The Republic of Football

This episode previews UTSA's defensive line heading into the 2026 season and looks at the biggest early camp takeaways from the unit. Jared and Adrian also discuss who might be flying under the radar, which transfers are poised to make an immediate impact, and how a new defensive line coach could impact the play on the field. Sign up for a free month of Patreon at this link: https://www.patreon.com/alamodomeaudible/redeem/EDAA2 (Offer expires at kickoff against UTRGV) Video: https://youtu.be/GwVtKxfR2Rk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jakob finally gets some football edumacation, sitting down with seven Bobcat football players during fall camp for a media day preview. We're talking the Odyssey, fall camp and a whole lot more as the Bobcats head west and join the reformed PAC-12. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven play Buy, Sell, and Hold on the Texas Power Four teams just days ahead of the 2026 season. Texas, A&M, Tech, Baylor, TCU, Houston, and SMU are all covered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The early-season battle between the Texas Longhorns and the Tennessee Volunteers will do more than just let one fanbase call itself "The Real UT." This matchup is a table-setter for the remainder of the SEC season, with both teams hopeful to compete for a conference title and a trip to the CFP. Can Tennessee put up a decent enough defense to match its always-explosive offense? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven are joined by Ben Sorrells, the man behind Sports of SHSU, to preview the 2026 Sam Houston football season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The top two linebackers from last year's defense are both gone, with Anthony Hill, Jr. in the NFL and Liona Lefau at Colorado, so Texas will need to rebuild its corps with a new philosophy. Do the Longhorns have the personnel to match new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's style, or will there be growing pains? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Roadrunners kicking off fall camp this week it's time for us to dive into this season's schedule. A relatively favorable schedule will give UTSA a chance to take an early lead in the conference championship run, but they'll first need to handle business against Texas State. We breakdown each opponent on the schedule, highlighting the most important games on the docket. Want to unlock all of our season preview content? Join us for a free month on Patreon at this link: https://www.patreon.com/alamodomeaudible/redeem/EDAA2 Video: https://youtu.be/eDJchjL_N1o 0:00 Intro: season stakes for Jeff Traylor & UTSA 3:12 AAC race wide open entering 2026 6:26 Vegas win total & schedule strength 10:38 vs. UTRGV 18:22 at Texas State 24:13 at Texas 26:02 vs. Colorado State 32:38 at Rice 37:32 vs. South Florida 44:04 vs. Navy 46:15 at Tulane 50:19 at Florida Atlantic 53:19 vs. North Texas 57:29 at UAB 1:01:08 vs. Tulsa 1:04:33 Season outlook & win total prediction Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next up in our 2026 Rice Football opponent previews: Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane notched a historic upset over Oklahoma State last fall, but otherwise had an up-and-down debut season under new head coach Tre Lamb. Sideline reporter Jeremie Poplin joins the show this week to talk about what's changed with the program over the last several months and expectations for Tulsa football in 2026 and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In one of his final appearances as the managing editor of Inside Texas, Joe Cook sits down with Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven to preview the 2026 Texas Longhorns football season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Texas Longhorns have had success against their biggest rival over the last few seasons, holding the Oklahoma Sooners without an offensive touchdown and running away with the rivalry. However, this may be the most complete Oklahoma squad we have seen under Brent Venables. To help us unpack this edition of the Sooners, we bring back friend of the show Kamiar Mehrabian to give his expert opinion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fall camp is here, and it's time to dive into everything surrounding the 2026 UTEP football team. In this special preview episode hosted by Adrian Broaddus and Zay Galindo, we break down the 25 biggest storylines that will shape the Miners' season as they prepare for their first campaign in the Mountain West. From position battles and impact transfers to breakout candidates, coaching decisions, and season-defining questions, we cover every angle heading into camp. Which newcomers are ready to make an immediate impact? Who needs to step up? And what will it take for UTEP to exceed expectations in a new conference? Whether you're a die-hard Miner fan or getting caught up before kickoff, this episode gets you ready for everything to watch as fall camp begins. Topics include: The biggest offensive and defensive storylines Key position battles Transfer portal additions and newcomers Players poised for breakout seasons Coaching and scheme questions Mountain West expectations What success looks like for the 2026 Miners Subscribe to Paydirt Pulse for in-depth UTEP football coverage all season long. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven are joined by Matthew Bartlett, the editor behind AtTheRoost (your number one source for all Rice athletics news), to preview the 2026 Rice Owls season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the glaring losses on the Texas Longhorns' schedule a year ago was a frustrating loss to the Florida Gators. The Longhorns went to the swamp with high hopes for SEC play and walked away with a conference loss, that would eventually keep them out of the playoffs. With a new regime bringing the Gators to Austin, what can we expect from them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven are joined by Jakob Rodriguez, host of the Squarin' Around Texas State Sports Podcast, to preview the Bobcats first season in the Pac-12! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next up in our 2026 Rice Football opponent previews: Tulane. The Green Wave look a lot different than they did the last time they met the Owls on the gridiron. A controversial coaching hire juxtaposed against an impressive roster makes this team one of the hardest to forecast in the American Conference this season. Our friends from the Uptown Update Podcast stop by to give their take on the program right now and whether or not those offseason concerns have merit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven are joined by Ryan Monceaux, the publisher of GoCoogs.com, for a full preview for the 2026 Houston Cougars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Texas Longhorns narrowly escaped Starkville with a win a year ago, but this Mississippi State team has a new look. Replaced coordinators and transferred-in players means that Mississippi State has room to make a statement or put a nail in Jeff Lebby's coffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this must-listen episode of the Dave Campbell's College Football Podcast, Between Two Bears Co-host Matt Wilson momentarily ends his hiatus to preview the 2026 Baylor football season with Craven and Carter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We take a break from our 2026 Rice Football opponent previews for a special American Conference Media Days recap with friend of the podcast Steve Helwick from Underdog Dynasty. Matthew and Steven go through all 14 teams in the conference, sharing what we learned from them in Tampa as well as key storylines around the league right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Texas Longhorns return a ton of defensive production from last year, but have to apply that talent to a new system. New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp brings a new front and a new mentality to the Forty Acres. What can we expect from the returning talent in a system that may be built for them to shine? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Texas Longhorns have some turnover in the trenches, but may have leveled up after adding two of the most-coveted linemen from the transfer portal. Statistics show that Arch Manning's production skyrocketed after the Longhorns got the right grouping up front in 2025. Can the current group keep that trajectory? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Conference for Old Men is back for season 3! After a 2-month break, welcome to our first 2026 offseason interview episode (#81). The 3 Old Men return with a bang, as we sit down and chat with former UH player and now UH MBB Player Development Assistant, Ryan Elvin.  We cover things far and wide as we dive into Ryan's background, his journey as a former walk-on, his rise to cult hero status at UH after icing the NCAA tourney win over A&M in 2024, and his time on the UH coaching staff.  We bring a depth and insight into Ryan's background & perspective that you won't find anywhere else! - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube Page; we're also available via Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network feed as their only basketball-centric offering. - Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/ or https://www.youtube.com/@GoCoogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next up in our 2026 Rice Football opponent previews: Temple. The first-ever meeting between the Philadelphia-based and Houston-based Owls comes in a potentially pivotal Year-2 for a pair of head coaches: K.C. Keeler at Temple and Scott Abell at Rice. 247Sports' Ryan Wallen joins the show to talk us through the latest with Temple and what to expect with their program under Keeler moving forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven sit down with Billy Embody, who covers the SMU Mustangs for On3, for a deep dive on the Hilltop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Texas Longhorns landed one of the biggest portal targets this offseason, bringing Cam Coleman to the Forty Acres to give the offense a high-end receiving threat. He's paired with Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley to round out a receiving group that could give Texas its best chance to have an explosive threat heading into a pivotal season. What do we expect from this group, and how can it propel the Texas offense to its goals in 2026? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We follow up on our recent book review of "Still Undefeated: How UTSA Football Went from Forbidden to Significant" by having the co-authors of the book join the show to discuss their creative process and a few stories from the early days of UTSA Football. Brad Parrott served as a Senior Assistant Athletic Director during the program's formative years, while Jim Goodman joined him as the Associate Athletic Director in the lead up to the first game. Tune in to this episode for a deep dive into the program's history, then go pick up a copy of this excellent book. Video: https://youtu.be/jTYkrQgG7oY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our 2026 Conference Previews march on, this time with a bit more military flair. Omar-Rashon Borja or Redshirt Sports and AsForFootball joins the show this week to talk about the latest happenings at West Point. Is Jeff Monken going to be there forever? And what about that surprise 12-win season? He and Matt sift through the good and bad as they look forward to the 2026 season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven sit down with JD Davis, the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the North Texas Eagle, to preview the 2026 UNT football season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Texas Longhorns lost the top four running backs from last year's team, but have seemingly gone all-in on a pair of runners that they think can take them to the next level. The duo of Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown were two of the top RBs in the transfer portal, and seemingly come to Texas with hopes to increase their championship potential and NFL Draft stock. Can their explosive playmaking ability help get Texas over the hump? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven welcome Jared Kalmus from the Alamo Audible to preview the 2026 UTSA Roadrunners season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we continue our march toward the season, we continue our reverse-order previews and land on the Missouri Tigers. After meeting regularly in the Big 12, the two former foes met just one time in the last 10 years, a Texas Bowl win in two previous eras for both teams. The Longhorns are now in the SEC with a new coaching staff and the Tigers are building a lasting threat in the conference. What can we expect from the Tigers in 2026, with a refreshed core of players and a coaching staff looking to rework itself? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven sit down with Rob Breaux to talk Big 12, Brendan Sorsby, and all things Texas Tech for the 2026 season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We begin our summer self-scouting with the man everyone can't help but talk about: Texas quarterback Arch Manning. It's undeniable that Manning started the 2025 campaign on a low note, struggling against Ohio State and playing well below expectations. However, as the season went on, and Texas figured out its offensive line, Manning's production shot up and he ended the season with two of his best games. Heading into what most assume is his final year in Austin, what is fair to expect from the former No. 1 quarterback? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven sit down with Jamie Plunkett, who covers TCU for HornedFrogBlitz and 247 Sports, to preview the 2026 Horned Frogs season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We continue our march through the summer, working through the Texas Longhorns' schedule as we prepare for the 2026 season. This week, we dive in on the LSU Tigers with the help of Louis Johnson of The Last Word on Sports. What are the expectations for Lane Kiffin in Year 1? How do fans feel about the attention that comes with that coach? And what did Kiffin like about the defense that led him to retain the defensive coordinator? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our 2026 Conference Previews roll on here at the Roost Pod, with the first leg of the . . . [Owl Cup? The RivOWLry? we'll workshop it]. Robbie Lastella of the FAU Owls Nest joins Matt and Carter to talk, surprise, FAU! With the South Florida Owls coming off a 4-8 season under Zach Kittley, there's surprising optimism in Boca Raton because . . . well, they actually have continuity, in a way that almost nobody else in the conference does. Can Kittley and Caden Veltkamp take FAU to the next level? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven are nervous nellies today, breaking down all the biggest concerns for every P4 program in Texas. (INTRO – 13:50) Texas Longhorns and World Cup Talk (13:50 – 19:50) Texas A&M (19:50 – 25:30) Texas Tech (25:30 – 33:25) Baylor (33:25 – 38:00) TCU (38:00 – 43:15) Houston (43:15 – END) SMU and more World Cup talk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2026 American Conference previews roll on, as Matt and Carter welcome on Friend of the Roost Pod (formal title) Jared Kalmus of the Alamo Audible for his record-breaking sixth guest spot. Longtime listeners will know that means it's time to talk Roadrunners! What are the vibes with Jeff Traylor and UTSA these days? Can Owen McCown summon the spirit of Frank Harris and finally lead the team to greater success in the American? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Each summer, we preview the teams on the Texas Longhorns' schedule, starting with Week 12 and working backward toward the start of the season. We start with the Texas A&M Aggies, who are coming off a historic season and a trip to the College Football Playoff, the most successful season in modern history for the team. They return a ton of high-level skill talent but are rebuilding on the offensive line, hoping to be buoyed by a stout, experienced defensive unit. What are the expectations for the Aggies in Year 3 under Mike Elko with a new offensive coordinator and an experienced quarterback? And what A&M tradition would Jay sacrifice for a National Championship? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven break down the Brendan Sorsby saga for the final time - from all angles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the third time in a row and the fifth time in six years, the Texas Longhorns can officially say they have the best athletic department in the country. Texas's performance in the Track and Field Championships, while underwhelming, along with the baseball team's trip to Omaha, were enough to officially bring the trophy back to Austin. We also dive in on the Longhorns' performance in the opening weekend of the Men's College World Series, the two newest members of the 2027 Football Recruiting Class, and officially close the book on our commentary on the Brennen Sorsby saga. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Summer Conference Previews roll on! Matt and Carter are joined on this week's Roost Podcast by JD Davis of the North Texas Eagle. Everyone agrees that, in the wake of losing Eric Morris, Drew Mestemaker, and—*checks notes*—literally everyone else on the team and coaching staff to Oklahoma State, the Mean Green pivoted well by landing Neal Brown to lead the program. What is the former Troy and WVU head coach working with in his first year in Denton? That and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Texas Longhorns' softball may have battled back from the loser's bracket to reach the final's series, but they didn't need an extra game to top Texas Tech to hoist the National Championship trophy. Teagan Kavan was her usual Oklahoma City self, becoming the first player to earn WCWS Most Outstanding Player for a second time for her efforts from the circle, while the Longhorns' offense kept things easy for her. On the other diamond, the Texas men advanced to Omaha for the 39th time, after taking care of business against Oregon. The first game was an offensive explosion for Texas, but the pitching set the pace and ensured the Longhorns took the trip to the MCWS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Somehow it's that time of year again, so Matt and Carter are spinning up for our yearly AAC--er, AC? uh--our yearly previews of Rice's conference opponents here on the Roost Podcast! Stephen Igoe of Hoist the Colours is first up, giving us the lowdown on the ECU Pirates. Can Blake Harrell build on two years of unexpected success to break through as a conference contender this year? That and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven (INTRO – 9:00) Texas Tech unveiled as the cover of the 2026 Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine. Craven goes in depth on his process writing the story and how the Brendan Sorsby news affected the cover. (9:00 – 34:50) Should Texas Tech just walk away from the Brendan Sorsby battle? (34:50 – END) Steve Sarkisian's offseason complaint tour Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Texas Longhorns had a successful weekend on the diamond, with the baseball team advancing to the Super Regional, while the softball team overcame the loser's bracket to make the WCWS Final. The Longhorns didnt drop a single game in the regionals, cruising through the first two, but needing to gut the finale out against UCSB. In OKC, the softball team lost the opening game of the WCWS, but managed to win a doubleheader on Monday to take their spot in the final series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven break down the biggest question they still have about every Texas G6 team. (INTRO – 8:00) Can Will Windham fix Texas State's defense? (8:00 – 15:55) Can UTSA fix the road woes? (15:55 – 21:15) Who wins UNT's QB battle? (21:15 – 24:40) Can Rice's defense create more turnovers? (24:40 – 28:10) Who steps up as Sam Houston's top WR? (28:10 – END) Is QB EJ Colson what the Miners were missing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The softball team overcame a rocky start to the Super Regional before closing it out in dominant fashion, knocking off Arizona State to advance to the Women's College World Series. Texas now faces off against SEC foe Tennessee as they start to defend its title in Oklahoma City. The baseball team seemingly punted on the SEC Tournament, but still earned a No. 6 seed overall, hosting a regional for the 39th time. How do they stack up to the field? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Texas Longhorns softball team cruised through the regional round, giving up just one run through the three games in Austin. The pitching staff was lights out in the circle, while they scored 25 runs in the contest, setting up their Super Regional matchup against Arizona State. How do they match up against the red-hot Sun Devils? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven discuss the burning questions for every Power Four team in Texas. (INTRO – 12:45) Will the Will Muschamp hire work at Texas? (12:45 – 18:30) How good is Marcel Reed? (18:30 – 24:45) What's Texas Tech's ceiling if Sorsby is ineligible? (24:45 – 29:30) Does DJ Lagway have weapons around him at Baylor? (29:30 – 36:30) What version of Makhi Hughes does Houston get? (36:30 – 39:30) Can TCU cut down on turnovers and increase its rushing output? (39:30 – END) Can SMU's homegrown recruits turn into proven playmakers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven give their hottest takes and predictions for the 2026 CFB Season. (INTRO – 6:50) Big 12 Championship will be between two Texas teams (6:50 – 14:50) Texas State wins the Pac-12 (15:30 – 20:00) Three Texas teams make the College Football Playoff (20:00 – 33:00) Brendan Sorsby plays in 2026 (33:00 – 43:45) Dave Aranda makes it to the end of the season (43:45 – End) Steve Sarkisian is not the Texas HC in 2027 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices