Bald Guys On The Bench
Bald Guys On The Bench
Holiday Hangovers And Football Chaos
Recorded December 2nd, 2025
Holiday cheer gave way to gridiron chaos, and we dove headfirst into the mayhem. From Thanksgiving upsets that rewired NFL momentum to a college football carousel spinning at portal speed, we unpack what’s real, what’s hype, and what’s broken. We start with the shockers: the Packers’ fourth-down swagger, the Bears bulldozing the Eagles on the ground, and the Cowboys playing with a new edge under Brian Schottenheimer. Then we zoom out—are there any true juggernauts, or is parity finally the rule?
Pittsburgh takes center stage as we confront the difference between leadership and adaptability. Bills repeatedly hit the same run concept and the Steelers never forced a change. That’s not just a talent gap; it’s a coaching and identity problem. We talk Tomlin’s future, why scheme has to evolve, and which candidates could actually reset the culture—yes, we weigh Brian Flores versus Kliff Kingsbury—and why a youth movement at quarterback might be the most honest path forward.
College football is even louder. Lane Kiffin bolts to LSU on early signing week, and the portal’s timing turns strategy into a sprint. We break down how NIL reshapes recruiting, why early heavyweight schedules may be a dying art, and whether Michigan’s staff is capping a gifted freshman by avoiding a real passing menu. Penn State’s recruiting slippage, Texas claim-staking, and a Duke–UVA title-game quirk all feed the bigger question: can tradition survive when money and mobility call the plays?
We close with the Chargers’ defense finally matching their offense’s urgency, Justin Herbert’s left-hand update, and a prime-time test against the Eagles that could swing playoff seeding. Along the way, we trade bold picks, own our shot bets, and share a surprise Santonio Holmes FaceTime that made our day. If you love smart football talk with zero fluff, pull up a seat on the bench.
Enjoyed the ride? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and drop a review with your spiciest playoff prediction—we’ll read our favorites on air.
#baldguysonthebench #graboneandcrackone #thanksgiving #nfl #collegefootball #lanekiffin #olemiss #lsu #steelers #lachargers #miketomlin #pennstate
Welcome to another episode of the Bald Guys on the Bench Podcast with your hosts Graham Cohen and Scott Wasco.
Scott:What's up everyone, and welcome to a December episode of the Bald Guys on the Bench. I'm here with my boy Graham. Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror. You know, fantasy football regular season is also about to be in the rear view mirror for me, because my team sucks. Uh, but whatever. Uh Graham, what's going on over there in Vegas? Uh, let me tell you. Oh, he made it! What a shot. Duke takes the lead by one. Let's go. Come on, Gators. Get that chomp going. Chomp, chomp, chomp.
Graham:You're from the area. Root for Duke, baby. Come on, do the right thing.
Scott:Bring that Tim Tebow love back to the Gators. Oh, he turns it over. Oh, ball game. Oh, wow. Let's go. And remember that Tim Tebow reference in a few minutes. But anyhow, Graham, what's going on? You know what time it is. Let's go.
Graham:Hey, I'm back from Phoenix, baby. I'm ready to get started. But first, let's grab one and crack one, brother.
Scott:Let's do it. And after we grab one and crack one, um, pretty sure you owe me a shot from was it me calling the Cowboys over the Chiefs?
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:Yeah, it was. That's right. So this is this might be two episodes in a row where you had to rip one.
Graham:Yeah, whatever.
Scott:It's all for the cause.
Graham:I mean, I also thought we did one for the Michigan Ohio State.
Scott:No, we definitely did not.
Graham:That's alright. Back out like a little baby bag.
Scott:Oh, whatever. Whatever. I mean, take that shot. What are we drinking tonight?
Graham:Uh good old Bourbillon from Empire, Redwood Empire. Delicious.
Scott:Oh, that went off his foot. No, it didn't. So, you know, like I said, Thanksgiving's in the rearview mirror. You just got back to Vegas last night. Papa Cohen forgot something that he was supposed to take with him, and that's why we're getting to do the episode tonight in Vegas and not in America's finest city.
Graham:So look, excited to be back from Phoenix. Had a great weekend. Uh more of an extended stay. Went there to do a uh Friendsgiving. Uh, also uh met up with uh my mom's cousin and her family, did brunch. It was a nice uh just little relaxation, get out of Vegas and you know, see some old friends. Um at the Friendsgiving, we saw people that we haven't seen in almost 30 years. You know, it was my parents' best friends from when we lived there back in the day. And folks, we moved away from Phoenix in 1993. So do the math. It's a few years. So it was odd seeing were you still shitting your pants in 1993? No, I was 10. All right.
Scott:Okay. Well, I don't know. I wouldn't go to pass you. Sorry. Just had to throw that out there.
Graham:Yeah, of course you did. Um, but you know, it was just you know, it was weird for everyone. It's just like, you know, we got to the house and like we I opened up the gate, and the the hosts, they both looked at us like, who that? And I'll we're just like, hey, how's it going? And they're just like st as this blank, not blank stare, but they're just like processing like who is this? Who is this? And I'm like, hi, we're Graham and Tatum Cohen. Like, oh my god, you know, we haven't seen it.
Scott:So here's the question. Here's the question. As you introduced yourself, did you fart like you did when you met Steph?
Graham:No, I held my flash.
Scott:Hi, my name is Graham. Nice to meet you. That wasn't in the notes, but you brought it upon yourself.
Graham:So it was great. So there were three different families there with all you know, with all their kids, and it was just you know, meeting the kids and seeing people we grew up with and having a good time. The food was good, the alcohol was good. Your boy had way too much fun that night. Don't need to go too heavy into it, but uh, let's just say sheesh.
Scott:I'm just gonna cut you off right there and just say Thanksgiving was cool, went to the in-laws, had some turkey, but the highlight of my Thanksgiving was talking to you. Wow. Wow. I mean, we're not getting into it, but I'm just gonna say I've known Graham since before I had kids, and Ava was born in 2008. I've what 2006-ish? I mean, I don't know. Almost 20 years. That was maybe a top three. I'm gonna I'm gonna say two. Yeah. Top two moment of you over-serving yourself in the history of our friendship. Yeah. Wow. It was that is the point where he was texting me at three o'clock in the morning calling me a bitch. Like, I what did I do? I didn't do shit. I mean, I was like, God dang, okay. I remember my first time getting drunk with some friends and family. But whatever. Hey, you had fun, it's holidays. What else are we supposed to do? Eat, drink, and be merry, you know, or is that Christmas?
Graham:Uh, I'll say this. That next day was rough. Yeah. Rough. And not because of how I felt, but just the overall disgust. Oh, whatever. Not disgust, but the so you really had to tie one up last night, huh? And I was just like, I I don't know. It just it You know, sometimes it just happens. What had happened happened. So it is what it is.
Scott:Sometimes it just happens, ma'am. But you know what else happened, dude? Uh those games on Thanksgiving Day, those NFL games where all the underdogs won. Wow. Packers go for it three times on fourth down. St. Brown gets hurt, what, in the first quarter? Gee, many crickets.
Graham:Yep. Yeah.
Scott:Jordan Love comes out and looks like what Jordan Love was supposed to look like three years ago. Four tutties.
Graham:Yeah, but that game was still somewhat within reach. And mind you, Detroit with the banked up O-line, not having their best player. I mean, hold on.
Scott:Before hey, if you're trying to make excuses about injuries, you ain't getting no sympathy from this guy. I I don't give two shits. You know, don't care.
Graham:I'm not making excuses. It's part of the game. What I'm saying is, you would have thought that with how the game went and St. Brown going down in the first, that the Packers, who what we said after what, three weeks? You know, of this. After two. Yeah, it was like, hey, uh, let's put a couple of ducats on uh them doing the Super Bowl, and then the rest of the season happened, and now you're just like, alright, they you know, they showed up. Look, Micah Parsons was amazing in that game. I I mean he literally destroyed the whole the whole time. Like him on the Packers is just a perfect fit, and you know, they were still able to do things, it's just golf didn't look great. The weather wasn't that, you know. Wait, weather, what do I mean? It was indoors, guys. I'm thinking in my mind, I'm thinking of the previous game. It was indoors, it but still I I don't know.
Scott:Any given Sunday, yeah. And what we're starting to see here is is there a dominant team?
Graham:Nothing is predictable.
Scott:Last week we crowned the Rams as the best team in football, and then the Panthers. Am I gonna be good this week or am I gonna lay an egg this week? Decide we're gonna play good. Uh I mean, good for them, dude. I mean, good for the Panthers. It's awesome. But I mean, the next game, Cowboys, dude. I mean, like we said, I called it. I'm not trying to pat myself on the back, but you can see that the Cowboys are a different team, dude. Schottenheimer, everybody wanted to rip them about hiring this dude. Dude, he's got this team playing like a team.
Graham:Well, I mean, the pieces that they made at the tread deadline, picking up Quentin Williams, yeah, helping stop the run. I mean, that was one of their biggest problems, not stopping the run. I don't disagree. I mean, the offense wasn't the issue.
Scott:But dude, they are just gelling. I mean, it's like, wow, good for them. And now they got the Lions this coming Thursday. Where's that game? Is that in Detroit? I believe so. I think you're right. Yeah, I think it is. Yeah.
Graham:That's um, I don't want to take either side of that. I mean, is it not almost a must-win? I mean, it's a must-win for both teams. Especially with how the division is in the NFC.
Scott:Both, right? Both teams. I mean, then you throw out the the late game. Burroughs return. Yeah. My guy lit it up like a god dang firework. Oh, dude. Would the Ravens turn over four times?
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:Oh man.
Graham:Now, does this not make the league much more exciting to say, hey, well, at least it's not gonna be the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. At least it's not gonna be, you know. The E I mean, the Eagles. Look what happened! They couldn't take care. Chicago? Really?
Scott:Dude, Billy said it. He was like, the Steelers ran for 200 yards against Chicago the prior week with a backup quarterback. And now Chicago is doing what? To the Eagles?
Graham:I thought that defensive line was supposed to be like, you know, a wall. What happened?
Scott:It sucks, dude, because the Eagles are coming off two straight losses and playing my Chargers on Monday night.
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:That's what sucks, but whatever. But the hex, we'll talk about that in a few minutes. Bengals Ravens, dude. Bengals, dude. The Bengals are only two games back. Yeah.
Announcer:Dwayne Pittsburgh's playing.
Scott:Dude, TP, TP Thanksgiving night. He goes, Bengals are winning that division. You watch. Look at their schedule.
Graham:If you would have said that four weeks ago, you could have got that at what? Plus 10,000?
Scott:I got it at plus 900 when TP told me. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. I was and TP is like all about it. He's not trying to hate on the Steelers, not trying to hate on anything. But he's like, dude, all of a sudden Joe Burrow comes back, and now the Bengals have a defense.
Graham:I mean, make it make sense. Literally all I can say. Make it make sense. Speaking of make it make yeah, make it make oh Jesus. Make it make sense. How can you on paper have stud players spend this much money on them, and then you're just complete trash?
Scott:Who are we talking about?
Graham:Pittsburgh.
Scott:Stud players? You mean uh quarterback that turned 42 today?
Graham:Uh I was referring to defense.
Scott:Okay.
Graham:Oh, TJ Watts not a stud player?
Scott:Yeah, he is, but how did he do against a backup offensive lineman?
Graham:That's my point. I'm just saying scheme, coaching. It all matters. You can have the pieces.
Scott:Dude, it a hundred percent matters. We're seeing firsthand what coaching and scheme is in New England right now. You draft a couple offensive linemen, you add a new coach, and what? Well, I'm sorry. The one seed in the AFC.
Graham:Well, they also did spend like 300 million in the offseason, so I mean they did get players. I'm just saying.
Scott:Yeah. Of course. It's part of the game. But look at the coach. What was the dude's name that coached from last year?
Graham:Gerard Mayo.
Scott:Yeah. You think he'd have that record right now if he was the head coach?
Graham:Uh well, he doesn't have the players that he had. Yeah. I'm not saying that they'd be in the same position. I'm just saying I get your point. I get it. I'm just saying, like, look. Especially when it comes to Pittsburgh.
Scott:Dude, a couple things about your game that and we're skipping all around right now, but I don't care. Yeah. And I send it to you. The home team was booing renegade?
Graham:It's time.
Scott:The home team was chanting fire Tomlin.
Graham:It's time.
Scott:I mean, I expect that kind of shit from Eagles fans. You know.
Graham:Oh, you mean like lose and then find out your offensive coordinator's house and egg and egg it?
Scott:I'm just saying, yeah. The Eagles first possession of the game, they go three and out, and they're already already booing. It's like, okay. But I don't know. Um, dude, let's just get into it real quick. Some college football shit. The Nuts beat the shit out of Michigan on Saturday. Wasn't even close. I mean, it was, I mean, Michigan went right down the field, kicked three. Ohio State's first first possession through it through an interception. And I'm looking at Ava's boyfriend Andrew at work, and I'm like, if Michigan don't score a touchdown right now, we're done. Obviously, we didn't. We kicked three field goals the whole entire game. This generational talent, Underwood, that is getting paid God knows what at Michigan. He only threw the ball 18 times in the entire game. Michigan kept doing the same play over and over and over. And I don't know if I told you this, but I was talking to Buckeye. The best thing I heard, you know, I'll give credit where credit's due. Ohio State defender was like, our game plan was make Underwood be a quarterback, not be a running back. And they shut down the run and they shut down the game. Uh, you know, give them credit. It is what it is. And like Buckeye always says, even when, you know, Ohio State was on that long winning streak against Michigan, he goes, dude, Michigan needs to win to continue the, you know, it's obviously the greatest rivalry in college football. A rivalry has teams on both sides winning. And it was Ohio State's time, you know. Did the better team win? Yes. Did the better team win last year? No. And that was because Ryan Day was a complete moron, like Moore was this year. He stopped throwing the ball last year and just tried to run it. I mean, it is what it is. But something that popped up that I had to bring up about this game, and it really makes you scratch your head. If Michigan was in the head coaching carousel right now, they'd be the number one job open. If Sharone Moore was a free agent coach right now, he wouldn't get a power five head coaching job. The most passes he threw in a game all year, I think, was 32, is what Buckeye and I looked at. He only threw the ball five times in the first half.
Graham:Now, my only question to that would be you have, I mean, he is a legit true freshman. Yeah. He's 18 years old. Right? And I'm not saying that as a knock. Yeah. I'm just saying, I'm just saying, like, if you're gonna be the guy, there's expectations. How much of that is the coaching staff that doesn't I mean, are they not trusting him as a thrower? Are they is it's that's what I think.
Scott:That's what I think. I mean, they're just they've held him back all year. So as far as his passing. Which I get, he's a freshman.
Graham:So during the offseason, if there's not significant momentum in better passing, is like I guess the real question is, how long does he stay at Michigan?
Scott:Well, funny you say that. Talking to my dad tonight and already seeing rumor mill because Lane Giffen going to LSU. Don't forget, Underwood originally committed to LSU and thought that Brian Kelly was gonna get fired after last year, went to his hometown team in Michigan. Am I saying he's gonna leave? Not with the money he's getting.
Graham:What?
Scott:But rumors out LSU won't be. Rumors out there saying he could go to LSU. Whatever. It is what it is.
Graham:Uh this day and age is different. I just saw on the phone earlier the number one quarterback prospect was committed to Georgia and has decided, you know what? I'm gonna go to Vanderbilt instead. What? Love it. Wait, hold on. Love it. What? If you would have said that ten years ago, you would have thought we were smoking crack.
Scott:Love it. Love it.
Graham:Show me the money.
Scott:And dude, Texas beats A and M. Jeez. Throws the whole playoff scenario to the wolves. You know, and Texas is claiming they should be in, they should be in, oh, you know, week one, we played Ohio State, where everybody else is playing, you know, you know, shit teams. Well, guess what? I'm pretty sure didn't Texas oh, I don't want to say this because grammar police, aka fact checker will probably blow me up. Texas has three losses. Okay. I mean, Kirk Herbstreet said it today. He goes, I'm afraid of what's going to start happening now. All these schools are going to go back to playing shit teams at the beginning. And for an example, Alabama. Guess who Alabama's playing week one next year at home? Your boys' squad, East Carolina. And paying them $2.5 million to come down there and get that ass to belt. Or belt to ass, whatever you want to call it. Dude. I get it, dude. I get it. But I don't know. And then the rankings come out tonight, and I don't know what to even say, dude. Yeah.
Graham:So what happens if Alabama loses in the SEC championship and they're a three-loss team? I mean, at least they made it to their conference championship. They're getting Texas. They're getting. Well, that's my point. There's still going to be a three-loss team that gets in versus Texas, who's a three-loss team that's not getting in. Yeah. I mean, look at I don't know.
Scott:AM. Just the fact that Texas beat AM, that's one of the most quality wins of the year, right? AM was number three when Texas beat him.
Graham:And they lost to the number one team in the league. It's crazy. What do you say? Um, so here's my pocket. Put some money into it, and maybe we'll let your team get in the playoffs. That's exactly what I say. It's all corrupt. It's all corrupt. There's no It's not like in professional leagues where there's a set way of how things are done. Right?
Scott:Notre Dame didn't move up this week.
Graham:Should they have?
Scott:I don't know. Maybe join a conference and be a real school and we'll talk about it.
Graham:You know how I feel about Notre Dame. I feel the exact same. Exactly the same.
Scott:When they bitched out on the contract with Michigan, because remember, they used to do every year. It was either week one, I think it was week two. Week two, it was either at Michigan or at Notre Dame. And they bitched out on that ever since then.
Graham:Do they still play USC?
Scott:Yes. Right? Yes. Yeah. Almost positive. But I don't know, man. SMU loses to Cal, I think. And UVA beats Virginia Tech. And because of tiebreakers, okay, UVA is playing Duke in the ACC Championship. Who? Yeah. Miami, dude. Miami loses out on a tie, the sixth tiebreaker between all these schools. And they're talking about Miami getting in the goddamn playoffs. I it's so bizarre. I don't even know.
Graham:It took how many years for the NCAA to finally allow a playoff system? They started with the four teams. Now they're finally at 12. I'm not. Look, you know I've been saying this for a while now since we started the podcast and even prior to before. There needs to be a playoff system. They need to have more teams.
Scott:People they're 12 and 1. Yeah, they're not a big school, but guess what? They're dominating.
Graham:What would hurt them going from 12 to 16 or to 24? I'm not saying do March Madness. Like I'm not saying do March Madness and have 64 teams. I'm not saying all that. Just because of the time that it would take to do it. I'm not saying all that, but there's too many games where it's just like it's gonna come down to this. I really feel like we could get it to, I mean, at max, 24 teams, 12 and 12, you know, have two sides of a bracket, and then go from there, and then start the playoffs in the first week of December or right after conference championships. Like what what what would be wrong with that? I absolutely nothing. And we would take out all this bullshit drama, or is that really what it comes down to? I mean, let's be real.
Scott:That's what news no matter what, there's gonna be somebody on the outside looking in. I mean, look at the basketball.
Graham:There's always somebody, oh no, no, I disagree. Because if you're bitching about, oh, we're the 25th team, or you know, we're ranked 25, we should have been there 24th. I'd been like, bro, you remember 10 years ago when it was only the top two? Yeah. Shut the bleep up. You had no chance. It's like there's not the bowl games anymore.
Scott:Like Well, there are the bowl games.
Graham:I mean, there are, but there isn't. You know what I mean? Like the amount of people that care about watching these. I mean, the only people that are watching the bullshit games are the people that are just alumni or people that go to the schools of the teams that are in it. Like, of course, because they get paid and they get recruits from that. Like, I get that, I get that. But I'm just saying, like, there's certain it happens every year. I know it, every team will, you know, there are certain teams that'll feel like they got snubbed, but it gets to a point where it's just like you gotta draw the line in the sand where you have to say, are we getting in all of the real all the good teams? Or are we leaving some teams out? And you can't have conference championships come down to a sixth tiebreaker.
Scott:It's wild.
Graham:Who's watching that game? Duke and who'd you say it was?
Scott:UVA.
Graham:Yeah, who's watching that?
Scott:Me.
Graham:Who else?
Scott:Like uh every other person in the Middle Atlantic?
Graham:Let me ask you a question. Has Duke ever won the ACC in football? Have they even played the ACC championship in football?
Scott:I'm not even gonna look it up, but I'm gonna probably say yes to both of your questions.
Graham:I'm gonna say hell no.
Scott:Like I'm gonna say yes.
Graham:No chance. If this is basketball, hey, okay.
Scott:Yeah, that's a different story. But yeah.
Graham:Football, no chance.
Scott:Uh I mean, then you wake up on Sunday and we've had to listen to this bullshit for two weeks about Lane Kiffin and you know him leaving Ole Miss to go to LSU, and then finally it happens. And dude, it it's I'm not mad that the guy left. Okay, he went through a better job, obviously. It's just the way it happened, dude.
Graham:Why did he have to go so soon? Was it because of the recruiting, as you were saying? Yes, for next week.
Scott:Because the because sign-in day is tomorrow.
Graham:Oh, all right, yeah.
Scott:And the thing that sucks to me is and this is on the NCAA, and this is on college football. Everybody that's in charge of college football, the Transforward Portal starts when ASAP. Don't let that start until April. Sign in days tomorrow. You got dudes, you got teams out there that have qualified for bowl games for the playoffs. Now you got a head coach. Okay, that's team is in the college football playoffs, and he's not even coaching them. The crazy thing is LSU and his contract and their contract with Lane Kiffin. If Ole Miss wins a playoff game, he's getting all the incentives that Ole Miss was gonna give him. LSU's paying him. Like, I'm sorry, what? And then he asks Ole Miss, I want to coach the team in the playoffs. And Ole Miss, like a smart person, are like, kick rocks, get the fuck out of here. For the next two, three weeks, month, you're gonna be poaching our players to transfer and our coaches. No, get the hell out of here. First and then Lane, and Lane Kiffin says to his coaching staff, uh, if you don't get on that plane with me, I'm not hiring you. Only one person got on the plane with him, and that was his offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr.
Graham:I mean, that's all he really needs.
Scott:I mean, dude, it's just like their best record ever, Ole Miss. See, you could have been you could have been the man in Ole Miss. Your legacy, dude, lives on, and now you become a bitch just like you were when you left Tennessee.
Announcer:Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Scott:No, no, just like you did. Every time he's left somewhere, it's been drama. Okay, he left Tennessee after a year. Every person in Knoxville would have killed that man. Everywhere goes to USC, goes to the Raiders, then becomes peak or Saban's offensive coordinator with Bama. Then he goes to Ole Miss and builds something and builds something special. And then just says, Yeah, peace out, I'm out.
Graham:Alright, let me ask you a question. Would you rather be Jim Beheim or Shushevsky?
Scott:I'd rather be the coach.
Graham:Or not Shushevsky. Um Bill Self.
Scott:Jim Bayheim or Bill Self? Like, how is that even a question?
Graham:Jim Bayheim basically built Syracuse. He's a legend. He won a championship. Yeah. Bill Self bounced around. Granted, he's been with Kansas for at least 15 years now.
Scott:He replaced Roy.
Graham:Yeah. Like, my point. The point is this. It all depends on the individual. Do you want to be a legend of a small school and run that individual? You're calling old miss a small school? What what? Yeah, I I am. I'm just saying comparatively to the other prime programs in the SM.
Scott:How many quarterbacks, and I'm not, I don't even know. I'm about to look this up. How many quarterbacks from Ole Miss have won Super Bowls versus quarterbacks versus LSU?
Graham:Don't ask a question you don't have the answer to.
Scott:I mean, I know two right off the top of my head. And that two is one person, Eli.
Graham:Yeah, there's also a guy from Delaware that's won the Super Bowl, too. You want to annoy him? What's your point?
Scott:I'm just like, Well, Miss is not a small school.
Graham:It's not, but it's like, okay. What about let's just think of the Big Ten. So, okay, so what if he built up Northwestern?
Scott:Go be a legend. The same reason Signetti's not leaving for Indiana.
Graham:I no, yeah, but that's a completely different situation.
Scott:Oh, why is that, Graham? Why is that different?
Graham:Because Indiana statistically is the worst NFL NFL. Is the worst college football program of all time? This dude comes in and turns it around. That's another story. This was a guy that has risen up the ranks. Lane Kiffin is a known commodity. He's a son of Oh yeah. What's he done? What's he done? He wins. What's he done? Oh yeah? What's he won? What's he won? What's he won? Look, the c he's won things.
Scott:Oh yeah. What? Regular season games? He's won a national championship as an offensive coordinator under the greatest college football coach of all times.
Graham:Yeah, well, before four years ago, when only two teams had a chance, and if you weren't the one or two seed, I mean, like, let's be real.
Scott:I mean, but I'm still waiting. What's he won?
Graham:He has not won the dance.
Scott:So why is he getting paid like this? Because why is all the hype on this guy? I don't get it. I do not, I do not get it. If I'm LSU, I'm going to Indiana and I'm giving Signetti a check and saying, you write down what you want, bro.
Graham:If you can do it at Indiana, you can do it in Baton Rouge. He brought players, and Indiana schedule wasn't that difficult, by the way. Whatever. Whatever. By the way, the fact that they're playing Ohio State and the Big Ten Championships, that makes no significant like the game doesn't need to happen. They're both it's worthless. It's it's a worthless game. I I I get what you're saying.
Scott:I'm just saying why Dude, Brian Kelly left Notre Dame to to go to LSU.
Graham:He regrets it.
Scott:You know what the best thing on the planet that could happen would be.
Announcer:I'm afraid to ask, but go ahead.
Scott:Ring ring ring ring ring. Hey Brian Kelly. This is John Smith, the athletic director at Ole Miss. You want to come in for an interview? You're laughing because that that would be the best thing ever. How good would that be?
Graham:Alright, let me ask the question. If Lane Kiffins wins a national championship in two years, what's the conversation? Well, he's not.
Scott:What if? What if what if my aunt has balls? Yeah. She'd be able to get it.
Graham:What if Indiana all of a sudden decides to pull it their head out of their ass and become undefeated 11 and 0 right now? They already have. They have a career record under five hundred.
Scott:We already saw the greatest coach in college football go to LSU and bounce. Didn't we?
Graham:Yeah, for the NFL. Didn't we? For the NFL.
Scott:And then went and then did what?
Graham:Yeah. And when he was asked about it like a year ago, he said, I made a mistake. Yeah. He said he wished he would have stayed.
Scott:Shut the front door.
Graham:You are on the show.
Scott:I don't know. I told you before the episode we we could do a whole entire hour on this nonsense. Um, I I don't know, dude. It is what it is. I mean, I'm not wishing bad things against Lane Kiffin. I just don't understand the hype, dude. I don't understand the hype. That's my thing. I don't get it. I mean, am I calling him a bad coach? No, definitely not. But I don't know. I just think the whole situation sh could and should have been handled differently.
Graham:Well, look, you can throw rocks at the glass house on both sides. What the university, like, they're basically the girl that's like, they she got scorned. Oh, you're not gonna choose me, so we're gonna screw you. Like, I get that. And then on his side, he's like, look, for all the moving that he's done between different universities, you can tell it's the next the next man up, the next situation. I mean, unless you know he wants to turn into the next Brian Kelly.
Scott:No.
Graham:Nick Saban at LSU. What if he's only there for five years and then decides to go to the NFL? It's all about what he wants to do. Maybe you know what I mean? It's just like there's some coaches that want to stay there.
Scott:I'm not arguing with you. I'm just arguing with the way it went down.
Graham:No, I agree with you. All right, let me ask you this and we'll end it on.
Scott:Like this this whole thing could have been organized three weeks ago way better than this. Go to your AD, talk, communicate. This is what I'm thinking about doing. Yeah, have an exit strategy.
Graham:Yeah, well, he was also waiting to see if Alabama lost, did make the playoffs, and then maybe that coaching situation, which we talked about last week. So he had to keep things close to the vest. That's all I'm saying.
Scott:It's still I don't know. I I don't know. There's no right, there's no wrong.
Graham:I just does he does he not make the move if this was pre-NIL?
Scott:If if it was pre-NIL?
Graham:Yeah. Uh and which, by the way, folks, that's also pre-NAL is almost before even the playoff system.
Scott:Yeah. I I don't know. So we're not. Because I mean, just look at the money LSU spending right now to pay Brian Kelly and now Lane Kiffin.
Graham:The boosters, they don't care about the money. I know. They're prisoners. It doesn't matter. My point in saying it is yes, you did good at one in one univers or not one university, you did well for a university that are is not a slouch, but more middle of the pack. You took them to their best record ever. Congratulations. But if you have an opportunity to go to a program that's a creme de la creme program, how do you turn it down?
Scott:I'm not saying you turn it down. I'm just saying you handle the situation a little bit different.
Graham:I mean, how about your boy Coach? He's done the best for Tennessee Tech. Is he sticking around?
Scott:He signed an extension the day after he got coach of the year.
Graham:Well, good for him. I'm just saying, like, if a better opportunity opened up, like say Virginia, he's gone. That's what I'm saying. That's my point. Like, it's all circumstantial based on the individual.
Scott:Anyhow, let's jump right in. I told you I didn't want to spend a shit ton of time on Lane Kiffin. I knew we were going to. Dude, last thing I'm going to say about college football. Uh Penn State shitting in their pants right now. Dude, sign in days tomorrow. They got no head coach.
Graham:Dude, Penn State. What's going on in the state of Pennsylvania in football as a whole right now?
Scott:Dude, teams. I saw this earlier. Teams with a better recruiting class going into next year than Penn State. I don't even know half of these teams because of their logos and shit. UTEP, Massachusetts. The only the big one to me is oh, Rice, Jiminy Crickets, ODU.
Graham:Yeah. Take a year off, rebuild, regroup, come with that wallet, and damn!
Scott:Let's go. Dude, they wanted the guy from BYU, he said no. They wanted the guy from JMU. The guy from JMU went to UCLA. That's a real powerhouse for football. I mean, Penn State's a top 10 job in the country for college football, and you're going to UCLA, that is my entire point.
Graham:What the NIL has done to the league, there are positives and there are negatives. We would have never thought a powerhouse could fall from Grace's in this type of way.
Scott:It's not only the NIL, dude, it's this transfer portal thing. And if anybody's listening to the show all year, I've talked about the old dominion quarterback and how big of a stud he is.
Announcer:Right.
Scott:Well, guess what he said today? Entering the transfer portal. Knew it was coming. Yeah, we all knew it was coming. The guy's that literally has two years of eligibility left, been lighting it up, gone. And it sucks. But anyhow, let's jump in. We I love it, dude. I love how we just go off on a tangent because it's real.
Graham:Yeah, it's real.
Scott:No, that's why I love it.
Graham:The funny part is is before we started recording, you're like, all right, so we got this part about Lane Kiffin. We could spend the whole episode on it. On the show. And I'm like, dude, there's no way, but the more you keep talking about it, I'm just like, you're bleeping wrong.
Scott:Like dude, it's uh I don't know. Dude, let's jump into something we talked about last week. And uh when I asked you the question, what's the most bizarre thing in the NFL? Is it the Colts? Is it the Patriots or is it the Bears? Well, we both agreed it was the Bears, and after this past week, I think we can agree with that same statement again.
Graham:Yeah. Um, and let's reiterate, they did that, the Bears, with their original starting linebacking core still not there. They're playing with backups. So back to the do coaches matter? Yeah. Yeah.
Scott:And remember, yes, Ben Johnson is a difference maker, but let's don't forget the Bears did sign, they had the what? Worst offensive line of football last year.
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:And now they're all studs. I mean, did you see what Swift and what's the other dude's name that I just wasted all my fab budget on?
Graham:Manunga.
Scott:What's his name Monungay did to the Eagles?
Graham:The craziest part about that game with everything that happened, they did it in Philly. They took the crowd right out of it. That's right. They were like, you know what, Philly fans? Double birds. Go birds two times.
Scott:Dude, speaking of speaking of home teams losing, I know you were a little overserved on Thursday night. Did you see what the stadium in Baltimore looked like at the start of the fourth quarter?
Graham:No, I was by that point, no.
Scott:Wow. But yeah, I agree with you. They did it in Philly, dude. Wow. I mean, is that any good? I mean, NFC, you've got the Bears, Rams, Seahawks, Niners, all with nine wins.
Graham:Three teams are coming out the NFC West. Who's the other? Who's that fourth wild card? How about the Niners are sitting down there? Or third wild card?
Scott:I mean, the Niners are sitting down there as the seven seed with nine wins.
Graham:Yeah. It doesn't hurt that their schedule has been favorable. Granted, with the key injuries, and they're still playing well.
Scott:With the injuries they got? I mean.
Graham:And can we talk about a perfect bye week for them? Week 14. Oh, hey, let's just take a rest and get ready for the perfect.
Scott:Yeah. Dude, I don't know. Let's jump into your game, Bill Steelers. Uh had no idea what to expect. You know, I was actually a little confident in you guys because of the bookend tackles for the Bills both being backups going against TJ. And you guys were you guys were dominating the game until you weren't. Until Joey, I'm finally playing an entire season, Bosa, decides to destroy Rogers and you know, fumble, recover for a tutty. I mean, I didn't watch most of your game just because my game was on at the same time. But when I did switch to your game and I texted you right away, it's fourth and two on like the five or six yard line. You've got to tight in that six foot whatever has the wingspan of my house. And hey Arthur Smith, here's a great idea. This guy that's like six foot five and 300 pounds, and is and he has he could throw the ball 12 feet in the air and he can probably catch it. Oh no, let's do a delay draw. I texted you right away. I'm like, what the hell was that shit? Uh I dude, the Bills ran the same play twenty-nine times. Twenty-nine and dominated it. Twenty-nine times. Dude, I this isn't a kick. The Steelers in the nuts thing. But something I saw, something I saw earlier, and I had screenshot it and I sent it to TP, and I'm like, yo, should I bring this up on the show? And he goes, absolutely. Okay. So the Steelers, since losing to Green Bay in the Super Bowl. Okay. 2011 lost to Tim Tebow in overtime. 12 missed playoffs. 13 missed playoffs. 14 lost to the Ravens. 15 lost to the Broncos in divisional. 16 cooked by the Patriots in the AFC title game. 17. The famous Scotty Wall game. Say his name, Graham. Blake F and Bortles. Lost to the Jags. 18 missed playoffs. 19 missed playoffs. 20. Cooked by the Browns in the playoffs. 21. The famous game where you wanted to bet the house on the Chiefs. Lost to the Chiefs. Missed playoffs in 22. Lost to the Bills in 23 and killed by the Ravens in 24.
Announcer:Three things to that.
Scott:Number one. Blake Bortles. I'm sorry. No. That was the that was the worst I've ever felt in my entire life with our friendship. I was so confident. God damn Blake Bortles. I'll hate him forever. Piece of shit.
Graham:Like that video that we recorded still haunts me to this day. But that's not it. Three a couple of points to those. And to be honest, there's all one relying denominating factor that to those. Injuries, injuries, injuries. Next man up. Folks, if you've been listening to the podcast long enough, you know how I feel about that. Next man up works. But when the next man, or should I say, when the guy that the next man is replacing are all pros, it kind of makes a difference. Three games. Actually, and the third game wasn't even an injury. It was the zebras. So let me let's just point them out. Super Bowl. Lost our all pro, should be a Hall of Famer. Uh Marquise Pouncey in the AFC Championship game gets hurt. We had to start Doug Legerski, who's like 5'8, 260 at center, and just got manhandled. Which, by the way, we still had a chance in that game. Pittsburgh driving down three or four, if I believe. Under four minutes, we had the ball with within 30 yard lines to the goal line, and Mendenhall fumbles. That basically killed us. We could have gone up that game, number one. Number two, the game in 15 against Denver. Uh, you know what happened the week prior to that? That was the week that Vontez Bervick decided to give CTE to Antonio Brown.
Scott:So we almost e for life.
Graham:Yeah. So we almost beat the Broncos without the best wide receiver in the league. Like we threw out Emmanuel Sanders and God, what was that dude's name? Bryant. Something Bryant.
Scott:Yes.
Graham:Marquise. No.
Scott:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Was it Marquise Bryant? Something like that. Yeah. I think it was. I think it was. Yeah. Whatever. Not important. I get it.
Graham:Yeah. So when you lose your number one, like we like we against Denver, and Denver went on to win, but still. I think that was the year. No, was that the year they lost to Seattle? I think it was. The Denver, when they made it to the Super Bowl, lost to Seattle.
Scott:They beat us in the playoffs in 13. Did they win in 13? Whatever.
Graham:No, it wasn't that early. That being said, we lose Antonio Brown. 2017, the Zebras overturned the touchdown that we got with under a minute left to the tight end that everyone in the whole stadium Martavius. Martavius. Martavius Bryant, yeah. They overturned the reception call because the tight end, which I can't Damn, he was a big dude.
Scott:6'4?
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:Bryant? Wow.
Graham:Yeah. They overturned the call of a touchdown because they're playing Tom Brady. Because he caught the ball, went a call crossed the plane, had the ball in his hands, hit the ground, and then bounced out. Before he was down. That should have been a touchdown. Everyone after the fact agreed that should have been called a touchdown. But it wasn't. And they gave it to Tom Brady. And I think that was the year, was that 17? Was that the year they lost to the Patriots?
Scott:Broncos. Broncos won the Super Bowl in 16.
Graham:Okay, so yeah, so then they lost to that was the year the year prior was the when they lost to Seattle. Uh so like I said, not making excuses, next man up, but like there were opportunities. I've said it how many times on this podcast? We had the killer bees. There was a three-year stretch. We had a top five quarterback, the best running back, and the best wide receiver in the league. You can look at me like that all you want. I'm just saying, like late Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell. Which one?
Scott:Good point. About Le'Veon Belt. About Le'Veon Belt.
Graham:Yeah, he should have he should have stayed with it.
Scott:He will not be a Steeler next year.
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:But so anyhow, we're not talking about then. We're not talking about then. We're talking about now.
Graham:Yeah. Well, here's my point. Now, with what has been going on in the league and the turn the quick turnaround from certain teams, it's time. The booing, especially on Renegade, dude, fire Tom the chance. Dude, rip the band-aid. This is a perfect Andy Reid scenario. Not that Andy Reid, look, when Andy Reid left Philadelphia, it was nowhere near the same scenario. He was fired, wasn't he?
Scott:Yeah.
Graham:Yeah. He was let go after losing in the NFC Championship game. Right?
Scott:Yeah, I'm almost positive. Because he went three years in a row, right?
Graham:Uh, how about four? Yeah. He went four years in a row and went to the Super Bowl once and lost to the Patriots, and that was when they had Terrell Owens who got hurt, but still he still played in the Super Bowl and had a beast of a game.
Scott:He had the guy was a monster. Dude. That guy was such a monster.
Graham:The worst part is he gets I don't want to say no respect.
Scott:Yes.
Graham:When they talk about the top wide receivers in the in the league, he does not like it's it's always I had season tickets for the Chargers from 2004 until whatever year they went to LA.
Scott:Right. Two of the most intimidating wide receivers I ever saw, as far as like body. Well, I'm gonna say three. Obviously, Megatron's one. The guy was a beast.
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:It was T.O. And if you can name this third person.
Graham:Oh, it's Julio.
Scott:I mean, no, it was not Julio.
Graham:Oh.
Scott:It was not Julio.
Graham:Oh, for oh, against you?
Scott:Yeah. There was three. Like I said, Tio, Megatron.
Graham:Well, I mean uh not uh I want to say uh Tim Brown cooked you guys plenty of times.
Scott:No, I'm talking about body-wise and like like um I I don't know, hit me uh hit me with it.
Announcer:Brandon Marshall.
Scott:Yeah, okay.
Graham:Yeah, no, you're right.
Scott:Six six five two thirty.
Graham:Yeah, no, good point. Good point.
Scott:I'm just like I say, I was just talking body style. I wasn't talking like yeah, no, no, no, you're right.
Announcer:I didn't think about that.
Scott:Yeah, yeah. So Steelers, who y'all got this coming up week? Don't y'all have it?
Graham:We we got the Ravens.
Scott:God, is that game important?
Graham:That's the worst part. The fact that the Ravens lost on Thanksgiving, we had a chance to get some separation, but now look, I've been saying it all along. Why make the playoffs when you can't do anything?
Scott:This is Is it at Baltimore or is it at home?
Graham:I think it's at Baltimore. Don't quote me on this. We're at that point. Rip the band-aid off. You can't like look we made moves today. We let go of Darius Lay. Oh, hey, thanks for uh coming in and us paying you ten million dollars to lose your job to a virtual, I mean, I know who he is, but a virtual no name. Because you're old and slow. Like we're we're paying, we paid for names. Ramsey. He's still playing well, but like he's also playing out of position.
Scott:I mean, it's just Yeah, he is.
Graham:We're at that time where it's at balls. We wanted to we wanted to give the last two raw, give that last fight. The owner's like, hey, do whatever you need to do. We tried, and we failed. Like, it's not very often where you where the owner is like, hey, do whatever you can't, like, this is it, you gotta do something, and we do it, and it literally just falls apart in our face.
Scott:Graham. The dumbest thing the Steelers ever did was sign Aaron Rodgers.
Graham:Who else were they gonna sign? They weren't paying Darnold that money.
Scott:No, we know that look, they could have kept Fields.
Graham:No, they wanted to pay Fields, they just didn't want to pay him that money. And here's the thing uh who's starting for the Jets right now?
Scott:Isn't it Tyrod? Yeah, so yeah, would that have been a better situation? I'm just saying the answer was not Aaron Rodgers. I've said it forever. Uh I've said it the way he held you guys hostage, everything about it when Cam Hayward came out and did his whole thing before the season started and was like, either you're a stealer or you're not, go F yourself. It started off negative. And then the other night he's calling out the wide receivers. Uh when's the last time Aaron Rodgers hasn't called out at a wide receiver?
Graham:Yeah, well, when they don't come to meetings, I mean that How do you know that? Why would he I How do you know that?
Scott:Well, I mean The dude also is supposed to be married, and nobody in the Steelers organization has ever seen his wife.
Graham:Maybe he doesn't bring her around. I mean look, d we could go this, that, or the other with so many.
Scott:I just think that was I understand why they did it, but I hated it.
Graham:Look, because they did it. Here's the thing. Based out of the rookie quarterbacks that came out, the only person that showed real promise is Dart.
Scott:Dude, you got a quarterback, you don't even know who he is.
Graham:That's my point. We're at this point. If Tomlin Tomlin has been with the organization for 19 years. Be the good guy that you are. And if you know, which he should know, that this is his last season, do right by the city and play Howard. Play him. See what he's got. That's what I'm saying. Play him. There's no reason, especially with how banged up Rodgers is right now, and we obviously know what we get with Rudolph. You're telling me against Miami we can't play Howard for real? You're telling me against Cleveland we can't play Howard?
Scott:We're out like they may put Howard out there. Have you seen this guy, Miles Garrett?
Graham:Yeah, okay, that's fine. But I'm just saying, like, you have to give him r like the the cu the organization has to be like, yo, we need to see what like this is the best opportunity for that for this to happen. Like, why did we sign like how delusion like they are smart people? How delusional are you that you think that after the trade line is over, you don't get a wide receiver and you're gonna pick up off waivers Adam Thielen? What the fuck is he gonna do?
Scott:Especially sign into the practice squad.
Graham:Dude, they still haven't brought up Mark and MVS. He still hasn't even sued up and played a game yet.
Scott:I don't get it. I don't get it. Like the ship is sailed. Where's Roman Wilson?
Graham:They're not playing him. Or no, they are playing. Like, that's what I'm saying. It's the coaching staff. Pittsburgh will not fire Tomlin in the middle of the season.
Scott:They're not gonna fire him regardless.
Graham:I guarantee you they will.
Scott:They're gonna ask him to, they're gonna ask him to leave. They're not fired. Okay.
Graham:Okay. Depends on how these last couple games go. You never know.
Scott:They won't fire him.
Graham:We both can agree that Mike Tomlin will not be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Sealers next year.
Scott:If he is.
Graham:There is no chance. Zero. Yeah. And if that is the case, take all my money because I'm betting against it. Like, take it all.
Scott:He's not, he's not gonna be. You know something I before we move on, something I saw, and I wanted to wait and bring it up in the show tonight. A couple things I saw, just because you and I are boys and we talk about the Steelers, you know, big brothers always listen, so my Facebook feed is full of Pittsburgh Steelers shit. Let's go. Yeah, you know, you know how that works. It's hilarious. Um I saw Kingsbury.
Graham:I made that comment to you and you laughed at me.
Scott:I still laugh at it, but you know what? Maybe it's something you guys need. A young, young dude. Second go round, you know, the first time's hard. I mean, just look at these. You go from college, then you go to Arizona. You know, when you're the head coach of an NFL football team, guess what? You're controlling everything, dude. It's not just a college team. You're controlling when we leave, you know, travel plans, all that shit. Where his his favorite, his what's he good at? Calling plays. Did anybody see Washington doing to the Broncos what they did the other night? I didn't. The guy's got the guy can call plays. I don't hate it. I don't think it's gonna happen. I hope for our sake it does. Just because of our contacts with him. But I mean, yeah, but who I mean Who else is the guy to go there?
Graham:Look, I've mentioned I can tell you right now.
Scott:I know exactly who you're gonna mention right now. I know you're gonna mention this guy's name, and I can tell you right now 100% it ain't happening. But I've said it a thousand times already. I do not disagree with you at all. Who is it?
Graham:McCarthy.
Scott:That was not what I was gonna say. Wow, okay.
Graham:Well, oh I'm just saying because we've talked, I've talked about it at length just because of his and his availability.
Scott:That's wow.
Graham:Hey, hey, I'll I'll poach the chargers. Hey, mentor, you want to come on down?
Scott:No, you know who would fit in perfectly there?
Graham:Please tell me.
Scott:Brian Flores. He is a Pittsburgh dude from head to toe. When he was on the bottom of his life, who gave him an opportunity?
Graham:Yeah. I get that, but he gave him the opportunity, and Tomlin didn't like there was no there's a reason why he was only there for a year. They didn't have a few. Yeah. I look if we if we got Flores, I'd be the happiest person on earth right now. I mean who who would you rather have, Flores or Cliff?
Scott:Flores.
Graham:He did it with my especially with that defense. That's I I I that would be a dude with Tomlin not there and him replacing Tom. I mean, that it it fits the mold. I mean, it just the narrative, everything, with especially with dude, people forget, you know, Flores is suing the NFL, right?
Scott:That's the only reason I don't think he's gonna get the job. Remember, it's a good old boys' club.
Graham:It's a good old boys' club. Yeah, what do you think the NFL wants more? Drop the lawsuit, and then he gets hired and he gets hired by the team, and it's so everything's squashed.
Scott:It ain't squashed, dude. The NFL is more about there's more to this whole situation than we know.
Graham:That's why if he got the head coaching job, they'd sweep it under the rug. The NFL in a heartbeat would do that. Oh, be the coach, shh, done. Done. The Gruden thing, that's another story.
Scott:All of it, all of it's a different story, dude. We don't even have a clue what's going on behind the scenes. No. Uh Chargers host the Raiders, beat them, we're 4-0 against them since the the game, the best game in Chargers history when Staley and Telesco got fired. Uh, the only problem is Herbie got hurt, left hand. Yeah. Left the game for eight, nine plays. Still came back, slung it around. But the only thing that scares me is, you know, and and Harbaugh addressed it in his press conference yesterday. He had surgery yesterday, is Trey Lance will more than likely be taking the under center plays, especially near the goal line, because you know, you broke a hand, you can't take a snap under center. But, you know, defense balled out for once. I'm very proud of everybody at SoFi. More Chargers fans there than Raiders fans. The announcers kept even saying it. I was like, let's go.
Graham:But I mean that's because the Chargers fans knew that they could get a dub. And the Raiders fans only had two dubs.
Scott:So I mean, and like we talked about last week, do you know who the Raiders' first win of the year was? Uh that team with the best record in the AFC?
Graham:That's right.
Scott:Week one, dude, beat the Patriots.
Graham:Dude, the the Patriots' two losses are to the Raiders and the Steelers.
Scott:Yeah.
Graham:Make that make sense.
Scott:Well, dude, the Chargers are sitting there, what are we, eight and four? Okay. And we're sitting here watching and talking, Kristen and I and Kellen. Two of our losses are to Washington and the goddamn Giants. Yeah, that Giants game was well, well, Alt got hurt the first time. The Washington game, it was like didn't see that coming. But whatever. I mean, I don't know. Herbie's hurt with his left hand. Is he gonna play Monday night? 100% he's gonna play Monday night. If you know, it was crazy because once the game was over, I looked at the line on DraftKings and I instantly was like, oh, Chargers are one and a half point underdogs. Then the news comes out like an hour later, texted it to you, looked at the line, it was three and a half. It's it's to three right now. Uh right. Shut up. Hampton's back. Hampton's back this week. I mean, dude, the Bears just showed the world how to run all over the god dang Eagles. And I it's obvious our offensive line, as banged up as we are, is a better run blocking no line than pass blocking no line. So the key to the game the other day was Saylor going to left tackle like he did his rookie year when Slater first got hurt. Why it took four weeks to do this, I have no idea. But I don't know. I don't know, dude. I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say Chargers beat the Eagles. There's nothing. If our defense balls out the way it's been planned, I love it.
Graham:It is prime time.
Scott:I don't know if I was at that game. You know who's 4-0 in prime time this year. Rob probably made a killing on those tickets. I just wish we would wear those god dang navy blues, dude. How sexy are those? God.
Graham:I love the alternate. Come on.
Scott:Dude, those blues in them. That's because you weren't an SD guy. Dude, those navy blues.
Graham:No, I mean, they're nice.
Scott:I mean nice. So, I mean that being said, so can I get a makeup on our uh shot bet or no, because I'm not talking about the Cowboys beating the team.
Graham:No, I'm talking about the Eagles beating the Chargers. Not that I want that to happen.
Scott:No, I'm not no, because that's negative. That's negative. That's negative. Why you gotta be negative?
Graham:I'll take a shot bet against my Steelers almost every game.
Scott:That's because you're I mean a realist. Yeah, dude. You are I'll tell you what, I will take a shot on.
Graham:They they ran 29 plays of the same play. Graham. And Pittsburgh. You're repeating what they said earlier. No, no, no. But you didn't say the key stat. Pittsburgh to the same play gave up the most rushing yards in Acresure Heinz Field history to the Buffalo Bills on a play that they ran the same time.
Scott:I don't get it. I just don't get it.
Graham:There's a reason why Fire Chance Fire Tomlin chance happened.
Scott:But what I will tell you is, and I'll make a shot bet with you on this one.
Announcer:Alright, let's go.
Scott:Okay. And this goes back to before week one when we were making our division winners bets. Or not bets, picks. Okay. Uh this coming Sunday in DuVo. The Jaguars are hosting the Indianapolis Colts and laying one and a half. Oh, who you taking? I mean, did you just hear me say all right? And you know the craziest part about this. Okay, you ready for this? I think I sent it to you last night. Uh Marcus Jones, the defensive back for the Patriots that had the kick return last night, or the punt return for the tutty. Yeah. Uh he has the same amount of touchdowns as Justin Jefferson, and that's two. And one more than Brian Thomas Jr., who has one.
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:And I'm not blaming this on Justin Jefferson because god dang, uh you know, Pee-wee Herman could probably throw the ball better than the last whatever.
Graham:Sam Darnold is that guy. Said no one ever six years ago, but or five years ago, whatever it is.
Scott:Hey, dude. Seattle's defense, MVP of my fantasy football team. I mean, good God, 34 points. Let's go.
Graham:I just, especially after this past weekend, it brings me so much joy because I told you multiple times last season, hey, he may be the number one pick, and he may have been playing like dog shit. But I'm like, I almost forgot his name. Dude, that play that Bryce Young made on fourth down to take that tutty at the end of the gate, like dude, dude, he's turning into that guy.
Scott:Dude, will the real Bryce Young please stand up? Because I mean, seriously, like, can we figure out what team is what? Because I mean, remember they went into Lambeau, dude, and beat the Packers.
Graham:And then they just beat the Rams. Dude, can we talk about what were the odds for the Panthers to win the NFC South?
Scott:Screw the NFC South. What were their win totals? I I mean, exactly. Good for them, man. Good for them. It's awesome. I don't know, man, but anyhow. Who y'all? Y'all got the Ravens.
Graham:Yuck. Don't care. Take that L. No, I don't I dude. I hey, I waved it. It's right here. I said it last week. The flag, the white flag is move it.
Scott:So I'm at that point. So here's what we're gonna talk about.
Graham:To be honest, we're gonna talk about so is all the other Steeler fans. Yeah.
Scott:So here's here's what we're gonna, here's how we're gonna finish. Uh conference championship championship game Saturday. All right. BYU at Texas Tech. Texas Tech laying 12 and a half. And don't forget, who called Texas Tech before the season? Yeah, your boy. Um, what do you got? Who?
Graham:Texas Tech. Okay. Covering or just the game?
Scott:We'll make it interesting. Covering. 12 and a half's a lot, but Texas Tech. I like it too. Especially after Penn State tried to poach him and he was like, no, I'm good. And Texas Tech gave his coach, gave their coach a seven-year extension. Uh Georgia. Georgia minus two and a half playing Bama. That's a tough one, dude. I don't have the faith in Georgia. I I'm gonna go Bama. God, we suck. If anybody's listening, don't bet those because we agree. So those are losers.
Graham:Bama did what they needed to do, though. Yeah. They were up 17-0 in the first quarter or first quarter and a half. They let them come back into the game. The fact that it was tied at one point 20 to 20 was just ridiculous. But continue.
Scott:Wow. Well, Big Ten championship, Ohio State land four playing Indiana.
Graham:It doesn't matter. But I will say this. I'm not saying does it matter or not? I'm gonna take Indiana because I feel like it proves more to them that they beat him.
Scott:I once again agree with your statement, but I'm just gonna say Ohio State vote racism.
Graham:Because of what?
Scott:Ohio State's gonna vote racism.
Graham:Oh, I said racism.
Scott:I can't see on DraftKings what the UVA Duke game is because I'm in Virginia and I can't bet on Virginia teams, so I'm going to ESPN here.
Graham:I got you right now. What you got? Uh GoGo Gadget taking eight hours to load right now with the bleep. Come on, BetMGM. Yes, I'm back in Nevada now. Which, by the way, Bet MGM, convenient that you're in multiple states, so I don't have to go to other apps, but not convenient. They don't have you can't bet, you can't do alternate spreads, or you can't do alternate betting on yards, all the different stuff, and they don't have it now where you can bet over under a person's rushing or receiving yards. They just do it now to where it's just like 25, 50, 75, and 100, and you're just betting whether or not they go over that, and they give you the odds.
Scott:UVA's a three and a half point favorite on ESPN.
Graham:Like, yeah, I mean I'll take that.
Scott:Yeah, I'll take that. But as we finish off the show, uh I gotta bring it up. You got to talk to somebody pretty important yesterday in the Pittsburgh Steelers organization on FaceTime, and I had to bring it up. And for anybody that's still listening, an hour and twenty minutes into this show, even though the first three minutes were duds. Yeah, it'll be a good one. Who'd you get to talk to? Yeah.
Graham:Hey, you know, a good friend of the program, grammar police, you know, he uh he did me a solid. And uh he hit me up with a text, and he's just like, bro, I got someone here right now. He's just like um He's like, he's like, he's like, I'm he's like, I'm I'm gonna get him to FaceTime you. And I'm like, what? I'm like, I'm like, what are you talking about? And he's just like, stay by your phone. I'm like, okay, mind you, I'm at lunch with my family. And then so I'm like, all right. So when he texts me this, I'm like, okay, so I like get out of the restaurant thinking he's gonna hit me up. And then 20 minutes later, so I finally, you know, I go back and finish the meal, and we're we're like literally walking out of the restaurant. I get a FaceTime, and our boy Andy comes through in the clutch, and good old Pittsburgh Steeler, Super Bowl champion, with by the way, the what was it ranked, the number two or number three greatest play in Super Bowl history? Santonio Holmes was in the building getting a car from our boy Andy at the Porsche dealership, and he got it got him on the FaceTime and uh was able to spend a couple minutes with him, you know, just talking about his day and vice versa. The funniest part about it was I'm he FaceTimes me. We're leaving the restaurant, and my family behind me just like looks at my phone and sees that you know Andy's hitting me up. So they like get all in the call with me. Like, I'm saying hi to San Antonio Holmes, and then my sister's behind me, hey, how's it going? My mom comes up, hey, how's it going? My dad comes up, hey, how's it going? And the look on his face was like, What the bleep is going on right now? And I'm just like, uh, you're amazing. Love you. Um, we're leaving the restaurant. Like, it was just so impromptu that you know, it was a great experience. Kudos to Andy. Thank you, Santonio, for obliging the situation. Um, had a good con a quick conversation with him, and I was just like, Look, I appreciate the call. I don't want to hold you up. Just want to say kudos for everything. Thanks for being a Steeler, all this good stuff. You know, talked about his day, and that was pretty much it. So, Andy, I appreciate that cameo appearance, not cameo, but uh thank you for the birthday or birthday. He said Christmas gift after after the call was over. He's like, I just want to let you know that's your Christmas gift this year. And I was just like, I'm like, of course, dude. Like, whatever, but very appreciative. And dude, when was the last time? Well, you got connections, so I can't make this statement. When was the last time you talked to a Super Bowl champion? Mr. Oh, let me just go through my Rolodex and text T D or text, you know.
Scott:You know, I'm just yeah, you know what I did discover today? This is crazy. This is wild. Uh, back in the day from SCGA days, uh I met this guy named Jimmy Ray Jr. And he was with the Chargers organization, and his dad was the longtime offensive coordinator for the Niners. Jimmy Ray played for the for San Diego State, and ultimately Jimmy Ray Jr. became the director of player personnel with the Chargers, and we we were boys from the SCGA days. My dad was in town, Jimmy Ray gave us a tour. The first time I went in the organ in the headquarters was by myself, but the second time Jimmy Ray gave my dad and I a tour. And when Telesco got hired as our general manager, Jimmy Ray was also being interviewed for that job. When Telesco came to us, Jimmy Ray went to the Colts, then Jimmy Ray went to uh the Texans, then he went to the Lions, and I had lost track with where he was. And on LinkedIn, it popped up, hey, somebody you you know, and it was Jimmy Ray. He's now the assistant GM uh for the Browns. So reached out to him tonight. Awesome, awesome dude. Been in the league forever. Could not say more about the dude. But anyhow, it was awesome. Uh I'm gonna make a reel about this. Talk to my boy. I told you earlier, Chris Reinert, he's in the Navy. He FaceTimed me tonight. Dude went out for deployment in July and was supposed to come home in January, and now he's not coming back till April. Sucks, dude. But, you know, he's my guy. I love him. He's out there. Protecting us, dude, for what we do here in this country. Reinhard, love you. Got some zins in the mail to you tomorrow. You're my boy. Quit paying $10 a can for those. You quit paying $10 a can for those on a on a boat. I got you. North Carolina prices, my guy. Uh, Graham, get us out of here. Fun episode. Went a little long. Thanks, Lane Kiffin, and being a douchebag, but uh see everybody next week.
Graham:Oh, you are unbelievable sometimes, but hey, as the best homie always says, booba!
Scott:Good night, friends. Good night, LSU. You're not gonna win shit with that guy as your head coach. Whatever you want to bet, Andy, I gotcha.
Graham:Booba!
Announcer:This episode of the Bald Guys on the Bench Podcast is brought to you by our friends at North Star Credit Union and Southern Auto, located in Southeast Virginia.
