Speaker 1: I'll start to you to present Off the Bench.
Speaker 2: This is what we have been waiting for Off the Bench.
Speaker 1: Now, here's Jacob Hester.
Speaker 3: Welcome in hour number three.
Speaker 4: Here on a Wednesday edition of Off the Bench. Taylor
Sharp here with you sitting in or Jacob Hester. He
is out at SEC Spring meetings, which we're going to
get into in a little bit. Greg Sanky took to
the mic actually yesterday to open things up at SEC
Spring meetings, and the guy had a lot to say.
To say the least, you know, the big topic of
conversation out there has been the changing in the college
ball playoff format and they're just gonna go with a
straight seating model instead of like conference jams, automatic qualifiers
like that sort of thing. So there's been a lot
of discussion on that. We'll play some audio from Greg
sank Is. He had quite a few things to say.
Speaker 5: Now.
Speaker 4: The thing about Greg is he started out so strong,
like he started talking about how people are complaining that
the SEC and the Big Ten want to ruin college
football because they're going to benefit from it, and it's
what's best for the SEC, not necessarily what's the best
for all of college football. And then he points out
that it hasn't benefited the SEC, and I kind of.
Speaker 3: Agree with him on that.
Speaker 4: Because you go look at the BCS. I mean, what
was it. It was seven straight national titles in the
BCS era, going from Florida in what six LSU and
seven back to Florida all the way through really until
Florida State beat Auburn in like twenty twelve, twenty thirteen
whenever that was.
Speaker 3: So it's it's always been the SEC.
Speaker 4: You saw it in the four team playoff, the SEC
did really well there as well. And then last year
in the twelfth team. The first year of the twelfth team,
the two teams playing for the national championship weren't even
in the SEC. And then a year before that it
was Michigan and Washington and neither of those teams in
the SEC. So I agreed with him on that. It's
just a bunch of things after that, which is what
he said. We'll play the audio on that in just
a few minutes. We were trying to get in touch
with Ross Jackson right now of locked on Saints.
Speaker 3: We're gonna talk to him for a little bit.
Speaker 4: But before we do that, you know, we were talking
about the Saints running. Oh, actually, I think we have
mister Raws Jackson. We do have Ross Jackson. All right,
let's bring in Ross Jackson right now of locked on
Saints also rights for us right here at Louisiana Sports
dot Net or else.
Speaker 6: How are you this morning, Hey, Budy, I'm doing great, great,
Thanks for your patience. Hope you're doing it well.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, absolutely, thanks for the time. Look, man, we
have had internet issues for like two days, Like yesterday,
during the middle of the show, we completely lost internet.
The weather's been awful, Like I totally get it. That
is not on you, Legross. You know, OTAs are underway
for the New Orleans Saints. Then it goes just start
super broad here. You can take this whichever direction you want.
Maybe just your biggest overall takeaways from being out there
at OTAs.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest thing that we're
of course watching is the quarterback competition, right, and so
I think as we're watching that, no decisions are going
to be made during OTAs, but you get the opportunity
to start to kind of see where the starting place
is and what the growth looks like after that. And
so we saw, you know, Spencer Ratler off to a
fast start, which makes sense, has more NFL experience technically
on a per play basis, also has more collegiate experience
than Tyler Shuck more than six hundred more snaps than
Tyler Shuck in college, more than three hundred additional passing
attempts as opposed to Tyler Shuck as compared to Tyler
Shuck in college. So you saw sort of the experience
of the operation getting in and out of the huddle,
being or on the offense, commanding the offense, making quick
and decisive and precise decisions as well. I think all
of that sort of stood out. I think the other
two kind of big takeaways would have been, you know,
taking a look at where things were with the offensive line,
seeing tarpor Penning moved to the inside, giving them Calvin
Banks and Telisaflong over on the outside at tackle. And
then you know, looking over at this kind of new
defensive scheme and where things are. But one last thing
I'll mentioned was just kind of the vibes, right, like,
some part of this too is not just about what
happens on the field, it's you know, what's the kind
of mood in the clubhouse, how's everybody feeling after a
five win season and all these other things. And I
would say that, like.
Speaker 7: The vibe of practice, the vibe.
Speaker 6: Of the building, the vibe of the locker room was very,
very different. One player telling me that they feel that
they're headed taking steps in the right direction with this
new coaching staff. So you can kind of feel a
little bit of the promise and optimism that should be
there at this point of the year.
Speaker 4: Wells, obviously there are players out there that'll stand out,
But as far as like maybe any negatives, was there
something you like thought was going to look a little
bit better.
Speaker 7: Than it has, I don't think so.
Speaker 6: I think that is one of those things that maybe
comes together a little bit more in training camp during
this time, what you're really seeing is like seven on
seven's at best, and then you're seeing, you know, individual
drills based on the position, maybe some walkthrough or run
game install and things like that. So there's not really
a lot of the opportunity to kind of put anything
under that under so much of a microscope that you
go to the critical.
Speaker 3: Side of it.
Speaker 6: I will say that, like the thanks having five players
that you know aren't available because of injury right now,
maybe could give people a little bit of pause. But
it's worth remembering that like two of those players, Staysom
Hill and Boston Morow, they're coming off of injuries from
last year. Quincy Riley's dealing with an injury right now
that was a post draft procedure, but something that pre
existed his selection, and really the only you know, and
Dollan Hulker is dealing with something that happened earlier in
the off season as well, or earlier you know, away
from the team, or not away from the team, but
you know, early in the off season. And then you
have Jake Hayner, who was injured in practice, dealing with
that oblique injury and he's probably going to be out
for OTAs, but nothing super severe. And the majority of
the things that they're dealing with are things that pre exists,
you know, OTAs, And so I think that even that
has a little bit of context that even if you
start to feel a little git concerned about it, has
some context that maybe makes you feel little bit better.
Speaker 4: Ross Earlier you were talking about Kevin I on Trevor
Penning obviously has moved to guard. Is something that a
lot of people have talked about, you know, with him
moving to guard that O line, you got Fuaga Banks,
you got Penning, Ruiz, Eric McCoy. How good could this
O line potentially be under this Kelli Moore scheme? Like,
could this be a strength for the team in twenty
twenty five?
Speaker 6: Yeah, I'm glad that you brought up Kellen More in
that because I was going to say, I think that
that offensive line can be as can go as far
as the coaching will take it. I think that that's
the big thing about this. You can have if Trevor
Penning pans out at left guard, You've got four first
round picks and a first round grade guy in Eric
McCoy who just happened to fall into the Saints' lap
in the second round during his draft year. But as
a part of that and sort of figuring out where
this team can head next, it's really going to be
about how the scheme compliments the players and how the
coaching compliments the players.
Speaker 7: And I have I would have high.
Speaker 6: Hopes for that, you know, looking into where this is headed,
because I like the approach of the coaching staff is taking.
You know, I had a great conversation with TJ. Paganetti,
who's the Saints run game coordinator, kind of a new
position for the team, and he spoke a lot about
you know, I mean to put it frankly, one of
my favorite things that he said was we don't put
players in positions that suck. And I think that's just
as important part of the equation as the individual players
are is don't put them in bad situations and don't
put them in positions where you're asked them to do
something that maybe they struggle on that technique or maybe
they're not as successful there, or they could be doing
it a slightly different way, but you really want them
to do it this way, not getting married to those things.
So I think that the lack of ego amongst the
coaching staff in that way will allow them to be
able to better adjust things to compliment what it is
that that offensive line, whatever configuration it takes, but in particular,
if that's the configuration, just finding ways to better compliment
what it is that that configuration of offensive lineman can do,
it would be massive. And so that I think is
the other big piece to this as well, is you know,
what is the coaching staff going to ask them to
do and how well do they coach it up. How
do they coach it up? And then that's really going
to be the thing that raises or drops the ceiling
on what it is if these players are going to
be able to do regardless of the offensive line configuration.
Speaker 3: Ross Jackson joining us right now.
Speaker 4: Ross yesterday on louisianasports dot Net, you put up old
piece on Clyde Edwards Hilaire talking about, you know, his
chances of making the team. Can I broke down the
running back depth chart as well behind Alvin Kamara. What
are your thoughts on Clyde Like, can could he be
a weapon in this offense?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 6: I think so. I mean he's one of those guys
that has like the versatility to kind of be able
to do everything. He can run between the tackles, he
can get outside the tackles, he can catch passes, and
he's a solid pass protector if nothing else, He's a
willing pass protector. It's going to be challenging for him,
just based on the fact that there are so many
running backs in that room right now, and so it's
an uphill climb no matter where you're starting in this situation.
But I think that those elements of his game and
then in addition to that the veteran experience that he brings.
He's the second most experienced running back going into his
sixth season, behind Alvin Kamara. I think that those things
all kind of compliment what it is that he should
be able to bring, or not necessarily compliment, but kind
of elevate what it is that he brings to this team.
And so I don't know if he makes it on
the active roster, I don't know if he makes up
on the practice squad, but I do give him a
pretty fair shot at being one of the fifty three
plus guys to end up making the roster. The big
question is going to be how many running backs they
keep on the active roster, because right now they don't
have a fullback rostered, So do they utilize that position
or that piece somewhere else that spot, or do they
intend to utilize that as a point of keeping a
fourth running back.
Speaker 7: It's going to be.
Speaker 6: Interesting to see how they utilize that, even if that
player is inactive on some games. But I do think
that he has a chance. If there's four running backs kept,
or if there's three running backs plus additional on the
practice body, he's got a chance. To make a swing
at one of those spots.
Speaker 4: Stink with the running back room, I mean you mentioned
the crowded the crowded room. Are you have Kamara, Edwards Hilaire,
you brought in Devin Neil and Marcus Yarns the rookies.
What does the future of Kendre Miller look like in
New Orleans?
Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean it's an uphill climb for him too, Right,
That's one of those big things where you know, he
was drafted by a different coaching staff. He's had injury
issues that have kind of kept him off of the field,
and it's all been kind of different injuries, different things
and everything. So he's got an uphill climb, But he
also has a blank slate, which I think is helpful.
You know, you add Baylis Joan junior to that room,
as well as another veteran guy, Exvalidate, who was with
the team last year. Like, there's a lot of these
guys in this room, and so nobody is really walking
in to a roster spot in this room except for
Alvin Kamara. And then maybe you can make the argument
for Devin Neil since he was drafted by this coaching staff.
I also think Devin Neil is going to be a
good NFL player, so I would give him that roster
spot for that reason. But Kendre is going to have
an opportunity here to prove that kind of the perception
that's been built around him under that previous coaching staff.
You know, a team that was dealing with injury all
over the place and everything like that isn't really a
perception of him. It was sort of a perception of
his circumstance or his situation. He's got a real chance
to kind of change the course of that conversation here
this Austice, Well.
Speaker 4: I'll switching to the Dvinser a little bit. You were
talking about, you know, looking at the scheme under Brandon Staley.
But you know, a big, big topic of conversation has
been the same secondary because you know there are some
pieces you have to replace air What's what's that group kind.
Speaker 6: Of looked like, Yeah, I think on the defensive side
or defensive secondary with the corners, I think is kind
of where the biggest question mark is right now. I
think your safeties are going to be set in Tyron,
Matthew and Justin Reid. The question will become, you know,
who's that rotational safety that that maybe comes in for
dime sets and things like that. Does that remain Jordan
Howden or as a guy like Yona Sanker, who is
a part of this year's draft class, end up stepping
into that role. So be a little bit of a
battle of there. I think you'll you'll find. But when
it comes to corner right, you're having to replace Marshall
Attimore who was traded away last year. You having to
replace Paul Sinadibo who signed with the New York Jets
this offseason. So you've got kool Aid McKinstry as a
guy that I think is, you know, a lock in
one of your outside spots, and then Alante Taylor is
going to have a role maybe that's outside and base
packages and then moves inside it. Nickel will kind of
see how it is that that Brandon Saley decides to
use him. But I think keeping him maximized would be
keeping him in the slot in some way to where
he's allowed to be a disruptor as a pass rusher,
as a run defender in coverage, threatening at the line
of scrimmage, playing near a Liana scrimmage, all these other things.
So I think you want to find a way to
do that. So then that opens up sort of that
outside corner spot in at least in Nickel packages. And
so right now that's Isaac Adams Spott. He's the guy
that came back. He had a great twenty twenty three
with the team where the team was having to circumvent
injuries at the position, and he played really well. There
went off spent a year in San Francisco with the
forty nine ers where Brandon Staley, now New Orleans Saints
defensive coordinator, was the assistant head coach, and so those
two got some opportunity with one another. So now they
bring that back here to New Orleans. But now you've
got Quincy Riley, who you've also drafted out of Louisville,
who I think is a really talented player and is
going to be a starter at some point. I just
don't know if it's going to be week one. He's
one of the guys that's managing injury right now or
managing rehab right now, and so we'll see when he
gets back. But that's going to kind of be the
battle for that other spot, I believe, And so we'll
see where Quincy Riley ends upry. And then the other
name to watch isn't on the roster yet but could
be on the roster, and that's a Sante Samuel Jr.
Brandon Staley and Sante Samuel Junior go back to the
Chargers' days. Sante was part of Brandon Staley's first ever
draft class as a head coach. He's on the free
agent market. He had a neck procedure earlier this offseason,
set to be checked in July. If he's cleared from that,
I expect that the Saints, who have already had him
in for a visit, but at least shows some interest
there so you could see another player that gets added
to that sort of jumble and to that battle for
the Saint in their secondary well s.
Speaker 3: Before we get you out of here.
Speaker 4: As far as like what fans should keep an eye on,
obviously taking Kelvin Banks out of the equation, who appears
to be a Day one starter, Like, are there any
rookies out there to keep an eye on that you
think these guys could play early?
Speaker 6: Yeah, Danny Stutsman's just so much fun to watch all
the time. Man, the Oklahoma linebacker. He is just a
ball of energy, brings a lot of energy to a team,
all these other things, you know. On a show that
we did recently, former New Orleans States Squad receiver Lance
Moore mentioned that like there's no there's no year requirement
for leadership.
Speaker 3: You just kind of have to have the time on task.
Speaker 6: For sure, but you've also just have to have the
personality that people are willing to rally around. And his
personality is a personality that people are really to rally around,
and so I'd definitely be watching out for him. And
a guy that I think is going a little bit
under discussed right now is defensive tech tackle Vernon Broughton.
Him coming in, I think people were kind of surprised
because there were other defensive tackles on the board and everything.
But there's a connection here between Broughton and Bo Davis
saying defensive line coach. They work together over in Texas.
He's kind of getting the treatment of an early rotational
player that's playing at nose tackle, moving outside to three
four defensive end. He's kind of getting a lot of
these different opportunities. So he'd be another one number ninety
one that I'd be watching as well, just to kind
of see if he ends up turning into one of
the surprise contributors for a lot of people out of
this draft class because he's at this sort of un
sexy position and is the name that people aren't really
talking about very much.
Speaker 4: Ross Jackson, you can catch your stuff at Locked on
Saints as well as see his article right here at
Louisiana Sports dot net. Ross, thanks so much for the
time this morning.
Speaker 2: Thank you man.
Speaker 6: You take the safe and I'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 4: Appreciate your having absolutely that right there was Ross Jackson.
A right, We're gonna take a time out and we
get back. Greg Sankie had some interesting comments at SEC
spring meetings. We're breaking it down next here on off
the bench.
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Speaker 1: Welcome back to Off the Bench.
Speaker 4: Welcome back in nour number three here on a Wednesday
edition of Off the Bench. Thanks so much to Rawls
Jackson for hopping on with us, talking a little Saints
OTAs as there is just a ton of news coming
out of New Orleans all the time this week. Okay,
SEC Spring meetings currently taking place, which is where our
normal host Jay Kester is currently at. Look, we're gonna
we're gonna try to get some interviews that Jake did
sent back to us.
Speaker 3: We may play them tomorrow.
Speaker 4: Jacob may hope one I'll be in discussion with him
throughout the day, and you'll have to tune in tomorrow
to find out just how that looks. A little bit earlier,
I was talking about, you know, Greg Sankie him saying
the twelve team playoff didn't.
Speaker 3: Benefit the SEC. I agree.
Speaker 4: You know, we saw it with the BCS seven national
championships in the road for the SEC the four team playoff,
we saw it there as well. But the last year
of the fourteen playoff, it was Michigan in Washington. This
past year in the twelve team playoff, it was a
Notre Dame in Ohio State. None of those are SEC team.
So all this talk about, oh, well, you know the
new scheduling format in the twelve team playoff, like the
Big Ten and the SEC are only interested in improving
their conferences, not just all of college football. I think
Greg Sanki hit that on the nose in terms of, hey, look,
it's kind of always been this way with the SEC,
and the twelve team playoff didn't necessarily benefit us. Here's
where Sanki loses me though. We're gonna play this. This
is from Greg Sanki yesterday when he was talking about
what it takes to make the college football playoff.
Speaker 3: I was all on board until this radio.
Speaker 9: One of the things you learned is you're not going
to divorce your regular season schedule for college football playoff selection.
In fact, I think there's more of a feeling that
regular season scheduling is governed by college football playoff selection.
Witness the discontinuation of the series. This isn't critical of Troy.
It's critical of the reality that, hey, you can drop
a big series and it's not going to hurt you
come selection time. You have a team that played four
games against teams with six and six records last year
that got in. Another team didn't play really anybody at
the top of its conference was selected in, and it's
clear that not losing becomes in many ways more important
than beating the University of Georgia, which two of our
teams were left out. Nobody had that kind of quality win.
Speaker 4: First off, Alondra, could you chill with the typing whenever gradual?
Speaker 5: Is all I got from that video is somebody is
tygorously tight, like very aggressive in that clip. But that
sounds like T Bob in the mornings, like when I
used to walk in here. T Bob Clay like that,
Oh my god, that is all I got out that clip.
Speaker 4: I just thought it was funny, like people in the
car probably like who's type? He really No, that was
on the actual audio clip that we played. Somebody in
there doing their job a little bit too aggressive. But
I'm gonna kind of reiterate what Greg sank said right there,
because I just think he's off base with this. Greg
SANKI said, it's clear that losing becomes in many ways
more important than beating the University of Georgia, which two
of our teams that were left out did.
Speaker 3: That's true.
Speaker 4: Look Alabama, Ole Miss, South Carolina, they were left out,
Bama and Georgia. I mean Bama and Ole Miss, boat
took down Georgia. Obviously he's referring to teams like an Indiana,
like an SMU. But you know what would to help
those teams get in not losing three regular season games
to crappy teams. Alabama beat Georgia, sure, a twenty four
to seventeen lost to Tennessee, who made it to the
College Football Playoff but didn't do much there. Gave up
forty points to Vanderbilt and a forty to thirty five
loss Varnerbilt wound up not being that great.
Speaker 3: I remember that.
Speaker 4: And then they go on the road to Norman and
get stamped twenty four to three to the Oklahoma Sooners,
who had trouble adjusting to the SEC in year one.
I remember they weren't that great either. Sure, Alabama beat Georgia,
but you gave up forty points to Vanderbilt, who lost
what five games this year? Oklahoma was a middle of
the road team. You lost twenty four to three to them.
Couldn't even score a touchdown in that game. And then
let's go to Ole Miss. They beat Georgia, but you
know what else they did. They lost twenty to seventeen
to an awful Kentucky team. They lost at LSU in
overtime twenty nine, twenty six. Maybe if they take that game,
their fortunes are a little bit different. And then a
twenty four to seventeen lost to Florida, who's also worse
than Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Florida. Three of all Miss losses,
none of those teams were in the College Football Playoff
this past year. Maybe don't lose three games. Rebels did
beat Georgia twenty eight to ten, but your season. You
should look at the season as a whole, not just
beating the University of Georgia. How about South Carolina, who
I actually thought was the best of the three teams
that were ultimately left out. They played really well down
the stretch, They beat Clemson, they did a good job
at the end of the season. They lose early in
the season to LSU at home thirty six thirty three.
How was the game that LSU escaped in? South Carolina
had LSU on the ropes and just refused to win
that game. Every single factor win against the Tigers in
the game, and somehow LSU still came away with.
Speaker 3: That's a game you should have won. Again.
Speaker 4: LSU good team last year, not a college football playoff team.
So you could say, okay, well, South Carolina had a
good win against LSU, they didn't even play Georgia, and
I thought that they were playing the best out of
them Ole Miss and Alabama at the end of the year.
But it's hard to justify putting South Carona in when
they lost head to head twenty seven to three to
two Old Miss and twenty seven to twenty five to Alabama.
So bad losses for Bama and Ole Miss, Florida, Kentucky
for Old Miss, Vandy, and Oklahoma for Alabama.
Speaker 3: South Carolina doesn't have a bad loss.
Speaker 4: Their losses are three points to LSU, you lose to
Ole Miss, who was in the playoff conversation. You lose
to Alabama by two points, who was in the playoff conversation.
So they definitely had the best resume as far as
bad losses. But can you really put in South Carolina
when they lost head to head to Ole Miss and Alabama.
I get what Greg Sinkie's trying to say. What Greg
Sankie's trying to say is strength of schedule no longer matters.
Speaker 3: And I agree with that.
Speaker 4: I don't think strength of schedule does matter anymore with
the college football playoff, especially now where they're just gonna
go street seating. As far as ranking teams in the
top twelve, it's just gonna go straight one through twelve.
Speaker 3: I agree with that.
Speaker 4: But let's not act like beating Georgia was held against
these teams.
Speaker 3: It was not.
Speaker 4: Beating Georgia is what put these teams in the conversation.
There was a multiple things you could have done. You
could have not lost three games. If you're Alabama. You
could have not given up forty to Vandy. You could
have not gotten your butt kick twenty four to three
to a bad Oklahoma team. And if you're Ole Miss,
you cannot lose to Florida and Kentucky.
Speaker 3: You can't do it.
Speaker 4: And you went on the road and lost the game
to LSU and overtime you win that game. Maybe your
fortunes are a little bit different. But how about not
losing to bad teams? Maybe maybe not losing to bad
teams would have helped Alabama, Ole Miss in South Carolina
get into the College Football Playoff. Now, Orbama, ole Miss,
and South Carolina better than Indiana SMU. Maybe I would
even venture to say probably. But putting a team in
because you believe they're better is so biased and subjective.
I remember when this college football Playoff was put together,
the common phrase use was settle it on the field.
How can you do that if these teams don't get
an opportunity? How can you say settle it on the field?
And you look past on field performances you say, oh, well,
Alabama and Ole Miss they have two bad losses, they've
lost three games. Hey, but they beat the University of Georgia,
and Georgia is pretty good. Let's throw out the rest
of their season, the rest of their results, for all
their games. They beat the University of Georgia, they should
be in the College Football Playoff. If that's the case,
why are you playing the other eleven games on your schedule?
Just go play Georgia. If you beat them, you're in
the College Football Playoff. If you don't, sorry, you're going home.
You're watching the College Football Playoff on the couch. I
get what Sinkie's trying to say. But to say that, oh,
not losing is more important than beating the University of Georgia,
He's right to an extent. Alabama and ole Miss don't
lose the crappy teams. If South Carolina beats one of
ole Miss and Alabama, they get it. These teams did
it to themselves. It was nothing about oh well, poor us,
we play in the SEZ. South Carolina didn't have to
play Georgia.
Speaker 3: I mean it.
Speaker 4: They had a pretty easy path. All they had to
do was beat one of ole Miss in Alabama. They
couldn't do it. So sorry, not sorry, Greg, it is
what it is. Don't don't complain about having a tough
schedule in the SEC. Because the SEC does have tough schedule.
Teams that Ole miss and Alabama lost to, we're not
tough teams.
Speaker 3: All right.
Speaker 4: Look, we're going to take a quick time out when
we get back. Doug Thompson, former LSU pitcher, also does
the color on the baseball broadcast with the voice of
the Tigers, Chris Blair. Doug's gonna hop on with us
next for a little s LSU regional preview that's coming up.
Speaker 3: Next here on, Off the bench, Off the bench, all right,
go to trash rangers dot com.
Speaker 2: Trash rangers dot com is the website. And remember we
told you yesterday, Gonna remind you again for Memorial Day,
there is not going to be a delay in service.
All routes will run as normally scheduled on Friday and
also on Monday, which is Memorial Day, So enjoy the holiday.
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Speaker 1: Welcome back to Off the Bench.
Speaker 4: Welcome back in hour number three here on a Wednesday
edition of Off the Bench.
Speaker 3: Just two more segments.
Speaker 4: Laugh, I want to go a little bit back to
LSU baseball.
Speaker 3: Right now.
Speaker 4: Doug Thompson, former LSU Tiger pitcher. You can also hear
him on the broadcast with the Voice of the Tigers
is a blayer. Doug joins us right now, Doug, how
are you this morning?
Speaker 6: Doing well?
Speaker 7: How you guys doing today?
Speaker 3: We are doing good? Dog, You're you're on the call
this weekend? Right?
Speaker 7: I will be well. Actually have a three man booth.
It'll be myself, Chris and the one and only Buzzy Hidel.
Speaker 3: What a what a trio that is?
Speaker 1: Doug.
Speaker 4: Let's get into it here a little bit. You know,
when the NCAA Tournament was announced, everyone talked about how
much they loved LSU's draw here in the regional, that
being paired with the Clemson Regional. So if the Tigers
get through that, they would host the Super in Baton Rouge.
How favorable do you think LSU's draw is in this tournament?
Speaker 7: I don't really agree really with that that that it's
that stay real. I mean, Arkansas State, you know, it's
kind of a shocking team to enter. I mean, it's
it's a great story, it could be a could be
a thirty one thirty. How they went, they lost thirteen
to the last fourteen. It'sent win the conference tournament. So
you know, I would say that, you know they're the
weakest team, but you start looking into that their ace
is coming back this week. He threw lights out last week.
And they have a bunch of seniors and red shirt
juniors on their lineup. So I know the guys, not
only you know coach j Johnson, his staff, I know
they're not taking them lightly. Regardless of what the general
population consensus is on how great they are. They don't
hit it well, they have it, pitched it well, but
again they lost their guy and he's back now. And
then given this other Rhode Island team, you know they
could swing it too. They hit three ten on the season.
Of course not the SEC, I get it right, but
still they hit three ten on the season. They've they've
got three four guys with double digit home runs, and
of course we all know Dallas Baptist is a bugaboo
and certainly can swing the bat. They've got some big arms,
including a former Tiger in the mix there. So look,
postseason baseball in college is awesome. It's fun to watch
because you never really know what's gonna happen. Yes, I
think that, I guess there could have been worst teams
and worse straws and you no, I do not think
it's the toughest regional. But you can't take anyone lightly
these days, with the transfer portal and the ability for
these smaller programs to literally roll out, you know, nine
guys over twenty three years old into the field and
then have a couple of those guys coming out of
the bulletin on the mount, So you really can't. You
got to play every game like it's going to be
a one run battle.
Speaker 4: In my opinion, obviously you were talking about Jackson Wells
as the ace for Little Rock. Let's say Lsue does
get by a Little Rock, It'll either be Dallas Baptist
or Rhode Island will be the next opponent. Who do
you think is a tougher matchup for the Tigers?
Speaker 7: Like I said, I mean, well, I think Dallas Baptist
is the tougher matchup. But they both hit. They both
have some dudes with some homers, a couple of dudes
even close to twenty homers, I believe, if I remember correctly,
I guess I'd prefer to play Rhode Island with that
six point two oh t e R. But you know,
both teams will be formidable in game two, which uh
and probably Game three as well, right so, which I
think is potentially a reason that Jay Johnson and his
staff would consider quote unquote throwing off I mean and
not throwing one or two tomorrow night and taking a
chance against Arkansas State, hoping the bats will take care
of you know, take care of business, and then you
know you're you're sitting really nice having you know, two
of the one of the best one to two punches
in the country, if not the best one two punch
in the country ready for Saturday and Sunday.
Speaker 3: What are what are you? I'm loud you brother.
Speaker 4: What do you think maybe the chances of Jay wanting
to throw off, you know, with a little rock off
a little bit, because you know, I remember back in
twenty three when LSU won the title, a lot of
people thought Jay was going to do that against Tulane
with Paul Skins. He throws Skins in that first game.
What do you think the chances of them pitching off
this regional is.
Speaker 7: I think they're probably talking about it. I think, you know,
the good news is that with the brilliant move I
thought of throwing Anderson and Iinson the other day, you know,
in the SEC tournament, it kind of opens up the
potential for either of those guys to be on the
hill for this opener of the regional kind of leaves
everyone guessing, right, had he just gone Anderson then ainsin
the next day, I think the answer to be a
little bit more clear. But he has that option to
roll either one of them out there tonight, or he
could think about throwing off and I thought Jade knut
through well. I thought Jaatee Shores through well him and
Myers averaged one hundred point one miles an AFT on
their fast buss, which is crazy. They both did one
hundred and two in that game, you know, the last
game that we actually lost on Saturday. So yeah, I
think it's risky. It's risky to not go out there
with your number one and tournament play. It's just it's
a cliche, and everybody knows it's a cliche that you're
just setting yourself out for failure, potential failure. But again,
because of the the ability for these next two possible opponents,
Dallas Baptist in Rhode Island, you know their ability to
swing the bat, because that exists. I don't know. I
think this is this is one of those times where
you'd certainly consider it. Answer your question though, what do
I think the percentages fifty to fifty that that they
throw off tomorrow?
Speaker 4: Well, I mean something something to keep an eye on
from LSU Tiger pitcher Doug Thompson joining us right now. Doug.
Let's say that LSU does survive this regional, they'll host
the super in ben Rouge. That's the Clemson Regional. So
it's Clemson, West Virginia, Kentucky. You're the top three seeds there.
What are your thoughts on maybe some of those matchups.
Who do you think maybe matches up best with all
a few?
Speaker 7: Honestly, I'll be honest with you, I haven't looked that
far down the road. They're all tricky. They're all programs
that could come here and certainly beat you, you know,
including Kentucky. So that next round, as it should be,
as it will always be, is going to be a
difficult round. It's huge, though, I mean it's huge that
it's here at the Box because no matter how you
slice it and dice it or who you bring here
to the box, it's always been and will always be
good Lord Willing tough to win two out of three
at Alec Box Stadium, and that's what it comes down
to in that final weekend. And we've got two of
the best front end arms in the country, and that's
kind of the things that I'm focused on. Regardless of
who comes here, what are our strings? Number One is
Alec Box. I'm telling you, man. They when they go
to the bullpen on Friday or Saturday night and h
and they crank up Garth Brooks calling back and ruge
and they pull out their Ace. There's something about that energy,
especially in the postseason, and I have a feeling it's
gonna be absolutely packed for this round. In next round,
they know Tigers have missed the regional last year. Tiger
fans dying to get there. It's the best part of
the year. Of course, I hear the weather this weekend
will actually be a little bit better in terms of heat.
It won't be that hot, maybe even some relatively cool
temperatures for this time of year. So everything's set up
for a great run over the next two, three four
weeks for the city of Baton Rouge and for this
LSU baseball program. But I know one thing for sure,
Jay Johnson is focused on today, practicing his team, preparing
his team. His staff will continue to prepare tonight for
not only this game, but the next potential to teams
that they could play. They're going to be staring at
watching those games and collecting as much information as they can.
There's some of the best in the country at it.
There's some of the best I've ever seen. Those guys
are in you know, sleeves up twenty four to seven
mode right now, and I can promise you Jay Johnson's
teams whether regardless of what happens on the field, they
will be prepared for their opponent tomorrow night.
Speaker 3: Doug Thompson, Doug, thanks so much for hopping on with
us this morning.
Speaker 7: You're the man.
Speaker 1: Thank you all.
Speaker 7: Have a great week.
Speaker 4: Absolutely, that was Doug Thompson right there, former LSU Tiger pitcher.
You can also hear him on the LSU Sports Radio
Network on the call. You heard it he Chris Blair
and Buzzy Hidel, all three on the call for the
regional this upcoming weekend. All right, we're gonna step aside,
we get back, We're gonna wrap it up like we
do every day.
Speaker 3: It's a mass the bench top, the bench.
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Speaker 1: Welcome back to Off the Bench.
Speaker 4: I w along the streets you used to walk along
with me. Welcome back in final segment here on a
Wednesday edition of Off the Bench. Will end it right
now like we do every day, with a little ask
the bench.
Speaker 5: Come on, we got a little bit of time.
Speaker 3: Okay, what we go? I want to revisit the macron
the macron.
Speaker 5: Do you have those pictures.
Speaker 3: Jordan's I have.
Speaker 8: On my phone. No, I didn't email it to myself.
Speaker 3: Don't blame Jordan's in the seconds the entire bay, Yeah.
Speaker 8: I thought I was doing.
Speaker 5: You should have had them ready either way, because you
knew we were going to revisit this.
Speaker 8: I'm thinking we were about to just wrap this back.
Speaker 5: This just ruined it because I need the pictures.
Speaker 3: We'll wait for him to pull it up.
Speaker 4: Adelon drafts the bench favorite tailgate foods.
Speaker 3: I do love some Boodane egg rolls. Who's the boot Dane?
Speaker 4: So Lashin and Dnim has like these boot an balls
that you can get. That's it's really good. All right,
interesting to hear yours on this one, ask the bench, No, no.
Speaker 3: Is it the JFK question.
Speaker 5: I can't get my true answer to that.
Speaker 3: You can't give your true answer no.
Speaker 5: But I can tell you off air well, So.
Speaker 4: It's we can actually do a little We can actually
do a little extended thing on this tomorrow if we
want so. I am my last year of college. I
basically had to go an extra semester for one class
because like they wouldn't let you take any of the
prerecks in the same semester, so I had to go.
In order to you know, stay full time, you have
to take twelve hours. So I took sports history, a
basketball class, and it took a JFK assassination class as
my free history, and like, yeah, I mean the teacher.
He was this older guy. God, I wish I could
remember his name. He has three published books on JFK.
Like the entire semester was devoted to that. I got
to learn a whole lot about It was really fun.
Speaker 5: Okay, here we go, what do you Jordan has these
pictures pulled up, so hold on, go to the guy,
the guy with the glasses.
Speaker 3: First.
Speaker 8: That one. No, no, no, no, no, that one.
Speaker 5: So Brigitte Macrone has a brother named Jean Michelle trog No.
This is her brother. This is her brother, Jordan, you
can pull it up. This is Brigitte's brother. This is
the last picture. This is the last picture that we
have of Jean Michelle Trogno, who is Brigitte's brother. So
you got that pick pull up the picture of Brigitte McCrone. Now,
not like I'm not telling you now, but I'm saying
like I was. I didn't mean that demandingly. It sounded
like I was like, pull it up now. But this
is Brigitte Macrone, the one with the glasses, So that
y'all have Jean Michelle in your head. In your head,
this is Brigitte McCrone. Okay, and I get siblings look alike.
Speaker 3: But then okay, somebody put a wig on.
Speaker 5: John Michelle Treugna had a son. Pull up the one
that one that one, yes has a son, So this
is Brigitte's nephew from her brother. Okay, and then pull
up the picture of Emmanuel Macrone. They have no side
you could do the side by side. Yeah, no blood
relation to each other. That is Emmanuel McCrone and Brigitte's
nephew who has no blood relation allegedly to Emmanuel Macrone.
Speaker 3: So this is the first time I've ever actually seen
Emmanuel Macrone.
Speaker 5: I need the radio audience to look up these pictures
because got to visualize it.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 5: But anyway, Jean Michelle and Brigitte look a lot alike. Which, yes,
their siblings, Emmanuel McCrone and Brigitte's nephew look like they're.
Speaker 8: So they were like twins.
Speaker 5: So uh yeah, I mean that's where I'll leave it at.
Y'all could y'all could open up that can of.
Speaker 8: Worms in your own time. But that's my little tiny
So for the people listening, just imagine Emmanuel Macron. Yeah,
I guess you can imagine him, but imagine like a
Mormon coming to your front door to try and offer
you to join the Mormon Church. And he's kind of
like greasy looking like he might rob you a little bit.
That's what he looks like. And he looks like he
has a fascination with F one racing. I don't know why,
but that's the that's the image. Yeah, he looks like
he just knows all the F one racers. Oh yeah,
Mercedes Bens this year, they're gonna be nasty.
Speaker 4: Like you, like when we were talking about the ND
five hundred earlier that lives for the five hundred hundred.
Speaker 8: Just looking at him, just like, yeah, there it is.
Speaker 3: The animal crunch toy just continues.
Speaker 5: Tell you look it up in your own time, and
you're gonna be.
Speaker 3: Like, whoa.
Speaker 4: It just continues here on O TV. I love how
the laundress so dedicated to her craft like she is.
Speaker 5: Just don't get me started on Veronique Drew.
Speaker 10: I don't even know who the hell that is about
to say, this is just a whole bunch of what
is this Basically, Jean Michelle like disappears for a few
years and then this woman named Ronnie drou appears that Okay, anyway,
I'm getting too deep into yeah.
Speaker 4: You're getting to ask the bench. This is a little
bit of a lighthearted one. It's not as big of
a thinker pancakes or waffles.
Speaker 5: It depends who makes them and like where they're from.
Speaker 8: Some waffle House waffles, though.
Speaker 3: This was something like a fen citing answer.
Speaker 4: I think the best waffle is better than the best pancake,
But on average, I think pancakes.
Speaker 8: You know what, I like that take?
Speaker 3: I think, Yeah, I don't hate that, because dude.
Speaker 8: With some good waffles. Man, that is just some good pancakes.
Though I don't I love them both. That's like saying
you like water. Yeah, I kind of like both of them, So.
Speaker 3: Ask the bench. Fried eggs are scrambled.
Speaker 4: Scrambled, Jesus scrambled fried easily.
Speaker 8: It depends on what I'm like with my Frida Egg's on.
Speaker 3: Though, No, it's the answers fried egg Jordan.
Speaker 8: I like a Friday egg on, like like a burrito,
be honest.
Speaker 3: And if you pick scrambled because it's the only kind
of egg you.
Speaker 8: Can make, yeah, I can't. Honestly, I've only eaten fried
or scrambled.
Speaker 4: If you're looking at someone who is not exactly a
master of the culinary are to his.
Speaker 8: Own right, Like sunnyside I don't know how to make
a sunny side egg.
Speaker 3: No, so do you know what sunnyside up is?
Speaker 1: Yeah?
Speaker 4: No, I'll talk about this sunny side up.
Speaker 3: You don't flip the egg, so you leave it.
Speaker 4: It cooks through the bottom, so it's almost like it's
almost like seering it on top, and it looks on
the edge sunny side up, sunny side stays up.
Speaker 8: See what I mean?
Speaker 3: Over easy? One flip what it means?
Speaker 8: It's over easy a Friday egg?
Speaker 3: Yeah, just cooked a little more.
Speaker 8: Okay, all right, now, now we're getting into that that
breakfast ling. I'm not a big breakfast person. I'm not
gonna lie more of a lunch. I'm the guy at
ten thirty. I wait till ten thirty to go to
the fast food spots.
Speaker 3: I get it. I get it. Breakfast.
Speaker 4: Probably my least saval of the three. Take you what
a good stack of pancakes?
Speaker 2: Man?
Speaker 4: All right, ask the bench supreme pizza or one topping.
Speaker 3: Supreme.
Speaker 8: I don't keep all that vegetables on that green off
my pizza.
Speaker 9: Man.
Speaker 8: Either meat and cheese. Either meat can be.
Speaker 3: Like he's a meat anybody.
Speaker 5: He just said, you're self proclaimed meat lover.
Speaker 3: Himself a little bit.
Speaker 8: You know, we gotta put some pauses in this I
specifically pizza wise. Yes, do not pass me no pizza
with no olives like my sister likes onions on a pizza.
Get that out of here. That's that's a.
Speaker 3: Huge all meat all the time.
Speaker 8: No, I gotta gotta gotta have a little bit of
green and die pretty.
Speaker 4: I'm actually pretty basic with my pizza. Shocking Jordan one
to two topping is good with me where Jordan's loyalties
lie in terms of his pizza. A right fun show
today on this Wednesday, we'll be back one more day
on Thursday. We'll get a little update from SEC spring
meetings that's coming up off the bench.