ESPN Daily

Last night, we saw a champion crowned in college football. Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes got the proverbial monkey off their backs with a clutch performance over Notre Dame. And there to witness it all, live and in person, were our friends from the College Gameday podcast, Rece Davis and Pete Thamel. So today, we’re turning our show over to Rece and Pete, plus special guest Harry Lyles Jr., as they take stock of Ohio State’s win and consider whether Notre Dame has now made itself a perennial contender.   Check out our favorite episodes of 2024.  College Gameday Podcast: Apple | Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For college football blue bloodsNotre Dame and Ohio State, the realities of modern big time college football are a whole new ball game. As NIL deals and the transfer portal give players more control over their careers than ever, and big money collectives blur the lines between amateur and professional athletics, the Buckeyes and Irish need to balance the new against decades of tradition. The challenges can be as simple as trying to change the seating at Notre Dame Stadium, or as complicated as justifying the NIL money needed to pursue the best talent in the field.  So today - ESPN senior writer Ryan McGee, reports from the site of tonight’s College Football Playoff National Championship, to explain how for coaches Ryan Day and Marcus Freeman getting to this point means having already triumphed over the expectations of the past. And don’t forget the playlist, featuring our favorite stories of 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For many people, the NFL’s divisional round is the most exciting weekend of football on the calendar all year long. Eight teams, four games, with trips to the conference championships on the line. And this year’s matchups are bangers. Whether it’s an MVP showdown between Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, or the dynamic Jayden Daniels vying for an upset of the Lions in Motor City, or Saquon Barkley continuing his push for a ring in year one outside of the Meadowlands, these games figure to deliver the goods. So Ben Solak joins the program to give Michele Steele a preview of all the action, and to explain why it’s just plain unfair that the Chiefs are rounding into their ultimate form at the season’s most crucial point. And don’t forget the playlist, featuring our favorite stories of 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the NFL season comes to a close, some teams are scrambling to find new coaches, kicking off the frenzy known as the NFL coaching carousel. ESPN NFL Insider Dan Graziano joins ESPN Daily’s own NFL expert Michele Steele to analyze the Patriots’ signing of Mike Vrabel, and look at some of the other choices that are more up in the air. Could these meetings between Jerry Jones and Deion Sanders land Prime Time in Dallas? Is the NFL’s Rooney Rule — intended to increase the number of coaches of color — being ignored by teams? Will Detroit’s highly sought-after coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn pass up another year with the Lions? Will Tom Brady use his clout to poach a coach for the Raiders? And don’t forget the playlist, featuring our favorite stories of 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices