A to Z Sports Podcast Network

A to Z Sports
  • 4.7 (152)
  • Sports
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Nashville's On-Demand podcast network!

  1. 44m ago

    Tennessee Could Expose Kentucky As A Fraud...

    Kentucky is ranked No. 8 in the country. But are the Wildcats actually a top-10 team? The latest Big Orange Podcast breaks down Tennessee's massive matchup with Kentucky and asks whether the Wildcats are as good as their ranking suggests. Kentucky has put together an impressive résumé, with road wins over Texas A&M, South Carolina and Oklahoma, but Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan aren't convinced the Wildcats are truly one of the best teams in college football. The biggest reason? A lot of Kentucky's success has come down to extremely close games. The Wildcats needed a two-point conversion to beat South Carolina in overtime. They needed another two-point conversion to beat LSU. They also escaped several other close games before eventually losing to Vanderbilt. Remove those two-point conversions, and Kentucky's record — and national ranking — could look dramatically different. Tennessee, meanwhile, has a much better defense statistically. The Vols are currently No. 2 in the SEC in scoring defense, allowing just 17 points per game against conference opponents, while Kentucky is No. 9 at 27.3 points per game. That could be a major problem for the Wildcats when they walk into Neyland Stadium. Charlie and Zach discuss why they believe Tennessee has the better roster, why Kentucky may be benefiting from some fortunate breaks, and why the Vols could expose the Wildcats as a team that isn't quite as good as its No. 8 ranking suggests. But Kentucky isn't a bad football team. The Wildcats have a veteran quarterback, a solid coaching staff and have proven they can win difficult games on the road. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. 1d ago

    Tennessee's QB Situation Just Got VERY Interesting...

    With Kentucky coming to Neyland, Heupel once again declined to publicly name the Vols' starting quarterback. George MacIntyre appears to be the obvious choice after taking over the job and helping Tennessee win multiple games, but Heupel continues to keep the situation unofficial.Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan break down why they believe Heupel may actually be doing this intentionally.One possibility is that Tennessee still needs Faizon Brandon.MacIntyre has played well enough to earn the starting job, but the Vols have four more games remaining in November and one injury could immediately put Brandon back on the field. Keeping Brandon engaged, confident and prepared could be extremely important for Tennessee's playoff push.The guys also discuss the psychological side of the quarterback situation.MacIntyre is still extremely young and has continued to improve every week. Naming him the unquestioned starter could potentially add pressure to a quarterback who is still developing, while leaving the job unofficial allows him to continue playing without feeling like he has to prove himself every single snap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. 5d ago

    Tennessee Fans NEED To Root For These Teams...

    Tennessee isn't playing this weekend, but that doesn't mean Vols fans have nothing to watch.The latest Big Orange Podcast breaks down the biggest games Tennessee fans should be watching during the bye week and explains which teams the Vols should be rooting for as they continue to chase a spot in the College Football Playoff.With Tennessee sitting at 6-2, the results around the SEC could have a major impact on the Vols' playoff chances and potential seeding.Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan discuss several games that could directly affect Tennessee's postseason picture.One of the biggest games is Ole Miss vs. Auburn.The guys believe Tennessee fans should be rooting for Auburn because another loss for Ole Miss could eliminate one of the SEC's potential two-loss playoff contenders and make Tennessee's path much cleaner.They also discuss South Carolina vs. Oklahoma.Despite South Carolina being the team that just beat Tennessee, the Vols actually have a reason to root for the Gamecocks in this one. A South Carolina win could help Tennessee's playoff résumé and make the Vols' loss in Columbia look better to the College Football Playoff committee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. Oct 27

    Tennessee's Playoff Path Is STILL Wide Open...

    Tennessee's College Football Playoff hopes are NOT dead.The latest Big Orange Podcast breaks down the Vols' remaining path to the College Football Playoff using the new A to Z Sports College Football Playoff Predictor.Tennessee enters the bye week coming off the brutal loss to South Carolina, but the Vols still have a legitimate path to the postseason.The guys walk through every remaining Tennessee game and show how the team's playoff odds change depending on what happens.At the start of the episode, Tennessee has a 23% chance to make the College Football Playoff according to the predictor.Beat Kentucky, and that number jumps to 32%.Beat Texas A&M, and Tennessee's chances climb to 51% Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. Oct 26

    Tennessee's Loss Wasn't On Josh Heupel...

    Tennessee should have beaten South Carolina.That's the biggest takeaway from the latest Big Orange Podcast.Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan break down Tennessee's brutal loss at South Carolina and explain why the defeat shouldn't automatically be placed on Josh Heupel.The Vols fell behind 14-0 early, but responded by taking control of the game.Tennessee dominated much of the final 50 minutes, took a halftime lead, made strong adjustments and put itself in position to win the game late.In fact, Charlie and Zach believe it was one of Josh Heupel's better-coached road games at Tennessee.The problem was that the Vols couldn't finish.After controlling South Carolina for most of the afternoon, Tennessee had a chance to essentially end the game on a fourth-down play late in the fourth quarter.George MacIntyre failed to execute the handoff, resulting in a turnover on downs and giving South Carolina another opportunity.The Gamecocks eventually tied the game, and Tennessee's defense couldn't prevent LaNorris Sellers from making an incredible play at the goal line.Dylan Stewart then made the biggest defensive play of the game for South Carolina, forcing a fumble from MacIntyre and setting up the winning field goal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. Oct 23

    The Vols Aren't Falling Into The South Carolina Trap...

    Everyone is picking South Carolina against Tennessee.But are they making the same mistake everyone made before Tennessee's previous losses in Columbia?The latest Big Orange Podcast breaks down the Tennessee-South Carolina matchup and explains why the Vols may be much better equipped to avoid the trap this time around.Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan discuss Tennessee's first trip to Williams-Brice Stadium since the disastrous 2022 loss and explain why this year's team is fundamentally different.The Vols are 6-1 after beating Alabama, but they enter Columbia as 2.5-point underdogs.South Carolina has a strong home-field advantage, a talented roster and a defense that ranks among the better units in the SEC.But the guys believe the national narrative around this game may be driven too heavily by Tennessee's history in Columbia.In 2016, the Vols suffered a devastating loss at South Carolina.In 2022, Tennessee entered Columbia with College Football Playoff and SEC Championship aspirations before getting blown out by the Gamecocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Oct 21

    Tennessee May Have The BEST Defense In America...

    Is Tennessee's defense actually the best defense in America? The latest Big Orange Podcast takes a deep dive into Jim Knowles' remarkable first season as Tennessee's defensive coordinator and asks whether the Vols have developed the best defense in college football. Zach Ragan and Charlie Burris discuss the incredible transformation of Tennessee's defense and how far the unit has exceeded expectations entering the 2026 season. Before the season, the expectation was simply for Tennessee to improve. A top-40 defense would have been considered a major success. Instead, the Vols are now among the nation's statistical leaders in nearly every major defensive category. Tennessee ranks first nationally in sacks, second in explosive passes allowed, third in defensive efficiency, third in tackles for loss and third in fourth-down defense. The Vols also rank among the national leaders in limiting explosive plays, pass defense, scoring defense and takeaways. And the numbers don't even tell the entire story. Tennessee's defense completely overwhelmed Alabama in Knoxville, holding the Crimson Tide to just 200 total yards and making Alabama's offense look uncomfortable for most of the afternoon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Oct 20

    Tennessee Finally Found Its Winning Formula...

    Did Tennessee just find the formula it needs to win the rest of the season?The Vols dominated Alabama in Knoxville, and the latest Big Orange Podcast breaks down what Tennessee's win over the Crimson Tide revealed about this team.Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan discuss the biggest lessons from Tennessee's impressive victory, including the emergence of a new offensive identity, the continued improvement of the offensive line and the importance of complementary football.Tennessee didn't need to score 40 or 50 points to beat Alabama.Instead, the Vols methodically moved the football, controlled the line of scrimmage and repeatedly ran the ball against the Crimson Tide.That was one of the most encouraging developments of the entire season.After weeks of questions about Tennessee's offense and whether the Vols could consistently move the football against elite SEC competition, Tennessee put together one of its most complete offensive performances of the season.The offensive line deserves a huge amount of credit.Tennessee was able to push Alabama off the ball and create running lanes for DeSean Bishop, who continued to emerge as one of the most important players on the offense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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