H Olson Scott Gerard 975 the KSL Sports Zone excited to welcome our next guest who will join us every week throughout the course of the college football season from the ESPN broadcast it is Ian Fitz Simmons of course people remember him in his time here in Salt Lake City great radio host great sideline analyst and an even better Human Being Ian what's up my man how you doing what's up Ian that last part that was a blatant lie you and I we all know it right anybody listening Knows It But Scotty guys I'm so pumped to be back along the wasad front every week so you guys know what I think of uh of Kanani sataki and Kyle Whittingham uh two great programs uh love the aies you know up North so it's an absolute privilege to be back every single week well we're fired up to CH let's talk about that game that you had uh what was it like to be up close in person for that LSU USC game Scotty you and I were texting last week man and I told you these two young quarterbacks uh for UFC and LSU and Miller moss and Garett NM are just different uh they they they're they're they're wired differently mentally you know Garrett is Doug nus me's son people don't know oh yeah long time college coach long time you know NFL coach now the quarterback's coach with Phil Philadelphia Eagles uh but Garrett just loves LSU he could have I've had several NFL Scouts tell me that he is an NFL Talent second round pick type Talent this year and and the man has started one college football game before Sunday night uh and but he he just stayed loyal mean I lots of coaches in college football tell me the same thing about both these kids they could have started at probably 115 D1 schools but they stuck stayed you know Garrett's mom is from Lake Charles Miller always want to play Miller Moss always want to play USC and here they are and they bowled out man it was beyond impressive to watch so let's jump into some of the instate teams I want to get your thoughts out of the gates was Utah's hype and pump was it Justified and what do you expect from them Ian one more time you broke up there for a second I just talking about the hype and the excitement that Utah got was it Justified and what do you think their future looks like absolutely I mean and I was actually uh had a sit down with dton con Kade uh you know obviously you know you know Utah royalty Buffalo Bills one of the best tight ends in the NFL and I asked him about you know what did playing at Utah for Kyle Whittingham what did that do for you getting ready physically and mentally to go to the NFL and he said everything our physicality every bit of it is what helped me get to and be ready to have an immediate impact in the NFL well you saw it again uh and I don't care who they're playing I mean it it doesn't matter to me that the hype is real last year when you've got you know son vaky having to play Iron Man football for half the season that that that that can't fly like Travis Hunter right now at Colorado he needs fewer snaps on one side of the ball he's not gonna be able to survive for an entire year playing Iron Man football you saw vaky kind of fall off a little bit it wears on you man it does and that was last season this year they're healthy and in the trenches that's where this team is built they're built like an SEC type football team with Cam Rising back and what they have on the o line and dline yeah that's what king K was talking about man they are a very physical football team that doesn't want to hit you they want to whip you man they want to beat you and the hype is real the problem with the big 12 is that it's very deep and I do mean very deep I'll give you a sleeper team to watch out for Kansas oh yeah if Daniels quarterback stays healthy with Devon Lane at running back and Lance Lio is a remarkable remarkable head coach be careful of the j-hawks I know that sounds crazy we're not talking about basketball we're not talking about you know I mean Peach baskets and whatnot Kansas is real so but you T to me I picked them to win the Big 12 I've got him obviously if you win the Big 12 you're in the college football playoff as one of the top four one of the top four seeds they're legit man they are good and the main reason is because of Whit Whittingham Morgan scall Andy lwig they want to play a physical brand of football so we got a little taste of the Big 12 last year with BYU and H doing the color analyst work for BYU on their radio broadcast he was up close in person with the a lot of these big 12 teams um as Utah makes the transition from the Pack 12 to the Big 12 there's been a lot of conversations about okay Utah's got to adjust to the Big 12 and I've said all along I think the big 12's got to adjust to Utah because that's a level of physicality that the Big 12 I don't know is going to be ultimately prepared for uh now there's a lot of good things the Big 12 does but but this physicality Utah's bringing to the table that's going to take some teams by surprise Scotty I couldn't agree more you know look the Big 12 has this reputation of being you know let's go four wide all verts right and and spread you out it's all offense well I I I could not agree with you more and that's where when you saw Texas last year with Steve sarkeesian who was building that team to leave the Big 12 to be SEC ready and they manhandled the Big 12 because they were built from the guts out you got to have a quarterback we all know that high school football to the NFL if you ain't got a quarterback you ain't got a shot we all know that but you also have to be able to protect the quarterback and get after the quarterback and Texas last year showed you you know what they can do they were one play away from getting to the national championship game and and that is what Utah is now bringing to the Big 12 a for just a physical upfront knock the snot out of you attitude that translates week in and week out and it travels and that is something that Texas was building to get ready for the SEC that's what Utah is bringing to the Big 12 so Ian BYU is now getting ready for a Texas team in SMU I'm headed to Dallas on Thursday that's a Friday Friday night call and I can't wait ni Sams man Nick and Sams you want a great steak it's amazing uh you know you want barbecue Pecan Lodge down in Deep Ellum getting a three-point stance and attack brother I mean and get the burnt ends they are amazing Ian I'm gonna need that in writing um I I'm gonna need it like a like a text or or something and I I need addresses and I also need dollar amounts I got to get all those things ready to turn into BYU once I stay away from Sams go to peon you going to drop some coin coach but it's worth it I'm excited to get out there to to see it all but two quarterback system they got Preston Stone and Kevin Jennings both these guys have played a lot in the first two games they had to come back against Nevada they blew out their FCS opponent but you've got two fantastic quarterbacks tell me what else smu's gotten tell me what you think BYU's chances are against SMU on the road well as I mentioned earlier me I love Kanani sataki uh got to know him when I was there in the early 2000s and I I just love the man uh he's a heck of a football coach and yeah whenever you sleep on sataki teams kind a lot like Oklahoma state with Mike Gundy when you don't talk about them they're good when you do talk about them they kind of let you down right so no one's talking about BYU man and and I always like that about about Kanani squads uh but SMU look they're always going to have wide receivers they're always going to have guys on the perimeter and they're always going to have guys up front uh think look look at Elijah Chapman dude almost broke the internet right now a defensive tackle for the New York Giants who is a udfa undrafted free agent for people who don't know what that means and when we were doing the draft with Jordan Reed Mike tanon bomb Chris Carlin I'm I sorry but Chapman was my pick to click with a Kno for an undrafted free agent to make the 53 and you saw him walk down as a d tackle a as a three technique a running back up the up the left boundary against the Houston Texans that doesn't happen man actually told me that he was the strongest guy on sn's team the Giants are saying he's the strongest guy for their team in the NFL they're always gonna have a guy like that up front but they're always gonna have wide outs look at the amount of receivers from Emanuel Sanders pret to courland Sutton go on down the list they're always gonna have a guy who can take the top off of a defense and then I don't I I'll look I like I love Rett Lashley but I don't like a two quarterback system I hate it you know and you saw it against Nevada a little bit where Stone kind of got in a rhythm and then you switch I'm not a big fan of that to me I would stick with Preston Stone but answer your question in very long form they're always going to have speed on the outside and they're always going to have a couple dudes inside on that defensive interior that will knock the snot out of you Ian Fitz Simmons joining us for his weekly conversation right here on 975 the ekl Sports Zone as uh we get set for another weekend of college football uh how uh what you know I don't know how many U fans we have here but they can't be happy or excuse me Florida state Florida State fans hey let me let me flip this around on you Scotty before you even ask him man because LSU painted Vegas purple and gold and they left with their tail between their legs who had a worse weekend dbo Brian Kelly or Mike norell oh norell gr key losing to Vandy oh it's norell you can't combo those two losses at start of season it's Norville I agree I I completely agree with you uh you know it that was I wouldn't say a shocker but when they when they came out as a 16-point favorite against Bill O'Brien coach BC team I'm like man people forget what that guy did following paterova Penn State oh yeah and it showed last night so I agree Mike noell would be one I think Georg is gonna do that to a lot of good teams so I'd put dbo aside Brian Kelly delivered a message to his team I was behind the LSU bench when they went up 1713 and you thought they won the game it was a Cavalier attitude and that's what he was talking about when he was pounding the table in his postgame and presser they didn't finish the game SC did you know Georgia is up six nothing at half and finished that game in war Clemson out that's what really good teams do that's what great teams do LSU had this feel about not from nus me it was more kyn Lacy you know some of the guys on the defense Savon Jones was livid with his Squad as was Perkins and we didn't really call Harold perkins's name a lot on on the broadcast But to answer your qu I mean to answer your question man LSU had a rough night that was one they should have won and I'll be brutally honest I think that game was massive for the Lincoln Riley to win more than it was disastrous for LSU to lose would you I mean frankly with what you saw after week one is it George's world and we're all just living in it right now Scotty I would say that until you look at the schedule they got to go to Bama and don't sleep on kayin dbor you guys know what he what he can do uh I me you know Utah having seen Washington the last couple years uh I'm a huge fan of kayin debores but you got to go to Tuscaloosa you got to go to Texas Old Miss I've had several NFL Scouts including Jim ngi the Reese's Senior Bowl director who told me last year Michigan had the most draftable grades on players in any other school in college football they had 23 guys in NFL camps 15 drafted Nei told me he's got 21 draftable grades on Old Miss players this year o Miss is the deepest team with NFL Talent not not bama not Georgia old bleep and Miss right lane just can't screw it up and Georgia has to go to Old Miss also and if they didn't have that big G on their helmet and with Kirby Smart coaching we'd be talking about that schedule like we do with with FLA which is is brutal or Oklahoma but since it is Georgia and they do have just a ton of talent a lot of it undraftable Scotty I would agree that it is Georgia's world right now especially what they did to Clemson in the second half but be careful it ain't going to be easy going to Tuscaloosa it won't be easy going to Austin and it damn sure won't be easy going to Oxford talk a little bit about Notre Dame and what their path is to the final 12 because uh good win against Texas A&M but there's a lot of nothing on the board you know you tell you get down to USC maybe a Louisville in there but this Notre Dame schedule isn't exactly the who's who of football yeah it doesn't exactly crank the tractor right but I will say this man uh that may be a benefit to them because if they can you know get in with just one loss you know they they they are in the college football playoff because of the brand name and with only one loss they're going to be in they'll be in the top 12 well you you know it I know it we all know it and that's why I thought that Texas A&M game was massive for both teams A&M has a lot more meat left on their schedule but that was one that Notre Dame had to have a lot like USC had to have that win against LSU you know Notre Dame had to have that one against A&M and they got it so uh Riley Leonard looked a little bit inconsistent and he's a remarkable quarterback and a hell of an athlete hell I had one NFL scout tell me guys that Riley Leonard is such a remarkable athlete that Coach K wanted him to play basketball and football at Duke and he would have gotten burned he would have gotten minutes at at playing basketball for Duke along with playing quarterback for Mike Elco you know his former coach another head coach of Texas A&M that's how remarkable of an athlete this dude is man that's rare I mean that's that's remarkable and both by the way kids and parents that's why you play multiple Sports look at Drake London right look at you know bejon Robinson you you look at Riley Leonard play dton King K was a what an like an All-American basketball player coming out of Vegas wasn't he yeah I know I know he's on an AE team right so play multiple Sports because I guarantee you Riley Leonard will tell you that playing a hoop and and baseball helped him immensely being the quarterback he is today I know he didn't look great on Saturday against Texas A&M but because of that schedule you mentioned he'll get better uh he's he's he's a hell of an athlete and a hell of a talent and that one meant a ton to Notre Dame take George out of the equation who else impressed you this last weekend Penn State that wasn't easy boys that wasn't easy at all going into Morgantown the rain delay you're on the road uh I mean that was that was impressive U that's number one number two remember the name Jeremiah Smith JJ Smith true freshman wide receiver for Ohio State I was talking to AJ Hawk a couple weeks ago you know former Ohio State linebacker you know Super Bowl champion with the Packers AJ was at a as alumni fundraiser with his kids he's talking to his former teammate James lontis now the linebacker coach at Ohio State and he looks across the room and he stops and he looks at larius and grabs him by the shirt and goes what is that not who is that what is that and he goes oh i s freshman white out he goes That's that that's Smith goes yeah he said he looked like a a the most impressive linebacker you've ever seen in the NFL just chiseled out of a rock muscles in his toenails so JJ Smith with all the hype coming in announced his presence as eie Calvin luk nuk laou once said in bul Durham right I gotta announce my presence with authority well hell Jeremiah Smith announced his presence to the entire college football world with authority that guy is gonna be a pain in a lot of people's butts so I don't know what Missouri thinks they're doing being in the top 10 but the big 12 can't crack the top 10 you got Utah checked in at number 11 it's as high as it gets and then you got the SEC and Big 10 that control that are not know Nam Notre Dame that control the top 10 um does Missouri belong up there and you talk about schedules I mean Missouri doesn't even see anybody until late October yeah they're going on that's more on last year and remember these rankings don't mean a damn thing you know the only rankings that matter coming late October the college football playoff it's fun for us to talk about the AP and the coaches poll but he's going the these Don't Mean a Thing uh I've served on that mock committee for the college football playoff twice and when I say the AP pole and the coaches poll mean zero they literally mean zero uh so I wouldn't even pay attention to it if you're you know Utah fan BYU whomever um that the preseason polls or not even in season polls don't matter until the big one comes out and then these have zero impact when I say zero I can't emphasize that enough uh but when it comes to Missouri they got a hell of a quarterback and Braden cook Brady cook they got a one of the best wide receivers in all of college football and Burton and I love Eli drink Woods he don't give it down you know now I didn't have a problem with him you know calling out his fan base saying if we don't sell out for Murray State then we're not an elite fan base well schedule somebody better than Murray State for your home open let's be honest man but does Missouri belong up there a lot of it is on last season a lot like Michigan being in the top 10 I mean again they lost 23 guys to NFL teams yet they're sitting near in the top 10 so a lot of that is is is on Logo and what you did last year which to me has zero bearing on what happens this season talking about calling out a fan base just how uh how difficult is it going to be in Central Florida for Billy Napier to show his face there after what he said yesterday dude what was that man one they don't have basements in Florida right so you know fans being in their basement you know in uh in you know Central Florida well one you really went Geographic called Target on Gainesville being Central Florida and two you don't have basements coach and I love Nate man and I know I'm saying I love a lot of coaches I've just got to known some of these guys over the last few years nap's won wherever he's been whether as an assistant in Alabama or Nick Sav to being a head coach of Louisiana but you can't give up a 41 spot and then call out your fan base that just can't happen H and especially when you when you bring up basements I mean this wasn't you know or Mom you know screaming at mom to bring you the meatloaf right you know from your mom's basement uh see Wedding Crashers for those don't know that wedding that that that movie reference but yeah that was a bad look Scotty a very bad look and I'll be there next week uh so I'm fascinated to see what Texas A&M brings and then what what Napier Squad actually shows up with because that was about as bad of a look as you can have in week one well Ian we appreciate it man good catching up with you safe travels and we'll do it again next week I am so pumped to be back let's go man uh as a matter of fact you know breakfast tomorrow morning uh how about the Park Cafe does that work for you works for me let's Roll Baby Come On Son let's go nice love it Ian Fitz Simmons right here on 975 the KSL Sports Zone one of the best Deeds on the meat Lo we want it now there's no basement in Florida forgot about that yeah it's a good point yeah and uh yeah you can't you can't be calling out your fan base