shaping up and wrapping up and knowing what we're going to be doing. The only team that we're waiting for is to see if the Mets are going to advance or the Brewers to go up against the Phillies. We got the Tigers up against the Guardians, the Royals up against the Yankees, the Padres up against the Dodgers, and we're just waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting to see what's going to happen tonight with the Mets and the Brewers with the Phillies waiting for them. I now welcome in Greg Caserta from the MLB Network, which is always like interesting to introduce you that way because I know you're from here. Yeah. But you have become a big star in the MLB Network.
What Scott Hansen is the NFL Network. I think that is what you are becoming for the MLB Network. That's the long term plan. Yeah. And to think it all started in that update anchor chair right there, you know, doing that here for upwards of three and a half to five years with a little COVID break in between. Yeah.
Yeah, it's it's amazing, man. You know, it's my first full year with them and it goes by very quickly once you get into the second half of the season. But like you, locked in on the playoffs. And so far, two of my picks have been good, completely whiffed on the Astros. I had the Astros winning the AL and I had the Brewers beating the Mets.
So we'll see if they can come through on that tonight. Well, explain to people who are listening to you on the radio, know you from the radio, what you do on TV, because I know what you do. But like this this year, I'm a little bit of a degenerate when it comes to fantasy baseball. I'm in a very competitive league and I'm watching MLB Network on a random weeknight. I'm like, I know this voice and they show your face. I'm like, I know this person.
That's my man Greg Caserta. So like you said, it's the same thing. We took the red zone concept and just brought it to baseball. It's a daily show. It's called MLB beginning and it's on MLB TV.
One hundred sixty two days a year. So we don't do anything during the playoffs because obviously the windows are a lot different. But usually it's Monday through Friday, usually eight thirty to eleven thirty at night. So what happens is when we get on the air, we're getting the like halfway point of the seven o'clock start times. We're getting the basically early innings of the games that start in that eight o'clock eastern window. And then we're live for the start of all the West Coast games. And what it is, we got the four box and I'm your point man.
I get you from point A to point B. We've got live updates. And basically what it is, is you're seeing the best players in the biggest spots. So even if you got the White Sox in the A's, if it's tied six six in the bottom of the tenth inning with the bases loaded, we're going to that game. So it's great because it's the new way people are consuming it. It's something that really took off this year. Viewership was up seven percent from a year ago. And because of our impact on MLB TV, we've got that digital market covered.
So it's been a great thing and it's definitely headed in the right direction. So I think we're cut from a similar cloth. Like there's different kinds of broadcasters. Like when you were doing radio, you really enjoyed the entertainment value of it.
And so did I. So it's like when you were doing a show like that and you always know with the Red Zone approach, right, that big debate is, you know, does Scott Hansen really not go to the bathroom? Like he claims.
And Andrew Siciliano, who used to host Red Zone, he got annoyed at me once. I asked him that question and he thought I was trying to start a war between Siciliano and Hansen, even though Siciliano is like, yeah, I don't believe Hansen only has gone to the bathroom once. How do you kind of prepare yourself for that marathon? Like, do you eat? Are you allowed to go to the bathroom behind the scenes? I break all the rules, I guess, traditionally, because you're ordering like Chinese food, egg roll. I'm cutting. I know you. I'm cutting. I'm cutting up chicken parm and penne vodka.
Can we get Peter Luger tonight? Because that's the thing is like I call to them. I say to the guys in the control room, like, hey, bring my mic up. Like when I want to talk about a specific game or something happening, I say, bring my mic up, because, you know, I'm not going to say, please look at you now. I'm not on all the time.
You know, they power my mic off. So I go to the bathroom once or twice a show. I drink coffee all day. I'm drinking water during the show. Like, yeah, you go to the bathroom. So like playing hero the way Hanson does, bragging that he doesn't go to the bathroom is idiotic to me, because when I try and hold it in now as a just turned 36 year old, everything hurts. And it's not smart. I would not recommend that to anybody.
You'd be the diaper dandy of M.O.V. Network. Greg Caserta here with us. All right, so let's get to the games so far that we've seen. We'll get to the Mets Brewers, which will determine who gets and wraps up this playoff field and further advance. Detroit, I was telling you, right, we got Tarek Skubal coming on tomorrow. So when I last talked to him and interviewed him, the big conversation was, should the Tigers trade him? Because that's a team that's nowhere close to contending.
You know, they don't really have like that many foundational pieces. And you go trade a player like Skubal and get so many prospects back. I'm not a prospect guy. I understand the development and why it's important, but I've proven talent.
I want to keep the proven talent, especially when they have phenom upside. Not only did the Tigers keep Tarek, but they end up making the playoffs, which was crazy. And then they take out the almighty Astros, who were always in the ALCS as they swept them out in two games to none with the craziness from last night. All right.
So I'll flip it back to you. Imagine if they had not done that with Jack Flaherty. Imagine if they had kept Flaherty, because if you looked at what they did from August 11th on, when they were the best team in baseball, they had two starters. And that's what they're doing through the postseason.
It's Skubal, it's Reece Olsen. Everybody else is plug and go. Openers, bulk guys. And those guys have thrived in those roles.
And Olsen's at 100%. I didn't like that strategy for the playoffs because I thought eventually that's going to burn you because we know about the overreliance on bullpen. When you get to this time of year, I figured guys would get burnt out. It won you a best of three in a best of five.
It's really complicated. That being said, they completely defied all of our expectations because I figured, all right, they've been playing meaningful baseball playoff like baseball for August 11 since August 11. Eventually, that is going to be exhausting. They're finally going to run out of steam. The Astros had nothing to play for the last couple of weeks. They were rested. They got Tucker back. Alvarez had gotten a week off even though we had the ankle problem.
He was back healthy. They lined up their rotation the way they wanted to at home. I had the Astros winning the American League and the Tigers go in there.
Tigers go in there and wipe the floor with them. And you know what's so impressive yesterday? Just when the Astros showed you, OK, here's the team that knows how to win. The Tigers only bounce right back.
It blew the game right back. And Hinch has pressed all of the right buttons outside of Job yesterday. And if you look at Job's inning, he hits the first batter, but then responds with soft contact. He pitched well after that.
He didn't melt down. He didn't lose the strike zone. But you look at a Banya's pinch hitting in the eighth inning. Justin Henry Malloy pinch hit at that point afterwards, came through with a two out base hit, didn't bring in any runs. But you look at how Hinch has managed.
It's a masterclass. Do I think they're going to beat Cleveland? No, because again, I had the Astros winning a Detroit Tigers hater, right? No, no, no.
Because here's the thing. Going back to the early part of the year, I went on D.A. show his Sunday show. I had the Tigers winning that, you know, I'm just the old morning guy. You might have.
I actually saw him two weeks ago. Did you really? We'll talk about that. I had the Tigers win in the central this year. So I love the run that they've been on.
I just didn't think that it would be sustainable because I figured that they would just be completely punched out. So the Astros are a team that I don't care what their regular season record is until someone took them out. I was kind of convinced, OK, they'll just find a way to get back to the World Series. Now you have the Astros out.
The Orioles are home as well. If the Yankees with what Aaron Judge is doing this year and haven't won Soto, don't get to the World Series. They're never getting to the series with the score.
Could not have said it any better. It would be a monumental failure. I don't think I don't buy into that adage of World Series or bust. I think that's unrealistic. Given the climate that baseball is in now, like the Astros, what they did, making seven straight LCS is that is basically a dynasty in this day and age.
But that's something that we're probably not going to see for a very long time. That being said, this is the year where it is World Series at least to reach the World Series or bust because the Yankees are better than the teams left standing in the aisle. If I put a gun to your head, I got the Yankees or the field in the aisle.
What do you do? Yankees. OK. But I also have the Padres winning it all. I think the Padres are the scariest team because of how their rotation stacks up.
Now, hopefully, Musgrove is OK, had to come out early last night with the elbow problem. But you got Darvish back healthy. You pair that with Cease and Michael King and all the guys that they have in the bullpen.
You have five high leverage guys that you can just mix and match maneuver however you want. Get it to Suarez in the ninth inning. That's why I picked the Padres. But the Yankees, they have to get to the World Series this year.
There's there's no other alternative for them. They've had the rest. They've got exactly what they want because they don't have to worry about Houston. I don't really think they were concerned about the Orioles. I'd be more concerned with Cleveland because of their bullpen and how important that is this time of year. But with the Astros out, the Yankees have to be looking at this and saying this is our best chance in seven or eight years. How did the Royals Greg Caserta beat the Yankees and don't even let the Yankees get to the LCS? You got to win when Cole Reagans is on the mound because the Yankees have struggled this year against left handed pitching, which is surprising, given judge in the lineup, Stanton in the lineup, traditionally very good against left handed pitching. But against left handed starters this year, they were not good.
So if Reagans can go in and get you a win, that's a starting point. But their bullpen does not match up. I still don't think their offense is that scary. Even though they got Pasquintino back, they rushed him back from an injury that they estimated was going to take six to eight weeks to recover.
He was back in about four or five weeks. They beat the Orioles, but they just got by. Bobby Witt Jr. is going to be the difference maker in this series.
We know what he's already done in the first round against Baltimore. He had an RBI in each of the first two games to help knock them out. But the Yankees have a better bullpen, even though I don't think it's great.
It's better than the Royals and their rotation slightly less than what Kansas City's got. Seth Lugo has been unbelievable. He really has Michael Waka starting game one.
And you don't know what Gary Cole is going to give you tomorrow night. You know, we've seen a little bit of everything from Cole and beyond him. The Yankees rotation, as you know, is pretty dicey, you know, like Rodon. Yeah, he's a 16, 17 game winner this year, but he had extreme peaks and valleys heel. If he's not throwing strikes, that that's a problem.
And you know what? It's weird with heel and the Yankees probably can't do this because they like what you're saying with rotation. I said this with the innings limit and I hate the thinking of it, but that's how the way these teams think. But how their bullpen has struggled a bit, the Yankees, I think in the closer. So you're not going to take Luke Weaver out of that role because he's responded so well to it and he has taken ownership of it.
Clay Holmes obviously lost that and at points during the year wasn't even a serviceable sixth or seventh inning guy. So I don't think you take Weaver out of that role, but he'll Clark Schmidt. Those are the guys that they're kind of looking at.
All right. Those are our swing guys. Those are the guys that could come in in the fourth or fifth inning. The thing we're going to see and I'm curious about this tonight with the Mets in the Brewers game, which manager panics because we have seen that in a little bit of every series. We saw it with Mendoza last night. Did you think Mendoza really did that?
I didn't have an issue with him last night. I thought given the state of his bullpen and where they were in terms of guys hot, I thought you give Maniah one more inning. I thought it was less egregious than what Murphy did in game one, taking Peralta out after he went nine up, nine down.
That to me was way more egregious than what Mendoza did to me. The Mets lost last night because in the fifth and the sixth inning, they had a got a guy on second base in the fifth, the guy on second base in the sixth, couldn't get him home. That to me, once that happened, being a fan that knows how these losses usually go, I said, oh, it's not a big enough lead for that bullpen. Now I've seen some of the guys out there who were Mets fans catching up with some of the guys on this side and WFAN. Is last night really that traumatic as a Mets fan?
You're up one. It's not like you blew a three run lead late. It's not like the Atlanta game where you had this ultimate comeback, then giving away the lead, then coming back in the ninth inning. You were up one run on the road in the eighth inning. The only part that makes it, I don't want to say traumatic, but it's every other team that was up one oh one.
So why not? And also it is Pete Alonzo, who used to be a fan favorite. And now I think you have a fan base split 50 50 on him coming back when Pete's glove.
And I've always defended Pete. I think he's a better field than people give him credit for when his glove is 10 times better than his bat. And he looks lost at the plate and he's tripping over his back, can't even get his butt to first base. And he's going down. When you have a guy on second base and you need a little, just a single gets him in. I think it's frustration with Alonzo's performance.
But here's where I will disagree with you on that. I don't think it is 50 50 in terms of people thinking whether he's back or not. I think more people than not think he will be gone. I don't think after this year that he well, he warmed himself to anybody because if you look at different guys in that lineup, you can point out one through eight in that lineup.
And let's just say we'll use him as the nine one through eight. You can go, what was his last clutch hit? Every guy in that lineup, you go, it was two days ago. It was a week ago.
I made the joke. It was 10 days ago. If it was eight nothing last night, he doesn't fall over that bad. And again, I'm not taking anything away from a guy that hit 34 homers and drove in close to 90 runs.
He's still a prolific power hitter, but what was the last impactful base hit that this guy had? You really have to go back and think long and hard about the last time he came through in a big spot. And that's not to say that he can't rewrite that narrative tonight. He better, you know, but we've been saying that all year.
It has not been there all year. It's the emptiest 34 homers and 88 ribbies that anybody can remember. And here's the thing too. The reason why I still think he'll be back and there could be a team that gets that sees the stats and they get, you know, they're a sucker and they end up paying him more with the money Cohen has to spend and that he will spend this off season. I don't think the price is going to be all that great for Pete where they're like, oh, we can't spend it on Peter Lonzo. But if it means get rid of Peter Lonzo and go sign, I don't know, Juan Soto and Corbin burns. Yeah. Sorry, Pete. I don't care how much of a discount we're getting you on.
Goodbye. So with him, and again, we're looking ahead now to, you know, off season hot stove, Alonzo becoming a free agent, but like the comp would be Freddy Freeman's contract, Paul Goldschmidt's contract when he signed with the Cardinals five years ago. Is Alonzo really worth that? Is he worth what Matt Olson's making? I don't think so.
No, you know, but I think that he views himself that way. You know, I think that he's looking for that 150 go hit a home run tonight to win a game. You'll get that.
Get to the next round and play a part in a winner. Go home to game three. Then maybe we'll have this conversation in a couple of months. But right now, so Greg Caserti, you like the Padres that take out the Dodgers.
I do. And you think the Padres get to the World Series when you look at Philadelphia. Are you down on Philadelphia with the Phillies or you just think the Padres have been the sleeping giant all year?
I just think the Padres are the sleeping giant because early on this season for the first half, I would have said the Phillies because they were mean. They were bullies the first half, and I loved it. They were fun to watch. They went into your town. They were going to beat you up. They were going to take your girls.
They were going to do any wife. They were nasty at some stakes, and then they lost that edge a little bit. Now they picked it up at the end of the year, but I think Ranger Suarez not being 100% is a killer.
And one thing you saw from this lineup last year and you saw it again this year, you saw it in game six and seven against Arizona in their home ballpark where they couldn't be beaten, by the way. Yeah, right. Mad dog said if they lose, I quit. That whole thing.
I will retire. That's a bad job, Mike. There you go.
More local references. But they're a very streaky lineup. They're an incredibly streaky lineup. So those guys go cold. They go cold together. And I just think that the Padres, they got the juice right now.
I think that you look at what they're doing. They're playing tight baseball again. Their bullpen is unreal. You know, Jason Adam gives up the two run homer last night to Michael Harris, but he's been shut down. Marco Estrada is a guy that nobody's talking about.
Tanner Scott was such a steal. And then you got Suarez, who was one of the better closers in the National League. Now, the Phillies did all right themselves by getting Estevez. But I just think that, you know, home field advantage, that's a toss up in that series, because like you said, San Diego is just as electric as any atmosphere. I do think the Padres take the Phillies out. Here's the question I like to ask every baseball guy, because years ago there should be an AL MVP and an NL MVP.
But now everyone has a D.H., right? The games are pretty much the same game that they're playing. There was only one MVP this year. Is it Otani or is it Judge? How about Bobby Witt Jr.?
You don't go either? So those guys are the MVPs, right? Like betting favorites. You can look at that for the last couple of months. And obviously what they did offensively is out of this world, like what Otani did.
You may never see that again. What Judge did for a long stretch, his three month stretch was as good as any in the history of the game. But that's where the argument, that's where the argument pops up, right? Like it's, who's the best player? Who is the most valuable?
And that's where the discussion always gets a little dicey. That's when your Lendores come in, Ozuna as well. Watch Bobby Witt Jr. play shortstop. It's phenomenal.
It's a masterclass. That was a 100 loss team last year. Watch him run, watch him win the batting title, watch him lead the league in hits. That guy should be in that discussion.
And yet he's going to finish second this year. So again, are the Yankees anything without Judge? No. Are the Dodgers anything without Otani?
No. But what are the Royals without Bobby Witt Jr.? Are they a 90 loss team? Are they an 80 loss team? Like you got to think about that.
So like, again, I think it's pretty much set in stone. Otani's winning it. Judge is winning it.
But damn, Bobby Witt Jr. had a good year. Do you vote for the MVP? I don't. No, because you're not a Baseball Writers Association member. I'm not there yet. Good. You're not a snob. Yeah, I don't.
The Baseball Writers Association member. I got to be honest. I don't know if I'll ever be able to vote because I think that's really like... You have an opinion, you have a personality. Yeah, I think that's too much. Yeah, I think that already disqualifies me. So if you had to pick up between Otani and Judge, just the two, who would you go with? I would still go Judge.
I'm with you too. Higher average, more RBIs, more home runs. Yeah. And I think the one thing that would help Otani is that he did it without bets for a good chunk of the season and kept them alive. And then all of a sudden, one day they're like, hey, you're going to lead off for us. Guy had never let off before. He was a cleanup hitter. And then he goes and leads off. And it's like, wow, he's even better in the leadoff spot, which is similar to what Lindor did this year. Like his numbers jumped off the charts once he started leading off.
But yeah, I would give it to Judge just because what he did for three months is up there with any three month stretch in the history of the sport. You can catch him strike zone, big inning, all that great stuff. Does a great job for the MLB Network. He is Greg Caserta. We got more play-by-play coming up soon?
I think, yeah. Arizona Fall League will be coming up in the next month. So last year, I did the Fall Stars game, which is their all-star game. And then the championship game, those are spaced out a week apart. And then because we've got the NHL Network over at our place in Secaucus, I'll do a couple of showcase games on the NHL side. So, yeah, I did my first one last year and ended up being a Rangers Capitals game, which as a lifelong Rangers fan, that was pretty surreal. How about that died on Ovechkin? Well, it's just crazy. That dude legitimately looks like he could be a 40 something year old uncle that just sits around, eats the, you know, eats the entirety of the buffet. And he's going to end up being the guy that moves past Wayne Gretzky for the most goals.
And the clips of him playing soccer. I love to be right. Yeah, I love that.
Just watching him run around because he's a tank. He's an enormous pullback for the Jets. And like I was saying to some of the guys, we've been talking about going to a Rangers game for about two or three years. Maybe we finally get that settled down.
Yeah, I think I have a text from Greg Caserta every year. We both go, let's go to a Rangers game. Yeah, we'll get a bunch of guys from the station. It's like, oh, now with your schedule, though, we can make it work. Oh, absolutely.
In the past, it was pretty tough. Now we can make this work. I also got a sweet connect. I'm the big shot. I'm the big shot.
He is Greg Caserta from the MLB Network. Greg, thanks for coming in. You too, bro.
Good seeing you, man. We will do a Take 5 Wednesday next. And this is at the Yelp show on the Infinity Sports Network. Football is back. What better way to celebrate than winning some cash or sleeper picks. Sleeper picks is a fantasy game, but you can win real money. Just pick more or less at least two player stats.
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Paid for by Lit Studio. As the dust settles from last week's games, it's time to look at which teams are rising and which are falling. And there's an interception. Zach ranks his top five NFL and college football teams on this week's edition of Take 5, only on the Zach Gelb show. Alrighty, let's do this.
We usually do Take 5 on Wednesday, but since it was out yesterday, we will do Take 5 Wednesday on a Thursday. Let's start off in the college football world. In at number five, this is not me being Urban Meyer, because I am not going to overly praise them for what they did in the second half and treat it like a win and say Kirby Smart is coach of the year. But I will say that Georgia-Alabama game was great and Georgia reminded everybody how great they could still be or how good they could still be even after getting demolished in the first half. Georgia will still be one of those teams that's right there at the end of the year. They were my pick to win the national championship.
I know, hot takes on the microphone before the year started. I actually had them taking down Alabama 27-17, but I put Georgia in at number five. In at number four, Josh Hypel's squad. Tennessee with their quarterback, Nico Iamaliava. They did a nice job there on a bye, but the week before that they did a nice job with their defense, which we usually praise their offense, up against Oklahoma. And this weekend, Tennessee should have another easy-peasy victory as they go up against Arkansas. There's really not another game for Tennessee that makes you say ooh and aah until you get that Alabama game on October 19th. And then after that, a few weeks later, they do play at Georgia. So we're going to find out how great Tennessee really is. They crushed NC State who at the time was a top 25 team. Oklahoma, when they were 15th in the nation, they beat them by 10. But you still got those big tests in Alabama and Georgia.
And I look at the volunteers with the rest of their schedule. Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Georgia, UTEP, and Vanderbilt. Kentucky's a tricky team, but if they're as good as what people think, they should finish the regular season with only one loss.
And that means you split either Alabama or Georgia. Alrighty, next up and at the three spot, it's the Ohio State Buckeyes. The only problem with the Ohio State, and we all talk about Ryan Williams and how sensational he has been, and he's been awesome as a freshman.
We all know that. When you take a look at Jeremiah Smith, he's been ridiculous too. Freshman out of Miami Gardens for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
He has 19 receptions on the season for 364 yards and five touchdowns. So to see the freshmen of Alabama and Ohio State right now, it's really been remarkable. But you look at Ohio State who they played.
Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall, Michigan State. We all know they have the offensive talent, but when they play a legitimate opponent and a really good opponent, what are they going to do? Like they play Iowa this week, and Iowa's a solid team. But Iowa's not a world beater. But coming up in two weeks from now, they do have Oregon. They eventually play Nebraska, who's a solid team. They play Penn State, who's a really good team. Then Purdue, Northwestern, win-win.
Indiana, fun story. And then they play Michigan at the end of the year. So we'll find out how great Ohio State is when they go to Eugene and they have to go up against the Ducks of Oregon. Because Oregon's been not as great as what we thought, but they still don't have a loss to their resume. But I think that's a good test to really show how much better this Buckeyes team is this year.
Then at number two, they had arguably the best win of the season up until this weekend. And that was when Texas walked into the big house and put their feet up and just did whatever they wanted up against the Michigan Wolverines. Texas has survived without Quinn Ewers.
I think we've seen, even though Arch Manning's would be really good, that to go in a championship this year, you'd still prefer Quinn Ewers to be the starting quarterback. But Sark has Texas rolling, going back to last year. And in number one, it only took four games in the Kalen DeBoer era to have Alabama back on top and also Jalen Milro looking like the Heisman Trophy favorite right now. So I put Alabama after their first half beat down up against Georgia and then finding a way to survive after they lost the lead and answering back with that 75-yard strike from Jalen Milro to Ryan Williams in at number one. So Georgia 5, Tennessee 4, good ol' Rockin' Tap in at number three, Ohio State 2, Texas and 1, Alabama. Stu, speak now.
I'll forever hold your peace. All right, what about a team that had two, you know, kind of close calls at the beginning of the season, but have had since then two broad victories, the Oregon Ducks? That's the thing. Like I talk about Ohio State, I got to see how they perform up against better competition. All right, Boise State, we know great story.
I don't think there's a bigger fan in the national media of Ashton Gente than me. They won that game by three points. Oregon State, right? They blew them out and then they did whatever they wanted up against UCLA.
They are trending in the right direction. But before I get back on the train of the Oregon Ducks, let's see what they do two weeks from now. They should beat Michigan State coming up on Friday night, that game on Fox, but then they play Ohio State.
That will be the big test. Are they the legitimate national championship contender that we thought they were before the season started or they've been the team that they were the first two weeks of the season where it's like, eh, didn't like how they looked up against Boise State. They probably should have lost the game. They don't like how they looked up against Idaho. So I think they're a very good team. They're moving in the right direction, but I got to see them play better competition before I say, yeah, I'm back in on the Ducks. Quack, quack, quack, Mr. Ducksworth put them in the top five.
All right. They beat a ranked team this past week in Illinois by a score of 21 to 7. What about Penn State? So outside of the West Virginia game for Penn State, kind of been ho-hum. Like they didn't look great up against Bowling Green. I smothered Penn State 56 to nothing. I know the score looks fine beating Illinois by 14, but I didn't walk away from that game all that impressed with the Penn State Nittany Lions.
I thought that game for a while was tight. So I think that they're just Penn State what they've been the last few years. They're a good team, but they're not a great team. And there's a difference between the good teams and the great teams. And I just don't see Penn State right now being a great team. And last one, the Miami Hurricanes who are 5-0, but that was almost 4-1 after a close call against Vatek.
That's the thing. Last week I said, I believe Virginia Tech is better than the way that they're playing. And Vatek, even though I had Miami winning the game, was going to keep it close. I told you guys to plus the number on Virginia Tech.
That game, they are a review away from losing it. Miami should be the king of the ACC this year. Being the king of the ACC does not mean you're an elite football team. I love Cam Ward. I'm a big fan of Mario Cristobal. But a game like that up against Virginia Tech goes, hmm, before maybe we say it's all about the U and the U is back, let's pump the brakes a little bit when we talk about the Hurricanes from Miami. All right, let's go to the NFL. This is getting really grotesque in the NFL to pick the top five teams in the NFL. Because remember, it's not based off reputation. It's not based off what you've done in the past.
It's what have you done for me lately? So this team actually does play tonight. And they're a team that they're not sexy, but they're just a good football team. And that's a Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They smothered the commanders earlier in the year.
That one looks a whole lot better now. They beat the Lions at Detroit, had a stinker up against Denver, but they respond. I know the Eagles were the walking wounded, but they blew out the Philadelphia Eagles. Tampa Bay, Baker Mayfield playing well. Todd Bolster looked like a good coach too. I will put Tampa Bay Buccaneers in at number five.
Alrighty, in at number four. They suffered their first loss on the season. It was not a good performance, but this is still a good team. And they have arguably the second best quarterback in the NFL. It's the Buffalo Bills.
Sure, you could say, yeah, you don't love any of their competition. Arizona, Miami, Jacksonville, they finally play legit team. They lose 35 to 10, but it's slim pickings right here.
I'm putting the Bills in at four three. This team, the other night on Monday night, they showed you how they're going to win games. Their defense isn't going to be all that great, but it's serviceable. And on offense, they're going to run the ball with Montgomery. They're going to run the ball with Gibbs. I'm in Ross Saint Brown is a big playmaker. Jamison Williams is a big playmaker. We know Sam Laporte is one of the best tight ends in the league. And then the quarterback, they don't want to throw in the ball that much, but when he throws the ball, he needs to be efficient. Doesn't have to be perfect like he was the other night. 18 for 18 and also caught a touchdown pass as well. But Jared Goff to me, I think the Lions will ask him to be a little bit more than a game manager.
That's what I think they're going to ask him to be. And he's got to step up like he did two weeks ago against Arizona, make a big third down throw. You know, it's it's kind of similar to when Ryan Tanels with Tennessee, where no one walked in fearing Ryan Tannehill and Goff is a better quarterback than Ryan Tannehill. But it's OK. Can you rely on the run game, rely on some of the playmakers?
And we just need you to step up late and make a big play. So I look at the Lions are sitting at three and one. They're on a bye week and they get the Cowboys next.
They're in at number three. Number two, it's a surprise story of the NFL and it's the Minnesota Vikings. I never thought before the year started I'd be this optimistic about the Vikings, but they are 4-0 and you blow up the Giants.
That's one thing. But then you beat San Francisco, you crush Houston, and then they were dominating the Packers before that game got tight. Sam Donald's been really good. We know Justin Jefferson, I would say is the best wide receiver in football. You got Addison Hockinson coming back.
Aaron Jones run the football and Brian Forest has that defense in a pretty good spot, too. And now Sam Darnold and the Vikings are off to London to go up against Aaron Rodgers in the JTS jet jets at Sunday at 9 30 a.m. Eastern time. So give me the Minnesota Vikings in it, too.
And welcome back to the number one spot. They were relegated to the number two spot last week, but it's the Kansas City Chiefs. They don't do anything all that sexy this year. They have not had a win where we're like, okay, this is the version of the Chiefs that we know, but they just find a way to make winning plays. And you don't need to be a great team in the NFL this year to go win a Super Bowl. The Chiefs last year were just good and it was good enough, but they found a way to survive up against the Ravens. They found a way to survive up against the Bengals. They found a way to survive up against Atlanta and they came on back and found a way to survive up against the Chargers and they have the best quarterback in the league even though he's not playing like it right now.
And that defense has been phenomenal, really phenomenal. So give me the Chiefs in at one. So five bucks, four bills, three lines, two Vikings, one Chiefs. That is an ugly top five in the NFL. But right now, Stu Kovacs, speak now and forever hold your peace.
All right. It was an ugly 2-0-2 star for the Ravens, but they have won their last two, including a big one over the Bills on Sunday night. It was a team I thought about, but a 2-2 record. I just got to see more out of that team.
They are a toe from getting down in bounds from being three and one. They could arguably be 4-0 because they choked that game up against the Raiders. They almost choked the game up against the Cowboys and Buffalo. I think they were begging Buffalo to get back in the game, but Buffalo was just trying to throw 60-yard bombs to get to make up the 11-point deficit all the way in one play, which you can't even do even if you scored a touchdown. So I look at Baltimore, their defense is starting to grow on me. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry's a 1-2 punch.
That's so tough to stop. But right now, I just got to see them play a 60-minute game. And they have an opportunity to do that this weekend up against the Cincinnati Bengals in the jungle.
All right. What about a three and one team in the Houston Texans who only lost to the Vikings? I think the Texans are good.
I think they can be great. And this weekend is a big test up against the Buffalo Bills. But I wasn't blown away by the performance against the Jaguars. I wasn't blown away by the performance up against the Bears. And that Colts game was only a two-point deficit. So you'd rather win those games and lose those games, and they got blown out by the Minnesota Vikings. I just think they need to play, like the Ravens, a better brand of 60 minutes of football. And now you go up against a team like Buffalo with the Stephon Diggs factor.
That's going to be a whole lot of fun. But I just don't think they've been a clean product yet this season. So that's why there's a little skepticism from me.
All right. What about a team that has had to fight against injury so far, the 49ers? I think they are one of the better teams.
But right now, they aren't. And I wasn't blown away what they did up against New England. New England stinks. And the week prior, they lost the Minnesota and the Rams. So when your two wins are up against the Jets, who are omitting the Patriots, who are just a bad football team, yeah, that's not top five worthy to me.
Last one, what do we got? All right, the last one we have here, the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have a good record. They have a record where you could suggest they should be in the top five. But that offense, just when people were starting to come around on Justin Fields, man, that wasn't like this great performance up against the Indianapolis Colts. So that offense and the uncertainty at the quarterback is still what holds me back from putting the Steelers in the top five. And it stinks that we're probably going to get robbed of TJ Watt against Micah Parsons with Micah Parsons suffering that high ankle sprain to wrap up the Cowboys performance last week. All right, that is a Take 5 Wednesday on a Thursday. Since I was off yesterday on a Wednesday, this is that Gelb show on the Infinity Sports Network. Once again, Bucks 5, Bills 4, Lions 3, Vikings 2, Chiefs 1.
And in the college football world, Georgia 5, Tennessee 4, Ohio State 3, Texas 2, and Alabama in at number one. We'll do the future of Tyreek Hill next. All righty, this portion of the show is brought to you by Ethos Life, the easy way to get life insurance in 10 minutes up to $2 million in coverage with no medical exam and just a few health questions.
Get your free quote at checkethos.com, not available in all states. Let's play some audio here. I want to get to Tyreek Hill because there's been some trade rumors and I think they're bizarre trade rumors with Tyreek Hill. I know that they just redid his contract and I guess I was reading it's still manageable with how they did it to move his contract. But Tyreek Hill has already won a Super Bowl being on the Kansas City Chiefs. He's viewed as the best or one of the best wide receivers in football and all he has done since getting to Miami has kind of propped up and praised to a tongue of Bailoa. So I don't get why Tyreek Hill outside of he's just like, hey, Tua has another concussion. I don't know his long-term future and also, yeah, I maybe want to go back to a team that has an actual chance to go win a Super Bowl again instead of kind of a make-believe chance where people could talk up the Miami Dolphins, but they're not a team that I look at as a viable Super Bowl contender. So I guess all that stuff's true. But if that was the case, why would you then have like left Kansas City in the first place?
You're at the destination. So could there be some remorse? Could there be some regret? Like, okay, even though I'm a great player and I was just voted as the number one player in the league on that dopey top 100 list, you know, maybe there is some regret. Hey, look at the way Mahomes has talked about.
Look at the way Kelsey has talked about. And those are my guys. I was together with those dudes and look how many championships they've won. And now I'm sitting here, even though I like Miami, I like the weather, I like the state tax and all that stuff, but I got all my money, but I miss winning.
I miss winning playing in those big games and a Super Bowl and championship games. So could there be some regret with Tyreek Hill and hey, the Dolphins, who knows what their future is and maybe I'll ask for a trade. I guess it's plausible, but it seems like Tyreek Hill to me is at least still happy with the way he presents himself about the Miami Dolphins. So that's a thought I had in the notion that I had preconceived before this audio. I have not heard this audio yet. I saw this audio was out there. I said to Stu Grab it. I go, I want to listen to it live on the air and then react to it.
So this is Tyreek Hill who says he's not focused on the trade rumors that are happening. I'm just focused on right here and right now, like we got a beautiful team here and I want to be a part of it. You know, we got a great situation here. My family loves it. I enjoy it. The weather's great.
The fans are great. So we got a beautiful situation here, man. Obviously, you know, my parents always taught me, you know, control the controllables and I only can control so much, you know what I'm saying?
So with that being said, we all know the NFL is a business. Whatever happens, happens. You know what I'm saying? So moving forward, I would love to be here. I love being here. You know, I love the guys.
I love my locker mate, Devon Holler. He's a maniac. He's a guy. You know what I'm saying?
He brings me nice snacks sometimes. There's a lot of trigger moments there that go off in my cabeza that go, he wants out. And I'm not saying the last line is what makes me say, oh, he doesn't want out. But I don't know, Stu, like to me that I feel like that's a lot of player speak.
And usually if you feel like he actually wants to say, I guess he could have been a little bit more emphatic in terms of just dismiss all that nonsense. I don't care what people are speculating. I'm here to stay.
This is where I want to be. The only way I won't be here is if the team trades me like maybe could have gone like that. But I don't I just don't get a sense that Tyreek really wants to leave the Miami Dolphins. And also, if you're leaving, where are you forcing a trade to? I don't think Tyreek Hill is leaving Miami, right? Unless if it is a premier destination. And are the the Chiefs doing a trade back?
I think the Chiefs are kind of done with Tyreek Hill. So you're not going to San Francisco. They have enough weapons.
So where are you going? Where we say, OK, you're in a legitimate spot to go win a Super Bowl. Like I thought Buffalo at first, but Buffalo is in the East.
Right. Like what I'm describing that a team that needs a wide receiver. OK, Buffalo. But the Dolphins and the Bills aren't making a trade. And I don't think Tyreek is playing in Buffalo after playing in Miami. And I love Buffalo. I say, hey, when I have to go on vacation to Buffalo, I have no problem with that. Great wings, great wings. Lot of alcohol too in Buffalo.
Lot of alcohol. So, Stu, out of 100 percent, what's your number? Tyreek Hill getting traded by, let's say, at the end of the season. Like, you know, in the off season potentially.
From now until the off season. I still don't think it's very high. I think it's I'd say like 15 percent. OK, I was going to go like six percent. It's pretty low.
I think it's very a minuscule amount. Weather's great in Miami. I feel like he's genuinely happy in Miami. But this is Tyreek. He loves drama. He loves to surround himself with drama. So in a weird way, I think he feeds off all this like, oh, we're probably not going anywhere this year.
We don't know when two is coming back. So how can we float my name in the news? Well, let's start to get some trade rumors out there.
That's what this kind of seems like to me. All right. Take a break when we come on back. Mike Silver, the long time author, is going to join us. And he has a new book out, The Why is Everything, a story of football rivalry and revolution. The author, of course, is Mike Silver. He's going to join us in studio next. Also does a great job as a columnist. Long time for the San Francisco Chronicle.
