Hour 3: Lions season predictions.

0:00Gunn South has been a podcast about crime in the American South, but for our new season we're widening the lens. Follow and listen to Gunn South Season 5, available now on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows. All right, people you heard in the update, there is a lot going on today. It is a football Friday. We'll have our picks coming up today at 138. The Birchie Kid joins us from Al Park with the very latest Dan Campbell speaking at this hour. Then they have an open practice to at least a portion of the media. So we'll get into what the very latest is and the lions. So prepare for the game with an Orland Saints 1230 for that. In the meantime, we are are you going to eat that? Did you know that? Do we do we have anything in house? No, I mean, I can I can drum something up. I've got some suggestions with I'm going to eat that too. I'll get to a little bit later.

1:05Okay. But it's time for us to unveil our picks for the coming lion season. I kind of tip my hand a little bit yesterday. I am very chasty about this team. And it comes with the caveat that they've got to stay healthy. You're not going to stay 100% healthy. But many of the key parts can't get hurt again. Last year losing Brian branch, Sam Laporta, Kirby Joseph. I mean, those are three core contributors. And it was very, very costly. And bottom line here is, I'm hopeful that they get a little bit of luck. And I'm going to I'm going to roll with the idea that they maybe get a little bit of good fortune with injuries. I also like the fact that the guys that they have that are hurt are scheduled to be back during the season. Kade made some Brian branch. And maybe Kirby Joseph will see what happens with that very vague reporting on that. But I said it yesterday 14 and three. I think they're going to roll through the back half of the schedule when they start to get guys back.

2:06The new offensive line configuration. I mentioned earlier. I don't think we've talked enough about how Penny Soule arguably the best tackle in the NFL is playing the most important position on the offensive line now. It's not like you're going to get. I think he's more valuable on that side of the line. I've talked about the role of a dice here in the online is whether or not Blake Miller, the rookie will be good enough. I think there's the logical reason to believe the tape ratledge this version of tape ratwoods will be better than last year's version of tape ratledge. And a position will be upgraded to Canada. It's battling for left guard and you made the point earlier. Is there any reason behind any won't be the same if not better. And if he doesn't win the job. That means he lost it to somebody who was better. And then the defense. You know, can you do enough with a solid front seven really like the front seven and the front seven has to help the secondary. And that's that's the weakness. Obviously, I don't have to say anything. Anybody doesn't know. I'm fully aware of it. But yeah, I am Chesty as hell about this team. I'm taking to go 14 and three in the regular season. Wow.

3:07That's as Chesty as you've ever been. I know about any Detroit lines team that we've been doing the show together. And I'm as Chesty as I've ever been about this lines team. And any year we've done the show together and this is your 20 basically. This is crazy. I've got him at 13 and four, which is hard for me to get that number out of my mouth. Yeah. But it's there. And guess we play the schedule game. This is what we do before the season. It's so it's so tempting and we know better. But I'm do I have to admit I'm doing it. I think that second game of the season is really tough at Buffalo. I don't think there's any way the lines are looking ahead to that because it's the first game of the season on Sunday. They can't wait. They're at home and that helps things out. But beyond a Buffalo game. I mean, my gut just tells me be prepared that they can split with Chicago or they can split with green Bay, the game at the end of the season against green Bay at green Bay. It's a flux game at this point because who knows what what things can be like at the end of the year. But if the schedule goes and the record goes the way I think it well.

4:12I think the lines might be resting players in that game and that could give green Bay an edge, which is why I can have them at 13 and four. If I'm going to give one, if I'm going to have them losing the green Bay, it's at the end of the season when the game doesn't matter. I don't know. I mean, look at these games. I saw New England. They look terrible. Like initially in the schedule. Is that going to be a really tough game? Maybe. But I don't feel as strong about that anymore. And everything's in flux, right? But this is the beginning of the season. This is where you're going to be your chestiest. And I'm chesty at 13 and four. I'm chesty as hell as well. And usually when this happens, Kang comes in and throws cold water on. That's right predictions. And I can predict whatever you guys want. I'm not telling anybody else how to feel. That's how do you say, hey, dumbasses without actually saying it, but I feel like that's what he said. Well, I guess I am the party pooper because I got him at 11 and six and I still got him winning the division, but I think the division is much tougher than people are going to give a credit for. I think around here we've been getting it for a couple of weeks now, Doug, I talked to you before the show about it. No one respects anyone in this division. That's a Lions fan.

5:17I feel like maybe Green Bay gets low respect, but they don't respect the bears. They don't respect the Vikings. I don't play the schedule game. You guys know this. I probably never well. You just don't know what you're going to get. You're in a year, especially now in the NFL with the parody so much more than it was back then five or 10, 15, 20 years ago. The reason why I'm not as Chasty as I still think they're a good team. They'll get me wrong because I think I have elite offensive skill positions. I'm on our same brown, Jamie some Williams, Jameer Gibbs, Sam Laporta, Jared Goff those guys are elite. Okay. The issue with that though is the offensive line has to be really elite or really good for them to hit their ceiling. I still think they can score points, but the offensive line is still a question mark to me. Yes, we know Pennay's tool is one of the best if not the best right tackle in football, but I have not seen him play left tackle in an NFL game. The right tackle is a rookie. The center is already hurt. The left guard we're talking about rotating positions because we don't have a left starting left guard yet and the right tackle is in year two.

6:20So to me, I'm not saying they're bad. I'm just saying it's an unknown and that's what the issue I have with saying they're going to win 13 or 14 games throwing on the defensive side of the ball. We all know about the safeties. They have two backup safeties starting and they were not just replacing the starters. They're replacing all pro safeties. Say what you want about Terry and Arnold. He was probably going to be your starter. Now you're going to the backup guy, Rocketson DJ Reed. I like DJ Reed. He's your number one corner. Not necessarily a number one corner in the league. The front four. I like the potential. They have obviously we know what hutch is. I'm not even going to touch on that. I got you expect, you know, 14, 15 sacks out of them pressure every day, endless motor, all that stuff. Alimic Neal is coming off an injury. Hopefully he gets the back to what they paid him for. I think Williams you're hoping for a progression, but hoping for progression. It doesn't always happen. I like the fact that they did use a second on pick on Derek Moore, but he is just a rookie. Jack Campbell's a stud. Would that being said, that's why I have my, you know, I do like certain areas. Other areas are kind of unknown for me. I got him 11 and six.

7:22So, I mean, look, as we play this thing out, this is still a three Chester predictions, like it, it's just how good will they be? And Detroit, what we've seen come in is a lot of Chester predictions. And I know that makes people in some portion of our fan base, the fan base here, very uncomfortable. Given the history of this organization, letting down the fan base, I do love the general manager. I do think the head coach is still an asset. The one thing that feels so good right now that we just don't know is drew petting. All these great things are being said about them. But as we we talk about many great things are being said about John Morton to and that didn't work out. Petsing is supposed to be the next Ben Johnson and they coach together the very close. They, you know, have similar philosophies. But we just don't know it. Like I said, that you have to make snap decisions as an offensive coordinator and get a play call in in seconds after a play is done.

8:31And that kind of pressure and that got without time to think about you prepare as best you can, but you have to be on you have to be on and it's instantaneous and it's way different. You know, we do the whole 40 seconds between plays. He gets just a few before he's got to get a play call in you know, we got to get the right personnel on the field. So let's see how he performs and you know, he's done before. I was going to say it's not like this is first go around with this. It's not his first rodeo. He's done this for a while. But that's why you can do all the things right in the preseason and have the greatest game plan in the world and it can go awry on game day. But we'll see how plays itself up to 485 3997 97 people getting their predictions in and I'm sure people are starting to mock us and that's fun. Part of the job from Todd and Belleville lions 11 and 6 defense is bad Gibbs offensive player. The air offense is explosive. Most points per game in the lead. From Brett in Roseville 11 and 6 the Lions will get screwed by the refs and at least two games again knocked out of the playoffs by bad call. Fellas I got him going 12 and 5 winning the division and getting to the NFC championship game. I really think they're much improved in every position.

9:38Bold prediction Jared golf wins the MVP in Brad Holmes makes a huge trade at the deadline for a corner. That's from Marlon and Walde Lake. Tannen Detroit I predict 10 and 7 this season we have a last play schedule but a tough division and an early buy an overseas game in November and what concerns me about the schedule as we play our entire division away from Ford field in the last four weeks the ending is a gauntlet. 248 5 3 9 97 97 it's your turn go on the record with your record for the Detroit Lions. It's our annual prediction show so we record all these and revisit them at the end of the year see if you. See this season better than anybody else. Go on the record let's do it now people 248 5 3 9 97 97. Data Somber day and a day of reflection on what happened 25 years ago today we we power on here on the car should Anderson program we will go out to Allen Park and speak with the

10:45coach. Today at 12 30 24 8 5 39 97 97 we are we threw this out there on Twitter a template lions starting the season Sunday answer the following questions what are you most confident in what do you least confident in who will be the most pleasant surprise which player needs to step up and the lions final record will be. Dave Parker. Yeah sends in a most confident in the entire offense I'm least confident in the secondary pleasant surprise I think will be Derek Moore. Who needs to step up and he says not just one player think the whole secondary needs to step up final record 12 and 5 Mike says who you're most confident in the offense with Gibbs leading the way least confident in the secondary feels like we did not improve at all who be the most pleasant surprise Derek Moore who needs to step up juice final record will be 10 and 7. The red Ranger most confident the passing game least confident the secondary DJ read needs to step up the lions final record will be 11 and 6.

11:46From Todd Nage a most confident in the offense least confident in the secondary with both starting safety's out most pleasant surprise Derek Moore player needs to step up Isaac Tesla record 13 and 4. From Jeff Jeff Wittstock most confident Jared go for MVP least confident Jake Bates pleasant surprise Sam Laporte's come back from injury needs to step up test law final record 13 and 4. From Colin Colin Ha. I'm getting names this is crazy most confident and Gibbs being a top three running back this season least confident in center position. Pleasant surprise Blake Miller being the best rookie blocker needs to step up the guard spot record will be 13 and 4. Jamie writes in most confident in the offense being elite least confident in Jake Bates. Most pleasant surprise rock y'all sin player needs to step up DJ read 12 and 5.

12:47It's I mean these are very confident very confident records even the and look at you know. The people that think the secondary is going to kill them I understand but every team has a weakness. And even with the injuries last year the lion's secondary was still it wasn't the worst passing defense and the league and that's that's what it is it's past defense right we're worried about guys running free. And this is where the Derek Moore people saying he's the most pleasant surprise and a lot of that's coming in to a DJ want him that's where. I healthy a lean McNeil maybe collapse in the pocket though they have to have a huge year the front is so important. It because if they do have a huge here. I think the highest of these predictions can be reached. Yes it's it's about getting consistent pressure on the quarterback it can't come from just eight and Hutchinson you have to have consistent pressure from everywhere else and I think it's going to.

13:51It should be aided by having a healthy a Lee McNeil this year yes he played last year but he was nowhere near 100% by all accounts seems like he's 100% right now and I like that they can have a little bit of a rotation now in the middle with Thai League Williams and Levi and Zarek and. And and who's the Gil Scott the Gil Howard that should help out as well with that rotation of defensive tackles that sounds good keeping guys fresh the idea is to. You know have less of a snap count for eight and Hutchinson to keep him fresher makes all the sense in a world and then you're going to be leaning on first and second year players like like Derek Moore and I'm at Hossini so let's go I like I love the defensive line and the linebackers I. Probably like even more is you got the best middle linebacker in football with Jack Campbell yes I did it for you thank you and I also believe that attack you it is accurate. In a Derek Barnes it's it's it feels like every year is a show me here for Derek Barnes but the team really likes him okay get let's see if you can take another step forward and the Devon White acquisition I can't applaud enough for the lines landing.

15:03Devon White that was Devon White in great shape and training camp apparently he wasn't but boy still flew around the field I would imagine now here we are September 11th getting into the first game on September 13th that he's at plenty of time to get into absolute playing shape and right at a roll this is the number three the number three leading tackler and all the football last year and he's playing alongside the number two tackler in all the NFL last year so I like the linebackers the front seven looks like it can be really elite feedback coming in. With season predictions and we do record all these so again get them in lines prediction 11 and six this is from Charles and glad when I think they're a little bit better than last year but not by a lot depends on the offensive line and secondary if golf and Gibbs or hutch miss a gamer to no super bowl this year week one is going to tell us a lot. On name texture 11 and six they lose one we don't expect offense keeps rolling we win the division out in a car lines go 12 and five in the bears will finish last in the north with a seven and 10 record.

16:09I agree with king and I think this is going to be one of the tougher divisions of football and I don't think we're alone and saying that I would be based by last year I mean nine and eight was the worst record in the division was the Lions. I'm not sleeping on the bear because I don't like I don't like their coach and it's personal and that's fine you admit that I admit that but I can also recognize that team still has a lot of talent yeah they've got some holes in that team now to that they didn't have maybe a year ago. But expecting the quarterback to grow year to year with the with the office of coordinator and head coach Ben Johnson I do expect that I think he's going to be better now is a guy who did not throw interceptions last year. Maybe they're going to have him be a little bit more aggressive this year and that can be problematic for some teams that being said I don't think that's a 10 or 11 win team. But I also don't think it's going to be a dog team in the division I think that the maybe the baseline is right around nine wins will see where they go from there I think is probably the same for all the teams I think Minnesota might be the team that finishes last in the division.

17:14That from Scottsdale formerly on a mower I think the Lions are going to get 11 wins and we make it to the Super Bowl and play the bills. Hey, do you get Thursday moment I did I did that was very happy to get Thursday can you not only did Thursday mode but Thursday tree trim tree trim yeah I got the bi weekly whipping so that was good but the tree trim stories fantastic can I to improvise a little bit really. Yeah, so there's a tree at the end of my driveway that I guess the branches have grown kind of low you know start sagging and the garbage truck would come by and it would hit the branches on the tree and it would break the branches. But they wouldn't completely fall off so they're hanging there so I became a hazard you know for cars driving by so. The wife's like you got to go out there and cut this thing I'm like fine fine okay got to do before this weekend right and so. So I just want my head out yeah you know I was gator will play it um so I have to grab a ladder and put it basically almost into the street okay but I don't want to get by cars because I live off a street that's kind of like the entrance way to my subdivision a lot of cars come in and out.

18:19But I don't have orange cones or barrels like workers do you know so improvising like Doug said is what I do have I think what do I have that's colorful that could put in the street. It's a little t-ball that my girls use to hit a t-ball you know baseball off of so it's this red like t-ball stand nice I took it on and put in the middle of my street and I'm in the middle by like kind of like you know I'll have to get people warning. Exactly. Yeah somebody working here yeah or about the hit a ball. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah I show Doug a picture I'll show you in the break too that it's just in the middle of the street this red t-ball stand in a ladder me I'm on a ladder just saw branches here. And just to make sure it wouldn't go unnoticed what did one of your daughters do. She would stand there and as cars are going by like don't hit my daddy. Is that your older daughter? Yes. Yeah. Because the younger ones like yeah she probably she probably took away the. Exactly. I'm like what do you know I need that. Didn't one of the kids put a pink soccer ball on top of the teeth. Yeah. The one that cares about me put a ball on top of the street and make it more obvious to the other one though the other day I didn't tell you guys this is I told the girls both of them I say hey.

19:26It's why you know that no one will ever love you more than daddy. Okay. And the old one's like okay you know she takes it in it's like I appreciate that. The younger one goes mommy does. I swear to God and I'm like okay that's fine. You set her up for that though. That's fine. I wasn't trying to. But just set her up when he said no one's ever going to love you more than daddy. I mean come on that's that's a setup. And God bless your younger daughter she took it ran. Yeah. No that mommy. She couldn't just like say you're even no she's like the mom. She went for the shot. Well because you couldn't say you're even either you try to take the upper head. No but I said okay she does as much that's fine. We won't have a competition here. She does not pass on the opportunity to go for the emotional kill shot though. And that has been consistent. Well it's unlike Kang was trying to pit the daughters against the mom. Not at all I was just saying how much I love you. It's going to love you more than daddy. Daddy needs trying to get some footing back man. I understand what you did there. Dude his daughter looked across at him when the the life and the two daughters were sitting

20:30on one couch and Kang was sitting on the other couch. She pointed at him and said daddy you're sitting alone and started to laugh. That is cold blood. That is cold blood. I didn't ask for that. No you didn't ask for that. No that was just that was straight up. It's a direct shot man. No that was. It is cold blood. Oh blood. Let's get an update from Al Park from the Birchie Kid next on 971. On the Powers the Bee podcast we examine the players and currents behind today's most consequential decisions. Join us, listen to the powers the Bee wherever you get your podcasts.

21:41All right Carson Anderson every Friday during the national football league season we will get the very latest on the Lions and this week New Orleans is on tap and the Birchie Kid is out in Al and Park who writes for our website of course also on Fox two does a great job covering this football team and many of our teams here in Detroit. Birchie what's up? What's going on fellas love the week one. It's exciting we're fired up so far. Okay so Dan Campbell spoke today what's the most interesting thing he said. Well look I think fans should be encouraged that Derek Moore sounds like it's going to be out there on Sunday obviously he had that hamstring injury late in training camp and he's been limited in practice this week at least via the practice report but it sounds like he's put in pretty two good days of work and they expect him to go on Sunday. Christian is in who's in the similar boat is maybe a little closer to 50 50 and then it's not worthy that Campbell for now expects Christian Mahogany to get the starting not on Sunday doesn't mean he'll get all 60 65 snaps I think he still committed to a rotation with Ben Barge but at least out of the gate you'll see Mahogany although I should note he

22:45dropped a warm up 40 yard bomb from Penetri today so that might have knocked him down and two last bar two on Sunday afternoon behind Ben Barge who caught his pass from Derek Goff. Wow who threw the better pass Penetri or Goff. I'll tell you what man Penetri will extend that thing and the football looks like a golf ball in his hands that boy has missed. So if is he and can't go does that mean we see rookie Keith Abney? Yeah I think we'll see rookie Keith Abney regardless and you know they could probably rotate that spot as well you'll probably see some Roger McCreary obviously it's going to be rock and DJ Reed on the outside but there's still a three horse race there to determine the number one nickel but I think that right now if is he and can't go Abney should get most of those reps they're pretty high on him I think he's come a really long way physically they always loved his mental make up and you know he made some plays especially against St. Brown in the slot for the end of camp some pretty impressive pass breakups or tackles in the red zone near the end

23:49that definitely caught my eye certainly caught the coaching staff's eye and he feels like he's ready to step in here and you know I make make some contributions to this defense as a rookie. What about Jimmy Roller's status? Yeah so he's an interesting one because he's had a full week of practice but he also hasn't played meaningful snaps since his early camp injury and if they are going to have to leave a handful of players inactive on Sunday to get him in the roster down to 46 and it would seem to me that Roller might make sense that someone who doesn't have a lot of recent experience under his belt but if he's not out there on Sunday I fully expect to see him in week two. Yeah it's particular the defense I mean it's kind of like I'll believe it when I see it but I do like the theory that Hutchinson will play less snaps to keep him fresher and I think we saw last year towards the end of the season that you know there's reason for that but again I'll believe when I see it but with him on the outside and Aleem McNeil back to 100% on the inside do we do what how do you see

24:53this rotation on the interior playing out for the success of this defense? Yeah I think that's sort of the X factor in the front seven anyways is what kind of penetration and havoc they can create on the interior I think we know that we're going to get you know an all-pro season likely out of Hutch and I think one of them and more look like pretty capable compliments to him but you know Aleem McNeil and Tyler Williams in some way started to hold the keys to the defensive of the front seven ceiling this year and Aleem has looked like himself throughout training camp he said he feels much more like himself unlike last season Calvin Shefford yesterday was almost emotional talking about him and how excited he is to see him play on Sunday healthy again for the first time hopefully dominant again for the first time because you know while Aleem was out there last year there were times that she said he couldn't even put his foot in the ground on plan and that's why he looked more like just a body out there than a difference maker so I think we're going to see Aleem McNeil this year get back to that that pro bowl caliber player who earned that $97 million extension in 2024 and then

25:56they're going to see a lot of Tyler Williams at the nose which is really not what he played last year not a whole lot of what he played at Ohio State but like DJ Readers Scott or Lopez is gone and they log basically every a gap snap last year so this defensive line is lighter it's also quicker and it has some more juice and they're going to use some more movement some more stunts up front and I think Tyler can Aleem will play a big bar in increasing the interior pressure this year. So three guys that the fans saw and really enjoyed in the preseason Eric O'Neill, Skyler Gil Howard and Ahmed Hassan are any of them going to be in uniform this weekend or do you think they'll all be healthy scratches? I think Hossine will be healthy scratched I'm confident we'll see Gil Howard on Sunday I think he is a very natural defensive tackle to sort of behind Aleem maybe even behind Tyler so he's he's definitely going to get some snaps on past rushing down. In fact I thought it was really refreshing guys to hear Brad Holmes talk about him and describe him as a DPR you know a designated

27:01past rusher it feels to me like that's term that Brad Holmes stand Campbell, Kelvin Shepard would have recoil that in years past because they wanted the three down well-rounded defensive lineman and they and you know he acknowledged for the first time there is some value in a player who might be strictly a past rusher they still believe that Gil Howard can play against the run all believes that when I see it you know I think we'll see him mostly on on third downs but he's definitely showed in the preseason he can be a real disruptor in there so that's part of the shift that I'm talking about from left mass up front and more twitch more quickness and so I do think we'll see him on Sunday and then O'Neill yeah I think he'll go to the game too like he climbed his way up the ladder in camp and the Lions kept him around for a reason. Switched to the offensive side and specifically the interior of the offensive line obviously we have a new face at center it was supposed to be for the season Kade Maze obviously he heard his wrist and now is out now you got scruggs and and then the left side at the guard position there's still a battle

28:02there though sounds like Dan Campbell's leans that he's going to start with Mahogany but that barch get some reps in there I said earlier I think that's a good thing because if Mahogany is as good as he was last year and been poised to take a step forward if he's in competition then that means barches even better how do you see it. Yeah I think they like barch a lot you know the plan clearly was to have barch come in here and compete for that job and push Mahogany to be better and the injuries limited him and left that spend the story of his career but you know he was the starting left guard for the 49ers entering last season in a complex offense with a pretty diverse dynamic Russian scheme he's been a starter before for the Jaguars went healthy he has played important roles on good teams and good offenses so they do see now I think maybe a ceiling that barch offers that maybe Mahogany doesn't so we'll see how that plays out but I agree it's it's refreshing to know that if Mahogany gets hurt or can't go or vice

29:02versa just the depth is much more solid than it was a year ago I was having this conversation with someone yesterday who asked me hey you know when do you think the lines fell out of love with Christian Mahogany and decided to bring in barch and I said I don't think they fell out of love with Mahogany I think they were just frankly by the end of the year rather discussed it by what they saw from the players behind him last year and they resolved to make sure that if they went to someone else this year that the level of play would be steadier and more consistent. Perci I'm going to ask you a question that's probably impossible to answer but I get asked it all the time is there any indication that Kirby Joseph will be back on the field this year. I'm glad you asked that car because I'm coming closer and closer to the conclusion and I say this carefully I really do and I say with all due respect to Kirby Joseph that we won't see him on the field this year and I think it will take a minor miracle for him to play because he has been doing nothing but resting and rehabilitating his knee for almost a full year and if it isn't

30:04ready now and surgery isn't a recourse which we know it isn't when will it be ready and there's a couple of reasons that I'm just wary of this entire situation one when he tried to come back last year after you know several weeks maybe a month and a half of rest and rehab came out to practice with an extremely bulky knee brace and lasted all of one practice the next day the knee flared up to the point that he wasn't able to go again the rest of the season and I honestly fear the same thing happening again this year and I think they do too I think part of the reason they're waiting so long to push the knee and get the answer one way or another is that maybe they just want to preserve him for late in the season and I hope that they can debut him in November and having for games in December and into the playoffs I think they they probably know that that needs not going to hold up for 16 games I just wonder at this point what more could he possibly gain from rest and rehabilitation and if the answer is nothing and they haven't pushed the knee yet

31:05to see how it responds I think they know that it probably won't respond well and they're probably waiting for as long as possible perhaps with bigger games looming late in the year to push that thing and try and have him on the field for games that matter but even that to me is beginning to feel like an increasing in probability. The Saints are Sunday against the Lions at Ford Field what do you see that the Saints can present offensively and defensively to might get the lion some fits. Yeah but this is going to be a good first step for the offensive line which is the unit that all of us have been able to get the lion on the field and that our eyes peeled on since the first day of training and really since the first day of spring workouts. Camsworth is not going to play which might make the past a little bit easier but they do have some pretty good past restriors chase young coming off his best season in the NFL grander sing and get after them a little bit and so look this is going to be a chance for Blake Miller to face live fire over 60 or 65 snaps for the first

32:06time it's going to be the first time we see juice grugs again face live fire for the first time we see a lot of the crowd and we see a lot of the crowd sharing golf and I think that if there's any path for the Saints to pull an upset on Sunday it involves just disrupting the offensive line and putting the Lions offense on their heels so this is a pretty good first barometer for where that unit stands and then on the other side of the ball this was a pretty good Tyler Schock which is the most improbable pronunciation of the word shock of all time that's the OU G8 but hey boys you can guarantee you will hear a Schock rhyme in the Lions game day live poem on on Sunday morning and I'll abide all of by and you know they drafted some some some receivers one of whom in the first round Jordan Tyson won't go on Sunday but you know I do think with with the Lions secondary obviously a bit compromised they they have

33:07some abilities to make some plays and then Schock can use his legs to make play so Lions are favored big year for reason this is the third biggest spread of the of week one in the NFL only the I think jagged over the browns and someone over I think the dolphins are our favorite by more so the Lions should roll but if they don't to me it'll be because the offensive line just can't find its footing in week one against the decent defensive front. Did you woo your wife with the poem you know what crazy I actually did I really did you know what after I took her do I took her to a Bob Seeger concert at Pine knob one of her first times out here and afterwards I had I had a little poem written down and I and I read it to her and she was I think I like to believe she she was blown away I actually I actually read a version of that to her during our vows at our wedding so yes Gator I did of course so what time you on TV and what time can people expect the poem. Well yeah you can catch us from 10 to 11 Lions game day live will be dropping that rhyme in the first segment.

34:07So for that I've got the now and and to see what I have to be awake that early. Always a pleasure. Bergy great to have you out again we'll do it again next week. All right guys thanks a lot talk soon. There is a reporter on the ground at Alan Park William Birchfield aka Birchie kid. Let's talk some college football next Michigan Michigan state back on the gridiron tomorrow. We got our are you going to eat that coming up at the one o'clock hour our picks coming up. Hi I'm PJ vote and I want to tell you about my podcast search engine. We try to make sense of the world one question at a time no question too big no question too small we will even answer your questions if you send them in. Stuff like what happens when a cemetery goes out of business. What should we do about teens using AI to do their homework. Who buys luggage at the airport luggage store. Follow and listen to search engine in partnership with Odyssey wherever you get your podcasts. Up at 138 971

35:26All right Gator Michigan state hosting Eastern tomorrow Michigan hosting Oklahoma will do them chronologically. People are obviously counting Michigan out we know how this works you play like Adam week one and undermines any confidence at fans and Vegas had in this Michigan football team Oklahoma rolled over you tap went back and watch last year's game again and it was pretty it was pretty much all sooners and and Brent Vennables is an elite defensive mind and he's going to throw the kitchen sink at Bryce Underwood as you would expect my guess is they'll gang up against the run and see if Bryce can beat him. The question is what who what is Jason Beck the offense coordinator have in his bag of tricks I find it really really interesting the back his back offense at previous stops he's had a top five passing offense and a top five rushing offense which tells me you should be able to take whatever skill set you're presented with and get the most out of it is it a example of just

36:29a terrible day at the office last week or is there some growing pains that's coming with putting this new offense in order they just not have the guys right I mean it may be Bryce it may be other things but you will find out as this season goes on one thing that's opening up the path for victory for Michigan is last year going into that game against Oklahoma there was real question about their young left tackle for Susie and he turned out to be really good and now is considered one of the best in the country there is some reporting that he may not play in this game. Mike a lot the starting center he might not play in this game and it would be a true freshman who started last week for them playing center and foe J who's played on the right side of their offensive line he may not play on this game they all might be out it's going to be important to watch the warmups to see who is going for them and who is not if one part of Michigan's team stood out it was the defensive line and they're going to have to corral John Matier Matier was unreal last year and he I think he had 20 carries against

37:35Michigan scored a couple of touchdowns what was Matier's issues last year it was turnovers he threw 11 interceptions but he only fumbled twice and when Michigan talked this week about defense when their coaches talked this week about defense they talked about not creating enough turnovers and that's the chop right when the quarterback when you have a chance to sack the quarterback you chop his arm you get that ball out and they didn't do enough of that and and things like that were points of emphasis this week they've got a corral Matier and they've got to get the football out and maybe pressure will force interceptions force bad throws I feel like for Michigan to win this game the defense is going to have to help out the offense and then then the easy one is hey hey how about not penalize get penalized nine times right don't turn it over don't penalize don't help Oklahoma beat you if they button those things up I think there's a path to victory there and college football is great right because one of the things that makes college football great is week to week you almost never know what's going to happen. Look there's always a path to

38:35victory I don't I don't think it's a great path and it's perilous if you're going to watch out for all the trap doors and everything else it's in your way but this is only Vegas is set this at a five point spread right now so find that to be interesting that Oklahoma's only favored by five after what happened last week with the just nothing to show for an offense will be for Michigan I suspect Michigan's going to be better this week when it comes to the offense that maybe they can grind things out stick to a running game that tries to wear down the defense of Oklahoma but Oklahoma's they've changed the roster around to they've added a couple of transfer wide receivers that it had some good value last year in previous stops they've added transfers to the the offense of line as you mentioned satan is a lead and satan is the holdover so and so is material obviously those guys are really clicking I do think Oklahoma's going to win this game and probably buy more than than just a touchdown but I don't think it's going to be some epic blowout

39:37that maybe some people are thinking because of what they saw last week I think last week is is disturbing a start as you can expect from Michigan but I don't think price underwood was as bad as everybody thought that he was last week the result was was was the result was I mean they ended up they did win the game I mean that's count as a W in his last couple passes on the drive were I mean the hits the the Hail Mary for the touchdown and the other pass you through as well was was very impressive down the middle of the field and they had to have it and had to have a big chunk they got the big chunk so I think they're going to be more competitive this week but I just think Oklahoma's got too much what do you got for Michigan state Eastern Michigan Michigan's a preview that one well I mean this is brings in former quarterback Noah Kim who had played it goes to Carolina and then obviously at Eastern Michigan the last couple years he had a little bit of playing time with the Spartans but not that that familiarity should mean anything this is a different Michigan state team under under pad Fitzgerald all the transfers and the turnover in the

40:38roster it's a massively different team I think that when you look at Eastern split in the first two games one on one Michigan state should there's a reason they're favor by 17 and a half points is it stands right now Michigan state needs to build off of what they did last week they can they their trajectory needs to be going up each week and unfortunately they got you know their name next week which is going to be really tough as long as they don't focus on what's ahead next week with a challenge in the night game in South Bend as long as they stay focused on tomorrow they should be fine Milovojovic at quarterback is I think he's a really solid quarterback I'm impressed by how he handled things last week he took what was there and through the ball accurately the connection with Rodney Bullard was is that's nice to see because Bullard didn't have a whole lot of practice time with this team and yet it looks like a really nice connection I'm curious to see how they're able to do with with cam Edwards running the football this week if the weather's not

41:41supposed to be ultra humid like it was last week causing the cramps is he going to be able to get off in the right foot and maybe get into the the hundred yard territory in the ground and that sets everything else up from Michigan state if they're able to run the ball then they can control this game. All right there you go Michigan state and Michigan both in action tomorrow is a college football schedule and then we got the doozy at night Texas and Ohio state and I'm fired up for that one that's going to be fun yep they want to want to come over and watch it. I'm considering some options I can put that on the in the Oh Gator how's it feel I just put the May will see it's it's under the will see category and it options yeah where do you rank in those options I think I down the list he's about to find out I think I'm down the list on those options yeah probably probably probably not you're more welcome to invite the boy over to you know that would be fun good to move up the options that they he would love that the kids

42:44kids think very highly of Uncle Gator and they think that the Gator defense them all the time get a fire pit going you know oh ho ho now you talking for Doug say now you talking to say it trying to move up that list yeah fire pits help all right so coming up next hour we'll have our picks at one thirty eight bush line app you got some still a few do you yeah that's a positive for the fall picks at one thirty eight another edition of are you going to eat that is coming up next and I've got a proposal for you Gator that next on ninety seven one Hey this is Richard Dijk the host of the sports media podcast if you're interested in what's happening with all the places where you consume sports the sports media podcast has you covered I've been turning down interviews all we coat a copy reached out Oprah George Stephanopolis so I said no I was booked on the Dijk podcast before the Taylor Swift phenomenon I must live up to my

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