Boomo Bugg Show 071626

[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 Sports. And welcome into the Boomo Bugg Show. Brett Beaird in for Harold Bugg. Hopefully Harold's going to be joining us here shortly and a guest or two. A lot of things going on today. Logan Fowler talking Auburn. Ryan Fowler talking Alabama.

Ryan Callahan talking Tennessee a little bit later on the show. We got a lot of Fowlers and Ryans on the show today. Phil Steele, the most accurate college football prognosticator, will join us at 1220 and give us some of his views as far as who's going to win the SEC and the national championship. We'll be talking a lot about the SEC media days during the course of the show. But always delighted to begin Thursday with good friend Bill Bender. Sporting news, college football writer and basketball. We'll try to get Bill.

I think we'll try to get Bill back on here in just a minute. Somebody had texted me before we got started was, what is the schedule for SEC media days for next week? And we've got expanded coverage, in fact, beginning on Monday from 11 to 2. Monday we'll be talking about Kentucky, Will Stein, the new football coach there. Missouri, Eli Drinkwith, Oklahoma. Jim Nagy, who does a great job as their general manager. And, of course, the Tennessee Volunteers for on Monday, too. And then Tuesday, Auburn, we'll be talking to Logan Fowler about Auburn a little bit later in the show.

Georgia, the Georgia Bulldogs will be talking to Bill Shanks about Georgia, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt. Having a little bit of a technical issue with Bill. We'll try to get him back on here in just a minute. Wednesday, Alabama, Hale and DeBoer will be coming in. In fact, we talked to John Ferrari about this a little bit earlier in the week. Wednesday morning is going to be Alabama and Florida. And I think a lot of people are really looking forward to hearing what Jon Sumrall's got to say.

In his initial season at Florida, Hale and DeBoer's got quite a few issues. Can you run the ball? Can you keep from having a big emotional win one Saturday and then turn around and losing to a team that you're a double-digit favorite against the next Saturday? Ole Miss, Pete Golding, with his first chance, his debut at SEC Media Days. He, obviously, and DeBo Sweeney got into a little bit of an argument about Ole Miss recruiting a Clemson player. I'm sure he'll be asked about that. And then Texas A&M coming in.

I think one of the teams flying under the radar. Marcel Reed with a real opportunity to lead that team. And we'll see where they go. Thursday, Arkansas wrapping up on Thursday. Arkansas Razorbacks. The LSU, again, the lane train moving in. A lot of people wondering what he's going to be saying. Mississippi State, who I think is going to have a little bit better year than a lot of people think they are. And then the Texas Longhorns, hard to believe, Steve Sarkeesian, who a lot of people predict to win the SEC championship, will be last at SEC Media Days.

But Bill Bender is first in our hearts. Sporting News National College football and basketball writer. BB, welcome into the show today, buddy. How are you doing? Hey, thank you for your patience. And, yeah, I'm here. How are you? Believe me, Bill, I've been doing radio for 24 years. And there are technical issues from time to time. But before we get into the SEC Media Days, your impressions on the ACC. There, Jim Phillips talking to the commissioner, talking about what? Thinking out of the box, getting some additional revenue.

They came up with a tiebreaker. Your thoughts on the first two days of ACC meetings. Well, I think yesterday, Brett, you know, it really came down to the tiebreaker. I know they've got a new one. That'll be less confusing. I think Jim Phillips has done a nice job of, you know, elevating that. I agree. It's Miami coming off a national championship berth. They had a much better bowl season. They're investing more in football, maybe to the detriment. I don't want to say to the detriment of basketball, but, you know, basketball has been less.

[5:21] And, you know, today, obviously, James Franklin's in the spotlight. I was just talking to a dad at this camp on that, and he was a hokey, and he was really excited about James Franklin, as he should be. I think the recruiting, I don't want to call them a sleeping giant yet, but they've got the backing around that program and, you know, the pedigree to get back in the mix in the ACC pretty quickly. Yeah, I agree with you. Bill Bender, Sporting News National College football and basketball writer joining us.

I mentioned the lineup a little bit earlier, beginning Monday, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee to kick off SEC media days in Tampa. It's going to be fun. Six new coaches, five technically. Of course, Lane Kiffin moving from OMS to the LSU Tigers. What are some of the storylines you're looking forward to for media days next week? Well, I mean, Lane, right? Like, we've talked about Lane all summer. It's his first real wide appearance since the Vanity Fair article. There will be questions, and, you know, just in general from the gallery, which you and I are experienced in that forum, where it's going to be a lot, you know, what to expect at LSU.

I think they missed an opportunity by not bringing Sam Levitt to media day. That was one. And, you know, and then from there, just in general, there are really good quarterbacks in the SEC again, you know, from Trinidad Chambliss to Gunnar Stocks and, you know, even John Mateer at Oklahoma, Marcel Reed at Texas A&M. These aren't just quarterbacks that played last year. Those four I mentioned all played in the college football playoff. So when you have a playoff quarterback back, you have to have a lot of confidence in your team.

Absolutely. You know, Oklahoma is one team that I keep seeing. In fact, we've got Phil Steele coming on with Phil Steele Magazine. And, by the way, the Sporting News has an exceptional preseason magazine themselves coming on to the next segment, and he had Oklahoma ranked high. Brent Venables had a, I think, was able to get through a big hurdle last year. They had a much better season of sitting Alabama and Tuscaloosa. Tegna is coming back. I know you like him at receiver, Kip Lewis. If John Mateer returns to pre-injury John Mateer, David Stone, Bowen, well, the Bowen boys on defense, do you agree with a lot of the prognosticators Oklahoma's going to have a good year?

I do. I feel like Texas a couple years ago, two years ago, where they've got depth at running back, at receiver, an experienced quarterback that maybe not everybody's sold on. But when he's healthy, he's really good. And you mentioned that some guys in the portal on that defense, along with the Bowens, that they could really make some waves. So, really interesting game early in the season when they go play Michigan. Michigan, obviously, under Kyle Whittingham, that could be a different game with them being at the big house.

So, I would still steal there. I see a lot of interest in this Oklahoma team, and we have them in the playoffs with good reason. Who is your proverbial dark horse? I know we'll ask you that in July and August, and we'll be talking about this. We had Tony Barnhart on the show, Mr. College Football. He had an interesting comedy yesterday. His dark horse was Texas A&M. A lot of people look at Vandy, you know, maybe even South Carolina surprising some people, Auburn, Florida. Who's Bill Bender's dark horse?

I think Louisville's mine. And, Tony, that's a good call by him. He's been doing it for a while, and that's what he's talking about. Just don't tell him I said that. He's the best. He's one of the truly nicest men in this business, there's no doubt. So, I wouldn't go against that. I do like Louisville. I think Lincoln Keenholz, the quarterback, the two running backs, Clev Lubin returns as edge rusher, and their schedule's pretty favorable there in the ACC, where they could maybe bust in. We've seen them kill the Giants before.

It's just they lose that, they have that hiccup every once in a while where they shouldn't. But I think Jeff Brom has a really good team there that could be in the mix for an ACC championship and definitely a playoff first. Most SEC predictions, Texas won Georgia, too, or vice versa. And if Arch plays like Arch did in November, Cam Coleman, of course, is coming in. They were able to beef up the running game. Relique Brown, Arizona State, and Hollywood Smothers, who committed to Alabama for about 12 hours.

Georgia or Texas? Who wins the SEC? We have Georgia ranked a little bit higher, so I've got to go with them. I think, you know, they've quietly, you know, Kirby's got to love it, that we haven't talked about them too, too much. And, you know, we can obviously use that as a lot of room fuel. But I like their back end of their defense, and I think they're going to be a little bit better on that side of the ball to couple with Gunnar Stockton. You know, loaded running game.

[10:32] They've got four or five guys in our top 50. And then Texas will be right there, though. I think Texas, it's easier to pick Georgia knowing they've won the last two, and we've watched the last two Georgia-Texas games where it seems like they have that little gear that Texas doesn't. In our playoff predictions, we do have Georgia and Texas both in there. So, it's not like we don't think they're – it's not like, to me, there's a huge gap. Yeah. But right now, you look at Texas, you like them a little bit more, or you like Georgia a little bit more than Texas.

You know, in Ole Miss, 13-2 last year, running back Kiwan Lacy, Ole Miss can run the ball. Everybody thinks Trinidad Chambliss is going to throw 60 passes the game, and he's been a defensive guru with Alabama and Ole Miss for years. Your thoughts on the Rebels? Well, I think Kiwan, yeah, he adds a physical nature to their running game, and then obviously their defense is pretty good, too. I think that's what's probably not getting talked about either. Agreed. Will Echols, Santorin Perkins, they've got guys on the defensive side of the ball that certainly can play.

Their schedule's really interesting. And, you know, you want to see – and you guys know Pete Building down there – you want to see how he does it for a full year. Not on – I don't want to say what he did last year. It was kind of on the fly, but you're going 100 miles an hour. Now you've had some time to think and develop your program. I think he'll do a nice job there. And it is – it still does center around Trinidad Chambliss, who's a really good quarterback.

No question about it. We've got to run to a British Open update. Always enjoyed it. Where can we get online and get you good stuff? Yeah, at BillBender92 at SportingNews.com. And, hey, we've got to talk for a little bit. We'll get back at it next week. Let's do it. Always a pleasure, Brett. All right, buddy. Bill Bender, coming up, an update from the British Open. We're going to come back and be talking with the one and only, Phil Steele, about college basketball on 93.9. Brought to you by Fisher Investments.

A few days ago, the three-time Open champion, Nick Faldo, told Sky Sports that Bryson DeChambeau has, quote, zero clue of strategy for Lynx golf. DeChambeau carded a .367 in the first round. He's two off the lead. It sounds like Faldo's comment was on his mind afterward. I think you've got to be a lot more strategic out on the golf course, and I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard in placing it in the right places. Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas, but just to get more fairways.

Other than that, I felt like my strategy was nice today. Was it? Got to love golf pettiness. Jackson Super leads after posting a 5-under-65 in his first-ever Open championship round. Dan Brown, Sung Jae Im, and Pearson Cootie are 4-under, 1-back. Scotty Scheffler at minus 2. I'm Ted Emmerich, Westwood One Sports. Hi, how can I help? Well, my husband and I feel like we've outgrown our current money manager. I see. Our lives have changed, and we need something more than just mutual funds to help us in retirement.

She's right. I hear that often. At Fisher Investments, we'd start by getting to know you, your finances, family, health, lifestyle. We tailor a portfolio around your goals and needs. Sounds good. Can you help with estate planning? Yes. We have a team of specialists who can help you with estate planning, social security, investment income, and more. We'll get to know your whole financial picture and help keep you on the path to a comfortable retirement. And your fees? We have a simple, transparent fee that's a percentage of the value of your portfolio.

So we do better when you do better. I feel better already. At Fisher Investments, we're clearly different. Learn more at fisherinvestments.com slash different. Investing in securities involves a risk of loss. This update on the 2026 British Open was brought to you locally by Cypress Lakes Golf Course in Muscle Shoals. Ready for your next great round? Head over to Cypress Lakes Golf Course in Muscle Shoals. With 18 challenging holes, fast screens, and water coming into play on 15 of them. It's a course that rewards great shots. Enjoy pristine fairways and unbeatable daily rates.

And after your round, come relax at the newly renovated 19th Hole Lounge or grab lunch at Shoals Bistro. Call 256-381-1232 to book your tee time today. Ready for your next great round? Head over to Cypress Lakes Golf Course in Muscle Shoals. With 18 challenging holes, fast screens, and water coming into play on 15 of them. It's a course that rewards great shots. Enjoy pristine fairways and unbeatable daily rates. And after your round, come relax at the newly renovated 19th Hole Lounge or grab lunch at Shoals Bistro.

Call 256-381-1232 to book your tee time today. This is a special alert to all Americans who own a vehicle with less than 200,000 miles with an auto warranty about to expire or with no warranty coverage at all. Due to a decline in the economy, CarShield is announcing a low-cost month-to-month vehicle protection plan that is now available to the public to save any driver out-of-pocket expenses on future auto repairs. Call now to find out how you can pay almost nothing for covered auto repairs. Yes, you heard that correctly. Pay almost nothing for covered auto repairs.

[15:45] An open phone line has been established for all drivers to call for a free quick quote. Call 800-553-7217 now. Drivers who are covered will not have to pay for covered repairs again. This protection plan is at an all-time low. Additionally, drivers who activate this vehicle protection today will also receive free roadside assistance, free towing, and car rental options at no additional cost. Call us for your free quick quote today. 800-553-7217. That's 800-553-7217. What do you have to lose? Call 800-553-7217. Again, 800-553-7217.

Restoration Ranch, 722 Little Israel Road in Tuscumbia, is having a gospel music fest. This Saturday, July 18th, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Performances by Mackentracks, Freedom Bridge, Reverend Jerry Reeves, and the Galilee Baptist Church Choir. This is a free inside event with a live auction, stew, door prizes, and live music. Sponsored by Glenda's Rockin' It Promotions. Gospel Music Fest at Restoration Ranch, this Saturday, July 18th, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. And welcome back into the Boomo Bugg Show.

Hopefully going to be getting Harold Bugg and Phil still on with us here in just a few minutes. Had a great conversation, as usual, with Bill Bender as far as his thoughts, as far as his thoughts on the college football season and the favorites, and listen, we are absolutely delighted. We don't talk to this gentleman enough, but the greatest college football prognosticator in the world is Phil Steele, and we are absolutely delighted to bring him into the show again today and talk about our favorite sport, college football.

Phil, welcome into the Boomo Bugg Show today. How are you doing? You know, I am doing great. I always love being on the Boomo Bugg Show. It's one of my favorite shows out there. How long have we been doing this show together, guys? Phil, probably—I'm sorry. What happened was, Phil, we did it right after the Abraham Lincoln inauguration. I think you were the first guest after that, and I apologize for being late. I was reading your preseason magazine. I got to page 725, and I put it down because I was only halfway through, so I apologize for joining things late.

But my goodness gracious, do you have this big sigh of relief, like the big burden's off? You've done your work, and now it's up to us to sit here and read your work. Oh, my goodness, was there. I mean, you know, it's 376 pages this year. I like getting 138 media guides rolled into one, two full pages in all, 138 teams. And we spent seven months putting this thing together. I got a staff, about 10 people work for me. They are preparing the pages. They go through a long process, probably working about close to 90 hours a week during magazine season, trying to get this thing out.

And seven months of that. Talked to 133 of the 138 coaches this year, so pretty impressed with that. Each call takes about an hour apiece on the average. So it's an exhaustive process, and you're absolutely correct. When that thing's done, the months of June and July, I'm like, wow. I'm doing radio shows all day long, working on some power ratings, but no deadlines. Maybe working 60 hours a week. It's almost like being on vacation, guys. Phil, you know our neck of the woods, obviously, with Alabama, Auburn, and Tennessee.

Let me ask you about Auburn. Alex Golich coming in, he's already told everybody they're going to run the football. I think D.J. Durkin is going to have another similar year as far as their defense. Solid kicking game. I think the offense is going to be better. But you talk about this being certainly one of your metrics. They have a six-game stretch, starting with Florida. That may be one of the toughest six games in college football. Your thoughts on the Auburn Tigers. Yeah, and first of all, very impressed with Coach Golich.

Going back to my first conversation with him at South Florida, they were coming off two miserable seasons. And I'm like, well, Coach, rebuilding here. He's like, he laid it out. He laid out all the plan, what they were going to do, and had three good winning seasons there. So, I mean, I was impressed with what he did year one. Year three, they nearly made it to the American Conference title game. And I like the fact that he brings his quarterback with him, the Byron Brown, because this guy's a lot of fun to watch.

Team him with Jeremiah Cobb at running back. He's got a dynamic backfield there. You look at a receiving core, bringing in a guy from USF in Cogar, a guy from USF in Singleton. So, you're bringing in USF's receiving core. You're bringing in the quarterback. And they had a pretty explosive offense last year, plus some offensive linemen from USF as well. So, I like the fact that he brought all those players with him. As you mentioned, the schedule is not easy. No SEC schedule is easy, but Auburn's is extremely difficult this year.

[20:48] And I think they need to get off started on a good foot. But I did put him on my most improved list overall, which means I think they finally get back to a bowl game. It's been two years, which is hard to believe. You never talk about Auburn not having an end. How about the last winning season at Auburn was at 2020 when they went 6-5. So, I think it's going to be a much better year for Auburn. I like the talent he's brought in with them from USF.

And I like Alex Golesh as a head coach as well. Read all about it with Phil Steele, publisher of the Phil Steele magazine. Phil, you never guess our next question after Auburn in this zip code. But what about the guys in West Alabama? And this may be shocking news. I know you're by the shores of the area up there, by the Great Lake up there. But folks are not exactly happy over the last two years. They're still comparing to this guy named Nick Saban. This is year three.

Everybody's got them outside the top ten. Phil, are you buying or selling Alabama? You know, I didn't even know we were going to talk about Alabama today. Well, I'm sorry. That's my bad. Okay. You've got to give me some room to come in here. I know. Sorry. No, actually, I think if you're an Alabama fan, you're going to pick up my magazine and you're going to be like, wow, number one surprise team in the country. And I haven't been able to put Alabama on that list since, here's how I do the surprise team.

In February each year, I do my projected AP top ten. And we've only had a 95% success rate on that. I predict the top ten for the last 15 years, six months in advance, and seven times out of the 15 years, I've missed one team, guys. So only a 95% success rate. But Alabama will not be preseason top ten this year. So I've been able to finally put them on the surprise team list, which is a non-top ten team I think has a chance to really do something. And, you know, with Alabama, they ended up last year bad.

I mean, the Georgia loss in the SEC title game, the blowout loss to Indiana. They couldn't run the football. They've got a first-year starting quarterback. Everybody's down in Alabama. I'm buying. I like Kalen DeBoer. I think he's doing a great job. It's his third year there. I look for him to have a better success. You know, last year they had a first-year starting quarterback, and then it turned out pretty good. Ty Simpson had a 28-5 ratio. I think no matter who wins the job, Keelan Russell, Austin Mack, they're going to have a good year.

I like the running back court. Daniel Hill, E.J. Kroll, Kevin Riley, A.K. Deer. They will be able to run the ball. There's more focus on it this year. You look at the receiving core. You know, I thought Ryan Williams, who's now Ryan Coleman-Williams, had an off year last year. What do you have, 11 drops during the course of the year? I think he's going to be much improved this year, and that's going to help that receiving core. We're with Brooks and Scott and Rogers all there.

So I'm looking for a stronger offensive one that runs the ball better. And defensively, I'm happy with Alabama. All three of the units rank in my top 25. Defensive backs rank number six in the country, and they're strong on special teams. And then after I do the magazine each year, I forecast who I have favored, who I have an underdog in each game. I have them an underdog in zero games. I've got three toss-up games. Home to Georgia, a team they beat on the road last year.

At Tennessee and at LSU, I rate those as toss-ups. I have them favored in the rest. I'm looking for double-digit wins in return of the playoff. And it's great that the Alabama fans, after a team advances to the second round of the playoffs, are acting like they were the worst team in the SEC. Welcome to Sweet Home, Alabama. Talk to us about maybe, speaking of Indiana, who's going to be the Indiana across the landscape this season, Phil? Well, you're not going to get an Indiana because that's just such a unique story for them to be one of the worst teams in college football and win a national championship.

The closest that anybody's come to that since I've been writing the magazine was Kansas State and Bill Snyder. He took over one of the worst teams in the country and had them on the verge of making the playoff a couple of times, which I thought was remarkable. But, you know, if you're looking for a team that's out of the blue, not going to be in the preseason top ten, first of all, Alabama's one. But one other one I'll throw at you out of the Big Ten.

And, unfortunately, it's not a little name like Indiana. It's a big name. But it's one that hasn't really shined lately, and that's USC. And when I looked at USC and talked to Coach Riley this year, went over the roster with him, he feels it's the best defense he's had since he's been there. And they've got Gary Patterson as the defensive coordinator now, which was a really nice hire. So I'm looking for a solid defense to marry with that offense. I mean, Jade Maiav is back at quarterback.

Wayman Jordan at running back. And the offensive line, I read number five in the country this year. So they're going to have the offense like they had last year. They're going to have good defense, good special teams. And then the tricky part here, everybody talking about the Big Ten is going to talk about Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon. Those are your three favorites. USC gets Oregon at home, and they get Ohio State at home. And keep in mind, they played Oregon tough on the road in Autzen last year.

[26:08] Now they get them at home. Ohio State, they get at home. And they were 7-0 at home last year. Pull one of those two upsets. And I think USC makes the playoffs this year. So watch out for the Trojans. They could be as sneakily good. Let me ask you before we let you go. We have a lot of Tennessee fans here. They want to see an improvement over 8-5. They've got to figure out who the quarterback is. They know what Jim Knowles brings to the table.

What about Tennessee? Yeah, and maybe one of my biggest questions with Tennessee is if you follow Jim Knowles' career as a defense coordinator, usually their first year is not great. Second year, third year, fourth year is tremendous. And what I mean by not great is not up to what you'd expect out of Jim Knowles. So we'll see how quickly he can get this defense integrated, especially with the fact that Tennessee has just four returning starters off the last year's squad. But offensively, I think no matter which quarterback they choose, they'll do well.

I went with Faison Brandon as the quarterback this year. He's a guy that, you know, impressed the coaching staff. They said he looked like a senior more than a freshman. He came in at 195 pounds. He's now 215 and had a pretty good command of the offense. I expect him, if not the opener, to be the starting QB. They also returned to Sean Bishop, an outstanding running back. They've got the receiving core with Staley and Matthews. Offensive line does return three starters. In fact, I rate the offensive line number four in the country.

So how quickly they adjust to Jim Knowles' defense is going to be the key. Because offensively, even with a new quarterback, and do keep in mind, guys, last year, C.J. Carr, no quarterback experience. Guess what? Had a really good year for Notre Dame. Julian Sand, freshman quarterback, no experience. Guess what? Had a really good year for Ohio State. Some guy, Arch Manning, he did set it out slow, but ended up having a good year. First-year quarterbacks can do well. So everybody, when they're analyzing a team, looks at the quarterback first.

Then they look at running back receivers. I rely more on defense, offensive line. And generally, I give the quarterback a benefit of the doubt if they're talented, like Tennessee's got two talented QBs. So I think operating behind that offensive line, they will be potent this year. Now, schedule-wise, when you look at Tennessee, they do have to play Texas at home. That's going to be tough. They play Alabama at home. As I mentioned, I've got that a toss-up game. They play at South Carolina and at Texas A&M.

Those are four tough games. But I could see them topping last year's eight-win total. Listen, Phil Steele Magazine College Football Preview is the Bible of college football. We have been reading it for years. We always enjoy our conversation with you. Where can we get online, order the magazine? And also, your website is chock-full of college football, too. Where can we order the magazine from you? Well, I appreciate that. Now, if you're out and about looking for the magazine, first of all, it's 376 pages this year. So, it's the biggest we've put out, 138 teams, get two full pages a piece.

And we give you the same amount of coverage on Troy or Georgia State that we go on to give you on Alabama and Texas and Ohio State. Two full pages, complete info on all the teams. Now, it's right there in Alabama. There's Books A Million, right? Yep. So, Books A Million is one of our main suppliers, as is Barnes & Noble. So, Books A Million, Barnes & Noble are two great locations to go and get the magazine. And if they're sold out for some reason, those are the only two brick-and-mortar places you can get.

You can't get it at Walmart, can't get it at the grocery store. You've got to go to Books A Million or Barnes & Noble. Or you can go to philsteele.com. And when you go to philsteele.com, you're going to get a lot of information. I've got daily blogs up there, a lot of information every day. But you can also get the magazine in the store. Now, we're going to charge you a shipping charge because it costs me $10 to ship it. But we do give you the digital magazine, a $19 value, $19.95 value, absolutely free when you buy the hard copy.

So, Books A Million, Barnes & Noble, philsteele.com. And check out philsteele.com every day. I put up a blog every single day, get you some great football information. And the folks at Books A Million know the show's there every day as well. This is home for Books A Million. So, Phil, welcome home. Get some rest. Get some exercise. Just don't go swimming in Lake Erie up there, okay? Lake Erie's cleaned up, okay, guys? It's not as bad as it used to be. So, we're in good shape there.

But, yeah, we've been doing the show a long time, almost since the magazine came out, right, guys? That's right. You're correct. I think Barry Bryant was the coach back then. We'll check that, Phil. Listen, as always, good to catch up with you. And, again, a great work. Keep it up. And thank you so much for your time today. You guys better have me on the next 20 years as well. Yes, we will. Thank you, bud. Penciled in, I guarantee you. Phil Steele, Phil Steele Magazine. Coming up, Ryan Kelly and more straight ahead.

Stay with us. Hello, Shoals. It's Elmer Pierce from Garner Pierce Autos. Are you tired of being told that it will take two weeks to service your vehicle or even to look at it to tell you what's wrong with it? Are you tired of being told that it's going to be $200 to $300 an hour for labor? At Garner Pierce Autos, we have four full-time certified and trained technicians that have over 75 years of automotive service experience. We service vehicles of every make and model and do anything from oil changes to engine and transmission replacements.

[31:31] We're your one-stop shop for servicing your entire fleet or your personal vehicle. We have every accessory for your car, truck, van, or SUV. 4.9 stars on Google and Facebook. Garner Pierce Autos on Florence Boulevard, right next to Appleby's, where it's our business to earn your business. It's summertime, and Aleve is here to keep you on the go. Whether it's planes, trains, or automobiles, Aleve's got your back. With up to 12 hours of back pain relief with just one dose, you'll get to your destination and be ready for your next adventure.

So pack your sunscreen, your shades, and your Aleve. No matter where your final stop, Aleve will keep you moving. From sunup to sundown, Aleve's got your back this summer. Feel Aleve. Use as directed for minor aches and pains. Hey, Mom, now that I have an after-school job, I think I want to buy a drum kit. Okay, Rockstar. Let's look at your account. When kids start making money, Chase has easy-to-use tools and expert bankers to help them learn how to manage it. And next month, I'll buy the bass drum and the cymbals.

Oh, and maybe some noise-canceling headphones for you. Aw, you've thought of everything. Help kids save, budget, and build financial independence all with Chase. That's good for kids and good for parents. Visit your local Chase branch and get started. Account subject to approval. JP Morgan, Chase Bank, and a member of DIC. Rich Eisen here. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money, but the right one helps your business grow. The challenge? Finding that person without sorting through resumes. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro comes in.

It screens candidates so you can focus on conversations with qualified talent. With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence and build the team you need. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash Eisen. Terms and conditions apply. Harry Douglas here to help you ignite your taste buds with Firework Freeze 5-Hour Energy Shots. Juicy cherry, citrus lime, and blue raspberry. It's that iconic freezer pop flavor, but with none of that guilty sugar aftermath. The perfect summer kick.

It's delicious, portable, zero-sugar energy shot bursting with flavor. Bring on the summer with Firework Freeze 5-Hour Energy Shots. Available online at 5hourenergy.com and on Amazon. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9 The Score. The World Cup Final is set. Argentina rallied yesterday to beat England 2-1 in the second semifinal. That sets up a World Cup Final of Spain against Argentina Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The third-place match will take place in Miami Gardens, Florida. On Saturday, France will meet England. The Atlanta Braves are home tomorrow night with the Braves take on the Texas Rangers.

The Braves are 55-40. Chris Sale will get the start for Atlanta tomorrow. He is 9-6 on the year. NASCAR Cup Series back in action on Sunday night. It's the Window World 450 under the lights in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. 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. KFC Country Fried Steak is here for only $4.99. Crispy golden outside, tender steak inside. Served with peppery gravy, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and a biscuit. At last, the kernel and beef buried the hatchet in gravy.

Get the $4.99 Country Fried Steak Wednesdays for a limited time, only at KFC. Prices and participation may vary while supplies last. Not available on third-party ordering platforms. Texted and fees extra. When you see this in your kitchen… This stainless steel fridge is covered in fingerprints. You hear this. Leslie, people are going to think you were raised in a barn or by wolves. Erased in a barn by wolves. Fortunately, Wyman Stainless Steel 3-in-1 cleans, shines, and protects to give you the best shine. A spray and a wipe will have your fridge shining like a mirror.

Wow, my fridge looks brand new. Your fridge looks amazing, Leslie. Sorry, I was being a little traumatic earlier. Your kitchen says a lot about you. Let it brag with Wyman. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. How's your busy day? It's Ryan Callahan here at Go Balls 24-7. But, BB, what a pleasure it is to bring in Phil, see y'all. I mean, this is obviously a business for Phil. But what I like about him, he knows how to marry passion with the business.

And I don't know of anybody anywhere. If you love a thorough, as they say, deep dive into college football. And as he mentioned, not just the Glamour Boys out there, but everything down the food chain, he's pretty much got it covered. Harold, wasn't that an amazing stat? He talked to 133 out of 138 coaches for a minimum of an hour to prepare the magazine. If you missed Phil Steele's interview, some of the highlights there quickly. Basically, it's rare, but he is basically making Alabama and Auburn fans pretty happy.

[36:44] Of course, it's July. A lot of time to go. But right now, the thing about Phil, people say the first response is going to be, yeah, he's in Cleveland. He's just trying to pump up some sunshine for the local folks here. But Phil has a history of not doing that, BB. He pretty much is objective because, like I said, he doesn't have a dog in the hunt the magazine's done. He doesn't really have a dog in the hunt from that standpoint, and his history doesn't indicate that.

But let's start with Alabama because we alluded to this earlier. A lot of folks across the country, it's going to be interesting next week at the SEC Media Days to see where they put Alabama, as if that matters, given their history. But he says of all the surprise teams, and by definition, what he means by a surprise team, someone in the preseason who is not in the top 10 in the preseason polls but can make a lot of noise once the season gets rocking and rolling and once you go through the entire season, I would imagine, to kind of illustrate it and put it in perspective, Indiana would have been that group last year.

In July, if he said Indiana is the number one surprise team, then a lot of folks said, yeah, right. But your thoughts about Phil still saying the number one surprise team this season is the Alabama Crimson Tide. He's got him there right on the cusp, I think, at number 11, B.B. Well, Harold, I've said this probably 10 times this summer. The reason Alabama is not 7, 8, or 9 is because they don't have a veteran quarterback coming back, and they had to more or less start from scratch on the offensive line.

Now, once they figure out who the quarterback is, and it would not surprise me again, if Austin Mack starts the season against East Carolina, but I really do think Keylon Russell is going to take over that job. In fact, Jimmy Stein, who's going to be on with us tomorrow, said the same thing on one of his podcasts. Now, Alabama's got a tough stretch in the middle of the season. They've got Georgia, of course, October the 10th. The big one that, to me, it's not a trap game, but can you come down from the emotions of Georgia?

Yeah. Because you're going to Tennessee, and you've lost the last two games in Knoxville. Texas A&M for homecoming. How's that for a homecoming opponent? And then at LSU. But no, I don't disagree with them. Again, they're not in the top 10 because there's not a veteran quarterback or an offensive line. They're going to run the ball a lot better, and I, quite frankly, I think this is the best secondary in the country and one of the better defenses. Well, as the defensive line does their part, in the secondary, basically, it's unison.

If you don't have a good line than the secondary, it's just that. There's secondary because all the opposing team's going to do is run the ball, melt the clock, not going to put it up and face that air defense for Alabama. So I think that's something that may not be given enough talked about. But your thoughts as far as some of the X factors on this team, and I will say this, they're going to have to lean heavily. Obviously, Ryan Coleman slash Williams is going to have to live up to his coming out of high school expectations in post-Georgia in his freshman year.

And speaking of freshmen, I think Crowell, to me, BB, a healthy Crowell coming back and him able to live up to his expectations because that does two things. Alabama then may have a balanced offense. I think what makes it amazing last year about Alabama's offense is that they had a quarterback with that offensive line that still went in the first round of the NFL. Yeah, and, Harold, first of all, as far as the receivers, they've got some very talented receivers here. Now, who's going to be receiver number three?

Coleman Williams and Lottie Brooks is going to be one and two, but is Rico Scott is going to be one of the kids? And Derek Meadows and C.J. Morgan, will it be Noah Rogers, who really had a very good spring? Again, to me, the offensive line is the key to the entire season. They named Jackson Lloyd, Ryan Grubb did very early. William Sanders, will he fit in at left guard? They'll gaudy, Carroll, and James. I think the defense is going to be good, and I agree with you.

The defensive line is bigger and can get more pressure. But if they can run the ball effectively, which I think they can, I think the kicking game is going to be better. But the offensive line, to me, is the key to the entire season. Quickly, your X factors for the Auburn Tigers, BB. We know they can run the ball. I think the defense is just as good. Harold, again, I keep going back to this on nauseam. They've got the toughest six-game stretch in the country, starting with Florida.

They go three and three in that stretch. They can get to a bowl game. Is that not going to be an interesting situation when Summerall takes on Auburn? Because, let's face it, about this time, after we got the news about Freeze leaving, Auburn fans just pretty much had it all signed, sealed, and delivered that Summerall is going to be the man. And then a funny thing happened on the way to Auburn slash Gainesville. That's going to be very, very interesting. Speaking of interesting, if you're a big old golf fan, what is the latest on the opening of the Open?

[41:52] Stay with us here on the Boom O' Buck Show. Westwood One Sports presents this special report on the 154th Open Championship, sponsored by Kohl's. Show off your team pride with tees, hats, tumblers, and more at Kohl's and Kohl's.com. This must be nice. Roll up to your first career round at the Open, and by the end of it, you've got the clubhouse lead. Jackson Suber from Tampa lights up Royal Birkdale for a 5-under-65, including an Eagle at the par-5-17th. It's just his third major start.

Sung J.M., Dan Brown, and Pearson Cootie are 4-under, 1-back. Cootie, the only one still on the course. The grandson of former Masters champion Charles Cootie has two holes to go. Bryson DeChambeau, Colin Morikawa, and Cameron Young among those at 3-under, 2-back. Defending champ Scotty Scheffler starts with a 2-under, 68. He's 3-off the lead. And Rory McIlroy's putter is ice cold. He is 3-over through 12. McIlroy is 8-back. I'm Ted Emmerich, Westwood One Sports. Coal's knows summer comes with a few family debates, like what's the best ice cream flavor, or who gets the good pool noodle.

But when it comes to Coal's summer outfits, everyone's in agreement. They're comfy, they're cool, they're stylish. And the best part, they're 20% off. Make the season a little easier. With looks your whole family will sign off on at Kohl's and Kohl's.com. Select styles. Offer ends July 19th. Some exclusions apply. See store or Kohl's.com for details. At Century, understanding starts with taking a seat. Talking face-to-face. Getting to know your business firsthand. Diving into details. Seeing risk from every angle. Becoming experts in your business. And crafting coverage that really makes a difference.

So, save us a seat. We've got work to do. Property and casualty coverages are underwritten by a member of the Century Insurance Group, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. For a complete listing of companies, visit Century.com. Policies, coverages, benefits, and discounts are not available in all states. See policy for complete coverage details. This update on the 2026 British Open was brought to you locally by Lost Pizza in historic downtown Florence. The final out has been called. The dugout cleared. And now your team is starving. There's only one place to go.

Lost Pizza, home of the monster pizza. So loaded with cheese, so massive. It's basically its own sport. Whether you're little leaguers, travel ball champs, or rec league legends. After the game, bring the whole team to Lost Pizza. We've got the table, we've got the pies, and we've got the monster waiting for you. Stop by after the game and taste what everyone's talking about at 201 North Seminary Street, Florence. T-Mobile has an exclusive bundle for customers 55 and up. I'm Sarah Bull. Yeah, I'm Frank Bull. A reliable network is key for us.

And with T-Mobile, it's been wonderful. And going to the 55 Plus plan saved us so much money. A lot. And that's important, trying to keep costs down. The home internet's been perfect. It's fast, it's quick. The setup was so easy, it took less than 15 minutes. It was like, ta-da! If you want simplicity, coverage, reliability, you want the whole package, T-Mobile has it. Right now, T-Mobile customers 55 and up can get two phone lines on America's best network. Plus, America's fastest 5G home internet for just $30 each. $30 per month each line with auto pay plus taxes and fees.

Minimum age 55. Pricing for home internet rely on two lines of essentials choice 55. $35 connection charge per line required. Best mobile network and fastest 5G home internet based on analysis by UCLA of speed test intelligence data 2H-2025. All rights reserved. All right, son, time to put out this campfire. Dad, we learned about this in school. Oh, did you now? Okay. What's first? Smokey Bear said to… First, drown it with a bucket of water, then stir it with a shovel. Wow, you sound just like him. Then he said…

If it's still warm, then do it again. Where can I learn all this? It's all on SmokeyBear.com with other wildfire prevention tips. Because only you can prevent wildfires. Brought to you by the USDA Forest Service, your state forester, and the Ad Council. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. So, here's the big question, BB. Auburn fans say, why in the world would Auburn move a home game, especially an opening game of the season, to a neutral site game of Atlanta? We now have the answer, BB.

In fact, we have a multi-million dollar answer to this. The Athletic kickoff game announcing this week will be worth… Here's the deal. It marks the first time a neutral site college football game has incorporated NIL compensation for the student-athletes. And what does that mean? Well, according to the reports, as many as two dozen Auburn student-athletes will promote the game through social media posts, public appearances, advertisements, in-game promotions, and branding opportunities. To that, BB, I would say. What would Bear Bryant and Pat Dye say to that?

[47:08] Well, Bear and Coach Dye would say a lot of things with the current environment of college football. But see, college basketball's been doing this for a couple of years. That ERA tournament in Las Vegas that Alabama and Auburn have both participated in, that's one of the reasons why they do it, is because the players literally get directly paid. And, Harold, this is one of the things. Nick Saban basically invented neutral site games with Chick-fil-A and Gary Stokin, who retired last year. Boom. But this is a way to bring back neutral site games.

Now, Harold, I can assure you, if this catches on, you're going to be seeing a lot more neutral site games in the next two or three years, where if you've got a bowl sponsor or someone like Chick-fil-A who can promise players $6 million, I guarantee you you're going to be seeing more games the first week of the season in AT&T Stadium, in Atlanta, and everywhere else. Well, and I hear your point about basketball. This is football where you've only got a handful of games. And in basketball, you play a lot of neutral site tournaments.

But in football, those home games are cherished. And the thing I hate about it, I wish they'd work in a deal where the local economy, I mean, think about it. Yeah, the players get paid, but how much will the town of Auburn and Opelika lose to this game as far as the commerce? That seems to be a problem there. But here's the other bottom line to it, B.B. If they're going to do that on the front end of the season, people have been asking, well, how are you going to get these kids energized to play in the bowl games?

Could it be that they'll take this same blueprint to the other end of the season for bowl games and say, okay, guys, you drive the bus. If you will play, the sponsor will pay this amount of money. Well, we've been talking about that, Harold, for years. That is what the bowls are going to have to do. Now, again, I still wonder if you're going to see in two or three years some of these bowl games move and turn into kickoff bowl games. But that's going to be one of the things that we're going to be seeing a lot more of is the, I nearly said the Blue Bonnet Bowl going back to the Astrodome, but the Citrus Bowl, some of the other ones that are not in the college football playoff, you're going to be seeing them, I believe, have pay the players guaranteed NIL money.

And if they do that, they'll be able to get some more sponsors. I think that's the direction bowl games are going in. Chick-fil-A just is kind of the fine print. If you play in this game, you'll get the money. Plus, you'll get a free Chick-fil-A, and they're going to throw fries in, baby. Wow. Who can say no to that? Coming up the next hour, going to be taking all over the Fowler Express, Logan Fowler kicking it off, Ryan Fowler to end the show, and in between, Randy Kennedy.

It's all straight ahead. Here's the Bumult Bug Show. Stay with us. 1819 News. Alabama's state school superintendent, Dr. Eric Mackey, is calling for changes within the selection process of members of the state textbook committee. This statement from Mackey comes after 1819 News reported on a recent person being placed on that committee, which turned out to be an error. Emily Eating Sandley of the Magic City Acceptance Academy was sent a letter that was in error, according to Mackey, placing her on the textbook committee, which selects the books used in various subjects in public schools.

Mackey came back from vacation to answer questions about this issue, and now he says he wants the state legislature to reform the selection process of these textbooks, calling it the bane of his existence. Mackey says he wants the textbook committee to report to him about their choices so that he can, in turn, recommend them to the state board of education for a vote. Mackey says the textbook committee should be working directly with the superintendent rather than be an outside committee with no accountability. Mackey says he's tried to make that change to the committee years ago, but was voted down by state lawmakers, and he now says he wants to try again to change this process.

I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Some 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 houseplants 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. Roof damage has caused the international paper mill in Wilcox County to temporarily halt all operations. The suspension will be for about a month for repairs to take place. The company says the decision was made out of an abundance of caution for the safety of their employees. I'm Andrea Tice. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter. Speedy catches up for you today. We'll be right back in the middle of the books.

[52:22] We'll be right back in the middle of the month for the rest of our scores. Baseball's back tonight with one game on the docket. I think Juan Soto comes out of the second half with a bang. Soto's been one of the only bright spots on a miserable Mets squad. Tonight, he'll face Aaron Nola of the Phils, who he has a lifetime OPS of over 1,100 against. Nola's got an ERA near six this year. It's even worse at home. I'll take the over on hits, runs, RBIs for Juan Soto.

I'm Pat Boyle. Bet's more to read the books. Download the BetMGM app today. My name is Whitney Allen, and I'm a widow. My husband, Ryan, died. We never thought we'd ever have to use life insurance, but the unexpected happened. With Ethos, signing up was fast and 100% online. You can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and get same-day coverage. No medical exams, and you can get up to $3 million worth of coverage. I'm grateful we were prepared. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash play.

That's ethos.com slash play. Paid spokesperson. Time spent on application may vary. Online health questions required. Do you hear that? And that? And that? Those are the sounds of a healthy and vibrant community. And to this United Way volunteer, nothing sounds better. They're the sounds of children being given greater chances to succeed in school. The sounds of neighbors receiving the support needed to overcome challenges, both big and small. They're the sounds of families gaining access to quality health care and nutritious food for their tables. And they're the sounds of members of our community who've benefited from United Way's financial education programs.

See, wherever there's a need in our communities, there's a United Way. People working together to respond and growing the good for everyone. United is the way. So join us by getting involved or giving back. Learn more at unitedway.org. This is St. Jude patient, Regan. She's three. Ooh, I like sparkly. This is Jeritza. She's five. Na, na, na. And this is Delta. She's four. Can you see me now? They all received treatment for cancer at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Now, they can spend their days playing with dolls.

Making art. And dressing up. I like beautiful in it. Instead of thinking about cancer. To supporters like you, the team at St. Jude has helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate in the U.S. from 20% to more than 80%. And we won't stop. This is what childhood should be like. Let's help more kids just be kids. Learn more at stjude.org. Finding cures. Saving children. If you've been impacted by the devastating effects of a tornado, the last thing you need is to be taken advantage of.

Contractors who show up following a disaster may be individuals looking to make a quick buck off your situation. They'll promise to help you recover as long as you sign their contract. Then they may collect payment and disappear without a trace. Don't fall victim to these schemes. If you suspect fraud, contact NICB at reportinsurancefraud.org. A public service message from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. By TK, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, the Shoals. Sports Radio 93.9 The Score. Valley Broadcasting Corporation. Westwood One Sports presents its World Soccer Update sponsored by Progressive Insurance.

Progressive Insurance makes bundling home and auto easy. Learn more at progressive.com. On the one hand, there's Argentina's amazing ability to come from behind, pull games out, score when they need to at the end. On the other hand, you can't help but wonder, can they keep doing this? They've done it now four straight games. Here's Westwood One Soccer Analyst, Jamie Watson. Argentina has this belief every time that they step on the field that they are going to win this match. And at no point does that confidence ever waver.

I'm watching a team that genuinely believes they can achieve the highest heights. That's just an X factor that you cannot overcome if you're an opponent. It's happened now to Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, and England. But keep in mind, Spain has only allowed one goal in this World Cup. Spain plays Argentina on Sunday. John Stasheller, Westwood One Sports. Here she comes. Surprise! They sent a duplicate shipment to your flower shop. Now you have to pay for a thousand extra carnations. Also, there's a beehive outside your store.

And they're super aggressive. There's thousands of them. Progressive knows small business owners usually don't like surprises because they cost you money. But a good surprise? Saving 10% or more on commercial auto insurance when you pay in full. Also, the egg salad you just ate was expired! Gross! Surprise yourself. See if you can save in as little as eight minutes at ProgressiveCommercial.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Discounts not available in all states or situations. The Sherwin-Williams Summer Sale is here. Get 30% off select paints and stains or 35% off our newest product, Emerald Symmetry, July 17th through the 27th.

[57:41] Whether you're refreshing your interior or exterior, we've got the colors to bring your vision to life. And with delivery, getting everything to your door is easier than ever. Shop online to have it delivered or visit your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams store. Retail sales only. Some exclusions apply. See store for details. Delivery available on qualifying orders. 93.9, the score weather. Today, a 30% chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms with a high around 90. Tonight, partly cloudy with a 10% chance of showers overnight and a low near 70. Tomorrow, sunny with a 40% chance of afternoon showers, possibly a thunderstorm high around 90.

Tomorrow night, mostly clear with a 20% chance of showers overnight and a low near 75. After your Saturday, mostly sunny with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms with a high around 90. Your weather from 93.9, the score. The Atlanta Braves are built for October. And every single night between now and then is another step toward that goal. Redo to Drake. He swings and hits a miss on a deep right field. To the chop house and out of here! Tomorrow night, the Braves kick off the second half of the season in style, welcoming the Texas Rangers to Trois Park for an interleague series.

Braves Radio is on the air at 6 p.m. Central on the Braves Radio Network. Brought to you locally by… The Law Firm of Johnson Pasture, Medley & Birchall. J.C. Hammond Sons. First Metro Bank. Nationwide Insurance Agents Michael Doe and Bill Cochran. Champy's Famous Fried Chicken. Medford Jewelers. Valley Credit Union. Mugshots Grill & Bar. Certified Alarm. Southern Pride Pest Control. Lost Pizza. Cypress Creek Indoor Range. And Alabama Health Guidance. Atlanta Braves Baseball. Tomorrow night versus the Texas Rangers on 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 a free ride around the Tennessee Valley and for Logan Fowler taking time out of his busy schedule and, dare we say, about to get even busier. Logan's got it all covered when it comes to the Auburn Tigers at 1819 News.

Logan, welcome in. How are you? Oh, very well, guys. How are you all? Hey, man. Man, we're doing all right. We were just talking coming out of the last hour there, Logan, ironically, about the Auburn Tigers. And I'm sure a lot of Auburn fans who've been busy and didn't get all the details said, why in the world would Auburn want to take their opening game of the year at much beloved Jordan-Hare Stadium and move it elsewhere to a neutral site, albeit as far as an Auburn fan that's just a close drive up to Atlanta.

But still, there's something special about playing the home game. And it could have something to do with millions of dollars ready to be divvied up amongst the players, my friend. Yeah. Yeah, I think, you know, Brandon Marcello actually had a good story kind of explaining that situation yesterday where, you know, Auburn players are kind of going to, you know, set the share about $6 million from that game. So, you know, you're going to see some, which this could be a sign of things to come. You know, you're going to see players take part in some promoting events, you know, some social media posts, probably some commercials and some other, you know, appearances in public spaces, advertising the game and certain media brands.

So that's, you know, I guess he said something in his story about, you know, 24 Auburn players are under a guaranteed model to, you know, receive that payout. I'm kind of interested to see how that looks like. Yes. Um, but yeah, I mean, you know, I guess this is like, like I mentioned, a side of things to come where you're going to start and seeing these teams, you know, move into neutral side games for, you know, uh, you know, roster building purposes. Here's the deal, Logan, 24 guys, obviously, if that's the number, they're going to love that pie.

But what happens if you're outside the tent, you're a kicker or you're someone who may not be regarded as a premium player right now. How's that going to go on a team where it's like, well, Brent's getting it, Harold's getting it, but Logan's not. How's that going to play out to down the road, being human nature, being what it is? Yeah, absolutely. That's certainly, that certainly could be a problem. That's, you know, that's kind of what I mentioned. I'm, I'm interested to see how that works.

Um, how do you divvy up that and how do you, how do you select the 24 players? And, you know, obviously if you, if you've got 6 million to allocate the 24 players, well, if, if Byron Brown scores four touchdowns in that game and, and I don't know, Joe Schmo doesn't do anything, but he was one of the 24 players. And how does that work? Yeah. Right. Does, you know, somebody get a little bit more upset that they, they contributed more and, and receive the same amount of payout that someone who didn't contribute.

[1:03:04] There's a lot of factors into this, um, which is, you know, there's really not any answers for it right now. Um, I, I would, I certainly would see where there can be some, some internal locker room issues as to where, you know, like you mentioned, maybe a kicker who goes out and, and, and nails three field goals. Well, he, he, you know, um, right, you know, he contributed to that just as much as, as you know, your starting quarterback. And so there, there's certainly a lot of factors that'd be interesting to see how these coaches and, uh, how these programs handled that.

That was my number one question. When I read the article from Brandon Marcella, who used to be an Auburn beat writer, but does a great job now with CBS was how they were going to divvy that up. Speaking of kickers, Alex McPherson is one of the three representatives for Auburn next week in Tampa, uh, which a lot of, believe me, Byron Brown and Alex Goldish can be quite familiar with Tampa, uh, champ Anthony, Byron Brown and Alex McPherson. And a lot of people are saying, you mean to tell me they're sending a kicker.

He has a great story to overcome a lot of obstacles. Your thoughts on the three Auburn representatives. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I think Byron Brown was probably as much as a, as a surefire pick as there was on the roster. He's, uh, not just because he's, you know, Alex Goldish's guy and your quarterback, but he's, he's very well-spoken, presents great leadership traits. Um, and you know, he's obviously, like I mentioned, the face of your program right now. And, um, again, you know, I saw where there were definitely some people who were disappointed in the, in the other selections.

And of course, Alex McPherson, but, uh, you know, I, I like it. I love Alex McPherson. I think he embodies what it means to be a, you know, a quote unquote Auburn man. And he's now in his fifth year with the program and he's, he's stuck it out through multiple coaching changes, three actually. Um, and you know, not to mention he's, he's got, you know, one of the most powerful stories, probably in all of college football after coming back last year and battling that, you know, gastrointestinal illness that he was having to, uh, to push through and still push through.

Um, you know, and then Champ Anthony is a guy who's, uh, you know, me personally, I think he's always given great content when we get to speak to him after games and in media settings. So, um, you know, he's battled injuries the last two years and he had the broken leg and 24 was a team captain last year and then still dealt with, um, some health issues last year as well. I like it. I think that, uh, you know, maybe it's a situation where you pick three guys who you say, Hey, I'm going to go get an offensive leader, a defensive leader, and a special teams leader, you know?

And, and, uh, not necessarily have to divvy it up between two offensive and two defensive guys, but, uh, you know, not, it's, it's not always about who the best player is that you're sending to, you know, to these media days. It's, it's a lot about, you know, who's going to represent my program, who's going to represent Auburn as well as possible. And I think that they chose three really outstanding, um, men to do so. Logan Fowler, who's going to be with us, covers Auburn 18, 19 news, Logan, uh, obviously Alex Goldish, his first time as an NCC coach to go to one of these things.

He's going to get the usual questions. What do you think would be the most, uh, pressing question he could answer? And, uh, I saw rumbling the other day, some of the guys saying, trying to compare coaches. Well, he's got a lot of pet dye in him. Your, your thoughts about those observations and, uh, as far as some of the questions Goldish should be facing next week. Yeah, probably be something about Byron Brown's throwing motion. Um, I'm just kidding. Um, no, so I mean, I'm sure he might get some of those, but, um, you know, I do think that the, the number one thing that he might get, especially from a national media perspective is, you know, Hey, you brought a lot of your guys over from USF.

Um, there was a guy by the name of Kurt Cignetti last year who came over from James Madison and, and, you know, comes over to the powerful level and wins a national title. You know, what's stopping you from doing that in year one at Auburn? Uh, you know, something, something like that. I think that he could certainly face some pressure of, uh, you know, what exactly he's going to do to, uh, to put Auburn back on the, uh, on the national map. I think obviously he's going to get a lot of, of questions about bringing his USF guys over, you know, what's your offense going to look like?

Can you bring the juice back to an Auburn offense and struggled mightily, uh, under the last two offensive gurus? You know, what, what makes you the offensive guru that that's going to set this thing apart from the other ones? Um, the DJ Durkin retention was huge. Um, probably going to get a lot of questions about that, but, you know, I think that all in all, man, I think he's, he's answered a ton of questions already this off season that, I mean, in my head, it's like, how can you, how can you have much more to say, right?

You've, you've kind of explained everything, but, uh, no, I think, I think, uh, especially when you have people who don't cover the team on a daily basis and get to talk with coach goals as often as the local media does, you're probably going to kind of get a lot of questions about the, uh, the USF carryover, um, to Auburn, uh, backup quarterback. Everybody knows Byron Brown is going to be the starter is the backup quarterback, uh, Tristan Tia from Oregon state. Yeah. Yeah. I think that he's, he's certainly going to be the backup quarterback and that's what, you know, after a strong spring, I think he kind of solidified himself there, but also, uh, you know, if you're Tristan Tia, you, you, you obviously know that Byron Brown's the guy, but he's got one more year.

[1:08:44] Uh, and then, you know, you're kind of trying to show in preseason practice and, and along throughout the season, that you're the guy who, who can take over, um, in 2027. So I think that, you know, why, you know, he's not starting this upcoming season, first off, he's one play away from being on the field and, you know, God forbid that that happens, but, um, he's one play away from being on the field. And then obviously, um, you know, if he doesn't get to play this season, like I mentioned, you, you're trying to show and show this coaching staff and, uh, that you have the skills necessary to compete in the sec.

So this, this upcoming, uh, you know, preseason practice and fall camp is just as important for Tristan Tia as it is for anybody else. Logan, circling back to the question, what's going to keep you from doing what Signetti did last year in Indiana? I'd say it'd be one word schedule. Have you looked at Auburn's schedule compared to Indiana's last year? Yeah, a hundred percent. A hundred percent. Yeah. That's a, you certainly can't compare Auburn and Indiana schedule last year, um, which is, which is, you know, it's, it's hard for me because like, you kind of feel like the first four games are winnable, but at the same time, it's like you, Auburn does not strike fear in, you know, anyone's eyes right now.

Like, what are you going to do kind of in the early goings to strike fear in the eyes of Ole Miss and LSU in late October? Um, you know, I think that obviously we've talked about before a couple of weeks ago as well, that, that four game stretch in October at Tennessee, at Georgia, um, LSU coming over with probably one of the most talented rosters in the country at Ole Miss. Um, you know, it's tough because you don't know what these teams are going to be, but at the same time, you have a great feeling that Tennessee is going to be well above average.

You, you know, what you're getting in Georgia, obviously the LSU, I mean, we're still waiting to see what it is, but a number one transfer portal class. And that's a, a class to where like some of the, the middle of the pack guys are, would be the most talented guys on other people's rosters. So, I mean, it's going to be interesting to see. It's, it's certainly a tough schedule for Alex Golesh to maneuver through in year one. Uh, no question about that. I've been, I've said that three times this week, the, the gauntlet of that six game schedule may be the most difficult, um, uh, of anybody in the country.

Great stuff. We're going to be running to a break with the British Open and get an update on the leaderboard, but always a treat to talk to you. Uh, where can we get online and get the absolute latest about Auburn and certainly your coverage next week for media days? You can find me over at 1819news.com and Logan F Fowler on it. Sounds great. State travels, Logan, Logan Fowler, visiting there at 1819news. Speaking of coverage from the NCC media days, BB, are you loading up on your Energizer bunny cookies?

Uh, well, I'm loading up on several things, but it should be a fun week. By the way, bonus coverage here next week, Monday through Wednesday, 11, uh, a.m. to two. Uh, but first let's head down to mobile and check in with Randy Kennedy. Stay with us. Jackson Super says he's played only 27 holes of Lynx golf before today. Well, the Tampa native looked right at home in Northwest England at Royal Burkdale. Super firing a five under 65. He's got the lead as the first round winds down. Super went out in even par 34, but he came home in five under 31, including an eagle at 17.

Sung J.M. and Dan Brown are four under one back. Big group at three under. Big names, Bryson DeChambeau, Colin Morikawa, and Cameron Young among them. World number one, Scotty Scheffler battles for a two under 68. That is three off the lead. Scheffler had four birdies in the first six holes, but played the final 12 in two over. And Rory McIlroy hoping to make up some ground coming in. He's two over through 13. I'm Ted Emmerich, Westwood One Sports. When you see this in your kitchen. The stainless steel fridge is covered in fingerprints.

You hear this. Leslie, people are going to think you were raised in a barn or by wolves. Erased in a barn by wolves. Fortunately, Wyman Stainless Steel 3-in-1 cleans, shines, and protects to give you the best shine. A spray and a wipe will have your fridge shining like a mirror. Wow, my fridge looks brand new. Your fridge looks amazing, Leslie. Sorry, I was being a little dramatic earlier. Your kitchen says a lot about you. Let it brag with Wyman. Kohl's knows summer comes with a few family debates.

Like, what's the best ice cream flavor? Or who gets the good pool noodle? But when it comes to Kohl's summer outfits, everyone's in agreement. They're comfy, they're cool, they're stylish. And the best part, they're 20% off. Make the season a little easier with looks your whole family will sign off on at Kohl's and Kohl's.com. Select styles. Offer ends July 19th. Some exclusions apply. See store or kohls.com for details. This update on the 2026 British Open was brought to you locally by Cypress Lakes Golf Course and Muscle Shoals.

[1:13:47] Ready for your next great round? Head over to Cypress Lakes Golf Course and Muscle Shoals. With 18 challenging holes, fast screens, and water coming into play on 15 of them. It's a course that rewards great shots. Enjoy pristine fairways and unbeatable daily rates. And after your round, come relax at the newly renovated 19th Hole Lounge or grab lunch at Scholl's Bistro. Call 256-381-1232 to book your tea time today. Florence Sunday's just got a whole lot tastier. Join us every Sunday, 10 to 2, for brunch at Sam's Portugal Florence.

Fill your plate with brunch favorites like chicken and waffles, shrimp creole, french toast, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, savory sausage, and much more. Whether you're gathering with family after church, meeting friends for brunch, or simply treating yourself to a great meal, Sam's has something for everyone. Pair with a Bloody Mary or a mimosa for only $6. Brunch is now served every Sunday, 10 to 2, at Sam's Sports Grill Florence. Make our place your place. Kohl's knows summer comes with a few family debates, like what's the best ice cream flavor, or who gets the good pool noodle.

But when it comes to Kohl's summer outfits, everyone's in agreement. They're comfy, they're cool, they're stylish. And the best part, they're 20% off. Make the season a little easier. With looks, your whole family will sign off on at Kohl's and Kohl's.com. Select styles. Offer ends July 19th. Some exclusions apply. See store or Kohl's.com for details. Joe Fallon did something smart. He saved hundreds on auto insurance switching to progressive. With that money, he commissioned a portrait of himself. Does Joe already know what he looks like?

Yes. Do guests know what he looks like? Also yes. But not as art. It's Joe Savings, and if he wants to spend it on a velvet painting of himself with a white tiger at his feet, we say, roar, Joe, roar. Switch and see if you could save with Progressive and treat yourself. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9. Welcome back in. He has been the winner of the Mel Allen Award from the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, named one of the 50 legends of sports writers in Alabama.

You can find out why now by reading his goodies at AL.com. Randy Kennedy, welcome in. How are you? Good, man. How you guys doing? Hey, buddy. I think, would you echo the same sentiments on this end of the state of Alabama that maybe we're ready to trade some of that European football for SEC football next week down in Tampa? Yeah, we never actually left the real football, did we? No. No. I think a lot of folks. It's talking season. We're ready for it. There you go.

Randy, your thoughts coming in. What's going to be the big story this year outside of maybe not too far down the road from me there on I-10 at LSU? Where do you stack up the big stories coming in this season? You know, it's so interesting as we enter this new world of college football with the NIL and the rev share and all that sort of thing. It's going to be so interesting to see if it really is going to be as cut and dry as people think about, you know, do the halves in terms of money like Texas A&M, LSU.

Are those really going to be the halves on the field? I mean, because we're coming off a year where Indiana won the national championship and they paid some money, sure, but they have not been one of the halves in terms of buying a roster, though they may be that going forward, but they haven't been. So I think that's going to be a big storyline. I'm not just ready to concede that suddenly those teams are going to be the powers. It's like a Hollywood marriage. You'd think this pretty boy and that pretty girl would make it work.

Nah, it's got to have some chemistry to it. It's got to fit the system. And I think that was the thing that didn't get talked enough about last year with Signetti. Yeah, he had big bucks behind him, but he knew how to spend it because you got some folks, they can have all that money. But if you got on offense, 11 me's and on defense, 11 me's and no we's, how many games are you going to win when everybody's playing for their next paycheck? That is absolutely true.

And so many of those guys, you know, he brought with him from James Madison. So it wasn't like any major program couldn't have had those guys out of high school if they would have done a better job of scouting. So I think that's where so much of this is now going to come in where can you get guys who are pretty good recruits and not the absolute five-star blue chips? How many of those guys can you identify who are going to be superstar players? Speaking of superstar players with potential, the best of Bama started on Sunday and you finished up with the top 10 today, I believe.

I want you to explain the criteria of this because a lot of people think, well, Randy probably just lists seniors. Not quite. In number 50, Randy, I know this is difficult because number 12 is Trent Seaborn. And I'm thinking, you mean to tell me there are 11 players better than Trent Seaborn, but they are. But Cedric Simmons of Selma, who was an Aubrey commitment until yesterday, flipped to Alabama. He is number 50, which tells you the talent on this list. Tell us first your criteria and your thoughts on a flip from Selma yesterday.

[1:19:10] Yeah, what we did with this, best in Bama, this is year two of this format and nobody's ever done it this way before. None of the recruiting services or the websites or the pay sites or any of that have ever done this. So what we're trying to do is identify these guys early in terms of the top recruits in the state. So it gets difficult when you're comparing a freshman to a senior or even, you know, we've had an eighth grader make the list already. When you're comparing those guys to somebody like Trent Seaborn, who's kind of a household name by this point.

But what we're trying to do is say, look, if you go see a game that includes, you know, you go to see Talladega High School play, or, you know, you should know that there is a kid there who's 14 years old who is already on the radar of all of the big SEC schools. That's what you need to know, even compared to the guys who have already become big high school stars. So it's difficult when you're comparing one grade to the other, but we're just trying to say, Hey, here are, here are the guys who are going to be big time recruits, either in this class of 20, 27, or all the way down to, we're already talking about 20, 30 at this point.

So that's, that's what we're trying to do with Trent Seaborn. Are there 11 players in the state better than him? No, there are not. But in terms of being a recruit, are there 11 guys who have been more highly thought after than him? Yeah. Yeah. I think 12 is about right for him. Randy, I'm looking at this list in the top 10 and what I find absolutely amazing that we probably would never say it back in the day of a guy named save and Bryant die and others in the top 10.

And I won't call it all the names of number one, because he's got roots in North Alabama. Papa Phillip was a save and his family's played over at Athens. That's gunner rivers on his way to North Carolina state. You got one going to Oklahoma, one going to Oregon, uh, one going to Texas, one going to Oklahoma. The rest of the rest of the rest are uncommitted, except one guy in the top 10 is committed to down home. And that's, uh, the, uh, young man Kingston free year out of Benjamin Russell, the quarterback recently committed to Alabama.

Your thoughts, number one, did you ever think out of the top 10, only one would be committed to either Alabama or Auburn. And what about that one, Mr. Free year, what is Alabama getting that young quarterback? Yeah, it really is crazy. And we've got, it is it guys, it's the year of the quarterback in Alabama. It was a good year. Last year is going to be another great year. This year, Kingston free year has got two more years of high school to go at Benjamin Russell committed Alabama just last week.

We've got him in the top five, uh, among all the, you know, regardless of classification, we've got him there. It's crazy guys. It, it used to seem like it just wouldn't happen that a guy would go from Alabama top recruit and go to Oregon. It just wouldn't. And now we're in line for a third straight year where a player who's in the top six in the whole state is to have already gone to Oregon the last two years. And now one is committed there already. It just feels like with so much travel going on and how the world is just a smaller place now, you know, and these guys don't think that much about, I could leave.

Alabama and go play at Oregon. Randy, one of the other things about this is a lot of these guys are multi-sport athletes. Uh, a lot of them play two or three different positions, offense and defense. And I think we talked about this young man earlier in the year, but you've got a number 19, Lee Steele from Orange Beach. He is a basketball star at six, six. He's also a tight end. Alabama's quite interested in him. He's on, he's at your, your neck of the woods. Talk a little bit more, more about a very talented guy, right?

Ranked number 19 in the best of Bama, Lee Steele. Yeah. You know, we did this. We broke this down position by position before we put out the final one through 50 that culminates today. And when I was going through the wide receivers and the tight end, it's like every single one of them, it's like, oh, he's an all-star basketball player. You know, it's just with almost without exception, every one of these guys who are tight ends or wide receivers are guys who could play at the college level, uh, on the, on the basketball court.

Now, maybe they're, maybe they're better prospects in football, maybe not, but Lee Steele, uh, you know, as a high school athlete is probably a better basketball player, but his future is that, uh, is it tight end? I mean, let's, let's face it pro basketball players who are six, six or six, seven or a dime a dozen as an athletic tight end. Those guys are not a dime a dozen. And so I think he's going to be a tight end. I know LSU is already really pushing hard for him.

Alabama has been very much in the mix for him. So we'll see, he'll have his choice of where he wants to go, but he's, uh, he's got two more years of high school as well. Two words on that. I've always noticed quick twitch. If you play basketball and you're a good basketball player, chances are you got a lot of national athleticism about you, but Randy, let me ask you about, uh, again, back to just a few years ago, did you ever think there'd be such a debate for a three-star in state?

[1:24:10] Cedric Simmons commits to, uh, Auburn, then flips to Alabama. He's a three-star, but he has been one of the hottest contested names between these two schools over the last few weeks. And during this entire cycle, what, uh, is that right now? Anyway, what is Alabama getting in Simmons out of Selma? Yeah. It's so interesting that we got him 50 on the list, you know, among guys of all grades, we've got him 50 here. Um, that's where he was before he was committed to Auburn and then he committed Auburn and now he's committed Alabama.

He's number 50 on the list, but you know, you look at this, how many guys in this upcoming senior class legitimately have been recruited by Alabama and Auburn and it's not all that many, you know, for whatever reason, one school may be very much in the mix for a guy and the other not, or, you know, whatever the case may be. In this case, this was really one of those old school kind of battles that you guys and I remember from back in the day where, Oh, it's a great player in state.

Wonder if he's going to Alabama or Auburn. And this is one of those few guys that still fit into that category of really being recruited by both of these. Uh, when he committed Auburn, it was a little bit of a surprise. I think a lot of people assumed he was going to Alabama as a, comes from a big Alabama family. So, uh, he will go to Alabama now, I think. And, uh, he's a, he's a slot kind of receiver, you know, one of those small, shifty, fast sort of guys.

So that's what Alabama is getting with him. Randy, we were talking about players for some of the top players going to, um, Oregon. Uh, and what something jumped out to me, two of the top 10 are going to Oklahoma. Jalen Scott, uh, who plays at Williamson, a defensive back. Uh, and then the quarterback, Jameson Roberts from Sarah land. And I'm thinking, what's the common denominator here? Uh, Mr. Nagy, who used to be the executive director of the senior bowl, probably knows some talent there. He's now the general manager at Oklahoma, two of the top 10 now, now, right now looking at going to Oklahoma.

Isn't that crazy? Yeah. And I definitely do think it's the, it's the Jim Nagy connection there. No question about it. That, uh, he, he certainly knows all the high school coaches in the mobile area and he knows what kind of high school football played in this area. Heck his son played for UMS, right. So he got to actually see, you know, some of these guys play on a Friday night, uh, two of the top 10 going to Oklahoma. They had another commit wide receiver from, uh, Tuscaloosa who was committed to Oklahoma for a long time and has since flipped to Ole Miss.

So they would have had three in the best in Bama top 50, but, uh, but they've got two for now. Who knows, they may add, uh, they may add another before we're done, but two of the top 10, that's a really strong haul for, uh, for Jim Nagy in Oklahoma and they're recruiting well all over the country, but two in mobile is, is really strong for the Sooners. Absolutely. And one that pumped out to me in your top 10, Joey Fleming, an offensive lineman from where? The Huntsville Crimson Panthers.

Uh, and you're right. He may be the most coveted recruit in a decade in North Alabama. You're exactly right about that. And I'm to be curious. He's a junior to follow him. Great stuff. I've been looking forward, forward to the debut of the best of Bama, uh, the entire summer. Randy, where can we get online and get all the great stuff? Yep. You can go to, uh, al.com and that's where you can find it all. We broke it all down by, by classes. Then we went, uh, 10 at a time, 50 to 41.

And then today, uh, we debuted the final list, number 10 through number one. So the top 10 prospects in the state, regardless of what classification they play or what grade they graduate, this is the top 10 prospects in Alabama. It is, uh, as you guys know, a very star-studded group. Great job. Keep up the good work, Randy. And thanks for your time today, buddy. We appreciate you. Thank you, bud. Randy Kennedy, check it out again, al.com. Let's go to AL as in the heart of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. Ryan Fowler on deck.

Stay with us. Nothing says legendary like the Atlanta Braves, but here in the Shoals, there's another hometown legend you can taste. Step up to the plate at Champy's Famous Fried Chicken, where the fried chicken is as unforgettable as a walk-off homer at a Braves game. Load up on those legendary homemade sides. And don't forget a true Delta classic, Champy's Homemade Hot Tamales. Lunch, dinner, or any time you're craving something unforgettable, it's always a winning play at Champy's. 122nd Street in Muscle Shoals. Famous fried chicken, legendary sides, and a meal worth cheering for.

Hello, I'm Eddie Buckley, president of Certified Alarm. No matter where travels take you, Certified Alarm will help you be worry-free. Our security systems have all the latest technological features. Certified Alarm has North Alabama's only UL-listed central station. Our Halo Alarm transmitters give the fastest and most secure monitoring available. Certified Alarm, since 1960, keeping the Shoals secure and in touch. Call 256-383-1225 or online at certified-alarm.com. With other language learning apps, I was just playing games. I wasn't really learning. Babbel's different. Babbel was designed by over 200 language learning experts to be the most effective way to learn another language.

[1:29:29] Every time I open the app, I can choose to work on my writing, speaking, or listening. And it saves my mistakes for me to review, so I'm constantly improving. Before Babbel, I thought I just wasn't good with languages. But now I'm speaking French. Tout ça, c'est classe à Babbel. Save up to 50% on your Babbel subscription when you sign up at Babbel.com. B-A-B-B-E-L dot com. And the match is about to begin. Most of the team is out with COVID-19, so there'll be some substitutes tonight. What's this?

We have an unexpected guest on the field. It's a dog. Well, they could do with extra players. She's going for the ball. Our front paws, hands or feet? Soccer season is full of surprises, and COVID-19 could be one of them. If you test positive, prescription medications may help. Ask your doctor if they're right for you. Learn more at Pfizer4All.com. Sponsored by Pfizer. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9 The Score. NASCAR Cup Series back in action on Sunday night. It's the window world 450 under the lights in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

The World Cup final is set. Argentina rallied yesterday to beat England 2-1 in the second semifinal. That sets up a World Cup final of Spain against Argentina Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The third-place match will take place in Miami Gardens, Florida. On Saturday, France will meet England. The Atlanta Braves are home tomorrow night with the Braves take on the Texas Rangers. The Braves are 55-40. Chris Sale will get the start for Atlanta tomorrow. He is 9-6 on the year. 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. The Sherwin-Williams Summer Sale is here. Get 30% off select paints and stains or 35% off our newest product, Emerald Symmetry, July 17th through the 27th. Whether you're refreshing your interior or exterior, we've got the colors to bring your vision to life. And with delivery, getting everything to your door is easier than ever. Shop online to have it delivered or visit your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams store. Retail sales only. Some exclusions apply. See store for details. Delivery available on qualifying orders.

With Progressive's Name Your Price tool, you can choose the best coverage option for you. Because you know you. Like, you know you can't cook. You're not one of those people who say that they can, but when people come over for dinner, they find out the hard way, you can't. You can't even microwave popcorn, and that's literally just one button. Plus, measuring and patience are huge parts of cooking, and that's just not you. Only you know you. So get coverage options within your budget with Progressive's Name Your Price tool.

Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Pricing coverage match limited by state law. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9. Welcome back here. What do you say we head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and check you in with the man who drives you home every afternoon. There is host to the game on Tide 109 FM in T-Town, Ryan Fowler. Welcome in. How are you? I'm good. I'm good. Man, I'm good. Getting ready to go to Tampa. Ready to spend a few weeks at the coast, and I'm back in T-Town, leaving out on Sunday, headed to Tampa, Florida.

Don't know what the topics will be, but we'll try to create some down there, try to throw some things against the wall, as Nick Saban would tell us, and see if they'll stick. But, you know, I've got a lot of things to think about. I've got an interview with the board next Wednesday, so I'm going to ask the audience this afternoon. What do you want to know from Taylor and the board? Well, Ryan, if we're going to ask you what do you want to know, what would be your number one question of, I got a pretty good idea, but I don't want to steal you, Thunder, man.

So the stage is yours. What's the number one question of the boss? Well, I would say the offensive line. How confident do you think that this offensive line can be a productive unit? You know, when you look at two years, what have you learned in the SEC about the line of scrimmage? Do you think it is a difference? You know, and this is the guy that won the Joe Moore Award in UW. So, I mean, he knows what a good offensive line looks like, so it's not like that's uncommon to him.

But I think when you, you know, when you step back and you begin to look at this out of our football team, guys, I believe that this team can compete for a championship. I didn't say win a championship, I think compete for a championship, if the offensive line. It's about stopping the run and running the football. Yep. Thank you. And I know we make football so complex, but it's really very, very simple. Yep. And that's what the theme of the offseason, I'll be honest with you.

We've talked very little about the quarterback competition in Buffaloes. And, you know, I always say, it's not about what I want to talk about. It's what you want to talk about. I'm talking about you as the audience. And the audience just wanted to talk about the offensive line. So, I've tried to feature, like I got an offensive lineman on this afternoon, to kind of help us understand, how does an offensive line improve? How can you make, you know, an adjustment to improve, you know, your football team?

[1:34:51] And I think it's a mindset. It's a physicality. You can't find it in October. You've got to be able to develop it. Yep. In the month of June, July, in spring training. But it also takes recruiting the right of players. And you think that they've done that. You know, last year, he really ran out of players. He ran out of players from a depth standpoint. This year, it looks like he has adjusted by adding guys to play multiple different roles, right? Multiple guys on defense can play in different positions on the defensive front.

Offensive line's the same. And, you know, I may ask him about the biggest competitions, because I think it's more than just quarterback competition. I'm still convinced that there could be a little competition at that left guard spot. And I just continue to hear that there could be, you know, we kind of just want to plug William Sanders in there. But I think there could be some, I think there should be some competition. You know what? You want competition. Right. You don't want to assign your starters week number one.

Nope. Week number one of fall camp. And, you know, players report on the fourth, fifth, the fifth is first day of practice. We'll have a media day on August the 8th. So, yeah, I'm excited about this upcoming season. I think it's, you know, I'm excited to get to Tampa because it's a loop that we must jump through to get there. But as I told someone last night affiliated with Alabama, he asked me, he said, when are you coming back to Tuscaloosa? I said, well, I'll chase Alabama completely out the door.

I said, whenever they leave, that's been my fault. Because it's like they bring the energy. And for those that do not believe that Alabama butters the bread of the SEC, if you're in that camp and you believe that Alabama doesn't butter the bread of the SEC, then I'd like to invite you to go with me to one of these SEC media days. And you say, well, I can't make it this year. No problem. We'll do it again next year about this day. Right. Because you guys have seen it for years.

When Alabama walks in, I don't care if it's Coach Fran. I don't care if it's Mike Shula. When Alabama walks through the door, it's almost where the TV reporters will drop the cameras and go after Alabama. Yeah. It's the funniest thing. I remember Tommy Tuberville down in Auburn. And at this point, I think it was – I don't remember who it was that was here in Alabama at that time. But it was not Nick Stavitt. And Alabama had showed up at one of these. And it's just almost a stop.

And it shifts their attention to Alabama. And you guys have been in the media business a lot longer than I have. I don't know if it's always been like that, but it's like Alabama demands – they bring the energy, but then as soon as they leave, it gets sucked out of the place. And it's like the buildup for the Rolling Stones. And then, hey, guys, we're going to stay around here for a few more hours and play a few more songs. You guys hang around. And it becomes like a ghost town.

Have you ever been there on the final day of SEC media days? Yep, it does. I mean, you're looking around like, hey, what happened to the crowd? And now they're trying to put – Yeah, they're trying to put Lane Kiffin, I think, at the end to make us want to stay around. Yeah, Sarkisian. Yeah, so Sark and Lane Kiffin, which, you know, I guess that would be good, but not enough to spend $379 for an evening at Tampa. Not when I can sleep in my own bed Wednesday night.

I'll fly down Sunday, come back Wednesday evening, and they can get back then again at 8.30, 9 o'clock. So I'll take that over, sleep in another night in Tampa. Why are we going to Tampa, by the way? Anybody know? I think it has something to do with money, exposure. They've got an active chamber of commerce down there, tourism board. And Greg Sankis says, how much did you say, oh, okay, we love Tampa? Okay, so we had a caller call in two or three days ago, and I kid you not.

He called in and told me, said, you know what Tampa's known for? Now, listen, I'm a married guy. I've been married almost 30 years, okay? Almost 30 years. Congratulations. You know what? Do you know what Tampa's known for? Can we say it on the radio? Yeah, it's an entertainment district. Yeah, right. I said, hold on a minute. I said, no wonder they got Lane on Thursday. I mean, and Friday and Saturday. But it's known. It's known, seriously. It's known for an entertainment district. That's what that town's known for.

I did not realize that. That Tampa's known for, like, the strip joints. So, anyway, I didn't realize that. Now, you know. That's what the caller. The caller called me. He called me, and I said, how do you know this? He said, it's well-known. It's well-known. It's known. I said, really? Tampa, Florida. And he said, it's not just female strip joints. It's like the Chippendales or whatever it is. Yeah. He said, it's for the male strippers, too. And I was like, wow, okay, okay. Well, I'm going to SEC media parties.

[1:40:09] I don't think they're going to have strippers. But you never know. You never know. We got a British Open update coming up. By the way, write Greg Sankey's speech for him and see if it's a little better than the one he gave at Sandestin back in May. I hope that it is. Who's on the show today, and where can we listen? Mike Johnson, Rodney Orr, and we've also got Nick Kelly coming up. Two o'clock, Tide 100.9. And we appreciate you guys. I'll talk to you guys next week.

I will not be in Tampa, but I'll have plenty of coverage. We'll see you guys then. Thank you, buddy. Safe travels and stay off the streets down there. BB, your brother's over in Jacksonville. Is it Tamer on that side of the state for your brother, or is he going over to Tampa as well? He is going to Tampa, but Jacksonville is a little more conservative than Tampa. Oh, boy. It seems like everything is going on across the waters. Last week, we had to get the very latest a couple weeks ago from a place called Wimbledon.

Why do you say we stay on the grass? Only this time, it's the green grass. And if you ever looked at the British Open, they have a thing called the Lynx. It's a little bit different than we got in this neck of the woods. It's the very latest on deck. Stay with us. Westwood One Sports presents this special report on the 154th Open Championship. Sponsored by Grainger. With professional-grade products for every industry, Grainger has you covered. Call, click Grainger.com, or just stop by. Early evening at Royal Birkdale, and winds are dying down again.

The last few groups hoping to capitalize. Jackson Suber is the leader at five under. How about a 65 in his first ever round at the Open? It's the fourth time a player has shot 65 or better in their Open Championship debut. Sung Jae-in and Dan Brown also in the clubhouse. They're at four under, one back. Colin Morikawa and Cameron Young among those at three under. Those two still on the course. Morikawa, two holes remaining. Young has three to go. Morikawa trying to get up and down for birdie at the par 5, 17th.

Scotty Scheffler, two under. Rory McIlroy has not been clean, but he does birdie the 15th. He's now two over, seven back. I'm Ted Emmerich, Westwood One Sports. This is the story of The One. The one who keeps multiple buildings running smoothly day after day. Plumbing that flows, HVAC that hums, cleaning supplies that keep surfaces sparkling. That's why she counts on Grainger. With easy reordering online and 24-7 support, Grainger helps her keep the product she needs on hand. So shelves stay stocked and buildings stay ready. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by.

Grainger, for the ones who get it done. At Sentry, understanding starts with taking a seat, talking face-to-face, getting to know your business firsthand, diving into details, seeing risk from every angle, becoming experts in your business, and crafting coverage that really makes a difference. So save us a seat. We've got work to do. Property and casualty coverages are underwritten by a member of the Sentry Insurance Group, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. For a complete listing of companies, visit Sentry.com. Policies, coverages, benefits, and discounts are not available in all states.

See policy for complete coverage details. This update on the 2026 British Open was brought to you locally by Lost Pizza in historic downtown Florence. The final out has been called. The dugout cleared. And now your team is starving. There's only one place to go. Lost Pizza, home of the Monster Pizza. So loaded with cheese, so massive. It's basically its own sport. Whether you're Little Leaguers, travel ball champs, or rec league legends. After the game, bring the whole team to Lost Pizza. We've got the table, we've got the pies, and we've got the monster waiting for you.

Stop by after the game and taste what everyone's talking about at 201 North Seminary Street, Florence. This July 15th through 18th, experience four incredible nights of free live music at Mobile Plaza in the heart of downtown Florence. From Grammy Award winner Cedric Burnside to Sunny War, the Funk Brotherhood, Parlor Greens, Lamont Landers, Bold Bloom, and more, it's four nights packed with unforgettable performances in the heart of the Shoals. Plan your weekend now at HandyOnThePlaza.com. That's Handy on the Plaza, July 15th through 18th at Mobile Plaza in downtown Florence.

Free admission, great music, four unforgettable nights. This is a special alert to all Americans who own a vehicle with less than 200,000 miles with an auto warranty about to expire or with no warranty coverage at all. Due to a decline in the economy, CarShield is announcing a low-cost month-to-month vehicle protection plan that is now available to the public to save any driver out-of-pocket expenses on future auto repairs. Call now to find out how you can pay almost nothing for covered auto repairs. Yes, you heard that correctly.

Pay almost nothing for covered auto repairs. An open phone line has been established for all drivers to call for a free quick quote. Call 800-553-7217 now. Drivers who are covered will not have to pay for covered repairs again. This protection plan is at an all-time low. Additionally, drivers who activate this vehicle protection today will also receive free roadside assistance, free towing, and car rental options at no additional cost. Call us for your free quick quote today. 800-553-7217. That's 800-553-7217. What do you have to lose?

[1:45:32] Call 800-553-7217. Again, 800-553-7217. The score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back, Dan. Quickly, BB. I think it's safe to say we can say thank you to the listener who's gone through the dry season next week. Kind of the unofficial beginning of college football and the SEC. And we're privileged enough to be able to add some time to the clock next week here on 93.9 The Score. Yeah, we got bonus coverage from 11 until 2. I got an extra hour at the 11 o'clock hour.

And I mentioned this earlier and we'll mention this probably again tomorrow. Monday, on the docket is Kentucky, Will Stein, Eli Drinkwith with Missouri, Oklahoma, and the Tennessee volunteers. And I'm sure some of the media are going to be asking, Josh Heupel, can you improve on 8-5 last year? Which a lot of Tennessee fans would like to have an answer to that. You know, the other thing, too, I think it's going to be a discussion is we had Phil still on earlier today. And what a privilege, speaking of that, it is to have probably the recognized guru of preseason magazines in the country.

Now, due to respect everyone else, everyone does a good job. And his is not a magazine. It's an encyclopedia. And he went through some of the lists as far as surprises in case you miss. He's got Alabama in there. But one of the, in fact, they are the biggest surprise team in Phil's mind. But I think what makes it tough for Phil and everybody else now in this business and fans as well and even coaches, what role will transfer players have on the roster? And just quickly to add to that, I won't go through the whole list here, but this is what I consider to be the top three transfer impact players across the country.

And I'll give you a little hint, BB. Two of them, Alabama and I'll be facing in LSU. Quarterback, of course, Sam Levitt. And also, Jordan Seaton, the offensive tackle. Both of them transferring into LSU. But the number one guy is a guy that last year everybody thought was always just close to breaking out for the Auburn Tigers. And I don't think it's any shock. Cam Coleman, what role will he now have at Texas? And how does Auburn fill those incredibly big shoes be? I know they've got some folks coming up, but when you lose a guy that has the potential of CC, Cam Coleman, that's huge.

Well, Harold, number one, they couldn't get the ball to him last year enough. So they've got three receivers coming in from Central Florida, which would be able to fill that void. By the way, you mentioned LSU. Phil Stills got LSU ranked 22nd. I actually agree with that. I think LSU goes 9-3 or 8-4 this year, and then after that, Katie Barr, the door. His number one team in the nation, I know he's got Georgia and Texas like everybody else does at the top of the SEC.

He's got Notre Dame. And we talked to Mike Hegan about Notre Dame last Friday. They have basically a two-game schedule. There you go. Miami, BYU and SMU. CJ Carr's back. He tore up the Manning passing count in May and did a really good job. They've got a secondary that intercepted 21 passes, won't be able to run the ball as much. They've always got a good offensive line. But believe me, you talk about the Alpha and Omega difference. Look at Notre Dame's schedule compared to Auburn. Notre Dame's about as easy as you can get and Auburn's about as difficult as you can get.

Well, which brings us to this, B.B. At the end of the season, I hope the guys who are on the committee are not going to be the same hypocrites that we've had to put up with for years. And they talk about one thing in this time of the year, in the preseason, saying schedule, strength of schedule is going to come into play. And then when we get down to the brass tacks at the end of the year, they always come up and spin it like a master politician.

I just hope this year they practice what they preach at the end of the year that they're preaching in the preseason because how many teams in the SEC could possibly be in the running with a schedule, not just Auburn, Alabama, everybody's got a tough schedule in the SEC. So please spare us the hypocrisy and look at last year's and all due respect, Indiana deserve it. We're not taking anything away, but I'll still maintain this. One of the reasons you're good in the postseason, if you can go through the regular season without running a huge risk to injuries, you've got a better chance of winning, B.B.

So please, will this be the year they finally practice what they preach? Well, I can tell you one thing, Harold, if they don't do that again, the Big Ten and the SEC may poke out their chest and say, we've had enough of this. We're going to go do our own thing whether you like it or not. Kick back and relax, Braves fans. You've got another night of vacation that'll get back after the All-Star game tomorrow night against the Rangers. You don't have to go to Atlanta to see it.

You can hear it right here on 93.9 The Score. We're going to take care of biz for now on behalf of B.B., Greg James Blair, the entire crew here. Harold Buck, thank you so much for your time today. Let's do it again tomorrow noon to two with a bit more Buck Show back here on Sports Radio 93.9 The Score.