Cover 2 College Football pod artwork

Cover 2 College Football pod

406 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★ - 506 ratings

The Athlon Sports Cover 2 College Football Podcast previews and reviews every aspect of the greatest sport on the planet.

Join Athlon’s editorial team every week of the preseason, regular season, postseason and offseason for a breakdown of the entire circus that is college football.

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Episodes

QB Battles, Lawsuits and 2028

March 20, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 93.7 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. The SEC and Big Ten have successfully strong-armed a new playoff format, TV contract and revenue sharing model into place. Packaged with a new ACC lawsuit, what does it all mean for college football? Texas A&M steals a Nebraska alumni, will we change how we evaluate head coaches and how many legit QB battles are taking place this spring?

Most Unpredictable Teams of 2024

March 06, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 101 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. The SEC-Big Ten negotiating tactics are on full display currently as we debate 12 or 14 teams. Where it will land seems obvious. Then we look at the most unpredictable teams in each major conference as we head into magazine production. Which teams could surprise and be this year's TCU? And which teams could implode and be this year's other TCU?

No Clue who Is QB1

February 28, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 91.8 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. We look at who the All-Conference and All-American quarterbacks could be in 2024. There is no clearcut No. 1 player in the country under center. So who is in the discussion? Which league is the best? Which conference is the most exciting?

Playoff Format, Rule Changes, EA Sports (for real tho)

February 21, 2024 10:00 - 51 minutes - 70.4 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. A newsy week of action as the Playoff has settled on a tournament format just weeks after agreeing to a $7.8 billion contract. There are two new rule proposals that we actually like. EA Sports appears to be poised to actually return. Nick Saban has joined Gameday. And a head coach leaves to be a... tight end coach?

How to read recruiting rankings?

February 14, 2024 16:49 - 1 hour - 93.1 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Another round of coaching changes at Boston College, Ohio St and UCLA may finally end the carousel. Then how has money and NIL impacted recruiting? How should we evaluate team rankings in the new era of roster management? What is the recruiting landscape in the new-look Power 4 conferences.

Asking the right questions

February 07, 2024 18:40 - 56 minutes - 77.6 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Unions, employment status, NCAA investigations, the Big Ten-SEC Advisory Group and private equity. The chaos of the game has never been greater so asking the right questions about the future of the sport is the what we have to do.

NCAA Warning, New Coaching Ranks

January 31, 2024 18:02 - 1 hour - 91.1 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Jim Harbuagh has officially left Michigan - what's his legacy, what are expectations in 2024 and what should fans learn about the future of coaching? The NCAA seems to be trying to prove its relevancy but is it misguided? Which issue are conference poised to fix first? And we rank all the new coaches in new conferences. Where do new teams in new leagues rank? Where do new hires at power programs rank?

Preliminary Preseason Top 25 for 2024

January 24, 2024 19:30 - 1 hour - 99.5 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall take a look at what the preseason Top 25 rankings could be after coaching changes, portal news and most of recruiting. This is obviously going to change but here is where our preseason rankings for 2024 sit currently.

The Saban-Harbaugh Seismic Shift

January 17, 2024 19:39 - 47 minutes - 65.3 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Nick Saban has retired and Jim Harbaugh is looking to leave Michigan for the NFL. The chain of events these decisions have and will set off in college football entering a new era of alignment and playoff expansion is hard to explain. What do we know about hiring coaching, what makes a good candidate and why things are moving so much faster?

Hail to the Harbaugh

January 09, 2024 17:29 - 36 minutes - 50.6 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall break down Michigan's win in the national championship game over Washington. Many things are true: Michigan was great and Michael Penix was not. The game was close and dramatic but also a blow out. Jim Harbaugh's legacy is cemented, what's Washington's future and what it means for the Big Ten to break through.

Michigan vs. Washington

January 05, 2024 21:20 - 31 minutes - 43.4 MB

Playoffs deliver once again

January 02, 2024 17:28 - 38 minutes - 53.1 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall recap the Rose Bowl as Michigan defeated Alabama in overtime and the Sugar Bowl as Washington outlasted Texas. It wasn't perfect but the Wolverines topped the Tide in perfect setting out West. Meanwhile, Michael Penix and the timely defense of the Huskies has U of Dub one win from a ring. A contrast of styles is coming in the national championship game.

Four-Team Era Comes to an End

December 28, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 82.7 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk College Football Playoff era, what we learned and what the last 10 years has taught us about the game. One of us is talking themself into picking Michigan and no one has a clue what is going to happen in the Teaxs-Washington game. Plus, the Florida St lawsuit and New Year's Six games.

Free Agency vs. Recruiting

December 21, 2023 01:29 - 38 minutes - 53.2 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Recruiting rankings have always been the north star of national championships but the portal and NIL have changed the way teams manage their rosters. Can the upper middle class now compete for titles or will greater changes have to happen to create parity. Do we even want parity?

How to fix the Heisman

December 13, 2023 18:15 - 57 minutes - 79.6 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football playoff, the first week of bowl games, Jayden Daniels' Heisman Trophy win, how to make the award more inclusive, which defensive players should be mentioned, big time portal commitments at the QB position and Tulane makes a big hire.

TV Ratings, Portal Madness, New Subdivision

December 06, 2023 18:58 - 57 minutes - 78.3 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Just ignore the conspiracy theories and realize that this year is what it is. The TV ratings in 2023 paint an incredibly impressive and sad picture of the Pac-12. The portal is open and it's even wilder than expected as Kyle McCord heads a long list of QBs who've decided to change teams. What is the new NCAA subdivision and how will it impact the future of the game?

An Era Ends: Did they piss off the right teams?

December 03, 2023 18:27 - 34 minutes - 47 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. The last-ever rankings were the most controversial and chaotic in the 10-year history of the four-team playoff. Did they get it right? Did they ask the right questions? Did the right teams get left out? Who should be most mad? Instant reaction and winners in the Michigan-Alabama game and Washington-Texas.

Brand New Type of Carousel, Pt. 1

November 30, 2023 10:00 - 46 minutes - 64.1 MB

Michigan State, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Oregon State, Syracuse and San Diego State have all hired coaches. What do we think of the moves that have been made in college football over the last few weeks? And how has the coaching carousel changed? Who made the right decision? Who made strange decisions? What will Duke, Indiana, Houston and Boise State do? And welcome back, Bobby Petrino.

Championship Weekend Playoff Rankings

November 29, 2023 19:43 - 1 hour - 100 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. The penultiumate rankings are out and two teams are wildly underrated. But who should be moved down? The committee has extremely tough decisions to make this weekend. Ryan Day and Hugh Freeze's mistakes set all of this up. We preview every conference championship game and the implications of the final weekend of the season. Oregon or Washington? Can Texas earn its way into the playoff? Can Bama upset Georgia? Can Florida State prove it bel...

Greatest Weekend of the Year

November 22, 2023 18:13 - 1 hour - 138 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Championship scenarios across the country dominate the storylines heading into a huge rivalry weekend. Playoff hopes hang in the balance for Florida State, Louisville, Texas, Oregon, Washington and, of course, Michigan and Ohio State. How should the committee deal with Jordan Travis' injury, how will rivlary games change off-season narratives and who will be playing for conference championships next weekend?

Week 12 Preview and Heisman Debate

November 16, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 97.6 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. The Heisman predicament: Jayden Daniels Heisman chances hinge on extraordinary play - in less than extraordinary games. Who else is on the top platform? The guys preview Week 12 as top ranked teams head out on the road. Washington is an underdog at Oregon State, Texas is a small favorite over Iowa State and both Georgia (Tennessee) and Michigan (Maryland) travel as well. What other coaching moves could happen this cycle?

Jim Harbaugh and the Coaching Carousel (Pt. 1)

November 15, 2023 16:53 - 1 hour - 100 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. The future of the Pac-12 could fall to Oregon St and Washington St after winning the first round of court cases out West. Many teams are getting bowl eligible - which ones deserve credit and which ones are disappointing. Michigan and Jim Harbaugh are in the middle of one of the most unprecendented fiascos in college football history and the eventual outcomes vary. Boise State, Texas A&M and Mississippi State have joined the coaching carous...

Has a top tier separated itself?

November 08, 2023 19:42 - 1 hour - 152 MB

A Week of What-ifs and Almosts

October 25, 2023 17:28 - 1 hour - 148 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Temp Check: The most Iowa ending of all-time Does Wazzu still belong? Beavers in the Spook-tober desert 2-Point Conversation: Big Ten power structure: Ohio St's resume, James Franklin's big-game record, Michigan's scouting "scandal" What happened in Week 8? Why did so many high-quality teams struggle? USC crumbles and Bama rises to the occasion: Who is likeable in college football? SEC Hot Seat: Arkansas, Texas A&M, Auburn, ...

Celebrating the Game, Seek the Truth

October 18, 2023 18:01 - 1 hour - 155 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Why TV negotiations matter Oregon-Washington was perfect Our Beavers and Iowa's exhaustion Debunking lazy troupes and talking points We all can put in more effort Penn St at Ohio St Tennessee at Alabama Utah at USC Duke at Florida St Clemson at Miami Big 12 chaos

Would-Be Playoff Games (in an expanded playoff)

October 10, 2023 22:43 - 1 hour - 140 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Temp Check: Our Beavers dominate, Wazzu falls Iowa wins with 20 points, huge road trip to Madison Congrats to Steven! 2-Point Conversation: OU-Texas: What CFB is all about Big Ten coaching records Miami's costly mistake, ACC chase UGa, Bama take control Week 7 Progression: Oregon at Washington USC at Notre Dame Miami at North Carolina Missouri at Kentucky UCLA at Oregon St Texas A&M at Tennessee Bets Against the...

Does your team belong on the big stage?

October 04, 2023 17:13 - 1 hour - 133 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Temp Check: Oregon St out-Utahs Utah Wazzu has chance to prove it Iowa's best offensive weapon is a DB 2-Point Conversation If Georgia's not No. 1, who is? And who can beat them? Is it happening again in the Pac-12? When to move on from a success, tenured coach? First-year coaching grades, Hot Seat Temp check Week 6 Progression: Texas-Oklahoma Bama-Texas A&M Maryland-Ohio St Notre Dame-Louisville Kentucky-Georgia ...

Conference Races Come Into Focus

September 27, 2023 17:32 - 1 hour - 121 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Temp Check: Iowa is shutout, Penn St keeps maturing Wazzu beats Our Beavers Utah at Oregon St 2-Point Conversation: What did Ohio St's win over Notre Dame mean? More things change, more they stay same in SEC Why is Florida St and the ACC disrespected? A dividing line in the Big 12 Week 5 Progression: Kansas at Texas Notre Dame at Duke Florida at Kentucky LSU at Ole Miss Georgia at Auburn USC at Colorado Bets aga...

Huge Show for a Huge Weekend

September 20, 2023 17:33 - 1 hour - 141 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Temp Check: Beavers at Wazzu, Iowa at Penn St 2-Point Conversation: Mel Tucker is out, where does Michigan st go? Is there a clear No. 1 team this year? Is there a defensive renaissance taking place? Proof of concept wins for LOTS of coaches Week 4 Progression: Florida St at Clemson Ohio St at Notre Dame Ole Miss at Alabama Colorado at Oregon UCLA at Utah Auburn at Texas A&M G5: UTSA, SMU and Memphis Bets Against ...

SEC West, Big Ten West, West Coast

September 13, 2023 17:12 - 1 hour - 118 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football.  Temp Check: Oregon St, Wazzu and Iowa's offense 2-point Conversation: SEC West reevaluation, Bama's dynasty Texas domination, Big 12's upper crust What exactly is the Pac-12? Big Ten West questions Week 3 Progressions: Tennessee-Florida, LSU-Miss St, Washington-Mich St, Kansas St-Mizzou, Penn St-Illinois, Backyard Brawl G5 Check Down: Rocky Mountain Showdown, South Alabama-Oklahoma St Week 3 Bets Against the Spread: Brade...

Championship QB Data Collection

September 06, 2023 16:18 - 1 hour - 95.8 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. What did we learn about QBs in Week 1 and their chances at winning championships? Texas-Bama, SEC road trips, old rivalries and more highlight Week 2. Oregon State and Iowa temp checks. The Big 12's rough first week and chances at rebounding week 2 with big tests. Colorado leads a highlight first weekend for the Pac-12 but needs to prove itself again in Week 2.

FOOTBALL!

August 30, 2023 22:02 - 1 hour - 96 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football.  2-pt conversation: USC's defense, Vandy's progress, Notre Dame and an injury. 1st Read: LSU-FSU, Carolina-Carolina 2nd Read: Boise-Washington, Prime-TCU 3rd Read: WVU-Penn St, Clemson-Duke  Check Down: UTSA vs. Houston, USA vs. Tulane New QBs for Bama, Ohio St, UGa Power 5s on the road against G5s Conference Leftovers

2023 College Football Playoff Receipts

August 24, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 86.1 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. We make our official and final playoff predictions for 2023. Everyone has to have the receipts for the end of the year. What are all of the paths for all the contenders and what would a 12-team playoff look like in 2023?

The critical position groups

August 17, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 94.6 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. The guys look across the country and across the formation for the most important, most impactful, most interesting and most unknown position groups of 2023. Sure, there are plenty of QB situations worth discussing but plenty of championships hang on the offensive line, the front seven or the offensive play-makers too.

Therapy: "I felt the sadness of Oregon St"

August 10, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 101 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Realignment has once again gripped college football and it means the end of the Pac-12. Could this have been avoided? What does the future look like? What does the ACC or SEC do? How does our playoff look?

The Big Ten Preview

August 04, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 89 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk Big Ten football in 2023. Where to coach: Northwestern or Indiana? Nebraska and Purdue new coaches Illinois' line of scrimmage Minnesota can do something different Iowa's contracts Wisconsin on paper Rutgers keeps chopping wood Maryland, Michigan St identities The Big Three Why Penn St is on par Michigan's complete-ness Ohio State skill, speed James Franklin factor

The SEC Preview

August 02, 2023 09:00 - 54 minutes - 74.8 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall preview the SEC in 2023. LSU vs. Bama If not UGa, then who? Carolina upper tier? Kentucky's new offense Joe Milton Mizzou defense, Florida big picture Vandy better but at bottom Texas A&M once again a challenger Auburn under Hugh State's bizarre situation Ole Miss vs. Arkansas

The ACC Preview

July 31, 2023 09:00 - 51 minutes - 70.9 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk ACC football in 2023. Florida St vs. Clemson Bottom tier buy-in Does Tech have patience? Enjoy UNC's fun Duke' scheduling re-balance Mario the Michigan Man Louisville underrated? Coaching stability and continuity NC State, Pitt, Wake Cuse?

The Pac-12 Preview

July 28, 2023 08:00 - 57 minutes - 79.5 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk about Pac-12 football in 2023 and the loss of Colorado to the Big 12. Pac-12 loses Colorado What does Big 12 do next? What does Pac-12 do next? Why are we here? Best QBs in America CU's coverage to talent ratio First-year coaches Breakout QBs at Wazzu, Arizona? Chip Kelly's five-star QB Oregon State' culture Clear top 4 Doubt Utah at your own risk Washington, Oregon defense USC portal line change

The Big 12 Preview

July 26, 2023 09:00 - 51 minutes - 71 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall preview the Big 12 conference in 2023. How does the impending divorce and new programs impact the standings? Top tier w/ Texas and Oklahoma Why Braden loves the 9th place Can Kansas State repeat? Can TCU recapture the magic? Texas Tech is a sleeper? Baylor bounces back? Where is Ok-State heading? UCF is the best new team? BYU is the best prepared for P5? Scheduling quirks and impact Neal Brown's buyout Final picks and predictions

NIL, Congress and Recruiting with Mitch Light

July 18, 2023 16:46 - 35 minutes - 49 MB

The Athletic's Recruiting Editor Mitch Light returns to the pod to talk NIL, recruiting, gambling and Congress with Braden Gall live from SEC Media Days in Nashville, Tenn.

Northwestern, Second-Year Temp Check, D3's Ryan Larsen

July 12, 2023 14:24 - 1 hour - 139 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. The guys break down the firing of Pat Fitzgerald and the future of Northwestern football, offer a temp check on all 29 second-year head coaches in FBS and then sit down with Carnegie Melon head coach Ryan Larsen to learn about D3 football, building culture and the evolution of offensive football.

Calling our Shot: Trap Games of 2023

June 29, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 85.2 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. San Diego St has (sort of) made an announcement, the Big Ten and SEC have announced their scheduling models for the next two years and the guys break down every single major trap game for every team in the top 15. 

Dream Road Trip 2023

June 22, 2023 16:06 - 59 minutes - 81.1 MB

Steven Lassan, Braden Gall and Mitch Light embark on their yearly road trip through college football. The rules: You get to go to a college football game each week but can only see each team one time. What are your anchor games? Which rivalries and conference races are you most interested in? Send us your Trips. All music provided by Moon Taxi.

2023 Group of 5 Preview

June 15, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 85.7 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. This week the guys preview all five Group of Five conferences, pick champions, talk rising star coaches and project the 2023 season.

Anonymous Scouting Reports 2023

June 08, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 95.4 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. We dissect the most interesting anonymous scouting reports from coaches around college football in 2023. The portal, NIL, recruiting, scheme, players, trends, rivalries and more as coaches gossip about everything in college football.

Scheduling drama and various other dramas

June 01, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 115 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. SEC scheduling drama Strength of schedule drama Championship game drama USC A.D. drama Michigan coaching drama Georgia speeding drama B1G TV contract drama Big 12 expansion drama Bowl game lawsuit drama Shannon Terry and On3's NIL Elite Series (not drama)

2023 Preseason Rankings Explained

May 24, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 99.8 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall explain the Athlon Sports preseason Top 25 and then some. Who makes the playoff? Where is the drop off in the top 25? Who makes conference championship games? Where are the tiers in each major conference? Who are the best Group of 5 teams?

Expansion Tension Rising (or not?)

May 18, 2023 08:00 - 55 minutes - 75.6 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. EA Sports video game takes step Personal video game records, history ACC meetings lead to expansion drama The most desirable brands in the ACC? Which league would want which teams? Does anything actually happen? Pac-12 expansion is actually happening Do we have a short-term solution out West? What does the Big 12 do? Dylan Riaola, nation's No. 1 player commits Are the best QBs leaving the West? Is the Pac-12 doing be...

Official 2023 Top 4 (and more)

May 10, 2023 18:00 - 51 minutes - 70.6 MB

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. We unveil our official magazine top four in 2023 while also covering the on-going Pac-12 media rights, massive changes around gambling and who won the portal this time around?