Michael Felder in The Zone 9-9-26

0:00Enjoy the convenience of seven days a week banking and extended hours with cube from first Arkansas bank interest member FDIC. All right, Michael. We're back to talking to actual football. Now it's weird. I think we just feel like we're the doldrums of summer. Now we blinked and well, we got a couple of weekends of games under our belt. So welcome back. How are you? I'm making it work, man. I, uh, we zero hit me like a ton of bricks, but it got me, um, I was far more prepared for week one, even though there were more games, more ridiculous things that happen, obviously. And, um, even more like there were good delays, which were just insane. Maybe, maybe, maybe we don't play games in the first game. Yeah, it's, uh, I mean, that and then the, you know, the Florida State Power Outage deal was weird too. So I mean, it was, it was kind of an honor. Yeah. We had some great games though. I mean, we had some really good finishes in there. Some last second fill goals. I mean, it wasn't the cleanest game ever played once they finally kicked it off in Tallahassee, but they, they did, uh, it did come

1:02down to the wire with the fill goal. So I think I still think they're a little better. Yeah. I mean, uh, who stood out to as far as the teams that you were, I mean, LSU, you know, blowing out Clemson off that says more about Clemson or LSU, but what, uh, any other teams that really made a statement for you that, you know, stood out. I mean, obviously there were teams that had big mismatches and were expected to blow teams out. But anybody that really stood out to you. Okay. They, they really, I mean, they, they took what was well, our number two team in the country, they don't enter the, but I know it's pretty easy. And I understand I get nobody else watching me about that. It's not the dumb idea that they're basically. Um, but literally just like, I thought that Bush, he stayed came out with cushion in the mouth and they, they ran with him to the job. So Dan, Dan, Dan Lamey's gonna have to, if that's what that looks like, I guess Bush, he stayed. They're gonna have to, they're, they're gonna be in some fights. I know a good, uh, get right game is going to play Oklahoma State. Say what? Is it a good get right game is going to play Oklahoma State. Yeah, that's, yeah, Bush, he stayed was, they looked really good. I was very impressed by them. Um, coming out of that as well. I thought, uh,

2:05we used to kind of galvanize themselves. Oh, J and you, uh, I had a friend who was, I have a friend who's a J and you along who was convinced that a little dream was going to beat them and game one, Billy Napier, we've all seen him, right? We've seen him as an offensive coordinator. We've seen him as a head coach. We've seen him go to get one of the apex jobs and then he's the J and you and we all expect them to, or at least my, a lot of us just like to lose that game. They were able to get that one out. That was good. Um, we're doing the tech. I don't know how glowing week, like obviously they're expected to be a my, but it feels like James Franklin and Brent probably have a really wonderful connection. And they did something and I, maybe people don't know about this. Maybe people do, but they, they blocked, they almost blocked three. They blocked two punts and that's to me is just like, they want to pay homage to what Virginia Tech really is in the court. Talk to some Virginia Tech folks and people were,

3:06that's the thing that was the most excited about. Not the points on the school board, but the fact that they're back to, they want to play some beam of ball. All right, Michael, let's talk about Arkansas a little bit here. I know much of how much of a change you got to watch them play North Alabama. There were a lot more intriguing matchups for sure. Arkansas's defense played pretty darn well. We were pretty impressed with what Ron Roberts did offensively, especially in the first half had some trouble getting in sync through a bad pick in the end zone late in the first half and didn't run the ball very effectively against the team that, you know, you expect to dominate physically. Um, and we're, you know, some people freaking out around here. Well, they'll, we'll know more after the Utah game for sure, but what, uh, what do you think? Is that, is that offense redeemable? Yeah, I think so. Like, it's, at the end of the day, like, this game won new staff, new focus, if you will, in terms of what they want to do and how they're going to try and get it done. But getting the win is better than not getting away. That's, that's, that's the job one. True. Okay. Yeah. Number two, in getting an actual one, we've got to win 14. The problem, I think the biggest

4:10thing for me is looking to make sure that you continue the final, you're on the football. I don't know if it's going to be biking. Maybe was it, is it, um, Russell and Smith? Is that correct? Mm hmm. I'm sorry. They're missing their third back also. So, I'm just, I'm reading my notes right now. It's so, uh, it's, my handlight is not good. It's obviously the official address. It's not great. But they got to figure out who's going to, if you have a main guy, you have a guy that's better for short notice, they, they've got to figure that out as well. So it's going to be interesting to see how that shakes itself out. And you're just going to have to make it work. And I keep going to call him KJ Jefferson, but it's KJ Jackson. Yeah. So he didn't do it. They didn't do me any favors on that, on that level. But at the end of the day, it's about patience and finally to push them all, but it's not going to be a good thing to do. I think the biggest key is, I'm looking at, I'm looking at trying to get first downs. First down is the most important thing in football. And we talk so much about explosive players, because I do think they're important.

5:10It's, it's going to loosen up states. These create space in the right game. But I think first down is the most critical thing in football, because if you, if you keep getting first downs, that gets you to the red zone. You keep getting first downs in the red zone. You get a first down in the red zone. Get you to first and goal. First and goal. Let me be full touch now. Let's go do it. And I think first down to where teams have to start. Staying when I talk about defensive teams, third down is the most important down of the game, no matter where you are in the field. Third down in the middle in the green zone. You're going to get punched. Third down in the red zone. Especially you can do is give them a field goal instead of giving them a touch out. Well, Arkansas was great defensively on third down, one of 10 for North Alabama. So there's up. So Michael, they got Utah Saturday. And you look through the, I mean, the recent history of Utah. I guess you're going to just go straight back to Urban Meyer. And I just think it's amazing for a program to be able to consistently elevate coaches to head coach. They're on the second time doing this now with winning him then to Morgan Scali. Scali elevates his linebackers coach to defensive coordinator.

6:11I mean, this is, you talk about the idea of how difficult it is to instill culture in football with, you know, a microwave on an annual basis now, but you look at how they've done it at Utah for the last 20, 23 years. You can kind of see how they can take winning him's culture to Utah under Morgan Scali. I guess we'll have a sense of it this weekend for the first game that he coaches in a regular season against an FPS team. So I got a couple of just one 2004. I they asked me to travel in 2004. I opted out to that already by the plane tickets to get a boss in the scene. I go for him and I'm watching my team get demolished by that 2004 Utah team. The Urban Meyer Latteam that you just made. So yeah, it was bad. I was like, I'm glad I'm not there. I'm glad I've been bossing with my girlfriend to they are a team. And I was talking a couple of friends about the Utah's a program where they are giving kids a chance to play football and those kids are very thankful for a chance to play football. Winning him as we see it Michigan Michigan Michigan if you play football Michigan, you're not getting a chance to play football. You expect to play college football.

7:13You just are picking where two different things. I was wondering what the culture would look like at Michigan, but to go back to Utah, they promote from within. They have promoted from within because those guys understand the culture. They understand the landscape, the layout and all those things. So I think that they're going to be okay. This is going to be a tough test for Arkansas. Know that about that. And they're going and they're going. Do you know, do you guys know what they're leaving? Arkansas, your time out. Yeah, I want to send there leaving Friday, but I don't know that. Yeah, I think I, well, I'm a little confused because Silverfield said we're not leaving early and then I heard somebody say something to leave in Thursday. Yes, yes, find out from his coach. Yeah, I'm sure Chuckle asked him, but I wouldn't think it's not that long with triple favor. It's not about the ones that the trip is about the elevation. That's fair, but I don't know that most of the time teams do, I mean, they might experience at least that hasn't been the case. I think it's a 3000 foot difference in elevation between Fayetteville and Salt Lake. There's definitely a difference, but. Oh, no, we, we, I say this from experience. My team might, we left, you would see what they're to get that.

8:16You and see what they left. When we play them in 04, you see what they're to. Okay, I don't think it's a bad idea if you can do it. Yeah, so I just, I bet that's why I asked the question because there is a difference. And it, it, it is, it can be a real thing. So it'll be interesting to see, but I mean, go out there, play your football game. And obviously two coaches in this spot. One guy first time had coach the other guy. Obviously, I had coached a bigger program. So we're going to see what, what, how it shakes out, but that's definitely one of the games that I've got. So good. So how's they were going? I'm going to go with Texas. I think there's, I think they're secondary. I don't think you can stop Ohio State with staying in that wide, wide, wide receiver. But I think that you can slow them down, make them, make check downs, but they don't want me. And then those times you get greedy when you get them to get greedy all the sudden. Now the, the balls in your court. And with Ryan Wingo, I really want to see them shut out Ohio State. Because I'm still, I want to see them get pressed.

9:20I know that their defense is good, but I want to see them be pressed by a team that has quality running back, quality wide receivers. And then obviously a quarterback that can, if you have to talk that ball and then. Michael, I'm a little, I'm, so I wonder a little bit of it. It's one of the somebody texted about this. Arkansas and Utah, he realized Utah is one of the teams that is sold to private equity. Like their athletic department is now a four, a four profit entity. Um, yeah, it's like, I think Kentucky has done the same thing. But it'll be the first time the hogs play against essentially. It's like, you want to call them a professional organization. I think you can now as a four profit entity. And it just, that to me, um, just doesn't sound like college sports doesn't. No, and I just, I'm, every time probably private equity is fixed face and anything, I, I get where I get very wary like in general. Um, obviously I'm with my daughter, the swimmer and we're seeing private equity.

10:21And they give sports on a major level. I don't know if you guys know about paid a state of play. Excuse me. For you at the book of hotel through the tournament or through the team. Otherwise, you're kick can't play in this time. And that's part of private equity is doing those things with squeeze parents. Um, I don't know how they're going to do it with college yet. I say, yeah, because I know there's going to find a way to squeeze. Not just players, not just coaches, not just team, but also in the final ways to squeeze universities in that blood department. I just don't know how they're going to do it yet. I'm not smart enough to figure that out, but we'll know it's like a pornography, right? We know, we'll, we'll, we'll know it when we see it. And I think right in their mind, it's a way to make up a gap between a place like LSU Ohio State, Alabama. Um, it's their way to make up that gap by letting people invest in them. But at some point, you got to pay the bifurc and I just don't know what that point is. I don't care about money. I don't care about equity. I'll I care about his wins. Let's see how it goes this weekend.

11:21We'll talk in two weeks, Michael. Thank you for the time, man. Sounds good. You guys think it easy. I appreciate it. Michael Felder.