Claim OwnershipAlways College Football with Greg McElroy
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ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy takes a deep dive into the sport with the biggest names on and off the field. With off-seasons being a thing of the past, McElroy goes year-round with analysis, opinions and insight on top teams and under-the-radar stories from coast to coast.
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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.
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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.
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Preseason hype is what college football fans LIVE for, but what happens if your team fails to meet those expectations? Don’t worry McElroy is here to give you a comprehensive "bounce back" guide for 10 teams in the 2026 season. South Carolina, Auburn, Illinois, Arizona State, Louisville and more have "February optimism" right now but still have the sting of the harsh reality of last year's failures. It’s time to move on from the disappointment to redemption as McElroy identifies personnel upgrades, portal wins, and favorable schedules for the upcoming season.
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Curt Cignetti joins Greg McElroy to talk life after winning the National Championship, how to prevent complacency, if he ever smiles, how Indiana identifies the RKG’s (right kinda guys), what Cig has seen from the new group coming in for 2026 and so much more. Plus, McElroy goes over why Joey Aguilar got denied another year of eligibility and what it means for Josh Heupel and Tennessee going into 2026.
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Mario Cristobal joins Greg McElroy to talk about the culture he has cultivated at Miami, how the Canes can move forward but still acknowledge all of their accomplishments, identifying players that “fit” what Miami is looking for, what Darian Mensah brings to the team and so much more. Plus, McElroy goes in depth on why a lot of big non conference games are getting canceled, if it is good for the fans and the health of the sport and the pro’s and con’s of a 24 team college football playoff.
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Greg McElroy is joined by David Pollack to discuss why the BIG 10 is on such a roll and if it will stop anytime soon, why tampering and the calendar need to be adjusted sooner rather than later, if the NFL should “help” with college football and so much more. Plus, McElroy dives deep into the evolution of college football in 2026 and why the changes ON the field are here to stay.
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A sleeper isn't "trendy"; it’s a team with QB clarity, a defined identity, and a narrow schedule path. That is why McElroy has Utah, Florida, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin and more as teams he thinks will be “sleepers” in 2026. Plus, McElroy explains why we are about to enter into a “quarterback reset” year. How fast can Sam Leavitt and Lane Kiffin build chemistry in the SEC? Will Darian Mensah be able to win tight games in November, can Michigan build a system tailored around Bryce Underwood’s strengths rather than forcing him into an old mold, can homegrown talent still win at Clemson in a portal economy and so much more.
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McElroy continues with his 2026 National Title contenders with Alabama, USC and Penn State. Does Lincoln Riley have enough on the roster to make a run at the CFP and National Title, will Matt Campbell, Rocco Becht and the rest of the Iowa State transfers be enough for Penn State to make a serious run at a title and now that the roster is completely Kalen DeBoer’s will Alabama have enough fire power to get back to winning national championships? Plus, McElroy breaks down the impact of Trinidad Chambliss and Joey Aguilar’s court cases and what it means for roster development in the future.
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Everyone agrees that college football needs a little help, whether it’s with NIL, the overall calendar or the College Football Playoff schedule (which is a whole other story in itself). McElroy lays out the reasons why anyone associated with college football should say “thanks but no thanks” to Roger Goodell and the NFL because it could be a Trojan Horse waiting to limit the sports potential. Plus, we continue our series on title contenders in 2026 with Michigan, Oklahoma and BYU.
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LSU athletics is under investigation for potential NIL violations, the BIG 10 released their conference schedule and did no favors for Ohio State, USC and Northwestern and are we really granting an EIGHTH year of eligibility to college football players? McElroy discusses it all plus we continue our series of National Title contenders in 2026 with roster breakdowns of Michigan, Miami and Texas A&M
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What’s the best way to recruit a quarterback in 2026? McElroy gives you five very different philosophies utilized by teams like LSU, Indiana, Penn State, Miami and Vanderbilt to bring in the most important position in college football. Plus, we continue our series on teams that can win the National Championship next season and McElroy tells you why Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State are in prime position with loaded rosters for a “title or bust” run in 2026.
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The College Football Playoff is staying at 12 teams next year despite a lot of talk about expanding, McElroy tells you why it stayed and what the chances are of expanding next December. Dabo Swinney shined a bright light on transfer portal tampering calling out Pete Golding and Ole Miss - will the NCAA do anything about it? Plus, it’s never too early to start looking ahead, so we started our series of title contender teams today where McElroy goes over the additions that Indiana, Texas, Texas Tech and Oregon made in the transfer portal and what the early outlook is for a run at a National Championship.
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Indiana held off Miami 27-21 to win the schools FIRST ever National Championship and McElroy is here to give you his instant reaction. A team that finished 16-0, that played unselfish and rode Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza to a title is a story that the college football world did not see coming. The question now is where does this Indiana team rank among some of the greats.
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Greg McElroy, Jimbo Fisher & Stanford Steve break down the Indiana and Miami rosters, changes needed in the transfer portal, the impressive way Indiana plays for each other and if it is really the Hoosiers game to lose. Plus, Jimbo Fisher talks about what his approach to the NIL and transfer portal would be if he got back into coaching and if Indiana’s model is repeatable, while Stanford Steve gives us the best prop bets for the National Championship and who he is leaning towards putting his money on.
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The National Championship is HERE! Greg McElroy and Matt Barrie are in Miami and discuss why people question Carson Beck (even after all that he has done), why Indiana is STILL getting severely disrespected because of big brand bias and who has the edge heading into Monday night's game. Plus, the guys give their X-factor for the game AND make a pick for who wins the National Championship.
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Indiana is on a historic run with Heisman trophy winner Fernando Mendoza leading the Hoosiers to an undefeated regular season, BIG 10 championship and now looking for their first National Championship in school history. Standing in the Hoosiers’ way are Mario Cristobal’s Miami Hurricanes who have taken out Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss on their road home looking for their first Natty in 24 years. McElroy goes in-depth breaking down the Miami offense vs Indiana defense, the Indiana offense vs the Miami defense and gives you 10 questions that will determine who wins the National Championship!
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Indiana put on a show in the Peach Bowl and absolutely dominated Oregon. McElroy gives you his reaction to Curt Cignetti, Fernando Mendoza and the Hoosiers' big win as they reach their first National Championship game in school history. Plus the swagger is BACK at The U. Carson Beck, Mark Fletcher, Malachi Toney and company helped Miami take down Ole Miss in a classic Fiesta Bowl as the Hurricanes head back to the National Championship game for the first time since 2003.
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Miami continues to bring the swagger back to “The U” and will face off against Ole Miss and one of the best offenses in the country in the Fiesta Bowl. Will it be Miami’s defense or the Rebel offense who controls the game? Plus, can #1 Indiana take down #5 Oregon AGAIN? Two of the three rematches in the CFP have gone to the regular season loser, can the Ducks get revenge and make it to their first national championship since 2014? McElroy gives you the most in-depth breakdowns of the CFP semifinals you will find ANYWHERE!
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Indiana handed Alabama their worst loss in bowl season history, repeatedly punching the Tide in the face while securing a spot in the semi finals against Oregon who shut out BIG 12 Champion Texas Tech 23-0. Miami’s defense shut down Ohio State and got enough from Carson Beck and company to move on to the semi finals where they will take on Ole Miss who stunned SEC Champion Georgia in the Sugar Bowl (but might be without some coaches moving forward). McElroy gives his reaction to all of the incredible CFP quarterfinal games.
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The CFP quarterfinals are here and McElroy delivers the most indepth previews you will find ANYWHERE! Can Miami score enough points to keep up with Ohio State, will Texas Tech be able to contain the Oregon run game, can Georgia beat Ole Miss again this season and will Indiana prove to everyone in the SEC that they are the real deal by taking out Alabama? All that plus questions that will determine who is moving on to the semifinals.
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Great pod. Greg is very knowledgeable and has a good delivery! Didn't kill you with gambling takes or bluster!
Greg might have Rogaine hair, but he's very knowledgeable about college football.
definitely becoming one of my favorite college podcast.