Yardbarker

Kate Rooney

Kate Rooney is a San Francisco-based writer and broadcaster. You can catch her on the sidelines or the in studio for various regional and national outlets. She holds a B.F.A. in Musical Theater from Boston Conservatory of Music, and a M.A. in Journalism from USC. 

Rah-rah! College football's best, worst traditions

In their weekly One-On-One, Michael Weinreb and Kate Rooney dish on Ralphie, Army-Navy, Penn State's "white-out" and other college football traditions.

Playoff committee may relish these Week 7 college football games

In their weekly One-On-One, Michael Weinreb and Kate Rooney dish on an impressive schedule of games that includes Oklahoma-Texas, Alabama-Texas A&M and Penn State-Iowa.

And the best college quarterback is ...

In One-On-One, Michael Weinreb and Kate Rooney love the body of work of Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa and Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts. But Clemson's Trevor Lawrence...? 

A shout-out for college football's biggest surprise teams

In One-On-One, Yardbarker's Kate Rooney and Michael Weinreb cover this season's surprise teams, from California to SMU. (And, hey, don't forget the Fighting Irish).

Pinstripe Bowl to Playoff: What's next for Notre Dame, Brian Kelly?

In One-On-One, Michael Weinreb and Kate Rooney weigh in on the future for Brian Kelly (NFL?) and his seventh-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who play at No.3 Georgia on Saturday night... 

Let's examine SEC challengers for Georgia, Alabama

In One-On-One, Kate Rooney and Michael Weinreb explain why they are bullish on LSU, which finally has a new-age offense. 

State of Pac-12 football: Hopeless or hopeful?

Pac-12 football teams went 8-3 in Week 1, but the league has serious issues. In One-On-One, Yardbarker's Kate Rooney and Michael Weinreb weigh in. 

One-on-One: In Week 1, much-anticipated QB debuts, coaches on hot seat

Week 1 features QBs in new environments and one sizzling matchup between ranked teams. Yardbarker's Kate Rooney and Michael Weinreb unpack it all.

One-on-One: Who can break up Clemson-Alabama monopoly?

Clemson and Alabama seem to have the national championship trophy in a headlock. Could Michigan, Oklahoma or another powerhouse threaten their dominance? Michael Weinreb and Kate Rooney weigh in.

10 college football coaches under the most pressure heading into 2019

Across the board, a lot of eyeballs — and not all friendly — will be on this group when it’s time to take the gridiron this fall.

The best individual performances from the college bowl season

Sure, football is a team sport and all. It’s true that consistent winning is the result of strong play in all three phases of the game as well as depth at a majority of positions.

Most compelling individual matchups for bowl season

They say the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And though that may often be true, we beg one small exception: bowl season. While there are many great standalone contests this postseason, the matchups within the matchups are what truly make for some great football.

10 bowl games that could end in upsets

When the college football season ended, in a flash our Saturdays went from excitement-filled to dead as a doornail. Fortunately, we needn't mourn for long — bowl season officially kicks off this week, and if we're lucky, that means one thing: upset city, baby.

The case for expanding the College Football Playoff

It stands to reason that coaches, players and fans would be a lot happier if there were room for more competition. Here's why...

The 10 best college football games of the 2018 season

With the regular season behind us, it’s time to look back on the most exciting games of the year.

College coaching targets to keep an eye on

No sooner is the ink dry on the Rivalry Week scoresheet, than the coaches' heads start rolling. But even before the vacancies begin to pile up, clear candidates for job upgrades start to emerge.

15 freshmen who made an immediate impact

The gap between high school football and college football is as wide as the Atlantic. So when an athlete fresh out of his senior year not only gets significant playing time but also makes a meaningful contribution, it deserves recognition.

Players who will define Rivalry Week

The one week a year with the power to stir the soul of even the most apathetic college football fan is here — at long last, we’ve reached Rivalry Week. It’s thrilling when the matchups come with postseason implications, but the stakes feel high regardless.

Our dream bowl matchups

NCAA football postseason: the stuff dreams are made of. What would this season’s bowl matchups look like if a football fan’s wildest dreams were to come true?

Most important remaining college football games

You could make the case that Week 1 is the best time of the college football season. You could make the case that the Collage Football Playoffs are the best time of the college football season.

10 storylines to follow throughout the college season

It goes without saying that we primarily watch college football for the drama of the wins and losses, the study of the X’s and O’s and the exquisite juxtaposition of joy and pain that comes with following our favorite teams.

The must-watch games of the 2018 college football season

Ah, August: that glorious time of year when every FBS 1-A team has an unblemished record and the highest of hopes for the season ahead. By the time the

The 2018 college football awards preview

With the start of the college football season comes the age-old query: which athletes will make the biggest impact at their respective positions? There’s

Who are the Heisman favorites heading into the season?

If last year was the year of the quarterback in college football, then the 2018 season is shaping up to be the year of the… less-experienced quarterback?