Speaker 1: All Star Toyota presents Off the Bench with Jacob Hester
and Matt Flynn.
Speaker 2: Okay, here we go where the.
Speaker 1: Plays get broken down and science gets denied.
Speaker 3: I got to come off the bitch.
Speaker 1: Hour two of Off the Bench Live from the Mercedes
Benz Baton Rouge Studio starts now.
Speaker 4: All right, welcome back in Hour number two O TB
one oh four five ESPN Baton Rouge. And as we said,
it is Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Texas A and m
all here today. We just got through talking a little
about Arkansas. Has continue that conversation. Our guy John Neighbors
joins us to do.
Speaker 3: So how you doing, sir? Oh? I am rolling? How
about you guys? Yeah? I felt that that felt authentic.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean, come on, and how can you not
be excited about today?
Speaker 3: Man?
Speaker 5: You got you got Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks and
coming off of that six and sixth season and a
schedule that the devil made himself for him. I mean,
it's it's gonna be great, man, It's gonna be fun.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: So we were looking at at their depth chart and
just you know, all all the different pieces and all
the new pieces on offense. How long like this off
season have you like just had to study all the
new people that are coming in on this offense, because
like you're on the few teams, like the only quarterback
today is going to be Taylor Green, so that's exciting,
but everybody else is new.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean, by the EA Sports College Football video
game came out, that's the best way I'm gonna learn
these players' names and numbers and everything. Yeah, it's been
it's been interesting because in most cases, if I was
to tell you, hey, you got your offensive coordinator back
who's really good in Bobby Petrino, and you've got Taylor
Green who was fifth and passing last year in the
SEC and he's returning. Those two things alone would be like, man,
that's great. I mean not many teams can say that,
and it's true, it is great, But that's about it.
You know, you have so many new wide receivers, you
got new tight ends, you got new running backs, you
got pretty much a new offensive line. So it's just
really tough to just look at one thing about, oh,
this is why it's going to be better. Tailoring Green
could be great, but are the pieces around him going
to be great or as good as what they were
last year.
Speaker 3: Don't really know at this point.
Speaker 2: Yeah, So the you brought up Boby Petrino being there,
and I always talk about you're one to two for
a quarterback he goes for his first year starting to say,
there's always a big jump, But same could be said
for an offensive scheme, especially with a really good offensive
minded coach like Patrina. So you're right, there is and
you can bring in a lot of guys in the
transfer portal, and if you have that offensive coordinator stability,
you have a returning quarterback, you can make things happen.
So what are you what have you seen intailing Green
and how do you expect his progression within that Patrino
offense for a second year to go this year?
Speaker 5: Well, I looked at the numbers, and I know every
quarterback's different in everything, but under Petrino, quarterbacks that went
from year one to year two under his system have
improved dramatically every single time. We're talking about completion percentage, touchdowns,
everything has improved upon and interceptions and turnovers has decreased.
So historically speaking, you want to see that. But the
one thing that Patrino loves and values over everything as
you guys probably know, is a speed at the wide
receiver position. You know, Cherry's writing, Joe Adams, this is
like the Heydays and my razorback fandom growing up. But
those guys were five eleven six feet all like there
weren't big dudes, but once you got the ball in
their hands, they could make plays because they had speed
and athleticism. And last year Arkansas's wide receivers none of
them were really recruited by Patrino, but you had big,
tall guys, possession guys Andrew Armstrong, Isaac Teslaw and so
now this year they've gotten gone to the speedsters. So
Mega Blake is smel Ceci who's gotten banged up a
little bit.
Speaker 3: He's heard.
Speaker 5: We'll see what the situation is. But Raylan sharp guys
that are smaller but speed tracks type of athletes. So
you know, Patrino loves that, and I think he's gonna
have a plan for him.
Speaker 3: So that's maybe where the hope lies.
Speaker 5: But still in the sec you gotta have some size,
You gotta have some guys to go over the top.
We'll see if Taylor Green and these smaller guys will
be able to build up that Rapport.
Speaker 4: And John were talking about before you hopped on, like
the record was the record, but it wasn't like you
didn't have big moments.
Speaker 3: I mean the Tennessee win was huge.
Speaker 4: I think the bowl game against Texas Tech was huge,
Like to get that and create that momentum to the offseason.
Speaker 3: Really, Like there's some games that like the A and
M game.
Speaker 4: As it always is, I mean every single time, like that,
one play here, one play there, you win that game.
Speaker 3: I mean even in the games that they.
Speaker 4: Lost for the most part outside of Old miss I mean,
you're competitive against Texas, you're competitive against Missouri, Like, do
you think they can get over that little hump and
turn six wins into eight wins? Because they've got big wins,
they've got big moments. There's something there. What's it gonna
take to get from six to eight or even nine.
Speaker 3: Well, it's those small things.
Speaker 5: As you talk about Sam Pittman and his tenure at
Arkansas in one possession games is six and eighteen, six
and eighteen, and you know he's been here for for
a long time, and it just you look at I guess,
of course he could go either way in a lot
of these games, but it's always the games that you
have a lead. And last year Oklahoma stays a great example.
Arkansas was dominating that game in the beginning and that
pick six happened. Every Razorback fan sat there and said, yep,
we know we're losing this game because it happened against
A and M. Many times, it's always just you get
off to a good start, you got it going, and
then something happens, something really detrimental happens and it falls apart,
and that's what you know, makes Razorback fans always on
the edge of their seat where the no weed's safe.
They don't feel comfortable ever. But it's just a matter
of getting those plays to not happen, getting the ball.
Speaker 3: To bounce your way a couple of times.
Speaker 5: Because even though the Tennessee win last year, which was
the biggest win for sure, Artsas should have beaten Tennessee
by three touchdowns, but they couldn't get The problem was
guys red zone offense. They could not score in the
red zone. So those are things they can work on
make it better, but it's just it's just sometimes you
need those intangibles to go your way.
Speaker 2: In these games, those types of games that really frustrate
fan bases. Right, so when you talk about that, but
it always seems like Sam Pipott wins the game, right,
wins a big game. Arkansas is always a heart out.
We can tell you that from experience. Like they're always
a hard out and they always are going to every season,
they're going to win some games they're either not supposed
to I'm not I don't want to say that, but
like they win big games against guys that are that
are rolling. What happens this year? What could happen I
least early on if to make Sam Pittman kind of
start feeling a little pressure.
Speaker 5: Well, they, as you guys know, tough schedule. Their first
SEC road game is against ole Miss Week three. It's
a night game. Not to say the Oxford's intimidating, but
you know it's a night game.
Speaker 3: That right there.
Speaker 5: If you get blown out because ole Miss came to
fab them last year and broke records on you offensively,
if you get just get handed to you in that game,
you got Memphis on the road next is suddenly you're
starting to be like, okay, well this could spiral out quickly,
and that's what's happened. And then you know Notre Dame
is at home. They were in the College Football PLAYFF.
I don't know if you guys knew that last year. So,
but the point is is, like, you have it so
tough in the beginning that the wheels could fall off quick.
Speaker 3: And that's why it sounds.
Speaker 5: Cliche, But you got to get off to a good
start if you're Arkansas, if you're Sam Pittman, because fans
are already hanging on by a thread. They already don't
believe in them, they already wanted them gone in the second.
In the beginning that you get housed, or you get embarrassed,
or you look like crap, fans are going to jump
off for a quicker fasten in a hurry, and that's
going to really spiral out of control.
Speaker 3: Is the Memphis game the most important game of the season?
Speaker 4: Oddly enough, it just feels like it.
Speaker 5: Honestly, I feel like Ole Miss could be the game
to where it goes from being a great season to
a bad season. But the Memphis game is one of
those that, Hey, if you just want to do the
bare minimum and get bye, you got to have that
because you're not I mean, I'm not going to predict
argans I was going to beat Notre Dame. I mean,
anything can happen, but I'm not going to predict that.
So you're talking about that and then being on the
road at Memphis losing to a team that's not even
a Power four team, you know, in which artists are.
They're playing in Liberty Bowl, which they love playing in
the Liberty Bowl. So and they're very good at it.
So I think they're undefeated in the Liberty Bowl.
Speaker 3: Great last year.
Speaker 5: Yeah, maybe it's maybe it's Razorback Stadium East, you know,
if you want to call it that, but no, it is.
It's a crucial game and it's one that if you
want to have a good season, you cannot lose Memphis period.
Speaker 4: And they beat flow State last year, so I mean
they've done it before. Yeah, I mean a lot of
people beat flar State last year, but Memphis won't be intimidated.
Speaker 2: But still Florida State, right and a little way r.
So I'm looking at Vegas. I think Vegas has the
season went told at five and a half? Is that fair?
Speaker 3: Like?
Speaker 2: Because we're going to go through this and I'm I
can probably find more than that, find more than that.
You just talked about that at the beginning of the
season as an ass kicker.
Speaker 5: Yeah, well, I'm loving that you could find that because
I can't. I'm looking at the schedule. I truly I
took at all the position groups and look, Okay, what's better,
what's what's going to be worse, what's unknown, what's uncertain.
But it's just you got so many games on this
schedule and where they're placed at that it makes me
feel like it goes back to the start.
Speaker 3: If you start off strong, then it'll be okay.
Speaker 5: But if you've dropped the old miss and say, if
you drop to Memphis and Notre Dame, which is all
three very possible, there's no way. I mean, there's just
no way. It's about that first five game stretch. If
you're three and two, which is you know, fine, then okay,
like I could maybe see that, but two wins or less,
it's just going to be dropping. Because I think Auburn's
going to be improved.
Speaker 3: I don't know how good they are going to be
improved from a year ago.
Speaker 5: Mississippi State not great, but they're still feel like they
should be better than what they were last year. And
you know they Arkansas can't beat A and M for
saving their life.
Speaker 3: It can't beat Missouri to save their life. You know.
Speaker 5: Luckily Arkansas gets a break and they play at eleven
AM and Baton Rouge, so you know, maybe that'll go
well for them. But it's just really tough for me
to look at that schedule and say six wins, and
if he gets six wins this year, I will be.
Speaker 3: Extremely impressed, really impressed.
Speaker 4: All right, So it doesn't sound like John has Arkansas
as his sleeper team. It doesn't sound like that's going
to be the pick there. I chose Missouri, okay now,
because I feel like Missouri just continues to win games,
and like ELI drink, which is you know, it's nine
wins here, it's ten wins here. They just continue in
their schedule as favorable as any SEC schedule is going
to be as the Missouri Tigers this year. I like
some of the pieces they brought in at running back
and quarterback, like it might I'm not even saying like
the product itself. I'm just saying what the record's going
to be at the end of the season.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I don't, man, I don't know what Missouri did
to get that schedule. Arkansas fans were gonnat that. I'm like, man,
get that you could win nine games whatever they did. Arkansas,
Florida and Oklahoma.
Speaker 4: Need to figure it out because those three teams hurt
somebody in the league office.
Speaker 5: I'm telling you, man, like it's just they have a
deal with the devil or something like that.
Speaker 3: I don't understand it.
Speaker 2: But somebody forgot that Missouri's in the SEC.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I still don't believe there.
Speaker 5: Yeah, its it still feels weird.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I don't like that figured out that Missouri
is spelled with s's not z's. That's my thing.
Speaker 3: Yeah, And you can't wear jerseys and hoodies.
Speaker 5: And that's the games man, that's big ten stuff. Come
on now, like you can't be doing that. But but no,
like that's that's the game too. Where you know, Missouri
not make an excuse. You got to play the games
that are in front of you. But you know, people
like Sam Pittman and Arkansas like, jeez, man, that skid try.
I had to play against UMass whatever last year on
the road, it'd be a lot different. But that's not
the game that it gets played. But no, Yeah, I
think Missouri does a good job of scheduling and sometimes
that's what it's about, because at the end of the day,
body's going to look back and be like, yeah, your
team went ten and too. But you know he played
these teams or whatever. It's like, no, you went ten
and too. That's what people care about it. That's all
that matters, all right.
Speaker 2: So end of the year, end of the season, who's
playing in the SEC Championship.
Speaker 5: I mean, I want to be creative. I want to
be sitting here and be like, ah, man, you know
I could see this team, but it's got me Jordan
and Texas right again, I don't want it to be
I don't want it to have that. I'm really hoping
somebody could step up because there's a lot of uncertainty
with some of these teams and everything. But it's just
hard to go up against those guys.
Speaker 2: A lot of uncertnity with with Gunner Stockton as well.
So you you kind of believe in him. He showed
you enough.
Speaker 5: Yes, all right, yes exactly, and so but I mean listening,
you guys know this is the SEC LSU could be
that team that steps in. You know, nus Meyer has
an incredible year and they start rolling through it. You know,
you could be a team that just comes out of
nowhere like a Florida you know, just I mean that's
what is always so much fun nowadays, at least about
the SEC is there are some upsets. I mean Alabama
lost it was it Oklhoman and vanderburgyber last year. I mean,
come on, you never know what's gonna happen. But to me,
I feel like it's those teams and it's just going
to continue to be a fomo as an Arkansas fan
just waving at everybody. It's like, all right, man, Atlanta
must be nice that time of year.
Speaker 3: You know, she's been before. There's someone on this list
that have you ever been here? And that's what I
always say.
Speaker 5: If it pisss me off anybody that ever says Arkansas
you should have just gone to the Big twelve, I'm like,
shut up, okay, because we've been to three SEC title games,
by god, and you know what, Almoss, you've been to
zero and you've been in Lee the entire time, right
and Missisippi State you went to one and it was
only because you broke the tiebregor with Arkansas be cause
Sterner couldn't hold onto the ball against Tennessee in ninety eight,
not that I remember that. So I'm just saying every
Arkansas fan I could reminded daily, So that and the
pop up foul ball, I just want to delete for
my memory.
Speaker 3: We're gonna bring up baseball.
Speaker 5: Yeah, listen, it's a Razorrec fan. It's a Razorrec fan.
It's our kink man. We love being tortured. We love
this thing. Man, It's just what we're born to do.
But I'm a real quick story about that. I just
want to tell us, for all your LSU fans out
there Arkansas, the game happened, obviously, we would know.
Speaker 3: I'm up there in Omaha next day.
Speaker 5: Some LSU fans, which you guys are pretty mean sometimes
all I'll admit.
Speaker 3: But this Relishue family comes in.
Speaker 5: They come up to me and it's a nice guy
and he goes, hey, man, I just want you to know.
Speaker 3: It's like, that was a great game.
Speaker 5: It sucks you lost to know you want to hear it,
but that was a great game, great baseball game.
Speaker 3: I was like, I don't want to hear it from you.
Speaker 5: It's like you can say that because you've won titles
in baseball, right was it?
Speaker 3: Eight titles?
Speaker 5: Is I mean, yeah, I'm like, if you can tell
me what's your least favorite national championship is, then I
don't want to hear you tell me. I'm like, I've
never had that before. And so it's just again, you
guys were great. It's a great game, but you know,
one time, we're going to have something in Arkansas.
Speaker 3: I feel yeah all the time.
Speaker 4: And John, it was it's crazy ways that that it happens.
For sure, we were talking about that just a plays,
but also like the side of the bracket. Yeah, you know,
just think if Arkansas and LSU or on the opposite
side they're going.
Speaker 3: To meet, Oh yeah, they're going to be for they
seed it. Yeah yeah, I mean I'd be all for that.
Speaker 5: And but I get it's like, you know, who expected
Texas and Vanderbilt and all those teams to lose was
the way they did.
Speaker 3: But you know that I would have loved that.
Speaker 5: It was unfortunate that happened, but uh, you know, it
still got to see some cool things like gage Woods
No hitter was really cool to see, you know, like
stuff like that, and it was a great game. But
just one time, man, and seeing Missippi State and Old
miss have titles Tennessee that ain't no baseball exist until
five years ago. And but our next head coach is
going to be Tony Vattello. So I know, I appreciate
them for holding on to it. But just at one
point in time, we're gonna have one.
Speaker 3: I feel it.
Speaker 5: One lifetime you're gonna get one. I'm surely, because yeah,
it's gonna be. It's gonna be the day after I
die is when it's gonna happen. So I can't wait
for that.
Speaker 4: They'll still have one, but you just you know, yeah here,
but just knowing your heart, they'll have one.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's I mean, really all that I want, you know,
I don't want to experience it as a person or anything.
Speaker 2: They odd say that eventually there you go.
Speaker 5: Yeah yeah, but we'll always have big We will always
have big wins and games because you know, razorback fans,
they wanted to hang a banner after you know, beating
certain teams and great so oh seven not to bring
it out, but lu I was our national champion. Yeah
you know we could go one to yeah yeah, apparently
we vers is one that goes a little further than ours.
So yeah, we can't beat Kentucky, can't beat Tennessee. But yeah, yeah,
every single time, man, every single time.
Speaker 3: Time. We appreciate the time as always man.
Speaker 5: They appreciate you guys as always appreciate you guys.
Speaker 4: Yep, absolutely all right, we will step away more OTV
when we come back one O four five ESPN Benteruge
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Speaker 1: Com All Star Toyota presents Off the Bench with Jacob
Hester and Matt Flynn.
Speaker 2: Okay, here we go where the.
Speaker 1: Plays get broken down and science gets denied.
Speaker 3: It I gotta come off the bitch.
Speaker 1: Hour two of Off the Bench Live from the Mercedes
Benz Baton Rouge Studio starts now.
Speaker 4: All right, welcome back in Hour number two OTB one
oh four five ESPN Baton Rouge. And as we said,
it is Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Texas A and m
all here today. We just got through talking a little
about Arkansas. Has continue that conversation. Our guy John Neighbors
joins us to do. So, how you doing, sir?
Speaker 2: Oh?
Speaker 3: I am rolling? How about you? Guys?
Speaker 2: Like?
Speaker 3: Yeah that I felt that, that felt authentic.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean that come out and how can you
not be excited about today? Man? You got you got
Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks and coming off of that
six and sixth season and a schedule that the devil
made himself for him. I mean, it's it's gonna be great, man,
it's gonna be fun.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 4: So we were looking at at their depth chart and
just you know, all all the different pieces and all
the new.
Speaker 3: Pieces on offense.
Speaker 4: How long like this off season have you like just
had to study all the new people that are coming
in on this offense because like you're on the few teams,
like the only quarterback today is going to be Taylor Green,
so that's exciting, but everybody else is new.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 5: I mean, by the EA Sports College Football video game
came out, that's the best way I'm gonna learn these
players names and numbers and everything. Yeah, it's been It's
been interesting because in most cases, if I was to
tell you, hey, you got your offensive coordinator back who's
really good in Bobby Petrino, and you've got Taylor Green
who was fifth and passing last year in the SEC
and he's returning those two things, a loan would be like, man,
that's great. I mean, how many teams can say that?
And it's true, it is great, But that's about it.
You know, you have so many new wide receivers, you
got new tight ends, you got new running backs, you
got pretty much.
Speaker 3: A new offensive line.
Speaker 5: So it's just really tough to just look at one
thing about, Oh, this is why it's going to be better.
Tailing Green could be great, but are the pieces around
him going to be great or as good as what
they were last year?
Speaker 3: Don't really know at this point.
Speaker 2: Yeah, So the you brought up Boby Petrino being there,
and I always talk about you're one to two for
a quarterback he goes for his first year starting to say,
there's always a big jump, But same could be said
for an offensive scheme, especially with a really good offensive
minded coach like Patrina. So you're right, there is and
you can bring in a lot of guys in the
transfer portal, and if you have that offensive coordinator stability,
you have a returning quarterback, you can make things happen.
So what are you what have you seen in Tailing
Green and how do you expect his progression within that
Patrino offense for a second year to go this year?
Speaker 5: Well, I looked at the numbers, and I know every
quarterback's different in everything, but under Petrino, quarterbacks that went
from year one to year two under his system have
improved dramatically. Every single time we're talking about completion percentage, touchdowns,
everything has improved upon, and then interceptions and turnovers has decreased,
so historically speaking, you want to see that. But the
one thing that Patrino loves and values over everything, as
you guys probably know, is speed at.
Speaker 3: The wide receiver position.
Speaker 5: You know, Cherry's writing Joe Adams is like the Heydays
and my razorback fandom growing up. But those guys were
five eleven six feet all like there weren't big dudes,
but once you got the ball in their hands, they
could make plays because they had speed and athleticism. And
last year Arkansas's wide receivers none of them were really
recruited by Patrino, but you had big, tall guys, possession
guys Andrew Armstrong, Isaac Teslaw, and so now this year
they've gotten gone to the speedsters. So Mega Blake is
smel Cci, who's gotten banged up a little bit.
Speaker 3: He's herd. We'll see what the situation is.
Speaker 5: But Raylan sharp guys that are smaller but speed tracks
type of athletes. So you know, Patrino loves that, and
I think he's gonna have a plan for him. So
that's maybe where the hope lies. But still in the
sec you gotta have some size. You gotta have some
guys to go over the top. We'll see if Taylor
Green and these smaller guys will be able to build
up that rapport and.
Speaker 4: John were talking about before you hopped on, Like the
record was the record, but it wasn't like you didn't
have big moments. I mean the Tennessee win was huge.
I think the bowl game against Texas Tech was huge,
Like to get that and create that momentum to the offseason. Really,
Like there's some games that like the A and M
game as it always is, I mean every single time,
like that, one play here, one play there, you win
that game. I mean even in the games that they
lost for the most part outside of Old miss I
mean you're competitive against Texas, You're competitive against Missouri, Like,
do you think they can get over that little hump
and turn six wins into eight wins? Because they've got
big wins, they've got big moments. There's something there. What's
it gonna take to get from six to eight or
even nine?
Speaker 3: Well, it's those small things.
Speaker 5: As you talk about Sam Pittman and his tenure at
Arkansas in one possession games is sick eighteen six and
eighteen and you know, he's been here for a long time,
and it just you look at I guess, of course
he could go either way in a lot of these games.
But it's always the games that you have a lead.
And last year Oklahoma stays a great example. Arkansas was
dominating that game in the beginning and.
Speaker 3: That pick six happened.
Speaker 5: Every Razorback fan sat there and said, yep, we know
we're losing this game because it happened against A and M.
Speaker 3: Many times.
Speaker 5: It's always just you get off to a good start,
you got it going, and then something happens, something really
detrimental happens and it falls apart. And that's what you
know makes Razorback fans always on the edge of their
seat where.
Speaker 3: The no weed's safe. They don't feel comfortable ever.
Speaker 5: But it's just a matter of getting those plays to
not happen, getting the ball to bounce your way a
couple of times. Because even than the Tennessee win last year,
which was the biggest win for sure, Artsas should have
beaten Tennessee by three touchdowns, but they couldn't get The
problem was guys red zone offense. They could not score
in the red zone. So those are things they can
work on make it better. But it's just it's just
sometimes you need those intangi to go your way in
these games and.
Speaker 2: Those types of games that really frustrate fan bases. Right,
so when you talk about that, but it always seems
like samp Pipot wins the game, right, wins a big game.
Arkansas is always a heart out. We can tell you
that from experience. Like they're always a hard out and
they always are going to every season, they're gonna win
some games they're either not supposed to. I'm not I
don't want to say that, but like they win big
games against guys that are that are rolling. What happens
this year? What could happen I least early on if
to make Sam Pitman kind of start feeling.
Speaker 3: A little pressure.
Speaker 5: Well, they, as you guys know, tough schedule. Their first
SEC road game is against ole Miss Week three.
Speaker 3: It's a night game.
Speaker 5: Not to say the Oxford's intimidating, but you know it's
a night game that right there. If you get blown
out because ole Miss came to fab them last year
and broke records on you offensively, if you get just
get handed to you in that game, you got Memphis
on the road. Next is suddenly you're starting to be like, okay,
well this could spiral out quickly, and that's what's happened.
And then you know Notre Dame is at home. They
were in the College Football PLAYFF. I don't know if
you guys knew that last year. So, but the point
is is like, you have it so tough in the
beginning that the wheels could fall off quick And that's
why it sounds cliche, But you got to get off
to a good start if your Arkansas and if you're
Sam Pittman, because fans are already hanging on by a thread.
They already don't believe in them, they already wanted them
gone in the second. In the beginning that you get housed,
or you get embarrassed, or you look like crap, fans
are going to jump off four quicker fasten in a hurry,
and that's going to really spiral out of control.
Speaker 3: Is the Memphis game the most important game of the season?
Oddly enough, it just feels like it.
Speaker 5: Honestly, I feel like Ole Miss could be the game
to where it goes from being a great season to
a bad season. But the Memphis game is one of
those that. Hey, if you just want to do the
bare minimum and get bye, you got to have that
because you're not I mean, I'm not going to predict Argans.
I was going to beat Notre Dame. I mean, anything
can happen, but I'm not going to predict that. So
you're talking about that and then being on the road
at Memphis losing to a t that's even a Power
four team, you know, in which Artis saw. They're playing
in Liberty Bowl, which they love playing in the Liberty Bowl.
So and they're very good at it. So I think
they're undefeated in the Liberty Bowl. Great last year. Yeah,
maybe it's maybe it's Razorback Stadium East, you know, if
you want to call it that, But no, it is.
Speaker 3: It's a crucial game and it's one.
Speaker 5: That if you want to have a good season, you
cannot lose the Memphis period.
Speaker 4: And they beat Flar State last year, so I mean
they've done it before. Yeah, I mean a lot of
people beat Flar State last year, but still Memphis won't
be intimidated.
Speaker 2: But it's still Florida State, right and a little way right.
So I'm looking at Vegas. I think Vegas has the
season went told at five and a half. Is that fair, like,
because we're going to go through this and I'm I
can probably find more than that. Find more than that.
You just talked about that at the beginning of the
season as an ass kicker.
Speaker 5: Yeah, well, I'm loving that you could find that because
I can't. I'm looking at the schedule. I truly I
took at all the position groups and look, okay, what's better,
what's what's going to be worse, what's unknown, what's uncertain.
But it's just you got so many games on this
schedule and where they're placed at that it makes me
feel like it goes back to the start. If you
start off strong, then it'll be okay. But if you've
dropped the old miss and say, if you drop to
Memphis and Notre Dame, which is all three very possible,
there's no way. I mean, there's just no way. It's
about that first five game stretch. If you're three and two,
which is you know, fine, then okay, like I could
maybe see that, but two wins or less, it's just
going to be dropping. Because I think Auburn's going to
be improved, I don't know how good they are going
to be. Improved from a year ago. Mississippi State not great,
but they're still feel like they should be better than
what they were last year. And you know, they Arkansas
can't beat A and M for saving their life. It
can't beat Missouri to save their life.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 5: Luckily Arkansas gets a break and they play at eleven
AM and Baton.
Speaker 3: Rouge, so you know, maybe that'll go well for them.
Speaker 5: But it's just really tough for me to look at
that schedule and say six wins, and if he gets
six wins this year, I will be extremely impressed, really impressed.
Speaker 4: All Right, So it doesn't sound like John has Arkansas
as his sleep sleeper team.
Speaker 3: It doesn't sound like that's going to be the pick there.
Speaker 4: I chose Missouri, okay now, because I feel like Missouri
just continues to win games, and like ELI drink, which
is you know, it's nine wins here, it's ten wins here.
They just continue in their schedule as favorable as any
SEC schedule is going to be. As the Missouri Tigers
this year, I like some of the pieces they brought
in at running back and quarterback, like it might I'm
not even saying like the product itself. I'm just saying
what the record's going to be at the end of
the season.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I don't, man, I don't know what Missouri did
to get that schedule. Arkansas fans running at that. I'm like, man,
get that you could win nine games whatever they did. Arkansas,
Florida and Oklahoma.
Speaker 4: Need to figure it out because those three teams hurt
somebody in the league office.
Speaker 5: I'm telling you, man, like it's just they have a
deal with the devil or something like that. I don't
understand it.
Speaker 2: But somebody forgot that Missouri's in the SEC.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I still don't believe they're.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I still still feels weird.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I don't like it figured out that Missouri
is spelled with s's not z's. That's my thing.
Speaker 5: Yeah, And you can't wear jerseys and hoodies and that's
it the games. Man, that's big ten stuff. Come on now,
like you can't be doing that. But but no, like
that's that's the game too. Where you know, Missouri, not
make excuse, you got to play the game that are
in front of you. But you know, people like Sam
Pittman and Arkansas, like, jeez, man, I had that skid
try I had to play against UMass whatever. Last year
on the road, it'd be a lot different, but that's
not the game that it gets played. But you yeah,
I think Missouri does a good job of scheduling. And
sometimes that's what's about because at the end of the day,
nobody's gonna look back and be like, yeah, your team
went ten and too.
Speaker 3: But you know he played these teams whatever. It's like, no,
you went ten and too. That's what people care about it.
That's all that.
Speaker 2: Matters, all right. So end of the year, end of
the season, who's playing in the SEC Championship.
Speaker 5: I mean, I want to be creative. I want to
be sitting here and be like, ah, man, you know
I could see this team, but it's got a Jordia
and Texas right again, I don't want it to be
I don't want it to have that. I'm really hoping
somebody could step up because there's a lot of uncertainty
with some of these teams and everything. But it's just
hard to go up against those guys.
Speaker 2: A lot of uncertnity with Gunner Stockton as well. So
you you kind of believe in him. He showed you.
Speaker 5: Enough, yes, all right, yes exactly, and so but I
mean listening to you guys know this as the SEC
LSU could be that team that steps in and you know,
nus Meyer has an incredible year and they start rolling
through it. You know, you could be a team that
just comes out of nowhere like a Florida you know.
Just I mean that's what is always so much fun nowadays,
at least about the SEC is there are some upsets.
I mean, Alabama lost it was it Oklehoman and Vandyburger
last year.
Speaker 3: I mean, come on, you never know what's gonna happen.
Speaker 5: But to me, I feel like it's those teams and
it's just going to continue to be a fomo as
an Arkansas fan just waving at everybody.
Speaker 3: It's like, all right, man, Atlanta must be nice that
time of year. You know, she's been before. There's some
on this list that have you ever been here? And
that's what I always say.
Speaker 5: If it pisses me off anybody that ever says Arkansas
you should have just gone to the Big twelve, I'm like,
shut up, okay, because we've been to three SEC title games,
by god, and you know what, Almoss, you've been to
zero and you've been in the Lee the entire time
right in Missisippi State. You went to one, and it
was only because you broke the tiebreaker with Arkansas cause
Sterner couldn't hold onto the ball against Tennessee in ninety eight.
Not that I remember that, So I'm just saying every
Arkansas fan, I could remind it daily. So that and
the pop up foul ball I just wanted to delete
for my memory.
Speaker 3: We're gonna bring up baseball with you.
Speaker 5: Yeahs. It's a razorre as a Razorreck fan. It's our
kink man. We love being tortured. We love this thing. Man,
It's just what we're born to do. But I'm a
real quick story about that. I just want to tell
us for all your LSU fans out there Arkansas, the
game happened, obviously, we would know I'm up there in
Omah next day.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 5: Some LSU fans, which you guys are pretty mean sometimes
all I'll admit. But this Relishue family comes in, they
come up to me and there it's a nice guy
and he goes, hey, man, I just want you to know,
it's like, that was a great game. It sucks you
lost to know you want to hear it, but it
was a great game, great baseball game.
Speaker 3: I was like, I don't want to hear it from you.
Speaker 5: It's like you can say that because you've won titles
in baseball.
Speaker 3: Was it eight titles? Is?
Speaker 5: I mean yeah, I'm like, if you can tell me
what's your least favorite national championship is, then I don't
want to hear you tell me. I'm like, I've never
had that before. And so it's just again, you guys
were great. It's a great game. But you know, one
time we're going to have something in Arkansas.
Speaker 3: I feel one time. And John it was it's crazy
ways that that it happened.
Speaker 4: For sure, we were talking about that just a place,
but also like the side of the bracket. Yeah, you know,
just think if Parkinson LSU or on the opposite side, they're.
Speaker 5: Gonna meet Oh yeah, they're gonna be for they seed it.
Yeah yeah, I mean I'd be all for that. And
but I get it's like, you know, who expected Texas
and Vanderbilt and all those teams to lose the way
they did.
Speaker 3: But you know that I would have loved that.
Speaker 5: It was unfortunate that that happened, but uh, you know,
it's still got to see some cool things like gage
Wood's no hitter was really cool to see, you know,
like stuff like that, and it was.
Speaker 3: A great game.
Speaker 5: But just one time, man, and seeing Missisippi State and
Old miss have titles Tennessee that ain't no baseball existence
on five years ago. And but our next head coach
is going to be Tony Vattello. So I know, I
appreciate them for holding on to it. But just at
one point in time, we're gonna have one.
Speaker 3: I feel it. One in the lifetime, you're gonna get one,
I'm surely, because yeah, it's gonna be.
Speaker 5: It's gonna be the day after I die is when
it's gonna happen.
Speaker 3: So I can't wait for that.
Speaker 4: Uh, they'll still have one, but you just you know,
yeah here, but just knowing your heart, they'll have one.
Speaker 5: Yeah yeah, that's I mean, really all that I want,
you know, I don't want to experience it as a
person or anything.
Speaker 2: They odd say that eventually there you go.
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, but we'll always have big We will always
have big wins and games. You know, razorback fans they
wanted to hang a banner after you know, beating certain
teams and great, so they oh seven.
Speaker 3: Not to bring it out. But yeah, l shoe that
was our national championship.
Speaker 5: Yeah, you know we could go one to Yeah yeah,
apparently yours is one that goes a little further than ours.
Speaker 3: So uh yeah, we.
Speaker 5: Can't beat Kentucky, can't beat Tennessee. But yeah, yeah, every
single time, man, every single time time. We appreciate the
time as always man, they appreciate you guys as always
appreciate you guys. Yep, absolutely all right, we will step
away more ot B when we come back one O
four five espn benterage.
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Speaker 4: Week OTB one four five, ESPN, Baton Rouge.
Speaker 3: All right to Laundra now you're just showing off chill
out over there. Well well done.
Speaker 4: Gary Stoken joins us now and we get a chance
to catch up with Gary every single year. Talk about
all the great things they've got going on here in Atlanta,
for the Peach Bowl, the kickoff games that they've got
coming up this year.
Speaker 3: We will get to all of that. But I told Matt.
Speaker 4: Before we started this segment, I was like, I know, Gary,
and I know he is going to know exactly what
you did in two thousand and five against the Miami Hurricanes,
and that that was his first start. That was the
first chance LSU fans, Gary got a chance to see
what this guy could be.
Speaker 6: Well, I think you threw for two touchdowns. I think
you ran for seventy yards.
Speaker 3: I did. Yeah.
Speaker 6: The last time I was sitting around you guys was
twenty years ago and in the Georgia Dome.
Speaker 2: That's right. That was a I mean, what a cool
moment for me personally, of course, but I mean it
was It was an incredible season two thousand and five.
It was the year you know Hurricane Katrina. Yeah, yeah,
impacted so many lives in Louisiana. And like they say,
the season started with a hurricane and we ended with
a hurricane.
Speaker 6: We you know what, We brought the Sugar Bowl to
Atlanta that year. I talked with Paul hol In and
I said, Paul, you know, I know you can't play
in the super Dome. And everybody was pounding them about
I'll come here, come here. I said, Paul, Look, we'll
help you sell tickets, We'll get you office space. We'll
do whatever we can. It's your decision. If you want
to come up to Atlanta, just know we're going to
be here. And they wound up coming up here. We
got them office space, sold some tickets for him, and
and the Sugar Bowl was a great game with West
Virginia and Georgia, and West Virginia ran them out. Yeah,
so that was probably West Virginia's greatest win ever other
than beating Pitt probably up in their backyard.
Speaker 3: Brawl out there. Pit beat West Virginia so we could
go to the National Tip.
Speaker 4: That's exactly right, you guys, that that was a very
cool game. And and I've told you this before, but
like the Peach Bowl will always mean so much to
me because one, it was a great week, like first
class everything, y'all did. I mean, I'll never stop eating
Chick fil A because it's just like we got all that,
we like all you can ever just it was like
utopia eating Chick fil A whenever, as.
Speaker 2: Much Chick fil A as he wants, and oh my.
Speaker 3: God, make him happy.
Speaker 2: That's exactly a dream scenario.
Speaker 3: Yes, and so I always do.
Speaker 4: But Matt did get you know, his first opportunity, and
we were like, you know, we're obviously friends and roommates
on the road, and so like to see him get
that opportunity. And for me, like I didn't know I
was gonna play running back that day, like I was
a starting fullback, but I didn't. And then Joe Die
hurts his hamstring after having a big game. We had
another running back hurt himself on kickoff. We had another
how to miss pass protection or something unless is like
looking in the sidelines, He's like, hester get in there,
and I'm getting there running.
Speaker 3: Back and they need you to protect him. And it
was like my first.
Speaker 4: Time to like I played a mop up duty and
some different things.
Speaker 3: But so in that game I both had a huge impact.
Speaker 4: Well in the game, I had an opportunity to play
running back behind like Andrew Whitworth and this incredible offensive line, right,
And so that game allowed me like the next spring
to kind of be the leader in the clubhouse for
the starting running back position after playing fullback my first
two years.
Speaker 3: And so yeah, I will never forget the peach ball.
Speaker 6: That's a great, great story. Well, I'll never forget that
fight afterwards. I'll think, I mean I'll tell you when
when who is the running who is the wide receiver?
Dwayne Bow's mouthing off of his friends in at Miami,
and as he takes the ball and runs by your bench, right,
I'm standing down in that end zone and he runs by,
gets in the in the tunnel, and the Miami guys
fall him in his buddies. And I mean, you know,
obviously I'm not very big. I'm five to eleven. But
when you get clear on and guys with with pads
on and as big as they were, they're in that
tunnel everybody, and I'm shouting to the guy closed the
gate closing, and they were fighting in there.
Speaker 4: It was wild. Will I will never forget. It was
look and it didn't get too out of control, but
it was wild.
Speaker 3: But I will never forget. You've got all these, like
you said.
Speaker 4: These just large human beings, all these pads and stuff on,
and there was a policeman in there. And when she
hit the taser, Yeah, she had the noise froze everybody exactly.
Speaker 3: Yeah, a little bit. I was.
Speaker 2: I was in the middle of the field because it
was right after the game and I'm kind of getting interviewed.
Lin Swine somebody like that interviewed me, and all of
a sudden, I, huh, what's the team doing? Run in
that direction? And I was like, huh, what's our team?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I was on the field and I and yeah, No,
when you see your teammates and their team going to
a tunnel like, you don't ask questions. You go figure
it out and we'll sort it all out later.
Speaker 6: At three in the morning, I'm in a hospital because
the one kid had gashed his head. He had had
five stitches concussion. So I go over to visit in
the hospital. I get back to the Marriotte. I think
Miami was in the Marriotte, if I remember right, And
I'm walking down the hall at like three four in
the morning, and here comes Donna Challey, the the a
d there.
Speaker 3: They had fired Cocher that night.
Speaker 6: Yeah, they fired him that night. So that was a wild, loud, evening,
wild game. A lot of good memories though, for sure, Well,
how you guys doing about right here?
Speaker 2: Yeah, slow up here. A lot of the energy is
not quite.
Speaker 6: As you're having me up here, because you know you
join us every year, you know that, and you always.
Speaker 3: Tell us about the kickoff games.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you got two goods, two really good ones, two
intriguing ones. You've got a C C SEC and the
whole I want to get to Virginia Tech South Carolina.
That's the Beamer Bowl. That's going to be you know,
very very cool, great emotions. But this Syracuse Tennessee game sneaky.
So Syracuse and fran Brown they're ready, like they're not
going to back down from a fight. And then Tennessee
with all the different changes they've had, and they made
the Cosotball playoff as we all know a year ago,
and what that program's at and the expectation there that
one right there.
Speaker 3: If you don't if you don't.
Speaker 4: Know who Syracuse is, and you're just handwaving and thinking
it's going to be an easy win for Tennessee, that's
not going to be the case at all. Syracuse kept
Miami at a playoff last year, and they might be
better this year than they were a year ago.
Speaker 6: Finished in the top twenty, had ten wins. Both teams. Obviously,
Tennessee makes the playoff, but you know, changing quarterbacks is
you know, we're all living in that year and now
with the transfer portal, yeah, it's all free agency, but
tell me about Ricky Collins, because yeah, they be the
starter up there.
Speaker 3: At ye Cus. Yeah.
Speaker 4: So he was a local kid, you know, from Baton Rouge,
and he was very highly touted.
Speaker 3: I do remember when LSU offered him.
Speaker 4: It was like at a seven to seven event at
LSU and you kind of heard the buzz like, Okay,
hey there's this local kid. Like I know, we're recruit
in a, B and C from elsewhere, but you got
to come see him, and I'll never forget, like the
LSU coaching staff going to the seven on seven he
threw like two passes like yep, hey, you're staying to
talk to him, you're staying to get his commitment.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: I mean it was like right there on go. Very talented,
just happened to.
Speaker 4: Have maybe the nation's best quarterback in front of him
and Garrett neus Meyer, and so he wanted to get
on the field, wanted to challenge himself.
Speaker 3: I think it's actually kind of cool. He didn't try
to maybe stay in the region.
Speaker 4: He's like, I want to go to the best situation,
and he goes up to Syracuse, New York and so great.
I think he's gonna be a good player. He was
the backup for LSU last year when Nuss would you know,
he went down a couple of plays. I think it
was old miss game like he was right there, and
so I mean he was somebody LSU really valued in quarterbacks.
We know how it is, like if you're not playing
right now, you go find a spot. But he's a
good player and I'm excited to see him be the guy.
Speaker 6: Well, and they got in Jelly from Notre Dame. Yeah,
that was a late transfer.
Speaker 3: It was, it was it's late.
Speaker 4: So you wonder what that competition is going to kind
of be like because obviously Ricky's going to have a
couple of months on him.
Speaker 6: Yeah, he jo that should be good. And then Tennessee
with Aguilar right the trade.
Speaker 3: With he literally.
Speaker 6: Who knows what he's going to bring to Tennessee. But
you know they've got to they got to get their
running back situation with Samson gone. You know, but Tennessee
is going to be very good this year as well.
Speaker 2: Garry, I'm really like curious just about the not the
business side, but how these games get scheduled. I mean,
last year you had Clemson Georgia, You've had Top twenty five,
you have Top ten, matchups in this kickoff game. I
think the kickout game is starting in two thousand and eight, Right,
how do those discussions go and how long before those
those games get scheduled? It just how do you get
these big teams year after year to commit to these
games and kind of how does that partnership work out?
Speaker 6: Well, you know, I use a philosophy. I'm an old coach,
so I use a philosophy of rocks. You gotta have
guts and you know, I don't want to say it
on air, where you got to have right, yeah, rocks right?
Rocks is Building relationships are Oh, you got to be opportunistic.
Uh see, you got to be create competitive and s
you got to be strategic. So the way I look
at things is I'll look at recruiting, I'll look at
how long a coach contract is. You know, you analyze
all that stuff to start with, and then just through relationships,
you start talking to people. John wild Hack was at
ESPN and we signed a lot of contracts with him,
TV contracts at Chick fil A Peach Bowl. So when
he got the job at Syracuse, he said, Gary, trying
to build a program, would love to come. You know,
when you can fit us in in the kickoff game.
You know, Tennessee, we've talked to Danny White. We had
him when they won the national championship against Auburn and
our Chick fil A Peach Bowl when they.
Speaker 3: Were a uc Yeah.
Speaker 6: Yeah, So you know you got relationships. I'll tell you
the best one and it relates to LSU. Back to you, guys,
is back in two thousand. I get a call from
Nick Saban at LSU and he says, Gary, we're eight
and four. The best bowl we can get to is
the Peach Bowl. We're trying to build a program here.
I think it was his first or second year. You know,
we got to get it to the Peach Bowl. And
so I flied. Now first time and only time I
ever got a call from a coach to play in
our bowl game.
Speaker 3: I fly down.
Speaker 6: I meet with him, I meet with Charlie Weams, who's
chairman of the board, and I meet with Mark Emmert,
who was canceled. And they said, we'll.
Speaker 3: Do it whatever we can.
Speaker 6: We want to get to your game. So we took
Georgia Tech, who was like thirteenth in the country and
Gatzi was their quarterback, and so I fly back, and
my job was to pick the team. So I'd go
to my board and I said, we're going to take LSU. Yeah, no, no, no, no,
we don't want LSU. I said, what do you mean
you don't want LSU. And again, this is two thousand.
I took the job in ninety eight. They said, we
had LSU in ninety six with Donardo. He wasn't very good.
He didn't promote the game, they got beat by Clemson,
they didn't sell any tickets. We don't want LSU back,
I said, well, I'm just telling you. The coach, the
chairman of the board, and the athletic or the president
said they'll do whatever we need to do. So I
take LSU.
Speaker 3: I tell my board.
Speaker 6: I said, look, if they don't do what they said
they're going to do, you can fire me.
Speaker 3: Because in my second year, I.
Speaker 6: Said, I'm putting my job on the line.
Speaker 3: In the farm.
Speaker 6: The first day of ticket sales, they sell sixteen, four
and twenty one tickets. I still remember mister Gil sold
one thousand tickets and gave yellow shirts to all his
employees and said you get your asses to a land
and support the tigers. And so LSU came up Rohan
Davey came in the second half, spotted Josh Boody and
hits Josh Reed in the back of the end zone
and they win twenty eight fourteen. So I go back
on campus as we've done every year for twenty eight years,
to do a good, bad and the ugly, you know,
to continue improvement, to find out what we need to
improve on. And Nick tells me, you know, Gary, every
kid that we were recruiting signed with us that year,
and that was the Marcus Spears group that won the
championship in three so Nick felt indebted. Fast forward to eight,
I'm putting together this kickoff game format because the BCS
was going to a fifth game, and Austin the Cotton
Pole really put in strong bids. Well, Paul Julian, who's
good friend of ours who since passed away, talked the
commissioners into letting the Sugar Rows, Orange and Fiesta double host,
where they'd host third game and then two weeks later
host the National Championship on a rotational basis. And so
we didn't get in. So the next year, the NC
Double A legislates a twelfth game, so I'd go on
my board. I'm competitive again, I said, well, if they're
not going to listen on the BCS in the backside
of the season, we're starting to BCS on the front
side of the season. And so I came up with
Alabama and Clemson. I get Clemson, who had Spiller and
was going to be top ten, and I go to
Nick and I said, Nick, he was in his second year.
He had finished seven and six. Oh yeah, Louisiana beating Louisiana.
MUSI yeah, to get to seven and six his first year,
people don't forget, don't remember that. And so he said, Gary,
you helped me out at LU I'll help you come
over in this game. So he came over. They won
thirty four to ten. Cover Sports illustrate Alabama's back and
if Nick were sitting here, he tell you that's the
run they've been on was because of this game. And
so the next year they come in number five, Virginia
Tech was number seven. Frank Beemer, they beat Virginia Tech
and they win the national championship. So you know, that's
that's long story about how these things get done is relationships,
like most things in business, So it's even very blessed
to have them.
Speaker 2: Like I know, our listeners are going to be a
true like, yeah, that story about two thousand that started
some like like you said, I mean that that led
to the recruiting class that led O three national championship.
I started started this run that LSU is on still today.
One of the blue bloods in college football was you know,
Savan being there early on. So it's a that's a
fascinating story.
Speaker 6: But about LSU. When when you guys lose in the
championship game of the SEC year, oh finally, and everybody
passes on you, Yeah, and I said, I can't pass
on him, so we're gonna and typically you don't want
to come back to Atlanta, right because you just play
in the SEC championship game. So I take l s
U and that was you know, getting Miami was number ten,
you got, oh yeah, nine.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 6: I goes down to the l SU to do the
press conference and you know, less Les grabs my arm
and shakes and says, you have a damn fine team
coming to Atlanta. Just about took my shoulder out of socket,
and he says, but I need to talk to you.
I said, okay, and we go back in this office.
Speaker 3: It was right before the press conference.
Speaker 6: He said, Garrett, I can't say chick fil A.
Speaker 3: I said, what do you mean? Less?
Speaker 6: He says, I have a deal with Raisin King.
Speaker 3: I said, who the hell is Raising King raising k
here in Atlanta back then? Yeah? And he said, well,
they're a chicken company. Yeah. And I said, well, don't
say Chick fil a, just say peachball.
Speaker 2: That's fine, you know, last tyfficult less, I gotta tell you.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was like I thought he was.
Speaker 6: Gonna say, I'm gonna I'm gonna send nuclear war bombs somewhere,
you know, or I gotta I gotta talk to you.
Speaker 3: We got to meet in your off in my office.
Speaker 2: I expect you to say that. He was about to say,
I can't bring my starting quarterback.
Speaker 4: Kind of kind of whimpy kid from Tyler, Texas.
Speaker 6: I knew you guys weren't going to lose that game
when when he shook my hand and said that, you
gotta damn fud.
Speaker 3: We beat Miami on the field and in the tunnel.
It was a great there for the l Gary. It's
always a pleasure everybody. Guys, Thanks so much, so much.
Look forward to the semi final this year, and I
know and I'll be here.
Speaker 6: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Atlanta's always Yeah, Atlanta is always on my rotation there
for serious six c M.
Speaker 3: So you know I'll be here.
Speaker 4: Kickoff games Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia Tech in South Carolina.
Speaker 3: Can't wait for that. Gary Stoken always good enough to
join us. Appreciate you guys.
Speaker 4: Right, we will take a break more off the bench
almost set off game is off the bench when we
come back here one O four five ESPN Baton.
Speaker 3: Rouge, Off the bench, all right, go to.
Speaker 4: Your Golf Coast Office products website, which is gcop nets
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Speaker 1: Yes me again, Live from the twenty twenty five SEC
Football Media Days powered by Parish Construction and Roofing. Answer
now for your chance to win ten thousand dollars cash
at Parish Built dot com. Our coverage is also presented
by rev and Relief Windows.
Speaker 4: All right, welcome back in OGB one oh four five
ESPN Baton Rouge Shake, Gary Stoking on talking a little
LSU history.
Speaker 2: I was fascinating to you had heard some of those.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'd heard it before. And Gary and I get
a chance to catch up. But still that look. Just
some LSU fans at the first time OTV listeners, maybe
they get a chance to hear that story. It's always
fascinating to me and Coach Saban and him wanting to
get LSU out in front of everybody, because you know,
Coach Savan talks about it often. He always felt like
LSU was a sleeping giant. And it's not like LSU
hadn't had runs and uh, you know fifties and sixties
and the eighties and well not the nineties, but they
had runs in their history, right, and so it wasn't
but he knew l S you could be more. He
knew LSU could be consistently a blue blood. And that's
really one of you know, the signs and the times
you can point to that made that happen.
Speaker 3: So it's always a very cool story.
Speaker 4: And again, like for you and I, the Peach Bowl
was the biggest moment in our careers to that point
for sure.
Speaker 2: Absolutely the starters started like me and then that was
the first start.
Speaker 3: That was your first starting, It was my first life.
I had a couple of year out.
Speaker 2: A couple of good pass on North Texas that year and.
Speaker 4: The fourth I was probably in there with you as well,
Mom squad that was my at that time, that was
my running back snaps yep, and there gets the mean green.
Speaker 2: But that story to me about Nick Saban calling him that,
just like it goes to show you that we all
know Nick Saban's greatest coach of all time in college
football because of what he could do on the field
and the teams. But it's those little things behind closed
doors that he did to build a program, right, Like
that was so cerebral on the big picture. Like Gary
just said, I'd never had a coach call me before,
right and try to get into a game because he
knew what he could do for them. So I mean
that's just the kind of like awareness, cerebral, a big
picture outlook that it takes to build a program. Yeah,
and like we saw it for over a decade nauseatingly
with Alabama, Like those are just the things not only
on the field, but as a CEO and a runner
of a program. Yeah. Pretty impressive and a really really
cool story to hear.
Speaker 3: All Right.
Speaker 4: Coming up in our number three, we're gonna hopefully catch
up with some tucky players.
Speaker 3: I think Josh Katis tight end is going to come
see us.
Speaker 4: We'll start to get into some of those win totals
as well. The teams from yesterday, the teams today. We
have all that coming back your way. Our number three
of OTB on one oh four five ESPN, Baton rouge
off the bench.
Speaker 3: All right.
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