Boomer & Gio
Full Show - Harbaugh Day For Giants, Indiana Takes Title, Knicks Trade Rumors
20 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What is discussed at the start of this section?
It's the Boomer and Geo podcast from WFAN. And we're coming to you live for the build for Top Studio. Boomer Esiason, Greg Giannotti. It's Boomer and Geo on the fan. Sinalcast across the country on CBS Sports Network and wherever you are on the free Odyssey app. Good Tuesday morning. What a busy day in sports yesterday and last night. A national champion crowned in the college football playoff.
Indiana what an unbelievable story this is one of those teams that you're just never going to forget because it's Indiana because of Kurt Cignetti's story and of course Fernando Mendoza the type of kid he is the shots to his mother and his family in the crowd that touchdown run that he had so just an unbelievable Heisman Trophy award-winning season and I wish that this man was coming to the Jets like John Harbaugh is going to the Giants and we had a future there with the Jets but
But the Jets have the number two overall pick. Speaking of Jets and former Jets, Rob Salas going to the Tennessee Titans. How about that? One year away, back as a defensive coordinator, and now he's down in Tennessee. Does Brian Dayball get a job right away as well? Jeff Halfley to the Miami Dolphins. So yesterday was nuts.
We also have some negativity we'll get to later with the New York Knicks and what they're going to do at the trade deadline. Good morning, Boomer. How are you? Yeah, good. Good morning, G. I am exhausted from watching this game last night and then peeked in on the Rangers who lost another game to their old friend Jacob Truber and Chris Kreider.
I would say that, you know, and I think you brought it up, just the shots of Fernando Mendoza's mom and his dad. I mean, if that doesn't move you, I don't know what does. I mean, that was an awesome, awesome season by Fernando and Mendoza. That was a great way to finish it off.
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Chapter 2: What are the highlights of Indiana's national championship win?
He didn't have numbers off the chart because Miami's defense is really good and really fast, and Miami's got some really good players on that team. That kid Malachi Toney is going to be a first-rounder when he comes out. He's 18 years old, so he's got another year, I think, that he's got to go through before he can come and play in the NFL. But, man, I'll tell you what. He is a tough kid.
He is a strong kid. They hit him hard early in the game, busted his lip up. That was a cheap shot, by the way, I thought, and should have been called. But he stood in there. He took it. He handled it. And then on the most important play of the game, they decided to have him run a quarterback draw. And he does the old John Elway kind of diving into the end zone. And, I mean, this kid is 6'5".
He's taking guys on. He's laying his body on the line. When he knows he's going to be the first overall pick. Right. And, by the way, Tom Brady's on the sideline. Mark Davis is in the building. And they're saying, that's our quarterback. And there's no doubt now. Well, there wasn't any doubt for me. About 10 weeks ago, there was no doubt because they had us playing Fernando. Yep.
By Abba here for the Jet fan. Yeah, hoping that he would end up in a Jets uniform. It's not going to happen. It just stinks because we've talked about the type of personality that a head coach needs to be here. I think there's two types of personalities to be the quarterback here. One is the one that Jackson Dart has, and two would be this Fernando Mendoza who's all positivity.
And I know he's a little goofy, and I know he's a little corny and all that stuff, but of all the jerks that are out there and the people who don't take it seriously and are doing dumb off-the-field stuff and everything else that we see, I mean, this guy is a breath of fresh air.
And to know how many guys, by the way, that are not playing in bowl games, and I don't blame them, and I understand bowl games and a national championship game different, but this guy, knowing that he's the number one overall pick in the draft... Put everything out there on that run. He just was not going to be denied.
And that right there, I mean, that is a championship play if I've ever seen it.
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Chapter 3: What changes are happening with the Jets' coaching staff?
It is. And it really reflects his entire season. It reflects his family story. It reflects the fact that he came from that area, literally a mile from the building where they were playing last night. Yeah. And here you go. They end up winning a national championship. And nobody would have ever thought that Indiana would have won that national championship.
But Kurt Cignetti, their coach, has figured out how to do this. And he's using older players. This is a very old team compared to what college teams used to be. And they're somewhat like... early onset men playing teenagers that are rising into, you know, whoever they are as players. And you could see it on the field and you could see that, you know, Kurt Cignetti has it figured out.
So good for him, good for them, good for the Big Ten for that matter. And all I can tell you is that, you know, there is a – It's just amazing watching a school like Indiana do this last night because that gives hope to guys like me that went to Maryland. I don't know if it gives anybody hope that went to Rutgers.
Chapter 4: What are the implications of the Knicks' recent performance?
I'm not sure. Or maybe Syracuse or Boston College. But the fact that Indiana went undefeated and won a national championship in college, I mean, nobody would have ever thought that possible. Yeah, I mean I think there's three factors that got Indiana there. One, they hired the right coach. Two, they found the right quarterback.
And probably the biggest one is they paid a lot of money for that roster. Mark Cuban put some money into that place, man. So if there is someone backing your program in a big way, you can skip the line. And that's not something that everybody could do prior to the nil days, but now they can.
And it is good to see, and I know there's lots of issues with college football these days, but in an impure college football environment, it felt like the purest team could win, even though they ponied up and spent a lot of money, but within the rules. But to have a guy like Kirk Cignetti who comes from
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, then goes to James Madison, then has a press conference when he takes over one of the most losing programs in Division I history and says, I win, I'm a winner, Google me. And then a couple years later, he's standing there winning a national championship? I mean, at 60-something years old? How great is that? Yeah, it's crazy, man. It really is.
And he basically, you know, when asked the question this past week whether or not he would entertain the Steelers job because he's from Pittsburgh. That's right. He said, I am a college coach. I decided this many years ago. I'm staying in college. And there was probably music to the ears. of Indiana. The fact is that he's older. I think he stays there.
I don't think another SEC team or Big 12 team will offer him whatever he wants. I just can't see him ever leaving Indiana. He's a football coach, man. He is the direct opposite of Lane Kiffin, right? Right, exactly. He's a football coach. He's happy there. If he ended up jumping someplace, I would be shocked. I just think that he is fantastic.
thrilled to be in a place like that had support and he won a national championship there he's going to be a legend there for the rest of time i mean why would you go anywhere well and they paid him they gave him a big huge contract this uh this past year and i'm sure that there's certain terms in there in terms of buyouts and things like that that would not lead to him leaving but you know this is a moment in time where nobody would have ever guessed
that this school would be able to do what it did through the Big Ten, through the college football playoff, with a Heisman-winning quarterback. And then that Heisman-winning quarterback essentially almost playing perfect throughout the college football playoffs. I mean, coming into the game, he had more touchdowns than he had interceptions. And then he ran into the toughest defense.
And I think the other thing I think about college football is that it's – It goes too long. This thing needs to end around January 1st if they can somehow make that happen. And I know President Trump was talking about protecting the Army-Navy game. He wants that to be a standalone game, and I completely agree with that.
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Chapter 5: What are the implications of Mac Jones' contract for the Jets?
So, much like the 49ers, they gave Mac Jones a two-year contract. Yeah. Smart. You know, they didn't expect him to have to play this year, but when he played, he played reasonably well. But I just don't see, like, Mac Jones coming to the Jets. I don't see that.
Chapter 6: How does Mac Jones' situation compare with other quarterbacks?
I don't think he would want that. Well, here's the thing, though. So, Mac Jones and the Minnesota Vikings make a ton of femf. But why would, with Mac Jones under contract, the San Francisco 49ers trade him within the conference to a team that's got weapons and a great offensive coach? They're not. So if Mac Jones wants to go and start somewhere, it'd probably have to be with an AFC team.
Chapter 7: What impact does John Harbaugh have on the Giants' future?
Look at the Vikings. They let Sam Darnold walk out the door, and he went to an NFC team. Yeah, but they didn't have him under contract. Yeah, that was a free agency thing. They chose the wrong quarterback. Yeah, no, they did. I know why they did it, but clearly it has worked out horribly for them. J.J. McCarthy needed to be good. He needed to be great. Maybe he'll be better next year. Yeah, sure.
I mean, like, we were saying this about Sam. Maybe he'll be better next year. Maybe he'll be better next year. Maybe he'll be better next year. Well, he went from the Jets to Carolina, Carolina to San Francisco, San Francisco to Minnesota, Minnesota to Seattle. In the last two years, he's been really good.
Chapter 8: What are the challenges facing the Giants in the upcoming season?
26 or 27 regular season wins, whatever it is. Yeah. Ridiculous. Yeah, 20, well, 14, 28. 28? The last two years. That's ridiculous. And, you know, in a game this week that he really didn't have to do much against the 49ers, it was the kickoff return to start the game with Rasheed Shaheed, one of the great trade deadline pickups, by the way. Yeah.
It's like picking up Pavel Bory at the trade deadline. Might be somebody picking up Bartemi Panarin at the trade deadline or Vincent Trocek at the trade deadline, which now you can retool with younger players. You may have to give contracts to if you're smart and you know what you're doing.
The other thing is that you think about that Shahid starting the game like that and then the defense smothering the 49ers again for the second time in a row. The 49ers, no George Kittle, really no top-end wide receivers. Defense all over you, 75,000 maniacs screaming all game long. Should be an epic NFC Championship game. It really should be.
If there is a guy and a team that could go in there and deal with all of the chaos that is created on that field with that defense and that noise, you would think that it would be Matthew Stafford, Puka Nakua, Devontae Adams, and that group of offensive players. It's going to take everything you've done.
I mean, I understand Chicago hasn't been there in a while, but that place was loud as hell and it was two degrees. But Chicago does not have that Seattle defense. No, of course not. No. But they know each other very well. It should be. I mean, they're the two best teams left, right? Don't you think? I think the two best teams left are New England. Oh, really? You put New England in there?
Well, yeah, because Denver doesn't have a quarterback. No, but I'm saying the two best teams left, I think, are playing each other in the NFC. Oh, you're saying that could be the Super Bowl or should be the Super Bowl. Two best teams left in the playoffs are both playing each other. I think that the Rams and the Seahawks are both better than the Broncos and the Patriots. I mean, hell, you just.
I don't know. The Patriots defense the last two weeks has been pretty damn good. But, I mean, so has Seattle. I picked the Rams and Texans to go to the Super Bowl, so one of my teams is out. That's right. One of my teams is out, too. I had the Broncos going. Maybe you have C.J. Stroud quarterbacking the Jets next year. Kenny in Bayonne. What's going on, Kenny? Gee, how are you? Good, Kenny.
How are you? I'm all right, but you're driving me nuts. Why? What is your vendetta against McCarthy? I don't think he's any good. And he's a dweeb. Okay, I won't deny that, but if you would, just let me enlighten a little bit. Yeah, sure, go for it. The kid's 22 years old. He's been hurt, granted, but he's 22. He's got a cannon for an arm. He's smart. He's athletic. Okay?
I put as much blame on KOC as I do the kid. The kid will be fine. If you look at the last five games before he got hurt, KOC decided to adjust the offense to the offensive line, which was horrible, and to what the kid could do at the time. I want you to go back last year's playoff game against San Francisco and
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