But yeah, that pairing in one way or the other, it does feel like it's on the precipice of coming to a close or needing to come to a close.

Yeah, I don't disagree with you there.

And it's funny, like the push-push, which has been pretty polarizing in the past.

No one's really talking about it anymore.

It's like, well, maybe it's because they're having a hard time even getting to third and one or fourth and one to be able to run in the first place.

But I look at this and I just say, Nick Serrano took a big gamble when he hired Sean Mannion, who's never called plays before in the NFL, to be their offensive coordinator.

And this is a team that I think if there's one thing you could go back through the years and point to that's been their Achilles heel, it's been that particular position.

And yeah, do you think Sean Payton's going to pull the plug on this if it continues this way after week five or even halfway through a game during week five?

How did you maintain your poise and help the offense maintain its poise as you guys battled gradually got momentum?

I would say, honestly, boxing.

You know, I started transitioning to box my getting to my high school or senior year of high school.

And even when I was there with Tommy, he was a tremendous boxer, still fighting, still doing some of that.

During bangle bouts, we would go down the gym and do that.

And you're probably going, where's this going? You know, boxing is a sport where you know you're going to get hit.

This was a matchup versus Michigan where you couldn't go into it thinking you weren't going to get hit.

People can help you with the very high level goals to help veterans of your foundation.

Yeah.

Like, why are we hitting the panic button 'cause they, they blew a lead at home? Like, did we forget what Nick Saban did in his first year at 'Bama, who he lost to? Do we, do we forget some of the other great coaches and the struggles they have early on? Um, Matt Campbell's trying to bring and create, you know, his culture, a, a new program there at Penn State.

It's gonna take some time.

And, and I think, look, they're still a team that's live to go to the College Football Playoff when it's all said and done, but they gotta make some big time improvements.

A- and I honestly looked at that game as giving more credit to Wisconsin, Luke Fickell, the job they've done kinda getting back more to the roots.

That's a physical, big football team.

Uh, Notre Dame saw that week one.

Wha- how, how do you feel about the Hawkeyes matching up with the Buckeyes?

Okay.

Although I understand why the haters are out.

Okay.

I get it.

When they build up this off season and all the off the field stuff comes to the forefront too, with Madison beer and that whole situation, like I can understand.

Yeah.

And right.

Like, he has made the Super Bowl.

Uh, Brady, who's the college football team, uh, and we're early in the season obviously, but I'm wondering the team that has surprised you the most in a good way.

Um, Louisville's been one that I really wasn't anticipating.

Thinking that, like, "All right, Miami might have some competition in the ACC." Lincoln Keen has been phenomenal for them.

Um, you know, I think he's a great fit for Jeff Brohm.

And, and Jeff Brohm's got such a propensity a- as being a former quarterback, but for developing them, helping those guys play to the best of their ability.

He just runs a very quarterback-friendly system.

It just, it feels like every year, um, whoever they've got there, like when I put on the tape and watch, like they're always maximizing, uh, what they're capable of.

Yes.

Last year on the road, Texas was not very good.

Yeah, no, and I think that's going to be a tough environment.

I've always told people that was the toughest place that I ever played during my collegiate career, just how loud it is and how crazy that fan base can get.

So they're going to be in for it from that perspective.

There's a number of things from Arch over the past, really just talking about the past two years, he's been a full-time starter.

The first was last year.

If I look at how he's throwing the football now compared to the beginning of last season, when we saw him versus Ohio State and even cutting up some of the tape, I did not think he was healthy.

Someone that you might be looking at is either overrated, underrated, kind of like what we saw last year with some of these teams is completely falling out of the poll late.

Is there a player that has surprised you the most where you think to yourself, wow, I didn't know that guy could do that?

I don't know that.

I don't know that I would put it that way.

There's been probably two, one good, one bad.

Kamario Taylor's just been phenomenal.

His tape, it was fine last year, but this year, just how much more efficient he's been, accurate, the timing, rhythm to the offense.

He just feels so much more comfortable and poised in the pocket.

Well, speaking of two teams that need a win, LSU and Texas A&M.

Tell us, Brady, you thought that USC looked okay out at Rutgers? A lot of people would disagree with you, but you thought that Rutgers had something to say about that performance out there on Saturday in Piscataway.

No, I would say this.

I think that was Greg Sciano's last Hail Mary, if you will, of trying to hang on.

They've made a change at quarterback.

I think that helped their offense a bit.

But this is more about SC, and this is more about their defensive struggles.

And I think, like you, and like many people out there, when you have Gary Patterson, who's one of the better defensive minds in college football, really helped build the foundation of what TCU has been defensively and what a lot of people have tried to mimic.

But how do we ensure that these games continue to happen and that these teams don't get dinged too much for dropping those contests if they're incredibly competitive?

But how do we ensure that these games continue to happen, that these teams don't get dinged too much for dropping those contests if they're incredibly competitive?

Yeah, I think expanding the playoff is one way.

I know there's a lot of people who aren't a fan of it, but that is one way to ensure.

You go to 24 teams, I don't think there's any issues whatsoever scheduling non-conference games like this.

But I also feel like you've got to mandate it to some degree.

The ACC has done this.

They play nine conference games, and they have to make sure that you play a big boy and play at least 10 power-four teams.

Can you think of anything, I guess even personally or anecdotal, that's close to that, of clearly the strangest turn of events that I can remember?

How did you maintain your poise and help the offense maintain its poise as you guys gradually got momentum?

I would say, honestly, boxing.

You know, I started transitioning to box my getting to my high school or senior year of high school.

And even when I was there with Tommy, he was a tremendous boxer, still fighting, still doing some of that.

During bangle bouts, we would go down the gym and do that.

And you're probably going, where's this going? You know, boxing is a sport where you know you're going to get hit.

This was a matchup versus Michigan where you couldn't go into it thinking you weren't going to get hit.

People can help you with the very high level goals to help veterans of your foundation.

offensively speaking.

But, uh, I think there was some struggles there.

So they were just looking for someone to come in and kind of execute some things.

And, and, you know, they kind of tabbed me with that, whether I was ready or not.

Um, that was, you know, really how things played out.

And, you know, we I would say that's like we got better from my freshman to sophomore year, you know, and I always wonder, like, what if they had hung on with Coach William, that staff one more year? I mean, given Mike Denrock was part of that staff and we were a team that, you know, I think we would be beat a top five, top 10 Michigan team that year.

We beat a top 10 Tennessee team on the road that year.

What was your message to the guys before you went back out there, and what were your emotions like when you crossed the goal line?

But why do you believe so many more people are bought in to this year's Notre Dame team compared to the previous two who are also very talented?

Well, Tyler, first off, thanks for having me on.

But, uh, as we were talking about before, it seems like th- there's a lot of hype there.

Now, whether or not that's real, we're gonna come to find out here i- in the ensuing weeks, but i- it's the foundation that Marcus Freeman has built.

You know, a lot of this I think, uh, can be based upon looking at what he's done early on in his tenure.

He's already been to a national championship game.

This was a team that I think, uh, if they made the playoff last year, at least from a betting odds perspective, which some people like when you use this as a point of reference, some don't.

What have you noticed about the makeup of his staffs and the type of people that he surrounds himself with?

[laughs]

Like, he just, it felt like there's just...

I, just watching the zip fr- you know, the, the ball come out of his hand in comparison to Kirk, watching him move, even seeing at times him kind of see the field, move through some of the progressions, I was like, "All right," like, "why don't we just go ahead and start the clock on [laughs] Fernando Mendoza now?" Like, he's the number one overall pick.

It's why he's in there.

I know a lot of times you want guys to s- to sit and watch and learn, and especially with a guy like Kirk Cousins who's played the league forever.

So he, and he's a very pragmatic guy, so he'd be a great guy for young quarterbacks to learn from.

But I also think he could be that insurance policy for you, where if you put in Mendoza and he's not coming along the way you'd like him to, you can also give him a bit of a break, or you also have that quarterback who can kind of be there to help guide him along through the entire process.

I have a, a friend who's a NFL scout, and I said to him, I said, "This is gonna be a strange question, but if Mendoza had stayed at Cal and not gone to Indiana, would he have been the number one player in the draft?" And he said, "No"

[laughs]

... there's just, I, just watched the zip fr- you know, the, the ball come out of his hand in comparison to Kirk, watching him move, even seeing at times him kind of see the field, move through some of the progressions.

I was like, "All right," like why don't we just go ahead and start the clock on [laughs] Fernando Mendoza now.

Like, he's the number one overall pick.

It's why he's in there.

I know a lot of times you want guys to s- to sit and watch and learn, and especially with a guy like Kirk Cousins who's played the league forever.

So he...

I have a, a friend who's a NFL scout, and I said to him, I said, "This is gonna be a strange question, but if Mendoza had stayed at Cal and not gone to Indiana, would he have been the number one player in the draft?" And he said, "No."

Do you think that Deshaun Watson won the, uh, quarterback competition for the Browns fair and square?

Uh, well, yeah.

I mean, at, at the end of the day, we d- we probably see 10 to 20% of, of what really is going on, right? Like, we're not able to be there for all the practices.

We're not able to see, uh, everything exactly as it is from the coaching staff standpoint.

So does the contract play a role? Of course it does.

But at the same time, there's still a lot that we're not privy to that the coaching staff and the locker room is.

And, you know, one of the things that sometimes gets overlooked, especially from people on the outside, is there's always gonna be hype and excitement about the next guy, the next quarterback.

Uh, did you see Deshaun Watson's or hear Deshaun Watson's comments in the post-game from Saturday?

Do you think that Deshaun Watson won the, uh, quarterback competition for the Browns fair and square?

Uh, well, yeah.

I mean, at, [laughs] at the end of the day, we d- we probably see 10 to 20% of, of what really is going on, right? Like, we're not able to be there for all the practices.

We're not able to see, uh, everything exactly as it is from the coaching staff standpoint.

So does the contract play- A role? Of course it does.

But at the same time, there's still a lot that we're not privy to that the coaching staff and the locker room is.

And, you know, one of the things that sometimes gets overlooked, especially from people on the outside, is there's always gonna be hype and excitement about the next guy, the next quarterback, but there is this sense amongst veterans, and especially guys who've been in the league, that you want a guy behind center who's gonna do everything the right way, who's got experience, who's been through it, and can come in and execute the game plan to the best of his ability.

Uh, did you see Deshaun Watson's or hear Deshaun Watson's comments in the post-game from Saturday?

Do you think that Deshaun Watson won the, uh, quarterback competition for the Browns fair and square?

Uh, well, yeah.

I mean, at, [laughs] at the end of the day, we d- we probably see ten to twenty percent of, of what really is going on, right? Like, we're not able to be there for all the practices.

We're not able to see, uh, everything exactly as it is from the coaching staff standpoint.

So does the contract play a role? Of course it does.

But at the same time, there's still a lot that we're not privy to, that the coaching staff and the locker room is.

And, you know, one of the things that sometimes gets overlooked, especially from people on the outside, is there's always gonna be hype and excitement about the next guy, the next quarterback.

Uh, did you see Deshaun Watson's or hear Deshaun Watson's comments in the post-game from Saturday?

Facts.

I mean, I think it'd be hard to pick a guy who's not, uh, at least in my mind.

Yeah.

I mean, I think it depends on what position you're playing.

Like a- Well, quarterback ... like quarterback.

I, I think, um, you know, we heard, uh, Kirsten Nestie talk recently about how in the Big 10 they don't make excuses and they don't got the hype train.

Like, you can't tell me that wouldn't make you feel great as a QB knowing that your coach has not just the bravado but the confidence- Yeah ... to go out there and speak that way and know that he's expecting you to go have his back.

In front, in front of the show.

So when you look at him coming back in year two and you look at what Marcus has built throughout the offseason with guys coming in via the portal and guys that are already in-house, talk about this Notre Dame roster and why people believe they can get it done this season.

Well, I think the first thing is his talent.

I mean, not that you take too much away from guys wearing T-shirt and shorts, but the one thing you can take away from the Manning Passing Academy or even when you see guys at the Combine is you see them both doing the same thing next to each other.

And then you come away with an opinion of how you feel about them.

And from everyone's opinion down there, they kind of said, hey, man, C.J. Carr was by far and away the best of any of the quarterbacks down there.

So he's kind of got a leg ahead just from the overall talent standpoint.

But I also think it's really what their roster is comprised of.

What is your read on that? Did Cignetti not want that? Did Indiana cancel that? What is the read? Because I think we all lose because I think that would have been awesome to have those two teams playing home and home.

Because I remember Samarja, he didn't really pop off until later on in his career, but you guys got there at the same time, right?

Yeah, we were the same class.

It was kind of odd because we had such a good young group.

He wasn't on.

I don't think he played in the U.S. Army All-American game with us, but there was like a ton of guys who did from our class.

like Ambrose Wooden and Victor, I'd be a Mary and Travis Thomas and John Sullivan.

Greg Olson was originally a part of that group and I transferred to Miami.

One of the ones that was like...

Did all of that help kind of break up the pressure? Or how did you guys feel that on your end heading into that year?

Um, well, I think because we lost in the fiesta bowl and kind of the way we lost and, um, you know, there was a moment where I wasn't sure if I was going to come back, but I was pretty sure I wanted to come back because of how things ended and really what I thought we could be that next year.

Um, so I didn't take too long to make that decision, but, uh, there, it was, it was definitely a different approach.

You know, I think when Charlie Weiss first got there, it was about learning an offense.

It was about, uh, For him to try to set his culture and how he wanted to build that.

And then for me in year two, especially that spring, it was more of building onto the offense, building onto my mastery within it, him putting more on my plate.

That season's offense was drastically different than what we did the year prior.

So what is Notre Dame doing that's setting them apart for a lot of these recruits?

So how, I mean, you, and again, you're also talking about your, your health is involved [laughs] in making sure you make the right call too.

I mean, your preparation is what really does it.

Like, as far as the routes and how guys are running the routes, I mean, the quarterback position is such an, an exper- i- it's a, it's a position driven by experience.

Like, the more experience you have, the better chance you have of being successful in my opinion.

And, um, when you're throwing to, let's say Quincy Porter, Mylon Graham, 'cause those guys are newer guys to this offense.

When you're throwing to those guys out there, you know, you're trying to get a sense for how they roll their, out of, you know, a route where they might be running vertically and they're trying to come back to you now.

Some guys are really good at coming back down their stems.

People don't g- you know, give him as much credit as I think they should in terms of his ability to be, to get open or to, you know, work himself open.

And, and my question is, uh, which one is, was tougher, playing quarterback or getting prepped for your, your pregame show?

Oh, man.

Um, I, I would describe it, it's similar, but different.

And, and I would say that the amount of film is, is the same.

It's just different film you're watching, right? Like, on a pregame show like we have, you're digging an inch deep and a mile wide.

So you've really got to cast a big net and watching all the top 25 teams and see what they look li- like each week, at least for a half of football.

I mean, I try to make sure I- I'm up to date on obviously all the storylines, but watching the actual tape, uh, that becomes incredibly important.

If you, if you like it, you hate it, what would you do?

[laughs]

Like, I, I, I honestly, like they, they, they had a quarterback who helped them win the Big 12 and he, you know, get in the playoff and all that.

That's who he reminds me of.

Like, they're kinda similar in size.

I think Shores B might be a little better athlete.

I'm not sure he's got even a better arm.

Uh, I watched, you know, from as far as what Cincinnati and what he was asked to do, and then what he was asked to do, uh, what Baron was asked to do at Texas Tech, it's like they're very similar.

Yeah.

What do you think about his prospects in the NFL, and would it be crazy for somebody that early to go up and get him?

No, it wouldn't be crazy.

I don't know that you have to go up and get him.

I do think this will be a year where a lot of teams – are going to try to position themselves for next year.

I mean, the 2027 class, every single one of the guys who will be eligible will probably go ahead of all the guys in this year's class.

And it's no disrespect to Fernando Mendoza or Ty Simpson, but, you know, all those guys to me just have a higher level arm talent or ability, a stronger arm or what have you.

And I think they're probably a better suitor, a better fit at the NFL level.

think