AP Top 25 College Football Podcast artwork

AP Top 25 College Football Podcast

297 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 178 ratings

With the help of players, coaches, TV analysts, school administrators and NCAA officials, AP College Football Writer Ralph Russo tackles on-and off-field issues affecting the sport throughout the year. The show gives everyone from the casual fan to the obsessed alum, an insider look into the AP Poll and all that is trending on campuses around the country. Be ready for the big game, signing day or spring practice with this weekly chat about college football.

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Episodes

Bowl Games or Home Games?

June 22, 2021 23:00 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MB

Rece Davis, the host of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the proposed plan to expand the college football playoff from four to 12 teams. If the plan was on Rece’s desk, what revisions would he consider? First off, bowls games or home games? As of now the plan is for the quarterfinals to be held at marquee bowl sites while first-round games are on campus. Davis suggests a plan to have more games played on campus while still protecting a few bowls. The Rose Bowl is o...

How college football got to a 12-team playoff

June 15, 2021 22:00 - 1 hour - 42.4 MB

There is a plan in place to expand the College Football Playoff from four teams to 12. It’s a remarkable change for a sport that for decades seemed committed to using any other way possible to determine a national champion than the one used by just about every other sport. How did college football get here? Ivan Maisel, formerly of ESPN and now about be the lead writer of a new college football website called on3.com, joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to look back at the events that led to college f...

Georgia’s quest; Northwestern’s mess

June 08, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 52.1 MB

The most talented roster in college football this season might very well belong to Georgia. But can the Bulldogs breakthrough and win the program’s first national championship since 1980? Marc Weiszer from the Athens Banner-Herald joins AP’s Ralph Russo to assess Kirby Smart’s program, including the recent additions of two high-profile transfers. Also, national college football writer Matt Fortuna of The Athletic joins the show to talk about Northwestern’s messy athletic director search, Wis...

Win total over/unders with the Bear from ESPN

June 02, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 50.7 MB

Beware teams coming off a magical season. Often, it’s hard to repeat. Oddsmakers have set win totals for this upcoming season for every FBS team and ESPN’s Chris Fallica has been scanning the board, looking for value. The Bear joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk overs and unders. Chris goes into the Big Ten, where last season’s big surprise seems primed for regression and two of the most disappointing teams appear set up for a bounce back. Bear also goes into the SEC for one over and one under ...

An opening weekend road trip

May 25, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 46.7 MB

The opening weekend of the college football season is starting to take shape. Game times have been set for some marquee matchups, including Alabama-Miami in Atlanta and Clemson-Georgia in Charlotte. USA Today national college football writer Paul Myerberg joins AP’s Ralph Russo to take a hopefully and eager look at the first week of the 2021 regular season and plot out a five-games-in-five-days dream road trip. They also take a first glance a few of the potentially interesting matchups outsi...

David Shaw on the Pac-12, the playoff and practice

May 18, 2021 21:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MB

Few college football coaches are more involved in the shaping the state and future of the game than Stanford coach David Shaw. He joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss changes made to preseason practice aimed at reducing the number of full contact practices. Shaw explains the thinking behind the modifications. What advice would give to the new Pac-12 Commissioner about how best to support football? Plus, what would be his ideal College Football Playoff format?   Email the show at APTop25mailba...

Future of the Power 5

May 11, 2021 22:00 - 1 hour - 43.4 MB

They are called the Power Five conferences but really there is a big two among the group. The Southeastern Conference and Big Ten have pulled away from their peers when it comes to generating revenue. How can the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 and Pac-12 keep up? Does Notre Dame hold the keys to unlock another level of wealth for the ACC? Should the Big 12 expand? How about a merger of sorts between the Big 12 and Pac-12? Maybe Larry Scott was right after all. What would a Power Six look ...

Does major college football need the NCAA?

May 04, 2021 23:00 - 56 minutes - 38.6 MB

Will the Power Five conferences ever break away from the NCAA? Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports says they kind of already have. Inspired by a email from a listener, the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast begins a series of shows on the future of the sport. This week Dodd joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss a pivotal next couple of months for the NCAA, and what could lie ahead. Has the association outlasted its usefulness or is it just convenient for college sports leaders to place blame in Indianapol...

The 2022 NFL Draft and CFP Expansion

April 27, 2021 22:00 - 1 hour - 47.3 MB

We have finally reached NFL Draft week. But instead of again chewing over the 2021 class, which we have been doing for four months, Matt Miller of The NFL Draft Scout and ESPN jumps ahead to 2022. Who are the players you can already pencil in at the top of next year’s draft boards? There is a pass rusher out west holding down the top spot. What does the quarterback class of 2022 look like heading into the college football season? Which passers will be in the running to be top-10 picks? And ...

NFL Draft Preview

April 20, 2021 22:00 - 1 hour - 52.5 MB

The upcoming NFL Draft could be a historic one, with as many as five quarterbacks going in the top-10 picks. Eric Edholm, draft analysis for Yahoo! Sports, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to take a deep dive into the quarterbacks from Trevor Lawrence to Mac Jones and the entire pool of players that NFL teams will be picking through. What positions are the deepest in the draft? Where will the pickings be a little thin? How did opting out impact prospects such as Penei Sewell of Oregon, Ja’Marr Chase o...

The state of college football in Florida

April 06, 2021 22:00 - 1 hour - 59.2 MB

At Florida, Dan Mullen is breaking in a new quarterback and trying to stay ahead of Georgia. At Florida State, Mike Norvell is just looking for some normalcy in year two of his tenure as the Seminoles coach. Matt Baker from the Tampa Bay Times joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss about the state of college football in the state of Florida, from Tallahassee to Miami. Also, Sports Law Professor Gabe Feldman joins the show to review the NCAA’s day in front of the Supreme Court and how the associati...

Harbaugh: How we Got Here and Where it’s Going?

March 30, 2021 20:06 - 57 minutes - 39.4 MB

There was a point where Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was the most polarizing figure in college football. While he’s still maybe the most talked about college football coach outside of Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney, it’s getting harder to find supporters. This week on the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, AP sports writer Josh Dubow, who covered Harbaugh with Stanford and the 49ers and is a Michigan alum, joins Ralph Russo to do a deep dive on where things stand with the Wolverines and their co...

Who are College Football’s Best Coaches?

March 25, 2021 16:20 - 1 hour - 59 MB

Ranking college football coaches is even tougher than ranking college football teams. But we tend to do it anyway, especially in the offseason. Stewart Mandel from The Athletic and Bruce Feldman from Fox join AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about their current Top 25 college coaches. Bruce and Stew are finally buying in on Brian Kelly as a top-three coach. Stewart gave James Franklin a big demotion after a tough year, but not so much with PJ Fleck. Bruce is still defending Jim Harbaugh and higher on...

The Brackets Are Back!

March 16, 2021 23:31 - 57 minutes - 39.8 MB

The NCAA Tournament is back after a one-year pandemic-forced hiatus. That means the football show turns to basketball for a week. AP college basketball writer Aaron Beard joins Ralph Russo to break down the bracket, search for upsets and pick a Final Four. Plus, what went wrong this season for blue bloods Duke and Kentucky? And why can’t Indiana seem to recapture past glory. And we’ll sprinkle in a some football, too.

Trouble with Kansas, Plus Marshall Coach Charles Huff

March 09, 2021 22:15 - 1 hour - 62 MB

The worst Power Five program in college football is once again in the news for all the wrong reasons. Kansas parted ways with coach Les Miles after revelations about inappropriate behavior toward women while he was at LSU. It is another setback for a program that has become synonymous with them. Max Olson from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss how Kansas football got so bad, why Miles was never the solution and where it goes from here. Plus, new Marshall coach Charles Huff joins ...

Vandy’s new coach and CFB’s biggest underachievers.

March 03, 2021 00:58 - 1 hour - 70.7 MB

New Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea played for the Commodores and grew up in Nashville. If there is a man who understands the challenges and potential for the football program of the Southeastern Conference’s lone private school, it’s Lea, the former Notre Dame defensive coordinator. Then Steven Godfrey of Banner Society joins AP’s Ralph Russo for an in-depth discussion on a topic suggested by a listener: Which programs have recently been the biggest underachievers in each of the 10 FBS conference...

Humans vs. Math: Early 2021 Projections.

February 24, 2021 19:08 - 57 minutes - 39.5 MB

The 2021 season is about seven months away, but it’s never to early to start projecting how teams will do. ESPN’s Bill Connelly, the mastermind behind SP+ power rankings, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the first 2021 projections. They’ll compare SP+ to the composite of way-too-early rankings done by four notable news organizations that cover college football. SP+ is more optimistic about Miami, Michigan and the Pac-12 in general than the humans. On the flip side, SP+ is more skeptical abou...

Steve Sarkisian’s Road to Texas

February 16, 2021 22:07 - 1 hour - 46.6 MB

Five and half year ago, Steve Sarkisian was fired by Southern California, a promising career derailed by alcoholism. The road back for Sark went thrown Alabama and the NFL and now he is a head coach again, taking at Texas. Sarkisian joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to talk about his comeback and how recovery has made him a different, and he hopes better, coach. Then Richard Johnson of the Split Zone Duo podcast joins the show to breakdown what made Sark’s offense so good at Alabama and how the top c...

Lessons Learned From the Coaching Carousel

February 09, 2021 21:05 - 57 minutes - 39.4 MB

The 2020 coaching carousel in college football was more active than expected. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg joins AP Ralph Russo to talk takeaways on changes made from Texas to Marshall. For some schools it’s never a and time to fire a coach, even though the chances of landing an established and proven replacement have never been less likely. Meanwhile, opportunities for Black coaches are still lagging as the leadership in major college football fails to match the makeup of the rosters. Plus, the tr...

How is the Recruiting Class of 2022 Shaping Up?

February 02, 2021 21:52 - 1 hour - 47.5 MB

The early signing period in college football has become the main signing period for the sport. So the traditional signing period in February is mostly about tying up loose ends. Most teams have already moved on to 2022, and we will, too. Bud Elliott, recruiting director for 247 Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to take a look at the class of 2022 and how limitations caused by the pandemic, plus the hopeful return to normal late this year, impacts the next 10 months before the next December signin...

Tennessee’s Coaching Search, Scott’s Tenure and a Radical Change to Football Rules

January 26, 2021 23:56 - 1 hour - 44.4 MB

College football’s offseason has already included a coaching change at Tennessee and a Power Five commissioner announcing he will step down. The news never really stops. To kickoff the offseason mode at the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, Andy Staples from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo. The Volunteers might have a replacement for Jeremy Pruitt by the time you hear this, but what kind of a hole will the next regime need to climb out of?Why did Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott go from ...

A Strange Season Ends With a Familiar Champion _ Alabama.

January 12, 2021 18:44 - 43 minutes - 29.8 MB

College football’s season in a pandemic has ended with a most familiar champion. Nick Saban’s Alabama dynasty won its sixth title by beating Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship game.To put a wrap on the season and the championship game, Paul Myerberg and Dan Wolken from USA Today join AP’s Ralph Russo. They discuss if there is anyway to tap the brakes on college football’s offensive revolution. Is it even necessary? There appears to be no end in sight for Saban an...

CFP Championship Preview With Chris Fowler

January 05, 2021 16:54 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MB

Alabama against Ohio State for the national championship. After a long, strange season there is one game left to be played. The College Football Playoff title game will feature the two most talented rosters in the country and put to bed a season that has been a grind for everyone involved. To preview Crimson Tide-Buckeyes and review what it took to get here, ESPN’s Chris Fowler joins AP’s Ralph Russo. Chris discusses why this season lacked the usual joy, and why he was still thankful to be pa...

College Football Playoff Preview

December 29, 2020 18:39 - 1 hour - 44.3 MB

The College Football Playoff features four of the bluest of blue bloods. No. 1 Alabama takes on No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 2 Clemson faces No. 3 Ohio State. Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network and ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo to breakdown each matchup. For Notre Dame to stay within striking distance of the might Crimson Tide, the Irish need to play perfectly complementary football. Meanwhile, the other semifinal could come down to which is more efficient: Trevor Lawrence and Clemson’s passing game o...

Dashing through the bowls!

December 22, 2020 23:26 - 1 hour - 63.4 MB

Bowl season is here in college football. It is not as long as usual, which is sad. But there are plenty of games to enjoy. To preview them all _ even the ones that might have already been played by the time you listen _ Matt Brown, college football editor at The Athletic and an AP poll voter, joins Ralph Russo, AP college football writer. Matt and Ralph provide a tidbit or two on every game, make a few picks, and tell you what to watch for. The bowl are more unpredictable than ever, which is ...

Will There Be CFP Drama on Championship Weekend?

December 15, 2020 20:20 - 53 minutes - 37.1 MB

The latest conference championship weekend in the history of college football has arrived and the question is: Will the results create any drama for Sunday’s College Football Playoff selections.National college football writer Paul Myerberg joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to go through the scenarios and try to find what could cause some mayhem. Also, Auburn finally fired Gus Malzahn after years of the coach going on and off the hot seat. Who is next? Did the Tigers just spent more than $21 million ...

How The Pandemic Impacted Recruiting

December 08, 2020 22:30 - 1 hour - 42.2 MB

The never-ending college football season will now combine the early signing period with championship weekend. Starting Dec. 16, schools can begin signing high school prospects, but because the season started late and was extended because of the pandemic, the College Football Playoff won’t be set until the weekend of Dec. 19. There is a lot going on. To discuss recruiting, the coaching carousel and the playoff race, Barton Simmons and Bud Elliot of 247 Sports join AP’s Ralph Russo. In-person r...

Alabama’s Unrelenting Excellence and LSU’s Severe Regression

December 01, 2020 22:14 - 56 minutes - 39 MB

About 13 months ago LSU-Alabama was a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. Biggest game of the season. Game of the Century. And LSU broke through for a landmark victory on the way to a national championship. Now the Tide and Tigers play again and LSU is slogging through a season of attrition and regression while Alabama is better than ever. Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the Tigers’ slide and the Tide’s unrelenting excellence. Plus, the Big Ten can’t catch a break: ...

First CFP Rankings of The Season

November 23, 2020 20:47 - 1 hour - 41.3 MB

Because everything is a little weird this season, we have the convergence of two events in college football that would normally be weeks apart.The first College Football Playoff selection committee rankings of season make their debut. And Thanksgiving week comes with some _ though not as many us usual _ rivalry games. Plus, there is a big batch of Black Friday games for a college football feast. Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to talk about what to expect from the pl...

Big Ten Showdowns, Bedlam and Bearcats

November 18, 2020 05:23 - 52 minutes - 36 MB

From Monday to Friday the college football season has been a grind of uncertainty and instability. But the Saturdays are still delivering intrigue and excitement. Dennis Dodd of CBS joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the odd dynamic of the season in the pandemic. Plus, will the first head coach firing in the Power Five break the seal for other schools? And what to expect from two crucial Big Ten games; Bedlam between Oklahoma State and Oklahoma; and Cincinnati’s big test at UCF?

Hot-Seat Watch: What Schools Could Make Coaching Changes?

November 11, 2020 17:31 - 1 hour - 48.8 MB

In a normal college football season we would be waist deep in coaching change rumors and speculation right about now. But this year’s carousel figures to be relatively quiet. Conventional wisdom has been that schools struggling financially because of the pandemic will be less willing to pay big buyouts. Plus, how can you judge performance is this weird season? But fans at some schools are reverting back to the default mode and looking to fire everyone involved with their struggling teams. To ...

Monster Matchups and Everybody is Playing!

November 03, 2020 18:40 - 53 minutes - 36.5 MB

The first week of November in college football feels like opening weekend of the season all over again. All the major conferences will be playing games for the first time, including the MAC on Wednesday night and the Pac-12 starting at 9 a.m. Pacific Time on Saturday. There are huge games involving BYU and Boise State, Florida and Georgia, and Clemson and Notre Dame. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to dive into it all and try to figure out how the results will impact ...

Running the numbers on Penn State-Ohio State

October 27, 2020 22:42 - 48 minutes - 33.2 MB

Penn State suffered an epic and thrilling upset the hands of Indiana last week, taking some of the shine off this week’s game against No. 3 Ohio State. But if we look deeper than the final score, the Nittany Lions might not be so bad off. ESPN’s Bill Connelly, the mastermind behind the advance metric SP+ rankings, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to do an autopsy on Penn State’s loss and preview the showdown with the Buckeyes. Plus, why does math hate Kansas State? Is it better to have a good offense o...

Big Ten Preview

October 20, 2020 21:16 - 55 minutes - 38.4 MB

Just in time for Big Ten weather, the Big Ten is kicking off its football season. Dave Revsine from the Big Ten Network joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to preview the conference that at first punted on fall football only to reverse course and give it go.Ohio State still seems to be the class of the conference and maybe the country. Can Wisconsin defend it’s West Division title with a new quarterback and new running back? Is Minnesota ready to take another step forward? What to make of Michigan this...

Can Georgia Breakthrough Against ‘Bama?

October 13, 2020 23:14 - 1 hour - 46.1 MB

College football’s game of the year is this weekend as No. 3 Georgia goes to No. 2 Alabama. It is a matchup of the best defense in the country against the best offense. Richard Johnson from the SEC Network joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to breakdown the clash of the titans. How can Georgia’s D slow the Tide? Or, maybe the better question, can Georgia’s offense keep up with Alabama? Also, can anybody challenge Clemson in the ACC and a look at an interesting weekend for the American Athletic Confere...

Could be Tennessee or Texas ...

October 06, 2020 20:49 - 1 hour - 43.5 MB

This coming weekend in college football will have a lot of Tennessee and Texas in it. Because he is an expert on both, David Ubben from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo for a both an examination and a preview.We have already reached the point in the season where we ask what’s wrong with the Longhorns. Adding to this week’s Red River Shootout drama is we’re asking the same questions of Oklahoma, too, as the Sooners limp in with a two-game losing streak.Texas A&M also has a measuring stic...

The Rise of Coach O

September 30, 2020 00:19 - 1 hour - 53.2 MB

LSU coach Ed Orgeron went from failed SEC head coach to jilted USC interim coach to national champion, leading his home state Tigers. Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic chronicles coach O’s rise in a new book called Flip the Script. Feldman joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the contentious end to Orgeron’s time as USC’s interim coach. And they talk about another coach Bruce wrote a book with: Mississippi State’s Mike Leach. Before Bruce, Ralph interviews another successful coach fro...

SEC Kicks Off and Miami is Back in the Spotlight

September 22, 2020 20:52 - 1 hour - 45 MB

There have been plenty of bumps along the way, but this weekend has a chance to feel the closest thing we have had to a normal college football Saturday. The Southeastern Conference kicks off, plus there is a full slate of Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12 games on the schedule. Hopefully, it stays that way. Andy Staples from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo on the podcast to dive into the most intriguing storylines of the weekend, including: Rhett Lashlee’s winding to path to becoming ...

After Further Review, Big Ten Will Give it a go

September 17, 2020 20:57 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MB

A college football season appeared five months ago to be crumbling is now resurgent. The Big Ten announced it is going t play in late October. The Pac-12 is trying for a fall re-start. So is the Mountain West. Meanwhile, games are still be postponed because of virus outbreaks. Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to talk about the Big Ten’s reversal and how the conference can recover from a month-long PR disaster. Will any of this college football season feel legitimate? Does ...

Previewing the SEC and Group of Five

September 09, 2020 01:33 - 1 hour - 61.7 MB

The college football season has started. Group of Five games kicked off Labor Day weekend. The Big 12 and ACC get rolling this weekend. So I guess we better get done previewing this very odd season that followed a most-bizarre and chaotic offseason. We have already done preview of the ACC and Big 12. Heck we even did one of the Pac-12, before the conference postponed fall football. We never got to the Big Ten, before it punted on the fall. What’s left to do is preview the Southeastern Confere...

Kicking around the Big Ten

September 02, 2020 00:16 - 40 minutes - 28.2 MB

Since postponing its football season on Aug. 11, the Big Ten has been in the news constantly _ for all the wrong reasons. The conference and its new commissioner, Kevin Warren, have been criticized from all angles and now they have been thrust into the presidential campaign, with both sides blaming the other for taking out the season in the Midwest. A true political football. Teddy Greenstein with the Chicago Tribune joins Ralph D. Russo to talk about how the Big Ten got into this mess and ho...

The AP Preseason Top 25 is out _ and it’s Weird

August 26, 2020 02:01 - 54 minutes - 37.7 MB

The AP Preseason Top 25 has been released and it’s weird. The AP instructed voters to consider all teams for the preseason poll. Even the ones in the Big Ten, Pac-12 and other conferences that have postponed their football seasons because of the pandemic. Those teams will go away when games start, but for now the poll gives a glimpse at what could have been and what still remains. Matt Brown of The Athletic, an AP poll voter, joins Ralph Russo to talk about how he went about voting and how he...

Previewing the Big 12

August 18, 2020 23:34 - 54 minutes - 37.6 MB

Is the gap closing between Oklahoma and the rest of the Big 12? Which teams could be the wild cards in a league that typically produces at least one surprising contender? How good can Oklahoma State be after a rocky offseason? And where is Texas after an offseason overhaul? Max Olson of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview one of the three Power Five conferences still planning to play football in the fall.  

Big Ten, Pac-12 Bail on Fall Football

August 13, 2020 00:34 - 47 minutes - 32.9 MB

On a grim day for college football, the Big Ten and Pac-12 decided to cancel their fall football seasons and attempt to play in the spring. Neither conference felt it was best to move forward with the pandemic still running hot around the country, especially in Pac-12 territory. ESPN’s Rece Davis joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the depressing news, and how the pandemic has exposed the fractures and weaknesses of college football. The Big Ten has seemed unsteady in the crisis while the Pa...

ACC and Pac-12 Previews

August 07, 2020 05:25 - 1 hour - 59.8 MB

We have schedules. That’s a big step toward having a season. Whether college football gets there is still up in the air, but we have schedules and games set to be played so it’s time to start to preview the season _ and hoping for the best.The Atlantic Coast Conference and Pac-12 are up first. Jon Wilner from the San Jose Mercury News joins AP’s Ralph Russo to take a look at the Pac-12. There is uncertainty just about everywhere, from Oregon to Utah. David Hale from ESPN takes on the ACC, whe...

Who Makes the Call on College Football?

July 29, 2020 01:02 - 53 minutes - 36.7 MB

Conferences are working to revise their college football schedules to accommodate potential disruptions from COVID-19. But there has been more planning than actual decisions being made as college sports leaders play a waiting game. Brett McMurphy of Stadium joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss where each conference stands, whether Notre Dame will play in the ACC and who will finally make the call on whether college football is played. Plus: if there is a season, will there be a postseason with d...

Everything _ Including College Football _ is Connected in a Pandemic

July 22, 2020 00:18 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MB

Colleges are spending millions of dollars and countless hours to try to protect their athletes from being infected by COVID-19. And still there might not be a fall football season because the pandemic is raging on across the country. Lucia Mullen, a epidemiologist and analyst with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to explain why _ without a bubble _ the athletic departments can only do so much to determine whether they will be able to play this se...

College Football Leaders Sound the Alarms

July 14, 2020 23:48 - 57 minutes - 39.5 MB

As the pandemic worsens, so do the prospects of a college football season being played in the fall. Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic joins Ralph Russo of AP to discuss an avalanche of bad news throughout college football, numerous warning signs that the season is in peril and how everything is connected. The Big Ten and Pac-12 have already said they will play just conference games _ if they can play at all. We’ll discuss the trickle-down effects of that from the other Power Five leagues to the...

Welcome to the Big Time

June 30, 2020 14:18 - 48 minutes - 33.7 MB

Even the successful athletes who compete at the highest levels of their sports have moments when the game seems a little big for them. Those welcome-to-the-big-time moments can either break a player or make that player even better in the long run. Former college football offensive linemen Aaron Taylor of Notre Dame, Cole Cubelic of Auburn and Geoff Schwartz of Oregon join Ralph Russo to talk about the humbling moments that made them better by teaching them that they had to step up their games...

How Essential is College Football?

June 25, 2020 10:45 - 48 minutes - 33 MB

College football is plowing toward a season in a pandemic. It begs the question: Is this essential and why? Dan Wetzel from Yahoo Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss a bizarre offseason that is setting the stage for a college football season like we have never season before. The pandemic and social unrest is changing the power structure in all aspects of life, including sports. Plus, Mike Gundy, the Confederate flag and how journalism suffers from a lack of diversity. And how those in it...

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