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Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome in Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's.
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Well, that's the name of the show. My name is Nick Coffee, Alsto Montgomery's alongside. You get the name, I assume, and you guys are our company. So sit back, relax, make yourself at home, let's have some fun.
I tell you what. This is January thirteenth.
So it feels really weird to say this, but I kind of feel like the new year's actually starting now. I mean, we've had the holidays, which were great, nice to get time off, but that leads to you know, short weeks, not all you know, I'm out a routine. And then once we came back from you know, from the holidays, we ended up having a week last week that it was a full work week for us, but it was just different with the snow and having to do the show remotely a couple of days, and kids
being out of school. So thirteen days into twenty twenty five, I'm hopeful that this is in fact a normal And usually I wouldn't want to.
Have a normal.
I mean, it's nice to be able to, you know, to do something I love, but let's be real, like, if you can get a short week, you can extend the weekend. I mean, that's always what you prefer. But I am very much, very much in need of routine and structure, and I'm hopeful that we get that as we get this thing started. And it feels like since the last time I was here, which of course was just Friday at six o'clock is when I walked out of here, that seems like it was five weeks ago
for some reason. Yeah, well for me, and usually you would want the weekend to be, you know, great, but we left on Friday, so as soon as the show ended, I finished what I finished up what I had to do here, and I was going to be headed to Pittsburgh, Well Columbus for the night, and then Pittsburgh on Saturday for the game. Well, I knew on the way in to do the show Friday afternoon that that it was it was snowing quite a bit and it didn't seem
like it was going to be stopping. So I didn't really do any looking into the weather while we were on the air because I feel like had I seen that the roads were or had I heard the reports that the roads were terrible, then I would have been stressing and that would have impacted the show. So I was like, look, you know, there's nothing I can do about it. It's going to do what it's going to do. So let's just, you know, wait till the show ends and evaluate the situation. So I hopped in my car
left and the roads downtown were awful. I was worried if I was going to be able to even get up the exit to get to get to sixty five.
I mean, yeah, that's a tricky exit, right.
My car's not My car's not super great and snow and what usually gets me is that it's not like it's steep. But if you don't have any momentum and you're like in traffic going slow. In fact, we're good now because the roads are fine. But that's the biggest that's those to me, that's the most obvious reason why people end up getting stuck in weird situations is because they just go slow. If you keep, if you maintain a certain level of speed, then you're gonna be you know,
you gotta be mindful of how fast you're going. But when you barely are crawling and then you get to a spot where you actually need to give it some gas, but you know there's no traction because there's ice and snow, that's when you're gonna get stuck. And anyways, I knew we were not gonna be able to make the trip, but I I just you know, I didn't want to.
I didn't want to accept defeat.
So I end up getting to southern Indiana where my dad was because my dad had both my son and my nephew who that was us. The four of us were going and the plane was again I go pick them up after the show. We had Columbus get there about I don't know now, I'm thirty ten o'clock, get some sleep, get up the next morning, and we'd be
in Pittsburgh and plenty of time for the game at noon. Well, we we all got in the car and we made it maybe a mile away from his home, and he said, you know, I didn't want to be the one to do it. Thankfully he was willing to do it and say, son, I don't think we're gonna be able to make this work because we would have been going up seventy one and probably one of the most I shouldn't say the most because I don't know the entire state, but I'll seventy one didn't get a whole lot of love when
it comes to being treated. I mean, it's that stretch between really Oldham County to Cincinnati. It's a really desolate area and it's just kind of a kind of a ghost town. So we expected the roads to be even worse as we kept going, and we were driving like we were driving with the snow store, meaning the more north we were going, we were going with the snow.
So we decided to call off Friday and just say, look, let's see if we can get up in the morning at like three thirty and check and see what the roads are like, see if there's you know, just do the wayte thing and see if there's any traffic at that point, any accidents, and try to just do a straight shot from Louisville to Pittsburgh for a noon tip.
And sure enough, that's what we did.
We got up the house at like four o'clock when picked up my dad and we made the straight shot up there, got there just in time. So Saturday was fun being at the game, which we'll talk a lot
all about that. But the reason I mentioned it feels like it's been so long since I've been here is just because it's been like I feel like I everything that took place since I left Friday, I feel like for all of that, it would have needed to take place in a five day window and not you know, two and a half days essentially.
But it was a lot of fun. I mean, it's one hell of a trek too. Yeah, it was. I mean it was.
And I love Pittsburgh, by the way, and I knew we'd have fun and enjoyed the trip spending time with family.
We do it every year.
But like I knew Louisville could lose it. I was gonna tell myself, Hey, no matter what, let's just have fun, enjoyed. It should still be a great experience. And then you know, they won, And I wish I could give you some fresh new perspective and thoughts on this team. But kind of like when the previous regime, it was it was
a rerun. You thought we were doing the same show. Ever, or maybe we were replaying the same thing every day because it was the same reaction, and of course there was really nothing else that could be said whenever it
was going terribly wrong. This time around, I mean, I could keep gushing over this team, how much I love them, how much I have enjoyed this ride so far, how much I'm starting to think they're actually not just doing pretty good for what they have to work with and really bouncing back in a big way from a few disastrous seasons. Like all those things are true, but I now actually think this team might be pretty good. I mean, I don't know that for certain, and I really don't care.
I just thought I'm gonna enjoy watching them the rest of the way, and they have really mean, it felt like over the weekend. And Austin, I think you can attest to this because you you spend a lot of time on social media as well. This win against Pittsburgh that felt like not a huge statement for Louisville that here we go, we're about to, you know, be a top twenty team and nothing like that. It was more I don't know why, because Pittsburgh is a good team. It's a good you know, it was a game they
could have been lost. Pittsburgh on paper was by far and away the best opportunity left on the schedule to get a win that had values. So maybe it does make sense, but usually, you know, Pittsburgh, it's just not the kind of game that would get the attention that Louisville got. And it's a good thing because I feel like after Saturday, just an anybody who follows college basketball that has a voice that or covers college basketball, I should say that has a voice that's big on social media.
Maybe they work for ESPN, maybe they work for FS one, whatever it may be. I feel like nearly all of them made some kind of a comment about how Pat Kelsey like is doing such a phenomenal job at Louisville, and I think we've all known that, we felt it. It's been great the last few weeks and clearly I think he's got respect up to that point, meaning I think people are aware, you know, Louisville's.
Man, who knows how good they're going to be.
But man, they're no longer being led by Kenny Payne and they're going to be much better off without him and Kelsey like whatn't as if they were getting disrespected, but man, it really felt like Saturday was the moment where everybody was like, Okay, this is kind of crazy
this Louisville team. Not only are they doing better than they did before and Pat Kelsey's making it work despite the injuries, but I feel like there was a level of respect for this team and what Pat Kelsey's doing that was earned on Saturday that wasn't quite to that level until they got that win against Pitt.
No, you're right, I know, Seth Greenberg was showing a lot of love. I know, who's our guy, John Rostein. This is March guy. I don't know if you want to take his opinion for granted or whatnot, but they're getting a lot of love. Because I like to after like a Louisville win like that, I like to type that in on the search bar on X and see what everybody's saying, and it seemed to be like a
lot of praise for Pat Kelsey. And I've honestly even forgotten about some of the injuries and some of the stuff they've been able to do with it just because they have guys, because they've made you forget it.
They've made Yeah, they've made you realize with these wins, with how hard they're playing, who they're beating, they've made you forget that this wasn't supposed to happen. Not only the results themselves, but they're looking like a really, really good team as far as just being really physical. They're gonna work their ass off on defense, They're gonna make timely plays. They've got guys that can make some big shots.
You're right, I at times forget and it's there's no need to to, you know, and it's it's if it makes you feel even better about this team in this situation than not yourself out. But I'm no longer thinking like, well, man, just imagine if we had we had caseon pryor just imagine if we had Cora Johnson. I just imagine if we played some of those teams earlier this year that you know, that we weren't in this position. Maybe if
we played them now it'd be different. Like I'm not really thinking about that because I yeah, all that's true, but I think as is today, they're they're pretty damn good and they're only getting better.
Man m absolutely, and just some of the stuff that's when you mentioned at the top of the show, like how it's just gonna sound like a broken record. But just even in the last two or three games, let's just go to say, the last two games Clemson and Pitt you have guys like James Scott stepping up and kind of knowing his role a little bit. You got Troy are finally making a big deal, and Ansel and Mebey had a they're making most out of their minutes.
And that just wasn't a thing that we were seeing once we saw that everybody was out, when we were talking about Johnson, when we were talking about out. Prior being out, it would just seem like we're left with six seven guys. But now there's a little bit of depth on the bench, and it's making them play a little bit harder, and it's making them reach a little bit better of a potential that we thought Louisville would be of course the ceiling strength, but.
I don't think that.
Look, and this is what makes it even more fun for me just to kind of sit back and really, I mean if they somehow like fall apart and like don't end up making the tournament, which I guess is still possible, like that would be devastating.
That would really suck.
I'm not thinking about that, and I would encourage anybody to do that because I don't expect it to happen. But my point is this is not a year where there's any real pressure or stress, So like that adds to me a layer of like enjoyment of like, yeah, I mean, this wasn't supposed to happen. The unexpected success is the best way I think to experience success. And I think that's the case from a personal standpoint. I think that's the case when you're talking about being a fan.
So I think the ceiling for this group is still unknown because.
They're on a tear right now.
And yeah, they did get really hot from from three to late in that game in rain Smith, I mean, and you kidding me, this guy insane twenty five point seven and eleven from three Chucky hit a big one late. I mean, this team ended up making thirteen three pointers, shot thirty seven percent. That's if that's who They're going to be, a thirty seven percent three point shooting team
and they can make ten or more. I mean that that's so I don't Maybe maybe I should retract what I was gonna say, which was the ceiling is still unknown because they're now beating good teams. They've beat everybody in the ACC that is believed to be at least decent outside of Duke, who's kind of on their own. So imagine if they really did become a little more imagine if they shot better at the free throw line. I mean that's I mean, this team has a free
throw issue, and I don't like it. It's scary, you know that it can beat you. And it's a little bit of a balancing act here because it's almost like you should feel relief, like, wow, we we we shouldn't keep being in that danger zone where we've got fifty percent at the line or worse. But when I say the ceiling is still unknown, I don't mean I think these guys are going to get you know, substantially better.
Certain players, may I mean, can I Ruse. I mean, he makes a.
Couple of plays a game that if you watch those two plays, you can tell this guy has a lot of ability, a lot of talent, and then you look at the box score and it just doesn't stand out because he's making the most with whatever minutes that he
does get. So again, back to the whole ceiling thing, I don't know how good they could end up being, because again, a lot of these guys are four to fifty year seniors, so as far as individuals, they're kind of, you know, not to say they can't get better to an extent, but my point is this, when I say ceiling, I'm more so saying, Okay, what if they actually did shoot it really well from three against one of these teams, What if they did have a really good night at
the free throw line. I mean, those are things that I think can make this team even better than what we're seeing right now. And I have no problem in saying, and what I'm seeing right now has me super super excited for the rest of this year.
So it's it's just nice to be alive, you know.
The road trip that I went on was something that I've always that I've done for for a long time with my dad, try to try to make it a one road game a year for louis of basketball, and we stopped doing it because obviously, you know, things were bad. So we went to Duke when Kenny Payne was in his first year.
Last year.
Instead of doing the Louisville game, we ended up going to a Creighton Butler game up in Indy, just because I have a buddy on staff at Butler and I wanted to see Hinkle and it was a good Big East matchup. And then that night there was the NBA All Star the All Star festivities, So instead of a Louisville game, we replaced it with that, just because obviously Louisville basketball last year wasn't worth going to see on the road. It would have been the sad, sad trip.
So anyways, to have you know, Saturday, the whole, the whole experience being there with my fan, with my dad and then my son. It's the time I was talking with Paul Rodgers earlier today and I told him the because I was trying to chat with him after the game, and you know, of course it's a mad scramble at the end of a game when they're trying to make sure they've got everything they need for the post game stuff.
So I didn't get a chance to really chit chat with him much, but he ended up texting me and we were going back and forth, and I told him, is this has been per timing for me because my son is just now old enough to where he understands like who the team is. He can name every player like he's you know, he's old enough now to where he kind of gets it and he's really into it. And to be able to experience that with him for
the first time is awesome alone. But for to be this team, I mean not to be corny, but like it's it's freaking awesome. Like I can't think of a better team for him to kind of, you know, cut his teeth if you will. When it comes to really just being emotionally invested in this where he's super excited if they win, and man, he's sad if they lose.
So it's just like louisvel of basketball. We all, like nobody's necessarily surprised that this success that they've been having, these results that has got us back to feeling the way we used to feel.
But I'm really I it's it's natural.
I mean, it makes sense, but it wasn't something I necessarily predicted in regards to what you went through the last three years whenever we were lifeless, and it was it was bad like that makes this stuff so much more enjoyable.
I still prefer we didn't go through that. I still prefer we.
Didn't have that non existent stretch seemingly, but if it ended up in things aligning the way they are now. And you've got Pat Kelsey for a long long time and he keeps really utilizing everything this this job has, and and and he keeps working his tail off showing that he's worthy of this gig. And he's certainly done that to this point. So it's it's just again, I know it's sounding like a broken record, and uh, it's certainly not something that's gonna add any entertainment to the show.
But this has been absolutely awesome watching this team, and I think they're getting better and better each time that I mean, I felt like Saturday was going to be the game where they played well and they just you know, they couldn't hold on because Pitt's that good. But no, they they they want to They want a really tough game, and I I still think pet has a chance to be really good.
This is where I'm this is this is.
Like a first for me because I think louis has beat some teams this year that I felt like, hey, that's a good team you beat you play him, I don't know times you'd be lucky to go five hundred because they're that good. Pitt's the team that I feel like, you know, like I think it's the best team Louisvill's beat this point to this point, I know, the win against win against West Virginia, you win against Carolina, you win against Florida State's actually a quad one right now
because Florida State is in the top seventy five. So I mean, I I have that much respect for Pitt, and I did on Saturday as well whenever they were I mean Louisville, Louisville was just out working them on the glass.
They were more physical.
Louisville played really good defense, but Pitt made some really tough shots as well. And they've got a couple of really good players. I mean.
Jalen Lowe, I mean he's a special, special guy.
Ishmael Leggett, the fifth year senior who's been a high scorer for him. I think you got a good shot from Pitt. They brought Damien dunnback from injury. What does he do for fifteen points? Makes three or four from three? So you took a good shot from a good team at their place, and you found a way to win with big shots made. It's just the reason I'm spinning my wheels here is because like I don't, I don't think it's crazy to look at Louisville as a team
that maybe only has three losses in conference play. I mean, they got to take it game by game. Is as much as we don't like to hear that as fans, it's it's what they have to do. And you know, it's one of those things where I'm not I'm not looking ahead to a certain game on the schedule where you circle it and say, Okay, here's where you get to really see where you stand. Here's where you really get to to see to see if you're gonna be
able to collect a big time win. And I guess technically you did that on Saturday at pit because again, that's a quad one and it's it's the best when you have on your resume, right now.
But two things.
One, they could play the worst teams in the ACC four straight games, and if they still play well and win the way they're winning, I'm going to be enjoying it regardless because it's just it's just fun to be back.
Also another thing I'll say before we get to our first break here, I never realized just how loaded Louisville schedule was on the front half, and when we talked about how the non conference portion of the schedule was really tough, one of the toughest non conference schedules out there. And then you get into ACC play and I don't think anybody would have predicted it, but Louisville.
Playing Duke.
North, Carolina, Clemson, and pitt those being four of their first six ACC games, those are the best teams in this league and it's not even close along with Louisville, which I don't think many would have said.
So it's uh.
I mean, they'll they'll probably slip up to somebody, and we'll be sad because you know, they'll they'll lose to somebody they shouldn't lose to. But if they don't, I can't say that I'm gonna be totally surprised because if you look at the rest of the league, I mean Syracuse tomorrow night, Like, given what this team has shown us, they you know, they could lose to anybody. They could slip up and stumble. Nearly lost to EKU, nearly lost
to UTEP. Right, But I kind of know what I'm gonna get with this team when it comes to their level of intensity, how well they play defense. And it's gonna be fun Tomorrow night at QS and then Virginia they come back to town on Saturday. I guess your next big chance for a win will be next Tuesday when you take on SMU at their place at nine o'clock. That's not a huge opportunity, but it's a road game
and it'll be a quad one opportunity. And after that, I don't think you have one left, which is kind of crazy. All right, you'll be crazy if don't stick around.
What would you not?
We get a lot to get into, a lot to react to. We've got the national championship matchup set in the College Football Playoff NFL Playoffs. We can react to that and a lot more. Don't go anywhere. It's coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
That's right, it is coffee and company and we are fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Appreciate you hanging out with us, Nick Coffee, Austin Montgomery alongside. And some big news in the NF I didn't necessarily plan to get to this right away, but I mean
it is. It is a big piece of news, and that is that there's another opening in the NFL, and I think some would make the claim that it might be the best job in the NFL, where I think some things that come with it might make it maybe the least appealing job. Maybe not the least appealing job in the NFL. But the Dallas Cowboys that job is now open because they, I mean, is this getting fired.
It was rare.
It was rare to see a coach enter his last enter his last contract year, meaning he walked in knowing, hey, the only thing he is contractually obligated to do for this franchise is coach one more season. So they didn't fire him initially, so therefore I guess they didn't he didn't get fired. He was in the process of negotiating a new deal. But McCarthy is out because they couldn't come to an agreement. So I mean if in fact, the Cowboys then just decided, hey, yeah, we can't come
to a deal, so we're gonna move on. I mean, I guess technically you didn't get terminated. You just you know, they said they were done with you, which is kind of being fired. But that job is such an I mean it's the Dallas Cowboys. I mean, it's maybe the biggest brand in all the professional sports in America. But working for Jerry Jones, who owns the team and kind of acts like the coach and certainly does a lot of GMS stuff. I mean, he's the GM is, isn't he.
I mean, so Jerry Jones, Yeah, I mean like a GM Like it's a great job, but it's not right, Like it's a great job, but it's not. That's the way I would.
Great for status symbol, but yeah, everything that comes along with it and who you have to report to, and really you're not being an actual head coach.
You're just someone that reports to Jerry Jones.
Yeah, I mean, who does like our buddy, Zach McCarthy, Zach Barnett, who not Zach McCarthy, Zach Barnett, who is a college football writer but also based out of Texas. He has something up at FootballScoop dot com talking about this job and sort of where Dallas goes from here. But the question, this is the obvious question that I'm
not sure many casual fans would know. Now, if you are really locked in and focused on the Cowboys, or you are you know, in the know when it comes to the NFL, then you may have an idea, but who wants this job? And who does Jerry want? Like I have no I mean, I wouldn't even be able to guess, because I feel like a really good Like if you're a coach looking for a big time opportunity and you've got momentum and the time is right for you to either leave a coordinator spot or I don't know,
I mean maybe come up from the college ranks. Like if you know you've got options and the timing is there for you to take a head coaching job and you know, figure out if you're going to be great at it or not, Dallas would be the one that I wouldn't want to go to because you could have things not go your way, and maybe you know directly that hey, we're failing because I want to do some things that I that I feel like as a coach can help us, but I'm not allowed because I'm being handcuffed by Jerry.
Or maybe you'll you know, or maybe you know.
I just feel like, if you can't do it your way, like most coaches do, you know, with NFL franchises that don't have a Jerry Jones in place, if if you can't really do it your own way, I mean, maybe it'll still work out, but then if it doesn't, you'll be left wondering like was I good enough or not? Because I never really got the full opportunity to run an NFL team the way that I wanted to.
So I mean, they'll they'll be they'll.
Be legitimate candidates with you know, with resumes that that are impressive and names we've all heard of. But it's also the kind of put it this way, it's the kind of job that anybody saying they want it, you can't really be surprised because it's the Dallas Cowboys. But also anybody who says, yeah, I'm out, you could also
understand why because of everything that that. You know, it's pretty obvious here it's it's not I don't know if he's the terrible guy to work for as far as just a human being, but you know, he's a little too much involved and it really played out poorly for him in the last couple of years with some of the decisions they've made and some of the guys they've let, they've let go for nothing that have ended up having
good careers post Dallas. And then to know that Derek Henry wanted badly to play in Dallas and they didn't want him, and he ended up going to Baltimore and now he's I mean, he's still King Henry and the Ravens are are rolling, so I I mean, I just think there's a lot of evidence, uh that that that'll tell you if you're a head coach, you're you're not gonna have And again, the GM typically has the most to say so when it comes to roster personnel that
kind of stuff. That's that's that's how it works in the pro the pro level. But Jerry's the owner and the GM and he's you know, he's got a lot of other stuff going on too.
I mean, he's not the worst.
I'm sure you could find other gms out there that are that are you know, that are that are worse than he is. But I don't think it's ever been a good thing when an owner is too involved. I mean, I can't think of any any examples of of in the NFL where the owner was really really like you know, is involved as Jerry is, and it was a really
successful thing long term. And I'm sure, I'm sure I'm blanking on one, but I mean it worked out really well in New England, and that was because Bob Kraft just basically let let Bill Belichick do everything and it worked for a long time also, to be honest, I mean, I guess maybe Kraft is the example for when it was rolling because he wasn't a GM, like, he didn't have any status on the within the team other than owner. But he was a little more involved, I feel like
than a lot of a lot of owners out there. So, yeah, the Cowboys job is open, and I wonder if Mike Vrabel is regretting it. I mean, I think he's in a pretty good spot. He got hired over the weekend to be the next coach for the Patriots. But I could see him, I could see I could see him being a guy that might work well, work better with Jerry than than most.
But that one would be a little bit tough too, I just because just so he's he's Mike Rabel is a big football football guy.
Yeah, but I feel like Jerry would respect that.
Like the last two guys he's had are kind of guys that I feel like push over.
Yeah, exactly, like Garrett and Garrett and McCarthy.
I mean McCarthy kind of became the pushover guy because you know, like he was a pretty underwhelming hire when it happened, and then like right from the jump he seemed inept, and then you know, he just was. He was kept on because Jerry could tell him whatever he wanted. You know, he somebody Jerry could control, maybe more than he could other coaches. So I don't I don't think very to your point though, about being a big football guy.
It would either work really well and maybe he would push back and Jerry would respect it more so than he would if it was coming from McCarthy or Garrett, or maybe he would be like, who the hell do you think you are?
I own this team? Get the hell out of here, like it could cause a real riff, right. I think it goes maybe two ways.
Also, if you want to look at who they possibly can get, because we have to agree, probably the hottest coaching candidate people are going to talk about now for that job is who Deon Sanders. Maybe I forget I hadn't even You're right, I hadn't even thought about that. There's something good about that, But that also seems like
an oil and water thing. I mean, yeah, he played for him, he was on his team, but you know, Dion's a no nonsense kind of guy to where they could also go on the other end of the spectrum, go get a guy who's hasn't been a head coach yet, and that's Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. And that's someone that Jerry knows he could probably boss around just because it's going to be his first real, big time gig. But he's a good he's a damn good play caller.
I could see him kind of going with someone that he can control. I don't think that he could control Dion. I don't know if he could control Mike Vrabel. Those just seem but I don't know. The more I think about it. That's I just think that the Patriots job was probably a better fit for Brabel.
Yeah, and I could see that working out. But with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, there's some names that you like, maybe he does hire John Gruden. I mean, maybe he never even considers it and would laugh if somebody suggested it. But I just kind of feel like there's a level of it being Jerry Jones in Dallas that really all bets are off, like it could be. It could be, it could be somebody we've never heard of. It could
be a name that you mean. Hell, when he hired McCarthy, that was I mean, he did hire a guy who'd won a super Bowl before, so it wasn't like he hired some guy off the street.
But like that was just everything.
The collective reaction was like, what, that's that's where, that's who you're going with. But if he if he continues to go with his type, it'll be somebody that he feels like he could probably he could probably push over a little bit. And and I mean maybe that's Kellen Moore, because that's a name that everybody's gonna mention. Obviously he's he's close with the Jones family and has worked with Dallas before as as as the OC and all that.
But yeah, big news, Dallas, the Dallas, the Dallas Cowboys. Job is open and if you are just not joining us, this is what I said when we came back from break. You could make the case that this is like one of the maybe the best job in American pro sports. But you could also understand why anybody would be like, yeah, I'm gonna pass on this one. I'm gonna wait for a different opportunity. Or maybe they just think I'm content where I'm at because I don't. I don't I don't
like the idea like the latest I've heard him. Maybe it's just what his agent wants people to put out there because they want to play hard to get to maybe get a better deal. But Cliff Kingsbury's obviously getting some run because of how well he's done with Washington
as the play caller. But in everybody who who's covering him or covering these openings and discussing his name throws in the fact that he's made it pretty clear in the last year or so that he is his happiest when he can just call plays and not have to deal with really anything other than that.
And you know that that's part of me says.
If you're a competitor, and like, if you're in that business, if that's your world, then you want to be successful at the very top, which is being a head coach in the NFL. But if you've done that and you tried, or you you know, you had an opportunity and it didn't work out, like you may learn, Hey, no, I don't need that, like that could be you know that's
not me. I'm content, I'm happy, I'm making a lot of money and I don't have to deal with all the all the other stuff that comes with being you know, the actual head coach of a team. All right, if you guys would join us on the show, you can five two five seven to one seventy nine hundred. That is the number again, five x two, five seven, one seventy nine hundred. As you could expect a lot of reaction to Louisville basketball during our first segment as they get a big win at pitt to move to four
and one. I'm sorry, five and one in the ACC And you know, there's been some some things we've thrown out there in recent weeks that just kind of tell you that Louisville's doing some things they haven't done in
a long time. We talked to I think it was they beat four consecutive conference opponents by double digits that had winning records, which is a pretty a pretty you know, selective stat However, the last time a Louisville team did that was in twenty thirteen, which, again, Louisville basketball was
in a great spot then. So you're not just having success more so than you did in recent years, You're you're winning in a way that that you know, really hasn't been I mean, not only has it been been a while, it's been rare to ever see the type of of I guess the stretch that they're on right now because in the ACC, louis join the league in twenty and fourteen fifteen, so this is technically this is the tenth year. Yeah, this is the tenth season for
Louisville basketball in the ACC. Rick's longest ACC winning streak was four games. That Kelse has now won five straight ACC games. And I know the ACC stinks, so trust me, I'm aware that when I mentioned how well they're doing in the ACC and who they beat, I'm well aware that that that doesn't mean as much now as it used to, just because of where the league currently is, But I don't care about that in my position as
a Louisville fan. Now again, if you think that this is just Louisville fans getting their hopes up and getting you know, getting big headed because they're beating a bunch of bums and they don't realize that this means no. I mean again, I understand that the ACC is not great, but there's a reason I said in the summer, when we realize the ACC is going to once again be bad, hey take take advantage of that, right make the most of that in your first year with a new head coach.
And right now, I mean you look at the current projected finish for this team. I mean, I think fifteen and five is still the projected record in kN POM, and I guess technically they could still end up there.
I mean, look, they could lose to anybody.
We know that, But I just think when you see the way they're winning and who they're doing it against, and then you look at the rest of the schedule, like, I don't feel like a really really I mean, twenty three to twenty four wins. Is is not off the table, and yeah, here it is. And kN Palm you're projected to go twenty two and nine overall, fifteen and five in the league. So that means you would technically lose
four more ACC games the rest of the way. But right now, the only game as far as the projections go the formula here at Ken Palm that you are projected to lose and not win is at SMU next Saturday or next Tuesday when you play them at their place.
So and that projected score seventy nine to seventy seven. So, for for those who who don't understand how this works, if you end up like for one of Louisville's games they play on the road at Notre Dame on February sixteenth, that is a projected win, but it's only a fifty eight percent chance. Same thing when you play pitt at
home later this year. So what the formula does, which I happen to like that they do it this way just because you are on paper project well I guess it's not paper, but the formula projects that you win all but one game the rest of the season. Some of them are so close they also factor in that you're not you know, you'd be really lucky if it played out to where you won all those I mean, it's doable, but fifteen and five is still the projected record. But I think you're gonna get to next week maybe
where you've got Virginia out of the way. Syracuse of courses tomorrow night. So I guess Qus tomorrow than Virginia this weekend. Like I think, you know, you go a couple more weeks and you're and you beat these teams that you know technically you're supposed to beat, like they'll be favored against SMU at SMU now probably won't be by much and maybe by tip off they won't be. But if you get passed Syracuse Virginia SMU, I would say, you know, and and again these are games you're just
technically supposed to win. That would put you at thirteen or that would put you, I'm sorry, at fifteen and five and you'd be eight and one in the in the ACC. I feel like at that point you and you reset these numbers, that's when you really feel like, okay, we'd have to really fall apart to not like be safely in the ternament we'd have to really fall apart to not end up with a really good record.
And it's been awesome. It has.
It really has a great week into college basketball. In fact, I know I didn't I didn't get to watch as much as I typically do because I was in the car for the majority of the weekend going up to Pittsburgh and then coming back. But Kentucky there win against Mississippi State. I'm saying the same thing about them as I've said really all year. It just comes down to pace. It comes down to can they get into what they want to get into. And against Mississippi State, I didn't
think that they. I thought Mississippi State would really thrive and going, hey, let's slow it down because we are not only are we maybe a little more comfortable in what we can do with a game played at that pace, but also it's been it's been proven to be a real vulnerable spot for Kentucky when they get into those spots.
But Kentucky, what do they do.
They went on the road, scored ninety points, and yeah they gave up ninety But if if that's what teams want to do, and they're willing to say okay, let's go let's line up and let's go play. You want to run, we'll run with you, and we'll beat you.
Good luck.
I mean it's not because Kentucky's got dudes that like you know, nobody else does, but they're built to do that. That's that's that's when they're at their best. And any game they've lost at this point has not been I mean, what is Kentucky right now?
They got three losses? I believe it is.
Yeah, They've got losses to Georgia, Ohio State, and Clemson. All three of those teams. Those were teams that that knew where to make Kentucky vulnerable and they did a good job at it. And the other teams that tried to run with them, I mean, maybe they're maybe they're coin flip games right like they you know, Gonzaga ended up being a one point win for Kentucky, so that one could have gone either way. And I'm not taking
anything away from them. I'm just saying, like, maybe these maybe Duken Gonzaga could say, yeah, if you want to play us again now, or you want to play us ten times, we're gonna get the best of you. Maybe you're right, but they're clearly capable of beating the really good teams when the game is played at their preferred pace, which is fast, a lot of possessions, a lot of a lot of threes. And I just to me, if
you're a coach, I don't know why you wouldn't. Maybe maybe coaches feel like it's a sign of like fear or maybe like I guess the best example to use for for Kentucky's thus far is Florida.
Florida's a really good team.
I still think Florida would would maybe be a better I still think Florida right now is a team that I would trust to go further in the tournament than Kentucky.
But I also know Kentucky can beat them because.
They did it.
So that game that was where Florida probably thought to themselves, Look, we're at where we are, We are at our best playing the way they want to play, right. We have very similar styles. We like to do a lot of the same stuff. So so this is like you're not going to change who you are where your ceiling is lower, because you know you're that worried about a team being able to do what you do but do it better. So I don't think coaches that play the way Natoates does,
the way Todd Golden at Florida does. I don't think you're going to see, I mean, even Bruce Pearl, I don't think you're going to see those guys have an identity crisis and try to reinvent themselves slightly before they play Kentucky because they're scared. But I'm sure they know, hey, this is just going to be a you know, we'll see who makes more shots, who's more efficient, maybe who's
on who's who's on their own home floor. Because when we get into what we want to do and they get in get into what they want to do, it's it's going to be a game where both teams are probably getting close to one hundred points. So with Kentucky, I mean, you know, you lose at Georgia, clearly a loss you you you wish you could have avoided, not a great loss. But then Georgia bounce back and be somebody pretty good after they beat Kentucky. I can't think
of who it was. But then you go on the road and you beat Mississippi State, who is you know at the time was a top a top fifteen team in the kin Palm in the net, so good vibes for both basketball programs right now, and some weird vibes where kind of seems like nobody's really able to like control themselves anymore in acknowledging that they actually really like the other team's coach, like we're going to be rivals.
But I think it's gotten kind of weird, Like it's gotten kind of awkward to where you don't want to like Mark Pope as much as you do if you're a Louisville fan, and you don't want to like Pat Kelsey as much as you do if you're a Kentucky fan, but you just can't have it anymore. I think that's where we are, and I'll talk about it on the other side right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
All right, we were wrapping up the three o'clock hour here on a Monday afternoon. Thanks for hanging out with us. Hopefully you had yourselves a good weekend. A good weekend for both the basketball programs around here. Louisville gets a big win at Pittsburgh, best win of the season in my opinion, and I'm not just saying that because I was there and it was nice to see pitt excited about their basketball team, which has been rare in the last decade or so, and they were playing pretty well.
I mean they I don't know, I don't have it pulled up here, but I'm gonna guess when it comes to.
Gosh.
Now, I'm genuinely curious what the time like with the time, how long each team had a lead, because I feel like pitt had a lead for more of the game than they didn't. But maybe I'm just saying that because I was, you know, there and worried that Louisville was missing out on some opportunities to maybe claw back and put them away. But yeah, let's see the time time leading.
Let's see Pittsburgh led for yeah, Louisville. Louisville actually did lead more, led this for this game longer than they trailed. So again, that's what that that that's a good thing. That's a good sign. But back to my point about pitt their fans, they were I mean, that was that was tough loss for them because they they were at home, they are where Louisville's been bad the last few years, and they played well. I mean, you look at Pitt's numbers.
Pitt shot ninety one percent from the free throw line, made twenty of twenty two. At the stripe, they shot forty eight percent from three, making ten of them, and yet they ended up losing Louisville, and it's because Louisville made more timely shots. I mean, Louisville probably wins this thing without a whole lot of stress if they just are better at the free throw line. They were seven of fifteen, which is scary, but yeah, Louisville dominant on
the backboard forty four rebounds to Pittsburgh's thirty one. I mean, Louisville had thirty six points in the paint. They just had twenty six and seventeen offensive boards for Louisville compared to Pittsburgh's seven I'm sorry, Pittsburgh's five. So it was it was nice to go into somebody's house and be an underdog and be able to make big, tough shots at their place when the crowd was certainly into it.
But also like hearing their fans mad at their team and their coach because Pat Kelsey's guys were out there just out working them on the Glass getting tough stops defensively, Like that's just that was that was awesome, and I kind of, you know, I don't really remember that feeling as good as it felt on Saturday, because you know, it's one thing if you go in and you and you win and it's all luck and or you win and it's just one of those things that you know,
you just know you're that much better. But they played well. I mentioned those numbers from Pitt that's a box score, stat line whatever you want to that that it's a game statistically where you feel like, all right, I'm not looking at the actual score here, I'm just looking at these five six key stats. If we get this and you tell me we lose, I don't know how it happens. Well, it's because Louisville dominated them on the backboard and really the timely shots that they made, I mean, Ray Smith
was sensational. So great weekend for a Louisville fans in Kentucky can say the same thing. I mean, they were able to get a big road win at Mississippi State Jackson Robinson, I mean, they've got they've got a few guys that at any moment they'll.
Do that.
And it's nice to have a collection of guys that you know, you know at any moment. They can also have a game where they are they here, they didn't give us anything, but they also can get I mean, both of these coaches, Pat Kelsey and Mark Pope, they clearly had a type when they went out and built their roster. They wanted guys that they felt like were a really good fit for what they want to do, the style they want to play. And I think that honestly, they're kind of similar as far as the kind of
style they want to play. So they both teams kind of have a collection of players that I mean, Louisvill's had different leading scorers I think in five of the last six games, and I'm not sure if Kentucky can say the same thing, but it wouldn't shock me if they can, because again they're pretty balanced as well. So, but after the game on Saturday night, Mark Pope did something that has gone from what I can tell, insanely virable or viral.
Virable is that a word? I don't think it is.
It sounds bad too, Like if it's virable, I feel like that, Oh I'm your virable, Stay away from me.
I don't want to get sick. That's what That's what it sounds shut the world down.
So Mark Pope apparently is known for going to talk to fans after games, like once he gets done with the radio stuff or medio stuff.
I think some of it.
Actually, maybe before he goes to his press conference, if he's on the road. I guess he'll he'll like say hey to some fans, maybe take some pictures and whatnot. It sounds like this is not uncommon in him to do what he did at Mississippi State. However, one of the fans was a young man that was in a wheelchair, so he obviously was not able to get down to the court level, at least not conveniently. And Mark Pope went looking to see the Kentucky fans that made the
trip that were there in Starkville. He noticed the young man up there and and I don't know if he was asking for him to come down, doesn't seem like he was. I think he just wanted to, you know, let him know he's there. And Mark Pope decided to come up and to the higher level and and not only you know, talk, you know, talk to the to the fan. And I guess say thanks for coming, go cats, that kind of stuff. But he sat down with him
and talked with him, just talked basketball with him. And I get the sense that that's not him doing it for the camera. I mean, he clearly didn't know who was filming or anything like that. It was some stranger, some guy that was there that happened to video it
and put it out there. And it was great that he did, because I'm I mean, it was awesome to see and my daughter her, she has a few friends that are that are in wheelchairs, and you know, I would have never thought of this because I just you know, I've not been around people in my life on a regular basis that are in wheelchairs. But for him to sit down with him instead of just kind of, you know, being seven footer nearly Mark Pope, I mean, he had the awareness to kind of just you know, connect and
have a conversation. Really let this guy know, hey, I really appreciate you coming, really appreciate your support, and let's you know, and they briefly talk basketball, which those kind of things mean a lot.
You know.
The reason I bring up the whole weird wheelchair thing is because there was a parent who who acknowledged that at one point when when you know it was it was it was a parent on my my daughter's baseball team, the Miracle League that she plays in, which is for special needs kids and adults. By the way, if you are interested and you or you have you know somebody that might be interested, it's it's a I don't.
Need I don't have time to get into the whole thing of what it is. I've talked about it.
Before, but there are a lot of kids that play that are in wheelchairs, and it's been a great experience for me and my wife to just be around other families with special needs children, and you learn, you pick up on things that you're really you wouldn't unless you make those connections and talk to people. And I would imagine that experience for this young man in the wheelchair probably something he'll remember for, you know, the rest of
his life. So Mark Pope, I mean, I've said it here and there for the last I don't know really since he's gotten hired, but obviously since he's been coaching basketball this year. Not only do I think he's a pretty genuine guy and he's gonna be pretty hard to dislike, he's also a good coach. I mean he's showing that too. I mean he's not perfect, nobody is, but you know it's gonna be it's gonna be weird around here because I love when they lose. But I'm not, like, man,
I can't wait to hear his press conference. I wonder if he's gonna cry, like you know, it's it's it's in no way at all like personal like I don't.
I don't.
I mean, I find it hard to dislike that guy, which is you know, weird because their arrival and I think Kentucky fans, I'm sure you'll find some of them out there that that'll that'll still go full a hole and just be you know, nasty about it, and and you know, no matter what, they'll never like anybody that's a Louisville fan or a Louisville coach or player or whatnot.
But when Pat Kelsey shared the video and kind of acknowledged how awesome it was of Mark Pope, I feel like that was like the ultimate sign for Kentucky fans to just they couldn't control it anymore, they couldn't help it. They had to just put it out there. Look, I don't like this I really like their coach. I don't want it to be the case. You've got to stop making me like you it is, Pat Kelsey, I think you're a good dude. So it's you know, I guess
it's wholesome. It's it's different, and I don't see really any signs of it changing anytime soon. But it's definitely a different thing for us around here, because even when coaches aren't villains like Mark, to me, Mark Stoops is not a real hateable guy, like you know, he's to me, he's kind of whatever.
Like I don't think he's a bad guy.
I don't want him to win because he coaches Kentucky, but he to me, he didn't do much for me one way or the other. Cal was a really good villain. Pope is somebody that I think is he's really hard not to like. It's it's not like, hey, you know, I think he's I think he's a good dude. And yeah, I think he's a good coach too, which is not a good recipe when you're talking about your rival a good guy and a good coach. Uh oh, all right,
quick break, we got two more hours left. We'll talk a little football on the other side, it's Ohio State and Notre Dame next Monday. Next week actually for the National Championship. We've got an NFL playoff game tonight Austin's Vikings in action against the Rams so and then we'll have the updated schedule for UH for the next week of playoff games. So a lot of fun stick around right here on Sports Talk seven ninety