Playoff dark horses An expanded College Football Playoff means a bigger reward for surprising teams that go from unranked in the preseason to vying for a spot in the top 10. Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports joins AP's Ralph Russo to run through so teams that could exceed expectations in 2024 and earn a place in the first 12-team playoff. The Atlantic Coast Conference seems especially loaded with wild cards from Miami to newcomer SMU ..read more

Mock NFL draft What will happen after the Chicago Bears take USC quarterback Caleb Williams No. 1 overall in next week's NFL draft? AP's national NFL Writer Rob Maaddi joins Ralph Russo to go through his mock draft, which includes a bunch of wheeling and dealing, four more quarterbacks being selected after Williams and a total of 10 offensive line going in the first round. Maaddi explains why Heisman winner Jayden Daniels might be the right fit for the Commanders at No. 2 and how the Patriots can take a circuitous route to acquire additional picks and still get their quarterback of the future ..read more

Where is this all going in college football? A proposed Super League model for college football, which is A) DOA and B) not really a super league, has been floating around for a few months. While that idea isn't viable, where college football is heading is very much a question that needs answers. Andy Staples from On3 joins AP's Ralph Russo to consider not just whether a Super League is on the horizon. That answer is almost certainly yes, but what are the various ways it could come together? Is it just a SEC/Big Ten arms race? Or could those conferences also be vulnerable to being broken up ..read more

BC coach Bill O'Brien and CFP optimism Bill O'Brien has had a crazy offseason, leaving the Patriots when Bill Belichik was forced out, going to Ohio State to become offensive coordinator and then landing in February at Boston College as the head coach. At a time when we here a lot about how coaches are fleeing the chaotic world of college football, why did O'Brien come back? Plus, Steven Godfrey of the Split Zone Duo podcast is excited and optimistic about the 12-team College Football Playoff. He spells out why ..read more

Adjusting projections; Interview with Troy coach Gerad Parker ESPN's preseason SP+ projections have 13 of the top 15 teams in the country in either the Big Ten or the Southeastern Conference. Bill Connelly, the brains behind SP+, joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss the projections and what they portend in the first year of super conferences and a 12-team playoff. Plus, how the Big Ten and SEC are starving the rest of college football. Also, Troy coach Gerad Parker joins the show to discuss his move from offensive coordinator at Notre Dame to the two-time defending Sun Belt champions. Ralph's s ..read more

Who are the best coaches in college football? Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel of The Athletic join AP's Ralph Russo to discuss their rankings of the Top 25 coaches in college football right now. The retirement of Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh moving on to the NFL and a few down years by Dabo Swinney have opened up more than a few spots in the near the top of the rankings, opening the door for coaches such as Lance Leipold of Kansas and Kalen DeBoer, Saban's replacement who just led Washington to the national championship game. And how will expectations on coaches change in college football's new ..read more

Post-combined draft talk and CFP shenanigans The NFL Draft combine in the the rearview mirror and the is about a month and half left before the actual draft. Eric Edholm from NFL.com joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss what was learned at the combine and what to make of USC QB Caleb Williams choosing not to be evaluated by every teams' medical staff. Plus, this offensive line class is loaded. Then in Three-and-Out, Russo explains why the Big Ten and SEC's CFP power play is unnecessary and not in the best interest of college football ..read more

Why the CFP is expanding already The first 12-team College Football Playoff hasn't even been played yet and the conference commissioners who run the CFP are talking about adding more teams. How did we get here so soon? Nicole Auerbach from The Athletic joins AP's Ralph Russo to discuss how the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference are throwing their weight around and how the playoff that was revealed in 2021 ..read more

Does ESPN have too much control of college football?   ESPN is moving toward a deal to have sole ownership of the expanded College Football Playoff through the 2031 season. Is that good for college football? Bryan Curtis, sports media writer for The Ringer, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the impact of college football’s splintered media rights been deals, with Fox being all in on the Big Ten and ESPN being the exclusive home of the SEC and ACC. The leaders of the CFP hoped to have an NFL-style media deal for its postseason with multiple networks involved. Instead, ESPN will remain i ..read more

Are coaches really fleeing to the NFL?   When Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley decided to quit his job and take a new one as defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, it inspired more than a few takes that the move was a red flag for the state of college football and that an exodus of quality coaches was something to fear. Max Olson of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the potential brain drain and why coaches jumping from college to the NFL might not be worth worrying about. Also, trying to identify the next Jayden Daniels or Bo Penix among this year’s transfer q ..read more