The Carla and Crappy Show

It’s a whole new year — happy 2024, kids — but the weirdness of the 2023 college football season may not be letting up any time soon, going all the way through Monday’s national championship game. But before Carla and Crappy get to Washington and the Wolverines, they take a look back at more bowl games — Can we get them all to be sponsored by food products? It makes the postgame that much more awesome — and, specifically, the Bowlapalooza games. It came down to two people and one game; we won’t reveal who won or how, but we will say that Crappy now knows who Tom Gorzelanny is. The not as fun part? That would be the part where Carla and Crappy recap the bowl games of Penn State and Ohio State, respectively. The Lions’ defense struggled against Ole Miss in a game that was tighter than it appeared, Carla said. And although he is not volunteering, Crappy thinks Ryan Day needs an offensive coordinator, to make the play calling less … offensive. Carla and Crappy then turn their attention to Monday night’s game for the natty, and they’re in agreement on nearly everything: Michigan has better DBs than Texas, the Wolverines will run the ball to death, Michael Penix Jr. won’t have much time or many open guys, Michigan is the better team all the way around — but someone thinks the Huskies will win anyway. And following a brief nod to the FCS title game on Saturday, that’s the 12th season of the Carla and Crappy Show. As always, we are incredibly grateful, for AJ, for our Bowlapalooza guests, and especially for you, the viewers, readers and listeners who have continued to support this little show over the years. The #CnCShow forecast for the summer of 2024? Sunny with an excellent chance of a summer Carla and Crappy Show. Cheers, friends, and we'll see you then.

It’s still the most wonderful time of the year, and as bowl season continues along its merry way, Carla and Crappy are more than happy to revel in its glory. And boy, has this season been the gift that just keeps on giving. We’ve seen Western Kentucky erase a 28-point deficit to win the Famous Toastery Bowl … and then make “toast angels” on the field. We enjoyed watching Appalachian State beat Miami of Ohio in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl in a literal monsoon, and Jacksonville State steal a win over Louisiana in a much-deserved bowl appearance in the New Orleans Bowl. Crappy especially enjoyed Ohio’s offensive effort in its win in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. And we’ve enjoyed watching the Big Ten’s successes, of course, including Northwestern’s incredible win over Utah (yes, that’s a real thing that actually happened) and Minnesota’s win in the Quick Lane Bowl. In fact, as we recorded this show, we were watching bowl games. And there’s still so much more to come … including the highly anticipated (for the most part) New Year’s Six bowl games including the College Football Playoff semifinals, which are the focus of our attention in this show. Ready for the big ones? Here we go. Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 9 Missouri vs. No. 7 Ohio State (8 ET Friday, ESPN): Missouri is arguably one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 season. Ohio State has lots of questions entering this game, but Crappy isn’t too worried about them. Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl: No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Penn State (Noon ET Saturday, ESPN): Ole Miss has a prolific offense, but Penn State actually scores more points per game. Carla’s hoping to see some pressure from the Nits’ defense and a steady dose of the ground game. Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 5 Florida State (4 ET Saturday, ESPN): Serious question: Do either of these teams really want to be playing in this game? We desperately want this game to be good, but … we’re not holding our breath. Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: No. 23 Liberty vs. No. 8 Oregon (1 ET Monday, ESPN): Enjoy your trip out west, Liberty. Good luck with that Oregon defense. CFP Semifinal: Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan (5 ET Monday, ESPN): Can we say that Michigan is still untested? Because, well, other than Ohio State … they kind of are. Bama is well tested, but also has a tendency of beating itself. CFP Semifinal: Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Washington (8:45 ET Monday, ESPN): This game should be just delightful, with two fantastic offenses and one defense that may not be as good as it appears on paper. Is Washington still the team of destiny this season? Our advice to you? Watch as much college football as you can, because the season is winding down quickly. There are still a ton of excellent bowl games on the schedule between now and January 1. So settle in with a glass of your favorite beverage and just soak it all in. We’ll be back one final time next week to talk about the national championship game. Cheers, yinz.

We love us some brown sugar-cinnamon Pop-Tarts. And we love us some Bowlapalooza. Together? You get nearly two hours of college football podcasting fun. The bowl game season begins Saturday at 11 a.m. (#OUOhYeah), continuing through the next few weeks. And as we do here at the Carla and Crappy Show, we gathered up a few friends – and an avocado – to pick some of the games we thought will be interesting. It’s our 10.5th year of doing Bowlapalooza (COVID year counts as the half), and our cast will sound familiar to folks who have been here before; in addition to A.J. joining us live, we have Gabby Biltz, Braden Gall, Aiden and Kelly Krieg and Jake Rose. Professional obligations kept Braden from joining us for the whole show – hence the Bradenpalooza show within the show – but we all got our say, and then some, with a list of seven bowl games. And more importantly, we discussed mascot eating (and mascot dumping) as we considered the finest Pop-Tart flavors of all time. Ready? Even if you’re not, here are the games: Saturday, December 16 11 a.m., ESPN, Myrtle Beach Bowl: Ohio vs. Georgia Southern Nearly all of OU’s offensive production is in the transfer portal, but there may be a few points left – if the Bobcats’ defense plays as it should. 3:30 p.m., ABC, Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Appalachian State Crappy has strong feelings about Miami, OU’s rival in the MAC; nearly everyone else is feeling happy about Appy. Saturday, December 23 3:30, ABC, Lockheed Martin Armed Services Bowl: James Madison vs. Air Force Who in their right minds would pick against a former commander in chief in the Armed Services Bowl? Only a couple of us, as it turns out. 10:30 p.m., ESPN, Easy Post Hawaii Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. San Jose State Avocados are firmly behind Coastal. Everyone else likes Sparty Junior. Wednesday, December 27 5:50 p.m., ESPN, Duke's Mayo Bowl: North Carolina vs. West Virginia The picks were mixed for this game, but everyone wants to see Mack Brown get a tub of Duke’s Mayo dumped on his head. Thursday, December 28 5:45 p.m., ESPN, PopTarts Bowl: NC State vs. Kansas State The PowerCats are looking good. Strawberry Pop-Tarts? Not so much. 9:15 p.m., ESPN Valero Alamo Bowl: Arizona vs. Oklahoma Arizona continues its run as the team no one wants to play. Except for the one of us who has a friend who was an athlete at Oklahoma. Friday, December 29 2 p.m., CBS, Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Oregon State The transfer portal will have a GRRRRREEEAAAAAT impact on this game (Get it? Yeah, sorry…), as both quarterbacks are moving on. Does ND run the ball into the ground, or will OSU complete its run in the PAC 12 with a final win? After a stomach bug waylaid Carla (she’s feeling better now, thanks), a brief discussion about national championship contenders – we’ll use those picks as tie-breakers, if necessary – and probably one too many beers for Crappy, we were pleased to wrap up what is perhaps the most chaotic Bowlapalooza ever. Can we top it? We’ll give it a try with the 11.5th edition next year. In the meantime, enjoy bowl season, boys and girls, and we’ll see you back here prior to the NY6 games.

And somehow … we’re at Championship Week. Erm, ahem. Excuse us. That’s Champinchip Week. To celebrate, the gang’s all here as AJ – the nation’s foremost expert in Group of Five football – joins Carla and Crappy live to break down all 10 conference title games happening this weekend. But before we get into the fun, we discuss some not-so-fun stuff, as Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Stockstill, a guest this past summer on this very podcast, was relieved of his duties after 18 years at the helm several hours before this recording. Yes, we know that coaching firings happen all the time, but this one feels a bit more personal. Best wishes to you, coach. (Speaking of which, it is worth noting that as we recorded on Monday night, all of our rankings are way off. We’re very aware of this. Carry on.) We also take some time to bask in what was an exceptional Rivalry Week last weekend. Carla may have scared her family during 4th and 31 (although her reaction wasn’t nearly as funny as Herbstreit’s and Fowler’s). AJ had his weekend bookended by two exceptional games – Nebraska/Iowa on Friday afternoon and Colorado State/Hawaii early Sunday morning. And Crappy? Well, he has thoughts about The Game, and they involve John Cooper. (Hint: That’s not a good thing.) Next up? Our Heisman picks. We all have three QBs in our finalists lists … but beyond that, some interesting opinions are offered. And then … finally … the 10 games that matter this weekend. And we discuss ALL of them. Buckle up. Conference USA: New Mexico State at No. 25 Liberty (7 ET Friday, CBSSN): One of these teams is undefeated. The other beat Auburn in Jordan Hare. Spoiler alert: We’re all rooting for the Aggies. Pac-12: No. 6 Oregon vs. No. 4 Washington (8 ET Friday, ABC): It’s the final (at least for now) Pac-12 title game, and it likely will be the best game of the weekend. Heck, it’s a de facto CFP play-in game. Big 12: No. 20 Oklahoma State vs. No. 7 Texas (Noon ET, ABC): Oh, hey. Remember Texas? If the Horns win, they might just make the playoff. MAC: Miami vs. Toledo (Noon ET, ESPN): The Rockets are good-good … and would love to close out a spectacular season with another title. Mountain West: Boise State vs. UNLV (3 ET, FOX): AJ saw into the future for this matchup. We all think the Rebs are the team to beat. American: SMU at No. 23 Tulane (4 ET, ABC): Tulane’s only loss is to Ole Miss. SMU will be missing its QB. Sun Belt: Appalachian State at Troy (4 ET, ESPN): Troy is the pick here … but it’s Appy State. So who knows? SEC: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama (4 ET, CBS): Bama has improved this season. Enough to beat the top Dawgs? We’ll see. ACC: No. 10 Louisville vs. No. 5 Florida State (8 ET, ABC): Let’s call this the Noles Conundrum: If Florida State wins, are they CFP material? Or can the Cards win this game and put all speculation to bed? B1G: No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 17 Iowa (8 ET, FOX): Crappy proposes an interesting outcome in this snoozefest. And although the game isn’t this weekend, we also make our annual Army vs. Navy (3 ET Dec. 9, CBS) picks. We conclude our conversation with each of our College Football Playoff selections, and AJ offers us a chaos scenario (with, yes, you guessed it, a spreadsheet!) that likely will never happen … but boy, would we have some fun if it did. And with that … that’s a wrap on another regular season. We’ll be off next week, but be on the lookout in mid-December for our 10th* annual Bowlapalooza, featuring a cast of characters … and an edible mascot? How’s that for a tease? Enjoy the title games, yinz! * Technically, Bowlapalooza began on the CnCShow in 2013, making this the 11th annual show. But the 2020 edition didn’t feature a cast of characters due to well, you know, everything, so we’re celebrating this year like it’s the 10th anniversary. Just because. Either way, you’re not going to want to miss it.

When we reach the point of the season where we refer to weeks by names and not numbers, that’s when things are getting good. And with that, it’s Wivalwy Week. Carla and Crappy both got to watch a ton of feetball last weekend; Carla was impressed with Washington holding off a late charge by Oregon State in a heavy rainstorm, and Crappy was happy that Luke Fickell won the Wisconsin-Nebraska eligibowl (thank you, Sickos Committee). Cornell had a rough outing in the Empire State Bowl, the Big Red Bears’ annual rivalry game against Cornell, losing 29-14 (UPDATE: The school fired 11-year head coach David Archer the day after the loss). Drew Powell, Cornell’s starting running back and Crappy’s nephew, didn’t have a great day on the ground, but racked up a whole bunch yards in the air to wind up his college career. After AJ delivers his G5AD manifesto, Carla and Crappy turn their attention to a mess of rivalry games, some of which you should definitely watch, and some of which — the Iron Bowl, the Egg Bowl, the Heroes Trophy game and the Land Grant Trophy game — you should also definitely watch because things get weird when you’re playing for ugly trophies. And then, the games: No. 11 Oregon State at No. 6 Oregon (8:30 ET Friday, FOX) Oregon State almost managed to beat Washington at home last week, but the Civil War seems like an even heavier lift for the Beavers. And take note, Oregons: Do what Washington State and Washington did this week and extend your rivalry past the demise of the Pac-12. It’s the right thing to do. Washington State at No. 5 Washington (4 ET, FOX) Wazzu was legitimately dangerous at the outset of the season, but since then, it’s the Huskies that have been playing like they’re the team on a mission. And this week, the mission is winning the Apple Cup. No. 4 Florida State at Florida (7 ET, ESPN) This is suddenly is a very different Florida State team without Jordan Travis. Tate Rodemaker is the Noles’ new starter, and he’s been the backup for the past four seasons. Florida, likewise, will likely start its backup QB after Graham Mertz suffered a collarbone injury. That backup is redshirt freshman Max Brown. And yes, we have no idea. No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Michigan (The Biggest Nude, FOX) Crappy’s referring to this as the Karma Bowl — and it’s coming for you, Jim Harbaugh — but we all know that this year’s version of the The Game will be the toughest, and most intense, in years. Carla wishes our Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders a successful completion to their season, and you already know what Crappy’s only possible final thought is. Settle in for three days of wivalwy games, boys and girls, and we’ll see you back here for Champinship Week. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

It’s Week 12 of the college football season … and my goodness, how thankful are we for West Coast football this week? Because if you’ve taken a look at the slate, there are a lot of cupcakes. Except for the West Coast, that is. Dang it all, we’re going to miss you, Pac-12. Before we get into this week’s offerings, though, Carla and Crappy dive into actual college football news, including a slew of firings – one of which was really, really, really expensive – and the scandal surrounding The Team Up North. (UPDATE: As of Thursday afternoon, it’s being reported that the parties have settled. The court hearing scheduled for Friday has been canceled, and Michigan will abide by the terms of the suspension issued by the conference.) As for the games, we had our eyes on Washington’s win (and really dumb play), Penn State’s woeful offense and questionable game management decisions, Oklahoma State’s major letdown, and Missouri’s thumping of Tennessee (shout out to you, Cody Schrader), among many others. Crappy gives our last full Big Red Bears Report, including the fun fact that our favorite RB Drew Powell was credited with throwing a 2-yard touchdown pass last week. Cornell finishes its season – and Drew wraps up his college football career – at home on Saturday against Columbia (1 ET, ESPN+). Congrats, Drew. Go score a touchdown this weekend! Then … AJ joins us for his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, and he’s just a wee bit excited. As he should be. Because absolutely all of the fun stuff is happening out West and in the Group of Five this week. We join in his excitement with our main game slate. No. 22 Utah at No. 17 Arizona (2:30 ET, PACN): Sort out your VPN situation now. Arizona is still the team no one wants to play, and Utah is reeling but still very good. This game should be fantastic. No. 1 Georgia at No. 18 Tennessee (3:30 ET, CBS): Not even playing in Neyland can help the Vols this week. Georgia’s hitting beast mode at just the right time, unless you’re a Tennessee fan. No. 21 Kansas State at No. 25 Kansas (7 ET, FS1): Two ranked teams in the Sunflower Showdown? Yes, really. We love you, Kansas, and we’re thrilled you’re bowl eligible. But the Powercats are surging right now. No. 5 Washington at No. 11 Oregon State (7:30 ET, ABC): You have absolutely no excuse not to watch this game. It’s in the primetime window on national television. The Beavs are playing with a chip on their shoulder at home … and they’re actually favored to win this game. Is Washington a team of destiny? We’ll find out. Carla gives honorable mentions to UTEP at MTSU (2 ET, ESPN+) as Middle closes out its home schedule and UCLA at USC (3:30 ET, ABC) simply because it’s going to be a stupid fun rivalry game in the Coliseum. Crappy, meanwhile, offers his condolences to our Williams alums for their loss last weekend in the Biggest Little Game in America, and then gives us a history lesson on the Ten Year War. Do we have rivalries on our mind already? Yep. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves too quickly. It’s going to be a fun weekend. Enjoy the football, yinz. Cheers.

Oh, hi there, boys and girls. It’s Week 11 of the college football season. Carla’s voice is just about gone and Crappy is distracted (for the first time this year) by midweek MACtion and his Ohio Bobcats. So, yeah … just your normal week around these parts. Before we get into some interesting stuff coming up this weekend, we look back at some fun results from last week. Clemson had an improbable win. Texas and Ohio State won … but not prettily. Arizona (now CFP ranked) continues to be the team that absolutely no one in the Pac-12 wants to play. LSU really needs a healthy Jayden Daniels. And Bedlam actually was bedlam. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great weekend for our Cornell Big Red Bears, but they have a chance to rebound this Saturday at Dartmouth (1:30 ET, ESPN+). AJ fills us in on all of the goodness that is late-season #GroupOfFiveAfterDark (and yes, there are some really good matchups on that slate this week), and then we get into this weekend’s intrigue, including a massive game that even has Crappy seeing blue (and white). No. 18 Utah at No. 5 Washington (3:30 ET, FOX): That Utah defense is spectacular against the run. Unfortunately, Michael Penix Jr. likes to throw the football. A lot. No. 13 Tennessee at No. 14 Missouri (3:30 ET, CBS): Too close to call? Kinda. Mizzou’s been oh-so-close a couple of times this year. Is this the game they get over the hump? No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 2 Georgia (7 ET, ESPN): This might be Georgia’s biggest test of the season … before facing Bama in the conference title game, that is. No. 3 Michigan at No. 10 Penn State (Huge Nude, FOX): Yep. Doing this game out of sequential order because it’s that important. Carla’s hyper-focused on the Penn State secondary, while Crappy is hoping he doesn’t have to figure out the math on a three-way tiebreaker atop the B1G East. Carla gives an honorable mention to West Virginia at No. 17 Oklahoma (7 ET, FOX) because the Sooners are reeling, while USC at No. 6 Oregon (10:30 ET, FOX) should be silly fun if you can stay awake. Also, FIU at MTSU (3:30 ET, ESPN+) is worth noting because our beloved Blue Raiders need a win. Crappy is obviously paying attention to Michigan State at No. 1 Ohio State (7:30 ET, NBC), but mostly because of the Bucks’ sweet gray unis. We close the show with an ode to the Biggest Little Game in America, the DIII rivalry between the Amherst Mammoths and the Williams Ephs that’s been played since 1884. Former Draft Day Suit (the original home for this show) editor Kim Daboo is an alum of Williams, and our former colleague Chuck Curti, now of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, had a great article this week about two Pittsburgh-area brothers playing in the game. It’s just one of the many reasons we love college football. (Also, go Ephs!) And with that … Carla’s going to rest her voice and Crappy’s going to root his Bobcats to (spoiler alert!) a win. We’ll be back here next week for more as we start nearing the end of the 2023 season. (Can you believe it?) Cheers, yinz.

Hi there, boys and girls. It’s Week 10 of the college football season, Carla and Crappy are both in some semblance of Halloween attire … and Brian Ferentz no longer has a job. But before we get into that, we take an almost-live look at the first College Football Playoff rankings — hint: They don’t mean much yet — before reviewing how absolutely wrong we were about just about everything last Saturday, particularly the dud that was that 3:30 window. But hey, congrats to Kansas for the most Kansas-y upset win possible! Crappy was also disappointed by Cornell’s loss (even though starting RB Drew Powell had a great individual performance), yet our Big Red Bears still find themselves in a five-way tie in the hunt for a potential Ivy League title. Cornell travels to Penn this weekend (1 ET, ESPN+). AJ, meanwhile, has lots of interesting games on his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark slate this weekend, and tells us all about them. Then … back to the Ferentz thing. In honor of one of the most futile offenses that has ever taken the field — the AJ Fun Index for Iowa at Northwestern (3:30 ET, Peacock) is 30.5 points — Carla and Crappy offer up a bunch of games with big scoring potential this weekend, including what might possibly be the highest Fun Index we’ve ever had on the show. Ready to watch long games with lots of points? Here we go. No. 23 Kansas State at No. 7 Texas (Big Nude, FOX): Be careful, Texas. Be very, very careful. The Powercats are back and hitting their stride just at the right time. No. 9 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (3:30 ET, ABC): Emotions will be high in this final Bedlam … as will the points machine. Because the Pokes don’t play defense. At all. No. 12 Missouri at No. 2 Georgia (3:30 ET, CBS): OK, this one might not have the offensive firepower as some of the others on this list, but we will find out if Mizzou is for real. No. 5 Washington at No. 20 USC (7:30 ET, ABC): Peep that Fun Index, friends. Yep. 76! And we’re still tempted to take the over. Settle in for this one. It’s going to be a long game. No. 14 LSU at No. 8 Alabama (7:45 ET, CBS): Can Bama lose two games at Bryant Denny this year? It’s certainly possible here. No. 19 UCLA at Arizona (10:30 ET, FS1): Yep, we have to stay up late again this week. Because Arizona is the spoiler team of the Pac-12 this season. Carla offers honorable mentions to Jacksonville State at South Carolina (Noon ET, ESPNU) in the Battle of the Gamecocks and MTSU at New Mexico St. (6 ET, ESPN+) as her beloved Blue Raiders must win out to go bowling. Crappy’s solely focused this week on No. 1 Ohio State at Rutgers (Noon ET, CBS) as his Ohio Bobcats are on a bye. So, there you have it. If you like offense, you’re going to like this weekend … unless you’re Brian Ferentz, that is. Enjoy the football and the points, yinz. We’ll see you back here again next week.

It’s Week 9 of the college football season and Carla and Crappy are both wearing black. One of us likes black jerseys; the other one is in mourning. (We’re willing to bet that you can guess who is who here.) Carla, though, is more than happy to talk about the chaos that was the ACC last weekend. She absolutely, definitely, under no circumstances however wants to talk about that other little football game … but somehow manages to talk about it pretty extensively anyway. Crappy, meanwhile, doesn’t gloat too much about his Buckeyes, but is more than happy to gloat about his USC prediction. (Also, Iowa? You totally got screwed. We’re sorry.) He’s also thrilled to boast about the Cornell Big Red Bears and their huge win last week. After all of that, it’s time to focus on what lies ahead. And we’re on board with AJ’s assessment of the #GroupOfFiveAfterDark games this week. There are some absolutely great games late in the day. So here’s our advice: Sleep in. The 3:30 window is absolutely berserkers, and we have an amazing game to stay up way late for. Hit that snooze button Saturday morning and caffeinate accordingly. Let’s go. No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas (Big Nude, FOX): Can the Jayhawks actually do this? We give it a solid maybe. But they absolutely can put a scare in the Sooners. (See: UCF.) No. 1 Georgia vs. Florida (3:30 ET, CBS): No Brock Bowers for Georgia means the Dawgs are most definitely mortable here. Can the Gators … pounce? (Do Gators pounce? Is that a thing?) No. 8 Oregon at No. 13 Utah (3:30 ET, FOX): Two really great defenses on display in this one. This should be an absolutely fantastic game. Put it on the biggest screen possible. No. 20 Duke at No. 18 Louisville (3:30 ET, ESPN): The status of Riley Leonard has a huge impact on this game … as well as our predictions. See what we mean about that 3:30 window? Bonkers. But we’re not done yet, because we add two more in our honorable mentions: BYU at No. 7 Texas (3:30 ET, ABC) and the Battle of the Bricks, Miami (OH) at Ohio (3:30 ET, CBSSN). Crappy’s pumped for that latter one, for obvious reasons. Carla also offers a recommendation for Colorado at No. 23 UCLA (7:30 ET, ABC) because after that loaded mid-afternoon of football, we’re all going to need something stupid to watch. And finally, don’t miss the reason why we’re all staying up late: As AJ would say, UNLV at Fresno State (10:30 ET, FS1) should be an absolute banger. So, there you have it. Get your sleep early and hang out with us starting at 3:30 on Saturday. Also, enjoy the last week of CUSAction – MACtion is back next week! We’ll check in with yinz then. Cheers!

It’s Week 8 of the college football season, and yes, Ellie, “yay, feetball” indeed. It’s here. The weekend that Carla and Crappy have been anticipating since … oh, the end of last season. Penn State. Ohio State. Drew Allar. Kyle McCord. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. And … Daequan Hardy? (Who?) But before we get completely lost in that game, there are other matters at hand. Carla gleefully explains the Stanford Postulate (it lives!) and recaps an Oregon/Washington game that absolutely lived up to the hype. Crappy, meanwhile, offers his thoughts on USC/Notre Dame and takes some time to recap his (chilly and soggy) trip to Ithaca to watch Cornell (and, more importantly, starting RB Drew Powell) last weekend. The Big Red Bears host Brown this Saturday (Noon ET, ESPN+). Then, AJ joins us with an absolutely loaded #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report that begins on Thursday and continues nearly non-stop through late Saturday night, including an after-dark FCS game that’s absolutely worth caffeinating for. (Shout out, Big Sky!) And then … to the games at hand. But not that one. We’ll save that one for last. No. 17 Tennessee at No. 11 Alabama (3:30 ET, CBS): Bama is absolutely mortable this year … but the Vols haven’t been great on the road. No. 16 Duke at No. 4 Florida State (7:30 ET, ABC): If this game was in Durham, we might have different opinions. Also, the line is real silly here. No. 14 Utah at No. 18 USC (8 ET, FOX): They have a fantastic defense, but without Cam Rising, the Utes just aren’t quite the same team. USC might be done nationally, but not this week. Finally … No. 7 Penn State at No. 3 Ohio State (The Biggest of Nude Saturdays, FOX): It goes without saying that Carla and Crappy have lots of thoughts about this one. Carla’s pleased with her Nits’ confidence entering the Shoe, while Crappy boasts about his Bucks’ play last weekend against Purdue. The Fun Index on this game is silly low … but it might be on point. All we know for sure? One of us is going to be quite unhappy next week. To wrap things up, Carla offers a reason to be interested in No. 2 Michigan at Michigan State (7:30 ET, ABC). Crappy’s too amped to have a final thought. Yep, really. That’s how big this game is. So, here we go. Enjoy the “feetball” this weekend … and come back next week to see whether or not we’re speaking to each other. (Ha!) Cheers, yinz!

It’s Week 7 – the midway point of the college football season (if you can believe that already). Which means only one thing: It’s time for midterms. In true academic fashion, Carla grades her performance after last week’s parity-filled picks. (She passed, but barely.) Crappy, on the other hand, doles out failing grades to the USC defense as well as the Miami coaching staff. (Take a knee! Like, for real!) In the Big Red Bears Report, while Cornell didn’t have a great time at Harvard, our favorite starting running back Drew Powell had a solid game, and Crappy previews the family’s upcoming trip to what will likely be a damp and chilly Ithaca this weekend as Cornell hosts Bucknell (1 ET, ESPN+). Then AJ joins the conversation, with a laundry list of really good #GroupOfFiveAfterDark games, beginning on Friday the 13th. Nope. Nothing ominous about that. And then it’s time for our next test: Can we all stay up late this week? Because the night slate is so good, we have to. AJ is even offering extra credit for watching San Diego State at Hawaii (11 ET, CBSSN). Ready? Caffeinate appropriately, friends. Let’s do this. No. 8 Oregon at No. 7 Washington (3:30 ET, ABC): This game should rank right up there in the top games so far this season. The difference here might be Oregon’s defense. (Yes, we just said that.) Texas A&M at No. 19 Tennessee (3:30 ET, CBS): The Aggies had Bama on the ropes last week. Is Tennessee good? We’re not sure … but the Vols do tend to play better in the comfy confines of Neyland. No. 10 USC at No. 21 Notre Dame (7:30 ET, NBC): So, yeah. About that USC defense. That should be a factor in this game as the Irish look to bounce back. No. 25 Miami at No. 12 North Carolina (7:30 ET, ABC): Carolina is legit good. The Canes are coming in after an inexplicable loss despite a really, really good rush defense. Can the Heels remain unbeaten? No. 18 UCLA at No. 15 Oregon State (8 ET, FOX): Congrats, UCLA. Your reward for last week’s big win? A night game at Corvallis against DJ U and the Beavs offense. Carla gives honorable mention to Missouri at No. 24 Kentucky (7:30 ET, SECN), as if you didn’t have enough already to pay attention to in the late window. Crappy, meanwhile, explains why road games at Purdue give him heartburn. So, there you have it. Stay up late. Get an afternoon coffee or tea or energy drink. Let’s finish midterms strong, friends! We’ll see you back here next week for … the game of the year. You won’t want to miss it.

It’s Week 6 of the college football season, and Carla and Crappy decide to attempt a fun exercise: Name the best five teams right now in college football. It proved to be a much more challenging task than it originally seemed. We’re not sure Carla ever actually settled on five teams – it was more like six or seven – and Crappy had similar struggles. Looking back at last weekend’s action alone, Carla questions Georgia and Notre Dame and their need for late-game heroics, while Crappy goes after USC’s lack of defense. There really aren’t any really clear frontrunners at this point. Parity is a real thing in 2023. Does anyone want to be No. 1? What we do know for sure is that you can watch the Big Red Bears on national television on Friday night, as Cornell travels to Harvard (7 ET Friday, ESPNU). And AJ, as per usual, has an incredible menu of #GroupOfFiveAfterDark games for you to choose from all weekend long. But when it comes time for our picks, for the first time in a really long time on this little prognostication podcast, Carla and Crappy have differing opinions in all but a couple of games. It’s a good slate, particularly in the first window. No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Texas (Noon ET, ABC): The Sooners have been quietly flying under the national radar … which means that this could spell trouble for Texas in the Elmer Fudd Invitational. Maryland at No. 4 Ohio State (Big Nude, FOX): The Terps have high hopes in this one, but we agree (a rare thing!) that Ohio State should hold the upper hand in the Shoe. No. 23 LSU at No. 21 Missouri (Noon ET, ESPN): One of these Tiger teams is unbeaten … and it’s not LSU. No. 11 Alabama at Texas A&M (3:30 ET, CBS): Has Bama righted the ship? Or can the Aggie defense prevail at home? No. 20 Kentucky at No. 1 Georgia (7 ET, ESPN): Hoo boy, do we both wish this game was in Lexington. But it’s not. Georgia isn’t mortable … yet. No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 25 Louisville (7:30 ET, ABC): The brutal stretch for Notre Dame continues. As long as this isn’t a look-ahead game, we like the Irish on the road. No. 24 Fresno State at Wyoming (8 ET, FOX): Laramie in primetime on national television? This is a must watch game. Seriously. Watch it. Carla gives honorable mention nods to two Top 25 teams that need to be on alert: No. 13 Washington State at UCLA (3 ET, Pac-12) and Syracuse at No. 14 North Carolina (3:30 ET, ESPN). Crappy, meanwhile, is still boasting about that Ohio Bobcats defense. So, will we get some answers to our parity issue this weekend? Perhaps. But we’ll definitely get an incredible weekend of college football. Enjoy the games, yinz. Cheers.

Kentucky. Kansas. Duke. Wait … did this become a college basketball podcast? Nope. These are schools looking to shed their basketball-school reputations in some big time football games this weekend. But before we get to the Week 5 action, Carla and Crappy recap the spectacularity (if that’s not a word, it should be) that was Week 4. Carla questions whether Florida State is as good as we initially thought, while Crappy gives us the details of his fantastic weekend in South Bend. Oh, and we throw in some shoutouts to Penn State and Robert Morris in there, too. Then, Crappy gives us our weekly Big Red Bears report and we turn things over to AJ, who highlights all of the wonder that is the #GroupOfFiveAfterDark this weekend. Now, back to those basketball schools … and some other really good games, too. No. 10 Utah at No. 19 Oregon State (9 ET Friday, FS1): The Utes have been relying on their defense all season, while the favored Beavs are looking for some Pac-2 magic at home. No. 22 Florida at Kentucky (Noon ET, ESPN): Are the Cats for real this season? Which Florida team will we get in this game? No. 24 Kansas at No. 3 Texas (3:30 ET, ABC): Does Kansas have a chance in Austin? Maybe? No. 13 LSU at No. 20 Ole Miss (6 ET, ESPN): Are the Tigers the best team in the SEC West? We’ll get a good look this weekend. Meanwhile, Ole Miss looks to rebound. No. 11 Notre Dame at No. 17 Duke (7:30 ET, ABC): The Irish look to bounce back on the road at Durham in what is absolutely not a “breather” game. Duke can win this one. Carla offers honorable mention to her MTSU Blue Raiders who travel to Western Kentucky (7:30 ET Thursday, CBSSN) for their annual rivalry game – this year on the Network of Champions! Also, the Friday night slate is really good this week. Don’t lose track of Louisville at NC State (7 ET Friday, ESPN) or Cincinnati at BYU (10:15 ET Friday, ESPN). To close things out, Crappy offers a final reflection on the early season success of his Ohio Bobcats. With that, we have another fun weekend of college hoops, erm, football ahead of us. Enjoy all of the action. Cheers, yinz.

It’s Week 4 of the college football season … and if you’ve taken a peek at the slate for this weekend, your head may be spinning as much as ours are. So. Many. Big. Games. But we don’t want to jump ahead of ourselves. True to form, last weekend’s schedule was lackluster on paper but ended up full of crazy, causing Carla to question whether this is the most parity we’ve seen in college football in years. Meanwhile, Crappy takes the opportunity to bask in the MAC’s success against Big 12 opponents. Fly that flag! We also get our second Big Red Bears Report, featuring Cornell starting running back Drew Powell. Then, AJ takes over to give us just a taste of what awaits us in his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, including a true crosstown rivalry and trophy game and West Coast football in the middle of the afternoon. (Yes, AJ says we all can go to bed early again this week — unless you’re staying up for New Mexico State-Hawaii). And then … it’s full speed ahead. Warning: You’re going to want to have multiple screens at the ready. No. 4 Florida State at Clemson (Noon ET, ABC): This is the game the Noles absolutely need to have. But which version of FSU will we get here? And is Clemson still a national contender? No. 19 Colorado at No. 10 Oregon (3:30 ET, ABC): Let’s find out what the Buffs are made of. The Ducks have a spectacular offense … and an almost equally spectacular defense. No. 22 UCLA at No. 11 Utah (3:30 ET, FOX): Can the Utes defense get it done at home again? Are the Bruins for real? No. 15 Ole Miss at No. 13 Alabama (3:30 ET, CBS): Here’s a question we weren’t expecting to ask this year: Can Bama lose two straight at home? If Lane Kiffin has anything to say about it, yes. No. 6 Ohio State at No. 9 Notre Dame (7:30 ET, NBC): This game has blockbuster written all over it. Crappy, who will be in attendance, has lots of thoughts. No. 24 Iowa at No. 7 Penn State (7:30 ET, CBS): Drew Allar and the Nits offense didn’t look sharp last week. But this is the Whiteout game. That should remedy things. Carla gives honorable mention nods to BYU at Kansas (3:30 ET, ESPN) in a battle of Big 12 unbeatens, No. 14 Oregon State at No. 21 Washington State (7 ET, FOX) as what’s left of the Pac-12 goes head-to-head on the Palouse, and Colorado State at MTSU (7 ET, ESPN+) because it’s homecoming for Middle. (Go Blue!) Crappy is (not surprisingly) interested in Ohio at Bowling Green (3:30 ET, ESPN+) to see how his Bobcats fare in their first conference game of the year. So, find as many screens as possible and enjoy the incredible weekend of college football that awaits us. Cheers, yinz.

Hi friends! It’s Week 3 of the college football season and, well, let’s just say the schedule isn’t quite as enticing as the past two weekends have been. So much so that AJ has declared this weekend “Be A Family Person Weekend,” and given himself the week off. Crappy and Carla are … kind of in agreement. So instead of a normal show this week, we shift into “Games We Care About” mode and get a little personal. Before that, Carla recaps what was a fairly chaotic Week 2, thanks to a bunch of weather delays (Did Notre Dame/NC State ever end?) and a pretty impressive slate of evening games. Crappy, meanwhile, offers Carla a pop quiz. We also get our first Big Red Bears Report of the year as Cornell (and Crappy’s nephew, Drew Powell) kicks off its season this weekend. Hooray for the return of Ivy League football! Here are the games that Crappy and Carla care about this weekend: No. 7 Penn State at Illinois (Big Nude, FOX): The Nits offense has been spectacular. This is a game to check the defensive side of the ball. Iowa State at Ohio (Noon ET, ESPNU): A Power 5 school travels to Athens to face what has become a stellar Ohio defense. Raise that flag, Bobcats! Cornell at Lehigh (Noon ET, ESPN+): Seriously, you want to watch Jameson Wang play football. He’s super fun. Go Bears! Western Kentucky at No. 6 Ohio State (4 ET, FOX): A weird start time for this one, but the Bucks should get some good reps before a big game next weekend. Murray State at MTSU (7 ET, ESPN+): Middle just couldn’t quite finish off Mizzou last week. They should handle Murray in their home opener. (Also, listen to Jake Rose call a football game!) We’re also both always excited about the return of the Backyard Brawl – Pitt at West Virginia (7:30 ET, ABC). This game’s at night in Morgantown. Weird things are going to happen. Other games that have Carla’s attention are No. 14 LSU at Mississippi State (Noon ET, ESPN), No. 15 Kansas State at Missouri (Noon ET, SECN), and Minnesota at No. 20 North Carolina (3:30 ET, ESPN), as we’ll start to see which of these teams are for real this season. Also, just for fun, Wyoming at No. 4 Texas (8 ET, Longhorn), because this might be the last chance you have to watch a game on the Longhorn Network. Crappy, meanwhile, is maybe a bit too interested in Central Michigan at No. 9 Notre Dame (2:30 ET, Peacock), as he starts to look ahead to a huge game in South Bend next weekend. So, yeah, the schedule’s a bit lighter. But you should still watch college football. As we all know, it’s weeks like this when weird stuff happens. We’ll be back to our normal programming next week. Cheers, yinz!

We did it, everyone. We survived the mini-bowl week that the opening weekend of the college football season has become. And boy, was it a fun one. Carla had so many thoughts about Week 1 — including an undefeated uprising on the west coast — that she had to write about them. Crappy, meanwhile, was underwhelmed by — but not overly concerned about — Ohio State’s line play. But, here’s the thing. There’s no rest for the weary. There are big games on the slate this weekend … and big questions to be answered. Was [insert team here’s] Week 1 performance a fluke? Is [insert team here] for real? After noting the 13-0 start by the PAC 12, AJ runs us through his weekly slate of Group of Five and After Dark games, and then we take a look at this weekend’s intrigue. Let’s go. Nebraska at No. 22 Colorado (Big Nude, FOX): This feels like two teams moving in opposite directions. Can the Buffs keep up their winning ways? Can Nebraska shake the yips? No. 10 Notre Dame at NC State (Noon ET, ABC): The Irish get their first true test of the season, although NC State’s leading rusher last week was its QB. (Ooph.) No. 20 Ole Miss at No. 24 Tulane (3:30 ET, ESPN2): Can Tulane beat its second-consecutive Power Five opponent? Spoiler alert: Carla and Crappy agree on this one. Don’t miss this game. Really. No. 23 Texas A&M at Miami (3:30 ET, ABC): The Aggies appear to have fixed their offensive struggles. Can Miami keep up? Iowa at Iowa State (3:30 ET, FOX): This game will be painfully stupid … but we’ll talk about it anyway. First team to 10 points wins? No. 11 Texas at No. 3 Alabama (7 ET, ESPN): Last year, Texas put Bama on the ropes … until Quinn Ewers got hurt. The Horns looked good last week, as did new Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (much to Carla’s chagrin). Is Bama mortable this year? No. 19 Wisconsin at Washington State (7:30 ET, ABC): The Cougs won this matchup last year in Madison. At home, in the comfy confines of Pullman, against an all-new Badgers offense? This game should be lots of fun. Expect the unexpected. (And technically, it’s not After Dark. Watch this game!) Carla gives honorable mention this week to No. 13 Oregon at Texas Tech (7 ET, FOX), because the line on the game makes absolutely no sense. Also, a quick shoutout to MTSU at Missouri (7 ET, ESPN+), because this SEC opponent feels like it might be conquerable (as opposed to last weekend’s monumental task against Bama). Crappy, meanwhile, expresses his displeasure with Ohio State’s opponent this weekend. (Stop playing FCS teams!) So, there you have it. We’re on to Week 2. Enjoy the games, yinz. We’ll see you back here again next week.

Uncle Crappy This is the week of a lot of exciting beginnings. Five straight days of college football. Teams and conferences on new television channels. (The 3:30 CBS song is ours now, thank you very much.) We get to see new offensive schemes. New quarterbacks. Heck, Colorado is going to show us a whole new roster. Fun times. And to say we’re excited is probably an understatement. So, we waste no time getting into it. We take a quick look back at the handful of games in Week 0, including impressive wins by Jacksonville State and … UMass? Also, Sam Hartman might be good, while USC’s defense … eh, might not be. Then AJ gets us ready for all of the #GroupOfFiveAfterDark action with an absolutely loaded report (be sure to tune in every week, Boise State fans). You should have absolutely no reason to be bored this weekend. None. And then … let’s go. Florida at No. 14 Utah (8 ET Thursday, ESPN): Lots of questions this year for the Gators. Traveling to Salt Lake to face a stealthy Utes defense? That’s a big ask. Nebraska at Minnesota (8 ET Thursday, FOX): B1G football lovers? This one’s for you. Matt Rhule gets a heck of a first game as the Huskers head coach. Meanwhile, Minnesota is rowing (see what we did there?) out a whole new offense. Miami (OH) at Miami (7 ET Friday, ACCN): This one’s fun to talk about. (Ha!) We like the Canes … but wouldn’t be shocked to see the RedHawks hang around to make this interesting. The line is real dumb. Colorado at No. 17 TCU (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): Coach Prime gets the prime TV treatment … but the Horny Toads have the upper hand. West Virginia at No. 7 Penn St. (7:30 ET Saturday, NBC): Our first look at the new Penn State offense as the Drew Allar show begins in Happy Valley. Carla’s pumped. Crappy? Not so much. Meanwhile, WVU likes to run the ball. A lot. No. 21 North Carolina vs. South Carolina in Charlotte (7:30 ET Saturday, ABC): Lots of intrigue here in what should be a stellar QB matchup between Drake Maye and Spencer Rattler. Take the over. No. 5 LSU vs. No. 8 Florida St. in Orlando (7:30 ET Sunday, ABC): On paper, this is the best matchup of the weekend. This game last year was an instant classic. We expect more of the same this year. No. 9 Clemson at Duke (8 ET Monday, ESPN): Oh hey. Duke’s actually pretty good at football now. Is this a Clemsoning opportunity? Perhaps. If that’s not enough for you, Carla gives honorable mention (of course) to MTSU at No. 4 Alabama (7:30 ET Saturday, SECN), while Crappy is (obviously) focused on No. 3 Ohio State at Indiana (3:30 ET Saturday, CBS) and his mild concern about the Bucks potentially having two quarterbacks. (That would not be a good development.) So, there you have it. An absolutely packed weekend of college football. Enjoy the games … and maybe even some bad movie theater popcorn. Cheers, yinz.

Howdy, boys and girls. It’s time. There are Actual. College. Football. Games. on the schedule for this weekend. And that means the gang’s all here to make Season 12 of the Carla & Crappy Show officially official. But first, we have some housekeeping to take care of, including a quick update on the Pac-4 and conference realignment situation … which, of course, changed shortly after we recorded this show. (Typical.) On Wednesday, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the possible move of Cal, Stanford, and SMU to the ACC was back on the table. (Surprise!) So after attempting to predict the future of conference realignment – and failing almost immediately – as is tradition, we each take a shot at prognosticating this year’s College Football Playoff participants. While we agree with AJ’s assessment that this year might be the most unpredictable playoff that we’ve had in recent years – and as such, our final four selections vary quite a bit – we are in consensus on this year’s top Group of Five team. And then, after all of that … there are seven games on the schedule this weekend. We’re so amped, we talk about all of them. Navy vs. No. 13 Notre Dame (2:30 ET, NBC): We agree that this year’s Dublin game makes way more sense than last year’s Northwestern/Nebraska tilt. Enjoy the spectacle … and an Irish win. UTEP at Jacksonville State (5:30 ET, CBSSN): The first game of the season on the Network of Champions welcomes Jacksonville State (and HC Rich Rodriguez) to FBS football. UMass at New Mexico State (7 ET, ESPN): The Minutemen went 1-11 last season … and open this year’s campaign on the road on ESPN proper. Ah, welcome back, college football. Ohio at San Diego State (7 ET, FS1): Crappy’s especially amped for this game. SDSU is looking for an offensive spark. The Bobcats have one on their side and his name is Kurtis Rourke. Fly that flag. Hawaii at Vanderbilt (7:30 ET, SECN): Vandy won this game handily last year on the islands in a tiny stadium. The Beloved Rainbow Warriors should make the rematch closer … in a partial stadium in Nashville. San Jose State at No. 6 USC (8 ET, P12N): It seems somewhat appropriate that Caleb Williams begins his repeat Heisman campaign … in a game no one will see, because, you know, that whole media rights Pac-12 Network thing. FIU at Louisiana Tech (9 ET, CBSSN): A CUSA (no hyphen) doubleheader in Week 0? Yes, please! FIU’s rebuilding (yet again). Give us the Bulldogs at home. So … there you have it. Use this week as your warmup. Find your channels. Figure out your setup. Locate all of your remotes. Because Week 1 starts in full force on Thursday night. And then … it’s on. Welcome back, college football … and yinz guys. We missed you. Cheers.

For the third year running, college football has blown up with some big news as the season approaches — and even though we’d already done a summer show, the demolition of a century-old storied conference nudged AJ, Carla and Crappy to get back together and assess the new lay of the conference land. The migration of Oregon and Washington to the B1G and Utah, Arizona and Arizona State to the Big 12 apparently came together with blinding speed, but its roots, as AJ points out, were planted by the PAC-12 a decade ago. We then take a spin around the country, assessing what the latest change means for conferences around the country; the group also considers the recent outburst from Tallahassee … and the crickets we’re hearing — and will continue to hear — from South Bend. How do we save the soul of college football? How do we address the role of TV money while preserving regionalism, traditions and rivalries? AJ has an idea, and it involves going back to the future with the NCAA. Look, we’re not happy about the path that college football is apparently taking — it threatens everything that makes Sautrday football better than the Sunday version. And the changes all have been done without any real consideration for the student-athletes — and not just football players — who will have to cope with the changes. What’s ahead? It’s hard to see what the long-term impacts will be, but for 2023, we have one more glorious season of PAC-12 After Dark as we know it — so fire up your coffee maker and and join us for one more season of fun.

The Fourth of July weekend is still in our rear-view mirror, so it’s the height of summertime — which makes it perfect for the Summer 2023 edition of the Carla and Crappy Show. And what a show it is. Prompted by a prediction that Crappy’s Bobcats will play the show’s beloved Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the pinnacle of postseason destinations – that would be the Bahamas Bowl – Carla got in touch with Middle’s sports information director … and that’s how we landed an interview with Middle head coach Rick Stockstill. You’ll want to listen to this, because Coach Stockstill isn’t just talking Xs and Os. In the 20-minute interview, we cover the challenges of weeknight games, the fun of playing college football’s big boys and the time he torched Ohio State (and then-DB assistant coach Nick Saban) for 300 yards passing in Columbus. What else? The Pac-Soon-To-Be-10 doesn’t yet have a new TV deal, an issue that could – or could not – be influenced by where San Diego State goes when it departs – or doesn’t depart – the Mountain West. The Big Ten’s schedules for 2024 and 2025 made sure that Penn State is truly unrivaled, much to the chagrin of Carla and Crappy, who think their two adopted schools need to play every year. And are we buying or selling? Sorry, Coach Prime, but at the very least, you and Colorado are on layaway for a couple years. And with a stern warning for Ryan Day about losing streaks, that’s the Carla and Crappy Show for this summer. But fear not, boys and girls – Week Zero is just six weeks away. Enjoy the rest of your summer, yinz guys, and we’ll see you then.