Guest: Smitty, Sports Talk Media Network // Audio Blitz // Daily Wires

SPEAKER_1 (0:03)

I've been putting it off because, as you know, there's always something happening in sports that we've got to do, that we've got to cover.

SPEAKER_2 (0:10)

Yeah.

SPEAKER_1 (0:11)

So there just was no time. And look, now I'm going to miss what could be the best college football weekend of the season, because we've got some huge games coming up, but had to be done. And I'm looking forward to seeing her and spending some time with her.

Diesel Bryson (0:25)

You don't have to leave the country, Smitty, just because you're not winning the Upset Picks Challenge.

SPEAKER_1 (0:30)

I look, don't joke about it. I am very sensitive. I've had so many close calls, and oh, but hopefully, hopefully, I can get on the board this week.

Diesel Bryson (0:43)

Well, now that we've dispelled the rumors that you're not headed to Syracuse to suit up for the Orange, Steve Angelli is questionable. Malachi Nelson has been downgraded to out. You know, that's a unit, the walking wounded up there, Tigers as well, Gideon Davidson out, Tyler Brown questionable for Clemson, offensive lineman out. How do we even begin to assess a game like this where neither team has anything close to a full complement of players?

SPEAKER_1 (1:10)

It's going to be very difficult and Syracuse never has the answer at quarterback. But Steve Angelli, when he does play, they're dangerous as he did last week and they beat SMU, but you never know what you can't count on the Syracuse quarterback position since Fran Brown took over. It's been some bad luck. I think they're a well coached team. I think overall, they're pretty good and pretty dangerous. Now for Clemson, I don't know what it means. And what do we believe?

They score 30 plus points last week. You see Tate Reynolds with a 79-yard touchdown. But if you dig into the advanced metrics, the offense still wasn't great last week. But the scoreboard looked right. You know, finally, they had an explosion. But still, I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 4.6 yards per play.

It's still not quite right offensively. And so what we have to question is, were there any answers that they found last week? Are they going to be able to continue to do this, which is kind of overachieve offensively based on what your numbers say, what your metrics say? Some teams can do that. Is Clemson kind of figuring that out or are they going to come right back to earth, tumble right back where they were and struggle to score against Syracuse? It's a fascinating study. It's going to be a really good watch in that game. Again, Syracuse, we never know what to expect out of their offense. But they've been pretty good on defense and Clemson has not been great on offense except for what happened last week at Florida State. We need to know, was that fool's gold or is that going to continue?

Diesel Bryson (2:51)

Yeah, and both of Tate Reynolds' passing touchdowns were two tight ends off the left side. I mean, is that something Chad Morris can repeat in this matchup against Syracuse or is it something that just so happened to work against Florida State last week? I mean, it's hard to say that we believe anything about this Clemson team. I think we're more in a hope and a prayer stage right now than belief. Syracuse has always found a way to play Clemson tough no matter what. Like they're the new Wake Forest. I remember 20 years ago, it was Wake Forest always seemed to have Clemson's number. Now, it's Syracuse. Welcome into the show, Tolos 844-326-3663.

You can always text in any questions you've got for Smitty.

Yesterday, we talked to Clay Hendricks of Furman. It's the first time we've had him on since he announced that he was going to be stepping down at the end of the year. Who do you believe, as somebody that's been around the state for a long time and did radio in the Upstate, who is the right kind of coach for Furman? Would a highly successful high school coach, for example, in the area be a good choice? Or there are just too many differences between the high school game, even though now it's becoming more like college with the transfers and the recruiting versus being a division one football coach?

SPEAKER_1 (4:10)

That could work. I still believe that could work because what we saw for a long time, there was this stigma about even moving up about whether you're an FCS level coach and then just continuing to climb the ladder. But sometimes you're like, Kirk Signetti, where did he come from? Kind of, he climbed the ladder, he worked under Saban, but he's a head coach at James Madison. I know that Chip Kelly is now, he's hot again, now that he's running Northwestern's office, been all the way up to the NFL, he was like a deep Division III coach at one point. Bob Chesney, he's got UCLA on the doorstep of making the college football playoff. He came from James Madison, another Sunbelt program.