Sidelines & Headlines

Host Jim Hardin catches up with long-time friend Bill Waldrep, who has quite the following as a farmer through videos on social media. He is a third-generation farmer in Monroe County, where he raises vegetables and cows. Ag policy is high on the list of his interests. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and was a high-school ag teacher for 30 years, mostly at his alma mater, Mary Persons High. He and his wife, Sarah, raised three girls, and they have one granddaughter.

Host Jim Hardin and Blake Giles look ahead to the Georgia-Alabama football game. But first, they look back at local high school results, and what happened in college football last week. Including the emergence of another ex-Auburn quarterback (they’re everywhere). Auburn lost to Tennessee in an uninspired game. Vanderbilt looked like the best team Georgia has played so far, but that will change this Saturday with the visit to Alabama. They both agree that youth baseball is out of control, and Blake shares his recipe for Graham Cracker Toffee, aka brown-sugar meth.

Co-hosts Blake Giles and Jim Hardin pick their final four teams one third of the way through the season, and they don’t agree. The guys review a dramatic and much-needed win by Athens Academy, as well as other high school results. And then they turn to the college scene. Georgia dominated Oklahoma, led by a trio of great backers: Chris Cole, Raylen Wilson and Quntavious Johnson, who gave Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer nightmares. Auburn won, but Jim says they have yet to have a statement win. Meanwhile, ex-Auburn quarterbacks are scattered all over the college landscape. Don’t ask them about the obscene celebrations that are in the news. They don’t like them. Sportsmanship seems to be a thing of a bygone era.

It’s a big weekend of college football with lots of big games, and hosts Blake Giles and Jim Hardin agree that Oklahoma at Georgia is not one of the big ones. There’s UT at UT (Texas at Tennessee, Manning Present vs. Manning Past, orange vs. orange) there Texas A&M at LSU, where the loser will be 0-2 in the SEC, there’s Ole Miss at Florida, where Trinidad Chambliss will duel Aaron Philo; there’s Vanderbilt at Auburn, where the Tigers are looking for an offensive line; there’s Oregon at Southern Cal, where former Pac 12 foes square off in a Big 10 battle; and there’s South Carolina at Alabama, where Shane Beamer might need a big win.

Hosts Blake Giles and Jim Hardin talk some high school football, college football and even dip their toes in the NFL world. On the high school scene, Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals play in their annual rivalry game. How about a 73-66 score, for a football game? Prince Avenue Christian rolls. Athens Academy is struggling. On the college front, LSU’s game at Ole Miss may suck all of the air out of the room. Florida and Auburn will be on at the same time. Activate Multiview. Auburn and Georgia were not tested last week. Georgia may not be again this week with its trip to Arkansas, which lost in a blowout to Utah. Texas may a move toward the CFP, but Ohio State is not out of it. What is wrong at Oregon?