11AM: College Football Countdown - Wisconsin vs Notre Dame

0:00Three time Wisconsin sports writer of the year Jason Wilde. Joining us now is the Green Bay Packers new head coach Matt LaFour on Wilde in Towsh. Packers, Halla Famer, Mark Towshier. Matt LaFour, Matt Nagy and Matt Patricia. Who is the most famous non NFC North head coach? Not named Matt, no I'm sorry. Broadcasting live from the Everlight Solar Studio at ESPN Madison. Who is the most famous non NFC North head coach? Name Matt, Matt Damon, Matt Ryan, somebody else. And celebrating 10 great years on ESPN Wisconsin. Can you repeat that question? Sorry. This is Wilde in Towsh, presented by fellow Windows and Doors of Wisconsin. The 11 o'clock hour of Wilde at Towsh begins now and it begins with the weekend preview.

1:12He has a does bunch of games on a loaded college football sports weekend. Do we call this the first sports weekend of the fall with it being Labor Day weekend or do we wait till after Labor Day to say it's the first fall sports weekend? What's the after? I would say after Labor Day. This is still summer. Well, then it's the last summer sports weekend of the year. All right. There you go. A quarter past. Yeah. College football action started last night. Pretty weak week one slate. Gotta admit around college football. Wisconsin Notre Dame is one of the marquee matchups. I'm gonna give you a bunch of games. You tell me which one is the most intriguing to you over this Labor Day weekend. Tonight a pair of college football games both kicking at eight o'clock tonight Fresno State USC. We'll see how many fans are there or Miami and Stanford that last game is on ESPN Fresno State USC on Fox tomorrow afternoon. Boise State and Oregon Jason 230 Saturday on CBS. Clemson LSU the night cap tomorrow Saturday night ABC 630 kickoff also on the ESPN app.

2:19Tows just ones for you central Michigan and New Mexico 9 o'clock tomorrow night on FS one. Your guy Jason Eck. This year two for the Lobos are your three for him. Year two in New Mexico. Yeah, that will be on. I'm hoping to talk to our team yesterday. We're hoping that will be making an appearance at our 10 year anniversary. But the Stanford Miami game is intriguing and you said it was out in Stanford, right? That is a Stanford home game. Yes, Miami at Stanford. It is Stanford in the ACC. Is that a conference? That is a conference game. Yes. I love it. Stanford in Palo Alto, California in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Yeah, that to me is the intriguing one up to this point. Obviously the New Mexico we're going to watch and we'll have that tuned in as well. But Miami was the runner up last year and they are I was just listening to a college football podcast claiming there's seven teams that have a chance to win the national championship.

3:27Miami is one of them. And if that's going to be the case, obviously they're going to need to go out take care of business. I'm sure they will. But that's that one is interesting to me. Well, we'll take a look at that one. Miami is an attractive pick to win the title this year. Apple cups Sunday, the prelude to Wisconsin Notre Dame on NBC, Washington State and Washington to be fun on Sunday afternoon, three o'clock on NBC. SMU floor to state Monday night football on ESPN. That's also an ACC conference game. And then baseball still in action this weekend to Brewers Reds Friday Saturday Sunday, including an 11 a.m. First pitch on Sunday. That's kind of convenient for all of us that are going to be involved with that Wisconsin game. 11 a.m. Brewers Reds. And then the big one Labor Day Monday, one 10 at American Family Field Brewers and Cubs starting their final three games set of the regular season. All right, all those games. What's the most attractive to you guys? I'm in with coach.

4:28I was actually thinking about maybe getting some lowbo's gear. I look good and red. I hear somebody's got some nice red shoes for our events coming up. And I may watch some of Oregon, but probably not frankly. I will watch Wisconsin Notre Dame that I will have on. But on Saturday night, that 9 p.m. start time between Central Michigan and New Mexico. I'll be probably working on my Sunday story for Channel 3000. So that'll be the game I have on when I'm writing. There you go. Yeah, I mean, the Brewers everything Brewers related now. I think there's an interest in college football wise. Everything is peaking for me to Sunday night and leading up to that. I mean, I'm intrigued to kind of just get an idea of where teams are. And as I said yesterday with Matt, when we were discussing the, you know, Notre Dame Wisconsin game, special teams always make these huge impacts in these games.

5:32And we saw that last night with the Georgia Tech Colorado game. And that's it always separates, especially early in these seasons, special teams matter that won a game last night for Colorado. Towsh tells about price picks. Well, football's back prize picks is making it even more exciting with a totally stacked September, all month long price picks, bringing users a new promotion every day. You got Sam Darnold point five yards, all kinds of great things. And the app, it is simple to use select two to six players, choose more or less on player projections, like passing yards, rushing yards, fantasy score, made kicks, price picks, also features live box scores, improved search functionality and social features that let you find popular picks and copy them with one click. So get ready for kickoff and make your first lineup on price picks, download the app, use code WI and get 150 bucks instantly in lineups. If you win your first $5 lineup, again, download the app today, use code WI to get 150 bucks instantly in lineups, if you win your first $5 lineup.

6:40Price picks, run your game. The game will be doing cardinal and white game preview. It's next. It's will the Towsh. This is will the Towsh presented by Pella Windows and Doors of Wisconsin called today 855 Pella WI and online at PellaWI.com slash radio. Before we can get to the cardinal and white game preview. Ampham is a great partner of Badger's Athletics. They're a great partner of the Packers. They're a great partner of will the Towsh. Indeed, all from the Jump Ampham has been with us and they're trying to help you as a Packer fan.

7:44Sundays at Lambo just got better thanks to American Family Insurance. Enter the Dream Weekend sweepstakes. Your chance to win the ultimate Packers game day experience winners score tickets to the November 15th game. Pre-game tailgate in Title Town sign Jordan Love Jersey Historical Packer Tour swag and more. Your Dream Weekend is waiting. Don't miss it. No purchase is necessary. You can see all the rules and enter at ampham.com slash Packers. Time now for the cardinal and white game preview. Let's take a closer look at this week's matchup. This is the Green and Gold Game preview. Not this week, big boy sky. It's the Cardinal and White Game preview. As the Wisconsin Badgers take on the fourth rank Notre Dame fighting Irish. A game they can win. They can win. They can win. They can win. They can win at 630 Sunday night on NBC and on peacock.

8:47Towsh what is the big storyline heading into Sunday night's game. Well, there's a ton. It's you know the big mighty Notre Dame fighting Irish. You got everything kind of going for them. They're super motivated. They got a quarterback that's supposed to be great. They have a running for game that's supposed to be dominant. They have a corner. But nobody is supposed to be able to throw on everything. It's kind of set up. And nobody really knows a lot about anything as we're sitting here. It's we've discussed this when it comes to the Packers. But when you're talking about this game, the Wisconsin Badgers is going to be a better football team. And the question is going to be the quarterback position and the offensive line. I think our defense is going to be good. This is going to be it's one of it's not its biggest challenge in week one. So I don't know how that will play out. But they're we're deeper on the defensive line. We are I think better in the back end. I think we have more athletes.

9:48So the storyline is going to be our regumail to run the football. And where are we going to get big plays from that has been a monster issue for this team under Luke Fickle creating turnovers and big plays. When you don't do either, you struggle. Ken Wisconsin find a way to do some of that. And if they can, you're going to make this thing very, very interesting. The dawn of the Colton Joseph era. We have done this now. This is your four for Luke Fickle, correct? Correct. That is correct. And we have done four quarterbacks in four years. Seven. Well, I'd known her all but like the transfer portal. This is the guy guy. This is the latest guy. And if you didn't listen to the show yesterday, Matt LePay did a great job of talking about the other quarterbacks too and want how the badgers may be better positioned. If Colton Joseph breaks a chin strap or can't find his helmet, then maybe they have been in the past when that transfer portal quarterback has been injured

10:51each of the last three years. So let's see what Colton Joseph's all about from his time at all dominion to his time in Madison to his time at Lambo Field. Next. Towshoe will most impact the amount of success the badgers have on Sunday evening in this game. Yeah, it's going to be the guys up front. We could talk quarterbacks and I know that's always the sexy thing to do. But this is going to come down to, you know, I just, I did a hit with coach Mateo, Steve offensive line coach and there's a lot of a lot of new guys. And there's going to be whether or not who's all going to be playing yet. Those things are still up in the air. But Wisconsin has made an effort to get back to its roots and being more physical, being able to move people out of the way and run the football. Both with quarterbacks, running backs, whatever it might be, that is going to need to be a big chunk of it. And the guys up front can say this for every game.

11:53But this is really, I think, imperative this week when you're talking about taking on a big bad you behemoth like Notre Dame. Better be able to run the football. You better be able to control the line of scrimmage. If you could do that, you can shorten the game and make this thing. I think a lot more interesting than what people think. Who will most impact the amount of success the badgers have on Sunday night? All the guys that I don't know who they are. An incredible number of transfer portal players that and Tausch told the story of being at the Badger Basketball game and they introduced a bunch of guys and even Tausch who's the color analyst was like, who are all these guys? Now he's gotten to know them. He's ready for the season to start. I have not gotten to know them. So I'm going to predict that someone who wasn't on the team last year is going to have a significant impact this year. That is my bold take. What's next? Third most transfers in the big 10 UCLA and Penn State who both had coaching changes. The only teams with more transfers than Wisconsin this year.

12:58Good stats. Good stats. Thank you. Thank you. Shine on sports. More like that on the Barry Alvarez show at Hard Rock, Casino Rockford Tuesday night. Six to eight. Two hour special. Come join us. Last one. Wisconsin stuns the college football world and proves they can beat Notre Dame on Sunday night. If blin overs. I'm not going to go turn overs but it's a fun little stat and it's 150 yards rushing. You get to that number. Your success rate with Luke Fickle as your head coach is pretty good. And I know we have not had the success here that everybody is hoped for. But you get to that number. All of a sudden, all of the other things that all the shiny bells and whistles and the things that muddies the game up and it makes it more in line with pulling off an upset. So 150 and I don't care how we get there. I'm not sure we need it to be one person. I think collectively if you can get to that number,

14:01you know Notre Dame's going to be in it. It's going to be a dogfight. And at this point, I think what everybody is hoping for, let's muddy this game up and find a way to make it where it's in the fourth quarter and it's anybody's game. That should be where everybody's heads are at. That's to me how you find a way to win this football game from the Wisconsin side of it is. You're going to be physically. You're going to be able to run the football. If you can do that, I think you're going to be a lot more people will be surprised than maybe we think. Do you have that stat? Do you have the number? So they're not including the guaranteed rate bowl that they won when he I guess coached the team in that bowl game sort of technically. They have won 16 football games in three years. Seven, five and four of those 16 wins. Do we know how many they got 150 yards rushing or not? How many? I don't know. I'm asking you. It's your stat.

15:02I just put a number down. I'm assuming most of them. I know they're undefeated when they do that in the loop fickle era. I think it's 16 and one matter of fact. It might be it. Well, that's that that will be a major player in their success or failure. I don't know enough about Notre Dame's run defense to think if that's possible or not. So I'll say turnovers. That is our green and our usual green and gold game preview. Now it's our Cardinal and White game preview today. And I'm going to tell you again about Dr. Pepper. I like saying a dirty Dr. Pepper. Am I the only one taking enjoyment from that? I think I'm not dirty Dr. Pepper. That's what they call it. That's what they call it. And right now you could win a pair of tickets to see Green Bay Host Chicago on October 11th, which will include reservations at the Tundra trio. Green Bay's upscale tailgating destination with the homes that are just steps away from the stadium featuring gourmet food, premium drinks, all thanks to Dr. Pepper and ESPN Wisconsin.

16:06All you got to do is enter now at ESPN Wisconsin.com. That's ESPN Wisconsin.com. And again, I'm telling you, I mean, I'm going to find out today when I go to pick up the girls from school. Nothing hits like a dirty Dr. Pepper. The unmistakable Dr. Pepper flavor with a touch of vanilla and cold foam now available at McDonald's. No purchase necessary. Enter by September 20th. Wonnelly is next. It's Wildeentouch. This is Wildeentouch driven by Symbric Chevrolet in Sun Prairie on 100.5 ESPN. See their full inventory at Zimbric Chevrolet.com. Towsh before we get to Wonnelly, tell us about the Pierce 9-11 Stair Climb at Lambo. 25 years later and we still climb so they are never forgotten. Join the Green Bay Metro

17:11Fire Department and Pierce Manufacturing for the 14th annual 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb Saturday, September 12th at Lambo Field. Climb at your own pace while carrying the name and photo of one of the 343 fallen firefighters. It is not about how fast you climb. It's about why you climb. All funds raised benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Register or Donate at PierceMFG.com slash Climb. Time now for Wonnelly. I'm not going to play the music because we're running low on time but I do have something I wanted to bring up for you guys. I feel optimistic about Wisconsin's chances against Notre Dame tomorrow night in large part because of the first game of week one of the college football season last night. Did you see what UMass did to Rutgers? I did. UMass the only team with a worse offense than Wisconsin in 2025 in FBS college football.

18:16Wisconsin was 135th. UMass was 136th. UMass had lost like their last 23 games or something against FBS opponents. Went on the road, played Rutgers and beat them in a beatdown. 37 to 21. UMass gets a win over a big 10 team last night to open up the season. They were 29 and a half point underdogs. Going into that game last night. I understand Rutgers isn't Notre Dame but if UMass can turn it around and put 37 on the board on the road against a big 10 team, why can't Wisconsin flip a switch and go toe to toe with the fighting Irish tomorrow night. And UMass got $1.5 million to go up there to play. So that Rutgers paid him one and a half million bucks to go play. Beat him, embarrassed him and that's the kind of game that gets gets a coach fired a game like last night and they still did the

19:17fireworks after that was the best. All the fans. Absolutely didn't fireworks embarrassed and they still throw the fireworks up at Rutgers and it is the place where football is invented. It was up there in Piscata way and that's at least what they claim. So yeah, I don't know if that has any correlation to anything Wisconsin but what it does show you that whatever happened last year means almost nothing in today's college football landscape unless you're one of the blue bloods that keeps all their players everything changes and it's not like the NFL where it's 20% it's closer to 50 to 60 percent and we saw that kind of play itself out last night. UMass beat Rutgers so Wisconsin has a better chance of beating Notre Dame. Anything is possible UMass was terrible. They were the only isn't worse than us off. Isn't isn't the state University of New Jersey also basically terrible and they weren't the word. I think they were bowl eligible last year which is

20:22they're bad. They have been to a bowl game more recently than they played in the other schedule than our Alma mater. Well, not your Alma mater. All right. Well, I'm glad you feel better. We'll all feel good because it's feel good Friday painted by homin Lindsey paints which we will do after I tell you again about Potawatomi Casino Hotel. The biggest hotel rooms in Milwaukee nearly 500 beautifully designed rooms and luxury suites and all kinds of dining options. You can't go wrong with any of them. Dream Dance stayhouse the marketplace rock and bruise Canal Street Cafe Ruilletian Kitchen and the Cream City Coffee Company. They've got food and drink specials happening all the time. Sophisticated relaxation. Incredible flavor and a full night out all in one place at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. Feel good Friday painted by homin Lindsey paints his next. It's will the entouch. Why haven't the Packers paid Tucker Kraft? We would love to have that done whether we're able to accomplish that before the beginning of this season or not. We'll see these things take

21:22time and sometimes they work out sometimes they don't. You're home for Packers fans. The ESPN Wisconsin F and the ESPN Medicine YouTube channel. So we've spent the last I don't know several months getting ready to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We are extremely appreciative to you. Those who listen or watch every day. As I've said many times I'm not super comfortable with this big celebration because we got another show on Tuesday. Like I'm not big on the victory laps. Some some are but I'm not. But I am proud of what we've built here and I'm really thrilled that so many people have contributed to what I like to

22:22call the will the entouch. Village to make this show what it is. So we're excited to celebrate tomorrow and then get back to work on Tuesday after the after the Labor Day holiday. We would be remiss though if we didn't think our five biggest partners that are part of our celebration of our 10 year anniversary events by design, sendics, outdoor living unlimited, grubral offices and of course Steinhalfel's our presenting sponsor. We wouldn't have been able to do all the fun stuff we've done without them. So thank you to them for being loyal to us and our show. Those are some originals that have been with us for a long time. So we are very thankful for that and I look forward to hopefully 10 more of these years. Although maybe not like today's. Towsh and he thoughts you'd like to share. Yeah, I'd like to obviously our partners make the world go round but our team. Jesse, I know we don't give you we give you a lot of grief but you've done a ton of work behind

23:25the scenes. You've done a great job. Allie and Laney, Jackie and in the whole our whole good karma sports team everything that we've been able to apply should probably wait until after the weekend but I just know how much work and time has been put into this. I also want to make sure Sarah has done my wife has done an unbelievable job of you know getting a lot of things together too. So it's been a great team effort that we've put together and that's what's made this thing go round for 10 years and we'll hopefully keep plugging along. I said for us today we will be back on Tuesday. Thanks as always for coming along for the ride. Have a great day. Take care. Be good. Miss any of today's episode of Will Deentouch presented by Pella Windows and Dores of Wisconsin. Commercial free four-show podcasts are available free only ESPN Wisconsin app.