When it comes time for playoff football, analysts dive headlong into matchups big and small. From roster makeup to individual position battles to the coaches looking to exploit any advantage on the field, every bit of film is scrutinized to see which team has the advantage in January.

But all that brainpower being spent on Xs and Os misses a critical element: the vibes. Who is thinking about the vibes? Luckily, The Sports Gossip Show’s Charlotte Wilder and Madeline Hill join “The Athletic Show” to break down each playoff squad, ranking their vibes from “Immaculate” to “Horrific,” in hopes of adding an extra layer of insight to the postseason.

We also take a hard look at an NFL team that is nowhere near the playoffs, the moribund Las Vegas Raiders. While Vegas owns the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft, the Raiders were supposed to be moving away from such consolation prizes by now. Owner Mark Davis has failed for years to find answers, and this time around, Tom Brady appears to be taking control of the rebuild. As a minority owner, Brady has been the face of the new-era Raiders for the last year. But with his broadcast duties, the Hall of Fame quarterback has been more of a pitchman and advisor than hands-on architect. After another disappointing campaign, Brady’s involvement is expected to increase in the hopes that the seven-time Super Bowl champion can help lift the Raiders out of mediocrity.

Speaking of postseasons and disappointing results, this is the third straight College Football Playoff where an SEC team did not make the national title game. The conference had sent at least one team to the championship game for eight straight years prior to the 2022 season, but the NIL era seems to have brought about newfound parity in college football. The Athletic’s Chris Vannini joins the show to talk about the end of “death, taxes, and the SEC,” and the challenges of balancing the redistribution of wealth brought on by NIL with the transfer portal chaos it incites. This season, roughly one-third of players on FBS rosters entered the portal, and while that allows schools to quickly change their fortunes, it also means program stability is a fleeting luxury. It may feel like the Wild West at the moment, but Vannini says things will get worse before they get better, and it may take Congress stepping in to settle things down.

You can watch “The Athletic Show” on Fire TV and wherever you get your podcasts.