It’s Week 5 of the college football season, and what we know for sure is this: You’ll need as many screens as humanly possible for the primetime window on Saturday.

We have a jam-packed slate ahead of us with so many games with intriguing storylines, we had a super hard time whittling them down. And also … add the extremely likely possibility that a bunch of these games will be impacted by heavy rain from a tropical system. That all adds up to a weekend of potential chaos.

But before we look ahead, we look back to a weekend that was nearly as eventful as the one approaching. Carla was especially excited that the Stanford Postulate lives again in 2024, but not nearly as excited about the return of Bert Ball in Illinois. Also, Vandy had a true college kicker moment, and James Madison made a big-time statement, among many other things. Crappy, meanwhile, continues to be impressed by Tennessee and was pleased to see his Bucks make improvements over Marshall.

While AJ wasn’t able to join us live (something about visiting the Navy or whatever), he did offer a video version of his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, which is absolutely stacked, as usual.

And then, the games at hand. Or at least the ones that we whittled it down to.

No. 20 Oklahoma State at No. 23 Kansas State (Noon ET, ESPN): Which team bounces back after last weekend’s loss? Also, the Pokes have a QB situation, and Carla can’t remember who coaches in Stillwater. (Oops.)

No. 15 Louisville at No. 16 Notre Dame (3:30 ET, Peacock): Meet the first “likely to be impacted by substantial rain” game of our preview. We predict a sloppy one in South Bend.

No. 2 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama (7:30 ET, ABC): While neither of us can get a good read on either of these teams, what we know for sure is that this will be a banger of a game.

No. 19 Illinois at No. 9 Penn State (7:30 ET, NBC): There are white out conditions possible in Beaver Stadium on Saturday night, but that doesn’t make Carla any less nervous.

Washington State at No. 25 Boise State (10 ET, FS1): Points. Lots and lots of points. And Crappy’s all in on the John Mateer bandwagon.

So, yeah, about that primetime window. Including the games mentioned above, there’s also:

• No. 3 Ohio State at Michigan State (7 ET, Peacock): The second likely major rain game on the slate.

• Stanford at No. 17 Clemson (7 ET, ESPN): Will the Stanford Postulate and Clemsoning collide? (We certainly hope so!)

• Florida State at SMU (8 ET, ACCN): This has Show Ponies written all over it. Eek.

• Tulsa at North Texas (7 ET, ESPN+): The highest fun index of the week at 68.5.

• MTSU at Memphis (7:30 ET, ESPNU): The Blue Raiders get another national spotlight.

Screens. Lots and lots of screens. And also, caffeinate, because the After Dark slate is silly good as well.

We think you get the idea here. It’s going to be an incredible weekend of college football, one way or another. Settle in, stay dry (and stay safe, Gulf Coasters), and we’ll see you next week when we attempt to recap all this in one episode. Ha! Cheers, yinz.

It’s Week 4 of the college football season, and we’re getting into the beginnings of conference play. This means that yes, the gang’s all here as AJ joins us live because we all need to remind ourselves of which teams are in which conferences. And in 2024, it also means locating the CW on your channel guide.

Before we get into this week’s action, we look back at what was a busy weekend of, well, a lot of things. Despite AJ spending his Saturday morning looking at poop and Carla dancing the weekend away at a wedding in Chicago, we all had at least a few takeaways from last week, most of them of the lowlight variety. (We’re looking at you, Vandy, Purdue, MTSU, Florida State, and Georgia.) Crappy quizzes AJ and Carla on the revived Pac-6 and the stupidly low fun index on this week’s Iowa at Minnesota (7:30 ET, NBC) matchup, among other things.

AJ then leads us through his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report which includes (among many other games) Cal at Florida State (7 ET, ESPN2) and No. 13 Kansas State at BYU (10:30 ET, ESPN), and even a game or two on the aforementioned CW. Also, there’s a Hawaii test this week, so plan accordingly.

Then, onto the ranked action. Again, as a reminder, all of these games are conference games. Ahem.

No. 24 Illinois at No. 22 Nebraska (8 ET Friday, FOX): Are we going to get to a 7-0 Nebraska? Bert and the Illini might have something to say about that on the road.

No. 11 USC at No. 18 Michigan (3:30 ET, CBS): Is USC for real? Can TTUN lose two big games at home in one season? You’ll be shocked at our answers to both of those questions. (Not really.)

No. 12 Utah at No. 14 Oklahoma State (4 ET, FOX): This one has dog fight written all over it, and we can’t come to a consensus on the outcome. And that means you should probably watch this game.

No. 6 Tennessee at No. 15 Oklahoma (7:30 ET, ABC): This will be either Nico’s coming out party … or a severe dose of reality. Playing in Norman at night historically has been an equalizer. We’ll see if that’s still true with the Sooners in the SEC.

We give lots of honorable mentions this week as well. AJ’s paying close attention to the Skillet Game, TCU at SMU (5 ET, CW). Crappy’s interested in both of his teams, Marshall at No. 3 Ohio State (Big Nude, FOX) and Ohio at Kentucky (12:45 ET, SECN). And also, not surprisingly, Carla’s got her eyes on Kent State at No. 10 Penn State (3:30 ET, BTN), but is most looking forward to homecoming as MTSU hosts Duke (4 ET, ESPNU) and celebrating Ellie’s third birthday at the parade, which obviously is for her. Obviously.

And so with that, we say, “Yay, feetball.” Enjoy all of the action and we’ll be back again next week. Cheers, yinz.

Welcome back to the Carla and Crappy show, the title of which Crappy apparently just remembered this week — and with it, a mini Wivalwy Week right here in the middle of September and some breaking news from the West Coast, courtesy of our #GroupOfFiveAfterDark correspondent AJ.

We look back before we look ahead, and Week Two was huge for the Mid-American Conference, with one massive upset and one mighty uncomfortable game in Happy Valley for Carla. Crappy is pleased with the progress on Ohio State’s offensive line and happy with his Bobcats beating Alabama (of the directional variety) at home in Athens. Outside of our B1G bubbles, we note the Longhorns’ massacre of the Team Up North, Tennessee’s big win and the possibility that Syracuse could make waves in the ACC.

Crappy was pleased to read of Carnegie Mellon’s huge win over Thiel, and he’s planning to see the Tartans in person on Saturday at their home opener against Geneva.

BREAKING NEWS: We sent AJ to #AfterDark land — Phoenix, specifically — and he didn’t disappoint, being among the first correspondents to break some Pac-6 news this week. He’s also got a full list of games to put your eyeballs on this weekend.

Carla and Crappy also focus on the West Coast, as two huge games out that way make up half of our mini-Wivalwy Week slate:

No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State (8 p.m. Friday, Fox): The Battle of the Wildcats could turn out to be a rough trip for the visitors.

No. 24 Boston College at No. 6 Missouri (12:45 p.m., SEC Network): Boston native Bill O’Brien has enjoyed his homecoming at BC so far, but the PowerCats are tested and also off to a good start.

The Civil War: No. 9 Oregon at Oregon State (3:30 p.m., Fox): The Ducks were predicted to be one of the top teams in the country at the season’s outset; they’ve instead looked supremely mortable in their first two outings. And your rivalry game isn’t the right time to try to get well.

The Apple Cup: Washington State at Washington (3:30 p.m., Peacock): Another former PAC-12 rivalry. And maybe another spurned rival poised for an upset on the road?

The Backyard Brawl: West Virginia at Pitt (3:30 p.m., ESPN 2): The Mountaineers are favored in the Mustard Bowl, while Pitt is still riding high after a massive comeback at Cincinnati last week. Can the ‘neers bring the Panthers back to earth?

Carla’s honorable mentions for the week go to No. 14 Alabama at Wisconsin (Big Nude, Fox), No. 16 LSU at South Carolina (Noon, ABC), Vandy at Georgia State (7 p.m., ESPN+) and the Big One — The 100 Miles of Hate: Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee (7 p.m., ESPN+). Go Jake Rose and Go Blue. Crappy, meanwhile, will keep an eye on his OU Bobcats as they host FCS opponent Morgan State (3:30 p.m., ESPN+).

Enjoy those Wivalwy games, boys and girls, along with the rest of this week’s excellent slate. Cheers, yinz.

It’s officially college football’s Week 2, and AJ joins Carla and Crappy live as we attempt to will a bunch of things into being for the remainder of the 2024 season.

Vandy in a bowl game? Diego Pavia and Jerry Kill on another war path to Jordan Hare? Notre Dame losing a game? Robert Morris to the FCS playoffs? We say yes, please, to all of these things and then some.

Also, MTSU wins a rain-soaked game in a weather-delayed, after-dark situation with a fantastic TV call by our friend Jake Rose. Robert Morris DB Rob Carter Jr. snags the interception of the year. (It won’t be topped. We promise.) And the whole state of Florida is one hell of a drug if you’re interested in coaches on the hot seat and disappointed fan bases.

So, yeah, we cover a bunch of ground in our look back. But you probably expected that.

As we turn our attention to the upcoming weekend, AJ offers us a live rendition of his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report with this warning: It’s a loaded late slate, kids. There’s a genuine #AfterDark sighting (Texas Tech at Washington State, 10 ET, FOX) and a whole bunch of other silliness post-primetime. Our advice: Caffeinate. Heavily.

Then, we focus on the other notable games at hand:

No. 3 Texas at No. 10 Michigan (Big Nude, FOX): The Horns looked really good in Week 1. Really, there’s no surprise who we’re backing in this one.

Iowa State at No. 21 Iowa (3:30 ET, CBS): Iowa really scored 40 points last week. On offense. Don’t worry, though. This game will be much more reasonable.

Colorado at Nebraska (7:30 ET, NBC): AJ astutely notes that this game is a season-defining moment for both programs. Could a 7-0 Huskers team traveling to Columbus in late October be a reality? (There we go, willing things into being again.)

No. 14 Tennessee vs. No. 24 NC State (7:30 ET, ABC): The Vols have found their QB, and his name is Rico.

App State at No. 25 Clemson (8 ET, ACCN): Can we will an upset in this game into being as well? Because that would just be fun.

Boise State at No. 7 Oregon (10 ET, Peacock): This game also meets the definition of an #AfterDark situation. Also, it’s never a good thing when your coach says there’s room for improvement.

Unsurprisingly, Crappy gives his honorable mention nods to his Bucks (vs. Western Michigan, 7:30 ET, BTN) and Bobcats (vs. South Alabama, 6 ET, ESPN+), while Carla selects her Nits (vs. Bowling Green, Noon ET, BTN) and Blue Raiders (at No. 6 Ole Miss, 4:15 ET, SECN … good luck with that, Blue Raiders). AJ, meanwhile, offers a PSA to schools suing their conference. Ahem.

So plan now to stay up late with us this weekend, boys and girls. Can we will that into being as well? We’re sure as heck going to try. Cheers, yinz.

It’s the official full start of the college football season, and Crappy has apparently decided to introduce a new segment into the show: The Group of Dark After Five Report.

This may have been a freudian slip, though, because what lies ahead of us this weekend is a thing of beauty: Five. Straight. Days. Of. College. Football.

We start this week by reviewing the limited action from Week 0, which included some doozies. The ACC appears to be even more wide open than we even imagined, and Montana State let New Mexico hang around too long before doing what we expected them to do and win on the road.

Then, it’s time to hear from AJ and his first true #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, which is absolutely loaded with some great games, including the first #ACCAfterDark game featuring TCU at Stanford (10:30 ET Friday, ESPN). Also, you’re going to have to relocate TruTV in your channel lineup, so get started on that now.

And then? Let’s do this, boys and girls.

FCS No. 2 North Dakota State at Colorado (8 ET Thursday, ESPN): As AJ constantly reminds us, you never want to play a Dakota or a Montana. The Buffs haven’t won a game at home since last September. And this doesn’t look promising.

No. 8 Penn State at West Virginia (Big Nude Saturday, FOX): 2024 is supposed to be “the year” for the Nits, but this is a formidable test out of the gate. Carla’s real happy this game is at Noon and not after sunset.

No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia (Noon ET Saturday, ABC): OK, Tigers. Let’s see what you’re made of. We know what Georgia is, and that’s an exceptionally good football team.

No. 19 Miami at Florida (3:30 ET Saturday, ABC): A heated rivalry with an added plot twist of head coaches in the hot seat.

No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M (7:30 ET Saturday, ABC): The Irish can’t afford to lose games like these this year, while the Aggies get a reboot under Mike Elko. This should be wildly entertaining.

No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU (7:30 ET Sunday, ABC): This is a matchup designed for Vegas. Lots of offensive potential … and defensive questions … on both teams.

Carla gives honorable mentions to South Dakota State at Oklahoma State (2 ET Saturday, ESPN+) because of that whole aforementioned Dakota thing as well as Miami (OH) at Northwestern (3:30 ET Saturday, BTN) as we get our first look at the Wildcats’ makeshift lakefront stadium.

Also of note are Derek Mason’s home opener at MTSU as the Raiders host Tennessee Tech (7 ET Saturday, ESPN+) and Carla and AJ’s alma mater, Robert Morris, which travels to Utah State (8 ET Saturday, ESPN+).

And while there’s not a true Hawaii test this week, there is one heck of a late game – Wyoming at Arizona State (10:30 ET Saturday, FS1).

Crappy, meanwhile, is looking forward to his two teams kicking off their seasons: Akron at No. 2 Ohio State (3:30 ET Saturday, CBS) because the song is officially ours now, and Ohio at Syracuse (3:30 ET Saturday, ACCN).

So, yes, friends. Enjoy the long weekend of college football, and we’ll catch up with you again next week … after five. Cheers, yinz.

The sounds of drum cadences are in the air, which can mean one of two things: AJ is playing EA Sports College Football 25 nearby or college football is back, baby. (Actually, who are we kidding? Both things are true.)

Yes, friends, welcome to Week 0, otherwise known as the “What the heck is my Fubo password?” weekend. (Seriously. Go find your passwords. Set up your football-watching environment. This is your practice run. You’ve been warned.)

Before we get to actual football, we catch up a bit on what we did on our summer vacations. Carla chased down new MTSU football coach Derek Mason and signed a beam, AJ began a Hawaii dynasty (of course) on that aforementioned video game, and Crappy is super excited about DIII football. (Yes, really. Listen to understand why.)

Then, AJ doles out a “Where are they now?” pop quiz. Spoiler alert: This was harder than it sounds. We didn’t do well. Also, SMU is in the ACC. Because that’s a thing and everything is weird.

Up next? Real. Live. College. Football. There are seven games in Week 0 on Saturday, and we preview all of them. In chronological order, they are:

No. 10 Florida State vs. Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland (Noon ET, ESPN)

McNeese State at Tarleton State (2:30 ET, ESPN2)

FCS No. 2 Montana State at New Mexico (4 ET, FS1)

North Alabama vs. Southeast Missouri (7 ET, ESPN)

MEAC/SWAC Challenge: FAMU vs. Norfolk State in Atlanta (7:30 ET, ABC)

SMU at Nevada (8:30 ET, CBSSN)

Delaware State at Hawaii (Midnight ET, Team 1 Sports App)

We wrap things up by making our attempts at prognosticating the College Football Playoff brackets, which makes for scintillating audio, we promise. Remember: There are 12 teams in the CFP this year; the top 4 conference champions get byes, the 5th highest rated conference champion gets in, and the rest are at-large bids. Got all of that? Yeah. It’s weird. But kind of exciting in a new college football world that feels … remarkably wide open? Maybe we’re being optimistic.

So, yes, everything is weird but it’s going to be a fun season. Enjoy our 2024 season opener and get ready, because next week? It’s time to get weird and serious at the same time. Why not?

Cheers, yinz.

It’s a whole new year — happy 2024, kids — but the weirdness of the 2023 college football season may not be letting up any time soon, going all the way through Monday’s national championship game.

But before Carla and Crappy get to Washington and the Wolverines, they take a look back at more bowl games — Can we get them all to be sponsored by food products? It makes the postgame that much more awesome — and, specifically, the Bowlapalooza games. It came down to two people and one game; we won’t reveal who won or how, but we will say that Crappy now knows who Tom Gorzelanny is.

The not as fun part? That would be the part where Carla and Crappy recap the bowl games of Penn State and Ohio State, respectively. The Lions’ defense struggled against Ole Miss in a game that was tighter than it appeared, Carla said. And although he is not volunteering, Crappy thinks Ryan Day needs an offensive coordinator, to make the play calling less … offensive.

Carla and Crappy then turn their attention to Monday night’s game for the natty, and they’re in agreement on nearly everything: Michigan has better DBs than Texas, the Wolverines will run the ball to death, Michael Penix Jr. won’t have much time or many open guys, Michigan is the better team all the way around — but someone thinks the Huskies will win anyway.

And following a brief nod to the FCS title game on Saturday, that’s the 12th season of the Carla and Crappy Show. As always, we are incredibly grateful, for AJ, for our Bowlapalooza guests, and especially for you, the viewers, readers and listeners who have continued to support this little show over the years.

The #CnCShow forecast for the summer of 2024? Sunny with an excellent chance of a summer Carla and Crappy Show. Cheers, friends, and we'll see you then.

It’s still the most wonderful time of the year, and as bowl season continues along its merry way, Carla and Crappy are more than happy to revel in its glory.

And boy, has this season been the gift that just keeps on giving.

We’ve seen Western Kentucky erase a 28-point deficit to win the Famous Toastery Bowl … and then make “toast angels” on the field. We enjoyed watching Appalachian State beat Miami of Ohio in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl in a literal monsoon, and Jacksonville State steal a win over Louisiana in a much-deserved bowl appearance in the New Orleans Bowl. Crappy especially enjoyed Ohio’s offensive effort in its win in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

And we’ve enjoyed watching the Big Ten’s successes, of course, including Northwestern’s incredible win over Utah (yes, that’s a real thing that actually happened) and Minnesota’s win in the Quick Lane Bowl.

In fact, as we recorded this show, we were watching bowl games. And there’s still so much more to come … including the highly anticipated (for the most part) New Year’s Six bowl games including the College Football Playoff semifinals, which are the focus of our attention in this show.

Ready for the big ones? Here we go.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 9 Missouri vs. No. 7 Ohio State (8 ET Friday, ESPN): Missouri is arguably one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 season. Ohio State has lots of questions entering this game, but Crappy isn’t too worried about them.

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl: No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Penn State (Noon ET Saturday, ESPN): Ole Miss has a prolific offense, but Penn State actually scores more points per game. Carla’s hoping to see some pressure from the Nits’ defense and a steady dose of the ground game.

Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 5 Florida State (4 ET Saturday, ESPN): Serious question: Do either of these teams really want to be playing in this game? We desperately want this game to be good, but … we’re not holding our breath.

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: No. 23 Liberty vs. No. 8 Oregon (1 ET Monday, ESPN): Enjoy your trip out west, Liberty. Good luck with that Oregon defense.

CFP Semifinal: Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan (5 ET Monday, ESPN): Can we say that Michigan is still untested? Because, well, other than Ohio State … they kind of are. Bama is well tested, but also has a tendency of beating itself.

CFP Semifinal: Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 2 Washington (8:45 ET Monday, ESPN): This game should be just delightful, with two fantastic offenses and one defense that may not be as good as it appears on paper. Is Washington still the team of destiny this season?

Our advice to you? Watch as much college football as you can, because the season is winding down quickly. There are still a ton of excellent bowl games on the schedule between now and January 1. So settle in with a glass of your favorite beverage and just soak it all in.

We’ll be back one final time next week to talk about the national championship game. Cheers, yinz.