Episode summary
Boomo Bugg Show 081826 aired on August 18, 2026 on 93.9 The Score WYTK. The full transcript of the show is below.
Highlights
- Harold Bugg expresses a preference for Alabama's traditional orange, blue, and white uniforms over the green alligator designs.
- Freddie Kirby predicts Ryan Grubb will announce Alabama's starting quarterback after Thursday's scrimmage, with Kilo Russell and Austin Mack in contention.
- Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer comments on the need for consistency and faster starts during game-like practices following a scrimmage.
- Caleb Suggs highlights Austin vs. James Clemens as a key high school football matchup with historical significance.
- Bruce Marshall notes Alabama is ranked 13th in the AP Top 25, while Paul Feinbaum's analysis of the team's ranking sparks debate.
- Cole Pinkston speculates on Auburn's offensive line rotation for the Baylor game, mentioning Joe Simmons, Derek Pluz, and Cole Best as potential starters.
- Coach Heath Wood discusses Central High's reclassification from 4A to 3A and plans to use an open week for team evaluation.
- Matt Michelle shares insights on Kirk Herbstreit's preparations for the college football season and his concerns about instability in college sports.
Full show transcript (text version of the audio, for readers who are deaf or hard of hearing)
This transcript was generated automatically from the broadcast audio. Names and some words may be misspelt; the audio is the official record.
Download the transcript as plain text (113 KB) · subtitle file (SRT)
[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. I'm pretty staunch on I want our uniform colors to be orange, blue and white because those are our school colors. I don't have any desire to wear those green alligator uniforms that were worn here. I don't spend a ton of time thinking about it.
I'm sure everybody thinks that's like all I do all day is put uniform combinations together. Out of those decisions, I would say the administration here and other people that were involved in planning that out with everybody in that room probably were like looking at me like, why are you so disinterested in this? Because I really I could I could give two I just want to win games. The unvarnished voice of North Alabama's most famous Gator, Jon Sumral, preaching from the pulpit down in Gainesville as a head coach of the blue, orange and white Gators.
Good afternoon. Welcome in. Brett Beaird. How are you? That was pretty good, wasn't it? Yeah, just the light is, man. Jon Sumrall is just a football coach, Harold Bugg. That is it. Las Vegas insider Bruce Marshall, who had a birthday yesterday, will preview the upcoming college football season. Heath Wood, head football coach Central, previews the 2026 season coming up. And good friend Freddie Kirby is here right now to talk about Hush Puppies and Alabama's summer camp. Can we just talk about Hush Puppies for now and then we'll get to summer camp later.
Freddie's probably going to drive that bus. Freddie is the regional boss of Southeastern Athletics Incorporated. Freddie, welcome in. Hopefully you brought some Hush Puppies with you. How are you? Oh, we're doing all right, guys. And there will be plenty on display tonight. If we can get the BB and the HB to show up tonight and everything, of course, we've got to let the HB get out of captivity before we can expect him. When you commit my crimes, it's a long parole, I guarantee you, Freddie. Talk to us.
You teased us. But what you got on your plate tonight? Well, we're going to have our annual kickoff of football season, get together at Greenbrier Restaurant tonight for the Alabama football fans and the Alabama athletics fans in general and everything. We usually have a really good turnout for this night and me and Drew D.R. are going to get together and talk about the recruiting classes, what we can expect out of this year's team and what our projections are. Just have a nice, good night of Alabama football and good evening.
There you go. It must be August in North Alabama. Freddie, let's talk a little bit about what – One thing about that, Harold, that I failed to say, we don't have a membership. If you're an Alabama fan, we let you in the door. All you got to do is pay for your meal and put $5 or $10 in the basket. Well, we pass everything and get to take care of speakers. Well, in this day and time, $5 or $10, that won't even get you through Krispy Kreme, will it? So that's a pretty good big bang for the buck.
Freddie, you mentioned talking about – and I'd imagine you're going to get the question, who's going to be the starting quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide? Ryan Grubb this week dropping some major hints. We are close. Yeah, I think a lot of folks have their vote in the ballot box who they want. Who does Ryan Grubb and this coaching staff want as their starting quarterback? And what are you looking at as far as the time frame, Freddie? Well, I'm kind of like most people in general. I think Thursday's scrimmage is going to go a long way towards determining that.
But I think you'll be able to see them go through the weekend and next Monday maybe make their announcement who's got the reins at this moment and everything. But it's a situation where it is actually a battle. It's already not predetermined. I think it is actually going down because people got to understand. A lot of people know all the accolades of Kilo Russell coming out of high school and everything. But Austin Mack is a young man that was hand-picked by Grubb back in the day at Washington.
And the kid has got a lot of talent. I agree that Russell is more fluid and everything. And I think Russell ultimately will win the job whether he takes the first snap or not. And I think you've got more than one position that's going to be that way. Because I think the running backs are going to start out with Hill and Riley. But I think you're going to see Crowell and Brown end up with most of the carries before it's over with. So what do they do with that, Freddie?
Do they bring the guys together as opposed to sitting here and throwing it out there to the public? They bring them in and say, guys, let's talk man-to-man here. Here's the deal. These guys have been with us. You're going to get your playing time. But under the stripes, and I guess the best way to sell that is, young man, if you stay here long enough, there's always going to be the next best thing coming through the pipeline. At that point, you'll know what we're talking about.
[5:17] How are they going to sell this to whoever is going to be second? Because, let's face it, Freddie, whoever is second, automatically is going to have options to get out of there at first chance. Yeah, he's going to have options, but it's going to be after the season. Right. And so that's the good part is that they can't leave right now unless they just choose to get out of school. Right. But I don't think these kids, they didn't come to Alabama not to compete and everything.
And nothing was guaranteed to them when they come here. Right. But there's a reason that you sign two quarterbacks a year, as Coach DeBoer has done, because you're going to lose somebody. Right. Because guys like, I'll tell you up front, Jeff Tamala may be better than both of them. And I've heard a lot of things about him. And plus, you've got the number one quarterback in the country, committed. Right. And so, the position is not going to be empty if one of them does leave and everything, but you've just got to make the right decision that's going to leave this team and everything.
And who's going to project to leave winning football for this year's team and who has won the team is what it mouths to. Freddie, I saw an interesting Twitter post by Aaron Taylor, former Notre Dame and Super Bowl champion, played at Notre Dame, was an All-American. He is a very good analyst. Yeah. He is a chairman of the Joe Moore Award. What caught my attention, Freddie, he likes Adrian Clem, the offensive line coach. But he said, when I compare last year's Alabama to this year's Alabama, they are much more physical at the point of attack.
He likes Crowell. Now, this was a practice. I don't think it was the scrimmage last week. But I'm like you, Freddie. That caught my attention. I've always had a lot of respect for Taylor. And we've asked that question a few of the summer. Can they run the ball better? Can they be more physical? According to Aaron Taylor, he's seen it. Well, I think there's more than one reason for what he's seen. Number one, I think you've got better offensive line coaching and everything. Because you've not only got Clem, you've got Richard Owens also there, who's got a little bit of history from the tight end offensive line.
I think it's part of that. I think you're better on the defensive line because the best offensive linemen Slavin ever had were great because they had to go against Bo Davis' defensive line every day. And I think the beef they brought in on the defensive line and the addition of Jarrett Johnson and the guy from Oklahoma, whose name is escaping me, to go along with Freddie, I think it's increased that defensive line to the point that you've actually got a head-to-head physical battle going on here.
And you've got Clem that's teaching these linemen how to get off these buttons and get to the second level and actually not just run up against them and everything, but try to take them out. And I think that's why you're seeing them run the football in practice even better. And I'm like you, Brett, that really got my attention and everything. But it also got my attention that he liked the way Coyle runs. And every time I hear he practices, what do you think? You think they might be sandbagging?
You think they might be a little sandbagging going on down there? Yeah, we've guessed that, yes. Freddie, your thoughts about Crowell, because we know all the accolades. We've been talking about this kid since I think Moses part of the sea. It seems like anyway how great he is. But it doesn't matter until the lights go on in Tuscaloosa or wherever in the SEC once he gets down to the real deal. Your thoughts about him. You've seen a lot of talent over the years. And a lot of folks are automatically going to sit here and say, okay, that's great, but can he, like Timex, take a lick and keep on ticking?
In other words, is he injury-prone? What is your assessment of Crowell? Well, I think he's one of the – maybe the best running back I've seen come out of the state since Pierre Gute and Carnell Williams. Wow, that's a lot. And everything, because I think he's got that much credentials and that much talent involved in his skill set and everything. He is physical and everything. He's going to be a banger here and there. But his kid carried the ball a lot in high school. He didn't – it ain't going to hurt him to have a little bit of time off as far as that goes and everything.
You make sure his body is totally 1% healthy before the season starts. But I think he's going to be fully capable of playing from game one and everything. I don't think that's going to be a problem. And, of course, A.K. Deer is going to be a different story. But Treson Brown is a young man that's going to be able to spell a marriage that's got a birth that the others don't have and everything. And I think it's a situation where the running back position is in better shape than most people think it is.
Freddie, who are two or three of the players who've coached your ride this summer? Luke Metz is one that's really just off the field at me. I liked him in high school. I liked his mentality on what I've seen on film. He plays the middle position the way I like to see it played. And I think he's continued it down there. And I think he's going to be a team leader for it. It's over with him. So that would be definitely one of them. Treson Brown would definitely be another.
[10:37] Because I think he's a difference maker. And Carmelo O'Neal. Yep. The big 6-4 corner came from Mercer. Yep. I think he's already sealed himself as the number three corner on this team. So if De'John Lee or Zabian go down, I think you're going to see him in the game first. And they're thinking, I ain't going to be surprised if there are times that they put him out there and slide Zabian inside when they got their nickel in. And I'm not saying because Zabian is maybe the best corner in the country.
But I think he's more versatile than the others are to play inside a little more. And because you've got a 6-4 corner on both sides of the field, that's hard to throw in. But those are three that come to my mind right off. But one that's really taken the biggest jump is Mal Walter. Yep. Yep. And never think. Freddie Kirby hooking it with us, Southeastern Athletes. Freddie, what's your biggest concern about this team right now coming in? Who's the biggest concern? Mm-hmm. Well. To hit the Alabama standard.
Well, you've got to get quarterback experience, number one. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Because you take the two of them, the amount of time they've had on the field and everything is less than what Ty Simpson had starting last year. Right. But I think both of them are ultra-talented to the word. I think they will pick it up quickly and everything like that. But they've got to get game experience. And it may take them two or three games to get to where we want them to be. Mm-hmm. And I think so.
That would definitely be the first thought. But I think you've got to get some wide receiver continuity with the quarterbacks and everything. Because the talent is there. And the chemistry should be there with all the practice they've had throughout the summer and everything. But when them lights come on is when you really see it. That's right. Brady, before we let you go, tell us how Southeastern Athletics can help young men and women get a college scholarship. Well, what we do, Brenton, is we do all the legwork.
I just went on a 792-mile round trip to Dixon, Kentucky, to Louisville, Kentucky, and back home and everything. But before I left, I'll give you an example here. I found a young man out here at Huffington, Alabama, named Kane Rushing, who is the best male athlete in the entire school. All this young man did was catch 56 passes for 1,221-yard and 24 touchdowns. Took his team all the way to the Final Four, pretty much, in football. Turned around, took them to the state championship game, lost by one in basketball, and averaged 19 a game.
Then played catcher on the baseball team and took them to the state championship. Wow. But he's coming from a small school, and you're starting to see some of these small cuckoo school kids get their elevation, like Raquan Butler that's committed to Alabama, out of Loachapulco, nearby McCary from Maplesville. He's the number two player in the whole state of Alabama for this 28 class and everything. But I ain't got to tell you all the history of what they had out of 1A schools and everything. But this young man has been totally overlooked.
This kid can play at UNA and several other schools and everything. He's got a very good size, a 6'2", 175, runs a 4'5", but not one school is looking at this kid and everything. I put him out yesterday to almost 1,500 coaches and everything, and he's got two hits this morning already, one from Central Florida and another from North Carolina State and everything. So that's what we do. We do the legwork to get you seen by college coaches. We put your talent on display, try to get them into your ball fields, but once the coach is there, it's all up to you from there and everything, because your talent's got to sell it on the field.
But we do all the legwork to get you seen, try to open up those doors and avenues of opportunity for you. And this is our 41st year at Southeastern and everything, and I've been recruiting myself for 41 years. But we have an 87% rate company-wide helping kids get scholarships. And we do the endorsements, we do the publicity, so it's your talent to take over. Wonderful. Well, listen, we will see you tonight at Greenbrier, 6 o'clock. You and the one and only Drew DeArmond talking Alabama recruiting. And some recount, Freddie, I always enjoy the conversation, brother.
See you tonight and have a great week. All right, and I heard you say we will see you, so I expect to see Harold B. Well, we'll see about that. Or whatever behind door number two, right? All right, guys, I appreciate it. Thank you, bud. All right, Freddie, enjoy your trip up. And the hush puppies as well. Freddie Kirby, regional sponsor, Southeastern Athletics. Coming up, rock and roll time on the high school grid irons. Watch checking in North Alabama. Caleb Suggs, the latest snack. Stay with us.
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Crimson Tide Today is brought to you by Vector Security Champions Lane. 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, Andy. We mentioned it's kind of crazy and busy these days. They've got college football right around the corner and high school football up first. So says Caleb Suggs. He's got it all covered there with the Decatur Daily. Caleb, welcome in. How are you? I'm doing good, guys. How are you?
[21:04] Hey, Boone. Finally, we can ask the question. Caleb, are you ready for some football? It is here whether we're ready or not. I guess what? Between 48 and 72 hours from now, we'll get the opening chapter. Where do you start as far as the first big match-ups on week one? Well, I think there's a lot. I think that's the good news is if you're a high school football fan, you're not hurting for somewhere to go. The one that sticks out at me, I look at Austin hosting James Clemens.
You're talking about a game that was a region showdown the last eight years. And seven of those eight years, either Austin or James Clemens went on to win the region championship. So it was always a huge game. Now it's a non-region game. They're opening the season. You've got Austin, I think, is going to be one of the best teams in Class 5A now that they've moved down. James Clemens is going to be really good second year, Coach Johnson. I think that's going to be a fantastic game to kick off the season with.
The one that could definitely go either way. I agree with you entirely. Aidan Davis, they just have a plethora of running backs legacy there. Aidan Davis last year, 1,100 yards. One of the interesting games, as you said, is West Morgan at Athens. West Morgan just rebuilds. Macquarie Johnson ran all over people last year. They returned five starters on the offensive line, ouch, along with Ben Johnson. 34-game, regular season winning streak for West Morgan and Drew Phillips. Athens is a younger team this year. They've got some good players.
They were 6-5 last year. Austin Campbell, as you noted, a three-year starter linebacker. Aidan Lovell, who is a real college prospect. Very interesting game with West Morgan traveling to Athens. Yeah, it's incredibly interesting. You know, you look at the enrollment numbers that the AHSA put out. You know, West Morgan is one of the smaller 4As. They have, from 9th to 11th grade last year, they had a enrollment number of around 400. And you look at Athens, they're the second largest 5A with an enrollment number over 1,000. So that is a huge, drastic difference between these two schools.
But I think it's going to be a really good game. I think that, you know, like you said, West Morgan, they've been so successful in bringing in that 34-game winning streak. That streak is definitely in danger. But, you know, I don't think it's, you know, I think you look at the difference in the size of the schools and think, well, it's got to be a layup win for Athens. I just don't believe that. I think what West Morgan has done, especially in the trenches, their weight program, I think they can really compete with a school.
Despite their size differences as far as numbers go, I think they can really compete. West Morgan doesn't look like your typical 4A. Athens is still, though, I mean, that's still a huge school. They're really good, well-coached with Coach Gross, but I think this is going to be a really good game. Like you mentioned, Athens is pretty young, so I think West Morgan's got that experience. I think it's going to be a sneaky good game to go watch and one that I'm actually going to be at and I'm excited to watch.
Caleb Suggs at Cater Daily. To me, it's a very interesting matchup. Obviously, one of the oldest programs in the entire state. You're very familiar with it. You know where I'm going with this. Red Raiders there at Decatur High on the road to Buckhorn. Buckhorn is one of those, was Madison County, still is Madison County Schools, but it's a growing community. I mean, like a kudzu or a weed, so you never know what you're going to get out there. But Decatur's trying to get back to the standards.
Buckhorn, a growing community. What do you see there in the opening act? Again, I mean, there's just so many good games right here. I mean, you need to be out somewhere this Friday because there's too many games going on. But, yeah, I think you just look at it. You know, Decatur, I know it's been tough the past two years, back to back two and eight seasons. You know, it's been a longer process than I think people were hoping for. But, you know, Coach Ritter has the track record.
He did it with Morgan. He did it at Russell. And year three has always been a big year. But they really need to get that win, especially with their schedule, you know, the region that they play in. I mean, they really need that win just to kind of spark the momentum and get the kids the confidence. And so, you know, I hate to put a lot of pressure on a week one game, but this almost feels must win. And that stinks because I think Buckhorn's really good, too.
I think they're underrated. You know, last year, I forget the coach's name, but, you know, I know he's a good coach. And I know he had a good first year last year with Buckhorn, seven and four, I think. They went to the playoffs. Great athletes there. I think they're one of their best players, an SEC prospect, did transfer to Tennessee. So that stings. But they've still got great players there. So it's going to be really tough for Decatur to go over there and on the road and beat a pretty good team.
But I think they can do it. You know, they've most of just about every position they have is like two- or three-year starters. I mean, Coach Ritter, two years ago, he knew what he was doing. He started a bunch of freshmen and sophomores. And, you know, here we are in year three. They've been there. But like I said, I mean, they just need that win. You know, it's going to be tough. But I think once they get that win, they have the talent and it will start rolling around.
[26:09] Just to reiterate your point, Decatur has 15 starters coming back, including 11 seniors. Reed Robertson, their quarterback, Isaiah Allen and Devin Haley, the running backs. Here we go again. Another very intriguing game. Bob Jones, Seth Parker, the new coach at Hartzell, your alma mater, where you played 10-2 last year. Burton Newton, we've talked a lot about. His record's 19-5. Paulette Hurley is a senior linebacker for them. And I mentioned Seth Parker. They've got a lot of talent. Jane Rice, the running back. Ethan Gray, linebacker Stringer, Zach King, another running back.
This should be a fun game. Bob Jones at Hartzell. Yeah, I think so. I think, you know, you look at Hartzell and they're just the model. Them and Muscle Shoals are just kind of the model of consistency. You know, Hartzell's had, you know, I think nine or more wins the last five years in a row. I mean, but it's a little bit different this year because they are replacing almost 30 seniors. So, a lot of new faces on that team. That being said, though, I think there's a lot of talent there.
And, of course, it's Hartzell. I think, though, when you have programs like Hartzell, like Muscle Shoals, like Austin, the floor is just higher than other programs. So, you know, I still expect them to come out and be very solid. You know, I don't really know what to expect out of Bob Jones. I think there's a lot of talent there. Coach Parker is a fantastic coach. I have no doubt that eventually he will be successful. But I don't know how quickly, you know, it's going to be turned around.
You know, he was 2-8 in his first year. His price full, you know, I expect him to be better than that. But I don't, you know, then he went from 2-8 to 8-4 at price full. So, he's obviously a great coach. So, it'll be interesting to see how quickly Bob Jones will turn around under him. You know, and like you said, I think it's intriguing. I think, you know, Hartzell probably has the edge here. But Hartzell has a lot of new faces. So, they could be a lot more growing pains than I expect.
So, I don't know. We'll see. I think it's going to be a pretty fun game, too. California jump off. Obviously, Brooks, a brand new era to coaching him. They are marching into the Hornets' nest, literally. Your thoughts about Brooks at Hatton? Yeah, I think, you know, Hatton, you know, I think people around there expect big things. Coach Stover's first, second year. You know, they went 7-4 last year and made the playoffs. They actually beat Brooks 30-6 or something last year. So, they, you know, handled them pretty well.
And so, you know, with a lot of good players coming back, they expect to be much improved this year. I don't really know what to expect out of Brooks losing a good coach and losing him kind of late, if I'm not mistaken. So, it's kind of like a late coaching change, so they always kind of stink, too. So, but, you know, Brooks is another one of those programs that's just consistently really good. So, you know, I expect this to still be a pretty good game, but I would be surprised if Hatton didn't pull this one out.
You know, just going off of what they're bringing back and with all the changes Brooks has had. Absolutely. Pricel versus Brewer, another very good game. Brewer, I know you expect Brewer to be one of the most improved teams in the area. I believe your pre-season supplement for the Decatur Daily comes out tomorrow. I know you will have the games, all of the games, predictions, I'm guessing on Thursday. Busy, busy week as far as getting out information about week number one. Tell us about the supplement, when you're going to have the game predictions, and where can we get online and get recaps and everything else?
Yeah, so the supplement will come out tomorrow. It has, you know, it's our special section that has all the team previews, rosters, and schedules. It'll be in our Wednesday paper, and also all the stories and stuff will be online, too. And then Thursday we'll have our special blitz section, which is what you're talking about. It'll have, you know, feature story, predictions, different kind of stuff there. We do that every Thursday during the year, so that's when that will come out. And then, yeah, games start Thursday night, going into Friday.
It's good. A lot of hard work. Congratulations. I know you can kind of breathe a sigh of relief. That's off your shoulders. Thank you so much. You keep up the good work, Caleb. Thanks, guys. Thanks for having me. Thank you, buddy. Caleb Suggs picking up with us. We'll see you there at the Decatur Daily from the River City all the way to Sin City, Las Vegas. And Bruce Marshall next. Stay with us. Braves baseball is heating up, and so are the dogs at Mugshots on North Court Street in historic downtown Florence.
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The Atlanta Braves will play the Twins again tonight at Target Field in Minneapolis. Tether Malley will get the start for Atlanta. He's 4-9 with a 4-6-4 ERA. Zebby Matthews will start for Minnesota. He comes into the matchup 6-8 with an ERA above 5. New Orleans Saints rookie wide receiver Jordan Tyson could miss the next two months with a right hamstring injury. It was an injury he suffered Thursday in a joint practice with the Jaguars. The timetable puts his return around week 6. The Sports Update brought to you by Progressive.
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Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. He is the king of Vegas. You know, this week was a big week for the former king of Vegas, Elvis Presley. I'm sure Bruce Marshall knows that because he calls Las Vegas home. He's busy there with a gold sheet, winners and whiners, picks and parlays, CBS Sportsline, you name it. Bruce has it covered. Bruce, welcome in. How are you? Hey, pretty good there, Harold. Hey, buddy. Yeah, I mean, where were you on August 16th, 1977, Bruce?
The day the other king died in Vegas. Yeah, oh, I remember it very well. I had actually gone to a Dodger game the night before. They had lost to the Giants 6-3. And that day I was living in California then in Long Beach, and it was the hottest, steamiest day ever in Long Beach. It was hot and humid like I was down in the tropics. And there was also the biggest traffic jam ever on the 405 freeway because a crane had hit a overpass bridge and they had to close the whole freeway down.
[36:27] And in the midst of all this, the news started to filter about Elvis passing, which I couldn't believe. But I remember vividly, August 16th, 1977. I do, too. I was raking leaves by the lake and a copperhead went over my foot. I threw the rake in the lake. I got home. I turned on the radio and it said Elvis died. And believe it or not, where we live, I actually went to his wake there at Graceland. And as you mentioned, it was hot in Vegas. It was hot there.
Women were fainting like ice cream in a July 4th picnic and the white Cadillacs were all over the place. So that's a date that definitely will live in infamy for a lot of folks. But Bruce, as they say, the show goes on. The AP finally released in their top 25. Are you up or down? Who should be there and who should not be in that top 25 in Bruce Marshall's opinion? Well, you know, at this stage of the season, it's a little hard to project. When you get down in the 20s there, it's sort of a grab bag.
What does get me, though, I know the Big Ten gets the top two spots with Ohio State and Oregon. But the SEC does have seven of the top 13. They do. So once you get down to three, then you've got Georgia 3, you've got Texas 5, you've got A&M 8, Ole Miss 9, Oklahoma 10, LSU 11. There's four in a row right there. Eight through 11, Texas Tech 12, and Alabama 13. It is interesting, though, that Alabama, that's the 6th or 7th rated SEC team. That shows you how low the league is. Alabama is rated as 7th or 13th in the country.
Not a lot of surprises. But, you know, and even, you know, further down the list, we see, I mean, Tennessee shows up there, Missouri shows up there as well. You're trying to look for some possible breakthrough teams. I thought, you know, Arizona is one I'm kind of looking at in the Big 12, but I think might have warranted getting there in the top 25 right at the back there. But, you know, it's early. We'll know a lot more once they start actually playing games in a couple weeks.
Here's what's your take on Paul Feinbaum's analysis. He's fussing at Alabama fans because Alabama fans are saying, why are you rating this team so low? To which Paul said, you should be happy. They should be lower. Your thoughts about Paul's analysis. Yeah. Well, you know, my eyes are still burning. You walk by Feinbaum at SEC Media Day, and if the camera lights are a certain angle, that glare off of his head comes off and just blinds you. Like a dad. But, you know, it's his job to be, you know, controversial like that, and he doesn't mind ruffling a few feathers here and there.
But, you know, I mean, if he's going to base it on, you know, I'm not sure. If he put it in these terms, but if he's got six teams ahead of them in the SEC the way the poll does, he maybe has a slight point there. But I think the bigger thing here is that it's just so competitive. And I think the question Feinbaum and others ought to be asking right now is how much cannibalizing is going to go on in the SEC this year. How many of these teams are going to end up nine and three?
And then, you know, the road into the play, you're going to have four or five teams. I'm sure they're going to have four or five of the 12 best teams in the country. I don't have any doubt about that. But we know the way the playoff goes and the way the polls goes and the way the ratings go. If you've got three losses there, and there's a scenario where you could see a couple ten and twos and a bunch of nine and threes in the SEC, how deep are you going to go?
So that's the flip side of having so many strong teams. They can all beat each other up. And in the end, in the season where you're trying to get all these teams in the playoff, that could end up actually hurt in the SEC a bit. We'll see how it plays out. But I go back to what Brett Northworthy said many years ago at an SEC media day. Somebody in this league has to lose. And right now, nobody seems to want to do that. But somebody does.
We'll see. Texas Tech is number 12 between LSU at 11 and Alabama at 13. We talked about Soresby during the offseason. Thank God that was a resolution to that. I know some people have predicted BYU to win the Big 12. Is Texas Tech too low at 12 or just about right? I think they're about right only because how well they did last year. And I think they would have been higher had they not just completely not shown up or gotten destroyed by Oregon or the Orange Bowl last year. But part of this, again, goes back to rejecting a record for a team.
And Texas Tech was clearly the class in the Big 12 last year. But if you look at that non-conference, we've talked about this before. Oh, yeah. Embarrassing. It's worse than Indiana's non-conference schedule. And Abilene Christian, Oregon State, Sam Houston. I mean, come on. So there's a good chance they're going to probably be 11 and 1 again. The Swordsby thing, I think they can survive that if Will Hammond, who was the backup last year, who came in and actually played pretty well when he had a chance to come in as a backup and then he got hurt.
[41:52] Joey McGuire thinks he can win with Hammond as long as he's there. I think they'll be just fine. They were just so much better up front than almost everybody in the Big 12 last year and revealing the way they knocked off, not just knocked off, they routed BYU in both games against the Cougars. So I think they're probably just – that's probably about right for them. I mentioned Arizona because a lot of people I talked to thought last year that was the team we really wanted to see Texas Tech play in the Big 12 title game.
And they fell just short. They do meet this year, Texas Tech and Arizona on Halloween in Lubbock. And I think that might be the first of two meetings between those two. Right now, I'll tell you, that's my pick for the Big 12 title game, Texas Tech-Arizona with BYU coming in third. You better listen to him, Bruce Marshall, amongst other places, the gold sheet. Bruce, your thoughts about everybody – you've got to start somewhere with these things. You've got your top 25. Who is not in the top 25 right now, but will be a surprising team to sneak in and do very well after all is said and done this season?
Yeah, you wonder – I mean, I'm looking at the top 25 and I don't think we see – we do see Penn State in there. I'm sorry, that was going to be one I was going to say. We do see Michigan in there. Arizona, the one I mentioned earlier. I think they've got a possibility there. We do see Houston in there. I'm glad that Houston made it in. I'm wondering, in the ACC, this is the first time in memory that we haven't seen Clemson ranked. Wow. You're right. They're not even – they're not even in there.
Fifteen years. Wow. Wow. And you wonder – and we did dismiss Clemson a little bit too much now because of last year. And I maintain the last couple of years have been some things that went on at Clemson that just – some of the players are a little bit overrated, reading their hype, reading the NFL draft reports and all. And Dabo just couldn't get those guys on the right page. Maybe this is the sort of team that Dabo can connect with better. And he usually connected pretty well with his team.
So, just based historically, the fact you don't see Clemson in the top 25, and I'm not sure how really good the ACC is, there might be room for Clemson to make a move back up. So, I'm a little surprised they're not in there. Or not surprised, but there's one that I think we ought to keep an eye on. One other one. I'll give you another one. Out of the American, how about Army? I know that's – I'm way out left field here, but they got a lot of people back.
The quarterback was – Alums was very good. He runs – it's pure, you know, the option stuff. The schedule breaks right. I mean, Army could be the group of six rep. And they might crash the rankings too. We'll see. How about those boys down the plains? If you're in this neck of the woods, a lot of folks are buying the Auburn Tigers. They got three votes. That'd be interesting who those three are. Your thoughts about the Auburn Tigers surprising some folks. They could. And it's that – the part of the schedule where they go out on the road is pretty tough.
I'm pretty bullish, though, on goalish. I think we've talked about them before. I think they will exceed that six-and-a-half wins. And a lot of it's going to depend on that opening. They're going to have to beat Baylor in that opening game. That's very important. It's also important for Dave Aranda at Baylor. But I think Auburn – I would look just because I respect what goalish could do with them, I think. But that October part of the schedule is really, really tough for them. And that's a real October fest.
They've got to go through – look at – I mean, at Tennessee, at Georgia, LSU, and at Ole Miss. That is their October. But I think they can get one of those. And if they can get one of those, they probably get to seven or eight wins, and that will get them into a nice wall. We had a great clip of John Summerall to begin the show, giving his honest assessment of some of the Gators' uniforms as only he can. They've got quite a quarterback battle going on between Aaron Philo, the Georgia Tech transfer, and Trammell Jones.
A lot of people think, well, Buster Faulkner came with him from Georgia Tech, so Philo is going to get the job. And several of our Florida sources have said Jones is playing pretty well. Your thoughts, could Florida sneak in maybe at 25 by the end of the year? And who's going to be the quarterback? I think they could. And I think Jones may end up being the quarterback because I'm hearing the same things you guys are. And I watched Philo at Georgia Tech, and I wasn't that impressed.
I know they brought Buster Faulkner with him from Georgia Tech as coordinator, and they paid him a lot of money. But he's not Haynes King, who is the guy who really made Georgia Tech go. And I watched a couple games with Philo, and I wasn't all that impressed. So if Jones can be the guy, I think this is all up for grabs. And that might be an issue there for Florida this year if they can't get that quarterback thing right. That's right. I sort of like Auburn a little bit more right now in this preseason analysis.
[47:10] As much as I like Sumrall, I do think Auburn's got the much more proven quarterback in Byron Brown. I'm not sure about Philo or the quarterback situation at Florida, and that means a heck of a lot. And especially in a league like this, you really need a quarterback. That's got to be up there. Philo's going to have to be better than what I saw at Georgia Tech. We'll see about Jones. But I think that's a question for Sumrall. And if that gets answered, Florida could be kind of a surprise team.
But I'm not ready to jump in there yet until I see these guys play. Bruce, a little bit, sorry. A problem back here is talking about quarterbacks. Ryan Groves said the end is near as far as making a decision. who Bama's starting quarterback is going to be. What are the odds from your Vegas perch there of who's going to be the starting quarterback at Alabama? I think Russell will be, but maybe it will be Mac. We'll just have to wait and see. But if I'm a Bama fan, I'm not too worried either way.
I'm trying to think the last time. You know, they really were caught short at quarterback, and that's a long time. I mean, he's had good quarterback play for a couple decades now, since Coach Saban for sure. And Coach DeBoer has got it. You know, it's worked well for him. His guys are in the NFL. Although I'm not sure how much longer Jalen Miller is going to be there after watching him for the Seahawks the other night. But Ty Sensen is certainly impressive. Absolutely. But his track record was quarterbacks before that.
I mean, I wouldn't worry about that with Alabama with the quarterbacks. I think they'll be just fine. I love the way the schedule sets up for them. I think they're going to hit Georgia 5-0 on October 10th. They're going to be in the top 10. And they get, you know, that's a big one. It's in Tuscaloosa. I think they've got a shot. And they did win between the hedges last year. I know Georgia got them in the SEC title game. But that's a game Alabama's had some success with in recent years, I think.
I don't write off Alabama at all. I really think they could have the arrow pointing up. Tennessee's lost three players to season-ending injuries. Jake Harmon, a reserve linebacker. Farouk, they're starting safety. Now, they've got Metcalf and Dylan Lewis possibly there. But who wins the quarterback battle? We've heard from several sources. George McIntyre, with one more year of experience, has had a good summer camp. Everybody knows Brandon's probably got more upside. Who wins that quarterback battle for Josh Heupel? Well, if it's McIntyre, here's what got me about Heupel in the offseason.
There's a lot of quarterbacks who were sloshing around the portal. And, you know, he has gone out there. And then last year went out and got Aguiar at State via UCLA. I mean, he's gone out before and gone in the portal. And the fact, there's two things. The fact he really didn't look in the portal this time suggests that maybe he thinks McIntyre, one of the others, is the guy. Or he made a mistake. And maybe he should have. So that's something we're going to find out.
What we do know, I mean, at least last year, when Aguiar came in as an experienced quarterback, it was at App State, but he had put up some really good numbers before. So you knew that you had, you know, a pilot there who had some experience. That ain't the case this year at Tennessee. And in this league, I'm not sure, you know, unless you're, if you don't have at least decent quarterback play, I mean, you're in trouble in this league. I think, I'm wondering about Tennessee, what's going to happen.
And, you know, they will play, they got Texas before the end of September. They got to go down to Georgia Tech, which might not be an easy game. I don't know. Something tells me that the best chances for Tennessee under Hypel went and came and gone the last couple of years. Two years ago in particular, I'm not sure what's going to happen this year. Very interesting. By the way, happy birthday. You had another one yesterday, even though you stopped counting. That's true. I hope the exhibition game was fun that you attended last week.
And you're still the gold standard, believe me, to us and a lot of people with a gold sheet wager talk. Where can we get online to get all the great stuff? Yeah, and that wasn't, my wife's a Cardinals fan, if you can believe it. And so she was whooping it up. She's yelling at the, I mean, that was really kind of fun. She had more fun, so that was fun. Anyway, okay, we're coming up. We've got what, you know, we're on the eve of the season here.
Gold sheet will be going here by the end of the month. So go up to wagertalk.com, the umbrella, under the umbrella there, you can get gold sheet. And also the picks every day. We've got preseason football. I have got a week zero college football top choice up there right now. We're, what, we're 11 days away. I got a top choice. Tell us. Tell us. Tell us. Well, it's baseball and preseason football. We won a five percenter with the Broncos last Friday night. And so we'll try another five percent play this Friday.
[52:17] Check me out, wagertalk.com. Up there you can also find me at winnersandwinersandpicksandparlays.com. Bruce, as always, again, happy 39th birthday again. Keep up the good work. Thanks so much for your time today, buddy. Okay, have a good week. Thank you, bud. You too. Bruce Marshall again, amongst other places, there at the gold sheet. Coming up, he's the gold standard in Florence. Elmer Pierce with his details. Matt Merchel checking in from Orlando. Cole Pearson talking about the Auburn Tigers. And a trip at the Central High School and checking in with the boss, Heath Wood.
It's all straight ahead in the second hour of the Boomer Buck Show. Stay with us. Nothing says legendary like the Atlanta Braves. But here in the Shoals, there's another hometown legend you can taste. Step up to the plate at Champy's Famous Fried Chicken, where the fried chicken is as unforgettable as a walk-off homer at a Braves game. Load up on those legendary homemade sides. And don't forget a true Delta classic, Champy's Homemade Hot Tamales. Lunch, dinner, or any time you're craving something unforgettable, it's always a winning play at Champy's.
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That's right. Pull off your own debt defying stunt with a SoFi personal loan. Visit SoFi.com slash trick to learn more. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891. Skechers elite athlete, OG Ananobi, has been making history on the basketball court. Ananobi tips it in. Unbelievable. What a shot. He's been balling out in Skechers high-performance basketball sneakers, and the world is noticed. But how does OG train off the court to keep in peak physical condition? Hands-free Skechers slip-ins Arrowburst. They help prepare OG for the physical demands of playing at a championship level.
Get your pair of Arrowburst phony $165 at a Skechers store, Skechers.com, or wherever high-performance running cheese are sold. The trial of a former Decatur police officer has been delayed once again. Mack Marquette is awaiting a decision on his case from the Alabama Supreme Court. Morgan County Circuit Judge Charles Elliott granted Marquette's request to delay the trial until that decision is announced. Marquette is appealing his murder charges to the Alabama Supreme Court under Alabama's Stand Your Ground law. Perkins was an officer at the time that he and other officers were called to the home of Stephen Perkins by a tow truck driver who had been accosted by Perkins while trying to repossess his vehicle.
Perkins was then shot by Marquette when he came outside to confront the tow truck driver for a second time. The family of Perkins contends that he was not given enough time to see the police officer or comply with his commands. The family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Marquette, which is in addition to the murder charges he is now facing from the state. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Mark your calendar for November 6th. The Albert Patterson Gala returns to the Barber Motorsports Museum featuring United States Senator Tommy Tuberville.
We've sold out two years running and tables are already filling for 2026. If you believe in a thriving Alabama built on truth, courage, and accountability, this is your night. Don't miss your chance. Visit 1819news.com slash gala. That's 1819news.com slash gala to get your table today. More details emerge in Jefferson County related to an officer-involved fatal shooting that happened last week. The victim who was shot by police has been identified as Matthew Massey of Birmingham. Massey was confronted by an officer on the parking deck of UAB St. Vincent's after he was identified by a security guard as the person who assaulted a McDonald's employee near University Boulevard.
[57:45] The officer gave verbal commands to Massey, which he ignored. Then Massey tried to gain control of the taser that the officer deployed against him. The officer then pulled his gun and fired. 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. J. Jeffcoat here with the AHSAA Radio Network, inviting you to join us for another fantastic season of high school football on the AHSAA Radio Network School Board Show.
Every Friday from 10 to midnight, we'll bring you all the scores and analysis from our team of experts across the state. Presented by the Alabama Department of Transportation, Russell DeWitt Center, the Alabama Community College System, the Alabama National Guard, and Southeastern Land Group and the Southeastern Land Show. Join us Friday nights for the AHSAA Radio Network Scoreboard Show right here. Brought to you locally by Lost Pizza, John C. Saylor, Attorney at Law, The Courier Journal, Southern Pride Pest Control, Bank Independent, and Miller's Place. The Flores Falcons are about to soar.
93.9, The Score presents Florence Football Night. Every Thursday night, the Falcons and Braves are playing from 6 to 7 live at Lost Pizza. Join the voice of the Falcons, Kevin Johnson, and head coach Kenny Morrison as they break down all the Florence football action. Florence Football Night, presented by 93.9, The Score, and Riverbank & Trust. Beginning August 20th right here on your home for Florence Falcons Athletics. 93.9, The Score. 93.9, The Score Weather. Today, sunny with a high around 95 and heat index values as high as 100. Tonight, mostly clear with a low near 70.
Tomorrow, sunny and hot with a high around 97. Tomorrow night, partly cloudy with a 30% chance of showers overnight and a low near 75. And for your Thursday, mostly sunny with a 50% chance of showers, possibly a thunderstorm high around 90. Your weather from 93.9, The Score. Now, get ready to roll Shoals, Decatur, Athens, and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the Tide, Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9, The Score.
Welcome back in, our tour 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 and for checking in on the 93.9, The Score app, wherever you may be in this great universe of ours. We know where Cole Pinkston is. He's visited there at auburnsports.com. Got the Tigers covered. Part of the on3.com family. Cole, welcome in. How are you? I'm good. I'm good. It's a little warm. But other than that, doing good.
And you know what? It's warm. It's August. It's time for fun. It's another way of saying you're ready for some football. Cole, obviously, before we get into some of the X's and O's and how things have gone so far in camp, your thoughts about this week, Auburn getting three votes to be in the top 25, I think, a short time ago. Folks said that probably wouldn't happen. I think it's an indication to me that the first poll of the season is not necessarily how the team is going to wind up.
I think it's more of an indicator of how the national press, because that's what the AP is, basically, the sports writers, how they feel and perceive things being. Your thoughts, what's your takeaway of how the national folks are seeing the Auburn Tigers here on the cusp of taking the curtain up on the season? Yeah, I'm not surprised that Auburn got a couple of votes. I think a lot of people believe in Alex Gullish and what he's done up to this point and that he's bringing a good philosophy to Auburn and something that can sort of turn the program around from five losing seasons.
But, you know, I personally, I've pumped the brakes just a little bit on that. I don't know if I would give Auburn a vote, even though I cover Auburn. No, you're just doing your job. Yeah, I just don't know yet. I don't know. I think probably being close to the situation makes me more hesitant. So, you know, that's where that's, you know, three votes is about what I would expect. Colin, I appreciate you bringing that up because I'm like you. You can be a fan over here, but if you're going to do your job and call yourself a professional, you've got to be objective.
Put the pom-poms down and you quote 10 like it is. That's how you earn respect down the road and get your strides. But, Cole, you mentioned maybe you're pumping the brakes. You're closer than anyone else. Why, if someone asks you, why would you right now be pumping the brakes based on what you've seen so far? I think Auburn's schedule is pretty tough, number one. Number two, year one, I just, you know, I feel like you've got to start over. And I feel like getting Alex Golesh was a big start over to this program.
And he's got a different philosophy altogether from what you had. He also implemented his own players and lost a lot of players. And some of them he wanted to move on from. Some of them he didn't want to move on from. And they decided to go anyway. So, I just think you're flipping the roster around. You're getting started with a new system, new regime. It could be a slow go at first. And I hope fans understand that. Auburn fans are disgruntled and they should be because Auburn has no business going five years in a row losing like they have.
[1:03:14] But just for those reasons, I feel like, you know, pump the brakes a little bit. Let's see how it goes. If you come out with seven or eight wins in a winning season for the first time in five years, you should be happy about that. Nobody knows offensive line better than you. The starting from left to right. Joe Simmons at left tackle. Pretty good battle with Jacob Strand. Derek Pluz at left guard. Cole Best at center. Cole Skinner at right guard. Ramil Stanton at right tackle.
Jacoby Ward's there. I know you mentioned Auburn may have seven or eight SEC worthy offensive linemen. Your thoughts on the offensive line and if they lined up against Baylor tomorrow, would that be the starting offensive line? Yeah, I think probably Plaz is your starter over Strand right now. But you're going to see, you're going to see Strand. You're going to see maybe Jacoby Ward as well. And I think Strand can move around. He's sort of the versatile guy. He's been practicing at guard, but he could play tackle if they needed him.
So, yeah, I think those are probably your seven. If you went with seven, I think they'll have a rotation. They're trying to figure that out. Maybe eventually get to five. But seven for the Baylor game, I would say. Seven or eight. They could go to Wilson Zero. He's another guy. A young guy. Jack Lear is another one that's played some football and he could play. So, there's options. That's the one. If you're asking me why I'm pumping the brakes, the offensive line is where I really want to see how they match up with the SEC schedule.
I think they're better than Baylor. I think they can push Baylor around a little bit up front. But when you get into the SEC schedule, I'm kind of curious to see how that's going to go. It's called Missouri, right? You've got to show me. Cole Pinkston, he shows you every day. The latest Auburn Tyke. Tigerstock at AuburnSports.com. Cole, obviously one scrimmage in the books. And as predicted, the coach preaching the same sermon as all coaches. We stonked. That's what every coach says. That's the first scrimmage pretty much.
Your thoughts. What did you learn from the first scrimmage? And correct me if I'm wrong. The next scrimmage is coming up. What will you be looking for as far as the biggest jump that maybe that didn't satisfy everything you wanted to see or hear from the first scrimmage to this scrimmage? I think I want to hear a little bit more about the pass rush. That's been one of my two points on the team where I felt like, you know, this could be problematic. Pass rush and running the football consistently.
You know, moving people. Pushing them around. Are you going to be able to do that? And then on the defensive side, can you generate pass rush without having to send a heavy blitz all the time, which Auburn was decent at that last year. But they did blitz a lot. And I don't know if that's just because they didn't trust thin and four. As you know, as good as your secondary is, if you're not getting pressure on the quarterback, they'll pick you apart. That's right. That's right.
So, I didn't hear much about the generated pressure from your edge guys, from your defensive line. Now, I don't know how much those guys played. I don't know all the specifics there exactly. But I want a little bit more about that. Let's hear about some sacks. I want to hear that. Mm-hmm. Did I see or was I hallucinating that Bryce Kane had moved or they were thinking of moving him from wide receiver to defensive back? Now, I know it's hot, but you were not hallucinating. We did see that on Tuesday morning.
We saw him in a white jersey with the defense, and he was over there with the corners. And, you know, they just picked up this Troy transfer receiver who I don't know yet. His name is Trey Taylor. I don't know yet if he's going to play. We don't know the extent of what he's going to be. This transfer thing at this point in the season is still up in the air. But he is a receiver that plays a similar position as Bryce Kane. Maybe they're, you know, mixing the match and seeing if they can build some more depth at corner if they have more at receiver, if that makes sense.
Speaking of that, Cole, to me, it's almost like a Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde story with most teams. The first part of the season, you got pretty much everybody healthy, so you run up some great numbers. But if you're going to win a championship, unless you're just darn lucky, you got to stay healthy, which translates, you better have depth. Your thoughts, you mentioned as far as some of the positions there, but overall, your biggest concern about the lack of depth and what's Auburn doing to kind of sit here and, as they say, in the Boy Scout world, be prepared down the road when just about every team has to answer this question about your depth.
Yeah, I think some positions have really nice depth. I like the depth of running back. Love the depth at the linebacker safety. I think they have a lot of depth there. Defensive line's not bad. Could be a little better, but not bad at all. Where you start getting concerned is probably receiver and corner. I think those two positions. Offensive line's got depth, but how much of it is proven is not as much. You know about your USF guys, the two Coles, Cole Best and Cole Skinner.
[1:08:18] And Pinkston. After that, you're still learning about everybody else. So I don't know how, you know, reliable their depth is there, but they do have options at least that they can play around with. But corner and receiver, we know about two guys, three guys that really have made a name for themselves. And it's three USF guys, Keyshawn, Singleton, Chaz, Nimrod, Jeremiah Coger. After that, it's a little bit of a crapshoot of who's the next guy up, some young guys. And then corner's kind of similar. Andre Jordan is the guy that's sort of proven.
After that, it's anybody's game. So that's sort of an interesting area. Number three running back. Number one and two is Cobb and Mabson. Bryson, Washington, Davenport. Which one of those two you think gets it? And number three tied in, Jake Johnson, of course. And then Arliss Bordingham or Jonathan Echols. I've heard Echols has been a little bit banged up in summer count. But who do you think wins number three running back and number three tied in? I think Bryson, Washington, is number three for sure. I wouldn't count Kay Meadows out.
I think he's going to be involved a little bit. He's the Troy transfer. Nakai Davenport has also been a little bit banged up. Nothing crazy. I think he'll be fine. But he's a guy that they brought over because he understands his role. Where he's a really good blocker, they're going to use him in that way. Bryson, Washington, to me, he's at probably three right now. But he and Omar Mavson are probably going to continue that battle into the season for that second back for the carries.
So I would say that those two are pretty even. But Omar Mavson's got him because he's been there and been healthy longer. And showed out, of course. And then tied in, I think your third guy is going to be Xavier Newsome. The transfer from Howard, I believe. He's been impressive. He's sort of a specimen. That's a guy they really like. They're intrigued by him. I would put Arla Sportingham behind him. And I think your second guy is probably Eccles, even though you're right. He has been a little bit banged up.
But he's a guy they trust. Hard to believe they're not called two weeks from Saturday. We're going to find out what is and what ain't, as they say. Your thoughts about as far as the tweaking of these next two weeks or so by this coaching staff and this team. And the big question, are they still running up a tab at the Grand National there? I think they might be done there. Or they have at least that or they have another week. I think they're done, though, because class has started back.
Trust me, I couldn't find a parking spot this morning. There you go. That's a good indicator. So, yeah, they got one more week of fall camp, technically. But they're out of the hotel. They're back in their normal lives, so to speak. And I think, you know, then they start the game prep. And that's just where we are. And finally, we're getting there. I think week zero games are in about a week and a half. So, we're finally to the point where we've all been working towards all offseason.
Yeah. By the way, you had a nice article this week about Auburn's opponents, quarterback battles, other personnel, other competition. I know you, not just Auburn, but you covered the SEC, too. Great stuff, as always. Where can we get online and get yours and the team's good stuff? Yeah, that's AuburnSports.com, part of the On3Rivals brand. You can still get us. We've still got the sale going. 75% off gets you in for a year. Big time. That's pretty good stuff right there. Cole, listen, man, keep up the good work.
As we say, buckle up. We've got scrimmage coming up, a lot of coverage there. Thank you so much. And try to find a shade, okay? Yes, sir. Thank you. Thank you, man. Cole Pinkston, again, it's called AuburnSports.com, part of the On3.com family. Coming up, Coach Heath Wood checking in from Central High on deck on the Boomo Bugg Show. Stay with us. A lot goes into taking care of your property. You need equipment with more reliability and versatility built in. Like Kubota, BX, and L-Series compact tractors that get the job done right.
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Now you can get closer to your team than ever before. Here we go! On Hey Coach. It begins this Wednesday night at 6 on 93.9 The Score. Friday night football is something special around the South. And on Saturday mornings, we'll tell you all about the high school football action in this area. Here on 93.9 The Score, it's the Coach's Breakfast. As we join high school coaches from around the area breaking down Friday night games and talking about future schedules as well. Join host Kevin Johnson as he talks with coaches from around the area on the Coach's Breakfast.
Saturday mornings throughout this football season. Brought to you locally by Lost Pizza, John C. Saylor, Attorney at Law, The Courier Journal, North Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic, Southern Pride Pest Control, Mill's Place, and Bank Independent. Begin Saturday, August 22nd on 93.9 The Score. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. It's so close you can almost reach out and touch it. The beginning of high school football for most teams. I got a feeling Coach Heathwood might have an exception to that. He's the boss at his Central High School.
Coach, welcome in. How are you? Oh, doing good. You know, as always, can't thank you guys enough for covering our school out here at Central. And not only us, but all the other schools in the area. And what a great job you guys do. Well, you're very kind, Coach. We were happy to do it because you guys put in a guarantee, as my old coach used to say, as much work as those boys down the road. But, first of all, congratulations to you. Let's just do the back and forth here.
You're doing something that's rare in coaches. Now, correct me if I'm wrong. I've never made a mistake. Maybe this will be the first time, tongue-in-cheek, he says. 16th season at Central. Coach, first of all, you've already accomplished something that most coaches cannot do. At the same school for 16 years, congratulations. Yeah, you know, that goes back to my assistant coaches, man. Having these loyal guys around me all these years. And players that believe in what we're trying to do. And, of course, the community support and the administration and all that.
You know, it's a good place to be for sure. And I'm definitely proud to say that I'm from Central and glad to be working here. So, let's talk to us about the field. I always feel sorry for coaches who finally says, it's enough. I'm going to hang it up. That's, you know, at the end of the year. And then about this time of the year rolls around, you can start seeing them squirming a little bit. Man, did they miss that whistle. Talk to us just what it means.
I don't care if it's 16 years, 16 days, or 16 centuries. This is a great feeling, is it not, for a football fanatic? No doubt. You know, we're talking about 16 years. But, you know, every year to me feels like the first year because there's so much stuff to get done. And, you know, it's a new team every year. We have some of the same players back from last year. But every team kind of takes on its own character. And, you know, it goes back to the guys that's leading the team, those seniors and stuff like that.
But it's always a lot of fun to figure out, you know, just how the team's going to be, you know, each and every year. Heath, you have been one of the most consistent models in your 15 years, now going on 16, certainly as far as winning, making the playoffs. I know the team did not make the playoffs last year for the first time in quite a while. Was that quite a motivational factor for the coaches and the players in the summer workouts as far as getting ready for this season?
Oh, yeah. No doubt. You know, I feel like the kids really, players took that to heart as well as the coaches. You know, talking about summer, you know, that stuff starts back in November and December and January, you know, through that offseason. And we got a young team this year, but those kids really bought in on what we were trying to do in the offseason and they've gotten themselves strong enough to do it. And we got some talented young men. But, you know, we just need some experience and, you know, make sure we're trying to get better out here at practice every day.
[1:19:19] Coach, I appreciate you bringing it up in general. Let's talk a little bit about some of these specific as far as names because these, like we said at the top of the interview, these kids work hard. They sweat a lot. They deserve some verbal bouquets, too. Talk to us about your team this year, obviously starting with the number of starters. You can never have too many of them. But you also, as you mentioned, you got to sit here and throw them out there and let them get the experience the old-fashioned way, the school of hard knocks in real time.
Yeah, yeah, no doubt. We've got, I think, nine seniors on the roster and if you look at, you know, who started last year and different things like that, I think we've got two or three guys back on offense and two or three back on defense. So, you know, there's been a lot of work, you know, this summer and obviously in this preseason practice and things like that. But when you've got so many open positions, it does, you know, competition for those positions. It really goes a long way as far as, you know, people working hard.
There's nothing out there on the field that's on a position one that we've got spoken for. So, you know, those guys are competing and getting after each other every day. So, it's a lot of fun to go to practice and watch these guys hungry to learn and try to earn those positions for sure. Heath, let me ask you about reclassification. That was the buzzword all year long once the Alabama High School Athletic Association separated public from private and then also reclassified a lot of the schools going from 4A to 3A.
You've got to buy it this week. A lot of teams open and then you've got your way against Phil Campbell, Ed Wilson, Lauderdale County, Elkmont Brooks, Ed Clements, Convert Heights, West Limestone, Rogers, and Haddon. It is a challenging schedule. Talk about the changes going from 4A to 3A and also the schedule this fall. Yeah, you know, the schedule, you know, it's always challenging each and every year for sure. As far as, you know, the dropping down, I think quite a few of us dropped down together.
And, of course, we picked up some guys that we've been playing anyways in the area. So, it's a lot of the same schedule. You know, we lost two or three teams but picked up two or three other tough opponents. So, you know, we've got to make sure we're getting ourselves ready to play and focusing on ourselves more than we are the schedule or what's going on. You know, the next thing on our list, obviously, is get ourselves better from last week's jamboree and then get ready to play Phil Campbell next week.
Let's talk about that, Coach. Obviously, an interesting strategy, as we mentioned. This is the opening week for a lot of teams. As a matter of fact, it's Tuesday, so Thursday is usually a pretty heavy night, the opening week. But you've got it open. Talk to us about the pros and cons of taking that open week, the first week, because, like you said, you had your jamboree. You can kind of go out with a lot of pressure and find out where your team is as far as the good, bad, and the ugly.
And then you can scout your next opponent, Phil Campbell, at the same time without getting banged up. Your thoughts just about the strategy, the pros and cons of having that opening week off. Yeah, I've got to be honest with you on that schedule. And, you know, that thing there, if anybody's there, anybody's schedule is what I'm talking about. You just kind of take that off week or that bye week when you can, you know, when it falls. And, you know, the main thing is try to get 10 games to begin with, and then you're trying to get five home games.
So that's kind of how that worked out. But I think for this team, this team this year, especially with the inexperience, you know, I think it's good for us to play that jamboree last week and then have this week to really, really go back and focus on ourselves and see the mistakes we made and hopefully grow as a team this week in practice going into next week, that first game against Phil Campbell. You kind of alluded to this a little bit earlier as far as the community support.
Central's good in everything. Football, baseball, basketball, the girls' sports. We've talked with you over the years about the great community support that you get from your boosters, parents, grandparents, et cetera. I know you've got a lot of multi-sport athletes. Talk about that a little bit. Again, as I've said, this is, you've got one of the most consistent programs in North Alabama and the Shoals in a lot of sports. Yeah, you know, you're talking about Central. I can't say enough in how thankful I am that I am from this community and this school.
But, you know, it goes back to, you know, we're playing softball. We're pulling for those girls, girls' basketball, volleyball. You know, everybody just pulls together and supports one another. And we do out here at Central. We share a lot of athletes. And I feel like all the programs work well together, understanding what's going on and all that. But, man, I can't say enough good things about Central and the community and all the folks out this way. I'm going to extend that, if you don't mind, Coach.
You've got a list of coaches that you mentioned at the top of the interview. I would imagine you want to throw some shout-outs to your coaching staff as well. Oh, yeah. You know, you talk about 16 years and all the coaches have kind of come and gone. So, man, everybody that's ever been through here has been loyal to the program and what we're trying to do. And, you know, it's never about any of us individuals. It's about what's best for the program and the school and these players when they come through.
[1:24:31] So, you know, I can't say enough about, you know, every coach that's ever worked here, for sure. Well, I know one thing. You and the coaches want to win games, but you also want to help raise these young men to be parents and husbands and everything else down the road. Listen, we always enjoy the conversation with you. I know you can be back in the playoffs this year. Have a great summer, the rest of it. Hopefully, we can talk with you again a little bit later during the season.
And, yeah, again, thank you guys for covering Central and what we're trying to do out here. And not only us, but all these other local schools. Well, thank you for allowing us the opportunity to do it. I guarantee you. This is what they call local radio. This is your radio station. So, all the best to you, Coach, and thanks to the verbal bouquets. Thank you again. Thank you, Heath. Central High Head football coach, Heath Wood. But coming up, time to head on out of town all the way to Orlando.
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Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash Eisen. Terms and conditions apply. The home of the home of the Florence High School Falcons. Sports Radio 93.9 The Score. Progressive Insurance presents the Sports Flash on 93.9 The Score. New Orleans Saints rookie wide receiver Jordan Tyson could miss the next two months with a right hamstring injury. An injury suffered Thursday in a joint practice with the Jaguars. The timetable puts his return around week six. The Braves fell short yesterday in Minnesota as they lost to the Twins 4-2.
Mark Perez took the loss. He drops to 8-7. Braves with the setback now 74-51. The Atlanta Braves will play the Twins again tonight at Target Field in Minneapolis. Tyler Malley will get the start for Atlanta. He's 4-9 with a 4-6-4 ERA. Zebby Matthews will start for Minnesota. He comes into the matchup 6-8 with an ERA above 5. 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. Hot dog! Get your hot dog!
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I'm doing well. How are you guys doing today? Well, we're just honored that you would run with us, Matt. You've been running with the big dogs. What's his name? Kirk Herbstreit. I think he's pretty well known across the country. You crossed paths with the cursor this week. Is he opening up a path using it on game day? Or what happened with your meeting with the big dog, Kirk Herbstreit, Matt? Yeah, I got a chance to catch up with him. He was in Orlando last week. He's excited about football season.
I asked him what kind of, when does that preparation begin? When did he get himself kind of ready to start, you know, getting for those first couple games? And he said, you know, pretty much right after the 4th of July, you know, he's watching Cornhole on, you know, the ESPN Ocho. And he decides, you know, he's starting to get that itch for Oregon and back to college football. So, he's excited to get back to it. He talked a little bit about his frustrations with the sport right now and just how things have gone with all the court cases, you know, the Protect College Sports Act and things like that.
And I think he would like to see the sport kind of get to a point where, you know, more stability and the fact that there's more of an understanding of what to expect than there is right now. So, he's looking forward to a lot of things. I asked about UCF. I asked about Florida. And he talked a little bit about John Summerall and said he really believes John Summerall is the right guy for the job at Florida and has a chance to make, you know, get things back on the right track.
And he said that, you know, it's been missing the last few years. But he said being in the swamp, you know, on a night game, it's something that most people don't get a chance to experience. That's something that's special about football. But it hasn't been that way for a couple of years. So, he'd like to see that kind of come to fruition again. So, just kind of a brief little chat before we end up speaking to a bunch of people here. Well, good for you, Matt.
And I think Kirk has a good insight, too. And to me, the message that I think he would like to give, he has to be careful, given his platform, is be careful to not shoot the goose that laid the golden egg. You keep doing all these changes in college football. And I think eventually fans are going to say, you know what? I think I now have it. I'm going to start pushing back and dialing back a little bit. We've seen it with other sports, NASCAR, a lot of sports.
At one time, they thought that they were bulletproof, and now I think they're sitting here trying to reassess things. We've seen it with national brands, thinking they're the smartest person in the room, and we've seen what's happened with that. But you mentioned also Orlando, and you mentioned Kirk. And I always thought that the chemistry between he and Lee Corso was magic. And I think Lee, I think people still miss Lee. I know he had his challenges, but I think he was an important part of the chemistry on that show.
You're there in Orlando. I know Lee, he's throwing some rings around the tree up there, but what are you hearing about Lee these days? Yeah, it was interesting. You know, I've talked to several people who have spoken with Lee Lee. I had his birthday the other day, turned 91 years old. Wow. He actually, when Kirk Hershey was coming down to Orlando, he called Kirk. Kirk told me the story when I asked him that Lee called him up and said, When are you going to be here? What time do you arrive?
Kirk said, when the plane landed on the tarmac, his private plane, he got off the plane, and there was Lee standing there with a bottle of water, ready to give him a big hug. And they gave him a big hug on the tarmac, and he said they both just started crying. And he said it had been over a year since he'd seen him in person. And he said he just, he is a father figure to him. And, you know, Corso is the chemistry. So, you know, he takes that relationship very special.
He doesn't take it for granted. So, they've had some chances to really kind of, you know, bond. It was at the speaking event, Lee was, and it was a good chance to kind of bond. But, you know, again, you know, you mentioned it. Lee's, you know, he's 91, and he's had some health issues and things like that. I speak with people around here who are close to him, and, you know, they say, you know, he's had his challenges, but he's still out there doing things. He's still remaining active.
[1:34:36] It's not like he's hiding when he's home. So, it's good to see him out, you know, and having those moments in the nursery. Did Kirk mention if there were going to be any changes with game day? Of course, everybody, we do a lot of prep work during the week, but still, it's a very enjoyable show. Any changes with game day? And, by the way, did he bring his dog with him who goes nearly everywhere with him? We didn't get a chance to ask about any changes to game day.
He only had about 10 minutes. Oh, yeah. It's pretty quick. But I'm sure, you know, they're always looking just to find ways to continue to be relevant and everything like that. He did bring his dog with him. His dog was in our room with him. Of course. I took a bunch of pictures, of course, and I sent it to a bunch of people. You know, I think that was the highlight for a lot of people that I sent was, hey, it's great, you got to see Kirk Herbst.
They made the pictures of his dog. It was basically his desk that I got. But, yeah, you know, I think this is the thing about game day. Game day will always be that, you know, that pantheon, you know, of college football broadcast. And they've done an amazing job over the years. Yes, they have. That's right. To be able to do those kind of things. And I know when Corso retired, there were people who thought, well, it's not going to be anywhere near as good. You know, and I think that it's a challenge because you have to find ways to make it relevant.
You have to be – we talked about this years ago about sports betting, how sports betting kind of taking a place. And even though it was really not something that people talked a lot about, they were one of those times to take advantage of that time. They brought in Nick Saban. They brought in some people that really no one thought would be on a stage, and they're on stage with him. So, it's a challenge. And at some point, you know, Kirk could – you know, I mean, I know there's been stories about, you know, what will happen next.
I mean, he's very active. He's doing stuff for Amazon and the NFL, their Thursday night NFL game. You know, at some point, maybe he might want to walk away. I mean, he didn't say anything to have that effect. But, you know, I mean, it's going to be interesting how the show grows and matures and how they find a way to maybe move some pieces in and out to kind of make the show be just as relevant. Because now you're competing with other places, you're competing with Fox, and they're big news shows.
That's right. Eventually, you're going to compete with some other networks, I'm sure, down the road. It's just trying to be that mainstay that people still compete in. I guarantee you, Matt, the bosses at ESPN, they're concerned about that, too. They do not want to lose Kirk Herbstreet, the bookends, if you will, and a guy from our neck of the woods by the name of Reese Davis. The chemistry on those shows is so important. The branding is so important. People are comfortable with that. So, be careful, ESPN, how you handle those guys.
But, Matt, the top 25 is out from the Associated Press. Your thoughts overall. Who is too high? Who is too low? And who's just about right? You know, man, someone asked me that earlier today. I don't know about too high. I mean, LSU at 11. You know, and again, I know Lane Kiffin. There's a lot of buzz around him. I mean, I think LSU's a good team. I think their top 25 team might be considered a little high. Maybe even Ole Miss at 9 might be considered a little high.
But, you know, I thought Texas Tech was a little low at 12. I mean, I know maybe if Brendan Sorsby's situation had a rock, you know, maybe they'd be a little higher up there. You know, I wish, you know, USC was at, what, 14? I mean, USC kind of, you know, was, you never know where USC's going to end up. And when you put them there, I got more USC complaints today on my social media feed as a voter than I did anything else. So, they think they should be higher.
So, you know, I think there, as a preseason rankings go, this is just a chance to really kind of set the foundation going into the season. And as I tell people all the time, these things will change. They will change all the time. Well, the thing is, Matt, to me, I look at this first poll as not necessarily where things, we said it earlier, where these teams are going to wind up. But this is just the perception right now of sportswriters across the country of what teams did last year as a program, what they've done with the portal coming in.
To me, that's all it is. It's just a national sportswriter perception of this team, this team, and this team. Yeah, very much so. I think that's what a lot of that is. It's difficult to do the preseason poll. Right. I tell people all the time because not only are you basing on what happened last year, but you've got to remember the transfer portal. Right. Did they add what kind of production teams bring back, who's going to be the starting quarterback, did they have any new coaches come in and come out?
It's a challenge. And sometimes it can be frustrating. My point is it takes weeks to come up with a ranking because I look at all that, and it's a challenge. And then what happens is that all goes out the window after week one. Because, again, you're going to get teams that are basically going to start to move themselves up and down, and you're going to see where some teams are stronger than some teams aren't. I mean, listen, the Big 12 had four teams in the top 25, right?
And the ACC only had three. And so there's a lot of push of the idea that the Big 12 is a little deeper of a conference than the ACC is. And I would agree with that. I think Miami is probably the heads above everyone else in that conference. But, you know, who else? What happens to Miami if they slip up somewhere? I mean, is SMU going to be the team? Is Louisville going to be the team? Clemson kind of bounce back? I mean, those are challenges. The Big 10 have secured a good stronghold right now early on.
[1:40:03] But that's not to say that some of these teams won't maybe stumble down the block here or there, and you're going to see some of these teams move up and down a little bit. So, again, I always warn people preseason polls. I still think they're important. I just don't think they're to the point where, you know, you should face the sky is falling kind of mentality when you look at the polls. Man, I was reading Stuart Mandel's article today predicting the Big 12. He's actually got BYU over Houston.
Willie Fritz there, certainly. But BYU upsetting Notre Dame, that's kind of an interesting pick. But Scott Frost and Rich Rodriguez in year two, we've talked with you a lot about Scott Frost. But Rich Rod, who for about 12 hours was the head coach at Alabama, headed that work out. But had a great tenure at West Virginia, left, went to Michigan. That did not work out. Went to Jenksville State in Alabama. And is now back, both Scott and Rich Rodriguez in year two, and he thought both coaches would certainly see a lot of improvement this year.
Yeah, I think, you know, I think Rich Rod, you know, again, interesting offseason with West Virginia. They made some, you know, again, overhauled their roster. I think they brought in an enormous amount of transfers to help themselves out. They lost some talent at the quarterback. They lost some talent at, especially at running back. I know they're top running back. So, you know, this is, again, when you have to rebuild the roster year in and year out. You know, where's that blueprint on where can you find success?
You know, I think that Rich Rod has a unique system. Year two, you believe that system's going to get a little bit better. Players are going to understand it a little bit. But I think some of that is retention. Can you retain players who understand it? You've got, you know, a majority of guys who've been there two or three years that can kind of help you continue to build on that. So, for him, that's going to be the case. I mean, it's still a challenge, much like Scott Frost at UCF.
You know what I mean? If you don't find success, you can struggle for a couple years. How long before the fan base says, man, that was, nostalgia was great, but we really want to win. We need to find somebody who's willing to do that. So, it's going to be a challenge for both of those two coaches, I think. And it's finding out which one works. I think that UCF has probably done a little better job of retaining players this time around than West Virginia and has had a lot more experience coming back this year than they had last year.
So, I think this is a better team. But I still think West Virginia is going to be a factor. Yeah. Man, who has more pressure? Steve Sarkeesian or Ryan Day? I was looking the other day, the last team to start first in the poll and end first in the poll, I believe, was Alabama. I think it was 18. I may be wrong on the year. But that shows you how rare it is to start first and end first. Try to turn it to a fan base, especially when you saw Indiana and Michigan and others have success there.
But your thoughts, just how tough it is to start and end at the top. And, again, who has more pressure, Sarke or Ryan Day? I think Sarke has more pressure. And, Alex, because I think Ryan Day's got that national championship a couple of years ago. And that still is goodwill. That still buys them a little bit of goodwill at Ohio State. You know, I think Sarke, you know, obviously Texas fans want Texas to be back. Right. And you've been given the golden goose of Archie Manning as your quarterback for a couple of years now.
They need to see Archie take that next step. Archie needs to be that elite Heisman type quarterback. Much like his, you know, needs to be much like his uncles, Peyton and Eli. You know, take those next steps. And his grandfather. You know, Archie take the next step. And Pawpaw. And Pawpaw. Lead them to, you know, to success. So, I think Sarke is under more pressure. But I still think that Ryan Day, again, fan base's memories are short. Really short. Short as shadows. And they'll tell you.
You know, they'll tell you, like, okay, what have you done for us lately? So, if Ohio State starts out at one, and they get, you know, they suffer a loss somewhere, and they get knocked out of that spot. You know Ohio State fans are going to be upset by that. But I think if you ask Ryan Day, he'll tell you, listen, I don't want to be number one in some way. I'd rather be the guy that's hunting, right? That's right. So, we'll see what happens. I mean, I think he would have loved to have had Dan Lanning in Oregon take that number one spot.
Yep. Just so he could have a laugh and focus on that. But, you know, sometimes that's, you've got to do what you've got to do. Show us how good your team is. You've got to prove it now, and that's going to be the challenge. I know we're getting closer to college football because you were modeling one of your bow ties on Twitter the other day. And when I see that, I know it's coming soon. I don't know what that is in the collection. I think you told me last year you had 30 or 35, but I'm sure it continues to grow.
It's 40 now. I think it's 40. 40, all right. Listen, I always enjoy the conversation, my friend. Where can we get online to get all the good stuff? Yeah, you can go to OrlandoSentinel.com to check out the latest or follow me on social media. I'll ask Matt and Michelle to check out the next bow tie, maybe, and everything else that's going on before the college football season starts. Well, you just answered one question, Matt. You are definitely the best-dressed man in this conversation, so keep up the good work, okay?
[1:45:21] All right, guys. I'll talk to you again. Thank you, bud. WL, Matt and Michelle, the Orlando Sentinel. Coming up, time to hit the road again with Elmer Pierce on deck. Stay with us. All right, grab some buds and listen up. Grilling season's here. Now we find out what we're made of. Are we going to fold under pressure and overcook the burgers? Or are we going to nail the carne asada and the brisket and pack the coolers with ice-cold Budweiser and Bud Light? Because that's the difference between winning and losing, between flipping burgers and grilling like a pro.
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Twisted Tea Brewing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. Please drink responsibly. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. Did you guys see that sky last night? What was up with it, my friend? That was pink, wasn't it? That was quite a color. I agree. My wife noticed that. Yeah, I looked down. I thought, what am I drinking? It's iced tea. I mean, if you see that sky with iced tea, maybe Elmer Pierce has the answer to that and everything else out. And Garner Pierce autos.
Elmer Watkins, did you see that sky last night? Actually, I did, guys. And you know what I think it means? I think it means it's football season. There you go. Or the deals are just as red hot at your place. Talk to us about what's going on, Elmer. Oh, man. Guys, I tell you what, we've been really, really busy. I've tracked down a lot of inventory lately, in really, really good shape with some inventory. So, got everything. I mean, literally, right now, we've got everything from $6,000 to $56,000, and pretty much everything in between.
So, you just come and see us. Hop online, GarnerPierceAutos.com. I think we've got about 85, 90 vehicles in stock right now between both stores. Now, Elmer, if you're a high school football fan and you're planning on driving to watch Florence at Pinson Valley, Muscle Shoals at Hoover, Haleville at Sheffield, Colbert County at Colbert Heights, you have got to have a dependable car, and you need a tune-up, and you need it inspected. How could you rectify that problem? Guys, been doing a ton of that with kids going back to school, getting their car serviced up.
And like you said, a couple of them, we've done the full Monty, you know, tires and brakes and changed out spark plugs and everything else. Because the last thing you need is your child one way or another, son, daughter, whatever, two, three, four, or five hours away, and you get the phone call, hey, my car won't start, or hey, my tire just went flat. And I've had that happen to me, so it is a helpless feeling when your baby is, you know, miles from home and you get that phone call.
[1:50:36] So, come see us. Let us get it checked out. Let us get it in good shape before they leave. Yeah, and that is the other thing, too. You are local. Just like we are here with the radio station. A reason I bring that up is because whoever plans for an emergency. I just had a plumbing issue last night. I called and boom, they were here. Talk to us just about the advantage of coming to you as a local business as opposed to going through all the red tape to some of these corporate giants.
Well, you know, and guys, we've talked about it before. Hey, we're the ones that's sponsoring your, you know, your kids' softball and your kids' football and your kids' baseball, basketball, you name it. I mean, we're the sponsors. So many times you can't get these corporate giants that are out of Houston, Houston, Texas, by way of Saudi Arabia or somewhere. Timbuktu. You can't get them to sponsor anything because you don't know who's making the decision and nobody here will make a decision. Right. Walk in the door and traditionally I'm making the decision within five minutes and, you know, I traditionally hand them a check right there on the spot and we go on, you know.
Having somebody local that you can talk to and sit next to you in church or sit next to you at a ball game, you know what, that means a lot because I promise you it's on me because my last name is on this building. So that means a lot to me and should mean a lot to you. Absolutely. Elmer, where can we get online, look at the inventory or communicate with you, schedule a maintenance, location, times, et cetera? Guys, come and see us, 2261 Florence Boulevard, right next to Applebee's right here in Florence.
Come and see us or get online, www.garnerpearsautos.com, 256-768-5660. Absolutely, anytime, 24-7 right there. That's great. Elmer, listen, thanks for your time today. I don't know what we're going to do for a follow-up from last night's sunset, but stay tuned and in the meantime, stay safe and stay as cool as you can out there, okay? You got it, guys, thanks, and get ready for some football. There you go, bud. There you guys right around the corner. Elmer Pierce, owner of Garner Pierce Autos. BB is getting a little tight for the Braves.
We're back to six and a half over the field. It's go time for us. I noticed that this morning they lost it to the Twins, 4-2 last night. Perez, who went into that game, I think, with 18 consecutive scoreless innings. Eh, that's over. He gave up four in the first inning. Matthews against Malley, or, I mean, yeah, Malley, I'm sorry. Tonight, you can hear that game once again on 93.9 The Score. And a quick reminder, you can hear the first edition of Hey Coach coming up tomorrow night.
Right else, right here on 93.9 The Score. That's going to take care of us for now. On behalf of BB, Greg, James Blair, the entire crew here, Harold Bugg. Thank you so much for your time today. Let's do it again next time. Noon to two for the Boomo Bugg Show back here on Sports Radio from 93.9 The Score.