11.15: Fight Night - Hour 3

and company. We are fueled by Thornton's and big weekend and with me today as we've been rolling along here for the last couple of hours, is the one and only Austin Montgomery saw. He will be filling in for me tomorrow on the postgame show. So you'll be in good hands and I'll reset here just for those joining us tomorrow is a game for Louisville that I I've My confidence is clearly based off the fact that Louisville has looked good since the second half of Boston College.

They carried that momentum over to Clemson and and really won that game looking like a team that we really hadn't seen all year. And what I mean by that is Louisville on defense, they were just different. I mean, I've asked a few guests that have joined us on the show since that game. I don't know, you know, actually I think I asked before the Clemson game because the defense was great against Boston College. And yes, Boston

College isn't a great team anyway. They've since made a change of quarterback, but if you've watched consistently, the defense was just different. They were bouncing around and clearly looked like they had an identity. There wasn't as much confusion, and they were getting stops getting off the field. And you know, they weren't perfect against Clemson, But I don't know what changed, and I wish I did because it would be nice to discuss and pay attention to it.

I mean, I don't know if it was less substitutions, if they truly did, they simplified it to the point where I just wouldn't have the football brain to see it. But whatever it is, I'm hoping and expecting them to carry that over once again into this matchup against Stanford. But you know, Louisville got the breakthrough when their top twenty team right now in the College FOOTA playoffs, and they're playing the worst team that they've played since their

opener against Austin. P Like, there's no way to know that for sure. But you know Stanford right now, I mean they're let's see here, let me pull up the numbers again, just get them correct. I know I've mentioned this at the beginning of the show. They right now are They've allowed twenty three passing touchdowns, which is more than anybody in the ACC. They've thrown thirteen interceptions collectively because they've played a lot of quarterbacks, and they only

have twelve touchdowns on the year. They rank next to last in the ACC in total offense and total defense. So you know, they stink, which is why Louis's favored about twenty points. So them being them is a factor in the confidence that I have as well. So you know, they need a game like this, you you know, I you know, clearly there's not been as much anticipation for this one as you know, the Clemson game or the

other big games Louisvell's played in this year. But this schedule, you know, people knock on Louisville schedule all the time, and I get it. I mean, in fact, it's not just Louisville, it's now it's turned into with the comp with the college football playoff rankings. I mean, you only play twelve regular season games, right, there's a ton of teams that have very similar records over the exact same records. So what do you do. You try to determine who's

better based off of strength the schedule. And there's some numbers that that you can put out there that are relying on these different formulas out there. The College Football Power Index, you know, the Sagarin ratings are still out there,

Like there's different ways. You know, the sp plus from ESPN, which is pretty popular, so you know it's something you can reference, but like it really doesn't tell I mean, it's not proof, right, So I understand at times why Louisville has had their schedule questioned, but not this year like last year. Let's be real, the ACC probably without

realizing it, gave Louisville a gift. Now, they didn't play teams that were you know, too inten at the end of the year, but they also didn't play the better teams in the AC and they lost to one of the worst teams in the ACC in Pittsburgh a year ago. So like, I'm not going to act like Louisville's schedule is picked apart all the time and it's just completely egregious. I mean, I get it. Anybody in the ACC who does well is going to have people saying, well, you

play in the ACC and like it or not. I get why they say it because the SEC is historically a better league, so it's the Big ten. But I just wish that the committee would tell us that the benefit of the doubt is given based off of historically what a conference has done. I mean that because you know, there's no other way to justify it other than just knowing, you know, basing it off like brand. But if you look at strength of schedule, this is what I'm saying.

Louisville right now has played a schedule that currently ranks fifteenth in the country. So it's not that they've played week in and week out Miami and Notre Dame, but they have played I mean, the only three losses are the teams that right now are in the top fifteen, and they did beat a team and Clemson that regardless if you believe in them or not, you know, there's still there's still a team that you know is ranked in the top twenty, right behind Louisville, and who knows,

they might end up winning the ACC this year. So you know, I don't like playing nobody's late at the end of the season, but this nobody is a nobody because they're just really down and you know, they're in

your league, which still feels weird being Stanford. So when you've played, you know, with three games left, you've played a schedule that it's the fifteenth toughest schedule in the country according to this metric, you know, it's nice to know that, hey, you should be able to not only take care of business, but you might blow them out.

And you know, Jacksonville State right now, Again, I'm not acting like Jacksonville State's good and I'm not saying Louisville should get more credit for beating rich Rod in Jacksonville State. I don't know where that voice came from, but anyways, that wasn't my point. But this is the worst team that Louisvill's played, meaning Stanford, since they played Austin p Because I think Jacksonville State. If they played head to head,

who knows what would happen. But it's hard for me to look at what Stanford's done and look at what you Baxonville State's doing and not think that maybe Stanford is worse. I mean, Jacksonville State six and three, they have lost to Louisville. They have a double overtime loss to Eastern Michigan. I mean, actually, wow, I didn't realize this.

Jacksonville State started oh and three, hasn't lost since. And yes, some of their wins are against team they're playing in the you know, whatever conference it is they play, and I don't even know what it is. So this isn't me saying that they're good. I'm just I'm just stating that, like Louisville, for the most part, in the last you know, month and a half, they've played teams that are, you know, not juggernauts. Again, not everybody's Miami, not everybody's Notre Dame

or SMU or even Clemson. But you know, Virginia is not a terrible team. And these numbers, again, like what it tells you is that when you do play a team that you know you're supposed to beat and you know that you are better than and you did win again like Georgia Tech Boston College and and by the way, they're winn against gege Tech looks better, not because Georgia Tech's the team to beat Miami. So you know, when you beat Georgia tach, you beat Boston College in Virginia.

You know, I'm not acting like Louisville deserves credit. In fact, they probably should have played better against Boston College and not been down twenty one nothing. They probably should have beat Virginia more than they did. But you're not also playing a team that's looking at, you know, a two and ten, three and nine type season, And that's why

the numbers probably surprise people. You know, I guarantee you there's some sec honks out there, probably Kentucky fans, that when I tell you that Kentucky's played a top or Louisvill's played a top fifteen schedule, you would say, there's no way that's true. You're making it up. I've refuse to believe it. Well, again, there's no way to prove how tough anybody's schedule is. There's no factual way to determine whose schedule is the strongest and whose schedule is

the weakest. Some of it is all based off of just opinion or these formulas. And you know, I know that that's the kind of thing that if a Kentucky and an SEC fan here, they would just say, oh no, there's no I mean, look, they're in the ACC. There's no way Trinity High School's played a tougher schedule, like I'm sure people are saying that as we speak. So the remaining strength to schedule for Louisville is sixty three. So again, you're you've been battle tested enough. You should

take care of business. You should absolutely be able to win out. And if you do that and then you can find a way to win a bowl game whatever that looks like, you get ten wins. And I'm nowhere near being at a point where I would ever look at a ten wins season and not say Louisville football had a good year, maybe a great year. To be honest with you, it'll feel a little weird knowing that, like, man, we probably could have done a little bit better than we did. But still like they go ten to three,

I'm not gonna be complaining. They're looking at these strength of schedule numbers or something to remind you of Kentucky. You know, they've really I mean they've they've had a rough year. Right They played Murray State tomorrow and then they've got Texas at their place, and then they they host Louisville to wrap up the season in the Governor's Cup Game. So Kentucky strength to schedule as we speak, meaning you know, nine to ten games, however many they played,

they are seventh. They played the seventh toughest schedule in the country. And that probably doesn't surprise a lot of Kentucky fans. And I said it before the season started. They could be a really good team in maybe finish in five. But they just literally play one of the toughest schedules in the country, which is true and it's still true today. However, there's teams that are clearly better

than we anticipated before the season started. But like they took a step up this year and got better, Kentucky this year took a giant step back, like South Carolina blew them off the field in Lexington. Vandy, I know, Vandy's the story of like you know the sit and your Daddy's Vandy. True, Well, Vandy's not great, like Vandy's

getting the benefit, which is a wild thing to say. Here, They're getting the benefit from always sucking out loud Vandy having an impulse is like, Dan, you better watch out in a Vandy team now, I mean, and like that's not really, like it's not really it is. They're winn against Alabama is insane still, I think one of the craziest things I've ever seen in college football in my lifetime. Not an exaggeration, even if Van d ends up struggling the rest of the way, Like, that's just insane that

that happened. But like Vandy lost to Georgia State, right, Vandy lost to a Missouri team that Vandy's their best, Vandy's one game of a five hundred, so you know, losing to Vandy, losing to South Carolina, losing to Florida when they're way down and thinking that their coach is gonna get canned. At least at the time that game took place, Auburn didn't have a win. Like Auburn's a big brand, but Auburn sucks Hugh Freezes out after next year,

no doubt. So like Kentucky, they could have had a good team and the record wouldn't have necessarily indicated how good they could have been, because man, that's a murderer's road type of schedule.

I'm sorry. They have three wins, they're three and six. They'll get their fourth win when they play Murray tomorrow, so they'll have they'll have the chance to go to a bowl. But like you know, beating Texas is at Texas just seems pretty unbelievable. But then again, Texas hasn't beaten anybody, so I don't know. But my point is this, if they would have taken advantage of Vandy, even though Vandy's better, you should still beat them at your place,

Florida stinks. You're up ten to nothing against Auburn lost twenty four to ten Tennessee Beach. You about ten in a game that really probably was closer than than you know, anybody expected. But my point is this the strength of schedule currently, and they don't factor in Murray Murray's and Murray's an FCS team. So again, the remaining strength of schedule rankings right now Kentucky started, or at least as of now. Let me let me, let me, let me pull up these numbers just to make sure I'm not

incorrect here. So currently Kentucky's played the seventh toughest schedule as of now, their remaining string the schedule, it's only factoring in two teams because again Murray doesn't count. So you know who it's factoring in, Texas and Louisville. Do you know where Kentucky's remaining strength of schedule ranks number one? You know what that's you know, So if you want to brag on your tough schedule, you know what you're

gonna have to do. Acknowledge that Louisville makes your schedule tougher. Now doesn't mean Louisville's better than some of the teams that you beat that you lost to because she hadn't beat anybody. But that mean Loisll's better than you know, any of these teams that beat you, because you just will never know. I mean, I think Louisville would beat Florida. I think they beat Auburn, but I don't know. I can't tell you that would happen for certain, and maybe

they would lose. That we'll never know. But like when you're trying to justify how bad your season was and you're going to try to maybe use the strength of schedule argument, you're gonna have to acknowledge that your rival

was a part of that. Now again, what it does, It gives you a chance to beat them or to to you know, to to you know, like if Louisville wins the next these next two games, there's this scenario they probably calimb up to I don't know, maybe seventeen or sixteen by the time we get to the end of the year when that game's played, And if Kentucky limps in there with no hope of a Bowl game four and I guess at that point they'd be what

four and seven, and then they somehow beat Louisville. That would probably be one of the more satisfying wins for Kentucky ever. And I'll bring all this up to say, gross, never underestimate. I don't think it's gonna happen. I really don't. But again, I've been wrong many times about this game. But let me just say this before we get to break. Never underestimate how much Kentucky loves beating Louisville and it's really made them view Mark Stoops probably a little better

than he actually is. He's done really well in this match, in this series, in the last you know, however, many years, so one or two things is gonna happen. He's gonna lose to Louisville and they're gonna officially say, look, I know you said you're not retiring, but please leave because that's gonna hit him hard. They know they stink, but if they lose to Louisville for the first time in

a long time, they're gonna lose their mind. Now, if they beat Louisville at a boy, Stoops bringing on back for another year, big fella, we'll get a bunch of guys in the portal like they're like, again, I'm not I mean, I am making fun of them, but like they could never ever indicate that they don't value the rivalry in what it does for them win or lose,

and we both do. But they've clearly been able to kind of, I think, view themselves differently as a football program because they've dominated Louisville, and I hope that ends this year. Quick break, we'll come back on the other side. Keep it rolling along. It's Coffee and Company. Feel about Thortons right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.

a dog or a cat. But whatever it is, just know that they are not going to, you know, communicate with you the same way that humans do because you know, they can't speak. Now, maybe they speak different language and you know, I mean literally like their love language, or maybe you know, I'm not a big pet guy, meaning I've just never had the connection to one like a lot of people have. But I understand that they're part

of your family. But like even even the two dogs that have been in my life for a long time, over my whole life, like they didn't have to say things at times, you could tell all right, somethings bother them this and that. So my point is they may not know to tell you, or they may not even know themselves that they could have something going on when it comes to their health. So I get it, Like for me, out of sight, out of mind, you know, it's just not something you think about when it comes

to pets, at least not for me. But our partnership with the Jeffersonnimal Hospital has really led to me understanding that that there's probably so many people who lose their pets because of an illness or because something that happens that could have been prevented had they had regular checkups and just examinations to just see how things are going. So Jeffersonvial Hospital, they've been around since nineteen eighty. They've been in business for forty four years if you can count.

And you don't stick around doing anything as long as they have unless you're doing a really good job and establishing a great reputation in the community. And we appreciate all that they do for the community. They're not only just open, I mean for forty four years, they're open every second of the day, twenty four hours, three hundred and sixty five days a year. Jeffersonnimal Hospital is therefore you in case of an emergency, but don't wait for

an emergency to happen to reach out to them. If you do not have your pet getting regular checkups, examinations, getting checked out, then this is this is where you change that you reach out to them. Five h two nine hundred PETS is the number you can go to Jefferson Vets dot com to get more information. They'll be happy to hear from you. And uh, you know, you won't be thinking down the line if something does happen, you won't be worried about, Man, could I have prevented this?

Could I have could I have you know, could I have been a little proactive to just make sure that my dog, my cat, or whatever is is is healthy. That's a good way to really support our partners, right shaming them in case their pet dies. They could have done something. I mean, well, that's sonding. I don't I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to it. I didn't mean to present it that way, but it just kind of happens.

never remember? It was a tragic situation in our life, but you know it was a long time ago. Uh. But as far as a dog, like I've had two dogs now that I feel like, are you know my my pets along with my wife, but I inherited them essentially, well, one of them she bought and brought home and it's just been around and he's pretty good. Yeah, But we had a dog when I was a kid that you know, he was fine, but like I just didn't you know, I didn't have the we were good because he didn't

mess with me. I didn't mess with him, right, Like if he needed to go out, I'd let him go pee. If he needed to eat, I'd feed him. But like he didn't, he didn't you know, relationship. Yeah, I never made the sentimental connection that a lot of people make it to be honest with you in all seriousness, like I'm I'm missing out, Like I'm that's a special part in a a lot of people's lives, meaning the the

love they have for their pet. And when I and this is one thing I will defend people like myself who haven't had that connection just because you you haven't had that you know, relationship to where you look at your pet it's like your brother or your sister or as your son or daughter. And I don't mean to get weird, but I know people do that. Like doesn't mean that I don't like pets. I just I don't. I can't necessarily relate because I've never like, I like,

i'd like I like pets, I like. I mean, I'm not anti like. It's one thing to be like, you know, anti by the way, who the world would be anti pet?

the best in the world. But and for those who don't get the reference, that's a great poll by you. By the way, Venetti got hammered. Jokenetti. Vannetti got hammered at a at a bats game a few years back. And uh, he'd met my wife many times, and uh, he was pretty sauce and he he looked at her and like I wanted to say something that didn't and she was like, you know, remember my name, do you? And he said Mercedes and then she just became Mercedes to to Venetti

and all my iHeart people that were there. So but yeah, she she had a she had a dog that she got when she was young, like as a gift, you know what I'm saying, Like it was a big deal to her. It became a big part of her world. And he you know, I didn't know it at the time. We never even had a conversation because I feel like if we'd had a conversation, I would have like fought it. But now what I know, I'm glad I didn't fought it because she would have picked that dog over me.

We moved in together in an apartment and like he couldn't come to the apartment because we weren't allowed to have pets. So I just assumed, like, well, that's it, I guess now I know that, you know, he's just going to stay with her dad. And then we bought our first house and like I think he moved in before me, the dog, so you know, he just became part of our family. And I had a little resistance as far as you know, because he wasn't a great dog.

I mean, and she would even acknowledge that, Like he just loved to go play in traffic, he loved to eat they like eat you know, people's shoes, and he was super protective of her to where if we had people over and they got near her, he would lose

his mind. Like he was kind of a lunatic until he he got a little bit calm towards the end of his life and he had passed away, but he lived, he lived for I mean, again me speaking, this is me making it quite obvious that I don't really know a whole lot about like I don't have a lot of experience as a pet owner. But for how old he was, I mean, I want to say he was like sixteen years old, which is pretty old for the type of dog that he was.

She's gonna be nursing and all that kind of stuff, and like he's a lunatic about that kind of stuff. So she was well aware that, like there's a good chance that whenever we bring the baby home and we start our life as parents, that he's going to be in full time outside dog or we're gonna have to you know, get you know, give him to somebody within the family that would want and we're going to get rid of him. But you know that was probably gonna have to happen. I didn't even need to say it.

She knew well whenever Maya was born, after family came in to see her, I mean, this makes sense, but I'd never thought of it or heard of it, but the blanket that she was born in, or that she was wrapped up in initially as soon as she, you know, entered earth. Tiffany's mom, she took the blanket home and put it in the cage where Hunter was the dog.

And apparently if you do that, that scent they're just supposed to know that, like that's the scent of the baby as well as you know, your mom meaning my wife. And we came home with the baby, and he was excited, but not in a way of like threatened by the baby, you know what I'm saying. And then the next two days, and you'll know this when you have kids, at one point the next two days, you got everybody coming to

see the baby, right, everybody's coming over. And he went from being like that towards anybody that got near my wife to where anybody that held the baby, he was coming after him, like he became the protector. It was one of them. I mean not to get corny here, but it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. And you know, at that point, how am I not going to say, Ah, it's my god, he's my dog, you know, not you know that's my dog literally and figually.

get into it. It would make me look as if I grew up in a situation that you might see on Jerry Spring or something. But the house I grew up in ended up being a house I later lived in, and we moved out of whenever I graduated high school. But there was a time in between where we moved out and moved probably about two miles away, and it was across like a major like busy road like. It wasn't like we moved two miles away like in some

farmland or something. So we rented out the original house that we lived in while we moved to the new house. So we lost our cat like we thought he ran away, like what are you gonna do? Weeks go by, you know, we just assumed like, man, hope he's okay, but like he didn't like where we moved and he's gone. So the people who were renting the house that they finally called my I think it was my mother and said, you know, hey, there's this cat that won't leave, like

should we feed it? Like did you have did you all deal with this? And I'm pretty sure there was no light bulb that went off, like it's tyson. I think my mom just assumed like no, we didn't, you know, like I don't. I wouldn't feed it because then it won't leave. And then she was like, well it's a sweet cat, and the lady who was renting the house

started describing it. That cat made its way all the way back to where we lived, and he crossed interstate like he I mean, like you know it was We thought there's no way we show up, and sure enough it was him, and we brought him back home like he made his way all the way back there, not knowing how to get there, Like think about that, like maybe that's not again when I say when I when I'm surprised by certain things when it comes to pets. I'm sure those that are much have much more experience

with pets, Like realize, all right, calm down, coffee. It's not that big of a surprise. But like as a kid, I thought, we got the we get the biggest, most badass cat in the world.

of things. And she was never really a dog person anyways, but she's you know, we've obviously fed the cat's name. The cat's name was Sage, and then once Sage passed away related about three months and then we live right next to a feeder supply, and then she went there to go and that's why I'm never letting her go to the feeder supply ever again alone. She went there to go get dog food and came back and said, I adopted a cat.

my gig. He had a cat named Walter, and I thought that was so bad as this before Walter white became the first thing you think of when you think of Walter. But like I just thought, like, you know a cat named Walter? That that works, man, that's great cat name. Yeah, So shot.

clearly it's not. But like, I get how much you love your pet, but let's just give him real human names, right, Like yeah, what about Like what if you come to my house and I got a new dog and he's jumping on you case he's excited. I'm like, Dennis, calm down, bro, Like let my man settle in, Like yeah, that's Troy. I think that would be funny. All right, real quick, we got to get to a break in a moment. But I do want to let you guys hear the

sound I referenced earlier. So Mike Tyson, Jake, Paul Tonight, and I want to believe that this is totally real, and maybe I will once it starts. But this clip of Mike Tyson responding to something that Jake Paul said, I think the sound will will do enough. But I think if you actually see the visual with the sound, like, I kind of feel like Mike Tyson might end his life tonight. Now, I would say that the chances of

that happening one. I mean, I'm being sarcastic, but a lot of people think of it's ugly that it's going to be the other way around, because Mike Tyson's sixty years old. But pull that up if.

a natural born killer. They weren't. They weren't into the bit. They weren't, you know, trying to get over with the crowd. Like that's just that's just I think his mindset. So I'm getting excited. Should be uh, should be good stuff.

who's not far from Clay Travis. But he did write an article at OutKick that I thought was very interesting that has nothing to do with politics. But how the WWE, How wrestling does on Netflix when they move their weekly television show that has watched more than just about anything on a weekly basis, When that happens, there's going to be a case study to see if that's where everything shifts. Like I mean, I think in all seriousness, Netflix, if

they wanted to, could challenge ESPN. Sure if they wanted to. Now do they want to? I'm not sure what's really gonna be crazy for. And the reason I'm talking about this is because Tonight's Jake Paul Mike Tyson fights on Netflix and it's clearly gonna be watched by millions of people, and it's gonna be a live event, which is a rare thing for Netflix. But Disney, if Disney wants to disassociate itself from ESPN, which they should do for the sake of ESPN is what I hope happens. But that'll

be where it really comes. And that's when you really get a chance to see because a lot of Disney, I'm sorry, a lot of ESPN's programming decisions and just their tone and it, let's be real, we all mean, I don't I'm not gonna say. You all know what I'm talking about when I say the way ESPN clearly just is very consistent with with with everything as far as which I'm not even gonna say side or because you know, but you know what I mean. I'll leave

it at that. If somebody else obtains them and they have complete freedom, I think it'd be great for that company, meaning ESPN. But like somebody's gonna have to buy them because Disney. Disney's why they are the way they are, and anybody who works there would tell you that. But anyways, tonight on Netflix, if it's a big hit, I mean, this is good. They're gonna try to do more of

this if they can. And you know, I actually think there's people who would actually prefer Okay, like I'm finding, you know, Network Plus SEC Network plus, ACC Network plus Peacock or ESPN Plus or the streaming Like when you have your obscure games that are on these random networks that you never go looking for, I guarantee you people would be more willing and more more. They'd be more able and accepting to finding it on Netflix, because Netflix at twenty twenty four it's not where you go to

for live sports because it never has been. But you probably have the ability in the instincts to know exactly how to find that more so than you do poping open the ESPN Plus app and then signing in with your TV provider every five seconds. Seemingly like Disney doesn't care enough about sports to make ESPN what it should be.

That's that's what I believe. So and in a weird way like tonight, I think if it goes well and Netflix feels like, yeah, this is working, they may try to get in the game, and that would be a bad thing for for ESPN, unless, of course Disney wanted to. I mean, heck, maybe Netflix buys ESPN from Disney. I mean, the big brain's working up here. I'm just throwing stuff out there, but that wouldn't be the craziest thing right.

to be on the air. Not because there's some raging lunatic, but like you know, you just have to not say stuff about things that, like, you know, people with a brain are willing to acknowledge. All Right, we're out of time. Everybody, have themselves a good week, and again I'm out tomorrow for the postgame show. But Austin's got you, so you'll be in good hands. Hang out with us. I believe whenever, whenever we get back here on the air, at least I do on Monday, we'll be talking about a big

time win for the Cards. So have a good week and everybody take care time before the Waterson nether one seventy one northbound past the Waterson Out near Lime Kilm Taylors wrote it to Snyder free