AP Top 25 College Football Podcast
297 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 178 ratingsWith 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
Who Should Make the College Football Hall of Fame?
June 17, 2020 15:47 - 1 hour - 47.1 MBSo many good choices but you can only pick 13. AP college football poll voter Matt Brown from The Athletic and AP’s Ralph Russo pour through the dozens of former college football greats on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot. The goal: select a class of 13 players and two coaches to be inducted into the Hall next year. Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer seems like an obvious choice, but what about former Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch? Or Indiana’s sensational dual threat Antwan Randle El? Brown...
College Football Takes Tentative Steps to Safely Squeeze in a Season
June 10, 2020 00:13 - 43 minutes - 29.9 MBPlans are being made to give college football teams a little extra time in the summer to get ready for the season. What will practices look like during a pandemic? And what types of standards will have to be set when it’s time for teams to start playing one another? Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger joins AP's Ralph Russo to talk about the latest steps being taken to play a football season while protecting players and coaches from COVID-19. Plus, what’s the significance of a statement? With...
How to Bring Athletes Back to Campus
June 03, 2020 01:22 - 40 minutes - 27.5 MBThe first steps toward having a college football season are being taken on campuses all over the country. Athletes are being allowed to return to their teams’ facilities for voluntary workouts throughout June. That means schools and specifically athletic departments are trying to execute detailed plans for testing, monitoring and educating athletes on how to get some prep work in for the season while staying safe during a pandemic. Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades joins AP’s Ralph Russo ...
Looking for this Season's Baylor or Burrow
May 28, 2020 01:01 - 1 hour - 49.5 MBThe prospects for a college football season that starts on time are looking good. Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the latest positive developments as college football prepares for playing amidst a pandemic. There is still much uncertainty. Plenty of reasons for hope and plenty of reasons to think the 2020 season will be far from normal. Plus, some offseason talk: Myerberg gives at least one team in each Power Five conference that could be a surprise contender this...
Game on? Sorting Through Uncertain Times in College Football
May 14, 2020 01:29 - 1 hour - 41.6 MBThe scheduled start of the college football season is four months away. With so much uncertainty, how can a fan and a reporter sift through all the noise and speculation to find relevant information and insight? It’s difficult. Max Olson, national college football writer from The Athletic, join AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about trying to make sense of it all. And they talk football. TCU has signed a five-star tailback who had some trouble in his senior year. Rutgers landed a quarterback transfer...
The Story of Miami 31, Nebraska 30
May 07, 2020 00:53 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBThe 1984 Orange Bowl was maybe the greatest college football game ever played. No. 1 Nebraska came in undefeated and trying to stamp itself as one the best teams of all time, but Miami pulled the upset in a thriller that launched the Hurricanes dynasty. AP’s Ralph Russo is joined by three guests to talk about what led up to that memorable night in South Florida and its aftermath. Former Miami Herald sportswriter Jim Martz provides the Hurricanes' side of the story. Former Omaha World-Herald s...
The Recruiting Stars Shine at NFL Draft
April 29, 2020 23:41 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MBThe first night of the NFL draft went really well for the college football recruiting analysts. Most of the players selected in the first round were either four- or five-star recruits. Bud Elliott, recruiting analyst for 247 Sports, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about how the inexact science of evaluating high school football players is improving. Plus, Miami continues to have a good number of players drafted and its recruiting rankings are pretty consistently better than the rest of their A...
NFL Draft Preview: Part 2
April 22, 2020 19:53 - 43 minutes - 29.9 MBNotre Dame tight end Cole Kmet, UCLA running back Josh Kelley and Ole Miss defensive back Myles Hartsfield join AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi to discuss the NFL draft and how they've handled an unusual pre-draft process with virtual pro days and video visits with teams. Super agent Leigh Steinberg also joins the show to chat about one of his clients, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted draft prospects.
NFL Draft Preview & Lane Train
April 21, 2020 22:39 - 46 minutes - 32 MBThe NFL Draft is approaching and Dane Brugler of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to break down the prospects. Who is rising? Who is falling? Where will Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa land? How about Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert? Will a half dozen receivers be selected in the first round? Will any running back go on the first day? Then new Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin joins the show. He talks about recruiting Tagovailoa and his time at Florida Atlantic. What drew him to Ole Miss and...
Shaw on Football: From faking injuries to preparing during a pandemic
April 16, 2020 02:39 - 45 minutes - 31.2 MBStanford football coach David Shaw makes his yearly offseason appearance on the podcast to discuss a wide range of issues in college football, starting with how he is managing his team through the pandemic. Shaw, who is also the chairman of the NCAA rules committee, talks about why it was time to crackdown on coaches instructing defensive players to fake injuries to slow down fast-paced offenses. The longtime Cardinal coach gives his views on the push for more lenient NCAA transfer rules and ...
Over/unders with the Bear
April 09, 2020 02:12 - 59 minutes - 41.1 MBLas Vegas has weighed in with its win total projections of the 2020 college football season. Every FBS team from Alabama to UMass. Chris Fallica from ESPN, aka Bear from “College Gameday,” joins AP’s Ralph Russo to share his early picks in every conference. Optimism for Purdue. Pessimism for Kansas. And a good value pick in the SEC championship race. Plus, how Bear helps plot out where GameDay could be headed next season.
AP Ground Game: Inside The Poll Numbers
April 03, 2020 19:43 - 14 minutes - 10 MBThis is a special presentation of APs Ground Game: Inside The Outbreak.State and local officials are receiving high marks for how they’ve been handling the coronavirus outbreak, less so for President Donald Trump and the federal government. AP Washington Bureau Chief Julie Pace and Director of Public Opinion Research Emily Swanson explain what this means based on several recent surveys done by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.You can listen and subscribe to all epi...
AP Ground Game: Inside The Ripple Effect
April 02, 2020 20:30 - 11 minutes - 7.79 MBThis is a special presentation of APs Ground Game: Inside The Outbreak.The coronavirus pandemic continues to take a devastating toll on The United Sates economy, with over 6 million Americans filing for unemployment. The disruptions due to coronavirus are causing a ripple effect, trickling into the day-to-day lives of people across the globe. AP National Writer and Director of Digital Innovation, Ted Anthony, has been covering the ripple effect of the virus and breaks it all down for us on th...
Best Teams to Come up Short
April 01, 2020 23:21 - 1 hour - 50.9 MBWho are the best college football teams to not win the national championship? USA Today’s Paul Myerberg has some candidates, going back as far as 1940. Paul joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk all-time great teams that came up short on a national title, including heralded squads from Michigan, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Miami. Paul and Ralph agree on who’s No. 1 of the teams that did not finish No. 1 in the modern era of college football. Plus, let’s go back and re-do some of those misguided Heisman T...
AP Ground Game: Inside Madrid, Spain
April 01, 2020 22:00 - 14 minutes - 9.76 MBThis is a special presentation of APs Ground Game: Inside The Outbreak.Spain has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus outbreak and the country’s death toll remains comparatively high despite a two-week lockdown. With more than 9,000 COVID-19 deaths documented, officials have been forced to convert hotels into hospitals and ice rinks into morgues. Madrid-based AP reporter Aritz Parra explains what is happening inside Spain’s overburdened medical facilities and funeral homes.You can list...
AP Ground Game: Inside The Epicenter
March 31, 2020 19:30 - 12 minutes - 8.48 MBThis is a special presentation of APs Ground Game: Inside The Outbreak.New York has been hit especially hard in the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 75,000 cases confirmed so far. In New York and elsewhere, health officials are reviewing guidelines from sources including state governments and medical groups on how to fairly ration limited resources as hospitals prepare for a surge in patients. Central to these guidelines will be figuring out who gets a ventilator and who doesn’t. AP reporter...
Bonus: AP Ground Game: Inside The Outbreak - Inside Rural America
March 30, 2020 21:30 - 12 minutes - 8.43 MBThis is a special presentation of APs Ground Game: Inside The Outbreak.In rural towns and already isolated communities across the country, the concerns about the coronavirus outbreak range from outsiders bringing the virus with them from bigger cities to economies that normally rely on tourism grinding to a halt. AP Reporter Gillian Flaccus takes us inside rural Oregon to discuss how the pandemic is playing out there.You can listen and subscribe to all episodes here: https://podcasts.apple.co...
How I Came to Love College Football
March 25, 2020 23:59 - 1 hour - 48.5 MBEight college football writers. One question: How did you come to love college football? On the latest AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, AP’s Ralph Russo asks that question some of his friends and colleagues who cover the game for a living. Each shares a story of being drawn into the passion and pageantry of college football, though some were smitten later than others and in various ways.Telling their tales are Andy Staples, Stewart Mandel, Bruce Feldman and Nicole Auerbach from The Athleti...
Projections: Numbers vs. Humans
March 18, 2020 21:36 - 1 hour - 27.7 MBIt’s never too early to have a Top 25 for next season. Plenty of those have been circulating since the day after LSU beat Clemson to win the national title. ESPN’s Bill Connelly chimed in with his SP+ preseason projections for 2020 in February. Connelly joins the AP’s Ralph Russo to compare and contrast where the human opinions and his numbers diverge.SP+ is embracing some traditional powers this year like Texas and Nebraska that it was skeptical about last season _ when the humans were hypin...
Sports are Shut Down -- So Let's Talk Football
March 14, 2020 00:38 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MBThe sports world has been shut down because of the coronavirus outbreak. The AP Top 25 College Football Podcast will try to get you through it. In this week’s episode, host Ralph Russo of the AP goes solo on why he’ll miss March Madness so much. But his is a college football show. And since all of sports content is about to embrace talking about lists, Russo has one to share. The top 25 coaches in college football, right now. You all know who is No. 1. And No. 2. But from No. 3 on, it gets a ...
The State of Officiating
March 03, 2020 13:24 - 55 minutes - 25.4 MBFormer NFL official and college coordinator of officials Terry McAulay has made the transition to TV rules expert, but he still keeps a close on officiating at all levels of football.McAulay joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the state of college football officiating and what _ if anything _ can be done to build credibility at a time when fans are so skeptical and critical.McAulay talks targeting, replay reviews and what to do about players faking injuries to slow down the fast-pace offenses.
Smart Move by Georgia
February 26, 2020 05:03 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBThe most fascinating coaching move of the offseason might involve a man who has never been an on-field college coach. Georgia hired longtime Alabama strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran away from Nick Saban and the Tide and is making him an on-field coach.Max Olson from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph D. Russo to discuss the intriguing news and what it means for everyone involved.Plus, Colorado has a new coach and it is not someone anybody would have expected.Also, Max wrote about how ...
Never-Ending Coaching Carousel
February 19, 2020 03:32 - 1 hour - 32 MBIt is the middle of February and still a major college football team is trying to hire a head coach. This week on the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss Michigan State’s hiring of Mel Tucker, Colorado’s reaction to Tucker leaving and why schools seem to be overpaying for coaches with limited head coaching experience. Plus, the NCAA moves toward more freedom for transfers and Adam explores what the road back to glory looks like for Nebr...
From NCAA Investigator to Athlete Advocate
February 11, 2020 20:20 - 49 minutes - 22.8 MBTim Nevius is a former Division I baseball player who worked for five years as an NCAA investigator after graduating from law school. Now he works to change college sports by representing athletes and pushing for reforms to NCAA rules regarding things like transfers, and compensation for name, image and likeness. Nevius joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about what he believes are the reasons NCAA rules are often inherently unfair to the athletes. And why changing them won’t mean the end of footb...
Transfer of Power
February 05, 2020 00:04 - 47 minutesThe transfer rules could be changing in a big way in college athletics within the next two years. Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reported last week the Big Ten athletic directors are planning to put forth a proposal that would allow all college athletes to transfer once without sitting out a season. That would be a major change in the sports of football and basketball. Dodd joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about how college sports got to a place where an idea once thought to be too radical is now be...
Transfer of Power
February 05, 2020 00:04 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBThe transfer rules could be changing in a big way in college athletics within the next two years. Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reported last week the Big Ten athletic directors are planning to put forth a proposal that would allow all college athletes to transfer once without sitting out a season. That would be a major change in the sports of football and basketball. Dodd joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about how college sports got to a place where an idea once thought to be too radical is now be...
Andy Who? Andy Reid the Champion
February 03, 2020 16:23 - 27 minutes - 19 MBPatrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to their third straight postseason comeback win from a double-deficit to beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl 54, giving Andy Reid his first championship as head coach. AP Pro Football Writers Teresa Walker and Dennis Waszak joined Rob Maaddi to discuss the Big Game.
From One GOAT To Another
January 31, 2020 23:37 - 45 minutes - 31.1 MBThe 49ers and Chiefs got a break from the media and we moved closer to Super Bowl 54 with a star-studded list of guests on Radio Row.Joe Montana talked about being forced to leave the 49ers and join the Chiefs and offered Tom Brady advice. Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said he's leaning toward playing next season. Saints quarterback Taysom Hill discussed his pending free agency and his desire to be a starting quarterback. Former Texans star receiver Andre Johnson, Raiders rookie Josh Jacobs,...
Prankster Eli Has A Secret
January 30, 2020 23:47 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MBWhile the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs get ready for Super Bowl 54, Radio Row is filling with athletes, entertainers and anyone who wants to be part of the Big Game hype. Former Giants running back Rashaad Jennings revealed that he and newly retired two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning have a running prank on players still on the team. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott talked about his excitement playing for new coach Mike McCarthy. Super agent Leigh Steinberg updated quarterback ...
Rooney Rule Isn't Working
January 30, 2020 00:26 - 54 minutes - 37.7 MBThe San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs hit the practice field to prepare for Super Bowl 54 while current players, former stars and various entertainers made their way to Radio Row to discuss the Big Game and much more. Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk expressed his frustration with the lack of minorities hired for NFL head coaching vacancies. XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck said his son, Andrew Luck, hasn't given him any indication he wants to return to the NFL. Bears running back Tarik Co...
Kicking Off Super Bowl in Miami
January 29, 2020 00:35 - 37 minutes - 25.4 MBSuper Bowl kicked off in Miami with a more subdued Media Night Monday that opened with a tribute to Kobe Bryant. The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs have two of their four media sessions out of the way and now can start to focus on practice. Chiefs coach Andy Reid seemed to be enjoying this trip to the Super Bowl far more than his last appearance with the Eagles 15 years ago. Radio Row was jumping with former players, entertainers and other celebrities in town to talk about the B...
What’s next for the NCAA and NIL?
January 21, 2020 23:02 - 40 minutes - 18.4 MBThe college football offseason is here but there is still plenty of news in college sports. This week attention turns to the NCAA convention where the hot topic will be name, image and likeness. The NCAA is trying to come up with an ideal model that would allow athletes to be paid for their fame. But ultimately it might be federal lawmakers who have the most say in what comes next. What if any news could come out of the NCAA convention this week in Southern California?Nicole Auerbach from The...
Last Word on LSU and Looking Ahead to 2020
January 14, 2020 20:28 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBOn the final AP College Football Podcast of the 2019 season, Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg of USA Today join AP’s Ralph Russo to recap LSU’s national championship game victory against Clemson.What is Joe Burrow’s place in college football history after a record-breaking season and remarkable rise to super stardom? How about these Tigers? Is coach Ed Orgeron’s team worthy of a spot among the great in recent college football history? Plus, what to make of Trevor Lawrence’s first taste of adversi...
CFP Championship Preview
January 08, 2020 03:04 - 45 minutes - 20.9 MBThe national championship comes down to Tigers vs. Tigers. No. 1 LSU will face No. 3 Clemson in New Orleans for the title. To break down the matchup, Cam Mellor, a college football analyst from Pro Football Focus, joins AP’s Ralph Russo. What is Clemson’s best route defensively to slowing down Joe Burrow and LSU’s prolific passing game? Will Trevor Lawrence need to run as much as he did against Ohio State? In a matchup of great receivers and great cornerbacks on both sides, who has the edge?P...
Targeting, Conspiracy Theories and Tua
December 31, 2019 21:12 - 54 minutes - 24.8 MBThe last AP Top 25 College Football Podcast of 2019 is with Andy Staples of The Athletic, and the Andy Staples Show podcast. Andy and AP’s Ralph Russo talk officiating and targeting in the wake of the Clemson-Ohio State game in which a few close calls helped swing things the way of the Tigers.Andy gives his solution to change targeting and Ralph rants a little about conspiracy theories and why he tunes out complaints about officiating.Plus, what are Tua Tagovailoa’s options as he considers wh...
Playoff Preview
December 24, 2019 13:51 - 43 minutes - 19.9 MBNo. 1 LSU and Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow face No. 4 Oklahoma and Heisman runner-up Jalen Hurts in the Peach Bowl. No. 2 Ohio State and its two Heisman finalists, Justin Fields and Chase Young, face defending national champion and No. 3 Clemson, with Trevor Lawrence, in the Fiesta Bowl. The playoff is here and it’s time to break down the matchups in each game with Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network and ESPN.What is Oklahoma’s best strategy for dealing with LSU’s unstoppable offense? Slow th...
All About Recruiting
December 17, 2019 19:49 - 52 minutes - 23.9 MBThe early signing period is here and in just three years it has become THE signing period for college football teams. Most FBS teams will have their classes full before Christmas. Barton Simmons, scouting director for 247 Sports, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to run down what teams are cleaning up and what teams have work to do. Of course, the usual suspects are pulling in most of the five-star prospects. But it looks like an especially good year for Clemson. What’s going on in Texas with the Longho...
Bowl Season Preview
December 10, 2019 17:17 - 1 hour - 44.3 MBThe bowl matchups are set. A marathon football feast that lasts from December to early January includes 40 games of varying quality needs an extra-long podcast to preview it all. Matt Brown, college football editor at The Athletic -- and an AP poll voter -- joins Ralph Russo on the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast’s bowl preview show. Brown and Russo hit on every game but the playoffs. (There will be plenty of time for that later.) This week, they give you a nugget on all those other games,...
Championship Week Preview
December 04, 2019 00:47 - 1 hour - 36.6 MBChampionship weekend is upon us, but that’s only a portion of all that is going on in college football this week. The coaching carousel has cranked up and the Heisman race will be settled as well. USA Today national college football writer Paul Myerberg joins AP’s Ralph Russo for an extra long edition of the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast to discuss why coaching searches are set up to fail, the legacy of Chris Petersen and why his surprising resignation was not so surprising. And which j...
Rivalry Week
November 27, 2019 00:34 - 48 minutes - 22.4 MBAre rivalries as important as they used to be in college football? With so much focus on the College Football Playoff and the sport's becoming more national, AP’s Ralph Russo worries that it’s taking away from the intensity of regional rivalries. Stephen Godfrey of the Banner Society joins the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast to talk about the state of rivalries and some of his favorite rivalry games. Plus: how perspective has gone out the window for many college football fans.
Tua’s legacy; Alabama’s CFP prospects without him
November 19, 2019 20:22 - 45 minutes - 21 MBThe College Football Playoff race took a turn when Alabama lost star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a season-ending injury last weekend. How does losing the Heisman contender effect the selection committee’s view of the Crimson Tide? And what was his legacy at Alabama?What are the most complicated scenarios that could play out over the next month? And could a difficult choice for the committee that includes leaving out two well-qualified conference champions be a catalyst to start work on play...
Coaching Carousel Cranks Up
November 12, 2019 23:36 - 1 hour - 28.7 MBThere has been a Power Five coach fired each of the last two weeks. To get you ready for college football’s silly season, Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the open jobs, the jobs that might come open and the coaches who could be on the move from South Carolina to Southern California.
FSU or USC, which is a better job?
November 05, 2019 23:02 - 1 hour - 29.8 MBThere is a lot going on in college football. Willie Taggart is out at Florida State and it seems like a forgone conclusion that Clay Helton will be out at USC soon. Which is a better job and who might fill them? Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the start of the coaching carousel.Plus, It is a huge weekend of games with No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama playing. We’ll preview that and Penn State at Minnesota, another battle of unbeatens.Also, the first College Football Pl...
Peeking Ahead to Playoff Rankings
October 29, 2019 14:30 - 53 minutes - 24.4 MBA week before the first College Football Playoff rankings come out, there is a new No. 1 in the AP poll and one of the closest votes ever. Brett McMurphy of Stadium, and an AP poll voter, joins Ralph Russo to talk about how he selects No. 1 and what the playoff selection committee might do next week. Most of the top teams are off this weekend, so the resumes are pretty much locked in between now and then. McMurphy and Russo discuss the Group of Five race for a New Year’s Six bid and why they ...
Tua Watch and Coaches' Salaries
October 22, 2019 22:56 - 57 minutes - 26.2 MBAlabama star Tua Tagovailoa is recovering from an ankle injury. Will he be healthy in time for the Crimson Tide’s showdown with No. 2 LSU on November 9? USA Today national college football writer George Schroeder joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the potential impact Tua’s injury could have on the College Football Playoff selection process and the Heisman Trophy race.Also, USA Today’s excellent coaches’ salary database is out. George and Ralph discuss a market that no long seems to be acti...
Is Clemson Getting Slighted?
October 16, 2019 16:18 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MBClemson is down to No. 3 in the latest AP College football poll after starting the season No. 1. The Tigers have been passed by both Alabama and LSU since they had a close call against North Carolina. David Hale of ESPN thinks Clemson has earned the benefit of the doubt similar to what Alabama gets from pollsters. Hale argues the underlying numbers show Clemson’s performance really hasn’t dropped off much at all this year. Plus, trying to make sense of the Atlantic Coast Conference beyond Cle...
Previewing the First Really Big Weekend of the Season
October 08, 2019 04:00 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MBNo. 7 Florida at No. 5 LSU. No. 6 Oklahoma against No. 11 Texas. No. 10 Penn State at No. 17 Iowa. USC at Notre Dame. Alabama at Texas A&M. Florida State goes to Clemson.There have been few surprises so far this season and the same six teams have totally dominated the top of the rankings. Maybe that changes this week? Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated joins AP’s Ralph Russo to break down a big weekend in college football.Ross covers college football nationally but he was a beat writer cove...
California Pushes NCAA Toward the Inevitable
October 01, 2019 04:00 - 54 minutes - 24.8 MBA new California law is pushing the NCAA toward allowing college athletes to make money off their names, images and likenesses. It is being built up as tipping point for college athletics, a change in the landscape that could finally bring the NCAA down. But in reality, it is just forcing the NCAA to do something it probably should have done a long time ago. Andy Staples from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the consequences, intended and unintended, from Fair Pay to Play and...
Strange Days at USC and Michigan
September 24, 2019 04:00 - 51 minutes - 23.4 MBThere is so much more than a Clay Helton hot-watch going on at the University of Southern California these days. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the Trojans. Both were in LA for last week’s game against Utah, which had plenty of side stories with Reggie Bush and Urban Meyer in the Coliseum. Rittenberg and Russo look back at Michigan’s mess, discuss the odd news out of Houston regarding star quarterback D’Eriq King deciding to sit out the rest of this season, and they ...
College Football By the Numbers
September 17, 2019 04:00 - 55 minutes - 25.6 MBFiguring out what to make of early season college football results can be hard. Bill Connolly of ESPN joins AP’s Ralph Russo to sort through the noise using Bill’s SP+ rankings. The advance metric system looks beyond wins and losses to judge the performance of each team. College football followers are often too quick to dismiss results of any game that doesn’t qualify as a big game. Every team is terrible. Every schedule is soft. Connolly’s system helps quantify the value of each team and gam...