The Drive with Lon Tay & Derek Piper

12/23/24: Illini secure Braggin' Rights for another year; J Leman talks CFP, Citrus Bowl & Illini FB's portal adds

Lon and Derek begin the show discussing Illini basketball's 80-77 win over Mizzou on Sunday. Later, J Leman joins the guys to give his thoughts on the College Football Playoff, Illinois-South Carolina & what the Illini have done in the portal thus far.

12/20/24 Hour 2: Matt Harris (RockMNation) on Mizzou & matchup vs. ILL; 'Who Ya Got?' with Hans Dee

Matt Harris from Rock M Nation joins the show to break down Missouri's 10-1 start and how he sees the matchup in Braggin' Rights. Later, Hans Dee takes us through 'Who Ya Got?'.

12/20/24 Hour 1: Vibes going into Braggin' Rights; Looking back at previous games vs. Mizzou

Lon and Derek discuss the upcoming Braggin' Rights game, as well as the series history.

12/19/24 Hour 2: College Football Playoff first round preview

Lon, Derek and Kyle preview each matchup of the first round of the College Football Playoff and make their predictions. The guys also share their thoughts on Sammy Sosa finally being welcomed back to Wrigley Field.

12/19/24 Hour 1: Thoughts on latest court ruling regarding JUCO eligibility

Lon and Derek discuss the latest court ruling for Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia regarding NCAA eligibility and what it means for JUCO prospects. The guys also discuss the far-reaching effects it could have on eligibility in the future.

12/19/24 Hour 2: Problems with CFP's transfer portal schedule; What will NIL look like in the revenue sharing era?

Derek and Kyle discuss some of the problems that have arisen with college football's transfer portal window including Penn State's backup quarterback leaving his team before the playoffs and what the possible remedies are. Later, the guys talk about NIL, particularly as it relates to what NIL deals could look like once revenue sharing goes into effect.

12/18/24 Hour 1: Biggest threats to win the Big Ten in hoops; Do the Illini need to play faster?

Derek and Kyle discuss some of the biggest threats to win the Big Ten in basketball and what the winner's conference record could look like this season. Later, the guys share their thoughts on whether Illinois needs to play with more pace to improve its offense.

12/17/24 Hour 2: How bad has Ben Humrichous's rebounding been?; Dissecting Illini's offensive struggles and what could change

Derek and Kyle discuss Ben Humrichous's poor rebounding of late using some historcial data and discuss how important rebounding will be for him to maintain his rotational spot. Later, the guys talk about the Illini's recent offensive struggles and brainstorm some ways they can improve moving forward.

12/17/24 Hour 1: Mt. Zion TE J.C. Anderson joins the show; What's led to Illini's defensive improvement?

2026 Mt. Zion tight end and Illini target J.C. Anderson joins the show to share some insight on his recruiting process and thoughts on Illinois. Later, Lon and Derek discuss what's led to the Illini's defensive improvement since the Alabama loss.

12/16/24 Hour 2: Illinois stumbles late in loss to Tennessee; Breaking down the late-game miscues and what's next

Lon and Kyle break down the Illini's buzzer-beating loss to #1 Tennessee and all of the late game mistakes that cost Illinois a victory. The guys also discuss the Illini's impressive defensive improvement and their thoughts about where Illinois is moving forward.

12/16/24 Hour 1: J LEMAN HOUR: Illini fall to Tennessee, Luke Altmyer announces return; CFP preview

J Leman joins Lon and Kyle for his weekly football hour and talks a little basketball after the Illini fell to #1 Tennessee. The guys also discuss Luke Altmyer's decision to return to Illinois and preview the first round of the College Football Playoff.

12/13/24 Hour 2: Previewing Illinois-Tennessee; Cubs land Kyle Tucker

Derek and Kyle continue previewing Illinois and Tennessee and share some of their keys to the game for the Illini to pull off the upset. Later, the guys react to the Cubs pulling off a blockbuster deal for Kyle Tucker. The guys also give their predictions for the Illinois-Tennessee game.

12/13/24 Hour 1: Illini's history hosting AP #1 teams; How challenging will Tennessee matchup be for KJ?

Derek and Kyle discuss the Illini's previous instances hosting an AP #1 team in Champaign. The guys also break down the matchup against Tennessee and discuss their level of concern about Kasparas Jakucionis being able to handle Tennessee's physicality.

12/11/24 Hour 2: Thoughts on Illini's full 2025 football schedule; Bill Belichick to UNC?

Lon and Derek share their thoughts on Illinois football's full 2025 football schedule and what stands out most with all of the dates officially announced. Later, the guys react to Bill Belichick reportedly taking the North Carolina job and whether they think it will work out.

12/11/24 Hour 1: Illini bounce back with win over Wisconsin behind Tre White breakout; Marveling in KJ's stardom

Lon and Derek break down the Illini's 86-80 victory over Wisconsin including Tre White's breakout night, Kaspras Jakucionis's continued stardom, and the way the Illini's starting backcourt is coming together.

12/10/24 Hour 2: How much would Ty Rodgers have helped this team?; Boswell's defensive importance vs Badgers

Derek and Kyle discuss how much Ty Rodgers could've helped this Illini team if he hadn't decided to redshirt. Later, the guys talk about Kylan Boswell's importance in slowing down Wisconsin and give their predictions for the game.

12/10/24 Hour 1: Lon weighs in on Northwestern loss; How tough will this matchup vs Wisconsin be?

Lon and Derek talk some Illinois hoops as Lon gives his take on the Illinois loss to Northwestern. The guys also discuss how tough the game against Wisconsin could be for Illinois and how much more Brad Underwood needs to rely on his bench.

12/9/24 Hour 2: Breaking down Illini's disappointing loss to Northwestern; Thoughts on late-game lineup decisions & what's next

Derek and Kyle break down the Illini's overtime loss to Northwestern and what went wrong down the stretch. The guys share their thoughts on some late game lineup and coaching decisions and also start to look ahead to the Illini's matchup with Wisconsin.

12/9/24 Hour 1: J LEMAN HOUR: Illini are headed to the Citrus Bowl!; Thoughts on matchup with South Carolina & reaction to CFP bracket

J Leman joins the show for his weekly football hour to discuss Illinois' selection to the Citrus Bowl against South Carolina. J and Derek discuss the matchup against the Gamecocks, react to the College Football Playoff bracket, and share their thoughts on some recent coaching news.

12/6/24 Hour 2: Keys for Illini in first true road game at Northwestern; Who Ya Got? Conference championship picks

Lon and Kyle break down their keys to the game for Illinois against Northwestern and how they could go about slowing down Northwestern's duo of scorers. Later, the guys do some Who Ya Got? (without Hans Dee) and give their picks for the weekend's college football conference championship games.