CRAWFORD | A father, a son, and their Instagram show that bleeds Cream and Crimson | Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- When I was 10, I didn't have a podcast. I had a wiffle ball bat with electrical tape around the handle and a stack of baseball cards that smelled like stale gum.

Now? Now the 10-year-olds have microphones. They have Canva. They have production value.

And one of them — a kid named Luke Skillman — has a college football show with his dad, Josh, on Instagram. You can find them there, amid the breakfast photos and vacation galleries, having the time of their lives.

This isn't about Instagram. This is about them.

Josh and Luke. A father and son talking football every week like it's a presidential address. Only with more sincerity.

They call the show Always Pick the Underdog. You can see it here.

It started with Josh making game picks for friends. Nothing fancy. No script. No sponsors. Just a guy talking ball.

Then Luke started popping into frame. Then Luke started talking. Then Luke started taking over.

Now, he makes graphics. Now, he studies depth charts on his iPad. Now, he picks Indiana every week, because, in his words, "Indiana's gonna get a blowout."

(Admittedly, it's a pretty evergreen take this season.)

Josh, an Owensboro, Kentucky, native, is a two-time IU grad. His wife went there, too. They lived in Indiana until 2021, then moved to Richmond, Virginia, for work but never lost the thread. Their kids were born at IU Health in Carmel. Their blood runs crimson and cream.

They do the show together every week. Luke runs the graphics. Josh asks the questions. Luke answers with the confidence of an ESPN veteran. He watches the announcers. I asked if there was anybody he patterns himself after.

"Just be myself," he said. Good call.

I watched a couple of shows. Before the Big Ten championship game, he said, "Fernando Mendoza is better than Julian Sayin."

He had more insight that some national folks on that one.

Their motto? "Have fun."

Their target audience? Anyone who loves college football, or good vibes.

"We don't do a whole lot of rehearsing," Josh said. "He kind of lets the moment fuel him, and then I let him go."

Luke's analysis has picked up fans across the country. Some are family friends. Some are strangers who stumbled across the duo's clips on Instagram or TikTok. One video after Indiana's Peach Bowl win even drew comments from Oregon fans, until, as Josh joked, "they kind of stopped chirping."

Luke had thoughts on that, too:

"Oregon, you have too many uniforms."

The show has become something more than a hobby. It's a weekly routine. It's their thing.

And this Indiana season, with the Hoosiers surging toward a national championship game, has made it even more special.

Luke met Mendoza after the Maryland game. Got a photo. Got an autograph. Mendoza's family sought him out — found him by the tunnel — because he was the youngest Hoosier fan in the crowd. You want to talk about NIL? You can't buy that moment.

"I think it might have been his aunt or his cousin saw him and came over to us and said, 'Hey, I'm going to help him,'" Josh said. "And then she found Alberto (Mendoza's brother) and they walked him over to Fernando. And they were so gracious and kind. We're going to be forever fans of them, because they're so they're such an amazing, amazing family."

Now, Luke and Josh are hoping for a little Miami magic. They've booked a hotel. They can get there. They just need tickets.

"If something shakes loose, we're going," Josh said.

Until then, they'll tape as usual. They've already lined up guest pickers for the title game. And if they do get to South Florida, you can bet there'll be a special edition of Always Pick the Underdog from the road.

As far as what Luke thinks of the championship game against Miami: "I think that Indiana is probably going to win," he said. "But Miami is also a good team, so they are going to be a close game."

Either way, Always Pick the Underdog will be ready with the recap. It's not about views or clicks. It's about memories.

"I hope we keep doing it for years," Josh said. "As long as he'll have me."