake punt,
you know, trick play, two point conversion kind of Well, there's always
a little twist and turn in this game. And with so much on the
line, because this is basically probably this is an elimination game, most likely
because obviously because they'll have the head to head over Alabama at this point,
but obviously if Alabama, Windellows will be out so tons to play for Tell
the fans that if they're not watching on TV, work and they listen to
the Alabama broadcasts, you know, I will say out of state, especially,
the easiest way to do is to go to the varsity app. It's
a free app. Lear Field, it's all of their properties and their schools
through that Varsity app, and it's a free download. You can go to
the Alabama Football phage or go to Crimson Tide Sports Network as you search within
that app, and everything that we do on the network is available. There
also Rolltide dot com, the official website of Alabama Athletics. But that Varsity
app is great because you grab your phone, You've got your radio with you
wherever you go, and I'm sure things are that way with you for your
platform as well. It's amazing how we're able to do it. You and
I in the old days doing an interview like this we had against satellite trucks
and things like that, and here we are with a Wi Fi connection and
uh looking over the driving and you got the same thing and your your studio.
It makes it a lot of fun for what we do, that's for
sure, no doubt. Well, before I get chat, I gotta get
to get get to get Chris does the is the play by play guy for
the Crimson Tize basketball program as well, and they're getting ready to tip off
here in another week or so. Talk about the I was just looking at
the schedule. You got a pretty pretty good, uh, non conference schedule
this next five weeks or so at Ohio State hosting Purdue, Creighton, Arizona.
Tell me give me a couple of nuggets about the basketball program at coach
Oates. Yeah, well, I will say the Ohio State deal if I'm
not mistaken, that one's actually gonna be in DestinE. It's a tournament down
there, So uh, I've forgotten because I'm not gonna be able to do
that game. I've got the iron bowlt following day, but I'm going to
go and do that. Uh that Friday game Alabama and Ohio State, which
will be fun down and down that part of Florida. But it's a great
schedule. Nate does it on purpose because he wants his team challenged, and
ready they were. They played a challenging schedule incredibly well, good enough to
be the number one seed in the tournament for the first time in school history.
Had the tough game against what turned out to be a great San Diego
State team and lost a close one. But this year, with a roster
that has I think four guys back maybe from last year total, has rebuilt
it in the portal and had already done so in in recruiting the freshman and
juco players they'd signed, we're going to be in pretty good spot. But
really was able to make them a legit top twenty team with what they did
in the transfer portal. And the guy's amazing. Had he lost all three
assistants that had been with him all pre this four years in Tuscaloosa. He
lost those guys to Division one head coaching jobs. He joked, He goes,
man, I'm walking around the office, is there anybody in there?
I had to hire a staff, just have somebody to talk to, And
in the midst of hiring a staff, hired or found all those players in
the portal and finished off recruiting. So for them to be in that conversation
speaks to what he's done to SEC titles in the regular season and tournament crowns
in the last three years, but also the job that he's done. Not
resting on the Laurels. There are a preseason number five pick in the SEC,
but the last two times they've been the preseason number five pick, they
won the league championship. So we'll hope that's a good open again. And
the other part of this equation that people undervalue is the difficulty that Nick Natoates
and that program has to you know, when you're when you're looking across the
hall and you got the legend next door down the hall having to live up
to that, and he's done an unbelievable job being right there with those guys,
Jason, the toughest thing Alabama basketball deals with is that they're in the
same conference with Kentucky and on the same campus as Alabama football. Yeah,
because Alabama basketball in terms of total all time SEC wins is second only to
Kentucky. Now, look, Kentucky's a different category. It's so far ahead
of everybody that you know, you're foolish and embarrassing yourself if you don't make
that caveat. But the reality is when you look at everybody else, Bama
doesn't have a Final four on their resume. And with that, obviously they
don't have a national championship. But just in terms of SEC wins, historically,
Alabama's got a great reputation. But to your point, it's not new
with nat Oates being there with Nick Saban see them. Newton won three consecutive
SEC titles for the first time in Alabama basketball history in the mid seventies,
but it was only SEC titles while Bear Bryant was in the midst of winning.
Uh you know, I think his third and fourth about to be fifth
and sixth national championships, bookending what happened with those three straight only hec basketball
titles for C. M. Newton in the time. No, that's a
great point and again he uh he and Nato. It's embraces that he loves
it. I think his personalities is the type where he wants he wants all
the smoke if he can get in and he's done a great job building that
program and that that is a national They're no longer just a regional basketball for
whom they are a national program. He's got a great attitude about it.
He embraces he loves college football for one thing. He embraces what he's able
to do because of the visibility of Nick Saban's football program. He've had a
great statement that's been kind of a catchphrase all over campus throughout the athletic department.
While we got to just be a football school, why can't we just
be a championship school? And that's truly what they've become. When you look
at What's happening any other sports under Greg byrn as the athletic director, well,
Chris dow would enjoy the game on Saturday night. You will do a
great job. Enjoy the hoops. You're gonna be calling allow three pointers.
I know that a lot of threes from getting fired from Nadoes and the boys
down there, So enjoy the basketball season as well. We'll check in as
we get towards March. I appreciate the time, my fasts. Appreciate you,
buddy, Thanks so much, have a great call. Bye bye,
Thank you. Thanks for listening to the Florida Football Insiders Podcast as part of
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