The lower-tier (but wildly entertaining) bowls are largely behind us, and now the big prizes are on the horizon: The New Year's bowl games and the playoff. Who's going to win? Bama. But who else? CA and Luke preview the action and answer that very question.

The coaching carousel continues to spin, spitting out new jobs for Jim Leavitt, Todd Orlando, Matt Canada, Phil Longo, Steve Sarkisian and the Brothers Kiffin. Canada and Luke break down all the hires and their landing places and discuss the recent trend of players skipping bowl games. And Big Sky mascots, naturally.

You wait for it all year. The anticipation keeps you up at night. You can't go another day without looking ahead to the Boca Raton Bowl, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, the Patriot Bowl (RIP). Well, here it is: the 2016 Bowl Extravaganza. 30+ bowls in . . . slightly more than 30 minutes.

Oregon, Baylor and San Jose State have their coaches. Did any make the right hire? None? Something in between. Breaking news: We've got answers.

The moment we've been building to all season long as finally arrived: The College Football Playoff committee has officially selected this year's participants. Canada and Luke react to the playoff quartet, Conference Championship Weekend, the coaching carousel and Bob Bowlsby's sour grapes.

Mark Helfrich, turn in your keys and please allow these nice gentlemen to escort you to the door. Oregon is finally without a head coach, and the boys talk replacements. Plus, a preview of that most culminating of weeks: the conference championships.

Rivalry Week is in the books, and there's plenty to talk about as a result: coaching changes, ranking shifts, Mark Helfrich doing super Helfy stuff. And how is the playoff affected as a result? We got you, boo:

How will the CFP committee handle the Ohio State-Michigan-Penn State conundrum? We're finally days away from finding out, though Michigan can certainly save them plenty of difficulty by just winning the Game. The boys preview the round of rivalry matchups and more, with the obligatory Andy Fastow Michael-Jordan-of-accounting mention, naturally. As you do.

Moving day is in the books, and so is Week 12. Bittersweet indeed. Recap the coaching carousel and the weekend's biggest games with the boys. And venture into the world of coaching-contracts-as-demand-driven-commodities. Listen up:

Why listen to the Week 12 Preview, in which we break down the latest rankings and forecast the playoff-impacting match-ups? Because quitting on your podcast is hard to take.

Ah, this is the week that the herd of undefeated teams gets thinned out. Substantially. So how will the committee respond? You've got questions, the Week 11 Recap has answers.

This weekend, more than ever, we need college football. Mercifully, thanks to Luke and Canada, they're laying out the week's highlights before Saturday even arrives. And with only the mandatory few minutes of election analysis. Because who else would you go to for election analysis if not your THE College Football Podcasters?

The upsets finally came on Saturday. Particularly in the SEC, where both Florida and Texas A&M took tumbles. The opposite happened in the Pac-12, where Washington, Colorado, Washington State and USC looked downright dominant. The boys recap those and more -- Louisville, Ohio State, Clemson and on down the line -- with a nice dose of over-the-top Oregon coaching rumors to boot.

The CFP committee's first rankings are out, and they're about what you'd expect. A little less Washingtony, perhaps, but it's an oversight that has little true bearing on the season. All that with a dash of Week 10 Preview (uninspiring as it may be). Listen up:

What did Week 9 teach us? Boise State may not be headed for a New Year's bowl, for one. Auburn may be rolling at this point, and Charlie Strong and Mark Helfrich may be coaching their way toward continued employment. Luke and CA break down the full weekend of action and forecast the first College Football Playoff committee rankings.

What if they held a World's Largest Outdoor (Cocktail) Party and inexplicably called it the "River City Showdown"? What if Michigan beat Michigan State by 60? What if Chip Kelly lands at Texas? Why is Jadakiss as hard as it gets? You've got questions, THE College Football Podcast Week 9 preview has answers.

Another College Football Playoff contender goes down! But in the long run, does it actually matter? The boys break down the Penn State upset of Ohio State, Bama's continued dominance, the resurgence of Auburn, and the rest of the Week 8 slate. And no, the Ohio State loss might not matter.

Looking to round out your sphere of hot dog knowledge? Want to preview the best games of Week 8 -- from Bama-A&M to Utah-UCLA, and everything between? Man, this is crazy. You can't believe how spot-on this episode is. Listen below!

Canada and Luke are back, like Jordan wearing the 4-5, and they've got a headful of knowledge to drop on close wins by Ohio State, Clemson and Louisville. And Washington State. And Arkansas. In fact, with the exception of a rolling Alabama, they were pretty much all close. What does that mean? [Cue CA and Luke talking.]

Week 7 is on tap! Could Tennessee knock off Alabama? Does Wisconsin have a shot against Ohio State? Will Miami bounce back against UNC? How will the rest of the top 25 fare? Only two people have all the answers in advance. Thankfully they both host this podcast. Sports soothsaying at its best. Listen up!

Washington crushed Oregon, Houston had their first slip-up, and a battle of SEC undefeateds only left one unblemished. Quite a weekend. CA and Luke look back over the whirlwind of action and, yeah, wonder how Mark Helfrich still has a job. Naturally. Listen up!

Hey, guess what: It's the 2016 College Football Week 6 preview! Take that, Google.

Middling as it may be, this weekend's slate does feature a quintet, maybe a sextet of compelling match-ups, including a Tennessee-Texas A&M tilt that means one of them -- finally! -- has to lose. (Vols, looking at you.) Add in a little FSU-Miami, Bama-Arkansas, a dash of Va Tech-UNC, and there could be some long-lasting repercussions to Saturday's action. The boys preview 'em all, with 100% guaranteed* correct results.

(*Not at all guaranteed.)

Week 5 is in the books! Which team catapulted into the playoff picture? Which team suffered a loss but likely didn't diminish their national standing much? Which team scored the biggest upset? Which team's coach embarrassed them the most? CA and Luke (especially Luke, on that last one) have all the answers!

Do you love Johnny Bravo, Grimace, Joe Swanson and other top-heavy things? You're going to be elated with this weekend's schedule.

There's the trio of huge, marquee match-ups: Stanford-Washington, Wisconsin-Michigan and Louisville-Clemson. And then there's . . . well, college football, anyway. Preview the slate with Luke and CA, who are definitely getting them all right this time.

Les Miles is no longer a college football coach.

I mean sure, you can justify the firing depending on your view of the last few years, but it's still bizarre to say out loud. (Or write quietly.) The Miles ouster was the big news of the weekend, but there were plenty of games that could have long-lasting repercussions just begging for analysis, too.

Sit back, brew a pot of oolong, and recap the slate with Luke and CA.

Week 4 is here and, once again, we save you a ton of time by just telling you how all the high-profile games will go on Saturday. You don't even need to watch Wisconsin-Michigan State now. Nor LSU-Auburn. Tennesee-Florida or Georgia-Ole Miss or Stanford-UCLA? No and no and no. We've got you. Take Saturday and learn Mandarin instead.

Week 3 is in the books, a Saturday full of almosts. Wisconsin almost lost to Georgia State. Mizzou almost upset Georgia. Florida State almost stayed within six touchdowns of Louisville. Look back over the week that was with CA and Luke. They still hate most teams (especially yours!).

Saturday? Easily a top, I don't know, THREE slate of the season so far. Don't have time to watch? No problem, Luke and Canada conveniently lay out all the winners and losers a full several days before the games actually take place. Big time-saver.

Week 2 is in the books, the most notable highlights of which were probably an officiating error and a couple of bad wins. Still, it was probably more exciting -- or at least portentous -- than expected, with Washington continuing to roll, Tennessee possibly getting back on track, and Arkansas scoring a big upset over TCU. Recap 'em all on this week's ep!

A fantastic Week 1 is behind us, and Week 2 is . . . still football. Look, yes, TCU-Arkansas and Tennessee-Va Tech are probably the best games of the week. But we just got through months of no football, this is way better than the alternative. And don't you want to see if Western Kentucky is twice as good as USC, as Vegas seems to think?

The long wait is over; Week 1 is officially in the books. So what do we know about LSU and Wisconsin and Alabama and USC and Houston and Oklahoma and another 120 or so teams? More than we did last week, anyway. CA and Luke recap the highs and lows (ahem, USC), with an eye toward what the week taught us.

Week 1 is here! And not just any Week 1, but the best first-Saturday in recent memory. Oklahoma takes on Houston. Texas A&M hosts UCLA. USC tangles with Alabama. Add in Ole Miss-Florida State, Texas-Notre Dame, Wisconsin-LSU and UNC-Georgia and barometer games for Stanford and Washington, among others, and the 2016 Week 1 preview is one for the ages.

The week has finally arrived: In a couple short days, college football will be going down (under). But first, the boys address one final question: Who is contending for the playoff? Not Cal and Hawaii, but that Week Zero game is previewed, too.

The conference previews are behind us and the weekly look-aheads are still a fortnight or so off. Yep, it's that time of the year. So . . . ranking the conferences? Heisman previews? Big 12 expansion? Let's do it.

The Power 5 conference previews are in the books, but there's still plenty more 2016 college football to preview. Today, the boys look ahead to the Independents and the Group of 5s: Notre Dame; BYU; the cream of the Group of 5 crop; and finally some MAC and Fun Belt respect?! Always go full Hudspeth.

Does Bama have a repeat in them? Does Tennessee finally put the whole package together this year? Does South Carolina win a single SEC game? How could we possibly foretell if Cam Robinson will be able to work his way back into the playing rotation by the season opener? Who knows? The 2016 SEC Preview knows. . . .

Canada and Luke break down all of the above, along with the rest of the conference's contenders and pretenders. Plus your weekly dose of Australian American-football news, and a quick Donkey Kong Country 2 aside, of course. Because what's a conference preview without it?

The world is high on the University of Washington. Are Canada and Luke? Thank goodness there's a 2016 Pac-12 Preview episode, or these questions would just go unanswered.

Also: College Football Playoff moves, baby carrot revelations and La Croix recommendations.

Can Iowa lightning strike twice in the Big 10? I mean . . . no. That's not really how lightning works, right? Still, the 2016 Big 10 preview has plenty to whet your Corn Belt appetite.

There's Iowa, of course, as well as presumptive conference and national contenders Michigan and Ohio State. There's the rebuild-or-reload test for Michigan State, and the could-they-genuinely-win-eight-games dilemmas of Indiana and Penn State (and Maryland?!). Plus, y'know . . . Purdue does stuff.

Get all that and more, in our 2016 Big 10 preview.

The Big 12 was one of the more interesting conferences last year, surprisingly spawning a number of teams -- Baylors and Oklahomas and OK States and TCUs -- that were genuine playoff contenders at various points in the season. Will that success carry over into 2016?

The boys tackle that question in today's 2016 Big 12 preview, along with the other mainstays: Will Kansas still be terrible? Will Iowa State be any better? Is this finally the year Charlie Strong fields a competitive Texas team? On which continent are Blake Sims and Vad Lee currently playing professional quarterback?

The 2016 college football season is finally here! Well, actually, no . . . no, it's not. But the 2016 college football preview is finally here, and it starts with the two-horse race that is the ACC. In fact, the boys cover their two favorite topics today (three if you include Boston College), because somebody got new pants!

OMG -- Week 1 is almost here. Without getting too in-depth -- the micro-assessments are yet to come -- what are the best games of the opening slate? And Taysom Hill couldn't possibly still have eligibility remaining, could he? You've got questions, we've got answers.

So, who's going to win the 2016 National Championship? That's not nearly as interesting as who makes for the best value in Las Vegas. Thankfully we have a resident degenerate gambler, and Canada is all too willing to give you the inside track . . . and Luke's willing to tell you why Louisville's winning it all.

Much like people being out after 2am, a lot can happen to a college football program in late-spring, and really only a few of them are good. Baylor? Not doing great. Mississippi State? Less than ideal June thus far.

Canada and Luke break down the spring shenanigans: scandals, administrative updates and on down the line. And undershirts!

We like Bruce Feldman. We don't like Bruce Feldman's top 25. Gosh, if only we had a public forum to explain why. Wait, this podcast! Give it a listen, hear why Canada is -- shockingly! -- opposed to Washington as a top 15 team. And hey, learn about sweatpants!

Ready to hear a good 30 minutes on Idaho football?

OK, OK, technically Idaho is just the lens, through which CA and Luke examine the idea of dropping from FBS down to FCS. Also: What should the Big 12 do, college football trivia games and the sartorial corner -- boat shoes.

The Oklahoma schools were up, the Kansas schools were down, the private Texas schools were up and down from week to week, and sometimes seemingly simultaneously. So all in all, how did the Big 12 fare in 2015?

And who's going to win the Kentucky Derby? Plus, as long as we're digressing, what about Canelo-Khan? Patience, my friends; the boys answer your every question in the latest episode.

CA and Luke reconvene once more to get you through that endless void that is the college football offseason. Today the boys look back on the 2015 season that was for the ACC, and revisit the podcast's second favorite topic, albeit without much success. Also, the Alabama Spring Puntfest!

How are Jeff Lockie, Travis Wilson and Kevin Hogan like heroin? What's the best Mario Bros. game, Super Mario Kart included? The 2015 Pac-12 recap, man; it's got all the answers.

CA and Luke continue the 2015 reviews, grading out the Big 10's season. Iowa? Stellar. Purdue? Less so. Quintessential mid-2000s TV show Prison Break? That's complicated. . . .

The boys are back. They're rested, relaxed, refreshed, and ready to review. First up: Batman v Superman. Oh, and the 2015 SEC season.

NFL combine, politics and the allegations at Tennessee? They all conspire to yield our most beautifully awkward episode ever.

Luke and CA fix the Big 12 and, in turn, the College Football Playoff! Didn't even know they were broke, did you? Bonus: CA's creepy quest to peek in the windows of Chip Kelly's house.

The dog days of the CFB offseason wear on, leaving us with nothing to talk about. Except (shudder) recruiting. And recruiting websites. And horses. And Steven Spielberg. Actually, that's not a bad little episode, come to think of it.

The 2015 season is in the books, but it's never too early to start looking ahead to the 2016 contenders.

Actually, yes; it's way too early. This is just nonsensical. But that's why it's called the way-too-early top 25!

In the final episode of the 2015-16 season -- which doesn't really mean that much for a year-round podcast -- Canada and Luke bookend things by recapping one of the great national championship games in recent memory.

The boys break down the keys to Bama's win -- or was it Clemson's loss? -- before discussing the latest crop of early entrants to the NFL Draft, and saying goodbye to a legend.

And then there was one.

Well, one game. Two teams. Following a quick recap of the Playoff's first round -- as well as the usual discussion of Dan Dickau's barbershop empire -- the boys tackle the big preview: Clemson vs Alabama, for all the marbles.

From battle of the big guys to the importance of red zone conversions to OLB containment vs DeShaun Watson, CA and Luke preview all of the game's biggest factors. Could an upset be brewing?