Bunch Formation: A College Football Show

Chris Vannini is joined live by The Athletic's Scott Dochterman to react to Indiana's blowout win over Oregon in the Peach Bowl. INDIANA is playing for the national championship and we still can't believe it.

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben went live as soon as Miami beat Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal. How impressive was Miami? Or did they almost blow it? How good was Ole Miss' comeback? The guys also talk about the decline of the SEC, and what it means that Demond Williams Jr. is coming back to Washington after a dramatic week. 

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to preview the two College Football Playoff semifinals. Who wins between Indiana-Oregon and Ole Miss-Miami? They also talk about CFP byes and grade some of the biggest early transfer portal additions. 

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0:00 Intro
10:19 Poney!
12:47 Fiesta Bowl Semifinal: Ole Miss vs. Miami (Thursday)
31:43 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl Semifinal: Indiana vs. Oregon (Friday)
49:20 Which national title matchups would be the most interesting?
51:50 FCS national championship: Montana State vs. Illinois State (Monday)
53:42 Do the first-round CFP byes matter?
59:37 W...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben went live right after Ole Miss beat Georgia. The guys break down all four playoff quarterfinal games and what it says about the sport that we have a semifinals with Indiana, Oregon, Miami and Ole Miss. They also give thoughts on the SEC, blowouts, expansion and the semifinal matchups. 

0:00 Intro
3:38 Ole Miss upsets Georgia in the Sugar Bowl
27:31 Indiana curbstomps Alabama in the Rose Bowl
44:45 Oregon shuts out Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl
58:57 Miami upsets Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl (Chris was there)
1:17:22 Early semifinal t...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back from Christmas for a mega quarterfinal preview. They break down and pick each game. They also get into Kyle Whittingham and Michigan and if that'll work. Plus, the final stretch of bowl games and wondering what their sponsors are. 

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0:00 Intro
4:44 Should quarterfinals be on campus?
12:38 Poney!
14:55 Michigan hires Kyle Whittingham
25:33 Ohio promotes John Hauser to head coach
CFP Quarterfinals
27:05 Cotton Bowl: Ohio State vs. Miami
40:17 Orange Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Oregon
54:43 R...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back for a pre-holiday news and mailbag episode. The guys talk about their CFB26 game, the Notre Dame-USC divorce, Michigan's coaching search and Bobby Petrino potentially at USC, followed by your mailbag questions, Christmas movies and more bowl picks. 

0:00 Intro + Bunch Formation Bowl II
8:54 Who's at fault for ND-USC ending their series?
24:55 Latest at Michigan
29:45 UNC working to hire Bobby Petrino as OC
33:00 Mailbag: PNW air conditioning, players going back to previous schools, Jimbo Fisher and Ed Orgeron
44:41 Favorite Christmas movies
Bowl Picks
52:07 Game A...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben have plenty of reactions from the first round of the College Football Playoff, and David is live from the Denver airport for this one. The guys also talk Group of 5, Kenny Dillingham, Michigan, bowl previews and David's weird experience at a Eugene sports bar. 

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0:00 Intro
2:47 Poney
4:55 Alabama comes back to beat Oklahoma
27:54 Miami outlasts Texas A&M
46:05 Ole Miss takes care of Tulane
53:56 Oregon handles James Madison
1:00:10 The G5 conversation and what should (or sh...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to talk about transfer quarterbacks, the ACC's weird schedule, coaching news, Cinderellas, more bowls and your mailbag questions. 

0:00 Intro
8:27 Evaluating transfer quarterbacks (Sam Leavitt, DJ Lagway, Dylan Raiola and more)
37:14 How do we feel about players "re-signing"?
40:45 The ACC is splitting 8/9 conference games
45:14 Michigan coaching search latest
50:15 Ohio fires Brian Smith for cause
53:55 Joel Klatt hates Cinderellas?
59:40 Missouri State vs. Arkansas State - Xbox Bowl (Thursday)
1:03:18 Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan - Myrtle Beach Bowl (Friday)
1:06:41 NC State vs. Memphis - U...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back for the big College Football Playoff preview. They also talk Army-Navy, bowl games, new coach hires and more.

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0:00 Intro
6:56 Poney!
10:30 Navy beats Army
13:42 Picks record update
14:55 Alabama at Oklahoma (Friday)
26:25 Miami at Texas A&M (Saturday)
35:05 Tulane at Ole Miss (Saturday)
45:48 James Madison at Oregon (Saturday)
53:30 The G5 conversation
59:45 Our bracket picks
1:07:55 Troy vs. Jacksonville State IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl (Tuesday)
1:10:17 South Florida vs. Old Dominion StaffDNA Cure...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben react to Fernando Mendoza's Heisman win, reveal their Heisman ballots, talk about their strategies on voting and the parts they'd like to change. 

0:00 Fernando Mendoza wins the Heisman
5:15 Our voting philosophies
13:08 Our ballots 
25:45 Thoughts on the process and changes

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to talk about a wild week of news at Michigan, preview Army-Navy, the last LA Bowl and answer your mailbag questions. 

Story on Sherrone Moore and Michigan latest

0:00 Intro
3:17 What we know about Sherrone Moore, fired at Michigan, detailed by police
10:47 What this means for Michigan
18:25 Notre Dame keeps complaining about the CFP and ACC
27:14 Why 5-7 teams declined bowl games
30:19 David explains the South Bend bookstore drama
33:39 Major injury at Indiana
New coach hires
38:40 Penn State hires Matt Campbell (a...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back for a DRAMATIC episode. The playoff rankings are in and Notre Dame is out. Was the committee wrong? What do we think of the matchups? Plus a look back at the conference championship games and some funny stories at the end. 

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Chris' column on Notre Dame declining a bowl

0:00 Intro
5:38 Poney!
9:39 Reaction to the playoff rankings
30:10 Initial thoughts on the CFP matchups
50:50 Notre Dame, Iowa State and Kansas State decline bowls
58:03 Indiana shocks O...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to talk conference championship games, more coaching hires and your mailbag questions. 

Chris' Wednesday update story on coaching searches

0:00 Intro
7:55 Leftover CFP ranking thoughts on BYU, Notre Dame/Miami and the ACC
16:52 Steve Sarkisian threatens to stop playing big nonconference games
New coaches
20:38 UCLA hires Bob Chesney
23:40 Kentucky hires Will Stein
26:17 Stanford hires Tavita Pritchard
28:31 Cal expected to hire Tosh Lupoi
32:00 Chris Klieman retires at Kansas State, Collin Klein expected to replace
38:36 North Texas hires Neal Brown
42:42 USF h...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben went live during Tuesday night's penultimate CFP reaction show. They discuss Alabama's strange jump over Notre Dame, the one narrow path Miami might still have, if Oklahoma will host a home game and how the Group of 5 suddenly has a good shot at two spots with James Madison.

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back for a LOADED show. We've got coaching changes galore and rivalry games and CFP fallout to measure. (Apologies for a brief choppy audio issue from around 1:19:00 to 1:21:30)

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Chris' story with Jon Sumrall

Chris' column from Texas

David's column from Vanderbilt

Chris' preseason story on New Mexico

0:00 Intro and David as Charles Barkley
3:27 Poney
6:26 Lane Kiffin goes to LSU and angers everyone
15:38 The calendar problems
19:11 Ole Miss...

Chris Vannini is joined by special guest host Sam Khan for a LOADED episode. CFP ranking controversy! New coaches hired! Rivalry games and seasons on the line!

Chris' latest update on coaching searches

Story on Georgia Tech giving away the rivalry home game

0:00 Intro
2:44 CFP drama with Miami/ND and Vanderbilt/Texas
11:54 Why Oklahoma State hired Eric Morris from North Texas
16:56 Why Colorado State hired Jim Mora from UConn
19:44 Latest on Lane Kiffin, LSU, Florida, Auburn, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Cal and everything else
35:30 Game picks, record updates
...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to talk coaching news at Cal, Florida and Ole Miss. Then they react to Week 13 and who's still alive for the College Football Playoff and conference races. Oh, and David tells the story of his email getting hacked. 

0:00 Intro and David's hacked email
4:55 Welcome to Poney, a new show sponsor — Download Poney
7:15 Tuesday live show, reviews
9:20 Florida State is keeping Mike Norvell
16:58 Cal fires Justin Wilcox
21:03 Lane Kiffin's waiting game
25:56 Big Ten- Oregon beats USC, Lincoln Riley gets mad at question
34:45 Ohio State and...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben went live on the Bunch Formation YouTube page on Saturday night to talk about some of the day's games. Topics include the ACC (Pitt, SMU, Virginia and more), Oregon's win vs. USC, Lane Kiffin, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, the Group of 5, hot seat watch for Sunday and more.

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back for Week 13 picks, CFP eliminators, and some more talk about Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian and the SEC's SoCon Saturday.

0:00 Intro
2:45 Lane Kiffin's contentious teleconference
9:09 Steve Sarkisian says he's not leaving
11:45 Sam Leavitt not expected to return to Arizona State
17:32 David defends the SEC-FCS challenge
22:08 Picks record update
23:48 USC at Oregon
28:37 Pitt at Georgia Tech
30:30 Missouri at Oklahoma
33:20 BYU at Cincinnati
35:27 Kentucky at Vanderbilt
38:38 Arkansas at Texas
40:27 Louisville at SMU (Chris will be there)
42:01 Miami at Virginia Tech<...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben went live after the College Football Playoff ranking show. Are Miami and Alabama too low? Vandy too high? What Tulane's ranking says about the G5 path. Then the guys get into what's happening with Lane Kiffin and why James Franklin is a great fit at Virginia Tech

0:00 CFP reaction
22:36 Lane Kiffin latest
37:37 James Franklin and Virginia Tech

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back for a deeper dive into Week 12. The guys defend the Group of 5 having a playoff spot, get into the hot seat, remember why they love college football and get into Week 12 results. 

0:00: Intro and our theme song was stolen
5:13 Stop complaining about the Group of 5 playoff spot
13:24 Texas A&M's comeback vs. South Carolina and why we love CFB
18:55 Heisman leaders?
26:00 Hot Seat Watch
26:15 Baylor loses to Utah, but the AD situation is weird
27:36: Illinois beats Maryland and Mike Locksley will return
30:48 Penn S...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben went live on YouTube to react to the day's game. They get into Texas A&M's comeback, Oklahoma's statement, Notre Dame's mashing, the Group of 5 playoff situation, ACC drama, David's breakfast bisuits, Heisman Trophy, top 10 and more. 

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to talk about a loaded Big 12, along with the weird twist in the Brian Kelly saga, what the Big Ten private capital deal is all about, and why helmet stickers need to come back. 

Chris' story on Wisconsin-River Falls' prolific offense

0:00 Intro, sports bars and tickets
9:25 Rose Bowl Pasadena want a restraining over against UCLA
10:00 What the Big Ten private capital drama is all about
18:43 Brian Kelly fired to not fired?
25:30 Chris wants more helmet stickers
30:45 Picks and records update
32:45 Notre Dame a...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben went live during the College Football Playoff rankings show. They discuss Texas Tech jumping Ole Miss, Miami's weird position, an ACCpocalypse, the Group of 5 leaders, Notre Dame's situation and a lot more. 

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back for a deeper dive into Week 11 results, the impact on the playoff race and a lot more. 

Watch Week 11 After Dark

0:00 Intro and a Barry Switzer story
4:56 Indiana stuns Penn State
11:11 Texas Tech dominates BYU - David says Texas Tech is a top-5 job
21:41 Oregon survives Iowa - Is the Big Ten better than the SEC?
28:51 Wake Forest upsets Virginia, Cal upsets Louisville
33:40 Vanderbilt outlasts Auburn
35:15 Texas A&M pounds Missouri
38:53 Wisconsin shocks Washington
39:52 USC beats Northwestern with a weird f...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben went live on the Bunch Formation YouTube channel on Saturday for some live reactions to the day of college football. Your normal Monday reaction pod will be up as normal on Monday. 

YouTube version

Topics include: Indiana, Gus Johnson, Heisman Race, Texas Tech, Oregon, ACC, Jim Mora, Wisconsin, Group of 5 and more. 

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to preview Week 11 games, plus discussions on a Rose Bowl lawsuit, LSU's drama and a desire to bring back paper tickets. 

Story on the UCLA lawsuit

Chris' coaching carousel notebook

0:00 Intro, what's up, Trevor?
6:24: Rose Bowl and Pasadena sue UCLA over moving games
12:24 LSU has a new AD, mostly
15:50 Coaching carousel notes: Virginia Tech, Florida State, Colorado State, Dabo's future
22:39 Chris wants to bring back paper sports tickets
31:38 Game previews: Records update
33:21 BYU at Texas Tech
37:18 Oregon at Iowa Duration: 01:15:31

Chris Vannini and David Ubben went live on Tuesday night as the first batch of CFP rankings went live. In this episode, they discuss Ohio State over Indiana for No. 1, if Miami is done at No. 18, why Notre Dame is overrated at No. 10 and more. 

Full YouTube episode

Full rankings: 
1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Ole Miss
7. BYU
8. Texas Tech
9. Oregon
10. Notre Dame
11. Texas
12. Oklahoma
13. Utah
14. Virginia
15. Louisville
16. Vanderbilt
17. Georgia Tech
18. Miami (FL)
19. US...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to discuss Auburn firing Hugh Freeze, a string of Week 10 upsets blowing up the rankings before the CFP reveal on Tuesday, and then both of them had viral game tweets over the weekend. 

Chris' Auburn Job Profile + Candidate List

0:00 Intro and ESPN/YouTube TV
8:13 Auburn fires Hugh Freeze, how good is the job?
15:26 Who should Auburn hire?
29:40 SMU upsets Miami (and Rhett Lashlee is staying)
40:10 NC State stuns Georgia Tech
42:04: Virginia holds off Cal, Duke beats Clemson
43:08 The state of the ACC r...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back (in Halloween costumes) for a big show. They talk about the crazy start to the LSU coaching search, the NCAA reconsidering gambling changes, Chris' trip to Tulane, answer some mailbag questions and then make Week 10 picks, before remembering some guys. 

Chris' story on Jon Sumrall

Grace Raynor's story on Virginia

David's story on politics and CFB

0:00 Intro and David's shocking lack of Halloween history
7:26 The path to a four-bid Big 12?
12:29 LSU's governor takes over the coaching search
20:32 NCAA delays lifting ban o...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to discuss LSU firing Brian Kelly, how good the LSU job really is, all the big Week 9 games and who might already be a playoff lock. Plus, it was Chris' first trip to an LSU game. 

Chris' LSU job profile

0:00 Intro and Chris' first trip to LSU
6:20 LSU fires Brian Kelly, how good is this job and who will replace him?
37:13 Game reviews and CFP locks
Texas A&M pounds LSU
Ole Miss outlasts Oklahoma
Indiana destroys UCLA
Alabama survives South Carolina Duration: 01:36:16

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to discuss the hottest topics in college football, including hot seats at Wisconsin and Florida, tortilla bans and the top 25 stadiums in college football. Then they make their Week 9 picks and Remember Some Guys. 

Read: Top 25 College Football Stadiums

Story on the Michigan-Michigan State newspaper battle

Topics:
0:00 Intro
1:15 Who owns Play Like A Champion Today
2:38 The Bunch Formation CFB26 Bowl
4:45 Reviews
6:09 Florida State and Mike Norvell's status
11:13 Wisconsin and Luke Fickell's status
16:32 Texas Tech bans fan tortillas
21:25 Texas A...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to talk coaching changes at Florida and Colorado State, carousel rumors and another wild weekend of college football full of upsets. 

David's story from Notre Dame

Chris' Florida candidate list

Chris' Colorado State candidate list

Grace Raynor's James Franklin column

0:00 Intro and David's first Notre Dame visit
7:58 Florida fires Billy Napier, who will replace him?
29:35 Colorado State fires Jay Norvell, how good is this job?
33:21 What James Franklin's College GameDay interview was really about
37:15 Georgia outlasts Ole Miss Duration: 01:25:55

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back. The guys discuss the problem with sports bars, the tortilla drama around Texas Tech and Kansas, how the coaching carousel really works and how coaches shouldn't react to questions. And then it's Week 8 picks, with big games at Alabama, Notre Dame, James Madison and more. 

David's story on Tortilla-gate 

Chris' column on coach contracts

0:00 Intro
4:55 The problem with sports bars
7:39 How to respond to job rumors, with Matt Rhule, Fran Brown and Eli Drinkwitz 
25:36 Torilla drama around Texas Tech-Kansas
33:13 Ole Miss at Geo...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back from their road trips with a TON to talk about. Three schools fired their coaches, including Penn State with James Franklin. Will buyouts ever get under control? Plus, should Indiana be No. 1 after beating Oregon and how bad were the SEC refs on Saturday?

Stories:
Penn State job profile + candidates

UAB candidates

Oregon State job profile + candidates

David's story from Missouri-Alabama

Chris' story from Oklahoma-Texas

Show
0:00 Intro and fried food
4:49 Penn State fires James Franklin
22:20 UAB...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to talk Week 7 picks, in what could (again) be the biggest weekend of the season. 

David's story on Ahmad Hardy

Chris' story on Oklahoma's offseason overhaul

0:00 Intro, Corny Dogs, sponsor us! and an FCS pick
4:40 Weekday CUSA
7:14 Indiana at Oregon
11:00 Alabama at Missouri - David will be there
17:10 Oklahoma vs. Texas - Chris will be there
25:54 USF at North Texas - Chris will be there
29:41 Pitt at Florida State
31:54 BYU at Arizona
34:46 Ohio State at Illinois
38:10 Florida a...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to talk about a Week 6 that upended a lot of our expectations. Penn State and Texas lose to unranked teams. Some other undefeateds fell. Bill Belichick's team looks horrible. But first, David has exclusive reporting from the Ludacris concert before the UNC-Clemson game. 

0:00 Intro and David's Ludacris experience
5:40 UCLA stuns Penn State: Is it time for James Franklin to leave?
15:49 Miami wears down Florida State, is Miami a CFP lock with Ohio State and Oregon?
19:50 Alabama holds off Vanderbilt, is Bama the best in the SEC?
24:20 F...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to get into Week 5's biggest games, highlighting a lot of teams we should be paying more attention to. They also discuss why everyone is furious at the AP Poll and answer your mailbag questions about Ole Miss, LSU and Pat Fitzgerald.

0:00 Intro
6:26 Are people cheating on the Pat McAfee kick contest?
9:57 Everyone is really mad about the AP Poll, and Chris is mad about that
23:12 Mailbag: Ole Miss undefeated, Pat Fitzgerald coming back and LSU struggles
32:15 Miami at Florida State
36:42 Texas at Florida
38:30...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to talk about the Arkansas coaching change and take a second look at Week 5 games. (Look for the Week 5 After Dark game reactions earlier in your feed). It's time to stop talking about the QBs we thought are good and instead talk about the QBs who actually have been good this season. 

David's story on the Bobby Petrino motorcycle crash

Chris' Arkansas job profile + candidates

0:00 Intro and comments
3:11 Arkansas fires Sam Pittman, how the locals feel
7:10 Why Bobby Petrino is in charge again
18:37 P...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben jumped on YouTube on Saturday night for live reactions to the days results. Here it is in audio form. The Monday show is scheduled as normal. 

Topics covered: Drew Allar, Oregon, Alabama, Georgia's woes, Bear Bachmeier's jersey number, Indiana's weird ending, Illinois' response, Ole Miss getting better, Trinidad & Tobago, Butch Jones, field storms, screaming children, Ari Wasserman's house and a lot more. 

Video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-67ydPS7V0

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The guys are back to preview what might be the biggest college football Saturday of the year. From Penn State to Georgia to Washington, New Mexico and more. But first, they discuss who Oklahoma State will look to hire, the impact of the ACC moving to nine conference games, the major John Mateer injury and more. 

The Week 5 picks

0:00 Intro
4:50 Mike Gundy fired. Who will Oklahoma State look at?
19:31 Oklahoma QB John Mateer gets hand surgery
22:55 How the ACC will do 9 conference games
27:44 Remembering UCF OL coach Shawn Clark
30:03 The g...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to talk about some STATEMENTS made in Week 4. Hello, Indiana and Texas Tech. Chris also recounts his trip to Oklahoma, the guys head to American Corner and dig into hot seat updates at Arkansas and Oklahoma State. 

Chris' column from Oklahoma
David's column on Texas Tech
Story on SEC officiating error

0:00 Intro, reviews, lakes vs. oceans reaction
7:05 Texas Tech, your Big 12 favorite after pounding Utah
14:44 Oklahoma and Money Mateer a real CFP challenger after beating Auburn
20:03 SEC admits Oklahoma TD shouldn't have counted  Duration: 01:26:13

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back for a loaded preview episode. But before going through the biggest games, they talk lakes vs. oceans, if Notre Dame should be ranked, Chris is in an ESPN documentary and the NCAA is making a big change to the transfer portal. 

Clip of Chris in the SMU documentary

This week's Athletic 136 rankings

0:00 Intro, lakes vs. oceans
7:30 Chris is in the SMU 30 for 30 sequel
9:36 Should 0-2 Notre Dame be ranked?
16:32 Brian Kelly apologizes to reporter
18:06 Diego Pavia says he won't play for a s...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back for a deeper look into Week 3. Make sure you check our initial Week 3 reactions in your feed from Sunday. But first, the Virginia Tech and UCLA jobs are now open. Which is better? Who will be the candidates? The guys discuss their reporting and feelings around the situation. 

Plus: Contender or Pretender? Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Notre Dame

Panic or No Panic?: LSU, Clemson, and is Georgia Tech going to make a playoff run?

Why does every star quarterback seem to suck, and has the A...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben went live late Saturday night on the Bunch Formation YouTube channel for a special episode with some reactions to the day's games, and here is the audio version. Join us for future After Dark sessions. The normal Monday episode remains in place for Monday.

Chris' story on ACC replay review transparency

Chris' story on concerns about the state of officiating

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to preview Week 2 and get into some of the college football drama this week around Big 12 refs, the AP Poll, Deion's QB situation and Matt Rhule's halftime speech.

Story on Big 12 ref suspension

Chris and Stewart Mandel story on the state of officiating

Matt Rhule halftime speech

0:00 Intro
5:31 Big 12 removes officiating crew for allowing illegal punt
10:44 AP Poll ballot mistake(?), how it works and why it matters
18:42 Steve Sarkisian's weird response to Arch Manning grimacing 
21:17 Deion calls out media over Q...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back to react to Week 2. Chris was in Norman for Michigan-Oklahoma, while David was at UNC-Charlotte. Are they ready to change their preseason takes on key teams? Is it time to panic and change CFP picks? Are some coaches all but fired?

Chris' column on John Mateer

David's story on Belichick's Pats beef

0:00 Intro
4:23 Is Oklahoma a CFP contender now? (Is Michigan in another break year?)
15:58 Is USF the Group of 5 frontrunner?
19:57 Did everyone overlook Oregon as a national title contender?
25:12 Are we...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben dig into what is actually a very exciting Week 2 slate, full of regional rivalries. They also explain why EA Sports has pulled the plug on their college basketball video game and why the golden era of sports gaming is over. 

David's story on his six-game trip

Mike Gundy and Dan Lanning spat over NIL

0:00 Intro
1:08: David's Chapel Hill experience
5:48 Why we did the Connor Stalions interview
7:26 5-star reviews
10:09 EA Sports rescinds its college basketball video game plans
17:25 Michigan at Oklahoma
25:10 Iowa at I...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are joined by Connor Stalions, he of Michigan sign-stealing fame. Stalions talks about the NCAA penalties against him, how sign-stealing actually works, why he was on the Central Michigan-Michigan State sideline and what it's like being in an NCAA investigation. He also breaks down the big Michigan-Oklahoma matchup, explains why Michigan and Big Ten schools were late to NIL but have jumped in now, and he answers the question of whether he has any regrets. 

Story explaining the NCAA's penalties against Stalions, Harbaugh and Michigan

0:00 Intro
3:35 Connor Stalions joins t...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben dig into a crazy Week 1. Is Arch overrated? Is Alabama done? Is Clemson finished? Is USF going to the Playoff? They break down what happened, what it all means and wonder if we’re all overreacting. 

David's column on Clemson being fine

Chris’ column from Auburn’s win at Baylor

David’s story on South Carolina

0:00 Intro
5:23 Ohio State beats Texas, is Arch overhyped?
14:06 LSU beats Clemson, is Clemson never getting “back”?
23:52 Florida State rolls over Alabama, are the Tide done?
33:59 Auburn runs over Bay...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben break down the best Week 1 in modern football history, giving picks and the matchups they're watching. They also talk Lee Corso's career and Dave Portnoy's "ban" at Ohio State and remember some guys. 

The Athletic's story on Lee Corso memories

Story on what players are doing with NIL

0:00 Intro
5:40 Did Ohio State "ban" Dave Portnoy?
9:10 Celebrating Lee Corso
16:20 Maryland AD says Big Ten will go to 20 teams
17:30 Ohio State vs. Texas
26:00 Travel plans: Chris at Baylor and David's six-game trip this weekend
30:36 C...

We've got actual football! Chris Vannini and David Ubben get into the five games we saw in Week 0, wonder about Avery Johnson's ceiling (and family), discuss the problem with Ireland games, break down SEC and College Football Playoff news, then Remember Some Guys. 

0:00 Intro
6:05 Week 0 reactions
7:10 David doesn't like Ireland
10:21 Iowa State beats Kansas State
20:47 Avery Johnson's dad and brother in a fight with each other
23:19 Hawaii beats Stanford
29:30 Kansas beats Fresno State
32:13 UNLV beats Idaho State
36:29 Western Kentucky beats Sam Houston
41:19 Helmet Stickers
43:53 "Faking injury" penalties  Duration: 01:11:28

Chris Vannini and David Ubben make their championship picks for every FBS conference, plus the College Football Playoff and the Heisman Trophy. Then they preview and pick the Week 0 slate of games, talk to Irish football reporter Conall Diggin about the state of the sport across the pond and Remember Some Guys. Also, news on Auburn's fake national titles, Oklahoma's press conference for fans and Florida's face-scan tickets. 

0:00 Intro
4:03 Auburn retroactively claims seven more national championships
9:55 Oklahoma is selling fan tickets to the postgame press conference
14:20 Florida is offering face-scan tickets instead of mobile t...

College football is back this week, so Chris Vannini and David Ubben go back into their pasts. Let's talk about why we love college football, what makes it special, and why we've decided to make this beautifully stupid sport our jobs and our lives. 

0:00 Intro, why we started this podcast
4:42 Why we love college football
10:19 When we first became CFB fans
16:45 Where we went to college and why
33:08 Our professional career paths
1:00:05 Remember Some Guys

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben are finally back together, and they've got a LOT to talk about. Michigan's NCAA penalties are in for the sign stealing. Were they enough? Oklahoma QB John Mateer has a questionable Venmo history. Do you believe him? Netflix released an SEC documentary. Was it any good? Oh, and Chris enjoyed a European vacation while David went through moving hell. 

Story on Michigan's NCAA penalties

Story on John Mateer's Venmo gambling "jokes"

0:00 Intro, the guys are back
5:44 Michigan avoids an NCAA hammer
28:37 Oklahoma QB John Mateer's weird g...

Chris Vannini is back and joined by The Athletic's Sam Khan Jr., as David Ubben goes through moving hell. Chris and Sam talk about the AP preseason top 25 and the top 100 transfers for 2025. Then they remember some guys. 

AP Top 25

Sam's list of the Top 100 transfers

0:00 Hello to Sam!
3:33 Overrated and underrated top 25 teams (Texas, SMU, Arizona State, Iowa State, UNC and more)
30:33 The most interesting transfers of 2025 (LSU, Oklahoma, Tulane, WKU and more)
39:27 Remember Some Guys

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back with a lot to talk about. From preseason polls to Deion Sanders cancer fight to Memphis' stolen playbook, to ranting about the Big Ten's failed rollout and more. 

David's story on Deion Sanders' health

David's story on Memphis' stolen playbook

Chris' story on the Big 12 passing on Memphis

Stewart Mandel's column on the Big Ten

0:00 Intro and Chris' schedule
4:06 Why preseason polls should not go away
12:29 Deion Sanders has cancerous tumor and bladder removed
21:00 ACC media days gossip
25:30 T...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben finally dig in for their full EA Sports College 26 game review, from gameplay to Dynasty to Road to Glory and more. Then, CFB26 production director Christian McLeod joins the show to talk about what went into the game, how they respond to glitches and what comes next after the game's release. 

Chris' game review in The Athletic

0:00 Intro
6:22 Gameplay
16:58 Glitches
21:53 Dynasty
29:25 Road to Glory
37:40 Presentation
47:47 Overall grades
50:55 EA Sports' Christian McLeod joins the show
1:11:44 Final thoughts

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Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back after a week away for a loaded episode. From SEC questions to Mountain West drama, to Barstool Sports joining Big Noon Kickoff and more. 

Joe Rexrode's story on Paul Finebaum

Seth Emerson's story on SEC Media Days

Chris' story on Mountain West-Pac-12 drama

David Gillaspie's Chicago Marathon Fundraiser

0:00 Intro, David's meatball order and Paul Finebaum's kindness
10:02 Eli Drinkwitz's weird CFP idea
14:40 Will the SEC go to 9 conference games?
19:11 The Arch Manning of it all
23:53 Which SEC hot seat c...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back after a fruitful experience at Big 12 Media Days, including a little drama around both of them and some upset coaches. The guys talk about Deion Sanders' health, Texas Tech's big spending, BYU's status and more about every Big 12 team. Also: Why good media access is valuable to everyone involved. 

Chris' game review for CFB26

David's story on Deion Sanders' health

Story on coaches dishing about Texas Tech

Chris' story about Scott Frost

0:00 Intro
3:09 Behind the scenes at Big 12 Media Days
9:33 D...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are joined by longtime friend and former colleague Ari Wasserman of On3. The guys talk about Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith's guarantee that he won't lose to Michigan again. Good decision? Or has the rivalry lost something? Then they discuss Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti defending his auto-bid model to change the College Football Playoff. Does the regular season still matter? Is college sports losing itself? 

Manny Navarro's story on Jeremiah Smith

Ari's column on Ryan Day

Tony Petitti's interview with Joel Klatt

Timestamps
0:00 I...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are back, just like the college basketball video game. The guys talk about Chris' reporting around the game's return, plus Texas State to the Pac-12, and BYU might lose its quarterback. Then, Oregon's rising star assistant coach Ra'Shaad Samples joins the show to talk about Oregon's talent, his career and how recruiting has changed in the NIL era. 

Chris' story on EA Sports College Basketball

Why the Pac-12 added Texas State

The latest on BYU QB Jake Retzlaff

0:00 Intro
1:43 David's rant on Blippi 
9:14 Texas St...

Chris Vannini and David Ubben are joined by officiating coordinator Mike Defee, who reveals what it's really like to be a referee, what he wishes fans understood, and his reaction to the "Beef Ref" nickname. The guys also discuss news around the Pac-12, Sacramento State, Thomas Castellanos' trash talk and a lawsuit to watch. 

Chris' story in The Athletic on the state of officiating

0:00 Intro and dogs
3:45 Pac-12, Sac State, Castellanos, key lawsuit news
18:30 Mike Defee joins the show
23:55 Why refs have to set the tone with players
27:12 The hardest plays t...

Chris and Dave are back for a quick show about EA Sports College Football 26 and Dynasty Mode. They both played it in beta and share their experience and reaction to the EA Deep Dive. 

Chris and David's Athletic story on Dynasty

EA's Deep Dive

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro 
1:55 Early impressions
2:45 Real coaches, new gear and carousel
9:40 Trophy Room
12:10 Scheduling 
14:55 Recruiting
23:00 Leftover thoughts, negativity and who this game is for

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Chris and Dave are back for Part 2, talking about their gameplay experience with College Football 26. They also go through the EA Sports deep dive blog and talk about new features in gameplay, what they like and what they still need to test more. Is EA getting it right? 

EA Sports Gameplay Deep Dive

Timestamps
0:00 Intro
1:58 Early impressions
4:15 Home field advantage
6:18 Playbooks
13:17 Quarterbacks
15:20 Offensive line
16:00 Screens
17:05 Running the ball
17:25 Defense fixes
21:10 Stunts and twists
22:36 Custom zones
27:05 Interceptions
31:00 Substitutions
34:55 Wrap

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In Part 1 of a two-episode day,  David is back from Asheville and another College Football Playoff meeting. The Big Ten and SEC are far apart on what they want. What happened and what's next? And how good was the pancake? Then Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia talks trash about everyone in the Big Ten and also Tennessee. Out of line or all in good fun? The guys also Remember Some Guys and discuss Elite 11 QB names. Stay tuned for Part 2 about EA Sports College Football 26. 

David's story from the CFP meeting

Diego Pavia on Bussin with th...

Chris and David share their most impactful transfers for the 2025 season, touching on Oklahoma, Oregon, Auburn, Louisville, Miami, Colorado and more. They also discuss what's on the docket for the CFP commissioners meeting this week, where David will be. 

Timestamps
0:00 Intro, Love Island, David's law school dreams
9:15 CFP meeting preview
20:09 Top impact transfers
56:55 Remember Some Guys
1:02:30 One Last Thing

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Chris and David are audio-only this week. They discuss the concerning health situation around Deion Sanders, the potential move to a single transfer portal window and then answer your questions. Is Kentucky doomed without Vince Marrow? Who will be the Pac-12's 8th football team? 

David's story on Deion Sanders

Chris' story on the portal change

Antonio Morales' story on the role of GMs

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
3:36 Deion Sanders' health update
8:00 Momentum growing for a single portal window
23:36 Is Kentucky doomed?
32:20 Who will get the G5 playoff s...

Chris and David explain what the House settlement really means for college football fans and their teams. Then Antonio Morales joins the guys to talk about which teams we want to play with in EA Sports College Football 26. 

Justin Williams' story on the House settlement

Teams we want to play in CFB26

Timestamps
0:00 Intro
6:14 What the House settlement means 
36:25 Teams we want to play in CFB26
1:09:58 Remember Some Guys  

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Emai...

Chris and David react to anonymous coach gossip about Arch Manning, SEC QBs, Texas Tech's money, Deion Sanders' future, Bill Belichick's time and Michigan's talent. They also talk about new seating at Ohio State that has upset fans and what it says about the sport, plus a New Balance deal for Boston College. They wrap the show by discussing how you put significant others in your phone, and whether the Oklahoma City Thunder can claim the Seattle Supersonics NBA championship. 

Reddit AMA

Athlon's SEC anonymous coach gossip 

Grace Raynor's story on UNC recruiting

Chris and David answer your questions about CFB26 and interview game designer Ben Haumiller. Then they dive deep into a question from a new college football fan from Scotland: Which team should he adopt and root for? Plus talk about Michigan State's new athletic director and the Tennessee-UCLA softball controversy. 

Read Chris' story on his experience playing CFB26

Show timestamps

4:30 CFB26 Mailbag 
26:30 EA Sports' Ben Haumiller joins the show 
37:40 Niall from Scotland is new to college football. Who should his team be?
53:30 Michigan State hires an AD from Georgia Tech Duration: 01:04:52

Chris went down to EA Sports to test out College Football 26, and he's got a LOT to talk about. He also went to Big 12 meetings, where a lot of College Football Playoff drama is spilling out into the public. What do the Big Ten and SEC really want from the next CFP format, and can anybody stop them? And the guys shout out the College Football Hall of Fame for changing the rules to let Mike Leach in. 

Chris' story on the 5 Biggest Changes in CFB26

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Chris and David break down the College Football Playoff seeding change for 2025 and discuss what a 16-team CFP could look like in 2026. They also react to each other's Top 25 lists on the best coaches and games of the 2000s, and they answer your mailbag questions on the Group of 5, CFP sleepers, the national title game date and more. 

In the show:

Chris' Top 25 Coaches of the 2000s

David's Top 25 Games of the 2000s

Samford-Mercer Baseball Madness

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We're back! In the first episode of Bunch Formation, David Ubben and Chris Vannini discuss the potential end of the USC-Notre Dame rivalry, what's really going on at North Carolina and The Athletic's ranking of the Top 25 teams and players of the 2000s. 

Ubben's story on North Carolina

Stewart Mandel's Top 25 Teams of the 2000s

Bruce Feldman's Top 25 Players of the 2000s

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The Athletic senior college football writers Chris Vannini and David Ubben take you inside the biggest stories in the game in a fun and engaging show. With exclusive insight, interviews and banter, you'll learn to appreciate the most important and the dumbest parts of America's second-biggest sport. **************************** Follow Bunch Formation: PLEASE LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW!  It helps a lot.  Email: BunchFormationPod@gmail.com Twitter YouTube Instagram TikTok LinkTree Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.