(WHTM) — Who gets to decide the College Football Playoff rankings? And do they actually watch the games? Although Penn State isn’t ranked, there may still be a path to the Big Ten Championship and another Top 25 finish.
Plus, The Sports Extra Podcast sits down with former Bucknell men’s basketball coach Pat Flannery. He talks about winning the first NCAA Tournament games in Patriot League history, how much CBB has changed since he retired and his national championship with LVC.
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CFP
There’s plenty of room to debate who deserves to make the Top 25 in the College Football Playoff rankings. As the second edition of the rankings come out, there are some key conversations we need to have about who isn’t valued high enough.
It’s also important to note headed into a Top 25 home game against Michigan, that Penn State is also unranked in the CFP despite it’s No. 22 ranking in the AP Top 25.
Pat Flannery
Flannery joins THe Sports Extra Podcast to kickoff the 2021-22 college basketball season.
The longtime college coach won a national title with Lebanon Valley College back in 1994. He then took over his alma mater as head coach of Bucknell in Lewisburg.
OKLAHOMA CITY – MARCH 18: Head coach Pat Flannery of the Bucknell Bison cheers on his team in the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship on March 18, 2005 at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) 
OKLAHOMA CITY – MARCH 20: Head coach Pat Flannery of the Bucknell Bison reacts from the sideline in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship on March 20, 2005 at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Wisconsin defeated Bucknell 71-62. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) 
OKLAHOMA CITY – MARCH 20: Head coach Pat Flannery of the Bucknell Bison yells from the sideline against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship on March 20, 2005 at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Wisconsin defeated Bucknell 71-62 to advance to the second round. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) 
DALLAS, TEXAS – MARCH 17: Head coach Pat Flannery of the Bucknell Bison and his team watch the final minutes of the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the First Round of the 2006 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament on March 17, 2006 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Bucknell won the game 59-55. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) 
DALLAS, TEXAS – MARCH 19: Head coach Pat Flannery of the Bucknell Bison yells to his team during the game against the Memphis Tigers in the Second Round of the 2006 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament on March 19, 2006 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
As head coach, he compiled a 233-179 record at Bucknell. He and the Bison also recorded the first NCAA tournament wins in school and Patriot League history in 2004 and 2005 seasons.
Flannery retired in 2008 to spend more time with family. He recently moved from Lewisburg to Hershey, and has been involved in many coaching ventures in the Midstate.
Quick Hits with the podcast
Harrisburg Heat: Producer Shiner shouts out the indoor soccer team for honoring longtime abc27 sports director Gregg Mace on the team’s jerseys.
Terrible football names: Maybe you shouldn’t have a kicker named Blewitt, just like you wouldn’t want a running back named Fumbles.
Meet the voices behind the podcast: Allie Berube and Logan Reever. The Sports Extra Podcast is designed to bring listeners closer to the games, teams, and athletes they love. The podcast will dive deeper than the hosts can go on TV.
The Sports Extra Podcast releases episodes every Thursday. The goal is to talk about national sports with a local flair. Allie & Logan bring guests on each week to share their perspectives on sports.
You can catch The Sports Extra Podcast presented by abc27 each week. The team drops new episodes every Thursday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or right here on abc27.com.
