Boomo Bugg Show 011526

[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 tie, Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9. The Story. Good afternoon and welcome in 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. Brett Beaird, welcome in. Well, we've got the very latest on Portal Deadline Eve and just like college basketball needs, a big cheating scandal.

Good afternoon, welcome in, and how are you? Happy Thursday to you and the listeners. Yes, the portal closes tomorrow and we'll look to see how Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee can close strong. Zach Pounders of the Shoals Sports Report will preview the semifinals of the Lauderdale and Franklin County tournaments. And Andrew is here right now to talk about some key visitors to Tuscaloosa, Alabama today and tomorrow. And I'm going to guess the man who desperately in NASCAR terms needs a pit stop. He is following all this crazy thing called the portal there at BamaOnline.com.

That is part of the BamaOn3.com family. And when he's not doing that, he's a fine author of The Road to Bama. Andrew, welcome in to the road to 93.9 The Score. How are you? Hey, doing great, guys. How are we doing today? Hey, bud. Well, tomorrow the deadline closes on this portal. Andrew, we've seen a lot of back and forth. Where are we on the eve of the deadline looking at the crimson glasses? Well, it's kind of busy. You know, there's a lot of moving pieces that are kind of happening right now.

There was a little short dead period window that happened, which, you know, I don't necessarily understand it when you have a 15-day portal window. But I think what people should understand is it's just a window to enter the portal. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to take all your visits or anything like that. You kind of have that mad rush of all these kids that are taking visits, schools that are hosting. And then you have kind of a three-day break in there, but kids can enter the portal any time during that window.

And then after the window closes, you can still take visits until the, you know, I guess the school that you decide that you're going to go to closes off the spring enrollment. So, you know, not really a big deal there. But, you know, recruits are, I guess you'd call them recruits or transfers, are, you know, are resuming visits. And, you know, there's going to be guys on campus, on Alabama's campus today, tomorrow and this weekend. You know, they're certainly hoping to close out and meet some big needs.

But, like I said, they could add some commitments over the course of the next couple days. But we could also see visits happening over the course of the next few weeks as well. So, you know, still kind of a lot happening, but still some big needs for Alabama to fill. Talk about, you mentioned some folks there today. I'm sure it depends on who you ask. As far as notables, who comes to mind, Andrew? Well, I think, first off, Grayson Delgatti is a center prospect that is in town today.

You know, Alabama, you know, really took a hit at the center position because you lose Parker Brelsford to the NFL. Gino Vandermark was sort of the, you know, he was the utility guy for Alabama that could play just about all over the line. But he was technically the number two center for Alabama. And then Joe Ayanada transfers to Georgia Tech. Rock Montgomery leaves, goes to Western Kentucky. So, Alabama really just doesn't have a center. Didn't have a center in its room until they picked up a commitment from Caden Strayhorn from Michigan last week that is a redshirt freshman.

And he's also a guy that could play guard, play guard against Texas in the Citrus Bowl on December 31st. So, you know, I think they really want to get some competition in that room and some starting experience. And this is a kid that has started two years, was an all-conference player this year, has several offers, including Michigan, coming off a trip up there, took a visit to Colorado, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Kansas. Those are some schools that he visited right off the bat. Now, if the visit's resumed, it's in Tuscaloosa.

[5:06] You know, some other schools are really pushing hard to get him on campus, including Kentucky. So, we'll see if he gets out of Tuscaloosa without making a decision, and continues to take visits, or if Alabama can wrap this one up pretty quickly. Because, like I said, they certainly need some more center competition in that room. If you can have two centers in that room heading into the spring, you know, you at least feel more comfortable than just having one. But also, you know, also some guys, or at least one guy that's got some starting experience.

So, I know Alabama fans are excited about that because a lot of the players that they have signed so far are redshirt freshmen. They're young guys that don't have a ton of experience yet. Now, they've played really, excuse me, they've practiced against some high-level competition, and, you know, a couple of them have played a little bit in games. But, you know, just having that experience, two-year experience, being a little bit older is certainly much needed in that offensive line room. Well, Andrew, that's the question. I mean, Alabama's got money.

I'm assuming this is part of the strategy. What's the thinking to go down this road? And you're losing guys to western Kentucky. What's the thinking there? Well, I wouldn't look at Rock as a loss to western Kentucky. I mean, that was a situation that has been known for, you know, probably three months, at least behind the scenes, that he was going to end up transferring. I don't think he was just expected to really ever play. You know, kind of the same situation with Ionata. I don't think Alabama really saw him as a starter in their system next year.

And he understood that, and so, you know, he went to see, you know, some other places that, you know, that felt like he could come in and compete. And obviously, you know, Brent Key is a great offensive line coach, so, you know, he's a guy that, you know, could go over there and do well. But I think with Alabama having money to spend, you know, they're going to spend it on guys that they feel like, you know, can come in and, you know, be impactful. I don't think they're going out and trying to be foolish with the money that they have.

You know, they're not going to spend $3.5 million, $4 million on one player just to come in for one year. I mean, they're looking at guys that, you know, can potentially come in for, you know, if it's a one-year lease on a top-end player and you can get them for, you know, I would say $1 million, $2 million, you're going to do that probably, you know, all day long if it's a really good proven player. But, you know, the problem right now is there are players out there that are receiving, you know, $3.5 million, $4 million offers, which is kind of unheard of.

And I don't think Alabama was necessarily called off guard. You know, there was just some schools that had just dropped some serious cash. You know, there's two sides of it. One side of it is, you know, a school like Texas is just really kind of spending as much NIL and, you know, their funds as they possibly can to get as many. I mean, I saw somebody post the other day that they're probably going to have a $40 million roster this upcoming year. I mean, it's like the Yankees.

So, you know, you kind of see what, you know, if they're going to be able to do that. Of course, they had one of the most expensive rosters in college football this past season as well and didn't make the college football playoffs. So, you know, they're obviously trying to go all in and get as many star players as they possibly can. And I think that on the other side, you have schools like Kentucky, South Carolina, two schools that have now signed two of the top three overall offensive tackles that are in the transfer portal.

You know, they're able to spend a lot higher than maybe an Alabama is from a rev share perspective because they don't have as many, you know, top end players on their team. They don't have, you know, a top end secondary that they're paying or, you know, an elite edge rusher that they're paying like a Yonsei Pierre or, you know, wide receivers or, you know, two quarterbacks that are going to be battling it out for the, you know, starting position at Alabama who probably, you know, re-up their deal.

So, you know, I think that, you know, some of these schools when you see them, oh, why is Alabama, you know, losing out to Kentucky or why they're losing out to South Carolina? Or, heck, you know, Mississippi State or it could be a, you know, lower tier ACC school or whatever. It's more so because they're just able to spend a little bit more money than Alabama is because Alabama, frankly, just doesn't have it. And, you know, you spend $4.5 million, $3.5 million, $4 million on an offensive lineman, for Alabama, at least for Alabama, that's going to be the only offensive lineman that they're going to be able to sign.

[10:13] They're not going to be able to sign the four or five guys that they need. So, you know, you have to, you know, be able to spread that out a little bit more. Now, will they, like I said, they would spend $2 million on an offensive tackle, but they're probably just not going to spend, you know, if it's a proven guy, that they feel like will step in and start from day one. But they're just not going to spend crazy money on somebody that is just coming in for one year and necessarily only cares about getting paid.

I guess everybody cares about getting paid in this business now. But, like I said, I think it's more so they're going to have to be able to afford three or four or five offensive linemen and not just one offensive lineman in their recruiting tower in their portal class. Well, a good example of that is Jordan Seaton, who reports indicate wants $3.5 to $4 million a year. Let me ask you about that. That's the starting point. Yeah, yeah. Knowing him, I wouldn't be surprised. Let me ask you about two other offensive linemen.

Nick Brooks from Texas, he started games against Oklahoma, Kentucky, Mississippi State for the Longhorns. Played 214 total snaps as a freshman. Again, that's not a lot, but at least it's some. And then Ethan Fields, the Ole Miss interior offensive lineman, probably a guard, 6'4", 320. Now, he only had 62 snaps. I believe he's visiting Tennessee today and coming back to Tuscaloosa tomorrow. Andrew, your thoughts about other offensive linemen, including Nick Brooks and Ethan Fields? Yeah, so I think what people will have to understand is you need quality backups.

You need guys that can come in and compete. If you lose a starter, you're going to have to have somebody that is ready, who has experience, who can come in and be serviceable for you because you're one play away from being a starter. And a lot of times when a guy is a second teamer or knows who's going to be a second teamer at a program like Alabama or somewhere, they can enter the transfer portal and get paid starter money somewhere else. So you're trying to kind of find replacements for those guys and not necessarily bring in starters.

Now, obviously, you want to bring in starters as well, and Alabama is looking for those guys. So I still think there are some guys that are out there that they're looking at as depth pieces. You can promise them, because it's true, you can promise them that they can come in and compete for a starting job because there's only one returning starting offensive lineman at Alabama. But you bring in some guys, you make them feel like they can compete, which that's the truth. But at the same time, hey, if they don't win the starting job, they can at least be a quality depth piece for you.

And they've got experience playing in the SEC or wherever it may be. But with Ethan Fields from Ole Miss, I mean, that's a guy that has played. He has not started, but he's been a second team guy at Ole Miss. He's gone up against the Ole Miss defensive front for the last couple of years. So that's experience, even though you might not have a lot of game tape, you also have a lot of practice film, because all of these guys are sending, you know, guys that don't start, guys that haven't played a ton of snaps, especially going up against, you know, when you're in the college football playoff, you're not going to be able to send out your highlight film from those games.

So what these kids are doing is they're getting all of their practice footage, and coaches are helping them do that at the schools where they are. You know, I guess probably unless you're a big-time starter and those schools don't want to lose you, they're not sending out that film. But if you're a backup guy, you know, they're sending out film, and college coaches elsewhere are evaluating them. So I think with Ethan Fields, that's a kid that, you know, they seem to, you know, have some interest in.

They can bring in for an official visit tomorrow. And obviously Tennessee's involved as well, and he says that he's going to make a decision shortly after. I think he's going to try to make a decision tomorrow night because, let's say, this is going to be his final visit. So, you know, it's a possibility. And I also don't think, you know, some of these guys that are coming in that are, you know, have been second-teamers, or even third-teamers, you know, guys that just haven't played a ton of snaps, you know, they're not coming in asking for, you know, a million dollars, two million dollars, or anything like that.

[15:14] You can probably get them a little bit cheaper, and then, you know, you continue to look and spend money on, you know, a higher-priced guy when that becomes available. Andrew, just quickly, defensive lineman Terrence Green from Oregon is coming in tomorrow. 6-5-3-30, just the epitome of a run-stopper. Talk about Alabama's legitimate chances of getting him, bud, and you've covered this. Lord, it just seems like it changes by the minute, but covered it very well with you and the staff, and where can we get online to get all your great stuff, and just quickly about Terrence Green coming in tomorrow from Oregon.

Yeah, I mean, it certainly changes by the hour as, you know, agents are working the phones, and they're trying to get guys, you know, set up for visits, and then information comes out there that, you know, I mean, they put the information out there that, hey, he's going to this visit, and then another school comes in and says, hey, we want him to come here first. We'll, you know, we'll pay him the next amount to come in for a visit here. Okay, well, we're going to go there first.

So, it's a crazy world that we live in, and we try to keep as up to speed as we possibly can, but, you know, Terrence Green's a big boy. I mean, he's a, you know, he's a 6'4", 320-pound guy, and he's got some connection, you know, with the staff, and knows Courtney Morgan, who recruited him for Washington. I don't think he ended up taking a visit to Washington, but, you know, that's an interesting guy to watch. You know, they definitely want another interior player this cycle, so we'll see how that visit goes.

He was scheduled to visit Nebraska today, but he pushed that visit to Nebraska to the weekend, I think on Sunday, and he's expected to visit Cal on Saturday. So, he's got a pretty big weekend coming up, but flying to Tuscaloosa, you know, flying back out to Cal, and then hitting, you know, back to the middle of the country. So, you know, it's going to be interesting. You know, maybe Alabama can get him committed, and he doesn't have to take those trips, but, you know, that would certainly be the game plan.

I'm interested to see if he does follow through with the Cal visit, though, just because his defense coordinator, Tasha Boyd, now the head coach at Cal, so does that potentially play a role in the decision? But, you know, for Alabama, you know, the goal is, as long as everything goes well during the official visit, I mean, it's still, you know, one of those situations where you've got to come in, you've got to meet with the staff, you know, everything has to kind of check out, and, you know, then they decide, you know, how hard they're really going to push for you as far as the number-wise, you know, how much money are you going to get, you know, from a, you know, financial aspect.

So, big, big weekend, but we're going to have it all covered at BamaOnline.com, where we have updates pretty much every single hour of the day. And you're a busy boy, Andrew. I'm assuming nobody is still striking deals with a gallon of Milo's tea like back in the day. Keep up the good work, and thank you so much for your time today. Appreciate it, guys. Have a good one. You too, Bill. Andrew Bone, BamaOnline, part of the On3.com family. I lost 10 pounds. Just listen to that, B.B.

At what point did people say, you know what? This is crazy, man. I'm going to take a breather here. Coming up, it's crazy down the plains, too. Nathan King, the latest on Auburn. Stay with us. Welcome back to Winter Hack Radio, the place for clever hacks to survive the season. Icy driveway? Well, try spreading sand or bird seed to help with traction. Snowy puppy paws? Well, grab a whisk, brush it off. Done. Catch COVID-19? Well, just get… Actually, there's no hack for COVID-19. But if you test positive, prescription medications for COVID exist.

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We'll be up for this. You know, these are the moments as a player you'd rather play than practice. I also think when these players are in this day and time with basketball, the way it is in the summers, you know, they play multiple days a week, back to back, two, three games a day. So, you know, we don't have any excuses. I think a lot of times, you know, when you're playing well and you're finding ways to win games, you want to keep playing. So I'm not a real big fan of bye weeks anyway or being off, you know, and I think it's really important for us as we head into our bye week, a chance to rest, that we take care of what's important now.

You know, we talk about W-I-N, what's important now, and all that matters now is to go win at Auburn. And we'll focus on recovery and hydration and nutrition. Again, I think we're built for this. I'll have more in a moment. Hey, Bama fans, each Tuesday and Thursday at 2 p.m. Central, join us live for Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR. This live streaming talk show features the latest on Alabama athletics with exclusive conversations with Tide student-athletes, coaches, and media members giving their perspective on the Crimson Tide.

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Welcome back in. It's a pleasure to say hello to Nathan King. He's got the Auburn Tigers covered there at 24-7. Sports part of the Auburn Undercover family. Nathan, welcome in. Did I see snow mentioned in your neck of the woods? How are you? I'm good. Potentially. Potentially. You know, we got it. We got it this time last year. And I think it's, I don't know. Most of the time, whenever there's a snow projection, it ends up just being really cold rain. So hopefully, hopefully we can avoid that.

It was really nice last year. It actually stuck on the ground. That was when I saw like the pictures of like, you know, snow at the beach. Because like, Huntsville didn't get it last year, right? Like, it was weird. Right. Yeah. Got it, but y'all didn't. Yeah. Now, I think what we're going to do in sports, we're going to copy what the weather guys say. We can either go by the American model or the European model. I love the way they do that. The one that strikes is the one they say what happens.

So we're going to start using it when it comes to covering sports. And the portal, Nathan, what's the latest looking at through the eyes of an Auburn Tiger fan here on the eve of, at least anyway on paper, the portal closing tomorrow? Yeah, so they're just coming off the dead period, which to sum that up, I think some people maybe thought that it was dead period as in contact. It was a dead visit period because the NCAA knew that while this single portal window is great, it also puts a lot of pressure on coaches to have a lot to do.

And so three days where, hey, no visitors are allowed, you guys can kind of recuperate and go back to the drawing board, as it were, and not have to worry about hosting players every single day because that's what it's been so far. It's been looking for players and hosting players all at the same time. And so coming out of this, Auburn's got a couple big visitors coming up this week at positions of need. Of course, the lines of scrimmage are important for every team in college football, but Auburn continues to have a big need there.

[26:05] Deontre Robinson is set to arrive on his visit today, the number 14 defensive tackle transfer in the country. And then Maryland's starting offensive guard, Ali Oba, entered the portal just a couple days ago. He has set up a visit to Auburn this weekend. Both of those, obviously, huge, huge positions of need. But even before those guys, even before, you know, defensive line and offensive line, Auburn has done a really nice job shoring things up. Even in the time since we've spoken last week, they've added a few pieces, now up to 25 transfer additions.

Look, I still think they are going to want to get to, you know, around 40 transfer pickups, but not all of those guys are going to be starting caliber players. You're going to need some depth pieces because you need numbers to round out the roster. But for now, with the work that they've done, I think the O-line and the D-line are the biggest position groups of need, and I would expect Auburn to roll out the red carpet for those two transfer visitors that I just mentioned. Nathan, Auburn lost a lot, obviously, a wide receiver, Kim Coleman, Perry Thompson, Fields, Malcolm Simmons, et cetera, et cetera.

Now, they brought in, I believe, one, two, three, four, five from South Florida. Neptune, Pettigrew, Jeremiah Coger, Nimrod, and Singleton. I know that at one point they were looking at Kyle Parker of LSU. Are they pretty much set now at receiver, or do you believe they may add one more? Yeah, I think they'll get one more. You mentioned Kyle Parker at LSU was a pretty efficient player on a bad LSU offense last season. And a point of note that was made to me that's interesting is he's actually pretty good friends with Auburn All-American linebacker Xavier Atkins.

They had a good relationship. When they were together, they're both Texas kids and came to LSU, and Atkins spent one year there. Kyle Parker was there for two seasons, and Atkins was a player host of sorts when Parker visited. Yeah, I would expect him to be the transfer receiver who rounds out this group. They were in it for Noah Rogers, but he commits to Alabama. That's a really big pickup for the Crimson Tide. And then Mylon Graham is a former five-star receiver at Ohio State. I don't think that was necessary.

That was one where Auburn wanted to bring him in and see, but I don't think there was a ton of interest on either side. So, yeah, Kyle Parker, I still think you need another transfer wide receiver. In terms of positions where they're finished, I mean, quarterback, running back, tight end, and safety, I think, are all wrapped up at this point. Linebacker as well, because you're able to bring back those young guys. I'm not sure everybody necessarily thought they would be able to bring back all that depth at linebacker, but your top four contributors from last season are all back, minus Robert Woodgert.

So, yeah, I mean, we mentioned the line of scrimmage. That has a ton of attention right now. Cornerback, maybe one more player. But otherwise, it's really getting down to the end of it here where Auburn is able to look closely at, you know, just a few positions of need and kind of narrow down that transfer board. Nathan King, 24-7 sports outside of Texas and a handful of others. Nathan, it looks like college football is trying to do what business in general does. Everybody wants a Volvo for the price of a Yugo.

In other words, they want it, but are they willing to spend to get it? Where is this new coaching staff? We know that Hugh had a tendency, if somebody had a lot of bling-bling, he didn't mind spending the coins. Your thoughts about the strategy of how they divvy up the budget now? Yeah, I mean, people have to remember as well, you know, retaining certain players, you know, that wasn't cheap retaining a guy like Xavier Atkins, retaining all those guys. At linebacker, Jeremiah Cobb comes back and then has re-signed.

That's pretty big. And then they go out. And honestly, the most surprising transfer pickup for me so far is the fact they're able to land Bryson Washington, the guy who's had over 1,600 rushing yards the last two years at Baylor. Jeremiah Cobb was already coming back. I really didn't think they had much of a chance with him because of Cobb coming back. And then all of a sudden they get him. So they've got a really good one-two punch. Yeah, I mean, in terms of money distribution, I think they've put themselves in position here.

Now, this is sort of a glass-half-full perspective. They put themselves in position here where when you have a few positions left to address, you can really spend big for those. So Deontre Robinson, I really don't see how they don't roll out a pretty strong offer for him once he's on campus. Ali Oba, that offensive guard, those are prime positions of need, positions where everybody in the transfer portal wants players like that. I'm not saying they're going to go out and pay a million dollars for players like that.

But obviously they haven't been massive spenders in terms of overspending for a bunch of different positions. But also, 25 transfers isn't cheap. And 25 transfers is going to be closer to 40 by the time they're all said and done with it. Those USF guys at receiver that you mentioned and Byron Brown at quarterback, I know it was sort of a foregone conclusion they were going to get those guys, and I would agree that was the case. But you've still got to pay them. You've still got to shell out some money for them.

[31:18] And so I think it's been as expected for this staff in terms of the way they've used their money. They haven't been, you know, they haven't overspent. They haven't, you know, put themselves out on a limb with a bunch of different players. They've prioritized the guys they knew they needed to get from USF and then otherwise have kind of, you know, I think maybe stayed within market value. I think they may have gotten a couple other transfers here or there by shelling out money, but they wanted to see what they needed by the time this thing is all said and done and didn't want to get their funds, you know, completely dried up before the end of this thing.

Absolutely. Great stuff as always. I know you've been on top of it. You're also on top of Missouri beating Auburn last night in basketball, 84-74. And I think that surprised a few folks after the strong showing against Arkansas on Saturday. Stephen Pearl said, I could look at their body language before the game and tell we were not going to win the game. That was an interesting comment. And Keyshawn Hall only scored 10 in Como after scoring 30-plus against Texas A&M in Arkansas. But I know he'll bounce back.

A lot of great stuff on your plate as far as transfer portal, as far as official visitors coming in over tomorrow night. But you keep tracking that, basketball and everything else. Nathan, where can we get online to get all the great stuff? For sure. Auburnundercover.com. Like you mentioned, it's full steam ahead. The portal's opening back up today. We'll have updates on all the transfer visitors. It closes, excuse me, visits opening back up, closes tomorrow. And then basketball, the interest to see what Stephen Pearl has to say is they look to get out of a one-in-three hole now in an SEC competition.

And so we'll have all that and more at Auburnundercover.com. Nathan, thanks so much for your time today. And stay safe with that blizzard coming in, okay? I will. Y'all do the same. Thank you. Milk and bread time for Nathan King and the team there at 24-7 sports. Coming up, time to go to K-Town, talk Tennessee with R.C. Ryan Callahan on deck. Stay with us. Hey, Falcon fans, this is Keith at Cypress Creek Indoor Range. At Cypress Creek Indoor Range, we prepare you to provide your own safety.

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As a friend of the Foundation, you can contribute any amount to help fund classroom needs in Florence City schools. Please visit our website at FlorenceEducationFoundation.org to explore our new giving levels and the added perks available. We want to wish Coach Burleson and the entire Falcon basketball team good luck this season. With the new IHOP value menu, six bucks is all it takes to go to your Happy Plates, where stacks of pancakes with bacon and eggs are just six bucks every day. French toast, sausage, and eggs are, you guessed it, six bucks.

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And fluffy omelets come with a side of pancakes and only cost six bucks. Go to your Happy Plates every day at IHOP. Seven bucks in some locations. Available every day for a limited time at participating restaurants in the U.S. Hours may vary. No substitutions. Not valid with other discounts or promotions. Prices may vary. This college football moment is brought to you by ServPro. College football teams have moments they've recovered from and made it like it never even happened. Like on September 24th, 2016, when Tulsa found themselves down 31-0 to Fresno State.

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Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. And MLS 696891. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93-9. The score. Smith Hoops yesterday. The Auburn Tigers lost on the road at Missouri 84-74. Keyshawn Hall had 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. Auburn with the loss is now 10-7 on the season and 1-3 in SEC play. Troy Trojans yesterday. Winners over Southern Miss 91-65. In the victory, Kobe Campbell had 30 points as the Trojans improved to 5-1 in the Sun Belt and 12-6 overall. Men's Hoops tonight.

[36:55] North Alabama's at home. They'll take on North Florida. The Lions are 1-3 in the A-Sun. South Alabama's at home to host Arkansas State. Jaguars are 3-2 in Sun Belt play. 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. You're still grooving, still connecting, still loving, still turning up, still thriving. You still got it, but your immune system, it weakens as you age. That's where vaccines come in. They help train and strengthen your immune response to fight off respiratory illnesses like flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, RSV, or COVID-19.

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It's an awesome pairing. Order a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich and a new frosted soda and float at your local Chick-fil-A restaurant. Real team member paid for their testimonial. The Score. We're now back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. What do you say? We talk UT with RC. Ryan Callahan. He's busy there at Gold Vols 24-7. Ryan, welcome in. How are you? Hey, guys. Doing well. How are you? Well, has this coaching staff got their prescription pad out and say, we need this, this, and this to cure this ill from last year?

We got basically between now and tomorrow night to get it down with this thing, the deadline, anyway, officially on paper ends. Ryan, what base is Tennessee on? And what would Tennessee fans like to see as far as getting a prescription to fill positions of needs between now and then? Yeah, Tennessee's got, they've gotten a lot done. There's still some more work to do and some big holes to fill, one of which is at the quarterback position where they don't know yet what their plan might be for this season.

And that's obviously a concern for a lot of fans, but across the board, though, especially on defense, they've done a nice job. There was a lot of hand-wringing about this time last week or a couple days before that, certainly, about where they were and how many guys they had added to that point because they got off to a slower start in the transfer portal. But they've since then made up a lot of ground and landed a number of guys, addressed needs at all three levels of the defense, you know, edge rusher Chaz Coleman, the headliner of the group, Xavier Gillum, a four-star defensive lineman from Penn State, and also, you know, a couple other guys from Penn State that the staff was led by Jim Knowles, the new defensive coordinator, had some connections to.

Amari Campbell, a linebacker who was Penn State's leading tackler this past season, TJ Metcalf, a Michigan defensive back transfer who's expected to play safety. They've gotten some good players. There's still some big needs to fill, including at running back and quarterback. At running back, still need someone that can maybe complement Deshaun Bishop along with, obviously, a starting quarterback potentially or at least some clarity on whether Joey Aguilar can return for this year. So, still some big questions they have to answer and some additional need they're still hoping to address here in the portal over the next few days.

Brian, we don't pretend to be geniuses here. You can win without an outstanding quarterback. It's possible Alabama's got some trophies to prove that. Other teams, too. But in the modern era, it certainly takes a load of people's minds to have a proven quarterback. Your thoughts on two things on that. Basically, what is the timeline of when we might know the verdict on Aguilar? And in that case, what is the B or C all the way down to Z plan for Tennessee? Because it's hard to imagine being able to be a championship-level team without something of a hope they're a quarterback.

Yeah. So, the interesting thing about Tennessee's situation there is you do have some other options on the roster, and they're talented. You've got a couple talented young guys in George McIntyre, who was a freshman this past season, who's actually, as we speak, down in South Florida, throwing to some of Tennessee's receivers that have gathered during the holiday break and are getting ready to go back to campus together this weekend. And then Faison Brandon, the five-star quarterback signee out of Greensboro, North Carolina, who's 24-7 sports number two overall player in the class.

So, while some teams are, you know, if you look at Miami, you know, they're desperate for a starter because they're losing Carson back. Right. And they've been making reportedly aggressive bids to Ty Simpson and everyone out there. They're maybe not in the same boat as Miami because they do have those two young guys they could turn back on if things didn't go the way they wanted with someone from the portal. So, Tennessee's had sort of an interesting approach out of the portal because they don't seem to have set their sights on any real plan B or plan C types, at least not yet.

[42:13] Now, that may be happening as we speak. So, what they might do now is do they shift their sights to some FCS or Division II players, things like that, where they can at least bring in someone with some experience capable of speaking with those young guys. Yeah, exactly. And maybe you find something like Trinidad Chandlis, although you're probably not going to, but maybe a strike gold somewhere. And then, yeah, the other possibility is still Joey Aguilar. And, you know, they had a conference call earlier this week.

It sounds like they're not going to have another meeting there for at least another couple weeks. And so, there could be some clarity there, you know, at some point in the not-too-distant future. But it's not going to be in time for them to do much in the transfer portal. So, there's maybe a third option where they could try to thread the needle and kind of wait on Aguilar. They could wait. And if they don't get Aguilar, then just go to the portal for maybe kind of a warm body, a backup, someone that could be in the mix there.

Because the portal closes Friday, that doesn't mean you can't add players from it later. So, Tennessee could bring in someone later if Aguilar doesn't end up working out. So, we'll see. They've got some options. None of them look great to Tennessee fans right now. But I do think they feel like they have some options there. And Joey Aguilar is still one of them for now. I don't know how many times we talk with you during the course of the season about the issues in the secondary, and particularly with the two corners.

Jamond McCoy, Ricky Gibson hurt in out for the majority of the season. You mentioned Metcalf, the Michigan transfer. He's from Pinson Valley. And I would imagine he's delighted to be a little bit closer to home. And Dajon Lane, the Penn State safety, Kansas State defensive transfer, Quay Moss, and Kayon Lee, who Auburn coaches had some hopes for as far as helping them down the road. But I would guess with these four guys coming in, especially the defensive style feels a little better. Oh, absolutely. They've completely revamped the secondary.

And there's potentially still more to come, hosting some additional visitors in the secondary. Starting today, they've got Appalachian State safety transfer DJ Burks coming in today, along with Tevin Metcalf, the brother of TJ Metcalf, who's a cornerback from Michigan, who would probably be more of a depth guy, at least at first, but is a guy that's capable of developing into more of a contributor down the road. And then Tennessee also trying to bring in, tomorrow, Ohio State cornerback transfer Aaron Scott Jr. He's a former five-star and a guy that was in line to compete for maybe a starting job at Ohio State this year.

Now he's in the portal, Wisconsin, some other teams involved there, but Tennessee getting a chance to host him. They've got a connection there with Michael Hunter Jr., Tennessee's new cornerbacks coach, having coached Aaron Scott the last couple years as a defensive grad assistant at Ohio State and worked with the cornerbacks there. So we'll see who else they can get. So, yeah, they've done a nice job already addressing those needs, kind of reshaping the secondary. The other part is you bring in some guys, you lose some more.

They've already lost Caleb Beasley of safety to the transfer portal this week, kind of as a result, I think, of who they brought in at the safety position. So they might need another body there for depth to offset what they've lost. But, yeah, so far they have to be pretty happy with what they've brought in, and it looks like a much different secondary projected for next season compared to what it looked like just a few weeks ago. Absolutely. Let me ask you about a player that is visiting Alabama and Tennessee this week.

I believe he's already been to Knoxville, Ethan Fields, the Ole Miss transfer. I believe he's going to be in Tuscaloosa tomorrow. Alabama certainly needs offensive linemen. Every team does. Your thoughts on Fields. Was he at Tennessee yesterday or today? But what was his status as far as a visit? Well, so there was a dead period for recruiting the past three days because of the ASCA convention. So with coaches not available, visits are not allowed during those three days. So the visits just restarted this morning, and so Tennessee got Fields in town this morning for a visit that's going to run through late this afternoon, and then he'll head to Alabama from there.

It sounds like he'll quickly enter decision mode once he gets to Alabama and maybe even announce a decision tomorrow. So that's one that will move pretty quickly. He also went to, I believe, Arkansas last weekend before going to Tennessee. So he's going to be down to a few SEC schools, but we'll see where that one goes with Tennessee. He's sort of what we've seen from some Tennessee linemen who've gone elsewhere, including William Satterwhite, who transferred to LSU. Sometimes a backup from an SEC team is a pretty interesting player to a lot of these teams.

So Fields, the guy that played a good number of games, I think every game this year for Ole Miss, off the bench, I believe. But he's an intriguing player. They feel there's some potential there, and he's got three SEC suitors kind of knocking down the door to try to get him. So we'll see if Tennessee can land him. But the Vols definitely need another option or two on the interior line. It looks like he's one of the guys they've kind of set their sights on. Ryan Callahan, he's busy there at Go Vols 24-7.

[47:22] Ryan, before you jump off, obviously now we're starting to get a personality of SEC basketball teams. What are fans saying about the Tennessee basketball team to date? Yeah, I think they're off to a pretty good start in SEC play. I think the concerns with them are still there. Sort of the things we've talked about in the past, that it's a team that's probably – they're probably not going to just knock down 10 or 15 threes a night. So they're not just a dominant offensive team in that regard. And so that's a concern.

Just the offense, where you're going to get it from one night to the next is a little bit of a concern, as we've seen with some Rick Barnes teams in the past at Tennessee, when they don't have a Chaz Lanier or a Dalton Connect out of the transfer portal. That's been an issue. This team's sort of more like that. And then also, you know, they've got to get more consistent play out of Nate Amen and Jacoby Gillespie. Those are the two guys carrying them. Gillespie at point guard, the Maryland transfer, and then Nate Amen, the five-star freshman.

Amen had a good game the other night and had a big performance in overtime to help Tennessee beat Texas A&M at 23 points in that game. So they need more of those types of performances from him. The other thing about Tennessee so far, they're playing pretty well at home, haven't played as well on the road so far. And that's, you know, obviously pretty common in the SEC, a lot of tough places to play in this conference. But, you know, lost to Arkansas on the road, had a terrible performance at Florida a week ago and lost by 24.

So they've got to get their game to travel a little bit better. They'll get another good test at home Saturday against Kentucky before heading to Alabama next Saturday. So some tougher tests to wait. Certainly just across the board, but especially on the road to see if they can start to play better away from home. But certainly they've got to travel better if they're going to have the type of season they want. Because you'll end up close to .500 this league if you can't play better away from your own court.

Ryan, not to make excuses, and I know that 24-point loss to Florida resonates with Tennessee fans. I think they got beat badly last year, but Florida is playing like the best team in the conference right now. They had some preseason losses. A couple of that were head scratchers, but they are, Florida is playing very, very well right now. And the other thing, doesn't Tennessee have literally 11 new players on the basketball roster? I forget the exact number, but it's a very high number. Yeah, they've really got a – it's an almost totally remade team.

You've got Bishop Boswell back as a role player who's kind of stepped into the starting lineup. You've got Felix Akpara back in the post, and then you've got J.P. Estrella back off the bench. But otherwise, it's an entirely new team. So it's definitely a revamped team that, you know, we kind of said going into the season they were going to be figuring it out for probably half the year to kind of just get all the pieces to fit together and see how it all works.

And so they're still kind of in that process. But, again, you're part of the issue. Jacoby Gillespie's been a little inconsistent for a veteran point guard. He's had some really good performances. When he's good, they're tough to beat. And then Nate Amen is a five-star freshman. He's one of those guys that may even be kind of like a shade field just Alexander where his best basketball happens in the future in the NBA as opposed to at Tennessee. But for now, he's still kind of figuring it out.

And also, this team struggled to hit some free throws and some close games. Those are all things that I think could end up holding this team back in some ways. Brian, you've got a busy weekend ahead. Sounds like you've been to Walmart and bought some pen, paper, maybe some extra memory for the computer there. For the folks who want to keep up with the very latest when it comes to Big Orange, where can you take us? Yeah, GoVols247.com. A great time to sign up for the site with all this transfer portal coverage, 50% off an annual subscription if you sign up right now.

And, yeah, tons of basketball coverage as well. But, obviously, all eyes on the portal and plenty more to be decided for Tennessee as they try to set their roster going into this season. Buckle up, Brian. Listen, man, thanks for your time today, buddy. Absolutely. Thanks, guys. Thank you, bud. Brian Callahan, GoVols247. CB&S Bank Arena, the place to be tonight starting at 6 o'clock. It's a battle of the Norths. North Alabama and North Florida, BB. Are you ready to say hello to the Ospreys? Well, and I know when people look at North Florida's record at 2-15, but it's like we talked to Tony Pujol yesterday.

Yeah. They have lost to Florida, Tennessee, Gonzaga, and about six other teams of that ilk. That's a very misleading record. Yeah. What's the old saying? All things are relative. Coming up, speaking of all, we've got it all covered for you. Second hour of the latest in Tide Town. Is it time to get concerned? Ryan Fowler on that. Zach Tiner to see what's shaking in the show. And the coach, Pete Cordelli, setting the stage with that and more. Straight ahead, stay with us in the second hour of the Boom O' Buck Show.

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[52:51] Cheers! 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. Henniger, Johnson & Layton Insurance, 120 East 5th Street, Tuscumbia, or call 256-383-3400.

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For this free information, call the relief hotline at 800-499-6744. 800-499-6744. 800-499-6744. 800-499-6744. State Representative Joe Lovern is sponsoring a post-election audit bill that almost passed the state legislature last year. Lovern says that he's taking up the bill to further ensure that Alabama voters feel comfortable and safe, that elections are accurate here in the state. Lovern says Alabama is doing well when it comes to election integrity, and this post-election audit bill will only further confirm it. The bill requires county probate judges to conduct a post-election audit after county and statewide general elections are held.

This is to ensure accuracy of the voting tabulators. Lovern's bill has been considered in the House Ways and Means General Fund meeting this past Wednesday, where it received a favorable report. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. One of the greatest blessings is just having people that care about you, to have someone that's just going to love you and make you feel important. They encourage you to be in church. They encourage you to be in prayer. They encourage you to be in your Bible.

Now it's a part of my day every day. My house parents planted seeds in me that you can see where those seeds have sprouted in my life and helped change my life. Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home for children needing a chance. Residents at an apartment complex in Madison are now receiving legal advice after going for a week without running water. The legal services of Alabama held a meeting on Wednesday night with those residents in order to help them in seeking to get a response from the property owners identified as Luron Real Estate. A non-profit organization was notified of the situation by WAFF News, and they have brought in pallets of water.

[58:04] Funeral arrangements have been announced for Claudette Colvin. Visitation for the Civil Rights Legend will be on January 23rd at the Bushelon Funeral Home in Birmingham. The funeral services will be held the following Saturday at the Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. I'm Andrea Tice. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter. Valley Broadcasting Corporation, WITK-FM, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, The Shores, Sports Radio 93.9 The Score. It's the most wonderful time of the year. For college football fans, that is.

It's bowl season, and you can hear all the action of bowl season right here on 93.9 The Score. Through the National Championship Game on January 19th. This Monday, it's the CFP National Championship Game, Miami and Indiana. Coverage on 93.9 The Score begins following UNA Basketball Night. Bowl season on 93.9 The Score is brought to you locally by Carter Oil. Miami and Indiana in the National Championship Game. This Monday following UNA Basketball Night on 93.9 The Score. Join us for UNA Basketball Night from 7 to 8.30 p.m. on Monday nights from Lost Pizza Shoals.

Go inside the UNA Basketball programs with head coaches Tony Pujol and Candy Whitaker. Plus hear from UNA players and get four recaps from Atlantic Sunplay each Monday night at Lost Pizza Shoals for UNA Basketball Night from 7 to 8.30 p.m. right here on 93.9 The Score. The Roar Lions. 93.9 The Score weather. Today sunny with possible gusty winds and a high around 40. Windchill values between 15 and 25. Night mostly clear with a low near 25. Tomorrow mostly sunny with possible gusty winds and a high around 50. Tomorrow night mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of showers overnight and a low near 30.

Ampere Saturday mostly sunny with a high around 40. 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. Your 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 in our tour of the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley.

BB, we may not always agree on the best cheeseburger, but can we agree that it's always a pleasure to welcome in the coach? Absolutely, no question. Coach Pete Cordelli, former head coach at Kent State, assistant coach at Arkansas, Minnesota, and Notre Dame. Now busy behind the microphone as color commentator for Arkansas State. And his book is called Making the Great. Coach Pete Cordelli, welcome in. How are you? Man, how you doing? I'll tell you what, I'm not going to disagree with either one of you because any cheeseburger to me is a good one.

You got that right. Coach, help us out. Brent asked me. He's trying to get – he's looking at me as an agent. I'm trying to put a value on his portal value. Can you help me out, Coach? How do you come up with these formulas? What number do I put on Brett Beaird as we go shop his services? Well, I got to believe that when you take the quarterback as the highest and then the left tackle and the edge rusher and you put them all together, you get a $6.5 million offer from Miami to not enter the draft.

And so, you know, I just think that, you know, Brett's more going to be towards the $7 million. There you go. Thank you, Pete. He's going to set the bar. And you better get him at that price because we're getting to a bidding war here. But, Coach, we want to talk about that. But the big game finally comes to a head. Is it Kurt Signetti's year and we're just living in it? Put on your coach's hat. What has he done this season that every coach out there, 99.9%, said, I wish I'd done that?

Well, I got to believe that his second time through the Big Ten, you know, last year he was the first time coach in the Big Ten at Indiana and going through the league the first time. As you guys well know, it's an eye-opening experience to see what other programs are doing it with. And they had some close calls, which teams that play a 12-game regular season do. You're not going to be at 100% for all 12 games. But I think he learned. And then the first-round playoff game at Notre Dame last year, the first CFP game on a Friday night, to see what Notre Dame's doing it with.

[1:03:12] Mark Cuban, Indiana alum, Dallas Maverick owner, was at that game in South Bend. Yeah. And when they walked off the field and after Coach Cignetti talked to his team, Cuban told the AD at Indiana he wanted to talk to Cig. And he just said to Cig, he was so impressed with what he has done. Give me a number. What do I need to do to donate to the program? So he wrote the check, like, the next Monday when he got back. And Cig went, look, my first time through, we're in the playoff.

He brought 16 guys with him from James Madison now. So it wasn't, he had a core group that understood, but he knew he had to get better. Cuban wrote the check. Indiana moved on and had a, obviously that's how they got Mendoza in the transfer portal. And some other, Hemby and Black, the two running backs, they spent their money very wisely. But Cignetti is very much like Nick Saban in that he has never offered a scholarship to a player. He personally hasn't worked out or seen himself.

Thank you. And because, look, guys, it's like driving a car. Are you going to buy a car sight unseen or do you want to test drive it? Not again. Exactly. Exactly. I mean, and I'm not talking about a new car. I'm talking about these used vehicles and where are the dings, where are the bumps, what, you know, what has to be done, how many miles we have on this odometer, how much tread we got on the tires. I mean, so now you go back and you evaluate your roster that you took over, what you have to supplement by bringing those guys from James Madison with you who know your system.

But he needed a quarterback. So he got Mendoza. Now he's got – they've dipped into the portal and they have Josh Hoover committed for next year, the kid from TCU, who Tennessee, when Nico left the program a year ago in the spring, the first call Tennessee made was to Josh Hoover at TCU. Yeah. He was thinking about going, but then Sonny Dykes and TCU came up with enough money to keep him. Well, now Hoover's going to Indiana. Wow. So it's the evaluation process that Cignetti has used to determine it.

But his continuity and his coaching staff, he's had the same coordinators, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, special teams guys since Elon. So they've been together a while. And fellas like you two, peanut butter and jelly, cheese and cheeseburger, I mean, y'all know what each other's like. Yeah. Y'all take cues from each other. That can be good. That can be good. It's really good. But, you know, that continuity and knowing what the plan is and how to develop, you're not spending a whole lot of time discussing things and getting on the same page.

You're on the same page. You're like, how do we get better today? And those players. It's bucks and brains is not coaches. You've got to have the bucks, but you've got to have the brains to know how to spend it. To me, it's a combination of the two B's. It sure is. And so now, his second time through the league, he knows what he's got to get done, gets it done, beats Ohio State in the Big Ten championship, and then it's going scorched earth from there.

I mean, he's put those kids in a position Indiana football's never been in. Well, after they beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl, after they demolished Alabama in the Rose Bowl, Mark Cuban called them and said, how much you need this time? Yeah. And Cignetti said, you know, Mark, I know what you did last year was great. Cuban made a significantly larger donation this year. Wow. So, look, Texas Tech having the Bailey guy, the billionaire. Yeah. Every program, and we've known this before at NIL. Alabama had their guys.

Auburn had their guys. Oklahoma had their guys. You know, it was the network. Well, now we just have a network that the public knows about. That's right. Because, look, everybody's competitive. And when your team wins, you've got 364 days to, man, pound your chest. Be proud. Say, hey, here we are. So, Cuban's the financial engine right now. But the coaching staff, the plan is in place. And, look, the same can be said for Miami. Mario, an alum, he understands South Florida recruiting. Guys, I recruited South Florida for nine years.

[1:08:15] Between Dayton and Broward County, there's 103 high schools that play football. Gee. Mm-hmm. When I was coaching at Memphis State back in 1980, Dana Kirk was our basketball coach. Remember him? And he said, I can fill my car up with gas. And by the time I get from F to E going around this city, I have all the players I need. Yeah. South Florida's the same way in football. Mm-hmm. And Mario's gotten back to that. Nick Saban made a lot of money off those South Florida boys, especially wide receivers.

Boy, did he ever. But now when you've got Bain and Messador and, you know, to go along with some of those guys, the homegrown talent, the Fletcher kid at running back. But you go and get a transfer portal quarterback in Carson Beck. Yeah. So the number one priority is to get you a guy who's on a six-month deal. Because Carson Beck didn't go through the spring. He had that elbow surgery. Yeah. Right. And spring practice is watered down, fellas. Yeah. Spring practice isn't what it used to be.

All of these other bowl games that we've seen outside of the playoffs, these are spring football games because of the rosters. People have opted out. You have new coaches. This is what spring football should look like. And that's why these bowl games need to stick around so you can develop these guys. Because there are going to be a couple teams that come out of these bowl games that next year are going to be in the playoffs. Yeah. Because of the development. But Indiana and Miami, they've handled the portal the best at the quarterback spot.

Right. And the other thing, guys, they're the two most physical college football teams left. Correct. There you go. They are practicing lights out. You know, that was the thing that separated us in 1988 at Notre Dame. We went one against one. We went our number one offense against number one defense Tuesday and Wednesday for a good 30 minutes each day. And when you're going against that kind of talent, you know, you're getting better, better effort and better competition in practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, compared to eight of your opponents that you're playing.

And that's why you always try to recruit better than what you have, because you want to increase competition. That's what Indiana's done. That's what Miami's done. Pete, the two quarterbacks you mentioned and alluded to for Miami against Ole Miss, Beck was 11 of 15 on third down, completed seven of nine throws and ran for 25 yards. That's impressive on any level, much less a semifinal game. And then Mendoza is 17 of 20 for 177. Now, that game got sideways for Oregon real quick, but Mendoza is so efficient. And, Pete, both these teams don't beat themselves.

One fumble the entire season for Indiana, three for Miami. They've got 47 sacks from Miami, 45 for Indiana. It's two teams well-deserved to be in the championship game. No doubt, Brett, and here's the thing, going into that game, Indiana was a plus-21 in turnover margin. And with those three, they're now a plus-24. So, here's the one thing to look for on Monday night. Miami's one of the most penalized teams in the country right now. You're right. They have 105 penalties against them going into the game. Indiana has, like, I think it's 36.

Wow. Three times. Exactly. Four times. So, and those penalties have crept up at the most inopportune times against Miami. Now, the one thing I will say for Miami, when you control the ball for 41 minutes against Ole Miss, and you convert 79% on third down, what that did was it kept Trinidad Chambliss and that explosive Ole Miss offense on the bench. Because every time you convert a third down, that's another set of downs, another possession for you. Right. And that game was really close. I mean, it comes down to the last play, a throw to the end zone, which, you know, questionable call whether it was pass interference, which, if it would have been called, Ole Miss has the ball at the 20, taking another shot at the end zone with no time on the clock.

Miami's ability to convert third downs. Now, here's the one thing they heard Ole Miss. They had 17 missed tackles, guys. 17. They had tackled the first half. So, you don't win championships when you miss tackles, and you can't get off the field on third down. So, Miami earned that right. But, look, Indiana, first play of the game, pick six. That corner was reading Dante Moore's eyes all the way. He saw it, broke on it, boom, to the house. And then, I'll give Oregon credit. They come back, move down, tie at 7-7, and sign that he was hot.

[1:13:45] And then it was on. I mean, it's 35-7 at the half. And then the first series of the third quarter, Indiana goes down and scores again. And it's like, hey, guys, this team's on another level. And there's some comparisons right now between this Indiana team and the 2019 LSU team. Yeah. And, you know, I think rightfully so. Let me ask you this, Pete. Having said all that, once the curtain closes on the championship game, who walks away? I got a pretty good idea, but who walks away a winner?

Oh, I believe Indiana. You know, this is the first time that a college football team will play for the national championship in their home stadium. Yeah. And that's Miami. But Miami hasn't played there since November 15th. Right. It doesn't matter. Guys, we went down to Miami two of the five years I was in Notre Dame, man, and that was in the old Orange Bowl. Ooh, brother. When those fans get behind them, man, I thought the press box was going to cave in a couple of times.

They get going. But now they're playing hard rock. Oh, yeah. Where the Dolphins play. I just, it's going to be an interesting first half. And if Miami can keep it close going into the fourth quarter, they're going to have a chance. But I don't, I don't believe Indiana's going to be denied. Indiana's going to win this thing. I believe the key for Miami, I think there's two keys. Carson Beck cannot afford to revert back to the Carson we've seen in tough times where he starts to drop his eyes, look at the rush, speed up his delivery.

And the other thing is the penalties, like I talked about. It'll be interesting to see how Indiana, they're so well coached in the offensive line. They identify double teams. They get movement at the point of attack, and then they're able to get to the second level. I'm going to be interested to see how that running game attacks Mesidor and Reuben Bain. You know, if they're going to run at them to slow them down, or are they going to go play action, you know, and run the boot with Mendoza.

But Mendoza, I mean, my gosh, the kid, his numbers in the last two games are just off the charts. And he's a just, look, his Heisman Trophy winning season is justified. Yeah. But I believe Indiana is going to win this on Monday night. But the two most physical teams in college football are playing for this national championship, which makes it really exciting for me. Absolutely. Listen, great stuff as always, and I highly recommend our listeners get online and buy your book, Making the Grade. Step-by-step guidance on creating a plan of development, personalized one, how coaches evaluate players, position-specific skills, and attributes.

And I know you can buy it on Amazon. Pete, thank you so much for your time. Enjoy Monday night. Let's do this again real soon. Hey, guys, always a pleasure being with you. Thank you so much. And I promise you, warmer weather, I'm going to get a pontoon boat on Pickwick. And we're going to do your show because it's the pontoon Pickwick show. Be careful what you wish for there, Pete, to change your life. Listen, man, in the meantime, thanks so much. Stay as safe and as warm as you can, okay?

Hey, do the same, guys. Always a pleasure. Thank you, bud. Stay right back at Coach Pete Cordelli. Speaking of Pickwick Lake, what's going on in the backyard called the show? Zach Pounder's got that and more. Let's run ahead and stay with us. There are many advantages of doing business with an independent insurance agent. Page Borden Insurance in Tuscumbia and M.J. Carter & Company Insurance in Florence can show you. An independent insurance agent is not tied to just one company in order to get you the coverage you need at a competitive price.

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I don't care. It never gets old. Let's talk about county turning time. In this case, starting with the boys, Lauderdale County Tournament Action. Folks are busy out there. Zach, what have we missed if we've been too busy to keep an eye on this one? So far, the best game of the tournament was Tuesday night, Wilson, Lexington, and Bullies. It was tied after the first or second quarter, and I think the third quarter, maybe, it was tied after all two or three. But Lexington came out of the top 56-50, beating Wilson.

They played a triple overtime game at Lexington in the middle of December. Lexington won that at the buzzer. And Lexington's coach turned 22 and told me, if they played 10 times, they probably split 5-5. It doesn't matter. Wow. The boys' tournament, yeah, as you mentioned, the semifinals tonight, Lauderdale County versus Lexington. Lauderdale County boys now at 16-3, Lexington 10-9. That's approximately a 7 o'clock tip-off. And then the night camp, Brooks 11-7 versus Central. They're at 10-10, approximately 8-30. Who's going to advance to the championship game? Not really sure on both games.

[1:24:04] I want to say this about Lexington. They have a very trendy season. They'll win, win, lose, win. So, they're 9-9 or 10-9 where they are now. So, if they go to their trend, it should be Lauderdale County boys winning. So, if they invoke their trend, it should be Lauderdale County. Zach Banners shows sports report. Zach, let's talk a little bit about the girls' action. 4A, number 10, Wilson girls. They got a chance to win their first Lauderdale County tournament since 1989. Your thoughts about the Wilson girls? Yeah, Wilson girls is one of those.

They're playing their best ball at the right time, nearly. They're a really deep team. They can go 8-9 deep playing. And Coach Hoseley rotates the starting five at one or three positions each night. So, he has a starting five that's consistent every night. Plus, off his bench, he has EK Hewitt and Olivia Forge, who can come off the bench and get 10 points apiece. And I think Monday night, or Tuesday night, whatever it was, EK had 11 of her 12 in the fourth, and Olivia had 15 points in the semifinal against the central.

So, off the bench, to have that with your starters also, is really huge for Wilson. I think Wilson's number 10 in class 4A. Lauderdale County girls. They have never lost in the quarterfinal round of the county tournament, which tells you, again, the tradition of Lauderdale County. They're number 7 in class 3A. Madison Mobley, 25 points the other night. Emory Owen, 15. Armani Thomas, 14. Lauderdale County girls playing well, too. Yeah, they're playing Rodgers tonight. They've beat Rodgers by 12 in an area game back in December. And they play again on the 23rd next week in an area game.

But tonight, they won't have any area impact, the same as Brooklyn Central, due to the tie breaks and all that. So, it's basically an exhibition game. But it's still a good time for both of them to play each other before the area tournament kicks in and all that. It gives Rodgers one more test before the area and all can kick it in. It gives LSC one more local test against a team that knows him really well and girls that know each other very well as far as on the court, off the court, and from other sports.

Zach Pounder, show sports report. We mentioned the Wilson girls, the first time since 89 for a chance to win a county tournament title. What about the Florence High girls? They're riding a six-game winning streak fresh and knocking off James Clemens, 54-44. That's their longest winning streak in almost 10 years, almost a decade. Yeah, Florence girls are now set up in a really good position for every tournament if they can keep winning and keep their winning ways going. They'll play Bob Jones tomorrow night, but after that, if they can find a way to beat Austin next week on the 23rd, they should have a chance to be in a 2-3 game that returns with Bob Jones in the first round of area where you have to play Bob Jones.

I'll tell you one thing, the Florence Hills boys wanted a challenge in the regular season. They got it Tuesday night. A rare trip for the Huntsville Crimson Panthers to come to Morris Hill, and the result is what most people thought that it would be a 78-40. But, again, Huntsville with Evan Toms and all that group, they're at number two now. The poll came out this morning. They went from three to two in Class 7A. We'll see once again. A lot of people think Huntsville may win it all in Class 7A.

Morris Hill boys have got a very good team, but when you're playing the number two team in 7A, that's a challenge. Yeah, Morris Hill is a solid team. They're younger this year and smaller. They're only 7-10 on the season, but that 7-10 is deceiving. They have played a great potential out of the area. All but two of their wins are against teams in the area. Their 5-0 area play, they've also beaten Orange Beach and somebody else. But Morris Hill is one of those teams. They might get to the regionals and have like under 500 records, but don't be fooled by it because they're better than their record indicates.

And there are some teams around here that have over 500 records, but have an inflated schedule with playing down in competition. And Morris Hill is the opposite. They'll have a deflated record, but inflated schedule. Yeah, I say that all the time. Don't look at the record. Look at who you played. The Desire boys beat Hatton 56-30 behind Garrett Reed. He scored 19 points. Tayshaun Love led the Hornets. Florence is playing better. They've won three out of four, beating number 10, James Clemens, 52-49. And Muscle Shoals, they're playing well, too.

[1:29:15] They beat Decatur 67-38. So, those three teams having a good week. Yeah. I'm also showing that since I already tell on the area schedule from them, only two games of them. But Florence, again, their area is about last year I played wide open. Bob Jones and J.C. played double overtime a few weeks ago. Austin and Volts are very close this year also. And they have four games over the next week in that area. They're tied to the seeds. And right now, it's three and one at the top.

And then one and three is the bottom two seeds. And then Desher boys are playing themselves out of the fourth seed very slowly. Patton has to play Wilson and Central again next week. Wilson plays Brooklyn Swap in seven days or five days. And if Desher has one area game later, they still need help. But they need that two-three game. I hope for some other help from Wilson and Brooke. It makes a lineup for Desher and Brooke. They don't have to play to the area final this year.

If they get that far, both of them. But Central is almost nearly locked in the five-state two wins. And you have Wilson, Brooke, Hatton, and Desher boys all the way through. The Pease one of them. That's the reason we tell you to get on Facebook and look at the show's sports report. Because you've got nearly every night the scores, the standings, who can lock up an area. And, again, we'll be in Wallace next time we turn around. Franklin County Tournament going on to Tharptown. The girls, Red Bay versus Phil Campbell.

Tharptown versus Belgrane. And the boys tonight, Class 2-8, number 6, Red Bay. We've talked about them, 5-15-5 versus Tharptown. And Phil Campbell versus Belgrane. Zach, where can we get online? But as I mentioned, you've got so much stuff on there. You've also got some opinions about reclassification. I know we've got the private versus public schools. You've had some great stuff on that. Where can we get online to get all the good stuff, bud? On Facebook, Shoals Sports Report. Three words, Shoals Sports Report. On Twitter, at lowercase, S-H-O-A-L-S-P-O-R-T-S.

And our website is ShoalsSportsReport.com. And we have our part four coming out of that competitive ballot series this weekend, leading to next Friday, where we should get the new classes and a decision on public-private debates for next year. Since then, two years, what may happen, what may not happen, who knows? I know we've all heard A, B, and C from everybody. Who knows? Who knows? As they say, stay tuned. In the meantime, Zach, we do know this. When you can put popcorn and county tournament action together, life is good.

Zach, listen, man, thanks for your time, Dave, and stay safe out there, okay? Thank you, y'all, too. Thank you, bud. Zach Pounders, Shoals, Sports Report. If you're an Alabama fan, how do you feel about the portal so far? And how do the folks in Tuscaloosa feel about it? We'll take you there with Ryan Fowler on deck. Stay with us. Mugshot's Grill and Bar has a winning lineup with their limited-time offers. Choose from the smoky bourbon maple stack with two kid burgers or the pretzel basket with four pretzel sticks sprinkled with kosher salt.

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Visit Pella.com slash Eisen today. That's Pella.com slash Eisen. Hey, fans. Welcome back to Fansville's Cheers and Tears. Okay, so like everybody deals with losing, right? To a rival on a last-second field goal. Whatever, it's fine. I'm totally fine. But I cope with losing with an ice-cold Dr. Pepper. Mmm, those 23 flavors are like so delicious. They totally wash away the pain of your college football team taking a big fat L. College football. It's a pepper thing. Hey, fans. Welcome back to Fansville's Cheers and Tears.

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On Saturday afternoon, the Denver Broncos will play at home against the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos were the number one seed in the AFC. They had the week off last week. Seahawks also got a bye as the number one seed in the NFC. The Seattle Seahawks will play at home on Saturday night as they meet the San Francisco 49ers. Sunday afternoon, the New England Patriots are at home. They'll meet the Houston Texans. And Sunday night, the Bears in Chicago will host the Los Angeles Rams. John Harbaugh close to an agreement with the New York Giants to be the next head coach of the Giants.

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. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back again. What do you say? We head on down to Tide Country in the middle. And a man who's in the middle of it all, Ryan Fowler. He's host of the game on Tide 109 FM weekdays in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Ryan, welcome in. Are you thumbs up, thumbs down? Or are fans throwing up some other digits these days with this portal class?

How are you? No, no, no. I'm actually surviving honeydew lists, man. I'm so glad you guys called. The movers were here moving a couch. You're welcome. And, yeah, I didn't want to help. So, Harold and Brett, this is perfect timing, guys. We're heroes! We understand, Ron. I've never been more glad I've played Alabama football in my entire life. Yeah, yeah, so, yeah, I hope, can we go double segment today? I mean, I know I started, too, but. It's your world. We're just in it, man. You drive the bus, my friend.

You drive the bus. Now, you're right. You saw so far, obviously, one day away, we've seen the shuffling going on. They've lost, I think, 21, which is about what most schools are losing these days. The question is, it's not always what you're losing, it's what you're getting. If you were a professor at the University of Alabama, grading this portal class so far, professor, what grade would you give it? Okay, I'm going to say a word, and you know what? This is a great show topic. My heavens, Harold, I'm going to steal your show topic.

Wow. I'm going to say C-. C-. Okay, but you've got to turn some assignments in. Okay. So, you know what I mean? So pending, so pending, right? I don't know if you ever did this, but in grad school, this is going to sound really, really weird, but, like, if you're still working on some research, sometimes things just don't work out where you're getting, like, an IRB, Institutional Review Board approval. Sometimes you get what they call incomplete. Now, people hear incompletes, and they automatically think that you've failed.

[1:39:42] Okay, that doesn't mean that you've failed. It's just that you've still got to complete the assignment, okay? You're still playing the game. Yeah, because many times you would be doing research. Now, I worked in human anatomy, physiology, and sometimes there were things that didn't fit in with the actual calendar, so you're still completing it, and then you would complete it, and the grade would be there. Or, you know, and this is not typical. This is not undergrad, but a lot of times, grad school, you would get that.

So, at Alabama right now, I would say it's an incomplete. Wow. Because, and don't, it's not a failure. That's a different word, okay? Auburn fans, I know I'm having to teach you something, but the F is the failure. D is really, really low. But the incomplete at this point, because I think there's still work to be done. I still think there's assignments that they're going to have. Listen, and I learned this the other day. I was live during the air, and I'm going through the different analysis of the portal class, and I'm going, okay.

And then, all of a sudden, they get a guy, or they get a couple guys to stay. They have really done not as bad as retention as it looks. To me, really, where they've really won is retention. Because, and most people don't understand this, okay? And I'll be honest with you. I'm not sure I do. But like a guy like Lossier Brooks. And let's just analyze Lossier Brooks. Guys, you don't think he was getting phone calls to go in the portal? Sure. With a blank sheet of paper to write in his number.

Yonzi Pierre. That is a major, major win. Yes. Because I'm going to tell you, the team over at Oxford, Mississippi, wanted him and wanted him bad. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And so it's an incomplete, but it's an incomplete based on understanding that there's more coming. Now, listen, if I'm talking with you next Monday, and this is the calendar that has closed on the academic side, and the enrollment is now officially done, will I be concerned? I will be. But I still think there's work to be done, and I think that's for everybody.

But I would say right now, if you asked me, I would say a C minus, but I also would put an I out there because there's still assignments. Based on the assignments that you've turned in, Mr. Harold, you have deserved a C minus. Which is an upgrade from most of my grades back in the day. Thank you, Professor. Hey, listen, listen. C's. No, was it C's made degrees or was it C's made degrees? You know what they call a doctor? You got through men's school and made a 70, don't you?

Doctor. A doctor, yes, yes, yes, yeah. And I didn't have to worry about competing with those guys. I'll let those guys stand on their own merit. But, yeah. Ron, I agree with you. I think this class right now, if you put a grade on it, and they still got quite a ways to go, would be a C. Now, if they can finish on the offensive line, they brought in Kane Strayhorn and Ty Hayward from Michigan. Now, they're in Rayson Dilgati from Cal Poly, and people are saying, well, what in the world?

You're getting somebody from Cal Poly. Josh Cuevas came from Cal Poly. I tell you the kind of player they've got there. Ethan Fields is visiting tomorrow. He's an Ole Miss transfer. Now, they're not going to get Jordan Seton, what many people consider to be the best offensive line. His price begins, Ryan, at $4 million, and that's just a starting point. Now, they've got a kid. They brought in Noah Rogers, a North Carolina transfer. They need receivers. They've got a Yale kid who I'd heard about him, and people are going to snicker about that.

This guy's got 71 catches for 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns and only 10 games on a run heavy offense, and they've got another kid coming in today or tomorrow, a defensive lineman. He's from Oregon. He is one of the most coveted players. His name is Terrence Green, and he's scheduled to visit Alabama tomorrow, and they've got some other guys in the pipeline. If they can get those guys to come in, I think that grade may go from a C to a B. It could be. It could be. And this is the issue.

Didn't Ole Miss lose one of their star defensive line guys? I mean, just the linebackers here in the last 24 hours? Did I not see that I've been dialed in with Alabama, but it's – Yeah, yeah, they did. Everybody's losing, and, you know, it almost stopped, and I paused just for a minute, and I told Greg, thank you. You asked me, can I grade him, Professor Harold? Yes, you have permission. Go ahead. An S. Oh. Yeah. So you're going to flatter him, right? You're going to give him an S.

Yeah, I would look at him and tell him that he needs to retake the class because – and quit reading those books, and let's get the application. Yeah, yeah. He talks about leadership all the time. He tweets about leadership books because, guys, we must blame – we can't just put this on Charlie Baker because I know that's the easy way, and you put it at the NCAA president, but the problem is this right here. The bureaucrats that have ran college football have almost ran it in the ground.

[1:45:11] I mean, because you just said $4 million for a starting bid, and I was – in my mind, I'm going, it's crazy to think that we're in this level of college football. Ty Simpson, the story with Chris Lowe. Oh, yeah. Guys, that's tempering. That is tempering. Mm-hmm. How does it happen where nobody gives a darn? They fear the lawyer, right? They fear the legal eagles. That's what this is all about, man. 100% is what they do. Yes. And that's embarrassing that we're at this level right now in college football where we've allowed – and I saw the day where Birmingham had the largest TV audience.

It did. And we focus on football so, so much. Every day your show, every day my show. And it's sad to see what has happened to the college football landscape. I don't know where it's going. No. And I'm really – and I'm not just pulling your leg here for radio talk. I'm really concerned. I'm really concerned. Well, here's a number to kind of put this thing in perspective. We talked earlier in Texas right now. They're not done yet. But they're projected to exceed $40 million of payroll. Now, to put that in perspective, Major League Baseball's lowest-paid team was Miami at $67 million.

So, Texas, as a college team, is approaching a Major League Baseball payroll. And you see what's going down the road. On paper, they should win everything. The question is not Texas. The question is, what about the Alabamas and others who don't have an oil well in their backyard? Well, but also now, let's be fair to Texas. Now, I don't know how much has been removed, but Kirk Foles, and I believe Kirk, there's some Texas people that want to dispute this because they don't want to put more pressure on Sark.

But he reported from the Houston Chronicle last year, they spent $35 to $40 million on the budget last year. They didn't even make the college football playoffs. So, if people want to start throwing out stones, we probably need to gather a few for Sark. And now the pressure is going to be mounted up, and you're going to see these coaches downplay it because it's not public information. It's just a guessing game by you and I looking at, well, are we paying this? Are we paying this? You can start adding up with what players should have got, and if they did get it.

But there's a pressure right now that it's on Sark. I wish him luck because is it not a national title or bust? That's right. These guys, they got the only name bigger in their brains are egos. So, they're not giving Sark this money because they love him. They want that ego fed. They want a return on their investment. Mark it down. And they're not looking for a semifinal appearance. They're looking for a national title. I mean, they're not saying, hey, we're going to go spend $80 million total or $60 million or $55 million to try to get into the semifinals.

They're looking for a national title. That's what they're trying to buy. And I get the Texas ego, and I'll never forget one of my buddies that cover Oklahoma. He was kind of giving me the back story. He said, I'm telling you, within two to three years, they'll have the whole entire league fighting. They've almost done it. They've almost done it. And really, think about it. I'm not saying they're going to destroy the SEC because I think it's bigger. But, I mean, they really hurt two conferences in the history of Texas.

But, man, that ego is – they think they can buy anything. But, really, you have to hit them with facts. They've won one national title in over 50 years. Let that sink in. If money could have – they've been trying to buy players out there for years. That's the long, long way. And, you know, I heard an Alabama fan say this earlier this week. He said, watching Texas maneuvers makes me want to love on some of their rivals in the SEC, Alabama's rivals, like LSU, Auburn, Tennessee. Because comparison, really, those teams are kind of in the same boat.

So, Greg, thank you. I know Texas brings a lot of money, but we'd love for you to be a leader, if it's okay, if it's convenient, on a Thursday afternoon. We'd love to hear from you. We haven't heard from you between the LSU and Ole Miss. I mean, it just – he's been silent on all these topics. And he's lost a lot of leverage. I agree with you. Mike Slive would have worked out a lot of this stuff a year ago or more than that. Ryan, just to close with you, it is huge.

And, again, Kaelin DeBoer, and he deserves criticism. Some of that is certainly merited. But Bray Hubbard and Keon Salb and Yonse Pierre coming back. A.K. Deer announced an hour ago on social media that he's coming back. I thought that he would. But those three coming back on defense, Ryan's huge. They are. You know, and that's where you have to start. You're not going to, you know, spend the money that some of these programs are – and, you know, we'll have a discussion, I'm sure, in the offseason of the – you know, what – I keep saying recalibrate the expectations.

[1:50:25] Recalibrate the expectations. But, I mean, we're at a point right now that you kind of have to. But, I mean, A.K. Deer was a – I mean, that's a win. I mean, any time you can get a win because – Absolutely. Because when you get him back, trust me, they're hearing from – tampering is happening. And they're trying to get people to go in the portal. I'll be glad when this deadline – when does it end? Is it tomorrow or not? Well, on paper, tomorrow. Okay. So, is that today – I'm sorry, at midnight tonight?

Or is that midnight? No, it's midnight. You should – I believe it's midnight Friday. Okay. Okay. So, we got – and I promise you, this last 24 hours is going to be hectic. I'm not saying – That's true. Sure. The Chris Hummers and the Pete Nacos of the world, it's going to be busy. And who knows? I mean, somebody may get desperate enough that they start throwing money because they missed on a few of these guys. And you're going to have, you know, the people that need a certain spot.

They're going to come swinging. That's just what's going to happen. Yeah, no question about it. Well, listen, we apologize for making you go back to furniture and remodeling, Sandra. But I always enjoyed the conversation. I mean, can you get one more question in? Where can our listeners get online and listen this afternoon to an amazing four hours of riveting entertainment? Tide109.com. Tide109.com. Listen in. I'm going to do Harold's grade today. I'm telling you, I'm still on that topic. That's my topic. I'll give you credit, Harold.

I'll give you credit. I'll give you credit. I appreciate you guys so much. You guys have a rest of your day. Thank you so much. Just call my agent, Jimmy. We'll work it out. BB, we alluded to at the top of the show, college basketball players among 26, 26, charged by FBI in connection with point-shaving, fixing outcomes in college games. FBI claiming more than 29 games fixed, 23, 24. The world of sports, BB, as it's safe to say, is pretty corrupt in some circles. And, Harold, some of those games were lower caliber games in the NCAA basketball for, $100,000 to $500,000 per bet.

The principle is the bottom line here. Oh, my goodness gracious. Where are we going in this thing called life? That's going to take care of business for now. On behalf of BB, Greg, James Blair, the entire crew here, Peril Buck, thank you so much for your time today. Let's do it again tomorrow, noon to two for the Boomo Bugg Show, back here on Sports Radio, 93.9 The Store.