Jason Smith & Mike Harmon talk shop with Bernie Fratto on NFL picks, the upcoming National Title matchup, and more!
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Hello, Welcome inside Final Hour tonight the Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon, live from the ti rack dot com studios.
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Help you get there an unmatched selection, fast, free shipping, free road hazard protection, and over ten thousand recommended installers. Tiraq dot com is the way tire buying should be. Well, we're gonna head to Vegas coming up in about twenty minutes and see what insiders are thinking about the National Championship Game and the first round of the NFL Playoffs set to begin just a few hours from now. And we will of course have more on the National title game between Ohio State and Notre Dame, and we'll look back at the game we saw tonight between Ohio State and Texas, nearly pulling off a big win at the end in a couple minutes. But a big college football legend passed away earlier tonight. Legendary Colorado Buffalo's head coach Bill McCartney got at the age of eighty four after a long battle with dementia. McCartney, who of course was coach of the Colorado Buffaloes when they burst on the scene in the early nineties, they won a national championship and that was such a really that was such a special era in college football. I know, it feels like, oh, it's something Jason, it was thirty four years ago. Yeah, But certain things you remember and certain teams stand out because I remember that being the first time that I saw a college football team as a program, as a rock star program. Right, Like when when McCartney shows up at Colorado, Colorado would never won anything, right, Colorado was whether seven and one hundred and seven or whatever it was when he took over as their head coach in the mid eighties, and after the first few years, he started winning big. And you know, you get to the late eighties early nineties and all of a sudden, Colorado was a national championship threat and they played for the national tie back to back years. They lost to Notre Dame the first year. They beat Notre Dame the next year with the big rocket ismail clip that he returned a punch for a touchdown but it gets called back on a clipping penalty. And just just because just because of the way Colorado was a team that was they were easy to root for because they were different. It wasn't always Notre Dame or Penn State or Alabama or you know, Miami also you know rockstar program that that you know, they came about, you know, in the eighties, but also into the nineties with Miami and the home winning streak they had. But just Colorado being the underdog and being able to capture everybody's attention, right from Darien Hagan being their starting quarterback, and of course he took over when their previous starting quarterback, Salinessi, had cancer. He died a couple of years later. They would always show him in the booth when Colorado would score a touchdown and Hagan would point to him, and he would point down and and and you know, then you got the enemy. And then it's Cordell Stewart and Michael Westbrook and Rashaan Salam the Heisman Trophy, and it's just he built a program out of nothing. And that's the first time that I remember seeing, you know, I'm in my late teens and early twenties, I'm going, how do you how do you just show up and start winning? Like like college football has always been the you know, hey, once in a while, the team can have a nice year, but it's always the blue bloods who were winning. And that's why this era of Colorado with Deon Sanders is so reminiscent of that, because all of a sudden, Colorado have been bad forever. Dion shows up and he's brashed, and he brings his kids with him and his kids going in the top five of the draft. He's got a Heisman Trophy winner and Travis Hunter, and it's very similar to that era where all of a sudden, here comes Colorado and they're fascinating. And the Colorado's Colorado football teams the early nineties were fascinating. The fifth down play that they still play on on that helped them win the national title that you still see on football follies. But that Colorado team that went to back to back national title games and McCartney brings them to prominence and really like they were. They were rock stars. And Eric Bienemy, now who you know who is the big running back? I remember one of the years was hurt and he was their best running back. I remember it was an everyday thing between the end of the season and their bowl game whether or not he was gonna play in the National In the de facto national championship game, like it was he gonna play in the Orange Bowl. It's like every day, the enemy's doing this, the enemy's doing this, the enemy's doing this, And it just baffled me that my whole life run, like the decade plus before that has always been was always full of the Oklahoma and Nebraska and yes, yes, Oklahoma Nebraska were great, but the final scores of those games were thirteen to ten, right, Like there were four passes being thrown in all of those games total. Like this was an era of college and Penn State and Joe Paterno would win games, but the excitement level what Colorado and Bill McCartney brought, like I had never seen that before.
Oh yeah, that Cordell Stewart squad and Westbrook and obviously Salaam Heisman winner eventually goes to the Bears. Look a lot of that era when you go back into it, just it's such a different college game that we experienced now, because go back to McCartney's first couple of years two, eight and one, four and seven one in ten. He ain't getting a year four. Hell, he ain't getting a year three in today's college football, right, And then you go and then the other because it also gets to this point. The fourth year, seven and five, four and three in conference they go to the Freedom Bowl. Eighty six, six and six, okay, fine, six and one in conference they go to the Blue Bonnet Bowl.
So now we get to.
Tie back all our great bowl games. All I need is a blue gray game mixed here and we're all good. But all of that to say, just a different time and the idea of building a program, building from the ground up and convincing people to come to a program, convincing assistance to stay in. And you know, he had the opportunity at least there was some speculation that he was going to go to Michigan at one point, so he could have been part of your family there, uh Smith. But certainly that that team with Cordell Stewart is won for the Ages.
Right.
We talked about the Hail Mary against Michigan.
Right.
That was that was very early in my wife.
And I relationship, and I was like, oh, I remember seeing it, going, Oh, she's gonna be really mad.
She's gonna be so so you're on your best behavior after that, She's gonna be so mad. Everything you said you started to chew and she got mad at you.
You're chewing too loud. You're chewing too loud. Just stop.
She might be still be saying that to you all these years later.
But baby, all of that to say, it's just the the throwback to a different time. And certainly we've seen plenty of vignettes on those teams, the fifth down play and and everything else. So when when we lose a member of this you know, coaching hierarchy and legends of the game, but always, you know, we take Paul. I mean we've been doing that a lot. You know, not to go sideways into the events of the week, but you know, there's a there's a lot of memory, there's a lot of history. There's you know, when we get to the playoffs and these big moments, we think about those teams and coaches. So coach, you know, we we give the the doffing of the cap tonight on a magnificent career and run and and part of our our collective college history as we celebrate the game earlier tonight.
Yeah, just just that that has such a special at that time in college football because it because it told me that, you know, individuals can succeed and it's not just about a coach being an extension of the team, because you know, I first started watching college foot like Bear Bryant was still coaching Aliban now about bit he was near the end of his career, but it was still. Hey, college football is not about personality. College football is about team, it's about running the football. It's about all of these things. And that the coaches, the ones you listened to, and the game just wasn't quite on the level that it is now. But but you brought that Colorado team in and that was and that was just that was just a different thing.
We'd never seen that before.
I mean I I I'd never seen a team jump in out of nowheer and gain so much attention.
And it was fun.
It was fun to hey, is somebody different other than a Oklahoma Nebraska Ow, it was fun seeing Colorado there. They became the team that that everybody sort of rooted for, you know, it kind of like everybody's rooting for the Lions now, the last all the Lions have stunk for so long.
Look at that. I love the Lions. The Lions are great.
Yet just one of those things you kind of you kind of pick it up a little bit, and don't be hating on Detroit.
Let's stop with that, stop with all that. They didn't need for that. It's no need for that, no need to hate on Detroit. You're the only one. Everybody else so.
I stand alone. Sorry, pat his hands to get in line with me here, Okay, listen, okay, a, now we have two. We can build an army from here. Let's get a not my fault.
The Bears stink. That's not the Lion's fault either. Be Patrick, you got to pick, like one of the two teams is that you hate the most. Okay, because I know your family is Seahawks and Vikings. You can only have one team you hate. So you got to give me the one team and and then that's.
It right now. My number one for this season's Lions.
It was never the Lions, and now suddenly it's the line.
Listen, the Niners are bad now, so it is Lions.
They have fallen off. Yes, they have withered some, so yes it is. Uh it's a different pecking order. But no, I love when we look. We did our special Teams podcast for a year, you and I. It's available on or wherever you get your podcasts. You know where we would pick out some of these historical teams go through the year. That was some of the pop culture stuff, but how teams came to prominence, how they came together, the coaching staff and everything else, which was a really fun series for you and I to go down memory lane with and we we chronicled some of these teams. I wouldn't be surprised if I looked at our old call sheets if we didn't do that Colorado squad along the way. But all of that to say, it's you know, it's fun to go back down and watch, you know, watch some of those videos. We certainly have the ability through YouTube and whatever else, but to just go back and chronicle those plenty of books written on those guys who've made lifetimes off of one season of major success in a collegiate town.
Right.
So it's one of those beautiful things about the game that as much as it's changed, that part never will.
Sarah was Colorado coaching great Bill McCartney died at the age of eighty four. The Jason Smiths are with Mike Carmon live from the Tirech dot Com studios and obviously look at that headline tonight coming on the heels of the Ohio State win over Texas and Ohio States headed to the National Championship to take on Notre Dame. You know, we talked to Todd Ferman, one of our Vegas insiders last night on the show, and I said, look, tonight's the de facto national title game for me because both Ohio State and Texas, but specifically Ohio State, I can't see Notre Dame not only winning this game but staying close. And he told us last night, Hey, if Ohio State wins, the points spread's going to be around ten. Well, guess what points spread's come out for Ohio State Notre Dame. That's anywhere from nine and a half to eleven, depending on where you want to get your action. And then not only not only am I gonna take Ohio State, take Ohio State. With the points it could be fifteen to sixteen points. I'm still taking Ohio really don't. I don't know, Mike. Notre Dame in Penn State was a terrific game last night, and it was punch CounterPunch. It was entertaining as hell, and they are two really good college football teams. Penn State's the third best team in the Big Ten and Notre Dame was barely able to get by. Notre Dame is good. Notre Dame's offense, how are they gonna move the football against this Ohio State defense? They're fast or athletic. Look what they did to Texas tonight. Texas had two touchdowns and this is one of the best offenses in the end in your NFL.
Is gonna hop scotch his ass passed all those arms. Man.
They got NFL dudes man everywhere on Texas in fourteen points. If Riley, if I had more confidence that Riley Leonard would make plays, I would. But Riley Leonard is a good college quarterback. But against an Ohio State defense, that is an NFL defense. And that's why we call Ohio State having one hundred million dollars roster, because that's what it is, the best roster in college football. They're playing with confidence, they're peaking at the right time. I think we're gonna see a blowout. And I don't know how Notre Dame scores more than thirteen points unless it gets to be such a big blowout that you know he Ohio State starts playing a bunch of different guys and they get some oh by the way touchdowns, Notre Dame overachieves, and the roster they have. Look, the job Marcus Freeman has done is fantastic, but it comes to an end against Ohio State.
They're just too good.
The only thing, the only way I can see this being a game and in some way is if suddenly, hey, Ryan Day and Chip Kelly decide to get all conservative. And we've seen that before, so it's not The chance isn't zero. We've seen it against Michigan. We've seen it. We saw it for a little bit tonight where they got really conservative and try to dink and dunk their way down the field. But I can't see that happening. The caliber of team that Ohio State is, the caliber team that Texas is compared to where Notre Dame is and Penn State is. There's a reason why we had such a big question about the right teams being in the College Football Playoff this year is because so many of them we questioned how good they are. Was this a great year in college football? Was this a year we had so many great teams or was it a year where, well, you know, some team's.
Got to be right.
One through twelve. Yeah, in any given year, there are three or four teams as good as Ohio State with that talented or roster. Ohio State's that good. Maybe somebody from the SEC is that good, you know, another team, but we don't have that this year. We just don't have it. Ohio State is by far and away the most talented team, and you're gonna see it against Notre Dame. I can't see away. Yes, turnovers, injuries, all these different things, but these are all these are all variable coming into the game. Ohio State lining up against Notre Dame Ohio State in a route.
Just remember, if we add the old rules, this Ohio State team never sees the field in the playoffs.
That's why the playoff works.
That's why the playoff works because as long as you get the people forget the reason for this playoff is we want to make sure the top five or six teams get in because if there's not a lot of difference between teams four, five, and six, they all have to get in. Now you're talking about the difference between teams four or five and six and team eleven and twelve. There's a huge difference. Obviously with teams like Indiana getting it. There's a huge difference. As long as you let in the top five or six teams, those are the best teams in the country. That's who's gonna wind up playing for the national title. That's who it's gonna come down to at the end. You might get a Cinderella upset here and there, but they're not winning their way all the way to.
The national championship.
You're gonna get the teams from the top five, top six, And what do we get Notre Dame, Ohio State top five, top six.
It's what we're getting.
Nine and a half is the number as it sits out out here, just in the wee hours after curious to see how quickly Notre Dame can maybe cobble together some health on both sides of the football, see if they can get a little bit of that back. But at Julie, can you get a running game started? Riley Leonard's not gonna light you up in the passing game. Quick hitter now and again, but most of the time it's love its price, and it's Leonard with his legs that have been the tail of their offense. Oh, by the way, Geta has been nails in the playoffs.
You have to be If your name is Cheeter, you gotta be good in the playoffs.
Six you can stay during the regular season.
You can state you gotta be good in the playoffs.
Geta seven out of eight.
Geez Exit Exit out About a Fresca exit swallowed Dome. The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Carbon Coming up next, we had to Vegas.
Is there a bit of an opening for Notre Dame?
What about the playoff games coming up in the NFL this weekend? Keep it right here all the latest as you get set for a big football weekend.
Next, Jason to Mike Fox Sports Radio.
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Sports Radio The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon Live Fromthetirack dot com Studios, Ohio State twenty eight to fourteen winners over Texas. They're in the National Title Game against Notre Dame. The points spread anywhere from nine and a half to eleven.
What does Vegas think about this?
What does Vegas think about the big NFL slate coming up this weekend? Joining us now in the hotline, longtime Vegas insider, our teammate here at Fox Sports Radio. He is on Twitter at Bernie Frado. It is bernin Bernie Fratto. What's happening, Bud?
How are you gentlemen? Is it too late to say Happy New Year? It's still January tenth.
Larry David is now coming after you.
You know's yeah, so about April seventh. People give you side, but I'm thinking, you know, we're still in January. So I took a liberty.
Well, then it's happy opening Day from Major League Baseball. I mean, you get to April and that's where you're at now. You know, it's funny because we were talking, you know, Bill McCartney passed away earlier to legendary head coach of Colorado. We talked about some of the rock star teams he had and the game, the big games Colorado played in the nineties, and we talked about the Cordell Stewart Hail Mary game in nineteen ninety four that you know, that was early on in my wife and I was relationship. I remember she was just absolutely depressed. You were in the press box for that.
Game, I was, and I remember the play like yesterday at the stadium when silent ironically Michael Westbrook was from Detroit and I met Keith Jackson before the game for the first time, and I said a dumb thing. I said, mister Jackson, pleasure to meet you. I really love your voice. He said, well, we better talk funny here, but we don't think funny. He didn't like it.
So wow, he got Keith Jackson.
So well, let me tell you about a guy I want to kick out of the press box, Bernie Frott.
A right, you get rid of that game.
Going out of there.
Oh.
Now, look, we got a ten point spread going into the National Championship game. I love you could give me twenty points. I take Ohio State. You know where are you thinking? Where's Vegas thinking about this?
Well, it's nine. It's minus nine and a half in most shops. I think when you get to ten you'll draw some money, but it's early in the game. The money line is minus four to ten, which basically gives Ohio State about an eighty two percent chance of winning this game.
They've scored fifty nine points into three wins.
It's silly to get in front of a speeding train. Frankly, guys, this is a real mismatch. Now, I realized the Irish are Tuno is an underdog this year. But if you look at the reality, what's Notre Dame's path to victory. There's three things. First of all, they're gonna have to turn the buck eyes over. They've turned They forced thirty two turnovers this season. They got a plus sixteen ratio. They've turned that into one hundred and seventy points. I don't know that they're turning over the Buckeyes now tonight or earlier Friday night. Jeremiah Smith was held at one catch because he was double teamed. Notre Dame's got a good secondary Xavier Watson all American, but they're not going to be able to double team e Xavier wats or Buca and Carnel Tate will eat them up. So there's going to be a problem there. And by the way, Will Howard is completing passes at a seventy four percent clip. He's on a real heater. Notre Dame's offense is going to face a major challenge. Two of their offensive linemen are banged up. I think you're going to see Riley Leonard get hit more than Rocky ball ball. I think this game gets suddly early Notre Dame has been notoriously still starters, and it would not surprise. I'm not going to predict what happened in twenty thirteen versus Alabama, but honestly, guys, this feels.
Like a thirty one to thirteen type game.
See that will be a little at a climactic with all of this build up and all the hatred in the ding dong, the SEC is dead, Bernie, Well, have.
You noticed that the Great South has been very absent in these playoffs and the SEC has been debunked? I mean, South Carolina got punked by Illinois, right, Tennessee got hammered, Alabama got beat by Michigan's J team, and in the playoffs they've not fared so well either. It's the era of Ni Island Transfer Portal.
Guys.
You just simply don't have the depth that teams have had in the past, and I think that's showing up all.
Right, Bertie, As we move away from college football to the games tomorrow just a few hours, we got Pittsburgh and Baltimore. This we have the Chargers and the Texans. I love the Chargers in this game. I think they're playing well. The Texans are just sputtering along, and the Chargers defense has been really good, and the offense is starting to figure things out and Led mcconky's become a star.
I like the Chargers on the road in this one. What do you think?
Well, as Yogi Berrer would say, I think we have different similarities on this game. For what it's worth, guys, the wild Card weekend has become one of my favorite betting opportunities. The last seven seasons, road teams covering at sixty two percent clip and road favorites are twelve to eight.
The Chargers are a road favorite. Let's face it. CJ.
Stroud had a difficult sophomore year, some serious regression. The Texans are only one in five against playoff teams this year.
I don't know how they turn it around.
Jesse Minor the league's number one scoring defense, only allowing seventeen points a game. The Chargess will be physical, they'll run the ball, They'll establish the line of scrimmage early.
I like the Chargers in this game to win and cover.
The game of perhaps the weekend, because whoever loses, the storylines are delicious. Nine and a half points these spread Ravens favored over the steels by the way that other game. I'm watching the SpongeBob broadcast between the Chargers and texts, just to throw that out there, But forty three and a half is the total in the night game. Either Lamar can't get it done or Tomlin's done. Which narrative do you like out of this one, Bernie.
Well, I feel like Baltimore comes away with a victory. The line is in overreaction. I mean, it was a three point spread in November, Pittsburgh won, and we all remember that Baltimore just beat Pittsburgh thirty four to seventeen in Week sixteen, but that game was tied at seventeen. I think heading into the fourth quarter, I think this is a Flowers missing is big. I think Pittsburgh is physical enough to mucket up enough, but Pittsburgh's broken the last four weeks. You can see the numbers don't lie. I feel like Baltimore wins. I'm not in a hurry to lay that big of a number, so it's a stay away game for me.
Wow, staying what berdie, nine and a half is a big line.
If Lamar Jackson was playing this game by himself with nobody else, I would still take the Ravens in this How are the Steelers gonna score I don't know how they're gonna score points in this game. Russell Wilson's bad. You're gonna see justin fields play. You might see Terry Bradshaw playing this game.
You might see Cliffs Stout for for all I know.
But but here, why would you put in cliffs Out? The guy was Come on, Bertie, the guy was terrible. Why would you put him in the game.
Well, if he's available.
Look the thing, the thing.
That Pittsburgh has going is they're facing mister October and that would be Lamar Jackson. Catch me in January. This is when Lamar Jackson turns into a pumpkin. And I don't know what's gonna happen when I You can make a case for both sides.
The truth of that.
That's a big number, like Mike just said, And these teams have too much history.
There's your three. Their third matchup in about eight weeks. It is a.
Playoff game, you know, the quantum physics thing enters it. I think Baltimore feels a lot of pressure this year. They're just delaying the inevitable. They'll go in to Kansas City and lose. They wouldn't be Canty if they get that far. So in handicapping, the number one rule is you look for strength versus weakness. And I think there's enough here. There's enough in the dynamic here where that backdoor could still open. So there's better games on the board for me to bet.
Bernie one of the darlings entering the playoffs, so they had to get some help to get there. Denver bron goes eight and a half point dogs on the road at Buffalo forty eight. The total a lot of love George, Sean Payton and bow Nicks. Can they get over on Josh Allen.
Well, on paper, it looks like they could do that, but I again, I'm not looking to take the points here. Rookie quarterbacks down the road making their playoff debut don't necessarily have a great track record. I think you find a teaser partner here. If you could tease Buffalo down to Baltimore, I'm not going to be involved in this game.
Also, I will.
Say though, that if you had a gun to my head, I would actually lay the points because it's a home favorite of seven and a half points or more. Josh Allen He's actually twenty three to one in his career. So I think you're gonna see Buffalo come out fast and furious.
Denver won't know what hit him. That's a theory. Again.
I'm staying away from this game, but if I had a gun to my head, I would I'd lay the points before I take them.
All right, So we found a way to ask you about all the games that you were shying away from.
What are the games you like? What's a couple of games you like this weekend?
I like Minnesota.
Oh, I like the Chargers, and I honestly like Minnesota. I know that it was about a month ago Buffalo strolled into Los Angeles and they kind of slept walk and they lost forty four to forty two, and all of suddody, all of a sudden, people were gaga about how dangerous the Rams are. Since then, the Rams in the preceding three weeks they scored a total of forty four points. Somehow, they won all the games and made some good players or young defensive players. Cooper Cup is not the same coming off an ankle injury. They'll try to put a Puka nakua in a box. But the big thing is I think this is a fade on Sam Donald. Everybody saw what happened Sunday night. The reason Sam Donald missed on so many throws that he did is because he was pressured tremendously and didn't allow the players to form, and maybe he was seeing ghosts. The Rams cannot send that kind of all out pressure, and I think Donald bounces back. I like the Vikings better on both sides of the ball. I think they win and cover.
How about the fifty total that's been put on Tampa and Washington A couple of high octate offenses. Which defense gets the stop?
Probably Tampa Bay.
You've got another situation where you've got a rookie quarterback coming in. I like Tampa Bay a lot in this game. Okay, the one thing about the Commander's defense is they have the second highest rate of allowing explosive plays in the National Football League. Baker Mayfield has had a sensational year with a Liam Cohen forty one touchdowns, and he extends plays. And the truth of the matter is Washington they've been outstanding, but they've overachieved all right. A lot of these games are rematches, by the way, guys, and this is also a rematch Baker Mayfield through four touchdowns. They beat the Commanders thirty seven to twenty, and the game really wasn't anywhere near that close. The Commander's got a couple of scores late first playoff game on the road, rookie quarterback. I think this Tampa Bay team is a lot better than people realize. I like Tampa Bay and I've already laid three.
He's on Twitter at Bernie Fraddle, that is, at Bernie Frattle ar Man in Vegas.
Check him out.
Everything you need right there on Twitter forum at Bernie Frattle. Buddy, I appreciate you spending some time with us here on the show man.
Have a great weekend.
Thanks for having me in. Happy New Year talk?
Do you soon? Bernie be good?
Now in April seventh, we have to have him on again so we can win this happy I'm gonna put it in right now. Write that down so you can come on and if he doesn't say Happy New Year, then we we gotta.
Tell hey, dude, you said the Happy New Year all.
Way up until I'm literally it's a Monday night. Okay.
That's that's scary that you know that?
Well, no, no, no, I mean you know that.
It's she knows she goes like every day where it was. She has like that thing in her memory which she knows like what every day was.
Yeah, no, I don't have that. I I had a calendar at my ready. Okay, so I'm gonna do that because that'll also be I think national title night for college buckets.
Right. Uh probably, Yeah, you're probably right about that. So there you go.
All right, you knew that big guy. Uh, now a guy who also knows everything. I know this because he knows everything.
He's a wizard.
It's Steve de Sager. He's got what's trending right now in the wide world of sports.
Says the happy to report from the nudes Test that nobody knows everything.
But the amazing thing is news desk.
Right.
I thought I thought he said big, the big nudes desk. Yeah, let go.
I saw that interview with Mary Lou Henter once with Bob con She didn't just.
Know that she knew what she was doing on every day in the past.
Yeah, I mean that's inside. I mean to have a memory like that is insane.
Wow, almost a curse.
Would you want I was gonna say, would you want that name?
No?
I wouldn't know.
Hey, remember you said this thing, Yes, it was January fourteenth. Well he would not forty two in the evening.
He wouldn't need a computer if you were Mary Lewna. No, I know, I don't need that. I could find that.
Well, she goes back far enough pre computer, So I guess it came into Andy Beck. Then college football Playoffs semi final Ian Rlington Tonight went to Ohio State over Texas twenty eight to fourteen. The Buckeyes with about two minutes left with a touchdown on an eighty three yard fumble return. Georgia transfer quarterback Carson Beck Comitican committed to the Miami Hurricanes. Former Colorado coach Bill McCartney passed away at the age of eighty four. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts clear concussion protocol, so he'll start Sunday. That's on Fox TV the playoff against the Packers. Bay quarterback Jordan Love is off the injury report after last weekend's bad elbow. The Dolphins fired special teams coordinator Danny Crossman and wide receivers assistant Wes Welker. The Browns are one of the teams that will play in London next season.
Dolphins just don't want to hold on to Wes Welker no matter what the situation is.
Player doesn't matter.
We don't want to turn guy again. We don't want what Let's give Wes. Welcome to the Patriots. Now he's going to go to the Patriots, be a great coach or.
Happ or be the Raiders head coach. That's the way.
Thanks, Yeah, there is that.
Yeah, anyway, in London next year, Browns will have a game Jacksonville again. Jets, of course, that's kind of their home territory now. Brown's quarterback Deshaun Watson ruptured his achilles again at another surgery yesterday. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was voted All Pro ahead of Josh Allen. NBA playoffs do start this weekend. The game tomorrow night is streaming only. Steelers who've lost four in a row at the Ravens. NBA late game tonight went to Denver over Brooklyn easily in the Holy yok at Your Triple Double, Russell Westbrook at Triple Double Chicago and Indiana with home wins. Sacramento won at Boston Dementis Sabonis twenty three points twenty eight rebounds. Oklahoma City won easily at New York thirty nine points for Shay Giljes Alexander, Milwaukee's Giannis Antennacumpo with forty one in a three point win at Orlando and New Orleans suspended Zion Williamson for the night, and then won at Philadelphia thirty eight points for c. J.
McCollum.
Is not their first win this year, Steve, It seems like their first win this year. They were actually seven and thirty one going into this.
No, no, I mean in January.
Isn't that the first oh yeah of the new year?
Maybe Okay, shouldn't everybody be fired? In Philadelphia?
Eight scept well, that kind of goes without saying YID.
College hoops Maryland sent UCLA to a third straight loss. Wisconsin won easily over Minnesota. NHL overtime wins for Montreal at LA. The Blue Jay signed reliever Jeff Hoffman from the Phillies. Clippers and Lakers home games on Saturday night have been postponed due to the LA fire.
Respec to you just to let you know, going going back for the Pelicans, who are eight and thirty one, they beat after before tonight they beat Washington and back to back games.
Who hasn't that kind.
Of counts as one total win?
Isn't it?
On January third and January fifth be Washington back to back games they beat. The last win before that was on December fifth against Phoenix. The last win before that was on Friday, November fifteenth. So from November fifteenth until the first of this year they won two games.
Wow, and you mentioned Washington with them getting slaughtered at Chicago tonight, the Wizards are six and thirty, so even worse.
Yeah than New Orleans.
No, that's not good. Yeah, you play. You want to play a game called fine the Wins, You can be on that for a long time.
You can play a game with Brooklyn getting killed tonight. Yeah, it's trying to player. You can't player.
Hey, sugar, Ray Richardson had a big night tonight. All right, just stop. Thank you.
Steve Tod McCullough, Todd McCulloch on Brooklyn Todd, I'm sure it's sell.
He had to play a bee. I had to play there. Bring King van Horn, you know that story.
That story comes back like every few years, And hey, Keith van Horn's contract is something that can be traded, Uh to make a deal like every five years, that story.
Coming to Bobby of the NBA.
Yeah, exactly, just really quick, let's see, uh, Todd McCullough. Yes, next two thousand and one, two thousand and two. Congratulations Steve.
In the finals against the Lakers, he got schooled by Shack.
Well a lot of people did, but yes he did.
You're actually Todd McCulloch the year before got schooled Diy Shack with Philadelphia.
Yeah, yeah, yeh yeah. Then he was done. Then he went back to Philadelphia, he was done playing in the NBA. Finished, I'm finished. Now I'm done. Uh, Steve to say, you're always bringing it. Thanks buddy, you have a great night.
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Carbon Coming up next, we break down the two biggest plays of the semi final tonight between Ohio State and Texas, And I gotta tell you one player gonna say, oh I know the other one is going to be a surprise. That's next, Jason to Mike. Fox Sports Radio.
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.
Fox Sports Radio The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon show me live from the tire rack dot Com Studios. Ohio State the twenty eight to fourteen win over Texas. They are into the national title game against Notre Dame. I'd take Ohio State by twenty if I could.
You can line I think.
So Bert Bernie frattotold us I get that line a few minutes ago. But look, the two biggest plays from this game, well, let's do this to finish. One is one you're absolutely aware of. One you might not be. The tossplay on the big the penultimate possession of the game by Texas where they had first and goal at Ohio State's won and on second in goal for the one, they ran a toss play that lost eight yards. This is a huge play because that set into motion. Then third and goal from the eight Texas had no momentum and incomplete pass, and then fourth down viewers get stripsacked. Sawyer runs it back for a touchdown. The game is over like this is one play. Texas needs one yard and they decide to run a toss play and Wistner gets the football at the nine yard line. And that's what I don't understand. They lined up three wide receivers to the short side of the field where they're gonna run the ball, So now Ohio State's able to overload that side. So now, if you're Texas, you need every wide receiver to throw a great block, right, I mean, and that's not gonna happen because Ohio State has so much room to operate. Because you're giving the ball to Wisner on a toss play from the shotgun.
And he gets it at the nine.
You're snapping the all from the one, and you give it to a running back at the nine to run wide against the best most athletic defense in college football. And Caleb Downs, who's an NFL dude, like he's an NFL dude of NFL dudes, gets in, gets the big hit that starts to play, it gets broken up, and then everything goes south from Texas from there. I know it's Monday morning, quarterback, but that play call was just absolutely terrible.
I don't know what on what world. Hey, we're on the one yard line and let's give it to a guy at the nine. Works out. I don't understand that play call at all.
I gotta go back into the Texas schedule, who they play in the non conference earlier in the season might have worked on them. Guess what, rest of these guys have some pretty damn good athletes. I know that didn't work in practice. I know that did not work against the Texas defenses.
And if it did work, if it did work, then your defense is terrible.
Then there's a whole other thing about your red zone, goal line setup that's got a whole lot of stuff like this was an opportunity, you know, as much as I bemoan its existence in the pros watching Caleb Williams, you know that little scramble out the back door thing, that reverse role thing that he loves to do at USC That would work because he can outrun guys. But now he just runs smack dab into a linebacker, safety or defensive lineman who's come up to the line of scriptage. Yeah, that might have worked if you had Arch Manning or Quinn Eewers do that, because it was overloaded to the other side. Instead, it's a no go, and you put yourself in the horrid situation whereby Sawyer now becomes a hero. I'm seeing in my timeline, you know, because of all the memorabilia trading card stuff I do boint, people are getting a premium for those Sawyer autograph cards right now now.
The other play of the game is one you might not be aware of, but again, much like how that play set up the rest of that possession the rest of the game. When Ohio State is tied with Texas at fourteen a piece, their possession to take the lead was helped by a Will Howard fourth down scramble.
On fourth and two from the Texas thirty four.
Ohio State goes for it and Howard gets the quarterback draw a huge hole opens, He runs for eighteen yards down to the sixteen yard line, and a couple of plays later, Ohio States in the end zone with a twenty one to fourteen lead. The biggest play of the game, it's third and nine from the Texas forty one right and Howard hits Scott on a little pass at the line of scrimmage. At this point, Ohio State's just trying to get a couple of yards to get something positive and Scott could get tackled at the line of scrimmage. He breaks a tackle at the line. He breaks a tackled about a yard and a half past the line of scrimmage and then squirts forward and gets knocked out of bounds finally after seven yards. And this play is so unbelievably huge because if he gets tackled at the line of scrimmage, it's fourth to nine from the forty one FIO state.
A isn't going for a first down on this play. They're not going for it. B.
Maybe they try a field goal, but boy, fifty nine yards from here. I know we're indoors, but wow, we give the ball to them back at the forty five yard line, forty seven yard line, I don't know, but worst case scenarios, they're trying a fifty nine yard field goal instead because Scott's able to scoot forward for those extra five or six yards. Suddenly, wait a minute, fourth and a long two from the thirty four yard line of Texas. That changes everything. Oh, we'll go for it here. We feel pretty good about fourth and two, fourth and three, and they had a great play signed up, and if we give the ball to them, we're giving the ball to them at the thirty four yard line, not at midfield. So yeah, let's go for it. And they go for it. They get the first down, they go back and get in the end zone. That play was huge because that changed the strategy of Ohio State immensely, and it changed the rest of the game because Ohio State's able to get in the end zone from there where the result would have been if you could tackle him, which you had him at the line of scrimmage, yard pass the line of scrimmage. If you're able to do that, it's different. You're getting the ball back when it's a tie game or they miss a field goal, or at worst you're down by three points.
Clear, you get the time out, and immediately thereafter it becomes the overload. And then Howard just finds a lane and all of a sudden we're rumbling stumbling for eighteen yards and boom, you got the big play. But yeah, all of it, you know, just back to back nights we had that Jeremiah Love a touchdown run that'll live on forever. So some great, big moments setting up what is for branding purposes, about as good as you can get for a National title game.
Exit out about a Fresca exit swollen down The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon our Best of podcast goes up in about ten minutes. Wherever you get your podcast from, it'll be there. Just search Jason Smith and Mike Harmon download rate, give us five stars. We'll love you forever and ever and ever for Mike, Im Jason. You are listening, of course, to the Mighty Fox Sports Radio