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ESPN College Football

ESPN College Football is your one-stop podcast feed to catch all of ESPN’s original college football podcast titles, including ESPN College GameDay, Always College Football with Greg McElroy and more! You won’t miss an episode, including expanded coverage of the top events on the college football calendar.
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Episodes

Always College Football: Biggest ‘What IF’s” in college football heading into the 2026 season

What if the SEC has a really bad start in non-conference play to open the season? What if Indiana drops three games or Penn State wins 10? What if Notre Dame finally breaks through for their first National Title since 1988 and what if USC finishes UNDER 8 wins in year five under Lincoln Riley? What if the BIG 12 is a two bid league and what if the college football playoff gets even messier in November? McElroy tackles some of the biggest ‘what if’s’ heading into the 2026 season. Learn more about...

Jun 25, 202638 min

Always College Football: Best “WEAPONS” in College Football: A Quarterbacks best friend

Greg McElroy breaks down who has the most elite pass catching units in college football knowing the Ohio State is Wide Receiver U until further notice. Will Miami be even better than last year with Malachi Toney & Cooper Barkate, can Trey’Dez Green and a group of transfers get LSU to the next level and does Indiana with Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh have the best WR duo in the BIG 10? Can Moore and Wesco improve the Clemson offense, how great can Texas be with Wingo and Cam Coleman and if th...

Jun 23, 202638 min

Always College Football: Top 10 secondaries in College Football heading into 2026!

Who has the best secondaries in college football, the ones that could change games, the ones who could swing college football playoff races? Would you rather have Ohio State’s or Michigan’s secondary? Texas Tech showed out last year, can Pollock & Boyd do it again? Does Notre Dame have the best player on the best secondary or can Alabama lay claim to both? Are the transfers ready to step up EVERYWHERE and where do Texas A&M, Oregon, Georgia and LSU land in the rankings? McElroy ranks the...

Jun 18, 202634 min

Always College Football: Mike Elko has built something REAL at Texas A&M!

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko talks with Greg McElroy about the expectations in College Station, the growth of Marcel Reed, what new offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins will bring, how the Aggies will handle a brutal SEC schedule and much more. Plus, Elko is just one of a handful of coaches entering year 3 at their respective schools so McElroy ask the questions: what will Cignetti do following up a National Championship, what Kalen DeBoer can do to appease Alabama fans, and watch out for ...

Jun 16, 202647 min

Always College Football: The Sorsby Decision: the moral compass is BROKEN in college football!

McElroy details the Brendan Sorsby decision and tells you what impact it will have on college football moving forward, if other conferences boycotting Texas Tech will hold, if other BIG 12 teams could really opt out of games and if Sorsby should still enter the NFL supplemental draft. Plus could (or should) the NCAA penalize other programs at Texas Tech (baseball, basketball, softball, etc) to show that there are institutional consequences for circumventing their rules? Learn more about your ad ...

Jun 11, 20263 min

Always College Football: Top 10 Linebacker units in College Football

Greg McElroy goes through and ranks the Top 10 linebacker units in College Football heading into the 2026 season. Are the veteran leaders at Clemson and Pittsburgh enough and can Georgia just continue to reload with NFL caliber talent? Can transfers at Texas A&M and Texas keep the production level up and will Ben Roberts and Austin Romaine be able to pick up where Jacob Rodriguez left off? Can Indiana and Oklahoma keep up their domination, is the key to Auburn finally turning it around at li...

Jun 09, 20263 min

Always College Football: The REAL challenge facing Steve Sarkisian & Texas

Expectations will always be high at Texas and this year is no exception. Head Coach Steve Sarkisian joins Greg McElroy to discuss the pressure on Arch Manning, what he loves about his roster, what Will Muschamp will bring to the defense and why he feels coaches should have a bigger voice in college football. Plus, Coach Sark talks about strength of schedule and why it might expose a huge CFP flaw and how Curt Cignetti and the “Indiana Way” has changed nonconference scheduling until proven otherw...

Jun 03, 20263 min

Always College Football: Why the SEC has College Football CORNERED!

Greg McElroy is joined by new SEC Nation host Matt Barrie to discuss if the BIG 12 and ACC can keep up with the SEC and BIG Ten, if the system as a whole is sustainable and the inevitable playoff expansion and what (if anything) will be lost. Barrie also tells you the moment that changed college football for him, if the SEC can break a three year streak without a National Title and if the SEC could really breakaway from the NCAA? Plus, McElroy issues a mea culpa for leaving Miami’s defensive lin...

Jun 02, 20263 min

Always College Football: Top 10 Defensive Lines heading into 2026!

What is the most expensive real estate in college football? Answer: the 7 yards between the OT's outside shoulder and the QB's chin. So why not rank the Top 10 defensive line units in college football heading into the 2026 season. Can A.J. Holmes Jr. lead a rebuilt Texas Tech line back to the CFP, is Will Heldt ready to continue the Clemson D-line NFL pedigree, and is everyone sleeping on David Stone and the Oklahoma front? McElroy goes over all it plus tells you why this is the deepest Notre Da...

May 28, 20263 min

Always College Football: Can College Football survive as we know it?

It’s spring meeting time in college football and the number 1 topic is whether or not to expand the College Football Playoff. McElroy dives into the sustainability of the sport moving forward, why the BIG Ten and SEC are in a standoff and if anyone is thinking of the sport as whole or just their conferences. Plus, we hit the mailbag to discuss Michigan’s Jordan Marshall, the Oregon RB room, who is the better overall football player Jeremiah Smith or Malachi Toney and why so many in the media are...

May 21, 20263 min

Always College Football: Top 10 Running Backs heading into 2026!

Who are the best running backs heading into the 2026 college football season? Can Kewan Lacey get Ole Miss back to the CFP, how much better can a healthy Isaac Brown be at Louisville, what impact will the transfers have at Oklahoma State and West Virginia and can anyone challenge the SEC as the best conference for running backs in 2026? McElroy goes over all of it plus gives you some honorable mention RBs who could work their way into the top 10 after the season. Learn more about your ad choices...

May 19, 20263 min

Always College Football: Kalen DeBoer on Alabama expectations, the QB Competition & more

Kalen DeBoer talks with Greg McElroy about where the Alabama program is heading into the 2026 season, what he has learned about being the head coach at Alabama, the quarterback competition, the growth of the offensive line, why Ezavier Crowell will be a player to watch this fall and much more. Plus, McElroy breaks down the Presidential College Sports Reform Committee’s 8 proposals and tells you what loves and hates about them and if they can actually be implemented. Learn more about your ad choi...

May 18, 20263 min

Always College Football: BIG Ten BIGGEST Questions

The BIG Ten is going for their 4th consecutive National Championship with a handleful of legit contenders. McElroy goes through the entire conference and gives you the ONE question about each team heading into the summer. Can Josh Hoover really just replace Fernando Mendoza? Can two new coordinators maintain Oregon's offense and defensive dominance? Is Ohio State playing with a chip on their shoulder? Will Byrce Underwood make a sophomore step under a new coaching staff? Can Gary Patterson turn ...

May 12, 202646 min

Always College Football: Top 10 Wide Receivers heading into 2026!

We all know Jeremiah Smith is the best wide receiver, but is he the best “football player” in college or does that go to Malachi Toney? McElroy goes through and lists the Top 10 wide receivers heading into the 2026 season and outside of Smith and Toney you will see other familiar names like Charlie Becker, Ryan Wingo and Duce Robsinson but watch out for Beau Sparks at Texas State and transfers Cam Coleman and Wyatt Young. Keep an eye on Michigan, Notre Dame and Alabama headlining some potential ...

May 07, 20263 min

Always College Football: Dabo Swinney talks expectations, changes in the sport & much more

Greg McElroy talks with Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney about overcoming the disappointment of the 2025 season, the state of the Clemson program, how he can get the most out of this Clemson team in 2026, the ACC moving to a 9 game conference schedule and much more. Plus, McElroy looks at everything that has changed in the sport since the show started 4 years ago and wonders - what will the sport look like in four years from now? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...

May 06, 20263 min

Always College Football: Questions for EVERY SEC team after spring!

What is the one question that is standing in the way of each SEC team? Can Alabama defense carry the program while the offense figures itself out? How fast can the culture be built in Arkansas and Kentucky? Can the Florida and Texas offensive lines hold up throughout the 2026 season? Will John Mateer, Marcel Reed and LaNorris Sellers put together a complete season? Are the Tennessee and Ole Miss defenses ready to step up? McElroy looks at every SEC team and gives one BIG question that must be an...

May 04, 20263 min

Always College Football with Greg McElroy: Top 10 Quarterbacks heading into 2026!

Spring camps are over so we decided now was the best time to give you McElroy’s Top 10 QBs entering the 2026 season. Where will Arch Manning rank? How much does Dante Moore have to prove at Oregon this year? Where will CJ Carr and Jayden Maiava rank and who are the immediate impact transfers? McElroy goes over all of it plus gives you some honorable mention QBs who could work their way into the top 10 after the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Apr 29, 20263 min

ACF: Is a 24-team CFP inevitable?! 👀

A 24 team College Football Playoff feels like a matter of “when” not “if” with college football power brokers and a White House presidential committee meeting in North Texas this week. McElroy is here to break down what a 24 team CFP would look like, what the impact of the presidential committee is, the impact it will have on the regular season and why it will be a good thing for the sport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Apr 23, 20263 min

ACF: 1-on-1 with Kyle Whittingham + Texas, Miami & more spring game previews

Greg McElroy talks with Michigan head coach Klye Whittingham about his move as the head coach of the Wolverines, how Jason Beck will unleash Bryce Underwood, expectations in the the BIG 10, what he is looking for in the spring game and much more. Plus, Ohio State, Texas, Georgia, Miami and Virginia Tech all have spring games this weekend and McElroy gives you his ONE thing he wants to see from each game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Apr 16, 202637 min

ACF: Alabama QB battle, Florida & Tennessee spring recap + 1-on-1 with Pete Golding

Alabama held its spring game over the weekend and McElroy’s big takeaway is the quarterback competition between Mack and Russell is a LOT closer than anticipated. Florida and Tennessee also held spring games and McElroy breaks down the QB competitions and tells you why the Gators O-Line must improve this summer and why Tennessee’s defense will be the story for the Vols this fall. Plus, McElroy talks with Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding and the two discuss how Golding got buy-in from the Ole Mis...

Apr 14, 20261 hr 2 min

ACF: 1-on-1 with Lincoln Riley & who’s the best out West?

Lincoln Riley joins the show to discuss why his ‘big picture’ rebuild of USC is coming together, how he has handled the expectations, what the #1 recruiting class in 2025 means for the Trojans, why there will be little drop off in the WR room, if this is the year the Trojans break through and much more. Plus, McElroy gives some spring intel for USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington and asks who is the best team out West? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Apr 09, 202652 min

Always College Football: The Executive Order for College Sports: WHAT IT MEANS & Predicting Its Impact

Greg McElroy breaks down President Donald Trump’s executive order on college sports from Friday. What does it mean? And what REAL impacts can it have? McElroy discusses all aspects of the order, including the five-year and one-transfer rules, how it can affect NIL but maintain the genuine spirit of NIL, and protect sports not named basketball and football. Plus, McElroy dives into the misconceived notions about the transfer portal right now before giving four BIG predictions on the future if the...

Apr 06, 202648 min

ACF: QB competitions at Tennessee, FSU, Florida & more spring intel

Spring practices are in full swing and McElroy is here to help you decipher some of the intel coming out. Mike Elko says Texas A&M has work to do, Michigan is building an offense around Bryce Underwood, Jamal Rule has impressed EVERYONE at Nebraska and Clemson finished up spring by naming a Vizzina as QB1 - but the backups are more of a story. Plus, McElroy looks at the quarterback competitions at Florida State, Tennessee and Florida and how much will Ole Miss really change in 2026? Learn mo...

Apr 02, 202649 min

Always College Football: QB competition at Alabama, ND depth, Texas defense & more spring intel

Spring practices are in full swing and McElroy is here to help you decipher some of the intel coming out. Notre Dame’s RB room will be in good shape with the “floating little refrigerator” Nolan James turning heads early. The Muschamp Factor is in full swing with the Texas defense, the best WR room in Ohio State history is being thrown out (which says A LOT), Darien Mensah’s - Cam Ward comparison and Gunner Stockton looks to have taken the next step. All that plus the quarterback competition at ...

Mar 31, 20261 hr 2 min

Always College Football: 1-on-1 with Ryan Day + Ohio State’s BIGGEST question!

Ryan Day joins the show to discuss why the development of players at Ohio State is elite, what Arthur Smith will bring to the offense, why the culture stays the same even with 51 new faces on the roster, Julian Sayin’s progression and much more. Plus, McElroy looks at Ohio State’s biggest spring questions like who will step up at running back after Bo Jackson, will the young guys on the front seven develop quickly, and is this the deepest best wide receiver room that Ohio State has ever had? Lea...

Mar 19, 202641 min

Always College Football: 1-on-1 with Marcus Freeman + Notre Dame’s BIGGEST question!

Marcus Freeman joins the show to discuss what Lou Holtz taught him, the “leave no doubt” mantra, why this is the best off-season of his career at Notre Dame, CJ Carr’s growth, the defensive line depth, the reason he is not worried about the running back room and so much more. Plus, McElroy looks at Notre Dame’s biggest spring questions: who plays where on the offensive line, will play makers step up at RB and WR and is this the best defense in the Freeman era? Learn more about your ad choices. V...

Mar 17, 202644 min

Always College Football: Spring Questions for Texas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss & more

Helmets and Pads are cracking, whistles are blowing, coaches shouts can be heard echoing throughout a practice and just like that spring practice is here. IIn part of our SEC spring series, McElroy goes over the biggest questions for Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 12, 202645 min

Always College Football: SEC Spring Questions + an executive order to “fix” college sports

Helmets and Pads are cracking, whistles are blowing, coaches shouts can be heard echoing throughout a practice and just like that spring practice is here. In today’s show McElroy goes over the biggest questions for teams like Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, LSU and others as they try to get an early lean on their teams in 2026. Plus, last week President Trump urged college sports leaders to return to the pre-NIL era. Is that even possible and what would happen if an executive order was put i...

Mar 10, 202657 min

Cooper Manning talks Arch, life as a football dad and much more | Always College Football

Cooper Manning joins Greg McElroy to discuss what it is like being a parent of an elite college football player, what people get wrong about raising athletes, how to convince young players to be humble and what it is like navigating today’s hyper-analysis of college football players as a parent. Plus, we hit the mailbag and answer questions about the “next Indiana”, the NCAA going nuclear, AD’s new dilemma and the potential of the Super League in the near future. Learn more about your ad choices...

Mar 05, 202659 min

Always College Football: NCAA “trying” to flex | Kirby & Mario | Spring practice starting

Kirby Smart and Mario Cristobal reminded all of us that college football is fun and we can joke with one another. The NCAA is trying to flex their muscles with some BIG punishments for teams circumventing the transfer portal and spring football is starting for Clemson, Nebraska, Missouri, USC and a few others and McElroy is here give his take on all of it plus tells you the BIGGEST questions that need to be answered in spring camp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adcho...

Mar 04, 20261 hr 2 min
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