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Taylor Lewan
What's up, boys? I hope you are having an incredible day. Just a reminder that we drop every Tuesday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and if you're an Amazon prime member, you can listen to our podcast ad free on Amazon Music.
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Taylor Lewan
Welcome to another episode of the Locker Room. We are in the final four of the College Football Playoff. All the teams that did not have a bye week won their games last week. We're going to be talking Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame and Penn State. We also got our fan call in with Cam Belden. This is the show for you. Make sure you leave comments, make sure you're subscribing. Let's have a show and let's talk college football.
Delaney
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another episode of the Locker Room. It is the final four of college football. And if you're here for NFL, that's coming out Wednesday morning at 6am this is a college football portion. We've got two games. These two games will decide who's going to the national championship. It's a big week, boys. Delaney, college football is your favorite. How you feeling, brother?
Cam Belden
I'm feeling good, man. I'm feeling really great about that, you know what I mean? I went 99 and eight last episode.
Taylor Lewan
Delaney's just on the soapbox bragging about being one game above. Shit, I had a good week last week. 50, 53%. Like, bro, you won one game above. You probably didn't even bet all those games.
Cam Belden
I bet all those games.
Delaney
So you're up. So you won a unit.
Cam Belden
I won a unit.
Delaney
That's beautiful. One thing that always gets you units is this show presented by Fireball. The locker room is sponsored by Fireball Whiskey. So many things make football great, but you know what the best thing is? Kicking the living shit out of your rival. There's absolutely no better feeling as an athlete or fan. And Fireball Whiskey is here to give you the spark to ignite your rivalry all season long. Grab your football buddy, buy a round and ignite your rivalry flame, boys. The first Game pisses me off.
Taylor Lewan
I know it does.
Delaney
But, hey, it actually doesn't. It weirdly, like, I'll think about it. I'll think about Ohio State. I'm like. Like, my blood will boil for a second, but then I'm like, yeah, but also, it is the Big Ten and, like, we beat them. So if they do well, it's like, all right. Like, we beat the national champs if they end up winning the national championship. So there's ways I keep finding myself in a spot to piss you off.
Taylor Lewan
Just because Ohio State.
Delaney
Just because Ohio State's doing well. And they've been. The thing about Ohio State, whether you like it or not, as a Michigan fan, is they're good. They're always just good. Like, Michigan is, well, when I was there, really bad. And then they start to get better, and then they kind of get bad again, and then they win the national championship and they have a little bit of a down year. Best 7 and 5 team in college football history. However, still a down year for us. So now it's like, you watch Ohio State's like that. It's a reload every single year. They always have firepower, receiver, they always have a dominating offense. But this year, their defense is incredible. But Cotton Bowl, Ohio State, their favorite. Five and a half versus Texas, total.
Taylor Lewan
Hang on, hang on. Before we jump into the game, I was thinking about something earlier. I was thinking. I was talking. I think I was talking about it with J.P. the quarterbacks, we have the crop, the future of college football. I was writing these names down. Arch Manning, Lenora Sellers, Dylan Raiola, DJ Lagway, Sam Levitt, Nico, you got Quinn.
Delaney
Ewers, Bryce Underwood, Br.
Taylor Lewan
I mean, he hasn't played yet. I'm just saying that the guys who have played, the young cats who have played this year, like, the. The future is bright for quarterback in college football.
Cam Belden
Very bright.
Delaney
I like that.
Cam Belden
Very bright.
Delaney
I like that. Take a lot.
Taylor Lewan
Doesn't that fire you up?
Delaney
It fires me up. What's your take on people saying that this quarterback class in this draft class is really bad.
Cam Belden
Bad.
Delaney
Hold on.
Taylor Lewan
Hey, Delaney's got some takes. I kind of want to save it for the NFL, the NFL show, because Delaney. Delaney and I made a bet.
Delaney
Tease it. Tease the bet, and then I'll have to go watch the NFL show.
Cam Belden
Okay.
Taylor Lewan
Delaney and I made a thousand dollars bet on where Shad Sanders is gonna get drafted. I've gotta tell you, it's pretty much a lock for myself. He thinks he's.
Cam Belden
He doesn't think Sugar is About the last bet. And I'll beat you. So let's see which bet? The last bet we made. You had a lock. It was a lock.
Taylor Lewan
Which bet was it?
Cam Belden
Everything's on lock.
Delaney
Remind me if it's talking about that. It's probably about Nebraska.
Cam Belden
Bo. Knicks. Brett. The Bo Knicks, Brett.
Delaney
Oh, Bonix. Justin Herbert. Yeah, but years didn't.
Taylor Lewan
We didn't bet a bonus.
Cam Belden
No, we did 500. We had a $500 bet.
Taylor Lewan
Oh, oh, I think that was with. Was that Chargers? Broncos. That wasn't that. I think it was like Miami versus the Colts or some shit.
Cam Belden
No, man, cut that shit out.
Taylor Lewan
Was it?
Cam Belden
You ain't about to bet on that. You not the. But you about to bet on the Colts.
Delaney
I remember you early Broncos, Chargers. No, no, it wasn't Broncos Chargers. Because it was earlier in the year.
Taylor Lewan
It was. Sink into my seat.
Delaney
It was earlier in the year. I thought it was earlier because you paid Delaney 500. And then we gave it to. Then we gave it to Mitch and that was like what? November? That was a while ago.
Cam Belden
Well, it is what it is. At the end of the day. The bet teased the bet.
Taylor Lewan
Yeah, we did $1,000 bet on where Shadur was going to get drafted.
Delaney
And we'll talk about the NFL.
Taylor Lewan
Laney just thinks he just falls. He damn near thinks he's going undrafted.
Cam Belden
I didn't say undrafted.
Taylor Lewan
Pretty damn close. NFL show.
Delaney
NFL show. NFL show. NFL show. NFL show.
Taylor Lewan
But how do I feel about the quarterback class? Yeah, it's a little watered down, but you never know.
Delaney
But why? Like Cam Ward. Even though by the fact that he left or stopped playing after the half like he still had shitload of touchdowns. Move the ball down the field. Shoulder. Sanders looked good. Like who else are those? Not two good quarterbacks.
Cam Belden
Who else?
Delaney
I don't know, man. I'm just saying. But there's reports saying Shadur Sanders is not a first round draft pick from some.
Taylor Lewan
Only a few scouts have said that on bus. And all it takes is a couple guys to be like, oh, I don't have him.
Cam Belden
Yeah, it changes.
Delaney
Smoking mirrors. Smoking mirrors.
Cam Belden
No, it changes at the combine. If he go to the combine, he perform at a high level, it all changes. I don't think he will do anything at the combine. I think he'll do a private work, private session at Colorado.
Taylor Lewan
A lot of that won't hurt him.
Cam Belden
Huh?
Taylor Lewan
That won't hurt him.
Cam Belden
All right.
Delaney
You think he's gonna do the Johnny Manzel have the shoulder pads on everything?
Cam Belden
Yeah.
Taylor Lewan
Let's get into this.
Delaney
Let's get into this trophy game of.
Taylor Lewan
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Cam Belden
Is yours.
Taylor Lewan
All right, what's the. What's the. What's the numbers on this game?
Delaney
Ohio State's favorite, -5 and a half versus Texas. Total points in the game is 53 1/2 points. Games in the Cotton bowl, games in the conference.
Taylor Lewan
Delaney at TNT Stadium.
Delaney
Delaney, what do you think, man?
Cam Belden
Honestly? After what Texas, the performance. Texas played against Arizona. Arizona should have won that game. It was a holding call. They didn't call. It gave Texas the opportunity to finish that game out. Arizona played physical. I mean, beat those boys up. They came in. They came in there, said, yeah, we white and y'all black. We gonna sock y'all. And that's literally what happened. They showed up, you know, showed up. I was scared for them BO boys. But Ohio State, what they did to Oregon, I mean, God damn, what they did to Tennessee.
Delaney
Those boys, the way their defense is operating.
Taylor Lewan
College football show. We got to talk about it.
Delaney
We got to talk about it.
Cam Belden
Jack, they are on fire. I'm talking about fire everyone was talking about. Ryan Day was about to lose his job. He was on the hot seat. What's going on now? That whole conversation has changed. This man got that team pumping. They all got. They on one heartbeat. I think they going to take. They going to take this game minus five and a half. They going to beat Texas, and they going to beat Texas in a fashion that they beat Oregon. I guarantee it ain't even going to be close.
Taylor Lewan
I don't know, bro. I think Texas, Texas has a much better defense than Arizona State. Arizona State came to play and they, they play well, they play physical. But you look at Texas, they have like a top five defense in pass defense. They're great at turnovers. If they can just get, if they can get a couple turnovers, which they can, they can. Their defensive line can get after the quarterback, they will. I think it's a closer game. Ohio State might win this late in the game, but I like Texas with the points. I like Texas with the points. They got to be able to run the football anytime. Anytime.
Delaney
You gotta be able to run the football anytime.
Taylor Lewan
They're one dimensional. They get beat every time, but they have to be able to run the ball. Ohio State is good. They can get after the passers. They have a great defense as well. I just. These two match up much better than Arizona State and Texas did. Obviously Ohio State blown out Oregon again. Oregon had the bye week. They had a lot of time off. Ohio State has just been festering since that Michigan beat down. But I do, I think Texas matches up well. I think everybody's calling for a blowout because you look at the two games of the playoffs with Ohio State, they beat the breaks up in Tennessee, they beat the breaks of Oregon, everybody's just going to assume they're going to continue to have the same success. I just feel like Texas matches up better. And when you kind of have that gut check game against Arizona State, you know, a lot of them guys are going to be watching the film, talking to their players, saying they shouldn't have been in the ball game with us.
Delaney
Right.
Taylor Lewan
Obviously Arizona State played well, but I think Texas is going to come into this game motivated. I think their past defense is going to be challenging. I think they're hungry to like live up to that standard. Shut down Jeremiah Smith. They won't be able to, but still, you know how it is in those rooms. In those rooms they're going to be motivated to play. And I think Texas is going to surprise people.
Delaney
I like that. When you watch the Texas and Arizona State game, it's very clear that Texas had two X plays. One on special teams and one in the beginning of the game on offense. And then after that they really fills it out. Quinn Ewers made some good throws, but he also had multiple throws down the field that were either under thrown or just misplaced. Misplaced completely. The talent discrepancy. We talked about this last week between ASU and Texas was so dramatically different. You're talking about the two star, three star guys versus multiple five stars in the state of Texas, which is just a breeding ground for high school football. So you think that game might be close because of how hungry ASU is. And towards the end of the game ASU is going to pull away because the talent is that much better. But the reality of the film is ASU, from 25 to 25, move the ball up and down the field. ASU's defense kind of handled Texas offense in a big way. And if, you know, if ASU has a kicker that can consistently kick the ball from 25 to the 35, they're probably walking away with that game without going to overtime. There was a targeting call and we discussed this on bus with the boys.
Taylor Lewan
And the Texas receiver. I think that was an incomplete pass.
Delaney
Yes. Yeah, that was a crazy thing. Was that you that brought that up on the show yesterday?
Taylor Lewan
Yeah, yeah, we watched it of frame by frame.
Delaney
Just nuts the ground. So when I, when I watch that, it's like Texas should have lost that game. ASU was missing like one piece essentially, which was the kicker that, you know, if they had an adequate kicker, they're able to win that game. I love the gut check. When you're sitting there, you're back in Austin, you're watching the film and you're putting on, you're putting on your film versus ASU and then you turn on demon mode. Ohio State versus not only Tennessee, but also Oregon, who was the first team, the first team in college football since they the Oregon Beetle House State. What I like in this game is Quinn Ewers. This is the only quarterback that was a Heisman front runner or supposed to be in the Heisman race in the beginning of the year. And the whole school didn't want him as a starting quarterback. They wanted Arch Manning. So you know, as he's winning these games and making that 4th and 13 throw in overtime and then the next play, getting that wide delay kind of seem that he tosses it out in the next play just to go. There's a bit of a fuck you to Texas. So I think he's going to ball out. Ohio State is the better football team.
Cam Belden
Way better.
Delaney
They're the better football team on the perimeter. It's so difficult to stop them. The passing game is incredible. Jeremiah Smith, unbelievable. The run game is great. They're missing their center who was an Outland Trophy winner or Remington Trophy winner. Like there's a lot of different variables. I'm having a Massive internal conflict. Because if you watch the two games, there's no way you should bet against Ohio State. Especially five and a half after ASU and Texas game. Like, you feel really good if you're an Ohio State fan. Yeah, I'll take Texas Moneyline.
Taylor Lewan
I think I gotta. I think I'm. I think I gotta switch. Yeah, I think I gotta switch. I'm just sitting here thinking about the Texas Arizona State game and Ohio State defensively is way better.
Delaney
Way better. They're giving up like 12.1 points. 12.1 points per game. According to Mitch's.
Taylor Lewan
That's what I'm saying.
Delaney
That's. They're unbelievable. They're getting to the quarterback every time, all the time. Not just sacks, but also pressure.
Cam Belden
Pressure in his ass with four.
Delaney
Not even bringing a whole lot of guys. Seven dudes in the back end.
Cam Belden
Yeah, I'm watching that film. Arizona State film. I'm a hard state. I'm like, we can bully these cats. Look where Arizona State came in. Bully them, right?
Taylor Lewan
Yeah, switch. I got to switch because they are their top 10 in sacks, they're top 10 in pressure rate. They're going to get after Texas because again, it's a different.
Delaney
Yeah, Texas offensive line is way different than Oregon's offensive line. Tennessee's offensive line, like they have, they have a good offensive line. They have a left tackle that's probably be a top 10 pick. They got guys that can. They can move and go. So it's going to be a little bit different.
Cam Belden
It's on the. I mean, they going to be matched. You got some guys on Ohio State that's going top 10 as well. You feel me?
Delaney
Defensive lineman on Ohio state going top 10.
Taylor Lewan
This is Ohio State. I'm just sitting here thinking it as a group.
Delaney
The 11 guys, like their front seven is really good. Their back end is elite.
Cam Belden
So you telling me what's old buddy? That.
Taylor Lewan
Which team you talking about?
Delaney
I'm talking about Ohio State right now.
Cam Belden
You don't think it's a dude on Ohio State defensive line right now that's gonna go top 10?
Delaney
I don't know much about their interior guys, but they're two edge guys. 44. He had an incredible game against Penn State two years ago. He had four sacks, like interception, a pick six. I believe it was.
Unknown Speaker
I think it was like Tui Molau.
Delaney
Yeah, yeah. But he's been more quiet since that game. Like he had a huge breakout game. Everyone's like, holy shit, this kid's going to be unbelievable. And then kind of haven't heard from him very much. You look at his stats against Michigan too.
Unknown Speaker
He's not making your big time plays but he's like doing enough to.
Delaney
He's a consistent role player doing his job.
Taylor Lewan
He's doing his job.
Delaney
But doing your just doing your job is not getting you a top 10.
Cam Belden
But you know how it is if they win a national, that changes that whole dynamic. Cats get drafted higher just because of they won a national championship.
Delaney
I don't think that's how it works. Not in college football. You're talking about NFL, Michigan. No, you're talking about, yeah.
Cam Belden
You win.
Delaney
The super bowl because you know you're like college and NFL we know is just a totally different league. If you are able to be in the number one team in the world and win, whether you're a core four special teams guy, a first and second down guy, like you're going to want to bring that guy on your team and pay him because it's like this guy knows how to win. He could probably breed some of that leadership into that locker room. With college, it's like you're, it's like you're a senior, you're a senior in high school, you're the top tier guy. You're top of the totem pole. Then you go to college, you're at the bottom again, you work your way up. Same thing when you go from college to NFL. You're going to go back to the bottom of the totem pole and have to prove yourself and work your way up. There's no like, hey, this guy's, he won a national championship. He might have had a second round grade. Now it's in the first round. I don't think like teams winning is going to that cat from Toledo.
Cam Belden
Performance.
Taylor Lewan
Hey, the corner dreads on performance, but I think performance is a, a lower metric than having the tangibles and the talent that guys kind of get caught up in playing fantasy football when it's the combine, the pro day and everything else, you start going after those guys have a higher ceiling.
Delaney
You look at versus like Philadelphia. Philadelphia I think was it 18 overall or 21 overall around that area? They took a corner from Toledo. That kid's been balling out this year.
Cam Belden
Yeah, because he'd been, he'd been balling.
Delaney
Yeah, he's been, he's been balling out. But they're not looking at Toledo being like what a powerhouse. Like, you know, the whole world's like.
Taylor Lewan
We got cat too.
Delaney
Yeah, but I mean Raymg speed like great ball steel.
Cam Belden
See they Watched his film and they saw what he. He can bring to the table. Because sometimes, like, even when I talk to these scouts, they don't even. Some scouts, like combine. Some scouts say I go off film. I go off film.
Delaney
You should go off film.
Cam Belden
Because I want to see how they perform every play. Do they come off the field? Do they play? Do they go and try to make the tackle? Do they compete every play? That's what you see. So that kid from Toledo, he was a dog because he competed every play. He was hungry. He was a.
Delaney
He.
Cam Belden
He the type of DB you want big size guy, come down, lay the wood, can cover their best player. That's what you want. That's why he got dressed up.
Taylor Lewan
His ceiling is high.
Cam Belden
His ceiling is high. That's what I'm saying.
Delaney
Because he's got the intangibles.
Cam Belden
Yeah.
Delaney
Like those types of things. The combine. If you're a scout. I don't know if a scout that just looks at a combine and goes, oh, he ran a 4, 4, 3. We should draft this guy.
Cam Belden
Well, that. Only Anthony Richardson was the only person.
Delaney
Right. Combine is checking a box. Like, is he strong enough? K, Is he fast enough? Is he. You don't have to be the fastest or the strongest. It's like kind of getting in this little box window of this is how many reps he can get. This is what his 10 split was. That's kind of. That's more of an NFL talk because.
Cam Belden
Like, if you look at.
Taylor Lewan
But the ego, too, of like the NFL kind of thought process is you see a guy that's got tremendous upside and maybe, you know, they're not finishing every play, but there. There's. There are those scouts and those coaches of that. Just think, if we get him in here, I can. I can get that out.
Delaney
Yeah.
Taylor Lewan
Because again, they're wanting to bet on that upside. This dude's a freak athlete. Like, I think if I get around him, he must not have had the coaches that got out of him. We'll get it out of him.
Cam Belden
Yeah. That's a variable kind of coach. Because Vrabel, he. He's the type of coach that want to build you up. He want to. He feels like he can make you better. You know what I mean? So you got to have that type of coach that can see that, like, yeah, we can make him better. We can make him do the extra. Go the extra mile just to.
Delaney
Just to get back to this game real quick. I think just looking at the last two games from Ohio State, it's. It's so hard to bet against Ohio State. It really is what I'm banking on with me taking Texas is Quinn Ewers given the bird to his own school, his own state, his own city because they want archmanian and him playing with a chip on his shoulder. Kind of like I'm going to. I'm going to prove the world something because he had some throws, like I said, that were not. We're not great and you know, it's hard to be that consistent, put up that many points and hold defenses to that much when you're playing these high caliber teams in the playoffs. This 12 team playoff is a whole different world. Can they sustain? Can Ohio State sustain that?
Taylor Lewan
I don't know about these offices that Ohio State has done it to in the last couple years.
Delaney
Brother. You are not lying.
Cam Belden
12 sacks.
Delaney
You are not lying. SEC's having a down year. I get it.
Cam Belden
I'm telling you, I get it. It's going to be tough.
Delaney
Give me Texas money line.
Cam Belden
God, I'm not.
Delaney
Do I. Do I sound excited about it? No, but this is.
Taylor Lewan
Look, Georgia beat Texas in the SEC championship. Notre Dame, their quarterback Riley Leonard had 90 yards passing and beat the SEC championship. It.
Delaney
Yeah, it's crazy.
Taylor Lewan
We're talking about Ohio State playing Texas.
Delaney
Wow. Just crazy.
Taylor Lewan
So you believe it.
Delaney
Belief. Hope is more what I'm.
Taylor Lewan
Are we talking money line? Are we going to get a moneyline bet? Like, you know.
Delaney
Yeah, I said. Yeah, I said, I said money line in the beginning.
Taylor Lewan
So you going to empty your account to do.
Delaney
Yeah, all $54 in it. It's kind of empty now. It kind of got emptied a little bit, bro. Asu, I. So I put like 4700. I know you did the. I could have cashed out for like 16,000.
Cam Belden
I know. During that.
Delaney
But I was. No, it was.
Taylor Lewan
They scored it after they scored OT.
Delaney
And I was like, bro, let me just see it out. Because I would have felt terrible if I like didn't believe in the boys.
Cam Belden
I believed in them. I thought they was about to walk they ass. I'm like, this is crazy, dude.
Delaney
When they were 4th and 13, cover.
Taylor Lewan
0 simulation, pressure was crazy.
Cam Belden
That was crazy. I don't know why they did that.
Delaney
And we broke all that down on busting. If you guys want to see that breakdown, you guys can go watch busting with the boys. It just came out with Francis Ellis. It's. That's fun to look at. That kind of framing everything. Love Kenny Dillingham sitting on a podium saying, you know, that's that's on me. I called that play. That was their rule. And then once again, doubling down on Twitter, getting that all done. So that I love. That's the kind of coach you want to play for.
Cam Belden
Oh, definitely.
Delaney
And even though they lost, their whole thing is getting players from Texas back to Arizona.
Cam Belden
Yeah.
Delaney
And they. They showed that, hey, you took on the best team in Texas at this point. I mean, like, we could. You could be special here at ASU. Pay 12 shout out down. But, yeah, I'm gonna take Texas. Moneyline. All right.
Taylor Lewan
Moving on to the Orange Bowl. Notre Dame versus Penn State. The spread on this game, Notre Dame is favored by two and a half. The over under is 45 and a half. This game is brought to us by Fireball. The ballsy college pick of the week brought to us by Fireball is the perfect shot for game day. Whether you're buying those sneaky little shoes before going into the stadium or going big with the Fireball keg for your tailgate, whether it's a pregame shot in the tailgate lot or a celebratory touchdown shot at the bar, no matter what is guaranteed to ignite your game day. I'm kind of surprised Notre Dame's favored.
Delaney
I am, too. Yeah, I am, too.
Taylor Lewan
You like Notre Dame?
Cam Belden
I like Notre Dame. I like Notre Dame. It's something about them motherfucking Irish. I like Notre Dame.
Taylor Lewan
I just. I feel like this is screaming Penn State.
Delaney
Yeah.
Taylor Lewan
And I'm going Penn State money line. Like, I'm taking Penn State in this game. It's like, you look at Notre Dame. I was saying it earlier. They beat the Georgia Bulldogs. With Riley Leonard only having 90 yards passing, they're going to have to run the ball. They're going to have to do some more things. If you look at them throughout the year, they've only led or they've only been. They've only been, like, underdogs in the game, like, four times. They haven't. They've always jumped out on teams early. I don't feel like they do that against Penn State because they're very opportunistic on defense. So they get turnovers. They've gotten.
Delaney
Which one? Notre Dame is opportunistic.
Taylor Lewan
Notre Dame is opportunistic. They've gotten turnovers all year long. And so it's like, there's something to be said about that, but having that is, like, when I'm gambling on that, I feel like Penn State is going to get out on them early. Like, they won't be able to have the Turnovers and success that Notre Dame has had throughout the entire season. It's not like a game where I'm like Notre Dame gets exposed because clearly they play very good complementary football because they can win games when Riley Leonard's only throwing for around 100 yards. They can run the ball well. Riley can run the ball well. They coach their ass off within the scheme. I just, I like Penn State, man. I think that there's going to be some mismatches. Who is it? Tyler Warren, the. The tight end, number 44.
Cam Belden
He hurt at. For Penn State. Thought he was hurt. They start tight end. He hurt?
Taylor Lewan
No, I don't. I think he. I think he's active.
Cam Belden
He active?
Taylor Lewan
Yeah, I think he's active.
Cam Belden
I thought I read something that he said he wasn't going to play.
Taylor Lewan
He's. He's a baller.
Cam Belden
He's a.
Taylor Lewan
Got some weapons on the outside. They can. They have a running game. I think they're hungry. On defense, I think they're a much better defense than. Than what Georgia was. Georgia had a lot of issues tackling on the perimeter against Notre Dame. I don't think Penn State will have those. Will have that going against them. I think they'll perform well. I like.
Cam Belden
Penn State in this game is number 11.
Taylor Lewan
Notre Dame has figured it out. Notre Dame knows how to win.
Delaney
They know how to win. They both teams have had a. I mean one team has had an easier path than the other. But Penn State, you watch them, they play ASU and Boise State. They had the easiest path to get to this point. This point right now. Notre Dame, they play Indiana, a team that we all agree is. Was just kind of happy to be in the playoffs. Their numbers were a little inflated because really the top teams, they didn't really beat any top teams. Their schedule is very favorable. Penn State, I love them on defense. I love the way they fly the ball. I love the way they run the ball. They do a great job. The tight end is very talented. I see Penn State winning this game because you watch Notre Dame against Georgia and I feel like Georgia was. Didn't look like Georgia. They didn't look like the, you know, the SEC champs. Carson Beck's obviously out and it felt to me that Stetson was Stetson. Gunnar Stockton. Gunnar Stockton. You felt like the team didn't believe in the kid's capability. Done. Now the kid's a five star. Ends up going there. He should be a whole lot better next year if he is a quarterback for the Dogs. But there didn't seem like a Whole lot of belief after Stetson, Bennett, Stockton. No, no, no, no. Carson Beck. After Carson Beck went out. Give me another, Give me Penn State.
Taylor Lewan
I think it's a Drew Aller game, bro. I think he plays well. I mean they got 2,000 yard rushers, are obviously going to try to run the football, but I think Drew Aller, I think he, I think he shows up this game.
Delaney
The likelihood of two Big Ten teams being the national championship is very high.
Taylor Lewan
Yeah. And two like Penn State, although they played Boise, you play against like a Heisman Trophy caliber running back and Ashton Genti, like they're, they're battle tested in the trenches. I just feel like they'll have the run defense to shut down Notre Dame, make him a little bit more one dimensional. It's going to come down to Draller because again you, you go back to Notre Dame being opportunistic with turnovers and taking the ball away. But I like Drew Allard, man.
Delaney
But Penn State has also been extremely opportunistic as well. You look at the SMU game, they have two pick sixes. I mean they, they're a team that flies the ball. The thing that differs between the difference between Penn State and Georgia and their defenses. Penn State plays complimentary football all around. Every guy's in their gap. Everybody is where they're supposed to be and they don't make petty, small mistakes. They let the other team make mistakes for them and they capitalize when those mistakes are made. That's why I like Penn State in this game.
Taylor Lewan
And who's, who's number 11 for Penn State?
Unknown Speaker
Abdul Carter.
Cam Belden
He got hurt but in the last game. Is he gonna play this game?
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, he got hurt with an angle.
Delaney
Everybody hurt.
Unknown Speaker
But he'll be playing.
Taylor Lewan
He's a psycho, bro. I love watching him play.
Delaney
Yeah, I love watching something about number 11 in that jersey. Yeah, yeah, they just go off. Yeah, they go crazy.
Cam Belden
In this Notre Dame money line.
Taylor Lewan
Notre Dame's favored by two and a half.
Cam Belden
I know I'm still taking the money line.
Unknown Speaker
Does it make you guys nervous at all that Penn State I have here is 0 and 6 when they're an underdog, they're oh and 6 straight up and 1 and 5 against the spread.
Taylor Lewan
I, I saw that. And again, if you look at James Franklin and just his history in the big games, right.
Delaney
Like, yeah, those underdogs are Ohio State. They're. That's Michigan. It's top 10 top five teams, no doubt.
Unknown Speaker
But that, that kind of goes back to like, can he win? Yeah, he Won the big games, I guess you could say these last two weeks. But SMU and Boise State are not like they're not your top caliber team at all.
Taylor Lewan
That's fair.
Delaney
But I love you saying the logo plays a factor.
Cam Belden
Oh.
Taylor Lewan
100 defenses showed up all year. And I feel like the offense being able to put points on the board, like they're gaining momentum. They're building some confidence. Like, I feel like that's one where taking those against the spread, those gambling stats kind of go out the window. I mean, they're in the semifinals.
Delaney
Yeah.
Taylor Lewan
Of the college football.
Cam Belden
Yeah, that's, that's.
Taylor Lewan
And they've earned it. And you look at when they played against Oregon, they only lose by a few points.
Delaney
Ohio State as well. Talking about Penn State.
Taylor Lewan
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Their defense showed up there. They're offensive, unfortunately non existent.
Delaney
Yeah. And that if they get that fourth down, they win that game.
Taylor Lewan
Yeah. And if you. We do see Ohio State, Penn State championship.
Delaney
That's big.
Taylor Lewan
Yeah, it's.
Delaney
Yeah, we'll talk about that.
Taylor Lewan
If it happens the same thing. I feel like it'll be Ohio State.
Cam Belden
It's going to be Notre Dame and Ohio State.
Delaney
Yeah.
Taylor Lewan
You like Notre Dame?
Cam Belden
I do.
Delaney
What about Notre Dame? Their quarterback throwing for 90 yards doesn't scare you?
Taylor Lewan
So Penn State has a black coach.
Delaney
You say black coach.
Taylor Lewan
Penn State has a black coach.
Delaney
Is he black? He likes.
Taylor Lewan
I can't do this show anymore.
Delaney
That's it, boys. Those are the two games.
Taylor Lewan
We got our. We got our fan call in coming to us by Cam Belden. Let's dial it in with the boy. He's a. Hey, he's a tier one. Cam is an ultimate tier one.
Cam Belden
Oh, yeah, Terry.
Taylor Lewan
He's a big tier one. He' the, he's got the wolf emoji in his name. He's a big tier one. So here, here's our fan calling this week by Cam.
Cam Belden
What's going on, guys? Special fan call in from your boy Cam. Got a little special college football semifinal for my best friend Taylor Lawan. You know, because spoiler alert for barstool survivor. He got voted out. But here's. Here's our picks for him. Special one for you, buddy. Notre Dame, we got minus two and a half. Gonna be a defensive battle and I think Notre Dame is going to edge it out. You know, a lot of run game going to run out the clock. But Notre Dame's just got that stout defense. It's a top 10 in the game. Ohio State, I think is just. They're a force to be reckoned with. They're an absolute wagon. So I think I'm going to take Ohio State -5 and a half and I also think they're going to. There's going to be a lot of points scored in that game as well. So I'm taking the over in that game. So.
Yeah.
Shout out to you, Taylor, and shout out to the Pinstripe bowl champions. Go, Big Red.
Cam, I like. I like that dude. I like him a lot.
Taylor Lewan
You just won the entire weekend.
Cam Belden
I did. We gonna hit. We go hit. My boy Kev came out. You say you're tier one going down.
Taylor Lewan
Notre Dame minus two and a half. Ohio State minus five and a half. And the Ohio State, Texas over of 53 and a half. Those odds are plus 575 things after right now.
Cam Belden
I'm with you all day, buddy.
Taylor Lewan
Ray calling. I just. I don't think. I don't think Notre Dame.
Cam Belden
I got you. Me and you. We're gonna be next week.
Taylor Lewan
He's against both of yours.
Delaney
No, no.
Taylor Lewan
Yeah, I know.
Delaney
Love, Cam. Appreciate you. Yeah, I did get voted out. Spoiler alert. Got voted out on Survivor. Didn't even see it coming. Didn't even see it.
Cam Belden
I saw it coming, bro.
Delaney
And it really. It was a dumb football mentality for me of being like, yo, our squad is so tight after winning three straight. Like, we can't break this team up. We got some ass snakes in that group.
Cam Belden
Yeah.
Taylor Lewan
Crazy.
Cam Belden
I saw it coming.
Delaney
But I do respect that. They're like. The fact that they're like, hey, you guys could win it. Talking about us one that you, me and Biz could win it. Like, we got to get these guys out of there. Any athletic competition. Yeah, it was nice to hear that.
Taylor Lewan
Yeah.
Delaney
It was a compliment before you could shot.
Taylor Lewan
So you've been watching.
Cam Belden
I watch a little bit of eating.
Taylor Lewan
That's what I saw. Comedy, dog.
Delaney
It was. I did.
Cam Belden
Yeah.
Delaney
I was. I was like. Cuz in the beginning, those girls were like, what do we do? I'm like, I guess you guys, they're just looking at me for what we should do. But they were really playing me.
Cam Belden
Yeah.
Delaney
And they painted me into this. Hey, we got to get him out of here. They won.
Taylor Lewan
They did.
Delaney
They did a good job. They got my ass. I will have my vengeance in this life for the next. Great show.
Taylor Lewan
Great show. Great show.
Cam Belden
Comments?
Delaney
Appreciate you guys.
Taylor Lewan
Big hugs, tiny kisses. Let's win them all.
Podcast Summary: Bussin' With The Boys – Episode: Will Compton BELIEVES Ohio State Handles Texas; Taylor Lewan CONFIDENT Penn State Upsets Notre Dame
Release Date: January 8, 2025
Hosts: Barstool Sports – Featuring NFL players Will Compton & Taylor Lewan
Platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music (Ad-Free for Prime Members)
In this high-energy episode of Bussin' With The Boys, hosts Taylor Lewan, Delaney, and guest Cam Belden dive deep into the excitement surrounding the final four of the College Football Playoff. Skipping over the initial advertisements, the conversation begins at [00:46] as they gear up to discuss pivotal matchups involving Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, and Penn State.
Predictions and Analysis:
The hosts engage in a spirited debate over the upcoming Cotton Bowl matchup between Ohio State and Texas. Delaney expresses his frustration with Ohio State's consistent performance, noting their dominance in the Big Ten and their impressive defensive setup this season.
Cam Belden counters by highlighting Texas's robust defense:
Taylor Lewan shifts his stance after analyzing Texas's strengths:
Despite initial skepticism, Lewan becomes more confident in Texas's ability to surprise Ohio State, emphasizing their multifaceted offense and defensive prowess.
Defensive Showdown:
Shifting focus to the Orange Bowl, the hosts dissect the Notre Dame vs. Penn State game. While Notre Dame is favored by two and a half points, Delaney and Lewan express strong support for Penn State, citing their disciplined defense and opportunistic playstyle.
Delaney praises Penn State's complementary football approach:
The conversation transitions to the broader topic of the current quarterback class in college football. Delaney and Cam Belden debate the perceived weakness of this year's class, with Delaney questioning the depth and talent available.
Cam Belden emphasizes the importance of performance beyond the combine:
The hosts argue that tangible performance metrics and on-field intangibles should carry significant weight in evaluations, sometimes overshadowing combine statistics.
A significant portion of the episode revolves around betting lines and predictions for the semifinal games.
Notable Quote:
Notable Quote:
In an engaging fan interaction segment, Cam Belden shares a betting pick tailored for fellow fan Taylor Lewan, further reinforcing the hosts' recommendations.
This segment underscores the camaraderie and playful competitiveness among the hosts, solidifying their predictions and enhancing listener engagement.
The episode concludes with reflections on recent performances and the dynamic nature of college football. The hosts express excitement for the upcoming games, acknowledging the unpredictability and high stakes of the playoff semifinals.
Texas vs. Ohio State: Despite Ohio State's historical dominance, Texas's formidable defense and versatile offense present a credible challenge, leading hosts to favor Texas in the betting lines.
Penn State vs. Notre Dame: Penn State's disciplined and opportunistic defense garners strong support from the hosts, making them favorites despite the official spread favoring Notre Dame.
Quarterback Evaluation: The current quarterback class faces scrutiny, with emphasis placed on in-game performance and intangibles over purely statistical metrics.
Betting Insights: The hosts provide nuanced betting advice, reflecting their deep analysis and insider perspectives as NFL players.
Engaged Fan Community: Interactive segments like fan call-ins enhance listener involvement and community feeling within the podcast.
Notable Quotes with Timestamps:
For more insights and discussions, subscribe to Bussin' With The Boys on your preferred podcast platform and join the conversation on Instagram @bussinwtb and Twitter @BussinWTB.