Ep 329: The Pass Rush with Stevie Lee, Triumphant Season and Unprecedented Playoffs: A Texas Football Journey

We're joined in this rip-roaring discussion by none other than Stevie Lee, as we dissect the season of triumph and anticipation for Texas Football. We've seen the Longhorns secure a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time ever, and the energy in Austin is palpable. A bold victory over Oklahoma State (49-21!) and pure grit unraveled on the field have given the Longhorns their due - and we get under the skin of this landmark moment, from strategic coaching to the electric atmosphere at Jerry World.

The plot thickens when we turn our focus to the Big 12 Championship game where the Longhorns clashed with Oklahoma. If you're a fan, you remember how a contentious call tipped the game in Oklahoma's favor, and we have a former Longhorn player to take us back to that day. We delve deeper into the significance of this game, touching on the WWE's surprise presence and the gripping personal stories of players and supporters. We also examine the moments that followed - the Big 12 commissioner's trophy presentation and the rich history of Texas' performance in the conference. 

Looking ahead, we wade into the deep waters of the College Football Playoffs. With Georgia and Florida State on the sidelines, we question the need for a 12-team playoff system that ensures fair representation. And while we have your attention, Longhorns, soak up the thrill of anticipation but heed our advice against spending an entire week in New Orleans. We wrap up this exhilarating ride with a heartfelt note on the spirit of giving and gratitude, reminding us all what truly matters. So buckle up, Longhorn nation, we're in for a wild ride!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

For the first time in over a decade, a championship trophy is back in Austin. There was a Gatorade bath and a lot of booing the very next day. A lot of elation and severe disappointment, heartbroken, devastated and I'm sure there is a lot of anger.

Speaker 2: 0:35

You're going to tell me somebody is sitting in that committee room and doesn't think that that Georgia team is not one of the best four teams.

Speaker 1: 0:42

I don't know if they're in the right profession, so buckle your chin straps, let's ride Treants green. How about that? Stevie Lee, the UT, your longhorns, a lot of people's longhorns. First ever college football playoff appearance. It took about 10 years, but I got a real. I got to know, even though you've had a day to allow it to marinate yesterday, your feelings. I know we were on Instagram live, but that smile right there on your face it's even bigger now than it was yesterday yeah, man, it's, um, it's.

Speaker 5: 2:00

It feels good to be a longhorn right now. Man, the the way I felt yesterday for the kids that was it's a long time coming. They've worked really, really hard. Coach shark came in and turned things around in this program and, kind of you know, picked up the baton. Coach Tori Bechton, the strength and conditioning coach, got the kids right, you know, with their. You know, at the end of the game they still look healthy and and and not tired and things like that. So I'm really liking what I'm seeing on the field. Man, it's fun, fun to watch. The offense has been fun, defenses is picking things up and fun as well. So, you know, it's just fun all around and I was really happy when the the horns logo came up. I think my neighbors heard me screaming man, so it was.

Speaker 1: 3:01

It was really cool to watch no, it was, and I think it was the same for a lot of people. I think there was an element of probably this much confidence. And the reason why I say that? Because everyone you spoke to or at least I did, and I know probably for you and so many other people everybody was saying it was that kind of pause with their confidence. Because I know, at the game, I know on the way back from Arlington, I know even that night, people with the text messaging there was this cautiously optimistic feeling oh we're ha and but trying to justify being in. You know, you knew that Texas was right there, but we're about to go ahead I was.

Speaker 5: 3:47

I was a optimist, optimistic about everything. And then all the pundits in sports talk radio or sports talk TV and all that stuff started saying Texas should be in Texas, is in, texas, should be in Texas. And then an AP poll came out and I was like, whoa, three in the AP, three, yeah. And then other other people were saying Texas should be in. And then it went from Texas should be into, texas is in Texas. And I was like, okay, so they believe so. Then in the college football playoffs room, they should be believing too. Yeah. And then it came out three third seed man. That's huge, big time man, huge yeah, and it's.

Speaker 1: 4:31

It's almost well, we're gonna dive into it, but be sure to subscribe to our YouTube page and like all of our social media platforms, that being tick-tock Instagram, facebook and also Twitter, slash X and that's. We got a lot of content, a lot of content daily, because the people want it. So Texas won their fourth big 12 championship, and we're talking about the CFP. We'll get to that big 12 championship. And so to Stevie's point, the college football playoff drama and it was a full FSU and Georgia left out.

Speaker 1: 5:09

You had basically seven teams which you know were deserving or could eat, could justify why they should be in. But there's only four spots and in the end you've got these four. Texas made the leap all the way up, essentially this weekend. If you lost late in the season, you're done. You lost these last two or three weeks real quick. So rematch from last year's Alamo Bowl in the sugar Bowl. Then we got the Rose Bowl matchup. Michigan not too happy about having to face Alabama, even though Alabama a lot of people say should not be in now, heavy is the head.

Speaker 5: 5:53

Well, what is it? Well, heavy is the head that wears a crown and they knocked the crown off that head. So, georgia, that this was for Georgia In the Alabama game and that championship that was there, that was the first playoff game and they should know in going in that game the loser is out of the playoffs, you know. And so I thought that that was fine, I thought that was perfectly fine. And we have the head-to-head over Alabama and so the, the, the committee stuff, who do their work and put Us in front of Alabama because we have the head-to-head right. And then they do also state in their selection process that that they take In considerations injuries and coaching availability, and that's why we had to leap frog FSU.

Speaker 5: 6:59

Their coach, or their Quarterback, is broke his leg and they struggled against no, and so I mean it really really sucks for Florida State and I feel for those kids. They did everything that they supposed to do. You know, you tell kids to win, just win and win and win and you'll get to the championship, playoff or or, or even win a championship, and they're not. So that that really, really sucks. But it states in the but what I guess bylaws, that their criteria, I think the criteria for the college football playoffs, that what happened to you guys, we take into consideration and they did so. That's that's the world we live in right now, but we're gonna go to a 12 team playoff. It should have happened this year. Yeah, it should have happened this year. We wouldn't have this, could be having this conversation, but, um, that it just kind of is what it is.

Speaker 1: 7:54

Yeah, and I think and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is kind of karma, unfortunately. Listen, fsu is a good team, they but there's just a year this a year where there's so many teams that really Perform so well. They're undefeated or one loss. But correct me if I'm wrong I think the ACC commissioner voted against the 12 team playoff for this year, um.

Speaker 5: 8:21

I'm not sure. I've heard that there's been some rumblings about that, but I'm not entirely sure about it. But you know, that can bite you in the ass for sure. So that's karma, yeah, karma.

Speaker 1: 8:37

So Coach Sarkeesian, jalen Ford, yesterday, you know, had the opportunity to talk about it. Of course, you know Sark, having had some sec experience at Alabama, was, you know, worried about trying to squeeze out the SEC because sec was almost left out of this thing. This was coach Sarke and one of the best linebackers in the country immediately after being notified that they were in the CFP.

Speaker 2: 9:08

I was worried about us not getting in. You know that's, that's just human nature, you know. You just don't know and we really did not know, and so that's that's one of the challenges of the committee and the playoff selection. But you know, it all worked out for us. But I wasn't, I wasn't so concerned about if the SEC was getting squeezed out or not.

Speaker 4: 9:29

I was more concerned about us you know, to see that us in Washington are in the college playoffs after being an Allen, but last year it's kind of like a, it's kind of ironic, you know. But they got a good team and you know, I think for us we just, you know, ready to finally get a chance to go. So what Texas football is?

Speaker 1: 9:51

So to Jaylen's point, they were in that Alamo ball but they were not 100% because a lot of players and I agree you don't, you shouldn't play in this game. If you're gonna be a top two or three NFL draft Two or three round pick you set out, protect your assets. So a lot of the Longhorns last year, including a Bijon, roshan and some others didn't play and I get it and it hurt them and I get. I'm not saying that Texas would have won. I think the game would have been different.

Speaker 5: 10:25

No. I'll say it just would have won.

Speaker 1: 10:28

Okay, I was there. I don't know, but I think, yeah, they play pretty well considering. But again, there was a good chance they could have won that game. Last year in San Antonio we had the best one in back in the country.

Speaker 5: 10:42

Yeah, not like, and then the second best running back in. We would have won that game, man.

Speaker 1: 10:50

Yeah, I'm not gonna disagree. Yeah, and so a lot of the players, you think about where this plate, this team, has come from. A lot of these guys were five and seven two years ago and you see a lot of these feel-good stories with the CFP, the rise, a quick rise. Well, what's your? How do you summarize briefly a lot of these older players, what they've been through? And to stay well, not only stay with the program, but To just stay a course, to build this program back up under Sarkisian?

Speaker 5: 11:24

Yeah, man, it's been a lot. And if you want to go back to when I was losing the Iowa State at Iowa State, was that Iowa State at Iowa State and coach, coach yellow net him on the on the bus, bo Davis, bo Davis yelling at him on the bus like that. We've come a long ways from that. You know that's a bunch of ups and downs, a bunch of Long days in the summer with Tori Bechton in the sandpit just working, working, working. And now you get the rewards To, to the reward and opportunity to play in the college football playoffs. This is an opportunity. Now they got to go and snatch it and seize this opportunity right. We, we got Washington when we play. Last year we got a fire in our belly. You know so because they, they beat us last year. So go out and snatch that man and then get ready for, you know, either Michigan or Alabama.

Speaker 1: 12:28

Well, but a lot of teams show it can be done. Tcu last year I don't know where plays for national championship and you know, I think the CFP To add to the prior topic is they're trying to avoid a championship game like that. And that's not to take anything away from TCU. They did beat Michigan Fair and square in that semi-final to get to where they are. So Quinn Ewers, the quarterback, he, he uses words that sound like man To be a part of this. He's, it's just like he is. This wow, all shucks almost, and it's not talking about him, but he's just thinking about his Older teammates, what they went through to which you just spoke about. And this Quinn, just it's man. This is a sign of a good leader right here.

Speaker 6: 13:19

You know some of these guys that were on that five and 17 to where we are now, I mean, it's it's. There's no better feeling for those guys and I'm just glad to be a part of a team that that is able to enjoy it that much because they know what it's, what it's like to To be, you know, disregarded at five, at seven.

Speaker 5: 13:38

Yeah, yeah, turn the whole program around for them. If you're five and seven and now you're sitting here at 11 and one entering in the college football playoffs, it's a whole different experience from end in the season, basically two weeks ago, and you know, not practicing again until spring ball, until two years later you are into the season with a big 12 championship, getting ready to play two more games hopefully two more games and getting more practice under your belt, getting more film in and possibly, you know, being such a good team now getting really good looks from Scouts. You know, yeah, nfl Scouts.

Speaker 1: 14:24

Well, it's a lot. There's a lot of benefit to this. You know, when you play in the postseason, I mean, but you know the bigger picture, I mean. Let's be honest with each other, and we've talked about this for several years now, and then only three, because this podcast has only been around for three years. This program has not been good for I mean it's on a consistent basis since 09.

Speaker 1: 14:47

There's been a roller coaster. I mean, really Texas has not been Texas. You know, tom Herman did add some stability. Let's give Tom some credit. There was some stability but they weren't consistently good yet and to read where they are 12 and one now that's taken a big leap.

Speaker 1: 15:08

And it's just significant man and this program is capable. It's just been a sleeping giant. It's just not been Texas and I really feel like and it's not a shot at any coach before I honestly feel like not enough credit has been given to Tom Herman. He was that next step and I think Sark and his staff have been able to get the attention elevate. And you love to hear this when I'm about to play, from Byron Murphy Jade Barron is the first soundbite you'll hear. But what Byron says is so anti this current generation, because everyone wants a quick fix, everyone wants to be praised, everyone wants to me, me, me type attitude. And this is a true program changer, a true team type guy. Listen to this, steven, it means the world.

Speaker 7: 16:07

We had a lot of hard times at five to seven years, but we stuck with each other, in one another and we trusted Sark. We put in a lot of work, you know, on and off the field, you know. So, just every day, just grinding and grinding and just waiting your turn and just, you know, just staying with it. You know trying to, you know, believe in what he's saying, believe in our culture, believe in his team, my teammates, you know, and they pay it off.

Speaker 5: 16:34

Yep, yep, and you can kind of see the emotion in that kid's eyes, man Right, and it's very emotional turning around from five and seven, turning around a whole program like that. It takes work, takes hard work and for me, man, I feel like we got our coach and that makes me really, really happy and proud. I mean he has a good staff with him. It's not just Coach Sharp, man, he has a really good staff. Yeah, the best staff money could buy, right, yep.

Speaker 1: 17:03

Well, they've had the money. Yeah, they just have not really gotten the best staff until now.

Speaker 5: 17:11

Well, did we? I guess we had the money, but this is even more money now. Like we have over. We have about four people on the staff. That's making over a million dollars, right?

Speaker 1: 17:23

I need to go back and look before I say that you know and you know and this is a current listen, this is I hate saying this, but people don't want to hear this but when you have other programs coming in interviewing your assistants, that's a compliment. This is his compliment. You got Jeff Choate, who is the Co-DC and linebacker coach. He's expected to be named the University of Nevada's head coach.

Speaker 5: 17:49

I did not know that. Come on, man, Dang it and you need to keep our guys man.

Speaker 1: 17:55

You know, everyone say, oh, it's just an assistant.

Speaker 5: 17:58

No, that's a big piece. That's huge piece man Is. Do you think that Bo Davis is just an assistant? No, he's not. He's way more than that man. He's a culture builder, exactly, and and built that culture across the D line. I mean, sweatt and Murphy are playing their butts off man. And it's fun to watch being a big boy myself Sweatt getting a touchdown in the end zone. That was hilarious. I love that. He just walked in and stood right there and got the ball, man. So it's just it's fun to watch man.

Speaker 1: 18:35

No, it is and it's. Listen, this is going to happen year after year.

Speaker 5: 18:41

They're going to come after where coaches, where they're part of a program of continued success Also also the University of Texas and and CDC. Chris Del Conti, they got to back up the Brinks truck. Yeah, I mean, I know, shark, I think he's at 5.5 or 5.6 million a year. He'll get a raise going into the SEC man. That's the, that's the bottom tier of the SEC, you know. And now he's in the college football playoffs competing really, really well and built this school and built this culture or program up. You know, he, he's, he's probably and I'm saying this to him, I'm telling everybody don't get offended or anything like that but he's probably eight to ten million dollar guy and that's just what the market is and I hate it that we have to pay all this stuff, this money out, but that's what the market is. He's an eight to ten million dollar coach now.

Speaker 1: 19:43

And it also increases the allotment for your assistance, yep, to an extent to, I mean, if we want to be realistic about it.

Speaker 5: 19:53

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 19:56

So, moving on, I mean the top story was going on to the college football playoff for the first time in program history I mean the CFP has only been around about a decade but it didn't know what to expect. In Jerry World I was. I thought that it was a great day, I thought it was a fun atmosphere. I thought there's a lot to unbundle here and we'll get to it and we're going to go through it pretty quick because it's pretty funny and it's. There's a lot to that game day atmosphere. 4921, complete domination. The play calling was on point. They jumped on Oklahoma State quick, I did think, to OSU's credit. I did think they did the best they could, considering Mike Gundy. Texas made them one dimensional in a hurry.

Speaker 5: 20:47

Yeah Well, excuse me Again, holding, didn't we hold him to 3034.

Speaker 1: 20:55

We'll get to that. We'll get to that, okay.

Speaker 5: 20:57

Yeah, but you're right, making them one dimensional. I think that's a good thing. You know I was going to use Gundy man. He's a good coach. He's a good coach and he can get his players up and things like that. He's just not my type of guy. He's not my cup of tea, and we talked about a little bit last year yeah.

Speaker 5: 21:21

He did you do right. He did the best he can do with the staff and talent that he had. I was surprised they got 21 points, but um, but they were just overmatched and with these guys being fired up the way they were, they had no chance in my book.

Speaker 1: 21:42

Well, there was. You just knew and Sartre didn't really say it, but you knew that they all, and probably the player leadership, probably did this what I'm about to say and I love to hear what you had to say. I'm pretty sure the player said you know, we have to make a statement because we can control what we can control, and it worked out for them.

Speaker 5: 22:02

Yeah, it did. Yeah, um, that statement also, I believe and we talked about this the very first podcast of the year, when we talked about the commissioner and what he did at Texas Tech Um, they knew, they had that in the back of their mind and I said it would be poetic justice for him to pass the trophy over the shark on that stage. There is hell did and he did, and we'll get into all that.

Speaker 1: 22:28

Yeah, we'll get into that. So I got to show you this. Now I'm not taking anything away from a good top level player, ollie Gordon II. You know he. He's from the Dallas, fort Worth area. He grew, he wanted he. He did get an offer from Texas late when he was recruited. This guy's a. He's a guy that rushed for 400 yards against Allen high school. I believe it was a senior year, but it's irrelevant to this. He's a good player, but this was him before the game and you can if you just listen closely to what he was saying. He's just trying to get his teammate ready, but this was him before the game, just dropping F bombs, f Texas wit, and you're gonna love this. This is to what Stevie was referring. So after the game, we all know that UT has a great rush defense. So our God, jalen Ford, tweeted this out after the game.

Speaker 5: 23:56

Yep, yeah, man, come on, man, the disrespect is gonna have to stop, dude, at some point it's gonna have to stop. So I, I, I Can get into all all those things. You know, you know we were down and people were kicking us when we were down and then we're still down and you still kicking us. You know F around and find out.

Speaker 1: 24:24

I had to throw out that that from a week or two ago. That was funny. And then he and Ollie did find out. He was so pissed off I Mean Texas got to him early just pinging on him.

Speaker 5: 24:37

Yeah, I know you were at the game. I was on my couch with a beverage.

Speaker 1: 24:43

You're the smarter one. We're over here paying $15 a drink.

Speaker 5: 24:46

Yeah, and so the the TV program showed him very, very frustrated on the sideline, banged his helmet on the ground, came it, came off the field through his helmet on the ground, screaming on the sideline. He was very, very frustrated and you know, he after round and found out he sure did.

Speaker 1: 25:07

I don't blame him, though, but you got it. You with a camera, you got to keep your composure.

Speaker 5: 25:11

Yeah, he did not keep his composure, you know. You know, if Texas offered him late and you know it's just a recruiting, that happens sometimes. Yeah, you know, get out your feelings and actually make a sound decision for yourself. And he's probably thinking he, you know what I probably should have with the Texas, you know, yeah, but you know, and because we got we got a great office of line that he could have been running behind, you know, but we have a full running back room and I love the running back room that we have. I do too.

Speaker 1: 25:44

Yeah, I do too. Hey, and again, not everyone can get an offer Because there are limits. I mean, there are a lot of people who want to go to OU, there's people who want to go to Oklahoma State. Yeah, there's a lot of people who do want to go to Texas or A&M, and there's something. It's just. It's just the way it is and that's why the scholarship limitations 85. It's the way it is.

Speaker 1: 26:06

So one of the big moments of the game was a big boy touchdown to Vondray sweat. I'm gonna go ahead and say that has got to be America's favorite big guy in college football in the country. He had his Heisman moment and this was funny about the play call that. You know they had the big formation, the. They had both Murphy and to Vondray and down there on the goal line and I love this because they didn't squander down there in a goal line. But this was fun. This was fun and it kind of maybe I'm reading too much into it. They love SART and they there's like this bond you. Just you tell me if I'm reading too much into this.

Speaker 7: 26:48

We started. We did it Thursday and Coach told me that that was gonna be our first play. We call when we get in a goal line and he was in line, he did it.

Speaker 2: 27:01

Yeah, so he bobbles it. Yesterday in practice I said, man, do not mess with me. And then I said and don't get a penalty, get your behind of the sideline and celebrate to the sideline. So very, very cool moment.

Speaker 5: 27:16

Yeah, hey, man, they I think that bond is is genuine, they I think these players really really love their head coach. He's hard on them. When I'm in practice he's hard on, he really, he really is. So when you, if you're gonna be a good coach and be hard on On them in practice, you got a love on them after practice too. You got to be just as loving on them afterwards. You know that's, that's how you build a relationship. Hey, I know I was tough on you, I know it was hard on you because I know you can do it and I need you to do it. But, um, you know it's not an apology or anything like that, but you just, you just kind of love on your, your players, the the same way that you you get on them in practice. You know, and I feel that I feel that they really, really like coach Sharp and it's just.

Speaker 1: 28:09

There's a good. I know when you're winning there's a lot of good feelings toward everybody. Yeah, but you just to Vondray, they're gonna miss him, and and I Murphy too, because Murphy looks like a regulator but I mean has that hard nose mentality. But which is a compliment to Vondray? Oh, my god, man, just Every time I, when I saw that that post game podium interviews To Vondray, just I don't know why, man, I just started laughing when he starts speaking, yeah, I haven't talked to him much, but he seems like a funny guy man.

Speaker 5: 28:50

But you know, it's Just fun to watch him play. It ain't funny when he's busting through that line. Though man, he's a man on a mission teams game plan around him.

Speaker 1: 29:03

Yeah, perhaps the best moment. Which an emotional moment. Jay Brooks, jonathan Brooks, the running back who tore a ligament in his knee out for the season Two, was it two weeks ago. They dressed him out and it was a part of the plan and he was out on the final play in victory formation. And To have him out there, stevie, I mean Wow, wow. I didn't know it until my B maze my buddies says I think Jay Brooks was out there and I didn't miss, because you know I'm near sighted and I can't out. We were on the up, the second upper deck, it's not like I um, I, I did not.

Speaker 5: 29:51

I did not catch that. This is my first time catching this and you're right, he's out there, but when I think about it, he was in street clothes in the first half, was it really? Yeah, he was in street clothes, he had his chains on and everything, pumping everybody up on the sidelines. So that was strategic. Coach told him to go and put her uniform on. We're gonna beat these guys ass and I'm put you in for the victory formation. That's really, really cool man.

Speaker 1: 30:18

That's cool. Yes, yeah, you know. Obviously he's all braced up on the knee.

Speaker 5: 30:24

Yeah, that's cool and I hope, you know, hope he comes back. Well, he has to come back, right, he doesn't?

Speaker 1: 30:30

have to. But we'll see. You know how it is. If he gets a third round or higher evaluation, he'll probably go, but it's going to be 50 50 in my opinion, to get that type of evaluation. But I don't know. I mean, listen, I am wrong 70% of the time. I Am not gonna lie, but right, 30%, so you good, yeah, I'm right 30%. That's good in baseball, right.

Speaker 5: 30:59

It's good at baseball. Batten 300, you making 200 million dollars.

Speaker 1: 31:03

Damn right, I'm shit. I'm clearly doing well right now. So you mentioned it and I. This is my video that I shot. This is from my Instagram story the big 12 commissioner receiving a warm welcome in the trophy presentation after the game.

Speaker 5: 31:41

I was like dude, it was even worse on TV. Man, Was it really? It was? It was and you get, because the camera was right in his face. You can see everything. Just just I deserve it. Then he tried to say I take it as love, I take it all I did, I did breathe kind of hear that.

Speaker 5: 32:01

Yeah, it was worse on TV, man, me and my wife was cracking up laughing, man, it's just kind of like it's poetic justice. Man, you can't be a good commissioner and take sides with a team like, you know, with any teams. And I know that we're leaving and you probably fault us for tearing up the big 12, 10 years ago, when we got the Longhorn Network deal, well, he wasn't even around then. Yeah, he was. Yeah, you're right, but that was, that was essentially the beginning.

Speaker 1: 32:35

Yeah, we can, we can. Yeah, we can definitely. If people don't admit that the Longhorn Network played a role in this, then they're pulling themselves.

Speaker 5: 32:44

Exactly it was. It was the beginning. So you know we may want to fault us for that, you may want to fault us for leaving and know you leaving and all that stuff, but you still have to be a commissioner over the entire big 12. We were a part of the big 12. You took sides with a team, publicly, said it Right, and so you. We had to keep the receipts and it was our bulletin board material. And when you had to eat crow and hand that trophy over to us, you're going to hear about it. Yeah, you were against us, you know. So we're not going to cheer you, we're not going to be happy that you are handing the trophy over to us, but even so, he heard about it, you know he did.

Speaker 1: 33:32

When you look at the big picture, the guy's smart. I mean he had WWE involved, got that partnership and when he did that he was at a Texas Tech Red Redder luncheon. He was playing to his audience.

Speaker 5: 33:45

Yeah, but you can't. You just can't do that as a commissioner.

Speaker 1: 33:48

Right, you're the guy in that position, yeah.

Speaker 5: 33:51

You got to be smarter than that. It's go ahead.

Speaker 1: 33:55

He knew what he was doing, though. Yeah, exactly what he was doing.

Speaker 5: 33:59

Now you are. You are exactly right that WWE or WWF was a WWE. Wwe, yeah, wwe partnership. I saw the logo on the field. I saw the superstars on the sideline. I was like, no, that's really cool. And then the MVP belt Beautiful. Oh, that kid, he can. He can raise it up and put it on his wall, put it in a. That's better than a trophy. You're having a WWE MVP of the big 12 championship game belt. Yours can cherish that for the rest of his life. And he put it over his shoulder, like, like. And we went up, the undertaker handed it to him and he put it over his shoulder. That's it. It was perfect, man, I loved it. I was like that's a really cool belt.

Speaker 1: 34:46

Dude, you know the undertaker and his wife, their big time Longhorn supporters and fans and they, they are good people and they're they're presence on the sidelines a lot back in my days, you know, when I was on the sidelines almost for all the time good people, fun to talk to. Every time I saw him and his wife it was a laugh, laughing, yeah, but very, very passionate.

Speaker 5: 35:09

He's had a lot of the practices also, so I've talked to him a couple of times. Smart guy yeah, he is. He's smart, fun and he's, you know, not one of those guys that you're intimidated to go up and talk to. Man he's. He's open to conversation and things like that. So good, dude, yeah.

Speaker 1: 35:28

Hey, I want to show this before we take a break. It's funny how history reveals itself. It's funny how history is and maybe this is just a coincidence or I don't know, man. I just there's a trend here. But you think a program like Texas would win more conference championships because it really hasn't done well on the big 12. Texas is, for the most part, texas has under performed in the big 12. It's just under just what it is what it is. But look at this trend here. The final Southwest Conference championship won by Texas. I was there at Kyle Field at A&M. Texas went in there, ended their long home win streak. That was a beautiful day.

Speaker 5: 36:12

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 36:12

Beautiful day. Our boy, jason Reeves, had an interception. Ricky Williams was a freshman. It was a great day and then, god, it was a I can't. I just remember that that was so fun Leaving Kyle Field quiet.

Speaker 5: 36:28

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 36:29

Holding them to six points. Very next year, Texas won the first big 12 championship.

Speaker 5: 36:34

Grand opening.

Speaker 1: 36:35

Grand opening. And then Texas exits two days ago and wins the final big 12 title for UT Grand closing. And what happens? Does that mean Texas wins the SEC next year From your lips to God's ears. Speak it into existence, right? No question, oh, look at that. I mean, but to not defensive Texas. Just, you know, during your years, from, let's say, 2000, say 2000, 2009, the winner or the loser of that Texas OU game, more often than not, was out of the race.

Speaker 5: 37:22

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 37:24

Period yeah.

Speaker 5: 37:25

Yeah, that's just the way it was, Just like my senior year. We only lost to OU by 12 points and that was our only loss and we were out of the big 12 championship game.

Speaker 1: 37:36

That's it Cause they they probably weren't going to lose that real quick before we go to break. Are you going to miss the big 12 at all, did you what I mean? A quick response, it's, it's bittersweet.

Speaker 5: 37:49

No, it is bittersweet. You know, big 12 was fun when we were there. I loved playing Colorado and going to Boulder, colorado, to play. That's when Colorado was in that right and they're coming back. Then they're coming back and the commissioners should have worked really hard trying to get Nebraska back and Nebraska has to work on their program, but that's another story. It was fun playing Nebraska, the black shirts and going in their stadium. They have the nicest fans there.

Speaker 5: 38:17

The big 12 was was a lot, a lot of fun. And then I started thinking about other sports. I got a lot of friends in other sports and a couple of my friends. I got one friend. She holds big 12 records in swimming. It's a lot of fun. So those things right there kind of it's kind of really cool to have. And now you're leaving a big 12 and you start a whole new conference. Hopefully those records and things like that aren't forgotten, because there are some kids in track and, yeah, and those individual sports that actually have big 12 records and that's that's really cool to have yeah, no doubt about it.

Speaker 1: 38:55

Yeah, that's part of it, you know. Moving on to a new chapter, hey, we're gonna take a very quick break. We've got to give love to our, our family of hard-grove roofing and when we come back we're gonna talk about Some bowls that we should probably keep an eye on. Non playoff. Texas is not a part of the non playoff bowl because they're in the playoff.

Speaker 5: 39:15

No question.

Speaker 1: 39:16

Hey, we'll see you on the other side of this break. This episode of stories inside the man cake podcast is brought to you by our friends at hard-grove roofing. Give that team a call at 512-645-3202 and you might be able to speak to Mary herself, our girl roofing. No, who's on your roof?

Speaker 3: 39:55

Hey guys, I got a quick phone call. Connor stallions beeping in right here I'm trying to get, so I gotta go. But but as soon as we get done, you know, look forward to competing against Ryan day and we'll go from there.

Speaker 1: 40:11

Maybe you'll get some help in that regard. Oh, he's a pleasure man. Thanks a lot for being with us. How about that man, the Missouri coach? They're going to the Cotton Bowl to play Ohio State.

Speaker 1: 40:25

That's gonna be fun and he made a reference to Connor stallions on the phone. That's, that's gotta be a guy that's fun to play again I mean the coach Play for, so to speak. So go to our Instagram page and our Twitter, handle at stories, man cave. And then, of course, our Instagram page for all of the. We have some bowls of interests, including the Cotton Bowl, missouri and Ohio State. Some bowl games of interest. Stevie, I definitely the tic-tac. What I want to show you just to basically attribute to the day that was Saturday, the big 12 championship.

Speaker 5: 41:31

I don't waited, am see-Yea.

Speaker 1: 41:57

As that's probably the longest TikTok in the history of TikToks. But real quick before we bounce out of here. You know what sound it is. Hey, man, tell me something good. Steve Lee, I think it's pretty easy. This is fun. This is a lot of. I know there's a lot bigger things in life than football, but you've got to admit and I have a feeling you're going to mention something about how everyone is all smiles right now.

Speaker 5: 42:33

Yeah, and that's exactly where I was going, man. Something good this week is we are in the college football playoffs. Congrats to the University of Texas football team, the staff, all the support guys, the equipment staff, the trainers, the doctors, everybody involved in the program John Bianco, his team, everyone, media team, all those guys, man, congrats. You're going to have a really really good time in New Orleans. Take care of business and then go have a really really good time in Houston, man, and the buzz around the city is just buzzing. People are in love with this. You know, austin is a bunch of transplants. It's a transplant city, but when they got here, most of the people here adopted the University of Texas, and the buzz around the city is everyone is happy, everyone has smiles on their face and just keep it up.

Speaker 1: 43:32

It's going to be a whole month of anticipation, but it's going to be a lot of fun that is and it's great as we transition, obviously, the season of giving, the season of being thankful, the season of all the different holidays, whatever faith you are. This is all part of it and it just adds to it your one of four communities that are experiencing the elite of college football and it is, you know, first time for Texas. It's hard to understand that, but it is. And one word of advice don't do what I did in 2018 and spend an entire week in New Orleans.

Speaker 1: 44:15

Or do it.

Speaker 5: 44:16

Just do it. Do whatever you want.

Speaker 1: 44:19

I'm just saying if I could do it over again. I thought that was a little too long.

Speaker 5: 44:23

Yeah, I hear you man.

Speaker 1: 44:27

Hey, for the Hard Grove family, for our family with Hard Grove Roofing, they always, you will always know who's on your roof. Just ask Stevie. And for Stevie Lee and his beautiful family, and to the OG man K boys that being hardball, hard big Mike and coach Mo, what do we tell them, stevie?

Speaker 5: 44:46

We out. You did a drip and I'm fitted up. I've been my car in the giddy up. Get out.