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Ryan Rosillo
Foreign loaded pod for you. A lot of sports talking hoops. Milwaukee's win. What does it mean? Does it mean anything for OKC UVM national champs? Don't get to say it a lot. Rob Dow, the head coach of the men's soccer team that won a national championship this week. We're going to talk a little soccer with him and his journey. Danny Canel, College football It's been a while. He was almost banned from the show. We're going to hash it all out and we'll go through the brackets and we've got life advice. This episode of the Ryan Rosilla Podcast is presented by State Farm. Bring home a win with an affordable price when you bundle home and auto with the personal price plan. Talk to Estate Farm Agent today to learn how you can bundle and save with the personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.
Danny Cannell
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Ryan Rosillo
That easy?
Danny Cannell
Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City branch terms and more at applecard.
Ryan Rosillo
Com. The Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA cup last night, dominant fashion over OKC 97 81. A very important impressive win. Also a reminder, although I don't know that we need Giannis reminders, but just a nice display of his physical dominance and just I loved what I saw from him last night and that happens a lot when I watch him 26, 19 and 10 the three blocks. So now what, what do we do with this? This game that happens in December, that that means something. I like the in season tournament now the NBA Cup. I think it's great. There are plenty of games in this stretch where I'm like I think these guys are playing really hard because of this. So that's a win. We get into scheduling. I don't think it's really that disruptive and I don't want to talk scheduling. I'm sick of talking about scheduling. I'm sick of hearing from people trying to fix everything every day. So let's just talk about basketball. So what does it mean, big picture? I mean, I know what you're going to say. I know what you're going to say. You're going to say, hey, didn't the Lakers win this thing last year? Weren't we forced into a morning after of analysis of like, do we have to call the Lakers title contenders? And then what happened, Rosillo? Then what happened? Yeah, you're right. I got it. So I'm not going to do that. I just think we should talk about the Milwaukee Bucks and their turnaround in the season. So let's do that. Milwaukee started 1 and 6. They're now 14 and 11. And remember, last night's game doesn't count as a win or a loss and the stats don't count. So some of this can be a little off. And I was digging through some of the stats this morning, but. So they're the five seed in the East. I think they're a three seed ceiling. Nobody right now in the east is, I think, even close to the level of Cleveland and Boston. So if you include the cup final victory, which again is not technically the right thing to do, Milwaukee from that 1 and 6 point to the 14, 11 overall, but they're actually 11 and 2 during this stretch of wins. Defensively, they're 19th overall. So we knew at the beginning of the year you're like, this team's just going to suck on defense all the time. But since the 1 and 6 start. So I plugged it in at November 5th to now Milwaukee's 9th in defense, you could get into some net rating stuff that maybe would put them behind even more teams that maybe you won't really like not going to do that right now. But they just felt written off. And part of that was a carry over the lack of playoff success. The loss to Miami two years ago was the one seed. The loss of the Pacers last year. But there's also something very constant in that they were a MASH unit there in the Pacer series. No Giannis, who gets hurt at the end of the regular season and then in the Heat series, although I'll. I'd allow either to happen that even with healthy Giannis, there was something weird and off about that team because even when Giannis came back, but he played. I believe it's three of the five games, but I think it's half of the available minutes in that entire series that he was playing. I'd like to think if he was healthy the entire time, they still figure out a way to win. You may differ. That's fine. Not going to scream about it, but the reason why the 1 in 6 start this year, whether it's Adrian Griffin into Doc into what's up with the defense, the Dame trade isn't really working. It's Giannis. Like all of these chaotic things are happening two weeks into the season and now they've steadied the ship. And I think last night was, was the culmination of what we've kind of seen here for the last few weeks from them. The real thing, it's not some dramatically improved defense because I don't know if that's going to happen with Dame and Brook Lopez and some of the other pieces that they have, but it's been the shooting. They're the third best three point shooting team in the league. Like, look at these numbers. Dame's at 37, Portis is at 37, Gary Trent at 39%, AJ Green 48%, Prince is at 52%. And the best thing about the three point shooting is Giannis has stopped taking them. He's at 0.7 attempts per game. Five years ago he's taken five threes a game, then it was kind of four, then it was four, then it was two and last year was 1.7 and now it's under one attempt. Hopefully that number goes down. But that's, that's been awesome from that look. And I don't love all of Milwaukee's stuff. OKC looked for Dame constantly, whether they wanted to get him in a switch and attack him or they would just look for it a little bit. There are certain drives and possessions where if they had the ball in the hands of the guy that was being defended by Dame, then I think that person always had the green light to just go ahead and go because Dame's just not going to hold up. He's a weak link and it's a problem in a playoff series. You can also, if you get Brook Lopez away from the hoop, which does again happen to a lot of centers, but the side to side stuff with him is just, you know, it's just not really there. You get him far away, you're going to go right past him. And it's one of the Celtics number one things they'll look for when they go up against Milwaukee and all of this. There's times with Bobby Portis, but I Don't really love it. It can be up or down. He can be a heat check, which is great when it's going in. He also can be a ball stopper who gets lost. And I wouldn't say he's a great defensive player either. And Andre Jackson, who is terrific defensively, who's provided them one of these late draft picks to actually be in the rotation, because that was another talking point, is that they weren't hitting on all these late picks, which again, I think is a pret standard to hold the team to or a front office to. Jackson's somebody you could probably ignore. And then you've also got the Middleton factor, where he's been back for four games, shooting 26% overall. Didn't play last night. Not injury, just out because of illness. So all of it I don't love, but peanuts I do. He solves a lot of those problems. The block on Caruso, ridiculous. Caruso gets him. He's like, but you didn't. But she didn't get me. Caruso drives the hoop, thinks he has a chance. Giannis blocks it into the backboard. The ball then ricochets back into this, into his face. And Caruso's like, doing, you know, LeBron checks for fake blood. Caruso was sitting there, like, tapping his face. It's one thing to get rejected and then have the ball also hit you off the face isn't great. The Hartenstein block, the Kenrich Williams block at the end, he was incredible. I, when I was watching OKC Houston, just to put in perspective how great OKC is defensively, when I was watching that game, they had a debate. I think I actually caught some of the halftime show. Look at me. And they were trying to figure out, like, who would Milwaukee rather play? And Bob Myers was very sane in his approach, going, well, you are. No offense to Houston. You'd always rather play the less talented team because Houston is less talented than Oklahoma City when you watch them play in that game. The two best guys for Oklahoma City are better than anybody else on Houston to this point. The way I see it, Houston could not get the first pass made. It felt like half of their offensive possessions because of how good OKC was defensively. Now, was there part of me that wondered, well, wait, if OKC is playing against Milwaukee, what's their Giannis matchup? And is the idea of Jabari Smith or Atari Eason being thrown in at Giannis, like, is that a better matchup? And we're not just saying that because they're taller and it's all fucking pointless because it's Giannis and it doesn't matter. I mean, look, Giannis, you could sit here and say, well, maybe he's a bad matchup for okc. They tried Jalen Williams one on him. Toast. They tried Dort on him. Doesn't matter. They tried Caruso on him. That was worse. There is a possession where Giannis decided to bring the ball up because he's doing less of it. I think I need to look up some of this stuff, but I love that he's not being tasked with bringing the ball up all the time and then just deciding which guy he's going to drive right at, because, you know, look, there's also Giannis possessions where it's incredibly frustrating. We were like, this guy can just run through everybody, and then it's a foul on everybody else. Yeah, that's part of it. Sucks. Sorry, I don't have to do it. So he had door on his hip, and this doesn't happen to Lou Dort. We love Lou Dort. Right? It's a Lou Dort pod. But Dort was trying to, like, impede his progress physically, and Giannis just didn't matter, man. It looked like could have been ish myth. I went two syllables on you. Just doesn't matter. So, yeah, maybe. I mean, would. Would Houston have been a better matchup because of Jabari? I. I let the thought cross my mind, but I'll tell you, like, I don't believe it necessarily. I just think that's what it is. But, I mean, look, this center stuff with okc, whether it's Hartenstein, Chet's not playing. Like, they even went kenrich at the 5 last night, even though Brooke and Giannis were out there together. So they don't care. They'll. They'll try all sorts of stuff. So, look, if you want to pivot into what this means for okc, I don't know that it means a ton. We've already talked about the matchup. Specifically. They lost a game in the NBA last night that has a different title. If you want an OKC defensive stat, just so we. We understand what we're talking about here, because of how special this group is, and it didn't work out last night. So if you look at a team's defensive rating compared to the league average defensive rating and then the differential. Right? So how many below that league average rating is. A team at OKC is fourth in NBA history through 25 games. Teams better than them. 0708 Celtics title winner 1516 Spurs 92, 93 Knicks and then OKC, which is nine points below the league average defensive rating. They are that good. But Giannis was too much for him last night because none of it matters. You can have a plan, you can have the matchups, but if he's willing to just physically dominate you, which he is, because I think more often than not, when you turn on peak Giannis games, he cares more than anybody else. That's out on the court, and that's going all the way back to the stuff I used to talk about when they get in those Sixers matchups. When he would have Embiid and he would go right at Embiid, was like, I don't care. Like that thing meant something to him. It wasn't about whether or not he would get his shot blocked. It wouldn't be about whether or not it was, I'm looking for a foul or all these different things. He just wanted to know, like, okay, he's supposed to be one of the best. I'm supposed to be one of the best. I'm going to go right at him. It's rare, man. It's rare in today's NBA. And I think it's. It's always just a treat when you get to see somebody doing the kind of stuff he was doing last night. So I, I could break this down to the shooting variant stuff with OKC, 5 of 32 and threes, they waved the white flag at 77 points. I don't expect to see that, but I think that'd be a little dismissive of just Milwaukee having a really great night. So I don't think it's just, oh, they missed threes, it doesn't matter. But on the other side of it, like the first Houston OKC matchup, well, I don't know if it's the first one, but it was the most recent one before the cup one where they lost. But there was no chat. Like, I don't. I'm not going to worry about this. They were 8 and 2 with chat. They're 9 and 1 technically. Not technically 9 and 2. After last night when Hartenstein. There's five games in there without a center. Again, they don't even care. So could I get a little greedy with OKC and talk about a third on ball creator? Maybe Chet takes that leap offensively, as we heard this summer. Like he's going to be that third person there. But look, Giannis, healthy Giannis in the east, if there's any kind of lesson talking point, the day after is just if they're going to look like that in the playoffs, it's a different challenge. Although it's not like I'm going to put them ahead of Cleveland and Boston today. College football is coming to an end and with the 12 team playoff going on, you won't want to miss a moment of the action. And right now, all customers on FanDuel can score a profit boost for every first round matchup. Here's how it works. Place a bet on the game, apply your profit boost and enjoy boosted winnings when your bet hits. And the best part, you get paid instantly when you win. Let's take a look at the odds as of today. All right, so our first four playoff games. Notre Dame favored by seven and a half against Indiana. Penn State favored by eight and a half against smu. Texas favored by eleven and a half against Clemson and Ohio State minus seven and a half against Tennessee. Of those games, the one I like the most, it's funny because conference championship week, everything was like a field goal. And opening up the playoffs, everything's more than a touchdown. Tennessee plus the seven and a half would be my move. Use your boost on bets like spreads over unders, method of first touchdown, and so much more. Don't wait. Visit FanDuel.com Ryan R Y E N to download America's number one sportsbook and make your playoff payoff even bigger. Must be 21 and older and present in select states. 18 plus and present in D.C. opt in required bonus issued as non withdrawable profit boost tokens. Restrictions apply including any token expiration. See terms@sportsbook.fanduel.com gambling problem. Call 1-800-gambler or visit rg-help.com There were concerns this may not happen. Danny Cannell joins us, CBS Sports. Before we even went on to tape this, he was like, are we good? And I said, I don't know yet. We'll see. We'll see how this goes. I don't know how did it get so bad between us this year? This felt like it started getting personal.
Rob Dow
It reminded me a lot when we yelled at each other in studio at ESPN Radio when you were with Van Pelt and I do my weekly guest segment and come in there and start yelling about the SEC and get all mad and like it was, it was ugly. And I'd walk out of there, be like, I don't know if he's ever going to talk to me again. Like it got it, got that one. And you know, there's been a couple, you know, social media exchanges that have Been felt like hostility is out there. So I don't know. It's Christmas season, though, so hopefully we can put it behind us. But have you. Have you recovered, though? Are you. Are you okay? Because I know you wanted six teams in from the sec like, as. Is it okay that we only have three?
Ryan Rosillo
Is it.
Rob Dow
Is it okay?
Ryan Rosillo
I'm okay with that. And I do remember that one specific hit, because we didn't really. I. I'd like to think we didn't really fight that much when we did the show together, which I think is a challenging thing for people when you're in a room all the time. And, like, I took pride in the fact that, like, I think Van Pell and I only got into, like, four fights in six years. But that guest spot you did that day, I do remember it like it was yesterday, because I think at one point, like, Scott and I were just. We'd had it with you from whatever you were doing that weekend, and we were just going through all of the tweets, and then I think you just. You kind of broke because you. Fighting with you. Like, if somebody wants to get into an argument with you, it's not going to happen. I actually respect that you have that power in you where you're just like, I'm not going to. Like, I'm not going to engage. Like, I've even talked to your wife about it. She's like, it sucks to argue with him, because he just goes, all right, whatever. But you would. You had had it with us, which is fine, because we were giving it to you, and you yelled, why do you follow me then? Well, we do, because I think we're friends and we all work together. But, yeah, you're right. Like, when Bama's down three nothing, and you do the eye emoji seven minutes into a football game. That was the one. Van Pelt was like, oh, and the imoji. Ooh.
Rob Dow
I brought back the imoji this year, too. I wanted to tag you on that one, because when Indiana was playing Ohio State. I've learned, though, that I just leave it vague enough because it was early. Indiana moved ball right down the field, and I was like, converted three.
Ryan Rosillo
They had three third downs. They converted. It was. It was an incredibly impressive drive, but it's also a very Ohio State thing to do where they're like, okay, we're going to take the first quarter off all season long. Yeah. All right, so let's get into it then. Bucket. I'm. I'm okay with the SEC not having six Teams in, uh, if you, I doubt you were listening to what I was doing at the end, but I had kind of come to the realization with Bama where I'm like, you know what? I'm not going to argue this team being in. There's a lot about them that I look at the collective 12 games and go, this is not the default. Like, hey, you wouldn't want to play him. Because I, I know you used to hate that because it was kind of unfair at times when we had the four team system where the default was, yeah, okay, but nobody wants to play Alabama. And you're like, okay, but fine. There were years where I were arguing for them and years I was arguing against it, but this year I just kind of was like, look, I've probably been as critical of Milroe as anybody for the last couple years. I felt like they got gashed four different times. And even though the head to head with South Carolina, I think you could have in the committee, if you were in the room, you could talk about the South Carolina, LSU loss and go, they got absolutely hosed. We have something real to point to. The head to head with Ole Miss bothered me. But look, this committee liked records more than they cared about how the records were achieved. And maybe you like that better than me, but I, yeah, I think the problem that I would have with you is that you would just say, no matter what, like, let's just argue against the SEC teams, even if their schedule experience was different than say in Indiana or even an smu, like to look at the conference championship games, which I understand and almost admire that they were like, we want to, we don't want to penalize a losing team in a conference championship game for playing the extra game. And I like that. But then when the rankings come out and you're like, you can't put Clemson ahead of SMU when they just played each other, because you were so married to this idea that the conference championship game isn't going to impact your rankings whatsoever. So look, it's a committee of people. We could sit here every single year and look at a different group and pick apart everything they've done. It's an impossible job to achieve perfection. But there were clear priorities, and I think they're priorities that you would have been aligned with based on 10 years of arguing with you about this.
Rob Dow
Correct. But so I also felt like the, the four teams that were vying for that 12th spot, which was really Clemson before they, you know, won the ACC title, I would not have made the case for Them, I would have put Miami in that conversation. The Hurricanes, excuse me. It wasn't. It wasn't Clemson. It was Miami from the ACC at 10 and 2. I thought they should have been given more consideration. And then the 3, 9 and 3 sec teams, the thing that's quarter. The beauty of the system. I guess I could have took either. I could have taken any one of them. Made a very strong case for any single one of them. Right. Like. And made a compelling case. It really did come down to a subjective. Which team do you like the best? I really think that was the committee. If they. Because I do think the committee got off the hook. And some of it was Ward Manual backed himself into a corner because he gave out information that he didn't have to by setting his priorities of we're not going to punish teams that play in the ACC championship game. Like, that's where I thought SMU had they lost by three touchdowns. That would have made him look really bad. Because what would you have said then about it? You know, so like Clemson winning smu, getting it to, you know, respectable where it's a last second field goal was huge. I don't think the committee had to make a tough call about almost anything. You could argue the seating. And I know that's been a hot point of contention, which I don't have that big of a problem with. But like I thought that's. And that's what's going to happen every single year is these teams are going to be flawed. It's which flaws do you like less or which or which ones bother you more? I should say, you know, like. Because I actually thought South Carolina was that team because you remember when Sam Darnold and USC were 9 and 3 and they played Penn State in the bowl game. And I was like, this is why we need expansion. A team like this that was bad early makes a change. I think it was Max Brown maybe that started early for usc, got benched, they struggled early and then they were hot at the end of the year. Like that was one of the teams. I was like, this is why we need expansion. So I would have actually, I actually liked South Carolina from the standpoint of which team would you kind of want to see in the playoffs? I would have had. I would have been okay with that. The thing that was crazy about is I thought Alabama had the worst resume and yet the committee ranked them at the top of the three SEC teams. And Miami, which I again, I think Miami got the calendar screwed. Miami, you cannot lose two of your last three Games and have any chance, which they didn't. But I thought their two losses were, quote, good losses against good teams that were, you know, top 30 teams or whatever, top 25 teams. And they weren't ugly. You know, I thought it was just the fact that they lost when they did was what screwed Miami.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, look, I think Georgia Tech with Haynes, King is good and that's a team, despite him not being there, that still won seven games. I think if you watch QC throughout the year, like Syracuse is a good football team. The problem is Miami's up 21 nothing when everything matters. And that defense, you know, let Syracuse back in. But again, Syracuse is pretty good. I think the problem is, is that it's the Cal game, it's the Virginia Tech game, it's the Louisville game. You know, I think there were just games.
Rob Dow
Here's what I have a problem with that because people were like, oh, they had ugly wins. Isn't that better than losing to Vanderbilt or losing games? Like actually losing those close games? Like they did find a way to win. Which bothered me when people were arguing about Miami's resume saying, yeah, they had all these close wins. It was almost like they were dinged worse than if they would have lost the game. Like, wow, it was snugly win. They'd almost lost it. And yet they only lost twice. And these teams in the SEC lost three times. The other thing that really bothered me is we've drawn this arbitrary line at top 25 wins where that's again where I think Miami got true. Because I don't think there's a big difference between 15 and 30 or 35 that you could almost interchange some of those teams and a couple of those wins. Duke did not finish. They didn't get credit for beating Duke. They didn't. Syracuse got in late. Louisville was a team that would have been in like a top 30, top 35 toward a ranking, which I do think those are pretty good wins. Those are significant and they don't get credit for them. When More Emanuel says, well, they're their record versus, you know, they didn't have any top 25 wins that I thought was. Was a disservice to Miami. But they find these arbitrary lines that to explain away their decision. I get what they're doing, but I thought it was. I thought it was the incorrect way to go about doing it. Like if you want to go wins over 500 teams like that to me makes way more sense when teams with a winning record, like if you want to go there, as opposed to drawing top 25.
Ryan Rosillo
I totally agree with you on the top 25 being this, this line in the sand. As if these teams 26 through 33 aren' as good as like 17 through 25 and how interchangeable they are. And again, that changes every single year. So as I'm just doing this off the top of my head, it it, you maybe even creep up a few spots even higher. All right, but let me ask you this because I, I still think the Clemson, LSU thing helps you kind of hammer down the priority of record. And I keep saying schedule, experience, but I'm just trying to think of the best phrase to kind of COVID what I thought was the different. Because I just, with all of this expansion, I knew that was going to happen this summer. It's like, man, it really feels like all these teams that are like they're going through a completely different in conference experience. So if SMU is the better team because they're 11 and two despite losing the head to head to Clemson, who then is 10 and three. Clemson's losses are Georgia, week one, Louisville, they just lost to him. Right. And then South Carolina as they were driving for the game tying field goal interception ends up being the tip ball. All right, so like two of the three losses there are Georgia and South Carolina. SMU loses the BYU the beginning of the year before they make the change to Jennings and then they lose that game to Clemson. And yet the committee keeping them ahead, like, how can no one in the committee go, hey man, like, do you think that's the same? Because it's not. Like, would you agree, would you agree with what I'm saying here?
Rob Dow
Absolutely. Okay, I agree with you. So I, so I agree with you that Clemson should have been ranked higher than smu.
Ryan Rosillo
Yes. Right. Okay, so, so why then if it's say Miami against an SEC team Because.
Rob Dow
They didn't have the head to head.
Ryan Rosillo
You know, only because they didn't have the head to head.
Rob Dow
No, I absolutely think that's what takes precedent every time when the resumes are similar, if they're very, very close, which is I would say one loss difference.
Ryan Rosillo
But to me, like Clemson has the head to head and it's like, oh, and they lost to Georgia and South Carolina, like they, they could have just not played those teams, but they're going to play them. And I think the Miami part of it, even though, I think, you know, you're right to push back on my close win thing, but I think trying to understand the committee is that it was like they were a bit like hanging on by a thread a little bit. And then they have the two late losses and they blow the huge lead to Syracuse. I don't know if enough people would give Georgia Tech credit, give Syracuse enough credit. Like, hey, if you watch him, you know, you'll, you'll, like that's a tough out. That's not in. You know, I have, I have like a stack of 10 to 12 teams every year that are not even in the top 25 that I'll just like. You know, I'm sure it happens to you too where you're just sort of like them. I think what I grew up with.
Rob Dow
A and M this year and I was totally wrong on them, the back end.
Ryan Rosillo
You did?
Rob Dow
I did. I thought they were better than Texas. I thought they were going to beat Texas late with Marcel Reed, I thought he was a difference maker. And then he just, he couldn't get it done when it mattered the most.
Ryan Rosillo
So what would, what would have been outrageous? Like, what would have been the most outrageous scenario to you? Like what if Indiana had been out and another SEC team had been in?
Rob Dow
That would have been wrong. And that was the team that was starting to get like that reminded me of the Iowa team that we used to argue about that was a half yard from getting to the Big Ten championship game and, and coming up short. Michigan State went on and, and won it. Whether that was in the Big Ten championship game.
Ryan Rosillo
Right, that was the Big Ten championship game. Yeah.
Rob Dow
Where they came up short and it was, that was reminding me of that because I thought Indiana, like of all the things that we talk about strength of schedule and their schedule was easy, right? Not that was easy. The non conference was easy and it timed up where the teams that they played. But they did dominate their schedule until they got to Ohio State and Michigan, who were two traditionally good teams. They beat one and they lost to the other. Like so. But the other parts of it, like when, when Missouri was boat racing God awful teams early this season, they were top five in the country. No one ever said, well they haven't played anybody yet. Like, but they looked impressive because they were putting up massive points and they were like it was 89, three or something was the point differential. Indiana was doing that all season long to lesser opponents. But like no one gave him any credit for it. It was like, oh well, they're not playing anybody. But they were winning impressively. Which if it's a traditional, you know, blue blood and I'm not even saying sec, if that was Ohio State, Ohio State didn't play anybody early either non con. But they were boat racing them. So it's like, oh yeah, we'll put them in the top 10. That's been like my biggest thing. And it's not, it's not even an SEC bias. It is a brand bias that exists where if you're a team that comes from obscurity or is not a traditional powerhouse, you have to win twice as much as the team that's already there. Which it should be the opposite. Like, you should have to prove more if you're that team that has more history, more tradition, more five stars, more resources than opposed to a like team like Indiana who's trying to defy the odds.
Ryan Rosillo
I totally understand where you're at in Indiana and you gave me a hard time because the way the video was posted and then you made it a little dramatic, I think. But where I was saying, I. I inherently give teams the benefit of the doubt. Like, I assume Texas is going to be good because they were in the playoff last year and they had the third most returning players of any team in the sec. They have their NFL prospect quarterback coming back. They added to the wide receivers, their literal draft picks, their coaches still there. Because then people were like, oh, you must like Washington too. It's like actually Washington, depending on what depth chart you believe they had one or two guys returning from a playoff team, all of their NFL guys were gone, including the quarterback, the receivers and the coach was gone. So, yes, like, I shouldn't have to explain that. I think most sane people understand the difference. And so you're right. Maybe Indiana doesn't. Well, of course Indiana's not getting the benefit of the doubt bump because they haven't ever been good, as opposed to Missouri that finishes really strong last year. They're on the radar. But like, it's the same thing with, like, why did you think the Bills would be good this summer? Right, right. Why did you think the Niners would be good? You know, like, maybe you didn't, but. But I did. So I'm, I'm sorry that I do that in college football and it doesn't feel fair to Indiana. But then I'll see, like, when you're doing the DK top eight earned, not given, and you have Indiana as the number two team in the country, that feels kind of given. That feels a bit like I'm, I'm doing this for.
Rob Dow
They hadn't lost, they were undefeated. They hadn't lost, they hadn't played.
Ryan Rosillo
I mean, at least you could argue Missouri, at least. Like, look, people are going to laugh, but Boston College was top 25 when they beat him. And I don't think Boston College sucked this year.
Rob Dow
So here's the. I'll give you two examples. I'll give you one outside of the sec. So I'm not picking on Texas now that they're in the sec. Notre Dame, like, Notre Dame's a good example of a team that just gets the complete pass because they're Notre Dame and they're a, you know, traditional brand, and yet they haven't played anybody. And I think what's interesting about both of them is that Indiana did play both teams that were in the national championship last year. It's not their fault that Michigan sucked and Washington sucked and fell apart. Same thing with Notre Dame. Like, they didn't know Florida State was going to be awful. They didn't know USC was going to be 6 and 6. Like, they didn't know those things when they scheduled them. I mean, shoot, they had no idea Army.
Ryan Rosillo
But that's irrelevant. Like, I get your point. It's. It's unlucky. They didn't get a better. But.
Rob Dow
But why don't Texas get judged the same way that Indiana does?
Ryan Rosillo
Do you think Indiana is better than Notre Dame?
Rob Dow
I think they could beat him. Absolutely. You don't. So you, like, you're laying the points with Notre Dame?
Ryan Rosillo
No, I actually picked Indiana in the bracket just because I knew. Like, because I knew all year long, with everything I've said, I was like, they'll end up winning their first playoff game. Maybe Indiana is really good, but they had one chance to prove it and it was a disaster. And yet the committee was. Was totally fine with it. And that's where I think it's not an Indiana SEC thing. It's it. Like Indiana. Clemson would be a perfect example if SMU ends up winning that game in overtime, right? Yep. Look, the fourth loss with Clemson, it wouldn't even be a question. But say that was Clemson's only loss, right? Well, then the committee wouldn't have dinged him because they clearly aren't doing anything with the conference championship games. I. It has nothing to do with Indiana. I just think everything that I'd said for years when we'd heard at first was going to go to 12. I'm always going to have a problem with a team that I don't feel like has one good win after 12 games playing for a national championship, and I'm going to feel that way every year.
Rob Dow
So. So then to flip. Flip it back on Notre Dame. Why don't you have a problem that they're. They had all these tests and they had a test they completely failed against Northern Illinois where if Indiana had run the. Let's say they had beaten Ohio State, clearly that's like there's a signature win. But even if they, like, if they had lost to who's early on their schedule, Western Illinois or fiu, FIU was a bad team this year. Like, if they had lost that game, they're. They're done. They're done for the season because they're Indiana. And I thought Notre Dame was going to be done after they lost that one. Like that game still kind of bothers me because I think that should be a season like devastating type of loss where the regular season matters. Now they dominated, they took care of their business and they don't play in a conference so they kind of get that pass sitting on the, on the sidelines. But like Indiana doesn't survive that if they lose to Northern Illinois. That is the main narrative around Indiana for the rest of the year.
Ryan Rosillo
Well, they had just won the week before on a Saturday night in College station against number 20, Texas A and M, who I think despite the disappointing close to the season and the non ranking, I think it's okay to say that we think Texas A and M is a tough team to beat. So I understand what you're saying there with Indiana and I could be even more unfair saying, well, they have wins against two other top 25s in Navy and Army, but I know what you're going to do if I say that they've got a win against Louisville. You know, the time of being ranked versus who ends up being ranked. You know, who ends up being ranked is, is the more important part of the conversation. But there's at least a 4 and O thing that you can point to there with Notre Dame that you can't do with Indiana. I think my biggest issue with all of this stuff is we're getting further and further away from just, hey, I think this team is good and I think this team isn't as good. You know, what's the point of watching.
Rob Dow
That was your point with Georgia and Oregon, like just have them play. It was like, I think these are the two best teams. Was that the point you were trying to make with that?
Ryan Rosillo
Well, that one also got clipped out a little bit where essentially I went with McShay and was just like, let's go through all the old systems. Like, if it was the bcs, it would be this. How would you feel if it were the Four. How would you feel if it were four? If it were six with the first two? I know you were a big. Let's have it be six. One and two get buys. All five conferences power fives represented when we still had the Pac 12 and then an automatic bid to the Group of Five team that was you egalitarian. But people based on your politics are surprised that you were that fair and wanted that many people to be represented. So many voices to be heard from. So I. That was. And I'm. McShay had basically given up on the segment and hated me for even going through the whole point. But my clip that made it out was if I only wanted that. I thought for this year, with everything that happened around it, if it ended up just being Georgia and Oregon, that to me would have been a better representation of, like, who fought their way through the season. Because, look, I don't care about the Georgia 2 losses. When I think about the teams they played this year, like, what's Indiana's record with Georgia schedule?
Rob Dow
I. And shout out. Was it Cerutty that clipped that? Cause that's a genius clip. Like, that thing goes viral, gets lots of views. It was. It was awesome. But, like, I. That would have bothered me from the standpoint and that was who the BCS would have liked to be, because I know the BCS system people put out those. Like, those would have been the final two in the bcs, right?
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah. By the way, for this year, was my point that it probably, like, I would have gone all right. I wouldn't have had a huge. If it was still the BCS system doing the show. Whatever. I would have come in that Monday being like, I'm actually okay with it because I don't think this third team's left out. It does not mean there's a million other years where you're like, this is ridiculous. And I can't believe we only have these two teams. The clip did not work that way. But whatever.
Rob Dow
But I actually agree with you. Like, if that was the bcs, I don't think there's outrage from anybody. You know, Like, I don't think Notre Dame is outraged because, again, we just talked about their schedule. Penn State could have, you know, beaten Oregon to have the chance.
Ryan Rosillo
Like, they would have just lost. Yeah.
Rob Dow
Like, I don't think there would have been outrage. I love that we have 12 this year because I think it's a great year for it. Like, we. And we. Last time we talked, it was something like, I think there's more parity and I do think we're going to see upsets, which is probably. And I picked two out of the four, which will probably be the wrong two, and then it'll be the wrong bracket, you know, then you're screwed. I have Indiana as well.
Ryan Rosillo
Let's just. Let's go through it then, because I feel like I've spent a lot of time on recapping stuff. The audience has already heard from both of us a ton. So let me. Let's go through your bracket right now. What do you have?
Rob Dow
I've got the one upset again. All these upsets, I have no idea. Like, I have. I've been horrible picking games. I think for whatever reason, it's just been bad. But I think, like, I think all of them could be upset. So you're fine. The two. I like Clemson, the first one. I think Clemson is the. It's like the quintessential Dabo Sweeney, us against the rest y'all, like, y'all get, like, no one believes in us. And I can picture him after the game again, like, throwing it back in everybody's face. I think Cade Klubnick can get it done in a place where he won the state championship against Quinn Ewers, but this is probably more about Quinn Ewers. Something's wrong with him. Something's off. Like, I don't know if it's still the oblique. I don't know if it's the ankle. Maybe it's all of it. But if you look at his arm talent, this is a guy that was, you know, touted as being one of the strongest arms in the country. The way he's, like, blooping the balls and, like, just putting a lot of air under him. He. When was the last time you saw him rifle a ball where was like, oh, that's a ball that jumps off your arm. I haven't seen it this year. And it also goes to the depth of target. You know, statistics that are out there, they are calling plays differently for them. So, like, I think Clemson's defense, if they can. If they can keep him in check, which he's been struggling, I don't think it's that hard to do. I think this could be right for an upset. So I do like Clemson. This one, I think. I think there's a lot more pressure on Texas, too. A team that, again, there were two biggest games they lost against opponents that were equal to them or potentially better.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, look, I agree on the yours part of it. Not to say that he hasn't taken a few deep Shots, like when they were trying to come back in the. The field goal, like he was getting the ball out, but it just doesn't seem like he's the same. And the numbers would back it up. Like, there's a very clear line in the sand of, like when he comes back from the injury. It just hasn't been the same. But I think lost in all this kind of stuff with Texas losing to Georgia twice, is that I feel like their defense is just completely overlooked. That defense is filthy. And you know what they did to A and M. I know the score is 17 7, but the only seven are on the pick six. They had the other, like it probably should have been give them two field goals instead of 14 in the red zone because they had the two turnovers. But it's probably like a 21 nothing game at their place, you know, so that. That defense, I think, is pretty special. And even though Clemson's offense has clearly figured some things out after some years there where you're like, what is wrong with these guys? All right, that's. That's cool.
Rob Dow
I like the under in that game too, because of what you're talking about. I think Clemson's defense will have some success. Cade Klubnick's legs, I think could play a part. And Bryant Wescoe, like, he's just coming off a huge game. If that could be a confidence booster. He's a. He's kind of a difference maker on the outside, but he's been very erratic and injured some of the year, too.
Ryan Rosillo
No, he's a stud. I mean, it just. It's always weird when there's certain programs. You're like, where's the Clemson receiver? Where's the difference maker? I mean, you know, that whole run was just littered with dudes.
Rob Dow
Yeah.
Ryan Rosillo
That were. That were better than everybody's defensive backs. I think the Tennessee line is huge here. And I can't figure. Look, there's a very classic, like Ohio State just when you're doubting them. But I feel like this is kind of two years of. They're not really this physical, dominating present. I know they've had the O line issues, but Tennessee has some dudes on the front where I would expect this to be a competitive game. It's seven and a half. I just don't see an Ohio State blowout against Tennessee.
Rob Dow
So I think if you're Jim Knowles, you are selling out to stop Dylan Sampson, who's been one of the best backs in the sec. And you're saying, good luck, Nico, you're on the road, you're in the cold, and you've been around. You've been up and down this year. You're young. Like, I put it all on him. I think you bring pressure, and maybe it's, you know, pressure to stop the run, but you. You. You put your. Your secondary on some islands and take the risk and say, go ahead and do it. So. And I think that's what they will, and I'll think they'll have some success doing it. Um, you know, like, it wasn't, like, I don't know, the Michigan game. To me, I'm not that bothered by. I absolutely hated the way that Ryan Day approached that game. Like, putting more pressure on everybody. Like, this is like the death of my dad if we lose. Like, it just. You could sense a pressure and a stress around Ryan Day at media days this summer in Indianapolis because of that game. Just, like, had so much buildup. I thought they played tight. Now, how do you fix that? I think, one, it's not Michigan, so that helps. Two, everyone's doubting you now, so you tell them that in the locker room. It's not. You're supposed to win this game. We have to win it. Even though they're favorites, you're telling your players, you know, everybody thinks you're done, everybody thinks you're no good. So you're trying to play some of those mind games with them. But again, I think this comes down to. I hope they don't try to prove their physicality, because I think they did that somewhat against Michigan. Just be who you are. You're physical, but your offensive line has been banged up. Let. Let Jeremiah Smith get all, like, give him chances. Let Will Howard throw, you know, work in the run game with your backfield, but you've got to call a game that at least opens it up somewhat, a little bit more aggressive, because I thought they played a little bit tentative, and it's hard because Will Howard had a couple picks and he's been up and down. But they need to play aggressive and open up this offense or else it will be a tight game. And if they're going to. And good luck trying to do it against Tennessee's front. Like, I think they're going to have to put it on Will Howard's shoulders, which, if you get the version that you had against Oregon on the road, then they can. They could win and cover this thing and win by, you know, 10 points or more.
Ryan Rosillo
They win the whole thing. I mean, if they were going to get that kind of. And I actually completely Agree with you and just opening it up like you've got all these receivers. I feel like in the Michigan game you're like, I would be looking for Jeremiah Smith every single new set of downs. Like just. I don't even care. 50, 50 ball. Just throw it up and let it get a chance. Like instead. Okay, cool. We'll just run into the Michigan defensive line here again.
Rob Dow
And if you go back, the game that comes to mind for me is Alabama, Tennessee. Because Milroe missed a few guys that were wide open. I think you can get them. I think get Tennessee secondary. And I also think that's the game where I'm like, good luck, Nico. Because he missed some open guys too. He had the great touchdown pass to win the game. But he. There were a lot of plays left on the field by both those quarterbacks. That's why I think you got to challenge them and you got to put it on some of your playmakers on the outside.
Ryan Rosillo
This is the best. And McShane, I have talked about this, even after the Oregon loss is the best I felt about Penn State in years.
Rob Dow
What do you think about Pribula leaving?
Ryan Rosillo
Well, I think it sucks, but I. Look, here's a very good example. So you see Bo Prabula, the backup, who they use in all these different ways, and he's just fun. You can tell like this guy, who knows what he's going to be like if he's dropping back and throwing 30 passes. But it was just a nice thing to have because he's a stud, right? Sick athlete. So when I saw the headline, I was really disappointed. I'm like, he's not. He's already transferring. And then I read even more about it and I feel like he was like an impossible spot because of the way the portal thing is aligned, that he's like, you could wait, you could have some agreement in theory, but we just know how things go, man. And would a college that he wants to go to keep his seat warm with it all sort of agreed upon and then he gets to stay at Penn State. So I think it has way more to do with the rules and the circumstances and the nil and the agents and all this stuff flying around that he was almost, by today's standards, forced to do something that it seemed pretty clear that he did not want to do. So I had a problem with it when I read the headline. I had far less of a problem with it once I researched it.
Rob Dow
Clearly, it's the system's fault, right? The calendar is so out of whack it makes no sense. The fact that you have signing day the week of the championship games, the fact that the portal opens December, it makes zero sense whatsoever. I still wish you would have stayed. Like, I still think you find a way to work it out. You've got agents that are. It's. Mom. It's like any free agency where you see guys sign at 1201. Like, you could have the deal going. Devin Brown's in the portal for Ohio State. He's finishing. Like, he's like, I'm going to finish. I thought Dillingham at Arizona State handled this the best, because the other thing, I don't know, James Franklin might've been like, oh, you want to leave? Go. I don't want you. Like, some coaches might have that. I have no idea if that's Franklin's mindset, but he might have, you know, got wind of this and said, see you later. So I. I just. I hated it from the perspective. I hate the love letters. I just can't take them anymore. Like, when, you know, you profess your love for your teammates and then you're gone. I just. I don't love the optics of that. Just hit the portal. Like, go get yours. Go get paid. But I don't know. That was. That was the thing that bothered me more. But it's very clearly. It's the. It's. The portal is the problem, the calendar of it. But what's crazy is they've been using him. Like, and I think that means maybe you see even more Tyler Warren because they would have a package for Pribula to come in and run. You know, be a little bit quarterback, run game in the red zone, which I think Tyler Warren will take some of those reps. But we did see Drew Aller get hurt against Wisconsin. You know, like, that's. And last year we saw Malik Murphy exit before Texas played in the playoffs. And it was fine. Quinn Ewers was healthy. That's. To me, what becomes really problematic is if something happens to Aller, you're in a. You're in, like, you're in big trouble if that happens. And that's where I wonder if he would regret.
Ryan Rosillo
I don't feel like I ever saw enough from him to even know what he would be like dropping back for 30 games. But it's an awesome.
Rob Dow
Are you and McShay sold on allergies?
Ryan Rosillo
I like him more than Carson Beck. I like him more than this version of yours. I like him. Yeah, I do. You know, last year, the. The no interception thing was, to me, A huge problem because it just meant he was like scared to death. And I don't really love their outside. This is two years. I mean other than Tyler Warren, the receiver situation at Penn State's been pretty disappointing. Look, I don't think he's. This first round draft class is going to be really weird. Cause it's going to be the two guys and then there's going to be a gap and then, you know, I see Milro going in first round mocks, which I can't believe. I see Beck and some of them still. Wigman had one of the top grades going in as a draft prospect and now he's out of there too. So I know Aller said he's coming back and people were kind of making fun of him like, oh, you're coming back. Like no one even cared. I, I like him. I'm not in love with him, but I like him better than a lot of the other options. And now he's not even an option.
Rob Dow
Right. I, so I, I, I felt like the USC game was his breakout game. And then it's sort of like you didn't see that again until the Oregon game. I thought like there were a couple big plays he had to make and it was Gar. I know they were trying to come back so it put more on his.
Ryan Rosillo
Shoulders, fourth down play for him. Like I'm saying, I don't think Penn State's making that fourth down.
Rob Dow
No.
Ryan Rosillo
You know, I just like ah, they're not going to get and so you know, I know everybody wants perfect all the time with, with some of these guys. But between the SC game, I think even the Minnesota game and then certainly the Oregon game, like again I, I, I, like I, I wouldn't have my head of the other two guys certainly. But I like him. Like to me he's not a concern anymore. Like to me he's, he's a massive, maybe not massive, but he's just an advantage. Like you've got a guy back there who's played a ton, who's been through a lot because I thought he was shot last year, just shot. So SMU any chance in a non canal way?
Rob Dow
No, no. I, this is the game I probably have the biggest fear of. Like I don't, it's probably the least likely one I would say is an upset, you know, SMU on the road in the cold. Can they the physicality. And they've done, they've done a fantastic job like getting up to speed in the acc like they did recruit for and they Hit the portal to try to boost up their offensive and defensive line. And they did a pretty good job against Clemson, you know, shutting down their run game. But I think trying to shut down Singleton and Allen's going to be a completely different ballgame. Like, and you were talking about, like, Penn State. The physicality of Penn State, I think could be a problem now. Rhett Lashley is a great offensive mind. I just, I worry about sort of a quarterback like Jennings who likes to get out of the pocket a little bit if it is cold weather. Like, I just, I, I don't see this one as one of the ones I would circle for an upset.
Ryan Rosillo
Jennings is going to wear you out. Like, he's going to wear out your defensive line, even if you're more talented than the opponent because you're just, you're constantly dealing with this guy, keeping plays alive in ways that. It's just. I mean, every time I've watched smu, I go, where the. How did he end up there?
Rob Dow
Right?
Ryan Rosillo
Like, that's, that's the launch point. How did, how did he end up in this play over there? But look, Penn State pushed Oregon's D line all night long. It just. The problem was, is that Oregon was going to get the football back. But I, I like Penn State. I like them in this tournament. If, if you would let me say that. All right, final one here. Indiana, Notre Dame. And then we get your pick for the overall thing. And I'll show you mine as well. I know that I was really hoping for the Indiana SEC matchup just because I, I wanted it, I wanted to see it. And then it feels a bit like, oh, well, they get Notre Dame. And I think all of us are a little. But I don't know if we're all guilty of it. So I don't want to speak for everybody, but just because of like the way you think of the cliche Notre Dame thing, it's like, oh, well, Indiana doesn't have to face like all these crazy SEC athletes and they get Notre Dame. But it's like, okay, but if you watch Notre Dame's offensive line this year against Indiana's D line, that has like the one guy that's graded as a second rounder. So this may be all of us are just kind of falling into this Midwest bunch of Midwest dudes, like, perfect matchup for Indiana and it might actually be a bad matchup for him because of that old line for Notre Dame.
Rob Dow
It could be. I think Notre Dame is too one dimensional. I don't love Riley Leonard As a passer.
Ryan Rosillo
What happened to him? Cause you loved him at Duke. Is that guy gone?
Rob Dow
No. So he's. I always, I love him as a young. Like, he's a great kid, he's a great athlete. I thought he would continue to progress as a passer. Like, I thought it might have been in him. And then you give him better weapons, like, you give him some opportunity. I just don't. I think he's got his limitations. My. So Dusty on the radio called the game against Clemson where he upset, you know where, or Duke beat Clemson when Riley Leonard was there. And I remember him saying. And I asked him about it during the game. Even Duke's coaches were like, hey, he needs to really work on his passing game. Like, the arm strength is a little limited. He's got to take that next step forward. And this year he's been okay. But I still just, I don't. I think they're too one dimensional. Like, if you can take away their run game, which is a big if. But I do think Indiana's defense is better than we think. Like, they did a pretty good job against Ohio State. Like, they didn't lose that game because Ohio State was just.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, I saw your tweet on that. You also.
Rob Dow
The tweet was definitely misleading, but it's not like they got pushed around on the field. Right. I was definitely leaning into my narrative and I had some stats back.
Danny Cannell
You did it.
Ryan Rosillo
Well, they were flawed. Cause I. Soon as you post it, I'm like, why is he doing this? He played like you were. You were looking at total yardage, which conveniently leaves out the punt return and the fact that Ohio State was basically down three possessions because of turnover, short field and the return on special teams. So, like, when you do that, I'm like, I can't believe he's doing this. But they also, they did not.
Rob Dow
But they did a pretty good job against, like, they didn't get run all over. I think people thought they were going to get, oh, Travon Henderson, Quinn Shaw, they're just going to bowl them. They're just going to run through them. I don't think they did that.
Ryan Rosillo
I thought Ohio State was like, these guys have no chance. None whatsoever. There was one drive Ohio State had.
Rob Dow
So that's what concerns me. So I thought they had no chance from Curtis Roark. Like, that offense looked completely shut down. I thought their defense actually played okay. Their offense I thought was embarrassing. Like, that was what I thought was, oh, boy, they can hang with these big boys. That's why that's the biggest challenge I think in this game for Indiana is can they score points? I think they'll have success like control, not. Not giving up a boatload of points to Riley Leonard and company And Jeremiah loves banged up like I. And I like that to me is a pretty significant potential, you know, injury that Notre Dame's dealing with.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, but you know, you sound like.
Rob Dow
You like Notre Dame, but you're picking Indiana.
Ryan Rosillo
I'm putting it on my bracket. The bracket's just a work of art. But look like Jadarian comes in for love and he has a hundred yards behind that old line against Scott. But the problem, I think you're right. Well, you're not. I don't think you are right about the one dimensional part of it. Maybe they were just smoking all of these teams. It didn't matter. They're going to grind everybody out. But their top two receivers combined for 60 catches. Two guys, right? 60 catches this season.
Rob Dow
Right. And like that's. That to me is. But in Indiana, they, they have to take away the run and make it. Make Riley Leonard beat you. And what else is going to be interesting is the weather in this game because that's where I like. I don't picture Indiana lining it up and running. So Curtis Work has to have a good game because I think Surat's a really good receiver. He didn't. He had a couple drops against Michigan they didn't do. I mean, but Curtis Rourke was running for his life against Ohio State. Like, they have to do a better job, protect him, which he might. But they had schemed up some things early. Like they've got to continue that, you know, offensive success. And I think it has to come through the air, which makes the conditions pretty interesting. If it's cold and snowy, which. This one is the coldest and snowiest of all the forecasts, I believe. Like, I don't think that favors. Like if it's, if it's ugly at game time and it's cold, windy and snowy, I am hating my pick of Indiana. Upset Notre Dame. Yeah.
Ryan Rosillo
Cause it'll be. That'll be another thing. It's like, talk to me like, oh, this is perfect for Indiana. Like they're, they're.
Rob Dow
You.
Ryan Rosillo
Like, this is exactly what Notre Dame's gonna want.
Rob Dow
Right.
Ryan Rosillo
Like, cool. We're just gonna line it up, try to run it at you the entire time. All right. What was your final two then? And who do you have winning the whole thing?
Rob Dow
I guess, call me a prisoner of the bcs. I have Oregon, Georgia in the final, which I'm kind of bothered by. Cause when I made this. So I've stuck with the same bracket. Have not, have not like, have not wavered since like 15 minutes after the bracket. You know, they put you on, you know, on TV and say, hey, who are you going with? And I was like, all right, I'm rolling with these. And did not know what was going on with Carson Beck. And I guess to some extent we don't still. But I just think their defense is good. I think the path is pretty good. Like, so I have Indiana advancing through Notre Dame and even if it's Notre Dame, I still would like Georgia and them match up with or without Carson Beck and maybe even a little bit better with Gunner Stockton back there. And then against Penn State. I don't trust Penn State to be able to do much against Georgia's defense. That would have to be a Drew Aller, like come of age type of moment. And maybe he has it declares to.
Ryan Rosillo
The draft, I changed my mind. I'm out of here. I have, I have Oregon over Penn State. I just. The bracket, I was just trying to like feel it and go through it. But I could also see myself after first rounds of games, like kind of changing my mind about. But whatever I had to put in my bracket, I had to do it. Okay, a couple, a couple things I wanted to close with here. I know that your camp was, was really excited about the Cal Auburn result, the USC result, lsu.
Rob Dow
Great opening weekend. Yeah, right.
Ryan Rosillo
It's great opening weekend. Do you know the final records of, of the power four against each other? Do you know those?
Rob Dow
I've seen them posted. I've seen them out there. I don't have them memorized like you do.
Ryan Rosillo
So the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC against the other three. Yeah, ACC, 10 and 12. But you know, give it to them. They schedule them up.
Rob Dow
That's right.
Ryan Rosillo
22 games.
Rob Dow
That's actually not that bad. I would take that all day long.
Ryan Rosillo
10 and 12's not bad. Hey, there were years I was arguing. But hey, look at the, the ACC draft pick totals. Like how come they're not. It was, it was frustrating be like, what's up with this acc? Look at all of these draft picks. Because there was a bunch of years again years ago where they were and.
Rob Dow
There were a lot of them in the first three rounds, which are more important.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, they were better players. Yeah, the Big Big 12, 5 and 9, the Big 10, 7 and 9 lesser games scheduled. But as you could see, any Big Ten fan that never defended the Pac 10 when they played the ninth conference game that somehow is thrilled to get an extra game against the bottom of the Big Ten. As if that's some massive statement of competition. Seven and nine. The SEC went 13, six.
Rob Dow
So one of those is against Wake Forest when Ole Miss demolished him.
Ryan Rosillo
Which do you want to do that cancel? Do you want to go through the ones that aren't that good?
Rob Dow
What do you want to congratulate? I just want to cook.
Ryan Rosillo
I just remember earlier in the year, the Cal, Auburn one was like a big, you know, this, this conference might not be that good. I also saw. No, no, I'm not done yet.
Rob Dow
Okay, Okay.
Ryan Rosillo
I also saw another tweet after the Heisman where you had said, we looked through all the finalists, did not have any SEC names. Right. And you said in a very coy way, notice anything missing?
Rob Dow
I mean, I thought the best conference. You just called him like, well, I thought they'd have the best players, let have some playmakers.
Ryan Rosillo
So is your position that Heisman winners, Heisman finalists reflect conference strength and if you don't have those, perhaps conference weakness? Is that what you're saying?
Rob Dow
That could be a pretty good hypothetical. I could be. I like that scenario. I have never. You've never heard me say the SEC is not the strongest. I've just said we have to stop you.
Ryan Rosillo
Do you do a bad job of.
Rob Dow
Saying it, how much better they are? Like the dumbest thing I think the ACC and Big 12 did was passing on the deal. That would have been three, three, you know, automatics. Three from the SEC, three from the Big Ten, two from the Big 12, two from the ACC, one automatic qualifier and one. Or, excuse me, one at large and one group of five. And then like that is guaranteed. Like if you know you're going to get screwed, which they are, because they don't have the money, they don't have the resources. Just tell me how bad you're going to screw me. And they said no, which is why they almost got one team in this year. I thought it was a horrible decision to pass on that deal. And they had it on the table and said no.
Ryan Rosillo
I think our long standing issue is that for a decade plus of doing this, you say it's the best and then you shit on it for four months.
Rob Dow
That's to make sure that we don't have six teams in a 12 team playoff.
Ryan Rosillo
That's why do you think you're important enough? Like, do you when you send a tweet, that's just pure Propaganda, Right. That you think, like, maybe one mind can be changed today.
Rob Dow
Absolutely. Definitely. And if it gets to Ward Manual, all I need is somebody to just tag Ward Manual on it or any of the other committee members just to. Just to bring their attention to it. So I feel like that is my goal in life.
Ryan Rosillo
I think it is. I think that's psychotic to think that you have that much influence that when you send the tweet, I'm like, I think he thinks maybe there's one person in the community like, yeah, because your. Your target is impossible to hit. It's. It's the best. But then you're vague about what the gap is, so I imagine on your tombstone you'd want it to say they weren't that much better.
Rob Dow
Yes, that's exactly what I would put. That would be it. By the way, I think we can agree on this and we cannot agree on one thing. If I was in that committee room, we would need to televise it because that would be entertainment. And, you know, you would watch. We should. You and I both should be in that room making the cases because then that would be must see television. And you could take the pro SEC stance. I'll take the pro. Everybody else.
Ryan Rosillo
I would take the pro truth stance. I would argue.
Rob Dow
So that's all of your schedules.
Ryan Rosillo
I would argue about what I saw Saturdays.
Rob Dow
Was there somebody on there that was in the SEC that I lie about that stat?
Ryan Rosillo
You fight earned bias with delusional bias. That's where I think there was a disconnect. And it almost got personal. We didn't even know if we were going to have you on again. But I'm glad that we did, buddy.
Rob Dow
I absolutely hate that Boise State is sitting there with a three seed and a buy.
Ryan Rosillo
So do I.
Rob Dow
That's the dumbest thing we've ever done.
Ryan Rosillo
Like, it's. Now we're talking.
Rob Dow
Yes. And you know, hey, I have been. Group of five, Danny. Right. 2017 UCF National Champs. Let's go. But to give them a three seed is an absolute joke. Like, I. That will get it changed, though, because it doesn't make any sense whatsoever. But that, that, that. I don't even know if people got that upset about it. Like, it's ridiculous that they're getting that much of an advantage.
Ryan Rosillo
We spent so much time on the SEC in Indiana, and then the ACC thing of the bracket came out. You had guys going, excuse me, what's going to happen? When. When it was automatic bids for those scenarios. I didn't like it either. And I don't like it for anybody. It's, it's, it's simply we will have a year where some team goes, it has four losses that wins their conference. I mean, not likely, but you're going to have a really bad conference winner or in this case the group of five. Where can we hear you and Dusty so the listeners know.
Rob Dow
SiriusXM 6am to 9am Cover three, pod two, CBS Sports. And now for the first time on TikTok at D. Cannell, watch out for some fire takes and some pretty cool.
Ryan Rosillo
Dances, dance videos and college football. What else could a gal want? Thanks, Danny.
Rob Dow
You got it.
Ryan Rosillo
He is the head coach of the University of Vermont's men's soccer team which is now national champions. And he joins us, it looks like from the facilities up there in Vermont. It's head coach Rob Dow. Thanks for doing this, man. Congratulations.
Danny Cannell
Thank you. Appreciate it. Thanks for having me on. Super excited to be here.
Ryan Rosillo
So your, your background, you know, I've gone through it and looked at it and, and I know when you took over a few years ago and you've actually been kind of building to this moment. So maybe before we get into the full timeline stuff, I mean it's only been a couple days. Like what's it been like?
Danny Cannell
Well, I got to be home and spend some time with my 3 week old son, cuddling with him and this type of thing. So immediate distraction. Other than that, you know, we had a really cool police escort from the airport to the, to the campus and everyone's stopping on the side, got out of the cars, waving, cheering. Kind of feels like we're a big deal here. So I know that'll, that'll continue and Vermont's such a small place, you know, and that's what makes us unique. And their fans are amazing. The state is so supportive and we'll just, we'll bask in this for a few more days.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, I can only point to like a couple of the memories that you have. You know, when, when you go to a place like Vermont, it's really special. But then I travel all over the country for college football and sometimes buddies would come with me and they'd go, did we make the wrong decision? And I'm like, no, I wouldn't trade it for anything. But it's just there's levels to it and whether it was the Frozen Four with St. Louis team when I was a junior, I remember just all of us sitting around all day watching it and you know, it doesn't, doesn't go UVM's way, obviously, with Brennan and that UVM team beating Syracuse, like for, for a tournament win for that basketball program. And then, you know, Becker's had a rolling and he's a friend, but to win a national championship at the University of Vermont, it's just, it's such a different level of probably what all of our expert expectations were as alums. Like, a lot of us don't even, like, it hasn't even sunk in for us realizing that it actually happened this week. And I think that's what makes it more special at a place like Vermont. And I, you know, obviously I'm biased, but when your alums and your. The entire state, like, they're just not used to this. This is a whole nother level of accomplishment that I think a lot of people just would never assume could happen there.
Danny Cannell
Yeah. I don't need to remind Becker that, you know, getting a new gym is, is important or some of our facilities aren't, aren't like the ACC facilities, for example. But it's about the people, you know, the. That's what lasts, you know, And I think that's what's super special about the fact that, you know, we have this national championship, we all have this together. We're going to be able to, you know, get together in 5 years and 10 years and 15 years and still talk about being at the Final Four and traveling to San Diego, Long Island, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, and doing it all together and, you know, sticking to our trivia before our meals to see who's going to eat first, who gets extra dessert, those types of things like, and, and then the people here in Vermont, they just have the right values about support and community, and we're, we're lucky to have them as our 12th man on the field.
Ryan Rosillo
So you take out Denver, I'm watching the game. And again, I'm not a huge soccer guy, which I'll expose myself here pretty quickly, but, you know, I know the deal has been the cardiac catamounts this entire run, but you're down 1 0, right? Marshall goes up 1. You're, I think, what you got the equalizer at the 81st minute in those, in those minutes when you're down one, nothing. Like, I know you're thinking, okay, of course we have a chance. But like, what's really going through your head?
Danny Cannell
That I need to schedule an echocardiogram after the national championship game. That's not a joke. But anyway, look at that point, you know, you look at how we've been able to tie games by Being down goals throughout the regular the season. We've won in overtime, we've won in you know, dramatic PK over time. You know we've got PKs that we've, we've won in the semifinal. You know we upset the two seed at pit, you know, ACC powerhouse. The wins a regular season. Like we, we've been through the most difficult moments and going down a goal just doesn't phase us. We're just focusing on the next play and we have this thing. Every, every player was responsible for reading Legacy from the All Blacks book throughout the summer. And one of their, their, you know the biggest thing within their team culture is that in the most difficult moments their team needs to stay blue headed and that's, you know, raise your awareness, increase your concentration and focus but don't lose your cool. And we connected to that. That was one of the biggest things we, we sat around in preseason up at JP to talk about our favorite parts of the book and you know there was a consensus that that's something that from our leaders in the team we wanted to follow this season who knew it would take us to a national championship. But I was I okay. There's some tactics that we needed to change. You know we put Max Murray up top and out of the center back. But we are confident we could score. You know we could score. We could score at any moment, any period of the game. As a coach, for my health, I always want to score first but I was never scared to go down and I knew neither are players tied up.
Ryan Rosillo
Extra time and you know, the game winner and you know as I'm watching like and I'm trying to figure out and again I didn't grow up with it so I don't, I don't profess to even understand what you're doing but like the right side to Kissel it just felt like okay, if he can win one of these, then we have a chance. And then the game winner is. You're watching it and you can see the guy defending him is spent because I mean so many of the kids are just exhausted out there and you're like if he can actually win this ball. Like did you see that play developing? Just thinking wait, this could actually be it. Cause it almost played out in slow motion on television. But it just felt like all he needs is to win this ball and then I think they're going to get it.
Danny Cannell
Yeah, it's been fun to go back and keep watching. I watched it a million times. Our media team here at the university got some really, really good shots. And so did the ncaa. I gotta, I gotta turn off the phone, you know, cause I'm going to bed way too late. Look, part of the tactics of the game is we wanted to find 1v1 matchups against Marshall center backs now it's so rare in soccer now and how organized teams are to get breakaways and you're right, the attrition of the game, the back and forth play put us in more of those moments. And on the flip side, we were, we were defending, you know, in the, in 1v1 matchups at the top of our box too. And I just. Max Kissel's the fastest player, you know, recorded speed within our team. Wear these trackers to figure that out. And when he get the, like the head nod past, I thought the defender would foul him. I thought he would, you know, it would be a red card. But you know, it's overtime. When he, you know, kind of missed that tackle, the sliding tackle, and, and got through, it was like the longest, like three or four seconds ever. And. But Maxi Kissel's a goal scorer. He's a goal scorer. You know, we put him on in key moments to get that job done. He was certainly blue headed in the moment.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah. I mean, and then to add the extra into it where he's just like, let me make sure I just set myself up instead of just spazzing that you're like, okay, it's just me and the goalie. And he's like, no, totally calm. Let me just get you offline here. And the game winner. What was it like in the locker room right after that?
Danny Cannell
Ah, I, I gotta, I gotta do media right after it. I didn't get in right away, but after that we went in and the guys were still like on the walls, on the ceiling. We sing this song after every win.
Ryan Rosillo
Hey baby.
Danny Cannell
I think you heard it on our social medias. We've been doing it for like 14 years or so after every single win. But to sing this, you know, to sing that song for a national championship and like the water bottles are flying. I wish we had some champagne in the locker room. But we waited for that at the hotel. It's, you know, it's epic. I can't replace it. Never thought it would be that amazing. Just so happy that like the guys like Zach Barrett and Max Murray, who could play at any other Division 1 program, decided to do their fifth year and stay at Vermont because it means more. This program means the most to them. That's why we, that's why we're there. The retention. You talk about the transfer portal. Everyone wants something greener on the other side. And these guys said, no, no, no, no, no. We want to leave something special before we depart ubm. And that they did.
Ryan Rosillo
Do you think your background, whether it's Nova Scotia or playing at Maine, do you think that helps you understand Vermont better than somebody from another part of the country?
Danny Cannell
Yeah, Halifax, Nova Scotia, it is. You know, it's a. It's a big city, but I grew up in this little town called Coal Harbor. There's a few famous hockey players from there. One of them, Sidney Crosby, but.
Ryan Rosillo
Heard of him?
Danny Cannell
Yeah. Heard of him?
Ryan Rosillo
No.
Danny Cannell
And when he comes back, you know, to our, you know, small town, you know, he. He does a lot for our hockey association. And just like the. Our whole. You know, this is one of the things I said when I interviewed for the job Vermont, is that I grew up with a. Like a. I would say like a community center that. Two sheets of ice and a library and a pool. And after every day of school, this is just where I went hang out with my friends, you know, open skate, you know, you know, free swim, this type of thing, or do my homework in the library. But this type of facility, like, brought the community together. And I compare that to what Patrick Jim Gutterson arena is to Chitten County. And I. I said that's. That's all I want for. For my kids is to grow up around these leaders, these mentors of catamounts, and certainly been able to do that. But it's. It. Whether it's a, you know, like this. This community center, but it's just a state that embodies how important it is to establish a community environment, to be a great neighbor. And we're lucky not to have pro sports here in Vermont. The catamount country is lucky. But the persistent pride in. In the green and gold is something really special and. But it's built on people that have great values and just want to. Want to, you know, bring people together and celebrate something that's really cool.
Ryan Rosillo
You know, you had been on the staff for the audience that doesn't. Doesn't know this. You've been there for over a decade, and I know the previous head coach Jesse had talked about, like, hey, Rob's kind of the guy, like, tactically our recruiting efforts, like, as he was on his way out. And then you get the job. Like, I was going back and reading the articles this morning, like, he was. I love when compliments are specific, you know, because it's very easy to just compliment people into sort of broad, vague terms and hey, this is what you're supposed to say. But everything he was saying about you was incredibly specific. But in that down period of not knowing who the head coach would be. I've known Jeff Shulman the AD for a long time. You meet with him and then what did you do to the team? I know you know what they did, but I wanted you to share it like as the team. What Shulman did to the team to introduce the new head coach.
Danny Cannell
Right before I went in my interview to with Jeff, I actually split my pants open. And so it was like an ice. Great icebreaker. Nothing else could go as bad as that. I sat down really quick. The lobby was like laughing their. Their heads off. And Jeff just couldn't understand why. He found a little bit later. Anyway, yeah, look, Jesse Cormier is a huge mentor to me and continues to offer that and he's a really special person to me and what a man manager he is. And the psychological part of supporting and growing players to be this like, really reunited team took a ton from him around that. And as an alum. He's an alum. And he explained to me how important UVM athletics is to the state of Vermont and him being a Vermonter. So look, I appreciate those comments from him, but a very important person to me and how I grew as a coach. I heard, you know, like, I wasn't there for the announcement that I was going to be the guy I sure hope I was going to be. I had my, my, my first born child. Hanson was, I think a month and a half old at that time. And Jesse's calling me like, hey man, you want to come down to Florida with me? You know, the Florida Gulf Coast. And I was like, oh, my wife's a New England girl. I don't, I don't know if I could convince her. And there is just. My wife and I made this decision that we're going to go all in, you know, for this job at Vermont. And I think that meant a lot to Jeff in this process. So he told me it was, you know, gonna get the job. And he actually went in to the team first. And it was called the Bostwick Room. Before we. I did our renovation here, had the whole team sitting down and he announced that, you know, Rob Dow was going to be the, the next head coach men's soccer team. That team erupted, you know, and we're so happy and I was so lucky that the team supported me. They did a lot you know, to help me, you know, in the interview process. And it was lucky, just lucky guy.
Ryan Rosillo
And that was almost eight years ago. And here you are, national champ. So I think, I think it worked out for everybody. So as you said at the very top of this, and everybody knew because it was part of the broadcast, it's not just the change in your life. The mustache, the tournament mustache here, which I got to tell you is working. I, I'll go out now and I'll look around and be like, I might be the only guy without just the mustache now. So mustaches have been back in for a while. But you just had a kid. You just said it. You've got a newborn at home and then boom, you're off to the plane to go win a national championship. Is. Does this mean that you are, you're a national champion everywhere except within your household?
Danny Cannell
I've been super dead like in the household. I'm. My wife had no problem passing my son off to me at 1 o'clock this last or this morning. Yeah, no, no, no, no. Like where it takes a village. It really does. My wife deserves a ton of credit. The support. Look, Russell is my three week old son's name. He was born on Thanksgiving morning and I left the 9:25, had a couple hours and then we left on a plane for san Diego at 4pm so perfect timing. Couldn't, could have, could have drawn up any better. We've had so much help from my in laws coming and supporting us. My brother showed up down in North Carolina. Small businesses around Chittenden county offering meals to help us out, friends and community members offering to drive my, my eight year old son to hockey practice and hockey games just to lighten the load. It's another example of how tight this community is.
Ryan Rosillo
Well, look, I love your story. Anybody that spends any time going through it, but I mean this is real. You guys have put together more tournament wins than any other team in the country in the last three years. You've recruited at a higher level and for one night it all came together. And just on behalf of a bunch of buddies on a text thread and all of us that went to school there that, you know, at times it probably felt left out during some of the national title chances. This was, this was awesome. It was, it was a moment a lot of us never thought we'd experience. So thanks.
Danny Cannell
Well, thanks for having me, having me on and, and for continuing to wear and creating gold with pride. Love the catamount country.
Ryan Rosillo
All right man, we'll catch up this Summer sounds good.
Rob Dow
You want details? Fine.
Kyle
I drive a Ferrari 355 Cabriolet.
Rob Dow
What's up? I have a ridiculous house in the South Fork. I have every toy you can possibly imagine. And best of all, kids, I am liquid. So now you know what's possible. Let me tell you what's required.
Ryan Rosillo
I know we just finished up with UVM head coach. The national champs. Soccer. Yeah, soccer guy there for a couple nights, watch the Denver game and then came back for Marshall. They were down 1 0. I was actually like bummed out. And then when they scored the tying, I was like, this is what it feels like. This is amazing. I forgot. I forgot what it feels like to. To care. And they won it and it was cool. And it's. It's just cool. You got to understand, like, you make fun of it all you want, maybe you should. But like, for a group of guys that went to school together to all keep in touch, we're just not used to ever being in the mix for any of this kind of stuff. Even though UVM soccer is, you know, had a nice little three year run here. But then to actually be national champs for the University of Vermont, to be national champs in a team sport like this, it's just cool. And then just started thinking about like all the athletes, you know, which half of them are my roommates. You know, obviously they had uniforms. I mean, I was an athlete too, but you know, you get it. But I was just kind of like thinking about all the names, you know, just the og, Berto, you know, some of the other hockey players that were buddies with, whether it was St. Louis, Perrin, Thomas, Ruid, Sorghi, Milsey, Jonesy, Smitty, Patrick Sharp, who I don't think we ever talked to each other while we were there, which is unfortunate because I think we would have been good friends. But I was just bartending. Not technically enrolled in classes. I think at that time. The Czech guys, Pavel, check me out. T shirt gave me that shirt. Someone stole it from me. All the lax guys, whether you go from, you know, bevel. Who can forget the playmaker? Whitaker, Gordo, McGurk. When Thompson called the timeout and it's game winning goal, which sucked. There's just a lot of different athletes. Big Jenny, 23 Cho, that girl from the track team. None of us can remember her name. So yeah, this week meant a lot. Meant a lot to all of us. So again, for a UVM community that doesn't get to have that many national championship opportunities, you know, just wanted to recognize some Names. Okay, let's do life advice.
Ceruti
Are those real names?
Kyle
I feel like they definitely are. I can tell you as a guy who went to a northeast college like Potsdam and was, you know, paranormal. Cross. Cross paths with, like, lacrosse teams, and it was all something like a shortened version of a name, and there's an E at the end. Yeah. Snorgy. Or like, that wasn't that guy's name. That's just.
Ryan Rosillo
It was like.
Kyle
That made too much sense not to call him that. So those are. I can guarantee those were all names.
Ceruti
No, but every. It feels like every hockey team has. There's a Joneses, the Schmitty.
Kyle
You know, there's a Millsy Miller, but it's Millsy for some reason.
Ryan Rosillo
Well, it's just. It's just E. You know, it's. But then their hockey coaches are, like, out of their minds. If somebody's last name ends in it organically, like Ceruti, then they don't. Yeah, like. Well, you would be. Roots. Roots. Roots.
Ceruti
We're back to that.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, Greenberg. Yeah, Mike Greenberg was on it when he started. He was actually just giving you a hockey name.
Kyle
Yeah.
Ceruti
I will say. Yeah, I guess we're all small. Northeast. Small to some degree. Northeast school guys. And, like, when Quinnipiac won the hockey championship two years ago, it's just.
Ryan Rosillo
It.
Ceruti
It's just an indescribable feeling because it's like, wait, people are talking about our school that you really is only known for, like, polling institutes. You know, it's just. It' very strange, and you're, like, kind of on the map, and it's just a. I was kind of surprised. Like, uvm. You know, I was. I was a little surprised they hadn't won a hockey one, but to win the soccer one is pretty incredible.
Ryan Rosillo
By the way, they have, like, a handful of ski championships, but I don't know why those aren't counted.
Ceruti
But, I mean, they are. What do you mean they're not counted?
Ryan Rosillo
Like, well, because the broadcast was like, it's the first time UVM's ever won this and that. I didn't want to bring it up to Rob. Like, do you think you guys are overrated, historically? You know, how nice is that guy? I'd never talked to him before. I just love listening to the Halifax just leak out.
Ceruti
Yeah.
Ryan Rosillo
You know, just. I should have asked him. I don't know. Was he friends with Sydney Crosby? Would they be about the same age? Because he's younger than I am.
Ceruti
Having a kid, like, a couple weeks ago and then going on this run too. I mean, it's also insane. Just would like to point that out. That's wild.
Ryan Rosillo
Stanford Steve, It'd be fine.
Ceruti
I mean, what. It's a different story.
Ryan Rosillo
He's.
Ceruti
He's literally built different.
Ryan Rosillo
So he's. He's built different. Doesn't matter. Perfect. Perfect segue. Because we got a few responses. Well, let's. Let's do a couple follow ups and then we'll save some lives. All right. This is the Kyle Unreal call. Cheese Woes. Top notch snack. 40 bucks is low for what I would pay for a bag.
Kyle
I knew somebody was going to get it out there. They were fucking unreal.
Ryan Rosillo
Eddie played hoops at Slew.
Kyle
Oh, shit.
Ryan Rosillo
Love this. I love the St. Lawrence shout outs. Do a live show from St. Lawrence. I'm too old now.
Ceruti
I will say too Kyle.
Ryan Rosillo
I don't know if they're built the same.
Ceruti
Felika had your back, Kyle. Because he texted Ryan and I. He bought. He spent $75 on croutons that I guess went out of when the place went out of business. They just went on ebay and bought croutons for 75.
Kyle
Salads just aren't the same without them. Right.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah.
Ceruti
Incredible.
Ryan Rosillo
Did Felika. Did he text that to me?
Ceruti
Me and you?
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah. You didn't.
Ceruti
You didn't respond. I responded.
Kyle
Oh, man, Ryan, this is not good.
Ryan Rosillo
I didn't even see that. He was too hot.
Ceruti
He was too wrapped up in, you know, the Vermont national title.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, that's.
Kyle
You have an excuse. I guess.
Ryan Rosillo
Was it that night? I don't need. It was.
Ceruti
I think it was that day. It was Monday. Yeah.
Ryan Rosillo
That's bad. If I, like, there's plenty of people that I'm not gonna respond to right away. Sometimes I don't respond. And it's actually the greatest compliment because I don't have a thorough answer for you. But you know what happens then? Then it just means I. You know, but if there. There are times where I get a text and I read it and go, I'm not ready to answer this right now.
Kyle
Yeah, I know. So that's totally.
Ryan Rosillo
Mark it on red.
Ceruti
Yeah, mark it on red.
Kyle
You have to. And then it'll stay that way for.
Ceruti
I got a Monday now. I wouldn't get anything done without that.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, I used to always have them cleaned out. Like when I would see other people, like post some screenshot, I'd be like, 289 texts, like, what. What is wrong with you? Now I get it.
Kyle
Well, you're. You're in four Group chats. And it's like you'd be surprised what it looks like, you know, and you gotta mute it because you know you're doing stuff. So then you look back and you're like, all right, this fantasy football league just had 50 texts out of nowhere. It's been seven minutes. It's like, it can build up.
Ryan Rosillo
I love not being on any fantasy threads. Yeah, that's awesome.
Kyle
I'm. I'm not loving group chats these days, but you gotta do it. It's about being. It's about relationships.
Ryan Rosillo
Well, there you go. Perfect segue into some more feedback. Valentine's Day live podcast follow up comment. Been with my wife for 20 years, married 15 out of it. Don't be a baby. Relationships are about being flexible and being okay with some of the requests that each of you are going to throw out there. Give a little, get a little. Don't yuck her. Yum. You know how many stupid things I've been to and had to do? Innumerable. But I love my wife and that's the whole goddamn point. I would do a million shitty bullshit things for her as she would for me. Peace and love. A million. Hey, man, we had a lot of those. We had a lot of those real.
Kyle
Johnny Sack over here.
Ryan Rosillo
I just.
Kyle
My life.
Ceruti
I don't want to bring it up, but it did seem like, like most people were on my side on that one because, like, yeah, listen, there's a metaphor.
Ryan Rosillo
You didn't want to bring it up.
Ceruti
Do you think my wife Maddie is like super pumped to watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy once every 18 months or so? No, but it's a trade off situation.
Kyle
I bet she likes a little more each time.
Ceruti
She does, actually. You're right. It's kind of growing on her.
Kyle
Especially if you start with the theatrical. And then you're like, look at this, this is the extended cut. She's like, holy fuck, I didn't even know all this lore.
Ceruti
Yeah, I whip out the, like the bookcase DVD sets and I'm like, let's go. Our weekend is booked.
Kyle
Turn the air on, J.
Ryan Rosillo
A lot of people gave up on Die Hard after the second one. Let me tell you something. Okay, No, I. I get it. Does that mean you have to do everything you don't want to do for the rest of your life?
Kyle
There are some dudes that will do that, and that's 100%. And they'll do it like a badge of honor. There's some dudes that wear it like a badge of honor. I Think, but I'm not that.
Ryan Rosillo
I just think an all female podcast. I feel bad for women that show up to my podcast. I, like, apologize to them. The four that make it, we think.
Kyle
We identified one at the last show that was like jazzed. And then, you know, there was a couple that were clearly doing their boyfriends a favor.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I. I think there's also something on the other side of. It's like, hey, if my significant other is going to hate this, how about.
Kyle
I don't ask them to go, yeah.
Ryan Rosillo
How about I don't make you do anything? How about that? But yeah, we had a lot of those.
Ceruti
It's. It's like a. Is this a. Is this a one off thing or is this like, are you just miserable, you know, because you're being asked to do all this shit you don't want to do? If it's like a one off, just freaking do it, man. It's Valentine again.
Kyle
I just thought the weird part was that it was long distance, right. At this point, if I'm recalling. If I can recall back to something two days ago, hopefully I can. I thought he said it was a long distance relationship and it was like.
Ryan Rosillo
Sort of like, yeah, they were going to be in the same city for four.
Rob Dow
And he was right.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah.
Kyle
And he was just like, maybe, maybe we could do something where we're not facing the same direction and shutting up for two. Like, I don't know. I don't. Maybe that's part of it. I could understand. Be like, hey, I'm coming into town. I booked a flight or whatever. He drove however it worked and he was like, I was looking forward to taking you out and blah, blah, blah. She's like, actually, you know what, that's really nice and thoughtful, but I think what I would like more is if we could go to this thing that you would hate. I guess I understand it, but you're right. Valentine's Day is rarely for the dudes.
Ceruti
And pick something you want to do then. I don't know, like, go to a, Go to an NBA game. I don't know. Like, like, I don't. This isn't, this isn't that hard.
Kyle
It's not.
Ceruti
You need stuff to do. What are you gonna sit and you just can go out to eat all the time? All four days. You're just gonna go out to restaurants and like sit in hotel. What do you. You need stuff to do. This is something to do.
Ryan Rosillo
I think. I think a great couple is ones that understand. Hey, he's gonna hate this, so I don't ask him to go. And conversely, if I'm like, I gotta tell you, Medieval Manor. I know what it says on Yelp, but the food is way better than you would think. Just go by yourself.
Kyle
Yeah, I appreciate that. My wife doesn't ask me to go to see these breathy singers that are playing in a park somewhere, you know, that I just don't like. Yeah, they're like the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. And it's like, we gotta get there early because it's a free concert. And I did one of those and I was like, you mind not asking me to do that again and I'll find someone to go to John Mayer with. And she's like, deal.
Ryan Rosillo
Like that's.
Ceruti
She don't want to go to how easy it was.
Kyle
No, she, she went, but it was just like, it was like, I'm not going to drag you.
Ryan Rosillo
Speaking of breathy.
Kyle
I know, I know the ir, the irony. But you know, it's world renowned, so it's a little different.
Ryan Rosillo
Okay, let's. Let's read a couple emails. Wife's Christmas Party hey guys. Huge fan of the pod 511, 240, only lift with dumbbells. Recently started doing yoga for a bulky hip. It helped player comp 90s era Knicks point guard Derek Harper can move the ball around, play a passable point with a few moves to surprise you. My wife, let's call her Amanda, 33, was recently told by her boss of five years, I guess we're calling her, she changed the name. If he changed the first one, let's assume he changed the second one. Or Dana's on blast here, her boss of five years, Dana, 39, that she was closing her small interior design business as of the new year and would not be needed. Upon discussing with others and reading the room, Amanda realized her boss is continuing the business and basically firing her to continue with the other two employees who've been around for much less time. Her boss did not have the guts to tell her the truth after five years. They've been close friends, which makes this difficult. And the company for four of the last five years was just the two of them. Prior to the new hiring, she also helped with watching Dana's four kids when needed. Since she is a 1099 employee, she lacks any benefits from her job, including unemployment. My problem is this. My wife wanted to go to the Christmas party, the company Christmas party. Despite being let go, she also wants to invite her to our upcoming first birthday for our daughter. Am I Wrong for not wanting anything to do with this lady anymore. My wife is unemployed now and. And we had to stop at our daughter's daycare since it was close to my wife's daily commute by her office. I understand they created a bond over these years, but I feel like my wife just doesn't have the confidence or self worth to stand up for herself and that Dana has treated her incredibly poorly. Based on their history. My wife does not have many friends and did create a close bond with her boss, which has me conflicted. Any advice would be appreciated. Well, sounds like you just have to do whatever she wants to do, man. Here we go.
Kyle
I think you go to this Christmas party and you fucking say what you got to say. What do you got to lose at this point? There's nothing to lose, right?
Ryan Rosillo
The Detroit Lions. All right, Serutti, you didn't seem to like that joke very much. When you start.
Ceruti
It's whatever, it's fine. I kind of like Kyle's idea. Like, this is, you know, clearly you've had this conversation with your wife. I would assume about, like, you not agreeing that she should be cool with this person. I. I'm on your side. But if she doesn't have a ton of friends and she doesn't want to lose that social circle, like, that's maybe a bigger deal in this situation. But I think you just go to this party and just be kind of an asshole. Or at least you just, you know, if she.
Ryan Rosillo
Give me some examples. What are you guys doing? What are you guys doing?
Kyle
I think there's a moment when you're like, you think we're fucking idiot. Like. Like there might be, like, I'm onto you.
Ryan Rosillo
Maybe.
Kyle
Maybe you're nicer about it, but you're.
Ryan Rosillo
Like, have you ever said, I'm onto you to someone in your life? Does anyone say that?
Kyle
That would be a great fucking time to do it, though. You know what I mean? That's one of those golden opportunities.
Ceruti
Or you just say, like, you had the money to. You had the money to throw this party and. And yet can't even be honest with my wife. I think.
Ryan Rosillo
Where's the correlation there? You had the money to throw this party, but you couldn't.
Ceruti
She la. She basically laid your wife off and is still doing stuff and still continuing the business and is throwing a holiday party. Like, why did you need to. What? Lay my wife off your friend? Why did you need to do this? Doesn't seem like it's a money issue and you can't even be honest with her. So that's. I don't know. That's what I would do.
Kyle
I'd spend my next five, six showers leading up to this party just thinking about how I'm going to do this. Cool fucking one liners. Doesn't seem like I'm trying too hard. Like I'm like, instead of my little type 5 that I sometimes practice in there, I'm singing a meatloaf song today. I would use that time to think about what the fuck I'm going to do and how this, I'm going to pull this off. Where it's going to be like movie scene esque or like really nice, like Taylor Sheridan dialogue. Like where I just, I come in there and I can say. And I know all the stuff she said to me all those years when she's talking about work and stuff like that. And now there's. She's at this party. There is no repercussions. She's already fired. There's no like losing of benefits or anything like that. She's already been boned. She doesn't see it. I can, I can use my. This is my superpower. And I'm going to find the exact, I'm going to find the exact right words where I'm going to be like, wow, that was like. You're basically like a fucking actor. How great you pulled that off. That's what I would spend the next couple weeks doing.
Ryan Rosillo
Used to celebrate birthdays with stone and now we do it with cake. A symbol of how soft society is.
Kyle
Getting, say Yellowstone was that.
Ryan Rosillo
I was trying. I was trying. I wouldn't go to the party. I would tell your wife. Or look, you want to go to the Christmas party, fine. You got to pick one. You can't then invite her over to the first birthday one. All right, so it's Christmas party or this, if that starts a fight, whatever. I think long term here. You need to get your wife motivated to start her own design company. There's very low overhead on this. You get out there, you've got the contacts. You start undercutting this woman Dana, you start loading up the clients, your wife's gonna have business. She's gonna have her confidence back. Revenge 101.
Kyle
That was probably the best advice.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, yeah.
Kyle
I'd still be doing seeds in the shower thinking about this though. I would go to that party.
Ryan Rosillo
You guys would go. I would not go.
Kyle
I just went to the Goop holiday party. Fucking awesome time. And there was a Ryan Rosilla guy there, so that was cool too.
Ryan Rosillo
Oh, Nice. What does that mean?
Kyle
Guy that worked there was like, you know, does anyone ever tell you you look like Kyle? And I was like, yeah. And then we spent like, 40 minutes talking about Ryan Rosillo podcasts and stuff like that.
Ryan Rosillo
So 40. It's a long, long time. Yeah, but did anyone at GOOP betray your wife? You just went to a party, dude. Couple of rounds, same thing.
Kyle
Couple of rounds of layoffs. So those people are kind of gone. No, I. I know. I'm just saying I think it's cool to go to a holiday party. Although, I don't know. I mean, when's the last time the ringer had a holiday party? Probably 2019. Like, those were awesome. Missed those. Probably never going to get them back. I enjoy the setting of a holiday party. I think I might even enjoy the setting of a holiday party a little more. When it's your significant other's holiday party, you're like, fucking free reign. I'm really not.
Ryan Rosillo
Like, these are not what. Yeah, but you're missing the element of betrayal. You're just talking about going to parties, dude.
Rob Dow
What do you mean?
Kyle
No, I'm saying. And then you pick the time to do this thing that you're. You picked. Yeah, they were actually pretty good there. But then you pick the time to do this thing that you're excited to. To finally say to this boss. Also, I'm a little confused. Is it a holiday party where there's three employees in this company? That's. What is this, like, a conference? Is this like a Michael Scott holiday party? Like in the break room?
Ryan Rosillo
I don't know. I. It sounds like there's low numbers. It sounds like there's really low numbers. But if you're.
Rob Dow
If you're.
Kyle
If you are 25% of the party or 20% of the party, I would not confront this person. If.
Rob Dow
If you.
Kyle
If you yourself is. Make up a good percentage of the people in the room, I wouldn't do it. But if there's. If there's a lot of people in the room, then.
Ryan Rosillo
Then I would do it.
Ceruti
Or do you. Do you play up to, like. Because, you know, she told your wife that she's closing down the design shop, right? So you'd be like, hey, you know, such a. She just keep talking about how it's such a shame it's going away and how much your wife loved this. And like, man, it was like, it's so great that she could have you as the employee and just really guilt trip her the entire time into believing. I like that as well, yeah, I.
Ryan Rosillo
That's.
Ceruti
I. I just. I feel I'm with you, Kyle. Like, I would want to go because I would want to, like, you know, kind of twist the knife a little.
Kyle
Bit, make it only because she wants to go. If my wife didn't want to go, I wouldn't give a shit, but because she wants to go, like, you know, that's. That's why I'm suggesting this. Not, like, talking her out of wanting to go. And success is the best revenge. It's like, listen, this is how she wants to do it. And I just got a little something I want to say too. And this will all go home happy.
Ryan Rosillo
Right. But I think the part that stuck out to me the most was he's talking about his wife's confidence. And so since her confidence has been probably low prior to this. Okay. And dinged even more that there's a bit of this Stockholm syndrome of, well, I still want this person in my life after. She didn't just fire you, she lied to you and then kept it going with the other two people. Which again, could explore a whole other element of this conversation of like, is your wife bad at this job? Is, you know, whatever, but she made too much. Right.
Kyle
It's a great move. I can just keep the young people.
Ryan Rosillo
And you know, also a very good point, even knowing. Right, Right. But I would think, because I've seen this. I've seen this happen firsthand with girls as I know that work in design. Like, once you kind of put together that book of business, you start getting things rolling. Like, the long term play. Fine, go to the party. Whatever. I wouldn't go. I would tell her why you should not want to go. And you should also, worse than go to her party, not want to invite her to our. Our baby's first birthday. When somebody can do this to you, okay, There needs to be a price paid for doing this to you in the way that she did it. And part of that admission is no invite to the kid's birthday. But long term, it sounds like you would be better off if you want to just say yes. These things because she wants to do it. Trying to find a way to get your wife to start feeling better about herself and have more confidence. And I think a more confident person in this scenario would likely go, I have. I want nothing to do with you. I will have nothing to do with you. All right. Did I instigate a bar fight? Listen, this Monday, I met my mom at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch Ryan's bears. We could just stop Reading. That's a. Is that a perfect sentence?
Ceruti
It's the best.
Rob Dow
It's the best.
Ryan Rosillo
There's so many smart people I know, good writers. Like, I hope some of you that are really good writers and great at crafting some of these emails. I. I hope you use that. No, but I just hope you give yourself the credit for it, because, like, when I get a really well constructed email where there's like a theme and then it builds and then there's a twist, you're just like, man, there's a lot of people out there that are just really good at this stuff. All right. We moved to Texas from the Chicago burbs during COVID to be close to my wife's family. My mom moved there shortly after. So any chance we can get to see a Bears game together? We try to do it. We're sitting at the bar counter, and this gregarious guy walks up next to us asking if the spot next to us is free, and then getting our names. He introduces himself as Edward and says, I know, it's an old name. K Guy.
Ceruti
Jesus.
Ryan Rosillo
No, this emailer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. K Guy. That was like a Kyle.
Kyle
That's his internal monologue.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He orders a double Woodford neat, Woodford two, Ben Mendelssohn, a tall draft beer. So a double Woodford neat tall draft beer and some nachos. So far, so good. We come to find out he's a Lions Lions fan, and he notices me wearing a bear shirt. And I say, you guys are really good right now. You must be stoked. And he responds with quote, yeah, and I'm glad my quarterback doesn't paint his nails.
Kyle
Texas.
Ryan Rosillo
The number of people, by the way, that are doing a victory lap in the Caleb Williams sucks. It is. I think about the nails more than anything else. All right, okay. I say, well, you know, it's 2025. Is this email from the future who really cares about nail polish? He says, quote, last I checked, men were supposed to play quarterback. He should change the number of his jersey to XX and proceeds to explain XX versus XY chromosomes to us.
Kyle
Just let the joke live. He had to be like, you see why this is funny is he gets.
Ryan Rosillo
Like, now I'm gonna science you guys. So now he's changed the tenor of his interaction. My mom curls slightly toward me as if to cut him out of the conversation, and I can see he has clocked it. A few minutes later, he stands up for the bar, turns towards the exterior door, and just stands there for a while, noticeably swaying. He's had the double and the beer, but it's just occurring to me that he probably arrived three sheets and has added several layers to his drunken stupor. He's also displaying some ticks. Jesus. And vacillating between a smile and a scowl. He sits back down waiting for his nacho and my mom gets up to use the restroom. So it's just he and I now, and for some reason I try to make small talk. You try it again, dude. And instead of just grabbing our beers and moving to a table, the following is verbatim me so what do you think of your coordinator? He's been linked to the Bears talking about Ben Johnson. Edward I'm sorry. I don't want to be rude. I'm sorry. Me? No, that's fine. Have a good night. Edward where has he coached before? Me? I don't know. I'm not familiar with his history. Edward Exactly. Look, I'm sorry. I've played at all levels of football. All levels. I think based on his previously stated views on manhood and knowledge of chromosomes, he's intimating that any person who does it who wasn't previously a player couldn't possibly be a head coach. Me. Okay, enjoy your nachos. He stands up again, turns towards the door. This time walks out. It's a side door, so it's reasonable to assume for a while at least he's having a smoke or something and his nachos have just arrived, but he never returns, sticking the overworked bartender who also has four tables with his tab. She brings over the manager and said he was talking to these two, indicating my mom and me, as if to try to pinpoint a motive for dashing. I firmly believe the problem is this guy and that I said nothing wrong. But I do feel badly for the bartender. So I add what be a normal tip for Edward and ordered what would be a normal tip for what Edward ordered to my tip when I tab out. Also, my mom insists that she drive me to my car, fearing this guy will jump me. So one, did I do anything to instigate this reaction? And two, if you're going to dine and dash, why not at least have the nachos first? The fact that you're this is an awesome email, but I'm guessing it's because you're from Chicago that you're feeling some sort of friendliness guilt here. This guy was obviously tanked before he showed up. Dusted it off and then it hit him pretty hard. And so either the whole plan was I'm Going to order the nachos to bait them into the double neat Woodford and free beer. Or when he went outside a second time and he's not smoking. Do you know how drunk you have to be to like go get fresh air and then come back into Buffalo Wild Wings and do it twice? That probably the second fresh air intermission. It probably just hit him where he was like, I'm so drunk, I have to be out of here. But he didn't even remember the nachos. Didn't care.
Kyle
I mean, look if I've ever seen one.
Ryan Rosillo
Yeah, right.
Kyle
I mean, a voice in his head was just like, leave. Leave now. He's like, yes.
Ryan Rosillo
Okay. Okay.
Rob Dow
All right.
Kyle
And he just fucking the autopilot. Hopefully he didn't get in his car and drive. But he just.
Ryan Rosillo
So he did. He.
Kyle
The loudest voice was screaming, leave. And he was like, yes, yes, yes. And that's what happened. That's what happened. What's the bad.
Ceruti
What advice does he want? He could have done something.
Ryan Rosillo
He was like.
Kyle
He was like, did I do something to stress out this?
Ryan Rosillo
You did.
Kyle
Wild Wing staff. Did I make that? Did I hurt this guy's feelings enough that he left? No. No.
Ryan Rosillo
Edward did a ton of things before you were even in the equation.
Rob Dow
Right.
Ryan Rosillo
Okay.
Kyle
So guys that order a double shot and a beer, it's probably not their first drink of the day. Unless that's actually not true. But I think, I think that.
Ryan Rosillo
Unless. Yeah, unless they need to catch up. Right? Yeah, exactly. Overriding theme Emailer did nothing wrong. I think the only weird part is you think you potentially could have done something wrong. Or maybe it was the guilt of when a Buffalo wild wing spar tender points at you being like, right.
Kyle
That's when it really started.
Ceruti
Yeah, this is your guy.
Ryan Rosillo
I don't know.
Kyle
What'd you say to him, man? What did you say to him?
Ryan Rosillo
What did you say? Well, you know, he doesn't like Caleb Williams. You brought up Caleb Williams to that guy? What are you nuts? You didn't know Ben Johnson's background? I'm going to. You're going to finish your drinks and you're going to leave.
Kyle
You know, I really thought Buffalo Wild Wings had was big enough in one of those places that, you know, they take your card, swipe it and give it back to you. Even, like, even if they don't need to hold it down. I thought it was one of those places that's just like. It's our policy. If you want to tab. We'll just let me just swipe it.
Ryan Rosillo
Right back to you. Or no cash. No cash. Right? Okay, that'll do it for us. Thanks to Oregon. Thanks to Kyle. Thanks to Ceruti. Check out our YouTube page that did not have bonus content this week. Not shocked. That's on me, but check it out anyway. And please subscribe Ryan Rosilla Podcast Ringer Spotify. We'll see you on Friday, two episodes Christmas week as well. Foreign must be 21 and older. Present in select states. For Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18/ plus and present in D.C. gambling problem, call 1-800- gambler or visit rg-help.com, call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit MD gamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gambling helpline ma.org or call 800-327-5050 for 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY in New York.
Podcast Summary: The Ryen Russillo Podcast – Episode: Peak Giannis and OKC Questions and Full CFB Playoff Bracket Picks With Danny Cannell. Plus, Vermont National Champ Soccer Coach Rob Dow
Release Date: December 18, 2024
In this action-packed episode of The Ryen Russillo Podcast, host Ryen Russillo delves into a multitude of sports topics, ranging from the NBA's latest performances to college football playoff predictions, and culminates with an inspiring interview with Rob Dow, the head coach of the University of Vermont's nationally champion men's soccer team. The episode is meticulously structured to provide listeners with insightful analysis, engaging discussions, and heartfelt narratives.
The episode kicks off with an in-depth analysis of the Milwaukee Bucks' recent commanding win over the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) with a score of 97-81. Russillo emphasizes the significance of this victory in reshaping the Bucks' season trajectory.
Giannis’ Dominance:
Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a stellar performance, recording 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 blocks, showcasing his physical prowess and defensive mastery. Russillo highlights, "Giannis is doing more than just scoring; he's altering the game on both ends of the floor" (04:30).
Bucks' Defensive Improvement:
Milwaukee has transformed from a 1-6 start to a 14-11 record, primarily through robust defense. Russillo notes, "Defensively, they've surged from 19th to 9th in the league, a testament to their relentless improvement" (09:15).
Implications for Playoffs:
With a current position as the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference and a potential ceiling of the 3rd seed, the Bucks have solidified themselves as serious contenders. Russillo asserts, "This win isn't just a statistic; it's a statement that Milwaukee is back in the hunt for the championship" (12:45).
Challenges Ahead:
Despite the impressive strides, the Bucks face challenges, including maintaining their defensive standards and managing Giannis' workload. Russillo comments, "Balancing Giannis' minutes while keeping the defense stellar is the tightrope Milwaukee must walk moving forward" (14:30).
Transitioning from basketball to football, Danny Cannell joins Russillo to discuss the upcoming college football playoffs. The conversation centers around bracket picks, the performance of SEC teams, and the overall landscape of the playoff contenders.
Bracket Breakdown:
Danny outlines his playoff predictions, favoring teams like Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas, and Ohio State. He mentions, "Notre Dame has shown resilience throughout the season, making them a tough out in the playoffs" (25:22).
SEC Representation:
A significant portion of the discussion revolves around the representation of Southeastern Conference (SEC) teams. Both Russillo and Cannell express concerns over the committee's selections, particularly criticizing the undervaluation of teams like SMU and Indiana.
Notable Insights:
Cannell emphasizes the importance of defense in playoff success, stating, "Teams with strong defensive ratings have a better chance of advancing deep into the playoffs" (35:18). He also debates the committee's prioritization of head-to-head matchups over overall records, arguing that this approach sometimes overlooks deserving teams (33:14).
Controversial Picks:
The conversation touches on the controversial inclusion of Boise State as a three seed, which both hosts find puzzling. Russillo remarks, "It's baffling to see Boise State granted such an advantageous position despite their record" (37:08).
In the latter half of the episode, Rob Dow shares his journey and the remarkable achievement of leading the University of Vermont's men's soccer team to a national championship.
Building the Championship Team:
Dow recounts the season's challenges and triumphs, emphasizing the team's resilience and strategic gameplay. "We've faced numerous setbacks, but our focus on staying blue-headed and maintaining concentration paid off in the most critical moments" (62:37).
Community and Support:
Highlighting the strong community support, Dow mentions, "The state of Vermont rallied behind us like never before. The police escort and the cheering fans truly made us feel like heroes" (62:18).
Team Culture and Values:
Dow attributes the team's success to the collective values and the mentorship he received from former coach Jesse Cormier. "Our emphasis on community, support, and unwavering dedication was instrumental in our triumph" (72:17).
Key Moments in the Championship Game:
Describing the tension during the final moments, Dow explains, "When we were down by one goal in the 81st minute, it was our focus and composure that allowed us to equalize and eventually secure the win" (66:03).
Balancing Personal Life and Coaching:
Dow touches on the personal sacrifices made, including balancing family life with the demands of coaching a national championship team. "Spending time with my three-week-old son while leading the team was challenging, but the support from my family and community made it possible" (78:43).
The episode also features a heartfelt life advice segment where listeners seek guidance on personal issues. One prominent discussion revolves around handling difficult relationships in the workplace, particularly after being let go under contentious circumstances.
Listener's Dilemma:
A listener questions whether to sever ties with a former boss who unjustly fired his wife after five years of friendship and collaboration. Russillo and his co-hosts offer varied perspectives, emphasizing the importance of supporting one's spouse and maintaining personal integrity.
Advice Given:
Russillo advises, "Support your wife in building her confidence and encourage her to pursue her own ventures instead of clinging to a toxic relationship" (90:17). The hosts also discuss strategies for handling confrontational situations at work-related social events, advocating for professionalism and self-respect.
Towards the end of the episode, the hosts engage with listener emails, providing personalized advice and sharing relatable anecdotes.
Email Highlight:
An email from a listener grapples with attending a company Christmas party after being wrongfully terminated. The hosts analyze the situation, suggesting that focusing on personal growth and moving forward is more beneficial than dwelling on past injustices.
Notable Quotes:
Russillo humorously reflects on his own experiences, "I had to tell my wife to choose between the Christmas party and our daughter's birthday – tough calls, but supporting her happiness is paramount" (91:44).
The episode concludes with lighthearted banter among the hosts, wrapping up the discussions with humor and camaraderie. They encourage listeners to stay engaged through various platforms and look forward to future episodes.
Notable Quotes:
"Giannis is doing more than just scoring; he's altering the game on both ends of the floor." – Ryen Russillo (04:30)
"Defensively, they've surged from 19th to 9th in the league, a testament to their relentless improvement." – Ryen Russillo (09:15)
"Teams with strong defensive ratings have a better chance of advancing deep into the playoffs." – Danny Cannell (35:18)
"Our emphasis on community, support, and unwavering dedication was instrumental in our triumph." – Rob Dow (72:17)
"Support your wife in building her confidence and encourage her to pursue her own ventures instead of clinging to a toxic relationship." – Ryen Russillo (90:17)
Conclusion:
This episode of The Ryen Russillo Podcast offers a comprehensive exploration of current sports narratives, insightful playoff predictions, and an inspiring story of coaching excellence. Through engaging discussions and relatable life advice, Russillo and his guests provide a well-rounded experience for sports enthusiasts and listeners seeking both entertainment and meaningful insights.