Takes

I have never wavered from the Patriots making the playoffs

I have never wavered from the Patriots making the playoffs. And I still think that.

Travis Hunter will have a 10 TD, 5 INT, 2 Pick-Six season in the NFL

10 receiving touchdowns, five picks, and maybe two pick sixes. That's doable. That doesn't even seem that crazy.

The winner of Oregon vs. Indiana will be the favorite to win the national championship

Whoever wins this game is gonna be favored in the national championship. I think it's, yeah, it's fair to point out that while Indiana looks super impressive... Oregon appears to be a much more formidable opponent.

Deshaun Watson will start fewer than two more games in his NFL career.

So is Deshaun Watson over under starts Deshaun Watson has the NFL for the rest of his career. Three and a half. I was gonna say one and a half. Maybe like a random.

Only Oregon, Ohio State, or Georgia can win the national title this year

I do strongly think that if your name's not Oregon, Ohio State or Georgia, you're not gonna win the whole thing.

Rushing Fall is the horse to watch in the Friday Breeders' Cup races

There's a horse named Rushing Fall, trained by Chad Brown... She's had two starts. She won them both. Last time out, she looked like an absolute superstar. I think she is on her way to maybe some spectacular things.

T.J. Watt will be a better player than me if he stays healthy

If he stays healthy and, and I, I hope he stays healthy and I hope he does. He'll break every record I got and he'll absolutely be a better player than me. There's no doubt for a single season, for a single, like being able to do everything. I I I won't give up that title.

Ohio State will beat Oregon in the Rose Bowl

The Rose Bowl's gonna be awesome. I think I'm gonna take Ohio State in that game. And it's mostly based on the uniforms that Oregon picked. I didn't really like 'em, I thought they should have done more classic.

Oregon will be back on top of college football in four years when Chip Kelly returns

I'm going to call my shot. I'm going to say Oregon's going to win. If we can do like four years to call who's back, in four years Oregon's going to be back to being back. ... When they get Chip Kelly back, right?

The Dolphins are officially on 'Fraud Watch' until they beat a real team like the Chiefs

The Dolphins are not frauds. They're on fraud watch. The teams they have beaten are the Chargers, the Patriots twice, the Broncos, the Giants and the Panthers. They have to win a game... against this Chiefs game will be the huge test for them.

The Falcons are a team to watch as a trade destination for Kirk Cousins

I noticed earlier in the week the Falcons made cap room. They did a big restructuring. I could see the Falcons trying to do something like that [trading for Kirk Cousins]. Because if you're being honest as a Falcons fan, you're not really happy with the quarterback situation right now.

If the College Football Playoff started today, my final four would be Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, and Penn State

If they started the college football playoff today, my final four would be Georgia and Bama, which obviously not new colors, but Oregon and Penn state new colors. And that's our color update.

The Texans will not trade Deshaun Watson this year and he will sit out the season

I've kind of become resigned to the fact that maybe they're not going to trade Deshaun, and Deshaun's just not going to play this year.

Joe Burrow can win the Super Bowl just two years after winning a National Title

Two years ago [Burrow] won the national title and now he can win the Super Bowl... he might win. It's crazy.

Travis Hunter will be drafted as a cornerback and only used as a part-time 'spot' wide receiver in the NFL

I think when he gets drafted, [Hunter], they will draft him as a corner. And they would spot play him as a wide receiver. Because if he gets on a pro team, he can legitimately be your best corner, but he's probably gonna be your third best receiver.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is a 'war daddy' who is going to win a national championship

Dan Lanning is a war daddy... he's gonna win a national championship. I know that same [logic], you could say like, Hey, their toughest opponent they lost to Indiana... but I'm just, Dan Lanning is dude that, that guy is a war daddy. He's gonna win a national championship.

The NFL is in trouble because watching on a couch is 10 times better than going to a stadium

The NFL's in trouble. I think in terms of like ticket sales, they're gonna start building smaller stadiums, I think in the future. Cause like it is the, the cat's outta the bag. Your couch is 10 times more comfortable than going to a stadium.

If the Giants and Dolphins game had better weather, I'd bet the over 48.5

I love the over in this game, just because I don't know if the Giants, the Giants have played really good defenses, by the way... I think it's a bounce back game for the Dolphins.

The Patriots should draft Travis Hunter with the number one overall pick

If the season ended today, the mighty New England Patriots would be on the clock... I think you probably got to go with the best player in college football, Travis Hunter. [The scouts] know.

Oregon will disappoint and could finish 8-4 or 9-3 due to a sneaky tough schedule

I think this is the team that people are just assuming is gonna be top 10 because of their recruiting profile... but they're kind of starting over. There's a lot of new guys here. I think and the schedule is sneaky tough. That last game at Washington. Oregon, you can fuck around and look up and they're like 9-3 or 8-4 and wouldn't be shocked.

Iowa is a playoff contender if they run the table and beat Oregon and USC

I'll give you a one that I think is really interesting and they're not even ranked yet... Iowa. Iowa's gotta run the table. But they're if they can [beat Oregon and USC], they're in. Given the way Iowa's played... they get Oregon at home. If you can beat both those two teams, you can win out and you will make the playoff at 10-2.

The new 6 PM SportsCenter will be 90% conversation and only 10% traditional highlights

We have producers who enjoy and appreciate what we do... In fact, we had to give it a percentage. The six is going to be 85% to 90% of what you've seen on His and Hers and 10% some SportsCenter. And that 10% is going to feel like His and Hers. It's just going to be something that SportsCenter would have done anyway.

Joel Embiid will stop being funny on Twitter when he starts playing poorly or getting hurt more

I predicted like a month ago how Joel would not be so funny on Twitter when he starts fucking up. So this is the first one. He's injured like every other day. He's got a lot of time to go back and forth. Take away his umlaut over the Joel. You're just Joel now.

Oregon will beat Arizona in the second round and Caleb Love will shoot 3-for-21

I have Oregon, beating Arizona in the second round. Because that will be, I think that's gonna be the Caleb Love masterpiece. Yeah. I think he'll go three for 21 for 14 points.

I am going to watch sports on Sunday without gambling on anything

I got like a little bit of bad news... I'm going to watch sports on Sunday without gambling on any of them. So I have responsibly reached the end of my allocated fund for myself that I had through November.

Oregon is going to destroy Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl

17 points is not nearly enough points. They're so strong... They're way bigger than Liberty. So I'm hammering Oregon this weekend.

The Browns will find a way to mess up the draft even if Deshaun Watson is available

Dabo Swinney basically telling the Browns, don't fuck up, even though you're going to fuck up because you're the Browns and you always fuck up.

There is a greater than 50% chance Dan Snyder is forced to sell the Washington Football Team

I'd say once somebody with the power to get to the bottom of it gets involved [Congress], it gets north of 50... Once we know about some of the things that Beth Wilkinson, the investigator found, yeah, I think it becomes untenable at that point publicly for Snyder to continue.

The Jaguars will fail Trevor Lawrence, not the other way around

I'm gonna, I'm going to switch the narrative on Trevor Lawrence. I think that it's the Jack, the Jaguars will fail Trevor Lawrence, not Trevor Lawrence failing the Jaguars because they don't put a team around him. Like I, I think he's going to be great if they can put a little bit of a team around it.

The 'sports are better with fans' honeymoon phase will end by Thanksgiving

We're in a nice honeymoon phase where it is incredible to turn on a game and just be like, oh, my God, this is awesome... I think sometime around Thanksgiving, if you're still doing that, if you're still pointing out the extremely obvious sports are better with fans, you're late to it.

College Football Playoff prediction: Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, and Alabama

I'm gonna go Georgia, Michigan. I'm gonna go Oregon. I'm gonna say Oregon wins the Pac-12. First Pac-12 playoff participant since 2016. And then Alabama.

Kawhi Leonard is gone from Toronto no matter what happens in the Finals

I think he's gone no matter what. I think he's made up his mind already no matter what. There could be a world where he's like, I really love it in Toronto, but losing or winning the finals won't change that.

Deshaun Watson will be suspended for at least a full year

We're first reporting on Pardon My Take that Deshaun Watson will be suspended for [at least a full] year. Yep. On Friday... my guess is it will be a suspension for a year, and then the appeal is going to come through... then Goodell is going to be like, okay, I'll like reduce it to 14 games or 12 games.

XFL quarterback Landry Jones will be an NFL or college football broadcaster within a year and a half.

I think that he [Landry Jones] wants to get a gig being an analyst or being in the booth next year. I think that's what he's angling for because he's being like super Pro... you will see Landry Jones in some sort of Booth or behind a desk within the next year and a half.

Deshaun Watson will be rusty and the Texans will cover +7

Texans plus seven Dashaun Watson's coming back. He is playing his first game of football since January 3rd, 2021. That's essentially two years. In between football games. That's a long time. It's a long time to not play football. Yes.

Colorado will lose to Oregon by a lot

I think Oregon's gonna win by a lot.

JJ Watt will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on thank-you ads for Houston

I think that there's probably at least like $300,000 or $400,000 that [JJ Watt] has earmarked right now to take out full-page thank you ads to the entire city of Houston. He's probably going to be buying billboards all over Texas, thanking them for his time there.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the most likely destination for JJ Watt

The list for me starts and ends with the Pittsburgh Steelers just because I know JJ Watt, and he's going to want to go play with his brothers and have them rub that in our faces... That is the quintessential JJ Watt destination.

Aaron Rodgers wants the Jets to break up with him, not the other way around

I think Aaron Rodgers doesn't want to come back to the Jets, but he wants them to be the ones that break up with him. He's been needling Woody Johnson... I think he wants them to end it. And then he'll see if anyone out there really wants him.

Florida is my primary sleeper team to watch in the NCAA Tournament

A team that intrigues me is Florida. They intrigue me because they got size, speed shooters, guys. Golden's a hell of a coach. He did a great job at San Francisco.

Travis Hunter will be more impactful as a Wide Receiver than a Cornerback in the NFL

I think everybody I've talked to has a plan to major in minor... I think he's ready, he's more impactful as a receiver right now. And so I, to me, I think that's where you start him... I think he is right now ready to go. There's a ton of ways we can get the ball in his hands and I just think he impacts the game more on offense.

Adam Schefter will likely leave ESPN in the near future

Schefter... maybe Schefter thinking, you know, I'm going to be leaving ESPN soon. I can start giving a couple back here... Do you think Schefter lets Rappaport break the news that he leaves ESPN?

There is a 94.9% chance Deshaun Watson is traded before the deadline

95 is the kiss of death. I should say 94.9 because I've learned anytime anybody says there's a 95% chance of something happening, it never happens. So 94.9% chance. Miami 75, Carolina 24, 1% some crazy wildcard team.

My 2021 College Football Playoff field is Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and Oregon

I am doing the least chalky chalk I can, as far as my official predictions. I've got my playoff being Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Oregon.

JMU has a legitimate chance to upset Oregon in the playoff due to extreme weather conditions

We have an atmospheric river coming here... you're going to get a sloppy game with potentially some James Madison fans there against an Oregon offense that's missing Corian Moore... Is it going to happen? Probably not. But it could.

J.J. Watt will never actually come on the show

If I'm putting money on it, I'm saying that he's not going to come on the show and that he's just doing this as a one-time thing to try to get a brief amount of credit but not really following up on it.

Case Keenum is officially on 'Swag Watch' because Swag Kelly is nipping at his heels

My hot seat is Case Keenum because we are on Swag Watch 2018. Swag Kelly is now the second-string quarterback for the Denver Broncos, nipping at Case's heels, and he's looking pretty good doing it.

I am betting the over on Super Bowl 54 no matter what the line is

The opening line for the Super Bowl is Chiefs minus 1 over unders 53, I'm gonna take the over no matter. What for everything. Yeah. I don't care.

Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson will be part of a 'sneaky good' QB class

I have a feeling this year's class... Pat Mahomes, Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, and even DeShone Kizer, all four have a chance to be sneaky good, I think, in the NFL. So maybe that trend's reversing back a little bit.

Jalen Carter will win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

Jalen Carter's gonna win [Defensive Rookie of the Year]. He is a record man. Jalen Carter's gonna win.