Boomo Bugg Show 121725

[0:00] Now, get ready to roll Shoals, Decatur, Athens and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC. Now your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Good afternoon and welcome into the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, welcome in. Where is Alabama's new wide receivers coach come to Tuscaloosa by way of Auburn? Good afternoon. Welcome in and how are you?

Happy Wednesday to you and the listeners. As you alluded to, Kalen DeBoer appears to be hiring former Auburn and Ole Miss offensive coordinator, Derrick Nix, to replace Jamarcus Shepard as receiver coach. A little bit later, John Ferrari will be talking about the new Florida coach, John Sumral. And David Weathers is here right now to talk about sports in life. And if anybody knows about sports and life, it's David Weathers, almost two decades doing a thing called pitching in the Major League Baseball world, including picking up a World Series ring with a team called the New York Yankees.

And now the proud papa of athletes all over the place. David Weathers, welcome in. How are you? Good. How are you guys? Hey, buddy. Man, we're doing all right. No, no, David. No, no. We still got a week. I got a lot of pressure on me this week. I got my anniversary tomorrow and Christmas in a week. Oh, no. I don't feel sorry to be the one you do. David, how can you afford that, man? Hey, it gets on me. And Ryan's birthday is today. So, man, I got all kinds of acts in December.

David, let's start with that. First of all, on behalf of everyone here, please tell Ryan happy birthday on our behalf. And for all the parents that are listening, what number is this? And as a story there, isn't it amazing how fast they get by? You still remember this kid in a cradle. You look up and here he is, a big old boy playing himself in the Major League Baseball world. Yeah, he's 26 today. And literally, Kelly and I were talking about, two days ago, bringing him home and how quick it went from that to, you know, being new parents to, man, he's 26 now.

And he's got two sisters. So, man, we're excited. But, yeah, he's what made us parents. So, it's pretty cool. Well, and talk to you about the sisters, because for the folks who don't know it, Ryan's got some work to do. Sis is on a pretty good basketball team. We got another one over at the West W there in Henderson. And let's talk a little bit about, you know, with Fred Harmon, let's talk a little bit about the undefeated Crimson Titor. Yeah, you know, Carl and him, they played last night, Sam Houston, today. At four, they got Tulane and should be a pretty good test.

And Sunday, they have Troy. So, that goes into the Christmas break. And then they start off January the 1st with South Carolina. So, we start off easy in the SEC. But, you know, it's been really good. It's been our senior season. We've tried to make everything. And amazingly, how fast that went. She's playing well and had to take a little bit different role this year, losing some big-time players last year. But so far, so good. And last night, went over to Henderson and watched Freed Hardeman, watched them play.

And, man, they played well. And they're undefeated as well. So, my two girls right now, both are combined. 24-0. And Allie had a double-double last night. So, man, we get to enjoy some good basketball. And, man, I can't complain. No. As most people who have listened to Harold and I talk to David Weathers in the past, at some point in the conversation, the University of Alabama Athletics comes up. We just talked about the women's basketball team. David, of course, Harold and I have talked a lot about Kaylin DeBoer and, quote, the rumors about going to Michigan.

Your thoughts on Kaylin DeBoer in the season that Alabama's had so far. Well, Ron and I went down to the SEC championship game, and we knew we were shorthanded and those types of things. But I just think everybody just has to cool their jets on DeBoer. You know, everybody keeps saying he's not Nick Saban. Well, he's not. And he's never got it. Nick Saban walks through the door. And so, and there's a lot of things he does, honestly, that I like better than Saban did. I like the way he treats the players and the coaches with more respect.

[5:06] During the game, you know, as a former player, you know, those things are important to me. Yes. Everybody wants to win, but, man, you can't, you know, embarrass your coaches and your players on NASA TV. So, I love that about DeBoer. And then the bottom line is he's going to get his types of players in here. Everybody's losing their mind about this, that, and the other. And, listen, he's here. Man, I'm telling you, it takes a lot of backbone to follow Nick Saban. He didn't hesitate.

And I like that, man. I think he's going to be fine. It's just different. You know, it's a different mindset. But I thought we played well this year. I thought our defense has been as good as it's been. You know, the last few years, we were slipping under Saban. And so, yeah, I really believe we're going to go to Oklahoma and win that game. And I really believe that we have a chance to, after watching Indiana and Ohio State, I think we've got a shot at those guys.

So, you know, I think everybody's just got to cool their jets on DeBoer. You know, David, looking at it, I think even when you played, and, of course, when we played way back in the day, you didn't have to deal with social media. I'm just sitting here this morning prepping, and I'm looking at some of the stuff that's out there, and my goodness gracious, I saw one where the Michigan fans know for a fact that Michigan is still in the hunt. They're letting DeBoer play this thing out of Alabama before he comes to the good job, Michigan.

There are a lot of delusional fan bases out there. They're not. Yeah, and there's a lot of delusional people. And here's what I tell Kelly all the time. I'm like, how does anyone get the – how do they get a platform? Really? I've got six followers, and they're putting all this out, and everybody follows it. I'm like, you know, no one knows what goes on inside those colleges and all that kind of thing. And where social media has ruined everything, you can't enjoy anything if you're on it.

And I'll be honest with you, man, I have Facebook, and that is it, and half the time I just delete it. I don't need some people that's never done anything in life, especially in sports, telling me what I should be looking at. I've got two sets of eyes that I can see, everything I need to see. But it is. You're right, though, Harold. This some dude in Michigan, that's his opinion. He throws it out. And here's the sad part, is the people that we used to love watching call sports, and, Harold, I used to love you at Channel 19, where you got your nickname Boomo Bugg.

Back then, you just – you carried the news. There was no political affiliation. That's right. And that's the ESPN and all that. And I'm like, they're clickbait. And I'm just like, man, what happened to just, you know, let's watch a football game. Whoever wins wins. Whoever loses loses. But, my God, we don't need to know the third cousin removed was thrown in jail, and he couldn't play that day. That's none of our business, you know. But, anyway. You're the proud pop of an athlete, David. How refreshing is it to see somebody like Ty Simpson, who apparently is playing with a bad back, and you know how that is.

You played a lot of years, and, you know, you've got to play with injuries. But to see that, and then you contrast that with a guy, you can't argue the numbers. But Diego Pavia, he put up great numbers on the field. But what, in my, I hate to say it, what a disgrace of how he's conducted himself at times off the field. How refreshing would it be to be the parent of a Ty Simpson? You never hear him complain. He just goes out there and gives it 100%.

It may not be his old self, but at least he's giving it his best shot. Listen, I told Kelly the other day, because I'm a hardcore fan, right? Yep. And I got on Ty a little bit, and I finally stopped and said, you know what, I've got a son that pitches in the big league of baseball, and I've got two daughters that play, and they get ridiculed all the time, and it's no fun. So, Ty, what he's done has been incredible. He waited his time. He's done everything the right way.

He represents Alabama maybe as good as anybody ever has, overall. Then you've got a Diego Pavia, and then you don't have to ask yourself why he started off at a junior college with his talent. I will promise you, when they recruited him, there was red flags everywhere. Here's what I'm disappointed in. Where's Clark Lee in all this? Like, at some point, man, your head coach has to reel you in and say, listen, I mean, he embarrassed the University of Vanderbilt. I don't care what anybody does.

That's embarrassing. You're up there, Bainey has the greatest seed they've ever had. You're the greatest quarterback they've ever had, probably the greatest player they've ever had. And then you get up there, and your brothers have been arrested. You've embarrassed the University on that front. And then when they showed those three guys walking down the hallway before they went into the room, are you kidding me? Like, what an embarrassment. And I'm embarrassed for his family. Like, dude, you had an opportunity. And I'll be honest with you, he's my husband guy.

Even still, you know, I hate to act like he is. But, Harold, we can't deny the dude is magic on the field. He is. And if you put him on Ohio State, they're probably undefeated. And if you put him on Indiana, they're undefeated. Like, he's better both of those guys. Yeah. But, at the end of the day, man, there's something called humility. And there's something called respect. And he didn't either of those things. And very embarrassing day for Vanderbilt. Should have been a great day. Well, the thing is, no matter what we have in life, what we've accomplished, if we're honest about it, it comes to the good Lord.

[10:40] Whether I'm sitting here digging ditches, doing this job, playing sports, whatever gift you have, in my opinion, it comes to the good Lord. So, the praise goes there. But, speaking of gifts, David, how inspiring was that rascal from Athens over the weekend by the name of Phillip Rivers? Oh, unbelievable. Like, you know, man, you want that too. And I love the part where he said, you know, I don't have a, I'm not at my playing way yet. And I started laughing. I'm like, maybe one athlete five years removed in.

And, but, and listen, what I love about him is what you can't teach. Even though he threw a pick on that last play, he knew this is it. I got to get the ball downfield and even get an interference call or whatever. But, to me, that's that acumen that has just made him an all-time great. And you're right, Harold, about the good Lord. If you're the smartest person in the world and you can retain, or you're like, and I tell Calvis all the time, I'm like, I never had to watch video.

I could remember that bat from 1988 if I faced a guy. Like, the Lord just, he gives us a brain, and he's responsible for all of those things. Like, you and I didn't choose to have what we have. We got it by, by gifts, by the Lord. Thank you. You know, blessing us. That's him. And that's why I was disappointed and proud of you, man. Like, what an opportunity he had to say, you know what, I don't think Vanderbilt, Coach Lee, for believing in me and all that, no.

F to whatever voters. I'm like, are you serious right now? And then you look at a guy like Rivers, you think he's, I mean, he's probably very thankful for after five years, he can take a snap at the NFL. Absolutely. I wonder how many, I wonder how many toward all shots he had after that game. Because he got blasted twice. David, let me ask you before we let you go. Six new coaches in the SEC, including the lane train. Well, moving on with that drama to LSU, Jon Sumrall to Florida, Alex Golesh to Auburn.

In five years, who would be the best hire? Man, I think what I'm, I'm worried about Golesh and Auburn. I'll just be honest with you. I think that man can coach. Lane Kiffin. He's a bulldog. Listen, Harold Holland and Brett Holland, we've been watching sports. Lane Kiffin, if it was going to be Lane Kiffin, and he's going to mess up. Correct. That's who he is. Like, you know, that year that he had Alabama beat twice, and he tries to keep going for it. And instead of him moving on, you know, we knock him out.

And so I don't worry about Lane as much. He's going to have a lot of talent. They're going to win a lot of ballgames. But I don't trust him. And I think Golesh, man, he worries me. I'll be honest with you. I think he's going to build a powerhouse in Auburn. And I like Sumrall as well. Yeah. I think the thing is about Golesh is I've always, my test as a coach is, who can take the least to make the most? If you can win in South Florida relative, you beat Florida.

Florida. Yeah. If you can take that and do what he did there, I don't always look at numbers. I always come back and say, what did he do relative to what he inherited? Yeah. Well, and I'll be honest with you, Harold. I don't know if you guys ever taught this. I was growing up, and I've been taught a lot of this. The two passes I've had the last 30 years of my life. When somebody shows you who they are, believe them. And what Lane Kiffin did to Ole Miss, and the way he handled all that, how do you ever look at that man and say, I trust him?

Yeah. Good point. It's impossible. If you do, you're not very smart. You're not very smart. And so I think that's the reason I don't pick Kiffin. Now, would I love to have Kiffin as an offensive coordinator? Absolutely. But I would never want him to run an Alabama football team. We got our guy. Our guy's going to be good. Listen, Tim, when the War leaves Alabama, he's going to be thought of very highly. David, always a gift to talk to you, my friend. You've got a very talented family, and I appreciate everything you've accomplished.

You're still one of the most humble people that we talk with on this show. Listen, have a great Christmas. God bless you and your family again. And let's do this again real soon, David. Absolutely, God. I hope Santa's good to you. Thank you. I've been getting a pack of clothes for the last 15 years. I bet. At least we're consistent, David. At least we're consistent. The one, David Weathers, almost 20 years in a thing called the Major League Baseball world and now the pride of Lorena. Coming up, he invoked the name of John Summerall walking on down in Gator Country.

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[21:19] John Florey, every day there behind the microphone is CBS Sports Radio, 1420 WAOC and 1240 WFOY in St. Augustine, Florida. Also online at 965sports.com. John Florey, welcome in. How are you? Doing great, Brett and Harold. Hope you guys are doing well. And a lot going on with the Florida Gator football team, even though there will be no ball game. But, guys, how it's turned as far as a 180 in enthusiasm. I think there was a lot of disappointment when Lane Kiffin wasn't the choice. But what John Summerall is doing right now with the staff hires, Buster Faulkner specifically, and Phil Troutwine, the former all-SEC Florida Gator offensive tackle.

There's a lot of excitement right now going around the program. Well, you wouldn't expect anything less from a North Alabama native, would you? He still maintains a modest—or he did, up to a few years ago anyway, in Huntsville. So he came up with a blue collar. He didn't have a silver spoon in his mouth, say, like some guys by the name whose last name is Kiffin. He's had to work for everything he's got. And here's what I—I saw a story this week to kind of illustrate that, John.

Obviously, he's well-respected, and he pledged to Tulane—you can correct me if I'm wrong. In this modern day, who knows what's right and what's wrong? But the story I saw was I think he pledged like $100,000 to the Tulane NIL program because he says, I want Tulane to succeed. Now, how many guys take money out of their pocket and give it to the school they're leaving? To me, that bespeaks of your character. It does, and I liked him at the press conference. Not that the press conference is the be-all-end-all guys, but he knew coming in about the Lane Kiffin saga and how that all got drawn out with Florida and everybody else.

And to lead with Lane Kiffin endorsed him for the job I thought was classic, the way he led into that. And then the fact that he's coming here to win right off the bat. One thing I never liked about Coach Napier was from the moment he got the job, it was going to be a long, strung-out process, the way he presented it. It was a three- or four-year rebuild. In this day and age, guys, it's year-to-year business. With NIL, transfer portal, and recruiting, there's no four-year plan anymore.

And John Summerall pretty much expressed that at the press conference. And I'm excited to see how it goes next year, guys. I'm not saying I expect college football playoff and an SEC title, but I think the product's going to look, you know what, a lot better on the field than it has the past few years. And that's what this fan base wants and quite honestly deserves, I mean, with what they've had to endure in the last five years. John, DJ Legway has been pretty much the face of the Florida program, at least for the last two years.

When he's healthy and he's on, he's one of the best quarterbacks in the country. But when he's not, he's been injured quite a bit, thrown too many interceptions in the last two years. According to multiple media reports, he plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal and move on. I've heard the conversation with John Summerall was not exactly to his liking. John, your thoughts on Legway moving on? And I've heard already two names, Colton Joseph, an Old Dominion quarterback, and Georgia Tech quarterback transfer, Aaron Filo. Your thoughts on Legway, and if that's so, who could replace him?

Well, my thoughts, Brett, are I think it's good for him and Florida to have a fresh start. It just didn't work for whatever reason. And DJ seems to be a good kid in the press conferences. He was very respectful. Let me give him that. But he had 23 interceptions in two seasons on the field, guys. Ouch. You can't do that in the SEC. Honestly, you can't do that anywhere. And so he did have injuries. The coaching situation was a mess. But having said all that, I think it's best for him and Florida to have a fresh start.

And like you just touched on, Brett, we heard the same thing, that when John Summerall and the coaching staff got here, it wasn't going to be like Billy Napier where the job's just going to be given to you. You're going to have to come in and compete for it. You're going to have to be available first and foremost, which DJ in the offseason wasn't. Now, I'm not saying that was his fault. He had a litany of injuries. A lot of stuff we were never told. Billy Napier, in fact, at one of his press conferences before he was fired, said when that story comes out, it's going to be a book.

[26:19] But we never heard all the stuff last offseason, what was going on with DJ. As far as the two guys coming in, or what we've heard coming in, obviously the portal doesn't open until January 2nd. But I think Aaron Filo is a given, Brett. I think he's coming because he worked with Buster Faulkner, the now new Gators offensive coordinator. There were stories Georgia Tech wanted to keep him, but he wants to come with Buster. So I think he's going to be here. The old Dominion quarterback might be as well.

Well, we've heard they're going to bring two in. They've got Trammell Jones and Will Griffin, the incoming four-star freshmen they just got. But they want two more. And I want to see an open competition this year, and I think we're going to in summer and fall camp, or spring and fall camp, I should say. I think it's going to be open. And I think it's refreshing, quite honestly, just because of all the things I just laid out with DJ and the struggles and just everything. And it's just going to be nice to see a different play caller than Billy Napier.

Nothing against him, but, guys, it's just going to be so refreshing not to have that same storyline going into the SEC media days and the fall next season. John 439, 65sports.com. John, DJ Lagway, obviously, any time a quarterback jumps in, particularly one of his statures, could be the headliner. Who else, as far as notables off that roster, the doors now open coming up. Who else of note may be leaving the roster? And you mentioned some of the folks coming in. Who besides the quarterbacks, not necessarily names, because how would we know here, but position-wise, what would you like to see?

And I saw one report that's a prize running back room that maybe it's a little shaky right now. Well, Jaden Faw, obviously, is the biggest name they have to try to keep in the running back room. There's no doubt, but above everyone else, the redshirt freshman K.J. Daniels has entered the transfer portal. He played sparingly last season, and we wish him well, but I don't think that's a big loss, guys. But Jaden Ball would be a crusher if they lose him. Aiden Mizell entered the portal, a wide receiver, but I think they'll be okay there as long as they retain Dallas Wilson.

I don't know if Eugene Wilson's coming back for another year. He's coming back from an injury. I'm sure they'd love to have him back if they can get him. And as far as what I'd like to see him get in position-wise, I think defensive line, first and foremost, because that was a disappointment last year as far as pass rush or lack of. Tyreek Sapp never really panned out the way we thought he would. I know he was one of the big names leading into SEC media days, and then Caleb Banks got hurt.

He did play the last couple of games, to his credit. He didn't have to, but I think they're going to need to get some beef up the middle on that defensive line. And then offensive line, they're losing some guys. Austin Barber's going. Jake Slaughter's going. So, I think in the trenches is where they really need to address the portal when that opens on January 2nd. John, let me ask you about the schedule before we let you go. My first thought was, well, Florida had more of a manageable schedule this year.

And I think the SEC office did a pretty good job, quote, as far as manageable. But it's still going to be tough. I'm looking at Auburn, September 19th, Florida Atlantic, and Campbell to begin the season. And then you've got a gauntlet of at Auburn, Ole Miss, at Missouri, who knows where South Carolina is going to be, at Texas, about a week, Georgia, and Oklahoma. That's still tough, John. It is. It's better than it's been the last two years, though, Brett. I'll say that. That's the one thing I'll give Coach Napier defense.

It was time to move on for other reasons. But he wasn't given any favors with that schedule the last couple of years because you had Miami on that schedule the last two years, who's in the college football playoff Saturday. So definitely no bargain there. But as far as moving forward, it's tough. But I like the schedule. And what I like the most about it, it's gone back to the Spurrier days. And what I mean by that is you get to kind of get yourself in gear with those first two games, Florida Atlantic, and Campbell, before you jump into the deep end of the pool, as they say, guys.

And that's the thing that really hurt Billy Napier last year. They lost to South Florida in the second game. That's when we all knew he was gone. You've got to win those games. And I think John Summerall and this staff will, but it'll give them a chance to evaluate the offense before you get into Auburn, for instance. Which, by the way, I'm excited about that, Brett, because it's been 15 years, which is ridiculous, since Florida's been to Auburn. And I think they should be playing them every year, but that's another subject.

[31:44] Because, logistically, Auburn is the closest school to Florida in the SEC, but they have rarely played the last 15 years. It's kind of crazy. But that'll be fun to have that back on the schedule. Oklahoma coming to Gainesville, which has never happened, that's going to be a fun weekend. So it's a challenging schedule, but I think it's one that Florida can be successful with the right coaching staff and personnel. And we'll see how it plays out. It's only his first year, but a lot of optimism. I'm optimistic, guys, which I haven't been for a while, to be quite honest with you.

You all probably know that, but I'm a little optimistic right now. It's a wait and see, but I like the hires so far on the staff and what I'm hearing. Yeah, and I agree with you. And Brad White, Summerall's defensive coordinator coming from Kentucky, is pretty good, too. I heard a lot of good things about him. Always enjoy the conversation, my friend, about the Gators and the SEC. Where can we get online this afternoon to listen to your show? You can get online at 1240news.com or in St. Augustine at 102.1 and 1240 WFOI.

And Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, guys. It's always great to be on your show, and I hope everybody has a blessed holiday season over there in North Alabama. Right back at you. Enjoy that white Christmas at the beach, okay, John? We will do it. Thank you, bud. Thank you. Check him out. 965sports.com. Alabama, he mentioned Oklahoma. First things first, Oklahoma's next game is against Rodney Orr's neighbors. We'll take you to T-Town next. Stay with us. The season's in full swing, and there's no better place to watch football than Sam's Sports Grill in Florence.

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The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. Really appreciate free ride around the Tennessee Valley. And also appreciate the man who's probably working a little bit overtime these days down in Tuscaloosa. Rodney Orr, founder and editor of tighterinsider.com. And his book is Bigger Than Bama. Rodney Orr, welcome in. How are you? I am doing well, Harold and Brett. How about you guys? Hey, Blue. And we're doing all right. Well, it's pretty safe to say. One week and one day away from Christmas.

Is it safe to say the tighter insider family would like for Santa Claus to bring them a win at Oklahoma, Rodney? Well, I think so. I mean, obviously, you know, the last two times against Oklahoma, well, you know, you could probably go back even longer than that. But they've gotten the better of Alabama in the recent part of the series. And, you know, this would be the third time in the last, what, 13 months, I think, Alabama played Oklahoma. You don't need to go up there and lose again.

So, yeah, I think everyone's anxious for this. And I think most Alabama fans, and, you know, I think if you looked at the game objectively, whether you're an Alabama fan or not, you would look at that game back on November the 15th and say, you know, Alabama was the better team. They just turned the ball over and beat themselves that day. And give Oklahoma credit. They did a fantastic job of creating a lot of those turnovers. But, you know, I think that the feeling was that Alabama was the better team that day.

It has nothing to do with what's going to happen Friday night. I mean, you're going to Norman, Oklahoma, a place where you laid an egg last year, and you're going to try to avoid doing that again. Absolutely. Ron, the injury situation is still blocking the tackling in the next man up. We've seen Cam Miller running around the practice field. We hear Josh Cuevas has been doing some things. I believe six out of the eight who were injured against Georgia appear to be returning. We'll see how that goes Friday night.

[41:46] Is the injury bug beginning to get a little better for Alabama? Well, I know Kalen DeBoer has been saying for a while that Alabama would be a different team by the time the playoffs got here, referring to the injuries. So, it sounds like they have. It sounds like Jam Miller's doing a lot. It sounds like, you know, Cam Dewberry's back. And it sounds like there's a possibility that Josh Cuevas might play some. You know, we'll see. Of course, L.T. Overton's probably out. I don't think, in fact, he was ruled out in a player availability report that was released yesterday or last night.

But, so, you know, for the most part, it does sound like that the team has recovered pretty well from the injuries and should be okay. And it sounds like on Oklahoma's side that R. Mason Thomas, their great pass rusher, who missed the first game, by the way, should be back and ready to go for this one. So, we'll see. Rodney Ortti, insider.com. Rodney, your thoughts about all the stuff, the obvious topic of DeBoer. He's come out twice now, by my county in a way, and basically said, it's over.

I'm not interested. Yet, you still see these social media reports. Even some of the folks at ESPN, which in this modern era, how much of that is true and how much of it is clickbait. Time will tell. And even the boards in Michigan say he still has not told Michigan no directly. At what point can they say this story is over, or is there any chance, any chance whatsoever, that these folks who are still saying the door has slightly an opening to it may be pried even wider open after the Oklahoma game?

Well, you know, I think it's something that, you know, I mean, it's been a great debate on tighterinsider.com because you really can't discuss it because there's a sensitivity there that, you know, obviously, Kaelin DeBoer has kind of said what he said. Right. Now, I don't really try to read between the lines on what he said, Harold and Brett, and think, okay, did he mean this, or did he not say this, or did he said that? What I would really look at it and say is this, is that I'm sure Jimmy Sexton, who is the best, you know, there is out there, he probably already has a pretty good idea what Michigan's going to offer, the numbers that they're going to throw at Kaelin DeBoer, or would throw at him.

And I would say this, I would say that if Alabama loses on Friday, I would probably think that Michigan will put in a call to Jimmy Sexton as quickly as possible and say, now, Jimmy, look, you know, here's that $14.5 million offer, are you sure Kaelin DeBoer's not interested? And then I think that he, that's what you have to understand in terms of will he say that no, he's not interested, that's the final no. But I do think that Michigan feels like that they still have an opportunity and they're still going to, they plan to make an offer that I don't think that there's probably a lot of doubt about that.

Rodney, at one down we don't have is Alabama is bringing in some pretty good players. We know the official date of the transfer portal is January the 2nd to January the 16th, but Alabama, according to multiple media, picked up a tight end transfer from Oklahoma State. Now this is a little bit different, Mike Gundy was fired earlier in the year and Josh Ford, a good size tight end, 6'6", 260, I was quite impressed with some of his one-handed catches moving him around, has reportedly signed with Alabama out of the transfer.

I'll let you confirm that, but Ronnie, if this is true, all the clips I've seen of him, he's very impressive. Yeah, I mean, he's the guy that, he got into the portal back in October, early October, right after, you know, Gundy was let go in late September. So he's kind of been hanging around for a while, there's been talk for several weeks that he may end up at Alabama, and he's got great size, you know, he's 6'6", he's probably 255, 260, you know, so he's got the size, he watches highlights, he can catch the ball, you know, he's a good receiver.

And, you know, has the frame and the body to be a blocker. So, you know, I think they're doing a really good job of recruiting tight ends, I mean, and dipping into the portal now. I think, as you look at it and move forward, though, you're probably going to need to get an offensive lineman or two. I mean, and I'm not talking about guys that are projects, I'm talking about you need to go out there and get guys that can come in and compete to play.

Today. Yeah, and on the defensive line as well, I mean, you're losing Tim Keenan, I get it, you've got, you know, Beeman coming back, London Simmons has developed pretty well, and you've got a young Steve Bolo, Steve M, who has a lot of potential, but I think you could use some interior defensive linemen in the portal, and some inside backers, too. You're losing Deontay, you're losing Justin Jefferson, you're losing Nakai Hill Green, you've got a lot of young players that you recruited at that position, Luke Metz, you know, and Abdul Sanders, Duke Johnson, and so forth.

[47:09] Are they going to be ready? I'm not really sure. I think you probably need to go into the portal and get some proven inside backers. Rodney, Oregon in a huddle with us, talking about new faces from other places. I haven't seen anything official on it, with a lot of wind blowing, that maybe Auburn, Alabama's new wide receivers coach may come from Auburn by the name of Derrick Nix. Very impressive room down there with wide receivers. What are you hearing about that story, Rodney? And you know, the first thing people are going to say, would there be a possibility that Alabama might benefit from a guy by the name of Simmons, and maybe even a Coleman from there?

Yeah, well, you know, listen, I think on tighterinsider.com right now, they're saying that just after we've gotten onto this conversation, they're saying that it's official now. Now, I haven't looked on the Alabama website yet or whatever, been on with you, but I can't think that's a post right now that's saying that with Derrick Nix. Whether or not he brings anyone with him, I don't know. I know Malcolm Simmons, I've talked to some people at Auburn, some Auburn sources about that, and they felt like on Sunday or over the weekend, he appeared to be headed to Indiana, although it wasn't officially announced.

It's not been announced. But they felt like he was headed to Indiana, Malcolm Simmons, but that doesn't mean that it couldn't change. I mean, you know, I mean, so that was the latest on that. I don't know about Cam Coleman. I don't even think he's in the portal yet. No. You know, again, I think Auburn will do everything they can to try to keep him. Yep. Ron, you tell us about a late signee JUCO edition. Nick Sherman from Northridge High School in Tuscaloosa, Etiwamba Community College, 62190, the 23rd officially member of the 2026 signing class, Fulton, Mississippi.

Most people know where the college is. Tell us a little bit more about him. Yeah. I mean, you know, again, he's from here at Northridge. He played with Wilkin Formby in high school in Tuscaloosa here. And he's a good size. You mentioned, I think, 6'2 1⁄2", 190, something like that. He's been an offensive player, but also, as you mentioned, corner. And I think, you know, the fact that he has been a receiver, and he was a good one, is probably helpful to him as a corner. You know, it helps you develop instincts for what receivers do, watching their eyes, watching their body, and kind of understanding the routes and all of that.

So I would think that maybe it's been very helpful to him, Nick Sherman. So, local kid, again, I know he's really excited. His family's very excited for him to have that opportunity to play here. So, you know, again, it's a good addition, I would think, you know, with a guy that has some experience. Rodney, you can't get away. Vegas says Bama gets revenge by a whopping point and a half. Bama fans will take it. They'll even take the half. What does Rodney Orr say as far as the final score, Friday night, Norman?

I bet all I have, Harold, that they do not win by a point and a half. Can I quote you on that? Quote me. That's one thing I'll allow you to quote me on. Okay. You know, listen, I think Alabama was the better team. Like I said, I said it's on Titer Insider TV after the first game. I thought Alabama was two touchdowns better than Oklahoma. They found a way to lose the game. You know, they put the ball on the turf. They threw a pick six.

They missed a chip shot field goal, and they lost by two points. But that was here in Tuscaloosa now. So give Oklahoma a lot of credit. Harold, I mean, Harold and Brett, I mean, this is a game that I think I could see Alabama going up there. Should probably win the game because I think they have been the better team from what I've seen. But Oklahoma is playing a brand right now where it's defense, special teams, you know, protecting the football. Those types of things. I think it's a three- to six-point game either way.

And I went with Alabama 20-14. 20-14. I'm quoting it. Rodney, tell us, Titer Insider TV, the latest as far as the additional for the coaches. Transfer portal going to get very busy in two weeks. Still following recruiting. Alabama sports, Alabama basketball tonight with South Florida. Where can we get online with that 24-7 message board? And if you're looking for a stocking stuffer, I highly recommend Rodney Orr's book. Where can we get online and get all the good stuff for a nominal price and also buy your book?

Right. Well, TiterInsider.com, it's only $48 a year. You can get instant access right now with your credit card. If you prefer, there is an address there to send a check. It gives you all our premium information. But also the all-sports forum. That's our community there of Alabama fans. And a lot of, you know, just a lot of talk, man. It's nonstop. It's going to be wild on Friday, I can tell you. But that, and then also you mentioned Bigger Than Bama, the book. And you can find that at RodneyOrr.com, or you can go to Amazon.

[52:24] Either one, RodneyOrr.com, Amazon, and just simply punch in. If you go to Amazon, just punch in Bigger Than Bama, pop up. Give you all the details right there on how to get the book and how to, you know, order it. Rodney, if we don't get another chance, Merry Christmas to you and your family. You have nobody to buy for in your family, do you? I buy all year round. I bet you do. You got a big family tree. Rodney, listen, Merry Christmas to you. Thank you so much, and stay safe down there, okay?

Okay, here on, Brett. Appreciate it. Take care. Thanks, bud. RodneyOrr, tighterinsider.com. And again, that book is called Bigger Than Bama. Coming up the next hour, Drew DeArma is going to be on board. Steve Hellwagon. What's going on as far as some of the other teams in the playoff party and how they feel about their enemy from Michigan and the boss from UNA getting ready to head west, young man. Coach Tony Pujol and Morris right ahead. There'll be more Buck Show. Stay with us. Getting the kids to practice on time.

Remembering if it's your day to bring snacks. Making it to the game with a clean jersey. Why are simple things sometimes so complicated? Thankfully, with auto owners, insurance doesn't have to be one of them. Auto owners works with independent agents who answer when you call, so you can worry about more important things, like whether your kid is going to run toward first or third base. That's simple human sense. Hennigar, Johnson & Layton Insurance, 120 East 5th Street, Tuscumbia, or call 256-383-3400. North Alabama Properties wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year.

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Hurry up. Supplies won't last long. Former NFL and Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron has announced that he is pulling out of the 2026 lieutenant governor's race in Alabama. McCarron is forgoing the lead that he says he has in the polls against other primary challengers in order to become the next coach for the Birmingham Stallions. The Birmingham Stallions are part of the United Football League. McCarron says he's not ruling out running for political office in the future, and he also threw his full support behind Tommy Tuberville, a former football coach for Auburn, who is running to be Alabama's next governor.

I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Where I was living was not a great place to live anymore. I began to pray for a place to go, praying for all of these things that a 9-year-old would want. I wanted horses, big house with a bunch of people my age. I wanted parents. I wanted a mom and a dad. Before I even prayed it, the Lord had already answered my prayer with the Big Oak Ranch. Who would that 9-year-old be if she never came to the Big Oak Ranch?

I would be trying to fight for survival instead of fighting to break a cycle. Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home for children needing a chance. A Dallas County man is charged with sex abuse of a child under the age of 12. 26-year-old Ty Travious Carmichael is facing first-degree rape and sex abuse charges for a crime that occurred in Selma. Carmichael is being held without bond in the Dallas County Jail. A Daphne woman has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for wire fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

56-year-old Ramey Freeman was charged with using false documents in order to obtain a car loan in Texas, along with other fraudulent activity involving money. Freeman is also ordered to pay restitution for her actions. The city of Robertsdale has a new police chief who will start his job next week. Daniel Steelman will be replacing retired police chief Bradley Kenrick, who has spent 23 years as police chief of Robertsdale. I'm Andrea Antez. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter.

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Listen to me. 9 until noon. 93-9. The Score. Monday through Friday as we talk college football like nobody else does. Because he listens in Florence. Our show's, Charlie, our show's on down there. Bill King Show. Monday through Friday. 9 until noon. Every league, every big topic is covered. 93-9. The Score. 93-9. The Score weather. Today, a 30% chance of showers with a high around 55. Tonight, mostly cloudy with a 30% chance of showers overnight and a low near 45. Tomorrow, showers and thunderstorms likely with possible gusty winds and a high around 60.

Tomorrow night, partly cloudy with a 50% chance of showers overnight and a low near 30. And for your Friday, sunny with a high around 45. Your weather from 93-9. The Score. Now, get ready to roll. Shoals, Decatur, Athens, and all of northwest Alabama and southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM sports voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. New exclusive inside track to the Tide. Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93-9. The Score. Welcome back here. Now, welcome to the Boomo Bugg Show.

I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Speaking of around the Tennessee Valley, he's been there. He's been to San Francisco. He's kept his bags packed. And a little birdie tells me he's about ready to take his team back to a place called Los Angeles, California. UNA men's basketball coach, Tony Pujol. Welcome in, my traveling man. How are you? Gentlemen, how are you guys doing? Hey, Tony. Matt, tell me you're in Florence. This is a rare appearance for you to be in Florence these days, is it not?

[1:02:46] Oh, no doubt. No doubt. Glad to be here, though. I'll tell you that. We're getting ready to drive up tonight to Nashville to, you know, we got an early morning flight tomorrow at 6.30 in the morning. So, we're going to go ahead and spend the night in Nashville and then just get on that plane first thing. Coach, good luck to you. The last time I flew out of there, I got my gates mixed up and I had it literally, literally 30 seconds to find the right gate, get on the plane.

So, I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but take it from a man who made a mistake. I got a feeling you guys are going to be more organized than that. But, Coach, talk to us about this part. Well, don't jinx us, man. Don't jinx us now. Don't jinx us. No, we're not. We're not. We'll erase that part right there, Coach. Let's talk about your journey to this point here. Obviously, great road trip to San Francisco. You go over to Huntsville, Norman, pick your pick, Alabama A&M.

I still call it the hill over there. The Bulldogs, obviously, that's the Battle of Valley. And now you get ready to head back out west. Talk to us about the journey today, Coach. Yeah, I think right now, you know, I haven't done our team a whole lot of favors with the schedule that we put together, right? We played four games at home, seven games on the road. Obviously, the road games at San Francisco, at Clemson, at Mississippi State. Now we're going to be playing at LMU, you know, at Alabama A&M, just, you know, at Chattanooga, places that are just tough to play.

And I think our guys right now, the one thing that we are constantly building and working on is to make sure that our team continues to grow as a team, to understand our strengths and keep building off those strengths. And then the things that we need to work on and polish up, we need to continue to do that. And I think our guys are doing a really good job every day trying to understand that as we get ready for ASUN play. Tony, you recap the frustrating loss to Alabama A&M.

They won 68-60, foul trouble, Cornelius Williams fouling out. I'll talk about him a little bit more in a minute. Turnovers, free throws, not exactly I know what you wanted, but frustrating loss. Alabama A&M is a good team. I know there were quite a few UNA fans in the Huntsville area there. Recap that loss for us. Yeah, no question. Very thankful for the UNA faithful that showed up. I mean, I think we had just as many fans as they did. So we're very thankful for the UNA fans coming out and supporting our guys.

It was a tremendous turnout. But, you know, you hit the nail right on the head, right? Brett, we came out and one of the things that our team has been really good at all year has been rebounding. And we've been really good also at taking care of the basketball. But I'll tell you, man, it was a tale of two halves, right? First half, we were plus seven on the board. And we had a one-point lead going into halftime. The problem was we turned the ball over ten times in a half.

So we addressed that, yeah, we addressed that right at halftime, that, you know, shot quality and valuing possession are going to be a commodity in the second half. Well, what did we do? We took care of the ball. We only had two turnovers in the second half. But unfortunately, we got out-rebounded by 17. They were plus 10 by the end of the game. And, you know, it didn't help that Cornelius Williams only played seven and a half minutes in the second half due to foul trouble, right? So I think what we talked to Cornelius about, you know, he only played 20 minutes in this game.

He's the guy that puts in about, he logs in about 30, 32 minutes a game. So what we talked to Cornelius about is how valuable he is and how he's got to stay in the game mentally and how he's got to defend without fouling or appearing to foul. And, you know, I think when you're on the road, you know, those are things that you've got to go into the game understanding that you ain't getting any favors on the road. So we've got to go in there being extremely vigilant in those areas.

Coach, we want to talk about that road. But back to, you know, an Alabama basketball fan is listening to this and say, are you talking about UNA or are you talking about Alabama? Their last game, they led the number one team in the country by one, and then they just got crushed on the boards. How do you fix that? Because it's one thin draw plays, but rebounding, there's a lot of, you've got to have some physicality about you. You've got to be willing to get in there and maybe get a bloody nose.

How do you coach to improve that as a coach? You know, I'll tell you, guys, Nate Oates has done a tremendous job ever since he got to Tuscaloosa. And I think whenever those things happen, what folks need to realize is, and especially in today's world, most of the rosters are going to be new, right? You're going to have new guys in the program. And this is the time of the year that you're trying to clean up a lot of those things. And so there's going to be inconsistencies.

[1:08:00] I can tell you right now, Alabama basketball is in great hands. If there's an issue, if there's anybody that can fix it, Nate can, right? So I think Coach Oates is going to do a great job of doing that. Now, to answer your question about how you fix it, first of all, for a team to fix something, they've got to go through it, right? Yep. So you address it, you address it. And I'll tell you this about our team. Think about what I just said about the turnovers.

We put a big emphasis on not turning the ball over in the second half. Well, to me, that just showed me that this team is going to listen, and they're going to learn, and then they're going to apply. So to me, I'm all good with that. Now, if they expose us in other areas, especially an area that we have been really, really good at, and again, no fault to the other players, but when you have your leading rebounder sitting on the bench, that's going to hurt you too.

So guys have got to step up. Absolutely. Kanan Jepsen scored your junior guard 20 points, a career high for him. And Dallas Howell had 16 points. He had four triples. Tony, despite playing with four fails, again, everybody's got to learn how to do that, but good for Dallas for hanging in there to the end. 100%. And, you know, a lot of those guys had to deal with that, right? Dallas had four. Kevin Dekovicic had four. Dante Baucus, I think, had three. Obviously, Neil fouled out. We had numerous guys that were in foul trouble, and we had to scramble guys in and out of there.

So, you know, that's why I tell our guys when we're on the road, we have to be vigilant. We have to make sure that we don't allow the stripes to just dictate how you're going to play, right? You've got to do it the right way. You've got to defend without fouling, but also not even appearing to foul, but continue the aggression that we play with. So, that's one of the areas that, again, this is the learning part of our team. Our team now needs to understand these things, and the best way to do it is in game time.

So, you know, kudos to Alabama A&M. You know, I've got to give them a ton of credit because they exploited when we were down Cornelius. They exploited that area, and, you know, they did a great job on the offensive line. Basketball is a marathon. It's not a sprint. You have a chance to correct it very, very soon. Talk to us about another trip out west, this time not to San Francisco, but to Southern California, down to Los Angeles, and taking on a pretty good brand in basketball, Loyola Marymount.

Yeah, no doubt, especially after the last couple of days here, guys. It's going to be nice to be out there in 75-degree weather and mild, right? So, that's going to be a plus, but you know what? We're not going to be there very long. We're going to get out there. We're going to, like I said, travel up to Nashville tonight, catch an early morning flight. We'll practice tomorrow up there. We're going to play on Friday, and then we're going to catch the red-eye back. We're going to leave right after the game.

So, just so you know, for us, it's going to be a heck of a matchup. We played them last year. It was the last game right before league play again. So, we feel, again, that we have done our team justice by playing 11 non-conference games. They're going to prepare us for the league without question, okay? The teams that we played, the Power Fives in Clemson. I'm sorry. Yeah, the Power Fours in Clemson and Mississippi State and then the Group of Five, the two teams from the WCC, right, who, in my opinion, man, it's one of the best basketball leagues in the country.

Them and the A-10 are one of the two of the best basketball leagues in the country, in my opinion, that don't have football. You know, when you have Gonzaga, St. Mary's, San Francisco, LMU, those types of, Santa Clara, I just think you're playing against really good, really good basketball teams. So, I think our guys are going to be pretty well prepared for the A-10. Yeah, I think they're the Lions, too, Tony, if I'm not mistaken with that. And I remember Wip Sanderson losing 64-62 years ago when Loyola was scoring about 98 points a game.

That was quite a game by Wip. Yeah. Listen, we know you're busy when you get back to preparation. Safe travels to L.A. and Merry Christmas to you and your family. I know you're going to probably have a day or two off next week. God bless you. Safe travels. Bring back a W with you. Same to you all. Happy holidays and please enjoy your families. And I look forward to us connecting again in the near future. Absolutely. Same here. Please bring us some of that warm weather back, too, Coach, if you don't mind.

Done. Done. Hey, I'll put it in my suitcase. We'll bring it in. There you go, Tony. It's a promise. We're going to make them deliver. UNA men's basketball coach, Tony Pujol. I don't think there's a lot of sunshine. We're going to take you next to Big Ten Country and Steve Hellwagon on deck. Stay with us. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Patterson Properties and Auctions. Booking auctions for spring of 2026. Let us turn assets into cash. If you're ready to downsize or if you inherited property and would like to cash it in, call us.

[1:13:35] Thanks to all our clients and customers for a great 2025. License in Alabama and Tennessee. We also work in Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida. Daniel Patterson. Alabama license 1182. Florence Utilities now offers new bill pay options. Sign up for paperless, auto pay, text pay, and more to make your life easier. When you go green and go paperless, you'll no longer have paper bills filling up your mailbox and you'll be helping the environment. Sign up for text pay. Bill notifications go directly to your phone by text. Click the link and easily view and pay your bill.

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Learn how you can help offer safety to the most vulnerable and fight for a more resilient future at OxfamAmerica.org. Sponsored by Oxfam America. From the University of Alabama, this is Crimson Tide Today. It's a daily update on Bama sports and it's brought to you by Conecuh Sausage. A true Southern flavor since 1947 and the official smoked sausage of the Crimson Tide. Order online at ConecuhSausage.com. Hello again, everybody. I'm Roger Hoover. As we get set for Alabama against Oklahoma on Friday in the first round of the college football playoff, here are thoughts from the head coach of the Crimson Tide, Kalen DeBoer.

Yeah, it's playoff time and we've been working all season long for this moment and, you know, a long road ahead, hopefully. But we're just focused on what's ahead this week and really looking forward to a great challenge against a good football team, you know. And, you know, I'm proud of the guys and what they've been doing here early in the week, getting ready to play. Coach, always appreciate the time. Nikai, great to see you. Appreciate you so much as well. Best of luck this weekend. I'll have more in a moment.

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We've got you covered tonight for Alabama basketball at a game at 7 p.m. against South Florida. Full radio coverage available across our full radio network, the Varsity Network app, as well as the basketball booth cam presented by NASCAR and all CTSN social media platforms at UA underscore CTSN. Crimson Tide today is brought to you by Conecuh Sausage. Crimson Tide today is a production of the Crimson Tide Sports Network from Learfield. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. What do you say we take a road trip up to Big Ten country and say hello to Steve Hellwagon.

[1:18:39] He is the boss, senior writer, national reporter for Buck Nets Media Network, part of the 24-7 sports family. Steve, welcome in. Long time. How are you? I'm doing great. What's going on? Hey, Steve. Well, we just got what I said earlier looking at the forecast. One of the things that's different now than back in the day, these bowl games, you were going to go and pretty much be guaranteed of good weather. But with a new format, you get to play at home. And I just checked in Alabama when they're going out to Oklahoma.

A lot of folks said, oh, my gosh, it's 61 and 51 for the numbers there. I know Oklahoma's probably disappointed with that. The biggest threat's going to be wind. Your thoughts about the modern era now because obviously you don't have to play the first weekend there at Ohio State. But where are you as far as the modern format and the mood there in Columbus with the all-important bye week coming up? Yeah, in terms of the format, I was doing a show earlier today and I asked one of the guys on the show, like, what changes do you think we're going to see in the format at the playoff?

Because last year they did away with the idea that the top four ranked conference champions would get the top four buys, which if that had been left in there, Ohio State would not have gotten the top four seed in this thing. They would have been the five seed or six seed, whatever. And it would have been Tulane would have been the number four seed. So, I mean, just like last year it was Boise State or whatever it worked out. So, yeah, it was just – so that's the first thing.

But the change that we said is they're going to go to 16 teams because they want the money from the 14. And so now what that means is there's going to be eight games on campus sites the first weekend, and they may have to spread it out over Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I mean, how do you not overlap a TV window, you know, with eight games? It's impossible. So, yeah, it's just borderline impossible. We know what's going to happen then. Team number 17 is going to be griping because they didn't make it in.

But, Steve, before we talk about Ohio State, let's talk about your neighbors from Michigan. What – I would imagine Ohio State fans are sitting here saying, I told you so. Where do you start? You're closer to it. Obviously, I've seen the commercials, and they're pretty clever about the fans – some of the Heisman Trophy guys going to the state line and taking the long way around because they didn't want to go through Michigan. From an Ohio State perspective, talk to us about the mess there at Ann Arbor.

Yeah, it's become a bit of a mess up there, certainly. And, you know, they've had one scandal after another for the last five years or so. And this one very unfortunate for Coach Moore's family. And also the female who, you know, was working on staff there and her family. All these people have kind of been thrust into the public spotlight where they didn't really ask for that. So, it's going to be a rough, you know, time getting through this for all those people, and you feel bad.

Obviously, Michigan's got to move on. I mean, they'll have a bowl game coming up against Texas. Biff Pogge will be the interim coach for that. And they really need to get the full-time head coach hired and on staff before January 1st when the portal opens, you know, right after January. Because they want to keep as many of the top players that are at Michigan in the fold going forward. And that way they don't have to go into the portal and look for help. You know, it's so many key positions.

So, you know, you hear a lot of different things, you know, if Alabama loses the playoff team, could DeBoer potentially look at Michigan? How about Kenny Dillingham out at Arizona State? This was a funny one. One of the Michigan reporters at one of the fan sites said that Jed Fish from Washington has not been interviewed, and there's some type of a black mark on his resume. And I just laughed out loud. I said, so now they're going to vet people. Amazing. That's amazing. So now they're going to vet people.

A guy that won in Arizona, a guy that had a pretty good year at Washington. They did drop a couple tough games. But that guy could coach football. And here's the thing. It doesn't necessarily matter the name of the person that they hire, but it's got to be a complete divorce and departure from whatever was going on with Harbaugh and Moore. And I think anybody who was part of that culture has got to be blown out of there, and they've got to start over at ground zero, first block, you know, in the wall, because it's been nonsense for five years there.

Steve, when we follow recruiting pretty closely, when Alabama got a commitment from Julian saying, I knew that he was a very good quarterback looking at some of his video, et cetera. And, of course, he ends up at Ohio State. I know the Buckeyes lost to Indiana in really a very good game, but he was 21-29, 258, one touchdown, one interception. And I think he had a little bit of an ankle issue there, too. But he has grown, to me, and developed as the season has gone along.

[1:23:57] Does he have a lot of talent? Absolutely. He's got two NFL receivers, for one thing. But talk about the growth and development of Julian saying throughout the year. Yeah, it's been tremendous to watch. I think in the season opener against Texas, they kind of kept him under wraps and tried to win the game, running the football and having him just throw underneath all day and not take any real chances. Well, he's developed into a big-shot guy. I mean, against some of the teams they've played, he's gone deep and just riddled people.

Now, their schedule really was not that difficult from Tech. I mean, they played Washington and Illinois on the road. Both those teams were ranked for a good part of the year. They played Penn State, you know, one of their worst seasons in 15 years. So, you know, it is what it is. And obviously, Michigan at the end, to beat them the way they did up there was impressive. The Indiana game, they moved the ball between the 20s quite a bit. As you said, 258 yards passing. But the red zone was terrible.

They got in the red zone inside the 10 four times and got a field goal and a touchdown out of it. They lost the ball on downs one time and they missed a chip-shot field goal the other time. So, he did his job, I think, for the most part in that game against Indiana. It's just the play calling when they got down close to the goal line. They didn't execute the plays. The plays weren't called properly. And, you know, they didn't put the ball in the end zone.

I mean, their defense held a team averaging 44 points, Indiana, to 13 points. You've got to win that game 99 times out of 100. And they failed, just like they failed the year before against Michigan. Almost a carbon copy. The coaches let the players down, if you ask me. Isn't it interesting that we mentioned Alabama-Oklahoma. This is part two. Ole Miss and Tulane, part two. Ohio State and Indiana. What's going to happen this time around, Steve? Well, you know, you get into this. Obviously, the potential is there for Ohio State to play Indiana a second time in the national championship.

championship game. They both have to win two games to get there. Indiana, we would have never thought this would be possible. But they did beat Oregon, and they did beat Ohio State. So, got to give the devil, which is Kurt Signetti, give that guy his due. He's kind of the Bobby Knight of football coaches. And, appropriately, he's at Indiana. No-nonsense dude. And he's revolutionized. I mean, they did a thing on him on 60 Minutes last week. So, he's arrived. He's Nick's boy. Nick Saban's boy. We'll see.

We'll see what he can do. But, yeah, I like, you know, Alabama's got a tough assignment here. Got to go on the road and did not play particularly well against Georgia. They've got to find a way to go on the road and get that win. So, that's interesting. We're going to be watching the Texas A&M-Miami game because that's the team Ohio State's going to play, obviously, and if Ohio State gets to play Indiana again, I would think there would be a different result just because the coaches would approach it a little bit differently.

But, the pass protection wasn't very good. Sam was sacked five times. And he was under duress that he hadn't seen all season. So, that really impacted the bottom line in that one. Steve, talk about, I think, maybe the best defense in the country. Matt Patricia, the defensive coordinator, only giving up 10 touchdowns in 13 games this season. 8.2 points per game, Arville Reese, very talented linebacker at six and a half sacks. You know, we know about Caleb Downs, only targeted 20 times. You talk about the ultimate respect card. Sonny Stiles, Caden Curry, this is a very good defense.

It is. And I think a lot of guys with NFL potential, and obviously they lost. So many guys who were drafted off the team last year, the four guys up front, plus Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock on the back end, plus Cody Simon at linebacker. So, they lost a lot of the talent off that team from last year, and they reloaded. The defensive ends, Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson, have been very good. And then, obviously, Caden McDonald from Georgia, he was the first-team All-American at defensive tackle.

And he had a tremendous, tremendous year. Arville Reese, linebacker, first two-thirds of the year, he was great. And, obviously, Caleb Downs on the back end. You know, they've done a good job, I think, on the back end. If you take the penalties away, they've been outstanding. So, yeah, it's been really fun to watch this defense just slam the door on just about everybody that they've played. So, I'm trying to think what the most points scored against them was. It might have been Illinois with 16. I mean, that's just uncanny.

[1:29:06] So, yeah, it's been a lot of fun to watch. Absolutely. Listen, there are quite a few Ohio State fans in North Alabama. I've got one around the corner for me, who flies very proudly the Buckeye flag every day. You've got one of the best signs in the country. You do a great job covering the Big Ten, too. Steve, where can we get online to get all your great stuff? Yeah, it's Bucknuts.com, 24-7 sports, the best network, obviously, out there for recruiting coverage. And college team coverage and Bucknuts.com.

We're covering Ohio State like nobody else and really looking forward to Saturday's game, looking forward to Friday night's game. I mean, my goodness, this is going to be – we had one off week with the Army-Navy game, and now we are right back into meaningful college football, four huge games this weekend. I mean, the first two are basically pick-em games, and then the last two are the group of five teams playing as heavy underdogs. But maybe one of them will shock somebody. You never know. A whole month of football, by the way, in front of us with all the things placed out.

So, Steve, obviously we've got something to chew on there. But in the meantime, thanks so much for your time today, and let's do it again soon, okay? All right, guys. Take care. Thank you, Steve. Steve Hellwagon hooking up with us. Again, it's called Buck Nuts Media Network, part of the 24-7 Sports Family. Coming up, PC Square, Drew DeArmond on deck on the Boom Will Buck Show. Stay with us. We'll be right back. May the magic of the holiday season fill every corner of your heart and home with joy, now and always.

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The score. Atlanta Falcons are back in action on Sunday when the Falcons play in Arizona against the Cardinals. Atlanta is currently 5-9 while the Cardinals enter the matchup 3-11. Mids basketball action tonight. South Alabama will play at UL Monroe. The Jaguars are 8-3. UL Monroe is 3-8. It's the Sunbelt opener for both teams. 16th-ranked Alabama will host South Florida. The Tides 7-3. South Florida is 6-4. Bundle auto and home, renters or condo, and save with Progressive. I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93-9 The Score.

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Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Not available in all states. Coverage for dogs and cats is included with the purchase of collision coverage and subject to policy terms. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. The Score. Welcome back in. It is a pleasure. I say hello to Double D, Drew DeArmond. He's host Talking Ball. Now this was 97.7 FM The Zone. Drew, welcome in one week and one day from the big fat man. Hopefully coming to see us. How are you? I'm good. How are you guys doing, Rick?

Hey, man. We're doing all right. Drew, back in four stories on Derrick Nix. Tis the season for coaches' stories out there. We've seen both. He's in the house at Alabama from Auburn. Others saying it's imminent he's going to be hired. What is the latest that you are hearing? Well, I mean, I know he's been to the campus recently. He also talks to Florida. Looks like Marcus Davis is going from Auburn to Florida. And Derrick Nix will be going from Auburn to Alabama. It kind of harkens memories of James Willis back from 2009 when he left Auburn to come to the University of Alabama and help Nick Saban win his first national championship.

Only stayed a year before moving on to, I believe, Texas Tech. And he went back to work for Tommy Tuberville and was his defensive coordinator. But it sounds like Derrick Nix is certainly on his way to Alabama. He has a lot of ties to his coaching staff. He has a very close relationship with Shane Womack and his family. And that goes back many, many years. So, I think, you know, he's a good fit at wide receivers coach. He has a lot of recruiting contacts, you know, throughout the Southeast.

He has some connections, I'm sure, to players that may end up in the transfer portal. And one like Malcolm Simmons already has. So, we certainly will see. But it does sound like that Derrick Nix is going to be the replacement for Jamarcus Shepard, who isn't with the team right now. I believe he's, you know, trying to build his staff and his organization at Oregon State. And I'm not sure he'll be with the team on Friday night, you know, in Oklahoma. But they've got some guys that have stepped up from the analyst, you know, positions on the staff, including a guy with a lot of NXL experience.

So, I think they're in good shape there. Looking at Nix, he's an Alabama boy. He's out of a talus. So, he's got roots here to play ball at Southern Miss to stand out there. So, it's going to be interesting to see what that means. So, here's what I find interesting. We've seen all the chatter with Kalen DeBoer. And if you look at the Michigan boards, it's still not finished yet. I'll leave it up to that as far as time is going to tell as far as where that baby lands.

[1:39:21] But it's interesting. Not only does it look like Nix is on his way to join a staff, but this staff has picked up at least two commits over the last few days since all these rummings started. If he's going to Michigan, Drew, it's interesting he's bringing in recruits and assistant coaches to Alabama, did not? Yeah, because he just took a commitment from Josh Ford, the tight end, from Oklahoma State. And certainly, it looks like Derrick Nix is on his way to Alabama. I'm actually kind of just mystified at this whole thing with Michigan.

I don't understand their institutional arrogance, to be honest with you, that they could just swoop in there and offer him $14 million to go to a place with an interim president, an athletic director, that is a certified buffoon, and then it's probably going to be fired. And a football program that's going through transition and a lot of scandal. I mean, why would you leave Alabama where you're recruiting very well, you have the full support of Peter Moeller, the new president, you have the full support of your athletic director, and your program is on the upswing.

Now, I know it's not Nick Saban's Alabama, he's lost seven games, and ultimately may lose an eighth, but I'm just telling you guys, the narrative that if he loses to Oklahoma, he's going to be somehow forced out or be motivated to go to Michigan, to me, it's asinine. Yeah, absolutely. I just don't see it. I think everybody understands he went to the SEC championship game, that he's kind of bled a turnip with his roster, they've been extremely banged up, and I know it's disappointing to potentially lose four games again, but you finished as the number one seed in the SEC for the regular season, and you made the championship game, and you made the college football playoffs.

So, to be honest with you, what I'd really like to happen is Alabama go to Norman, burn the house down, and shut everybody up, because they're in the Elite Eight, about to play Indiana, and then Michigan can go hire Kenny Dillingham and just get this all over with. Absolutely. Well said. Speaking of being banged up, let me ask you about some of the banged up folks. By the time Alabama got to the fourth quarter, they had eight players, eight starters, out of that game. Obviously, the bye week, or taking off most of the week, has certainly helped a lot of these guys.

In fact, Ryan Grubb mentioned a little bit earlier today that Josh Cuevas and Danny Lewis at tight end will be, quote, available. Whether that be for 10 plays or 40, that remains to be seen. We've seen Cam Miller running around the practice field, et cetera. I think the bye week has really helped. I think we know L.T. Overton is not going to be playing in the game. D.D., what are you hearing as far as the injuries, from what I can gather? It looks much more promising than it did after Georgia.

Yeah, I mean, you know, after Georgia, it was almost like a mash episode. But I think Brelsford, Parker Brelsford, the All-American center, it's really done him a lot of good to, you know, get this rest. I think he's going to be much closer to 100% and good to go. I definitely think Jam Miller is going to be good to go. I'm not as convinced Daniel Hill is going to be a guy that can play a ton of snaps. I think he's banged up. I know they haven't talked about him on the injury report, but, you know, to me, everybody was so mystified that he only had the two early carries against Georgia.

I think that's because he's been banged up all year. And so that's just part of it. You know, Kevin Riley's got the broken jaw. But I think Jam Miller, Brelsford, I think definitely Zabian Brown is going to be in much better shape. Dijon Lee, they could be much healthier. Justin Jefferson on defense. Now, you're right. I don't think, unfortunately, and God be with him, I don't think L.T. Overton will ever play another down for Alabama due to his medical situation. And, again, it's very unfortunate.

But that's just part of it, and they've had to already move on. You know, they did not have him against Georgia at all. So, you know, we'll see, you know, what happens going forward. And the Jordan Renauds of the world, you know, how much, you know, they're going to play the Keon Keelys. You move Lennon Simmons around. We'll see. I mean, they're going to have to, you know, have some guys step up. There's no question about it. But I think they should be pretty healthy on defense, or definitely healthy on defense, except for L.T.

And then you look at, you know, what's going on on offense. Like I said, getting Brelsford and Jam back will be huge. Cam Dewberry, I think, is going to be much healthier than he otherwise would have been. You know, and in the same way, nobody's really talked about this, but Jeremy Bernard. I think Jeremy has definitely been slowed down. Hopefully, he's going to be better. And then I'll be honest, it's not just about injury, but they just need Ryan Williams to show up in a big way.

[1:44:36] He needs to have maybe his biggest game of his career, or at least this season, because we really haven't seen him explode since that Georgia game in his freshman year. So I just think overall, guys, the key to this game, it's old school. I mean, Alabama was really bad in the kicking game in this contest and has been very shaky throughout the season. They gave up an explosive punt return to Oklahoma, which led to points. And, you know, they also fumbled, which led to Oklahoma's only touchdown via special teams.

And they got a kick block. And you just can't do that. You have to at least play them even in the special teams. And then I think they have to, this time, force turnovers. They played really good defense and only allowed 200 yards, but they need to help their offense by turning Oklahoma over. And then I think they've got to make the two to three explosive plays in the game that Oklahoma made in the last one, which, of course, was the pick six. And then the punt return, because they both, they led those, because they got 17 points off turnovers.

And that was the difference. And in the two matchups the last two years, it's been five turnovers to one. So, to me, those are the keys for Alabama to get a win on Saturday. I knew I'd say that. Friday night. There you go. It's easy to say. Well, we know it is on papers. Another thing to execute, we'll see again on Friday night. Your thoughts, obviously, these teams, well, you say, well, Alabama's got film on Oklahoma. Vice versa, Oklahoma's got film on Alabama. They have owned the Crimson Tide over the last, what, 13 months or so as far as win-losses.

Your thoughts from lessons learned from those two. Another thing I think is huge, can this offensive line keep the bad boys off Ty Simpson? And you mentioned the explosive plays. That's nice. But, Drew, what about this? Once you get sacked a time or two, will they start working the swing passes, jet sweeps? In other words, take the high percentage passes as opposed to going back, dropping back, getting sacked, and creating a long game behind the chains? Well, we'll see. I mean, they certainly, you know, Ty threw for well over 300, about 326 the last time.

And they gained over 400 yards. The keys were the turnovers. And, ironically, the pick-six happened when they were in the Oklahoma Reds. Yeah. And it was over, I think, about an 88, 89-yard return. So, certainly, they had driven the ball well up to that point. And then, he got stripped sacked, too, when they were around, I think, their own 40. But, again, I think that was a blitz that, you know, they didn't handle really well. So, I'm hoping that they'll have a couple of new wrinkles. But, I'll just say this.

In the Georgia game, they dropped six passes. They can't drop the football against Oklahoma, especially if you've got a chance to make a big play. I mean, that's where Ryan Williams and Jerm have got to be sharp. They've got to catch the football. I don't know. I'd still say Quavis is very questionable. You know, he may try to give it a go. And, Brett, I thought the analogy was pretty good. If he goes, it'll probably be on a pitch count, I would think. And, ironically, that's the last game Quavis played.

And, you know, he had six catches for 80 yards. And, touchdown, probably the best game of his career. So, we'll see what happens. But, certainly, we may see Marshall Pritchett, Caleb Edwards, and those guys. But, I'll just say, they talked about it on Get Up on ESPN this morning. And, it was the one part of the take I agreed with. Because, the other part was just Kalen DeBoer, the right coach for Alabama. I actually wanted to slap somebody. But, you know, I couldn't slap them through the television.

But, the thing that I did agree with is this is a huge playoff for Ty Simpson. Because, on Mel Kuyper's big board, he's the third quarterback behind Moore in Oregon. And, then, of course, we know Fernando Mendoza. So, if he has a really good playoff, say they beat Oklahoma. And, if he were to play well against Indiana, then he's going to enhance his stock quite a bit. As far as maybe being another first-round quarterback. So, it's big for him. And, he is hurt. But, he's well enough to play.

I thought he certainly played pretty well against Auburn. Even though his stats were somewhat modest. But, they need another big game out of him. And, hopefully, he's another guy that's going to gratefully benefit from this rest. And, you know, and again, Harold, you're right. The last 13 months, Oklahoma's won twice. But, Alabama won the first two over, you know, Georgia as well. And, Georgia has solved the riddle. And, hopefully, Alabama can solve the Oklahoma riddle and move on to the Rose Bowl come late Friday night. D2, it is homecoming week for former Nate Oates assistant coaches.

[1:49:37] Brian Hodgson gets it started tonight with South Florida. Antoine Petway is going to finish it on Sunday in Huntsville, Alabama at the DBC when Kennesaw State comes in at 1 o'clock. Alabama trying to rebound from a not-so-sterling second half against Arizona. They played really well in the first half. And, then, rebounding in defense proved to be a problem. But, once again, another opportunity for Nate Oates to pick up two wins over former assistant coaches. Yeah, and, I mean, that was a tough loss to Arizona in the second half.

That Arizona team just sort of took them apart, you know. And, I thought Alabama did as good a job as they could have hoped in the first half being up two. They stayed with a striking distance on the glass. They protected the rim well. They made seven threes, I believe. I thought they attacked the rim. The second half, Arizona kind of turned up the heat from a physicality standpoint and on defense. And, Alabama was just way too sloppy with the basketball. They really need the full Aiden Holloway back.

They didn't have that against Arizona. When Aiden Holloway can't shoot the three and truly be an offensive threat, he's not just a distributor. That really limits Alabama because he's an 18-point-per-game scorer. And, then, Bristow is still getting his feet back wet, you know. And, then, Aiden Sherell had to take on a huge role. I thought he played pretty well, but he needs more help. Along that front line. But, I think, you know, they've got a chance. Hodgson's Arkansas State team pushed them to the limit last year.

So, they better be ready tonight. It'll be interesting to see if Amari Allen's available. I know he's got a little bit of a hip situation. But, it should be a very winnable game at home for Alabama. And, then, you go to Huntsville on Sunday. Petway coming back. Don't forget, he's got two very familiar, you know, assistant coaches to North Alabamians. And, that's Phillip Pearson, former Alabama player and coach. And, then, also, Willie Watson, who was on Tony Pujol's staff at UNA. And, he's got two prominent players, you know, that are playing a ton of minutes for him.

And, you know, freshman Caden Rickard from Bob Jones. And, let's not forget, I believe he's a redshirt sophomore now. R.J. Johnson from Grissom. So, both those guys are playing a lot for the Owls. And, hopefully, that's going to be a really nice crowd. I know they've got a ticket sale going on today. They're marking the tickets down, trying to sell the last of those tickets. So, hopefully, it'll be a great environment on Sunday inside Crokes Arena. So, where Alabama and Kennesaw are going to take the floor.

And, hopefully, the Tide can get two more wins. Because, they've had a really tough out-of-conference schedule. You don't want to compound it with what would be, you know, I consider maybe a quad three loss right here to two quality mid-majors. So, they need to get the job done tonight in Tuscaloosa and then on Sunday in the Rocket City. Absolutely. D2, give us your score prediction for that Norman-Oklahoma physical contest. And, then, secondly, where can we get on line to get all the stuff? Well, and I'm leaning toward Alabama.

This Alabama team has been good on the road all year on true road games. I'm going to go 24-20 Alabama. I still think, I mean, if you've seen it in these meetings the last two times, the team that gets to the mid-20s wins. And, I think Alabama can win a tough, physical, hard-fought game on Friday night. And, then, if they want to connect with me, they can connect with me at 977 ESPN. We also have our, of course, if you miss any of the content, we have our SoundCloud page, 97.7 The Zone.

And, then, 9770 ESPN.com. Still trying to recover that ex-account of my own, my personal one, working on that. But, still, you can catch any of my content on 9770 ESPN. I just want to wish you and your listeners a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season. And, we always enjoy being on the Boomo Bugg Show. And, hopefully, we'll be talking about a Rose Bowl trip after Friday night to play number one Indiana. That's where we are in this world of college football. It's not basketball. It's Indiana on the gridiron.

Right back at you, Drew. Merry Christmas to you and your family. And, thanks so much for your time today. Thank you, guys. Thank you, bud. Junior Armand, 97.7 FM The Zone. When you mention it, B.B., in case you missed it, Alabama basketball tonight. It's right here on 93.9 The Score, B.B. Pre-game, 6 o'clock. Tip-off for approximately 7, Harold Bugg. Kick back and enjoy. That's going to take care of us for now. On behalf of B.B., Greg, James Blair, the entire crew here. Harold Bugg, thank you so much for your time today.

Let's do it again tomorrow on noon to two with the Boomo Bugg Show. Back here on Sports Radio, 93.9 The Score.