(Cheering)
BRADY QUINN: Welcome to Chicago. The Shamrock Series. Wisconsin. Notre Dame. Irish fans, let's get it going. Let's -- I can't hear you! Let's go, Irish. Let's go, Irish. Let's go, Irish.
ROB STONE: A lot of excitement in the air.
(Music)
>> This is what we do.
(Music)
>> You got barbecue back there, and you didn't invite me? Hurt my feelings.
(Music)
ROB STONE: The first football game played at fabled Soldier Field, not the Chicago Bears, but the Irish, and a Notre Dame win over Northwestern. 97 years later the Irish look to play like a champion and remain perfect. They've got No. 18, Wisconsin.
(Music).
ROB STONE: Big Noon Kickoff coming your way from Chicago. Jack Coan turned down a Notre Dame Lacrosse scholarship to play QB at Wisconsin. But after four years at Madison, the 22-year-old grad transfer now the starting QB for the 12th ranked Irish.
That move instigated by the potential Wisconsin four-star recruit Graham Mertz. The 6'3" sophomore, though, still without a touchdown this season as he gets set for his second ranked matchup of the season.
Every day is game day with Wendy's breakfast, the official breakfast of the NCAA. Choose wisely. Choose Wendy's.
(Cheering)
>> Let's go, Irish! Let's go!
ROB STONE: We welcome you to the Shamrock Series showdown from the Second City. Rob Stone, Bob Stoops, the originators of the Bush Push, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. They can't hear you, Notre Dame.
>> They said --
ROB STONE: Where did you push him?
MATT LEINART: We need security.
REGGIE BUSH: Now you're going to take it back. I see how you all do.
ROB STONE: The Brady Quinn.
(Cheering).
BRADY QUINN: Let's go. Where my Irish fans at? It's a great atmosphere.
ROB STONE: It's good to see you in your element, man.
REGGIE BUSH: Notre Dame.
ROB STONE: There's two programs playing today.
BRADY QUINN: There are.
ROB STONE: I hear you about Notre Dame, but, Reg, Wisconsin needs a hype-man.
REGGIE BUSH: Wisconsin, what's up? They know how we do. We were there a couple of weeks ago. Jump around.
(Cheering)
BRADY QUINN: We're going to have to turn off Wisconsin.
ROB STONE: They're doing the jump. They're doing the jump today at Soldier Field at the end of the third quarter. Can't wait to see that on the broadcast. Excitement building for this Wisconsin-Notre Dame showdown coming up here on FOX.
We're now about to be joined by a man who is awfully familiar with big games like this and the mystique of the Irish.
(Music)
>> Raghib "The Rocket" Ismail.
>> Irish.
>> Ismail for a touchdown.
>> He might go all the way.
>> Ismail has done it again. Touchdown, Notre Dame!
(Cheering)
(Music)
>> Let's go! Let's go! Let's get it. Let's get it. Whoo! Yes!
BRADY QUINN: There he is. There he is.
RAGHIB ISMAIL: Good to see you, Big Dog.
REGGIE BUSH: Good to meet you.
BOB STOOPS: Good to see you.
>> Yes.
>> Good to see you.
ROB STONE: You can't see the shoes. Sit there, Rocket. Rocket, show the shoes, man. Get those shoes up.
BRADY QUINN: Green everything.
RAGHIB ISMAIL: All is well. Before we get started, man, I just want to say the older I get, the more I appreciate the people in your life that have been instrumental in guiding you in a way where you can reach your full potential .
And you had two of them on the show earlier, Coach Barry Alvarez, who was at Notre Dame when I was at Notre Dame, before he came to Wisconsin, and Kevin Warren, who was actually -- he had just graduated in '90, became a law professor there, went on to have a fabulous career.
These guys were instrumental in speaking life to me and helping me navigate the treacherous world we live in, and I just want to give them kudos and a salute. God bless them, and I'm looking forward to today's game.
BRADY QUINN: It's going to be fun. It's going to be fun, man.
REGGIE BUSH: It's going to be fun, man. Rocket, it's great to have you, man. It really is, man. It's good to have you. I've been a fan for a long time, some of the stuff you've done. I want to go to some punt return secrets with you, brother. I like your work. I'm a fan of your work, you know what I'm saying.
One great punt returner to another, I want to go over a checklist -- this is a checklist. You tell me if you agree. The number one most important. See the ball off the punter's foot, right? Number two, check your blockers. You got to see is there anybody coming free? Can I fair catch it or am I going to return this? Number three, catch the ball, most importantly. Number four, make the first guy miss. And what you think number five is?
RAGHIB ISMAIL: Take it to the house.
REGGIE BUSH: Party time. That's what I'm talking about, man. We down. We done with the show.
RAGHIB ISMAIL: All business. Take the bad boy to the house.
REGGIE BUSH: What do you think? Would you agree? What would you add to my list during your time while you were returning punts?
RAGHIB ISMAIL: So after taking one peek about who is blocked and not being blocked, the first thing is, man, get that ball, and even on this thing, no matter what, my mindset, don't go down. Middle return, but don't go down regardless, and then look for daylight, see it, take it to the house.
REGGIE BUSH: Party time.
BRADY QUINN: Look at the Rocket.
REGGIE BUSH: You were such a pleasure to watch, man. Appreciate you.
RAGHIB ISMAIL: Thank you.
MATT LEINART: Rocket, I'm fanning over you right now because when I was a young boy, I used to play a video game called Bill Walsh College Football for Sega Genesis, and I used to rock with you Notre Dame, but before I was an SC guy, but, anyway, a big fan.
Okay. You were a part of the last national championship team in '88 for the Irish. Brian Kelly has done a great job. He has been to the playoffs a couple of times, but just fell short. What's it going to take for Notre Dame to win another national championship in your eyes?
RAGHIB ISMAIL: They have to believe when they're playing the elite of the elite that they have what it takes. Like, at the end of the day, the belief that you have is necessary to be able to take it to the next level, and you have to have what Coach Stoops said.
I remember when he was at Oklahoma and Alabama was making a whole lot of noise in college football, and everybody was intimidated. Everybody was, like, Alabama, Crimson Tide can't be beat. I remember watching the news report. Coach Stoops was like, yeah, whatever. Like, literally. Something to that. I'm paraphrasing, but it was with "whatever." He believed that he had everything it took to meet the mightiest teams in the land and to be able to overcome.
That -- at the end of the day, that has to be a part of your foundation. If you don't have that belief, regardless of who you play, when it comes time to meet the giants in the land, you're not going to be able to overcome it.
BOB STOOPS: I'm a big fan of Brian Kelly, speaking of coaching, and I think he has done an awesome job because Notre Dame does a little bit different job with the national fan base and all. Talk about the job Brian Kelly has done there at Notre Dame.
RAGHIB ISMAIL: All I know is Coach Kelly, every year, the teams are ready. Whatever the makeup of the teams happen to be, they're going to meet their full potential.
And so even this year, one of the expectations that I had was, man, this was going to be a team that was going to blow the doors off of everybody they face, and it didn't -- hasn't turned out that way.
However, one thing I love about this team is that whatever they need, when they need it, and it's shown on the field, they will be able to rise to the occasion. Whatever it is that they need, when they need it.
And that's -- that's a crucial thing for teams. A lot of times you need things to happen. You really need it, they're going to rise to the occasion, and that's because the coach that they have has prepared them and equipped them in such a way.
BRADY QUINN: Rocket, let's have some fun, man. Now these players can capitalize off their name, image, and likeness.
RAGHIB ISMAIL: Oh.
BRADY QUINN: Dude, with a name like "The Rocket," who sponsored you? SpaceX? Is Elon Musk giving you a deal?
RAGHIB ISMAIL: First off, hats off to the NCAA and the entire administrative arm in the college football that finally took the restraints off the players, allowed them to be able to move into that realm.
BRADY QUINN: What would have been your deal? What would you have been after, man?
RAGHIB ISMAIL: You know what, now, this is what I would have done. Looking back. I would have gone to the College of Business. I would have went over to Mendoza and said, Hey, I am who I am, this is what I'm a part of. What fits me best?
Because at 19, 20 years old, 21 years old, I didn't have a clue, and so I would have asked the people who knew and did this for a living and taught the future about the business realm. I would have asked them for advice and input and moved accordingly.
BRADY QUINN: I like that. Yeah.
ROB STONE: Would you have given them a cut or keep it to the Rocket?
RAGHIB ISMAIL: Let me tell you something, when I was younger I didn't appreciate how challenging it was in this world to actually make money, and so it seemed like it was easy at the time. So I would, man, if you need some money, have the money. If you want a percentage, as a matter of fact, not only this percentage, but because you're nice to me, take this greater percentage.
So I was on that level. Then I would have took myself to the finance department and say, Hey, how does this work? How do we do this equitably? How do we do this where everybody is happy and got educated in that lane as well.
REGGIE BUSH: Education.
BRADY QUINN: The Rocket, man. The Rocket. Thank you so much for coming out.
REGGIE BUSH: The Rocket. Let's hear it for Rocket.
BRADY QUINN: Thanks for coming out, man, yes, sir.
ROB STONE: Band is going to play on out of here. Still to come, our Coach, Bob Stoops, breaks down the finer points of the tight end position with the man who leads the Badgers in targets and receptions, Jake Ferguson.
Plus, the Outkick Bus Tour featuring Clay Travis in Nashville. Big showdown between Georgia and Vanderbilt. More from Clay and the Commodore in a moment.
Today the Badgers get a huge bump in the return of linebacker Leo Chenal.
BRADY QUINN: He led the team in sacks last year. Have to keep an eye on him, especially in passing situations.
BRADY QUINN: Rocket, you want to join us? You got a ticket for this one? Just walk in like you -- walk in like you own the place, Rocket. But don't go too fast.
(Cheering)
(Music)
(Commercial)
ROB STONE: Over the summer our colleague Gus Johnson made a game-changing donation to his youth football team back in Detroit, the West Side Cubs, done in partnership with the Uniform Funding Foundation created by current Notre Dame linebacker and grad transfer from Michigan, Adam Shibley. Great work there from Gus and Adam.
Danny Davis III leading the team with 129 receiving yards. The fifth year senior who pleased a lot by coming back for this season; 99 of those yards in the season opener against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Welcome inside Chicago's historic Soldier Field along the shores of Lake Michigan. Tom Rinaldi, alongside Joel Klatt will be on the call with Gus Johnson and Jenny Taft as the guys make their way from the outside set inside.
Before we break down much more on this matchup, Coach Stoops had a chance to sit down with one of the best tight ends in the game, Wisconsin's Jake Ferguson. They talk matchups and route running in this edition of Stoops, there it is.
(Music)
>> Over the middle, and it's caught by Jake Ferguson.
>> Drops it off. Jake Ferguson.
>> Touchdown!
BOB STOOPS: Jake, leading receiver for Wisconsin last year.
JAKE FERGUSON: Sir.
BOB STOOPS: Mackey finalist or right now on the watch list. Great, great tight end. Let me ask you now, you like blocking?
JAKE FERGUSON: I don't mind hanging out in the trenches with my big boys every once in a while. We talk about it all the time. If you can't handle the trenches, then get out of them. I don't mind blocking. I like it a little bit more than receiving, but nothing is better than catching it in the end zone. I need to run one in.
BOB STOOPS: Run one in. I like it. We got a trio right drawn up. Give me your favorite route to score.
JAKE FERGUSON: If I'm in the red zone, just a nice little seam. Beats 2 Tampa every time.
BOB STOOPS: Have you caught a touchdown here?
JAKE FERGUSON: I caught two. Maybe more. I've caught one for sure against Nebraska my first year.
>> It's Ferguson, touchdown!
JAKE FERGUSON: Then I caught one last year against Michigan on this same play.
>> Over the middle. That's caught. Touchdown, Wisconsin! Jake Ferguson.
BOB STOOPS: I like it.
JAKE FERGUSON: Thank you.
BOB STOOPS: Jake, appreciate you. Good luck to you.
JAKE FERGUSON: Thank you, I appreciate it.
TOM RINALDI: We need one of those mirrors you can draw on in our house for sure.
Time now for the iconic matchup sponsored by the all-electric 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ. We focus on the quarterback. We begin with Graham Mertz who supplanted Coan. What hasn't gone right? Yet to throw a single passing touchdown, but you don't think that's the glaring issue.
JOEL KLATT: I don't focus on that as much as his development. This is only going to be his tenth start, so in some respects Graham Mertz is still developing and kind of is like a freshman as of last year with the COVID season, not getting a ton of opportunities.
I think where he needs to clean up is actually the details of his game, Tom, and in particular it shows up in the run game, footwork and ball handling. Here's a fumble. He puts the ball way too high at his chest, really on his shoulder. That ball hits the turf. This is a first and goal from the one. He needs to take that skinny track outside, not to hit the fullback. Look how flat he is. He goes too far to the outside. The ball hits the fullback. It hits the ground. They don't end up core scoring on that drive. That was inside of three minutes.
It wasn't just against Penn State. This is their second game. Again, too flat. Ball is not extended out with the right arm, so he actually tripped his running back. That, again, was inside the 10 yard line.
Details are so important for a quarterback, and they show up in those little moments in the run game. And here's the best part for Graham Mertz. It takes no talent to be great at the details. Just pride and discipline. They've acknowledged it in our conversations this week. They feel like they've corrected it. And, again, that development, only tenth start today, I can't wait to see where it goes from here.
TOM RINALDI: Great breakdown of the tactical. Now let's go to the psychological when we go to Jack Coan. Supplanted by the quarterback he faces. There's been a great deal of attention of quarterback versus quarterback. How does he manage that within the system today, psychologically, Joel?
JOEL KLATT: To be honest, I have no idea because I don't think any of us can put ourselves in the position that Jack Coan is going to be facing. Facing his former team, his former teammates, guys that, to his own accord, are his brothers. Like, he is close with these guys. He has sweat with them and bled with them in intense circumstances.
I think it's imperative that he tries to avoid the emotion of the game, don't look across the field, and pour yourself into the details of the offense because that's all he can do.
TOM RINALDI: How hard is that?
JOEL KLATT: It's incredibly difficult at every single level. That's why big stages, whether it's Super Bowls or national championship games or in a situation like this, this is why we see the emotion take over players.
Remember, Coach Krzyzewski had that great line about Christian Laettner. He was such an emotional player and he can be a furnace. That furnace can heat the house or it can burn the house down. You have got to use it for the quality purposes of executing the details.
TOM RINALDI: A lot at stake and juicy subplots, as Joel just broke down for you. Not only tactically but psychologically. A lot more still ahead, of course, on Big Noon.
Where does Wisconsin slot among the six teams with legit chances to win the Big Ten. More on a very crowded conference title race next. And look at that summit meeting. Paul Chryst in his seventh season; Brian Kelly, 12th, on the cusp of history. Since the mid '50s the average tenure for the Irish head coach? Five and a half years. The boys will be back inside, inside Soldier Field after this.
(Music)
(Commercial).
ROB STONE: Allstate, save money like a champion with Allstate. And by cerveza Dos Equis. Get a dose. Please drink responsibly.
No. 5 Iowa, the Big Ten's highest ranked team. They host Colorado state 3:30 eastern on FS1. I would love a road trip to Iowa City, coach. See if you can make that happen for us soon, all right?
BOB STOOPS: I'm working on it. Go, Hawks.
ROB STONE: Penn State up four spots to No. 6, they host unbeaten FCS Villanova. That one coming up on the Big Ten network.
MATT LEINART: Yeah, Jahan Dotson has scored in every single game so far this year. The most receiving yards in the Big Ten since the start of last season, over 1,100. He is the big play threat for this Penn State offense.
ROB STONE: We bring it back to Chicago. Wisconsin, one of big six Big Ten teams ranked inside the AP top 20. As we mentioned, Iowa the highest at No. 5. Joining the Hawkeyes on the list. Three other unbeaten teams, plus, one loss Ohio state, one loss Wisconsin, who's got the Irish on FOX coming up straight ahead.
The Nittany Lions are one of four teams with multiple ranked wins. They won at Wisconsin in week one; dropped Auburn last week. Why are they at the top of your Big Ten pecking order right now?
MATT LEINART: Well, that's one of the main reasons. They have the best resume of any team right now, the tough road win and then Auburn in the SEC. For me they're the most complete team right now offensively with Sean Clifford. We talked about the turnovers from a year ago. He is protecting the football this year. He is finally elevating the players around him. I just mentioned Jahan Dotson, a big receiving player on the outside.
Defensively, guys, it hasn't been great, and you could argue Wisconsin should have won that game, but they have found ways to win games down in the red zone when it's mattered most. There's something to be said about about that. They have a championship-type mentality. I believe that. Right now at this point they're the best team in the Big Ten for me.
BOB STOOPS: I think my Hawkeyes are. Not just because I played there, but Iowa already has two ranked teams that they've beaten. They've got the best defense maybe other than Georgia. They may have the second best defense in America. They've got an experienced quarterback in Spencer Petras that's really playing well. They run the football well, and they don't turn it over, and they got the best punter in the country. You don't hear that a lot.
BRADY QUINN: The punter?
REGGIE BUSH: That makes a difference. If you have a great defensive play, that's when punter comes in.
BOB STOOPS: Tory Taylor, come on, give the punter some love.
BRADY QUINN: Let me make a case for Michigan because I think the only thing holding their back is their schedule. But they played an easy schedule. They have the best point differential in the country.
What was the question we asked about Michigan to begin the year? What's their identity? Well, fellas, they found it because they can run the football better than anyone in the country right now. Cade McNamara hasn't had to do much, but he has been good with the football, taking care of it.
I'm making a case for Michigan right now because their defense is back to playing very similar to what I saw back when I played against them in 2005. Keep an eye on Michigan. That's a team right now that I think is heading in the right direction.
ROB STONE: We will see the Wolverines up close and personal next Saturday in Madison. We'll be there for that.
It's time for the Discover Matchup Report. Who is going to meet their match today? Number 12 Notre Dame taking on 18th ranked Wisconsin from Chicago, coming up noon Eastern here on FOX. A pair of ranked teams from the SEC West, A&M and Arkansas in Arlington.
Fourth ranked Oklahoma welcomes West Virginia to Norman. Coach, we'll get you there in time for kickoff. An SEC East rivals clash at The Swamp in Gainesville. AT&T Stadium, site of that massive SEC showdown a little bit later today. It will be the first time since 1989 that both the Aggies and the Razorbacks will enter the matchup ranked inside the top 16. The winner emerges as a legit threat to Bama in the west. Coach, Sam Pittman has done wonders right off the bat for Arkansas.
BOB STOOPS: Sam Pittman has done a great job. Longtime O-line coach. I met him back in 1990. He was at Hutch Junior College. He has been to like 15 or 16 different schools as an assistant coach, and now the head coach at Arkansas.
They're going to -- they made a huge statement beating the heck out of Texas. Old Southwest Conference foes. They're going to double-down on that statement beating the heck out of A&M today, and if they do, I mean, Arkansas is back. I mean, this is --
MATT LEINART: You're calling it?
REGGIE BUSH: Recruiting, what kind of recruiting implications would that have for Arkansas?
BOB STOOPS: Absolutely. Going down into Dallas, AT&T Stadium and beating A&M, two weeks ago you beat Texas. They're in. They'll be recruiting the heck out of that college.
REGGIE BUSH: All over the state of Texas. Arkansas is all over the state of Texas.
MATT LEINART: The rushing attack, it's a direct extension of their head coach, former offensive line coach. Four running backs average five or more carries. The offensive line is big, they're scary. KJ Jefferson, their quarterback, is an integral part of that run game.
Brady, we know, at Texas A&M, the strength of the defense is the front four, front seven. Something has to give in this game. Can Arkansas continue to run the football like they have against that Aggie front? That will be the key in this football game.
BRADY QUINN: I think there are two thing at play here. For KJ Jefferson, we know it's going to be a challenge to run the football versus Texas A&M. They're the No. 1 scoring defense in the country, and their defensive coordinator, Mike Elko, does as good a job as anyone.
And, oh, by the way, there's a big boy up there, big No. 8, DeMarvin Leal. He's not going to let so many people get past him. But can KJ Jefferson do enough through the air versus Texas A&M? Can he make enough big plays down field? I don't think they'll have success running the football. That's why I like A&M in this one.
ROB STONE: By the way, over your shoulder, how shiny are those helmets? Were you in the back cleaning those up last night for us, Brady?
BRADY QUINN: No, I wasn't doing that, someone else's job, but that's real gold. That's real gold.
REGGIE BUSH: 24 karat gold.
ROB STONE: Yeah, no, I'm not buying that. I'm not buying that.
Coming up next, Jack Coan spent four years as quarterback for Wisconsin. Today he suits up against his old team. You're going to hear from him next. Notre Dame, they needed last-minute points to win their first two games. Victory in overtime over Florida State where last week a fourth quarter rally to finally pull away from Purdue to win it by 14. That's a good one with those lids.
REGGIE BUSH: That's a pretty sight right there.
(Music)
(Commercial)
(Music).
ROB STONE: Outline begins to Blue, sunny September sky. The Irish and Badgers, road again. What a beautiful day here in Chicago. Time for championship impact sponsored by Allstate. Who is going to be celebrating today? Big play potential from that man as a runner and a receiver, Brady.
BRADY QUINN: That's right, and he might actually might play a big role as a receiver today. Matched up against those linebackers and safeties for Wisconsin. Keep an eye on him in the passing game.
MATT LEINART: Chez Mellusi, the lead talent of a three-headed rushing attack for the Badgers.
REGGIE BUSH: Yeah, transfer from Clemson. He is going to need a big day today going up against this Notre Dame defense on the road. I'm looking for a great game out of Chez Mellusi.
MATT LEINART: Kickoff coming up in just under 28 minutes. Jack Coan spent four years in Madison, including a 2019 season, which included ten wins and a Rose Bowl appearance.
But after his senior season, he never could have imaged he would transfer as a graduate student to Notre Dame, so today he finds his college career coming full circle.
(Music)
>> And we welcome Jack Coan to the Notre Dame Nation.
>> Coan drops back. Over the middle. Touchdown, Notre Dame!
>> It's crazy how it's come to this moment already.
>> I think we all understand that, you know, is the story line that's out there. Obviously, we have respect for Jack and appreciate who he is as a person.
JACK COAN: It's definitely going to be weird just because it's going to be a lot of my friends I'm playing against, a lot of guys I still talk to today. At the end of the day it's just another football dame.
>> Jack go to the shotgun, throws, to the 10, 5; touchdown, Notre Dame.
>> It's not just a one, two-person show. It's two teams going to play. That's what awesome about football is it's a two-team sport, and it's going to take our team going up against a very good Notre Dame team.
MATT COAN: A lot of people ask me if, like, I'm taking this game personally and things like that. Not really. I just want to go out there and win this one like all the rest.
ROB STONE: The potential of Graham Mertz seemed to have trumped the production of Jack Coan. Think that's been on his mind this week?
BRADY QUINN: Of course. I had a chance to speak with Jack Coan earlier this week. He might not outwardly say it, but you can tell he has a chip on his shoulder and this game is meaningful to him to be able to prove to his team that maybe he should have been the guy all along.
He's going to have to have a big game today, because you're not going to be able to run against this Wisconsin defense, and I don't even know how much they're going to try to, to be honest with you. They're going to put this game on Jack Coan's shoulder with that big chip and see if they can throw their way and create some big plays versus this stingy Wisconsin defense.
BOB STOOPS: I'm going to be interested if he isn't standing next to the defensive coordinator stealing Wisconsin's signals that he should still know, right?
We had Baker Mayfield, the first year he transferred from a Texas Tech, had him spying for some signals to give us a little heads-up.
BRADY QUINN: The game within the game.
BOB STOOPS: That's right.
MATT LEINART: Well, the best player on the field with the exception of maybe Kyle Hamilton today is Notre Dame's tight end, who Jack will be throwing to, Michael Mayer, and this is a great matchup.
I think Notre Dame, look for them to try to get him involved, movement around, create those matchups that they want.
And Wisconsin, this is what you cannot do against Michael Mayer. Brady, how about we actually just cover him off the line of scrimmage. Just a little high-low concept here to the field. Florida State lets him go, which leads to a touchdown. Big play receiver in the red zone.
And then here against Toledo. One-on-one, just a little seam. Big play by Jack Coan. But Purdue last week held Michael Mayer to one catch, and this is what they did. Bump him off the line, and he's double-teamed with safety or linebacker help over the top.
That's what you have to do in this football game. Wisconsin's defense is outstanding. They have to know where this guy is at every single play. Notre Dame has to do a great job of moving him around and creating those one-on-one matchups.
BRADY QUINN: And someone else has to step up. Kevin Austin; talked about Kyren Williams in the passing game, too; Avery Davis and Braden Lenzy. Other guys are going to have to step up. Teams know about Michael Mayer now.
REGGIE BUSH: Yeah, and this Wisconsin defense that Jack Coan is going to be going up against unfortunately is going to blitz him a lot. You're going to see that all day long.
But I think Jack Coan can help himself out with running the football and turning around and handing off to Kyren Williams who is arguably their most explosive player on offense.
But when you are going up against this Wisconsin defense, they are attacking and they are penetrating. They're number one against the run, so you need a big game out of Kyren Williams today.
BRADY QUINN: You guys think we're going to go this whole segment and not going to talk about arguably the best prospect, the best player in the country, Kyle Hamilton. This guy is an absolute ball hawk, okay? I don't care where you put him on the field, he is going to impact this game, and that's who Graham Mertz has to be careful about.
Starting off the season -- this is just the first interception. He is great in coverage for a safety. He seems like he is about 6'5" and long, but how about this play? Who else is making this play in college football? He is at the opposite hash, and he has got eyes on the quarterback. He is freed up, making his way all the way across the field.
It's just incredible the range that he has, and I keep explaining to people, you put the ball in his direction, he is going to come up with the football. So keep an eye on how they move around Kyle Hamilton within this defense today, and if Graham Mertz wants to test it, best of luck, but it will be at your own peril.
REGGIE BUSH: You don't want those problems. Graham Mertz don't want those problems.
ROB STONE: Last week, Hamilton, ten tackles, two pass-up break-ups and his third interception already. The campaign, the Irish, six turnovers through just three games. Notre Dame and the Badgers, they produced elite-level players through the years. Two of the best and two Heisman Trophy winners make the case on why their alma mater will win today. We are trash talking, boys, with Touchdown Timmy and the Great Dayne.
(Music)
>> Open up the history books. Here comes Ron Dayne!
>> Tim Brown, great catch!
>> Touchdown, Notre Dame.
TIM BROWN: What's up, R.D.? What's going on, man?
RON DAYNE: I can't complain, man. Just getting ready for this big one we got coming up.
TIM BROWN: Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Been a long time since these two got together.
RON DAYNE: I can't wait to see us run all over y'all, though.
TIM BROWN: You know, we know y'all trying to come with that little running game, man. We understand. But they don't have Ron Dayne no more, man. Ron Dayne is not there. Plus, we got their old quarterback, man.
RON DAYNE: Big bro, we are going to give you all what we got. We're going to give you all what we got. Because we're going to be ready for y'all.
TIM BROWN: You know, everybody has to have their dreams, right? I guess that's yours, so we'll -- your dream could be over by halftime, though. That's the only problem. We're going to come up there and pack the bags early on this one. Make sure go on out and play some golf the second half. Just don't worry about it.
RON DAYNE: We'll see. We will definitely see.
BRADY QUINN: Touchdown Timmy getting after it, man.
ROB STONE: Make that tee time. Slow your roll. Have you been watching your Notre Dame Fighting Irish? They're not getting anything done in the first half. They are saving it to late.
BRADY QUINN: They're getting better and better each game. That's the thing. They knew it was going to be a maturation process. They're getting better each week.
ROB STONE: It's a process. Clay Travis takes the bus to Nashville, Tennessee. Vandy fans hoping their team can pull off the upset of the year. They host second ranked Georgia. Clay will tell you if he thinks his Commodores can do it next. Texas home to Texas Tech. Bijan -- what number does he wear, Reg?
REGGIE BUSH: He's wearing No. 5. He looked good in it, too, I have to say. Bijan Robinson, going to need a big game out of him today. I love watching this kid. He is very hard to tackle.
MATT LEINART: Jake Ferguson. The other great tight end in this matchup today. Jake Ferguson leads Wisconsin with 12 catches so far this season. Graham Mertz has to get back on track. This is his number one target.
ROB STONE: Kickoff coming up in about 20 minutes. We are expecting over 61,000 fans today inside Soldier Field. The final Saturday of September. Week four from college football rolls on from Chicago next.
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ROB STONE: FOX Big Noon Kickoff from Chicago sponsored by Wendy's, the official breakfast of NCAA football. Also, the official breakfast of Reggie Bush.
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ROB STONE: University of Wisconsin marching band on the field. Guys got some wheels.
REGGIE BUSH: Got some wheels and got the high-step down.
MATT LEINART: He has some flexibility too.
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REGGIE BUSH: Let's go! Let's go!
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>> Boomer.
>> Sooner.
>> Boomer.
>> Sooner.
>> Texas.
>> There we go.
ROB STONE: If you come out and join us at Big Noon Kickoff, you are going to have fun on your Saturday mornings. We'll see you in Madison next week.
You can win money on the free-to-play FOX Bet Super 6 app during the college football season. Just download the app, pick six winners and their margin of victory for a shot at $25,000.
Let's start with our picks. Arkansas, they seek their first 4-0 start since 2003. They meet Texas A&M. Brady?
BRADY QUINN: I don't see it happening today. This is going to be a low-scoring game. Both teams are on the rushing attack, but it's the defense that's going to be the difference, and that's why I have Texas A&M by three.
REGGIE BUSH: I'm watching the UCLA-Stanford game. This UCLA team is different. They're putting up a lot of points. I like UCLA by seven in this game.
MATT LEINART: I got Iowa State-Baylor. Cyclones off to a bit of a sluggish start offensively but picked it up last week. Brock Purdy, Breece Hall combined for five touchdowns. I like them against Baylor by ten.
BOB STOOPS: West Virginia at Oklahoma. This is a big surprise. I got Oklahoma by 14. Under the line, though, because -- but I do believe Spencer Rattler and the offense is going to get on track.
ROB STONE: Notre Dame, they needed last-minute points to win their first two games, and they were only able to pull away from Purdue last week in the final six minutes. I like the rested Badgers off a bye week by seven today.
We go back to Nashville. Clay Travis, do your Commodores have an upset in them today?
CLAY TRAVIS: Georgia may be the best team in all of college football, Rob, and we got a lot of people fired up behind me right now. Kickoff about to happen here, too.
Here's what's going to happen. Going to keep the hot streak going. Georgia is going to win 42-10, Rob, but the Commodores cover the 35.5. Everybody leaves Nashville happy, Georgia and Vandy fans. They're going to call off the Dawgs early here, right? That's what's going to happen. That's what's going to happen.
ROB STONE: All right, Clay, thank you. Enjoy next week. The Outkick Bus Tour headed Tuscaloosa. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss, taking on Nick Saban and top ranked Alabama.
Those are our picks. You still have time to play at home. Download the FOX Bet Super 6 app to play. It is free, and as we mentioned, you could win $25,000.
Let's pull it back into our game. You heard my pick. Coach, Wisconsin opened up as a six and a half point favorite, but you like the Irish today. Why?
BOB STOOPS: I think Jack Coan is going to outplay Mertz. I really do. Just watching him through the week, I think he is going to have more big plays. He is going to take care of the football, and both defenses I think will be -- play strong.
MATT LEINART: Yeah, I like the Badgers in this game, and really mainly because of the defense. I just think their defense is suffocating. Notre Dame's offensive line's struggles has been an issue all season long. A low-scoring 21-17, but I like the Badgers.
REGGIE BUSH: Yeah, I like Notre Dame in this game. I think Jack Coan has a chip on his shoulder. I think he is going to play well today. I think he is going to protect the football.
Now, I say play well because he is playing against this Wisconsin defense, but protecting the football is going to be a premium from him today. I like Notre Dame 24-21.
BRADY QUINN: That's the biggest surprise of the day so far. I did not think either one of you guys would have picked Notre Dame. Look, here's the deal. This game to me comes down to quarterback play, and I think Jack Coan has been more consistent. He really came to Notre Dame at the right time as far as far as what they needed, too.
The down field pass game, something that we were there week one, and allowed Penn State to win that game versus the Badgers. So I think Coan will be able to deliver to Kevin Austin, Michael Mayer, other big plays down field.
And with Graham Mertz, he's struggled. Only one touchdown pass the last six games. He hasn't had one this season. I'm relying on Jack Coan coming up big for the Irish. I got them winning a tight one 28-27.
ROB STONE: Graham Mertz still without a touchdown this season. I know they've only played two games, but there is some hand-wringing going on. Again, Paul Chryst also calls the plays for Wisconsin. He has got to open up things down field. They've been limited so far.
Coming up, Tom Rinaldi catches up with the man on the verge of breaking Knute Rockne's record, Brian Kelly, for the most wins as a head coach.
Wisconsin band still on the field. 12 minutes away from kickoff. The Badgers at 1-1. They fell in week one at home to Penn State. They've got another ranked team ahead of them in No. 12 Notre Dame next.
SMU and TCU coming your way noon Eastern on FS1. Two unbeatens from the great state of Texas.
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ROB STONE: For a limited time get zero dollar delivery free and free six-piece nugs when you order in the Wendy's app.
Temperature starting to rise here in Chicago. 50s in the morning; rain last night. We should be close to 70 by kickoff. Soldier Field hosted a heavy weight fight, World Cup, National Football Championship Game, and now it's Notre Dame and Wisconsin from Chicago.
Welcoming you back onto the field right now. Only two coaches have had their teams ranked in the top ten in every season of the college football playoff era. Nick Saban and Brian Kelly. For more on Coach Kelly on the cusp of history, we join Tom Rinaldi. Hi, Tom.
TOM RINALDI: Hello, Rob. After Brian Kelly's playing career as a linebacker at Assumption College was over, his head coach had a prediction for Kelly's future, saying he would be one of three things: The President of the United States, a Pope, or the head coach at Notre Dame.
Kelly fulfilled certainly one of those prophecies, and now 12 years in he has his team on the edge of Irish history.
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>> Brian Kelly, 105 wins ties Knute Rockne for the most-ever wins in Notre Dame history. That is an amazing accomplishment.
>> 105 wins. Why that reaction?
BRIAN KELLY: Well, I've heard it enough. I didn't even know how many it was until last year. I started going, Wow, that's a lot of wins. We've been here a while. Certainly tying Rockne is a great source of pride for me.
TOM RINALDI: Some of the other coaches, a thought that comes to mind. Ara Parseghian.
BRIAN KELLY. Love him. Thoughtful. Would always write necessity a note after the games. I've kept them. Lou Holtz would do anything for Notre Dame. Incredible. Knute Rockne the consummate marketer. He would have been awesome today.
>> Today is the day we're going to win. Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight.
TOM RINALDI: What is your place in Notre Dame football coaching history?
BRIAN KELLY: The guy that's won more game and hasn't won a championship, and I get that. Look, you come to Notre Dame to win a national championship. We've been consistent. We've won, but there's still unfinished business. There's statues out here not for the winningest coach, but for the coach that wins a national championship, and certainly I would like one of those too.
TOM RINALDI: So this notion, Brian, that we hear so much in sport, if you don't have the ring, that leaves a hollow sense. Your response to that?
BRIAN KELLY: I think that's a bit over the top. My why is about relationships with our players.
>> Here we go!
BRIAN KELLY: Intensity was great yesterday. Let's keep it up. Same thing today.
You have to shift and change your leadership style. If you remember me early in my career, you know, I was pretty hot on the sidelines.
TOM RINALDI: Really?
BRIAN KELLY: Yeah, you remember seeing a couple of clips, but that's about changing and growing as a leader.
>> Here we go.
>> There you go, Harry.
TOM RINALDI: In the 12 years there are so many different numbers. How do you view the notion of vacated wins?
BRIAN KELLY: Arbitrary and capricious. Look, at the end of the day everybody knows what happened and we still played those games, so it was an arbitrary decision made by a governing body. Doesn't change the integrity of what we did.
TOM RINALDI: As photographed as any coach in any sport, what do you see across 12 years?
BRIAN KELLY: Probably a little bit of the stress of the job. No doubt. Maybe a little bit less anxious and more comfortable with the job at the same time.
TOM RINALDI: If you walk off this particular Saturday with win 106, what will make it real?
BRIAN KELLY: I can't decide if it's a French bordeaux or a Napa cab. It's going to be one of the two. That will make it real.
TOM RINALDI: I can tell you that's as real as it gets for Brian Kelly. He enjoys his vino. Rob, after every game, Brian Kelly walks off the field, and interestingly he has a tradition. He does not meet with the team immediately. He meets with his assistant coaches and takes a quick thought from each to see if there's something they might have seen that he hasn't so that he can present one unified message to that team when he addresses them, a precious time.
You see Brian Kelly come out now and take the field. So much history at stake. 12 plus years in. He understands what it's taken to get here. A lot hanging in the balance him in terms of his tenure. A special moment, Rob.
ROB STONE: Wisconsin making their way on the field wearing some special white "Forward" uniforms to honor the state of Wisconsin. Let's go back, though, to this win that's looming there for Brian Kelly. He would achieve it in Knute Rockne's hometown of Chicago as a former player at that program. What has the Brian Kelly era meant to Notre Dame?
BRADY QUINN: I think he has met a model of consistency, and one of the things that I appreciate the most is he has adapted through a lot of change in college football for the BCS era, make it to a National Championship Game to the College Football Playoff going in 2019 and last year as well. It's tough for the academic standards to occur. He has been able to maintain a high level coach on the field and off the field.
BOB STOOPS: As a former coach watching Brian Kelly here through the years he is a perfect fit for Notre Dame, and he has done an incredible job.
REGGIE BUSH: Going up against Graham Mertz, Wisconsin cannot afford to get down early against this team because Graham Mertz only one touchdown last six games. They're going to really need to depend on this run game. Chez Mellusi, let's see if they can get it done.
MATT LEINART: We talked about Jack Coan against his former team. Does he come out with emotion or playing good football and Graham Mertz, can he get back on track?
ROB STONE: It will be a fascinating watch. We'll see you next at halftime. We go upstairs for the call of the game to our friends, Joel Klatt and Gus Johnson.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports