Cover 2 College Football pod

The Athlon Sports team has been dispatched to the New Orleans and Pasadena to cover the first college football semifinal. We'll survey the scene and storylines and then delve into our picks for New Year's Day.

David Fox is at the Rose Bowl trying to determine which star quarterback will have the big day and which team can more successfully play the underdog role. Braden Gall is at the Sugar Bowl where Blake Sims, Amari Cooper and the Ohio State defensive line may be able to upstage the powerhouse coaches.

Direct download: CFPPodcast.m4a
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:55am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan go in-depth to break down both national semifinal games. 

 

Alabama vs. Ohio State: Can Cardale Jones handle the Bama defense? Can the Buckeyes defensive line disrupt the Bama offense? Which fan base wins the week off-the-field in New Orleans?

 

Oregon vs. Florida State: Which QB is better in Pasadena? Which defense is more likely to get stops? Does playing close games all year help or hurt FSU?

 

The guys cover all of this and make National Championship predictions on this special Playoff Predictions edition of the Cover 2 Podcast.

Direct download: 14_Playoff_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 1:15pm CDT

Hosts Braden Gall, David Fox and Mitch Light debate the merits of the Selection Committee. Did they get the right four teams? What hurt the Big 12 the most? Who will be crowned the national champion when the dust settles? The guys break it all down and much more on this special Playoff Committee edition of the Cover 2 Podcast.

Direct download: Playoff_Selection_14.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

Braden Gall, Mitch Light, David Fox and Steven Lassan debate the Michigan coaching search and offer predictions as to who will be the next head coach in Ann Arbor.

Direct download: Michigan_Hoke.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:53am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan preview Championship Weekend in college football. Do any of the underdogs have a chance to pull an upset? Can Florida State avoid disaster? Can Baylor jump TCU in the playoff standings? Will Oregon get revenge on Arizona? The guys pick every major game of the final weekend of the college football season.

Direct download: 14_Week_CW_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:18am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox are joined by Mitch Light to discuss the coaching opening at Nebraska. Is the Huskers job still an elite one in college football? What should expectations be in Lincoln? Who are the best candidates for the job? The guys break it all down and much more as well as offer up predictions as well.

Direct download: Nebraska_Pelini.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 12:10pm CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox breakdown all of the action from Thanksgiving Weekend. Championship games are set in the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Pac-12. Ohio State is dealing with a huge injury, the ACC wins the rivalry series with the SEC, Nebraska makes a coaching change and the Pac-12 South race ends in dramatic fashion. We debate it all and offer our playoff predictions on this week's edition of the Cover 2 Podcast.

Direct download: 14_Week_14_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:15am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan preview another historic week of Thanksgiving football. The Big Ten West, SEC West and East and Pac-12 South division championships hang in the balance. We also offer up some locks of the week against the spread and breakdown Turkey Day menus and traditions.

Direct download: 14_Week_14_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 4:17pm CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox breakdowns all of the action from Week 13. The Big Ten West is down to two teams, the ACC title game is set, UCLA takes the lead in the Pac-12 South, more Jameis Winston dicussion and Samaje Perine's record-setting performance. We debate it all and offer our playoff predictions on this week's edition of the Cover 2 Podcast.

Direct download: 14_Week_13_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 12:26pm CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan preview an interesting weekend of games in college football. USC visits UCLA, two potential SEC title contenders are on the road, some Big Ten games with coaching implications and much more on this Week 13 podcast. We also offer up some locks of the week against the spread

Direct download: 14_Week_13_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:00am CDT

Will Muschamp is out as the Florida head coach. Braden Gall, David Fox, Mitch Light and Steven Lassan debate the Florida Gators head coaching vacancy in an Athlon Sports roundtable.

Our hosts debate every viable candidate and give their top three dream candidates and their predictions for the job. They do not necessarily overlap. Each panelist makes a bold prediction as to who will be the next head football coach at Florida.

Direct download: Muschamp_Florida.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:28am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox breakdown how a wild Week 12 in college football. Alabama takes control of the West, Mizzou and Georgia battle for the East and Florida is looking for a new coach. Melvin Gordon and JT Barrett star in the Big Ten, TCU struggles in the Big 12 and Arizona State opens up the Pac-12 South race. And Florida State survives yet another halftime deficit. We debate it all and much more this week's edition of the Cover 2 Podcast.

Direct download: 14_Week_12_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:47am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan preview a huge slate of action in the SEC, including a playoff showdown between Mississippi State and Alababam. The guys break down the marquee showdown in the Big Ten and ACC as well. We also offer up some locks of the week against the spread.

Direct download: 14_Week_12_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:14am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox breakdown how Week 11 impacted the playoff picture. TCU vs. Baylor? Can Florida State survive with one loss? Does a two-loss SEC champ get the nod over a one-loss champ? How good is Ohio State? We debate it all and much more on a spirited edition of the Cover 2 Podcast.

Direct download: 14_Week_11_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:12am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox recap all of Week 10's action in college football. This week's edition features press conference conflict, poorly timed tweets, upsets in the SEC, isuses at Florida and Michigan as well as lots of Big 12 and SEC West talk. The fellas also give you their post-Week 10 playoff poll as well.

Direct download: 14_Week_10_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 12:05pm CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan preview the big games of Week 10. The Pac-12 has a full slate of interesting games, Auburn-Ole Miss and the Cocktail Party highlights another great SEC schedule, Gameday is in Morgantown and who really cares about the Big Ten? We pick every big game for Week 10 and also offer up some locks of the week against the spread.

Direct download: 14_Week_10_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:41am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox recap all of Week 9's action in college football. This week's edition features a healthy SEC West playoff debate (things get heated), wide open races in the Pac-12 South, Big Ten West and ACC Coastal and some impressive numbers in the Big 12. The fellas also give you their playoff poll as well.

Direct download: 14_Week_9_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:07am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan preview the big games of Week 9. A huge slate of games out West in the Pac-12 highlight a great weekend as well as big rivalry games in the Big Ten and SEC.  And does anyone care about the ACC this week? The guys also offer up some locks of the week against the spread.

Direct download: 14_Week_9_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:30am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox recap all of Week 8's action in college football. This week's edition features Florida State's win over Notre Dame, the entertaining Big 12, a Will Muschamp debate, Oregon's return and much more. The fellas also give you their playoff poll as well.

Direct download: 14_Week_8_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:51am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan previews the big games of Week 8. The Big 12 takes center stage with five ranked teams in action. Notre Dame visits Florida State in the ACC, Stanford and Oregon highlight key games out West and plenty of SEC contenders are looking to hold off upsets. The guys also offer up some locks of the week against the spread.

Direct download: 14_Week_8_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:17am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox recap all of Week 7's action in college football. The state of Mississippi once again dominated, Oregon made a huge statement in the Pac-12 and the wide open and wacky Big 12 highlight this week's conversation. The fellas also give you their playoff teams as well.

Direct download: 14_Week_7_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 12:51pm CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan previews the big games of Week 6. It's another huge week in the SEC, there are marquee games in the State of Texas and a Pac-12 championship game preview out West. The guys also offer up some locks of the week against the spread.

Direct download: 14_Week_7_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:10am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox recap a wild Week 6 of action in college football. The guys talk State of Mississippi football, the SEC East, the Pac-12's chances of landing in the playoff, Florida State versus Auburn at No. 1, the Big 12 race and much more.

Direct download: 14_Week_6_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 3:59pm CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan previews the big games of Week 6. The SEC West has a massive trio of games while Michigan State hosts Nebraska in the Big Ten. Baylor and Oklahoma also have big road trips in the Big 12 as well. The guys also offer up some locks of the week against the spread.

Direct download: 14_Week_6_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:34am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox cover all of the action from the college gridiron in Week 5. The Pac-12 races start to heat up, the ACC struggles again and Kansas is looking for a new coach. The guys also have some strong words for Brady Hoke and quarterbacks in the SEC.

Direct download: 14_Week_5_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:19am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox cover all of the action from the college gridiron in Week 5. The Pac-12 races start to heat up, the ACC struggles again and Kansas is looking for a new coach. The guys also have some strong words for Brady Hoke and quarterbacks in the SEC.

Direct download: 14_Week_5_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:18am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan previews the big games of Week 5. The Pac-12 takes center stage with a deep slate of action while the SEC has three marquee showdowns. Florida State, Baylor and Ohio State all have interesting tests as well. The guys also offer up some locks of the week against the spread.

Direct download: 14_Week_5_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:20am CDT

The guys recap the big weekend of action in the SEC, including Florida-Bama, Mississippi State-LSU and Missouri's lose to Indiana. The Big Ten deserves credit with the exception of Michigan, so what does the lose to Utah mean for Brady Hoke? The ACC struggled in Week 4 and the guys break down all of the action from Florida State-Clemson and the rest of the ACC. And Week 4 ended with some serious fireworks from the Pac-12.

Direct download: 14_Week_4_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:57am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan previews the big games in the SEC, Oklahoma's visit to West Virginia, the ACC's turn to crush the Big Ten and much more. The guys also give their locks of the week against the spread in this Week 4 college football preview.

Direct download: 14_Week_4_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 9:56am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and David Fox recap the big Georgia-South Carolina game and what it means for the SEC East. The Week 3 edition also features the quality showing from the Big 12, UCLA's comeback, the Big Ten's second rough weekend in a row and a couple of big upsets in the ACC.

Direct download: 14_Week_3_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:05am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan previews all of the big action from Week 3 including Georgia-South Carolina, UCLA-Texas, an underrated Big 12 slate and plenty of conference games. The guys also give their locks of the week against the spread as well.

Direct download: 14_Week_3_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:30am CDT

Week 2 is in the books and the Big Ten should be worried. Hosts David Fox and Braden Gall recap all of the action from Week 2, including the Big Ten's struggles, the Ducks marquee win, the Hokies huge upset and Pat Haden's behavior.

Direct download: 14_Week_2_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:40am CDT

Hosts Braden Gall and Steven Lassan previews all of the big action from Week 2 including Michigan State-Oregon, USC-Stanford, Michigan-Notre Dame, BYU-Texas and so much more. The guys also give their locks of the week against the spread as well.

Direct download: 14_Week_2_Picks.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:52am CDT

Week 1 is in the books and the entire world is overreacting. Hosts David Fox and Braden Gall recap the entire first weekend of action and tell you what they learned about each of the Big 5 conferences. Injuries, upsets, letdowns and analysis highlight this jampacked Week 1 edition.

Direct download: 14_Week_1_Recap.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 3:45pm CDT

College football season is finally here and the guys preview the opening weekend of the season. Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan make picks, talk upsets, discuss Braxton Miller's injury and argue about fall weddings.

Direct download: Week_1_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 3:59pm CDT

The 2014 season is upon us and the guys make all of their official predictions for each of the Big 5 conferences as well as who will win the first College Football Playoff.

 

Managing Editor Mitch Light joins Braden Gall, Steven Lassan and David Fox to make picks, conduct a Coaching Hot Seat fantasy draft, discuss bathroom etiquette and remember a legendary comedian.

Direct download: Predictions_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 3:25pm CDT

Following talkin' season, Athlon Sports' Braden Gall and David Fox sit down with SBNation's Steven Godfrey for a State of the Union college football conversation. 

The guys break down autonomy, the future of scheduling, media days across the country and much more.

Direct download: Steven_Godfrey_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 3:51pm CDT

Live from Big Ten Media Days, Athlon Sports' Braden Gall and David Fox discuss all things Nebraska with Huskers head coach Bo Pelini himself as well as HuskerOnline's Sean Callahan. The guys break down Ameer Abdullah's Big Ten speech, the chances Nebraska has to win the West Division, Bo Pelini's transformation and more. 

Direct download: Big_Ten_MD_2014_NEB.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 2:09pm CDT

Big Ten Media Days are here, and Athlon Sports is live from Chicago, Ill., to talk all things Big Ten with coaches, players and writers alike. 

 

Braden Gall visited with Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan, Maryland wide receiver Stefon Diggs, Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon and Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller.

Direct download: Big_Ten_MD_2014_Players.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 5:33pm CDT

Big Ten Media Days are here, and Athlon Sports is live from Chicago, Ill., to talk all things Big Ten with coaches, players and writers alike. 

 

Braden Gall and David Fox were joined by Big Ten Network studio host and author Dave Revsine as well as Big Ten Network reporter Tom Deinhart.

Direct download: Big_Ten_MD_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 4:38pm CDT

SEC Media Days are here, and Athlon Sports is live from Hoover, Ala., to talk every team around the league. Day 4 featured Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Kentucky.

 

Day 4 was highlighted by the king of the SEC, Alabama's Nick Saban, a very brash Mark Richt, Kentucky's Mark Stoops and a surging Ole Miss program.

 

Braden Gall and David Fox were joined by SiriusXM's Greg McElroy, the Macon Telegraph's Seth Emerson and Alabama wide receiver Christion Jones.

Direct download: SEC_MD14_Day_4.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 3:29pm CDT

SEC Media Days are here, and Athlon Sports is live from Hoover, Ala., to talk every team around the league. With the launch of the much-anticipated SEC Network right around the corner, the guys caught up with some of the biggest names involved in the launch. 

 

Braden Gall and David Fox were joined by lead sideline reporter Maria Taylor, studio host extraordinaire Dari Nowkhah and Mr. College Football himself Tony Barnhart to talk all things SEC Network and the upcoming season.

Direct download: SEC_Network_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:26am CDT

SEC Media Days are here, and Athlon Sports is live from Hoover, Ala., to talk every team around the league. Day 3 featured the College Football Playoff, LSU, Missouri and Arkansas. 

 

Day 3 was highlighted by a Playoff presentation from Bill Hancock, a visit with Les Miles, an entertaining Bret Bielema and Missouri's Gary Pinkel.

 

Braden Gall and David Fox were joined by CBS' Allie LaForce, Dave Matter of the St. Louis-Post Dispatch and NOLA.com's Ron Higgins.

Direct download: SEC_MD14_Day_3.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 5:44pm CDT

Day 2 was highlighted by a visit with Steve Spurrier, Kevin Sumlin deflecting Johnny Manziel questions, a very confident Dan Mullen and Tennessee's Butch Jones. 

Braden Gall and David Fox were joined by Billy Liucci of TexAgs.com, Josh Ward of Mr. SEC and The Sports Animal in Knoxville as well as Josh Kendall of The State covering the Gamecocks.

Have a question or comment? Contact us at podcast@athlonsports.com or on Twitter at @AthlonSports, @BradenGall and @DavidFox615

Direct download: SEC_MD14_Day_2.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 5:50pm CDT

SEC Media Day is here, and Athlon Sports is live from Hoover, Ala., to talk every team around the league.

Day 1 started with comments from commissioner Mike Slive plus Auburn, Florida and Vanderbilt.

On the docket for the first day was Mike Slive's push for autonomy, the absence of Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall, Florida's hot seat coach and new offense and higher expectations for Derek Mason at Vanderbilt.

Joining us today were Brandon Marcello from AL.com and Edgar Thompson from the Orlando Sentinel.

Direct download: SEC_MD14_Day_1.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 5:51pm CDT

After last week's league-by-league look at quarterbacks, the Athlon Sports Cover 2 Team did the same examination of coaches through each of the five major conferences. We picked coaches on the hot seat for the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC and pinpointed the assistants you need to watch and the impact coordinators in each league.

Questions, comments or concerns? Email us at podcast@athlonsports.com or Tweet us at @AthlonSports.

Direct download: 2014-07-03.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 2:04pm CDT

The Athlon Sports team returns to action with a look at all the quarterbacks around college football.

Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan make their picks for the top quarterbacks for each league, the top battles and the sleepers for major conferences.

They also take a quick look at the non-major conferences, and soccer player/Athlon intern Andie grills one of our hosts about his true feelings on the World Cup.

You can reach the podcast team at podcast@athlonsports.com or on Twitter at @AthlonSports @BradenGall @DavidFox615 and @AthlonSteven.

Direct download: 2014-06-17.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 2:49pm CDT

The final four teams in the Athlon Sports top 25 countdown were released this week, meaning we've seeded our projections for the first College Football playoff: No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 4 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl and No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

This week, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan talk about how we arrived at those matchups, how those games might be settled and other contenders for the the first Playoff.

Our hosts also discuss what changes they'd like to see before the Playoff has even begun and some predictions of what we'll see next.

As always, you can reach us on Twitter at @AthlonSports or by email at podcast@athlonsports.com.

Direct download: 2014-05-28.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 12:11pm CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 1 team, Florida State. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Seminoles get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: FSU_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 2 team, Alabama. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Crimson Tide get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Alabama_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 3 team, Ohio State. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Buckeyes get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Ohio_State_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 4 team, Oklahoma. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Sooners get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Oklahoma_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 5 team, Auburn. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Tigers get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Auburn_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 6 team, Oregon. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Ducks get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Oregon_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 9:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 7 team, UCLA. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Bruins get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: UCLA_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 8 team, Georgia. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Bulldogs get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Georgia2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 9:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 9 team, South Carolina. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Gamecocks get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: South_Carolina_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 10 team, Baylor. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Bears get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Baylor_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 9:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 11 team, Michigan State. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Spartans get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Michigan_State_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 12 team, Stanford. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Cardinal get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Stanford_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 13 team, Notre Dame. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Irish get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Notre_Dame_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 9:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 14 team, USC. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Trojans get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: USC_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 16 team, Wisconsin. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Badgers get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Wisconsin_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 16 team, Arizona State. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Sun Devils get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Arizona_State_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 9:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 17 team, Texas. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Longhorns get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Texas_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 18 team, Ole Miss. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Rebels get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Ole_Miss_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 19 team, LSU. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Tigers get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: LSU_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 20 team, Kansas State. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Wildcats get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Kansas_State_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 9:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 21 team, Clemson. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Tigers get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Clemson_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 22 team, Penn State. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Nittany Lions get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Penn_St_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of the preseason top 25 with a breakdown of our No. 23 team, Florida. We take a look at the personnel, schedule and more as the Gators get ready for 2014.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Florida_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:00am CDT

Athlon continues its rollout of podcasts previewing each of the preseason top 25 teams, continuing today with No. 24 Washington.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Washington_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 9:00am CDT

Athlon is starting its rollout of the 2014 preseason top 25 today with our breakdown of No. 25 Missouri.

For each team in the top 25, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan will preview each team's outlook for 2014 and explain the thinking behind each ranking. Stay tuned throughout the month of May for a podcast preview on each team.

Direct download: Missouri_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

We’ve reached the end of our preseason rankings debate with the Pac-12. Oregon and Stanford have ruled this league for four years, but we have a handful of reasons to wonder if that reign can continue.

Washington has a new coach and a new quarterback and may be poised to continue the progress made under Steve Sarkisian. Sark may have a contender of his own at USC, but we discuss how depth — or UCLA — may hinder the Trojans’ Pac-12 title hopes.

But Oregon and Stanford continues to be the favorites as the Athlon staff again debated between the Ducks and Cardinal to win the North and perhaps the Pac-12. We discuss where we leaning on today’s Cover 2.

We also continued a new, not-so-subtle pitch for you to get involved at sponsorus@athlonsports.com. As always, you can reach our hosts at @BradenGall, @DavidFox615 and @AthlonSteven on Twitter or at podcast@athlonsports.com.

Direct download: 2014-05-07.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

The second part of our SEC rankings and preseason preview continues with the West Division, home of four of the last five national champions. The SEC West was the toughest division for Athlon Sports to pick this season, especially in the middle.

The power resides in the state of Alabama, but the team with more reason for optimism may be under debate. Ole Miss and Mississippi State are both in good position, one of the rare times both Egg Bowl rivals go into a season with high hopes.

The X-factor may be LSU, a team that has been a lock for 10 wins in recent years. The Tigers are replacing some key cogs on defense and will be young at skill positions on offense.

We also introduced a new, not-so-subtle pitch for you to get involved at sponsorus@athlonsports.com. As always, you can reach our hosts at @BradenGall @DavidFox615 and @AthlonSteven on Twitter or at podcast@athlonsports.com.

Direct download: 2014-05-06.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 1:09pm CDT

The SEC is too big for one podcast, so our preseason rankings and debate series continues with the SEC East.

As we start to break down the preseason rankings, we look at the trends that will shape the East. Missouri won the division a year ago and has the consensus top quarterback in the East, but can the Tigers repeat? We’re not sold.

Florida may be an X-factor with a healthy Jeff Driskel, but Georgia and South Carolina have the most complete teams aside from quarterback questions.

We also took reader questions this week from Twitter and Facebook. Have a question you’d like to have answered on the podcast? Tweet us at @AthlonSports or email podcast@athlonsports.com.

Direct download: 2014-04-29.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Athlon’s Braden Gall and David Fox split up A-Day duties, spending time at Auburn and Alabama through each school’s spring game.

At Auburn, the fan base (and athletic director) is enjoying the rebound, but Gus Malzahn is busy at work trying to ramp up the tempo of the offense while plugging holes on defense.

At Alabama, the fans have moved on from the 0-2 finish to last season, but the losing streak exposed some cracks in leadership and culture in the Alabama locker room. Nick Saban spent the spring trying to reinforce those things.

In the spring games, both teams learned a bit about their quarterbacks. Nick Marshall may be on his way to being a standout passer while Blake Sims might not be the top guy for much longer.

Direct download: ADay_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 8:16pm CDT

The debate concerning preseason rankings has started around the Athlon Sports offices, and we’re giving you an inside look at all the conversations that will shape the 2014 countdown.

This week, Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan take you inside the process of the rankings meeting as they talk through the teams in the ACC.

Will anyone challenge Florida State in the Atlantic? Will Louisville be a factor in Bobby Petrino’s return? And how do we sort out the mess that is the Coastal Division?

Direct download: ACC_2014_Preview.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 10:04am CDT

Athlon Sports’ annual rankings of every college football coach in the FBS posted this week. The No. 1 spot may be clear, but the rest of the rankings weren’t so easy.

Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan take you into the process of ranking every coach, explaining the criteria we used and some dissension in the ranks.

Our panel felt pretty confident about the first four, but we love the top coaches in the Big 12. Also, we explain the difficulty in ranking coaches in the 20-30 range, defend the coaches who are underrated and identify the coaches who have a chance to move up the rankings in 2015.

Direct download: FB_Coach_Ranks_2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 9:39am CDT

Now that the NCAA Tournament is complete, the Athlon editors can take a deeper look at the upcoming college football season. The rankings discussion for the preseason magazines is in full swing as spring practice is in its final weeks.

Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan take you inside the process of the rankings meeting as they talk through the teams in the Big Ten.

Who can challenge Ohio State? Will Michigan State continue to be a contender for the title? Can teams like Michigan and Nebraska return to power house status?

Direct download: 2014_Big_Ten_Preview.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

The Athlon Sports Cover 2 Podcast took a quick break from college football spring football previews to quickly delve into college basketball.

Before delving into picks for every game in the NCAA Tournaments, co-hosts Braden Gall and David Fox give their quick reaction to Bruce Pearl’s hire at Auburn. Pearl will undoubtedly bring interest to the Auburn basketball program, but does he immediately give Auburn the best coaching duo in the league.

Then it’s on to picks for every game in the NCAA Tournament, region by region. All the upsets and storylines for every game through the title game.

Direct download: 03-19-2014.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 11:24am CDT

Preparation for the 2014 college football preview magazines has begun around the Athlon Sports offices, starting with the Big 12.

Oklahoma and Baylor separated themselves as favorites, but Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan have plenty of questions about both teams.

In the first of a series taking you inside our rankings meeting, we talk about the debates that shaped our discussion in the Big 12.

Direct download: 2014-03-13.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 1:33pm CDT

The Cover 2 makes its return after a brief hiatus to talk all the big-picture news from Signing Day.

Braden Gall and David Fox explain why Alabama’s day was almost non-news and why Tennessee and Kentucky turned out to be the big winners.

Charlie Strong at Texas gave us a reason to look into recruiting in the state of Texas and whether his words about the virtues of being a “gadget program” have merit. Has Strong already fallen too far behind Coach Cool at Texas A&M?

Then, we talk about the most interesting long-term recruiting trend whether it’s USC vs. UCLA or Ohio State pulling away from the rest of the Big Ten.

Direct download: 2014-02-07.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 12:00pm CDT

Discussing the personality differences on the big new coaches hired at Penn State, USC at Texas and how James Franklin, Steve Sarkisian and Charlie Strong will attack their respective jobs.

Franklin’s hire set off more news as he continued to recruit Vanderbilt commitments at Penn State. Should recruits be off limits when coaches move or is all fair in the recruiting game?

Lastly, Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan makes a special appearance to pick the teams that benefited the most from the NFL Draft early entry deadline and who is losing out.

Direct download: 2014-01-16.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 4:40pm CDT

The 2014 season is over, so it’s time to start talking a little 2014 football.
 
First, hosts Braden Gall and David Fox put Florida State’s championship into perspective. The question: Did Jameis Winston just complete the best freshman season in college football history? Or does the nod go to Johnny Manziel, Adrian Peterson or Maurice Clarrett.

Then, they break down some of the coaching news. Charlie Strong is the guy at Texas, but not everyone is on the bandwagon. Penn State thought they were close to nabbing James Franklin, but the Nittany Lions are in limbo. Does Franklin have it better in Nashville?

And then moving on to 2014, Fox and Gall go through the major conferences and discuss their storylines to watch in the upcoming months from off-field issues, recruiting, new coaches and personnel.

Direct download: 2014-01-08.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 3:23pm CDT

The Athlon Sports Cover 2 Podcast returns after a brief holiday hiatus to talk about the three big stories in college football. The Texas job remains opens as the Longhorns (maybe) close in on candidates. David Fox and Braden Gall discus the reported list of finalists.

Penn State also opened up this week. Where does this job rank right now given the sanctions for the next few years, and what kind of candidates can Penn State hope to get?

After that, Fox and Gall delve into the national championship game. On paper, all the signs point to Florida State dominating. But there’s something about this Auburn team.

Finally, we share our hopes for the college football world in 2014 and react to a best names of 2013 bracket.

Direct download: 2014-01-02.mp3
Category:sports -- posted at: 2:53pm CDT

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