11.1: Dad Tax - Hour 3

of Central Kentucky. So we'll go from six thirty to seven thirty. Then they'll kick it off down there in Death Valley and we'll all see what happens. I've been confident, but that doesn't mean like I'm telling you it's gonna happen. I'm not super confident, but I have I have a

good feeling about tomorrow. But I'm well aware, and some of you have already said this that it could just be desperation from a fan that is having a tough time accepting that his team is just not not as good as as he wanted them to be and that he believes they should be. And maybe you're right. We'll find out tomorrow. Whatever happens, we're gonna react to it on the Louisville Football Post game Show presented by Alex R. White,

Lawyer's suit Distracted Driver dot Com. So if you've been listening to the show here and there throughout the week, even today, like I don't, I don't have a whole lot of fresh opinions to share about the matchup specifically. I mean, I think Louis's going to be tested as far as in an environment in a way they really haven't been all year. I mean, the only road game

where you had a big crowd was Notre Dame. And yes, that is a is a big environment, but like, I don't feel like that is a well, I'm not gonna say it's an easy place to play. Very few teams go there and win. But I would say Clemson's is better. It's more of a rowdy atmosphere where you can really, you know, let the crowd noise get the best of you.

I mean, that's let's be honest, that's we've had it happen there at Clemson before we all remember that, right, I mean, there's a reason that Clemson has not lost a game at home on a Saturday night in Death Valley since twenty thirteen. So maybe I should maybe I should rephrase sort of my my stance here, and that is that I feel pretty good about it. I think the way they came back against Boston College was a

valuable thing for this team. And I think, you know, and really maybe I blame Dabo Sweeny because I've always, you know, throughout the week mentioned you know, I think Louisville really can build from what happened in Boston. But hearing Dabo Sweeney just gassing up this Louisville roster and gassing up Jeff Brohm, and I had to remind me self throughout, like Nick, you know, this is what coaches do.

Like maybe Dabo's just really good at it. Well, if it was just you know, him doing what he does, then it worked on me because I'm thinking, you know what, You're right, we do have a quarterback that's an NFL

type quarterback. We got a running back who's the best freshman running back in the country, probably Jeff Bram has been able to, you know, light up the scoreboard this year on offense, and they've not been perfect by any means, but they've done their part, and defensively they got good players. It just hasn't really worked yet. So maybe I'm just, you know, believing Dabo's truly sharing an opinion rather than just doing what coaches do and talking up the opponent

before they play them. It's probably a little bit of both, right, I mean, it's I'm sure he does respect Louisville. But anyways, if they do pull off the win, it'll be the first time they've ever done it. It'll be the first time anybody's done it to Clemson. Beating them at their place on a Saturday night has mentioned since twenty thirteen. So yeah, it seems unlikely. But can a guy, I

hope can a guy dream? Here? I am thinking about how vulnerable Clemson's been in recent years because they have been like they're not what they were when they were winning national championships and making the playoff every year. And they've been beatable. Hell, Scott Satterfield nearly beat him a

few years ago, if you guys remember. But one place they haven't been vulnerable is on their home field on a Saturday night, and that makes a little more sense as to why Louisvels ten and a half point underdogs here. But we'll see what happens again tomorrow night. As for the Kentucky side of things, I mean, I did get some pushback once again from Kentucky fans by claiming that

Tennessee does not see you as a rival. I mean they don't like maybe you mean, I'm not saying you can't present me a Tennessee fan that says no Kentucky's arrival and I want to beat them bad. I'm like, I'm I know that there are some people, but they have a humong us fan base just like Kentucky does. And I think if you took, you know, whatever, whatever amount of them that you want to include into a survey and ask them who's their biggest rival or who's

a rival, far more will leave Kentucky out. Then we'll mention Kentucky. And by the way, I think I found that, see if I can pull it up here. Yeah, So it's no rivalry dot com k n o W rivalry dot com. It's We've referenced this before. But what it does, John is somebody put this together. And this is a little bit dated, this is not super recent within the last few years. But they asked one hundred fans from each fan base in college football, and let's see here.

I'm trying to figure out exactly how they did it. But you get you get, you get a certain amount of points to utilize, and you've got to you gotta lay out right, like who your biggest rivalry is. So, for Louisville, let's see here, sixty four point four percent of the Louisville fan base or sixty yes, So basically sixty five out of the one hundred said that Kentucky is the is is the biggest rival, and then it's a mixture of Cincinnati in West Virginia. Moving forward, let's

go to the Tennessee side of it. This is interesting, at least I think it is. Maybe I'm you know, I'm looking at it too.

is Louisville and the football series with Kentucky. But when I a rivalry can't be a one way street, but not because of wins and losses. It's because both sides have to participate. That's that's quite literally what makes a rivalry if if you know you don't like someone or a team or whatever it is, and you take greater satisfaction in beating them than anybody else, and you take greater misery when you lose to them than anybody else, but that feeling is not at all met on the

other side. That's not a rivalry. You're just obsessed. I mean, that's just the truth. And I don't you know, I don't mean. I think it's really just location. And people are making that point of the text line and they're saying, you know, I live in Louisville, and I don't consider Tennessee much of a rival. I know we have a connection, but like you know, again, if you're Louisville, like, you're not around a lot of Tennessee fans, So who you're

around is a huge part of it. Which is why I've always said, and I think most would agree that this rivalry is it's weird to say, at its best, but you know, well, I think it is that its best, and it's it's it's most intense here in Louisville because there are so many fans of both sides. Anyways, we're gonna give out some picks coming up here before too long. We will lay out what we're going to do when it comes to wagering, and you can do what you want with that.

still a bummer for you. But you know, I mean, I'm all about trying to find any anything to grasp on to give me more belief, more confidence, and just you know, try to really rely on the power of positivity, because it's all I mean, it's you know, it's not all luck, but a lot of it's luck when it comes to who's good and who's bad at betting on sports. And i can tell you I've been better lately, but I'm not ready to be your bread and butter.

oh yeah, that guy ended up there. But man, if you if you follow college basketball, you know like a lot of us, and you just decided to start browsing rosters again, you probably have better things to do and wouldn't care to do it. But I would be shocked at I mean, if you didn't end up thinking like, wow, forgot about that guy. I didn't know he played here now And of course you know that kind of stuff doesnt matter when it's when it when it comes to you know, making bets.

and I've totally forgot about it. But basically, like, who's the most critical player for Louisville with such a balanced roster? And I said this after the postgame show when they played Spalding. You know you're not You're not as desperate or really even in need of somebody to be an All American or the guy if you truly have proven

depth and balance. And I guess it's not proven yet because you haven't played a real game, but you know you can see that because of just how the roster's made up, it's not gonna be a real unreasonable ask for if Chucky Hepburn's having an off night, Korn Johnson steps up and delivers, or if Casin Pryor's just he's not not having a night, Noah Waterman can come in

and give you the exact same production. Like, again, you're gonna have nights where it just didn't working for a lot of guys, and it's probably gonna result in a loss, but you're not as in need of somebody to be a consistent seventeen points per game kind of guy. If you know the guy behind him or playing alongside him can do it at any moment as well. But I still, you know, I still I still struggle to answer your question because I don't, you know, I don't really mean

it's tough to know. Like we haven't seen this team play a real game. We haven't seen them against any adversity yet, and I think you need to see repetition in those situations to know who you would rely on. Who's the guy that man he's bringing something we're not getting anywhere else. He's got to be the most consistent. I would say Chucky hepburn because what he does. I don't think there's another guy on the roster that that really would thrive in that role or have the ability

to really execute that role. Like he needs to run your team. He needs to set the tone for you defensively. Obviously, Louisville, they're going to take some risks defensively. They're going to be strategic on defense. That's going to you know, speed up tempo and get them in a faster style of play to where they can spread the floor and get guys open and knock down threes. So you know, Chucky can can kind of initiate that. He's a big ten all defense guy. And again, I think he's got to

run your team. He's a guy that can score, obviously, but he's a t point guard where I don't know if you have that elsewhere, I think you can put you can put Koran Johnson in that role, and I don't think he would struggle, you know, but you know he's not at his best. I don't think if you know, if he's running your team. Now, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Again, We're gonna learn a lot about these guys pretty quickly. But I would say Koran Johnson just because I like

the other guards on this team. Obviously, Terrence Edwards Junior, A lot of people think he's the best player on this team. Koran Johnson, I mean I trust his ability for sure. I mean he actually has played in a in a in a you know, good league and produced at a high level, or at least you know a league that that's not you know, the Sun Belt or

CUSA or something like that. So I like the guards, but with Chucky it's different, and it felt like that the day he committed, like he he was a little different than a lot of the guys that you had already assembled and have added since he committed, and his numbers may not be, you know, anything crazy, but if he's running your team, he's set in the tone defensively,

and look, he can't score. And this day and age, man, rarely do you have a point where out there that's not at least somewhat of a threat to score on you. I mean, that's just kind of how the game is played. He can knock down shots. You know, he's a good athlete. So there's my answer at this point. Again, maybe I give you a totally different answer after next week when they played two games, but I would go with Chucky

at this point. You know, I wouldn't say that I'm like nervous or anything like that, but I'm thinking about like morehead on Monday. That's the first regular season game, and it's certainly exciting, and I have no clue what to expect as far as a line for this Louisville team. And I checked earlier today and there was still not an update. There was only a handful of games that they had they had lines for as far as Monday's

opening day for just about everybody. But let's see here. Okay, there's more added, but I don't see Louisville on here at least not that I can. Let's see, Yeah, not one for Louisville. But there have been a a lot more added here at DraftKings, and there's some good games. Man, Baylor and Gonzaga. It's gonna be late, but they play at nine to third or wait a second, is that right? Baylor and Gonzaga are tipping off at eleven thirty pm on Monday. Hell yeah, I'm staying up late.

you have Texas, A and M in Central Florida. You've got I mean a lot of games, but a lot of them are games that you know, you typically would see in an opener like main taken on Duke, which, by the way, I just now noticed that connection. That's got to be Cooper. That's got to be Cooper Flag, right, And.

the schedule. There's there's clearly not I mean, that's not a coincidence. Winthrop is where he's got his start, and I'm sure he's returning them. I mean, he's given him a favor. So I don't know. I mean, Cooper, I don't I don't know how serious Cooper Flagg took Maine's recruitment of him. I'm sure they recruited him pretty early on before they realized Yeah, he's a little bit out of our league. But maybe maybe Maine plus twenty seven

and a half is the play. Maybe Cooper Flag will take it easy on his home state because he you know, I say that jokingly, he's clearly not going to play lot. He's not going to you know, take it easy on Maine because he's from there. But he is one of those guys that does absolutely like want people to know he's from Maine, like he's proud to be from Maine. He could have joined one of the suit he did join one of the big time. He was a mont verg guy, So clearly he went and joined one of

these elite prep schools. But on the nikeuybl circuit, he made them create a main team where clearly he's the guy and then there's some other kids from the Northeast. But like he wanted to, you know, make it quite clear, I'm a main guy and I've got the I've got the you know, I've got the leverage essentially to tell Nike on my own team where I'm gonna go play

on the Adida circuit. And you know what, I'm sure he didn't say that, but if he did, they would do it because this guy's that kind of, you know, a phenom.

And I've been to Phoenix, but I you know, Southwestern America, like I guess you know, Arizona is considered there, but there's obviously a lot I mean, those are parts that I'll probably never go to, to be honest with you, because I don't know why I would. Maybe I will,

but yeah, Maine, you look like a beautiful state. I just don't know if I'll ever be there because I got to really want to be there, And as much as I'm giving you compliments, I can't really think what you would do to like make it to Whear Okay, I got to be there, kind of like Iowa. Remember, I was pleasantly surprised when I went to Des Moines, Iowa for the NCAA tournament that like it was a

decent place. But you know, I'll probably never go back because I gotta, because I gotta want to be there.

them healthy. Obviously, they can't communicate any kind of an injury or any kind of a situation that they may have. I mean, maybe they can in certain ways. But like it's not like your kid that can come to you and say, Mommy, I don't feel good. So pets sometimes and again I'm getting a little off off the rails here as far as this liveried, but like sometimes pets like go and hide when they know like they're not well.

It's really sad to think about. So you know, if you know the signs, don't put it off, reach out, get them checked out at the Jefferson Animal Hospital. They're open twenty four hours a day, three hundred and sixty five days a year, even on Christmas. If there's an emergency, which oftentimes there are, they're there for you by about two nine hundred pets is the number. You can get more information at Jefferson Vets dot com. Again, shout out

to Jeffsonnimal Hospital quick break. We'll come back on the other side. Keep this thing rolling along, get to some of the big picks from the from the weekend here, and then we're gonna get out of here. But until then, hang out right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. As of right now, it is still Louisville plus ten and a half, which I thought there might be some movement Honestly, I thought it might go more towards Clemson being a

bigger favorite, but that's that's not happened just yet. So you know, I'm trying to find an objective and that's hard to do here because like, I don't want to bet on something that I wouldn't want the result to be, which I don't want any result if it's a Louisville loss. But yeah, this is this is what I'm not. I'm not interested in, uh in getting in on the action.

I've already got some. You know, I've got an emotional investment here because you know, my my emotions will be impacted if they if if it goes bad, and you know they'll be my I'll feel good if they win. And I'm trying to see what the actual uh goodness, gracious, I don't know why on sports Line they include and me, I guess it's because you can bet on anything. But like, I'm scrolling through to find this game, and obviously it's a late night game. Therefore I'm scrolling through the entire

day before I get to Louisville. And you know, they got a bunch of FCS games on here, but hey, you'd probably be surprised how many people bet on FCS football that don't actually watch it, because you know, yeah, people can bet on anything, all right. So right now plus ten and a half, twenty two percent of the wagers as far as a wager that is betting on the spread, twenty two percent are picking Louisville to cover the ten and a half. Seventy eight are picking Clemson

to cover and win. As far as the money, thirty three percent of the money that's come in on that wager is in Louisville for Louisville to win. So not a whole lot of optimism there. And only one percent has bet on Louisville money line, And yeah, that's God. Should be be a way to make a lot of money if you took a Louisville money line. And I

know there are some fans and I get it. It's fun like if you bet something small on your team to win, and it's just you know, because hey, you like to bet, and you know that it would be a double win for you, right Like you would benefit you financially and you'd also you know, be able to

enjoy your team winning. I may start doing that just because it would be a nice little thrill to add to you know, your team doing something that you know nobody really expected him to do and you probably didn't expect it either, but you know what your fans, so you're gonna believe more than others would would believe. Have you don't that with Indiana yet? Or do you try not to try to try the emotion get in the way.

a no play. Don't force it. And it's because you know, I've I found myself many times, especially when I'm doing a parlay, Like I remember thinking, don't get greedy, Nick, and then you got greedy and added a fourth leg or a third leg even, and it's like, well, that's why you that's that's the worst. Yeah, And it's happened

to me more times than I'd like to admit. But as far as this weekend slate, the company, man, what's your what's your what's your best bet, the one you feel the best about it, I.

performance against Nebraska last week. But also at the same time, I think James Franklin in Penn State in general, they're due to finally have their big moment against a good team like Ohio State. And I just have a good feeling that they're going to make the most of it this weekend.

not just been about the record for Ohio State. They at times have just kind of looked not terrible by any means, because that'd be a ridiculous thing to say that they're a terrible team, but vulnerable. I think that's the best way to describe it. I mean, Nebraska had them in a good position to knock them off and

couldn't get it done. And you know, Ryan Day, like I mean, this year, again, it's hard to say the season's failed at this point for them because you know, they're still in control of potentially, you know, winning the ultimate goal, which is the national championship. But there's pressure on him this year because last year they took a big step back right and they went out and brought him a big time coordinator. They paid a lot of

money for I mean their roster. I mean, what was it fifteen million or something what was alleged as far as what they were able to spend on players, So like they've got they got rid of a good quarterback to go get one that you know is supposed to

be a lot better. So I don't know that pressure may get to them because I kind of feel like with this point, Penn State just kind of knows that they're you know, they're not expected to win because they've not they haven't broke through yet with this kind of a victory. So I don't know if I'll get involved on that one, But but I like your theory there as far as how Penn State could get it done. Let's see, this is not one that I would like throw in as like, you know, one that I'm super

juiced about. But tonight there is a game. In fact, there's a few games, but the one that I have a play on is South Florida and FAU. I like South Florida minus two and a half. This is a chance. In fact, These are two teams in really opposite spots here. Florida Atlantic is one in five on the year, they're really bad. South Florida they've kind of added up and down year. They're three and three. They competed pretty good

against Alabama. They're coming off of a double digit victory against UAB And this game is at FAU in Boca Raton. But you think people that live in Boca Raton, Florida are going to be going to watch on a Friday night of one in five football team when they live in Paradise.

teams that the numbers not a little bigger. So South Florida minus two and a half. That's one that I'm big on. Also, on the Kentucky side, I like the under here. Now, maybe I'm crazy because obviously Kentucky, I mean, Kentucky's offense hasn't done much, but Tennessee's just still believed to be at any moment a team that could explode offensively because you know, they've got Josh Hypel and that's what he does, and they've got a young quarterback who

can clearly make some play. But you know, this year for Tennessee, you know, it's more so been their defense that has made them as good as they are. So the total is forty five and a half, I'm gonna I mean, that's low, but I'm gonna take the under because I don't think Kentucky's gonna score much at all. Tennessee's got the number three defense in the country, and

Kentucky's defense still talented. But right now, I mean, I still think they're you know, I think if this thing goes over, it'll be because Tennessee just explodes on them, and I don't think that is likely to happen because again, like even when Tennessee's played teams that you know, stink like Kentucky, they haven't exactly just you know, lit up the scoreboard. I mean, they only put up twenty five against Oklahoma, they put up fourteen and lost Arkansas, twenty

three against Florida, twenty four against Bama. So, like, I absolutely could see this thing being like thirty to three or thirty four, thirty four to ten, which would be sweating it.

playing for you know, playing for the ultimate goal. All right, what's next for you?

or for Army to cover minus twenty one and a half. Army, along with Indiana, the only team to yet to trail so far this season, and I don't see the Black Knights having any issue taking care of business against the Falcons.

Also that that's ranked there's one other team, isn't it was?

And it makes me think, Okay, if I was wrong and they really are as good as everybody says they are as far as the rankings, then maybe maybe I'm correct, and you know, wanting, you know, wanting to believe that Louisville is a lot better than their record is all right, this one I don't understand the line, And sometimes that means you should stay away because maybe they know something that you don't know, but I think a team that the books have just not been able to figure out

at this point is Ole Miss. Last week, they took on Oklahoma, and I said, look, I know Oklahoma's coming off a blowout loss at home to South Carolina, but that's too many points. And you know, Oklahoma ended up losing the game, but they covered twenty points without much trouble. They lost twenty six to fourteen. So you know, Ole Miss is good, but they're you know, right now, they have failed to cover in three of their last four games,

and they've lost as favorites outright in those games. Kentucky was one of them. Obviously, they lost to LSU straight up and they were four and a half point favorites. They did cover against South Carolina, but against Oklahoma they didn't. So Arkansas not getting not getting I mean, I don't want to tell you that I think Arkansas is great, but they're sitting at five and three. You know, their losses are to two teams right now that appear to be in great shape for the for the for the

SEC Championship, A and M and LSU. I don't think they're the best teams in the league, but they're having really good, really good starts. I mean, I guess it's not really a start. They're having really good seasons at this point. You're eight games in now. They did lose to Oklahoma State earlier this year, and that looks bad now. But Arkansas's played some pretty good football. They blew out

Mississippi State like everybody's gonna do. Obviously, they did not get it done against LS, but they're playing good football. They beat Tennessee in that upset. They played A and M really close and covered there as dogs. So I like, I like Arkansas plus eight against Ole Miss. So and again, I just it's it's at Arkansas. They've got a little momentum right now. I mean I think, I think, I mean,

they may win this game. I wouldn't bet money line, but like, I would not be at all shocked if Arkansas ends up actually winning this game at home because Old Miss. I mean, they're good, they deserve to be favored, but I don't know by that much. On the road, and it happens from time to time. You'll see you'll see a line that is rather consistent throughout a whole season for a team, but the results are also consistent meaning they still never cover. They can't get them right.

I think Old Miss is becoming that team, but maybe I'm maybe I'm wrong. All right, let's get to our last break. We'll come back on the other side, finish this thing up. It's coffee and company. Feel abou Thorton' right here on Sports Talk seven ninety forget we've got she covered. Tomorrow game day or I guess game night, Louisville kicking off at seven thirty against Clemson on the road, a place where Clemson is not lost at night on

a Saturday since twenty thirteen. Louisville, of course, as you know, has never beaten Clemson. Let's hope that that that's no longer something that can be said after Tomorrow night. But what I can tell you is that we'll have pregame coverage starting at six thirty and it will take you up to a kick off at seven thirty the Louislle Football Pregame Show presented by Pellow Windows and Doors of Central Kentucky and Jefferson Animal Hospital. And then after the game,

we'll react to whatever there is to react to. It'll be late night, but we'll have some fun. It's the Louisville Football postgame show presented by Alex R. White, Lawyer's Suit Distracted Driver dot Com. All right, just real quick before we before we wrap it up and get out of here for the weekend. You know, when it comes to this game, specifically for Louisville, it would be a real bummer. You know, if they if if they mean, if they lose, no matter how it looks, it's going

to be a negative result. And like it's not what you want. But I mean eight and four, If they go eight and four and they be Kentucky, I mean we can probably collectively say still a good year, not great, and it was not quite as good as what we expected, but you know, you still have some momentum with Jeff Brohm, Right, it's not like you know, eight and four was something our previous coach could never do. So if they can get there and in the street to Kentucky, that'd be great.

But you know, and maybe they do be Clemson, but you know, I just what's going to really suck is if you end up having a decent record and you just fell short in all the teams you played against, all the teams you played that were you know, believed to be opportunities for you to show if you're good or not. I just would hate the uncertainty and not knowing at the end of the year, like where we I mean, you'd be what your record says it is.

But anyways, real quick before we get out of here, Jefferson Animal Hospital, if you have not been away, if you don't know who they are, I mean, I don't know where you must be living under rock. They've been around for forty four years, in business since nineteen eighty. When it comes to keeping your pets safe, they are.

They're there for you, and they you know. Not only not only do you know that just because if you've been there you can tell, but also they're open around the clock every day, even holidays, three hundred and sixty five days a year. I mean, nobody plans for an emergency because I mean, you just can't. But they happen. We all know that, and I'm sure when emergencies happen there's a lot of panicking and not knowing what to do. Well, that's understandable, but rest assured they'll be there for you.

Jefferson Denvil Hospital again, outer Loop, and I really try to make it clear that it's not just for an emergency. I mean, if you just want to schedule an appointment, talk to the to the vet and you know, tell them about your pets and get them checked out. You know, just basically have a new regular physician that looks at your pets. I mean, that's that's you know, vetnarian I should say so and keep them in mind. Five O two nine hundred pets is the number. If you want

to give them a call. They're right there on outter Loop if you want to stop by, or you can check them out online at Jeffer's vets dot com. We're gonna have back to back game day editions, well not really, I mean today's not game day, but tomorrow when we're on the air, it'll be a game day because it'll be the postgame show. And then we come back Monday, John basketball season will be here.