1.2: New Year New Us - Hour 1

have some holiday downtime on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both Wednesdays were holidays where I assume, I mean, I know we weren't working, Austin, but maybe some others were. But then New Year's Eve, I filled in for Cruise in the morning on HAS and then we did the postgame show later on, so we didn't really feel like a normal work day. And then of course Christmas Eve last week, we were off. So I love the days that we get off, even if some days, you know, even if

it's not a full day, maybe a half day. Like the holiday season is great. That downtime between Christmas and New Year's is awesome. But as someone who is a very relying upon structure and consistency. I'm ready for next Monday. That sounds weird to say because it's a Thursday. We got Friday next week. But I just need I need some consistency. I need routine. And my New Year's resolution every year, for I don't know, the last four years

is nothing big time, no kind of huge challenge. It's just start the year nick being a little bit more productive, make better use of your time. Just try to be productive, you know. I try to always make sure I'm keeping an eye on what I eat, being healthy, like most of the New Year's New Year's resolutions that are very common every year. I'm not great at it, but I try to throughout the year, you know, pay attention to those things at least, like I don't know sixty percent,

So happy to you everybody. I'm not sure if you guys have New Year's resolutions, but for me, again, it's always just being productive and I am not as self disciplined whenever I've got a half work week.

It wasn't a weekend, but man, there is a lot that has gone on since I since I last had this show live, of course, and then you know, I guess the last time you heard from me was right after the Tony the Tiger Sun bull win for Jeff Brom and his team, and I thought the postgame show reaction was was pretty much what I would have expected, right, very happy they won. Props to the defense there at the end of the game, being able to find a way to win and hold on when it did not

look good. Antonio Watts was the superstar. And then there was a lot of conversation on the postgame show about Ron English, and we'll get back into that a little bit later on because obviously that's something I still want to share some thoughts on. And I don't really feel a whole lot different now than I did in the moment reacting as soon as the game ended, where it looked like Louisville might have had the how are we going to lose this? Are we really going to lose

this a game like this again? And they were able to avoid it. But anyways, I mean, we've got to start with what happened last night for Pat Kelsey and his team, and trust me, we will talk college football playoff because obviously there's a game going on today because of the potential terrorist attack. I mean, it was clearly

a horrific thing, just absolute tragedy. But I've read a couple of different things as far as what they assume happened here as far as this guy isolated thing or is he working with some organizations, so maybe there is confirmation if if he is or is not. I just haven't seen it yet. But again, the lot to get to you. I don't want act like we're just gonna

talk about litle basketball for three straight hours. But man, the new year got off to a great start for Pat Kelsey because yesterday his team picked up I think what was I mean, it's not the best win they have as far as resume, because that actually is West Virginia. I don't know if you guys realized it, but West Virginia they went to Lawrence, Kansas to take on Bill self, and they ended up winning in Lawrence without having like their three best players, or maybe it was their three

leading scores. Maybe that's an exaggeration. I do know they didn't have their top guy who they've been missing for a little while now, the coach's son. But West Virginia beating Kansas really gives that win that you have against West Virginia a nice chance to be quad you know, quad one. Maybe I don't know the numbers as far as neutral site, but you like, you know, for example, last night, Louisville beating North Carolina, that's a good win. I mean, it's Carolina. I think Carolina's gonna win a

lot of games in the ACC. This Carolina team just beat I think it was Gonzaga or no, I'm sorry that Ucla Carolina before Carolina had just beat Ucla, who just beat Gonzaga, so I had that confused. So Carolina being Carolina, knowing they've got elite talent every year, I mean, that's a good win. I think it felt like it for fans, but as far as resume, and I really don't care a whole lot about it, but last night just kind of felt like the first real big moment

for Pat Kelsey. And maybe that's me not giving them enough credit for what they did against Indiana and West Virginia in the in the Bahamas, because that was great. That was sort of a game where it felt like Okay, Nationally, there was some attention for the program that you hadn't had in a while, meaning attention that was okay, wow, this Louisville team, they look pretty good. Oh yeah, Louisville,

we remember them. They used to be, you know, kind of important when it comes to college basketball, but it's been a few years since that's been the case. I don't want to not give credit where to due what they did early on this year, but I think having your crowd there last night on New Year's Day playing Carolina, you know, wins of value meaning significant value were gonna be hard to come by because of the way the

ACC is this year. So here, I am thinking it's the best moment so far for Kelsey as far as a specific game. But what happened at you know, I don't know was it halftime. I don't think it was was it was it halftime? Whenever Michael Brown junior committed, we were speechless because Austin and I were actually there at the game together along with my wonderful wife Tiffany, who goes by Mercedes when it comes to people around here, which I need to reset that story as far as

how she got that name. But anyways, getting the commitment from Michel Brown junior, the number one point guard in the country, the highest rank commit for Louisville basketball since Samato Samuel's. I mean, it was just an absolute great day for Pat Kelsey and his team. And what really makes me over the moon about this win for Louisville isn't just because you know it's against a ran that

is Carolina. I know some people will tell you what Carolina is lousy, they didn't have one of their leading scores. That's fine, whatever. I still think they're going to be a tournament team. And you wins against teams you know that are going to be tournament teams. So Quad one, Quad two, or maybe North Carolina finishes in the top thirty of the net, that will end up being a Quad one.

you can do about it. So, for example, beat EKU, and that was a close call, right, they were very fortunate to beat Eku seventy eight to seventy six last weekend, well after after that win, because they were supposed to win that game by a lot more and they barely survived. They actually dropped. I mean, Louisville went from being a number let's see. And this is why it's so. Louisville right now is fifty four in the kin Pom. They jumped up from let's see, let's see here. Why is

it not showing me where they were? Yees. So, after Louisville actually fell more in the kN palm with a two point win over Eku, then they climbed by beating North Carolina by thirteen points. So it's the formula system that I just again, I can't so long story short with Carolina, that is that's a you know, if they end up finishing in the top thirty, that'll be a

quad one win. And I feel like they will because I think they're gonna win a lot of games, but they're gonna have Like North Carolina is a team that you know, just to pull up their schedule here, you know, Ken Palm has them beating Notre Dame by four, SMU

by four. So yeah, because Carolina has struggled a little bit this year, more so than usual, their expectation as far as you know, what the what the formula predicts is not as it's not as big of a margin as you would have typically expected with the North Carolina team. But if you mess around and lose one of these games, or maybe you end up beating a team but not nearly by as much as I guess you were supposed to, then then that'll be really dependent upon can Carolina stay

in the top thirty. And I don't even know why I've talked about the resume stuff so much, because again, last night, it didn't really matter for me as far as Carolina being a team that rank was ranked here or how many losses they had. I mean, obviously, if they were terrible, they came in here with like two wins, it would have been a little bit different. But Louisville they won eighty three to seventy, and they just went out there for forty minutes and they were the better

team in every way. They were more physical, and I don't mean as if like they comple punk them, but like it things that you know you really don't get a great feel for just by looking at the box score, and I think that's just intensity, energy, attention to detail, hustle plays. I don't think Carolina was out there loafing it, but Louisville was better in those areas, which is how they were able to win eighty three to seventy. They

didn't shoot the ball well at all. I mean from three it were six to twenty six for twenty three percent. Typically when you make twenty three percent of your threes and you took twenty six of them. I feel like I would have said that Louisville would have a tough time beating maybe anybody, but they beat Carolina, a team that we know has really good talent. We know it's gonna be one of the better wins you can get in the ACC and it was just not I mean, I feel like This was the first time I watched

Louisville go out there. And when it comes to specific numbers that they really hunt, meaning they need a lot of threes to be taken, and you know, they want to shoot a great percentage that's a little bit out of their control. And I don't even really know if there's a percentage that Pat Kelce, you know, where the sweet spot is for him, where if his team can make thirty seven percent in a game, then they're going to be aokay. I mean, I don't know if there's

a specific number that he wonts every game. But again, I think some numbers that you typically rely on to be pretty good if you're going to win, they didn't. They weren't there last night for Louisville. I mean, they shot only forty five percent overall. And look, this is one that's really frustrating, and I totally get it, Like it's something that we should be worried about free throw shooting. Right, they were twenty five of thirty nine from the line

at sixty four percent. You shot forty threes nearly and only made sixty four percent of them. Like that's these are things that like should worry you Now, you can't really do a whole lot about missing three point shots if they were getting good looks, and I think last night, for the most part, they were getting good looks. They just didn't knock them down, and that happens, but it didn't matter because they were just I mean, their scout

for Carolina. I mean, I know Brian Cleman, it's kind of the defensive coordinator for Pat Kelsey, and they were they were ready to make things rough for RJ. Davis, one of the better guards you'll find in the country, at least he was for the first five years of his career. I'm not really sure how much. I mean, he's still pretty good player, clearly you can tell that. But you know, they were just ready. They were better.

They were better, they were better coached. When whenever Carolina would make some runs to either trim the deficit to nothing, to tie it up, or maybe they claw back within just a bucket or two, Louisville seem to always be able to respond. And you know, these are little things. And I know it sounds like I'm just drooling over Pat Kelsey, and you know, maybe I am. In fact, I think I am now that I give it some thought, But they don't ever lose their head whenever they're having

a rough night shooting, they don't ever lose composure. And I guess that's what I mean when I say lose their head. They keep composure. They they you don't really see any body language shift when they're having a really

tough night. From three I wish and they should be better at shooting free throws, but they've had nights like this where they're not, and I think a lot of teams would would start to sweat and get a little tight because they realize, man, we're leaving a lot of points out here on the floor by not making these free throws. And again, you need to make free throws. That's an issue. They got to get better there. But

they could have a run go against them. Carolina made a huge run before Louisville made they're big thirteen to one run to end the game. Carolina, by the way, Nana didn't make a field goal in the last five minutes. So with that, like I just I think that speaks to how well they're coach. Man, the culture, the environment, all these things that you know a lot of people probably think are just filler words that aren't really that important, and I think louis of fans can tell you they

are important. We learned the hard way, like having a leader that can really instill a culture where guys are just gonna go. I mean a very much a team thing to where nobody's self nobody seems selfish on this team. I mean the energy from the bench is always great. So you know, I still have no clue what this season's gonna end up looking like for this team in March. Really have no way of knowing, But man, I love watching this group. I really do. I don't. I mean, clearly,

it's not the most talented team by any means. You don't have any NBA players on this group. You really only have about seven guys right now. Well, I guess you could say eight because they are getting Tree are back in the mix. So when I tell you, guys how much I love this team and it's been a fun, fun ride thus far, I know some will say that it's because of what happened the last few years, and you're probably right. I know that's a factor to an extent.

But even if Louisville fired Kenny Payne because he was five hundred in two straight seasons. I mean that still would have been fireable for a place like Louisville in my opinion, But I still think I would have the same feeling for this group. Man, I really really think that everybody from top to bottom, and I'm talking top to bottom, equipment managers, trainers, every staffer, Kelsey of course, I mean everybody within the program. I feel like they

have a real appreciation to be here. And last night, you know, for example, on KSR this morning, of course, starting the new year, one of their big topics early on in the show was to make fun of Louisvill's attendance last night, which I was there. I didn't think it was that bad at all. Now again, the upper level clearly some empty seats, but I thought the energy

was great. So you know, these these everybody in the program, although some look at little, some with real familiarity with Louisville basketball, and I guess you know what it once was before these down years happened. It still doesn't seem like it's good enough, right, which I think a lot of LOIVEL fans understand and they're completely content with everything.

But my point is, even if you would to the game last night and you were really underwhelming because you hadn't been to a game in a few years, in town for a few years, and you're like, you know what, I'm gonna go to the Yumps Center and watch this Pat Kelsey squat play, you know, really really, you know, I want to see him. I'd been in a while. And maybe you went and you thought, brother, why aren't there twenty thousand plus here? What happened? What's going on?

If that's you? And I'm not sure if that person exists, Like, just know that what you felt like was maybe a little underwhelming, and I hope he still had a good time as I speak to a non existent person potentially, But my point is that they, meaning everybody within this program, player, coach, everybody, top to bottom. They appreciated the energy that was there last night. They probably had some reflection at Tom's thinking, man, this is awesome. I'm playing in front of this great crowd.

As far as the energy they're bringing in the Young Center, We're playing North Carolina, so the vibes are really really good. Don't know how good this team's gonna be, obviously, but I'm gonna have fun watching them, man, I really am. And again we've got to discuss how big it is to get mckel brown, the five star point guard who committed last night during the game, which I didn't realize

he signed with Louisville like before Thanksgiving. I think, wow, And he's just been sitting on it waiting to have a moment like this. So good stuff, no doubt. All right, hope we can have some good stuff for you guys here on our first show in twenty twenty five. We'll take our first break. If you want to join us, you can, and if you're on hold, we'll get see on the other side. Five oot two five seven, one

seventy nine hundred is the number. This is Coffee and Company and we are fuel about Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven.

you've got some GM experience. They're looking for general managers and store managers at various locations. So again, go to my Thorntons dot com and if you just go to the website you click on careers, you'll see it and you can apply. And if so and you end up working at Thornton's, I guess that means we're we're family because I'm part of the Thornton's family, whether they like it or not. So again, proudly feel about Thorntons. Let's

get to the phone lines. FIBO two five seventy nine hundred is the number if you guys would like to jump in and give us a call. Here, we'll also get at the text line the Ellenn Federal Credit Union text line five OO two six five three zero seven ninety. But let's get it started with Dave. Dave, welcome into Sports Talk seven ninety. How are you, oh?

is the next year the UFL secondary. Boy, if you watch the second touchdown that the past that the touchdown passed the second one was that receiver he was he was so wide open. I think you need a search party find the secondary on that. I mean, our guys, I don't know whether they're just they don't understand the scheme or well.

But I think in two years time, when Louisville's defense has more often than not, when they've had really good plays, really good games, or they've had some really head scratching results, I tend to think that the issues have been more so with with communication, with strategy. Just seems like at times they're they're kind of lost out there, and I think when they've made plays again, the defense, the coaching staff deserves credit. Ron English deserves credit for I guess,

putting these guys in these spots. But I think Louisvill's had better defensive personnel than you would think in some of these games, and that comes down to Ron English. So look, I know that they're adding players in the portal really at every position. I'm sure that the secondary is is something that they're well aware that they need to make sure they're good to go for next year. But yeah, I really my worry, Dave is this. I think lit is gonna have a lot of offensive firepower

next year. I mean, you bring back two great running backs. Colin Lacey looked great in the Bowl game. Obviously, Chris Bell emerged I think late in the year to be a guy that I think it's safe to say he had a breakout year. They just added a receiver from Nebraska in the portal today. So my worry, I think

Miller Moss is really good. But my worry, Dave, is that you gonna you're gonna be in a position next year if Ron English is back to where you know, you've got the offense to maybe score with just about anybody, but you're gonna have to worry is the defense gonna also give up thirty five points to where your offense is gonna have pressure like they did on Tuesday in that Bowl game, for example, I thought that thirty five points in three quarters from the Louisville offense should have

been enough to where you didn't have to sweat it out there towards the end. So, you know, I players always got to be held accountable. But I just I worry, do we have the right guy leading the defense long term?

of people have that same thought process. But I also understand, you know, the risk were when you're thinking about your future, your livelihood and you realize there's not a whole lot to gain from playing in the game, it's probably not going to do much to your stock. You could get hurt. I mean, I think there's examples out there, and I've used the example from twenty sixteen before Cole Hicckattini was

a really good tight end. He may never have played in the NFL, for you know, he did play in the NFL, but like he didn't get drafted because he got hurt at a Bowl game against LSU, and that kept him from being able to work out for NFL teams during that process, when you've got when you're about to come up on basically the biggest job interview of your life, right, you're a guy that knows you got

to go show out in the combine. If you get the invite, you got to show out when you have these workouts, that's your audition for It's the biggest audition of your life. Because look, if you're somebody that you know is shit or Sanders or Travis Hunter, those kind of guys, you know these you know where you're going

in the draft, right, it's a no brainer. But when you know that you've got to make an impression, and you know, you finish the regular season and you know you were healthy, and then you I get it up. I don't want to go down that path today, but like, I totally get it. Why guys decide they just you know they're going to go ahead and turn that page to the next chapter in their life and start getting ready for a pro career. And you know, I kind of liked in a way knowing that this game was

going to be kind of whatever because you have. And that's where it really just kind of went. It was frustrating when it comes to how that game ended, because if you'd have lost a close game and it just felt like, okay, yeah, this is what we get with a backup quarterback whose third string, This is what we get with you know, not having JULYI, not having Quincy Riley, not having Jacory Brooks, and it just looked like, you know, you were missing those guys in a major way and

you came up short and barely lost. That would have sucked, because nobody wants to lose at any point, but that would be like, okay, well you know what, like let's not act like we really care. This is the stupid Sun Bowl anyway. But for Louisville to be up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and then nearly just blow it, that made it to where like it would have been

hard they'd lost. It would have been really hard for me not to say, okay, like losing these whatever bowl games, it doesn't really change a whole lot as far how we view the season, but it would have been another example I think to point to and say, man, do we have issues finding ways to lose games? Because that you know, so anyways, and look, they barely held on. It was the Antonio Watts tip ball that kept that

disaster from happening. So you know, just I think it's a reminder you can have, you can feel a certain way about the way things are shaping up towards the end of a game and kind of know that even if you do hold on and win, the things you were frustrated about still happened. Right, It didn't change, but winning and losing it go a long way. So Jeff Bram and his team were able to get that ninth win, and I really think that was huge for not having

a sour taste in the mouth of some fans. And look, if you're somebody that wouldn't have cared at all, because you know, you just don't view these Bowl games as anything other than the glorified exhibitions as a lot of people call them. Than fine, But man, it was nice to see them close it out. And I'll say this

about the officiating. I get I cringe when I hear people in sinuate that you know the refs are like biased against them and that you know they lost games because of officials and this and that, because there's bad plays in every bad calls in every game, bad no calls in every game, and sometimes you end up having more of them go your way than the opponent and it helps you win. So like it's just part of sports.

But had they ended up and again this can still be said and it remains true, you were just able to hold on and win. But I feel like this year for Louisville football, any fifty to fifty play and look, sometimes there were just bad calls that went against you. And look that happens. It's not just Louisvill. There's other teams that can say that they had some bad calls this year that went against them. But I can think of four or five moments where it's okay that it's

fifty to fifty. We're gonna either get lucky here or we're not, or they probably call like for example whenever I mean, the pass interference was a terrible call in the bowl game, but then the fifty to fifty call I think was the touchback right, Like, I don't know if you saw I would have called a touchbawn maybe unbiased. I think in those situations Louisville this year, and it's not because I think that the refs are against them, and that if they can screw Louisville over, they're gonna try.

They're gonna make sure they do it. It's just that those things didn't go their way really at all this year, because that was that was a play that you know, I think they called it the way they called it because they didn't see enough in the review to go back and say, oh, that was a touchback. But I

think it was a touchback. I mean, you go back to the SMU game where they fumbled and they went back and said, uh, and that's where I feel like he got boned in that one, because I feel like you got to stand with the call because there wasn't enough there to overturn your initial call. But sure enough they decided to reverse it. SMU gets the ball that

had a huge impact in Louisville losing that game. Go to the Miami game, cam Ward, he got hit as he threw it, somebody scooped it up for the Louisville defense, took it to the house with the touchdown. But yet they went and reviewed it and said, yeah, that's that's a forward pass. So you know, I'm not even saying that's the worst call ever. But in those situations, it just kind of felt like this was just a really bad, had luck type a year when it comes to officiating.

And again, every team can go back and watch every game and figure out calls that went against them this and that. It's not to say that Louisville is just you know, cursed or anything, but it seemed like in those moments where it was like, all right, I'm not really sure what they can do here. They called it incorrectly on the field, but do they have enough evidence to say that they can overturn it or vice versa. And in those situations, just felt like they went against

Louisville this year. But again, I'm I'm in my own head here because I just don't want people to think that I'm the guy that claims the refs like when Louisville does get a bad call go against him, it's because it was personal and they're just looking to screw us over, although I do know a lot of fans

to see seem to think that way. All right, So real quick, before we get to our next break, sticking with with football here, I just mentioned this earlier when we were chatting with Dave, who called in and the latest commitment for Louisville via the portal is in fact from the wide receiver position, which I'm not that's not necessarily a position that I would have expected to see them. I mean, you're gonna need depth at every at every spot.

Whoever Nebraska transfer Isaiah and Nayor has signed with Louisville. He played at Texas and Wyoming, has totaled over fifteen hundred yards in fact, yeah, just right about sixteen hundred yards and had seventeen touchdowns in his career, which clearly he's been a pretty good player. He's played at a lot of different schools. But I you know, he doesn't need to be great, he just needs to be solid because I think Chris Bell again, I think he had a breakout year. It was shaky early, but I really

trust him as a big time playmaker. For Jeff Brom, we know what you have in Colin Lacy. So I would imagine Nayer's decision to leave probably had a little bit to do with the fact that they've just added two receivers at Nebraska from Kentucky. Both Hardley Gilmour and Dane Key have committed to Nebraska after leaving Kentucky. I'm

pretty sure Nebraska hired the Kentucky receivers coach. You know, because a lot of staffers who coach on the offensive side of the ball that played for her coach for Kentucky and Mark Stoops, they typically want to leave because you know, that's not a good place for an office coach. Louisville right now, I don't have the latest as far as where they're ranking. A little bit later on, I just haven't. I haven't been keeping up with it as much as far as where Louisville ranks in the portal.

I mean, I get why people reference that, and hell yeah, Louisville ends up being ranked really really high on the portal. You know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna say, hell yeah that and I'm gonna talk about it. I'm gonna brag about it because I'm alive a fan.

talent to be able to compete at a high level. However, I actually think that Jeff Jeff once guys that are gonna be hungry. Obviously they want to pay day because you know that's a factor now too within IL. But I think Jeff is of the belief that guys who want to come to Louisville not just to collect another check like some of the guys did last year who transferred in mid season and then bailed after spring, and

you want to avoid that if you can. So I think he's going after guys that you know, they're not just coming to the higher level because they are utilizing the portal and want to get paid. They also want to show what they can do at a power for program. So good energy, good vibes for both Louisville basketball and

football right now. It certainly seems as we get twenty twenty five started speaking of officiating, we just talked about some of the unfortunate calls that went against Louisville this year. We got to talk about the non targeting call yesterday in the Texas Arizona state game. I'm learned. I mean, I didn't need to be reminded of this, but I'm I can confirm. I'll put it that way. Texas is a big state with a lot of people, and they have a lot of fans. Just by me sharing the

video of the blatant targeting, they didn't get called. It's now got more than a quarter of a million views on Twitter and nothing. I mean, I'm not even checking my mentions right now because all it is is Texas fans telling me I'm an idiot. Oh yeah, and you know it's fine, Like I get it. That's what this that's what this toxic platform is meaning Twitter. But man, like, it's all I did was Texas fans. Yeah, I shared what everybody else was sharing, and I shared what was obvious.

It's a fact, not an opinion, that was targeting. They didn't get called, and it's just got everybody and they're they're filling up their diapers and and uh.

comes to that rule. And I don't know, put it this way, if that was called targeting, and like, it wasn't Texas in that spot, it was anybody, Like I don't actually don't think there's any scenario any team could have been called for targeting there in any situation and people would have said, like, oh my god, what a terrible call. So it was a it was a it was a terrible no call, that they reviewed it and

still decided no, no targeting. And the only people that I've seen making the case like that that's not that's not correct, and that it that it was a good no call after getting under the hood looking at it and then and then deciding yeah, you know what, uh

clean play. I mean, it's only Texas fans and it's you, and it's most of the people that are just you know, clearly biased and and fortunate and look, it's okay, every team, every fan base, I should say, if they're being honest, knows that their team has benefited at times from a really good no call or a really you know it happens, right, big time calls that are bad ones end up in

your favor pretty often. But like I guess Texas just doesn't want to acknowledge that, you know, they were lucky to survive, and it's guess it's tough to know like if what Arizona State would have been able to do from then on, but like that gave Texas life by them not having the balls to call that targeting because of what it would have done in that game. What I mean, it would it would have given Texas probably

what percentage chance of winning at that point. I mean, we'll never know, but I don't know how anybody can say that the facts in front of us that that was targeting and they were lucky that they decided not to call it like that, don't even It's not an opinion, it's a fact. So if you are just now joining us, I shared the replay video. This was from who was it the actually the video itself came from us. He've been pulled up here from Warren Sharp, who is a

big time account on Twitter. I think he's got like, yeah, he's got four hundred thousand followers. He's a football guy on Twitter. I don't know much about his background, but nonetheless he's the one who just I guess videoed his TV and uploaded it as they showed the replay of what was clearly targeting. I shared it and said, Texas quite literally advances because the officials were afraid to call

blatant targeting late in the fourth quarter. Well again, that tweet me sharing the video again, not the video itself, but my actual tweet has over two hundred and sixty five thousand impressions now and it's just mostly Texas fans, or actually last night it was people share retweeting it and saying, you know, I guess in support that they agreed that that was blatant targeted. They didn't call. But then since late last night, it's been nothing but Texas

fans just you know, and I don't. I'm sure they're doing it to everybody, right, It's not just me. Anybody who's out there sharing that video and claiming they were lucky because the refs were scared to call targeting. It's not like they're singling me out. But it's been annoying today when it comes to my Twitter mentions and whatnot. But the playoff itself, I mean, you had the SMU Penn State, not the SMU, but the Penn State and Boise State game. I mean, I guess it was kind

of kind of a dud, I suppose. And I've got some complaints about the playoff, but I don't want to. I don't. My complaints about certain things have nothing to do with like is the playoff a good thing? The

College Football Playoff expanding to twelve is awesome. There's no result that I think we could get from here on out until this thing's over that I would say, yeah, they shouldn't have done that, but they're clearly going to have to go revisit the situation with the Buys, because you know James Franklin, it's not personal against him, like he's a fine coach, seems like a good dude too, Like I don't you know, I don't have anything against him,

but like he's never really won the big games at Penn. He's for the most part, done a really good job of always beating the teams he's supposed to beat. But when you get into a spot where, okay, can you get over the hump? Are you gonna beat Ohio State? Can you get over the hump? Are you gonna beat Michigan whenever they're rolling? And they don't. They don't ever

really do that. And I guess now that you've got Oregon in the Big Ten, I guess you know, you could claim there's still a team that would be viewed as like that would be a big win for Franklin. But they didn't play him this year. So what happens with James Franklin, the guy who you know can't ever win the big games seemingly and get over the hump, he gets a gift. I mean, they play SMU at home to start it off, and then they get they get Boise State in a neutral site, which no offerends

to Boise State. But like, you know, nobody really believes that they are one of the best teams in the country right now. Again, it doesn't matter. I mean, you can I don't think Arizona State's one of the best teams in the country. They should have won yesterday.

which is what Arizona State clearly was. But when I saw everybody after the game, pretty much universally saying they can't all be thrillers. But man, did that one really deliver. Wow, what an absolute performance between these two teams, Arizona State and Texas. Like I'm not surprised when people say that, because again, the Peach Bowl was great, but I'm thinking, how can you call it such a great game and

it delivered? That was awesome whenever I mean, the refs were scared to call a blatant targeting on Texas and that that robbed Arizona State of an opportunity to win. And again I say it that way because I don't know exactly what they would have done, but like that to me makes it where I don't feel like the game.

I mean, the game itself was a great finish, and I was entertained by the back and forth, and especially to see Texas at what fourth and eighteen get the touchdown there and then turn around and score on the very next play on in the second overtime, Like that was entertaining, but like it shouldn't have happened. And I know bad calls happen all the time, but in that moment, that's not a what are you gonna do? You gotta stick with the no call on the field, what are

you gonna do? It's just it's so tough to tell. What are you gonna do? You could go either way and everybody would understand that isn't what it was. It was targeting, if that's called target there again, I said this when we started talking about it a few minutes ago.

If you and it's impossible I guess to do this at times, because we all have some biases, I suppose, But if you were just being one thousand, one billion percent objective and you did not know, let's just say you got two guys out there wearing the uniforms of non existent teams, teams from you know, give me some made up teams Austin from movies and TV shows. Blue Mountain State, Yeah, Blue Mountain State. And what was Varsity Blues? The uh? Why can I not remember this? It's gonna

drive me crazy. The Coyotes?

win the bourbon boat. Anyways, my point is this, just take two non existent teams and if you watch that play, you would you would say that's targeting every single time. And when you get down to like the semantics of well, looks like he led more with his with his forehead

than the true crown. Like that, you're just desperate to try to find a way to justify that your team, meaning Texas didn't get a really big break and I don't want to get in I mean, maybe we can, but we don't have time to do it right now. But I just when you already have ESPN owning this event, this is a this is a this is a television production. The College Football Playoff is an ESPN owned thing, at least I guess it has been for the most part. That game was on ESPN. The SEC of course, is

in bed with the ESPN. We all know that. So like I try not to believe in conspiracies and think that anybody would you know, going in know that we got to make sure we look out for the SCC, Like I just I don't. I just have a hard time thinking that that that you know, that kind of stuff would ever go on. But when you see that yesterday play out the way that it did, the SEC's

new darling Texas. And look, let's be real. If Texas gets he beat by Arizona State, which they should have, and it's just Georgia left, and Georgia doesn't win the national championship, maybe they come up short, which could easily happen, Like the SEC would would have a lot of egg on their face, would they not? Because what would you have? What would you claim? You bark about how you're just better and it's just because you're the SEC it means more.

And you know, you don't think that winning and losing should count because you know, you just you play in the SEC and it's just better than everybody else. Had Texas lost yesterday, it would have been only Georgia left. And even if Georgia stuck around or hung around and won the national championship, the rest of the SEC would have to realize that they need a reality check. They need to, I mean, somebody needs to have an intervention with them to let them know, like, no, you're in

a world that's not reality. You're not You're clearly a really good league, top to bottom, the best league in the country. But this world that you are just so much more superior than everybody else is not real. And again it still is the case because Texas needed the gift from the officials yesterday for that to happen. And you know what doesn't make you look great in the SEC.

That team just got to your league and they're and you know, Texas being Texas is clearly a you know, they're a big brand, but like, let's be real, Texas was really really Texas didn't win the Big twelve very many times at all in their last twenty years there. They come in in the SEC in the first year, they get to the championship game, and now they're one of the only teams left stand ins. So again, people

hear people have selective hearing. In no way am I saying that the SEC is a trash league and that it's not any good and that it's you know, it's it should be G five. No, I'm just stating that the arrogance and the entitlement that comes with that with that league is just so non deserving. For the most part, both things can be true. It can be the best league, but it can also be insane that they have this perception of themselves that's just there's nothing to back it

up off other than just their own imagination. And again emphasizing it's just how elite they think they are compared to everybody else. It's not to say that it's not a great league. And again, I don't know Oregon doing as well as they did in the Pac twelve or in the Big Ten in their first season, and then Texas, Yeah,

that makes those leagues even better. But like maybe it just means that the arrogance that you've been yapping about for decades now, when teams come come in in their first year and they have no problem adjusting, probably means you you weren't as dominant as you thought you were. But anyways, that was a situation with Missouri years ago.

mean that's not people like like it's crazy. Anyways, you're crazy if you don't stick around for these next two hours. We've got a lot more to get into. We'll talk some more. Louisville Hoops also want to talk about the NFL MVP conversation, which, of course is I think interesting this time of year, because this year, I should say, because I think there are a handful of legitimate candidates.

But anybody claiming that the only reason Lamar Jackson may not win it is because he's already won it twice and they want to give it to somebody else like that, you're wrong. Like, I don't know if Lamar's gonna win it. I think other candidates are deserving as well. But if you're just gonna base it off of who's most valuable to their team and base it off of numbers and performance,

it's Lamar. But I don't think he'll win it this year, because again, I just think that he's set the standards so high that like, yeah, they know he's really good, they know he's having a phenomenal season, but they're just going they're just gonna want to give it to somebody else, I think. All right, quick break two hours left right here on Sports Talk seven ninety