It's time for Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day, Holy crap, I don't know who the hell we think when we are get off our show. Idiots.
The kids are playing to turn at the countries are.
Screwing it up.
Goal play Inner Murals, Brother, goal play Inner Murals.
They're supposed to be mature adults, but they're really not. Who's the kid here?
Who's the kid here?
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Now?
Here's Nick Coffee?
I think exactly one week ago to the second we got the week started by making it quite clear that this show Coffee and Company, we are leaning into week zero. We're leading into college football season, actually being here, despite none of the local teams playing, and despite week zero just kind of not really feeling like it is real football. But here we are a week later and we're weekend,
although we're calling it week one. But I think guess the best way to describe where we are right now is that game week is here for all the local teams. I'm fired up. We got a lot we believe it or not, we actually have a lot to react to
from week zero. I mean, we're not going to spend three hours discussing how embarrassing it was for Florida State to travel all the way to Ireland feeling superior to everybody in the ACC and getting mopped by a team who you know, maybe that's an exaggeration, but Florida State never looked like the better team really at any point
in that game, and they lost. In man, it really felt like college football fans across the world were celebrating and pointing and laughing at Florida State for losing just because of their arrogance and our do feel they should have been in the playoff in the grand scheme of things. I think the committee got it right, but it was no perfect solution. Like I've made it clear, like nobody
wanted Florida State in there. But they didn't do anything wrong, right, I mean, just it was one of the very unique circumstances that kept them out. But the way they felt, you know, inferior after that, I mean, people may not realize this. The lawsuit that they filed against the ACC was like a week after the playoff rankings the final ones were unveiled, and of course they were left out. So they blamed the ACC for that because they feel as if they're being held back, and then you travel
all the way to Ireland and lose. And I think we all were winners when that happened. John, let me ask you this, do you think because Florida State cried so much about missing the playoff? Like, why is everybody taking joy in this?
Because they feel so entitled that they have the ability or they think they should have the ability to get out of the grain of rights and be able to do whatever they want. And you start off the season, you're the You're the Marquee College football game in Week zero in Ireland, and I don't want to say you laid an egg, but oh, you didn't lay.
An egg, and you might have. You showed us that you're not going to be that good. Now they'll end up getting better. They got talent, They're not going to
be a dud. But what I met more so was why did people outside the ACC take such celebration right because the ACC as a league, I mean clearly they think they're better than the rest of us, and they feel as if we are beneath them, and they now have low I mean they've I mean they didn't get in, they got embarrassed because of the outcome overall, and just the way they carry themselves throughout. I mean, but the game was close and they lost on a last second
field goal. But my point is this, like it just seems as if the entire college football world was laughing at Florida State. It felt like that as soon as the story came out from Bet McMurphy earlier in the summer, if you remember where he had sources from the Big Ten and the SEC making it quite clear that there's not really a big appetite to go add a Florida State. Like I don't know, I just they seem like a team that nobody likes unless you're a fan of them.
And I never would have really thought that, but I think it's kind of played out that way now. There's also something to be said about, you know, cheering for the underdog and Georgia Tech. I mean, they kept the receipts, they knew that nobody gave them much of a chance
to win that game. I knew they'd be able to compete, but I will admit this, it didn't hit me until the day of the game that Georgia Tech actually ended up having a good year last year and that they actually you know, were pretty good, and then with Florida State, I just could never understand why anybody thought that dj I mean, I felt a little insecure sharing this take last week because I know I said it a few times John, and that was why are people acting as
if dj U could just be added in to replace Jordan Travis who we saw what Florida State was without him, and they're just going to be a Okay, they're gonna be a preseason top ten team. Like this guy played four years of college football in Power of Five conferences and was mid at best. You put him on Florida State, you ask him to throw the ball further than five yards, and he's not going to be very good. He's not
going to be very consistent. It'd be one thing if this was a guy that there was all kinds of hype from the high school level or something. This guy has shown us for an entire career that he is not that good, and he showed us once again in his fifth year at Florida State. So you know, we're pointing in laughing at Florida State again. That's not to say they're going to be terrible this year, but I mean, they got bullied up front, and they don't have a
good quarterback. They certainly have a stable of running backs, but that Georgia Tech defensive front was was in control there in that matchup between the running game of Florida State and those guys in the trenches for Georgia Tech. So anyways, I enjoyed Week zero. I'll admit that it was because I did, in fact have a good start. And this is this, I mean, I overthink everything in life. That's one of my biggest, you know issues. I got
many issues, but I overthink everything. I'm paranoid. I worry about the absolute worst. And because I went four for four in bets in Week zero, you'd think i'd be, you know, feeling great, like I'm about to have a great season of wagering on college football. But to be honest with you, it's got me thinking, well, you got your wins out of the way, You're not getting any more of the rest of the season, because that's just how I just assume things are going to go for me.
But hey, it was only four games, and uh, you know, only one was really probably watched by a lot of people. Although there was an exciting finish in that Nevada as him you game, which we'll get to that one as well, but welcome in everybody. It's game week, Coffee and company. We are fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety Nick Coffee. That is me the company man. Mister John Alden is alongside today and he's now a year older. Happy late birthday, buddy.
Thank you. I had a good birthday weekend.
Why didn't? I mean? Like this is I felt very I was mad at you on Saturday.
You're mad at me.
On Saturday night. I was laying in bed thinking of you. Not really mad, but like I saw that your wife told you happy birthday on Facebook. Uh huh, wish she gave you the very I mean it was very romantic, very sweet. What a great wife you have, John, she I'm sure she gave you a great birthday. She did, But I'm like, well, why did he tell me it was his birthday? And then I'm thinking, like, you know, because he's a grown up, he's probably not thinking him.
I hope everybody knows it's my birthday today. Another example where you know you are mature beyond your years, because I think a lot of people would have you know, been all over the place making it quite clear. Hey, it's my day today, and John, you didn't do that at all. But me not knowing it was your birthday Saturday, I felt like a bad friend. But you know, thanks to Facebook, I now know. Oh that's a thing. Facebook helps.
You know anybody's birthday now absolutely absolutely so happy birthday. What are you? Twenty seven? Now?
Twenty seven official? This feels like the official start of the late twenties, right, So do.
You feel I mean, like if you felt kind of the same since we've worked together, like kind of because you know, you've been mid twenties, since we haven't worked together that long. We've known each other a while, but we've we've been on the air together for it'll be two years in January, so you know, roughly a year and three quarters. And I feel like you've kind of been the same. But there is a difference between twenty five and twenty seven, like your your thirties aren't that far away, my man.
I know, it is weird to think that now I'm only three years away from that, and it's I mean, I don't really think about that very often, but maybe now that I'm on the edge of it, maybe I will think about it a little more often.
Well, take it, take it in, brother, don't, don't just you know, don't just act like it's going to be there forever, because it won't. And I can tell you late twenties fun time, fun fun time.
I remember last year I was. I took my first ever sick day on my birthday.
Last year. I was actually sick. You or may not remember that.
I kind of remember that. Now that you say that, it's a terrible what.
Better something, I'll never forget it.
Weird though, Speaking of being sick, I was worried again, just I worry about everything. I'm going to chalk it up to allergies because I was outside all day Saturday for the most part. I mean it was hot as hell, a couple of football games to go to, ended up being outside with the kids doing stuff. Later in the day, had a kid's birthday party. I mean, I was doing you know, dad stuff all weekend, which is you know, now my life, You'll be there before too long, John,
So that's what I'm telling you. Hey, you know, the dad stuff's great, but you know, take advantage of the time when you can just do whatever the hell you want to not have to worry about the human beings you helped create that you have to take care of and entertain at all times, and they run your world. So it had to be allergies because yesterday, you know, throughout the day, I kept getting an itchy, scratchy throat.
My head felt like it weighed six thousand pounds. I don't want to get too graphic and gross, but there was a lot of drainage going on in the back, and it just I kind of felt like I was coming down with something. Woke up this morning still kind of felt the same, and then I don't know, maybe it's because I heard that beautiful voice of one Jeff Brom talking about the opponent this week because it's game week, and that just that cured me that that healed whatever
I had coming. Jeff Bram he got rid of it, some witch doctor stuff or something like that. He has healed me. Because I'm feeling like a million bucks here as we as we get, as we get the show started, So I don't know. Maybe it was also heat exhaustion, because the heat's back. Brother, it's going to be I think the hottest week of the year this.
Week it is.
We have a couple of days. I think the highest ninety eight later in the week, and that is just the absolute worst.
Yeah, you can go to hell with ninety eight.
It will be hell.
Yeah, yeah, exactly, that's what Mother Nature. She's bringing us hell because that's that that's awful. Nobody wants that, especially now that we got football. And I know the early part of football is always I mean, it's always hot as hell, usually in late August early September. But I get the sense, not that I can check the pulse, you know, of everybody, but I feel like there's there seems to be more than the usual amount of desire for fall weather. I don't know, I just I can
feel it. Maybe it's just me wanting fall weather that badly, but yeah, this week's going to be hot as hell. But you know it's okay because football season's here and that's a nice distraction from you know, the disgusting humidity out there. Yeah, I guess being outside for a good chunk of Saturday. And then I was outside all night Friday under the lights at CT collins Field watching the North bull At Eagles get a big victory. Take that Holy Cross, Take that Mark Lieberman stick that in your
pipe and smoke at leaves. No, I'm kidding. It was a good game, but North bullet one because that's what we do. We win, we're winners. So anyways, let's just we're going to talk about what Jef Brom had to say to and there really wasn't a whole out there. That's what he does really good. He's really good at saying nothing while talking for you know, twenty minutes. And I don't say that to you know, pick on Jeff, because that's what coaches do. And he is certainly somebody
that's gonna always give you less than maybe most. I mean, I think he'll be pretty direct, he'll be honest. He's not up there playing games, but he's all about keeping it close to the vest.
As they say.
He's not even going to release a depth chart. Did you know that, John, I didn't. Jeff Brohm does not release week one depth charts. He doesn't want anybody to know truly how the lineups are, how the you know, first second string breaks down. You're too deep until you actually see it out there on the field. That's an old school that's old school gamesmanship right there, from one Jeff Brohm. So you know, again he talked about a
Mary Huggins Bruce. In fact, he didn't at all. He was asked about it, couldn't talk about it, and that's to be expected. But he's still here, and you know, I doubt he came here just to, you know, enjoy this disgusting humidity. He's here to play football, and I guess now we still have to just wait and figure out what needs to be done in order for that to be possible. I am still willing to tell you that I don't know how he could be eligible. Doesn't
mean he won't be the hell do I know. I'm not a compliance expert when it comes to NAA eligibility, But like, I just don't see how the NCAA would give Louisville the green like to let this guy play. But again, I've been wrong a lot, and I'll be wrong a lot more the rest of the way. So maybe I'm wrong about that and there's some loophole that
I just don't know about. We'll see. But I have despite Louisville being a thirty six and a half point favorite against Austin p I do have a handful of things that I'm hoping to see in the game, and I'll tell you about those are a little bit later on. And again, I hate even laying it out there like I've got something I'm teasing you about. I mean, i'd
say what you want to see is fairly obvious. But there was a couple of things Jeff said today that kind of had me thinking, Okay, I'm gonna be looking for this and that as we get as we get to Saturday, big favorites everybody here locally again, Louisville thirty six and a half point favorites Indiana. Is it still at twenty one? John?
It more th and a half that I see.
That's its Signette factor. That's what it is. They're gonna give them the hook twenty one and a half. I like it, I don't. I mean, I probably will do just a straight bet on this because of you, and I love you, and I love the Hoosiers. I want Indiana football to give you something John this year. Yeah, so I might just take Signetti minus twenty one and a half without even doing any research on FIU.
If I was taking this game, i'd probably bet the over because I know FIU is supposed to have a fairly suspect defense, But the Hoosiers may have one as well, so it could be kind of a mini shootout.
To say, Signetti suspect defense. I don't like hearing that.
I hope not. But that's just kind of you know, the early rumor mill.
We'll see, we'll see what win tod they play.
They are nooner, they're a three thirty right in the postgame show.
How about that we've got We've got Louisville noon. I U three thirty Kentucky. I think it's seven forty five. And by the way, Kentucky twenty eight and a half point favorites against Southern Miss. And you never know what you're gonna give with Southern Miss. Every every now and then they'll be pretty good for you know, Sun Belt or Conference USA, whatever league. I think they're actually still in the Conference USA, but you know, and then there's also a stretch where they are the worst team in
the country. And I don't say this stack like you know, Kentucky, although it is rich here in Kentucky. Continue to talk strength to schedule whenever, you know, they don't beat the good teams, and they actually when they play bad teams, they play the really really bad teams like Southern Miss if you go look again, who knows, maybe maybe everyone is going to be wrong about this Southern miss team, but they're supposed to be ass this year, so you
know they are. That's that's why Kentucky's favored by you know, more than four touchdowns. And I actually I'm not gonna bet it because gross, but I do like Kentucky to cover in that one.
I do.
That's how bad so the Miss is and Kentucky will keep them from scoring maybe any points that it could be a shutout. I mean that. I mean, I mean maybe they get a field goal or too late in the game or something like that. But with Kentucky and their offense, it won't mean a whole lot. Again, and if Louisville scores one hundred points, it won't mean a
whole lot because of the competition. So I'm not making it about the rivalry here, but I would think you would you want to light up that scoreboard against an inferior opponent when you've got some You got a new quarterback, you want him to be comfortable and confident the rest
of the way. You've got a big game next week against South Carolina that has a big impact on your season, I believe so in all honesty, that's one of the bets I like more than any is Kentucky to cover big there, just because I think, you know, and I guess they've had games where they are trying to win big and you know, really put it on an opponent and they end up, you know, doing exactly the opposite. They trailed EKU at halftime last year, so I guess
in games like this they've had the let down. But I don't. I just have a feeling Kentucky's gonna mop Southern Miss, which they should. And then WKU at Alabama your alumna, John Or you're you're Alma mater, I should say you are an alumn But yeah, I got that backwards there thirty one and a half at Bama, Kaylen Debor getting his Alabama era era started with a humongous spread there against the Hilltoppers. I'm not touching that. That's too many points.
Yeah.
And WKU, even though they've had different coaches over the years, they've been known to put up some points as well, and I'm sure it'll be a lot harder to do against an Alabama team, but it could be another high scoring affair.
Potentially.
Yeah, if I was gonna, if I was gonna do anything there, it'd probably be the the the over. But that's a stay away from me. I can tell you that, all right, what I want to do. On the other side, we're gonna get to our first break coming up here in just a few minutes.
But there's not a whole.
Lot that any of you probably care about when it comes to Georgia Tech and Florida State, SMU and Nevada. But again, it's two sc in fact, three sc ACC teams that played, and Louisville's gonna play two of them. Right, they don't have Florida State on the schedule, but they have Georgia Tech and they'll play SMU. In fact, those are two. I mean, Georgia Tech is your first real game, right, You've got Austin p this Saturday. Then you're gonna take
on Jacksonville State. Then it's Georgia Tech. And let's be real that game now is there's value there. I mean, they're gonna be Let me look at Georgia Tech's schedule because and I had it pulled up earlier, and I think I remember it, but I don't want to, you know, I don't want to get it wrong here, but there's no way they lose between now in that game. I mean, they'll play Georgia State, which they should win, and then they'll play Syracuse on the road, which again you should win.
And if they lose on the road at Q's a team that did get better in the portal, did make a coaching change. But like Georgia Tech, if you can go beat Florida State, you should be undefeated when you get to Louisville on September twenty first. They also play vm I two, by the way, and that that's their FCS opponent, So you know there's there's there's a chance for Louisville to you know, circle that as a game that you know there's value. You mean, I haven't seen
the updated ap pole. Have you seen it? John? I haven't let me pull it up here because you know it wouldn't it wouldn't shock me if if I mean, in fact, it would shock me if. Yeah, there's no update from what I can see here.
Why they may not because I guess technically Week zero is a part of Week one, so they won't update the poll until after this upcoming weekend.
I could be wrong. But I think that's how well.
No, I think you're right, because if if they were updating it, I think we yeah, I mean we would be everywhere like it would be.
And it'd be a very weird polled update after four games and truly only one top twenty five opponent.
But I kind of feel like this is a disadvantage of week zero if you are, if you are Georgia Tech, because cause even if you come out this Saturday and you beat Georgia State by forty, the chance to really you know, impress the polsters as they're filling it out, would have been this week, right, Yeah, Like you're not gonna get as much value next week as you would this this current week, from beating Florida State to top ten team. Again, who cares the AP poll is? It
really is irrelevant. But I also, and again this is me talking out to both sides here, it's irrelevant because it genuinely does not matter at all in regards to anything. But from a fans perspective, like it, we're insecure for it, right, Like you want to see that number next to your name. You want to see, you know, that number next to your opponent's name when you beat them, so it feels like you beat somebody good. So you know, I actually think and this is what I want, This is what
I was kind of leading up to. I'll get to it on the other side, and I promise I'm not going to talk big picture ACC and then SMU and Georgia Tech for the entire show. But the results from Saturday in the ACC, the upset of Florida State with Georgia Tech taking him down, and then SMU struggling against an Nevada team that was picked to finish dead last in the Missouri Valley. You know, that's clearly not looked
at as a good thing for the ACC. Right. Outsiders are looking at this as a sign that the ACC is really a poor is a poor league. And I can't really say that they're wrong based off the results. I can't say that that's crazy. But I actually think after the fact, right, you know, seeing how people are reacting and then going back and looking more so at all three of these teams, specifically in the ACC, the level of disrespect was already there and it was right
in front of our face. Like Georgia Tech should have been a team that was getting way more love. SMU should have been a team that is not getting as much love. They were right outside the top twenty five. They were looked at by a lot of people, objective folks that cover college football as this, you know, potential darling in the ACC because of how well they did last year in the American and you know they have
resources at SMU. But like I felt myself, I felt bad about the ACC in a way I never had before. But I also have noticed this urge that I can't control John to now start defending the ACC. Is this is this is this what they call a heel turn, a heel turn, because like I've like i've all, I mean, I've always been very you know, from I've always said this when it comes to the ACC, I can't do
the pom poms pep rally for the conference. As a Louisville fan who grew up watching Louisville be in like six different leagues, I've never felt as if, like, you know, we have to be homers for our own conference. Now, with that said, clearly, whatever conference you're in, it's best for your conference to be good and get respected and all that kind of stuff. But I just if I
if I see it for what it is. I don't ever find myself wanting to kind of move the goalpost, do some mental gymnastics to make the acc look like anything other than what it is. But now I find myself thinking, hey, Georgia Tech should have been given more love in that matchup, especially considering the fact that, like Florida State, let's be honest, last year, people laughed them off the playoff rankings because of the injury to Jordan Travis.
And again, that is unusual circumstance, that's not something I mean, that was just a very rare, really an outlier type situation in the four team playoff era, to where you have a team that, yes, they're undefeated, but like everybody knows, there's only four spots to give. You can't give them, you can't give it to one of them when you know that they just be a placeholder. They'd get their rear end kicked without Jordan Travis. So anyways, we'll get
to that. On the other side, there's a lot we got to get to, a lot to react to from over the weekend, and of course week one is here, many more games to take a look at. Deon Sanders continues to in my opinion, be ahead of the pack when it comes to coach is that it's going to be so easy to root for. I mean what he and his praise, it's not really just him, it's his program too, telling certain people that if you come to a press conference, they will not take your question, Like,
what the hell is this insane? So we're loaded the rest of the way. Stick with us. It is Coffee and Company, and we are fueled by Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety so all underdogs covered in the four games for a week zero. I mean that's I mean, we told you the dogs were barking. That's all I'm gonna say. I mean, I will admit I didn't share any thoughts on Hawaii other than just you know, knowing that they're knowing that their opponent may not be
able to get there. But hey, Delaware State they got there and they covered thirty nine and a half. So FSU ended up being favored at ten and a half when it kicked off, and as you know, Georgia Tech went out right. Montana State they were favored about thirteen and a half. Keep in mind, Montana State is an FCS team that wasn't great last year, and they went into New Mexico and were favored by nearly two touchdowns. I mean, I guess technically it was two touchdowns, but
thirteen and a half. And I didn't touch that one initially, just because I felt like, man, that's like if you bet on I didn't even need to look into how bad New Mexico State was previously. We did on the show last week. When you see somebody, I mean, that'll jump out at you more than anything that a team in the Mountain West is hosting an FCS team and they're two scores under, two score underdogs, Like it's crazy. So I ended up by the way I did go for I went four for four on bets kind of.
I mean there were four different wagers, but I did multiple different bets on one particular game. So I parlayed the two dogs I've been talking about for weeks that was SMU and Nevada. I just thought Nevada was given up. I mean, that's a lot of points for teams that are still trying to, you know, get acclimated with a bunch of new transfers and whatnot. So SMU was favored by twenty seven and a half and barely won the game,
shoult a loss. To be honest with you, SMU was fortunate to be able to win that game, and I did. I'll admit I did not expect Georgia Tick to win outright, but I felt like they could keep it close, and they did they want they won out right. So when Montana State ended up getting down against New Mexico, I couldn't believe that there wasn't some type of like big shock by the books, right. I thought the live line would change to where, yeah, they're up what ten in
the first half. They're the gf They're the G five team from the Mountain West, and you know, my time at Montana State is in the FCS that like maybe they would realize, okay, we got this way wrong before kickoff, let's try to divorce reverse course. So I ended up deciding to take New Mexico. But they were still getting six and a half. They were plus six and a half when they were winning and in control, and they were winning that game and in control of it until
you know, the very end. So I had two straight bets on those underdog picks with Georgia Tech and Nevada, and then I parlayed it, so that's you know that that's basically three that's three bets there individuals, and then the one parlay and then I ended up doing the live bet with New Mexico and they covered as dogs. So good start for me, John, you had the worst betting weekend ever, but not for reasons people may expect, right.
Yes, and I didn't know I was going to be sharing this, but on the show that I do in the mornings now I'm my new in Touch with the Indiana Sports show on YouTube check out, I made picks for each of the different games, but I told my listeners that I wasn't actually going to wager this weekend, and I don't. I learned that that was a bad omen early on for me because I ended up predicting the under in Georgia Tech FSU, which hit. I predicted New Mexico to cover against Montana State, which they did.
I predicted Nevada to cover against SMU, which they did, and then I predicted in Delaware State, well, I'm out of breath to cover against Hawaiian because it's as well.
Because it's you're you're like about to pass out because you just you know, you got all these right you hammered it, but you didn't bet.
It's just embarrassing because the week zero games always feel like they're bait games, and it is the case for the most part, and because you never know what what what teams are really going to be like as they get their seasons underway.
Bad teams don't know they're bad yet. This one thing I've heard Colin Coward say before. So I just it was it was a big loss for me.
But you know what, We're gonna try to bounce back this weekend, actually put some money on the line, and maybe we'll come out on top this time.
Yeah. But I just here's what I hate about this for you is that you're gonna feel pressure to win this week because your picks that would have won you didn't bet on. Like you know what I'm saying, I already feel the pressure, like there's there's no way that I can come across that type of luck liked had had you wagered, it could have you could have been like me to where and that, trust me, that's not
a good place to be. What I mean by that is you could have been like me and thought, well, you know, maybe I'll win a few bets here and there, But that's probably gonna be the best weekend I ever had. Yeah of the sea. So but hey, I mean, you know, you are somebody that is in a good headspace I feel like at all times with your college basketball and college football bets, because you don't go extreme and you
don't overthink it. From what I can tell, like you kind of you know, you do just enough, you know, analyzing and you know you would because you parlay a lot. I do you and I do too, so you know, it's it's just how everybody it's got their own preference thrown way of wagering. But you know, like if you just went one by one each leg of every parlay, you'd bet, you know, and you bet those as straight bets.
You may not you may not have a whole lot of money because one, you know, one straight bet if you don't put much money down, isn't going to pay you much. But like, you know, at least you got it right, you know what I mean, Like you picked that, you picked that game correctly. So I haven't even really gotten into Week one matchups just yet, but trust me, we got all week to do that and it's gonna be a lot of fun. All right, Coffee and Company
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All right, So back to the ACC stuff. You know, I think the reaction from week zero in regards to the ACC is understandable, but I feel like had the league not looked like such a and again, I think perception of the ACC is actually not as bad as it actually is. But that's just life, right, Like the perception of things really does matter, but at times it's
over it's overblown. So Georgia Tech should have been getting way more respect in this game, to where if the ACC had had had had a better you know, had better street cred. And look, that's their own fault, right. Over the years, the ACC has done a bad job of winning non conference games against good, good conference, good out of conference opponents to show that, like, you know, you deserve the benefit of the doubt when you beat
up on each other. So it's not like the ACC is a victim here, like the reputation that it has is is deserved, to be honest with you, But Georgia Tech last year, like how many people realized they won't They finished in fourth place last year, fourth place. Like that's not to say that they should have been favored. That's not to say that they are the most underrated team in the country. They finished fourth in a top
in a Power five league. Like, again, I know, the ACC is not the SEC or the Big Ten when it comes to depth, or even the Big the old Big twelve from last year, but still, like you'd have thought that they were, Like I think there's so many people that are casual to maybe lightly above casual college football fans that if you'd have told them before game day started on Saturday that Georgia Tech was coming off a five and seven season, people would have believed you.
They'd had no reason to question you unless they just know. But yet, they were good last year. I mean, there's their first bowl victory since twenty sixteen. They beat Central Florida and again their personnel. They returned twelve starters, including their quarterback Haines King, who, by the way, did not play good against Florida State. If I'm being honest with you, he did just enough, but you know he was good.
Here's what he did statistically last year. Haines King has only one of four Power Conference qbs to have twenty five or more passing touchdowns and ten or more rushing touchdowns. You know who else did that, Jaden Daniels, Kayleb Williams,
and Dylan Gabriel. They brought back probably the best running back in the ACC over one thousand yards last year for Jamal Haynes, seven rushing types, six yards per carry, and they have a freshman All American coming back in Eric Singleton at receiver and their defense stunk last year. It's stunk, but they do return their two best tacklers, and they went out and they hired a defensive coordinator. Had to be fair, there was no way to know that this guy, you know, would be able to deliver.
But they were awful defensively, and they were in control defensively. I mean they were aful last year defensively, but on Saturday in Ireland they were in control. Their defensive front looked good. And they went out and they hired by the way, Tyler Santucci, who I'm sure you'd never heard of, but he was with He was at Duke with Mike Elko, so he was the defensive coordinator there. Obviously, Mike Elko is a defensive guy. He ran the defense. But this
is a guy that worked right under Mike Elko. And by the way, Duke last year had the top ranked scoring defense in the ACC, only allowing nineteen points per game, sixteenth nationally. This is a guy who was also a co DC at Texas A and twenty twenty two for Elko. So again, there's no way to know that this guy would have been like able to really flip that defense around. But like Georgia Tech, in my opinion, should have been a team getting a little more love as a potential darling.
Like they should be viewed as a team that's better than SMU, because again, all they bring back after finishing top four in the league a year ago, and you know, they did pretty well on the portal. Like I just think if you look at the more I looked into Georgia Tech, the more I felt confident they could cover as dogs. And they did that and they went outright. But just because nobody respects the ACC, I don't think anybody really cares about all that stuff I just laid out,
and I don't trust me. What I laid out doesn't tell you that you should go ahead and pencil them
in for the playoff. But that team, given what they brought back in what they did in a power league, even if you don't think this is the best league, they were viewed as this just piece of trash type team I feel like, and then SMU, SMU being viewed as this team that while they're going to acclimate pretty well to the Power five, much better than any the other schools will and maybe they will right they're one,
and oh they ended up beating Nevada. But I think this is another example of people just thinking the SCC might as well be high school football. Remember the ACC might as well be high school football. I think SMU was getting this love to be a you know, potential team in the mix to go to the championship game
of the ACC because nobody respects the ACC. I mean, they do return a bunch of guys from last year's team that won eleven games and also played in the American Athletic Conference championship game, but nobody seems to realize that they only played three Power five teams last year. They went eleven and zero in their non Power five schedule, which again was the American when the American had lost
since anat Central Florida and Houston. So like, they went eleven and zero and won their league when the league became like even less than it already was. I mean, they can't control who's on their schedule, but they did play three Power five teams last year. You know what they did didn't compete in any of those games. That's what they didn't do. They lost to a TCU team that was awful last year. Remember that team that got blown out by Colorado in the opener, fresh off of
a championship game appearance. They lost by seventeen to TCU lost by seventeen to Oklahoma, who's a good team, but they weren't competitive in that game, and they got beat by double digits by Boston College, who we know is in the ACC, who we know sucked in the ACC last year. So, like, I just I don't know, Like there's the only way to control to change this is
for the ACC to improve as a football league. But like, again, maybe I'm overthinking it here, but I think SMUs was given this undeserved love to be a potential contender in this league because nobody respects the league. If you looked at what they did he year ago, you'd understand how they were able to win eleven games. And then with Georgia Tech, you know, just because they did have some pretty impressive numbers a year ago and they brought back
a lot of production. Yeah, but it's the ACC who cares. So I mean, look, take advantage of it if you're Louisville, right, Like, maybe the league does suck this year and everybody's terrible. Well that's the case. Hopefully LOUISLL wins a bunch of games. But knowing that the league's not going anywhere anytime soon, Florida the grant of rights are are locked in like that,
I don't think the leagu's gonna fall apart. I don't so now that we're all stuck together, like, I just hope that the league can can put themselves in better shape, because look, Florida State, even if Georgia Tech ends up having a really good season, Florida State, you know, if they don't rally, they're gonna be laughed at as a team that was you know, not deserving of the playoff a year ago and way overrated this year. Like there's a lot of football that we played. I know that.
But Clemson this weekend, we all know who they play, right, Clemson's taken on Georgia, And if Clemson gets blown off the field, it might just be because Georgia's Georgia, right, But man, if Clemson a week after Florida State gets embarrassed by Georgia Tech, if they get mopped, any national noise about the ACC is going to be how awful the league is and should we still consider it a
power conference? Fair or not? That's gonna be what's out there, and I don't really know how you can control that, right, I mean, it's like you're suffering from something that you know you can't change now, but like it happened, right, Like the league doesn't get the benefit of dout because of what they do in these non conference games. So therefore, when Georgia Tech does beat Florida State, nobody's looking at this as Wow, just another tough, tough night at the
office in the ACC, what are you gonna do? Like, for example, if Kentucky beat Ole Miss this weekend in week zero, like Georgia Tech beat Florida State, the talk around that is that, man, that just shows you how tough it is in the SEC, when we all know
that's nonsense. Maybe that's not a great comparison, but you know what I mean, Clemson, Clemson could be six times better than they were last year or the year before, but they could also still lose by twenty one points to Georgia because you know, Kirby Smart and Georgia they are juggernauts. So I don't really see how I don't see a way around it, you know what I mean, Like, it's gonna take time for this league to regain or
maybe just you know, I say regain. I feel like the ACC hasn't had a whole lot of football respect in many, many years, but it was inevitable again these first two weeks, you're two teams that everybody expects to be in the championship game, Clemson in Florida State. Florida State's already embarrassed themselves, although it was against an opponent that I think should have been given more of a chance to win that game. And then with Clemson, you know,
there's already a lot of talk about them. They're a storyline in college football alone, just because their coach doesn't want to do the portal and since he's made that decision, and since he hasn't had a quarterback named Deshaun Watson or Trevor Lawrence, Dabo has been kind of mid right. So I just I just feel like we've got a couple of weeks here where it's just gonna be nothing but bad stuff when people talk about the ACC. But again,
like you can't control it. I mean, you could have in the past, but you know that's that's in the past. Can't change it now, All right, quick break, We'll come back on the other side, keep this thing rolling along. It is Coffee and Company, and we are fueled by Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. That's right, we were wrapping up the first hour here on a Monday edition of Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's thanks
for hanging out with us as usual. Not a whole lot to a lot of time here to to put much into this last segment, but we still have two hours left. We're taking you up till six o'clock like we always do. And uh, you gotta you gotta love whenever nobody's given you a chance, and yet you prove everybody wrong. That's exactly what Georgia Tech did over the weekend.
And uh, they were they were keeping receipts, as the kids like to say when it comes to the doubters out there, as far as you know them being able to pull off the upset, and you know they were. I think they were getting love, but it was not legit. And what I mean by that is they're they're they're they're a perircule team. Like that's kind of how everybody
was talking about them on college game day. To be fair, I was, you know, I wasn't on college game day, but that's kind of the way I looked at it, like, hey, you know what they're they're not as good. They won't win, but they'll keep it, they'll keep it close. And yet they they won, and they were in control for the majority of that game. And again they kept receipts and the Georgia Tech social media team. Uh, I'll give them a I'll give them an a plus here for putting
this together shortly after their big victory. And really at this point, you know, not much competition for them, but they are the talk of week zero pulling off that big upset. In fact, unfortunately, I'd say that's probably not true. The talk is more about their opponent. But either way, they can't control that. They can just go out there and play foot and that's what they did and they won.
The both sides of the ball.
Jamal Haynes will get the carry.
Florida State is just way too big in the trenches, the both sides.
Of the ball.
Jamal Haynes will get the carry.
Puts back against the grain and.
I got Florida State winning this game.
But the State's got too much speed and too much size.
That's what will he offer up here, Jamal Haynes, really he.
Looking forward to watching Florida State run the football in the fourth quarter.
To this fiery Georgia Tech teams who comes up bick again as little Miles Brooks.
Really he looking forward to watching Florida State run the football.
List here in the fourth quarter, trailing by a touchdown, as that was Kyle.
Efer thing Florida State wins this game.
As Haynes gets all the extra yardage, give me the seminoles by a lot. He's gonna try to run themselfing with success.
I like Florida State.
And like Florida State for we got all for Chargeatown.
I got it.
There were so many Florida State fans there. I didn't realize that until after the fact. But if you're a Florida State fan, you didn't lose a game last year until you know you got creamed by Georgia in the in the bowl game, which again that was embarrassing. But I mean to go all the way to Ireland in a game that you really aren't expecting to lose in any way, at least I don't. I mean, I didn't hear anybody out there claiming that this was going to
be a legitimate upset. I mean, they covered as dogs, but man, it reminded me that it is It is better when you're in that situation like Louisville Football's most notable wins ever are whenever or whenever there was nobody giving them a chance, and you probably, deep down as a fan didn't feel like you you know, you weren't overly confident, like, oh, it's not going to be a
sweat they're gonna win. Would be highly shocked if they if they don't, But you know, you have that belief because you're a fan and you know that everybody else is expecting it to be a loss for you, maybe even a bad loss in a way, and you shock the world. I mean that there's none better than that. So you know, Louisville's been in that position many times.
Obviously they won't be there for a while. I mean, they got two games this to start this season that you know they should win by a lot of points. Then they've got Georgia Tech and that, look, that's one that they should you know, they still like that win for Georgia Tech does not mean Louisville should look at this as a game that they're gonna be lucky to win. They should still expect to win. There's still gonna be favorites.
I would, but at least now you know, hey, this team is somebody that can beach if you're not ready. And also you could get a ranked win. You could, because I'd be shocked if they're not ranked when you play them. All right, quick break, we got two hours to go, so stick around. We'll let you hear what Jeff Brohm had to say when he was asked about
Amari Huggins. Bruce, We'll give you the latest example of how Deion Sanders is just the absolute worst, and a lot more as we rolled along here on a Monday afternoon on Sports Talk seven ninety