College Football Playoff Preview Can Michigan bully its way to a national title? Can Alabama’s offensive line let Jalen Milroe shine? Can Texas’ defensive line outmuscle Washington? Can Michael Penix and Rome Odunze exploit the Longhorns’ secondary? Cole Cubelic of ESPN, the SEC Network and the Mac and Cube Show on WJOX in Alabama joins AP’s Ralph Russo to preview the College Football Playoff. Michigan faces Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Washington meets Texas on the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.

Bowl preview Bowl season is here, and the value of a bowl game has never been more unclear. Not just to the players and coaches, but to AP poll voters. Matt Brown from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss how he might go about factoring in the results of bowl games into his final Top 25 after the national champion is crowned. Also, can there really be a split national champion if Florida State is the only unbeaten team at the end of the year? Plus, Matt and Ralph roll through t...

CFP scenarios aplenty!Heading into conference championship weekend, we have never had more playoff contenders and possible permutations and intriguing potential scenarios. Andy Staple from On3 joins AP’s Ralph Russo to sort through them all. Alabama is the biggest wild card. Chaos is largely dependent on the Crimson Tide upsetting Georgia. There is some mystery to Florid State as it soldiers on without Jordan Travis. Who ya got: Oregon or Texas? Ralph’s story on the path to the CFP for e...

An Ohio State-Michigan like never before There has never been a game quite like this Michigan-Ohio State, dripping with storylines and intrigue. Ari Wasserman from The Athletic and the Until Saturday podcast joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about one topic that has many layers: Ohio State vs. Michigan. The sign-stealing scandal. What exactly will be Michigan’s punishment? Can Michigan really be punished? What’s at stake for Ohio State? What’s at stake for Ryan Day? What’s a more interestin...

Jimbo’s out; Michigan takes the Big Ten to court. Texas A&M paid $75 million to fire coach Jimbo Fisher. What’s next at College Station? Richard Johnson from Sports Illustrated and the Split Zone Duo podcast joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss the fallout from the Aggies coaching move and what A&M AD Ross Bjork might be signaling with his comments about who’s decision it was. San Diego State, Boise State and Mississippi State are now in the coaching market, too. Michigan and the Bi...

There is a lot going on off the field in college football, almost all of it with Michigan. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the latest with the Michigan sign-stealing scandal. It’s an evolving story but we try to sort out where things are heading and whether Jim Harbaugh will be on the sideline this weekend against Penn State. Also, USC finally cut the cord with defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, James Madison is ramping up its pitch to get into the postseas...

Dabo’s defense and what’s next at Michigan? Clemson coach Dabo Swinney had the type of volatile interaction with an upset fan that only college football can produce. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports joins AP’s Ralph Russo to discuss Swinney defending himself on his weekly radio show and whether he was right to get his dander up? Then Dan and Ralk dive into the Michigan sign-stealing scandal to try to decipher what to make of where things stand, where it’s going and Jim Harbaugh’s future.

Penn State’s predicament and Michigan’s mess James Franklin and Penn State are still chasing elite. But what is the value of mere excellence, a status plenty of Penn State’s peer program have flailed around trying to get to over the last decade or so? Andy Staples from On3 joins AP’s Ralph Russo for a long discussion about Penn State’s place in the world, why it might change as college football changers and why maybe we shouldn’t be so dismissive of the ability to “win the games you’re s...

Going for it and Penn State-Ohio State preview After Washington beat Oregon in game that turned, in part, on three critical fourth-down plays by the Ducks, when to go for it became a national talking point. AP’s Ralph Russo is a big supporter of four-down football. John Walters, former and recovering sports writer with Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports, take a less analytical approach. Ralph and John talk out Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s decision and try to find common ground between...

Hot seat check-in and Oregon-Washington preview Midway through the season, it’s time to take the temperature of coaching situations around the country. Matt Fortuna from The Inside Zone and The Independent Podcast and AP’s Ralph Russo dive into the state of Notre Dame after the Fighting Irish lost again and discuss which coaches have played their way on and off hot seats. Also, Geoff Schwartz of Fox Sports and SiriusXM joins the show to preview Saturday’s Pac-12 showdown between No...