Against the Grain

We began our episode with a HUGE SHOUTOUT to Gael Ochoa (congrats on making the cover) and his legendary performance in the 49-51 thriller for our Owls against FAU!

The crew offered insight into the NFL, reflecting on whether the Seahawks sufficiently bounced back against the Chiefs. Neil emphasizes that his Broncos are legit and are destined to win the division ahead of the Chiefs. Cole and MJ go over whether the Giants are legit and if the Texans are actually cooked after another loss (I think Julian would say they are). What is happening to the Colts? After being seen as a potential Super Bowl team at this point last year, they are looking to blow the whole team up in trades.

In our game segment, we looked into some controversial Fantasy Football players thus far and our advice on whether to buy or sell them. Andrew offered great stats to back up buying Chase Brown while his stock is low, while Neil emphasized selling AJ Brown immediately. This and much more advice in a segment that offers great value to any fantasy managers.

In our first CFB segment of the year, we went over teams we thought are contenders and those who are disappointments. Jacob takes a deep dive into the Lincoln Riley situation and expresses concern over USC’s current predicament, both now and in the future, in an ever-changing college landscape.

The NBA segment continues where the last one left off, as we agreed it needed more time. There have been several surprises since the start of the season, including Ty Jerome’s rise (which Jackson doesn’t believe in), the Rockets' fiery start, and the Heat’s failure, which Seth continues to point fun at. David offers insight into the rookie race while Cole mentions that Caleb Wilson deserves a spot in the conversation.

To end off our episode, Jacob brings back his crowd favorite haiku poem. A farewell to the MLB season where uncertainty looms he reflects on another season in the books and his sorrow for the sport he claims to have once known.

In the seventh episode of Against the Grain, we began with the Fall Classic, aka the World Series. The crew discussed whether this would be a "small market" WS or draw a crowd, considering they were both the No. 1 seeds in their respective leagues. Seth, Andrew, MJ, and Jackson each went over what each team needed for their keys to victory.

In another edition of "More or Less," we stayed on the topic of baseball, with the team trying to estimate regular-season stats for players on the World Series teams. Despite my best efforts to thwart their momentum, the team slipped past and pulled off a sneaky win, even though I had promised to make the game difficult.

The NBA did not disappoint with a crazy first slate of games, just as our segment did not disappoint in covering all of these headlines. As Jackson declares the Mavericks' season is already over, the Rockets looked alive with the return of VanVleet. Seth was intending to go on a full ramble (poor Nikola) on each of these teams, but alas, time was not on his side. Andrew did not like the disrespect LeBron offered to Jackson and emphasized that the king is still here.

Neil and Cole led the way in the weekly NFL recap, targeting the LA teams and hitting the panic button. Josh Allen was called a "gimmick master" (I'm sure Joshua would have had some words) as the team favors Purdy as the current MVP.

To end the episode, Cole emphasizes his disgust regarding Jaden McDaniels' inflated contract as Neil proclaims Connor McDavid as the greatest athlete of all time (quite the take). In a super jammed-packed episode, there is surely something for everyone!

After spending our first five weeks covering the NFL and MLB, the NBA slowly crept into the scene and made a huge splash. NBA connoisseur David makes his long-awaited return, leading the team's NBA season coverage with major news that sent shockwaves across the league: the NBA banning certain types of sports betting (Jackson was devastated). The team also covered which NBA teams have the most pressure to win a championship this year, and dished out "hot" takes that turned out to be mild (GLowe and Fox would have had a feast).

In the brand-new game "More or Less," the team had to determine the values of NBA players for the upcoming season. Although I had thought the questions were on the harder end, it turns out that our team has too much knowledge in such a niche area that they succeeded in getting past my antics.

In another weekly NFL recap, the team discussed the falloff of the LA teams (which seemed like a very targeted conversation) and their concern about Sam Darnold returning to "pumpkin" form. Seth shares some wisdom about the Vikings still being a legit playoff team despite their horrendous offense, and Andrew laments the bleak outlook for his Eagles team as they look to start 4th-string RB Dameon Pierce.

To conclude the episode, we brought on Rice Women's Soccer player and special guest Jordyn Mariam! As the Lady Owls aim to push for a strong end to the season, Jordyn offers not only insight into these last few games but also a reflection on her 4 years at Rice. Listen in to hear her amazing story!

We started off the show in an unusual manner. The NHL has returned, and with that, our experts Seth, Neil, and Cole (new addition!) all came out to showcase their takes on what to expect from the new season. There were a lot of takes in this segment, so don't miss out on what we have to say!

We played the popular internet game "Wavelength". The team did a great job of providing elite hints to Seth to help them succeed as a team.

In our weekly NFL segment, we covered the remaining 3-0 teams and wondered how both the Vikings and the Raiders have found success so far this season. Some of the takes here were very hot and certainly questionable. MJ had a field day with the soundboard and showed no mercy, attacking fellow Giants fan Cole with his takes.

The MLB Wild Card Series has ended, and we offered reactions on how it shook out, without disappointment in the Astros and Red Sox for not putting up a fight.

We brought back our beloved "Quick Hit" segment with Seth reigniting his passion for the "Nine saga" and Cole debriefing the Jalen Duren situation. Not a second was missed in these show-stopping performances, so tune in to hear their opinions!

We kicked off our show with our now-weekly NFL Recap. Inside the coverage, we were debating which of these 2-0 teams we believe are legit and which are certified frauds (there was some good debate over some of these verdicts). We then went over some possible concerns regarding the 0-2 teams, such as the Texans (big yikes), Bucs, and Chargers.

Our "Wheel of Categories" game involved a very interesting turn of events (no spoilers, sorry) that ended up shaking the show as we know it. There were some deep pulls and miracles pulled off, so take a listen to see our ball knowledge at full display.

We concluded the episode with one of the longest MLB segments in our show's history, going over every single Wild Card matchup and some bonus coverage for the Rangers & Astros playoff race to secure the worst division winner in MLB history.

We covered a lot of content in this juggernaut episode, and to think we did it with only three people in the studio. You have to hear it to believe it!

After witnessing the highest scoring NFL Week 1 ever, the crew came back and analyzed what really went on in these matchups. How on Earth did the Bears score 59 points? How did the Texans' defense let up 36 points? Will Neil ever have a correct take again? All the questions will be answered in our Week 1 NFL Recap!

Following the NFL theme, we split the crew into Neil & Andrew vs. Seth & Joshua for the game "Ten Words or Less," where they attempted to describe 5 players from across the league.

In our first-ever edition of "Keep or Sell," the crew went through seven key NFL Fantasy players that underperformed this past week. There were definitely a few interesting takes and some areas of concern for players drafted in the first rounds of your draft.

We concluded our episode with special guest and Rice Legend Gus Gannon! Holding several school records in indoor and outdoor long-distance events, he went behind the scenes on what it means to be a D1 athlete at Rice. He shares several of his best memories from his time at Rice and offers an outlook on the upcoming season! Tune in to listen to his story!

With the return of MJ & Jackson, we began the episode with a bit of card collectors' jargon. As we agreed, if they make a profit in the end, we can't judge.

Today, we began the episode with an NFL Week 1 review of both the Patriots v. Seahawks and the 49ers v. Rams. The crew had a lot to say about each of the losing teams, so tune in to hear their critiques! Joshua, Andrew, and Neil all shared their Super Bowl teams and award favorites. We then transitioned into a full recap of Week 1 of College Football. With the BIG 10 looking shaky in their first week, we turned to the SEC to highlight their best teams and who may emerge as a contender. Neil and Seth tested our new "Initials Game" (for your sake, skip round 1) in the battle of the ball knowledge giants. We then transitioned to an MLB end-of-season analysis, with a bit of an awards and Playoff preview.

Jackson concluded our episode with the Women's FIBA World Cup as we recapped the US's successful run with what he calls "The Dream Team". As per custom, we went through our predictions with a concerning amount of UT hate as we ended the episode with a strong series of jokes.

As we brush off the dust from the summer, we begin a NEW SEASON of KTRU Against the Grain! In this new season, we welcome many familiar faces (Neil, Seth, Jacob) and some newcomers (Andrew & Joshua). Although we will miss our graduated members, we strive to continue their legacy as we grow the podcast!

Today, we previewed the NFL season (which is less than a week away) with our insight on Division Leaders, Sleeper teams, and Frauds (as always, Neil puts these poor teams on blast)! We immediately tested the ball knowledge of Joshua, one of the newest members of the podcast, as he faced up against hotshot Neil in a duel of wits. Rice has also just started its inaugural year for the Residential College Fantasy Football League. We dive into and give some harsh scores to our fellow colleagues as the pressure is on for these GMs!

As always, we finish the episode with a dramatic 49ers and Rams quick hits and the return of underdog predictions! This was a football-stacked episode as we showed our excitement for the greatest season of the year!

We are less than 50 days away from the BIGGEST sporting event in the WORLD. The World Cup is coming to the US, Mexico, and Canada starting on June 11th and going until July 19th. Our crew today (Julian, Andrew, Max, and Jacob) gives an in-depth breakdown of the top teams at the tournament, a group stage preview, and a solemn brief on the state of the US Men's National Team. There are many questions answered in this behemoth of an episode, with several goodies for you to enjoy. No matter where you are, tune in for this episode and turn out for a game close to you, as this will be an unforgettable experience.

In our final episode of the semester, we look back on a great year of Against The Grain. From great takes and total misses to unforgettable quotes and memorable moments, we recap the highlights from all of last year! Tune in to hear our end-of-the-year awards segment ("The Grainies")!!

After looking inward, we turn our attention to what was an unbelievable 1st round draft night. Who were the biggest steals of the evening? Which teams reached too far? Why are Jacob's Rams getting absolutely flamed? Listen in to hear the rant of the year from Neil and much more.

In our final game of the year, team captains Seth and Neil square off in another wheel of categories duel. What happened to Garret and David's brains? I couldn't tell you.

It was a great episode. It was a great year. We'll miss the hours of preparation that went into the show each week. We'll miss getting way off topic in production meetings. We'll miss yelling at each other over egregious takes. But, most of all, we'll miss the people who helped make this a show.

Sincerely, Garret Lowe and Ian Kleppinger