It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day. Now Here's Nick Coffee.
I guess I can say that I'm over the loss that the Ravens took on Sunday night. I mean, I still hate it that it played out the way that it did. But what I fear is, you know, I shouldn't fear it. I really shouldn't get worked up about it, but I have learned that despite knowing that, I can't control it, and no matter what happens with Lamar, there's always going to be naysayers like I. Just the anxiety that I had watching worrying about what would be said
about Lamar. I mean, that's what pissed me off so much, and it's silly, but I know I'm not alone because you know, Lamar is a legend around here, and I've talked about it here and there throughout the week that Lamar has given me a very unusual experien that I don't know if I'll ever have again, and that is that I am such a fan and want him to succeed so bad. Therefore, I want and need his team to win for that to you know, work out. But yet I don't really like the Ravens, Like I don't
like any of it. I mean, when he's got teammates that are out there making plays, you know, I'm happy to see it, but like it all is due to Lamar, Like when guys mess up. I'm not mad that the Ravens may lose. I'm mad that Lamar might not get a win. And it's gonna be you know, weaponized against him because he's the quarterback and they carry more of the weight than anybody when it comes to teams winning and losing. So I'm you know, it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. And I guess
you know, he's he's gonna win his third MVP. We know that. And yes, then it'll get you know, it'll get started up again. Meeting people will continue to to, you know, remind everybody that he's not been as good in the playoffs and all that's true, but the MVP award is not a postseason award and it can never be. I mean, people can get mad that a guy that wasn't as good in the regular season ended up playing
better in the playoffs. Like that's great, and honestly, the legacy is way way more impacted by what you do in the postseason and when it comes to Super Bowls and all that kind of stuff. The MVP is not as much. And it's because it's a regular season award, and he was the best player in the NFL the last two years and he's gonna win his third MVP.
But he collected the twenty twenty four NFL Most Valuable Player by the Professional Football Writers Association, a very well respected organization that you know, those guys cover ball, and I would imagine most of them are objective, and they they have given him second consecutive award for the NFL Player of the Year in their eyes, and the third time he's ever had it going back to his first year.
Is MVP. So the guys who vote for this, and the Football Writers of Association and the AP which named him the first team quarterback in the NFL All Pro, a lot of those guys vote for the NFL MVP. And I would imagine it'll be Lamar, and that's great, and it'd be even it'd be worse if like we had to you know, except that like maybe Lamar wasn't as good as we thought he was. I don't think that's it. Clearly he was a little tight. His whole
team was. I don't I'm not gonna blame it on Harball, but because Hardball's done good enough, but there seems to be something funky going on within their culture. That doesn't mean they have a bad culture, but for some reason, they're just not as good and they're a little tight and make some mistakes that you don't expect them to make in the playoffs. So you know, like the Mark Andrews drop is one thing, but like the fumble that
he had, like that's uncharacteristic as hell Lamar. I mean, people will make the joke about, well, you know that's him in the playoffs. I mean the mistakes he made. The two turnovers he had in the first half were disastrous turnovers. Like even when Lamar's not playing well, you don't typically see him do that. So you know, I doubt they make any kind of changes, But if they did, I wouldn't necessarily be against it, if I'm being honest with you, just because your window with Lamar isn't closed.
But you've had really good seasons that have resulted in disappointing earlier than expect did losses. In the playoffs, and that doesn't mean you blow it up and start all over. You clearly have a three time MVP. Your window is still very much open, and you've got some good pieces around him. But with Henry at any moment maybe falling off. A lot of people thought it would be this year. I mean, Andrews is old, probably not even going to
be with him next year. They do have some young talent that I'm pretty bullish on, so you know, why not, Like I feel like you kind of you've maxed out with the hardball, right, like, go get somebody, and it's unusual to fire somebody who has been that successful. But do you mean, do you expect him to get the breakthrough? I mean maybe he will. I mean he's won a super Bowl before, but that was a long time ago, and I would just be excited to hear them mixing
something up. And what they're not going to do is, you know, move on from their star players who they have a lot of money tied to that they know everybody else would want. So I doubt they make any change, But if they did, I wouldn't. I wouldn't wouldn't be against it. And by the way, like it's not something we should be bragging about, because again, Lamar is held to a standard that is different because he's so good
and such a special player. We're talking about a three time MVP right now, potentially, I mean, it seems like he's going to win it. But to see that he did make big plays on the road to come back from you know, a deficit, that ninety plus yard drive to score and then throw it where it needed to be and Andrews dropped it. Again, it's bittersweet. I mean, it's not really sweet at all, but like, it's not something we can brag about because again, Lamar needs to
win these playoff games. We know he's great, but man, what a drive he had late. Like it'd be different if, as I'm trying to find the silver lining, it'd be different if Lamar, like, you know, we had to to realize that the guy just isn't as good as we thought he would be. The guy has exceeded the expectation in a major way in the NFL, and that'll that's something that will be true regardless of what ends up happening with him down the line here in the postseason.
So I'm ready to see who we end up getting in the Super Bowl matchup. I'm definitely pulling for the Bills, definitely pulling for the Commanders, but I would say, you know, it's likely going to be a rematch of the Chiefs and the Eagles, which was that two years ago in the Super Bowl. It was right, Yes, so that's probably what we're gonna get. And if that's the case, then I'll be all in on the Eagles, although I don't know, do you give the Commanders much of a chance here?
I do.
I mean, I think you have to. You have to realize they can win given what they've been doing, you know what I mean.
That's a rookie quarterback going into that situation Philadelphia. It's probably gonna be like below freezing temperature, is probably snowy, and they have a good defense, and of course the Eagles, Jalen Hurts can get every third and fourth and one on Earth imaginable. So it's it's gonna be an uphill climb, but I do give them a chance.
Jalen Hurts is one of those guys that I think a lot of talking heads has kind of indicated that maybe he stepped back a little bit from a couple of years ago. But he's clearly good enough, and you know what, he never does turn the ball, and that is you know, that's that's something that you're not supposed to do, right, So again, do we really want to guess up and praise somebody for doing what they're supposed to do, Like that doesn't take a lot of talent.
But you know what, there's a lot of talented guys out there that do get a little too sure of themselves and make mistakes and cough it up, and it happens, and it can it'll kill your games. So when you've never turn it over and you can get those third and ones like you mentioned, and they have the push push and all that, like, you don't have to be
out there crazy precise with your arms. So this Eagles team, they're the team that quite literally I knew was good, but to see their record once we got into the postseason, and now that I've watched them play a couple of games, like they could they could easily be the super Bowl champs this year, Like it wouldn't be a wouldn't be a big shocker. And I hope that they are the winners if in fact it is them taking on the
Kansas City Chiefs. So we've got plus six right now for the Commanders in a very close game here between Kansas City and Buffalo. As far as the line, we've got Kansas City right now minus one and a half. I probably won't. I mean I will at some point. I'll probably right before kickoff, decide to do something here with the Bills and the Chiefs. But I'm going to take the Commander's plus six just because I feel like they can cover that and they've got a lot of momentum.
But the Bills Chiefs game, I mean, maybe the over forty seven and a half is the total way you think, you like, actually both games are said at forty seven and a half. I think the over actually has a better chance of going over in the Commander's Eagles game than it does the other one. But maybe that's just me.
I mean, Kansas City like pull up there. Like again, it's weird to say that they're they're down or that they're you know, they're vulnerable, because like, they won a ton of games this year, but they just didn't do it seemingly in the same fashion as they did in previous years, you know, when they were winning Super Bowls. So maybe it's wishful thinking on my end that they are in fact not quite as good of Maybe this is a slightly less good version of them as we've
seen win the Super Bowl. I mean, it's the same ingredients, right, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid, Chris Jones, Pacheco is now part of and you know, but look at their total numbers here in the NFL. So I rarely ever have any success or luck, I should say, when it comes to betting over unders in the NFL. I'm not as I'm a little more accurate when it comes to college football, and I'm actually better at that this year in basketball than i am betting spreads. But the Chiefs
they scored twenty three against Houston. They didn't score, of course against Denver because they didn't play any starters. That was just dud of it was they didn't even try. But they put up twenty nine against Pittsburgh. They also put up twenty seven against Houston. In the previous time
they played them. They scored twenty one against Cleveland, they scored nineteen against the Chargers, nineteen against the Raiders, thirty against Carolina, twenty one in that loss they had when they went to Buffalo, so you know, they've got Mahomes, and they've got Kelsey, and they've got I mean, Andy Reid's a phenomenal offensive coach. But again, like those numbers kind of confirm what I've felt when watching them this year.
They're just they're just doing what they do, but they don't look as scary and that makes me at least believe that maybe they'll go down here. But I also can't say that I'd be shocked if they once again win another Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes was asked about the I mean the facts. I mean I was going to say. Patrick Mahomes was asked about the chatter or asked about the rumors. Patrick Mahomes was asked about the facts, and he disagreed with the facts, which means he's I guess delusional.
He was asked about the favorable whistle that Kansas City and Mahomes get. And this is from Mike Catalana, who covers the Buffalo Bills. He's the sports director at thirteen Wham. He ran these numbers and I'm gonna assume they're correct, says Patrick Mahomes said on Wednesday that he does not believe the Chiefs get favorable calls from the officials, and then he has a breakdown here of the penalty numbers
from the last eleven Chiefs playoff games. Kansas City thirty six penalties for three hundred and nineteen yards, their opponents sixty six penalties nearly double and forty one yards. Now, that doesn't mean they get a favorable whistle. However, if you watch and then you look at those numbers, like people just feel like it's confirmed. And I'll be consistent.
I think what the Chiefs do and this is I think what makes them such a successful franchise with the current regime they have with just I mean, they've got a great like they're a winning franchise, right, they do things well and they win. Sometimes it's not as pretty clearly they have a lot of haters, but like they win. So I think an element to them getting you know, those numbers clearly looking as if they're not penalized like
their opponents are. I think there's partial truth to where they are gonna get benefit of the doubt, Like if it's a bang bang play coin flip, what are you gonna do. I believe revs they're humans too. In fact, I know they are, but I believe they will probably just eer on. Not mean it's not a premeditated thing. I just think it's part of the human element that comes with officials. Like they you know, like Michael Jordan got a lot of calls. You know why, because he
was Michael. Patrick Mahomes is not Michael Jordan of football, but like he's clearly going to get more calls than guys that aren't Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, and the Chiefs are going to get more calls than you know, the
Carolina Panthers. I mean that shouldn't be the case, and it pisses you off, But like think about sports from the beginning of time, Like, referees are humans, and that's why I've always thought it was silly that people want refs to be accountable and refs to have postgame press
conferences so they can answer questions about bad calls. And I've always said that, while I understand you want somebody to try to explain a certain call, I think you'd be very underwhelmed by these press conferences and maybe only watch a couple of them and then never watch again. You know why, because they know that they don't make the right call every time they know that they make mistakes.
It wouldn't be like they would sit here and defend every single call and you would be and you would be able to, like, you know, show them proof and dunk on them. There may be certain calls they would just say my judgment and we can disagree, and sometimes it's just that close. But like refs, reps make mistakes just like players and coaches, and that's a factor in this. It's not because there's this premeditated bias. But again, they're humans.
So therefore, even when you don't know it or you don't realize it, you can at times just I mean, I could be wrong here. I think there's certain things in life where you can believe that you are one thousand percent objective, but like you're probably not because I find that to be like, you know, find that to be kind of impossible. So anyways, I think there's an element to it where they are getting favorable calls because they're the chiefs right now, they're on top. It's how
it works. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. But also they make you pay when you make mistakes, right like they will, and you know what you when you're playing them and you commit a crazy pass interference call, like you mess up on defense, you know why, It's probably because you're overthinking it. You're backpedaling on defense and you probably thinking, Man, I don't know, like do I trust myself to be able to defend this without holding,
without interfering? And sometimes they don't because they know they're going up against the goud that'll crush them. So again, chalk that up to the human element too. People make more mistakes against Kansas City because of how good they are in Kansas City. Also, because of how good they are, they will make you pay for said mistakes more so
than probably any team. Like I remember the best example of this was when the Bengals lost to the Chiefs at Kansas City and everybody was complaining and bitching about Mahomes getting all the calls and how you know, it's just can you believe it bailed out again? And I'm like, the Reps didn't bail them out, the Bengals did. The dude blatantly tackled the receiver like it was not even a It wasn't even a questionable call at all. It
was blatant. And I just remember, like everybody's claiming Mahomes gets the whistle that other guys don't. Anybody would have got that, and you know why, because the Bengals aren't the Chiefs. They don't prevent those takes from happening. And they realize, all we got to do is get a stop and the game's over. Therefore, man, let let's let's
just make sure. And you get you get greedy, you start to probably question in a millisecond, you question if you're gonna be able to effectively defend the play without
doing that. And that's actually one of the fascinating things about being I think a defensive back specifically is that you know, like you've got to trust yourself, and sometimes you'll trust yourself and and you'll get you'll get humbled, and you'll get you know, you'll get exposed, you'll get lost, and you know, sometimes you'll you'll not trust yourself and commit a penalty that you didn't need to you didn't
need to make. So like that's a huge element, and I think being really good at that position is happening, you know, being able to stay even keel and not be up to up to down. But also there's guys who won't commit a penalty knowing, hey, I had to because he was gonna score. If I didn't, he was gonna he had me beat. So while I hate the Chiefs as much as anybody else, I don't think it's like the because I think it's now turned into where
especially if that textans game last weekend. Like one of the biggest talking points in the NFL playoffs right now is in fact Mahomes getting all the way, Mahomes specifically being officiated different than any other quarterback. So I get it, but I don't believe it's as rare as people think. All Right, it's coffee and company. We are field about Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Appreciates you hanging
out with us, as you could expect. We've talked a lot of college basketball today, and I have a complaint about this Louisville basketball team. And my complaint is that we have to wait as long as we do to watch them play again. It's not their fault, it's just the schedule. But they've got a week off and that means we don't see him again until Tuesday night against
Wake Forest. But when you go looking for college basketball content, rather it be those who cover the sport or bracketology stuff whatever, Like Louisville's now getting mentioned not as a team that could win at all, but they're getting mentioned as a team that won. Is one of the hottest teams in the country right now, and they look safely in the tournament. And man, the best opponents that were on this schedule this year have are out of the way.
Didn't mean you're guaranteed to not slip up, But as I've said many times, the way they're playing and the way the schedule sets up, I'd be a liar if I told you that I expect them to slip up and lose to one of these teams, because again, if you have with what you've been able to do at this point, you'd have to really be off to lose to who's left on your schedule, right like you could have easily lost to Pitt if it wasn't for rain
Smith going off at the end of the game. The Carolina game was closed till the end, so you haven't blown out everybody. But all those teams I mentioned aren't nearly as good as the other teams you have left, like Wake, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Miami. Those are your next four games. Wake I think actually is better than people realize. But with what Louis's done, you got him at home on Tuesday, that's a win you should get. All right, quick break will come back on the other side.
Keep this thing rolling along. It's coffee and Company fuel about Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety Now.
Back to coffee and Company fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
One thing that Pat Kelsey did discuss in his twenty five plus minute interview with John Fans on the Field of sixty eight. We played a chunk of that earlier, with him talking about really all his players, who of course have played well and big reason why this team is on a nine game winning streak. But one guy that has not played in the last couple of games,
Noah Waterman. He had surgery on his thumb in December and has since been playing with some little rods I guess in his thumb, and I guess I don't know if I don't think he injured himself further, but they did decide to let him rest, and I guess try to from an understanding, there was some swelling going on after he played to where he really wasn't further injuring himself, but maybe just you know, he never took a game off like he never he never missed a game until
recently after having that thumb injury. And you know that explains why he just hasn't even looked comfortable at times out there when it comes to shooting the ball. So he's set the last couple of games, and it sounds like he may be back in action against wake Forest on Tuesday, which they haven't needed him in the last
couple of games. And you know that, and you know that's that's okay, but he's he's somebody that I will admit the last two games, specifically really against SMU, I mean that gives more minutes to CANi Ruth's which I'm all in on him getting as many minutes as possible because you can see the more opportunities he gets. Not only is he getting better to be to be a contributor for you right now, but you just can see
this guy. One he's going to get better with the more reps, but also he's got a bright future and really talented player. I mean, it's easy to forget that he is one of the highest rated recruits to ever commit to Louisville. He's not top like five, but he's he's within the top ten, which is crazy but true.
And at times he will make a play and you'll be like, oh yeah, this group is built with a lot of veterans, mostly who never played at a high level that it played college basketball for a long time. This guy, although young, a lot younger than his teammates, he's he's got some some gifts when it comes to athleticism and talent that not many have. But with Waterman loved Noah and I think I think he's I think he's taken. I mean, I think it speaks a lot
to his maturity to know that. Like when fans would decide to get upset about Louble basketball and they wanted to take it out on a player, who would they take it out on Noah Waterman, no question about it. And I never really understood why him more so than others other than you know, he didn't play well and he would miss a lot of shots, but that was like, that's what he was out there to do. But you know,
he took the beating from fans at times. I don't want to act like it was crazy, but clearly, you know, not the only one who noticed that. He was the guy that people just if they were going to pick on a player, really criticize a player or be him. But he was playing with a broken thumb and never thought the need to tell anybody. They wanted to keep it private for some reason. So you know, maybe when he's healthy, he's somebody that you know can can really
can really help you in knock down shots. I mean, he's a guy who averaged double figures for Mark Pope last year at BYU and he and he really just hasn't gotten one. He's had to play a different role here than he probably was expected to play because of some injuries that have happened, and he's been injured himself and still played. So I think he can help you, but I kind of feel like if it's a game where he's just not feeling it and he's not making shots,
maybe he doesn't get as much run as he typically has. Now, again, he's still been a guy that comes off the bench and his minutes have been pretty much consistent. But I don't know. I think there's some value in having a short rotation. When you have that short rotation, everybody bringing something to the table that is valuable, right, Like, every single guy that is playing big minutes on this team is putting up numbers. Their production is not just you know, decent,
like it's solid or really good. I would say Trey ol Ray, but he's never going to be a guy that like stuffs the statue. Yet when he came back, he actually led you in scoring on the road a Virginia. So I don't think he's gonna lead you in scoring many times this year. But still he's making his impact elsewhere everybody else. I mean, Hadley is in the top four. Hadley's third in the ACC and double doubles behind the
big fellow from Stanford and Cooper Flag I believe. So you know, that's not just some dude who's who's solid, that's a good player that is producing like I mean, it's a guy that other teams probably watch and or other fans probably watch and think like, yeah, wish we had somebody like that. I mean, Rayan Smith is a specialist from three point range like we've never had before.
Quite literally, he broke a record that a lot of people probably thought would never be broken ten threes in a game Chucky's one of the best players in the country. Is certainly one of the best point guards in the country. I mean James Scott. I mean, the numbers aren't crazy, but when he does take shots, he rarely misses. He's le He leads the country in field goal percentage if you don't factor in the minimum requirement, which I think is silly because the requirement, whatever it is, needs to
be adjusted for the NCAA stats. Because James Scott shoots at least seven eight times a game and he is averaging more than twenty minutes a game for him to not count, I mean, that's a flawed way of looking at it, because it'd be different if he played one minute a game and it's only ten taking four shots on the season. That's not the case. So again, these aren't just guys that are getting it done, like they're doing something that is a component to why this team
has been so good as of late. I mean, he also is. I mean, let me see where he is right now, because he had a few dunks against against SMU and I love that Bart Torovick's formula tracks this, but the leaders in college basketball for dunks. Let's see the only issue I have with Bart Torovik. For some reason, his website still defaults to twenty twenty four and shows you last year's stats. But if you click twenty twenty five at the top, it'll take you there. So right now,
let's see, right now, where's he at? Why has it not shown me? James Scott? Is this twenty there? We go? Anyways? I can't get it to pull up right now?
Is here?
I am bragging on this formula that is not even it's not even working. But he was top five in the country, or I'm sorry, he was top six in the country in dunk's total and dunks per game, and he was number one in the ACC. Dunks just count as two points. But man, that's easy. As as easy of a bucket as you'll get. You can miss them,
of course we've seen that happen. But if you're able to put yourself in a position where you are six ' eleven and your head is above the rim, and your teammates know to you know, find you there, that's a pretty effective way to score some points. So again, this team's good man, And who knows, maybe a healthy, a really healthy uh return with Noah Water and maybe he could start being a you know, three point specialist, because look, he's made shots. You've seen games where, in fact,
he's made threes throughout the year. I can think of some, but the game where he really got hot and it felt like, all right, this guy, you know, keep feeding him and let him fire it up. There's only maybe he's done it more than once. But the game that comes to mind for me is the uh is the Indiana game in the first half when everybody was clicking. All right, So we talk about Kentucky earlier, just because
they you know, right now they are. I think probably if the tournament started its day, I would say they're they're a three seed. Wouldn't be shocked if somebody had them at a two, but probably a three, and then the projected most likely seed for them when you factor in who they play the rest of the way, they have a eighteen point nine percent chance of maintaining a three seed, but an eighteen point two percent chance of
dropping to a four seed. So I would say if that happens, three or four, if you end up as a three or four seed, I would say that that means Kentucky finished really strong, because that would mean that they're not you know, they're probably losing a game or two to one of the really good teams in the se seed where it's really not going to count as a bad loss, kind of like the Alabama game, and they're beating the teams that you know they're supposed to
beat that aren't terrible. But you know, when you play a bottom tier team from a league that's as loaded as the SEC is, like, you need to win those in a big way, like those, in a weird way are the most important games, because doesn't mean again Kentucky loses to Georgia then beats A and M and in Mississippi State, who was on the road, So you know, you did slip up and lose to a team you probably shouldn't have lost to, and that loss doesn't look as good now as it did when it happened because
George is struggling. However, you made up for it by going and beating those two teams. So you know, if Kentucky didn't win against Mississippi State where they were underdogs, you know they probably would be more so at a four right now, so you know they're this team has been pretty easy to figure out, and I don't mean like they're easy to beat. But with Kentucky, you know they can beat anybody, especially when they get the game
played at their pace. The first time they lost a game where it was played the way they wanted to play was on Saturday against Alabama, and look, you lost. It sucks, it counts against you, but it's not a bad loss, and it shouldn't and I don't believe it has made any Kentucky fan feel like they're not a legitimate team that can win the national championship. So if they just maintain really what they're doing, they're gonna be fine.
But you have to think, you know, this bandy game they've got on Saturday, that is really crucial because again, after you play Vandy, you know there's some other teams on your schedule, Tennessee, you got to go to Alabama, You're gonna play Auburn, and you may win those games because you know why, you're good. Kentucky's that good to where if they win those games, we can't say that we're shocked, but they're gonna be a lot harder to win than teams like Vandy and teams like Arkansas, who,
by the way, is three games away. I'm sorry for yeah, they've got Bandy on Saturday, and then they'll play against Tennessee. I didn't realize they're at Tennessee on Tuesday at Knoxville and then Saturday a week from this, I mean yeah, week from week from Saturday, they're gonna be playing Arkansas at home and a game that they should win. The Ken Pomp projected scorer is eighty five to seventy five. But I think something good happened for Kentucky last night,
and that was Cal winning his first SEC game. Because I've kind of found myself like giving like legitimate good advice to Kentucky fans, which is weird, and they probably don't want any advice for me and they'll tell me to shove it. But well, because you care about the Kentucky Yeah of course, yeah, big Blue, go big Blue. So this game is quite literally only for like pettiness, like personal pride, right, Like that's that's all this is for now. Again, if there is value, it's because of
what I just explained. Arkansas just won their first league game last night, so they're gonna finish probably towards the bottom of the SEC. And a loss won't kill you if you're Kentucky. But like you know, you got to expect, hey, if we if you lose to a Vandy or to an Arkansas or somehow maybe you lose to both, clearly an unlikely thing. That makes it to where now you do have a little bit more of a need to go beat the other teams that are going to be a lot of hard to be than you know, Vandy
in Arkansas. But this is just like I've been fascinated to hear how it comes up on KSR. And I think it was either yesterday or today I heard him talking about a little bit. I guess it was today because they were talking about Arkansas winning last night and Cal getting his first SEC win. But I mean, at least they're acknowledging like we can't lose that game. And
I I mean Matt has been very direct. And with Matt, I think everybody knows this who listens to KSR A little bit like there was a real personal thing between. I mean, it wasn't like nothing, it was nothing crazy.
But obviously Cal Perry was blaming Matt Jones for just acknowledging that the program had slipped in a major way and Cal had become you know, a shell of himself and really just was was I mean, it was falling apart, not too like an insane level, but for Kentucky, like the scenario where cal bounced back and started thriving and Lexington just didn't seem likely. So you know, he felt like that that was unfair and that like everybody was
saying that because they were just listening to Matt. I think anybody, there are people who don't like Matt, they probably you know, thought the same thing. So I'm sure for Matt, as you know, big Blue Jesus as I call him the leader of BBN, at least to an extent, you know, he would he would just I mean, it would be a loss that just pains you. You would
know that your team's still really good. You would know that you can still go in a national championship potentially or make a final four for certain if you know things go your way. But like this, this is what makes sports, I think so special. And you know, whenever a result happens that makes you just so upset and it just stews and you you are, you know, just it could ruined your weekend, ruined your day, whatever it maybe when that happens and it's a bad thing. You're like,
why am I like this? What is wrong with me? This kid? This shouldn't impact me, This should not impact my happiness. But you care that much. So whenever it a result that like, like, for example, when Louisville beat Kentucky and football this year, do you think that did anything for Louisville?
No?
I mean, Kentucky was as bad as they've been in a long time. Louisville didn't get any new, Like Louisville had nothing to gain other than a win on the resume or a win on the win column and finish eight and four rather than seven and five. And even Kentucky would have had nothing to gain there because they would have made it would have taken them from being a three and nine team to a four and eight team that you know still went one in seven in
in the SEC. So it's all about like rivalry, pride, like fans like just just you know, wanting to be able to claim your program didn't lose to the rival. And when you beat your rival, it feels better than beating anybody, And when you lose to them, it hurts worse than it does lose in to anybody. In most instances. So that's kind of what's shaped up here. Arkansas they might win it, but they're not going on the tournament. Kentucky could lose it. They're still gonna be really good.
They've proven that, but whichever side, and I think it's way more Kentucky. And that's what kind of makes Cal. I don't want to say dangerous, because I've watched Arkansas enough this year and they're just a mess. Like he's not a good basketball coach when it comes to like execution and strategy. I mean, he's just not. And I've always kind of defended him a little bit when it
comes to that because of his success. But there was actually some quotes from an article I want to reference here on the other side with anonymous SEC coaches kind of talking about Cal, and I'm like, they're absolutely right. So anyways, Cal wants to be Kentucky bad. He won't say it. He'll probably you know, he'll probably be really
passive and like friendly. I would imagine, like week of game, especially considering that his team's so bad, he'll act like he still loves BBN and that he's happy for him, and you know that's probably what he'll do. But you know he deep down wants to beat them as bad as Kentucky fans want to beat Arkansas and Cal Perry. What I don't know is Arkansas fans clearly want to win. They want to be able to say, yeah, we took your coach and we're struggling, but look he still beat you.
But there's not a level of like, we can't lose this one. That level is a lot higher on the Kentucky side than it is Arkansas, would imagine. So I get why Kentucky fans are a little lncy about it just because Cal he's not losing because he has no players, although he did lose Boogie Boogie flanned and that was a big hit for him. But yet they won their first game without him on last night against against Georgia.
So next Saturday, that'll be that'll be a tough ticket to get and I kind of feel like it's sneaking up on us. It'll be a talking point throughout the week from those that you know, cover and consume college basketball. But man, like, if if Arkansas wasn't so crappy, it would be I mean, it would be something people were building up for weeks. I would imagine, you know, in the college basketball world. Right quick break, We'll come back on the other side, but the finishing touches on a
Thursday edition of Coffee and Company. Stick around right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
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So, Indiana loss last night, which of course puts Louisville in a tough spot because that could be a quad one win if Indiana stays inside the top fifty of the net. But that last night's one of those nights where it looks like that'll be unlikely because when you lose to Northwestern, I mean, that's not one of the
better teams in your league. So expecting them to then go on and beat teams like Maryland and Purdue in Wisconsin and Michigan and Michigan State and UCLA, which is their next six games, I mean, they might win some of them because you know they've got talent, but man, that's really the first loss for them that really feels like, actually, never mind, I lied because they got beat by twenty
five by Iowa, who's also not very good. So the current projected record for Indiana at the end of the year will be eighteen and thirteen, nine and eleven in conference play, not a tournament team, of course, if that plays out that way, and not a qui one win for Louisville, but probably the last season for Mike Woodson, I would imagine. I mean, I'm not connected in any way or hearing anything, but Indiana kind of felt mean
this year. What Indiana did is they they you know, they had enough money, and I guess that means fans raised enough money. There was enough money for Mike Woodson to go build a really good roster with nil and the portal, and he did exactly that, and the team is way worse than they should be. And this is confirmation that if you really felt like Mike Woodson wasn't the guy, those feelings seemed to be confirmed as of
right now, and I don't see it changing. But it's a wild stat that, you know, just a random piece of information that surprises me. Woodson has now lost five consecutive games to Northwestern. He's never beat him. In fact, he's zero to five. The last time IU lost five games in a row to Northwestern was in nineteen thirteen, so one hundred and ten years ago. They lost five
games between nineteen thirteen and nineteen fifteen. So again one of the many things you can throw out there that'll tell you that Mike Woodson, you know, he's not much. I mean, in fact, he's less. He's a little more successful, a little more successful than Archie I think, but he's actually doing that with way better players, I feel like than Archie Archie had. So yeah, who Indiana would go after,
have no clue what I would love, though. Let's say Chris Mack ends up rolling at Charleston and he's going to continue. I mean, he's got to begin to night, by the way. But let's say they keep rolling in their league and they get in as a thirteen seat for winning their conference, and he gets to the sweet sixteen, which of course would be tough to do, but then he'd be, of course in line for a big job. And I think he could get another job that's not
Indiana if he wanted to after this year. If he wants, I doubt he'll leave Charleston after just one season, especially considering his girls are playing volleyball there now. But imagine
Indiana wanting wanting Chris Mack. And I mean, first of all, that'd be awesome for him, and I would love it, but uh, you know, like Rick Bose, that should be the guy introducing Chris Mack at at Ssembly Hall whenever they would make that announcement, just because it'd be so rich knowing that Rick of course, you know, he hates Mac for reasons I will never know, and really was the only guy that I can think of that as far as coverage in the media, you know, other people
would say it, you know, calling into shows like this. It was rare, but you'd hear people and you'd see it online claiming that that I mean just a lie. They would lie to themselves and then just want to believe it that Kenny Payne was as bad as he was because of Chris Mack, which is just asinine. But like Bosach is the only one that really used his platform, you know, which is a big one WDRB to kind of you know, not flat out say that, but certainly
insinuate it. And I'm enjoying Bosage's coverage much more these days than when he would, you know, be the only guy out there trying to tell us that like things weren't the way they were. But anyways, Woodson probably probably going to be probably going to be out all right, So the the college football Championship Game had lackluster numbers for the first time in a while. I mean, it wasn't bad, but it didn't exceed what they've done previously,
and everybody could kind of tell it. There just wasn't the same level of excitement. And Ben Axelrod for awful Announcing dot Com put together a column that I thought was pretty interesting and he highlighted four things that he believes were explanations, and this makes sense, football fatigue. We're just not used to college football lasting as long as it did this year, and that's not changing, and maybe we'll get used to it to where the fatigue won't
be there. But it just felt weird that we still had college football going on up until Monday and had to remind ourselves, oh yeah, we haven't crowned the national champion yet, so that's a factor. Also, this is a really obvious thing that my dumbass just didn't really consider. But it's true. You had two widely hated Midwestern teams that made it to where there really wasn't much of like even if you were wanting Notre Dame to win, because they were the underdog and kind of had the
chip on the shoulder. It's still Notre Dame. Both of these teams are very, i would say unpopular with college casual college football fans, right, Like, if you don't root for them and it's not your team, you probably find yourself not liking them. Therefore, what's the payoff on Monday Night for you? Right? No matter who wins, you're you're
not gonna be happy in any way. Like you can't like, there are teams that I don't like in any way, but I hate the other team that they're playing so much that I'm all in on the other team that really wasn't there on Monday night. Also, he mentioned ESPN didn't do a particularly great job marketing the game. I don't know. I wouldn't know. I really wouldn't know if that was true or not. But he would know better than I. But also he says, for the love of God,
move on from Monday. I'm just used to that now, both basketball and football. But it's not a bad idea. Yeah, if you put it on a Saturday, it would be awesome. So I kind of think that would that would that would that would be a good move if they would do it. All right, we're out a time, So thanks for hanging out, Austin. I'll miss you tomorrow. Yeah, Oh I will too, and and and we'll FaceTime. Yeah, we'll be back together on Monday. Right, let's do it. No,
I will. And we'll be ready for the super Bowl. We'll know who's in the super Bowl. We'll be getting set for a big game against Wake four. So I'll be here tomorrow. I know, with Austin out, nobody's gonna listen. But I'll be here if you want to join us, right here on Sports Talk seven ninety m