Episodes
What are reasonable and unreasonable expectations for fanbases of some of college football's most interesting teams? Ari Wasserman is joined by The Athletic's Kennington Smith III and Ralph Russo of the Associated Press to solve what rational, and irrational, benchmarks Alabama, Michigan, Colorado, Clemson, and more should hit this season. Kenny and Ralph are subjected to an expectations lightning round before the triumvirate reveal which fanbases are the most irrational. Listen to Ralph on...
Published 06/18/24
Chris Vannini and Ari Wasserman discuss reports of the Big 12 and CUSA, among other conferences, exploring private equity investment and selling the naming rights to their conferences. Does the Allstate 12 roll off the tongue? Later, special guest Jessica Smetana, co-host of The Dan Le Betard Show and Notre Dame alumnus, hops on Until Saturday to share her takes on the vibes in South Bend. Afterward, Chris and Jessica nominate major trap games this season. From UCF-Florida to Clemson-App St.,...
Published 06/14/24
We are less than 100 days from the start of the college football season! Ari Wasserman and Chris Vannini pinpoint the year's biggest 'pressure cooker games', or the matchups that will draw the strongest overreactions from either fanbase and send supporters into a tizzy. Would the losing party in LSU-USC lose faith in their head coach after a season of heavy investment in the defensive staff? Which programs are the guys dying to play as in Dynasty Mode in the upcoming EA Sports College...
Published 06/11/24
Which national championship model is harder to emulate: Georgia's or Michigan's? Ari Wasserman and Max Olson thoroughly mull over Rodrigo A's fan-submitted question. Which programs could model themselves after either champions? Max went through the arduous task of re-ranking the 2020 recruiting class in an effort to see who REALLY won it. What did he learn from Ohio State, Michigan, Tulane, Georgia, and more? Read Max's 2020 re-ranking:...
Published 06/07/24
Chris Del Conte, athletic director at the University of Texas, gave the college football world a gem last week while on the Paul Finebaum Show. There he exclaimed just how great the Red River Shootout is compared to its new conference mates' rivalry games. So, is Texas-Oklahoma the BEST SEC rivalry game? Ari Wasserman, Max Olson, and Scott Dochterman share their thoughts on the matter as well as their favorite rivalry game experiences. We now have kick-off times for games in weeks 1-3. (We...
Published 06/04/24
Former stud Alabama running back and NFL vet Damien Harris joins Chris Vannini on today's show! Damien opens up about how his family and newborn son have helped him weather his difficult transition out of the NFL following a scary injury last season with the Buffalo Bills. He also weaves some hilarious and insightful stories about Nick Saban, his former coach. Damien opines on NIL, the transfer portal, EA Sports College Football 25, the NFL and Bill Belichick and more. Lastly, Chris tests...
Published 05/31/24
The rumors are true, we PLAYED EA Sports College Football 25...well, Chris Vannini did (Ari Wasserman definitely isn't jealous). While at a function hosted by EA Sports in Orlando, Chris had a first-account of what the gameplay is like; from the revamped running and passing mechanics to the pagentry and electric in-game atmostphere. Chris walks us through all the details he gathered about Dynasty Mode, NIL, the transfer portal, Road to Glory, and Road to the CFP. Later in the show, hear from...
Published 05/29/24
In the NEW Big 12, the one with 16 teams, separation between teams is infinitesimal. There are seven teams (nearly half the league) that are within one O/U win total of each other (per BetMGM). Sam Khan Jr. and Justin Williams use one word to describe each of the 16 conference teams to deliniate where each team is at this season. But before then, Justin takes us through House vs NCAA and where it stands. Plus, rapid fire O/U win totals for every program. Learn more about House vs NCAA:...
Published 05/24/24
Florida State head football coach Mike Norvell joins Ari Wasserman to discuss the Seminoles' approach to team building. Does Norvell believe his team's portal to high school recruiting ratio is a recipe for success? Is it sustainable? Manny Navarro, The Athletic's AuFlority, then hops on the mic to breakdown Norvell's roster construction from a analytical angle. Were FSU's portal hits more luck based, or are they the new standard for how to build a team? Later, the guys answer a voicemail...
Published 05/21/24
Ari, Chris and Max share their instant reactions to the first EA Sports NCAA 25 trailer! Chris also shares what features fans can expect in the game. You may think you know how the transfer portal and NIL works, but Manny Navarro, Chris Vannini, and Ari Wasserman tells you how it REALLY works. Manny, Chris, and several other The Athletic reporters interviewed players, coaches, and agents about how two of the most prevelant yet perplexing topics in college sports. How do programs recruit...
Published 05/17/24
One of Until Saturday's most dedicated listeners, Sad Husker Nate, did it again. He left another gem of a question for Ari Wasserman, Sam Khan Jr., and Mitch Light on the Until Saturday Phone Line (316-462-9852): Who's on our Mount Rushmore of CFB Villains? The trio go meta with some of their choices (like the Pac-12's cognoscenti that destroyed the conference), but weren't bashful about naming some names (like Michigan's Jim Harbaugh). Baylor is gambling on Dave Aranda after consecutive...
Published 05/14/24
We asked you, Until Saturday and college football fans alike, to weigh in on Ari Wasserman's Post-Spring Top-25 rankings. Ari takes fan feedback on his list as well as input from Chris Vannini, who joins him on today's show. Why was Utah ranked so low? Was a Group of 5 team considered, and a fan thinks Ari's story was DISGUSTINGLY...rational? Plus, Brian Kelly, Spencer Danielson, and more coaches spoke openly about certain aspects of their school's NIL approach. Some of what was said wasn't...
Published 05/10/24
Ari Wasserman is joined by Max Olson and Dan Wetzel, Yahoo Sports sports writer extraordinaire and 1/3 of the 'College Football Enquirer' podcast, to discuss his post-spring top-25 rankings. Which teams are ranked too high, too low, not at all? We want to hear your thoughts about Ari's rankings, so call the Until Saturday phone line and leave a voicemail (or text): 316-462-9852. Plus, Dan attempts to explain new emerging details about the NCAA's compensation model. Rundown: - Compensation...
Published 05/07/24
A vortex of social media activity ensued after Tuesday's podcast with Max Olson (which can be found in your feed). Multiple ex-Colorado players spoke with Max about their experience being cut from the program when Deion Sanders took over, and those thoughts were shared on this show. Since then, Deion and Shedeur Sanders have responded to some of those former players who aired their thoughts on social media. Ari Wasserman and Sam Khan Jr. weigh in on what has been said by Prime and others....
Published 05/03/24
What happened to Colorado's players that weren't deemed to be Louis? Max Olson takes us behind the scenes of 20 Buffaloes players that were cast off when Deion Sanders took over the Boulder based program. Ari Wasserman and Chris Vannini then discuss the buzz about a Group of 5 playoff. Is a postseason imminent for the G5? What's incoming AAC commissioner Tim Pernetti's philosophy compared to Mike Arresco, and what's Ari's biggest sticking point in this? Do college football fans still follow...
Published 04/30/24
Ari Wasserman and Chris Vannini sat down right after the NFL Draft to share their biggest takeaways from Thursday night. Michael Penix Jr. and Atlanta is a curious case, but the dude can rip the football. J.J. McCarthy left an impression on Ari as a teenager in high school, but will his spunk and skillset translate? Bo Nix, Penix, and McCarthy all being selected in the top-12 has us wondering, are NFL teams terrified of next year's crop of college quarterbacks? The wide receivers in this...
Published 04/26/24
Ari Wasserman welcomes Bruce Feldman to the podcast ahead of the NFL Draft to analyze prospects he believes are polarizing based on their body of work in college. Ari questions Michigan QB's J.J. McCarthy's draft stock, which has soared to astronomical heights. Bruce shares his opinion as well as that NFL sources and CFB head coaches to provide a comprehensive picture of what the NFL community thinks of McCarthy, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Brock Bowers, and more. Plus, who are some of...
Published 04/23/24
The spring portal continues to rewrite the record books. Max Olson joins Ari to contextualize data, trends, and share his portal intel. Shilo Sanders' social media post directing transfers to message him or his brother, Shedeur, drew skepticism from college football fans. Was too much made of Sanders' invitation? Ari believes so, while Max thinks this was a smart way to circumvent tampering rules. The Portal Authority shares his thoughts on RBs Alton McCaskill and Damien Martinez, CB Tacario...
Published 04/19/24
The spring transfer window opened Tuesday morning, and players flooded the system. The number of entrants were over double that of last year's opening day. There are new reasons for fans to be excited and loathsome of the portal, but what's the consensus? Do fans love or hate the spring window? Ari and Chris discuss the pros and cons of the structure as well as standout players on the move. Later, Chris breaks down Michigan football's NCAA violations stemming from impermissable contact during...
Published 04/16/24
April 16 marks the beginning of the college football spring transfer window. And, according to some, it will be the most chaotic spring portal period to date. Ari, Chris, and the Portal Authority, Max Olson, prepare you for next week's barrage of player movement by identifying which teams are likely to be the most active (Alabama and Washington, among others), and the players you should keep your eyes on (like RB Damien Martinez). Later, The Athletic's Penn State scribe Audrey Snyder fills us...
Published 04/12/24
In the wake of last week's Super League report, Sam realigned all 70-plus top-tier programs in divisions that make sense. Ari and David share their thoughts on the ode to regional ties, and is there a future where we have leagues that actually make sense geographically? Is Quinn Ewers the Heisman frontrunner? The Longhorns' QB might be the signal-caller best set up for success. Which Freshmen will contribute immediately this season? Rundown: - Realigned conferences in a Super League (4:30) -...
Published 04/09/24
Is college football in store for a super league in the future? The Athletic's Stewart Mandel and Andrew Marchand reported on Wednesday about a budding organization created by a very influential group of people involving just that. Ari and Max discuss what a super league would look like, who would benefit, what major roadblocks are preventing a conglomeration of teams, the pros of a centralized governing body, and more. Later, Ohio State scrivner Cameron Teague Robinson addresses why the...
Published 04/05/24
At a position with both constants and questions, quarterback is the most make-it or break-it position in college football. But, which QBs fall in the middle of that scale? Who are the sport's wild cards? Ari and David each list several pigskin hurlers who fit that criteria in 2024. Later, Seth Emerson pops in to talk about his exclusive interivew with Georgia QB Carson Beck. Seth shares why Beck has stuck around Athens for as long as he has, instead of darting for the portal. He also explains...
Published 04/02/24
Sad Husker Nate, one of Until Saturday's long-time listeners, called in with a question that Ari has been dreading to answer all week: Who is on our Mount Rushmore of college football head coaches? Ari, David, and Mitch each share who they believe are the four most influential and successful coaches to ever lead a program(s). The trio also discusses NCAA president Charlie Baker's attempt to ban prop bets in college sports. But, why now, and will it work? Lincoln Riley scored a major win over...
Published 03/29/24