The Rundown Take
Cheez-It Bowl or Not, Blake Baker's Job Is the Real Storyline for the U Talk Family
Two days before Christmas, Devin and E Gray opened the show still needling each other about Miami's bowl fate: the Hurricanes are headed to the Cheez-It Bowl on December 29th at 5:30 in Orlando against Oklahoma State, and nobody on the panel could stop cracking jokes about the commercial before getting serious about redemption, roster departures and a defensive coordinator on thin ice.
Key Takeaways
- Miami plays Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl, December 29th at 5:30 p.m. in Orlando — the panel wants a statement win after the North Carolina blowout two weeks prior.
- Jalen Phillips and Quincy Roche are confirmed heading to the NFL Draft; Mike Harley and Cam'Ron Harris are both rumored to be weighing early exits.
- The defensive coordinator debate dominates the night: Devin and E Gray both predict Blake Baker is gone after the bowl game, with Sam Bandy floated as an in-house promotion and South Carolina DC Travaris Robinson name-dropped as a dream target.
- Caller George breaks down the incoming class — Leonard Taylor, James Williams and Deshawn Troutman get the most buzz, with George predicting Taylor becomes a program-defining name.
- Caller Kyle and Cuban Kane keep the energy loose with rival fan trash talk — Dolphins versus Falcons versus Raiders — while the panel keeps circling back to whether D'Eriq King is coming back for one more year.
Redemption in the Cheez-It Bowl
E Gray set the tone early: he wants a win "by any means necessary," but more than the result, both hosts want to see progression from the young guys getting extra reps with Phillips and Roche opting out. Devin pointed to the North Carolina disaster as the low bar to clear, calling for real schematic answers from the coaching staff instead of the same busted counter-trade getting gashed for 15-20 yards a pop. The panel agreed this is a "statement game" for the staff more than the roster.
The Blake Baker Verdict
Both hosts said flatly they expect Baker to be let go once the bowl game wraps, with E Gray predicting Manny Diaz simply promotes Sam Bandy rather than opening a search, since Bandy's recruiting pull is too valuable to risk losing. Devin floated South Carolina defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson as the splash hire everyone wants, though neither host had heard real chatter connecting him to Miami. Live chat piled on — several viewers demanded Manny "do something" about the defense regardless of who gets the job.
"We got embarrassed not just last week, but a couple weeks ago... it's called redemption time, it's a bowl game, it's the holidays. Let's come out and put it all out on the field."
Draft Decisions and the Recruiting Class
With Phillips and Roche off to the league, the panel spent long stretches wondering about King, Harley and Harris. Both hosts said they'd be shocked if King leaves, expecting him back for a redshirt-protected run with Tyler Van Dyke and Jake Garcia behind him. Caller George, dialing in from South Florida, gave his scouting report on the signing class — he's highest on defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, calling him a program cornerstone, while also flagging five-star James Williams and linebacker Deshawn Troutman as instant-impact guys. The show closed with the usual family holiday sign-off and a reminder that the Cheez-It Bowl hype show lands the Monday before kickoff.