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- [00:01]
Dan Le Batard
Folks, I'm getting hungry. And you know my favorite part of any meal, snack, or game day app?
- [00:05]
Chris Cody
That's right, the goat.
- [00:07]
Dan Le Batard
Or should I say the greatest of all time, Frank's Red Hot. It's got the perfect blend of flavor and heat that elevates all foods from wings to Buffalo chicken dip to even ice cream. That's right. I said ice cream. And with a roster of flavors from OG to sweet chili, you can put that on everything. So make every dish the greatest and eat the goat. It's the Brobding Nangian pregame show.
- [00:43]
Chris Cody
It's a bro.
- [00:45]
Dan Le Batard
It's a bro.
- [00:48]
Chris Cody
It's a bro. It's the Brogding Ningium free game show.
- [00:56]
Dan Le Batard
It's the Brogding Ningium free game show.
- [00:59]
Chris Cody
It's the prompting nang in free game show.
- [01:02]
Dan Le Batard
Whoa. It's prompting x.
- [01:05]
Dan Damashek
Prompting niggiosyncratic.
- [01:26]
Dan Le Batard
Players. Let's go.
- [01:31]
Dan Damashek
Ning.
- [01:49]
Dan Le Batard
Sorry. It's brabdoni.
- [01:56]
Dan Damashek
It's.
- [01:58]
Dan Le Batard
That means big. Oops. There goes another rubber tree plant.
- [02:12]
Dan Damashek
I am at a total loss for why Mike Ryan had to leave early. Like, he just had to leave. And he fled the premises two hours early because he's got to get ready for the game to do what? You guys want to guess here? Josh Allen has played seven overtime games. You guys want to guess how many points he has produced in those six, seven overtime games in the overtimes. I don't even know where to start. 3. Wow.
- [02:41]
Chris Cody
I was going to guess 6. So I was overly optimistic there.
- [02:45]
Dan Damashek
And now his coach is fired. And I think the second biggest story. And we'll go out to Tony at La Casa de los Trucos in just a moment. I think the second biggest story of the weekend, not the officiating, I think it's the Bears not going for two after you've tied the game there and you've got the coach and Ben Johnson, who has delivered on his promise of I'm going to be aggressive, I'm going to be aggressive, I'm going to be aggressive. And then you have a chance to go for two. You haven't been good in short yardage situations. You haven't been good on fourth down. And you settled for the tie when you could have ended Stafford right there.
- [03:18]
Chris Cody
Wow.
- [03:19]
Dan Le Batard
I never even considered that, like, you.
- [03:21]
Chris Cody
Wanted them to go for two there.
- [03:22]
Dan Damashek
I'm just saying the conversation around it, I'm not. I'm not saying that I would also have just tied the game, but you've got. I. Generally speaking, in almost all circumstances, I Want to be in the situation where I have the ball and I need to get 3 yards. I don't want to be in defense on that situation. I'm guessing Rams fans were relieved that the Bears were kicking to tie the game and I don't want to give them relief. I want to finish them after breaking their heart by throwing to Cole Comet from 50 yards.
- [03:50]
Chris Cody
I think that's exactly right. Dan is what if you can summon. What do they not want us to do more? That's what we should do first of all. But more broadly in the QB league and if you're in a big time playoff game, you probably have a high end qb. Do you think he's the best player on the field? Certainly. Ben Johnson took the job with the Bears because that's how much he thought of Caleb Williams. He thinks Caleb Williams is the best player on the field. So which is more likely, that you're going to make two and a half yards with that stud QB or you're going to win the coin flip. But then you're going to make the right choice when you get. When you win that coin flip. But if you don't win it, then you have to hope they don't score so that you don't have pressure on you. But then you have to get the ball and then you have to at least match what they did all these. The sequence of events and by the way, it was snowy out and windy out and it's not a gimme to make the extra point. So that also should have been a factor in the. In what Ben Johnson did.
- [04:45]
Dan Damashek
I believe that Ben Johnson, if he had gone for two there would have immediately supplanted Mike Ditka as the most popular coach in the history of Bears football. If he had gone for two and gotten it.
- [04:56]
Chris Cody
Boy, oh boy, Dan, how about the completion of that football circle? 43 years old that Tom Osborne had the balls to go for it. It didn't work out for him. But. But my esteem for him is a man.
- [05:08]
Dan Damashek
Tony through the roof. Tony shaking his head no at all of this commentary. Tony is pro cowardice. Tony, what do you have?
- [05:16]
Dan Le Batard
No, no. It's not that I'm pro coward is. It's just. Yeah. Playing the result. Man, he should have gone for two after an incredible play. One of the most amazing plays we've ever seen in the NFL. But they also, you forget they, they were down. They had four downs to get a touchdown in the drive Prior ran three times. Okay. And then threw a terrible pass between two people. So it's like it's tough.
- [05:37]
Chris Cody
Don't run the ball with your superhero quarterback. Boot him out and put pressure on the defense. Two and a half yards is what you need, Glory.
- [05:48]
Dan Le Batard
I agree, I agree, I agree.
- [05:50]
Dan Damashek
The finally the damage, the thing, the thing that I find would have been just great for whatever their next 10 years are together because Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams give Chicago a hope that it has never had in its franchise's history because they know they have a quarterback. It's just a great sentence to a statement to give your quarterback here. I trust you with these two and a half yards and this season more than I trust anything else in the world here. Because in, in the commentary I was listening to and Ross Tucker does a great job on these games. What I was listening to Ross Tucker say and it's accurate throughout the game. He is saying Caleb Williams is going to be special and magical at the end. He's going to be special and magical at the end. The Bears have never had a quarterback. Who's that? This is the first quarterback. So give him the ball, give him the game, give him the season. We need two and a half yards. If I told the Bears before the season, two and a half yards for your season against the MVP of the league. Do you want the ball or do you want to start playing with all sorts of numbers and, and randomness and.
- [06:56]
Chris Cody
Over you don't do it, Dan. You're exactly right. Listen, there are two basic groups of quarterbacks. High end quarterbacks. There are the assassins who are Tom Brady. Now. People call them game managers, which is dismissive and marginalizes them. They are assassins. Lethally accurate, calculated in their decision making. Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and now Brock Purdy. On the other side you have the gunslingers, far from Roethlisberger Elway. That's why I call Caleb Williams. Emo Elway. He's going to spray the ball around. He's going to be inaccurate. He is going to cause trouble that he is then going to dig your team out of. He is like Josh Allen. He is like Matthew Stafford in that spot. One play and you see the downside of Caleb Williams in overtime. He threw the interception that ultimately he's inaccurate.
- [07:45]
Dan Le Batard
Damage check segment Football America.
- [07:49]
Dan Damashek
We're coming to you right now. Football America, Mondays and Fridays.
- [07:52]
Dan Le Batard
Good stuff there.
- [07:53]
Dan Damashek
Caleb Williams has the worst completion percentage among starters. He is inaccurate. But let's go out to Tony. He's at La Casa de los Trucos. Do you have any Olis?
- [08:02]
Dan Le Batard
Thank you, Dan. Just one Oli for this divisional round. Matchups. You ready?
- [08:08]
Dan Damashek
I'd like you walking around through the two tight quarters there if it's okay. Is that a bad idea for me to increase the degree of difficulty so we can walk around with you?
- [08:17]
Dan Le Batard
No, no, no. At all. At all, Dan. I'm gonna. I'm gonna just kind of pull stuff off the shelves as I see fit. So. This one. This one, a little. Little clown.
- [08:26]
Dan Damashek
Little clown? Yeah, for Brad Williams.
- [08:28]
Dan Le Batard
It's funny when it has the adjective in the front. Little. All right, Oli. Bo Nix breaking his ankle on a kneel down. Hey, you gotta get through that one. You gotta get through that one. Okay. Shavers, the guy from the Bills, played an entire half of the torn acl. Like, you gotta go through. You want to be a legend. This is what legends are made of. You got to put up whatever you put. A boot, a cast. I don't care what you do. You got to be out for the AFC Championship. Why are they already ruling him out? Like you don't want to try practice? For the reason. By the way, Bo Nix did not hurt his ankle kneeling a football. No, I think it's the centering of the ball. When he says the second to last player. We talked about the second to last play.
- [09:08]
Chris Cody
They're talking through the line of script.
- [09:09]
Dan Le Batard
No, it was the sweep left. That run play to the left. I'm telling you, that was not on any. It's a de facto. It's a de facto Neil, though. It's a de facto Neil because he's trying to center the ball and he's also trying to. To run the clock.
- [09:21]
Chris Cody
Yeah, you're talking about not the Neo down.
- [09:24]
Dan Le Batard
I don't know about that, guys. I know it's a de facto. Neil. You're not listening to me, Tony. You're not listening. It's the play before the de facto kneel down. That's the play he heard himself. Okay, okay. All right, number five. It was never Josh Allen's time. I told you earlier on. We were actually at the overpass where Scarface happened. The Rebenga scene. I told you. Josh Allen is Philip Rivers. He'll never get to the mountaintop. He'll never win a championship. This is just now part of the lore. In an interception. Should it have been a cat? Should have been a pick. We don't know. Knicks breaks his ankle. Like, who knows Josh Allen never his time, Dan. All right, let's walk a little bit here.
- [10:01]
Dan Damashek
Number four.
- [10:03]
Dan Le Batard
Number four. Let's see. What do we like off the shelves here? We got some Maracas number four, Dan. Seahawks may win a Super bowl without a qb, which is crazy. Oh, oh, oh.
- [10:23]
Dan Damashek
What happened? One of those snapping pops. You got a snapping pop. What got you.
- [10:26]
Dan Le Batard
It's a snap. It's a snap pop. But it was a Newport box of cigarettes for Rose. Oh, here, I'm gonna take this one right here. Hey, they. They. They call it Casa Truo.
- [10:37]
Dan Damashek
That's right. They're tricks everywhere.
- [10:40]
Dan Le Batard
Let me see here.
- [10:42]
Dan Damashek
What does that turn on? What is that? If you pull on that, what happens there?
- [10:47]
Dan Le Batard
It's gonna shock the out of me.
- [10:48]
Dan Damashek
It releases the game from the basement.
- [10:50]
Dan Le Batard
Damn.
- [10:53]
Dan Damashek
It's shocking out of me.
- [10:57]
Chris Cody
I hate those.
- [10:59]
Dan Le Batard
Number three, he's a showman.
- [11:04]
Chris Cody
So he pulled it.
- [11:05]
Dan Damashek
That's right. That's what happened. He knew what it was, and he was scared, and it did what he thought it was gonna do.
- [11:10]
Chris Cody
See, if it shocks you again. I think if you pull it. Not every time, it may not.
- [11:14]
Dan Le Batard
I don't know. No, I know what this is. I know what this is. I'm gonna put it here. I'm gonna play around with this. I love this. I know what this is. I know what this is. All right, so ccc. I gotcha me. Hey, sorry, guys. The fart machine. Oh, Casa truca. Anything could happen, Daniel. Including a fart machine.
- [11:35]
Chris Cody
High tech, though.
- [11:35]
Dan Damashek
It's not a wolf just tell you to bend over. Were you just told to lean over.
- [11:41]
Dan Le Batard
To mic your butt, Tony, Mike like farting.
- [11:43]
Dan Damashek
Okay.
- [11:46]
Chris Cody
Oh, there we go.
- [11:48]
Dan Le Batard
We're doing comedy. Comedy. All right.
- [11:52]
Dan Damashek
Number three.
- [11:53]
Chris Cody
Oh, Jesus Christ.
- [11:55]
Dan Le Batard
I heard a lot of calls for Davis Mills over the. Over the Sunday. Here, here. Ball knowers. New Dano. Ball knowers knew. I tried to tell you guys. Hey. A lot of people are like, oh, Davis Mills, he's not that bad, man. C.J. straddle's worse. Number two. Nothing like a chubby kicker wearing 92 deciding an incredible game with love handles and a beer gut. They went out to him on the sideline and he's. I'm like, who is that guy? It's Mervis they're kickering.
- [12:25]
Chris Cody
He's like, got it.
- [12:27]
Dan Le Batard
He looks what Dan would look like. It's much smaller, compact. Whoa.
- [12:31]
Dan Damashek
This mid.
- [12:31]
Chris Cody
Oh, whoa.
- [12:32]
Dan Le Batard
My bad. He looks like what Zaz would look like with. With pants and a football jersey on. Does he have a pulse?
- [12:42]
Chris Cody
Whatever, man.
- [12:43]
Dan Le Batard
Why do you have to count on me to carry your bits?
- [12:47]
Dan Damashek
Number one.
- [12:50]
Dan Le Batard
Number one, Dan, we spoke about it earlier. Let's move a little bit further here. Number one. We spoke about it earlier. Caleb Williams, there's really nothing we could say outside of the terrible interception he threw to end the game. Aside from the terrible interception that he threw to end the game. It was. It was one of the most incredible plays that I had ever seen. And I just. I was sitting on the couch and I just kept saying, oh, my God. The fact that he was running full sprint away from his own end zone for about 20 yards. The defensive linemen were like, what is he doing? Do we chase him? Do we not all of a sudden turns around, throws a perfect fade away. Maybe a little bit of a push off by Colcomett. I play, I say play on. But a perfect throw ends up going, what, 50 yards in the air. A 14 yard touchdown is one of the most incredible plays we've ever seen. It sucks that it happens in a loss, but as Damoshek will probably tell you, you need these bumps and bruises along the road to make sure that you are ready to get to the level of winning a Super Bowl. And sometimes you can't get there without a couple bumps and bruises. This is the bumps and bruises that Caleb Williams needs to maybe take that next step next year. So an incredible play by a guy who I was not super sold on to begin the year. But as he's gotten better and better through Ben Johnson's offense, it's been an incredible. Just upscaling from. From everything that he's done from a football perspective. So if there's anything you want down here at Casa Lotruco, I can bring you back something. Dan, if you want me to bring you the. The buzzer thing that lit me up, I could do that. If you want the fart machine, I can do that.
- [14:16]
Dan Damashek
Yeah, go ahead. Go ahead and buy the fart machine. Bring it back. I'm sure we'll have some uses for it. And I have your clothes. I haven't tried it on. The clothes you bought for me, I will be wearing tonight at the live stream. All of the Cuban clothes that you bought for me, I will be wearing that tonight. While you're at Dead Flamingo. Yes.
- [14:34]
Dan Le Batard
I heard from a little birdie that you didn't think I actually bought the clothes. You were like, wait, he bought the clothes? Like, yeah, no, I bought the clothes, Daniel. Like you're. You're gonna be dressing like you should be dressing. To be honest, it should be the way that you should be dressing all the time. And you chose not to. Let's come around the corner here. Let's see what else is going on. How about this, Dan?
- [14:52]
Dan Damashek
Masks Put on. Go. Go ahead and put on one of those masks. But before you do that, I just want to play for you the highlight of this segment for us and for me and what we will remember from that segment. Go ahead and play it, bro.
- [15:05]
Dan Le Batard
Bo angle. Nick breaks his ankle. Like, Breaks his ankle like, yeah, that. That would rank like sixth or seventh on things that Zaz messed up this past. Nick breaks his ankle.
- [15:18]
Dan Damashek
Like, what happened with that Angus in the middle of there? Why was there an Angus in the middle of there?
- [15:23]
Dan Le Batard
Nick's breaks his ankle like, because I saw. Because I saw the lady. I saw the lady getting ready to get me with. With the shocking thing, and I didn't want to get there eventually, so I had to, like, I knew the thing on the chain was going to shock me, and I was like, I really don't want to get there. And she was kind of wa, like, waving me like, hey, come on. Like, let's do it. And then I'm like.
- [15:42]
Dan Damashek
Well, this sounds like you were tasered.
- [15:44]
Dan Le Batard
Bo Ang. Bo Nicks breaks his ankle.
- [15:46]
Dan Damashek
Like, if an announcer during the Broncos game was trying to talk about Bo Nicks and I came in and tasered.
- [15:52]
Dan Le Batard
Him, it would sound like this breaks his ankle.
- [15:55]
Dan Damashek
Like, let me hear Zaz's mess up. Was Zaz's worse than. Was it worse than Tony?
- [16:01]
Dan Le Batard
Didn't you want to know how that.
- [16:03]
Chris Cody
What were the kids doing? Oh, come on.
- [16:07]
Dan Le Batard
Son of a.
- [16:07]
Dan Damashek
Close. Give me me the other one.
- [16:10]
Dan Le Batard
The packers winner. The bear lose. Bears lose. Oh, yeah. It's a new week.
- [16:18]
Dan Damashek
Dead flamingo is where Tony will be tonight. He breaks, he takes the party with him. So enjoy that. And we will be doing live stream all night tonight during the national championship game. Thank you, Tony. You were the MVP of last week. Appreciate it. We will talk to you in sports.
- [16:36]
Dan Le Batard
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- [17:51]
Dan Damashek
Fair enough.
- [17:52]
Dan Le Batard
All right, here's the deal. Game day is everything. And that's exactly why your fit has to match the occasion. Starting this December, Smirnoff has given fans 21 and over the chance to score limited edition Smirnoff commission merchandise from some of today's top creators, including Kayla Jones, Gavin Matthew and Aleli May. Here's the kicker. One lucky fan will take home the grand prize, a trip to the biggest game of the off season. Plus, one fan will win a Laylee Mays, one of one game day jacket.
- [18:17]
Dan Damashek
Wow.
- [18:17]
Dan Le Batard
The merch will be dropped on select dates from December to January 21st. And it's all courtesy of what brand? That's right, Chris. Fans 21 and over can head to Smirnoff Socials to learn how to sign up. And don't forget to grab a bottle of Sirnoff Vodka Number 21 at your local retail. Please drink responsibly. Smirnoff Number 21 vodka distilled from grain 40 alcohol by volume. The Smirnoff Company, New York, NY. Please do not share with anybody under legal drinking age. No purchase necessary. Must be legal. US resident, 21 or older. Sweepstake starts 12152025 at 12:00am Eastern and ends 1232026 at 11:59:59pm Eastern. See official rules at program website. Hello listeners. You know that I live in Miami, which means my idea of quote unquote, winter is just putting on a hoodie or a cardigan and acting like I've suffered. But every time that I travel somewhere that's actually cold, I'm reminded that my wardrobe is completely and utterly unprepared. But that right there is where Quince comes in. I also realize that if I'm going.
- [19:14]
Chris Cody
To be on camera for broadcast gigs.
- [19:16]
Dan Le Batard
I probably shouldn't look like I just grabbed whatever was closest to the door. Quince makes clothes that deliver premium materials, thoughtful design and pieces that hold up season after season after season after season. And particularly with quints. Their outerwear has been the thing that's especially impressed me. Those down jackets, wool coats, Italian leather. And folks, that cashmere sweater, ridiculously soft, looks great and somehow doesn't cost what you'd expect. Trust me, I am the only one on this show who actually dresses to impress. And quince is what's now helping me do it. Refresh your winter wardrobe with quince. Go to quince.com dan for free shipping on your order in. 365 day returns now available in Canada too. That's Q U I n c e.com/dan free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com/dan Don LeBatard.
- [20:10]
Dan Damashek
No one else here is willing to do a Trump or a Biden.
- [20:13]
Dan Le Batard
That's not true, Dan.
- [20:15]
Dan Damashek
Okay, Tony, you can catch a thousand impersonations.
- [20:18]
Dan Le Batard
That's not bad, man.
- [20:20]
Chris Cody
Finally.
- [20:22]
Dan Damashek
Pretty good.
- [20:23]
Dan Le Batard
God. STS Yours is terrible. You just got to get a little redder, a little pinker. You're right there, man.
- [20:32]
Dan Damashek
Yours is not that. You're biting me. What do you mean?
- [20:34]
Dan Le Batard
Oh, his is good. That's actually not bad. Not terrible. That's not terrible. We got to come together. Little Southern, little George Bush in that one. This is the D Ler show with the two gods.
- [20:50]
Dan Damashek
He mentioned the Caleb Williams interception. DJ Moore stopped running on that. He wasn't supposed to stop running. He just stopped his route because he knew it was covered. But I want to go back to the Davis Mills point that he made because I heard, I think it was SWAGU who was saying, you gotta consider at halftime of that game benching C.J. stroud. And if you consider that, you're announcing to everyone, including CJ Stroud, that you're done with him as your quarterback going forward because he's still young. Like, he's got bumps and bruises. You've got to learn from how sloppy he was in this. He's the reason that defense isn't going to play for a Super Bowl. That defense is extraordinary. That defense totally suffocated the Patriots but could not overcome its own quarterback.
- [21:37]
Chris Cody
They have an interesting decision now this.
- [21:39]
Dan Le Batard
Off season because he's going into year number four, which is usually when you pick up that fifth year option. So, like, what are they going to do? Are we picking up the fifth year option? Are we signing him to the extension?
- [21:51]
Chris Cody
Houston's got some. They have a delicate decision to make.
- [21:54]
Dan Damashek
Is it fair? Damascek is the host of Football America. No Schultz, no Nico Collins. Not a small loss to not have Trent Brown. Literally not a small loss. 6, 8, 380 pounds. You can't bench him there, can you? You can't go to Davis Mills when your offense is already that limited.
- [22:11]
Chris Cody
You definitely cannot. Unless we learn in the coming days, nay, that there was something wrong with C.J. stroud. Because if you look at how he also played on Monday night in Pittsburgh, I mean, he couldn't take snaps. I feel like we're going to hear, you know, he had a little surgery on his wrist, something like that, because he just was fundamentally not like, that's.
- [22:37]
Dan Damashek
What I thought Stafford's problem was last night. Like, I. On the broadcast, I kept hearing them. I don't know why Stafford's missing all these throws. His hand was busted up from last week. The throwing hand can't be busted up.
- [22:48]
Chris Cody
If it's not that, though, it's very similar to me to the 2017 Jaguars. They thought we're pretty close because we have this mighty defense and we think we have the answer. We used a high first to get the qb, which we have to solve. And now we have, we think solved it. And we can win games in the NFL by kind of sort of hiding this guy or not making him the key feature of whether or not we win games. That was what the Jags did. They went forward with. They were high on their own supply and said, let's get over the hump with Blake Bortles. And they could have taken Lamar Jackson out of Louisville. Instead, they took defensive lineman from Florida, Taven Bryan, and that didn't work out so well. So it is an interest. If there's nothing wrong with CJ Stroud, this is just who he is now in big spots, then I do think you have to consider moving on to Zaza's point at a big time to decide on his contract.
- [23:46]
Dan Le Batard
He was so good, maybe the best we've ever seen a rookie quarterback two years ago. And he not. Not only has he not progressed from that, but like, he hasn't even been that again.
- [23:57]
Dan Damashek
So I want to get to the University of Miami game. I am done with football on the professional level for the rest of the show because we have what Zaz is correctly calling a possible forever night tonight. And I'm trying to come up with a time that South Florida has felt the way that it does right now. I know that Game seven of a Stanley Cup Final is obviously enormous, especially after the Panthers had blown a 30 lead but hockey is not embraced by every segment of our community in South Florida. Hockey is not the sport in America that football is for Miamians. One of the lasting memories of hall of Famer Jason Taylor's career here. He was a rose growing in a sewer during the years that he was here. His excellence largely wasted because they never had a quarterback. Was the scene in losing locker rooms of him just busted, broken in front of his locker when they let the media in. And he just. I saw it again and again and again where he would just be what Josh Allen was yesterday, crushed in front of his locker and two of laughs on the sideline. It is super rare for a Hall of Famer to say, you know what I want to do? I'm going to be the defensive line coach on a college team. I'm going to keep going to college practices and try and make sure that college kids are listening to me. Usually the hall of Famers want to start at the top of the food chain. They don't want to. Marshall Falk was a running back coach for Deion Sanders, but it's usually pretty rare. I mean, how about even before that.
- [25:36]
Dan Le Batard
Wasn'T he the secondary coach at Aquinas? What's even the head coach.
- [25:41]
Tony
It's becoming more common. Jason Whitten was hired as the tight ends coach for Oklahoma just a couple weeks ago. I honestly think it's kind of like the Dion effect, where you saw him go back to college, have so much success and however you want to define that. But I think it's becoming. And I think there's more money in college football now. And there's just. It sort of opened up the. The floodgates, which I'm excited for, because I think it kind of makes the sport a little more approachable for people.
- [26:03]
Dan Le Batard
Also in those first two examples, like, Jason Taylor was at Aquinas when Mason Taylor was there. So he was there coaching his kid, and then Dion started in coaching his son as well. So there, there is that tie, but then it's continued. And Whitten is not an example of that.
- [26:17]
Dan Damashek
But you, you say what? She's right when she says there's more money in college football. You see that Oregon's quarterback and Ole Miss quarterback, they want to stay in college instead of going to the pros, even though they're going to be top picks. But here's Jason Taylor after the win against Ole Miss, talking about the idea of bringing a championship back to Miami.
- [26:35]
Dan Le Batard
You played a lot of football in that stadium. You guys are going back to.
- [26:37]
Dan Damashek
What would it mean to bring a championship in football.
- [26:40]
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, you're damn right. You get a chance to play for a championship or not me playing, but.
- [26:44]
Dan Damashek
Watch my guys play because they got nothing to do with me. But it's a blessing, man. I'm happy for the players.
- [26:50]
Dan Le Batard
You know.
- [26:52]
Dan Damashek
My time in the sun is over, so I get to sit back and live through the 17 guys in my room and 120 guys on this team. And I'm blessed to do it.
- [27:00]
Dan Le Batard
So I'm excited for them. You know, guys like Bane and Mezador and Ahmad Mo and those guys that.
- [27:05]
Dan Damashek
Are here from the beginning when we were.
- [27:08]
Dan Le Batard
We were lacking in a of lot, lot of things and they fought their.
- [27:11]
Dan Damashek
Butts off to get to this point. Lucy Mendoza gets rid of the ball a lot slower. And when I say a lot slower, it's a second slower than Trinidad. Chambliss, your thoughts on the advantage that Miami's defensive line may or may not have against Indiana's offensive line?
- [27:28]
Tony
I don't want to go like too far with it because Indiana as Miami has a great offensive line, as does Indiana. Like for Fernando Mendoza usually stays protected in this. I just think he's so accurate with what he does that that's what my concern is. If you get pressure on Mendoza, are you going to mess with that accuracy because he has been pressured this season. Ohio State has a good defense. Iowa has a good defense. I just think people are underestimating how good Indiana's line is and how good Indiana's receivers are because he can throw it anywhere and they're going to go out and make that pass.
- [27:58]
Chris Cody
And the other factor is that I'm not sure cynically will carry over to the next level for him, but he can run away from pressure and people regularly forget about that.
- [28:09]
Dan Le Batard
He.
- [28:09]
Chris Cody
He is a factor with his legs.
- [28:11]
Dan Damashek
Yes, he. He's an athlete. But when Indiana played on the road at Iowa, they were held to 20 points. When Indiana.
- [28:19]
Tony
We do that to everybody though. Let's go.
- [28:21]
Dan Damashek
When Indiana played on the road against Ohio State, they were held to 13 points.
- [28:27]
Tony
That was a home game for Indiana.
- [28:28]
Dan Damashek
Forgive me.
- [28:29]
Tony
It was in Indianapolis, so forgive me.
- [28:31]
Dan Damashek
I confused that. In the Penn State game, they scored 27 at the very end against PE. C A N E S K. Yeah, boy.
- [28:43]
Dan Le Batard
Sedano.
- [28:44]
Dan Damashek
Sedano is in town. He is doing his local Los Angeles show and he is bringing the extra Cuban in here.
- [28:53]
Dan Le Batard
You guys got anything like that?
- [28:54]
Chris Cody
Same time slot I used to be in on 710 ESPN in Los Angeles. Sedano came in and thieved like the night about 20 years after I left.
- [29:04]
Dan Damashek
You have to be careful with those Cubans. They will steal.
- [29:06]
Dan Le Batard
Does Indiana have anything as cool as that? What we just did? I don't think so.
- [29:09]
Tony
They do.
- [29:10]
Dan Le Batard
What do they got? I think it's.
- [29:12]
Chris Cody
Are you kidding me? The thing I will say about the U is that is a cool sort of corner of tradition and otherwise it feels to me like the alumni are prouder of the Canes than any. I don't want to get hyperbolic, but is that accurate to say? I don't think at the player level there's more puff your chest out among ex players than we're seeing right now from the Canes.
- [29:39]
Tony
I thought you meant in general. And I was about to be like, no. Like, look at Dan. He really doesn't seem that excited.
- [29:44]
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, the alumni don't.
- [29:45]
Tony
I said, okay, yeah, yeah, they really care.
- [29:46]
Chris Cody
If you're talking fans, most people didn't go there.
- [29:48]
Dan Le Batard
But the athletes spot on.
- [29:50]
Chris Cody
Jason Taylor was also once in my childhood home, the home that I grew up in. Many moons later, my mom was trying to sell the house and Jason Taylor brought his mom over to take a look at it to see if she. She might be interested in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They said no.
- [30:07]
Dan Damashek
Two minutes for a contribution.
- [30:09]
Dan Le Batard
I disagree with that one.
- [30:14]
Dan Damashek
Dave Damachek will be with us throughout the live stream tonight.
- [30:18]
Chris Cody
I'm not going. Chris Cody, I don't think he. I don't think he's an official. I don't think he's in a position to sign.
- [30:24]
Dan Damashek
Penalty's not allowed. You. You've got to respect the call of the official. Getting back to what it is that I was saying though, Lucy, about the.
- [30:33]
Chris Cody
I'm standing up for Buffalo. I'm not going to stand for the call.
- [30:36]
Dan Damashek
You have to leave. And if you don't leave, you will be punished in a way much more serious than just a little penalty. That goes for two minutes.
- [30:46]
Dan Le Batard
Yeah. Dan will look at you naked like he did with Zaz.
- [30:48]
Dan Damashek
You have to respect. You have to respect the call.
- [30:52]
Dan Le Batard
Happy new year, everybody. 2026 is already getting off to an incredible start. Because you want to know how I rang in the new year? It was with a bunch of friends in a Dallas hotel lobby bar ordering a bunch of Miller Lites because that's how you do it. That's how you make special memories. Miller Lite has been by my side and many special football memories this year. And hopefully we get to write a few more memories with Miller Lite. Some of my most legendary moments have started that exact same way. A buddy's house, a lobby bar, A game. No big plan. And then you crack open a Miller Lite, you take a sip and you look around and you immediately recognize that you made the right call. Legendary moments Start with Miller Lite. Great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Close your eyes. Exhale. Feel your body relax and let go.
- [31:56]
Tony
Of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts.
- [32:02]
Dan Le Batard
In time for this class.
- [32:03]
Tony
I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh my gosh, they're so fast.
- [32:08]
Dan Le Batard
And breathe.
- [32:09]
Tony
Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order.
- [32:20]
Dan Le Batard
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- [32:23]
Chris Cody
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Dan Le Batard
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- [32:30]
Chris Cody
The Home Depot has Whirlpool Laundry appliances with Fan Fresh. This feature fans and tumbles your laundry after it's done to help keep your clothes fresh until you're ready to grab them.
- [32:39]
Dan Le Batard
Shop now and get up to $1,000.
- [32:41]
Chris Cody
Off plus free delivery on select appliances.
- [32:43]
Dan Damashek
At the Home Depot.
- [32:44]
Chris Cody
How doers get more done Free delivery.
- [32:46]
Dan Le Batard
On appliance purchases of $999 or more.
- [32:48]
Chris Cody
More offer ballot January 8th through the.
- [32:49]
Dan Le Batard
28Th US only c store online for details. Don LeBatard I got a Slater scoop.
- [32:54]
Dan Damashek
Stupid.
- [32:56]
Dan Le Batard
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats when I We got some breaking news here, Dan.
- [33:05]
Chris Cody
Tonight.
- [33:06]
Dan Le Batard
You know you thought all eyes were on Hard Rock Stadium until you found out that Matthew Kachuk returns tonight for your two time Stanley cup champion Florida Panthers. That's right, Chucky in the lineup season debut, our hero, Lucy.
- [33:24]
Dan Damashek
As I was saying, the total in the game tonight, last I checked was 48 and a half. I suspect that most people would assume it'll be a game more like Iowa and Ohio State against Indiana. When I talk about Indiana having a good offensive line but Miami also having an excellent defensive line, are you not expecting Mendoza to look more like he looked against Iowa when they scored 20 points and Ohio State when they scored 13. Given that those defensive lines are comparable to Miami's, but I don't think as good as Miami's.
- [33:58]
Tony
I don't think that he. I do think he's not going to look like he did against Oregon. But what I took away from that Iowa game, that Ohio State game, is even though he was not like the most active factor in what was happening in those games, when there was the moment that Fernando Mendoza needed to do something, he did it. That late pass against Ohio State, the late one against Iowa, Iowa, he was accurate. He was on time. Pence the two ones against Penn State that are still just like unbelievable, like crazy plays. Those were his Heisman moments. Every single time you've had to rely on Mendoza, he has delivered. I think that's sort of an interesting aspect when you're looking at the Miami side of things, because recently that has been the case for Carson back. But that has not always been the case for Carson back. When Mendoza, from start to finish this season, the second that they, Indiana needed him to win, he did. I don't necessarily know if that's always the same case with Carson Beck, who has looked better lately and did that against Ole Miss. It's just a very interesting quarterback match.
- [34:50]
Dan Damashek
Ole Miss is the only time he has done that. It's the only time he's been asked to do it, and it's the only time that he has done it. And I don't know how much confidence Hurricane fans had in him being able to do it after Ole Miss scored with three minutes late. And I think part of the thing that comes into play, and it is not irrelevant, it's hugely important. Important. It's the wear and tear of how a defense feels after four quarters of being manhandled seven yards a carry, physically out, outclassed by 50 pounds per position along the offensive and defensive line.
- [35:24]
Tony
And I think that's important to mention the type of games Miami has had to play in the playoff, which have all been, you know, pretty much slugfest. And Indiana has not had to play those. Every game they've played has been over by halftime, which is just absolutely an insane sentence to say. And I still sit here. This whole trip this weekend for me has just been me walking around going, I can't believe Indiana is here. Like, none of this feels real to me at all.
- [35:44]
Chris Cody
I keep saying about it. If you would have said to me at any point in the last, you know, since I started at iu, they will beat the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl. They will Hammer them there. They're going to beat Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. They're going to beat Oregon twice and manhandle them in doing so. I would say, boy, that would be great if they could do those things in the next 40 years. They did it in one month. It's crazy. But I'm also happy to your point. I get how the postseason has gone for them. I'm thankful from the Hoosier side that they were tested at Iowa and at Penn State, because cross sports, I always think of the Houston Cougars against NC State in the 83 college basketball. They were never tested. And all of a sudden it's got to be a stunning feeling, oh, my God, we really might lose a game. Thank goodness they've at least experienced that somewhere along the way.
- [36:40]
Tony
No, I agree with that. I think that was part of the issue last season was they didn't really have anybody on their schedule last year. So they play Ohio State, they get beat pretty badly, and then you finally have a close game against Notre Dame and you don't win this year. They have experience with close games and they've played a tougher schedule, like, not playoff wise, but in general a tougher schedule than Miami. You beat Oregon twice. You beat Penn State, who I know didn't have a great season, but, like, still a talented team. Ohio State, Iowa, like, this is a very, like, tested Indiana team who has beaten teams by a lot of points and also, like, been able to escape. And that all comes down to the way Mendoza played in those, like, clutch moments for Indiana. So, like, if you're looking at this game and you're just going, what quarterback do I believe in more? It's gotta be Mendoza in this situation.
- [37:19]
Chris Cody
I know we're talking about the home field advantage for Miami, but.
- [37:22]
Dan Le Batard
Dan, you worried at all about the weather? Because it's going to be cold. This is all of a sudden that home field advantage gone. Temperature in the 50s.
- [37:29]
Dan Damashek
Yeah, it's like the Rams going into Chicago.
- [37:31]
Dan Le Batard
This is crazy.
- [37:31]
Dan Damashek
Weather favors in Malachi.
- [37:33]
Dan Le Batard
Tony, playing in a game where the weather's in the 50s. Miami maybe should be a little bit worried about their own weather.
- [37:39]
Chris Cody
Dan, very not a quick question because I was contemplating this. If the Bears had won that game last night, do they say, dispatch the plan, get rid of the dome idea. We're done with that. Do you see the advantage that being in the cold provided us?
- [37:55]
Dan Le Batard
Is it going to be a dome?
- [37:56]
Chris Cody
Yes, they're doming it. It's a ridiculous thing. I'm sorry, I don't want to distract from the big game tonight, but I. Cold.
- [38:01]
Dan Le Batard
Damaschek can be cold tonight. 57 degrees.
- [38:05]
Tony
That's like warm to Indiana. That's like summertime.
- [38:07]
Dan Le Batard
Exactly.
- [38:08]
Dan Damashek
We are on the precipice. When Dimashek says what he is saying here about, in what world do you have us beating Oregon twice and Penn State and Ohio State and then Miami? We're on the precipice of two things. Not only Indiana producing the single best and most surprising season in the history of college football, but also being forever the spot on, where we can all say how nil and money changed everything and changed it like that. Because the idea that that program with a century of failure on its resume would go through a run like that, only money explains it. Like, you can. You could give the credit to Signetti, you could give the credit to Mendoza if you want, but the nil money changing everything is the only thing that allows a program with this kind of pedigree, which is no pedigree, to run through the gauntlet that it's run through.
- [39:11]
Tony
I think the kind of, like, scariest part of all of this is this will be Kurt Signetti's least talented Indiana team. Because if you look at what Indiana has done in the portal this year, it's them in Texas Tech. It's no one else. They have made an absolute killing. And it's a lot of it is money. It's something like a little stat that we hear on all the broadcasts is that Indiana has the, like, largest alumni base in the country. So that's true. They say it all the time. I've heard that about Michigan. So I was like, how true is this? I think they count, like, the, like, the Indiana satellite campuses and other, like, towns. But they have so many alumni and.
- [39:44]
Chris Cody
Like, they all have oil money.
- [39:45]
Dan Damashek
How do they have so much money.
- [39:46]
Tony
That Mark Cuban have oil money, but.
- [39:49]
Chris Cody
A healthy media empire. Jane Pauly on down.
- [39:53]
Tony
It's interesting to see, like, it's something I've kind of been looking into and I'm going to look more into in the off season is the way that these, like, better academic schools are performing more because Indiana's got a top 10 business school. So when you look at the SEC who academically, journalism isn't, you know, up to what in Indiana, Michigan is. You can kind of see the difference in how much money is pouring into these different programs, which I think is really like, like, kind of fascinating that we, we are sort of having to like, like, factor in the school stuff now, which we never really had to do before. But yeah, Indiana's entire run is two factors. It's hey, they have money, they've spent money. And I think people forget. I don't believe Mark Cuban was giving money to Indiana before this season. He didn't give any money. Yeah, he didn't give them any money last year. He did this year. I think it was like a blank check this year. But it's all Kurt Signetti, what he's been able to do, which will be studied forever. Kurt Signetti has permanently changed. He'll be a Hall of Fame coach. He might be the coach of all time for what he's done for that Indiana team. But he has made college football a lot more difficult for everybody else now. He's made it tougher for other schools because you are all going to want what he's done and I don't think it's you can replicate it and it's people who don't watch the sport. I can't emphasize enough how truly dog shit Indiana was. They were so unbelievably bad.
- [41:06]
Chris Cody
The fan went 8 and 3 a couple of times when I was there with Bill Mallory.
- [41:10]
Tony
A pin, a pinstripe, great bull was. That was the peak. Everyone would have been thrilled.
- [41:15]
Dan Le Batard
Everyone will be reminded they would have.
- [41:16]
Tony
Built him a statue for 8 and 4.
- [41:18]
Dan Damashek
Juju Gotti is going to be here in a few minutes for the post game show in order to talk about what it is that happened to his bills. We're going to be doing a shorter show here because we're going to give you another show at night. We're going to go three or four straight hours. Live stream tonight. Tony will be at Dead Flamingo. Got a whole host of surprises for you and guests and we're going to we're going to do it big on what is a giant game in the history of South Florida sport. Let's hear from Reuben Bane here though on the the tears are a big story today with Josh Allen and Dion Dawkins and Brandon Cooks crying in the Bills locker room. Here's Ruben Bane telling you he's crying either way.
- [41:59]
Dan Le Batard
I was actually sitting on the bench at practice with my dad like two days ago. I told him I'm going cry no.
- [42:05]
Dan Damashek
Matter the outcome of the game.
- [42:06]
Dan Le Batard
I know I'm going to cry because it's really my last game and it's been a long but quick three years spending all my time here at Miami and it's like a fairy tale story for me because I get to start.
- [42:17]
Dan Damashek
It off at Hard rock the end of that hard rock.
- [42:19]
Dan Le Batard
So I'm gonna cry. I know I'm gonna cry. Folks, listen up. DraftKings Sportsbook, the number one sports book for live betting, is turning up the stakes this NFL playoffs. Each Sunday, every DraftKings customer has a shot at over $2.5 million in prizes. Open up the DraftKings sportsbook app and opt in. Place a live bet of just $1 or more on Sunday's playoff games. And every live bet gets you another chance to win. The more you bet, the more entries you stack all Sunday long. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app right now. Use Code Dan Bet Live for your share of $2.5 million in prizes with code DAN in partnership with DraftKings. The crown is yours. Happy New Year, everybody. 2026 is already getting off to an incredible start because you want to know how I rang in the new year? It was with a bunch of friends in a Dallas hotel lobby bar ordering a bunch of Miller Lights. Because that's how you do it. That's how you make special memories. Miller Lite has been by my side and many special football memories this year. And hopefully we get to write a few more memories with Miller Lite. Some of my most legendary moments have started that exact same way. A buddy's house, a lobby bar, a game. No big plan. And then you crack open a Miller Lite, you take a step sip and you look around and you immediately recognize that you made the right call. Legendary moments start with Miller Lite Great Taste 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.