WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:02.799 All right, let's get it started. Shall we welcome in 2 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:06.160 to a Tuesday edition of Coffee and Company, fueled by 3 00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:09.519 Thornton's here on Sports Talks seven ninety. Appreciate you hanging 4 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:11.400 out with us. We're gonna take you up till six o'clock, 5 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:13.640 so take us with you wherever it is you're going 6 00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:15.919 in these next three hours. You can listen live on 7 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:20.399 the iHeartRadio app listen live at seven ninety Louisville dot Com. 8 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:24.239 A loaded show today and I am solo here, so 9 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:26.519 we'll have a couple of guests gonna join us, but 10 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:28.640 you will have the opportunity to be a part of 11 00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:31.440 the show. So I'll start by letting you know who 12 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:33.479 will be our guest today, and it's people you are 13 00:00:33.479 --> 00:00:36.960 familiar with, friends of the program. As they say, we'll 14 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:39.719 be talking coming up here shortly with Zack Barnett, a 15 00:00:39.799 --> 00:00:43.560 FootballScoop dot com, get his thoughts on the college football 16 00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:46.799 playoff bracket. You know, the more I think about it, 17 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:50.920 I don't think the committee is really getting a whole 18 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:54.320 lot of criticism, and I don't think that it's it's deserved. 19 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:58.039 I mean, there's not a team that got left out 20 00:00:58.119 --> 00:01:02.640 that you feel like belongs in. And I want to 21 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:04.640 say that there's not a team that got left out 22 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:07.159 that you feel like if they did get in, they'd 23 00:01:07.159 --> 00:01:10.680 win the national championship. And I do believe that, but honestly, 24 00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:13.680 I'm not really sure how much parody we actually have, 25 00:01:13.879 --> 00:01:15.879 Like part of me says, this thing's wide ass open. 26 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:19.200 But then I also just still believe that there are 27 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:22.079 certain teams out there that if they turn it on, 28 00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:24.040 then you know they're gonna run away with it. And 29 00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:27.799 I'm talking about the Oregons, the Georgia's, but you know, 30 00:01:27.879 --> 00:01:31.719 George is now without their starting quarterback, which actually may 31 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:35.159 benefit them depending upon who you talk to. So again, 32 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:37.120 we'll talk to Zich coming up here, probably in the 33 00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:39.840 next twenty minutes or so. But I'm fired up for 34 00:01:39.879 --> 00:01:42.200 this college football playoff. I'm ready for these games to 35 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:45.239 start right away. And has mentioned I think the committee 36 00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:48.640 did a pretty good job. I mean, I think you 37 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:50.519 could make a case that some of the teams are 38 00:01:50.560 --> 00:01:53.400 seated in spots that maybe don't make a ton of sense, 39 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:56.280 But as far as who got in, I think they 40 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:59.079 got it right. And to go back to what we 41 00:01:59.079 --> 00:02:01.120 were just discussing, you know, there's not a team that's 42 00:02:01.159 --> 00:02:04.120 left out that I feel like would win the whole 43 00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:06.519 thing if they got in. And that doesn't mean that, 44 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:07.840 you know, if you should. If you can't win the 45 00:02:07.879 --> 00:02:10.319 national championship, you don't belong in. But like, it's hard 46 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:13.400 to claim that you were robbed of a national championship 47 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:15.759 because again, like the teams that I think can realistic 48 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:18.360 can realistically win it are the teams that are are 49 00:02:18.360 --> 00:02:20.560 still alive and will have the chance to prove that. 50 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:25.800 But there's no team that got left out that can't 51 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:28.319 look in the mirror and realize it was their own doing. 52 00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:31.400 They didn't get screwed over by the committee. They didn't. 53 00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:34.800 You know, it wasn't as if the committee was biased 54 00:02:34.840 --> 00:02:38.240 towards their conference. It was that they didn't get enough 55 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:41.080 done on the field. And that is always going to matter, 56 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:44.120 and it has to matter. And you know, Alabama, don't 57 00:02:44.120 --> 00:02:47.400 get your ass kicked at Oklahoma and you don't have 58 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:51.599 to worry about it. If you're Miami, don't don't blow 59 00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:57.120 one against Syracuse. If you're South Carolina, you know, you 60 00:02:57.159 --> 00:02:59.759 don't really have a bad loss, but you also didn't 61 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:03.039 do enough good and you have three losses. I mean, 62 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:05.879 ole miss lost to Kentucky at home, the Kentucky team 63 00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:10.360 that was the fifteenth best team out of sixteen teams 64 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:13.560 in the SEC this year. So we'll get Zach's thoughts 65 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:16.840 on the committee and what he expects to see in 66 00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:19.680 this twelve team college football playoff that, of course, will 67 00:03:19.759 --> 00:03:24.639 ultimately determine who is the national champion in college football. 68 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:29.520 Speaking of college football, if you're not in the college 69 00:03:29.560 --> 00:03:31.919 football Playoff, actually, let me back up a second. I 70 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:33.039 was going to say, if you're not in the college 71 00:03:33.080 --> 00:03:35.800 football Playoff, then you probably do not give a damn 72 00:03:36.120 --> 00:03:39.280 about whatever bowl game your team is going to. You're 73 00:03:39.319 --> 00:03:42.400 worried about what is your coaching staff doing in the portal? 74 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:44.719 Are they keeping players that you want to keep? Are 75 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:47.680 they setting up visits with guys in the portal that 76 00:03:47.719 --> 00:03:50.639 you want to be added to your team? So again, 77 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:52.719 that is certainly true. But I think even if you 78 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:55.759 are in the college football Playoff, like right now, like 79 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:58.759 if you're a coach, you still need to be monitoring that. 80 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:03.520 I would say you probably feel pretty good about not 81 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:08.159 losing guys while you're still playing for potentially a national championship. 82 00:04:08.240 --> 00:04:10.960 I mean, I suppose, in fact, I know there are 83 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:13.159 at least some guys that are still you know, they 84 00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:15.039 were on teams that are in the College Football Playoff, 85 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:17.319 but they've already decided to enter the portal because they 86 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:19.399 want to get I guess the head start on being 87 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:23.680 contacted by other schools and whatnot. So I think regardless 88 00:04:23.720 --> 00:04:26.279 of where your team is, if they're bowling, if they 89 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:28.279 were so bad they didn't get to go to a 90 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:31.000 bowl game, or if they're in the College Football Playoff, 91 00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:34.839 I feel like every fan in the country is just 92 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:37.040 trying their best to keep up with what's going on 93 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:41.040 in the portal. And it is I mean is it's chaotic, 94 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:44.680 it's never ending. We also live in a world now 95 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:46.439 where you really don't know what to believe when it 96 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:50.000 comes to things you see on the Twitter wire. So 97 00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:51.759 I'm trying my best to keep up with it. And 98 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:54.360 I do feel is if I've got a pretty good 99 00:04:54.480 --> 00:04:57.639 understanding as far as what's going on with Louisville meeting 100 00:04:58.120 --> 00:05:00.439 you know, Jeff Brahm and what he want to do, 101 00:05:00.839 --> 00:05:02.240 and we'll get into that coming up a little bit 102 00:05:02.279 --> 00:05:05.399 later on, because I do feel like we know which 103 00:05:05.480 --> 00:05:07.560 quarterback Jet Brom wants to get. I think you're going 104 00:05:07.639 --> 00:05:11.800 to see potentially the same scenario as you saw last year. 105 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:14.879 And what I mean by that is Jeff Brom will 106 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:19.720 see who's available, he will get in contact, make his pitch, 107 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:23.800 schedule a visit, probably do whatever is done from the 108 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:26.720 head coach's position to figure out what he can do, 109 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:29.759 what they can offer when it comes to nil, and 110 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:32.160 then try to lock it down and get it done. 111 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:34.959 And last year, that's exactly what happened with Tyler Schuck. 112 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:37.399 I'm pretty sure Shuck committed before some of the other 113 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:40.319 big names even hit the portal. So right now, all 114 00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:44.879 sounds point to Miller Moss being the top target for 115 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.720 Jeff Brom at the quarterback position. He's going to be 116 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:52.439 visiting Louisville, I believe later today, maybe tomorrow, I'll get specifics. 117 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:54.240 In fact, it actually may even be later this week, 118 00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:56.720 but we'll get you squared away as far as what 119 00:05:56.759 --> 00:05:58.079 you need to know about that. He's not the only 120 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:00.000 guy visiting Louisville that is in the portal, but obviously 121 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:04.600 the quarterback position very important, and the portal just opened yesterday, 122 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:07.519 so it's still very early in this process. But I 123 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:12.160 wouldn't be surprised if the vast majority of power for 124 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:15.879 programs are going hunting for a new quarterback in the 125 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:19.519 portal this offseason. Even if you return a starter, unless 126 00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:21.920 he was like really really good and you felt like 127 00:06:22.759 --> 00:06:25.079 you know, he was somebody that could get you in 128 00:06:25.079 --> 00:06:27.879 a position to win your league, You're probably gonna keep 129 00:06:27.879 --> 00:06:29.839 your eyes open in the portal and try to go 130 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:34.439 get somebody else. Having a really good quarterback can be 131 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:39.000 a game changer for football programs. Coaches know that. So, like, 132 00:06:39.079 --> 00:06:41.680 even if you have a guy that's pretty good, if 133 00:06:41.720 --> 00:06:44.040 you know there's somebody out there in the portal that's 134 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:47.519 available that is just maybe slightly better than the guy 135 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:50.199 you have, Like, I wouldn't be shocked to see coaches 136 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:54.079 trying to go bring in a better QB. So clearly, 137 00:06:54.120 --> 00:06:56.040 Jeff Browm's gonna have some competition when it comes to 138 00:06:56.079 --> 00:06:59.360 Miller Moss. But I'd say what he did with Jack 139 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:01.920 Plumber and obviously what he did with Tyler Shuck this year, 140 00:07:02.279 --> 00:07:04.720 I think it would make Louisville a very attractive spot 141 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:07.720 for a guy like Miller Moss. Now, when it comes 142 00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:12.040 to the portal, I tell you what, I'm always transparent 143 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:15.279 when it comes to information. I do and don't have. 144 00:07:15.480 --> 00:07:18.439 I have no clue what is going on with the 145 00:07:18.519 --> 00:07:22.480 Kentucky players in the portal, Vince Marrow in his situation. 146 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:25.680 But last week, you guys, remember, right, we talked about 147 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:29.160 the rumor about Vince Marrow potentially leaving Kentucky to come 148 00:07:29.160 --> 00:07:31.439 to Louisville. I never felt like it was real at all, 149 00:07:31.959 --> 00:07:34.920 never felt like there was any truth to that. I mean, 150 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:37.720 I could be wrong again, I don't know anything, but 151 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:40.560 that just never made any sense in any way for 152 00:07:40.680 --> 00:07:44.000 either side, meaning Vince Marrow leaving Louisville to come to 153 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:47.920 Kentucky and join Jeff bromstaff. However, here we are over 154 00:07:47.959 --> 00:07:50.279 a week removed from that, and there's another report out there, 155 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:54.560 this one from Rivals. Their national recruiting director says that 156 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:59.560 Dane Key is set to visit Louisville, and Louisville is 157 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:02.680 one of the schools that's pursuing him the most. The 158 00:08:02.759 --> 00:08:07.120 receiver for Kentucky Lexington kid Dad played at UK. I mean, 159 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:11.720 him leaving Kentucky really seemed like the ultimate sign that 160 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:13.879 things are not going well for Mark Stoops and their 161 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:16.480 own in Kentucky's fans don't even seem to blame him 162 00:08:16.519 --> 00:08:19.120 for leaving and wanting to play for a program that is, 163 00:08:19.160 --> 00:08:21.879 you know, clearly heading in a different direction than where 164 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:26.279 Kentucky's football program is heading. So I still have no 165 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:29.439 clue what's going on. But again, Rivals, they're a pretty 166 00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:33.240 respectable outlet when it comes to coverage of a lot 167 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:36.759 of things, including football recruiting and whatnot. They claim Louisville 168 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:38.879 is in the mix to get a visit from Dame 169 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:42.159 Key and that there's still I guess some belief that 170 00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:45.240 maybe Vince Merrow ends up on Jeff Brom's staff. So 171 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:50.159 despite it coming from a reputable, legitimate source, you know, 172 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:52.480 an outlet that breaks this kind of news that covers 173 00:08:53.039 --> 00:08:56.039 this industry college football, I still have a hard time 174 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:58.679 believing any of it's real. But we shall see now 175 00:08:58.679 --> 00:09:01.000 for what it's worth. Jones did come out and say 176 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:03.120 that from what he's told, that there's no visit in 177 00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:07.600 the works for Dayne Key at Louisville, which I tend 178 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:09.679 to lean on the side that the Vince Marrow stuff 179 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:14.159 is nonsense and that Dayne Key would not consider Louisville. 180 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:17.519 But again, as I said to start this whole conversation 181 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:20.879 about Kentucky, Vince Merrill, the big Dog and Dane Key like, 182 00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:22.879 I have no clue, I have no information at all, 183 00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:25.919 but man, that would be wild. I mean, day key, 184 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:28.840 it would be nice to get him if he wanted 185 00:09:28.840 --> 00:09:30.960 to come here, but he's gonna have options to go 186 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:32.840 just about everywhere, and I just have a hard time 187 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:35.919 seeing him coming to the rival. But you know, Jeff 188 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:38.440 Bram is a guy that I think playmakers would want 189 00:09:38.440 --> 00:09:41.799 to play for. And there's no doubt he's good enough 190 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:44.679 to play here. And if it would make the rival 191 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:48.960 upset even more so than the butt whoop in Louisville 192 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:52.000 handed him a couple of weeks ago, then hell yeah, 193 00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:54.080 I'm all in a r. A little bit later on, 194 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:57.039 we're gonna talk to cl Brown of the Courier Journal, 195 00:09:57.039 --> 00:09:59.720 our weekly chat with cl looking forward to getting his 196 00:09:59.720 --> 00:10:02.519 thoughts on a lot of things, including this Louisville basketball team. 197 00:10:02.679 --> 00:10:06.960 The roller coaster ride continues. I'm telling you this season 198 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:09.840 has been an absolute roller coaster, at least for me. Now. 199 00:10:09.879 --> 00:10:15.799 Everybody reacts to games differently. Everybody what you may view 200 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:20.320 as an optimistic sign, others may not see any reason 201 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:23.320 to be optimistic, and vice versa. As far as pessimism, 202 00:10:23.399 --> 00:10:25.519 Like everybody is entitled to their own opinion, and I 203 00:10:25.559 --> 00:10:29.679 know everybody sees things in their own way, but I'll 204 00:10:29.720 --> 00:10:32.360 lay it out once more. The roller coaster that I'm 205 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:35.200 referring to is the highs and the lows that you've 206 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:40.559 had this season with Pat Kelsey's team. You get off 207 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:42.759 to such a good start when it comes to just 208 00:10:42.840 --> 00:10:46.120 you know, him getting the job, winning the press conference, 209 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:49.840 building a roster, getting fans excited once again. The Bahamas 210 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:52.399 trip was really awesome to see. And then in the 211 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:54.799 second game, they have a wide out, a really well 212 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:57.799 attended game against Tennessee at top fifteen team. Now they're 213 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:00.039 the number one team in the country, and man, I 214 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:02.000 felt like we were back. And then the game started 215 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:07.080 and they got destroyed and that was very deflating. Right. 216 00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:09.919 So then you have a couple of Patsy's on the schedule, 217 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:12.320 no offense development, but they're not a real threat, and 218 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:15.000 neither is Winthrop. So you go to the Bahamas not 219 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:17.000 really knowing what to expect. You played one good team 220 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:20.639 at that point and they embarrassed you at times out there, 221 00:11:21.399 --> 00:11:24.639 so you know, expectations probably aren't really high. Well, then 222 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:26.960 you go and you win two out of three and 223 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:28.879 I still choose to believe that you came back with 224 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:32.320 some real momentum. You beat Indiana, you beat West Virginia, 225 00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:34.879 and then you fell short against Oklahoma. But then you 226 00:11:34.919 --> 00:11:36.840 get back and you find out Case and Pryor's out 227 00:11:36.840 --> 00:11:39.720 for the year, Corn Johnson's out for the year. You 228 00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:42.559 then have to turn around and play Ole miss at 229 00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:45.039 nine o'clock on a Tuesday, which of course was last week, 230 00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:48.559 and that didn't go well, so you know you're back 231 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:51.480 down again. And then I'm not going to claim that 232 00:11:51.399 --> 00:11:54.960 the first thirty minutes of the Duke game were anywhere 233 00:11:55.600 --> 00:11:59.840 close to It wasn't as if that you didn't win 234 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:01.720 the and you lost by eleven points, but the first 235 00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:03.960 thirty minutes to see them compete the way they did 236 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:07.279 make shots and really not look like they don't belog 237 00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:09.360 on the floor with the really talented Duke team despite 238 00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:11.919 being so shorthanded, like I chose to look at that 239 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:15.480 as an encouraging sign. So again, the roller coaster. It 240 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:18.279 didn't go all the way back up right, because you know, 241 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:21.240 you lost the game, But I wouldn't have been shocked 242 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:23.279 if they lost to Duke by thirty just given the 243 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:25.279 way things had been going and you know, given how 244 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:28.720 good Duke is. So we'll talk to cl about Louisville 245 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:30.399 basketball coming up here a little bit later on. And 246 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:36.000 they've got UTEP tomorrow night, which is actually a decent team, 247 00:12:36.080 --> 00:12:38.600 kind of for who they are. They're a Conference USA team, 248 00:12:38.840 --> 00:12:41.080 and it's a nice, I guess, a nice little tune 249 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:43.559 up before you hit the road and go to Lexington 250 00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:46.080 on Saturday to take on Mark Pope. And of course 251 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:48.799 it'll be the first ever Louisville Kentucky rivalry matchup with 252 00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:52.639 these two guys coaching the programs, and man, it doesn't. 253 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:54.840 First of all, the game is earlier than it usually is, 254 00:12:55.799 --> 00:12:58.600 but it also just doesn't really feel like we're days 255 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:03.960 away from this game. And I'm sure you can probably guess, 256 00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:07.440 but I'm not feeling super confident about that matchup right now. 257 00:13:07.799 --> 00:13:10.080 I mean, you're going into upp Arena. Kentucky has proven 258 00:13:10.120 --> 00:13:11.799 to be a really, really good team. They've got wins 259 00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:15.960 over Duke and Gonzaga, and you know, they're talented, and 260 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:19.440 Louisville is very shorthanded. You know, I think even if 261 00:13:19.480 --> 00:13:21.759 Louisville was at full strength, they'd still of course be 262 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:24.679 underdogs in this game because Kentucky's at up, and Kentucky 263 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:27.240 has has proven to be pretty good this year, but 264 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:29.919 knowing how you know limited they are, and knowing that 265 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:32.320 Kentucky can rely on more depth, I mean, it's just, 266 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:34.960 you know, it's not a game that as of right now, 267 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:38.919 I am expecting Louisville to win. Doesn't mean they can't win. 268 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:41.840 It's just gonna be tough to beat those kind of 269 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:44.519 teams with the roster that you currently have. You're just 270 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:47.639 very limited with how many guys you can play. So 271 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:50.200 you know, Kentucky is certainly one of those teams that 272 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:52.559 I just have a hard time right now seeing Louisville 273 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:55.840 Bee being able to beat because of how how limited 274 00:13:55.879 --> 00:13:57.720 they are. But we'll get some early thoughts on this 275 00:13:57.799 --> 00:14:00.720 matchup when we bring in cl Brown. Some other things 276 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:03.879 we will get into today. Something you don't often see. 277 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:07.639 The number one player in America when it comes to 278 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:12.440 college basketball recruiting, decided this morning on First Take with 279 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:16.799 Steven A. Smith to commit to BYU. And I've got 280 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:18.639 a lot of thoughts on that, and we'll certainly get 281 00:14:18.679 --> 00:14:20.799 to it at some point throughout the afternoon. And I 282 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:22.600 don't know how much it's going to be a topic 283 00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:24.759 on the show. I'm not sure what I can add 284 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:28.000 that you guys haven't already probably read about, but I 285 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:32.559 am so can I say fascinated. It sounds awful to 286 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:35.639 say that I'm fascinated by somebody who who murdered someone, 287 00:14:35.720 --> 00:14:37.559 But like, I also know that true crime is the 288 00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:40.759 most popular genre right now when it comes to content 289 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:44.320 just about anywhere, television, podcast, that kind of stuff, so 290 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:47.639 I'm not alone. But just reading everything that's out there 291 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:51.759 about Luigi Mangione, it's crazy. I mean, he's not the 292 00:14:51.799 --> 00:14:57.159 first guy that has a background and upbringing that you 293 00:14:57.159 --> 00:15:01.320 would never suspect would lead to him, I mean, murdering somebody. 294 00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:04.080 But there's got to be so much more to it 295 00:15:04.120 --> 00:15:05.799 than what we already know. And all we know is 296 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:07.720 what people on the Internet have been able to dig up. 297 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:10.440 But it has fascinated me in a major way, and 298 00:15:10.519 --> 00:15:14.200 I can't I can't stop reading about it at every 299 00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:17.159 at every turn. So again, I'm not sure what we 300 00:15:17.240 --> 00:15:18.759 do with that on the show today, but I know 301 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:20.360 it's one of the most talked about things on the 302 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:23.279 planet right now, and as of right now, I guess 303 00:15:23.320 --> 00:15:26.679 it's not officially official, but it certainly sounds like Bill 304 00:15:26.759 --> 00:15:30.720 Belichick really really wants to coach college football. He really 305 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:34.039 really wants the North Carolina job, and those that cover 306 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:37.240 North Carolina they believe that they're going to give him 307 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:41.639 the job, which to me, this just doesn't make any sense. 308 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.759 But he is one of the best coaches of all time. 309 00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:48.080 It's just you know, what I would would would love 310 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:51.440 to know is what about the college game right now 311 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:56.720 is giving Bill Belichick the itch to just, you know, 312 00:15:56.840 --> 00:16:00.000 start all over. I just don't. It doesn't make I mean, 313 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:03.799 I still have a hard time believing it. But then again, 314 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:06.799 those that cover college football, and especially those that are 315 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:09.399 close to Carolina, I mean, it's a real thing now. Again, 316 00:16:09.480 --> 00:16:13.000 it's not official, but it sounds like it won't be 317 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:15.639 It will be official before too long. So we'll see 318 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:18.879 maybe that happens before we end the show today. All right, 319 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:20.679 if you want to join us on the show, your 320 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:23.799 best bet is to text in BYBO two six five 321 00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:26.240 three zero seven ninety the Ellen N Federal Credit Union 322 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:28.720 text line, and we'll open up the phone lines a 323 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:30.879 little bit later on. But on the other side, we'll 324 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:33.519 bring him in. The one and only Zach Barnett Football 325 00:16:33.639 --> 00:16:37.000 Scoop dot com right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. 326 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:40.039 All right, welcome back in coffee and company. That's us 327 00:16:40.039 --> 00:16:43.639 Fieldbeth Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Let's bring 328 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:46.399 him in. He is Zach Barnett, a FootballScoop dot com. 329 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:49.480 He's joined us throughout the college football season, and now 330 00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:51.600 we are here, not the end of the season, but 331 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:54.000 we've got the twelve team playoff, and I'll just start 332 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:57.200 by asking you to give the committee a grade. How 333 00:16:57.200 --> 00:16:59.720 do you think they did as far as putting in 334 00:17:00.039 --> 00:17:01.919 the twelve teams that they chose to put in and 335 00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:04.359 where they seated them. 336 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:08.839 That's a good question. I think I'd give them a 337 00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:14.720 B minus two C plus. I mean, I guess they 338 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:21.440 get in a for their stated goal of protecting the system, 339 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:24.319 and I think that the way the season played out, 340 00:17:24.920 --> 00:17:30.359 it left them with an obvious choice of if we 341 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:36.920 demote s m U, then the entire system, uh be 342 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:39.000 that conference championship games are going to go out the 343 00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:43.119 wayside immediately, and that that's not the goal here, That's 344 00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:45.799 not the point, and it's just kind of the situation 345 00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:49.839 that was handed to them. So if you view, you 346 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:54.799 know sm U, their their selection over Alabama as a 347 00:17:54.920 --> 00:17:58.839 choice just to protect themselves and the system, and they 348 00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:03.799 made it happen to think SMU is more deserving than Alabama. 349 00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:06.680 And I think the Alabama conversation is looking at it 350 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:11.319 from the wrong angle. And I think the way this 351 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:14.200 system worked, everybody's kind of looking at it being like 352 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:17.400 this Boise State, they deserve to be in the field, 353 00:18:17.400 --> 00:18:20.880 but do they really deserve a three seed? Probably not. 354 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:24.559 I mean this thing was modeled after the NCAA tournament 355 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:28.960 and Nicks. As you well know, the Summit League champion 356 00:18:29.079 --> 00:18:32.559 is not guaranteed a top six seed or anything close 357 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:34.400 to that. They're guarantee the spot in the field. So 358 00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:38.720 that seems to be a somewhat easy tweak. But that 359 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:40.960 was outside of this committee's purview. 360 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:45.160 Yeah. I think as we got closer to selection Sunday, 361 00:18:45.559 --> 00:18:48.359 I think when you would see how they would give 362 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:51.519 us the top twenty five throughout the season, those weekly 363 00:18:51.640 --> 00:18:53.880 check ins, and then you'd see how it would actually 364 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:57.279 be put together on a bracket, I think from really 365 00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:59.319 the beginning it kind of made sense. Okay, maybe we 366 00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:01.759 wouldn't do it this way because we should probably just 367 00:19:01.839 --> 00:19:03.680 have the twelve teams that we think belong and then 368 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:06.119 seed it who we think is the best four, which 369 00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:08.599 would then would then get the buye. But I mean, 370 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:10.720 I really don't think I think the committee as far 371 00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:12.599 as who got in, I don't think there's anybody that's 372 00:19:12.680 --> 00:19:15.920 left out. As far as the teams that were talked about, Miami, 373 00:19:16.599 --> 00:19:20.279 Alabama as you mentioned, maybe South Carolina, maybe Ole miss 374 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:22.200 Like those teams, all of them have to look in 375 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:24.559 the mirror. They can blame the committee. They can talk 376 00:19:24.599 --> 00:19:27.119 about how strong their league is, those of those teams 377 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:29.480 that I mentioned there that are in the SEC. But like, 378 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:31.359 I think it kind of played out in a way 379 00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:34.160 as far as who got into where the committee didn't really. 380 00:19:34.359 --> 00:19:36.200 I mean, I guess they could have put Bama in 381 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:38.640 and people would have just lived with it, but they didn't. 382 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:40.400 And I think it, you know, the more time that passes. 383 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:41.839 It's only been a couple of days, I mean, I 384 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:43.960 think they got it right at the end of the day. 385 00:19:45.240 --> 00:19:49.279 Yeah. And one other note on the way the feeding 386 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:54.920 of the teams is obviously this this this format was 387 00:19:54.920 --> 00:19:59.200 the sited when we still have five quote unquote power conferences, 388 00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:03.160 and it was a six plus six uh situation where 389 00:20:03.160 --> 00:20:06.119 you would have had the automatic dates for the top 390 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:10.079 six conference champions, and the bracket was probably would seem 391 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:12.240 a lot more balanced if you still had a Pack twelve. 392 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:14.799 That's just seem Oregon I had won the PAC twelve, 393 00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:19.519 Texas won the Big twelve. We'll say Ohio State won 394 00:20:19.559 --> 00:20:21.759 the won the Big ten in Georgia won the SEC. Well, 395 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:24.400 there's your top four seeds, and those are probably the 396 00:20:24.440 --> 00:20:28.000 four best teams in the tournament, so that would be fair. 397 00:20:28.559 --> 00:20:31.079 Notre Dame probably would be the five. In that scenario, 398 00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:35.640 Clemson gets in and boys to take it, and you 399 00:20:35.799 --> 00:20:38.720 have a lot more equitable bracket. And obviously that's something 400 00:20:38.759 --> 00:20:40.880 that no one could have foreseen and it's not the 401 00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:44.759