WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:03.879 College football season came into to an end last night 2 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:07.839 in Atlanta. Ohio State is your national champ Our next 3 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:10.919 guest was on the ground. I believe I saw him 4 00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:13.759 send out a picture on social media. He's been one 5 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:18.039 of our favorites college football all year long. The writer 6 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:20.640 and creator of one of my favorite college football newsletters 7 00:00:20.679 --> 00:00:23.440 called Extra Points. My buddy Matt Brown on a Tuesday. Matt, 8 00:00:23.480 --> 00:00:25.559 Happy Tuesday. Man, you were on the ground in Atlanta 9 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:26.000 last time? 10 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:27.519 Yeah, I was. 11 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:30.760 I just got back to Chicago about twenty minutes ago. 12 00:00:31.079 --> 00:00:32.679 It was a little bit of a zoo getting out 13 00:00:32.679 --> 00:00:33.240 of town, but. 14 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:39.000 I was there and it was a truly excellent experience. 15 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:39.359 I think. 16 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:41.320 Tell me about that environment. 17 00:00:41.640 --> 00:00:44.880 What was the percentage of Ohio State fans versus Notred 18 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:47.600 Notre Dame fans, and what was it like to kind 19 00:00:47.640 --> 00:00:48.439 of be on the ground there. 20 00:00:49.079 --> 00:00:51.960 Yeah, I think it was probably her around sixty percent 21 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:56.439 Ohio State, maybe fifty five percent Ohio State. Normally, I 22 00:00:56.479 --> 00:00:59.759 think in these kind of circumstances, the Ohio State fans 23 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:02.439 wild and only take over a building, but Notre Dame 24 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:05.480 is probably right up there in terms of as large 25 00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:08.239 and as national of a fan base and one that 26 00:01:08.280 --> 00:01:12.239 can afford to show the ridiculous amount of money for 27 00:01:12.280 --> 00:01:12.680 a ticket. 28 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:15.599 I mean to get in the building leading up to 29 00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:16.040 the game. 30 00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:18.560 The tickets were over three thousand dollars to go just 31 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:20.480 get at the at the at the very top row. 32 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:24.599 Think easily the most expensive championship game ticket in the 33 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:27.400 last last decade or so. And when that kind of 34 00:01:27.480 --> 00:01:30.239 thing happens, especially when you're playing in a really big 35 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:32.879 NFL stadium where you have a really high roof and 36 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:35.439 the sound kind of moves around differently, I think there's 37 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:37.840 a there's always a legitimate fear that it becomes more 38 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:41.200 of a sterile, corporate environment rather than the more passionate, 39 00:01:41.319 --> 00:01:44.439 collegiate focused event that you would expect. But I really 40 00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:47.680 found this to be a pretty high energy, high energy game, 41 00:01:47.799 --> 00:01:50.560 high energy crowd. Things kind of began to low a 42 00:01:50.599 --> 00:01:52.280 little bit in the middle of the third quarter when 43 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:54.920 it looked like Ohio State had already won the game, 44 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:57.400 but Notre Dame came back pretty quickly, and it. 45 00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:00.519 Was it was loud, it was it was, it was intense, 46 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:06.359 and the level of relief I would say from Ohio 47 00:02:06.359 --> 00:02:09.000 States coaches, their players. 48 00:02:08.599 --> 00:02:12.840 Their staffers was very significant. Once you get on the 49 00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:16.000 ground here because this is not the typical championship journey, 50 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:19.199 the typical championship expectations or pressures. 51 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:23.360 It's I think it's a complicated ending for this team, and. 52 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:24.360 We'll get there in a moment. 53 00:02:24.520 --> 00:02:26.800 I have not seen a final number as far as 54 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:30.039 the TV ratings go, but as you reference, if it's 55 00:02:30.039 --> 00:02:32.000 three grand just to get in the building, I would 56 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:36.039 imagine that the powers that be in college football, and 57 00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:37.840 I would imagine when we see the number, the powers 58 00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:40.840 that be in television are probably going to celebrate this 59 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:41.919 twelve team format. 60 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:42.120 Right. 61 00:02:42.159 --> 00:02:44.240 It feels like it's probably checking all the boxes for 62 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:46.439 the people that make the decisions about this stuff. 63 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:52.240 Oh, I think unquestionably for anybody on the financial or 64 00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:55.599 business side of college athletics or this industry, the first 65 00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:59.639 year of this, called team Playoffs, was a massive, massive success. 66 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:02.080 You were able to prove that you could. 67 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:05.680 Host a campus site game on short notice and some 68 00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:12.039 notoriously difficult to UH to reach, UH and and handle environments. Right, Like, 69 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:13.879 I don't know if any of you guys listening have 70 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:16.240 ever been to State College, Pennsylvania where Penn State is, 71 00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:18.240 but there's basically two hotels that it's in the middle 72 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:18.599 of nowhere. 73 00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:19.800 It's a giant camping trip. 74 00:03:20.120 --> 00:03:23.280 They sent one hundred thousand people on on the ten 75 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:23.960 days notice to. 76 00:03:23.960 --> 00:03:26.000 Pulled off a game. There's not a lot of hotels 77 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:28.599 in South Bend, you know, on recruiting visits. 78 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:31.199 People typically have to stay in Chicago or Michigan. They 79 00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:33.960 hosted a playoff game, you had, you had strong attendance, 80 00:03:34.439 --> 00:03:38.280 strong ratings uh and and improved ratings and and buy 81 00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:40.879 into the end of the regular season. So there's certainly 82 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:41.319 things I. 83 00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:43.479 Think could be tweaked or improved, and. 84 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:45.199 Those are things that the administrators are going to be 85 00:03:45.240 --> 00:03:46.280 talking about over the next. 86 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:47.080 Couple of weeks. 87 00:03:47.479 --> 00:03:49.919 But I think it would be hard to draw up 88 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:54.000 a better bracket, better result, better better finale for any 89 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:55.000 of the Bean Counters. 90 00:03:55.400 --> 00:03:56.439 Don't we had this year? 91 00:03:57.000 --> 00:03:57.319 All right? 92 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:00.400 Moving over to this wild ride that it's been for 93 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:04.159 Ryan Day And look, yeah, you know, I don't know 94 00:04:04.199 --> 00:04:06.960 that I have an accurate frame of reference for how 95 00:04:07.479 --> 00:04:12.080 intensely passionate, maybe at times crazy Ohio State fans are. 96 00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:14.840 And I get losing to Michigan four times in a 97 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:18.920 row is a really bad look. And I don't know 98 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:21.759 how they lost to Michigan this year with how good 99 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:24.319 they are, how deep and I get it, I really do. 100 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:27.079 But Ryan Day is a coach that has a better 101 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:30.040 winning percentage than Jim Tressel. He has a better SMP 102 00:04:30.120 --> 00:04:33.240 index than Urban Meyer. He's now one of three current 103 00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:36.319 coaches that have won a national championship. And it feels 104 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:38.519 like if they moved on from him at the age 105 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:41.480 of forty five, he could pick his next job. How 106 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:44.319 real was the heat around him and what did this 107 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:46.519 run say to people that think he should not be 108 00:04:46.519 --> 00:04:47.240 in charge there? 109 00:04:47.959 --> 00:04:49.600 The heat was meaningful. 110 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:52.120 It was not a situation where I think he was 111 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:55.839 in danger of Ohio State actively terminating the contract, and 112 00:04:55.879 --> 00:04:57.839 a large part of that is just because his buyout 113 00:04:57.839 --> 00:04:59.879 would be would be absolutely prohibitive. 114 00:05:00.360 --> 00:05:01.480 But the stresses on. 115 00:05:01.560 --> 00:05:05.000 Him and his family there were I saw some reports 116 00:05:05.319 --> 00:05:07.600 leaving the game that there was like extra security around 117 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:10.839 his house. After the Michigan game, it gets to that 118 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:13.879 point when you realize like it's not worth it, especially 119 00:05:13.879 --> 00:05:15.800 because Ryan Day spent a lot of time in the 120 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:20.879 NFL and and had interest in the NFL positions. Have 121 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:23.319 has indicated that they've had interest in him before, and 122 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:26.000 so that the kind of mood and thought in a 123 00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:28.720 lot of the corners of the industry, was if Ohio 124 00:05:28.759 --> 00:05:31.800 State lost early in this playoff, after the amount of 125 00:05:31.800 --> 00:05:35.920 money that was allocated for this roster, how senior laden 126 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:39.199 and experienced this team was, and those kind of expectations, 127 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:42.000 if it blew up in their face, then rather for 128 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:44.879 the termination, there would be a kind of you know, mutual, 129 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:48.040 amicable parting of waves, and you know, maybe he goes 130 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:49.600 to make the cult's job or something right. 131 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:53.560 But that's that isn't what happened, And it wasn't just 132 00:05:53.639 --> 00:05:56.879 that Ohio State had lost to Michigan four times in 133 00:05:56.879 --> 00:05:57.160 a row. 134 00:05:57.199 --> 00:05:59.279 Like yeah, I think I think Day's like seventy and ten. 135 00:05:59.319 --> 00:06:02.759 He has one of the highest winning percentages legitimately in 136 00:06:02.759 --> 00:06:05.439 like college football history. But it's like every t all 137 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:09.240 ten of those losses were especially brutal. 138 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:10.759 For Ohio State fans. 139 00:06:10.839 --> 00:06:12.920 Right, you lose to Michigan four times in a row, 140 00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:15.759 You lose two games in a row to Oregon, you 141 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:19.399 had the one versus two matchup earlier in the year 142 00:06:19.399 --> 00:06:21.720 in Eugene, and then you had Oregon the year before 143 00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:24.199 as your premier not out of conference game when they 144 00:06:24.199 --> 00:06:24.959 really weren't. 145 00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:27.279 That good, and you had c. J. Stroud and you lose. 146 00:06:27.720 --> 00:06:30.720 You had the very winnable playoff game against Georgia when 147 00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:33.839 they won the national championship by roughly eight hundred points, 148 00:06:34.040 --> 00:06:36.000 and things kind of fell apart in the fourth quarter 149 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:37.120 and you missed the fifty yard. 150 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:39.000 Field goal and that's the end of it, right. 151 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:45.920 There's something I think acutely frustrating about being a team 152 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:49.480 that wins almost every single game, often in a way 153 00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:52.959 that fuels psychologically frustrating to the fan base. 154 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:54.079 And then the. 155 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:56.399 Last three or four years they've lost most of their 156 00:06:56.439 --> 00:06:59.040 big games unless they're playing ten State, who has the 157 00:06:59.079 --> 00:07:02.639 same problem, whose fan base is facing a similar kind 158 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:03.360 of neurosis. 159 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:05.759 So then to go from all of. 160 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:08.600 That and all of the negative energy to not just 161 00:07:08.680 --> 00:07:13.000 beating four really good teams in a row, but mostly 162 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:16.079 beating the absolute snot out of them in a way 163 00:07:16.120 --> 00:07:18.680 that they really didn't do it to any competent team 164 00:07:18.759 --> 00:07:23.319 during the regular season changes everything. And if anything, I 165 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:25.759 think this actually might be an interesting case study for 166 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:28.920 how you have to handle load management in the twelfth 167 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:31.959 team playoff era. You're gonna have to play an NFL 168 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.120 schedule to win a national championship. You're gonna have to 169 00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:36.959 play sixteen games. You can't empty the. 170 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:39.240 Chamber in early October. 171 00:07:39.800 --> 00:07:42.079 And that might mean not that you're hot dogging it 172 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:44.199 or anything, but that might mean that you're willing to 173 00:07:44.199 --> 00:07:49.360 trade some less exciting finishes or some closer margins of 174 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:52.360 victory than you might expect to keep your team fresh 175 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:54.639 and ready to go in Lake December and January. And 176 00:07:54.920 --> 00:07:56.360 that's what Ohio State did this year. 177 00:07:56.560 --> 00:07:58.360 Do you think there's any chance and maybe this is 178 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:00.879 just me getting older, because I'm thinking what it would 179 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:04.360 be like to win. He's finished in the top ten 180 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:06.759 every year he's been the Ohio State head coach. 181 00:08:06.800 --> 00:08:08.439 As you reference, he's seventy and ten. 182 00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:12.959 That's third all time winning percentage in college football, one 183 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:15.839 of three coaches to win a national championships as I reference. 184 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:17.839 Do you think there's any part of him that's like, 185 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:21.920 I'm over this and maybe he decides that he would 186 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:23.720 like to go do what he does at a top 187 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:27.439 the very highest of levels somewhere else. If I don't 188 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:29.560 think he'd leave for a college job, but you think, 189 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:33.320 you know, all of the pressure regardless of what he 190 00:08:33.399 --> 00:08:36.559 seems to do, is that something that maybe he says, 191 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:39.360 I'm not interested in doing this for you people anymore. 192 00:08:40.519 --> 00:08:44.480 I mean, it's entirely possible if that conversation is going 193 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:46.120 to happen, I'm not just going to you know, it'll 194 00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:49.840 be happening after the championship parade and after something else. 195 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:52.679 I think the next month in Columbus. 196 00:08:52.360 --> 00:08:53.320 Is going to be fascinating. 197 00:08:53.399 --> 00:08:55.399 Just I wan to see how fans and I include 198 00:08:55.399 --> 00:08:59.399 myself in this, honestly, how they reconcile their previous sentiments 199 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:03.000 with this guy and compartmentalized the frustration over the last 200 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:06.679 few years with the final result. I understand that many 201 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:08.519 people listening to this and think, how on earth could 202 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:11.240 you go seventy and ten and be unhappy like that? 203 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:14.720 Sounds insane people Utah and DOAU fans walk across broken 204 00:09:14.759 --> 00:09:16.960 glass to have some kind of a run of success 205 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:18.879 like that. But I think you also have to remember 206 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:22.399 that Urban Meyer, when he was the coach at Ohio State, 207 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:25.399 had Ohio State in the top ten every single year, 208 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:29.360 made the playoffs several times, won a national championship. Had 209 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:32.039 there been a twelve team playoff era, I think Ohio 210 00:09:32.039 --> 00:09:34.799 State would have almost certainly won at least another championship 211 00:09:34.840 --> 00:09:38.120 during that era, and then Jim Tresso before Urban Meyer 212 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:41.440 had Ohio State in the top ten almost every single 213 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:44.519 year and won a title. Like you really have to 214 00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:48.360 go back to the World War Two to find multiple 215 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:51.159 years in a row where Ohio State has sucked. It's 216 00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:54.480 probably the most recession proof program in college football. And 217 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:56.039 that isn't me just saying that as a guy that 218 00:09:56.200 --> 00:09:59.080 was born in Columbus, Like look up sports reference man 219 00:09:59.320 --> 00:10:02.879 like the that's that they have the highest floor of 220 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:05.519 anybody in the sport. So you come in and you're 221 00:10:05.559 --> 00:10:07.720 just a pretty good coach, You're gonna win nine games there. 222 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:11.440 Now you have to really really screw up to bottom out. 223 00:10:11.480 --> 00:10:14.919 And I think that that, juxtaposed to the results on 224 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:17.679 the field, is why you saw this saw some frustration. 225 00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:19.080 I need if a. 226 00:10:19.159 --> 00:10:21.320 Day decided in two weeks, I did what I said 227 00:10:21.320 --> 00:10:23.159 I was gonna do. I'm gonna go coach the Colts. 228 00:10:23.159 --> 00:10:24.559 I'm wanna go work with grown men. 229 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:25.080 Forget this. 230 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:28.559 I couldn't blame him, but I don't know enough to 231 00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:30.960 know if that's if there's an opening right now that 232 00:10:31.240 --> 00:10:33.840 would be of interest to him. Given you now now 233 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:35.559 that now there's a title defense. 234 00:10:35.879 --> 00:10:39.519 Captain Morona, I wouldn't go seventy and ten in college football, Matt, 235 00:10:39.559 --> 00:10:41.799 if we're being honest, I mean you said b yu fans, 236 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:43.840 you know, walking off, and you're one of the few 237 00:10:44.039 --> 00:10:46.240 media members I could actually make that reference to. But 238 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:49.600 seventy and ten I. 239 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:52.559 Think would struggle to recruit in this environment. I remember, 240 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:54.320 if it's been a minute, but. 241 00:10:54.679 --> 00:10:56.919 I remember he rubbed a couple of people the wrong way. Yeah, 242 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:01.000 very very passionate guy, but not everybody was always thrilled 243 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:02.320 with his approach. You have to be a little bit 244 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:03.519 more of a team player in this era. 245 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:05.679 But we're talking about the chief captain of the need fights. 246 00:11:05.720 --> 00:11:06.840 He'd ad just you know that? 247 00:11:07.480 --> 00:11:07.759 Sure? 248 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:11.440 Well, yeah, definitely definitely team schematic mind. 249 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:15.639 Okay, ok, moving on before we start getting emails. I 250 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:17.960 just knew you were the one that I could ask 251 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:20.919 that question too, for obvious reasons. All Right, we had 252 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:23.519 a lot of good college football guests on yesterday. We 253 00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:25.799 also had the game on our station at five thirty, 254 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:28.240 and I asked them all the same question, Matt, because 255 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:31.000 I just felt like, in my opinion on paper, that 256 00:11:31.080 --> 00:11:33.720 was a mismatch last night, and so I said, can 257 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:35.240 Notre Dame make this a fair fight. 258 00:11:35.480 --> 00:11:36.600 Do you think they did. 259 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:41.080 Oh, unquestionably. I mean the first ten minutes of the game. 260 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:44.360 I think laid out exactly the script that Notre Dame needed, 261 00:11:44.759 --> 00:11:48.759 which was running a lot of qv power and hold 262 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:51.320 the ball for eight minutes and just paper cut Ohio 263 00:11:51.320 --> 00:11:54.759 State to death and limit the number of possessions. There 264 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:57.720 times that Ohio State could score buck guys scored touchdown 265 00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:00.279 their first four drives, but because Notre Dame was soh 266 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:03.000 at the beginning of the game, the margin never really 267 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:06.000 got out of hands. I think that the only real 268 00:12:06.120 --> 00:12:10.759 mismatch on that game Washio the Notre Dame's ability to 269 00:12:10.759 --> 00:12:15.759 throw the ball downfield versus Ohio State's secondary. If Nelson 270 00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:17.720 has to throw in the ball thirty two times in 271 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:19.759 a game, Notre Dame's gonna lose. That's not a team 272 00:12:19.799 --> 00:12:21.000 that's really built to come back. 273 00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:22.240 And they almost did. 274 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:25.600 There was a there was a pathway for them to win. 275 00:12:25.639 --> 00:12:27.320 It would have looked a lot like the Michigan game, 276 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:29.440 where you just dragged the drag o'house stayed into the 277 00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:30.399 mud and make them fight in. 278 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:30.919 A phone booth. 279 00:12:31.720 --> 00:12:33.399 They just weren't able to do it for four quarters. 280 00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:36.120 They're really only able to do it for about fourteen minutes. 281 00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:39.720 So equal time here for coaches, because I've been wildly 282 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:43.000 impressed with Marcus Freeman. Didn't start out well with that 283 00:12:43.080 --> 00:12:46.279 home loss to Marshall, and obviously Week two wasn't Northern 284 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:49.360 Illinois this year, But what would it be like at 285 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:52.000 the age of thirty five, your first head coaching job 286 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:54.320 is you're the head coach of Notre Dame, you know, 287 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:58.279 like that's that's a wild thing. And as I've listened 288 00:12:58.279 --> 00:13:01.240 to him more throughout this run and studied him more 289 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:03.759 throughout the Notre Dames you know, march to the National 290 00:13:03.879 --> 00:13:08.000 championship game, I've been wildly impressed with his communication, wildly 291 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:10.000 impressed with the way his players respond to him. He 292 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:12.720 kind of just feels like this rising star in the 293 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:15.279 ranks to college football. So what stands out most to 294 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:18.440 you about this kind of wonderkins rise we've seen from 295 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:20.639 from Notre Dames head coach Marcus Freeman. 296 00:13:21.240 --> 00:13:24.679 Sure, and maybe this market doesn't know about this or 297 00:13:25.320 --> 00:13:26.799 I don't know if it was, you know, mentioned on 298 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:29.679 the broadcast four hundred times, but Marcus Freeman of course 299 00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:34.399 played at Ohio State. He's from Ohio, and as Ohio 300 00:13:34.440 --> 00:13:37.039 State fans went to the message boards over the last 301 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:41.440 two years contemplating ejecting Ryan Day in the space. One 302 00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:43.840 of the two people that everybody said we should go bring, 303 00:13:43.960 --> 00:13:46.759 we should go bring home would be Marcus Freeman. I 304 00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:50.480 think you're exactly right. The most impressive thing that I 305 00:13:50.519 --> 00:13:54.279 think he's managed to do this season was take what 306 00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:59.320 is normally the most unlikable brand in college football and 307 00:13:59.399 --> 00:14:02.120 make them likable and make them fun. It was fun 308 00:14:02.159 --> 00:14:04.879 to root for Notre Dame this year. They're They're running 309 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:10.320 an inspired triple option kind of offense. They're one of 310 00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:13.799 the only major teams where or the quarterback run game 311 00:14:13.879 --> 00:14:16.200 is an integral part of what they're doing. They had 312 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:19.759 two really exciting offensive skill position players. And this team, 313 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:23.559 you know, they had like five starters in missing multiple 314 00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:26.840 NFL guys due to injury, and they were counted out 315 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:31.120 nationally after that. Northern Illinois lost, you know, by like 316 00:14:31.159 --> 00:14:33.000 week four, You right, part of that's just because they 317 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:35.200 got a little bit unlucky with with the schedule this year. 318 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:38.519 We in our lifetime, we have had so many Notre 319 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:43.519 Dame coaches who are so deeply, deeply unlikable. I don't 320 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:45.799 know if there are blood relatives that enjoyed watching and 321 00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:49.360 rooting for Charlie White's and Brian Kelly is not somebody 322 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:52.360 that's going to be on the Mister Congeniality Award list 323 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:56.120 for anybody that works in the college sports industry. That's 324 00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:59.039 not what Freeman is, and he's not the stereotype of 325 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:00.200 what a domer or. 326 00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:01.559 Has typically been. 327 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:03.879 I don't know if he's going to end up staying 328 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:06.000 there for thirty years. Nobody really does in this industry 329 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:09.240 other than winningham. But if I was an Notre Dame fan, 330 00:15:09.399 --> 00:15:11.480 which I'm not, but if I was, I would be 331 00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:14.559 very heartened by this year and feel very good about 332 00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:17.519 where your coaching staff is today and moving forward. 333 00:15:17.960 --> 00:15:21.639 Heard a lot of college football media members complain about 334 00:15:21.879 --> 00:15:25.639 the length of time, the fact that it's January twentieth 335 00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:28.080 in this Monday night game. I get it, but you 336 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:30.159 can't go head to head against the NFL. You're a 337 00:15:30.200 --> 00:15:32.320 smart guy. What do you think the solution is here? 338 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:35.240 I don't really know if there is one. 339 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:39.279 I understand the frustration too. I think in a perfect world, 340 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:41.440 maybe this is a game that's played in the Central 341 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:43.840 time zone and you go a little bit earlier and 342 00:15:43.879 --> 00:15:44.120 try to. 343 00:15:44.120 --> 00:15:45.399 Alleviate some of those things. 344 00:15:45.799 --> 00:15:47.240 You already kind of got beat up on some of 345 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:50.639 these early early playoff games by going against the NFL. 346 00:15:51.080 --> 00:15:53.679 The only thing I could possibly think of is potentially 347 00:15:53.720 --> 00:15:54.919 starting the season. 348 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:55.399 A week earlier. 349 00:15:55.840 --> 00:15:58.360 But then you're looking at a lot of lost revenue 350 00:15:58.360 --> 00:16:01.960 from having maybe multiple games four class actually starts. It's 351 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:06.279 one of the issues that the college baseball schedule has 352 00:16:06.840 --> 00:16:10.000 with the postseason goes well past graduation for many teams. 353 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:11.879 The Final Four has the. 354 00:16:11.879 --> 00:16:14.600 Same issue too. The championship games is usually on a Monday, 355 00:16:14.600 --> 00:16:16.080 It's usually in the Eastern time zone. 356 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:18.240 It usually goes way past everyone else's bedtime. 357 00:16:18.679 --> 00:16:22.720 It thinks when I'm president, the day will the day 358 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:24.559 after the championship game will be a day off, just 359 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:27.039 like the Super Bowl. But that's we're not there yet. 360 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:27.559 I love it. 361 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:29.720 What do you make of I think Joel Klat's the 362 00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:32.559 one that's been pushing this narrative of college football, making 363 00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:34.559 the Rose Bowl their answer to the Super Bowl. 364 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:41.600 I understand it from the perspective of tradition, and you know, look, 365 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:44.320 even if you're a completely cynical person, when the sunsets 366 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:46.840 over the mountains around the third quarter, it does look beautiful. 367 00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:48.519 The most cynical reporters. 368 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:50.399 I know, I haven't covered a game there yet, but 369 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:52.200 you know, tell me, like, no, when you touch the grass, you. 370 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:53.559 Recognize that it's perfect. 371 00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:57.320 The very selfish state response for me, and this is 372 00:16:57.360 --> 00:16:59.000 not something that other people are going to. 373 00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:00.960 Care about, but you and I might care a little bit, 374 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:02.320 is that the. 375 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:04.559 Roadbush is hard to get to, and when you host 376 00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:07.519 gigantic events in Los Angeles, because traffic is so bad 377 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:11.680 and everything is so sprawled out, it's difficult to get hotels, 378 00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:13.640 it's difficult to do media availability. 379 00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:15.640 You just you're just stuck there. 380 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:19.000 And there's there's really three cities where you can have 381 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:22.960 a great stadium experience and fans and everybody involved in 382 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:25.240 the event can can be relatively close by and you 383 00:17:25.240 --> 00:17:28.319 can have all the programming within walking distance. I think 384 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:31.240 that's Atlanta, It's New Orleans, and it's Indianapolis. I know 385 00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:33.440 everybody makes fun of Indianapolis that you've covered a major 386 00:17:33.480 --> 00:17:33.960 event there. 387 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:34.839 You get it. 388 00:17:34.839 --> 00:17:37.240 You're not there to go move or to go you know, 389 00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:39.200 look check out the art scene. You're you're there for 390 00:17:39.359 --> 00:17:42.559 for this this major football game. It'd be cool for television, 391 00:17:43.079 --> 00:17:45.599 but having covered events in other places. I think if 392 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:47.039 I had to go to the Rose Bowl every year, 393 00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:48.920 I would complain a little bit about being stuck in 394 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:49.200 my car. 395 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:51.839 And there it is. There, it is, yes, the final 396 00:17:51.960 --> 00:17:52.839 the final point there. 397 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:53.519 Hey. You know. 398 00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:56.400 The the narrative matter, as you know, is that Ohio 399 00:17:56.440 --> 00:17:59.359 State bought a championship, paid a grip of money for 400 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:01.359 a group you know, twenty to twenty five mil. I 401 00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:04.079