Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 117 - "The A-Gap Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - "A Final Challenge:" Following the previous two scandals in Ann Arbor, most recently, a scandal that would embroil the Wolverines athletic department, and eventually lead to Sherrone Moore being fired after just two seasons with the program, the University of Michigan needed a stabilizing force to help bring both its embattled football program & the athletic department back to a level of respectability among its peers - - And when looking around the market, there were very few obvious prospects available: Alabama's Kalen DeBoer & Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham both publicly announced they were returning, while Louisville's Jeff Brohm was not seriously involved in the process, according to multiple sources - and several others, such as Vanderbilt's Clark Lea & BYU's Kalani Sitake, signed long-term extensions prior to Michigan's head coaching vacancy - - On Friday, Michigan took the first step in doing so: By hiring future Hall of Famer Kyle Whittingham as the program's 22^nd head football coach - - Whittingham, 66, is one of the most successful coaches of this era: Whittingham has a 177-88 career record, two Pac-12 Conference titles & a Mountain West crown as the HC at the University of Utah, where he had spent the last 21 seasons - - Per ESPN's Pete Thamel & Dan Wetzel, Whittingham's deal, which is reportedly 75% guaranteed, is comprised of a five-year deal with an average salary of $8.2 million per year - - Beyond his accomplishments, and perhaps most important, Whittingham has maintained a spotless reputation throughout his standout career, with his teams featuring very few (if any) scandals, and a strong team culture - - Now, at Michigan, Whittingham will have more resources to win than in any other moment in his legendary career - - Granted, Whittingham's age is a considerable topic of conversation as it should be, but there is very little debate that this hire was a short-term decision - - Whittingham informed his Utah team on Friday that he will not coach the team in their upcoming SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl against Nebraska on New Year's Eve, and Utah AD Mark Harlan relieved Whittingham of his duties, to allow him to travel to Orlando, FL, to get to work as the HC for the Michigan Wolverines. . .**NOTE: The No.18 Michigan Wolverines are scheduled to face off against the No.13 Texas Longhorns in Orlando on New Year's Eve in the 2026 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl - - However, three of the last four HCs at Michigan failed to make it through four full seasons - - Q: What are your thoughts on Michigan's hiring of former Utah HC Kyle Whittingham as the Wolverines' 22nd head football coach? Do you believe that Kyle Whittingham can lead Michigan to another national title?. . . NCAA College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Round Preview & Analysis: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & provide a thorough breakdown/analysis from the four matchups from the Quarterfinal Round of the 2025 College Football Playoff - - Be sure to tune in for an brief discussion of the following CFP second round game(s): Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No.10 Miami Hurricanes vs. No.2 Ohio State Buckeyes (-9.5) O/U42.5 Capital One Orange Bowl: No.5 Oregon Ducks (-2.5) vs. No.4 Texas Tech Red Raiders O/U52.5 Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential: No.9 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No.1 Indiana Hoosiers (-7) O/U47.5 Allstate Sugar Bowl: No.6 Ole Miss Rebels vs. No.3 Georgia Bulldogs (-6.5) O/U55.5 - NCAA College Football Bowl Week #4 Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Bowl Week #4 preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently-selected pick(s) and/or predictions for each of the following matchups from the fourth week of the college football bowl season - as well as providing in-depth analysis & reasoning to explain the justification for their selection: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at Traditions.Finest@gmail.com! ReliaQuest Bowl: No.23 Iowa vs. No.14 Vanderbilt(-4) O/U46.5 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs. Duke (-3) O/U49.5 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: No.18 Michigan vs. No.13 Texas (-7.5) O/U47.5 SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: No.14 Utah (-14) vs. Nebraska O/U50.5 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs. Texas State (-13.5) O/U58.5 AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Navy (-7) vs. Cincinnati O/U54.5 Duke's Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State (-3) O/U53.5 Trust & Will Holiday Bowl: No.17 Arizona (-3) vs. SMU O/U51.5 Thanks for Listening!