11.14: Football Mode - Hour 1

you've never beaten Clemson before. They hadn't lost a home game on a Saturday night in a decade, so actually over a decade, So you know, that's why it felt great for the most part. But another part for me, and I'm sure I'm not alone here, is that that breakthrough win not for the program who'd never beaten Clemson, but for this team in this season. It was a breakthrough in two ways. Again because it was the first

time ever. But the secondary breakthrough was the fact that this team, I feel like all year they'd make some real boneheaded mistakes that you'd ask yourself, what the hell's going on here?

it really was perfect in regards to timing. With Louisville getting the big win then getting the week off, it let you really shift gears to basketball, and that was awesome. But now they have a ten day break after that pretty, you know, underwhelming loss to Tennessee. And I'm not in any way like thinking we were foolish to get as excited as we were about Louisville basketball in year one of the pack Kelsey year, and none of us have ever had any real clue as far as how it's

going to play out. But I was asked yesterday by somebody if I think that because I was actually at Roosters last night for a little birthday dinner and with family, and I ran into somebody, just an acquaintance, and he said, are you worried that because there was so much excitement, the big game feel, the big game energy was there against Tennessee and it was such a letdown that it's going to be harder and take a little more time to get people to kind of, you know, come back

because they don't want to be disappointed again. And I thought to myself, that's a really good question. I don't think that's a crazy way of looking at it. I choose to believe that that won't be an issue because as much as it was a real disappointment to see Louisville in their first big Test struggle as badly as they did. However, again, I think we're all numb to losing now. The energy that you had, like there was no letdown until the Tennessee game since Pat Kelsey got hired.

What I mean is really every step of the way, the guy has executed and done exactly what he needed to do to get people excited. And there it was the moment and Tennessee came to town. You had a chance to get a big marquee win, and you didn't get the win, and at times it looked like you didn't belong on the same floor. So it is, you know,

it was a wake up call. But when I say that I'm numb to it, it's not like who cares world going to lose the rest of the season and I'll just be used to it because we've been losing for the last few years.

hoping that they're going to do that. None of us really know if it's going to happen or not, or as far as what level they do win at, but I hope that just because it was it was such a high, and man, it's like you're it's like you're coming down off of you know, a solid gummy or you know, you get a little you get a little day drunk, and you know you're in that you're in that spot where it's like, all right, do I lay down, do I sit down. Do I kind of just do

I just chill or do I keep going? Because I got to make a decision. Either I'm going to I'm going to ride what little buzz I have left and make it a memorable evening responsibly, of course, or I'm just gonna say, you know what, that was my fun.

Now it's time to just kind of settle down and start maybe chugging some water, maybe pop some ibuprofen, maybe get a little something to eat, and kind of just try to you know, speed up the process of you know, being hungover or losing your buzz i encourage people to.

There's nothing you can do about it. And I'm gonna choose to be positive until I've been given multiple examples of how Louisville simply can't compete with really good teams. But there's a scenario where Tennessee's maybe like the fourth fifth best team you play before January first. I don't want that to be the case. I hope that it's not, but that doesn't worry me a little bit. So you know, when I say I'm in football mode, it's not like I'm saying the hell with basketball.

they got Bellerman, they got Winthrop. Those are the two games they're gonna play before they take off of the Bahamas, and I'm gonna you know, we'll have postgame shows, will give you, I mean basketball seasons here.

time of year. But like I can't fake to you that I am looking at Bellerman on the schedule and I'm looking at Winthrop on the schedule, and I'm thinking, man, here we go because we got spoiled early that Tennessee game and the lead up to it, the vibes, the energy, I mean, it was the first time I could feel it for a couple of days leading up where you know, I mean, if you're a Louisville basketball fan, you know, right when there's a big game and there's a lot

on the line and you feel good about your team and you know that the Young Sinner is going to be packed, which it was, I mean, that's awesome, and then you're there and it's about to tip off, and man, the energy is great, and then it was just such

a letdown. So I want to start the show today by letting like just encouraging people, like, you know, not just I don't want to tell you just forget about it, because it's the only real test you've had and you didn't come close to passing, and that's certainly a bummer. But until we see multiple like, we haven't seen how this team responds to any type of adversity at all.

And honestly, they've never experienced any level of adversity since they all got here, So really, that ten day break is going to be pretty huge for them to kind of, you know, be in a they're in a different place than they've ever been together, and how they kind of navigate that I think will be important for how this

season plays out. Now, again, that doesn't mean that they come out and beat Bellerman and Winthrop by sixty then things are great, because the ultimate test is the next test is ultimately going to be when you go to the Bahamas.

They've got a lot of momentum. You know, I'm not saying you have to, and I know people don't every day wake up and dictate how they feel about their team based off the rival, but to act like it didn't matter, like it does to a lot of people. Maybe not everybody, but it does. So they're back in action next week against Bellerman and man, I feel bad for Scotty D. They're off to a really rough start and last night it's pretty tough. Yeah, they were up

double digits late. In fact, I think they might have been up nearly twenty points, and then Southern Indiana, a team who was winless, got him in the very end. And you know, I don't want to I don't know a whole lot about you know, the a Sun, and I mean I still keep up with it to an extent when it comes to lower level Division in basketball,

mid majors and even below that. But I'll tell you this, man, the last few years, that level of basketball has been harder to keep up than anything because they actually have way more moving parts than any of the other programs in college shoops. So I looked at Scotti's roster yesterday just because I was trying to, you know, it was

going to potentially bet on the game. I did not, and you know, just because I'm not super familiar with the personnel on his team, and just because there's not anybody that's there with a really great stat line from their previous school or even at Bellerman, doesn't mean that they can't potentially be good. But you know, I don't know if he'd say it, because he's such a positive person and he'll clearly maximize whatever he can with whatever

team he has. But you know, Bellerman's starting to look like one of those teams as far as what I can tell. But they jumped up to Division one at a time where everything changed to where even if they do have good players that are producing at a high level, they're probably going to lose them to the portal, not

all of them, but you know it's already happened. Dylan Penn, if you remember, was a guy who led them to a conference championship in their first year at the Division one level, only for the stupid decision I guess actually might have been their second year, but the stupid rule within the NC doa eight where you can't go to the tournament unless you've been within the Division one status for about I don't know, four or five years, whatever

it is. But he, you know, he helped lead Bellerman to a title, couldn't play in the tournament and couldn't play in the tournament for the next two years if

he stayed, so he left. So I think Louisville will bounce back in a major way against Bellerman, and I kind of, you know, it's not like I think they should take it easy on Bellerman, but like I feel like it could get really, really ugly because Bellerman right now is sitting at zero to three and they lost to VCU by twenty, lost a VMI at home by five, and then lost last night to Southern Indiana who's actually more recent to Division one than the So it'll be

a good bounce back game. But also you know, I don't want him to beat down on Scotty too much because he's our guy. Yeah, you know, Bellerman's kind of our kind of our secondary team.

and how everybody. Of course when we come back for Bellerman, it's not gonna be anything like how it was that Tennessee game. But this has been something that we haven't felt about Louisville basketball in such a long time. Usually like here we go, it's a losing streak or I wonder when we're gonna get it next. We feel confident

in this team just because we will. I mean, we feel confident in games like this, which, yes, that doesn't work, That's what I mean, Yes, I understand that that's a step, right, it's a step from last time. It's a step from and that's that's what sucks about the conundrum that Louisville basketball has been put in the last couple of years, that now our faith is slowly being restored, Like at least we can go out and beat on this beat on this team.

those games, or we used to potentially. In fact, we did lose development they beat him in his first year. So I know what you're doing. I know what you mean, and I and I get it. And I'm not gonna tell tell anybody who is super excited if they beat both these teams that's next on the schedule by a bunch of points, and they look good doing it, because that's what you want. But it doesn't really tell us

anything as far as was Tennessee an outlier. And that's one of the things about this is just a pet peeve of mine when it comes to college football and college basketball. It's such a waste of time to play these games because you're not getting better, you're not learning anything. And last I check, that's pretty important. Now you got a stacks and wins. So at the end of the year, if you know, you're not, you know, terrible. And that's why Louisville going four and twenty eight a couple years

ago is just something we'll probably never see again. Think about the teams they had to lose to that were on the schedule for them to get four wins, right, So you know, it's how it works out.

matter anymore. But Jeff Bram and his team are back in action, and Austin's going to be doing the postgame show on Saturday evening, so we'll have.

the same time. Now, one resulted in a big time win that was huge, and the other resulted in kind of a reality check as far as where you are and learning lesson that Tennessee's in a lot better shape than Louisville is right now. But still the emotions that come with both those things, good or bad, Like it just I swear to you, if you'd asked me, you know, earlier today, without me giving it much thought, when the Clemson game was, I probably would have told you it

was at least a month ago. And in fact it hasn't even been two weeks. Yeah, that's just how quickly crazy the season is going. Now, we'll talk some football coming up here in about ten minutes or so, we're going to talk to the one and only mister Alex Cupper, former Louisville Cardinal, get his thoughts on a variety of things. One of those is when you go on the I've always heard players say that they want the game to start as early as possible. They don't want to be

sitting around in the team hotel all day. They want to just get up, get ready for get you know, get the game prep started, and get out there for like a noon kickoff. This is a little bit later. Now, we'll be early on the West Coast, but I don't I'm sure it's happened with cut before and he'll be able to tell us. But they're going to be playing on Saturday on the West Coast in what is probably the emptiest stadium that they'll play in, maybe ever in

their career. And I'm serious, if you've transferred in from an FCS or you know, a G five, then maybe it's a different situation. But Stanford will have very very little turnout, and that alone is probably an advantage to if there's if there's any advantage there, it's got to be an advantage for the team who's at home and is already used to it, you know what I'm saying, Like, if you're there and you're on the road and it's a road atmosphere like it could just be kind of awkward.

So I think it's important for Louisville to get off to a good start here against Stanford, and hopefully if they do that, they can then they can then cruise all right. Coming up at four oh five today, we'll talk to Kent Spencer from WHS eleven. Obviously a lot to get his thoughts on since our last conversation and look forward to doing that. If you guys want to join us on the show, you can five O two

five seven one seventy nine hundred is the number. If you want to gives a call, You could text in on the Ellen and Federal Credit Union text line at five O two six five three zero seven ninety. So I asked yesterday, and somebody has delivered. What I asked for was some scenario where it was legitimately possible. And I don't mean like percentage chance, because this the percentage chance of this happening is like probably zero point one,

but they're there. Somebody did present me with the scenario where Louisville would be playing in the ACC championship game. So I'll get to that a little bit later on, and I'm going to try my best to lay that out and not make it as confusing as it is for me when I read it, Like I'm such an idiot at times, and maybe it's a lot of times when I read it, I have to say it out loud, like wait a second, like there's so many there's a

lot of moving parts. But a lot of you guys are probably smarter than me to where it'll make sense to you. But you'll probably also realize, yeah, there's no scenario all these things end up happening. But I asked yesterday if somebody can present me some type because everybody was giving you the crazy things have happened, Well, maybe there, so you're telling me there's a chance and I'm thinking, okay, well, somebody present to me.

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one thousand college football fans from. I mean, there's a lot more than a thousand college football fans out there, but they find a thousand college football fans to fill out a survey, and I think the results in the last couple of years since they've done this are really interesting. One of them is just which network you feel like does the best job, if who on college game day, if they had to go, would you want to see

get the boot? Just interesting stuff because obviously we love college football around here, and I think some of these results from the survey might surprise you. So we can certainly get into that, and I don't know if it's worth spending a ton of time on because we've kind of already done that yesterday. I think last night was like another reminder that Kentucky's winning the breakup and they're winning it by a big margin. Cal down to Troy Arkansas.

When I say Cal, I think you guys know what I'm talking about.

He doesn't even know what anybody's saying because he doesn't care. He'll say things that he knows probably aren't what a coach should say, but he knows he can say it because it's Cal being Cal. And if you're a Kentucky fan or even a Louis of fan, you probably know what I'm talking about. Well, I think in Fayetteville he's turned that up ten notches, and I think it's because he's uncomfortable there. I think he realizes he's not at a place that is as I guess special as.

it just became so stale his whole shtick. And of course when you have that stick and you're losing in the first round of bumbs, it becomes a really bad situation, very toxic, right, But I feel like he's doing it way worse there because he just doesn't like he wants Arkansas to know, like, Hey, you know, you were lucky to have me.

and again he sounds like a mad man. He sounds sounds like he's losing his mind. Also, I think that I think you might have said it best. He's going crazy. So we're loaded the rest of the way, and I hope you guys will stick with us. I don't know why you wouldn't. I mean, we have fun every day here. Let's let's keep it rolling. It's coffee and Company Phil Beth Thornton.

It felt like their their scheme and how they had how they got lined up to defend Clemson, I mean, sideline to sideline was was was excellent. So you eliminated some of those easy throws. It felt like every time they were Klubnick was looking down the field, there was guys covered up, so he check it down and then the team would rally and make tackles. So that was I mean, much better, much, much much improved defense that you wish, you know, you could have seen in the

weeks before. But you would definitely definitely take in that scenario to beat Clemson down there, for sure.

I mean, you only are really evaluated by winning and losing in the grand scheme of things, But it was just an unusual situation to where the record really didn't indicate it. But I felt like, even despite some of their mistakes and some of their miscues earlier this year, that I felt like Jeff brom had a pretty good team and to see them actually go out there put

it all together. I don't know what was said at halftime in Boston, but man, since since that second half and then last or two weeks ago at Clemson, it was really it's kind of all coming together for him. As a former player, how big is it to to know that you that you've just been falling short and really a lot of it is your own doing for the most part, or some questionable calls and some reversals

and that kind of stuff. But I feel like for those guys, man, you know, wishful thinking on my end, but I feel like that that result has got to put them in going in the right direction to finish the season at a really really fast pace.

be doing is clicking in a major way. And that's yeah, just just what you said, they've they've caught a little bit of fire here. You know this, this this weekend will be interesting because you do have that long layoff, so it's typically a bye week. Unfortunately, can kind of

halter some of that. But you know, all it takes is one or two plays offensively and defensively to get those groups just re energized on like, Okay, we're we are dialed in on our game plan, We're dialed in on our technique, on what the coach is asking of us, what we're asking of each other, and this is this is going to result in winning football. We just got to trust it.

Is it preferable to play at noon? Just so you don't you're not sitting around the team hotel all day, You're not just buying you know, you're not just trying to fill time until you.

Because the reason I ask is because I feel like that could be awkward. You know, you can't control it. You got to come ready to play. But it's one of those things like you can tell yourself, hey, we're gonna be out there.

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all gonna work itself out. We know that some of these teams that are arguing about where they belong, they're gonna some of them are gonna play each other and it's gonna be determined at that point. But I looked at it even more so yesterday. So the last couple of days just kind of looking at what the committee told us on Tuesday, I feel like this might be one of the most inconsistent ways they've gone about it. I mean, you just can't justify some of the ways they've slotted these teams.

we're comfortable right now. All we got to do is go one on one and then we don't have to play in the Big Ten Tournament or Big Ten championship, and we find ourselves hosting the playoff game so right on. You know, So that that part is because there's so many different obviously variables and when you put twelve teams in it and results that so have to come. So it makes it for a ton of stuff to talk about and a lot of exciting football to play.

it used to just before. It just has more and more people talking about the different scenarios and about the playoff itself, which is good for business. I mean, I know and obviously it gives us a lot to talk about, which is pretty pretty awesome for me because it's right in my wheelhouse as far as as far as far as what we do now. One thing though, that I'm not sure the conferences really gave this a whole lot of thought. Maybe they did and they were just willing

to live with it. But with the conferences expanding so much over the years, you've got really four power conferences now in no divisions. It's leading to teams just simply with the luck of the draw having a really manageable schedule that is not a gift from the committee, and I guess it technically is. But like sometimes you're gonna guess what I'm asking is, do you think it would be beneficial if these leagues did go back to divisions.

That way there was a little bit more consistency to where you know, hey, if we win the east or the West or the north of the South, then we find our way there. Because uh, now we're talking about tiebreaker scenarios and conferences like we never have before, and I don't think that's going anywhere.

would be. Every single one of those early conference season wins will just bolster one team up and the other team will drop back, and then they'll just topsy turby their way around and they'll always find themselves with you know, three or four teams that are vying for one spot to challenge whoever's the leader in the clubhouse in the championship. So yeah, no, it's it would it would make it more clear cut, but the conversation would be probably more straightforward,

and I don't think they're they're about that. They want they want as much I won't say chaos, but they want as much conversation about it as possible. You know, I think when when you think long long term, it's it's setting itself up to be extreme. The know a lot like the NFL football when it comes to wild cards and and guaranteed guaranteed spots. So it's I mean, it's one of those things you're you're you're following the

tea leaves here. It's it's just gonna mirror itself in the end, and there there will end up being divisions. It's just what's what does the conference over they look like, and and so on and so forth.

conference that kind of stuff. But no matter what, there's gonna be people complaining that somebody got it wrong and somebody's getting left out, and that's never going away. I mean, that's existed as long as we've had any type of you know, college college football postseason. Right, last question for you here, Cupp when it comes to this matchup against this Stanford team, I mean, really, it's about taking care

of business. This is the biggest that Louisville has been favored in a conference game this year, and it's really not even close. I mean I kind of feel like with what we've seen, like, you know, you don't want to go out there and make some of the mistakes you made earlier this year that kept you for being able to win games. And maybe I'm jumping the gun here, and look, if they win close and they win, you know, just get out of the West Coast, come back, finish

strong with Pitt and Kentucky. But I kind of feel like Louisville may roll here and really put a beat down on a team that is right now the worst team in their league. I'm not saying that if they don't do it, we should be we should be let down. But I kind of feel like they're going to go out there and really put on a good showing.

After we were able to see both teams tested for the first time, and obviously one team had a much different result than the other when it comes to those games.

But when it comes to the college football Playoff rankings, and I don't have as much time right now to get into it, but trust me, I want to make sure I do it at around four point thirty today, and it it's one of those things where I kind of feel like it's really a waste of time and where people will think will realize, well, yeah, Nick, I mean, we all know that these rankings don't matter right now, and the committee can do whatever and it'll all play

itself out, and you may be right. And when I consider that, it makes me feel like it's maybe not worth really spending much time on it. But if you look at the specific comparisons, and really there are some teams that you can't really compare. Yeah, they have the same record or similar record, but as far as resume, one team should be way higher than the other, and

it's the other way around. And the committee, I feel like maybe this is just going to be the norm with the expanded playoff, twelve teams getting in, but they've really put themselves in a spot where now that you're putting, you know, more teams in to compete for the national championship and you have no divisions in.

ends up winning the national championship this year. I don't know which one it's going to be, but I mean, who is the best team? I mean, Oregon's ten and oh number one, don't. I don't think that they're the best team, but I could be wrong. You know, you look at last year, and this is something that makes Indiana even more intriguing to me, because there's no way around it. Indiana has a resume that you can easily look at and say, I mean, there's really no evidence

they're even decent. They haven't played a single good team. Their best win is against Nebraska, and in the other teams that they've played and Bean aren't very good. That's not their fault, doesn't mean they're not good it's just their resume. So if Indiana is as good as they think they are, if Indiana is legit, then it'll work out and they'll they'll be competing in the College Football Playoff and if they beat Ohio State then that settles it.

It'll only give them one win, but either way, it'll work itself out. But Michigan last year they got the benefit of the doubt because they had gone to the playoff two straight years, and then last year they were really in the same situation Indiana was. They didn't play anybody worth a damn until the very end of the season. They played two good teams and won both those games, and then they went on to win the national championship. Indiana could do the same thing, but there's not as

much belief because it's Indiana. It's not Harbaugh and Michigan. So I think some people want to bring up the Michigan thing to defend Indiana, but it falls flat. It's not the same thing. But with sign being a guy that nobody probably even heard of a year ago unless you're like a real big college football fan, I mean, Indiana doing what they're doing this year and Signetty being the guy in it being his first year at a

big school. I mean, it's one of the more fascinating things I can think of that's happened in college football in a long time. I don't know if they're going to fall flat and lose to Ohio State, and you know, maybe they do sneak in the playoff and they get humbled because again, Indiana right now hasn't really been tested. And that's not their fault. Doesn't mean they're not great, it's just how it's worked out. All right, quick break, two more hours left. Stick with us at is Coffee

and Company. We are fueled by Thornton's taking you up until six o'clock right here on Sports Talk seven to.