PMS 2.0 1474 - TNF Preview, NFL Week 16 Preview/Picks, College Football Playoff Opening Round Preview, Mike McCarthy, Nick Saban, & AJ Hawk

Summary

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The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 Ep. 1474 (Dec 18, 2025)

Theme: The Busiest Football Weekend of the Year—NFL Week 16, College Football Playoff Preview, Weather Woes, Stadium Drama, and Legendary Guests

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Episode Overview

On this packed December edition, Pat McAfee and crew bring their signature mix of football expertise, locker room levity, and sports news dissection as they kick off one of the most action-jammed weekends all year. With NFL Week 16 on tap, the opening round of the expanded College Football Playoff looming, high-profile coach/owner interviews, and even stadium drama for historic franchises, McAfee and the Thunderdome team set the mood for every diehard sports fan.

Lightning-fast recaps, raucous NFL and CFP debates, technical masterclasses on special teams under extreme weather, and candid check-ins with Mike McCarthy and Nick Saban make this a must-listen for those trying to keep pace with the wild holiday football rush.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Weekend Agenda [00:00–02:35]

• Pat’s Opening:
  • Hyped-up preview of TNF (Rams at Seahawks).
  • Remarks on Seattle’s daunting crowd and the high stakes for both teams: “Can Sam Darnold deliver in the biggest way or will he crumble? ... Nobody will believe it until they see it.”
  • Injuries and conditions, especially Devante Adams’ likely absence, “pretty clean injury wire for both sides.”
• College Football Playoff kickoff:
  • “Tomorrow we kick off the College Football Playoff CFP kickoff Friday. … Alabama, Ty Simpson, and the boys travel to take on Matier Venables in Oklahoma… 12 teams counting down to one.”
  • Special note on marquee environments: Oklahoma’s venue, Texas A&M’s wild college atmosphere (“bad taste in the mouth of Marcel Reed, Mike Elko, his big ass brain, and a fanbase that is ready to be showcased…”)
• NFL Week 16 and CFB synergy:
  • “This is it, folks. We did it. We are in the most important time of ball that there has ever been. And we should celebrate that every moment.”

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2. Football, Coconut Cake, and Locker Room Gifts [04:21–08:00]

• Tom Cruise holiday gesture: The crew receives Tom Cruise’s famous holiday coconut bundt cake, leading to an epic riff:
  • “It was moist, it was delightful, and boy, it was gorgeous.” —Pat [05:21]
  • “It was the best piece of cake I’ve ever had…Almost like [Tom Cruise] took a quick profile of me and said, you know what? I know exactly what this guy wants in a piece of cake.” —Ty Schmidt [05:36]
• Reflection on traditions and relationships:
  • Mentions Pete Thamel’s annual Christmas card, only thing on the office fridge:
    • “I feel like I’m seeing ... his beautiful family continue to develop into this awesome powerhouse.” —Pat [06:45]
  • Tom Cruise and Saban’s gifts spark a mini-tribute to Saban’s multitasking as Predators co-owner and legendary leader.

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3. Deep Dive: Weather’s Impact on the TNF Game [08:28–21:38]

• Public betting trends (62% on Rams)
• Weather forecast: Tone and crew dissect reports of 20–40 mph sustained winds, gusts up to 50 mph:
  • “They were reporting 142 mile an hour winds last night in Washington. ...That can certainly affect a football game.” —Pat [09:36]
• Kicking in extreme wind: McAfee’s Masterclass [10:53–16:49]
  • Uses a demo ball to explain sweet spots, “pure ball,” types of ball rotation, and wind effects:
    • “If you have a strong enough leg ... more surface area, wind is more likely to eat that shit up.”
  • Holder’s job critiqued: “Holders—now here we go...Every kicker has a different lean that they like.”
  • Insider tactics for aiming depending on wind—sometimes “giving up the upright,” trusting pregame wind.
  • Nick Folk, Vinatieri, Goskowski celebrated as all-time wind kickers.
• Punting and kickers' mental game:
  • “Wind changes literally minute to minute. The high, gusting winds ... you really find out a lot about a kicker, on whether or not they trust it or if they can battle it, or if they're just hitting and hoping.”

Notable Quote

“You really find out about the kicker—whether they trust it or they’re just hitting and hoping.”
—Pat [16:30]

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4. Chicago Bears Relocation Drama [22:28–29:35]

• News that the Bears may move out of Soldier Field, possibly to Gary, Indiana, for taxes and land. Indiana’s governor aggressively pursuing the team:
  • “Are you still the Chicago Bears if it’s Indiana? Are we the Midwest Bears?” —Pat [24:39]
  • “If Governor Mike Braun was able to throw a hail Mary to get the Chicago Bears to move to Indiana, … what a move.” —Pat [27:53]
  • Crew riff: “Gary Bears, American Bears. Goodbye, Cowboys—you’re not America’s team anymore!”
• Fan blowback and NFL branding tensions:
  • “You’re gonna piss some people off. … Oh, you’re a Bears fan? You’re gonna leave them when they’re finally good?” —Boston Connor [27:06]

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5. Interview: Coach Mike McCarthy [29:35–46:44]

• Personal reflections, coaching life: McCarthy shares Christmas family photos and muses on how fast kids grow up.
  • “You have young kids, and how fast they grow up. ...Just a friendly reminder…they grow up fast, and they certainly do.” —Mike McCarthy [30:33]
• TNF game breakdown:
  • “This is going to be just a barn burner...both teams are playing very well right now. ...Weather, to me, is the biggest factor in preparing for a football game. Wind factors more than anything.” [36:59]
  • Predicts the Seahawks: “I’m O-3 when I bet with my heart, this is when the tide’s going to turn. I’m going with the John Schneider Seattle Seahawks.” [38:42]
• Weather and coaching strategy:
  • How wind impacts play calling, “arm punt” strategies on 3rd and long, and in-depth pre-game wind study with specialists.
    • “Anytime it was a windy day, say, ‘Hey, what’s the wind?’ ... Based on the flag.”
• Quarterback tactics in wind:
  • “The most important thing is not to over-grip the football in the bad weather.”
  • Added value of QBs with hand size/arm strength.

Notable Quote

“Wind, to me, is the biggest factor in preparing for a football game.”
—Mike McCarthy [36:59]

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6. Rodgers in Pittsburgh, NFL Quarterback Drama [46:44–54:30]

• Aaron Rodgers’ impact on Steelers: “He brings a tremendous fit...his game management, detail, he puts into this…that’s the way he’s played for well over a decade.” —McCarthy [47:25]
• QB sneak debates/riffing on Rodgers’ role in TD pushes.
• Tua Tagovailoa benching, Miami’s future: Whether Tua will be a starter again or a reclamation project—discussion of QB evaluation and infrastructure, importance of developing "the whole room."
• Teams out of playoff contention—motivation and coaching challenges

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7. College Football Playoff: Opening Round & Expanded Format [54:30–96:45]

• Previewing Alabama vs. Oklahoma & Venables’ pressure defense
  • “How they can execute against the pressures is the most important thing—if you can get to the back end of Oklahoma’s defense, I think you got a chance to make plays.” —Nick Saban [75:11]
• Texas A&M vs. Miami: Environment, defensive styles, and sideline access
  • “Kyle Field... one of the greatest fan places in the world. … It is a huge advantage when they play at home, especially for their defense.” —Nick Saban [80:41]
• Venues and atmosphere matter: “I did more complaining to the SEC office…about this is the noisiest place. Plus, they pipe in noise. … You can’t hear yourself think.” —Nick Saban [80:41]
• Other CFP Games (Ole Miss/Tulane, Oregon/JMU):
  • “The issue for Tulane is…they just could not stop Ole Miss’s offense...that’s going to be a huge problem for them in this game.” —Saban [83:44]
• Underdog vs. favorite psychology:
  • “You’re supposed to be playing to your standard, to your ability. … That’s what you’re going to get evaluated on.” —Saban [84:10]
• Big spreads—do they matter?
  • “When you have the big people dominating the game, that’s when you get the big spreads.” —Saban [87:37]
• Debate on Group of Five teams in CFP:
  • Saban questions allowing mid-majors in:
    • “Would we allow the winner of the Triple A Baseball League…in the World Series playoffs? … That’s the equivalent of what we do when JMU gets into the College Football Playoff and Notre Dame doesn’t.” [89:16]
• Seven teams could win CFP, per Saban:
  • “There are seven teams that could be any of the other teams, in my opinion. So that’s how I see it.” [94:10]
• On the 12-team expansion:
  • “The excitement that it’s created is worth it and I think it gives a lot more players an opportunity to have a chance to win a championship.” —Saban [97:10]

Memorable Exchange:

“You want to see Notre Dame and Oregon play Texas, Ole Miss?”
—Pat
“Hell yeah, we do.”
—Boston Connor
[92:22]

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8. NFL Picks & Weekend Predictions [137:48–162:18+]

• TNF: Rams at Seahawks
  • McCarthy: Seahawks, “because of Schneider.”
  • Crew split; much discussion on weather and special teams as deciding factors.
• Bears/Packers stadium relocation, NFC North banter.
• NFL Week 16 rapid-fire picks, insightful statistical trends, and quarterback news.
  • Notinger: “Panthers are 5-1 straight up after a loss and 6-0 against the spread after a loss.”
  • Chiefs expected to rebound with backup Gardner Minshew, loose attitude.
  • Dallas Cowboys’ locker room culture praised after Hard Knocks.
• CFP Upset Odds: TCU/OSU’s historic playoff upsets reviewed.

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9. Locker Room & Show Favorites [121:33–end]

• U-Ball Champions crowned: Long, comedic segment recounts in-office basketball drama, injuries, and “dynasty” banter.
• NFL celebration rules dissected:
  • Longform, hilarious breakdown of why the NFL banned the “booger” celebration. “He's the booger trailblazer for Detroit Lions…You can’t dig in your nose and flick it, that’s crazy.” —Pat [111:04]
  • Examination of the league rulebook on unsportsmanlike conduct: “Nose wipe gesture is where they got you, Amon-Ra.” [118:36]
• Silverback gorilla poop chat—notable for ridiculous comedy but can be skipped.

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10. Closing—Gratitude and Ty Schmidt’s Birthday

• Pat’s Toast:
  • “We’re lucky to do this. We get to do this. And we’re not dead. Let’s celebrate that!” [177:30]
• Ty’s Birthday:
  • Cake, crew love (“He was smart enough to be an Ivy Leaguer…Give me the booze, give me the football. I’ll figure everything else out.” —Pat [177:45])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You really find out about the kicker—whether they trust it or they’re just hitting and hoping.” —Pat (on kickers in extreme wind) [16:30]
• “Wind, to me, is the biggest factor in preparing for a football game.” —Mike McCarthy [36:59]
• “Would we allow the winner of the AAA Baseball League ... in the World Series playoffs? ... That’s the equivalent of what we do when JMU gets into the College Football Playoff and Notre Dame doesn’t.” —Saban [89:16]
• “The excitement that it’s created is worth it, and I think it gives a lot more players an opportunity to have a chance to win a championship.” —Saban on CFP expansion [97:10]
• “We’re lucky to do this. We get to do this. And we’re not dead. Let’s celebrate that!” —Pat [177:30]

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Timestamps by Segment (Highlights)

• [00:00–04:21]: Opening, TNF & CFP preview
• [08:28–21:38]: Kicker/punter weather masterclass
• [22:28–29:35]: Bears move drama
• [29:35–46:44]: Mike McCarthy in-depth
• [54:30–96:45]: Saban on CFP, expansion, playoff matchups
• [111:02–119:19]: NFL celebration rules booger riff
• [137:48–162:18+]: NFL/CFP picks, predictions

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Summary for New Listeners

This episode is pure December adrenaline: detailed TNF/NFL analysis (with actual kicking mechanics and weather lessons), College Football Playoff breakdowns with Nick Saban, behind-the-scenes locker room stories, and side-splitting banter. If you haven’t tuned in, you’ll get news, expert strategy, the raw vibe of big-game football, exclusive guest insights, wild trivia (stadium relocation, kicker psychology), and the type of sports comedy only this crew can pull off. And coconut cake, too.

Skip ads, skip intros—just enjoy an episode that truly captures why football in holiday season matters so damn much.

Transcript

[Pat McAfee]

Beautiful people and welcome to our humble abode, the Thunderdome on this College Football playoff eve. Thursday, December 18, 2025 this program begins now. Football is magical and tonight on Amazon prime, the NFL is delivering a fastball 108 on the tape. RMS Seahawks in Seattle. The stadium that is known as the greatest environment in the NFL with the loudest fans. Maybe in the ent hosting Matthew Stafford on an MVP like run. The Seahawks favored by one and a half at home. But if you do the math on home field advantage versus a team traveling in, it's basically a pick em as the number one seed. Los Angeles Rams are trying to lock down the NFC west or the Seahawks team. With Sam Darnold in his first year, is he a guy? Can he lead a team on a playoff run when meaningful football comes around and that fat man is about to travel down chimneys all across the world. Can Sam Darnold deliver in the biggest way or will he crumble? Like we have seen a couple times in the past, nobody will believe it until they see it. Sam believes it. McDonald, the coach of the Seahawks believes it. And on the other side, Sean McVay has had this Los Angeles Rams team go from oh that little whiz kid's pretty good coaching offense to oh my God, they won a Super bowl in their home stadium to oh my God, they have no picks, they have no money and one of the goats, one of the greatest players of all time, Aaron Donald is going to retire. What are they going to do going forward? Well, Snead, McVeigh, Stafford and the boys have been pillars throughout multiple different iterations of this Los Angeles Rams greatness run. They got a wide receiver in Puka Nukua who is seemingly untackleable. Now a lot of stuff off the field is getting loud. He's going to have to continue to perform and be an absolute monster. We love uce. We would like the best for UCE and we know that whenever UCE is on primetime TV he makes every play, every time. He's going to have to. Devontae Adams pulled his hamstring this past weekend just four days ago. Now Sean McVay was kind of tight lipped about him being ruled out. Let's assume 32 year old Devonte Adams will not be playing tonight because of a hamstring. Even though the game is massive for both of these teams, the injury wire pretty clean for both sides.

[Ty Schmidt]

Wow. Late in the season here the teams.

[Pat McAfee]

That are playing very good. Yeah. On both sides. It's week 16 and it's special so we can't wait to tune in tonight as Kirk Al, Kaylee Hartung, Carissa Thompson, Fitz Witt, Sherman Gonzalez propel us into the greatest weekend of ball, maybe ever.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh yeah, there's a chance.

[Pat McAfee]

Cause it's not just tonight that is special. Tomorrow we kick off the College Football Playoff CFP kickoff Friday. Alabama, Ty Simpson and the boys travel to take on Matier Venables in Oklahoma to kick off the 12 teams counting down to one so we can crown a CFP national champion. It's a special time for football fans. This is going to be electrifying. College game day live, 6 to 8 Eastern time beforehand. Then we'll kick off this College Football Playoff that has been obviously highly scrutinized, highly talked about. But the eyes that will be watching this will be huge because it's a special time with great teams and incredible environments. Oklahoma is going to deliver tomorrow night. And then on Saturday at noon in College Station, Texas, we'll be on the call on ESPN2 for our field pass. Miami and Carson Beck travel to take on a Texas A and M Aggie team that were undefeated all the way until the last game of the season where they lost to Texas. That's a bad taste in the mouth of Marcel Reed, Mike Elko, his big ass brain, and a fan base that is ready to be showcased to the entire football world as one of the greatest environments in the history of sports down there at Kyle Field. Two other College Football playoff games on Saturday. NFL games on Saturday, NFL games on Sunday. Then Monday night here in Indianapolis, the Niners travel to take on the Colts to punch their ticket to the playoffs. This is it, folks. We did it. We are in the most important time of ball that there has ever been. And we should celebrate that every moment. We get toxic tables here at Boston Connor and that Ty Schmidt. Ty, it's a special time. It's a special day. You had a cake from Tom Cruise earlier today.

[Ty Schmidt]

Unbelievable. I mean, you know, and there were a lot of guys in here who were looking the gift horse in the mouth right when it came in. Well, wait, T.C. didn't send, you know, Mav's helmet from Top Gun or he, he didn't send this and that. Listen, a lot of these new school dudes don't understand that sending some sort of cake around the holiday season, around the Christmas season is not only one of the, the classiest gestures you can do. And then you, you take it up a notch and it's TC's. You know, I don't even know how you what was it? Coconut white chocolate bund cake that he hand makes all these himself. He's in the kitchen, you know, from 6:00am basically until 4:00am cooking these. And he said he only sends them to his closest of friends. And he. And he sent one here to the office for all of us. So, I mean, you know, I could go on and on. I don't want to waste any more time.

[Pat McAfee]

No, but football's great right now. Football's great.

[Ty Schmidt]

Football is great right now.

[Pat McAfee]

But cooking up bundt cake from Tom Cruise. Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Are you kidding me?

[Boston Connor]

Names on it.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, exactly. Is this the. Is this the best ever written?

[Pat McAfee]

Tom Cruise's coconut cake is almost as famous as he is. And we got the recipe. The only thing missing from the recipe that you're about to read here is the Tom Cruise secret touchstone that we could certainly taste with every single bite. It was moist, it was delightful, and boy, it was gorgeous.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. It was the best piece of cake I've ever had. Now, listen, I'm a coconut guy. I love coconut. I love white chocolate. I love everything that this. It's almost like TC, you know, took a quick profile of me and said, you know what? I know exactly what this guy wants in a piece of cake. And then he made it. He sent it here and then. Yeah, just a classy touch of putting everyone's name on there. Hey, I'm not. I remember all you guys. I had a time of my life when I came on here and I was, you know, doing the mission impossible docket. I love you guys. So I just wanted to send you a couple cakes just to remind you that I'm thinking about you this holiday season.

[Boston Connor]

I mean, how many people over the years of this program have, you know, been on the show maybe once or twice. And TC is the one of all people to send us something over Christmas. So many people could have done it. Plenty. And I don't want to throw out specific names, but I got a few up here right now.

[Pat McAfee]

We had a Pete Thammel family Christmas card. Wow. Yeah. Where's that last couple years?

[Ty Schmidt]

Where's that at?

[Pat McAfee]

That was the only thing we ever put on our fridge.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Pete Thamel's Christmas card. His family has been on our fridge the last two. We've got him for the last two years, the only thing on our fridge, the only thing has been the Thamill family. I feel like I'm watching this family grow.

[Ty Schmidt]

I agree.

[Pat McAfee]

I feel like I'm seeing the authority and his beautiful family kind of continue to develop into this awesome powerhouse. Of a team. And then all of a sudden, guess what? No thamil this year. He might have been the one that called me a diva in that article. I was going to say might have been him doing the anonymous quot close quoting from college game day. But just know this, Tom Cruise, we appreciate the hell out of you. Thankful. Also got a gift from Coach Saban, who will be joining us in about an hour or so. Cannot wait to catch up with him. His hockey team that he owns, the Nashville Predators, are currently completely defeated with him as an owner. They lost 41 last night. We'll ask him how he's gonna turn that around. Yeah, we make some different line changes. Will you maybe change it up in between the pipes like Coach Saban? What are you really thinking about turning this Predators team back into who they were when they were Smashville? That guy Joe right there, huge brain, okay? That guy's moving a lot of cars. That guy's moving a lot of business for Coach Saban. I got nothing but respect for him and them and Coach Saban's business acumen. Outrageous guy. Obviously greatest college football coach of all time going to go down as one of the greatest leaders of all time. I think it's hard to put like war generals and football leaders and different sports leaders kind of all in one category and judge them, I think we could just say that he's one of the greatest leaders of all time. He's one of the the greatest speech givers of all time. I think he's one of the greatest teammates of all time, one of the greatest friends of all time. I assume he'll get into a sports complex even if he doesn't know how to skate or knows what the hell a stick is. I assume he'll be able to figure out what needs to happen or what can happen or how he can kind of implement what he is. And congrats to the preds. I don't love that Pittsburgh Penguins just sold. I wish Saban would have got in on that. I don't know how we let him go to Nashville instead of the Pittsburgh Penguins. But congrats to him. We're pumped for him. But on that note, football. Thank you, Tom Cruise.

[Ty Schmidt]

Thank you.

[Boston Connor]

Love you.

[Pat McAfee]

Football is wonderful. Tone. 62% of the bets tonight are on the Rams getting a point and a half in Seattle. 60% of the bets or more of the public bets for us as bettors has been terrible throughout this season thus far. Your thoughts on tonight and what is the over under. What are some of the props that look like they're getting a lot of action.

[Tone]

Yeah. So only one week this year has the public won on 60% or more of the bets being on teams for that week. This last week we were five and six in that situation. The total tonight is 42 and a half. I'm not surprised that the majority of the public is on the Rams. They just played a few weeks ago and the Rams turned Sam Darnold over four times. The Seattle Seahawks offense didn't look great, even though it was still a really close game. There was a chance for the Seahawks at the end even with all those turnovers. But I'm still not surprised that everyone's on the Rams tonight. Something to watch for. There's been a lot, a lot of weather in the Pacific Northwest. Gusts, T's and P's to everybody, there's flooding wind, everything like that. Tonight there's going to be wind gusts up to 40, I believe was sustained around 20. So there's going to be a lot of wind tonight for these offenses against really, really good defenses. With that total of 42 and a half, it might be something to look at.

[Pat McAfee]

And last night, I mean, 40 mile an hour, 50 mile an hour is insane winds. They were reporting 142 mile an hour winds last night in Washington. A gust of 142 mile an hour was reported in Coldwater Ridge, Washington as the storm brought powerful winds to the Pacific Northwest, causing power outages across the region. Once again, positive thoughts and vibes and prayers to everybody up there. Battling any inclement weather at this time. I had no idea that happened up there in Seattle. I knew it was rain, 142 mile an hour winds and this probably at altitude and stuff like that. Whatever the case, that can certainly affect a football game.

[Boston Connor]

Oh yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Now the way that stadium is built is like this, so you would think potentially the boxiness of it might be able to keep the wind out of there, but it will certainly get down there and maybe do a little bit of damage. I don't think the Rams care. Rams run the Rock.

[Tone]

Yes.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't think the Seahawks care. They run the Rock as well. So this might set up to just be a little bit different, more of a physicality type game if the wind is bad. But I don't think either of these teams are scared to play that type of ball, which is a beautiful thing.

[Boston Connor]

And that's why I like Jason Myers, who we had on the program earlier in the week is such a massive advantage. Like he's used to it Last week against the Colts. It wasn't great weather. Thicker kicker. I think this will be what, his third, fourth, fifth game.

[Pat McAfee]

He's been kicking good though. Yeah, his have all been. Congrats to Harris Harrison. I believe Beavis Harrison. Beavis. The thicker kicker.

[AJ Hawk]

He.

[Pat McAfee]

Every single one is seemingly pure. It's not easy to do, especially in your first real action.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. And this will be a massive kind of test for just because pure ball matters here. Okay. So, yeah, that's what I was going to ask, like, how do you change.

[Pat McAfee]

Jason Myers hits a pure ball. That's why he's so good for so long. There's a lot of guys who have really strong legs that can get away with not hitting a pure ball. Okay. So we always do this. I do this once a year. So if you've heard it already, I do apologize. Okay, here's football. This is Baby Duke, actually. If you ever store.pacbag.com Great tailgate.

[Ty Schmidt]

Filthy.

[Pat McAfee]

I mean, it's perfect size and tough. You can kick it and everything. I mean, I don't want to get into a full qvc, but this is fun. This is a good QR code. This is a good ball. Okay. So when you kick a ball, obviously there's a sweet spot. Okay, there's a sweet spot right below half and then about an inch there. That's about the sweet spot, what you're looking for. Hit it too low, you're going to spin it too thin, you're going to go to the right. Hit it a little bit higher than that, it's going to hit it fat, just like in a golf shot, you're going to pull that thing. Now there is an ability though, to hit it a little bit fat, but still, because your leg swing coming up and through it, have it go straight. What you're looking for. Whenever you hit it pure straight through the ball, you're going to have an end over end rotation. Slower, not too fast, but just perfect end over end. That'd be the perfectly pure struck ball. Okay. You see some Boswell hits like this. Butler used to hit like this. Aubrey says he doesn't hit like this, but it does. It is a very pure ball. Then there's some that can't hit that spot as clean, but their leg strength and their leg swing make up for it. So it's a little bit of an X. It's not as tight of an end over end. You see, it makes an X kind of as it's flipping. But if you have a strong enough leg, even if it's a little bit off tilter, you can kind of control it. If there's wind though, that's more surface area. You see, that's more surface area. So the wind is more likely to eat that shit up. So that's why whenever you see balls, probably because it was a little bit of an X ball and then the wind ate it. And then you see some guys that are able to cut through the wind a little bit more and they'll hit a little bit lower, maybe get a little bit faster spin so you can kind of chop through it. Everybody thinks that whenever you're hitting a longer ball or something like that, you need to drive it lower, like drive it through. But actually your best ball is you don't really hit. You don't see Baseball players hit 500 foot line drive home runs. The best ball, the biggest ball is your most pure ball, which is an absolute bomb. You might not want to do that in high, high winds. You might want to have to cut it a little bit. But the cut, just because you're hitting it lower, you have to lower the trajectory so it gets as far because you're losing distance whenever you're hitting the ball thinner. So there's a lot of little gamesmanship happening. Holders. Okay, now, here we go. So everybody kind of gets mad at Herb street for the way he holds for right footed kickers. They're always like, he's leaning it, he's leaning it. It's like, yes, that's what you do. You lean it. Because with a soccer style kick, it's coming through like this and there's a natural chance that it could pull. So the lean actually straightens it up naturally as it comes off the foot. Every kicker has a different lean that they like. Matt Stover, who I held for my rookie year, he liked that thing basically straight up and down, almost teetering on leaning towards him. And then he liked it a little bit forward because he wanted the sweet spot to be very view. He wanted a little bit more open. Adam Vinatieri liked that thing leaning towards my right knee, damn near away from him because his leg swing was coming in through this way. So that had to straighten it up. Now if I'm holding for him and the wind is coming hard this way, okay, from my ass going this way, right to left. I might lean that thing a little bit more, kind of keep that thing pure. If it's coming hard left to right, Vinatieri, I might sand that thing up a little bit, just a little bit more to kind of combat it. If the wind, if he needs to fully get through it, right? Because the wind is going this way.

[AJ Hawk]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

If the wind is going left to right, I'll close my knee down on him, okay. So he has to kind of get through it that way. So instead of holding with my knee open like this, okay. Like I'm down on one knee. I'm holding like this. I'll shut that thing down like this so that he feels as if he has to fucking hit the ball to the left so then we can play it there. Obviously the conversation with the holder, Michael Dixon, who's the punter for the Seattle Seahawks with Jason Myers. They're looking for a target. Very rarely do you give up the upright. So a lot of times you'll see a ball like move half an upright.

[Boston Connor]

Or something versus the Colts, the game winner for Myers.

[Pat McAfee]

Yes. So you'll see a ball move like that. Very rarely are you giving up the upright. And by that I mean very rarely are you aiming outside of the upright because then if the wind stops or something like that, you're having a miss. But there is very regular basis where we're aiming a foot inside upright or we even aiming at upright and letting it eat. There was two games, I think, where me and Vinatieri and he's the one making the decision at the end. I am just caddy a part of the conversation where we gave up the upright, where it was like, hey, we are aiming, fat guy. 3 outside left upright is where we're aiming. And then we're going to let the wind kind of do its thing. So that's a huge part of the entire game playing the wind. There are some guys who are great at it. Nick Folk, one of the best wind kickers in the history. He's still doing it. He's still doing it. So I think he hit a 50.

[Boston Connor]

Hit a 57 yard game win.

[Fox]

57 yard.

[Pat McAfee]

Still somehow I have no idea how he's still doing it. One of the best wind kickers of all time, Goskowski obviously was great. Vinatieri was a great wind kicker. There's few in the history that are very good at reading it. Very, very at playing it. And that's quite a weapon. I think Myers is one of these guys. I think he's very good at it and we'll see if, if Beavis is as well. But he hits a pure ball. I think he. The issue is being confident enough in trusting the wind enough. Like, hey, I'm going to aim at this upright and I am trusting that this wind That I can't feel because I'm not up there. Nobody can feel up there what it is. I'm just going to trust that it's going to take it and I'm going to trust that. In warm ups, what the wind was doing is the same exact thing that it's doing right now. Because the wind changes literally minute to minute. So the high gusting winds, if it's left to right on these uprights, you really find out a lot about the kicker, on whether or not they trust it or if they can battle it, or if they're just hitting and hoping. And you can kind of see those as well. Well.

[Boston Connor]

And how long does that, or I guess how close to the kick is that conversation happening between kicker and holders?

[Pat McAfee]

Because it changes so much jogging on field. So we're jogging off. Everybody talks about the top of the uprights, the flags.

[Ty Schmidt]

The flags.

[Pat McAfee]

That's just the wind there. That's just the win there. There's so many different, I mean, depending upon the stadium. If it's perpendicular, is that what it's called? No, if it's. What's it called? When shadows. When one shadows the other.

[Ty Schmidt]

Symmetrical.

[Pat McAfee]

If it's a symmetrical stadium, okay. Wind comes in this way and then it's going to come back out this way. Okay. So this side is getting this side. If there's holes now, obviously that changes everything. So what that flag is doing in some stadiums, like in Pittsburgh, is actually the opposite of what it will be doing for the rest of the field until there. So flags definitely matter. Okay. But it doesn't tell you the whole story of everything that's kind of happening. It's more so like a visual feel, I think, for the TV people to be there. But it is nice to know what the hell's going on at that exact spot whenever it gets there. We were the Colts facility. We have an outdoor field, then we have an indoor facility here. Our field runs this way. And then there's like an alley that comes in between the practice facility and then the actual full facility. There's like a wind gap right here. And there was a day where we would be kicking, and then as soon as it got to five yards in front of the upright, it was just like a. It was like a fun game. But Vinatieri worked this shit like he. He wanted to go out there, he wanted to see it. That's why you see a lot of kickers good at golf, because whenever you're in golf, you have to be able to play the wind and do everything It's. But it takes a lot of trust that you're a gonna hit where you're aiming. Because like it's like in a putt if you're not gonna putt the ball where you're aiming it anyways. Does it matter if you aim to the right and it breaks three cups, like if it breaks two cups but you hit that thing four cups, does it matter what it was going to do anyways? Not at all. Exactly. So like you have to have enough trust that you're going to be able to hit to where you're aiming first of all. And then oh yeah, we are aiming outside of the uprights and see what we can do. Little game inside of a game. But if it's going to be 50 mile an hour winds, then it's going to get in there. I mean there's a chance, there's a chance that we get one of those. The Niners had Lefty. I think it was John Casey, maybe. John Casey has a legendary kick. Kick John Casey with a K by the way, great spelling. He has a kick where the ball like I think it's like a 20 yard. I think it goes in. I think if I'm. If I'm not mistaken, I think the Bears have a couple in their history.

[Boston Connor]

Elliott, 61 yarder. I think it was Kelsey's last season. Had a crazy to tie the game where it went left and then came back and snuck in on the right.

[Pat McAfee]

Anytime you're aiming outside of the uprights, it's like you gotta have massive. Yeah, because if you pull that. So let's say you aim left and the wind is left to right. But if you pull that at all and don't hit a pure ball, that thing might go up.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

So it's like, it's an embarrassing situation. You might lose your job forever. Good luck out there. Good luck out there, brother. Nevis. Mevis.

[Boston Connor]

Mavis. Mavis. I. I just looked it up.

[Pat McAfee]

Harrison. Nevis. But I think it's pronounced be. I think the reason why I thought Beavis. I think it is Mavis. Mavis from Missouri, talented kicker, getting an opportunity to be with maybe a Super bowl team.

[Boston Connor]

UXFL product.

[Pat McAfee]

I'll tell you what, you make kicks, brother. You go win a Super bowl, then you just do it again next year.

[Ty Schmidt]

That's right.

[Pat McAfee]

And then now all of a sudden you have a 10 year career in Los Angeles. That is what it's like. You just need an opportunity, need a chance, need to make your kicks. Especially in big divisional games. And then add in potential 40, 50 mile an hour wins. It's like, you make a couple kicks tonight, brother, you might have a career. You might, might. Hey, you might be the next. You might make yourself a career. Congratulations. Get paid. Yeah, you live good for a long time here. You hit a couple big balls.

[Ty Schmidt]

We talked a little bit with Myers about it. Like, obviously they go on the road so they'll play some game, but like, being in la, there's really no way you can prepare for this that much either. Can you, like?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I think it's windy in la, don't it?

[Ty Schmidt]

But like, not like, I mean, I guess 50 mile an hour winds are a little bit different, but like, you know, Myers was saying how like the elements out there kind of like, I, you know, it's always rainy. Like, they're probably much more used. I mean, I, I guess, I don't know. Like, would you be able to prepare for that at all? Is it kind of just.

[Pat McAfee]

He went to Missouri. How's Missouri's weather?

[Ty Schmidt]

I would imagine Midwest, so probably it probably gets windy.

[Boston Connor]

Tornado alley, so.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, very true.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, I mean, I'm. Yeah, exactly. I, Exactly. He might have been growing legit. Yeah. Like, I grew up in Pittsburgh, obviously, so kicking in snow, punting in snow and shit, like, that was never really like a worry for me. Then I go to West Virginia, it's wildly windy, wildly cold. Every day was tough, not really a worry for me. Then I get to Indianapolis and I realize, like, oh, every day it's windy out. Like every day it's very windy out here. So I felt like I was prepared for everything. And then we played in Cleveland and it was cold and windy and mentally I was like, nah, I can't do anything today. So it can get you, you know, it's just like when you're from the cold, doesn't mean you're gonna be good in the cold. It's like, yeah, you have a better shot at it because mentally you've been able to just battle it your whole life. But that day in Cleveland, I'll never forget just going out there and being like, like, I don't know if I can even make contact with a footballer. This is a little bit too breezy for me.

[Tone]

The cold thing, the girl. But like in playing in the cold thing is, I, like, I think we felt it today, like, because it's been zero degrees all week and then this morning it was 35. It felt like it was 80 T shirts.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Tone]

That's the difference. It's like when it's zero. Yeah, everyone's cold. But when it's back up to 30, like people who live here, it feels like it's 80.

[Pat McAfee]

That's what we were trying to tell the Tennessee kids when they had their shirts off.

[Ty Schmidt]

It's like, hey, hey, hey, it gets cold in Tennessee.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, no, yeah, I know, but you're. You don't have to act like you're not cold. We are all cold.

[Boston Connor]

It's cold.

[Pat McAfee]

Everybody here is cold right now. It is actually cold. No human's supposed to really be doing this. Even the Inuits would say this is cold right now. So let's make sure we. Yeah, we're trying to tell them.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, exactly.

[Pat McAfee]

They. They're vaselined up.

[Ty Schmidt]

They're ready to go.

[Boston Connor]

We're toughen to see looking jacked.

[Pat McAfee]

They are speaking of. Okay. That. Hey.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. It had some good glisten in there. All right, let's talk about some other news around the football world. Chicago Bears are now going to be the Midwest Bears.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. There's stories brewing about Chicago leaving Soldier Field and building somewhere else. And now it feels like this is three different times where we thought it was for sure going to happen. We for sure had a place. They were for sure moving forward. And congratulations. The Bears have a new stadium and a new super duper park around it where they're going to own everything. The Bears now no longer downtown. The Bears are now out a little bit in Arlington or something like that. That feels like we've had this conversation throughout the course of our live show's existence since Kevin Warren has become CEO and president of the Chicago Bears three different times. Every single time some political tax stuff pops up and goes, nope, actually it's not happening anymore. Who knows what they're going to do. State of Indiana came in and were like, hey, Gary, Indiana is very close. They consider themselves a part of Illinois. And there was almost a revolution zoning of the states that was being talked about where southern Illinois would come over into Indiana. And I think some of northern Indiana would go over to Illinois to be in Chicago. That was being talked about in like 2025 that we're redoing a state was being talked about for how close we are. And now to tone's point, it is two different time zones, which would certainly be quite an issue. But Gary, Indiana is in the Chicago time zone as opposed to the Indianapolis time zone zone. So like that area is kind of already operating as if it's Illinois, but it has Indiana taxes. Indiana lotta, which is could be quite a benefit for a business if they were to operate. And the governor of Indiana has come out and said, hey, whatever you guys need up there, we'll give you a tax free build. We'll give you land. We obviously got the space for it. You can build your entire thing. And they're trying to bait. They're trying to bait the Bears, I think, to potentially move into a promised land here that's close to Chicago, but certainly not in Illinois. That'd be a fascinating thing. Are you still the Chicago Bears? Because a lot of people up there consider themselves to be Chicago people. But if it's in Indiana, are you still going to be able to get away with that? Or is this the Midwest Bears? Are we the Midwest Bears up there coming out of Gary, Indiana, potentially because of tax breaks.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. And Illinois screwing this up and Chicago screwing this up is awesome for the people of Indiana, just because they should. I mean, you want to build. What is it, the Jerry world, a Patriot place. Teams want that now. You make so much more money. I didn't even think about the tax thing between Illinois and Indiana. Like, if you are, you know, Kevin Warren, president and CEO, and he's done a lot of things and a lot of business moves that I think everyone said, huh. Okay. But if he were to bring them to Indiana with that entire layout with a tax free build, like, you're not just saving hundreds of millions of dollars on the build itself, you're also profiting billions of dollars by having.

[Pat McAfee]

In the long run.

[Boston Connor]

In the long run, yeah. By having all those things.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Things.

[Boston Connor]

Let alone, if they were to pitch like, hey, could we do a casino? Like, there are casinos in Indiana already. Could we possibly do one?

[Pat McAfee]

Like, what's wrong, Ty?

[Ty Schmidt]

No, I. I agree. Fans are not.

[Fox]

Oh, no.

[Ty Schmidt]

If you're.

[Pat McAfee]

If there's not enough people in that area of Indiana to make up for. No.

[Ty Schmidt]

Chicago. Chicago Bears are one of the most, like, synonymous brands in sports. And this isn't like Commanders are in Washington, DC, but they play in Virginia. You know, Washington DC's small.

[Boston Connor]

It's like.

[Ty Schmidt]

Like you take a team that's been in the NFL, one of the oldest franchises. Yeah. And you move them to Gary, Indiana. Like, listen, they're good right now, so that certainly helps. They don't stink. But you think Bears fans are just gonna be like, oh, yeah, you know, I'll drive from my place in downtown Chicago to Gary, Indiana. It'll be all right.

[Tone]

So I just looked it up.

[AJ Hawk]

Okay.

[Tone]

Where was the. It was. It was. They said it was going to be in arlington heights, potentially 40 summers.

[Ty Schmidt]

So.

[Tone]

So from. From Soldier Field to Arlington heights, it is 35 minutes. Okay, so from soldier field to Gary, Indiana, 31 minutes.

[Pat McAfee]

Chicago. Are we trying to keep this thing like the Chicago Bears or not?

[Ty Schmidt]

We all know what Chicago traffic's like. Yeah. If you, if you leave and it's like legend. Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Everybody's helicopter.

[Ty Schmidt]

You're right. And all these Bears fans can afford that.

[Pat McAfee]

Maybe it is Gary's closer, but that's.

[Boston Connor]

The thing with the. With the having all that link. Like, instead of, hey, we're going to the Bears game Sunday. It's. No, we're going to Gary Friday. We're hanging out on Friday night at the casino there. We got a hotel room Friday, Saturday, Gary was the. Was the.

[Tone]

Was the highlight of that show.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, where's Michael Jackson from?

[Pat McAfee]

His house will be in between the casino and the stadium.

[AJ Hawk]

Boom.

[Pat McAfee]

And walk by and see what this is the right move. I mean, you're gonna lose a piss of people.

[Ty Schmidt]

You're gonna piss some people off.

[Pat McAfee]

But hey, sounds like it's already happening. So welcome to Midwest American Bears.

[Ty Schmidt]

Crazy.

[Boston Connor]

And if they're good, too, like, oh, you're a Bears fan. Oh, you're going to leave them when they're finally good? Go ahead. Go ahead and leave them when they're finally good and you finally have a quarterback that's going to throw for 4,000 yards at some point.

[Pat McAfee]

I would like to let Mike Braun, though. Governor Mike Braun. I appreciate him just being like, hey, we're all ears over here.

[Boston Connor]

Let's go.

[Pat McAfee]

Whatever, whatever, whatever. You would like Governor Holcomb, the previous governor who did the max amount of terms and ended his time, he was very much like, hey, Indiana, we're open for business. We got a lot of space and opportunity here. We got good taxes and brought in a lot of business. Like Indiana, as you see and you hear about. We host everything. We got a lot going on here. Northwest Indiana not talked about a lot. No, it's not as like developing.

[Ty Schmidt]

No.

[Pat McAfee]

If governor Mike Braun was able to throw a hail Mary to get the Chicago Bears to move to Indiana, dude, they built up an entire place. What a move.

[Ty Schmidt]

I mean, the chirps Bears fans are going to get from this, like just any. Like, we just lost to the Gary Bears this week. I mean, it's not going to be Chicago anymore. And it's going to piss people off that are bears.

[Pat McAfee]

It's 31 minutes away. Nothing.

[Boston Connor]

And that's on Chicago. Look, it's not on the franchise. It's Not. It's not on. You know, Caleb Williams, you can call them the Boohoo Bears if you want. If you are a Bears fan, you get upset, but hey, it's about. Is a business and there's a winning team that's looking to expand a little bit. Okay. Blame your state, blame your city for basically blame your politics. Yeah. Blame your politicians.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Which we can do for everything it feels like. But let's move along. Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen.

[Boston Connor]

I hope it's so bad.

[Pat McAfee]

Packers fans.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, God, they'll be relentless.

[Boston Connor]

I mean, the names, the names we were throwing out. If Chicago Bears is historic in the sea and everything. But I mean, they got a chance to rebrand here to not just Chicago. Like, hey, hey, what about the. What was it? The American Bears.

[Pat McAfee]

The American Bears.

[Boston Connor]

Hey, goodbye, Cowboys. You're not America's team. The American Bears up there in Gary. Up there in Gary are America's team. Sorry, Jer.

[Tone]

All the Midwest.

[Pat McAfee]

All right. Hope. Hey, welcome to Indiana. Hey, welcome to Indiana. Ben Jones or Ben Johnson. We appreciate you.

[Boston Connor]

Caleb. Indiana.

[Pat McAfee]

The new Indiana Jones. Caleb Johnson.

[Ty Schmidt]

Caleb's gonna love Gary.

[Boston Connor]

Caleb's a big Michael Jackson fan. He might buy Michael Jackson's house.

[Pat McAfee]

It's not for sale, brother. Okay. You can actually certainly have a part of the entire thing. But let's not get crazy here. Gary's not completely for sale. Unless it is.

[Boston Connor]

That's the right price.

[Pat McAfee]

Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen, is a man who's an absolute legend. I think what I've been so impressed by is the depth of this Yinzer's thoughts. I did not know was possible for said any injury. He's a good football coach. Coach a lot of great football teams. He's super bowl champion. He's obviously incredibly handsome and he has a dog that is a multiple, multiple time ribbon award winner for getting birds out in the woods. That's right. Ladies and gentlemen, Coach Michael McCarthy. How you doing, coach?

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

I'll tell you what, your introductions never get old.

[AJ Hawk]

That was. That was.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

That was fine.

[Pat McAfee]

I want to make sure.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Thanks for the love for Gus.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, yeah. I want to make sure Gus got a little bit of love there. Speaking of love, looks like there's a lot of love over your shoulder. Who do we have joining us here today?

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Well, just, you know, being with the Christmas spirit and trying to line up with your shirt. I've just. It's amazing to all the parents that, you know, you have young, young kids and how fast they grow up.

[AJ Hawk]

So this is.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

These are my two youngest here. Izzy And Gabby, they're 14 and 17 now. And just as we're getting ready for Christmas and going through the old pictures and so forth, it's just amazing how fast these. These kids grow up. So just a friendly reminder to you and all the other gentlemen on the set there that have kids, everybody tells you they grow up fast, and they certainly do. So it's been really cool. Just as you prepare for Christmas and as my wife Jessica gets the house ready, some of these pictures are floating around, so I just thought I'd share that today.

[Pat McAfee]

Hell, yeah. Thank you for the message, and I will. Actually, we're in the middle of football season. There's a lot of activity, a lot of things to figure out, a lot of things to sort, and you're right, maybe. Yeah, I did need to hear that. Thank you so much. Obviously, I'm enjoying time with my daughter, especially now that she's coherent enough to kind of understand what's going on. And, ho, ho. And Santa is bringing good stuff, and then being able to hold that over her head's nice, too. Hey, you think Santa's gonna like that? You did.

[Ty Schmidt]

Santa's watching.

[Pat McAfee]

That Is. That is. That's been a lot of fun. Now, did you dress up as Santa Claus every year or just whenever they were young?

[Boston Connor]

Looks good.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Oh, come on.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, all right, all right. You didn't deserve that. You didn't deserve that. Okay.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Yeah, I didn't always have his fine beard, but I'm about ready to get rid of this thing anyways. But, no, but, you know, it's funny that just because the enjoyment I get from that picture, all my daughters were scared of mascots, you know, Santa Claus and so forth. And this is probably one of the first times that we were ever able to get the girls to sit on Santa's lap. And so that's where, you know, you remember those times, the little things that happened. You know, my oldest daughter, Alex, actually, when we were in Kansas City, we used to have Casey Wolf come to the house. You know, had paid for Casey Wolf to come to the house for three birthday parties and never was able to get a picture with her and him because they were scared to death of Casey Wolf. So, I mean, so, you know, those are the little things you remember. So this was really cool, that for them, actually to sit on Santa's lap and take that picture, because, you know, some kids are just, you know, not comfortable in that space.

[Pat McAfee]

KC Wolf is the Kansas City mascot. Casey Wolf is not the guy that robbed the banks and ends up in jail.

[Boston Connor]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. Which is good, because if Coach McCarthy would have been bringing that particular wolf to the house, obviously we'd all have questions. Instead, it's just the Kansas City Chiefs mascot, which we are grateful for. Grateful for. We love you, Coach. We appreciate the fact that you are great father. Great dad. And also a guy who shows up every single week for us. Genuinely. You try to crush it for us, and you give us great answers every single week. You've made us better. And I think in this holiday season, we need to tell you we appreciate the hell out of you. Now, Tom Cruise sent us a coconut bunt cake.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, that's right.

[Fox]

Three of them.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. Just want to let you know that.

[AJ Hawk]

Really?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Just something to think about as you're doing. Checking your list.

[Tone]

Might have said it to him, too. There was a mic. The card.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Actually, he. Yeah, he might have been talking about you. He might have been just assuming you were part of the crew. Tom Cruise sent you a coconut vanilla bundt cake to this Thunderdome. We ate it. You won't get to see it or enjoy it, but just know that it was spectacular.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Well, that's cool.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I will.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

I will say this, though. You are on Jessica's Christmas list. So I. I don't have no idea what you're getting, but. And I don't know when you know when that. That's. She's awesome at it. So I think. I think you guys will be in great shape, so.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, well, please tell Jessica we said thank you. We appreciate the hell out of you and your family for everything. And I'll tell you what. It is nice to find out what we got somebody sometimes, you know. You know, whenever me. Me and Sam will walk into a thing.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Obviously, I'll make sure I ask.

[Pat McAfee]

Yes. That's. That's. That seems like a veteran.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Well, I got next week. Right. You know, I'll be ready.

[AJ Hawk]

I'll be ready for you.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, Sounds good. We'll see. But Sam having something perfectly wrapped, obviously, she wrapped it. She does. Or takes her time with it and everything like that. She's an artist. And then she hands it to somebody, and then I immediately go, I have no idea. You're gonna love it. I have immediately. Big sell. Hey, that thing is awesome. They're gonna love that. Yes, yes. They are gonna love that. Okay. Perfect, Perfect, perfect. And then we move forward. Merry Christmas to all into all a good night. Speaking of good night, we got a great one in store here. NFC west battle. And this is real football now, week 16 is kicking off in a huge way. 62% of the bets are on the Rams getting a point and a half up there in Seattle. Matthew Stafford, leader in the MVP odds this year at the age of 38 or 39, whatever it is. Davonte Adams, we assume gonna miss with a hamstring. Still have a plethora of weapons. And then for the Seattle Seahawks, it's all about whether or not Sam Darnold can perform in the big moment. Basically Jackson Smith and Jigba's outrageous. But will that even matter with the 50 mile an hour winds potentially. Will this come down to run game? Will this come down to defense? What are your thoughts on this game and how special it is that we have a matchup like this happening on a Thursday night just a week before Christmas?

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Coach, I'm laughing because I'm looking at my notes. I think you read half my damn notes.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

You've been teaching me this shit. This is. It's all good. This is going to be another great division game. I know they played a few weeks back and turnover is obviously very high for Seattle with the interceptions, but I think this is going to be just a barn burner. This is going to be a knockdown, drag out. Both teams are obviously excellent football teams, but they're playing very well right now. So I think they're playing. This is going to be a clash division. Seattle has to have it. Obviously the Rams are already in. But, you know, I think that the key, I mean, I believe, you know, weather. I mean, I. Something I've always studied in Green Bay was the wind. You know, just, you know, every day at practice, watching the flags and, you know, being able to tell the mile an hour and then obviously the rain and things are coming out and you know, and the numbers up there are. I mean, I mean, don't think. Do they not call 140 mile an hour wind in Seattle a hurricane? I mean, it was reported.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, it was a registered hurricane. I forget what. 4, 3.

[Boston Connor]

4.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Category 4. 4.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, yeah. 142 mile an hour documented in Coldwater Ridge, which obviously. Positive thoughts and prayers, everybody. We don't know where Coldwater Ridge, two.

[Ty Schmidt]

And a half hours south of Seattle.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so the whole area is getting hit, obviously that area the most. But yes, they did categorize it as a hurricane, which is obviously very detrimental to a football game that is potentially happening in the middle of it. Coach.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Yeah, definitely. No, definitely wind to me is the biggest factor in preparing for a football game. I Mean rain, snow, you know, heat. But I've always felt wind, you know, factors more than anything. You know, it's changed my mindset and changed the way I looked at the game. So I think a being a home team, you know, being an outdoor team, you know, I think those do those things factor. You got two outstanding defenses. I really love what the Rams have done, you know, practicing against the Rams. When I was with the Cowboys, you know, out there in California two years ago when all these guys were very young, you could see this thing was building and can't say enough about the job Chris Shoel has done there. And so, and Obviously what Mike McDonald's done with the defense in Seattle, so you got two knockdown drag out defense playing in a bad weather wind game. So it's always, it's always about the football. But you know, taking care of the football is going to be at a premium. And when you're playing these games, you know, the way you call it and the way you play, the decisions you make in situational football field position will be huge in this, in this game. The field position battle, you know, what you do on third and fourth down, you know, how do you approach that? So I think it's going to be a knockdown, drag out type game. I have such great respect for Matthew Stafford because these games usually come down to the quarterback that can, that can move the football in those types of situations. And you know, I've seen him play, you know, outdoors so many times in Green Bay. So, you know, I think he'll definitely be ready for this. But you know, to me I'm 03 when I bet, you know, when I bet with my heart, this is when the tide's going to turn. I'm going with the John Snyder Seattle Seahawks and I think they're definitely going to, they're going to pull this one off out. I like that the I'm gonna take the Seahawks tonight.

[Pat McAfee]

I like that, you know, because AJ Very similar with Schneider and his relationship up there in green bay. I'm o3 whenever I just clearly pick my friends, but I'm going with the guy none of us have talked about Schneider and I love everything about. It's holiday season. Good for the friend and they could certainly get a huge win here just like the Rams could. It's only one and a half point spread. I want to talk to you a little bit more about the wind with the quarterback. I talked about with the kicker, you know, about aiming and where you're doing and cutting and driving and pure Ball as opposed to like a fat ball. You hit a fat ball, that thing's going to get eaten up. You have to hit it pure in the wind. Punting sucks in the wind. Worse than kicking, I think, because there's a moment of free fall where you're not touching the ball and if it's gusty there, that thing moves. You're going to see some shanks tonight, I would assume. Even though these guys are very, very good punters, it's like punting sucks. The decision to punt though is something that a coach has to make certainly because. Because if we're going to only get 25, 30 yards here in net field position or 20 yards net field position, should we go for it or not? And then let's talk about throwing a little bit. Do you know any tricks that guys do for throwing in the wind or why some guys are better in dealing with the elements. Big hand, is there like a spin rate maybe that cuts through the wind better? Is there anything that you've kind of seen or acknowledged?

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Yeah, definitely. I remember as a young quarterback coach, you know, I had a coach tell me that they would change the way they hold the ball, but I never believed I was very fortunate to have, you know, we had Aaron and Brett in Green Bay. These guys, you know, long arms, you know, 10 inch hands can, can really torque the football. And the most important thing is not to over grip the football, you know, in the bad weather. So, you know, I thought you made a really good point about the punting, you know, something that I'd always look at, you know, particularly on your, on your call sheet, you know, the shot plays when you take them and so forth because, you know, third lot, third long now becomes a better, you know, a better opportunity to take the shot because, you know, an interception on a shot play would probably serve better than a punt. So all those that go into, you know, into playing the game in the win, you know, really come into the, you know, the strategy for the coaches, you know, and you talk about the win for kicking. I thought Mason Crosby was an outstanding kicker for us all my years in Green Bay. And not only the wind, you know, anytime there was the weather, the pattern would be different. You know, Mason, whether it was, you know, during practice or after practice, before practice, you know, him, the snapper and holders. Rob Davis was a big part of that would go up because there are always wanted to work to different, you know, different wind because, you know, the big flag, we had the big flags in the north end zone out there in Lambeau and, you know, full pitch flags, 25 mile an hour. So you learn. You learn how to read the wind with, you know, with the density of how the flags pitched. Had an old military guy take me through that. So that's something you watch during the game. But, you know, during my time in Green Bay, they had a north end zone expansion. So now that changed the way the wind come in. In, you know, because now it kind of came. You know, you may have a northwest wind, but it would start to come in and turn the bend a little bit to the southeast. And, you know, and then when they put the south end zone in, which was even higher, you know, that now that kind of created a swirl effect, you know, because when you have those elements of building, like in Dallas, you know, there's. You got those corporate buildings around that practice field. You're pretty much in a wind tunnel, you know, so you learn through your years of experience that, you know, that's something I used to do as a head coach because, you know, you got a guy, you know, behind us. We had T bone Tom Bakken there in Green Bay. Said his name, right? Tom Bakken. So in Green Bay, you know, just. He would stand behind me doing that. He would be doing it, doing the timing and things. But we'd always, anytime it was a windy day, say, hey, what's the win? We guess, you know, 14 mile an hour, 50. It was all based on the flag. So, you know, those years in Green Bay were very beneficial for me, you know, as a head coach learning that. But I thought Mason and Rob Davis, in our battery of snappers and kickers, did an outstanding job at getting in the stadium on the odd days, anytime you see a little different weather pattern just to make sure they had a feel how that wind was coming into the stadium. And, you know, with those expansions over the years, it, you know, the way it turned changed, too. So it's definitely part of the game. I mean, that could be the difference of, you know, you know, taking the ball and, you know, going to the north or, you know, or deferring and getting the ball. Make sure you want to go south at the end of the game. So that's, to me, that's all part of your pregame strategy.

[Pat McAfee]

I appreciate that you think about all those things. As I was listening to you just unload things. I'm like, man, would have been nice to know a lot of these things here. You doing third down, arm, punt. Boy, I would have been so pumped. There's a day in Cleveland where I Wish we did about three or four. Third down arm punts and Andrew Luck gave me one. He gave me one. He actually came over to me afterwards, was like, I figured you wouldn't care. And I'm like, nope, thank you so much, dude. Like he threw like, I think it was like a 52 yard pick and it was very windy. Clearly just threw that thing up into nothing. Guy caught it, tackled down at like the 15. And I thank you as he was coming off because for punting you have to drop that. That thing is free falling. So it's like if any gust happens, it would be like when you're driving and the ball just falls off the tee. But then you still have to hit it. It's like the punting part of it nobody really thinks about because most people kind of go to the bathroom when the punting happens or they just, it's a turnover, we'll just get it whenever it comes back. It's like if you're usually getting 45, 50 on and then you actually only get like 20 yards, you're putting your defense in a bind. Especially with the way they could potentially go the other way. It's like it's wind is a huge part. And you understanding the jet streams of each stadium, I like that the head coach is involved in that because obviously kickers, punters, that's what we're trying to figure out. We're trying to figure out what the jet streams are as soon as we get in there. Because there's some places where it could be in your face, field level. But if you get that thing up to about the third story, that thing is shooting that way actually. So the only goal is just to get this thing up in the air. Even though unusual with wind in your face, you would not want to hit it up because that thing's going to go backwards. It's like, well actually if you get this thing up there, that thing will take off before you go that way. It's a wild part of the game. That 50 mile an hour winds, it could really be a huge factor tonight in the snow.

[Boston Connor]

I mean Drake May did this, they had the ball in the 40 and they were in the snow. It was a bad weather game. And on third and I think it was third and 28 or third and 30, he did just do like a all right arm punt and it ended up being an interception on the eight.

[Pat McAfee]

Yard line and I think J called it that in the real time. He said that was a 49 yard arm punt basically there, which we will take it's like I appreciate you as call player or play caller and head coach being like, let's help out MacVee here a little bit. Just if nothing's out there, just I think safety needs another pick for like a career record. Just throw that thing up to him, you know, like that is. Go ahead. What are you going to say?

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Well, I'll say this, you know, I mean, you know, I wasn't really doing it to throw the interception because I always felt that your 50, 50 balls obviously favor the offensive player when the ball is moving in the win too. So not to disrespect the DBs, but there's a reason why they're on defense and you're throwing through an offensive receiver. So I also thought that that factored into taking advantage of those one on ones and something I got into as a head coach is I start going on the early, early bus with the trainers and the equipment guys, guys over to the stadium, you know, which is like four hours before the game. And you know, me and the equipment assistant equipment manager, we would go out, you know, Bucky used to do it with me down there in Dallas and we would go, we go out there and we'd look at the wind, you know, so we would get the wind pattern and you know, look at the surface. Always on the out, you know, indoor games. Obviously it didn't factor, but that was something that was part of the, you know, the pre game exercise. And then when a special teams coach, you know, particularly John Fossil would come, then he'd obviously have the conversation with the, you know, with the specialists. So I think that's, that, that's your part of your job as a head coach to understand the conditions of, of what you're playing in each and every week.

[Pat McAfee]

We wasted a lot of time on this and I appreciate it's not wasting, it's a lot of information, but I did not expect us to get this deep into wind reading. But there's a chance that it's a massive factor tonight. Let's talk about some other things happening around the league. And let's talk about one of the people that you literally just mentioned. Go ahead, Tone.

[Tone]

Yeah, Coach, you mentioned Aaron Rodgers and obviously he's one of the best cold and wind throwers of all time. And, and basically the last two weeks have been his best two weeks of the season as the temperature drops. But not all like the play on the field. Yes. But then he's coming out this week and he said finally the Steelers are practicing like a team that is ready for the playoffs, their habits and stuff like that. He's getting 12 men cut on the, on the field. You know, he, he was yelling at the sideline because they substituted when, when there was a play that could have been overturned. Like all these things. I think we're starting to see what Aaron brings to a team. Are you seeing that? And what, what does Aaron bring to a team this part of the season, this late in the season in a playoff push?

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Well, this, this is why I was excited, you know, for him to end up in Pittsburgh. I think he just was a tremendous fit all the way around, you know. You know, you got a team that's in my view, has one of the, you know, top defenses each and every year and you know, the ability this time of year to have your defense, it's always going to keep you in the game and, you know, there's no, you know, no one else you'd want to have the ball in a two minute drill. So, you know, just from a basic general outlook, I thought this was a tremendous fit. But yeah, you're seeing, you're seeing a big part of this guy's, you know, his greatness, I mean, his game management and you know, just the reps and you know, in the detail that he puts into this. I mean that's, you know, that's the way he's played for, you know, well over a decade. So it's just, you know, reps and you do, you know, they do really look good. I've really liked the way they played last, you know, the last two weeks. I actually was real side. I thought he was outstanding on the, on the Pittsburgh touch push. I mean, his stance was something I'm sure he had to work on. Dramatic.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, just in case there's a fumble. He's got to get the tackle. Yeah, he's got to make the tackle.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Yeah. I was, I was hoping AJ Would be on it because it got it. I mean, he had to be laughing at that too because I couldn't imagine not giving him the ball on third one or fourth one down there in a key situation when he's 25 years old. I think being 41, he, he definitely handles that a little better because, you know, them guys, you know, you know, great players, players, great players want the ball in those situations. And you know, when I think back, I actually, I thought Brett Favre and Marcus Allen had two of the best explanations of goal line, you know, run and goal line pass that I've ever, you know, I've ever heard. Nothing but they also backed it up. You know, Brett. Brett's whole thing was give, you know, give me the ball inside the five, you know, with goal line personnel, because you got all 22 guys right here, so. And you know, get me out of the pocket and I'll get it in the end zone. And Marcus Allen gave one of the all time greatest, you know, explanations of, you know, Marcus has looked of the greatest school line runners in the history. And his whole thing was. Same thing, all 22 guys were right here, you know, in the phone booth. You just see that calm and color, accelerate, decrease. And you know, if you remember Marcus's running style, I mean, it was, you know, just his forward lean and, you know, he couldn't be stopped. So, you know, there's a lot of value. I'm talking about goal line defense. But I just thought. I thought Troy. Troy was having a good time with it on tv. I was dying laughing because I. I could imagine what was going through his head.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, that's funny. They got you actually going in whenever he. He was young days with the packers as we're building the goat resume that he's currently exists. All right, Aaron, so in this touchdown situation for you where it's an easy pass, potentially, you're just gonna stand back here and we're gonna bring in somebody else is gonna take the snap and they're gonna score instead. Is that okay?

[Boston Connor]

Yes.

[Pat McAfee]

You're just gonna stand here? Yeah. What am I just. Am I holding my ass, Mike? What am I doing? Doing back. Yeah, just kind of don't pick your nose. That's a penalty. But just stand. Just stand right back there. Do nothing. And I'm sure that would have won swimmingly is what you're saying.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

That's what it sounds glowingly.

[Ty Schmidt]

You go push Tom Crabtree if you want.

[Pat McAfee]

You're gonna go, yeah, somebody.

[AJ Hawk]

Coon.

[Pat McAfee]

Coon's gonna be there. You'll see him. He'll take the snap. So you need to teach him how to do that. By the way, you take some snaps from you and then also we need you to assist him to score the.

[Tone]

Don't be surprised though, if you know, that snap goes between Connor Hayward's legs one time and Aaron's sitting there with the ball in his hand ready to throw it.

[Pat McAfee]

And he might even have his in the thing like he does. And then all of a sudden, Darnell Mount Washington sneaks out just right out the entire.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

There you go. That might be the deceptive. That might be the next call.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, we don't Want to bury him. Okay, that game, obviously, Steelers, Miami Dolphins primetime game, and it was a good game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Huge win for them. Huge win for Coach Tomlin. Obviously, it's getting very loud for this team with all the expectations going in. They're still very much in it. Are you on number one in the north, is what he said last week. They still are and obviously have to beat Baltimore last game of the year to host a playoff game, which is crazy to think about, but on the other side, some changes were made after that game. Go ahead, Ty.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, Coach. What do you think of the whole TUA situation? Obviously, we saw post game, he was the last guy on the field yucking it up with Jalen Ramsey as they were essentially eliminated from the playoffs. And then yesterday he gets benched. Quinn, yours is starting, and a lot of people are just assuming, okay, his time in Miami is done. They're going to eat whatever massive cap hit it takes, and he'll be gone. If you, you are the head coach or the quarterback's coach or the play caller, like, how do you digest that whole situation? And also when. When TUA does get another opportunity because he was the fifth pick, do you think teams are going to view him as a starter or is he going to have to be kind of a reclamation project and be a backup for a few years here?

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Well, I mean, that's a great question, Ty. You know, I think a number. There's a number of things there. You know, number one, I'm not totally, you know, engaged with everything that's going on in Miami, but, you know, you do have a young guy in Quinn and you. I actually had a chance to spend some time with Quinn before the draft, so I'm excited for him, for him personally. But, yeah, I don't know if this is a, you know, you're out of the playoffs. I think, you know, when you get to this point in the season, you haven't been there a lot of times, but there's a lot of things you got to talk about, you know, particularly, you know, what are you thinking in the future? You know, they don't have a gm, so I don't, you know, I think there's some. There's some answers to your question that probably can only come from inside. So why exactly they're doing this? We all understand his contracts situation, so, you know, that, that, that factors and, you know, more than people would probably want to omit. So I think, you know, hopefully it's just they want to give a young guy an opportunity to see what they got in Quinn to get more information as far as the whole overall quarterback position. Because I'm a huge believer when you're developing the quarterbacks, you're developing the whole room, all three of those guys in the room. And personally, I wish they'd make you have four in the building and mandatory because, you know, it's the most important position in football and the development of position is critical. So, you know, I'm thinking they want to find out about Quinn and see and give him the opportunity. You know, I think it's definitely part of this too. So not knowing exactly, you know, with the post game and, you know, I wasn't aware of any of that, so I don't know what all that plays into this, if it's part of the decision. But, you know, I think there's a lot, you know, there's a number of quarterback decisions around the league that are being made, you know, obviously, you know, in Washington, you know, you know, resting, you know, Mahomes, you know, went down, you know, when you see that, you know, what's your off season going to is going to look like too. So when you're out of the playoffs, you know, you definitely want to go win the game. The fans are, you know, they're paying. That's important from the business perspective of it and so forth. But there is a future outlook for some of these teams and, you know, whether the coach and, you know, standing in the coaching gm I know is probably part of that. But, you know, you know, when you're building a championship program, you do have to forecast some of those decisions. And how you go into the off season, I think is critical. You know, I think some of that plays into it too. But yeah, I, you know, I'm not exactly. I think there's more to it in Miami. There usually is. And those are really, you know, things that are going on internally.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And you talk about looking at Quinn Ewers for the future. It's like, GM already fired. Is the head coach going to be there next year? I have no idea. Is he going to be down there with sunscreen? Maybe he gets a chance.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, maybe.

[Pat McAfee]

What? Quinn Ewers, we're not putting your name up for any jobs or forcing anybody out of any jobs. But it would be hilarious to see you back head coaching now that we know you much more, much better, you know, much, much better. You in Miami would be incredible.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Not, hey, Coach McDaniel is still down there. We. And obviously the team continue to fight for him. So we're not making any of those decisions. But I have. I don't know if you have done this. I have placed you in a couple of different spots. Just the thought of you going out there in that teal bright red. I mean in Miami you would be. You'd be that guy right behind you with your daughters in red out there. Yes, Sid. Oh, man, we need it. We need it. No, McDaniel. We like him. Whatever happens in the future. But we appreciate the hell out of you, coach. Enjoy the hell out of the weekend. Great ball tonight. College football playoffs tomorrow night. Alabama, Oklahoma. Any thoughts on these?

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Just. Just looking forward to watching it. No, I. I don't want to upset any of these calls. I think, I think this college, this national, this national championship brackets. I just love what they've done. So. These, these games are so exciting and. No, I'm to sitting down and being a fan.

[Pat McAfee]

All right. We'll be on ESPN two noon on Saturday calling Texas A and Miami from the sideline. Hopefully you enjoy us and we would like text messages if you see anything for anybody so we can sound smarter. We won't give you credit, but we will steal your shit.

[Boston Connor]

You're the man.

[Pat McAfee]

Ladies and gentlemen, Coach Mike McCarthy. Thank you, Coach. Thank you, coach. He's the man, dude.

[Boston Connor]

It is fun placing him now. I feel like I haven't done that enough.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, you should have him in Miami. Just first training camp. It's 150 degrees, 400% humidity and he's just drenching. We've got fast team. We gotta work harder today.

[Boston Connor]

There's a fat out there, man.

[Pat McAfee]

There's Irish ginzer in Miami. That'd be Italian insur. Went down there and did pretty good. Danny Di Marino.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, you're right.

[Pat McAfee]

Maybe you need the Irish to go down there.

[Tone]

A lot of Italian injuries going down in Miami.

[Pat McAfee]

There's a lot of Italians in general that head down that way. Okay. And a lot of Irish head down that way too. They all seemingly have a similar jobs, but trash. Amongst other things.

[Ty Schmidt]

Construction.

[Boston Connor]

Sanitation.

[Pat McAfee]

Sanitation, please. That's on some concrete.

[AJ Hawk]

Huh?

[Pat McAfee]

Funny. Frank's still living in plum. Football is magical. We're so incredibly lucky that we get a chance to chat about it tonight. Week 16 of the NFL season kicks off in a huge way. And tomorrow the College Football Playoff, the second ever 12 team College Football Playoff kicks off on a Friday night in Oklahoma as Alabama will travel to take on matier inventables in an entire sooner nation. Ready to deliver an epic environment as Alabama is underdogs as Oklahoma favored by a point and a half at home. Let's go to 1/2 of the Hammer Cowboys. AP Town, what are the numbers saying for this particular game here tonight and what's the percentage of bets on who? I naturally assume that more people will just say give me Alabama just because it's Alabama. Alabama. I think there's some sort of stat line that's out there about something about since 1860 or something. They haven't done something and lose in some sort. But Obviously this is DeBoer's Alabama. This is not Saban's Alabama. This is a massive one for DeBoer, Ty Simpson in Alabama and for Venables. He's been waiting for them in Oklahoma. I mean, Venables was brought in from Clemson as the defensive guru that led the Clemson team in fantastic fashion. He gets to Oklahoma, they have a little bit of a run, then a little bit of a lull. Texas goes on their big run and then all of a sudden Oklahoma is kicking off the College Football Playoff with a Venables defense that's going to hunt. I mean, they are going to hunt. They are going to look awesome. He's matier in our buckle in the offense that we saw earlier in the year. Then a little bit at the end of the year going to show up in the biggest moment and continue this match. Or Alabama and Ty Simpson, who had a tough road throughout the middle of this season and got to this point, will they continue their journey to a national championship in the post Saban era? It's a huge one to kick off this College Football Playoff tomorrow night.

[Tone]

Yeah, it's a ginormous one. I think the line kind of reflects how I feel about this one as a coin flip. But you're going to get the favorite because of the home and the home field advantage. These two teams played. What was that, three, four weeks ago in Alabama. Yeah, in Alabama. Oklahoma won 23, 21, but Bama outgamed them by 200 yards. It was kind of the story of turnovers that Oklahoma defense was getting sacks, turnovers. They had an interception return for a touchdown. But like, so Ty Simpson has five interceptions, I believe on the season. Four of those have come in the last four weeks. So it's in. There's, you know, there's Internet rumors about his health and stuff like that. Alabama can't run the ball. And then the other side, the Oklahoma offense, the second half of the year has been shit too. But like these three weeks off for both of these teams, like what are they going to Are these teams going to turn back to what they were at the beginning of the year where Alabama won five straight against ranked teams, four straight against ranked teams. And Oklahoma's offense beginning the season with Mater was unbelievable before hurt his thumb. It's. Yeah, it's. It's an incredible. It's a coin flip for me. You talked about Venables. He was kind of on the hot seat before this season. He is not anymore.

[Pat McAfee]

He's a dog, by the way. He's got.

[Tone]

Oh, yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

He's got. He's got the vascularity. Yeah, he's still in there. I think he's still in there. Moving.

[Ty Schmidt]

Always has a raspy voice no matter what.

[Pat McAfee]

I think their Sid, the guy that controls like his press appearance is like the hardest in the country to work with.

[Tone]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

From like my hardest. I mean, like keeps them.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. Biggest nightmare.

[Pat McAfee]

Just like. No, that's what I.

[Boston Connor]

That's what I heard through the Reddit pages that I was reading.

[Pat McAfee]

They would spin it into a positive way though.

[Ty Schmidt]

Like he wants coach focus on ball.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Just kind of keep it out there. I don't think we. A lot of access to Venables has ever been a thing. I don't think that is something. Every time he comes on game day though, the way he's on the show and then how he interacts with everybody in between feels like he's dude, you know, like Venables is a guy, is a dude that you would want to hang around even though we don't know much about him because he's not really out there there as much. But him getting his team to be able to play this way and then bringing in Arbuckle and Mater together to kind of flip the offensive side and catch up, that was a magical story at the beginning of this year. Matier was going to win the Heisman and then obviously he hurts his thumb, then he comes back early. Maybe against Texas, everybody was saying in the offense, kind of slow start, three weeks to reset that, get healthy and also go back and maybe do some self scout. Maybe they're back to being that special offense and dynamic offense. And then for Alabama, Ty Simpson, they talk about injuries, like done a season, three weeks, a long time to get healthy. Like that's a long time, especially for these young lads to get feeling better. I think we're going to see the best out of both of these teams and this is what it's all about. Starting with 12, counting down to one, boom. It's about who's going to become CFP. National champion.

[Tone]

If this one comes down to a kick. As you know, Oklahoma's kicker, Tate Sandell, I believe is 23 of 24 in the season with a long of 55. I believe he. Either he was either a finalist or one best kicker in the the country.

[Pat McAfee]

Those awards mean nothing because they do it via zoom. We hate that. What are we doing? College football is the second largest sport in America behind the NFL. I don't know why we wouldn't treat it as such. The NFL shuts down an entire city for their award shows. College football does zoom calls. So I don't know how that's a thing we should know that. That should be a celebrated thing. That's on me. And that's a huge moment for him. If he did win that, it was.

[Tone]

Either him or the kid from Hawaii. I can't remember what.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, that man from Hawaii. The Japanese. The Japanese guy. Guy who learned through YouTube on how to kick and then turns a dream in a career. Not a career, but yeah, maybe a career in this entire thing. It's a beautiful American dream story happening out there in Hawaii for the kicker.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. The Tokyo Toe Kai Matsuzawa.

[Pat McAfee]

And the most prestigious trophy for the best college kicker in the country is in the Luke Rose Award given annually was to Tate. Yeah.

[Fox]

Yeah.

[Tone]

So if it comes down to a.

[Pat McAfee]

Huge moment, by the way, for this kid's life, that he won that. That. And did you. Have we seen. Have you seen a clip of it or anything?

[Ty Schmidt]

No, no, no, no. Absolutely not.

[Pat McAfee]

And I sure would see that, right, because we're in college football and kicking.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, Yeah, I would assume so.

[Boston Connor]

Are we sure that's real?

[Tone]

But Tate's good.

[Pat McAfee]

True. Tate is good. Yeah, Tate is good. And now will he be good?

[Tone]

He's got short pants.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. But he said also how you got it was a little shorter than I thought. A little bit of a rip. Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen, he's a college football national champion, super bowl champion Rider cup winner. Ladies and gentlemen, AJ Hawk.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

CFP kicks off tomorrow night, obviously. Gigantic stuff. Friday night kickoff. I like that. Heading into a great weekend.

[Fox]

I think it's great. I think we missed an opportunity there. You could have played the. The nice jingle for coach Mike McCarthy. I think he would really enjoy that. I doubt that he has seen that yet.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, we'll make sure he knows what that's all about next week. You're right. That'll be our Christmas gift to him. Maybe. And we'll put him full screen as we play it and just kind of.

[Fox]

See what are we doing? What is it?

[Boston Connor]

We still live.

[Pat McAfee]

Is this your song? Am I on the screen right now? What's going on here?

[Ty Schmidt]

Cartoon characters singing, dancing.

[Pat McAfee]

Just don't look like football fans. Average prices of the tickets here from our friends at SeatGeek, Miami A& M down there at Kyle Field. Biggest game in history, 745 bucks. T ole miss, 433 bucks. Alabama, Oklahoma to kickoff. CFP 450 bucks. JMU Oregon out there in onon three 304 bucks. So obviously there is a demand to get into these buildings and this is what we love about the college football experience is the environment. We wish that there would be second round home field advantages as well because obviously a game down here in Bloomington or a game in Athens or a game in Columbus would be or a game in Lubbock would be gigantic in the second round and be very special. But at some point I guess they decided that no, only the teams that weren't the best in the country get home field advantage and then we have to move it on to keep corporate sponsors happy. Hopefully we'll be able to change that going forward and we'll still be able to hit all the new Year's six rotating basis for the next round. But it's a special weekend. We're lucky to be a part of it. What's the Montana, Montana State ticket that's happening out there for the fcs so.

[Tone]

Semifinals, fcs, Montana, Montana State. They played earlier this season. They were one versus two is a three point game. They're back in the semifinals. Zeke was looking it up. He said the cheapest ticket he could find to get to that game was over four. $400. That's a. It's going to be an awesome environment.

[Fox]

Wow.

[Pat McAfee]

Montana, Montana State. I had a bunch of people obviously that thought we should go out there for game day. Just know we agreed with you. JMU had a weekend earlier in the season where that same weekend where they should have potentially had it. We agreed with you. We thought it. I think there was a conversation like because of JMU schedule, not by us. Because of JMU schedule. There's no chance. I believe is what the words were.

[AJ Hawk]

Exactly.

[Pat McAfee]

What Just because I asked questions too. So all of the college football fans that get mad about where game day ends up once again would like to reiterate Lucky to be a part of the institution and have been part here for the last few years of an institution that people are excited that your show and that your thing is coming to their game that's a cool thing. Always will be a cool thing for college game Day. I hope the people that run College game day understand that that's a thing and feels like some of them maybe don't. But not, you know, not at the game day world but in the ESPN world as a whole. Like hey, it's. This is. We're very lucky that this is viewed this way and treated this way. Obviously it's been earned over a long, long time of putting on great shows and everything and celebrating the second largest sport in America behind the NFL. But like I also ask questions, have no say. I think it's well documented that I'm pretty low on the totem pole over there have no say in the entire thing. So whenever some of these decisions are made and I just go, what? Why? Why? We were just there. They had 40,000 people for us the entire why would we not want to do that? Well, there's no chance they make the College Football Playoff with their schedule. So we'd basically be kind of just showcasing something that is only going to make more people upset because there's no chance they're going to make the playoff. Well, look at JMU is currently in a college football playoff, right? They're currently in it. So whoever said that should probably look in the mirror and think to themselves maybe I should just have a brain every once in a while. And then, you know, Tulane, I don't think there was ever a thought to get go down there. But Montana, Montana State, definitely a conversation to go out there. Wanted to know while why the brawl of the Wild I believe is what it's called. It's special environment. We got a chance to go out there in negative 14 degree. The entire state came out for us and it was a special thing. So just know that we, we ask the same questions everybody else does.

[Boston Connor]

Oh yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

And Stanford Steve is the one that's making all the decisions. The one making the decisions. But we do know college game day tomorrow night. College game day Saturday morning, morning field Pass on ESPN2, Texas A& M on Miami. We cannot wait to call that. I don't give anything away. Don't like to go behind the curtain too much. Break the fourth wall.

[Tone]

Sure.

[Pat McAfee]

We got a chance to speak with both Coach Elko and Coach Cristobal about things that they won't tell just the media because we are calling the game and we got a little bit of a production access to these guys. Really kicked back and relaxed. Got to get to know the real them yesterday. That was an awesome experience yesterday. AJ Truly, that's the first time we've gotten to do this. We reach out directly to the coaches and to the people at the schools. They're both like, absolutely. They would much rather do that than any of the other stuff that they have to do. It's like we only need four or five minutes. Six minutes.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

8, 9, 10, 15, 17, 20 minutes. Once we get them in there, we think they'll have a good time. If they're not having a good time, we'll send them the hell out of there. But they, they were very good with us, I think AJ and that was very productive for us, I think as we try to call this game on Saturday and do it justice.

[Fox]

Yeah, it was, it was very productive. I mean, thanks to you. Obviously you have a way of, of making these guys feel, feel, I guess, at ease and comfortable and they, they trust you and you have a relationship with them beforehand. But I mean I've been in plenty of production meetings where you don't get anything where they are tight lipped giving you like the coach speak. So the fact that they were so open and cool about it and they both seem like, they just seem super excited. They just couldn't wait for the game to get here. I feel like they're just, they're ready to go.

[Pat McAfee]

Thankful. Gratitude for being in the game, like if genuinely. And I think they view us as just football dudes. So like whenever we're talking about them, it's just like, hey, explain the situation to them about us calling these games. We have no idea if it's a three yard gain or a four yard loss from where we're standing. But it would be cool to at least get a heads up on how you're feeling so we can kind of call and talk about it as it's happening. Like, I think other people that call games get to do that. We were wondering if we could do the same thing. And they were like, absolutely, here you go. And then there was even a couple. When you see this, we're doing this. Whenever you see this, we're trying this, it's like we would have never had that in the past. What a weapon that is for us going into this game. But what I got from both these coaches, they both obviously love their teams, but also they feel very good about how their teams feel going into this game. Like it's, it's very much a, like, hey, let's go do this thing as opposed to like, hey, let's feel it out. It feels like they are both very much going for it here and it's going to be I fire. I think we should expect the best of all parties in this particular game with the, the way the messaging has come.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, by all means, this should be a night game. This is the best game of the first round. You can make that argument. I think the price kind of reflects that. It's so awesome that this is the noon game. And yeah, the NFL being on Saturday probably doesn't help it as much, but both the schools first time in the College Football Playoff. Right. I mean this is historic for both sides and it does feel like that is at least came through when talking to him. Like how much this means not just to the teams but to the universal, to the cities, to the towns that they are in. Like, this is a monumental moment for both of these places.

[Pat McAfee]

And it also did feel as if the coaches and players knew they were representing their people. Like, it was cool. It was like a very genuine cool conversation about how confident they are in their team, how much they like their team. Here's some stuff that we're going to do. Obviously we can't talk about until it starts happening, on why it's happening. And we had to, obviously we're in the football world so we don't want to give away any strategy from anybody or something, anything like that. But just like the genuine excitement it felt like from both sides about the opportunity was cool. Like even listening to Coach Cristobal talk about traveling and playing at Cow Field. Yeah, he's like, hey, I, I've been there with Alabama. We went up to Ohio State, obviously got a chance to experience that fiu. We played, went to A and M, played there. He was like, so I, I, he was at Oregon.

[Ty Schmidt]

He had a bunch of big games like that.

[Pat McAfee]

And he said, he talked about how pumped he is for his team to experience it because it is a different animal. Yeah, like he is like respect too. Yeah, it was like a very like respectful, it was, it was cool to kind of hear it all. Joining us now is a man who's obviously no stranger to huge games and also no stranger to huge games at Cow field. Joining us now, the greatest college football coach of all time, new owner of the Nashville Prayers.

[AJ Hawk]

Wow.

[Pat McAfee]

Ladies and gentlemen, Nick Saban. Yeah, coach. How you doing, Coach?

[AJ Hawk]

I'm doing great. How you guys doing?

[Pat McAfee]

What are you selling Toyotas now? I see that shit sitting right over your head. I thought you were a Ferrari and Lambo guy. I didn't know you're a Toyota thon guy. You're moving Toyotas too.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, I had to do this in the store today because I had some meetings this afternoon, so they set it up for me. And we're here and not trying to advertise anything, just. No, of course not.

[Boston Connor]

No, no.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. It doesn't look like it at all.

[Fox]

There you go.

[Pat McAfee]

Doesn't look like. Got Alexis here if you need it. We got you the best thing you could possibly need for a stocking stuffer. We got a Toyota Thon little elf here you can buy. Where is this Toyota located at here? Coach Zen.

[AJ Hawk]

This one's in Montgomery, Alabama.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, well, if I ever need anything, I know I'm coming to Toyota right down there in Montgomery, Alabama. Coach Saban, Coach Grey, and all the boys there will take care of you and get you everything you need. Let's talk about you being an owner of the Smashville Predators. Listen, you're a completely defeated NHL owner. Got their asses beat 4 to 1. L l l with your ownership. But tell me how you got into this and how much do you know about hockey and what is your planned presence for the Nashville Predators going forward? Because I got a lot of friends in Nashville that basically, as soon as they saw this announcement, were like, saban's coaching the Predators. We're winning this thing. What is it? What is the expectation and how did you get to this? Congratulations. We love hockey here.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, well, it was an opportunity for. For me, really, with Mr. Haslam, Bill Haslam, who we talked about some sports franchise opportunities in the future, and this was the first one that came up. I love hockey. I think hockey is a great investment. You know, they have a salary cap and, you know, it's a growing sport. I think there's a lot of interest in the sport. And Nashville is a great city. We have businesses there. So, you know, I'm kind of a fan and, you know, look forward to being a part of the team, which I think they have the structure there to, you know, rebuild this team and excited about being a part of it. And, you know, I don't know enough about hockey to really coach anybody how to play it, but I know enough about successful organizations that, you know, hopefully can contribute something to the organization in a positive way.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't like to hear that. So you're actually going to do stuff here. You're not just going to stay away from the building because the Pittsburgh Penguins just sold, too. I don't know if you've already already signed. We'd love to have you in Pittsburgh. We'll certainly give you a better deal. Than whatever the Predators did. So you just kind of give me a heads up on that if I. If you want me to stop mentioning that right now or no. Have you as the ink dried.

[AJ Hawk]

Well, you know, I went to a Predators game in the playoffs several years ago and the Penguins were actually playing the Predators in the playoffs and I had a Predators jersey on, trying to promote our Nashville businesses. And I got about a thousand negative emails from my people back in West Virginia who were Penguins. So I got my ass kicked on that one.

[Pat McAfee]

Good. I hope you get more this time because we were just for sale. You could have bought the whole damn thing potentially. No, we love to see you continuing to get in the sports world and give back to the sports world. The Predators are very lucky. The city of Nashville knows and appreciates you becoming more of a part of it is a great thing. I love you're a part of hockey, coach. We love hockey around here. And to your point, up and to the right and go. Preds going forward. Gopreds going forward. But also the Penguins are about to beat that ass Saban whenever they have to. And that's a good thing about hockey. Let's talk about football now. Let's talk a little bit about college ball. This weekend is obviously huge. CFP is kicking off tomorrow night. Friday night. Alabama, Oklahoma, very close to home to you. And obviously Oklahoma came into Alabama just about a month ago and got a win. Tone has a question for you about what we think is obviously the X factor of the entire game.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, Coach.

[Tone]

You've obviously had to go up against coach Venables in your time in the playoffs, now that Alabama has seen him once this season and they're going to have to see that defense again for a second time. Is that a good thing for Ty Simpson and the Alabama offense? And what makes going up against Brent Venables so hard?

[AJ Hawk]

Well, I think, you know the pressure package that they have, and I think that was the big difference in the first game. You know, when you watch the game, when they got their pressures blocked up, they made a lot of explosive plays. I'm talking about Alabama. But when they didn't, it was devastating in terms of sack, fumbles, pick sixes, sacks that led to stop and drives. So it was like feast or famine, you know, in the game. So how they can execute against the pressures, to me is the most important thing, because if you can get to the back end of Oklahoma's defense, I think you got a chance to make plays, which was evident in the first game. I mean, Alabama had over 400 yards versus Oklahoma's 200. But three turnovers, all in negative field position that led to 17 points, you know, helped Oklahoma tremendously in the game and can't have those kind of plays. If we have those kind of plays, Oklahoma will be successful. That's how they win. They've not scored a lot of points, their defense is outstanding and they thrive on making plays in the game that are going to impact the game. And they did it to Alabama month ago.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, they did, coach. Yeah. And Alabama, Ty Simpson has five turnovers or five interceptions on the season. Four of them come in the final four weeks. That three week layoff, is there a way to fix that or is that just something that's going to come with games down the stretch whenever you're trying to take a shot?

[AJ Hawk]

Well, I, I really do think that some of the issues that have been created on Alabama's offense come from, you know, the fact that there's more people pressure, more sacks. They've been able to affect the quarterback, which led to the four interceptions that you're talking about. But Ty is very capable. But I've always said this quarterback's a hard place, a hard position to play, maybe the hardest position in sports if the people around you don't play well. So their ability to run the ball, their ability to protect, pick up pressures. The offensive line needs to play a little more consistently. That'll help the court quarterback. And if they can do that, I think Ty's very capable of, you know, getting back to where he was somewhere in the middle of the season when he was playing outstanding.

[Pat McAfee]

We're obviously hoping for the best out of everybody, Mattier included in Oklahoma. Whenever he started this season, it was, wow, I can't believe this guy is as good a football player as he is. He gets hurt. They weren't able to find their rhythm yet again afterwards, but starting to find it towards the end of the season. Will the three week layoff help them? Now? Let's move to Saturday as we travel from Oklahoma on Friday to College Station late Friday night. Go ahead, A.J.

[Fox]

Yeah, coach. We will be on the field for the, you know, Miami taking on Texas A and M, I guess. What should people be watching, say the first half? Like what should we be paying attention to, to kind of see or what, what are you going to be paying attention to early in that game to see how it's playing out?

[AJ Hawk]

Well, I think two things are very interesting in this game and it's the, the style that both teams play, defense. And a Miami has Got really talented front guys. I mean, they dominate the line of scrimmage. They rush four guys most of the the time. These guys make a lot of negative plays by how aggressive and physical they are. I think Jason Taylor's done a fantastic job of coaching these guys up front. So. And then you go on the A and M side of it. They're not as big, they're very athletic, they can run and they rely on different kinds of pressures and slants to give you negative plays. And if A and M gets you in third down, they are lethal, man. They've got a great third down package where they create a lot of pressures, a lot of over load type simulated pressures that give people problems. So this is going to be the tale of, you know, like, how does this game go? If Miami can control the line of scrimmage and eliminate the negative plays and stay out of third down long situations, I think they'll have success against A and M. If on the other hand, you know, A and M can't block this front and they affect the quarterback. Although I think Marcel Reed is an outstanding player, not only do they have to affect them, they have to keep him from running, which you see him doing right here. And this guy can throw it. They've got good skill, guys. So this is going to be a real challenge. I think this is going to be one of the best games of this early playoff season. Man, I'm looking forward to this game because both of these teams to me are very, very good football teams and, and play different styles. And it'll be interesting to see which style physical Miami team versus a very skilled, fast, aggressive A and M team.

[Pat McAfee]

I. I know you have relationships with every coach around the country. Yesterday we had the chance to catch up with coach Cristobal and Coach Elko and you talked about this being one of the best games here of obviously this early, but the entire year it sounds like the way they're talking about it, the excitement that their entire team feels as opposed to nerves and anxiety. What we heard through the coaches and through the locker room is like excitement and honor for the opportunity almost from both sides. And anytime you have that, I think you got teams that are going to show up in a big way. How much does the Kyle Field you think play an effect in this entire game? Especially with that Texas A and M defense that can get after the quarterback, especially with how loud that place could be. You played in some monster games there. You've talked about it before, both. Whenever we were down there for game day and on this show. But them hosting a college football playoff game, I think is good for college football. For people that maybe haven't watched college ball all year. You tune into this game and it's like, holy hell, this place is one of the greatest fan places in the world. Maybe. Coach Saban, is that the way to describe that?

[AJ Hawk]

I don't think there's any question about it. You know, I did more complaining to the SEC office. It was more than complaining. That I don't really want to say on this show about. This is the noisy place. Plus, they pipe in noise. They pipe in noise. I mean, you can't hear yourself think when you're playing out there. And it is a huge advantage when they play at home, especially for their defense. Especially getting off the spot makes it really difficult for the offensive line. But the one thing that I think Miami can get under center and they can run the ball. That might be helpful to be able to settle them down from a noise standpoint. But if you have to go on silent count in. In this game, which you probably will, especially if you're in the gun, it's going to be a huge advantage for A and M's defense.

[Pat McAfee]

Psyche. I mean, come on, have you been there? There's no way that's just human voices. They got to be. They got to be piping in. I think they take a lot of pride in that, obviously, down there as being a fan base that knows when to yell, knows how to yell. And they have yell leaders. It's not cheerleaders. We got yell leaders like they are promoting it from the day they get on campus. We're heading to that midnight yell the night before. Coach, if you want to come with us, it's going to be late. After, obviously, the Oklahoma game day. Whenever we travel down there, they have a pep rally, basically at midnight before every single home game that 50,000 people show up to. It's like you're talking about commitment and being on display for the world here. Opening College Football Playoff weekend. I think we got it right here, Coach. Legit.

[AJ Hawk]

I think we got it right. Right. But I have a tremendous amount of respect. Even when I was coaching and happened to go play there. The traditions that they have at Texas A and M and the spirit that they have at Texas A and M, it's unique and special, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for it. It almost reminds me of, like, coaching at the Naval Academy where they have this tremendous prod. And, you know, you see that in the Army Navy game, but they have that at A and M too. It's something different, it's something special.

[Pat McAfee]

They're loud, man. I can't wait to be on that sideline. I didn't even think about us not even being able to hear the whole podcast.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, I'd like to know, I'd like to get your guys opinion. Are you taking the crew there?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

You just going crew. So you tell me after this game if they're piping in noise or not.

[Fox]

I'll pay attention.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, we will certainly be snooping it out. Okay, let's talk about the other two games happening on TNT and True tv. Go ahead, Ty.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, coach. You've talked about rat poison, you know, so many times with us for these two particular games where we've had 21 days where basically everyone has said, hey, Ole Miss is going to beat the shit out of Tulane and Oregon's going to beat the shit out of jmu. There is no way that these guys can win if you're the coach of either one of those teams. Teams? How, how do you address that? Because obviously it's not just another game, it's the playoffs now. And are you assuming that these guys will be able to handle it? Pete Golding and Dan Lanning pretty fine because they both come from your coaching tree.

[AJ Hawk]

Well, you know I just this morning watched the, the first two lane Ole Miss game and you know, the game really was like 23 to 3 maybe late in the third quarter and Tulane got stopped three times on fourth down and, and short, fourth one, fourth and two, fourth and three, fourth and five at the five yard line. So the game could have been a little closer than it was. I think the issue for Tulane is offensively they move the ball against Ole Miss but man, they just could not stop Ole Miss's offense and I think that's going to be a huge problem for him in this game. My approach to games like this was I used to tell players all the, all the time is look, you're supposed to be playing to your standard, to your ability. When I was in the NFL, they gave me a cut up. I didn't know who you were playing, what the score was. So your challenge is to play your best all the time because that's what you're going to get evaluated on. You want to play in the league someday they're going to look at this film. You're going to, you're going to play relative to the guy you're playing against or you're going to play the way you're capable of. And that's the way we, we try to get guys to think about it. So they control what they do and they control the standard that they play to. And that's what I challenge them to do. And when you're in the playoffs like this, you want to gain momentum. And to gain momentum, you got to earn momentum. So you got to play well, make good plays, play together as a group. And that's what I used to try to, you know, emphasize to our guys so that, you know, we would gain some momentum. So you're going to have a tough game the next game.

[Pat McAfee]

You know that Dan Lanning is definitely selling everything about Indiana, having JMU kids and coming in there and winning in and then this show. Yeah, even Coach Saban. There was a couple times last week where some people on this show were like, you know what? JMU wins games.

[Boston Connor]

I like them.

[Pat McAfee]

Maybe they go in there. Especially with what happened last year with Oregon and the Rose bowl in Ohio State. Some people on this show were kind of feeding rat poison towards JMU side almost as opposed to Oregon side in its entirety. We know landing will have the boys ready to go, but JMU could do, obviously do something special. In the history of the college football playoffs or college football, you know, post season, large spreads have not boded well for the teams that are receiving the points they haven't won, but they have covered seemingly. Okay, so highest point spreads in College Football playoff history, obviously 21 is the biggest against James Madison in 2020, the semifinal Alabama, you remember this, coach, 19 and a half point favorites against Notre Dame. They won pretty good too. Didn't cover one by 17.

[Boston Connor]

Yikes.

[Pat McAfee]

Had people pissed off at your ass, Coach Saban. Then obviously Ole Miss, Tulane's in there. And then 2018 Alabama, they are favored by 15 against Oklahoma. You remember this one, coach? They won by two scores.

[Boston Connor]

Geez.

[Pat McAfee]

Didn't cover though, only one by 11. So had a lot of people pissed off. So I think what the stats are saying, massive spreads in the playoffs, certainly the winners are going to win, but that's a little bit too much of a projection. Is that because maybe things are a little bit tighter regardless because it's playoffs maybe or what do you think it is? Why sportsbooks maybe overshoot it. And how did you you feel as a coach who have probably had to hear from some people, even though you win by 17, couldn't win by 24, bub. Like in this entire thing, what are your kind of thoughts on the projections of a game versus maybe the outcome, especially whenever it's playoffs and who knows what it could be like?

[AJ Hawk]

Well, there's one thing I've learned a lot from you, Pat. I gotta admit that over the last, you know, year and a half, two football seasons, and I learned something today I never paid attention to of the spread, but I would have enhanced my legacy a lot better if I would have tried to cover some of these spreads.

[Pat McAfee]

Yes.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

Because you pissed us off. We got Saban playing. Yeah. All right. They're definitely going to cover. And then wins by 17. Said 19 and a half. This. This guy ain't got it. This guy ain't got it anymore. Can't get the boys to rally. Can't even cover out there. But yes, it is something that is interesting and obviously the expectation, you know, go ahead.

[AJ Hawk]

One thing I hated, though, was when we were heavy favorites in a game, because I think sometimes players think that game is going to be easy, and these games are never easy. I mean, I don't. I don't care who you're playing when you're playing, anybody's capable of beating anybody. But I do think the bigger spreads come because the, The. The big people can dominate the game. When the big people can dominate the game, which is going to be the issue for Tulane, especially their defense, it's going to be the issue for jmu, who relies on running the ball. And if they can't run the ball and use the quarterback run game, I don't think they can throw it well enough to generate enough offense. So when you have the big people dominating the game, I think that's when you get the big spreads. That's just my opinion. And I think that in most of these games, other than these two games, you're going to have big people that are pretty well matched, and that's going to make for some great games.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, I think it goes back to the point of, like, there's weight classes in every physical sport. Like there is any. Any physical sport, there's always weight classes because there's advantages to having more meat and everything like that. Whenever you think about a JMU roster versus an Oregon roster, I mean, any big name but Oregon more specifically, with everything that we know about Oregon, it's like you would assume in the trenches there is going to be quite a weight differential that could potentially cause a problem in a sport that involves physicality between the two people. But Jay Amu, low man, good leverage technique, you know, spoil all that. Ain't got a chance. Nose to the ball, you know, being able to sacrifice for a teammate. There's. There's all those things that can come together on any given Saturday, Thursday, Friday night.

[AJ Hawk]

But here's my, my thing about this. I mean, look, would we allow the winner of the Triple A Baseball League, the International League, whatever they call, I don't even know the name of it. Would you let them in the World Series playoffs?

[Pat McAfee]

I don't think they do, no. No, I don't think.

[AJ Hawk]

No, they don't. But I'm saying. But that's the equivalent of what we do when JMU gets in to the College Football Playoff and Notre Dame doesn't. I mean, I don't want to start any shit here, but it is.

[Pat McAfee]

Coach, you're adding your name onto a long list of people now because the one, the one Power 5 team getting in and taking one of the 12 spots, everybody was like, good for ball.

[Ty Schmidt]

Love it.

[Pat McAfee]

That's good for ball. We like that. Yeah, give anybody a chance, you know. Now granted, if the one Power 5 team makes it into the College Football Playoff as one of the final 12 teams, that entire team is probably getting poached to somewhere else immediately after the season anyways. But we still thought it was good for ball. The fact that two of them made it in this year, I think has made everybody, everybody go, this is not what we signed up for. This is, this is not what it was at all. So we assume change will come. Don't you think it feels like it's getting loud?

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, I hope so. I hope we learn each year from this how we can make it better.

[Pat McAfee]

The ACC not having a champ that could be in the top 50 ranked, it just really threw an entire wrench into it. But we needed it to happen. Right? And we need these games to happen this weekend. Because if two Lane goes ahead and smacks Coach golden in the mouth down there in Oxford and then JMU travels to Austin and smacks Lanning in the mouth, this entire conversation is null and void. But boy, if Ole Miss wins by 30 and Oregon wins by 30, it is going to get real loud. And maybe change will happen afterwards.

[Tone]

Just so everyone knows, moving forward. You know how we've talked a lot about the Notre Dame? If they're in the top 12, they're automatically in the playoffs moving forward because of the deal they signed. Also, if you're a Power 4 conference and you win your conference, you're in moving like Duke would have been if this was next year Duke would have been in.

[Pat McAfee]

Is that with a 16 team brag.

[Tone]

Or 1212, I believe.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, interesting. So I'm fascinated to see how it all goes better. What's that?

[AJ Hawk]

They do what? You know, to me, if you're not in the 15, top 15, I don't care what league you play in, you shouldn't be in the playoffs. JMU, whoever it is, if you're not in the top 15. Power. Yep, whoever, it doesn't matter because you, you're taking somebody out of the playoffs that deserve to be in the playoffs. So you can think about it one way where we're letting somebody from the group of five in, but you're also taking somebody that should be in, out. And, and that's not fair. That was my whole point about would we let the AAA baseball team who wins their league play for the World Series? Doesn't happen. It's a different league. These guys ought to have their own. Own playoff.

[Pat McAfee]

We've. Which we.

[AJ Hawk]

Money. Just give them the money. Well, each is 4 million for playing in the first round. Is that right?

[Pat McAfee]

I think so, yes.

[AJ Hawk]

$4 million and put Notre Dame in. You want to see Notre Dame and.

[Boston Connor]

Oregon play Texas Ole Miss?

[Pat McAfee]

Hell yeah, we do. Hell yeah, we do. Hey, let's move some more Toyotas and maybe we pay them ourselves. Coach said, you know, let's maybe get the Predators back into the Stanley cup finals and maybe we do that. But I think, Coach, I think there's going to be a lot of change this offseason. Just like there was last. Remember, it was the four highest ranked champions were definitely the ones. Now it's just the top four ranked teams are in there. I think they are trying to massage it and fix it. The ACC champion not being in certainly was not expected whenever they made these rules. So who knows how it goes. But once again, we'll find out on the field, we'll find out on the field what happens. But when it goes down, how it's probably going to go down, everybody's going to say, we're done with this. We told you this is not what it is. Now let's talk about teams that aren't playing this week but have to wait another week. Go ahead, Con man.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, coach. The winner of tomorrow night will play against Indiana in the Rose Bowl. And Kurt Signetti just won his second straight AP Coach of the Year. I assume that's because they got sick of giving you the award and that's why he's the first one ever to win it. Back to back years. What do you think about Coach Signetti and the Hoosiers, this kind of playoff run? Last year they played in the first round at Notre Dame. And they were booted. But this year feels different. Mendoza wins the Heisman, Signetti has the boys going. Do you think they have the best shot? I think statistically or, sorry, the odds would say that they do or them are Ohio State. So can you speak a little bit on Ryan Day and coach Signetti and what their week looks like this week as they just kind of watch from afar and get ready for their New Year's six day?

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, well, first of all, you know, Indiana, I said this before, they played in the Big Ten championship game. They have a better team this year. Mendoza is, in my opinion, the best quarterback in the country, probably the first guy going to get picked in the draft at that position. And they're more physical on defense. I mean, it surprised me in the Ohio State game that they were as physical as they were on defense and able to stop Ohio State the way they did. So this is a really good football team now. You know, I think the world of Kurt Signetti, he's done an outstanding job there, not only in how he coaches the team, but how he's brought players to the team, how he's gotten guys to come to Indiana. I mean, that's, that's pretty impressive interview of itself. I think Ryan Day is, you know, I think Ohio State is one of the best jobs in the country in terms of your ability to have success and the quality of the institution, the tradition. And I think Ryan Day has done a fantastic job, you know, and what he's done with that team. And I think these two teams may be, you know, right up there as two of the best with the best chance to win the championship. But, you know, you're going to have to play the games to see because I think there's probably seven teams in my opinion, opinion in this playoff that have good enough players to be able to win the championship. I think there are seven teams that can do that. So there are seven teams that could be any of the other teams, in my opinion. So that's how I see it. I know that, you know, the odds aren't, don't really reflect that, but I think A and M could beat anybody. Right? They're the seventh team right there. Right to that, plus two, 2,000. They could beat anybody.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I mean, we kind of mixed up the numbers there, but. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 6, 10, 8. Just a matchup wise, championship odds as we go. But A and M, we think can beat anybody, right? We all, we all believe that. Just what the team believes.

[AJ Hawk]

I think Texas Tech could beat Anybody?

[Pat McAfee]

Definitely.

[AJ Hawk]

I think Texas could, Oregon could, I think Ole Miss, the way they play offense could out outscore you. So I mean, but I think that's what makes that, that's what makes a good tournament. You know, when you have lots of teams that you feel like have it. Have an opportunity to have a chance to win. And I think that's not disrespecting the other teams in there, Alabama or Oklahoma or Miami, but because they could probably beat anybody too on a given day. So that's why we're going to play the games and that's why it's going to be very, very exciting.

[Pat McAfee]

More teams get a shot to shine. You know, that's a lot more fun, a lot more pride, a lot more fun. Yeah. Starting with 12. Count down to one CFP national.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah. Champion and you're going to earn it. You know, with these teams in there, whoever wins it, they're going to earn it.

[Pat McAfee]

And damn right.

[AJ Hawk]

You know, I was never for going to 12 because I didn't want to minimize the importance of all games which has come to fruition. But the excitement that it's created is worth it and I think it gives a lot more players an opportunity to have a chance to win a championship. So I really like this now I think it's more difficult. Just like it was more difficult when there was four than when there was two and two was more difficult when the AP poll decided who were the national champions champion. Now it's going to be more difficult with 12 people in there. 12. Good.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, we'll start it tomorrow. I can't wait to see you out there in Oklahoma. Go ahead and move some Toyotas today. Okay. For the holiday season.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, I got to change hats here. That's no doubt about that.

[Pat McAfee]

What's up? What's the, what's the quarters?

[Fox]

I got to go from hockey to.

[AJ Hawk]

Selling cars to being on your show, going back to selling cars and I'm not much of a salesman, so. Sure.

[Pat McAfee]

I'll tell you what, retirement life is pretty good. Sounds like you can sell the out of a lot of things. What's the quarters up there? Is that a Toyota thong quarters up there?

[AJ Hawk]

Is that your National Predators, man? Nick's Kids.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, shout out. I think we're doing a donation to Nick's Kids because of the Alabama lady.

[AJ Hawk]

That was fantastic. Fantastic the way that, that Ms. Terry is so happy. I didn't have to. Today's our anniversary. 54 year anniversary. I didn't even have to buy or anything because you took care of the whole thing for me.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, well, I'm happy I could do that for you. You know, that's a lot of fun. We don't know how much longer that's going to last, you know, future years. It's getting very expensive, obviously, week in, week out, you know, whenever you're paying to be a part of a show, you know, that's certainly something. That is certainly an interesting dynamic. But, hey, what you give will come back in spades. I get a chance to be friends and sit alongside you. We appreciate the hell out of you, Coach. Tell Ms. Terry we say congratulations.

[AJ Hawk]

Well, hey, we appreciate you guys. I enjoy being on the show. Happy holidays to everybody. If I don't see you guys. Love you, man.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, they'll see you. They're going to make sure you see. Yeah, we love you too, coach. Ladies and gentlemen, excavated. That's the national rankings, I guess in the top left corner with the odds next to it. I think we could have left the rankings off there, but I appreciate that it's added. Piece of information on the graphic should maybe down at the lower left corner. Corner there, put the gr. But that's on me. I should have known what was going up for one up there. I thought it was just an odds graphic. And I start seeing random numbers on teams and I'm like, What? Who's drunk?

[Ty Schmidt]

2, 4, 9, 7.

[Pat McAfee]

And to be clear, the graphic design boys, this is something that could come out of their department. This. This without any other, you know, real reasoning or behind it. There it is. That's. Boom. That would be. Look at that.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, okay. Makes sense now.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, now we're. Now we're doing a grand.

[Tone]

I don't know what, what the teams are ranked in the playoffs.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, it doesn't matter. This is what their odds are. This is what. What we're looking at here on this particular graphic. But I will say to the graphic design boys, great work out of you boys. They become a really good factory over there of graphics. Every once in a while, there'll be something that comes out of there and you just go, you're an artist. I know you're an artist. How? Just from the conversation we had, how is that the way that worked? Well, I was trying to. Okay, yep, you're an artist. You're an artist. You're an artist. Now. You just wasted 35 minutes of your life, and there's no way we could show that in there. We don't have a lot of time, but I want to let you know I appreciate you taking a shot And I appreciate your artistry, but I still don't fully understand how humans speaking the same language could be that further away from what we're looking for. And then they hop right back in the saddle, fix it. Which is why we respect and appreciate them. There are some artists with some mental toughness and an ability to dodge, dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge their way through every morning. We appreciate you graphic design boys. You are dealing with artists, though. You know, anytime you're dealing with artists, they want to protect their art. And it's like, nobody's gonna see that. Are you gonna tweet it? Who's gonna. Are you gonna put. Who's gonna see it? No, we can't use that, though, because it doesn't make any sense. You see? But if you lay out how we got to the. You know, if you read right to left. Left, though, it's actually. Oh, yeah, okay. We'll put it up in China then.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Where they read from that side of the page to the other. That makes sense. All right, I'll fix it. I'll change it around. They're good, though. They're very good. We also have breaking news here at the Thunderdome. There are some new champions.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, hell yeah.

[Fox]

I did see something about that.

[Boston Connor]

Did you?

[Pat McAfee]

Congratulations to partners.

[Fox]

You'd be in Oregon, basically.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, easy.

[Pat McAfee]

It is more like Tulane and Ole Miss, but thank you, jmu. Oregon as well. Bruce Brown and Boston Conner are U ball champions of the world.

[Ty Schmidt]

Wow.

[Boston Connor]

I mean, I can't. I can't even begin to tell you how good this thing feels. I do now know. Aj, I think you can speak to this Jim Trestle. Holding that. Holding that diamond football. That's exactly how this thing feels. And Bruce, let me just say, nine to five game, Bruce puts one in the cup. Eleven. Five. That's how he gets to 11. It was all Bruce. That's how we got there. Bone and D. But I think we can all agree just not just not deserving U ball champions. They just. They did not represent the game well. And me and Bruce will do that. Unfortunately, I did go to the doctors. I have a lower body injury. I will not be able to play for quite some time.

[Pat McAfee]

So you guys are.

[Boston Connor]

We will not vacate the title.

[Pat McAfee]

You're vacating the title.

[Boston Connor]

We will not do that. We will not do that. The doctor actually gave me a note saying, this injury is so serious, to the point where vacating the title would be disrespectful to you. Ball. So you guys just need to respect my injury and Respect the fact that me and Bruce, we earned. We earned it. Back to back games. We use strategy, we use teamwork. We used throwing the ball. Fricking down was after Pat kind of let Bruce know, like, hey, stop laying the ball and start dunking it. And that changed our entire, entire team. Bruce. I mean, I don't know. Do you? Bruce, you got anything to say? I don't even know why this thing's up here.

[Pat McAfee]

Who cares? You know?

[Boston Connor]

You know, we got this one.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, man. Oh, it is.

[Boston Connor]

That broke.

[Pat McAfee]

It was a Christmas miracle, truly, that you guys won yesterday. And we're incredibly proud that you immediately did a photo shoot and you are celebrating. Bruce, I don't think anybody would have thought an insider for a sport could ever become champion of the sport, but that is certainly what you've done. Congrats. Congratulations, Bruce. Yeah, thank you all so much. And Connor was selling himself short. He came alive on the defensive end, was the MVP on that end of the floor. And then, you know, you just got to stay focused while you're shooting and.

[Ty Schmidt]

Make those shots and we.

[Pat McAfee]

We got the job done. I. It was a proud night. It was a proud night. I. I can't believe it. Honestly, I never thought I'd see the day I saw your wording of your tweet certainly drew some reaction. Thank God my family, my partner Connor at patmac for show and everybody behind the scenes help make this possible. A lot of people saying the way you described your relationship with Connor was something, but I do think it is closer than just friends at this point. You guys are champions together.

[Boston Connor]

That's you both.

[Fox]

Yeah, that's.

[Pat McAfee]

That's what friendship's all about. You know, some people haven't been in the locker room, don't understand that.

[Fox]

They don't understand the dynamic between, say.

[Ty Schmidt]

A Josh Harden, a Jalen Brunson.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, you guys did celebrate differently. Is my partner.

[Ty Schmidt]

I'm proud of that.

[Boston Connor]

We did celebrate differently. Immediately we said, hey, look, look. Pumped, really happy. Let's. Let's go nuts. Keep your thumb out of my. Okay. I know you're a fan of the Knicks. I ain't doing it. Okay. I'm not doing it.

[Pat McAfee]

That's how Josh and Jaylen have fun. They.

[Boston Connor]

That is their thing.

[Pat McAfee]

That is their thing.

[Fox]

Bruce arguing, though. Was he arguing against it and said you needed it or what?

[Pat McAfee]

Now, Bruce, Bruce, to be clear, even though he is a die hard Knicks fan and loves Mr. Brunson and Josh Hart and their antics, if that's going to keep the Knicks winning more NBA Super Duper Cups. Sure, I think he does have respect for it, but he clearly said, no, we don't need. That's not our team dynamic. No, that is not our team dynamic. That might be the Knicks team dynamic. It is not. Do you guys have an official team name?

[Boston Connor]

Honestly, no. We're just the champs. You know, I think you guys could just call us that going forward. Maybe we do kind of create some sort of, you know, Brown, Boston, maybe. I think that's kind of.

[Pat McAfee]

And now you're not able to play?

[Boston Connor]

Not forever, but. Yeah, look, lower. Lower.

[Pat McAfee]

Look, I got to listen to the doctors.

[Boston Connor]

What do you want me to do? Do you want me to play hurt and you guys play. Want to win an injured U ball championship? I mean, talk about winning something that doesn't mean anything. And to be honest, you could say that this title run by me and Bruce was even more impressive since I was playing with a lower body injury. Not to mention what Bruce was going through. You know, he was coming off a hell of a night. After the Knicks won the NBA cup, the guy was as hungover as you could possibly.

[Pat McAfee]

And Bruce doesn't know if he's a righty or lefty still.

[Boston Connor]

Bingo.

[Pat McAfee]

And he's the champion, so that's crazy. Well, every once in a while, he'll do this one, which he made big. He made big shots like this.

[Fox]

I've watched him make clutch. He made clutch shots with me when he played.

[Pat McAfee]

Put up an air ball. Okay. In the first shot of the last inning. And it was like, oh, no, the boys are about to crumble, you know? And then all of a sudden, Bruce steps up, does his dribble splash. And then I think he hit another one.

[Tone]

Downtown Bruce Brown.

[Pat McAfee]

I think downtown Bruce Brown. And then on the defensive end, they started playing. Put in effort and in U ball because the hoop is at 8ft, you see in the little ball, it takes weird bounces because they're not. It's not around. So, like, doing a layup tip off the backboard is very dangerous. I mean, it is very dangerous. That thing can go there. Bruce Brown for a long time, I don't know if because he's a humble guy or didn't want to cause too much of a fuss, but he was always, like, trying to lay it up, and it was just like, brick city. Brick city. And I said, bruce, can you dunk? Like, can you dunk or no? And then all of a sudden, the Boston Brown team just starts, like, Bruce starts hanging on the rim. It's like, whoa, whoa, Whoa. I didn't know we had a little monster unlock down there, but it really did. You guys started kicking ass on the boards. You made shots whenever you need them. It was a valiant championship run. Congratulations.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Yeah, hey, just.

[Boston Connor]

Just happy to be here.

[Pat McAfee]

And the bone in butts. That was a good championship run. I think they defended three full days. They had three full days of defenses, which I think is very impressive and certainly the second longest run in the history of U. Bol. Yeah. A lot of people are actually comparing it to the Cena era, and that's not a good thing because they were the worst champions in this office that we've ever had. And how it ended reminded us a lot about how Cena ended the other day. Geez. He was. Yeah, it did seem like they were content, and they did tap out.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, you guys were kind of like Roman tired. He. I mean, obviously theirs was like Cena, and maybe ours will just be. Be like Gunther, you know, stop crying. Sorry, I can't play. You know, it is what it is. Hopefully I get back on that course soon.

[Pat McAfee]

Hopefully.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. And you know what? Team Boston, Brown. Brown Boston. Maybe we're just Team BB and just like you, Ball, the team name's up to you. Big ballers. You know, big balls. Whatever you want to call our team is what it could be.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, well, congrats, champs.

[Boston Connor]

Hey, thanks, man.

[Pat McAfee]

It's great to hear. Before you even had a chance, you've decided you're not fighting.

[Boston Connor]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. This is. This is not on me, brother.

[Fox]

My b.

[Boston Connor]

This is how my body's responding. I. Look, do you want me to blow my Achilles? You want me to blow a knee? You want me to blow a hip?

[Fox]

It's a risk we're willing to take.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, look, that's not a. Yeah, that's. That's your. That's up to you. It's up to me with my injuries. Call it me ball.

[Pat McAfee]

That's. See, it's already a part of the problem. Me and Foxy need to get that title ball back as soon as possible.

[Boston Connor]

As soon as I am physically able. As soon as the doctor.

[Fox]

Soon as the six to nine months.

[Boston Connor]

Probably trainers clear me. I. I'm going to be back on that field with. With a.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, you also need some rehab days, I guess, to get back into the swing of things.

[Boston Connor]

Well, it's going to be exactly one on one, two on two, three on three, four on four, five on five.

[Pat McAfee]

This is Zion Williamson type return, huh?

[Boston Connor]

Back to two. Let's play ball.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I think he's gonna play.

[Ty Schmidt]

I don't know.

[Pat McAfee]

Let's. Speaking of being out, Joe Burrow talked about being out of Cincinnati. Interesting call response here from a press conference for Joey Burrow, who said he wasn't having fun, then he looked disinterested, and now he's being asked about the future. Here's his response. Is there ever, is there any world in your mind where you're not the quarterback of the Bengals next year? I could, I couldn't.

[AJ Hawk]

I can't see that. No.

[Pat McAfee]

Have you ever thought about the possibility of not being the quarterback here during your career or typing?

[AJ Hawk]

You think about a lot of things.

[Pat McAfee]

Who has the typewriter in there?

[Fox]

We need to get that under the table.

[Tone]

Huh.

[Pat McAfee]

It's unbelievable that this.

[Fox]

Some soft touch keys or something. Do they have them?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I don't maybe just is it. Do you.

[Ty Schmidt]

You don't have to, you don't have to type like that.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, I like the fact that some of these people's fingers say this is about me and they kind of go for it. But also there's really nothing else they could do as they're trying to be stenographers and get the right answer there. What did you hear from Joe Burrow? He said, I couldn't imagine that. Whenever they first asked him about not being on the Bengals, he could imagine. And then they said, hey, have you thought about. About it? He's like, yeah, you think about a lot of things. What did you take from that? I, I thought that was the most convincing I'm going to be a Bengal answer I've heard in some time. But there's certainly people that like he said he thought about it, though, not being there. I think your natural human instinct is to maybe visit other places at some time.

[Fox]

Yeah, of course. I would imagine at some point you've envisioned what it would look like if you were somewhere else. Like, but normally it would probably think, hey, what if the Bengals want me out of here and I got to go play somewhere else? What does that look like? What does it feel like? But no, I, I, I for what I took from that is Joe will be back in city that next year.

[Pat McAfee]

Did you hear that? You cannot wipe your or shoot your boogers in celebration. Amon Ross St. Brown. I guess he is the booger trailblazer for the Detroit Lions, even though he's not the only one that's doing it. I guess. The NFL officials told the Detroit Lions wide receiver coach to tell Amal Ross St. Brown on sideline, enough with the mining for gold. What happened to your burger? First down celebration.

[Boston Connor]

You guys stopped doing it. What was that?

[Pat McAfee]

Did you see me do it? I saw you do it. I saw, like, two other guys do it. Like, what happened?

[Fox]

What happened, bro?

[Pat McAfee]

We do it the first drive.

[Fox]

Our receiver coach comes through after the first drive. Hey, man, ref said you guys can't do that no more.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

I'm like, what the.

[Ty Schmidt]

Really?

[Pat McAfee]

You can't dig in your nose and flick it? That's crazy. Why is that bad? I want to know, NFL, why can't I dig up my nose and flick it?

[Fox]

Like, there's no way.

[Pat McAfee]

What is bad about that? Is that why?

[Fox]

Do you want it? No, but, you know, is that derogatory?

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know, man. It's not like you're flicking an actual burger on somebody.

[Fox]

Yeah, not like, bro, I want to.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Do that all game so bad, bro.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, no, that was a good.

[Pat McAfee]

That's all he wanted to do. It was a fun game. It was a good time. But I wasn't allowed to throw boogers, yo. So I'm not happy about it. You're. Hey, here we go. How you doing?

[Fox]

Is it a weapon? Is he shooting a weapon? Is that what they're saying?

[Pat McAfee]

So I looked into this a little bit. You know, the CD Lamb. This thing got banned and outlawed, I thought. And I was misunderstanding, I guess I thought it was because of cocaine references, you know, where it's like, hey, you can't be signifying drugs and stuff like that. I guess actually, it's gang related, you know, with RICO charges with young thug and gun down there in Atlanta. So you can't be throwing up gang size slime. Yeah, you can't be doing the entire thing, I guess, is what the NFL came out and said. It references gangs, and they wrote that in the laws. So I thought the booger thing was like, well, they're talking about booger sugar, brother. You can't be doing that. The refs are saying, he can't be doing it. Turns out that's not a rule. The rule is the gang thing is why CD can't do it. So I guess it's just unsportsmanlike is what they're going with. And they can call that on anything. And I don't know, maybe the guy can't breathe and he's just trying to get in there and clear the entire thing out. Or maybe he's just trying to be Booger King and it might be the Booger gang. We're not 100% sure, so we'll have to get More information on why the refs are looking for it. This past week, though, he had a big time catch. Sideline official was looking at his face. Don't pick your nose. All right, we're off tomorrow. We'll be live game day tomorrow night for college football playoffs. See you then. Think we nailed it.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Tone]

He should pick his ass.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Fox]

You got to throw your turds. They got to throw turds.

[Ty Schmidt]

Pick his ass and smell it.

[Tone]

Yes.

[Pat McAfee]

Maybe both of them. Maybe both of them. And then I like that, you know, I don't know. But then that would be a poop gun and a booger gun.

[Ty Schmidt]

You're right.

[Pat McAfee]

You can't do the gun. So I'm not 100% sure how he gets around it, but I think maybe this is what the section three unsportsmanlike conduct, Article one, prohibited ax reads.

[Tone]

Okay, nice.

[Pat McAfee]

There shall be no unsportsmanlike conduct. This applies to any act which is contrary to the general understood principles of sportsmanship. Such acts specifically include, among others, okay, throwing a punch or a forearm or kicking at an opponent even though no contact is made. So even if you say, I'm attacking, do this. If you get in the way, I'm going to kick you. They consider I'm already in a way and you're already kicking them. Okay. You can't do that. B, use an abusive, threatening or insulting language or gestures to opponents, teammates, officials or representatives of the league. I don't know. Picking your own booger, pointing into space. It's pretty disrespectful.

[Boston Connor]

Flicking on the other team now.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't. I don't think he's flicked it on the other team yet, though. Has he done that and rubbed it like we I.

[Tone]

That.

[Fox]

That would be a problem. Yes.

[Pat McAfee]

If he want boom, boom, bang, pow.

[Fox]

Or he shot it at a guy or he went and tried to rub it on something that I think I get. I get that.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so. But I don't think we've found it yet. I don't think we found it in here, in article A or B here. How about c of section 3, article 1 of the unsportsmanly conduct, using baiting or taunting acts or words that may E n G e n D E R ill will between teams engender ill will.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. Whoever's writing this needs to stop being an asshole, okay? Just use words that we all understand because maybe that's engendering ill will. I guess I can see that.

[Ty Schmidt]

I can see that. Like, don't fucking pick your boogers at me.

[Pat McAfee]

Don't do that engender is to cause or give rise to a feeling situation or condition. So any using, baiting or talking, taunting acts or words that may engender ill will between teams. I don't know. I see a guy picking his bugs every day. I don't think I'm getting any ill will. I'm like, bud, you're. Everybody can see you. Yeah. I think he's wired by.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. What if you're, you know, you're with your kid, watching the game, you're trying to get your kid to stop picking your nose, and all of a sudden, dad see, everybody's picking their nose.

[Pat McAfee]

See, I'm not reading where that is hurting parenting. D. Violent gesture, which shall include, but not be limited to. Okay. Because they might come up with other ideas. A throat slash. Simulating, firing or brandishing a weapon. Remember, the kid can't do that. Using a nose wipe gesture.

[Ty Schmidt]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

Using a nose wipe gesture.

[Ty Schmidt]

There it is.

[Pat McAfee]

Or an act that is sexually suggestive. So any amount of pumps, if it looks like you're pounding something, be a problem picking your butt potentially depending upon what you're into. Yeah. Because what if somebody starts whipping them themselves? We don't know. Cuz maybe the ref's like, I know what you. That was turned on. That's. That's section 3, article 1D. You know that guy over there got a boner. Yeah.

[Boston Connor]

Dom Matrix.

[Pat McAfee]

Boom. Could you imagine? Get a first down, wraps one of those chokers around.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Ball gag.

[Pat McAfee]

And the ref's like, whoa, I know.

[Boston Connor]

That teammate starts walking him like a caller.

[Fox]

Oh, please.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay.

[Fox]

Someone's got to do that.

[Ty Schmidt]

Cold and shower.

[Fox]

Shouldn't be illegal.

[Pat McAfee]

All right.

[Boston Connor]

It is.

[Ty Schmidt]

That would be part of it.

[Pat McAfee]

Cleveland steamer.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

There's a lot of.

[Fox]

So many.

[Pat McAfee]

I think if you were to do that by yourself as a celebration, it would just look like you were dumping. I don't think anybody would really know you're potentially dumping on somebody else, which I guess it would be engendering ill will. But I don't know if it would be a sexually aggressive thing just by the site. Unless you laid somebody down.

[Ty Schmidt]

You would have to.

[Pat McAfee]

But if you're arrested, they say, I'm good with it.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Fox]

I'm reporting. I. He's. I'm reporting to the referee. He gets up on me and then. Here we go.

[Boston Connor]

If you're the ref, do you have to go to all 53 on the.

[Tone]

Other team and ask them if they were turned on by the move?

[Pat McAfee]

Time out.

[Ty Schmidt]

Let me check your dick card. Is your Dick hard. Is your dick hard?

[Tone]

Cop check. You know how they. We used to line up before soccer.

[Boston Connor]

Games and they would check our chin pads. Exactly. Just shuffling down the side.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, so we don't know. Submit this, clip this.

[AJ Hawk]

Submit this.

[Pat McAfee]

By the way, the only thing we've really got is the nose wipe gesture, which is how it's written in the rules. Is nose wipe gesture unnecessary physical contact with a game official under no circumstances a player allowed to shove, push, or strike an official in an offensive, disrespectful or unsports sportsmanlike manner. Okay, so those are. That is the entire rule right there. Because I was asked, what's the deal with the booger man? Who cares? If somebody wants to do that, let them do it. You know, it's not gang affiliated.

[Ty Schmidt]

Unless, like you said, there is, like a big upstart booger gang in Detroit. He's going around wiping boogers on the back of seats at the Lions stadium. Exactly.

[Boston Connor]

I mean, you could see Tim Robinson in Detroit doing that.

[Ty Schmidt]

Exactly. Boogers everywhere.

[Pat McAfee]

Everybody in the 3. 1, 3. Get your boogers on your fingers. The. Yeah, I mean, there's a chance. All right, let's get to a break on the other side. We'll make our picks and we'll wrap up all the very, very serious sports stories. Like that one. Yeah, yeah, yeah. If we don't talk about it, who will? We just read the entire.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, all the bylaws.

[Pat McAfee]

Nose wipe, I think is where they got you. Amanra. Nose wipe. We. We read them all.

[Fox]

Nothing there that says you can't throw turds. So they should try it.

[Pat McAfee]

I guess you could catch them.

[Fox]

Yep. Just launch it. Not at somebody, though. You can't throw it at another player.

[Pat McAfee]

No, but remember, that would be dropping a bomb. And right here it clearly says any violent gesture, which shall include but not be limited to. So if the ref on site picks up the fact that you're catching a.

[Ty Schmidt]

Turd and throwing a bomb, poop is a weapon.

[Pat McAfee]

Flag potential potentially coming.

[Boston Connor]

Plus, you might put a grenade.

[Fox]

Don't throw it like a grenade. Then throw it like your baseball pitch so it doesn't look like you're throwing a grenade.

[Boston Connor]

That's even worse.

[Fox]

Bam.

[Pat McAfee]

But you gotta.

[Fox]

You gotta cut. You gotta hold it like that. Oh, this is a. This is unstable in my hand. It's sliding through my fingers.

[Boston Connor]

You gotta show that stage. You gotta bring it up to your helmet like gorillas.

[Tone]

You ever seen a gorilla throw poop?

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Fox]

Smell it. Yes.

[Pat McAfee]

I saw gorilla.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Fox]

Sharp.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, dude, just on the window.

[Tone]

I'm thinking, was that AI?

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, I. I think that was AI cuz that was. What are they feeding that thing?

[Tone]

Explosive.

[Ty Schmidt]

What are they feeding?

[Tone]

Are we the only three to see that?

[Pat McAfee]

Bananas.

[Tone]

Did you see it?

[Boston Connor]

I saw it. I mean, I. Yeah, I saw it might be real. I know for a fact it's AI But I thought so.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know. This video is not real. It is AI generated community notes will get you.

[Fox]

I've never. I haven't seen it.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, you have.

[Ty Schmidt]

You got.

[Boston Connor]

You do it every night in your bathroom, pal.

[Pat McAfee]

I'll tell you what. I have had a couple explosive situations in the bathroom. And as soon as I see this video, I go silverback. Definitely possible. This is certainly possible. This silverback gorilla, I think. I don't know all the different, you know, types of gorillas, but I believe it's silverback. The biggest, baddest, loudest, the one you don't want to kind of meet. You guys are questioning mean. If that's real or not.

[Boston Connor]

How would you know?

[Pat McAfee]

How would you know?

[Tone]

I'm sending it to you, AJ I'm sending it to you.

[Pat McAfee]

When I heard you guys describe it.

[Fox]

I knew it had to be fake.

[Ty Schmidt]

No, it was real in the moment.

[Pat McAfee]

I said I could see, I thought it was real.

[Ty Schmidt]

I could see it.

[Pat McAfee]

Run it, run it, run it. Run it. Run it, run it, run it. Yeah, look, this could definitely happen. You never know.

[Tone]

She's getting sassy with them.

[Pat McAfee]

You never know.

[Boston Connor]

You can't watch that once.

[Pat McAfee]

Look at that spray pad on. Look at the science. The science. It feels like that would be how it would go. And also poop Web. He's about sick of it. I've had a couple moments. Orangutans, you never know. So that's not real. Okay, good. Go see the silver backs at the zoo. That's not going to happen to you. Ball is happening in a huge way tonight and throughout the entire weekend. That's AJ Hawk. The toxic tables here at Boston, Connor and at Ty Schmid. One after the Hammer. Cowboys. Ap Tone is here. And Tone, I think we got to make our picks, don't you think?

[AJ Hawk]

I.

[Tone]

It feels. Feels right to me because we're off tomorrow.

[Pat McAfee]

We will not only be selecting this evening's game, but also this weekend's NFL matchups. And then for college, obviously we're going to be on the call, so don't have to make a pick. Right?

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, no can.

[Boston Connor]

No, not allowed to.

[Pat McAfee]

That's kind of the thing.

[Boston Connor]

We can. We can bugle Boys definitely can.

[Ty Schmidt]

No, but even you guys, technically, technically we can't either. That would not be. We got to be right down the center with this one.

[Pat McAfee]

So dez, Coach Saban, the guest picker who Boss is going to be tomorrow. Hell yeah. Can't wait to see him. I assume he's still incredibly jacked in a little sheriff now and then. Johnny Manziel will be the guest picker for Saturday down there at College Station. Now I've seen him throwing up the U recently with. With an actress and I also saw him with Vandy a lot this year. Tony's a Vandy fan, but he is Tech. I think he's a Diego Pavia fan. I think he's obviously Texas A and M legend.

[Boston Connor]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

So like I. I think obviously anytime you get Johnny Manziel at College Station, you're going to go ahead and do that. Johnny Manziel needs to be a part of the biggest moment in the history of Kyle Field because he is. Has a couple of them. He has a couple of them already. So be excited to see him. Be excited to see Boss. But I certainly won't be able to pick that Texas A and Miami game now that I'm thinking about it. Well, Herby should be able to pick it though, right? Cuz he's not.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Yeah.

[Boston Connor]

You guys flip should. Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

So I'll make pick tomorrow and I can't. We're not on.

[Tone]

And he can't. And then you will.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Boston Connor]

Perfect.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Wow.

[Tone]

That'd be cool for you to say. I don't think you should let anyone know until it happens.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Because there's no way anybody at game day knows that I'm calling the game.

[Tone]

Bingo.

[Ty Schmidt]

Actually. And also.

[Pat McAfee]

Actually they don't. They will not know that.

[Ty Schmidt]

It will also be awesome if you close the show by just doing like a big promo and be like.

[Pat McAfee]

With that said, I'm going go call this thing.

[Ty Schmidt]

I can't pick this thing cuz I got to go call it.

[Pat McAfee]

Her. But it's in the stadium.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I think we're in the stadium somewhere. So you know, kind of both games actually in the stadium. So you kind of get out of having to really do any of the people song dance D. You don't have to do all the.

[Tone]

Unless it's over the stadium pa Which.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't want to give it away because I don't know if it's been set in stone yet. Saturday morning college game day. We could potentially have the biggest field goal kick in the history. That's all I'M going to say kicking as easy as the contest, obviously each week this year has been spectacular. You know, it has been fun to kind of do very expensive. Obviously a lot of money going out of this particular business into other people's pockets, including charity, which has been a very fun part of all this. Finding different charities in different locations around campus and all that stuff. Nick's Kids was the one selected by the lady from the SEC championship. Remember, she was Alabama fan, husband was Georgia fan. Husband. Georgia fan gets two kicks, he misses. But we still donate 250,000 to wife's charity of choice as opposed to his charity of choice. She picked Nick's Kids and got a photo with Ms. Terry and coach Saban. I mean, it was a merry Christmas, you know. Yeah. Kicking is easy contest has created some magical moments. Obviously in Alabama this past. I couldn't even tell you the Penn State one was insane. How awesome. Vandy was insane. It'd be hard to just pick Georgia whenever hot rod comes. I. There's a lot of really cool moments that have happened. I think this one at Texas A and M on Saturday will be if. If everything gets. Everything has to get because we're going to the stadium. So that would mean.

[Ty Schmidt]

I mean, the kick is in the stadium.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I think there's a lot of people that would have to approve it, but I think there's a chance that we have 100,000.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, my God.

[Boston Connor]

Jeez.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, Not a chance.

[Pat McAfee]

I think there's. I think there's 100,000 plus. Yeah, I think there's a chance that that's to happen. Now, Coach Elko and Texas A and M folks have been very. Yup, let's. We are in. But I don't know the actual logistics of what is happening, so I don't want to guarantee that it's taking place. But without saying anything, there's a chance Saturday morning the kick is happening in front of 100,000 plus.

[Ty Schmidt]

And there's no chance that kid is going to make that.

[Pat McAfee]

And it might be worth. It might be worth BUU bucks. A big one. Yeah. Just depending on how the vibe is. And there's a chance that this will be going to. And the thing will be.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. Pressure cooker.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, my God. Hundred some thousand people chanting some kid's name. Imagine that. Just. Yeah. Maybe he'll be so tired or she will be so tired or maybe they'll be so adrenaline fueled that it'll help them instead of hurt them. Or maybe that thing really gets to them and they have a moment of oh, no. This is not that fucking fun to be a kicker. How did I sign up and win this lottery to do this? One of 300 people. But there's a chance Saturday morning is going to be awesome. No kick tomorrow night before the game because of logistics and everything. But Saturday morning, allegedly, there's a chance, AJ that it is going to be the. The biggest one possible. And that would be sick. And once again, I'm speaking for our experience. The Texas A and M hospitality has been outrageous for us. We just got invited in the gym, in an interesting phrase text message. We got invited to be able to use their facilities. Hey, we're not getting in till late or whatever on Friday. It's all right. We'll have somebody come here and open if you guys need anything early in the morning, you need anything, we'll have somebody come open it for you. It's like they have been very, very, and I would say this Miami, earlier in the year, probably the most hospitable to us. So it's like we are very lucky that this game is happening with how everybody he's been treating us. Now it's our job to hopefully do it some justice. On espn Two boys. That's right.

[Ty Schmidt]

That's right.

[Pat McAfee]

Do that boys.

[Tone]

Do our best.

[Pat McAfee]

What was coach Saban about? Hey, you're all going to be there. I'll be interested to know after the game. You think that's real noise in there or do you think.

[Tone]

Made some noise?

[Pat McAfee]

What's that? Since saying it?

[Tone]

Well, that one, but more the more the G5.1.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And you know, elitist culture, elitist mindset. Ty Schmidt's been heavily in the elitist conversation for a while with this entire group of five thing. There's a chance to prove it on field.

[Tone]

Yeah. We're not saying it's their fault. It's not JMU's fault. It's not Tulane's fault. They just played the games. The committee put them in.

[Pat McAfee]

Fox put out what we were talking about yesterday with, you know, five stars and shit, four stars, a lot of it. Obviously production on the field got to be good, but body type, speed, that's all like projections on what players could be. So normally the five star players are all the big fast guys, the unusually big fast human beings, the bodies, the. That are built differently than everybody else. Normally the five star built on projections of what they could be. Four star, same thing, just whatever, three star same thing. And then Fox put out the comparison of the roster and it's like, yeah, here's kind of how it lays out, there's six of them on Oregon. 0:52 Four star players, there's three at JMU and then 51 others is like two star I guess or anything other than that. No star, no star for Oregon. So they still got the walk ons and the low recruited guys. But it's like this is what Saban's talking about when he talks about a weight advantage because these stars, I'm not saying this is how good of a player is. I'm not saying this is guaranteed to make somebody be great because obviously I think I was a zero star before I went and hit a kick 65 yard field goal in Miami and all of a sudden I was the number one guy in the country and nobody had even seen me before that weekend. So I don't believe in all this shit. But the stars normally are body type projections is what they are. So whenever you're talking about size and they can be utilized, not skill, not heart, not the size of the dog, the fight of the dog, all that type of I'm just telling you from pure body type reasons, this is why Coach Saban and others are like this game involves physicality and whenever one side is clearly bigger, stronger, faster than the other in football, they're probably going to win that game. Especially if it's that big of a difference. That's why in the NFL you see a lot of same, it's a lot of parody because whatever it is, but whenever you have different weight classes fighting, normally it bodes well for the bigger, stronger, faster team. But JMU don't care about that AJ and they can change the entire conversation this weekend. So can Tulane. They can literally change everything that's being said right now can get settled on the field. But if it ends up going the way that all the people, Coach Saban and basically everybody else has been a part of this conversation goes, it's going to be so fucking there's not even going to be a conversation about Alabama, Oklahoma. There won't even be a conversation about Miami, Texas A and M going in the next round. The entire conversation will be Notre Dame didn't get in and these other teams didn't get in. And what happened on the field is exactly what everybody thought was going to happen. And once again Tulane and jmu, not their fault.

[Ty Schmidt]

No, not fair for them either.

[Pat McAfee]

They shouldn't be just getting murdered through this entire thing by everybody. They should be celebrating a championship win and being one of the top five ranked conference champions. But in the reality of this, of the Entire thing. They took the Notre Dame spot. One of them did. If not both of them did. So it's going to be viewed as such after the games. And once again, they can go out there and win us.

[Ty Schmidt]

They can.

[Pat McAfee]

They can be lizard licking all over. True tv. Big time dub.

[Ty Schmidt]

Exactly.

[Fox]

They could change the future of the college football playoffs. Like take both these teams, win, like, then they're like, okay, I think we figured out guys, we don't need to make any tweaks.

[Pat McAfee]

Even if they're. Even if it's.

[Tone]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Boston Connor]

Close.

[Fox]

Good game. Comes down towards the end.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I think that's. That's all anybody's going to be watching for. But as soon as it. If not as soon, sorry. Then I am falling into the same category as everybody else. That's just assuming it's going to. Which I lean towards. I do think that Oregon and you know, I'll miss. We'll see how they handle it all. Yeah, a lot of drama. Lot of drama. Most drama before what happened in obviously Ann Arbor. But like that's, that's not into the.

[Fox]

I can also build them up too though. That can also give you bunker mentality, I feel like for Ole Miss.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. But the entire offensive staff are LSU Tiger coaches. So bunker.

[Fox]

That is. But that does make it a little tougher.

[Pat McAfee]

So what? Bunker.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. You know, and a lot of the guys who are on Ole Miss currently, like, are those. A lot of those guys will probably transfer to LSU as well.

[Pat McAfee]

So it is a fascinating thing. But on that note, could rally them and say like, hey, this is our one last chance to kind of do this as this team with this. So to your point where we never know how something could go, but there are certainly outcomes that are very polar.

[Tone]

Different and fun fact between those two games. Seven coordinators in those two games will be on different teams next year. The only coordinator staying is Golding, who got hired as the head coach at Ole Miss.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. Both teams dealing with that whole coach and people leaving and stuff like that. But I mean also when you go to those four biggest spreads, we talked about how like, oh, well, the two other biggest spreads, you know, those two teams. Well, it's also when there's only four teams. So sure. The two other big spreads with, you know, sit. Where is it? Notre dame, Bama. The 2020 semifinal. Yes. You know, Notre Dame, they covered. They're the fourth ranked team in the country. And same with Oklahoma. Like this is a much different situation. Like there's a huge chance these teams get fucked and then we just have to not even watch. But it also, like. Like you mentioned, it takes away from these other games that also might be blowouts.

[Pat McAfee]

Like Oklahoma might play last year.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, like, that could easily happen, like. Oh, exactly. Ohio State murdered Oregon in the Rose.

[Tone]

Bowl in the second round.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. As the 1 seed. Like, blowouts happen, but in the first round. That's when hopefully we could get rid of them instead.

[Tone]

Those were the biggest spreads in College Football Playoff history. The biggest upsets, the biggest wins in College football playoff history. TCU was plus eight over Michigan in 2022, Ohio State plus seven and a half over Bama in 14, and Ohio State plus seven over Clemson in 2012.

[Pat McAfee]

Ohio State.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Boston Connor]

And how TCU do in the national championship after that?

[Ty Schmidt]

They got beat by close one to Georgia.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, is it raining in Los Angeles that day? Yes, it was so far.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

That was crazy.

[Ty Schmidt]

On the Concord.

[Boston Connor]

Yes. Cracking their skull.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, that's super dangerous. Have we got any?

[Boston Connor]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

We move along. We move along. We're thankful that we're.

[Ty Schmidt]

I've got no updates, though, but we.

[Pat McAfee]

Need to keep our head on a swivel down there big time, especially if Spank's running around. Yeah, I hope. Me too. We've decided we're going to fight you this year.

[Fox]

That.

[Pat McAfee]

If you're listening.

[Fox]

Does he know that you. Does he know you that he is spanked, that you're talking about him?

[Pat McAfee]

I found friends of his to make sure they relay messages to him, like, hey, let him know that, like, there's a significant investment on us being allowed to stand where we are. So if he needs to move two feet, like, he needs to do that. And we're about sick of him prancing around us, giving us nasty looks and bumping into us and taking pictures of us and doing all this thing. It's like, just go do your job two feet to the left of us, buddy. We know you need this exact moment right here. I'm sick of it. I hate that guy.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, yeah, we'll see.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, we'll see you.

[Fox]

It's true.

[Pat McAfee]

The ref.

[Fox]

If we're too close, the refs politely ask us to back up. That has happened before, and we have.

[Pat McAfee]

But the refs also kind of understand, like, hey, this is a part of the media package of the College Football Playoff. Like, the thing that is kind of doing this entire thing. Don't want to big dog you, but I'm in the actual meetings, wherever this is being talked about. You can move your ass two feet to the left here, buddy. Okay. And I think there's other people that do your job. I'm not sure this one. There is any. So, yeah, I'm excited for that. I am excited for that.

[Fox]

Me too. Me too.

[Pat McAfee]

I forget just now thinking about. I'm like, yes, Spank. Get him around here. This guy's bigger than the game. This guy's bigger than a college football playoff. Without a doubt, this guy right here. That's unbelievable. I had no idea that was even possible for somebody that dresses like that.

[Boston Connor]

Not to mention, you know, Texas A and M goes down down early, and maybe Spank runs his mouth to the wrong state trooper. That state trooper.

[Pat McAfee]

We gotta see him.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Was he banned? We don't know if there's no way that day.

[Boston Connor]

He was.

[Tone]

That game. He was. But I don't know if he's.

[Fox]

There's no.

[Boston Connor]

He ended up winning, so I. I'm assuming he still hasn't paid for a beer in College Station.

[Pat McAfee]

Let's make sure we find him so we take a picture with him.

[Ty Schmidt]

I think that guy got reassigned, if I'm not mistaken.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, to the old office.

[Ty Schmidt]

No.

[Pat McAfee]

What do you mean?

[Ty Schmidt]

Like, you ain't working these games anymore, pal. Yeah, I'm pretty sure he got reassigned.

[Pat McAfee]

That was unbelievable to see that. Like, is this real life? The Texas A and M said a state trooper made contact with South Carolina players during Saturday's game, has been relieved of his game day duties.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

What?

[Pat McAfee]

That's bull. What did this guy do?

[Boston Connor]

Save the team.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Hey, you get going.

[Boston Connor]

And who are won that game?

[Pat McAfee]

Texas A.

[Boston Connor]

What was the score after that? After that?

[Pat McAfee]

Huge comeback?

[Boston Connor]

31 3, I think.

[Pat McAfee]

And I'm relieved.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Of my duties.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, okay.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. I thought we wanted it every game. Earlier in the game.

[Boston Connor]

Y' all like to lose, huh?

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. This ain't my Aggies. I don't want to work here.

[Ty Schmidt]

More of a tech guy, anyway.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. Cody Campbell. I'm gonna call him right now.

[Pat McAfee]

Cody Campbell. Like six of me around here. Yeah.

[Boston Connor]

Boom.

[Pat McAfee]

What are you doing? Hey. Just get back on the field.

[Fox]

Unreal. He got both of them.

[Boston Connor]

He did.

[Pat McAfee]

But you specifically get the back on that field. I love it. He's like, it's my tunnel. Protected. Why are you.

[Boston Connor]

Number eight sucks.

[Pat McAfee]

I would like to hear his explanation. Whenever he sits down and they go, all right, what's your side of it? As you can see, I was protecting that tunnel. That is where our. That's where our Aggies come from. So I just want. I wanted him to know that he can't be Going down there. It feels like they were already coming back, though they weren't really going. Yep. If they wanted to do it again, I had to let them know that that ain't. That ain't the right move. But I don't think it was really just a situation with the. But you don't care about that tunnel. See, that's why I was at that. Well, it seems like you went out of your way to hit them, and then you kind of made us all look like assholes whenever you turn and point. And it was them. I'm the cuz. I want the Aggie stunner to be protected.

[Ty Schmidt]

Fine.

[Pat McAfee]

You want to hear me say it?

[Ty Schmidt]

We're down four touchdowns. I was pissed. Okay, So I gave them both a shoulder to chew on. And then that one, some had the g to look back at me, said, you get go and we won. You should be thanking me. There's a home game this weekend, y'.

[Boston Connor]

All, in here, they're talking about wiping.

[Pat McAfee]

Boogers on on the side of the wall. All right. All right, let's make some picks tonight. Rams, Seahawks. Seahawks favored by a point and a half on DraftKings. 62% of the bets are in Puka Nakua. Hey, Puk, Need a big one, buddy?

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Need a big one. You need to have a big game. This is part of becoming a superstar in the league and what it's all about. Especially if you're going to do stuff, it's going to be very loud if you don't perform on the field, which you always do. We can't wait to watch Puka Nakua. Matthew Stafford. Sean McCarthy and the boys travel up to Seattle for an NFC west heavyweight fight. Who's going to win the division? It was a home playoff game or maybe a buy in home playoff throughout the entirety of the playoffs. AJ who do you like? How do you like it? No injuries, basically, other than devonte.

[Fox]

Okay, well, first off, I like these Seahawks uniforms. What do we do? We have a name for these.

[Boston Connor]

These are their.

[Ty Schmidt]

The.

[Boston Connor]

These are their version of the NFL rivalries. I believe they're the last team to wear them this year. It was the AFC east and NFC West. That's what those are.

[Pat McAfee]

Mike McCarthy took the Seattle Seahawks strictly because of Schneider. I know that's. I'm only three. Whenever I pick with my heart, but damn, Schneider's got my heart pretty good. I'm taking the Seahawks up there. He would be 9 and 5 if he was making selections. Last week he took another L, so he's 9 and 5. Still very much a winner. That is still a very good odds. Still very good picking. He's on the Seahawks, though, because of Schneider. That is basically all it was. So it's kind of tough whenever he's that biased, knowing that whenever you watch film for this game, it was with the mindset of wanting to pick the schneider Seahawks. So, A.J. who do you like? How do you like it?

[Fox]

Well, when I heard Coach Mike say that, you know, I'm going with. I'm going with John Snyder and the Seahawks, I knew instantly what my pick was going to be. I was leaning heavily towards the Seahawks, and that just cemented my decision to take John Snyder and the Seattle Seahawks. And I mean, think about it, though. The Seattle Seahawks defense, they bottled up Phil Rivers last week. That is not something that everybody can do. So I think they're going to continue with that momentum. Sam Darnold has a big game. I don't know why you're shaking your head. Give me the Seahawks.

[Pat McAfee]

No, I'm. I'm not.

[Boston Connor]

Yes.

[Pat McAfee]

I'm saying yes because you're right. Everybody was just killing the Seattle Seahawks because it was a close game against Phil Rivers and Colts. Might we remind you that the Indianapolis Colts, whenever they had a quarterback that was operating, we're the number one team in the NFL. This is the best offense in the entire league. Now, defense has a lot of injuries, so Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks not being able to move a lot on our defense. Lou Anarumo obviously gets a lot of credit for that. The defense flew around, so you can certainly judge that. But like, Seahawks defense, still very good. I mean, Jonathan Taylor was an MVP candidate just three weeks ago. So whenever you talk about beating the Colts in the way that they did and everybody holding that against the Seattle Seahawks, I think that was very disrespectful to the Indianapolis Colts. I think that was very disrespectful to the Seattle Seahawks. And on that note, give me the Los Angeles Rams plus one and a half going into Seattle. I like the Rams and I think I might not be mistaken, but I think Puka is going to have a huge game. I think Puka knows he has to like. I think Puka is going to have a huge game just anytime there's a lot of this. Most dogs understand what they have to do. We all believe that Puka is a dog, right?

[Boston Connor]

For sure.

[Pat McAfee]

We all believe that is so. I think Puka is going to have an even bigger game. Not that he doesn't every single week. I think Matthew Stafford's going to do well. I think the wind is going to even only spotlight what Puka is going to be able to do anymore. You're going to have a lot of jet sweeps, you're going to have a lot of short throws to him, try to get him the ball early. He's going to run very angry. I think he has a good game strictly because he has to. Because if he doesn't, it's going to be very loud. And I think McVeigh gets the job. Nope. Give me the Seahawks. I like the Seahawks.

[Fox]

What happened?

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know. In my brain I just saw. In my head, I just literally saw and heard the Seahawks faithful, like the fans, and it was like, that's a massive difference actually in the 50 degree or 50 mile an hour winds, 40 mile an hour winds. I think that bodes well for the home team normally, especially if they know the place. And I think, yeah, I like the Seahawks. I think too. Wow.

[Boston Connor]

Devonte, like we're talking Mike McDonald's being a defensive mastermind, like having to cover two one sucks. But now it's just Puka. It's like, okay, let's take him out of the game completely and then let's see if these three tight ends, two to Atwell and Kyron Williams, can beat us. Like with devonte, I'm, I'm with you. It's just you wonder how like all those touchdowns, how many goal to go touchdowns does Devonte have? Like 10 this year. Like that. That changes their offense just a little bit. Who knows if it's enough, but a little bit. 12, 12 goal to go touchdown.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

And we talked about it a bunch in the first hour and I know, you know, Harrison Mavis has been good this year, but like Jason Myers is arguably the best kicker in the NFL right now. And if you think it's going to be a close game, like you side with the guy who has been, you.

[Pat McAfee]

Know, just went six bulletproof the last time we talked up Jason Myers, though.

[Ty Schmidt]

True, true.

[Pat McAfee]

He missed the kick. The next game tonight he might miss a kick because of how windy it.

[Fox]

Is going to be, say 50 mile an hour gust up there.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, they're saying 40 to 50.

[Fox]

That's going to be wild. I mean, punting. I know I've played a game in Chicago where I'm on putting and the wind was so serious, the snap got blown like 10 yards away from our punter.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, the can happen. The punting is the worst in McCarthy. I don't know if you heard us talk to him in the first hour. He said something that was so empathetic of his punters that I was like, fuck, man. I never even thought of a coach thinking of that. Coach McCarthy was like, if it's super windy and it's third down, you know, you're not worried to maybe take a shot here because the worst thing that could happen is just long interception and it's basically just an arm point. You kind of take it out of the punter's hands anyways. You don't have to worry about the wind. And I was like, yes, I would have loved to hear that from like somebody going into a game. Like in Cleveland. We had a game in Cleveland, it was so cold, so windy. I mean it was ass. And I did terribly and I thought I was built for that. Like born in Pittsburgh, West Virginia. Like I'm ready for this. And just mentally and physically just wasn't able to really do well. It would have been great if Andrew just throws four picks that game, you know, just four massive 55 yard picks. He did it for me. He didn't do it for me on purpose, I don't think. But he said it did cross his mind. Like worst thing that happens here is 50 yard gain if an interception happens. Drake Bag just did it last week.

[AJ Hawk]

Week.

[Pat McAfee]

It's like in these super windy games, punting is hard. I didn't even mention the snap. That's 15 yards where that thing has to.

[Fox]

That's the tough. That's the scary thing when it's that windy. That snap is not easy, that's for sure.

[Pat McAfee]

That's a 15 yard completion. Like nobody really talks about it and it's somebody Sam punt.

[Fox]

Can Sam Darnold or Stafford punt and do the old Ben Rolber take a couple steps back and then all of a sudden he quarterback boots it?

[Pat McAfee]

Could that be even more scary though? Because the freefall is what I talked about. So whenever somebody drops the ball and then from hand to foot, there's a moment where that ball is just kind of lingering and it doesn't have a lot of power or force. It's just kind of just hanging there. And if the wind's bad and that thing moves, it's like you got no shot to hit that thing clean basically. So punting is a nightmare in this type of weather. And this is one of those games that I'll watch and I'll just be like so pumped that I don't even have to ever feel that feeling again of walking onto a field in warmups and just Feeling and being like, well, let's hope I don't ruin my entire career today. Let's hope that this doesn't happen. And the worst thing that happens, you hit a shitty ball because it moves. Hits off the inside of your foot. It's low. Returner gets it. House call. Okay, so not only is it terrible average, it's a touchdown. Angie's your team. So. All right. It's been fun. That's possible tonight for the punters. So I believe in Dixon.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I think he's very good. Who's Ram Spunner?

[AJ Hawk]

Jack Guy.

[Pat McAfee]

Right. Ethan Evans. I like him. I think he's very good.

[Fox]

Flip side, though, for returners trying to catch those punts, if they actually do catch them, they can also muff them a lot easier.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, a lot of this. A lot of this.

[Fox]

Yeah. They're going to be getting away from it for sure.

[Pat McAfee]

A lot of Peter Poison. What did you guys say?

[Fox]

Peter. Always.

[Pat McAfee]

I always heard Peter as well. Whole life, every person, Peter. And then there's people that say, like, Poison, too. You ever hear that people say that?

[Fox]

I definitely heard other teams say Poison. Yeah, we were. I was. We said Peter from first grade on, probably.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And I think even backyard football, street football.

[Fox]

What is that? What's the. What's the background of that? Who. How did that start?

[Boston Connor]

It might be regional as well, because we. I. I've only ever heard Poison back in.

[Tone]

I think it was the early 20s, 1920s. Peter Van Dyke, he. He muffed the pun. He shouldn't have touched. And so.

[Fox]

Peter, Peter, Peter.

[Boston Connor]

And then the band Poison, who. Obviously. Legendary band. Yeah, they're actually. Ax man was a punter. And, you know, growing up in the.

[Pat McAfee]

Northeast, he's just showing respect.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, he started. He started the whole Poison thing. Poison. Poison. Great bands. Get away from the ball.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Listen to music. Don't touch the ball.

[Boston Connor]

Exactly.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. There's chance both those things are true. There's chance both of them are not. I assume there is a guy named Peter, though, that did something on a pump play and everybody was like this, don't be him. Just don't do it. All right, let's go to the Saturday double header for the NFL. Philadelphia and Washington. Washington with Marcus Mariota over under 44 and a half. Philadelphia Eagles seem to be very jolly on Hard Knocks. I'm actually really falling in love with their team. Yeah. Bradley Cooper, obviously was in attendance with a big smile on his face. Go watch his new movie. Is this thing gone? It's available. What, tomorrow?

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

December 9th.

[Fox]

Stand up movie, right?

[Pat McAfee]

It's with Will Arnett and Florida Dern. Fascinating. He wrote, directed, shot, and is in Bradley Cooper. So you're talking like super talent in this entire thing. And we potentially heard from him while he was shooting and creating this. We're talking about actually holding the camera for a lot of these shots and then directing and then editing and the whole writing, the whole thing. So we're incredibly pumped for Bradley Cooper. We think he did a great job. The tomato score for this is very high.

[Ty Schmidt]

Certainly certified fresh.

[AJ Hawk]

Very, very.

[Ty Schmidt]

And it's like a 90 plus, I think.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Very, very high. So congrats to him and Will Arnett and Cooper, I believe, have been friends for a very long time. And Cooper was like so excited and thankful that Will Arnett agreed to do it. Seems like he was perfect for the character. We got a chance to watch like the first 45 minutes in here. Very thankful for the opportunity to do that. You're gonna see the artistry in there, brother. I mean, there is shots, the whole thing. It's congrats to him. That's up available tomorrow, I do think. Yeah, he 31 zip Eagles just beat the Raiders. Philly favored by six and a half. Who do you like? How do you like it, A.J.

[Fox]

I mean, I, I got to go Philly here, I, I, I try to talk myself into taking Washington because I like a lot of the guys that like Dan Quinn, but I like Philly here minus six and a half.

[Pat McAfee]

I'll ride with you as well. 31 zip will shut up anybody who might have some doubts, myself included, for who that Philadelphia Eagles team is and who they can be. And it's meaningful for football time. All Sirianni's teams, right, except for that one year where they lose six straight, have seemingly got better towards the end. Green Bay vs. The Chicago Bears. Bears 1 1/2 point dogs in Chicago could be one of the last times they play in the city of Chicago's. Go ahead, Bruce. What's that? Oh, I'm sorry. The Bears favored by point and a half.

[Ty Schmidt]

They were dogs yesterday. They were one and a half point dogs yesterday.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so this is this coin.

[Fox]

What changed?

[Pat McAfee]

This coin flip. I think the news that this could be one of the final games in Chicago is maybe what changed things, A.J. we haven't got your opinion on that. Bears exploring all options as another seemingly deal to relocate is now no longer 100 percenter. Northwest Indiana Gary area only 31 minutes away from where Soldier Field currently is said, hey, we're open for business and Governor Mike Braun, who is a former businessman, now governor in Indiana. And I said, hey, we're open for business. And then allegedly there was either a law that was pitched earlier in the books that could involve, I think sports complexes being built for professional teams with tax free incentives if you're to build it. So it's like everything that we've heard that the Chicago Bears are looking for and any team is looking for whenever they're trying to build these new massive stadium, hotel, shops, restaurants, Patriot Place, Jerry World type business, Indian like, yep, we got it for you if you really want it and if you can have it, we, we got it and we're close. We're close. You can still be that. So AJ I know packers fans would make fun of the Chicago Bears fans forever. I think Chicago Bears fans would not be happy at all. But it feels like the Chicago Bears relocation thing is just as bad as like when the Athletics are trying to leave Oakland here. It's not really going well for them. A.J.

[Fox]

No, it's not. I mean, come on now. We, you can't have the Chicago Bears have a stadium in Indiana. I don't care how close.

[Boston Connor]

You can't.

[Fox]

Like if I'm Indiana's governor, mayor, if I'm Indiana, absolutely, bring them in. Build your stadium. Give me your millions and millions of dollars of tax dollars that coming in and we're going to bring all this revenue for sure. But no, the Bears need to be, they need to play in Chicago.

[Boston Connor]

The Jets Giants play New York City.

[Pat McAfee]

No, they're the New York Jets, New York Giants and they play in New Jersey.

[Boston Connor]

That's what I thought.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, Chicago Bears.

[Fox]

So maybe, I mean, we're negotiating in the public. That's what we're doing here. That's all we're doing potentially.

[Pat McAfee]

But they've done this multiple times. Kevin Warren has done this multiple times with the Bears and it has come back not good. Multiple times where it said like, yeah, we're doing it. Can't get the funding actually, so we're not going to be able to do it. Well, why'd you say you're going to do it? It feel felt like you thought you were going to get the funding. Well, there's always a chance. And then we're doing it where the.

[Tone]

Cowboys play at and then all of.

[Pat McAfee]

A sudden they ain't got it. Arlington H Where do the NERS play? It is the state of Texas, Santa Clara era.

[AJ Hawk]

Oh.

[Fox]

We'Re talking cities, we're talking states.

[Ty Schmidt]

We're just saying both.

[Tone]

We're just Saying there's a lot of lies. Talking about the Midwest Bears here.

[Pat McAfee]

We're talking about the G Bears, Country Bears, Midwest Bears, the American Bears. Is that what you're talking about? Chicago Bears?

[Fox]

I guess so, yeah. I don't know. I mean, either way, nothing's happening anytime soon.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Sounds like.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, Governor Mike Braun said actually we could break ground tomorrow. Right now, can't touch Michael Jackson's house. Okay, can't do that.

[Ty Schmidt]

But anything else we got.

[Pat McAfee]

Where's that Gary? Gary?

[Fox]

Gary, you mean. Yeah, I should drive through Gary all the time coming to and from Green Bay.

[Pat McAfee]

See, so you know the. The land. Well, so Michael Jackson's house going to be right there. The Chicago. Sorry. The G Bear Casino will be right here. You can not only stay at the Gar Bear Casino, which we're getting all the revenue from all the hotel rooms and everything else that's happening right there. You can walk right outside. Guess what we got? We got the American Bear Shopping Plaza right here. Oh, my God. Not just a gift shop, but obviously any actual stores that you could potentially need on a trip. You want some. You want a new jacket, maybe to go hang out, maybe some gifts? We got 14 different stores here. A full plaza.

[Boston Connor]

Build a Bear Workshop.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, my gosh. And not only can you build a bear, you can also build a nice meal. We got 14 restaurants here that you're going to, kind of. So basically, you come watch the G Bears, you're staying in our place, you're eating our food, you're shopping in our stores, you're gambling in our casino, and you're watching our team in our stadium. That's all possible.

[Ty Schmidt]

That's right.

[Pat McAfee]

That's all possible.

[Tone]

Not just Michael. Tito, also born there.

[AJ Hawk]

Okay.

[Fox]

All the Jackson and the rest of them. Janet, There's a bunch of them.

[Pat McAfee]

And Latoya and Jermaine.

[Tone]

Jermaine. And that's about as far as I'm getting.

[Pat McAfee]

You're close, though. I mean, you. I think. Yeah. You were very, very close. You almost had it.

[Fox]

Joe. Dad. Joe.

[Boston Connor]

That could be their Pump up song. Their renegade turn turns into abc. Yeah, you know me.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, my gosh.

[Boston Connor]

Or man, don't ray me. Ab.

[Pat McAfee]

1, 2, 3. And then they could in. In the back of each end zone.

[Fox]

Beat it.

[Pat McAfee]

For only Bears players. Maybe Thriller. I mean, if we're just gonna start listening off all the songs that we know by Michael Jackson. I like that. But in the back of the end zone, the Gear Bears cleats. They'll have secret things in there they can strap into Two metal things and they can do that forward lean. Yeah. So that could be only in certain spots in the back of the enzyme. Only the gear bears will know the location and their cleats, they'll be able to strap in like it's a bike, you know, like a peloton bike. And then all of a sudden, and then the refs are gonna be like, if he goes below, what would that be? 45.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Tone]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

If he goes past 45 degrees, you gotta throw the flag. He just can't go. Yeah, you can't be. Can't do that.

[Boston Connor]

Caleb in those things, he's going. He's going to 10 degrees.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, my God. I didn't think about him all the way down. He's gonna get a matcha. Probably a Garrett, which they own the matcha show.

[Ty Schmidt]

They do.

[Pat McAfee]

It might be Caleb's matcha right outside.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

Maybe Cleaves.

[Pat McAfee]

Could be. Some say, never know.

[Tone]

Some say Khalid Roma Dunze and Luther Burton are out for this one.

[AJ Hawk]

They just got rolled out, so.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, A.J. does that change anything for you?

[Ty Schmidt]

Packers have a.

[Fox]

No. But with all that being said, I will take the Green Bay packers on the road. I know you want to do it. I know you want to pick. You're going to pick the Bears, but you want to pick Green Bay because you feel and you know that they're.

[Boston Connor]

Going to win that line.

[Fox]

But I understand what you're doing here. It's a program you got, you know, you got to pick against me. Here we go.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay.

[Ty Schmidt]

This is a must win for the Packers.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, as I saw the GB there, all I thought to myself was, good, better, you know, and then is there best on the other side there?

[AJ Hawk]

I don't know.

[Ty Schmidt]

He's never got the say that against the packers, so.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, Ben Johnson said, I can't wait to beat La Flore two times.

[Fox]

2026.

[Pat McAfee]

Close to 2026, though. Maybe the year starts early, just like Chicago kind of stretches into Gary, Indiana. They were going to realign the states. AJ that was being pitched seriously, very real. Southern Illinois was about to like parts of Southern Illinois were about to become part of Indiana. And then I think parts of that we were about to go to Illinois. It was being pitched. Local news. Who knows if it's real? Who knows what's being pitched and what's not being pitched. But I think politicians are always spitting something. I'll take the Packers. Golly, I don't like it.

[Fox]

Good to see you making nice, rational decisions.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, no. Max actually went into a box over There.

[Boston Connor]

So boom, I like to pick.

[Pat McAfee]

Let's move along. Let's go to Sunday's games. We have the Buffalo Beals taking on the Cleveland Browns. Bills favored by only 10 and a half. Once again, the Colts Colts 14 point underdogs in Seattle. Okay, I thought that was very disrespectful by the books. I will continue to think that is disrespectful. Respectful. Buffalo bills favored by 10 and a half in Cleveland. Cleveland's defense in Cleveland. Crazy. Myles Garrett can obviously get a record for most sacks ever recorded in one NFL season. Shador Sanders, fresh off a lot of picks. What do you think goes? How do you think goes, AJ who do you like? How do you like it?

[Fox]

I mean, I feel like this Buffalo Bills team is really rounding into form and they're really starting to hit their stride. Obviously Josh Allen doing well. So I will take the Buffalo Beals on the road minus 10 and a.

[Pat McAfee]

Half, 15 mile an hour winds 28 degrees, 30 degrees is what NFLweather.com colder.

[Fox]

Windier, the better for Josh and the Bills, you know that.

[Pat McAfee]

Agreed. Slight chance of rain, so it could be a little bit shitty. Give me Josh Allen in the Bill was favored by 10 and a half as well. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers now this one's interesting because Canales, the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, reference how this particular ref crew loves called pass interference. And for Mike Evans, this might be a little bit of a benefit for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They might be able to eat off this. Now I know this because we did whenever we were down there with Mike Evans in our weapons that we had. So that could be a storyline that could develop. I also appreciate the fact that we're starting to talk about these types of things with ref crews going into it because teams talk about this type of shit with ref crews. Hey, this crew is more likely to call hold. This crew is more likely to let it go. This crew calls the handsy shit. This crew does these things, types of things. So these are the types of conversations that actually happen in buildings now that it's becoming public. I like it. Especially with the NFC south on the line here. Who do you like? How do you like it in Carolina, in Tampa Bay? A.J. hawk.

[Fox]

Yeah, the, the, the Bucks have been a bit of a, a weird team for me to try. I picked, I've picked the Bucks a lot of times. I've been, it's blown up in my face. But I, I feel confident I'm taking the Bucks here minus three even Though they are favorites on the road. Why do they favor favors?

[Boston Connor]

They should be.

[Fox]

You should give the. The Panthers, you know, minus three.

[Pat McAfee]

You should need to talk to sportsbooks for that. So 57% of the public bets are on the Carolina Panthers. Congrats to them. There's no way that has ever happened. No. In a long time. It has not happened in a long time. I'll take the Carolina Panthers plus three at home.

[Ty Schmidt]

I was going to say, if you believe in that. The Panthers basically have been really shitty one week and then they look like world beaters the next week and then they look really, really shitty the next week. They got beat by the Saints last week. A lot of people saying, hey, that may have been their really shitty game. They might come out like gangbusters in this one at home.

[Tone]

To his point. Panthers are 5 and 1 straight up after a loss and 60 against the spread after a loss.

[Pat McAfee]

Kansas City Chiefs favored by three in Nashville. Gardner Minshew at quarterback. Yeah, okay. He gets a full week to work with the boys. Oh, yeah, he's going to want to win. Garden Minshew, perfect quarterback for the situation that the Kansas City Chiefs are are currently in. I would say he's older, he's respected, he only knows one speed, so hopefully that can rally everybody around him to buy in. Andy Reid and the Chiefs have to figure out what the future looks like, obviously in the offseason. The present is the Tennessee Titans. Cam Ward has come out and said something about wanting to meet all the coach candidates. Cam Ward, I don't think you should want to do that and I think you should not say that publicly. Just naturally. I appreciate what you mean by that and the sentiment of that, but everybody's naturally would be okay, bud. Okay. That is basically what everybody immediately does. Okay, let's try to do something. Aaron Rodgers wasn't even talked to whenever the Green Bay packers hired their new coach, Matt LaFleur. Currently, some places do it, some places don't. Tennessee Titans have a lot to figure out. Not saying Cam Ward's going to be a bad quarterback. Not saying Cam Ward shouldn't feel as if he should talk to the coaching candidates. But Cam Ward should also know that it's much bigger than him whenever it comes to an NFL franchise. And who knows what the Titans look like next year with him, without him. Move on from him. You know, he has no idea what this looks like anyways either. Kansas City Chiefs favored by three with Gardner Minshew. Who do you like? How do you like it?

[Fox]

AJ I mean, I was thinking of taking the Titans here because I think the Chiefs have never been in this situation. A lot of these guys on the team have never been in a situation where you're not going to make the playoffs. Game doesn't really mean a whole lot, but I can't do it. I'm taking the Chiefs still.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Chief's going to play free down there. And you know, hey, a lot of history in Nashville for one particular. One of those players. For one of those particular players. Who knows he's going to be singing the national anthem. Zimbabwe. Taylor Swift, maybe.

[Boston Connor]

For a team under 500.

[Pat McAfee]

Chargers. She'll be wearing Chiefs gear. Chargers. Yeah, you're right. Chargers. Cowboys. Cowboys. Favored by two and a half at home, 76% of the bets are on the Chargers.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, Chargers need this one. They are at Dallas this week, but then versus Houston on the road and then at or at home, rather. And then at Denver. If they drop this one, then there is a chance that they finish in that seven seed or after the Colts meet the Niners, damn near fall out of the playoffs.

[Tone]

Just came out today. That Fluss will be spending the rest of the season up in the booth. Calling the defense from up in the booth.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. I thought their defense was kind of figuring it out. I like that we're making some changes down the stretch here. Big fan of that. Dak Prescott and Brandon Aubrey had an incredible interaction on Hard Knocks after Brandon Aubrey knocked the guy down. Didn't lose his balance. And then also admit on silent. I don't know what I'm supposed to do in that. In that situation. Obviously grew up playing soccer. Played soccer majority of his life. Gets a tackle. Then I guess he showed up a little bit late to practice. Probably had some media obligation. Maybe it was. Yeah, I have no idea what he was doing. And as he jogged out after Dak, the entire team was like, okay. And Dak even goes over to him, is like, hurt a little bit though, right? Hurt a little bit. And Aubrey's like, yes. It feels like their vibes are immaculate at the Dallas Cowboys. I know that, you know, not everything has gone swimmingly for them this year. I know there's been ups, there's been downs. But if you watch the Hard Knocks, it's hard not to be a believer in Dak Prescott being the face of anything you want to run.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And I think that, you know, I just think back to when they hired Shotty and just how it was kind of like not that he was going to be A lame duck. But everyone basically saying like, this is who you guys, you, you fired Mike McCarthy. You had no plan in place and you, you just said, all right, it. We're going to hire, you know, Shotty. I think he's, I think all those guys really like him. They play for him. I think he's done. I mean, the Cowboys were the laughing stock of the NFL after they traded Micah Parsons. And you know, 10 weeks later we were talking about them being maybe the hottest team in the NFL. So yeah, they're probably not going to make the playoffs, but this season overall, you know, has been a kind of a success for them.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, they're Damn near out 99.9% eliminated from the playoffs. A lot would have to happen. They would obviously to win and many other things would have to fall into place. Do you like the Chargers or do you like the Cowboys?

[Fox]

AJ I was leaning Chargers, but honestly you guys kind of talked me into to taking the Cowboys. So give me Dak and the boys here.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know who to take on this one.

[Boston Connor]

I mean, what for one team it's a must win. For the other team it's a let's go have some fun.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I know.

[Boston Connor]

That's why it's playing loose.

[Pat McAfee]

That's why like for the Chiefs. I feel like the Chiefs are going to play very good because it's just like first time in forever Travis Kelsey hasn't played in who cares game what.

[Fox]

In and think when they come out to warm ups for that Titans game, like the stands probably aren't going to be jam packed. It's going to be bring your own juice one of those games.

[Boston Connor]

And the for, for the Chargers, I mean there's a third one in the row like they were overtime against the Eagles and it was a 1613 last drive against the Chiefs. Now it's at Dallas.

[Pat McAfee]

I think I saw some resume for the Chargers about the most wins against playoffs, playoff teams or something like that. I think the Chargers have a lot of like if we're to score good wins, I think or strength of schedule and like that. I think the Chargers fans were telling me if it might have been another team. So maybe I missed.

[Tone]

There was, I know there was something in the group about teams with records above 500. Above 500 and the Rams were 10 and whatever and everyone else was like three and whatever. I don't know if that was it.

[Pat McAfee]

I thought there was a charger stat somewhere because there was some Chargers fans tweeting me to have respect for what they're doing over there. And it's like, we do. All right, I'll take. I'll take the Chargers. I'll take the Chargers. Plus two and a half going over there. That's interesting, though, man, that Chargers team. I want to believe. Right? Don't we all?

[Fox]

Yeah, we do.

[Pat McAfee]

You don't want to believe.

[Fox]

No. Not after.

[Boston Connor]

Not after what that child had to hear last week. He's just trying to talk to his favorite player.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, it's not his favorite player. We know that.

[Boston Connor]

To one of his favorite players.

[Pat McAfee]

To a player. Yeah. But on that note, still a child.

[Boston Connor]

Still just a small boy with an even younger sister at his heels.

[Pat McAfee]

Those are influential moments in the history of people's lives.

[Boston Connor]

That kid went home and ripped posters down. Now, would Dak do that?

[Pat McAfee]

All right, so on that note, give me the Chargers because Herbert's gonna have to walk around a lot of kids.

[Boston Connor]

Exactly.

[Pat McAfee]

He's gonna be so mad, so mad to see all these people and kids talking to him.

[Fox]

Oh, this.

[Pat McAfee]

Hate these people. Why are these people here? This is football. They're not carnival.

[Boston Connor]

Hit me, Jim.

[Pat McAfee]

Hit me right in the face, actually.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, that kid, too, smack my hand really hard.

[Pat McAfee]

I forgot he had a broken limb. He. Vikings. Giants. Vikings in nine, favored by three, going to take on Dart. AJ who do you like? How do you like you?

[Fox]

I like the Giants.

[Pat McAfee]

Whoa. Jeez, that was quick.

[Fox]

I don't know why. When I saw this game pop up, too. I like Jackson Dart and the Giants.

[Boston Connor]

I really do.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, you finish the game. I'll follow. I'll follow the lead of betting against you. Give me the Vikings. Wendy, what's the weather here? I mean, it might help. There's chance snow and nobody's gonna fucking be there.

[Fox]

It's gonna be. You gotta. You're gonna have just your buddies on the sidelines.

[Pat McAfee]

Just your buddies on the sideline for this one. All right, I'll take the. I'll take the Vikings. Give me nine.

[Boston Connor]

Yes.

[Pat McAfee]

Give me nine. Jets, Saints, Saints favored by four and a half. I like the Saints, AJ Saints, Bengals, Dolphins. I like the Dolphins.

[Tone]

What do we think the crowd for.

[Pat McAfee]

That one's gonna be similar. Quinn, yours.

[Coach Mike McCarthy]

First start place will be cranked.

[Pat McAfee]

Four and a half. Who do you like, A.J.

[Boston Connor]

I know Joey B.

[Fox]

Is trying to throw us off the scent and act like he things aren't really great, but I like Joey B. Here on the road. Give me the Bengals.

[Pat McAfee]

That is what.

[Boston Connor]

You said the same thing last week, and they went out and laid an egg.

[Pat McAfee]

Miami models, fashion Warm.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, good point.

[Pat McAfee]

Give me the Bengals. Give me the Bengals. Minus four and a half, Jacksonville. Jack. Oh, but it felt like maybe rally around moving on from TUA down there.

[AJ Hawk]

Oh, everyone's pumped.

[Boston Connor]

Was pumped.

[Fox]

I saw the center get interviewed. He was. He seemed pretty.

[Boston Connor]

That's one of our games. Fire coach games. One of them. And new quarterback is one.

[Pat McAfee]

I'll take Dolphins plus four and a half at home. Let's go, Gump. Let's go. Gotta have it. Well, no, no. You had to have had. No, no, Quinn, yours. First start. Gotta have it. Well, who's gonna coach him next year if he is the quarterback?

[Tone]

We'll figure that out down the road.

[Pat McAfee]

We just gotta win on Sunday. Yeah. Just cover is all we're looking for. Plus four and a half. Jags, Broncos. Broncos favored by three in Denver. This Jacksonville Jaguars team special. Trevor Lawrence coming off his best game as an NFL quarterback by far. Five through the sky, one through the ground, six total touchdowns. They got weapons, they got schemes, and they got a defense that's seemingly humming. How do you feel about this one, AJ Hawk with the hot Denver Broncos.

[Fox]

Yeah, I'm a big fan of what Trev and the boys are doing down in Jacksonville, but I feel like this is Bo Nixon, the Broncos defense on this one.

[Pat McAfee]

So Give me Broncos, 58% of the bets on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Good for them. I'll take the Broncos as well. Falcons, Cardinals. Just because I need the Broncos, by the way, Falcons, Cardinals, three point spread, 53% of the bets are on Arizona. Kirk Cousins breaking down every offense in the NFL at press conferences. Raheem Morris says everything's on the table for the quarterback position going forward. Ownership says everything's on the table for every position going forward, potentially. And then the Cardinals routinely lose by 20 points. That is seemingly who they are. Now. What are your thoughts, AJ who do you like? How do you like it?

[Fox]

So Kirko's starting for the Falcons, right, this game?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, yeah.

[Fox]

Yeah. We just don't know. I like the Falcons. I feel like they got to figure out. And like you said, you. You say that the Cardinals routinely lose by 20. I don't know if they lose by 20, but I think the. The Falcons win in cover here.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, they might lose by 20. Drake London did practice yesterday. He's missed four straight games. And I think Marvin Harrison Jr. Also practiced for.

[Pat McAfee]

I like that. I like the Cardinals team. I like Gannon. But every time you look at the score, it's just not good.

[Ty Schmidt]

They stink.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. I don't know what happened. I have no idea what happened to them. They got great local commentary team though.

[Ty Schmidt]

Number two in the NFL some people.

[Pat McAfee]

Number two in the league.

[Boston Connor]

Also.

[Tone]

Trey McBride is 12 catches away from setting the all time record for single season catches for a tight end.

[Pat McAfee]

Good luck to McBride. I hope he gets it this weekend. He has been fun to watch and his intensity would be great on a good team so hopefully they're able to become that. I'll take the Falcons as well. Raiders Texans Texans favored by 14 and a half over under 37 and a half. So you do that. You start looking at the over under, then you look at how big they're favored. They're like the Raiders are scoring maybe three points in this game.

[Tone]

Their team total is ten and a half.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, exactly. Shut out by 30 plus outgame by 300 plus. The Raiders Kansas City Philly became the second team to have multiple such games in a season since the 1947 Colts who are in both shut up by 30 plus and outgained by 300 plus yards. It's only happened one other time in the history multiple times in a season. This Raiders team is one of them and this Texans team can certainly do it. And I will take the Houston Texans minus whatever you as well A.J.

[Fox]

Absolutely.

[Pat McAfee]

Texans Lions favored by seven at home against the hot Pittsburgh Steelers. Aaron Rodgers going to want to go into Detroit and get a big time win. Obviously has a lot of history in Detroit. Foxy favorite by seven. Love it or hate it, seven's a lot of points. But if you guys remember, Dan Campbell after a loss holds the record currently. I think it's tied for the record for wins after a loss. So this would continue that record. Break the record. And it's just been a weird season. Our offense is like number one in every category but the defense can't stop anyone. So I'm expecting a shootout. If it's a shootout, I think Lions win.

[Tone]

Yeah, I tend to agree with what he said. Lions 50 this year off a loss 4 and 1 against the spread off of loss this year. The one thing that they are horrendous at is their secondary in the passing game. So do the Steelers have the offense to exploit that?

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know.

[Tone]

I've been excited to see this one. Doesn't matter.

[Pat McAfee]

So you know DK Metcalf gave a great answer on Coons's podcast about Pittsburgh basically being hey, his team just shows. This city just shows up to work. There are genuine people, you know exactly how they feel there. There's a ruggedness to the city that he appreciates you're about to work or that. I like. I like to hear that from DK Metcalf. I like the Pittsburgh Steelers getting seven going into Detroit. Detroit might win the game, but getting blown out at this stage, I don't think this team is going to have that happen to him. Go ahead, A.J.

[Fox]

Yeah, I'm with you. I think the Steelers also, they get indoors, they feel pretty good. Your body feels good. You're all, you know, your joints, everything's great.

[Tone]

So, yeah, I'm taking the Steelers out for the Demon.

[Ty Schmidt]

I was feeling, I was getting going to say it's not just Rogers who has the NFC north, you know, memories in that building. The Demon, I think the Demon's going to score his first touchdown as a Pittsburgh Steeler this weekend.

[Pat McAfee]

I like that. You got a cake from Tom Cruise today.

[Tone]

Very true.

[Pat McAfee]

New England Patriots taking on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football. Obviously, when you forecast this at the beginning of the season, you wonder if the New England Patriots are going to be good enough to make this game matter. Now, if we were to forecast this Sunday football game at the beginning or at the, at this stage of the season, season, it's like, what the hell happened to Baltimore and also what the hell happened to New England? This team all of a sudden is super bowl favorite. Super bowl darling. Whenever they got a first year head coach, second year quarterback, brand new offensive system and expectation level going in that maybe next year they'll be good. Maybe in the next couple years they'll be good. They're good now and they want it all. And they're underdogs going into Baltimore. Con man, how do you feel about that?

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, this is going to be a tough one to pick right now. Bob Spain, Marcus Jones, Carlton Davis have missed practice the last two days and including today. Yeah, Bobby's playing. Yeah. Boy, oh, boy. Last week against the Bills when that starting defense runs out and Bob Spillane, it doesn't run with them. That's kind of when you start thinking, oh, Josh Allen might have some fun today, but the Ravens defense has kind of come alive. That's the real problem. Shutting out Burrow, you know, maybe in, maybe not this year means as much, but still, blanking them means a lot. But three point dog. I mean, kind of love it. Win and we're in the playoffs, baby. Let's go to the dance.

[Pat McAfee]

80% of the bets are on the New England Patriots. Fuck, man.

[Tone]

That is not surprising.

[Boston Connor]

What the f. What do you mean it's not surprising?

[Fox]

I thought they'd be favorites. Even on the road.

[Pat McAfee]

I thought they'd be, too. But, aj, you're taking the Patriots.

[Fox]

Yes, I am.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, me too. All right. Let's have the greatest weekend of all time.

[Boston Connor]

Hell, yeah.

[Fox]

Oh, yeah.

[Boston Connor]

You guys want to pick the Jake Paul enthe Joshua fight?

[Pat McAfee]

Yep. Aj.

[Fox]

I love Jake, but I'm going to take Anthony Joshua.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, well, I am a real American, so give me Jake Paul.

[Fox]

Jake said he's going to be coming everywhere.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, he did.

[Pat McAfee]

And he said fifth or sixth round. I don't like the angle in which Jake Paul is choosing to create content here, but certainly getting a lot of eyeballs on situation that the fight's happening. A lot of people seeing Anthony Josh will pick up Jake Paul and suck his face. Yeah, that was AI.

[Ty Schmidt]

It was. I know that one. I could tell. I still think the silverback gorilla might be real.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I don't love that. That was immediately shot down as fake. If that silverback gorilla had the capability of doing that, who shot it down?

[Boston Connor]

Whoever shot it down immediately is an asshole. Okay, that's something you got to watch 10 times before you say, okay, fine. Poop doesn't just come out like a circle perfectly like that.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, you would think if he does have consistent flow out of his cheeks, which it clearly he could definitely. The window would then be doing the science.

[Ty Schmidt]

Exactly.

[Pat McAfee]

And it would disperse at a perfect radius.

[Ty Schmidt]

And we don't know. Do they just put some Windex on that exact spot so it kind of just catches it naturally makes that shape.

[Pat McAfee]

And we assume that this man, or sorry, this silverback gorilla has perfected the art of bullet pooping.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, no doubt.

[Pat McAfee]

And that was clearly bird shot.

[Ty Schmidt]

Correct.

[Fox]

So just the velocity at which the turds flew out are what threw me, like, made me think it's probably not real.

[Tone]

So you've obviously never.

[Boston Connor]

So you didn't see.

[Tone]

Watch them.

[Boston Connor]

And okay, look, he clutches his butt right there. Yeah. He aims it so like, four.

[Fox]

He's probably four feet away from the window. And somehow you got turds.

[Pat McAfee]

Three feet. That's one yard, dude. We. Anybody get a yard?

[Boston Connor]

That was believable to me. You see the gorilla just sit down right before to projectile.

[Ty Schmidt]

Boom.

[Tone]

See the muscles?

[Pat McAfee]

I can't rule it out because in sixth grade, we went to Washington, D.C. and we went to the zoo, and there was a hippo at the zoo.

[Tone]

And they spin their tails.

[Pat McAfee]

He pooped with similar velocity, but they spin their tails to chop it up.

[Fox]

So it's impressive to see in person.

[Tone]

You ever seen that is similar it's awesome.

[Boston Connor]

No, I mean, if Bevo pushed the way that gorilla did, it would have pooped on your back.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, but Bevo is a longhorn. This is silverback gorilla.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, we don't know. Like, did this, did a couple burgers get dropped into the enclosure? Did this guy eat a couple of slices of Z that day before he had to do something like this? We don't know Doritos back.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, maybe it was that, but also what we would like to say because he clearly has upset. Tell me if you're able to do this. Yeah, he should be having some of Tom Cruz's coconut bunt cake.

[Ty Schmidt]

I couldn't agree more.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, maybe not the venison, cuz my stomach is killing me.

[Pat McAfee]

Really, dude?

[Boston Connor]

Multiple time. And I.

[Pat McAfee]

Is that the cheese, you think?

[Boston Connor]

Well, I eat the same thing every day.

[Pat McAfee]

Did you have the cheese?

[Boston Connor]

I, I had both, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Maybe it was the cheese, not just the venison. You never know, huh?

[Fox]

You guys get day food.

[Pat McAfee]

What's that, brother?

[Fox]

You guys like get tummy aches because of food?

[Boston Connor]

No, fast food.

[Pat McAfee]

Greasy stuff will get me now, I think, because I'm trying not to eat it as much. So I certainly feel like. But I think I've just always felt like eating it and just been a part of it. Like, yeah, this is just what life is. My stomach feels like this and then I dump it and I move along. Now whenever you don't eat it every day, you do feel differently when you don't eat that type of food. And then when you have it out of nowhere, it's like a hangover. Like when you get drunk, you're tired.

[Fox]

I just get tired. Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And also you. Explosive.

[Fox]

I, I, I know. I've never, like, yeah, I don't know. I've never thought of, like, I've never correlated food to how I feel like that.

[Pat McAfee]

He don't eat anything.

[Ty Schmidt]

He poops like a rabbit.

[Fox]

I do.

[Ty Schmidt]

AJ hasn't had a normal bowel movement in 15 years. He's got rabbit pellets in there.

[Pat McAfee]

He's a 100 wiper.

[Ty Schmidt]

I don't know how that's a good point.

[Pat McAfee]

So now he's acting like that silverback gorilla.

[Boston Connor]

Okay, interesting. He probably poops like that, girl.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, he's the vanilla gorilla gorilla. And he's out here just judging.

[Fox]

I instantly thought of which poor soul has to clean that glass? Is all I thought of. Bringing out like pads and scrapers. Trying to get those turds off the window.

[Pat McAfee]

That silverback gorilla is not cleaning that. That Silverback is arms crossed watching whoever clean it.

[Ty Schmidt]

I'm doing it again tomorrow, too, so.

[Fox]

Doing again the second it gets no right after it gets clean, dumps again.

[Pat McAfee]

I would like the Tom Cruise cat coconut cake now. Or. We're doing this every day. All right, have an incredible weekend, Abol. We appreciate you so much for allowing us to do this for a living. Before we get out of here, there is an announcement that we have to make. Saturday, we'll be doing the field pass. Please join us on ESPN2. If we suck, you should leave. We'll tell you if it's not going well. And today we celebrate one of the most talented human beings that sits in front of a microphone on a daily basis in the entire world, maybe the history of the damn world. He was smart enough to be an Ivy Leaguer, got accepted to Harvard, said, nah, I want to be a Big Ten angler at Iowa. Give me the booze, give me the football. I'll figure everything else out. We were so incredibly lucky that this guy blesses us every single day with his presence. I would say that he is one of the most unique individuals in the history with his talent versus mindset versus off the cuff versus script work. He's special. We're lucky. And it's his birthday. Happy birthday to Ty Schmidt. Happy birthday, Ty. Thank you very much. We appreciate the hell out of you. I guess the ice cream cake melted. Shout out to the entire group over there. Just certainly just put it outside and just left it there for at least an hour or two. It was cold. We appreciate it was ice cream. Now it's just cream. So that's actually.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, this is a TC cake.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. So. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you Happy birthday, dear Ty Happy birthday to you. We love you. We appreciate you, buddy. Happy birthday.

[Ty Schmidt]

Appreciate you guys. Thank you very much.

[Pat McAfee]

Hell, yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

This is the first time that there hasn't been a bunch of wax all over the cake.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, that's because they had to adjust here late. Good for them. Making an audible. And yes, to your point. It's crazy how when there's a birthday in the back room, they all sing.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, just us today.

[Pat McAfee]

We were singing the whole. I know Mike's wrong, so. Ty, just know that there is a little bit of. Hey, sure.

[Ty Schmidt]

Now. Now I do.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Now. We just learned that.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You run the footage back.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You can't hear it, but we see.

[Tone]

Me screaming at the top of my.

[Pat McAfee]

He didn't cut to us either. That doesn't help.

[Boston Connor]

Nope.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, yes. Boy, Nick, thank you. Nick, who didn't turn on the mic. Thank you, Fox, to you for pointing that out back there. But I would like to let you know, Ty, we love you, man.

[Ty Schmidt]

Love you guys, too. Thank you very much.

[Pat McAfee]

Happy birthday. We're thankful you were born and we can't wait to see what you do this next year.

[Ty Schmidt]

Appreciate it.

[Pat McAfee]

And I'm. I'm very proud of you for saying you're going to be eating free, clean and living clean for the next year.

[Ty Schmidt]

I'm certainly going to try. I got another kid on the way, so I. I definitely need to try.

[Pat McAfee]

But you guys heard JJ yesterday.

[Ty Schmidt]

He said, man, you look slim, you look good. And no one has said that to me in years. So I don't know, I'm kind of thinking I'm. I'm just fine right now.

[Pat McAfee]

You certainly are. You're more than full.

[Ty Schmidt]

TC Cake right after the show.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, I think that's smart.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. Well, the elixir of eternal life.

[Pat McAfee]

A lot of people would say, be your friend. Tell a friend something nice about, change your life. We're in a sing together. AJ Anything for the team here.

[Fox]

Nope, I'm good. Thank you, though.

[Ty Schmidt]

Okay.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

Thank you.

[Fox]

I'm not gonna fake it. I'm not gonna fake one, but yeah. Can't wait for Saturday.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, we'll see you tomorrow. Game day, 6pm Eastern tomorrow. Before kicking off the College Football Playoff game day, Saturday morning, 9am and then we'll be live. Field pass ESPN2 for Texas a and Miami. The College Football Playoff is here. Week 16 of the NFL season is here. Football all day Saturday, all day Sunday. We're back on Monday. We can't thank you enough for allowing us to do this for a living. And in this holiday season, we hope we all enjoy it a little bit more. We're allowed to do this. We get to do this. We're lucky to do this. And we're not dead. Let's celebrate that. Team on me. Team on three. One, two, three. Team goodbye.