AP Top 25 College Football Podcast

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What’s next for the NCAA and NIL? Jan 21, 2020

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The college football offseason is here but there is still plenty of news in college sports. This week attention turns to the NCAA convention where the hot topic will be name, image and likeness. The NCAA is trying to come up with an ideal model that would allow athletes to be paid for their fame. But ultimately it might be federal lawmakers who have the most say in what comes next. What if any news could come out of the NCAA convention this week in Southern California?Nicole Auerbach from The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about NCAA policy and the news of the week closer to the field.Will there be anyone left at LSU to defend the Tigers’ national championship after a mass exodus of players and key assistant coaches?Miami might have found a transfer quarterback to help turnaround its offense.And where does Justin Fuente stand at Virginia Tech after he talked to Baylor about its job opening?

Last Word on LSU and Looking Ahead to 2020 Jan 14, 2020

Show notes

On the final AP College Football Podcast of the 2019 season, Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg of USA Today join AP’s Ralph Russo to recap LSU’s national championship game victory against Clemson.What is Joe Burrow’s place in college football history after a record-breaking season and remarkable rise to super stardom? How about these Tigers? Is coach Ed Orgeron’s team worthy of a spot among the great in recent college football history? Plus, what to make of Trevor Lawrence’s first taste of adversity at Clemson?Then we spin it ahead to 2020. The top stories, the most interesting teams, players, rivalries and coaches, heading into next season.

CFP Championship Preview Jan 07, 2020

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The national championship comes down to Tigers vs. Tigers. No. 1 LSU will face No. 3 Clemson in New Orleans for the title. To break down the matchup, Cam Mellor, a college football analyst from Pro Football Focus, joins AP’s Ralph Russo. What is Clemson’s best route defensively to slowing down Joe Burrow and LSU’s prolific passing game? Will Trevor Lawrence need to run as much as he did against Ohio State? In a matchup of great receivers and great cornerbacks on both sides, who has the edge?Plus, a breakdown of Tua Tagovailoa’s draft stock now that we know he’s heading to the NFL.

Targeting, Conspiracy Theories and Tua Dec 31, 2019

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The last AP Top 25 College Football Podcast of 2019 is with Andy Staples of The Athletic, and the Andy Staples Show podcast. Andy and AP’s Ralph Russo talk officiating and targeting in the wake of the Clemson-Ohio State game in which a few close calls helped swing things the way of the Tigers.Andy gives his solution to change targeting and Ralph rants a little about conspiracy theories and why he tunes out complaints about officiating.Plus, what are Tua Tagovailoa’s options as he considers whether to enter the NFL draft or return to Alabama after a serious hip injury?Why, as Florida’s Dan Mullen said, is it tougher to go from 11 victories to 12 than from four to 11?And will Urban Meyer or Matt Rhule end up in the NFL?

Playoff Preview Dec 24, 2019

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No. 1 LSU and Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow face No. 4 Oklahoma and Heisman runner-up Jalen Hurts in the Peach Bowl. No. 2 Ohio State and its two Heisman finalists, Justin Fields and Chase Young, face defending national champion and No. 3 Clemson, with Trevor Lawrence, in the Fiesta Bowl. The playoff is here and it’s time to break down the matchups in each game with Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network and ESPN.What is Oklahoma’s best strategy for dealing with LSU’s unstoppable offense? Slow the game down? Or go super-aggressive and hope to win a shootout?How will Clemson deal with Young? And can Fields rise the occasion the way we have already seen Lawrence do on the biggest stage?Plus, Cole makes his semifinal and national championship game picks.

All About Recruiting Dec 17, 2019

Show notes

The early signing period is here and in just three years it has become THE signing period for college football teams. Most FBS teams will have their classes full before Christmas. Barton Simmons, scouting director for 247 Sports, joins AP’s Ralph Russo to run down what teams are cleaning up and what teams have work to do. Of course, the usual suspects are pulling in most of the five-star prospects. But it looks like an especially good year for Clemson. What’s going on in Texas with the Longhorns and Aggies? What new coaches have a chance to make a big impact in recruiting? And how does USC build toward better results when there is still so much long-term uncertainty surrounding head coach Clay Helton?

Bowl Season Preview Dec 10, 2019

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The bowl matchups are set. A marathon football feast that lasts from December to early January includes 40 games of varying quality needs an extra-long podcast to preview it all. Matt Brown, college football editor at The Athletic -- and an AP poll voter -- joins Ralph Russo on the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast’s bowl preview show. Brown and Russo hit on every game but the playoffs. (There will be plenty of time for that later.) This week, they give you a nugget on all those other games, starting in the Bahamas with Buffalo and Charlotte. There is a matchup of triple-option versus air raid. There are some struggling ACC teams that got sent to the bowl equivalent of the penalty box. Alabama is playing Michigan _ and all anybody is talking about is who may or may not play.

Championship Week Preview Dec 03, 2019

Show notes

Championship weekend is upon us, but that’s only a portion of all that is going on in college football this week. The coaching carousel has cranked up and the Heisman race will be settled as well. USA Today national college football writer Paul Myerberg joins AP’s Ralph Russo for an extra long edition of the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast to discuss why coaching searches are set up to fail, the legacy of Chris Petersen and why his surprising resignation was not so surprising. And which job is worst: Arkansas, Missouri or Mississippi?Plus, a rundown of each conference title game, the playoff ramifications and why LSU shouldn’t be a lock to make the CFP without winning the SEC title. Plus, who should be No. 2 behind Joe Burrow in the Heisman voting?

Rivalry Week Nov 26, 2019

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Are rivalries as important as they used to be in college football? With so much focus on the College Football Playoff and the sport's becoming more national, AP’s Ralph Russo worries that it’s taking away from the intensity of regional rivalries. Stephen Godfrey of the Banner Society joins the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast to talk about the state of rivalries and some of his favorite rivalry games. Plus: how perspective has gone out the window for many college football fans.

Tua’s legacy; Alabama’s CFP prospects without him Nov 19, 2019

Show notes

The College Football Playoff race took a turn when Alabama lost star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a season-ending injury last weekend. How does losing the Heisman contender effect the selection committee’s view of the Crimson Tide? And what was his legacy at Alabama?What are the most complicated scenarios that could play out over the next month? And could a difficult choice for the committee that includes leaving out two well-qualified conference champions be a catalyst to start work on playoff expansion?

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