The Dan Patrick ShowDan reacts to the Browns win over the Steelers. Was the weather really a valid excuse for the Steelers? NFL insider Ross Tucker gives his thoughts on what the Giants' plan is at QB for the near future. Former Fighting Irish QB Brady Quinn previews Notre Dame vs. Army and gives his pick for the game. And Army Head Football Coach, Jeff Monken shares why he thinks that Army thrives as an underdog.
You are listening to the Dan Patrick Show on Fox Sports Radio.
Browns beat the Steelers. Brown's now three and eight, Steelers eight and three. Mike Tomlin cannot win on a Thursday night. Mike Tomlin is now owen six on Thursday night divisional road games. And you don't have too many coaches who have that bad a record on Thursday night divisional road games, six of them. But the Browns they converted all their fourth down attempts four for four. They were opportunistic. Jameis Winston giveth, he taketh away, He's entertaining, and he's a better quarterback than Deshaun Watson is. And that's what you know. You start to look at the Cleveland Browns and go, Okay, what do they look like next year? I believe Kevin Stefanski is safe as their head coach and he should be two time Coach of the Year. Did a wonderful job last year. But you know, you see Miles Garrett and it's one of those standalone games where you go, my god is unstoppable. What he did in the first half incredible, And that's where you go, why aren't they been Nick Chubb? Why aren't they better? Well, Deshaun Watson first of all, and it just felt like that was hanging over this team, great fan base. Uh you know, the wintry conditions did play a role in this, but give Cleveland credit. You know they're not mailing it in and and obviously having a divisional rival in town with the Steelers, you know that amps the temperature up a little bit. Here's Jameis Winston on the Crazy Weather game.
That fourth quarter.
It really was like it was a it was a whole paradigm shift, like we were playing so well offensively, and then pain pain back to back drives, materurnovers, and I'm just like, oh my gosh, like this is really an NFL's film moment, the snow stars pouring down, his stars getting like the the I felt like the my feet started getting heavy because I'm I'm squashing through the.
Snow and uh man, it was so good. It was so great to end up being that win.
What a great answer there, What a great answer. I don't even know what the question was, but I love the answer. So excited. Explain this. The Browns go zero for nine on third down, four for four on fourth down. Crazy and then there's coaching decisions made, and you're trying to get Justin Fields in and then Justin Field's all they think he's gonna run, then you throw a pass. I mean it was odd. There were odd moments last night, and I thought Pittsburgh, Yeah, I didn't think Mike Tomlin handled the fourth quarter very well. And yes, we can make excuses for the weather. Cleveland's playing in the same weather, but sometimes you can outsmart yourself here, Hey, we're gonna throw a pass. They'll never think Justin Field's gonna throw a pass. Russell Wilson was playing pretty well, and then Cleveland hangs on scores a touchdown and that's your game there, all right? Eight seven seven three DP Show email addressed deep he at Danpatrick dot com, Twitter handle the DP Show. Here's George Pickens, Steelers wide receiver on the weather.
Will do you guys try to take away from this lass?
What's the message you know?
On the locker room?
Just keep grinding.
Like I said, condition's played a huge, huge part in today's game.
I don't really think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all. I think the conditions kind of save them today. I like how the pr person comes in it's like, I kind of even think we're good here.
I think we're good here. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.
Brady Quinn part of Fox Sports Big Noon Kickoff. He will join us coming up next hour from Columbus. It'll be Ohio State against Indiana coming up to this weekend. Also, we'll talk to the Army head coach Jeff Mounkin. He's got Notre Dame at the Yankee Stadium coming up. He's Ross Tucker CBS Sports Westwood One, NFL college football analyst, Ross Tucker Football Podcast, and he's got the Titans Texans Sunday at one Eastern on CBS. You can also follow him on social media at Ross Tucker NFL. When is weather an excuse for a game?
When you are an offensive lineman and you give up a sack?
Are you speaking first hand knowledge there?
Well, it's funny because you're always like, oh, I slipped, that's the although, in all sincerity, two things that are funny, right is that Number one, bad weather usually helps offensive linemen because it's more important for defensive linemen to have really sure footing for their get off to try to get pressure. But the thing I was thinking about Dan I said this morning on the Rosstucker Podcast, all the points were scored in the snow. I mean in the first half it was like a defensive struggle. It was ten to three. Then all of a sudden fourth quarter there's like this snow, sideway, snow, the win. Then it's like touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown. It's crazy. I think sometimes it's a misnomer that you can't move the ball or score in the snow. I think maybe my first year out of the league, I called a game on radio. Somebody has to check this. But the Patriots hosted the Titans in the snow and Brady threw i think five or six touchdown passes in the first half in the snow. The Titans were slipping all over the place. I think sometimes people don't realize that the offenses on some level have an advantage when it's like that, because the receivers they know where they're going, they know where the routes they're running. The defense has to react off of them.
Does this loss change your view perception of the Steelers.
Not really. I think this is who they are, which is why I have a real tough time picturing them winning three playoff games to get to the super Bowl. You know, Tomlin's done a fantastic job. He made a bold move. A lot of people were surprised by and criticized going from Fields to Russell Wilson. That has clearly paid off. I'm thoroughly impressed Dan. Steelers down eighteen to six in that weather with twelve minutes left for them to get two touchdowns that fast was extremely impressive when I thought, this is uncanny, this team's ability to win these one score games. The problem is you get to the playoffs, you're gonna be going up against Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, obviously, Mahomes. Russell Wilson is not at that level. And so do I think the Steelers can win one of them?
Dan?
Yeah, they can. They can win one of those games. Do I think They're gonna win three games like that in a row. Absolutely not. That would really surprise me because they don't blow anybody out. It's all one score games, and they have the lesser quarterback in one score in three straight one score games. If they can even make it a one score game late.
I'll give you the first pick of any defensive player in the NFL.
Ooh, that is such a good one. The three guys that come to mind right away are I'm sure I'm missing somebody, but Miles Garrett, TJ. Watt, Micah Parsons. You know, TJ. Watt has an uncanny ability. It seems to make the play that needs to be made late in games. Miles Garrett and Michah Parsons are just freaks, the likes of which we've rarely seen. I think I have to go TJ. Watt just because his production level is consistently I would say higher than the other two. But man, I would love to have any of those. I think Micah is the most versatile I think. I mean, for Miles Garrett is a tour and eighty pound guy doing what two hundred and forty pound guys do. But I think, what if you look at the numbers and you just look at how consistent he is, I think I'd have to go with TJ.
Is he a Hall of Famer right now?
Yes? He is. I'm glad you brought that up because there are certain guys that, even in a limited sample size, have proven their Hall of famers, Like I think this is the first year that Keikley's eligible. And I want to say Dan, that Keithley played eight years, he's a Hall of Famer. I mean he was the defensive Rookie of the Year his first year, his second year he was the defensive player of the year. He was either All Pro or second team All Pro every year. Do I care that maybe he had head injuries or whatever his deal was that he retired after eight years. No, does it help a guy if they compile stats and play double digit years. Probably? The way I always look at it was were you great? Were you truly truly great? And then I guess were you great long enough? If my guy Tony Bisselli or Terrell Davis get in based on five great years, Keithley gets in based on eight great years. I don't know what Wat's at now, is that you're seven for him or something, but anyway, yes, he would be in in my book.
He's Ross Tucker. You can follow him on social media at Ross Tucker NFL and of course his Ross Tucker Football podcast. You know, it's tricky when we get towards this time of the year, when the semi finalists come out, then you have first ballot guys. And I look, I'm a proponent for what Dion said, make it special for first ballot Hall of famers. Have somebody go why is his jacket different shade than his? Or where you put them in the Hall of Fame? First floor, second floor penthouse. I like that. It's more conversation. You're special first ballot Hall of Famer. I have no problem differentiating that. Now. I might be in the minority here, but do you follow sort of my guidelines on this? Are you okay with making the first ballot Hall of Fame a little more special than just those who get into the Hall of Fame?
Well, I was listening yesterday about the Eli Manning stuff. I guess what I would say, is it already is? Isn't it like we already talk about? I mean, so you what you're saying is you want either a separation within the building or you want something visual that signifies it. I guess we kind of already you know, maybe you're right thing because I'm sitting here thinking we already talk about how Jerry Rice was a first ballot Hall of Famer and Peyton Manning was a first ballot Hall of Famer and so and so he's good, but he's not a first ballot Hall of Famer. But you're right in this sense then that after like ten years, I can't remember all the guys that were first ballot and weren't. I was initially going to say I disagree, because we already categorized them as such. But now if you ask me guys from twelve years ago, if PAULI or whoever was saying, what about this guy, Warren Sapp or whoever, I wouldn't remember if they were first ballot or not. I don't know if it needs to be a different wing or a different jacket, but somewhere there should be a separate list, right, these are the guys that made it on the first ballot. And if that's the case, which I think they've already done, then the Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors need to take that very very seriously, which I think they have. You know, there's been a lot of guys that we're probably more deserving. But I've heard Hall of Fame voters Dan talk about waiting the line, and he's not a skip the line guy, So they'll put in, you know, a receiver or someone that's been waiting five to seven years over a guy that's probably more deserving but isn't quite a skip the line first ballot guy.
But I think we do that in society. We do that for the Academy Awards, where like he hadn't paid his dues or shitn't paid. This guy's been nominated for it's his turn. It's his that's crazy. It's are you a Hall of Famer first ballot? Or hey, this guy waited seven like Rodney Harrison's a Hall of Fame? Are they going to put him in and then leave Luke Keikley out? I mean, that doesn't make any sense. But I know this is all going to be about Eli. If Eli gets in first ballot, and then people are going to be apoplectic with this. I believe he's a Hall of Famer, but I wouldn't put him in there with Steve Young and Joe Montana and you know, all of these guys who were first ballot quarterback Hall of famers totally agree.
He is absolutely not a first ballot Hall of Famer. In my book, there are very few years, if any where we would have said that Eli Manning was elite or a top five quarterback. If there's I mean, I'd have to go back and look maybe a year or two where we put him in that category, and primarily probably based on what he had done in the postseason the year before. He should not be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He's not as good as the guys you just named. What becomes interesting then, though, dan is that how long does he wait? Is he a year two guy? Is he a year three guy? I mean that that's the funny because also some of it. You know, I look at that list of the twenty five semifinalists and I'm I'm blown away because to me, I played against most of them, they almost all should be Hall of Fame. Like there's a guy I just saw him a couple weeks ago in Philly, London, Fletcher. To me, I was teammates with him twice. That is a Hall of Famer. Unbelievable player, never missed a game in sixteen years at middle linebacker at five nine, two thirty. Yet he's not even one of the twenty five semifinalists, which just goes to show how hard it really is to be in that.
Category, which Manning would you want in the playoffs?
I would still want Peyton man Okay, I know Eli had two really good runs, but it's not like he did that. It's not like every year he was winning multiple playoff games. He had. Really he had two really good runs. And we all remember, you know, the games against the Patriots. I will say, especially in seven, like their offensive line was awesome. I mean, they had some good things going as well. But yeah, I'm still taking Peyton. Yeah.
It gets tricky there, and then people think, well, why don't you like such and such and it's not that And I've said, I tell my audience my job is not to be liked by one of these guys. My job is to cover these players, whether it was their career or after their career. If not the Lions, then who in the NFC? Yeah, I mean it's those two.
Uh yeah, right now. I mean I think there's other teams that could get in the mix, but I I don't envision any of the other teams, right Vikings, Packers, Commanders, you want to go, Cardinals or Falcons. I don't envision them winning three straight playoff games. I think right now, it's the Lions and the Eagles. I think the Lions are the best team, but they got some iss I mean, you know we're talking earlier about which you know one defensive player you would want based on the start of this year. Aiden Hutchinson would have been in that category. I mean, he was the front runner for Defensive Player of the year. He's gone. Now they lose Angeloni. Who's their captain, the guy that gets the mall lined up, you know, the guy that calls the signals. The Lions are starting to take some hits that I don't know if they're going to be good enough to overcome that. What it does, I think is probably brings them back to the pack a little bit. Whereas the Eagles, ever since the bye boy, they have really really been special. It feels like those are the two heavyweights in the NFC right now.
Explain to me what the Giants are doing that you're not playing your best quarterback, You're not playing your second best quarterback. And I understand the monetary aspect of this. With Daniel Jones, Daniel Jones read a goodbye statement yesterday. I had a press conference and he read a good we still have a month have to go here. He's under contract, Like, how did the Giants sell this and and the NFL doesn't. If this was the NBA, I think the NBA would step in and say, for competitive balance, you need to play your best players. They're not resting him for next season, they're protecting him, so he's not their next season.
Dan.
It's a mess, and it started with not only the decision for the Giants to be on hard knocks, but to air all of that stuff. I mean, I'm so glad they did because it was very entertaining. I don't know if the NFL is going to get another team to do off season hard knocks, and if they do, they're certainly not going to allow all that stuff to be shown. I see these reports where the GM Joe Shane is supposedly safe but Brian Dayball's coaching for his job. I don't understand that at all. To me, that would be flipped right like we saw day Ball get those guys to the playoffs and win at Minnesota with Daniel Jones his first year. I think Dable's a good coach. All these GMS have a batting average. Man, if you look at the hits and the misses for Joe Shane he's got one of the worst batting averages in the league right now. And then this whole situation has been a mess. You know, you've got Dan just this week. Okay, now, Ladia bench Daniel Jones. Then you have by far your best player, Dexter Lawrence coming out publicly and saying this is bogus. We know he should be playing, this is just for the money. That is bad. Then they interviewed Drew Locke and they're like, hey, Drew, you were the number two all year? Why did you just get skipped over for Tommy DeVito? And Drew's like, uh, that's a good question. That's a question I might have myself. This is the New York Giants. Well, what are they doing? Then, Daniel Jones, I think that might have been a retirement press conference. I don't even know what that press conference was. He's still on the team playing safety and walk through. It's I guess I respect that they let they let him have that moment and that he was able to show his gratitude to your organization, and maybe that was their way of hopefully like getting past it. But when you've got you know, these guys aren't afraid to say what they think anymore. And when you've got Dexter Lawrence and Drew Locke and these guys talking the way they are, it's a really bad look. You know a lot of times, damn, when a team goes with a new quarterback, they get like a boost, right, like the Jamis Winston boost or whatever, based on what they've been saying this week. You know, I said this on the Even Money Betting podcast. I'm not predicting a Tommy DeVito boost here with the Giants based on what these players have said this week.
But imagine if you're Brian Dable, the head coach, and you're coaching, maybe for your job, and you can't even start the quarterback that you want to start to help protect your job security. Like it's it's mind boggling that you either want Yeah, I mean.
Because I think he would. I think he would start Locke, Yes, over Davido. I someone needs to explain transparently how Locke was the two the whole time, and now de Vito's starting. He's very popular, he's from North Jersey. I think it's fair to wonder, Dan, if this is for tickets, if this is for interest, if this is for people to tune in or show up at the games because he's like a local legend, local fan favorite. I need a better explanation because it's not logical right now.
Always great to talk to you, Save travels as always, Thank you.
Ross, my pleasure, Thank you Dan.
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
He's Brady Quinn, Fox Sports college football analyst, Big Noon Kickoff host, also a co host two Pros, a Cup of Joe, former Notre Dame quarterback Big Noon Kickoff just outside the Shoe. The undefeated Hoosiers against Ohio State pregame airs every Saturday at ten am Eastern on Fox. Before I get to the game, let me ask you about weather. You saw the weather last night? Wait, what are you saying?
I need more.
Energy from you for that read about my fighting Irish playing Yankee Stadium. Look, this is the one hundred year anniversary of the first Consensus National Championship, the four horses in there digging back the nineteen twenty four.
I need more energy front of you this morning for this matchup.
Damn.
Yeah, but America is rooting for Army.
Yeah, and I do every single day, with the exception of that slotted amount of time all right, where my Fight and Irish are playing Army. But every other moment of my life, I'm rooming for Army Navy. The toughest one for me is picking between Army and Navy. But I've gotten to know coach Monkt a little bit better, so I signed more with Army, even though my dad was a Marine.
So okay, but you got the American flag behind you. You're a patriot and you're rooting for Notre Dame.
All it takes American patriot.
Okay.
Here comes the history, the tradition, the spectacle, the excitement, the passion, the drama, the fight Army Notre Dame.
That's the Dan Patrick. Okay, all right, But I grew up with all that excitement that I'm going.
To be watching big noon kickoff and I'm going to be texting you when I feel like you don't have that energy level. So just you better every day super Bowl, Brady, you better bring it on Saturday.
Man.
I tried to stuff's about right.
You gotta bring energy, yes, Okay, before I get to the games. Playing in weather like the Browns and the Steelers did last night. You're an Ohio guy, but advantage disadvantage helped me understand that from a quarterbacking perspective, playing in weather like that, it's always.
About your grip. You know, everything that impacts your grip.
So it could be weather, right or snow in this case where there's a little bit of wetness, or really the cold. I mean, the biggest thing about it is when it's cold, you can't feel your extremities as well.
All right, that's obvious.
But where that impacts you the most is your grip on the football and how you feel the ball spinning off your fingertips. And then where that becomes even more impactful is when you have wind, which there was about I think fifteen miles per hour up to maybe twenty with some gusts. Then you're not able to spin the ball as well. If you can't spin the ball as well, it's harder to cut through the wind, especially in that stadium there in Cleveland, where there tends to be a more significant win through the I think east side of the end zone if I remember correct. So that's where it comes into you where you're a little less accurate throwing the football if you're not spinning it quite as well because you can't grip it quite as well. So you see some guys wear a glove. I could never get comfortable wearing a glove. It just it felt like as far as your release point changes a little bit because it's grippier, so they're gonna be releasing it holding onto the football a little more than you're used to. So unless you practice it and get comfortable with it, it's hard to pull one.
On than take it off and try to throw it. Just it feels weird on your hand.
I'll ask you the same question I answered Ross Tucker. I'll give you the first pick of any defensive player in the NFL.
I mean, it's hard not to pick Miles Garrett. I think last night as an example of that. Of the last year, I think TJ wat had a pretty good argument to be made about winning Defensive Player of the Year. But Miles Garrett to me, is the scariest human being in the NFL that is rushing off of the edge. And I think anyone who's like met him in person or seen him, he's an absolute adonis. So I would probably say right now if you had to pick amongst all the defensive players, it probably.
Was Aaron Donald. I'd now say, right now, it's Miles Garrett.
But is Miles Garrett treated differently? Is he blocked differently than the other guys, because it sounded like what he was saying is, hey, you know they game plan for me, but it doesn't matter. I'm still number one. I don't know if TJ. Wat or Micah Parsons are treated with the same respect as Miles Garrett.
I would say last night, when you're watching it, you see t J. Watt treated with very similar respect. I mean there's clearly a.
You know, a.
Directive out to say, wherever he's at, make sure you've just got two guys on him. We want to try to put four hands on him at all time. So I felt like last night was an example of TJA getting some of that Miles Gary treatment. But there's some truth to that. I mean, there's more team I think there's some teams here look at those matchups so front and they might feel okay about who that tackle was, having to win that one on one battle. I mean, look, when we had Joe Thomas, you know, we always felt comfortable with whoever was going up against Joe because he was that good of a player, so we could kind of focus on some of the other mismatches we had up front. But it's very rare happy a guy like Joe Thomas who's protecting your left side or your blind side.
So it all depends. I honestly think when I watch film with both those guys, I.
Think it's pretty equal as far as the amount of tension that JJ Watt excuse me, TJ Watt and Miles Garrett gets.
The difference for a.
Guy like Michael Parsons is one that you can move them around. It makes that job so much more difficult. So inherently they're not going to get the same treatment because you're not going to play Miles Garrett off the ball, like at least if you do, it's the dumbest thing in the world a defensive coordinator could do. I think every single time I see a defensive coordinator drop like a TJ. Watt or or a Miles Garrett or whoever you're time on off of the edge into coverage, I'm like thank God, Like, yeah, one of the best edge rushers trying to be in pass coverage, Like yeah, of course, like give our offensive line, give us a little bit of a breakup front.
Thank you for that.
Help me understand this time of the year where you have quarterbacking quarterbacks who were flipping. So you just had Bryce Underwood, a Michigan kid was going to LSU. Now he's going back to Michigan. You have the situation with USC with Julian Lewis they lose him to Colorado. Does this just come down to money now?
Pretty much?
I mean, if we're being honest with our sales, which, by the way, I'm not sure whatever really was different.
About it now it's just above board.
Now it's above board, right, It's it's patriotic.
It's out in America.
It's America. That's right.
Capitalism, No, I think that's part of what it is now, I mean, or the majority of what it is. I also think there is something to do with kind of the trends of where those teams are the season. I mean, you look at Colorado, clearly they're ascending. The Famous are in the Big twelve, but they you know, went out there going to win the Big twelve. They're going to be in the playoff, you know, as opposed to Southern cal that's not the case, and it feels like they don't know where that program's at right now. It's like if the bile wasn't as big for Lincoln Riley, would he still be the head coach? Probably not based on the performance what we've seen so far, So I think that plays a factor to into it. Whereas you look at Shador Sanders, who's going to be moving on the NFL. For a young man like Juju Lewis is like, I'm going to day one and starting and I know Coach Prime's going to bring guys in just around me with talent. He did that with Shador, He's going to do that with Juju Lewis. For Bryce Underwood, it's probably more about opportunity. You know, this is a team that just won the national championship a year ago, and somehow, some way over that long list of quarterbacks now have in the roster.
They don't have a guy who could play at the level that JJ McCarthy did.
And if you're not playing at that high of a level like JJ McCarthy did, you're not competing for a national championship. So it's easier to then pitch that to a guy who can come in and be your savior and you look at the excitement from.
The Michigan fan base.
So yes, it's money, but there's also those factors too that I think play a part in, you know, the opportunity to play and also right away probably even get paid more because once he goes there and once he shows Zoe he's capable of bryce under was going to be making.
Even more money.
I'm trying to understand this. Dion Sanders, maybe he could be a package deal with Shador Sanders. Well, what you're saying is you have to have a team, get Shadoor Sanders and then fire their coach. If you're like it, it doesn't make any shuderwor Sanders is going to be a high draft pick. How are you getting unless it's the Raiders or the Giant. I don't know if the Giants would ever do something like that, like or hey, he could coach the cowboy Like I'm trying to figure this out of is there a scenario where Dion would coach his son in the NFL?
I don't know.
I mean the Raiders are the one that make the most like logistical sense from that standpoint, because you really would have to hire Dion first and then draft shod Orc is the timing of all of it, but you first have to be in a position.
So that's where it gets complicated and tricky. And unless you're a team that's at the.
Top of the draft board, it's gonna be really hard to pull that all off.
So Las Vegas will be the only team that I think could make some sense in that regard.
And look, I mean, I think coach prom has been pretty open about where he's at and went in stan Colorado and build this thing.
And I know there's a portion of it where you.
Have to say that too, because this is that time of year where you're recruiting and you're trying to build up this team and you don't know what the future holds, so you have to say all those things until your percent it with a different opportunity. Because I think the most fascinating thing about you know, coach Prime and moving forward is like the question of, well, it's worse so far where he's coached his sons moving all the.
Way up, and so it's really it'd be incredible to think that.
If you did have the opportunity, I mean, no one would blame coach Prome I think if he did have the opportunity to take that opportunity to go coach a son in the NFL, it'd be.
The craziest thing we've ever seen.
And I think if you look at his track record, he's always been able to kind of build up these programs from his time coach in high school to you know, smaller college football now to a power forward program. So I think you got to give him the benefit of the doubt because of his track record, but also just the unique story that that is. I mean, we've been applauding for the Lakers and Lebron James and Brownie and that will situation.
This is like taking that up with Notch too to one of the more iconic brands. If it was the Raiders.
In this scenario, he's Brady Quinn. Big noon kickoff crew will be set up just outside the shoe in Columbus. It'll be Indiana Ohio State pregame airs every Saturday at ten am Eastern, Non Fox.
How did you in there for a game?
Like?
When can we see and bring in in person? Bring the boys?
Uh, we're a big deal. We're a big deal.
We have the block keys play this week. I mean We've got a lot of stuff going on. I think you'd enjoy it.
Are they Ohio guys?
They are Ohio guys.
They like bowling Green or something. I don't know where they're from for some reason, like Toledo or Akron. Yeah, yeah, do you like hank people?
Ohio guys? I feel like there's a lot of that going on.
You know, I'm an Ohio guy, but I don't. I mean, I don't go, yeah, you're an Ohio guy. I mean I'm from I'm from Cincinnati. So it's a little higher end than the other places in Ohio. Like just so it didn't.
Get the nickname the Nasty Natty for any specific reason.
It's just hello me, there you go? Yeah, yeah, where was I? Okay? How does Indiana win this game?
So when these matchups to me are all about game flow, and I think when I've been in Columbus at the Shoe for a game where teams have gone in and won, it's happened in a couple of different ways. When all we saw Oregon do it a few years back, it was really about kind of getting on top staying on top.
Like they immediately almost took.
The crowd out of the game, and that play may be one of the loudest venues. It probably doesn't get credit for how loud it is, but that's one of the ways. Is like going in right away, not being like overcome with emotion or not, you know, reading into the crowd, having a bunch of pre snap penalties, executing, you know, going right down the field, march down the field, scoring and that shuts a lot of people up.
That's one way. I also, I mean, I think you have to win the trenches.
I mean, if you look at the Achilles to Obhio States their offensive line, if you look at the way Michigan's beat in the past three years, it's been the old line d line and that winning that physicality that match. It seems like that's always a question about a Ryan Dave football team. Now, look, I think this team is as physical and as good upfront on defense as they've been.
Now.
Offense, they've had a bunch of different injuries, and.
You've got Carson Hin's been going back to center, and Sarah Bell going to left guard, and Dona Jackson left guard going left tackle, So there's a lot of musical chairs there.
But if they control both offense defensive line.
I think their skilled position players are good enough to be able to make enough big plays and run the football well enough to keep this thing tight.
And so if they keep the crowd.
Out of it, control a line of scrimmage, and then just make enough plays they're in that fourth quarter. I think that's how they win. I don't see a scenario where Indiana blows out Ohio State. I see it a more where Ohio State can blow out Indiana.
But I do see a scenario where it's a tight game down the end and.
Chris Rourke makes enough little backshoulder fades passes they can make something happen there to get to win.
Indiana ten point underdog, Army fourteen point underdog, more likely to pull off the win. Army Notre Dame neutral field or Indiana at Ohio State.
Oh Indiana, there's no shot for Army. I'm sorry. Notre Dame's got one of the best defense in the country.
Uh, there's there's a skill mismatch, a significant one at best.
And I also think, you.
Know, people always talk about like Indiana's lack of trying to schedule, Look at Armies and so, and you can maybe make that case two about Notre Dames this year with the whites turned out, but they've responded since the lost in Northern Illinois and and they've continued to put a beat down on teams.
So I don't think this thing will even be close. And I think the prep to of.
Playing the Naval Academy early helps a little bit too, with what's seeing a lot of similar schemes, you know.
Being disapoint with your eyes discip one defense.
So I think it's it's going to be a home run if you if you will, and Yankee Stadium for the final.
Arcis ah, I see what you did? Yeah, a little baseball terminology there. You you get a buzz cut if Army wins this game.
No, all right, I will bet that. I feel so confident.
About wow wow, And you've got good moss. I don't know you're gonna wow.
Thank you.
That breaks some hearts, you know, if you got your haircut there.
Hey, if it has to happen, it has I'm got this for my fighting hours. That's how confident.
Great to talk to you and have fun. Our people like did they get over how long did it take them to get over the fact that you didn't play at Ohio State, but you're from Columbus.
I mean I almost went to Michigan. Oh my god, that's usually the TOPI stode.
Yeah, you told me the Beau Schembeckler recruiting story.
Well, I had a guy on a flight recently, like they were having an issue with like one of my bags and this whole thing.
The guy goes, well, it's because he didn't play at Ohio State.
And yeah, I almost the same thing.
I go, ye have the last three year has been power Like that's the thing about it. Yeah, the truth of.
The matter is, you know, it just so it was a great place. I loved Ohio State. It just wasn't the right fit for me. You know, I had that been you know, nowadays, who knows if my decision would have been any different. But the reality is, you do get that a lot. But I'm also like, yeah, people dont understand I was like that close to going to Michigan too.
Well.
Also, back then was Ohio State a passing team. I mean they become wide receiver you but like nowadays, over the last few years, you're like, hell, yes, these weapons.
And that was one of the biggest reasons why when I looked at what at that time. I was obviously a huge you know, I was a big Tom Brady fan, and he had come from Michigan and that was kind of their pitch, more of a pro style offense. Notre Dame at the time had had a West Coast offense from Danny Green system with Ty Willingham as head coach, so that was all very appealing to me. Whereas when I watched Ohio State win the national championship that year, I think Craig Crenzel through the football like fifteen sixteen times, So it was kind of hard watching that biggest moment to think, well, if I'm the guy, I'm probably gonna be handing it off more often than not, which it played a little bit of fact or two.
So say it with excitement. Brady Quinn and the Big Noon Kickoff Crew just outside the Shoe and Columbus, It's Indiana Ohio State pregame show every Saturday, ten am Eastern.
I'm fun.
Oh god, I'm exhausted, have fun, Brady Quinn.
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio WAPP.
He is Jeff Mounkin, the head coach of Army. You got your pregame speech ready? Ah?
No, that just whatever.
When the spirit moves me, I guess whatever I think is appropriate at the at the time, and I'll you know, share it with the guys.
Sometimes it's nothing and sometimes it's something.
So it just hits you if you're gonna say something or not.
Yeah, I don't plan a speech or anything like that.
Okay, how much have you watched in Notre Dame?
What?
Like?
What's your takeaway from Notre Dame?
Really talented, really well coached. You know, they're they're they're a very complete team. There's not offensively you try to find what position maybe isn't their strength, but they're really athletic at receiver, they're long and in physical at tight end. Their backs are downhill runners. They got great acceleration in the quarterback. He makes every throw and and very sneaky run on the football. I really didn't anticipate he'd be that good of a runner. H really strong on the offensive line. Defensively, athletic, really good a linebacker. You know, they way out match us in the secondary. So they got a really they got a really good team.
Okay, but this kind of offensive philosophy that you guys have, I mean, it's a great offense and defensive philosophy because you guys chew up eight nine minutes if you can. Why is it so difficult? Even though Notre Dame faces this every year? But why do teams still have trouble with the Army offense?
It's different than everybody else.
And though they I'm certain have spent a lot of time in the off season and in spring ball, preseason camp.
As you go through the season and there's eight or.
Nine opponents doing something entirely different, and then you go back to the option plan that you have. Defensively, you've got to reteach that to the players, and it's like playing a different sport. It's the pain in the butt for us star in preseason face.
Air Force and Navy.
We've got to we've got to transition our guys and it takes time to reteach it and get them plugged back in.
How important is the passing game to your offense year?
It's important. What it does is.
It equalizes the balance between us trying to run the ball and people putting a bunch of folks in the box.
Trying to stop us.
And obviously we want to run the football, we want to do that very effectively. But when there are extra hats finding their way to the ball, oftentimes that opens up opportunities for us in a play action game. And we're never going to be a team that throws it a whole lot, but we've utilized that element a lot more this year, and I think at times it's really helped us and been effective.
Do you feel like an underdog this Saturday?
We're an underdog every Saturday?
No, you're not. No, you've been favored a lot. You're undefeated. So yes, Notre Dame is favored by whatever, ten points or two touchdowns. But I didn't know if you've felt that, or you know, do you want that chip on your shoulder? Your team to feel like we're an underdog every week?
We've we've always got to play that way. Prognosticators might favor us, but they haven't been to our practices and and and really come in and watched us. If they did, they'd make us an underdog every week.
I know who we are.
Our players are, uh, they're they're they're humble enough and understand what we've got to do. To win here, and that's all we focus on. So we we we know it's gonna taken. It just an incredible effort for us to be able to be competitive with with Notre Dame tomorrow and and uh.
And that's that's what we're focused on, trying to play our best.
How important is it for you to understand what your athletes go through off the field outside of football? Whereas most coaches don't necessarily have to worry about, you know, schooling and everything else that goes along. I mean, this is this is unique, but I don't know since you haven't gone through it to understand what they're going through.
I've been here long enough to know what they're going through. But I've also been here long enough to know that we're not going to use that as an excuse. And we're We've got young men here that they've got to handle a lot. There's a lot of responsibility academically, the professional standards here, i e. The military part, and being a Division I football player, it's a lot of time. Nearly every moment of their day is accounted for and not controlled by them, and so it takes great self discipline to have a regiment and schedule like that, but that's who we are. And and so I think those challenges and the decisions they got to face every day about the time that they spend on a class, on a test, getting sleep, nutrition, whatever it may be, that that forces them to be focused. And so we never use the stuffed rucksack as they say here, you know, one hundred pounds a year and a fifty pound rucksack. We never used that as an excuse. It's just it's an opportunity for our guys to really push themselves and be the best they can be.
I think I've asked this before, but I don't know if you have any new additions. Coolest thing in your office is what.
Holy moly, man, you know what? Right over here next to me, there's a photo of my dad and I. My dad was my high school coach, and it's got an army letter jacket. So our equipment manager gave my dad an army letter jacket when he was coming to all the games. My dad passed away about a year and a half ago, and he was just faithful on the sidelines. Our players loved him, and so when my dad passed away, our players got a hold of that letter letter jacket. They had it framed and put a picture of my dad and I underneath it, and and uh, so that's that's really special to me. That's an addition that probably wasn't there the last time we talked.
There's your pregame speech right there, coach.
Well, we got great we got great young men here, and you know that just speaks to the to the love that they have for this brotherhood and and uh and just the respect they have for this program.
And so I really appreciate that.
I appreciate our players and hopefully hopefully they'll uh they'll have a great game tomorrow.
Good to talk to you again. Congrats on the season so far.
Thanks so much. Appreciate the opportunity be Navy.
It's coach Jeff Monkin.
