Athlon U: The College Football Podcast

What teams outside of the Top 25 are the ones we like to surge in 2025? Last year, Miami, SMU and Iowa State were just outside the top 25 and had huge seasons. What are those teams this year? Plus, what are the implications of the new ACC TV contract? And the coordinator carousel is still spinning. Steven and Braden talk college football.

Steven and Braden talk college football. Braden is at Senior Bowl practice recapping all the buzz from down in Mobile. Then we explain Lassan's early 2025 preseason top 25.

Steven and Braden break down Ohio State's national championship victory over Notre Dame. Will Howard's play, the decisions by Marcus Freeman, Ryan Day's legacy and how the new format gave us what we wanted.

Steven and Braden preview the National Championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame. Characters, storylines, upset-ability, blue-chip ratio, coaching legacies, match-ups and predictions.

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Ohio State topped Texas and Notre Dame eliminated Penn State in what was the best pair of semifinals in modern history. So did the new format do its job? What to make of Quinn Ewers legacy and Texas' staying power? Ohio State is just too good. The Irish and Lions have the same issue but it made for a great match-up. What does it tell us about James Franklin (if anything) and Marcus Freeman (and Brian Kelly)?

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football playoffs. Texas survives on the back of a gutty win while Arizona State won hearts and minds. But do the Horns have the personnel to challenge Ohio State in the semis? (Since the Buckeyes routed Oregon) Notre Dame and Penn State match-up after hard-fought wins over Boise and Georgia. What does this Final Four tell us about the future of the game?

Welcome to Athlon U! Steven and Braden begin a new era of college football with some fresh new digs. Ohio St, Texas, Penn St and Notre Dame move on in style and are worth celebrating. So why is the internet so dumb? We break down the first round and scold the comments section.

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football as the first round of the playoffs is upon us. We preview the games from a schematic match-up standpoing as well as a psychological standpoint. How big of a factor is pressure, the condensed schedule and weather? Bill Belichick is a college football coach, Braden reveals his Heisman ballot and the weirdest coaching carousel ever?

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football as the new 12-team playoff debuts for the first time in history. Did the Committee get it right? What upsets are coming? Which teams do we trust? Who are we picking to win the whole thing? Why the issues were so predictable.

Steven and Braden talk college football. Isn't post-game drama fun (or classless)? Ryan Day's future, Texas tops A&M and Miami chokes because of their coach again. The Playoff rankings should be set. Championship Saturday is coming.

Steven and Braden talk college football's Thanksgiving rivalry weekend and all of its implications. Who can lose and stay in the bracket? Who will lose? Who is already locked into a spot? Is it three teams - Clemson, Bama and Ole Miss - for one spot? Can Tulane jump Boise St?

Steven and Braden talk college football. Is Penn State still just Penn State? What did we learn about Ohio St? How did the chaos of last week impact the at-large race to the playoff? Who is now the favorite in Big 12 - which appears to be a four-team race? Can SMU win the ACC? Two huge SEC games highlight the Week 11 slate.

Steven and Braden dive into the coaching ranks as multiple jobs have come open. The carousel is turning and moves are coming. But who is safe? Who is in trouble? On the other end of the spectrum, we have a huge group of great options for Coach of the Year. The Big Ten takes center stage with a huge showdown after contenders were tested last weekend. The G5 race, the ACC ranks, playoff discussions and more.

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football, including what we learned about Georgia and Texas. What to make of the Arch Manning situation. There are many very good but flawed teams that could all make the playoff and win some games. Lots of Big Ten teams will get tested this weekend but will any fail? Will a three-loss team get into the playoff?

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall work through all the great overtime games of last weekend. No overreacting allowed about Oregon and Ohio State. Did we learn something definitive about Penn State? What's up with Tennessee and Alabama? Georgia visits Texas in this week's monster showdown. LSU, Clemson and Notre Dame are quietly working back into Playoff mix. Can Indiana, Iowa State, BYU and Pitt stay unbeaten?

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Chaos unfolded in week 6 as five of the top 11 lost, mostly to unranked teams opening the door for dozens more teams to get into playoff contention. Who bounces back and who are we worried about? Ohio State-Oregon is big. So is Texas and Oklahoma. And also Ole Miss vs. LSU and Kansas State at Colorado.

Steven Lassan and Braden Gall talk college football. Bama-Georgia instant classic, the ruling to end the Miami-Va Tech game, chaos in the Big 12 and Big Ten powers keep rolling. We look ahead at a Week 6 loaded with games that no one expected to be this good.