Speaker 1: It's time to celebrate the previous team sport known to man,
where modern day gladiators collide for all the glory on
the Gridi. Let's talk some college football on Cougar Sports
with Ben Cridle.
Speaker 2: Welcome back Cougar Sports. One of three nine ninety eight
point three esp of the Fan. I'm met Pritle broadcasting
from our Banterwellth Studios, Banterwealth dot Com. Get on that
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Nobody does it better than vand or Wealth. It is
time for Little Colle Football segment getting into all the
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to the hotline. Welcome and the CEOs that establishment. We
got brain day on the line, braid and how that
are you, buddy? Doing awesome, doing fantastic? Uh look, uh,
we haven't chatted since the National championship game, and what
a glorious one it was. Look. One of the conversations
that I've been having with the individuals that think college
football has been ruined, it's the it's it's just in chaos,
it's in disarray, all of the bad things that are
happening out there. They're just complaining, complaining, complaining. I'm like, well,
is the the fact that the losing this program in
college football history just won the national Championship a sign
of the contrary fact that you're that you are uh,
you're you're essentially stating as truth is that it's all ruined.
Speaker 3: Is this.
Speaker 2: Tell a sign that it's not ruined that Indiana won
the Natty.
Speaker 3: They one hundred percent thinks. So I think the parody
that's happened with the transfer portal and NIL has been
exactly what we want as college football fans. Like I
think there's plenty of college football fans that feel like
that it's been ruined because they thought that like having
everybody focus on just at your.
Speaker 4: National championship or bus when you.
Speaker 3: Have one hundred and thirty teams is hard. So I
get where they're coming from, I guess and that, but
I think the parody has never been as close as
it is right now, and so for me, I love it.
And obviously it's working at you a saver transporter. We're
losing very few people who are who are studs, and
we're getting in studs all the time. NIL is obviously
working well for us. So I'm probably just biased that
works out for UU, so I'm on the positive end
of it, But I think it's a good thing for
college football. I much said having Indiana be the one
that's wins the National Championship and having Miami the one
that was playing in it. It was an eleven seed
porten seed. I think that was a huge another testimony
that it is good for college football.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean Miami and Indiana in the National Championship game,
you gotta I mean, Miami barely got in by the
skin of their teeth. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 5: It's like, uh, and it's the first time that all
the playoff games were entertaining true in a long time.
Like all every team in the playoff, with the side
of Tulane and jam You sure got boat raced, but
everybody else had pretty good competitive games.
Speaker 3: One game. But I will say, I'm a contrad that
I'm gonna I'm gonna fight against a little bit think
of the oh well, jam You and and too interest
have been in there because of the domination. But like
what happened to the Oregon game against Indiana or what
happened in Texas Tech obviously, and so I think blowouts
are gonna happen everyone so on football, and that's okay,
But I those teams are playing. It was the one
and ten, and there was a other two others that
moved forward into the final four that were not the
final four seeds. So I love that we're opening it
up and letting.
Speaker 4: Actual I understand what people think.
Speaker 3: When they say, hey, the balls were awesome.
Speaker 4: Because you didn't have to be national championship or bust.
Speaker 3: And what sport do we not actually have a tournament
to find out the champion keyball? Like keyball, dmo sport
besides college football that says, you know, we're just gonna
play for the fun of it, like every other sport
has a championship.
Speaker 2: Amen. Amen to that, Braden Day here on your Utah
ESPN Radio network. This college football season, I think was
one of the most entertaining. It just was. There were
so many storylines. There's more viewership now than ever. I
think for the most part, all is well in the
college football world, and the pendulum has swung. Do I
wanted to swing back a little bit and get to center, Yes,
but I don't know how long. I don't know if
I want that immediately. I kind of want to see
how this plays out. I need more data points of
the free market capitalist a collegiate football landscape that we're
living in right now. I need at least five years
of this, how about you?
Speaker 3: Yeah? And I honestly, I think we've talked about this.
I'm a huge believer that as soon as we start regulating,
it hurts you you the most because other schools might
be willing to play, you know, behind the scenes and
do things that they're not technically closed to, but they're
doing it anyway. The way you will not play in
that ballpark. And so right now where it's pretty market
the way you can play, and I want that as
long as possible. I don't think it's going to be
that way forever. I think the regulation is going to
come at some point, but I do think that.
Speaker 4: I mean, look at what happened.
Speaker 3: The SEC was the national champions for like eight out
of ten years or something like that, and now we
decide that, hey, we're not going to put a regulation
on it, and we cheating is now not cheating, and
now they're not there. For three years in a row,
they don't win a national championship, even in the national Championship.
So I think you put twoudred together there, I guess
if you want to.
Speaker 6: I do want to build on that point.
Speaker 5: At what point, this is the third year in a
row the SEC has not been in the national Championship.
The last time they were in the nasal championship was
that Georgia TCU game. At what point does the national
media take notice of that and start dinging the SEC
and their rankings and their ratings for.
Speaker 3: That Never, sadly, because ESPN is SEC like I think
they should, because I mean, when you just play each
other in a round robin and everybody's supposed to be good,
then you just keep telling yourself that you're winning top
twenty five games because you were ring top twenty five
in the preseason. But I'm just going to keep doing
that because it brings in the money, and that's ESPN
is the group that's pushing that.
Speaker 4: Obviously, you guys, you guys are in ESPN show.
Speaker 3: So I'm not trying to go crazy to keep me
careful here, but not trying to get trying to get
you put criddle.
Speaker 4: But but I definitely think like either way, like the
money is.
Speaker 3: What they're going for, and so they're going to keep
pushing the NCC agenda because that's what's good for them.
Speaker 2: Yeah, don't don't you dare loves in it. We are
truth seekers. We are not We are not corrupted by
filthy luker here at ESPN the Fan. You can't buy
us we will always speak truth from our pulpit. Okay, anyway,
you know, but there is hey, you know, we cannot
be bought here at ESPN the Fan. Maybe at ESPN Bristol,
not here at ESPN the Fan. You can't buy us,
even if we have the sole distribution rights of a team.
But okay, so where's BYU Football added all this right now?
You made a statement deregulation is beneficial for BYU. Where
are we trending right now with that deregulation going into
twenty twenty six?
Speaker 3: Well, I mean you look at what we're I guess
what you said, Like where what is it doing for us?
Is that what you mean?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Like, so, where where do we stand amongst this
this deregulated college football landscape going into going into twenty
twenty six? How are you feeling about it? You looked
at the schedule, You look at the preseason rankings like
the way too early preseason. You look at the final rankings.
I'll say this, Kirk Signetti was one of like three
coaches including I think I want to say Liberties coach. No,
Liberty's coach was the one that that ranked BYU lowest,
which was sixteenth Kirk Signetti had b YU had fourteenth
in the nation at the end of the year.
Speaker 3: Oh, and I thought I liked him, dang it.
Speaker 2: I know I did too. I thought I like Kurt too.
I thought I did.
Speaker 3: I think is in a really good spot. I think.
Do I think they're gonna win the national championship next year?
Speaker 4: Probably not?
Speaker 3: Well, yes I do in my heart of hearts.
Speaker 4: But do I actually.
Speaker 3: Logically think that they're gonna win the national championship?
Speaker 4: No, But I think we're getting there. I think we're
getting close.
Speaker 3: And that's why I hope to deregulation, like we said,
it keeps going, because I think we need just a.
Speaker 4: Few more classes like this twenty twenty sixth.
Speaker 3: Class, and then we'll be there. Like it can't be
just one year of recruiting the what we have and
a couple of transferportal guys and all of a suddenly there.
I mean, yes, Indiana just did it. But I think
we're not quite there yet. But I think we're definitely
we're playoffs. Should be expecting playoffs next year based off
of the last two years we've had, like that should
not maybe not expecting, but it shouldn't be out of
this conversation, and honestly we should have been in the
last two years.
Speaker 2: We got Brydon Day on the line. Cougar Sports, ESPN
the Fan. ESPN has dropped their their projected twenty twenty
six college football playoff bracket. Bill Conley put this thing together,
and I love Bill Conley. If anyone can put together
a preseason way too early projected twenty twenty six college
football playoff bracket, it's Bill Conley of ESPN. First round
game number eleven BYU at Ohio State.
Speaker 6: I'll tell you right now.
Speaker 2: Winner plays number three Notre Dame, a rematch of the
Fighting Irish if BYU survives in advance. He's also got
ole Miss at nine, Miami at eight, Winter plays number
one Indiana. He doesn't have a twelve seed at at
number five, Oregan Winter plays number four seed Georgia, and
then Texas A and m is the ten seed versus
Texas Tech. Winner plays number two Texas. What do you
make of it? Is this an accurate depiction of the future?
Speaker 3: I mean, I think us being in the playoffs is
the accuracy part of it. Whether or not we're playing
in ohiuse I mean seeding is obviously impossible in this play,
but I take it. I mean, yes, that's a tough
game playing, you know the buck Geyes, But at the
same time, if it means we're in the playoff and
we actually have a shot at it, we can go
play to do it, let's let's do it.
Speaker 2: So I amen, Amen, did that right? I mean, be
what he returns much of their roster. Is there anything
that you're concerned about with the attrition via the portal
or the attrition via the National Football League.
Speaker 3: I'm still a little bit nervous about death at corner,
but I think we'll start hearing some names, you know.
I think coach Warren just barely you know about on
staff for a week or two, so I think we'll
hopefully start hearing some stuff going on there, just because
behind Trey and Evan there's just not a ton of
proven moditis. I think running back depth is something that
people are worried about. I think it definitely could have been.
We could have, you know, hoped for more. But I
think with Sion Androvesa behind LJ, I think will be okay.
And then you got Davon Akka and some of the
guys coming in. So I Honestly, like offensive line, I
feel good about We've got picked up some good spots there.
Defensive line we're looking great. Linebackers were deep as ever,
safety's were great. So I really is just corner depth
and and then some running back depth a little bit.
Speaker 2: Are you concerned about quarterback depth?
Speaker 7: No, but.
Speaker 2: You you tried to just convince yourself. You just said said, no, well,
who's who's Who's QB two?
Speaker 3: Well, I think that's that's a that's a cool thing.
Is I think Enoch Watson could play himself into QB two.
But I think having Trayson on the team gives us
a very high floor for a situation. He's not this
super high ceiling guy, but he's been in the system
for a long time. He knows what he's doing. It's
a good play all black, and then if he comes
in to start blown out and beats him out, that's
a great situation. So I think for what you can
expect in twenty twenty six in college football, I think
our our quarterback death is great. Obviously, if you had
a room that was full of all starters that were
just waiting in the wings, that's a great thing.
Speaker 4: But that's just not what twenty twenty.
Speaker 3: Six is because the guys want to go get playing
time somewhere else.
Speaker 8: Oh this, this might sound like a stupid question, but
what about safety?
Speaker 6: Here? We are you just lost?
Speaker 5: You're one of the best safety Tanner Wallace is pretty good.
You've got falloutown Raider coming in. But who are you
sticking in behind him?
Speaker 2: Well? Tommy, Tommy, he's been playing people playing, Yeah Tommy,
tom he did that.
Speaker 3: For didn't Tommy do that? Based on needs? Basically because.
Speaker 2: He's a free that can play nickel Okay, okay, yeah,
not a nickel man can play free.
Speaker 3: And then behind them you've also got oh my goodness,
just blanked on his name. Yeah, I'm not that gona
remember stuff and good there I go.
Speaker 2: Oh you're talking about it? Safety?
Speaker 3: Yeah, safety, I'm I just blanked on the guy just
behind Fallatole.
Speaker 2: You had, Matthias Leech, you had you had.
Speaker 3: And are both are there yet?
Speaker 4: Yeah?
Speaker 3: So I think with those three I feel I felt comfortable. Obviously,
falla Tell is a huge piece that you listen went down,
you'd be nervous about it. But Raider and and Tommy,
you know, ran it for a long and the year
not this last year, but the year before and twenty
twenty four. So I told something forbot ap.
Speaker 2: Don't sleep on my boy Joe Douglas either pound for pound,
the strongest man in that weight room and maybe one
of the fastest on that team. Don't sleep You guys
don't know about Joe. You haven't. You have been hearing
about Joe Douglas in your uh your insider reports?
Speaker 3: Have you yet?
Speaker 2: Bradon day, I haven't.
Speaker 3: I haven't.
Speaker 2: You're right, and watch out for Joe, baby. Don't sleep
on Joe.
Speaker 3: I'll be, I'll be, I'll be listening. I'll be waiting
for it.
Speaker 2: You've been waiting for it. Uh. You know he's gonna
He's gonna make an impact on special teams, special teams.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Ronald the three Man Weaver also brings up uh
how about Poula? How about uh? Uh one of the
Pola twins, right, and also Kaa. I like him.
Speaker 6: That's safety.
Speaker 3: Is it is going on a mission first year and
maybe he's not a mission first car.
Speaker 2: To remember, I don't, I can I can can't remember that.
Speaker 9: I can't remember.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we can pull that up, pull up this tran strategy.
But he's down at.
Speaker 3: Enrolled.
Speaker 5: I didn't realize he did a conna isn't it's from
what I've read, he's he's playing.
Speaker 2: He's playing. Oh, he's playing going to mission. Yeah, so
he may be a mid season enrollee and he's down
there right now, I think, at least around the program,
but could still be going on a mission.
Speaker 6: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So yeah, I think it's a good question which position
depth are you most concerned about right now? Cornerback, running back, quarterback,
or other? So the only the four if you're gonna
go other, you're okay, So you're making an argument for safety.
Speaker 6: I think that maybe there's some for safety.
Speaker 2: Okay, offensive line no Nickel, Oh yeah, Nickel, Nickel deserves
But Beasley, you have Jonathan Gabay, you have Cannony Breeze.
Speaker 6: Yeah, but does that play into the corner.
Speaker 3: Yeah, That's where I was kind of going With the corner.
I feel like, yeah, you could, you could move over,
Like if you have three studs, you could have Evan
played and play that slot. Also, you have oh my
godness in the summer two. He obviously played halfway through
the year. He kind of came back from injury, so
we'll see how he did. But he did okay in spots.
He also looked, you know, young in spots. But I
think you need some depth there.
Speaker 4: But I think the first three guys there are.
Speaker 5: Great, So there might be an argument for wide receiver.
I don't know that you've got really a proven guy
outside Parker.
Speaker 2: You have plenty of depth, you have wide receiver.
Speaker 8: Yeah, well, it's just like you've got a lot of
unproven guys.
Speaker 3: A ton of a ton of unproven. I've heard such
good things about Reggie, so I think I feel comfortable
that he'll be able to be a good player there.
And then obviously, I think Casper is going to be
interesting to see because you know he's been he was
a super higher, highly rated recruit when he has been
healthy in Oregon. He was always listed as a starter
in the too deep and then he just kept getting injured.
So I think if we can keep him healthy, I
think he has the potential to be you know, wide
receiver one with Parker wide receiver one, A one B
right there. But yeah, I think depth is totally fine receiver.
It's just yet, are we going to have the top
end guys that we need.
Speaker 2: Brandon, as far as uh, the culture is concerned. Uh,
you gotta be happy with everything that Klatt's built. Everyone
was scared. Everyone was, uh, you know, was very much
concerned about Jay Hill leaving and taking Gennaro. What have
been what's been the fallout of that? What impact has
that had on Cougar Nation, on the Cougar football team,
on anyone for that matter.
Speaker 3: Way less than we all expected, I think, at least
that I expected. I thought colony was really the reason
why a lot of the guys were here, but I
thought they were leased the a few, like like both
of them. I thought fallat that was for sure. Jronal
with Jay, and I thought Evan was going with Gennaro.
Those are like the two that I felt like as
soon as they both got announced, that was like, crap,
there we lose those guys. So I feel really good
about the fact that we retained all of them. And
then I also think recruiting will hurt a little bit
because you'll have you know, Jay and Kyle will both
start recruiting a lot of the guys that they've been
in these first couple of classes. I think they'll recruit
guys that are from Utah. They'll always do it, but
it'll be a higher clip just because they're guys that
people they know already, but hopefully in the year or
two they've kind of obviously expanded their their recruiting regions
enough to that they're not coming for every guy out
of Utah.
Speaker 2: So they're on the recruiting tra right now. That u
AU Kucker's staff Kilani, Chad kay Sioni Puja the assistant
head coach, and Kelly Pepinki, your defensive coordinator. I love
seeing Kilani on the recruiting trail. I think Kilani's probably
the best recruiter on this staff. There have been limitations
for head coaches having interpersonal face to face contact at
certain periods. I think some of those those those bylaws
are being lifted and now you can get out and
pound payment. I wonder how much of an impact this
is going to have on Billy's recruiting classes. And I
think it made a huge impact obviously on top of
the wins right, winning cures everything. But I know Kilani
was able to pound payment a little bit more last
year with some of these by laws being lifted by
the nc double A and being able to get his
boots on the ground. How impactful is it to have
Kilani out recruiting right.
Speaker 3: Now, And honestly, I hadn't heard about that, but I
think that's huge. Clonnie's such a good relationship guy and
will obviously recruit so well. I think something that actually
had just been thought it, thinking about yesterday, yesterday or
two days ago, was how good of a pitch it
is to recruits that we retained everybody, Like the guys
that are here want to stay here. Yeah, Like that's
a pretty big It's like, hey, out of all the
schools in the FBS, we basically had the highest attention rate.
Why do you think that's true? You should probably come here?
And we're having all the guys that decided that they
were gonna go somewhere else come back to us, like
Lyons obviously, like Uka back in the day. Like, there's
a lot everybody that comes to us, the guys who
snubbed us the first and everybody that did come to
us ends up staying with us. That's such a good
recruiting pitch, honestly.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you wonder how many of the guys that
did leave the YU this last this last season regret it.
Minus Kielan Marion, I don't I think there was more guys.
I think I think Keelan probably did not regret av me.
He mean, it's a National champions game and he was
one of the best wide receivers on that Miami team.
He was a kickoff returnery. Apparently he's got a beautiful
girlfriend that that someone someone sent me, like a picture.
He's like, well, no, wonder they went to Miami, Like,
we can't compete with this look. I don't know, man,
he he got paid a pretty penny to go out
there too. We love Keelan. Once Cougar, always Cougar, But
apart from Keelan, I feel like there's probably a pretty
big list of guys that they have regretted it.
Speaker 8: Jake probably doesn't.
Speaker 6: Jake made the playoffs.
Speaker 2: You don't think Jake believes he would have made the
playoffs with b YU.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think he does.
Speaker 10: But that situation is kind of different because Jake wanted
to stay, but he also wanted to play football.
Speaker 9: I'm know, I'm jumping in that's that's so tough because
of the.
Speaker 10: That wasn't a It's so because I think the team
wanted to keep him, but the rules and the bylaws
that they're at b YU it was a different decision.
Speaker 9: So he I feel like that one was just we
gotta let that one go.
Speaker 6: Personally, for me, that's tough.
Speaker 2: I ain't letting it go. We live in the past
year at ESP in the fame, Jake, I don't think
wanted to Carleno. Matt Carlino said on our shirts. Yeah,
I don't live in the past. I'm like, well, you
know what we do. I have a we huh.
Speaker 6: We haven't left nineteen eighty four.
Speaker 2: That's what we do.
Speaker 10: Man, Jake didn't want to leave. But I think I
don't think Jake wanted to leave YU. But he also
he wouldn't have been able to play. There was no
way he would have been able to leave BUYU to
Gloria victory because been at that point, when he was
that far out, he wouldn't have been the starting quarterback.
Speaker 9: I think everybody on this call agrees with that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 3: I agree and and but I think the thing is,
I think the only two that left that wanted to
leave the YU last year were Keeling and.
Speaker 4: Oh hel no name today.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 2: I could tell you're an offensive line and you got
CTE just like me. Man.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I think those two are the only
two that actually chose, maybe not chose to, like, did
it because they wanted to. I think everybody else that
leaves is usually because they want playing time somewhere else.
So yes, they want to leave, but it's not because
they if they were playing here, they'd rather be here
type of guys.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I think Crew Wakeley wish she would
have said Crew Wakeley does.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's true. Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 6: You know what I mean?
Speaker 2: I think I believe I wonder. I don't think Miles Davis,
you know, I think I think Miles was happy. I
think he's happy, you know, I think he's happy.
Speaker 3: And I think he fits into that category though, of
guys that if he was playing at BAUS, wu'd rather
be a b AU. But he decided to go somewhere
from more playing time, and I think that's happy about it.
But it wasn't like he chose to be do a
you because he wanted to besides just playing time of situation.
Speaker 2: Yes, I think Michael Harper probably happy with his decision.
He went out and balled out. Now he's at Iowa
State bounce back.
Speaker 8: How does he still have eligibility that's none of your
damn business.
Speaker 2: And I think you're stay out of his personal affairs.
Speaker 6: No, I'm just saying that man has been around.
Speaker 2: I have no idea.
Speaker 6: As I remember.
Speaker 2: I have no idea.
Speaker 3: I think it's seventh, his seventh year, I think is
what it's supposed to be. Next year is his seventh
year in college football.
Speaker 5: I don't know how amsha back to back season ending injuries.
Speaker 9: That's two years that.
Speaker 6: Okay?
Speaker 2: If he gave me like a year to work out,
I wonder if I could get in good enough to
play college football again. I don't think I could.
Speaker 3: There's more guys doing that right now than in their
training order, the temporary training order stuff.
Speaker 2: There you go that maybe I don't know. Man, my
old joints, I don't know if they're built for a high,
high level activity anymore. I'm a hiker, I'm a walker.
I'm a bike rider now anyway, Uh, braydon uh give
us some of the deals we have going on at
Odeon Men's Wear and wild and missionaries that are called
to serve need to head on into any Odeon Men's
Wear location along the Wahsatche front.
Speaker 3: Yeah, all of you to have missionary if you're either missionary,
you're getting ready to go out, or obviously you have
a mission in the walls of your home. We definitely
this is the time of year you're starting to put
in papers and get ready to go. We do our
premissionary gifts. We do a free shirt and free pair
of socks just for having a mission call. We believe
that our stuff is so often that you're gonna come
in and try it for free and you don't like.
I believe in it enough that I think you're gonna
take a home, wash it, wear it, and you'll absolutely
love it. You're gonna come back and buy everything else
from us, And so make sure you take advantage of that.
And then honestly, the Cridal fifteen code that Kurdle talks
about all the time is a great deal. It's it's
it's compared. We have a lot of different packages for missionaries,
but that Curdl fifteen makes it so you basically get
a package price, but you can mix and match however
you want to do it to get what you need
and what you what you are, what you're missing in that.
And then we always have you know, we have the
Elevate suit. We talk about a lot in the Tempa shirt.
Absolutely incredible. Certain suit that are extremely comfortable but still
looking credible so you can look good, feel good, do
good in all the different events that you need to
wear your suits for.
Speaker 2: Boomshaka Laca. Always appreciate our time together, brother, Thanks for
hopping on Braden.
Speaker 3: Thanks guys, gokoogies.
Speaker 2: Yes sir, yes, sir h I love this, Bill Conley,
give us some love to the Koogs. Projecting the twenty
twenty Sister college Football Payoff bracket, Bill Conley of ESPN
putting b Layers an eleven seed versus number six seed
Ohio State the Buckeyes.
Speaker 6: I would take that right now, you take it. I
would take it.
Speaker 2: Take it. And they give us a Notre Dame. He's
really high on Notre Dame at that three seed.
Speaker 6: That that's interesting. Notre Dame.
Speaker 5: I don't know if they have a schedule to get
shit a three seed. There's a conference affiliation.
Speaker 2: That do you think? See this is I I disagree
with you. I'm not that I disagree with their strength
of schedule. I don't disagree with there. What I disagree
with is you saw the knee jerk reaction of the committee.
This year when they didn't cater to the SEC. That's true, right,
So they went like they they are. They're all over
just jocksniff and freaking Greg Sankey and the SEC like,
oh well it's good five, five and we could consider six,
we can consider like all this hullabaloo, all this you know,
tom foolery and poppy cock. They're gonna do that. They
they they they chopped off the leg. They they got
punched Notre Dame this year. They said, ah, you know,
we're gonna push you to a conference. I don't think
they're gonna do it again. I think they're gonna have
respect for the quitting Irish and they're gonna say, you
know what, they're gonna give you a proper seeding because
the strength the schedule, they're gonna be too good. They're
not gonna lose. They're gonna be undefeated. And then they're
losing pro bo. Oh okay, well they couldn't. Okay, they're
eleven and one, so they're not gonna be They can't
be a three seed.
Speaker 6: They can't.
Speaker 2: Don't be surprised at BYU. That's their only loss. Yeah,
Notre Dame is a good football. They're good they're a
good football team and a good program.
Speaker 5: Legacy has some some bargaining power with ESPN because that's
what they have to deal with.
Speaker 2: The human nature is reactionary. Does that make sense? Like
this was a reaction this year having five SEC teams
in to what happened last year because they got left
out of the club. After all we've done for this,
after after all we've been through, all we've done and
what we've produced, all the equity.
Speaker 6: That's all you have to say to me.
Speaker 2: You know what I mean, That's what they did. So
they're going to they're gonna they're gonna revert back to
Oh yeah wait, Notre Dame needs to be in. That's
what they're gonna do, guarantee you. Because with Miami as
a twelve seed getting they were twelve seed, right yeah? Sorry,
yeah yeah yeah, because Jamu was the twelve seed. Yeah right,
Like I feel like, you know, that is a really
good data point of like, hey, like you can make
an argument that Notre Dame deserves to be in two.
Speaker 6: Right, it's there. I don't know how strong it is.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but you can make an argument for is what
I'm getting at. Right, they're a good team, They were
a good team this year, and they probably could have
won some football games. They were extremely talented. They had
arguably the best running back in college football. Running Backs,
premiere running backs, elite running backs in college football many times,
okay historically speaking, are much more powerful, much more impactful
than quarterbacks in college football. Really, I'm telling you right now,
college football is still can still be very much dominated
by a an elite running back.
Speaker 8: So are you gonna say, let's let's put this to
the test.
Speaker 2: Look at Alabama with so many just borderline talented quarterbacks,
winning natties through running backs and good defense.
Speaker 5: Well, let's let's look at this in a by lens.
If you're gonna stand on this take, I am yeah,
who was more valuable to the team?
Speaker 6: Taysom Hill or Jamal Williams.
Speaker 2: Jamal in twenty sixteen, just throughout the career.
Speaker 6: No.
Speaker 2: Twenty sixteen.
Speaker 6: Jamal was way twenty sixteen. For sure, he was fourteen.
Speaker 2: I mean when Taysum was was healthy in two thousand,
you know, thirteen throughout the entirety season. Do you make
an ur Taysum was the most valuable player because he
was just so dynamic. But you know, Taysum's the outlier.
Taysom's literally a running back. Taysom is the fifth best
running back in b Way football history.
Speaker 6: So so you'd take you would take a premiere. Let's
say you take you would take a premiere.
Speaker 2: No one's ever been, no one's ever been, You've never
seen anyone like Taysom Hill. Taysom Hill is the most
unique football player in the modern era, like of college football,
of the NFL game too. No one plays football like
Taysom Hill. So so I I I'm gonna push back
on you on this. What I'm saying is Tyler Ow's year. Okay,
in many ways in twenty twenty one, was the best
player on the offense and defense can buy special teams like,
he was literally the best player and he got you
to double digit wins. I'm not trying to take anything
away from quarterback play. Okay, they're they're good that you
need good quarterback play. But there's no doubt that Tylar
Tylar was the MVP, and you could make an argument
that l J was actually the most valuable player this year.
You can make an argument for that because as soon
as LJ went down, you know what I mean, He's
the offensive player of the Year in the Big Twelve.
He goes out in the Texas Tech game, we struggle.
Bear bachmar Yes also got injured in in uh In
in the second game, and they they they they still struggled, right.
So it's not cut and dry. But I think you
can make an argument that l J was the most
valuable player on the BA football team. I think you
make an agree there. Yeah, I think you make it
like I'm on sides. I'm not gonna be like, oh no,
I'm not gonna sway. L J when he was at
his best, was was really a good player. There's a
reason why he was voted as the Big twelve Offensive
Player of the Year. And and it was a consensus vote.
No one said. Coaches that had been coached for a
long time, they were saying, oh no, Bear is now
They said, LJ freaking Martin. He was the gas that
powered this offensive engine. And Bear was really good too,
But LJ. I think I give him a slight LJ
was good. I give him a slight advantage there, and
and and you need him to be at his best accession.
So what I'm getting at is like running backs, I
think you know my thesis year is I think elite
running backs and going back to Notre Dame. Notre Dame
last this last year was gonna win, was gonna win
football games, and they did on the back end with
one of the best running backs in college football and
a good defense. So anyway, we'll go to break, don't
go anywhere more to get to on a beautiful Thursday,
January twenty second edition of Cougar Sports. That was a
great segment brought to you by Odion Menswear odeon menswear
dot com. Let's get to more news and notes coming
out to break them coming up next. This is Cougar
Sports on one O three nine. Now to your point three.
Speaker 1: If you were listening to Cougar Sports and it's time
for a Cougar byte. Ben Crittle breaks down the latest
sound bites from Cougar Athletics. Wow here on one O
three nine at ninety eight three ESPN the Fan, Welcome back.
Speaker 2: Here your sports boil three nine, ninety eight point three
is the fan. I'm met for broadcasting from our Vanderwelth Studios,
Vanderwell dot Com. Get on after Q and A no
obligation doing vast Q and A with our tax smart
Wealth Advisors by financial planners. Nobody does it better than
Banter Wealth. Let's band again the build our wealth today
at Vanderwealth. And he's time for a little cougar byte
and that's right, getting into some sound bites. Uh, don't
be surprised, don't be shocked if you wait your Texas
Tech both in the Collge Football playoff next year, we're
gonna delve into this. Who said it and why did
he say? It's gonna be brought to you by rubys In,
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and check it out. Rubysndrubies in dot com. All right,
let's get to this. Jay Crane, one of our favorite
guests on the show College Football, The Insider with Crane
and Coe. Actually they switched up. They were with The
Daily Wire. Now they're with on three Sports. So congratulations
to Jay Crane and his crew. They were discussing they
were previewing the Big twelve going into twenty twenty six,
the way too early preview, and this is what he
had to say about BAU and.
Speaker 11: Texas Tech eleven, Miami at twelve, Michigan at thirteen, USC
at fourteen, Alabama at fifteen, and guys, look BYU, Klonie
Sataki's do an incredible job there. I actually had BYU
eight because of what they're returning and then their schedule.
I want to roll through this one for a second
to let people hear him, because you feel like BYU
and Texas Tech unless something crazy happens, and hell, BYU
even even avoided craziness last year with what happened. They've
got Utah Tech at Colorado State, Arizona at home Arizona
State at home, Baylor at home, Iowa stayed at home,
Cincinnati at home, at Kansas at TCU, at UCF at Utah.
Speaker 12: With new coach Morgan Scalley, and then Notre Dame at home.
Not easy, looks manageable with what they're bringing back. Would
not be shocked to see BYU and Texas Tech both
in the College Football Playoff again next year. Coan, where
did you have them?
Speaker 6: And why?
Speaker 7: I had BYU at fourteen? So just a couple spots back,
but again still top fifteen. This kind of gets into
the trust factor we talked about with coaches. I mean,
coach Sataki has clearly established himself as a guy who
is going to punch above their weight and he's going
to be competitive. Now, obviously we're going to get into
Michigan here and just second they'll lose their defensive coordinator
who went over there with Kyle Whittingham. But still I
love the way BYU plays football when you think about
what happened last year, telling your starting quarterback Jake Rhetzlov, Hey,
you can't play football here anymore. I'm sorry, we have
a code of conduct. We still love you. You've got
to go elsewhere and they end up having to start
a true freshman, and Baron Bachmeyer, who wears number forty seven,
to still have the type of year that they had.
Hats off to him, Mandrego.
Speaker 2: That's their assessment of BA football. Could you see do
you think this is possible? Do you think this is feasible?
B YU in Texas Tech in the College Football Playoff
this next season, Bill Conley seems to think so. By
you coming in an eleven seed and his way too
early twenty twenty six College Football Playoff bracketology and Texas
Tech I believe was a seventh seed if I wasn't mistaken.
So will this happen? And if it will happen, man,
finally we'd get the monkey off our back and get
into a premiere bowl game situation. And the last time
you did that was nineteen ninety six, the New Year's Bowl,
the Cotton Bowl. Yeah.
Speaker 5: Well, for me, it comes down to this, is BYU
able to continue to develop the guys they kept because
BYU's returning ten starters on defense, ten starters. The only
starter they're losing is Jack Kelly. That well, some of
that hasn't started a game last year. On defense, you're
returning Volatile and Raider. I know you're losing ten or Wall,
but both those guys started games last year, and so
that's why I'm saying, you're returning ten starters on offense,
you're losing three, You're losing a tight end and a
couple offensive linemen, and obviously you lost Chase. But you
have three guys who started multiple games last year. So
do you trust BYU's ability to continue to develop guys
that have been in the system for years? And the
next question is do you trust Byu' strength and conditioning
staff to keep them healthy? Because the last two years
they've they've been pretty healthy.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 5: So if things go as they have the last few years,
where BYU has been very good at developing the guys
to stick around and keeping them healthy, I don't really
see a reason to bet against.
Speaker 8: BYU in the playoff.
Speaker 5: I really the only thing I see would be if
the committee does what they've done the last two years
and finds away any excuse to keep EYU.
Speaker 2: Out, finding somehow some way to do that, somehow, some way.
It's funny. I was looking at the final twenty twenty
five coaches pull to see who had byu highest ranked right,
because you know some of these suies like you see
BYU getting stiff armed. Not even brett Yormark would go
on record leading up to you know, even mid season
or you know, week eight, week ten. It took like
all the way to like the final regular season game
for Brent Ormok to say, yeah, b y you needs
to they're gonna get it right, that b you needs
to be in.
Speaker 5: That brett Ormark waited until he was sure Byu was in.
I can tell you what happens here.
Speaker 2: Like college football coaches and eights and commissioners, they all interact,
they converse. Brett Ormrock is typically talking with the commissioners
and what is he being fed? Craig saying, Greg Sanki
and and petite A saying like, ah, nice little program
nice little programs over there, right, nice little programs. Remember
the burbage and the mantras and the the the terminologies
that brett Ormark used at the Big twelve media days.
This last go round was like the deepest conference, right,
the deepest conference. Were so deep. We're so deep, we
are so deep, We're deep, probably deeper than anyone else,
you know what I mean. It's like, but I asked him.
I kind of put him, uh not on blast, but
I pressed him like, like, you can't get two teams
in the college football Playoff with this deep conference. He said, yeah,
we eventually want someone to raise the bar a little
bit and separate themselves. And he didn't know who that
was going to be, right, It's hard to tell who
that's going to be. And I kind of feel like
he looks at you. He's a nice little program. He
has not gone on record because he doesn't want to
be embarrassed about going on record with him because he's
not convinced of it. Well.
Speaker 8: BYU was not one of his additions.
Speaker 6: That was That was Bollsby.
Speaker 2: That was the bulls By.
Speaker 6: That was one of the last things that Bolsby did
was at BYU.
Speaker 3: Yep.
Speaker 8: Your Mark just came in and had BYU already there.
Speaker 2: Yep, exactly. So I believe the coaches. Let me give
you the coaches that ranked BYU highest. Okay, they ranked
BYU at number nine. There was a multitude of them, Kenny,
look at look at the advocacy here, not even Kenny
Nemo to Brent Key of Georgia Tech nine ball noer ballner. Right,
So you got Brent Key. You have Lance Leiphold, Kansas Ballknower,
Dave Dorin n C State, Joey McGuire, Texas Tech, and
Rich Rodriguez West Virginia.
Speaker 6: See see you're going the people who play by you know.
Speaker 2: Yes, Okay, so the teams are sorry that the coaches
that ranked BYU lowest and they've ranked him at number sixteen.
That's as low as as BYU went sixteenth. Okay, Jeremy Chadwell, Liberty.
We all know Evangelicals hate Mormons, and we're a bunch
of devil worshiping, you know, Book of Mormon worshiping, works worshiping,
you know, hedonistic, you know, horn horn wearing Satanists, That's what.
Speaker 6: People.
Speaker 2: They're very nice people, but there are lost people, these
these Mormons. You know, need I remind you that the
Bible says you cannot you cannot add onto the scripture.
You cannot add onto the Bible. Bible, Bible, we have
a Bible. Anyways. Chadwell, uh, Jason Eck okay, New Mexico,
and then Fran Brown Syracuse. Those are the three coaches
that ranked boy lows Neina mind Kirk Signetti I mentioned this, Okay,
Kirk Signetti ranked b YU. I believe fourteenth, if I'm
not mistaken, fourteen Bronco. Mendenhall, how dare you? Bronco ranked
BYU thirteenth?
Speaker 6: But Utah?
Speaker 2: So yeah, yeah, this is true. I think if I'm
not mistaken, I think did Kirk Signetti put Utah in
the front? I think Kirk Signetti put Utah? Yeah right
here he put did he put you?
Speaker 6: No?
Speaker 2: Okay?
Speaker 3: He did? Well?
Speaker 2: Did Chadwell? That's what I'm saying. Chadwill put Utah in
front of b YU.
Speaker 6: Chadwell, I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 2: Yeah, liberty and look, I'm a fan of liberty. They
offered me coming out of JUCO. My better offers, you know,
is what it is. Okay, Kirk Signetti put b YU
at number fourteen, and then you taught fifteen. By the way,
he put Iowa nine and four. Iowa, by the way,
Tadwell did go four and eight.
Speaker 8: So he's got other other problems focusing on.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but like when in doubt, when you're losing, Like
when you're losing, it's best to attack Mormons because they
can't defend themselves, specially just throw them under the bus. Anyway,
Iowa nine and four, nine and four. Kirk Signetti ranked
them eleventh eleventh Iowa because they played them earlier that day.
It was a close one. It was a competitive one,
by the way. There you go.
Speaker 6: That's tough.
Speaker 2: So anyways, I was kind of analyzing this a little
bit and seeing like, Okay, what's going on. You know,
who's voting for who? Everyone thinks these are like sids,
but like, I think, I think they may have gotten
involved in this. I think these coaches may have actually
got involved a little bit in this one. Willie Fritz,
by the way, Houston voted b YU number twelve, number twelve, Okay,
a couple other guys there, of notes.
Speaker 5: So it's interesting though, because at the beginning of the
season it's the Big twelve that was voting against b
YU in the polls. Yeah, and then they messed around
and found out this year.
Speaker 2: Marcus Freeman put b YU at eleven. I believe I
think it was Marcustreen, yeah, at eleven, and his own
fighting Irish at number nine. Well there you go. There
you go, some confirmation bias, the quitting Irish.
Speaker 8: Okay, he'll find out, he'll find out.
Speaker 2: Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, faffo. Is that what they say?
Speaker 6: I can either confirm norn is that what the kids
say these days?
Speaker 8: FAFO not around by rights, it's it's mafo.
Speaker 2: Mafo that's around to find out, right, Yeah, mafo, All
right guy, that's our segment. That's our Cougar byte. Uh
and it was baranti by rubies In rubies In dot
Com Hike Mike Raiser horseback ride through the whoos of
Bryce Candon National Park. Most of the people that visit
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This is Cougar Sports Almodo three nine ninety eight point three.
Speaker 1: Yes, you were listening to Cougar Sports with Ben Kretle,
and it's time for a Cougar Insider report. Now let's
get that proprietary inside scoop on Cougar Sports from Credle.
Speaker 2: Welcome back under sports one three nine ninety point three
ESPA the band I've been Frital broadcasting from our vander
Roel Studio vander Rold dot com. Get on that pre
Q and a no obligation to invest Q and a
with our tax more wealth advisors certify financial planners. Nobody
does it better than band Er. Well, it's time for
a little Cougar inside report. It's gonna be to a
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is a full service mechanic shop. Uh, and they will
earn your business, my gosh darn guarantee. You now inside
a report. I received a message, Hey what what what?
Speaker 3: What?
Speaker 2: Okay? Okay? Uh? Did you just play that?
Speaker 1: Was that?
Speaker 6: Was? That? Was that?
Speaker 2: In the ear?
Speaker 7: Was that?
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, okay, okay, Gay gotcha? Okay. So I got
a message from my guy Way. The shout out to Way.
He he tunes into the show. Uh, I was gone
in the first segment. I appreciate Ronald ap Brett always
bring the hammer. You guys always do great job. I
appreciate you guys, Uh filling in hitting d H for
me in that first hour. Uh. So, I got a
text from Way and he said, you still have run.
He's blaming me. It all falls on me, guys. It's
my fault when when we make mistakes. I'm taking a
leadership role. This is my bad. I have not taught
everyone the correct pronunciation of AJ's last name. He said,
you still have ron and Brett pronouncing uh d bonza. Uh.
They keep on saying die bonza with an a pronounced
like uh. Anyways, he said that to me. So I'm
all right, guys, like, let's let's all learn together. It's like,
you know, I need to do this too. I've gone
through the pronunciation guide and for you say I was
saying it wrong, so that's true. Ap ap did not
get it wrong. So, uh, I wanted to play it
for everybody. So you all know how to pronounce AJ's
last name. Let's get to it. A J. D. Bonsa
so away, Like I'm I like to remember, uh, you know,
how to pronounce things, and I like to remember certain
things with like cymbols or you know, just kind of
like corollary words. Okay, So for me, when I hear
a J. D. Boza, I think of a J D's bonzas,
you know what I mean, got him, got him ds Bonsas.
So when he dunks over a guy, you know he
he that that dunk? Which game was it? Where he
like elevated used his left hand and like dunked over
on a put back? Which game was that, Rodny this year?
The putback dunk?
Speaker 9: Oh, that was the That was the right one. That
was not the left hand that was that was the
right hand.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was the right hand.
Speaker 9: I thought over the left hand that.
Speaker 2: It was the greatest dunk that we've seen at the
Marriott Center. And I was trying to switch game.
Speaker 10: It was before that one. I'm just going back because
I'm trying not to look at the schedule and testing
my memory. Eastern Washington before Eastern Washing and they played
who No, was it Pacific?
Speaker 9: No, it wasn't Pacific. Because I was at that game.
Speaker 2: I got it. It's dunk of your candidate.
Speaker 9: It was you're looking, you're not supposed to look, supposed
to test your memory.
Speaker 2: Well, I had to look it up here exactly Christian Okay, exactly,
that was the one before because so he put these
bonzas on that man's head, these dse bonzas.
Speaker 8: The kid went nuts.
Speaker 2: He went nuts for the Reds.
Speaker 9: So the record, this is gonna take some time. Uh,
this is no shot away.
Speaker 10: But everyone I think has been pronouncing it wrong because
it wasn't until because Brett and I talked about this
last week because I was like, man, this is gonna
be a challenge. Sean Farnham, i think, said it on
the broadcast on ESPN, which when I'm at the game,
I'm not listening to right because I'm watching the game,
had said it. So I think we all have been
saying it wrong forever, and it's kind of like yegor
he just hasn't corrected us.
Speaker 2: So yeah, well ye or just let us continue to say, Yeah,
I mean.
Speaker 10: But but Age is letting us say it too, and
it's right here, so like that that's what I'm getting at, Like,
that's my point.
Speaker 9: My point is not the argue. My point is that
these players just like I'm just gonna keep it going, like.
Speaker 10: Because I've heard him post games, the people not say
these bonsas.
Speaker 9: People haven't even said these bonsas.
Speaker 5: So yeah, it's unfortunate that Jegor corrected us later on
because if he just if he just kept it with Demon,
then he could have gotten some epic deals with Denham.
Speaker 2: Oh my Demon's Denim. Yeah, that's true, bro, you have
I like, like, I like he could do a great
n I L D with the Dominator, the geomenatbor Geominator.
Speaker 6: For a while.
Speaker 2: It's a great basketball hoop. Shout out to the Doman family.
Speaker 5: It's funny though, for a while Google listed his name
as Yegor denhim on NBA games at the beginning of
this year, Wow, he was still Denim.
Speaker 2: You know, Denham has been a staple of American culture
for a long time, so him embracing not only by
culture but American culture, it would be Uh, that's surprized thing.
That's a from the good priced thing. Let's let's take
a brief time out, guys. That's your cougar rint side
of port. That's the proper pronunciation. Aj D got him
these bonses on Abilene Christian's head. That's what all right.
That's your segment. Brought to you by Big Otires in
American Fork, Big o Tis in American Fork, Gonness, hard
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as always here on your Uti ESPN Readio network. One
of three nine nine eight point three y