Boomo Bugg Show 012326

[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. New 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 in to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, welcome in where it's time to break out the milk and bread and a brand new chapter in Alabama high school sports. Good afternoon, welcome in and how are you?

Happy Friday to you and the listeners. It has been a monumental Friday morning. The two things that called our attention, of course, the college football playoff committees decided to stay at 12 teams instead of expanding to 16. We'll talk with our guests about that because the SEC and Big Ten could not get together. The monumental announcement was this morning. Harold, give me a minute to go through this. We will talk about this throughout the show and particularly at 120 because a lot of people want to know, where's my particular school?

What classification is it going to be? And we've been talking about this for a while. According to Stacy Long of the Times Daily, this is the largest reorganization of the AHSAA since 1968. Wow. Public and public and private schools will split. We've been wondering if that was going to be official and they will. The private schools will be changed to class AA with 17 schools and class single A with 43 schools. And we'll go into where the private schools are in the shows a little bit later. Now, all members will be able to play each other during the regular season, but there will be separate championships. Class 7A has been dropped. For the public schools now will be classes 1A through 6A. And there are some radical changes.

And I'm just going to give you one quick example before we get to Jimmy. Class 5A Region 7. These are the schools now who will be participating. In class 5A Region 7. Athens, Austin, Decatur, East Limestone, Florence, Hartzell, Muscle Shoals, Russellville. Wow. We talked about an incredible region, how competitive that is. We will go through the regions with our Shoals teams throughout the show, and particularly at 120 with Zach Pounders of the Shoals Sports Report. He's done a very good job of staying on top of this. But without further ado, Jimmy is here to talk about Alabama football transfer portal.

Oh, my gosh. And an amazing week with Charles Bidiaco. Yeah. Before we get to that, can you repeat that, baby? No. I got a feeling Jimmy would like that. A lot of folks would. Jimmy Stein is also focused as co-host of Locked On Bama, part of the Locked On Network. Jimmy, did you get all that? How are you? I did. And it is huge news. I'm a big, being an Alabama football guy, I'm really into recruiting. And in-state high school football is just a monumental, historic day with just a sea change.

And heck, you know what? As much as college sports is changing, why not high school? Join the field, too, right? What the heck? Anything other than that controversial this week in Tuscaloosa, Jimmy? Yeah, that Charles Bidiaco story is sort of a thing, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it's funny. You know, I think Alabama football has sort of been seen as a Darth Vader by a lot of the country over the years, but with Nick Saban's success. And now it looks like the basketball team is joining them a little bit.

I think Alabama's basketball program is a little unpopular nationally right now. It's a shame to me that Alabama ends up being kind of the poster child over it. But Alabama is just simply following the lead that's already been set, the precedents that have already been set regarding professional players returning to college basketball. Bidiaco's not the first. Now, there's different facts in each and every single case. But Charles Bidiaco is not the first professional basketball player to return to college basketball. Jimmy, what does it mean? We'll let the courts see where this thing lands eventually.

What does your gut tell you about that question, the answer to it? But first things first, it looks like a lot of eyeballs that may have not been planning on watching Alabama and Tennessee tomorrow. I got a feeling a lot of folks are for more reasons than just the final score. But what does it mean in the meantime? Well, it's a huge addition to Alabama. It's not just that you're adding an older guy who's got some G-League experience that was a good player when he left and is likely even much better now.

[5:25] It's not just that, although that's a big story in and of itself. It's that Bidiaco fills a huge need for Alabama. I mean, this has been an area where Alabama hasn't been great in terms of matching up with other teams in the front court, size-wise, defensively. Now, Aiden Shirell has been playing really well the last two games and is a huge benefit and asset to the program, there's no doubt. But when Aiden Shirell is either in foul trouble or he can't go the first, the full 40 minutes, you know, when he goes to the bench, things can get a little dicey.

That won't be the case anymore. You know, now you have an A-plus guy to come off the bench to replace Shirell when he has to come out. And you can even have some instances when the matchup requires it, you can have Bidiaco and Shirell on the court at the same time. I think that will happen some. I don't think it will happen a lot because Nate really likes to run the floor, and that's hard to do with two seven-footers out there. But it does give Alabama a lot of matchup potential that they didn't have before, and it fills a huge need, something that's kind of been a bit of a glaring deficiency for Alabama.

So you're not only getting the polished, mature, older product, you're filling a major hole on the team, and I suspect this impact is going to be pretty large. Jimmy, if we were grading the Alabama football transfer portal class this time last week, I think a lot of people may have given it a C. But since then, it has certainly improved. In fact, Alabama's added, in fact, last night, Aubrey Walker, a 2026 signee, and again, next time we turn around, it'll be the National Signing Day, quote-unquote. Alabama picked up Jamin James from Mississippi State, 6'5", 320, offensive lineman with a lot of experience, but in particularly beefing up the offensive and defensive lines.

Jimmy, your thoughts on where we are as far as this Alabama transfer class as of 12-10 on Friday? Well, obviously, the emphasis was on the lines of scrimmage. It needed to be before the portal season even began. I think the obvious need for Alabama was going to be improving at the line of scrimmage. Then you just had a lot of change. You had a lot of offensive linemen march out, so you needed a lot to march in. And defensive linemen the same. A lot of them graduated or hit the portal, and it just needed to be replenished.

And Alabama staff did an excellent job of replenishing numbers-wise. Now, the question remains, and it's a fair question, have you upgraded? Have you replaced what's left with like players? I think that's a very fair question for right now. It won't really be answered until the fall, but I'm optimistic that they did. In terms of the players that left the line of scrimmage, you know, you did lose a lot of production from like, let's say, an L.T. Overton and a Tim Keene and some seniors. And then on the offensive line, you hated to lose Parker Brailsford and Caden Proctor.

So they were going to be difficult to replace regardless. But I think overall, Alabama did a pretty good job. Every offensive lineman and defensive lineman they bought in, I think every one of them has a chance to compete for a spot in the two deep this spring and fall. Jimmy Stein is co-host of Locked On, Bama. Jimmy, obviously, as far as going forward, we know that it's hard to believe the final game of the season is now in the books, less than a week away from now, last Monday night.

Now comes the situation at Miami and Indiana. How much will Alabama go shopping off that tree? I know Miami lost a prize running back. I haven't seen the latest there. But how much will Alabama shop for Miami and Indiana players? I think that they're looking at all of them. As a matter of fact, Alabama was interested in the Miami running back. It looks like he's going to return to school and not end up out there and available for the taking. But I think that would have been somebody Alabama would have been interested in.

At running back, I think it's obvious that's been a story for Alabama through the portal because of the Hollywood Smothers debacle. But I think what Alabama was looking at at the running back position was they didn't need to add a guy. They needed to add a dude in terms of what they wanted. They wanted either a big-time difference maker or they were good with what they got. There was no reason to add depth. There was no reason to just add any other guy. I think they may have seen Pringle from Miami as an upgrade talent-wise, a guy that could improve the room.

They obviously saw that in Hollywood Smothers and Relique Brown, both of whom ended up at Texas. But Alabama, I don't think they saw running back as a need. They just realized that, wow, this room could really improve if we added a dude here. And they tried. They took a few swings. Right now, it doesn't look like that's going to work out. But that's okay. They've got a couple of guys returning with a lot of experience. And then they have young guys that everyone feels are super talented in A.K. Deer and E.J. Crowell.

[10:44] Jimmy, anything new? I asked you about this last week. Receiver, they've added two young guys to the 2026 class. But Nico Brown, the Yale receiver, whose brother was at Stanford, he was going to take four visits. And Idaho State receiver Ian Duarte. Who I believe was going to visit Alabama this week. I'm curious of that. It was finalized. And I think I asked you also about Jacoby Clinton, Clinton Dix, the younger brother, the linebacker of West Florida. Jimmy, anything new on those three? I don't think so.

I think anything could happen with all three. I think when you're dealing with players that are at what I'm going to call their level of player, their perceived talent level, it's kind of difficult when the offers from the schools are all different. I mean, I'm sure Alabama would like to have those guys, but at what cost? Yeah. I don't think that Alabama is really big on not overpaying. And hey, you know, not overpaying doesn't mean the yacht. Not overpaying also means, you know, like a used car.

I mean, they're not going to spend. Even though it might not be expensive, they're still not going to overspend. And by that, I mean, maybe you offer a scholarship to those guys and you hope that's enough, but someone else may be offering scholarship plus rep share money. And I don't know that Alabama is going to do that for players that are like them, and they may not even burn the scholarship. So that's, I think, the interesting thing. It's not about does Alabama want these guys, but how much do they want them?

Because none of those three I don't think are seen as hugely impactful players. They would really just be depth. Jimmy, before we jump off, obviously Alabama, I think by comparison, has got a quarterback room right now that's the envy of a lot of teams out there. And the irony is, it looks like from reports we're getting, they may be able to add some promise to it. The much-coveted five-star quarterback, Elijah Haven, looks like he's got an Alabama visit schedule before the dead period. What can you tell us there?

He's a fantastic prospect. And I think it's fair to say right now that Alabama leads, for whatever that's worth. As we know, Elijah Haven would not be able to sign with Alabama until next December. So if you do get a commitment in the next month or so, you've got a long time to hold on to someone who may end, begin, or end the cycle as the number one quarterback in the class nationally. He's that talented. I have a friend who's in the evaluation of business, you'd say, who tells me, in his opinion, Elijah Haven's the best quarterback he's ever seen.

Wow. So, you know, I say all the time, not every five-star is the same. Just because they have five stars don't mean all the five-stars the same. It's relative. Yeah, some five-stars are more like six-stars. And I think Elijah Haven is that type of player. Obviously, considering Auburn, Georgia, and Florida in addition to Alabama, but it does feel like Alabama leads. And, hey, credit Alabama's run of quarterbacks that have landed in the NFL, starting with Jalen Hurts through Tua, through Mack Jones, Bryce, Jalen Milrow with the Seahawks, and now Tom Simpson, a projected first-round pick, I think you have to credit that as much as anything.

Absolutely. Well, Jimmy, you might even be able to take a nap this weekend for several reasons, but maybe this transfer portal will slow down a little bit. But everybody's looking forward to seeing what happens with the starting lineup tomorrow night. We'll see with Bediaco. But, again, you and Luke Robinson do a tremendous job. You work with Clint Lamb. Jimmy, where can we get on line to get the best broadcast for Alabama sports? Yeah, locked on Bama, myself and Luke Robinson. We're not even slowing down. Still six or seven shows a week right now.

There's just too much news. Maybe at some point, if we can find something that we'll call an off-season, we might knock it down to just five shows a week. But right now, it's still six or seven shows, trying to keep up with all the news and our opinions about this and that. And this is the roster-building time of the year. So, locked on Bama, you can find us on YouTube or audio, wherever you get your podcasts. I hear your music comes to the Beatles eight days a week.

Jimmy, listen, man. Thanks so much for your time today. And fear the ice storm out there. Stay safe, okay? Hey, y'all stay warm this weekend, guys. Thank you, bud. Jimmy Stein, co-host of Locked on Bama, part of the Locked On Network. Coming up, time to go all over to the SEC before this big weekend with Blake Lovell on deck. Stay with us. Did you hear? Allstate car insurance now costs even less. So, when you bundle with home, you can save even more. Check Allstate first to bundle and save with a new lower auto rate.

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[21:16] How are you? Yeah, doing well, guys. Had to get all that stuff. Hopefully the power stays on. Because we've got a lot of games to watch. A lot of games that have got shifted around tomorrow. So, three or four games going at once. Yeah, the ultimate snow day. Or ice day, I guess. Yeah, Blake, we're in Alabama. You're in Tennessee. Anybody going to be watching that game who's not an Alabama-Tennessee game tomorrow in Tuscaloosa? Yeah, I'll tell you. That's an interesting one. I think there is a storyline.

Certainly. When it comes to that particular game. But, yeah, it's a big one for both teams. I mean, you really think about it, right? If you're picking out a group of teams right now in the SEC that I don't want to say have been disappointing. But, I mean, neither of these teams probably want to be sitting here with two or more losses. Alabama at three and two. Tennessee at two and three. And so, yeah, it's like a bigger game for the Vols just from the standings perspective.

But, you know, for Alabama, just trying to get any sort of, I think, consistency right now just based on having guys in and out of the rotation. And, of course, now you're adding in a guy that hasn't played there in three years. So, yeah, quite a setup for this one. Your thoughts from afar. Obviously, we're close to the epicenter here. What's your reaction to this mediaco news coming in? Basically, with only about just a month and some change to March Madness. Yeah, I mean, I've said I can understand both arguments here.

If I'm an Alabama fan, of course I'd be thrilled. I'd be like, you know what? This is something where our front court has been a little up and down, whether it's injuries, whether it's just simply performance-based. Whatever you want to do. Like, okay, great. We got this guy that can come back. We love Big Chuck. He can come in and probably not play 30 minutes, but maybe he gives us something, right? We've seen other teams do it out there. All of that. But at the same time, I think we can have the awareness that if this becomes a trend moving forward, I think college basketball's viewership and interest is going to plummet.

Because I just don't think this is a good solution long-term. And I will also say, as we did yesterday, yes, you can argue the Alabama side of it. You can also say, if Auburn was doing this, would we have the same reaction? And I think we all know the answer to that. And I think any rival could say the same about the other team. And I think it's just simply not something that is good for the game. I realize other teams have done it in different circumstances and all this other stuff.

But, again, this has moved so much further in a direction where there's no sort of guidelines as to what you can and can't do. The NCAA says, well, we won't let this happen. Well, then it's going to happen. And it's just we just keep going in the wrong direction, guys. And it's nothing against the player. It's nothing against Nate Oates. It's nothing against Alabama basketball. It's just simply the nature of where we are. Yeah, if this would have been TCU or Maryland, it would have been barely a ripple on the length of college basketball and sports.

But, yeah, it has not been. And there are a lot of Alabama fans here who actually do not agree with this, but they understand the nature of where this is evolving. And one of the marquee games tomorrow, Auburn at Florida. Auburn's going three out of four. They beat Ole Miss the other night. The Gators have just gone wild. By the way, Todd Goldin had a lot to say about Alabama's situation with Bidiaco. And he said, yeah, well, it doesn't matter what they do. We're going to beat them anyway.

I wonder if that might lead to some locker room talk since Alabama plays them a week from Saturday. But Auburn plays them tomorrow. Chenilu has been going wild. He had 21 rebounds the other night, Blake, and that tied. That tied his best. But Florida has been, since they got off to a five and four start, I think they're eight and one. And they look like the defending national champions. Does Auburn actually have a chance in this game tomorrow? I think Auburn's one of the teams that actually can match up decent with Florida, just for various kind of areas.

And, you know, again, you can't say that about a lot of teams. But when you look at kind of the way that Auburn has rebounded, I think that's a big part of it. Because the teams that Florida's beating, they're just, I mean, they're beating them on the glass. Offensive glass, defensive glass. But Auburn is second in both of those categories in SEC play so far, with Florida at first, obviously, when it comes to offensive rebound and defensive rebounding. So I think that's a big area here to watch.

If Auburn can just find a way to limit some of those opportunities, second chance looks, I think that's a big part of it. Also, I mean, you can kind of look at it from the standpoint of, you know, Auburn's defense has gotten better in some of these SEC games. Now, I don't think Florida is going to, you know, probably be to the level that an Ole Miss or South Carolina is offensively. They're just simply much better. But I think if Auburn come out and at least play somewhat consistently on that side of the floor, I think they've got a good chance here to make this interesting.

[26:18] Because, again, they have the offensive power to do it. Not a lot of other teams necessarily are going to be able to do some of the things, again, that Auburn can do offensively. They've gotten on the free throw line a ton in SEC play. These are two teams that I don't think are going to get a single basket maybe from three. It's just not great shooting teams right now in SEC play. So this will be a game that's played at the rim. It could be a long game.

Get ready for another two-and-a-half-hour SEC game. You can see that. But I think there are some things Auburn can do to match up with Florida, and I can't say that about a lot of teams in the SEC. Blake Lovell can say a lot there at Southeastern 16. Blake, are Kentucky fans calling off two men in a truck to move the Pope out of Lexington? I tell you, you think about the rollercoaster ride of a season for Kentucky, and, you know, it's just like, man, at one point, you know, after that Gonzaga game, I'm like, I don't know how this ever can turn around.

They're five and four. They just got beat by whatever, 40-something points, whatever it was, and I'm just like, how are they going to do this? And then they got them back with Indiana St. John's, and then they lost Alabama-Missouri, and everything was over again, and now they won four in a row. So it's just kind of, you know, it's been that kind of season for Kentucky, and I think, you know, they've got a great chance to win tomorrow against Ole Miss, to go to five wins in a row.

Then their schedule gets interesting after that. Next week, they're at Vaderborn, Arkansas. Those are two tough road games there when you kind of consider where those two teams are at. So I think Kentucky, obviously, turning in the right direction in a big way here, and, you know, still, though, do I trust them? No. Am I still convinced they're going to be a team that, you know, wins multiple games in the NCAA tournament? No. But you also can't kind of deny that right now they're just keep finding ways to win these games, three straight wins by five points or fewer, and so they've kind of built up a confidence.

They didn't have rugby this season. They're playing better. They're playing harder, and I think that certainly has accounted for something with the team. Another team that's playing better and smarter is, once again, a lot of people question, well, could Buckyball, how could they do in the SEC? So far, so good. Five and one, 15 and four overall. They're only lost in overtime, too. In Tennessee, they've got South Carolina and more. They've won eight of nine. Once again, the Buckyball experiment, Blake, seems to be working pretty well.

Yeah, it is. I mean, they are working their style to a T, and I think that's just something to me that I thought they would not be able to do this early. I thought it was going to take another year maybe, you know, getting a roster together, having more time to do that. I mean, remember how quickly you had to throw this roster together this year, and I think that's just something that is kind of amazing about this whole thing is this is a roster that came together very quickly.

And, you know, now I think as you're looking ahead, they're going to have a lot more support, probably NIL-wise. And so I keep saying, guys, I think this is going to be the worst team he has there, and it's a wild thing because right now they're 15 and four and five and one in the SEC. And I truly, truly think that he's going to keep getting the opportunities to build this roster. And so, yeah, I mean, the way they're turning people over, they're making threes. They kind of remind me of that Missouri team from several years ago that was kind of a surprise team.

And what they did so well was they simply turned people over and they made a lot of threes, and they were very efficient in those two areas. And that can account for a lot, I think, when you're talking about just the level of play in the SEC and how different of a style it can be sometimes with so many plays at the rim and all that kind of stuff. If you can make shots from outside, you can really separate yourself. Alabama fans know that. And so, yeah, I kind of think it's one where right now they should be six and one after tomorrow when they play South Carolina.

And I don't think they're going anywhere in this SEC title race when you look at their schedule the rest of the way because it actually sets up not that bad when you kind of look at just the way it bounces out home and away. You had a good point. If you're a big SEC basketball fan, check your TV listings because this winter weather is going to impact quite a few athletic events throughout the course. Of the weekend. Great stuff, as always. Where can we get online?

I know if the electricity stays on, you will be busy tomorrow. Where can we get online to get on the great podcast? Yeah, you find us there, guys, on YouTube, Southeastern 16. Yeah, hopefully the electricity stays on so we can have, of course, our live reaction to all these games. And, yeah, they boot up quite a few of them. So quite a few early games tomorrow now. Only, I think, a couple late games as it's scheduled. We'll see how that sticks. But, yeah, you can find us there, Southeastern 16, on YouTube.

The MVP may be TVA and the respective utility crews throughout the entire area there. Good luck, Blake. Thanks so much. Let's do it again soon, okay? Thanks, guys. Appreciate it, as always. Thank you, buddy. Blake Lovell looking up with us, Southeastern 16. Coming up, he's the meek and mild or maybe sometimes wild Bill Shanks on deck. Stay with us. Imagine a bank where you feel at home. Real people living right here in your community are the heart of Bank Independent and everything we do. You have our commitment to bring the people, ideas, and resources together that create a stronger community full of endless potential.

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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. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93-9. The score. Mids basketball action yesterday. South Alabama winner at James Madison, 90-83. The final score, Adam Olson had 26 points in the victory. South Alabama is 14-6 on the year and 5-3 in the Sun Belt.

Tomorrow, South Alabama will play on the road at Marshall. Troy's back in action tomorrow at Georgia Southern. The Trojans are 7-1 in the Sun Belt. Georgia Southern, 5-3 in league play. Also tomorrow, Auburn's on the road and play the Florida Gators. Tigers are 3-3 in the SEC. At 17th ranked, Alabama is set to host Tennessee. Tide is 13-5 in the year and 3-2 in the conference. Bundle auto and home, renters or condo, and save with Progressive. I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93-9 The Score.

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Bill Shanks, host of The Bill Shanks Show on 93.1 FM in Macon, Georgia. Online at thesesuperstations.com and on the tube at 41NBC. Bill, welcome in. Is it true that Dominique Wilkins is coming back to Georgia? Oh, I hadn't heard that. You got some scoop for me? Well, you know, we got Charles Bediaco coming to Alabama after a three-year absence. We just wondered if Wilkins was coming back to the Georgia Bulldogs. I tell you, I know all about them judges over there in Alabama. You're sitting by the son of a judge right there.

[37:16] Yep. Are you accusing them of being biased? I know how to annihilate things a little bit to get things made your way, that's for sure. We're just trying to keep up with the guys up north, Bill. That's all. All right. Obviously, a big news morning for college football. It looks like they're going to stay with 12 teams. What is your reaction? And how shocked are you that the SEC and the Big Ten cannot agree on a number, Bill? Well, I mean, Greg, I think you need to tell the Big Ten to p*** off.

Yeah. Or more. I mean, to be honest with you, I wouldn't – I'd never agree to 24. 24 is ridiculous. Yeah. And, you know, 16 is a good number. And, you know, I'm still amazed that the non-Power 4 conferences are even involved in this conversation. Where's the outcry after Tulane and James Madison not – or proving they don't belong in this conversation? Or last year. Same situation. Same situation last year. So why is this going on? Why – where – you know, look, Greg Sankey needs to grow a pair and tell them the power – the group of five conferences to go do your own thing.

We don't want you in here. And there is – I'm telling you, where are the models? Where are the plans? Where are the ideas? Where are the nads? I know I've said this on this show, and I'm just acting like another egotistical broadcaster, but where's something that I did that could be more impactful and listened to very much easier than my little rinky-dink plan? Because why aren't people acting on this instead of bickering about going to 24 when it's just a waste of time? Because nobody wants that.

Nobody. To me – except maybe one, Bill. And I'm just taking a poke in the dark. That's the TV folks. They're looking for more inventory to go sell more ads. If they make their money up front, they don't care if there's three people in stands. You know, and if the score is 100-0, they're going to cash a big check. To me, that's the only logical explanation. It's not logical, but the only thing that I can come up with because there is no line of logic here involved.

Well, there used to be a phrase in baseball, it's in the best interest of baseball, we need to do things that are in the best interest of college football. And the bowl games need – there are a number of bowl games that need to go the h*** away. There needs to be things that are done. You know, a lot of people watch these big games, and I think – I don't know. I just don't get – I don't know why it's so – I know it's money, and I know it's power, but there should never be a mandatory – and I know each of these commissioners, if they heard this, would say, well, I'm doing what's in the best interest of my conference.

Well, okay, fine. But you know what? The best interest of your conference to try to get a guarantee of a certain number of games – what if your conference has an off year and some of your teams that are usually pretty good aren't? You're still going to demand them to be in a college football playoff no matter what? Is that in the best interest of college football? No. The ACC this year. Yeah, yeah. ACC had one team worth of d***. Maybe two. Maybe if it was 16, you could make an argument that Virginia was the second team in the ACC.

But, I mean, they had some good teams, Georgia Tech being one of them. But, I mean, as far as are you in the best 12 or 16 in college football in the country? No. You know, no. And so I just – I'm amazed. I'm amazed at how stupid this whole situation is, to be honest with you. Isn't it amazing? This time next year, we will be two days away from playing the national championship game, which is just incredible to me. And I know people have laughed about you and I talking about this on our shows.

But you sat down at the Mexican restaurant with a napkin and pretty much laid out a better plan from anybody than what I've heard. And people have said today on Twitter, okay, so we're staying at 12. Now, let's get to the meat of the problem here. Let's condense the calendar. Let's make week zero week one. Let's give NIL and transfer portal guys two-year contracts, benchmark performances. Let's play the championship on the year's day or at least the semifinals. Let's get somebody moving in the direction, as you indicated, of making major decisions.

And as you say, the product on the field is still incredible, but the rest of it is a mess. Well, I'm almost to the point where I'm going to just type all my information out, send it to Greg Sankey, and say, here, nobody in your office has the balls to come up with something. Here's something you can take and run with. I'll buy your stamp. You know, I think that football should start September, not in August, so I don't like to back up the season anymore.

[42:33] I just don't like all these off weeks. Look, with the current situation staying in place for another year, I will say wholeheartedly, honestly, that I hope Georgia does not win nor play for the SEC championship game this coming season. Because I don't want three and a half weeks off. I mean, we've had two years of this. Eight teams have had the bye. They're one in seven, with the one team being Indiana, but nonetheless. And, you know, look, for the last two years, Georgia was the SEC champion, which is great.

I love that. I really do honor that and respect that as an accomplishment. But if having three and a half weeks off is 1% to blame for them losing the Sugar Bowl last year against Notre Dame and this year against Ole Miss, then I don't want to be a bye team next year. I mean, you know, and look, again, Georgia sucked in the Sugar Bowl this year. They were awful. And you can use it as an excuse if you want to. The bottom line is, a team that gets into a mode of playing every week does not need to take three and a half weeks off.

It's not good. There's nothing. You can't convince me that anything's good about it. You can't convince me that a coach is going to make an argument that, oh, that's fine. If you need three and a half weeks to heal your team, your team is probably not healthy enough to be in a championship situation anyway. You need to go home. So, the three and a half week thing is a disaster. And I'm telling you, I pray to God Georgia finishes third in the conference this coming season in 2026.

And that they host a playoff game in week one, the first round, because that's the only way I'm going to feel like going in, that they have a chance after the last two years where they got beat after a three and a half week span of being off. Bill, we're going to cut this interview short so we can get you to thank you, because somebody needs to get a hold of this boy and get his brain in the right groove there. Let me ask you this.

Back to the Godfather, Nick Saban, he said it best. He said the only reason somebody would go north if they paid him. Back in the day, the book was the Southern schools did well because car dealerships would somehow, someway slot a charger to a player in a $100 handshake. As the world changed now up north, as Nick would say, forget those $100 handshakes in the charger. Now, the north is loaded with money by comparison. Is that where it's going to go? The big bucks up north is just going to sit here and put the SEC where it is with Greg Sankey, basically having to sit here and say yes or no, sir.

Well, I think it's going to go wherever there is money. I mean, Indiana is the first of what we can look at as a NIL portal champion. And look, I'm not taking anything away from them whatsoever. But Indiana, before Kurt Signetti walked in the door, had 14, had six, let me bring it back up. In the 16 seasons leading up to when Kurt Signetti took the job two years ago, they had had 14 losing seasons out of those 16. Right. That is a losing program, one of the most losing programs in the country.

Yeah. Never looked at as a college football power or even had the ability or the potential to be that. Now, obviously, with his leadership and with the changes in college football, they were able to accomplish something that you never would have thought they would have been able to accomplish in the previous system. Fine. And you can't knock that. You can't say, well, there's this cheap thing or whatever. No, they're playing under the rules like everybody else today. They did what they had to do to win.

But you're going to see other programs look at that and say, well, why not us? I used the example earlier this week. Now, I'm not saying it's going to happen this year, but, you know, look what Kentucky's done. Kentucky's brought in a bright, new, young coach, Will Stein, who looks like he's doing a lot of good things there. This is no knock on Mark. I thought Mark did a great job at Kentucky for 13 years. But, you know, a new coach, young coach, and they're spending money on talent.

And, you know, there's a lot of d*** horse money in Kentucky. I can tell you that right now. And if Kentucky, a basketball school, looks at one of their neighbors to the north, Indiana, why wouldn't they say, well, why not us? Why can't we do that? And, you know, they've got to select the right player. There's a lot that goes into it. And there's no question that Signetti checked on the boxes. But a program like Kentucky is going to look at what's happened this week and say, why not us?

And, therefore, I don't think this is the last time we're going to see a non-traditional college football power win a championship. It's going to happen again in the near future. Absolutely. Before we let you go, let me ask you about a couple of things. And, finally, Andrew Jones is going to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I'm glad it took him long enough. And then, your beloved Atlanta Falcons have got a new coach. And his offensive coordinator is Nick Saban's former offensive coordinator, Tommy Reese.

[47:45] And you know how Alabama fans treat coordinators in this program. Your thoughts on two big news this week in Atlanta. Well, so thrilled for Andrew. He deserves it. He was the best fielding center fielder I've ever seen. I'm not like you two. And this is the, you know, Willie Mays on the game of the week like y'all two old guys did. Yeah, I mean, you know, Trish Beaker. You know, Grover Cleveland. I mean, you've got to know them all. But, Andrew deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

He just played at a Hall of Fame level for such a long time, even though his offensive numbers fell off the end. He was a great player. Got to get Dale Murphy in there, of course. And, yeah, Tommy Reese, you know, I had someone on my show this week say that Nick Saban really wanted Tommy Reese to say, Oh, that was you, Brett Beaird. That's right. That was me. Right. That was you saying that Tommy Reese was going from the outhouse to the penthouse if Nick had had anything.

Well, you know what? Look, I don't know what Tommy's going to do with the O.C. and Atlanta. I have to, you know, I went through this yesterday. The coordinators, as we know here in the state with Mike Bobo, who gets crucified. I mean, you know, if you talk to some Georgia fans, they'd probably tell you that Mike Bobo stormed the church in Minneapolis earlier this week. I mean, they're going to blame him for everything. He was wearing a mask. The coordinators are just playing so much.

And I get that. And I understand that completely. I do. Don't get me wrong. But I think Tommy Reese, to have the jobs he's had, to have the respect from people like Nick, from like Kevin Stefanski, like others in the game. And, you know, you've got to get him a good quarterback. He had a roller coaster there this year in Cleveland with four different people, Dylan Gabriel and Kenny Pickett and Shador Sanders and Joe Flacco, who's my age. I mean, you know, you've got to get him a good quarterback.

But I'm anxious to see what Tommy can do and hope that – I hope the mix is right for the Falcons. They need everything to fit. They need their – they're going to probably hire their tour manager in the next 24, 36 hours. I hope that'll be a good fit for them because they just need everything to – let me tell you, I was talking about this, though. I was feeling on our noon show, look at the Vikings with Mike Vrabel and Drake May. That combination of coach and quarterback are so important, and you have to hope when your team like the Falcons or a team like Tennessee up near you guys can find that quarterback-coach relationship and combo that can work and become something.

It worked in year two for Drake May and Mike Vrabel, and you know what? You've got to hope it works for Atlanta and Tennessee and every other spot that's going through a transition. right now. Absolutely. Now, get to work on that email or letter to Greg Stanky and lay out your plan and say, Greg, you need to quit reading books and running marathons. Sit here and read this, and let's get this thing worked out. And if any of our incredible listeners would like to call your show as they frequently do and give their unbiased opinion about Alabama, Georgia, the SEC, and everything else, where can they go this afternoon?

Well, these superstations.com will be on in about an hour, a little over an hour, and yeah, I'd love to hear, you know, how all those Alabama players, you know, over the age of 30 are going to be coming back and playing and playing tomorrow. That'll be interesting. So, yeah, we'll be on and still searching for that brave starting pitcher. So, we're still trying to find somebody to slide in that rotation. Because, you know, spring training starts in about two weeks, believe it or not. Incredible. By the way, the first weekend of games in about a month from this weekend.

In the meantime, Bill, stay warm down there as well as you can, and thank you so much for your time today, buddy. Yeah, y'all be careful up there. I heard y'all are having a blizzard. Y'all got a – you got any bread yet, Brett? Bill, I can't find bread within 100 miles of the Joe's. All y'all need is a bunch of peanut butter and jelly. I mean – There you go. You got the peanuts and we got the butter, so we'll put it all together and we'll be better.

Listen, Bill, you stay safe, okay? All right, guys. Thank you. Be careful. Bill Shanks, CSuperstations.com. Speaking of football, UNA is going to head East Young Band to Huntsville to kick off the season. How about that? Yeah, we talked to Joel Lamp about that with the Huntsville Convention Services Bureau on Wednesday. But, yeah, press conference today, UNA Sanford football, August the 29th at renovated Joe Davis Stadium. We'll be talking about that, obviously, the closer we get to the game. Talking about an explosion for high school sports, Zach Pounder's on that and more straight ahead in a second hour of the Bumbo Bunk Show.

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[53:13] So grab your friends and head to Mug Shots for beer, burgers, and ball in historic downtown Florence. At North Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic, our Shoals roots run deep. We provide quick access and familiar, friendly faces so you never have to feel just like a number. From sports medicine to joint replacement, expert care happens right here at home. As UNA Athletics' choice for orthopedics and the trusted orthopedic team of the Shoals' families for over 30 years, North Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic is here for you. Learn more at nabjc.com.

Are you 50 or older? This news is for you. The CDC recommends you get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia. Even if you're healthy, your age puts you at risk. People 50 or older are over six times more likely to be hospitalized with pneumococcal pneumonia compared to adults 18 to 49. Just one shot can help protect you. Learn more and schedule at vaxassist.com. That's vaxassist.com. Sponsored by Pfizer. Ah, the most beautiful time of year is upon us. Tax season. And Tax Slayer is here to help you file. We guarantee 100% accuracy and your maximum refund.

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Trump said he would love to see Tuberville continue as a senator, but Tuberville wants to be governor of Alabama, and the president is now throwing his full support behind that effort. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Brian Dawson here, CEO of 1819 News. I'm also the host of 1819 News, the podcast, and we'd love for you to join us by listening to our weekly show on all the top podcast apps, both in audio and video format. At 1819 News, the podcast, we are in pursuit of a free and flourishing Alabama.

Every week, we're having important conversations with guests from across this great state, all with the goal of equipping Alabamians to be in pursuit of a free and flourishing Alabama with us. New episodes are released weekly. I hope you'll join us. The new mayor of Hoover, Nick Durzies, delivered a State of the City speech this past Thursday night. Durzies has been in office for about 80 days. He told the members of the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce that he's committed to working hand-in-hand with both of them to address issues facing the city, including the redevelopment of the Riverchase Galleria and Patton Creek shopping centers.

Two arrests were made in Marshall County this week following an investigation that started at the beginning of January. 51-year-old Kenneth Reed and 30-year-old Hannah Moore are now facing drug trafficking charges. The search and seizure of the drugs occurred at a residence in Boaz. Authorities found five pounds of methamphetamines, one pound of marijuana, and three ounces of cocaine. I'm Andrea Tice. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter. Valley Broadcasting Corporation, WITK-FM, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, The Shores, Sports Radio 93.9, The Score.

[58:29] Tide fans. Here comes the Tide. Let's roll. At one for the win. Ball game, ball game, ball game, the win. Grab your hard hats and tune in for blue collar basketball with the Crimson Tide all season long on your home for Alabama basketball. This Saturday, Alabama welcomes the Tennessee Volunteers to Coleman Coliseum. Airtime is 6.30 p.m. with a tip at 7.30 here on 93.9 The Score. Brought to you locally in part by Nationwide Insurance Agents Michael Noe and Bill Cochran, Garner Pierce Otto, the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Bob's Tire and Alignment, Alpha Insurance Agents David Jordan, Mike Mitchell, and Matt Henry, Fake Independent, Champy's World Famous Fried Chicken, Woody Anderson Ford, Garnett Electric, and Elliott Johnson Insurance.

Alabama and Tennessee. This Saturday night at 6.30 on 93.9 The Score. 93.9 The Score weather. Today mostly cloudy with a high around 45. Tonight mostly cloudy with possible gusty winds and a 30% chance of snow showers, freezing rain, and sleet overnight. Low near 25. Tomorrow cloudy with a 90% chance of freezing rain and sleet likely before noon and then rain or freezing rain afternoon. High around 35. Ice storm warning in effect. Tomorrow night rain showers and freezing rain likely with a low near 25. And for your Sunday cloudy with a 90% chance of rain or freezing rain and a high around 35.

Your weather from 93.9 The Score. Now, get ready to roll. Shoals, Decatur, Athens, and all of northwest Alabama and southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM sports voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the tide. Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Again, our tour of the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley. And for Mike, you're going to have taken time out of his busy schedule as National College football slash basketball analyst down in Orlando.

Mike, welcome in. Can you loan us some milk and bread and sunshine? How are you? The weather has delayed, and it's going to be like 81 here on Sunday. So, I feel bad for you guys. Oh, my gosh. You should be up here, Mike. We would love to spread the joy, I guarantee. Enjoy the sunshine. Mike, your thoughts about the latest news from the home of sunshine, the NCAA. Are you shocked that the SEC and the Big Ten just simply cannot agree on a fair number for the playoffs?

Right now, it looks like it's going to stay at an even dozen 12 teams. Mike, your reaction? I think 12 is a good number. I'm not a fan of the potential of a 9-3 team playing for a national title, which would occur if there were 16 teams. I think the one issue with the playoff calendar, I think it's obvious, using the first two years as an example, that having the extra week off, having the bye, is a negative. Yes. One school that's had a bye has one. That's Indiana.

And Cincinnati seems to have some kind of magical wand anyway. But, yeah, I like 12 teams. And you're right. The SEC and Big Ten are the only ones with a true say, and they obviously can't agree. And I think that's fine. I know the Big Ten eventually wants 24, which is ludicrous. But there's a lot of money involved. I get that as well. But the idea that it's 12 again next year, perfectly fine with that. Mike, other than just the obvious money being the reason, what's the logic and justification, rationalization going into 24?

For that matter, 16, given what's happened with the teams down, just to sit here and give everybody a trophy mentality, this year and last year, I haven't seen the TV ratings. I can't believe those games generate a lot of money. But what would be the rationale, other than the obvious, of expanding to certainly 24 teams? It would be money. And I do know the title game with Indiana-Miami was incredible ratings. I believe I read it was the highest-rated, non-NFL sports show in like a decade, the Indiana Finals.

But, yeah, I mean, again, 24 teams, are you kidding me? That's way too many. 16 is too many to me. I like the 12. But I think the only rationale is commissioners can say what they want. More teams with a chance, keeps more fan bases involved. No. The bottom line is don't listen to what they're saying. Watch what they're doing. And what they're doing is putting more money in their pockets. Mike, I mentioned this earlier in the show. This time next year, we're two days away from playing the national championship game on January the 21st of 2027.

[1:04:14] And some of the other dates, the following years, are like the 20th, 25th, 23rd, etc. And a lot of people are saying, okay, well, they finally made a decision on not expanding. We're going to stay at 12. That's fine. Let's do that for another couple of years. But all of the other issues as far as the calendar, the early signing date, Mike, you know, eventually NIL with, I've heard that the two-year contract performance-based, when do you start with the schedule, so many other issues that are on the table that people keep saying over and over again, okay, let's start addressing some of those.

The calendar is focused only on one number. Is it 12, is it 16, or is it 24? Meanwhile, Rome is burning. That's it. The calendar needs to be fixed. The early signing period, maybe instead of in December, you actually make it early and put it in August. Yes. They've tried with the transfer portal. I give them credit for that. At least they're trying. So it is a little bit interesting that, you know, the transfer portal closed the 16th of January. Some schools already were an entire week into their second semester by the time that happened.

And, yes, academics obviously doesn't mean anything anymore, but this sort of drives it home. But it is, it's almost annoying that they're so hyper-focused on the playoff that they can't get anything else fixed. Right. Or even try to fix. Yeah, it's discouraging. It's disappointing. It makes me mad. I think it makes a lot of college sports fans mad because they have the potential to do some changes with the calendar. So let's put the playoff number aside and sit down and start making some harder decisions on other things as well.

Mike, obviously it's going to be interesting to see the influence of this past season going forward. The portal rankings are out. Back in the day, they always had these recruiting rankings. Now they have got a new cottage industry. The portal rankings. Shock, shock. LSU is number one. That's what happens when we get an NFL coach who wants to stay in college with an open checkbook. LSU is number one. Shot, shock. Texas Tech is two. And Indiana is third. I bring this up because down at the other end of the spectrum, Georgia is 22.

Alabama is 23. So who's going to win going forward? These pop-up teams like Indiana and Texas Tech or teams like Georgia and Alabama who have been there and done that? They're still not shopping hard in the portal. They're down the board. Your thoughts about going forward? Transfer portal rankings with a gigantic grain of salt. It's interesting to me that the Indiana portal rankings the first two years weren't very high, and they lost two games. It's almost like, okay, now they're starting to give Indiana credit for who they signed in the portal, and I don't think they really did in the past.

LSU, not surprising. They brought in a ton of guys because they had to. Texas Tech obviously is spending a bunch of money. Miami evidently is willing to spend a bunch of money as well. They're behind the Darian-Minsa thing. Damon Wilson to Georgia to Missouri to portal guy evidently is going to Miami as well. But I think a lot of, again, the transfer portal rankings, I worked at ON3 when they did transfer portal rankings. Let's just say that it's a very inexact science. Yeah. I think in some cases, they're still too worried about what a guy was as a high school recruit.

Right. And overlook production at the group of five level or for a team like, you know, let's use Dylan Dieneman as an example. He started at Purdue. They were horrible. Goes to Oregon. Has a great year. Oh, yeah, he's really good. Yeah, he is. That was. So, the portal rankings to me are, I would not. Subjective. Very, very objective. I would not put a lot of, what's the word I want to use here. If your team ranks low in the portal rankings, I would sort of like, I really don't care.

Because, yeah, I don't think they're very good. Mike, the Charles Bidiaco story was dropped in our lap earlier this week. And we've heard, as you can imagine, both sides of the argument. Well, you know, he's got, he's still in the five-year window, and that's something else, five years to play five. But played two years when early thinking he was going to get on one team in the NBA, three teams cut him. He's been in the G League. He signed three contracts. And I know that European players come over here and play every year.

[1:09:23] The kid at Baylor was another one I've heard about all week long. And actually, Alabama fans see both sides of this as far as, and Nate Oates had a press conference an hour ago and said, yeah, right now we plan on playing him. And a lot of people say, well, you know, this is the next natural step in the destruction of the NCAA. Mike, how do you feel about this? You know, there are rules in place in college athletics, just like there are rules in place in NFL, Major League Baseball, and, you know, real life.

And some of the rules the NCAA has are stupid, beyond stupid. I don't think this one is beyond stupid. Now, he didn't know. You're right. Baduyakura did not play in the NBA. But he played in the G League. And the last time I looked, G League was professional. And I get the fact that, yes, there are a lot of Europeans who come over after playing in the, quote-unquote, pro leagues in Europe. I would argue that that's a different situation because you're basically playing pro basketball when you're 14 and 15 in Europe, unlike the United States, which has a high school system or a prep school system.

So, I'm not agreeing with Nate Oates on this. And if I'm not mistaken, Nate Oates said something when Baylor signed the Nodgy kid that this is getting ridiculous. And, yeah, here he is, potentially playing him tomorrow against Tennessee. Yeah. It's on, hey, look at things, right, Mike? Let me ask you this. One thing it's going to do is it's going to spice things up. Todd Golden already laying it down in Florida. He's got Alabama a week from tomorrow. He says, let him have him. We're going to beat him anyway.

But first things first, they got Auburn coming up tomorrow. How good is Florida relative to last year's team, which they tell us it was pretty good? The guard play is not close. The front court is better. Chinuilu has become unstoppable almost inside. Hawk kid is playing out of his mind. Condon is still pretty solid, hand-locked. And it's nice you can bring a 7'1 guy off the bench who's an offensive rebounding machine. The guard play has been exceedingly uneven. But I would argue that while Florida isn't as good as they were last year, neither is Auburn.

And I think Florida, the way they're playing, the games in Gainesville, Florida's playing really well right now. And, you know, Todd Golden, I think Auburn fans like him because he's a former Bruce Pearl. Yeah. But I like him to an extent. But, you know, he and Pearl are good buddies. Florida's playing really well right now. And, again, that front court, you know, these are grown men. These are big. Chinuilu, he's had two games with 21 rebounds this season. And if you watch the game against LSU, it was like he was an NBA player playing with junior high guys.

Wow. Because he was just dominating down low. Still doesn't have much of an offensive game. But when you get to when you're that big and that strong and you can dunk, you can be effective on offense as well. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that was amazing when I saw he had tied his best in rebounding with 21 again. Quite a feat. Mike, always great stuff, football and basketball, buddy. We envy the 81 degrees because they're not going to be 81 degrees up here for a while. Mike, enjoy the weekend, buddy, with some college basketball.

Let's do this again next week. Mike, you're going to hook it up with us from 81 Degree Orlando, baby. If we look in the mirror, we've got 81, except we're just reversing the 8 with a 1. It's closer to 18 here. Coming up, you're talking about a bomb on the high school scene. Zach Pounder's details next. Stay with us. With the new IHOP value menu, $6 is all it takes to go to your Happy Plates, where stacks of pancakes with bacon and eggs are just $6 every day. French toast, sausage and eggs are, you guessed it, $6.

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Hello again, everybody. I'm Roger Hoover. On yesterday's edition of Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR, we were joined by women's basketball head coach, Christy Curry. Oh, no question. Incredible. You know, I'm not sure we've had a better crowd, you know, in several years. It was absolutely amazing. And we need, you know, this team's won 17 games. We're in a great position. We need everybody to stay consistent, you know. And I think at the end of the day, you know, when you have a home court advantage, it's a big difference.

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[1:19:34] The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. That sound you heard might have been the rush for the last loaf of bread at the local Walmart or the folks down in Montgomery blowing up high school sports as we know it going forward. Zach Pounder's got that and everything covered at Shoals Sports Report. Zach, welcome in. How are you? Doing good. How are y'all? Hey, Bill. We're doing all right. Zach, obviously, weather's a big story, but specifically about sports, when's the last time you've seen news this big with this many ramifications from one end of the state, from the Shoals to the Shores, hitting after today's news from Montgomery?

Where do you want to start with the question? Do you want to start with the private schools or the public schools? Do you want to start with the… It's your course. You can go anywhere you want to go, whichever way you want to start. Well, first off, I'll start with the private schools. That's the biggest groundbreaking aspect of all this today. Yeah. And the big issue I'm seeing around the state with the conversations is the travel. If you look at the WC, which is the large school private, is what you can call it in short.

They have regions set up that include schools like Madison Academy, which is in Huntsville, and then schools down in the Selma in the same region. Which is Montgomery West, basically. Yes. They went more like 7A used to be with the Huntsville-Bermingham-Mobile-Montgomery model. Yeah. And big directions as a base. But the WC, you have Madison Academy up in Huntsville. And I think you also have Westbrook, the Westminster Christian, and the other Christians with Randolph. But then, you have schools all the way spread out and for playoffs as well.

And then, in the other private divisions, you've got a region with Marthill, Shoals Christian, Wattsburg Christian, and Kusa Christian. That goes from Florence to Decatur to Huxville to Gadsden, the North region. The middle region is Tuscaloosa to Anderson to Selma. That's only up to Selma, my bad. And then Montgomery and Mobile-Dosan. You're looking at possibly three hours of travel. What is the process of schedule for a team on Friday night? That's rough on not only the players, but also fans and parents. And a lot of money.

I mean, for schools and mamas and daddies and fans, that's a lot of money involved. Yeah, take out the admission calls for a second. Just look at the cats and the food. For more than those of you, that's a two-and-a-half-hour drive. Let's go out this year, up at 1230, to go back to the Christian. How sustainable is that, Zach? I mean, to me, that's just – I mean, I understand you can live in Disney World or you can live in the real world. I understand theories and all that stuff.

But when you come back to common sense, how sustainable is this going forward? I'm interested to see the basketball, baseball, softball divides on this, divisions on this, because football is once a week. On a Friday night or Thursday night, you don't let school in, play it on Friday, or you've got a Saturday coming up from other people, and you're out of school. So it's no issue. You go to it three and a half hours. We'll wait on a Friday, five-hour trip. Leave it at three, get back at one in the morning.

Most coaches and players get home about 11, 12, whether more than he went on Friday night in the Saturdays. But with baseball, basketball, softball, and this was my big argument with this, too, if we're still calling them student-athletes, we cannot tell an athlete or a family to go from Shoals Christian or Mars Hill to go play in Huntsville for every area game or in Coleman for every area game and come back to Florence for every game. It hasn't happened in the last two years in 4A when Hatt was coming to the Shoals with Wilson, Deshler, Brooks, and Central.

When they could have went to the Cater, which is maybe closer, I think Hatt's not in the middle, but it doesn't matter that much. But they're kind of in the middle of both. So do you want to make an athlete student or student-athletes who are still students? Because I don't let people realize that's something to be it. Yes, it's hard to support, but it's also moms, dads, brothers, sisters, siblings who have homework, assignments, projects, parents over to 5 o'clock at night, can't get off until maybe 4.30, as early as they will.

And they can't get off to the state for an area game. Yeah, Jimmy Lay, who covers Westminster and a lot of the Huntsville teams, sent me a text about 30 minutes ago and said they've got four opponents. Lee Scott Academy, close to Auburn, that's 210 miles. John Carroll's 104. American Christian is 150. Just to reiterate your point, Before we move on to public schools and where the Shoals teams, as far as classified, they've got two private schools. They've got two divisions based on Class AA, 17 schools, Class AA, 43 schools. Now, during the regular season, private schools can play public schools.

[1:25:06] Again, they can in the championship. They've got a separate championship. But, once again, to your knowledge, they can play any school during the regular season, correct? Yeah. Nothing changes as far as regular season goes. The way I thought about it is it's not Notre Dame in college football. Alabama can play their NCAA schedule and Notre Dame as an on-conference opponent. But every week, Notre Dame has to play a non-conference game against somebody. So, every week of the season, if somebody has a break-in, I talk to play Notre Dame.

It's the same way it'd be. Notre Dame, Shoals Christian, and Covenant Christian will just be non-region, non-area games for a Deshler, Brooks, Fennell, Wilson, whoever, in whatever form. Talk to us about – that's a private – talk to us about the public schools. Obviously, Florence, Monster Shoals, Brooks, we'll go up and down the list. What does it mean going forward for the public schools in their area? The public schools, 6A becomes, what, 7A1. And now, 5A is an absolute gauntlet up here in the Shoals area. And statewide, excuse me, sorry.

But statewide, he's now put 6A as the old 7A. And now, 5A is what 6A used to be. So, they'll show Florence, Florida, Decatur, Austin, Athens, and they're also all together in 6A – or 5A, my bad, now. But that's going to be an absolute gauntlet. And then 4A is a big similarity back. So, where it's like Brooks, Deshler, Westmore, and all those. But that 5A is an absolute gauntlet, most of the region. I mentioned that at the beginning of the show. But several people have told us, of course, and I know you've heard a lot of things, too, in the last three months, that a lot of the schools, that Austin, Florence, and Muscle Shoals are probably going to go down.

It is an incredible region to be. Again, Athens, Austin, Decatur, East Limestone, Florence, Hartzell, Muscle Shoals, Russell. This is now Class 5A Region 7. Zach, that would seem like a playoff game every Friday night. I think it would be like 4A was two years ago when you had that loaded 4A region up here. Yes. But it's going to be a battle every week, especially with Athens, Austin, Florence, Muscle Shoals, Hartzell. And Russell, maybe depending on who the new coach he is, that's the school in APM region.

And East Limestone and Decatur, good luck. I mean, what do you think? That's a good point. Zach, before you jump off, obviously, it's going to be interesting where this goes going forward. But back to basketball with the impending weather. Looks like tonight's going to be one of those deals. Your thoughts just about both boys and girls. Any impacts so far as far as how the weather may alter things over the weekend? And your impressions, who's hot as we get ready to, it's hard to believe, wind down the regular season, getting ready to head down 65 to Hensville here in a few short weeks?

From what I know, this weekend, no one is playing on tomorrow, unless Desher and Carpent County find a way to play tomorrow. Everyone else is playing just for 9 or tomorrow, except for Sarktown Covenant, Act Covenant, and then Mars Hill hosting the Canada Heritage tonight also. But right now, that 4A region, that 4A area is coming more into light now. Looks like the boys' host is going to be either Brooks or Hatton, depending on some more chaos. And the girls, it looks like the only seeds left is the 2, 3, 4 seeds to the size.

I think Hatton is almost locked into the 2. But if Wilson beats the Brooks or Dantzler, then Wilson gets the 3 seeds, potentials the 4, and Brooks is the 5, walk in. Yeah, the Dantzler girls with another milestone this week, another 20-win season. That is the 95th time that the Dantzler girls have been either 1 or 2 at the state rankings. That's 3rd all-time, which is absolutely incredible. Listen, you've got a lot more information about, and I know a lot of our listeners, we did not get the opportunity to go through every one of the regions.

But, number one, Times Daily has got a good article about this as far as listing the realignments. But I know you've been on top of this. You've got a podcast on Facebook. You will have a lot more information about these specific regions and where teams have been reassigned, along with covering all of the great basketball tonight. We wish everybody safe as far as getting back late tonight. Zach, where can we get the realignment stuff and then also the coverage of the great basketball coverage tonight? On Facebook, we have every local field that we cover in our coverage area.

[1:30:07] They're reaching for football on our page right now. And then we also have a 25, 27-minute live video we did about 10, 30, about 11 o'clock this morning, where we went through all the regions locally and some of the impacts with schools dropping classes and dropping regions and moving around regions. Also, that's on our YouTube, our Twitter, and our Facebook page. All show sports reports, same name for all three. And with basketball schedules, we'll see how it goes for weather this weekend. I don't think anybody will play on Monday, Tuesday.

We'll see. But I think by Wednesday, we should be in the clear and be back to games by Thursday, hopefully. Les, hope so. In the meantime, Zach, stay safe out there. And thanks so much for your time today. Thank you all. Thank you, buddy. Zach Pounder's Shoals Sports Report. Coming up, let's head way on down south, I would imagine, out of the ice zone to Auburn and talk Tigers with Justin Ferguson on deck. Stay with us. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.

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[1:35:31] Futures and cleared swaps trading involves significant risk. It is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robinhood Derivatives LLC, a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm. Progressive presents the sports flash on 93.9. The score. NFL playoffs continue on Sunday. It's the AFC and NFC championship games. In the AFC title game, the Denver Broncos are at home against the New England Patriots. While the NFC championship will be Sunday night, Seahawks play at home against the Rams. The winners are on to the Super Bowl. Basketball action tomorrow.

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We have to see come next week. One school system has already closed down today, baby. Lawrence County Schools, according to reports, they have dismissed class, not because of weather, but because of, quote, a skunk issue in the main building. They have dismissed the classes for the day. That's a good reason to dismiss it. And parents have been advised, you can pick them up after a shower. From the gym or you can let them stay there the weekend. They're smelling better. My goodness, baby. Oh, my. I think a lot of parents may be considering that option.

Justin Ferguson. Hopefully things are smelling better on the other end of the state. He's got the Auburn Tigers covered. There with the Auburn Observer. Justin, welcome in. Anything stinking going on in Auburn territory today? No, nothing that bad. I don't think I've ever heard of a school having to get let out because of a skunk. I went to a pretty country high school growing up, but I didn't have anything close to that. That's a new one. Just when you think you've seen or heard or smelled it all, along comes this one.

Justin, what's going on? How are things down the plains minus the skunks as far as where we are with the portal? Now that it's closed, how do you feel about this class? Yeah, it's a really good class for Auburn. I think they're continuing to add, even today, picking up some more guys. It's been a lot of volume. This is a group that I think one of the big ones that a lot of people were wanting to see was the offensive line. Auburn lost a good bit on the offensive line, but it brought in even more.

Got some guys with some starting experience. Got some guys who could develop for the future. Got some guys who knows USF system. So I think that was a pretty big one. Obviously, when you hit as big as you did, bringing in your quarterback that you wanted. Bringing in one of the SEC edge rusher into Sean Womack. Bringing in one of the top big ten quarters in Andre Jordan. The big names are ones that are really popping. I really like the amount of depth Auburn's got at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

They continue to add, and they continue to add. So it's been a really good job. I think Auburn lost a lot in the portal, so they had to bring in a lot. They've gone above and beyond, I think, and just bringing in a lot of guys and trying to set up this year one. I'm looking at some of the, and again, you can take it with a grain of salt. ESPN comes out with their rankings. Auburn is at number 11. To put that in perspective, LSU is one, no shock.

Alabama is 23rd. So Auburn is somewhere between LSU and Alabama as far as ESPN's way of looking at things. Your thoughts about the mix. Schools like LSU, I think they're going to pretty much take an all-in approach to the portal. Looks like teams like Alabama and Georgia, they're going to sit here and try to get the right mix. Your thoughts about Auburn's strategy. Yeah, I think Auburn had to be one of the teams that are a little bit closer to what LSU's done this year just because of the amount of guys you lost in the portal, right?

[1:40:36] You lost so many, so you're going to have to backfill. You didn't sign a very big high school class. So I think they were going to have to go with a lot of volume in the transfer portal. What I do like, though, about this group for Auburn is that it's not just a bunch of dudes who are going to only be here for a year who only have one more year of eligibility. You have the opportunity to retain some of these guys and develop them for the future.

Pretty much every position group, you know, I'm thinking, just rolling through my head right now, like I think every position group has multiple guys that they brought into the transfer portal who have more than one year of eligibility remaining. So that's a really, really good thing to have. It's like, yeah, you needed a lot of guys. You need a lot of volume. You needed to put a lot of dudes in. I think teams like Alabama and Georgia and, you know, several others, Texas, you know, do a, you know, I think they are a little bit more consistent, you know, with obviously with the way they've recruited recently, keeping their coaches.

They're not having to hit the reset button, so they can kind of be a little more selective in the portal. I think Auburn had to go big with numbers, and then they did just that. Let me double-check with you. Right now, Auburn, at least my last count, they were up to 17 offensive linemen after Derek Plotts, the Miami offensive lineman, committed to Auburn or announced he's transferring. I know they had a visit from Tommy Kinsler, the fourth, a Miami transfer, and believe me, they've gotten a lot of attention.

Totally, my last one was Arliss Boardingham, the 39th transfer for Auburn from Florida, Bowling Green, who is a tight end. And before him was Hampton, linebacker Michael Matthews-Canty, and before him, the 37th, was Tate Meadows, a running back for Troy. You may have anywhere close to that, 17 offensive linemen to 39 overall. Yep, yep, you're right on it. Yeah, it's been a big one for Auburn on the offensive line. I think they only had three guys come back from this year's offensive line, so, you know, they needed to add more.

And so they're up to 17 linemen, that's a good number to get. They could probably add another one if they wanted to. But, yeah, they've made a run. I think they've added, like, three or four tight ends out of the portal already. Now, you know, that's Alex Golesh's former position. You know, he came up as a tight ends coach, so he puts a lot of emphasis on that. So, you know, you got that going on. And you mentioned Tate Meadows. I really like that Tate Meadows pickup.

Auburn obviously getting Bryson Washington, who's one of the better Big 12 running backs. They're bringing Jeremiah Cobb back. Like, you know, they get Nakaya Davenport from USF. Tate Meadows, if you watch Troy any this past year, he's a good little player, really good runner. I think he's going to fit in really well with, you know, what Auburn's system is there. So, yeah, a ton of guys. I don't think they're even quite done yet. But you're at a point now where, you know, you have 105 scholarships to play with now in college football.

You might as well just keep adding if you can. Justin Ferguson, the Auburn Observer. Talk to us about where things are going forward. Everybody thought a week ago the portal closed, and it did. But then you got Indiana and you got Miami. They still got some good fruit on the tree there. Will Auburn continue to look at that and shop, or where will they go next? What needs still needs to be met as far as a position, Justin? Yeah, I mean, I think they're pretty good in terms of needs.

I think there's, you know, some things they might want. Or anything like, could you use another wide receiver that wasn't one of the USF guys? Yeah, Auburn went after a few of those in the portal and weren't able to land them. So, that might be something to look at. If they could get a little bit more help at edge rusher and on the defensive line, I think those would be positions where you would like it. I think they're really set in the secondary running back, quarterback now as well.

So, yeah, maybe a little wide receiver, maybe a lineman or two, maybe an edge rusher if you can. But, I mean, I think right now it's just a pretty deep and balanced roster they've been able to rebuild in the portal. Well, they've got quite a few receivers, too. I think projected starters may be Singleton, Jeremiah Coger, Chaz Nimrod, you know, Bryce Cain, Sam Turner. Some of the guys I'm sure they want to develop. But, yeah, let's see, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Is that right? Yeah, they've got a lot of receivers.

And, you know, they were able to keep Bryce Cain, like you said, Sam Turner, both of the Smith brothers are back. They've got three guys out of high school as well. So, yeah, I mean, they've got good numbers there. I was just, you know, it's a ton of USF guys. You know, they went after Noah Rogers. They went after a couple other guys that were after. So, it's just like maybe you could get like maybe one more if you've got a little more room to play with.

But, yeah, I mean, they've definitely got numbers. I think pretty much every position group's got a ton of numbers now. Football, basketball coming up tomorrow, taking on a pretty good team. No stranger. Todd Golden knows the Pearl family, does it not? Your thoughts about the matchup tomorrow with the Tigers and the Gators? Yeah, it's the toughest matchup Auburn's got the rest of the season, you know, bar none. I think Florida's looking like not only the best team in the SEC, but one of the best teams in the country again.

[1:46:01] Winners of five straight, they're playing excellently. They're huge. They've gotten real comfortable in what they do. They brought back that starting front court from last year. Thomas Hawk has taken that next step from sixth man to their leading scorer this year. I think when their guards, you know, got off to a slow start this year, Boogie Flynn and Davian Lee, they've, you know, they've started to settle in a little bit more. And I think you're seeing the benefits of that on the field. So, I mean, it's a brutal matchup for sure.

You know, Auburn is feeling good about winning back-to-back games. You know, not shooting very well, but winning with defense and rebounding. And it's kind of funny, it's like those things that they absolutely had to do to survive, or sorry, those things that they did to win. In these last two games, you've got to do that to survive against a team like Florida, especially on the road. Auburn's going to be, what, nine, ten-point dog in this game. They haven't won in Florida in 30 years. Florida's playing the best basketball in the SEC right now.

So, it's really, can Auburn go down there, hit some threes, hang in there on defense, and put some pressure on Florida and see if they can make it a 40-minute game and maybe pull off what I would think would be one of the biggest upsets of the last several years for Auburn basketball. I think they'll get it tomorrow night. Do you think Steve and Pearl has mentioned to the guys, you need to block out Chenilu, who has had two, not one, two 21 rebound games? My goodness.

Yeah. Yeah, no, I mean, Pearl told us yesterday when we were talking to him, he said, here's the thing, if you don't box out, you better come sit by me and watch the game there. It is a non-negotiable in this game. Everybody, all five guys got to box out. It's a funny thing is, like, you know, Auburn's the number two team in the SEC in rebounding on offense and defense. They've done a really good job on the boards. Florida's the number one team in the country in rebounding by a long shot.

So, you know, this is, you know, it is a war. And I think the best way to put it is, you know, the last couple days here at practice for Auburn, the message is simple. Hey, there's no magic formula. There's no secret. There's no rah-rah speech. You know what you got to go do. And it's going to be one of the toughest tests you got all year. Absolutely. Well, listen, I know you've got everything on the website, except maybe you had to make snow ice cream, and you may be working on that.

The e-mails for Wednesday, the mailbag on Friday, the podcast, football, basketball, transfer portal. Where can we get online to get all the great stuff? Yeah, AuburnServe.com. Check it out. $6 a month or $60 a year. I am very much looking forward to the fact that I'm about to head south here in a couple hours and head down to Gainesville. You know, Auburn plays at Tennessee next week, and I'm like, man, I'm glad those two games weren't swapped around. So I'm going to take advantage of the failure.

I looked at the weather today. Gainesville's supposed to be 70 degrees tomorrow. We'll take plenty of advantage of that. Go cover that game down in Florida. And then, obviously, we've got a lot of stuff going on next week with basketball and continuing to cover the transfer portal in football. So AuburnObserver.com, check it out there. Sign up. All of our podcasts, all of our e-mails go straight to your inbox as soon as they drop. You are a lucky boy. Safe travels, Justin. Appreciate you all. Thank you, buddy.

Ferguson, the Auburn Observer. If these weather hacks have their way, some places may be looking to make seven in pockets, BB. Bottom line is, obviously, we have a lot of fun. But when you see the ice storm, snow is one thing, BB. But we can't say it enough. Make sure that you stay safe out there. And to me, one of the more dangerous situations, we kind of get cautious on the front end of some of these ice storms. But come, like, Monday, certainly Monday morning, Tuesday morning when it rains and it maybe clears off a little bit.

And then that sudden drop in temperatures, a lot of black ice out there. So, BB, please, please, please, please tell everybody you know to be careful. It's going to be – I think there's going to be a lot of sleet, freezing rain. I don't know. I think probably two to three inches of snow. But you're right. When you get the sleet and the freezing rain, and then the lows for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are about 10. So, whatever falls tomorrow and Sunday is probably not going to go anywhere for a while.

Yeah, make sure you say how much you appreciate those utility guys working out there this weekend to keep the lights on. BB, obviously, basketball, it's going to be a very interesting Alabama. It's always – when Alabama and Tennessee get together in anything, I'm not clear if it's pickleball, it's always fun. But this weekend should be extra spicy, to say the least. I'll be curious to see the TV ratings for that game tomorrow night. Everybody's going to probably be home because of the weather. And then they wonder what Bidiaco does and the rugby reaction to him.

So, yeah, that's going to be quite a game tomorrow night. You can watch it on the tube and listen to it with Chris and the guys here on 93.9 The Score. Make sure you're tuning in coming up tomorrow night. It's going to take care of this for now. On behalf of BB, Greg, James Blair, the entire crew here, Harold Bogg, thank you so much for your time today. Let's do it again hopefully Monday noon to 2 for the Boomo Bugg Show back here on Sports Radio 93.9 The Score.