Boomo Bugg Show 010826

[0:00] Now, get ready to roll, Shoals, Decatur, Athens and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Good afternoon and welcome here to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, welcome in where? Boomo for March Madness. College football says it's time to get their final four party started tonight.

Hello, how are you? Happy Thursday to you and the listeners. Alabama loses to Vanderbilt 96-90 after 62 fouls are called. And 88 free throws were shot. The 62 combined fouls were the most fouls in a Division I game this season. Caleb Suggs of the Decatur Daily updates high school basketball during the first week of January. BB is here right now to predict both college football playoff games. BB is Bill Bender, the national voice with the Sporting News. Bill, welcome in. Is it feeling like winter or spring in Ohio?

It is January. You're supposed to have about three feet of snow up there by now. How's the weather? A little bit nicer this week. So, yeah, we're just getting ready for the college football playoffs semifinals today like everybody else. Hope you two are doing well. We're doing fantastic, Bill. I appreciate you asking. Let's talk about it. Obviously, no one. Maybe somebody called a liar might expect Ole Miss to be battling tonight. Miami is one of those deals where I think some people say maybe, but certainly not Ole Miss.

And certainly the journey. In effect, they've got – how would they put it? They've got a step coach and a starting quarterback who came off the bench from the beginning of the season to this season. This is going to be one of college football's incredible stories, regardless of how it ends. The question is, will it end tonight for the Cinderella's from Oxford? I picked them to win, so I'm going to say no. But, you know, it's a coin flip game. Miami's obviously favored. You know, you still have some drama with who's there and who isn't there with the coaching staff and Lane Kiffin's shadow.

But, you know, I herald the reason I'm taking them. I just believe in what Trinidad Chambliss is doing. I think he's been the most dynamic player in the playoffs. I think Miami has some guys that have been pretty dynamic, too. But if they can, you know, force the issue and score some early points, and he makes some plays using the improv that he's done so far, it's 300 or more yards in four of his last five games. I think Trinidad Chambliss leads Ole Miss to a victory tonight.

Bill, we want to talk more in depth about that game. But you mentioned Chambliss. To me, how refreshing is it? Because everybody just – I don't know, maybe not everybody, but a lot of people thought it was a foregone conclusion when Lane went through his shenanigans. He was just going to take him with him. And to Baton Rouge, Chambliss says, Ole Miss has been good to me. I'm going to be good to Ole Miss. Is it true that maybe some people still are as good as their word?

Your thoughts about that issue? And Lane's got his own problems now fighting the lawyers. It looks like he and, at least according to the reports, Washington may be going to the courts before going to the gridirons. Your thoughts about Chambliss right now, anyway, saying he's staying at Ole Miss and the Lane Kiffin era at Baton Rouge so far. Well, I mean, Lane is Lane, and this is more drama. I wrote a piece yesterday that said, you know, imagine how things would be different for him had he stayed at Ole Miss.

He'd be loved right now. Everybody, I think everybody in the SEC would love him. People like him on Twitter. I still don't understand that. I mean, I guess, whatever, you know, because he's snarky or whatever. He has attention. Yeah, and he's never going to live this down until he takes LSU to at least the semifinals now. That is a ton more pressure than what he started out with. Beal, I agree with you. Trinidad Chambliss is the X factor here. Miami did a tremendous job controlling the line of scrimmage against Ohio State.

I think held them to less than two yards, average running the ball. Everybody knows how good they are. Their front seven is ferocious with Bain Jr. and Masador, and that secondary is pretty good too. Keontae Scott, who was at Auburn for a while, pick your poison. If you're the defensive coaches from Miami, do you try to keep him in the pocket and let him beat you by throwing the ball? And you mentioned it. His improvised skills are absolutely off the charts. If you're the defensive brain trust of the Miami Hurricanes, what do you do to try to contain Trinidad Chambliss?

[5:22] Well, I mean, they're going to come after him. There's no doubt. That pressure will, and you land with that, with Bain and Masador and DeSante, and they're good in the interior. I think, you know, the key is going to be stopping the run. So it works inside out. So Ole Miss looked us up on pro football focus in that in between that center and that right tackle, he won Lacey averaging about seven yards a carry. That's a third. So, but Miami allows 2.9 yards a carry for the season.

An excellent defense that continues to play well. And I think that's the key right there, because if they can get Ole Miss in third long, you can only improv so much before you make a couple mistakes. Bill Bender, the Sporting News. Bill, will those mighty zeros, those two stars and three stars from Indiana be the star when they take on the Ducks from Oregon? I mean, obviously Ole Miss is a Cinderella. It's safe to say Indiana is pretty much Cinderella's story, too. Well, yeah. I mean, you know, Indiana is unlike anything we've ever seen in college football.

No. Again, looked it up yesterday. They have the second worst winning percentage of any power conference school. They passed Wake Forest to get the second worst. So it's an unbelievable story. And I thought Pat Forty wrote a really good piece this week about how they don't screw things up. They don't turn the ball over. They don't get the potentialities. They do the little things in football that add up to victories, and they do it as well, if not better, than anybody in the country. So, I mean, they're going to be tough to beat.

It is a tough rematch. Oregon's a very good football team, very aggressive football team. Their defense played awesome. I think it's going to be a one-score game as well. So I picked Indiana to win by a touchdown, just like I picked Ole Miss. But I'm telling you, if Miami and Oregon win, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. That's not a cop-out to say, look, a disclaimer. I really believe any one of these teams can win it. Yeah. That's what we talked about with the Alabama game with Indiana.

They're plus 18 in turnovers. They just don't beat themselves. Silly penalties, mental mistakes. They're one of the most fundamentally sound teams. And I know everybody talks about the Oregon offense with Dante Moore and Benson and friends. They can run the ball, too. But Oregon shut down Texas Tech. Four turnovers. Brandon Finney had three of them. Seven tackles, four loss. Now, I know they played better after James Madison went up down the field against them in the second half. But I think that's one thing people don't look at enough is Oregon's defense.

Right. I mean, you know, they just got after it. Finney, the turnovers that they can create. I mean, those that threw a pick-six to Finney in the last meeting. Their defense against Texas Tech was beyond impressive. They're good up front. They can get after the passer. And the thing in that matchup that's going to matter is both teams can shut down the run. Oregon's going to be a little thin at running backs. Indiana's got that committee. But in games that have been challenged, they've struggled to run the football.

So, it really will come down to Fernando and Dante. And, you know, we can make that couple handful of big-time plays in the passing game. There weren't many of those the first time around. This could be a very defensive game. Bill Bender, the Sporting News. Bill, you're next door to Ohio State. We're next door to Alabama and Georgia. Well, they all got in common on the sidelines for the Final Four. Is this an anomaly, seeing what we're seeing now in the Final Four? Or will the Blue Bloods come back?

Or is it a situation where, in this era where you've got to go spend money and put a team together like the NFL, you better be able to get the biggest bang for the buck, i.e., evaluate talent, bring in guys maybe a little bit under the radar, under budget, and squeeze that talent out of them. Your thoughts about college football and what have we learned this year with the Final Four? Who's in? And, as we just mentioned, who's out? Yeah, it's got an NCAA tournament feel to it now.

Those three schools you mentioned, it's kind of like Duke and North Carolina and Kansas. Yeah. You know, they win a lot, but they don't win it every year. But they win a lot. You know, I look this pat up, Harold. Since 2014, which would match the college football playoff era in basketball, the number one overall seed in the NCAA tournament has only won the tournament one time. Wow. UConn, 24, which, you know, remember that UConn team? They were about as dominant as can be. So, maybe that becomes the thing here in college football, where maybe the dominant team just doesn't win it every year.

And I don't like that necessarily, because I think that's part of what makes college football awesome. But, you know, Indiana could prove that wrong right away. We've talked with you about this two or three times in the last couple of years. You came out with an article earlier this year about, with the Bill Bender, changes to the college football schedule. Now that we're down, frankly, to the end of this, a lot of people are looking at 2026. Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner, wants to eliminate the early December signing period.

[10:45] I've advocated for years one in the summer and then maybe go back to February. But week zero is week one. Ross Dillinger of Yahoo came out with this. The playing dates of the college football playoff, the semifinals were turned in year's day. The transfer portal will go to the spring. And the OTAs, instead of spring football, would be the OTAs, play the second round at home sites of the highest team, seeded. And you've talked about this quite a bit with some of your ideals. Refresh our memory as far as the Bill Bender change to the college football calendar.

Well, I think Dan Lanning's spot on, you know, whether it's the starting the regular season sooner. Putting the first two rounds on campus. I think there's something to rest for us when, you know, the teams that have got a bye week are one and seven now. I think I would go to eight, but no playoff format in our country has ever contracted. It's always gone up. So, you know, given the choice between eight, 12, and 16, my preference would be eight. I think we'll go to 16, which is the second preference.

And then you put the first two rounds on campus. And then you, one of the things I've heard, Brad, is like, if you go to the Cotton Bowl like Miami did, now you're going to another bowl. Then you've got to another bowl. That's a week full of events. So, why not just do that twice like we did in the four-team era where that was more manageable? Because I want players to experience the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, et cetera, the Rose Bowl, and then you play the title game.

And let's get this thing done around now instead of a couple weeks from now because you guys know we're playing games on Thursday and Friday for a reason. Because the NFL takes over against Saturday. Let me ask you this, Bill. These are some suggestions about where we are with college football and trying to get a handle on some of these transfers and money that's being thrown around. Let me throw some of these bullet points at you and see if you can agree or disagree. One, we need a commissioner.

Two, contracts with these guys need to be two years with a buyout and payback clause in them. If they leave early, they've got to pay back to balance that issue. Number three, change the portal the spring or summer. And four, no more bowl-out, opt-outs. You're getting paid to play, not sit out. If you sit out, you lose or have to pay back the money. How can you argue with that logic? Check, check, check, check. You're just making you, we're just making you the commissioner. Okay? Thank you.

I agree. Two-year contracts to start your career. You know, you got it that way. You're not leaving after your freshman year, unless the coach leaves. I'll give them that out. If the head coach leaves, then you can go. You know, just the commissioner part to get the four power conferences and maybe all the conferences on the same page. Right now, the person technically kind of doing that in some ways is the CFP director. And that's not, but that's not all of college football. That's just for the playoff.

So we need somebody in charge of everything. Right. Portal makes sense. NIL makes sense. You know, sooner or later, we've got to start talking about a salary cap, too. Because the math and the numbers and, you know, you're hearing about certain schools spending more than other schools. And these numbers are getting, they're getting out of control. There's no doubt. Yeah, I agree with you. It's not sustainable for the long term. Enjoy the two games tonight and tomorrow night. I know we'll be transitioning into college basketball.

But all they need to do is name the three of us to solve all the problems in college football. And we'll be glad to do that. What else are you working on? And where can we get online to get it? I got a couple pieces on the Packers and Bears coming, too. Obviously, you guys know I'm a big Green Bay fan. Excited for that. And then getting ready to go to Miami on Thursday. And I've been looking at myself on some of these podcasts. I definitely could use a suntan.

So I am as pale as it can be right now, guys. I look like a ghost. You got that Ohio tan in January, right, Bill? I do, man. Casper would be jealous of me right now, man. I got to get down there. I hope you are able to make it down safe travels. Listen, man, thanks so much for your time, Dave, Bill. I had no problem. Thanks for having me on. Thank you, buddy. A little Ben to the Sporting News. You mentioned that Vandy game last.

I asked you, just before you go to the break, 62 fouls. Now, here's what the ticker. It wasn't the 62. Yeah. But you know what? 50 of them were against Alabama. So Alabama fouls 50 times. Vandy, 12 times. Do the math. Of all the fouls, that's about 90% on Alabama. Where did they play the game? There you go. Coming up, what's shaking in the show is Caleb Suggs. All of that and more. Straight ahead. Stay with us. Hello, my name is Debra Bell Passuer, and I'm an attorney with the law firm of Johnson Passuer, Medley, and Burchill.

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[21:09] Caleb, welcome in. Hopefully, 2026 is off and rolling on the right foot. How are you? How are you? I'm doing good, guys. Sorry. Hey, buddy. We're doing all right. So, favorite time of the year. Obviously, football is coming to a head. SEC basketball is starting to get into the meat of their schedule of conference play. But high school basketball, after basically, in effect, taking a backseat to high school football for a while, now they are center stage. Caleb, who, in your opinion, is rocking and rolling to kick off, in this case, tip off 2026 on the high school hardwoods?

Yeah, I think you've got to look at, in our area, Decatur Aaron's point. I know that their record is, you know, it's a good record. It's around 13-6 or so, you know. But, you know, you look at all those losses. I don't think they've lost. The only team they've lost to below 5A was Madison Academy, who's, you know, a ranked team 4A. So, I mean, they play such a super tough schedule for a 2A team. They're ranked number four right now. But I really think they're the best team in 2A.

And I think that, you know, they were in the Final Four last year. They've made three or four Final Fours since 2019. I really think they're going to make another run there this year. And Jordan Davis is going to lead. So, you know, they're a team you have to watch. And then Price was with the girls. You know, they went to, you know, a Sweet 16 last year. But they were missed at Ivy Lane. Now she's back. She's averaging a double-double. She's just so hard. It's such a force inside.

It was her size and her athleticism. And, you know, their 15-4 also played a tough schedule. So, those are two teams that are going to be you need to watch, you know, going forward as we get to the second half of the season. How many times do we talk to you during the course of a football and basketball season about programs that have great athletics? West Morgan is another one. I know we talk with you a lot about Austin and Athens, et cetera. West Morgan boys are 12-5.

The girls are 13-4. And, again, it's a little bit misleading. A lot of these teams play a tough preseason. And, as you noted, the West Morgan boys are ranked fifth in Class 4-8. The girls are number eight. The boys have lost some games just because they lost to teams in Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. And the girls are 13-4. They're ranked number eight. And one of their big wins was beating Morris Hill. Believe me, they're the number two team in the state in the girls. But, every year we talk about West Morgan, and we'll talk about their football team in a minute with your postseason awards.

West Morgan boys and girls advance to the lead eight. May do it again this year. Yeah. What they've got going on athletics-wise right now is one of the best in North Alabama, especially below the 5-8 level. There's not much better that's going on. The boys, I knew that they were going to be great. You know, they've been to the lead eight's last two years. And, you know, they're bringing back most of their stud players. Landon, Anderson, Keele Murphy are two of the best players in North Alabama, in my opinion.

Second year in the system under Bobby Meyer. So, that was always going to be a plus. You know, Bobby Meyer's a great coach. Coached Nick Coleman for a long time. And then, yeah, I mean, just look at it. You know, they actually lost four of their last five, but moved up in the rankings. It goes to show you the teams that they were playing. You know, they went down to Coleman, you know, a top five team in 6A and, you know, lost by three. So, I mean, you know, they're a really good team.

And I expected that. The girls, I think, have been a surprise. I thought that they could be good. I did not think they would be as good as they've been. And they've really turned it up here lately. As you mentioned, they beat Marcelle, which was shocking to me. We all know how good Marcelle is with Mel Hill. So, I did not see that coming. So, you know, they've been really good. And, yeah, I mean, you're talking about any time you have one team from your school that has a chance to be really good and make a run, that's great.

But when you have two, that's a special thing that not a lot of schools can do. So, that could be what's working this year. Caleb Suggs, the Decatur Daily. BB mentioned it as far as handing out some awards in football. Very interesting player of the year. Carter Lee, shock, shock out of heart. So, one completed pass would have probably pushed him over 2,000 total yards. 1997, just three shots, 2,000. The Decatur Daily 5A through 7A player of the year. And the coach of the year, Brett Beaird's former neighbor, Seth Parker, after a 2-8 season last year, rocking and rolling this year.

Your thoughts about Carter Lee and Seth Parker? Yeah, you know, you look at it, Carter, you know, stepped in his senior year. He's only here as a starter, which has become, you know, Hartsell hasn't had a quarterback start a season opener in back-to-back years since Luke Godsey in 2017 and 2018. That's just kind of the way it rolls there. I mean, they got, you know, their offense is so complex. I mean, you have to stay in it, you know, for a while to really learn and be able to do it.

It's not just whether you're talented enough to do it. He could have easily started just from a talent standpoint. But he stepped in and he was really good. And I think he was even better than a lot of people thought he was going to be. Just from, you know, everybody knew how good he was as a runner. But it shocked a lot of people how good he was throwing. I mean, he completes almost 70% of his passes. Yeah. So, that's really good at the high school level.

[26:27] And so, he was really good this year. And then, you know, Coach Parker, you know, what he did at Priceville this year was amazing. You know, jumping from 4A to 5A last year, they had a rough year in his first year going 2-8. But, you know, I think they were better than 2-8 last year. I think they had a couple games that could have gone out of the way. But then they just turned up this year. And I think the big thing was beating Guntersville in the first round of playoffs on the road.

I think if they had finished 7-4, it would have still been a great year. You know, something to build on. But the fact that you could go in and beat a team that's always good like Guntersville, that was a huge win. And I think that's going to spark a lot of momentum for this program going forward. Yeah, absolutely. Well, they were behind two touchdowns or 13 points, came back and won that game in the last two minutes. Incredible. Class 1A through 4A, all-area football team. You can look at both of these.

You did player of the year, coach of the year, and then first team, second team, an honorable mention. Again, we come back to West Morgan. Macari Johnson, we've talked about him now for two or three years. 1,800 yards, 28 touchdowns. He played through some injuries, and particularly in the middle of the year. And then Drew Phillips, as you mentioned, I bet you can count on one hand the number of coaches who have had three consecutive 10-0 regular seasons. Yeah, you know, it started with Macari, you know, just an amazing year.

You know, really took his game to the next level. I mean, he was extremely good last year. He could have been player of the year last year. But, you know, he took his game to the next level. I think, you know, what's not going to get, you know, show up on the stat sheet is, you know, when they went through so many injuries in the middle of the year. I mean, they had to really rely on him. And, you know, he had one game against Hatton, which was a huge region game, where he carried it 37 times.

Because the starting quarterback was hurt, and the backup quarterback got hurt the first drive, and all the quarterback could do was hand the ball off. So, I mean, you're just talking about a guy that, from a leadership standpoint, just really carried the load for a team that really went through it in the middle of the season. And then, yeah, Drew Phillips, I mean, you know, what can you say? I mean, he's won our coach of the year four years in a row now. And, you know, generally we like to try to share the love.

But, I mean, what you're doing is so impressive. And I think, you know, they didn't go as far this year. They got upset in the second round. I think the injuries and stuff kind of caught up with them at some point. But, you know, for them to go through everything they've been through, they lost their quarterback, they lost their best defensive player, they lost several other injuries, for them to go through all that, still end up going 10-0 and winning the region. I think, you know, even though they didn't go as far as last year or the year before, I think he would tell you it was probably one of his best coaching years and one of his staff's best coaching years.

So, well-deserved, you know, for a coach that I think is one of the best in the entire state. Absolutely. You mentioned Hanton on your first team. Tayshaun Love was the quarterback, 1,500 yards, ran for another 500. In fact, he made the winning basket the other night in the basketball game. Boy, that's a shock. Severius Evans ran for 1,700 yards, came from Decanter Heritage. Congratulations. Certainly recommend getting online and looking at, again, the first, second, and third in honorable mention teams. Always enjoy catching up with you. A quick update on basketball.

We'll get more into it as we, next time we turn around, it's going to be area play and then going down to Wallace. You've got the scores, the wrap-ups every night. Where can we get online and get yours and the team's good stuff? Yeah, you can get online at decaddaily.com. As you said, we're in the second half of the basketball season, so it's about to start going real quick. Before you know it, we'll be down in Wallace, and it's always a great time, so I'm looking forward to it.

And we always look forward to catching up. Let's do it again soon, Caleb. In the meantime, stay safe out there, and thanks for your time today. All right, guys. Thanks for having me. Thank you, buddy. Caleb Suggs picking up with us, the Decatur Daily. Coming up, rock and roll time on Rocky Top. Ryan Callahan, the latest next on the Boomo Bugg Show. Mug Shots Grill & Bar has a winning lineup with their limited-time offers. Choose from the smoky bourbon maple stack with two kid burgers, or the pretzel basket with four pretzel sticks sprinkled with kosher salt.

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Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates. Northbrook, Illinois. Progressive Insurance presents the Sports Flash on 93-9. The score. College basketball, North Alabama on the road tonight as they take on Eastern Kentucky. The Lions have lost four straight, losing Saturday to Florida Gulf Coast in Florence. They're 5-8 on the season and 0-2 in the Atlantic Sun. Wednesday, Alabama fell to Vanderbilt in Nashville, 94-90. Crimson Tide dropping to 11-4. They had a four-game win streak, snapped with the loss. Amari Allen, 25 points. The Commodores pulled away in the second half after the game was tied at halftime.

Alabama will return home to face Texas on Saturday at Coleman Coliseum. Auburn will be home on Saturday, hosting 15th-ranked Arkansas. The Tigers fell to Texas A&M on Tuesday night. They're now 9-6 and 0-2 in the SEC. They have dropped four of their last six games. The sports update brought to you by Progressive. Bundle auto and home, renters or condo and save with Progressive. I'm Tony Dezzeri on 93-9, the score. With the new IHOP value menu, six bucks is all it takes to go to your happy place.

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Welcome back in. What do you say? We open the door and say hello to Ryan Callahan. Got the big orange covered there at Go Balls 24-7. Ryan, welcome in. How are you? Hey guys, doing well. How are you? Hey, man. We're doing all right. Looking at the latest on the Tennessee quarterback situation, have they gone to the NCAA and petitioned them to bring back Peyton Manning and or Conridge Holloway? The way things are on the NCAA, we may not need to laugh about that. Where are things with the QB at UT?

Yeah, maybe they need to go down those paths. That might be more fruitful than what they've tried so far. But no, they're beating down some bushes here, trying to see what they can find in the portal. Only gone after some top guys so far. Really, some of the big names. Brendan Sorsby out of Cincinnati was the guy they were connected to early on. Did not get a visit from him. Sam Leavitt at Arizona State on campus right now. Coming off his visit to LSU. What an interesting situation that has become.

[37:22] In light of the DeMond Williams situation at Washington. He's sitting there courtyard with Lane Tiffin. The next day, he's headed to Tennessee suddenly. And expected to be at Miami this weekend as well. So still at least one more stop plan for Sam Leavitt. Some people think he's waiting to see if Oregon will get involved there. He's from the state of Oregon. So we'll see what happens with that one. And outside of that, it might be waiting to see if Joey Aguilar will get clearance for an additional year of eligibility.

If things don't work out with Sam Leavitt, Tennessee not currently involved with anyone else, maybe they go get somebody else. But their next best option might be just to see if they can run it back with the quarterback who kind of bailed them out last year out of the transfer portal and see if he can get some clearance for another year that would come as part of this lawsuit that he's now a plaintiff on that Diego Pavia, the Vanderbilt quarterback, started last year. There's some optimism that it'll work out.

But obviously, that's a wild card. You don't know when he would be cleared either. But that might be Timothy's best option if Sam Leavitt would have not worked out. Aguilar had surgery after the Music City Bowl, had a tumor, benign tumor, in his arm, a bicep that was causing a lot of pressure. I know Tennessee fans are not exactly happy with his. I think he threw for about 130 yards in the loss. And we've talked about that quite a few times, the mistakes, and particularly the safety, the 99-yard pick six against Alabama.

And I wonder if that had started bothering him, and particularly in the month of November, your thoughts on Aguilar as far as recapping the season. And I know, obviously, he's waiting on the judge to make a decision. But your thoughts on how he ended the season? Yeah, not a great end of the season when you combine the Vanderbilt game at the end of the regular season with the bowl game, where, you know, Illinois, I should say, did what a lot of teams did against Tennessee this year, which is kind of sagged defensively down the field to make sure they weren't beaten over the top.

And with Chris Brazel out for that game, opted out to get ready for the NFL draft, Tennessee just wasn't as explosive in the passing game. Season low in passing yards, snapped Aguilar's 36-game streak in which he'd thrown for 200 yards every game for three years, basically. And, you know, tough way to end the season for him. Raised some questions about Tennessee's offense going into next year. But give Illinois credit. They played well, coached well going into that game. You know, you always wonder about motivation, as we talked about before the game, how much was Tennessee worried about that game.

But bottom line, not the kind of end of the season Joey Aguilar wanted. And frankly, after that game, he didn't sound like a guy who was really expecting to be back at Tennessee. I think he knew the Vols were interested in going to the transfer portal. You know, it just might kind of fall back into his lap to see if he can get that job again for the second consecutive year. But this time, I think he knows if he gets that job, much like last year, he will not be Tennessee's plan A.

They know they can't really afford to wait if he were to be rejected in that court case. And, yeah, so we'll see where that one goes. But, yeah, definitely not an ideal end of the season. And certainly Tennessee fans are kind of wondering when he might have started to feel some discomfort related to that tumor because you could trace that back to some of his poorer performances the second half of the season, certainly. Yeah, absolutely. Let me ask you about it. And I know you've got 50 names running around in your head.

A couple of guys that, in our neck of the woods, are quite familiar with. Defensive lineman James Smith and edge rusher Quay Roussau from Alabama entered the portal, and they are planning to visit, too. At some point, these guys were teammates at Carver High School in Montgomery. We're certainly quite familiar with them. When they both play well, they're very, very good players. Roussau got hurt, missed quite a few games during the course of the season. James Smith showed flashes for years, for a couple of years.

Your thoughts on both James Smith and Roussau and the chances Tennessee may pick them up? Yeah, Tennessee was involved with those guys, particularly James Smith, coming out of high school and certainly has a relationship there, enough interest to kick the tires. A lot of competition for both those guys. But they're top 50 players in the transfer portal right now. Certainly going to cost a pretty penny to get both of those guys as a package deal. And, you know, I think they would fill major needs for Tennessee at the same time.

They really need some help on the defensive line. They need edge rusher help. They've got two of their top returning edge rushers in the transfer portal. And Jordan Ross, who could be headed to Alabama. We'll see where that one ends up. But he might be headed back to his home state after playing at the Sabia Hills and visit LSU first. But Alabama is definitely involved there. And then Caleb Herring, a talented guy out of the mid-state here in Tennessee that, you know, it's a little bit surprising that some people would leave after having four sacks this year and going into his final year of eligibility.

[42:40] But that's opened up a big hole in Tennessee's depth chart. They need all the edge rushers they can get for defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' system. And, yeah, James Smith would obviously address a major need in the middle of the defensive line. So we'll see Tennessee's scheduled to get those guys on campus over the weekend. It sounds like on Sunday as of right now. But Ohio State heavily involved there. Some other programs that I think will be major contenders for them. But we'll just kind of have to see what the – this all comes down to money a lot of times.

Obviously, the transfer portal, we'll see how the numbers stack up and where Tennessee is at that point. But they're, you know, trying to get some other defensive linemen on campus, seeing what other options there are out there at edge rusher. But they've definitely got some major needs to fill on the defensive side of the ball. And those two could fit the description for sure. Ryan Callahan, Go Vols 24-7. You mentioned Jordan Ross. Talk to us about – and I've seen the same stories, I'm sure. There is a strong interest, it seems, from Alabama's standpoint.

The question is, is it mutual? What kind of player is Ross? And I looked the other day, Ryan, the average number of teams as far as numbers, losing players to the fours around 20. Right now, Alabama's right at that number 19. Where's the overall number with Tennessee right now? We know that's not the final one because this thing is still open one week and one day. It closes a week from tomorrow, so still more movement to come. Total numbers. And back to Jordan Ross, what's your assessment of it?

Yeah, I think Tennessee's up to 21, if I'm not mistaken, departures via the transfer portal. So getting a little higher than you would probably like in a year like this. And the key thing there is you've got five or so major contributors. And one of them signed with another SEC school today, Ricky Gibson, the cornerback. That's a guy who would have been a starter for them. Certainly Caleb Herring and Jordan Ross in that same category. Lance Hurd, Tennessee's starting left tackle the last two years back in the transfer portal.

So some big names. Guys who played a lot of football for Tennessee the past two years. In addition to some guys that are headed for the draft now. So Tennessee losing a lot of talent. And some depth, obviously, that's probably the other main thing. Just needing some bodies for the two deep on the offensive line and some other positions like that. But yeah, Jordan Ross, I think, a really talented guy that's still looking to reach his full potential. Only had one and a half sacks this year.

You wonder about sort of scheme fit. Is he going to be a better fit in another system? What kind of opportunity will he have? He's going into his third year, kind of a make or break year for a lot of guys in that position. Can he take a big step forward? I think he's ready for that. But he's got to get somewhere he can be developed and I think to reach his full potential. And certainly going back to his home state would make a lot of sense.

Certainly I've heard from a lot of people close to that one who think Alabama might be the favorite right now. But LSU, they're going to be aggressive too. They're involved with Chaz Coleman, the Penn State transfer who's the number one overall player in the transfer portal. So they need edge rusher help there with playing Kiffin's staff. So we'll see where that one goes. But Jordan Ross definitely heard a lot of smoke about Alabama being pretty heavily involved there and would make sense on both fronts because Alabama obviously could use some pass rush help as well.

Speaking of numbers, I saw where Auburn, by comparison, depends on how you measure this thing, some of the neighborhood of 30-plus because of the coaching change there. And what is it between Tennessee and Auburn? Coaches leaving one place going to the other one. Are the players and coaches meeting each other between Auburn and Tennessee? Yeah, it's a little unusual that you have so many guys leave. Certainly any time you have turnover, a new relationship, that can lead to some turnover. But I'm sure a little bit concerning there on the Auburn front that Alex Kulish's staff is having this much turnover and losing some guys like Kay and Lee, who's now headed to Tennessee, the cornerback transfer.

Not a guy Auburn was eager to lose there, I think. And Ohio State also hosted him. But losing some pretty good players to the portal. So, just a reminder of how tough it is out there. Auburn had one of the top ten portal classes last year. Now a lot of these guys on the way out. It's tough to hold things together for even a new staff. So, yeah, we'll see about that. But definitely Tennessee, some common ties. They're going head-to-head for some guys in the transfer portal.

There will be some interesting conversations, I'm sure, before Tennessee takes on Auburn. I think it's late September when Alex Kulish returns to Neyland Stadium. Let me ask you, what is the number of transfers coming in that Tennessee has signed? Quay Moss, a Kansas State defensive back, confirmed that one for us. And also, Ori Williams, O-R-Y, from LSU, all 6'8", 3-35 of him, is a pretty good player. Now, are those two guys officially signed? Yeah, those two guys have signed, along with, I believe, K and Lee signed during his visit yesterday as well.

And that's what happens with a lot of these visits. It's different from high school recruiting, very different. You can sign your scholarship papers while you're there on campus. So, that does add a sense of urgency, I think, to a lot of coaches and what they do during these visits. And, yeah, Tennessee was fortunate to get that one locked in with K and Lee. But, yeah, just those three signees so far for Tennessee, which is a little bit of a slower start than Tennessee fans have been hoping for.

[47:45] Kind of a recurring trend with Josh Heupel's staff. I think Tennessee fans would like to see the staff be a little bit more aggressive in the opening days of the portal window. But they've still got some good possibilities out there in play. But usually, as the window progresses, prices only go up as the options dwindle. So, I think Tennessee fans are a little bit eager to see some additional pickups for the Vols here by the end of the weekend, for sure, with the coaches' convention coming up next week leading to a three-day dead period for recruiting that will kind of allow a little bit of a reset for the transfer portal activity early next week.

Ryan, before you jump off, looking in through the eyes of Tennessee fans, you look at the wins this year, and you can look at it in terms of numbers or you can look at who you beat and who you lost to. Did I see this right? As far as quality wins, Tennessee almost was shut out in terms of big wins. The wins came against lesser opponents. I'm not a genius, but I'm assuming that's not going to cut it with the Big Orange Nation. Your thoughts about how hot the seed will be under Heupel as this trend continues?

Yeah, no question. This is not an ideal situation for Josh Heupel to be in going into year six. They thought this was going to be a potentially big year for them. And then the departure of Nico Iamaliava, fair or not, I think kind of reset the expectations for this past season. But then what happened is Tennessee came out with a better passing game than most people reasonably expected, and that sort of caused fans to think, okay, well, they played with Georgia. They took them to the wire.

Why can't they beat any of these teams on their schedule? So to go 8-4 after the way they looked in September, definitely seen as a disappointment by a lot of Tennessee fans. And, yeah, you can kind of view this season however you want. Tennessee didn't beat an FBS team with a winning record. That's probably the bottom line. They beat ETSU, and that was the only team with a winning record they beat all season. And on the flip side, they lost to three playoff teams and a fourth team in Vanderbilt who easily could have been in the playoffs.

So, you know, that's not where you want to be under any SEC staff. You want a quality win there to hang your hat on. They just didn't get it this year. But I think that can sort of mislead fans into thinking they're farther away from being competitive than they are. But at the same time, yeah, to your point, fans are going to be excited about that going into year six when they expected a nice follow-up, at least to a first-ever playoff appearance the year before. Some fans had wondered if former Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles also was at Ohio State.

Would he bring some players eventually with him? Let me ask you about two of them. King Mack, yes, he played at Alabama, then transferred to Penn State. I heard that he's on Tennessee's radar, and Amari Campbell, a linebacker, was the third team off Big Ten. Are those two guys from Penn State viable options for Tennessee? Well, I think a couple of Penn State players are. I would say King Mack is off the radar now. It sounds like he signed with NC State earlier today. That's one that Tennessee never got a visit officially lined up with him.

But DeJuan Lane, another Penn State safety who's entering the transfer portal if he's not officially in there already, he's another guy who's expected to make it to Tennessee sometime in the next couple days. Sounds like Amari Campbell, one of the top linebackers in the portal, will be at Tennessee in the next couple days as well. They hosted Chaz Campbell, the edge rusher, who's been visiting LSU and some other schools in Ohio State, one of the main contenders for him. Doesn't sound like he's likely to end up at Tennessee, but the ball's at least got a visit there.

And then Xavier Gillum, the other guy we're watching closely today, four-star defensive line transfer, also from Penn State. So some definite Penn State connections there, having Jim Knowles and Anthony Poindexter, the new co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach. Those guys being on staff have kind of helped Tennessee get some of those guys on campus right away. And we'll see if those ties pay off in the end, but certainly Tennessee is hoping that at least a couple players will follow those guys from State College down to Knoxville.

Boy, don't you know everybody's looking forward to a three-day respite from the transfer portal. Man, this stuff is just an hourly as far as updates are concerned. Great stuff, as always. Tennessee basketball getting the conference schedule off and rolling. They'll be playing Alabama in a couple of weeks. Still a lot of transfer portal, Tennessee baseball getting cranked up here down the road. Where can we get online and get all of your great stuff? And is there a transfer portal special for GoBoss247 in our future? There is.

50% off sale right now to sign up and get all the access to our transfer pool of coverage and much more. So, great time to check out the site. Basketball season, as you mentioned, full swing, baseball just around the corner. Fun time of year and no dull conversations being had right now on our message board, as you might imagine. A lot of fans feeling a lot of different ways about Tennessee's transfer portal activity and lack thereof in some cases. So, lots to keep track of, though, and lots that's expected to happen over the next few days.

[52:46] So, great time to join the site and check out all that coverage at GoBoss247.com. I'm sure it's all rated PG-13. Ryan, listen, man, thanks so much for your time today. Have a great rest of the week and weekend, all right? Sounds good. Thanks a lot, guys. Thank you, bud. All right, Callahan, GoBoss247. Quickly, BB, we talked about the 62 fouls in the Bama-Bandy game. You go back to what happened with Auburn against Texas A&M. At what point are folks going to say, I wouldn't have the job of a rep?

It's a tough job, but if you sign up for it, isn't it the time that we sit here and say, what's going on here? Well, we're going to talk to Blake Lovell about that tomorrow, Harold. And you go back to Auburn's issues with officiating in the Oklahoma game and the Georgia game. Yeah, NCC officials have not had a great year. Coming up, we're going to have a great second hour. We're going to be taking you to the tight end, getting the latest Bama talk with Ryan Fowler.

Logan Fowler is going to be talking Auburn Tigers. And the coach, Pete Cordelia Nall, straight ahead on the Bama Bunk Show. Stay with us. Wouldn't it be great if you could have your insurances for auto, home, business, farm, and RVs in just one agency? That's what the Michael Nall Agency is for. We can help protect what is important for you. Why not simplify your life? Visit Michael Nall or Bill Cochran on Mobile Plaza in downtown Florence. Or call them at 256-767-4237. Nationwide is on your side.

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Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and other insurers not available in all states or situations. Hey, fans. Welcome back to Fansville's Cheers and Tears. Okay, so like everybody deals with losing, right? To a rival on a last-second field goal. Whatever, it's fine. I'm totally fine. But I cope with losing with an ice-cold Dr. Pepper. Those 23 flavors are like so delicious. They totally wash away the pain of your college football team taking a big fat L. College football. It's a pepper thing. 1819 News. Republican leaders here in Alabama are defending the actions of an ice agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota that resulted in the death of a young woman.

Ice agents were seeking to remove vehicles that were creating a blockade around law enforcement operations when one of the drivers directed her vehicle at an ice officer who then returned fire into the car. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville said that ice agents are being violently attacked by radical leftists opposed to the deportation of illegal aliens and that law enforcement has a right to defend themselves. U.S. Congressman Barry Moore called this a deliberate act of violence and not a normal part of a protest. Democrat congressional members Terry Sewell and Shamari Figures are siding with the woman in the vehicle, Renee Good, saying that the shooting was not justified and they are now calling for an investigation.

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

[58:00] I would be trying to fight for survival instead of fighting to break a cycle. Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home for children needing a chance. Residents in the Demopolis community are mourning the loss of a 16-year-old teenage girl who was killed in Marengo County after a two-vehicle crash occurred on Highway 80. The fatality is identified as Braley Busby, a student at Demopolis High School. Another teen was critically injured in this crash. U.S. Congressman Dale Strong confirms this week that a second veteran's cemetery for the state of Alabama will be located in Madison County.

Strong has secured a $13 million federal grant to help assist the state in developing this cemetery. I'm Andrea Tice. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter. Valley Broadcasting Corporation, WITK-FM, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, The Shore. Sports Radio, 93.9 The Score. High school basketball season is here. And as your home for Florence Falcons athletics, 93.9 The Score is proud to bring you a select lineup of games. This Saturday, the Falcons play host to the Coleman Bearcats. Airtime is approximately 4.45 p.m. with a tip at 5 here on 93.9 The Score.

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Now, get ready to roll. Shoals, Decatur, Athens, and all of northwest Alabama and southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. New exclusive inside track to the Tide. Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. Our true living more Bug Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley. And, baby, what a way to kick off the second hour on pre-TGIF Day.

And saying hello to Coach Pete Cordelli, former head coach at Kent State, assistant coach at Arkansas, Minnesota, and a place called Notre Dame. Now on the network for the Arkansas State Indians. And his book is called Making the Grade. Coach, welcome in. Brett and I have one question. Why didn't we read your book, Making the Grade, when we could back in school? How are you? Well, fellas, Happy New Year, number one. Yep. Number two, I'm just, I'm a little puzzled. Yeah. Why was I not invited to the pontoon boat at Pickwick today with the weather being this good?

Because I know you two are at Pickwick on that big pontoon boat celebrating this great weather on January. What is it? The 7th, 8th? I mean, my goodness. The 7th, January 8th. Thank you for mentioning Pickwick. To me, that is the best kept secret. Every smallmouth bass fisherman out there knows it. But there's a place on the river that a lot of young men was, it was like going to Bourbon Street in New Orleans. There's a place called the Waterfall. I don't know if you've ever been there, but I guarantee you, a lot of guys listening right now, they've been to the Waterfall, and their life changed in one day.

If I admit I've been there, my probation officer is going to come. Oh, man. I'm telling you, that brings back some really good memories. Big smile on my face right now. And some bad ones, too. Hey, the reason you couldn't get to re-making the grade is that when I wrote it in hieroglyphics on the Ark with Noah, we couldn't translate it to the English language. So, but now that it's… That's because you've been at the Waterfall too long. Yeah, that's exactly right. Yeah, the Waterfall, Washington, Washington.

[1:03:07] Blame it all on the Waterfall. You know, Pete, the Eagles back in the day had a song called when, speaking of Greek, I'll bring it up, when Hades freezes over, Ole Miss is in the Final Four. Has Hades frozen over? Well, with 70-degree weather, and I'm sure it's in Oxford as well. Heck no. I mean, it's open for business right now, fellas. What a great job that Pete Golding, these players, fellas, look, we've been around sports all our lives, and adversity either tears you apart or galvanizes you, and it brings you together.

And nothing brings a community, a town, a state, a country together quicker than a successful underdog sports story that's continuing on, and Lane Kiffin is the villain. And, you know, I use the term ISO, that acronym, I-S-O, in spite of Mr. Kiffin. Ole Miss is moving on, but guys, the other thing it's done is, I think it's shown the country that Charlie West Jr. is calling a heck of an offense, you know, all those question marks, well, who's really calling the plays? Well, Charlie Weiss is, and he had a discussion with his dad, long-time NFL guy, Charlie Weiss Sr., had great success with the Patriots and Belichick and Brady, and he asked his dad for advice.

He said, what should I do? And his father said, you stick with that team all the way through. You don't give up on those kids, and he's been the guy that has stuck it out all the way through. The running back coach has come back now after spending a few days, but Charlie Weiss Jr. has galvanized this team, and I just got to believe, I couldn't believe Georgia couldn't get Trinidad Tramless on the ground the other day because they were taking bad angles. I mean, they, how many, three, four different times they had him for huge losses, which would have changed field position, and the guy runs to the inside and Trinidad Tramless just scrambles around, and fellas, he was a great point guard in high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Quick twitch. And the guy who recruited him to Ferris State, he and I, his name is Brian Rock. Brian and I coached together at Western Michigan, and I talked to Brian a while ago, and he told me back then, he said, Pete, he said, I was actually going to a high school basketball game to watch somebody else. He said, and Chambliss had about, I think, 21 or 22 different assists that night. And he said, we got to look at this guy. And that's how he got to Ferris State, is that they were watching a basketball game on someone else, and they finally got Trinidad on campus.

And so, you know, when you watch him play, he's truly a point guard in his mind, finding the open person and distributing the ball. I mean, every time you see him come out of a potential sack or lost yardage play, his eyes are upfield, and he's always finding the open receiver with accuracy. You know, a lot of times we see guys on the run, and man, they can't throw it in the ocean, you know, standing on the beach. But this guy, he loves the pressure. He loves this stage.

You know, his last year at Ferris State, they won the national championship there. So, this kid's been in pressure situations and has really done a great job. And I think with TeeJuan Lacey healthy, this is going to be one heck of a game tonight because, fellas, it's Miami defense. They remind me of Miami defense when I was at Notre Dame when we played them in 88. Yeah. Man, there was a long night, a lot of nightmares trying to block those dudes. That's what I was going to ask you about running the ball.

Again, stop the run, run the ball. Nick Saban's mantra. TeeJuan Lacey has had a bad shoulder. It still ran for 98 yards against Georgia with this ferocious Miami front seven. And their secretary is pretty good, too, with Bain and Mesidor and friends. Can Ole Miss run the football? Well, Brent, I'm glad you brought that up because Mesidor and Bain get so much of the credit, and deservedly so, because they control that front. But the guy that everybody better watch tonight on that defense is Keontae Scott, the safety, the kid who returned the pick six.

[1:08:08] He's basically a big nickel in terms of he can play safety, but, man, when he comes down in the box, he is a big-time outside linebacker, and he doesn't miss tackles in the open field. I have to believe that any time Lacey gets outside the tackles one side or the other, it's going to be Keontae Scott setting the edge and turning them back to his side to their friends. The other thing is you've got to be able to spy Trinidad, and you have to play what they call cage defense.

Don't let him get outside the tackles. So you take a little wider rush and have him step up inside and make him play in a cage. And if you can reduce the cage to a phone booth, you're going to win. I don't know if you can reduce it against this guy. That's a big booth. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. But Keontae Scott, I think, is going to be the key to Miami defense, slowing down Lacey and just the quick stuff they're getting out on the perimeter.

But this Ole Miss, it's going to be a heck of a game to watch, fellas. Yeah, and the coach, Pete Cordelli, that's two of Nick's former boys. Tomorrow night, two more of Nick's former boys. Who wins that showdown? And as Kurt Cignetti is starting to write out prescriptions of how to put together a team going forward, don't overspend, know how to evaluate talent and get the bang for your buck. Well, Kurt Cignetti has always been a great evaluator. Julio Jones, by the way, when he was at Alabama.

Yeah, his dad was a longtime coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a small school. Played UNA in a championship game. Exactly. And my dad was a high school coach for 45 years in Pennsylvania, and he knew Coach Cignetti, the older coach, Kurt's dad. And I got to tell you, Kurt is just like his father. I mean, thorough, can develop talent. But, fellas, Cignetti brought 16 guys from James Madison with him a year ago. So, in this day of the transfer portal, and I've said this all along, my dad's always said it, continuity matters.

When you understand the scheme on offense, defense, and you have the same guys coaching, the technique, the fundamentals, and you're on the same page. Everybody benefits. That's why Cignetti wanted to lock up all these offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, special teams guys. He gave them all new four-year contracts before the playoffs started. Pay for success. Hey, guys, the other thing is, the starting five offensive linemen and the starting four down defensive linemen are all 21 years or older. Yeah, that's it. And when you have those older guys that have been through it, but they buy into the plan, their leadership is absolutely priceless.

Because they're the guys looking at those younger guys going, hey, you don't get this right. We may have to go old school and take you behind the shed now. Say a while. Yep. Hey, you guys, and you'll be familiar with this term. They're going to mollywhop some folks. There you go. And you're going to like it. They're going to put some mollywhop on them. And you're going to like it. Yeah, that's right. I think it's going to be Miami and Indiana in the national championship game.

But, my gosh, if Carson Beck reverts back and starts throwing it to the other team, Miami's going to have a long day. How about that place kicker for Ole Miss? Oh, my gosh. Incredible. Yes, incredible. Wow. Unbelievable how these kickers are just banging their foot through from distance. So, I think we've got two great games. But tonight, I like Miami, and tomorrow night, I like Indiana. Harold mentioned making the grade. I ordered it off of Amazon and have read it from cover to cover. It is a blueprint.

It is a road map for any middle school. Yeah, you just lay everything out for a family. And if you follow that blueprint, you're going to be successful getting to the next level. Pete, in a couple minutes, tell us, again, the synopsis of the book and where we can order it. Well, I appreciate that. And all my years in coaching and the years I spent in the NFL as a scout, I just felt like there was a lack of information out there to parents, young coaches.

[1:13:20] I wrote this for high school kids and coaches and their parents and youth coaches because at some point in a young man's career, he's going to be evaluated on all those position specifics. And it's a starting point. Believe me, it's not an ending point at all because you still have guys. We're going to watch them this weekend playing in the NFL playoffs, getting all the way to the Super Bowl. They're still looking for ways to refine and develop techniques and fundamentals. And this book, like you said, Brett, it's basically a road map.

It's a reference book. So, it's a checklist of things you can go through. And what I recommend is that you work on one specific a day. So, if you take the first five, that's your first week. Second five, obviously. Third, fourth. At the end of a month, you'll know what you feel really good about, what your strengths are, what's average and what's below average. Now, go back and work on the below average and raise your game. So, this is the road map. It was kind of like I was riding in a car the other day.

And I'm like, in the old days, I used to carry a mat when I was recruiting. I don't think people know what. Exactly. So, I had to go to Siri, please, you know, drive the direction. Well, this is a football version of Siri with the directions of how to get there. That's a great read. Coach, listen, man, it's always good to hook up with you. By the way, we'll save you a seat on the Pickwick pontoon. And bring that pontoon coach with you named Lane Kiffin, okay?

You know, he, I don't know if he likes, like, he's more of a destined guy. He likes to go down there and hang out with his girlfriend and the hot yoga crowd. So, but you know what? It's going to be fun to see what happens in the next few times. Guys, it's always great being on with you. But don't get too close to the falls now, fellas. Or you will fall more than once. Hey, guys, happy New Year. Always a pleasure being with you. Hey, you too, Pete.

The pleasure is all ours. The one, the only coach, Pete Cordelli. What's going on down to the plains? Logan Fowler, the latest next. Stay with us here on the Boomo Bugg Show. What if your instincts could pay off? With Robinhood Prediction Markets, you could put your sports IQ to work on the games you know best. It's not you against the house. It's you participating in a live market. Buy or sell your predictions all game long. Trade every play with Robinhood. Visit Robinhood.com slash predict. That's Robinhood.com slash predict.

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Hello again, everybody. I'm Roger Hoover. On Thursday's edition of Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR, we'll be joined by Alabama women's basketball head coach Christy Curry to preview tonight's game against Kentucky. So when you watch them on film, what stands out? Just their size. You know, they're phenomenally talented. You know, they have a great backcourt. They've had some transfers as well. They've come in and filled the void. And, you know, Claire Strack's one of the best post players in the country. Her versatility. Face in the basket.

Stepping out. You know, her inside presence. I mean, she's a phenomenal shot blocker. And so it'll be a great matchup for Naomi and Essence. You know, we're excited about the opportunity tonight. It's a great, great one for us. And we need to try to get this one at home and take care of our own court. Hey, Bama fans. Each Tuesday and Thursday at 2 p.m. Central, join us live for Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR. This live streaming talk show features the latest on Alabama athletics with exclusive conversations with Tide student athletes, coaches, and media members giving their perspective on the Crimson Tide.

You can watch on YouTube, Facebook, and X with all conversations archived as well on the Alabama Insider Podcast. Roll Tide with Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR. Crimson Tide Today is brought to you by Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR. Crimson Tide Today is a production of the Crimson Tide Sports Network from Learfield. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back here. Time to say hello to Logan Fowler. He's got the Auburn Tigers cover there at 1819 News and Tailgate Auburn. That's T-A-L-E, Gate Auburn.

Logan, welcome in. How are you? Doing well. Thanks for reaching out and having me on the show, guys. You're more than welcome, Logan. Obviously, a lot on your plate. I want to talk, obviously, football in a second. But what a week for basketball for Auburn and Alabama. And the one thing I think that these two fan bases probably never agree on anything. Both of them would disagree that water's wet. One said it. The other one would deny it, probably. But I think this week they can agree that the SEC officials lead a very interesting life, do they not?

Let's start with the Auburn story first. Logan, has peace finally been restored to the plains after that ending with Texas A&M? Yeah, look, I think that was obviously a controversial ending. And you have really no choice but to kind of push aside and move on because you've got Arkansas coming to town on Saturday. But, yeah, I mean, look, I woke up this morning. I didn't catch the end of the Alabama game last night. But I woke up this morning and saw over X, the Alabama fans and Auburn fans coming together, talking about the SEC officiating.

So that was great. But, look, no, I thought that that call the other night that happened with Keyshawn Murphy, his buzzer-beater shot getting waved off, it was a tough one for Auburn fans to have to swallow. I personally, on initial reaction, I thought he got it off. And then after looking at the replay, maybe I could see where they could come from. But, again, I thought that there wasn't enough indisputable video evidence to overturn that call. And so, therefore, I think that it should have stayed what it was on the floor, which was a made shot, which would have given Auburn a win.

[1:23:27] But, guys, regardless, I mean, Auburn had a 16-point lead in that game. Thank you. That's the point. And, you know, three turnovers under the basket, 11 straight points for Texas A&M in 31 seconds. That turns into a 31-6 run. And A&M ends up getting up by 12 points. So, you know, yeah, that's a tough pill for Auburn fans to have to swallow losing a game like that. But, again, you guys, you know, if you're Auburn, you've got to find a way to just put the nail in the coffin when you're out 16 and win the game.

Yeah, right. Yeah, you're exactly right. That was the epitome of Bucky Ball. And he's just really getting started at Texas A&M. You're right. It was a 31-33-6 run credit to Texas A&M with their defense. And then they make the three-point shots. But, also, a lot of teams would have folded. Auburn went on a 14-3 run to end that game. And we all know how everything happened, you know, that the controversy, quote, as far as the clock on the free throws by Texas A&M.

But I also give Auburn some credit that they had a 14-3 run to get back in that game, close it out, and, again, as we all know, had a chance to win it. Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, Filip Jovich, who's been coming on really strong as of late, his first career double-double against Georgia to open up SEC play. He's been playing really hard. And Stephen Pearl's been very high on him over the past couple of weeks. He was out for that second half with a knee injury, and there's not a time frame for his return as of now.

That might have been a bigger factor in this game than we thought. I mean, he talked about against Georgia. He guarded the guards better than, you know, than the backcourt guys did. And, you know, you saw Isaac Pops for Texas A&M go off in that second half, ended up with 19 points and I think three triples. But, you know, having Jovich and his presence out there to kind of defend those guys during that run, I think that was big. Another thing for me, man, is I think that Auburn, you know, I love Keyshawn Murphy and I love what he brings to the table.

But it's apparent right now that Auburn's missing a big man in a physical interior presence down low. Got to have it. And I think that that was another reason as to why that game happened. But, again, you got to give Auburn some credit. Like you said, 14-3 run, Keyshawn Hall. You know, I think he scored eight of the last – or eight Auburn's – Auburn's eight last points there in that game. He had a couple of clutch free throws. So, yeah, they fought. They rallied behind them, you know, the crowd that was left there.

But, again, for me, got to find a way to put this thing in the rear view mirror when you're up by that much. Logan Fowler, got Auburn covered there again. 18-19 News and tailgate Auburn. Logan, let's talk football. If you were going to slap a grade on the portal class so far, what would it be? What's the number that – I know it changes by the second – what's the last number you heard as far as the folks entering the portal from Auburn? And the other side of the coin, how many have come in?

And, again, what kind of grade would you give this new coaching staff so far? Right. Yeah, I mean, what a portal window we've seen so far for Auburn. You know, it was tough for Auburn fans for this whole last month to have to sit there and watch their roster just leave one by one. And there was absolutely nothing they could do about it because the portal didn't open until January 2nd. I think we're going to see – I think we've seen 33 Auburn players enter the portal from last year's roster.

I think you've had over 50 supporters, including NFL, out of eligibility, and those things. You know, as of right now, where we're at with Auburn's incoming portal class, I'm going to give it a B. And that's because, obviously, the signing of Byron Brown was huge. I think that, you know, you've brought in 10 USF transfers, and there's obviously some people skeptical of the growing, you know, USF to Auburn pipeline. And, you know, I've seen where a lot of people are pointing toward Kurt Cignetti in year two, bringing his guys over from JMU.

It's no different. Auburn's going to have a lot of cohesiveness and camaraderie on that offensive staff, especially with, you know, half of the wide receiver room right now is going to be coming over from South Florida. You look at Joel Gordon and Alex Goalish, Byron Brown, they've had a lot of success on that offensive side of the ball. Byron Brown led all of college football last year in total offense. So, that's a huge signing. I think that the fact that he is going to be playing under the same system with some of the same familiar faces that he's seen is going to be big for the transition for Goalish and this offense into the SEC.

I think you still, you know, you've got to bring in about four or five more offensive linemen if you're Goalish. There's still a lot of positions on defense that need to be focused in on, especially that front seven. Not necessarily the linebacker room, but you're going to have to get some SEC-ready bodies on that defensive line. And, again, you've had some exits out there on the back end of your defense. Still some work to do there, but all in all, you know, you've still got, what are we, six days into this portal period now?

[1:28:55] So, you've got a couple more days to kind of right the ship and get this thing going. But I do like some of the additions that Auburn's brought in thus far. Logan, I've talked with several Auburn fans who really, they're not mad, but they really wanted to see Ashton Daniels played well in the very limited time that he had. Deuce Knight, a lot of people looked at as their future. But I do understand, when you've got the opportunity to bring in a kid who has, last year, led the country in offense, over 3,100 yards passing and adds another 1,000 yards rushing.

He's a known commodity. Of course, the staff knows him, and he fits their system very well. I do understand the potential, and it would have been fun to have seen what either one of those two quarterbacks could have done in the future. But Byron Brown is a known commodity, and certainly the staff has worked with him for years. Yeah, absolutely. I think that's a big positive. Yeah, you know, I've seen a lot of Auburn fans who are upset about not having Deuce Knight or, you know, more geared towards Deuce Knight for the next couple of years.

Here's my thing with that, guys, is, you know, college football the way it is now, you can't promise. I mean, a kid can tell you he's going to come for three years but enter the portal the year after, right? So, I mean, you've got to win now if you're Alex Golesh. I'm not saying that he's got to go out there and run the table, but he's going to put an emphasis on year one, and he wants to start this thing off right. Byron Brown coming in is obviously a big positive, and it's going to help that.

And I'm sorry, guys, but you've got to have three quarterbacks on your roster. So, you weren't going into next season with just Deuce Knight on your roster, and I think that you made a great trade and a bump up in what you're going to see in this quarterback room with Byron Brown. Absolutely. Listen, great job. We look forward to talking with you in the future. I know Al Blanton's a friend of mine, and he has started Hellgate Auburn, and you're going to be more or less carrying the ball with that.

And 1819 News has been a staple on our station for a long time. Logan, where can we get online and get your articles? You had a good one as far as the tough night for Auburn the other night. Where can we get Twitter and also get your articles? Yeah, absolutely. You can go give me a follow on Twitter, X, and Logan F Fowler. You can catch my work with Tailgate Auburn where we've got the ball rolling there. We've got some good stuff rolling out. We actually sat down this morning with Ben Tamarello, a former Auburn offensive lineman, an All-American, and Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman.

He was a great interview, and that will be coming out tomorrow on Tailgate YouTube, and then we'll have some exclusive content for some Tailgate Auburn members there. And then, obviously, you can catch my work with 1819 News. Got some game coverage going out there throughout the week. And, yeah, so I appreciate you guys having me on the show, man. I'm looking forward to getting to speak with you guys more often. Absolutely. Right back at you, Logan. There you have it. Logan Fowler got the Auburn Tigers covered at 1819 News and Tailgate.

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He's projected to go in the first round. The college football playoff continues tonight. The Fiesta Bowl in Arizona, Miami facing Ole Miss. The other semifinal game will be on Friday. The Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Indiana facing Oregon. College basketball. Alabama fell to Vanderbilt in Nashville. Wins tonight, 94-90. Crimson Tide now 11-4. Amari Allen at 25 points. The Commodores pulled away in the second half after the game was tied at the break. Alabama will play Saturday against Texas. North Alabama, they're on the road tonight as they face eastern Kentucky.

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The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. The Score. Welcome back to In Time to say hello to the voice of T-Town, Ryan Fowler, host of the game on Tide 109 FM weekdays in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Ryan, welcome in. Is it true that the Alabama basketball team got more whistles last night than Brett Beaird on the beach at Destin from the ladies? Hello, how are you? Yeah, a lot of whistles, a lot of whistles, a lot of whistles. Yes, yes, yes, a lot of whistles, a lot of whistles.

Oh, wow. Oh, the world, the world, the world, the world we live in, the world we live in. Oh, my gosh. Ryan, what's going on, man? It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world. Now, it's crazy, isn't it? Yeah, I mean, it is. It is. It is. It is. And I don't know who's got the answer. As far as mortal man, I don't know who's got the answer, but we'll let somebody else smarter than us to figure it out. We'll talk about the basketball game, but let's talk a little bit about that thing called football.

[1:39:06] Who would have thought after the Florida State game that Alabama would have hope? And then once they went through the meat of their schedule, I think a lot of folks thought Alabama would be getting ready for a Final Four appearance. Ryan, now that we know the verdict for this season, what grade do you put on? How do you describe? If you're looking for a word or a handful of words, how would you describe this season for Alabama football? All right. So, and guys, it's so funny.

We discussed this yesterday. Yeah. We discussed this yesterday. We literally discussed this on the air, okay? Now, you've got a group of fans that will always be national championship or bust. That's what they feel like. It's a logo. It's a logo. Right. Okay. But I must tell you, if that is your goal, and I'm not talking about Alabama fans, Ohio State, Georgia, whomever. Okay. If that's your goal, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Okay. That's right. It's just, it's not going to happen. The new college football is here.

We are in a situation. We are in a situation where that's not going to happen. You're not going to have repeat champions. You're literally going to be sitting here where you are disappointed every year. So, you have to understand, I thought in so many different ways, this team took a positive step, right? They took a step in the right direction. Right. They went undefeated on the road of the SEC. They went to the SEC title game. Yes, they were beat up and they had to play.

But you still had to play the game and they didn't play the game very well. Right. So, at the end of the day, the results matter and the loss. So, they did. They lost that game. You have to calculate that. You went to the playoffs. You went on the road in a hostile environment. Now, but to be fair, you created that hostile environment. Because if you beat Oklahoma, you don't have to worry about something. You don't have to go on the road. But you did counter that and you made that a success, right?

You went on the road and you beat those guys in Norman, Oklahoma. You get that one. Then you go to Indiana and then that's the par problem. If you would have lost that game, let's just say 38-17 or 31-14, I think we'd have a much different opinion. But it's the way that you lost it, in the manner that you lost it, and the non-verbal said that a lot of your guys just kind of melded in. That's the part. I still think it's a success, but Alabama fans, they're killing me because I'm saying it's a success.

Because the opposite word of success is a failure. So tell me this. Is it a failure to go to the college football playoffs and go to the second round? Well, to me, two things can be true at the same time. It's not a failure, obviously. But the other side of the coin is you're Alabama. You should not lose by five touchdowns because you look at the money laid down compared to Indiana, and how much faith are people going to have in ratings now coming out of high school?

You've got all these four or five stars compared to Indiana. So it's not a failure to go to the playoffs. It's a failure to sit there and play soft. That's right. That's right. And it looked like a soft football team because it was. But so then Alabama fans, they get upset because things will go into the portal. But you want to change, right? You want a change. You want to be able to go, you know, you want to be able to move in that direction that you feel that you're headed in the right direction.

And I think in a lot of ways you are. I think they were able to overcome some things. Injuries was a huge part. I look back at Greg Sankey. You know, if he tweets out one more leadership book without an application method, I'm going to throw up. Because, no, I mean, I look at Greg Sankey. People don't realize, okay, and this is a part that has not been discussed. The Big Ten this year played with 105 scholarships. Right. The SEC played with 85. Yeah. I mean, whether you want to call, guys, that's an entire recruiting class.

And that's a Greg Sankey. That's a Greg Sankey. That was a Sankey. He did not push that. Now they have pushed it, and it will be implemented in 2026. But he was a year late. Yeah. And he's going to lose, because I don't think Ole Miss is going to carry the SEC. He's going to lose his third straight to the Big Ten. He's going to capture their third national title. Yeah. So, I look at the Big Ten. Has the Big Ten surpassed the SEC? Resources, money, NIL.

Yeah. I mean, why the facts go right now? All you got is the facts in front of you, you know? Easier road to get there. Look, I mean, look at the easiest road to get there. Right. I mean, they have an easy road to get there. I mean, when you look at the Big Ten, I mean, sometimes it is an advantage to sit back and wait and be fresh. Right. And play one or two game schedules. The SEC just made life harder with going to nine.

[1:44:35] And I go back to what Kirby said after the SEC title game. We're making it difficult for ourselves. Yeah. And he's the only guy that will go after Greg Sankey. And I applaud him for that. Because somebody's got to. We think that's just not all about the money. We understand that there's a bigger paycheck. But I just look at Greg Sankey. He's been a couple steps behind in most of the moves that he's made in the last year and a half. It doesn't look like he's no longer the most powerful person in college football.

I'm not buying it. Just my opinion. Ryan, he's more of a reactionary. Mike's love was a visionary. There's a big difference. And I would use the word improvement when you look at 2025. Everybody's disappointed, certainly, in the bookend losses to begin and end the season. But, again, I've mentioned this all year. They beat four ranked top 25 teams consecutively. And to get to the SEC championship, which I still think is a big deal, make the playoffs, win one game, win two more games. But in some ways, Ryan, as painful as it was, getting beat 38-3, it makes you stop and refocus.

What am I doing in the weight room in strength and conditioning? What am I doing in recruiting? How is my scheme not being able to run the ball successfully? I think the silver lining of this is I've got to look at it. You don't need to tear it down, but I need to tweak the program in several areas. I think the coaching staff after the portal is going to be addressed, and we'll see where that goes. But it was an improvement, but I do think getting beat that emphatically, it forces you to look at your entire program.

No, it does. It does. And I think we have to have something to talk about. Okay, so we talk about the portal, right? We talk about what's making the portal. But I think you've got to judge the end result. You know, you've got guys that are in, but I'm telling you, you know, the names that we're hearing that Alabama has a really, really good shot at, if it happens, it could shape the state and the SEC. Now, you know, you've got to land them. You've got to be able to land them.

And you see those big schools that are involved, you know they're going to run the price tag up. Even if they're just going to run the price tag up just where Alabama – I mean, this kind of reminds you so much of the NFL. It's like, I'm going to run it up. I'm going to run it up simply based on what? I'm going to run it up because I'm going to make my Dallas Cowboys spend more money, and then I'll have more money here. I mean, that's where this world is at.

I mean, we're watching a professional model being implemented in college football. And in some ways, maybe worse. Worse. There's no boundaries with college. And here's the deal, Ryan. It's only going to get worse until they put those boundaries in there. A couple of things. What are you hearing as far as – we've been talking about who's already in the house. Your thoughts on that. And a couple of names I think it's interesting from our neck of the woods. Adam Watford out of UNA from all reports. He's on campus today visiting Alabama.

He's from Dothan. And to me, one of the guys that really and truly amongst the visitors is Jacarius Peek. He's a number one offensive lineman in the on-thread transfer portal player rankings. He's already got his partner down there, and that is Hollywood Smothers from NC State. Peek is from NC State. What are you hearing there? And if you pick up the number one offensive lineman, they tell me Alabama needs to improve their own line next season. And what are you hearing about probably the rock star right now, Cam Coleman, Ryan?

Well, I do think that there's an interest, and I think it's interest on both sides. I think that there is some consideration with Cam Coleman. I know that at some point he's going to take a visit, and he's going to be in Tuscaloosa, and they're probably going to get one of the last pitches to him. I think what's going to help is now you've got Derek Nix coaching him. Right. Right. I think that's a big, you know, and listen, don't play. I'm not talking about you guys, but if you're out there, don't play dumb and look at Derek Nix coaching wide receivers that that was announced conveniently yesterday.

Thank you. Right. I mean, you don't need to counter that. I mean, that's a big, you know, yes, yes. So I think when you step back and you look at it and you begin to analyze it, guys, I think there is a shot at Cam Coleman. You know, I've been told when he's coming in, but I can't say that because they don't want that out because of the schools. But he will be here soon, very, very soon. Yeah, absolutely. But that's an option. I mean, hey, that would be a win.

[1:49:51] I mean, I mean. Well, it would be a big PR win, if nothing else. If these kids watch each other like Hawks, they see a guy like that coming to Alabama, that builds up momentum for somebody down the chain. He's the number one guy on the board right now. So that, what message does that send to folks down the board to come there as well? Yeah, right. And I've been told that they already have him a baptism set up. Because any time somebody comes from Auburn to Alabama, they dunk them in there and get all that stuff off of them.

Really? The things we find out here. What do we find out behind the scenes? I'm making all that up, but it sure did tell me that. Well, listen, 2026, we look forward to talking to Ryan Fowler. You know, we cherish our relationship with you. Glad you had a good trip out west. Yeah. Going to be a fascinating end to the transfer portal. I think the ones they've gotten so far, I'm certainly impressed with that. Tell us about the show. Who have you got on today? And where can we get online and listen?

Yeah, we've got Rodney Orr. We're going to go out to Seattle and talk with Dave Mahler and really dive into that situation with DeMond Williams. We're going to dive into that because that seems to be a fight that not just having consequences this year, but it can be, you think about us, having some chaos, you know, what's the rest of the world, and we're going to see if the NCAA still has any power, the CSS, the Clearinghouse, whoever, we're going to do that, and then we've also got to talk with Nick Kelly, so that'll be our guest, and we'll dive into a lot of different things, but I appreciate you guys as always.

Happy 2026. Can't wait to talk with you guys. Always a lot of fun. Have a great rest of your day, guys. Right back at you, Ryan. Ryan Fell 109 FM down in Tuscaloosa talking about that Washington quarterback. What was it? He signed a $5 million deal while last Friday with Washington, and then a couple of days ago said he's entered the portal. I got a feeling they got some lawyers on speed dial there. BB, UNA basketball tonight at Eastern Kentucky. You can catch that game on ESPN3. It tips off at 6.

So, the Lions and Eastern Kentucky tonight, Brett Beaird. Certainly good. Again, they got two games in Kentucky. One tonight, as you mentioned, with Eastern Kentucky playing again Saturday. Certainly good luck to the Lions, Tony Pujol and Curry. Ole Miss and the boys getting busy tonight from Miami. First to the Final Four. Catch it later on. Going to take care of business for now. On behalf of BB, 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 for the Boomwell Buck Show.

Back here on Sports Radio, 93.9 The Score.