ESPN College GameDay

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel break down how a proposed 19-team conferenced cap could reshape college football. They also dig into what Mike Norvell needs to do to turn things around at Florida State. Plus, the guys make their picks for the biggest games of Week 3.   0:00 - Welcome 0:30 - 19-team cap could end chances of a super league 9:42- Mike Norvell needs an injection of hope to survive at FSU 16:54 - Game Preview: Florida St vs Alabama 22:04 - Ole Miss star served with lawsuit papers 27:03 - Who needs this win more: LSU or Ole Miss? 29:56 - Game Preview: LSU vs Ole Miss 37:12 - Game Preview: Louisville vs SMU 40:44 - Game Preview: Houston vs Texas Tech 44:34 - Game Preview: Florida vs Auburn 50:33 - Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs Maryland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel break down Lane Kiffin’s highly anticipated return to Ole Miss and what’s at stake for both sides in Oxford. Plus, they guys look at Oregon’s early struggles, Tulsa’s path into the College Football Playoff conversation and Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor’s rising NFL draft stock.   0:00 - Welcome 0:30 - Lane Kiffin to enter the Ole Miss cauldron 10:31 - Who needs the win more: Lane or Ole Miss? 18:53 - How will Pete Golding handle LSU vs Ole Miss? 23:34 - Does LSU need to embrace boring? 27:46 - GameDay at Ole Miss: What will the signs say? 33:12 - Oregon: Can they figure things out? 39:22 - Oregon: Look past the final score 46:17 - Tulsa playing its way into the CFP conversation 52:32 - Kamario Taylor puts himself on NFL draft radar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to the College GameDay Podcast hosted by Dan Wetzel, Bill Connelly, and Max Olson. They recap an incredible Week 2 slate, starting off with Texas defeating Ohio State in an amazing 4th quarter comeback. They breakdown Michigan upsetting Oklahoma, Oklahoma State upsetting Oregon, and the Missouri-Kansas rivalry. They give shoutouts to Akron, Duke's Nate Sheppard, Jeremiah Smith, Montana State, Kamario Taylor, and Mason McKenzie. All that and more on the College GameDay Podcast! 00:00 Welcome to the show! 1:30 Texas completes comeback against Ohio State 19:13 Oregon loses to Oklahoma State 24:40 Michigan upsets Oklahoma 33:26 Akron season-ticket holder calls plays 39:09 Missouri beats rival Kansas 45:36 Big 12 favorites continue to roll 50:47 Duke’s Nate Sheppard 51:42 Jeremiah Smith 53:00 Kamario Taylor 54:15 BC beats Rutgers in Eagles’ red bandana game 55:10 Say something nice! 1:01:10 Thank you for watching! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel break down the details of the SEC vote that could get LSU expelled from the league. Plus, they tackle college football’s timekeeping problem, Michigan’s decision to stick with Bryce Underwood as QB1 and the mounting pressure on Dabo Swinney. 0:00 - Welcome 0:30 - SEC puts LSU on notice with expulsion vote 5:56 - Will the SEC pass the self-governance test? 15:36 - LSU & SEC: Can they close the gap? 21:14 - NCAA sets new ‘standard timing protocol’ 30:19 - Michigan sticks with Bryce Underwood at QB1 34:54 - Timekeeping fixes: Tenths of a second? Light up goal posts? 41:52 - Dabo Swinney under fire after LSU loss? 47:30 - Game preview: Ohio St vs Texas 54:34 - Game preview: Oklahoma vs Michigan 59:07 - Game preview: Alabama vs Kentucky 1:03:03 - Game preview: Arizona vs BYU 1:06:37 - Game preview: Arizona St vs Texas A&M 1:09:45 - Game preview: Tennessee vs Georgia Tech 1:13:48 - Deep cut game: Boise St vs Memphis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel recap Ole Miss’ win over Louisville and Notre Dame’s dominant performance against Wisconsin. Plus, they look ahead to Ohio State vs Texas and discuss the latest 24-team College Football Playoff talks and a potential SEC-Big Ten scheduling partnership.   0:00 - Welcome 0:30 - Bad games, blowouts, and controversy! 7:47 - Ole Miss defeats Louisville, secures win 17:38 - Notre Dame steamrolls Wisconsin 24:19 - What’s the best college football book? 32:21 - The best night in Baton Rouge 38:56 - Ohio St vs Texas is the perfect early-season matchup 46:24 - CFP talks to enter into negotiating window 49:36 - SEC, Big Ten talk scheduling partnership Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dan Wetzel and college football writers Max Olson and Bill Connelly break down Michigan’s wild win over Western Michigan, including the clock sync issue that gave the Wolverines another shot at a Hail Mary. Then the guys run through more of Week 1’s biggest games before wrapping up with their way-too-early Heisman picks and “Say Something Nice.”   0:00 - Welcome 0:30 - Michigan defeats Western Michigan on a Hail Mary 6:26 - Michigan’s Bryce Underwood underwhelms in first game of the season 13:53 - LSU trounces Clemson in Lane Kiffin’s debut 27:23 - UCLA rushing attack helps defeat Cal 32:57 - Oregon trails by 10 to a comeback and defeats Boise State 36:13 - UMass shocks Rutgers at home to win 38:23 - Auburn sneaks by Baylor to win 41:22 - Miami trounces Stanford 45:43 - Colorado narrowly defeats Georgia Tech 49:35 - Small sample Heisman winners for the week 53:17 - Say something nice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel look ahead to college football’s opening weekend, revisit some of the biggest early-season upsets and make the case for teams to “cowboy up” and play somebody Week 1 next year. Plus, the crew breaks down Clemson vs. LSU, what’s at stake for Clemson and whether Dae’Quan Wright Zxavian Harris will take the field for LSU. Then the guys run through the Week 1 slate of games and reveal which teams they think will come out on top. 0:00 - Welcome 0:30 - Week 1: Shockers are coming 3:39 - Week 1: It’s time to cowboy up & play somebody 7:17 - Remember these big opening weekend upsets? 13:45 - Inside the lore of College GameDay 19:08 - SEC, Big Ten to go big on opening weekend? 21:57 - Clemson vs LSU: A defining test for Clemson 27:16 - Clemson vs LSU: Will Dae’Quan wright & Zxavian Harris play? 34:11 - Clemson vs LSU: Who wins? 37:19 - UCLA vs Cal: The game flying under the radar 44:40 - Wisconsin vs Notre Dame: A game worth watching 49:38 - Baylor vs Auburn: All eyes on DJ Lagway 54:47 - Who wins? Boise State vs Oregon 56:55 - Who wins? Miami vs Stanford 59:46 - Who wins? Louisville vs Ole Miss 1:02:24 - Who wins? SMU vs Florida State 1:05:53 - Deep cut game: Tulane vs Duke 1:08:31 - The great Pabst heist: Thieves swipe $70k in beer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel dive into college football’s latest eligibility fight as LSU and Lane Kiffin test the limits of whether former NFL players can return to college. Veteran NCAA attorney Tom Mars joins to break down LSU’s options and the risk of SEC penalties and what the case could mean for college football. Plus, the crew discusses where the sport should draw the line on eligibility, contracts and player movement.   0:00 - Welcome 0:30 - Week 0: Weird and absolutely reckless 5:42 - Week 0: FCS vs The Group of Six 10:21 - Week 0: FCS matchups in the spotlight 17:21 - Week 0 no more, college football moves on 24:03 - Lane Kiffin & SEC in talks over eligibility 30:21 - Tom Mars, veteran NCAA attorney, joins the pod! 32:22 - Tom Mars weighs in on SEC eligibility 37:41 - Is the Big 12 federal case a blueprint for the SEC? 43:34 - LSU vs SEC intraconference transfer rule 47:20 - Tom Mars: Not interested in taking on a losing case 48:02 - Is LSU’s NFL player gamble worth it? 58:17 - Revisiting the Charles Bediako uproar 1:05:04 - What should the eligibility line be? 1:10:17 - Balancing contracts and player movement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel, and Dan Wetzel set the stage for the College Football Playoff picture. They discuss whether the 12-team format is the sweet spot, identify how many teams have a legitimate shot to win the national championship and then make their early CFP predictions on unexpected teams to crash the field, who makes the semifinals and who could win it all.   0:00 - Welcome 0:30 - Preseason AP Poll vs. CFP reality 6:00 - Who’s in, who’s out of the CFP? 8:30 - Is a 12-team CFP the sweet spot? 20:50 - How many teams can win it all? 34:41 - The unexpected teams to crash the cfp are… 41:52 - CFP semifinals: Early picks for who’s in 43:43 - Penn State cocaine trafficking ring exposed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel, and Dan Wetzel break down the Big 12 heading into the season. Is Texas Tech’s rise good for the conference and can Houston emerge as a legitimate contender Plus, the crew weighs Utah’s changes of making a run, Arizona State’s loaded wide receiver room, TCU’s sleeper potential, and the wild cards that could shake up the Big 12 race.   0:00 - Welcome 1:55 - Oklahoma St. Eric Morris vs. an armadillo 9:44 - Is Texas Tech’s rise good for the Big 12? 17:53 - BYU freshman WR Legend Glasker turning heads 19:54 - Can Houston emerge as a Big 12 contender? 29:58 - Utah: Big 12 contender or spoiler? 35:37 - ASU has the Big 12’s best WR room? 46:05 - TCU: The quintessential Big 12 sleeper? 48:16 - Arizona, Baylor & Oklahoma St: Big 12 wild cards 53:43 - Coach Prime at Colorado: What’s next? 58:10 - Final word on the Big 12: WVU, ISU, Arkansas St, UCF, Cincinnati, KU, Baylor, Kansa St Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel, and Dan Wetzel continue their SEC preview with the biggest questions facing the conference this season. Can Missouri crash the SEC title race? Can John Sumrall turn things around at Florida? And which programs are poised to make a leap?   0:00 - Welcome 1:08 - Can Missouri crash the SEC title race? 2:26 - Can John Sumrall get Florida back on track? 4:52 - Can South Carolina make a major leap? 9:34 - Can Pete Golding keep Ole Miss among SEC elite? 11:19 - Can Will Stein immediately win at Kentucky? 16:23 - Can Alex Golish end Auburn’s losing skid? 24:46 - Can Vanderbilt keep rising without Diego Pavia? 31:40 - Can Ryan Silverfield revive Arkansas? 33:17 - Is Kamario Taylor going to be an SEC breakout quarterback? 37:38 - Who’s your favorite player to watch throw? 39:09 - Which coach gets fired by Halloween? 44:55 - SEC must-see games 49:39 - Does the SEC end their championship drought? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel, and Dan Wetzel preview the SEC heading into the 2026 college football season. Has the conference lost its place atop the sport or is the SEC ready to reassert its dominance. The crew breaks down whether Georgia’s offense can deliver another SEC title, Arch Manning’s chances of leading Texas to the top, pls can Ole Miss contend without Lane Kiffin and can Lane Kiffin win immediately at LSU?   0:00 - Welcome 0:30 - Has the SEC lost its place atop college football? 9:54 - Can Georgia’s offense deliver another SEC title? 13:59 - Can Arch Manning lead Texas to an SEC title? 20:00 - Is Oklahoma ready to win the SEC? 23:09 - CFP debate: Can SEC teams lose three games? 28:57 - Can Ole Miss contend without Lane Kiffin? 38:24 - Can Texas A&M return to the CFP? 42:32 - Can Lane Kiffin win big immediately at LSU? 56:59 - Can Alabama reclaim its place among the SEC elite? 1:03:22 - Can Tennessee contend with a new quarterback? 1:09:39 - SEC title game: Who gets there and who wins? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete Thamel, Dan Wetzel, and Ryan McGee wrap up their ACC Conference Preview by asking the question: Who survives the season? They break down the pressure facing Bill Belichick at UNC, Mike Norvell at Florida State and Dabo Swinney at Clemson. Plus, can James Franklin revive Virginia Tech? Could Cal or Pitt shake up the ACC race? What’s ahead for Duke, Wake Forest, Syracuse, and Boston College?   0:00 - Welcome 0:56 - Belichick, Norvell or Dabo: Who survives the season? 4:24 - Will Belichick return in 2027? 5:00 - UNC’s portal plan: What went wrong? 18:23 - Can Mike Norvell survive another losing season? 24:04 - ACC exit plans and landing spots 28:32 - Is Dabo Swinney under pressure at Clemson? 36:28 - Can James Franklin revive Virginia Tech? 41:20 - Can Cal make noise in the ACC? 42:47 - Can Duke & Wake Forest do it again? 44:56 - Can Pitt enter the ACC title race? 47:07 - Syracuse & Boston College: What’s ahead? 51:19 - What is proper post-hunting etiquette? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete Thamel, Dan Wetzel, and Ryan McGee kick off Part 1 of the ACC Conference Preview with the biggest storylines heading into 2026. Can the ACC change its national perception? Can Miami return to the CFP? Plus, they break down Notre Dame’s evolution and the other ACC contenders that could make a run this season. 0:00 - Welcome 4:15 - Can ACC change its national perception? 11:19 - ACC goes all in on Friday night football 16:41 - Miami’s path back to the CFP 19:35 - Can Miami reload in the trenches? 24:07 - Can Notre Dame leave no doubt in 2026? 27:09 - Can CJ Carr become college football’s top QB? 32:10 - Notre Dame: From Brian Kelly to Marcus Freeman 38:02 - ACC teams that could make a run: Georgia Tech 41:05 - ACC teams that could make a run: Louisville 46:40 - ACC teams that could make a run: SMU 48:04 - Can Virginia build on its breakout season? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The College GameDay Podcast continues its 2026 Big Ten football season preview as Rece Davis, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel examine the conference’s sleepers, spoilers and potential breakout teams. Can Wisconsin rebound under Luke Fickell? Could Demond Williams Jr. and Washington crash the Big Ten championship race? Are Maryland, Illinois, Nebraska, UCLA, Iowa or Minnesota ready to make a leap? The crew also discusses Pat Fitzgerald’s first season at Michigan State, Bob Chesney’s UCLA rebuild, Chip Kelly taking over Northwestern’s offense and the debut of the new Ryan Field. Plus, has NIL and the transfer portal erased the SEC’s talent advantage—and should three straight national championships make the Big Ten the best conference in college football? 0:00 Big Ten Football Preview Part 2: Sleepers and Teams to Watch 1:27 Big Ten vs. SEC: Did NIL Shift College Football’s Balance of Power? 11:28 Wisconsin Football Preview: Is Luke Fickell on the Hot Seat? 13:54 Maryland Football Preview: Can Malik Washington Lead a Breakthrough? 15:32 Illinois Football Preview: Can Bret Bielema Keep the Illini Rising? 18:42 Nebraska Football Preview: Can the Huskers Finally Break Through? 20:22 UCLA Football Preview: Bob Chesney and Nico Iamaleava 22:42 Iowa Football Preview: Can the Hawkeyes Find an Offense? 26:06 Michigan State Football Preview: The Pat Fitzgerald Era Begins 30:11 Northwestern Football Preview: New Ryan Field and Chip Kelly 34:49 Washington Football Preview: Can Demond Williams Jr. Become Elite? 40:41 Minnesota Football Preview: Drake Lindsey and Anthony Smith 48:08 Purdue and Rutgers Football Previews: Reasons for Optimism? 54:27 Best Quotes from 2026 Big Ten Football Media Days Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel, and Dan Wetzel break down the top contenders in the Big Ten as Part 1 of the College GameDay Podcast's conference preview series gets underway. Can Ohio State reclaim the conference crown? Will Oregon finally break through? And does Indiana have another championship run in store? We all that and more on this episode of the College GameDay Podcast! 00:00 - Welcome to the College Gameday Podcast 00:40 - Drafting the top teams in the Big Ten 10:46 - How does Indiana follow up a perfect season? 25:09 - Is Ohio State the team to beat in the Big Ten? 34:45 - Can Dante Moore lead Oregon to a CFP breakthrough? 43:50 - Can USC breakthrough under Lincoln Riley? 48:07 - Can Matt Campbell win right away at Penn State? 51:53 - Who wins the BIG Ten? 55:20 - Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel, and Dan Wetzel react to North Carolina placing Michael Lombardi on paid administrative leave and discuss what it means for the program moving forward. Plus, they debate whether this is a make-or-break season for Lincoln Riley at USC, whether Indiana should still be the favorite in the Big Ten, and break down the biggest storylines heading into Big Ten Media Days. All that and more on this episode of the College GameDay Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis is back from Wimbledon and joins Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel to talk about SEC Media Days. They discuss Eli Drinkwitz’s thoughts on Power Four nonconference scheduling, predict the SEC race, make early picks for Weeks 1 and 2, and weigh in on Josh Heupel’s comments about Lane Kiffin’s return to Neyland Stadium.   0:00 - Welcome back from Wimbledon, Rece 7:55 - USF’s new stadium and outdoor bar 14:51 - Best sponsor names for iconic stadiums 23:03 - Eli Drinkwitz on P4 nonconference games 40:17 - Who will win the SEC this season? 42:19 - Picking early season winners: Week 1 48:38 – Picking early season winners: Week 2 57:16 - Josh Heupel’s comments on Kiffin’s return to Neyland 1:01:11 - Looking ahead to SEC media days Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete Thamel, Dan Wetzel and Sports Illustrated senior writer Pat Forde break down the Michigan Regents’ upcoming discussion on the athletic department culture investigation and what it could mean for Athletic Director Warde Manuel’s future. They also discuss Penn State and how the Nittany Lions could surpass Michigan as the nation’s largest stadium. Finally, the guys previews ACC Media Days, highlighting the biggest storylines to watch across the conference.   0:00 - Welcome 0:30 - Michigan regents to discuss athletics probe 4:56 - Michigan AD Warde Manuel’s future uncertain 10:38 - What does it take to run Michigan athletics? 14:28 - Michigan finalizing college basketball coach contract 18:38 - Penn State to become largest stadium in the U.S.? 25:37 - ACC Media Days Preview: Miami vs Duke QB feud 35:18 - ACC Media Days Preview: Is Clemson slipping? 39:28 - ACC Media Days Preview: Belichick’s roster 47:55 - ACC Media Days Preview: FSU to bounce back? 50:12 - ACC Media Days Preview: James Franklin 51:34 - ACC Media Days Preview: Clemson, FSU tensions 53:58 - Airline window seats without windows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete Thamel, Dan Wetzel and college football and transfer portal reporter Max Olson break down the biggest storylines coming out of Big 12 Media Days, including the tension surrounding the conference and whether Texas Tech has separated itself from the rest of the league. They discuss if the Red Raiders need the Big 12, why other programs are struggling to keep pace, and what the future holds for Deion Sanders.   0:00 - Welcome 0:30 - Big 12 media days: Behind the tension 6:44 - Is Texas Tech carrying the Big 12? 11:09 - Texas Tech’s options outside the Big 12 15:19 - Why Big 12 teams can’t catch Texas Tech 24:33 - What’s holding Colorado back? 31:32 - Is the Deion Sanders era over? 33:41 - Kenny Dillingham’s next step at ASU 39:44 - What makes ASU a sleeping giant? 41:09 - Big 12 intrigue: ASU WR and QB room 45:06 - Big 12 intrigue: Utah, BYU, Houston 48:54 - Big 12 intrigue: Oklahoma St and TCU 50:07 - The Oklahoma St QB story you need to know 51:32 - Big 12 intrigue: Cincinnati OL and DJ Lagway 52:43 - Who is the Florida banana chip bandit? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices