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The Triple Option
Ohio State Claims 9th National Title, AFC and NFC Championship Preview, & Joshua Perry Joins
01:07:23
Ohio State Claims 7th National Title, AFC and NFC Championship Preview, & Joshua Perry Joins
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- [00:00]
Mark Ingram
It ain't no hall of Fame if Coach Meyer ain't in that thing, you know what I mean?
- [00:04]
Urban Meyer
How does Saban and Meyer make it without Deuce? Deuce? How does that happen?
- [00:08]
Mark Ingram
Hey, you know, man, it's haters everywhere, man, but it's appreciators everywhere too. So, you know we gonna stay loving with the appreciators. Cause I don't see no national champion Heisman winning running back going into the College Football hall of Fame this year. That's all I'm going to say.
- [00:24]
Rob Stone
Light. I got a feeling we're going to be hearing a lot from Coach Meyer this week. I don't know, Mark, he feeling good about himself? Oh, I just gotta feel he's got a little extra scarlet in those cheeks today, man. Oh, Irvin, get ready to talk, baby, as we welcome you to the triple option presented by Wendy's. Two faves for just seven bucks. Gotta be Wendy's. Terms apply. Thanks for joining us on the triple option. Remember to rate subscribe at Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts as well as across social media. 3x option show new episodes every Wednesday on YouTube and wherever you get your podcast. Mark Ingram, Rob Stone and the beaming Urban Meyer with you this week. 2014 Buckeye National Champion Joshua Perry will join us. We're going to talk the NFL playoffs. But we begin where else, with the Ohio State completing a historic four game run through the college football playoffs as they held off Notre Dame to claim their seventh national title Monday night in Atlanta. Coach, I know you were there. What was it like to see your Buckeyes and the man who followed your big footsteps, Ryan Day, lift that national title, their first in Columbus since 2014.
- [01:42]
Urban Meyer
Well, all of us have devoted a good portion of our life to college football and is on full display in Atlanta. What a stadium. The crowd, the fan base was incredible. Two blue Bloods. There couldn't have been a stronger. You know, you put the Wolverines, you put the Roll Tide up there, maybe usc, but those are blue bloods playing in that game and the great pride. First of all, it's great to see Notre Dame back being important in the game. They get a great young coach, they're going to be back. They played their heart, they were undermanned. Mark, Ohio State, it's far when you really watch the tape. They're superior talent, but I'll tell you, the grit that we've seen from Notre Dame all year. But to see Coach Day, his coaching staff, the infrastructure he has there and the Buckeye Nation, I'M from the great state of Ohio and I made this comment, I think the last time on, on the podcast. But football is a way of life. That's not a pastime in the state of Ohio. I mean, high school football, football is football. It, you know, that's why the NFL hall of Fame is in Canton. That's why the game of football is so important. And I promise you, I landed in Sarasota. I see Ohio State flags everywhere. So it's so cool. The fan base is arguably the largest fan base and as we'll discuss in a minute, a very critical fan base. But to see the boys lift their trophy and they get to enjoy that for 365. They really do. And as, as we're going to talk to my former captain, leader and leading tackler in the, in the 14 national championship game. Your brothers the rest of your life, Mark, you know that.
- [03:12]
Mark Ingram
Yep.
- [03:12]
Urban Meyer
They, they'll never ever take that away from you. Your national championship. That's what's so cool about it.
- [03:18]
Mark Ingram
When you win, you walk together forever. When you win championships, you walk together forever.
- [03:22]
Rob Stone
For show, Ohio State merchandise guys spiked 550%. What? Ahead of this national championship game. Okay. And it's hard to even put that in perspective because it is the brand of college football. Dallas Cowboys are America's team. They are the brand of NFL. Ohio State is the equivalent on the college football landscape to, to, to bump it up 550%.
- [03:50]
Mark Ingram
That's crazy.
- [03:50]
Rob Stone
Is, is unfathomable. My dear friend Chris Spielman, former, just absolutely legendary linebacker at Ohio State, we used to work together doing college broadcasts. And he would travel in from Ohio. I would be traveling in from Florida or Connecticut or wherever the hell I was living at that time. And he would play this game, and he taught it to me. As soon as you land, you know, wherever, wherever you are in that, you know, the busy airport and just kind of go outside your gate and stop and hit, hit a stopwatch and count how long it takes till you see somebody wearing Ohio State gear. And I'm telling you, whether you're in Atlanta, Hartsfield, or you're in Minneapolis or Dallas, Fort Worth, wherever it is, it's seconds. And that could be a Monday, that could be a Friday, that could be a Saturday or Sunday. So Ohio State is just such a mammoth brand and they get just an incredible win. There's a couple things I want to hit. Let's talk about this run real fast through the college football playoffs. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said that is the greatest run in college football history. Mark, you agree with this? Going through two SEC programs, Tennessee and Texas, and in between the victory over the number one seed Oregon Ducks and then having to finish it off against Notre Dame. Are we talking about the greatest run in college football history?
- [05:06]
Mark Ingram
I mean, you talk about the path that they had and how they made those teams look pedestrian. It definitely is. We knew that this team was probably one of the most talented, was the most talented roster in all of college football. Yes, they had their adversity that they had to overcome. But what do great teams do, coach? They learn from mistakes, they learn from losses. And what this team did, they got better every single time where they had a setback, every single time they had a loss, every single time they had a tough point in the season, they got better from it. The best thing that could have happened to this Ohio State team was that loss to Michigan because they came out with avengers and they went on probably the most legendary college football national championship run in history of the game because of how many games they had to win, who they had to beat and how they beat those teams. So I agree, man, that it was very impressive run for them to win this national championship.
- [05:58]
Urban Meyer
And I'm interested, Mark.
- [05:59]
Mark Ingram
By dominating everyone.
- [06:01]
Urban Meyer
I'm interested, Mark, and I think we'll hit Josh with this too. But the, this, this pad, this blueprint that the Wolverines put together a year ago, you have grown ass men in these locker room. Could you imagine what you would have been like your senior year, Mark, if you came back at 20? How, how weathered experience. You know what, you know now I never coached a senior. Everybody, all if you had a senior, he's probably, you know, you're probably going to replace him. Yeah, certainly not a fifth year guy. And, and, but, but these guys, the, they got hit square in the jaw against the Wolverines, picked himself off the map and I can't wait. There's going to be a book, there might be a few books on this and I want to know, I want to know how that happened because I don't. Unprecedented, coach.
- [06:43]
Mark Ingram
You talk about it, it's through the type of players you have in your locker room, it's through the leadership you have leading those players in the locker room. And it's not only the coaches leading the players, it's players leading players. So for them to be able to bounce back continuously off of tough losses throughout the season, it shows you about the character of the players into that locker room, be able to lead each other, be able to grow with each Other the coaching staff, I. I commend Ohio State, man. Kudos to them. Obviously, we know they had the best, most talented roster in college football, the best $20 million you could buy. But what they were able to do by bringing each other together through tough points in the season and being able to overcome that and put their best foot forward when it mattered the most, that's what champions are made of. And that's why, essentially, they are the champs.
- [07:28]
Rob Stone
The Bucke coach, there was one image I was so happy that the ESPN cameras were able to catch after the game concluded, and it was Ryan Day finding his wife, finding his kids, and the days having that. That family embrace that. That family hug. And as soon as I saw it, I was like, coach, can 100% relate to what's going on there right now?
- [07:50]
Urban Meyer
Yeah, I do. You know, I think this is what makes our podcast so compelling, is you have Mark Ingram, one of the greatest players to play, Heisman winner, national champion, leading rusher ever. And then obviously, I coached a long time and, And a lot have been made of it. And it. You know, about Coach Day and the pressures of coaching at a place like Ohio State. And I made the comment that that's. That that's not going to change. The thing that has got to change and has changed is the idiots on social media that don't sign their name to stuff. And when you start involving families, you're pushing it too far, booing because you don't get first downs and. And you lose to the rival. That. That's part of the game. That. That's. That's all fair, but you got to stay to keep the families out of it. I'm going to give you a couple of quick stories. You know, Mark, I can't wait to ask you this, but when I first go to Florida, you know, they wanted Spurrier. I'd want Spurrier, too. I mean, he's a Heisman Trophy winner there. He won a national championship. But it was Coach Spurrier went, I think, to the Redskins. He. He got fired or left. He was available. The contingency wanted him back. And they hired me from Utah. I really didn't understand the dynamics until I got there. And I get there, and I'll never forget we lot. He goes to South Carolina, we lose to South Carolina, which you don't do that at Florida. And I walk in, it was Beef O Brady's or something like that, to do my radio show on a Thursday. And I am the most miserable human being. I'm in. I'm a Stranger in a strange land down south there. And I come walking in, and they boo me. They boo their head. I'm seven and two, I think, at the time. Yeah, I get booed. And I walk up to the dais up there. I'm sitting with the McCuber, our. Our voice of the Gators. And we start, you know, talking about, I. I mean, of the misery. I can't be more miserable. And he looks at me and says, hey, Coach, you ready to take some calls? And I look at him like, what the. Yeah, sure.
- [09:48]
Mark Ingram
I really.
- [09:48]
Urban Meyer
I'm looking. I'm really looking forward to taking a call right now. And this guy calls, hardcore Southern accent. And he says, mick, how you doing? And Coach, you Yankee MFer starts going, snapping on me about, you need to go back where you came from. We want Spurrier. We want this. And I'm looking at these. This crowd, and now your mind starts playing games. I got young kids at home. I was never physically threatened, I want to make sure. But did I feel threatened in my own. Because I was out of my element and we were struggling. And I remember I had two police officers follow you around during games and all that. I was very close with one of them, and I would call him and I would say, I might need you. You know, I don't want anyone messing with this. That. And then other times, Shelly would go to my daughter's volleyball games and tear down these nasty signs. She would go, she's tough. As you know, Shelly's toughest. And she would go to the games, Queen Shelly, and rip down this. You know, they'd say a lot of bad stuff about me. And she'd go in the arena where my daughters are playing volleyball and tear down these signs that were bad. And then I remember I went to Nikki, played at Georgia Tech, and I'd go to games, and obviously, some of the teams she'd play, some of the teams I coached against, and some of the stuff that I'd hear them calling her and that, you know, so your family gets very scarred. And I want to say in a negative way, but also, I know this is hard to imagine in somewhat of a positive way. There's not a closer family then our three children. In Shelly and I, there's not.
- [11:21]
Mark Ingram
Yeah.
- [11:22]
Urban Meyer
Why? Because what does that do? It brings that mentality to you. I mean, if you don't have each other and I. We felt like that at times. Like, I mean, you are up against it. Ohio State. Ohio State. One situation. We never got the issues with the losing part, but we got Issues with just nut job fans that would say things about my girls or something. And we would have police come 247 around the house a few times. Just because you're in the public eye. And Mark, I want to ask you this. That J.T. barrett one time had a bad game. And I love JT's the Toughest Nutter is one day I was talking to him, he said, these fans are nuts here. And I know. And he said, look. And he showed me some of the things that were hitting his. I don't know. I'm not on social media much, so Instagram or whatever. Mark, did you ever get just smoked by fans?
- [12:12]
Mark Ingram
Oh, yeah. Got killed plenty of times, especially on social media. The thing is, like, they talk whatever they want to talk behind the keyboard. Whenever I've been out in public, I could count on one hand where somebody really had something sideways to say to me. You know what I mean? Like, they say whatever they want to on social media, but there's been a couple brave people who have probably, you know, talked out the side of their neck in public. You know what I mean? I just gave them the look like, do you really, like, I will hurt you in real life. You know what I mean? You know what I mean? And it just died. But, yeah, you have moments, especially over social media, where people are talking crazy to say whatever they want, but you just, at this day and age, you just can't let it bother you. You kind of got to let it just roll off your back like water, man. And just focus on the people who care about you. Focus on the people that matter. Because if you get caught up and consumed with the opinions of people who do not matter, then it will make you go crazy. But definitely got killed on social media. Plenty of times I got booed in my own stadium before. Dropped a pass where I probably could have caught it. Ran for first, ran for a first down. Whole stadium booed me. I'm like, oh, they booing me. And then I had my best. Then I had my best game. Went for like a buck thirty and a touchdown. They were all cheering. I'm like, no, don't cheer for me no more. Don't cheer for me no more. No, but you talk about family members, too. Like, that's it. I don't care. Come at me, do whatever you want, but leave my family out of it. So, like, you know, my family, they go to the games, they got to sit in the games, they got to sit in the stands. And so I must have had fumbled or maybe I fumbled A game before or something and somebody's is popping off at the mouth and my sister hears it.
- [13:51]
Urban Meyer
Yeah. That's. It's different when, when, when your father and you have the kids.
- [13:56]
Mark Ingram
Yeah.
- [13:56]
Urban Meyer
And that. That changes the whole world. And I remember calling up police officers down in St. Gainesville. And once again, I want to make sure there is nothing. Someone said, we're not going to kill you or something like that. But I felt it.
- [14:08]
Mark Ingram
Yeah.
- [14:08]
Urban Meyer
And my, My allegiance is to the Meyer family. And I said, I, I stick around. I, you know, I don't feel good about this situation. And it actually happened in Columbus a couple times. Not. Not the Rabbit fan about losing a game or something, but it was something about your family. And I was like, this is not right.
- [14:25]
Mark Ingram
Yeah.
- [14:25]
Urban Meyer
And so we had 24, seven surveillance a few times around our house and in Columbus because everybody kind of knows, you know, that's the other thing. They all know where you live.
- [14:33]
Mark Ingram
Yeah.
- [14:34]
Urban Meyer
And that's.
- [14:35]
Mark Ingram
So family is off limits, dog. Family is off limits. And people that be doing it, that's crazy. Like they deserve the bad things.
- [14:41]
Urban Meyer
And I made. I made a comment last week or a couple weeks ago about I was protect. You know, I was fighting for the fan base because the passion of fan base. There's nothing like it because I've been unpassionate fan bases. And that's awful. That's not fair to your players. But that's. You got to stay within the guardrails. And the guardrails is the. You start mentioning families that. That's the. You got to go away.
- [15:01]
Mark Ingram
Yeah.
- [15:01]
Urban Meyer
Go away fast.
- [15:02]
Mark Ingram
I'm thankful because I've never had a point or a situation where my family was brought into it, like my wife or my children or my mother or my sisters. You know, it was always kind of just directed towards me. But my family don't play about me. So when you talk about me.
- [15:18]
Urban Meyer
Right.
- [15:19]
Mark Ingram
You best to be. You best to be aware of who is around you. Because I was telling you the story, coach. My sister, they were sitting at the game, they're sitting in the stands and somebody's popping off about Mark Ingram this, Mark Ingram that. And my sister like, hey, like, calm down. Like, that's my, my, My mom's like, that's my son that. You're not going to be talking about my son when I'm sitting right here. And they like, you not his mother. They start looking it up. Then they start popping off again. My sister, like I told you, mother's like, you ain't gonna be talking about My brother like this for one. I don't care how many times he fumbles. He got more money than you, you, you and you. And he's living a better life than all y'all anyway. So you don't talk about my brother. She said this at the stadium, bro.
- [15:59]
Urban Meyer
Mark, it probably sounds a lot like what Rob went through a Colgate when he was playing soccer.
- [16:03]
Rob Stone
Yeah, but, but they were always on my side, coach. That's what happens. I'm a winner, man. I'm a winner. We, we, we take down those Lehigh and Buck.
- [16:11]
Mark Ingram
This is in New Orleans, coach. This in the Superdome, coach. When my sister did this, she said the whole row got up and left and they didn't come back the rest of the game. She put them in a. I never.
- [16:21]
Rob Stone
Met your sister, but I think I knew in advance I wasn't going to mess with your sister, right? I was like, I want.
- [16:26]
Mark Ingram
Hey, my sister is. Yeah, my sister. I have three sisters, but my sister, the oldest one, the closest to me. Well, I'm close to all of them, but closest in age to me. She don't play when it comes about her brother, Mark Ingram ii. So if you gonna say something, you gonna have to get ready to fight a woman because she got hands too. She ain't playing for you.
- [16:46]
Rob Stone
She got hands.
- [16:47]
Mark Ingram
Maya Ingram. Maya Ingram. You don't talk about Mark Ingram ii. With Maya around, she gonna get to you.
- [16:53]
Rob Stone
Light it. Light. Right now at Wendy's, you can get two of these favorite items for just seven bucks. But not just any two. I told you. I said favorite items and I meant it. Mark, there is nothing snack sized around here.
- [17:08]
Mark Ingram
Choose from our OG spicy or classic chicken sandwich. Dave, single or ten piece nugs. Any way you like them. Spicy or crispy. That is three fantastic options. But here comes the hard part. Choosing two. What do you do?
- [17:23]
Urban Meyer
You could go for a spicy chicken sandwich and a Dave single. Perhaps double the spice with a spicy chicken sandwich and a spicy 10 piece nug. Or you could go for the choice you forgot you can make but in an instant changes everything. Two ten piece nugs.
- [17:38]
Rob Stone
I know, crazy, right? Coach, Two of your fave items for seven bucks. It's gotta be Wendy's. Limited time only. US Price and participation may vary. Select or request two for seven dollar deal to obtain discount. Not valid. A la carte or combo meal orders. Individual items at regular price excludes saucy nugs. Prices may be higher in Alaska and Hawaii. Well, as you all know by now, we have teamed up with our great friends at BETMGM this season and we're going to be using BetMGM lines to make all of our picks. We'll also have special offers for our listeners each week. Mark, you're listening, right? You're listening to this.
- [18:15]
Mark Ingram
Yeah.
- [18:15]
Rob Stone
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- [18:36]
Mark Ingram
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- [19:00]
Rob Stone
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- [19:02]
Mark Ingram
It's all about the option, especially the triple option.
- [19:05]
Rob Stone
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- [19:42]
Joshua Perry
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- [20:13]
Urban Meyer
So, Ryan Day, the last 10 weeks of the season. I remember every Big Ten Network, every, every big noon, every BTN that I did. The first question is, is Coach Day under a lot of pressure? My answer is like, yeah, he will be next year. This, I think, alleviates a lot of it. Will he be under pressure Hell, yeah. It's Ohio State. It's Alabama. Is Caleb under pressure? Of course. Of course. That's what it is. But the. When you start talking about jobs and all. No, I mean, it's, it's, it's done. It's that if that conversation comes big noon next year. Let's talk about something else. Yeah.
- [20:49]
Mark Ingram
Remember we had that every certified, like.
- [20:50]
Urban Meyer
Yeah, he just won the national champ.
- [20:52]
Rob Stone
But he wasn't certified after that home loss as a three touchdown. Right? The. The cat calls and the boo birds.
- [20:59]
Mark Ingram
Hey, all you could worry about. All you could worry about is the next game. And that's what he did.
- [21:04]
Urban Meyer
That's what he did.
- [21:04]
Mark Ingram
Yeah, they lost that game in there.
- [21:06]
Rob Stone
But again, it's. It's. It's a new era, right? Because the fan base is so used to saying, you lose to Michigan, it's over, typically. And there's a transition now, like, okay, wait a second. We. So we're not going to the Big Ten championship game, and we lost to Michigan, but we still have this. We still have the ultimate goal in front of us. And I think that's. That's what the Ohio State athletic director coach was trying to get at when he made those comments after the loss to Michigan at the end of November.
- [21:34]
Urban Meyer
But I get it. But I guess there's that part of me that hopes that never goes away, that game. But, you know, I don't know. I mean, there's so much stuff happening in college sports right now. You scratch your incident. Is that really, you know, is that. Is that really taking reality or not?
- [21:48]
Mark Ingram
We had. We had this conversation over and over. Was it Michigan or bust, championship or bust? And Coach, you said it was the game or bust. And I was like, that's not necessarily the case because, like, they could lose to Michigan and still win the national championship. And to me, the entire year, it was national championship or bust for Ohio State. Although that importance, that significance of that rivalry, that matchup, it can never die down. And obviously there's a group of guys who are leaving Columbus without a pair of gold pants, right? So that's substantial. But they do have that beautiful gold, you feel me? You know, that trophy. And when you win a trophy, you walk together forever. So they are intertwined forever.
- [22:33]
Urban Meyer
I want to move in a little direction, Rob, where when I knew that I was 55 years old is when I wanted to end it and I wanted to have a successor in place. And Bob Stoops is a dear friend. We gotta get him on the podcast 100%. But I called Coach and our AD called their AD and I said, I found the guy. His name's Ryan Day. I hired him. He was with Chip Kelly at the Niners. They all got let go there. And I hired him as our quarterback coach. And he was my GA at Florida and I think Oakland 5. We. We stayed in touch. And the minute he steps on campus, I'm like, we got something here. He's young. He'll learn how. You know, Ohio State's a monster, but he's a brilliant coach. X and O Wise is a leader. And I went to the president, I went to Gene, I said, we. We got the next head coach, and they're great. So they met with him that June, and. And. And so I wanted to make sure that, first of all, it's my home state. I wanted to make sure. And I made a mistake at Florida. When I left Florida, it was just sudden, so I didn't have the chance to make sure everything was in place. And the infrastructure. The strength coach is still there. They were the best general manager in college sports. Mark Pantone still there. You got the academics word that actually they've been there. They have the best trainer, the best equipment people. You have the best. And you start talking about this just monster infrastructure that is really. Most people don't understand behind the scenes, especially now, because of the investment these schools have. And Bob Stoops is incredible. He really helped us to set the table for. How do you make this transition from one coach, especially a coach that's never been a head coach. Marcus Freeman is a little different scenario with Brian Kelly, but Marcus Freeman didn't get hired in Notre Dame. Have to change the whole training staff, change the whole academic program, change the whole wait staff, change the whole. Do you realize if you do that, you're probably a year behind because it's a mess. And if. What happens if you make a mistake when you hire the strength coach? Ryan, they hadn't had to do any of that. Marcus Rein's not had to do with it. Lincoln Riley hadn't had to do any of that. You know what they were able to do? Go recruit and go coach.
- [24:44]
Mark Ingram
Yep.
- [24:45]
Urban Meyer
And I'm wondering, that's going to be a little bit more of the model as you go forward. You get these young monster coaches, like a Lincoln Riley, like Marcus Freeman, like a Ryan Day. You know what the pattern used to be? Go to Bowling Green and go figure it out for a while.
- [24:59]
Mark Ingram
Yeah.
- [24:59]
Urban Meyer
As opposed to. And Ryan did it. You know, he won.
- [25:03]
Mark Ingram
Dan Lanning.
- [25:04]
Urban Meyer
Coach Day did it. Dan Lanny. Yeah. Yeah.
- [25:06]
Rob Stone
So let's talk about this team real quick. How good was this season? Let's put it in perspective. Ohio state, they had five wins over AP top five opponents. That is the most in AP poll history. They're the second team in FBS history with two 1,000 yard rushers, two 1,000 yard receivers and a 4,000 yard passer. And those made us do a double take try Wendy's two for seven. Deal today. Coach, I want to go back to, and I believe this is what you say, the three most important things every season for Ohio State football. All right. Beat the team up north. Correct?
- [25:44]
Urban Meyer
Correct.
- [25:45]
Rob Stone
Win the Big Ten, win the national title.
- [25:48]
Urban Meyer
That's it.
- [25:49]
Rob Stone
Okay. This team only achieved one of those three. So will there be an asterisk next to this Ohio State program for winning the national title but not getting those two other wins?
- [26:04]
Urban Meyer
No. It'll be discussed with some of the die hards, but no, it'll go down. And I would always tell our staff, how do you evaluate recruiting? Number one is wins. Number two is NFL draft picks. I mean, that's, that's the business we're in. You want to evaluate your players, they do it for you every May or whenever. The draft is April, May, they did the, the NFL evaluate your players for you. So this will go down because I think their offensive skill, the guys you mentioned, the two tailbacks, I'm telling you, there's a couple backup receivers that are going to be first round draft picks. That Carnell Tate, I stood next to that cat. Holy. He'd be anywhere right now as an all American, maybe not all American, but an all conference starter. And then the same thing on defense at Caleb Downs and the corners and this, I mean, there's going to be impact players all over. So this will go down in my mind as one of the great teams in the last 20 years of college football.
- [26:55]
Mark Ingram
It'll go down as one of the great teams. But when you talk about those Ohio State teams who have won national championships, because that's what it comes down to, a prideful thing. Amongst the Buckeye faithful, amongst the Crimson Tie faithful, who is the best national championship? The most. Who is the best team? Who is the best national championship team in the program's history? And they won't be able to be up for debate because they didn't win Michigan, they didn't win the Big Ten title because what you do, you beat Michigan, you won the Big Ten title, you won a national championship. So when you have that kind of like pettiness Amongst the competitive nature of the faithful, you know, of the championship teams, you're right. That's what's going to hold them back. In those conversations with a fellow Buckeye.
- [27:38]
Urban Meyer
Maurice Claret was on the sideline. You have Michael Doss, good friend of mine. They won the O2.
- [27:43]
Mark Ingram
Yeah.
- [27:44]
Urban Meyer
And then I saw Raekwon McMillan and all the boys from the 14 national championship. And then you saw that team, and I was kind of talking about their personnel, and Raekwon McMillan looks at me and he said, coach, are you talking about we as good a player? You know, you start. I can feel it already, Mark coming. I'm sure you do that with a tie.
- [27:59]
Mark Ingram
Yep. Yeah.
- [28:00]
Urban Meyer
Who's better? Who's better? Who's better?
- [28:02]
Mark Ingram
My team would have beat your team. Who team would have did this? Your team want to beat my team? Because y'all ain't even beat Michigan. We did. You feel me? Like, so it's all fun and games, though, but congrats to the Buckeyes for show.
- [28:13]
Rob Stone
So congratulations to Ohio State for sure. Right? But it's time to pivot to next season already. How about the betting favorites to win the national title next season? The top two teams, Ohio State and Texas.
- [28:27]
Mark Ingram
Wow.
- [28:28]
Rob Stone
Guess who opens the season against each other August 30th in Columbus. And you damn well know it's going to be on Fox Texas at Ohio State, August 30th.
- [28:41]
Mark Ingram
Let's go. Enjoy the break.
- [28:43]
Rob Stone
Enjoy the national title, Ohio State. Guess what? It's a semifinal rematch to start your defense of your national crown. Former Buckeye national champion Joshua Perry joins us next on the triple option presented by Wendy's.
- [29:02]
Joshua Perry
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- [29:32]
Rob Stone
We welcome you back to the triple option presented by Wendy's. Yeah, let's keep talking about the Buckeyes and why not. We're joined now by the leading tackler of the 2014 national championship side from the Ohio State, the Joshua Perry joins us. Good to have you here, Josh. I know you're still kind of abuzz over that title win, but. But you weren't too down to like kind of hit the old. The old keyboard over there. And you sent out a tweet the other night saying that you lost belief in the Buckeyes. You thought the wheels fell off after that Michigan game. I don't think you were alone, by the way. So what happened from that Michigan defeat in Columbus to the point where the Buckeyes are celebrating in Atlanta?
- [30:12]
Chris Spielman
I appreciate you guys having me on. It's. It's an interesting thing with teams and you all know about it, but I think there are moments in a season that happen that force you to tell the truth. And the great teams get really good at being honest with one another. And people have talked about the meeting that Ohio State had. I had been a part of those and I think there were a couple of points throughout the season where they had them. After Oregon defense probably got together and said, this is not our standard, we need to get better. And they played phenomenal defense from that point on. After Michigan, of course, they had to come together as a group and really figure out who they wanted to be and how they would approach the postseason. But I think it's that, that honesty and that leadership, both from Ryan Day, who, who really created buy in with those guys. I didn't know he would be able to create after they lost to Michigan, but did a phenomenal job with that. But also those veteran guys, the four and five year guys that came back because they wanted some hardware, they had to be able to drive that thing too. So I really think it's about getting vulnerable as a team. And when you're faced with that adversity, you have to be able to respond in a way that you can go out and live up to the program standards.
- [31:16]
Urban Meyer
All right, Joshua. The Wolverines a year ago kind of set the blueprint with. There was a day when Mark Ingram, Joshua Perry and Urban Meyer coach, you guys played that. There was no seniors, they all left. And then also the Wolverines a year ago come back with a veteran team that had unfinished business. They lost in the playoffs. They said they got together and they came back, but the reality is they came back because I didn't know this until I was. I was educated on this yesterday. The mid round picks will make more money in college than they will in the NFL for four years until they get a chance to get a big contract. Do you foresee that becoming the modern, the. The blueprint as you move forward? You want to go win a championship? Let's all come back, let's go fight together. And get one more year together?
- [32:00]
Chris Spielman
I think so. And you know, I speak from my experience. I was a fourth round pick. My contract was somewhere in the three million dollar range. I didn't even finish it because those are stats in the NFL, right? So somebody said you could come back and play for one year and you could make 800,000, a million bucks. Like of course you're going to take that. And if you look at the stats from the last few years before nil, probably 100 or 120 or so guys would declare early to go to the draft. And that number has been floating in the 70, 80 range over the last couple years. So I think players are starting to realize that that year of development plus the nil makes a lot of financial sense. It's probably better for their career from that point forward. But you said Michigan, they did it. Ohio State did it this year. We're watching Penn State right now where Drew Aller said he's coming back and two running backs said they're coming back and denied. Dennis Sutton said he's coming back. Zane Durant's coming back. Right. Like I do think that people are starting to look around both coaching staffs and players and they're saying we can leverage the new age of college football, get these guys back for one more year, develop them so they're better off for the NFL. But also we have an opportunity to make history as college football champs. I think it's something special.
- [33:11]
Rob Stone
Hey, just look at Indiana, you know, and what they did this season as well. You know, coach went out for maturity and repetitions and game experience rather than some, some young talent and building, building up from the freshman sophomore class in Indiana. What do they do, Mark?
- [33:25]
Mark Ingram
Right.
- [33:25]
Rob Stone
They make the college football playoffs in their first season under their new head coach. And they did it the kind of the same method that coach and Josh were talking about.
- [33:33]
Urban Meyer
You know, last night. Josh, I got to see a bunch of year old 2014 national champions on the field. They're celebrating with the 20, 25 Buckeyes. I used to tell you, the great Bill Parcells, I don't know if you remember when he, we held the ring in that video and he said the minute, a big ring on his finger and he said the minute you win a championship, it's like a blood transfer. You become brothers the rest of your life. That's so cool to see that to happen to them. Have you stayed close with your 14 national championship team?
- [34:02]
Chris Spielman
Oh, absolutely. Talk to those guys all the time. I was talking to Tyvis Powell, who's defensive MVP of the national title game. Saw Evan Spencer on a zoom call this morning, who threw that phenomenal pass to Mike Thomas there against Alabama. You know, we just had to bring that up, huh? Well, you know, I just, just had to, had to bring it up real quick. It was the dynasty. We had to go through the dynasty to get it. But it's, it is special. And, you know, we're 10 years removed from that year, which is crazy to think about, but those relationships are as tight as can be. And for these guys, I'm glad that they were able to do it. You know, I talked about the, the guys who came back, but they had individual careers that were phenomenal. You look at a mecca, Buca, who's got, you know, Ohio State records. Trayvon Henderson was great for them. Jack Sawyer built himself into a first round pick. But all that feels hollow when you don't have the wins versus team up north, when you don't have the Big Ten championships and ultimately a national title. So now those guys have a legacy. But to your point, they'll go back to Columbus some point. Maybe they live there, maybe they don't. Maybe they visit. You get to be legends. They get together and it feels different.
- [35:07]
Urban Meyer
Hey, Mark, I don't want to rally. Let me jump in real quick. So this guy comes after me yesterday. Don't come after me. And he's. And, but he kind of is aggressive and he says, what do you think about moving the Wolverine game till middle of the season and quit worrying about that game so much. This is all about the playoffs and the. And I'm sitting there and I mean, my skin is starting to curl on me a little bit. I'm going, wait a minute. What? No, that game is still going to be played at the end of the year. And, you know, imagine an AD coming out and saying, well, let's, you know, let's not play it then. So the reality is you have three goals. You have beat the team up north, win the Big Ten, win the national championship. They are being celebrated as one of the. That is truly one of the great teams I've ever seen play.
- [35:47]
Mark Ingram
Yes.
- [35:48]
Urban Meyer
Excellent coaching staff, great support staff. But then I'm like, my gosh, the skill players on the offense, defense line, will they ever deemphasize the rivalry game?
- [35:58]
Chris Spielman
They can't. And I was talking to some people about this. It feels strange. In this moment, I'm not trying to take anything away from what this team just did. That was the most remarkable postseason run that I've ever seen. The teams that they had to beat to get to the title. But it certainly feels now like that game lost a little bit of the consequence. Typically that would be a loss that's disqualifying to compete in the postseason. And so I hope that for the players in that building, it's still one of the program objectives. Right. I hope for fans that they still show up with the same intensity that they have every year before this, regardless of what the outcome of this year was as the most special game in college football, in my opinion. And I don't want it to lose any of that feeling because it's remarkable, especially when you're on the winning side of it, the way that you can feel.
- [36:47]
Mark Ingram
Yeah. Josh, you were part of the first college football playoff champ. You know, all the anticipation this year was the 12 team playoff and how that was going to pan out. What did you think of the format? Do you think it was successful and what would you change about it?
- [37:00]
Chris Spielman
I think for reasons that developed later on, it was successful. I didn't like the seating and that led to potentially some first round games that weren't necessarily great. I'm not mad at the committee for who got in. Right. Like, I think you look at resumes and you decide and there's a lot of data points there, but we're arguing about teams that typically wouldn't have been in the first place. I can't shed tears about that. I wish it was more balanced, but the deeper that we got into it, I do think that the drama started to pick up certainly, and kind of validating for having an expanded playoff. Ohio State in 14, being the 4 seed, winning it all is validating. And then, you know, a 7 and 8 seed playing in the national title feels like it was validation for having this new structure anyway. So I think it needs tweaks, I think it needs changes to be at its best form. But ultimately, I did enjoy watching the postseason and to see the paths that teams had to take. You know, Notre Dame, regardless of Carson Beck playing or not, got to beat Georgia.
- [38:05]
Mark Ingram
Right.
- [38:05]
Chris Spielman
Got to beat Penn State, who was the top five team all year long. That was a hell of a path. Ohio State, you get Tennessee boat racing, you get Oregon, jump out 34, nothing. You get Texas, who was one of the top teams all year long. A little bit of a tight game, but they win it. Hard to argue that those two teams weren't the two best teams by the end of the year based off the path that they had to take.
- [38:24]
Mark Ingram
Right.
- [38:24]
Rob Stone
So you had two Midwestern programs in the national championship game. First time since 1941, 42 that the Big Ten has won back to back national champions. There's always this narrative about how strong and how great and how deep the SEC is. Full respect to that conference. I get it, I understand it. But is there an actual shift in the pecking order of college football away from the SEC and into the Midwest, or are we just reading too much into what's transpired over the last two years?
- [38:53]
Chris Spielman
I think it's funny looking at the way that college football is right now. So the sec, the way that I always saw it, they, they got the premier guys and you could stockpile them. And coach brought that to Ohio State in 2012 where he came, he's like, we need to, to reshape the way that the mid west recruits. And so you got all these top guys and you stockpile them. Well, now the portal comes around and you can't build depth throughout your team because guys that are would have stayed around for two years without playing and said third year or fourth year, I might become a first round pick. Those guys are going somewhere else so they can play, they can get an nil check. And I totally understand that. So now you lost the depth, but at the top of the programs you still got your three year guys, your four year guys that are going to be out. And so I do think that's affected it. The Big Ten has been a little bit more developmental where you have some schools that have those top tier recruiting classes, but many of them are sitting there kind of in the 20s through the 30s and recruiting. And it might take four or five years for a guy to get right, but if you can keep bringing them around, got the COVID year. It certainly helps some programs. All of a sudden you start to balance things out there. So the SEC I don't think is going away for all the people that are like, oh, that conference is gone. Think you're crazy. They got great coaches, they have great players, they got proximity to really good players as well. They're all right there in their backyard. But I do think like the Big Ten has created this little thing of, you know, we can get our veterans, we can get them in the program, develop them. Some of these schools have come up with a lot of nil money to keep some of those, the debt pieces that they think are going to be necessary into the future. And I think that's been the big change between kind of the big 10 sec conversation.
- [40:28]
Urban Meyer
I want Mark to be just a little background on that so we go 12 0. Our first year in reality is we were at. We were a good team, not a great team. We found ways to win games. Two overtime games that year. I went to the Ohio, to the Alabama Notre Dame national championship game. Mark. I saw the Roll Tide run out of that locker room and I was like, damn, we look nothing like that. Our coaches don't coach like that. And I, I mean, for the next four hours, Joshua got text after text after text. And I made a point to our staff and not publicly, but we're not chasing the Big Ten anymore. I said that. I said we can win the Big Ten. We're not. We're going after them. And it was called the Chase. I put a huge sign in the indoor facility. No one really knew what it was except for our players and staff. I knew every player Alabama recruited. I knew everything that they were doing. And I. If our coaching staff wasn't recruiting that level player, it was a really tough day on that coach. I wanted to make sure that if we get to swing at them in a couple of years. And it was like prophetic. Joshua, do you remember signing the Chase when it was over?
- [41:37]
Chris Spielman
Absolutely. I remember we pulled the banner down. Everybody signed it. It's crazy because I talk about that story all the time where, you know, and coach came into Ohio State, obviously a place that he loved, had history there. But it was like a warpath to, to make Ohio State into this like death star program. That year after year was just going to go out and steamroll people. But he knew that the coaches had to be right and the players had to be top tier caliber. And so the first couple of years it was really getting that thing right. But I remember at the end of that year he sent us a text. It was like a big group text to the team. And he said, this is coach Meyer. He was like, the way that their defensive line goes through warmups and the way that they place their hands and they shoot their hands is perfect hand placement. Their feet work together with their hands. Our guys don't look like that. We don't practice like that. We're not good enough. And it was from that point we were working to get to be like Alabama. That was the chase for us. And then ultimately had the chance to beat him. So coach used to tell this story and did to us in the locker room. And this was funny. He would be like, you guys are going to be the best trained players that walk out on any football field. When you go out to warm ups, I want you to look across at the other sideline. And your neck is going to be bigger than their neck. You're going to have big biceps with veins bulging out there. And when you walk out there and see that, you know you're going to win the football game. And every game we did that. We absolutely felt that way. We'd walk out, we'd be like, we look better than those guys. It's going to be a good day for the Buckeyes in that semifinal. I walked out for warmups. I saw dudes like Reuben Foster on the other side. I saw Derrick Henry on the other side. I said, coach, we're going to be in for one today because those dudes look exactly like we do. They ended up being a battle, but we had that mentality that we knew exactly what we were working for that year.
- [43:26]
Urban Meyer
What a great story.
- [43:27]
Mark Ingram
That's an awesome story. That's an awesome story, man. I was there at that game, man. I hurt my feelings, too.
- [43:34]
Urban Meyer
But I think that's what's happened, Joshua. I think that's what you know. And Shelly was involved in this, too. And I mentioned this on Big Ten and I told the commissioners, the Big Ten environments were average. They weren't very up. The Penn State has a great environment. The Wolverines environment wasn't rugged at all. It's become very rugged. You had these other programs that the Wisconsin, even Purdue, Iowa. I mean, these places have really annie up. They've hired really good coaches. They've put a lot of money into these programs. You can tell. And when you first started playing the Big Ten, I didn't feel as the Big Ten was kept playing catch up to us, you saw these programs getting great players. Look at the Wolverines. Are you kidding me? What they got the last couple years and the environments. Talk to us about that a little. How the big tennis said, you know what? We're not. We're going to step up.
- [44:23]
Chris Spielman
I'll give you an example of that. Purdue. We went to Purdue in 2013. Coach, I don't know if you remembered this, but we came out the locker room for that game, we went through warmups, and there were maybe 6,000 people there. You know, my mother, I could hear her shouting my names during warmups. It was that quiet. We went back in the locker room and you made us come back out, warm up again because you're like, we're going to. We're going to lose this game because there's no energy in here. That was Purdue. I went there last year when they played Syracuse for a night game. They Had a light show, people were on their feet, the whole game ended up losing. But that was the difference. Is even a place like Purdue that maybe doesn't have the history of some of the big programs, they've stepped up the way they want to do game day operations. They've made it a tougher environment to go into for visiting teams outside of the Big Ten and other Big Ten teams. And it's great to see that the conference has gotten to a place where it's like, you know, we're as serious about this sport and what it does for our student athletes in our university as anybody else. But, you know, back in 2012 and 2013, you walk into some of those places and in coach would make you warm up twice because there was no energy in there.
- [45:34]
Rob Stone
I'm always curious how you guys watch games. Okay. When, when you are so heavily invested in the outcome and obviously one of the programs. So last night or the other night, Joshua, you watched the game by yourself, correct?
- [45:48]
Chris Spielman
Yes.
- [45:49]
Rob Stone
In a hotel room?
- [45:51]
Chris Spielman
Yeah, I'm in my apartment here.
- [45:52]
Rob Stone
In your apartment. So like a soundproof. What are. Take me through Joshua Perry watching his Buckeyes fight for the national title all by yourself in your apartment.
- [46:02]
Chris Spielman
It's, it's, it's absolutely wild. So during the season, you know, doing my work, watching college football, covering college football, we do it in the green room. And there were two games this year where I was particularly emotional. We had Ohio State and Oregon on our network and that had me feeling away. And then of course the team up north game at the end of the year. So I have been emotional at work watching these games. When I am home, it is every swing in the game I am tied to. And particularly this year, I felt a way leading up to the game because I wanted the, you know, Mecca, Abuka, Jack Sawyer, you know, Cody Simon, Lathan Ransom, some of the guys that came back, I really wanted this for them so they could have hardware to hang their legacy on. And so as I'm watching it, Notre Dame and I'm coming from work yesterday, while this game is starting, Notre Dame is on a 10 minute drive and I'm losing my mind. I couldn't get back home soon enough. Get on the elevator. I'm hoping it goes as quick as possible, no stops. And I sit down and I'm just locked in. And everything that you can feel during a game, I'm feeling. That's the beauty of this sport, college football in particular. But that's also the beauty of some of the big programs that have History and legacy. I know Notre Dame fans probably felt similar watching the game, too.
- [47:18]
Rob Stone
So it makes it one of the greatest sports on our planet. Joshua Perry, national champion with the Ohio State. Thanks for taking the time to join us, man. Enjoy the off season. It's finally here.
- [47:28]
Chris Spielman
I appreciate you guys. Thank you.
- [47:30]
Mark Ingram
Thanks, brother.
- [47:31]
Urban Meyer
Love you, brother. See you, man.
- [47:32]
Rob Stone
We welcome you back to the triple option presented by our great partner Wendy's. And the 2025 College Football hall of Fame class was announced a week ago. You know who's in it? You know who's not in it?
- [47:44]
Urban Meyer
Okay.
- [47:44]
Rob Stone
Sorry, Mark. Sorry, Mark. We're gonna get to that point.
- [47:46]
Mark Ingram
Yeah. I don't know. Yeah. I don't see no Heisman Trophy, National Championship running backs in that. In that class. Whose loss is it, really?
- [47:56]
Rob Stone
So we'll get to that. How about next year? We'll get to that one. But right now, I don't even want it.
- [48:01]
Mark Ingram
I don't even want.
- [48:01]
Rob Stone
Coach Meyer, congratulations. Getting yourself into the College Football hall of Fame class. How did you find out, by the way?
- [48:07]
Urban Meyer
Well, I got asked quite a bit. Say what? What's the process? I really didn't know. And then I later found out you have to be out a certain amount of time unless you're 70 years old. And I didn't realize Coach Saban's over 70 and he's in now immediately. And it's great to. Coach Saban. I have competed quite often. We had a good laugh about it the other day at a charity event, but I got the call from the Steve Hatchell from the National Football foundation, and I'm a big fan of NFF and did a lot of things for them. And he kind of looked at me and said, I want to make sure I have your number. I'm going to call you Monday. And I turned to him and I thought, you have. I think you have my number. And he gave me a big wink, and I walked away. And I said, shelly, I think I think I'm going to the hall of Fame. She said, why? And I said, I told her. And. And the call came. It was kind of cool. Called the Kiddos. And it's a rare error, man, when you start seeing it and then what. What it does immediately, Mark, you jump in reflection mode. And I think Zeke Elliott splitting the safeties against Alabama. I think Nick Bosa, Joe Bosa. I think of Percy Harvin, Tim Tebow and Carlos Dunlap and all the great players. Major Wright, Joe Hayden, Marshawn Lattimore. I'm going. And on and on. And then I also think the hall of Fame coaches that I had on my staff, they might not make it the hall of Fame, but they were outstanding. One of them just won a national title. So you get in reflection mode real quick.
- [49:30]
Mark Ingram
It ain't no hall of Fame if Coach Meyer ain't in that thing. You know what I mean? It ain't no hall of Fame.
- [49:36]
Urban Meyer
How does Saban and Meyer make it without Deuce? Deuce?
- [49:40]
Mark Ingram
Hey, you know, man, it's haters everywhere, man, but it's appreciators everywhere, too, so, you know, we gonna stay loving with the appreciators. We ain't gonna.
- [49:47]
Urban Meyer
So there's. Hey, wait, say that again. Say there's a pre.
- [49:49]
Mark Ingram
There's haters everywhere, but there's appreciators everywhere, too. So we gonna stay with the appreciators. You know what I mean? We're gonna let the haters do what they do. Because I don't see no national champion, Heisman winning running back going into the College Football hall of Fame this year. That's all I'm gonna say.
- [50:05]
Rob Stone
That's all right, Mark, because we, we have a reason to go to Las Vegas in December, right? All of us. To go celebrate Coach Meyer. And then the next year, we'll have another reason to go to Las Vegas.
- [50:14]
Mark Ingram
Yeah, the long game, Chess.
- [50:17]
Rob Stone
That's the short game, brother. Although I have to admit, Coach Meyer, I'm a little sick that you got a phone call and you didn't get that news from your big Noon family. Because that's what I wanted. I was asking our Fox family, hey, man, Coach is going in like, I know you're going in 100%. And I wanted us to unveil it. And I was hoping out at that Mountain west championship game in Boise that we would be able to get the kind of the green light to go in the post game to announce it. And that never happened. But from all of us, from your big Noon family, from your triple option family, congratulations. And what a cast of characters going in. You mentioned Coach Saban, Michael Vick, who's left Fox Sports and is now in the coaching business. We'll talk to him in the off season. Our Fox colleague, Michael Strahan. Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell. Others will be inducted in December in Las Vegas. You know we're going to be there for you, Coach. But before we get to pick six, a few friends wanted to wish you congratulations on this hall of Fame induction.
- [51:17]
Matt Leinart
Coach, it's your boys at the throwback. It's Matty Eis Liner and Jerry Ferrari. We just heard the news, man, and we wanted to congratulate you on your induction in the 2025 College Football hall of Fame. Obviously, no one is more deserving. You had a hell of A career coaching three national championships, J1 at Ohio State, two at Florida, coaching some of those Gators, and then the Ohio State. And now I had the pleasure to be able to work with you every weekend during the fall. It's been a. Been an awesome ride.
- [51:46]
Urban Meyer
Congrats.
- [51:46]
Mark Ingram
And I am pretty psyched that you're.
- [51:49]
Rob Stone
Sort of my podcast coach. Even with podcast, you made me want to run through a wall. So thank you, Coach.
- [51:54]
Mark Ingram
Congratulations.
- [51:56]
Rob Stone
Sometimes. Sometimes I forget you're more than just a professional podcaster and TV talker. You're one hell of a coach, man. One hell of an awesome human being, too. Congrats on getting into the College Football hall of Fame. What took him so long?
- [52:08]
Urban Meyer
Congrats on being inducted to the 2025 College Football hall of Fame. Well deserved.
- [52:14]
Mark Ingram
And thank you for the impact not just on me as a player, but as a man.
- [52:18]
Chris Spielman
Coach Meyer, just wanted to wish you.
- [52:19]
Urban Meyer
Congratulations on the hall of Fame. You got your start in the Mac at Bowling Green. We couldn't be more proud of you.
- [52:26]
Chris Spielman
It's such an exciting honor and so well deserved. I want to thank you for being such a great mentor to me and even more importantly, a better friend.
- [52:35]
Mark Ingram
Hall of Fame coach Urban Meyer, my great friend.
- [52:38]
Urban Meyer
Congratulations. Well deserved.
- [52:40]
Mark Ingram
What an incredible career. All the lives you've influenced, all the.
- [52:43]
Chris Spielman
Success you've had, the teams you've been.
- [52:46]
Mark Ingram
A part of and.
- [52:47]
Urban Meyer
And how you've just contributed to the game over the course of your career. Congratulations.
- [52:51]
Chris Spielman
Really proud of you.
- [52:52]
Urban Meyer
Be Navy.
- [52:53]
Mark Ingram
Ain't no hall of Fame Coach Myon in that thing, man. So big Herb all day long, congratulations. My dog certified goat status.
- [53:02]
Matt Leinart
Now for show, I will just say this, and you know this. We would have kicked your ass in 2004 when you were coaching Utah. And I know you guys think you deserve to be in the BCS National Championship game. We would have absolutely dominated you and Alex Smith. It's okay. You still deserve to be in the hall of Fame. I love you, Coach.
- [53:22]
Mark Ingram
Man.
- [53:23]
Matt Leinart
Congratulations.
- [53:27]
Rob Stone
Matt.
- [53:28]
Urban Meyer
That's awful. Nice, boy. Wow.
- [53:30]
Mark Ingram
So good.
- [53:30]
Rob Stone
Well, you're talking about reflection, right? You know, sometimes I think you forget about all the lives that you impact, whether it's. It's directly coach or or indirectly. With all those fans out there and the fan bases that. That you have led to national titles.
- [53:43]
Urban Meyer
There is a Big part of me, I wish Big Noon would have been able to do it, because I see that. I see, like, the Jimmy Johnson and some of those guys. Even Nick Saban got it with espn. That. That's. I did think about that. I just got a phone call. I'd rather do Stu's hand.
- [53:56]
Mark Ingram
They should have gave us the green light, man. They did it for the other people. They should have, you know, blessed us. They knew you was going in. We all knew you was going in.
- [54:03]
Rob Stone
I'm sorry. I tried, Coach.
- [54:05]
Urban Meyer
We'll just have to tear up Vegas.
- [54:06]
Mark Ingram
And there's haters and there's appreciators, you know what I mean? We gonna stay with the appreciators, man. You know what I mean? Vegas, we coming.
- [54:12]
Rob Stone
Hey, that table is going to be lit in Vegas, by the way. You're going to want to be a table, whatever it is that we're sitting at for the College Football hall of Fame inductions in December in Vegas. Congrats again, Coach. All right, time now for pick six, brought to you by bet. Mgm. Place your Moneyline prop parlay and same game parlay bets at BetMGM. Download the app today, please gamble responsibly. Again, these lines, as always, subject to change. So we're going to pivot now from this historic college football season to the NFL and the conference championship weekend. And let's start, guys. In the nfc, the Washington Commanders, back to back road wins. And now they try to make it three in a row on the road. They head to Philly to take on the Eagles. These two teams split the series in the regular season, of course, though, in that final meeting, Jalen Hurts left with a concussion in the first quarter. Mark, I'm going to take you back to the year 2017. Your Saints took on the Panthers three separate times. How do you go about facing. We talked in the past, Mark, right. About how tough it is to beat a team twice in a season. Now we're talking about seeing a team for the third time. What is that like?
- [55:20]
Mark Ingram
Oh, man, it's tough, man. Especially your division rival, man. Three times division rival. There's so much familiarity. Guys are so kind of, you know each other, you know tendencies, you know the cause. So it comes down to mano e mano, who is going to hit in the mouth harder and longer and make the least amount of mistakes to win the game. So we have the Eagles, we have the Commanders, and what do the Eagles do really well? They are running Saquon Barkley. Saquon Barkley. You talk about MVPs. This is the MVP candidate right here. Saquon Barkley is single handedly carrying these Eagles throughout the playoffs. And what does the Commanders have? They have a beast in Jaden Daniels, but they also have a really good D line, studs all on the D line and the hall of Fame middle linebacker and Bobby Wagner. So I think this is going to be a bloodbath, man. I think it's going to be a blood bath. I think it's going to be a close game and I'm going to take the Commanders with the points.
- [56:19]
Rob Stone
Oh, let's give the Eagles favored by six.
- [56:21]
Mark Ingram
I'm taking the Commanders with the points, man. I like this. I think they going to cover this spread, man. And it comes down. Can, can they slow down Saquon? Because I think if they slow down Saquon they going to make Jalen hurts kind of rely on his arm which he can do, but you know, we'll see. I like Jayden Daniels. I like their defense. I like the run game. They got scary Terry, one of coach's guys. I like these commanders, man. And I think I'm gonna take them with the points, man. I'm taking Commanders.
- [56:52]
Urban Meyer
I'll tell you what, when, when the Giants got rid of Saquon Barkley, I, I was one of those things like what in the hell are they doing? I coached against that cat, stupid. He returned a kickoff 100 yards against us and he's a great leader and I, I don't know him well, but I, I incredible respect. I'm thinking why. And then he goes to a team that's already has a good foundation in the Eagles, which I'm sure Saquon's like happy as can be. But I gots to go with the commanders and I get personal on this one. I got Marshawn Latimer, who's having a little bit of a comeback year for the commanders, and Terry McLaurin who is arguably one of my favorite guys of all time. A guy that was basically unrecruited. He'll tell you he was recruited. He wasn't and he struggled his first couple years catching the ball. But my man is a beast. He's one of the greatest dudes. He's fast, fast. His is leadership. I used to call him the selfless leader. He was my best special teams guy by far. So. And coach Quinn, I've always had great respect for him. So I'm going to go with. I think the Commanders might win the game, man.
- [57:54]
Rob Stone
And they're on this role, right? And they're playing with so much confidence and none of it's confident. Just, I mean, and led by, led by a rookie quarterback. And what Jaden Daniels has done is remarkable and he has brought life back to that program that was so proud and so strong, you know, back when they played in D.C. you know, and the Hogs up front and those great quarterbacks, the Kilmer and the Thysmans. I love how he, he is seemingly single handedly resurrected that program. But you're going to Philadelphia, man. It's the city of brotherly love. But man, they don't love anybody that's coming into town to take on their Eagles. Saquon's going to run all over the Commanders. Eagles are going to cover it. Eagles are going to the Super Bowl. All right, let's, let's pivot over to the abc, the afc, the Bills, back to Arrowhead Stadium. On your back to back, defending super bowl champs, the Kansas city chiefs. Mahomes versus Allen. Right, another MVP type debate. This is the ninth meeting. Allen, he's got a 4 and 1 record versus Mahomes during the regular season. Guess what Mahomes is versus Allen in the postseason. Three and. Oh, all right, so you're going up against a team coach that you struggled against when it really, really matters. How do you handle the messaging through the course of the week and leading into game day?
- [59:15]
Urban Meyer
Yeah, it's a little bit like Lou Holtz. Every time I asked him a question, he'd always answer me back, what kind of team you got? You know, it's not. Every team's different, man. Every team's got a living organism. You know, what do you have in that locker room? And I, I'll tell you, Josh Allen, the way he plays the game, I'm, I've coached against him once and I just, I think the guy's an animal. You know, I think that guy, he plays the game with the intensity. I mean he, I love a quarterback. Says, you know what, I got to get a first down. I'm going to go get a first down and you can't stop me. That's what I see when I see John. And he can throw it, obviously, but when his, his big ass gets those legs running and he says, I'm going to go get, I'm going to get a first down. He gets a first down.
- [59:53]
Rob Stone
He does and more.
- [59:55]
Urban Meyer
Frickin Kansas City though. Joe Cullen, my old D coordinator, is the D line coach there and Andy Reid's a dear friend. Spags. I've known those guys forever and Ever. I used to go visit Andy Reid when he was with the Eagles and spags old Bowling Green guys. A dear friend, the D coordinator, incredible coach, I think this is. You flip a coin. I really do. I think if Josh Allen is on, this is going to be tough for the Kansas City. But I have Kansas City covering. But I think it's going to be a walk off field goal. Someone's going to win by two or three points.
- [60:24]
Rob Stone
Yeah. Chiefs are favored by one and a half. Mark Ingram is Patrick Mahomes getting preferential treatment from the officials.
- [60:33]
Mark Ingram
Patty Mahomes is Patty Mahomes. He's goat status, man. He's on his way to being one of the best player in the NFL. But man, we got to call the game fairly. And when you just touch Patty Mahomes, they throw the flag out. They throw the flag out. We saw a couple games, well, the Texans last week, early in the game, Will Anderson goes, kind of hits him, not like egregious. And they throw the flag. It was in the shoulder. It was not a flag. It was not a penalty that gave him the flag. Then he's scrambling, goes down. Both the defenders hit each other. They miss. Mahomes throw the flag. Another automatic first down. Then I'm watching, you know, the Ravens play. And Lamar, he scrambles, he's on the sideline. Buddy is pulling him down five yards, out of bounds, hip drop tackles him, no flag, into the Gatorade cooler. Nothing goes. I'm like, I guess you do get preferential treatment when you're a goat man. Cause they did it for Tom Brady too. But yeah, he is. He's. They. They show. They show Patty Mahomes some love. But he deserves it, man. He earned it because he. He's the best player in football. And that's why I'm gonna have the Chiefs winning this game. That's why I have the Chiefs covering. And it's just because of Patty Mahomes and who he is, what he does. They don't beat themselves. They have two great running backs and Kareem Hunt and Isaiah Pacheco. They got D Hop. They got Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy. They got the man, Travis Kelsey back in pure form. Then you go to the defense who has been carrying them all season long, led by Stone Cold Jones, Spags decoordinator. I played with Spags too when I was in New Orleans. I think they're just going to be ready to roll. You know, Obviously the Bills are a really good team. Josh Allen, it all goes through him. Gotta slow him down. Running the ball gotta slow James Cook down. He's been really efficient throwing the football. Josh Allen has. So I think just, I think it's gonna be a very close game, a tight game. I think this easily could be a Super bowl matchup if they both weren't AFC teams. But. Agreed. Yeah, I got, I got the Chiefs, man, just because of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid and just the supporting cast that's surrounding the Chiefs, man. And, and in the. They have the pedigree. They've been here, they've done that, and it has to go through Kansas City again. So I got Casey winning this game. I got him covering the spread in a close game. A walk off field goal like coach said.
- [62:44]
Rob Stone
So you know who's airing the super bowl this year, right?
- [62:46]
Urban Meyer
Fox.
- [62:47]
Rob Stone
It's our guys.
- [62:48]
Mark Ingram
All right.
- [62:49]
Rob Stone
It's our guys at Fox Sports. And I'm, I'm a sports TV nerd, so I like, I like trickling up to the fifth floor every once in a while and like knocking on the doors of, of PR and programming and kind of bugging them and getting their vibe. You know who they want in the Super Bowl? They're not going to tell you, but you know who they want in the Super Bowl?
- [63:05]
Mark Ingram
Chiefs Commanders.
- [63:07]
Rob Stone
They want Taylor Swift at the super bowl, brother. Of course they want, they want Travis Kelsey's girlfriend at the super bowl, man. That's just going to help the ratings and help those numbers. And I think in the end, Kansas City with that home field advantage, wins it again. Man, it pains me to say it because the Bills are such a great story. And if you're a neutral, you're cheering for the Bills, right? You're cheering for the common, for the, for the Commanders. You want kind of like this big for yourself Super Bowl. Well, I am speaking for myself because I'm the one talking, right? All right, so that's a tight line.
- [63:42]
Mark Ingram
I was paid by my Ravens last week, bro.
- [63:45]
Rob Stone
I know you. I. I'm surprised it took you that long to talk about your race.
- [63:49]
Mark Ingram
I was pained, bro, trying to let.
- [63:51]
Rob Stone
Hang in there. All right? Make sure to follow subscribe, rate us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast, as well as across social media at 3x option show. Listen, just because the college football season is over now, it doesn't mean the good folks at the triple option are taking a break. Yeah, yeah, we're going to have next week off, but we are going to continue to release episodes weekly, following the latest in everything that relates to college football through the course of the off season, whether that's the NFL draft. We're also going to interview legends of the game and leaders across the sports and business landscape. So plenty more of the triple option still to come your way through the course of this year as we build into the next next college football season. As always, thanks to our sponsors Wendy's and BetMGM, enjoy the NFL playoffs and college football never takes a break and the triple option will always be there for you.
- [64:41]
Mark Ingram
Yes sir.