AP Top 25 College Football Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Associated Press
With the help of players, coaches, TV analysts, school administrators and NCAA officials, AP College Football Writer Ralph Russo tackles on-and off-field issues affecting the sport throughout the year. The show gives everyone from the casual fan to the obsessed alum, an insider look into the AP Poll and all that is trending on campuses around the country. Be ready for the big game, signing day or spring practice with this weekly chat about college football.
Washington coach Jedd Fisch interview
Jedd Fisch is taking over a Washington program that played for a national championship last season, but only returns a total of 28 players, almost none of them starters. In an interview with AP's Ralph Russo, Fisch talks about the difference in the two rebuilds, preparing for the Big Ten and why coaching at Washington is a lot like coaching in the NFL.
Spring portal review
The spring portal window has closed and while there are still transfers happening, most of the big moves have been made. Max Olson from The Athletic joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about what teams cleaned up in the portal, including Miami and Oklahoma. Defensive linemen were a particularly hot commodity in April. And, of course, you can't talk portal without checking in on Colorado and coach Prime.
Marcus Freeman on Year 3 leading Notre Dame
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman enters his third season leading the Fighting Irish with maybe his best team. Plus, a new offensive coordinator in Mike Denbrock and another new quarterback via the transfer portal in former Duke star Riley Leonard. How are they meshing as Leonard recovers from an injury?
Playoff dark horses
An expanded College Football Playoff means a bigger reward for surprising teams that go from unranked in the preseason to vying for a spot in the top 10. Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports joins AP's Ralph Russo to run through so teams that could exceed expectations in 2024 and earn a place in the first 12-team playoff. The Atlantic Coast Conference seems especially loaded with wild cards from Miami to newcomer SMU.
Mock NFL draft
What will happen after the Chicago Bears take USC quarterback Caleb Williams No. 1 overall in next week's NFL draft? AP's national NFL Writer Rob Maaddi joins Ralph Russo to go through his mock draft, which includes a bunch of wheeling and dealing, four more quarterbacks being selected after Williams and a total of 10 offensive line going in the first round. Maaddi explains why Heisman winner Jayden Daniels might be the right fit for the Commanders at No. 2 and how the Patriots can take a circuitous route to acquire additional picks and still get their quarterback of the future.
Rob Maaddi's mock draft: https://apnews.com/article/nfl-mock-draft-caleb-williams-bears-2f9c3602d80084eb9c0c7fc0b7fc9530
Where is this all going in college football?
A proposed Super League model for college football, which is A) DOA and B) not really a super league, has been floating around for a few months. While that idea isn't viable, where college football is heading is very much a question that needs answers. Andy Staples from On3 joins AP's Ralph Russo to consider not just whether a Super League is on the horizon. That answer is almost certainly yes, but what are the various ways it could come together? Is it just a SEC/Big Ten arms race? Or could those conferences also be vulnerable to being broken up?
Ohio State coach Ryan Day and QB competitions
After ending the season on a two-game losing streak, including a third straight to Michigan, Ohio State won the offseason. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss flipping the vibes, returning stars, managing a loaded QB room and finding one more play to win the most important game of the season. Also, Bud Elliott from the 247 Sports and the Cover-3 Podcast joins the show to talk about spring QB competitions and USC's recruiting heater.
BC coach Bill O'Brien and CFP optimism
Bill O'Brien has had a crazy offseason, leaving the Patriots when Bill Belichik was forced out, going to Ohio State to become offensive coordinator and then landing in February at Boston College as the head coach. At a time when we here a lot about how coaches are fleeing the chaotic world of college football, why did O'Brien come back? Plus, Steven Godfrey of the Split Zone Duo podcast is excited and optimistic about the 12-team College Football Playoff. He spells out why.
Adjusting projections; Interview with Troy coach Gerad Parker
ESPN's preseason SP+ projections have 13 of the top 15 teams in the country in either the Big Ten or the Southeastern Conference. Bill Connelly, the brains behind SP+, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss the projections and what they portend in the first year of super conferences and a 12-team playoff. Plus, how the Big Ten and SEC are starving the rest of college football. Also, Troy coach Gerad Parker joins the show to discuss his move from offensive coordinator at Notre Dame to the two-time defending Sun Belt champions.
Ralph's story on CFP revenue sharing deal: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-playoff-cfp-2d6f873ce07bb8b51660354f5bcff5f1
Who are the best coaches in college football?
Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel of The Athletic join AP's Ralph Russo to discuss their rankings of the Top 25 coaches in college football right now. The retirement of Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh moving on to the NFL and a few down years by Dabo Swinney have opened up more than a few spots in the near the top of the rankings, opening the door for coaches such as Lance Leipold of Kansas and Kalen DeBoer, Saban's replacement who just led Washington to the national championship game. And how will expectations on coaches change in college football's new world order?
Ralph's Top 10 coaches:
No. 1 Kirby Smart, Georgia
No. 2 Dabo Swinney, Clemson
No. 3 Brian Kelly, LSU
No. 5. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
No. 6 Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
No. 7 James Franklin, Penn State
No. 8 Lance Leipold, Kansas
No. 9 Mike Norvell, Florida State
No. 10 Lincoln Riley, USC
Post-combined draft talk and CFP shenanigans
The NFL Draft combine in the the rearview mirror and the is about a month and half left before the actual draft. Eric Edholm from NFL.com joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss what was learned at the combine and what to make of USC QB Caleb Williams choosing not to be evaluated by every teams' medical staff. Plus, this offensive line class is loaded. Then in Three-and-Out, Russo explains why the Big Ten and SEC's CFP power play is unnecessary and not in the best interest of college football.
Why the CFP is expanding already
The first 12-team College Football Playoff hasn't even been played yet and the conference commissioners who run the CFP are talking about adding more teams. How did we get here so soon? Nicole Auerbach from The Athletic joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss how the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference are throwing their weight around and how the playoff that was revealed in 2021.
Does ESPN have too much control of college football?
ESPN is moving toward a deal to have sole ownership of the expanded College Football Playoff through the 2031 season. Is that good for college football? Bryan Curtis, sports media writer for The Ringer, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the impact of college football’s splintered media rights been deals, with Fox being all in on the Big Ten and ESPN being the exclusive home of the SEC and ACC. The leaders of the CFP hoped to have an NFL-style media deal for its postseason with multiple networks involved. Instead, ESPN will remain in control at a time when many fans believe the network controls the sport from behind the scenes.
Are coaches really fleeing to the NFL?
When Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley decided to quit his job and take a new one as defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, it inspired more than a few takes that the move was a red flag for the state of college football and that an exodus of quality coaches was something to fear. Max Olson of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the potential brain drain and why coaches jumping from college to the NFL might not be worth worrying about. Also, trying to identify the next Jayden Daniels or Bo Penix among this year’s transfer quarterbacks.
Wrapping up the January coaching carousel !
Michigan has new head coach in Sherrone Moore, replacing Jim Harbaugh, but the story of the 2023 national champions is far from over. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss the lingering debate over how to view Michigan's accomplishments with the cloud of the sign-stealing scandal forever hanging over the Wolverines. Plus, we wrap up the January coaching carousel and talk short-term expectations for new coaches at Alabama, Washington and Arizona.
2023 review: What is sustainable?
The 2023 season ended with a Northern team winning a national championship for the first time since 2014. Doug Lesmerises from Kings of the North and THE Podcast returns to the show to gloat about his prediction that a non-Southern team would win it all and to review whether Michigan’s championship formula is repeatable, with potential to change the power dynamic across college football? Plus, Ohio State is ALL in.
Ralph’s preseason predictions: https://apnews.com/article/cfp-georgia-alabama-ohio-state-clemson-oklahoma-0797256de3f10dfbb65c5f790bd2a213
https://apnews.com/article/heisman-caleb-williams-usc-marvin-harrison-biletnikoff-3c8cd680364f54a920d4fe601a0cf726
After Saban retires, dominos fall.
The retirement of Alabama coach Nick Saban triggered another round of coaching carousel moves and, oh boy, has it spun fast. Bruce Feldman from The Athletic and Fox Sports joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to discuss the swiftness, fallout and somewhat randomness of how Kalen DeBoer ended up at Alabama, Jedd Fisch at Washington and Brent Brennan at Arizona. Plus, at least as of this recording, we’re still waiting on Jim Harbaugh’s next move.
Nick Saban retires
Alabama coach Nick Saban announced his retirement, leaving behind what is the greatest career in the history of the sport. In 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide, Saban won six national championships and was just a few plays away from several others. Matt Fortuna, from the Inside Zone with Matt Fortuna, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the process, Saban’s remarkable legacy and who might succeed him at Alabama.
CFP championship preview
No. 1 Michigan runs the ball more than most teams. No. 2 Washington throws the ball as much as just about any team in the country. The College Football Playoff championship game will be an intriguing matchup of styles. Parker Fleming, a college football data analyst whose projections can be found on X/Twitter @statsowar, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to breakdown the numbers behind the players and the Xs and Os of Huskies-Wolverines. It’s a strength vs. strength matchup with Michael Penix Jr. and Washington’s amazing array of receivers facing a Michigan pass defense that has been one of the best in the country this season. Neither side has faced a test like this.
Harbaugh’s last dance? FSU’s opt outs
When Florida State was first snubbed from the College Football Playoff where was talk about how the Seminoles could still be in the only undefeated team in the country, and if that happened, could they claim a national title after beating Georgia in the Orange Bowl. Now, it looks like FSU will be going into the Orange Bowl with its B team after a slew of opt outs. Bill Bender from The Sporting New joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about FSU’s off bowl season, and oh, how things have changed since the days of the split national titles. And is this Jim Harbaugh’s last dance at Michigan? The NFL could come calling again. There is a contract extension sitting out there that Michigan would like him to sign. There is the ominous cloud if NCAA issues. And Michigan, frankly, seems to have a pretty good replacement lined up. It all makes the Rose Bowl against Alabama even more fascinating.
College Football Playoff Preview
Can Michigan bully its way to a national title? Can Alabama’s offensive line let Jalen Milroe shine? Can Texas’ defensive line outmuscle Washington? Can Michael Penix and Rome Odunze exploit the Longhorns’ secondary? Cole Cubelic of ESPN, the SEC Network and the Mac and Cube Show on WJOX in Alabama joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the College Football Playoff. Michigan faces Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Washington meets Texas on the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
Bowl preview
Bowl season is here, and the value of a bowl game has never been more unclear. Not just to the players and coaches, but to AP poll voters. Matt Brown from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss how he might go about factoring in the results of bowl games into his final Top 25 after the national champion is crowned. Also, can there really be a split national champion if Florida State is the only unbeaten team at the end of the year? Plus, Matt and Ralph roll through the entire bowl schedule and highlight games to watch. Even though you really should watch them all.
AP All-America team: https://apnews.com/article/ap-allamerica-team-45e5dac6434336de5712779fbc0e7e6f
CFP scenarios aplenty!
Heading into conference championship weekend, we have never had more playoff contenders and possible permutations and intriguing potential scenarios. Andy Staple from On3 joins AP’s Ralph Russo to sort through them all. Alabama is the biggest wild card. Chaos is largely dependent on the Crimson Tide upsetting Georgia. There is some mystery to Florid State as it soldiers on without Jordan Travis. Who ya got: Oregon or Texas?
Ralph’s story on the path to the CFP for each contender: https://apnews.com/article/cfp-contenders-79a4415e173773014b449552e4f8aace
An Ohio State-Michigan like never before
There has never been a game quite like this Michigan-Ohio State, dripping with storylines and intrigue. Ari Wasserman from The Athletic and the Until Saturday podcast joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about one topic that has many layers: Ohio State vs. Michigan. The sign-stealing scandal. What exactly will be Michigan’s punishment? Can Michigan really be punished? What’s at stake for Ohio State? What’s at stake for Ryan Day? What’s a more interesting result: Michigan winning or Ohio State winning?
Jimbo’s out; Michigan takes the Big Ten to court.
Texas A&M paid $75 million to fire coach Jimbo Fisher. What’s next at College Station? Richard Johnson from Sports Illustrated and the Split Zone Duo podcast joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the fallout from the Aggies coaching move and what A&M AD Ross Bjork might be signaling with his comments about who’s decision it was. San Diego State, Boise State and Mississippi State are now in the coaching market, too. Michigan and the Big Ten are going to court and Oregon State has a chance to burn down the Pac-12’s playoff hopes.
There is a lot going on off the field in college football, almost all of it with Michigan. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the latest with the Michigan sign-stealing scandal. It’s an evolving story but we try to sort out where things are heading and whether Jim Harbaugh will be on the sideline this weekend against Penn State. Also, USC finally cut the cord with defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, James Madison is ramping up its pitch to get into the postseason as it remains unbeaten and the College Football Playoff race is coming into focus – and it might be heading for a chaotic conclusion.
Dabo’s defense and what’s next at Michigan?
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney had the type of volatile interaction with an upset fan that only college football can produce. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss Swinney defending himself on his weekly radio show and whether he was right to get his dander up? Then Dan and Ralk dive into the Michigan sign-stealing scandal to try to decipher what to make of where things stand, where it’s going and Jim Harbaugh’s future.
Penn State’s predicament and Michigan’s mess
James Franklin and Penn State are still chasing elite. But what is the value of mere excellence, a status plenty of Penn State’s peer program have flailed around trying to get to over the last decade or so? Andy Staples from On3 joins AP’s Ralph Russo for a long discussion about Penn State’s place in the world, why it might change as college football changers and why maybe we shouldn’t be so dismissive of the ability to “win the games you’re supposed to win.”
Plus, Michigan, sign-stealing and the possible fallout for the Wolverines and Jim Harbaugh in their latest brush with rule-breaking.
Ralph’s column on the AP Top 25: https://apnews.com/article/ap-poll-georgia-michigan-no-1-c1f417c536f3feeb0b71d04d556d5fd9
Going for it and Penn State-Ohio State preview
After Washington beat Oregon in game that turned, in part, on three critical fourth-down plays by the Ducks, when to go for it became a national talking point. AP’s Ralph Russo is a big supporter of four-down football. John Walters, former and recovering sports writer with Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports, take a less analytical approach. Ralph and John talk out Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s decision and try to find common ground between the imperfect numbers and imperfect humans. Plus, Nicoel Auerbach from The Athletic joins the show to preview No. 7 Penn State at No. 3 Ohio State.
mail the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Hot seat check-in and Oregon-Washington preview
Midway through the season, it’s time to take the temperature of coaching situations around the country. Matt Fortuna from The Inside Zone and The Independent Podcast and AP’s Ralph Russo dive into the state of Notre Dame after the Fighting Irish lost again and discuss which coaches have played their way on and off hot seats. Also, Geoff Schwartz of Fox Sports and SiriusXM joins the show to preview Saturday’s Pac-12 showdown between No. 7 Washington and No. 8 Oregon. Plus, what can we expect the rest of the way from USC.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Why is USC so frustrating and are we too nitpicky?
USC is 5-0 with one of the great college football players of the past 20 years, but yet the Trojans have become one of the most frustrating teams in the country. Why? Dan Rubenstein from the Solid Verbal joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about some of the Trojans troubles, which leads to a broader conversation: Are we too nitpicky when it comes to the top teams in college football? Most of the best teams have been rolling along other than losing to other top teams. Still, there is a lot focus on the flaws. Also, Rodger Sherman, formerly of The Ringer joins the show to talk about quitting is job to travel around the country to watch college football games this season. Rodger has already covered a lot of miles and a lot of games. We’ll see how he’s holding up.
AP Top 25 column: https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-25-texas-oklahoma-red-river-08cdef6bf8c5877ec8c1eaf3218d51eb
mail the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Ohio State’s toughness dilemma
Ohio State coach Ryan Day went off after the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame last week, targeting Lou Holtz, but, really, he was going after the notion that his team lacks toughness. That is not a new thing for Day and Ohio State. Doug Lesmerises of THE Podcast joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the Buckeyes’ toughness dilemma.
Also, is the top tier of college football growing this season? How many teams are capable of winning a playoff game? Plus, Doug thinks the SEC is mid.
Ralph’s AP Top 25 column: https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-25-georgia-ohio-state-a731f8008e63205b18bd05e771c82bc9
THE Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-podcast-ohio-state-football-news/id1636577652
Previewing a monster weekend, by the numbers
Week 4 of the college football promises to be the best one yet. There are six games matching ranked teams, plus several other fascinating matchups. To preview the biggest games, college football stats analyst Parker Fleming joins AP’s Ralph Russo. What can we expect out of No. 13 Alabama against No. 15 Ole Miss now that Nick Saban has committed to Jalen Milroe at quarterback? Is the bill about to come due for No. 19 Colorado as Coach Prime’s team heads to No. 10 Oregon? How will Sam Hartman and No. 9 Notre Dame’s improved passing game matchup against an Ohio State defense that is showing signs of truly understanding coordinator Jim Knowles’ defense?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
College football dynasties
Clemson and Alabama have both already lost, which prompts the question: How do college football dynasties rise and fall? Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins AP’s Ralph Russo for a college football history lesson, searching for comparable runs to Clemson’s under Dabo Swinney and putting Alabama’s dynasty under Saban into historical context.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Clemson’s fall; CU’s ceiling
Two stunning upsets defined Week 1 of the college football. Colorado beating TCU and Clemson falling to Duke. David Ubben of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about what’s happened to Dabo Swinney’s program at Clemson and how the rest of the season might play out for Deion Sanders and Colorado. Plus, a Texas-Alabama preview.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Coaching carousel preview
With the season on the verge of full-blown kickoff, it’s time to check in on which coaches need to have success to keep their jobs. Adam Rittenberg from ESPN joins Ralph Russo from AP to talk about the coaching carousel, which these days starts spinning earlier than ever. The clearest hots spots are in West Virginia and Indiana. In recent years, there have been mid-season coaching changes that nobody saw coming. Adam and Ralph dig around to find the not-so-obvious spots that could get volatile. Plus, Chris Huston, host of the Official Heisman Trophy Podcast, joins the show to talk about Caleb Williams’ chances of a repeat and what makes a Heisman contender.
Adam’s story on Jim Harbaugh: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38241303/michigan-college-football-force-again-distractions
Ralph’s coach watch: https://apnews.com/article/hot-seat-coaches-neal-brown-tom-allen-hafley-babers-drinkwitz-26411561308210a526fba184372b2e93
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
G5 and Notre Dame previews
Who will emerge as the top teams in the new-look American Athletic Conference? Is it time for SMU and Memphis to takeover? Boise State might have a difference-maker at quarterback in the Mountain West and the Sun Belt could be the most balanced of the Group of Five conferences. Chris Vannini of The Athletic joins Ralph Russo to preview the non-Power Five conferences. Then Pete Sampson of The Athletic and The Independent podcast previews Marcus Freeman’s second season as Notre Dame’s coach. What’s the ceiling for Sam Hartman and the Fighting Irish?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Rece Davis and preseason AP Top 25
The preseason AP Top 25 is out. It’s the unofficial start of the college football season. In keeping with tradition, Rece Davis, host of ESPN’s “College GameDay” joins Ralph D. Russo on poll drop day to talk about how he voted. Michigan at No. 1?! With so much news recently in college football, especially with conference realignment, and heading toward a historic season, we’ll get Rece’s thoughts on current events and what feels like the end of an era in college football.
Preseason AP Top 25: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
Georgia’s quest: https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-25-college-football-poll-d714d9fdebb714996aa0e32212ee6024
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Big Ten Preview
Before the Big Ten expands to the West Coast, there is another season to play as a 14-team, mostly Midwest conference. Matt Fortune of the Inside Zone joins Ralph Russo from AP to preview the Big Ten – and talk about recent realignment news. Michigan and Ohio State are again the favorites, with Penn State looking to step up to that class. In the final year of the West Division, new coaches Luke Fickell at Wisconsin, Matt Rhule Nebraska and Ryan Walters at Purdue are in the spotlight.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Pac-12 Preview
The Pac-12 might be the most exciting and interesting conference in the country this season with Heisman winner Caleb Williams and several other star quarterbacks leading the way. Off the field, there is a real concern about whether the conference will still exist next year. Yogi Roth from the Pac-12 Network joins AP’s Ralph Russo to breakdown the Pac-12 on the field. Then Russo tries to sort out where things stand with the Pac-12’s media rights deal and will it be good enough to keep the league together.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
SEC Preview
The conference previews roll on with the Southeastern Conference. Cole Cubelic from the SEC Network joins AP’s Ralph Russo to take a deep dive into college football’s toughest conference and the home of the two-time defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs. There is more mystery surrounding Alabama this year than there has been in years. Does that make the Tide even more dangerous? Lots of hype for LSU. Is it valid? Lots of intrigue around Texas A&M. And what can Tennessee do for an encore?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Ralph Russo Twitter : ralphDrussoAP
Big 12 Preview
Texas and Oklahoma are making their last ride through the Big 12 and hoping to take a trophy with to the SEC. Cincinnati, Houston, UCF and BYU are in their first season in a Power Five conference. How will they make the transition? Can TCU and Kansas State avoid the regression that Baylor and Oklahoma State had last season after making surprising runs to the conference title game the year before? Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the Big 12, as always, the toughest Power Five league to figure out.
Ralph’s story on NCAA punishments: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-southern-california-trojans-7e33fa9aa3436a92d6cf35fd3fab8681
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Ralph Russo Twitter : ralphDrussoAP
ACC Preview
Florida State is ascending. Clemson seems to have plateaued. The trajectory of these two traditional powers and how it plays out on the field will be the story of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2023. David Hale of ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the ACC, which they break down into the three tiers. Two heavyweights at the top. A few major rebuilds at the bottom. And everybody else in a glut in between. What does year 2 under Mike Elko look like for Duke? How far can Drake Maye take North Carolina? Can Pitt push the big two? Or maybe NC State? What can we expect from Virginia after a season struck by horrific tragedy?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Ralph Russo Twitter : ralphDrussoAP
June recruiting rankings and trends
In June, recruiting rankings can be confusing. Ari Wasserman from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to sort through the big stories from the recruiting trail from the last month, including Florida’s surge, Michigan’s re-entry into Ohio and five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola committing to Georgia. What trends are significant halfway to the December signing period and what might be false flags?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Ralph Russo Twitter : ralphDrussoAP
Preseason mags and puzzling programs
How do you prepare for the college football season? USA Today’s Paul Myerberg joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk go-to preseason magazines, and to reminisce about Paul’s days basically writing an online college football preview. That leads to a conversation about college football coverage, the changing landscape of game and how the growing divisions in the sport are exasperated by the changes in media and news organizations. Then Paul and Ralph run through a few programs that has each wondering: What’s going on here? Virginia Tech, Arkansas, Cal and a few others make the list.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Ralph Russo Twitter : ralphDrussoAP
Klatt on Coach Prime, schedules & Caleb
Joel Klatt has become one of the voices of college football as the lead analyst for Fox Sports and Big Noon. He is also a former Colorado quarterback. Klatt joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about Coach Deion Sanders’ radical rebuild of the Buffaloes and whether it will work in both the long and short-term. Plus, Klatt has a radical idea to create more balanced scheduling in college football and lays out Caleb Williams’ narrow path to a second straight Heisman Trophy.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Ralph Russo Twitter : ralphDrussoAP
SEC schedule fallout
The Southeastern Conference is going to stick with an eight-game schedule for at least the first year that it is a 16-team conference, with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma. Why? Braden Gall from the Cover 2 Podcast and Athlon Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the SEC sticking with eight in 2024, why it’s a disappointing decision, and why – maybe – it’s not a terrible idea to see how two years of a 12-team College Football Playoff works itself out. Plus, what teams are we buying the preseason hype? What teams are we skeptical of the high expectations?
Russo’s story on the SEC schedule: https://apnews.com/article/sec-schedule-spring-meetings-sankey-texas-oklahoma-7295d4b831cc34debb5abcf0a2cc51b8
College Football Hall of Fame ballot: https://apnews.com/article/michael-vick-larry-fitzgerald-terrell-suggs-michael-oher-6e5a4ec59a4b3e56cac42c5c39121581
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Ralph Russo Twitter : ralphDrussoAP
ACC angst
The Atlantic Coast Conference aired its grievances last week at athletic director meetings off the coast of north Florida. Clemson, Florida State and Miami lead a group of schools that are interested in unequal revenue sharing. But Florida State and Miami have not exactly been pulling their weight during football season in recent years. That made for some interesting conversations about what’s next for the ACC. Andrea Adelson of ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo to sort through the ACC’s options, both long-term and short-term. Plus, what can we expect from three second-year coaches in the conference, facing very different challenges.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Ralph Russo Twitter : ralphDrussoAP
Wins totals with the Bear.
Chris Fallica, formerly of ESPN’s “College Gameday” is now at Fox Sports and he’ll be a part of Big Noon Saturday this season. AP’s Ralph Russo talks to The Bear about his new gig. They get into college football win totals for the coming season. Is there a number too big for Georgia? Should you bet on Florida State’s hype? How will notable new coaches at Wisconsin, Nebraska and Colorado do in their first seasons? Fallica and Russo bounce around the Power Five conferences and Bear gives a couple of deep cuts Group of Five value picks.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Ralph Russo Twitter : ralphDrussoAP
What drew Matt Rhule to Nebraska?
Matt Rhule could have taken some time off to relax and live off his buyout after being fired by the Carolina Panthers. Instead, he was lured back to college football by Nebraska. Rhule, who crafted turnarounds at Temple and Baylor, is now at program with a storied history but a recent past of dysfunction and underachievement. Rhule joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss why he returned to college football and whether Nebraska’s glorious past is a burden or a blessing.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Portal’s closed but CU’s radical makeover continues.
More than 50 players from Colorado have ended up in the transfer portal since Deion Sanders became coach. Many were pushed. CU’s radical roster makeover is unprecedented and fascinating. Max Olson of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about Coach Prime’s strategy and what turning over 70 players on a college football roster looks like and whether it can work. Plus, who are the remaining best players in the portal? Also, how did Oklahoma and Oklahoma State look coming out of spring ball?
Ralph’s story on Colorado’s portal activity: https://apnews.com/article/deion-sanders-colorado-transfer-portal-ncaa-8adb41f9b0f031bc9449e792b8bd5bc5
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Coach Prime’s time; SEC tries to calm storm
Deion Sanders has brought an excitement back to Colorado football that was seemingly gone forever. Now, how good can the Buffs actually be on the field? Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss Coach Prime’s spring game, a buzz around CU and an historic roster overhaul. Plus, the Southeastern Conference talks getting tough on field storming, and Notre Dame’s Tyler Buchner jumps into the portal. Could that move add to the intrigue at Alabama, where the quarterback competition continues?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Turning prospects into pros
What schools do the best job of turning their prospects into pros? The Athletic tried to quantify it with a research project and came away with some interesting findings. David Ubben joins AP’s Ralph Russo to dive into what could be learned by the star to conversion rates in the Power Five. Also, AP NFL writer Rob Maaddi recently released his mock draft. Russo joined Maaddi to run down the first round. In this week’s Three-and-Out, an excerpt of their conversation about the top quarterbacks available and where they will land on draft night.
Maaddi’s mock draft: https://apnews.com/article/nfl-mock-draft-cj-stroud-bryce-young-panthers-texans-d9a779c19bd0579227ef6fd9a1bfe56e
The Athletic’s star conversion story: https://theathletic.com/4412195/2023/04/19/nfl-draft-talent-college-football-recruiting/
AP NFL Podcast: https://appodcasts.com/category/ap-pro-football/
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
College sports purgatory
A congressional hearing in the house of representatives last week on NIL did not create much optimism that lawmakers might provide a serious solution to college sports’ problems. Then again, maybe it really doesn’t need one. Ross Dellenger from Sports Illustrated joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about where things stand in what is becoming the search for the Holy Grail: That is a federal law to regulate name, image and likeness compensation for athletes. The whole enterprise of college sports appears to be in purgatory right now, stuck between the collegiate model it is trying to preserve and professionalism.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
The future of conference realignment
What will happen to the Pac-12? No, not in the next couple months, but in five, seven, maybe 10 to 12 years from now? Stewart Mandel from The Athletic is back with AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the future of conference realignment. Instead of racing for to be the third-wealthiest conference and trying to kill each other off, should the Pac-12 and the Big 12 be working together? What about the ACC? Is it possible the conferences will grow so big that they will then splinter off into more geographically sound sub-conferences? Or maybe football should just breakaway altogether and leave the rest of college sports alone.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
The Top 25 coaches, right now
Who are the best coaches in college football? Stewart Mandel from The Athletic and Bruce Feldman from Fox and The Athletic run through their annual top 25 lists. AP’s Ralph Russo has his, too. Sonny Dykes enters the rankings with a bullet. Jimbo Fisher slides. Plus, Russo makes a case for Dabo Swinney over Kirby Smart at No. 2.
Russo’s Top 25 coaches. No coaches with two or fewer seasons as a head coach are considered.
1 Nick Saban, Alabama
2 Dabo Swinney, Clemson
3 Kirby Smart, Georgia
4 Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
5 Brian Kelly, LSU
6 Lincoln Riley, USC
7 Ryan Day, Ohio State
8 James Franklin, Penn State
9 Kyle Whittingham, Utah
10 Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
11 Sonny Dykes, TCU
12 Chris Klieman, Kansas State
13 Lance Leipold, Kansas
14 Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
15 Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
16 Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
17 Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
18 Chip Kelly, UCLA
19 Mack Brown, North Carolina
20 Matt Rhule, Nebraska
21 Josh Heupel, Tennessee
22 Kalen DeBoer, Washington
23 Matt Campbell, Iowa State
24 Mike Norvell, Florida State
25 Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Considered (in no particular order): Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern; Jeff Brohm, Louisville; Lane Kiffin, Mississippi; Dave Doeren, North Carolina State; Mario Cristobal, Miami; Jamey Chadwell, Liberty; Jeff Monken, Army; Hugh Freeze, Auburn; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; P.J. Fleck, Minnesota; Will Fritz, Tulane; Jonathan Smith, Oregon State.
Mandel’s list: https://theathletic.com/4289512/2023/03/09/college-football-coach-rankings-mandel/
Feldman’s list: https://theathletic.com/4288723/2023/03/09/college-football-coach-rankings-feldman/
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Anthony Richardson’s amazing NFL combine
The NFL combine was last week and Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson was the star of the show. But what does that even mean? Why all the fuss about how high a quarterback can jump? Eric Edholm, draft analyst from NFL.com, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss Richardson’s prospect status and how we should view all these combine headlines. Plus, will Texas’ Bijan Robinson be the next running back to push NFL teams into a re-assessing the value of the position? And who were the players who might have worked their way into first-round consideration with excellent combine performances.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Preseason rankings: Man vs. Math.
The 2023 college football season isn’t so far off that we can’t start the process of trying to surmise who the best teams will be. Right after the national championship game ends, the way-too-early Top 25s land. Now Bill Connelly’s preseason SP+ rankings have dropped. Connelly of ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo to examine some of the differences between the human rankings and the numbers. SP+ is more bullish on Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. The humans are expecting a little more from TCU in a follow-up to 2022’s championship run. And both are gearing up for a wild Pac-12 race and a possible Penn State playoff push.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
The coordinator carousel.
Alabama steals Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator. Notre Dame gets jilted by Utah’s OC. Georgia turns back the clock to replace Todd Monken. Ryan Nanni from the Shutdown Fullcast podcast joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the coordinator carousel. Is Mike Bobo a sneaky good hire for Kirby Smart? Plus, looking back at Jalen Hurts’ journey to Super Bowl stardom, the state of the Florida Gators and how should the SEC put together a schedule now that Texas and Oklahoma are on board for the 2024 season?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
How much do stars matter?
Ari Wasserman of The Athletic returns to the show to talk out a few disagreements he and AP’s Ralph Russo have had in recent months about just how much recruiting stars matter in college football. The lengthy discussions winds through the state of college football, some of the challenges of covering college football, why sports coverage has gotten so negative, and the balancing entertainment and journalism.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Prospect to superstar: What makes Mahomes great?
Patrick Mahomes was a bit of a surprising 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. After a prolific career at Texas Tech that probably didn’t get enough attention, Mahomes has become the NFL’s best quarterback. Jalen Hurts’ college career started at Alabama and ended at Oklahoma. Who would have guessed that the second-round pick would end up the best of star-studded list of first-rounders and Heisman Trophy winners that played with him at Alabama and before him at Oklahoma. Ian Wharton of Pro Football Network joins Ralph Russo of AP to discuss what made the quarterbacks who will play in the Super Bowl intriguing prospects and why they have developed into NFL superstars. Plus, a look at this year’s QB draft class where C.J. Stoud, Bryce Young and Will Levis are the likely high picks and Anthony Richardson is the wild card.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Loaded Jan. 4 2023
Jaden Rashada saga: A cautionary tale?
The recruitment of Jaden Rashada by Florida came to a messy end with an NIL deal that failed to come to fruition. Will this become a cautionary tale across college football? Bud Elliott of 247 Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss where the NIL market is going and the pratfalls of schools farming out compensation to athletes. Plus, where might be the next stop for the four-star quarterback? Also, Elliott and Russo talk about developing quarterbacks in a transfer portal world, what’s next at offensive coordinator for Alabama and what to do about the recruiting calendar. Should the early signing period be trashed or maybe moved up to the summer?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Loaded Jan. 4 2023
Harbaugh is staying and Dabo’s big hire.
Jim Harbaugh made it official: He will remain the head coach at Michigan after round of NFL interest failed to pull him back to the league. With that, we can really put a bow on the 2022 season and move on to 2023. What does Harbaugh staying put mean for Michigan and can we continue to expect this same drama to play out every year? Elsewhere, Dabo Swinney made a big hire, bringing Garrett Riley over from TCU to be offensive coordinator. Plus, Alabama will be in the market for coordinators on both sides of the ball soon.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Loaded Jan. 4 2023
Georgia is the national champion!
The 2022 college football season ended similarly to the way it did in 2021: With Georgia as the national champion. The Bulldogs put on one of the most dominant displsy in the history of the sport against TCU. AP’s Ralph Russo wraps up the Dawgs’ title, their burgeoning dynasty and where they stand against Alabama as they replace the Crimson Tide as kings of college football.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Loaded Jan. 4 2023
National championship preview
The College Football Playoff national championship game is set. No. 1 Georgia is going for its second straight title against upstart and No. 3 TCU, which hasn’t won a national championship in more than 80 years. To break down the matchup, former Florida and Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen of ESPN joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo. How does TCU run the ball against Georgia the way they did against Michigan? How have the Bulldogs become more reliant on Stetson Bennett this season? And who wins the game?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Loaded Jan. 4 2023
College Football Playoff preview
Can No. 3 TCU hold up against the power of No. 2 Michigan? Are No. 4 Ohio State’s elite quarterback and receivers the path to an upset of No. 1 Georgia? Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network and ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the College Football Playoff matchups. Heisman Trophy finalist Max Duggan and the Horned Frogs face Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. C.J. Stroud, a two-time Heisman finalist, Marvin Harrison Jr. and the Buckeyes face the defending national champion Bulldogs in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Eve night.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Loaded Jan. 4 2023
Portal moves and early signings
While the transfer portal is hopping and the early signing period begins this week in college football. Max Olson of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the best players in the portal, those who have already made their way through and how the transfer market impacts high school recruiting. Max talks about this season’s FCS player drawing major offers, plus how does the quarterback movement play out and where will all those Jackson State players land. On the recruiting, as we enter a new NIL era, the schools landing the top classes still look awfully familiar.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Loaded Jan. 4 2023
Mike Leach’s Legacy
Mike Leach died on Monday, Dec. 12, at the age of 61 after complications from a heart condition. Leach was in his third season coaching Mississippi State after stints at Washington State and Texas Tech. He was a successful coach winning more than 150 games in 21 seasons, but his impact on the game goes much deep than wins and losses. Leach and the Air Raid offense he ran helped revolutionize the passing game at all levels of football. Chris Brown, the author of Smart Football and The Art of Smart Football, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss Leach’s enormous and lasting influence on the sport.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Loaded Jan. 4 2023
Bowl Preview
Get ready for Bowl Season. Matt Brown of The Athletic and AP’s Ralph Russo rundown the entire bowl schedule, from the Bahamas Bowl to the Rose Bowl. Notes, factoids, interesting players, coaching matchups and maybe a history lesson or two on every single game.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Loaded Jan. 4 2023
Freeze at Auburn and CFP scenarios
The coaching carousel is spinning fast with coming and goings. Stewart Mandel from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss Hugh Freeze returning to the SEC with Auburn. Who got the better coach: Wisconsin with Luke Fickell or Nebraska with Matt Rhule? They dig into the downfall of Stanford and the resignation of David Shaw. And championship weekend playoff scenarios. If USC wins on Friday, there’s not much to debate. If not, Ohio State or Alabama? Or why not Tennessee?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Disappointing teams; Rivalry week showdowns
Heading into the final weekend of the regular season there are 14 teams that began the season ranked and are currently unranked. Almost all have no shot of working their way back into the rankings. Paul Myerberg from USA Today joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the varying degrees of disappointing teams from Texas A&M’s historic flop to Miami’s reset to NC State’s injuries to Michigan State’s blueprint. Then it’s rivalry week and there is a load of big games to preview, including monster showdowns between USC and Notre Dame and Ohio State and Michigan. Plus, what’s your favorite random rivalry?
Russo’s analysis of the AP Top 25: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-ohio-georgia-alabama-f936e789c326b6fe9d517ac6dbbd2a53
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Auburn update; What’s up with the Hogs? Week 12 Preview
Mid-November in college football means both coaching searches and the College Football race heat up. Brandon Marcello of 247 Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about where things stand at Auburn and why Lane Kiffin appears to be target No. 1 for the Tigers. What’s up with Arkansas, which has taken a step back in Year 3 under Sam Pittman. Should we be surprised? TCU is trying to defy the odds and reach the CFP. What’s the Horned Frogs secret? Plus, previewing a weekend slate dominated by the Pac-12.
Russo’s analysis of the AP Top 25: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-oregon-georgia-bulldogs-2d0e1b090133dc3f295c704e8047c557
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Will Dabo change his ways? Week 11 preview
One loss does not end an era, but Clemson’s slip against Notre Dame validated what many suspected: For the second straight season, the Tigers aren’t national title contenders. Where does Dabo Swinney take the program from here? Andrea Adelson of ESPN and the ACC Network joins AP’s Ralph Russo to explore whether Swinney can pivot away from some of the pillars that he built a championship program upon. It’s not just a matter of Dabo changing his ways. It’s about an all-time great coach altering his DNA. It’s also about asking if expecting Clemson to continue as a perennial national title contender is even realistic. Also, a Week 11 preview of most intriguing games from a Big Ten West slog-fest to a grudge match deep in the heart of Texas.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
A breakdown of this week’s AP Top 25: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-notre-dame-fighting-irish-oklahoma-57bde9724dbfc9182b740d7a568be1a3
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Who’s next at Auburn? SEC showdown week.
Auburn made the move all of college football has been waiting on for months, firing coach Bryan Harsin. Who’s next for the Tigers? Matt Fortuna of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss what Auburn might do next and why Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin would seem like a perfect fit. Or maybe Deion Sanders? Plus, the Big 12 has a new TV contract, Penn State is stuck in purgatory and Week 10 of the season is highlighted by two massive SEC games.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
A breakdown of this week’s AP Top 25: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-ohio-louisiana-state-tigers-tennessee-2ce01bf890799a73ce276d52dd94b22b
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Bo Jackson, Folk Hero; Texas A&M’s quagmire
Author Jeff Pearlman joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about his new book “The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson.” Pearlman dug deep into what molded and motivated the former Heisman Trophy winner from Auburn who became an all-star in the NFL and Major League Baseball. Then Ari Wasserman from The Athletic joins the show to dissect the quagmire Texas A&M finds itself in and why maybe being forced to have patience with coach Jimbo Fisher could turn out to be the best thing for the program. Wasserman and Russo also dive into a disastrous first season for Mario Cristobal at Miami and what exactly schools are paying for when they hand out extra long-term megadeals to coaches. Plus, a Week 9 preview of most intriguing games.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
A breakdown of this week’s AP Top 25: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-arizona-wildcats-kansas-state-clemson-tigers-eef4a43a2e4c6775c7f70c580fc2014f
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Coach Prime on JSU & the SWAC; Week 8 Preview
What drew Deion Sanders to Jackson State, and why does he think more great young players coupld embrace playing in the SWAC and other historically black colleges? Coach Prime joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about his 6-0 team and why Heisman Trophy voters need to look beyond the big schools. Then Braden Gall from Athlon Sports and the Cover Two Podcast joins the show to talk about Tennessee’s breakthrough against Alabama and preview another huge slate of game this weekend. There are showdowns in the Pac-12, Big 12 and ACC.
Follow Ralph on Twitter @ralphDrussoAP
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Crisis mode at OU; Previewing huge Week 7
College football is heading into its most impactful weekend of the season so far with six games matching ranked teams, including No. 3 Alabama against No. 6 Tennessee and No. 10 Penn State at No. 5 Michigan.
Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview all the big games and determine which ones are the most intriguing. Also, Oklahoma is a mess under Brent Venables and patience has never been thinner in college football. Are the Sooners’ already in crisis mode. There were no head coaches fired last weekend, but an NFL firing could impact the college coaching carousel now that Matt Rhule is unemployed. Plus, there were some offensive assistant coaches fired in the Big Ten, but maybe not the one you would have first expected.
Follow Ralph on Twitter @ralphDrussoAP
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Changes at Wisconsin and CU; Week 6 Preview
The number of coaching changes this college football season reached five, with Colorado, as expected, and Wisconsin, totally unexpected, making moves this past week. Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss what is next for each program. The Wisconsin move to oust Paul Chryst was shocking, but it seems the blue print for success is still solid. Can Jim Leonhard better implement it? At Colorado, they are searching for a new plan. Then a Week 6 preview of what we expected to be the game of the week in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and what actually turned out to be in in Lawrence, Kansas.
Follow Ralph on Twitter @ralphDrussoAP
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Next on the carousel, Georgia Tech; Week 5 preview
Another week of the college football season and another coach has been replaced.
Bud Elliott from 247 sports and The Cover Three Podcast joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss what went wrong at Georgia Tech. What does a winning strategy for the Yellow Jackets look like after Geoff Collins flamed out? The Georgia Tech conversation led to a tour of the ACC with stops at Miami, Florida State, Clemson and North Carolina State. Plus, a preview of Week 5’s five most intriguing games, including a big dose of Sun Belt action.
Ralph’s AP Top 25 analysis: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-clemson-tigers-oklahoma-30d8f205bfa505d502c4f17d44b0cad7
Ralph’s story on CFP expansion: https://apnews.com/article/nfl-college-football-entertainment-sports-849c2bf65878006771bf5f1a5860410f
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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Change at ASU; Pac-12 perks up; Week 4 preview
Three weeks into the college football season and already two coaches have been let go and several highly ranked teams remain a mystery.
Adam Rittenberg from ESPN joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to dig into what’s next at Arizona State after the plug was pulled on the Herm Edwards experiment. The Pac-12 got a whole lot more interesting last week after victories by Washington and Oregon. Adam and Ralph rank Week 4’s most intriguing games, which include No 4 Michigan, No. 5 Clemson and No. 6 Oklahoma trying to make statements.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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Next at Nebraska; Fixing A&M; Week 3 preview
It took just two weeks, but college football already has had its first coach firing and its first weekend of wacky results. David Ubben from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss Nebraska post Scott Frost and Texas A&M post App State loss. Also, a preview of Week 3’s most intriguing games from Mississippi State at LSU to BYU at Oregon.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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CFP expansion and Week 2 preview
The College Football Playoff is expanding to 12 teams. That’s done. When the new format will be implemented remains to be seen. The hope is for the 2024 season, but hurdles need to be cleared. Brett McMurphy of Action Network joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to discuss the logistical dilemmas that need to be sorted out for a new playoff to be in place in two seasons. Plus, a quick wrap of Week 1 with how Brett managed to fill out his AP ballot after the obvious top three teams. Then the five most intriguing games of Week 2 feature another big one in Gainesville and a future Big 12 matchup.
Russo’s CFP expansion column: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-mark-keenum-bdd605c8ddf730d82661283cf243967e
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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The season is here!
Week 1 of the college football season brings a Labor Day weekend marathon of games. Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the first full slate of games by picking their five most intriguing games of the week. There are some deep cuts like Army and Coastal Carolina and Boise State-Oregon State, plus a batch of marquee matchups with highly ranked teams such as No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Georgia facing No. 11 Oregon. There is so much to dive into, including a huge Sunday matchup between LSU and Florida State that we’ll almost certainly overreact to. Plus, Paul and Ralph talk Nebraska’s latest meltdown and Michigan’s biblical quarterback competition.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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Examining NIL
College athletes have been permitted to be paid for their names, images and likenesses for more than a year now and it at times seems like it is all those in and around college sports can talk about. What is the NCAA’s ability to enforce rules related to NIL? What are the chances federal legislation can provide some guardrails? What type of protections do athletes need? What’s a collective, and which ones might be built to last? To discuss all that are three experts in the field. Gabe Feldman, the director of the sports law program at Tulane, takes on the big picture. Mike Caspino is an attorney who represents and advises athletes on NIL deals. And Jason Belzer works with schools to set up collectives. In three separate interviews with AP’s Ralph Russo, they give an assessment of the state of NIL.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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Preseason Top 25 with Rece Davis
The preseason AP Top 25 has arrived, which means college football is truly right around the corner.
Rece Davis from ESPN’s “College GameDay” join AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss how he voted in the poll and preview a season that feels high on uncertainty. Rece runs through some of his more intriguing teams in college football from North Carolina State in the ACC to Minnesota in the Big Ten and explains why stability might be the key to Utah making a playoff run this season.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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Big Ten preview
Michigan is the defending Big Ten champion, but Ohio State is once again the overwhelming favorite to take the conference title. Can anybody slow down the Buckeyes’ powerful offense? Dave Revsine from the Big Ten Network joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the Big Ten.
As for Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines, what will they, and rival Michigan State, do for an encore after surprising breakout 2021 seasons? Nebraska coach Scot Frost is facing a make-or-break season in Lincoln and the rest of the Big Ten West looks as competitive was ever.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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SEC preview
Alabama and Georgia not only sit atop the Southeastern Conference these days, but they are the two top programs in all of college football. Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network and ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo to breakdown the entire conference and try to identify which teams are the biggest threats to derail another Crimson Tide-Bulldogs matchup for a league championship. What are the short-term forecasts for new coaches at LSU and Florida? Which of Tennessee or Texas A&M is more likely to take a big leap forward in 2022 from eight wins to conference title contender? And why South Carolina and Mississippi State could emerge as the surprise contenders in each division.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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G5 and Notre Dame preview
What can Cincinnati do for an encore after becoming the first team from outside the Power Five to reach the College Football Playoff last season? What are the expectations for Notre Dame in Marcus Freeman’s first season as head coach?
The Group of Five and Notre Dame are in the spotlight as the season previews roll on. Pete Sampson, who covers Notre Dame for The Athletic, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss Year 1 post-Brian Kelly for the Fighting Irish.
Chris Vannini, also from The Athletic, then joins the show to preview all five conferences, from the AAC to the Sun Belt, that make up the so-called Group of Five. In the Mountain West, Boise State is trying to bounce back from an uncharacteristically lackluster season and San Diego State is trying takeover as the conference’s most consistent contender. The Sun Belt is breaking in a bunch of new members and Conference USA is likely to be dominated by outgoing schools.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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ACC Preview
Was Clemson’s slip last season just a blip or the start of a downward slide for Dabo Swinney’s program in the Atlantic Coast Conference? David Hale of ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo for a deep dive preview on the ACC.
North Carolina State has all the preseason buzz, ut can the Wolfpack be trusted to meet expectations? Florida State is still trying to climb back into conference contender status. Miami and Virginia Tech in the soon-to-be extinct Coastal Division have new coaches, promising a better tomorrow. Can the future be now for the Hurricanes and Hokies?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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Big 12 Preview
The Big 12 is in flux off the field, but for 2022 it remains 10 teams with Texas and Oklahoma as the headliners – if not the championship contenders. Max Olson of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo for a Big 12 preview that keeps the focus on the field and on 2022. No Power Five conference has more balance and a narrower gap between the top and bottom. Even Kansas is improving. Can last season’s surprising finalists, Baylor and Oklahoma State, do it again? Who might be this season’s surprise contenders? And what to make of Texas with its new 5-star QB and Oklahoma with its new coach?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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Pac-12 Preview
While the Pac-12 fights for its survival as a conference amid another round of conference realignment, another Pac-12 football season begins with all eyes on USC. The Trojans under new coach Lincoln Riley are without question the most fascinating team in the conference – but they might not be the best team. Utah is the defending champion and has a team coming back that might be able to contend for a playoff spot. Like USC, Oregon has a new quarterback and coach, but also a roster that might be the most talented in the Pac-12. Jon Wilner of the Pac-12 Hotline joins AP’s Ralph Russo to break down the Pac-12 on the field it this precarious moment and look ahead to one of the last seasons of USC and UCLA playing as members of the conference before heading to the Big Ten.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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What’s next with realignment?
It has been almost two weeks since the Big Ten’s realignment bombshell with USC and UCLA. Instead of causing a frenzy of movement, college sports seem to be in a stalemate. What’s next? Pat Forde from Sports Illustrated joins AP’s Ralph Russo to sift through the repercussions and ramifications of the latest monster conference move. Why Notre Dame is sitting pretty and the ACC might be stuck together? There are some interesting ideas being bandied around about partnerships and semi-mergers between conferences, but this feels like college sports survivor series. Can the Big 12 and Pac-12 both survive?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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First look at 2022 coaching carousel
After nearly being run off in February, Auburn coach Bryan Harsin enters year two of his tenure as Tigers coach clearly on the hot seat. At Nebraska, Scott Frost is getting one more chance to turn around the Cornhuskers. Bruce Feldman from Fox and The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to take a look at the coaching carousel for the upcoming college football season. Who joins Harsin and Frost in precarious position to start the season? Which coaches are on the rise? And could Urban Meyer get back in the game after a failed stint in the NFL?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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What ‘21 flops will bounce back in ‘22?
Fourteen teams started the 2021 ranked and finished unranked, among them Texas A&M, Florida, Miami, LSU, USC, Iowa State and Wisconsin. Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports and the Cover Three Podcast joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about last year’s flops and their prospects for a bounce-back season in 2022. A bunch of last year’s most high-profile disappointments have new coaches. In the short-term, is Mario Cristobal at Miami or Billy Napier at Florida better positioned for success? Can Wisconsin get back to being its reliable self? And then there’s Texas. The Longhorns should be better than 5-7, but are they still taking baby steps in Austin?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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Over on the Irish; Under on the Aggies
The sportsbooks have set their win totals for the 2023 college football season, and ESPN’s Chris Fallica, better known as Bear, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to identify some over and under plays. Bear is not scared away from the big numbers attached to the teams that will be favored to win the national title. He’s also optimistic for Marcus Freeman’s first season as Notre Dame game. He is less optimistic about a couple of teams that might be ranked in the preseason top-10. Texas A&M has generated a lot of buzz this offseason, but can the Aggies win more than eight games? Oklahoma is always the favorite in the Big 12, but getting to 10 wins could be tough in the first season under coach Brent Venables.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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Marshall Faulk interview and QB Dads
Marshall Faulk helped put San Diego State football on the map with one of the most remarkable college careers of the last 50 years. Faulk joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about his journey from New Orleans to San Diego State to NFL stardom, plus an important step his beloved Aztecs are taking this season with the opening of a new stadium.
Then Teddy Greenstein joins the show to talk about his new book, “Quarterback Dads.”
Quarterback Dads: https://quarterbackdads.com/media
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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SEC scheduling and Athlon’s Top 25
The Southeastern Conference gets together in Destin, Florida, this week and considers what its future scheduling model should be. The conference is likely heading toward scrapping divisions, but how should it go about balancing traditional rivals with competitiveness? Braden Gall of Athlon Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk SEC scheduling, and whether any Power Five conference might find value in keeping its divisional structure. Plus, Athlon released its preseason Top 25? There are plenty of highly ranked teams, starting with Clemson and Texas A&M, that don’t engender a ton of confidence and no much difference between No. 4 and No. 20.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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SEC NIL spat and Interview with Shane Beamer
In the aftermath of the very public verbal sparring between Alabama’s Nick Saban and Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher last week, the question is: What is the difference between NIL done the right way and a potential NCAA violation? David Ubben from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the exercise in hair-splitting that many in college sports are trying to do as they get accustomed to a world in which players can be paid for being good at football. Plus, South Carolina coach Shane Beamer joins the show to talk about readjusting expectations after strong debut season, Spencer Rattler’s second chance and having a Hall of Fame coach in the family.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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The end of divisions – in college football.
Divisions have been more of a problem than a solution for the Atlantic Coast Conference for years. The ACC is now primed to finally dump its divisions for a new schedule model, and other conferences are likely to follow. Andrea Adelson from ESPN and the ACC Network joins AP’s Ralph Russo to dig into the future of ACC scheduling, how the conference could benefit from breaking free from divisions and just how tough it is to come up with yearly rivalries that please everybody. Plus, how important is this season for Gus Malzahn and UCF as they prepare to join the Big 12 and is it make-or-break for Mike Norvell at Florida State?
Andrea’s permanent ACC rivalry games: https://twitter.com/aadelsonESPN/status/1526312578644942856
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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NCAA’s NIL reset
The NCAA is trying to bring some order to NIL and provide some relief to coaches in managing a roster. Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated joins AP’s Ralph Russo to dig into some of the latest off-the-field issues in college football. What exactly is the NCAA’s new guidance to members regarding how athletes can access name, image and likeness deals? We’ve taken to calling it the NCAA’s crackdown on collectives, but is that even possible at this point? What’s the difference between good and bad collective dealings – at least in the eyes of those in college sports.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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The Jordan Addison saga
As college football coaches and administrators ponder and fret over things like NIL and the transfer portal, one of the best receivers in the nation dropped a spring bombshell on the sport. Pitt All-American Jordan Addison jumped into the transfer portal with speculation swirling about him landing at USC. Nicole Auerbach from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo from conference meetings being held in Scottsdale, Arizona. In a typical year, spring meetings are a chance for coaches to voice their concerns about this inconvenience or that. This season the angst is ramped up. And the surprising news about Addison was another example of how the college sports world is changing.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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Who’s No. 1? Previewing the NFL Draft.
This week’s NFL Draft is a rare one in which the No. 1 pick is a bit of a mystery. It looks like it will be a pass rusher, but which one? Aidan Hutchinson from Michigan or Travon Walker from Georgia? Eric Edholm from Yahoo Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview a draft that lacks star quarterbacks but is loaded with guys who sack quarterbacks and protect them. How does Eric rank the top edge rushers in the class? Over/under 5 ½ wide receivers in the first round? And when does the run on QBs happen?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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The (near) future of college football on TV
Over the next four years three Power Five conferences will sign new media rights deals that will alter the landscape of college football on television. The Big Ten is first up and what networks it decides to partner with, outside of Fox which is already a done deal, will help determine the market for the Pac-12 and Big 12 to follow. Andy Staples of the Athletic joins AP’s Ralph D Russo to program college football on television for the coming years. Will the Big Ten replace the SEC on CBS or will NBC land a Big Ten game to pair up with Notre Dame? Why the Pac-12 and CBS could be a good marriage. Could the Big 12’s future be dominating Friday night? And what impact will the streaming services have on all of this?
Ralph’s story on Nick Saban’s preferred plan for NIL: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-business-dabo-swinney-alabama-crimson-tide-8164758f34f295680c1668545549596e
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What’s next for the Big 12?
To understand where the Big 12 goes from here as it looks for a new commissioner to replace the retiring Bob Bowlsby, you need to understand where the conference has been. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about Bowlsby’s legacy, the Big 12’s unique and challenging dynamics and what the conference could be looking for in its next commissioner. Plus, how Purdue is the latest Big Ten West school to invest in stability. And, in what has become a new segment on the show, What’s up with …? This week, what’s up with Cal?
Ralph’s story on Brian Kelly’s choice to leave Notre Dame for LSU: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-brian-kelly-baton-rouge-louisiana-state-tigers-football-fff500a827e4674dbbed61b1f2c216ba
Rhiannon Walker on Dwayne Haskins: https://twitter.com/InstantRHIplay/status/1513880776403787796
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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UF coach Billy Napier and how the Sunshine State powers rise again.
Florida coach Billy Napier is trying to turn around the Gators with an army of football staffers and a blueprint developed coaching in the Sun Belt and for Nick Saban at Alabama. Napier joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about what it will take to make Florida a challenger to Georgia and Alabama in the SEC – both through recruiting and the transfer portal. Then Steven Godfrey, co-host of the Split Zone Duo Podcast, joins the show to talk about the state of the Florida’s Big 3 and if it is possible for the Florida, Florida State and Miami to all be excellent at the same time? Plus, what is the Sun Belt’s ceiling and why has West Virginia failed to launch under coach Neal Brown?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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QB battles and who are college football’s Blue Bloods.
College football fans should expect a post-spring practice wave of players heading into the transfer portal as teams get a better idea of who fits where. Especially, at the quarterback position.
The Athletics’ portal king, Max Olson, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to update who is on the move and what we type of movement we might expect after spring ball concludes.
Max and Ralph talk about some of the most interesting quarterback competitions of the spring. Many involve transfers, like at Texas, LSU and Oregon. Some like Clemson and Michigan have incumbents likely to be challenged by younger players with big-time recruiting pedigree.
Also, in honor of the all-blue blood final four in men’s college basketball, who are the blue bloods in college football?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Urban Meyer was fired after 13 games as an NFL coach, going 2-11. Why was Meyer, who won 85% of his games as a college coach, so disastrously bad in the NFL? And can he still be a good college coach? Would he even want to be a college coach again? What schools might give him an opportunity? Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the things that made Meyer so great in college and why they didn’t work in the NFL. Plus, could NIL be a way to create a little more parity at the very top of college football? And why college basketball’s flaws actually help March Madness be so exciting.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Who are the best 25 coaches in college football right now? Stewart Mandel from The Athletic and Bruce Feldman from Fox Sports join AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss their rankings and help Ralph work out his list. The top two are still easy calls. Stew and Bruce have a clear consensus on No. 3, though Ralph is not so sure. Jim Harbaugh is up. James Franklin is down. Bruce takes more of a long view with his list. Stew is more focused on what have they done lately. Who made the cut?
Bruce’s list: https://theathletic.com/3165800/2022/03/08/bruce-feldman-ranks-the-top-25-college-football-head-coaches/
Stewart’s list: https://theathletic.com/3165768/2022/03/08/stewart-mandel-ranks-the-top-25-college-football-head-coaches/
Ralph’s list
- Nick Saban, Alabama
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson
- Brian Kelly, LSU
- Kirby Smart, Georgia
- Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
- Lincoln Riley, USC
- Kyle Whittingham, Utah
- Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
- Ryan Day, Ohio State
- Mack Brown, North Carolina
- James Franklin, Penn State
- Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
- Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
- Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
- Matt Campbell, Iowa State
- Mike Stoops, Kentucky
- Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
- Mike Leach, Mississippi State
- Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
- Billy Napier, Florida
- Chip Kelly, UCLA
- Lance Leipold, Kansas
- Mario Cristobal, Miami
- Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
- Jeff Monken, Army
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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After more than a decade as a well-regarded assistant coach, Brent Pry became the new head coach at Virginia Tech. Pry joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about why he believes he is the right fit to bring Beamer-era success back to Blacksburg. Then Dusty Dvoracek from SiriusXM Radio and ESPN joins Russo to talk about the latest tweaks to targeting, how to stop defenses from faking injuries and Jayden Daniels’ transfer from Arizona State to LSU.
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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At 36-years old, Marcus has made a meteoric rise in coaching to become the head coach at Notre Dame. Freeman joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the whirlwind couple of days during which he went from defensive coordinator to the man leading the Irish back in December. How is he preparing for maybe college football’s toughest job? Then Ari Wasserman of The Athletic joins to the show to talk about the implosion of College Football Playoff expansion talks. Ari wrote about why four is enough in a sport where they are so few elite title contenders. Ralph believes the imbalance at the top of the sport is exactly why the playoff should expand.
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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ESPN’s Bill Connelly, the brains behind the SP+ rating system, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to dig into his first projections for the 2022 season, and see how they compare with the way-too-early preseason rankings. In a comparison of humans and numbers, a trend is spotted. Several of 2021’s surprise teams are expected to regress in 2022, according to SP+. Meanwhile, Bill’s advanced metrics are expecting a bounce back from a few blue bloods that struggled in 2021. Bill also explains how he is adjusting to a new era of roster turnover related to transfers.
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Just when it looked as if the coaching carousel was about to stop spinning, Auburn has stepped up to the wheel. The Tigers are considering making a move on Bryan Harsin after just one season. Brandon Marcello, the national college football writer for 247 Sports, returns to the show to break down the latest drama on The Plains. Marcello is a former Auburn beat writer and is very familiar with the dynamics of a football program that seems to have chaos in its DNA.
Then Dane Brugler, NFL draft analysis for The Athletic, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to review last week’s Senior Bowl. Who were the movers and shakers, risers and fallers from the week in Mobile, Alabama.
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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The long-awaited, much-anticipated, and not particularly surprising, announcement that quarterback Caleb Williams is following his former coach to USC finally came the day before national signing day. Bud Elliott of 247 Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the immediate impact Williams can have on Lincoln Riley’s Trojans -- and the long-term effect.
What other teams are scoring big in the portal? Plus, what coaches have done good work on the recruiting trail between the early signing period and the traditional signing period. And the latest on Jim Harbaugh and a possible jump to the NFL.
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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A couple of weeks back ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said that before the College Football Playoff expands there should be a holistic, 365-day review of the sport. He didn’t mean the review should take 365 days but rather that the entire calendar should be re-considered. Not a bad idea. Andy Staples from The Athletic and AP’s Ralph Russo dig into what changes will be considered. Also, a listener email asks what an ideal college football staff should look like from coaches to support staff, recruiting and player personnel and analysts. Andy and Ralph try to explain what all these people do and how the best programs separate from the rest.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Baylor were among the best surprise teams in 2021. What are their prospects for an encore in 2022? National college football writer Brandon Marcello from 247 Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to put a bow on the 2021 season by glancing ahead to ’22. Fourteen teams that were unranked to start last season finished in the final AP Top 25. The Wolverines, Spartans, Cowboys and Bears landed in the top-10. Can they make championship runs again in 2022? Which ACC upstart, Wake Forest or Pitt, is best situated to challenge in the conference again? Which surprise team in 2021 is set up to be next season’s Group of Five favorite? Also, what were our worst and best predictions for 2021.
Russo’s preseason predictions: https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-football-georgia-bulldogs-football-oklahoma-sooners-football-f8a323b9b6c6c3c118fde39669708600
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The 2021 college football season is over and Georgia is the national champion. The Bulldogs broke a 41-year title drought be beating Alabama in Indianapolis. To recap the game, lookahead at what’s next for each participant and take yet another dive into College Football Playoff expansion talks, Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated joins AP’s Ralph Russo. Georgia finally broke through against Alabama and it sure does look as if we could be heading for a few more years of the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide running college football. On the playoff front, the conference commissioners held three days of meetings in Indianapolis and remain nowhere near agreement on a new format. Is the chance of early expansion dead? Why are they going to keep going when it looks as if they are at an irreconcilable impasse?
Final AP Top 25: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
Looking ahead to 2022: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-alabama-michigan-georgia-69d547c66646ee6621bbc5d3bb477814
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There is a big game next Monday in college football with Georgia facing Alabama for the national championship, but the big news in college football comes out of Oklahoma. Sooners quarterback Caleb Williams has announced he is entering his name in the transfer portal. The former five-star recruit has decided to explore his options with former OU coach Lincoln Riley gone to USC.
Former Oklahoma offensive lineman Gabe Ikard, who now hosts Big 12 Today on SiriusXM’s Big 12 channel, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about what’s next for Williams and the state or Oklahoma football. Also, Gabe and Ralph preview Alabama-Georgia. Can it be different this time around for the Bulldogs?
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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The transfer portal is hopping in college football with plenty more than just big-name quarterback going in and coming out. Joining AP’s Ralph Russo to look at some of the most interesting players available in college football’s version of free agency is Max Olson from The Athletic. Max has ranked the top 25 players currently available in the portal and you might be surprised to find out No. 1 is a pass rusher from an FCS school. Max and Ralph talk about the different kinds of prospects coaches can find on the transfer market, what positions seem to have the most value and why there is plenty of risk for the many Group of Five stars hoping to move up to Power Five schools. This is all still very new in college football, and we suspect there are lot of hard lessons to be learned by both players and coaches.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Can Cinderella Cincinnati push mighty Alabama in the Cotton Bowl? Will Georgia enter the Orange Bowl against Michigan with the same swagger it had before getting taken down by the Crimson Tide?
Cole Cubelic of ESPN and the SEC Network joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview The College Football Playoff semifinals. For Cincinnati to show it belongs, it will have to figure out a way to keep Will Anderson Jr. from wrecking Desmond Ridder and an offense with some big-play weapons. On the other side, Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young takes aim at a pair of All-Americans in Cincinnati’s secondary. Don’t expect Michigan to attack Georgia the way Alabama did, but the Wolverines will be happy to try to play bully-ball against the Bulldogs. Can Michigan deal with Georgia’s speed and athleticism on defense? Better question: Can Georgia’s offense handle a Michigan defense that has a game-wrecker of its own in Aidan Hutchinson? And who should be playing quarterback for the Bulldogs in the biggest game of the year?
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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The coaching carousel is finally slowing down with the early signing period upon college football. AP’s Ralph Russo hits on both of those topics with two guests. First up, Steve Wiltfong, national recruiting director of 247 Sports, joins the show for an overview on where things stand with top recruits, top teams and schools with new coaches. There could be a new SEC school at the top of the recruiting rankings. Then Adam Rittenberg from ESPN joins Ralph to talk about Oregon’s new head coach, Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning, and what that hire says about what the Ducks want to be as a program. And at a time of great optimism, a pessimistic question: What would cause some of the most high-profile newly hired head coaches such as Lincoln Riley at USC; Brian Kelly at LSU and Mario Cristobal at Miami to fail?
AP All-America team: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-ohio-alabama-crimson-tide-football-alabama-cfc6067ea8e0e269617f20fee772c9c9
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Bowl season is here and there are 42 games to keep you busy from Dec. 17 to Jan. 4 before the national title game on Jan. 10 in Indianapolis. Matt Brown, college football editor for The Athletic, joins Ralph Russo from AP for their annual bowl preview that will cover every single game. There are some great early bowls matching some of the best Group of Five teams, including UTSA and San Diego State in the Frisco Bowl. The non-New Year’s Six games provide some compelling Power Five matchups with Clemson and Iowa State at the Cheez-It Bowl and Oregon and Oklahoma at the Alamo Bowl. The New Year’s Six has interesting matchups with a sprinkling of new teams such as Utah, Pittsburgh and Oklahoma State. Plus, Ralph gives his thoughts on some of the high-profile coaching moves at Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Miami.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Brian Kelly left Notre Dame to become the new coach at LSU. Lincoln Riley is now the coach at USC, leaving Oklahoma behind. In the span of about 24 hours, college football was rocked by two coaching moves that have few historical precedents. Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about how Kelly to LSU went down; how it might work out; and what could be next for Notre Dame. Then Paul Myerberg from USA Today joins the show to discuss Riley in the Pac-12, and to preview the conference championship games and sort through their playoff implications.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Florida joined LSU, Southern California, Washington, Virginia Tech and others in making a coaching change this season. Who is going to fill all these job? Bruce Feldman from Fox and The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to give an update on the latest rumblings from the coaching carousel. Could Mario Cristobal now be in play with Oregon out of the playoff picture? Is Luke Fickell off the market as long as Cincinnati is a playoff contender. Who might the Gators target? And how many schools are chasing Louisiana coach Billy Napier?
The best college football rivalries, ranked: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-texas-texas-longhorns-football-florida-c5e2a57637a61dbce7849cb772f8566e
Russo’s column on rivalry games: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-football-ohio-state-buckeyes-football-b076cab19fab520abbab6f6492358b9a
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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Welcome aboard the coaching carousel, Virginia Tech. The Hokies became the latest team to fire their coach and enter a market where there will be more quality jobs than experienced, low-risk candidates to fill them. Ari Wasserman from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about hirings, firings, meeting expectations and why the current rate at which schools are blowing through coaches only makes it harder to find a good one. Is James Franklin a hot candidate for USC or LSU or is he a coach who has hit his expiration date at Penn State? Then a preview of Week 12 with a top-10 matchup between Michigan State and Ohio State in the Big Ten and a pivotal game in the Pac-12 between Oregon and Utah.
Russo’s story on why so many schools are making in-season coaching changes: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-texas-kirby-hocutt-football-6bec05e3db8202c77e63c2801ea90e65
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The bowl system is not what it used to be and expanding the College Football Playoff has the potential to further marginalize bowls. Nick Carparelli’s job as the executive director of Bowl Season, the newly rebranded organization that advocates for bowls, is to help keep the bowls relevant. But how? Carparelli join AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the future of bowl games in a changing college football landscape. Then Brett McMurphy from Action Network joins the show to talk about the coaching carousel. Scott Frost will be back for another year at Nebraska. Will Dan Mullen do the same at Florida? Who else’s seats are warming up and cooling down? Plus, some playoff rankings talk and preview of a meaty Week 11 schedule with five most intriguing games.
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
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Oklahoma is 9-0 heading into its first open date of the season, having made a notable midseason quarterback switch. Sooners coach Lincoln Riley joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about sitting Spencer Rattler and the development of freshman Caleb Williams. Plus, has OU’s defense been a disappointment to him and do fans and the media overanalyze teams to the point where we have set unrealistic expectations?
Also, Dennis Dodd from CBS Sports joins the show to talk about the end of the Gary Patterson era at TCU, the College Football Playoff rankings, what’s next with CFP expansion and a preview of week 10 of the regular season.
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Is Dan Mullen really on the hot seat at Florida? Probably not, but how did things flip so fast for the Gators’ coach, who took Florida to three straight New Year’s Six games and pushed Alabama in the SEC championship last year.
College football reporter Steven Godfrey, who co-hosts the “Split Zone Duo” podcast, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about Mullen’s status at Florida, his time at Mississippi State and why his skill set might not be ideal for Gainesville.
We also talk to Steven about Texas Tech firing Matt Wells, who never seemed to have a chance in Lubbock.
Then Stewart Mandel of The Athletic joins the show to preview Week 9 of the season. It is a good, one highlighted by a top-10 Michigan-Michigan State matchup and the aforementioned Mullen and the Gators facing No. 1 Georgia in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
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In the span of about 24 hours, LSU fired Ed Orgeron less than two years removed from winning a national title and Washington State fired Nick Rolovich 11 games into his tenure.
It has been an eventful few days in college football.
Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the downfall of Coach O at LSU and what’s next for the Tigers? Who are the possible candidate and what is the hiring process at a school that shares a city with the State Capital.
Then Paul Myerberg from USA Today joins the show to talk about Rolovich being ousted in Pullman for refusing to comply with the state of Washington’s vaccine mandate.
Lastly, Paul and Ralph preview Week 8 with their five most intriguing games. There are no matchups of ranked teams tis week, but there is plenty of intrigue from No. 8 Oklahoma State visiting Iowa State in the Big 12 to Clemson playing No. 23 Pitt as an underdog.
AP midseason All-American team: https://twitter.com/AP_Top25/status/1450512543080931334
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Ohio State has righted itself after an early loss to Oregon, winning four straight games in mostly blowout fashion. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about striking a balance between the urgency of high expectations and keeping a team from panicking after an early misstep. Plus, Day discusses quarterback CJ Stroud’s development, what makes running back TreVeyon Henderson an extraordinary freshman and the state of a defense that struggled through much of the first month of the season. Then Richard Johnson of Sports Illustrated joins the show to talk about what to make of Alabama after its loss to Texas A&M and whether unbeaten Iowa can sustain an unusual formula for success. And a Week 7 preview of the five most intriguing games.
Russo’s Column on College Football Playoff expansion and why eight likely won’t be enough: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-football-311227c2da823503af871e477ddd7412
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Jim Harbaugh’s stock is up at Michigan and Ed Orgeron’s stock is down at LSU after five weeks on the college football season. Where are things headed for two coaches who entered the season in need of a bounce back after difficult 2020s? Adam Rittenberg from ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo to give a status report on Harbaugh and Coach O, and discuss why Michigan seems more invested in its coach’s success than LSU is in its coach. Plus, winning cures everything in the Big Ten. The conference is doing well on the field, but it was only a year ago that the league was in turmoil. What’s the mood in Rosemont and across the Midwest in Year 2 of Kevin Warren’s tenure as commissioner? Plus, a preview of the most intriguing games of Week 6, including a top-five matchup in Iowa City and a Red River Rivalry that could establish the Big 12 favorite.
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Clemson is currently ranked 115th in the country in yards per play, right behind North Texas and just ahead of Akron. What is going on with Dabo Swinney’s 2-2 Tigers? ESPN’s David Hale, who covers college football nationally, with a concentration on the ACC, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to dissect Clemson’s ugly opening month of the season.
What are the micro-issues causing Clemson’s offense, filled with highly touted recruits, to malfunction? In the bigger picture, in what ways might Swinney need to change the way he builds a program to continue to be among the elites in college football?
Hale and Russo dive into some of the other struggling ACC teams as well as the pleasant surprises such as Wake Forest and Boston College.
Then it’s a Week 5 preview. Hale and Russo each have their five most intriguing games of a weekend that has some huge Southeastern Conference contests and a major test for the best team outside the Power Five.
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There are a couple of significant meetings coming up in the next week or so regarding College Football Playoff expansion. Since Texas and Oklahoma announced a move to the Southeastern Conference, there has been a lot of chatter about other conferences “slowing down” the expansion process. But what does that mean?
Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss where things are on the road to expansion; where this is heading and when the College Football Playoff might get there.
Then a preview of Week 4’s most intriguing games from a surprising Big Ten battle of unbeatens to an SEC West matchup of ranked teams.
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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Well, we made it two whole weeks of college football before the first coaching change. And it was a big one. USC has fired Clay Helton after about 3 years on the hot seat. Bruce Feldman from Fox Sports and The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the end of the Helton era and where Southern California could go next. It’s a coaching search that has potential to engulf the entire season.
Then Bud Elliott of 247 sports and the Cover3 podcast joins the show to take the pulse of Florida State after an embarrassing loss to Jacksonville State, and preview Week 3.
What are the five most interesting games of the weekend? Bud and Ralph make their picks, going deep into the schedule and hitting some of the ranked matchups such as No. 22 Auburn at No. 10 Penn State and No. 1 Alabama at No. 11 Florida.
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Nothing brings out the overreactions like Week 1 of a football season. This week Max Olson from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to look ahead to week 2, honing on teams that are looking to bounce back from poor first week performances, like Washington and Miami, against quality opponents.
What teams have a chance to validate Week 1’s stellar effort? Looking at you, Texas.
Max and Ralph preview Oregon at Ohio State and the first matchup between Iowa and Iowa State that features two ranked teams.
Plus, Max has been all over Big 12 expansion. We’ll dig into how the conference quickly landed on a plan to rebuild after Texas and Oklahoma threw the league into uncertainty.
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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We have made it to the start of the college football season. Week zero provide a little warm up and now we’re set for the marathon Labor Day weekend of games.
It’s glorious and there is a lot to get to. First up, the great Kirk Herbstreit from ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo. Kirk has a new book out called “Out of the Pocket.”
We’ll talk about how Kirk’s relationship with his father influenced his relationship with “College GameDay” co-star Lee Corso. Plus, we’ll get Kirk’s thoughts on the upcoming season and Week 1’s biggest game, Georgia vs. Clemson.
Then recurring guest Paul Myerberg, the national college football writer for USA Today, comes on to preview Week 1. Paul and Ralph review their top-five most interesting games of the weekend.
Ralph’s season predictions: https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-football-georgia-bulldogs-football-oklahoma-sooners-football-f8a323b9b6c6c3c118fde39669708600
Award predictions: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-football-alabama-crimson-tide-football-notre-dame-fighting-irish-football-dd81b7da73aca02a206fabf268b42270
Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
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What’s an alliance? The Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten and Pac-12 unveiled what they are calling an alliance of the three Power Five conferences. It will involve some scheduling and some working together to shape the future of college sports. There wasn’t a lot of detail, but it certainly seemed like it could be a big deal. Or not. AP college football poll voter Brett McMurphy, now of the Action Network, joined AP’s Ralph Russo just a couple of hours after the big announcement to try to figure out what it is and how it could affect college football, especially the proposed expansion of the playoff. Plus, Brett and Ralph look at what coaches need successful seasons to secure their jobs in 2021. A little hot-seat talk before we kick it off with week zero on tap.
Ralph Russo Article - Iowa State, Notre Dame highlight AP preseason All-Americans - https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-oklahoma-notre-dame-fighting-irish-football-iowa-80f979105c3920f07495aebd5ff3966d
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Alabama is coming off maybe the greatest season in Southeastern Conference history, with a national title and 11 wins in 11 SEC games. The Crimson Tide is favored to win the West again, but can Texas A&M or maybe LSU take advantage in some turnover in Tuscaloosa? Cole Cubelic of ESPN and the SEC Network joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the SEC. There are several programs that appear to be trending up in the West, though not many look like real threats to the Tide. Meanwhile, in the East, Georgia appears to be a few notches above its closest competition. Can Kentucky surprise? How about Missouri? Maybe, but the Bulldogs have a good looking path to break a national title drought that goes back to 1980.
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The unofficial start of the college football season has arrived. The preseason AP Top 25 has been released. Alabama is on top. No big surprise there. Oklahoma, Clemson and Ohio State follow. What teams have a chance to break the grip those Super Teams have had on college football? ESPN’s Rece Davis, the host of “College GameDay” joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about how he put together his preseason ballot. Rece is higher than most on Oregon and Indiana, and not quite so optimistic about Iowa State and Notre Dame. We run through Rece’s votes and give a preview of a 2021 season that promises to have an eventful first month.
The Top 25: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
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Last season was a bonanza for schools from outside the Power Five conferences. A record seven were ranked in the final AP Top 25. Can the so-called Group of Five carry that momentum into 2021? Chris Vannini of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the non-Power Five leagues from the American Athletic Conference, where Cincinnati hopes to make a playoff push, to the Sun Belt, where Coastal Carolina and Louisiana bring back loaded teams. Then Pete Sampson of The Athletic joins the show to preview Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have a new quarterback and new defensive coordinator. Standards are set high enough now for Brian Kelly’s program that even a step back from last year’s playoff team could mean double-digit victories. Plus, a tribute to Bobby Bowden.
Russo’s column on Bobby Bowden: https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-sports-football-college-football-2ca2dcbc296234673cc3e1aea2329b70
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Our conference preview series rolls on with a look out West. Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News and Bay Area Media Group joins AP’s Ralph Russo to breakdown the Pac-12. First, a discussion of some of the off-field issues facing the Pac-12 related to realignment and how a shifting landscape could impact a conference that has a new commissioner and a TV deal expiring in 2024.
On the field, the stories feel kind of familiar in the Pac-12:
Can Clay Helton win enough to keep his job at USC?
Is Utah being overlooked in the South Division?
Is this the year UCLA takes a leap forward behind Chip Kelly?
In the North Division, Oregon is the favorite but with a question at quarterback and Washington will look to contend behind a stingy defense.
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Texas and Oklahoma are moving to the Southeastern Conference. Not sure when, but it’s a move that could have counter moves and ripple effects across college sports. Andy Staples of The Athletic joins Ralph Russo of the AP to do a deep dive into what next in conference realignment and whether this is good for college football? After years of the sport trying to become more national, is this move reverse that and shrinking college footbal’s big tent?
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Ohio State is going for a fifth straight Big Ten title. Can anyone catch the Buckeyes? Dave Revsine of the Big Ten Network joins Ralph Russo from The Associated Press to preview the Big Ten and search for challengers to Ohio State. Could upstart Indiana continue to climb? Is bouncing-back Penn State ready to contend again? In the West Wisconsin and Iowa are the favorites, but Northwestern is the defending champ. That division often produces a surprise contender. Who could emerge this season? At Nebraska and Michigan, the question is: Can the coaches change the trajectory of the programs and keep their jobs.
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Oklahoma has won six straight Big 12 championships and the Sooners enter the 2021 with the most well-rounded team coach Lincoln Riley has had. What can stop the Sooners from making it seven straight titles? Max Olson of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the Big 12. Iowa State is considered the top contender to dethrone Oklahoma, but can the upstart Cyclones find another level of performance under coach Matt Campbell? Steve Sarkisian becomes the latest coach to try to bring Texas back. In the middle of the conference, Oklahoma State and TCU are hoping for talented quarterbacks to find consistency, and West Virginia needs more firepower to go with a tough defense. Is Texas Tech’s Matt Wells in a make-or-break year already in Lubbock?
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There will be new stars leading Clemson this season, but the Tigers are still the prohibitive favorites to win the Atlantic Coast Conference for a seventh straight year. Who can challenge Clemson? David Hale of ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the ACC from top to bottom. Can either North Carolina or Miami emerge as a legitimate threat to the Tigers? Where does Florida State’s rebuild stand in Year 2 under Mike Norvell? How hot is Justin Fuente’s seat at Virginia Tech? A Louisville rebound in 2021? A third-year bump for Georgia Tech under coach Geoff Collins?
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From 1990-2000 every game played between Florida and Florida State was a matchup of top-10 teams. The rivalry featured two Hall of Fame coaches in FSU’s Bobby Bowden and Florida’s Steve Spurrier, dozens of star players and numerous memorable games – including a Sugar Bowl that decided the national championship. On this week’s AP Top 25 Podcast, Ralph Russo looks back at the rivalry that helped make the Sunshine State the epicenter of college football with two sports writers who covered it. Pat Dooley from WRUF in Gainesville was a longtime columnist covering the Gators during the Spurrier Era. Jim Henry, currently the sports editor for the Tallahassee Democrat, chronicled the Bowden Dynasty for the paper. Dooley and Henry discuss each side of a rivalry that for a decade helped crown a national champion.
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Rece Davis, the host of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the proposed plan to expand the college football playoff from four to 12 teams. If the plan was on Rece’s desk, what revisions would he consider? First off, bowls games or home games? As of now the plan is for the quarterfinals to be held at marquee bowl sites while first-round games are on campus. Davis suggests a plan to have more games played on campus while still protecting a few bowls. The Rose Bowl is one the postseason game with a tradition worth preserving and Rece has an idea on how do that. Plus, what will an expanded playoff do to scheduling? And Rece and Ralph react to the NCAA’s Supreme Court loss.
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
There is a plan in place to expand the College Football Playoff from four teams to 12. It’s a remarkable change for a sport that for decades seemed committed to using any other way possible to determine a national champion than the one used by just about every other sport. How did college football get here? Ivan Maisel, formerly of ESPN and now about be the lead writer of a new college football website called on3.com, joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to look back at the events that led to college football embracing a playoff structure and how it has gone so quickly from two to four to 12. Plus, what questions remain to be answered about this new plan, including how soon can it be implemented.
Ivan’s new venture: https://www.on3.com/
Ivan’s new book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57007655-i-keep-trying-to-catch-his-eye
The most talented roster in college football this season might very well belong to Georgia. But can the Bulldogs breakthrough and win the program’s first national championship since 1980? Marc Weiszer from the Athens Banner-Herald joins AP’s Ralph Russo to assess Kirby Smart’s program, including the recent additions of two high-profile transfers. Also, national college football writer Matt Fortuna of The Athletic joins the show to talk about Northwestern’s messy athletic director search, Wisconsin’s more seamless transition from Barry Alvarez, the state of Notre Dame heading into year 12 for Brian Kelly and Nick Saban’s new contract extension.
Q&A with outgoing Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott: https://apnews.com/article/football-only-on-ap-college-football-business-sports-904a3dc5b5a794573b95fa4b43a86046
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
Beware teams coming off a magical season. Often, it’s hard to repeat.
Oddsmakers have set win totals for this upcoming season for every FBS team and ESPN’s Chris Fallica has been scanning the board, looking for value. The Bear joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk overs and unders.
Chris goes into the Big Ten, where last season’s big surprise seems primed for regression and two of the most disappointing teams appear set up for a bounce back. Bear also goes into the SEC for one over and one under and deep into the Group of Five for a couple of interesting leans. Plus, what was it like doing “College GameDay” last season with no fans and where might the show be going in 2021.
Win totals: https://twitter.com/Covers/status/1397276380279214086
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
The opening weekend of the college football season is starting to take shape. Game times have been set for some marquee matchups, including Alabama-Miami in Atlanta and Clemson-Georgia in Charlotte. USA Today national college football writer Paul Myerberg joins AP’s Ralph Russo to take a hopefully and eager look at the first week of the 2021 regular season and plot out a five-games-in-five-days dream road trip. They also take a first glance a few of the potentially interesting matchups outside those neutral-site kickoff classics. Plus, Paul and Ralph answer a couple of listener email about what impact having such a small pool of elite teams has on the overall health of college football.
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
Few college football coaches are more involved in the shaping the state and future of the game than Stanford coach David Shaw. He joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss changes made to preseason practice aimed at reducing the number of full contact practices. Shaw explains the thinking behind the modifications. What advice would give to the new Pac-12 Commissioner about how best to support football? Plus, what would be his ideal College Football Playoff format?
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
Russo’s article from 1997 on K.C. Keeler and Division III Rowan University.
https://apnews.com/article/ce652f808952829efddd55aeee7e54c7
They are called the Power Five conferences but really there is a big two among the group. The Southeastern Conference and Big Ten have pulled away from their peers when it comes to generating revenue. How can the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 and Pac-12 keep up? Does Notre Dame hold the keys to unlock another level of wealth for the ACC? Should the Big 12 expand? How about a merger of sorts between the Big 12 and Pac-12? Maybe Larry Scott was right after all. What would a Power Six look like?
Gazing into the future of conferences of course means pondering what’s next for the College Football Playoff.
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Will the Power Five conferences ever break away from the NCAA? Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports says they kind of already have. Inspired by a email from a listener, the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast begins a series of shows on the future of the sport. This week Dodd joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss a pivotal next couple of months for the NCAA, and what could lie ahead. Has the association outlasted its usefulness or is it just convenient for college sports leaders to place blame in Indianapolis and in Mark Emmert’s lap. Plus, more playoff expansion talk and Kansas has a new coach!
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
We have finally reached NFL Draft week. But instead of again chewing over the 2021 class, which we have been doing for four months, Matt Miller of The NFL Draft Scout and ESPN jumps ahead to 2022.
Who are the players you can already pencil in at the top of next year’s draft boards? There is a pass rusher out west holding down the top spot. What does the quarterback class of 2022 look like heading into the college football season? Which passers will be in the running to be top-10 picks? And why do the top QBs always end up being top-10 picks these days?
Plus, Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to talk about the College Football Playoff’s Friday news dump in which it publicly acknowledged looking into ways to expand the format from four teams. How seriously should we take expansion talk and what models might be fun to consider?
Follow Matt Miller on Twitter @nfldraftscout
Follow Nicole Auerbach on Twitter @NicoleAuerbach
Follow Ralph Russo on Twitter @ralphDrussoAP
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
The upcoming NFL Draft could be a historic one, with as many as five quarterbacks going in the top-10 picks. Eric Edholm, draft analysis for Yahoo! Sports, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to take a deep dive into the quarterbacks from Trevor Lawrence to Mac Jones and the entire pool of players that NFL teams will be picking through. What positions are the deepest in the draft? Where will the pickings be a little thin? How did opting out impact prospects such as Penei Sewell of Oregon, Ja’Marr Chase of LSU, Micah Parsons of Penn State and Gregor Rousseau of Miami? Who are some of Eric’s favorite players likely to be picked on Day 3?
Plus, UNLV Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois joins the show to talk about her role with the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches. The coalition started an academy last week that matches up-and-coming coaches with veteran administrators in the hopes of better preparing them to take the next steps in their careers.
Email the show at APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
Yahoo’s All-Juice team for this year’s draft: https://sports.yahoo.com/2021-all-juice-team-terez-paylors-legacy-continues-with-7th-edition-of-squad-that-includes-justin-fields-130031523.html?ncid=twitter_yahoosport_dw14wrbb51g
Russo’s article on a College Football Super League: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-pittsburgh-football-notre-dame-fighting-irish-football-college-sports-085b362c6f58d2bd50b886c07413b0d
At Florida, Dan Mullen is breaking in a new quarterback and trying to stay ahead of Georgia. At Florida State, Mike Norvell is just looking for some normalcy in year two of his tenure as the Seminoles coach. Matt Baker from the Tampa Bay Times joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss about the state of college football in the state of Florida, from Tallahassee to Miami. Also, Sports Law Professor Gabe Feldman joins the show to review the NCAA’s day in front of the Supreme Court and how the association can escape an NIL quagmire.If you have questions or comments, email them to APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.
There was a point where Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was the most polarizing figure in college football. While he’s still maybe the most talked about college football coach outside of Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney, it’s getting harder to find supporters. This week on the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, AP sports writer Josh Dubow, who covered Harbaugh with Stanford and the 49ers and is a Michigan alum, joins Ralph Russo to do a deep dive on where things stand with the Wolverines and their coach. What is a fair assessment of Harbaugh’s tenure and is there realistic hope that he can deliver on the promise and hope that followed him when he arrived at his alma mater in 2015.Plus, what’s the status of Stanford football under David Shaw and why Josh spends hours a day battling Raiders’ fans on Twitter about David Carr.If you’d like to send questions or comments to be used on the show, email APTop25mailbag@gmail.com.Ralph’s Top 25 college football coaches: https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP/status/1376553969879818240
Ranking college football coaches is even tougher than ranking college football teams. But we tend to do it anyway, especially in the offseason. Stewart Mandel from The Athletic and Bruce Feldman from Fox join AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about their current Top 25 college coaches. Bruce and Stew are finally buying in on Brian Kelly as a top-three coach. Stewart gave James Franklin a big demotion after a tough year, but not so much with PJ Fleck. Bruce is still defending Jim Harbaugh and higher on veterans with a long track record like Gary Patterson, Kirk Ferentz and Mike Leach. And they both snubbed Mack Brown.Plus, the NCAA’s latest misstep and should it cost Mark Emmert his job?
The NCAA Tournament is back after a one-year pandemic-forced hiatus. That means the football show turns to basketball for a week. AP college basketball writer Aaron Beard joins Ralph Russo to break down the bracket, search for upsets and pick a Final Four. Plus, what went wrong this season for blue bloods Duke and Kentucky? And why can’t Indiana seem to recapture past glory. And we’ll sprinkle in a some football, too.
The worst Power Five program in college football is once again in the news for all the wrong reasons. Kansas parted ways with coach Les Miles after revelations about inappropriate behavior toward women while he was at LSU. It is another setback for a program that has become synonymous with them. Max Olson from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss how Kansas football got so bad, why Miles was never the solution and where it goes from here. Plus, new Marshall coach Charles Huff joins the show to talk about his time working for James Franklin at Penn State and Nick Saban at Alabama, and how it prepared him for his first head coaching job.
New Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea played for the Commodores and grew up in Nashville. If there is a man who understands the challenges and potential for the football program of the Southeastern Conference’s lone private school, it’s Lea, the former Notre Dame defensive coordinator. Then Steven Godfrey of Banner Society joins AP’s Ralph Russo for an in-depth discussion on a topic suggested by a listener: Which programs have recently been the biggest underachievers in each of the 10 FBS conference? To email questions or comments to the show use APTop25mailbag@gmail.com
The 2021 season is about seven months away, but it’s never to early to start projecting how teams will do. ESPN’s Bill Connelly, the mastermind behind SP+ power rankings, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the first 2021 projections. They’ll compare SP+ to the composite of way-too-early rankings done by four notable news organizations that cover college football. SP+ is more optimistic about Miami, Michigan and the Pac-12 in general than the humans. On the flip side, SP+ is more skeptical about Notre Dame, Indiana, Coastal Carolina and LSU for the 2021 season.
Five and half year ago, Steve Sarkisian was fired by Southern California, a promising career derailed by alcoholism. The road back for Sark went thrown Alabama and the NFL and now he is a head coach again, taking at Texas. Sarkisian joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to talk about his comeback and how recovery has made him a different, and he hopes better, coach. Then Richard Johnson of the Split Zone Duo podcast joins the show to breakdown what made Sark’s offense so good at Alabama and how the top college teams are trying to mimic the way NFL teams play offense.
The 2020 coaching carousel in college football was more active than expected. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg joins AP Ralph Russo to talk takeaways on changes made from Texas to Marshall. For some schools it’s never a and time to fire a coach, even though the chances of landing an established and proven replacement have never been less likely. Meanwhile, opportunities for Black coaches are still lagging as the leadership in major college football fails to match the makeup of the rosters. Plus, the transfer market is booming and schools are building depth charts around super seniors who are taking advantage of an extra year of NCAA eligibility.
The early signing period in college football has become the main signing period for the sport. So the traditional signing period in February is mostly about tying up loose ends. Most teams have already moved on to 2022, and we will, too. Bud Elliott, recruiting director for 247 Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to take a look at the class of 2022 and how limitations caused by the pandemic, plus the hopeful return to normal late this year, impacts the next 10 months before the next December signing period.Also, Tennessee has a new coach and a lot of problems. UCF is looking for a coach and has a lot to offer. So why did Josh Heupel leave the Knights for the Volunteers?
College football’s offseason has already included a coaching change at Tennessee and a Power Five commissioner announcing he will step down. The news never really stops. To kickoff the offseason mode at the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, Andy Staples from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo. The Volunteers might have a replacement for Jeremy Pruitt by the time you hear this, but what kind of a hole will the next regime need to climb out of?Why did Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott go from being perceived as a visionary to then being thought of as a failure during 11 years in the conference?And, Andy discussed on his podcast a radical rule change that would persuade teams to punt less. Ralph wants to take the radical change one step farther as a way to put more value on defense in this age of offense.
College football’s season in a pandemic has ended with a most familiar champion. Nick Saban’s Alabama dynasty won its sixth title by beating Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship game.To put a wrap on the season and the championship game, Paul Myerberg and Dan Wolken from USA Today join AP’s Ralph Russo. They discuss if there is anyway to tap the brakes on college football’s offensive revolution. Is it even necessary? There appears to be no end in sight for Saban and the Tide’s dominance. What other programs can at least make a run at Alabama next year? Can the changing landscape of college football help provide a little more parity at the top?
Alabama against Ohio State for the national championship. After a long, strange season there is one game left to be played. The College Football Playoff title game will feature the two most talented rosters in the country and put to bed a season that has been a grind for everyone involved. To preview Crimson Tide-Buckeyes and review what it took to get here, ESPN’s Chris Fowler joins AP’s Ralph Russo. Chris discusses why this season lacked the usual joy, and why he was still thankful to be part of it. And he gives his thoughts on Alabama’s steady dominance and Ohio State’s winding path to the title game. Plus, how to do a virtual Heisman Trophy presentation.
The College Football Playoff features four of the bluest of blue bloods. No. 1 Alabama takes on No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 2 Clemson faces No. 3 Ohio State. Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network and ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo to breakdown each matchup. For Notre Dame to stay within striking distance of the might Crimson Tide, the Irish need to play perfectly complementary football. Meanwhile, the other semifinal could come down to which is more efficient: Trevor Lawrence and Clemson’s passing game or Ohio State’s powerful running game.Also, what to make of Auburn’s hiring of Boise State’s Bryan Harsin as head coach?
Bowl season is here in college football. It is not as long as usual, which is sad. But there are plenty of games to enjoy. To preview them all _ even the ones that might have already been played by the time you listen _ Matt Brown, college football editor at The Athletic and an AP poll voter, joins Ralph Russo, AP college football writer. Matt and Ralph provide a tidbit or two on every game, make a few picks, and tell you what to watch for. The bowl are more unpredictable than ever, which is why you should watch every one from the Potato Bowl to the Orange Bowl.
The latest conference championship weekend in the history of college football has arrived and the question is: Will the results create any drama for Sunday’s College Football Playoff selections.National college football writer Paul Myerberg joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to go through the scenarios and try to find what could cause some mayhem. Also, Auburn finally fired Gus Malzahn after years of the coach going on and off the hot seat. Who is next? Did the Tigers just spent more than $21 million to promote their defensive coordinator? And is Illinois really a sleeping giant? Or maybe a sleeping contender in the Big Ten West?
The never-ending college football season will now combine the early signing period with championship weekend. Starting Dec. 16, schools can begin signing high school prospects, but because the season started late and was extended because of the pandemic, the College Football Playoff won’t be set until the weekend of Dec. 19. There is a lot going on. To discuss recruiting, the coaching carousel and the playoff race, Barton Simmons and Bud Elliot of 247 Sports join AP’s Ralph Russo. In-person recruiting has been shutdown since the spring. What kind of impact will that have on the class of 2021, and beyond?
About 13 months ago LSU-Alabama was a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. Biggest game of the season. Game of the Century. And LSU broke through for a landmark victory on the way to a national championship. Now the Tide and Tigers play again and LSU is slogging through a season of attrition and regression while Alabama is better than ever. Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the Tigers’ slide and the Tide’s unrelenting excellence. Plus, the Big Ten can’t catch a break: Can Ohio State make the playoff playing only six games? Who is the real Heisman favorite and will Texas make a coaching change?
Because everything is a little weird this season, we have the convergence of two events in college football that would normally be weeks apart.The first College Football Playoff selection committee rankings of season make their debut. And Thanksgiving week comes with some _ though not as many us usual _ rivalry games. Plus, there is a big batch of Black Friday games for a college football feast. Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to talk about what to expect from the playoff rankings: Why where BYU and Cincinnati start is important? Is Ohio State allowed a regular-season mulligan? What happens if Clemson blows out Notre Dame in an ACC rematch? Pac-12, anyone? Plus, the Clemson-Florida State postponement controversy.
From Monday to Friday the college football season has been a grind of uncertainty and instability. But the Saturdays are still delivering intrigue and excitement. Dennis Dodd of CBS joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the odd dynamic of the season in the pandemic. Plus, will the first head coach firing in the Power Five break the seal for other schools? And what to expect from two crucial Big Ten games; Bedlam between Oklahoma State and Oklahoma; and Cincinnati’s big test at UCF?
In a normal college football season we would be waist deep in coaching change rumors and speculation right about now. But this year’s carousel figures to be relatively quiet. Conventional wisdom has been that schools struggling financially because of the pandemic will be less willing to pay big buyouts. Plus, how can you judge performance is this weird season? But fans at some schools are reverting back to the default mode and looking to fire everyone involved with their struggling teams. To take a look at which coaches are on the hottest seats, Dan Wolken from USA Today joins AP’s Ralph Russo to assess the situations in places like South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Iowa and Michigan.
The first week of November in college football feels like opening weekend of the season all over again. All the major conferences will be playing games for the first time, including the MAC on Wednesday night and the Pac-12 starting at 9 a.m. Pacific Time on Saturday. There are huge games involving BYU and Boise State, Florida and Georgia, and Clemson and Notre Dame. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to dive into it all and try to figure out how the results will impact the College Football Playoff race.
Penn State suffered an epic and thrilling upset the hands of Indiana last week, taking some of the shine off this week’s game against No. 3 Ohio State. But if we look deeper than the final score, the Nittany Lions might not be so bad off. ESPN’s Bill Connelly, the mastermind behind the advance metric SP+ rankings, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to do an autopsy on Penn State’s loss and preview the showdown with the Buckeyes. Plus, why does math hate Kansas State? Is it better to have a good offense or a good defense? Why a boring playoff doesn’t have to mean a boring college football season.
Just in time for Big Ten weather, the Big Ten is kicking off its football season. Dave Revsine from the Big Ten Network joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to preview the conference that at first punted on fall football only to reverse course and give it go.Ohio State still seems to be the class of the conference and maybe the country. Can Wisconsin defend it’s West Division title with a new quarterback and new running back? Is Minnesota ready to take another step forward? What to make of Michigan this year? Where do things stand in Nebraska as Scott Frost enters year three?
College football’s game of the year is this weekend as No. 3 Georgia goes to No. 2 Alabama. It is a matchup of the best defense in the country against the best offense. Richard Johnson from the SEC Network joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to breakdown the clash of the titans. How can Georgia’s D slow the Tide? Or, maybe the better question, can Georgia’s offense keep up with Alabama? Also, can anybody challenge Clemson in the ACC and a look at an interesting weekend for the American Athletic Conference and BYU.
This coming weekend in college football will have a lot of Tennessee and Texas in it. Because he is an expert on both, David Ubben from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo for a both an examination and a preview.We have already reached the point in the season where we ask what’s wrong with the Longhorns. Adding to this week’s Red River Shootout drama is we’re asking the same questions of Oklahoma, too, as the Sooners limp in with a two-game losing streak.Texas A&M also has a measuring stick game this week in the SEC against Florida. David covered college football in Texas and the Big 12 for years before moving to Knoxville to cover Tennessee football. The Vols have a huge opportunity this weekend too as they go to Georgia to face the mighty Bulldogs. For the first time in a while, Tennessee might appears to be on the right track to SEC East contention.
LSU coach Ed Orgeron went from failed SEC head coach to jilted USC interim coach to national champion, leading his home state Tigers. Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic chronicles coach O’s rise in a new book called Flip the Script. Feldman joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the contentious end to Orgeron’s time as USC’s interim coach. And they talk about another coach Bruce wrote a book with: Mississippi State’s Mike Leach. Before Bruce, Ralph interviews another successful coach from Louisiana. Billy Napier of the undefeated Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns talks about his time working for both Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban how he learned to build a program.
There have been plenty of bumps along the way, but this weekend has a chance to feel the closest thing we have had to a normal college football Saturday. The Southeastern Conference kicks off, plus there is a full slate of Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12 games on the schedule. Hopefully, it stays that way. Andy Staples from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo on the podcast to dive into the most intriguing storylines of the weekend, including: Rhett Lashlee’s winding to path to becoming the man who saved Miami’s offense. Also, UCF might not be the best team in Florida, but it very well might have the best quarterback in the state. What will Auburn’s offense look like now that Chad Morris is calling plays for Gus Malzahn? And how will Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach do in their SEC debuts.
A college football season appeared five months ago to be crumbling is now resurgent. The Big Ten announced it is going t play in late October. The Pac-12 is trying for a fall re-start. So is the Mountain West. Meanwhile, games are still be postponed because of virus outbreaks. Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to talk about the Big Ten’s reversal and how the conference can recover from a month-long PR disaster. Will any of this college football season feel legitimate? Does it matter? Is piecing it together good enough considering the circumstances.
The college football season has started. Group of Five games kicked off Labor Day weekend. The Big 12 and ACC get rolling this weekend. So I guess we better get done previewing this very odd season that followed a most-bizarre and chaotic offseason. We have already done preview of the ACC and Big 12. Heck we even did one of the Pac-12, before the conference postponed fall football. We never got to the Big Ten, before it punted on the fall. What’s left to do is preview the Southeastern Conference and the Group of Five leagues that are giving it a go this September.To take a deep dive into the SEC, Cole Cubelic of ESPN and the SEC Network joins AP’s Ralph Russo. Then Chris Vannini of The Athletic joins the show to talk about the American Athletic Conference, Sun Belt and Conference USA.
Since postponing its football season on Aug. 11, the Big Ten has been in the news constantly _ for all the wrong reasons. The conference and its new commissioner, Kevin Warren, have been criticized from all angles and now they have been thrust into the presidential campaign, with both sides blaming the other for taking out the season in the Midwest. A true political football. Teddy Greenstein with the Chicago Tribune joins Ralph D. Russo to talk about how the Big Ten got into this mess and how it is trying to dig itself out.
The AP Preseason Top 25 has been released and it’s weird. The AP instructed voters to consider all teams for the preseason poll. Even the ones in the Big Ten, Pac-12 and other conferences that have postponed their football seasons because of the pandemic. Those teams will go away when games start, but for now the poll gives a glimpse at what could have been and what still remains. Matt Brown of The Athletic, an AP poll voter, joins Ralph Russo to talk about how he went about voting and how he intends to handle voting the rest of what figures to be a strange and unpredictable season. Or seasons.
Is the gap closing between Oklahoma and the rest of the Big 12? Which teams could be the wild cards in a league that typically produces at least one surprising contender? How good can Oklahoma State be after a rocky offseason? And where is Texas after an offseason overhaul? Max Olson of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview one of the three Power Five conferences still planning to play football in the fall.
On a grim day for college football, the Big Ten and Pac-12 decided to cancel their fall football seasons and attempt to play in the spring. Neither conference felt it was best to move forward with the pandemic still running hot around the country, especially in Pac-12 territory. ESPN’s Rece Davis joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the depressing news, and how the pandemic has exposed the fractures and weaknesses of college football. The Big Ten has seemed unsteady in the crisis while the Pac-12, often ridiculed, has appeared more unified with a cohesive message. Why are the SEC, ACC and Big 12 still marching forward and is playing two football seasons in a calendar year, one spring and one fall, doable?
We have schedules. That’s a big step toward having a season. Whether college football gets there is still up in the air, but we have schedules and games set to be played so it’s time to start to preview the season _ and hoping for the best.The Atlantic Coast Conference and Pac-12 are up first. Jon Wilner from the San Jose Mercury News joins AP’s Ralph Russo to take a look at the Pac-12. There is uncertainty just about everywhere, from Oregon to Utah. David Hale from ESPN takes on the ACC, where Notre Dame is now a member and the race is really for No. 2 behind Clemson.
Conferences are working to revise their college football schedules to accommodate potential disruptions from COVID-19. But there has been more planning than actual decisions being made as college sports leaders play a waiting game. Brett McMurphy of Stadium joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss where each conference stands, whether Notre Dame will play in the ACC and who will finally make the call on whether college football is played. Plus: if there is a season, will there be a postseason with dozens of bowl games?
Colleges are spending millions of dollars and countless hours to try to protect their athletes from being infected by COVID-19. And still there might not be a fall football season because the pandemic is raging on across the country. Lucia Mullen, a epidemiologist and analyst with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to explain why _ without a bubble _ the athletic departments can only do so much to determine whether they will be able to play this season. Mullen explains why everything is connected, what is a good way to determine when the virus is “under control,” and when time is ally _ but only if it is well spent.Plus, for the first time on the podcast, Russo answers questions from the Twitter mailbag.
As the pandemic worsens, so do the prospects of a college football season being played in the fall. Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic joins Ralph Russo of AP to discuss an avalanche of bad news throughout college football, numerous warning signs that the season is in peril and how everything is connected. The Big Ten and Pac-12 have already said they will play just conference games _ if they can play at all. We’ll discuss the trickle-down effects of that from the other Power Five leagues to the Group of Five to FCS. The pandemic is winning right now and college sports leaders are sounding the alarms.
Even the successful athletes who compete at the highest levels of their sports have moments when the game seems a little big for them. Those welcome-to-the-big-time moments can either break a player or make that player even better in the long run. Former college football offensive linemen Aaron Taylor of Notre Dame, Cole Cubelic of Auburn and Geoff Schwartz of Oregon join Ralph Russo to talk about the humbling moments that made them better by teaching them that they had to step up their games _ somehow _ to make it in college football.
College football is plowing toward a season in a pandemic. It begs the question: Is this essential and why? Dan Wetzel from Yahoo Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss a bizarre offseason that is setting the stage for a college football season like we have never season before. The pandemic and social unrest is changing the power structure in all aspects of life, including sports. Plus, Mike Gundy, the Confederate flag and how journalism suffers from a lack of diversity. And how those in it can work to recognize the blind spots.
So many good choices but you can only pick 13. AP college football poll voter Matt Brown from The Athletic and AP’s Ralph Russo pour through the dozens of former college football greats on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot. The goal: select a class of 13 players and two coaches to be inducted into the Hall next year. Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer seems like an obvious choice, but what about former Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch? Or Indiana’s sensational dual threat Antwan Randle El? Brown and Russo do their best at an impossible task.
Plans are being made to give college football teams a little extra time in the summer to get ready for the season. What will practices look like during a pandemic? And what types of standards will have to be set when it’s time for teams to start playing one another? Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the latest steps being taken to play a football season while protecting players and coaches from COVID-19. Plus, what’s the significance of a statement? With their players watching and listening, coaches have been forced from their comfort zones to speak out against racial injustice.
The first steps toward having a college football season are being taken on campuses all over the country. Athletes are being allowed to return to their teams’ facilities for voluntary workouts throughout June. That means schools and specifically athletic departments are trying to execute detailed plans for testing, monitoring and educating athletes on how to get some prep work in for the season while staying safe during a pandemic. Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the Bears’ plans to “on-board” football players, starting June 15. It covers a lot of ground and if it doesn’t go well, it could setback efforts to play ball come Labor Day weekend.
The prospects for a college football season that starts on time are looking good. Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the latest positive developments as college football prepares for playing amidst a pandemic. There is still much uncertainty. Plenty of reasons for hope and plenty of reasons to think the 2020 season will be far from normal. Plus, some offseason talk: Myerberg gives at least one team in each Power Five conference that could be a surprise contender this season the way Baylor and Minnesota rose to prominence last season. Also, take away Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, and pick three Heisman Trophy contenders. Remember, nobody thought Joe Burrow was a Heisman candidate going into 2019 and we all saw how that played out.
The scheduled start of the college football season is four months away. With so much uncertainty, how can a fan and a reporter sift through all the noise and speculation to find relevant information and insight? It’s difficult. Max Olson, national college football writer from The Athletic, join AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about trying to make sense of it all. And they talk football. TCU has signed a five-star tailback who had some trouble in his senior year. Rutgers landed a quarterback transfer from Nebraska. Tennessee is cleaning up in recruiting. Jim Harbaugh has some big ideas.
The 1984 Orange Bowl was maybe the greatest college football game ever played. No. 1 Nebraska came in undefeated and trying to stamp itself as one the best teams of all time, but Miami pulled the upset in a thriller that launched the Hurricanes dynasty. AP’s Ralph Russo is joined by three guests to talk about what led up to that memorable night in South Florida and its aftermath. Former Miami Herald sportswriter Jim Martz provides the Hurricanes' side of the story. Former Omaha World-Herald sports writer Lee Barfknecht gives the Huskers' perspective. And ESPN’s Ivan Maisel provides some context to a game that signaled a shift in the balance of power in college football for years to come.
The first night of the NFL draft went really well for the college football recruiting analysts. Most of the players selected in the first round were either four- or five-star recruits. Bud Elliott, recruiting analyst for 247 Sports, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about how the inexact science of evaluating high school football players is improving. Plus, Miami continues to have a good number of players drafted and its recruiting rankings are pretty consistently better than the rest of their ACC Coastal Division rivals. Then why hasn’t the U. been able to turn that talent into consistent success on the field? Also, how will the extra-long recruiting dead period because of the coronavirus outbreak affect teams and players?
Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet, UCLA running back Josh Kelley and Ole Miss defensive back Myles Hartsfield join AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi to discuss the NFL draft and how they've handled an unusual pre-draft process with virtual pro days and video visits with teams. Super agent Leigh Steinberg also joins the show to chat about one of his clients, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted draft prospects.
The NFL Draft is approaching and Dane Brugler of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to break down the prospects. Who is rising? Who is falling? Where will Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa land? How about Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert? Will a half dozen receivers be selected in the first round? Will any running back go on the first day? Then new Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin joins the show. He talks about recruiting Tagovailoa and his time at Florida Atlantic. What drew him to Ole Miss and his unusual path back to being an SEC head coach.
Stanford football coach David Shaw makes his yearly offseason appearance on the podcast to discuss a wide range of issues in college football, starting with how he is managing his team through the pandemic. Shaw, who is also the chairman of the NCAA rules committee, talks about why it was time to crackdown on coaches instructing defensive players to fake injuries to slow down fast-paced offenses. The longtime Cardinal coach gives his views on the push for more lenient NCAA transfer rules and opening up opportunities for athletes to make money off their names, images and likenesses. Plus, why he is hopeful the worst season of his head coaching career can be a springboard for Stanford to return to its winning ways.
Las Vegas has weighed in with its win total projections of the 2020 college football season. Every FBS team from Alabama to UMass. Chris Fallica from ESPN, aka Bear from “College Gameday,” joins AP’s Ralph Russo to share his early picks in every conference. Optimism for Purdue. Pessimism for Kansas. And a good value pick in the SEC championship race. Plus, how Bear helps plot out where GameDay could be headed next season.
This is a special presentation of APs Ground Game: Inside The Outbreak.State and local officials are receiving high marks for how they’ve been handling the coronavirus outbreak, less so for President Donald Trump and the federal government. AP Washington Bureau Chief Julie Pace and Director of Public Opinion Research Emily Swanson explain what this means based on several recent surveys done by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.You can listen and subscribe to all episodes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ap-ground-game-inside-the-outbreak/id1399328854
This is a special presentation of APs Ground Game: Inside The Outbreak.The coronavirus pandemic continues to take a devastating toll on The United Sates economy, with over 6 million Americans filing for unemployment. The disruptions due to coronavirus are causing a ripple effect, trickling into the day-to-day lives of people across the globe. AP National Writer and Director of Digital Innovation, Ted Anthony, has been covering the ripple effect of the virus and breaks it all down for us on this episode of Ground Game.You can listen and subscribe to all episodes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ap-ground-game-inside-the-outbreak/id1399328854
Who are the best college football teams to not win the national championship? USA Today’s Paul Myerberg has some candidates, going back as far as 1940. Paul joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk all-time great teams that came up short on a national title, including heralded squads from Michigan, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Miami. Paul and Ralph agree on who’s No. 1 of the teams that did not finish No. 1 in the modern era of college football. Plus, let’s go back and re-do some of those misguided Heisman Trophy votes.
This is a special presentation of APs Ground Game: Inside The Outbreak.Spain has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus outbreak and the country’s death toll remains comparatively high despite a two-week lockdown. With more than 9,000 COVID-19 deaths documented, officials have been forced to convert hotels into hospitals and ice rinks into morgues. Madrid-based AP reporter Aritz Parra explains what is happening inside Spain’s overburdened medical facilities and funeral homes.You can listen and subscribe to all episodes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ap-ground-game-inside-the-outbreak/id1399328854
This is a special presentation of APs Ground Game: Inside The Outbreak.New York has been hit especially hard in the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 75,000 cases confirmed so far. In New York and elsewhere, health officials are reviewing guidelines from sources including state governments and medical groups on how to fairly ration limited resources as hospitals prepare for a surge in patients. Central to these guidelines will be figuring out who gets a ventilator and who doesn’t. AP reporter Candice Choi explains what this all means.You can listen and subscribe to all episodes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ap-ground-game-inside-the-outbreak/id1399328854
This is a special presentation of APs Ground Game: Inside The Outbreak.In rural towns and already isolated communities across the country, the concerns about the coronavirus outbreak range from outsiders bringing the virus with them from bigger cities to economies that normally rely on tourism grinding to a halt. AP Reporter Gillian Flaccus takes us inside rural Oregon to discuss how the pandemic is playing out there.You can listen and subscribe to all episodes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ap-ground-game-inside-the-outbreak/id1399328854
Eight college football writers. One question: How did you come to love college football? On the latest AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, AP’s Ralph Russo asks that question some of his friends and colleagues who cover the game for a living. Each shares a story of being drawn into the passion and pageantry of college football, though some were smitten later than others and in various ways.Telling their tales are Andy Staples, Stewart Mandel, Bruce Feldman and Nicole Auerbach from The Athletic; Heather Dinich and Adam Rittenberg from ESPN; Pat Forde from Sports Illustrated; and Paul Myerberg from USA Today.
It’s never too early to have a Top 25 for next season. Plenty of those have been circulating since the day after LSU beat Clemson to win the national title. ESPN’s Bill Connelly chimed in with his SP+ preseason projections for 2020 in February. Connelly joins the AP’s Ralph Russo to compare and contrast where the human opinions and his numbers diverge.SP+ is embracing some traditional powers this year like Texas and Nebraska that it was skeptical about last season _ when the humans were hyping up the Longhorns and Cornhuskers. Meanwhile, SP+ sees some regression on the way for several teams _ like both of the state of Iowa’s FBS schools _ that the humans are giving a fair amount of preseason love.
The sports world has been shut down because of the coronavirus outbreak. The AP Top 25 College Football Podcast will try to get you through it. In this week’s episode, host Ralph Russo of the AP goes solo on why he’ll miss March Madness so much. But his is a college football show. And since all of sports content is about to embrace talking about lists, Russo has one to share. The top 25 coaches in college football, right now. You all know who is No. 1. And No. 2. But from No. 3 on, it gets a little tricky. Did Jim Harbaugh make the list? What about Mack Brown? How do you weigh recent success against a coach's entire body of work?
Former NFL official and college coordinator of officials Terry McAulay has made the transition to TV rules expert, but he still keeps a close on officiating at all levels of football.McAulay joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the state of college football officiating and what _ if anything _ can be done to build credibility at a time when fans are so skeptical and critical.McAulay talks targeting, replay reviews and what to do about players faking injuries to slow down the fast-pace offenses.
The most fascinating coaching move of the offseason might involve a man who has never been an on-field college coach. Georgia hired longtime Alabama strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran away from Nick Saban and the Tide and is making him an on-field coach.Max Olson from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to discuss the intriguing news and what it means for everyone involved.Plus, Colorado has a new coach and it is not someone anybody would have expected.Also, Max wrote about how loosening restrictions on transferring college football players might also mean some tweaks are needed to rules about how many scholarships a school can hand out each year. Is it possible for NCAA rules to accommodate more players stepping into the portal and help teams that might lose a plethora of transferring players at once?
It is the middle of February and still a major college football team is trying to hire a head coach. This week on the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss Michigan State’s hiring of Mel Tucker, Colorado’s reaction to Tucker leaving and why schools seem to be overpaying for coaches with limited head coaching experience. Plus, the NCAA moves toward more freedom for transfers and Adam explores what the road back to glory looks like for Nebraska and Southern California.
Tim Nevius is a former Division I baseball player who worked for five years as an NCAA investigator after graduating from law school. Now he works to change college sports by representing athletes and pushing for reforms to NCAA rules regarding things like transfers, and compensation for name, image and likeness. Nevius joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about what he believes are the reasons NCAA rules are often inherently unfair to the athletes. And why changing them won’t mean the end of football Saturdays and March Madness.
The transfer rules could be changing in a big way in college athletics within the next two years. Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reported last week the Big Ten athletic directors are planning to put forth a proposal that would allow all college athletes to transfer once without sitting out a season. That would be a major change in the sports of football and basketball. Dodd joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about how college sports got to a place where an idea once thought to be too radical is now being endorsed by the Big Ten. Also, how can there be more parity in college football? Plus, did anybody who covers college football see this coming from Patrick Mahomes?
Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to their third straight postseason comeback win from a double-deficit to beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl 54, giving Andy Reid his first championship as head coach. AP Pro Football Writers Teresa Walker and Dennis Waszak joined Rob Maaddi to discuss the Big Game.
The 49ers and Chiefs got a break from the media and we moved closer to Super Bowl 54 with a star-studded list of guests on Radio Row.Joe Montana talked about being forced to leave the 49ers and join the Chiefs and offered Tom Brady advice. Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said he's leaning toward playing next season. Saints quarterback Taysom Hill discussed his pending free agency and his desire to be a starting quarterback. Former Texans star receiver Andre Johnson, Raiders rookie Josh Jacobs, former Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy, Katie Couric and Gary Vaynerchuk also joined Rob Maaddi to discuss various topics.
While the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs get ready for Super Bowl 54, Radio Row is filling with athletes, entertainers and anyone who wants to be part of the Big Game hype. Former Giants running back Rashaad Jennings revealed that he and newly retired two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning have a running prank on players still on the team. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott talked about his excitement playing for new coach Mike McCarthy. Super agent Leigh Steinberg updated quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's health status ahead of the draft and much more. Hall of Famers Jerome Bettis and Tim Brown, receiver Allen Robinson, Vikings defensive backs Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes, former running back Ronnie Brown and Martha Stewart also joined Rob Maaddi to discuss various topics.
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs hit the practice field to prepare for Super Bowl 54 while current players, former stars and various entertainers made their way to Radio Row to discuss the Big Game and much more. Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk expressed his frustration with the lack of minorities hired for NFL head coaching vacancies. XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck said his son, Andrew Luck, hasn't given him any indication he wants to return to the NFL. Bears running back Tarik Cohen, Seahawks twins Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin, former Giants standout Victor Cruz, and actors Lilly Singh and Busy Phillips also joined Rob Maaddi to discuss various topics.
Super Bowl kicked off in Miami with a more subdued Media Night Monday that opened with a tribute to Kobe Bryant. The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs have two of their four media sessions out of the way and now can start to focus on practice. Chiefs coach Andy Reid seemed to be enjoying this trip to the Super Bowl far more than his last appearance with the Eagles 15 years ago. Radio Row was jumping with former players, entertainers and other celebrities in town to talk about the Big Game and more. Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings, Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, and former players Solomon Wilcots and Lofa Tatupu joined Rob Maaddi to discuss various topics ranging from the upcoming game to what they're doing off the field.
The college football offseason is here but there is still plenty of news in college sports. This week attention turns to the NCAA convention where the hot topic will be name, image and likeness. The NCAA is trying to come up with an ideal model that would allow athletes to be paid for their fame. But ultimately it might be federal lawmakers who have the most say in what comes next. What if any news could come out of the NCAA convention this week in Southern California?Nicole Auerbach from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about NCAA policy and the news of the week closer to the field.Will there be anyone left at LSU to defend the Tigers’ national championship after a mass exodus of players and key assistant coaches?Miami might have found a transfer quarterback to help turnaround its offense.And where does Justin Fuente stand at Virginia Tech after he talked to Baylor about its job opening?
On the final AP College Football Podcast of the 2019 season, Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg of USA Today join AP’s Ralph Russo to recap LSU’s national championship game victory against Clemson.What is Joe Burrow’s place in college football history after a record-breaking season and remarkable rise to super stardom? How about these Tigers? Is coach Ed Orgeron’s team worthy of a spot among the great in recent college football history? Plus, what to make of Trevor Lawrence’s first taste of adversity at Clemson?Then we spin it ahead to 2020. The top stories, the most interesting teams, players, rivalries and coaches, heading into next season.
The national championship comes down to Tigers vs. Tigers. No. 1 LSU will face No. 3 Clemson in New Orleans for the title. To break down the matchup, Cam Mellor, a college football analyst from Pro Football Focus, joins AP’s Ralph Russo. What is Clemson’s best route defensively to slowing down Joe Burrow and LSU’s prolific passing game? Will Trevor Lawrence need to run as much as he did against Ohio State? In a matchup of great receivers and great cornerbacks on both sides, who has the edge?Plus, a breakdown of Tua Tagovailoa’s draft stock now that we know he’s heading to the NFL.
The last AP Top 25 College Football Podcast of 2019 is with Andy Staples of The Athletic, and the Andy Staples Show podcast. Andy and AP’s Ralph Russo talk officiating and targeting in the wake of the Clemson-Ohio State game in which a few close calls helped swing things the way of the Tigers.Andy gives his solution to change targeting and Ralph rants a little about conspiracy theories and why he tunes out complaints about officiating.Plus, what are Tua Tagovailoa’s options as he considers whether to enter the NFL draft or return to Alabama after a serious hip injury?Why, as Florida’s Dan Mullen said, is it tougher to go from 11 victories to 12 than from four to 11?And will Urban Meyer or Matt Rhule end up in the NFL?
No. 1 LSU and Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow face No. 4 Oklahoma and Heisman runner-up Jalen Hurts in the Peach Bowl. No. 2 Ohio State and its two Heisman finalists, Justin Fields and Chase Young, face defending national champion and No. 3 Clemson, with Trevor Lawrence, in the Fiesta Bowl. The playoff is here and it’s time to break down the matchups in each game with Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network and ESPN.What is Oklahoma’s best strategy for dealing with LSU’s unstoppable offense? Slow the game down? Or go super-aggressive and hope to win a shootout?How will Clemson deal with Young? And can Fields rise the occasion the way we have already seen Lawrence do on the biggest stage?Plus, Cole makes his semifinal and national championship game picks.
The early signing period is here and in just three years it has become THE signing period for college football teams. Most FBS teams will have their classes full before Christmas. Barton Simmons, scouting director for 247 Sports, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to run down what teams are cleaning up and what teams have work to do. Of course, the usual suspects are pulling in most of the five-star prospects. But it looks like an especially good year for Clemson. What’s going on in Texas with the Longhorns and Aggies? What new coaches have a chance to make a big impact in recruiting? And how does USC build toward better results when there is still so much long-term uncertainty surrounding head coach Clay Helton?
The bowl matchups are set. A marathon football feast that lasts from December to early January includes 40 games of varying quality needs an extra-long podcast to preview it all. Matt Brown, college football editor at The Athletic -- and an AP poll voter -- joins Ralph Russo on the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast’s bowl preview show. Brown and Russo hit on every game but the playoffs. (There will be plenty of time for that later.) This week, they give you a nugget on all those other games, starting in the Bahamas with Buffalo and Charlotte. There is a matchup of triple-option versus air raid. There are some struggling ACC teams that got sent to the bowl equivalent of the penalty box. Alabama is playing Michigan _ and all anybody is talking about is who may or may not play.
Championship weekend is upon us, but that’s only a portion of all that is going on in college football this week. The coaching carousel has cranked up and the Heisman race will be settled as well. USA Today national college football writer Paul Myerberg joins AP’s Ralph Russo for an extra long edition of the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast to discuss why coaching searches are set up to fail, the legacy of Chris Petersen and why his surprising resignation was not so surprising. And which job is worst: Arkansas, Missouri or Mississippi?Plus, a rundown of each conference title game, the playoff ramifications and why LSU shouldn’t be a lock to make the CFP without winning the SEC title. Plus, who should be No. 2 behind Joe Burrow in the Heisman voting?
Are rivalries as important as they used to be in college football? With so much focus on the College Football Playoff and the sport's becoming more national, AP’s Ralph Russo worries that it’s taking away from the intensity of regional rivalries. Stephen Godfrey of the Banner Society joins the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast to talk about the state of rivalries and some of his favorite rivalry games. Plus: how perspective has gone out the window for many college football fans.
The College Football Playoff race took a turn when Alabama lost star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a season-ending injury last weekend. How does losing the Heisman contender effect the selection committee’s view of the Crimson Tide? And what was his legacy at Alabama?What are the most complicated scenarios that could play out over the next month? And could a difficult choice for the committee that includes leaving out two well-qualified conference champions be a catalyst to start work on playoff expansion?
There has been a Power Five coach fired each of the last two weeks. To get you ready for college football’s silly season, Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the open jobs, the jobs that might come open and the coaches who could be on the move from South Carolina to Southern California.
There is a lot going on in college football. Willie Taggart is out at Florida State and it seems like a forgone conclusion that Clay Helton will be out at USC soon. Which is a better job and who might fill them? Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the start of the coaching carousel.Plus, It is a huge weekend of games with No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama playing. We’ll preview that and Penn State at Minnesota, another battle of unbeatens.Also, the first College Football Playoff rankings are out. What should you be looking for in in the selection committee’s top 25?
A week before the first College Football Playoff rankings come out, there is a new No. 1 in the AP poll and one of the closest votes ever. Brett McMurphy of Stadium, and an AP poll voter, joins Ralph Russo to talk about how he selects No. 1 and what the playoff selection committee might do next week. Most of the top teams are off this weekend, so the resumes are pretty much locked in between now and then. McMurphy and Russo discuss the Group of Five race for a New Year’s Six bid and why they would rather not see one conference send two teams to the playoff. Plus, can Ohio State defensive end Chase Young win the Heisman? And should schools fire a coach after only two seasons?
Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa is recovering from an ankle injury. Will he be healthy in time for the Crimson Tide’s showdown with No. 2 LSU on November 9? USA Today national college football writer George Schroeder joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the potential impact Tua’s injury could have on the College Football Playoff selection process and the Heisman Trophy race.Also, USA Today’s excellent coaches’ salary database is out. George and Ralph discuss a market that no long seems to be acting rationally.Plus, what does it mean for a team to struggle?
Clemson is down to No. 3 in the latest AP College football poll after starting the season No. 1. The Tigers have been passed by both Alabama and LSU since they had a close call against North Carolina. David Hale of ESPN thinks Clemson has earned the benefit of the doubt similar to what Alabama gets from pollsters. Hale argues the underlying numbers show Clemson’s performance really hasn’t dropped off much at all this year. Plus, trying to make sense of the Atlantic Coast Conference beyond Clemson and why strength of schedule is often poorly used when judging teams. Also, why we should stop judging coaching hires when they are made.
No. 7 Florida at No. 5 LSU. No. 6 Oklahoma against No. 11 Texas. No. 10 Penn State at No. 17 Iowa. USC at Notre Dame. Alabama at Texas A&M. Florida State goes to Clemson.There have been few surprises so far this season and the same six teams have totally dominated the top of the rankings. Maybe that changes this week? Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated joins AP’s Ralph Russo to break down a big weekend in college football.Ross covers college football nationally but he was a beat writer covering LSU for five years previously. He explains why LSU is finally embracing modern offense under Ed Orgeron and the interesting road Joe Burrow took to Baton Rouge. Can Florida be the first team to slow down the flying Tigers?Plus, can Texas's defensive coordinator come up with a plan to slow down Jalen Hurts? Just how good is Penn State? Were the expectations out of whack for Jimbo Fisher’s second season at A&M? Can Clay Helton still save his job at USC? Is Clemson ready to break out?
A new California law is pushing the NCAA toward allowing college athletes to make money off their names, images and likenesses. It is being built up as tipping point for college athletics, a change in the landscape that could finally bring the NCAA down. But in reality, it is just forcing the NCAA to do something it probably should have done a long time ago. Andy Staples from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the consequences, intended and unintended, from Fair Pay to Play and why fans shouldn’t fear this being what ruins college sports. Also, during the first month of the season the gap between Clemson and Alabama and the field seems to have closed. And Andy talked to Gus Malzahn about why the Auburn coach went back to calling plays. The Tigers face Florida in the game of the week in college football.
There is so much more than a Clay Helton hot-watch going on at the University of Southern California these days. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the Trojans. Both were in LA for last week’s game against Utah, which had plenty of side stories with Reggie Bush and Urban Meyer in the Coliseum. Rittenberg and Russo look back at Michigan’s mess, discuss the odd news out of Houston regarding star quarterback D’Eriq King deciding to sit out the rest of this season, and they search for second-tier playoff contenders. Plus, what will it take for Jonathan Taylor to run past a slew of talented quarterbacks and win the Heisman?
Figuring out what to make of early season college football results can be hard. Bill Connolly of ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo to sort through the noise using Bill’s SP+ rankings. The advance metric system looks beyond wins and losses to judge the performance of each team. College football followers are often too quick to dismiss results of any game that doesn’t qualify as a big game. Every team is terrible. Every schedule is soft. Connolly’s system helps quantify the value of each team and game. It allows us to see why it’s significant that Georgia beat Arkansas State 55-0 and why being the 17th ranked team in the country is not so different from being the 37th ranked team in the country. Plus, why Russo might be ready to jump on the UCF bandwagon.
Fox has decided to take on ESPN’s iconic pregame game show “College GameDay” with an hour show leading into its Big Noon game of the week. John Walters, who writes the Bubble Screen column for the Athletic, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss how Fox’s new crew is doing. Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer shows signs of being great on television, but you can tell he’s still trying to get comfortable leaving coach-speak behind. Plus, John talks about some of his favorite analysts, what he’d like to see GameDay do more often and who would be an interesting addition to the crew if and when Lee Corso ever steps away from the set?
The first week of the season was highlighted -- or lowlighted, if you’re a fan of Florida State or Tennessee -- by a couple of embarrassing losses by blue blood programs. Or at least programs that used to be blue bloods. Dan Wolken from USA Today joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss where Jeremy Pruitt and Tennessee and Florida State and Willie Taggart go from here. Chip Kelly’s second year at UCLA also got off to a bad start. We look ahead to LSU-Texas and Texas A&M-Clemson, plus, does it really even matter which conference is best?
The season is about to start, but the race for the Heisman Trophy has already begun. Heisman historian Chris Huston, who edits Heisman.com, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about how Heismans are won. The process has evolved throughout the years from the days of running backs and upperclassmen dominating to now when quarterbacks and underclassmen are all the rage. Heisman campaigns are not quite as important for simple name recognition, but winning a Heisman takes a good story and schools need to help differentiate their stars from others. How much influence does media coverage have on Heisman voting and is there an East Coast bias among voters?
Voting in the AP Top 25 is a mix of art, science and hunch, and it’s especially tricky when it comes to the preseason poll.On the latest AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, ESPN’s Rece Davis joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss filling out a ballot when nobody has played yet.Davis explains how he tries not to make his preseason vote a straight prediction for the season and how that can lead to some rankings that look a little different from the consensus. Rece like Texas A&M more than the consensus and is not quite as high on Florida and Michigan.
Oregon is trying to make the jump to playoff contender in the Pac-12 North, while Washington is breaking in a high-profile transfer quarterback and a bunch of new players on defense. Meanwhile, in the South, what will be the fate of coach Clay Helton at USC? Jon Wilner of the Pac-12 Hotline joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the conference season. While all the drama surrounds USC, Utah has become the one sure bet in the Pac-12 South. The Utes might have a team good enough to win the Pac-12 for the first time. But will that be good enough to get a team in the college football playoff? The Pac-12 could really use a break to its playoff drought.
Oregon is trying to make the jump to playoff contender in the Pac-12 North, while Washington is breaking in a high-profile transfer quarterback and a bunch of new players on defense. Meanwhile, in the South, what will be the fate of coach Clay Helton at USC? Jon Wilner of the Pac-12 Hotline joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview the conference season. While all the drama surrounds USC, Utah has become the one sure bet in the Pac-12 South. The Utes might have a team good enough to win the Pac-12 for the first time. But will that be good enough to get a team in the college football playoff? The Pac-12 could really use a break to its playoff drought.
UCF has been the dominant team outside the Power Five conferences for two seasons. Can the Knights keep it up without McKenzie Milton? Chris Vannini from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview all the Group of Five conferences. UCF is trying to make it three straight American Athletic Conference titles. Boise State out of the Mountain West is looking for a second New Year’s Six appearance. Can Appalachian State break through and challenge for a New Year’s Six bid out of the Sun Belt? Also, Pete Sampson of the Athletic joins the show to preview Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish will try to follow up their first playoff appearance against a schedule that includes road trips to Georgia and Michigan.
UCF has been the dominant team outside the Power Five conferences for two seasons. Can the Knights keep it up without McKenzie Milton? Chris Vannini from The Athletic joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview all the Group of Five conferences. UCF is trying to make it three straight American Athletic Conference titles. Boise State out of the Mountain West is looking for a second New Year's Six appearance. Can Appalachian State break through and challenge for a New Year's Six bid out of the Sun Belt? Also, Pete Sampson of the Athletic joins the show to preview Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish will try to follow up their first playoff appearance against a schedule that includes road trips to Georgia and Michigan.
Oklahoma is trying to make it five straight Big 12 titles. Can the Sooners continue their reign with another transfer quarterback? Max Olson from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the Big 12 and the contenders to unseat Oklahoma. It starts with Texas, but Iowa State could be primed for another step forward under Matt Campbell _ which will lead to even more speculation about Campbell being lured away by another school or the NFL. Veteran coaches Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State and TCU’s Gary Patterson are looking for bounce-back seasons from their programs. And four new coaches enter the league, including Les Miles at Kansas.
Oklahoma is trying to make it five straight Big 12 titles. Can the Sooners continue their reign with another transfer quarterback? Max Olson from The Athletic joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview the Big 12 and the contenders to unseat Oklahoma. It starts with Texas, but Iowa State could be primed for another step forward under Matt Campbell _ which will lead to even more speculation about Campbell being lured away by another school or the NFL. Veteran coaches Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State and TCU's Gary Patterson are looking for bounce-back seasons from their programs. And four new coaches enter the league, including Les Miles at Kansas.
The Big Ten might be the most intriguing conference in the country this season. The four superpowers in the East Division all enter with different levels of uncertainty, either with new quarterbacks or new offensive coordinators. In the West Division, a case could be made for any of six teams to reach the championship game in Indianapolis. Nebraska is considered the favorite coming off a 4-8 season. Dave Revsine of Big Ten Network joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the conference. Is this finally the season Michigan and Jim Harbaugh break through and win the East? Has the rest of the West caught up to Wisconsin?
The Big Ten might be the most intriguing conference in the country this season. The four superpowers in the East Division all enter with different levels of uncertainty, either with new quarterbacks or new offensive coordinators. In the West Division, a case could be made for any of six teams to reach the championship game in Indianapolis. Nebraska is considered the favorite coming off a 4-8 season. Dave Revsine of Big Ten Network joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview the conference. Is this finally the season Michigan and Jim Harbaugh break through and win the East? Has the rest of the West caught up to Wisconsin?
Georgia and Alabama appear to be heading toward another high-stakes matchup in the Southeastern Conference. Can any of the other SEC teams stand in the way of the league’s two superpowers meeting again? Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports and SiriusXM joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the SEC from top to bottom. Why Tennessee is trending up while Kentucky is likely going in the other direction. Why Texas A&M might be Alabama’s biggest challenger in the SEC West, not LSU.
Georgia and Alabama appear to be heading toward another high-stakes matchup in the Southeastern Conference. Can any of the other SEC teams stand in the way of the league's two superpowers meeting again? Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports and SiriusXM joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview the SEC from top to bottom. Why Tennessee is trending up while Kentucky is likely going in the other direction. Why Texas A&M might be Alabama's biggest challenger in the SEC West, not LSU.
The college football season is less than two months away and it’s time to start previewing the Power Five conferences. We start with the Atlantic Coast Conference. David Hale of ESPN joins the AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the unpredictable ACC Coastal, where Miami might be the default favorite. What new coaches in the conference face the toughest tasks, but who is most likely to have long-term success? How will Florida State bounce back? And David has a creative way to tell you just how good Clemson is.
The college football season is less than two months away and it's time to start previewing the Power Five conferences. We start with the Atlantic Coast Conference. David Hale of ESPN joins the AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the unpredictable ACC Coastal, where Miami might be the default favorite. What new coaches in the conference face the toughest tasks, but who is most likely to have long-term success? How will Florida State bounce back? And David has a creative way to tell you just how good Clemson is.
Former Notre Dame offensive linemen and current CBS analyst Aaron Taylor joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about his favorite subject: blocking. Taylor breaks down how Florida State might be able to fix its problems up front, how Oklahoma will replace four players who were selected in April’s draft and why Georgia could be the favorite for this year’s Joe Moore Award, which goes to the best offensive line in the country. Who are some of the best offensive line coaches in the country? Plus, Taylor gives his assessment on the state of Notre Dame under Brian Kelly, whether anybody can catch up to Clemson and Alabama this season and what it will be like for Ryan Day to replace Urban Meyer at Ohio State.
Former Notre Dame offensive linemen and current CBS analyst Aaron Taylor joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about his favorite subject: blocking. Taylor breaks down how Florida State might be able to fix its problems up front, how Oklahoma will replace four players who were selected in April's draft and why Georgia could be the favorite for this year's Joe Moore Award, which goes to the best offensive line in the country. Who are some of the best offensive line coaches in the country? Plus, Taylor gives his assessment on the state of Notre Dame under Brian Kelly, whether anybody can catch up to Clemson and Alabama this season and what it will be like for Ryan Day to replace Urban Meyer at Ohio State.
Former Notre Dame offensive linemen and current CBS analyst Aaron Taylor joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about his favorite subject: blocking. Taylor breaks down how Florida State might be able to fix its problems up front, how Oklahoma will replace four players who were selected in April's draft and why Georgia could be the favorite for this year's Joe Moore Award, which goes to the best offensive line in the country. Who are some of the best offensive line coaches in the country? Plus, Taylor gives his assessment on the state of Notre Dame under Brian Kelly, whether anybody can catch up to Clemson and Alabama this season and what it will be like for Ryan Day to replace Urban Meyer at Ohio State.
Former Notre Dame offensive linemen and current CBS analyst Aaron Taylor joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about his favorite subject: blocking. Taylor breaks down how Florida State might be able to fix its problems up front, how Oklahoma will replace four players who were selected in April's draft and why Georgia could be the favorite for this year's Joe Moore Award, which goes to the best offensive line in the country. Who are some of the best offensive line coaches in the country? Plus, Taylor gives his assessment on the state of Notre Dame under Brian Kelly, whether anybody can catch up to Clemson and Alabama this season and what it will be like for Ryan Day to replace Urban Meyer at Ohio State.
Former Notre Dame offensive linemen and current CBS analyst Aaron Taylor joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about his favorite subject: blocking. Taylor breaks down how Florida State might be able to fix its problems up front, how Oklahoma will replace four players who were selected in April's draft and why Georgia could be the favorite for this year's Joe Moore Award, which goes to the best offensive line in the country. Who are some of the best offensive line coaches in the country? Plus, Taylor gives his assessment on the state of Notre Dame under Brian Kelly, whether anybody can catch up to Clemson and Alabama this season and what it will be like for Ryan Day to replace Urban Meyer at Ohio State.
Are great college football players born or made? AP college football writer Ralph Russo and Barton Simmons, recruiting director at 247 Sports, dive into the debate over how much football programs mold their players into NFL-ready stars, and how much talent rises, regardless of coaching.
Are great college football players born or made? AP college football writer Ralph Russo and Barton Simmons, recruiting director at 247 Sports, dive into the debate over how much football programs mold their players into NFL-ready stars, and how much talent rises, regardless of coaching.
Are great college football players born or made? AP college football writer Ralph Russo and Barton Simmons, recruiting director at 247 Sports, dive into the debate over how much football programs mold their players into NFL-ready stars, and how much talent rises, regardless of coaching.
Are great college football players born or made? AP college football writer Ralph Russo and Barton Simmons, recruiting director at 247 Sports, dive into the debate over how much football programs mold their players into NFL-ready stars, and how much talent rises, regardless of coaching.
Are great college football players born or made? AP college football writer Ralph Russo and Barton Simmons, recruiting director at 247 Sports, dive into the debate over how much football programs mold their players into NFL-ready stars, and how much talent rises, regardless of coaching.
Florida State coach Willie Taggart sits down for an interview with AP’s Ralph Russo. Taggart talks about rebuilding a broken program at Florida State the way he did at previous stops. And why he believes the Seminoles are on track for a turnaround.
Florida State coach Willie Taggart sits down for an interview with AP's Ralph Russo. Taggart talks about rebuilding a broken program at Florida State the way he did at previous stops. And why he believes the Seminoles are on track for a turnaround.
Florida State coach Willie Taggart sits down for an interview with AP's Ralph Russo. Taggart talks about rebuilding a broken program at Florida State the way he did at previous stops. And why he believes the Seminoles are on track for a turnaround.
Florida State coach Willie Taggart sits down for an interview with AP's Ralph Russo. Taggart talks about rebuilding a broken program at Florida State the way he did at previous stops. And why he believes the Seminoles are on track for a turnaround.
Florida State coach Willie Taggart sits down for an interview with AP's Ralph Russo. Taggart talks about rebuilding a broken program at Florida State the way he did at previous stops. And why he believes the Seminoles are on track for a turnaround.
UConn is heading back to the Big East, leaving the American Athletic Conference in a move made to prioritize basketball over football. The Huskies are likely heading for football independence. Neill Ostrout, longtime UConn beat writer from the Journal Inquirer of Manchester, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss how UConn got to where it is and the ramifications of the move. Huskies football has been run into a ditch, but more damaging to the school is it seems the conference and its failures in football were also hurting a men’s basketball program that has won four national titles. UConn will try to recapture its old hoops glory by aligning itself with some familiar rivals.
UConn is heading back to the Big East, leaving the American Athletic Conference in a move made to prioritize basketball over football. The Huskies are likely heading for football independence. Neill Ostrout, longtime UConn beat writer from the Journal Inquirer of Manchester, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss how UConn got to where it is and the ramifications of the move. Huskies football has been run into a ditch, but more damaging to the school is it seems the conference and its failures in football were also hurting a men's basketball program that has won four national titles. UConn will try to recapture its old hoops glory by aligning itself with some familiar rivals.
UConn is heading back to the Big East, leaving the American Athletic Conference in a move made to prioritize basketball over football. The Huskies are likely heading for football independence. Neill Ostrout, longtime UConn beat writer from the Journal Inquirer of Manchester, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss how UConn got to where it is and the ramifications of the move. Huskies football has been run into a ditch, but more damaging to the school is it seems the conference and its failures in football were also hurting a men's basketball program that has won four national titles. UConn will try to recapture its old hoops glory by aligning itself with some familiar rivals.
UConn is heading back to the Big East, leaving the American Athletic Conference in a move made to prioritize basketball over football. The Huskies are likely heading for football independence. Neill Ostrout, longtime UConn beat writer from the Journal Inquirer of Manchester, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss how UConn got to where it is and the ramifications of the move. Huskies football has been run into a ditch, but more damaging to the school is it seems the conference and its failures in football were also hurting a men's basketball program that has won four national titles. UConn will try to recapture its old hoops glory by aligning itself with some familiar rivals.
UConn is heading back to the Big East, leaving the American Athletic Conference in a move made to prioritize basketball over football. The Huskies are likely heading for football independence. Neill Ostrout, longtime UConn beat writer from the Journal Inquirer of Manchester, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss how UConn got to where it is and the ramifications of the move. Huskies football has been run into a ditch, but more damaging to the school is it seems the conference and its failures in football were also hurting a men's basketball program that has won four national titles. UConn will try to recapture its old hoops glory by aligning itself with some familiar rivals.
Almost every college football conversation eventually devolves into someone exclaiming: “Y’all ain’t played nobody,” or something similar. Steven Godfrey, the national college football writer from SB Nation and host of “Podcast Ain’t Played Nobody” joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss why too much energy is spent on strength of schedule discussions _ and why it’s probably not ever going to change. Plus, what would happen if Alabama and Clemson had played 10 times last year, and why it doesn’t matter. Also, the importance of making college football a national sport. And is Georgia winning a national title inevitable?
Almost every college football conversation eventually devolves into someone exclaiming: "Y'all ain't played nobody," or something similar. Steven Godfrey, the national college football writer from SB Nation and host of "Podcast Ain't Played Nobody" joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss why too much energy is spent on strength of schedule discussions _ and why it's probably not ever going to change. Plus, what would happen if Alabama and Clemson had played 10 times last year, and why it doesn't matter. Also, the importance of making college football a national sport. And is Georgia winning a national title inevitable?
Almost every college football conversation eventually devolves into someone exclaiming: "Y'all ain't played nobody," or something similar. Steven Godfrey, the national college football writer from SB Nation and host of "Podcast Ain't Played Nobody" joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss why too much energy is spent on strength of schedule discussions _ and why it's probably not ever going to change. Plus, what would happen if Alabama and Clemson had played 10 times last year, and why it doesn't matter. Also, the importance of making college football a national sport. And is Georgia winning a national title inevitable?
Almost every college football conversation eventually devolves into someone exclaiming: "Y'all ain't played nobody," or something similar. Steven Godfrey, the national college football writer from SB Nation and host of "Podcast Ain't Played Nobody" joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss why too much energy is spent on strength of schedule discussions _ and why it's probably not ever going to change. Plus, what would happen if Alabama and Clemson had played 10 times last year, and why it doesn't matter. Also, the importance of making college football a national sport. And is Georgia winning a national title inevitable?
Almost every college football conversation eventually devolves into someone exclaiming: "Y'all ain't played nobody," or something similar. Steven Godfrey, the national college football writer from SB Nation and host of "Podcast Ain't Played Nobody" joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss why too much energy is spent on strength of schedule discussions _ and why it's probably not ever going to change. Plus, what would happen if Alabama and Clemson had played 10 times last year, and why it doesn't matter. Also, the importance of making college football a national sport. And is Georgia winning a national title inevitable?
The latest College Football Hall of Fame ballot of 76 major-college candidates is out and it’s impossible to whittle down the list for the class of 2020. It includes Heisman Trophy winners Eric Crouch and Carson Palmer, Miami stars Jerome Brown and Ray Lewis and dozens of other former stars who would be hall of fame worthy. AP Top 25 voter Matt Brown of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo take on the task and putting together next year’s class of hall of famers. They also discuss why Eric Dickerson has yet to be inducted. Plus, a quick look at The Athletic’s 150 years of college football series.
The latest College Football Hall of Fame ballot of 76 major-college candidates is out and it's impossible to whittle down the list for the class of 2020. It includes Heisman Trophy winners Eric Crouch and Carson Palmer, Miami stars Jerome Brown and Ray Lewis and dozens of other former stars who would be hall of fame worthy. AP Top 25 voter Matt Brown of The Athletic joins AP's Ralph Russo take on the task and putting together next year's class of hall of famers. They also discuss why Eric Dickerson has yet to be inducted. Plus, a quick look at The Athletic's 150 years of college football series.
The latest College Football Hall of Fame ballot of 76 major-college candidates is out and it's impossible to whittle down the list for the class of 2020. It includes Heisman Trophy winners Eric Crouch and Carson Palmer, Miami stars Jerome Brown and Ray Lewis and dozens of other former stars who would be hall of fame worthy. AP Top 25 voter Matt Brown of The Athletic joins AP's Ralph Russo take on the task and putting together next year's class of hall of famers. They also discuss why Eric Dickerson has yet to be inducted. Plus, a quick look at The Athletic's 150 years of college football series.
The latest College Football Hall of Fame ballot of 76 major-college candidates is out and it's impossible to whittle down the list for the class of 2020. It includes Heisman Trophy winners Eric Crouch and Carson Palmer, Miami stars Jerome Brown and Ray Lewis and dozens of other former stars who would be hall of fame worthy. AP Top 25 voter Matt Brown of The Athletic joins AP's Ralph Russo take on the task and putting together next year's class of hall of famers. They also discuss why Eric Dickerson has yet to be inducted. Plus, a quick look at The Athletic's 150 years of college football series.
The latest College Football Hall of Fame ballot of 76 major-college candidates is out and it's impossible to whittle down the list for the class of 2020. It includes Heisman Trophy winners Eric Crouch and Carson Palmer, Miami stars Jerome Brown and Ray Lewis and dozens of other former stars who would be hall of fame worthy. AP Top 25 voter Matt Brown of The Athletic joins AP's Ralph Russo take on the task and putting together next year's class of hall of famers. They also discuss why Eric Dickerson has yet to be inducted. Plus, a quick look at The Athletic's 150 years of college football series.
Former Baylor coach Art Briles, fired amid a scandal at the school three years ago, has landed a job at a mid-sized East Texas High School. The news surprised many who assumed the results of an investigation into the improper handling of sexual assault allegations at Baylor would tarnish Briles beyond repair.Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News joins AP’s Ralph Russo to try to explain why the Mount Vernon Independent School District hired Briles and if leadership there can ride out the criticism.Plus, Carlton gives an update from the uncharacteristically quiet Big 12 meetings, the latest on the comings and goings of Bru McCoy at Texas and who is No. 3 in the Big 12.
Former Baylor coach Art Briles, fired amid a scandal at the school three years ago, has landed a job at a mid-sized East Texas High School. The news surprised many who assumed the results of an investigation into the improper handling of sexual assault allegations at Baylor would tarnish Briles beyond repair.Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News joins AP's Ralph Russo to try to explain why the Mount Vernon Independent School District hired Briles and if leadership there can ride out the criticism.Plus, Carlton gives an update from the uncharacteristically quiet Big 12 meetings, the latest on the comings and goings of Bru McCoy at Texas and who is No. 3 in the Big 12.
Former Baylor coach Art Briles, fired amid a scandal at the school three years ago, has landed a job at a mid-sized East Texas High School. The news surprised many who assumed the results of an investigation into the improper handling of sexual assault allegations at Baylor would tarnish Briles beyond repair.Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News joins AP's Ralph Russo to try to explain why the Mount Vernon Independent School District hired Briles and if leadership there can ride out the criticism.Plus, Carlton gives an update from the uncharacteristically quiet Big 12 meetings, the latest on the comings and goings of Bru McCoy at Texas and who is No. 3 in the Big 12.
Former Baylor coach Art Briles, fired amid a scandal at the school three years ago, has landed a job at a mid-sized East Texas High School. The news surprised many who assumed the results of an investigation into the improper handling of sexual assault allegations at Baylor would tarnish Briles beyond repair.Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News joins AP's Ralph Russo to try to explain why the Mount Vernon Independent School District hired Briles and if leadership there can ride out the criticism.Plus, Carlton gives an update from the uncharacteristically quiet Big 12 meetings, the latest on the comings and goings of Bru McCoy at Texas and who is No. 3 in the Big 12.
Former Baylor coach Art Briles, fired amid a scandal at the school three years ago, has landed a job at a mid-sized East Texas High School. The news surprised many who assumed the results of an investigation into the improper handling of sexual assault allegations at Baylor would tarnish Briles beyond repair.Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News joins AP's Ralph Russo to try to explain why the Mount Vernon Independent School District hired Briles and if leadership there can ride out the criticism.Plus, Carlton gives an update from the uncharacteristically quiet Big 12 meetings, the latest on the comings and goings of Bru McCoy at Texas and who is No. 3 in the Big 12.
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald led the Wildcats to a Big Ten West championship last season and a bowl victory against Utah. This season he replaces a four-year starting quarterback with a former five-star recruit and Clemson transfer as Northwestern tries to maintain a remarkable level of success and consistency.Fitzgerald joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk transfer rules, compensating players and how he handles it when NFL teams come calling.
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald led the Wildcats to a Big Ten West championship last season and a bowl victory against Utah. This season he replaces a four-year starting quarterback with a former five-star recruit and Clemson transfer as Northwestern tries to maintain a remarkable level of success and consistency.Fitzgerald joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk transfer rules, compensating players and how he handles it when NFL teams come calling.
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald led the Wildcats to a Big Ten West championship last season and a bowl victory against Utah. This season he replaces a four-year starting quarterback with a former five-star recruit and Clemson transfer as Northwestern tries to maintain a remarkable level of success and consistency.Fitzgerald joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk transfer rules, compensating players and how he handles it when NFL teams come calling.
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald led the Wildcats to a Big Ten West championship last season and a bowl victory against Utah. This season he replaces a four-year starting quarterback with a former five-star recruit and Clemson transfer as Northwestern tries to maintain a remarkable level of success and consistency.Fitzgerald joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk transfer rules, compensating players and how he handles it when NFL teams come calling.
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald led the Wildcats to a Big Ten West championship last season and a bowl victory against Utah. This season he replaces a four-year starting quarterback with a former five-star recruit and Clemson transfer as Northwestern tries to maintain a remarkable level of success and consistency.Fitzgerald joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk transfer rules, compensating players and how he handles it when NFL teams come calling.
Two things are safe to say about the future of the College Football Playoff: Someday it will expand to include more than four teams. That expansion is unlikely to happen soon.ESPN playoff reporter Heather Dinich joins AP’s Ralph Russo this week for an all playoff talk edition of the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast. They discuss why we are not on a fast track to expansion and what hurdles need to be cleared to get there. And what would be the best expand playoff formats and what would have to change to improve the way college football crowns a national champion.
Two things are safe to say about the future of the College Football Playoff: Someday it will expand to include more than four teams. That expansion is unlikely to happen soon.ESPN playoff reporter Heather Dinich joins AP's Ralph Russo this week for an all playoff talk edition of the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast. They discuss why we are not on a fast track to expansion and what hurdles need to be cleared to get there. And what would be the best expand playoff formats and what would have to change to improve the way college football crowns a national champion.
Two things are safe to say about the future of the College Football Playoff: Someday it will expand to include more than four teams. That expansion is unlikely to happen soon.ESPN playoff reporter Heather Dinich joins AP's Ralph Russo this week for an all playoff talk edition of the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast. They discuss why we are not on a fast track to expansion and what hurdles need to be cleared to get there. And what would be the best expand playoff formats and what would have to change to improve the way college football crowns a national champion.
Two things are safe to say about the future of the College Football Playoff: Someday it will expand to include more than four teams. That expansion is unlikely to happen soon.ESPN playoff reporter Heather Dinich joins AP's Ralph Russo this week for an all playoff talk edition of the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast. They discuss why we are not on a fast track to expansion and what hurdles need to be cleared to get there. And what would be the best expand playoff formats and what would have to change to improve the way college football crowns a national champion.
Two things are safe to say about the future of the College Football Playoff: Someday it will expand to include more than four teams. That expansion is unlikely to happen soon.ESPN playoff reporter Heather Dinich joins AP's Ralph Russo this week for an all playoff talk edition of the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast. They discuss why we are not on a fast track to expansion and what hurdles need to be cleared to get there. And what would be the best expand playoff formats and what would have to change to improve the way college football crowns a national champion.
There are 27 first-year coaches in FBS this season. Who is most likely to succeed? Who is least likely? AP’s Ralph Russo ranks the new coaches from 1 to 27 based on who is best positioned for long-term success. Recurring guest Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins the show to debate and breakdown Russo’s rankings. Plus, Myerberg has his rankings of the 10 new coaches most likely to have a successful first season. We also spoil Avengers: Endgame in the final minutes. You have been warned.
There are 27 first-year coaches in FBS this season. Who is most likely to succeed? Who is least likely? AP's Ralph Russo ranks the new coaches from 1 to 27 based on who is best positioned for long-term success. Recurring guest Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins the show to debate and breakdown Russo's rankings. Plus, Myerberg has his rankings of the 10 new coaches most likely to have a successful first season. We also spoil Avengers: Endgame in the final minutes. You have been warned.
There are 27 first-year coaches in FBS this season. Who is most likely to succeed? Who is least likely? AP's Ralph Russo ranks the new coaches from 1 to 27 based on who is best positioned for long-term success. Recurring guest Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins the show to debate and breakdown Russo's rankings. Plus, Myerberg has his rankings of the 10 new coaches most likely to have a successful first season. We also spoil Avengers: Endgame in the final minutes. You have been warned.
There are 27 first-year coaches in FBS this season. Who is most likely to succeed? Who is least likely? AP's Ralph Russo ranks the new coaches from 1 to 27 based on who is best positioned for long-term success. Recurring guest Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins the show to debate and breakdown Russo's rankings. Plus, Myerberg has his rankings of the 10 new coaches most likely to have a successful first season. We also spoil Avengers: Endgame in the final minutes. You have been warned.
There are 27 first-year coaches in FBS this season. Who is most likely to succeed? Who is least likely? AP's Ralph Russo ranks the new coaches from 1 to 27 based on who is best positioned for long-term success. Recurring guest Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins the show to debate and breakdown Russo's rankings. Plus, Myerberg has his rankings of the 10 new coaches most likely to have a successful first season. We also spoil Avengers: Endgame in the final minutes. You have been warned.
It's College Football Meeting Time. This week, AP college football writer Ralph Russo sits down with his colleagues Nicole Auerbach and Max Olson of The Athletic while covering the meetings of the top college football conferences. They chew over the stunning selection of Duke's Daniel Jones over Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the NFL draft, and consider the rationale behind and effects of top-dollar contracts for top-level coaches.
It's College Football Meeting Time. This week, AP college football writer Ralph Russo sits down with his colleagues Nicole Auerbach and Max Olson of The Athletic while covering the meetings of the top college football conferences. They chew over the stunning selection of Duke's Daniel Jones over Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the NFL draft, and consider the rationale behind and effects of top-dollar contracts for top-level coaches.
It's College Football Meeting Time. This week, AP college football writer Ralph Russo sits down with his colleagues Nicole Auerbach and Max Olson of The Athletic while covering the meetings of the top college football conferences. They chew over the stunning selection of Duke's Daniel Jones over Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the NFL draft, and consider the rationale behind and effects of top-dollar contracts for top-level coaches.
It's College Football Meeting Time. This week, AP college football writer Ralph Russo sits down with his colleagues Nicole Auerbach and Max Olson of The Athletic while covering the meetings of the top college football conferences. They chew over the stunning selection of Duke's Daniel Jones over Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the NFL draft, and consider the rationale behind and effects of top-dollar contracts for top-level coaches.
It's College Football Meeting Time. This week, AP college football writer Ralph Russo sits down with his colleagues Nicole Auerbach and Max Olson of The Athletic while covering the meetings of the top college football conferences. They chew over the stunning selection of Duke's Daniel Jones over Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the NFL draft, and consider the rationale behind and effects of top-dollar contracts for top-level coaches.
New Miami coach Manny Diaz grew up in south Florida when the Hurricanes were king. Now the son of the former mayor is the 'Canes head coach. He hopes his connection to the program and community can help bring Miami championships again. Diaz joins AP's Ralph Russo for an interview that ranges from his Miami roots to working the transfer portal.
New Miami coach Manny Diaz grew up in south Florida when the Hurricanes were king. Now the son of the former mayor is the 'Canes head coach. He hopes his connection to the program and community can help bring Miami championships again. Diaz joins AP's Ralph Russo for an interview that ranges from his Miami roots to working the transfer portal.
New Miami coach Manny Diaz grew up in south Florida when the Hurricanes were king. Now the son of the former mayor is the 'Canes head coach. He hopes his connection to the program and community can help bring Miami championships again. Diaz joins AP's Ralph Russo for an interview that ranges from his Miami roots to working the transfer portal.
New Miami coach Manny Diaz grew up in south Florida when the Hurricanes were king. Now the son of the former mayor is the 'Canes head coach. He hopes his connection to the program and community can help bring Miami championships again. Diaz joins AP's Ralph Russo for an interview that ranges from his Miami roots to working the transfer portal.
New Miami coach Manny Diaz grew up in south Florida when the Hurricanes were king. Now the son of the former mayor is the 'Canes head coach. He hopes his connection to the program and community can help bring Miami championships again. Diaz joins AP's Ralph Russo for an interview that ranges from his Miami roots to working the transfer portal.
Stepping into a new job is always challenging, but what new coaches have the toughest tasks ahead of them in college football? Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic joins the AP's Ralph D. Russo to talk dirty jobs and heavy liftiong. Nobody seems to have his work cut out for him more than Scott Satterfield at Louisville. Mike Locksley at Maryland is also walking into a tricky situation. Bruce and Ralph also discuss which new coaches at Group of Five schools could be the next rising stars and what first-year starting quarterbacks could be ready to break out the way Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa did last year. Plus a little Tiger Woods talk.
Stepping into a new job is always challenging, but what new coaches have the toughest tasks ahead of them in college football? Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic joins the AP's Ralph D. Russo to talk dirty jobs and heavy liftiong. Nobody seems to have his work cut out for him more than Scott Satterfield at Louisville. Mike Locksley at Maryland is also walking into a tricky situation. Bruce and Ralph also discuss which new coaches at Group of Five schools could be the next rising stars and what first-year starting quarterbacks could be ready to break out the way Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa did last year. Plus a little Tiger Woods talk.
Stepping into a new job is always challenging, but what new coaches have the toughest tasks ahead of them in college football? Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic joins the AP's Ralph D. Russo to talk dirty jobs and heavy liftiong. Nobody seems to have his work cut out for him more than Scott Satterfield at Louisville. Mike Locksley at Maryland is also walking into a tricky situation. Bruce and Ralph also discuss which new coaches at Group of Five schools could be the next rising stars and what first-year starting quarterbacks could be ready to break out the way Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa did last year. Plus a little Tiger Woods talk.
Stepping into a new job is always challenging, but what new coaches have the toughest tasks ahead of them in college football? Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic joins the AP's Ralph D. Russo to talk dirty jobs and heavy liftiong. Nobody seems to have his work cut out for him more than Scott Satterfield at Louisville. Mike Locksley at Maryland is also walking into a tricky situation. Bruce and Ralph also discuss which new coaches at Group of Five schools could be the next rising stars and what first-year starting quarterbacks could be ready to break out the way Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa did last year. Plus a little Tiger Woods talk.
Stepping into a new job is always challenging, but what new coaches have the toughest tasks ahead of them in college football? Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic joins the AP's Ralph D. Russo to talk dirty jobs and heavy liftiong. Nobody seems to have his work cut out for him more than Scott Satterfield at Louisville. Mike Locksley at Maryland is also walking into a tricky situation. Bruce and Ralph also discuss which new coaches at Group of Five schools could be the next rising stars and what first-year starting quarterbacks could be ready to break out the way Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa did last year. Plus a little Tiger Woods talk.
With the college football championships out of the way, it's time to turn back to football. Bill Bender of The Sporting News joins the AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the first look at quarterback Justin Fields, playing for Ryan Day's Ohio State program. Plus is this finally Jim Harbaugh's year to beat the Buckeyes? And which of 2018's surprise teams _ Washington State, Syracuse, Missouri _ can build on their successes, and which will regress? Also, Nick Saban's so-called rant about players leaving early.
With the college football championships out of the way, it's time to turn back to football. Bill Bender of The Sporting News joins the AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the first look at quarterback Justin Fields, playing for Ryan Day's Ohio State program. Plus is this finally Jim Harbaugh's year to beat the Buckeyes? And which of 2018's surprise teams _ Washington State, Syracuse, Missouri _ can build on their successes, and which will regress? Also, Nick Saban's so-called rant about players leaving early.
With the college football championships out of the way, it's time to turn back to football. Bill Bender of The Sporting News joins the AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the first look at quarterback Justin Fields, playing for Ryan Day's Ohio State program. Plus is this finally Jim Harbaugh's year to beat the Buckeyes? And which of 2018's surprise teams _ Washington State, Syracuse, Missouri _ can build on their successes, and which will regress? Also, Nick Saban's so-called rant about players leaving early.
With the college football championships out of the way, it's time to turn back to football. Bill Bender of The Sporting News joins the AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the first look at quarterback Justin Fields, playing for Ryan Day's Ohio State program. Plus is this finally Jim Harbaugh's year to beat the Buckeyes? And which of 2018's surprise teams _ Washington State, Syracuse, Missouri _ can build on their successes, and which will regress? Also, Nick Saban's so-called rant about players leaving early.
With the college football championships out of the way, it's time to turn back to football. Bill Bender of The Sporting News joins the AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the first look at quarterback Justin Fields, playing for Ryan Day's Ohio State program. Plus is this finally Jim Harbaugh's year to beat the Buckeyes? And which of 2018's surprise teams _ Washington State, Syracuse, Missouri _ can build on their successes, and which will regress? Also, Nick Saban's so-called rant about players leaving early.
The second and final signing period begins Feb. 6, but most of the recruiting for this year has already been done. The early signing period in December has become THE signing period. Alabama has already locked up the number one class and about 80 percent of available scholarships have been handed out. Barton Simmons, scouting director of 247 Sports, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview what’s left for teams to do on signing day. Simmons also discusses how the new transfer rules and early signing period are intersecting. Also, he gives a glimpse of the recruiting story lines already developing for 2020.
The second and final signing period begins Feb. 6, but most of the recruiting for this year has already been done. The early signing period in December has become THE signing period. Alabama has already locked up the number one class and about 80 percent of available scholarships have been handed out. Barton Simmons, scouting director of 247 Sports, joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview what's left for teams to do on signing day. Simmons also discusses how the new transfer rules and early signing period are intersecting. Also, he gives a glimpse of the recruiting story lines already developing for 2020.
The second and final signing period begins Feb. 6, but most of the recruiting for this year has already been done. The early signing period in December has become THE signing period. Alabama has already locked up the number one class and about 80 percent of available scholarships have been handed out. Barton Simmons, scouting director of 247 Sports, joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview what's left for teams to do on signing day. Simmons also discusses how the new transfer rules and early signing period are intersecting. Also, he gives a glimpse of the recruiting story lines already developing for 2020.
The second and final signing period begins Feb. 6, but most of the recruiting for this year has already been done. The early signing period in December has become THE signing period. Alabama has already locked up the number one class and about 80 percent of available scholarships have been handed out. Barton Simmons, scouting director of 247 Sports, joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview what's left for teams to do on signing day. Simmons also discusses how the new transfer rules and early signing period are intersecting. Also, he gives a glimpse of the recruiting story lines already developing for 2020.
The second and final signing period begins Feb. 6, but most of the recruiting for this year has already been done. The early signing period in December has become THE signing period. Alabama has already locked up the number one class and about 80 percent of available scholarships have been handed out. Barton Simmons, scouting director of 247 Sports, joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview what's left for teams to do on signing day. Simmons also discusses how the new transfer rules and early signing period are intersecting. Also, he gives a glimpse of the recruiting story lines already developing for 2020.
College Football turns 150 years old in 2019 and ESPN is preparing a yearlong project to commemorate the birthday and tell the story of the sport. Longtime college football writer Ivan Maisel joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the project and the challenges of telling such a wide-ranging story. Maisel is overseeing the television content _ and there will be 35 hours of it _ along with writing stories and producing podcasts. For a college football fan, it figures to be must-see TV, and Ivan is always a must-read writer. He is even teaching a class at Stanford this semester on the history of college football.
College Football turns 150 years old in 2019 and ESPN is preparing a yearlong project to commemorate the birthday and tell the story of the sport. Longtime college football writer Ivan Maisel joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the project and the challenges of telling such a wide-ranging story. Maisel is overseeing the television content _ and there will be 35 hours of it _ along with writing stories and producing podcasts. For a college football fan, it figures to be must-see TV, and Ivan is always a must-read writer. He is even teaching a class at Stanford this semester on the history of college football.
College Football turns 150 years old in 2019 and ESPN is preparing a yearlong project to commemorate the birthday and tell the story of the sport. Longtime college football writer Ivan Maisel joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the project and the challenges of telling such a wide-ranging story. Maisel is overseeing the television content _ and there will be 35 hours of it _ along with writing stories and producing podcasts. For a college football fan, it figures to be must-see TV, and Ivan is always a must-read writer. He is even teaching a class at Stanford this semester on the history of college football.
College Football turns 150 years old in 2019 and ESPN is preparing a yearlong project to commemorate the birthday and tell the story of the sport. Longtime college football writer Ivan Maisel joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the project and the challenges of telling such a wide-ranging story. Maisel is overseeing the television content _ and there will be 35 hours of it _ along with writing stories and producing podcasts. For a college football fan, it figures to be must-see TV, and Ivan is always a must-read writer. He is even teaching a class at Stanford this semester on the history of college football.
College Football turns 150 years old in 2019 and ESPN is preparing a yearlong project to commemorate the birthday and tell the story of the sport. Longtime college football writer Ivan Maisel joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the project and the challenges of telling such a wide-ranging story. Maisel is overseeing the television content _ and there will be 35 hours of it _ along with writing stories and producing podcasts. For a college football fan, it figures to be must-see TV, and Ivan is always a must-read writer. He is even teaching a class at Stanford this semester on the history of college football.
Kyler Murray has declared for the NFL draft. Whether he will give up baseball for professional football is still to be determined, but ESPN’s Tom Luginbill believes Murray has all the skills necessary to be one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming NFL draft. Luginbill joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about Murray, the aftermath of a championship loss by Alabama, the transfer portal and a little recruiting with signing day a few weeks away.
Kyler Murray has declared for the NFL draft. Whether he will give up baseball for professional football is still to be determined, but ESPN's Tom Luginbill believes Murray has all the skills necessary to be one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming NFL draft. Luginbill joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about Murray, the aftermath of a championship loss by Alabama, the transfer portal and a little recruiting with signing day a few weeks away.
Kyler Murray has declared for the NFL draft. Whether he will give up baseball for professional football is still to be determined, but ESPN's Tom Luginbill believes Murray has all the skills necessary to be one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming NFL draft. Luginbill joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about Murray, the aftermath of a championship loss by Alabama, the transfer portal and a little recruiting with signing day a few weeks away.
Kyler Murray has declared for the NFL draft. Whether he will give up baseball for professional football is still to be determined, but ESPN's Tom Luginbill believes Murray has all the skills necessary to be one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming NFL draft. Luginbill joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about Murray, the aftermath of a championship loss by Alabama, the transfer portal and a little recruiting with signing day a few weeks away.
Kyler Murray has declared for the NFL draft. Whether he will give up baseball for professional football is still to be determined, but ESPN's Tom Luginbill believes Murray has all the skills necessary to be one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming NFL draft. Luginbill joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about Murray, the aftermath of a championship loss by Alabama, the transfer portal and a little recruiting with signing day a few weeks away.
The 2018 season is a wrap. Clemson is the champion after a unprecedented beat down of Alabama. The final AP Top 25 college football podcast of the season takes a look at what went right for the Tigers; what went wrong for the Tide; and where college football’s superpowers go from here. The USA Today college sports crew of Dan Wolken, Paul Myerberg and George Schroeder join AP’s Ralph Russo for a roundtable that puts a bow on 2018 and looks toward the story lines for 2019.
The 2018 season is a wrap. Clemson is the champion after a unprecedented beat down of Alabama. The final AP Top 25 college football podcast of the season takes a look at what went right for the Tigers; what went wrong for the Tide; and where college football's superpowers go from here. The USA Today college sports crew of Dan Wolken, Paul Myerberg and George Schroeder join AP's Ralph Russo for a roundtable that puts a bow on 2018 and looks toward the story lines for 2019.
The 2018 season is a wrap. Clemson is the champion after a unprecedented beat down of Alabama. The final AP Top 25 college football podcast of the season takes a look at what went right for the Tigers; what went wrong for the Tide; and where college football's superpowers go from here. The USA Today college sports crew of Dan Wolken, Paul Myerberg and George Schroeder join AP's Ralph Russo for a roundtable that puts a bow on 2018 and looks toward the story lines for 2019.
The 2018 season is a wrap. Clemson is the champion after a unprecedented beat down of Alabama. The final AP Top 25 college football podcast of the season takes a look at what went right for the Tigers; what went wrong for the Tide; and where college football's superpowers go from here. The USA Today college sports crew of Dan Wolken, Paul Myerberg and George Schroeder join AP's Ralph Russo for a roundtable that puts a bow on 2018 and looks toward the story lines for 2019.
The 2018 season is a wrap. Clemson is the champion after a unprecedented beat down of Alabama. The final AP Top 25 college football podcast of the season takes a look at what went right for the Tigers; what went wrong for the Tide; and where college football's superpowers go from here. The USA Today college sports crew of Dan Wolken, Paul Myerberg and George Schroeder join AP's Ralph Russo for a roundtable that puts a bow on 2018 and looks toward the story lines for 2019.
Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network joins AP’s Ralph Russo to break down the College Football Playoff national championship game between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Clemson. Paul Myerberg also joins the show to talk winners and losers from bowl season. It was a good month for the Big 12 and not so great for Jim Harbaugh. Will Urban Meyer coach again? Can Notre Dame do better than Brian Kelly?
Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network joins AP's Ralph Russo to break down the College Football Playoff national championship game between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Clemson. Paul Myerberg also joins the show to talk winners and losers from bowl season. It was a good month for the Big 12 and not so great for Jim Harbaugh. Will Urban Meyer coach again? Can Notre Dame do better than Brian Kelly?
Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network joins AP's Ralph Russo to break down the College Football Playoff national championship game between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Clemson. Paul Myerberg also joins the show to talk winners and losers from bowl season. It was a good month for the Big 12 and not so great for Jim Harbaugh. Will Urban Meyer coach again? Can Notre Dame do better than Brian Kelly?
Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network joins AP's Ralph Russo to break down the College Football Playoff national championship game between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Clemson. Paul Myerberg also joins the show to talk winners and losers from bowl season. It was a good month for the Big 12 and not so great for Jim Harbaugh. Will Urban Meyer coach again? Can Notre Dame do better than Brian Kelly?
Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network joins AP's Ralph Russo to break down the College Football Playoff national championship game between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Clemson. Paul Myerberg also joins the show to talk winners and losers from bowl season. It was a good month for the Big 12 and not so great for Jim Harbaugh. Will Urban Meyer coach again? Can Notre Dame do better than Brian Kelly?
No. 1 Alabama plays No. 4 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and No. 2 Clemson faces No. 3 Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. Steve Palazzolo from Pro Football Focus joins AP’s Ralph Russo to do a deep dive on the semifinals. Does OU have any chance to stop Alabama’s offense? Why playing like a Big 12 team might be Bama’s best strategy. What’s the best way for the Tide to contain Kyler Murray? Can Notre Dame hold up against Clemson’s talented defensive front? Where are the Tigers susceptible on defense and how can the Irish and Ian Book exploit them? Where does Trevor Lawrence rank among recent freshman quarterbacks? Plus, a little NFL draft talk.
No. 1 Alabama plays No. 4 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and No. 2 Clemson faces No. 3 Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. Steve Palazzolo from Pro Football Focus joins AP's Ralph Russo to do a deep dive on the semifinals. Does OU have any chance to stop Alabama's offense? Why playing like a Big 12 team might be Bama's best strategy. What's the best way for the Tide to contain Kyler Murray? Can Notre Dame hold up against Clemson's talented defensive front? Where are the Tigers susceptible on defense and how can the Irish and Ian Book exploit them? Where does Trevor Lawrence rank among recent freshman quarterbacks? Plus, a little NFL draft talk.
No. 1 Alabama plays No. 4 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and No. 2 Clemson faces No. 3 Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. Steve Palazzolo from Pro Football Focus joins AP's Ralph Russo to do a deep dive on the semifinals. Does OU have any chance to stop Alabama's offense? Why playing like a Big 12 team might be Bama's best strategy. What's the best way for the Tide to contain Kyler Murray? Can Notre Dame hold up against Clemson's talented defensive front? Where are the Tigers susceptible on defense and how can the Irish and Ian Book exploit them? Where does Trevor Lawrence rank among recent freshman quarterbacks? Plus, a little NFL draft talk.
No. 1 Alabama plays No. 4 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and No. 2 Clemson faces No. 3 Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. Steve Palazzolo from Pro Football Focus joins AP's Ralph Russo to do a deep dive on the semifinals. Does OU have any chance to stop Alabama's offense? Why playing like a Big 12 team might be Bama's best strategy. What's the best way for the Tide to contain Kyler Murray? Can Notre Dame hold up against Clemson's talented defensive front? Where are the Tigers susceptible on defense and how can the Irish and Ian Book exploit them? Where does Trevor Lawrence rank among recent freshman quarterbacks? Plus, a little NFL draft talk.
No. 1 Alabama plays No. 4 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and No. 2 Clemson faces No. 3 Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. Steve Palazzolo from Pro Football Focus joins AP's Ralph Russo to do a deep dive on the semifinals. Does OU have any chance to stop Alabama's offense? Why playing like a Big 12 team might be Bama's best strategy. What's the best way for the Tide to contain Kyler Murray? Can Notre Dame hold up against Clemson's talented defensive front? Where are the Tigers susceptible on defense and how can the Irish and Ian Book exploit them? Where does Trevor Lawrence rank among recent freshman quarterbacks? Plus, a little NFL draft talk.
The transfer season is about pick up steam as Georgia’s Justin Fields, a former five-star quarterback recruit, seeks to move on _ and maybe play immediately for a new school. USA Today’s Dan Wolken, who broke the news about Fields, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss Fields, transfer rules and waivers and why the NCAA seems to be subtly acquiescing on players sitting out after switching schools. Plus, a grab-bag of December topics from playoff expansion to players skipping bowls to the coaching carousel.
The transfer season is about pick up steam as Georgia's Justin Fields, a former five-star quarterback recruit, seeks to move on _ and maybe play immediately for a new school. USA Today's Dan Wolken, who broke the news about Fields, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss Fields, transfer rules and waivers and why the NCAA seems to be subtly acquiescing on players sitting out after switching schools. Plus, a grab-bag of December topics from playoff expansion to players skipping bowls to the coaching carousel.
The transfer season is about pick up steam as Georgia's Justin Fields, a former five-star quarterback recruit, seeks to move on _ and maybe play immediately for a new school. USA Today's Dan Wolken, who broke the news about Fields, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss Fields, transfer rules and waivers and why the NCAA seems to be subtly acquiescing on players sitting out after switching schools. Plus, a grab-bag of December topics from playoff expansion to players skipping bowls to the coaching carousel.
The transfer season is about pick up steam as Georgia's Justin Fields, a former five-star quarterback recruit, seeks to move on _ and maybe play immediately for a new school. USA Today's Dan Wolken, who broke the news about Fields, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss Fields, transfer rules and waivers and why the NCAA seems to be subtly acquiescing on players sitting out after switching schools. Plus, a grab-bag of December topics from playoff expansion to players skipping bowls to the coaching carousel.
The transfer season is about pick up steam as Georgia's Justin Fields, a former five-star quarterback recruit, seeks to move on _ and maybe play immediately for a new school. USA Today's Dan Wolken, who broke the news about Fields, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss Fields, transfer rules and waivers and why the NCAA seems to be subtly acquiescing on players sitting out after switching schools. Plus, a grab-bag of December topics from playoff expansion to players skipping bowls to the coaching carousel.
The early signing period debuted in college football last year and it quickly became the main signing period. Most prospects signed their national letters of intent and most schools had their classes all but complete in December. With the early signing period beginning on Dec. 19, Mike Farrell, the national recruiting director from Rivals, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to survey the landscape. How have coaches and prospects adjusted to the new date? What teams are set to clean up? What highly touted prospects figure to wrap up their recruitment in December? Which ones will wait until February?
The early signing period debuted in college football last year and it quickly became the main signing period. Most prospects signed their national letters of intent and most schools had their classes all but complete in December. With the early signing period beginning on Dec. 19, Mike Farrell, the national recruiting director from Rivals, joins AP's Ralph Russo to survey the landscape. How have coaches and prospects adjusted to the new date? What teams are set to clean up? What highly touted prospects figure to wrap up their recruitment in December? Which ones will wait until February?
The early signing period debuted in college football last year and it quickly became the main signing period. Most prospects signed their national letters of intent and most schools had their classes all but complete in December. With the early signing period beginning on Dec. 19, Mike Farrell, the national recruiting director from Rivals, joins AP's Ralph Russo to survey the landscape. How have coaches and prospects adjusted to the new date? What teams are set to clean up? What highly touted prospects figure to wrap up their recruitment in December? Which ones will wait until February?
The early signing period debuted in college football last year and it quickly became the main signing period. Most prospects signed their national letters of intent and most schools had their classes all but complete in December. With the early signing period beginning on Dec. 19, Mike Farrell, the national recruiting director from Rivals, joins AP's Ralph Russo to survey the landscape. How have coaches and prospects adjusted to the new date? What teams are set to clean up? What highly touted prospects figure to wrap up their recruitment in December? Which ones will wait until February?
The early signing period debuted in college football last year and it quickly became the main signing period. Most prospects signed their national letters of intent and most schools had their classes all but complete in December. With the early signing period beginning on Dec. 19, Mike Farrell, the national recruiting director from Rivals, joins AP's Ralph Russo to survey the landscape. How have coaches and prospects adjusted to the new date? What teams are set to clean up? What highly touted prospects figure to wrap up their recruitment in December? Which ones will wait until February?
It is bowl season in college football. There will be 39 games played from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1, including the College Football Playoff. AP poll voter Matt Brown from the Athletic join Ralph Russo to preview all the non-playoff games, pick winners and let you know which is the best game on each day of bowl season. From the Boca Raton with Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette to the Sugar Bowl between Texas and Georgia, we hit on them all.
It is bowl season in college football. There will be 39 games played from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1, including the College Football Playoff. AP poll voter Matt Brown from the Athletic join Ralph Russo to preview all the non-playoff games, pick winners and let you know which is the best game on each day of bowl season. From the Boca Raton with Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette to the Sugar Bowl between Texas and Georgia, we hit on them all.
It is bowl season in college football. There will be 39 games played from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1, including the College Football Playoff. AP poll voter Matt Brown from the Athletic join Ralph Russo to preview all the non-playoff games, pick winners and let you know which is the best game on each day of bowl season. From the Boca Raton with Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette to the Sugar Bowl between Texas and Georgia, we hit on them all.
It is bowl season in college football. There will be 39 games played from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1, including the College Football Playoff. AP poll voter Matt Brown from the Athletic join Ralph Russo to preview all the non-playoff games, pick winners and let you know which is the best game on each day of bowl season. From the Boca Raton with Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette to the Sugar Bowl between Texas and Georgia, we hit on them all.
It is bowl season in college football. There will be 39 games played from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1, including the College Football Playoff. AP poll voter Matt Brown from the Athletic join Ralph Russo to preview all the non-playoff games, pick winners and let you know which is the best game on each day of bowl season. From the Boca Raton with Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette to the Sugar Bowl between Texas and Georgia, we hit on them all.
The great debate in college football is Oklahoma or Ohio State? Which school is best positioned to take the fourth College Football Playoff spot heading into championship weekend? Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk Buckeyes, Sooners and playoff scenarios. Also, the coaching carousel is spinning faster and already has a surprise. Mack Brown is back at North Carolina. What should we make of Kansas and North Carolina hiring 60-something coaches?
The great debate in college football is Oklahoma or Ohio State? Which school is best positioned to take the fourth College Football Playoff spot heading into championship weekend? Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk Buckeyes, Sooners and playoff scenarios. Also, the coaching carousel is spinning faster and already has a surprise. Mack Brown is back at North Carolina. What should we make of Kansas and North Carolina hiring 60-something coaches?
The great debate in college football is Oklahoma or Ohio State? Which school is best positioned to take the fourth College Football Playoff spot heading into championship weekend? Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk Buckeyes, Sooners and playoff scenarios. Also, the coaching carousel is spinning faster and already has a surprise. Mack Brown is back at North Carolina. What should we make of Kansas and North Carolina hiring 60-something coaches?
The great debate in college football is Oklahoma or Ohio State? Which school is best positioned to take the fourth College Football Playoff spot heading into championship weekend? Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk Buckeyes, Sooners and playoff scenarios. Also, the coaching carousel is spinning faster and already has a surprise. Mack Brown is back at North Carolina. What should we make of Kansas and North Carolina hiring 60-something coaches?
The great debate in college football is Oklahoma or Ohio State? Which school is best positioned to take the fourth College Football Playoff spot heading into championship weekend? Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk Buckeyes, Sooners and playoff scenarios. Also, the coaching carousel is spinning faster and already has a surprise. Mack Brown is back at North Carolina. What should we make of Kansas and North Carolina hiring 60-something coaches?
The College Football Playoff rankings have been stagnant for a couple weeks. Some shakeups are possible on rivalry weekend, but what results will cause the selection committee the biggest headaches and toughest choices? ESPN’s Heather Dinich, who covers the playoff 24/7, thinks Ohio State beating Michigan could muddle things for the committee. She joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk playoff possibilities and what could lead to expansion.
The College Football Playoff rankings have been stagnant for a couple weeks. Some shakeups are possible on rivalry weekend, but what results will cause the selection committee the biggest headaches and toughest choices? ESPN's Heather Dinich, who covers the playoff 24/7, thinks Ohio State beating Michigan could muddle things for the committee. She joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk playoff possibilities and what could lead to expansion.
The College Football Playoff rankings have been stagnant for a couple weeks. Some shakeups are possible on rivalry weekend, but what results will cause the selection committee the biggest headaches and toughest choices? ESPN's Heather Dinich, who covers the playoff 24/7, thinks Ohio State beating Michigan could muddle things for the committee. She joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk playoff possibilities and what could lead to expansion.
The College Football Playoff rankings have been stagnant for a couple weeks. Some shakeups are possible on rivalry weekend, but what results will cause the selection committee the biggest headaches and toughest choices? ESPN's Heather Dinich, who covers the playoff 24/7, thinks Ohio State beating Michigan could muddle things for the committee. She joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk playoff possibilities and what could lead to expansion.
The College Football Playoff rankings have been stagnant for a couple weeks. Some shakeups are possible on rivalry weekend, but what results will cause the selection committee the biggest headaches and toughest choices? ESPN's Heather Dinich, who covers the playoff 24/7, thinks Ohio State beating Michigan could muddle things for the committee. She joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk playoff possibilities and what could lead to expansion.
No. 11 UCF is getting the big stage this weekend with ESPN’s “College GameDay” visiting the Orlando, Florida, campus and the Knights' game against No. 19 Cincinnati being broadcast nationally in prime time. Matt Murschel, the national college football writer for the Orlando Sentinel, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss UCF’s big day, whether fans will be welcoming of ESPN’s “GameDay” crew and how this Knights team stacks up to last year’s undefeated bunch.Also, a whip around the Sunshine state where Florida State and Miami have tanked, Florida is having a solid start to Dan Mullen’s tenure as coach and the Lane Train has slowed at FAU. Plus, some playoff talk.
No. 11 UCF is getting the big stage this weekend with ESPN's "College GameDay" visiting the Orlando, Florida, campus and the Knights' game against No. 19 Cincinnati being broadcast nationally in prime time. Matt Murschel, the national college football writer for the Orlando Sentinel, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss UCF's big day, whether fans will be welcoming of ESPN's "GameDay" crew and how this Knights team stacks up to last year's undefeated bunch.Also, a whip around the Sunshine state where Florida State and Miami have tanked, Florida is having a solid start to Dan Mullen's tenure as coach and the Lane Train has slowed at FAU. Plus, some playoff talk.
No. 11 UCF is getting the big stage this weekend with ESPN's "College GameDay" visiting the Orlando, Florida, campus and the Knights' game against No. 19 Cincinnati being broadcast nationally in prime time. Matt Murschel, the national college football writer for the Orlando Sentinel, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss UCF's big day, whether fans will be welcoming of ESPN's "GameDay" crew and how this Knights team stacks up to last year's undefeated bunch.Also, a whip around the Sunshine state where Florida State and Miami have tanked, Florida is having a solid start to Dan Mullen's tenure as coach and the Lane Train has slowed at FAU. Plus, some playoff talk.
No. 11 UCF is getting the big stage this weekend with ESPN's "College GameDay" visiting the Orlando, Florida, campus and the Knights' game against No. 19 Cincinnati being broadcast nationally in prime time. Matt Murschel, the national college football writer for the Orlando Sentinel, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss UCF's big day, whether fans will be welcoming of ESPN's "GameDay" crew and how this Knights team stacks up to last year's undefeated bunch.Also, a whip around the Sunshine state where Florida State and Miami have tanked, Florida is having a solid start to Dan Mullen's tenure as coach and the Lane Train has slowed at FAU. Plus, some playoff talk.
No. 11 UCF is getting the big stage this weekend with ESPN's "College GameDay" visiting the Orlando, Florida, campus and the Knights' game against No. 19 Cincinnati being broadcast nationally in prime time. Matt Murschel, the national college football writer for the Orlando Sentinel, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss UCF's big day, whether fans will be welcoming of ESPN's "GameDay" crew and how this Knights team stacks up to last year's undefeated bunch.Also, a whip around the Sunshine state where Florida State and Miami have tanked, Florida is having a solid start to Dan Mullen's tenure as coach and the Lane Train has slowed at FAU. Plus, some playoff talk.
A college football Saturday is the ultimate multi-screen experience. Veteran sports writer John Walters writes a weekly column for the Athletic, capturing the best and worst of the small screen. He joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about ESPN’s “GameDay,” why Twitter goes so well with college football, and who is the voice of the game?Plus, Notre Dame’s playoff hopes and John’s crazy plan for massive conference realignment and playoff expansion.
A college football Saturday is the ultimate multi-screen experience. Veteran sports writer John Walters writes a weekly column for the Athletic, capturing the best and worst of the small screen. He joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about ESPN's "GameDay," why Twitter goes so well with college football, and who is the voice of the game?Plus, Notre Dame's playoff hopes and John's crazy plan for massive conference realignment and playoff expansion.
A college football Saturday is the ultimate multi-screen experience. Veteran sports writer John Walters writes a weekly column for the Athletic, capturing the best and worst of the small screen. He joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about ESPN's "GameDay," why Twitter goes so well with college football, and who is the voice of the game?Plus, Notre Dame's playoff hopes and John's crazy plan for massive conference realignment and playoff expansion.
A college football Saturday is the ultimate multi-screen experience. Veteran sports writer John Walters writes a weekly column for the Athletic, capturing the best and worst of the small screen. He joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about ESPN's "GameDay," why Twitter goes so well with college football, and who is the voice of the game?Plus, Notre Dame's playoff hopes and John's crazy plan for massive conference realignment and playoff expansion.
A college football Saturday is the ultimate multi-screen experience. Veteran sports writer John Walters writes a weekly column for the Athletic, capturing the best and worst of the small screen. He joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about ESPN's "GameDay," why Twitter goes so well with college football, and who is the voice of the game?Plus, Notre Dame's playoff hopes and John's crazy plan for massive conference realignment and playoff expansion.
College football's first playoff rankings of the season come out, on the eve of a weekend that could turn the whole playoff picture upside down. AP college football writer Ralph Russo talks to Dennis Dodd of CBS about who's in and who's out, and how long the whole playoff edifice lasts in its current form. Then Gary Danielson, also of CBS, does a deep dive into the big game of the weekend: Alabama-LSU.
College football's first playoff rankings of the season come out, on the eve of a weekend that could turn the whole playoff picture upside down. AP college football writer Ralph Russo talks to Dennis Dodd of CBS about who's in and who's out, and how long the whole playoff edifice lasts in its current form. Then Gary Danielson, also of CBS, does a deep dive into the big game of the weekend: Alabama-LSU.
College football's first playoff rankings of the season come out, on the eve of a weekend that could turn the whole playoff picture upside down. AP college football writer Ralph Russo talks to Dennis Dodd of CBS about who's in and who's out, and how long the whole playoff edifice lasts in its current form. Then Gary Danielson, also of CBS, does a deep dive into the big game of the weekend: Alabama-LSU.
College football's first playoff rankings of the season come out, on the eve of a weekend that could turn the whole playoff picture upside down. AP college football writer Ralph Russo talks to Dennis Dodd of CBS about who's in and who's out, and how long the whole playoff edifice lasts in its current form. Then Gary Danielson, also of CBS, does a deep dive into the big game of the weekend: Alabama-LSU.
College football's first playoff rankings of the season come out, on the eve of a weekend that could turn the whole playoff picture upside down. AP college football writer Ralph Russo talks to Dennis Dodd of CBS about who's in and who's out, and how long the whole playoff edifice lasts in its current form. Then Gary Danielson, also of CBS, does a deep dive into the big game of the weekend: Alabama-LSU.
As the college football season approaches November, it's time to start assessing which teams could be making a coaching change. Conventional wisdom suggests it could be a slow silly season after so much turnover the last two years. Dan Wolken of USA Today joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss who is on the hot seat. It looks like much of the action could be in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and be determined by who can afford to fire their coach. Plus, what's up with Urban Meyer and Ohio State and where could the College Football Playoff race get weird?
As the college football season approaches November, it's time to start assessing which teams could be making a coaching change. Conventional wisdom suggests it could be a slow silly season after so much turnover the last two years. Dan Wolken of USA Today joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss who is on the hot seat. It looks like much of the action could be in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and be determined by who can afford to fire their coach. Plus, what's up with Urban Meyer and Ohio State and where could the College Football Playoff race get weird?
As the college football season approaches November, it's time to start assessing which teams could be making a coaching change. Conventional wisdom suggests it could be a slow silly season after so much turnover the last two years. Dan Wolken of USA Today joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss who is on the hot seat. It looks like much of the action could be in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and be determined by who can afford to fire their coach. Plus, what's up with Urban Meyer and Ohio State and where could the College Football Playoff race get weird?
As the college football season approaches November, it's time to start assessing which teams could be making a coaching change. Conventional wisdom suggests it could be a slow silly season after so much turnover the last two years. Dan Wolken of USA Today joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss who is on the hot seat. It looks like much of the action could be in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and be determined by who can afford to fire their coach. Plus, what's up with Urban Meyer and Ohio State and where could the College Football Playoff race get weird?
As the college football season approaches November, it's time to start assessing which teams could be making a coaching change. Conventional wisdom suggests it could be a slow silly season after so much turnover the last two years. Dan Wolken of USA Today joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss who is on the hot seat. It looks like much of the action could be in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and be determined by who can afford to fire their coach. Plus, what's up with Urban Meyer and Ohio State and where could the College Football Playoff race get weird?
Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Aaron Taylor, now an analyst with CBS Sports, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about what teams are getting the best play out of their O-lines this season. What are the attributes of a good offensive line and why are the best ones greater than the sum of their parts? Taylor also talks about Notre Dame and whether the Irish can challenge for a playoff spot, LSU's progress -- and whether anybody is capable of taking down Alabama.
Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Aaron Taylor, now an analyst with CBS Sports, joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about what teams are getting the best play out of their O-lines this season. What are the attributes of a good offensive line and why are the best ones greater than the sum of their parts? Taylor also talks about Notre Dame and whether the Irish can challenge for a playoff spot, LSU's progress -- and whether anybody is capable of taking down Alabama.
Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Aaron Taylor, now an analyst with CBS Sports, joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about what teams are getting the best play out of their O-lines this season. What are the attributes of a good offensive line and why are the best ones greater than the sum of their parts? Taylor also talks about Notre Dame and whether the Irish can challenge for a playoff spot, LSU's progress -- and whether anybody is capable of taking down Alabama.
Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Aaron Taylor, now an analyst with CBS Sports, joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about what teams are getting the best play out of their O-lines this season. What are the attributes of a good offensive line and why are the best ones greater than the sum of their parts? Taylor also talks about Notre Dame and whether the Irish can challenge for a playoff spot, LSU's progress -- and whether anybody is capable of taking down Alabama.
Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Aaron Taylor, now an analyst with CBS Sports, joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about what teams are getting the best play out of their O-lines this season. What are the attributes of a good offensive line and why are the best ones greater than the sum of their parts? Taylor also talks about Notre Dame and whether the Irish can challenge for a playoff spot, LSU's progress -- and whether anybody is capable of taking down Alabama.
It lasted only a few seasons, but the USFL had a wild ride as a spring pro football alternative to the NFL, before it was torpedoed by a flamboyant owner who went on to bigger things. AP college football writer Ralph Russo spends this week with Jeff Pearlman, whose new book, Football for a Buck, outlines the short but wild life of a maverick pro football league.
It lasted only a few seasons, but the USFL had a wild ride as a spring pro football alternative to the NFL, before it was torpedoed by a flamboyant owner who went on to bigger things. AP college football writer Ralph Russo spends this week with Jeff Pearlman, whose new book, Football for a Buck, outlines the short but wild life of a maverick pro football league.
It lasted only a few seasons, but the USFL had a wild ride as a spring pro football alternative to the NFL, before it was torpedoed by a flamboyant owner who went on to bigger things. AP college football writer Ralph Russo spends this week with Jeff Pearlman, whose new book, Football for a Buck, outlines the short but wild life of a maverick pro football league.
It lasted only a few seasons, but the USFL had a wild ride as a spring pro football alternative to the NFL, before it was torpedoed by a flamboyant owner who went on to bigger things. AP college football writer Ralph Russo spends this week with Jeff Pearlman, whose new book, Football for a Buck, outlines the short but wild life of a maverick pro football league.
It lasted only a few seasons, but the USFL had a wild ride as a spring pro football alternative to the NFL, before it was torpedoed by a flamboyant owner who went on to bigger things. AP college football writer Ralph Russo spends this week with Jeff Pearlman, whose new book, Football for a Buck, outlines the short but wild life of a maverick pro football league.
For the first time in six years the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma is more than just a referendum on the Longhorns coach. Both teams are ranked and the winner emerges as the Big 12 favorite. USA Today national college football writer George Schroeder will be in Dallas on Saturday and he join AP’s Ralph Russo to preview that game, Notre Dame at Virginia Tech and LSU-Florida. Plus, is the new redshirt rule a problem that needs fixing? And how LSU and Oregon can make October interesting.
For the first time in six years the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma is more than just a referendum on the Longhorns coach. Both teams are ranked and the winner emerges as the Big 12 favorite. USA Today national college football writer George Schroeder will be in Dallas on Saturday and he join AP's Ralph Russo to preview that game, Notre Dame at Virginia Tech and LSU-Florida. Plus, is the new redshirt rule a problem that needs fixing? And how LSU and Oregon can make October interesting.
For the first time in six years the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma is more than just a referendum on the Longhorns coach. Both teams are ranked and the winner emerges as the Big 12 favorite. USA Today national college football writer George Schroeder will be in Dallas on Saturday and he join AP's Ralph Russo to preview that game, Notre Dame at Virginia Tech and LSU-Florida. Plus, is the new redshirt rule a problem that needs fixing? And how LSU and Oregon can make October interesting.
For the first time in six years the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma is more than just a referendum on the Longhorns coach. Both teams are ranked and the winner emerges as the Big 12 favorite. USA Today national college football writer George Schroeder will be in Dallas on Saturday and he join AP's Ralph Russo to preview that game, Notre Dame at Virginia Tech and LSU-Florida. Plus, is the new redshirt rule a problem that needs fixing? And how LSU and Oregon can make October interesting.
For the first time in six years the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma is more than just a referendum on the Longhorns coach. Both teams are ranked and the winner emerges as the Big 12 favorite. USA Today national college football writer George Schroeder will be in Dallas on Saturday and he join AP's Ralph Russo to preview that game, Notre Dame at Virginia Tech and LSU-Florida. Plus, is the new redshirt rule a problem that needs fixing? And how LSU and Oregon can make October interesting.
Joel Klatt from Fox Sports is not a fan of the AP college football poll, though he was once a voter. Klatt joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk discuss why he think the poll is bad for college football. Ralph has a retort, of course. The two delve into confirmation bias and the competence of the voters. And they preview the weekend’s huge games between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 9 Penn State and No. 7 Stanford at No. 8 Notre Dame.
Ever wanted to know how college football writers stay sane on the road during the long season? AP college football writer Ralph Russo visits with Scott Mayerowitz, host of the AP travel podcast Get Outta Here, with some college football-specific travel tips..
Ever wanted to know how college football writers stay sane on the road during the long season? AP college football writer Ralph Russo visits with Scott Mayerowitz, host of the AP travel podcast Get Outta Here, with some college football-specific travel tips..
Joel Klatt from Fox Sports is not a fan of the AP college football poll, though he was once a voter. Klatt joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk discuss why he think the poll is bad for college football. Ralph has a retort, of course. The two delve into confirmation bias and the competence of the voters. And they preview the weekend's huge games between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 9 Penn State and No. 7 Stanford at No. 8 Notre Dame.
Ever wanted to know how college football writers stay sane on the road during the long season? AP college football writer Ralph Russo visits with Scott Mayerowitz, host of the AP travel podcast Get Outta Here, with some college football-specific travel tips..
Joel Klatt from Fox Sports is not a fan of the AP college football poll, though he was once a voter. Klatt joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk discuss why he think the poll is bad for college football. Ralph has a retort, of course. The two delve into confirmation bias and the competence of the voters. And they preview the weekend's huge games between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 9 Penn State and No. 7 Stanford at No. 8 Notre Dame.
Joel Klatt from Fox Sports is not a fan of the AP college football poll, though he was once a voter. Klatt joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk discuss why he think the poll is bad for college football. Ralph has a retort, of course. The two delve into confirmation bias and the competence of the voters. And they preview the weekend's huge games between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 9 Penn State and No. 7 Stanford at No. 8 Notre Dame.
Ever wanted to know how college football writers stay sane on the road during the long season? AP college football writer Ralph Russo visits with Scott Mayerowitz, host of the AP travel podcast Get Outta Here, with some college football-specific travel tips..
Ever wanted to know how college football writers stay sane on the road during the long season? AP college football writer Ralph Russo visits with Scott Mayerowitz, host of the AP travel podcast Get Outta Here, with some college football-specific travel tips..
Joel Klatt from Fox Sports is not a fan of the AP college football poll, though he was once a voter. Klatt joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk discuss why he think the poll is bad for college football. Ralph has a retort, of course. The two delve into confirmation bias and the competence of the voters. And they preview the weekend's huge games between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 9 Penn State and No. 7 Stanford at No. 8 Notre Dame.
The game of the weekend in college football is in the Pac-12, where No. 7 Stanford visits No. 20 Oregon. We’ll preview Cardinal vs. Ducks with Chantel Jennings, national college football writer with The Athletic, and talk about the Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert. The unheralded hometown recruit has a chance to surge into the Heisman Trophy conversation. Plus, what’s wrong at USC and who could emerge as the favorite in a muddled Pac-12 South? And which fans of a team with a new coach should be most disturbed by the poor start. Jennings also wrote about the radio station that played a national title game between Nebraska and Michigan in 1997. Really.
The game of the weekend in college football is in the Pac-12, where No. 7 Stanford visits No. 20 Oregon. We'll preview Cardinal vs. Ducks with Chantel Jennings, national college football writer with The Athletic, and talk about the Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert. The unheralded hometown recruit has a chance to surge into the Heisman Trophy conversation. Plus, what's wrong at USC and who could emerge as the favorite in a muddled Pac-12 South? And which fans of a team with a new coach should be most disturbed by the poor start. Jennings also wrote about the radio station that played a national title game between Nebraska and Michigan in 1997. Really.
The game of the weekend in college football is in the Pac-12, where No. 7 Stanford visits No. 20 Oregon. We'll preview Cardinal vs. Ducks with Chantel Jennings, national college football writer with The Athletic, and talk about the Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert. The unheralded hometown recruit has a chance to surge into the Heisman Trophy conversation. Plus, what's wrong at USC and who could emerge as the favorite in a muddled Pac-12 South? And which fans of a team with a new coach should be most disturbed by the poor start. Jennings also wrote about the radio station that played a national title game between Nebraska and Michigan in 1997. Really.
The game of the weekend in college football is in the Pac-12, where No. 7 Stanford visits No. 20 Oregon. We'll preview Cardinal vs. Ducks with Chantel Jennings, national college football writer with The Athletic, and talk about the Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert. The unheralded hometown recruit has a chance to surge into the Heisman Trophy conversation. Plus, what's wrong at USC and who could emerge as the favorite in a muddled Pac-12 South? And which fans of a team with a new coach should be most disturbed by the poor start. Jennings also wrote about the radio station that played a national title game between Nebraska and Michigan in 1997. Really.
The game of the weekend in college football is in the Pac-12, where No. 7 Stanford visits No. 20 Oregon. We'll preview Cardinal vs. Ducks with Chantel Jennings, national college football writer with The Athletic, and talk about the Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert. The unheralded hometown recruit has a chance to surge into the Heisman Trophy conversation. Plus, what's wrong at USC and who could emerge as the favorite in a muddled Pac-12 South? And which fans of a team with a new coach should be most disturbed by the poor start. Jennings also wrote about the radio station that played a national title game between Nebraska and Michigan in 1997. Really.
Steve Coughlin, better known as Stanford Steve on ESPN’s SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview week three of the college football season. We’ll get his picks on Ohio State-TCU, LUS-Auburn and USC-Texas. Plus, Coughlin talks about his interesting road to ESPN, from star high school football player with NFL dreams to Stanford to wondering what happens after football when he was just a senior in college.
Steve Coughlin, better known as Stanford Steve on ESPN's SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview week three of the college football season. We'll get his picks on Ohio State-TCU, LUS-Auburn and USC-Texas. Plus, Coughlin talks about his interesting road to ESPN, from star high school football player with NFL dreams to Stanford to wondering what happens after football when he was just a senior in college.
Steve Coughlin, better known as Stanford Steve on ESPN's SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview week three of the college football season. We'll get his picks on Ohio State-TCU, LUS-Auburn and USC-Texas. Plus, Coughlin talks about his interesting road to ESPN, from star high school football player with NFL dreams to Stanford to wondering what happens after football when he was just a senior in college.
Steve Coughlin, better known as Stanford Steve on ESPN's SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview week three of the college football season. We'll get his picks on Ohio State-TCU, LUS-Auburn and USC-Texas. Plus, Coughlin talks about his interesting road to ESPN, from star high school football player with NFL dreams to Stanford to wondering what happens after football when he was just a senior in college.
Steve Coughlin, better known as Stanford Steve on ESPN's SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, joins AP's Ralph Russo to preview week three of the college football season. We'll get his picks on Ohio State-TCU, LUS-Auburn and USC-Texas. Plus, Coughlin talks about his interesting road to ESPN, from star high school football player with NFL dreams to Stanford to wondering what happens after football when he was just a senior in college.
The first big test for Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M comes from a familiar rival: No. 2 Clemson comes to College Station to give the Aggies a sense of how far away they are from being and elite team. Expectations are modest, says Max Olson of The Athletic. Olson join AP’s Ralph Russo to preview A&M-Clemson and the rest of week 2. Plus, where do Texas and Florida State go after opening losses and why Alabama needs Jalen Hurts more than he needs the Tide.
The first big test for Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M comes from a familiar rival: No. 2 Clemson comes to College Station to give the Aggies a sense of how far away they are from being and elite team. Expectations are modest, says Max Olson of The Athletic. Olson join AP's Ralph Russo to preview A&M-Clemson and the rest of week 2. Plus, where do Texas and Florida State go after opening losses and why Alabama needs Jalen Hurts more than he needs the Tide.
The first big test for Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M comes from a familiar rival: No. 2 Clemson comes to College Station to give the Aggies a sense of how far away they are from being and elite team. Expectations are modest, says Max Olson of The Athletic. Olson join AP's Ralph Russo to preview A&M-Clemson and the rest of week 2. Plus, where do Texas and Florida State go after opening losses and why Alabama needs Jalen Hurts more than he needs the Tide.
The first big test for Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M comes from a familiar rival: No. 2 Clemson comes to College Station to give the Aggies a sense of how far away they are from being and elite team. Expectations are modest, says Max Olson of The Athletic. Olson join AP's Ralph Russo to preview A&M-Clemson and the rest of week 2. Plus, where do Texas and Florida State go after opening losses and why Alabama needs Jalen Hurts more than he needs the Tide.
The first big test for Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M comes from a familiar rival: No. 2 Clemson comes to College Station to give the Aggies a sense of how far away they are from being and elite team. Expectations are modest, says Max Olson of The Athletic. Olson join AP's Ralph Russo to preview A&M-Clemson and the rest of week 2. Plus, where do Texas and Florida State go after opening losses and why Alabama needs Jalen Hurts more than he needs the Tide.