Preferred Walk-Ons

After the ACC underachieved in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, we decided to look ahead to the upcoming basketball and football seasons. We discuss some of our disappointments with the ACC's scheduling model for basketball, and map out the best possible road trip for football weekends in the fall. Topics for discussion include: A chaotic and upset-filled Regional weekend in the NCAA Baseball Tournam...

In this basketball-centric episode, we discuss the NCAA's decision to expand March Madness to 76 teams. We also take a look at the ACC players to watch ahead of the NBA Draft.  Topics for discussion include: UVA lacrosse's disappointing loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament The pros and cons of expanding March Madness The ACC players most likely to be selected during the NBA Draft You can...

After a chaotic three weeks of widespread transfer portal movement, we are starting to have a clearer picture of what ACC basketball will look like in the fall. Some teams, like UVA and Duke, have leaned into roster retention, while others like Louisville are prioritizing acquiring big name assets from other teams. In this episode, we analyze the ACC's most interesting teams in the early roster-bu...

It's been a tumultuous and disappointing week in the ACC hotbed of the Research Triangle. Duke blew its chance at a Final Four, North Carolina moved on from head coach Hubert Davis, and Will Wade unceremoniously left NC State after only a season. We discuss a drama-filled week in the Tar Heel state and give our predictions for the Final Four. Topics for discussion include: Duke's collapse against...

It was a chalky but exciting opening weekend in the men's NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, only one ACC team remains in the field. We debate what the conference's poor performance means for the prestige of the league and preview an exciting slate of Sweet 16 games.   Topics for discussion include: Our podcast's performance in a tournament of UVA Twitter personalities The experience of watching NCAA...

Tournament time is finally here! Following a thrilling conference championship game, the ACC has 8 teams in the field. We analyze Duke's narrow win over Virginia and preview the NCAA Tournament, one quadrant at a time.   Topics for discussion include: Power conference teams left out of the postseason and the prominence of Bruce Pearl Duke's close victory over Virginia in the ACC Championship game...

Tomorrow kicks off the ACC Tournament which will have major implications for the NCAA Tournament field. We debate whether anyone can beat Duke, and which bubble teams most need statement victories to punch a ticket to March Madness.    Topics for discussion include: Chaos occurring in mid-major conference tournaments Boston College and Georgia Tech firing their coaches The biggest questions headin...

It's the last week of the regular season and everyone in the ACC is chasing Duke basketball. We discuss Virginia's loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium and analyze where things stand in college basketball's most chaotic conference. Topics for discussion include: Takeaways from Duke's dominant victory over Virginia in a battle for ACC supremacy NC State's recent struggles The confusing pecking order of A...

With one month away until Selection Sunday, it's time to start sorting the contenders from the pretenders. In this week's episode, we talked with college basketball insider Jim Root about the most interesting and confounding programs in the ACC and beyond.   Topics for discussion include: The improved reputation and depth of the ACC The success of UVA in Ryan Odom's first season and the tournament...

It has never been more challenging to follow college athletics. To help us better understand the many financial and political issues at the center of the college sports landscape, we brought on Matt Brown of Extra Points. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discussed the evolution of Matt's career in sports media, financial struggles in higher education that impact athletic departments, ways to...

ACC basketball is in full swing and everyone is one again chasing the Duke Blue Devils. We open the show by analyzing the race at the top of the conference and discussing the depth of talent. Then, we turn to football where fans are splitting their attention between transfer portal controversies and the release of the 2026 schedule.   Topics for discussion include: The race for the top of the stan...

2026 is here and it has started in glorious fashion for the ACC. In football, bowl season was a rousing success led by Miami's dominant run through the CFP. In basketball, eight teams are in the NET Top 50 and others are well-positioned for at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. We preview the upcoming football national championship and examine some of the most interesting ACC basketball teams hopi...

Next week begins the start of conference play for ACC basketball. We discuss which teams have positioned themselves well for Selection Sunday and which still have major questions. Additionally, we recap a busy week of news for ACC football, including a statement victory for the Miami Hurricanes in College Station. Topics for discussion include: An update on the podcast's fantasy football team Miam...

A storybook season ended in heartbreak for the Virginia football team, as the Cavaliers lost a wild ACC Championship in overtime. The defeat had ripple effects across the college football landscape, especially the CFP committee. We analyze what went wrong for UVA and take a look ahead at the playoff bracket.   Topics for discussion include: The ACC Championship and accessing the season for Virgini...

The miracle season for Virginia football continued last week with a dominant victory over Virginia Tech. Now the Hoos must face a familiar foe in the Duke Blue Devils with a spot in the College Football Playoff on the line. We preview the ACC Championship and discuss whether Virginia can save the conference from its own chaos.   Topics for discussion include: Virginia's win over Virginia Tech and...

For most of the college football universe, it's rivalry week. However, the stakes have never been higher for Virginia football, one win away from a trip to Charlotte and the ACC Championship. We preview the Cavaliers colossal matchup against the Hokies, as well as other rivalry games that will impact the college football postseason.    Topics for discussion include: The experience of watching UVA...

The Commonwealth of Virginia is at the center of the college football universe this week. With a win against Duke, UVA finds itself on the doorstep of the ACC Championship game. Meanwhile, down the road in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech has secured one of the biggest offseason names in the coaching carousel. We discuss the state of the ACC race going into the last two weeks of the season and analyze wh...

Virginia missed a golden opportunity to solidify its place atop the ACC standings after a loss to Wake Forest. Now there is a logjam of teams trying to prove they belong in the CFP discussion. But are any of them...good?    Topics for discussion include: The complicated race for ACC football superiority now with UVA's first conference loss Previews and picks for every ACC game in Week 12 Other col...

We have football and basketball to discuss this week. The College Football Playoff released its first rankings and UVA is currently in the field. Can the ACC get two teams into the playoffs? We discuss that possibility and give our picks for Week 11.   We also invited Craig Marimpietri of the Point to the Passer podcast to discuss Carolina basketball and predictions for the upcoming college basket...

It's been a chaotic October for college football coaches and fans of the Virginia Cavaliers. LSU has added another high-profile opening to the coaching carousel, while UVA secured its third overtime win of the season by inches. In this week's episode, we discuss the state of the ACC and preview a pivotal weekend of college football.   Topics for discussion include: Brian Kelly's termination at LSU...

We're halfway through a college football season that is full of surprises. In the ACC, teams like Virginia and Georgia Tech have defied expectations, while Florida State, Clemson, and North Carolina have underachieved. We discuss the ACC race at the midpoint of the season and preview a pivotal weekend in the conference.   Topics for discussion include: Penn State moving on from James Franklin and...

Following an embarrassing blowout loss to Clemson, North Carolina has faced days of negative press coverage and rumors about Bill Belichick's future in Chapel Hill. Meanwhile, Virginia, a team with no preseason buzz, remains undefeated going into the bye week. In this episode, we discuss the trajectory of both programs and give our picks for the Week 7 slate of games.   Topics for discussion inclu...

UVA's upset victory over Florida State was a euphoric moment for the Cavalier fan base and a signature win for head coach Tony Elliott. We discussed the biggest takeaways from one of the best games of the college football season and analyzed what it means for the ACC race going forward.   Topics for discussion include: Virginia's victory over Florida State and what it means for the future of the C...

An epic weekend of college football starts on Friday in Charlottesville and doesn't let up until late night on Saturday. With marquee matchups taking place across the country, which teams will solidify their resume as true contenders? In this episode, we preview the upcoming weekend of college football, both in the ACC and beyond, while taking time to laugh at Clemson and UNC for their misfortunes...

Two high-profile losses rocked the ACC in Week 3. Virginia Tech's embarrassing home loss to ODU brought an end to the Brent Pry era in Blacksburg. Meanwhile, perennial juggernaut Clemson lost its second game of the season in Atlanta. Where do things stand in the ACC as we get into conference play?   Topics for discussion include: Virginia Tech's decision to fire Brent Pry and where the Hokies migh...