The Carla and Crappy Show

Carla and Crappy Show: The Escape the Dark Edition

It’s Week 10 of the college football season and friends? For what we believe to be the first time in the 13-year history of The Carla and Crappy Show, there are no games that kick off after 8 p.m. ET Saturday. Yes, really.
No, AJ is not OK.
But when we reflect on last weekend’s action, AJ starts us off on a good note, as his week was bookended by two spectacular wins by Kennesaw State (on Tuesday) and Hawaii (technically on Sunday). Carla actually stayed awake for most of Boise at UNLV and was thoroughly impressed by Oregon. (Quack.) Crappy noted big wins by both Ohio and Carnegie Mellon.
Then, even without proper After Dark games, AJ walks us through his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, featuring Georgia State at UConn (7 ET Friday, CBSSN), Toledo at Eastern Michigan (Noon ET, ESPNU), MTSU at UTEP (3:30 ET, CBSSN), Georgia Southern at South Alabama (7:30 ET, ESPNU), and Colorado State at Nevada (8 ET, CBSSN). And in this week’s edition of How Will the Big 12 Eat Itself This Week? (not yet trademarked), we’re all super intrigued by Texas Tech at No. 11 Iowa State (3:30 ET, ESPN).
After that, we get to the Big Boy games. And we start with a doozy.
No. 4 Ohio State at No. 3 Penn State (Big Nude, FOX): Carla’s feeling better about her Nits entering this game than she has in recent memory. But Crappy’s Bucks have won 11 of the last 12 meetings between these two. One of these teams is going to escape with a win. And one of us is going to hate college football next week.
No. 19 Ole Miss at Arkansas (Noon ET, ESPN): All the stats say Ole Miss wins. So why do we think Wooo Pig might actually pull this off?
Air Force at No. 21 Army (Noon ET, CBS): Army is still nationally ranked, and we respect the troops. (Army wins this game easily.)
Minnesota at No. 24 Illinois (Noon ET, FS1): Bert’s bunch got throttled by Oregon last week. (Quack.) Can the Gophers row the boat in Chambagna?
Florida vs. No. 2 Georgia in Jacksonville (3:30 ET, ABC): The Dawgs looked every bit a national title contender in Austin. Which version of Georgia shows up for the Definitely Not a Cocktail Party? 
No. 13 Indiana at Michigan State (3:30 ET, Peacock): Dig out your streaming password. They’re going to do it. We’re going to get Nine Win-diana. 
No. 10 Texas A&M at South Carolina (7:30 ET, ABC): Is this really a trap game for the Aggies? We’re not sure we’re buying that argument. 
No. 18 Pitt at No. 20 SMU (8 ET, ACCN): This game has major ACC title game implications. Yes, that’s also a real thing. And we don’t reach a consensus on the outcome.
And yes, there’s one final game that we absolutely must discuss.
Vanderbilt at Auburn (12:45 ET, SECN): Diego Pavia? It’s time. Darkness versus light. Goodness over evil. Go do the dang thing and send the Dores bowling. Do it. 
While AJ desperately scours the DIII schedule in search of a true After Dark game (he does actually find two of them!), Carla notes two other games of interest: Louisville at No. 11 Clemson (7:30 ET, ESPN) and USC at Washington (7:30 ET, BTN). And Crappy closes things out with a public service announcement from all of us: Go vote.
Enjoy the football this weekend, boys and girls. And much to AJ’s chagrin, enjoy that extra sleep on Saturday night. Cheers.

Carla and Crappy Show: The Uncomfortable Saturday Evening Edition

It’s Week 9 of the college football season, and boy, was last weekend a lot of fun.
North Texas at Memphis was the fireworks factory that we expected. Georgia went full beast mode and dominated in Austin. And even the home radio announcers were incredulous about Indiana’s throttling of Nebraska.
Also, we now live in a world where Indiana and Vanderbilt are ranked, and The Team Up North isn’t. Everything is weird in 2024.
And now this week? We have some discomfort ahead, especially if you are fans of certain programs. Ahem.
AJ gets us started with his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark report, including our new favorite segment, How Will the Big 12 Eat Itself This Week? (Should we trademark that? We probably should.) Notable games include No. 17 Boise State at UNLV (10:30 ET Friday, CBSSN), Tulane at North Texas (Noon ET, ESPNU), and No. 11 BYU at UCF (3:30 ET, ESPN). Also, we regret to inform you that there is in fact a true Hawaii test this weekend, which means, yes, you will need to caffeinate both Friday and Saturday nights. Just be ready for that. 
And then, on to a loaded slate of notable games:
No. 12 Notre Dame vs. No. 24 Navy at MetLife Stadium (Noon ET, ABC): Can the Middies knock off the Irish? Maybe? (We hope so.)
Washington at No. 13 Indiana (Noon ET, BTN): This game’s on the Big Ten Network because no one in their right mind would have predicted this game to be so big … or that the Hoosiers would be the ranked team in this matchup. Do we get to Eight Win-diana?
No. 20 Illinois at No. 1 Oregon (3:30 ET, CBS): The Ducks handled business in West Lafayette, and now Bert and crew are coming to town. 
No. 21 Missouri at No. 15 Alabama (3:30 ET, ABC): Is this Bama’s get-right game? Or maybe a better question, is Bama going to have a get-right game this season? And will Brady Cook play for Mizzou?
No. 5 Texas at No. 25 Vanderbilt (4:15 ET, SECN): Yes, friends, Vandy is one win away from bowl eligibility. One thing we know for sure? There will be many cowboy boots on Nashville’s West End on Saturday afternoon.
No. 8 LSU at No. 14 Texas A&M (7:30 ET, ABC): The Tigers just keep finding ways to win football games. The Aggies have been scary at home. No consensus on this one.
No. 3 Penn State at Wisconsin (7:30 ET, NBC): Guess what? The Badgers are officially annoying again, just in time for the Nittany Lions to come to Madison. Can Wisconsin catch PSU looking ahead? (Carla certainly hopes not.)
Outside of that (if that’s not enough for you), AJ’s keeping an eye on North Carolina at Virginia (Noon ET, CW) and Florida State at No. 6 Miami (7 ET, ESPN), because what if this is the weekend that Miami FOs? (If you don’t get that reference, listen to our Week 8 episode.) Carla’s got her eye on a true Big Ten After Dark situation as Rutgers heads to USC (11 ET Friday, FOX). And, of course, Crappy’s got Nebraska at No. 4 Ohio State (Big Nude, FOX) and Buffalo at Ohio (Noon ET, CBSSN). 
It’s going to be another great (albeit uncomfortable!) weekend of college football. But next weekend? Hoo boy. Buckle up. You’re not going to want to miss next week’s show. Cheers, friends.

Carla and Crappy Show: The Fa Fa Fa FAFO Edition

Crappy may be ready to talk baseball, since his Buckeyes had a less-than-successful trip to Eugene last weekend, but Carla and AJ — with the help of an Aaron Judge homer — brought Crappy down to earth in time to go through another week of college football, when several teams seem destined to FAFO (if you don’t get the reference, our friends at Urban Dictionary can help you, uh, find out).
We always look back before we look forward, and Week Seven was a spectacular one, especially if you enjoy tight finishes — as seen by K State at Colorado, Penn State at USC, Bama at South Carolina, Ball State at Kent or the aforementioned Ohio State visit to Oregon, a painful thing for Crappy. But the best news from last weekend? Vandy getting yet another SEC win at Kentucky. Bowl eligibility for the ‘Dores is within reach.
And for Week Eight? AJ gives us his weekly accounting of how the Big 12 is going to eat itself and reasons why we should eschew the FBS ranked matchups Saturday evening for North Texas at Memphis (7:30 p.m., ESPNU) — and its 66.5-point AJ Fun Index — and the FCS Game of the Century: No. 1 South Dakota State at No. 2 North Dakota State (8 p.m., ESPN2). This is why you need multiple screens, boys and girls.
Editor’s note: The Carla and Crappy Show failed to notice this week’s New Mexico at Utah State game (4 p.m., truTV) and its AJ Fun Index of 77.5 points. The Carla and Crappy Show regrets the error.
And then — Week Eight’s Big Boy games, all on Saturday:
No. 6 Miami at Louisville (Noon, ABC) The Canes have done a lot of FAing this season. Is this the weekend they FO?
Nebraska at No. 16 Indiana (Big Nude, Fox) The Huskers are vastly improved this season, but are they ready for Curt Cignetti’s undefeated Hoosiers (and their newfound home-field advantage)?
East Carolina at No. 23 Army (Noon, ESPN2),  Charlotte at No. 25 Navy (3:30 p.m. on CBSSN) We covered these games together, not as a slight of either program, but as a celebration that our service academies, together in the Top 25 for the first time since 1960, still have a place in the FBS world in 2024.
No. 7 Alabama at No. 11 Tennessee (3:30 p.m., ABC) The loser of this game will be facing a second conference loss — and a confirmed disaster of a season. Also: Hey, Kalen — maybe dress up a little?
No. 24 Michigan at No. 22 Illinois (3:30 p.m., CBS) The Team Up North is a three-point favorite in this game, and if you’ve watched any college football this year — and we’ve seen a bit — you know that this is a joke.
8 LSU at Arkansas (7 p.m., ESPN) Hoo Pig has been the SEC’s pain-in-the-ass team this year. Can they smoke the Tigahs at home?
5 Georgia at 1 Texas (7:30, ABC) As is the case with Alabama-Tennessee, one team will be walking off the field in Austin with a second SEC loss. And that’s not going to be the Longhorns.
But wait — there’s more! AJ advises us to keep an eye on Oregon’s visit to Purdue (8 p.m. Friday, Fox), where bizarre things happen after the sun goes down (just ask Crappy). With Penn State on a bye, Carla will be on upset watch with South Carolina at Oklahoma (12:45 p.m. Saturday, SEC Network) and No. 12 Notre Dame at Georgia Tech (3:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN). Crappy doesn’t have an Ohio State game to watch this weekend, but that’s OK — his attention will be on the 100th Battle of the Bricks, as his Bobcats visit hated rival Miami (3:30 p.m., ESPN+) and hope to hold their spot atop the MAC.
Enjoy this week’s games, boys and girls — it’s sure to be a fun weekend.

Carla and Crappy Show: The Goal Posts Edition

During last week’s Week 6 edition, we low-key mentioned that it’s the “underwhelming” weeks on the college football schedule when chaos and weird stuff can happen.
And then … boy, did it ever. So the gang’s all here live this week as we break down the first “blood week” in college football since 2022.
It arguably started with SMU knocking off Louisville and continued with Texas A&M demolishing Mizzou. But it didn’t stop there. Tennessee … USC … Michigan. The brand names of college football all fell one by one.
And … of course, the absolute unthinkable happened as Vanderbilt toppled top-ranked Alabama. The Dores win was historic on many levels, including the 2.5-mile journey the goalposts took to the Cumberland River. So we invited bestselling author and special projects director at Vanderbilt Athletics Andrew Maraniss to join us to put Vandy’s win and the celebratory aftermath into perspective.
The fun part? We’ve all had Week 7 circled on our calendars since the preseason. So, after last weekend’s ridiculousness, how will this weekend compare? We have high hopes.
AJ goes through his #GroupOfFiveAfterDark slate, beginning with a couple of early dandies: Coastal Carolina at James Madison (7:30 ET Thursday, ESPN2) and No. 16 Utah at Arizona State (10:30 ET Friday, ESPN). He then introduces a new segment to the show, “How Will The Big 12 Eat Itself This Week?”
And then … the games we’ve been anticipating for a while now.
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma (3:30 ET, ABC): Red River is a rivalry in the truest sense. Throw away the records and rankings. The Horns should win … which means the Sooners are going to make this interesting.
No. 4 Penn State at USC (3:30 ET, CBS): USC’s loss at Minnesota (because that’s a thing that happened) makes this game more intriguing than Carla would like. The Nits’ defense–and the Trojans’ lack thereof–should be the difference here, though.
Cal at No. 22 Pitt (3:30 ET, ESPN): The Calgorithm ran out of gas last week against Miami. And now a cross-country trip to the nationally-ranked Panthers awaits.
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Oregon (7:30 ET, NBC): Has Oregon shored up its run defense? The Bucks are certainly going to put it to the test. Welcome to the B1G, Ducks.
No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 13 LSU (7:30 ET, ABC): This game always gets real dumb. And with a fun index of 63.5, we expect nothing less than stupid here—points on points on points.
No. 11 Iowa State at West Virginia (8 ET, FOX): Night games in Morgantown are always an adventure. Hide your couches, Cyclones.
No. 18 Kansas State at Colorado (10:15 ET, ESPN): Can the Powercats slow down Shedeur and Travis and that Buffs offense in Boulder … after dark?
If that’s not enough for you, Carla also has Wisconsin at Rutgers (Noon ET, BTN) and Florida at No. 8 Tennessee (7 ET, ESPN) on her radar … as well as Robert Morris, which hosts Delaware State for homecoming (3 ET, no TV so listen to Chris Shovlin on the radio). Crappy has his eyes on two CMUs: Ohio at Central Michigan (4 ET, ESPNU) and DIII No. 14 Carnegie Mellon at No. 7 Grove City (2 ET, YouTube). And AJ? Well, he’s watching literally everything else on the schedule, because that's just what he does.
So, enjoy what should be another spectacular weekend of college football, friends. And if you’re in Nashville, watch out for random goalposts on Lower Broadway. Just sayin’. Cheers to the best sport on the planet, yinz.

Carla and Crappy Show: The Catch Your Breath Edition

It’s Week 6 of the college football season, and friends, it’s time to catch our breath. As expected, last weekend was a wild ride. And we’ll just go ahead and say it now: You’ll want to clear your schedule for next weekend. 
But this week? While there is a bunch of intrigue on the slate, there aren’t a ton of marquee matchups. 
As always, before we look ahead, we look back at last weekend and go lightning-round style in our recaps to avoid the two-hour recap we feared we might have last week. Some of our highlights: Penn State needs a kicker, Ohio State can block, and that little game down in Tuscaloosa lived up to our expectations. We also take a moment to break down the chaos that is the ACC and Big 12 just for fun, and Crappy updates us on Carnegie Mellon’s scare last weekend in Little Washington. 
Next up? AJ goes in-depth with what’s shaping up to be a fantastically intriguing #GroupOfFiveAfterDark slate this weekend. 
And then we turn to the games that have our attention:
Syracuse at No. 25 UNLV (9 ET Friday, FS1): Hajj-Malik Williams had himself a debut last weekend. Can he keep it up in a game where Kyle McCord is his counterpart?
No. 9 Missouri at No. 25 Texas A&M (Noon ET, ABC): Surprise! It’s Mizzou that enters this game with the more prolific offense. Can the Tigers win their first road test of the season?
SMU at No. 22 Louisville (Noon ET, ESPN): The Cards nearly finished last weekend's comeback at Notre Dame. Also, why isn’t SMU ranked? This should be a dandy.
Iowa at No. 3 Ohio State (3:30 ET, CBS): Hey, Iowa’s scoring points this year! But we’re not convinced that’s enough for a win in the Shoe.
No. 12 Ole Miss at South Carolina (3:30 ET, ESPN): This game has the potential of being real spicy. How does Ole Miss respond after being dragged down in a slugfest last weekend?
No. 10 Michigan at Washington (7:30 ET, NBC): While these teams are nowhere near the same ones that met in the natty last season, will the Huskies get their revenge? (We hope so.)
No. 8 Miami at Cal (10:30 ET, ESPN): It’s ACC After Dark! This game feels like a get-right game for the Canes, but a cross-country road trip and a pesky Cal team could alter those plans.
With MTSU off until Oct. 10 – welcome back, CUSAction! – Carla gives her honorable mentions to UCLA at No. 7 Penn State (Big Nude, FOX) and offers a friendly reminder to Nashvillians to avoid West End on Saturday as No. 1 Alabama comes to Vandy (4:15 ET, SECN). Crappy, meanwhile, has other interesting games on his radar: No. 15 Clemson at Florida State (7 ET, ESPN), No. 23 Indiana at Northwestern (3:30 ET, BTN), and No. 11 USC at Minnesota (7:30 ET, BTN). 
Finally, we send our thoughts and prayers to those impacted by Hurricane Helene, especially in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, including our friends at Appalachian State. If you’d like to contribute to recovery efforts, which will be extensive and ongoing, here are our suggestions:
Appalachian State Disaster Relief Fund
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
American Red Cross
We’ll be back here next week to get you ready for a slate of games we promise you won’t want to miss. Cheers, yinz.

Carla and Crappy Show: The Primetime With a Chance of Rain Edition

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.

Carla and Crappy Show: The CW Edition

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.

Carla and Crappy Show: The It's Not Even November Edition

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.

Carla and Crappy Show: The Willing It Into Being Edition

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.

Carla and Crappy Show: The After Five Edition

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.