A podcast that was already a heavy SEC lean has made it clear who they intend to focus on now and on into the future with the Harris addition.
A podcast that was tolerable when they had Ari Wasserman, but Harris draws a line in the sand. It’s not where he’s from, it’s his bias for “SEC or bust.” With Ari there was at least a mild rounding out, but now it’s nearly unlistenable if you aren’t from the South. And that’s ok. The show hosts prefer only southern fans to listen. And that’s ok. Just a heads up.
Adding a guy who has no interest in watching or talking about teams outside the SEC makes a formerly good college football podcast pretty hard to listen to.
I like some of the analyses, but Damien Harris’ SEC is best and occasional all non elite teams are worthless attitude makes it at times hard to listen to.
Damien adds nothing to the show. Was my favorite CFB pod but he makes it unlistenable with his disdain for anyone not Alabama or SEC in general. If I wanted that, I’d listen to ESPN centric pods.
With so many networks tied into different conferences lately their is such a lean to one conference or another. Also the insights Damien provides are outstanding being a former standout, like the center position is so important as they have to read the D Line a good bit to setup the OLine for success. Just really enjoying this show!
Unfortunately the show has taken a nose dive since last season. I only listen during season, but typically do not miss an episode. Besides them chopping the amount of episodes in half (missing the Sunday morning listen!), it is just a dry cfb show. No better than the thousand others out there. It’s not funny anymore, there aren’t any kind of esoteric cfb questions anymore (unsurprisingly you have to skip over to Andy&Ari to hear that type of discussion now), and the show just falls flat as a result.
David Ubben is one of the best. Been reading him since I was in middle school when he covered the Big 12 for ESPN. Huge fan, and he keeps me listening, but the show is a shell of its former self. Ari bugged me, he was very annoying, and I thought he was biased toward Ohio State and big programs, but man, the dynamic he and David had was great! It was interesting, incredibly engaging, and all around a lot of fun. I suppose it takes losing what you had to appreciate it.
Chris Vannini is a solid guy who does good reporting, but not someone to anchor a show. Damien Harris - does anyone happen to know where he played??? He didn’t mention it enough in the last 5 episode so I forgot. Get that dude off asap! Not worth listening to him to get to D.U.’s takes.
Sad! Check out Andy&Ari for an engaging listen!
This podcast has been so average, and the additions of Damien Harris has not helped. This would be a 4 or 5 star podcast with the new lineup, but when Harris just says “I have Mississippi State over the Kansas City Chiefs because they are in the SEC,” it’s clear he’s not really doing the work.
Salad start to the new season. Glad to see Damien Harris on the show. Welcome back, Dave. All the hosts do great work. Especially enjoy it when Grace and Manny are on the show. Few nitpicky things. Dave still laughs at himself far too often. Also, Dave, if you’re going to ask your or guest questions, let them give their full answer before interrupting them. It can throw them off and it doesn’t sound very good. But all in all a very great show and I’ll continue to listen.
They do a good job of having guests on and providing as detailed of coverage as they can for national talking heads but they cover the same handful of teams every episode. If you value a truly plugged in opinion that’s outside of 3 teams in the big10 then this isn’t for you.
It’s almost July, the dog days of summer are near, and the countdown to kickoff feels closer and closer with each episode of Until Saturday. The horn section blasts in the intro, I’m bobbing my head to the beat, and Ari and the boys are brining a daily oasis of content through the long drought of the offseason. Whether or not I agree with their takes, their daily topics are fresh, relevant and engaging. I look forward to enjoying another season this fall with Ari, Ubben and the rest of their team. Great work guys!
It’s a big ten podcast, cosplaying as a national podcast and it’s obvious. Just as PSU is a second tier team pretending to be elite every year. Dave is just a contrarian to Ari, it was better with Andy Staples. Manny is the best thing about the show, enjoy it anytime he’s on. Ari’s intro is soooooo freaking long, and no one minds if the pod last more than an hour guys seriously. Stop worrying about “going long” why else am I here listening if not to pass time?
Go off the rails have fun. That’s the point.
Very entertaining pod. Loved reminiscing about the villains of the past. Lots of good memories. LOL while bike riding several times. Only negative was Nate’s calling Ohio State insufferable. Go Bucks!
Title says it all. You start wondering why there is a cohost. Even when Ari steps aside to let Dave talk, he jumps right back in before Dave is done making his point. Dave Ubbin is the only reason I keep listening.
Update: ENOUGH with Colorado!!
Can’t wait to see Ari try his first bite of French toast casserole. And just wanted to let the producer know I’m here for the breakfast conversation!
On another note, what do you think about Tony Alford leaving OSU for the same job at Michigan? Do we think Chip Kelly wanted to bring in his own guy, Or was this Alford’s own decision? Does he potentially want more opportunity for a promotion?
Ari likes to pretend he’s a champion for the little guy, but the second he has to talk about a program that isn’t in the top 10 recruiting rankings, the disdain in his voice drips through the speakers.
At the end of the 2023 regular season I wanted to get out of my sports echo chamber, and I’m glad I found Until Saturday. It’s a high quality CFB podcast with bearable ads. The show often hosts interesting and knowledgeable guests.
I like Ari’s cynical frankness about the business of the sport, but I have to say that I agree with Dave about 99% of the time. CFB is more than just Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, and Alabama, Ari.
The Big12 does not cease to be relevant just because Texas, who just had their first strong season in over a decade, and OU, who can’t keep a QB around, are off to go get beat up in the SEC. UCF, Cincinnati, and Utah are strong programs coming to join a rarely down Oklahoma State and Kansas State along with up-and-coming Kansas and a slew of tough competition. Laugh at TCU for getting stomped by Georgia in the 2022 championship all you want, but the Big12 isn’t out here serving up a Vanderbilt or the Big10 West. The Big12 CFB also has more heart. Just look at this last bowl season and which teams/conferences had loads of opt-outs.
I love the show and I look forward to scoffing at Ari’s opinions on the next episode.
Obviously, Ari and Manny have a anti-Alabama bias, and their analyzation is absolutely ridiculous. Or they just hate Deboer. I just started listening and I’m about to cut bait because they are nonsensical.
I was your first YouTube live watcher… I was so bummed when you guys went off the air for four months, or whatever it was last year!
Here is my question, did Ohio State actually change anything by spending $15 million… They had a great defense last year but their offensive line sucked and their quarterback was mediocre, isn’t there offensive line, going to be the same? minus their best offensive lineman, and minus Marvin Harrison and cade Stover?… Did they really change anything or just reinforce positions that they were already strong at? Sound like their wr and DE recruiting?
And going into a tougher schedule and Big Ten championship where there is no east and west.? I have them losing at Oregon, at Penn State, and then again in the Big Ten championship game… because that offensive line is awful, and go watch Will Howard versus Texas this year. He had 8 yards passing in the first half against a decent defense.
Please tell me you see that they’re repeating the same mistakes… And don’t get me started on the O’Brien hire… The one thing Ryan day had going for him is that he was a great offensive play caller.. so the answer to your teams problems is get a worse play caller?
Started listening recently and is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
Mailbag Question: Any college football book recommendations? Need something to help get through the off season!
Awesome show. Thanks!
Question: Isn’t there an unintended consequence of the current setup of the 12 team playoff format starting next year? With the new big ten and sec 14 of the 18 true national championship contending programs are in the sec or big ten. Surely most title contenders would prefer the path to a title from the 5 seed than the 1 seed in the new format. The 5 seed would have the path to the semi of 12 seed G5 (Liberty) at home and big 12 champ (Utah/Kansas st) neutral site, where as the 1 seed has to play a presumably bigger title favorite at large in the quarterfinals like OSU/Texas/Oregon. Wouldn’t this incentive 2 undefeated in the sec or big ten title to lose on purpose because one would be the 1 seed and 1 the 5 seed that would meet in the semi final anyway? It’s crazy that a 5 seed would be preferable to a 1 seed. Love the show thanks
I genuinely enjoy this podcast especially the weekend preview and review episodes. I am not a just talk sports guy, but sometimes this podcast goes off the rails. However, I genuinely enjoy the entire list of contributors.
There are so many talented people that the Athletic can bring in, even after Andy left, but Ari just gets in the way. I just listened to the semifinal preview episode, and it was great because Ari didn’t participate. Keep it up, Athletic. That guy is a clown.
Love this show. Best cfb pod going. Tons of insightful analysis with some people who are clearly plugged in. That being said, Ari I support your stars matter thesis and agree with many of your more controversial takes. Somehow you’re brave for saying that good players help teams win and I want you to know there are people who support you. Keep it up both of you!
At least when Staples had this show he kind of balanced out Ari’s horrid takes with common sense and knowledge. Now it’s just unfettered Wass-holing 24/7/365.
The content and knowledge is great, but Ari is such a turnoff that I can’t listen sometimes. He think he’s smarter than everyone else. Not a charming kind of guy everyone loves to hate - he is legitimately a huge turnoff and I feel kinda cringe listening to him.
The horse died early in the OSU FSU receiver grooming conversation. Argue while your jogging about how great FSU is or whomever but not on with the show. When the horse dies, it’s dead, you don’t have to keep running over it with the car please !!
Dave asks Ari to rank top tourist spots in U.S. and Ari says of course the crepe place at Reagan International! Still laughing at that one!! Great show!!
Ari and Dave are the best. Their dynamic is much improved on how the flagship show use to be. Their insights, opinions and inside jokes entertain and inform. Keep up the good work.
So I like all the episodes minus the Saturday night “reaction” show. They barely talk about the games & it’s mostly Ari just rambling about playoffs or the merits of certain teams wins. In my opinion that should be a week day podcast style, not post game. Had to turn it off because Ari wouldn’t stop talking about 4 vs 12 team playoff for 20 minutes.
