Tradition's Finest Episode 119 - The inVINCEible Bowl Episode

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 119 - The inVINCEible Bowl Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Basketball: It has been our intention to discuss and/or cover NCAA Men's College Basketball in some capacity since the beginning of the 2025-26 College Basketball season, however, and due to multiple factors, we have not dove into the sport near as much as we preferred. . .But, do we have some fantastic news for you Round-ball fans, this week's episode features a discussion and/or Week 11 update; such topics as the following are discussed in this particular segment: (I) the dominance of the Arizona Wildcats (18-0) & being ranked the unanimous No.1 team in Monday's AP Top 25 poll for the first time in program history, receiving all 61 votes, just a week after picking up all but one first-place votes (60); (II) the rise & fall of the Iowa State Cyclones; (III) a few other notable programs that are making waves thru Week 11 of the regular season (i.e., No.7 Nebraska (18-0), No.24 Saint Louis (17-1) & No.25 Miami (Ohio)); (IV) the "Rising/Falling" programs of the AP Top 25 (i.e., No.18 Clemson - ⬆️ four spots; No.12 Texas Tech - ⬆️ three spots; No.22 North Carolina - ⬇️ eight spots after losses last week to Stanford & Cal; No.9 Iowa State ⬇️ seven spots after losses to unranked Kansas & Cincinnati; No.15 Vanderbilt - ⬇️ five spots after losses to Texas & No.16 Florida); and (V) those programs that are "In & Out" of this week's updated poll rankings - A "Welcome Back" to No.19 Kansas, First Timers Saint Louis & Miami (Ohio) & So Long Goodbye to Tennessee (⬇️ from No.24 after blowing a 17-point lead versus Kentucky last week; Utah State (⬇️ from No.23 after suffering loss on the road to Grand Canyon); and Seton Hall (⬇️ from No.25 after suffering back-to-back losses to UConn and Butler). . .In a case that could potentially reshape college basketball & college sports in general, former Alabama standout/center Charles Bediako - who entered the 2023 NBA Draft and he went on to sign a two-way NBA contract with the San Antonio Spurs later that same year - has been granted a temporary restraining order (or a TRO) to return to the team and college basketball immediately, a Tuscaloosa County (AL) judge ruled early Wednesday morning — Bediako, who has played in the G-League for the previous two seasons, went undrafted & never appeared in an NBA game after he played on two NCAA Tournament teams while enrolled at the University of Alabama (i.e., 2020-21 & 2022-23), filed a lawsuit to sue the NCAA a day prior after it denied the school's appeal to allow him to return to the sport, citing the similar situation with James Nnaji & Baylor University — **NOTE: This is the first time a player who entered an NBA draft and signed a contract after playing college basketball has been given the chance to return to Division I college basketball. . .and it's reception has been met with much controversy and speculation — The Tuscaloosa Co. (AL) judge's monumental ruling was made just hours after NCAA President Charlie Baker reiterated that Bediako and other players who have signed NBA contracts would not be granted eligibility to play college basketball — Based on the NCAA's five-year window, Bediako can join the Nate Oats & the Crimson Tide for the rest of the regular season - depending on what happens at his next hearing - before his eligibility is exhausted — Bediako will join a Crimson Tide basketball team as it wades through its' defensive struggles (i.e., currently ranks 67^th in adjusted defensive efficiency) as Alabama is scheduled to face off against the Tennessee Volunteers in Tuscaloosa on Saturday - and the question on everyone's mind: Will Charles Bediako suit up for the Crimson Tide on Saturday at Coleman Coliseum. . .Q: What do you think: Is there a chance that Charles Bediako will actually see the court against Tennessee on Saturday? Or at any point throughout the remainder of the 2025-26 NCAA college basketball regular season?. . . - NCAA College Football: It should come as little surprise that DI college football is experiencing similar issues as that of college basketball. . .Let's discuss the situation and controversy surrounding Duke QB Darian Mensah: While approximately 4,500 college football players were just waiting around for the NCAA transfer portal to open where they could make their entry & state their claim at a new program the following season, QB Darian Mensah, who led the ACC Conference in passing yards (3,973) this season as well as led the Duke Blue Devils to play the role of CFP spoiler after defeating the Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC Conference Championship Game, had made the decision on Dec. 19th to return for the Blue Devils as a redshirt junior next season after exploring the possibility of entering the 2026 NFL Draft (he was rated as the No.5 QB on Mel Kiper Jr.'s QB ranking board for the 2026 NFL Draft prior to his decision) — Fast forward to Friday, Jan.16th (2026), Duke QB Darian Mensah, who has two years of eligibility remaining after playing for Tulane prior to his one season at Duke, had changed his mind, and decided to submit his request for transfer paperwork, ahead of the 12:00 p.m. ET deadline for FBS and FCS players to enter the NCAA transfer portal. . .Tampering, much?. . .Miami looms as the expected favorite to land Mensah when he officially becomes available - as the Hurricanes have signed transfer QBs in consecutive seasons (i.e., Cam Ward & Carson Beck) - and did not land a QB out of the two-week transfer portal window that opened on Jan. 2^nd -- Per On3, Duke has filed a lawsuit, thus suing Darian Mensah, claiming that he breached a multiyear NIL contract that was scheduled to end on Dec. 31st, 2026, and furthermore, Mensah is permitted to enter the transfer portal, but he can't enroll or play college football for another program prior to the Durham (N.C.) County judge rules on Duke's request for an injunction that would prevent him from leaving. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the multiple reports that Darian Mensah "changed his mind," thus making the decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal after committing to return to Duke next season? Do you suspect that there are any programs out there tampering with the Duke QB? Is there a legit possibility that QB Darian Mensah is forced to sit out the entire 2026-27 NCAA college football season after attempting to breach his contract with Duke University? . .2026 NCAA College Football Playoff National Championship Game Review: To understand just how improbable the Indiana Hoosiers' 16-0 "perfect" season was punctuated by its' gritty 27-21 win against the Miami Hurricanes on Monday night in front of a crowd of 67,000-plus fans, with the majority clad in cream & crimson, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, a somewhat brief history lesson is required: **NOTE: The University of Indiana college football program had lost 715 games, now the second-most in FBS history, just one behind Northwestern - - but with one thrilling victory in Monday night's College Football Playoff National Championship - a seesaw game that went down to the wire, with the Hoosiers ultimately leaving Miami with no doubt: they are the 'top dogs' of college football, and they accomplished that feat by completing one of the most remarkable two-year turnarounds in the history of the sport — Though there is sure to be much debate as to where this 2026 Indiana Hoosiers team stacks up against the sport's elite, including the 2021 Miami Hurricanes, 2019 LSU Tigers & 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide, the simple fact is this: Nothing like this has ever been done before. . .and by "this," we mean a HC lead a program once considered the "armpit of college football," to the promise land with unheralded recruits, many of which transferred to Indiana along with their head coach, Curt Cignetti. . .Q: Where does this 2026 Indiana Hoosiers team stack up against the rest of the pack for the 'GOAT' of D-I college football? — The Hoosiers' Heisman Trophy-winning QB, Fernando Mendoza - who will most likely and is projected to become the No.1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft - led Indiana to a national championship. . .and he did so by willing himself 12 yards into the end zone on a pivotal 4th-and-4 play with 9:18 remaining to give the Hoosiers a 24-14 lead over the Hurricanes — Mendoza, who completed 16 of 27 passing for 186 yards with no passing TDs or INTs, lowered his pads into a defender, spun in a full circle, used his hand to maintain his balance, then launched himself horizontally and reached the ball over the goal line - an Indiana TD and a ready-made poster for a CFP national title run straight from a major motion picture. . .**NOTE: Prior to Mendoza, the last college football player to win the Heisman Trophy and a national championship in the same season was Alabama WR DeVonta Smith in 2020 — and yet Indiana's 12-play, 75-yard drive ended with a jaw-dropping fourth-down rushing TD by a Hoosier, who grew up in Miami, that was never recruited by the 'Canes. . ."A Legend in the Making:" Indiana HC Curt Cignetti now has an FBS-best 27-2 overall record over the past two seasons after the Hoosiers went 9-27 in its final three seasons prior to Cignetti being hired — He has led the Hoosiers to their first two 10-win seasons in program history - as Indiana joined the 1984 Yale University football team as the only two programs in major college football history to finish a season with a 16-0 record — In such a tight game, Cignetti & the Hoosiers needed more than another Omar Cooper last-second TD or Heisman moment from Mendoza to pull off this gritty win: With 44 seconds left in regulation, and on the last play of Miami QB Carson Beck's collegiate career, he threw a deep ball down the left sideline & into double coverage, and it was intercepted by Indiana's Jamari Sharpe, stifling the 'Canes final attempt at a comeback & sealing Indiana's 27-21 win in the National Championship Game on Monday night - Beck finished the game with 232 yards passing & one TD in his final college game — With 5:04 left in the 3^rd QTR, Indiana DL Mikail Kamara made a massive play on special teams: he blocked a Miami punt with his left hand and LB Isiah Jones recovered the ball in the end zone for a TD, giving the Hoosiers a 17-7 lead at the time — The Hoosiers entered Monday night's game having outscored opponents by 473 points this season, but the Miami Hurricanes proved that "The U" is back: With 6:37 left, the Hurricanes closed the gap to 24-21 with an eight-play, 91-yard drive that ended with a 22-yard TD pass from Beck to star WR Malachi Toney - - Miami RB Mark Fletcher Jr. also played a great game, as he scored on a 57-yard rushing TD with 11:06 left in the 3^rd QTR, which at the moment closed the gap to 10-7 — Miami's defense, led by DE Rueben Bain Jr., was aggressive early, applying much pressure on QB Fernando Mendoza, and forcing him to escape the pocket, and even laying a hit on him that led to a bloody lip - - There was one call that changed this game early as Bain made one critical mistake when he jumped offside on a critical 3rd-and-13 situation at midfield in the 2^nd QTR - and on the following play, Indiana RB Kaelon Black rushed up the middle for a 20-yard gain & a first down at the Miami 23-yard line -- **NOTE: The 'Canes entered Monday night averaging seven (7) penalties accepted against them per game, which ranked 104^th in the FBS - - For all of the attention surrounding Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, the Hoosiers defense was equally as impressive in the first half, holding Miami to a total of 69 yards, the fewest by a team in the first half of a CFP championship game - and meanwhile, Miami's offense at times struggled to move the ball a yard, as the 'Canes offensive line, which had a size advantage of 53 lbs per player, was being outplayed, and QB Carson Beck became visibly frustrated by the harassing Indiana defense, until they converted on a 4th-and-1 play - - **NOTE: Indiana's win was also a major victory for the Big Ten Conference, as it was the first time since 1940-42, that teams from the conference won three straight national titles. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Indiana Hoosiers finishing the 2025-26 season with a perfect 16-0 record, and winning a national championship? Despite the tough loss, is it safe to say that "The U" is officially back?. . . - 2026 College Football Transfer Portal Tracker: In this particular segment, JD and Spencer discuss many of the notable transfer(s) that occurred throughout two-week portal window; the following players are mentioned in this episode (**Tune in for more details!) Oklahoma/NC State RB Hollywood Smothers --> Alabama --> _________________ Auburn WR Cam Coleman --> __________________ Auburn QB Deuce Knight --> __________________ Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola --> __________________ Miami/Alabama WR Isaiah "Zay" Horton --> _________________ Texas RB Cedric Baxter Jr. --> _______________________ Alabama/Tulane WR Shazz Preston --> _____________________ Alabama EDGE Keon Keeley --> _______________________ NC State WR Noah Rogers --> ________________________ Alabama DL James Smith + EDGE Qua Russaw --> _______________________ Auburn WR Malcolm Simmons --> __________________________ Alabama/Michigan RB Justice Haynes --> _______________________ Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt --> __________________________ LSU/Auburn/Texas State/Tulane/Western Kentucky/Georgia State QB TJ Finley --> _________________ (**NOTE: No, this not a joke, Finley is transferring to his seventh program of his collegiate career). . .Q: What are your thoughts on TJ Finley transferring to a record seventh program?. . . Penn State/Missouri QB Beau Pribula --> ______________________ USC QB Husan Longstreet --> _______________________ Ole Miss EDGE Princewill Umanmielen --> _____________________ - NFL - - 2026 NFL Divisional Playoffs Round Review/Breakdown: In this week's NFL Playoffs Round Review, JD and Spencer will analyze, review & breakdown each of the following divisional round games below - as well as discuss the major storylines surrounding each game: AFC Divisional Playoff Game #1: No.6 Buffalo Bills at No.1 Denver Broncos (**Controversial officiating?/Broncos suffer enormous loss). . . NFC Divisional Playoff Game #1: No.6 San Francisco 49ers at No.1 Seattle Seahawks (**Seahawks lose their leading TD scorer). . . AFC Divisional Playoff Game #2: No.5 Houston Texans at No.2 New England Patriots (**Eight (8) combined turnovers - the most in a playoff game since 2015). . . NFC Divisional Playoff Game #2: No.5 Los Angeles Rams at No.2 Chicago Bears (**QB Caleb Williams' unbelievable TD pass at the end of regulation/QB Matthew Stafford, the NFL MVP?). . . - 2026 NFL Playoffs Conference Championship Round Preview & Predictions: In this segment, JD and Spencer preview both the AFC & NFC Conference Championship game(s) from this upcoming weekend; they also provide their individual, independent predictions for each of the following games: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!! AFC Championship Game: No.2 New England Patriots (14-3) at No.1 Denver Broncos (14-3) O/U41.5 NFC Championship Game: No.5 Los Angeles Rams (12-5) at No.1 Seattle Seahawks (14-3) O/U47.5 - NFL (cont'd) - - Following the New York Giants' grab of former Baltimore Ravens HC John Harbaugh, the second hire of the current NFL coaching cycle is official: The Atlanta Falcons hired former Cleveland Browns HC Kevin Stefanski as their next HC in Matt Ryan's first move as the team's President, the team announced Saturday night -- The Browns fired Stefanski after six seasons with the team, finishing with an overall record of 46-58, and he also led the Browns to two playoff appearances & earned two NFL Coach of the Year Awards -- **NOTE: Atlanta has not had a winning season since 2017, finishing 10-6 that year and being eliminated in the divisional round of the playoffs -- Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski will keep incumbent DC Jeff Ulbrich in his role, the team announced Monday. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Falcons' hire of former Browns HC Kevin Stefanski as well as his decision to retain DC Jeff Ulbrich?. . .The Miami Dolphins have hired Green Bay Packers DC Jeff Hafley as their next HC, it was announced on Monday night -- Hafley was signed to a five-year contract with the Dolphins after spending the previous two seasons as the Packers' DC, during which Green Bay ranked 9th in yards allowed per game, 6th in yards per play and 8th in points allowed per game -- Hafley was also the head coach at Boston College, where he went 22-26 in four seasons -- **NOTE: The Dolphins have not won a playoff game in 25 seasons, the longest such drought in the NFL, and Jeff Hafley, 46, is the 8th straight HC hired by Miami who had no previous NFL head coaching experience, according to ESPN Research. . .The Tennessee Titans are hiring San Francisco 49ers DC Robert Saleh as their next HC, sources confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday night -- In his second stint as a head coach after serving as the New York Jets HC from 2021 to 2024, Saleh is set to become the 20th HC in Oilers/Titans history and the seventh since the team moved/relocated to Nashville in 1997 -- **NOTE: The Titans have not made the playoffs since 2021 when they were the AFC's top seed and lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round under former HC Mike Vrabel. . . - NBA - - "King James Aversion:"The NBA announced its starters for next month's All-Star Game on Monday - and, for the first time in a generation, Los Angeles Lakers star F LeBron James was not listed among them -- Per The Bleacher Report, for the first time in 21 years, James was NOT voted as an All-Star Game starter -- **Tune in for more details regarding the starters. . .Golden State Warriors G/F Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending torn right ACL in Monday night's 135-112 win over the Miami Heat, his agent told ESPN, effectively throwing the future direction of the franchise into question -- The injury comes as the surging Warriors (25-19) have won 12 of their past 16 games, beginning a climb back up the standings due in part to Butler's performance this season. . .Q: Will Jimmy Butler return to the Golden State Warriors next season or play elsewhere?. . . - MLB - - The CF roster of the Baseball Hall of Fame grew deeper Tuesday with the announcement that Carlos Beltran & Andruw Jones were selected for induction -- Beltran was elected in his fourth year of eligibility after being named on 84.2% of the BBWAA ballots, easily clearing the 75% threshold for enshrinement, while Jones was named on 78.4% of the ballots, just clearing the bar to earn election in his ninth and second-to-last year of eligibility -- Beltran & Jones join Jeff Kent, who was elected back in December 2025 in the contemporary era committee voting, in the HOF Class of 2026 -- **NOTE: Beltran, a nine-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, is one of four MLB players to reach 2,700 hits, 400 homers, 1,500 runs and 300 steals, joining Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, and Alex Rodriguez -- Jones, who finished his MLB career as a 10-time Gold Glove winner with 434 HRs, burst onto the scene in 2006, when at age 19 he homered in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series for the Atlanta Braves against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones being elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday?. . . Thanks for Listening!!