4th and Four

Carter has returned, so the whole crew is back together. Which players are most important to the final conference outcomes come December? Will anyone select players on the defensive side of the ball, or is it all quarterbacks and running backs? (00:42) Thank you to “Big Game Boomer” who keeps releasing these CFB-related lists and rankings to keep us entertained in the offseason. Who are the most and least sensitive college football fanbases on Twitter? (42:16)

Fellow Medill student and Pitt alum Mike Tyrrell makes a guest appearance on the pod. MGM Resorts’ George Kliavkoff will be the new commissioner of the PAC-12. The group agrees this is a good hire, but we do not agree on former commissioner Larry Scott’s tenure. Yesterday was NFL schedule release day, and there were some great social media videos. Then there was the Cowboys’ video. Plus, which rookies are we most excited to watch take the field on Sundays this fall? Finally, Tuesday was Matt Leinart’s birthday. In his honor, we debate the best team ever. Mike makes an argument for the ‘04 Trojans, Ashton joins him in the early 2000s and the Brandons lean into their SEC and recency biases.

Happy NFL Draft week from 4th and Four! We conduct our second snake draft, choosing our favorite quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and defensive player from this year’s Draft class. Schaff prepared to draft an Alabama all-star team, but Ashton and Carter spoil his fun leading Schaff to scramble and frantically research players that did not play football in Tuscaloosa.

247Sports posted some coaches under pressure this upcoming season. Who on the list is truly on the hot seat? Who is missing? RIP European soccer league. That was a fun 72 hours. Still won’t stop us from debating what a college football super league might look like. We talk dynasties that must be included, sleepers sitting just outside the ranks, and teams that are in the conversation that have to go. 

Carter is MIA, so Ashton and the Brandons carry on in his absence. The winners of the 2021 4th and Four All-Time College Football Player Draft are revealed (1:37). The NCAA just passed a one-time transfer rule for their revenue sports: football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and men’s ice hockey. How does the crew feel about the new rule and how will high-level football programs be impacted (5:42)? Finally, ESPN released their first edition of the 2021 FPI rankings on Tuesday. What did they get right and what did they get wrong (16:43)? 

The gang is back!! We start with the NCAA taking their athlete compensation issues to the Supreme Court (1:30). There is a 9-year-old in Tennessee who is done with Vols football (10:20). Who can blame him? He enters the “fan transfer portal” and commits to a new SEC team. Find out which coach gave him a call and who just gained a dedicated fan. The NFL Draft is less than a month away, so we have a little fantasy draft where every college football player ever is on the table (18:59). Will Schaff draft an entire team out of Tuscaloosa? 

Happy March! In honor of the start of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, we decide the school with the best football AND basketball program using the flawless method of Bracketology. Special guests, fellow Medill mates and college basketball experts Rachel Gaylor and Connor Groel join the show. 

Les Miles and Jeff Long are out at Kansas. Who is the best option to replace Miles in Lawrence, and can he possibly save the worst program in the Power Five? We hate pro days. Rudy REALLY hates pro days. Find out why. If SEC coaches had Tinders, what would their profiles say? The crew breaks down potential profile vibes of Saban, Leach, Orgeron, Kiffin and more.

Happy Birthday Reggie Bush!! Of course, an ‘04 USC versus ‘20 Bama debate ensues (0:33). Former Texas Tech QB Alan Bowman is headed to Ann Arbor. Will there be a three-way competition for the starting job or does JJ McCarthy have it locked up (4:00)? TE Arik Gilbert, the transfer portal’s finest, is looking for another home after decommitting from Florida this weekend. Which SEC school will pick up the likely future first-round draft pick (11:36)? A 9-year-old from Georgia with 128k followers committed to HIGH SCHOOL via Max Preps’ Instagram account. Is the crew ok with this development or is this the most absurd thing you’ve ever heard (15:40)? Trivia time! Rudy and Ashton quiz Schaff and Carter on where former Heisman finalists are now. Guesses include dolphin trainer, dog catcher and ultimate Frisbee player. It is a beautiful mess (28:54).

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick says the Irish won’t participate in the return of the EA Sports college football video game until players can be compensated for their name, image and likeness. Will NIL be sorted out before the game is released or is Notre Dame digging its own grave (0:27)? The problems continue for good ol' Rocky Top, as Tennessee has lost four signees in the last week (9:56). We might have fans in the stands in September!! Find out where the 4th and Four crew would love to go when stadium gates reopen (16:03). Michigan lost another quarterback with the departure of Joe Milton. Does this mean trouble for the program or will J.J. McCarthy save the Wolverines from the constant QB criticism (35:13)?

Our best (worst?) podcast ever. It snowed in the South and apparently the Oxford police are not having it (1:04). Gus Malzahn is headed to UCF. Can he succeed in the talent-rich state (5:42)? We cover some of our favorite college football traditions, the most controversial being Miami’s turnover chain (12:42). Plus, there is a warrant out for the arrest of a Georgia wide receiver for a parking incident. We have ridiculous takes on a $750 piece of metal, the depths of SEC comment sections and college parking enforcement (27:39).

The Big Ten’s 2021 schedule is here - what games should you have circled on your calendar (1:00)? Next, these teams just picked up some talent at assistant coaching positions. We break down why they are good hires and expectations for their first year (11:02). The podcast has its first guest(!) and someone in Penn State’s graphics department needs to be fired. Fellow Medill student and PSU alum Jake Bramande joins the podcast to discuss the controversial Super Bowl tweet from Happy Valley and the best college football graphics of all time (39:10). 

It’s National Signing Day, and college football video games are making a comeback. Alabama makes history once again, the Wolverines crack the top 10, the PAC-12 might have a pulse, and Auburn makes a late push on the recruiting trail (0:30). Finally, the Brandons are too much for Carter, and Ashton is really angry about a random recruit from Myrtle Beach (48:55). EA Sports is baaaaack (54:34).

The transfer portal is a mess. Ashton, Rudy, Schaff and Carter try to make some sense of it (1:10). Schaff is apparently an expert on the South after going on a road trip to Disney World, and Carter met Jake Bentley on a cruise. There’s a Medill quarterback! Ryan Hiliniski is coming to Evanston. Can the Wildcats win another Big Ten West title with a new guy under center (40:41)?

The Medill crew is back and open with talk about the disaster that is Tennessee football. They go coast-to-coast breaking down the most overrated and underrated teams in ESPN’s way-too-early top 25. To close it out, Jim Harbaugh is sticking around Ann Arbor. Can he finally develop a quarterback, and can he finally beat Ohio State?

In their first episode, Ashton, Schaff, Rudy and Carter introduce themselves and break down the College Football Playoff National Championship between Alabama and Ohio State. Tua is a unanimous favorite, but Jalen Hurts versus Mac Jones - who ya got? Are we stuck with Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and a “lucky” fourth team for the foreseeable future? Plus, Rudy throws out a bold prediction about his Texas A&M Aggies.