The Lead

The College Football Playoff National Championship is just six days away, a showdown between the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, and the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs — who have made it this far with a QB who wasn’t even supposed to be their starter: Stetson Bennett. Today, The Athletic’s Seth Emerson tells the story of Bennett’s unlikely journey from walk-on to junior college to QB1 for a national title contender, and whether Bennett and the Bulldogs can defeat Alabama when it matters most. Read Seth Emerson’s full story about Stetson Bennett: https://theathletic.com/2990959/2021/12/01/hes-just-a-baller-the-journey-of-georgia-qb-stetson-bennett-iv-a-long-road-to-respect/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After blowing out Cincinnati on Friday, the Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Nick Saban are in yet another national championship game. So how exactly do Saban and 'Bama keep winning? A big part of the answer is recruiting -- Saban has brought in the top-ranked recruiting class in nine of the past 11 years. So how exactly does he do that? The Athletic's Aaron Suttles joins us today to explain why Saban thrives on the recruiting trail, and how that has enabled him to build one of the best dynasties in college football history. Plus, what does Alabama need to do to knock off the Georgia Bulldogs on January 10th?Read Aaron Suttles and Nicole Auerbach's full story about Nick Saban, ace recruiter:https://theathletic.com/3005138/2021/12/13/soul-food-italian-suits-and-hard-truths-what-its-like-to-be-recruited-by-nick-saban/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To close out 2021, we're replaying our 10 best episodes of the year. At #1 we have 'The Afghan Women's Soccer Team's Incredible Escape From Kabul.' We hear from two women who helped orchestrate the evacuation of the Afghan Women's Soccer Team -- long a symbol of defiance to the Taliban -- just before the Kabul Airport was shut down and the ultra-conservative religious group regained complete control of the country.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To close out 2021, we're replaying our 10 best episodes of the year. At #2 we have 'From San Quentin To The NBA: 'Showtime' Taylor's Redemption.' The Athletic's Marcus Thompson joined us to discuss the incredible story of Aaron 'Showtime' Taylor, who went from calling basketball games for fun in San Quentin State Prison to calling a Golden State Warriors game at Chase Center.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To close out 2021, we're replaying our 10 best episodes of the year. At #3 we have 'Reflections On Henry Aaron.' Five baseball writers from The Athletic joined us shortly after Aaron passed away to share their memories of him as a player and a human being, and to reflect on how he was shaped by -- and helped shape -- American history.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To close out 2021, we're replaying our 10 best episodes of the year. At #4 we have 'The Friendship That Changed An NHL Superstar And A Rock Legend.' The Athletic's Joshua Kloke joined us to explain the unlikely friendship between hockey star Joe Thornon and Canadian rock legend Gord Downie -- and how each drew inspiration from the other right up until Downie's final days.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To close out 2021, we're replaying our 10 best episodes of the year. At #5 we have 'NWSL Coach Fired Over Sexual Coercion Accusations.' The Athletic's Meg Linehan spent months investigating claims made against former North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley and joined us to discuss what she found.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To close out 2021, we're replaying our 10 best episodes of the year. At #6 we have 'The 101-Year-Old American Who Made Judo An Olympic Sport.' The Athletic's Daniel Brown joined us to discuss the incredible life of an American sports icon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To close out 2021, we're replaying our 10 best episodes of the year. At #7 we have 'What A Sportswriter's Coming Out Story Tells Us About Carl Nassib.' The Athletic's Steve Buckley joined us to talk about his own coming out story, and how it might help us understand what lies ahead for Carl Nassib, who became the NFL's first openly gay active player earlier this year.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To close out 2021, we're replaying our 10 best episodes of the year. At #8 we have 'How Italy Came Back From The Brink.' The Athletic's James Horncastle joined us to explain how a charismatic coach helped guide the Italian Men's Soccer Team from an apocalyptic failure to the pinnacle of European success.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.