

Until Saturday: A show about college football
The Athletic
Welcome to Until Saturday, The Athletic's college football podcast. This is your home for everything college football. Join David Ubben, Chris Vannini, former Alabama running back Damien Harris, The Athletic's CFB staff, and guests to celebrate our favorite day of the week, Saturday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 9, 2024 • 1h 18min
Big 12 preseason rankings biggest question marks + Conference X-factors for every team!
In the final installment of Until Saturday's conference X-factors, Ari Wasserman, Max Olson, and Justin Williams (as well as Sam Khan Jr., whose internet lost the battle against Hurricane Beryl) list their X-factors for each Big 12 program ahead of media days in Las Vegas. Can a trio of young receivers in the state of Texas help their programs to a big year? Will Kansas' newest addition keep Jalon Daniels healthy? Plus, Ari explains the Fast Food Triple Crown while the crew attempts to solve a Skyline Chili mystery.Check out Justin's Big 12 recruiting story: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5612669/2024/07/05/big-12-recruiting-update-official-visits/Rundown:- Big 12 preseason poll (3:30)- X-factors: Arizona St., Baylor, West Virginia (15:00)- Colorado, Houston, Kansas St. (20:00)- Iowa St., TCU, Cincinnati (34:30)- Kansas, Texas Tech, UCF (46:30)- Utah, Arizona, BYU, Oklahoma St. (1:05:00)Call/text the Until Saturday phone and leave us a question for a future mailbag and/or Sunday Sound-Off podcast: (316) 462-9852Subscribe to the FREE Until Saturday newletter:: https://theathletic.com/newsletters/until-saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 5, 2024 • 55min
The NEW SEC's X-factors! + Lincoln Riley catches a stray
As of July 1st, Texas and Oklahoma are official members of the SEC. Ari Wasserman and our SEC pundits at The Athletic, Seth Emerson and Kennington Smith III, list x-factors for every program in the new-look conference. Will a player moving position at Georgia change the complexion of the Bulldogs' defense? Does Alabama have the nation's best OL, and can a true Freshman wide receiver elevate Auburn's offense? Plus, Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione embraces SEC culture by lobbing a granade at a certain someone in LA. Before then, EA Sports Dynasty Mode mega update!Read Seth's story about how a Supreme Court case impacted CFB TV deals and realignment: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5600962/2024/07/01/ncaa-college-football-supreme-court-1984/Rundown:- EA Sports Dynasty Mode deep dive (3:45)- SEC X-factors: Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina (8:30)- Florida and a Percy Harvin percentage (16:15)- Kentucky & Missouri (20:45)- Alabama & Ole Miss (27:00)- Oklahoma & Lincoln can't catch a break (32:00)- LSU & Vanderbilt (36:45)- Texas, Auburn & Miss St. (43:00)- Texas A&M + Arkansas (49:00)Call/text the Until Saturday phone and leave us a question for a future mailbag and/or Sunday Sound-Off podcast: (316) 462-9852Subscribe to the FREE Until Saturday newletter:: https://theathletic.com/newsletters/until-saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 2, 2024 • 50min
X-factors for EVERY ACC program + EA Sports vs Ari's top-10 teams
We continue our Until Saturday X-factors series with the newly minted 17-team ACC. Our Atlantic Coast Conferece guru, Manny Navarro, jumps on the mic with Ari Wasserman to share his list of impact players this season. Before then, EA Sports revealed their team rankings for the upcoming college football video game. Where did EA Sports get it right and wrong? Plus, Ari compares his pre-season top-10 teams against EA's.Check out our ACC x-factors story: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5608807/2024/07/02/acc-football-x-factors-damien-martinez-maalik-murphy/Rundown:- EA Sports CFB 25 team rankings + Ari's top-10 teams vs EA (2:00)- ACC X-factors: Boston College, Cal & Clemson (10:00)- Duke, Florida State & Georgia Tech (16:45)- Louisville, Miami & North Carolina (24:15)- NC State, Pittsburgh & SMU (33:00)- Stanford, Syracuse & Virginia (39:30)- Virginia Tech and Wake Forest (42:45)Call/text the Until Saturday phone and leave us a question for a future mailbag and/or Sunday Sound-Off podcast: (316) 462-9852Subscribe to the FREE Until Saturday newletter:: https://theathletic.com/newsletters/until-saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 28, 2024 • 1h 12min
X-factors for EVERY Big Ten team + EA Sports CFB 25 rankings BEEF
Colorado Twitter is EA Sports' #1 fan. College Football 25 is only a few weeks away, and the gracious folks at EA Sports gave us A LOT to talk about, as they published their offensive and defensive rankings on Thursday. Ari Wasserman, Chris Vannini, and Scott Dochterman react to the top-25 lists, and then they share where EA got it wrong. Afterward, who is the x-factor on each Big Ten team? The guys explain each of their picks. Before we roll out, rolling it up is now legal in CFB. Plus, other rule changes.Read about Austin Mock's top-ranked offenses, defenses:https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5595576/2024/06/27/college-football-25-best-defenses-projections/?partner=slack&smid=sl-shareRundown:- EA Sports offensive/defensive rankings (2:30)- Our top-10 teams on offense (13:00)- Defensive rankings (17:30)- Big Ten X-factors (25:30)- Cannabis, unlimited coaches, and more news (1:08:00)Call/text the Until Saturday phone and leave us a question for a future mailbag and/or Sunday Sound-Off podcast: (316) 462-9852Subscribe to the Until Saturday newletter & join in answering the Question of the Day!: https://theathletic.com/newsletters/until-saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 25, 2024 • 1h 4min
Everything you need to know about college football recruiting in 2024 (so far)
The dead period has arrived, which presents a great opportunity for Ari Wasserman, Mitch Light, and Manny Navarro to fill you in on everything you need to know about college football recruiting in 2024 through June. From Kalen DeBoer's impressive start enlisting high school talent into the Alabama ranks to Rutgers' and Memphis' hot starts (and USC's cold spell), we have you covered.Read Bruce Feldman's Elite 11 takeaways story:https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5582196/2024/06/22/elite-11-takeaways-jaron-sagapolutele-tavien-st-clair/Rundown:- Major recruiting storylines (3:00)- Alabama hasn't skipped a beat without Saban...right? (10:00)- What to make of Brent Venables' contract extension (19:00)- Recruiting rankings top-10 teams (25:00)- Hot/cold teams on the recruiting trail: USC, Notre Dame + more (45:30)Call/text the Until Saturday phone and leave us a question for a future mailbag and/or Sunday Sound-Off podcast: (316) 462-9852Subscribe to the Until Saturday newletter & join in answering the Question of the Day!: https://theathletic.com/newsletters/until-saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 21, 2024 • 1h 10min
David's burning CFB thoughts while on paternity leave: EA Sports CFB 25, best new coaching hire & more!
A sleep deprived, but exuberant, David Ubben returns to Until Saturday! He joins Ari Wasserman and Chris Vannini in New York while in New York for a company event. David has been champing at the bit to share his thoughts about recent college football news and developments since being on paternity leave, including EA Sports College Football 25, the best head coaching hires this cycle, hype train teams, private equity, and more!Rundown:- David takes a break from Bluey to talk EA Sports CFB 25! (2:00)- Will CFB 25 be a good tool to learn about players? (9:00)- CFB needs a portal fix (16:00)- The shortsightedness of private equity (23:00)- Are coaches overreacting to future roster limits? (31:00)- The Pac-2's media deal trumps the Pac-12's (44:00)- Best coaching hire of this cycle (49:00)- Hype train teams (58:00)Call/text the Until Saturday phone and leave us a question for a future mailbag and/or Sunday Sound-Off podcast: (316) 462-9852Subscribe to the Until Saturday newletter & join in answering the Question of the Day!: https://theathletic.com/newsletters/until-saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 18, 2024 • 1h 20min
Reasonable & unreasonable expectations for Alabama, Michigan & more of CFB's most interesting teams with Ralph Russo
What are reasonable and unreasonable expectations for fanbases of some of college football's most interesting teams? Ari Wasserman is joined by The Athletic's Kennington Smith III and Ralph Russo of the Associated Press to solve what rational, and irrational, benchmarks Alabama, Michigan, Colorado, Clemson, and more should hit this season. Kenny and Ralph are subjected to an expectations lightning round before the triumvirate reveal which fanbases are the most irrational.Listen to Ralph on the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/id1138957862Read Kenny's SEC schedule breakdown:https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5556938/2024/06/12/sec-football-2024-tv/Rundown:- Reasonable/unreasonable expectations: Alabama (3:00)- Texas to the moon? (13:00)- Notre Dame standard in '24 (22:30)- Is Ole Miss a National Championship contender? (30:15)- We're the "Michael Jordan of being wrong about Texas A&M" (39:15)- Colorado fans, let's be real (47:00)- Miami boom or bust (52:30)- Clemson, Dabo need to "stand on buisness" (59:30)- Can Michigan win The Game? (1:06:00)- Lightning Round: FSU, Penn State, LSU + more (1:09:30)- Most irrational fanbases (1:12:30)Call/text the Until Saturday phone and leave us a question for a future mailbag and/or Sunday Sound-Off podcast: (316) 462-9852Subscribe to the Until Saturday newletter & join in answering the Question of the Day!: https://theathletic.com/newsletters/until-saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 14, 2024 • 1h 5min
The Allstate 12?! Biggest trap games & Notre Dame vibe check with Jessica Smetana
Chris Vannini and Ari Wasserman discuss reports of the Big 12 and CUSA, among other conferences, exploring private equity investment and selling the naming rights to their conferences. Does the Allstate 12 roll off the tongue? Later, special guest Jessica Smetana, co-host of The Dan Le Betard Show and Notre Dame alumnus, hops on Until Saturday to share her takes on the vibes in South Bend. Afterward, Chris and Jessica nominate major trap games this season. From UCF-Florida to Clemson-App St., where do these look-ahead matchups rank on the "Trap Scale"? Lastly, Jessica faces a round of Notre Dame trivia unlike any other.Check out Jessica on The Dan Le Betard Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dan-le-batard-show-with-stugotz/id934820588Read more on the Big 12 exploring private equity, sale of naming rights: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5562395/2024/06/13/big-12-private-equity-naming-rights/Rundown:- Big 12 (and others) exploring private equity investment & sale of naming rights (:30)- Notre Dame vibe check with Jessica Smetana (11:30)- Trap Games & Trap Scale! -- Colorado vs NDSU (32:30)- Notre Dame-Louisville (38:30)- Florida-UCF (43:30)- Clemson-App St. (47:00)- USF-Miami (52:00)- Notre Dame trivia! (58:00)Call/text the Until Saturday phone and leave us a question for a future mailbag and/or Sunday Sound-Off podcast: (316) 462-9852Subscribe to the Until Saturday newletter & join in answering the Question of the Day!: https://theathletic.com/newsletters/until-saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 11, 2024 • 1h 12min
BIGGEST Pressure Cooker Games of 2024 + Top 5 College Football 25 teams we can't wait to play as
We are less than 100 days from the start of the college football season! Ari Wasserman and Chris Vannini pinpoint the year's biggest 'pressure cooker games', or the matchups that will draw the strongest overreactions from either fanbase and send supporters into a tizzy. Would the losing party in LSU-USC lose faith in their head coach after a season of heavy investment in the defensive staff? Which programs are the guys dying to play as in Dynasty Mode in the upcoming EA Sports College Football 25 video game? Plus, Nebraska AD Troy Dannen spoke candidly about his perception of the direciton of the sport, and Huskers' NIL coffers. Can a team like Nebraska compete in the new world of CFB?Troy Dannen video:https://www.tiktok.com/@247.huskers/video/7377540168561069355?is_from_webapp=1Listen to our 'Secrets of NIL and the transfer portal' episode:https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/podcast/83-the-andy-staples-show/episode-1117/Rundown:- Troy Dannen on Nebraska's NIL war chest + future of the sport (3:00)- 2024's Pressure Cooker Games: Miami vs Florida (14:00)- USC vs LSU (23:30)- Nebraska vs Colorado (28:15)- Tennessee vs Oklahoma (38:30)- Texas vs Texas A&M + The Game (43:00)- Top 5 Dynasty Mode teams (54:00)Call/text the Until Saturday phone and leave us a question for a future mailbag and/or Sunday Sound-Off podcast: (316) 462-9852Subscribe to the Until Saturday newletter & join in answering the Question of the Day!: https://theathletic.com/newsletters/until-saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 7, 2024 • 57min
Is Georgia or Michigan's title blueprint harder to replicate + Who REALLY won the 2020 recruiting class?
Which national championship model is harder to emulate: Georgia's or Michigan's? Ari Wasserman and Max Olson thoroughly mull over Rodrigo A's fan-submitted question. Which programs could model themselves after either champions? Max went through the arduous task of re-ranking the 2020 recruiting class in an effort to see who REALLY won it. What did he learn from Ohio State, Michigan, Tulane, Georgia, and more?Read Max's 2020 re-ranking: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5510780/2024/05/28/college-football-recruiting-2020-class-rankings-revisited/Rundown:- Re-ranking the 2020 recruiting class (2:30)- Michigan and Missour's talent development (10:00)- Ohio State's misses on defense (17:30)- Rounding out the top-10 (22:30)- Texas eeks out a top-10 finish (29:00)- Is Georgia or Michigan's championship blueprint harder to replicate? (35:00)- Playoff schedule dropped (52:30)Sign up for our FREE newsletter to answer future Questions of the Day: https://theathletic.com/newsletters/until-saturdayCall/text the Until Saturday phone and leave us a question for a future mailbag and/or Sunday Sound-Off podcast: (316) 462-9852 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


