AP Top 25 College Football Podcast The Associated Press

Ohio State’s toughness dilemma
 
Ohio State coach Ryan Day went off after the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame last week, targeting Lou Holtz, but, really, he was going after the notion that his team lacks toughness. That is not a new thing for Day and Ohio State. Doug Lesmerises of THE Podcast joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about the Buckeyes’ toughness dilemma.
Also, is the top tier of college football growing this season? How many teams are capable of winning a playoff game? Plus, Doug thinks the SEC is mid.
 
 
Ralph’s AP Top 25 column: https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-25-georgia-ohio-state-a731f8008e63205b18bd05e771c82bc9
 
THE Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-podcast-ohio-state-football-news/id1636577652

Previewing a monster weekend, by the numbers
 
Week 4 of the college football promises to be the best one yet. There are six games matching ranked teams, plus several other fascinating matchups. To preview the biggest games, college football stats analyst Parker Fleming joins AP’s Ralph Russo. What can we expect out of No. 13 Alabama against No. 15 Ole Miss now that Nick Saban has committed to Jalen Milroe at quarterback? Is the bill about to come due for No. 19 Colorado as Coach Prime’s team heads to No. 10 Oregon? How will Sam Hartman and No. 9 Notre Dame’s improved passing game matchup against an Ohio State defense that is showing signs of truly understanding coordinator Jim Knowles’ defense?


Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com

College football dynasties
 
Clemson and Alabama have both already lost, which prompts the question: How do college football dynasties rise and fall? Paul Myerberg of USA Today joins AP’s Ralph Russo for a college football history lesson, searching for comparable runs to Clemson’s under Dabo Swinney and putting Alabama’s dynasty under Saban into historical context.


Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com

Clemson’s fall; CU’s ceiling
 
 
Two stunning upsets defined Week 1 of the college football. Colorado beating TCU and Clemson falling to Duke. David Ubben of The Athletic joins AP’s Ralph Russo to talk about what’s happened to Dabo Swinney’s program at Clemson and how the rest of the season might play out for Deion Sanders and Colorado. Plus, a Texas-Alabama preview.


Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com

Coaching carousel preview
 
 
With the season on the verge of full-blown kickoff, it’s time to check in on which coaches need to have success to keep their jobs. Adam Rittenberg from ESPN joins Ralph Russo from AP to talk about the coaching carousel, which these days starts spinning earlier than ever. The clearest hots spots are in West Virginia and Indiana. In recent years, there have been mid-season coaching changes that nobody saw coming. Adam and Ralph dig around to find the not-so-obvious spots that could get volatile. Plus, Chris Huston, host of the Official Heisman Trophy Podcast, joins the show to talk about Caleb Williams’ chances of a repeat and what makes a Heisman contender.
 
 
Adam’s story on Jim Harbaugh: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38241303/michigan-college-football-force-again-distractions
 
Ralph’s coach watch: https://apnews.com/article/hot-seat-coaches-neal-brown-tom-allen-hafley-babers-drinkwitz-26411561308210a526fba184372b2e93



Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com

G5 and Notre Dame previews
 
 
Who will emerge as the top teams in the new-look American Athletic Conference? Is it time for SMU and Memphis to takeover? Boise State might have a difference-maker at quarterback in the Mountain West and the Sun Belt could be the most balanced of the Group of Five conferences. Chris Vannini of The Athletic joins Ralph Russo to preview the non-Power Five conferences. Then Pete Sampson of The Athletic and The Independent podcast previews Marcus Freeman’s second season as Notre Dame’s coach. What’s the ceiling for Sam Hartman and the Fighting Irish?


Email the show: APTop25mailbag@gmail.com