The Carla and Crappy Show: Recent Episodes
Carla Swank Fox and Uncle Crappy
A recovered sportswriter and a demented college football fan discuss the week's best college football games -- and a few of the worst ones.
Well, friends, here we are again. There’s just one final game remaining in the college football season, which means that this is the final show of the 13th season of this here little pod.
One of us is still feeling the agony of defeat in the semifinals. One of us is feeling anxious over the chance of winning a national title. And one of us is in a hotel room already excited about Week 0 next season. Yep. That seems about right.
We begin, per usual, with an extensive look back at the Orange and Cotton bowls. Discussion points include Drew Allar’s fixation with Tyler Warren, Andy Kotelnicki’s end-of-game plan, Sark’s inexplicable goal-line playcalling and Jack Sawyer’s monster play that has already gone down in Buckeye lore.
And then … the game at hand.
College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame (7:30 ET Monday, ESPN): We’ll be honest – we underestimated Notre Dame this postseason. (Remember how we all picked them to lose to Indiana? Yeah. That.) But after pulling out a win against Penn State, the Irish have proven to be a formidable foe. They’ll likely be able to give the Ohio State ground game fits. But do they have the horses to keep up with the Buckeye receiving corps? We’re not so sure. And thus, we’re predicting a win for Crappy’s beloved … with a whole bunch of complicated feelings for that one pesky loss.
We wrap up our 2024-25 season by announcing our Bowlapalooza champion (and revealing the epic bobblehead trophy, which may or may not require burritos). We are grateful to our Bowlapalooza participants — Steve Cavendish, Dan Eschenfelder, Braden Gall and Jake Rose — for participating in the most ridiculous bowl preview show on the internet, and to Andrew Maraniss for joining us earlier this season after Vandy’s epic win. (Also of note, Diego Pavia will be back next season, and Auburn’s coming to Nashville. Anchor down!)
But most of all, we’re grateful to you — our listeners, readers, and viewers — who continue to tolerate us rambling on about college football for more than an hour each week. This show, quite frankly, wouldn’t exist without you. So, thank you.
And so … on to Season 14? We sure think so. Carla, Crappy and AJ will be back sometime in August (if not before!) to start the rollercoaster all over again. Cheers, friends.
A new year is upon us, and as this new era of college football continues, there are many important questions still to be answered.
How rich can the lore and canon of the Pop-Tarts Bowl truly become? What happened to Alabama? How good is the Big Ten? (We’re looking you squarely in the eyes, SEC.) And, most importantly, is it a valid marriage if a Cheez-It officiates the wedding?
Yes, we’re being just a bit ridiculous here, but that’s the nature of both bowl season and The Carla and Crappy Show. (You knew that already.)
The four College Football Playoff quarterfinal games were not ridiculous, however, unless you’re referencing Cam Skattebo’s MVP effort in the Peach Bowl. The New Year’s Four bowls certainly did not disappoint, and they’ve caused us to set our sights on something somewhat unthinkable at the beginning of it all: An all-Big Ten national title game. But before we get ahead of ourselves (OK, who are we kidding? We’re definitely getting ahead of ourselves.), there are two semifinal games to sort out which teams will be the final two standing.
Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame (7:30 ET Thursday, ESPN): The Penn State ground game stood out in the Fiesta Bowl, although Ashton Jeanty still got his 100-yard game. The creativity on offense (minus a couple of dumb decisions) must continue in the semis. (Also, yes, keep hitting that Tyler Warren button.) While Notre Dame’s offense was not spectacular against Georgia, its defense held Travis Etienne to 30 yards rushing. That’s … not a lot. Combine that with the Irish’s return game, and the Nits will have their hands full.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State (7:30 ET Friday, ESPN): Ohio State has looked like a team possessed in the playoff. They’ve steamrolled Tennessee and Oregon and now take on a Texas team that nearly (and maybe should have) lost to Arizona State. It’s essentially a home game for the Horns, but do they have what it takes to slow down that Bucks offensive right now? Texas has not played a complete game yet this season.
We conclude with a reminder of the other national title games happening this week, including the DIII Stagg Bowl: Mount Union vs. North Central (8 ET Sunday, ESPN) and the FCS national title game between No. 2 North Dakota State and No. 1 Montana State (7 ET Monday, ESPN).
And so, yes, if the all-Big Ten national championship becomes a thing, you can expect to hear AJ as the host of our final playoff show next week … because Carla and Crappy may not be speaking to each other. (We kid. Kind of.) Enjoy all of the college football you can, boys and girls. The season is coming to an end. Cheers.
We’ve reached the time of the year when, as the meme suggests, “we don’t know what day it is, what we should be doing, and we’re full of cheese.” While that list is nearly perfect, it doesn’t include that you can turn on your TV at almost any time and find a college football bowl game to watch.
Hi, friends. We hope you’re enjoying your holiday and Bowlapalooza seasons and basking in their glory. AJ, Carla, and Crappy certainly have been, and there’s even more consequential football in the next several days that require additional discussion, even if we’re all distracted by the Holiday Bowl.
We begin with a recap of the good and ridiculous stuff that we’ve seen thus far in bowl games, including the incredible FCS semifinals, bowl games that got unexpectedly chippy, and a quote for the ages from Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
We also look back at the first-round games of the College Football Playoff and dip our toes into the discourse on the lopsided openers and the validity of the playoff format and seedings. (Spoiler alert: Yes, SMU and Indiana deserved to be there.)
And then, before digging into the playoff quarterfinal games, we take a brief look at the lead-in bowl games on New Year’s Eve:
ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 11 Alabama vs. Michigan (Noon ET Tuesday, ESPN): Even Crappy is pulling for the B1G in this one because, no, Bama didn’t deserve a playoff spot. We’re sorry. (Not really.)
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Louisville vs. Washington (2 ET Tuesday, CBS): It’s second only to the Rose Bowl in aesthetics and should be a good game to boot. (Also, shout out to the 2008 Sun Bowl.)
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: No. 15 South Carolina vs. No. 20 Illinois (3 ET Tuesday, ABC): We covered this game during Bowlapalooza, but have your snacking crackers at the ready.
Kinder’s Texas Bowl: Baylor vs. LSU (3:30 ET Tuesday, ESPN): This should be points on points on points on … well, you get the idea.
With the frivolity behind us, it’s time to get down to it. The field of eight will be narrowed to four in the … New Year’s Four bowls? (Is that what we’re calling them now?)
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Boise State (7:30 ET Tuesday, ESPN): The Nittany Lions went beast mode defensively in the first round. They will need that kind of effort again – without the help of the comfy confines of Beaver Stadium – to slow down Ashton Jeanty and the Boise offensive attack.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Arizona State (1 ET Wednesday, ESPN): Cam Skattebo is a delight … unless you’re trying to defend him. We’re all still somewhat confused about Texas. Which version of the Horns will we get here? And will they be good enough to shut down the Sun Devils?
Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Oregon (5 ET Wednesday, ESPN): Oregon is fast and talented on offense, but if Ohio State can put together the same effort on both sides of the ball as it did against Tennessee in the first round, this rematch could play out differently than it did on October 12.
Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia (8:45 ET Wednesday, ESPN): No Carson Beck for Georgia. No Rylie Mills for Notre Dame. This game is going to be an absolute slugfest in the trenches. Hammer the under.
With friendly reminders about the end of Bowlapalooza (which continues on past New Year’s Day, friends!) and the DIII title game, we wish you all a continued happy holiday season. Enjoy that cheese … and all of the college football. Cheers, yinz.
Hi, friends. We interrupt your Bowlapalooza viewing (and we do hope you’re enjoying the early bowl games!) for, well, something that we’ve never done before on The Carla & Crappy Show. And that’s because these games have never been played before … in some cases, literally in multiple ways.
Welcome to our first-ever #CnCShow CFP First Round preview.
Because we have just four games to evaluate, Carla, Crappy, and AJ take some time to recap a few of the interesting happenings since the end of the regular season, including Navy’s impressive win over Army, Marshall’s forfeiture of its bowl spot, and how Louisiana Tech found its way into a bowl game (AJ breaks this down and it’s wildly entertaining). We also look at other portal and coaching news and how we think Bill Belichick will adapt to the college game.
But then, it’s time to get down to business.
No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame (8 ET Friday, ABC/ESPN): The knock against both of these teams has been that they haven’t played anyone. But Notre Dame tends to get the benefit of the doubt, while Indiana gets questioned. Do the Hoosiers have a chip on their shoulder? We’ll see.
No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State (Noon ET, TNT): The game that should have been Friday night gets the Noon treatment. Penn State will have its hands full with Brashard Smith and the SMU offense. Look for heavy doses of Tyler Warren, especially without the services of Beau Pribula, who entered the portal.
No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas (4 ET, TNT): Believe it or not, this is the first-ever meeting between these two teams, and boy, do we have questions. Does Clemson have enough to topple the Horns in Austin? Which version of Texas do we get in this game?
No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State (8 ET, ABC/ESPN): Speaking of questions, we have lots of them for Ohio State. Can a patched-up offensive line fend off a stellar Tennessee front seven? Can the Bucks put that huge season-ending loss behind them? The Vols would love to capitalize on the road.
With reminders about the FCS semifinals and DII and DIII playoff schedules (because you absolutely should watch those, too!), we wish you all a very merry and happy holiday. We’ll be back just before the new year to break down the CFP quarterfinals … which are four of the New Year’s Six bowl games. (Yeah, we know. It’s confusing. But it’s going to be a fun ride.) Cheers, yinz.
The conference championships have been decided. The College Football Playoff field is set. And so that can mean only one thing: It’s time to debate which coach we’d like to see get doused in mayonnaise.
Yes, friends, it’s time for the 11.5th Annual Carla & Crappy Show Bowlapalooza.
This year, in addition to being joined by long-time Bowlapalooza staples Jake Rose and Braden Gall, we add two newcomers to the frivolity: Steve Cavendish, editor of the Nashville Banner and college football aficionado, and Dan Eschenfelder, instructor in the MTSU School of Journalism & Strategic Media and the person responsible for Carla’s live guest picking appearance on Blue Raider Extra Point earlier this season.
The raucous conversation that follows may result in audible laughter and occasional bleeping. Consider yourselves warned.
In chronological order of kickoffs, the official Bowlapalooza 2024 game selections are:
The Art of Sport LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk - Cal vs. No. 24 UNLV (9 ET Dec. 18, ESPN): Steve’s pick gives us all the opportunity to learn what Art of Sport is. Also, it’s an excuse to talk about the Calgorithm and Barry Odom’s career trajectory.
StaffDNA Cure Bowl - Ohio vs. Jacksonville State (Noon ET Dec. 20, ESPN): Crappy (obviously) takes this game for his Bobcats, but this is yet another interim coaching situation … possibly for both teams by the time this game kicks off. Also, what’s StaffDNA?
DirectTV Holiday Bowl - No. 21 Syracuse vs. Washington State (8 ET Dec. 27, FOX): Carla takes this one because the Holiday Bowl is the gift that keeps on giving every year. Do you like points? Watch this game.
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop - Miami (OH) vs. Colorado State (4:30 ET Dec. 28, The CW): Jake takes this game because … well, sometimes the jokes write themselves. It’s on The CW. It’s Colorado. It’s southwest Ohio. It’s Snoop. It’s … just so much bowl goodness.
Valero Alamo Bowl - No. 17 BYU vs. No. 23 Colorado (7:30 ET Dec. 28, ABC): The Big 12 buffet continues in a bowl game, and Braden is all over this one. Will Travis and Shedeur play? Deion says they will; we’re not so sure about that. Also, what’s fun to do in San Antonio?
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl - Marshall vs. No. 22 Army (9:15 ET Dec. 28, ESPN): Army veteran Dan takes this game as we know two things for certain: The Army roster won’t be changing and Bryson Daily is a delight. As for Marshall? What. A. Mess. #Understatement
ServPro First Responder Bowl - North Texas vs. Texas State (4 ET Jan. 3, ESPN): This game has AJ written all over it: A Fun Index in the upper 60s being played in the middle of the afternoon on a Friday. Just let this game wash over you.
Just for funsies, we talk about other Bowlapalooza staples and ponder some very important questions:
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl - Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State (2:30 ET Dec. 23, ESPN): Are waffle fries fries?
Pop-Tarts Bowl - No. 18 Iowa State vs. No. 13 Miami (3:30 ET Dec. 28, ABC): What’s your favorite Pop-Tart flavor?
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl - No. 15 South Carolina vs. No. 20 Illinois (3 ET Dec. 31, ABC): Which Cheez-It commercial is the most annoying?
Duke’s Mayo Bowl - Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech (7:30 ET Jan. 3, ESPN): Other than PJ Fleck, what coach would you like to see get a mayo bath?
And then, because we’d be absolutely remiss if we didn’t include this one …
Birmingham Bowl - Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt (3:30 ET Dec. 27, ESPN): We’re all legit excited about this one. The QB duel between Diego Pavia and Haynes King should be worth the price of admission. Which team caps a really good season with a bowl win … in a game without a sponsor?
Of course, we mention a whole bunch of other games in passing as well because that’s what Bowlapalooza is all about.
So, enjoy the silliness of it all and bask in this year’s bowl season. We certainly will. As always, we are grateful to our guest analysts for joining us. Carla, Crappy, and AJ will be back next week to preview the first round of the playoff. Cheers, yinz and y’all.
It’s Week … oh, you know what? Who cares what week it is? We only care about one thing: It’s Champinchip Week, friends.
The dust has finally settled. (We’re looking at you, Big 12.) The matchups are set … and some are unexpected. And at least five of this weekend’s nine games have playoff implications. It’s gonna be a fun one.
But before we get into breaking down every title game this weekend, we take a look back … which is easier for some of us than others. AJ noted the feistiness of the weekend in general, but in a rare twist of fate, the Big 12 got the simplest possible outcome to its multiverse of options. (Go figure.) Carla learned that her Nittany Lions would be playing the B1G title game … at an IKEA. And Crappy? He has some thoughts about The Game.
After a review of the playoff rankings, we’re off to the races. And we start, naturally, with the Group of 5.
CUSA: Western Kentucky at Jacksonville State (7 ET Friday, CBSSN): It’s a home-and-home for the CUSA title. The Toppers won this game last weekend on their home turf. Can they go to Alabama and win two weeks in a row? Or will the Gamecocks win their first conference title in FBS?
Mountain West: No. 20 UNLV at No. 10 Boise State (8 ET Friday, FOX): You want serious playoff implications on Friday night? This game’s for you. Boise’s looking to punch their ticket to the playoff and a first-round bye, but the Rebs may have something to say about that. The first matchup between these teams this season was a banger; we expect nothing less here.
American: Tulane at No. 24 Army (8 ET Friday, ABC): The Waves have done bad things to the troops this season. Can Army weather the storm? If they can, there’s a (really small) outside chance that they could sneak into the playoff.
MAC: Ohio vs. Miami (Noon ET Saturday, ESPN): A Battle of the Bricks rematch in Detroit has Crappy fired up. Can the Bobcats win their first conference title since 1968? We’re pulling for you, green.
Sun Belt: Marshall at Louisiana (7:30 ET Saturday, ESPN): The Cajuns have been rolling, but Marshall is a formidable foe.
And then, on to the Big Boy games. (But let’s be real; all of this week’s games are Big Boy games.)
Big 12: No. 16 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Arizona State (Noon ET Saturday, ABC): The simplest outcome in the buffet leads to a matchup that we’re pretty convinced will result in #ForksUp and a playoff berth for the Devils. Just as we all predicted at the beginning of the season.
SEC: No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 2 Texas (4 ET Saturday, ABC): The Dawgs won the first meeting between these two convincingly. Has Texas learned anything since then? What we know for sure: Georgia has a lot of work to do to recover from 8 OTs last weekend.
Big Ten: No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 1 Oregon (8 ET Saturday, CBS): The Ducks have been dominant all season. Can James Franklin win a big game that isn’t against Ohio State or Michigan? Carla’s going to be there to find out. (Also, smash that Tyler Warren button, Nits.)
ACC: No. 17 Clemson vs. No. 8 SMU (8 ET Saturday, ABC): This title game could cause the most chaos in the playoff. A Tigers win – and an automatic berth – could wreak havoc on the seedings. While we typically root for chaos, we’re all in on the Show Ponies.
And finally, we throw in one last game for good measure:
Navy vs. No. 24 Army (3 ET Dec. 14, CBS): An interesting wrinkle is that Army is playing for a conference title. They’ve been the stronger academy all year, but with the additional game, does that level the playing field for Navy? (You already know how we all picked in this game.)
There you have it. The 2024 conference season will be in the books by Sunday, and we’ll turn our attention to the most wonderful time of the year: Bowlapalooza. We’ll be back soon with that frivolity … as well as all of the playoff discussion that you can handle. Enjoy the big games this weekend, yinz. Cheers.
It’s the final week of the college football regular season, and you know what that means — it’s rivalry, or, uh wivalwy week. And while of the conference drama has settled down since last weekend, there are still plenty of scenarios — we’re looking at you, Big 12 — to be decided on Friday and Saturday.
Week 13? It was utter chaos, and it left Alabama likely out of the playoff picture and cemented Kansas as the scariest 5-6 team in the country. The chaos didn’t catch Carla — whose Nittany Lions escaped Minnesota with the greatest fake punt in the history of college football — or Crappy, whose Bobcats and Buckeyes flew through their penultimate regular season games with flying colors.
We begin with the fallout from the weekend, as AJ takes us through the latest CFP rankings — hello, Show Ponies and Sun Devils — before we dip into an expansive look at the title game possibilities across the Group of Five, along with a less-expansive look of what could happen in the Big 12; that was out of necessity, because AJ went went 15 deep and was only scratching the surface.
There were too many fun G5 games to note here, but Crappy will be especially interested in Miami (Ohio) at Bowling Green (noon Friday, ESPNU) and the whole group will be pulling for the Mountaineers as Appalachian State visits Georgia Southern (6 p.m. Saturday, ESPN+).
And then we have this week’s slate of big boy games; some of these may look like mismatches on paper, but listen, boys and girls — you know how rivalry games can go.
On Friday:
Mississippi State at No. 14 Ole Miss (3:30, ABC) The Bulldogs aren’t good, but will the Rebs still be reeling from their upset in Gainesville last week?
Georgia Tech at No. 7 Georgia (7:30 p.m., ABC) Georgia is favored in a big way, but Tech has pulled off a couple of big upsets this season — is there one more on the way?
On Saturday:
Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State (Big Nude, Fox) Will Crappy finally be able to put three years of anguish behind him? The consensus is yes.
No. 8 Tennessee at Vanderbilt (noon, ABC) Here’s the sad fact: In spite of it being the home of the Commodores, Nashville is a UT town. Look for Vandy to keep this close, though.
No. 15 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson (noon, ESPN) South Carolina is one of the hottest teams in the country, but can they keep up with a solid-but-unspectacular Clemson team in Death Valley?
No. 5 Notre Dame at USC (3:30 p.m., CBS) The Irish have cruised since their baffling loss to Northern Illinois. Can the talented Trojans put together the perfect game they’ll need to beat ND in the coliseum?
No. 6 Miami at Syracuse (3:30 p.m., ESPN) While this game does have implications for the ACC title game, it’s on the list pretty much for the 67.5-point AJ Fun Index. Pointsy.
Auburn at No. 13 Alabama (3:30 p.m., ABC) Alabama is reeling like they haven’t reeled in maybe decades. But they’ll find a way on Saturday.
Purdue at No. 10 Indiana (7 p.m., FS1) The Hoosiers should rebound from the loss in Columbus and beat Purdue to take the Old Oaken Bucket.
Washington at No. 1 Oregon (7:30 p.m., NBC) The Huskies beat the Ducks twice in 2023 on the way to the national title game. We’re betting Dan Lanning hasn’t forgotten.
No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M (7:30 p.m., ABC) Will the Longhorns put to rest the grumbles about its schedule? Or will the Aggies get the home win in this resurrected rivalry?
In her parting shots, Carla is sad that 2024 is year without a Land Grant Trophy game but she’s going to dig up no fewer than five screens for the evening slate — along with a big bowl of mashed potatoes. And Crappy reminds us that Carnegie Mellon opens the playoffs on Saturday and has a few more words about Ohio State’s game against the Team Up North.
And with that, Carla, AJ and Crappy embark upon their respective Thanksgiving weekends. We hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend as well and we hope you’ll join us next week — because it will be Championship Week.
Enjoy the games, yinz — and pass the stuffing.
It’s Week 13 of the college football season … and AJ is deep into spreadsheets, if/then formulas, and opponent cumulative winning percentages. And that can mean only one thing: Either he’s got way too much time on his hands … or we’re getting close to the end of the season and conference title games. (Hint: It’s the latter. Mostly.)
Hi friends. Yes, believe it or not, there are just two weeks left in the regular season … and approximately 13,000 options and tiebreakers to determine conference championship participants.
Some of last week’s games helped ease confusion. Ohio State and Penn State picked up expected wins. Oregon escaped Wisconsin, while Indiana rested. So the Big Ten’s pretty straightforward. Same thing with the ACC. (Yes, really.) It’s a three-team race between Miami … and Clemson and SMU, which both found themselves in spicy games last weekend. (Sorry, Pitt fans.)
But the Big 12 is undoubtedly eating itself. (See: Kansas over BYU.) AJ walks us through this week’s buffet options, which, pre-Thanksgiving week, are plentiful, including No. 16 Colorado at Kansas (3:30 ET, FOX) and No. 14 BYU at No. 21 Arizona State (3:30 ET, ESPN).
The SEC? Well, that’s just a hot mess. Maybe even as much so as the Big 12. Georgia remembered how to play football last weekend, South Carolina is indeed peaking at the end of the season again, and Florida knocked off LSU in the Swamp (much to Ellie’s delight).
The one thing that is clear? There’s a Pac-12 title game this weekend, which AJ is all over: Washington State at Oregon State (7 ET, The CW).
Crappy also poses an interesting question: Which team would you absolutely not want to play right now?
On the #GroupOfFiveAfterDark slate this week, we have some dandies, which AJ is very excited to discuss: No. 24 UNLV at San José State (10 ET Friday, FS1), James Madison at Appalachian State (2:30 ET, ESPN+), Air Force at Nevada (10:30 ET, FS1), Colorado State at Fresno State (10:30 ET, CBSSN), East Carolina at North Texas (3:30 ET, ESPN+) a with good and proper Fun Index of 72.5, Sam Houston at Jacksonville State (Noon ET, CBSSN), and Western Kentucky at Liberty (Noon ET, ESPN+). (Carla’s not super excited about that last one.)
And then, the big boy slate:
No. 5 Indiana at No. 2 Ohio State (Big Nude, FOX): Crappy has all kinds of feels about this game. Can the Hoosiers prove themselves against a top-tier opponent?
No. 9 Ole Miss at Florida (Noon ET, ABC): Yes, the Gators are seemingly on a roll to end the season. But we’re fairly certain that roll stops this weekend. Ole Miss just has too much offense … and a good defense, too.
No. 4 Penn State at Minnesota (3:30 ET, CBS): More Tyler Warren, please. He may be the difference-maker for the Nits in this one.
No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 19 Army at Yankee Stadium (7 ET, NBC): Goodness, how much fun would it be for Army to knock the Irish out of the playoff? Do they have the physicality to keep up with Notre Dame?
While AJ continues to do math, Carla offers her honorable mention nods to Vanderbilt at LSU (7:45 ET, SECN) and the home finale for her Blue Raiders, New Mexico State at MTSU (2:30 ET, ESPN+). (Hi, Jake!) Crappy again sends his magical vibes to you regarding Ohio at Toledo on Wednesday evening (Spoiler alert: OU won, 24-7.), and offers a soliloquy to the upcoming playoffs.
Enjoy the football this weekend, kids. It’s been a super fun season (never mind the math thing), and it’s rapidly coming to an end. Cheers.
Have you ever tried to record a podcast while a MAC game is in full-on MACtion mode, resulting in an overtime contest with a combined 99 points?
Neither had we. Until this week.
Hi, friends. Welcome to Week 12 of the college football season. And if Tuesday night is any indication, we’re in for a wild ride. But that’s what usually happens when the slate appears to be a little lackluster. And guess what we have this week? Yeppers. Buckle up.
We begin, as always, with a look back. Carla recaps her super fun experience as the celebrity guest picker on Blue Raider Extra Point, then questions what the heck happened to Georgia. Crappy was pleased with his Buckeyes and the Army defense. Carnegie Mellon and Ohio picked up big wins as well. Robert Morris and MTSU? Sadly, not so much.
And, of course, of all weeks for AJ not to be joining us live … not only did we get a bunch of points on Tuesday night, but Miami finally FOed in spectacular fashion. He was, however, able to join us through the marvel of audio recording technology from somewhere on the road in the Midwest to offer us this week’s #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report.
Then, we’re on to this week’s big-boy games, including a healthy heaping from the Big 12 buffet.
No. 3 Texas at Arkansas (Noon ET, ABC): We keep calling the Hogs, and they keep letting us down. Is this the week they finally do it again? Or do the Horns keep rolling?
No. 20 Clemson at Pitt (Noon ET, ESPN): Which team do we believe? Based on our analysis of this game … it’s neither team.
Utah at No. 17 Colorado (Big Nude, FOX): The Utes are still miffed after last week’s Holding War loss to BYU. They’re solid defensively, but the lack of any semblance of offense causes us to give the edge to the Buffs.
No. 23 Missouri at No. 21 South Carolina (4:15 ET, SECN): Uh oh. South Carolina is peaking at the end of the season again. We’ve seen this film before. And we don’t think it’s going to end well for the Tigers.
Arizona St. at No. 16 Kansas St. (7 ET, ESPN): The main course on this week’s Big 12 menu is a doozy. Both of these teams still have a shot at the conference title game with a win here.
No. 7 Tennessee at No. 12 Georgia (7:30 ET, ABC): Insert shoulder shrug emoji here. We can’t get a read on either of these teams. Will Nico be ready to go? Which version of Georgia shows up for this one? If the Vols win, they’re sitting pretty for an SEC title game berth.
Kansas at No. 6 BYU (10:15 ET, ESPN): The Big 12 buffet has a late-night menu this week. The Jayhawks have looked good the last couple of weeks, but we still like the Cougs here.
Carla gives her honorable mentions to No. 4 Penn State at Purdue (3:30 ET, CBS) and No. 22 LSU at Florida (3:30 ET, ABC), with a shoutout to Robert Morris at Central Connecticut State (Noon ET, NEC Front Row) in a battle for second place in the NEC. Crappy, meanwhile, really, REALLY wishes he was going to be at Wrigley on Saturday afternoon for No. 2 Ohio State at Northwestern (Little Nude, BTN), and again sends telepathic signals for you to watch Wednesday night’s Eastern Michigan at Ohio game … which has already happened by the time you’re listening to this pod. And oh, just for AJ, North Texas at UTSA (8 ET Friday, ESPN2) and No. 18 Washington St. at New Mexico (9:30 ET, FS1) both have Fun Indexes of 72.5. So get your eyeballs on those games as well.
Enjoy this week’s college football action, and we’ll see you again next week. Cheers, yinz.
It’s Week 11 of the college football season … and nothing makes sense.
Sure, MACtion is back, and we’re as excited about it as ever. And yes, the Big 12 looks like it’s definitely going to enjoy a potential buffet this weekend.
So why, then, is Carla wearing a “Yay Feetball” sweatshirt during the week when she hates college football? What was Penn State’s fourth-quarter goal-line play calling all about? What happened to Clemson? And Texas A&M? And Pitt? And Wisconsin?
Well, friends, we don’t have answers for everything. But we can provide some hope.
And that is, in the midst of all the chaos, the Carla and Crappy Show has finally made the big time. Carla will be the “celebrity” guest picker on Blue Raider Extra Point this weekend, live from the Grove on MTSU’s campus in Murfreesboro prior to the Liberty game. (Right now, the stream is scheduled to begin at 9 ET Saturday morning and will be available on the True Blue TV app on your streaming device or the MTN Sports YouTube channel. We’ll update as we get more details.)
To celebrate, we break down the entirety of the CUSA slate (so that Carla has good notes to take with her), which includes Kennesaw State at UTEP (4 ET, ESPN+), Jacksonville State at Louisiana Tech (4:30 ET, CBSSN), Western Kentucky at New Mexico State (6 ET, ESPN+), and of course, Liberty at MTSU (1 ET, CBSSN).
But also? We now have Carla and Crappy Show merch. Carla needed something branded to wear on the show, which AJ was all about creating. This means that, yes, friends, very soon, you too will have the ability to have your very own Yay Feetball shirt (once we figure out how to get the shop set up). Stay tuned to carlacrappyshow.com (which is also a thing that works now!) for more details.
And then, oh yeah, right, we still have games to discuss. A lot of games.
After we break down the initial College Football Playoff rankings (because those, ahem, also happened on Tuesday), AJ gives us a slightly abbreviated #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, which still includes some dandies: Arkansas State at Louisiana (5 ET, ESPN+), No. 25 Army at North Texas (3:30 ET, ESPN2), and UNLV at Hawaii (9 ET, CBSSN) to name a few.
The big boy slate is pretty stellar as well:
No. 3 Georgia at No. 16 Ole Miss (3:30 ET, ABC): No consensus here. This game is loaded with mystery and huge conference implications.
Michigan at No. 8 Indiana (3:30 ET, CBS): Ten Win-diana? Yeppers. And at least one of us thinks it will be a statement win, too.
South Carolina at Vanderbilt (4:15 ET, SECN): Uh oh. The Gamecocks letdown game is in Nashville. Diego, are you ready? (We think it’s possible.)
No. 11 Alabama at No. 15 LSU (7:30 ET, ABC): With Saban no longer on the sideline, can Bama keep its Bedlam-esque streak alive? In Death Valley? Or do we see a purple Brian Kelly?
Washington at No. 6 Penn State (8 ET, Peacock): The forecast calls for a whiteout in Happy Valley. Welcome to the Big Ten, Huskies? We’ll see.
We wrap things up with a quick edition of How Will the Big 12 Eat Itself This Week? (still not trademarked), which features some prime buffet options, including No. 20 Colorado at Texas Tech (4 ET, FOX) and No. 9 BYU at Utah (10:15 ET, ESPN). Also, Crappy has his eye on Purdue at No. 2 Ohio State (Big Nude, FOX), and AJ and Carla are extremely vested in Robert Morris at Duquesne (Noon ET, radio only).
So, there you have it. Nothing makes sense. But we’re hoping we can provide you a bit of levity and hope in the chaos, both in college football and … well, you know. Enjoy the games this weekend, watch Carla on Saturday morning, and we’ll see you back here next week. Cheers, yinz.
It’s Week 10 of the college football season and friends? For what we believe to be the first time in the 13-year history of The Carla and Crappy Show, there are no games that kick off after 8 p.m. ET Saturday. Yes, really.
No, AJ is not OK.
But when we reflect on last weekend’s action, AJ starts us off on a good note, as his week was bookended by two spectacular wins by Kennesaw State (on Tuesday) and Hawaii (technically on Sunday). Carla actually stayed awake for most of Boise at UNLV and was thoroughly impressed by Oregon. (Quack.) Crappy noted big wins by both Ohio and Carnegie Mellon.
Then, even without proper After Dark games, AJ walks us through his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, featuring Georgia State at UConn (7 ET Friday, CBSSN), Toledo at Eastern Michigan (Noon ET, ESPNU), MTSU at UTEP (3:30 ET, CBSSN), Georgia Southern at South Alabama (7:30 ET, ESPNU), and Colorado State at Nevada (8 ET, CBSSN). And in this week’s edition of How Will the Big 12 Eat Itself This Week? (not yet trademarked), we’re all super intrigued by Texas Tech at No. 11 Iowa State (3:30 ET, ESPN).
After that, we get to the Big Boy games. And we start with a doozy.
No. 4 Ohio State at No. 3 Penn State (Big Nude, FOX): Carla’s feeling better about her Nits entering this game than she has in recent memory. But Crappy’s Bucks have won 11 of the last 12 meetings between these two. One of these teams is going to escape with a win. And one of us is going to hate college football next week.
No. 19 Ole Miss at Arkansas (Noon ET, ESPN): All the stats say Ole Miss wins. So why do we think Wooo Pig might actually pull this off?
Air Force at No. 21 Army (Noon ET, CBS): Army is still nationally ranked, and we respect the troops. (Army wins this game easily.)
Minnesota at No. 24 Illinois (Noon ET, FS1): Bert’s bunch got throttled by Oregon last week. (Quack.) Can the Gophers row the boat in Chambagna?
Florida vs. No. 2 Georgia in Jacksonville (3:30 ET, ABC): The Dawgs looked every bit a national title contender in Austin. Which version of Georgia shows up for the Definitely Not a Cocktail Party?
No. 13 Indiana at Michigan State (3:30 ET, Peacock): Dig out your streaming password. They’re going to do it. We’re going to get Nine Win-diana.
No. 10 Texas A&M at South Carolina (7:30 ET, ABC): Is this really a trap game for the Aggies? We’re not sure we’re buying that argument.
No. 18 Pitt at No. 20 SMU (8 ET, ACCN): This game has major ACC title game implications. Yes, that’s also a real thing. And we don’t reach a consensus on the outcome.
And yes, there’s one final game that we absolutely must discuss.
Vanderbilt at Auburn (12:45 ET, SECN): Diego Pavia? It’s time. Darkness versus light. Goodness over evil. Go do the dang thing and send the Dores bowling. Do it.
While AJ desperately scours the DIII schedule in search of a true After Dark game (he does actually find two of them!), Carla notes two other games of interest: Louisville at No. 11 Clemson (7:30 ET, ESPN) and USC at Washington (7:30 ET, BTN). And Crappy closes things out with a public service announcement from all of us: Go vote.
Enjoy the football this weekend, boys and girls. And much to AJ’s chagrin, enjoy that extra sleep on Saturday night. Cheers.
It’s Week 9 of the college football season, and boy, was last weekend a lot of fun.
North Texas at Memphis was the fireworks factory that we expected. Georgia went full beast mode and dominated in Austin. And even the home radio announcers were incredulous about Indiana’s throttling of Nebraska.
Also, we now live in a world where Indiana and Vanderbilt are ranked, and The Team Up North isn’t. Everything is weird in 2024.
And now this week? We have some discomfort ahead, especially if you are fans of certain programs. Ahem.
AJ gets us started with his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, including our new favorite segment, How Will the Big 12 Eat Itself This Week? (Should we trademark that? We probably should.) Notable games include No. 17 Boise State at UNLV (10:30 ET Friday, CBSSN), Tulane at North Texas (Noon ET, ESPNU), and No. 11 BYU at UCF (3:30 ET, ESPN). Also, we regret to inform you that there is in fact a true Hawaii test this weekend, which means, yes, you will need to caffeinate both Friday and Saturday nights. Just be ready for that.
And then, on to a loaded slate of notable games:
No. 12 Notre Dame vs. No. 24 Navy at MetLife Stadium (Noon ET, ABC): Can the Middies knock off the Irish? Maybe? (We hope so.)
Washington at No. 13 Indiana (Noon ET, BTN): This game’s on the Big Ten Network because no one in their right mind would have predicted this game to be so big … or that the Hoosiers would be the ranked team in this matchup. Do we get to Eight Win-diana?
No. 20 Illinois at No. 1 Oregon (3:30 ET, CBS): The Ducks handled business in West Lafayette, and now Bert and crew are coming to town.
No. 21 Missouri at No. 15 Alabama (3:30 ET, ABC): Is this Bama’s get-right game? Or maybe a better question, is Bama going to have a get-right game this season? And will Brady Cook play for Mizzou?
No. 5 Texas at No. 25 Vanderbilt (4:15 ET, SECN): Yes, friends, Vandy is one win away from bowl eligibility. One thing we know for sure? There will be many cowboy boots on Nashville’s West End on Saturday afternoon.
No. 8 LSU at No. 14 Texas A&M (7:30 ET, ABC): The Tigers just keep finding ways to win football games. The Aggies have been scary at home. No consensus on this one.
No. 3 Penn State at Wisconsin (7:30 ET, NBC): Guess what? The Badgers are officially annoying again, just in time for the Nittany Lions to come to Madison. Can Wisconsin catch PSU looking ahead? (Carla certainly hopes not.)
Outside of that (if that’s not enough for you), AJ’s keeping an eye on North Carolina at Virginia (Noon ET, CW) and Florida State at No. 6 Miami (7 ET, ESPN), because what if this is the weekend that Miami FOs? (If you don’t get that reference, listen to our Week 8 episode.) Carla’s got her eye on a true Big Ten After Dark situation as Rutgers heads to USC (11 ET Friday, FOX). And, of course, Crappy’s got Nebraska at No. 4 Ohio State (Big Nude, FOX) and Buffalo at Ohio (Noon ET, CBSSN).
It’s going to be another great (albeit uncomfortable!) weekend of college football. But next weekend? Hoo boy. Buckle up. You’re not going to want to miss next week’s show. Cheers, friends.
Crappy may be ready to talk baseball, since his Buckeyes had a less-than-successful trip to Eugene last weekend, but Carla and AJ — with the help of an Aaron Judge homer — brought Crappy down to earth in time to go through another week of college football, when several teams seem destined to FAFO (if you don’t get the reference, our friends at Urban Dictionary can help you, uh, find out).
We always look back before we look forward, and Week Seven was a spectacular one, especially if you enjoy tight finishes — as seen by K State at Colorado, Penn State at USC, Bama at South Carolina, Ball State at Kent or the aforementioned Ohio State visit to Oregon, a painful thing for Crappy. But the best news from last weekend? Vandy getting yet another SEC win at Kentucky. Bowl eligibility for the ‘Dores is within reach.
And for Week Eight? AJ gives us his weekly accounting of how the Big 12 is going to eat itself and reasons why we should eschew the FBS ranked matchups Saturday evening for North Texas at Memphis (7:30 p.m., ESPNU) — and its 66.5-point AJ Fun Index — and the FCS Game of the Century: No. 1 South Dakota State at No. 2 North Dakota State (8 p.m., ESPN2). This is why you need multiple screens, boys and girls.
Editor’s note: The Carla and Crappy Show failed to notice this week’s New Mexico at Utah State game (4 p.m., truTV) and its AJ Fun Index of 77.5 points. The Carla and Crappy Show regrets the error.
And then — Week Eight’s Big Boy games, all on Saturday:
No. 6 Miami at Louisville (Noon, ABC) The Canes have done a lot of FAing this season. Is this the weekend they FO?
Nebraska at No. 16 Indiana (Big Nude, Fox) The Huskers are vastly improved this season, but are they ready for Curt Cignetti’s undefeated Hoosiers (and their newfound home-field advantage)?
East Carolina at No. 23 Army (Noon, ESPN2), Charlotte at No. 25 Navy (3:30 p.m. on CBSSN) We covered these games together, not as a slight of either program, but as a celebration that our service academies, together in the Top 25 for the first time since 1960, still have a place in the FBS world in 2024.
No. 7 Alabama at No. 11 Tennessee (3:30 p.m., ABC) The loser of this game will be facing a second conference loss — and a confirmed disaster of a season. Also: Hey, Kalen — maybe dress up a little?
No. 24 Michigan at No. 22 Illinois (3:30 p.m., CBS) The Team Up North is a three-point favorite in this game, and if you’ve watched any college football this year — and we’ve seen a bit — you know that this is a joke.
8 LSU at Arkansas (7 p.m., ESPN) Hoo Pig has been the SEC’s pain-in-the-ass team this year. Can they smoke the Tigahs at home?
5 Georgia at 1 Texas (7:30, ABC) As is the case with Alabama-Tennessee, one team will be walking off the field in Austin with a second SEC loss. And that’s not going to be the Longhorns.
But wait — there’s more! AJ advises us to keep an eye on Oregon’s visit to Purdue (8 p.m. Friday, Fox), where bizarre things happen after the sun goes down (just ask Crappy). With Penn State on a bye, Carla will be on upset watch with South Carolina at Oklahoma (12:45 p.m. Saturday, SEC Network) and No. 12 Notre Dame at Georgia Tech (3:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN). Crappy doesn’t have an Ohio State game to watch this weekend, but that’s OK — his attention will be on the 100th Battle of the Bricks, as his Bobcats visit hated rival Miami (3:30 p.m., ESPN+) and hope to hold their spot atop the MAC.
Enjoy this week’s games, boys and girls — it’s sure to be a fun weekend.
During last week’s Week 6 edition, we low-key mentioned that it’s the “underwhelming” weeks on the college football schedule when chaos and weird stuff can happen.
And then … boy, did it ever. So the gang’s all here live this week as we break down the first “blood week” in college football since 2022.
It arguably started with SMU knocking off Louisville and continued with Texas A&M demolishing Mizzou. But it didn’t stop there. Tennessee … USC … Michigan. The brand names of college football all fell one by one.
And … of course, the absolute unthinkable happened as Vanderbilt toppled top-ranked Alabama. The Dores win was historic on many levels, including the 2.5-mile journey the goalposts took to the Cumberland River. So we invited bestselling author and special projects director at Vanderbilt Athletics Andrew Maraniss to join us to put Vandy’s win and the celebratory aftermath into perspective.
The fun part? We’ve all had Week 7 circled on our calendars since the preseason. So, after last weekend’s ridiculousness, how will this weekend compare? We have high hopes.AJ goes through his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark slate, beginning with a couple of early dandies: Coastal Carolina at James Madison (7:30 ET Thursday, ESPN2) and No. 16 Utah at Arizona State (10:30 ET Friday, ESPN). He then introduces a new segment to the show, “How Will The Big 12 Eat Itself This Week?”
And then … the games we’ve been anticipating for a while now.
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma (3:30 ET, ABC): Red River is a rivalry in the truest sense. Throw away the records and rankings. The Horns should win … which means the Sooners are going to make this interesting.
No. 4 Penn State at USC (3:30 ET, CBS): USC’s loss at Minnesota (because that’s a thing that happened) makes this game more intriguing than Carla would like. The Nits’ defense–and the Trojans’ lack thereof–should be the difference here, though.
Cal at No. 22 Pitt (3:30 ET, ESPN): The Calgorithm ran out of gas last week against Miami. And now a cross-country trip to the nationally-ranked Panthers awaits.
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Oregon (7:30 ET, NBC): Has Oregon shored up its run defense? The Bucks are certainly going to put it to the test. Welcome to the B1G, Ducks.
No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 13 LSU (7:30 ET, ABC): This game always gets real dumb. And with a fun index of 63.5, we expect nothing less than stupid here—points on points on points.
No. 11 Iowa State at West Virginia (8 ET, FOX): Night games in Morgantown are always an adventure. Hide your couches, Cyclones.
No. 18 Kansas State at Colorado (10:15 ET, ESPN): Can the Powercats slow down Shedeur and Travis and that Buffs offense in Boulder … after dark?
If that’s not enough for you, Carla also has Wisconsin at Rutgers (Noon ET, BTN) and Florida at No. 8 Tennessee (7 ET, ESPN) on her radar … as well as Robert Morris, which hosts Delaware State for homecoming (3 ET, no TV so listen to Chris Shovlin on the radio). Crappy has his eyes on two CMUs: Ohio at Central Michigan (4 ET, ESPNU) and DIII No. 14 Carnegie Mellon at No. 7 Grove City (2 ET, YouTube). And AJ? Well, he’s watching literally everything else on the schedule, because that's just what he does.
So, enjoy what should be another spectacular weekend of college football, friends. And if you’re in Nashville, watch out for random goalposts on Lower Broadway. Just sayin’. Cheers to the best sport on the planet, yinz.
It’s Week 6 of the college football season, and friends, it’s time to catch our breath. As expected, last weekend was a wild ride. And we’ll just go ahead and say it now: You’ll want to clear your schedule for next weekend.
But this week? While there is a bunch of intrigue on the slate, there aren’t a ton of marquee matchups.
As always, before we look ahead, we look back at last weekend and go lightning-round style in our recaps to avoid the two-hour recap we feared we might have last week. Some of our highlights: Penn State needs a kicker, Ohio State can block, and that little game down in Tuscaloosa lived up to our expectations. We also take a moment to break down the chaos that is the ACC and Big 12 just for fun, and Crappy updates us on Carnegie Mellon’s scare last weekend in Little Washington.
Next up? AJ goes in-depth with what’s shaping up to be a fantastically intriguing #GroupOfFiveAfterDark slate this weekend.
And then we turn to the games that have our attention:
Syracuse at No. 25 UNLV (9 ET Friday, FS1): Hajj-Malik Williams had himself a debut last weekend. Can he keep it up in a game where Kyle McCord is his counterpart?
No. 9 Missouri at No. 25 Texas A&M (Noon ET, ABC): Surprise! It’s Mizzou that enters this game with the more prolific offense. Can the Tigers win their first road test of the season?
SMU at No. 22 Louisville (Noon ET, ESPN): The Cards nearly finished last weekend's comeback at Notre Dame. Also, why isn’t SMU ranked? This should be a dandy.
Iowa at No. 3 Ohio State (3:30 ET, CBS): Hey, Iowa’s scoring points this year! But we’re not convinced that’s enough for a win in the Shoe.
No. 12 Ole Miss at South Carolina (3:30 ET, ESPN): This game has the potential of being real spicy. How does Ole Miss respond after being dragged down in a slugfest last weekend?
No. 10 Michigan at Washington (7:30 ET, NBC): While these teams are nowhere near the same ones that met in the natty last season, will the Huskies get their revenge? (We hope so.)
No. 8 Miami at Cal (10:30 ET, ESPN): It’s ACC After Dark! This game feels like a get-right game for the Canes, but a cross-country road trip and a pesky Cal team could alter those plans.
With MTSU off until Oct. 10 – welcome back, CUSAction! – Carla gives her honorable mentions to UCLA at No. 7 Penn State (Big Nude, FOX) and offers a friendly reminder to Nashvillians to avoid West End on Saturday as No. 1 Alabama comes to Vandy (4:15 ET, SECN). Crappy, meanwhile, has other interesting games on his radar: No. 15 Clemson at Florida State (7 ET, ESPN), No. 23 Indiana at Northwestern (3:30 ET, BTN), and No. 11 USC at Minnesota (7:30 ET, BTN).
Finally, we send our thoughts and prayers to those impacted by Hurricane Helene, especially in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, including our friends at Appalachian State. If you’d like to contribute to recovery efforts, which will be extensive and ongoing, here are our suggestions:
- Appalachian State Disaster Relief Fund
- United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
- American Red Cross
We’ll be back here next week to get you ready for a slate of games we promise you won’t want to miss. Cheers, yinz.
It’s Week 5 of the college football season, and what we know for sure is this: You’ll need as many screens as humanly possible for the primetime window on Saturday.
We have a jam-packed slate ahead of us with so many games with intriguing storylines, we had a super hard time whittling them down. And also … add the extremely likely possibility that a bunch of these games will be impacted by heavy rain from a tropical system. That all adds up to a weekend of potential chaos.
But before we look ahead, we look back to a weekend that was nearly as eventful as the one approaching. Carla was especially excited that the Stanford Postulate lives again in 2024, but not nearly as excited about the return of Bert Ball in Illinois. Also, Vandy had a true college kicker moment, and James Madison made a big-time statement, among many other things. Crappy, meanwhile, continues to be impressed by Tennessee and was pleased to see his Bucks make improvements over Marshall.
While AJ wasn’t able to join us live (something about visiting the Navy or whatever), he did offer a video version of his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, which is absolutely stacked, as usual.
And then, the games at hand. Or at least the ones that we whittled it down to.
No. 20 Oklahoma State at No. 23 Kansas State (Noon ET, ESPN): Which team bounces back after last weekend’s loss? Also, the Pokes have a QB situation, and Carla can’t remember who coaches in Stillwater. (Oops.)
No. 15 Louisville at No. 16 Notre Dame (3:30 ET, Peacock): Meet the first “likely to be impacted by substantial rain” game of our preview. We predict a sloppy one in South Bend.
No. 2 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama (7:30 ET, ABC): While neither of us can get a good read on either of these teams, what we know for sure is that this will be a banger of a game.
No. 19 Illinois at No. 9 Penn State (7:30 ET, NBC): There are white out conditions possible in Beaver Stadium on Saturday night, but that doesn’t make Carla any less nervous.
Washington State at No. 25 Boise State (10 ET, FS1): Points. Lots and lots of points. And Crappy’s all in on the John Mateer bandwagon.
So, yeah, about that primetime window. Including the games mentioned above, there’s also:
- No. 3 Ohio State at Michigan State (7 ET, Peacock): The second likely major rain game on the slate.
- Stanford at No. 17 Clemson (7 ET, ESPN): Will the Stanford Postulate and Clemsoning collide? (We certainly hope so!)
- Florida State at SMU (8 ET, ACCN): This has Show Ponies written all over it. Eek.
- Tulsa at North Texas (7 ET, ESPN+): The highest fun index of the week at 68.5.
- MTSU at Memphis (7:30 ET, ESPNU): The Blue Raiders get another national spotlight.
Screens. Lots and lots of screens. And also, caffeinate, because the After Dark slate is silly good as well.
We think you get the idea here. It’s going to be an incredible weekend of college football, one way or another. Settle in, stay dry (and stay safe, Gulf Coasters), and we’ll see you next week when we attempt to recap all this in one episode. Ha! Cheers, yinz.
It’s Week 4 of the college football season, and we’re getting into the beginnings of conference play. This means that yes, the gang’s all here as AJ joins us live because we all need to remind ourselves of which teams are in which conferences. And in 2024, it also means locating the CW on your channel guide.
Before we get into this week’s action, we look back at what was a busy weekend of, well, a lot of things. Despite AJ spending his Saturday morning looking at poop and Carla dancing the weekend away at a wedding in Chicago, we all had at least a few takeaways from last week, most of them of the lowlight variety. (We’re looking at you, Vandy, Purdue, MTSU, Florida State, and Georgia.) Crappy quizzes AJ and Carla on the revived Pac-6 and the stupidly low fun index on this week’s Iowa at Minnesota (7:30 ET, NBC) matchup, among other things.
AJ then leads us through his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report which includes (among many other games) Cal at Florida State (7 ET, ESPN2) and No. 13 Kansas State at BYU (10:30 ET, ESPN), and even a game or two on the aforementioned CW. Also, there’s a Hawaii test this week, so plan accordingly.
Then, onto the ranked action. Again, as a reminder, all of these games are conference games. Ahem.
No. 24 Illinois at No. 22 Nebraska (8 ET Friday, FOX): Are we going to get to a 7-0 Nebraska? Bert and the Illini might have something to say about that on the road.
No. 11 USC at No. 18 Michigan (3:30 ET, CBS): Is USC for real? Can TTUN lose two big games at home in one season? You’ll be shocked at our answers to both of those questions. (Not really.)
No. 12 Utah at No. 14 Oklahoma State (4 ET, FOX): This one has dog fight written all over it, and we can’t come to a consensus on the outcome. And that means you should probably watch this game.
No. 6 Tennessee at No. 15 Oklahoma (7:30 ET, ABC): This will be either Nico’s coming out party … or a severe dose of reality. Playing in Norman at night historically has been an equalizer. We’ll see if that’s still true with the Sooners in the SEC.
We give lots of honorable mentions this week as well. AJ’s paying close attention to the Skillet Game, TCU at SMU (5 ET, CW). Crappy’s interested in both of his teams, Marshall at No. 3 Ohio State (Big Nude, FOX) and Ohio at Kentucky (12:45 ET, SECN). And also, not surprisingly, Carla’s got her eyes on Kent State at No. 10 Penn State (3:30 ET, BTN), but is most looking forward to homecoming as MTSU hosts Duke (4 ET, ESPNU) and celebrating Ellie’s third birthday at the parade, which obviously is for her. Obviously.
And so with that, we say, “Yay, feetball.” Enjoy all of the action and we’ll be back again next week. Cheers, yinz.
Welcome back to the Carla and Crappy show, the title of which Crappy apparently just remembered this week — and with it, a mini Wivalwy Week right here in the middle of September and some breaking news from the West Coast, courtesy of our #GroupOfFiveAfterDark correspondent AJ.
We look back before we look ahead, and Week Two was huge for the Mid-American Conference, with one massive upset and one mighty uncomfortable game in Happy Valley for Carla. Crappy is pleased with the progress on Ohio State’s offensive line and happy with his Bobcats beating Alabama (of the directional variety) at home in Athens. Outside of our B1G bubbles, we note the Longhorns’ massacre of the Team Up North, Tennessee’s big win and the possibility that Syracuse could make waves in the ACC.
Crappy was pleased to read of Carnegie Mellon’s huge win over Thiel, and he’s planning to see the Tartans in person on Saturday at their home opener against Geneva.
BREAKING NEWS: We sent AJ to #AfterDark land — Phoenix, specifically — and he didn’t disappoint, being among the first correspondents to break some Pac-6 news this week. He’s also got a full list of games to put your eyeballs on this weekend.
Carla and Crappy also focus on the West Coast, as two huge games out that way make up half of our mini-Wivalwy Week slate:
No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State (8 p.m. Friday, Fox): The Battle of the Wildcats could turn out to be a rough trip for the visitors.
No. 24 Boston College at No. 6 Missouri (12:45 p.m., SEC Network): Boston native Bill O’Brien has enjoyed his homecoming at BC so far, but the PowerCats are tested and also off to a good start.
The Civil War: No. 9 Oregon at Oregon State (3:30 p.m., Fox): The Ducks were predicted to be one of the top teams in the country at the season’s outset; they’ve instead looked supremely mortable in their first two outings. And your rivalry game isn’t the right time to try to get well.
The Apple Cup: Washington State at Washington (3:30 p.m., Peacock): Another former PAC-12 rivalry. And maybe another spurned rival poised for an upset on the road?
The Backyard Brawl: West Virginia at Pitt (3:30 p.m., ESPN 2): The Mountaineers are favored in the Mustard Bowl, while Pitt is still riding high after a massive comeback at Cincinnati last week. Can the ‘neers bring the Panthers back to earth?
Carla’s honorable mentions for the week go to No. 14 Alabama at Wisconsin (Big Nude, Fox), No. 16 LSU at South Carolina (Noon, ABC), Vandy at Georgia State (7 p.m., ESPN+) and the Big One — The 100 Miles of Hate: Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee (7 p.m., ESPN+). Go Jake Rose and Go Blue. Crappy, meanwhile, will keep an eye on his OU Bobcats as they host FCS opponent Morgan State (3:30 p.m., ESPN+).
Enjoy those Wivalwy games, boys and girls, along with the rest of this week’s excellent slate. Cheers, yinz.
It’s officially college football’s Week 2, and AJ joins Carla and Crappy live as we attempt to will a bunch of things into being for the remainder of the 2024 season.
Vandy in a bowl game? Diego Pavia and Jerry Kill on another war path to Jordan Hare? Notre Dame losing a game? Robert Morris to the FCS playoffs? We say yes, please, to all of these things and then some.
Also, MTSU wins a rain-soaked game in a weather-delayed, after-dark situation with a fantastic TV call by our friend Jake Rose. Robert Morris DB Rob Carter Jr. snags the interception of the year. (It won’t be topped. We promise.) And the whole state of Florida is one hell of a drug if you’re interested in coaches on the hot seat and disappointed fan bases.
So, yeah, we cover a bunch of ground in our look back. But you probably expected that.
As we turn our attention to the upcoming weekend, AJ offers us a live rendition of his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report with this warning: It’s a loaded late slate, kids. There’s a genuine #AfterDark sighting (Texas Tech at Washington State, 10 ET, FOX) and a whole bunch of other silliness post-primetime. Our advice: Caffeinate. Heavily.
Then, we focus on the other notable games at hand:
No. 3 Texas at No. 10 Michigan (Big Nude, FOX): The Horns looked really good in Week 1. Really, there’s no surprise who we’re backing in this one.
Iowa State at No. 21 Iowa (3:30 ET, CBS): Iowa really scored 40 points last week. On offense. Don’t worry, though. This game will be much more reasonable.
Colorado at Nebraska (7:30 ET, NBC): AJ astutely notes that this game is a season-defining moment for both programs. Could a 7-0 Huskers team traveling to Columbus in late October be a reality? (There we go, willing things into being again.)
No. 14 Tennessee vs. No. 24 NC State (7:30 ET, ABC): The Vols have found their QB, and his name is Rico.
App State at No. 25 Clemson (8 ET, ACCN): Can we will an upset in this game into being as well? Because that would just be fun.
Boise State at No. 7 Oregon (10 ET, Peacock): This game also meets the definition of an #AfterDark situation. Also, it’s never a good thing when your coach says there’s room for improvement.
Unsurprisingly, Crappy gives his honorable mention nods to his Bucks (vs. Western Michigan, 7:30 ET, BTN) and Bobcats (vs. South Alabama, 6 ET, ESPN+), while Carla selects her Nits (vs. Bowling Green, Noon ET, BTN) and Blue Raiders (at No. 6 Ole Miss, 4:15 ET, SECN … good luck with that, Blue Raiders). AJ, meanwhile, offers a PSA to schools suing their conference. Ahem.
So plan now to stay up late with us this weekend, boys and girls. Can we will that into being as well? We’re sure as heck going to try. Cheers, yinz.
It’s the official full start of the college football season, and Crappy has apparently decided to introduce a new segment into the show: The Group of Dark After Five Report.
This may have been a freudian slip, though, because what lies ahead of us this weekend is a thing of beauty: Five. Straight. Days. Of. College. Football.
We start this week by reviewing the limited action from Week 0, which included some doozies. The ACC appears to be even more wide open than we even imagined, and Montana State let New Mexico hang around too long before doing what we expected them to do and win on the road.
Then, it’s time to hear from AJ and his first true #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, which is absolutely loaded with some great games, including the first #ACCAfterDark game featuring TCU at Stanford (10:30 ET Friday, ESPN). Also, you’re going to have to relocate TruTV in your channel lineup, so get started on that now.
And then? Let’s do this, boys and girls.
FCS No. 2 North Dakota State at Colorado (8 ET Thursday, ESPN): As AJ constantly reminds us, you never want to play a Dakota or a Montana. The Buffs haven’t won a game at home since last September. And this doesn’t look promising.
No. 8 Penn State at West Virginia (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): 2024 is supposed to be “the year” for the Nits, but this is a formidable test out of the gate. Carla’s real happy this game is at Noon and not after sunset.
No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia (Noon ET Saturday, ABC): OK, Tigers. Let’s see what you’re made of. We know what Georgia is, and that’s an exceptionally good football team.
No. 19 Miami at Florida (3:30 ET Saturday, ABC): A heated rivalry with an added plot twist of head coaches in the hot seat.
No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M (7:30 ET Saturday, ABC): The Irish can’t afford to lose games like these this year, while the Aggies get a reboot under Mike Elko. This should be wildly entertaining.
No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU (7:30 ET Sunday, ABC): This is a matchup designed for Vegas. Lots of offensive potential … and defensive questions … on both teams.
Carla gives honorable mentions to South Dakota State at Oklahoma State (2 ET Saturday, ESPN+) because of that whole aforementioned Dakota thing as well as Miami (OH) at Northwestern (3:30 ET Saturday, BTN) as we get our first look at the Wildcats’ makeshift lakefront stadium.
Also of note are Derek Mason’s home opener at MTSU as the Raiders host Tennessee Tech (7 ET Saturday, ESPN+) and Carla and AJ’s alma mater, Robert Morris, which travels to Utah State (8 ET Saturday, ESPN+).
And while there’s not a true Hawaii test this week, there is one heck of a late game – Wyoming at Arizona State (10:30 ET Saturday, FS1).
Crappy, meanwhile, is looking forward to his two teams kicking off their seasons: Akron at No. 2 Ohio State (3:30 ET Saturday, CBS) because the song is officially ours now, and Ohio at Syracuse (3:30 ET Saturday, ACCN).
So, yes, friends. Enjoy the long weekend of college football, and we’ll catch up with you again next week … after five. Cheers, yinz.
The sounds of drum cadences are in the air, which can mean one of two things: AJ is playing EA Sports College Football 25 nearby or college football is back, baby. (Actually, who are we kidding? Both things are true.)
Yes, friends, welcome to Week 0, otherwise known as the “What the heck is my Fubo password?” weekend. (Seriously. Go find your passwords. Set up your football-watching environment. This is your practice run. You’ve been warned.)
Before we get to actual football, we catch up a bit on what we did on our summer vacations. Carla chased down new MTSU football coach Derek Mason and signed a beam, AJ began a Hawaii dynasty (of course) on that aforementioned video game, and Crappy is super excited about DIII football. (Yes, really. Listen to understand why.)
Then, AJ doles out a “Where are they now?” pop quiz. Spoiler alert: This was harder than it sounds. We didn’t do well. Also, SMU is in the ACC. Because that’s a thing and everything is weird.
Up next? Real. Live. College. Football. There are seven games in Week 0 on Saturday, and we preview all of them. In chronological order, they are:
No. 10 Florida State vs. Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland (Noon ET, ESPN)
McNeese State at Tarleton State (2:30 ET, ESPN2)
FCS No. 2 Montana State at New Mexico (4 ET, FS1)
North Alabama vs. Southeast Missouri (7 ET, ESPN)
MEAC/SWAC Challenge: FAMU vs. Norfolk State in Atlanta (7:30 ET, ABC)
SMU at Nevada (8:30 ET, CBSSN)
Delaware State at Hawaii (Midnight ET, Team 1 Sports App)
We wrap things up by making our attempts at prognosticating the College Football Playoff brackets, which makes for scintillating audio, we promise. Remember: There are 12 teams in the CFP this year; the top 4 conference champions get byes, the 5th highest rated conference champion gets in, and the rest are at-large bids. Got all of that? Yeah. It’s weird. But kind of exciting in a new college football world that feels … remarkably wide open? Maybe we’re being optimistic.
So, yes, everything is weird but it’s going to be a fun season. Enjoy our 2024 season opener and get ready, because next week? It’s time to get weird and serious at the same time. Why not?
Cheers, yinz.
It’s a whole new year — happy 2024, kids — but the weirdness of the 2023 college football season may not be letting up any time soon, going all the way through Monday’s national championship game.
But before Carla and Crappy get to Washington and the Wolverines, they take a look back at more bowl games — Can we get them all to be sponsored by food products? It makes the postgame that much more awesome — and, specifically, the Bowlapalooza games. It came down to two people and one game; we won’t reveal who won or how, but we will say that Crappy now knows who Tom Gorzelanny is.
The not as fun part? That would be the part where Carla and Crappy recap the bowl games of Penn State and Ohio State, respectively. The Lions’ defense struggled against Ole Miss in a game that was tighter than it appeared, Carla said. And although he is not volunteering, Crappy thinks Ryan Day needs an offensive coordinator, to make the play calling less … offensive.
Carla and Crappy then turn their attention to Monday night’s game for the natty, and they’re in agreement on nearly everything: Michigan has better DBs than Texas, the Wolverines will run the ball to death, Michael Penix Jr. won’t have much time or many open guys, Michigan is the better team all the way around — but someone thinks the Huskies will win anyway.
And following a brief nod to the FCS title game on Saturday, that’s the 12th season of the Carla and Crappy Show. As always, we are incredibly grateful, for AJ, for our Bowlapalooza guests, and especially for you, the viewers, readers and listeners who have continued to support this little show over the years.
The #CnCShow forecast for the summer of 2024? Sunny with an excellent chance of a summer Carla and Crappy Show. Cheers, friends, and we'll see you then.
It’s still the most wonderful time of the year, and as bowl season continues along its merry way, Carla and Crappy are more than happy to revel in its glory.
And boy, has this season been the gift that just keeps on giving.
We’ve seen Western Kentucky erase a 28-point deficit to win the Famous Toastery Bowl … and then make “toast angels” on the field. We enjoyed watching Appalachian State beat Miami of Ohio in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl in a literal monsoon, and Jacksonville State steal a win over Louisiana in a much-deserved bowl appearance in the New Orleans Bowl. Crappy especially enjoyed Ohio’s offensive effort in its win in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
And we’ve enjoyed watching the Big Ten’s successes, of course, including Northwestern’s incredible win over Utah (yes, that’s a real thing that actually happened) and Minnesota’s win in the Quick Lane Bowl.
In fact, as we recorded this show, we were watching bowl games. And there’s still so much more to come … including the highly anticipated (for the most part) New Year’s Six bowl games including the College Football Playoff semifinals, which are the focus of our attention in this show.
Ready for the big ones? Here we go.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 9 Missouri vs. No. 7 Ohio State (8 ET Friday, ESPN): Missouri is arguably one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 season. Ohio State has lots of questions entering this game, but Crappy isn’t too worried about them.
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl: No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Penn State (Noon ET Saturday, ESPN): Ole Miss has a prolific offense, but Penn State actually scores more points per game. Carla’s hoping to see some pressure from the Nits’ defense and a steady dose of the ground game.
Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 5 Florida State (4 ET Saturday, ESPN): Serious question: Do either of these teams really want to be playing in this game? We desperately want this game to be good, but … we’re not holding our breath.
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: No. 23 Liberty vs. No. 8 Oregon (1 ET Monday, ESPN): Enjoy your trip out west, Liberty. Good luck with that Oregon defense.
CFP Semifinal: Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan (5 ET Monday, ESPN): Can we say that Michigan is still untested? Because, well, other than Ohio State … they kind of are. Bama is well tested, but also has a tendency of beating itself.
CFP Semifinal: Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Washington (8:45 ET Monday, ESPN): This game should be just delightful, with two fantastic offenses and one defense that may not be as good as it appears on paper. Is Washington still the team of destiny this season?
Our advice to you? Watch as much college football as you can, because the season is winding down quickly. There are still a ton of excellent bowl games on the schedule between now and January 1. So settle in with a glass of your favorite beverage and just soak it all in.
We’ll be back one final time next week to talk about the national championship game. Cheers, yinz.
We love us some brown sugar-cinnamon Pop-Tarts.
And we love us some Bowlapalooza.
Together? You get nearly two hours of college football podcasting fun.
The bowl game season begins Saturday at 11 a.m. (#OUOhYeah), continuing through the next few weeks. And as we do here at the Carla and Crappy Show, we gathered up a few friends – and an avocado – to pick some of the games we thought will be interesting.
It’s our 10.5th year of doing Bowlapalooza (COVID year counts as the half), and our cast will sound familiar to folks who have been here before; in addition to A.J. joining us live, we have Gabby Biltz, Braden Gall, Aiden and Kelly Krieg and Jake Rose.
Professional obligations kept Braden from joining us for the whole show – hence the Bradenpalooza show within the show – but we all got our say, and then some, with a list of seven bowl games.
And more importantly, we discussed mascot eating (and mascot dumping) as we considered the finest Pop-Tart flavors of all time.
Ready? Even if you’re not, here are the games:
Saturday, December 16
11 a.m., ESPN, Myrtle Beach Bowl: Ohio vs. Georgia Southern
Nearly all of OU’s offensive production is in the transfer portal, but there may be a few points left – if the Bobcats’ defense plays as it should.
3:30 p.m., ABC, Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Appalachian State
Crappy has strong feelings about Miami, OU’s rival in the MAC; nearly everyone else is feeling happy about Appy.
Saturday, December 23
3:30, ABC, Lockheed Martin Armed Services Bowl: James Madison vs. Air Force
Who in their right minds would pick against a former commander in chief in the Armed Services Bowl? Only a couple of us, as it turns out.
10:30 p.m., ESPN, Easy Post Hawaii Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. San Jose State
Avocados are firmly behind Coastal. Everyone else likes Sparty Junior.
Wednesday, December 27
5:50 p.m., ESPN, Duke's Mayo Bowl: North Carolina vs. West Virginia
The picks were mixed for this game, but everyone wants to see Mack Brown get a tub of Duke’s Mayo dumped on his head.
Thursday, December 28
5:45 p.m., ESPN, PopTarts Bowl: NC State vs. Kansas State
The PowerCats are looking good. Strawberry Pop-Tarts? Not so much.
9:15 p.m., ESPN
Valero Alamo Bowl: Arizona vs. Oklahoma
Arizona continues its run as the team no one wants to play. Except for the one of us who has a friend who was an athlete at Oklahoma.
Friday, December 29
2 p.m., CBS, Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Oregon State
The transfer portal will have a GRRRRREEEAAAAAT impact on this game (Get it? Yeah, sorry…), as both quarterbacks are moving on. Does ND run the ball into the ground, or will OSU complete its run in the PAC 12 with a final win?
After a stomach bug waylaid Carla (she’s feeling better now, thanks), a brief discussion about national championship contenders – we’ll use those picks as tie-breakers, if necessary – and probably one too many beers for Crappy, we were pleased to wrap up what is perhaps the most chaotic Bowlapalooza ever. Can we top it? We’ll give it a try with the 11.5th edition next year. In the meantime, enjoy bowl season, boys and girls, and we’ll see you back here prior to the NY6 games.
And somehow … we’re at Championship Week. Erm, ahem. Excuse us. That’s Champinchip Week. To celebrate, the gang’s all here as AJ – the nation’s foremost expert in Group of Five football – joins Carla and Crappy live to break down all 10 conference title games happening this weekend.
But before we get into the fun, we discuss some not-so-fun stuff, as Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Stockstill, a guest this past summer on this very podcast, was relieved of his duties after 18 years at the helm several hours before this recording. Yes, we know that coaching firings happen all the time, but this one feels a bit more personal. Best wishes to you, coach.
(Speaking of which, it is worth noting that as we recorded on Monday night, all of our rankings are way off. We’re very aware of this. Carry on.)
We also take some time to bask in what was an exceptional Rivalry Week last weekend. Carla may have scared her family during 4th and 31 (although her reaction wasn’t nearly as funny as Herbstreit’s and Fowler’s). AJ had his weekend bookended by two exceptional games – Nebraska/Iowa on Friday afternoon and Colorado State/Hawaii early Sunday morning. And Crappy? Well, he has thoughts about The Game, and they involve John Cooper. (Hint: That’s not a good thing.)
Next up? Our Heisman picks. We all have three QBs in our finalists lists … but beyond that, some interesting opinions are offered.
And then … finally … the 10 games that matter this weekend. And we discuss ALL of them. Buckle up.
Conference USA: New Mexico State at No. 25 Liberty (7 ET Friday, CBSSN): One of these teams is undefeated. The other beat Auburn in Jordan Hare. Spoiler alert: We’re all rooting for the Aggies.
Pac-12: No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 4 Washington (8 ET Friday, ABC): It’s the final (at least for now) Pac-12 title game, and it likely will be the best game of the weekend. Heck, it’s a de facto CFP play-in game.
Big 12: No. 20 Oklahoma State vs. No. 7 Texas (Noon ET, ABC): Oh, hey. Remember Texas? If the Horns win, they might just make the playoff.
MAC: Miami vs. Toledo (Noon ET, ESPN): The Rockets are good-good … and would love to close out a spectacular season with another title.
Mountain West: Boise State vs. UNLV (3 ET, FOX): AJ saw into the future for this matchup. We all think the Rebs are the team to beat.
American: SMU at No. 23 Tulane (4 ET, ABC): Tulane’s only loss is to Ole Miss. SMU will be missing its QB.
Sun Belt: Appalachian State at Troy (4 ET, ESPN): Troy is the pick here … but it’s Appy State. So who knows?
SEC: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama (4 ET, CBS): Bama has improved this season. Enough to beat the top Dawgs? We’ll see.
ACC: No. 10 Louisville vs. No. 5 Florida State (8 ET, ABC): Let’s call this the Noles Conundrum: If Florida State wins, are they CFP material? Or can the Cards win this game and put all speculation to bed?
B1G: No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 17 Iowa (8 ET, FOX): Crappy proposes an interesting outcome in this snoozefest.
And although the game isn’t this weekend, we also make our annual Army vs. Navy (3 ET Dec. 9, CBS) picks.
We conclude our conversation with each of our College Football Playoff selections, and AJ offers us a chaos scenario (with, yes, you guessed it, a spreadsheet!) that likely will never happen … but boy, would we have some fun if it did.
And with that … that’s a wrap on another regular season. We’ll be off next week, but be on the lookout in mid-December for our 10th* annual Bowlapalooza, featuring a cast of characters … and an edible mascot? How’s that for a tease? Enjoy the title games, yinz!
Technically, Bowlapalooza began on theCnCShow in 2013*, making this the 11th annual show. But the 2020 edition didn’t feature a cast of characters due to well, you know, everything, so we’re celebrating this year like it’s the 10th anniversary. Just because. Either way, you’re not going to want to miss it.
When we reach the point of the season where we refer to weeks by names and not numbers, that’s when things are getting good.
And with that, it’s Wivalwy Week.
Carla and Crappy both got to watch a ton of feetball last weekend; Carla was impressed with Washington holding off a late charge by Oregon State in a heavy rainstorm, and Crappy was happy that Luke Fickell won the Wisconsin-Nebraska eligibowl (thank you, Sickos Committee). Cornell had a rough outing in the Empire State Bowl, the Big Red Bears’ annual rivalry game against Cornell, losing 29-14 (UPDATE: The school fired 11-year head coach David Archer the day after the loss). Drew Powell, Cornell’s starting running back and Crappy’s nephew, didn’t have a great day on the ground, but racked up a whole bunch yards in the air to wind up his college career.
After AJ delivers his G5AD manifesto, Carla and Crappy turn their attention to a mess of rivalry games, some of which you should definitely watch, and some of which — the Iron Bowl, the Egg Bowl, the Heroes Trophy game and the Land Grant Trophy game — you should also definitely watch because things get weird when you’re playing for ugly trophies.
And then, the games:
No. 11 Oregon State at No. 6 Oregon (8:30 ET Friday, FOX)
Oregon State almost managed to beat Washington at home last week, but the Civil War seems like an even heavier lift for the Beavers. And take note, Oregons: Do what Washington State and Washington did this week and extend your rivalry past the demise of the Pac-12. It’s the right thing to do.
Washington State at No. 5 Washington (4 ET, FOX)
Wazzu was legitimately dangerous at the outset of the season, but since then, it’s the Huskies that have been playing like they’re the team on a mission. And this week, the mission is winning the Apple Cup.
No. 4 Florida State at Florida (7 ET, ESPN)
This is suddenly is a very different Florida State team without Jordan Travis. Tate Rodemaker is the Noles’ new starter, and he’s been the backup for the past four seasons. Florida, likewise, will likely start its backup QB after Graham Mertz suffered a collarbone injury. That backup is redshirt freshman Max Brown. And yes, we have no idea.
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Michigan (The Biggest Nude, FOX)
Crappy’s referring to this as the Karma Bowl — and it’s coming for you, Jim Harbaugh — but we all know that this year’s version of the The Game will be the toughest, and most intense, in years.
Carla wishes our Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders a successful completion to their season, and you already know what Crappy’s only possible final thought is. Settle in for three days of wivalwy games, boys and girls, and we’ll see you back here for Champinship Week. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
It’s Week 12 of the college football season … and my goodness, how thankful are we for West Coast football this week?
Because if you’ve taken a look at the slate, there are a lot of cupcakes. Except for the West Coast, that is. Dang it all, we’re going to miss you, Pac-12.
Before we get into this week’s offerings, though, Carla and Crappy dive into actual college football news, including a slew of firings – one of which was really, really, really expensive – and the scandal surrounding The Team Up North. (UPDATE: As of Thursday afternoon, it’s being reported that the parties have settled. The court hearing scheduled for Friday has been canceled, and Michigan will abide by the terms of the suspension issued by the conference.)
As for the games, we had our eyes on Washington’s win (and really dumb play), Penn State’s woeful offense and questionable game management decisions, Oklahoma State’s major letdown, and Missouri’s thumping of Tennessee (shout out to you, Cody Schrader), among many others.
Crappy gives our last full Big Red Bears Report, including the fun fact that our favorite RB Drew Powell was credited with throwing a 2-yard touchdown pass last week. Cornell finishes its season – and Drew wraps up his college football career – at home on Saturday against Columbia (1 ET, ESPN+). Congrats, Drew. Go score a touchdown this weekend!
Then … AJ joins us for his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, and he’s just a wee bit excited. As he should be. Because absolutely all of the fun stuff is happening out West and in the Group of Five this week.
We join in his excitement with our main game slate.
No. 22 Utah at No. 17 Arizona (2:30 ET, PACN): Sort out your VPN situation now. Arizona is still the team no one wants to play, and Utah is reeling but still very good. This game should be fantastic.
No. 1 Georgia at No. 18 Tennessee (3:30 ET, CBS): Not even playing in Neyland can help the Vols this week. Georgia’s hitting beast mode at just the right time, unless you’re a Tennessee fan.
No. 21 Kansas State at No. 25 Kansas (7 ET, FS1): Two ranked teams in the Sunflower Showdown? Yes, really. We love you, Kansas, and we’re thrilled you’re bowl eligible. But the Powercats are surging right now.
No. 5 Washington at No. 11 Oregon State (7:30 ET, ABC): You have absolutely no excuse not to watch this game. It’s in the primetime window on national television. The Beavs are playing with a chip on their shoulder at home … and they’re actually favored to win this game. Is Washington a team of destiny? We’ll find out.
Carla gives honorable mentions to UTEP at MTSU (2 ET, ESPN+) as Middle closes out its home schedule and UCLA at USC (3:30 ET, ABC) simply because it’s going to be a stupid fun rivalry game in the Coliseum. Crappy, meanwhile, offers his condolences to our Williams alums for their loss last weekend in the Biggest Little Game in America, and then gives us a history lesson on the Ten Year War.
Do we have rivalries on our mind already? Yep. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves too quickly. It’s going to be a fun weekend. Enjoy the football, yinz. Cheers.
Oh, hi there, boys and girls. It’s Week 11 of the college football season. Carla’s voice is just about gone and Crappy is distracted (for the first time this year) by midweek MACtion and his Ohio Bobcats. So, yeah … just your normal week around these parts.
Before we get into some interesting stuff coming up this weekend, we look back at some fun results from last week. Clemson had an improbable win. Texas and Ohio State won … but not prettily. Arizona (now CFP ranked) continues to be the team that absolutely no one in the Pac-12 wants to play. LSU really needs a healthy Jayden Daniels. And Bedlam actually was bedlam.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great weekend for our Cornell Big Red Bears, but they have a chance to rebound this Saturday at Dartmouth (1:30 ET, ESPN+).
AJ fills us in on all of the goodness that is late-season #GroupOfFiveAfterDark (and yes, there are some really good matchups on that slate this week), and then we get into this weekend’s intrigue, including a massive game that even has Crappy seeing blue (and white).
No. 18 Utah at No. 5 Washington (3:30 ET, FOX): That Utah defense is spectacular against the run. Unfortunately, Michael Penix Jr. likes to throw the football. A lot.
No. 13 Tennessee at No. 14 Missouri (3:30 ET, CBS): Too close to call? Kinda. Mizzou’s been oh-so-close a couple of times this year. Is this the game they get over the hump?
No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 2 Georgia (7 ET, ESPN): This might be Georgia’s biggest test of the season … before facing Bama in the conference title game, that is.
No. 3 Michigan at No. 10 Penn State (Huge Nude, FOX): Yep. Doing this game out of sequential order because it’s that important. Carla’s hyper-focused on the Penn State secondary, while Crappy is hoping he doesn’t have to figure out the math on a three-way tiebreaker atop the B1G East.
Carla gives an honorable mention to West Virginia at No. 17 Oklahoma (7 ET, FOX) because the Sooners are reeling, while USC at No. 6 Oregon (10:30 ET, FOX) should be silly fun if you can stay awake. Also, FIU at MTSU (3:30 ET, ESPN+) is worth noting because our beloved Blue Raiders need a win.
Crappy is obviously paying attention to Michigan State at No. 1 Ohio State (7:30 ET, NBC), but mostly because of the Bucks’ sweet gray unis.
We close the show with an ode to the Biggest Little Game in America, the DIII rivalry between the Amherst Mammoths and the Williams Ephs that’s been played since 1884. Former Draft Day Suit (the original home for this show) editor Kim Daboo is an alum of Williams, and our former colleague Chuck Curti, now of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, had a great article this week about two Pittsburgh-area brothers playing in the game. It’s just one of the many reasons we love college football. (Also, go Ephs!)
And with that … Carla’s going to rest her voice and Crappy’s going to root his Bobcats to (spoiler alert!) a win. We’ll be back here next week for more as we start nearing the end of the 2023 season. (Can you believe it?) Cheers, yinz.
Hi there, boys and girls. It’s Week 10 of the college football season, Carla and Crappy are both in some semblance of Halloween attire … and Brian Ferentz no longer has a job.
But before we get into that, we take an almost-live look at the first College Football Playoff rankings — hint: They don’t mean much yet — before reviewing how absolutely wrong we were about just about everything last Saturday, particularly the dud that was that 3:30 window. But hey, congrats to Kansas for the most Kansas-y upset win possible!
Crappy was also disappointed by Cornell’s loss (even though starting RB Drew Powell had a great individual performance), yet our Big Red Bears still find themselves in a five-way tie in the hunt for a potential Ivy League title. Cornell travels to Penn this weekend (1 ET, ESPN+).
AJ, meanwhile, has lots of interesting games on his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark slate this weekend, and tells us all about them.
Then … back to the Ferentz thing. In honor of one of the most futile offenses that has ever taken the field — the AJ Fun Index for Iowa at Northwestern (3:30 ET, Peacock) is 30.5 points — Carla and Crappy offer up a bunch of games with big scoring potential this weekend, including what might possibly be the highest Fun Index we’ve ever had on the show.
Ready to watch long games with lots of points? Here we go.
No. 23 Kansas State at No. 7 Texas (Big Nude, FOX): Be careful, Texas. Be very, very careful. The Powercats are back and hitting their stride just at the right time.
No. 9 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (3:30 ET, ABC): Emotions will be high in this final Bedlam … as will the points machine. Because the Pokes don’t play defense. At all.
No. 12 Missouri at No. 2 Georgia (3:30 ET, CBS): OK, this one might not have the offensive firepower as some of the others on this list, but we will find out if Mizzou is for real.
No. 5 Washington at No. 20 USC (7:30 ET, ABC): Peep that Fun Index, friends. Yep. 76! And we’re still tempted to take the over. Settle in for this one. It’s going to be a long game.
No. 14 LSU at No. 8 Alabama (7:45 ET, CBS): Can Bama lose two games at Bryant Denny this year? It’s certainly possible here.
No. 19 UCLA at Arizona (10:30 ET, FS1): Yep, we have to stay up late again this week. Because Arizona is the spoiler team of the Pac-12 this season.
Carla offers honorable mentions to Jacksonville State at South Carolina (Noon ET, ESPNU) in the Battle of the Gamecocks and MTSU at New Mexico St. (6 ET, ESPN+) as her beloved Blue Raiders must win out to go bowling. Crappy’s solely focused this week on No. 1 Ohio State at Rutgers (Noon ET, CBS) as his Ohio Bobcats are on a bye.
So, there you have it. If you like offense, you’re going to like this weekend … unless you’re Brian Ferentz, that is. Enjoy the football and the points, yinz. We’ll see you back here again next week.
It’s Week 9 of the college football season and Carla and Crappy are both wearing black. One of us likes black jerseys; the other one is in mourning. (We’re willing to bet that you can guess who is who here.)
Carla, though, is more than happy to talk about the chaos that was the ACC last weekend. She absolutely, definitely, under no circumstances however wants to talk about that other little football game … but somehow manages to talk about it pretty extensively anyway.
Crappy, meanwhile, doesn’t gloat too much about his Buckeyes, but is more than happy to gloat about his USC prediction. (Also, Iowa? You totally got screwed. We’re sorry.) He’s also thrilled to boast about the Cornell Big Red Bears and their huge win last week.
After all of that, it’s time to focus on what lies ahead. And we’re on board with AJ’s assessment of the #GroupOfFiveAfterDark games this week. There are some absolutely great games late in the day.
So here’s our advice: Sleep in. The 3:30 window is absolutely berserkers, and we have an amazing game to stay up way late for. Hit that snooze button Saturday morning and caffeinate accordingly. Let’s go.
No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas (Big Nude, FOX): Can the Jayhawks actually do this? We give it a solid maybe. But they absolutely can put a scare in the Sooners. (See: UCF.)
No. 1 Georgia vs. Florida (3:30 ET, CBS): No Brock Bowers for Georgia means the Dawgs are most definitely mortable here. Can the Gators … pounce? (Do Gators pounce? Is that a thing?)
No. 8 Oregon at No. 13 Utah (3:30 ET, FOX): Two really great defenses on display in this one. This should be an absolutely fantastic game. Put it on the biggest screen possible.
No. 20 Duke at No. 18 Louisville (3:30 ET, ESPN): The status of Riley Leonard has a huge impact on this game … as well as our predictions.
See what we mean about that 3:30 window? Bonkers. But we’re not done yet, because we add two more in our honorable mentions: BYU at No. 7 Texas (3:30 ET, ABC) and the Battle of the Bricks, Miami (OH) at Ohio (3:30 ET, CBSSN). Crappy’s pumped for that latter one, for obvious reasons.
Carla also offers a recommendation for Colorado at No. 23 UCLA (7:30 ET, ABC) because after that loaded mid-afternoon of football, we’re all going to need something stupid to watch. And finally, don’t miss the reason why we’re all staying up late: As AJ would say, UNLV at Fresno State (10:30 ET, FS1) should be an absolute banger.
So, there you have it. Get your sleep early and hang out with us starting at 3:30 on Saturday. Also, enjoy the last week of CUSAction – MACtion is back next week! We’ll check in with yinz then. Cheers!
It’s Week 8 of the college football season, and yes, Ellie, “yay, feetball” indeed.
It’s here. The weekend that Carla and Crappy have been anticipating since … oh, the end of last season.
Penn State. Ohio State. Drew Allar. Kyle McCord. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. And … Daequan Hardy? (Who?)
But before we get completely lost in that game, there are other matters at hand. Carla gleefully explains the Stanford Postulate (it lives!) and recaps an Oregon/Washington game that absolutely lived up to the hype. Crappy, meanwhile, offers his thoughts on USC/Notre Dame and takes some time to recap his (chilly and soggy) trip to Ithaca to watch Cornell (and, more importantly, starting RB Drew Powell) last weekend. The Big Red Bears host Brown this Saturday (Noon ET, ESPN+).
Then, AJ joins us with an absolutely loaded #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report that begins on Thursday and continues nearly non-stop through late Saturday night, including an after-dark FCS game that’s absolutely worth caffeinating for. (Shout out, Big Sky!)
And then … to the games at hand. But not that one. We’ll save that one for last.
No. 17 Tennessee at No. 11 Alabama (3:30 ET, CBS): Bama is absolutely mortable this year … but the Vols haven’t been great on the road.
No. 16 Duke at No. 4 Florida State (7:30 ET, ABC): If this game was in Durham, we might have different opinions. Also, the line is real silly here.
No. 14 Utah at No. 18 USC (8 ET, FOX): They have a fantastic defense, but without Cam Rising, the Utes just aren’t quite the same team. USC might be done nationally, but not this week.
Finally …
No. 7 Penn State at No. 3 Ohio State (The Biggest of Nude Saturdays, FOX): It goes without saying that Carla and Crappy have lots of thoughts about this one. Carla’s pleased with her Nits’ confidence entering the Shoe, while Crappy boasts about his Bucks’ play last weekend against Purdue. The Fun Index on this game is silly low … but it might be on point. All we know for sure? One of us is going to be quite unhappy next week.
To wrap things up, Carla offers a reason to be interested in No. 2 Michigan at Michigan State (7:30 ET, ABC). Crappy’s too amped to have a final thought. Yep, really. That’s how big this game is.
So, here we go. Enjoy the “feetball” this weekend … and come back next week to see whether or not we’re speaking to each other. (Ha!) Cheers, yinz!
It’s Week 7 – the midway point of the college football season (if you can believe that already). Which means only one thing: It’s time for midterms. In true academic fashion, Carla grades her performance after last week’s parity-filled picks. (She passed, but barely.) Crappy, on the other hand, doles out failing grades to the USC defense as well as the Miami coaching staff. (Take a knee! Like, for real!) In the Big Red Bears Report, while Cornell didn’t have a great time at Harvard, our favorite starting running back Drew Powell had a solid game, and Crappy previews the family’s upcoming trip to what will likely be a damp and chilly Ithaca this weekend as Cornell hosts Bucknell (1 ET, ESPN+). Then AJ joins the conversation, with a laundry list of really good #GroupOfFiveAfterDark games, beginning on Friday the 13th. Nope. Nothing ominous about that. And then it’s time for our next test: Can we all stay up late this week? Because the night slate is so good, we have to. AJ is even offering extra credit for watching San Diego State at Hawaii (11 ET, CBSSN). Ready? Caffeinate appropriately, friends. Let’s do this. No. 8 Oregon at No. 7 Washington (3:30 ET, ABC): This game should rank right up there in the top games so far this season. The difference here might be Oregon’s defense. (Yes, we just said that.) Texas A&M at No. 19 Tennessee (3:30 ET, CBS): The Aggies had Bama on the ropes last week. Is Tennessee good? We’re not sure … but the Vols do tend to play better in the comfy confines of Neyland. No. 10 USC at No. 21 Notre Dame (7:30 ET, NBC): So, yeah. About that USC defense. That should be a factor in this game as the Irish look to bounce back. No. 25 Miami at No. 12 North Carolina (7:30 ET, ABC): Carolina is legit good. The Canes are coming in after an inexplicable loss despite a really, really good rush defense. Can the Heels remain unbeaten? No. 18 UCLA at No. 15 Oregon State (8 ET, FOX): Congrats, UCLA. Your reward for last week’s big win? A night game at Corvallis against DJ U and the Beavs offense. Carla gives honorable mention to Missouri at No. 24 Kentucky (7:30 ET, SECN), as if you didn’t have enough already to pay attention to in the late window. Crappy, meanwhile, explains why road games at Purdue give him heartburn. So, there you have it. Stay up late. Get an afternoon coffee or tea or energy drink. Let’s finish midterms strong, friends! We’ll see you back here next week for … the game of the year. You won’t want to miss it.
It’s Week 6 of the college football season, and Carla and Crappy decide to attempt a fun exercise: Name the best five teams right now in college football.
It proved to be a much more challenging task than it originally seemed. We’re not sure Carla ever actually settled on five teams – it was more like six or seven – and Crappy had similar struggles.
Looking back at last weekend’s action alone, Carla questions Georgia and Notre Dame and their need for late-game heroics, while Crappy goes after USC’s lack of defense.
There really aren’t any really clear frontrunners at this point. Parity is a real thing in 2023. Does anyone want to be No. 1?
What we do know for sure is that you can watch the Big Red Bears on national television on Friday night, as Cornell travels to Harvard (7 ET Friday, ESPNU). And AJ, as per usual, has an incredible menu of #GroupOfFiveAfterDark games for you to choose from all weekend long.
But when it comes time for our picks, for the first time in a really long time on this little prognostication podcast, Carla and Crappy have differing opinions in all but a couple of games. It’s a good slate, particularly in the first window.
No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Texas (Noon ET, ABC): The Sooners have been quietly flying under the national radar … which means that this could spell trouble for Texas in the Elmer Fudd Invitational.
Maryland at No. 4 Ohio State (Big Nude, FOX): The Terps have high hopes in this one, but we agree (a rare thing!) that Ohio State should hold the upper hand in the Shoe.
No. 23 LSU at No. 21 Missouri (Noon ET, ESPN): One of these Tiger teams is unbeaten … and it’s not LSU.
No. 11 Alabama at Texas A&M (3:30 ET, CBS): Has Bama righted the ship? Or can the Aggie defense prevail at home?
No. 20 Kentucky at No. 1 Georgia (7 ET, ESPN): Hoo boy, do we both wish this game was in Lexington. But it’s not. Georgia isn’t mortable … yet.
No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 25 Louisville (7:30 ET, ABC): The brutal stretch for Notre Dame continues. As long as this isn’t a look-ahead game, we like the Irish on the road.
No. 24 Fresno State at Wyoming (8 ET, FOX): Laramie in primetime on national television? This is a must watch game. Seriously. Watch it.
Carla gives honorable mention nods to two Top 25 teams that need to be on alert: No. 13 Washington State at UCLA (3 ET, Pac-12) and Syracuse at No. 14 North Carolina (3:30 ET, ESPN). Crappy, meanwhile, is still boasting about that Ohio Bobcats defense.
So, will we get some answers to our parity issue this weekend? Perhaps. But we’ll definitely get an incredible weekend of college football. Enjoy the games, yinz. Cheers.
Kentucky. Kansas. Duke. Wait … did this become a college basketball podcast?
Nope. These are schools looking to shed their basketball-school reputations in some big time football games this weekend.
But before we get to the Week 5 action, Carla and Crappy recap the spectacularity (if that’s not a word, it should be) that was Week 4. Carla questions whether Florida State is as good as we initially thought, while Crappy gives us the details of his fantastic weekend in South Bend. Oh, and we throw in some shoutouts to Penn State and Robert Morris in there, too.
Then, Crappy gives us our weekly Big Red Bears report and we turn things over to AJ, who highlights all of the wonder that is the #GroupOfFiveAfterDark this weekend.
Now, back to those basketball schools … and some other really good games, too.
No. 10 Utah at No. 19 Oregon State (9 ET Friday, FS1): The Utes have been relying on their defense all season, while the favored Beavs are looking for some Pac-2 magic at home.
No. 22 Florida at Kentucky (Noon ET, ESPN): Are the Cats for real this season? Which Florida team will we get in this game?
No. 24 Kansas at No. 3 Texas (3:30 ET, ABC): Does Kansas have a chance in Austin? Maybe?
No. 13 LSU at No. 20 Ole Miss (6 ET, ESPN): Are the Tigers the best team in the SEC West? We’ll get a good look this weekend. Meanwhile, Ole Miss looks to rebound.
No. 11 Notre Dame at No. 17 Duke (7:30 ET, ABC): The Irish look to bounce back on the road at Durham in what is absolutely not a “breather” game. Duke can win this one.
Carla offers honorable mention to her MTSU Blue Raiders who travel to Western Kentucky (7:30 ET Thursday, CBSSN) for their annual rivalry game – this year on the Network of Champions! Also, the Friday night slate is really good this week. Don’t lose track of Louisville at NC State (7 ET Friday, ESPN) or Cincinnati at BYU (10:15 ET Friday, ESPN). To close things out, Crappy offers a final reflection on the early season success of his Ohio Bobcats.
With that, we have another fun weekend of college hoops, erm, football ahead of us. Enjoy all of the action. Cheers, yinz.
It’s Week 4 of the college football season … and if you’ve taken a peek at the slate for this weekend, your head may be spinning as much as ours are. So. Many. Big. Games.
But we don’t want to jump ahead of ourselves. True to form, last weekend’s schedule was lackluster on paper but ended up full of crazy, causing Carla to question whether this is the most parity we’ve seen in college football in years. Meanwhile, Crappy takes the opportunity to bask in the MAC’s success against Big 12 opponents. Fly that flag!
We also get our second Big Red Bears Report, featuring Cornell starting running back Drew Powell.
Then, AJ takes over to give us just a taste of what awaits us in his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, including a true crosstown rivalry and trophy game and West Coast football in the middle of the afternoon. (Yes, AJ says we all can go to bed early again this week — unless you’re staying up for New Mexico State-Hawaii).
And then … it’s full speed ahead. Warning: You’re going to want to have multiple screens at the ready.
No. 4 Florida State at Clemson (Noon ET, ABC): This is the game the Noles absolutely need to have. But which version of FSU will we get here? And is Clemson still a national contender?
No. 19 Colorado at No. 10 Oregon (3:30 ET, ABC): Let’s find out what the Buffs are made of. The Ducks have a spectacular offense … and an almost equally spectacular defense.
No. 22 UCLA at No. 11 Utah (3:30 ET, FOX): Can the Utes defense get it done at home again? Are the Bruins for real?
No. 15 Ole Miss at No. 13 Alabama (3:30 ET, CBS): Here’s a question we weren’t expecting to ask this year: Can Bama lose two straight at home? If Lane Kiffin has anything to say about it, yes.
No. 6 Ohio State at No. 9 Notre Dame (7:30 ET, NBC): This game has blockbuster written all over it. Crappy, who will be in attendance, has lots of thoughts.
No. 24 Iowa at No. 7 Penn State (7:30 ET, CBS): Drew Allar and the Nits offense didn’t look sharp last week. But this is the Whiteout game. That should remedy things.
Carla gives honorable mention nods to BYU at Kansas (3:30 ET, ESPN) in a battle of Big 12 unbeatens, No. 14 Oregon State at No. 21 Washington State (7 ET, FOX) as what’s left of the Pac-12 goes head-to-head on the Palouse, and Colorado State at MTSU (7 ET, ESPN+) because it’s homecoming for Middle. (Go Blue!) Crappy is (not surprisingly) interested in Ohio at Bowling Green (3:30 ET, ESPN+) to see how his Bobcats fare in their first conference game of the year.
So, find as many screens as possible and enjoy the incredible weekend of college football that awaits us. Cheers, yinz.
Hi friends! It’s Week 3 of the college football season and, well, let’s just say the schedule isn’t quite as enticing as the past two weekends have been. So much so that AJ has declared this weekend “Be A Family Person Weekend,” and given himself the week off.
Crappy and Carla are … kind of in agreement. So instead of a normal show this week, we shift into “Games We Care About” mode and get a little personal.
Before that, Carla recaps what was a fairly chaotic Week 2, thanks to a bunch of weather delays (Did Notre Dame/NC State ever end?) and a pretty impressive slate of evening games. Crappy, meanwhile, offers Carla a pop quiz.
We also get our first Big Red Bears Report of the year as Cornell (and Crappy’s nephew, Drew Powell) kicks off its season this weekend. Hooray for the return of Ivy League football!
Here are the games that Crappy and Carla care about this weekend:
No. 7 Penn State at Illinois (Big Nude, FOX): The Nits offense has been spectacular. This is a game to check the defensive side of the ball.
Iowa State at Ohio (Noon ET, ESPNU): A Power 5 school travels to Athens to face what has become a stellar Ohio defense. Raise that flag, Bobcats!
Cornell at Lehigh (Noon ET, ESPN+): Seriously, you want to watch Jameson Wang play football. He’s super fun. Go Bears!
Western Kentucky at No. 6 Ohio State (4 ET, FOX): A weird start time for this one, but the Bucks should get some good reps before a big game next weekend.
Murray State at MTSU (7 ET, ESPN+): Middle just couldn’t quite finish off Mizzou last week. They should handle Murray in their home opener. (Also, listen to Jake Rose call a football game!)
We’re also both always excited about the return of the Backyard Brawl – Pitt at West Virginia (7:30 ET, ABC). This game’s at night in Morgantown. Weird things are going to happen.
Other games that have Carla’s attention are No. 14 LSU at Mississippi State (Noon ET, ESPN), No. 15 Kansas State at Missouri (Noon ET, SECN), and Minnesota at No. 20 North Carolina (3:30 ET, ESPN), as we’ll start to see which of these teams are for real this season. Also, just for fun, Wyoming at No. 4 Texas (8 ET, Longhorn), because this might be the last chance you have to watch a game on the Longhorn Network.
Crappy, meanwhile, is maybe a bit too interested in Central Michigan at No. 9 Notre Dame (2:30 ET, Peacock), as he starts to look ahead to a huge game in South Bend next weekend.
So, yeah, the schedule’s a bit lighter. But you should still watch college football. As we all know, it’s weeks like this when weird stuff happens.
We’ll be back to our normal programming next week. Cheers, yinz!
We did it, everyone. We survived the mini-bowl week that the opening weekend of the college football season has become. And boy, was it a fun one.
Carla had so many thoughts about Week 1 — including an undefeated uprising on the west coast — that she had to write about them. Crappy, meanwhile, was underwhelmed by — but not overly concerned about — Ohio State’s line play.
But, here’s the thing. There’s no rest for the weary. There are big games on the slate this weekend … and big questions to be answered. Was [insert team here’s] Week 1 performance a fluke? Is [insert team here] for real?
After noting the 13-0 start by the PAC 12, AJ runs us through his weekly slate of Group of Five and After Dark games, and then we take a look at this weekend’s intrigue. Let’s go.
Nebraska at No. 22 Colorado (Big Nude, FOX): This feels like two teams moving in opposite directions. Can the Buffs keep up their winning ways? Can Nebraska shake the yips?
No. 10 Notre Dame at NC State (Noon ET, ABC): The Irish get their first true test of the season, although NC State’s leading rusher last week was its QB. (Ooph.)
No. 20 Ole Miss at No. 24 Tulane (3:30 ET, ESPN2): Can Tulane beat its second-consecutive Power Five opponent? Spoiler alert: Carla and Crappy agree on this one. Don’t miss this game. Really.
No. 23 Texas A&M at Miami (3:30 ET, ABC): The Aggies appear to have fixed their offensive struggles. Can Miami keep up?
Iowa at Iowa State (3:30 ET, FOX): This game will be painfully stupid … but we’ll talk about it anyway. First team to 10 points wins?
No. 11 Texas at No. 3 Alabama (7 ET, ESPN): Last year, Texas put Bama on the ropes … until Quinn Ewers got hurt. The Horns looked good last week, as did new Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (much to Carla’s chagrin). Is Bama mortable this year?
No. 19 Wisconsin at Washington State (7:30 ET, ABC): The Cougs won this matchup last year in Madison. At home, in the comfy confines of Pullman, against an all-new Badgers offense? This game should be lots of fun. Expect the unexpected. (And technically, it’s not After Dark. Watch this game!)
Carla gives honorable mention this week to No. 13 Oregon at Texas Tech (7 ET, FOX), because the line on the game makes absolutely no sense. Also, a quick shoutout to MTSU at Missouri (7 ET, ESPN+), because this SEC opponent feels like it might be conquerable (as opposed to last weekend’s monumental task against Bama). Crappy, meanwhile, expresses his displeasure with Ohio State’s opponent this weekend. (Stop playing FCS teams!)
So, there you have it. We’re on to Week 2. Enjoy the games, yinz. We’ll see you back here again next week.
Uncle Crappy yourcrappyuncle@gmail.com 3:54 PM (1 minute ago) to Michael This is the week of a lot of exciting beginnings. Five straight days of college football. Teams and conferences on new television channels. (The 3:30 CBS song is ours now, thank you very much.)
We get to see new offensive schemes. New quarterbacks. Heck, Colorado is going to show us a whole new roster.
Fun times. And to say we’re excited is probably an understatement.
So, we waste no time getting into it. We take a quick look back at the handful of games in Week 0, including impressive wins by Jacksonville State and … UMass? Also, Sam Hartman might be good, while USC’s defense … eh, might not be.
Then AJ gets us ready for all of the #GroupOfFiveAfterDark action with an absolutely loaded report (be sure to tune in every week, Boise State fans). You should have absolutely no reason to be bored this weekend. None.
And then … let’s go.
Florida at No. 14 Utah (8 ET Thursday, ESPN): Lots of questions this year for the Gators. Traveling to Salt Lake to face a stealthy Utes defense? That’s a big ask.
Nebraska at Minnesota (8 ET Thursday, FOX): B1G football lovers? This one’s for you. Matt Rhule gets a heck of a first game as the Huskers head coach. Meanwhile, Minnesota is rowing (see what we did there?) out a whole new offense.
Miami (OH) at Miami (7 ET Friday, ACCN): This one’s fun to talk about. (Ha!) We like the Canes … but wouldn’t be shocked to see the RedHawks hang around to make this interesting. The line is real dumb.
Colorado at No. 17 TCU (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): Coach Prime gets the prime TV treatment … but the Horny Toads have the upper hand.
West Virginia at No. 7 Penn St. (7:30 ET Saturday, NBC): Our first look at the new Penn State offense as the Drew Allar show begins in Happy Valley. Carla’s pumped. Crappy? Not so much. Meanwhile, WVU likes to run the ball. A lot.
No. 21 North Carolina vs. South Carolina in Charlotte (7:30 ET Saturday, ABC): Lots of intrigue here in what should be a stellar QB matchup between Drake Maye and Spencer Rattler. Take the over.
No. 5 LSU vs. No. 8 Florida St. in Orlando (7:30 ET Sunday, ABC): On paper, this is the best matchup of the weekend. This game last year was an instant classic. We expect more of the same this year.
No. 9 Clemson at Duke (8 ET Monday, ESPN): Oh hey. Duke’s actually pretty good at football now. Is this a Clemsoning opportunity? Perhaps.
If that’s not enough for you, Carla gives honorable mention (of course) to MTSU at No. 4 Alabama (7:30 ET Saturday, SECN), while Crappy is (obviously) focused on No. 3 Ohio State at Indiana (3:30 ET Saturday, CBS) and his mild concern about the Bucks potentially having two quarterbacks. (That would not be a good development.)
So, there you have it. An absolutely packed weekend of college football. Enjoy the games … and maybe even some bad movie theater popcorn. Cheers, yinz.
Howdy, boys and girls. It’s time.
There are Actual. College. Football. Games. on the schedule for this weekend. And that means the gang’s all here to make Season 12 of the Carla & Crappy Show officially official.
But first, we have some housekeeping to take care of, including a quick update on the Pac-4 and conference realignment situation … which, of course, changed shortly after we recorded this show. (Typical.) On Wednesday, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the possible move of Cal, Stanford, and SMU to the ACC was back on the table. (Surprise!)
So after attempting to predict the future of conference realignment – and failing almost immediately – as is tradition, we each take a shot at prognosticating this year’s College Football Playoff participants. While we agree with AJ’s assessment that this year might be the most unpredictable playoff that we’ve had in recent years – and as such, our final four selections vary quite a bit – we are in consensus on this year’s top Group of Five team.
And then, after all of that … there are seven games on the schedule this weekend. We’re so amped, we talk about all of them.
Navy vs. No. 13 Notre Dame (2:30 ET, NBC): We agree that this year’s Dublin game makes way more sense than last year’s Northwestern/Nebraska tilt. Enjoy the spectacle … and an Irish win.
UTEP at Jacksonville State (5:30 ET, CBSSN): The first game of the season on the Network of Champions welcomes Jacksonville State (and HC Rich Rodriguez) to FBS football.
UMass at New Mexico State (7 ET, ESPN): The Minutemen went 1-11 last season … and open this year’s campaign on the road on ESPN proper. Ah, welcome back, college football.
Ohio at San Diego State (7 ET, FS1): Crappy’s especially amped for this game. SDSU is looking for an offensive spark. The Bobcats have one on their side and his name is Kurtis Rourke. Fly that flag.
Hawaii at Vanderbilt (7:30 ET, SECN): Vandy won this game handily last year on the islands in a tiny stadium. The Beloved Rainbow Warriors should make the rematch closer … in a partial stadium in Nashville.
San Jose State at No. 6 USC (8 ET, P12N): It seems somewhat appropriate that Caleb Williams begins his repeat Heisman campaign … in a game no one will see, because, you know, that whole media rights Pac-12 Network thing.
FIU at Louisiana Tech (9 ET, CBSSN): A CUSA (no hyphen) doubleheader in Week 0? Yes, please! FIU’s rebuilding (yet again). Give us the Bulldogs at home.
So … there you have it. Use this week as your warmup. Find your channels. Figure out your setup. Locate all of your remotes. Because Week 1 starts in full force on Thursday night. And then … it’s on.
Welcome back, college football … and yinz guys. We missed you. Cheers.
For the third year running, college football has blown up with some big news as the season approaches — and even though we’d already done a summer show, the demolition of a century-old storied conference nudged AJ, Carla and Crappy to get back together and assess the new lay of the conference land.
The migration of Oregon and Washington to the B1G and Utah, Arizona and Arizona State to the Big 12 apparently came together with blinding speed, but its roots, as AJ points out, were planted by the PAC-12 a decade ago.
We then take a spin around the country, assessing what the latest change means for conferences around the country; the group also considers the recent outburst from Tallahassee … and the crickets we’re hearing — and will continue to hear — from South Bend.
How do we save the soul of college football? How do we address the role of TV money while preserving regionalism, traditions and rivalries? AJ has an idea, and it involves going back to the future with the NCAA.
Look, we’re not happy about the path that college football is apparently taking — it threatens everything that makes Sautrday football better than the Sunday version. And the changes all have been done without any real consideration for the student-athletes — and not just football players — who will have to cope with the changes. What’s ahead? It’s hard to see what the long-term impacts will be, but for 2023, we have one more glorious season of PAC-12 After Dark as we know it — so fire up your coffee maker and and join us for one more season of fun.
The Fourth of July weekend is still in our rear-view mirror, so it’s the height of summertime — which makes it perfect for the Summer 2023 edition of the Carla and Crappy Show.
And what a show it is.
Prompted by a prediction that Crappy’s Bobcats will play the show’s beloved Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the pinnacle of postseason destinations – that would be the Bahamas Bowl – Carla got in touch with Middle’s sports information director … and that’s how we landed an interview with Middle head coach Rick Stockstill.
You’ll want to listen to this, because Coach Stockstill isn’t just talking Xs and Os. In the 20-minute interview, we cover the challenges of weeknight games, the fun of playing college football’s big boys and the time he torched Ohio State (and then-DB assistant coach Nick Saban) for 300 yards passing in Columbus.
What else? The Pac-Soon-To-Be-10 doesn’t yet have a new TV deal, an issue that could – or could not – be influenced by where San Diego State goes when it departs – or doesn’t depart – the Mountain West.
The Big Ten’s schedules for 2024 and 2025 made sure that Penn State is truly unrivaled, much to the chagrin of Carla and Crappy, who think their two adopted schools need to play every year.
And are we buying or selling? Sorry, Coach Prime, but at the very least, you and Colorado are on layaway for a couple years.
And with a stern warning for Ryan Day about losing streaks, that’s the Carla and Crappy Show for this summer. But fear not, boys and girls – Week Zero is just six weeks away. Enjoy the rest of your summer, yinz guys, and we’ll see you then.
A thing we say every January: We can't believe it's over. There's just one more college football game on the schedule (unless you're counting the FCS title game and the all-star game, which you should absolutely do). While we're always sad to see a season come to its end, this year feels especially painful due to just how spectacular the final week of bowl games has been. The CFP semifinals were the best we've ever seen (except for Crrappy's College Kicker Situation). Tulane's comeback was remarkable. Carla is (still) basking in the glory of a Penn State Rose Bowl win (and Sean Clifford's attempt at rose petal stealthiness). Crappy's thrilled with Ohio's win (which he didn't watch). Other than our beloved Kansas State (sigh), it was a great week. Before we discuss the final game of the year, Crappy reveals the winner of the 2nd Annual Bowlapalooza Bonanza, which (spoiler alert!) was neither Carla nor Crappy. You'll have to watch or listen to find out the winner — and howsabout those trophies? OK, folks — it's showtime. College Football National Championship: No. 3 TCU vs. No. 1 Georgia (7:30 ET Monday, ESPN): We've said it approximately 2,316 times this season: The Horny Toads just know how to win. They did it again against Michigan, and they find themselves as underdogs once more in this matchup. Georgia looked mortable against Ohio State, especially in the secondary. While we're both hoping for a spectacular finish to the season, this might surprise you: Carla and Crappy are on opposite sides in their picks. We close Season 11 of the #CnCShow with a look ahead to 2023. Carla's excited about the offensive prospects in Happy Valley and intrigued by both the Big Ten West (yes, really) and the wealth of quarterbacks in the Pac-12. Crappy's also interested in quarterbacks, specifically the ones at Ohio State, and (surprise!) Michigan's coaching and program situation. And that, as they say, is a wrap. As always, we are incredibly grateful, for AJ, for our Bowlapalooza guests, and especially for you, our viewers and listeners, who have continued to support this little show over the years. Are we going to kick off Season 12 with a summertime show? Chances are excellent. Cheers, friends, and we'll see you then.
Bowlapalooza season is still underway -- and it's been a good one so far. Carla was quite pleased with Middle Tennessee's big win in Hawaii, while Crappy was impressed by Fresno's complete domination of Washington State.
But now it's time to turn our attention to the big-time bowl games.
While the schedule is a bit strange this year thanks to New Year's Day falling on a Sunday, we expect all of the New Year's Six bowl games to be spectacular. Let's dive right in, shall we?
Capital One "Orangiest" Bowl: No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Clemson (8 ET Friday, ESPN): We've got all the orange we can handle in this game, featuring two new QBs and a bunch of question marks.
Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 9 Kansas State (Noon ET Saturday, ESPN): Carla and Crappy have similar thoughts on this game. The Powercats will be super motivated to play in a big bowl game; what's Bama's motivation level here?
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 16 Tulane vs. No. 10 USC (1 ET Monday, ESPN): The Trojans haven't done well when they play defensively solid teams this year. (Oh, hi there, Tulane.) Does USC have enough speed for that to matter?
Rose Bowl Game Presented By Prudential: No. 11 Penn State vs. No.8 Utah (5 ET Monday, ESPN): The Granddaddy of Them All features two teams that play like B1G teams. Carla hopes that means good things for her Nittany Lions.
CFP Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 TCU vs. No. 2 Michigan (4 ET Saturday, ESPN): It pains Crappy to say it, but Michigan's defense is good. The Horny Toads have found ways to win all season, though.
CFP Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Georgia (8 ET Saturday, ESPN): The Bucks need to make some big-time defensive adjustments. Georgia has found death star mode multiple times this season. Crappy, however, is motivated by what happened the last time Ohio State was a No. 4 in the CFP.
So, soak up all of the college football this week, yinz, because the season is nearly over. We'll be back next week to wrap things up with a preview of the national title game. Cheers!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, kids. A whole mess of meaningless college football on your television nearly every day of the week. And that can only mean one thing: Welcome to Bowlapalooza 2022. In addition to the full crew of Carla, Crappy, and AJ, we’re thrilled to be joined by a cast of thousands (or, OK, maybe three others who love this time of year as much as we do) – defending Bowlapalooza champion Gabby Biltz, diehard Penn State fan Kelly Krieg, and the television voice of the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, Jake Rose. After debating whether or not the College Football Playoff committee got the Top Four correct (spoiler alert: there wasn’t much to argue with there), we dive into the goodness that is bowl season. While games begin on December 16 and continue all the way through January 2, we narrowed our discussion to our six favorites. (But please, watch them all!) Grab a giant bowl of Cheez-Its and settle in. Wasabi Fenway Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Louisville (11 a.m. ET, Dec. 17, ESPN): Jake’s selection is a rebirth of the Keg of Nails rivalry, which has so many storylines, you might need a second box of Cheez-Its, and we’re only two days into bowl season. Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl presented by Stifel: Washington State vs. Fresno State (3:30 ET, Dec. 17, ABC): Yep, this game has AJ written all over it. Our only knock on this one? It’s being played too early in the day. EasyPost Hawaii Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs. San Diego State (8 ET, Dec. 24, ESPN): Carla, of course, takes this game … which happens to be the only bowl game on Christmas Eve this year. (Thanks, NFL.) TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: No. 21 Notre Dame vs. No. 19 South Carolina (3:30 ET, Dec. 30, ESPN): Gabby jumps on an opportunity to wax poetically about her alma mater and Marcus Freeman. But is South Carolina the hottest team in the country right now? Yep, another box of Cheez-Its is in order for this one. Arizona Bowl: Ohio vs. Wyoming (4:30 ET, Dec. 30, Drinking Establishment Furniture Website): Crappy gets to talk about his alma mater, too … but we don’t endorse watching this game. Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: No. 17 LSU vs. Purdue (1 ET, Jan. 2, ABC): Kelly takes this one, and not just because citrus Cheez-Its sound disgusting. The intrigue factor is high here. Other bowls that we’re interested in watching: Myrtle Beach Bowl (Marshall vs. UConn, 2:30 ET, Dec. 19, ESPN), AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Kansas vs. Arkansas, 5:30 ET, Dec. 28, ESPN), Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (Pitt vs. No. 18 UCLA, 2 ET, Dec. 30, CBS), and the TransPerfect Music City Bowl (Iowa vs. Kentucky, Noon ET, Dec. 31, ABC). As for the bigger games? We’re keeping our eyes on the Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and the Orangest Bowl (it happened!). And one of the Penn State fans on the show is actually going to the Rose Bowl. (Hint: It’s not Carla. But she’s really jealous.) The lesson here? You’re going to need a lot of Cheez-Its for the next several weeks. Carla and Crappy will be back the week of Dec. 26 to discuss the NY6 and Playoff games. Until then, enjoy the craziness of bowl season, friends. Cheers!
It’s Champinchip Week in college football, and Carla, Crappy and AJ are pumped for a massive slate of games spanning Friday and Staturday. Well, Carla and AJ are pumped — after last weekend, Crappy might be happier discussing the World Cup. Outside of Columbus, Rivalry Week was as good as advertised — ask AJ, who watched 39 straight hours of football, through the end of the Apple Cup in Pullman. And after an early assessment of the coaching carousel chugging to life for it’s 2022 ride, we get to the games. And it’s going to be glorious, boys and girls. 7:30 Friday, CBSSN CUSA Championship, The Alamodome North Texas vs. UTSA Meep isn’t the hype monster it’s been in recent years, but it’s still very, very good. 8 Friday,Fox PAC 12 Championship,The Black Hole in Vegas, 4 USC vs 12 Utah If there is a PAC 12 team that can derail USC’s meteoric rise, it is Dem Youths. Saturday Noon Saturday, ABC Big 12 Champinship, AKA the Purple Bowl, Jerryworld, 10 Kansas State vs 3 TCU One of most colorful games on the schedule, and also one of the best. And also also Crappy’s best shot to jam Ohio State back into the playoff conversation. Noon Saturday, ESPN #MACtion championship, Ford Field, OU vs. Toledo Folks, meet CJ Harris, the understudy to OU QB Kurtis Rourke; he’s going to deliver the first MAC title for the Bobcats since Crappy was but a wee child. 3:30 Saturday, ESPN Fun Belt, Vets Memorial Stadium, Troy, Alabama Coastal vs. Troy Without Grayson McCall, this is a tall order for the Beach Chickens. 4 Saturday, Mercedes Benzo, Atlanta SEC chamionship 14 LSU vs 1 Georgia Sorry Tigahs — the Star Wars Imperial March you’re hearing means the Bulldogs are gearing up for one of those performances 4 Saturday, ABC AAC Championship, Yulman Stadium, New Orleans 22 UCF vs. 18 Tulane The regular season matchup went to UCF, but the Green Wavers have figured out how to play defense in the meantime. 4 Saturday, Fox Mountain West championship, Albertsons Stadium, Boise Fresno State vs. Boise State There is magic in the blue turf, but Fresno has had a magical season. 8 Saturday, Fox Big Ten championship, Lucas Oil in Indy Purdue vs. 2 Michigan Crappy has no comment. 8 Saturday, ABC ACC, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte 9 Climpson vs. 23 North Carolina Has there ever been a Power Five conference championship game that means less? With some closing thoughts and bonus picks for #GoArmyBeatNavy (can you tell who wrote the show notes this week?), Carla, Crappy and AJ are clearing their schedules and firing up multiple screens … and you should be doing the same. Enjoy Champinchip Week, boys and girls, and we’ll see you back here soon for … wait for it … Bowlapalooza.
It’s Week 13 of the college football season, and Carla and Crappy have a guest sit in for the initial discussions of Wivalwy Week — Cornell running back Drew Powell. Cornell’s season wrapped last weekend and the Big Red finished at 5-5; Drew wrapped up his season injury-free (mostly, anyway) and on a high note, with the most offensive contributions he’s made all season.
Drew hung out for our look back at the bonkeriest of bonkers weekends and as a guest prognosticator for the rankings that come out on Tuesday. And as Drew signed off to finish a school assignment (as it turns out, attending an Ivy League school is difficult — who knew?), AJ sets the table for the week’s insane G5 slate.
And then? Picks. A bunch of them. Because it is, after all, Wivalwy Week.
Tuesday,
Bowling Green at OU, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Will OU QB Kurtis Rourke play for the Bobcats? It may not matter.
Thursday
Egg Bowl
Mississippi State at Ole Miss, 7 p.m., ESPN
Neither team has exactly been setting the world on fire — but one team has more cowbell.
Friday
NC State at UNC, 3:30, ABC
North Carolina offense wasn’t humming last week, but NC State would have to win with backups to the backups.
Nebraska at Iowa, 4 p.m., BTN
If Iowa is going to win by 10.5 points, doesn’t that mean they’ll have to score 10.5 points?
Saturday
THE GAME
Team Up North at Ohio State, BIG NUDE Saturday, Fox
Depth + motivation = B1G East title for the Buckeyes.
South Carolina at Clemson, Noon, ABC
SC is finishing the season in the hottest way possible. Could that translate to a win in not so Deathly Valley?
Iron Bowl
Auburn at Alabama, 3:30 p.m., CBS
It seems odd to say this, but the 2022 Iron Bowl doesn’t matter a whole lot. And that makes it tougher on the team that didn’t live up to expectations this season.
The Civil War
Oregon at Oregon State, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Is there a home field advantage in Corvalis? We’re about to find out.
Land Grant Trophy
Sparty at Penn State, 4 p.m., FS1
Is Penn State the best team in the conference at this moment? Unfortunately for Team Up North State, it probably is.
Notre Dame at USC, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Marcus Freeman has overcome a rough start and has the Irish humming. But USC has its eyes on a playoff spot.
The Sunflower Showdown
Kansas at Kansas State, 8 p.m., Fox
The most awesome thing about this game is that it matters this year.
The Apple Cup
Washington at Washington State, 10:30 p.m, ESPN
Let’s get weird on the West Coast.
And finally, Carla’s got her Blue Raiders into a bowl game and Crappy … well, you know what he has on his mind this week. Enjoy the massive Wivalwy Week slate, boys and girls, and we’ll see you back here next week.
It’s Week 12 of the college football season, and we should all keep Carla in our thoughts — because #MACtion continues to test Uncle Crappy’s attention span, and because the game with the round orange ball kept her up waaaay past her bedtime. But once the hoopage FINALLY ended, we got our rankings, we got through a discussion of last weekend’s craziness on the West Coast and we learned that Kurtis Rourke, OU’s quarterback, wouldn’t return after being injured in the first half at Ball State. Williams College running back Joel Nichols didn’t let anything get in his way in last weekend’s Biggest Little Game, and injuries didn’t stop Cornell running back and Crappy nephew Drew Powell from a reception in the win over Dartmouth. And as we already know, pretty much nothing can keep AJ from his weekly slate of college football silliness. Except, perhaps, for this — the incredible mess that is the Big Ten West. Disasters are hard to look away from, so Carla and Crappy decided to lean in, devoting an entire block of picks on the Wild Wild West before moving through the rest of the schedule. Illinois at No. 3 Team Up North, Noon, ABC There is a new word for what Illinois has done over the last two weeks: They’s berted, in a very big way. Unfortunately, The Big Hole is not the place you want to try to get unberted. Wisconsin at Nebraska, Noon, ESPN Two midseason head coach dismissals. Two interims. One teams comes in losing four straight. The other is a more respectable 3-2 in the last month. Sorry, Huskers. Northwestern at Purdue, Noon, FS1 With the surprise win over Illinois last week, Purdue finds itself with games against Northwestern and Indiana to close out the season. We like those odds, especially this weekend. Iowa @ Minnesota, 4 p.m., Fox As of Tuesday night, the AJ Fun Index for this monstrosity is 32.5. And we’re still thinking the under is a good bet. Also: FLOYD OF ROSEDALE. And then, there were some other games… No. 4 TCU at Baylor, BIG NUDE We found out a week ago that the Horny Toads can also play defense. Which just gives them another tool to close out the Big 12 title in a couple weeks. 3:30 CBS No. 1 Georgia at Kentucky, 3:30, CBS It’s the Peanut Butter Bowl. And Kentucky has no chance of winning. No. 2 Ohio State at Maryland, 3:30, ABC NO MORE INJURED RUNNING BACKS, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. USC @ UCLA, 8 p.m., Fox Oregon just berted all over itself a week ago, which means this old rivalry game means more, especially for the Trojans, than it has for years. Utah @ Oregon. 10:30 ESPN The hottest team in the PAC 12 right now? That might be Utah, which comes in to Eugene having won four straight. Not good news for the reeling Ducks. Carla wraps by saying Middle is a win away from bowl eligibility and that 2022 is the year that Bedlam isn’t. Crappy engages in some Bobcat-related premature jocularity (THANKS, BOWLING GREEN) before turning his attention to the game that he’s been waiting for allllllll season. Enjoy this week’s games, boys and girls, and we’ll see you back here next week.
It’s Week 11 of the college football season, and we have a problem. We’re well TOUCHDOWN into November and #MACtion is in full swing — meaning that there are potentially important games being played WOOOOO as we tape on Tuesday nights.
How important? How’s about the annual rivalry game between Crappy’s OU THAT’S NOT HOLDING Bobcats and the cake-eaters at Miami — it’s THAT important. So this week, Crappy does his best to maintain focus FIRST DOWN on the show while watching the game — with modest success.
Last weekend was remarkable, from the weather in the Midwest (Jeez, Chicago…) to the IT WAS A CATCH upsets in South Bend and Baton Rouge that likely eliminated two of the sport’s biggest brands from the CFP. Those TOUCHDOWN upsets were reflected in the new CFP rankings, which were much more to the liking of Carla and Crappy than the initial effort.
Cornell acquitted itself well in a loss to Penn, AJ comes close to using the words “Tulane” and “game of the week” in the TERRIBLE CALL same sentence … and then Carla and Crappy set out to pick this week’s contests.
Missouri at No. 5 Tennessee, Noon Saturday, CBS
Mizzou is better than their record would indicate, but the Tigers picked a rough weekend to visit Knoxville.
Purdue at No. 21 Illinois, Noon, ESPN2
A great offense against a great defense? That can honestly go either way. A pretty good offense against the nation’s No. 1 defense in scoring and yards allowed? Oof.
No. 9 Alabama at No. 11 Ole Miss, 3:30, CBS
The potential for Saban-Kiffin drama is far more interesting than anything that might happen football-wise.
Maryland at No. 14 Penn State, 3:30, Fox
Good offenses can’t score if they don’t have the ball. Maryland? Meet Penn State tailbacks Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. You’ll be seeing a lot of them on Saturday.
No. 25 Washington at No. 6 Oregon, 7, Fox
Two of the best QBs in the country. An AJ Fun Index of 72.5. Guys. Just watch this one.
No. 4 TCU at No. 18 Texas, 7:30, ABC
Longhorn Kryptonite: Playing teams ranked in the Top 5. Oh, hey, look — TCU is ranked 4th.
No. 15 North Carolina at Wake Forest, 7:30, ESPN 2
Wake was still reeling last weekend, and beating Carolina isn’t going to be any easier. It should be, however, interesting to watch — with an AJ Fun Index of SEVENTY-SEVEN AND ONE HALF POINTS.
We wrap with Carla updating us on Middle, Crappy congratulating Kansas on bowl eligibility and the conclusion of the aforementioned Battle of the Bricks. If you want to hear Crappy’s reaction, you’ll have to listen until the end. Enjoy this week’s games, boys and girls, and we’ll see you back here next week.
It’s Week 10 of the college football season, when some players inevitably have to play hurt — and that’s the case with Uncle Crappy, who has been living in the Nissan COVID House all week. As such, Carla steps up again to lead this week’s ambitious show — and by “ambitious,” we mostly mean “long.”
After recapping last weekend’s events — including an insane finish on the West Coast, the results of the annual Carla vs. Crappy grudge match and the return of #Maction — the team turns its attention to this year’s first College Football Playoff rankings. Carla and Crappy don’t think Clemson belongs in the Top Four, but the ever-analytical AJ reminds them to simmer down, because there’s a lot of football still to be played.
And after a quick look at Cornell’s brutal two-week stretch — injury update: Drew Powell is expected to play in a limited capacity against Penn — the team tries to pick about 37 of this weekend’s contests. Ready? Neither were we.
(Side note: Bonus points will be awarded to any viewers/listeners who correctly note when COVID Brain Fog catches up with Crappy, who offers astute analysis of a team that isn’t playing in the game we were discussing. Whoops.)
UMass at UConn, 7:30 ET Friday, CBSSN
Part one of this weekend’s Bowl Eligibility Watch. Go Huskies!
No. 23 Oregon State at Washington, 10:30 ET Friday, ESPN2
All offense, not much defense. This will be worth staying up for.
Air Force at Army, Noon ET, CBS
Crappy’s all about ARMY TRAINING SIR, but the smart pick here is for Air Force to clinch the Commander In Chief’s Trohpy.
Big Nude, FOX
Texas Tech at No. 7 TCU, Big Nude Saturday, Fox
Things haven’t gone well for Tech since it upset Texas at home. Things for the Horny Toads, however, are looking good.
Maryland at Wisconsin, Noon ET, BTN
November: The month that the Terrapins inevitably remember that they’re a basketball school.
Baylor at Oklahoma, 3 ET, ESPN+
Honestly, the story behind why this game is on ESPN+ is probably more interesting than the game itself.
No. 1 Tennessee at No. 3 Georgia, 3:30 ET, CBS
If you’re wound up about the initial CFP rankings, this is the first of several games this month that’ll help clear up that picture.
No. 18 Oklahoma State at Kansas, 3:30 ET, FS1
Bowl Eligibility Watch Part Two is probably the best game of the weekend that no one is going to watch (see above). Rock Chalk!
No. 6 Alabama at No. 10 LSU7 ET, ESPN
We have no idea if LSU is for real. But we’re about to find out.
No. 24 Texas at No. 13 Kansas State, 7 ET, FS1
Can the Powercats keep things rolling after their massacre of OK ST last weekend?
No. 4 Clemson at Notre Dame, 7:30 ET, NBC
AJ doesn’t believe in leprechauns. But there is the potential for some Notre Damey stuff to happen in South Bend Saturday night.
8 ET, ACCN
No. 21 Wake Forest at No. 22 NC State, 8 ET, ACCN
Last weekend’s horrendous performance by the Deacons is probably an aberration. And even if it wasn’t, Wake should have enough to beat a depleted Wolfpack team on the road.
Because the crew didn’t pick enough games already, AJ set up a fun game for blind reaction picks of a few more. And with an admonition to watch next week’s full #Maction schedule — especially Tuesday’s Battle of the Bricks — we wrap. Enjoy this weekend’s games, yinz guys.
It’s Week 9 of the college football season, but be very careful: There are traps ahead. Multiple teams this week face the dreaded “trap game” situation, which seems exceptionally dubious on the weekend before Halloween.
But before we carefully tip-toe around this week’s schedule (because, you know, traps), we take a look back at last weekend, including Syracuse looking the part, UCLA/Oregon not living up to the hype, and Iowa’s defense. (You can probably guess which one of us was interested in that last thing.)
We get a mixed update on our beloved Big Red Bears, and we hear from AJ, who returns to his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report just in time for some really intriguing stuff.
And then we dive in. Cautiously. (Except for our last game.)
No. 7 TCU at WVU (Noon ET, ESPN): The Horny Toads control their own destiny in the Big 12, but a visit to Morgantown on Halloween Eve Eve has Crappy intrigued.
No. 9 Oklahoma State at No. 22 Kansas State (3:30 ET, FOX): After disappointing losses last week, which team rebounds?
No. 10 Wake Forest at Louisville (3:30 ET, ACCN): The Cards have been playing well the last two weeks, while Wake is preparing for three-straight ranked opponents.
No. 19 Kentucky at No. 3 Tennessee (7 ET, ESPN): The Cats defense is good. Can they catch the Vols looking ahead?
Coastal Carolina at Marshall (7 ET, NFL Network): Again, it’s West Virginia on Halloween Eve Eve … and the Herd can run the football. That’s not good for the Beach Chickens.
Michigan State at No. 4 Michigan (7:30 ET, ABC): Strange things can happen in rivalry games. Yeah, that’s all we’ve got for this one.
No. 15 Ole Miss at Texas A&M (7:30 ET, SECN): Honestly, we’re just here to see whether the Aggies have a coach on Sunday.
And finally …
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 13 Penn State (Big Nude, FOX): OK. There’s no tip-toeing here. We’re both amped for this one. Carla hopes her Lions look more like the team that trounced Minnesota, not the one that got crushed by Michigan. Crappy has his eye on how the Bucks handle the Penn State offense. One thing is guaranteed: One of us will be very happy on Saturday afternoon.
To wrap things up, Carla gives honorable mention to four (yes, four!) games, including Notre Dame at No. 16 Syracuse (Noon ET, ABC), Robert Morris at Appalachian State (3:30 ET, ESPN+), the Florida/Georgia Cocktail Party (3:30 ET, CBS), and MTSU at UTEP (9 ET, ESPN+). Crappy, meanwhile, fills us in on why he was out last week.
So, there you have it. One heck of a football weekend awaits us, traps and all. Enjoy, boys and girls. Cheers!
It’s Week 8 of the college football season, and we’re breaking new ground. For the first time ever in the 11-year history of this little podcast, Crappy’s not here, Carla’s playing the role of host, and AJ recommends that we all go to bed early this week. Wait. What? Yep, Carla and AJ are holding down the fort this week, looking back at last week’s incredible games (other than the ones Carla had rooting interests in), singing a little song about the Big Red Bears, and getting excited about points. Also, Tree! (The Stanford Postulate lives for another year!) And yes, it’s true, AJ says that this weekend, it’s OK to go to bed early as the late night slate is … not spectacular. That being said, there are a lot of good games early in the day, so prepare yourself accordingly. No. 14 Syracuse at No. 5 Clemson (Noon ET, ABC): Is Syracuse good? We’re still not sure. But we do know that Clemson is on a roll. Iowa at No. 2 Ohio State (Big Nude, FOX): OK, so we really just left this game on the agenda in honor of Crappy. Bucks. Next? Memphis at No. 25 Tulane (3:30 ET, ESPN2): AJ’s got his eye on this one, because Memphis is confusing and Tulane is … kind of OK? No. 9 UCLA at No. 10 Oregon (3:30 ET, FOX): This is the must-watch game of the day. Big offenses. Not much defense. A Fun Index of almost 70. And Chip Kelly returns to Autzen. Pass the popcorn, please. No. 20 Texas at No. 11 Oklahoma St. (3:30 ET ABC): Quinn Ewers seems to be the real deal. How do the Pokes respond after last weekend’s meltdown? Boise State at Air Force (7 ET, CBSSN): AJ’s intrigued by this one. Carla’s just laughing that Air Force doesn’t have a passing game. No. 24 Mississippi St. at No. 6 Alabama (7 ET, ESPN): Bama is definitely mortable … which means this might not end well for the Bulldogs. Minnesota at No. 16 Penn State (7:30 ET, ABC): Carla’s real nervous about this one, but the annual whiteout helps. No. 17 Kansas State at No. 8 TCU (8 ET, FS1): This game’s for first place in the Big 12. Let that sink in. Then, go locate FS1 on your channel guide. While AJ bemoans the lack of a late-night slate, Carla gives an honorable mention to Kansas at Baylor (Noon ET, ESPN2), because maybe this is the week Rock Chalk gets a bowl game? Maybe? Either way, enjoy all of the football this weekend kids … and enjoy that extra bit of sleep. After this season, we all need it. Cheers, yinz.
Do you have questions about college football? This weekend’s college football has answers. Week 7 of the season has what we need to finally figure out a whole bunch of teams. Ranked on ranked games? Got those. Matchups of undefeateds? Got those too. This is when we’re going to eff around and find out. Carla was not super impressed with the endings of the last two games she watched Saturday (Jimbo? Really?) And because he’s not so good at following rules, Crappy managed to turn his look back into a look ahead (It’s like it was his birthday or something). The Big Red Bears played well in their nationally televised game against Harvard, as did Crappy’s nephew Drew Powell. And AJ’s #G5AD slate is overflowing, from watching Kansas at noon to the Rainbow Warriors (the Official Non-Affiliated College Football Programs of the Carla and Crappy Show) kicking off at Midnight eastern. Games? Eh, there are a couple. No. 10 Penn State at No. 5 Michigan (BIG NUDE, Fox) Carla knows what Penn State has to do to beat Michigan on the road. Crappy does too — but he’s really wishing this game was in State College. Noon, ESPN 2 No. 19 Kansas at Oklahoma (Noon, EPSN2) Why? WHY? Why is Oklahoma favored by 8.5 points? WHYYYYYY? Minnesota at No. 24 Illinois (Noon, BTN) The return of Minnesota tailback Mohamed Ibrahim American football player to the Gophers’ roster might be enough to propel them to a tough road win. No. 3 Alabama at No. 6 Tennessee (3:30, CBS) Carla sees a tight game here. Crappy thinks the disrespect card that Nick Saban has undoubtedly been waving around all week is going to mean bad things for the Vols. No. 8 Oklahoma State at No. 13 TCU (3:30, ABC) On paper these teams are dead even. Even the QBs, Spencer Sanders and Max Duggan, look to be statistical twins – but only one of them has been one of the hottest QBs in the country recently. No. 15 NC State at No. 18 Syracuse (3:30, ACC Network) Carla’s got ‘cuse the Carrier Dome. Crappy is confused. LSU at Florida (7, ESPN) Which team is buying in to the new coach’s program? It feels like that’s LSU. No. 4 Clemson at Florida State (7:30, ABC) Crappy’s fascination with the Seminoles could come to a stop here, unless they’re able to beat Climpson at home. Unlikely. No. 16 Mississippi State at No. 22 Kentucky (7:30, SEC Network) These two teams appear to be headed in different directions recently – will the trajectories continue? 8 USC at 20 Utah (8, Fox) Can USC handle a physical matchup? We’ll find out in Salt Lake City Saturday night. And with a couple final notes — Carla and Middle’s rivalry game this weekend, while Crappy is still babbling about baseball — and a surprise birthday greeting (listen to the end, boys and girls), A.J., Carla and Crappy are ready to enjoy about 15 hours of college football on Saturday. And they hope you can do the same. Thanks and enjoy, yinz guys.
Crappy is enamored with the ACC. Carla’s watching the Big 12. What in the name of college football is going on? You know this answer: We have no idea. What we do know, however, is that it’s Week 6 of the 2022 season, and we’re having so much fun following all of the intriguing storylines that we’ve decided to do yet another speed round. After recapping last weekend, including Crappy’s recent obsession with Clemson and Florida State (huh?) and Carla’s analysis of Meep at Middle (womp, womp), we check in with the Big Red Bears (yay, Drew!). AJ offers his analysis of the games we all should be watching this weekend in his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, and then we get down to it. No. 8 Tennessee at No. 25 LSU (Noon ET, ESPN): It’s a strength-on-strength matchup between LSU’s defense and the Vols’ offense. We take opposing sides here. No. 17 TCU at No. 19 Kansas (Noon ET, FS1): While we both are wishing for a 6-0 Kansas team, the TCU offense might be too much. Texas vs. Oklahoma (Noon ET, ABC): It’s the Red River Rivalry. It’s always stupid fun. And this year, it might become a shootout. No. 11 Utah at No. 18 UCLA (3:30 ET, FOX): The Bruins are … good? The Utes feel right at home at the Rose Bowl, though. (Ask Crappy about that.) No. 16 BYU vs. Notre Dame (7:30 ET, NBC): The Mormons and the Catholics play a football game in Vegas. No, there’s no punchline. That’s actually what’s happening. Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama (8 ET, CBS): Honestly, we’re just here for the coaching drama. Florida State at No. 14 NC State (8 ET, ACC Network): Both of these teams are coming off disappointing losses. How will they respond? Carla gives an honorable mention nod to Washington State at No. 6 USC (7:30 ET, FOX), while Crappy ponders why Sparty still gives him that nervous feeling as his No. 3 Buckeyes head to East Lansing (4 ET, ABC). So, yeah. We still have no idea. But we’re loving it all, and that’s why we love college football. Enjoy the games this weekend, yinz. Cheers.
Meep = University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners.
Middle = Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders.
Mortable = A combination of the words “mortal” and “beatable,” coined totally intentionally by Uncle Crappy in this week’s show.
And with that, it’s Week Five of the college football season, and boys and girls, the fun is only just getting started. Carla and Crappy had more fun than most last weekend, as Carla’s MTSU Blue Raiders turned their South Beach vacation into a South Beach beatdown over The U; Crappy should probably be more concerned that OU needed to score 59 to beat an FCS school – but that was waaaaay too much fun to be worrying.
We might be worried, however, about the Big Red Bears, who were handled by Yale at home on Saturday. BREAKING NEWS SINCE THIS WEEK’S SHOW WAS RECORDED: Crappy’s nephew Drew Powell has been cleared to play this weekend at Colgate, so Cornell’s fortunes are sure to take a turn for the better.
After AJ takes us through the G5/Pac-12/Various late-night games, Carla and Crappy find themselves with enough games on their plate that they’re going no-huddle once again.
Friday:
UTSA at Middle Tennessee (7:30 p.m., CBSSN)
Neither Crappy nor Carla, who will attend this game in person, are expecting a letdown for Middle.
Saturday:
No. 4 Michigan at Iowa (Big Nude, Fox)
Maryland made Michigan look totally mortable last week – and Iowa’s defense could do the same.
No. 7 Kentucky at No. 14 Ole Miss (Noon, ESPN)
Kentucky is contending, and John Calipari is nowhere to be found.
Texas Tech at No. 25 Kansas State (Noon, ESPN Plus)
Big wins for both of these teams last weekend, but K-State is built for the long haul.
No. 2 Alabama at Arkansas (3:30, CBS)
Bama’s looked mortable at times this year as well, but will Hoo Pig be the team to knock them off?
No. 9 OK State at No. 16 Baylor (3:30, Fox)
Strength on strength here: ‘Pokes’ Spencer Sanders – and his dozen years of experience – versus the Bears’ tough defense.
No. 22 Wake Forest at No. 23 Florida State (3:30, ABC)
Are the 2022 Seminoles for real? We’re about to find out.
No. 10 NC State at No. 5 Clemson (7:30, ABC)
DJU still doesn’t look like the guy Dabo probably thought he was getting, and even though he’ll be playing at home, he’s going to get a test from the Pack’s defense.
Enjoy this weekend’s Meeps, Middles, mortables and – we hope – many carries for Drew, boys and girls, and we’ll see you back here next week. Cheers, yinz.
Are you for real? Carla and Crappy are, we assure you. But we're not as certain about a whole mess of college football teams — so we're going to take a look at a bunch of them, speed-round style, in this week's show. But before we dig into this weekend’s packed slate, we look back at the fun from last weekend. Carla’s still reveling in her Nittany Lions’ beat down at Jordan-Hare, while Crappy attempts to explain exactly what happened to Sparty out on the West Coast. (Hint: His name is Michael Penix Jr., and he used to play for Indiana.) As for the Big Red Bears? Drew Powell isn't back yet, but they looked really, really good against VMI anyway. AJ wastes no time at all digging into his always entertaining #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, and then Carla and Crappy are off to the races: No. 5 Clemson at No. 21 Wake Forest (Noon ET, ABC): This is the first of several “We Have No Idea” games of the week. Is Clemson ready to be a national contender again? No. 20 Florida at No. 11 Tennessee (3:30 ET, CBS): The expectations for the Vols in this game are exceedingly high. Carla thinks that could bode well for Florida. No. 22 Texas at Texas Tech (3:30 ET, ESPN): Is Texas back? Yes, we’re still asking that question. Minnesota at Michigan State (3:30 ET, BTN): Are the Gophers as good as they seem? Is Sparty as bad as it looked last week? No. 15 Oregon at Washington State (4 ET, FOX): This game has our attention. Don’t forget: Wazzu beat Wisconsin in Madison already this season. No. 10 Arkansas vs. No. 23 Texas A&M (7 ET, ESPN): Hey, Arkansas? You won’t be able to sleepwalk through the beginning of this one. Wisconsin at No. 3 Ohio State (7:30 ET, ABC): Will Wisconsin fail its second test of the season? Crappy’s excited about the blackout. No. 7 USC at Oregon State (9:30 ET, Pac 12 Network): The Beavs are undefeated with two legit wins. The Trojans shouldn’t take this game lightly (but should win). In addition to all of that, Carla gives an honorable mention nod to her MTSU Blue Raiders who get a lovely beach vacation at No. 25 Miami (3:30 ET, ACCN), while Crappy’s relieved that his Bobcats are playing some guy named Fordham. So, get ready for what looks to be another spectacular weekend of college football. And, happy first birthday, Ellie! Cheers, yinz.
t’s Week 3 of the college football season. AJ’s singing a Sunny little tune, Crappy’s writing haikus, and Carla’s looking for more coffee. Yep. That sounds about right. The 2022 season is the gift that just keeps on giving, as the Sun Belt grabbed the national spotlight last Saturday in one of the most wild weekends in college football that we can remember. After recapping the craziness, AJ takes his well-deserved victory lap on this week’s #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, and Crappy gives us a brief Big Red Bear update before we dive into … ahem … eight games (yes, really!) that we’re super intrigued by this weekend. No. 6 Oklahoma at Nebraska (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): How do the Huskers respond after Scott Frost’s firing? Last season’s rivalry renewal was a closer game than expected. No. 22 Penn State at Auburn (3:30 ET, CBS): Penn State finally located its run game, and Auburn has two QBs. (You know how we feel about this.) Troy at Appalachian St. (3:30 ET, ESPN+): The Mountaineers get a bunch of national attention, but not a national broadcast. Crappy wrote a haiku about it. No. 12 BYU at No. 25 Oregon (3:30 ET, FOX): BYU is fearless. After persevering to an OT win over ranked Baylor last week, can the Cougs do it again in Eugene? No. 11 Michigan St. at Washington (7:30 ET, ABC): This is this week’s We Have No Idea game. Are these teams for real? UTSA at No. 21 Texas (8 ET, Longhorn Network): Could Texas almost beat Alabama, then lose at home to UTSA in consecutive weeks? Meep? No. 13 Miami at No. 24 Texas A&M (9 ET, ESPN): Sure feels like the Aggies are floundering after last weekend’s embarrassment. Miami could run to a win here. San Diego St. at No. 14 Utah (10 ET, ESPN2): This is a must-win for the Utes in a meeting between the most Midwestern-y teams out West. Finally, Carla gives honorable mention nods to Cal at Notre Dame (2:30 ET, NBC) and Tulane at Kansas State (3 ET, ESPN+), while Crappy has a theory about the QB situation for the Team Up North. So, buckle up, kids. This weekend has the potential to be really fun too. Warm up those vocal cords, practice your prose, grab another cup of coffee … and, of course, enjoy the football. Cheers!
It’s Week 2 of the college football season, and we’re still recovering from what was an insanely good long weekend of games. We mean it. It was nuts, from start to finish. From an incredible opening Thursday night slate of games to chaos in the Carolinas … Georgia looking scary good, Florida looking surprisingly good … and special teams mattering a whole heck of a lot in the Superdome. And those are just the games we remember. (No, really. Carla has a game she labeled as “the weekend was so bonkers I don’t even remember what happened.”) Crappy, of course, has lots of thoughts on the big game in the Shoe. But that was last weekend, and we’ve got more games to talk about as we look ahead to Week 2. As is tradition, AJ goes first with his list of #GroupOf5AfterDark selections. Then, we get into the rest of the schedule. You may notice a theme. No. 24 Tennessee at No. 17 Pitt (3:30 ET, ABC): The Vols beat a cupcake last week while everyone else was watching the Brawl. Can the Panthers pull off this win in consecutive seasons? No. 25 Houston at Texas Tech (4 ET, FS1): If you like offense, this is the game for you. The Cougars escaped UTSA (meep, meep) and now face an even more high-powered offense in Lubbock. Iowa State at Iowa (4 ET, BTN): Uhh, yeah. Iowa State actually has an offense. So, we like the Cyclones here. (We're terrible.) Take the under. No. 9 Baylor at No. 21 BYU (10:15 ET, ESPN): It’s a super late kickoff (caffeinate accordingly!) but this could be the best game of the weekend. Ohio at Penn State (Noon ET, ABC): Carla has concerns about the Penn State offense. Ohio needs some help in the secondary, but Crappy likes his alma mater. (Go Cats!) Honorable mentions: No. 20 Kentucky at 12 Florida (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) became a ranked-on-ranked matchup after we selected our games, so Carla has her eyes on that one … as well as No. 10 USC at Stanford (7:30 ET, ABC) to see if the Stanford Postulate holds up in 2022. Crappy, meanwhile, is looking forward to watching Hawaii perform the pre-game haka in Ann Arbor against No. 4 Michigan (8 ET, BTN). There’s no rest for the weary, yinz. Get ready for what should be another excellent weekend of college football. Cheers!
Boys and girls, it's time. Week 0 was fun and all, but this weekend gives us the gift of counts on fingers five consecutive days of college football. Whee!
Before we dive into all the goodness that this weekend holds, Carla and Crappy take a look back at Week 0, including Nebraska's second half meltdown and Vandy's offensive prowess. (No, we can't believe we wrote that sentence, either.) And, of course, we hear from AJ, who is very excited about this weekend's #GroupOfFiveAfterDark options.
But enough looking back. Let's get down to business, shall we?
West Virginia at No. 17 Pitt (7 ET Thursday, ESPN): We're both pretty stoked about the return of the Backyard Brawl, although we kind of wish this game was being played in Morgantown.
Penn State at Purdue (8 ET Thursday, FOX): Nothing quite like a conference nailbiter to start the regular season, eh, Carla? West Lafayette is a tough place to play at night.
No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 3 Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (3:30 ET Saturday, ABC): Ask Crappy about what Oregon is capable of in a season opener where no one is giving them a chance. (Heh.) Georgia's defending a national title ... and seems to have reloaded. This should be a dandy.
No. 23 Cincinnati at No. 19 Arkansas (3:30 ET Saturday, ESPN): Luke Fickell has a different coaching job ahead of him this year, while the Hogs really want some national attention. That's tough in the SEC West.
No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Ohio State (7:30 ET Saturday, ABC): Hitting the road with a new head coach and new QB is a lot to ask out of Notre Dame in Week 1, but we'll see how the Irish stack up against arguably the best offense in the nation in Columbus.
Florida State vs. LSU at Caesars Superdome (7:30 ET Sunday, ABC): The mysteries surrounding both of these teams have us very intrigued about this game.
So get ready to settle in for five straight days of college football. Enjoy the games, yinz. Cheers!
Boys and girls, it's finally here. Welcome to Week 0 of the college football season, and welcome to the official start of the 11th season here at the Carla and Crappy Show. As is tradition, the whole gang is here as Carla, Crappy, and AJ dive into the Big Ten's big media rights deal and make preseason picks for the College Football Playoff. Here's a hint: We all agree on three playoff teams. That fourth team though? Your guess is as good as ours. So we make it a literal guessing game. Play along with us at home! Then, yes, there is actual college football being played on Saturday. Here we go. Nebraska vs. Northwestern (12:30 ET, Fox): This game's being played in Dublin, Ireland, because ... why? The Huskers are bringing a bunch of transfers with them across the pond, while Northwestern ... might need some of that Irish luck. Wyoming at Illinois (4 ET, Big Ten Network): Neither of these teams played offense well last year. Bert hired UTSA's (meep, meep) OC in the offseason to help and is low-key building something in Champaign. Duquesne at Florida State (5 ET, ACC Network): The Dukes knocked off Ohio last year, and the Noles lost to Jacksonville State. So, you're saying Duquesne has a chance? Maybe. Briefly. In the first quarter. But don't overreact to this win, Noles fans. Really. Vanderbilt at Hawaii (10:30 ET, CBS Sports Network): AJ is just a wee bit excited to begin the season with a true #AfterDark game featuring his beloved Rainbow Warriors. Hawaii's in a literal rebuild this year. Vandy's not spectacular, but the Dores should be able to fly home winners. So, this is your warning. Go find your streaming passwords. Reset your favorite channels in your guide. Use Saturday as a practice round. Because Thursday? We get five straight days of college football. Cheers, yinz!
Howdy, boys and girls ... we're back! In what has now apparently become an annual tradition, we're opening Season 11 (gulp!) of the #CnCShow with a special episode to discuss — you guessed it — conference realignment and the blockbuster moves of USC and UCLA to our beloved Big Ten.
As such, the whole gang's here. And not surprisingly, Crappy, Carla, and AJ have lots of thoughts on the matter. So many, in fact, that we actually had a Google Doc to keep them all in one place. (Yes, really.)
It's a wide-ranging conversation that tackles some big questions. How did this all go down? Who's really pulling the strings here? Will the Pac-12 survive? What about the Big 12 and the ACC? Are we done with teams switching conferences? What are some of the broader implications of all of this? Will Notre Dame finally join a conference? And maybe most importantly, will Minnesota add beach volleyball?
So, grab your favorite beverage and maybe a snack or a sandwich and settle in as we dive deep into the new Big Ten ... and welcome you to our new reality: #B1GAfterDark. (AJ is quite excited about this; Crappy, less so. But you probably knew that already, too.)
We'll be back in a few weeks to officially get Season 11 underway ... unless something happens and there's more to talk about. Because, yep, we still have no idea. Stay tuned.
We’re down to the official end of the 2021 college football season – that would be Monday’s national championship game between Alabama and Georgia – which also means we’re wrapping up the 10th season of the Carla and Crappy Show. And in spite of a few late glitches because of omicron, we were able to enjoy an entertaining bowl season –- although Crappy probably wouldn’t use the word “entertaining” to describe the first half of the Rose Bowl. It has been our practice over the years to not dwell much on the outcomes of our weekly picks – and that’s probably a good thing. But our young friend Aidan was curious to see how we all did with our Bowlapalooza picks from a couple shows ago, so Crappy went back through that episode to tally the results. Two things to be aware of: First, that show was bit chaotic, and in the middle of the craziness Crappy actually forgot to pick three or four of the games, so he’s not included in the standings. Also, we’ve tossed out the Sun Bowl, which brought in a new team after COVID forced a cancellation. You'll need to listen or watch to find out the results. BUT – if you’re ever involved with something like this and one contestant keeps saying that they don’t really know college football all that well, it’s pretty much a given that that’s the person who’s going to come out on top. But there is one more guest picker to appear on the show this season, and she’s got her sights set on the title game. We are, of course, talking about the one person who has pretty much been in charge of the #CnCShow all year – Miss Ellie makes her first live appearance and has a definite idea about who winning on Monday night. Carla and Crappy both have a pretty solid notion about Monday’s winner as well, even though neither is especially excited about it. But they’ll both be watching ESPN at 8 p.m. Monday when the game kicks off from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy. And that’s the season, boys and girls. Huge thanks to everyone who filled in for Carla at some point during the year. Extra special thanks go to AJ, who more than earned his brand new title: Interim co-host emeritus. And extra super special thanks to you guys, who keep on listening year after year. Will there be an 11th season of the #CnCShow? Guys – Ohio State opens with Notre Dame, and Crappy’s ready for that game right. Freaking. Now. Enjoy your off season and we’ll see you back here in the fall.
We’re getting down to the end of the 2021 college football season, and Carla and Crappy are ready to discuss the New Year’s Six bowl games – including the two semifinal games featuring Cincy vs. Bama and Georgia vs. the, uh, Big Ten representative – but first, we’ve gotta throw it back.
How far back? All the way back to last season, when COVID decimated college football schedules from coast to coast. The 2021 season was largely free of similar COVID hassles, until omicron showed up and started ripping through teams, college campuses and, inevitably, the bowl schedule. As of Thursday, Dec. 30 – the day the NY6 games are scheduled to begin – none of the big boy bowls have been overtaken by omicron. But we wouldn’t be surprised if it happens.
- Actual football. Let’s go. The undercard:
7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, ESPN
Peach Bowl, Atlanta
No. 12 Pitt vs. No. 10 Michigan State
Two Kens are sitting this one out, but one Ken – a Kenny, specifically, is harder to replace than the other. And that’s not good news for Pitt.
1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 1, ESPN
Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Arizona
No. 9 Oklahoma State vs. No. 5 Notre Dame
It could be that the biggest variable in this game isn’t a player – it’s a coach. ND’s players were clearly stoked about the selection of Marcus Freeman as the replacement for that dude who moved to Baton Rouge. And we suspect they’re going to play their butts off for him.
5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 1, ESPN
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
No. 11 Utah vs. No. 6 Ohio State
Utah is playing in its first Rose Bowl, and it brings in a blueprint very similar to the one the Team Up North used to beat the Buckeyes. And that’s got Crappy feeling really uncomfortable.
8:45 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 1, ESPN
Sugar Bowl, New Orleans
No. 7 Baylor vs. No. 8 Ole Miss
Defense wins championships. Baylor is hoping that it also wins Sugar Bowls.
And the Final Four:
3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec, 31, ESPN
Cotton Bowl, Jerryworld
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Cincinnati
This is the time of year when Nick Saban almost never loses. And that doesn’t bode well for the Bearcats.
7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31, ESPN
Orange Bowl, Miami
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 football team
Carla thinks the Bulldogs can win if they force the other team to rely on its passing “attack.” Crappy just seems to be really bitter about something … we’re not sure what.
With a brief nod – it was more of a cringe, actually – to the Browns and Stillers on MNF, C and C wrap things up with just one show – the natty edition – still to come. Do your best of overdose on college football while you can, boys and girls, because it’s almost done until next fall. Enjoy the games, yinz.
It’s college football bowl season, and around these parts, that means one thing: It’s Bowlapalooza time!
Not familiar with the drill? It’s pretty simple. A few years back, Carla and Crappy thought it would be fun to dedicate a show to the bowl games that don’t get the same kind of attention as the New Year’s Six games or BCS/CFP games. And that’s a shame, because that’s where most of season’s fun resides. So we grab some friends and pick the games that catch our attention for whatever reason, no NY6 or CFP games allowed (C&C will get to those in subsequent shows).
This was the season of the guest host, and we invited them all back to participate. Besides Carla, Crappy and A.J., this year’s lineup included the following college football luminaries: Nubyjas Wilborn, Gabby Biltz, Kelly and Aidan Krieg and Jake Rose.
The games? There are many, many games:
Noon Friday, Dec. 17, the Bahamas, ESPN
Bahamas Bowl, Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo
Are there really any losers in the Bahamas Bowl?
2:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20, Conway, SC, ESPN
Myrtle Beach Bowl Presented by Tax Act, Old Dominion vs. Tulsa
Don’t sleep on the Monarchs, people.
8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22, Fort Worth, Texas, ESPN
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, Army vs. Missouri
Could Army beat an SEC team? In this case, yes.
3:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 23, Frisco, Texas, ESPN
Frisco Football Classic, North Texas vs. Miami (Ohio)
Did you know there are two games in Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas? Crappy didn’t until we got to this one. The other one – and the one that A.J. actually wanted to talk about – is below.
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21, Frisco, Texas, ESPN
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl, UTSA vs. No. 24 San Diego State
Meep meep, boys and girls.
5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 29, Orlando, ESPN
Cheez-It Bowl, No. 19 Clemson vs. Iowa State
Dabo’s found some coordinators, but the Clemson schadenfreude is STILL off the charts for this game.
11:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, Charlotte, ESPN
Duke’s Mayo Bowl, North Carolina vs. South Carolina
Does Duke’s go with Tar Heels?
Noon Friday, Dec. 31, El Paso, CBS
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, Washington State vs Miami
It’s grrrrrreat! Unless you’re talking about the 2008 Sun Bowl.
Noon Saturday, Jan. 1, ESPN 2
Outback Bowl, Penn State vs. 21 Arkansas
Do we finally get to see a healthy Penn State?
9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4, ESPN
Tax Act Texas Bowl, LSU vs. Kansas State
Mumble mumble go tigahs mumble mumble wildcats mumble open the pool mumble mumble lotta purple mumble mumble.
Your assignment for the next two and a half weeks: Watch ‘em all. Because it truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Enjoy your bowl season, boys and girls, and check back as we get closer to the end of the year, when Carla and Crappy dig into this year’s version of the College Football Playoff.
It’s Week 14 of the college football season, and Carla, Crappy and AJ are ready to dissect all 10 conference championship games coming up this weekend -- well, actually, Carla and AJ are ready; Crappy seems to be in a bad mood, perhaps because he’s still stewing over Ohio State’s loss to TTUN last Saturday. But there’s no crying in college football, and all three dive into the insane coaching carousel of the week, from which school has made the best move so far and who is -- or should be -- in line for shiny new head coaching jobs at Oklahoma and Notre Dame. AJ takes us through one final After Dark report, and it’s a total throwback to the OG #Pac12AfterDark days: USC at Cal at 11 p.m. Saturday. Champinchip games? Oh yes, we have champinchip games: Conference USA: Western Kentucky at UTSA (7 p.m. Friday, CBSSN) We’re starting the slate with the season’s G5 Cinderella against Bailey Zappe, the season’s most prolific quarterback? Yes, please. Pac 12: No. 10 Oregon vs. No. 17 Utah in Las Vegas (8 p.m. Friday, ABC) Duck season. And not in the good way. Big 12: No. 9 Baylor vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State in Arlington, Texas (noon Saturday, ABC) Do Cowboys always win in Jerryworld? The Bears might have something to say about that. Mid-American: Kent State vs. Northern Illinois in Detroit (noon Saturday, ESPN) In terms of playoff consequences, the Big 12 game is probably where you should be at this hour. But if you’re looking for fun -- and an AJ Fun Index of 73.5 -- #MACtion is what you crave. Mountain West: Utah State vs. No. 19 San Diego State in Los Angeles (3 p.m. Saturday, Fox) For a Mountain West matchup, this game will have a distinctly Midwestern feel, thanks to Brady Hoke and his defense. Sun Belt: Appalachian State at No. 24 Louisiana (3:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN) Billy Napier will coach this final game for the Ragin’ Cajuns before departing for his new gig in Gainesville. SEC: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 3 Alabama in Atlanta (4 p.m. Saturday, CBS) This is easily the best test for the Bulldogs’ defense this year. But does Bama really have enough to make this interesting? AAC: No. 21 Houston at No. 4 Cincinnati (4 p.m. Saturday, ABC) Carla, Crappy and AJ agree(ish): If the Bearcats win, they’re in. And with Notre Dame apparently not hiring anyone named Luke Fickell, that should be the outcome here. Big Ten: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 13 Iowa in Indianapolis (8 p.m. Saturday, Fox) Crappy doesn’t want to even talk about this game. And AJ certainly doesn’t want to watch it. ACC: No. 15 Pitt vs. No. 16 Wake Forest in Charlotte (8 p.m., ABC) Here’s a game we can be excited about. Instead of the annual Clemson coronation, we get two of the better offenses in the country trying to outscore the other. What’s not to like? And with our annual Champinchip Week show behind us, we can start getting ready for the funnest show of the year. Bowlapalooza is just around the corner, boys and girls; be sure to watch our socials for updates on when it’s coming. Enjoy all of the title games this weekend, yinz (except for the B1G game -- it will be, in a word, gross), and we’ll see you back here for Bowlapalooza in a couple weeks.
It’s Week 13 of the college football season, and that’s significant for a whole bunch of reasons. The most important one? We’re getting the band back together -- that’s right, Carla returns live for the first time since Miss Ellie showed up earlier in the fall, and we’re hoping we get to keep her for the rest of the season. Carla, we mean. Well, Ellie too. The other reasons? Wivalwies. A ton of them. Because it’s Wivalwy Week. We’ll get to those in a sec. But first, AJ, Crappy and Carla discuss the things we loved seeing last weekend -- spoiler alert: one of them has to do with soccer and another #CnCShow kid -- and, because they taped on Sunday evening, take their best cracks at predicting what the CFP committee will do this week. Get pumped, Bearcats fans. And then, the games. So, so many games. The gluttony of Thanksgiving weekend begins on Thursday, and this week’s college football is no different. (Note: No rankings because of the early taping this week.) Fresno State at San Jose State, (3:30 Thursday, FS1) Can Fresno find its form from the beginning of the season while playing in half of a football stadium? Egg Bowl Ole Miss at Miss State (7:30 Thursday, ESPN) There are differing opinions about who’s going to win this game, but all three of us agree -- if the number stays around 60, take the over. Boise State at San Diego State (Noon Friday, CBS) We’re here for the punts. The Game Ohio State at Michigan (Big Nude, Fox) Crappy is more excited for this game than Gus. He’ll probably yell more too. UTSA at North Texas (2 Saturday, ESPN+) Meep meep, %(&#$$&)$)@ers. Iron Bowl Alabama at Auburn (3:30 Saturday, CBS) Bama should win. Just like Bama should have won the Kick Six game years ago. The Civil War Oregon State at Oregon (3:30 Saturday, ESPN) Oregon State has something to play for. Do the Ducks? Western Kentucky at Marshall (3:30 Saturday, CBSSN) A true hate game with the best AJ Fun Index (74.5) of the weekend. Bedlam Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (7:30 Saturday, ABC) Can Mike Gundy break out of his John Cooper-esque streak of near total futility against the Sooners? And your bonus game: UMass at New Mexico State (3 Saturday, maybe you can find a stream on the internet somewhere?) Both teams come in at 1-10 -- and this is AJ’s ultimate chance to break down the reverse college football playoff. Folks, an already awesome season has been made awesomer by the 1) the return of Carla and 2) the incredible list of fans and pros who sat in for her while she figured out the whole motherhood thing. Indulge your college football fandom this weekend and be sure to come back next week, when we’ll break down each and every conference title game. Happy Thanksgiving weekend, yinz guys.
It’s Week 12 of the college football season, and most programs have just two weeks remaining in their regular season -- and, in many cases, one more game before Wivalwy Week (brought to you by Elmer Fudd). So that’s why we’re not winding down at #CnCShow Central -- we’re getting ready for the real fun to begin.
AJ returns to discuss the things that made him happy last weekend, the things that made him unhappy -- let’s get a better truck for the Pac-12, ESPN -- and, for the first time ever, delivers a live After Dark report.
For his part, Crappy continues to narrow his focus on the entire State Up North as his Buckeyes prepare to plunder Sparty this weekend. He was also impressed by Dartmouth; the Big Green handled Cornell’s Big Red last weekend on the way to a possible Ivy League championship. Cornell? Go beat rival Columbia -- it’ll make the offseason a lot better.
This Saturday’s games? It’s going to be fun, boys and girls.
No. 7 Michigan State at No. 4 Ohio State (noon Saturday, ABC)
Did you know that Ohio State’s defense is statistically better than Michigan State’s? Crappy didn’t either, and that’s helping his annual CFB anxiety.
No. 10 Wake Forest at Clemson (noon Saturday, ESPN)
Dabo’s actually feeling the disrespect this year, and for good reason: His Tigers can’t score. Know who can score? Wake.
Iowa State at No. 13 Oklahoma (Big Nude Saturday, Fox)
Are the swooning Sooners in danger of losing their last two regular season games? Probably not, but the pesky Cyclones aren’t the team you want to see while you’re trying to get well.
Virginia at No. 18 Pitt (3:30 Saturday, ESPN 2)
Let’s be up front here: Crappy and AJ would both watch the crap out of a Pitt-Wake ACC title game. Let’s make it happen, people.
SMU at No. 5 Cincinnati (3:30 Saturday, ESPN)
This would have been THE pivotal AAC game this year, until SMU lost a couple it shouldn’t have. Still, the Ponies prolific offense will present a challenge -- or an opportunity -- for the Bearcat defense.
No. 3 Oregon at No. 23 Utah (7:30 Saturday, ABC)
Crappy just wants someone to beat Oregon. And this Utah team will likely get two cracks at the Ducks.
The next time you see us, it’ll be Wivalwy Week. Crappy will already be pumped for the return of the greatest rivalry in all of sport, AJ will be pumped for a dozen different games … and it’s possible that we might have some extra help with the show. Enjoy the games this week, boys and girls, and we’ll see you back here next week.
It’s Week 11 of the college football season, and the games are getting bigger and bigger -- even the littlest of them. To help us navigate one of the best little rivalries, we welcome back Kim Daboo, a #CnCShow veteran who holds a degree from Oregon but was nice enough not to hold that over Crappy’s head. But Kim did manage to set off Crappy’s college football anxieties almost immediately by bringing up Ohio State’s Week 11 opponent: the Purdue Spoilermakers. Commence flashbacks to 2018 in West Lafayette.
AJ takes us through what is a defacto #BakedGoods weekend in the G5 and delivers a fun fact about Boise State and oddly covered football fields. Crappy is still basking the glow of a Cornell win at Penn and he’s hoping against hope for another when the Big Red travels to Dartmouth.
And then? The main events:
No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 13 Baylor (Big Nude Saturday, Fox)
As they considered this year’s schedule back in August, the Sooners probably considered this to be a tune-up game on the way to Bedlam. Funny thing, though -- Baylor turned out to be really good.
No. 6 Michigan at Penn State (Noon Saturday, ABC)
James Franklin doesn’t have as many baffling coaching tendencies as Jimmy Harbaugh, but he does have his moments. If he keeps his headscratchers off the field on Saturday -- and if Penn State gets the home field support it generally does -- this could be a Penn State win.
No. 16 NC State at No. 12 Wake Forest (7:30 p.m. Saturday, ACCN)
Looking for defense? Look elsewhere. With an AJ Fun Index of 66.5, this game will be all about entertainment -- oh, and for a seat at the top of the ACC Atlantic.
Williams at Amherst, (Noon Saturday, find a stream at the Williams Athletics site)
Finally, we turn to the Biggest Little Game in America. Kim, a proud Williams alum, takes us through the rivalry, its origins and its traditions. And Crappy speaks from experience when he says there is little better than beating your rival to clinch a championship -- and that’s what we’re expecting from the 8-0 Ephs (please don’t pronounce that the way Crappy did, OK?)
We wrap the show by going back to the days before #CnCShow existed, when we -- Carla, Crappy and Kim -- were contributors to the late, great Draft Day Suit sports blog. This show began as an offshoot of the occasional grainy, buggy Google + Hangouts to predict NFL games, and Kim was there from the beginning, along with DDS founders/leaders Sarah Bockneck Braesch and Laurie White. We’ll forever be grateful that we had a platform at Draft Day Suit to get this endeavor started, with the full support of Sarah and Laurie. And Crappy will never, ever tire of reminding Sarah of the time he told her that a rookie named Russell Wilson would be a better NFL quarterback than RGIII. So thanks to Sarah, Laurie, Kim and all of the other DDS staffers -- and thanks to you guys once again. Enjoy the games this weekend.
It’s Week 10 of the college football season, and we have the season’s initial College Football Playoff rankings. And even though we taped the day before they came out, guest host Braden Gall is ready to dive in, with a discussion about the state of Ohio State and the rest of the B1G East, why Cincinnati wouldn’t be in the initial Final Four and who will be a huge CFP wild card as the season progresses (Hint: They quack).
And we’re happy to point out that Braden’s assessments were dead on the money when the rankings were released Tuesday night.
AJ is stoked for a daylight Power Five matchup that comes with an off-the-charts AJ Fun Index. And this week’s Big Red Report yielded predictions of a win at Penn and the highlight of the week: Crappy and Braden regale #CnCShow listeners with stories of their personal football glory.
With a note that we’ve officially switched from using AP rankings to the CFP rankings for the rest of the season, here are this week’s games:
No. 10 Wake at North Carolina (Noon Saturday, ABC) Oddly, this is a non-conference game for these two ACC foes -- but that doesn’t make this game and its 76.5 AJ Fun Index any less interesting.
Tulane at No. 6 Cincinnati (3:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2) Tulane gave Ohio State all it could handle back in September. Can the Green Wave do the same to the Bearcats on Saturday?
Tennessee at No. 18 Kentucky (7 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2) Braden, himself a Volunteer, notes that Kentucky is one of the most physical teams in the SEC -- will that be enough to handle Tennessee in this border battle?
Finally, we wrap with further news of the #CnCShow junior varsity you guys met last week: Braden got to meet Miss Ellie Fox in person, and Aidan Krieg dominated both his mother and Crappy last week, correctly picking all three games. Have a great college football weekend, boys and girls, and may your picks be as good as Aiden’s.
It’s Week Nine of the college football season, and one of our favorite weeks of the year for Carla and Crappy -- the week we get to preview Penn State-Ohio State. But wait -- no Carla, right? No worries -- this week’s guest host is more than qualified to sit in as the designated Penn State fan. Kelly Krieg is not only the biggest Penn State fan we know, but she is the reason that Crappy has seen two white-outs in the past few years.
After an accounting of the best things we saw last weekend, Kelly and Crappy turn their attention to the Nittany Lions, their game against Illinois, the future of James Franklin in Happy Valley … and the dumb that is the new college football overtime rules.
After AJ emphatically tells us to not watch this weekend’s Big B1G games and this week’s Big Red Report, Kelly and Crappy go through … wait for it … a slate of Big Ten games. And this is also when Crappy decides to totally blow off W.C. Fields’ warnings about working with children or animals -- because this week, we have both. Charlie makes one of his fairly routine appearances, and Kelly’s dogs Tasha and Phee jump in on the action; we also get bonus picks from Aidan Krieg, Kelly’s younger son and fan of the show, and the first-every video appearance from Ellie Fox, mostly because Carla couldn’t let this week go by without a brief appearance on her show. The games:
No. 6 Michigan at No. 8 Michigan State (BIG NUDE, aka Noon Saturday, Fox) On paper, the schools up north are remarkably similar. But in Spartyland, Mel Tucker is years ahead of schedule, while in Ann Arbor, Jimmy Harbaugh is struggling to win rivalry games. The pressure is all on Jimmy, and since he returned to Michigan, that’s not a good thing for the Wolverines.
No. 9 Iowa at Wisconsin (Noon Saturday, ESPN) A chilly day in Madison. Two teams populated by hulking farm boys playing solid team defense. An AJ Fun Index of 36.5. We pick the game differently, but we agree that AJ might be right about this one -- because it’s going to be brutal.
No. 20 Penn State at No. 5 Ohio State (7:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC) We’re picking with our hearts as we do on this show, in spite of not knowing if Sean Clifford will be able to walk on Saturday, much less play as well as he needs to to keep up with an Ohio State offense that’s averaging 50 points a game. Is Crappy outnumbered? If you count Ellie, the answer is yes.
We wrap up the show with a little hockey talk (Kelly’s dark secret is that she’s a bigger hockey fan than she is a football fan) and then start to get ready for the show’s annual Biggest Show of the Year. Massive thanks to Kelly for her help this week -- she was as good as Crappy thought she would be. And to the #CnCShow’s Junior Varsity: Aidan, Ellie, Charlie, Tasha and Phee, we hope to see you guys back on the show soon. Hey, AJ -- think we could get George or Reba lined up for guest picks?
It’s Week Eight of the college football season, and we’ve had a remarkable stroke of timing, as far as this week’s guest host is concerned: Crappy’s former colleague Tyler Batiste, now the managing editor for The Athletic’s NBA team, is a proud graduate of THE Louisiana State University -- so naturally, we start with the news that Ed Orgeron will be done in Baton Rouge at the end of the current season. Both sportswriter Tyler and grad/fan Tyler said it was time for LSU to make that move, even though Eddie O is just two years removed from winning a national title with one of the better teams in CFB history.
TRIGGER WARNING for our Penn State friends: When Crappy asks Tyler who he wants to lead LSU next season, you guys might want to cover your ears.
The good part about last weekend? Tyler at least got to enjoy the shootout between the Tigers and Florida, while Crappy was totally happy with his alma mater’s performance at Buffalo -- for one half, at least.
The smaller schools get their usual attention, via AJ’s After Dark report (Note from Crappy: I’m going to up anyway, because Ohio State-Indiana is a night game) and Crappy’s look at last weekend’s Cornell game, which resulted not only in a win for the Big Red but the first two carries for Crappy’s nephew. Bonus: A shoutout for Tyler's hometown team, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, who happened to massacre Crappy's Bobcats in the season opener.
And while there are no ranked-on-ranked matchups this weekend, there are still a few -- four, specifically -- that warrant an extra look:
LSU at No. 12 Ole Miss (3:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS) This is the AJ Fun Index Game of the Week (75.5 o/u), and in spite of the drama at LSU this week, this is a game that the Tigers totally can win. Leave your golf balls at home, folks.
Clemson at No. 23 Pitt (3:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN) There is so much weird involved with this game, but the weirdest is this conclusion: Pitt. Should. Win.
No. 5 Ohio State at Indiana (7:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC) Now that Crappy has Purdue to worry about, this is no longer the angstiest game on the schedule. And even if Michael Penix plays, the Hoosiers won’t outscore the Buckeyes.
USC at No. 13 Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. Saturday, NBC) This game is a test of the new theory posed by AJ over the past few weeks. It’s the USC Postulate, which holds that the Trojans win on the road but struggle at home. If AJ is correct, this will be a win for SC; Tyler and Crappy are … skeptical.
One final thing? Tyler wants to know one thing: When will Joe Burrow get a room in the Heisman House? And for Crappy? Look, we have the managing editor for The Athletic’s NBA coverage on the show -- of course we’re going to ask him a couple questions about the brand-new season. Huge thanks to Tyler for joining the show on a pretty busy week, and thanks to you guys for watching and listening as always. Enjoy the games, everyone, and we’ll see you back here next week.
It’s Week Seven of the college football season, and our very own AJ is back as guest host, this time for his favorite show of the season: The All After-Dark (Even If It’s Not Actually Dark Yet) Edition; that’s when AJ has free reign to talk about his beloved Group of Five games as much as he wants, not that he doesn’t do that as a matter of course anyway. So following a brief look back -- AJ loved the noon slot and the primetime games and the finishes they all seemed to have, while Crappy is feeling guardedly better about his Buckeyes after seeing his second game of the year -- we forge ahead with Small Ball. Cornell’s Big Red played Harvard tough on the road, but a late score by the Crimson put the game out of reach -- so close, but Cornell returned to Ithaca at 0-4. The good part? Crappy’s nephew got his first play from scrimmage, as a blocking back. Up next for the Big Red is a night tilt at home against a tube of toothpaste. Rather than his standard #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, AJ took a stab at naming three unranked G5 teams that we should be paying attention to. Hints: He totally cheated on one, and hit up Texas for the other two. meepmeep Games? We got games. No. 24 San Diego State at San Jose State (10:30 p.m., CBSSN) In his second stint at San Diego State, Brady Hoke has built a team that’s not especially West Coast-y -- but it would make most Midwestern football coaches envious. The Aztecs run the ball, play killer defense and win, to the tune of a 5-0 start. Who else is envious? We’re wondering about Jimmy Harbaugh. UCF at No. 3 Cincinnati (Noon, ABC) A few years back, this was THE marquee game on the G5 calendar, but with Knights struggling, this will amount to another chance for the Bearcats to amass the style points they’ll likely need to make the playoff. And they’re 21-point favorites in Nippert, so, uh, yeah. Hawaii at Nevada (10:30 p.m., CBSSN) This is literally the last game on the weekend schedule, and between the late-night kick and the 61-point o/u, it’s the kind of game AJ lives for. Hawaii struggles on the continent, but they did just beat Fresno State. Nevada pretty much doesn’t run the football ever. Crappy’s prediction? He’ll be cheering for the over. Thanks again to AJ for his above-and-beyond contributions over the last two weeks. Enjoy the games this weekend, everyone, and we’ll see you -- and a brand new guest host -- back here next week.
It’s Week Six of the college football season, and our guest host rotation -- Hi, Ellie! Let Carla get a little sleep, OK? -- continues this week and next with the Ken Jennings of the Carla and Crappy Show: Our very own A.J. Kuftic. (How did we get so fortunate to get A.J. as a guest host for two weeks in a row? It has to do with Crappy not knowing how to work a calendar.) After a quick look back at last week -- we see you, Bo Nix -- and a discussion about Cincinnati’s win in South Bend, Crappy and A.J. turn to, uh, A.J. for this week’s CFB After Dark report. Crappy also wraps up Cornell’s disappointing trip to Bucknell and its pending road trip to undefeated Harvard on Saturday. Next up? This week’s featured games: No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 21 Texas in Dallas (noon, ABC): Yes, the Wed Wiver Wivalwy is the epitome of big-time college football, but it also consistently has the silliness that makes A.J. happy (example: Last year’s 4 OT 53-45 win for the Sooners). We’re expecting more of the same this year -- but that’s pretty much all we’re certain about. One of these programs is a complete puzzle, while the other seems to be heading in the right direction. And we think that’s what will make the difference. No. 13 Arkansas at No. 17 Ole Miss (noon, ESPN): After last week’s losses by these guys, we’re calling this the Not Quite Bowl. We know the Fighting Kiffins are going to score. Can Hoo Pig Sooey put up enough of a speed bump to keep Arkansas in the game? It’s the 3-2-6 to the rescue. No. 4 Penn State at No. 3 Iowa (4 p.m., Fox): This might be the game of the year in the Big Ten, which means it’ll be the kind of game Crappy loves … and A.J. won’t watch. Iowa doesn’t pass the ball much, and that’s OK. Penn State doesn’t run the ball much, and it would be much better for Sean Clifford if they did. The offensive flaws will be exacerbated by two of the best defenses in the country, which means this game’s over/under number of 41 seems awfully generous. Huge thanks to A.J. for stepping in on very short notice. Enjoy the games this weekend, everyone, and we’ll see you -- and A.J. -- back here next week.
It’s Week Five of the college football season, and while we spend a good bit of time discussing Notre Dame, we need to begin by acknowledging the newest member of the #CnCShow team: BabyFox -- you can call her Ellie -- has arrived. Carla and David are both doing well, with the exception of the not-much-sleeping thing, and we’re hopeful that Ellie will be picking games by the end of the season. The Irish come up a couple times in deference to this week’s Jeopardy guest host, newly minted Notre Dame alum Gabby Biltz. She’s a big college football fan and an even bigger fan of chili dogs, which means she gets along famously with Crappy, with whom she worked as an intern a couple years ago. An Irish-centric show will obviously begin with a look at last weekend’s Notre Dame-Wisconsin game, which Gabby, a resident of Chicago, could have attended BUT DID NOT. We reach some conclusions about ND and the Badgers, and Crappy throws in a bonus prediction about Michigan-Wisconsin on Big Nude this week. AJ not only takes us through his slate G5/P12 football fun but manages to provide the show with its best tagline ever. And then after lamenting Cornell’s 0-2 start -- and the Battle of the ‘nells this weekend -- Gabby and Crappy turn to this week’s feature games: No. 8 Arkansas at No. 2 Georgia (noon, ESPN): Arkansas is the surprise school of the 2021 season, and Hoo Pig Sooey could add to its already impressive resume by beating the Bulldogs on the road. Will they? Let’s just say both Gabby and Crappy wish this game was in Fayetteville. No. 7 Cincinnati at No. 9 Notre Dame (2:30 p.m., NBC) This will be Gabby’s first ND football game since she graduated in the spring (and, not unimportantly, her first tailgate party since her junior year -- thanks, COVID). Will she see her beloved Irish win, as they always seem to do when these games are in South Bend? Spoiler alert: The Bearcats are better than Wisconsin. No. 12 Ole Miss at No. 1 Alabama (3:30 p.m., CBS): This is not your father’s SEC game. It’s going to get, as AJ says, pointsy. And if Alabama’s defense is in fact as shaky (by Bama standards) as it appeared in the Swamp two weeks ago, the Fightin’ Kiffins could give Nick Saban a massive headache by the end of the afternoon. Huge thanks to Gabby, for joining the #CnCShow guest host program and for making sure she had something other than Bud Light in her beer glass. Enjoy the games this weekend, everyone, and we’ll see you back here next week.
It’s Week 4 of the college football season, and things are a little different around here. Crappy’s still filled with angst about the starts of his Bobcats and Buckeyes. AJ still wants you to watch the fun games. And Jimmy Harbaugh still makes us giggle (even though Michigan might actually be improved). No, things have a different feel starting this week because Carla has begun her maternity leave from life, which includes the #CnCShow, at least for the duration of the regular season. In the meantime, we’re going to attempt to make up for Carla’s absence. Not with Crappy going solo, because just no, but with a series of guest hosts sitting in her chair. First up? An Actual College Football Expert: Nubyjas Wilborn, the Penn State beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Nubyjas saw his first in-person white out last weekend; he has some thoughts about that and about the state of the B1G East (Spoiler alert: It’s not the forgone conclusion it has seemed to be in recent years). AJ isn’t on maternity leave, and he has a slate of G5 and West Coast games you should be playing attention to this week. And Crappy weighs in on Cornell’s first game, a 31-21 loss to VMI at home. Next up for the #BigRedBears: at Yale, in the league opener for both teams. And then, there were the games: No. 12 Notre Dame vs. No. 18 Wisconsin at Soldier Field (Big Nude, Fox): Which Wisconsin quarterback will roll in this game, the one who used to play there or the one who still does? 7 Texas A&M vs. 16 Arkansas at Jerryworld (3:30, CBS): The Hoo Pigs are playing excellent defense. Can Jimbo figure out a way to keep the pressure off his inexperienced quarterback? West Virginia at No. 4 Oklahoma (7:30, ABC): We’re not saying the Mountaineers are going to win in Norman. But if the game is tight in the 3rd quarter, you might want to turn it on -- because we’re still not sure who the Sooners are. Thanks again to Nubyjas for filling in this week -- my friend, we’ll get you hooked on Midwestern football before it’s all said and done. And thanks for watching and listening, boys and girls -- we’ll see you back here next week.
It's Week 3 of the college football season ... and we'd just like to point out that this little show, now in its 10th season, has featured unplanned cat appearances long before the one that made national headlines last weekend at Hard Rock Stadium. And we start there, because we've already reached the (usually) annual episode when Crappy hates college football. Needless to say, in our look-back on Week 2 action, Crappy has thoughts about his beloved Buckeyes' first-ever loss to the Ducks. Carla, meanwhile, is baffled by an S-E-C chant in Fayetteville and thrilled that the Stanford Postulate not only exists, but is thriving in 2021. As we look ahead to this weekend's matchups, we first yield the floor to AJ for yet another stellar #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report. (Seriously. We're starting to get jealous.) We also introduce our first ever Big Red Bears segment, as Cornell opens its season at home against VMI. And then, we get to our three featured games of the week: No. 1 Alabama at No. 11 Florida (3:30 ET, CBS): Florida has a new offense, featuring two dual-threat quarterbacks. If you've been with us for a while, you know how we both feel about this situation, and it's not good. Alabama's rolling (pun intended) already ... and we don't see that changing in the Swamp. No. 19 Arizona State at No. 23 BYU (10:15 ET, ESPN): We go out of order chronologically to discuss ... two teams we really don't know much about. What we do know is that BYU is 2-0 with wins over two Pac-12 opponents, while the Sun Devils are ... cupcaking. No. 22 Auburn at No. 10 Penn State (7:30 ET, ABC): Carla's just a wee bit excited about this one, although it's hard to overlook Auburn's early prolific offense. But, asterisk ... those wins came against cupcakes, and Penn State appears to be much improved. Add a Happy Valley whiteout (which you're NOT ready for, Bo Nix, trust us), and you've got a recipe for a good one on Saturday night. We wrap up this week by giving honorable mention to Tulane at Ole Miss (8 ET, ESPN2), which should get pointsy real quick ... and bid a temporary adieu to Carla, who begins her maternity leave next week. So, enjoy the college football this weekend, yinz. Be sure to come back next week to see just how wrong we were ... and for the cats and a new baby. We're trendsetters, you know. Cheers.
It's Week 2 of the college football season and, well, we'll be honest. This weekend isn't loaded with marquee matchups like our five-day opening holiday bonanza was.
So, Carla and Crappy take this opportunity to do one of their most favorite things, which is to make very broad generalizations based on a very limited amount of data. Welcome to the first overreaction episode of the 2021 season.
We look back at some of the key moments in Week 1 and tackle some very important questions:
Is Georgia's defense good enough to win the SEC East? Is Clemson's offense in trouble? Was 2020 a mulligan year for Penn State? Are we doomed to another "Bama versus the field" season? What the heck happened to Indiana? Is Oklahoma's defense still a problem?
While the Week 2 slate lacks the big matchups on the Top 25 side of the conversation, AJ is overrun with a bunch of good #GroupOfFiveAfterDark games.
And then we break down the two (yes, just two) games that have our attention.
No. 12 Oregon at No. 3 Ohio State (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): Crappy is super excited to be attending his first live college football game since 2019. Carla's a wee bit concerned about the 400+ yards that the Bucks gave up on defense against Minnesota, but this isn't the Duck offense that we're used to either.
No. 10 Iowa at No. 9 Iowa State (4:30 ET, ABC): Iowa steamrolled Indiana last weekend, while the Cyclones struggled against a directional Iowa. Iowa State has been a team trending upward over the last several seasons, but the Hawkeyes have won five straight in this series. Is this the year Matt Campbell finally gets his win in the Cy-Hawk game?
Finally, Carla gives an honorable mention nod to Stanford at No. 14 USC (10:30 ET, FOX), while Crappy introduces a new weekly segment on the #CnCShow.
Enjoy the football this weekend, yinz guys. Cheers.
It's here. The 2021 college football season is upon us, and Carla and Crappy are just a wee bit excited to get things underway. (And no, that's not just because we're celebrating a big anniversary of this here show, but that certainly doesn't hurt.)
Our first "official" show of the season kicks off with a discussion on conference expansion and this thing called the "Alliance," which sounds official but apparently is still super secretive. (As in, no one really knows what it is yet.)
Then, as is tradition, we pick our College Football Playoff Final Four teams. (Spoiler alert: There aren't a lot of surprises here.)
We also hear from our friend AJ, who returns for another season of frivolity and silliness in his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report.
And then, after what seems like an eternity, we dive into what should be a spectacular Week 1 of football. (Did we mention that we're excited?)
No. 19 Penn State at No. 12 Wisconsin (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): It seems only appropriate that our first game of the year is on Big Nude ... and once again has Carla very nervous. Bucky brings back a lot of talent; Penn State hopes to erase the memory of the 2020 season.
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 14 Miami (3:30 ET Saturday, ABC): Alabama has a new QB, new RB, and mostly new receivers ... but we're not sure any of that is going to matter. We are excited about watching D'Eriq King again, though.
No. 17 Indiana at No. 18 Iowa (3:30 ET Saturday, Big Ten Network): Indiana arguably overachieved in 2020, while Iowa started last year very slowly before rattling off six-straight wins. We're both very intrigued by this one.
No. 23 Louisiana at No. 21 Texas (4:30 ET Saturday, FOX): Welcome back to head coaching, Steve Sarkisian. Here's a trap game for you. Louisiana is a very good team. Can the Cajuns pull off the upset?
No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 3 Clemson (7:30 ET Saturday, ABC): DJ U has already shown that he might be an even better QB than Trevor Lawrence (which is saying something). With a solidified offensive unit behind JT Daniels, is this finally Georgia's year?
Honorable mentions go to Boise State at UCF (7 ET Thursday, ESPN), Michigan State at Northwestern (9 ET Friday, ESPN), Stanford at Kansas State (Noon ET Saturday, FS1), and Syracuse at Ohio (7 ET Saturday, CBSSN).
Our advice: If you made plans this Labor Day Weekend, cancel them. Instead, spend five days enjoying the wonder that is Week 1 of the college football season. Yep, we're excited. Cheers, yinz.
Apparently, we've decided that kicking off a new season of this here podcast in late July is going to be a new tradition. For the second year in a row, Carla and Crappy are back with an offseason update, although we promise this one won't be nearly as depressing as last year's pandemic preview. Instead, what better way to begin our 10th anniversary season (yes, we've officially been doing this now for a decade, boys and girls), than with one of the topics we all love to discuss the most — conference realignment possibilities! We also dive into the proposed playoff expansion and the new NIL and transfer rules, and we tackle some fun questions along the way: - Will the Big 12 survive all of this? - What's going on with the ESPN cease and desist request? - What are the implications for the Big Ten? - Are Texas and Oklahoma actually making things harder on themselves in the SEC? - Is playoff expansion good news? Or great news? - How will the new Name, Image, Likeness and transfer rules impact the college football landscape? Oh, and one of us has some pretty big personal news to share as well. So, grab a beverage and enjoy some offseason banter as we prepare for another (hopefully closer to normal!) college football season. Cheers, yinz guys.
Well, somehow, someway ... we made it. We're here. A national title is on the line ... maybe on Monday night? Yes, the "we-have-no-idea"-ness of 2020 continues even into the new year. So before we get into the final game, we take time to look back at the best and worst of this crazy season, including conversations on the emergence of the Group of Five (or, as Crappy calls it, "the year of the Kuftic") and its lack of representation in the post-season, bowl game silliness, and the well-done and not-so-well-done return to play plans by multiple conferences. (We tip our hats to you, #MACtion.) And then, we get to the game that maybe we didn't expect ... which could happen Monday night ... or possibly January 18. #WeHaveNoIdea No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Alabama (8 ET Monday, ESPN Megacast): Alabama did exactly what we thought it would against Notre Dame. Ohio State ...was clearly motivated against Clemson and shut down the Tigers potent run game. We have lots of questions — including the health of both Justin Fields and the Buckeyes' defensive line — but we predict a super competitive game, whenever it happens. We make opposite picks ... you can probably figure out who picked whom. Before we say goodbye to the 2020 season, we conclude our show with our traditional "outrageous predictions" for 2021 ... and interestingly enough, our thoughts are trending in the same direction. Hmm. As always, we thank AJ for his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark insights all season long ... and you all for continuing to hang out with us each week during the college football season. We couldn't do this show without you, and our ninth season is certainly one that we'll always remember. Enjoy the football ... and we'll see you in a few months for Season 10 of the #CnCShow. Cheers, yinz guys.
he college football bowl season continues on, and as we get ready to bid 2020 a not-so-fond farewell (good riddance!), that means it's time for the "big boy bowls." Yep. We're talking about the New Year's Six ... erm, Four, plus two playoff games. Whatever. You know what we mean. Carla and Crappy begin by running through some of their favorite early moments from this abbreviated Bowlapalooza season, including our beloved Chickens falling short, the game that only a Midwesterner could love in Buffalo/Marshall, a surprisingly good showing by UTSA against Louisiana, and the overall ridiculousness of the New Mexico Bowl (in Frisco, in a soccer stadium, with two also-ran coaches, fa la la la la). So, don't forget about Bowlapalooza. There are still some silly games yet to be played. But, it's time to get serious. Sorta. Here we go. Cotton Bowl: No. 7 Florida vs. No. 6 Oklahoma (8 ET Wednesday, ESPN): On paper, these two teams are pretty even. In reality, the Gators are missing a bunch of offensive pieces, and the Sooners are actually maybe sort of good at defense. Peach Bowl: No. 9 Georgia vs. No. 8 Cincinnati (Noon ET Friday, ESPN): We ring in the new year with this dandy. Georgia's looked different since JT Daniels took over the offense, but the Bulldogs are missing key defensive pieces for this game. And the Bearcats have a statement they'd like to make, ahem. Fiesta Bowl: No. 25 Oregon vs. No. 10 Iowa State (4 ET Saturday, ESPN): OK, so maybe not everything is serious in this almost Bowlapalooza-worthy matchup. The Ducks backed their way into this game after not winning their division. It's been a long time since the Cyclones have been on this stage, but don't let those three losses fool you. Orange Bowl: No. 5 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 North Carolina (8 ET Saturday, ESPN): We cap off bowl season with this game that has the potential of ranking high in entertainment factor. The Heels offense is for real (see: Miami). The (possibly still cranky?) Aggies defense will have its hands full in this one. And finally, it's time to discuss the playoff. Rose Bowl-ish (in Arlington): No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Alabama (4 ET Friday, ESPN): The Irish have to hang early to have a shot. But honestly, we're just not sure that's going to happen. Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Clemson (8 ET Friday, ESPN): Is the Ohio State defense ready for this? Crappy's not so sure, but he also questions why Dabo gifted bulletin board material to the Buckeyes. So, if you're not already settled in, plan on doing so for the next several days as we wind down the college football season with some great matchups. Cheers, yinz.
Even with all of the we-have-no-idea-ness that college football season has delivered in 2020, there is one almost small sense of normalcy getting underway.
Yes, friends, it’s Bowlapalooza season.
And in the spirit of the wackiness that was this season, we’ve gone wacky with our format for this annual #CnCShow tradition. (In other words, this is not the typical Bowlapalooza you’ve been looking for.)
Carla, Crappy, and AJ sit down and discuss … every. single. meaningless. bowl game. Yes, really. All of them. Even the one that already happened before we were able to record this show.
As is tradition, we each selected a game or two to focus our attention … and then we just go crazy. (Disclaimer: Check your local listings for game status, times, and even teams involved, because all of those changes have occurred at least once already and bowl season is barely underway.)
Camellia Bowl: Marshall vs. Buffalo (2:30 ET Dec. 25, ESPN): AJ calls this the “What Happened?” Bowl. The rest of us are just tickled that the football gods delivered us this beautiful present on Christmas Day.
Cure Bowl: Liberty vs. No. 12 Coastal Carolina (7:30 ET Dec. 26, ESPN): The regular-season game that became a bowl game. This one’s another AJ pick, because there are just so many #GroupOfFive bowls to revel in this year. Also, things are moving so quickly this bowl season that this game literally changed times while we were recording. Go Chickens.
Cheez-It Bowl: No. 21 Oklahoma State vs. No. 18 Miami (5:30 ET Dec. 29, ESPN): Carla takes this one because it doesn’t matter whether this game is played in Arizona or Florida … it’s the most on-brand bowl game of the season. Grab your favorite salty snack and settle in for some stupid fun football, defense optional.
Arizona Bowl: Ball State vs. No. 22 San Jose State (2 ET Dec. 31, CBS Sports Network): Crappy’s selection gets the traditional Sun Bowl time slot, and a really entertaining matchup between two teams with surprising success this season. SJSU looked exceptionally good in the Mountain West title game and Ball State knocked off Buffalo in the MAC. This seriously could be one of the best games of all of bowl season.
We give honorable mention nods to:
New Mexico Bowl: Hawaii vs. Houston (3:30 ET Dec. 24, ESPN): Fun fact - this game isn’t played in New Mexico!
Valero Alamo Bowl: No. 20 Texas vs. Colorado (9 ET Dec. 29, ESPN): Because if Texas loses this game, the meltdown could be epic.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Wisconsin (Noon ET Dec. 30, ESPN): Has anyone actually watched Wake play a down of football this season?
TransPerfect Music City Bowl: No. 15 Iowa vs. Missouri (4 ET Dec. 30, ESPN): A whole lot of black and gold in Nashville if this game actually happens.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: West Virginia vs. Army (4 ET Dec. 31, ESPN): Army had to (undeservedly) wait for its bowl game, but it gets this lovely gift in replacing Tennessee to play West Virginia in Memphis. #2020
So, while there may not be as many bowl games as usual, there are some delightful pairings that should make for a nice holiday football season. Settle in at home and prepare to feast on the tastiness that is Bowlapalooza. We’ll be back next week with a preview of the New Year’s Six bowls and College Football Playoff games.
Cheers, yinz. Happy holidays.
It's Week 16 of the college football season ... and also Championship Week, which is one of the more bizarre sentences we've uttered in this 2020 bizarre season. AJ joins Carla and Crappy live as we continue our annual tradition of discussing all 10 conference title games in a single show. After a review of the chaos from last weekend — including shoe throwing, errant long snapping, fired head coaches, and a discussion on why Iowa State's high ranking makes us bristle (yep, we can't believe we said that either) — we get right into it. C-USA: UAB at Marshall (7 ET Friday, CBS Sports Network): Marshall's a good football team, nevermind the Rice mishap. UAB may struggle against the Herd's defense. MAC: Ball State vs. Buffalo (7:30 ET Friday, ESPN): Give us all of the Jaret Patterson, please. 1000 yards rushing and 18 TDs in just five games? Good luck, Cardinals. Pac-12: Oregon vs. No. 13 USC (8 ET Friday, FOX): A game that had to be moved with a late fill-in team is pretty much all you need to know about this one. Big Ten: No. 14 Northwestern vs. No. 4 Ohio State (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): The Buckeyes may need style points ... but Northwestern's defense may have other plans. (Spoiler alert: They're pretty darn good.) Big 12: No. 10 Oklahoma vs. No. 6 Iowa State (Noon ET Saturday, ABC): The Cyclones hung around with Oklahoma in October, then used a well-timed turnover to win. The Sooners' defense is improved now, though. Sun Belt: No. 19 Louisiana at No. 12 Coastal Carolina (3:30 ET Saturday, ESPN): These teams already met once too ... and it was a heck of a game. But, we're not going against our bandwagoning: Go Chickens! ACC: No. 3 Clemson vs. No. 2 Notre Dame (4 ET Saturday, ABC): Last meeting, the Irish held Travis Etienne to just 28 yards rushing ... and needed 2OTs to win. This time ... Trevor Lawrence is back. Mountain West: Boise State vs. No. 24 San Jose State (4:15 ET Saturday, FOX): This isn't the Boise that we're used to. SJSU is putting together a stellar run behind the arm of Nick Starkel. SEC: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 7 Florida (8 ET Saturday, CBS): Umm ... next? AAC: No. 23 Tulsa at No. 9 Cincinnati (8 ET Saturday, ABC): Fifth time's a charm for this game? Cincy looks to make a statement and ... maybe impress the playoff committee? As if that's not enough football, we give honorable mention to the other weird stuff happening on Championship Week ... like the fact that there are other conference games being played. Ole Miss at LSU (3:30 ET Saturday, SEC Network) should be stupid fun. Saturday was also supposed to be the start of bowl season, but the first 2020 bowl game — the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl — has been canceled, and one team already has secured a replacement bowl bid. Because 2020. So ... that's the weekend. Lots of games that matter. Lots of games that, well, don't. We advise that you enjoy them all ... and then come back next week for our annual silliness that is Bowlapalooza. Cheers, yinz.
It’s Week 15 of the mess that is the 2020 college football season, and Carla and Crappy are resorting to cheap gimmicks, because the COVID-ravaged schedule wasn’t kind to them — or anyone else. Fortunately, they have not only the gimmick, but they have Carla’s 40th birthday to help provide some semblance of order.
Carla didn’t get to see much football last weekend, but she saw enough to confirm, once again, that the Stanford Postulate is thing. Crappy did see a bunch of football last weekend, and he was still stoked about the Coastal-BYU game, to the point that he is hoping that mid-season pickup games — as AJ suggested last week — become a regular feature of college football. Especially since Ohio Sta … ah, they’ll get to that in a minute.
AJ takes us on his regular ride through the Group of Five and Pac 12 schedule, and then Carla and Crappy embark on a journey through every single game involving a Top 25 team this weekend — and Crappy’s favorite game of the year, which isn’t being played. The list, all on Saturday, all Eastern time:
Utah @ 21 Colorado, Big Nude
1 Alabama @ Arkansas, noon, ESPN
9 Georgia @ Missouri, noon, SEC Network
11 Oklahoma @ West Virginia, noon, ABC
Illinois @ 14 Northwestern, noon, ESPN2
13 Coastal Carolina @ Troy, 3 p.m., ESPN+
17 North Carolina @ 10 Miami, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Purdue @ 12 Indiana, 3:30 p.m., BTN*
Wisconsin @ 16 Iowa, 3:30 p.m., FS1
20 Texas @ Kansas, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
LSU @ 6 Florida, 7 p.m., ESPN
22 Oklahoma State @ Baylor, 7 p.m., ESPNU
15 USC @ UCLA, 7:30 p.m., ABC
San Diego State @ BYU, 10 p.m., ESPN2
*Game has since been canceled
That’s a full schedule for a weekend that would normally feature just one FBS game: Army-Navy (3 p.m. Saturday, Michie Stadium, West Point, N.Y., CBS). Carla and Crappy have their strong rooting interests in this game, but the Black Knights appear to be the pick this year.
To wrap up, Carla is completely stoked about Penn State retaining the coveted Land Grant Trophy. And Crappy — who insisted on a moment of silence for the Ohio State-Michigan game — is A) sad about the loss of the rivalry game (even though longtime #CnCShow listener Aidan insists the game should count as an OSU win) , B) confident that Ohio State will end up in the B1G title game (spoiler alert: They did), C) ready to devote some of his college football energy to the MLS Cup final and D) certain that Carla is starting off what should be a killer decade. Happy birthday week, Carla — and thanks to yinz guys for watching and listening.
(Note: As has been the case several times this season, the 'rona has thrown us a curveball late in the week. So yeah, we're kinda fried.) It's Week 14 of the college football season and while we've turned our calendars to the final month of this ridiculous year, we're still not sure we have any better idea of the landscape this week than when this all started ... other than two things: Take the under, and go chickens. (Hold tight. That will make sense in a moment.) Crappy's worried about his season on the brink and questions the ACC's moves to nearly ensure a Notre Dame-Clemson title game (and possibly even two CFP berths). Meanwhile, Carla's excited about her Nittany Lions finally picking up a win as well as the historic moment of a woman kicking in a Power 5 game. (Sorry everything else is awry, Vandy.) And AJ's excited because the coronavirus may give him an unexpected G5 playoff of sorts. So, after AJ gives us the lowdown on another stellar slate of #GroupOfFiveAfterDark games, we get into this week's highlights. You'll notice a common theme emerging. No. 5 Texas A&M at Auburn (Noon ET, ESPN): The Aggies offense has looked ... meh? Auburn hasn't had much of a run game as of late, and relying on Bo Nix is a big ask. Our conclusion? Take the under. No. 12 Indiana at No. 16 Wisconsin (3:30 ET, ABC): Yep. Still talking about Indiana. But that might change (unfortunately), due to Michael Penix's injury. Meanwhile, Graham Mertz threw three picks his last time out; Indiana's mojo is forcing interceptions. Hmm. Yep. Take the under. Liberty at No. 18 Coastal Carolina (2 ET, ESPNU): It's the game of the century. AJ's Super Bowl. The battle royale. Or, something. These two teams are super evenly matched. Can Coastal (or anyone for that matter) stop Malik Willis? Both teams have spectacular defenses. Our take: Go Chickens. Also? Take the under. UNLESS: BYU takes this game in place of Liberty, which is having COVID issues on campus -- in which case ... say it with us ... we have no idea. Honorable mentions this week go to No. 15 Oklahoma State at TCU (Noon ET, ESPN2) because it's the Big 12, Stanford at No. 22 Washington (4 ET, Fox) because it's the first legitimate 2020 test of the #CnCShow Stanford Postulate, and Buffalo at Ohio (3:30 ET, CBS Sports Network) because Crappy is hoping that somehow his Bobcats can keep up with Jaret Patterson. (Umm ... yeah. Good luck with that.) So, grab a blanket and a cup of ... whatever your beverage of choice is ... and settle in for some good ol' fashioned college football this weekend. And remember: Take the under. Go Chickens. Cheers, yinz guys.
It's Week 13 of the college football season and Thanksgiving weekend ... which traditionally means it's rivalry week. But 2020 has been far from normal (#WeHaveNoIdea), and so many of the usual matchups aren't on the schedule. However, what we lack in tradition, we make up for in an abundance of solid games spread out nicely over the long weekend. We begin with a breakdown of the first College Football Playoff rankings, released just moments before this episode was recorded. Who got snubbed? What team could make a move into the Top 4? And who do we need to talk to about Cincinnati and BYU? Next, we hear from AJ, who again has a stellar buffet of #GroupOfFiveAfterDark and #Pac12AfterDark games to highlight. And then, we dig into our unconventional Thanksgiving weekend lineup ... which feels pretty appropriate for 2020. No. 2 Notre Dame at No. 19 North Carolina (3:30 ET Friday, ABC): The Irish enter after a bye week ... and they may just need it, facing the high-powered Tar Heels offense. (Yes, that's a thing we just said.) Maryland at No. 12 Indiana (Noon ET Saturday, ESPN2): It turns out that the Hoosiers are a legit good team, even if Carla's still really tired of talking about them. (Crappy's discomfort last weekend confirms this.) If Maryland can play, is Taulia ready for this defense? No. 22 Auburn at No. 1 Alabama (3:30 ET Saturday, CBS): Weird things can happen in rivalry games. We say that every year. But no team has come close to stopping the Tide's offense in 2020, and Auburn's not built for a shootout. Honorable mentions this week go to No. 13 Iowa State at No. 17 Texas (Noon ET Friday, ABC) because somehow the Longhorns are favored, Mississippi State at Ole Miss (4 ET Saturday, SEC Network) because we've waited a long time for Leach vs. Kiffin, and No. 11 Oklahoma at West Virginia (7:30 ET Saturday, ABC) because strange things happen in Morgantown on Thanksgiving weekend. Meanwhile, Crappy makes a bold prediction for Penn State at Michigan (Noon ET Saturday, ABC). So grab those socially acceptable bowls of leftover mashed potatoes, toss in a bit of warmed-up turkey, and settle in for a good, long weekend of college football. Happy Thanksgiving, yinz guys.
It's Week 12 of the college football season, and we still have so many questions.
With the pandemic raging on and dramatically impacting last weekend's slate of games, we open our show this week by addressing two of the tougher questions (at least in our minds) at the moment. Carla does a deeper dive into why Journey Brown retired from football and the broader implications of this pandemic on the long-term health of college athletes. Crappy, meanwhile, wonders if the instability of this season will work in the favor of coaches of struggling teams. (We're looking squarely at you, Jim Harbaugh.)
As we come to agree ... it doesn't make it suck any less, but it is what it is.
While we struggle along, AJ is living his best life in the land of the Pac-12 and #GroupOfFiveAfterDark, and he's very happy to tell us all about the games you should be watching (and did he sneak in a prediction about the Ohio State-Indiana game at the end?).
And then we get into our slate of games, which we hope actually happen.
No. 9 Indiana at No. 3 Ohio State (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): Indiana is a thorn in Ohio State's side, even in down years. What happens when Indiana is, dare we say, good? Pass the Pepto to Crappy, please.
No. 10 Wisconsin at No. 19 Northwestern (3:30 ET, ABC): The Wildcats have had a spectacular opening to their season, but the youngsters at Wisconsin appear to be the real deal. Badgers — still pesky.
No. 14 Oklahoma State at No. 18 Oklahoma (7:30 ET, ABC): After two really important Big Ten games, flip over to Bedlam for some good, ol' fashioned Big 12 meaningless silliness. It's the perfect ending to the day, we promise.
We give honorable mentions this weekend to Kansas State at No. 17 Iowa State (4 ET, FOX), No. 7 Cincinnati at UCF (3:30 ET, ESPN), and Appalachian State at No. 15 Coastal Carolina (Noon ET, ESPN2). Oh, and welcome to the 2020 season, Utah! Yes, really. (We still have no idea.)
Enjoy whatever football happens this weekend, yinz. Cheers.
It's Week 11 of the college football season and, well, everything is just ... weird. And that's not even taking into account everything that's happened since we recorded this show on Tuesday night. Half of the weekend's SEC slate has now been postponed due to Covid-related issues. Teams from Florida State to LSU are losing players due to extended injuries, transfers, and opt-outs, with Carla being most devastated by the retirement announcement from Penn State RB Journey Brown. (We'll have more on that next week.) And, of course, the one that hurts us the most this week is the cancelation of Ohio State at Maryland. So, yeah. Sigh. Maybe we should stop recording on Tuesdays? Who knows. Anyway ... After looking back at last weekend's games, particularly the lackluster Cocktail Party and the upset in South Bend, we hear from AJ, who offers us a bit of brighter news regarding the #GroupOfFiveAfterDark. And then, well, we get on with ... whatever it is that's left this week. Penn State at Nebraska (Little Nude Saturday, FS1): One of these storied programs will get its first win of the season. And that's why we're talking about it. Because who predicted that? No. 3 Ohio State at Maryland (canceled): Crappy was having heartburn over his Buckeyes defense facing Taulia, who has settled in nicely at Maryland. Oh well. No. 23 Northwestern at Purdue (7:30 p.m. ET, BTN): Raise your hand if you had this game as being a battle for tops in the B1G West? Because that's exactly what it is. We give an honorable mention to No. 9 Miami at Virginia Tech (Noon ET, ESPN2), because why are the Hokies favored at home over a Top Ten opponent one week after losing to Liberty? Also worth noting — No. 2 Notre Dame should be wary of its trip to Boston College (3:30 ET, ABC), because if Clemsoning is transitive ... Try to make the most of it this weekend, friends. We'll put on our Coastal Carolina hats and root the chickens to 8-0. Because, once again, Coastal is the ray of hope we all need in the midst of this chaotic season. Cheers, yinz.
It's Week 10 of the college football season, and both Carla and Crappy are irrationally happy about one thing. (No, it's not the fact that the Steelers are 7-0. Carla is the only one happy about that.) Ladies and gents, #MACtion is back. Or, uh, #BACKtion. Before we get into a deep-dive on all of the Wednesday night (yes, really) MACtion, we take a brief look back at last weekend. While Crappy was pleased to see his Buckeyes run the football last weekend (much to Carla's dismay), Carla questions whether the Big Ten or the Big 12 has the bigger mess on its hands. (Yep. #WeHaveNoIdea.) AJ, meanwhile, is absolutely giddy about the return of #Pac12AfterDark this weekend and includes some of those games in his regular #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report. Then, we're all in on the MAC. All six games, lightning round style: Eastern Michigan at Kent State (6 ET Wed, ESPN+), Western Michigan at Akron (6 ET Wed, ESPN3), Buffalo at Northern Illinois (7 ET Wed, ESPN2), Ohio at Central Michigan (7 ET Wed, ESPN), Ball State at Miami (7 ET Wed, CBSSN), and Bowling Green at Toledo (8 ET Wed, ESPNU). Oh, and there are some legit other games being played this weekend, too: No. 23 Michigan at No. 13 Indiana (Little Nude Saturday, FS1): Huh. That Michigan offense is doing familiar things, like not scoring points. Indiana has a way of forcing opponents into turnovers. We're on opposite sides in this one. No. 8 Florida vs. No. 5 Georgia (3:30 ET Sat, CBS): The Cocktail Party has lost some luster over the past couple of weeks. The Dawgs have defensive injury concerns; the Gators have discipline issues. While we can agree that we're both getting real tired of Dan Mullen, we're on opposite sides here, too. No. 1 Clemson at No. 4 Notre Dame (7:30 ET Sat, NBC): No Trevor Lawrence for Clemson, so DJ ... you know, that freshman quarterback with the last name that's hard to pronounce? ... will again take the offensive reigns against a pretty solid Irish defense. Lots of variables in this one. Is an upset in the cards? So, enjoy all of the football this week, yinz guys. Because let's be real, we all deserve some frivolous mid-week #MACtion this week. Cheers.
It's Week 9 of the college football season, but Carla and Crappy are taking the opportunity to play a round of Overreaction Monday. At least that's what we're going to call it. Because one of us ... and we'll let you guess which one ... doesn't like college football very much right now. (Hint: It's Carla.) After discussing highlights from last weekend including Rice's quadruple-doink, Graham Mertz's stellar debut for Wisconsin, #WorldSeriesAfterDark, and an actual QB sighting at Michigan(?), AJ joins us for a lively conversation about this week's stellar #GroupOfFiveAfterDark games. (Sorry, Carla. It's just not your show.) And then we get into this week's treats, including two appetizers and a mammoth main course. No. 20 Coastal Carolina at Georgia State (Noon ET, ESPNU): We both still believe that Coastal is the team that we all need in 2020. Georgia State is a formidable foe, but go chickens. No. 17 Indiana at Rutgers (3:30 ET, BTN): Crappy decides to be mean and make Carla talk about Indiana some more. (We kid. Kinda.) Both of these teams had surprising wins last week, in part due to mistakes and turnovers by their opponents. Will the true B1G East Cinderella please stand up? No. 3 Ohio State at No. 18 Penn State (7:30 ET, ABC): Carla has a lengthy list of things that the Lions need to fix prior to kickoff. Crappy's concerned about the Buckeyes' run game (or lack thereof). The atmosphere won't be the same Saturday night in Beaver Stadium, but it is Halloween, so take that for whatever that's worth. (BURP.) Grab a beverage and some extra chocolate and enjoy your Halloween watching some college football, friends. Cheers.
It's Week 8 of the college football season, but Week 1 for Carla and Crappy. Yes, maybe against our better judgment, the Big Ten is back. And if you've followed this here little show for any length of time, you know that we're both die-hard B1G fans. Our 2020 football season is now complete.
We're so excited about the return of the B1G that we don't spend a bunch of time looking back at last weekend, other than brief mentions of Georgia's challenges at QB, Carolina's apparent football curse and an eerily-familiar conversation about SEC defense on a certain national pre-game show. (We're looking at you, Herbie.)
All. Six. Big. Ten. Games. Let's go.
Illinois at No. 14 Wisconsin (8 ET Friday, BTN): Jonathan Taylor is off to the NFL, and Jack Coan's out indefinitely. Bad news for the Badgers? Illinois has high hopes for this season and a whole bunch of offensive experience.
Nebraska at No. 5 Ohio State (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): The Huskers ended 2019 losing five of their last six. Ohio State looks as strong as ever on offense. No surprise here: Crappy has thoughts.
Rutgers at Michigan State (Noon ET, BTN): The epitome of "we have no idea." New coaches, new schemes, new quarterbacks. What will either of these teams look like in 2020?
No. 8 Penn State at Indiana (3:30 ET, FS1): Indiana returns 17 starters and loves to be the thorn in the B1G's side. Penn State is without Micah Parsons (opted out) and Journey Brown (undisclosed). No surprise here: Carla has thoughts.
Iowa at Purdue (3:30 ET, BTN): Purdue has extremely talented receivers, but questions at QB. Iowa also has a new QB, who Crappy is declaring as his second-favorite in the conference.
Maryland at Northwestern (7:30 ET, BTN): A kid brother by the name of Tagovailoa may be starting at QB for the Terps. That's the only interesting thing we could scrounge up about this one.
No. 18 Michigan at No. 21 Minnesota (7:30 ET, ABC): The Gophers should be just fine offensively, but have questions on defense. Meanwhile, even Michigan media-types have concerns about both the Wolverines' secondary and passing game. Row the boat? Row the boat.
Honorable mention this week goes to No. 17 Iowa State at No. 6 Oklahoma State (3:30 ET, FOX), which may be a preview of the Big 12 title game. If someone could watch that for Carla, we'd appreciate it. So, if you need either of us this weekend, you know where we'll be.
Welcome back, Big Ten. Enjoy the football, yinz guys.
It's Week 7 of the 2020 college football season and, well, we still have no idea. (Stop us if you've heard that before.) We head into the weekend with a whole bunch of headscratchers and unknowns. Since we recorded this episode on Tuesday evening, the status of the weekend's marquee matchup has been left in doubt due to a headline-stealing positive Covid test. LSU at Florida has been postponed for that same reason. What do we know? Carla says after reviewing last weekend's games, there's a clear top team in the country. Crappy thinks that the Big 12's defensive issues have spread into the SEC.
Meanwhile, AJ has an abundance of really good #GroupOfFiveAfterDark matchups to dive into this weekend.
But then? For the first time in, well, as long as we can both remember, Crappy and Carla are on opposing sides in every matchup. If that's not the epitome of 2020, we're not sure what is.
No. 8 Cincinnati at Tulsa (Noon ET, ESPN2): It's Tulsa's first home game of the season ... and homecoming to boot. Cincy's sitting pretty at 3-0 and statistically is better than Tulsa in all categories. Yet, according to one website, Tulsa has a 59 percent chance of winning this game. Huh. Carla takes Cincy; Crappy takes Tulsa. (EDITOR'S NOTE: This was all correct until Thursday, when the game was postponed. Enjoy the discussion anyway.)
Boston College at No. 23 Virginia Tech (8 ET, ACC Network): BC has managed to fly under the radar while playing solid football. The Hokies are powered by their run game; BC happens to be pretty darn good against the run. Tech is favored by double digits. Why? Crappy's all in on an Eagles upset; Carla hesitantly takes VT at home.
No. 3 Georgia at No. 2 Alabama (8 ET, CBS): The SEC's two top teams go head-to-head, and that matchup between Alabama's offense and that stealthy Bulldog defense should be spectacular. Carla goes against her better judgment and takes Georgia in a stunner; Crappy thinks the Tide can do just enough on defense to win. And now, thanks to Nick Saban's positive COVID test, no one is sure whether this game will actually happen. Stay tuned.
We're even on opposite sides on Sunday as our two favorite NFL teams go head-to-head ... which yes, we mention at the end of the show. (How could we not?) So, yeah. Hang in there, boys and girls. It could be a bumpy weekend, but we're here with you all the way ... even if we can't agree on anything. Enjoy whatever football happens, yinz guys.
It's Week 6 of the college football season, and it's time to get serious, boys and girls. Here at the #CnCShow, that can only mean one thing: Pop quiz! It's time for "Contender? Or Pretender?" Before we get to our quiz taking, we take a look back at last weekend's action. Carla apologizes to Mississippi State as, yes, it does indeed appear that postulates are transitive, and Crappy ... takes the opportunity to gloat about his Browns. We also say hello to this Saturday's Elmer Fudd Memorial Red River Rivalry, which sadly lacks its usual luster this season, but should be entertaining as heck. The Big 12, BYU and Coastal Carolina are the first contestants on "Contender? Or Pretender?" And then we get into this weekend's action involving more questions. Pencils ready? No. 4 Florida at No. 21 Texas A&M (Noon ET, ESPN): Florida's offense is good. Like almost Alabama good, statistically. The Aggies are giving up a bunch of yards on defense, but have a tendency to play up in these types of games. Florida: Contender? Or Pretender? No. 14 Tennessee at No. 3 Georgia (3:30 ET, CBS): Rocky Toppers are quite pleased right now, and why shouldn't they be? The Vols are 2-0 and nationally ranked. But Georgia looked exceptionally good against Auburn. That defense? Whew. Georgia: Contender? Or Pretender? No. 7 Miami at No. 1 Clemson (7:30 ET, ABC): The last time we saw the Canes, they were putting up 52 on Florida State. Clemson's defense will be the toughest that Miami has seen ... and the Tigers still have these guys named Travis Etienne and Trevor Lawrence. We know that Clemson is an annual contender, so ... Miami: Contender? Or Pretender? We wrap things up with a quick visit to this weekend's Saban-Kiffin battle royale, a reminder to keep an eye on No. 19 Virginia Tech at No. 8 North Carolina (Noon ET, ABC), and a welcome to the Temple Owls who (see what we did there?) are finally entering the "We Have No Idea" 2020 melee. We love a good party crasher. Enjoy the football this weekend, yinz guys. (Happy birthday, Crappy!)
It's Week 5 of the college football season and just like the Big 12, we've gone completely off the rails. We begin as Carla literally dons her academic hat and offers a proposal that the CnCShow's Stanford Postulate, by way of the Transitive Property of College Football, is now applicable to Mississippi State. (Just listen. It'll kind of make sense. We hope.) And then, Crappy attempts to talk about Cincinnati ... but is affectionately interrupted by his adoring (and hungry) cat, Charlie. So, yeah. Say it with us folks ... we have no idea. AJ brings us the best of the #GroupOfFiveAfterDark, and then we attempt to get serious. Or something. Maybe. Whatever. No. 13 Texas A&M at No. 2 Alabama (3:30 ET, CBS): The Aggies were ... sloppy, at best last weekend against Vandy. Bama is, well, Bama. Can Kellen Mond shake the rust enough to hang with the Tide? No. 7 Auburn at No. 4 Georgia (7:30 ET, ESPN): OK, so we were wrong about Bo Nix and Auburn last week. But we're not sure anyone saw Georgia's early struggles coming. All Crappy knows is that a fleet of QBs is not typically a successful offensive strategy. Texas Tech at Kansas State (3:30 ET, FS1) and No. 18 Oklahoma at Iowa State (7:30 ET, ABC): We added these two Big 12 games because, as Crappy puts it, we just can't look away. Carla would like to see both Texas Tech and KState win the first game, and we're just both really confused by the Sooners and Cyclones. Who needs defense anyway? And so with all of the trainwrecks, postulating, feline distractions, and a now-postponed NFL reference aside ... we hope you enjoy the football this weekend, yinz guys. Cheers.
It's Week 4 of the college football season, and time to officially welcome the SEC and the Big Ten to ... whatever it is we've got going this year. Because, yeah, you'd think we'd have an idea by now but ...
After a review of last weekend's activity, including three unexpected late thrillers (which we somehow managed not to mention last week) and a bunch of questions about Oklahoma State and Notre Dame, we turn our attention to ... the Big Ten's now-official decision to play football this fall. (C'mon. You knew we would.) We also take the opportunity to reevaluate our Final Fours.
And then ... we get into this weekend's action ... including three ranked-on-ranked matchups! (Yes, that statement is worthy of an exclamation point.)
No. 23 Kentucky at No. 8 Auburn (Noon ET, SEC Network): Welcome back, SEC! And welcome back, Bo Nix ... and ... we're not sure who else for Auburn. Meanwhile, UK looks awesome on paper. Is it possible that the Cats could actually win this game?
No. 24 Louisville at No. 21 Pitt (Noon Et, ACC Network): Louisville looked lackluster on defense last week against The U. But, can Pitt really start a season 3-0? You'll want to watch this one just to see the Panthers unis.
No. 22 Army at No. 14 Cincinnati (3:30 ET, ESPN): The Bearcats, at least for now, are the last real test on Army's schedule until the annual rivalry game. UC has a battalion of running backs and 16 returning starters. Is it ready for the Army option?
Honorable mention this week goes to Mississippi State at No. 6 LSU (3:30 ET, CBS), as Carla wonders how the new Bulldog air raid offense (led by former Tree QB KJ Costello) will fare against a depleted LSU team ... that also runs a pro-style offense. Crappy, meanwhile, offers a hearty hello to his good football friends in the great state of Nebraska, who are going to get all the football they want -- and then some -- when the season begins.
Enjoy the football this weekend, yinz!
It's Week 3 of the college football season, and with Group of Five teams stealing the spotlight, that can only mean one thing: It's time for our annual Lightning Round show. (Yes, be prepared. There's an occasional bell. And it's loud.)
Joining us "in-studio" for the first time this year is our #GroupOfFiveAfterDark correspondent, AJ, who promptly celebrates the Fun Belt's rise to the occasion last weekend. We also tip our glasses to Houston Baptist (not a high school) and explore the beauty of Army's ... defense? Let's send everyone to the Bahamas Bowl! We have no idea.
We recorded this show late Tuesday, otherwise known as the "night before the Big Ten decided to come back." While we may not have ideas about much this season, we definitely have opinions about this, so we share them ... even before the season reboot was official.
And then, we get down to business, Gong Show-style, bell partially included. Ready, set ...
Tulsa at No. 11 Oklahoma State (Noon ET, ESPN): The Big 12 was underwhelming last week. Tulsa has an entire fleet of running backs. This should be fun, if you like offense.
Houston at Baylor (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): Say it with us — we have no idea. Baylor's got a new coach; Houston underperformed in 2019 under Holgo.
USF at No. 7 Notre Dame (2:30 ET, USA): The Irish started slow last week. USF runs the football a whole lot. Also, this game's on USA?
No. 14 UCF at Georgia Tech (3:30 ET, ABC): This should be a fun battle between two young, rising quarterbacks. Is GT for real? Will UCF be a contender?
No. 23 Appalachian State at Marshall (3:30 ET, CBS): A much-deserved time in the CBS spotlight for these two teams. Appy State runs the ball. Marshall throws the ball. Both teams are solid in the trenches.
No. 17 Miami at No. 18 Louisville (7:30 ET, ABC): Our first Top 25 matchup of the year ... boasts a statistical mismatch that looms large. Louisville had more than 300 yards in the air last weekend. Miami's defense has secondary issues. Hmm.
Honorable mentions this week go to Troy at MTSU (a trophy game!) and Abilene Christian (also not a high school) at UTEP (a true #AfterDark game). And with all of that ... whew! Enjoy the football, yinz guys. Ding!
It's Week 2 of the 2020 "we have no idea" college football season, and this week, we're all in on the ACC. But before we dive into the latest conference jumping into the fray, we take a moment to review Week 1. Carla wonders whether BYU could enter the national conversation, and Crappy takes a moment to (deservedly) gloat over Army's big win ... and we both wonder what happened to Navy and revel in the unexpectedly entertaining SMU/Texas State affair.
And then ... we hear from our good friend AJ, who returns for another season of #GroupOfFiveAfterDark games. Because trust us, there are several you should be paying attention to this week.
Now, ready for some ACC goodness? Here we go.
Duke at No. 10 Notre Dame (2:30 ET, NBC): Ian Book's back for his ... 12th season? Duke's offense could be good but has had limited reps due to a transfer QB and an injured center. The Irish don't need to be spectacular to win their home opener ... they just need to be solid.
Georgia Tech at Florida State (3:30 ET, ABC): The coaching carousel continues at Florida State. James Blackman offers some offensive stability, other than his propensity for throwing picks. A motivated Tech squad could make this game super interesting. Keep a close eye on this one.
No. 1 Clemson at Wake Forest (7:30 ET, ABC): Why the heck is Clemson opening on the road? Not that it's likely going to matter much — with Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne both returning, the Tigers offense will continue to roll. Wake's defense should be solid, but its offense hasn't scored a touchdown against Clemson in three seasons.
We also give honorable mention honors to Western Kentucky at Louisville and UAB at Miami. More ACC teams, but with non-conference opponents (and very intriguing lines). And with that ... enjoy the football, yinz guys.
Hi there. We're back. Again. It's still Season 9. But this time, it's an almost normal show. While the world is, umm, still quite far from normal, there is at least a passing moment of normalcy, and that's the opening weekend of college football. How long will this season last? Will there be a playoff? Will the Big Ten play before 2021? We have no idea. And that's going to be our theme for the rest of this unconventional season. We're rolling with it ... for as long as it lasts. So, in full attempt to retain some semblance of the format that we've held for the past eight seasons, we each take a stab at our preseason Final Fours. So, there's Clemson and Alabama ... and Carla opts to take a brief tour of the SEC West and make a case for banishing the Big 12 from playoff consideration until the entire conference plays some defense, while Crappy kinda sorta mentions he's maybe just a little bit rooting for a team that we never thought he would root for. Sorta. Kinda. Whatever. We have no idea. But what we do have an idea about is the fact that there are actual college football games happening this weekend ... even if we had to consult every resource available to us to preview them. So, here goes nothing ... because ... well, you get the idea. Eastern Kentucky at Marshall (1 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN): Crappy's calling this the Big Sandy River Rivalry. Carla's intrigued by the number of people in this game with the last name of Wells. Both of us like the Herd. Middle Tennessee at Army (1:30 p.m. ET Saturday, CBS Sports Network): We're getting rivalry week out of the way early in Season 9. With Ohio State and Ohio out of the fandom picture, Crappy's all in on Army this year. With Penn State out of the picture (and Robert Morris being an FCS team), Carla's opting for Hashtag True Blue in 2020 and MTSU. So this one is for all the marbles! Asher O'Hara is a dual-threat at QB for Middle; Army likes to run the football a lot. We predict a wildly entertaining game. BYU at Navy (8 p.m. ET Monday, ESPN): If you didn't have this game on your calendar, you're not alone ... because this game was just put on the books August 6. Navy was supposed to be playing Notre Dame in Ireland. Instead, they host BYU at home in front of an empty stadium. With no more Malcolm Perry for the Midshipmen, can the Cougs fly cross-country and steal a win? So ... enjoy a taste of normalcy this weekend, college football fans. We certainly will. Beyond that though? Yeah, yeah, you know how to answer that. Cheers, yinz.
Hi, friends ... and welcome to Season 9 of the Carla & Crappy Show ... which may or may not be a single episode. (Insert giant sigh here.)
With the world — including the college football season — currently in flux, there's a lot to talk and think about. And so, after Crappy points out that this upheaval is somehow all Carla's fault, we dive into several big, important questions that we don't actually have answers to, but we'll make them up anyway.
- What would an all-conference football schedule look like?
- Is it possible to make the Big Ten North a real thing? Or maybe bring back the Big Eight and Southwest conferences in some sort of regional play?
- What happens if some conferences opt to play games out of conference and others don't?
- Are independents basically screwed in all of this?
- Should there even be a playoff or bowl season this year?
- Should we just wait and play football in the spring? Is that even possible?
- Is the NCAA at fault in not being proactive in its approach?
- What about fans in the stands? Who should get tickets?
Finally, we wrap up the show with our two biggest questions:
- Should there be a college football season?
- Will there be a college football season?
So, no, this isn't your typical lighthearted edition of the #CnCShow. We're sorry about that ... we miss the ridiculousness, too. But serious times call for serious conversations.
As for now, chins up. We'll likely be back in a few weeks as the season (or lack thereof) starts to sort itself out. Until then, enjoy the soccer. Cheers, friends.
And then there was one. After the seemingly endless buffet of daily bowl games for the past, oh, five weeks or so, one lone game remains on the 2019-20 college football schedule.
So as we wind down our final show of this season, we take some time to reflect on some of our favorite moments of the New Year's Six and Bowlapalooza games as well as the Playoff semifinals. (Yes, it was a catch. We're not bitter at all. But we digress.) We also look ahead with anticipation to the 2020 season and each make an outrageous prediction. (Here's hoping we do better than we did last year!)
But despite our best stalling tactics (because, really, does college football have to end?), we do finally break down the most important game of the year.
CFP National Championship: No. 3 Clemson vs. No. 1 LSU (8 ET Monday, ESPN): Based on statistics alone, this game looks to be extremely competitive. Clemson boasts the nation's best pass defense, and LSU is the top-rated overall offense (and second-best passing offense). So, Joe Burrow versus Brent Venables it is. But ... the eye test between these two teams leads us to the same conclusion for this game.
Thanks to AJ for his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark insights all season ... and thanks to all of you, our listeners and viewers, for keeping us around for eight seasons of college football silliness.
Enjoy the football, yinz. We'll see you next fall for Season Nine.
The holidays tend to be excessive: Tons of food, too much to drink ... and a steady stream of college football for weeks. But nestled in the middle of our Bowlapalooza-level games are the traditional gems: The New Year's Six games and the two CFP semifinals. Don't think for a second that Carla and Crappy aren't enjoying all of the bowl games, but in the words of our least-favorite conference, these games just mean more.
Dec 28: Cotton Bowl Classic No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 17 Memphis: Defense — as in Penn State’s defense — wins bowl games.
Dec. 30: Orange Bowl No. 9 Florida vs. No. 24 Virginia: Will this serve as a springboard to a big 2020 for the Gators?
Jan. 1: Citrus Bowl No. 13 Alabama vs. No. 14 Michigan: Alabama was not Alabama this year. But Michigan hasn’t been Michigan in a decade or more.
Jan. 1: Rose Bowl Game No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 8 Wisconsin: Can the Big Ten win a second Rose Bowl in a row?
Jan. 1: Sugar Bowl No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 7 Baylor: It’s the dogs’ day.
Dec. 28: Peach Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal) No. 1 LSU vs. No. 4 Oklahoma: In this case, ND doesn’t stand for Notre Dame — it stands for No Defense.
Dec. 28: Fiesta Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal) No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Clemson: History isn’t on Ohio State’s side. But the best defense in the country is.
Happy holidays, everyone. And we'll see you back here one more time to preview the national title game.
We use the phrase a lot around the #CnCShow, but this time we actually mean it. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year as college football gives us the best holiday gift ever — 2,741 games that mean absolutely nothing. Yes, friends, it’s bowl season, and that can only mean one thing … it’s time for Bowlapalooza.
In addition to our #GroupOfFiveAfterDark correspondent AJ Kuftic, we’re joined this year by another AJ … AJ Grande, who is also a college football fanatic and somewhat recovering sports blogger. Two AJs on one show? This isn’t going to get confusing at all. We’re also joined by Carla’s husband, David Fox, who is still a recovering sports journalist and questioning how his wife continually drags him into being a part of this show every year.
Because bowl season is, umm, odd this year, we waste no time and dive right in to the goodness. Here are the games that made the official Bowlapalooza cut:
Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl (2 p.m. ET Fri., Dec. 20, ESPN)
Buffalo (7-5) vs. Charlotte (7-5)
David takes this one because of the coaches. The rest of us really want this game to be sponsored by an alcoholic beverage. Also, enjoy your first-ever bowl appearance, Charlotte!
Cheez-It Bowl (10:15 p.m. ET Fri., Dec. 27, ESPN)
Air Force (10-2) vs. Washington State (6-6)
Remember how we said bowl season was weird? We go a full week between our official picks (don’t worry, we make lots of honorable mentions) … and then we get this beautiful mess. In quite possibly the most on-brand game selection in the history of Bowlapalooza, AJ Kuftic takes this game because it’s after dark and, quite frankly, ridiculous.
Autozone Liberty Bowl (3:45 p.m. ET Tues., Dec. 31, ESPN)
Navy (10-2) vs. Kansas State (8-4)
Carla made this pick out of sheer intrigue. Kansas State’s weakness is its secondary … which isn’t a problem when facing a Navy team that, well, doesn’t throw the ball. Also, watch this game just for the joy of Navy QB Malcolm Perry. You’re welcome in advance.
Outback Bowl (1 p.m. ET Wed., Jan 1, ESPN)
Minnesota (10-2) vs. Auburn (9-3)
Can the Gophers row the damn boat all the way back to Minnesota? AJ Grande thinks so … especially when there’s an ACTUAL BOAT in the stadium where this game is being played. Bad omen for Auburn?
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (3:30 p.m. ET, Fri., Jan. 3, ESPN)
Ohio (6-6) vs. Nevada (7-5)
Crappy, of course, takes the game featuring his alma mater. It’s a sendoff for Ohio QB Nathan Rourke … who will face a Nevada team that somehow made a bowl game despite giving up 11 more points every game this season than it scored. Bowl season is awesome.
While those are our official picks, we also give some love to the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl (SMU vs. FAU on Dec. 21 in a home game?), the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (App St. vs. UAB on Dec. 21 … just because), the SoFi Hawaii Bowl (Hawaii vs. BYU on Christmas Eve, because YES), the Quick Lane Bowl (Pitt vs. Eastern Michigan on Dec. 26 in a game Crappy thinks the Eagles can win), and the Ticketsmarter Birmingham Bowl (Boston College vs. Cincinnati on Jan. 2, because we’re sorry, Cincy).
As always, we’re incredibly grateful to David, AJ, and AJ for joining us. The #CnCShow will be back with our first of two College Football Playoff preview shows during the holiday week. Happy holidays, yinz and y’all.
What week is it on the Carla and Crappy show? The numbers no longer matter, because it’s Championship Week. AJ, Carla and Crappy take on all 10 conference title games speed-round style, with Crappy’s most obnoxious innovation to date — a bell — keeping everyone in line. And stick around until the end, when the three pick their Final Fours, the G5 New Year’s Six participant and the Army-Navy game.
You want the list? Here’s the list:
PAC 12: 5 Utah vs 13 Oregon: If the Utes win, are they in?
Big 12: 7 Baylor vs 6 Oklahoma: Does the Big 12 have a shot at a playoff spot after all?
Sun Belt: Louisiana Lafayette at 21 Appalachian State: Not a whole lot of fun in store for Louisiana.
MAC: Miami vs Central Michigan: How in the world did Miami even get here?
C-USA: UAB at Florida Atlantic: Is Lane Kiffin moving on?
AAC: 20 Cincinnati at 17 Memphis: Have we heard this song before?
SEC: 4 Georgia vs 2 LSU: Could LSU jump Ohio State with a big win here?
Mountain West: Hawaii at 19 Boise State: The smurf turf is bad news for Hawaii.
ACC: 23 Virginia vs 3 Clemson: Clemsoning Index is extremely low.
Big 10: 1 Ohio State vs 8 Wisconsin: Weather won’t slow down OSU’s offense this time.
Enjoy the games, people, and come back in a couple weeks for Bowlapalooza.
Week 14 serves up one of our most favorite times of the college football season: Rivalry Week. And what better time to focus on our rivals ... than the two days immediately following giving thanks?
We kid. Sorta.
We begin by reviewing the hot-off-the-presses College Football Playoff rankings (hello, Ohio State!) and our weekly Clemsoning index.
Then AJ goes all-in on #GroupOfFiveAfterDark with his version of Fastest Three Minutes ... on C-USA. Take it all in, folks. It's glorious.
Finally, it's on to the good stuff. Get those leftovers ready, because you have a long weekend of football watching ahead of you.
No. 1 Ohio State at No. 13 Team Up North (The Biggest Nude Saturday Ever, FOX): There's no mistaking Crappy's loyalties here ... and despite being at odds last weekend, Carla's on board this week.
No. 5 Alabama at No. 15 Auburn (3:30 ET Saturday, CBS): Mac Jones, welcome to the SEC. Yes, that's what we've been saying to Bo Nix all season. But entering the Iron Bowl, Bama actually has the QB with fewer starts. Go figure. Expect a good one at Jordan-Hare.
No. 12 Wisconsin at No. 8 Minnesota (3:30 ET, Saturday ABC): If the Iron Bowl isn't enough for you, how about a B1G West rivalry with a conference title game berth on the line? These teams are nearly as even statistically as possible ... which team wants it more?
No. 7 Oklahoma at No. 21 Oklahoma State (8 ET Saturday, FOX): For dessert? How about some Bedlam goodness? But hold the defense, please.
This Thanksgiving week, we're not just thankful for college football ... we're thankful for you for hanging out with us all season. Enjoy the games, yinz guys. Happy Thanksgiving.
It's Week 13 of the college football season, and college football is serving up the perfect pre-Thanksgiving feast.
After an appetizer of new playoff rankings, we skip ahead to desserts and talk about the SEC's annual baked goods week. (And no, Abilene Christian is not a high school, even though it sounds like one. We checked.)
Our side dish?
Texas at No. 14 Baylor (3:30 ET, FS1): Despite last week's second half collapse, Baylor actually does play defense. Texas is coming off a somewhat surprising loss to Iowa State. Which team is motivated to win this game?
And then ... the only game that matters. Our main course:
No. 8 Penn State at No. 2 Ohio State (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): The Nittany Lions have nothing to lose, but they may have to play a perfect game to knock off the Buckeyes, who will test the Penn State secondary more than any other opponent has this year. (Hint: That's not a good thing if you're wearing blue.)
So, get out your stretchy pants a bit early and enjoy the football feast, yinz guys.
Maybe it’s because their brains were frozen by this week’s cold snap, but Carla dives into the transitive properties of college football and finds that Appalachian State really should be top 4 in the CFP rankings at this point, while Crappy decides this is his week for Hot Takes and what will almost certainly work out to be Dumb Picks. It could also be that Crappy was distracted by his Bobcats playing a tight game against Western Michigan while they taped. Details? They don’t see eye to eye on this week’s Clemsoning Index, but they agree that Notre Dame needs to be on its toes for a Top 25 matchup against Navy. And that’s even before they start in on this week’s featured games: Georgia at Auburn (3:30 p.m., CBS) — Is Jake Fromm State Farm really that good?; Minnesota at Iowa (4 p.m., Fox) — Rowing the Boat in Iowa City; and Oklahoma at Baylor (7:30 p.m., ABC) — Defense wins championships, except in the Big 12. Hitch up your khakis, boys and girls, and get ready for a fun weekend.
It's Week 11 of the college football season ... and we're getting down to business. After last week's Group of Five frivolity, there are some serious games on the books this weekend. Which means we're getting all serious-like on the #CnCShow. (OK, so maybe it's also because one of us had to work on Election Night. But we're going to roll with it.) Because we recorded earlier than usual this week, we begin by making our College Football Playoff ranking predictions. So listen to see how close we were! (Because, honestly, we were pretty close.) And then: Three gigantic games. Let's go. No. 4 Penn State at No. 17 Minnesota (Noon ET, ABC): The Golden Gophers have rowed the boat all the way to an 8-0 record, controlling their own destiny in the B1G West. Penn State suddenly finds itself right in the thick of the Playoff picture, but needing a win to remain there. The Nits have better wins on the year thus far; it might snow in Minnesota this weekend. Buckle up. No. 2 LSU at No. 3 Alabama (3:30 ET, CBS): Just because these teams aren't No. 1 and No. 2 respectively doesn't make this any less important of a game. Both secondaries will get a workout facing these power offenses. How is Tua? We'll find out Saturday afternoon. No. 18 Iowa at No. 13 Wisconsin (4 ET, FOX): It's been a rough couple of weeks for Bucky. A win at home against the Hawkeyes could be just what the doctor ordered. After being bottled up by Ohio State, will Jonathan Taylor find his way through the also-really-good Iowa run defense? Enjoy the games, yinz guys.
It's Week 10 of the college football season ... and well, we're not super impressed with the slate of big games this week.
As in ... there's the Cocktail Party ... and not much else.
So while the rest of the college football universe is soaking up the Florida/Georgia mystique, we're going in the complete opposite direction.
Ladies and gents, it's time for the #CnCShow #GroupOfFiveAfterDark edition. (We'll wait for your applause to stop.)
We're joined live this week by our #GroupOfFiveAfterDark correspondent A.J. ... who guides us through conversation on the three most interesting Group of Five games, featuring players you may never have heard of. But that's what makes college football awesome in our books.
Arkansas State at Louisiana-Monroe (3:30 ET, ESPNU): If you love offenses that put up points, this game is for you. Because next to the definition of "defense optional" in the college football handbook this year ... are photos of these two teams. Both teams give up almost 500 yards per game. Arkansas State has won nine straight in this series; it's homecoming for Louisiana-Monroe. This has all of the makings of Fun Belt awesomeness.
No. 15 SMU at No. 24 Memphis (7:30 ET, ABC): Gameday's gonna be on Beale Street. That should be enough to make you watch this game. (Also, it's the featured game on ABC, so there's that.) SMU's QB is Shane Buechele (yes, the one formerly of Texas). Memphis boasts a stud true frosh RB in Kenneth Gainwell, who can do just about everything.
Fresno State at Hawaii (11:59 ET, Facebook): This is quite possibly the most #GroupOfFiveAfterDark game ever. It kicks off at midnight ET ... will span over the Daylight Savings time change on the East Coast ... and is only being streamed on Facebook. Watch this game to see Hawaii QB Cole McDonald, who is living his best life on the islands as the No. 4 passer in all of FBS.
So, bask in the glory of the Group of Five-ness this weekend. Enjoy the games, yinz guys.
It's Week 9 of the college football season and we've got cats, garage-sale-esque trophies, scary Halloween costumes, and potential political campaign slogans on our minds. We begin by taking a look back at last week's craziness, including Wisconsin playing the role of Georgia playing the role of Clemson ... a 6 OT game that somehow no one paid attention to ... and Vandy actually winning a football game. We also do our best to try to convince PJ Fleck to run for governor if Minnesota wins the Big Ten West. Then we get into the good stuff. No. 13 Wisconsin at No. 3 Ohio State (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): This game lost quite a bit of luster after Bucky's loss last weekend; can those stinkin' Badgers rebound with a huge upset on the road? Also of note, Crappy insists he won't be nude in the Shoe on Saturday afternoon, despite the game's billing. No. 9 Auburn at No. 2 LSU (3:30 ET, CBS): Oh, Bo Nix. This looks like a big hill to climb. Both sets of Tigers are great at stopping the run; that's inconsequential for an LSU offense that's putting up approximately 2,376 yards passing per game this season. Auburn's going to be a great team ... but this one's likely gonna be rough. No. 8 Notre Dame at No. 19 Michigan (7:30 ET, ABC): The mismatch between Notre Dame's scoring defense and Michigan's scoring offense is pretty monumental from a statistical sense. Jimmy's upset about officiating; Brian Kelly's negotiating with priests. What we really want to know, though, is can both teams lose this game? No. 6 Penn State at Michigan State (3:30 ET, ABC): Before we go, Carla brings up the rivalry game with the greatest trophy of all time. Land Grant, you're a thing that only Big Ten fans could love. Also, Sparty has a history of knocking off highly-ranked Penn State teams. So, white knuckles it is on Saturday. Enjoy the games, yinz guys.
It's Week 8 of the college football ... and we're going back, back ... back again ... Backstreet's back ... oh, whatever.
We've got inaccurate late 90s song references and a bunch of great football this week.
We begin by throwing our hands up in the air with a look at our weekly Clemsoning Index (which is higher than usual, so you don't want to miss a thing), and then check in with AJ, who is living la vida loca with some #GroupOfFiveAfterDark games.
And then, we dive into our weekly slate, beginning with two games that have us wanting it that way:
No. 18 Baylor at Oklahoma State (4 ET, FOX): Baylor's undefeated and ranked. Who knew? The Bears face a big test on the road this week.
No. 9 Florida at South Carolina (Noon ET, ESPN): Florida lost a heartbreaker; the Gamecocks scored the win of last weekend. Which team is ready to play?
Then we move to the Pac-12, possibly for the last time this season (at least Crappy hopes so, because it doesn't impress him much) ...
No. 12 Oregon at No. 25 Washington (3:30 ET, ABC): Oregon is quietly putting together a nice season and is relying on its defense, of all things. Washington's got a good QB in Jacob Eason; can the Huskies keep the Ducks in check? #Pac12BeforeDark
No. 17 Arizona State at No. 13 Utah (6 ET, Pac-12 Network): We'd advise you to watch this #Pac12AtDusk game (which Crappy has deemed a coin flip), but no one can see it because it's on the Pac-12 Network, which is the most Pac-12 thing ever.
And, just for Carla, we save tonight and fight the break of dawn ... for a whiteout.
No. 16 Michigan at No. 7 Penn State (7:30 ET, ABC): Jimmy's in the hot seat for the Team Up North, and Carla's feeling confident, which isn't something that happens all that often.
Enjoy the games, yinz guys.
Week 7 of the college football season means it's time for midterms, fall breaks, and rivalries. And that, apparently, is enough to make us put on our floppy academic hats and fall down a ... psychological rabbit hole, if you will.
So we begin with a debate as to whether the #CnCShow Stanford Postulate is still a thing, and move on to whether Florida State counts as a Clemsoning opponent. If you're still hanging with us by that point, we'll reward you with the frivolity that we call AJ's #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report.
Then, class resumes as we break down three huge games this weekend. Get your pencils ready.
No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 11 Texas (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): The annual Elmer Fudd Invitational once again boasts two offensive juggernauts. (They didn't rename this the Red River Shootout for nothing, you know.) And hey ... Oklahoma actually is showing some improvement on defense!
No. 10 Penn State at No. 17 Iowa (7:30 ET, ABC): In the antithesis of the previous game, two of the top three scoring defenses in the country go head-to-head in Iowa City. Penn State needs another quick start; Iowa is looking to rebound after being stifled by Michigan last week.
No. 7 Florida at No. 5 LSU (8 ET, ESPN): The Gators face Top 10 opponents in back-to-back weekends. That's a tough ask for any quarterback, let alone a backup thrust into a starting role (even if Kyle Trask is performing admirably). Joe Burrow has the LSU spread offense averaging more than 570 yards per game. (No, you're not misreading that.)
Got all that? Good. There'll be a quiz next week. Also, what is blue?
Enjoy the games, yinz guys. (And happy birthday, Crappy!) Class dismissed.
Last week’s blackout in College Park wasn’t so impressive … especially after all the Maryland fans left, which meant the Penn State fans wearing white were even more noticeable than they usually are. There is another blackout this weekend, this time in Columbus as Ohio State hosts Michigan State … and we’re thinking things might go better for the home team this time around, especially if one of us — we’ll leave it to you to figure out who — thinks Ohio State is the best team in the country at this point. We begin with AJ’s #GroupOfFiveAfterDark lineup: UCF-Cincinnati, a directional Michigan showdown and Marshall-Middle. And then: No. 14 Iowa at No. 19 Michigan (Big Nude Saturday, Fox) Iowa can score and play defense. Michigan has not demonstrated that it can do either of those things consistently the year. Hm. No. 7 Auburn at No. 10 Florida (3:30 p.m., CBS) Kyle Trask doesn’t have the same high-quality SEC name as Bo Nix, but he’s looked sharp since he stepped in as Florida’s starting QB. No. 25 Michigan State at No. 4 Ohio State (7:30 p.m., ABC) The Buckeyes are humming, but Sparty has a bad habit of crushing Ohio State hopes at inopportune moments. Enjoy the games, yinz guys.
It's Week 5 of the college football season ... and it's time to start deciding contenders and pretenders. But we have to do it quietly, because one of us is technically still at the office while we're recording this show.
After lamenting missing yet another epic finish after dark on the West Coast, toasting to Pitt after it did a Pitt thing, and actually giving Notre Dame credit (we can't believe we're doing it either), we check in on our weekly Clemsoning Index. (Hint: This week is intriguing.)
Next ... we welcome back our friend AJ to tell us about #GroupOfFiveAfterDark. Not sure what that is? It's OK, we totally made it up. But AJ has all things weird, wacky, and late on his radar. (Which is good. Because, you know, we keep missing all the fun West Coast games.)
And finally ... we dive into three Big Ten games (since that's where our loyalties lie) to start sorting out which teams are potentially ready to take a step into the spotlight this season ... or not.
No 12 Penn State at Maryland (8 ET Friday, FS1): This game is so big, Maryland canceled all non-lab classes on Friday afternoon. The Terps caught all of our attention with an early season stomping of Syracuse ... then lost last week to Temple. Anthony McFarland is the real deal at running back. But beyond that, what is Maryland? We'll find out Friday night.
Indiana at No. 25 Michigan State (3:30 CT, BTN): Indiana's 3-1 ... but that one loss was a complete rout by Ohio State. Brian Lewerke's still the quarterback at Michigan State (for, what, the 17th year?) ... but Sparty has already done its Sparty thing and lost inexplicably to Arizona State. Is either team ready to take the next step this season?
No. 5 Ohio State at Nebraska (7:30 ET, ABC): Night games in Lincoln are always entertaining. So is Adrian Martinez, the Nebraska QB who has 1000+ yards already this season. But the Huskers defense is giving up a bunch of yards, which is never a good recipe when facing the Bucks, who have blown out every opponent this season. And sorry, AJ -- Crappy is going to watch this game, no matter what you say.
Enjoy the games, yinz guys.
t's Week 4 of the college football season ... and for all we know, Iowa and Iowa State are still playing in a cornfield somewhere in Ames. (We kid. That game had a spectacular ending. 17 hours after kickoff. Or something like that.)
After a weekend of intriguing matchups but no true blockbusters, we're ready for three games of ranked-on-ranked Top 25 action this Saturday. (Of course, that's assuming that Crappy can curb his Ohio State enthusiasm for a just a little bit ... and Carla can find her way out of the sea of boxes in her new house to find the TV remote.)
No. 11 Michigan at No. 13 Wisconsin (Noon ET, FOX): What the heck's wrong with Michigan? Crappy asked the question last week; Carla asks the question this week. With an offense that still seems to be in disarray and a defense allowing more yards than usual, Michigan has its hands full this week with a Bucky team that puts up a bunch of yards (behind a quarterback not named Hornibrook!) and boasts one of the top defenses in the nation.
No. 8 Auburn at No. 17 Texas A&M (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): Welcome to the SEC, Bo Nix. The frosh Auburn QB looked the part against Oregon; playing at Kyle Field against an Aggie defense that's done a nice job of stifling the run is another ask altogether.
No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 3 Georgia (8 p.m. ET, CBS): Last year, all we wanted was for someone to beat Notre Dame already. This year, we think Georgia is up to the task. Pro tip: If your QB is your leading rusher, you have issues on offense. We're looking squarely at you, Brian Kelly.
Enjoy the games, yinz guys.
Bob Barker is nowhere to be found, but this week’s Carla and Crappy Show definitely has a game show vibe, as Carla and Crappy cruise through six of this weekend’s most intriguing games in short order. And, as a bonus: A new weekly feature we’re calling the Clemsoning Index. We also bid farewell to Carla’s studio of several years — also known as her old apartment — while she and her husband set up shop in their new home in southeast Nashville.
On the docket this week, in speed round fashion:
9:15 p.m. Friday: 20 Washington State at Houston, ESPN: Hot Coug-on-Coug action.
Noon Saturday, 6 Ohio State at Indiana, Fox: IU gives Ohio State fits.
Noon Saturday, Pitt at 13 Penn State, ABC: Sorry, Pitt — last week’s success against Crappy’s Bobcats won’t carry over.
4 p.m. Saturday, 19 Iowa at Iowa State, FS1: The Corn Bowl!
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Florida State at 25 Virginia, ACCN: It’s probably just as well no one will be able to actually watch this game.
7:30 p.m. Saturday, 1 Clemson at Syracuse, ABC: The debut of the Clemsoning Index.
Enjoy the games, yinz guys.
Week one gave us games for pretty much a full week. Week two? Things are getting serious, in Columbus, in Clemson and in Austin. Oh, and also in Los Angeles and … Pittsburgh? Yep. Cincinnati at 5 Ohio State, noon Saturday, Fox: Luke Fickell returns to Columbus with a speedy, opportunistic defense that will look to create problems for Justin Fields, Ohio State’s young quarterback. Will this be the first time since 2011 (when Fickell was coaching Ohio State) that UC will win the mythical Ohio State Championship. Uh, no. 12 Texas A&M at 1 Clemson, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC: This was a tight game in College Station a year ago, but the Tigers are bigger, faster and have another year of experience under their belts. If this team truly is better than the one that throttled Alabama for the national championship a year ago, a home game against a solid Aggies team shouldn’t be a problem. 6 LSU at 10 Texas, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC: Bad news for the Longhorns: One week after you gave up 340 passing yards to Louisiana Tech, you get to face LSU’s brand new spread offense. This will not go well for the home team. All of this fun, plus quick mentions of The Stanford Postulate and what impact it will have in the LA Coliseum and MACtion about to kick off in the Mustard Bowl. We got pretty much everything wrong last week, but this time will be different! Enjoy the weekend, boys and girls.
You wouldn't think after eight years of this little college football prognostication podcast that we would get first day jitters ... but here we are! There's something exciting about beginning a new season ... even if we're starting out looking a whole heck of a lot like, well, the past three seasons. After celebrating our offseason accomplishments, we renew our first episode tradition of picking our College Football Playoff teams and, well, stop us if you've heard them before. Not only are our teams becoming a bit too familiar ... but we even pick the same four teams. Sigh. But then ... BUT THEN ... there are actual games happening this weekend! (Sorry Florida and Miami.) And the excitement returns as we realize we have not one but FIVE days of college football awaiting us this weekend. Here are the games we have on our radars: Northwestern at Stanford (4 ET Saturday, FOX): Would someone explain to us why Northwestern begins this season unranked? Because we're both very confused by this, especially now that Hunter Johnson is eligible at QB. Meanwhile, we put the "Carla and Crappy Show Stanford Postulate" into play in the very first week of the season. KJ Costello returns under center, but will the Stanford run game return as well? Auburn vs. Oregon (7:30 ET Saturday, ABC): Auburn has a true freshman starting at quarterback, its head coach calling plays, and a solid defensive line. The rest is, quite frankly, still a mystery. Meanwhile, Oregon is nearly the epitome of a known quantity. Justin Herbert surprised many by not entering the draft ... and he now has a guy named Juwan Johnson (as Carla sheds a tear) to throw the ball to. This game is intriguing, even if the neutral-site atmosphere likely will not be. Houston at Oklahoma (7:30 ET Sunday, ABC): Way back in early spring, this game was SUPER intriguing. With Dana Holgorsen escaping the rolling hills of WVU and heading back to Texas, it looked like the Cougs had a legit shot at pulling a major upset in Week 1. And then Jalen Hurts transferred to Oklahoma ... and our dreams disappeared like dust in the wind. Or like the Sooner offense will likely do to a lackluster Houston defense. If you like points, though, tune in. This one could get silly quickly. And finally, we give a quick nod to Carla's MTSU Blue Raiders paying a visit to that state up north and, dare we say, an overrated Michigan team ... as well as the Fighting Kiffins of FAU who head north to take on Crappy's Buckeyes. It's a long weekend. We've survived our first day ... so now it's time to settle in for a first weekend of college football. Enjoy the games. We'll be back to recap everything we got wrong next week.
And then there were two.
In the most anticlimactic end to a (somewhat) bonkers season ever, Alabama and Clemson - the two teams that nearly everyone expected to be national title contenders entering this season - will indeed play each other Monday night ... in our least favorite stadium in Santa Clara.
Sigh.
(In case you were wondering, tickets are indeed still available.)
But, a national title game is to be celebrated, and so in our final show of the 2018 season, we attempt to do just that. So we begin ... by talking about literally everything else we can think of, including the end of a fantastic bowl season and outrageous predictions for the 2019 season. Oh, and hey, someone finally beat Notre Dame!
And then ... we get to the inevitable.
CFP National Championship: No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 1 Alabama (8 ET Monday, ESPN): In addition to being the No. 2 team in the country, Clemson boasts the nation's No. 2 scoring, total, and rush defense. But ... Alabama has Tua, Saban, and an offensive line that's allowed just 13 sacks this season. On paper, this looks to be a set up for a fantastic chess match. Here's hoping.
Thanks to AJ for his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark insights all season ... and thanks to all of you, our listeners and viewers, for keeping us around for seven seasons of college football silliness.
Have a great off-season. We'll see you next fall! #ocho
In the midst of what has been a crazy Bowlapalooza season, it's time to get serious. Four teams have been selected ... and now it's time to talk about the college football playoff.
Playoff? Playoff.
After a conversation about coaching changes (hey, Crappy was right about something!) and early bowl results, we get right down to business.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Clemson (4 ET Saturday, ESPN): Clemson's got a really good defense, especially against the run ... and an offense that's putting up 45 points per game. Notre Dame has had an extra week of rest with no pesky conference title to contend for ... and a decent defense of its own. Neither of these teams have been tested much at the end of the season. We have different thoughts about this game, but wind up in the same place.
Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Alabama (8 ET Saturday, ESPN): There's going to be a whole lot of red in the Orange Bowl on Saturday night ... and possibly a bunch of fireworks as well, as the top two offenses in the country go head-to-head. Alabama's got a really, really good defense. Oklahoma ... does not. But if this game gets into a shootout, all bets are off. And in probably the upset of the entire #CnCShow season, one of us actually doesn't pick Alabama to win.
So, plan on winding down your 2018 with some popcorn and bubbly on the couch and settle in for the two games we've been waiting for all season long.
Happy New Year, boys and girls. We'll have one final show to wrap things up next week.
Bowl season is upon us, which can only mean one thing … it’s time for our #CnCShow annual roast of the 3,613 meaningless (but ridiculously fun) college football games that will happen between now and early January, in a show that we lovingly call Bowlapalooza.
In addition to our #GroupOfFiveAfterDark correspondent AJ Kufic, we’re typically joined by a cast of thousands. This year, however, we apparently needed to work on making more friends, because the only person we could bribe to return is Carla’s husband, David Fox, a recovering sports journalist. But we’ve regrouped and carried on. (At least that’s what we keep telling ourselves.)
After a conversation about the existing College Football Playoff and our desires for a new version of said playoff, here are the bowl games that made the cut this year:
DXL Frisco Bowl (8 p.m ET Wed., Dec. 19, ESPN)
San Diego State (7-5) vs. Ohio (8-4)
Crappy gets the first bowl game this year as his Bobcats are playing a bowl that is somehow (remarkably) not in San Francisco. Ohio has won four of its last five games … SDSU has lost four of five. Hmm.
Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl (12:30 p.m. ET Fri., Dec. 21, ESPN)
Florida International (8-4) vs. Toledo (7-5)
David takes this one because don’t these two teams play each other every year? Isn’t FIU in the MAC South? We kid. Only slightly.
Jared Birmingham Bowl (12 p.m. ET Sat., Dec. 22, ESPN)
Memphis (8-5) vs. Wake Forest (6-6)
David’s second pick. A Group of Five team finally plays a team from a major conference … and it’s Wake Forest. (Insert sad trombone here.) Also, who the heck is Jared Birmingham?
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (3:30 p.m. ET Sat., Dec. 22, ESPN)
Houston (8-4) vs. Army (10-2)
As an Army veteran, Crappy takes this bowl … and the Black Knights, a team that’s riding high after another win over rival Navy. Houston has a prolific offense … but Army runs the triple-option and has the ninth-best defense in the country.
Cheez-It Bowl (9 p.m. ET Wed., Dec. 26, ESPN)
California (7-5) vs. TCU (6-6)
Carla takes this game because … snacks! Seriously, you may need a box of Cheez-Its to get through this game, which features two lackluster offenses. This is Cal’s first bowl appearance since 2015.
Walk-On’s Independence Bowl (1:30 p.m. ET Thurs., Dec. 27, ESPN)
Temple (8-4) vs. Duke (7-5)
Nope. This is in fact not a basketball game. It’s an actual college football game that Carla picked because Temple interim head coach Ed Foley is an amazing human being who happened to give one of the best press conference speeches ever in mid-December.
Camping World Bowl (5:15 p.m. ET Fri., Dec. 28, ESPN)
West Virginia (8-3) vs. Syracuse (9-3)
Oh, hey … AJ finally gets a game! Despite Will Grier sitting this one out, there’s still a lot of intrigue here. Dino versus Holgo? This could get stupid silly.
Redbox Bowl (3 p.m. ET Mon., Dec. 31, FOX)
Michigan State (7-5) vs. Oregon (8-4)
AJ picks this game for many reasons, but two in particular stand out — it’s sponsored by a physical media company in the heart of Silicon Valley, and no one will see it because it’s being played in Santa Clara during rush hour. But if you ever wanted to attend a bowl game for $25, this is the game for you!
As always, we’re incredibly grateful to David and AJ for joining us. The #CnCShow will be back with our first of two College Football Playoff preview shows at the end of the month. Happy holidays … and enjoy this most wonderful football time of the year!
We've finally reached the point of the college football season when the week doesn't matter. Yes, boys and girls, it's Championship Week.
We're once again joined in studio by our good buddy AJ, our #GroupOfFiveAfterDark correspondent, and we dive into each and every FBS conference title game. Yes, really. Ten games. Buckle up. This one's a fun ride.
Group of Five
We begin in AJ's stomping ground and talk about five games that you shouldn't ignore this weekend.
MAC: Northern Illinois at Buffalo (7 ET Friday, ESPN2): The weather should be delightful. Watch this game if for no other reason than to enjoy Buffalo QB Tyree Jackson play football.
Sun Belt: Louisiana-Lafayette at Appalachian State (Noon ET, ESPN): Spoiler alert - we like Appy State. A lot.
C-USA: UAB at MTSU (1:30 ET, CBS Sports Network): It's really hard to beat a team twice in the same season, let alone in consecutive weeks in the same building. (Carla's just happy to finally have a team to talk about on Championship Week!)
American: Memphis at UCF (3:30 ET, ABC): Oh, McKenzie Milton, how we wish you were playing in this game.
Mountain West: Fresno State at Boise State (7:45 ET, ESPN): This one should be a dandy, with the blue turf and all. But a pre-dark kickoff? For shame.
Major Conferences
And then, we dive head-first into the major conference games ...
Pac-12: Utah vs. Washington (8 ET Friday, FOX): If you like Big Ten football ... give this game a look. Expect a low-scoring, defensive affair between these two teams.
Big 12: Texas vs. Oklahoma (Noon ET, ABC): It's the Red River Rivalry Redux. With a shot at the playoff on the line, expect the Sooners to play with an extra chip on their shoulders to avenge the early-October loss.
SEC: Georgia vs. Alabama (4 ET, CBS): Welp, here we go. Does Georgia have what it takes to upend the presumed top team in the country? Or will the Tide roll right in to the playoff yet again? (See what we did there?)
ACC: Clemson vs. Pitt (8 ET, ABC): Hey, Clemson? Do. Not. Sleep. On. This. Game. Because as we've discussed, Pitt loves to play in games it has no business being in.
Big Ten: Northwestern vs. Ohio State (8 ET, FOX): Is Ohio State playing for a playoff spot? We're not so sure. But the Buckeyes shouldn't sleep on Northwestern, a team that plays that an offense that's darn similar to ones that have given them fits this year.
Whew. Got all that? Get a comfy spot on the couch and get ready for a full weekend of big-time games. We'll be back in a couple of weeks to for Bowlapalooza.
In this week of giving thanks, here at the #CnCShow, we're thankful for the abundance of college football happening this weekend. It's Week 13 on the calendar, but really only one name matters - it's Rivalry Week, boys and girls.
So fix another plate of leftovers and practice your very best Elmer Fudd impersonation. After checking in with AJ and his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark games ... and our last hope for someone beating Notre Dame (insert sigh here), here's this weekend's feast of football:
Oklahoma at West Virginia (8 ET Friday, ESPN): This isn't a traditional rivalry game, but gosh, we hope it could become one. If you're not familiar with nighttime games in Morgantown ... you're in for an experience. There's nothing quite like it in all of college football. Is that a bad omen for the still-playoff-hopeful Sooners?
Washington at Washington State (8:30 ET Friday, FOX): The Apple Cup may be the most important game in the Pac-12 this season. (If you had that at the beginning of the season, kudos to you.) The Huskies have underachieved this year ... the Cougs are aiming for their first Rose Bowl appearance since 2003.
Auburn at Alabama (3:30 ET Saturday, CBS): The Iron Bowl is one of the great college football rivalries. Will the Tigers be able to knock off the top team in the nation? (Spoiler alert: We're not overly optimistic.)
Michigan at Ohio State (Noon ET Saturday, FOX): Is this finally the year that Harbaugh gets over the slump and beats Ohio State? The college football world seems to think so. One of us, however, has a different perspective. (We'll give you one guess as to who that might be.)
Happy Thanksgiving and happy football. We're thankful for you!
It's Week 12 of the college football season ... and we have visions of baked goods dancing in our heads. While teams like Alabama, Florida, and LSU playing the powerhouses of The Citadel, Idaho, and Rice respectively, it's officially cupcake week. And that means it's an opportune time to sit down with our buddy AJ to talk about the most exciting games this weekend. Yep, it's a full show of #GroupOfFiveAfterDark. Memphis at SMU (9 ET Friday, ESPN2): We start in the American, where AJ hopes they’ve upgraded the scoreboard in Dallas because this game should be pointsy as all get out. South Florida at Temple (Noon ET, ESPNNews): USF has fallen dramatically over the past month. Three straight losses and heading into a surging Temple doesn’t right that ship. Also, this will be just the second game in five years that USF will play in sub-40 degree temperatures at kickoff. Cincinnati at UCF (8 ET, ABC): This might be the game of the weekend. Cincinnati is super ahead of schedule. UCF is trying to keep the train running to maybe make a shot at convincing the playoff committee to give them a chance. Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas State (3 ET, ESPN+): Don't sleep on the Fun Belt either this weekend! The Red Wolves (that's Arkansas State for those of you who don't follow the Sun Belt regularly) have the top passing offense in the conference ... ULM has the last-ranked pass defense. But ULM is playing for a chance at the conference title game. Fresno State at San Diego State (10:30 ET CBS Sports Network): This is for the Mountain West West division and should be a defensive fight. Fresno has given up 60 points all year. SDSU is right behind them with 94. Alabama has given up 92. Just some perspective. So, grab your nearest baked good (c'mon, it's almost Thanksgiving ...) and settle in for a great weekend of under-the-national-radar-but-still-really-good football.
One of us is offering an alternative reality for the playoff rankings. The other one is totally distracted by mid-week #MACtion. And thus begins Week 11 of the college football season.
In preparation for the upcoming holiday season, we have a full buffet of games that we're keeping our eyes on this week. So, after our "Dear God, someone please beat Notre Dame already" conversation (hint: Florida State isn't it), we dive right in to the goodness.
Mississippi State at Alabama (3:30 ET, CBS): This game was closer than anyone expected last year. That's probably the best thing we can say about this game. Alabama looks like an unstoppable train right now.
Clemson at Boston College (8 ET, ABC): The Clemson offense keeps rolling right along, putting up a casual 77 on Louisville last week. But the Tigers have had trouble with road games in the Northeast in past years (see: Syracuse, 2017). Enjoy the national spotlight Boston College, but ... yeah. This shouldn't be close.
Ohio State at Michigan State (Noon ET, FOX): Ohio State is having trouble as of late with things like ... tackling. Michigan State is the top-ranked rush defense in the country. Will Crappy pick against his beloved Buckeyes for the first time in this show's seven-year history?
Oklahoma State at Oklahoma (3:30 ET, ABC): Oh, Bedlam. You should be silly fun this year. The Cowboys have lost three of four ... but their one win was over then-No. 6 Texas. Oklahoma fired DC Mike Stoops after giving up a bunch of points to Texas Tech last week ... but does defense really matter in the Big 12? Take the over.
Auburn at Georgia (7 ET, ESPN): Auburn loves playing spoiler ... and after last year's loss to the Bulldogs in the SEC title game, motivation is high in this one. But will that be enough to stop Jake Fromm and the Georgia offense?
Wisconsin at Penn State (Noon, ABC): Penn State has been playing better on the road. The loser of this game likely plays itself out of a post-Christmas bowl game. Will Carla pick against her beloved Nittany Lions?
Texas at Texas Tech (7:30 ET, FOX): The Longhorns desperately need a win to stop their two-game skid. Texas Tech is likely without its starting quarterback, Alan Bowman, for the rest of the season due to a repeat occurrence of a collapsed lung. A lot of questions in this game. Which team will answer?
Whew. Got all of that? It's going to be a fun weekend, kids. Enjoy the football ... and Crappy's reactions to #MACtion.
Week 10 of the college football season is underway ... and boy, is it a big weekend.
With a slate of impact-heavy games on the docket, we give our thoughts on the first College Football Playoff ranking and then get right into the four games we're keeping a close eye on this weekend.
Georgia at Kentucky (3:30 ET, CBS): The road to the SEC East title goes through Lexington, just as we all predicted. (Heh.) The Bulldogs rebounded in a huge way last weekend; the Wildcats have been trending downward over the last several weeks. But with a division title on the line? Throw all of the statistics out the window. This one's gonna be fun.
West Virginia at Texas (3:30 ET, Fox): After losing on the road at Ames, the 'Eers put up a casual 31 points in the 2nd quarter last week against Baylor. Texas is right in the thick of things in the Big 12, despite a stumble in Stillwater. But this is a must-win for the Longhorns to keep up with Oklahoma. Expect a silly fun offensive shootout in Austin.
Penn State at Michigan (3:45 ET, ESPN): The Nittany Lions have gotten really good as of late in making games way too interesting. (See: Indiana, Iowa.) Michigan is setting its sights on a conference championship. The Big House may not be as intimidating as it seems, but this is a lofty task for the questionable-at-best Penn State defense.
Alabama at LSU (8 ET, CBS): The only thing that could make this game any better is if Uncle Verne came out of retirement for the call. The Tide is putting up absolutely ridiculous offensive numbers, but LSU is the toughest defense Bama has faced this season. LSU is certainly battle-tested, having played five Top 25 teams already this season ... and the Tigers are playing at home. Popcorn. Ready.
Settle in for a fun weekend of college football, friends. And ... hey .... here's to you, Pittsburgh. We love ya.
It's Week 9 of the college football season ... but we'd prefer not to talk about it. (One of us is still being a bit overly dramatic after a road loss. So, hello, MLS and MLB playoffs!) Anyhow, yes, we do eventually discuss Ohio State's loss at Purdue ... and then consider the hierarchy of teams at this point in the season. We also hear from AJ, who says he's done with the Pac-12. (Which, you know, might be problematic as he's our Pac-12 correspondent.) But somehow, even with all of these trials and tribulations, we do manage to discuss a handful of games that we may begrudgingly be interested in this weekend. Florida vs. Georgia (3:30 ET, CBS): This year's Cocktail Party holds quite a bit of intrigue. Will the Bulldogs bounce back to their former selves? Or will Florida do what it's done all season and just find a way to win? Iowa at Penn State (3:30 ET, ESPN): The Nittany Lions have been lackluster at best over the past month. (And yes, one of us might have something to say about that.) After last weekend, though, Penn State again has a bit of life in the Big Ten East. But, beware the Hawkeyes; they're an outstanding football team ... that looks an awful lot like Michigan State. Hmm. Washington State at Stanford (7 ET, Pac-12 Network): Tree's strategy the last couple of weeks has been ... play keep away. The Stanford defense is, quite frankly, not good ... and it now faces the top-rated passing offense in the country in Gardner Minshew and the Cougs. (One word: Yikes.) So, we'll try our best (although we probably won't admit it) to enjoy the football this weekend. And you should too.
It’s Week 8 of the college football season … and it finally feels like football weather. (And for one of us, that’s true both inside the house as well as outside. Gotta love furnaces!)
We begin by recapping the insanity that was Week 7, including Florida's offensive inconsistencies, a poorly timed trip to the nacho line, and anxiety over October performances. Then, AJ explains the cause of his heartburn in this week’s #Pac12AfterDark report.
And finally, we break down the rest of this week’s action.
Michigan at Michigan State (12 ET, FOX): The two Teams Up North roll into this rivalry game on high notes. Michigan dominated Wisconsin last week; Sparty stunned Penn State at Beaver Stadium. (Yep, one of us is still bitter about that. You can probably guess who.) Can Michigan State pull off two big wins in a row? Is Michigan as improved as they look? Should be a great one in East Lansing.
NC State at Clemson (3:30 ET, ESPN): So, the Wolfpack has very quietly worked its way into an undefeated season and national ranking. (Who knew?) But the Tigers are quite the test … and the first one that NC State has seen all year. Ryan Finley (who must be a 12th-year senior at this point) faces his toughest test of the season against a top-5 Clemson defense.
Mississippi State at LSU (7 ET, ESPN): Yes, we’re talking about LSU yet again … but can you blame us after the performance the Tigers had against Georgia last week? LSU needs to be careful that this isn’t a letdown game (because, you know, Alabama looms); Mississippi State is hoping that Nick Fitzgerald can just run the ball for a zillion yards again. We’ll see how that plays out against an LSU defense that baffled Jake Fromm last weekend.
So, grab your parka and your fuzzy hat … find yourself a hot chocolate vendor … and settle in for a great Week 8.
It's Week 7 of the college football season and Carla and Crappy are both looking back at the first half of the season ... and still hoping someone would just beat Notre Dame already, dammit. (We're looking at you, Virginia Tech.)
After our first-half highlights and AJ's Pac-12 After ... Noon? report, we dive into three games with big-time implications this weekend:
Pitt at Notre Dame (2:30 ET, NBC): OK, so maybe we're just talking about this one because we REEEEAAAALLLLY want someone to beat Notre Dame. But, to their credit, the Panthers do have a history of winning one game each year that they have no business being in. Maybe this is the week? Or just wishful thinking on our parts? Probably the latter.
Georgia at LSU (3:30 ET, CBS): If Georgia wants any chance of making the playoff this year (because, you know, Notre Dame), it absolutely, under any circumstances, cannot lose this game. LSU's looking to rebound at home after its loss last week at Florida; we just wish this game was a nighttime kick. Anyhow, clear your schedules. Don't miss this one.
Wisconsin at Michigan (7:30 ET, ABC): We're salivating over this classic Big Ten matchup. It's strength-on-strength as Jonathan Taylor and one of the top rush offenses in the nation face off against the top-rated defense in the country. Michigan's an improved squad, but are the Wolverines' offensive struggles fixed? Insert shoulder shrugs here. This should be a low-scoring, bruising (and chilly!) game in the Big House.
So, grab a glass of cider and hunker down for a great weekend of college football, kids.
It's Week 6 of the college football season, and one of us is still basking in the glow of last weekend ... and the other one is still a bit bitter over 4th and 5. But we digress. There are some amazing games -- many of them taking place in Texas -- to occupy our time this first weekend in October ... even if it's still pretty darn hot outside.
Texas vs. Oklahoma (Noon ET, FOX): This year, the old "Red River Shootout" moniker would seem to be more apt as these two offenses go head-to-head in one of the best rivalry games in all of the land. (And go ahead -- YOU try to say "Red River Rivalry.")
LSU at Florida (3:30 ET, CBS): The antithesis of the Big 12's showcase game, this one looks to be more of a defensive affair. Can Joe Burrow and the LSU offense figure out the Florida defense in the Swamp?
Kentucky at Texas A&M (7 ET, ESPN): Kentucky is unbeaten. In football. And while we say that a bit tongue-in-cheek, the Wildcats face a tough test on the road this weekend ... and breakout phenom Benny Snell faces one of the toughest rush defenses in the country.
Notre Dame at Virginia Tech (8 ET, ABC): OK, Ian Book, let's see what you're made of. In addition to one of the best night game atmospheres in college football, the Hokies also boast a top-five rush defense.
And ... we'll raise our midday fizzy flavored water beverages (the disadvantages to a noonday taping!) during this show to Tennessee State linebacker Christion Abercombie who is still recovering in the hospital after a serious head injury last weekend. We're pulling for you, kid. Hang in there.
Enjoy the football this weekend. (And gosh darn it, someone beat Notre Dame already, would ya?)
Carla's wearing White Out gear. Crappy is taunting her about last year's come-from-behind win (in their gray jerseys). It must be time for Penn State-Ohio State.
But before Beaver Stadium starts rocking (and those offenses start rolling) CnC (and A.J.) take in a ridiculously full slate of great games this weekend: BYU and Washington, Oregon and Cal, West Virginia and Texas Tech, Florida and Mississippi State, Stanford and Notre Dame.
And then the two best scoring offenses in the country square off in State College, with an over/under of approximately 130 points. And with plenty of questions about the defenses of the Lions and the Buckeyes, our suggestion is to take the over.
In the first few weeks of the season, it's hard to know what a team is all about. Even teams with high expectations -- like, say, Washington and Wisconsin* -- can stumble unexpectedly early on.
(*Note: Crappy apologizes to fans of Alabama and Clemson for the inevitable losses their teams have coming -- sort of like the ones suffered by the Huskies and Badgers -- after Crappy picked them to make the final four.)
This week, though, we'll find out about three of those teams, all of which have tough road games that could easily result in losses.
17 TCU at Texas (4:30 p.m., Fox): Texas may or may not be "back," but the Longhorns will provide a stiff challenge for the speedy and physical Horny Toads
24 Michigan State at Indiana (7:30 p.m., BTN): Sparty hasn't been playing inspired football, and if Indiana's offense can score a bit, this could be a happy night in Bloomington.
No. 18 Wisconsin at Iowa (8:30 p.m., Fox): One week after a last-second loss at home to BYU, the Badgers will try to recover ... with a night game in Iowa City.
It’s Week 3 of the college football season … and this weekend, while we’ve got one eye on the games, the other is watching the East Coast.
With the arrival of Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas, many teams are wisely canceling games. A few, however, have been able to relocate games further inland, including Saturday’s scheduled game between Ohio and Virginia, which has been relocated to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville. So, hey Vandy students? Go support these two teams.
We also hear for the first time this season from our #Pac12AfterDark correspondent, AJ.
In other action …
Boise State at Oklahoma State (3:30 ET, ESPN): If you love high-flying offenses, don’t miss this game. The ‘Boys get their first test of the season against a Boise team that boasts the leading passer in FBS in Brett Rypien and a solid defense. This one should be silly fun. Take the over.
LSU at Auburn (3:30 ET, CBS): Ah, finally. LSU has been off to a (somewhat unexpected?) strong start this season. Now we’ll see how the Tigers match up with one of the league’s best. The LSU offense has looked wildly improved; the Auburn defense was able to stop a potent Washington ground game in Week 1.
Ohio State at TCU (8 ET, ABC): Yes, we know. This game is technically at a neutral site. But when that site is Jerryworld … enough said. This game should be won in the trenches where the Buckeyes have, umm, a decided advantage.
Enjoy the football … and to our friends on the East Coast, be safe. We’re rooting for you this weekend.
It’s Week 2 of the college football season, which can mean only one thing — it’s time to overreact.
So, that’s how we start our conversation this week. What fan bases have a legitimate reason to feel concerned? Which ones should count to five, take a deep breath … have another sip of their tasty beverages and hang on for another week? It’s our first edition of Overreaction Monday … even though we recorded on a Tuesday … and you’re probably reading this on a Friday. But, that’s how we roll.
And then … we move to a more pertinent discussion about this weekend’s slate of games.
Clemson at Texas A&M (6 ET, ESPN): Clemson’s still a favorite to return to the College Football Playoff. The new head coach of the Aggies happens to be fairly familiar with the boys of orange and purple. Clemson’s having a debate over a quarterback … but will that matter in this game?
USC at Stanford (7:30 ET, Fox): San Diego State went all in on stopping Stanford’s Bryce Love last week and it worked … except for the fact that K.J. Costello threw for three TDs to lead the Tree to a win. USC has a frosh QB under center for the first time since Matt Barkley and questions on defense. Will the Trojans be able to stop the Stanford offensive attack? Or will the Carla and Crappy Show Stanford Postulate live on for another year?
Penn State at Pitt (7 ET, ABC): One of those aforementioned fan bases that’s breathing a sigh of relief this weekend is Penn State’s; after a nail-biter last week against Goliath-slayers App State, the Lions now make the trek across the PA Turnpike to their cross-state rival to face a Pitt team that’s looking for a marquee win to start its season.
Enjoy the football ... and the overreaction ... this weekend.
We're back for the 2018 college football season ... and the seventh year of the Carla and Crappy Show.
We start the show with a look at our waaaaay-to-early picks for the 2018 CFB final four. A couple of those are easy, and the others ... well, not so much. Does the cloud over Urban hold back the Buckeyes? Will the B1G East beat itself to death? Can the Pac 12 return after a year out of the mix?
And oh yes, there are games:
No. 6 Washington vs. No. 9 Auburn in Atlanta (3:30, ABC): Washington has the look of a title contender, but Auburn was good enough to thump Alabama a year ago. Which team wants this one more?
No. 14 Michigan at 12 Notre Dame (7:30, NBC): Two stout defenses. Two offenses that might only muster field goals. Two head coaches who don't seem to have a coherent thought about what they want their offenses to be. First team to double digits wins.
No. 8 Miami vs. No. 25 LSU in Jerryland (7:30 Sunday, ABC): Miami rolled through its bowl game against ND and is in the AP preseason Top 10 for the first time since 2004. LSU seems to be content to have a quarterback who can throw the football.
All this and a shoutout to the Greater Nashville Knockdown (#goblueraiders) -- welcome back to college football, boys and girls.
And then there were two.
After an epic Rose Bowl and a dominating performance by Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, we're left with an all-SEC National Championship game (much to both of our chagrins). But it's hard to deny that we didn't get a great match-up in Alabama and Georgia. Now it's time to play for all the marbles. It's Alabama's defense against Georgia's offense. On paper, this game looks to be evenly matched ... and so after extensive analysis, we both decide to go with our guts in our final pick of this year. We also discuss our favorite moments of bowl season, what to do about UCF ... and our highlights of the 2017 season. It's been a great Season 6 of the #CnCShow. Huge thanks to AJ Kuftic for his weekly #Pac12AfterDark insights and our Bowlapalooza guests Jake Rose, Braden Gall, and David Fox. And an extra special thanks to you, our viewers and listeners, for sticking with us. Enjoy the title game, and we'll (hopefully!) be back again next fall. Cheers!
With Bowlapalooza season now safely in our rear view mirrors, it's time to get down to college football business. And while we may have visions of Cotton and Fiesta Bowl glories in our minds, we take a few moments out of our hectic holiday season -- including near-misses with epic snowstorms -- to focus on the two games that really matter on New Year's Day.
And here's the really fun thing: Despite using the same data, we can't agree on either game.
Rose Bowl (5 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Oklahoma
Georgia's got a really good defense and two outstanding running backs. Oklahoma has Baker Mayfield. Advantage? We're not sure.
Sugar Bowl (8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Clemson
Clemson has been so much better than anyone expected this season, thanks to the outstanding play of Kelly Bryant. The last time Alabama faced a true dual-threat QB, its defense struggled. But ... Alabama also boasts the Nick Saban Factor, and a motivation of national title revenge.
Pour yourself another beverage, break open those cheese and sausage platters that you received as holiday gifts, and settle in for an outstanding day of college football. What better way to welcome a new year, right? Happy 2018!
Welcome to Bowlapalooza 2017 … where we bask in the thrill and wonder of bowl season … and the analysis is all made up and the results of the Tennessee coaching search don’t matter.
This year, in addition to our #Pac12AfterDark correspondent AJ Kuftic, we’re joined by:
- Braden Gall, host on ESPN Radio 102.5 The Game in Nashville and SiriusXM’s ESPNU Radio
- Jake Rose, broadcaster for Middle Tennessee State University sports and contributor to Athlon Sports
- David Fox, formerly of Athlon Sports and current recovering sports journalist
And now, the chosen bowls …
Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl (7 p.m. ET Tues., Dec. 19, ESPN)
Akron (7-6) vs. Florida Atlantic (10-3)
David’s pick, because who doesn’t want to talk about a mediocre MAC team and the Fighting Lane Kiffins … playing a bowl game in their home stadium? Also a brief shout-out to the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl, just because.
Bahamas Bowl (12:30 p.m. ET Fri., Dec. 22, ESPN)
UAB (8-4) vs. Ohio (8-4)
Crappy picks this one because, well, duh, his Bobcats are playing in the Bahamas … in someone’s backyard? Also, kudos to zombie UAB for simply making a bowl appearance this year. (We’re still waiting for our travel agents to call us back …)
Cactus Bowl (9 p.m. ET Tues., Dec. 26, ESPN)
Kansas State (7-5) vs. UCLA (6-6)
Carla picks this one because, well, offense. And Bill Snyder is a wizard … and none of us is sure who is actually coaching UCLA in this game. Not quite #Pac12AfterDark, but fun nonetheless.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl (5:15 p.m. ET Wed., Dec. 27, ESPN)
Iowa (7-5) vs. Boston College (7-5)
Braden’s pick, because who doesn’t want to watch Iowa and Boston College play (actually pretty boring) football in a baseball stadium?
Foster Farms Bowl (8:30 p.m. ET Wed., Dec. 27, FOX)
Arizona (7-5) vs. Purdue (6-6)
AJ has declared this the official #CnCShow #Pac12AfterDark selection … because offense. Also, Rich Rodriguez versus Jeff Brohm? We’re salivating already. Yep, this one gets pointsy …and Gus Johnson, which makes this a win-win in our books.
Valero Alamo Bowl (9 p.m. ET Thurs., Dec. 28, ESPN)
No. 13 Stanford (9-4) vs. No. 15 TCU (10-3)
Jake’s pick because he obviously wanted to hear us talk about the #CnCShow’s Stanford Postulate of 2017 one more time… and also because he wanted to talk about an actual, real football game. Because this one will be … and will be real fun.
As always, we’re incredibly grateful to Braden, Jake, and David for taking the time out of their busy schedules to get ridiculous with us each year. The #CnCShow will be back with our first of two College Football Playoff preview shows at the end of the month. Happy holidays … and enjoy this most wonderful football time of the year!
Here's a Monday surprise for you ... a bonus #CnCShow! Crappy, Carla, and AJ each weigh in on their thoughts on the final College Football Playoff ranking. Your thoughts?
It's Week 14, but let's be honest. The number of the week doesn't matter at this point. All that matters is that this is Championship Week.
After discussing things we learned last weekend - including watching more AAC football, watching Alabama lose, and overreacting to backup quarterbacks - we go into full stealth mode and plow through 7 (yes, 7!) title games happening this weekend.
Pac-12: Stanford vs. USC (8 p.m. ET Friday, ESPN) - Which Stanford team will show up? Which USC team will show up? And why the heck is this game on a Friday night in Santa Clara? Also, AJ explains the new hashtag #Pac12UnderTarps.
AAC: Memphis vs. UCF (12 p.m. ET, ABC) - Remember what we just said about needing to watch more AAC football? If you love points, you should watch this game. And take the over.
Big 12: TCU vs. Oklahoma (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX) - Welcome back, Big 12 title game. Will it actually destroy the conference's hopes of a playoff team?
SEC: Georgia vs. Auburn (4 p.m. ET, CBS) - Rematch time in Atlanta. Will the Bulldogs have an answer for Auburn's rush defense this go-round?
Mountain West: Fresno State vs. Boise State (7:45 p.m. ET, ESPN) - It's a home-and-home series ... as Fresno hosted Boise last weekend and won. Does the home team have an advantage in the rematch? Also, does aggregate scoring count?
ACC: Miami vs. Clemson (8 p.m. ET, ABC) - A team that likes to throw the ball a whole lot against one of the top-ranked passing defenses in the country. Hmm.
Big Ten: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin (8 p.m. ET, FOX) - Wisconsin ain't played nobody ... but could still pull this one out. And in the biggest upset of the weekend ... we're not all picking the Buckeyes.
So, turn the holiday lights on, make some popcorn and some hot cocoa (and that's not just to watch the coaching debacle at Tennessee) and settle in for some championship football, ladies and gents. We'll be back in a couple of weeks after we book our travel to the Bahamas for Bowlapalooza!
Welcome to Rivalry Week ... the most wonderful week of the year. While that sentence might best be read using your very best Elmer Fudd impersonation (thus the name of our episode this week), it's also a true statement. There's a lot of really important college football games happening this weekend. So, fix another plate of leftovers (trust us, we won't judge) and settle in for what will be a season-defining Saturday for several teams. Ohio State at Michigan (12 p.m. ET, FOX): A win puts Ohio State exactly where it wants to be - playing for a Big Ten title. Meanwhile, stop us if you've heard this before ... Michigan has issues to sort out on offense. Alabama at Auburn (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): The Iron Bowl has massive stakes this year as the winner will go to Atlanta next weekend as the SEC West champion to face Georgia. Bama's the top team in the land, but it sure feels like Auburn has a bunch of momentum coming in. Clemson at South Carolina (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): The Gamecocks have hopes of ruining Clemson's playoff chances. But here's another "stop us if you've heard this before" moment ... South Carolina is a Will Muschamp-coached team that isn't putting up a ton of points. Huh. Notre Dame at Stanford (8 p.m. ET, ABC): Can Notre Dame contain Bryce Love? It really boils down to that in this one as the Irish try to keep their fleeting playoff hopes alive. Washington State at Washington (8 p.m. ET, FOX): A win in the Apple Cup puts Wazzu in the Pac-12 title game. Washington was eliminated from title contention last weekend, but would love nothing more than to spoil their rivals' hopes. We wish all of you a very happy Thanksgiving ... and enjoy the fun of Rivalry Week, you wascally wabbits!
It's Week 12 of the college football season and the weekend before Thanksgiving ... which is super appropriate because college football is gifting us with a weekend full of #bakedgoods.
(And by that, we mean ... not all that exciting stuff.)
So, this is a great weekend to start your holiday shopping, or start baking or packing ... or whatever you need to do to get ready for the upcoming holiday week.
In order to make this show somewhat interesting, Carla, Crappy, and AJ first discuss the playoff rankings (which actually are kind of interesting) including a shout out to playoff committee friend and Robert Morris University president Chris Howard (go Bobby Mo!) ... and AJ brings us his #Pac12AfterDark report, although none of them are actually "after dark" per se. (We'll look past that this week.)
And ... then we dive into three games that with a bit of luck, a few turnovers, and maybe some teams overlooking opponents could be potential upsets. (Not likely, but OK. We're stretching.)
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Navy at Notre Dame (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC): That gosh darn triple-option rears its head again this weekend in the form of the Midshipmen. The Irish got crushed in Miami last week and play at Stanford next week. Trap game? Maybe.
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SMU at Memphis (12 p.m. ET, ESPNNews): This may be the hardest game to find on your television on Saturday, but it bodes to be extremely entertaining.
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Kentucky at Georgia (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): This is not the pushover Kentucky football we're used to seeing. Georgia still has the SEC East locked up, but a loss here would devastate the Bulldogs' hopes for the playoff.
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There is one college football game that is actually worth watching this weekend and that's Michigan at Wisconsin (12 p.m. ET, FOX) ... Bucky looks to remain undefeated against a Michigan team that would love to play spoiler heading into Ohio State week.
So, that's the slate this weekend. Watch that Big Ten game, and then enjoy whatever else you're doing this weekend. We'll resume our normal programming next week, because rivalries.
Welcome to Week 11 of the college football season ... and an "in-studio" welcome to #Pac12AfterDark correspondent AJ, who for the first time this season joins us live for our discussion of what is shaping up to be yet another ridiculous weekend of college football. That's especially true if rain and Michigan State are both in your forecasts, as we all learned last weekend.
And so we dive in quickly into this weekend's action ...
Washington at Stanford (10:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS1): AJ takes the lead on this #Pac12AfterDarkFridayNightEdition ... where we all like Stanford RB Bryce Drew but have different takes on the outcome.
Oklahoma State at Iowa State (12 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2): If Iowa State wins, they control their own destiny to the Big 12 title game. And we're not convinced that Oklahoma State didn't use up all of its touchdowns last weekend.
Michigan State at Ohio State (12 p.m. ET, FOX): Good news for Crappy ... rain isn't in the forecast! (At least for now.)
Georgia at Auburn (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): If Georgia's going to lose a game before the SEC title game, this is the likely candidate.
Alabama at Mississippi St. (7 p.m. ET, ESPN): Umm ... roll tide.
TCU at Oklahoma (7 p.m. ET, FOX): Does the Big 12 go wild and crazy this weekend? We'll find out in Norman ... alongside our favorite football pal, Gus.
Notre Dame at Miami (7 p.m. ET, ABC): Hey, Miami actually has a home field atmosphere this season! But can they win before the last 2 minutes of the game?
And just for funsies, we do a quick mention of Iowa at Wisconsin (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC), if for no other reason than the fact that Tess is on the call. Which tends to mean ridiculousness. We'll see.
Enjoy the football this weekend, kids ... and show love to croissants! (Watch/listen to the show. It'll all make sense later.)
It's Week 10 (Show 11) of the #CnCShow ... and honestly, we're not even sure where to begin. Seriously, there are SO MANY GAMES this week!
After dissecting the first College Football Playoff rankings, AJ dives right in to this week's craziness with his #Pac12AfterDark report (which this week could be #Pac12AfterDarkPlus).
And then we're off to the races. We give the full #CnCShow treatment to two games:
- Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (4 p.m. ET, FS1): The game known as Bedlam has the potential to cause bedlam in the playoff rankings. Also, to borrow a term from AJ, bank on this game getting pointsy. #TakeTheOver
- LSU at Alabama (8 p.m. ET, CBS): Arguably, this is Bama's first real test of the season. Are the rebounding Tigers ready for this? (Hint: We're not so sure.)
And then we go rapid fire for four games:
- Penn State at Michigan State (12 p.m. ET, FOX): The Nittany Lions look to rebound against a Sparty team that lost last week in triple overtime to Northwestern.
- Clemson at NC State (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC): Clemson can't afford another loss. Can the Wolfpack knock the defending champs out of the playoff hunt?
- Iowa State at West Virginia (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2): The Cyclones have become the darlings of college football this year, but face a tough test in Morgantown.
- Ohio State at Iowa (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Iowa has been known to give teams fits at home. Trap game for Ohio State? (Hint: We don't think so.)
And we didn't even mention Virginia Tech at Miami (8 p.m. ET, ABC) ... which is yet another game to try to fit on your schedule on Saturday. (Good luck with that.)
Enjoy ALL OF THE FOOTBALL this weekend, kids. And enjoy that (much needed!) extra hour of sleep on Saturday night.
It's Week 9 of the college football season ... episode 10 of this little show ... but, really, none of that matters because we've both had Oct. 28 circled on our calendars since, oh, I don't know ... maybe March. If not earlier.
Penn State. Ohio State. Game on. We Are ... O-H!
After a brief look back at last weekend and four games (including a bonus AAC Friday night matchup) in our #Pac12AfterDark report from AJ, we devote the entire episode to our not-so-little rivalry. (Yes, really.) We begin with a challenging exercise as we each argue why the other team will win on Saturday. (Trust us, it's hard.) And then we go all-in on our loyal fandoms. It's going to be cold, rainy, and windy ... exactly the conditions in which a Big Ten rivalry game should be played. (Which is why the B1G title game should be played outdoors. Is it too early for us to get on that soapbox yet?)
Next week, we'll resume our regular #CnCShow programming, but for now, you'll know exactly what both of us will be doing on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET. (The game is on Fox if you're not as lucky as Crappy and have tickets to the game.)
Enjoy the football, kids.
It's Week 8 of the college football season, but show 9 of this here little podcast/webcast ... as if counting wasn't hard enough already. #MathIsHard
After addressing our mutual affinities for East End Brewing in Pittsburgh (Hi, Scott!) ... and shoutouts to friends who caused us to miss some really important games last weekend (Hi, Matt and Colleen and Heather and Scott!) ... and AJ's #Pac12AfterDark report (which isn't as "After Dark" or "Pac 12" as usual), we get into last weekend's upsets and this weekend's action.
Oklahoma State at Texas (12 p.m. ET, ABC): Is this the game that Texas finally turns the corner? Or will the Cowboys simply outscore the Longhorns (which is definitely possible).
USC at Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC): Some little private school outside Chicago is playing host to USC. Intrigue? Absolutely.
Michigan at Penn State (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC): Allegedly, this is the game when Michigan is going to find its offense. And, for maybe the first time ever in the history of this show, Carla plays the role of demented college football fan and Crappy plays the role of objective observer.
So, enjoy the football this weekend, kids. Cheers to fall!
Another week, another 2 nights of #Pac12AfterDark. AJ offers a caffeine solution for watching Wazzu/Cal on Friday night, what is deemed #SuperUltraPac12AfterDark, and Boise State/SDSU. Because we love the Mountain West conference and you should too.
As we enter Week 7, it’s time to start sorting out contenders and pretenders.
After celebrating Crappy’s birthday and bemoaning the fact that neither of us picked Sparty over Michigan (despite knowing that Mark D’Antonio owns the state of Michigan and picking the team in blue anyway), we dive into five games that could really start to shape the college football picture.
TCU at Kansas State (12 p.m. ET, FS1): TCU finds itself atop the Big 12 (surprise!) … but are the Horney Toads ready for a KState team that loves to wreak havoc in the conference.
Auburn at LSU (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): Could the LSU win over Florida last week be the springboard that the Tigers need to upset, umm, the Tigers?
Georgia Tech at Miami (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC): The Canes made a statement last weekend … but now they have to face that wacky triple-option Tech offense.
Oklahoma vs. Texas (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Oklahoma is reeling; Texas seems to be on the rise. Hey, Sooners? You better be ready for the Red River Rivalry. (Try saying that five times fast.)
Utah at USC (8 p.m. ET, ABC): This is a game that USC has to win … but Utah is a formidable foe.
And no, we didn’t forget #Pac12AfterDark … our correspondent AJ gets his own Mini #CnCShow podcast treatment this weekend.
So, get your remote thumbs ready and settle in for some great games this weekend.
It's Week Six of the 2017 college football season, and apparently ... we're hungry, for a nice Bortenschlager sandwich and maybe a shot of Jagermeister.
But what we're really hungry for is Big Ten football, and the three games that could go a long way in shaping how the B1G's two divisions shake out.
We're also happy for A.J.'s #pac12afterdark appetizers: Boise State at BYU (10:15 p.m. Thursday, ESPN), Stanford at Utah (10:15 p.m. Saturday, FS1) and Washington State at Oregon (8 p.m. Saturday, Fox -- hey, that's after dark on the East Coast!).
And then Carla and Crappy trade thoughts on:
Maryland at Ohio State (4 p.m. Saturday, Fox), Michigan State at Michigan (7:30 Saturday, ABC) and Wisconsin at Nebraska (8 p.m. Saturday, BTN).
It’s Week 5 of the college football season … and, OK, let’s just admit it. We were both totally wrong about almost everything last week. It happens.
But what we’re not wrong about this week is the fact that we have three extremely intriguing match-ups this week … and somehow, our #Pac12AfterDark correspondent, AJ (@AJKuftic), may have the best game of the week on his plate.
USC at Washington State (10:30 p.m. ET Friday, ESPN): Please, make AJ happy. Stay up for this game. Seriously … it may be the best game of the weekend.
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Mississippi State at Auburn (6 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN): Which Mississippi State team decides to show up for this game — the one that dominated LSU on both sides of the ball, or the sluggish team that got blown out by Georgia last week? And … can Auburn’s offensive line protect its quarterback?
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Oklahoma State at Texas Tech (8 p.m. ET Saturday, FOX): Two potentially explosive Big 12 offenses with Gus Johnson on the call? Yes, please.
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Clemson at Virginia Tech (8 p.m. ET Saturday, ABC): Strange things can happen in Blacksburg after dark; we’ll find out on Saturday night whether Clemson is ready for a hot Virginia Tech team.
So, enjoy the football … and here’s hoping we’re a little bit more accurate on our analysis this weekend.
Welcome to Week 4 ... and our special "After Dark" edition of the Carla & Crappy Show, as we welcome two new mainstays to the show: AJ Kuftic as our official #CnCShow #Pac12AfterDark correspondent ... and Cookie, the kitten who made herself known several times through the show. In addition to AJ's analysis of not one but two late Pac-12 affairs -- Washington at Colorado (10 p.m. ET, FS1) and UCLA at Stanford (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) -- we also get into some intriguing matchups as conference play gets underway. TCU at Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): TCU has two options in this game -- either figure out a way to stop the ridiculous air attack of the Oklahoma State offense ... or outscore them. It's the makings of a Big 12 shootout in Stillwater. Mississippi State at Georgia (7 p.m. ET, ESPN): The battle of two undefeated Bulldogs ... both of which hope this game is the beginning of a special season.
And then we tackle an interesting question ... which Big Ten team has a better shot of winning this weekend, Purdue (at home vs. Michigan, 4 p.m. ET, FOX) or Iowa (at home vs. Penn State, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)? (Hint: We don't agree on this one.) Enjoy the football this weekend ... and try really hard to stay awake for #Pac12AfterDark.
It’s Week 3 of the college football season … and after his Buckeyes’ loss last weekend to Oklahoma, Crappy has turned his attention to baseball.
Yet, somehow, we still find three actual college football games to talk about this weekend.
Tennessee at Florida (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS) — We’re both happy that this game will be played in The Swamp, but not sure either of us is really looking forward to this game. Neither team has truly impressed yet this season. We’ll see if that changes Saturday. (But we’re not holding our breath.)
Clemson at Louisville (8 p.m. ET, ABC) — Can Heisman-winner Lamar Jackson and the Louisville offense figure out a way to overcome the stout Clemson defense that sacked Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham 11 times last week?
Ole Miss at California (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) — Probably not a game that has any national implications, but … entertaining as heck? You better believe it. Cal can run; Ole Miss struggles to stop the run. Ole Miss can throw the ball; Cal has issues in the secondary. Our suggestion: Take the over.
So, enjoy the football … or, baseball in Crappy’s case … this weekend. (Go Tribe!)
Though you won't see or hear him, Uncle Crappy's cat Charlie asserts himself right at the start of this week's show, biting Crappy on the ankle ... and later making it very clear who he's picking in Week Two's biggest matchup. Also this week:
- Carla is underwhelmed by Texas; Crappy is impressed by Michigan's defense.
- Carla cautions us to throw out the odds when considering Pitt-Penn State; Crappy says that's going to be a beating.
- If Oklahoma can't run the football on the Buckeyes, Crappy is going to have a fun Saturday night in Columbus.
- Stanford has dominated USC recently -- and that's not going to change this year.
- Notre Dame is still annoying.
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Pac12AfterDark is back.
Football time is here again ... and so is this here little webcast. While we're both pretty dumbfounded that we're entering year 6 of talking about college football, we're also excited that we're finally taking this show to the podcast world and making it available as an audio download.
In addition to geeking out over platforms, we do actually talk about college football in this extended episode:
- Why Carla thinks Penn State can win the Big Ten. Why Crappy thinks Ohio State can win the Big Ten. (Hint: There's a pretty big game on October 28 that will help us resolve this argument.)
- Our picks for the College Football Playoff. (Hint: We both picked Alabama to be one of them.)
And then we break down a stellar weekend of games:
- Michigan vs. Florida (3:30 ET Saturday, ABC)
- West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech (7:30 ET Sunday, ABC)
- Florida State vs. Alabama (8 ET Saturday, ABC)
Enjoy the football ... and welcome to Season Six of the #CnCShow!
Episode 14, 2016: Carla, Crappy and a host of guests (actual sports journalists Braden Gall and Jake Rose, reformed sportswriter David Fox and demented fan A.J. Kuftic) discuss the upcoming bowl season and pick a few of its ... quirkier games.