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Music Today on the podcast, let's get our basketball fix, and we have enough news to get Derek Piper back on the line, back on the podcast.

Because we got scheduled to break down, Derek.

Everyone loves their schedule release shows, right? We've got to love these. A little bit of recruiting news. And then I'm just going to throw, this is an old school radio segment we used to do. It's called This or That. We did this on the radio show. They just kind of throw two things at you and you tell me which one you think is going to be right. So we'll do that a little bit later on. But what's up, man? We're inching closer to basketball. And I think we're getting a little bit of workouts, but that 20-hour week is coming up shortly here. Yeah, for sure. I know we'll have Big Ten Media Days early October, about two months away, a little bit less for the season opener against Eastern Illinois.

And starting to get into basketball mode. I know you guys on the football side, tough loss against Indiana.

Hopefully Illinois can bounce back against Virginia, keep the interest up and try to push this thing along.

We don't need another September where you're saying it's, is it basketball season yet? Let's just drag out that weight. But you know me. I'm always excited to talk hoops, and we're going to do that today. But yeah, curious your thoughts on a big game coming up on Saturday against Virginia. Well, I got to ask you, you're the guy who always wins the prediction game. The basketball guy always wins the prediction game with football, and I never hear the end of it. But that's fine. I got, I hate the prediction stuff. I know it's entertaining for people. I think there's a toss-up game. I really do. I think Virginia obviously has the quarterback advantage coming into this one, the passing game advantage coming into this one. But as hard as that one was against Indiana, like there are things I like

about the Illinois football team. Just stop shooting yourself in the foot. And be able to score

points in the second half, like even against Penn State and Minnesota, that was an issue.

All right? And the defense made enough stops. So that's my big thing. So, but we got to know where you're leaning. You're the, you're the crystal ball guy here. Yeah, some of that's luck. Let's be honest. And some of it has been just fading Illinois, which I'm not trying to do as much because I believe, as you've said, you believe in this coaching staff a lot more than Lovie Smith. How could you not? I'm in the same boat as well. And it's

interesting that Vegas has Illinois favored by as many, many points as they do. That makes me

real uncomfortable, like picking against him. I know. I mean, Brynn Armstrong is really talented.

You can't ignore the 400 yards and five touchdowns he put up on you last year.

Ryan Walters will want redemption. I think that he'll have a good game plan going forward.

And if you could run the ball, which it seems like Virginia's front seven and just run defense is pretty soft.

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