Hour 1: Big Mac and Zach Gelb on Rutgers' Disaster and Wild Imus Stories

Chris McMonigle (0:03)

It's The Carton Show with Big Mac. And that's me. And I'm still with you all week long. Craig's off today. He'll be back on Tuesday after Labor Day.

In today, the great Zach Gelb. Zell, Zach Zellb. Zellb, what's going on, Zach? How are you?

Zach Gelb (0:20)

Great, I appreciate it. I'm doing better. I'm doing a lot better.

Chris McMonigle (0:22)

Doing a lot better?

Zach Gelb (0:23)

Than that Rutgers football team last night.

Chris McMonigle (0:25)

Well, I'm glad you're here for that, because maybe you can explain to me what the hell happened last night with the Rutgers football team. I know you were on right after the game, but I mean, we're talking about, no joke, like I know Appalachian States, the name everyone brings up with these. This is a team that had what, lost 16 in a row, a team that hadn't won against a major conference since 2023 They were embarrassing last year. They're a 29 point favorite going into the game against UMass, and they have one of the more just inexcusable, inexplicable, disastrous performance and open up a season on a stand-alone game, no less, for Greg Schiano and the Rutgers men.

What happened last night?

Zach Gelb (1:06)

They went up 7-0, and then they allowed 30 unanswered points. It kind of reminded me, if you remember last year, this time last year, UNC, TCU, everyone tuned in for Belichick's first game. UNC marches the ball right down the field, and they get slaughtered. That's what it was. And they were just not even on the same playing field as UMass, which is stunning. And I know the head coach used to be the Rutgers defensive coordinator, so maybe there's a lot of defilement from familiarity.

Chris McMonigle (1:32)

It's very much like the Super Bowl with John Gruden knowing everything the Raiders are gonna do. It's just like that.

It's just like that. But I hear you-

Zach Gelb (1:39)

And the Rutgers quarterback played the role of Rich Gannon.

Chris McMonigle (1:41)

Oh my God. Exactly right. Look, I get, but listen, it's impossible- A lot of you just threw another interception, by the way. But it's impossible not to talk about the coach. This coach, this is his second go-round, he's been a god at Rutgers, right? He was a disaster in the NFL, the fan base erupted when he almost went to Tennessee. He comes back here, he talks about building up this program, he's going to keep all the local kids playing at Rutgers, and he's embarrassed himself.

This is the highest stage of embarrassment. I don't know how he's ever thought of the same again and how he continues on in this role after a game like this to start the year. They're going to have to go on some run after this to get any kind of respectability back to this program.

Zach Gelb (2:22)

From Pandemonium in Piscataway to Puking in Piscataway, because this season is over. There's no way they're going to be able to get off the mat. I know I heard him last night right around the fan of the postgame show.

Can we stop with the chopping and all the typical schtick of Greg Schiano? Your team got smacked by a team that lost 16 straight and like you said, hasn't defeated an FBS program since 2023 You lost to that team. It's embarrassing and that's the end of the Greg Schiano era.

Chris McMonigle (2:52)

It's got to be. They brought him in when they paid UMass 1.5 to come and play the game. So they paid 1.5 million and put on a firework show to get their ass kicked in front of dozens of people by the end of it. Like I don't know how, like that's it. I'm with you. It's time to just pack up the car with tomatoes, street corn, like you know, all the other, you know, forget the roundabouts and make a left turn the hell out of here. Because like he can't be here anymore. Like this, it's come to an end for Greg Schiano with the Rutgers group.

Zach Gelb (3:21)

We say that, and I'm in agreement with it. That buyout though, 18 million. Is Rutgers, this is not LSU.

Chris McMonigle (3:27)

No.

Zach Gelb (3:28)

Are they going to do an 18 million dollar buyout? Probably not.

He's probably here next year.

Chris McMonigle (3:33)

He's probably here next year. No, it's embarrassing. It's embarrassing for a Rutgers program. Now let's be honest, right? Even basketball, they had such high expectations a few years ago only to fall on their face. He's supposed to come in here. And let's be honest, right now today, when is the last time? And this is when you know, like for me, this is the main talking point too.