The Killer B's: Joel Blank & Jeremy Branham
Brad Kellner from Texas Sports Unfiltered on Texas-Georgia Game, SEC, and More!
(upbeat music) - You listening to The Killer Beans with Joel Blanket, Jeremy Braddock. - On ESPN 97.5 and 92.5. - Broadcasting live from the Veritex Community Bank Studios. - We go out to the HR at PGuess line where Brad Kellner is awaiting. - All much winner, Brad Kellner, as you know, Texas sports unfiltered, Brad. - What do you make of the Big 12? The fact that Texas couldn't ever win the Big 12 and they go to the SEC and they're carrying water for the league, what does Texas season prove about the greatness that is the Big 12? - Oh, hold on, Jeremy, did you forget who won the Big 12 last year? - That was their only, that was their only Big 12 winner like in the last seven years. - Yeah, longer than that, you're being too kind. - You had a 10 maybe? - Yeah, 2009, when Cole McCoy was at Texas was the last time the horns had won the Big 12 before winning at last season. So, at the Big 12, it's been a lot of fun, it's at the great race at the top and there's a lot of drama. And hey, now, other teams actually have a chance to win at Texas, Oklahoma are both gone. - Not exactly true, but I appreciate it, a little jab for jab. - Hey, BK, what's going on, man? Curious about the big game this weekend. I mean, Texas, Georgia, I hate to think that you and Brian McDonald are gonna be both a little upset at me, but I already am predicting a Georgia upset in Austin. What says you and how do the horns prevent that from happening? - Yeah, it feels weird Joel to say, but Georgia upset, right? I mean, it's been a long time since they've been an underdog in a regular season game. It's been a long time that they've lost a game to anybody not named Alabama, right? You gotta go all the way back to the COVID season in 2020 to find the last time Georgia lost a football game to anybody not named Alabama. So, it's weird to see Texas as a favorite. Obviously, the money's been coming in on the Longhorns all week long. I think it's up to five now on ESPN bet. So, it's wild to think that Georgia could have two losses by the end of October. But to answer your question, hey, look, Texas has to do what it's been doing, right? I mean, the Longhorns have the number one defense in America, number one scoring defense, number one total defense, the number two pass defense. They've gotta keep rolling the way they have on that side of the ball, and they need a lot better performance from coin-users, right? Like, they need the coin-users from the first two and a half games of the season. The guy who was the Heisman favorite before he got hurt against UTSA to show up in Austin, 'cause that was not the guy we saw at the Cotton Bowl this past weekend. Now, Oklahoma was so bad, and their offense was so banged up that it didn't matter. Texas still won that game 34 to three, but obviously, Georgia is a completely different beast. So, Texas needs the coin-users. That went on the road to the big house and just dominated the Michigan defense. That's full of NFL talent. They need that version of coin to show up and get it done against the Georgia defense that obviously has a bunch of NFL talent, though. - What are the vibes of the fan base right now? I mean, I can predict. I imagine that they're very good, but ahead of Georgia, do you feel like it's excitement? Do you feel like it's arrogance? We're gonna be able to hammer Georgia, or is there a little bit of healthy fear because it is the Bulldogs? - I don't think there's a lot of fear. I mean, look, my self-diagnosed UTSD is kicking in, so I'm terrified for this game, but I think Texas fans feel incredibly confident, right? And the Longhorns albeit against an easier schedule, they have looked much better than Georgia has, and the numbers look a lot better for Texas than they do for Georgia. So, I think it's fair that Texas is favored in this game 'cause through six games, I think they've been the more impressive team. So, Longhorn fans are confident, right? Like, they've won every game by at least three scores. They've only trailed once this season, and that was in the first quarter, three-nothing to Oklahoma last week. So, I think Texas fans are feeling really good about where this team is right now, and I think the Longhorns, for the most part, are very confident that they're gonna find a way to get this thing done on Saturday night. - Brad Kellner joining us on the HRNP guest line. Brad, looking at the SEC, you see four teams in the top 10, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, two more in the top 15, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and then two more in the top 20, Ole Miss and Missouri. How many SEC teams do you think get into the 12 team playoff? - I think it's at minimum four. I think there's a chance it gets to five, but I think the SEC needs a little bit more chaos around the country for that to happen, but I think at least four SEC teams get in. Now, which four will it be when it's all said and done? That's a completely different question, but I think this league is too talented, I think this league is too deep, to have anything less than four that make it. I think the two teams that make the SEC championship game will find a way, and then I think there will be two teams that maybe go 10 and two, but don't make it to Atlanta in early December that will get those at large bids in the eight to 11 range in the 12 team playoff. So I think there's a lot of SEC bias. I'll say that even though my team is now in the SEC, I think SEC bias is a real thing. I think the team partners want to get as much SEC action as they can, so if there is a close call between an SEC team and an ACC team or an SEC team and a big 12 team, I think the SEC is going to get the nod more often than not Jeremy. So I'll say four with a better chance it's five than three. - Because you didn't throw a lot of big 10 in there, and that can sometimes get me feeling a certain kind of way. You watched that game the other night, were you not impressed with the fact that I have to admit Oregon was way more than I thought. They were, I thought they were good. I didn't think they were that good. I saw two really good football teams on Saturday night. - Yeah, I think both of those teams are making the playoffs, right? And there's a chance we get that game two more times this year. I'd be surprised. I know Penn State's undefeated. I know they're ranked ahead of Ohio State right now, but I'd be pretty surprised. We don't get Oregon, Ohio State, part two in the big 10 title game, and then maybe a third matchup in the college football playoff. So look, all three of those teams, I think have a very, very good chance to make it, matter of fact, I tick all three of those teams to make it to the 12 team playoffs. And yeah, Oregon looks good. Like I picked Oregon to beat Ohio State this past weekend. Now, Ryan Day, he's one in seven against top five teams in this coaching career. So he's a great coach. He hasn't lost a lot in Columbus, but in big games, more often than not, his team has come up short. So he's got to get that proverbial monkey off of his back. But no, there's no doubt, Joel. Those are two really, really talented teams, two national championship defenders. And if the Longhorns are going to be competing for a national title in the calendar turns, they're going to have to run through one if not both those teams. - I got another one for you, buddy. I'm going to switch gears a little bit, but it literally is, wait for it, right in your wheelhouse? You love the Cowboys. You faked it well while you were here, by the way, but you also were, you admitted it. But now you see what goes down as a radio guy too. What you saw happen with Jerry Jones, the meltdown on the radio, threatening those guys' jobs, and just where that, how you saw that situation in the state of the Cowboys? - Yeah, Joel, I don't get that wheelhouse, Joe. What were you going for with that? What does that mean? - Well, I was going to use Red Weasel, and I thought that might kind of set you back. Oh, why is this? So I just went right to the easy stuff. - Oh man, yeah, what a scenario for the Cowboys, right? It's the gift that keeps on giving the circus that is the Dallas Cowboys franchise. Now, I had a couple of people ask me this week, like, why now, right? It's been almost 30 years since the Cowboys have played for a Super Bowl. Why is Jerry Jones losing his mind on the beach yet right now? I thought about it for a second. And I think part of it's the fact that Jerry's now 82. I think he's old, I think he's cranky. I think he's senile, and maybe there's a little dementia combined with all of those things. But, Joe, it's been a long time since the Cowboys have been in this situation. And look, the Cowboys have had bad years recently, but it feels like the most recent bad seasons the Cowboys have had, they've had the excuse of the quarterback injury to kind of, you know, bank off, right? 2020, the COVID year, the Cowboys were off. Well, that got hurt early in the season, so they had that excuse. 2014, Cowboys ended up with four wins. They were drafting in the top five. Well, Tony Romo got hurt early in the season. I think you have to go all the way back to 2004. The last time the Cowboys were like this bad, and they didn't have the excuse of a hurt starting quarterback. And that was when Vinny Testum Verde was leading the Cowboys to a 6-in-10 record that year. So, it's been a while since the Cowboys have been in this spot. And, yeah, 20 years, going from 62 to 82. You get a lot crankier in that timeframe. I think Jerry's just going through it right now. I think he's in a little bit of denial that his team looks as bad as it does. And I think he's taken out his frustration on guys who were just trying to do their job up and down. Brad Kellner, today was a first-in-killer beat history. We had a father-son guest. You, the son, Lee Sterling, the father. Do you want to say anything on this groundbreaking day? Wow, well, congratulations to you guys for getting two generations of Kellner in your life. That is huge. Most people only wish they could be this lucky. But what an awesome show. I mean, this is Marconi award-winning radio for you guys. So congrats on being able to land two of the biggest fishes for fish eye, whatever the plural of fish is, in the industry on the same day. That's impressive work. Slow down. Now, you're talking fish, too, so you're talking more language. But we had the father and the son. If we get the Holy Ghost, not that it's your forte, but it's either Halloween, or we're really rolling. Yeah, I don't know if I'm allowed to respond to that as a Jewish man. I don't know if I can comment on that. I'm worried I'm going to get all of us kids. Yeah, I started a Netflix show that stars at Rabbi yesterday. So I think I'm halfway there, BK. Yeah, welcome to the truck. You could take our jokes like Steinfeld. That's good, but you've got to learn how to read from right to left, Jeremy. No, I'll see you then. Oh, I'm out then. If that's what it takes, I'm out. BK, thanks so much for your time. Enjoy Saturday. It's going to be a lot of fun there, I'm sure. As always, guys, I always appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks, buddy. Brad Kellner, joining us on the HR&P guest line, host, owner, CEO, all the things, making money moves, with Texas sports and filtered always a good time