Tradition's Finest Episode 115 - The "Music City Miracle" Episode

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 115 - The "Music City Miracle" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - 2025 NCAA College Basketball [Better Late Than Never] Season Preview: In this opening segment, JD & Spencer preview & analyze the 2025-26 NCAA Division I College Basketball Season, in particular focusing on the Power 5 Conferences (i.e., Big Ten, Big East, Big 12, ACC & SEC) and providing a thorough breakdown of each individual conference as well as projecting which program(s) will go on to be crowned conference champions & how many teams per conference they expect to advance to the 64-team field of this year's NCAA Tournament. . .NCAA College Football: "Ridin' Into the Sunset on His Harley:" Kyle Whittingham,66, the all-time winningest HC in the history of the University of Utah's football program, will step down from leading the Utes and will conclude his highly successful tenure in the Las Vegas Bowl against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Dec. 31^st - - Whittingham, the head football coach at the University of Utah since 2004, has been the true embodiment of the culture & identity of Utah Football for the past three decades, led Utah to two Rose Bowl appearances, three conference championships, an undefeated season capped by a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama in 2008 - - In his 32 seasons in Salt Lake City, Whittingham has coached in 391 games and contributed to a program-record 262 wins, with a head coaching record of 177-88 (.668) - - Whittingham, the second-longest tenured HC in FBS college football, he has earned three National Coach of the Year awards, including the AFCA and Bear Bryant Awards in 2008, and the Dodd Trophy in 2019 - - Following the Utes' appearance in the 2025 Las Vegas Bowl, Whittingham will be formally replaced by Utes DC Morgan Scalley, who has finalized a deal to become the program's next head coach, sources told ESPN - - Q: What are your thoughts on Kyle Whittingham stepping down as the HC at the University of Utah following a 21-year run? Do you expect Kyle Whittingham to coach elsewhere or to 'ride off into the sunset' on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle? What are your thoughts on Utah DC Morgan Scalley being promoted as Whittingham's successor?. . .Washington State & Missouri OC Kirby Moore have finalized a deal to make him the Cougars' next HC - - Moore, aged 35, a native of Prosser, WA, and the younger brother of New Orleans Saints HC Kellen Moore, he spent the past three seasons at the University of Missouri on Eliah Drinkwitz's staff - - Replacing Jimmy Rogers, who left to become the head football coach for the Iowa State Cyclones, the Cougars are 6-6 this year with one-score losses to Ole Miss (No.6 in the CFP bracket), Virginia (ACC runner-up) & James Madison (No.12 in the CFP bracket) - - Q: What are your thoughts on Washington State's hiring of Missouri OC Kirby Moore as the program's next HC?. . .2025 College Football Awards: Numerous college football players & coaches received individual accolades on Friday night at an Awards Ceremony in New York City for their efforts throughout the 2025-26 college football season, and JD & Spencer discuss the winners of a select few of the following collegiate awards presented on Friday night: John Mackey Award (best TE): Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt Doak Walker Award (best RB): Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame Davey O'Brien National QB Award (best signal-caller): Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Maxwell Award (player of the year): Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Biletnikoff Award (best WR): Makai Lemon, USC Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award: Curt Cignetti, Indiana (**first repeat winner in 59 years) Heisman Trophy (most prestigious award/the sport's highest individual honor): Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (**first Indiana player in program history to win the Heisman Trophy) - NCAA College Football Week Sixteen Analysis & Review: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & each provide their individual takeaway from the single game that Week Sixteen had to offer - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth recap & discussion of the following Week Sixteen matchup: "Battle for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy:" Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen - NCAA College Football Bowl Week #2 Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Bowl Week #2 preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently-selected pick(s) and/or predictions for each of the following matchups from the second week of the college football bowl season - as well as providing in-depth analysis & reasoning to explain the justification for their selection: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!! Myrtle Beach Bowl: Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan (-4)   O/U49.5 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: Memphis vs. NC State (-5.5)   O/U57.5 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Washington State vs. Utah State (-3)     O/U52.5 Bush's Boca Raton Bowl: Toledo vs. Louisville (-8.5)           O/U44.5 **NOTE: Since this particular bowl game is played in South Florida (i.e., Tampa) in a 30,000-seat Stadium, and features two programs from the Midwest, you can obtain "free" entry into the game by bringing a can of Bush's Baked Beans. New Orleans Bowl: Western Kentucky (-9.5) vs. Southern Miss       O/U55.5 Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl: UNLV (-4) vs. Ohio                    O/U62.5 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl: Cal (-1.5) vs. Hawai'i                 O/U54.5 - NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - - 2025 College Football Playoff First Round Preview: In this segment, JD & Spencer will preview each of the four upcoming CFP game(s) & will provide their individual/independent predictions for each outcome; the following CFP first-round matchup(s) are previewed in this particular segment: Friday, Dec. 19^th at 7:00PM CST/8:00PM EST: No.9 Alabama Crimson Tide (-1.5) at No.8 Oklahoma           O/U40.5 **The winner will advance to face No.1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1st. Saturday, Dec. 20^th at 7:00PM CST/8:00PM EST: No.10 Miami Hurricanes at No.7 Texas A&M Aggies (-3)         O/U51.5 **The winner will advance to face No.2 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31st. No.11 Tulane Green Wave at No.6 Ole Miss Rebels (-17.5)        O/U56.5 **The winner will advance to face No.3 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1st. No.12 James Madison Dukes at No.5 Oregon Ducks (-21)        O/U48.5 **The winner will advance to face No.4 Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1st. - NFL - - NFL Week 15 Review & Recap: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & recap each of the following NFL games & major storylines from Week 15 of the regular season: Thursday Night Football: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (**Falcons overcame 19 penalties & a 28-14 4th-QTR deficit to damage Tampa Bay's postseason hopes) Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams (**Rams clinch playoff berth for the third straight season after rallying in the second half) Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots (**Bills rally from a 21-0 deficit to prevent the Patriots from clinching the AFC East division title) Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (**Chiefs' two-time MVP QB Patrick Mahomes sustains torn ACL in left knee (out for the remainder of the season) & Kansas City were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2014) Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos (**Packers star edge rusher Micah Parsons suffers a non-contact injury/torn ACL (out for season)/Broncos extend winning streak to 11 games & clinch playoff berth) "A Jaguar on the Prowl:" Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence accounted for six TDs, including a career-high five passing, becoming just the fifth player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to record five passing TDs and one rushing TD in a single game - as Jacksonville overwhelmed the New York Jets from start to finish in a 48-20 drubbing on Sunday to extend their winning streak to five games. . . . . .And This Week's Tradition's Finest "Most Badass Celly of the Week" Award goes to. . .Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy, who broke free on a goal-line bootleg run in the 2^nd QTR with nothing but the end zone in front of him, he slowed down. . .Holding the ball low as he crossed the goal line, McCarthy appeared to be performing a modified "Griddy" dance, which was made popular by Vikings teammate/star WR Justin Jefferson - - While praising McCarthy's performance after he threw for a career-high 250 passing yards, Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell made it very clear at the postgame press conference that he did not approve of the celebration - - And McCarthy, who has endured heavy criticism throughout his first season as a starter, said that he had been warned prior to the game to "avoid" the celebration. . .Q: Do you think there is some friction brewing in Minnesota between HC Kevin O'Connell & [rookie] QB J.J. McCarthy, or is this just a "minor bump" in the road for a young QB still adjusting to playing in the NFL?. . . - NFL (cont'd) - - After Miami Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said on Tuesday that he was contemplating making a change at the QB position, he finally made a move: The Miami Dolphins announced on Wednesday that it is benching QB Tua Tagovailoa and turning to rookie QB Quinn Ewers, per sources to ESPN's Adam Schefter - - Tagovailoa threw his NFL-worst 15^th INT in the Dolphins' 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, which eliminated Miami (6-8) from playoff contention - - Ewers' first start will come on Sunday against Joe Burrow & the Cincinnati Bengals. . .Q: Do you expect for Miami to cut/release QB Tua Tagovailoa at the end of the NFL regular season after signing him to a four-year, $212.1 million extension in 2024? What about HC Mike McDaniel - is he more likely to be the Dolphins' HC next season or to coach elsewhere?. . - Miscellaneous - - WWE: Pro wrestling superstar, John Cena, ended his 24-year WWE tenure at Capitol One Arena in Washington D.C last Saturday night - by doing what he hadn't done in more than twenty years: he tapped out. . .as Cena submitted to former two-time WWE heavyweight champion Gunther at "Saturday Night's Main Event" in a stellar final match that had the crowd hanging on to every moment, hoping that Cena would go out/retire with a win - - Instead, Cena's tap-out signaled to fans that his time is finally over, and that he is going out on his own terms - - Cena, who became one of the most beloved wrestlers on the WWE roster & a 17-time World Champion, holds the record for the most title reigns recognized by the sport - - Rather than give a speech, Cena left his wristbands & shoes in the ring, walked up the entrance ramp, turned & gave one last salute to the camera & his fans. . Q: What were your thoughts on John Cena's final WWE match & the way in which his pro wrestling career ended?. . . Thanks for Listening!