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The Green & White Report is a weekly live radio show at 11 a.m. on Sundays produced by the student reporters of Impact Sports. The show features sports news and debates from across Michigan State’s campus, as well as Detroit pro sports teams and the rest of the sports world.
Bad snap. Bobby scoops up. Here come the Spartans. Touchdown, MSGU. Touchdown.
Speaker 2:From WDBM East Lansing, you're listening to the green and white report, a production from Impact Sports. This is your source for sports news, debates, and more for Michigan State, Detroit, and the rest of the sports world.
Speaker 3:Hello, East Lansing. It's cold outside, white on the ground, gray skies, and seems like winter is officially here. Welcome to Green and White Report. I'm Jo Dez, joined by Oscar Anderson. Gabe Souza, how are you two doing today?
Speaker 4:So fitting that the day after Thanksgiving break is the one where we get all of the snowfall. Winter is finally here in East Lansing. But other than that, I had a great Thanksgiving break, great weekend, a fifty fifty Thursday, I'd say. Tough Lions game, but my lord and savior, Tom Izzo, came and recovered me right afterwards. So gotta appreciate him for that.
Speaker 4:But, yeah, it's a great weekend all along. And shout out my mom for a birthday today too.
Speaker 3:Nice. Yes. There we go. Happy birthday, missus Henderson, of course.
Speaker 4:Happy birthday.
Speaker 3:Owen McCarthy just joining us as well. He'll be on the mic. Gabe, how was your week?
Speaker 5:I mean, was great. You know, obviously, like you said, down week because of the Lions, but it was nice to see, of course, MSU hockey bouncing back. Both of us are on that beat and, you know, Tom Izzo is just, you know, he always just makes your day better, it seems. So, yeah, pretty pretty good weekend. Awesome.
Speaker 3:That's good to hear. I was in Tampa Bay, so I was in about 80 degrees of weather, and I come back to pure snow today. So tough adjustment.
Speaker 4:I was gonna say you had quite the transition there. You know, 80 degree weather, and then you come back. It is snowing like there's no tomorrow here in Michigan.
Speaker 3:Sinuses are destroyed. Going from cold to hot, back to hot to cold is not not good for the body. Let's see. Not the best. Owen, how was your Thanksgiving?
Speaker 3:Oh, it was
Speaker 6:a good time. I may maybe had a little bit too much fun on Wednesday night and, you know, stayed in bed till about dinner time on, on on Thursday. And then, you know, got to see some family I haven't seen in a long time. You know, it had been, like, two months since I'd been back home. So, you know, good to see all my all my all my family, all my friends, and then, you know, get to watch MSU just absolutely outclass UNC on the court.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 6:That that that saved my, my my mental state on Thanksgiving Day. Then, you know, we got we got MSU hockey with a win, MSU football with
Speaker 3:a That's what we're about to talk about right here. Oh, there we go. MSU has not lost a Big Ten game this week. There we go. First time
Speaker 4:in four years. Said it could've gone.
Speaker 3:Yes. Everybody was doubting it. Everyone thought it wouldn't happen. But Michigan State does not go winless in conference this season. First Big Ten win that counts in four years.
Speaker 3:Michigan State, you have done it. Welcome to
Speaker 4:the college football playoffs. What they gonna say now? Victory Sunday, just It
Speaker 3:feels so good.
Speaker 6:Crazy. It's
Speaker 4:I mean, what a performance.
Speaker 3:Alessio looks good.
Speaker 4:Alessio, mean, I man, a lot of people I think were really questioning the transition from Aiden Childs to Alessio Milivojevic. You know, the couple times we had seen him in garbage time, he had not looked as good. And, you know, a lot of what we thought was wrong with this team didn't really fall on Aiden Childs. And, you know, it really has felt like since they've made that switch, there has been a completely different feel to this team. They're a lot closer in these games than they have been in the past.
Speaker 4:I mean, you you talk about, you know, last week, they almost came into Iowa and pulled off the upset there, but they finally get the win here against, you know, not so good Maryland team, but it's a very great offense that they played against. And like you said, Milivojevic, I think, took advantage of playing against a pretty bad defense and looked phenomenal, like you said. 02/1992 passing yards, four touchdowns, 27 of 39. Just an amazing stat sheet for the guy. I'm really excited to see if one, he'll stay here.
Speaker 4:And two, what he can become if he does stay here and what this could sort of build on going into next season. I know there you know, this season was not what a lot of people expected, and it's just a really big disappointment for a lot of people. But I think this could be something they could possibly build on these last three weeks with the way they've looked and the way they've played. They're not out on this guy, Jonathan Smith, yet. And I think that's very clear with these last couple of weeks.
Speaker 4:They still really believe in this guy. And I think as long as look. The coaching carousel right now, it's insane.
Speaker 6:It's crazy.
Speaker 4:We're gonna get into it a little bit. But as long as this guy has not lost the locker room, I still don't see why you wouldn't give him another year for next year. I mean
Speaker 3:Well, on the alternatives, are you go even further in debt and then you have to try dealing with the recruitment issues that are already happening. The recruiting, we've lost all or that team, excuse me, has lost all eight people from the recruiting class. Yeah. You switch to coach, I think you're getting anybody else. I don't think you're getting better from that.
Speaker 3:So at this point, if you and Oscar Henderson are saying it, that means that Jonathan Smith has shown something. That's gotta happen.
Speaker 4:I I mean, look. Like, again, I was I was a little hesitant on this guy throughout the season. I thought he might've been losing the locker room. But again, I think a lot of what these guys have said during interviews and just how they play on the field too definitely tells me something that these guys still believe in him. They still like him as a coach.
Speaker 4:And I think they still are buying into his messaging. I don't we again, we don't know how good the messaging is right now, but we're gonna give him I think we should give him another chance to see if he can improve in the year three. I think it'll be a a short leash, no less, in year three. But, I mean, he's got a really easy he's got a really early chance to prove himself next season when they have to do go to South Bend and play Notre Dame. That's gonna be a big game, and I think that is really going to define next season and which direction this program ultimately ends up going in.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I I agree with you to be honest. I don't think any of the potential candidates who would come to Michigan State, it's not like a luxury destination at this point. I think you trust your guy. Give him a third year.
Speaker 3:He's been saying it all season. We might as well see if he's telling it truthfully at this point. If he has one more year, it seems like it will get better. Gabe, what's your opinion on this?
Speaker 5:Well, I mean, I well, first of all, it can't get any worse. Right?
Speaker 3:No. No. Not really. Well, I mean, we could I
Speaker 6:could name a couple ways.
Speaker 3:Yeah. If they lost yesterday, then it would have been
Speaker 6:quite worse.
Speaker 4:Yeah. It would
Speaker 3:have been pretty bad.
Speaker 5:I think, you know, one of these quarterbacks is probably gonna go. Honestly, I don't know right now which one that's gonna be.
Speaker 3:I think we all know which one we know. Yeah. Everyone. Everyone.
Speaker 5:Listen. Listen. We we don't know yet. Right? Of course, we don't know.
Speaker 5:But and I think I think a lot of these other guys are gonna go unfortunately. And if head coach Jonathan Smith, you know, if Michigan State University decides to let him go and take on that debt, I think a lot more people are gonna leave and a lot less people are gonna come in. So I think it'd be wise to save the money, you know, let him try for another year. If he loses a non conference well, I guess besides, it'd be understandable if they lose to Notre Dame.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's pretty that's a high level. Yeah.
Speaker 5:You know what? No. If they lose to Notre Dame, want Smith gone. That's that's the that's the straw that broke the camel's back.
Speaker 4:I'm hoping they can stay, you know, competitive in that game. Yeah. Not going out. You know, they're not they they are a better team from last year because right now, if this team were to play Notre Dame, it'd probably look like that Syracuse game they played last
Speaker 6:week, guys.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Right. But not be good.
Speaker 4:Not be good. So I I think, you know, obviously, a win isn't a loss an outright loss is not gonna, you know, define his, you know, program or his career at that point. But I just you would look for him to probably be competitive in that game. And if he can, I think that will be that will carry a lot throughout the season and just for his leash as well and his job security, I think, could go a long way too?
Speaker 3:I agree. As long as there's any improvement next year, as long as there's hope for a bowl game, you just have to make a bowl. The line is under the water at this point. It's drowning. Just make a bowl game, and you're fine.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 6:Yeah. Oh. I just I I don't know. To me, I feel like we saw regression this year. And, from year one to year two of a new program or, you know, new administration, that's not something you wanna see.
Speaker 6:Mhmm. I I think a lot of it was attitude around the locker room. Obviously, a lot of these guys never quit, but it felt like a lot of these mistakes were purely mental. And, you know, if you win a couple more games, you don't make those mistakes. So it it's it's mistakes that compound and get worse over a season.
Speaker 6:And I feel I don't know about you guys. I feel like they looked worse at points in this season than they did, you know, week three or week four. And, obviously, you're playing better better teams, you know, over over the course of the season. But at some point, there's gotta be something you can look back on and say, hey. This team has improved here, and it doesn't really feel like year one to year two, like, that's happened.
Speaker 6:But I don't know. To me, I think the right move is to unfortunately get rid of Smith. It's gonna it's gonna cost a lot of money to bring someone new in, and, unfortunately, I think MSU might have waited too long to do that. But to put the put the trust in this this administrate or not this administration, but, you know, this this this coaching staff again to me seems a little unfounded, based on the regression from year one to year two and the fact that it feels like the donors never really got behind him, in a way that you could have really done, you know, good things year one to year two. It just it just feels like he never got the support.
Speaker 6:And based on this season, I don't feel like that's gonna change.
Speaker 4:Well, I think you you you mentioned some of the funding too. I I think that might have been more a recipe of, you know, former the the former athletic director and sort of how the athletic program before Jay Bat was sort of, you know, looking at the whole NIL thing and stuff, they just weren't really buying into it as much as they really should have. And so I think that was a very big component as to why they made the switch to Jay Bat athletic director in the first place because he had done such a good job at Georgia Tech in bringing in that fundraising and bringing in a, you know, new era of college football into that program. And we see it right now. I mean, Brett Key has done phenomenal things at Georgia Tech, and he's gotten some really great recruits to come over there.
Speaker 4:In the last couple of years, he's been coached there. So I think it was just more a product of the athletic department not doing enough to get him the support than him not having the backing per se. I just don't think the backing was even asked for really necessarily because that was just was not Howler's thing really as an athletic director. But when we look at Jay Bat, that is something that we brought him in to do. And so I think giving Smith another year, seeing what he could do with this type of backing, I think it would be worthwhile and definitely, you know, opportune opportunistic to, you know, see if he can improve on what was a really disappointing season for a second season, no doubt.
Speaker 3:I I actually do agree with you, Oscar, on that. Just the fact that going into the season, there's a transition athletic director, of course. And then coming into last season, he's dealing with the biggest controversies seemingly in the entire college football world Yeah. Coming into the season besides a team down the road, which ended up not cooperating with the NCAA because it's a fake institution, but we're not gonna get into that right now.
Speaker 4:Don't talk about it.
Speaker 6:Hey. We only talk about teams that win on Saturday, 11/29/2025.
Speaker 3:Yes. Everybody knows. I don't I don't even know what to say at that. That's but that's okay. Great great matchup.
Speaker 3:But, yes, going back to the original point for Michigan State, I don't think anybody could have come into this job and handled all of the pressure, all of the controversy better than Smith is what I'll say. Even if it didn't turn to wins on the field, I will say he has been a class act the entire time he's been here. There has been no controversies through him. Mhmm. The only controversy that arose was from a past coach, not him.
Speaker 3:So I I I'd say, you're not gonna get anybody better to replace him with at this point. Give him one more season. Refresh the care coaching carousel if you really need to next season. Evaluate your options early. Don't wait till the last moment to possibly fire him.
Speaker 3:I'd say Gil in the summer. See what happens. What would you guys be happy
Speaker 5:with next year record wise? Like, does he have
Speaker 3:to do? Bowl six and six. That's all you need.
Speaker 4:I think seven and five. I think, you know, maybe flirting with a potential playoff berth at large. You know? I I I don't expect him to, you know, make a playoff game at all. But I think if he could find them if he could find a way to put Michigan State back in the conversation, back into national attention next season, I think that's gonna be successful year for him.
Speaker 6:Now Me, though, I just think you're you're you're sacrificing the trust and support of a lot of fans and a lot of donors if if you put him back out there. I think the last month, really, since the Michigan game, we've seen a lot of, you know, a lot of, I guess, kind of fans giving up. And, you know, it feels like every single home game since then, we've had the tarps off section.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah. Exactly. The shirtless crowd.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 6:Yeah. I I know I know they were able to pull out the win last night, and I love that. It was a great watch. But at some point, I feel like you have to listen to your fans. You can't just you can't you can't sit in your, you know, I guess your your what what's that?
Speaker 6:The castle? The the ivory the ivory tower?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 6:That's can't sit in ivory tower and pretend like you know better than everyone that likes your football program.
Speaker 3:Well Yeah.
Speaker 4:I I think too just fans don't really, you know, understand the, you know, the exact weight that these, you know, violations have had and especially the consequences that they do have. You know, having less recruiting is a huge thing in college football.
Speaker 6:We're we got
Speaker 4:I I don't know how many scholarships that got revoked
Speaker 3:for A lot. Yeah. So it's
Speaker 5:Go to Mel.
Speaker 3:I'll find the exact details.
Speaker 4:And those are you know, you can't give scholarships to kids. Yeah. You're gonna have a very, very hard time getting them to come to your school in the first place. So I I think fans don't really understand the exact type of situation we have found ourselves in right now with these violations and with these punishments. And I think if they had a better understanding of the financial situation in which the department is currently in, I think they would understand not wanting to add 30 plus million dollars in that debt.
Speaker 4:And yeah. I mean, look. You wait till February. It's ten million dollars less. Yeah.
Speaker 4:So you give him another season, and then you pay $10,000,000 less to fire him. And you don't have to and you save money by doing that. You have less of a, you know, less you dig yourself less of a hole and so what? You have a broken season. You were probably gonna have one anyway if you fired him before to begin with.
Speaker 4:So I just don't see any reason why you don't give him the attempt to have one more year. And if it goes bad, I mean, look, this is kind that's kind of what we were expecting anyway. And I think that it's something next year that they can rebuild on. And if they get the right guy in, if Smith doesn't work out, I think you can definitely recoup this fan base and just recoup the program too. It can college football teams can, you know, recoup just like that.
Speaker 4:And, I mean, we look at it with multiple places that were considered dead programs or programs that you could never win Indiana. And they are winning right now. You can you can, you know, some somewhat instantaneously revive a program if you just get the right guy in. And, obviously, we don't know if Smith's the right guy yet, but I I think giving him the opportunity to prove that one more time is gonna be worthwhile, honestly.
Speaker 3:I agree. Gabe, I have a point to make, but I saw you wanted to say something. Yeah.
Speaker 5:I think the the the difference in, I guess, culture in our basketball and football program are are very contrast right now. So I, you know, hop on social media and I'll see that Tom Izzo's landing a four star, four star, four star. Right? Five star. Best recruiting class in the nation or whatever.
Speaker 5:And then I look at the football and it's like, oh, we were able to flip a Mac commit. It's like, alright, guys. You know, like
Speaker 6:Hey, that Mac commit just threw for four touchdowns last night.
Speaker 4:Yeah. That's true.
Speaker 3:Dredge shirt freshman too. Pretty sweet. But, yeah, Gabe,
Speaker 5:It's just, you know, I just wish that there was, you know, you look at all of our you know, even even our dodgeball program is doing well right now. You know, basketball obviously and then hockey as well. Obviously, not great week. Two weeks ago, we can have to go against Wisconsin, but still number three in the nation. So I just wish that we had a football team to root for.
Speaker 3:I I do agree. It's been four years here. Everybody I assume came here because of the mix of basketball and football. That was a big selling point for everything. But when we talk about this, the big thing you need to keep in mind is Michigan State has dug themselves in a hole financially at this point.
Speaker 3:Can they keep digging deeper and even find a way out of it? And also, it's not a premier destination. I've said that before, but look at the open jobs. LSU, we probably already know who's going there.
Speaker 4:That's Ole what Miss is gonna be open now. That might be a more premier job right now.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Ole Miss will yeah. We'll sub in oh, Ole Miss is without a doubt. More premier job than MSU.
Speaker 6:Not even too
Speaker 4:late right now. Might be a better premier job, and Summerall's leaving.
Speaker 3:Yes. LSU slash Old Miss. We'll count that as one. Penn State. Penn State is without a doubt Mhmm.
Speaker 3:A more attractive location. University of Florida, the Gators. You really think someone's gotta choose to come to Michigan State
Speaker 6:over there? I think Summerville is going there.
Speaker 4:Right? It sounds like they're Yeah. That sounds like that's their
Speaker 6:main focus is going
Speaker 3:to Michigan These are just the open spots is what I'm saying.
Speaker 6:Auburn. Nope. And they just signed Golesh.
Speaker 3:They would go they just signed him. Excuse wanted anyway. Well, still, that adds on to the point though. That takes a guy off of the care
Speaker 4:of himself. Like, I mean Yeah. A lot of these, you know, group of five schools that are, you know, can be perennial powerhouses and make playoffs too. These guys have a lot more funding and are in a lot better situations than we are. And so they are honestly maybe better destinations than we are right now too, unfortunately.
Speaker 3:Well, you look at Arkansas, UCLA, I'd argue even those are. They're not dealing with controversy.
Speaker 4:Archbishop is actually also Yeah. Still in their head coaching position as well.
Speaker 3:Field. Well, well, the point I'm trying to make here. It's not
Speaker 6:worth yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. I think you guys are misunderstanding my point here. Get it. We that get with the opening jobs a couple days ago, I should preface,
Speaker 6:I guess.
Speaker 4:Very, very, very huge. And look, there are gonna be a lot more that open up too.
Speaker 3:And every single one that has signed a coach, that just takes another coach off the coaching carousel. I don't think there's anybody out there who's better than Smith right now for this team. That is a realistic get. I don't think there's anybody who can realistically attract East Lansing better than Smith
Speaker 4:this Unless you could go poach someone like a Brent Key from Georgia Tech, which is a absurd amount of money you would have to pay in the first place to do that.
Speaker 3:And would that guy risk his future reputation to
Speaker 4:leave Leaving his alma mater too at that point.
Speaker 3:Leaving his alma mater, going to a team that needs extensive rebuild. We all can say that we want a college football berth next year or college football playoff berth next year.
Speaker 4:And we are far from it.
Speaker 3:Very far from it. Like, realistically, do you have a point o, and I would like to hear.
Speaker 6:I feel like we we did this to our current coach. We took him from his alma mater after a great season.
Speaker 4:But that was a whole different situation.
Speaker 6:Fair. I mean, mean,
Speaker 4:yeah. Yeah. They were that whole program was left for dead, basically, and, you know, it is basically an independent now with no conference. Yeah. Exactly.
Speaker 4:The confidence shutdown. His agent I think his agent told him he would be stupid to not take the job because of the situation Oregon State found themselves in. After the Pac twelve had dissolved, I think he just saw the signs, realized he had to get out, and Michigan State was offering, so he took it. Yeah. I just think that's how it went.
Speaker 4:So I think it's just a different situation than what it would be at Georgia Tech. It'd just be so much harder, I think, to try to get Brent Key, especially in the situation. I know the is sort of in the same situation as the Pac twelve, but Georgia Tech is going to be fine wherever they end up, and they will probably end up in another good conference anyway.
Speaker 3:So I agree completely. I I just don't think that there's anybody that you can really attract to this job at the moment. If you were going to do it, you should have done it back in early November, late October, a time when positions weren't getting filled or weren't open at that point. Yeah. I I do understand, though.
Speaker 3:I can fully fully understand. If you asked me two weeks ago, I would actually be fully sitting there with you saying that we should get someone else.
Speaker 4:Is next Wednesday
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:For high school recruits. Are we just we're just gonna fire this guy and have no head coach for early national signing?
Speaker 3:And every recruit just decommits.
Speaker 5:That's ridiculous.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I don't know where you have no freshman class unless you're holding a transfer portal and realistic.
Speaker 4:You wanna get you wanted to get rid of this guy now, you had to do it a couple weeks ago. Yep. So he is staying. I I like it. I think we give him one more chance.
Speaker 4:It's gonna be a short lease, I think, next year. If he doesn't do well in out of conference or early in in conference, I think they're gonna pull the plug. It is worthwhile giving him another chance and seeing if he can build off these last three weeks here that he put together for MSU.
Speaker 3:I agree completely. I think that you have to hope for a better future from the guy. There's just no one you can sub in that's gonna be an instant success. There's no Kurt Signeti in this coaching carousel. I don't think that you can have a guy coming in this program fix it within one year.
Speaker 3:I just don't think that's realistic at this point.
Speaker 4:And also anyone who says that we should go out and get Brian Kelly, Pat Fitzgerald, or DJ Gherkin, don't ever tweet or post anything on social media ever again. Your phone needs to be revoked.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Alright? What I will say is for Michigan State, no matter what you think of Jonathan Smith's performance as a coach of the team, him as a person has been refreshing for this team. Finally having a couple years where you're not getting I understand the the jokes, the memes about him not reacting much on the sideline. I will take that compared to Hey.
Speaker 4:He yelled
Speaker 6:once last night. He yelled once.
Speaker 3:Take We'll take that easily. He went
Speaker 4:on he went for it on fourth and seven up three knowing that a field goal that a field goal is not gonna do it. I mean, the guy clearly cares and, you know, can show emotion, I feel like. It's just it's just frustrating when you're not winning games, you know, and he's not doing it. So
Speaker 3:And a lot of the things that people thought would be the improvements from this year were unknown factors of how they would really fit in. That's what happens when you don't give a guy time to build a program up is he doesn't have his guys. He's going in the transfer portal. Wide receivers look great beginning of the year. They were still pretty good by the end of it, but wasn't as premier of a wide receiver core as we thought it was gonna be.
Speaker 3:Nick Marsh at point struggled. Terrified for his future. I can't lie. I hope that he stays a Spartan, but they I know Nick Marsh. I know.
Speaker 3:I really hope he stays. I know. Yeah. Yeah. Really, really wanna see him for another season.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Because he was amazing last year. He's still showing that this year. Yeah.
Speaker 4:I know. Just give us one more year.
Speaker 3:It's all we can ask for. Gabe, I'll go around the table before we end this segment. You guys got any final thoughts of running circles? I'm realizing here.
Speaker 5:Well, I think that the Spartans have they don't have a very difficult schedule for next year. Like, I think it's very bowlable, if that's a word.
Speaker 3:I don't We've said that for the last three years now at this point.
Speaker 5:No. No. No. Trust me. This is the year.
Speaker 5:This is the year. The the toughest in conference game is either gonna be at Michigan or Oregon at home. There's no Ohio State next year. There's no Penn State next year even. So if there's a year
Speaker 3:Penn State this year wasn't good.
Speaker 5:You would you would assume that next year you would assume next year that they're gonna be better than us because a lot of teams in the nation are better than us. So but, yeah, I think this is a very seven and fiveable schedule. Obviously, you assume that you're gonna lose to Notre Dame, but every other game, I could see somehow the Spartan squeaking it out. So
Speaker 3:I think it's fair, Oscar, you got any final thoughts on the team?
Speaker 4:Yeah. You know, very glad they were ended ended up able to win that last game. Shout out Cadillac Brown, actually, for getting that game ball and getting that punt return on his senior day. Last game, probably ever playing football. Just, you know, very cool that he got that moment and very cool that they celebrated him in the locker room afterward and got that game ball.
Speaker 4:I thought that was super sweet.
Speaker 3:That is really cool. Yeah.
Speaker 6:I know if you guys watched the game, you probably saw this stat. I I I brought it up to Mauer and Keegs, like, during the call because I boarded off last night. Do you guys remember, the stat about MSU quarterbacks throwing three plus touchdowns?
Speaker 3:Was it, like, since, like, 2012 or so?
Speaker 6:So do you do you know who the last quarterback to win or to throw three plus touchdowns for MSU and when?
Speaker 4:And win a game?
Speaker 6:Well, no. Just in general.
Speaker 3:Oh, Thorne.
Speaker 4:Is it? It's not if I always didn't do it in that PC Yeah. Game
Speaker 3:I Yeah.
Speaker 4:That's Is it?
Speaker 3:No. Yeah. I might see the man. Quirky? No.
Speaker 3:That's who I was gonna say funny enough, but yeah. Is Cook?
Speaker 6:It is I know it's while you were in college.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Oscar is here too. Yeah. Gabe wasn't here at this point. It's who did you say a minute ago?
Speaker 4:Oh, is it?
Speaker 3:Who do you say it wouldn't be? The QB for k nine.
Speaker 4:Oh, Peyton Thorne.
Speaker 6:Yeah. Jesus. Against two. Jesus.
Speaker 3:Against two?
Speaker 4:That would be oh, that had to be that that second game they played that year.
Speaker 3:Was it later in the season?
Speaker 4:It was later in the year?
Speaker 6:Oh. If it's Peyton Thorne, Western Michigan.
Speaker 4:Oh my god. I was
Speaker 6:at that second 2022.
Speaker 4:Your That was my first first game.
Speaker 6:Yeah. Your first game. Wow.
Speaker 4:I can't even remember that.
Speaker 3:That's crazy. Started and ended the same way. That's actually Wow. Look at that. Oh, you're you're a senior too at this point.
Speaker 6:I got another year.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay.
Speaker 6:I mean, am, but Well, you're
Speaker 3:you're you're here for that game at least, though.
Speaker 6:No, dude. I I was still in community.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay. Okay. Yes. We got you from the transfer portal. Picked
Speaker 6:him up from the I was Juco Bandit. Hell, yeah.
Speaker 3:That's a great step, though.
Speaker 4:That's so that
Speaker 6:is super
Speaker 4:cool. I love that, man.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I know.
Speaker 4:First every game and then last every game. Mhmm.
Speaker 3:That's crazy.
Speaker 6:Alliance A. Brown's kickoff return was the first one in exactly eleven years. Eleven years to the day. Wow. RJ Shelton had one for 90 yards against Penn State on 11/29/2014 in a game that they won 35 to 10 against Penn State at Happy Valley.
Speaker 6:Wow. Good times.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Take me back.
Speaker 3:Feels like yeah. Feels like lifetimes ago at this point, but still.
Speaker 4:Wow. Just take me back.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You that's some good stuff, Owen. I appreciate that.
Speaker 6:I I try. Yeah. I heard you.
Speaker 3:Coming in here prepared, we always appreciate it.
Speaker 6:Something like
Speaker 3:that. Yes. Thank you all for coming on today, of course. We still have plenty of time left on this show. We didn't know if this episode would happen.
Speaker 3:Didn't know if we'd all be snowed in or whatnot. So we only got two more after this one for the semester. Mhmm. Hope that y'all can make it, of course, if you're heading home, cutting down trees, celebrating. It's okay too.
Speaker 3:We'll figure it out. But now, Michigan State football ends the season four and eight overall. Not winless in the conference.
Speaker 6:There we go.
Speaker 4:Oh, yeah. Not happened since 1950, baby. Book it.
Speaker 3:Really did not wanna be one of the people to witness that one. Yes. One and eight in conference. Much better. Three and three at home.
Speaker 3:O and five away. One and o at neutral, though. He's gotta play at forward field a bit more often. Look at that. We'll be set.
Speaker 6:I don't think that's the way to go. I don't think so. I'm done.
Speaker 5:If you bought a ticket, you got two free tickets, I think.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's been Woah. It's been four years of that now. I I don't understand. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yep. Too free to yeah. It wasn't just bring a friend. It was bring a friend and their Bring
Speaker 4:the whole family, matter of fact. Yes. Might as well.
Speaker 3:Yes. Michigan State football winning for the first time in months at this point. Yeah. Since September 13, Spartan fans, rejoice. Drive home safe.
Speaker 3:We'll be back very shortly. Stay safe, of course, in that snow. Very slippery roads out there. We wanna make sure you can hear in the next segment. So we'll be coming back talking some MSU hoops.
Speaker 3:See you soon on the Green White Report. Welcome back in the Green White Report. We're not counting crows here. We're counting the wins from the MSU basketball team. Seven and o now.
Speaker 3:Winning on Thanksgiving against University of North Carolina, the Tar Heels. Michigan State, how happy are we about this? Hi, guys.
Speaker 4:Opening to one of the best animated movies of all time, might say. Shout out Shrek two.
Speaker 3:Happy to knew where that was from. Yes. One
Speaker 4:of the best animated movies of all time. Man, what a squad. What a team. What a win.
Speaker 3:I know. Jeremy Fears another career high every single game, it feels like.
Speaker 4:General, dude. This guy runs the floor like some like, guys we have not seen for MSU in a long time.
Speaker 6:Yes.
Speaker 4:It reminds you of those Cassiuses, those Matine Cleaves, those regular, you know, Tom Izzo point guards that just are gritty on the defensive end, will get you so many steals and just know how to find open players and get guys in good positions. He he has been just so phenomenal to watch. I love his and Tom's relationship and just how much Tom relies on him to lead the team and how much they communicate with each other and how much they clearly love each other too. It's it's such a special relationship. He clearly has a lot of care for Jeremy Fierce and really expects a whole lot out of him.
Speaker 4:And he has completely delivered so far this season. He has been one of the best point guards in the entire nation, honestly.
Speaker 3:Yes. And pure point guard too. The fact that he's doing people are saying I'm blanking right now.
Speaker 4:Wish Rick Petina. Rick Petina. Yes. No more pure point guards anymore. Just pop on the Jeremy Fierce highlight tape.
Speaker 4:Yes. He'll tell you otherwise, baby.
Speaker 3:People love saying it though. There's not pass first guys who can still score. I go clip Jeremy Fears junior.
Speaker 4:Literally, Jeremy Fears versus UNC popping the highlight tape, baby. That's all you gotta do.
Speaker 3:And what's great about these wins is Michigan State, people haven't given them enough credit of how the fact that they've controlled these games from tip-off to the end. They have controlled seemingly the whole time. Arkansas, you can say, yes. They didn't control it the entire time. It was back and forth more.
Speaker 3:UNC, what a great victory. Kentucky, what a great victory. Michigan State, their top 10 team now. It's indisputable at this this point. They've got the resume.
Speaker 4:They should be.
Speaker 3:Yes. They've got the players. Fears, eight of 10 from the field. One of one from behind the arc. Best three point shooter on the team.
Speaker 3:People don't even realize. He's shooting like 50 from three on a good clip. Yeah. Pretty crazy. Jackson Kohler, another double double.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Justin Cooper, 14. Double double machine. I know. Every time it seems like.
Speaker 3:Cam Ward even threw her in 11. Tang had a little bit of a rough game. So did four. But, yeah, it was a plus 14 somehow. So you can't really get too mad as long as the results are going through, as long as this team is winning.
Speaker 3:They really seem like they have an opening to go as far as they really choose to go at this point. Mhmm. I do wanna ask all of you, what do you think the floor and ceiling of this team is right now? I'll go Owen, Oscar game. We'll go that way.
Speaker 6:Oh, floor, round of 32. Seiling,
Speaker 5:all the
Speaker 6:way up, baby. You think so?
Speaker 3:They won't even say it exactly out. We don't want Jake Sabayah agreeing. Yeah.
Speaker 6:His end. Mean, like, you know, it's still so early in the season when they've they've looked so good. You know, looking looking back the last couple years, MSU basketball really has has, like, only gotten better as the season went on. You know, they started the last few years with shooting woes both at at the free throw line and at the three point line. We've only seen one of those so far this year.
Speaker 6:You know? Look watching all their games, Izzo seems to have a blood pressure spike anytime one of his players gets fouled because he knows that they're going to the line to potentially miss one or even miss two. But, you know, watching watching MSU be this good this early in the year reminds me of old old teams, you know, the the Brynn Forbes, the I guess, Gary Harris, and, you know, Travis Trice years where those teams just came out and punched you in the mouth every night. And they refused to take no for an answer when they had the ball, when they had control of the game. And and even those teams got better as the year went on.
Speaker 6:So to to act like there's a real cap on where this team could go, how skilled this team can get in, you know, February and the month. You know? You know the month. Yes. I I I feel like I'm being naive if I say that this team can't win a lot more than what we, you know, what what we'd feel comfortable saying, you know, to people that don't share our fandom.
Speaker 4:It it it is it is, you know, I I do agree. I think that could be the ceiling of this team. You know, obviously, you you have the you have the real statistical nerds that, you know, say they're they're not high enough in the AP yet after Thanksgiving or not high enough in Ken Palm because obviously the last 20, you know, winners of the national champions have been top 10, I wanna say, the AP poll after Thanksgiving and at least top 20 in Ken Palm, I wanna say. We're neither of those yet or, like, right outside there. But I I just I can't I I screw the screw the stats, dude.
Speaker 4:Like, honestly, this team could I I think this team could so, you know, go all the way if they really wanted to. I think
Speaker 3:It's just a feeling when you watch area. It's just
Speaker 4:a feeling, dude. Like, this team is so together right now. They are a top 15 defensive rated team on Kem Palm. But the the thing that's really great to me is that they're top 40 team offensively in Kem Palm. And that's something that Tom Izzo really hasn't had a lot.
Speaker 4:The last couple of years with this team is a really consistent offensive team. They're not, you know, shooting insanely well, but they're take they're not taking a lot of threes either. And the ones that they take are very high volume, and they're making them too. So the offense looks about as good, I feel like, as it has, you know, in the last couple of years. I obviously think they still need that go to guy that they don't quite have yet, but I think that'll develop over the season into either Fears or Kohler or, you know, who knows?
Speaker 4:Maybe Kurt Tang or Trey Fort just pops out of nowhere and just becomes an automatic shooter. But I I really like where this team could go. I think the floor obviously is at least top three in the big 10. And if not, I think a sweet 16 appearance possibly. And, obviously, I think the ceiling is you know, the sky's the limit with this team.
Speaker 4:They can, I think, compete with anybody? We're really gonna see how they compete with the top of the top when they come when they play duke this Saturday. That'll be really interesting to see how they fare against that team. And, obviously, we're gonna have a lot more competition in the big 10 too. We have to go to Purdue, and we have to play Michigan twice, which right now, they are, you know, the number one team.
Speaker 4:They might move all the way up to number one in the country right now after the week they had at the players era. But, yeah, man, I think this team could they could go toe to toe with anybody. They've proved that so far over the last couple of seasons and or over the last couple of games, I should say. And, yeah, man, I I love where this team could go this year. It's the I again, the sky is the limit, I think, for the ceiling for
Speaker 3:the I agree.
Speaker 7:Well, I
Speaker 5:don't think I don't think we can overlook what Michigan did this weekend. Yeah. Yeah. I believe that they outscored their opponents in three games by a 110 points.
Speaker 4:So They won every game by at least 40.
Speaker 5:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 4:This week. This past week.
Speaker 5:Yeah. So I think obviously you have them and Purdue, so it's gonna be tough for Michigan State to be that number one or number two team in the big 10 this year. But I think as far as floor, I agree with round of 32. I could see, you know, if they maybe struggle. Obviously, right now, they came out hot, but it's you know, teams will go up and down throughout the year as we've seen with MSU hockey, of course.
Speaker 5:Not to keep bringing that up. But, but I could see them, you know, maybe they get a bad draw and maybe they're the five or six seed, right, and they go against a 12 or 11 seed that just, you know, out outplays them. And like you said, there's no go to guy yet, so that's very possible that a team is just gonna out, you know, outperform. But I think that it's gonna be tough. Honestly, I don't think this team is national championship contender yet.
Speaker 5:I would like to see how they play against Duke, of course. That's gonna be a big tell. And obviously, Michigan twice down the road and other ranked big 10 opponents as well. So I am not ready to say that, you know, they're gonna hang up another ban banner yet and Izzo's gonna get his second, but I think that this team could go very far.
Speaker 3:I agree. I think that, yeah, you don't have to think, obviously, national championship or bust. But still, it's nice that there's hope about it, by the way. It seems like every year that the Spartans come in with low expectations, that's when they outperform the best. Oh, yeah.
Speaker 3:And I know that people have been saying it all season. I have perpetuated the idea that there is not a go to guy on this team. And I think it's a positive in the fact that anybody can step up at any time. You just feed the hot hand. We're slowly figuring out Jeremy Fierce junior is the guy.
Speaker 3:Dude. And I can't lie. When you watch his game, there's some fear that he might not be here next year, not because of the transfer portal, but because he's good enough that he might There is a chance. There is a chance. Don't think I don't think a high chance, but there is a very realistic chance.
Speaker 3:When you watch how much he improves game by game, it's compounding itself. Itself. He's He's getting getting more national attention. I think he should be here next year. I think it's I'll say 8020 that he's here next year.
Speaker 3:'80 obviously being that he's here. But still, I think that people around the nation slowly starting to open their eyes. They see his brother doing quite well in the Pelicans. Mhmm. You have to wonder what his draft stock will be by the end of the year.
Speaker 4:I I don't know if you remember this last year, Joe, but when we were talking about Jace and, you know, the potential of whether or not he would go to the draft or not, I I remember saying, I didn't think he was gonna go because I thought he needed one more year as a true point guard. I thought he needed a year, you know, leading a team as a point guard, being a playmaker. I didn't felt like he had that yet under his belt. He was more of a two guard when he played for Tom Izzo last year, so he was more of a shooter off ball guy. They clearly didn't matter anyway.
Speaker 4:He went to the draft and and is doing pretty well in Orlando right now. But I I think, like, I think you're right with what you say, Joe. I mean, this guy, he has the playmaking ability. He clearly has that, you know, point guard if leader mentality that you want from your lead guy on the court. My thing was I was just worried about his height and weight, but I I don't think it's gonna matter much because the guy is leading the nation in assist and just looks so dominant doing it.
Speaker 4:I think if he can keep up the scoring rate, like you said, it it could be really hard to convince him to stay. But
Speaker 3:One of the best defensive guards in
Speaker 4:the nation. He's one of the best defensive guards in the nation too. It's I I can see where you're going with it. I was a little hesitant once you said it, but, you know, starting to think about it. I'm just like, yeah, this is someone that a lot of NBA teams would probably want on their team.
Speaker 3:Sounds preposterous. I wanna 'll throw it to you.
Speaker 6:And I I mean, I know we didn't really enter the season thinking Jace would be, you know, a draft pick, but he made his stock, you know, just absolutely explode in conference play. And we're not even there yet. You know, we play, you know, we we get to see MSU play their first conference game on Tuesday against Iowa. Yeah. I mean, not to, you know, dismiss any opponents of any team, but, you know, MSU's a fair bit better than Iowa.
Speaker 6:So we'll see Fears really get to showcase, you know, again for what I
Speaker 3:was gonna say.
Speaker 6:The the sixth time this
Speaker 4:season against the team that's
Speaker 6:just not as good.
Speaker 4:He's gonna get a really tough opponent too. Bennett Stertz has been one of the best shooters in the country since he transferred to Iowa. I can't remember where he played last year. He followed his dad, I remember, who took the head coaching job as at Iowa. I'm just blanking on where they came from, unfortunately.
Speaker 4:I'm sorry.
Speaker 3:You're good.
Speaker 7:You're good.
Speaker 4:Drake. It was Drake. Excuse me. So, yeah, he was really good at Drake last year. He was a, you know, player of the year candidate and, again, a really great shooter.
Speaker 4:He's done that again here at Iowa so far shooting 45% from 50% from the field. He is a lights out shooter. So Jeremy feels he's gonna have his hands you know, he's gonna have his hands full with this guy, but I couldn't think of a more, you know, of a guy who I would want more on a high scorer like Bennett Stertz than Jeremy Fears right now.
Speaker 3:Yeah. 100%. Owen, did you have anything left to your point? Wanna make sure
Speaker 6:I don't cut you off. I mean, no. I I just think that if this if this is, you know, Fierce's final season, we're gonna see that become pretty evident pretty fast because he's gonna have a lot of minutes right away in conference play. Yeah. And when when Jace really, like, came to his own is when he started getting more minutes in conference play.
Speaker 6:Not saying that they're the same player, but I think that he'll really be able to make his case for why he belongs in the NBA wide as there's making NBA money from now on Yeah. As opposed to having done it already in the season.
Speaker 3:I think the big thing for him too is even if he is here next year, if he stays at Michigan State, I think that the all the talk has been about whether he'll break the all time big 10 assist record. Mhmm. I think if he doesn't do it, it's because he goes to the draft. Yeah. There's no other reason.
Speaker 3:If he stays all four years, technically five, I guess, because of the red shirt, then I think that he will without a doubt own that title.
Speaker 5:I was
Speaker 4:gonna say, is Braden Smith close to that?
Speaker 3:He's gonna get it. Yeah. He's gonna get it this season. It's only Cash is still in front of him at this point. Passed recently.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So but when I wanna say the big thing for Fears is seemingly every time he's had a big matchup, he stepped up. Mhmm. Obviously, 13 assists, three steals versus Kentucky. And that was against Aberdeen and Owe.
Speaker 3:Both them had terrible games trying to go against Fears. Aberdeen shot under 13% from the field. Mhmm. I think the guy just you watch his game. You see him improve week to week.
Speaker 3:Every single game recently has been a new career high, whether it's three pointers, assists, even rebounds at points. Points, of course. It's pretty crazy. I would like to say he'll be at Michigan State, but I do think you have to start floating the idea of if the draft stock keeps improving, can you really avoid the inevitable?
Speaker 4:Yeah. I think it's really possible. I mean, he's gonna come in as an experienced guy, has been at MSU for three years, has been the starting point guard for two of those. Like, he he clearly has the experience. And if he continues, like you said, to play the way if he shoots the way he has been too as of recently, there's gonna be a no brainer.
Speaker 4:I think that he might end up a lottery pick, honestly.
Speaker 3:All he really needs to do is postseason play needs to get better. He struggled at points in the postseason last year. If he can just show out during that, I don't think there's any knocks on him. Owen, I wanna go to you and then Gabe.
Speaker 6:And then I do I do think that it there's something to be said about how angry he makes opposing teams and fan bases. You know, it really showcased itself in that that Michigan game at the Bres last year where, yep, it felt like there was gonna be a fist fight at center court about, what, two minutes into the game.
Speaker 4:From tip-off, he was on point. Like, he was all in their face. Like, you could just tell he wanted to kill those guys
Speaker 3:Yeah. On
Speaker 7:the court.
Speaker 4:And and he very much did that entire game.
Speaker 6:And as somebody that watches a lot more hockey than the average bear, he reminds me of, sort of like a like a Brad Marchand, a guy that, like, if he is on your team, you love him. But when he when he when he's in the opposing lineup, oh, that's gonna suck.
Speaker 4:Gotta go against this guy.
Speaker 3:I I got the chance to talk to Fears after, that Kentucky matchup. And I was talking to him, and I was just saying, like, man, I grew up watching Marcus Smart, and I can see a lot of similarities between your two games. And he was saying, yeah, he's a student of basketball. He's obviously studied Smart's film. He studied a plenty of other point guards.
Speaker 3:Last year, Fears I don't know if you all knew this, but he led the big 10 in charges drawn last year. Really? He is amazing at getting fouls either on the offensive or defensive end that are positive for his team. And then the fact he's got the scoring going this season, that was the real element he needed to unlock. Because now you can't sag off him.
Speaker 3:You really have to defend him. You try pulling back from the three point line. He's splashing one on your face now. That's one thing I wanna mention too. Did you all know Cohen Carr has attempted at least one three pointer every game this season?
Speaker 4:He has been I was gonna say, he has been a lot more willing to shoot those threes than any other year before. It it it has been obviously mixed results, you know, in terms of results, but I think it is really impressive that he's trying those shots and he feels confident taking those shots. I think that is a huge step forward for Cohen's development because he was not taking those shots beforehand, but now he is actually trying them. And I mean, he is making some of them too.
Speaker 3:Like And the man that helps the most is Carson Cooper. The fact the paint's not clogged, the fact they have to move out to try guard in that three point line, even if he's not hitting them all the time, he's shooting over 33% at this point. And that's all you need. Gabe, I'm sorry. I made you wait a while
Speaker 6:here.
Speaker 5:No. No. You're good. I think that there's a lot of aspects of fierce games that you can compliment, but the one that's consistently on top that all of his teammates and Izzo will say is, like, his coaching and his, you know, his ability to be coached. And a lot of times, well, I've heard this multiple times, it's like it's like Izzo's out there on the floor playing with them, you know.
Speaker 5:And I think what the best part about him and Izzo's relationship is their arguments on the sideline or, you know, during timeouts aren't they're not what you expect. It's usually like I don't know if you guys heard, but in a couple games ago, he told Izzo that he said, I wanna win more than
Speaker 3:you. I wanna win
Speaker 4:I heard I did hear that.
Speaker 5:I wanna win this game more than you. Izzo Izzo was like, alright. We're gonna have to agree to disagree that one. I don't know if anyone wants to win more than Tom Izzo.
Speaker 4:Insane statement to say to that man. But it's,
Speaker 5:you know, obviously, it's cool. You know, he had to play behind Trey and Jace last year. So it's cool to see him grow and develop, but he still has that dog mentality that we saw against Michigan last year like you brought up.
Speaker 3:I agree. I I think the big thing for him for this team as a whole is the quotes that we're getting this year have been amazing. Cam Ward, obviously, from last year that you don't work Yeah.
Speaker 5:You don't work hard.
Speaker 4:Talk about him in the locker room too. We punk people is this guy is a quote machine, dude. He was born and bred to come here in East Lansing and play basketball for Tom this time.
Speaker 3:There's without a doubt in my mind that this is my favorite Michigan State team that I have gotten to watch without a doubt. Because I've, to be quite honest, I will sit here and be for be fully honest. I obviously grew up in Michigan or I grew up in Massachusetts. What am I saying? I liked Michigan State, but I didn't follow every single aspect.
Speaker 3:So I didn't get to appreciate Cassius Winston as much. I didn't get to appreciate a lot of those teams. I love this team, and it has made me so happy about my choice coming to Michigan State. This is what we needed so bad. This is what the four of us in this room needed very badly.
Speaker 3:Yes. So I just so happy. For Tom Izzo too, I will say that this is why I think there's a chance Fierce leaves a lot sooner than people think. He has been the best coach in my mind at allowing his players to leave without trying to force them to come back. Acknowledging that you can always get injured.
Speaker 3:You can always lower your draft stock. If you're gonna be a lottery pick, I understand. You can go. For Izzo, he is he cares about his players so much. And that's something that I think a lot of the nation is starting to realize is a lot of the coaches who were using the transfer portal, replacing their guys every season.
Speaker 3:They don't have that relationship with their players. Izzo was doing it the old fashioned way where it's he's building up his program. He's getting his guys that he wants. And people love saying that he didn't adopt to the new way of college basketball over the years. He is finding the outlier of how to survive in this new landscape where the team actually cares, and you're not relying on plenty of outside of your control factors.
Speaker 3:I love this team. It's been great.
Speaker 4:Yeah. He's doing it his way, and he is recruiting guys who he wants and is just supplementing through the portal. Not not, like you said, entirely using the portal to build his team like some of these other great coaches from his time have, like Calipari or Pitino, who have fully bought into this new era, it is really impressive to watch that he's still able to do it his way and be successful at it his way too. I mean, you mentioned it, man. This is one of the most fun teams I think I've ever watched for Michigan State basketball.
Speaker 4:I I was a Michigan fan growing up. You know? I had Oh, no. I had two Michigan parents who went to U of M. They met at U of M.
Speaker 4:I have a sister who goes to U of M right now. I was born and bred maize and blue, unfortunately.
Speaker 6:It's Hey. You don't have to tell people that.
Speaker 4:I don't. But I think it's important for my story development here to Yeah. Say I was a was a once Michigan State hater to now coming to the university. I used to I could not stand Cassius Winston when I was watching in high school, man. Oh my god.
Speaker 4:He would irritate me. So Matt McQuaid, oh my god, was so annoying when I was watching in high school. But, like, now that I'm with this now I'm at this school and I I get to watch this team, I see why everyone loves Tom. I love Tom more than any Michigan head coach I've ever loved before. And I I like you said, Joe, this is probably my favorite team I've ever watched here too at MSU.
Speaker 4:And they are just so fun to watch, and you can clearly see they are just all bought in on this team and just Michigan State basketball as a
Speaker 3:whole. It it's something for Izzo where I I like that the rest the country respects him so much. Even LeBron tweeted out about his fit a couple games ago, which is awesome. So good. Yeah.
Speaker 3:But for Izzo, you don't understand how much he means to the entire school, not just the basketball program until you step on Michigan State's campus, until you've been through the trials and tribulations. We'll put it that way, I guess.
Speaker 4:Being a Michigan State Spartan.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So the last four years, especially, every single moment where this school was down and it seemed like nobody was gonna shine a light to find a way through, Tom Izzo came through. He was the guy who stood up. He's the one who addressed the nation and seemingly every time where the school seemed like they weren't gonna find a way out. Thank you to Tom Izzo for that.
Speaker 3:Thank you, Tom. Yes. I think everyone has to realize that if you go to Michigan State, Tom Izzo has saved the perspective nationally, of course, but also I think the motivations of people on campus. There are points when I when I was first here where I had to bet whether or not I'd go back to the East Coast at points. Izzo was honestly a big factor in the way he talked about Michigan State, the way they talked about Spartans as people of me staying.
Speaker 3:There is something different about green and white. And it's been so nice to finally adopt into that and accept it after four years of being here.
Speaker 5:Is Zoe stopped you from hitting the portal?
Speaker 3:We had a conversation with me. Look at man. Look at that. Actually baked pizzas with me. Would you believe?
Speaker 5:Oh, really?
Speaker 6:That's nice. Did
Speaker 4:you get the hat and everything?
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah. Of course.
Speaker 4:That's going to move, man. Apparently, that's what gets all the kids to come here.
Speaker 3:No. I don't. Pizza. Yeah. I did love that.
Speaker 3:But no. We obviously knew what happened years ago, all the things that happened. And at points, it was very easy to wanna go and hide somewhere else and be away from all the issues that popped up around East Lansing. Instead, Izzo faced him head on. He addressed everybody and he didn't hide from any facts of things that actually happened.
Speaker 3:Respect him for that. Any final thoughts we have here about
Speaker 6:the best possible I don't know. I've I've been in a I've been a MSU guy my entire life. My dad went here. Nice. You know, all all my friends from high school went here.
Speaker 6:So I I think I I mean, you you weren't necessarily a Spartan your entire life. Gabe, don't know if you were. Pretty
Speaker 4:much. Yeah.
Speaker 6:Yeah. It's like I I mean, he's been the one real constant at this university my entire life.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 6:And I know. I like, when he goes, I will shed a tear. I will cry. Everyone's gonna cry. Will cry like a like an infant.
Speaker 6:But, like, I I think that there there's something to be said about a guy that sticks around and, like, really, really cares about a place that made him into the person he is today. And that's what he that's what he says any anytime he gets to talk about university and the culture within it. And him not leaving, while it did piss Dan Gilbert off, I think really speaks to the community here and the kind of things that he's helped to build. And I think I forever, the the the the or I guess the city of East Lansing and Spartans forever will know the name of Tom Izzo positively.
Speaker 3:I agree.
Speaker 4:Yeah. The fact that he had a chance to go and potentially coach LeBron James and decided I'm gonna stay and coach these kids at Michigan State just
Speaker 6:says Braun still loves him.
Speaker 4:So much about him. And Braun still loves the guy. All I gotta say is Friday, January 30 at the Brez, Dusty May's gonna learn who runs the state of Michigan here.
Speaker 3:Very exciting. Gabe, do you have any final thoughts?
Speaker 5:Well, I think I think the only thing that you need to say is our is our football building is named after him.
Speaker 4:Yeah. So that's This is
Speaker 5:That should be a telltale sign. But I think really quickly, the coolest part is that, you know, a lot of these guys that are starting are starting five or sorry. Michigan State's starting five. Today, you know, how they've been developed through the years, you know, a lot of these guys averaged only one, maybe two points in their freshman year. And it's cool to see that now they're starting and they stuck with the program and they believed in Tom and Zell.
Speaker 3:Carson Cooper is a zero star recruit. Yeah. I don't think some people recognize that.
Speaker 4:The dude has and now he has some insane footwork in the post that I have never he's one of the, like, better post scores on our team. Right?
Speaker 3:Without it. We all had the same ass stars as Carson Cooper coming into Michigan State, and he turned him to a full fledged starter in college basketball.
Speaker 5:Yep.
Speaker 3:Crazy. Anything else, Gabe?
Speaker 5:No. That's it.
Speaker 3:Oscar, you got anything?
Speaker 4:Nope. Shout out to him, man.
Speaker 3:Alright. Well, we're gonna step away for a very, very quick break. We'll be back at, there's gotta be one man. We'll be back at twelve on the dive. I believe we have to do these every couple minutes.
Speaker 3:So we'll be back soon. We're gonna talk some MSU hockey when we're back, and then we're gonna dive into the rest of the college football world. Lane Kiffin. We're gonna talk about that at some point.
Speaker 4:Get a announcement during the show? We'll see. Yes. I
Speaker 3:I'll save the story. I'll I'll save it for after the break. Make sure you come back for after the break. I've got a great story that you will all love, and I promise that. Stay tuned here on the Green and White Report.
Speaker 3:JoDez, Owen McCarthy, Oscar Anderson, Gabe Souza. What a mixed match crew that we have here today. Thank you all for showing up. If you're still on the roads, drive safe. Find a place to warm up your hands, drink some hot chocolate.
Speaker 3:We'll see you soon on the Green and White Report. Hello, and welcome back to the Green and White Report. We're all still here. Perhaps we won't be away too too long. And now, it's time to talk some MSU hockey.
Speaker 3:Welcome. Joe Dez, joined by Owen McCarthy, Oscar Anderson, Gabe Souza on this very cold fridges fridging, excuse me, whiteout day. There's no Penn State around here. Yeah. No.
Speaker 3:There's plenty of white outside. Lot of fun today. We're gonna talk about the MSU hockey team in just a second. But for those of you who did not know, we're gonna have a segment with Jess Kemnitz. She's the residential or, she's our soccer reporter at this point.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Well, she's the expert. She unfortunately got sick. So we're gonna be addressing what happened. They got to the elite eight, played the number one team in Stanford, and the trees took them in on the forest.
Speaker 3:And they end up winning five to one, a big victory for Stanford, of course. But how about this program getting to the elite eight? So many sweet sixteens recently. Seemingly everywhere I go, the women's soccer team is great. It's been like that since, like, middle school for me for some reason.
Speaker 3:We don't have football ever, but we got women's soccer, and I'll take it. The team's been great so far. I have to give a lot of credit to them. But now we're gonna talk about MSU hockey. A team we've had a lot of positive stuff this show.
Speaker 3:It shows usually, these shows start off with us having to hide from the football team, mention the set. We'll we'll touch on later.
Speaker 4:We took them out closet. We took them out the closet this week. We showed them off to everybody. We said, look, guys. We look at our look at our toy.
Speaker 4:It's it's all nice. You know?
Speaker 3:It's true.
Speaker 4:It's a little it's a little rusty, but it's got some shine to it now.
Speaker 3:You know? The job done. Exactly.
Speaker 4:The job done.
Speaker 3:Well, how about MSU hockey rebounding? After being swept by Wisconsin, the Badgers tore out the hearts of a lot of Spartan fans. I know all of us were feeling quite bad about that one. But then Unfortunate. Yes.
Speaker 3:Adam Nightingale responds yet again getting the sweep over Colgate in dominant fashion. Gabe, I haven't heard too much from you. Let me hear about how you feel about this team right now.
Speaker 5:Well, we talked about Oscar and I and Jack as well about how how unfortunate Colgate was to be in this spot. Obviously, with Michigan State, there's no better time to play an opponent like this, you know, not to discredit Colgate or anything. But if there's a time to lose two games back to back against a in conference rival and to have an opponent like Colgate and then two game series, now is the time to do it before you have one of the most important matchups of the year against Michigan and Ann Arbor. So, you know, this is a series, excuse me, that you expect them to win. But, yeah, it's good to see that the Spartans were able to control, not you know, the train is not off the tracks from Wisconsin.
Speaker 5:Michigan State hockey will be just fine.
Speaker 6:Yeah. I agree. If I if I may before we before before I say my piece, breaking news, Lane Kevin has made his decision. He will be leaving for LSU.
Speaker 3:Makes sense. Everyone knew. But the question I think what everyone's wondering at this point is whether he's got a coach in the college football playoffs. I assume not. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Probably.
Speaker 4:I think that would be malpractice for Ole Miss to let a coach who's going to your rival school
Speaker 3:I agree.
Speaker 4:Coach your players.
Speaker 6:Yeah. Well, agree.
Speaker 3:You all saw the report, of course, where it was he was in discussions with, like, the athletic department where he was pretty much saying, either I coach in the playoffs or I'm poaching your entire team, which is crazy.
Speaker 4:He's gonna poach he's gonna poach your entire team if you let him coach anyway.
Speaker 3:So Which is just insane to say. That's Thank you for breaking that. Guess I'll hop out of the story real quick because now that now we don't have to by Lame Kiffin at this point. Have to try breaking down if he's gonna stay. Think Yeah.
Speaker 3:We all talked during the break, of course, though. We said that at this point, if the decision hasn't come out, he's leaving. Mhmm. He's not yet. He would have made a decision weeks ago if he was staying.
Speaker 3:He's gone. You for confirming that. Yeah. I do appreciate that. Some breaking news here on the Green White report.
Speaker 3:So, yes, when I was younger, I restarted the defunct program for my college announcing or my high school announcing program. Excuse me. Hadn't been done about fifteen years at that point. Mhmm. I held a next Joe Dez competition at the end of the year for who's gonna be the next announcer.
Speaker 3:Put a bunch of bunch of different guys through different rigorous training exercises. See, there's a whole documentary I made. A whole mockumentary, I guess, definitely. But this guy Max Ortuse, he ended up being the guy to win it. He announced with me for about six months.
Speaker 3:He ended up doing it for the next three years. He just graduated. He went to Ole Miss, and he's been covering the football team pretty closely.
Speaker 4:Wow.
Speaker 3:So now I thought that he had found the golden door. He found the the bridge to walk down, I guess, where he was gonna avoid the pain that we've all felt over the last few years.
Speaker 4:Nope. Yes. This is even worse.
Speaker 3:Yes. Pain comes for everybody, it seems. You can seem like you're on the top, but then things start to spiral. Still very proud of him and what he's done.
Speaker 6:You might wanna send him a text and maybe some flowers.
Speaker 3:I will be. Yes. A 100%.
Speaker 4:That's so tough. I I listen. I get the I get the choice. Obviously, LSU is LSU. It is a dream situation.
Speaker 4:Kiffin has had to use the transfer portal a lot for these Ole Miss teams. He hasn't really had to use it to supplement his team. He's had to use it to build his team at Ole Miss a lot. It's very evident in the classes that they've had, and I just think he sees better opportunity to build a team at LSU than he does at Ole Miss. And I I don't blame him for that.
Speaker 4:It is the right decision. But, you know, unfortunately, it it sucks for Ole Miss that in the greatest season of the school's history, they are now gonna lose their head coach and, you know, most likely miss out on a deep playoff run, which they very well could have made this year. I mean, it is so wide open the field. It it really feels like there's obviously Ohio State, but everyone else doesn't really look like a clear contender right now. And so they've really I felt like they really had a shot to, you know, go through it.
Speaker 3:We got a call from the man I was talking about a moment ago, Max or two. So The
Speaker 4:Ole Miss. The Ole Miss.
Speaker 3:Yes. I'll put you on the mic.
Speaker 4:Insider source.
Speaker 3:Yes. Max, how are you doing today?
Speaker 7:How's it going, Joe?
Speaker 3:I was explaining to them about the whole next Joe Dez competition. You being the winner, continuing that, of course, the next Max or two's competition, how you went to Ole Miss. I gotta can you tell everybody what you do for the teams over there? It's been awesome to see.
Speaker 7:Yeah. So I'm I'm I'm happy to talk about it. So right now for the for the Ole Miss rebels, we we are on a show. It's called rebel watch. We discuss SEC sports and specifically SEC football every week.
Speaker 7:Right now, we we recap the games before other SEC games that go on during the week and then our predictions for the score next week. And, obviously, right now, you know, there's a lot of talking on the situation. So everybody, you know, it's, you know, it's a little shameless plug, but follow Rebel Watchamoto. I feel like sure you sit down with some of the athletes on the show, which has been great. And then we get to do some some side by side interviews.
Speaker 7:So, yeah, it's it's it's it's pretty exciting down here.
Speaker 3:No. It's awesome stuff to see, mate. You've been killing it. Very proud of you, of course. I do wanna ask you, how does it feel inside the building with all the stuff going around Kiffin?
Speaker 7:So let me tell you. I think right now, and this is just my own personal opinion, what the main attitude in the building should be is, you know, despite, you know, whether Kiffin is staying or leaving, which right now, it's it's almost positive that he's leaving and
Speaker 6:It is official.
Speaker 7:It's it's LSU. Right? But Yeah. Right. If if if I'm the players in the building right now, I'm using that as a chip on my shoulder because, you know, despite the amount of credit that Ketan gets, what people aren't seeing is the amount of work that the other coaching staff is putting in.
Speaker 7:They don't they don't see the amount of the work that the the players that have been there and wanted to build this program are seeing. So I think they should be prideful of the fact that they got themselves there, not just with Kiffin's help, but with everybody in the building. And right now, you know, whoever is taking that main role, I I think it's important that they know that that this is not a team that can still, you know, be left out of the conversation. And this is gonna be a playoff worthy team regardless of who's coaching.
Speaker 3:I agree completely. Oscar, do you have a question for Max?
Speaker 4:Yeah. Max, Oscar, Joe's former sports or broadcast partner for MSU football last season. Look. Obviously, a lot of the question has been whether or not Kiffin is going to coach this team for the college football playoff. What are your thoughts on obviously, we know the news is broken now.
Speaker 4:He's going to LSU. What are your thoughts on him potentially staying with this team and coaching them in the college football playoff?
Speaker 7:I'll I'll tell you this is that he's gonna want to, and and he is probably going to be asking for that ability. Now I I think if the athletics department is smart, which they are, they're not gonna let him. Mhmm. But right now, it's it's almost like a hostage situation. I think right now, the the conversation is is being that Kiffin wants to stay for the playoffs.
Speaker 7:They're not gonna let him. So I think he's trying to take as many, you know, supporting staff members as he can
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 7:To LSU with him for this matter. And he might even try to be taking some players, but right now, I I don't think that that is a realistic, situation. I really don't think Kiffin's going to be staying, but he wants to. So everything will kind of come out in the weeks to come, and I I can tell you, though, that he does want to stay and coach this playoff team.
Speaker 4:Do you think he should stay and coach the college football team? Because I know there's some argument on whether or not, you know, the athletic director should let him do that. I know Kirk Herbstreit said they should let him finish out the season. Obviously, this is Ole Miss most successful season in school history and the first time they're gonna reach the college football playoff. But, obviously, you have the, you know, factor of Kiffin probably recruiting your players throughout the weeks to LSU and just basically advertising this national championship run for the LSU program.
Speaker 4:So, you know, what are your thoughts on that situation? And do you think the athletic director should let him finish out this season or not?
Speaker 7:So let me tell you. When when you say do I think he should, for me, there's two schools of thought here. Right? Do I think that Ole Miss would be better off with Kiffin coaching his playoff team. Well, on one scale, you know, you look at statistics.
Speaker 7:I mean, he's had a great season so far Mhmm. With the Rebels. But on another scale, on a more morally weighed scale, I I would have to say, no. I don't think Kippen should stay. I don't think he deserves to stay.
Speaker 7:And, honestly, if I'm a player, what am I is this really a guy right now worth fighting for? Would it would you feel better is my question to propose to anybody listening is, like, do you feel better going into these weeks to come knowing that you're playing for a guy that's leaving you anyway, and is is Trojan horsing off of your talent and your ability to get to this college playoff? I personally don't think that he should. And I I think that, the athletic department, you know, as much leeway as they've been giving Kiffin in these weeks to come, you know, they they they've been, you know, waiting for his decision, letting him, you know, do all hey. I don't know how much you've looked into, you know, some rumors, some drama, but they've been letting this go on for far too long.
Speaker 7:Yeah. I'm the athletic department. No. I I don't think Kiffin should coach this team. I don't think he has the right to coach this team right now.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's a situation too where if you're gonna have him coaching the team during the playoffs when you know he's leaving at this point, it's almost like going to a girl who you're planning to break up with her family holidays or something there. And then trying to meet the family there. Yeah. You're not gonna have the same inspiration that you would otherwise.
Speaker 3:Max, I I wanna ask you one final question before we let you go, man. What is the vibe like on campus? How has the last few football games been? Because people knew that this was a monster in the background. It's been over the shadows for a while now.
Speaker 3:What has the vibe been there?
Speaker 7:I'm not gonna lie. You know, Kiffin has done a a good job in pulling the wool over, I think, the fan base's eyes in the sense that he's been having people bend over backwards for the fact that they want him to stay. And people you know, we had the Florida game here, and the atmosphere was insane. And a lot of that contributed to the fact that people were worried that he was leaving, and you could see the the emotion in in this fan base. This is this is a Oxford is a a small college town, and, you know, it is growing numbers wise.
Speaker 7:But at at its core, you have people here that take football extremely seriously. Joe, we're from we're from the Northeast where, you know, college football isn't that big. Down here, it's a lifestyle. It's a culture. Insane.
Speaker 7:What's interesting right now is that, you know, that Florida game, was the most emotional and one of the biggest turnouts crowd wise that, like, anybody had ever seen. And, you know, he he almost seemed unappreciative, and I I'm still surprised by the fact that people are, you know, letting Kiffin kind of walk over the fact that, yeah, I think, you know, you you could say, we want you to say, please say, no. At this point, you're getting played with. And, you know, it's it's like, it's almost like, you know, Kiffin is I like the analogy you used earlier. It's like he promised that he would go to prom with one girl, but now he's getting back with his ex.
Speaker 7:And it's like, he's in he's in this weird love triangle, and he can't let that happen. I I think the vibe on campus is is hopeless. I I don't understand it. And if I'm a student, which, you know, I am, I'm telling you right now, drop the act and let him walk.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I agree, Matt. Max, always proud of you, bro. Thank you for picking up here, Matt. It's been very nice talking to you.
Speaker 3:Have you on the green
Speaker 7:light report? Time.
Speaker 3:Yes. Have a great day, Max. Anything you wanna say to the drivers of East Lansing? You don't have the snow right now. We're covered in snow at this point, but anything you wanna say to the the radio station here?
Speaker 7:I mean, look. If if you're driving through the snow, the one thing you should be listening to is JoDes on the radio. That's all I got.
Speaker 3:There you go. There you go. Thank you, Max. We gotta let you go, bro. Keep killing it, dude.
Speaker 3:I'll make sure you check out sir truth. If you wanna check out rebel report. Is that a rebel watch? Is that right?
Speaker 7:Rebel watch. You follow us on Instagram, and then on YouTube, it's news watch at Ole Miss.
Speaker 3:Awesome. Thank you, Max. We'll talk to you soon, bro.
Speaker 7:Alright. Good talking to you, Joe.
Speaker 3:Yep. See you, bro. Bye.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Such a unfortunate situation over there for Ole Miss. Again, as I mentioned, this is the most successful season they've had in program history. And now I even going into LSU, you know, how are people really going to take Kiffin's word for, you know, a lot of these promises? Because now you look back at his time even before Ole Miss.
Speaker 4:This is a very, you know, sketchy. He will he will leave in an instant guy, and he did a really good job, I thought, at Ole Miss of building back up his reputation. For him to just basically throw that all away in this one move is shocking to me, and I just I don't really understand it. I felt like he just found himself a lot more at Ole Miss than he had at any other place. And you see the improvement.
Speaker 4:You see how healthy more healthy he looks, and it it all happened there in Oxford. And for him to leave that situation, obviously, I understand the, you know, winning aspect of it, and maybe you have you have a lot better chance of winning a national championship at LSU than Ole Miss, but I don't know. This feels like this just feels like a poor situation. Honestly, he handled this so poorly too.
Speaker 5:Yeah. It feels like a Ben Johnson situation from last year because during that playoff game and those last couple games, you kinda knew that Ben was gonna go. Mhmm. He didn't know where if it was to the bears or wherever, but it it feels like a very similar situation. I think it would be funny if they let him coach throughout the college football playoffs.
Speaker 5:And, you know, he obviously he still cares. Right? I mean, we saw that in the egg bowl. Was that Friday night? Yeah.
Speaker 5:Friday Friday afternoon. And then I don't know if you guys saw he got into a little argument with the old or I
Speaker 3:was gonna bring that up a second. Yeah. Well, the report well, it was the we won't say the full quote by that housewife Yeah. It's pretty crazy. You know what's insane to me, though?
Speaker 3:If anybody saw the video of that guy getting confronted by Kiffin, he's 40 years old. He has a kid I thought he was like a 22
Speaker 4:year old been guy. In sports journalism since, I believe, 2008. Long time.
Speaker 3:Yeah. He just has a baby face as well.
Speaker 7:And Yeah.
Speaker 3:It's funny to For
Speaker 4:him to, you know, say that on air and think that he was gonna let us slide. Yeah. I thought
Speaker 5:that report was a student. Right?
Speaker 4:That's what I thought. Yeah. Wrong man. He again, he has been in journalism for almost twenty years now in sports journalism. And so the
Speaker 3:What fact that that leads to is a whole conversation that could open up for hours about maybe people should stop trying to say things for clicks all the time. Maybe the you don't have to have the hottest take every single time. That's the thing to say. Yeah. At at a point, but that we can go on for hours about that.
Speaker 3:But, yes, continue Oscar.
Speaker 4:It's just, yeah. It's just a bad situation, man. I I feel so bad for Ole Miss. I really hope they don't let this guy coach the college football playoff. I don't think they should.
Speaker 4:And in all realism, he's not calling plays over there. You know? He has an offensive coordinator. He has a defensive coordinator. He took more of a CEO role for that Ole Miss team.
Speaker 4:So they are losing their head guy. Yes. But it's not like they are losing their schematic guys unless, of course, he takes them with him for LSU in this fit of rage that he has apparently if they decide to not let him coach. But
Speaker 3:As a player, though, what's so tough is I understand that every time a coach scratches schools, he takes half the guys with him, it feels like now. But at this point, would you really wanna go with the guy who abandoned your last program realistically? Who's fine coach or getting interviewed by other teams while you're hunting for the playoffs? It's tough.
Speaker 4:Again, as I mentioned, a lot of this Ole Miss team is transfer portal guys. They weren't really supplementing with the portal. They were building with the portal. Yeah. And so I just, you know, I don't really know how much, you know, foundation or, I guess, trust or commitment they have to the university in the first place because I think a lot of these guys just came on campus last year, if we're being completely real here.
Speaker 6:Their quarterback. Yeah.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Their quarterback literally just came from Ferris, like, an hour down the road and came down to Oxford, like, couple months ago.
Speaker 3:So Question always happens for me is how do you get a degree at that point? I think that's what the transfer quarter is really real. I don't know. Even if you didn't make the NFL
Speaker 4:Pete's points me.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You'd have a four year degree from some place.
Speaker 4:From online school, basically. University of Phoenix online
Speaker 3:is where
Speaker 4:they're at.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Probably. One year at each place, it feels. I talked to, funny enough, Trey Ford about the transfer credits and stuff like that. He actually he's doing great.
Speaker 3:He's, like, working on masters right now. I'm pretty sure. Yeah. He's he's killing it.
Speaker 6:Yeah. He's like I feel I feel like it it has really polarized where, like, these guys are either getting six degrees in five years or they have, like they're they're still doing math one zero one, like, in year five.
Speaker 4:Yeah. So but, yeah, it this comes back to my point. I don't know how much commitment they actually have to the school to begin with just because I just don't know how much, yeah, they really care about it because I think they're just more they're there for the check, if anything, for most of those guys. So I I feel like they will most likely follow Lane. I would not be surprised if Chinedad Chambers is LSU's next starting quarterback next year.
Speaker 4:I would not be surprised of that at all. And I think, yeah, he's probably gonna take a lot of these Ole Miss guys with them probably.
Speaker 3:For the transfer thing, one thing that I'll you know, that guy Lee who transferred from Princeton all the way to Florida is Xavien?
Speaker 4:Xavien Lee. Yeah. Xavien Lee.
Speaker 3:He yeah. He could have had an Ivy League degree, now he's probably making millions.
Speaker 4:Now he's shooting sub 10%
Speaker 3:high now. But I'm you gotta imagine the money he's making is crazy at this point. Yes. That's what the if you wanna find the answer to a question that you can't really understand of, like, why would a guy from Princeton go up on the Ivy League degree and switch to an SEC school? Yes.
Speaker 3:They were just national championships. You have to keep that in mind. Of course, too, money is gonna be the answer. Yeah. Why would Lane Kiffin leave a program they built up from the ground?
Speaker 3:Judging. Yep. Exactly.
Speaker 4:He's getting offered $90,000,000 to coach
Speaker 6:at LSU.
Speaker 3:So much money. And then, so much more The Mel Tucker contract. Literally. So much more in just NIL two that he has at his disposal. Resources.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's it's crazy. Oh, wow. We spent a good amount of time. That was fun.
Speaker 3:Didn't expect to be able to call, yeah, my good friend Max. That was pretty awesome. I appreciate you guys indulging that.
Speaker 4:Break some news here. I mean
Speaker 3:You I I had used to do podcasts with him back in senior year high school, so it's been about four years now. Yeah. That was fun.
Speaker 4:I mean, we got the we got the insight into this. Felt like we were calling Marty Smith right there from ESPN. Real professional.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah. No. A lot of fun. It's been a big year for Green White as a whole. There used to be no call ins.
Speaker 3:Starts out that was a simple solution.
Speaker 6:It's all just yep. Put
Speaker 4:the phone. Yeah.
Speaker 3:That was I remember the host saying for years, like, we're gonna find out how get the other call in this show. It's so easy. You just call them. It's it's that easy.
Speaker 6:And we can we can keep out the riffraff. As long as you know one of our phone numbers, you'll you'll be fine.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Exact well, the reality is I understand a lot of people love phone call segments. I like it where it's like that where you're calling an expert on the situation. Yeah. To be quite honest, I couldn't care less about when random people call into a radio show.
Speaker 3:I I that that used to be really fun. There I guarantee if we did it around East Lansing, we'd get funny callers. It'd be a lot of smart people who would give some knowledgeable takes. If you're listening to this show, you're a smart person. We love you, of course.
Speaker 3:But Yeah. I I just enjoy those segments in radio. I find it to be lazy.
Speaker 6:Who who cares about Donnie from Dorchester? He just wants
Speaker 4:to talk about the socks.
Speaker 3:No. Exactly. You'll you'll also sometimes if you listen to those segments, you'll hear the craziest of takes ever, like
Speaker 4:It's so funny what just the average sports, you know, viewer thinks about some of these things.
Speaker 6:That was how we found out about the poison trees during the iron bowl.
Speaker 7:Oh, one of
Speaker 4:the greatest radio segments in the history of the product, by the One of the top 10 all time. I really don't. Roll time.
Speaker 6:Yeah. Come on.
Speaker 4:Let's Iconic.
Speaker 6:Let's call let's call into the Paul Feinbaum show and and and confess to eco terrorism.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Confess a crime.
Speaker 5:He's like he's like he's like, isn't that isn't that illegal? He's like, you think I do
Speaker 3:you think
Speaker 4:not gay? I really don't.
Speaker 3:We'll get back on track. We only got thirty eight minutes left. I'll tell one thing real quick. Well, on the first hour radio show I used to work on, was called Fortive Sports Talk back in Massachusetts. It was a public access radio show.
Speaker 3:I was one of the co hosts on the, the major host Dominic. He would have people call in. We got one caller every single time, and that same caller would call in with a different voice each time. And then it was pretty funny, but he never said anything that was funny. It was the it was just the fact that, like, you're hoping that people recognize the inside joke, guess.
Speaker 3:But, yes. We at Green White Report like to do genuine hard hitting reporting. Yes. We like to do Super hard. Yes.
Speaker 3:That's why we have Desden confused, of course. Exactly. Lot of fun. But we're gonna get back on track. We we spiraled for a bit here.
Speaker 3:Let's let's move on. We gotta we gotta shift gears a bit here.
Speaker 4:That's okay.
Speaker 3:Some conference championships coming up. Ohio State, obviously, gotta mention their great win over Michigan. First time in six years?
Speaker 4:Stump, four years.
Speaker 3:Four years.
Speaker 4:Four years. Okay. Two thousand one hundred sixty one days,
Speaker 3:I wanna
Speaker 6:say. 2019 is the last time they beat him.
Speaker 4:'20. Yep. They didn't
Speaker 6:play in 2020 because Michigan dunked them.
Speaker 4:They did dunk.
Speaker 3:That makes sense. Yeah. So first win in four season or first win in four matchups, first win six years, though. Yep. Okay.
Speaker 3:That's thank you. I wanna ask. Sorry. I I made up something for a second there.
Speaker 4:Shout out them, man.
Speaker 3:Shout out Michigan
Speaker 4:too for honoring their former great quarterback, JJ McCarthy in the game to nine points in honor of him. Just love to love to see love to see them showing respect to the guy.
Speaker 3:It's crazy to see that every time a quarterback has a bad performance now, you know what they're gonna get added
Speaker 6:into that J. J. McCarthy nine. I saw I saw Dave won last night.
Speaker 4:It is oh my god.
Speaker 6:I gotta find this.
Speaker 4:Shout out Nine, baby. Shout out Nine.
Speaker 5:He Yeah. I mean, he does it to himself.
Speaker 3:I know. I know. That one's actually really funny. Yeah. It's Dave Portnoy on
Speaker 5:the picture. He does it to himself in in two ways. Right? Because number one, he's really corny. Right?
Speaker 5:And so he does it to himself like that. And then second of all, like, he's not that good. So it's like, he could either stop being corny or start playing better and people wouldn't inflame him.
Speaker 3:You know, the thing is, I I we hated on him so much. Like, every MSU fan hated on him so much for years that when he went to the Vikings, I decided at that point, you know what? I'm gonna switch. Yeah. I'm just gonna let it I'm gonna see what happens.
Speaker 3:I like the Vikings. I like Justin Jefferson. I'll see if he can be good. If he's good, I'll give him the credit. Terrible.
Speaker 3:He's been awful.
Speaker 4:He's in Ja'Marcus Russell territory right now.
Speaker 6:It's never over. It's literally never over.
Speaker 4:The thing
Speaker 3:is he just had he had finally a good game, and then you come out with that nine comment. Anybody. If anybody on this show came out and said when they put on a headset, they had an alter ego come on, then that's just that's insane. That's crazy.
Speaker 4:Look at them the same way
Speaker 3:on this show again. I would lose my position as host. I don't think any of you would be invited back. Start to say, yeah, when I come on here, I switch into g
Speaker 6:instead of d.
Speaker 3:I'm like, that's crazy.
Speaker 6:Yeah, Joe. If I ever find out you switch into mister Des, like,
Speaker 3:when you
Speaker 6:Next time you text me on a Saturday night, I'm not responding.
Speaker 3:Oh my god. I I had a bit I want to commit to, I'll share this before we move on one last thing, I guess. It's been a wild show today. It's been fun. It's a rainy, snowy day.
Speaker 3:We're all got colds in here. It's it's fine. So what I was gonna say is I was trying to partner with the Michigan State Theater Department at one point. I was trying to get their costume department and let me show up in a different costume every week. It would have been a really funny bit.
Speaker 3:Would not have been that good. I realized once we started getting people like, of course, president Guskawick. If I was sitting here in, a Donald Duck outfit, I don't know how that would have really rolled off. Eventually, if we get Izzo one day, yeah, would not have been the best. A salary outfit.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It wouldn't have been good, but funny bet to think about. Let's move on. We gotta talk NFL. We don't have too much time here.
Speaker 3:But, yo, real quick. All thoughts around. Big ten championship. Who is your winner? Indiana, Ohio State, Owen, Oscar, and then Gabe.
Speaker 3:Let's hear it.
Speaker 6:I think it's gonna be a rock fight, but I think Ohio State just has the better the better overall setup. I I think Indiana's probably a little bit better coached, but, they don't have the the talent that that Ohio State does.
Speaker 4:Fair. I I think this, you know, I think this game is a lot more closer in terms of talent than a lot of people think it is. This Indiana team is so talented. They are so good in both trenches. They run the ball really well.
Speaker 4:Obviously, Mendoza is a Heisman candidate. But I just think there's a little too much schematically that that Ohio State defense is gonna bring to the table that I just think is gonna give Mendoza a little bit too much trouble. It's gonna be something it's gonna be the most sophisticated defense he's seen in his college football career, I think. So I'm I'm giving the I'm gonna give the slight edge here to the buckeyes, but I think Indiana is gonna give them a real run for their money. And shout out them for having basically a home game for the Big Ten championship as well.
Speaker 3:Indianapolis. Right?
Speaker 4:Yes. In Indianapolis. And also shout out seven and five Duke going to the ACC championship game, baby. Crazy. What a time to be alive.
Speaker 5:Sorry. I'm flipping a coin right now.
Speaker 6:Has Indiana ever played in the
Speaker 3:I think there's a first ever championship.
Speaker 4:I think they played one other time in 1967, I wanna say.
Speaker 6:What were those last two numbers? Yeah.
Speaker 4:I know. I I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Speaker 5:Well, it was never an issue. Right? Because because Indiana was never good at football. It was always Michigan or Ohio State versus whatever team in the West or whatever. Right?
Speaker 5:But now now it's actually an issue you have to think about. I think I want Indiana to win, but I think Ohio State's gonna win.
Speaker 3:That's fair. I think as long as OSU doesn't show any weakness like or at this point, I mean to say, the fact that they haven't shown any weakness really proves to me that they're gonna win. With Michigan, it was just getting the skeletons out of their closet at that point.
Speaker 4:Dude, they they that fourth
Speaker 6:quarter was mental battle.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Fourth quarter too, they beat them the way Michigan had beat them the last four years. I know that had I know that had to have feel real good for Ryan Day.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I also respect to Ryan Day. The fact that in the presser, he didn't start showboating and start gloating. Didn't let his team plant the flag.
Speaker 4:I kind of thought that was lame.
Speaker 3:They should've I understand that, but there's a certain thing that you have to give respect to where get it. You take the high road, it's not the pretty road. It's really good. You gotta respect it to the guy. I don't know where I'm really going with it.
Speaker 3:I don't know if there's much more I can say. I I I I the
Speaker 6:the the logo guarding by Michigan is extremely corny based on what they've done in the last calendar year.
Speaker 4:Extra lame. Extremely corny. If you wanna guard your if you wanna guard your logo Win the game. Win the game. Score a touchdown.
Speaker 4:Don't let your quarterback throw for sub a 100 passing yards.
Speaker 3:I agree. But now we'll move on. We don't wanna sound too bitter, I guess. Yes. Look at the state of this football team.
Speaker 3:I
Speaker 4:I think it's still back.
Speaker 6:This goes back to basketball.
Speaker 3:No. Sure. Holloman. Yes.
Speaker 6:Where where I mean, I do. I think Trey Holloman probably should have started a physical altercation. No. But also, like, he cared. I mean Yeah.
Speaker 6:And if if you wanna be sore losers and stop the tradition that's been going on for thirty years, I mean, keep the game close. Like, they don't do that when the game is close.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I will say the headbutt thing was a bit crazy too.
Speaker 4:I I do think it was ejected. Yeah.
Speaker 3:I do. Yeah. I agree on that. I'm shocked they didn't get ejected, but the way people are framing on Twitter at points is like the guy, like, loaded up a headshot and then knocked
Speaker 6:him up.
Speaker 4:Hit the brim, dude.
Speaker 3:Well, what he was trying to do to you, was trying to show that somebody else hit him in that what hit with their head was what it was. He the ref was a bit close. I do agree. Should have been ejected. Is it something that you need to put as, like, this is why Michigan is getting put over every other program?
Speaker 4:They got that Smith touchdown as get back anyway.
Speaker 3:Exactly. You're just sounding bitter at a point if you start doing that. So we'll move on because we're not bitter here at the Ray White report. We like to have fun here instead.
Speaker 6:I'm having a whale of a time.
Speaker 3:Me too. Yes. Great. Let's move into NFL territory. The Bears, Ben Johnson has been leading them.
Speaker 3:I wanna ask you Michiganders, you Lions fans.
Speaker 4:This hurts so much.
Speaker 3:I I am how did it feel seeing that shirtless picture in the locker room?
Speaker 4:This man is literally feeding families in Chicago right now. Mhmm. He's feeding he's actually feeding the the the hungry in Chicago. Not only is he winning football games with a franchise that is known for not winning, he is also feeding the hungry. That is something Dan Campbell hasn't even done yet.
Speaker 5:Well, he might also deserve a Nobel Peace Prize because, you know, the Lions aren't having success and crime drops in Detroit. And then he goes to Chicago, they start doing well. And crime has dropped in the And past six
Speaker 4:they give out free hot dogs. Like, that was such a I honestly, his his postgame clips, man, and those locker rooms, it it brings he you can clearly tell he's learned from Dan Campbell and has coached under Dan Campbell because this guy is such a great motivator, man. I was really worried if he was going to be able to bring that type of energy and level that Dan Campbell has to Detroit to Chicago. He's sort of like, we didn't really see a lot of his personality in Detroit, so I was really questioning whether he had that in him or not. He 100% has that in him.
Speaker 4:He has coached this team so well. I mean, this was just a thumping against probably the best rushing defense in the entire NFL too. I mean, you look at Green Bay and Detroit, two of the better rushing teams in the NFL, they couldn't do anything against Philadelphia in those last two games. And now you have a team who comes in here and runs for almost 200 yards against that defense.
Speaker 3:Almost two I think two eighty almost. Yeah.
Speaker 4:Almost two eighty. Like, it was it was so impressive to watch just the way they beat Philly. It it really I think this was a this was a statement game for Chicago. They I I think a lot of people looked at them as not being too serious yet at first place in the division because they were thinking Green Bay or Detroit, you know, they're gonna get right. The this team is serious.
Speaker 4:This team is legit. They could go very deep, I think, in the playoffs this year realistically.
Speaker 3:I agree on when you got something.
Speaker 6:Who knew all you needed to solve the impossible Chicago prime problem was competent football? I mean It's true. I I feel like we have seen this with, you know, the, the New Orleans Yep. And, was it was it Miami too? When when the dolphins are good, Miami crime goes down quite a lot.
Speaker 6:I don't know. I I think the the worst part of the bears being good is a player from the bears always seems to outperform his fantasy projection and beat me every week. Deandre Swift had 30 fantasy points this week.
Speaker 4:He was insane too. He was insane.
Speaker 6:What is going on?
Speaker 5:Mununga had a good game
Speaker 4:as well.
Speaker 5:I gonna say,
Speaker 3:I don't
Speaker 4:even think Swift got majority of the carries. No. Think Mununga 20. Yeah. Mununga had 22.
Speaker 4:Deandre Swift had 18. Manungai ran for 5.9 a carry. Deandre Swift, 6.9 a carry.
Speaker 3:Just crazy. Instant. Yeah. We were talking about hot takes earlier, and I remember one of the ones that was making me really mad last year is during the off season, people were saying not many people. Let me preface that.
Speaker 3:But some people were saying that Aaron Glenn would be a better head coach than Ben Johnson. That was the worst take I've heard in a long time.
Speaker 4:His age so badly.
Speaker 3:So badly. I will admit to one thing that I have said on this year. At one point, I still stand by that. I think Boenix is a pretty good quarterback. But still, I will admit Caleb Williams at this point in his career has shown more.
Speaker 3:Much more at this point in that too. Before this season, because we were arguing this week one before any of the season really happened. I said, in this moment, I would take Bo Nix over Caleb Williams. That has officially changed. You just needed the right offensive coordinator to unlock him.
Speaker 3:His head coach technically, I guess, at this point, but still It's a lot different.
Speaker 4:I will own up. Yeah. I was gonna say it's a lot different when Matt Eberflusz's 's coaching you
Speaker 3:as a
Speaker 4:first Ben Johnson. It turn it turns out. Yeah.
Speaker 3:But You have to look at that class, though, and just people are gonna look back at that quarterback class. I know. Oh my god. And then the Vikings got J. J.
Speaker 3:McCarthy on everybody. And then, obviously, the Falcons got Michael Panics too. So Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 4:I'm not out on Panics yet, man.
Speaker 3:But I am. Three ACL tears, man. You got nothing on
Speaker 4:that knee anymore. Yeah. It's really bad. Yeah. I completely forgot he it was another one, dude.
Speaker 4:Oh my god. How that's so bad.
Speaker 5:So bad.
Speaker 6:How hard do you think Sam Darnold is laughing right now?
Speaker 3:Oh, know.
Speaker 6:Right? He's gotta be loving it.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Daniel Jones too. They had him in the locker room too,
Speaker 3:and they let him walk.
Speaker 6:I mean, like Malpractice. Did you see Even Josh Dobbs is his favorite game.
Speaker 3:All the
Speaker 5:way in on Daniel Jones, by the way.
Speaker 3:Well, no. He's gonna regress heavily, and you know why? Did you see his injury?
Speaker 5:What was it?
Speaker 3:What are you He has, like, a fractured fibula. He's gonna play with
Speaker 6:a fractured fibula. Broken leg. Yeah. That's cooked.
Speaker 4:That's cooked.
Speaker 3:This season's done for the Colts. They're gonna be
Speaker 4:Jonathan Taylor will carry them to the AFC championship game. If there was a year that a running back could carry a team deep into the playoffs, it would so be
Speaker 7:the series.
Speaker 5:I don't think the AFC is, like, very, very strong this
Speaker 4:side of If that man if that man has two if that man Jonathan Taylor if that man Jonathan Taylor has two good playoff games, Colts are in the AFC championship game. I will say I think that's a I think that's a good assumption.
Speaker 3:Our our missing friend right now, Tim Marshall, he mentioned that Aaron, one of the earlier shows this year that the Colts are the most obvious team to get either the one or two seed and then lose first game in the playoffs. I still I I honestly have to say Daniel Jones has been regressing the fact that his leg is broken at this point. One of the best parts of this game is, man, mobility. It's crazy. Agree.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You have to respect him, lot of
Speaker 6:respect to Tim.
Speaker 4:Respect, man. Respect.
Speaker 3:Also, nothing will be Indiana Jones for a quarterback nickname really hits Oh, yeah.
Speaker 6:Yeah. Is is Richardson even healthy yet?
Speaker 3:Is he No. He's always been busy.
Speaker 5:Something right here.
Speaker 6:Yeah. I I Definitely. I can't keep up with all these injury. It feels like this season has just been awful
Speaker 3:for me. Every year feels that
Speaker 6:way. Yeah. Like you know, obviously, being a Lions fan with When do we not have injury prevention.
Speaker 4:When do we not?
Speaker 3:Like Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 6:I mean, would you to be honest, would you rather be the MSU strength and conditioning staff or the Lions strength and conditioning staff where, you know, every year or, yeah, every year, it's like you got 15 guys out by, you know, week 12.
Speaker 4:They gotta figure something out over there, dude. This is gonna happen. Ridiculous. I hate this. Everyone's injured onto my team.
Speaker 6:It feels like I've watched so many, like, high profile guys. Maybe not even just, you know, injuries in general, but to high profile players like Burrow, you know, Rogers, I I guess Lamar missed a couple weeks, but, you know
Speaker 3:He's looking bad right now too. It's sad. I picked him up in Fantasy. Yeah. I got him on fantasy.
Speaker 6:Yeah. I mean, Richardson's out for the year. You know? Lamar will
Speaker 4:come back. I have to he'll be back.
Speaker 5:I I
Speaker 6:agree. It just feels like
Speaker 4:this year is just
Speaker 6:extremely bad for injuries to high or, you know, high profile players.
Speaker 4:Yeah. No. I agree. It has been really bad. Last year was really bad too.
Speaker 4:It's just these last couple of years, I feel like, have been really awful for injuries. I do wanna I I wanna, you know, skate off this a little bit because I feel like if we don't talk about this, we're not gonna do it justice, especially if they win this week. Shadair mania is here, baby. Shadair mania upon us, baby. You got white boys throwing up their AP wrist, wearing the Shneur jersey, thinking they're swagged out, and guess who brought that in?
Speaker 4:Number 12, baby.
Speaker 3:This is
Speaker 4:Shneur Sanders, the future of the Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 3:Enough. This is from beating the Raiders with 55% passes.
Speaker 4:Hey, man. Hey, man. He looked a lot better. I'm I'm just saying, a lot better than what Dylan Gabriel would have done.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, that's that's a very low bar.
Speaker 4:He had the longest passing play for Cleveland of the entire season.
Speaker 3:I did see that.
Speaker 5:I think Dylan He had Miles the lowest bar. Yeah.
Speaker 4:Had he had Miles Garrett geeking in a way I have never seen him geek on that sideline before for that play. He he's bringing he's bringing something else to this team, man. He's bringing a different type of juice. They've been keeping him down for too long, man. It's time for him to come up.
Speaker 4:And, man, I'm telling you, if he wins this game against San Francisco, it will be everywhere. He will be everywhere. I am telling you right now, the world will explode if he wins this game against San Francisco and has a good game doing it. Yeah. Sodermania will be fully upon us at that point, I think.
Speaker 3:I I don't hate it. I I can respect that. The Browns haven't had something to cheer for in a long time. They're cheering just for Myles Garrett
Speaker 4:to break
Speaker 3:the record.
Speaker 4:He wins two straight, and he beats San Francisco at that too?
Speaker 3:It's funny. It's funny that when you're talking about the Browns, two straight is like something to celebrate.
Speaker 4:It's something for them, dude. Yeah.
Speaker 5:It's something to celebrate for our football team.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Actually.
Speaker 3:Hey. We got three. We had three at the beginning.
Speaker 4:Talk about inconsistency, man. They're about to go on a longer streak than we have. Like, all year, it feels like. Well, we did have the four game win streak.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Not the best so far. Let's get back on track for a little bit here. I do I I can respect that take. You know, let's go around anything that's burning in you that you have say about this NFL slate, and then we'll do a three game pick and we'll we'll figure it out for the last few minutes.
Speaker 6:I don't know. The lie the Lions this year, it feels like they, you know, they have had the bad they've had bad games in all of the wrong times.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 6:Where, you know, the the Eagles were very, very mortal against them, and somehow they figured out a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I think if if they would've had the Packers, maybe well, if this game would have been maybe a week ago or in two weeks so Frank Ragnarok could get healthy.
Speaker 4:Well Yeah.
Speaker 5:Well I know. I know. Know.
Speaker 7:I know.
Speaker 4:Did you see I mean, the dude had a great it was grade three.
Speaker 6:It was torn completely knew it was some sort of
Speaker 4:His hamstring was torn completely off.
Speaker 3:But just hanging around
Speaker 4:with that. It was hanging, dude. I don't know why. I don't know what was thinking through that. Like, how do you not?
Speaker 4:I'm just
Speaker 3:Not noticing.
Speaker 4:How do you
Speaker 6:not notice
Speaker 4:that, dude? Like, it was grade three, which is the worst grade of hamstring tear you coulda it's completely off. Like, is completely ripped.
Speaker 3:It it proves as just how strong offensive linemen are. You
Speaker 4:tear
Speaker 3:your
Speaker 4:The dude's like, oh, I could come back.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Well, you tear your your hamstring, and you just assume that's probably just wear and tear. That's probably just sore. Totally go play center again. Crazy.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:I mean
Speaker 6:Could you imagine? I I mean, have you guys seen, not to, like, go completely off track, but have you seen that video of the guy that tore his hamstring playing lacrosse and they made him an artificial hamstring out of a TRX band? No.
Speaker 3:That's crazy. What?
Speaker 6:Yeah. They taped the TRX band to, like, the bottom of his butt and then, like, right beneath his knee. They taped it, like, with duct tape Yeah. So that he could have an artificial hamstring to play this lacrosse game.
Speaker 4:Interesting. That's interesting.
Speaker 3:That's pretty crazy.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Didn't say that.
Speaker 3:Yeah. If you really like, you hear the leg lengthening surge? Oh, yes. Yeah.
Speaker 6:Forgot that.
Speaker 3:Keep out videos of those pot. Let's move on. Let's get
Speaker 4:to the Yeah.
Speaker 3:Get back on track. Oscar, what's your take that you wanna talk about?
Speaker 4:Gonna have one I have one I have one quick take and then one Lions take. Quick take, Rams are winning the Super Bowl.
Speaker 6:Yep. I like that.
Speaker 4:That team is so good.
Speaker 6:It's tough to take you there.
Speaker 4:Matthew Stafford is balling. I mean, dude, they just I can't remember who they played a couple weeks ago, but they just killed them. I believe it was it was the buccaneers. Yes. That was a Sunday night game, and they destroyed them.
Speaker 4:I mean, the game was over at halftime. They are clearly the best team in the NFC, I think, and probably the best team in the entire league right now. Those are the clear favorites, I think, to win the Super Bowl right
Speaker 7:now.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And I I'll be honest. I loved those weeks of Drake Meg getting the MVP hype. I still am very happy that was even happening yet.
Speaker 4:Could still be close, but
Speaker 3:I still think there's a chance, but what my thing is right now, Matt Stafford hasn't thrown a pick since September 21.
Speaker 4:He only has two picks and, 30 touchdowns.
Speaker 3:He's been so good and honestly, happy for him. Yeah. It's good. Yeah. I I wanna know from Detroit perspective, you guys growing up in Michigan, how does it feel seeing your guy do this good on another team?
Speaker 4:I like it. I mean, look, the trade, it needed to happen. He needed to go. We were not gonna do anything with him here. He did not wanna stay for a rebuilding team again.
Speaker 4:He deserves to go and try and compete for a championship. That was the only knock on him really throughout his entire career was that he just could not have a successful team, could not put really together a successful season, silenced all the haters in his first season when he went to the Super Bowl and got Cooper Kupp that triple crown season. And now he's gonna probably have, you know, an MVP season of his own potentially here in another Super Bowl. So I'm happy about it. You know?
Speaker 4:I'm I'm not upset about it. I am, you know, glad that he's able to finally get this recognition, and we'll probably now make it to the hall of fame where as if he probably stayed in Detroit, he's probably not getting to that spot. So
Speaker 3:Do do any of you know what the first round picks turned into? They were traded
Speaker 4:on It was
Speaker 6:Derek Barnes.
Speaker 3:One of them I
Speaker 6:think was La Porta. Yes.
Speaker 7:I wanna say.
Speaker 3:One of was La Porta,
Speaker 6:Derek Barnes, and a d tackle that I never played.
Speaker 3:Really? So that's not what I'm getting when I look at this one. Saw it. From what it says, I'm gonna fact check this.
Speaker 7:Some of
Speaker 4:them were pretty good, I remember.
Speaker 3:So what it what this one source says was Jameson Williams
Speaker 4:Yep.
Speaker 3:Sam Laporta Yep. Jamere Gibbs. Yes. That's who they got. Because I believe they traded the first rounds for a couple of hours.
Speaker 4:They traded up for Jamere. Yeah. That that does sound correct. So yeah. Like, I I think if he wins another Super Bowl, I feel like you can technically say you'd lost the trade because two Super Bowls to, you know, an NFC championship game appearance, that's it's too hard to balance.
Speaker 3:I I will say, I have I have been very mean on this on this show throughout the years to the Lions. I I do apologize to listeners. That's Oh, it's an East Lansing show. I gotta be honest.
Speaker 4:We had our season last year. We come we come back down to earth this year.
Speaker 3:Well, but still, I have to say that coming back down to earth isn't the end of the world is the thing. People have to remember this is a team that didn't win a single game in a season. Mhmm.
Speaker 4:It's not the end of the world. I'm I'm not panicking. I think they'll probably miss the playoffs this year, but I think that's more the NFC is really good.
Speaker 6:Better draft pick. More than anything. I
Speaker 3:think that line
Speaker 4:Better draft pick. I think they'll just rebuild. I think they need you to go get a new offensive corner
Speaker 6:corner, please.
Speaker 4:No. Go get an go get a tackle. Go get a tackle. Go build up that offensive line. It is so bad right now.
Speaker 3:He all make sense? It looked like it'd be his biggest strength was a crazy
Speaker 4:thing And that is the one thing that Jared Goff cannot handle is being under pressure. He is one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL when under pressure. So you need a good offensive line if you're gonna have him at quarterback.
Speaker 3:So I I think also for just this team, of course, is you gotta think back to Dan Campbell's quote last year where it was that might have been her only shot. Yeah. Things in the NFL changed so quickly. People forget because the Chiefs, the Patriots before the Chiefs, both them were dynasties. It's so hard.
Speaker 3:Doesn't happen often. It comes So hard. In combination from the quarterback being the best QB all those years. Pat Mahomes was the best QB during those Super Bowls, besides the one Brady beat him in, of course. But then Brady was the best QB by far during his Super Bowls.
Speaker 3:Best coach, Belichick was that for a while. Andy Reid was that for a while.
Speaker 4:There can only be one of those guys, 32 teams. It's tough, dude.
Speaker 3:It is one of the
Speaker 4:hardest leagues to win a championship in. I I mean, you're seeing it right now with Philadelphia, dude. They have trouble year in and year out bringing in a consistent team. You know? I mean, they won the Super Bowl last year.
Speaker 4:They could realistically not make it past the divisional this year, you know, and it would not be very surprising. Like, it is just it's how the league goes. You have great years, and then sometimes you just have okay years. But I think if this is gonna be the floor of this team, I would so much rather take this as a floor Yes. Rather than what the old floor of this team used to be, which was the basement.
Speaker 3:Yeah. In the hunt for playoffs and not the number one pick is just where you wanna be. Yeah. Gabe, I apologize. You've been waiting.
Speaker 5:No. No. You're good. I think, yeah, I think you're right. I think things can change very quickly in this league.
Speaker 5:Like, we saw that Saquon Barkley was one of the best athletes on the planet last year, and it's like this year, he's averaging what, three yards a carry. Maybe just a little over. Going back all the way back to the bears really quickly. A lot of people said that they, you know, they had a weak strength to schedule and they were kind of discrediting the bears. I think that, you know, that narrative can finally end.
Speaker 5:You know, it's very hard. Are they at nine wins now?
Speaker 4:Eight wins? Nine and three.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Nine and three.
Speaker 5:Yep. So I think I think, unfortunately, for the lions playoff hopes, if there still are any, that they're not gonna catch the bears. Although the Mhmm. The bears do have to play. They have to play well, they have to play the browns, of course.
Speaker 3:They got a couple tough
Speaker 4:games.
Speaker 5:So, yeah, they have they have the niners and then the packers twice in the lions. So it's possible that the bears fall off a cliff. And the lions still have an opportunity to catch up, of course, with the packers and bears because they do have to play each other a couple times. So, it'd be disappointing if the lions missed the playoffs this year, especially after a fifteen and two season. But that's what happens.
Speaker 5:Right? You, you know, you're not great for a long time. You get a year where things kinda align, and you have a weaker strength schedule. And then you win the NFC North and you had to play a bunch of one seeds and your schedule gets tough. And then other teams that finish below you, they have an easier schedule and they, you know, start to rise above you, which is what we're seeing with the Bears this year, of course.
Speaker 5:So, you know, happy for Chicago. They, you know, they haven't done anything in a long time. I could see them being a first round exit, which I won't lie. I might be happy to see. But Yeah.
Speaker 5:Yeah. It's good for Betjons.
Speaker 4:I could see this team either being a first round exit or, you know, appearing in the NFC championship game,
Speaker 6:I feel like. You know?
Speaker 4:It is. There's such a such two extremes with this team that you see a lot. Obviously, they are winning, but like you mentioned, they just have not been winning against, you know, lesser opponents in emphatic fashion until, obviously, this game against Philadelphia in which they really showed they can beat those quality opponents and can do it in an emphatic fashion as well. So it it just kinda depends, I guess, which Chicago shows up, because I don't think they have, you know, a consistent brand of play quite yet. Obviously, with it being Ben Johnson's first year and everything, still getting stuff adjusted, but I I very well think you're right.
Speaker 4:They could probably make a very deep playoff run, honestly.
Speaker 3:I agree. Well, anything else about NFL that you guys wanna talk? Patriots play tomorrow. I don't have nothing to root for. You guys are gonna The Giants.
Speaker 4:This division up, aren't you?
Speaker 3:Looks like the Bills fell off a cliff. Josh Allen. Yeah. He's been dealing with some issues. Dolphins always suck.
Speaker 3:Two games ahead now or Believe two right now is still at the point. And we still haven't played this week is a big thing.
Speaker 4:At ten and two, they're at seven and four. So, yeah, two games ahead.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Exactly. And we have the tiebreaker too.
Speaker 6:To answer your question about Matt Stafford, I think it's like a kinda like a when you have an amicable split with, a girlfriend and then, you know, couple years later, you ever you you wonder to yourself, oh, I wonder what she's doing now. And she's married to an NBA player making, like, 85,000,000 a year, you know, like Yeah. But you're also doing pretty well for
Speaker 3:yourself too.
Speaker 6:Maybe maybe times have been a little tough lately, but you know what?
Speaker 7:Good for her. Good for you.
Speaker 4:Can't complain about where you're at right now. Can't complain.
Speaker 6:It's not it's been worse.
Speaker 3:It's got you just got promotion at Kroger. You're doing fine. Yeah. It's the same.
Speaker 4:It's it's You got way at worse. You've been sleeping in your car before sometimes. There's been weeks where you didn't know if you were gonna eat. You know?
Speaker 3:Like If anyone out there works at Kroger, hope you know it is a very respectful profession as well.
Speaker 6:This is not Oxford, Mississippi where you were clearly getting cheated on. You know? Like, yeah, where where you were just having a good time with your old lady and then, you know, like, you you have a fight you have you have a nice big fight, and then she breaks up with you. And then two days later, you start getting texts about, oh, she's out here with so and so. Like, this has clearly been going on for a while.
Speaker 3:Everybody's tuned in just to this part. It's like
Speaker 6:but you know what I
Speaker 3:imagine some guy in his car flipping the channels and hearing just that bite. Yeah. This must be a sports show. Yeah. Oh, it's been a chaotic and whenever there's snow for the first time, it sends everyone to a spiral.
Speaker 3:Anybody out there has a sniffles. Make sure you get some medicine. Don't go to class this week you're sick as well.
Speaker 6:Sudafed. They quilt.
Speaker 3:I do like the analogy. Yes. It it makes a lot of sense. The lions can still be happy about where they are. They don't have to look at the past and glorify.
Speaker 3:And also, they wouldn't be where anywhere near where they are if they kept That is without a doubt. But still, for the Patriots, I'm still having hope. I'm gonna turn to them for just one second.
Speaker 4:Is this the year?
Speaker 3:Well, you know the issue. The o line is breaking down. Yeah. The right tackle, Morgan Moses. Yeah.
Speaker 3:He's destroyed. Will Campbell destroyed. Jared Wilson, destroyed.
Speaker 4:All of them are IR. Is Campbell out out? No.
Speaker 3:He'll be back for playoffs. Okay. It's a big help, but still, there's issues. Gabe, what are you thinking right now?
Speaker 5:Well, he's saying he's saying, is this the year? Like, you guys haven't had so much success.
Speaker 4:Like, this is the year we're finally They're gonna do on like a seven game winning streak. Like
Speaker 3:Yeah. I make jokes on this show at points, but
Speaker 4:One, two.
Speaker 3:Yeah. They've won nine a row. That's what it is. Yeah.
Speaker 4:Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3:And it's gotta be 10 after the Giants. But there there will be people who are Patriots fans, that will start trying to complain about anything that they've dealt with. They anybody I've heard some people call the Patriots cursed over the last four years here. That's ridiculous. The amount of winning that any fan has gotten from New England.
Speaker 3:I like to mess with you guys obviously about the lions. But still yeah.
Speaker 4:Yeah. It's dark magic.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:It makes no sense. How do you go from literally the greatest quarterback of all time to getting a kid who arguably already has one of the greatest deep balls in the entire league
Speaker 3:right now. Oh, he has the greatest deep ball. Look at the people he's throwing to. He's throwing to booty. He's throwing
Speaker 4:to no one. He's throwing to no one. Stefan Diggs is off his second ACL tear, basically, and is performing like he looks like he's back in Buffalo.
Speaker 3:I've broken down Diggs, Kaeshaun Booty, and then just Mario Douglas.
Speaker 5:And the years in between, you guys won an NBA championship. Right?
Speaker 4:Yeah. Exactly.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Can't really complain about ASA. Yeah.
Speaker 4:Can't have anything.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And the Bruins the Bruins
Speaker 6:are magically good again. Morgan Geeky's on pace to score 60 goals.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Why is how is that happening?
Speaker 7:Dude, I
Speaker 4:thought you guys were supposed to be you guys were supposed to be miserable for McKenna all year long this year for the Bruins and not you're probably gonna make the playoffs again, and we're probably gonna miss them again.
Speaker 3:If you if you all wanna feel a lot better, I will admit. The Patriots before Tom Brady and Belichick were almost Browns level.
Speaker 1:You weren't even allowed to make two
Speaker 3:Super Bowls in
Speaker 4:your life.
Speaker 3:I understand that. What I'm trying to say here I I know. They got destroyed by the bears in that one. Yeah. And then Brett Clark also killed them.
Speaker 3:But you still have to admit, for Lions fans out there, know that it does get better. The Patriots, if they can go on twenty five years of dominance, you guys can get one. You guys can get one
Speaker 4:this year. Easy to say that from this Oh,
Speaker 3:I know.
Speaker 4:I other side. You know? I know.
Speaker 3:Well, it's the it's the king in the castle saying, oh, you guys can just eat bread and eat on that field can't afford it.
Speaker 6:Guys can be
Speaker 4:just like me.
Speaker 6:You You have championships in all four major sports in your lifetime.
Speaker 3:I know. Know. That's why what what's so funny about me though is that people will try ever complaining and be like, oh, Boston's true. Yeah. What is what type of nonsense is that?
Speaker 3:It's crazy to say.
Speaker 4:You a Boston fan. You have nowhere to say. No. Yeah. To complain about.
Speaker 5:You said, Jojas, you just said, you know, it always gets better, all three of us just looked at
Speaker 3:each other. Yeah. Realizing, no, it doesn't.
Speaker 6:Yeah. Have you lost
Speaker 4:the Lions, like, ever, dude?
Speaker 3:It's fair.
Speaker 6:It's a
Speaker 4:saying we got around Detroit, dude. I hear it's
Speaker 3:I want people in their car to get home safe, Oscar. I don't want them thinking about what's happening in the real estate.
Speaker 6:Oh, no, dude. They're punching the steering wheel
Speaker 3:right now. Oh, man. But, hey. Look at the Pistons. Pistons got better.
Speaker 3:Yeah. If you wanna point to saying that things don't always get better, look at the Pistons. Know what I'm talking about?
Speaker 4:Two game losing streak they're on right now, but alright. They just came back actually and beat the Heat, so we're we're off. We're we're we're not on a two game losing streak. Don't talk about it. Still still the first seed.
Speaker 4:Still the first seed in the East.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 4:Third best third best record in the league.
Speaker 3:I was Thank baby. That that Celtics game versus them, of course, has been Dude. Yeah. Pretty crazy.
Speaker 4:I I was gonna say we didn't even get to talk about that, man. Of course, it is Boston that ruins the 13 game winning streak.
Speaker 3:Could Yeah.
Speaker 4:Of course. I could not have if you knew there was a team or a game in which the streak was going to end, it was going to be at Boston on that stupid NBA cup court too. Oh my god.
Speaker 3:I have to get everyone okay about the NBA cup court suck.
Speaker 6:It was terrible. Yeah.
Speaker 4:Did you see the the Lakers teams that court unplayable? So now they're just not even using it anymore. Like, it's so funny, but that was like a that was a pseudo playoff game, it felt like, in that in that Boston Detroit game.
Speaker 3:Oh, the environment. Yeah.
Speaker 5:No. It's
Speaker 3:pretty crazy.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Garden was bumping, dude, for our game in the November. Like, if football's still going on, you know, you still got a couple other sports, it was it was quite the environment over there, and, TD guarded. I liked it. Unfortunate, Cade missed that free throw.
Speaker 4:You know, just sad. Unfortunate. But he'll get more opportunities. He's still the most clutch player in the
Speaker 3:fourth quarter. Shouldn't have ever had that free throw to be quite honest, but it's okay.
Speaker 4:You know, I I saw I I did not see that second foul that
Speaker 3:you talked about.
Speaker 6:Didn't
Speaker 3:watch that? You didn't see the end of it? Because they gave him three. Whenever somebody shoots from half court, they shouldn't get three free throws. Dude, he was fouled by Josh Monoi before the shot ever went off.
Speaker 3:They didn't whistle it. Monoi is wrapped around his waist, and they don't call it. Yeah. They call They instead call
Speaker 4:it on the other one.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. Don't remember exactly who I believe. Maybe Jordan Walsh. Wish I could say with that with, yeah, a 100% certainty.
Speaker 6:I disagree. I think I think if Jayson Tatum did it, Joe would be all over it. He'd lie.
Speaker 3:You know, the thing is though, never had to. Never had to win that way. We win fair and square.
Speaker 4:Shut up. Mike chucking 60 threes up in the air and just trying to win that way.
Speaker 3:You're telling me you don't like Missoula ball?
Speaker 4:I hate Missoula ball with a passion, dude. Missoula ball will be the death of me, dude.
Speaker 3:I can't blame you. I will say. Will say.
Speaker 4:They shot 43 you shot 43 threes against us, dude. 43.
Speaker 3:I know. I I I It's crazy. I do like Cade Cunningham. So I will not trash on the team, to be quite honest. I also for years now, I thought the Pistons would be a sleeper team, and then they end up having the worst records ever.
Speaker 4:And now they're finally, like, the sleeper team. Well, I don't know if can we even call them a sleeper team?
Speaker 5:Is this gonna be the same thing as the tigers where they start off and they're the best team in the league?
Speaker 3:No. We can't
Speaker 6:say that
Speaker 3:about it.
Speaker 6:We have to stop saying these things out loud because then
Speaker 4:they have Exactly. I like Carey Carpenter. I could you
Speaker 6:Riley Green.
Speaker 3:Do you
Speaker 4:say he's a but do you say he's a No. Do you see how much that guy strikes out?
Speaker 6:Dylan Dingler.
Speaker 3:Alright. Yes. Go
Speaker 4:for it. Dylan Dingler. Dylan Dingler.
Speaker 3:I'll give you
Speaker 7:that one.
Speaker 4:You must not know Akhil Badu. He's not even on the team. Oh, I haven't heard that name in a long time, man. Shout out, Pikki. Akhil, baby.
Speaker 5:It's the only game he played in this year I went to.
Speaker 4:There you go. Alright.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I got some you guys back on track. Yes. We only got a couple more. We're gonna spiral and talking random things.
Speaker 3:What we're gonna talk about there's gonna be another random topic, we're gonna end it with something fun. Last week of class is coming up here. Oh, boy. I wanna know for all of you. Looking back at this first semester, there's only one semester left for me.
Speaker 3:Oscar, do you still have I got
Speaker 4:tech like one more semester.
Speaker 3:One more semester after that. Gonna finish them over the summer. Couple more game.
Speaker 5:Got two years.
Speaker 3:You guys
Speaker 5:are old.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I know. Yeah. You're doing fine, dude. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Wow. I know. So old. Yeah. Even though the football team has been bad, I still would say this was probably my it's tough to say too because I didn't like most of my classes.
Speaker 3:But I'll probably say overall, this was my favorite semester just because of the fact that you look back, MSU basketball, so great. Mhmm. MSU hockey, so great. Women's soccer, another awesome team. And then just the vibe around campus.
Speaker 3:Having a year with no, like, generational level of just controversy Yeah. Is really nice. No allegations. Yes. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Very good. But I do wanna ask all you. Going into the final semester of the year, what is something that's on your horizon that you're looking forward to? And what's something you're excited about? The same question pretty much.
Speaker 6:I can start. I have a, internship with, TV eight in Grand Rapids. Nice. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 6:It's it's gonna be tough. I mean, I'm gonna have probably one of the more brutal, schedules I've ever had in my life. I will be on campus three days a week in Inland Rapids two days a
Speaker 3:week. Nice.
Speaker 6:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You can call it you can call it that.
Speaker 3:You'll be good. Yeah.
Speaker 6:You got it. Yeah. I mean, I'm gonna have a lot of fun. Still try to be, you know, here, be doing as much, you know, with Impact as I can. But, yeah, I I'm I don't know.
Speaker 6:It's gonna be a good time.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah. Nice, dude. Oscar, you got anything?
Speaker 4:Let's see. On the horizon, man, I'm just I'm really excited for the rest of this hockey season, man. You know, we got a very big series coming up this weekend against the number one team in the country, Michigan rivalry weekend, the greatest rivalry in all of college hockey being played here once again at MUN and then at Yost on Saturday. I'm just really excited for, you know, next semester going into the thick of conference play. We'll see Michigan again.
Speaker 4:We'll get a chance to possibly go to Happy Valley too with a game at Beaver Stadium against the Nittany Lions. It's going to be a lot of great experiences I think we get season. And I hope the team can do well. And if they do make it to the frozen four, we'll have a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Speaker 3:So It's gonna be pretty crazy.
Speaker 4:Gonna be pretty crazy. So I don't have get
Speaker 3:self control to walk in Las Vegas. I have had to cross that one out of The US from my max.
Speaker 4:I think I'll be able to handle myself there, especially if I'm on for work duties. So I I trust myself and I trust the rest of my crew. I'll make sure to keep an on them as well.
Speaker 3:Oh,
Speaker 4:yeah. But yeah.
Speaker 3:Dude, not sure I trust Gabe Souza. I lost him.
Speaker 6:He's got
Speaker 5:a little smirk
Speaker 4:on his face.
Speaker 3:That was a little mischievous. So
Speaker 5:you took my answer from me, to be honest. I'm weird. That's what I'm looking for. I'm actually not old enough to do anything in Las Vegas.
Speaker 3:So Yeah. Yeah. There's a movie you ever see the vacation movies?
Speaker 5:I've not.
Speaker 3:No. You've never seen Christmas Vacation?
Speaker 5:Oh. Oh, yeah. I've seen Christmas Vacation.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Okay. Well, there's the Las Vegas vacation too where it's mister Papanopoulos. He ends up getting like a fake ID on the street there. No doing that, Gabe.
Speaker 3:We do not allow that.
Speaker 5:Can't do that. Well, then I'll change my answer for you then, Joe. I think I'm most excited for honestly, I only did one baseball broadcast last year, but that was very fun. I did that with Liam, of course, and I enjoyed that. We lost in extra innings to Northwestern, but it was still a lot of fun.
Speaker 5:And then, also, for men's golf to be back, so I can start writing about them again.
Speaker 6:Yes. There you go.
Speaker 3:James, who's a very busy man on the hockey beat, make sure that you check out his writing. Make sure you check out Oscar Anderson and Jack Volwinkle on the call. Octopi hockey town still going on, Owen.
Speaker 6:Yeah. It's
Speaker 3:been a couple
Speaker 6:weeks, but but, we'll be we'll be back this week. Quite positive.
Speaker 4:It's because you got a lot to talk about, unfortunately. Yeah. Yeah. Unfortunately.
Speaker 6:Yeah. I have to I have to have a happy day before that so I can, you
Speaker 4:know It's fair.
Speaker 6:But, you know, I I hey. I'm on the pylon too.
Speaker 3:So Yes. Make sure you check out the pylon with Jack David, our esteemed producer. Actually, our Who's MIA?
Speaker 6:Our our episode this week was my favorite so far. Really? We did NFL players and NFL teams as pieces of a Thanksgiving meal. And then I think either this week or next week, we're gonna do what every NFL quarterback wants for Christmas.
Speaker 4:Oh, there you go. There we We're getting in the thick of NFL season now. Oh, yeah. Got some good content coming out.
Speaker 3:Well, we gotta go. We're we're overtime. Oh, boy. Yeah. We gotta we gotta let this one go for all of us from the Gray and White Report.
Speaker 3:It was a great episode. We'll throw on some background music here as I recap one final time. Michigan State football finally gets their big 10 win. Michigan State basketball, seven and o. Michigan State hockey, getting the sweep over Colgate.
Speaker 3:For all of us from the Green and White Report, thank you so much for tuning in. Drive home safe on this winter afternoon, technically afternoon. Now we're after 1PM. So enjoy some football. Get some hot cocoa.
Speaker 3:Build a snowman with someone that you love. We'll see you soon here from the Green and White Report. Gabe Souza, Oscar Anderson, Owen McCarthy, and Joe Dez. See you soon next Sunday at 11AM. Bye.
Speaker 4:I love my kids so much. I once sat for three hours in the cold rain to watch her soccer team lose