Speaker 1: It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on
Speaker 1: Sports Talk seven ninety. Now here's Nick Coffee.
Speaker 2: Let's get it started, Ladies and gentlemen, five o'clock hour
Speaker 2: here on a Wednesday, Coffee and company fueled by Thornton's
Speaker 2: here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Take us with you
Speaker 2: wherever you go. Listen live on the iHeartRadio. I have
Speaker 2: also listened live at seven ninety Louisville dot Com. Been
Speaker 2: a busy show so far, and it's going to be
Speaker 2: a really busy five o'clock hour. We've got a guest
Speaker 2: coming up here at five point thirty. We're going to
Speaker 2: bring in Brian Edwards from Vegas Insider dot com. We'll
Speaker 2: get his thoughts on some of the big matchups here
Speaker 2: in week one, because there are a lot of them.
Speaker 2: I mean, I still haven't really figured out which way
Speaker 2: I'm going to go with a lot of my bets,
Speaker 2: although I do have some picks that I've got for
Speaker 2: tomorrow because we've got some games tomorrow that I'm pretty
Speaker 2: excited about. But I know Brian Edwards, he's got picks,
Speaker 2: he's got thoughts on these matchups, and we will let
Speaker 2: him share those thoughts. I know he's got he's got
Speaker 2: a big opinion on the A and M Notre Dame game,
Speaker 2: Miami and Florida. That's certainly a big game this weekend
Speaker 2: comparatively speaking. And I know Miami, I mean they've been
Speaker 2: put on upset alard by a lot of people in Florida.
Speaker 2: The talk of Florida this offseason has really been about
Speaker 2: the schedule they have and how important it is for
Speaker 2: Billy and Napier with the toughest schedule in the country
Speaker 2: to win. And Miami they're a factor, and why the
Speaker 2: Florida schedule is viewed to be so tough. They're not
Speaker 2: the biggest factor. But Miami, I mean, I still don't
Speaker 2: think they deserve the benefit of the doubt that they
Speaker 2: continue to get. But I also understand that they always
Speaker 2: have talent, and they have a couple of big time
Speaker 2: editions in the portal that would make a lot of
Speaker 2: people on paper kind of change how you view this team.
Speaker 2: I mean, cam Ward very accomplished quarterback that put up
Speaker 2: a lot of I mean big time performances Washington State.
Speaker 2: Washington Washington State, not Oregon State. So we'll have Brian
Speaker 2: Edwards with us coming up at about five thirty, so
Speaker 2: real quick, for those of you who missed the news,
Speaker 2: there's really is not a I mean, I guess it's
Speaker 2: just the update we knew was on the way, and
Speaker 2: that is that Amari Huggins Bruce is officially on the roster.
Speaker 2: If you go to the website, he's been participating in
Speaker 2: practice and I still don't know he's eligible. Again, I
Speaker 2: can't tell you that he's not. I can't tell you
Speaker 2: that he I'm just guessing. I just think that if
Speaker 2: he was eligible to play, and you would you know,
Speaker 2: and he was going to be available to play in
Speaker 2: their opener, I would imagine that would have been something
Speaker 2: that was included in the press release. To go back
Speaker 2: to the report yesterday from Matt mcgavick, and that was
Speaker 2: that Amari Huggins Bruce will be eligible to play as
Speaker 2: long as he can fulfill academic obligations that are related
Speaker 2: to to's some recent NC DOUBLEA legislation that passed. I mean,
Speaker 2: I gotta be honest with you, that sounds legit. I
Speaker 2: don't know the hell it means, though, I'm not sure
Speaker 2: I'm alone in not knowing what the hell that actually means.
Speaker 2: So well, when it comes to how they you know,
Speaker 2: how they're gonna utilize there was, you know, the slot
Speaker 2: receiver position. In these first couple of games, maybe he
Speaker 2: does get a lot of run. But I feel comfortable
Speaker 2: now in saying this after talking to somebody yesterday that
Speaker 2: the guys who've been in camp, the guys who have
Speaker 2: been you know, not not happy to see their teammate
Speaker 2: get hurt, but they know that with Colin Lacy out,
Speaker 2: they got a chance to step up and get more
Speaker 2: run in practice and of course in games as well.
Speaker 2: So Jayden Thompson, Guitars, Hicks, Jelil McLain, I still think
Speaker 2: those are gonna be the guys that get the first
Speaker 2: chance to, uh to kind of you know, fill that
Speaker 2: void that's left by Colin Lacy, who of course was
Speaker 2: going to have probably a great season until that injury
Speaker 2: took place, which is a real bumber.
Speaker 3: No doubt.
Speaker 2: All Right, So this is uh, I think this is
Speaker 2: awesome news. Bellerman has announced that they they will no
Speaker 2: longer use Freedom Hall for their home games. They're going
Speaker 2: to go back to Nights Hall on campus. And I
Speaker 2: love this, you know, I love Scottie Davenport first and foremost,
Speaker 2: and I'm a big Bellermin fan when it comes to,
Speaker 2: you know, wanting to see them succeed, and Freedham Hall
Speaker 2: was cool, but being at the tvt reminded me they
Speaker 2: don't need to be at Freedom Hall. I mean, it's
Speaker 2: nice to have that arena, and Freedom Hall is is
Speaker 2: a very historic arena with a lot of tradition, not
Speaker 2: just U of L games over the years, but some
Speaker 2: legendary high school tournaments back in the day. Heck, they've
Speaker 2: hosted NCAA Regionals there. But Bellerman not only just doesn't
Speaker 2: have I mean, that's too big of an arena for
Speaker 2: a lot of college basketball programs that are a much
Speaker 2: higher level. Bellerman's still brand new to Division one, and
Speaker 2: I wouldn't mean I imagine their alumni base is relatively
Speaker 2: small comparatively speaking when it comes to other Division one
Speaker 2: basketball programs. Maybe I'm wrong there, but either way, they're
Speaker 2: moving back to Nightshall and that will give them a
Speaker 2: chance to have I think a crazy awesome atmosphere. So
Speaker 2: I never understood if the decision to go to Freedom
Speaker 2: Hall was because of a requirement within the NCAA Division
Speaker 2: One process as they were transitioning from D two to
Speaker 2: D one. But you know there's no way that's the
Speaker 2: case because if you look at the other arenas, if
Speaker 2: you could even call them that, of these universities that
Speaker 2: are in the Atlantic Sun, I mean, they play in
Speaker 2: places that are smaller than Nightsall. So I just think
Speaker 2: you've got a chance to have an absolutely awesome atmosphere
Speaker 2: to where it will give you a home court advantage
Speaker 2: that maybe nobody else in your league could ever replicate.
Speaker 3: Maybe that's a little bit of a stretch.
Speaker 2: I know Liberty is still in the Atlantic Sun and
Speaker 2: they've got a good following and a good program, But
Speaker 2: I love this move for coach Davenport and I think
Speaker 2: it's a good one. This is from a press release, Sis,
Speaker 2: Freedom Hall has been great. Has it been a great
Speaker 2: home for Bellerman women's and men's basketball programs during our
Speaker 2: transition to the n SUAA Division One level. And we're
Speaker 2: grateful for We're grateful to Kentucky Venues for delivering a
Speaker 2: first classics experience for our student athletes and fans. That's
Speaker 2: from the athletic director of Bellerman. He goes on to
Speaker 2: say that bringing the Knights back to the Highlands will
Speaker 2: allow our students to fully experience the atmosphere of division
Speaker 2: and basketball without leaving campus satisfied fans who have missed
Speaker 2: the venue's rowdy experience, bring added convenience to our student
Speaker 2: athletes and provide additional game day revenue to neighborhood businesses,
Speaker 2: while offering basketball fans in the surrounding neighborhoods an excellent
Speaker 2: entertainment option at at a comparatively affordable price point. So
Speaker 2: I love it. I will be at Bellerman games this year.
Speaker 2: I don't know how many, but certainly a couple, because
Speaker 2: that atmosphere was a great. Man, And you know, I'm
Speaker 2: not gonna act like it's the same thing as being
Speaker 2: excited to go see Louisville play at Freedom Hall back
Speaker 2: in the day or the Young Center when Louisville's got
Speaker 2: it rolling, But man, there's something about, Hey, I'm going
Speaker 2: to Knights Hall to night to watch the Scott Davenport
Speaker 2: team that plays a really fun and exciting style of basketball.
Speaker 2: They're clearly very well coached, and that atmosphere is going
Speaker 2: to be great. So I didn't know if they would
Speaker 2: make the move back. I'd heard that there was some
Speaker 2: talk of it, but I think this is a really
Speaker 2: good move on their parts. So I mean, I'm congratulating them.
Speaker 2: I'm not sure if that's necessary, but I'm just as
Speaker 2: a fan of coach d in his program, I think
Speaker 2: this is a good move for him, no doubt. I mean,
Speaker 2: when you're recruiting and recruiting of courses a little different
Speaker 2: for Bellerman than most, especially now in the portal era,
Speaker 2: but I think showing off Freedom Hall could be cool.
Speaker 2: But I think showing off Nights Haul when it's packed
Speaker 2: and you've got a game where first place in the
Speaker 2: conferences on the line and you can't move in there
Speaker 2: because it's so crowded like that, I think could really
Speaker 2: really stand out to an up and coming recruit that
Speaker 2: you know is being recruited by Bellerman in programs alike.
Speaker 2: All Right, So yesterday I made it official because yes,
Speaker 2: I have the ability to make it official. Andy Katz
Speaker 2: band from Louisville, and anybody who lets him in your
Speaker 2: band as well, don't test me, don't challenge me. As
Speaker 2: I said, I know the neighbor, or not the neighbor.
Speaker 2: I know the mayor, we're not neighbors, but I'm not
Speaker 2: lifting the band on Andy Kats. But he did redeem
Speaker 2: himself with a new list today, John, have you seen it?
Speaker 4: I have not seen this new list.
Speaker 2: His list yesterday was the best college basketball fans fan bases,
Speaker 2: and he didn't have Louisville in there. And he had
Speaker 2: a bunch of bum fan bases in there, just a
Speaker 2: bunch of bums. Illinois, Iowa Star, I mean Iowa State.
Speaker 2: Get the hell out of here. Katz. Well, now he
Speaker 2: has given us college basketball's best rivalries, and I am biased,
Speaker 2: but I think Louisville Kentucky belongs at number one. But
Speaker 2: I'm aware that nobody would ever decide a college basketball
Speaker 2: rivalry is better than the Duke and Carolina rivalry unless
Speaker 2: you're a Louisville fan or a Kentucky fan, or maybe
Speaker 2: you're a Cincinnati and fan or a Xavier fan, and
Speaker 2: you think, again, there's some like clearly I'm biased when
Speaker 2: it comes to that. And as I've always said, to
Speaker 2: truly understand the rivalry between Louisville and Kentucky basketball and football,
Speaker 2: to be honest with you think, but obviously much more
Speaker 2: in basketball, just because the history is a lot deeper
Speaker 2: being in Louisville, and you even saw it play out
Speaker 2: at the TBT event, right. I mean, the reason that
Speaker 2: that thing broke the record that will never be broken
Speaker 2: again for a TVT unless it's those two playing again
Speaker 2: is because we care that much. So take the TVT
Speaker 2: out of it, and I still think it's the exact same.
Speaker 2: There are so many fans of both in this in
Speaker 2: this city. That I mean is that, like, let me look,
Speaker 2: let me give you the top five Carolina Dude number one, Louisville,
Speaker 2: Kentucky number two, Indiana Purdue number three, Xavier Cincinnati number four,
Speaker 2: UCLA USC number five. No offense to Indiana and Purdue,
Speaker 2: But John, I have I don't. I think there's a
Speaker 2: humongous gap between two and everybody else.
Speaker 4: As I kind of agree with you.
Speaker 1: You all are.
Speaker 2: Rivals, yes, no doubt, and you don't like each other
Speaker 2: and you will. I mean, like, trust me, I get
Speaker 2: all that, But I just don't think that there's there's
Speaker 2: just not as much animosity.
Speaker 4: And here's the thing, in terms of pure hatred, I'd
Speaker 4: almost put Xavior in Cincinnati at number three over Indiana
Speaker 4: Purdue because that gets ugly.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, it gets And again you know why, because
Speaker 2: they're both in the they're in the same city. Yes,
Speaker 2: if you live in Cincinnati and you were for a
Speaker 2: college that's not Ohio State. When it comes to basketball,
Speaker 2: you're rooting for one of those two and you all
Speaker 2: coexist together, which is why it gets so nasty. And
Speaker 2: that's what happens here Carolina and Duke Duke's fan bas
Speaker 2: is not in Carolina. Dukes alum are all in the
Speaker 2: northeast in New York City. Carolina has a lot of
Speaker 2: fans that live in Chapel Hill. They got fans across
Speaker 2: the state, no doubt. But n C State has a
Speaker 2: big presence in the state of North Carolina, more so
Speaker 2: than people realize. Indiana Purdue like produce alum where they
Speaker 2: all like northern I mean like northern.
Speaker 4: North, north of Indianapolis is one most of Purdue alum.
Speaker 2: And Indiana has fans all across the world. Yes, I'd
Speaker 2: say the bulk of Indiana. You don't see that many
Speaker 2: Purdue flags when you're when you're driving in rural Indiana,
Speaker 2: you'll see them. But there's a lot of Indiana Flint fans,
Speaker 2: Indiana flags and fans.
Speaker 4: The fans really have just been louder recently because they've
Speaker 4: been really, really.
Speaker 2: Sure, no doubt, so I can't speak to the other
Speaker 2: rivalries U C, L a USC BYU Utah. But I
Speaker 2: think when it comes to the best route, Again, this
Speaker 2: is my biased look at it. I think what makes
Speaker 2: a rivalry is fans. Players come and go, coaches come
Speaker 2: and go. If you're a diehard fan, you're born into
Speaker 2: this and you will die probably thinking about you know,
Speaker 2: you got a few days left to live. That's a
Speaker 2: terrible thing to think about. But when you're on your
Speaker 2: deathbed and you're thinking about the good and the bad
Speaker 2: in your life, you might think about the time you
Speaker 2: spent watching your Louisville Cardinals or your Kentucky Wildcats beat
Speaker 2: the other because it meant that much. Hopefully, when you
Speaker 2: think about the bad, you're not thinking about that. Hopefully
Speaker 2: not think about anything bad if you're about to go.
Speaker 2: But you know what I'm saying, So like fans make
Speaker 2: a rivalry what it is. Therefore, that's why I think
Speaker 2: in Louisville, Kentucky, that's where you have the most contentious, heated,
Speaker 2: nasty rivalry in college hoops because there's so many of
Speaker 2: us that all coexist together, and the vast majority of
Speaker 2: louivillions or one or the other, and you know you
Speaker 2: got to go see each other at work, you got
Speaker 2: in lass. I'm married into a UK family and I
Speaker 2: love those people, but like you know, they've got one flaw.
Speaker 2: It's that they're on the other side. And I say
Speaker 2: that jokingly. They're great people, but I'm like, you know
Speaker 2: exactly what I mean. You've had a loss or a
Speaker 2: win in this rivalry where you he you thought, I
Speaker 2: can't wait to get to work and go to the
Speaker 2: cubicle and just let Dennis from Accounting have it because
Speaker 2: he's a big Blue Nation clown. Or you've lost and
Speaker 2: you thought, oh, I got a PTO day here before
Speaker 2: the year comes to an end.
Speaker 3: I'm taking it. I can't. I need a day.
Speaker 2: I need to let this thing simmer because I can't
Speaker 2: go face Dennis because Dennis is gonna give me the business.
Speaker 3: Dennis is gonna be a menace.
Speaker 2: So you know, like I'm so passionate about that because
Speaker 2: how much we care and how much we hate each other.
Speaker 2: You know, in the sports world of it, that's what
Speaker 2: makes a rivalry. And I know that Kentucky or not Kentucky,
Speaker 2: but Carolina and Duke have better tradition and this is
Speaker 2: where my bias comes in. I think fans are what
Speaker 2: makes rivalry, as I explained, But if you are somebody
Speaker 2: that use a rivalry the wrong way, which is just
Speaker 2: about success among the two in how competitive it is
Speaker 2: when they go head to head, then that is clearly
Speaker 2: gonna always be Duke in Carolina because of the national
Speaker 2: championships that they have and because of the you know,
Speaker 2: the amount of I mean, it's been years and I
Speaker 2: need to go back and look at it at some point.
Speaker 2: It's come up a time or two, and I've never
Speaker 2: once gone back to look at it. But at one
Speaker 2: point when they played in the last five six years,
Speaker 2: the record all time record was insanely close. But if
Speaker 2: you add it up the total score of every game
Speaker 2: they played, it's like a one point difference. That's insane.
Speaker 2: So again, if you view rivalries the wrong way, then
Speaker 2: they're the best. But if you view it the right way,
Speaker 2: which is all it's all about fans, fans because players
Speaker 2: aren't born into the rivalry and they are a part
Speaker 2: of it when they play here, and some of them
Speaker 2: it sticks with them forever and that's great, But like
Speaker 2: some of them, they don't really care because that's just
Speaker 2: you know, it's personality thing, right, you.
Speaker 4: Know, especially now with transfer portal, you have guys there
Speaker 4: for one year, they don't care about the rivalry like that.
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
Speaker 2: So with all that said, like I just you know,
Speaker 2: I'm fine with seeing Louisville at number two. I would
Speaker 2: take issue with them being anything but one or two
Speaker 2: because I just don't think there's really comparison. And again
Speaker 2: to to you know, I'm glad you brought that up, John.
Speaker 2: As far as like Cincinnati and Zavier, like, I feel
Speaker 2: like their fans make that a more heated rivalry. And
Speaker 2: again it's because they're together. And if you go to
Speaker 2: NC State and like I'm trying to think of like
Speaker 2: Mississippi and Mississippi State, Like I don't know enough about
Speaker 2: that state itself, but obviously I would imagine, Oh, miss
Speaker 2: They've got a lot of fans throughout the state, as
Speaker 2: does Mississippi State. But I would imagine, again I'm just
Speaker 2: guessing here the majority of those Mississippi State fans or
Speaker 2: people that are in Starkville. So you know, I and
Speaker 2: again there's a lot of big rivalries out there that
Speaker 2: are not within the same state, like Michigan and Ohio State.
Speaker 2: That's just a much different thing. And by the way,
Speaker 2: I've always thought that this was one of the best
Speaker 2: rivalries in all of sports, pro or college, but watching
Speaker 2: the Connor Stallions documentary did kind of remind me that
Speaker 2: you could make the case. I think that the most
Speaker 2: the nastiest rivalry that you'll maybe ever.
Speaker 3: See is.
Speaker 2: Ohio State and Michigan. It's just nasty between those two
Speaker 2: and they don't really co exist together, right, I mean,
Speaker 2: they're not.
Speaker 4: I mean, and that's the weird thing about it because
Speaker 4: there it's really the only rivalry where you're not in
Speaker 4: the same state at the very least.
Speaker 2: But there's just so much tradition within that rivalry. It's
Speaker 2: just been around forever and both have been great, right,
Speaker 2: But yeah, that's I heard Pat Forty at one point
Speaker 2: talk about how he doesn't think there's any comparison to
Speaker 2: that one and I and I always thought that that's
Speaker 2: a strong thing to say, and I've kind of seen
Speaker 2: it play out where I'm like, you know what, like
Speaker 2: that always comes back to me. I guess he's been there,
Speaker 2: he's been at games and seen just how you know,
Speaker 2: crazy crazy it can be.
Speaker 3: I think the the was it Harvey Updyke.
Speaker 2: Is that the guy's name who poisoned the tree at
Speaker 2: Auburn who was the Alabama fan. Yeah, he's the infamous
Speaker 2: Alabama fan who poisoned tumors oaks and ended up like
Speaker 2: going to prison for it. And they did a thirty
Speaker 2: for thirty on it and it was really really well done.
Speaker 2: But I think that story alone made it to where
Speaker 2: I think it made it to where that right. Again,
Speaker 2: I'm not to say that Alabama and Auburn is not
Speaker 2: a heated and hatred rival, but like, Alabama has way
Speaker 2: more fans, like you know, and again, honestly, you could
Speaker 2: say the same thing about about Louisville and Kentucky, like
Speaker 2: there's way more Kentucky fans, but I'm talking about Louisville specifically.
Speaker 2: By the way, speaking of this rivalry, let me give
Speaker 2: you some evidence that helps support the insaneness of this rivalry.
Speaker 2: This from back in twenty twenty thirteen or No. Twenty twelve,
Speaker 2: when these two teams played in the Final four.
Speaker 5: The rivalry between UK and U of L fans runs deep,
Speaker 5: but police say they've never been called to a place
Speaker 5: like this to break up a fight between fans.
Speaker 6: Police are calling it a flagrant foul.
Speaker 2: I think this is a first at a dialysis cliny.
Speaker 5: Officers were called after a UK and U of L
Speaker 5: fan gave each other a full court press during treatment Monday.
Speaker 7: You just happened to think that of L U of
Speaker 7: L would beat the UK, and he started running his mouth.
Speaker 7: That's what that's what's started.
Speaker 8: I ain't talk to him about the ball game. I'll
Speaker 8: talk to another guy about the ball. He meant it
Speaker 8: and told me shut up and then give me the finger.
Speaker 8: I said, what, I'm not talking to you.
Speaker 9: Both men admit they were in the zone, but never
Speaker 9: anticipated there'd be a power forward.
Speaker 8: I wasn't gonna take no more of him.
Speaker 7: You know, I'm setting there, hooked up to machine and
Speaker 7: I can't do it, and.
Speaker 1: I wonn't told I hit you, and he made hert what.
Speaker 6: By the time police arrived, the fight was over.
Speaker 7: I'm just sorry it even happened. Hopefully they just he
Speaker 7: won't come in the same time I do anymore.
Speaker 5: Wilson does say that he won't be pressing any charges
Speaker 5: against Taylor, but he does say that.
Speaker 6: He helps the Wildcats win.
Speaker 5: In George Stout, Elizabeth, Dorset, WKYT twenty seven news.
Speaker 2: First, if I didn't remember that happening, the puns used
Speaker 2: in that newscast, I wouldn't. I would think it was
Speaker 2: it was a manufactured thing, like it wasn't a real newscast.
Speaker 2: It was somebody just trying to point out that those
Speaker 2: who work in local news at times can be really corny.
Speaker 4: I can appreciate the commitment to the bit too.
Speaker 3: It was very annoyed.
Speaker 4: I don't think it was puns I heard, But the
Speaker 4: more she committed to it, I was like, Okay, this
Speaker 4: is I can appreciate.
Speaker 3: Let let's count them.
Speaker 4: Think it's fright.
Speaker 5: The rivalry between UK and U of L fans runs deep,
Speaker 5: but police say they've never been called to a place
Speaker 5: like this to break up a fight between fans.
Speaker 6: Police are calling it a flagrant fountain.
Speaker 3: Oh god. And then the other one was about power forward, right, and.
Speaker 4: That was that was the second one.
Speaker 7: That's what that's what's started.
Speaker 6: After a UK and U of L fan gave each
Speaker 6: other a full court press.
Speaker 2: Oh, the full court press, and starting.
Speaker 9: There were meant they were in the zone, but never
Speaker 9: anticipated there'd be a power for.
Speaker 3: That's the best right of them in the zone.
Speaker 2: Power for like that's not a common thing in local news,
Speaker 2: is it not anymore?
Speaker 4: I'm assuming it was back in the.
Speaker 2: Day twenty twelve. That was twelve years ago. So anyways,
Speaker 2: and by the way, for the Kentucky fans, it's.
Speaker 3: Not a rovalry, so we don't.
Speaker 2: Well, you prove that it's a rivalry, and it's a
Speaker 2: big deal whenever the majority, like a good chunk of
Speaker 2: your conversation as a Kentucky fan on our text line
Speaker 2: on Twitter or when you call in is about Louisville,
Speaker 2: and that's okay. Like I'm never I'm never going to
Speaker 2: be Oh, you're obsessed. No, you You're supposed to be
Speaker 2: obsessed with your rival, not as much as your own team.
Speaker 2: But like, that's how this works. That's why we're sick
Speaker 2: individuals when it comes to this rivalry. And I wouldn't
Speaker 2: have it any other way. I'll tell you he's not
Speaker 2: a sick individual. It's Brian Edwards from Vegas Insider dot com.
Speaker 2: He's gonna join us on the other side. Stick around
Speaker 2: week zero in the books. Week one is upon us.
Speaker 2: We've got a lot of college football action starting. In fact,
Speaker 2: it'll be starting tomorrow and I can't wait. Always enjoy
Speaker 2: bringing him in. He's Brian Edwards from Vegas Insider dot
Speaker 2: com to talk some college football action, which I know
Speaker 2: you Your Gators are involved in a big matchup this weekend,
Speaker 2: and we'll get to that one. But outside of that,
Speaker 2: which which game? Maybe we'll talk wagering in just one second,
Speaker 2: But just as far as a football fan like I
Speaker 2: know you are, what are you most excited to watch
Speaker 2: outside of your Gators and the Canes?
Speaker 10: Oh, I'd probably say Notre Dame at Texas A and
Speaker 10: M Clemson at Georgia, and then I will be at
Speaker 10: the LSU USC game.
Speaker 3: Oh hell yeah Vegas.
Speaker 10: Yep, I'm going out.
Speaker 8: There on Friday.
Speaker 3: Hell yeah.
Speaker 10: So I would say those three Georgia, Clempson, l s
Speaker 10: U USC and A and Notre Dame.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we've got some good ones, no doubt, and that's exciting.
Speaker 2: But I'm just excited that it's finally here.
Speaker 1: Man.
Speaker 2: College football is is awesome, and it's even more awesome
Speaker 2: whenever you win bets on these games, and hopefully a
Speaker 2: lot of you listening will be able to have a
Speaker 2: successful season. And one guy that has helped us do
Speaker 2: that is Brian. So with A and M and and
Speaker 2: Notre Dame. Any any big opinion here on this one.
Speaker 2: I mean, maybe I'm just thinking of the underwhelming Jimbo
Speaker 2: Fisher era, but I kind of felt like Notre Dame
Speaker 2: would be getting at a little more love here.
Speaker 10: Well, the Notre Dame lost its starting offensive tackle to
Speaker 10: a season ending injury, and I've heard.
Speaker 2: They were already pretty they were already pretty much expected
Speaker 2: to be weak on the old line, weren't they right, because.
Speaker 10: They lost Joe All, the first team All American, first
Speaker 10: round draft pick, and this young guy who you know,
Speaker 10: played in a reserve role last year, but they have really.
Speaker 8: High expectations of him. He was a four star. He's
Speaker 8: got a tough pronunciation and I'm.
Speaker 3: Not gonna butcher it on your air, understand it.
Speaker 8: But yeah, so, uh, he's out for the season.
Speaker 10: And I've heard multiple Notre Dame insiders talk about how
Speaker 10: he was probably the third or fourth most important guy
Speaker 10: on the whole team. And in other words, you know
Speaker 10: that they could not afford to lose to a season
Speaker 10: ending injury. And Phil Stiel's national unit rankings have Texas
Speaker 10: A and M's defensive line ranked sixth in the country
Speaker 10: despite losing Walter Nolan. They gotta transfer from Purdue Nick Scorton, uh,
Speaker 10: who's a big.
Speaker 8: Time pass rusher. And I just and don't you know,
Speaker 8: we don't really know how healthy Riley Leonard is.
Speaker 10: And you had the ankle last year, had to have
Speaker 10: another clean up surgery after spring or in the middle of.
Speaker 8: Spring practice or after spring practice.
Speaker 10: And you know, Elko knows Riley Leonard is his old
Speaker 10: quarterback at Duke. And I just think Elko is a
Speaker 10: breath of fresh air. It was such a toxic locker
Speaker 10: room for the last couple of years.
Speaker 3: He's a ball coach, Jim bow.
Speaker 8: Goodball coach.
Speaker 10: I mean, I think what he did at Duke's almost
Speaker 10: as impressive as what James Franklin did at Bandy.
Speaker 8: Look. A and M went zero to four in one
Speaker 8: possession games last year. You know, they could have been
Speaker 8: a lot.
Speaker 10: Better, and they probably had, you know, some bad apples
Speaker 10: in there. And he got twenty eight transfers, so he
Speaker 10: turned the roster over. And yeah, I like A and
Speaker 10: M lay in the three.
Speaker 2: I know their schedule is viewed to be relatively weak,
Speaker 2: not in Week one, but Notre Dame is who I'm
Speaker 2: speaking of. I kind of feel like with Freeman. This
Speaker 2: is like, this is gonna be a year where they
Speaker 2: either feel like they've got something special there to where
Speaker 2: he could get him back to competing at the top,
Speaker 2: or they decide, okay, maybe we made the wrong decision right, And.
Speaker 8: Look, the schedule is pretty easy.
Speaker 10: And now the FSU game, which was looking like, you know,
Speaker 10: perhaps its toughest game, is looking even easier.
Speaker 8: And Notre Dames got two weeks to.
Speaker 10: Prepare for that one in South ben in November when
Speaker 10: the FSU guys will be coming up there for a
Speaker 10: cold weather game, and they're not on you know, not
Speaker 10: on two weeks rest.
Speaker 8: So really, I mean outside of at A and M,
Speaker 8: I mean, Notre Dame's got Louisville at home, they got
Speaker 8: to go.
Speaker 10: To Mercedes Benz, not Bobby Dodd to play Georgia Tech.
Speaker 10: They got FSU at home, and they've got at USC.
Speaker 8: I mean, as the schedule is.
Speaker 10: Cake, if he can't get to the playoff with it,
Speaker 10: with that schedule, yeah.
Speaker 8: You know, maybe maybe you start to maybe he kind
Speaker 8: of enters a warm seat going into year.
Speaker 2: Four Georgia and Clemson. As I'm looking right here on
Speaker 2: Fandel sportsbook, Georgia minus thirteen and a half. Any any
Speaker 2: strong opinions here?
Speaker 8: Yeah, I love Georgia.
Speaker 10: Georgia and Virginia Tech are my really strong opinions this week. Now,
Speaker 10: I will say Trevor Atn the Florida transfer running back,
Speaker 10: and also Smile London. They're leading returning tack and really
Speaker 10: good linebacker are probably gonna get suspended and it isn't
Speaker 10: official yet. I'm just assuming they're going to be suspended.
Speaker 10: And really, Roderick Robinson, another running back for Georgia.
Speaker 8: Is probably gonna be out with turf toe.
Speaker 10: Now, none of that's official, but I'm just assuming those
Speaker 10: three absences, and I still love Georgia.
Speaker 3: Georgia, Georgia, Georgia.
Speaker 8: Yeah, forty six and two straight up in at last
Speaker 8: forty eight.
Speaker 10: Now, that's irrelevant when you're laying double digits, but thirty
Speaker 10: six of those forty six wins have been by margins
Speaker 10: of fourteen or more.
Speaker 8: I think we have the home crowd advantage playing in Atlanta.
Speaker 8: I think we've got the head coaching advantage.
Speaker 10: I think we also have the quarterback advantage Carson Beck
Speaker 10: compared to Kay Klubnick.
Speaker 8: And I think the national narrative.
Speaker 10: From Week one to Week two will be what a
Speaker 10: knucklehead Dabo is for not using the portal and just
Speaker 10: being stubborn and stupid. Quite frankly, I think Georgia pounds clumpson.
Speaker 10: Maybe not as bad as as bo Nicks and Dan
Speaker 10: Lanning took it in a forty nine to three opener
Speaker 10: two years ago, but I think it's by at least
Speaker 10: three touchdowns.
Speaker 3: I think you're right.
Speaker 2: I think there's clearly a big opportunity here for Debo,
Speaker 2: Like if they were to keep this game close and
Speaker 2: you know, look like they may have a chance to
Speaker 2: win in the second half, but still end up let's
Speaker 2: say they lose by ten or something like that, which
Speaker 2: I don't see happening as wild as it sounds. I
Speaker 2: think the narrative would be that, you know, Clemson might
Speaker 2: be in a better spot than people thought, or maybe
Speaker 2: maybe others would say that it's more about Georgia maybe
Speaker 2: not being as dominant as you would have expected, But no,
Speaker 2: I think the scenario you've played out or laid out
Speaker 2: as exactly how this will play out. And I mean,
Speaker 2: at what point do you think you're not an athletic
Speaker 2: director at Clemson and you're not a Clemson fan, But like,
Speaker 2: at what point do they realize, Yes, that guy was
Speaker 2: looking like he was up there with Saban for a
Speaker 2: few years. But man, this his unwillingness to adapt to
Speaker 2: what has changed so much in college football, like Clemson
Speaker 2: can't just I mean, he won him a champion, two championships.
Speaker 2: He was elite for a while. But it's just a
Speaker 2: rare situation here with this guy. I mean, he's he's
Speaker 2: almost like not doing his job.
Speaker 8: Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 10: I mean, look, they were neck and neck with Alabama
Speaker 10: there for six or seven.
Speaker 8: Years, but now even the high school recruiting is up
Speaker 8: a little bit.
Speaker 10: I mean, they were eleven in terms of high school recruits,
Speaker 10: but they were top five year in a year out
Speaker 10: there for a half dozen years or so, and they
Speaker 10: overall their fifteenth because they didn't, you know, bolster the
Speaker 10: roster with any addition. You know, the only FBS teams
Speaker 10: that did not use the portal are Air Force, Army, Navy,
Speaker 10: and Clemson, and the military schools cannot accept transfers.
Speaker 8: So there you are.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I mean it all comes. They've lost their luster.
Speaker 2: They're they're they're flair, They're just not they're not viewed
Speaker 2: as a prime time program anymore. And again it's all
Speaker 2: because of the portal. I mean, that's why I think
Speaker 2: they're high school recruiting is probably did because they just
Speaker 2: don't seem as relevant. And it's wild how how it's
Speaker 2: played out. But I think you can really during the offseason,
Speaker 2: you can really kind of get yourself out there as
Speaker 2: a team to look out for with some momentum. You
Speaker 2: may not live up to it, but it's all about
Speaker 2: what you do in the portal. And his just unwillingness
Speaker 2: to acknowledge that it's that it's a thing. It's just it's,
Speaker 2: you know, not to make this the Davo Show, but
Speaker 2: it's it's just something I'd never I can't think of
Speaker 2: a comparison in sports of something quite like this where
Speaker 2: and it's it's moving fast, man like this year. If
Speaker 2: they were to take another sizable step back, I don't
Speaker 2: think anybody can say that they'd be shocked.
Speaker 3: And if you're Dabo, you gotta one.
Speaker 2: I mean, he's been this consistent this long as far
Speaker 2: as never changing and adapting, it's hard to imagine that
Speaker 2: he ever will. All Right, another acc SEC matchup here
Speaker 2: with Virginia Tech in Vandy thirteen and a half is
Speaker 2: the number here. Obviously Virginia Tech is favored. Any any
Speaker 2: thoughts here, I mean I kind of feel just my opinion.
Speaker 2: Maybe I'm an ACC homer here, Brian, but I think
Speaker 2: Virginia Tech only being favored by thirteen is a sign
Speaker 2: of just disrespect for the ACC, because I know Vandy
Speaker 2: is in the superior league, but man Clark Lee, it's
Speaker 2: a tough job and it's I think they're going to
Speaker 2: once again be the very bottom of that league.
Speaker 10: Yes, I concur I think Votech's a legit sleeper to.
Speaker 8: Win the ACC and get to the playoffs.
Speaker 10: They went five and two, but straight up and against
Speaker 10: the spread in its last seven games last year, and
Speaker 10: the winning margins were by seventeen, twenty six, thirty eight,
Speaker 10: and twenty one, and there were no non conference games
Speaker 10: in there. Tyron Jones is a dude.
Speaker 8: He ran for over a thousand yards last year.
Speaker 10: Now when he used some track sackyard edge, he was
Speaker 10: only eight hundred and eighteen net but five touchdowns four
Speaker 10: point nine yards for carry average is seventeen to three
Speaker 10: TDI and T ratio. They've basically got everybody back. I
Speaker 10: mean ten starters on offense, ten starters. On defense, they've
Speaker 10: got a really good pass rush. They've got their stud
Speaker 10: running back who Touton, who had ten touchdowns and five
Speaker 10: point zero yards for carry average last year. They've got
Speaker 10: a former Gator, Antoine pobwel Ryland. He's back fourteen and
Speaker 10: a half tackles for lost, nine and a half sacks,
Speaker 10: seven QB hurries last year. And Vandy went two and
Speaker 10: ten but straight up in ats last year, and then
Speaker 10: they lost most of their best players of the portal.
Speaker 10: I like the Diego Pavia. Get a quarterback for out
Speaker 10: of the portal from New Mexico State who's two to
Speaker 10: zero against Hugh Freeze, by the way, but Paby is
Speaker 10: gonna be running for his life all year. I like
Speaker 10: Virginia ten as long as it's fourteen or fewer, and
Speaker 10: it is right now.
Speaker 8: I like that just as much as Georgia.
Speaker 10: Those are my two top players, and I say A
Speaker 10: and M is probably my third favorite.
Speaker 2: I like it too. You got to keep in mind
Speaker 2: with Vandy, Virginia Tech will travel. They've got a big
Speaker 2: fan base. They traveled at a major way to Louisville
Speaker 2: last year. It's gonna be a home game for them
Speaker 2: essentially probably nothing like crazy, but they'll be in Nashville
Speaker 2: because everybody wants to go to Nashville right now, it
Speaker 2: seems so yeah, that's another factor as well. All Right,
Speaker 2: So last couple of games I'll ask you about here
Speaker 2: when it comes to the Gators and the Canes. Obviously
Speaker 2: a big game, and I know right now the momentum
Speaker 2: for Florida just doesn't seem to be there.
Speaker 3: A really tough schedule.
Speaker 2: Billy Napier is just you know, not really gotten it
Speaker 2: done at a Florida level, not even close to it,
Speaker 2: to be honest. And I know you know that. But
Speaker 2: if somebody just wanted to get in on one of
Speaker 2: the big games of the weekend, which this is one,
Speaker 2: what would you what would you recommend?
Speaker 3: If anything?
Speaker 1: Here?
Speaker 10: I have a small opinion on Florida and as you
Speaker 10: as you know, Nick, I'm really down on my Gators
Speaker 10: and I am a lum for full disclosure, And I
Speaker 10: don't know if I'll bet on Florida again see here.
Speaker 8: But you know, Miami struggling under Christ of ball as well.
Speaker 10: He's been a favorite fourteen times since he became head
Speaker 10: coach of the Canes.
Speaker 8: He's four and ten against the spread in those games
Speaker 8: and the covers. One was at Temple.
Speaker 10: The other one was at home to Bethune Cookman and
Speaker 10: also just on the road, whether underdog or favored, Miami
Speaker 10: five and five straight up, four and six against the
Speaker 10: spread in ten road assignments under Crystal Ball. Now, Napier
Speaker 10: has been pretty good as an underdog at Florida eight
Speaker 10: and six against the spread, but he was great at Louisiana,
Speaker 10: and so now he is overall and thirty one career
Speaker 10: games as a head coach. As an underdog, he's twenty
Speaker 10: ten and one against the spread. I'm hearing a lot
Speaker 10: of hype about cam Ward. I don't think he's ever
Speaker 10: played in an environment anywhere near the level of the Swamp.
Speaker 10: And look, there's a zero in the l column for
Speaker 10: the Florida Gators right now. So even though the fan
Speaker 10: base is really down on Napier, you know this is
Speaker 10: a bitter, bitter.
Speaker 8: Rival and this is Week one. The Swamp will be.
Speaker 10: A big time factor on Saturday. Again, small opinion, but
Speaker 10: I like Florida's actually you can get plus three.
Speaker 2: Yeah, an aspect here that I that I that I
Speaker 2: think will be kind of missed by a lot of folks.
Speaker 2: Is the rivalry one where despite morale not being great
Speaker 2: surrounding Florida football, obviously a lot of talk about billion
Speaker 2: aper's future if they don't have a good year, But
Speaker 2: when you play your rival, that that kind of goes
Speaker 2: away locally, right Like I think, you know, you can
Speaker 2: kind of block that out, knowing, hey, you got a
Speaker 2: chance to go play a bitter rival, and there's nothing
Speaker 2: that could get them catapulted, you know, to to a
Speaker 2: good start quite like a win, you know, a win
Speaker 2: like this. So I've been Miami's burned me so much
Speaker 2: and I'm trying not to let that factor into why
Speaker 2: I want to lean Florida here. But you're right, it's
Speaker 2: gonna be in the swamp, tough place to play. I
Speaker 2: think cam Ward's numbers are impressive, but I'm with you,
Speaker 2: I just don't think he's been in a situation quite
Speaker 2: like this. And Miami may end up letting, may end
Speaker 2: up having that talent really come through, and they could
Speaker 2: be a team that contends for the ACC But they're
Speaker 2: like a lot of teams where it may take a
Speaker 2: little time for them to put it together. It's the
Speaker 2: first first game for Ward and the other transfers that
Speaker 2: they have. So I I don't know if I'm gonna
Speaker 2: get in on that one, but it's it's been on
Speaker 2: my mind here in the last last few days. All right,
Speaker 2: last one here, do you have any before we actually
Speaker 2: get started, there's still at an opportunity for fans to
Speaker 2: get in on win totals, any that you still feel
Speaker 2: really good about. I know we've talked about that earlier
Speaker 2: in the summer, But which ones of these teams as
Speaker 2: far as win totals do you feel like it's got
Speaker 2: the best chance to play out?
Speaker 8: Yeah? I like Old Miss over nine and a half.
Speaker 8: I like Missouri over nine and a half.
Speaker 10: And just real quickly on those two, they have the
Speaker 10: two easiest schedules in the SEC. In fact, you know,
Speaker 10: they're probably both only gonna be underdogs twice, and one
Speaker 10: of those Missouri's plus four at A and M, and
Speaker 10: Missouri's got two weeks to get ready for that one,
Speaker 10: whereas A and M is gonna be playing its six
Speaker 10: game and six weeks and off a rivalry game against Arkansas,
Speaker 10: and then Ole miss has two weeks to prepare for
Speaker 10: a home game against Oklahoma when Oklahoma does not have
Speaker 10: an open date.
Speaker 8: Missouri has the same thing. They've got two weeks to.
Speaker 10: Prepare for Oklahoma at home when Oklahoma doesn't have two weeks.
Speaker 10: And then ole Miss's other by day or open day
Speaker 10: is ahead of the game at Florida, when Florida will
Speaker 10: be playing its fourth top.
Speaker 8: Twelve to fifteen teams in a row in that many weeks. So, uh, both.
Speaker 10: Schedules were good for ole Miss and Missouri. I like
Speaker 10: both of them over nine and a half. I like
Speaker 10: Iowa over eight.
Speaker 11: I don't know how we're doing on time, Okay, So
Speaker 11: I mean, well, first off, ole Miss, you know they
Speaker 11: got the best portal class transfer specific at least according to.
Speaker 8: Or seven Sports.
Speaker 10: Walter Nolan and Princely Human Million are gonna be all
Speaker 10: sec guys that that's sportified their defensive line, and then
Speaker 10: on the O line, I mean, I think ole Miss
Speaker 10: is finally good enough in the trenches to compete, uh,
Speaker 10: you know with the Georgia's and the Alabamas, et cetera.
Speaker 8: And now they've developed some pretty good depth.
Speaker 10: And I love their receivers, and I love Jackson Dark Missouri,
Speaker 10: love Brady Cook, love Luthor Burden. I'm a little worried
Speaker 10: about the defense. They got a new coordinator, but the
Speaker 10: schedule just works. I mean, all you gotta do is
Speaker 10: look at the schedule and you'll be like I think
Speaker 10: you'll be on board with over nine and a half.
Speaker 8: And then Iowa if we dismissed the COVID year. Six
Speaker 8: of the last.
Speaker 10: Eight seasons they've won at least eight games in the
Speaker 10: regular season, and they won ten games last year and
Speaker 10: should be a lot better this year. The offense can
Speaker 10: only get better and the defense should be just as salty.
Speaker 10: And the schedule works for iowas well. They're possibly gonna
Speaker 10: be favored in eleven of twelve games.
Speaker 3: I saw that at least. Yeah, yeah, Iowa.
Speaker 2: Again, we talked about it. I think it was last
Speaker 2: time we had John. They just get made fun of
Speaker 2: for not scoring and playing a boring style, but man,
Speaker 2: they win. They're really consistent when it comes to that.
Speaker 2: So in their schedule sets up well as you mentioned.
Speaker 2: But Brian, thanks for the time. As always, enjoy Vegas.
Speaker 2: Live it up opening the real opening weekend of college football.
Speaker 2: I'm not sure there'd be a better place to be,
Speaker 2: So enjoy yourself, have fun, be safe. We'll talk soon.
Speaker 8: Brother, Thanks theg have a going man, all right.
Speaker 3: That's Brian Edwards from Vegas Insider dot com. Vegas.
Speaker 2: You kidd me for the Oh my good I'm jealous.
Speaker 2: Be a hell of a time there. Good stuff, all right,
Speaker 2: quick break, we'll come back, wrap it up. On the
Speaker 2: other side, it's coffee and Company feel by Thornton's on
Speaker 2: Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 4: I know I've told you before, I love this song
Speaker 4: a little Montgomery j along Montgomery Gentry.
Speaker 2: I don't know why because they don't have roots there. Obviously,
Speaker 2: one of their members has passed away tragically in a
Speaker 2: plane crash. But Eddie Montgomery, he's from Bowle County, not Boiled,
Speaker 2: but Bowle County, and he's a legend down there. But
Speaker 2: Montgomery Gentry music reminds me of Bullet County. I don't
Speaker 2: know why. Like where I'm from. Yeah, that song specifically,
Speaker 2: and I really can't like relate that. It's not like
Speaker 2: there's one specific line that I'm like, yep, that's but
Speaker 2: it's just it's good stuff. Love Montgomery Gentry, love them
Speaker 2: all right. We don't have a whole lot of time left,
Speaker 2: but what a busy show we have had so far today.
Speaker 2: A lot of interaction too, more on the phone lines
Speaker 2: than usual, which has led to me neglecting the text line.
Speaker 2: So I'll promise to you know, not do that tomorrow,
Speaker 2: because you know, I want you guys to always feel
Speaker 2: like you can be a part of the show and
Speaker 2: you know, in our act and uh, you know, there's
Speaker 2: some people who get really mad on the text line though,
Speaker 2: and they like if I don't read what they say,
Speaker 2: and it's usually what's funny is they usually are the
Speaker 2: people who like will insult me, which is fine. Again, questions, complaints, compliments, insults,
Speaker 2: it's fine. And I think it's been proven that you
Speaker 2: have a better chance to get on the air if
Speaker 2: you are agreed disagreeing with something I said, or you know,
Speaker 2: maybe you know, self deprecation is not something I have
Speaker 2: a problem with on this show. I think that's been
Speaker 2: pretty clear. But like, you know, like if it doesn't
Speaker 2: get read, you know, maybe bump it up, maybe you know,
Speaker 2: just realize they've got a three hour show to do
Speaker 2: and we can't fit everything in. But you know, to
Speaker 2: take it personal and lose your mind, I mean, chill,
Speaker 2: just chill, or you could maybe help us make great
Speaker 2: radio and just call in and share what you want
Speaker 2: to say because we can yell at each other. That
Speaker 2: seems to work. I didn't want to give out a
Speaker 2: body back today, but Danny, he asked for you said it, John,
Speaker 2: We did ask he was asking for.
Speaker 4: The American Athletic Conference.
Speaker 2: Well, I mean, it's one thing, and I actually think
Speaker 2: he was being sincere, but like you know, he wanted
Speaker 2: to share what I think he thought was a strong opinion,
Speaker 2: but like he had like basic facts very wrong. So anyways,
Speaker 2: we're out of time. You guys, enjoy your Wednesday. We're
Speaker 2: back at it tomorrow right here on Sports Talk seven
Speaker 2: ninety