Until Saturday: A show about college football

Nicole Auerbach & Chris Spatola discuss Baylor's NCAA Tournament run to its first National Championship. 18 years after Scott Drew was hired at Baylor & famously said his goal was to win a National Championship the job is finally done. What happened to Gonzaga? After a 31-0 start to the season the Bulldogs couldn'[t get over the final hurdle. In fact, they didn't even get close. Nicole & Chris put both teams' season into perspective & give their last calls! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join The Athletic for just $1 a month! Visit: theathletic.com/andystaplesYou asked and Andy and Ari answered! The guys pull from their mailbags in today's podcast and provide context, insight, and answers to your questions. Chiefly, is there really parity and inclusivity in college basketball? For example, despite Gonzaga's miraculous run, how many other mid-major programs have competed for a national championship (2:00)? Andy and Ari deliberate CBB's congruency, and could college football better its parity by expanding to an eight-team playoff? Who are some underrated draft-eligible quarterbacks to keep an eye out for next season (24:00). If programs were more staunch protectors of their recruiting borders, how would the college football landscape be affected (34:30)? Lastly, Andy and Ari rank their top-5 favorite vacation spots (44:45).Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesFollow Ari on Twitter: @AriWasserman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy is joined by The Athletic's USC beat writer Antonio Morales to discuss his recent piece on USC QB Kedon Slovis. After a sophomore slump, can Slovis get back on track and lead the Trojans to a Pac-12 title? Clay Helton might need to win that trophy in 2021 to save his job. Plus, Andy & Antonio whip around the rest of the Pac-12. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nicole Auerbach & Michael Yam break down the 2021 Final Four. UCLA & Mick Cronin are on an unbelievable run that started in the First Four with a win vs. Michigan State. If this Gonzaga team was wearing a Kentucky or Duke uniform would people be calling them the best team ever? The 2021 NCAA Tournament will be one to remember. Houston is back in the Final Four for the 1st time since 1984. The Cougs will play Baylor in an all-Texas semi-final.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join The Athletic for just $1 a month! Visit: theathletic.com/andystaplesAndy sits down with Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence to discuss NIL and the earning power of athlete endorsements. The two review Opendorse's list of college basketball players with the largest social media following in the Elite 8 that stand to significantly profit when NIL takes effect. Plus, the pair look at names in college football, like Michael Penix Jr., who could earn advertisement revenue from big on-field moments (4:30).Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesFollow Blake Lawrence on Twitter: @Blake_Lawrence Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join The Athletic for just $1 a month! Visit: theathletic.com/andystaplesAndy and Ari return in another ranking spectacular to order the top-10 Group of Five jobs. What? A disagreement right off the bat?! Why does Ari believe this Texas school is better than UCF (1:15)? Just how favorable do the guys think of the Bearcats (8:45)? Where does the program with the blue field land on the guys' list (9:45)? Who will crack the top-5: SMU or Appalachian State (17:00)? Which American conference club resides just outside the top-5's doorstep in Ari's eyes (20:00)? Is there a case to be made for Temple in the top-10, and who doesn't want to live in San Diego (22:00)? Should USF invest in new or upgraded facilities, could they be a top-10 G5 club (28:15)? Which universities just made the cut (30:30)? Andy and Ari serve up their honorable mentions and ponder which Pac-12 teams actually have more talent than the G5's best schools (35:30). The gents end their discourse by admiring the G5's entertainment value (42:00). In a new random ranking, the duo lists their top-5 television comedy series (52:30).Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesFollow Ari on Twitter: @AriWasserman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy is joined by The Athletic's Seth Emerson who penned a piece titled 'An earthquake, a Twitter storm and a reluctant hero: Inside the 72 hours that saved the 2020 college football season'.Subscribe to The Athletic for just $1 a month for 6 months: www.theathletic.com/andystaples Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join The Athletic for just $1 a month! Visit: theathltic.com/andystaplesAndy welcomes the newest addition to The Athletic family, Sam Khan Jr., to the show! As The Athletic's 'Texpert', Sam's responsible for knowing all things Texas (which includes BBQ, which we'll get into later), so from his Lone Star satellite, what can he see happening with Steve Sarkisian in Austin (4:00)? What's is the first question the Longhorns must address this Spring? How will Sark use Bijan Robinson, and was Sam surprised by Tom Herman's departure (5:30)? Could Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher compete for the SEC West championship belt this year (9:30)? Who's job is it to lose under center: Haynes King or Zach Calzada? #FreeCM4 (18:45)! Will Chandler Morris be eligible to play under Gary Patterson, or will Lincoln Riley refuse to release him? What's the next step for Baylor (21:45)? Will the Air Raid restore glory to Texas Tech (24:15)? Plus, Andy and Sam discuss their favorite Texas BBQ (27:00)!Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesFollow Sam Khan Jr. on Twitter: @skhanjr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach is joined by Fox Sports' Mark Titus to recap the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. The Big Ten underperformed & Michigan is the only team that made the Sweet 16. What went wrong & when will the conference finally win a National Championship? Can Michigan pull it off this season? Gonzaga looks to be the clear favorite after the first weekend of play. Is this Mark Few's best team ever? Loyola-Chicago is once again going on a run but the committee didn't seed them properly. The Pac-12 has 4 teams in the Sweet 16. Final Four reset picks. Last call! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy and Ari have ranked the best of the best jobs in all Power 5 conferences, now it's time to prescribe the worst of the worst. Even though they face stiff competition in the SEC, why is Vanderbilt Ari's best of the worst (8:00)? Can Bret Bielema turn Illinois from a Big Ten basement dweller to a top-3 team in the West division (13:45)? Which program that recently parted with its head coach surprised both Andy and Ari because of how sought after the vacancy is (19:30)? Which coach among the bottom-5 deserves consideration for Coach of the Year every year (26:00)? Why is Corvallis such an arduous place to establish a winning program (29:45)? As the vanguard in the 'Stars Matter Force', Ari understands the composition of successful teams. That's why this weekend, he made a lifetime commitment to his first, and last, 5-star recruit...his future wife! Andy congratulates Ari on his engagement and, subsequently, out-kicking his coverage, before imparting some martial advice (32:15). Lastly, the duo ranks their top-5 drama series (35:45).Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_StaplesFollow Ari on Twitter: @AriWasserman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.