ESPN College Football

Greg McElroy breaks down the ‘tiers' in the BIG 12 with a surprising number of CFP contenders but is there a legit National Championship contender in the conference? How will Arizona State handle the bullseye on their back? Is Texas Tech in the BIG 12 “championship or bust” mentality? How will Iowa State follow up the best season in program history and will Kansas State, Kansas, Baylor and TCU keep trending upwards? How will Coach Prime and Colorado look, plus are bounce back seasons in line for Utah, Arizona and Oklahoma State? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Sarkisian joins Greg McElroy and talks about the expectations at Texas heading into 2025, the growth of Arch Manning, the depth at running back, why he “super pumped” about the wide receiver room, how Ohio State in week one is motivating them and much more. Plus, we hit the mailbag and answer if NIL puts more pressure on players, the G5 teams you NEED to know, the best “under the radar games” early in the season and what the rebirth of the PAC 12 really means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule joins McElroy to talk expectations heading into year 3, the culture shift, winning close games, Dylan Raiola and much more. Plus we open the mailbag to talk about realistic expectations for the Cornhuskers in ‘25, if Virginia Tech will ever get out of the middle of the ACC, if Georgia Tech can take the next step and the best and worst case scenarios for the Florida Gators this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The House Settlement got its final approval and Greg McElroy is here to tell you what it means for college football, who gets paid, roster limits and if it will bring "competitive balance” to the sport. McElroy also talks about the importance of the College Sports Commission and maybe the unintended consequences it might have. Plus, we look at the comments Ryan Day made about automatic qualifiers for the BIG 10 in the CFP and countdown the Top 10 non conference games of 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joey McGuire has Texas Tech at levels not seen since Mike Leach was roaming the sidelines in Lubbock. McGuire joins the show to talk about Texas Tech's rise, how the Red Raiders have approached the transfer portal, lessons learned from his first 3 seasons, the depth of the BIG 12, and recruiting in Texas (and he shares an amazing story). Plus McElroy looks at OVER/UNDER win totals for Texas Tech, Arizona State, Ole Miss, LSU, Tennessee, Miami and many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Defense wins championships so we decided to go down and rank the Top 10 defenses entering the 2025 season. Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State and Clemson all welcome in new defensive coordinators - what impact will that have early next year? Texas might have their best defense EVER, Alabama is returning A TON of production while Georgia and Oklahoma are looking to get back to dominance. McElroy breaks down each one and gives you his honorable mentions for best of the rest.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marcus Freeman joins the show and talks about Notre Dame's quest for a National Championship, how the Irish have stayed focused, lessons learned from a LONG season, the rivalry against USC, what the QB competition looks like heading into summer and much more. Plus, the SEC Meetings have concluded and McElroy looks at the straight seeding model adopted for the 2025 CFP and the much talked about 5+11 model and how that will impact a potential 9 game SEC schedule in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis and Pete Thamel explore the potential future of the College Football Playoff format heading into 2026. They delve into the possibility of expanding to a 16-team playoff and discuss the SEC's openness to participating in a broader format. Also on the pod, Rece Davis sits down for an exclusive one-on-one interview with Dabo Swinney and Bill Belichick. Together, they reflect on the evolving landscape of NCAA football, sharing insights into their coaching philosophies, key influences, and distinctive coaching styles. The conversation also highlights how both coaches are adapting to the ever-changing dynamics of the college football world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lincoln Riley joins the show to talk about USC getting back on top, what he learned in his first season in the BIG 10, the recruiting surge that the Trojans have been on and the changes that come with the evolution of college football. Plus, conference expansion has already cost us more rivalries than football fans care to admit. McElroy talks about how the Notre Dame USC rivalry can continue but how we have to accept that college football will continue to change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kalen DeBoer joins the show to talk about Alabama getting back on top, what he learned in his first season in Tuscaloosa, the quarterback competition, recruiting and what Ryan Grubb will bring to the staff in 2025. Plus, we look at win totals for all P4 teams with second year head coaches - Can Alabama, Texas A&M and Michigan make a jump, can Indiana, Syracuse, Duke and others prove Vegas wrong? McElroy breaks down the schedules and tells you where the WINS, LOSES and toss-up games are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mario Cristobal joins the show to talk about Miami being on the up and up, how his first recruiting class are now the clubhouse leaders, Carson Beck's impact, the youth at wide receiver, why playing Notre Dame early will motivate his team (and the fans) and much more. Plus, week 1 in 2025 is good with Texas vs Ohio State, Notre Dame vs Miami, LSU vs Clemson but McElroy lays out how it could be better and why the SEC going to a 9 game conference schedule is the best thing for college football fans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Coming off a 9 win season where they defeated FOUR ranked teams, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer joins Greg McElroy on the show. The two discuss LaNorris Sellers impact, culture within the Gamecocks locker room, when coach Beamer knew they were going to be good last year and raised expectations in . Plus, we give a hat tip to Cam Rising after his retirement and McElroy gives his reasons for wanting to join the College Sports Commission and the impact he thinks they will have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Coming off a CFP appearance and a program record 11 win season, Curt Cignetti joins Greg McElroy on the show.  The two discuss how Indiana's commitment to football brought him in, why he looks for production over potential in the transfer portal, changes to the CFP selection process and expectations for the Hoosiers in 2025. Plus, is Nebraska getting disrespected over Sherrone Moore's suspension and what impact will the Notre Dame Clemson scheduled series have on the ACC and the CFP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who are the best running backs heading into the 2025 college football season? Can Jeremiyah Love and a deep running back room get Notre Dame back to the CFP, how much better is Penn State's RB tandem than everyone else in the country and what impact will the transfers have at Oklahoma, Missouri and Oregon? How many running backs from the SEC made the list and can anyone challenge the BIG 10 as the best conference for running backs in 2025? McElroy goes over all of it plus gives you some honorable mention RBs who could work their way into the top 10 after the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spring is over and the portal is closed and so we decided now was the best time to give you McElroy's Top 10 QBs entering the 2025 season. Are Arch Manning and Nico Iamaleava in the top 10? How much does Carson Beck have to prove at Miami this year? Where will Cade Klubnik and Drew Aller rank and who has the immediate impact transfer (hint: Oklahoma). McElroy goes over all of it plus gives you some honorable mention QBs who could work their way into the top 10 after the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Greg McElroy takes a look at the Madden Iamaleava-Arkansas situation and if recouping NIL via buyouts could become a regular occurrence moving forward. Greg then gets into spring game recaps for Texas A&M and South Carolina, discussing season outlooks for both SEC squads. Finally, Greg gives his take on Joey Aguilar to Tennessee, what's going on with the CFP meetings and the changes that could happen because of them, how Oklahoma has raked in the portal and if Oklahoma State is poised for a bounceback season. | Always College Football Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Greg starts today's show celebrating the career of the legendary Lee Corso before getting into some portal news and spring game recaps. Do we buy what Nico's camp said about why he transferred away from Tennessee? And what will it look like now that he's QB1 for UCLA? Plus, Steve Angeli is in the portal, David Stone returns to Oklahoma and more. Finally, Greg talks about Bryce Underwood's spring game performance and why the CFB world is so consumed with starting true freshmen QBs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis and Pete Thamel break down the lingering questions surrounding Nico Iamaleava—did he leave Tennessee too soon, prioritizing financial opportunity over development? Is UCLA truly committed to him? And can he work his way into future NFL Draft conversations? Then, ESPN NFL Draft Analyst and Insider Matt Miller joins to spotlight the player everyone's talking about: Jalon Walker. He also weighs in on how Travis Hunter's game will translate to the NFL and where Shedeur Sanders might land if he isn't taken at No. 3. To close the show, the guys pay tribute to Lee Corso and his legendary 38-year run on College GameDay.   0:00 - Nico Iamaleava should've prioritized development 9:26 - Will Nico make it into NFL draft conversations? 12:55 - How committed is UCLA to Nico? 17:06 - Why NFL draft Day 3 matters 20:29 - The NFL draft heats up at pick number… 26:55 - Why everyone's favorite player at the NFL draft is Jalon Walker 30:41 - Which part of Travis Hunter's game will be used in the NFL? 32:07 - If Shedeur Sanders doesn't get picked at No. 3, when will he go? 36:02 - Are the Titans making a mistake taking Cam Ward at No. 1? 46:28 - Unforgettable Lee Corso moments before he retires Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The spring transfer portal is open and players are jumping in every day. McElroy goes through the early contenders and gives you the needs that each team has. Will Alabama take a Tight End, will Texas, LSU, Georgia and Ohio State go after the same defensive lineman? Can Miami and Michigan bolster their wide receiver rooms and will Tennessee find help at quarterback? So many needs, so many questions and McElroy is here to try to give you some answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tennessee drew a line in the sand and separated themselves from Nico Iamaleava. McElroy addresses everything from Nico's camp, the impact it has on college football, what other coaches are saying about it around the country, what Tennessee will do next and options for Nico Iamaleava moving forward. Plus updates on the QB competitions at Alabama and Notre Dame and does Ohio State need to hit the portal to sure up their defensive line? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel and Bill Connelly, creator of the SP+ ranking, discuss the rise of Arch Manning as he takes the reins at Texas. Will the fan love last—or is he destined for backlash, like other rising stars? The crew also breaks down this season's elite quarterback contenders, asking: who's in line for the QB1 crown—Penn State's Drew Allar or LSU's Garrett Nussmeier? Meanwhile, Ohio State and Purdue are in flux, with sweeping roster and staff overhauls underway. With the transfer portal about to swing open, both programs are ready to steady their ships this offseason.   0:00 - Texas QB Arch Manning to be the next college football villain? 11:52 - Early preseason No. 1 team pick: Clemson 17:41 - Penn State QB Drew Allar on track for No. 1 spot in 2026 NFL Draft? 20:52 - Ohio State's major roster and staff changes 31:02 - New coach Barry Odom begins Purdue rebuild 38:08 - Spring buzz on Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons 39:58 - Spring buzz on Oklahoma coach Brent Venables 40:49 - Spring buzz on Alabama's unknown starting quarterback Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all know Jeremiah Smith is the best wide receiver, but is he the best “football player” in college? McElroy goes through and lists the Top 10 wide receivers heading into the 2025 season and outside of Smith you will see other familiar names like Ryan Williams, Elijah Sarratt and Jordyn Tyson but watch out for transfers to Auburn, Nebraska and Missouri. Keep an eye on LSU, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Clemson headlining some potential breakout WR players. Plus, updates from Ohio State's QB competition, Clemson's quest for a 1000 yard receiver and the future of CFB beyond 2025.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Arch Manning's pressure at Texas, Julian Sayin's poor scrimmage, Ty Simpson's potential upside at Alabama and the battle at Notre Dame between Steve Angeli and CJ Carr are just some of the intrigue coming out of spring camps. McElroy hits the mailbag to answer questions about all those quarterbacks plus talks about Stanford hiring of Frank Reich, the benefit of having NFL experience at the college level and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who are the 10 BEST coaches in College Football heading into the 2025 season? On this episode McElroy goes through and ranks 10 thru 1 based on longevity (which some coaches don't have), program trajectory and year over year improvement and much more. It's not just about where you coach but what you do with the resources made available to you, the list will surely be debated but truthfully probably the most accurate one out there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who are the 25 BEST coaches in College Football heading into the 2025 season? On this episode McElroy goes through and ranks 25 thru 11 based on longevity (which some coaches don't have), program trajectory and year over year improvement and much more. It's not just about where you coach but what you do with the resources made available to you, the list will surely be debated but truthfully probably the most accurate one out there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ACC is maybe the most intriguing of any of the P4 conferences heading into spring practice. Will Clemson get back to a championship level, can Carson Beck take Miami to the CFP, can Louisville, Georgia Tech or NC State take the next steps and become contenders? Will SMU sneak up on anyone and how BIG will the Florida State bounce back be? McElroy gives you ONE big question for each ACC team as they enter spring practice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can the BIG 10 win THREE straight National Championships?! Maybe, but if they do, there will need to be some questions answered this spring, like does Penn State have a WR that will step up, is Dante Moore ready to take over at Oregon, and are there too many changes at Ohio State? Is Nebraska ready to breakthrough, can Michigan just reload on defense and who are the surprise teams from the BIG 10 that we should keep an eye on. McElroy goes through them all and gives you one big spring question for each. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Spring practice is kicking off in College Football and McElroy gives you one big question for each team in the SEC. Will someone separate themselves in the Alabama QB competition, who will step up around DJ Lagway at Florida and LaNorris Sellers at South Carolina? Can LSU, Tennessee and Ole Miss replace all the talent they lost around the line of scrimmage and just how good can Arch Manning be? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ACC is ALL over the map this offseason. The Bill Belichick era got underway at North Carolina and we discuss the impact he will have on the Tar Heels, while Clemson and Florida State reach a revenue distribution settlement with the conference. Did this short term answer just make it easier for the conference to split up by 2030? McElroy explains. Plus, we give you a couple sleeper teams to keep an eye on as spring practice starts up and we hit the mailbag to find out who has the best defense in the SEC heading into 2025 and much more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Oklahoma really a sleeper in the SEC? How big will Florida State's rebound be after a humbling 2024 season? Will Auburn FINALLY get a winning record under Hugh Freeze and is Texas A&M poised for a big jump? Are USC and Nebrsaka ready to be contenders in the BIG 10, and just how good will Coach Prime and Colorado be after losing so much talent? McElroy takes a look at the expectations for SEVEN of college footballs biggest question mark teams heading into 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spring practice is right around the corner so McElroy decided to look at the 12 teams from last year's CFP and tell you who he thinks could return to the CFP in 2025. Will the new quarterbacks at Ohio State, Notre Dame and Texas be able to win 10+ games? Can SMU, Arizona State and Indiana repeat the Cinderella seasons from a year ago, can Tennessee and Oregon handle losing so much production and are Clemson and Penn State in the best position? McElroy breaks down strengths, concerns and the schedule for each of the 12 teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The B10 and SEC are pushing toward a 14 team playoff with automatic qualifiers, is it a hostile takeover by the two biggest conferences or an overreaction to something that we have seen coming. McElroy and Finebaum break down what it means for the SEC and BIG 10, if Sankey and Petitti owe ANYTHING to all of college football and what it means for Notre Dame the ACC and BIG 12. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is running back making a comeback? Last year some bell cow backs like Ashton Jeanty, Cam Skattebo and Dylan Sampson carried their teams to the CFP while Ohio State, Penn St, and Notre Dame relied more on a tandem backfield. McElroy asks if it is more important to win a national championship with a “bell cow” or a deep running back room. Plus Ohio State has a new defensive coordinator what impact will Matt Patricia have, will the Texas offense look different under Arch Manning and why can't the FBS just adopt the FCS playoff model. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are 13 teams that missed the 2024 College Football Playoff that McElroy thinks will be playoff contenders in 2025. Is Alabama ready to make the jump into the CFP in 2025? Can LSU and Miami start the season out with wins to push towards the playoffs? Can South Carolina improve on last year or will it be Florida or Ole Miss who make the jump into the CFP. Who from the BIG 10 and BIG 12 can make a run - is it finally USC's chance or will Michigan bounce back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was like playing quarterback for Nick Saban during his first two championships at LSU and Alabama? Greg McElroy and Matt Mauck get together to tell some incredible stories about Saban's training camps, the staffs at LSU and Alabama and how much harder Coach worked immediately AFTER winning National Championships. Plus, McElroy takes a quick look at O/U win totals for Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Penn State, Clemson and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are in a new era of College Football with the Natty or Bust mentality. Ohio State showed it 2024 and Michigan in 2023. Who is all in in 2025? Clemson, Penn State, Texas come to mind. Gone are the days of stacked rosters and the question is who is ready to adapt and who is falling behind? Plus are spring games dead - well it is in Nebraska, how many schools will follow suit. Alabama hired a new OC, Notre Dame hired a new DC and Ohio State is now looking to replace BOTH coordinators. There is no off-season, it's ALWAYS COLLEGE FOOTBALL! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Greg McElroy talks with National Championship quarterback and Ohio State legend Cardale Jones. Jones talks about growing up in Ohio, what drew him to Ohio State and that magical title run in 2014. If today's college football rules were in place would Cardale have transferred? How much could he have made in NIL and were teams tampering with him before the 2015 season? Cardale opens up to tell some fantastic stories and makes the assertive claim that if there was a 12 team playoff in 2015 - Ohio State would have won it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How would you grade Kalen DeBoer at Alabama after a 9-4 season? What about Sherrone Moore at Michigan and Mike Elko at Texas A&M? McElroy looks back at 2024 and grades out all of the first year head coaches based on the transfer portal impacts, win loss record, big wins & more. Plus Penn State hires Jim Knowles from Ohio State, making him college football's highest-paid defensive coordinator. Are the Nittany Lions gearing up for a National Title run in 2025?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 12 team CFP was a HUGE success but McElroy found a few ways to make it a little bit better. The seeding and bye's need to change but does that mean conference championships are going away? Should the best of the SEC and BIG 10 get TWO first round home playoff games and are the New Years 6 bowl games going anywhere? Tell us what you think needs to happen to make the 12 team CFP better below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ohio State won the inaugural 12 team college football playoff with an offense that was humming in the first half as the Buckeyes raced out to 21-7 halftime. Ohio State held off a valiant Notre Dame comeback to win their first National Championship since 2014. McElroy breaks down the game talking about impact players, outstanding coaching and what the win means for Ryan Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices