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Baseball and the NCAA
18 Plays2 months ago
I talk a little Baseball, Pro football, a review of Illinois and Nebraska and a quick preview of some other NCAA games
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Transcript
Introduction and Current Sports Overview
00:00:13
Speaker
Welcome to Talking Sports on the Bleachers. Well, baseball's winding down to the playoffs and so are the races for MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year. All that neat stuff. The NFL is cranking up for week three, college football's in week four. We'll talk about all of that and like take a quick look at the Cardinals and my Fighting Illini on this episode of Talking Sports on the Bleachers. So come on up and have a seat. The rumors are true.
Baseball Playoff Contenders Analysis
00:01:00
Speaker
This is Talking Sports on the Bleachers with Don Glenn. A confident young man, a superb athlete. A look at the sports issues of the day. Holy cow! Grab a seat, pop a cold one. Gee, that sounds kind of interesting. And let's talk some sports. You got to get it done!
00:01:26
Speaker
Who holds with the widespread stance, arms out over the plate? Bickford from the stretch. The 1-1 pitch. A swing, Dodger Stadium on September 23rd, 2022. 8.23pm Pacific time.
00:02:14
Speaker
Badgers have no timeouts. They can't stop it. McCork for the win in the air. It is up, and it is good! Yes! Good! Let's go, baby! Upset in Champaign!
00:03:13
Speaker
Are you crying? There's no crying! There's no crying in baseball!
00:03:28
Speaker
um ive talk about playoffs you kidding me playoffs
00:04:03
Speaker
Hey, Dad?
00:04:22
Speaker
Well here we are again folks sitting down for another get together. Well baseball is down to its last 10 games or so and right now we know who most who most of all is going to be in the postseason. I mean it's pretty much cut and drive we're just waiting for the final bells final, uh, eliminations to occur.
Wildcard Standings and Player Highlights
00:04:40
Speaker
The Yankees have closed the national or the American league east, Cleveland, the American league center, while the west is still kind of upper grabs between Houston and Seattle. As for the wildcard, Baltimore continues to lead that race while Casey is three games back and Minnesota is tied with Detroit for the last wildcard spot.
00:04:58
Speaker
which is five games back Seattle is still Actively in the mix just two games out of the third spot Boston is four back Tampa Bay is five, but it's pretty much over for them In the National League Milwaukee is clinched the central they have practically owned it all season ah Likewise, the Dodgers have secured the West title. They got a little bit of a challenge earlier in the year, but that didn't last long. um And I guess you could say the the Brewers did too, but it was really that they were never in any danger to in realistic terms in the East. It's the Phillies title to lose right now as they hold a seven game lead over the Mets with nine to play. And as for the wild card spot, San Diego leads that parade by two and a half over the Mets and Arizona with Atlanta one game behind them.
00:05:46
Speaker
Mathematically with the Cardinals and the Cubs are still in it, but like, uh, the National League East, they are seven, seven and a half games back with nine to play. So no real hope there, if you will. Uh, so if the season end of the day, the Yanks and the Guardians would have the two buys in the American league. Houston would get Detroit or Minnesota and KC would get Baltimore. In the National League, the Fills and the Dodgers get the buys. The Brew Crew end up with either the Mets or Arizona and the Padres would get the other one.
00:06:16
Speaker
As far as individual wards, I don't see Aaron Judds completing his bid for the triple crown as he is still first in home runs in the RBIs, but trails Bobby Witt Jr. by 10 points in batting average. Likewise, for Shohei Otani, who leads ah home runs in RBIs in the National League, but trails Luis Arias in batting average by 33.
00:06:39
Speaker
As for the Cy Young MVP Rookie of the Year Outlook, for MVP in the National League, again we're talking Shohei Okani, the Dodgers, the DH is hitting a solid 294, 51 home runs, 120 RBIs, and 51 stolen bases. There's nobody have has even anywhere close to those numbers in the National League.
00:07:01
Speaker
Aaron Judge is the odds-on favorite to take home at the AL MVP 321 average with 53 home runs 136 RBIs again really nobody in the night in the American League that can Get close to that as for the Cy Young we have two two guys that this is themselves the rest of the pack in each league Chris sale from Atlanta and Detroit's tatak school ball are taking What people would call the early lead or not the early lead but the lead in the vote in the expectation um But they're not being chased by Starters realistically they're being chased by relievers if you want to get down to it ah Both elite closers in each league Emmanuel classe from Cleveland and Ryan Helsley from the Cardinals
00:07:51
Speaker
Now Sale leaves the majors in wins with 18 ERA with 2.38 strikeouts with 225.
Cy Young Contenders Discussion
00:07:57
Speaker
He is sixth in whip at 1.0. now Helsley has been very rocks-deady as a reliever. He is 7-4 with 45 saves and 49 opportunities, a 2.15 ERA and a 1.01 whip. There is one starter that might grab some votes for Cy Young, Zach Wheeler, the Phillies.
00:08:23
Speaker
16 wins, 2.56 ERA, 205Ks, and a 0.95 whip. So I think those it's between those three in the National League. Now in the American League, again, there's no real starter that's going to challenge school balls, number 17 and 4, 2.480 ERA, 221 strikeouts in 185 innings pitched, and a whip of 0.94.
00:08:48
Speaker
ah Emmanuel Class A has just been as has been just as dominant in the AL as hell as he's been in the NL, going 4-2 with a 0.64 ERA, and I did not stutter, that is 0.64, a whip of 0.63, 46 saves and 49 chances.
00:09:09
Speaker
So we'll have to see how the voters decide that and which, you know, whether they want to honor the starter or the reliever and the rookie of the year, all eyes are on Louise Gill in the American league.
00:09:26
Speaker
who, one year after Tommy John's surgery, has had some back issues during the season, still managed 27 starts going 13-6 with a 161 strikeouts and 140.2 innings, and managed a whip of 1.180.
00:09:44
Speaker
Uh, and he could lose some votes. Uh, teammate Austin Wells, who is not an offensive juggernaut at two 44 average with 13 normal than 53 RBI. But he's put up some good defensive numbers as an RDS of 12 and a total of fielding runs above average of nine. Plus he's throwing out runners at 26% and league average is only 22%. So he could get a few votes here and there.
00:10:09
Speaker
um In the ANL, the only one anybody is really talking about is Jackson Merrill, the San Diego Padres, and why not? I mean the guys hit in 292, 24 home runs, 86 RBIs as a rookie. Now Paul Skeens from Pittsburgh, the starter who started pitching for Pittsburgh,
00:10:28
Speaker
He had some early, um oh people were looking at him, touting him very early as a rookie of the year candidate. yeah mean He started out the first half of the season 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA to .920 whip, struck out 89 batters in 66 innings.
00:10:49
Speaker
Now he took a, I mean, these numbers, are I'm going to say he took a slide in the second half of the season, but only it's because of what the numbers he put up in the first part of the season.
00:11:01
Speaker
In the second half he went 4-3 with a 2.26 ERA. His whip was 1.056 but his strikeouts were down. Only 69 strikeouts and 59 innings. It still could be a horse race between those
Cardinals' Season Review
00:11:16
Speaker
two but everybody seems to be pointing toward Merrill as the rookie of the year.
00:11:24
Speaker
So, a little note about the Cardinals. This is a team I regularly report on, as most people have you as most of you people know. Season's about to come to a close, as well I've said before, on a year that really, I mean, it had a mixed bag of hopes. ah I mean, it was the first time they actually addressed the pitching staff to any depth in a number of years.
00:11:53
Speaker
They didn't address the bench, um and it shows. It shows on what they had, ah what they put on the field this season, the offensive woes, and when the offense wasn't, or when the offense was producing, I mean you had some hit or miss on the rotation and the bullpen, but for the most part the pitching was fairly solid, um and which is what a lot of people were worried about when they brought in Gray, Gibson and Lynn.
00:12:27
Speaker
Uh, I still do think there needs to be changed. And I've said this before and I will continue. I'm not backing off. I do think Oliver Marmal is overmatched as a manager. Um, he was successful in the minors as a manager. Uh, of course he was promoted when they fired Mike Schilt, who now is guiding the Padres into the playoffs.
00:12:50
Speaker
Uh, I'm not going to go down the whole philosophical difference rabbit hole, ah except for this point in that. If you actually watch the game from when she was in St. Louis, and then they'll end now the last couple of years that Marmel has been at them, you'll notice there's a big difference in fundamentals in base running and situational play. Um.
00:13:13
Speaker
it was a lot better under Shilt. Now, some can fault his bullpen management and that's fair. I mean, really it is. ah There were times he, I did scratch my head during his bullpen changes, but you have to realize if you've watched how they played with Shilt and how they're playing with Marmal, you have to realize that things were a lot better under Shilt.
00:13:40
Speaker
um That's a plain fact. I don't care how you look at it. It's a plain fact. So I did see a shift in Marmel's thinking this year. There was more situational play. There was more running. um But still, more often than not, he managed by the numbers and not by performance on the field.
00:14:07
Speaker
This is a mindset that has to change. And if Marmal can adjust, then great. If not, then they need to find a manager who knows how to manage without a spreadsheet. But to do that, front office is going to have to change their tune and not be totally embracing ah analytics to the point of of just the detriment of what's going on, I should say. As far as players, it seems like a lot of fans have already given up on Nolan Gorman, which I think is a huge colossal mistake. Let me say that again. Giving up on Nolan Gorman at this point is a huge and colossal mistake.
00:14:48
Speaker
Now Gorman did struggle with strikeouts and average, which I fully blame on the Cardinal organization by not letting him develop naturally. They've tried to force him to become a 40 plus Homer guy, which he does have the ability to be, but you don't force that stuff. You don't make a hitter.
00:15:08
Speaker
try to do things he's not capable or comfortable of doing. And it's not that that that Gorman is a bad hitter. He's not. He really is not. um But by not letting him develop and figure this stuff out on his own, you know, they immediately went to try and change his swing and get more uppercut. Again, following the analytics of launch angle, which I think is a bullshit ah thing.
00:15:36
Speaker
but And they've done the same thing with Jordan Walker. Now, Walker has kind of embraced it a little bit. um I mean, I don't think he's changed his swing that much, but he is open to, um you know, getting a little bit more air under the ball so that he's driving the ball a lot more.
00:15:58
Speaker
And I think he did realize that, you know, yeah, it was working when he was in high school and and things, but, you know, um, to be in the major leagues, you've got to have a little bit more on the, on, on the ball, so to speak. And I think that's what, uh, uh, he is, but going back to Gorman.
00:16:19
Speaker
Okay, his first year here with the club, he struck out 32.9% of the time, walked only 9% while having a 4.6 home run ratio. Now last season he increased his home run percentage to 5.8 and his walk rate up to 11 and his K rate actually did go down to 31.9. I know it's only 1% but when you add in ah an increase in the walk rate and and an increase in the home run rate, that 31.9% is livable.
00:16:49
Speaker
Now this season, he had a big regression, uh, back almost done his rookie season with a home runs down to 4.7% walk rate down to 8.5. And the strikeouts ballooning to 37.6 in his three years. So far in just those three areas, homework percentage, walk percentage and strike up percentage.
00:17:14
Speaker
He is 3.0.
00:17:20
Speaker
in home run percentage, or excuse me, it's 5.1 in home run percentage, the league average is 3.0. 9.8 in walk rate, league average is 8.3. Now his K rate of course is higher by 11.5 points over the league average, his K rate is 34.1, league average is 22.6. What I'm saying is he's not in that bad a shape.
00:17:44
Speaker
He's performing at above league average levels in a couple of categories. Yeah, it strikes out a lot, but then so does Kyle Schwabber. And nobody's saying he needs to go back and he needs to to relearn how to hit.
00:17:58
Speaker
Um, I think also though, this year it did affect his feeling. I think he was pressing so much to try and do and be more of what the front office wants him to be as a hitter. It really played heck on his fielding ability. Cause you know, um, last year at second base, he had a negative two RDS and a fielding runs above average of two, which is you know pretty good. It's about average.
00:18:29
Speaker
This season went horribly the other way. He had an RDS of negative five and his field and runs above average was a negative six. Now, I truly do not think Gorman is a lost cause. ah You probably get that by now. He still can be that power bat, but they need to quit forcing it. They need to just let it happen.
00:18:53
Speaker
You know, let him hit, let him play, quit trying to make him into something that they want that he may not be able to be. Yes, I did say he can be a 40 home run guy, but I think 40 may be his top end. I think he's probably more in the Laram over the between a 30 and 40, not a 40 plus.
00:19:17
Speaker
Um, another player, some fans have been one of the, who want to throw out with the trash is Paul Goldschmidt. And I, I really don't understand this one. Uh, Goldie, yes, his numbers are down. I'm not going to argue that point. And especially in the power department, with only 20 home runs for the season. But if you look at it, look at what he happened in April, May and June versus the rest of the season. In the first three months of the season, he's sitting 230 with a two 91 Oh on base percentage and a slug of only three 73.
00:19:44
Speaker
Now since July, he's quietly been getting better, going a 275, 326, 485. So big, big boost in numbers there in the last three months. Now, his power is still down, obviously. At 13, he runs the first half, is he's only eight in the second half.
00:20:05
Speaker
um but He hasn't been hurting the team. He's been driving in the runs. He's been getting on base. So, you know, this idea that Goldsmith is a lost cause or should be removed is just poppycock. ah Now, do I think he should be back as the starting first baseman next year? Well, that's up in the air. I mean, I think he definitely is more of What he's shown these last three months and then the first three months of the year But you know, I also do realize that eventually they are gonna have to move on from Goldie at first base They've got to get another first baseman in there. And if that's Burleson or if that's Baker fine you could still have Goldie around as a bench bat part-timer DH whatever you need him for and
00:21:01
Speaker
yeah I think you're probably going to see more of what he did in the second half of the season as opposed to you know his MVP year and or even the year before that. so The other thing is I would think that they need to keep that salary down. You don't want to go foolishly high with it. um you know But i you could you could come up with a decent salary that could keep him here and in the right position. The Cardinals have a Young Corps. I mean, you look at what's there. And and these guys have got some talent. You've got Wynn, Walker, Victor Scott, Mike Ciani, Herrera, Pajes, Newt Barr, Gorman, Donovan. you know Also, there's some talent in that pitching department. In the bullpen, you guys got like ah young guys like Ryan Fernandez, Matthew Libertor. You can even throw JoJo Romero and Ryan Hells in there if you want. I mean, they're under 30.
00:22:01
Speaker
Now, moving forward, again, the rotation will need some work in two areas. They need to add youth and depth. Now, as it stands, unless options are exercised, and there are with Gibson and Lynn, they each have an option for next year. Um, unless the options are exercised, what you're going to have for a rotation is Sunny Gray, Miles Michaels, Eric Fetti, and Stephen Matts. Now,
00:22:28
Speaker
three of those guys are in the final year of their contract and that would be Michaelis, Fede, and Matz. I think Gray is a is still a solid pitcher especially as a de facto number one pitcher. Michaelis,
00:22:48
Speaker
I still think he's more of a borderline 2-3 or maybe actually borderline 3-4. Matt's I really it's a shame because I really had high hopes for Matt's but he just can't avoid injury and I think That is, if anything, is going to be either, is going to precipitate him either switching to the bullpen or he will not be on the club next season.
Future of Cardinals' Pitching Prospects
00:23:20
Speaker
Then the Cardinals have a number of good young arms like Graceffo, McGreevy, Zach Thompson, Andre Palante, and you've still got to Cole Roby, Tink Hintz, and the minors that, you know, might get a shot next year.
00:23:37
Speaker
but they are going to have to do some, uh, they need to find. And I don't want to make it sound like they got out there. Like I'm, like I'm preaching against what I've normally said and who spend money, but they need to go out and get a solid, I see you can use the word stud if you want to, but they need to find a solid number one starter. Um, like said gray has been decent as a de facto number one, but you know, in the true sense of the word, he's not what people would consider as a number one. I mean, he's not in that realm of a.
00:24:18
Speaker
and the Zach Wheeler or anybody like that. He's not in that discussion as ah somebody you think about when you think of a number one pitcher. I think he'd be more of a number two. I think you'd be fine with Michael is at three and then if you could get Um, if you keep fatty, then and maybe you go and you bring, and you bring in or let the Christopher or McGreevey or let one of those young kids, uh, work it out and then have somebody ready because that's been half the problem with the depth. They don't have anybody ready. Somebody goes down, they're scrambling to figure out who they're going to put in there. And I think that's what I'm saying. They need a little bit of youth and need a little bit of depth.
00:25:06
Speaker
you know that's why if they get a number one i would like it to be somebody who's a fairly young, I mean, you know, say 27 to 30, you know, a fairly young pitcher who's still got some years left that that can be very that can be fairly productive. ah and So we'll see what happens with it. Hopefully they've learned from their mistakes. um won't ah We'll talk about more about the Cardinals as as the offseason goes on. I'll probably get some thoughts on what they need and what they should go after here, after we after the season's over and they start looking at that.
NFL Updates and Player Performances
00:25:39
Speaker
As I said NFL is in week three and Aaron Rodgers is Showing no ill effects at least in the last game. Anyway from that ankle issue. He's got six so far 624 yards and five TDs in two games and One guy that's kind of having resurgence is Baker Mayfield down there in Tampa Bay um he's thrown in two games for 475 yards and five touchdowns as well and ah Meanwhile, on the other side of the docket, Caleb Williams is, I mean, let's face it, he's struggling in Chicago. And it's not hard to figure out why. um You know, the Bears, I'll relate it to the Cardinals in baseball.
00:26:31
Speaker
They went out and they got somebody, but they didn't address what they can put around that person. And, um, you know, there's just not much there than the running other than the running game in the defense. Um, meanwhile, Justin Fields, the former bear quarterback, while he's surviving in Pittsburgh.
00:26:52
Speaker
It hasn't been all wine and roses, um you know, and we'll just see how long he can hang out until they until they decide to make a change.
00:27:03
Speaker
um Looking at surprises so far. I think the Chargers at this point being 2-0 Under Harbaugh is kind of raising some eyebrows if you look at that team and then there's the I name I dare anybody to name me That that's not a fan of the Chargers to name me one of the starter or two starters on the Chargers team.
00:27:27
Speaker
Go ahead. I can't. Um, so that, that's kind of a Cincinnati being owned to on the other end of the spectrum is a little surprising or you would think they would be a little bit better than that. Um, and boy, how bad is new England missing Bill Belichick?
00:27:46
Speaker
ah One and two just lost to the Jets 24 to three ah Now again, it is only week two so plenty of time to get that was Straightened around but you know, wow, we'll just have to see And we'll talk more about the NFL down the road as we go again as baseball season winds out and the football season picks up and I want to talk to you now about hydration multiplication because that's what you get from liquid IV powdered for sports strength. It delivers two times faster hydration than the water alone and three times the electrolyte's traditional sports strengths. It uses cellular transport technology which acts as a hydration multiplier designed to deliver more rapid absorption of water into the body. It also delivers key vitamins like B3, B5, B6, B12 and vitamin C. It's non-GMO, contains no soy or dairy and it's gluten free.
00:28:38
Speaker
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00:30:56
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00:31:58
Speaker
All right. Let's talk college football.
College Football Rankings and Game Recaps
00:32:01
Speaker
Top 25s were released earlier this week, and there were some changes. Texas and Georgia switched places, and now Texas is the new number one. The next three pretty much stayed in the same order. Ohio State, Alabama, and Ole Miss come in at five. Tennessee and Missouri switched places. So the Vols are now sixth. Tigers are seventh. Miami moved up to eighth. Oregon stays at nine. Penn State dropped to number 10. USC and Utah stayed the same at 11 and 12. K-State and Oklahoma swap places, so K-State is 13. Oakey State is 14.
00:32:30
Speaker
Oklahoma still 15th LSU remains at 16. Notre Dame is up one to 17. Michigan drops down to 18 so they actually flipped. Louisville is 19. Iowa State, Clemson and Nebraska all moved up one. Northern Illinois moved up two to number 23. Illinois jumps into the top 25 at 24 and Texas A and&M is back in at 25.
00:32:54
Speaker
And after tonight's game, I think you'll probably see a shift in the Nebraska and Illinois rankings. I'll get to that in a minute. So it does set up some interesting matches, as I said. So tonight was the first one, Illinois and Nebraska. ah It was in Lincoln in front of the 400th straight sellout crowd.
00:33:16
Speaker
And it was the second time this season Illinois has faced the top 25-0 because they beat Kansas in week two. Both teams came into the game with 3-0 records to start the season. Illinois, it was the first time since 2011 and for Nebraska the first time since 2016. Last season the Cornhuskers went to Champaign and beat Illinois 20-7. This year Illinois hoped to return to favor.
00:33:39
Speaker
Illinois did strike first in the first series as Luke Altmeyer passed to Pat Bryant for a touchdown. Nebraska would get a field goal and then a TD on a six-yard strike from Dylan Riola to Isaiah Nior to take a 10-7 lead after the first quarter. Illini tied it up in the second quarter with a field goal and later before half Nebraska would go up by seven on another connection between Riola and Nior.
00:34:04
Speaker
Now the third quarter, Delano would tie things up again with Altmier finding tight end Tanner Arkin for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter the teams traded TD's as Riolo would hit Gennarian Bonner ah for a six point score and Altmier found Lineman tight end Brandon Harrison for a touchdown pass. The game went into overtime after Nebraska kicker John Hall missed a 39-yard attempt that would have given Nebraska the lead with 259 remaining.
00:34:37
Speaker
On the first possession, the line I had, which was the first, the opening possession in the overtime, took only two plays. The first play was a 21-yard run from Caden Fagan, got him down to to the six, or five, or four, I mean. And Altmaier found Pat Bryant with a little swing pass in the corner of the end zone. And Nebraska took over.
00:35:04
Speaker
After the first, play the first play was a penalty for a five yards for a false start. So that set them back to the 30. So it was first and 30. Uh, the Illini then sacked Riola on the next two plays for a total of 27 yards, putting the Huskers in a third and 42 holes.
00:35:26
Speaker
um They did manage a 13-yard completion and it was 4th and 29 when Dylan Roysiak would sacriola for 11 yards to end the game on 4th down. You know, that that is a big win. I don't know how, I mean it is, it's just huge.
00:35:51
Speaker
Now the duel between the two quarterbacks, freshman Dylan Riola from Nebraska and Luke Altmeyer from Illinois, the sophomore. um ray Riola was 24 of 35, 297 yards, three TDs and one pick. Luke ah Altmeyer was 21 out of 27. 215 yards, four TDs, is no picks. Riola was sacked five times and Altmeyer was sacked twice.
00:36:19
Speaker
The Illini running game was slow to start up, but in the end they out gained Nebraska 166 to 48. Now that's kind of skewed because of the ah late sacks and overtime. If you take those sacks out, the three big sacks, that gives Nebraska a running game of 96 yards. Cade and Fagan had probably the most important run of the game with that 21 yard scamper on the first play of OT to set up the Second goal pass played at Pat Bryant. Dante Dowdell had 74 yards on the ground for Nebraska. ah Pat Bryant led all Illinois receivers with five catches, 74 yards, two TDs, while Jamal Banks, eight catches for 94 yards, and Isaiah Nayor, four catches for 90 yards in a TD, paced the Huskers.
00:37:07
Speaker
it was It was a pretty good, I mean, but pretty good concept between those two quarterbacks. And I i think Altmaier really made a made people stand up and realize that, you know, he's not just not just sitting back there. You know, he actually can can play the game very well. Next up for Illinois is a game ah versus Penn State in Happy Valley at Beaver Stadium, taking on the number 10 Penn State Nitty Lions.
00:37:36
Speaker
And Nebraska travels to West Lafayette, Indiana to take on the to Purdue Boilermakers. Here's some quick notes, um, by Illinois. Uh, this is start of four and O is the first time since 2011. And it's just the second four and O start since 1951. Illinois is the only team in the nation right now with two AP top 25 wins.
00:38:06
Speaker
this season and Illinois has two AP top 25 wins during September for the first time in program history. ah Illinois also has two top 25 wins in a single season for the first time since 2007 when they beat three AP ranked teams.
00:38:27
Speaker
And the Illinois defense has recorded at least one interception in each game this season and in five straight overall games dating back to last season to 2023.
00:38:41
Speaker
Now for Saturday, you got three top 25 match ups. First is ah number 11 USC and number 18 Michigan. That'll be at the big house in Ann Arbor. Michigan's coming off a win over Arkansas State after suffering a beat down at the hands of Texas in week two. Michigan quarterback Davis Warren has been picked off six times this season, only throwing for 444 yards. So that is gonna be a big area of concern for the Wolverines.
00:39:11
Speaker
But they do have a solid running game with the tandem of Khalil Mullings and Donovan Edwards Defensively, Michigan has been good averaging about 19 points a game, but you know um Texas did rack up 31 against them. So take that in consideration oh And that was in the big house That was in the big house. ah USC comes in with a decent air attack. um Quarterback Miller Moss is throwing for 607 yards so far this season, with two touchdowns, no picks. Running game at USC is good, with Woody Marks and Quentin Joyner combining for 267 yards in just two games. And the USC defense has been on point so far this season. Now the IATAP USC is a five-point favorite on the road.
00:39:59
Speaker
Again, five-point favorite on the road at Michigan.
USC vs Michigan Game Preview with Insights
00:40:04
Speaker
This is telling you what they think about Michigan is ah as as a viable team this year. Now, if Michigan loses this game, it'll be the second loss early in this early in the season. And I don't think they see the playoffs unless they win the Big 10. If they get a second loss and don't win out and take the Big 10 title, I don't think they see the top 12 with two losses. I'm going to find it hard to believe that unless it's Penn State or Ohio State, that a two-loss Big 10 team is going to be in the the top 12.
00:40:36
Speaker
ah So that might be some motivation for Michigan. But i either the way I see this game, I would take USC and give the points and be inclined to bet the over on the game. I think the over is the over under is 44. So i I bet the over and and give the points and take USC. Another top 25 matchup, be Utah, number 12 versus Oklahoma State, number 14.
00:41:04
Speaker
this This is a game I'm going to be very interested in watching because these two teams I think are going to provide one heck of a showdown. The Cowboys boast a very good quarterback in Allen Bowman who is doing for 989 yards with nine TDs versus two picks.
00:41:23
Speaker
um They have an excellent whiteout and Deshaun Scribbling who has 17 catches for 295 yards and two touchdowns. Plus they've got a ah batteryy bookend to him and Brandon Presley who has 23 catches for 170 yards and three scores this year.
00:41:43
Speaker
ah The Utes have had to use a couple of quarterbacks this year. Cameron Rising is 18 out of 29 for 346 yards and seven touchdowns while Isaac Wilson is 31 out of 59 for four TDs with three picks. Now Rising is coming off a hand injury and but According to reports should be 100% by game time So the youths have a strong defense also and that could be the difference in this game It will be at Oklahoma State. It'll be there at ah Stillwater so and the Cowboys are favored by one and the over-under is 54 and
00:42:20
Speaker
I would almost stay away from that spread and take the over in that game because I think this will be a pretty high scoring affair. that right All in all should be a very very good game to watch. And the last one on the schedule that of top 25 matchup is Tennessee number 6 versus Oklahoma number 15 at Norman.
00:42:42
Speaker
That's another game featuring some quarterbacks. Jackson Arnold for Oklahoma so far is 54 out of 86 for 484 yards, seven scores, two picks. Arnold is also the leading rusher for the Sooners with 36 carries for 159 yards and two TDs. That doesn't bode well to, if you want my honest opinion.
00:43:06
Speaker
But the sooner throw out not only the White House but the tight ends as well as two of the four leading receivers are tight ends So they do spread the ball Quarterback Nikko Lemaliava leads the Vols offense. He's a true freshman. 48 out of 67 so far this year with 690 yards, six TDs, two picks. Tennessee can run the ball. They've got some good runners as a runner back Dylan Simpson has 45 carries with 357 yards and nine touchdowns already. Now the Vols are favored by six and a half in this game and the over under is 57.
00:43:44
Speaker
This could be a horse race, but I'm going to be inclined to take Tennessee, give the six and a half and bet the over.
Conclusion and Upcoming Shows Promotion
00:43:51
Speaker
um So that's the three games I see. There might be, so there's some others out there that if if you you know want to take a look around.
00:44:00
Speaker
I know one game that's gonna be on TV that I really don't understand why is local is Ohio State versus Marshall I I don't really see that game as being one that is a is must-see TV as I really think Ohio State is just going to run roughshod um But you know it is what it is So, that's going to do it for me right now. So please, as always, check out the Fuel Sports Network and all it has to offer. It's got the team of rivals with Ron, Pete and Elliott, the Derek King Show, 2-for-3 with Moose Michaels, and At the Park with Ron Nuttle. Also, check out Arlington Lane and the A-Train.
00:44:44
Speaker
You can also find articles on baseball, soccer, football, pro and college. So check out FuelSportsNetwork.com. So that's going to do it for me. Don't forget next week will be the third episode of the NCAA report presented by the Fuel Sports Network with myself and my compadre Russ Robinson. So until then,
00:45:07
Speaker
Have fun, stay safe, and I'll see you again when we are talking sports on the bleachers. Good night, everybody.