Until Saturday: A show about college football

The Athletic's Andy Staples & Matt Fortuna react to another drama-filled college football weekend. Michigan looks horrific once again, this time in a blowout loss to Wisconsin. Will Jim Harbaugh get fired or is will the pandemic save his job? Would Mario Cristobal be a good hire to replace Jim Harbaugh. Big Ten tiers! The guys debate the 2020 Big Ten hierarchy. Notre Dame continues to look good with QB Ian Book in complete control of the Fighting Irish offense. Miami escapes with a win vs. Virginia Tech & Ari will have to do the 'Paqui one chip challenge'. Week 2 of the Pac-12 season is in the books. Will Chip Kelly succeed at UCLA? The 2020 coaching carousel is starting to spin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy and Ari have said it before and they'll keep on saying it: everyone's doing the best they can. So with that said, what's the best Wisconsin can do against Michigan considering the cloud of questions looming over the Badgers' football program? Why are the Wolverines opening as favorites in spite of their recent struggles (3:45)? The Fighting Irish aim to build off last week's monumental win against Clemson this Saturday versus Boston College (15:30). Time to pinch your nose! Miami-Virginia Tech is the most smelly line of the week (19:00)! Will 'Win-diana' keep their perfect record intact against Michigan State (28:15)? Who needs their first win of the season more: Penn State or Nebraska (33:30)? Will Arkansas rise to the occasion in Gainesville without Sam Pittman (48:15). And out the door, the guys deliver this week's Random Rankings (1:04:30)!Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesFollow Ari on Twitter: @AriWasserman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy kicks off today's show discussing postponed SEC games, including Alabama-LSU. How could the SEC maneuver schedules to manage this delay, and will the CFB Playoff considering moving the semi-finals and final? The Liberty Flames, one of the most surprising stories in college football this year, are undefeated and rank among the countries top-25 teams. What's the secret to their success? Among everything that's contributed to their success, redshirt junior QB Malik Willis, and his noted development, has been a revelation for the Flames and head coach Hugh Freeze. Join Andy as he chronicles the Atlanta, Georgia native's ascension. From a prospect who yearned to play quarterback, to the transfer portal and the steps he made to better his game that has ultimately led him to being the spark of the Flames' success (10:00).Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesJoin The Athletic for just $1 a week! Visit: theathletic.com/andystaples Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach welcomes Big Ten Network's Mike Hall to the show. Mike talks about his new storytelling project which includes a great anecdote about Julia Roberts. Of course, Mike is here to talk B1G football. Penn State is the surprise of the season at 0-3 & Indiana is on the other side of the fence at 3-0. Hoosiers Head Coach Tom Allen is the real life version of Ted Lasso. How talented is 2020 Ohio State compared to Buckeyes teams of the past? Mike also talks about how he got into the business and shares his unique perspective on covering sports.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy and Ari react to Clemson, the top-ranked team in college football, falling to Notre Dame (1:30). What was key in the Irish's victory? How does this loss impact the Tigers' playoff chances? Both Maryland and Texas A&M handedly brought home Ws in their matchups (14:00). What happens now with Penn State? Where do the guys envision Texas A&M towards the last couple weeks of the season? Oh boy, let's talk Michigan (19:00). Ari offers 10 replacement options for Jim Harbaugh, and Andy judges whether they are viable candidates (24:00). Pac-12 after dark is back! USC survives Arizona State's near upset, and Chip Kelly's Bruins continue their slide (39:30). The duo entertain some coaching what-ifs, including: which Power-5 program will Hugh Freeze land at, and Scott Frost and Nebraska don't seem to be making much headway (48:30).Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesFollow Ari on Twitter: @AriWassermanJoin The Athletic for just $1 a week! Visit: theathletic.com/andystaples Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy and Ari Wasserman cover the upcoming college football slate. Great, now that you know that, here's where it gets saucy...well...not really because Andy doesn't use sauce when he tears into over 100 juicy, savory, delicious Chick-fil-A nuggets in this week's payoff pod (:30). The guys set the framework for the challenge before jumping into lines for the Pac-12's opening weekend (9:45). Is USC the conference favorite? What can we expect from the Trojans against Arizona State? Will an Oregon team that's lost key contributors this off-season be able to handle Stanford (14:45)? The duo also discuss the position the conference is in follow the Cal-Washington cancellation (20:30). Ari is amped for Big Ten talk! Who ya got in Michigan-Indiana (26:00)? Will Milton and co. bounce back after last week's stunning loss to Michigan State? Can Indiana keep rolling? Should we expect Ohio State to breeze past Rutgers, or is this not the Scarlet Knights of the past (41:00)? Double-down on Clemson? Can DJ Uiagalelei power the Tigers past ranked Notre Dame (44:15)? Who will be the biggest shrimp at the world's largest cocktail party (49:30), and does Florida's lesser recruiting class, compared to Georgia, already put them at a disadvantage? Plus, Texas-West Virginia, Texas A&M-South Carolina, Tennessee-Arkansas and BYU-Boise State (1:00:30)!Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesFollow Ari on Twitter: @AriWassermanJoin The Athletic for just $1 a week! Visit: theathletic.com/andystaples Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy welcomes Barstool Sports personality, co-host of the "Unnecessary Roughness" podcast and Texas A&M alumna, Kayce Smith, to today's show! Tacos, pickle juice shots and college football, what more could you want from a college town? The duo discuss what College Station has to offer before chatting about the Aggies, Jimbo Fisher and season expectations. Why hasn't A&M been able to close the gap between itself and Alabama? Andy and Kayce gab over how jumpin' Jacksonville will be this weekend with the Florida-Georgia game. Will Clemson survive Notre Dame without Trevor Lawrence? The two talk bets recently made with Ari Wasserman and Barstool Sports' Brandon Walker. If the Wolverines fall to Indiana, will anything happen in the Michigan-Harbaugh marriage? Plus, Wisconsin-Purdue is cancelled, and the Big Ten's handling of the virus versus the SEC.Rundown:(:30) Tacos & pick shots & college football, oh, my!(5:15) Aggies expectations & the immovable 'Bama gap(15:00) Florida-Georgia(16:30) Clemson-Notre Dame & bets(25:15) Michigan-Indiana, Wisconsin & moreFollow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesFollow Kayce on Twitter: @KayceSmithJoin The Athletic for just $1 a week! Visit: theathletic.com/andystaples Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach & Chris Vannini kick off the show with Michigan State's upset over Michigan. Pac-12 after dark & MACtion are officially back this week and the college football season finally feels whole. #9 BYU & QB Zach Wilson have their biggest game of the season Friday night at Boise State. The college football playoff committee has a difficult task this season trying to compare unequal scheduling formats. Plus, last call! Why isn't Northwestern ranked? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a weekend full of nail-biters, Andy and The Athletic's Ohio State scribe, Bill Landis, start today's show with Ohio State's commanding win over Penn State (1:00). Can anyone compete with OSU in the Big Ten? Was this performance expected out of the Nittany Lions? The duo take an early glance at the CFB Playoff picture and discuss who they believe are true contenders (5:00). The Trevor-Lawrence-less Clemson Tigers were tested in a conference bout against Boston College, though DJ Uiagalelei rallied his club and illustrated his remarkable ability (10:30). Andy and Bill admire some rarely-seen undefeated Big Ten teams (17:15) before chatting about where the winless Nittany Lions go from here (18:45). Will Wisconsin play Purdue next week (22:15)? How would another lost game affect, not only the Badgers, but the conference as a whole? Who's ready for some Pac-12 football (26:16)! Andy then welcomes in The Athletic's Michigan State penman, Colton Pouncy, to react to the Spartan's shocking win over Michigan (29:00). Was this a fluke win by Michigan State? How does this victory shape Mel Tucker's image following last week's loss? Is "Slick Rick" the conference's best kept secret? Is Michigan as good as we initially thought? What does the rest of the season hold for these two programs?Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesFollow Bill on Twitter: @BillLandis25Follow Colton on Twitter: @colton_pouncyJoin The Athletic for just $1 a month! Visit: theathletic.com/andystaples Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy reacts to Trevor Lawrence testing positive for Covid-19. What does this mean for Clemson? Who will start under center for the Tigers? The day has dawned. It's time for Ari to conquer a most vile villain, dark beer. Yes, Michigan downed Minnesota last week saving Andy from fulfilling a bet himself (1:00). The guys recap the Wolverines' victory over the Golden Gophers, and discuss what a win over P.J. Fleck's flock means for the program. Joe Milton and co. have their in-state rivals on the horizon in the Spartans (15:30). What can we expect from the matchup? Is Milton for real? Can Michigan overcome Ohio State, or are they a secondary/tertiary threat in the Big Ten? Speaking of OSU, the Buckeyes travel to Penn State for a...potentially anticlimactic conference contest (22:45)? Will the Nittany Lions drop their first two games of the season after losing last week to Indiana? Why does this bout, which is typically hyped, seen far less interesting? In SEC country, Mississippi State is at odds with Alabama in Tuscaloosa (29:45); Arkansas seeks to upset Texas A&M (31:45); Missouri-Florida is anybody's guess (35:15) and LSU looks to build off last week's 'W' against Auburn (37:30). Can Texas overcome Oklahoma State (43:30)? And from a wider lens, is Tom Herman and Texas' loss of 2022's top-rated prospect, Quinn Ewers, a symbolic loss? The guys settle on a bet for next week (58:45) before digging into their sweet Random Rankings (1:02:15)!Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesFollow Ari on Twitter: @AriWasserman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.