This is the place where Sports Depends a lot of data sports. I'm your host, going to be in joining me on the show is Nick. What up, bro? What's going on?
A lot going on in Notre Dame right now. Big game tonight between Penn State and Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, I think. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The Genet Orange juice bowl between James Franklin and Marcus Freeman, two black coaches.
And one of them was set to make history tonight. And it turned out it was Marcus Freeman in what was a hell of a game and a very entertaining game between two teams that I didn't think we would get that. What are your own? What are your thoughts from this game?
Overall, this was like a mix of two games. It was like smashing off football for like the first half. And then it just opened it up to like being almost, I won't say an aerial assault because it wasn't like they were throwing it down the field, like patting my homes versus Josh Allen. But it did come off like just a more exciting game.
Like it was like we finally got college football. This is the first game that I'm like, this is finally, well, I'll say the Texas and Arizona State game was also that too. But this is finally like, all right, this is what we waited for with the college football playing off format. Two teams that no one thought to do shit, you know what I'm saying, the final four.
And Marcus Freeman, coach, I was sorry. He did his thing. His quarterback looked better, even though Drew Alar is supposed to be potentially a first round second round pick. I think he took himself.
I think he'd be about to go into the transfer portal after this because he was like, first of the back. He cost him the game. I'll say that. You know, you know, you'll are cost him the game.
Franklin's probably gonna get fired. And yeah, I mean, we'll get into it. But I was just more in personal market for him. For him to be it.
This is his third year. He's going to the National Championship game from what he took over. Like Brian Kelly, we see how shitty Brian Kelly is as coach, based off of all this. Like in three seasons, he was able to turn around the program.
I know Kim, he was early like this, make it get fired at the second. But it's a they got to keep him for at least two more years now. Yeah, he said and he'll smooth talk of, bro. I think he got a notebook and a pen and a path full of just quotes and shit and because Riley Leonard.
He gave us a white boy. Yeah. Yeah. So he'll smooth talking and Riley Leonard, he just basically said in the second half, he just said and this post game, I'm going to let go of that guy.
He said it. So I was like, and he was the better quarterback from what I've seen over the course of the season. You know, they said during the broadcast that Notre Dame has more rushing yards than passing yards. So that's not that big of a profound statement to say.
But he got it done and that defense got it turn over when they needed it the most. And I will say, they were able to run the ball against Penn State a little bit more effectively than than Jim was, man. I need to go get to that. Jeremiah Smith, but he was the high injury.
I need to go ahead and do my thing. Hey, Jim, was another Jeremiah Smith. Yeah, two of them dogs, one running back one wide receiver like this one on a busted knee. It was crazy.
Hurtling people. It was insane. He got up there to last. I got him up with whatever whatever dope they shot him up with.
It was amazing. She put someone that a holy wall on. Holy. It's not a game.
It's only one. Oh, yeah. They gave him a communion cracker. Holy.
My bad. Holy wall is ditty. But anyway, what do you think what are your thoughts on the game, Manny? I'm shocked, man.
And Nick mentioned it. I'm shocked how the game just completely turned because in our first half Penn State was dominating. I mean, they just really were. They controlled the line of scrimmage.
Both lines of scrimmage. I think they controlled the time of possession. I mean, it just looked like it was a typical Penn State game in the postseason. They were just really dominant up front.
We all thought that Penn State defensive line, which is great, was going to really take over the game. And then the second half, it just completely flipped. It completely flipped. And that's the shocking part.
How effective Notre Dame was able to run the football, especially with their tackle being injured too. And then tackle Engard being injured, having two guys replace them. And it seems like they almost strengthened their offensive line in a way. I'm shocked, man.
I did not expect. I thought it would be a close game to begin with because I think these are two evenly matched teams. Like I really think they're similar teams. Penn State's got more talent, raw talent.
But I think they're evenly matched teams. And like you said, man, Marcus Freeman's a helicopter coach. I mean, I'd like to do since the beginning when they first hired him when he was a defensive coordinator, a lot of people were really raving about him and thinking that he was going to be the next great young coach. And he's all but proven it because he coaches ass off, he coaches ass off.
And I'm really shocked, man, because I really didn't think I really thought the team that would control the offensive line and defensive line both lines and scrimmages would win the game. And so the beginning is it felt like it was Penn State and it flipped in the second, late in the second quarter, but definitely in the second half it completely flipped. It was two things I want to mention. One, Marcus Freeman does come from a good pedigree.
He was a coach at Ohio State. Then he went to UC during the Luke Fickle era when it was really balling. So he learned about how to win. And then two, it seems like James Franklin, he gets you, he's like that person who can get you there but can't take you all the way home.
Like a game like this, you would think would work in Penn State's favorite. It's a close game, low score game, defensive type of game. You would think he would be one that pulls it out. But at that goal round, I think was it to end the half or close to the end and half of the half when Drew, when, Drew, a large, through the ball, first of all, the receivers should have caught that.
I don't give a fuck. He put even though it wasn't the perfect pass, but it was a touchdown right there. And then he had to settle for three. That was the game to me right there.
Because points are at a premium. No, it's interesting because like I said, they're two similar teams, right? They don't have a lot of great wide receivers, but it's interesting because Notre Dame's wide receivers actually played better. That's been the thing for Penn State man forever, man.
They just don't have great wide receivers. And that's been, that's been the thing that's killed James Franklin over this last couple of years with this run that they've had. Because this, my thing, my thing with James Franklin, I like him as a coach, but I've been this like, you can't get it done. And this, again, this was a game that he was dominating.
He dominated the first 24, 25 minutes of this game and then it just completely flipped. So yeah, I just, I don't even know what to say about anymore about James Franklin. It's just part of it is luck. I don't think he did anything crazy.
Like, I don't think it was a coaching decision or a move or a play call necessarily that I think cost him the game. I think it was just a death by a thousand paper cuts. I mean, every time it felt like they got the momentum, Notre Dame just naturally right back. And then Drew Allen, I mean, you can't make that throw there.
I mean, what are you on? I mean, that's the one, I mean, what are you doing getting aggressive there? Go to overtime. Go to overtime.
He's doing that's just trying to be too cute. That's trying to be. He got out things. He's got the arm talent.
So he wants to show it all. You know, he knows he knows on the line, draft stock and all that. He wanted to throw it out, aired out. And he just came to bite him.
He's like for a senior. He got to because he had an accuracy here. Yeah, I was one of the. I was been supremely over high.
He's got a lot of raw skills, but yeah, he's just he's either wins of the game or loses him again. And that's just the thing with him. And yeah, that throw there at the end of the game. I'm just like, what are you doing, bro?
You know, it was just run the ball three times. Yeah, and the I don't know who the main announcer was, but he was damn this shit. No Freeman when he was yeah, because he was criticizing Freeman's possession when he went when he called the past plays and they got sacked and he had to put it away. And then he criticized it for something else.
Oh, yeah, when they spiked the ball, he was like, what do you get out of that? And it was really weird how he just turned on him all of a sudden. It was just, I don't know what was going on with that. But when they were up to, you know, I thought it was a wrap because Notre Dame, you know, offensively, I just haven't been impressed with him.
And defensively, I thought they were going to keep these guys really suppressed with the rest of the game. And then they reeled off 17 straight. And I was like, okay, this might be it. And then Penn State just went right back down the field, tied it up and then took the lead because Riley threw a crazy interception that he should not have thrown.
And then Notre Dame got penalty called against him by a shooter or number eight. And once they were up 24-17, I was like, okay, this is it again. Then it got fall down and whoever just got great house, whatever his name is, you know, shake somebody in any scores. And then it's tied again.
And then now it's the battle of who wants it more. And I'm thinking about what he said, or Riley said that Freeman said to him in the locker room, he said, you know, the is written by conquerors. And he's like, these games are written by conquerors and something like that. And we got the pin.
And, you know, it sounds corny and stuff, but they believe and somehow they've managed to win this game. I did not have them going to the National Championship at all. And but he didn't do it, man. I'm happy.
You got a bug like a sort of a whataway. But I don't know why I had faith in Freeman over Franklin. It was just because he seemed like, actually, I know why it was a Georgia game. That's when I realized this Notre Dame team, it is because they hailed up to me defensively Notre Dame is what shocks me.
Offensively, like you said, I think we can already done too crazy. I don't do that in sexy. Some of their play calling it interesting. But their defense is what's like really sticks out.
Like they weren't really like even though Penn State dominant. They were like a bento break because even though Penn State was running the ball well, they got three touchdowns from the single. It still didn't but it didn't feel like it. It didn't feel like they had three touchdowns and over 100 yards or 200 yards of rushing.
It just felt like it was a back and forth game. But if you look at the stats, you would think like how did Penn State lose this game when they dominated with the run? That one turnover cost. And if I told you James Franklin was going to rush for over 200 yards and they want to get two turnovers, you would think they would win that game.
I thought the two biggest plays of the game was the field goal at the end of the half or close to the end of the half with Notre Dame. I think that settled everything down. Sometimes when you get dominated like that in a half, you just got to get some points. You got to just kind of settle yourself a little bit.
I thought that was really important to kind of get Notre Dame to like, all right, we got dominated. We got to shoot it on. Look at the time of possession, but we're still in this game. So we'll touch it on game.
And then I think the pass interference that they called in the fourth quarter on number eight, do was turned around. I don't know. I thought that was, I get it by the letter of the law. He interfered with them, but I don't know.
I thought that was a real dubious call because he got to do it. I learned to do it. So it was going to get picked off anyway. So yeah, well, I would say they let him play most of his.
Not a letter. The other way around. Yeah. Yeah.
They play. They don't play most of his game. They're not going to play many flags. At least to me.
I felt like that was again, I know he didn't turn around, but I learned to the ball. I was a clean pick in my, I thought it was a bad throw. Babs a Super Call. Bad call because he was triple teamed.
And that's what I didn't even understand the play call there. I don't know. I thought that, yeah, I don't know. I thought those were two big plays.
No one was able to survive it, but I really thought the field goal close to the end of the second quarter was a big one for them. Because I think when you get out of that second quarter, you look at the score, you're like, I'm 10-3, like I'm in this game. I just got shit on. I just got dominated.
You just talked about it. Nick Sicleton is running all over us and it's still a touchdown game. So I think that that helped Notre Dame settle in and then, you know, pass their, pass the Freeman with all his holes. You know, I think just, like guys, like we in this game, we are here.
We just beat the dominant team of this era in Georgia. We matched them physically and we out-physicaled them. This is nothing for us. We here.
Like we can win this game and I think they believed it because they came out in the second half and they actually proved it. Can Autumn goofy close make sense when you win it, bro? They didn't lose this game, but ain't nobody's saying shit in the field. But Marcus Freeman, Courtney jokes aside though, he's a hell of a coach.
He is a hell of a coach. He is. He was talking a lot of, I don't know if y'all noticed, but in his interviews throughout the game, he felt like he was talking a lot of shit too. He felt really confident about his team in this game.
And he's got a defense like that is physical. You got a ball control offense and they're not going to beat themselves and not going to Riley Leonard, you know, I like Riley Leonard. I like the meduke. He does have some NFL draft hype around.
Don't do that, man. Don't do that, man. Yeah, good game. Just say that.
I'm not saying you're up with the dude in the hall of fame. I'm just saying Riley Leonard is a confident quarterback and listen, when you got a defense that can literally physically dominate you at the line of scrimmage, I think you've got to have confidence. You know, they outplay Penn State. I mean, did I do a car to do anything?
I can't do shit. I love that. I do this. Maybe Michael.
He got some pressures, but I mean, when you're out of the game, you're going to have confidence because you know, you could throw in a step, you know, that defense can get it back. So that cover up all your fuckups. But really, I think out of this game, there's a lot of phrase that is that needed to be thrown on a market screaming. But man, it's going to be rough for James Franklin.
And at the halftime, I was about to test you guys when I saw the stat. And I don't know if you guys saw it. And I was like, oh, it's James Franklin when leading at the half and Marcus Freeman was two and six when trailing at the half. And they flipped.
Now his first loss, you add that into the conversation about him not winning big games. And here's the stat. Four and 20, four and 20 against teams ranked in the AP top 10. Amen.
That's not good. And that's why I started off, man, it was saying like, right, if people were calling for Ryan days hit with his record and where he's put all our state in position numerous years, then you got to say the same thing. It's not worse for Franklin. Although I will say different situations, James Franklin was at Penn State.
It's a little bit different than being at Ohio State. Ryan Day took over for Urban Meyer. He had that shit rolling. Like let's not act like and Penn State was coming off the paternal stuff.
I know Bill O'Brien got him kind of centered right, but it's a little I get I get I get your point. But with those numbers, it's like, and you even start off saying like if not now then when I mean, this is the weakest though house thing even though it's crazy to say that, but this is the weakest though house they doesn't look in your division or in your conference. You made it to the final four and you had a cook. Okay.
I mean, you know, I mean, this is or Ohio State. You had a face Notre Dame who got in without even out the window conference. So it's just like, what else can you ask for? And James Franklin was talking shit about that before the game.
Listen, I get the criticism I defend James Franklin to a point, but I do get it. I do get it and it's getting harder to defend because I mean, listen, you don't make eight seven, eight million dollars a year of Penn State to lose all these big gains. I mean, eventually you got to break through. Yeah.
I don't know. You had an easy role. Like I said, if not now, when you know this was the most talented team you've had, probably ever at Penn State in your tenure. I just don't know when it when is it going to be?
Yeah, it was it was bad. Juju when I saw Michael Parsons in the bar air and to know the side of those type of cuts. I was like, it's a wrap. Yeah, it's crazy.
It's crazy. So I got that game just turned it literally just it was like a blowout and then it just completely just flipped like that like it just completely. I'm telling you it was that it was that touch that failed touchdown where you had to settle for three. No, I think you're talking about the second you talking about the second half because they went crazy in the four quarter 17 to 14.
And the fourth quarter but I'm saying this to start the second I mean, I think even up even up 10 three right? You still felt really good about Penn State. You know, you really and they were moving the ball net defense. That's a crazy part.
Like, you know, they were moving the ball and it just completely like when that 17 that 17 old stretch like it just was just complete domination by Notre Dame. When they went up 24 17, that's what I thought was over. I was like, this is where the game cracks open. But they didn't do shit after that.
They literally did not do shit after that. Yeah, which was insane to me because like what's going on. But maybe that's what I wanted to ask you does we would we would glaze at Marcus Free? Does he have a shot?
Does he have a shot? They swear. I mean, does he have a shot in the National Championship? I think he does, man.
I really do. I mean, first of all, I had Georgia winning the whole thing personally. I thought Georgia was battle tested and I thought that because this is the first year to college football playoffs, I think that this year is going to be different than anything we've seen before, obviously. But I think the team that really is physical can run the football and control the line of scrimmage.
I thought those teams have the best chance of winning a national championship. And I I I was really impressed when I seen what Notre Dame was able to do with Georgia. And I think they can match up with both Texas and Ohio State. Now they got to keep the game.
They got to see Notre Dame's got to win a low scoring, like dirty, grimy game. They can't get into a shoot out with Texas. They're not going to win. They can't get into a shootout with Ohio State because they're not going to win.
I think if they could keep the game at 24 to 27 28 points, I think they got a shot. I really do. I think they have a shot. You know what, Manny?
I think they have a better chance of beating Texas than Ohio State. And initially, when you were talking, I was like, how's they was probably blowing them out and then I thought about the Michigan game. So and you talk about a team that's very strong and physical and just kind of yeah, hard. No, absolutely not.
No, he's been playing more than well, though, we can't lie like that. Who's opponents? Oregon bro. Listen, I knew they were gonna be Oregon.
I thought Oregon was over in all year. I've worked and lost that Boise State. All this shit that Boise State got Boise State should beat them. Listen, I don't trust Ohio State because I don't trust day and I definitely don't trust well Howard.
Now if he plays well, shut up. But and he's played well in the postseason. I will give him that. But but it's not the crazy.
But that's the crazy thing is that I really do. If he is just I guess high end Brock hurt. They win the whole they win the whole championship. But if he's even some remnants of mid to look like to me is like, Notre Dame, the last team they want to face is Ohio State.
Because I know they thought I know but I'm not saying like even if you do give a will Howard bad game, let's say two touchdowns to pick that defense program get a turnover on their own. You saw how what's the name? I think Texas from a talent perspective is the most talented team in the country. But really I disagree with you were scares me when you were I don't trust when you was it.
Oh, you tell my scares you as far as that. Okay, I thought you say trash. I agree with that. When you was a trash, bro.
Like this dude like they honestly, they should they should have stuck with Manning. But that's all another I said to say that if they started Manning towards the end of the season going up tonight, I think I would have them as the fake. But which makes me think something about Manning because I'm like, you can't you get vegetable queen yours. I don't think is that I think it's really just like, you're looking at where he was.
Yeah, let him finish out his year. He coming up next regardless. Listen, the national championship opportunities don't come off the bro. You got to get back to back.
They went back to back and to play off the way. What you think they can do with me? Yeah, I get it. I get it.
But listen, I think, no, I mean, listen, and I'm not even trying to glaze on a game or nothing. I don't even like it. But I'm just I'm telling you, I think when you have two games like this, a game against Georgia, which has been the premier team in the sport for the last five years. And then you have a game like this against Penn State, who a lot of people felt like outside of the Ohio State and Texas was the next team that could win a national championship.
And you beat both of them. I don't think you fear any of these two teams right now. I don't think you fear, especially with Will Howard and Quinn Ewers. I'm telling the quarterback is the is the deciding factor of both those two teams.
If Will Howard plays like the will like Peyton Manning like he's been playing in the last two games, then yeah, I think Ohio State's gonna win big. You think it matters that they're winning over Georgia came without Carson bet? I mean, it matters a little bit, but it's still Georgia, bro. It's still Georgia, it's still Kirby smart.
It's still that defense that kid got him played well when he came in for Carson back. So listen, you be Georgia that that that that adds something to your resume, bro. To me, this this game was Notre Dame's change to game and it's not even like a Georgia on a flute, you know, a muff punt or I mean, I know they had a I know they had a return point or whatever. But they actually matched up with Georgia and out physical them.
That was the thing like that you really had to take a look like they're actually matching physicality with Georgia. And yeah, I'm telling you, I don't think I think the game is gonna come down to which quarterback can make the smart plays Riley Leonard or the combination of Queen Ewers and or Will Howard and I don't trust when you were and I definitely don't trust Will Howard. I think I think this is Notre Dame's championship game. I think next next game is just Freeman already got his his contract is probably getting printed out again.
You know, saying he goes on the dotted line before the game start for another two to three years. I have no faith if they go against Ohio State as bad as I don't think or as bad as I think Will Howard can play. I think it's still good enough with that roster. No, this is not a day team starting to remind me of remember that O2 Ohio State team.
They want a lot of close games. They they you know, they kind of had a similar offense, Ben, but you know, kind of, you know, ball control, running football, they have a rescore as a freshman. Oh, yeah. And then they went up against Miami and nobody gave him a chance.
Nobody gave him a chance. And they want to know what's on controversy. Controversially. Yeah, because that was that was yeah.
But I mean, I think this is what a day team can win it all, bro. I really do. We have a lot of people under rating them now. Now you over hyped up that off that off.
That off is a international championship game and they just be Georgia but say I'm right. Because Franklin fucked up. I trust Franklin the title more than I trust James Franklin. Hey, they're going for eight.
It's you trust like he's your the fucking start he's your one. I'm just I'm going off of this. No, the teams that I was the teams that I would have graded on is already will have I mean, Ryan, they can't get past these teams in a shit. He got past Tennessee, you got past Oregon, who was the best team in the country at the point at that point in time.
Now he gets Notre Dame or one of them get Notre Dame like that's if you don't win that game is like you said, if not now they went somebody get fired. I don't think he's getting fired, but Ryan, if he was this alright, he goes to the markets free with a black man. That's the only thing I've ever been for Notre Dame because I want to see Marcus me win it actually. I think it'd be big for the culture for a black head coach to win that championship football, personally, but he was at a different school that made me wait.
There you go. Let that as a community college at Chapel Hill. I don't care. Listen, I mean, listen, I think the smart money, like I'm not telling nobody to mortgage their house on Notre Dame.
I think they would be they would be underdogs against both Texas and Ohio State. But I'm just saying anybody that's thinking that they're just going to get ran through. I don't know, bro. I don't know.
I think this Notre Dame team is different. I really do. I really do. Well, we'll see.
Yeah, we will. We will. You know, my first reaction when it was over, I was like, man, Texas or Ohio State gonna beat the shit out of more Ohio State. Texas could fuck like if Texas somehow beat Ohio State and get in that to me, that's a coin toss game now.
I would go with where many is going with this far as like Notre Dame got a shot. If it's Ohio State. We are with a picture for that game tomorrow. Yeah.
Oh, I got a lot of Santa blowout. Like a 17 point margin. Right now, right now, with the way Will Howers doing it, like, it's actually best that they didn't get the number one seat and have that by because now they they've had to wild car. It's like the Green Bay Packer scene, New York Giants, things, those random, the tell me, but some random wild cartoons that just go on run because they just hot.
He was nice enough or that working game was over that first quarter. Oregon was overrated and Tennessee. Honestly, I was I never saw it with Tennessee. I think the committee love Tennessee more than I did.
I personally, I thought Ole Miss and South Carolina had more of a resume than Tennessee, but that's just me. But my prediction for that game is interesting, right? Because I don't like Ohio State when everybody's sitting on Ohio State, they lost in Michigan and they came out motivated. Now, the whole country loves Ohio State.
Ohio State's going to win might as well just start, you know, don't send them shirts back to Africa, print them shirts out, you know, they're going to win the national title, blah, blah, blah. I don't know, man. And everybody's kind of shitting on Texas. I don't know.
I think Texas is going to beat him. With everything you said about Quinn Eures. It's sorry. You go say that?
Bro, I could say think about Ohio State. Yeah, but they probably got a marriage by Michigan. Hey, Manny, Texas should even be here. If we keep it a bean that was targeting everybody.
If you want to talk about Texas, if you want to talk about what calls that should be made. We talked about that past interference in this game last game, but that Texas should be here. That's right. I feel like you under rating Texas Texas loaded, bro.
They had a white, they had a white boy named Shaboozy. Boozy was about the single hand of the loaded bro. I think you underrated a little bit, Texas bro. If they know if they had Archimantic, I'm with you, they don't go they got him on the bench for next year.
You trust when you were as more will Howard? Will Howard? I know I know I said it with confidence, but I did. I still don't know.
What's the game to win for your life? You're picking Will Howard or Quinn Eures? If I get would have went from my life, I'm giving the guns like shoot myself. My thing is like, Quinn Eures has not had a game this postseason as good as well.
How's it true? So I'm going with the height of King, whatever I say is like, if it's a toss up, go with the better quarterback, I think we'll hire the better quarterback. Okay. All right.
You know, it's I respect it. I respect the conviction. We go find out tomorrow, man. If you go, if you want to be a real good boy, I'm a good boy.
I'm a good boy. We go. We go. We go.
We go. We go. See you right. I got it.
I got to fill in that. Well, how are he trying to brace his dress? Dr. B, at least a third round pick.
He's a third round pick. Oh, damn. If he beat Texas and when the title he could be a third round pick. If boom, next can be a first round pick.
Third round pick. Well, anyway, yeah. So, but yeah, man, tune in tomorrow as we will have our final team battling it out to go to the National Championship. It's the second game of the summer final matchup in the cotton bow between Texas and Ohio State.
And we'll be on to discuss that and look ahead to the National Championship game. Those are our instant reactions, our thoughts to what turned out to be a very thrilling game between Penn State and Notre Dame. And to next time, I appreciate you, Manny. And to next time, we are peace.