Latest / The Auburn Undercover Podcast / Previewing Saturday’s A-Day game | Terry Bowden Show

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Previewing Saturday’s A-Day game | Terry Bowden Show · The Auburn Undercover Podcast

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For more than a hundred years, the Haley
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Red Family Foundation has proudly
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supported Auburn University
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scholarships, investing in students
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dreams and brighter futures. For over 25
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years, we've also stood beside the
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Sheriff's Girls Ranch, helping young
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women find hope and opportunity. The
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Haley Red Family Foundation, building
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generations of success.
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Welcome in again everybody, to another
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edition of the Terry B Show on Auburn
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Undercover. I'm your co-host Ronnie
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Sanders and we're joined today as always
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by former Auburn coach Terry Balin.
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Coach, it's good to be with you.
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>> Good to be here again. And uh this is
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kind of our last offseason show while
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spring ball's still going on. You know,
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we still got some things happening in
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spring ball, some evaluations still
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being made. uh uh a fans chance to still
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see the team play and have some uh get
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some impressions of athletes and the
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players and kind of things that we're
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doing. So uh and uh so it's a fun time
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and the spring game always is a fun
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time. I think we'll have a great crowd.
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Starts at 2:00 p.m. Central. That's uh
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and uh on Saturday
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>> and uh a lot of great activities going
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on uh for a day. I know they've got a
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Letterman uh lunchon and some other
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activities, but it should be a lot of
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fun. Now, I don't know I don't know
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what's the weather like. Uh we've got a
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little rain over here expected on
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Saturday in Louisiana. Um and uh but I
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don't know if it's going to be rainy or
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not, but it's hard to rain on a good
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Aday game and and ruin it for anybody.
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That's for sure.
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>> Yeah, no doubt. And you know, the the
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format this year is is pretty
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interesting. Uh goalie said a couple
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days ago, um I'm just going to read
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here. format will include offensive
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points not only for touchdowns and field
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goals, but also for explosive plays and
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first downs. The defense can counter by
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earning points for tackles for loss,
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three and outs, and turnovers and sacks.
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>> Yeah.
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>> Go ahead. Yeah. Well, what what it is,
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they've got a system and I and I and I
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was going to talk about that because,
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you know, spring ball means a lot of
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things to a lot of people and it's a
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very important game historically at
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Auburn and even when I played at West
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Virginia or most every university, it's
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just everybody's hungry for a football
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game. Uh, and many of the older people
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now now I look back, it's I went to
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college as a freshman 52 years ago. A
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lot of changes since then. uh unlimited
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scholarships back then. Then it went to
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125 and then 105, then to 85.
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All those factors changed uh the way we
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looked at spring ball, but as we know,
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we call it a day. Um and it's a it's
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it's one historically it's always
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important to people, but it kind of has
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changed. Alex Golich um made a decision
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to add some different type of scoring,
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but I think it was a good move to try to
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make it as much like a game day fan
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uh day and I think that's what you're
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going to see. But people, I mean, we go
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back to when I was even coaching uh and
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when when a day when when the spring
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game was almost as much like a game as
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anything you'd see in the fall. And uh I
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know it you'd have to you probably
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didn't know or a lot of people didn't
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know that even back when I when I
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started coaching uh we would have a
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draft. We would take the two captains
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and the two leaders of the team and the
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coaches would get them in the in the
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staff room and there'd be the player
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board up on the wall and they'd flip a
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coin and they would draft players one at
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a time until we came up with two teams.
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Uh, and it was fun, but it was I mean it
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was serious business. Uh, because have
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you drafted the best quarterback? Do you
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want a running back? Uh, do you want a
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defensive player? Do you want an
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offensive star? Because we were going to
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play the game back then as close to a
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real game as possible. And uh, and so
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all those things were important. And it
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was almost always a a beans and weenies
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type of game. Steak for the winner and
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beans and weenies for the loser. uh and
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uh and so you made it just like a
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football game uh and it was played like
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that and and the players had to take a
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took a lot of pride in it. Well, why
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don't we have it like that anymore? And
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uh because so many things have changed,
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you know, back when we when I was at and
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I want to say even when I was coaching
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at Auburn in the 90s, we had 30 days to
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get in 20 full days of practice and
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those were full practices. It wasn't
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like you could scrimmage one day or be
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in helmets in the other. You got after
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it for 20 days.
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>> Uh and so and for whatever reason, we
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didn't worry as much about it. I mean,
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we we scrimmaged hard and we didn't
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think as much about well, we may get
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guys injured for the season or whatever
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because we just that's the way everybody
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did it. It was as much a endurance and a
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toughness and and and the numbers were
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bigger. you had bigger numbers of
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players and so you you were able to uh
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look at different players and play a
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first team, a second team and a third
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team. And so the numbers were bigger,
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the practices uh were long and grueling.
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Um and uh um and so we we we approached
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it differently and it was a I always
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thought it was great. It's funny. I was
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a walk-on in college and and it was too
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little to be and slow to be a star. But
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I my claim to fame was that like I led
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the team in rushing in spring ball game
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in the spring ball game. I led West
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Virginia in rushing. Now of course all
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the star backs didn't dress for the
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game.
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And so I didn't mention that to my
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friends but uh that was a a big
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occasion. But we've kind of had to stop
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it. we've kind of had to stop it or over
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the years it's stopped. I know in the
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last uh 20 years maybe I know it's gone
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down to 15 practices in 30 days and five
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of them have to be without pads of some
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type or only helmets in a certain days.
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you can only scrimmage a certain part of
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practice on certain days and they've
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taken so many rules to make take away
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the full scale practices and the full
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scale scrimmages. You don't you almost
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have to pull a day off just to able to
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have a scrimmage for a spring game. And
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so uh and I think there's a real concern
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and and Ronnie you you've been around it
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too. There's just it seems to be the
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when the when the the scholarship totals
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have gone down over the years, we don't
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want to get anybody hurt late, you know,
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>> and you don't want poaching poaching a
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kid out on the board either.
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>> Well, that's and that's another factor.
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All these factors are critical to why
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coaches have stopped wanting to video or
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have their spring games on a regional
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television. It wasn't that long ago
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where you could catch every major team
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on some channel of TV. Uh there was a
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phase where everybody tried to outdo
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each other in the number of fans that
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were there uh and they all had a
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competing thing, but then people started
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watching spring ball and if you had a
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good player that they knew was on your
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roster and you didn't play him, you
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could lose him. Or if you played a guy
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that had no name uh and he played real
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well, you can lose him. And of course,
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the portal is changing now. I do believe
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there's only one portal date now, so
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that could change that factor, but that
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has been a factor. Uh because you could
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always jump in the portal. As soon as
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spring ball was over, you could jump in
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the portal. Um but those were great
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games that those were great days and
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great games. And so now we've changed
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it. Um and it comes to it's gotten in
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some places where it's a it's a
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glorified scrimmage. It's 11 on 111
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drill and seven on seven drill and
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practice drill. Uh, and it's downright
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boring. It does nothing for the fan.
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It's not fanfriendly. It's ignoring the
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needs of your fans and that to watch
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some football and to see their new coach
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and to see their new players. And I'm
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glad that that Al Coach Kich has said,
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"No, we're going to have as close to a
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game as we can." And he's got it set up,
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I think, like you said.
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>> Yeah. Yeah, and it'll be his first first
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experience in Jordan hair stadium and I
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think he's he's excited about that. And
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uh you know I think some other things
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you know when I was at different places
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one year we had we brought professors
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out and had them captains. Uh one one
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year I think we may have been at Auburn
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and I brought in media guys and and had
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them be captains of the team. So there
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are interesting things you could do with
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the spring.
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>> Well I know I know in the spring and I'm
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pretty sure when I was in Auburn I
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didn't get involved on the sideline. I
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went up to the press box and talked to
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people. I jumped on the radio. I I met
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with alumni. I let the offensive
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coordinator, one coordinator had let
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headed up one team, the other
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coordinator headed up the other team. Uh
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and we divided the teams up. We were
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still playing a pretty good scrimmage uh
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spring game back in the 90s. Uh very
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different than even what you had last
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year with um Hugh Freeze. It was pretty
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much 11 on 111 segment and a seven on
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seven segment and a it was a practice
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type of format. uh which is not very
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friend friendly and and that's why I
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think uh coach Golovich was very smart
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to try to give the fans a little preview
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of what they're going to see. Uh and we
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he's got some rules. You start to go
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over them. I'll let you finish and then
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we'll look at all the rules that he has
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for the game. I wrote them down today.
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Um because you got to have some rules.
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Uh, and you got to have some ways to, if
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you're going to have the best against
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the best, that means your defensive team
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has to have a way of winning the game.
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The offense scores points, the defense
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doesn't. But if you're going to say,
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"Okay, we need one more great scrimmage,
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not just a game, but we need the game to
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be somewhere where we can evaluate our
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players." Well, then you're going to
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want to have ones versus ones, your best
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offense versus your best defense. Or you
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might say, "Okay, we want good people
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playing, but we do want the offense and
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defense to to come out of spring
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positive, so we'll go ones against twos
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and twos against one." So every time the
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one offense is in, the two defense is
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in. And every team the two defense is
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in, the one uh the the one defense is
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in, the two offense. And I've done that
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and I think a lot of people will look at
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that because not only are you getting
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good competition, you're looking at how
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well your backups play against good
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people whe because they're going to have
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to help you uh and you and you want your
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spring ball to end on a positive note.
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You want it to end positive. And I've
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had years with a two defense
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>> crushed the one offense or or dominated
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the one offense. And you're saying, "Oh,
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but a lot of that's because you're
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trying to hide things. You're not
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showing everything you want to show."
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So, it's pretty vanilla, you know, and I
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think that's one thing about it. But I
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do like the fact that uh coach Kovich
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has gone to a game format, you know, and
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uh uh as close to a game as possible,
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but for a way in which the kids can
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compete and the defense can say, "Well,
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we won as opposed offense winning." So,
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I just noticed that they've got some
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rules. So, I I think when you go to the
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game, you'll have a chance to see
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football players play football. That's
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what you like. It should be a lot of fun
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and it's a there's no admission fee this
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year so everybody can get out and show
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up and it should be a fun day for the
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fans. I think that John Cohen, the
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athletic director, you know, he wants to
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get everybody behind the new coach,
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>> right?
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>> You know, this is a great way to do it.
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>> Yeah, I got several emails as far as
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Letterman and former coaches and Auburn
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people. We all got our contacts about
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what kind of events are going on. It's
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going to be a big day. Uh we talked last
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week about the uh the huge stadium uh
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legislation or stadium uh um what what
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do you call levy or with the the money
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being earmarked for stadium improvements
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and that's good news for the future. But
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as I look at I was going to go down the
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the the offense and defense it's a 2
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p.m. kickoff and lot cross your fingers
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for a good day. four quarters, four 15
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minutee quarters. Uh, which is just like
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a football game except understand that
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the the clock is going to run and the
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only time it's going to stop is an
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injury, a timeout, an injury. Uh, uh,
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it's then they or a two-minute warning.
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>> You know, they have a two-minute clock
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stop, 20 minute halftime, and it keep it
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will run. So, I'm going to say this.
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It's every year I've ever coached, the
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fans get excited. They know they've got
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15minute quarters, but when you find out
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the clock doesn't stop, it goes fast.
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You almost never as a fan, you almost
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never get enough of what you want. But
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but again, that's why early on, and I
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not co I would I would I would stop the
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clock just like a game the first half.
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Then I would decide, have we seen
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enough? Uh do we need to let it run the
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second half? Do we need to let it run
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the third, fourth quarter? Do I have
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enough players that I can put backups in
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and evaluate them so we're not playing
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our our starters too much? And I think
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all those factors can go. But we
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basically on Saturday, you're going to
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have four quarters. Uh and the clock's
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going to run except for timeouts,
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injuries, and a two-minute warning. And
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so that should be pretty good. Uh the
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special court scoring system, well, we
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do know the uh the the offense going to
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be in blue, defense going to be in
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white. Uh, quarterback's in orange, no
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contact. And I want to talk about that
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because that messes everything up,
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folks. If you want to talk about
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coordinators arguing when you've got a
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quarterback and he's in orange and the
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rule is, and and I I remember as a head
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coach going out there and meeting with
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the officials, and I said, "Listen,
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we've told our players, don't you dare
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touch our quarterback. Don't touch him.
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He's off limits. you can't hit him
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because the last thing you want is Byron
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Brown to get hurt, to get hit
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accidentally. And I and I and I would
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overdo it. Then I tell the officials,
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uh, don't, um, uh, uh, they're not going
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to touch him. They're not going to touch
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them cuz cuz sacks are are then all of a
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sudden, uh, now they can't hit the
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quarterback.
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>> Right?
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>> Now, how are you going to determine if
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there's a sack? How because sacks are
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important and you get points on defense
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for sacks. You get points on defense for
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tackle or loss. And fans, you'll
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appreciate what a difficult situation
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this is because now you got your
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quarterback who is a great dual threat
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and that's going to be a part of your
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offense.
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>> Yeah.
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>> So now you've said defense, you can't
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touch him. You can't touch him. So now
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they're rushing the quarterback, but in
14:41
order not to touch him, they run around
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him. They as they get if they get free
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or they or they or they uh uh they make
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a lineman miss a block and they've got a
14:51
free shot at the quarterback, well, they
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run a loop. They run around him so they
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don't get in trouble for hitting the
14:57
quarterback and then the quarterback
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doesn't get touched and he scramles.
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>> How much you follow the quarterback as a
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as a new quarterback coming in and and
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you know he obviously knows the system
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but got a bunch of new players around.
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How much do you play the do you play the
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starting quarterback in in the in the
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spring game?
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>> Well, I think the fans want to see their
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new quarterback. You got you remember if
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I play him a good bit if he's my guy and
15:18
and there if he's the guy that's that
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you want to see how he develops with the
15:22
receivers and remember he's not he can't
15:24
be touched so so he can't get hurt. Uh
15:27
so you're right. I mean they might they
15:29
may want to see him for a half or a
15:30
quarter and see the others but I still
15:32
think it you're still a work in progress
15:35
at Auburn with this new staff and not
15:38
just the players from South Florida but
15:39
the players that portaled in and the
15:41
ones that were on the team. you've got
15:42
to gel together and again I think you're
15:44
see your your fans want to see that and
15:47
I'm just saying is you've got your
15:48
quarterback protected nobody can touch
15:51
him all right so now you got to get a
15:54
sack somehow you know because you can't
15:55
even you can't even hit his go if you
15:57
hit his arm offensive coordinator is in
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the middle of the field screaming or the
16:00
quarterback coach if you if he sl if he
16:03
throws the ball and his hand comes
16:04
through and he hits his hand on your
16:06
helmet you're in a heap of trouble on
16:07
defense you know so I had to I had to be
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in the middle of all that when I was a
16:11
head coach And what I would say is
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officials, don't don't call sacks. Don't
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don't I will tell let let the play go. I
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will make the decision at the play
16:21
whether they would have sacked him or
16:22
not. Cuz if they run around him and I
16:24
see they had a free angle, I don't care
16:26
if he completes it 20 yards downfield.
16:29
If I determine that they would have had
16:31
a sack, then I call a sack. Uh that
16:34
allows the defense to to not worry about
16:37
having to hit the quarterback. Uh, and
16:39
the other problem is, okay, say the
16:41
quarterback scrambles like Byron Brown
16:44
is great at doing, that's going to be a
16:46
huge part of your offense.
16:47
>> And he's a big kid, you know?
16:49
>> He's a big kid and he's going to run.
16:51
Now, when he goes down, since nobody's
16:53
touching him, where do you put him down?
16:56
>> Where do you say he's going to be
16:57
tackled? Because you got your defense
16:59
wanting to win the game and you got your
17:01
defense wanting to perform well. But
17:03
here's a quarterback. He gets past the
17:05
line of scrimmage. he gets about seven
17:06
yards downfield and the linebacker
17:09
squares him up and then steps aside so
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he doesn't hit him. Uh uh or he does a
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or and he he can run a little bit
17:15
further. Uh and now you got to decide
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where he's going to uh uh go. So I would
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jump in and tell my official you go
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ahead and let the I mean that we'll blow
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the whistle when we think he would let
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him go and blow the whistle at some
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point, but I'll determine where he would
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have been sacked. I I mean tackled. I'll
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make that call and if it's third and
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three left over or he makes a first
17:37
down, then you don't take the blame.
17:39
I'll take the blame cuz cuz as soon as
17:41
the official tries to put the ball down
17:43
and the defensive team and the defensive
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coaches don't like it, it's a it's an
17:48
argument and a half, you know. So, and
17:50
brother Oliver wouldn't argue about
17:51
that. all the day. I guarantee Wayne
17:54
Hall and my brother or Tommy and brother
17:57
Oliver, uh, they were fighting for their
17:59
team, you know, and now again, back when
18:02
when I was coaching at Auburn, we
18:04
weren't quite so friendly with with
18:06
quarterbacks back then. Quite often you
18:08
got hit when you were a quarterback, but
18:10
as we've progressed through, we've we've
18:12
stopped doing that. You know, we stopped
18:14
making the uh quarterback a uh uh
18:17
allowed to hit the quarterback. But if
18:19
he ran in in in in the older days, he
18:21
got tackled. Uh nowadays, you don't want
18:23
to if you've got a franchise guy or you
18:25
got a starter, uh you don't want to make
18:28
sure he gets hurt. So that but that but
18:30
as you watch the game as a fan out
18:33
there, watch and see how the quarterback
18:35
play is and whether the defense when you
18:37
say, "Guy, we can't get to the
18:39
quarterback." Well, watch closely
18:40
because you may have very well gotten to
18:42
the quarterback uh and they didn't and
18:44
he didn't touch him. Uh and I don't know
18:46
how they're going to play sacks. I don't
18:48
know how, you know, go I I I just had a
18:50
lot of years of getting a lot of abuse
18:53
from my coordinators. Uh uh and poor the
18:56
poor officials don't know what to do
18:58
because they're trying to do exactly
19:00
what the head coach says. Uh and uh
19:03
they're trying to they're trying to do
19:04
something, you know, and protect them uh
19:06
to protect the quarterback and all that
19:08
stuff. And I said, "No, no, I'll protect
19:09
the quarterback. I've told my team,
19:12
don't you touch him. I'll be the I'll
19:14
protect the quarter. You don't you don't
19:15
have to blow your whistle early and
19:16
protect the quarterback. I'll protect it
19:18
because the other bad thing is they
19:20
protect the if you let the officials
19:22
protect the quarterback, they will blow
19:25
a whistle every time it's close and you
19:27
won't get in. You'll be playing behind
19:28
the chains all day as an offense. Uh
19:31
when in fact was a good quarterback will
19:33
make half those tackles miss and he'll
19:35
scramble out and make a play.
19:37
>> About Byron Brown. I mean, he was
19:38
standing out. Cam Newton was at practice
19:40
last week and they're standing out close
19:41
to each other and Cam's still Cam's
19:43
obviously huge. Yeah.
19:45
>> And but you know, Byron Brown was
19:47
standing out there. He's not a he is not
19:49
a a small person. I mean,
19:51
>> no, I I would think he's he about
19:52
weighed as much as C. Not as tall. I
19:54
don't think he's quite as tall as Cam,
19:56
but he's 6'4, I'm pretty sure. Cam a
19:58
little taller than that, didn't he? Uh
20:00
uh but Cam was kind of a freak. Uh Cam
20:03
looked like a defensive end to me that
20:05
could play football at quarterback. And
20:07
uh but Byron but Byron will will be
20:09
impressive looking out there. So that's
20:11
going to be a big factor in the game.
20:14
And then as you go through, you may have
20:16
a hard time following. You get points
20:18
for tackle for loss. You get points for
20:20
sack. You get points for three and out
20:23
on defense because that's critical. You
20:25
get points on offense for explosive
20:27
plays whether it be a 15 yard run or a
20:30
20 yard pass. you get points for
20:32
explosive plays as well uh on offense
20:36
because those are the things that you're
20:37
trying to to go for. And so again, um
20:41
all that should all that you might not
20:43
be able to follow it quite as much, but
20:45
I promise you Auburn won't be the only
20:48
team following those rules. That's
20:50
pretty much a lot of teams are following
20:52
that pattern of giving the defense if
20:55
you want to play best against the best
20:57
and and at the end of the day you want
20:59
to say defense did you win or offense
21:01
did you win defense has to have a way of
21:05
scoring points or they may lose seven to
21:07
nothing and they actually beat the tar
21:09
out of the offense you know u where they
21:11
would have won 21 to to seven you know
21:14
with counting their points and so that
21:16
should be that should be uh uh a pretty
21:19
good pretty good game. I think they'll
21:21
be pretty good game. Uh, and get there
21:23
early cuz like I say, as much as you
21:25
think four quarters, 15 minute quarters
21:28
will last a long time, when that clock
21:30
runs nonstop, it can uh cuz you cuz you
21:34
can get in a huddle and waste 45 seconds
21:36
real easy and and in the spring in the
21:38
spring you're likely to do that. Whereas
21:39
in the fall, you may go fast. Now, I
21:42
think I I tell I'm pretty sure the
21:44
goalish has been comfortable playing
21:45
fast. you know, he they play he has
21:50
>> he was with Josh Hypel. He was with Josh
21:52
Hypel a little bit and uh he's played
21:54
fast. Uh but I think in nowadays I think
21:57
you'll see teams playing fast, slow,
22:00
intermediate, and different speeds and
22:02
that's the kind of thing I think you can
22:04
see all those things. So again, should
22:06
be a really nice uh real good uh day for
22:09
football. Little good afternoon.
22:12
an Auburn Undercover tailgate for those
22:13
with with um with with well with game
22:16
day heroes which is uh they give tickets
22:18
to uh to to veterans and bring them out
22:20
and
22:21
>> Oh yes.
22:22
>> So we're going to do a a co-tailgate
22:23
with them and hopefully raise some
22:24
money.
22:25
>> That's going to be awesome. I And I I
22:27
can't tell you I have to tell you why I
22:29
can't be there or I would be there. My
22:31
mother in town, as we've said in the
22:33
previous shows, your your your former
22:36
head coach is now the head coach of the
22:37
Monroe Greenheads. The Monroe
22:40
Greenheads. I had I had a mini camp
22:42
yesterday. I had a try out. Uh had 31
22:46
show up, which shocked me because it was
22:47
the middle of the day. Uh and uh um now
22:51
I won't there's a lot of those players,
22:53
as Jimbo Fischer would say, couldn't
22:54
play dead in a cowboy movie. Uh and uh
22:58
but but there were three or four or five
23:00
that were pretty good players. But
23:02
Saturday, I've got to go L, which is 20
23:05
minutes down the road. Their spring
23:06
games at 11:30. I've got to go watch
23:08
that and talk to some talk to some
23:10
graduating seniors that are there. Then
23:12
12:30 to 2:30, Garramling plays their
23:15
spring game. Then I'm going to head over
23:16
there. That's about 5 or 10 more minutes
23:18
down the road from from L Tech and I'll
23:21
watch them play and talk to some of
23:22
their seniors. Uh as I start trying to
23:25
sign players for my arena football team.
23:28
Uh and um Auburn took the one I wanted.
23:31
My quarterback Hunter Herring uh is at
23:34
Auburn now playing the one I was going
23:36
to go after. I didn't realize it till I
23:38
till I uh uh went back and looked in the
23:40
old articles that he's a tight end right
23:43
now or a hybrid player at Auburn, which
23:45
I'm glad. I love he's a great guy. Great
23:47
young man. I hope he's I think he's
23:49
going to have a place there as a hybrid
23:50
type 65, 66, uh 245, you know, kind of a
23:55
big big bodied receiver that can run
23:58
really well. And uh and uh uh so many
24:01
great tight ends in the past were former
24:04
quarterbacks. that were tall and uh not
24:07
real fast, but they were had good good
24:09
body control and could catch a football
24:11
and tight ends that know how to run
24:13
routes that a quarterback needs them to
24:15
run. And so uh hopefully we'll get to
24:17
see him tomorrow. So should be pretty
24:19
good deal. Uh you know, you mentioned uh
24:23
uh Ronnie that it's also an audition for
24:25
Coach Gish.
24:26
>> It is.
24:26
>> It'll be his first. And again, that
24:28
that's a neat feeling, you know, uh and
24:31
I remember it vividly and I remember
24:33
that that that that game cuz we had a
24:35
great crowd at our spring game, my first
24:38
year there. And uh they were probably
24:40
scared to death about what they were
24:41
going to see, me coming from Sanford. Uh
24:45
but we had a great atmosphere and it was
24:47
a thrill for me. uh cuz I you know all
24:50
your life you plan for coaching at a
24:53
division one program and I had spent 10
24:55
years coaching at a lower level working
24:57
my way up and it's a it is a great a
25:00
great atmosphere that we're they're
25:02
going to have and so go coach Galish I
25:04
know and uh uh we'll be he won't be
25:06
nervous but he will be it'll be a good
25:09
feeling. It'll be a feeling'll be
25:11
excited and yeah,
25:12
>> it'll be a lot of fun. And he uh you
25:15
know, he said right after he got to
25:16
Auburn, I think he'd been there three or
25:17
four days and he said,
25:19
>> you know, I've been here three days and
25:20
I already think this is the best place
25:21
in America.
25:22
>> And you know, it's it's uh he seems to
25:24
have embraced Auburn, which is which
25:26
people which Auburn people love and and
25:28
the fact that he's from uh he is
25:30
certainly not from around here. So, uh
25:32
it it's it's uh it's going to be fun to
25:34
watch.
25:35
>> Yeah. Everything he get every experience
25:36
he goes through will be a new one.
25:38
spring ball, what that the spring game,
25:40
what that's like, you know, and again,
25:42
Auburn, I mean, now that I go back a lot
25:44
and visit my mom there, um, he it's
25:47
growing so fast. It's it's not I can get
25:49
lost just driving to Opaikica from
25:51
Auburn. My mom's staying in I think
25:54
across the line in Opaikica uh over
25:57
there in the independent independent
25:59
living uh facility over there. Um, but
26:02
it's a if you if you're not if you
26:04
hadn't been there for 20 years, you'll
26:06
have to you'll have to figure out main
26:08
spots. You'll have to go to go to the
26:10
middle of downtown. It's like there's a
26:12
zero. It's like there's a bullseye. Go
26:13
to Tumor's Corner. Uh, and then start
26:16
from there. You can pretty much get
26:17
everywhere you want to go. Even though
26:19
nothing looks the same, uh, once you get
26:22
a block away, it's all changed. But, uh,
26:25
once I go right to the termis corner,
26:27
uh, I can usually get myself in the
26:29
right direction from there, uh, as we go
26:32
out that way. So, should be a a great
26:33
day for a spring game. Uh, should be
26:35
great numbers. Um, um, and, uh, uh,
26:39
should be a lot of lot a lot of people
26:41
to see, a lot of things to see. Uh um as
26:44
we look at as as we look at the at
26:46
spring at spring ball again based on
26:48
last year where it was more of a
26:50
scrimmage type atmosphere, I think the
26:52
fans are going to uh enjoy getting a
26:55
chance to see uh see what Auburn can do
26:57
and see the players uh and and how they
27:00
go together. Uh
27:01
>> also the you know John Cohen made made
27:04
the comment after after he he fired Hugh
27:06
Freeze. He's like we need somebody who
27:08
we need to play with an edge. And I
27:10
think that everybody kind of wants to
27:12
see, okay, what does this what does this
27:13
team look like? Are we going to play
27:14
with an edge?
27:15
>> Yeah. Because it's been a while since
27:17
Auburn had a tough hard-nosed football
27:18
team.
27:19
>> Yeah. And I think that's and that that
27:21
is and I would think one uh Gouish would
27:26
understand, he understands the SEC. He's
27:27
been around the SEC and Tennessee and
27:29
and things like that. And two, I when
27:32
you start saying, okay, what do I got to
27:33
do? one to play the kind of football
27:36
that my our fans, our Auburn fans want
27:39
to see. Well, you better get after
27:40
people. You better play hard. Uh and you
27:43
better not be, you know, don't ever let
27:46
them come after you and say the word
27:48
soft. That's right.
27:49
>> You know, because that that's a word
27:50
that kind of got thrown around in
27:51
Tuscaloosa here in the last year or so.
27:54
True or not, I wouldn't even want to get
27:56
into it, but that's the word. And the
27:58
word is being said by Alabama people,
28:01
not Auburn people, that we're not tough
28:03
anymore. you know, and so uh um that
28:06
will be something and we'll we'll go
28:07
back at uh in the second half of the
28:09
show and talk a little bit about any
28:11
updates with the teams in the SEC as
28:13
everybody winds down and kind of and
28:16
kind of refresh our memory on these
28:17
teams. But uh anything else? What else
28:20
we got here? Uh spring game. Anything
28:22
else going on? We have Tigerwalk, don't
28:24
we? We have Tigerwalk. Uh, and I don't
28:27
think it'll be and normally in game
28:29
situation,
28:31
it's about two hours before kickoff, I
28:33
think, or an hour because usually we
28:35
would go to the locker room two hours
28:37
before kickoff
28:38
>> and then you get you kind of get dressed
28:40
and wind down for about an hour in the
28:43
locker room, but I don't think you
28:44
necessarily will be that that early. Uh,
28:47
I don't know. Do you say have you seen
28:48
what time it's supposed to kick off? Is
28:50
it noon?
28:50
>> I have not seen my guess would be they
28:52
do it. I don't know this, but I would
28:53
guess they go an hour ahead of time. And
28:55
>> yeah, I would think at least an hour.
28:56
But, you know, sometimes those guys get
28:58
taped and get dressed. Well, last spring
29:00
game, a lot of times they can get taped
29:01
up at the up at the facility and walk
29:03
down taped up already and all that
29:05
stuff. Uh, and not have to uh in fact,
29:08
now that I think about it, a lot of that
29:09
stuff's probably that's the way it's
29:10
done. Uh, because you can do that and
29:12
not have to have all that stuff done at
29:14
the uh at the stadium and doing that
29:17
one. Uh, but Tiger Walks, the way it's
29:19
going to start off should be good. You
29:20
know, it's funny. I as I don't know why
29:22
I just thought of that, but the craziest
29:24
thing to get used to when I you know,
29:26
when I left Akaran, I was an analyst at
29:28
Clemson for two years.
29:30
>> And at Clemson, I don't know if y if the
29:32
Auburn fans know, but when Clemson when
29:35
Clemson plays a home game,
29:38
uh you go out to Clemson, uh and you go
29:41
to the locker room, do all your pregame
29:43
and you do your pregame warm-ups and
29:45
you're all dressed and you go back in
29:47
the locker room before kickoff. But
29:49
instead of going from the locker room to
29:51
the field, you go out the back door and
29:53
you get back on buses and you drive
29:55
around the stadium to the top of the
29:57
hill
29:59
>> and you all go up to the rock and they
30:01
and and so now this this the players who
30:03
have already had their pregame workout
30:05
and already had all their on the field
30:07
exercise and stretching. They've left
30:09
the locker room. They go out to a buses.
30:12
Two or three go around the buses and the
30:14
buses let them off at the top of the
30:16
hill and uh um and then they then they
30:20
all touch the rock. You know, Frank uh
30:22
Frank Howard's rock.
30:24
>> Have gotten hurt over the years running
30:25
down that hill.
30:27
>> You know, I don't know how many, but
30:28
I've had when I was there as an analyst,
30:30
I had both my hips replaced and so I
30:33
can't run at all. I'm not allowed to run
30:35
anyway and much less run downhill
30:38
because the pressure that the p the
30:40
impact that puts on your uh uh hips and
30:43
so as embarrassing I'm thank goodness I
30:46
was not anybody's head coach. I had to
30:48
shuffle sideways to get down that hill
30:51
without putting pressure on my hips. Uh,
30:54
but I imagine a few guys have fallen cuz
30:56
uh uh it's a it's a it's got a little
30:58
it's got a little jump to the lump to it
31:00
in the middle and uh uh and they come
31:02
down pretty hard. But it's it's it's not
31:05
the Tiger I love Tiger Walk. I love the
31:07
way Tiger Walk is. And interesting
31:09
enough, I don't know who started Tiger
31:11
Walk or which school had it earliest.
31:13
Auburn had one of the earliest ones I
31:14
know.
31:14
>> Auburn was one of the first I think
31:16
Auburn it started at Auburn.
31:18
>> That's what I was thinking. I mean I
31:19
mean I I didn't wasn't aware of it
31:21
anywhere else but now everybody has some
31:24
kind of walk you know and it's not just
31:27
not just um not just at uh uh in the SEC
31:32
but all over you know
31:34
>> I was state a couple years ago and this
31:36
is this is interesting I was it was
31:37
actually the Indiana game
31:38
>> but I was up and I was you know the
31:40
people I was with said let's let's go to
31:41
the walk and I said what's the walk
31:42
called? They said, "Well, it's just the
31:43
walk." And there's a hotel on campus,
31:47
and I'm I'm expecting something like
31:49
Tigerwalk.
31:50
>> Yeah.
31:50
>> Nothing.
31:52
>> I mean, that didn't even compare. Um,
31:55
and so it's Auburn's a special special
31:57
place.
31:58
>> Yeah. And you don't And you don't invent
32:01
tradition. It just happens. Tradition
32:03
just happens. And all of a sudden, it
32:05
becomes a tradition. Everybody comes
32:07
early. Everybody comes early. And all of
32:08
a sudden, if you don't come early, you
32:11
miss the tradition. And then then you so
32:13
once you see Auburn uh the tiger walk
32:16
and how big it is you know and even at
32:18
ulm my last job I had they had hawkwalk
32:21
you had hawkwalk you know uh that you
32:24
went through and so many schools have
32:26
some types of walk but it's hard to and
32:29
I know when I was broadcasting I did a
32:31
game in uh you know because when you
32:33
coach you don't see what the other team
32:34
does when you broadcast you get to watch
32:37
how the other team comes in and they
32:38
have some kind of walk at Tennessee too
32:40
where they come down. The band leads the
32:43
team somewhere into the stadium from you
32:45
can see them from up in the press box
32:47
and they have their little walk or
32:48
whatever that is that they have. But
32:51
Auburn Auburn I I I think pretty much I
32:53
didn't know anybody that that did the
32:55
Tiger Walk before Auburn did the Tiger
32:57
Walk and uh it's a great tradition and
33:00
they'll do that on Saturday and that
33:02
should be that should be interesting.
33:03
>> So many so many great traditions at
33:05
Auburn. I mean, the Rolling Tumors
33:06
Corner and the Eagle Flight now has been
33:08
going on for what, 25 years? And so, uh,
33:10
a lot of lot of, uh, a lot of neat
33:12
things that that go on at Auburn that
33:14
that a lot of a lot of other places
33:15
don't have. I mean,
33:16
>> yeah. Now, now you said 25. I mean, now,
33:18
you know, it goes on a lot. I mean, I
33:20
was there I was there 35 years ago. So,
33:23
so Eagle, we had the Tiger Walk way
33:26
back. I don't know how I don't know when
33:27
a Tiger Walk started. 100 years, 75.
33:30
It's more than 20. It's It started back
33:32
before I got here, you know. Eagle
33:33
Flight. Eagle Flight 25 years.
33:36
>> The Eagle Flight. And that that to me
33:37
that that that you're right, the Eagle
33:39
they didn't do the Eagle Flight they do
33:41
it now uh when I was there. Uh but that
33:44
one probably is now one of the one of
33:47
the most uh uh exciting, one of the most
33:50
impressive pregame shows uh that there
33:54
is in college football.
33:55
>> Um is the Eagle and him eagle flying
33:58
around in circles and coming down is one
34:00
of those yet. I don't know if they'll do
34:01
that for the for a but they might do it
34:03
for a a game. It'll be great. It's a
34:05
great I because I'd never sat in the
34:07
stands to watch it. You know, I've never
34:09
been able to see it uh and was able to
34:11
watch it when I was in the stadium.
34:13
>> Now, when we go to the game, she she's
34:15
she is very upset. We missed it for the
34:16
Iron Bowl this year and she was she
34:18
pitched a pit. I mean, she
34:22
>> she was upset. We missed it. That's
34:23
that's her favorite part of the game.
34:25
Well, that that's a it's a big it's a
34:27
big part of of the uh of what makes
34:30
Auburn so special and the at the game
34:32
day atmosphere so special. And uh then
34:35
Auburn has made has made the game day a
34:38
production. It's become a production.
34:40
All the things that go on for a game uh
34:43
even the lighting and the night game is
34:45
pretty it's just so much of it. Anyway,
34:47
uh two o'clock game, you don't get quite
34:49
the nighttime atmosphere, but you should
34:51
get uh should be good. So, great day.
34:53
Get that. Get that. Um, all everybody
34:56
needs their picks. Needs your football
34:58
pick. You got a chance to get that
34:59
football fix on Saturday uh at uh Aday
35:03
game and uh that should be good and uh
35:06
and look forward to it. But uh other
35:08
than that, we've kind of gotten through
35:10
we're getting through with spring ball.
35:11
I would think uh this week maybe next
35:14
week uh you're about to get through with
35:16
your spring ball. You know,
35:18
>> a lot of storylines whether it's you
35:20
know you got six new coaches in the
35:21
conference. you got, you know, Arch
35:23
Manning and uh is he is he going to
35:25
develop and uh you know, it's a lot of
35:28
coaching changes in the South Eastern
35:30
Conference.
35:30
>> Well, six six new coaches in the in the
35:32
conference and and of course everybody
35:35
the the everybody every fan group is
35:38
just all everything good's going to
35:39
happen. Their guy is going to be the
35:41
guy. The new guy is what we've been
35:43
waiting for. Everything he does is
35:45
perfect. Uh, and not everybody can be
35:48
right,
35:49
>> but there are some interesting coaches
35:51
and new coaches in the conference. Uh, I
35:54
mean, LSU, new coach, and not a new SEC
35:57
coach, but a new coach in in at LSU. Uh,
36:01
and I would have to say, um, the biggest
36:04
thing is the expectation. Even though
36:07
Miss loves to win, there is an
36:09
expectation level at LSU that is
36:12
intolerable. they they they don't
36:15
tolerate anything. Uh but playing for
36:18
the SEC championship, uh they haven't
36:20
ever made the playoffs yet. U and so u
36:24
and there's going to be pressure uh on
36:28
him to do it the first year, you know,
36:30
and I want to say the overunder for an
36:32
LSU is eight and a half.
36:35
>> What happens what happens down there? I
36:37
I worked there for a year and those
36:38
people get and you're living in
36:39
Louisiana now. They can get a little bit
36:41
negative or a lot negative. What happens
36:43
if he loses a couple of games early? Uh
36:46
>> well, I mean I mean they're g though
36:48
they're Oh, no. It won't take long for
36:50
the Bluebirds to come out or or the
36:52
negativity. I don't think you'll get
36:54
people. I think now I I'm whether I
36:57
personally like Lane Kein or not. I
37:00
don't think I dislike him. I don't know
37:01
him enough to dislike him. Uh he's got a
37:04
personality that a lot of people don't
37:05
like, but then so does Donald Trump have
37:07
a personality that a lot of people don't
37:08
like, but they like what he does. Uh and
37:10
they like the way he does it. They just
37:12
don't like some of the personality
37:13
things that he does. Uh Lane Kemp, I
37:16
mean the the the way he's progressed as
37:19
a coach. We all know what happened early
37:21
in his career at Tennessee and at
37:23
Southern Cal and the Oakland Raiders, uh
37:26
where it was disastrous,
37:28
>> where they showed him the door. He's
37:30
obviously grown and learned and gotten
37:33
better uh as far as ability to to to
37:36
lead a program. And so um he has um uh
37:40
the expectations will be very high. The
37:42
the overunder is eight and a half uh at
37:45
LSU. Uh but I would say they're going to
37:48
be real disappointed if if you play the
37:50
under on that one. Uh they're going to
37:52
be in fact they're going to be real
37:54
disappointed if he doesn't win 10 to be
37:56
honest with you. and make and make play.
37:58
>> Well, well, 10 10 should like I said in
38:00
the SEC and we need to talk about that.
38:02
That's a big change too. Is he um um he
38:06
needs to win 10 just to get 10 will get
38:08
you in? I don't think you can win 10 in
38:10
the SEC. Has anybody got one in did did
38:13
Texas everybody if you win 10 you
38:16
generally get in, you know, uh in the
38:18
SEC. Um and so and the big story in the
38:22
SEC is one we don't have a divisions.
38:25
We're out of We're no more. Is there
38:26
going to be a division champion against
38:28
a division champion?
38:30
>> Do I I don't know. I I I was often fond
38:33
of of of
38:35
the divisions. Now, it I I don't know
38:38
that I do or don't because one, when I
38:41
was in in the conference, the Western
38:43
Division, you had to be pretty dang
38:45
good. It was the toughest division in
38:46
America. Not just the toughest
38:48
conference, but it was the toughest
38:50
division of the toughest conference in
38:52
America when we were there in the 90s.
38:54
And now they've added Texas and Texas
38:56
A&M, Oklahoma. And is Missouri in the
39:00
East or West? Is it that Missouri?
39:02
>> They were.
39:02
>> Yeah, they're they're in the East,
39:03
aren't they? But you've added three
39:05
dadum good teams. Um and so um it's even
39:09
tougher now. I don't know whether I like
39:11
that or not. You know, you're still
39:12
going to have the top two teams. I think
39:14
they're going to have the top two teams.
39:15
I think the more significant uh decision
39:19
because there's a lot of co people now
39:20
are saying we don't we got to get rid of
39:21
the conference championship. There's a
39:23
lot of argument for that. I want to say
39:24
Big 10.
39:26
You know even even uh Alabama's athletic
39:28
director Greg Burn came out and was
39:30
advocating for that. I'm not for that
39:32
personally. I
39:32
>> for getting rid of it. I I'd hate to get
39:34
rid of it. I'll be honest with you. Some
39:36
things some trai some traditions need to
39:38
stay. And I don't care whether I just
39:41
think when you when you're raised on SEC
39:43
football, the uh the feather in your cap
39:46
or the the bow on that I mean to putting
39:49
a putting a putting a bow on that uh
39:51
gift is is the SEC championship. That's
39:54
the that's the that's the culmination of
39:57
success is being able to win the
39:59
conference championship. So I I would
40:01
hope they don't do that. Uh but they've
40:05
now gone to nine conference games. So
40:07
now you're in a conference that's that's
40:09
cons considerably hard and you've gone
40:12
to you have to play nine conference
40:14
games. Uh and now it's a hard conference
40:17
is even more difficult. U and when you
40:21
and if there's an argument for no
40:22
conference championship
40:24
that moves in that direction except what
40:28
you would have liked to have seen I
40:29
think in the SEC is go from 12 to 16
40:32
game playoff. Now, if you lose games and
40:35
go down to nine, you're most likely have
40:37
a much better chance in the SEC of
40:39
getting to the playoffs. 16 would be a
40:42
very normal playoff number for, you
40:45
know, four games. You know, put 16 16 84
40:49
two, you know. So, that's the kind of
40:51
the way that done right now. They're
40:52
doing 12. So, they increased your
40:54
conference games in the SEC, which is
40:57
going to made it make it significantly
41:00
tougher. Uh and then uh they have not
41:03
increased the number of teams to make
41:04
the playoffs. Uh and when you look at
41:07
the overunder in the SEC, you say, "Gee,
41:09
Christmas, I don't care how much money
41:12
they make. How are these guys going to
41:13
keep their jobs?"
41:14
>> Yeah.
41:14
>> How are these guys going to keep their
41:15
jobs? They I mean, making a ton of money
41:17
is great, but if it's it's football that
41:20
you love, being rich and retired isn't
41:22
all that much fun is for your young. It
41:25
might be it might be better than being
41:27
poor and retired,
41:29
>> but it still isn't what you got into
41:30
football for. But I think some I think
41:32
there's still some change left because
41:34
as and the the big the Big 10, like it
41:37
or not, have won three straight n
41:39
national championships. Mhm.
41:40
>> Uh now the the the SEC and I don't and I
41:45
think the Big 10 would agree beats
41:46
itself up and makes uh maybe makes it
41:50
knocks people out uh and makes it
41:52
tougher to win the national championship
41:54
because of what happens to you during
41:56
the season. Uh but the fact remains that
41:59
Ohio State back to back and then Indiana
42:01
uh they have become the and everything's
42:04
about winning a championship. It's like
42:05
a Super Bowl. You can do what you want
42:06
to uh but have you won the Super Bowl?
42:09
have you won the national championship?
42:11
So, I think the SEC uh um it's time to
42:15
get on the way. It's time to it's time
42:16
to get back up on that horse and uh uh
42:19
at the SEC.
42:22
>> Which program do you see doing that this
42:23
year? Who's who's who has the best
42:25
chance to make and win the playoffs?
42:27
>> To me, I mean, to me, Georgia to me is
42:30
got a I think they they've got eight
42:31
starters back on defense. They had the
42:34
worst pass rush they've had in five or
42:36
six years. Uh at least since their
42:38
national championship team, I think what
42:39
was that? 21 whenever they won the
42:41
championship. Uh they have uh they've
42:44
had their worst pass rush. They had 20
42:46
sacks last year, one of the worst in the
42:47
conference. That's not the way they
42:49
play. They've got eight starters back on
42:51
defense. The quarterback is a gamer.
42:53
He's he's a typical Georgia type of
42:56
quarterback. Uh that is does not have to
42:59
be the glamour guy. and and not
43:01
necessarily do they like a guy that that
43:03
runs as well as he throws. They want a
43:05
guy that's a quarterback that plays like
43:07
a quarterback of old uh maybe more like
43:11
an NFL uh quarterback that plays for the
43:13
Super Bowl, but one that can run uh
43:16
effectively. And they've got that uh
43:19
they've got eight people on defense and
43:22
uh if if they can get pressure on
43:24
quarterbacks and run the football a
43:25
little better, but I have them number
43:27
one right now. And I think Texas is
43:29
number two. Texas I mean people will say
43:31
he's Tark's got to prove it before
43:34
before we gonna put him up there. But uh
43:36
they they've got the players. They got
43:38
they got Coleman. They got from Auburn.
43:40
They got the running back from uh where
43:42
the running back North Carolina State.
43:44
Was that the running back? They got
43:46
great running back. They got
43:47
quarterback. I mean they got the
43:49
receivers. They have got they loaded up
43:52
in one of the best portal transfers. and
43:54
Arch Manning for all the negative uh
43:58
criticism he got throughout the season
44:00
and I don't think he deserved it because
44:02
he didn't ask for it. He the people
44:04
people put him on a pedestal uh because
44:07
of who he was.
44:08
>> Well, Pton Manning, if you remember,
44:09
Pton Manning didn't have a great
44:10
freshman year. His his his first year
44:12
wasn't
44:12
>> No, but and I don't think the family
44:14
expected him to have a good year. And I
44:16
don't think he went around bragging
44:18
about the good year he was going to
44:19
have. I'm just saying is the the the
44:22
pundits, the prognosticators,
44:24
uh those people who predict, they said
44:26
that his name is Arch Manning. He's
44:28
going to be he's great. We he's going to
44:30
lead him to he's he's so good. They're
44:32
going to win the championship. They're
44:33
going to be ranked number one. And I
44:35
even said it at the beginning. I said,
44:37
people give him a chance to see how far
44:39
along he is in his development. I mean,
44:42
uh he may not be that far along. And he
44:45
wasn't. And he didn't play that well.
44:48
and and and and you could see it in
44:49
early games, but by the end by the end
44:52
of the season, you would have to be
44:54
blind if you didn't see the improvement
44:56
and you see how much better he got. And
44:59
like it or not, he comes from good
45:00
family. He comes from good stock.
45:02
>> Uh from grandad, from granddad to dads
45:05
and and uncles, he comes from good
45:07
stock. And you know good and well, when
45:09
he sat around the table at his house, he
45:11
got good advice. And I think and and
45:14
when I saw the way he played toward the
45:16
end, uh I said he is really he that So
45:20
I've got them number two. I've got them
45:22
number two. And again, I do think that
45:24
uh Sarkc's got to prove he can he can
45:26
win a big game. Uh which he's got to got
45:29
to do. But u I've got them number two.
45:31
And then after that, you I I I've got
45:34
kind of
45:36
I got LSU and Oklahoma uh uh right
45:39
there.
45:40
>> Be pretty good. Yeah, Oklahoma that you
45:43
know what, I have not been as impressed
45:45
with the way the quarterback has played,
45:47
but that could be because I still think
45:50
the the head coach is a has a defensive
45:52
mentality in venables and when you're in
45:55
a staff meeting and the head coach is
45:57
makes it very com it makes it hard to
45:59
feel comfortable when you're a
46:01
coordinator who takes chances and plays
46:02
wide open. Uh you can you can dumb down
46:05
the offense uh and and the coordinator
46:08
and the quarterback get the blame. Uh
46:10
and it's a really it's a philosophy but
46:12
but I but people think he's really good.
46:15
The coordinator came with him from
46:17
Washington State. So he came with his
46:19
coordinator and so I think they have uh
46:22
uh and and I know been Brent Venibals. I
46:26
was I was there at Clemson when he was
46:28
at Clemson and I was the offensive uh
46:31
analyst, but I would do crossover work
46:33
for him and uh he is a very very good uh
46:37
defensive coordinator, head coach.
46:40
>> So, Oklahoma's done on offense is that
46:42
they brought in Kevin Wilson, former
46:44
head coach in Indiana and at uh and was
46:47
a coordinator at Oklahoma for a long
46:48
time.
46:49
>> They brought him in as the uh as a head
46:51
coach for offense. He was an analyst
46:54
last year and they they've given him
46:55
>> Oh, is that what they did? They changed
46:56
that. Yeah. He knows what he's doing
46:58
now. He's good. I just I'm saying
47:00
>> accountable and he has he has
47:03
>> quarterback's got to take the reigns on
47:05
got to let him go. Quarterback, a head
47:07
coach has got a if he's got a
47:08
thoroughbred, he's got a play caller,
47:10
he's got a guy that's got a knack for
47:12
it, he's got to let him go. You got to
47:13
let him play. Uh and um um that's why so
47:17
many of the great offensive coaches are
47:20
the head coaches that are offensive
47:21
minded, they are very good play callers
47:24
like Spurer, my dad. Uh I wasn't bad
47:27
when I was doing it because nobody can
47:30
fire you. You can make a mistake and you
47:32
you ain't going to fire yourself, you
47:33
know. Uh so but if you're if you're an
47:36
offensive coordinator and you don't play
47:38
you have a bad game plan or you take a
47:39
lot of chances and it cost you a game or
47:42
a play uh um you you you don't you you
47:45
you it tightens you little tight and you
47:48
little tight when you're that guy to
47:49
guy. So, it takes the right atmosphere
47:51
uh in an offensive coordinator cuz I I I
47:55
when people tell me all the all the
47:56
coaches call the plays, there's one guy
47:59
that calls them and there's there's a
48:01
lot of guys that have input during the
48:02
week and there's some guys that have
48:04
input during a timeout or the change of
48:07
possession, but there's only one guy
48:09
that calls those plays in the middle of
48:11
a series. Uh, and don't let anybody ever
48:14
tell you differently. There's a way to
48:16
add other help in that, but it's kind of
48:18
like chess. You can't have you can't
48:20
have two guys moving chess pieces and
48:22
know what you're thinking down the road
48:24
one or two places. You've got to have
48:25
one guy that's calling those that's
48:28
moving those pieces around and setting
48:30
the defensive up and thinking about the
48:32
game plan. So I think for that reason
48:34
I'd say to me a Georgia, Texas, LSU,
48:38
Oklahoma uh and then you get down to
48:41
some teams that uh you know whether your
48:44
next got all depends on how you feel
48:46
about Alabama. You know, we had Joe
48:47
Lesey on with us a couple of weeks ago,
48:49
maybe a month ago, and he's as good as a
48:51
prognosticator, and he wasn't real high
48:53
on Alabama. Uh,
48:55
>> not either. I kind of think I kind of
48:57
think they're soft. Yeah. Here's the
48:58
other thing, you know.
48:59
>> Well, yeah. I think they've got to
49:01
overcome that.
49:02
>> And you look, he he's replacing Nick
49:04
Sabin. You replaced Matt D. We replaced
49:06
Florida.
49:08
>> It's hard. I mean, it's it's hard.
49:10
>> Oh, no. But and and and replacing Dick
49:13
Sabin is above all those other people
49:14
you mentioned. replacing Nick Sabin.
49:16
Whether you like him or don't like him,
49:18
guy won six n seven national
49:20
championships, six at Alabama. Nobody's
49:22
done that. Nobody ever. I mean, uh, and
49:25
it was the same thing when Bear Bryant
49:26
was there. They they went through six or
49:28
seven coaches before they got to Nick.
49:31
>> And four of them left on their own
49:32
because they couldn't stand the
49:33
pressure, uh, and the fact that the town
49:35
didn't like them. No matter how good
49:37
they did, the town didn't like them.
49:38
>> Bill,
49:40
>> and that's kind of what D'Vor is going
49:42
through right now, you know. And so
49:43
anyway, I don't know. I I I tend to
49:46
think um they've always got better
49:48
players uh than most people in the
49:51
conference. Uh I think they've got us
49:53
they they they can't go out there and
49:55
say, "Well, it doesn't matter if we run
49:56
well or not."
49:57
>> If they don't I think the overund
50:00
Alabama's eight and a half. If if he
50:03
doesn't go over that one, it's it's hard
50:05
to imagine him keeping his job
50:08
>> if he doesn't if he doesn't if he
50:09
doesn't coach if he doesn't get the over
50:10
on that game
50:12
>> buyout. But I mean, in this day and
50:14
time, I mean, you look at what LSU
50:15
>> buyouts or buyouts, they they people pay
50:18
them. I would never have thought I would
50:19
have thought that saved you, but I think
50:21
what what I think quarterback wise, but
50:23
Keon Russell, they say he'll be the guy
50:25
after spring. Uh, by the time we get to
50:27
the fall, he'll be the quarterback that
50:29
he fits the style of the offensive
50:31
coordinator, uh, and what they're doing.
50:33
But uh um but then there but you got Old
50:36
Miss, Texas A&M,
50:39
uh Alabama, whether you think they're
50:41
there or not. Uh and then I think you
50:43
got that area in the next level of
50:46
players. U Missouri to me Missouri can't
50:49
be somewhere in the middle. They just
50:50
coach too well.
50:51
>> Yeah,
50:52
>> they coach too well at Missouri. Uh and
50:55
I would think you'd have to put them
50:56
I've got them Missouri around around
50:58
eight in the conference, you know. Uh I
51:01
think it's a seven and a half. Well, the
51:02
overunder is six and a half at Missouri.
51:03
Isn't that amazing?
51:05
>> Yeah,
51:05
>> folks, can you imagine? I mean, I guess
51:08
that this would have ever come to the
51:09
day when half the teams in the
51:12
conference, I want to say 1, two, three,
51:15
four, five, six, seven,
51:18
seven of the 16 teams, the overunder is
51:22
six and a half or worse. That's the
51:24
overunder of seven of the 16 teams. And
51:27
if you want a seven and a half is if
51:30
seven and a half the over and under is
51:32
is uh 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 teams in
51:37
the conference are not predicted to win.
51:40
The over and under seven and a half or
51:41
less.
51:42
>> Wow.
51:42
>> Or less. And uh and then you're making 5
51:45
million a year at the bottom or 4
51:47
million a year at the 6 million a year
51:49
at the bottom of the list of the
51:50
salaries uh as a head coach and you're
51:53
being picked to win four and a well
51:55
there's three teams four and a half
51:57
games as they're over and under. That's
51:58
Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi
52:00
State. Uh
52:02
>> that's not right.
52:03
>> Vanderbilt five is five and a half.
52:05
Missouri, South Carolina, Auburn.
52:07
They're picked at six and a half. Uh I
52:09
like the eight number with Auburn. I and
52:11
I don't people I know people don't like
52:13
to know we're gonna win them all. Well,
52:15
you can't be an analyst. You can't be a
52:17
prognosticator or or say you you're
52:20
looking at not looking at it
52:21
emotionally, but I but I but I but I got
52:24
that I look at that roster and uh and I
52:27
and I and I have a good feeling about
52:28
Galish. I like the uh I like the
52:31
matterof fact way he uh uh hard work,
52:34
way he he approaches his career, his his
52:37
job, his background. uh doesn't seem
52:39
much in life has come easy to him. He's
52:41
had to work for it. And uh and when you
52:44
look at him as a and he looks like a
52:45
bluecollar head coach, you know, he
52:48
doesn't look he doesn't look, you know,
52:50
Lane Kein looks like Lane Kein. Galish
52:53
don't look like Lane Kein, you know, he
52:55
just he looks like a ball coach. But
52:57
even some of the guys that I really
52:58
like, Shane Beamer, I really like, but
53:00
he don't look like Alex Golish to me,
53:02
you know. Goish looks like a he looks
53:04
like a hard-nosed guy that's fought for
53:06
everything he's got in his life. And uh
53:08
and and he's at the right place.
53:10
>> Yeah.
53:10
>> You know, he's at the right place that
53:12
people buy into that. And uh uh I I
53:15
don't want to beat a dead horse, but I
53:17
but I think he's going to run the ball
53:19
like we like him to run, you know, and I
53:21
think it's going you're going to have a
53:22
running attack that that you like. You
53:24
got a good running back. You got a
53:25
quarterback that can run. And uh
53:27
>> when we were talking to him, you know,
53:28
he he talked to he said, "I want to run
53:30
the ball." He talked about Bo Jackson,
53:31
you know.
53:31
>> Yeah.
53:32
>> Oh, no. when we met with him, you know,
53:34
I was kidding around with him about uh
53:35
he was talking about Bo Jackson saying
53:37
run the ball and and I was kidding
53:39
around with him that in the SEC you gota
53:41
understand some people would rather run
53:43
and lose than pass and win. Uh but that
53:46
goes back to my background being in the
53:49
conference when it was still black and
53:50
blue run to football. But Steve Spurer
53:53
came in the 90s and he laughed all the
53:55
way to the SEC championship every year
53:57
about throw first, run second. And so
53:59
there's a time and place for everything.
54:01
But I do believe that uh he could always
54:04
run it pretty good. Uh but he would he
54:06
would throw it to me. He lost to us
54:08
twice cuz he thought thrown it too much.
54:10
Um and so that happened there. So
54:12
anyway, but anyway, I think I put Auburn
54:14
in that middle category. I don't know
54:16
the um that I've I've heard much
54:18
different uh about some of these teams.
54:21
You know, Texas A&M's put they were 11
54:22
and0 and they were on top of the world.
54:24
Yeah. and but two bad losses at the end
54:27
of the season or two losses uh and the
54:29
quarterback didn't really respond as
54:31
well in those losses and now
54:33
>> Marcel too after after an undefeated run
54:36
it's not not great
54:37
>> no and Marcel Reed so I think I think
54:39
there people said okay let's let's let's
54:42
wait and see it again was that a lucky
54:44
run or was that uh was the last couple
54:46
of games more likely what we're going to
54:48
see week in and week out if people
54:50
remember their season was made early
54:53
against Notre
54:53
>> Dame
54:54
when they drove the ball down the field
54:56
and the quarterback made an incredible
54:58
touchdown throw to beat Notre Dame 4140
55:02
I want to say it was at the end of the
55:04
game that kind of it just propelled them
55:06
into a uh a contender type of team on on
55:10
that group and and doing that I know we
55:13
we we don't tell me when we talk our
55:15
show off because I guarantee it I get
55:17
talking we get talking football and uh
55:20
um um but I don't think there's any much
55:22
new we got six coach We got some
55:24
interesting teams. I you know what? I'm
55:26
going to be interested in Vanderbilt.
55:27
I'm going to say this. Uh uh is it uh
55:31
Lee Clark or Clark Lee? Is that two
55:34
Clark I tell it backwards all the time.
55:35
Clark Lee Lee Clark.
55:37
>> He didn't have two great years his first
55:39
two years there. I want to say two and
55:41
10 and and five and six. When he got the
55:44
quarterback, he had two he went six or
55:47
seven wins and 10 wins. Now the
55:49
quarterback's gone. Now, he does have
55:51
his offensive coordinator staff there
55:53
that are doing a very good job
55:54
>> and Jerry there, you know, I mean,
55:56
>> yeah, Jerry Kell is gonna do a good job.
55:58
But there are those of us that watch
56:00
them play that felt like as much as
56:03
Diego Pabia may not be an NFL
56:06
quarterback. He was a generational
56:08
quarterback. Uh, very much like Manzel,
56:11
Johnny Manzel was at&m before he flipped
56:14
out. Uh, because you know what? Uh,
56:16
Diego Pavia has kind of some of that
56:18
flip out too in him. He does feel bad at
56:21
the husband ceremony.
56:22
>> Was that Well, no. He show He showed his
56:25
lack of of control, his lack of
56:27
maturity. Uh but as far as a a
56:30
generational competitor that found ways
56:32
to win, uh I'll be anxious to see if if
56:35
you because so many people go to
56:36
Vanderbilt and they have a good year,
56:38
then Vanderbilt to some degree is
56:40
Vanderbilt. It's it's too hard to get
56:42
enough good players in academically uh
56:45
because you got to be able to do that
56:46
and and then you got to win a a bunch of
56:49
close ball games and so that'll be
56:51
that'll be uh interesting to see. Um
56:53
other than that um um it'll be
56:56
interesting. Now I am I I tell you it's
56:59
the two teams that I'm anxious to watch
57:01
is Auburn and Florida. Auburn and we
57:03
play Florida, don't that those two teams
57:05
to me I love the coaches. I like the
57:07
coach at Florida. I know him. I know him
57:09
better because I coached against him at
57:11
Troy. Uh then I got to know him when he
57:13
was at Twain uh here in Louisiana. Uh
57:16
and so I think both of these coaches
57:18
that to me that both these coaches have
57:20
a chance to be the the young guns that
57:23
uh that that go to the next that take
57:25
their programs back to the top in the
57:27
conference and they will be potentially
57:31
the two guys that everybody else will be
57:32
trying to knock off. I just I can see
57:34
that happening. And these are two great
57:36
jobs and and they're not going to stay
57:37
down forever. But before we go
57:39
>> before we go, let's talk about our
57:40
sponsor a little bit.
57:41
>> Yeah. Tom Haley and the and the and the
57:44
Haley Red uh Foundation, Family
57:46
Foundation who sponsor our show. I can't
57:48
say enough about uh Tom Haley, what he
57:52
means to us and uh what he has allowed
57:54
for us to have this show and having our
57:56
show. Uh and then u and again we're
57:59
we're thinking about all kinds of
58:00
exciting things possibly with the Tiger
58:02
Communications. Tom has uh done a great
58:05
job. He supports his family has from his
58:08
father uh and mother to his brother who
58:10
played. Uh they've supported Auburn
58:13
University athletically, academically,
58:15
the town and the community. We thank Tom
58:17
Haley. We thank his his uh the Haley Red
58:21
uh family foundation that donates to
58:24
Auburn. Of course, the the Haley Red
58:26
Development Company uh is building
58:28
everywhere in Auburn and always doing
58:30
that. and uh um and we appreciate Tom
58:32
and appreciate the work that that they
58:34
do and hopefully they'll keep us going
58:37
uh and able to uh to do this and uh we
58:40
have great guests come on um and we're
58:42
not and we we try to hit topics that are
58:44
important to Auburn people and so anyway
58:47
and uh we we're going to go right
58:50
through the summer although I will be
58:51
the head coach of the uh Greenheads.
58:54
Well, you know why I've got this beard,
58:56
don't you? You can't be a team whose
58:58
mascot is a duck and be in Monroe,
59:01
Louisiana, and not grow a beard. Now, I
59:04
don't This is This is about as long as I
59:06
can grow it because of the the Duck
59:08
Dynasty, you know, there is a
59:10
connection. And I said, "Dang, I got to
59:12
try. I've never tried this." Now, I
59:13
don't I can't grow right here. That's
59:15
got a little problem. I don't get it's
59:17
not going anywhere. So, anyway, this is
59:19
my Monroe. And it's not Monroe for y'all
59:22
that don't know that. This is I don't
59:23
live in Monroe. It's Monroe. I live in
59:26
Monroe, Louisiana, and these are the
59:28
Monroe Greenheads. And if you're not a
59:30
duck hunter, you don't know that a a
59:32
green head is a malard duck. Uh, and we
59:35
have uh eight games, but we'll keep
59:37
we'll be having our show right through
59:39
this the summer and my season will be
59:41
over. My my uh my Greenhead Arena
59:44
football season will be over before we
59:46
get into uh before we get into two days
59:49
uh before the season. And so uh we look
59:52
forward to seeing that. So, if anybody
59:53
wants tickets, just you know where you
59:55
can email us or text us and we'll see if
59:57
we can get you tickets to a Monroe
59:59
Greenhead game. All righty. Um, but
1:00:02
thank you uh Tom Haley the Haley Red uh
1:00:04
Family Foundation uh for what you mean
1:00:06
to this program and uh uh and allowing
1:00:09
us to keep keep uh putting it on the
1:00:11
air.
1:00:12
>> And thanks to everybody for tuning in.
1:00:13
Click like and subscribe below. Give us
1:00:15
a comment. It helps us out. And we'll
1:00:16
see you again next week.
1:00:24
For more than a hundred years, the Haley
1:00:26
Red Family Foundation has proudly
1:00:28
supported Auburn University
1:00:30
scholarships, investing in students
1:00:31
dreams and brighter futures. For over 25
1:00:34
years, we've also stood beside the
1:00:35
Sheriff's Girls Ranch, helping young
1:00:37
women find hope and opportunity. The
1:00:39
Haley Red Family Foundation.