Unfortunately, there will be no college football picks column this week (I'll go ahead and post my picks at the bottom here), but I did want to tip everyone off on one quick thing. On Thursday night I appeared on the "Rob After Dark" radio show down in Florida to discuss this year's college football coaching carousel. A lot of conversation stemmed off this article I wrote for Crystal Ball Run.

Regardless, Rob's producer was nice enough to pass along the audio, and I've attached it here. I also made the decision to put the audio into my podcast stream as well. So if you can't listen to the audio here, you can always download it from iTunes later. You can also subscribe to my podcast, so you get updates every time I post a new podcast.

Anyway, let's get to the audio, where Rob and I discussed the following:

- With Bobby Petrino the "hot coaching" name right now, the question has to be asked: Do schools still care about the character of their coaches, or just winning games? I also dive into the idea that Jim Tressel was fired for relatively minor NCAA violations, while Petrino will now be re-hired after major ethical ones.

- Where will Kirby Smart end up? I discuss this with Rob, and tell him why there may be some behind the scenes moving and shaking going on at Tennessee.

- Finally, Rob asks me where I stand on Charlie Strong. Rob likes the idea of him going to Arkansas, but personally I just don't see it happening. Frankly, I fully expect Strong to stay at Louisville for the 2013 season.

There aren’t nearly as many big games on the college football schedule as last week, but amongst the biggest ones, the most interesting may be Texas A&M at Alabama. Can the Aggies- who are playing as well as anyone in college football right now- pull the upset over the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide?

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On Tuesday I posed that question to former Texas A&M running back Brandon Leone. Brandon played for the Aggies from 2002-2007 and knows the 2012 team well too, after formerly covering them for TexAgs.com.

Leone talked about playing for the Aggies, being coached by Kevin Sumlin on the scout team and this year’s Aggies in this comprehensive interview, starting with:

- Brandon’s time at Texas A&M, in which he was recruited by R.C. Slocum, coached mostly by Dennis Franchione and for a time, worked on the scout team with Kevin Sumlin. Brandon also discusses the two games which Sumlin took over as offensive coordinator, and how well the offense played.

- We then move to the 2012 season, where we discuss the “perfect storm” around Aggies football. Not only are they in the right conference, with the right coach, but Texas is also on its way down and Arkansas and Auburn are struggling as well. Could it lead to Texas A&M becoming an elite, college football power?

- Looking at this season, why Brandon knew this team would be “special” right around the Arkansas game. Also, given that the Aggies only losses have come to Florida, LSU and potentially Alabama, is it possible that this club is actually a bit underrated headed into the Alabama game?

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With college basketball season set to tip-off THIS Friday, it only seemed appropriate that I went out and got the biggest and best guest I could for find for this week’s podcast. Well, there’s no bigger guest in the college basketball world than ESPN senior writer Andy Katz, and on Monday afternoon he was nice enough to join the show.

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Andy has been at ESPN for 13 years and knows this sport better than anyone. On Monday he discussed a number of topics with me on the 2013 season, including the following:

- Why college basketball is doing a better job now than ever before of making the sport relevant with early season games like Champions Classic, Michigan State-UConn in Germany and Kentucky-Maryland at the Barclay’s Center. What goes into making those games, and which ones is he most excited to see?

- Looking objectively at the defending National Champion Kentucky Wildcats, what does Andy make of the 2013 squad? Is it fair to compare them to a young 2011 team, which ended up making a late run to the Final Four?

- How about Louisville? This team returns more talent than ever before, but they really only did get hot over the last couple weeks of the season. Is this team overrated or properly rated in everyone’s Top 2-3 teams in the country?

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With the college football world focused on Alabama and LSU this weekend, it only seemed appropriate that for this week’s Aaron Torres Sports Podcast I gave my old friend Alex Scarborough from ESPN’s Tide Nation a call.

Alex covers the team and has incredible insight on Nick Saban’s club as they get set to go to Death Valley this weekend.

On Wednesday he and I discussed the following topics:

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- At 8-0, Alex isn’t surprised by the Crimson Tide’s undefeated record. But after losing so much talent to the NFL, is he surprised by how dominant they’ve been?

- Of course as dominant as the Tide have been, they have yet to face a challenge anywhere near as tough as what they’ll have Saturday night in Baton Rouge. At the same time, Alex also explains why this team enjoys playing on the road even more so than they do at home.

- Speaking of dominant, A.J. McCarron is playing his best football of the season. What is A.J. doing differently from last year, and is he ready for the toughest test of his career under the lights of Death Valley?

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Entering the 2012-2013 college basketball season, there might not be a more interesting conference than the Big Ten. For the first time in a long time the league has depth, experience and NBA talent, with four or five teams who justifiably believe they can make it to Atlanta for this year’s Final Four.

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That is the expectation in the Big Ten anyway, and on Wednesday I was lucky enough to track down ESPN.com’s Myron Medcalf on his way to Big Ten Media Day in Chicago.

Myron has been around the league for years, first covering Minnesota before moving to ESPN full-time, and he shared his insight on the following:

- The evolution of this league from one which struggled to get teams into the Sweet 16 a few years ago, to one that now has several Final Four contenders. What has changed, and why is the league in a better position now than it was a few years back?

- Speaking of the strength of the league, no one is stronger than Indiana entering the season. Myron discusses the evolution and growth of Cody Zeller, as well as why he believes that there isn’t a freshman in the country with more pressure on him than new Hoosiers point guard Yogi Ferrell.

- Moving to Michigan, the Wolverines have the same vibe as Indiana, with one sophomore returnee (Trey Burke) and one freshman in Mitch McGary who everyone is raving about. Myron explains what he expects from each and why the Wolverines are a real threat to make a deep run this season.

- Myron also explains why folks around the Michigan State program shouldn’t be too concerned about the loss of Draymond Green. As Myron puts it, “Tom Izzo is still the coach of the Spartans” and with the return of a healthy Branden Dawson this team has the potential to put up a similar win total as last year.

- What about Ohio State? No program has won at a higher level in this conference the last few years than the Buckeyes, but nobody lost more in the off-season either. Will anyone besides Aaron Craft and DeShaun Thomas step up?

- And finally, Myron shares his thoughts on Bo Ryan’s “system” at Wisconsin, why Iowa is a sleeper to make the NCAA Tournament, and why it’s going to be another NCAA Tournament-less March for the Northwestern Wildcats.

Folks, college basketball season is approaching fast, and it’s time for you to get caught up on all the major storylines heading into the season. No conference has more big ones than the Big Ten, which just might be the best conference in the country.

Speaking of the interview, remember, you can access the podcast in any number of ways. If you can’t listen to it live, you can always download it straight from iTunes, just by searching for the “Aaron Torres Sports Podcast.” You can also subscribe to the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast by clicking here.

Also for updates on the show, my writing and much more, be sure to follow on Twitter @Aaron_Torres and Facebook.

And for weekly updates on all my podcasts, articles, giveaways and more you can now sign up for the Aaron Torres Sports weekly newsletter, just by entering your e-mail where it says “Aaron Torres Sports Mailing List” or e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Finally I want to thank Myron for his time, and encourage you to follow him on Twitter @MedcalfByESPN. And of course, I want to thank you for taking the time to listen to the show.

Until next time…

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Week 9 of the college football season is upon us, and with it, the standard schedule of big games from college football’s best conferences. However, rather than doing what I’ve traditionally done on the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast, this week I’ve decided to do something a bit different.

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Today, rather than breaking down just the games in the SEC, Big XII and beyond, I welcomed my old buddy Mark Ennis of the website BigEastCoastBias.com onto the show, to talk about the storylines in an exciting Big East title chase, as well as preview some of the bigger games nationally (such as Georgia-Florida) as well.  Later, the Solid Verbal’s Ty Hildenbrandt stopped by to preview Notre Dame-Oklahoma as well.

There was plenty of college football discussion, starting with Mark, who chatted with me on the following subjects:

- Despite being undefeated and ranked in the Top 20 nationally, a lot of people still don’t know much about Louisville. Mark discusses what to look out for entering Friday’s showdown with Cincinnati, as well as why Teddy Brdgewater has been the difference so far this season.

- Looking at Cincinnati, why maybe, their loss to Toledo last week wasn’t as bad as everyone made it out to be. Also, is quarterback Munchie Legaux the cause of all Cincinnati’s problems? Also, can he do enough to lead the Bearcats to the upset this Friday night?

- Staying in the Big East, Mark tips us off on what we need to know about Rutgers, which is also undefeated and ranked in the Scarlet Knights’ case ranked in the Top 15. Also, why isn’t Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood getting discussion for National Coach of the Year honors?

Of everyone in college football, few know the coaches, players and teams in the SEC as well as CBS Sports sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson. She’s been on the beat for eight years, and been at the forefront of some of the most exciting teams and story lines in college football over that stretch.

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Well on Thursday Tracy was nice enough to stop by the podcast, to talk about the entire league, as well as Saturday’s showdown between South Carolina and Florida which she’ll be attending.

Tracy shared some truly insightful thoughts on the following subjects:

- It’s another season in the SEC, but just like every year, the story lines have changed. Entering the year we again expected the West to be the best, but it appears as though the balance of power has shifted back East heading into this week’s South Carolina-Florida game. Is Tracy surprised at all by this development?

- Speaking of South Carolina-Florida, Tracy says that above all, there is one person who Will Muschamp credits with the difference between his club this year and the disappointing 8-5 team from last year. Tracy also discusses an attitude change in Gainesville, not only with the players, but with Muschamp himself.

- Moving over to the West, is Tracy surprised at just how well Alabama has played this year? Also, she shares insight on Nick Saban’s unique motivational tactics, ones which have his team playing the best football of anyone in the nation right now.

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With last Friday’s Midnight Madness festivities now in the books, there is no denying that college basketball season is officially underway. Which means it’s time for this season’s first edition of the Aaron Torres Sports College Basketball Podcast!

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Thankfully, I’ve done just that, and was fortunate to welcome a major guest to the show for the first episode. That guest? Second-year Tennessee head coach Cuonzo Martin

Coach Martin was nice enough to take a few minutes of his time to talk on a number of topics, including the following:

- How have things changed for Coach Martin as he now gets set for his second season at Tennessee? How much better does he know the players? And how much better do the players know him?

- With the new off-season coaching rules in place, what does Coach Martin know about his club that he might not have known otherwise? Also, what did he learn after taking his team on an off-season trip to Italy over the summer? Coach Martin also discusses his team’s strange eating habits overseas.

- What should fans expect from star point guard Trae Golden, who really emerged over the second half of last college basketball season? Also, what should they expect from bruising second-year forward Jarnell Stokes?

- Why having the defending National Champions Kentucky in conference is actually a good thing for Tennessee. Also, what does Coach Martin expect SEC newbie Missouri- a potential Final Four contender- to bring with them to the conference?

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It doesn’t matter the year, rankings or players, whenever Texas and Oklahoma get together for the “Red River Shootout” tempers are always high, and the football is always quality. This year will be no exception, as the Longhorns and Sooners get set to do battle Saturday, in a game which is likely a “make or break” for both. Neither team can afford a loss here, with one club’s Big XII title dreams likely getting dashed with a loss Saturday.

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And on Wednesday, Taylor Gaspar of Texas media super-power OrangeBloods.com stopped by the show, to break down this pivotal Big XII showdown. Taylor has been in the press box for every Longhorns game this season, and she shared her thoughts on the following:

- Coming off a loss to West Virginia this past weekend and struggles a week before against Oklahoma State, what’s up with Texas’ defense? For a unit that was expected to be the strength of this team entering the season, the Longhorns are giving up big plays and big yards. Are Texas’ struggles strictly because of Jordan Hicks’ injury, or something deeper?

- Is Taylor has surprised by the emergence of David Ash and the Texas offense as the rest of us are as college football fans? Also, Taylor shares insight on the unique relationship between running backs Joe Bergeron and Johnathan Gray, each of whom has emerged as a key cog in this offense.

- Heading into Saturday’s showdown, Taylor shares what the scene will be like on the Texas State Fairgrounds. She also explains why the Red River Shootout is a game everyone should attend, even those with no affiliation to either school.

- Taylor then shares some key insight on the game. For Texas, will they be able to get pressure on Landry Jones, and if so, will the Oklahoma quarterback be able to handle it? She also explains why this very well could be a “make or break” game for both clubs, heading into the heart of Big XII play.

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For regular listeners of my podcast, the name Marc Ryan should be somewhat familiar. Marc has appeared on my show a number of times to discuss topics ranging from Tim Tebow, to the Miami Heat and even previewed last year’s Tennessee-Florida game with me. It’s been a lot of fun working with Marc, who is nothing short of a natural when it comes to talking sports.

Actually, a “natural” is exactly what he is, since when he’s not hanging out with me on my podcast, he hosts his own sports talk radio show in Atlanta. “The Opening Drive with Marc Ryan” has taken the city by storm since debuting several months ago, after Marc made the move from Florida to one of the nation’s top markets.

With all that said, Marc’s success led to an exciting personal opportunity for me on Tuesday, when he asked me to co-host his show from 8-10 EST. I jumped at the chance in the same way Nick Saban might jump on a freshman defensive back after a blown coverage, and for two hours Marc, myself and his producer Chad Potier went back and forth on some of the biggest topics in sports.

Below is the audio from Tuesday’s show, which Marc and Chad graciously gave to me to share here at Aaron Torres Sports. You can also download the audio straight from iTunes.

Here are a few of the topics we discussed on the show:

- An interview with NFL Hall of Famer Joe Theismann, in which we discussed Mark Sanchez’s struggles in New York, the emergence of the Falcons as a legit Super Bowl contender and how impressive Robert Griffin III has been in Washington.

- Marc and I chatted about the Alabama Crimson Tide, and whether they have an unfair, inherent advantage on the recruiting trail.

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