Replay the Down

014 - What if the Seahawks had run the ball in Super Bowl XLIX?

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 19:50:31 +0000

In Super Bowl XLIX, with the title on the line in the final minute, rather than running it in with Marshawn Lynch, Russell Wilson threw an interception at the goal line, sealing another Super Bowl victory for Tom Brady. The call has been questioned heavily ever since. Did Wilson audible the play to play hero ball? What would be his legacy with back-to-back titles? What about Pete Carroll's legacy? That plus we discuss how differently the Eagles/49ers NFC Championship game would have looked if Brock Purdy hadn't gotten hurt on the first drive.

013 - What if the Bills had squib kicked with 13 seconds left?

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 23:00:00 +0000

In January 2022, the Bills and Chiefs played one of the most epic finishes to a 4th quarter with four scores in the final two minutes. The Bills took the lead with 13 seconds left and elected to kick the ball off into the endzone with no time taken off. With two timeouts in hand, Patrick Mahomes would lead a miraculous drive in 13 seconds to send the game to overtime, where the Chiefs would prevail. In this episode we discuss what may have happened if the Bills had squib kicked and forced time off the clock? Could they have won the Super Bowl? That plus our Super Bowl picks and what we would do with a Lamar Jackson contract.

012 - What if the CFP had 12 teams from its inception? Part 2

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 17:43:33 +0000

It was recently announced the CFP would expand to 12 teams in the coming years. In Part 2, we will take a look back at the beginning of the CFP and ask how differently things may have looked each year had the 12-team format been around at the playoff inception. And we're not just talking about results, but bigger picture with realignment, coaching moves, and what making the CFP would mean to smaller programs. In Part 1 of this series, we discussed a couple "what if" scenarios for this year's playoff and debate the merits, positives, and potential problems of a 12 team playoff.

011 - What if the CFP had 12 teams from its inception? Part 1

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 17:32:44 +0000

After a much debated BCS system, the College Football Playoff launched in 2014 with a 4-team format. It was recently announced the CFP would expand to 12 teams in the coming years. In Part 1 of this series, we look at a couple "what if" scenarios for this year's playoff and debate the merits, positives, and potential problems of a 12 team playoff. In Part 2, we will take a look back at the beginning of the CFP and ask how things may look different year to year had the 12-team format been around at the playoff inception.

BONUS - What if the best USA athletes played soccer?

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 20:15:00 +0000

Justin Jefferson, Deebo Samual, Tyreek Hill, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James. All elite athletes, but NONE of them play soccer. While there have been many incredible soccer players in the USA, we wonder what soccer would look like in this country if some of its BEST athletes played the sport. What would it take to change minds? Could a different body type change what a soccer athlete looks like the way guys like LeBron and Shaq changed the NBA? Join us for this short bonus content.

010 - What if the USA men ever won the World Cup?

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 20:00:00 +0000

Soccer—better known as futbol—is by far the most popular sport worldwide, but it hasn't really taken in the USA until recently, even with FOUR women's World Cup victories. With the upcoming men's World Cup, we discuss why this is the case and what we think would happen if the USA Men's National Team actually won a World Cup. What impact would it have here and worldwide? Or would it matter at all?

009 - What if the 49ers had drafted Aaron Rodgers?

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000

In the 2005 NFL Draft, TV cameras would be fixed on QB Aaron Rodgers—who was projected to be a top pick, possibly even #1 overall—sitting in the green room as he tumbled all the way down to the Packers at #24. At one point during the pre-draft process, someone in the 49ers organization told him he would be their pick. They went with QB Alex Smith instead. Smith would have a decent-to-good NFL career, but Rodgers would go on to win a championship, multiple MVPs, and a likely Hall of Fame career. So in today's episode we ask, “What if San Francisco had drafted Rodgers #1 over Alex Smith?” How different would his career look? How different would Smith’s career look? How different would the Green Bay Packers look? Join us as we Replay the Down.

008 - Player Swap: What if you swapped LeBron with Jordan or Kobe?

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Many fans and media ask, “How would LeBron James look in the physical 80s?” Or "How would Michael Jordan look with today's hand-checking rules?" In this episode, we explore those ideas, as well as if LeBron had been paired with a prime Shaq in Los Angeles.

007 - What if LeBron had simply stayed put in 2014 or 2018?

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 14:50:00 +0000

In 2014, after winning two titles in Miami—not 3, not 4, not 5—LeBron chose to leave Miami and return home to lead the Cavs to 4 straight finals appearances (8 consecutively combined with Miami) and Cleveland’s first NBA Title. In 2018, LeBron left Cleveland once again for the beach, this time to the Los Angeles Lakers. In today's episode we ask how different things would look in 2014 and 2018 if he had simply stayed with Miami and Cleveland, respectively. And what if he moves again?

006 - What if LeBron took his talents elsewhere in 2010?

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 15:49:00 +0000

In 2010, LeBron James made one of the most fateful, league-altering decisions in the history of the NBA. The game’s greatest star was in free agency for the first time and was HEAVILY courted by multiple teams, including the Bulls, Knicks, Nets, Clippers, and obviously the Heat and Cavs. In the end, LeBron made the infamous statement, “I will be taking my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.” But our question today asks, “What if LeBron took his talents elsewhere in 2010?”

BONUS - Player Swap: What if you swapped Manning with either Brady or Eli?

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000

This special bonus content stems from "Episode 005: What if Peyton Manning had left early for the NFL?" We play a fun little game: What if you swapped Peyton Manning on the Colts with Tom Brady on the Patriots? What if you swapped Peyton with Eli? Who would have been more successful?

005 - What if Peyton Manning had left early for the NFL?

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 21:16:41 +0000

In 1997, Peyton held a press conference to declare his intentions on whether to declare for the NFL Draft or return for his senior season at Tennessee. Most thought it was a sure thing he would leave and be the obvious #1 overall pick to the New York Jets and new coach Bill Parcells, but in the end, Manning returned for his senior season with the Vols and would go on to be drafted by the Colts in 1998. The Jets have yet to find a franchise QB. So our question today is, “What if Peyton Manning had declared for the NFL Draft?”

004 - What if Drew Bledsoe never got hurt?

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:28:19 +0000

In September 2001, Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe took a massive hit from Jets linebacker Mo Lewis, knocking him out of the game and for most of the season. Enter little-known second year backup QB Tom Brady. The rest, they say, is history. Brady would go on to lead the Patriots to their first Superbowl victory and another six championships between the Patriots and Buccaneers. But what if Drew Bledsoe never got hurt? Would Brady's talent be transcendent and still result in a similar career? Or would he never have had the opportunity and remained a relative unknown? Join us as we Replay the Down.

003 - What if OKC hadn’t traded James Harden in 2012?

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 04:17:20 +0000

Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook have had three tremendous careers and have been all over the news this summer. The three superstars have a collective 9 scoring tiles, 3 MVPS, and 2 NBA championships and countless other accolades. And yet, we're left wondering what else they might have accomplished not separately, but together, on the same team. In this episode, we Replay the Down as we answer the question, “What if OKC Hadn’t Traded James Harden in 2012?”

002 - What if Alabama never hired Nick Saban? - Part 2

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 04:07:41 +0000

In Part 2 of “What if Alabama Never Hired Nick Saban?” we explore what might have happened related to Conference expansion and realignment and to the Miami Dolphins and the rest of the NFL had Saban never been hired by Alabama.

You can catch up on our thoughts on what colleges might have prospered in Alabama’s place in our first episode, “What if Alabama Never Hired Nick Saban? - Part 1.”

This is Replay the Down a show about the great “what ifs” of sports. How different would the sports world look if ONE thing—an injury, a draft pick, maybe a single play—went a different way? Join Nathan Adams, Jason Dellarusso, and Tyler Wessel as we explore current sports news and what might have been.

001 - What if Alabama never hired Nick Saban? - Part 1

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 14:08:58 +0000

Alabama is the favorite AGAIN this year in college football. Regardless of what you think of them, Alabama has been a machine the last 15 years under the coaching of Nick Saban.

In today’s inaugural episode, we ask the the question as we “replay the down:” What if Alabama never hired Nick Saban? What if RichRod or Spurrier accepted the job and Saban stayed with the Dolphins for at least a third season? In Part 1, we’ll catch you up on some recent sports news—including a debate on the College Football Playoff expansion—and discuss some teams that may have become today’s version of Alabama.