Hour 3 – That’s Why They Play the Games, Best and Worst of the Break

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show Episode: Hour 3 – That’s Why They Play the Games, Best and Worst of the Break
Release Date: January 2, 2025

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Overview

In this engaging episode of The Dan Patrick Show, host Dan Patrick dives deep into the latest developments in college football playoffs, analyzes standout performances, and interacts with listeners to highlight the week's best and worst moments in sports. The episode is structured around comprehensive discussions, listener call-ins, and humorous banter, providing a rich and informative experience for both dedicated fans and casual listeners.

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College Football Playoff Predictions and Analysis

Dan Patrick and his co-hosts kick off the episode with an in-depth analysis of the upcoming college football playoffs. They focus on key matchups, team performances, and potential outcomes based on current standings and expert opinions.

• Ohio State vs. Texas:
  Ohio State enters the playoff as a six-point favorite over Texas, according to DraftKings. Dan reflects on Ohio State's season, highlighting their unexpected resurgence after a poor showing against Michigan. The team’s strategic investments in NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) players have paid off, surprising many with their current form.

  Notable Quote:
  Dan Patrick ([06:45]): “They spent a lot of money on that beef up front. That's why you're spending your money. They're getting quality defensive and offensive linemen. And that's the difference with good teams and great teams controlling the line of scrimmage.”

• Notre Dame vs. Georgia:
  Notre Dame is slightly favored over Georgia by one point. The discussion touches on travel considerations and recent tragedies affecting team dynamics. Dan emphasizes Notre Dame’s resilience and consistent performance despite occasional challenges.

• Other Contenders:
  The conversation also covers Duke versus Ole Miss, with Duke expected to win by 17 points, and the potential spreads for subsequent playoff rounds. Ohio State is positioned as the frontrunner, followed by Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, and Georgia.

  Notable Quote:
  Dan Patrick ([07:30]): “Ohio State might be the most talented team in the country. You could trust them to come out ahead against any team.”

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Best and Worst of the Break

Following the playoff analysis, the hosts transition to the “Best and Worst of the Break” segment, highlighting exceptional performances and disappointing outcomes from recent games.

• Best of the Break:

  • Cam Scatterboo: Celebrated for electrifying performances against Texas, amassing 637 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns over four games.
  • Malik Neighbors: Praised for his impressive 171-yard, two-touchdown game with the Giants, helping secure a win against the Colts.

  Notable Quote:
  Tyler ([24:28]): “Micah Parsons after the game saying, if you take away the scoreboard, it's actually a pretty close game. That is one of the best quotes of all.”

• Worst of the Break:

  • Denver Broncos: Criticized for a heartbreaking 30-24 overtime loss in Cincinnati, missing a crucial playoff spot.
  • Giants’ Fantasy Woes: Discussed Tyler’s fantasy football disappointment due to negative points from the Colts’ defense, impacting his championship hopes.

  Notable Quote:
  Dan Patrick ([24:58]): “Not everybody should have a podcast that's going to put that out there.”

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Listener Interactions and Discussions

Listeners participate through call-ins, sharing their opinions and questions on various topics.

• Jeff Van Pelt's Retirement:
  Listener Heather congratulates her father, Jeff Van Pelt, on his retirement after a distinguished 43-year career.

• Targeting Call Controversy:
  Listener Chris debates the recent targeting call in the Texas vs. Arizona State game, questioning the balance between the spirit and letter of the law. The hosts discuss the implications of officiating decisions and replay reviews.

  Notable Quote:
  Dan Patrick ([34:36]): “And that was targeting. That's all.”

  Additional Insight:
  Tyler reflects on the evolving understanding of in-game officiating, noting how replay availability alters perceptions of fairness and accuracy.

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Player and Team Spotlights

The hosts delve into specific player performances and strategic team decisions that have shaped recent games.

• Saquon Barkley:
  The discussion centers around Barkley’s strategic decision to sit, considering his impressive 2,000-yard rushing milestone. The hosts debate the implications for his career and the team’s dynamics.

  Notable Quote:
  Dan Patrick ([43:11]): “It makes sense for your team with your quarterback who's coming out of concussion protocol.”

• Defensive Standouts:
  Players like Ty T. Higgins for the Bengals and Lad McConkey for the Chargers are highlighted for their critical roles and impressive stats, contributing significantly to their teams' performances.

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College Football Records and NCAA Rules

A thoughtful discussion ensues regarding the NCAA’s handling of bowl game statistics, comparing past legends like Barry Sanders with current players such as Ashton Gentry.

• Barry Sanders vs. Ashton Gentry:
  Paulie argues for the inclusion of bowl game stats in all-time records, drawing parallels between Sanders’ uncredited bowl performance and Gentry’s current achievements.

  Notable Quote:
  Paulie ([27:22]): “They allow it now. But they didn’t allow it back then.”

• Impact on Records:
  The hosts suggest that recognizing bowl game performances could provide a fairer assessment of player legacies and enhance the historical accuracy of college football records.

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Closing Segments

The episode concludes with light-hearted segments and final thoughts on ongoing sports narratives.

• Final Predictions:
  Hosts create mock headlines for upcoming games, predicting outcomes and injecting humor into their forecasts.

• Stat of the Day:
  Joe Burrow’s Achievement:
  Joe Burrow becomes the first quarterback to throw for at least 250 yards and three touchdowns in eight consecutive games, a feat matched only by Tom Brady in 2007.

  Notable Quote:
  Dan Patrick ([37:34]): “Joe Burrow's the first quarterback to throw for at least 250 yards, three touchdowns in eight consecutive games.”

• Humorous Banter:
  The hosts engage in playful exchanges about Tom Brady’s future in broadcasting and the quirks of NFL players, adding a fun and relatable element to the discussion.

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Conclusion

Dan Patrick wraps up the episode by summarizing key points discussed, reinforcing the depth of analysis provided on college football playoffs, player performances, and listener interactions. The episode offers a balanced mix of serious sports analysis and entertaining discussions, making it a must-listen for fans eager to stay informed and entertained.

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Notable Quotes Recap:

• Dan Patrick ([05:50]): “Ohio State knew what they wanted to do. They were going to strike early and Chip Kelly against his former school, he was going to make sure that they were coming at you from all different angles.”

• Tyler ([24:28]): “Micah Parsons after the game saying, if you take away the scoreboard, it's only like five plays. That really set it.”

• Dan Patrick ([34:36]): “And that was targeting. That's all.”

• Dan Patrick ([43:11]): “It makes sense for your team with your quarterback who's coming out of concussion protocol.”

• Paulie ([27:22]): “They allow it now. But they didn’t allow it back then.”

• Dan Patrick ([37:34]): “Joe Burrow's the first quarterback to throw for at least 250 yards, three touchdowns in eight consecutive games.”

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and entertaining moments from the episode, providing a valuable overview for those who haven't tuned in.

Transcript

[Dan Patrick]

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[Marvin]

Yeah, Oregon's kind of like a 90s European center. They have a great year. Arvidus Sabonis, Vladi Divak. When the playoffs comes, Shaq just bullies him.

[Dan Patrick]

Wow.

[Marvin]

That's exactly what happened yesterday.

[Dan Patrick]

So Oregon was Vladi Divach and Ohio State was Shaq.

[Marvin]

Yes, Dan Patrick.

[Dan Patrick]

All right, Dan Patrick, shut the hell up. The Quinn Ewers situation is fascinating. What if he wins a national Title, do they say, hey, that's awesome, good luck, where are you going to play next year? Because Arch Manning's coming in and it feels like that's a foregone conclusion. Imagine doing what you're supposed to do and you might not be able to keep your job. Ryan Day, if he wins the national title, he's keeping his job. But I wonder if they lose the game against Texas or they lose the next. Like, I don't know how this works with, you know, I would say that fan base, but that's, you know, I don't understand the fan base. I mean, I was part of it because I, you know, I understood Michigan, Ohio State, what it meant. But. But now it's different because the college football playoffs, where you have a lot of, you know, there's better opportunities to get into the postseason, whereas before you wouldn't have that. They're still going to spend money. They get the best wide receivers in the country and they always have a great running back. You're getting quarterbacks in the transfer portal now. And Ryan Day, I don't think he's going anywhere, but it certainly felt like that after the Michigan game. And you can win your way out of things, but, I mean, he's lost, what, 10 games? I mean, you know, you'd say, how many has he lost? 10. But really he's lost what, four because he lost to Michigan. And that shouldn't be the only thing that matters moving forward. That fan base should realize, yes, bragging rights. And it means, imagine we won the national title. Yeah, but you lost in Michigan. And it's the best rivalry in all the sports. And what it means, it'd be like the Yankees and the Red Sox and you face each other. It'd be like if the Red Sox beat the Yankees back in the ALCS and. But they didn't win the World Series. Is there a part of your fan base that go, yeah, but we knocked out the Yankees. It's like, you. But you didn't win the World Series. That's sort of the feeling you get with Ohio State in Michigan. Look, Michigan played a great game with a great game game plan, and, you know, on a down year in Ohio State, 24 point favorites, and they acted that way last night. I, I mean, was I surprised that they dominated? I was not. It was a track meet and Ohio State was like, you don't want to give them a chip on their shoulder. They might be the most talented team in the country. And you're going to go, all right, you guys are Underdogs or they think you're going to lose again. Hey, Ryan, Dave's on the Hudson. They played great football. And now you got to beat Texas in Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Which is another problem I kind of have with the College Football Playoff committee that you set up this scenario where Texas plays a home game here. There's a few things they got to tweak here. Next year, this is the first go round. You gotta, you know, there's always the first draft where you go, what were you thinking? Next year it'll be different. And I go back to let Vegas help you with this because there's no emotion, no feelings. Theirs comes down to, we want to make money, we don't want to lose money. We want to have the right matchups, the right teams, right teams playing one another. And I think that would help the College Football Playoff committee because when you factor it like emotions, you go, Alabama. I mean, we kept hearing that. The emotional part of this. Well, Alabama, yes, but Alabama was in Alabama this year. But nobody wanted to believe it. When you saw the Vandy game, you go, well, okay. You know, it's just. No, Vandy was a better team. Jalen Milroe regressed this year. I thought, man, here he comes. He's got to stay another year. I think we get caught up in this is the way it used to be. You're going to buy into a brand and that's not fair. It's not fair to the other schools. They're fighting that brand and they might be a better team than that team. And Alabama wasn't. They weren't playoff worthy. They just weren't. But I think we look at the end result and then we say, somebody shouldn't have been in. No, we said from the beginning, Alabama shouldn't be in. I didn't think Indiana played a great schedule, but they did what they were supposed to do and they got in smu. They did what they were supposed to do. Boise State, Arizona State. It's not like they go, hey, we're going to pick ourselves to be in the playoffs and we'd like to have a first round buy. I mean, let's be fair. Don't hold it against them. Oh, Indiana, they never should have been. Okay, who picked them? It wasn't a straw vote at in Indiana where they go, hey, we, we all voted. We should be in and we're playing Notre Dame, like, just be fair to the schools. But I did root for the underdogs to not get blown out because I knew that that would Take over the conversation of, yeah, never should have been there. Like, did anybody say tennis Tennessee shouldn't have been in there. They got blown out the worst. And the answer is they should have been there. They did what they were supposed to do. But we got caught up in Alabama. Alabama. I mean, you got a lot of people at the mothership flying the flag and you got to be careful. You know, those are your partners, your s. Like you're in business. Are you unbiased. Paul Feinbaum's on all the time flying the flag. Although he, I think he finally had a white flag that he, that he.

[Paulie]

Waved like he gave up white and orange checkered.

[Dan Patrick]

He finally decided that, you know what? Alabama shouldn't have been in there. But sometimes we play the results of what happened with that team play beat that team, which mean that team beat that team. So that means Michigan would be able to beat. Or like, you know, we start to do those things and it's not fair. It's week in, week out. Like Northern Illinois beat Notre Dame and Notre Dame. If Notre Dame wins against Georgia Northern. Hey, Northern Illinois, they could probably be. No, no. Not how it works week to week, game to game. But I think it's awesome. I, I watch so much of the football, even the bowl games that didn't really matter because I like what they're trying to do. Like, here we are, it's a Thursday and I've, I've got this game this afternoon. Like, we wouldn't have these things. You wouldn't have Arizona State in Texas. That's one of the, that's an instant classic. You wouldn't have it. And I know there have been blowouts. There are blowouts that happen in the NCAA tournament, in the NFL, blowouts happen. But embrace it. We're making progress here. It's fun. Yes. Paulie.

[Paulie]

There was a stretch around Christmas where North Illinois, Fresno State, two overtimes, South Florida, San Jose State, five overtimes, Toledo pit six overtimes. That was in a like a 48 hour period. It was fun.

[Dan Patrick]

And I know they'll have tweaks and, and they should because this is fluid, that they have to keep looking at this going, okay, how do we make it better? How do we make it better? And they will, but it's fun. College football needed to be tweaked a little bit here. Now they still have other things to worry about. And I can't help you there with nil and transfer portal other than we shouldn't be allowing transfer portal during these bowl games. But then you actually have Something called school that gets in the way. It's like, why are they transferring? Why can't they transfer in June? Well, school starts. They might have to go to class somewhere. I don't know. That might be optional. Tyler in Montana. Hi, Tyler. What's on your mind today?

[Tyler]

Hey, guys.

[Dan Patrick]

How's it going? Good. I just got a best and worst of the break. The best would be Camp Scatter Boo. Just, you know, running all over the Texas defense in the second half. I mean, I guess all you got to do is throw up, right? Yeah. And then my worst is the Giants, man. Really? Against the Colts. I put the Colts defense in on my fantasy team and they got me negative four points. And I lost my championship because of that. And I'm a Giant fan. And lost the number one pick in the same weekend. Dang. Keep your head up, Tyler. We didn't do our best and worst of the week, slash weekend. We'll do it after the break. Brenton, Alabama. Hi, Brent. What's on your mind today?

[Brent]

Hey, Dan. Love the show. Hope you all are having a happy new year.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, Brad.

[Brent]

So, a couple points I want to make. The first one is the targeting call. This would get a lot easier if they were taking a page out of the XFL playbook and open up, open up the discussion. Give us some transparency to what the referees are talking about. I don't know if that's a union thing where they're not going to allow the accountability or what, but I think that's an easy way to overcome at least, you know, 80, 90% of the drama. Just let us know what you're thinking. Right. And then the second point I want to bring up is with the. These bowl games, I'm an SEC guy. We've been hearing about all of the trash talking, you know, the bowl records, all that stuff. These aren't bowl games anymore. It's almost like an NFL preseason game. The way it feels like there's so many missing players. You got transfer portal issues, opting out issues, people preparing for the draft, trying to stay healthy, all of that. I really think that's why they're going to eliminate, like, the bowl season and probably just bring it in. They'll expand the playoff to maybe even 16 or 18 teams this year. I think that'd probably be better for the sport.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, Brent, you got to understand this. This is about ESPN programming. Bottom line. All of these bowl games, they chew up hours for the mothership. You got live content, and they have a lot of shows and a lot of time. To fill. That's what this is about. They would have even more bowl games if they could. They don't care because they look at us and go, yeah, you'll watch that game. What else is on? Nothing. I'll watch that game. It's live. It's going to be there. Not going away now, are they going to expand? Probably. I think the tricky part you're finding is how will Ohio State fans travel to this next game against Texas? That would be my concern. You know, if Notre Dame, Georgia, how many fans are then traveling the next week? This is what the bowl committee, you know, that's why they had these home games, games on campus. Because you can't ask you. You're talking 60, 70,000. Nobody ever says at an NCAA tournament game, March Madness, man, I wonder if they can fill the building. You know, it's going to be Iowa State against Stetson. Like, nobody says that. But with college football, you're showing the crowd. It's so much part of the visual that you show. And the colors. The Oregon fans, the Ohio State fans. Oh, how many did they bring? You know, they travel really well. You can't do that three weeks in a row. It's tricky. And that's why you'll have these games on campus.

[Marvin]

Yes, Mark, and I think for bowl season as a whole, those smaller schools, maybe not smaller, but schools that aren't Ohio State or Texas, it's something for them to, you know, work towards. Like I go to UConn, UConn. Making a bowl game was a big deal for the program and a bunch of other schools like that. So it's something to work towards, you know, for schools that aren't that big.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, in Arizona State or SMU or Boise State, if they won. And then how many fans do you bring? Like, they factor in all of these things. All right, we'll take a break. We'll give you our best and worst of the weekend right after this. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.

[Steve Covino]

Hey, Steve Covino. And I'm Rich Davis, and together we're Covino and Rich on FOX Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything, life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So, so check us out. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcasts. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich.

[Dan Patrick]

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[Todd]

Let's do this Best of the weekend. We've mentioned it a Number of times. And we even had a guest on it. The Texas Arizona State with the Sun Devils coming back down 248 in the fourth, taking Texas to double OT and just a fourth and 13 stop away from knocking out the Longhorns. Cam Scatterboo's last four games. 637 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Last four games for Cam. Worst being on the wrong end of a very exciting game last Saturday as the Broncos once again missed an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot. 30:24 Overtime loss in Cincy to Joe Burrow in the Bengals seat.

[Dan Patrick]

No Connor. Best and worst.

[Tyler]

My worst of the week's not to pile on, but Oregon, you can't be the number one team in the country and get humiliated like that. You have to show up. That's embarrassing. My best of the weekend, though, was actually another butt whooping. The Dallas Cowboys got absolutely destroyed by the Eagles. And as much as I love that, that's not what my best is. My best is Micah Parsons after the game saying, you know, if you take away the scoreboard, it's actually a pretty close game. That is one of the best quotes of all. Yeah, if you took away the scoreboard, it's only like five plays. That really set it. It was much closer game than that. That is hilarious. You take away the scoreboard. Yeah, but with the scoreboard and those couple of plays, you guys got your ass beat.

[Dan Patrick]

Not everybody should have a podcast that's going to put that out there.

[Tyler]

Yeah, I think he said that to the media. Oh, dude, that wasn't even on his podcast. That was in the locker room after the game being like, hey, you know, it really wasn't as bad as it seems.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, he didn't. He didn't save that gold for his podcast like Draymond Green to did. Draymond? Didn't Draymond Green talk about how he. He learned from punching. He needed to punch Jordan Pool to learn not to budge a teammate.

[Tyler]

He really grew after.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes, he did. Yeah. Oh, what a goofball. All right, Marvin. Best and worst of the weekend.

[Marvin]

Best of the weekend. A One of our favorite wide receivers, Malik neighbors. Seven receptions, 171 yards, two touchdowns, as the Giants said, bleep the number one pick. We're going to win anyway. Beat the Colts. Okay, my worst of the weekend. Tennessee football players coming out shirtless for your pregame warm warmups. I don't know if you guys are trying to intimidate anybody or impress anybody, but you failed at both. You got whooped, then you got hypothermia. And pneumonia. The worst.

[Dan Patrick]

I, I don't think that would intimidate me. If I was on the other team, I'd be like, you guys look stupid. Like you don't have shirts on. What's wrong with you?

[Paulie]

Yes, Paul, My best of the weekend. I will go with Ty T. Higgins. He doesn't get a lot of national publicity, but he's fantastic for the Bengals. Really hitting his stride as a player. And lad McConkey for the Chargers. What an important acquisition he was as a rookie. Doesn't get a lot of pub. My worst of the weekend. This is a little complex, but I don't know if we in the media and people in general give enough perspective and context to records. Ashton Genty is going, was going for the all time rushing record in college football and he would have been able to use the bowl game records to add to his total that have been legal now in the ncaa. Barry Sanders was not allowed to use his bowl game numbers to his all time record. So Barry Sanders ran for 222 yards in a bowl game. You would have tacked that on to a season. The NCAA doesn't recognize that, which hurts Barry Sanders. And that'd be an easy fix as well for the NCAA. Go back to the box score, hit 222 and plus and you add it to his total but for some weird rule. They don't do that.

[Dan Patrick]

But they allow it now. But they don't, they didn't allow it back then.

[Paulie]

Correct. And Genti would have gotten all his bowl games this year. Let's say Boise State 1. He gets every yard fair to him. He earned them. But Barry Sanders did not get his 222 in the bowl game his last year.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. Yeah.

[Paulie]

And even to go further with, as you've said, Dan is, you know, nobody loves O.J. simpson. No one's going to bat for O.J. simpson. But as a football player, to me he's a single season rushing champ because I think he ran for 143 yards per game. That's 10 more yards per game that season than Eric Dickerson did in his record season. And if we do a little bit of work and a little bit of context, it helps with these records.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but they're, they're, they're selling now. They're not selling yesteryear.

[Paulie]

Correct.

[Dan Patrick]

So it's, hey, Sequan, going for the all time record. Nobody's saying. But if you really look at how many games that he needed, they don't want to get caught up in the Details. It's like he could be going for the all time record. Okay, they could, but you know, go back to when they played 154 baseball games and then they went to 162 and they did that to Roger Maris with an asterisk. Well, Babe did it 154. You did it 162. Yeah.

[Paulie]

By the way, if you ever want to laugh, go back and look at Barry Sanders rushing yards per game his last year of College, his last six games in college, 3202-153122-93332 and 222. Those are his last six games.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. I think he's the greatest college running back of all time. And, and I've said this before, when I saw O.J. simpson at USC run the football, I. He wasn't running. Like, I truly saw him glide and he was incredible. So that's the first running back who caught my eye that made me think like different about running backs and Gail Sayers in the NFL. Jim Brown was different. He was a power, power running back. But when I saw O.J. gail Sayers and then when I saw Barry Sanders, it was just different. Now it just, they, they don't make those running backs like, they're all unique. It's not like somebody says, oh, there'll be another Barry Sanders. There won't be Gail Sayers. There won't be even what OJ did in college and for, you know, a few years in the NFL. They just, it's different. But Barry to me is greatest running back that I ever saw because I never saw him get hit like where you went, damn, that's gotta hurt. And I'll always go back to that quote that Barry Switzer coaching in Oklahoma, national powerhouse. And they face Oklahoma State. And Barry Switzer famously said, whatever you do, don't hurt Thurman Thomas, who is a Hall of Fame running back. Don't hurt him because his backup is better and his backup was Barry Sanders. That's an all time quote from a guy who wasn't afraid of playing anybody, but he was afraid of Barry Sanders. Heather in Wisconsin. Good morning, Heather. What's on your mind today?

[Heather]

Morning, Dan. Hey, I was just calling to give a shout out to my dad, Jeff, who retired this Monday to his one and only job of 43 and a half years. Guessing he is enjoying his retirement these first few days by drinking coffee in his garage while watching your show as he's a big fan.

[Dan Patrick]

And his name is Jeff. Jack.

[Heather]

Jeff.

[Dan Patrick]

Jeff.

[Heather]

Jeff Van Pelt. Yep.

[Dan Patrick]

All right, well, thank you, Heather. Yes, Paulie? Are you Seaton? Wait. It's been a while since I've seen you guys.

[Tyler]

Yeah. Huh? You saw. That's like, what my mom does. She's Shanty Pat.

[Dan Patrick]

You're Marvin. Okay. Yes.

[Tyler]

Is it Jeff or Geoff?

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, it. How do you spell Jeff? With a J or a G?

[Heather]

J, E, F, F. Oh, all right, Jeff.

[Dan Patrick]

Wow. Okay. Now I can congratulate him on a guitar. Well done. If it was with a G, E, O, F, F, then we wouldn't have done that. Hang up. Hey, Jeff. Happy retirement. 43 years. Congratulations. More time to watch this show. Chris in Texas. Hi, Chris. What's on your mind today?

[Chris]

Hey, Dan. First time, long time. Six foot, 290 and working on it. Happy New Year to you and the guys.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you.

[Chris]

I just like Texas. The Texas ASU game. I'm. I'm a Texas fan. I don't think it was targeting, but I understand why people do.

[Dan Patrick]

Wait, wait. Why don't you think it was. Let's just be honest, okay? You can admit it now, Chris. You won the game. Why don't you think that's targeting?

[Chris]

I think the difference is spirit of the law versus letter of the law. Letter of the law says that the defensive bat needs to launch himself.

[Dan Patrick]

No, no, no. It. That's part of it. That's part of it. There's direct contact with his face mask and the helmet of a defenseless receiver. You can't argue that. It's a defenseless receiver. They should have flagged for that anyway. But, you know, it's okay to admit that, you know, that. You guys got a call. You. You got one. It's okay.

[Chris]

And what I'm. Actually, what I'm. What I really want to talk about is this implication that only Texas benefited from the officiating in that game. I mean, yes, Texas came out on top in the end, but for those four quarters plus, both teams benefited from bad officiating, and both teams were frustrated by bad officiating. As Chris Sims pointed out a couple of series earlier, it was a Arizona State defensive back hitting a Texas.

[Dan Patrick]

And where did. And where did Chris Simms go to college?

[Chris]

I know. We both went to Texas.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes, exactly. But, Chris, it's okay. You got a call. And if you said, hey, there were calls for both teams throughout the game. Yeah, they were. And you don't have to apologize. It's. It's a minute to play, and that's a defenseless receiver. And it was targeting. That's all. Then Arizona State Maybe goes down and kicks a field goal, wins the game. That's all. But congratulations, good luck against the Ohio State. You don't want to admit, hey, we got away with one. You did. You got away with one. They're not going back. They even had replay and they still didn't get it right. Yes.

[Tyler]

I can see how, you know, in the moment, watching that, it seemed okay to me. It seemed like, wow, that was a really great tackle. And then the more they showed it and the slower they showed it, I was like, dang, he smashed that dude right in the face. It's clearly targeting, but real time, real speed. Obviously you're watching on tv, so that's a different vantage point than any of the officials had. But I didn't really see what was wrong with it until they kept showing it to me.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes. And they had the benefit of replay. Now, if you said, hey, was that targeting in the moment? You'd go, man, look like just a really good hit.

[Tyler]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

And then all of a sudden, they kept showing the replay. I'm like, okay, they get to see what I'm seeing. And that's targeting. When the rules official comes on and says, yeah, that's targeting. Even talks about a defenseless receiver and does so in a matter of fact way of, yeah, this really isn't, you know, shouldn't be reviewing this very long. That was. That was the problem that I had with it. You know, did I want Arizona State to win? I did when we got to that point. Because then that's a better story. Like, I don't care who wins the national championship, but I care about the content that goes along with that. If somebody wins and it's impressive, somebody loses, it's dramatic. Like, that's content. But I know watching these games, Ohio State against Oregon, I wanted to see a competitive game. Like, couldn't care less. So I don't. I'm not. There's no bias here. It was just, that's a bad call. So is 4th and 13. And you let the receiver behind you. The only guy you gotta really worry about on that team, Golden. And I went, oh, my God. And Jesse Palmer was like, hey, you got your go to guy. And that's the guy they went to, and that's why they move on. So Texas did what they needed to do when they needed to do it. It was still targeting. We'll take a break back after this. Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio in the. IHEARTRADIO app. It is time to elevate the holiday season. Whether you're hosting or gifting, Sonos is the easiest way. Sonos works with award winning artists, producers, sound engineers to fine tune products to ensure that they deliver the highest quality sound. And man, did they deliver. Listen to all the holiday music you want. Watch all the holiday movies you want. With Sonos, you put the products together and basically build your own sound system. Whatever works for you, works for them. This is the world's leading sound experience company, and when you hear it, then you'll realize, how did I live without this? It changes everything. The music you listen to and the cinematic experience. When you're watching movies, Sonos has great gifts for everybody on your list. And you can get started. Visit sonos.com dan you can wrap up your holiday shopping. And with Sonos, you'll find something for everybody. That's sonos.com dan how about you write the headline for tomorrow for today's game with Notre Dame and Georgia? Short notice here. That's not going to intimidate Fritzi. One of the great mock headliners of all time should be able to come up with something just like that. Dame.

[Todd]

They did the dogs dirty.

[Dan Patrick]

Notre Dame. They did the dogs dirty. Seaton, you love this game. Tomorrow's headline today.

[Tyler]

Georgia says no to Dame.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, all right. I'm gonna give that one.

[Tyler]

Georgia says no. No to Dame.

[Dan Patrick]

All right, Marvin, what about you?

[Marvin]

It's Dame time. Notre Dame pulls off the upside.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, all right, I'm gonna give that one. I'll give you a bloop. Paul.

[Paulie]

Ugh. Notre Dame. Spanx. Georgia.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh. Oh. Oh. Okay. Ugh. Ugh. Yes. Seaton.

[Tyler]

Notre Dame. What is it, like 30?

[Dan Patrick]

It's a lot.

[Tyler]

35. 30 years. 35 years or something like that. Since they won a. A real bowl game.

[Dan Patrick]

Since they won a real bowl game.

[Tyler]

Like a. Like a major bowl game. They haven't won a major bowl game, I think, in like 30 years or something like that. Other than that, it's. They get into a big one, like a Sugar bowl or something and usually get blown out. But when they're in the, you know.

[Paulie]

Geico.com bowl, the 2019 Camping World Bowl.

[Dan Patrick]

You're whispering. Was that in Orlando?

[Paulie]

Yes, it was.

[Dan Patrick]

My apologies accepted. Joe Burrow's the first quarterback to throw for at least 250 yards, three touchdowns in eight consecutive games. The only other player with a streak of at least six was Tom Brady in 2007. Stat of the day. Stat of the day. Stat of the Day. Stat of the day. Here comes that. What? Stat of the day. Stat of the day. Brought to you by Panini America. The official trading cards of the program. All right, so we have what we learn what's in store tomorrow. All of those good things. Man, this show just blew by. It's nice. Maybe we just do two day work weeks.

[Paulie]

Whoa, whoa. That's on the record.

[Todd]

Standing ovation from O'Connor right there.

[Dan Patrick]

And we have to decide which two days. So I would think Thursday and Friday. So we could have a meet Friday.

[Tyler]

We could do a nice Tuesday, Wednesday selection if you want. It could float.

[Dan Patrick]

It could float. Okay. Okay. All right. But here is. Here's the kicker. With that, you have hopefully not the Texas kicker.

[Paulie]

His hair is on brand.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, it was.

[Tyler]

You know what I love about that, too? You're watching it. If you're like, oh, my God, dude.

[Dan Patrick]

Just cut your hair and learn how to kick. All right? I know, I know.

[Tyler]

Like, his hair has nothing to do with it.

[Dan Patrick]

And then, I didn't realize this, but the Arizona State equipment manager or trainer froze the kicker on the sidelines. She walks right in front of him as he's getting. He's practicing, and Paulie goes, oh, she just froze him. And then I went back and I go, I'll be damned. She did. She froze him. Missed a couple of kicks there. Let me see. Yes, Paulie, you. Your Tom Brady.

[Paulie]

I have a Tom Brady hot take I've been sitting on. I don't know if you want it because you're.

[Dan Patrick]

So you waited two hours and 50 minutes to give me a Tom Brady hot take?

[Paulie]

It's like a 2025 prediction.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, you mean his last year broadcasting.

[Paulie]

That's it. Yeah.

[Tyler]

Nailed it.

[Dan Patrick]

And then Aaron Rodgers takes over for Tom Brady in the Fox booth.

[Paulie]

That makes sense.

[Dan Patrick]

I need to have some time away from Aaron Rodgers. I just do. Like, I'm. I'm. I'm just now. Maybe he plays for Tennessee next year, maybe plays for Cleveland next year, maybe plays for the Colts next year. But I. I need. We need to see other people. I just do. I'm just a little. I'm fatigued. Fatigued is what I am. Final results of the poll question. Seaton.

[Tyler]

Oh, brother. Is that what you want right now, the funnel?

[Dan Patrick]

Yes, I do.

[Tyler]

Good grief.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, if my computer wasn't the old computer.

[Tyler]

Yeah, classic. Well, what do you think, Dan? What do you think Saquon Barkley should have done? Is it smart or.

[Dan Patrick]

I think it's smart, but I don't know if he said Hey, I want to play. And they said no. Or they said. Or he said, no, I don't want to play. I mean, that would be a bad look if he came out and said, hey, I didn't want to play. And they wanted it like, this is a smart decision.

[Tyler]

Right now, 56% of the audience are calling it a smart decision.

[Dan Patrick]

Wow, okay.

[Tyler]

You know, and actually, now that I think about it, I worded the poll question wrong. I put Saquon Barkley sitting this weekend. It should have been sitting Saquon Barkley this weekend.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. All right. Yes.

[Paulie]

Paul, maybe to deal with something like this, what if you had a major sponsor that always sponsors certain huge awards like the NFL rushing record? Let's say Coca Cola said, we're going to give $10 million to the person who breaks Eric Dickerson's record. And it's a floating sponsorship. It's always out there. And then Saquon Barkley would look at this weekend and say, I personally can make $10 million. I know it's convoluted, but I don't know.

[Dan Patrick]

I don't think we care about records anymore.

[Paulie]

I think we'd all tune in for Saquon.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, I was tuning in anyway, but I like, I'm just kind of numb to records now. There's none that I go, oh, my God. Is that impressive? Yes.

[Marvin]

Marvin, do you think it's easy for him to sit because he hit the 2,000 yard mark?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Marvin]

Like if he was maybe 100 yards short of 2,000 yards, that might be a different story. But since you're already up there with Chris Johnson and O.J. simpson and Dickerson.

[Dan Patrick]

But it makes. It just makes sense for your team with your quarterback who's coming out of concussion protocol. You gotta win. You know, part of the reason why he went to Philadelphia is he wanted to win games. They needed him because they want to get back to the Super Bowl. I get it. It makes. It makes sense. I know that, you know, the competitor in us was like, oh, you gotta play. You're this close. I get it. And you're going against the Giants. They're the happiest people in all of this. New York Giants, like, we don't have to eat this. He's not going to do this to us. Let's go around the room, see if we learned anything. Todd, you learn anything today?

[Todd]

I did. Chris Sims never felt any of his teams were tanking, but does believe there's four or five teams who orchestrate it to not exactly put their best foot forward.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, was there this date in sports history?

[Paulie]

Paulie I just got a couple Joe Namath signed the richest rookie contract in pro football history. $400,000 in 1965. This is a fun one. 1972 Elvis Presley gave Muhammad Ali a $10,000 robe that said People's Champion on it. Just a personal gift. Ali wore the robe when he lost to Ken Norton.

[Dan Patrick]

Ouch. Back to you, Seaton.

[Tyler]

Chris Sims went to Texas and is not shy about that.

[Marvin]

Marvin, you want to break up with Aaron Rodgers?

[Paulie]

Paulie Fill in the blank. Crushing again.

[Dan Patrick]

What We Learned Brought to you by tirerack.com official tire expert of the Dan Patrick Show. Go to tirerack.com Dan Tire Decision Guide Full lineup of Michelin tires Special offers Free road hazard protection Mobile tire installation tire rack.com the way tire Buying Should Be the gambling podcast will be up later on today. DanPatrick.com have a great day. We'll talk to you tomorrow.

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