The Republic of Football

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

The Texas Longhorns avenged some regular-season SEC struggles with wins over Georgia and Alabama to claim the SEC Tournament championship and lock down one of the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Now, Texas has an opportunity to host the first two rounds, potentially taking on rival Texas A&M if they both manage to advance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In just its second year of official competition, the Texas Beach Volleyball team reached the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, falling in a nail-biter to eventual champion UCLA. However, Texas racked up plenty of other postseason hardware in the win. We also dive in on the baseball team positioning itself for its postseason run and the softball team closing out the regular season home schedule with a win. å Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven break down Craven's final summer magazine stops! (INTRO – 20:00): Texas A&M spring magazine stop inside scoop (20:00 – 39:00): Texas spring magazine stop inside scoop (39:00 – END): Baylor spring magazine stop inside scoop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UTSA's Spring Game returned to the Alamodome as the Roadrunner faithful got their first look at the 2026 roster. Jared was in attendance to take stock of new additions to the program and assess how young players developing. Tune in to hear which position groups surprised, and which may still be cause for concern as we look towards the future. Video: https://youtu.be/bL-guDDRUz8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Beach Volleyball team, as expected, grabs its first conference championship, setting itself up as the No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Can they get a trophy and bolster the Longhorns' chances at a Director's Cup? On the diamond, the pitchers got their act together, for the most part, and both the baseball and softball teams got back to their winning ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven host an emergency podcast to break down news of Brendan Sorsby entering treatment for a gambling addiction, what he's accused of, and how it affects Texas Tech's 2026 season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You missed us, didn't you? Admit it. Good news--Matt and Carter are back to fill the Roost Podcast-shaped hole in your heart (for now) with a stuffed episode looking back on the Owls' second spring under Scott Abell. We take a position-by-position look at the roster and whether we're buying or selling an optimistic take on each position. That's all for now, but don't worry--the summer previews are fast approaching. ;) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates interviews senior writer Mike Craven about his spring football magazine visits at Texas Tech, SMU and Sam Houston (INTRO – 22:30) Texas Tech inside scoop, can Texas Tech make the CFP and have a better showing? (22:30 – 45:00) TCU inside scoop, life without Josh Hoover, how's the new offensive coordinator looking? ( 45:00 – END) Sam Houston inside scoop, why the Bearkats can make a leap in Year 2 of the Phil Longo era Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Texas Men's Tennis Team won its second consecutive SEC Championship, setting up a top seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Can they parlay that success into a national title? On the diamond, the baseball and softball teams couldn't fully shrug off their struggles, but both managed to win the weekend series. What is still left on the table for Texas to fix? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Episode #80 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. This is our 1st offseason episode of season three.  And just as in the previous two years, the 3 old men discuss the major portal commitments and roster decisions made after one week of the portal season.  The Houston coaching staff clearly had a plan and executed it well, retaining all three top returning players and identifying and locking down four impact portal additions.  The coaching staff has constructed a roster that will be rich in offensive firepower and size, deep in D1 experience, and back to the "Dawg Mentality" that was missing this past season.  Add two elite freshmen into the mix, and UH has the potential recipe for another run for the Final 4 and a national championship next year. So we'll kick things off with our thoughts on the transfer portal additions: Thomas, Gillespie, Hadnot, and East.  Then take a look at how we each see rotations playing out going into next season.  And then we'll close things off by taking a quick look at how some of our counterparts in the XII fared so far in the Portal ahead of next season. - Photo by Lynden Taft - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube page; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network as their only basketball-centric offering. - Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven discuss Craven's inside scoop from SMU, North Texas and Rice spring football practice. (INTRO – 20:30) SMU spring practice intel (20:30 – 38:00) North Texas spring practice intel (38:00 – END) Rice spring practice intel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL Draft is around the corner, and there are several Texas Longhorns hoping to hear their names called during the three-day process. To help give some insight into what we should expect from the draft, we welcome back Ryan McCrystal of Sharp Football Analysis to give us insights into where some of our favorites will land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senior writer Mike Craven has kickstarted his Dave Campbell's summer magazine tour, and he has the inside scoop on spring football practice and season outlook for Houston, UTSA, and Texas State. (INTRO – 21:35) Texas State (21:35 – 39:40) UTSA (39:40 – END) Houston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a phenomenal season, the Texas Women's Basketball team ran into the buzz saw that was the UCLA Bruins -- a team they actually beat earlier in the season. However, UCLA's dominant defense proved to be too much for Texas and their stars, leaving them a game shy of the championship. We also dive in on the Texas Relays and the upcoming rivalry games for the baseball and softball teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Episode #79 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. UH ends its basketball season at 30-7 after a 10-point loss to Illinois in the Sweet 16.  We knew this matchup was going to be a tough one for this year's team, and Illinois made things extremely uncomfortable for the Coogs on the offensive end.  But as we turn the page to next season, Coach Kelvin Sampson reaffirmed his commitment to return for another run at that national championship.  And now the roster reloading begins. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men summarize the Sweet 16 game and weigh in on what we believe needs to occur with the roster building during the upcoming Portal Season. - 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 as their only basketball-centric offering - Photo by Lynden Taft - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Texas Women are back in the final weekend of the tournament, hoping to get over the hump that has kept Vic Scahefer from the Promised Land. They have been dominant through the first two weeks, but will face one of the most stacked teams in the country in the semifinal round, the UCLA Bruins. The Texas men didn't make it out of the second weekend, but went out with a competitive game and changed the narrative on a season that frustrated some. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Roadrunners are ramping up for an improved 2026 season as a fresh batch of transfers angle for playing time along returning veterans. We also get some early impressions from Rick Bowie's leadership of the offense. Tune in to hear us discuss initial takeaways from UTSA's first spring practices of 2026. Video: https://youtu.be/QeYBcb4_eQY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Episode #78 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. The Houston Cougars are now 30-6 after a pair of 31-point demolitions over Idaho & Texas A&M in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Once again, it's on to the Sweet 16, with Cougar fans completely spoiled by the school's 7th straight second weekend advancement.  The 3 Old Men welcome special guest Jayme Hollingsworth to provide a quick recap of the first two rounds of March Madness, then go deep in breaking down Sweet 16 opponent Illinois. We close with some thoughts on a potential Elite 8 game vs. Iowa/Nebraska. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men weigh in & discuss the Coogs' March Madness journey so far, and break down their next game(s).  - 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 as their only basketball-centric offering. - Photo by Lynden Taft - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In honor of March Madness, host Carter Yates and senior writer Mike Craven give their ideal CFP format, debate the pros and cons of each type of bracket, then discuss if the G6 conferences should make their own playoff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Texas Longhorns are one of just four schools with both the men's and women's team represented in the Sweet 16, although they took different paths to get there. The men needed a buzzer-beater in the First Four, before picking up two decisive wins over BYU and Gonzaga to advance to the second weekend of the tournament. Now they face a Purdue squad with a pair of double-digit wins under its belt in the opening weekend. Conversely, the Texas women faced no trouble in the first round, propelled by the excellence of Madi Booker and Rori Harmon. They held serve at Moody Center and now travel to Fort Worth to close out the regional as the top seed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices