PREVIEW + PREDICTION: West Virginia vs. Cincinnati
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00:53 - It is the walkthrough game day show
01:05 presented by Country Roads Air Duct Cleaning.
01:07 Take me home to comfort.
01:09 I am Skylar Kelly and that is Eugene Napoleon.
01:13 And my goodness, my friend, it is already here.
01:15 The final home game of the 2023 season.
01:18 West Virginia taking on an old Big East foe.
01:21 I don't want to say they're a rivalry, Gene,
01:23 because this is not a rivalry.
01:25 Since now he wants to talk about it
01:26 as if it could be a rivalry one day
01:28 and I get it, proximity.
01:30 But look, it's not a rivalry.
01:31 We'll get back into that here in just a minute.
01:34 But we're going to break down that.
01:35 We're going to make our pick 'ems.
01:36 Gene's going to have his fire me up speech.
01:39 And, but first we're going to take a look around the Big 12
01:42 and talk about Don Nealon,
01:44 who's going to be immortalized this weekend.
01:46 But also I want to give you a second here, Gene,
01:48 because you're actually wearing one of your,
01:51 your new clothing pieces here that you,
01:55 that you just came out with.
01:56 And I want to give you the opportunity to speak on it
01:59 and let the fans know where they can purchase their items.
02:02 - My guy, I appreciate you Skylar.
02:04 Thank you so very much.
02:05 Yeah, I'm really proud of this, man.
02:06 I really am.
02:07 RB33 is something that I had in the back of my head
02:10 for some years now.
02:12 Obviously RB standing for running back,
02:14 obviously 33 standing for my jersey number.
02:15 So you put them together, RB33.
02:18 It's a whole collection line.
02:20 So the cool thing is like,
02:21 this is one of the varsity jackets right here.
02:23 So, I mean, you got the 33 on the side,
02:27 on this side, in the back,
02:28 it actually says Napoleon across my back,
02:31 you know, with the big 33 on the back
02:33 and it's a signature line.
02:34 So it's already signed.
02:36 - Yeah, it's pretty cool.
02:39 Underneath this, I do have the jersey.
02:41 - Oh, he's got the whole display today, okay.
02:45 - I got a fan jersey and the difference is obviously
02:48 the combat jerseys are the actual real football jerseys.
02:51 Those are coming too.
02:53 But I have the fan jerseys,
02:54 which come in different colors.
02:56 So that's pretty cool.
02:57 I got hoodies that's coming with this in different,
02:59 in tri-colors, it's really, really cool.
03:01 I'm real excited about this line.
03:03 Now, the company that I did a deal with,
03:06 the CEO of that company, James Cherry, we call him JC,
03:09 you know, it's a blessing when you have an idea
03:13 and a concept that you could put together
03:14 with people that actually know how to do business.
03:16 Let me say that, let me first say that.
03:19 But Optimum, you know,
03:21 their company that it's a full-fledged
03:27 Optimum Human Performance,
03:30 it's a company that they do everything.
03:32 It's not just the clothing,
03:34 but they actually do different events.
03:36 They do different, you know, clinics, self-defense,
03:40 all that stuff, scholars, it's amazing.
03:43 But my deal with him, it happened over a few months ago.
03:47 He knew what I wanted to do with the concept of RB33,
03:50 and here we have it.
03:51 So I'm gonna give you my link.
03:54 - Yeah, we'll throw it in the description.
03:55 Yeah, we'll throw it in the YouTube description.
03:57 So if you want to purchase the jersey, the varsity jacket,
04:00 whatever it is that Gene's got, you know how to get to it.
04:04 - All you gotta do is click that link
04:06 and you can order and we'll have it shipped right to you.
04:09 And I want to thank everybody in advance,
04:10 'cause trust me, what a great time to do this too,
04:13 because it's holidays.
04:14 - Yes.
04:15 - It's the holiday, scholar, Christmas is coming,
04:17 and you too will look really good.
04:19 You, my dude, yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:22 That RB33, whatever you decide to order,
04:24 varsity jacket, jersey, freaking hoodies, whatever, T-shirts,
04:29 I think you will look really good in one of these, scholar.
04:31 Matter of fact, I know you would.
04:32 - Hey, I mean, that 33 would probably make me
04:36 look a lot better than a lot of the other things
04:38 I got in my closet, so.
04:40 But, and hey, this is your optimum opportunity too here,
04:43 because not only can you get that,
04:45 but you can also get an autographed picture
04:47 from Mr. Eugene DuPont himself too,
04:49 by correctly picking all five games
04:52 in our weekly pick 'ems that we do at the end of the show.
04:55 We've already had a couple of winners so far,
04:58 and you can add your name to that list as well.
05:01 So, let's go ahead and dive into some of the action
05:04 that happened around the Big 12 last week.
05:06 We don't really need to talk about
05:08 this West Virginia game, right?
05:09 I mean, it was a disaster, it was an embarrassment,
05:11 59 to 20, but some of the other games around the league,
05:15 Texas Tech pulling off the upset of Kansas, 16 to 13,
05:20 Jason being their backup/starting quarterback now,
05:24 went down earlier in that game,
05:25 so Kansas was down to their third stringer,
05:26 and they still almost found a way to win that game.
05:29 Kansas State just absolutely pummeled Baylor.
05:33 It's been a long season for the Bears,
05:34 they lose 59 to 25.
05:37 UCF with arguably the stunner,
05:39 not only the Big 12 last week,
05:40 but of college football,
05:43 beating, and I mean beating, Oklahoma State,
05:46 45 to three.
05:47 Cincinnati, this week's opponent for West Virginia,
05:50 they get their first Big 12 win.
05:52 I'm putting this in air quotes, you can't see me
05:54 'cause I have the graphic screen up here,
05:56 but air quotes around the first Big 12 win.
05:59 This is essentially an American
06:01 athletic conference win for them.
06:02 So they're still technically looking for that first
06:05 real Big 12 win, but they knock off Houston 24 to 14.
06:09 Texas survives against TCU 29-26,
06:12 and then Iowa State beats up on BYU 45 to 13.
06:16 So Gene, where's your thoughts taking you
06:19 on last week's results here?
06:22 Good, bad, ugly?
06:24 Everything in between?
06:26 - Everything in between, but I'm telling you right now,
06:27 I was really surprised to see what happened
06:29 to Oklahoma State.
06:30 I'm telling you that shocked me.
06:33 And it just goes to show you, any given Saturday,
06:38 any given Saturday, somebody can be beat.
06:40 I always say this to people that listen,
06:42 they got scholarships too.
06:43 So no matter who's playing, damn.
06:45 But that really shocked me.
06:48 Oklahoma State got beat soundly in every phase of the game.
06:52 And I think out of everything I watched,
06:54 out of every college football game I watched,
06:56 that was the most surprising.
06:57 If you would've told me that at the end of the day
06:59 that that would've wound up being the score
07:01 and they got handled like that,
07:03 I would've said, nah, no way.
07:04 So I think that was the most surprising to me.
07:07 - Yeah, it has to be.
07:08 I mean, Oklahoma State was 10-point favorites,
07:11 I believe, in this game.
07:12 And even then, it still kind of felt a little low.
07:16 But I mean, you just look at how Oklahoma State
07:20 had kind of really ascended since that loss
07:23 to South Alabama.
07:24 And it's just like, they just kept finding ways
07:26 to get better, they got better.
07:28 And it became, to a real point,
07:30 heading into last week's game, you're like, man,
07:32 this is a team that's gonna win 10 games,
07:34 go to a New Year's Six Bowl.
07:36 And they could still get to a New Year's Six,
07:39 but that was just, that is, to me,
07:43 there's all these people out there, Gene,
07:45 that say momentum is not a real thing.
07:47 I call BS on that.
07:49 Because this is the exact example to show that it's true.
07:54 UCF got out to a very early lead.
07:56 I think they scored on their first drive,
07:58 it was seven-nothing.
08:00 Oklahoma State went three and out, I believe,
08:02 or threw a pick or something there.
08:04 UCF went up 14 or 17-nothing.
08:07 And then the rain came, and it was just pissing down rain.
08:11 You couldn't even see the screen hardly.
08:14 And it was already well into UCF's favor at that point.
08:17 But it just felt like one thing after another.
08:20 And Oklahoma State could never get Ollie Gordon going.
08:24 And I'm telling you, momentum is a very real thing.
08:27 That, at least to me, it is.
08:29 I don't know about you.
08:30 - No, I agree with you.
08:31 No, no, absolutely.
08:32 Momentum is a big thing in anything and everything
08:35 that you do, especially when you're talking
08:36 about competitive.
08:38 When you are in a competitive nature, yeah, momentum,
08:41 that really does swing the pendulum,
08:46 especially in sports, especially in sports.
08:49 So yeah, no, that's a real thing.
08:51 That's a real thing.
08:51 I agree with you 100%.
08:53 - Yeah, and Texas, again, they survived their scares.
08:55 They're hanging around for the college football playoff.
08:58 Still, obviously, they're sitting at the top
09:00 of the Big 12 states, which we'll go ahead
09:01 and take a look at now.
09:03 And this is, again, just shows the parity
09:06 that has kind of been created here in the Big 12,
09:10 with all of these teams just bunched up there
09:12 towards the top.
09:13 You've got one, two, three, four teams
09:16 that are sitting at five and two, tied for second place,
09:19 right behind Texas.
09:20 You've got three teams at four and three.
09:23 That's West Virginia, Texas Tech, and Kansas.
09:26 I mean, there's already seven teams that are bowl eligible.
09:31 And Chris and I were talking about this
09:33 when we recorded our show yesterday,
09:35 that there's a possibility that 10 of the 14 Big 12 teams
09:40 could get to a bowl game.
09:43 There's not even that many slots for the Big 12.
09:46 They're gonna have to go to some other bowl game
09:48 that's not directly affiliated with the Big 12.
09:51 And I mean, that's happened before,
09:52 but that just shows you how competitive this league is.
09:55 It may not have that top dog,
09:58 especially once Texas and OU leave,
10:01 but this thing is competitive from top to bottom.
10:04 And we're gonna get to Cincinnati here in a little bit,
10:06 who's technically the worst team in the league.
10:09 They're really not that bad.
10:12 Well, whenever you say,
10:16 really not that bad,
10:20 you know, there's a lot of ways I can go with that.
10:25 So I'll say this,
10:27 I've always liked Cincinnati as a program
10:29 prior to them coming in, you know, into our conference,
10:33 but I do understand this, it's gonna take some time.
10:36 They've always been a scrappy program.
10:40 So I kind of liken them to BYU.
10:43 I have a lot of respect for those kinds of programs.
10:45 And I think I'm looking forward over a course of a few years
10:50 to see where they develop and how well they develop
10:52 in recruiting and all that kind of stuff.
10:55 From top to bottom, when you look at as many teams
10:58 as you just said,
11:00 that has the potential to go to a bowl game,
11:02 dude, that might be just as competitive as any other league.
11:06 - It has to. - But think about this.
11:09 So I don't care what people think or what they say,
11:12 the bottom line is if you're playing,
11:15 if you're going to a bowl game
11:16 and you're playing into late December, early January,
11:20 then you have a successful program, period.
11:23 You're bringing money into your university, right?
11:26 Getting bowl money brought into your,
11:27 then you have a successful program.
11:30 That means for the freaking season,
11:31 you've accounted, you put more money
11:34 in your university's bank account than money coming out.
11:38 So for me, that's success, right?
11:41 And I think Cincinnati, although this year
11:43 is not going to be their year, obviously, like you said,
11:45 they are at the bottom of the conference for now, right?
11:49 - Technically, technically.
11:51 They did just beat Houston.
11:52 So technically, eh.
11:54 - Yeah, you know, give me that.
11:57 But a year, two years, three years down the road,
12:01 who knows where Cincinnati will be.
12:04 But also- - Or any of these
12:05 Big 12 newcomers.
12:06 - A year, two years, three years,
12:08 who knows where our Mountaineers will be.
12:10 We will then be hopefully at the top
12:14 of the Big 12 Mountain doing what we do.
12:16 You understand?
12:17 So I'm optimistic on all of it,
12:20 except for Cincinnati beating West Virginia.
12:23 (laughing)
12:25 - Yeah, that might just about do a certain head coach in.
12:30 But well, again, we're going to get to all this stuff.
12:32 - Get there.
12:33 - But yeah, I mean, this is a really competitive league.
12:36 And what Oklahoma and Texas leaving does though,
12:40 is it does open the door for two teams
12:42 to kind of make that jump
12:43 and be towards the top of the league.
12:45 If you look at the history,
12:47 West Virginia's arguably the most successful program
12:53 in the Big 12, history-wise.
12:56 So they should be in that top echelon of the Big 12.
13:00 But it's going to be interesting to see
13:01 how this Big 12 race shakes out.
13:04 And again, this is the word of the day here,
13:07 and it's not that grand of a word,
13:08 but technically West Virginia is not eliminated
13:13 mathematically from the Big 12 race.
13:15 Now, obviously there's a list about this long
13:20 that needs to happen,
13:22 and then some for the Mountaineers to actually get to Dallas,
13:25 but mathematically, they're still alive.
13:27 So Texas looks like they're in a good spot.
13:31 If they just won one of these final two games,
13:34 they're going to be in.
13:35 And Oklahoma, Oklahoma State,
13:38 they're going to be in the mix.
13:39 So there's a lot of teams that,
13:42 there's so many scenarios,
13:43 that's why I didn't even want to get into it last week,
13:45 because there's so many ways this thing can play out.
13:48 But the one thing I do want to talk about today,
13:51 and we can't gloss over this by any means,
13:56 because what Don Nealon meant to this program,
14:01 I don't think can be talked about enough.
14:04 We could honestly dedicate a whole episode to Coach Nealon,
14:08 and I'm pretty sure we actually have a couple of times.
14:10 But Coach Nealon's going to be immortalized this weekend
14:15 at the Cincinnati game.
14:16 They're going to hang his name inside the stadium,
14:19 and they're going to have a special ceremony for him
14:22 at some point throughout the game.
14:24 Career record of 202, 128 and eight.
14:28 I mean, obviously took West Virginia
14:31 to the National Championship game,
14:33 which you played in in 1988.
14:35 He also had another perfect season in 1993.
14:38 This guy single-handedly, in my opinion,
14:42 really set the standard for what West Virginia football
14:46 should be, the expectations.
14:48 I mean, heck, the dang man even created the flying WB.
14:51 So Gene, just give us your thoughts on Coach Nealon
14:56 being immortalized, what he meant to you,
14:58 what he means to this program,
15:00 and I'll just give you the floor here,
15:01 because you spent a lot of time with this guy,
15:03 and I feel like you're the perfect man to talk about.
15:06 - I appreciate you, man.
15:07 Thank you, Skyler.
15:07 As a matter of fact, I spoke to Coach last week,
15:10 and unfortunately, I thought I would be able
15:12 to make it into Morgantown,
15:13 but I kind of miscalculated.
15:15 My wife's home game is actually on Saturday,
15:18 so I'll be there on her campus supporting her.
15:21 Coach Nealon, you can't even put it into words,
15:25 because like you said,
15:26 when you have someone who epitomizes the word
15:31 discipline, being driven,
15:38 working to make sure that everybody is doing
15:42 what they're supposed to do,
15:44 he's a man's man, right?
15:45 So not only was he a great head coach,
15:48 he turned out to be a great leader of men
15:50 and a great mentor.
15:52 So the older I get,
15:55 I realize some of the attributes
15:58 and some of the things that I learned from playing
16:00 at WVU and being coached by Don Nealon,
16:04 I can't put words to it,
16:06 because everything about life's journey
16:09 and everything he taught us as student athletes,
16:13 it's like hand in glove.
16:16 When you get older,
16:17 but see, you don't see it until you get older.
16:19 That's the beauty of having a coach and a man like him.
16:23 Don Nealon is a high character,
16:26 salt of the earth type individual.
16:33 And he was more than just a football coach.
16:37 So at the end of the day,
16:39 when you look at someone who epitomizes
16:42 what being a good human being is, that's Don Nealon.
16:46 So if you get that,
16:48 and you're blessed enough to get that
16:49 wrapped up into a coach,
16:52 you got yourself a winner all the way around.
16:54 Because I speak of him in that light right now,
16:58 because as I've gotten older, like I said,
17:00 I know how important of a role he played in my life.
17:03 I didn't see it then.
17:05 I didn't see it then.
17:07 Most 18 and 17, 18, 19 year olds,
17:11 you're not gonna see it then.
17:13 The beauty of it is, my mother used to say,
17:15 "Live long enough and life will show you."
17:18 Well, if you have the right people in your life
17:21 and you live long enough and they're still around,
17:24 you need to give them their flowers and appreciate them
17:26 because they've paved the way to help you become
17:29 the man or the woman or the successful being that you are.
17:32 That's Don Nealon.
17:34 And I'm gonna end with this.
17:37 Saturday, he deserves to be immortalized.
17:40 - Long overdue.
17:41 - Long overdue.
17:43 I told him this last week.
17:44 There need to be a freaking statue
17:46 sitting outside the stadium.
17:47 - Yes.
17:49 - There needs to be a Don Nealon statue.
17:51 Although he's a humble man,
17:53 he probably wouldn't want all that hoopla, he deserves it.
17:57 That should be the next thing that goes up,
17:59 a Don Nealon freaking statue sitting outside
18:01 of our beautiful stadium.
18:02 That's what should happen.
18:03 Love you, coach.
18:04 Thank you so much.
18:05 You did a lot for me and I appreciate you.
18:07 - Absolutely.
18:08 Beautifully spoken.
18:09 And I agree with that sentiment.
18:11 I was actually just about to bring that up,
18:12 that he deserves a statue out there.
18:15 And maybe even going as far as naming the stadium
18:18 and/or field after him.
18:19 We've seen all these other schools out there that name,
18:22 literally Neal End Stadium at Tennessee.
18:28 You have just a bunch of other ones
18:30 that I can't even think that come to mind right now.
18:32 But there's so many out there that are named that
18:35 for icons and legends.
18:37 And Don Nealon to WV football fits that to a T.
18:40 - Fits that to a T.
18:41 Boom, what is it?
18:42 Boom Pickham Stadium?
18:43 - Oklahoma State, yeah.
18:48 - Oklahoma State, right?
18:48 Boom Pickham, right?
18:50 So like I said, people who are legendary of status
18:54 for that university, that community, that state,
18:56 whatever the case may be,
18:57 well, Don Nealon fits that to a T and you're 100% right.
19:00 Yeah, you're right.
19:01 I agree.
19:02 - And I want to mention this too.
19:04 This is, we're doing it.
19:05 We're on a roll today with these plugs, let me tell you.
19:09 If you haven't checked out relatively sports yet
19:12 with that guy right there, Eugene Napoleon,
19:14 he brings on former WVU players
19:16 and other former professional athletes and stuff.
19:21 Usually we try to get one in every week.
19:23 He's got a lot of interviews up
19:26 with some of his former teammates, guys,
19:27 that played after him at WVU and even before him.
19:30 And a lot of these guys play for Coach Nealon.
19:32 And we just did one with Gary "Doc" Basil
19:35 and it's up on YouTube,
19:36 on our YouTube page at Mountaineers Now.
19:38 Go check it out.
19:40 The one thing that I've learned, Gene,
19:41 with all of these episodes that you've done
19:43 with all these former players,
19:45 it's, and I've told you this many times,
19:47 it's like you guys are cut from the same cloth.
19:49 You really are.
19:50 I mean, it's the same person, very humble, very genuine,
19:54 very passionate about West Virginia,
19:56 but also understanding what Don Nealon meant to you guys
20:00 and how he not only helped laid your career path
20:05 for football, but even life after football too.
20:08 So I think that's something that West Virginia fans
20:11 definitely need to check out.
20:12 Again, Gary "Doc" Basil was up this week.
20:15 We've got a ton of other guys.
20:16 KJ Harris stopped by, Mike Logan.
20:19 The list goes on and on and on.
20:21 There's been a lot of guys.
20:24 Who else did we have just recently?
20:25 I'm trying to remember.
20:26 - I know Pat Randolph came on not too long ago.
20:31 Of course we had Chris Peacock.
20:32 Of course we had Big Joe's.
20:34 - Yeah, Brian Joes.
20:36 He's came on twice.
20:37 So we've got a ton.
20:40 - I just hit, you know, it's funny that you said Logs.
20:43 Logan's going to come on again.
20:45 We're trying to reschedule right now for part two.
20:47 You know, Boone Smalls.
20:49 We had two, you know, part one and part two with Big Smalls.
20:51 Yeah, man.
20:52 It's Calvin Phillips.
20:54 It goes down, down, down, down the line, man.
20:58 - Yeah, so definitely check that stuff out.
21:00 It's really good episodes, really good content.
21:02 Fun to watch Eugene and those other guys
21:05 cut it up a little bit.
21:06 So anyways, Don Nealon going to be immortalized this Saturday
21:11 for the West Virginia Cincinnati game.
21:13 Again, long overdue.
21:15 Congratulations to coach for a long, successful career
21:19 and all the things that he has done
21:21 for not only the football program and the university,
21:23 but the state as well.
21:25 So we're going to go and take a quick break.
21:27 And we come back, we're going to dive into this matchup
21:29 between the Bearcats and the Mountaineers.
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22:00 Country Roads Air Duct Cleaning.
22:02 Take me home to come.
22:04 All right, it is time to welcome in
22:05 them Cincinnati Bearcats.
22:07 Gene as Cincinnati rolls in here
22:11 with just three wins on the season.
22:13 But they've been playing decent football.
22:15 They've actually had a couple of close games,
22:17 some one score games.
22:19 And really when you dive into it,
22:21 again, like I said earlier,
22:22 they're not that bad of a football team.
22:25 They just can't find a way to get the ball in the end zone.
22:28 So we're going to dive a little bit deeper
22:30 into this matchup.
22:32 First things first, let's start off
22:34 with Cincinnati's offense versus West Virginia's defense.
22:37 Okay, and when you look at what they want to do,
22:40 they're very similar to West Virginia,
22:42 what they want to do offensively.
22:43 You ever seen that Spider-Man meme
22:45 where it's like this guy is pointing
22:46 to the other Spider-Man, he's pointing back.
22:48 That's what the image that pops up in my head
22:51 when I look at Cincinnati,
22:52 because it is almost a carbon copy
22:55 of what West Virginia does.
22:56 They run the football well, they don't pass it well.
22:59 They struggle a little bit on third downs,
23:03 but they're kind of like in the middle of the pack,
23:04 similar to West Virginia.
23:06 Red zone has been a major issue,
23:09 as I mentioned with them.
23:10 That's the big downfall for them.
23:11 They are 13th in the league at 74% in the red zone.
23:16 So that's the key, or one of the keys,
23:20 keep them out of the red zone.
23:21 But if they get there, you don't really have to sweat it out
23:23 all that much.
23:24 They haven't had a whole lot of success,
23:25 but they do run the football extremely well.
23:28 They are second in the Big 12 Conference,
23:30 even better than West Virginia, over 223 yards per game.
23:35 That is a combination of Corey Kiner,
23:38 who's a former LSU transfer, 885 yards on the season,
23:43 Emery Jones, the quarterback, Miles Montgomery,
23:45 who's been kind of banged up a little bit.
23:47 But that's one of the most interesting things,
23:50 I think, about this matchup,
23:51 in terms of this side of the ball, is West Virginia,
23:54 it's been a little while since they faced
23:56 a true dual threat quarterback.
23:59 And I would probably say John Rice Plumlee at UCF
24:03 was probably the most comparable
24:06 to what they're gonna see this weekend with Emery Jones.
24:08 And if you remember, West Virginia was in on Emery
24:12 coming out of high school.
24:13 They were in on him pretty heavy,
24:15 and then he committed to Ohio State,
24:17 he decommitted, Florida got involved,
24:19 he ended up landing down there in Gainesville.
24:22 West Virginia was kind of an afterthought
24:23 once those programs got involved.
24:24 But it's interesting because he has ran the ball
24:28 over 100 times this season, Gene,
24:30 and that's gonna be a major part
24:33 for West Virginia this week.
24:35 How are these linebackers gonna answer
24:38 to a quarterback that's mobile,
24:40 that can make plays outside of the pocket,
24:43 that can extend plays?
24:44 Because look, last week was not very good
24:46 against Dylan Gabriel.
24:47 It didn't matter what Oklahoma did,
24:49 whether they were doing stuff off the RPO,
24:51 play action, quarterback design run,
24:55 it didn't matter what Oklahoma did.
24:56 They were having a field day.
24:58 So what do you think needs to happen
25:02 for West Virginia's defense to get back on track
25:05 and not look like the defense
25:06 that was just tackling air last week?
25:10 - Well, I'm gonna be honest with you.
25:11 It starts with playing with some type of discipline.
25:15 You have to.
25:16 And you gotta get these guys to the ground.
25:18 When you play against a true dual threat quarterback
25:20 that can run it and throw it,
25:22 you have to read your keys.
25:25 And from a linebacker perspective,
25:27 you gotta make sure that you don't get sucked in
25:29 on certain things.
25:30 And each man has to do their job.
25:34 That becomes a monumental task
25:36 when you play against a true dual threat quarterback
25:39 or a dynamic running back.
25:41 You gotta get them ground.
25:42 You gotta get them to the ground.
25:43 That's number one.
25:43 You gotta tackle well.
25:44 But the most important thing is,
25:46 everybody has to do their individual job.
25:49 'Cause if you do that,
25:51 you have a far better chance of being more successful
25:53 getting these guys to the ground than you do if...
25:57 Because a guy like him,
25:58 one missed tackle can turn a short game
26:02 into a long gainer before you know it.
26:05 And if you get two or three of those, watch out.
26:08 Momentum, we talked about earlier in the show.
26:10 Now the momentum swings their way, you have a problem.
26:12 So you gotta play disciplined football
26:16 and you gotta make sure that you read your keys
26:18 and you don't overrun stuff.
26:20 'Cause that's a problem too.
26:20 You create lanes and holes that don't need to be there.
26:24 So I think if we play disciplined
26:26 on the defensive side of the ball, Scott,
26:28 I really think we'll be okay.
26:30 - This is an interesting stat.
26:33 And this is again why I think Cincinnati
26:35 is really not that bad of a team, okay?
26:38 Because they have actually out-gamed their opponents
26:43 in one, two, three, four of their last six games.
26:48 And it's not by razor thin margin either.
26:51 They are significantly, okay?
26:54 So for example, last week against Houston,
26:58 they won that game.
26:58 It was their first big 12 win.
26:59 They won by 10.
27:00 They out-gamed Houston by 127.
27:03 They lost the UCF game by two points,
27:06 but they out-gamed the Knights by 122.
27:09 They out-gamed BYU by 54, lost that one by three points.
27:15 And this is the one that just blows my mind.
27:20 They out-gamed BYU by 203 yards and lost by eight points.
27:25 So when you take those types of stats,
27:32 the first thing is, at least my mind goes to is,
27:35 okay, what's the turnover differential?
27:36 And what are they in the red zone?
27:39 The red zone, they did not do well, as you could imagine,
27:42 as we talked about earlier,
27:43 that they are towards the bottom of the big 12 in red zone.
27:47 In those three games that were one score games,
27:49 UCF, Baylor, and BYU,
27:51 they were minus five in turnover differential.
27:55 They had five turnovers and did not force a single one.
27:58 So that's kind of been the biggest problem.
28:00 Last week against Houston,
28:02 they forced three interceptions and they won the game.
28:06 So don't tell me that the turnover battle
28:10 doesn't mean anything,
28:11 because this week it seems like it's going to be a premium.
28:14 - It means everything.
28:15 Listen, if you force a turnover, right,
28:19 that's extra possession.
28:20 - But it also matters to what you do after the turnover.
28:23 - Well, no doubt about it.
28:24 Listen, that's true.
28:26 You get three turnovers and you turn them into zero points,
28:29 it balances itself out.
28:30 It doesn't matter.
28:31 You still don't want the three turnovers,
28:32 but if you don't give up any points, okay.
28:36 But you know what's funny about a turnover
28:37 and you don't get any points,
28:38 now you talk about field position.
28:40 - Yeah. - Okay?
28:42 Now you talk about field position,
28:43 the punting or whatever the case may be,
28:45 that's also a problem.
28:46 So we have to be very careful
28:49 that we don't get lured into any of that stuff.
28:51 And if we do get turnovers,
28:53 we have to turn those turnovers into points.
28:55 That's important, 'cause if you don't do that,
28:59 that becomes, it becomes problematic.
29:01 Or God forbid, if we give up a turnover or two,
29:03 we can't allow them to turn those into points.
29:06 - Yeah. - So I think we're
29:07 doing great. - And if you go back
29:09 to the Oklahoma game last week,
29:10 and I don't know that it makes really much of a difference,
29:12 but West, or Oklahoma had the Muff punt,
29:16 remember? - Yeah, absolutely.
29:16 - And what did West Virginia do after that?
29:19 Nothing.
29:20 They didn't move the ball at all.
29:21 They had to kick a field goal.
29:23 Was no good, and they got no points out of it.
29:25 So getting turnovers is one thing,
29:27 doing something with them is another.
29:30 But for the most part this season,
29:32 West Virginia's done a really good job
29:33 of taking care of the football.
29:35 That's why I like their chances this week, really.
29:37 And again, this Cincinnati team
29:40 is better than the record indicates
29:43 because when we get ready to flip over
29:45 to the other side of the ball here, you'll see why.
29:48 But the last thing I really want to note
29:50 about Cincinnati is they, again,
29:52 back to the Spider-Man meme, right?
29:54 They want to control the clock.
29:56 These two teams are the top two
29:59 in the Big 12 in time of possession.
30:01 So when you run the ball successfully like these two do,
30:03 it's no wonder why they're towards the top.
30:06 But going over to the other side,
30:09 West Virginia offense, Cincinnati defense,
30:13 this may be one of the best defensive fronts in the Big 12.
30:17 And that sounds very, very weird to say
30:19 for a team that, again, has won one Big 12 game.
30:22 But the guy that spearheads this thing
30:25 and could be maybe the best Big 12 defensive lineman
30:28 is Dante Corleone.
30:29 This guy is a run-stuffer.
30:32 He can create pressure in the passing game.
30:35 He is just an absolute problem.
30:38 And if you're a guy that likes to watch big battles
30:40 in the trenches, boy, boy, boy,
30:42 you got one here for you this weekend
30:44 with Dante Corleone going up against Zach Frazier,
30:47 an NFL on NFL matchup here.
30:50 And there's probably going to be a few dozen scouts or so
30:54 in attendance for this game to watch these two guys play.
30:58 - Easy. Well, you know what's funny about Dante?
31:00 Here's the thing.
31:01 Usually when you get a guy that's a pass rusher,
31:04 can really get after the quarterback,
31:06 they're not necessarily good run stoppers.
31:08 But when you get a guy that can do both,
31:12 he's going to make a pretty good living on Sunday, my friend.
31:16 - Yeah.
31:17 - 'Cause he can do both.
31:18 He can get after the quarterback and he can stuff the run.
31:19 So, you know, that's interesting.
31:22 And yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing that matchup.
31:25 I really am. That's going to be a good one.
31:27 - And for this side of the ball, this has to be the key,
31:30 right? West Virginia and that offensive line,
31:32 they've been dominant virtually all season long.
31:35 Last week, they got whipped up front.
31:38 There's no sugarcoating about it.
31:39 They did not win one-on-ones.
31:41 They didn't pull quickly enough.
31:43 They didn't get down to the second level fast enough.
31:46 Oklahoma was just straight whipping them every single snap.
31:50 And it showed.
31:51 The yards per play, the yards per rush,
31:54 everything was way, way down.
31:56 And that's why they kept putting themselves
31:58 way behind the chain.
31:59 So I think, to me, that's got to be the biggest matchup,
32:02 at least on this side of the ball, right?
32:04 It's got, that offensive line has to show up
32:08 in return to its form pre-Oklahoma
32:11 to give themselves a chance to get back on track.
32:15 - No, I agree. You got to win those battles, man.
32:16 Those individual upfront battles, you have to win.
32:19 You have to win the line of scrimmage.
32:21 I agree 100%.
32:22 And if you want to do the things that are necessary
32:25 to put you comfortably in a position
32:28 to where you win this football game, it starts upfront.
32:31 It always does and always will.
32:33 So you have to run the ball well so play action matters.
32:38 - Yep.
32:39 - And you have to run the ball well so eating the clock
32:41 and controlling the clock matters.
32:43 If you can't do either one of those things,
32:45 you're going to be in for a long day
32:47 and I don't care who you're playing against.
32:49 And that's true on the Pop Warner level.
32:53 So it's very important that we control
32:57 the line of scrimmage.
32:58 We have to win the line of scrimmage.
33:00 And I think that we will.
33:01 - And it's going to be even more of a factor
33:03 because we don't really know what CJ Donaldson's status
33:07 is going to be.
33:07 He exited the game a little early last week.
33:10 Didn't practice on Sunday.
33:12 They actually changed their practice schedule this week,
33:14 Gene.
33:15 They went on Sunday to kind of flush that Oklahoma game
33:18 while it was still fresh.
33:19 They wanted to clean everything up.
33:20 They gave them the players off Monday
33:22 and then back at it on Tuesday.
33:24 So we'll see.
33:26 I don't really want to put much stock
33:28 into CJ not practicing Sunday
33:29 'cause that's a quick turnaround.
33:31 But we're going to find out later tonight.
33:34 Coach Brown's going to say something on his radio show
33:37 with Tony Caridi about his updated status.
33:40 So they may have him, they may not.
33:42 That's the question I want to post to you here.
33:44 If they don't have CJ Donaldson,
33:47 what's the game plan for the Mountaineers offensively?
33:51 - Well, I think it changed a little bit
33:53 because to be honest with you,
33:55 the concept, I don't think banging inside
34:00 is going to be an issue because white,
34:02 our backs run well inside regardless of their size.
34:07 And of course, I think that's--
34:08 - He packs a punch.
34:10 - You know, that's attributed to our offensive line as well.
34:12 But I'm going to be honest with you, Scarlett.
34:15 I don't think you change anything.
34:18 Honestly, I don't think you change anything at all.
34:21 I think it's a great opportunity
34:26 to allow us to impose our will, to be honest with you,
34:30 and to show people that we can run the football.
34:33 You know, if we got to go running back by committee,
34:35 we can still run the football
34:37 if you don't have your big hammer back there.
34:41 But I really believe it's going to come down
34:45 to no matter who's in the backfield,
34:47 again, you have to win the line of scrimmage.
34:51 If you do that, it doesn't matter.
34:53 I can get back there and suit up
34:55 and touch the rock 10 times
34:57 and probably get 100 plus behind that offensive line
35:02 if we control the line of scrimmage.
35:03 So I don't really think it's going to matter.
35:05 I don't think we should, excuse me,
35:07 worry too much about having to change too many things.
35:10 Whatever we do, let's just be consistent at it.
35:12 That's important.
35:14 - Yeah, and it's going to be big too
35:15 that Garrett Green gets back on track too
35:17 because that was his worst performance
35:19 and it's not even close.
35:20 It was 10 of 27.
35:21 That's 37% completion percentage,
35:24 and I mean, that's not good at all, obviously.
35:28 He also threw an interception last week, only 154 yards.
35:32 He just seemed out of sorts
35:35 really after that first drive on out.
35:38 Like he did not,
35:39 it did not visually look like the same Garrett Green.
35:42 Looked like he kind of got out of his mechanics a little bit
35:45 and it just felt like something was not marrying up,
35:49 whether it was his shoulders and his feet at the same time.
35:51 Like something was off with him.
35:54 I don't know if it was the excitement
35:56 to build up to that game and him trying to settle down.
35:58 That's been a big problem with him.
36:00 We always have heard from Coach Brown
36:02 that sometimes he's a little too high
36:04 and he needs to bring it down just a notch,
36:06 and that's why I think you see some of these easy misses.
36:09 Right? There's layups that,
36:11 the swing passes out of the backfield,
36:13 the quick slants, the easy, may not be easy,
36:16 but they're guys that are wide open
36:18 20 yards down the field heading toward the sideline
36:20 and he just misses them.
36:21 I mean, those are passes you have to have
36:24 to be able to move the ball,
36:25 but he's got to put more touch on these things.
36:27 Take a little bit of those MPHs off
36:29 because if you're throwing darts every single play,
36:33 you can't always throw your 95 mile an hour pass.
36:35 - Absolutely. Listen, you are correct about that.
36:39 And I also think he has to slow this thing down in his head.
36:43 The game has to slow down in his head.
36:46 - Yeah.
36:47 - If he does that, you can, again,
36:49 go through your progression comfortably
36:52 and make the throws you need,
36:53 make the necessary throws that you need to make.
36:54 'Cause if not, he can't afford to not play well this weekend.
36:59 He cannot afford not to play well to end with Baylor.
37:04 You know, not that we're looking ahead,
37:05 but these next two weeks are pivotal in his growth
37:09 as a quarterback at this level to lead this team
37:12 into the bowl week of practice
37:15 and whoever we want to playing in the bowl game or whatever,
37:18 he has to understand this all starts and finishes with you.
37:22 Any quarterback, this starts and finishes with them.
37:25 So every practice moving forward, every rep moving forward,
37:30 he should be working on his mechanics
37:32 and he should be working on the timing in his head
37:35 and how to slow that thought process down,
37:37 which will help him be a little calmer in the pocket,
37:40 not the happy feet and all of that, but a little calm.
37:43 And like you said, make sure you're marrying your feet
37:45 with your shoulders, with your eyes and your arm
37:48 when you're making these throws.
37:49 And I think he'll be a lot better off for that.
37:52 - Yeah, the receiver's got to help him out too.
37:53 I mean, they missed a couple of passes last week.
37:56 I mean, I would say three or four, maybe.
38:01 I think Neil said five or six,
38:02 but that seemed a little too high to me.
38:04 I thought it was like more like three or four,
38:05 but either way, I mean, we're splitting hairs here,
38:07 but the gist of it all is that
38:09 Garrett Green has to play better, that's on him.
38:11 And I think he'd be the first one to tell you that.
38:13 So last couple of things here,
38:15 just wanted to note to get a little bit more info
38:17 on Cincinnati, they are the 12th most penalized team
38:20 in the Big 12 out of 14 teams.
38:22 So that's been an issue for them at times.
38:26 They do allow sacks, they've allowed 22 on the season,
38:29 and against the run, they're pretty stout.
38:33 They're 138 yards per game.
38:34 Again, when you have Dante Corleone
38:37 and some of those other guys that they have up front,
38:39 it's no shock that they're top five in the league.
38:42 Red zone, defense is a struggle for them.
38:44 So red zone offense and defense, they've been struggling.
38:47 And two playmakers that I wanted to mention here
38:50 is DeSean Pace and Brian Threatts, a veteran safety duo.
38:55 Threatts, if that's a familiar name
38:58 for West Virginia fans, well, that's because he was
39:01 down on pretty much West Virginia, Cincinnati,
39:03 and a couple other schools in his recruitment.
39:04 So I think that's pretty much everything I wanted to hit
39:08 on the matchup itself.
39:11 - Anything else from you?
39:12 - Let me say this, because I don't,
39:16 with the sake of not being disrespectful,
39:19 let me just say this.
39:21 Now, Cincinnati says, this is a,
39:25 we're gonna make this, it's a series,
39:29 like this is us and West Virginia.
39:31 Okay, we played, if I'm not mistaken, 19 times, correct?
39:35 - 20, 20, 16, three and one.
39:39 - So we played, okay, so 16, three and one.
39:44 16, three and one.
39:49 You gotta be kidding me.
39:51 Now, if the delusion is real, and to go more
39:56 into the delusion, if you think you're gonna come
39:59 into Morgantown and get a win, nah.
40:02 And I can probably tell you why not.
40:07 Well, one, for one, this is Don Nealon's weekend, man.
40:12 - Yeah, it is.
40:13 - This is Don Nealon's weekend.
40:15 So yeah, you picked the wrong weekend
40:17 to come to Morgantown.
40:19 - And did you hear the full circle story
40:21 about Don Nealon being immortalized
40:24 for the Cincinnati game?
40:26 Because it's kind of cool.
40:28 I think his first ever game that he coached
40:31 was against Cincinnati.
40:34 And then the same thing at WVU, Cincinnati.
40:38 And now Cincinnati comes to town for his immortalization.
40:42 So I think that's, I'm 100% there with you
40:45 with this can't be a robbery.
40:47 I mean, Cincinnati can think that, but to me,
40:51 this has to be a situation where, look,
40:53 if Cincinnati wins some games over the next few years
40:56 against West Virginia, and there's some bad blood,
40:58 and it's for some meaningful games,
41:01 sure, anything can develop.
41:03 But as of right now, there's nothing there.
41:07 There's nothing there.
41:08 - 16-3-1.
41:11 - Exactly.
41:13 - What's gonna develop?
41:14 (laughing)
41:17 What's gonna develop?
41:18 Are you kidding me?
41:20 Because as high as West Virginia continue to climb,
41:23 and as high as Cincinnati continues to climb,
41:27 16-3-1.
41:29 That ain't gonna change.
41:32 In other words, you're not catching us in the series.
41:34 Are you kidding me?
41:35 (laughing)
41:37 - It would take, man, what, almost a decade and a half
41:41 for them to do so.
41:42 - So that means every time we play each other,
41:45 we have to, they have to beat us.
41:47 - Exactly.
41:48 - In the next frickin' 15 years.
41:52 - Right.
41:53 - Yeah, I can't see that.
41:55 - So this is actually probably a really good time
41:58 to go and get into our "Fire Me Up" segment here for Eugene,
42:01 giving his pre-game locker room speech to the Mountaineers
42:04 before they take the field against them,
42:07 Cincinnati Bearcats that, for some reason,
42:09 think this is gonna be a rivalry.
42:10 So, Eugene, the floor is yours, my friend.
42:13 - It's a daggone shame.
42:14 A Bearcat is coming in to Morgantown, West Virginia
42:18 on Saturday with a Mountaineer with a fully loaded weapon.
42:23 How interesting is that, Skyler?
42:26 A Bearcat.
42:27 Wow.
42:28 (laughing)
42:31 What a sad, sad, sad set of circumstances for a Bearcat.
42:36 Not gonna happen for you.
42:37 And the reason why, listen, man,
42:38 we have a lot that we have to jump back on and prove,
42:42 not to college football, not to the naysayers,
42:45 it's really proving it to ourselves.
42:47 We owe it to ourselves after coming off of
42:50 a disgraceful, heartbreaking loss
42:51 that we could have played better,
42:53 we could have shown up in every area,
42:55 every phase of the game to do that,
42:57 to look better, we didn't do that.
42:58 So unfortunately, we gotta take it out on somebody
43:01 and the poor Bearcat is stumbling his way
43:05 into Morgantown on Saturday.
43:07 Wow.
43:08 (laughing)
43:09 You know, it's kind of funny.
43:10 I'm not a hunter by any stretch of the imagination,
43:13 but I can certainly see with a scope
43:15 that poor Bearcat just stumbling and bumbling
43:18 and rumbling his little self onto,
43:20 come on, man, and then that big, ferocious Mountaineer.
43:25 Fully docked and loaded, Skyler.
43:27 Could you see it?
43:28 Could you just imagine that thing on a scope?
43:32 Ain't gonna happen, man.
43:33 Listen, I expect, I really do,
43:35 I expect that our offense to really grind this thing out
43:38 in a way that just beat 'em up up front.
43:41 Just beat 'em up, just punch 'em in the mouth up front.
43:44 I really believe that.
43:45 I think defensively, we get a chance to maul.
43:48 We really get a chance to eat.
43:49 You understand what I'm saying?
43:50 We get a chance to eat because I'm expecting three sacks.
43:54 I'm saying it, I'm expecting three sacks.
43:56 I'm gonna call out my corners, my safeties.
43:58 Could I get at least two picks?
43:59 Three sacks, two picks on defense.
44:01 Matter of fact, on offense, let's flip it around.
44:04 Yeah, I'm a former tailback, so I need two backs.
44:07 Two backs rushing over 100 yards to help out Green.
44:12 Give Derrick Green some help.
44:14 Two backs over 100 yards.
44:16 Let's get Green back into feeling really comfortable.
44:18 Let's say that joke puts up about 178,
44:21 200 yards in the air.
44:25 I think we can do that.
44:26 I think we could really dominate Cincinnati.
44:28 We should dominate Cincinnati 'cause once again,
44:30 that poor, poor Bearcat, man, listen.
44:34 That poor Bearcat's gonna leave Morgantown pretty much scalped.
44:39 He's gonna leave Morgantown scalped, battered and bruised,
44:44 limping off, heading back to Cincinnati.
44:46 We need to help him get back to Cincinnati.
44:50 We won't beat him up too bad, but enough to let people know.
44:55 We will get our seventh win on Saturday,
44:58 honoring Don Nealon, bringing the win back home
45:01 to Morgantown, West Virginia.
45:02 And again, it's not about putting college football
45:04 on the notice, on notice.
45:05 It's about playing Mountaineer football,
45:08 getting back into the win column,
45:10 closing the season out after beating Cincinnati,
45:12 and then going to bail and doing what we need to do there.
45:15 Not that we're looking ahead.
45:17 We're not.
45:18 But boy, that poor, poor Bearcat.
45:22 Let's go Mountaineers.
45:24 - Oh, I love it.
45:25 So let's go ahead and get into our weekly pick 'ems
45:29 for the week.
45:29 Gene, it was a three and two week for both of us last week.
45:32 So it washes everything out,
45:34 all the progress I thought it was gonna make.
45:37 And here we are back to square one.
45:39 So you are 29 and 21, I'm 24 and 26.
45:42 You got a five game lead on me.
45:43 And folks, remember, if you wanna participate,
45:46 let us know your picks in the comments below on YouTube.
45:49 And if you go five for five,
45:50 you get that coveted, elusive,
45:53 Eugene Napoleon autographed card.
45:56 So we'll get that out to you in the mail
45:58 if you are a winner.
45:59 Doesn't matter how many winners, we will make it work.
46:01 So let's go and get into it.
46:03 Little group of five action here, Gene.
46:05 A little G5 love here.
46:07 SMU at Memphis, a pair of eight and two teams,
46:10 12 noon on ESPN2.
46:13 This one is gonna be a lot of fun to watch, man.
46:15 These two offenses can really move the ball and score it,
46:20 zip it around the yard.
46:21 Memphis can really run the ball.
46:23 This is a tough one,
46:25 but I'm gonna go with the road team here.
46:28 And I'm gonna go with the SMU Mustangs, Preston Stone.
46:31 I think he's gonna sling it all over the place.
46:33 I'm gonna say he has a 300 yard,
46:35 three touchdown type of game.
46:37 This is gonna be like a 49, 45 type of affair.
46:40 So I'm going SMU in a shootout.
46:42 - Wow, that sounds good.
46:45 Not so fast, my friend.
46:47 - Uh-oh.
46:48 Oh boy, that's the words I don't like to hear.
46:52 - Listen, I'm so sorry.
46:53 I'm gonna go with the home team.
46:55 I think Memphis will pull this out.
46:56 I do think it's gonna be a high scoring affair
46:58 because both these offense can score, you're right.
47:00 But I think Memphis is not gonna be beat at home.
47:02 I think they got something to prove.
47:04 Good game, high scoring game, but I'm going with Memphis.
47:08 - In the ACC, UNC on the road.
47:10 A ranked Carolina team is an underdog here to Clemson.
47:14 How about that, Eugene?
47:16 330 ESPN for a while there.
47:19 It looked like Clemson may never get it figured out.
47:21 And they look like they wouldn't get to a bowl game.
47:24 Boy, they've turned the corner just a little bit,
47:27 wouldn't you say?
47:28 And Carolina, they're scraping by.
47:30 They're finding a way to stay alive in this ACC race.
47:33 And my wife's not around, so Clemson, Clemson Tigers.
47:39 - Well, the sad thing about that
47:43 is she's gonna see this episode.
47:45 You could have been an underdog either way,
47:50 but I'm gonna help you out,
47:51 'cause I'm gonna go around with you.
47:52 I think Clemson will get this game.
47:54 I like UNC, you don't get me wrong.
47:55 I really respect what they built there, but nah.
48:00 Clemson is too much for 'em, and I'm going with Clemson.
48:02 So don't feel bad, I got you.
48:05 - It's not the first time, it's not the last
48:07 that I'll be in the doghouse.
48:08 And I feel like I just inevitably live there, so anyways.
48:11 - I got you.
48:12 - The Sunflower Showdown in the Big 12,
48:15 Kansas State at Kansas, seven o'clock FS1.
48:19 This is always a fun matchup,
48:20 and there's the rivalry feel to it.
48:23 It seems like it is truly one of those games.
48:26 It doesn't really matter how bad Kansas usually is.
48:29 They usually play one of their best games
48:31 against Kansas State.
48:33 But I'm gonna go with EMA here, Kansas State.
48:36 I think they're clicking right now.
48:38 That offense is a problem.
48:40 Kansas, I don't know what their quarterback situation is
48:42 as we tape this.
48:43 It looks like they're optimistic that Jason Bean can go,
48:46 but again, that's still their backup quarterback.
48:48 I'm going Kansas State.
48:50 They're still in the Big 12 race.
48:51 They need this game.
48:52 - For some odd reason, man, I wanna do that,
48:56 but for some reason, Kansas always freaking surprises you.
49:00 - They do.
49:01 - Some reason, they understand, listen, we're at home.
49:05 We know what this is.
49:07 It's Kansas State, it's our rivals.
49:09 We can't allow them to come in here.
49:10 I gotta go with the Jayhawks, man.
49:12 I'm so sorry.
49:13 I gotta go with the Jayhawks.
49:14 I think they will pull this out.
49:16 I think it's gonna be a better game than people anticipate,
49:18 but I think Kansas wins in the end.
49:20 - Them poor, poor Jayhawks.
49:22 They're going down.
49:23 Them poor, poor Jayhawks.
49:24 Hey, I'm actually okay with us picking opposite here
49:27 because that at least gives me a chance, right?
49:29 To maybe gain one on you.
49:30 So out to the Pac-12 or the leftover bowl here
49:35 and that's, well, actually not leftover.
49:37 I was thinking Washington State.
49:38 Washington at Oregon State, one of the leftovers.
49:42 7.30 on ABC.
49:44 Washington very, very much alive
49:46 in the college football playoff race.
49:48 Oregon State, they believe that they can get
49:50 to the Pac-12 championships, maybe New Year's Six love.
49:55 This is a tough one because Oregon State,
49:58 although they have a good record
49:59 and although there's all this talk
50:01 about how well that they played all season long
50:04 and they've got big game at home here against Washington,
50:07 the crowd's gonna be crazy.
50:09 I just feel like playmakers show up in the biggest moments
50:13 and I don't feel like any stage is too big
50:16 for Michael Penix.
50:17 Again, I'm not high on him as an NFL prospect
50:21 but I do think he's one hell of a college quarterback
50:24 and I'm going with Washington, but yeah.
50:27 - What?
50:29 Listen, okay, that's another segment.
50:32 All right, okay.
50:34 I'm definitely never, I went against Washington
50:39 I think two weeks ago and lost that miserably.
50:41 No, Washington all day long, twice on Sunday.
50:47 Oregon State, they don't have the horses, they just don't.
50:50 And you're right, big players play big under the lights
50:53 in big situations and this is a good game.
50:56 So Penix, three plus, three bills,
50:59 he throws the three bills, yeah, easy.
51:02 - Awesome, so now the game that you're all here for,
51:05 Cincinnati and West Virginia, 2-30 on ESPN+.
51:10 The Mountaineers looking to get that seventh win
51:13 of the season and mathematically stay alive
51:16 to the Big 12 title race.
51:17 So let's hear a word or two
51:19 from the head coach, Neil Brown.
51:20 - I'm very disappointed in how we played on Saturday.
51:23 Credit to Oklahoma, we caught them at the wrong time.
51:27 They reduced, we got their best,
51:29 that's as good as they played.
51:31 They were ready to go and we weren't and they got after us.
51:33 Obviously a former Big East foe.
51:35 I think this is a game that it should kind of grow
51:40 into a rivalry.
51:41 Obviously the closest proximity school in the Big 12 to us.
51:46 And I think this is a game that both fan bases,
51:50 as time goes on, this has an opportunity
51:53 to grow into a rivalry game.
51:55 It's a good win on the road for them last week.
51:57 I think that was the best they played.
52:00 And I think they'll have some confidence rolling in here.
52:04 Huge challenge and I have zero doubt
52:06 that our guys will bounce back.
52:07 It's been a resilient group all year.
52:10 We'll bounce back, we'll play well on Saturday
52:12 and finish strong here at home.
52:15 Last home game and senior day
52:17 and probably the most important thing on Saturday
52:21 is honoring Coach Neal.
52:21 All right Gene, I went out on a limb last week.
52:24 Something I usually don't do when it comes to West Virginia.
52:26 I go with what my gut tells me
52:28 and boy did that just backfire.
52:32 I picked the Mountaineers to get the upset over Oklahoma
52:35 and we all know how that turned out.
52:37 So yeah, but anyways, I don't think I'm going out
52:41 on much of a limb this week, right?
52:42 I picked them the last few weeks.
52:45 I think this one is as easy as it gets in my opinion.
52:50 I think it is in terms of a close game.
52:52 I think Cincinnati does hang around for a little while,
52:55 but West Virginia, they ended up winning this one
52:57 by two scores, too much to handle.
53:00 I think Zach Frazier and that offensive line,
53:02 they bounce back, they put on a good showing,
53:05 especially Frazier against Corleone.
53:07 Again, that's going to be a fun match to watch.
53:08 I've got the Mountaineers.
53:10 Listen, I can, I agree with you wholeheartedly
53:13 on everything that you just said.
53:14 You already know I got the Mountaineers
53:16 and I think it's going to be a really good game.
53:18 It's going to be a really good atmosphere.
53:21 God bless, like I said, Coach Neal
53:22 and being immortalized in Morgantown,
53:24 you know, this weekend, which is well-deserved.
53:26 So what a game to come to and watch and see
53:30 and have a whole bunch of fanfare and have a great time
53:33 as the Mountaineers just beat up on them poor, poor Bearcats.
53:38 (laughing)
53:40 Let's go, Mountaineers.
53:41 I love it.
53:44 The poor, poor Bearcats.
53:45 So that'll do it for us here today
53:47 on the Walkthrough Game Day Show.
53:49 Be sure to hit that subscribe button
53:51 on YouTube at Mountaineers Now.
53:53 Give us a follow on X at the same handle
53:56 and you can rejoin us on Saturday evening
53:59 as we'll recap West Virginia and Cincinnati,
54:02 break down all the action, dive into the numbers,
54:04 give our initial thoughts on what transpired
54:07 there at Mountaineer Field.
54:08 So thank you guys for watching.
54:10 Again, don't forget to participate in our weekly pick 'ems.
54:13 Put your picks in in the YouTube comments
54:15 for a chance to win that Eugene Napoleon signed autograph.
54:17 And also while you're at it,
54:18 go and get that jersey that he's donning right there.
54:21 So that'll do it for us here today.
54:23 For Eugene Napoleon, I'm Scott Cowan.
54:25 Thank you for watching the Walkthrough Game Day Show
54:27 presented by Country Roads, Air Duckling.