Speaker 1: I'll start to you to present off the bench with
Jacob Hester and T Bob Abert.
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 1: Off the bench with Jacob Hester and Bob aber Off
the pitch. Now here's Jacob Hester and T Bob Abart.
Speaker 2: Yo. Happy Friday, everybody, Happy Bowl season, Happy football is
We got a lot of it to talk about on
today's show.
Speaker 3: And yes we planned the show today, so you're welcome.
Speaker 2: Okay, we are back in the swing of things fully,
T Bob, Jake Taylor, and h A.
Speaker 3: An O g B.
Speaker 2: Veteran and graduate mister Matthew Musso back back on the
squad for this morning, the respected, beloved punching bags for
both the morning show and the afternoon show, Sitting together
united once again.
Speaker 3: Who do I bully? I don't know.
Speaker 2: I guess I never really bullied moves from the show.
I saved that for for Taylor. I don't think I
bullied any the producer.
Speaker 4: You bully Taylor this morning?
Speaker 3: Maybe maybe maybe Danny just a little bit. Mario ma No,
I would.
Speaker 2: I would get exasperated with Mario sometimes and just his
Mario had some wild opinions, wild opinions, I hope, I
hope if Mario's listening. Love you, brother, I hope you're
having an excellent day. But look, we're gonna have a
really good Friday. We do have a ton to talk about.
We're gonna talk a little LSU Baylor Texas ball. We
haven't talked a ton of it. How the two teams
are entering. I've got some Marcus Spears sound. I want
to break down. I want to look at the portal
of bit, look at what is left to be done.
H We got DJ Pickett practicing in the bowl games.
We gotta Saints practice report. We got a ton to
get to it. And then I just want to I mean, look,
there's so many games going on over the next couple
of days, so I want to look at the best
games from today, from tomorrow. Obviously LSU will play Tuesday.
I want to preview the second round of the college
football playoff, as that will be here before you know it,
and this will likely be the last time the weeks
to get to speak about it on this show before
it happens, given the holidays and whatnot. So it's gonna
be a very fun three hours this morning of sports
in Shenanigan. So if you want to get involved YouTube
dot com, Slash one, O four or five ESPN is
how you can do so Jakie, what's up dude?
Speaker 3: Uh? Not too much.
Speaker 5: Don't really know what day of the week it is
when you wake up, kind of forget that you have
work last night as you go to bed, like, oh yeah,
I probably.
Speaker 3: Need to set the alarm.
Speaker 5: You know, things going on, like big time things going on,
like a Monday and a Tuesday during this time of year,
and you kind of lose sight of what day it is,
but you know, still here, still doing the show. Guess
it doesn't matter what day it is. Uh no, does not.
It's you know, a day it is. It's the day
to talk sports.
Speaker 3: Moose, what's up?
Speaker 2: Brother?
Speaker 3: How are we doing this? More him?
Speaker 4: We're doing well all things considered.
Speaker 6: Kicks off a three work the three straight work days
of waking up before the sun, which I'm not normally
used to.
Speaker 2: No, No, you never fully adapted to the morning.
Speaker 4: I never will.
Speaker 3: No, I never will.
Speaker 4: I just kind of, you know, go with the flow.
Speaker 2: And why don't you just drink buy you cherry blast
gnaws Monster Energy drink like Taylor does?
Speaker 4: I I just I don't know, I don't I don't.
I never really got into the energy drink craze there.
Speaker 3: Did you already mow through all those monsters?
Speaker 7: Uh?
Speaker 3: No?
Speaker 7: The second one, Jake, the Ultra Paradise and it's Pair
flavor Ivan.
Speaker 3: It's just kind of food in general, but it's supposed
to be. Is its spelled.
Speaker 2: Like?
Speaker 3: It's just normal? Pair looks like air? Like, what do
we do? They don't make.
Speaker 7: The the black cherry and all swhich sounds good.
Speaker 3: By you, blast chair. They don't make that. Fine.
Speaker 2: No, but we're a little tired this morning, but we're
gonna push through it. Yeah, you push you know what.
Everybody's giving me a lot of soft ass energy right now,
let's crak this thing up. Uh And I know why
I'm not. I'm not saying it's not legitimate. It's it's
the time of year. Tear. At all three shows yesterday,
Moose is staring down a twelve hour day to day.
He will not be leaving the studio to basically six
pm tonight. But hey, we're gonna have fun. Okay, like
Clark Bristol.
Speaker 3: We're gonna have fun.
Speaker 2: We're gonna smile, We're gonna ride the roller coaster that
is local sports talk.
Speaker 3: So let's go ahead and get this thing started.
Speaker 1: It's time to get to work courtesy of Tiger Labor
and Staffing where they can help take care of screening, training,
pay roll, and more.
Speaker 4: Now for starters, Yeah.
Speaker 3: Tiger Labor and seven.
Speaker 2: You're a local staffing solutions experts, whether it short term,
long term hires, you got you know, you know, no
shows if you've been lay well, Look, Tyler, Labor Staffing
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in person. Right, I'm not saying just forty resumes, No
up and at it interviewing, ready to send you the
help that you need. So go to Tiger Labor and
Staffing for all of your employment needs. All right, let's
start with the Texas pull man. Something we have not
talked about a lot. Jake, you will be on the call.
It's coming up this Tuesday. It's LSU and Baylor. It
is the first time that these two teams have played
since nineteen eighty five. Interesting Land. Of course, Baylor coached
by Dave Randa, the Strain coach, used to be here
at LSU. Of course, Austin Thomas is here at the
random time, and he left. He's now back. Corey Raymond
was here at the RAND at the time he left.
Speaker 3: He's back.
Speaker 2: So a lot of members from both sides, from both teams,
a lot of members of the twenty nineteen National Championship
squad going to be represented in a pseudo reunion of sorts.
But and interestingly, Baylor opens his one and a half
point favorites over LSU, but ESPNFPI gives LSU a sixty
chance of winning. And if you look at how the
seasons went, you could argue that they kind of went
the opposite directions. Baylor started awfully, started two and four,
and at that point it looked almost assured that Dave
Randa was going to be fired. And next thing you know,
say Robertson catches fire, they go to Texas Tech, they
blow them out, and really remember they should have beaten
Colorado and they screwed that game up. But so they
beat Texas Tech and then they just get hot man.
Baylor ends on a six game win streak, LSU doing
a bit of the inverse we all know star six
and one, and after that, Arkansas Games looks like one
of the best teams in the entire country. Oh my god,
all of our dreams come true. Garrett's by one on
one player. Yeah, through the first half and am but
it was all still there and then it crumbled. So
you started six to one, you finished two and three
down starts. Now it is a bit like I do
think that els Shoe is a bit more momentum then
people are maybe giving them credit for nationally because coming
out of that three game losing streak and really handling
Vanderbilt and then dominating Oklahoma right after the Alabama game,
two like two more impressive wins than people want to
give credit for given the context where else she was out,
but still two teams who's half of the season's last
halves kind of feel opposite overall. And of course Baylor
not dealing with almost any opt outs and LSH going
to be playing with a completely makeshift offensive line.
Speaker 3: So Jake.
Speaker 2: Vegas favorite Baylor ESPN thinking l She's gonna win, and
basically a coin flip in both. What are your early
thoughts on who has the advantages here?
Speaker 3: Well, you kind of just said it right there at
the end.
Speaker 5: This is my first ever Bowl game to call since
like the opt outs have been the thing, and so
like when you're trying to put everything together when you're
trying to get your car together, when you're trying to
you know, kind of know everyone on the other side
of things, cause you like, no matter who plays for LSU,
if you're doing the LSU call, you know who it is.
And so you know, that's just something you put your
stuff together. You don't have to learn somebody. Like for Baylor,
it's like, Okay, well here's what it was during the
regular season. What's it going to look like during the
ball season. You're right, they don't have as many opt
outs and as many early entries into the NFL Draft.
How they have I just heard you know that they
don't have and I don't believe they have an early
entry into the draft. So you know, you're looking at
LSU some of their best play. Now, they did actually
do a really nice job of getting some of their
guys to play in this ball game. Now, there's some
surprises that aren't playing. But you know we've seen over
the last couple of days. I mean, like Raydon Swinson,
like that's a little bit of a surprise he's playing
in this game. So yeah, their roster is going to
look more like it normally does during the year. Than
yours is, but still your LSU. You have the advantage
I think in you know, a talent pool.
Speaker 2: Yes, I mean again, there's a reason why they don't
have guys opting out for the draft.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 2: It's it's it's it's it's nice to keep some consistently
going in the bowl game. But at the same time,
if you don't, well, then yeah, it's because you don't
have Will Campbell and Emery Jones on the team to
begin with. So it's not an awful sign. I guess
in kind of a meta overall program heal since when
you do. I will say this, if you look at
all of ball season, Sawyer Robertson versus Garrett and Osmeier
maybe the most underrated quarterback matchup of the entire thing.
It's it's it's not a matchup that's gonna garner a
ton of headlines. But Sir Robertson was excellent this year.
Both queston for twenty six touchdowns on the year. Sir Robertson,
that was good for third in the Big Twelve. Garrett's
twenty six is good for second in the SEC. Robertson,
though so played a bit more mistake free as he
finishes third in the Big Twelve in passer rating, So
something to watch out for. Two excellent quarterbacks going toe
to toe and it's going to be against and really, ironically,
given that Dave rand as a defensive coach, this is
a Baylor team that has been really finding its success
through dominant offense.
Speaker 3: So Blake Baker in.
Speaker 2: This defensive staff, which we think has done a very
good job, but this defense is a whole going to
be tested this game. So you have this great quarterback
matchup before Garrett. It does come at a time in
which he will be playing behind an offensive line that
should feature three new starters and four guys in new spots,
as I believe it's going to be Tyree Adams left tackle,
Paul Mbinga left guard, DJ Chester center, Bo Bordolon at
right guard, and Miles Frasier at right tackle. Jake, do
you have any worry about Dava Randa scheming on a
brand new group like that?
Speaker 5: Yeah, well, I mean you certainly would if it was
the next week in the regular season. You feel better
about it if you're LSU, if you're going to have
an offensive line like this that you do have bowl
prep and bowl practice for the most part. You know,
all those players certainly have time, even you know, within
this year now Borderlines is at tight end, so it's
not at guard and so that you know, that's a
player that hasn't got as many reps. You know, for Fraser,
it's a great opportunity for him to go show that
he can be a tackle because he came to LSU
from playing tackle, moved.
Speaker 3: Down to guard.
Speaker 5: Now it gets one more chance to play tackle and
for him, and I believe he's committed to the Senior
Bowl for him, like that's going to be something where
if he shows well, teams are going to ask him
to probably do it at Senior Bowl week as well.
And you know this, look you become a let's say
fifth round draft choice, but they know that you've got
swing capabilities. You can play guard and tackle, and that's
going to benefit you greatly, certainly the tackle portion of that.
So it's a big week for him and I would
expect him to be fully locked in. I guess, you know,
having bordline play right guards, you know, the one guy
that's kind of playing a brand new position even though
look I know he's an offensive line and I know
the tight ends kind of the extra stuff.
Speaker 3: But that's just what he's played mostly this year.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean Mebinga, you know, as someone who he
saw really struggle, but of course because he was thrust
in against an A and m front seven as A,
as A as a true freshman, a red chid freshman,
red chir refreshman, as a red chired freshman, still thrust
into that's incredibly tough, and he struggled, but you saw
him get better and better down the stretch. I'm very
fascinated to see DJ Chester's level of play, given that
well Chester was the week League. I still maintain he
was a bit better than maybe people give him credit
for this year, but was the a bit better because
he had two excellent veteran guards on either side of him.
And what happens now when like what a weird experience
from DJ Chester, He's now the leader, you know on
the interior, Lea, Miles Frasier, the over almost guy like
DJ Chester goes from being the young guy with the
least amount of experience, all of a sudden, everybody's gonna
be looking at him to make all the calls, and
these young guys are gonna be relying on him to
kind of lead the way and tell them what's uh,
what's going on out there. So a full year of
maturation from Chester gonna be put to the test. Also
a great chance for him to maybe give us some
insight as to whether he'll be playing center guard next season.
Given uh the Virginia Tech is it Brailan Moore? Uh,
I'm still I'm still trying to remember Christmas Fog give
the Virginia Tech transfer center, Braylor Moore coming over. So
a lot of exciting stuff to look for on Tuesday.
Speaker 6: Uh.
Speaker 2: I just hope that this old line can get it done,
because there is a world out there where they really
struggle and this becomes a hard watch. But who knows,
maybe the Elishue defense can step up and stop that
good Baylor offense and keep you in it if that
does come to pass.
Speaker 5: Yeah, you're also going to be kind of starting over
at tight end. As we talked about, sure Mason Taylor
going to the draft not playing in this game. Pimpton's
now at TCU trade As Green, who kind of moved
to receiver during the year, is probably gonna have to
move back to tight end. Giovanni Peterson, a former walk
on with somebody that you know, a couple of the
clips that we saw was out there with the ones.
I mean, he's a big body six four two fifty,
but he's been a special teams guy to this point,
so you know, up front certainly is like when you're
looking at, you know, pass protection and rushing attack, like
you're going to have to kind of learn each other
on the fly. That's gonna be one of the stories
of the game because on the other side of it,
the Baylor bayar is like, that's probably what they're going
to try to attack you with. They're the only team
in the country that has a thousand yard rusher and
a six hundred yard rusher Bryson Washington freshman thousand yard rusher,
Freshman All American. How about this name Dawson Pendergrass. He
ran for six oh eight So I mean, you got
Washington at five point nine per career, Pendergrass at six
point one per carry. That's who they are. They want
to run the football. They're gonna do it. Out of
eleven personnel, they're gonna do it, and they spread away,
but they want to run the football. And yes, Dawson
Pendergrass looks exactly like a Dawson Pendergrass should well.
Speaker 3: Let I mean, look.
Speaker 2: This D line Paiez is the D line pair shanned.
Speaker 5: Chance we'll playing Chan's playing, I know they bro Uh
Jones is playing. Braden Swinson's playing. So that makes you
that does make you feel better about the matchup because
that's Yeah, it's a big game for for wit Weeks
and west Weeks can play in this one again because
the ball game doesn't count towards your red shirt.
Speaker 2: I wonder, I wonder if we see the continue to
merger the Devon Keys. I know they like Malton coverage roles,
so maybe this isn't the greatest bet.
Speaker 3: Devon plays star in this game.
Speaker 2: Oh yes, because his burns out right or no, I can't.
Speaker 4: I don't know that.
Speaker 3: I don't know. I mean, that's certainly the word a word.
Speaker 2: There's rumors that he may be let me see see
if that's maybe I'm conflating things. So it's so especially
again with the Christmas fog, it's very hard to remember
what's real and what's not. But Key's in the star role,
very intriguing. I think he could really do well there
if mentally he can, uh, because we've seen him in coverage.
I wish you would have called that pick against Florida,
but he was right there. It was a great, great,
great job of being where he needed to be. Now
we just finished the play. So look, I'm actually pretty
fascinating for this game in terms of making a pick.
I don't know if I'm quite ready to do so yet.
If I'm being realistic with myself, because it is such
a coin flip, my bias will probably just push me
to LSU in a close one, like if we're being honest.
But I guess maybe that's the overall takeaway. I'm not
going into this game like last year, well you kind
of you had to be Wisconson. Honestly, I thought you
beat them better, but like you were facing a team
that didn't ever that was dead in the water. That
is not the case this year. You are facing a
team that is confident, that finished the season on a
very high note, that would love nothing more than to
push it to a seven game win streak with a
Bowl win over LSU. That would be huge for the
Baylor Bears. Whereas for LSU, you do have a bit
of a question of motivation in some ways, although Brian
Kelly says Morales strong and all that, So I guess
my overall takeaway is, don't go to if you're a fan,
don't go to this game cocky like as a fan,
You're not just gonna roll over this Baylor team. This
is going to be a battle. There's gonna be low moments.
Can Garrett nuss Smyer, who just saw a massive pay raise,
can he take Can he overcome a bad situation like
he everybody is looking to him as the leader, new
faces all around. Can he find a way to be successful?
It's gonna be fast, I mean see as well as
watching these younger line and giving you some insight in
the next season. All right, when we get back, I
want to talk about the potential reemergence of DBU and
maybe what's even more important to LSU than DBU coming back.
Keep locked right here on Off the bench, Off.
Speaker 1: The Bench, Welcome back to the best morning sports show
around sorta. It's Off the Bench with Hester and T Bob.
Speaker 2: Sorry, what's going on y'all? Welcome back to OTB Hope
everybody's having a wonderful day to day. Just hopping in
the chatter the first time to do anything.
Speaker 3: You all for hanging out. Go ahead, and hit that
like button, guys, and.
Speaker 2: Please the algorithmic gods that rule our existence. Jake, how
is boxing day?
Speaker 3: Yes? It was great. Yeah, it was great.
Speaker 5: It's always one of my favorite days of the year.
It's just basically, you know, epl and championship action all
day long. At least started it off right with Everton.
You know, they saved a penalty, he had a result
from man City. So no, it's a great day. Like
I said, it's one of those days that maybe not
everybody here appreciates, but I certainly do.
Speaker 2: Do you agree this, Scott Dyce says, if nuskts happy feet,
we are in trouble. It is one of the things
I'm fascinating to see because at times he'd behind this
very good o line his footwork we get him into trouble.
At times I'm I'm again, how how will he handle
how will the guy has handled up front?
Speaker 3: And then how will he handle it? I don't even
necessarily think it's like his his footwork and.
Speaker 5: Like it's where he ends up and it's bailing from
a clean pocket too quick and.
Speaker 2: Trying to roll out like bailing backwards.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think like if he's just like sitting back there,
like you know, his mechanics are good, and when he
steps up in that pocket and we saw it, you
know throughout this year, like there was a there was
a play I think it was a touchdown against Florida.
It's like the perfect Aaron Anderson. It's like the perfect example.
But when he gets in trouble, I think it's when
he tries to bail outside of the pocket, which as
a tackle and as an offensive lineman like you you know,
like that's not where I'm blocking.
Speaker 2: It's and it's it's it's forgivable if there's interior pressure,
cause then you don't really have a choice. And that's
why in tier pressure is so important to set it
up edge guys for sacks. But yeah, too often this
year you could have stepped up and he would try
to roll out. Now in tier pressure could be in
play this game with a brand new and tier so
we will see. But that's deaf definitely. One of the
main things that I'm watching.
Speaker 5: What I would say is you're going to see, in
my opinion, much more of what we saw in the
last game against Oklahoma with some now routes, with some
smoke screens, with bubble screen like we saw a lot
at the line of scrimmage with some of Els Sho's
very talented receivers. You get Aaron Anderson one on one,
you get Zavian Thomas one on one, like that's what
you do, and in you lull him to sleep and
then you hit Chris Hilton over the top, right.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 5: I mean in the Oklahoma game they hit Empton on
the play, you know, faking the little bubble screen. He
goes down the sideline and it's a big play. You
got to do some of those things because that slows
any rush down. So if your offensive line is struggling,
and you know, they love to play where they motion
the back out and they'll throw announce at the back
as well. Like those are things that you do to
slow down if you're losing up front.
Speaker 2: And so those are some of the guys that you
will see play comes Saturday. One guy you will not see,
but he is getting reps and Taylor. It's not a
good video, but if you want to show the video
just as a proof of life, is DJ Pickett as
DJ Pickett is already on campus and he is he
is practicing with the team. Now he cannot play in
the Bowl. Game, but he is getting his first ever
reps in in an LSU uniform, and I don't really
want to. Oh, actually I do want to have this conversation, Jake,
because this does dovetail with to me that we talked
about recently. So Pickett in high school this year also
had over one thousand yards receiving in fifteen touchdowns. Travis
Hunter just won the Heisman. Obviously, DJ Pickett is mainly
here to revitalize DBU, and I haven't heard this talked
about anywhere. Is there a world though, where they give
him some offensive opportunity do you think?
Speaker 3: Or is that room just too crowd? I mean, I
don't think you need it.
Speaker 2: I just wonder if, like we said, right, could because
the question is that Travis Hunter isn't truly as singular
as it appears to be. I think it is, but
maybe this is like when the guy runs the first
ever sub five minute mile, right, and then over the
next year or two, like ten fifteen, however many other
people do it, right Lester, Yes, I believe so. And
also before the internet comes to me, I know that
story is kind of like flawed, and there's other just
you get the point. It's just a metaphor analogy whatever
to compare for the story like does Travis Hunter lead
to more guys trying to go both ways? And would
DJ Pickett a be a potential candidate there.
Speaker 5: I do think we'll see more of it because there
is I don't want to say plenty. I feel disrespectful
to what Travis Hunter did, but I do think there's
players that, if they were asked to do it, could
have done it at a very high level. I think
Patrick Peterson could have done it at a very high level.
I think Tyron Matthew could have done it at a
very high level. Like hey, get that guy at the
ball in space. We saw what he was as a
punt returner. So I do think there's players that could
have done I think right now, like let's just take
the CFP, I bet there's five players that could play
both ways because they you know, they've done it growing up,
they did it in high school whatever. Now to the
Travis Hunter level, maybe not, but no, I do think
it will become something that is a little.
Speaker 3: Bit in vogue.
Speaker 5: I think you'll see people try, but you're gonna have
high school players that just saw Travis Hunter win the
Heisman Trophy and high school players have a lot of leverage.
Speaker 3: Now, yeah, Picket's kind of the prime.
Speaker 5: Same coming to LSU unless you let me play both ways. Yeah,
I'm not coming to Georgia unless you let me play
both ways.
Speaker 3: So again I am saying this.
Speaker 2: I have not heard this anywhere, So this could be
completely not even in the cards. Just some interesting food
for thought because DJ Pickett did a lot in high
school offensively, defensively, even played some safety. Now, the thing is,
you got a really good receiver room. It looks like
again next year with the additions of Barry and Brown
and Nick Anderson and everybody else that you have returning.
Speaker 3: So maybe it's one of those deals.
Speaker 2: Like the reason why Travis Hunter works is because he
is simultaneously both the best receiver and the best corner
on the entire team. I don't think Pickett could be that,
But just some food.
Speaker 3: For thought going forward.
Speaker 2: Now, the more interesting about Pickett is it feels like
DBU is on its way back between him and ing
the transfers. You're bringing in, the young guys returning in
Woodland and Stamps. Corey Raymond looks like he's getting that done.
Speaker 3: Coming up next here on off the bench.
Speaker 2: So I want to talk about another position group that
may be even more important to LSU, recapturing the now
lost glories of the Golden Age.
Speaker 3: Keep it locked right here on off the.
Speaker 2: Bench, Off the bench, go to all Start, Toyota, Betrouge
dot com. All Start Toyota of bet Rouge.
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Speaker 1: Welcome back to more sports talk. What's some other stuff
mixed in off the bench with Hester and t Bob.
Speaker 3: What's going on y'all? Welcome back to otb.
Speaker 2: Hope. Everybody's having a voondabar morning this morning. So we're
just talking about DBU based being back for LSU. But
there's a uh you got this market Spears video ready? Go?
Speaker 3: Uh?
Speaker 5: Marcus, you tell me about a new Mark sperience video?
Speaker 3: Uh what is it? Oh Taylor?
Speaker 7: I know Jesus, he didn't tell me to get it
ready by to do it?
Speaker 3: Okay, good for once you know, do your job? Are
you are you serious? I can't. I can't hesitate, I think.
Speaker 4: Marcus spearsman, No, but I haven't.
Speaker 3: I can't.
Speaker 2: I mean, I just can't with this guy. You know,
you can lead a horse to water.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 7: John, but he didn't say getting ready but John Kruk video,
thank you?
Speaker 3: I did not.
Speaker 5: Yes, it was when he was, you know, in the
All Star Game, and he didn't want a bat against
Randy Johnson.
Speaker 4: Okay, you remember that one, and I think I heard
the story. I think I've heard him tell this.
Speaker 3: We're talking about best sports nicknames. The Big Unit came up.
Speaker 5: My favorite Big UNI moment is when John Cruk's like,
I'm not hitting against.
Speaker 4: Tough bat for an a lefty man.
Speaker 1: It is.
Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, yesterday was the most post Christmas show.
Speaker 4: Imagine for breaking up John Kruk.
Speaker 3: Yeah wow, I mean, who does who among us?
Speaker 2: All right, well, Taylor, let's all give her and fluster
Taylor doing his job. Taylor, thank you for having the
video ready to go. Uh, don't give me a Bill Wilders. Look,
you brought this song with your SATs. Okay, okay, let's
just look.
Speaker 3: At the news. I mean it was, it was all true.
Speaker 2: Here's Marcus Spear sitting down with Adam Brindeman talking about
what's going wrong with Elsie.
Speaker 3: One last time we had a d Lineman go in
the first round. Glenn Darsey and Tyson Jackson. That's a problem.
I talked to BK, briand Kelling. I told him we
got to change our philosophy and how we recruit.
Speaker 4: I won't.
Speaker 3: Is the internet?
Speaker 2: Yea?
Speaker 4: I think it's buffery.
Speaker 3: Did Matt and I pay the bill again?
Speaker 2: Mm hmm. You know, look, basically we look, we all.
This is what I tell people all the time. This
is what I was telling my kids the Nutcracker when
they'd get upset, when they would get coached, or or
or if somebody was making them anger. If we allow
something to make us, they regive that thing control over us.
Speaker 3: So I'm not going to as Jake, Jake, what was
Marcus Spears going to get into that?
Speaker 5: Yeah, he was going to talk about you know, during
the Golden Age there for LSU, it was defensive lineman
being selected in the NFL draft. It was Glenn Dorsey's
tyson Jackson. Glenn was five, Tyson was three. But I
would go a step farther than that. It would go
back to Marcus Spears being a first rounder. You would
go to Kyle Williams being NFL draft choice. You would
go to Claude Roten being an NFL draft choice, and
then like you would go to your time with Kiki
Mingo and Sam Montgomery and Strake Nevis and Michael Brockers.
Speaker 2: So I didn't I should have. I didn't do it
to all draft picks, because I think you would clearly
see there were a ton of D linemen going. But
even if we just narrow this to defensive line first
round picks, you so very clearly see the correlation between
when LSU was at their best and you had guys
going in to the first round on your D line. Uh,
as you alluded to, Jake, you kind of start this
if you wanted to at Marcus Spears first round or
in five do you think the last one before would
have been Booger McFarlane maybe ninety one hundred percent sure.
Speaker 3: Like the nineties, you don't have anybody drafted anywhere basically.
I mean, if you did, it was mainly on the
offensive line. Yeah, it was not. It was not a
little why and Fanica anothers y.
Speaker 2: So Marcus Spears first round pick and OH five Glenn
Dorsey first round and O eight Tyson Jackson first round
and OH nine Michael Brocker's first round in twenty twelve
for Kivusmingo first round in twenty thirteen, and that is
the last time that you had a first round offensive
lineman selected. In fact, Jake, as much as lsh is
called DBU, there's been fifty four defensive backs drafted in
Lshu's history, that is the most of any position group.
What second d line with how many fifty three? So traditionally,
these are the two position groups that LSU has always
excelled at and been best at. And yet here we
sit and it has been over eleven years since you
had a first round defensive lineman selected. I mean, yeah, uh,
Park Givesmino in twenty thirteen was the last one. And
really that's a twenty twelve season.
Speaker 5: The only like maybe count Kalvon. You know, I'm saying
first round, you first first rounder.
Speaker 2: I mean, they must say they must have said him,
they must have put him as a outside linebacker.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Kalevon went eighteen overall eighteen or nineteen, So okay,
so there's there's no need to fudge numbers.
Speaker 2: We could say one in eleven years, right, it's still
a dearth and it really if you look at draft
picks as a whole, of the first round picks in
that time, everything's gone offensive, which is still not bad. Right.
It's a lot of wide receivers, a lot of quarterbacks, ironically,
but for LSU to get and what's kind of the
biggest weakness enter in the zero you most work, Like,
for LSU to get back to being its best, you
have got to start recruiting more NFL talent on that
defensive line.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 5: And also when we talk about the Golden Age and
you know when we won and O seven, when they
won and O three, when y'all played four and eleven,
like up front was maybe the biggest strength of the team,
Like certainly on one side of the ball or another,
like that was the strength of the team. Like I
would say O three, it was both offense and defensive line.
I would say for us it was D line. For y'all,
I'd say it was a combination of both as well.
And a lot of people are like, well, you can
get it.
Speaker 3: Done other ways. I mean twenty nineteen and sure like
twenty nineteen.
Speaker 5: Was built off Joe and the receivers and Clyde and
what they had offensively, but also listen to the pros
from that team that play on the offense or the
defensive line. I'm not talking my first round picks, but
I'm talking about guys that made it into the NFL,
played a year, you know, got.
Speaker 3: Years credited to them in the NFL.
Speaker 5: So Austin Deculus, Braden Fojoco, Rashard, Lawrence Klevon, Chase On
like we're talking about. You can go down to Neil
Ferrell Junior. You can go to Damian Lewis, Tyler, Shelvin
Berry of course, Shadik, Charles, Lloyd, Cushion, Berry, ed Ingram.
All those are players that played up front for that
team that made it in the NFL. Yeah, so that
that kind of gets lost in that now, not household names,
not stars, but those are linemen. Right, that's almost double
digit guys from that twenty nineteen team that not only
like made it to the NFL, some of those guys
got big second contracts like Lloyd and d lou.
Speaker 2: So the crazy that I mean that is in just
doing some very surface level number crunching looking at all
this stuff. The twenty nineteen team is such an insane
perfect storm of of good like it is in a decade,
like if you look at what bookends it really from
god mingo, like the twenty thirteen time until now it's
kind of middling, okay, and then there's just this massive
spike in nineteen. Now granted with oh at the beginning,
you saw the rise, right, because what was it the
nine and four into ten and three, then into the fifteen. Oh,
so you saw kind of build towards that. But it's
such an outlier. I mean, five first rounders, are.
Speaker 3: You kidding me?
Speaker 2: So it's like, I'm not expecting you to put together
a twenty nineteen team year in a year out.
Speaker 3: That's impossible.
Speaker 2: What I am expecting, though, is a bit more of
the consistency that you showed in the past, or maybe
not expecting because all bets are off in terms of
expectations in the modern set, in the changes by the day.
But if you want to achieve the heights of the
LSU Golden era, where you feel like you are championship
relevant every single season, that's what you're going to have
to do is revitalize that defensive line. You're you're doing
great in the secondary. But like Jakiem Stewart, you know,
I mean, that's kind of a perfect a guy who
would think has the NFL potential.
Speaker 3: We'll see.
Speaker 2: I mean, I'm still excited for McKinley and mad bro
and the young guys, but in the group overall and
how they played. But yeah, certainly getting back to being
a dominant defensive line fearsome pass rush, Like that's the
only way that LSU will ever fulfill its max potential.
Speaker 5: Again, I'm with you on that, And you know you
had pieces of some of what we're talking about this year,
but you still need you need more. Yeah, Like you
had the offensive line portion of it, and think you
get two tackles are going to be drafted and maybe
if Dellinger doesn't get hurt, maybe he's a draftable guy.
I think he's going to mobile for the senior ball,
so he'll have an opportunity. Mouse Fraser probably gets drafted.
And then on the defensive side, you took players that
the year before didn't do a whole lot.
Speaker 3: They just didn't.
Speaker 5: Yeah, but I think that falls on coaching because you
had a new coaching staff come in and now like
they're playing in All Star games, like Jones and Swinson
are playing in the East West Shrine Game. Like they
had really good years at defensive tackle. That was the
position we were probably most worried about. And I'm not
saying they were the best in the SEC by any means,
but they held their own. A jpi Ass played really
well at times, Like that's somebody that came in here
from Wisconsin with not a lot of fans. Fair you
had some young players step up, and so you're trying
to get back there. You're trying to get back to
that point that we're talking about, because if you want
to go play for championships, that's where it has to start.
Because no air Ray team has ever won a national championship, right,
no team that plays that kind of style. It is
so hard to win one, and it's almost impossible if
you don't have dudes upfront. Again, that's why we bring
up twenty nineteen and who they had upfront, because they
had the stars at quarterback, receiver, running back, tight end.
But you're talking about probably eight to nine guys up front.
They end up playing in the NFL. All right, when
we get back, let's wrap up our one and O
two B Off the bench.
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Speaker 2: These allow me to introduce myself. I'm a main will
and say.
Speaker 4: I've been around for long.
Speaker 5: Long you.
Speaker 1: Back to sports talk, maybe off the Bench was adding
y'all work.
Speaker 3: Back to OTB.
Speaker 2: Let's get a couple of comments here, uh jv SR
saying we thought our ow line this season would walk
us into the playoffs. I don't think the trenches are
as important as what they used to be. I think
you're taking away the wrong conclusion from the evidence. I
think Lsuzo line wasn't quite as dominant as we thought
they were going to be, especially obviously running the ball.
They remained elite passwalkers, but running bull certainly.
Speaker 3: Because if you.
Speaker 2: Look at the playoff, what is damn near every team
and especially the strongest teams have in common.
Speaker 3: They have the best offensive and defensive lines in the country.
Speaker 5: If you look at this playoff, it is not built
on quarterback play. It is built on running backs, offense,
and defensive lines. Yeah, and really front seven on defense.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So again, don't don't don't be wary of of of
drawing such a conclusion as the one that was that
was stated there. So in terms of the portal to
Feke Boyd by Art made that up to Feke Bayard,
it looks like he is going to Colorado.
Speaker 3: That is a safety.
Speaker 2: Now. I don't care about the name. What I do
care about is you have done an incredible job in
the portal. Yes still need a safety, and yes still
need to tackle maybe one of those guys in the playoff.
Maybe you're doing some good old fashioned tampering. I hope
that you are right. All these very good teams left
in the playoff. I'm sure I have very deep depth
charts which somebody is not happy they're not playing. Now,
those aren't the ideal guys to get necessarily, because like
we've talked about, I think you would you would prefer proven,
productive guys over potential talent guys. But those are two positions, Jake,
where you need bodies even as much as you need
a proven guy probably safety maybe a bit more than tackle.
Some about just bodies, but I think you still must
have both. And it's gonna be interesting to watch over
this final few weeks here in this first window, and
then who comes out in that second window in which
things get very expensive, who you will seek to pursue, Uh, Tata,
You've a masked some names.
Speaker 7: Is there anybody in particular that you like here? Always
get concerned. You're to join it as well if you want,
always get concerned with injuries? Is nappen Jalen Catalan from
UNLV will actually be his seventh year.
Speaker 3: Nice name. He played at Arkansas for four years. This
is actually his.
Speaker 7: Seventh year of college. Because he's dealt with so many injuries,
but you go look at what he's done. He played
in double digit games in twenty twenty at Arkansas ninety
nine tackles three interceptions. He played fourteen games last year
for UNLV ninety six, tackles five interceptions. So sure he's
dealt with some injuries. He's been in out of the lineup,
but when the guy's been on the field, he's been productive.
Speaker 3: Okay, yeah, you got man.
Speaker 5: You have to get some safety help unless you plan
on moving some guys around, because it wasn't good last
year and you lost those it wasn't good, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 2: You're saying, like when the safeties are the worst, those
are the games that you lost like that.
Speaker 5: And I'm saying, like the guys that played bad last
year the year waiting or transferred.
Speaker 3: Yeah, so like even the.
Speaker 5: Guys that started last year that weren't good are going elsewhere,
are either moving on.
Speaker 3: You got to improve there, yep.
Speaker 5: And I know you've got a couple of guys that
can kind of play corner, can play stark and play safety.
Speaker 3: I think you need to go be one of safety.
Ass safety.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, thank me. Somebody that's interesting. I mean you
and LV just finished off an eleven and three season.
Speaker 5: No, and he's he's played really, I mean, injuries are
certainly a part of his story unfortunately, but he no,
I mean, you know the name because he's played well.
He played well against Ali Shoue a couple of times.
But like that's that's kind of the mold that I'm
talking about. Don't get a tweener.
Speaker 4: Yeah, not that that's bad.
Speaker 3: Look, I was one of those.
Speaker 5: It's okay, but sometimes you just need the finished product
of what it is and where it is.
Speaker 2: Uh moose Uh And when when you all are talking
portal on af R, what are your targets that that you.
Speaker 4: Have your vision?
Speaker 3: Got to have this, yes, this wise or if you
want names you.
Speaker 4: Know, I mean, I mean I think everyone's got the
same at this point.
Speaker 6: Now what they've done, I mean the ones I really
looked at before were edge, safety, tight end, and wide receiver.
Now you're down to safety and tackle. Really is which
I mean they've they've hit everywhere, They've hit everywhere else.
But I mean even even a guy like Bayer, who
I mean, yeah, they wanted why wouldn't you? Guy just
had a really productive season in his first season, starting
but again it was one season. There was just one
season starting, So yeah, I mean, I think you can
even look at that like, yeah, he's more productive, he's
more proven than what you have. But with three years left,
is that still just the immediate plug and play guy
that you've gotten?
Speaker 4: It really every other position.
Speaker 3: So far in the portal, so it's so many.
Speaker 2: Definitely keep an eye on, continue to keep an eye
on post playoff as this is something we're going to
see more and more too, where players that are known
to be transferring or maybe haven't announce yet, but they're
sticking out with their team for now and then they
will go pursue their fortune here in a in a
bit at some.
Speaker 5: Point, I know we don't have time here in this segment,
but we can come back to what you mentioned there
the second portal window and how expensive it really becomes
and you overpay for players that are mid players, you
just do it happened last year, Like we can go
back and we could pull the tape of the players
that we sat here and we talked about for like
two to three weeks and what they got and how
much money like they were able to just scheme away
to the production that they actually had.
Speaker 3: I don't know, but yeah, it's no. You don't want
to get there.
Speaker 5: You don't want to get there like these d tackles
thinking they're sweet out there they and good on them.
Speaker 3: They're getting millions for being Okay, you don't want to
get there again.
Speaker 2: Look at this guy, John Gains in the chat shout
out to the main Event special off the bench. My
family of six were all allowed a thirty minute time car.
Speaker 3: I think, so TV.
Speaker 2: There you go, guys, Remember you go to Main Event
you mentioned o TV, you get that car. That makes
you so happy, John, Happy holidays, man.
Speaker 3: All right, we'll be back.
Speaker 2: Let's preview round two of the CFB Tonal Bowl games
today and tomorrow. If you were in college football fan,
give things because this is a holiday in and of itself,
and we will celebrate next hour. Off the bench, go
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