Pete Thamel, Jeff Borzello, ESPN college basketball insider, & Bill Connelly, ESPN writer, discuss the traps in the Midwest Region! Houston may be a top seed, but a showdown with Gonzaga looms large. Also in the region are McNeese and High Point, who are eyeing Cinderella runs that could shake up the bracket. Kentucky, the No. 3 seed, has stumbled into March looking anything but steady, and Tennessee’s coach is looking to rewrite history for himself. The guys end their tournament bracket preview by unveiling who they think will fill the Final Four spots.   0:00 - Houston's brutal second round matchup against Gonzaga 3:52 - McNeese & High Point could be potential upset picks 5:48 - Kentucky, the No. 3 seed, looked disheveled the past couple of weeks 10:15 - UCLA vs. Utah St: Two big brands meet in the first round 12:07 - Tennessee's coach has a tortured NCAA Tournament history 14:19 - Jeff Borzello's Final Four picks 16:05 - Bill Connelly's Final Four picks 17:05 - Pete Thamel's Final Four picks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete Thamel, Jeff Borzello, ESPN college basketball insider, & Bill Connelly, ESPN writer, discuss the battlefield that is the West Region. UConn’s Dan Hurley is eyeing a massive upset over No. 1 seed Florida, while Oklahoma’s NBA-bound star is ready to step into the spotlight. Colorado State sees a clear path forward, but may stumble to Texas Tech or St. John's. With so many top contenders colliding, which team will make emerge and advance to the Final Four?   0:00 - What makes the West Region a gauntlet? 5:06 - UConn's Dan Hurley to upset Florida, the No. 1 seed? 13:16 - Oklahoma's coveted NBA prospect 14:46 - Colorado State's favorable pathway 16:37 - Drake's strategy is to run down the shot clock, will it work? 20:08 - Maryland ready to go on a run, can they get to the Elite Eight? 23:37 - Texas & St. John's are heavyweights in the West Region 25:37 - Why Kansas vs. Arkansas is a spicy matchup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete Thamel, Jeff Borzello, ESPN college basketball insider, & Bill Connelly, ESPN writer, discuss the East Region - the NCAA Tournament's biggest offensive powerhouse. BYU is ready to light up anyone in their path, but VCU lurks as a defensive force capable of shutting down the best. The guys also dive into Arizona’s star player that might be able to carry the team and if Duke can survive without Cooper Flagg.   0:00 - East region: The tourney's offensive powerhouse 2:02 - BYU: The elite scoring team 3:08 - VCU plays some of the best defense in the region 3:55 - Alabama isn't as tough as you think 5:00 - Why Oregon lost their way this season 6:30 - How college ball is evolving 11:30 - Baylor has been bit by the injury bug 14:22 - Arizona has the most enigmatic player in the country 17:02 - Can Akron's coach lead his team to upset Arizona? 22:26 - How long can Duke go without Cooper Flagg? 23:57 -  Why Montana doesn't stand a chance 25:37 - Saint Mary's is an anomaly this season Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete Thamel, Jeff Borzello, ESPN college basketball insider, & Bill Connelly, ESPN writer dive into their first gut reactions to the field, from Auburn’s No. 1 seed in the South Region to UC San Diego surging in with momentum. Plus, they break down key first-round matchups like Marquette vs. New Mexico and Louisville vs. Creighton, and debate how far teams like Yale and Michigan State can really go.   0:00 - Initial gut reactions to the tourney bracket 10:09 - Auburn: The number one seed in the south region 10:27 - UC San Diego entering the tourney with momentum 12:07 - Iowa State likely out after major player injury? 14:43 - Fun matchup: Marquette vs. New Mexico 15:46 - How far can Yale go? 18:00 - Spicy close matchup: Louisville vs. Creighton 19:28 - Michigan St: A chalky pick 22:05 - No. 1 seed Auburn doesn’t have a history of winning 24:00 - Should the SEC have 14 teams in the tourney? 27:16 - Preview: First Four play-in games Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel & ESPN writer Bill Connelly discuss Bowling Green's splashy offseason move by hiring Eddie George as their new head football coach - It's also a big win for the Mid-American Conference whose offseason has seen other coaches and players leave for greener pastures. The guys also look at early storylines for next season. Is Clemson back? Are they a top five team right now? Will Notre Dame's new roster get them to the College Football Playoff? Who will lead the charge at the quarterback position, Steve Angeli or CJ Carr?  0:00 - Why eyes are on Eddie George at Bowling Green 2:22 - The two emerging head coach hiring trends 6:10 - The talented coaches & players leaving the MAC 13:41 - The MAC rivalry you may not know about 14:19 - A way-too-early CFP scenario prediction 19:17 - Will Clemson be a top five team next season? 21:26 - In a 14-team CFP, what is the 4-4-2-2-1-1 model? 36:39 - How will head coach Marcus Freeman reset Notre Dame? 40:38 - Who will be Notre Dame's starting quarterback be next season? 42:23 - How is Rece on EA Sports CFB 25 Dynasty Mode? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis and Pete Thamel discuss the bitter standoff between the ACC, Florida State, and Clemson that threatened to fracture the conference. Now that a settlement has emerged, they get into what it entails and if it's sustainable through 2030. Then, Field Yates, NFL Draft analyst joins the pod! He attended the NFL Combine and shares which players he thinks put on a standout performance and the possible hits Will Howard's and Shedeur Sanders' draft stock took. 0:00 - Why were the ACC, Florida State & Clemson at odds? 6:13 - How big of a deal is the ACC, FSU, Clemson settlement? 10:20 - How much revenue will be paid to players? 13:22 - What will college football look like in 2030? 15:39 - Will streaming services want to broadcast games? 18:18 - The best way to watch the NCAA Tournament 21:12 - How good are AI chat bots at NCAA Tourney trivia? 23:27 - Why teams will overthink DL Mason Graham 25:17 - The NFL draft difference makers outside the top 10 30:30 - Will Howard’s poor performance at the NFL Combine 35:26 - Did Shedeur Sanders shoot down his NFL draft stock? 39:54 - Field Yates’ near altercation at the NFL Combine 44:20 - Should teams be charged a timeout for faked injuries? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis, Pete Thamel & Matt Miller, NFL draft insider discuss the quarterback class lacking surefire stars and how this could potentially create volatility in the draft order. Specifically, they get into Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders who flashed toughness and precision throughout the season yet still needs the right team to believe in him. They also look at Travis Hunter, a two-way talent. Will he stick with the cornerback position, where great players are scarce, or chase the money at wide receiver? Finally, they evaluate some familiar-named quarterbacks expected to go in the latter rounds. Could one rise up to be an NFL star? 0:00 - Why college spring games could disappear 7:21 - What is the depth level of the 2025 NFL draft class? 9:52 - Will Travis Hunter play both ways in the NFL? 16:56 - The player to NOT be blindsided on 18:17 - Could QB Shedeur Sanders fall out of the top 10 draft picks? 24:23 - Pros & cons about QB Cam Ward 26:40 - Where will QBs Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe, Dillon Gabriel land in the draft? 31:00 - What kind of NIL deals do players at smaller schools have? 32:50 - Besides NIL, the highest currency in college football is… 36:37 - The best time to be a college free agent 38:00 - Where to find NIL data on schools? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis and Pete Thamel discuss the meeting of power brokers in New Orleans and how the decisions from this event could shift the balance of power in the sport. Will this lead to a future SEC and Big Ten partnership? If so, can the Big 12 and ACC level up their teams enough to remain in the sphere of relevance? Meanwhile, in basketball, the NCAA Tournament could expand to 76 teams. The guys get into how this doesn't just benefit teams at the top but is also transformative to those who can break through and get into the field. 0:00 - Should the SEC teams play 8, 9, or 10 conference games? 6:21 - What’s the best way to get more eyes on college football? 12:18 - Will the SEC & Big Ten form a future partnership? 15:48 - Why the current peace in college football won’t last 22:38 - The Big 12 & ACC need to bring the pressure 32:24 - Why expand the NCAA hoops tourney to 76 teams? 40:20 - The hoops tourney expansion primary positive effect 43:28 - Why QB John Mateer to Oklahoma is interesting 45:55 - Can QB Miller Moss sneak Louisville into the CFP? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis and Pete Thamel discuss why former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles could be the missing piece that pushes Penn State to win a national title. Also, they say Clemson is flying under the radar when they shouldn't be. The guys bring out all the details on how Clemson leveled up. Then, ESPN national recruiting reporter Eli Lederman joins the pod to talk North Carolina, specifically how Bill Belichick has yet to put together a star-studded roster. Finally, Rece and Pete get into the underrated basketball history at Auburn and Alabama, and why you should have eyes on that Saturday matchup! 0:00 - Which Ohio State coaches are out? 5:00 - Penn State to win a title with DC Jim Knowles? 8:00 - Why you shouldn't sleep on Clemson right now 10:53 - Is Texas the number one team going into next season? 13:41 - What to expect from the College Football Playoff meetings 20:30 - Did Belichick recruit any high school stars for UNC? 23:27 - Who did Belichick bring in from the transfer portal? 32:15 - What you need to know about UNC quarterback Bryce Baker 35:00 - Why Auburn vs Alabama is a blockbuster college basketball game 45:30 - Rece's first-ever concert was with Elvis Presley? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis and Ryan McGee, host of "Marty & McGee" on SEC Network, take a birds eye view of the first year of the 12-team playoff and discuss the concerns they have from both the regular season and the postseason. Moreover, they get into the broader topic of college player professionalization and how they see that moving forward. Then they touch on the best stories that caught their eye and the stories coming this fall. The pod has a survey! Fill it out to contribute your thoughts on how the pod went this season: https://forms.gle/UHFg4idbbA5q7SHFA  0:00 - Welcome 1:50 - CFP National Championship recap with Ryan McGee 15:28 - What fixes should be made to the 12-team playoff? 19:30 - How should conference disparity be addressed? 27:30 - How should college player professionalization be addressed? 34:43 - How to differentiate college football from the NFL? 40:24 - The best parts of the regular season 45:10 - What to look forward to next season Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices