Williams & Blum: Big 12 QB rankings, preseason expectations, and Texas Tech’s NIL situation

[Aiden Wyatt]

Chris Williams and Brent Blum go through Big 12 quarterback rankings before breaking down expectations for each team. Who could rise or fall? Touching on Texas Tech’s NIL boom and more. Presented by Mechdyne.

Williams & Blum: Big 12 QB rankings, preseason expectations, and Texas Tech's NIL situation

Chris Williams and Brent Blum go through Big 12 quarterback rankings before breaking down expectations for each team. Who could rise or fall? Touching on Texas Tech's NIL boom and more. Presented by Mechdyne. https://youtu.be/RJ0PN5alrhQ

cyclonefanatic.com

 

[aobie]

I don't understand why Chris and Brent think Jalon Daniels has ISU's number. He's had one good year against ISU which was the most recent 2024 season in KC with ISU's defense being held together by duct tape and baling wire. Here's a breakdown of the most recent games:

2024: 295 yds and 2TDs through the air (50% comp). 68 yds and 1 TD on the ground.
2023: Daniels was injured, and did not play. It was Bean who went hog wild.
2022: 93 yds and 0 TDs (50% comp). 9 yards and 1 TD on the ground. ISU lost 14-11 because we couldn't hit FGs
2021: Didn't play
2020: 165 yds and 0TDs with 1 INT (55% comp). 36 yds and 1 TD on the ground.

Overall, he's been pedestrian against ISU when we've faced them. I know Kansas has had ISU's number recently, but I think that's more often in spite of Daniels rather than because of him.

Sorry for the rant, but I think this is the 2nd or 3rd time it's been discussed on the pod and I needed to get that off my chest!

 

[Aclone]

This little ditty is for @ChrisMWilliams and @brentblum, so John Walters doesn’t have to get physica (Insert gratuitous Olivia Newton-John reference here).

Everything goes so well
With our Sowell
So very, very well
With Chase Sowell!

So, well? Got it now? If not, repeat ten times.

 

[SolarGarlic]

I don't understand why Chris and Brent think Jalon Daniels has ISU's number. He's had one good year against ISU which was the most recent 2024 season in KC with ISU's defense being held together by duct tape and baling wire. Here's a breakdown of the most recent games:

2024: 295 yds and 2TDs through the air (50% comp). 68 yds and 1 TD on the ground.
2023: Daniels was injured, and did not play. It was Bean who went hog wild.
2022: 93 yds and 0 TDs (50% comp). 9 yards and 1 TD on the ground. ISU lost 14-11 because we couldn't hit FGs
2021: Didn't play
2020: 165 yds and 0TDs with 1 INT (55% comp). 36 yds and 1 TD on the ground.

Overall, he's been pedestrian against ISU when we've faced them. I know Kansas has had ISU's number recently, but I think that's more often in spite of Daniels rather than because of him.

Sorry for the rant, but I think this is the 2nd or 3rd time it's been discussed on the pod and I needed to get that off my chest!

Exactly what I've been thinking. I think they forgot he didn't play against us two years ago

 

[cytor]

I don't understand why Chris and Brent think Jalon Daniels has ISU's number. He's had one good year against ISU which was the most recent 2024 season in KC with ISU's defense being held together by duct tape and baling wire. Here's a breakdown of the most recent games:

2024: 295 yds and 2TDs through the air (50% comp). 68 yds and 1 TD on the ground.
2023: Daniels was injured, and did not play. It was Bean who went hog wild.
2022: 93 yds and 0 TDs (50% comp). 9 yards and 1 TD on the ground. ISU lost 14-11 because we couldn't hit FGs
2021: Didn't play
2020: 165 yds and 0TDs with 1 INT (55% comp). 36 yds and 1 TD on the ground.

Overall, he's been pedestrian against ISU when we've faced them. I know Kansas has had ISU's number recently, but I think that's more often in spite of Daniels rather than because of him.

Sorry for the rant, but I think this is the 2nd or 3rd time it's been discussed on the pod and I needed to get that off my chest!

Dear Lord, is Daniels approaching 30 years old?

 

[ElephantPie]

Dear Lord, is Daniels approaching 30 years old?

Must be on the Perry Ellis schedule

 

[cycloneman003]

CW (who I love!) tends to get hung up on random things that aren’t exactly true. Right now that’s this “KUs offense gives Jon Heacock’s defense so many issues” thing. It’s just not true and is a product of losing to them 3 straight years.

In 2024 we absolutely did get torched. Our LB corps was decimated, Verdon was in brutal shape with injuries, Dom Orange didn’t play. That is no way to judge our defense given the situation we were in.

2023 our defense was solid with exception of one 80 yard TD pass. They couldn’t run on us and gained 281 yards on 57 plays without the one long pass. Honestly pretty good.

2022 they did absolutely nothing against our worst team in years. Offense and special teams lost that game for us.

2021 we obliterated them.

So in 4 years under Leipold they are 3-1 against us, but have had one good offensive performance and that was against a shell of our defensive unit. So it’s just not a real thing we’re discussing with KU here.

 

[aobie]

CW (who I love!) tends to get hung up on random things that aren’t exactly true. Right now that’s this “KUs offense gives Jon Heacock’s defense so many issues” thing. It’s just not true and is a product of losing to them 3 straight years.

In 2024 we absolutely did get torched. Our LB corps was decimated, Verdon was in brutal shape with injuries, Dom Orange didn’t play. That is no way to judge our defense given the situation we were in.

2023 our defense was solid with exception of one 80 yard TD pass. They couldn’t run on us and gained 281 yards on 57 plays without the one long pass. Honestly pretty good.

2022 they did absolutely nothing against our worst team in years. Offense and special teams lost that game for us.

2021 we obliterated them.

So in 4 years under Leipold they are 3-1 against us, but have had one good offensive performance and that was against a shell of our defensive unit. So it’s just not a real thing we’re discussing with KU here.

Thanks for confirming! I feel like I'm going nuts when I heard them talking about it again. I have to stop myself from responding out loud every time I've heard them bring up Jalon Daniels thing in particular, but the broader context for KU helps me feel sane again.

 

[cyclones500]

This little ditty is for @ChrisMWilliams and @brentblum, so John Walters doesn’t have to get physica (Insert gratuitous Olivia Newton-John reference here).

Everything goes so well
With our Sowell
So very, very well
With Chase Sowell!

So, well? Got it now? If not, repeat ten times.

Almost could get a summer-podcast episode reviewing player names throughout ISU history with uncertain pronunciation, either uncertain initially, or frequently mispronounced.

A random, somewhat recent example is Beau Freyler: Some confusion at first if it's "FRY-ler" or "FREE-ler."

I wonder how much time Walters has to devote to getting the names correct. Obviously it's a must-know as a broadcaster.

 

[SolarGarlic]

CW a few weeks ago talking about Eskildsen's third down catch vs. Cincy

"Remember Eskildsen's catch? I'll never forget it. I don't remember who we were playing, but..."

Hyberbole is CW's factory setting, which he acknowledges

 

[ClubCy]

CW a few weeks ago talking about Eskildsen's third down catch vs. Cincy

"Remember Eskildsen's catch? I'll never forget it. I don't remember who we were playing, but..."

Hyberbole is CW's factory setting, which he acknowledges

I’ve lost count at how many people he considers a brother and/or best friend. If anyone has ever held a conversation with him he loves you like a brother.

Obviously I am just giving him a hard time. When someone is on air so often it’s hard not to pick up on little ticks.

Like Blum always saying “look you guys” or “listen everyone” like I am being lectured in a class. Nothing that makes me want to turn it off but makes me roll my eyes a bit and chuckle.

 

[cyclones500]

I’ve lost count at how many people he considers a brother and/or best friend. If anyone has ever held a conversation with him he loves you like a brother.

Obviously I am just giving him a hard time. When someone is on air so often it’s hard not to pick up on little ticks.

Like Blum always saying “look you guys” or “listen everyone” like I am being lectured in a class. Nothing that makes me want to turn it off but makes me roll my eyes a bit and chuckle.

I definitely try to keep in mind not to be overly critical with some of that stuff, because I've gotten to like Williams-Blum podcast. A few years ago I didn't do much pod-listening, but it has become more of a routine.

Sometimes the interrupting becomes distracting, and CW has tendency to say, "right?" at the end of a sentence, on a frequent basis.

Some episodes better than others, but that's nothing unusual for recurring features, right?

 

[NATEizKING]

I’ve lost count at how many people he considers a brother and/or best friend. If anyone has ever held a conversation with him he loves you like a brother.

Obviously I am just giving him a hard time. When someone is on air so often it’s hard not to pick up on little ticks.

Like Blum always saying “look you guys” or “listen everyone” like I am being lectured in a class. Nothing that makes me want to turn it off but makes me roll my eyes a bit and chuckle.

When you listen to the same 2 people talk twice a week for a decade...I'm here for as many decades as we can get.

 

[CapnCy]

I’ve lost count at how many people he considers a brother and/or best friend. If anyone has ever held a conversation with him he loves you like a brother.

Obviously I am just giving him a hard time. When someone is on air so often it’s hard not to pick up on little ticks.

Like Blum always saying “look you guys” or “listen everyone” like I am being lectured in a class. Nothing that makes me want to turn it off but makes me roll my eyes a bit and chuckle.

"Probably my favorite cyclone of all time" is another one seems to be said a lot

 

[ClubCy]

I definitely try to keep in mind not to be overly critical with some of that stuff, because I've gotten to like Williams-Blum podcast. A few years ago I didn't do much pod-listening, but it has become more of a routine.

Sometimes the interrupting becomes distracting, and CW has tendency to say, "right?" at the end of a sentence, on a frequent basis.

Some episodes better than others, but that's nothing unusual for recurring features, right?

The “right?” after every sentence regardless of the tone is the biggest handicap happening right now. It’s on every podcast, speech, interview, etc. it’s the new “umm”.

“Rocco had a good year last year, right. But it’s fair to say he could have a better completion percentage, right. All of this is fair criticism right, but to take it the next level he has to improve there”