They had issues with covert.

They had other teams that had issues with Kovar.

They only got to play five regular season games.

How have you seen this journey for this team that will result in a championship game appearance on Monday night?

Oh, man, it's been tough with them.

I think if they pull the speed off and find a way to beat Alabama on Monday night, there will be one of the greatest teams in my.

In my opinion, Deborah have played Ohio State because of the adversity.

They had to go through the biggest defender, the biggest team they had to fight or challenge was fighting fighting Covert, obviously.

And it was like that for most of college football, most of all sports.

And just the fact that they couldn't have, um, regular meetings and regular schedule, Um, not knowing if they wanna play week to week, really moment to moment.

And who was gonna be there?

You have somebody there on a Friday and walk through, and they're not there on game day.

So it was really tough for them to have any type of continuity, any type of rhythm, anyway, to build success throughout the course of a year because, you know, you really don't know who your team is until they go through duress until they fight through adversity.

And they really didn't know who they were going into this game.

Um, they had they really focused on Clemson.

I pray, I think, going back to last year, when they lost 29 23 that was all plastered across their billboards and the walls in the facility.

And that was the number one goal.

So it's amazing they were able to pull this feed off, are giving their lack of continuity on drily the ups and downs off the season due to Kobe.

Eddie George is with me on ESPN radio.

A lot of us made a very big deal of Dabo Swinney, ranking them 11th before that game.

How big a deal do you think it was to them?

You know what I think?

Going into that game, they were already motivated.

I think they were really focused on Clemson the entire year.

I think that added little bit was a cherry on top.

This is okay, Enough is enough.

We have got to exercise this demon of Clemson.

Our school has never beaten Clemson prior to that bowl game last week and it was a lot on their chest.

I mean, they really fought last year and they felt like they outplayed Clemson in the meeting that plays in the first time or last year.

Um, and certainly this time was added motivation.

So I don't think they really looked at that.

That that was the tipping point.

I think it was like, Okay, enough is enough.

We're tired of the disrespect.

No one in the country respects us and certainly dabbles.

Comments kind of rubbed them the wrong way.

Eddie, George is with me and Eddie.

I know that you're hopelessly biased on this.

I don't expect you not to be.

But in the first mock draft that we got on ESPN today, they rank Justin Fields as a mid first round prospect, actually, the third quarterback off the board.

I watch all this Big 10 football.

I love them, but I don't analyze this stuff for a living the way a lot of other people do so as best as you can objectively, Um, give me the scouting report on Justin Fields at the next level.

I think at this point time, the his his his upside is tremendous when you when you break them down right now, I think it's almost kind of fair to say that at this point he can go in mid first round.

Um, based on the fact that he may hold the ball a little too long for for the liking of of some coaches.

But I think he could be coach.

I let he looked absolutely magnificent, outplayed Trevor Lawrence, who is expected to be the first pick overall in the draft.

I mean, he throws a great deep all.

He's tough.

You saw his toughness and taking a hit, continuing to play through the game, his leadership capability.

And listen, I'm one that I don't give a damn where you where you start in the NFL.

It's how you finish.

I mean, look at Russell Wilson, you know, look at Tom Brady.

And then just to name a few guys that have gone later than we anticipated, is having uh, has had a Hall of Fame career So Justin Field going in the mid round, I guess you can.

You can, you know, Nick pick and say, Well, is he undersized?

He holds the ball too long.

Here is that we're throwing motion and all of that, uh, they're gonna dock you down, But whoever gets Justin Fields was going to get a phenomenal football player student the game, and he has tremendous upside.

So I think just is gonna be fine the next and one of the next level level.

If and when he seems to go, let me ask you one last question.

This is gonna be the toughest one of all.

So this is this is going to require some honesty.

I'm watching Ohio State of Northwestern in the Big 10 championship game.

I'm a Northwestern alum, as I think, you know, and Trey Sermon is running through us like crazy in the second half.

He he basically beat us all by himself.

So I'm devastated watching this, but all they're talking about on TV is he's approaching any Georgia's single game rushing record.

He's approaching any Georgia's single game rushing record.

While you're watching that happen, are you rooting for the kid to break the record Or are you thinking, you know, why don't we give it to somebody else here?

Because it's nice having the Ohio State single game rushing record, which thought is in your head.

I'll say this greeny.

I was on the plane washing it, and I was in Philadelphia visiting my family.

My mom, my father and I'm heading back to Nashville.

So I had my eye on the game here and there and kept getting these text messages while I was in line to go on the plane about Oh, this guy's about to break your record.

I'm like, Well, in the last time I checked, he wasn't anywhere near it.

Let me see what's going on.

So I look and I'm like, Okay, he's got you know, 303 something like that going into the last drive and Northwestern was driving the football.

So I'm like, OK, all they need is to get a couple first downs.

I'm pretty sure they get the first down.

They will kneel on the ball.

You know, Ryan Day, you know it's no need.

Thio, run up the score, But long behold, Give this guy the ball he breaks the record and I'm like, Oh, man, another record is gone I had the witness J.

K.

Dobbins, break my single season rushing record for the school last year in the ball game against Clemson.

And now Trey Sermon out of nowhere has this monster game.

But honestly, I'm really happy for him.

Um, you know, records are made to be broken, and I get it.

And the fact that he was able to rush for 331 yards really find his game struggle for most of season coming off.

The injury transfer from Oklahoma is really trying to find his rhythm has really become a focal point in a key factor in the offense.

Now means a lot to me.

So if you did it breaking my record, more willing 25 years, a hell of a run.

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