Split Zone Duo: College Football Podcast

It’s time for an offseason check-in with the most watched, most controversial 4-8 team in college football history. Richard, Godfrey, and Alex weigh in on the four different conversations that happen at any given second about Deion Sanders and Colorado: the one about the actual football team (5:30), the one about Deion as a leader of men (21:54), the one about race (52:20), and the one about disruption (1:09:00). Production: Anthony Vito. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comWe get a lot of questions about how we keep up with the wide world of college football to bring you this podcast. How do we try to figure out where the interesting stories are? How do we keep eyeballs on a sport with so many teams at so many different levels? In the spirit of transparency and it being April, let’s talk about how to process a sport with a million things happening at once. These are our tips from years of covering the sport professionally, but they aren’t just for media members. We hope they can help anyone get more out of CFB.Production: Anthony Vito.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comFor SZD’s annual NFL Draft QB special, Richard is joined by Ben Solak of The Ringer and Derrik Klassen of Bleacher Report. We start with the compulsory review of the greatest QB prospect of this century (Jacksonville Jaguar Trevor Lawrence) and review last year’s college-turned-pro QBs. Then, from Joe Milton to Austin Reed to Drake Maye to Caleb Williams, we break down this year’s. Production: Anthony Vito.

USC reporter Luca Evans of the Orange County Register joins Alex to talk about the many challenges facing the Trojans in the NIL and collective space (4:19). How does a rich school with a blue-blood football history run into difficulty in this new world? USC is the best window into that question. Then Richard and Alex talk about the unusual buildup to the April transfer portal window (33:32) and break down interesting position groups to watch over the coming weeks: Michigan’s QBs, Penn State’s WRs, and more at Miami (x2), UNC, USC, and Washington. To close, they discuss the different ways that football institutions decided to remember (or not) O.J. Simpson (1:04:02). Production: Anthony Vito.Support New American Pathways: http://edsbscharitybowl.com/Follow Luca on Twitter/X @bylucaevans.Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@splitzoneduo Exclusive content: https://www.splitzoneduo.com Merch: https://www.homefieldapparel.com/collections/split-zone-duo SOCIAL MEDIA-Follow Split Zone Duo on X: https://twitter.com/splitzoneduo -Follow Split Zone Duo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/splitzoneduo/ -Follow Split Zone Duo on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@splitzoneduo AUDIO-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/split-zone-duo-college-football-podcast/id1532830225 -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3fWVGeqNizhbKdAe9HDnma -YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-gmQS8YzsnM99Zb5fMrE8SYn45RpcBx_&si=Ahi5DFDI8l8mGCDQ OUR TEAMHosts: Steven Godfrey, Richard Johnson, Alex Kirshner Production: Anthony VitoSocial: Hector Diaz HOSTS ON X:  https://twitter.com/38godfreyhttps://twitter.com/RJ_CFB https://twitter.com/@alex_kirshner    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comWelcome to The Single Wing, where Steven Godfrey takes subscriber questions on a wide range of college football topics. This week, Godfrey's officially issuing a Gangster AD badge (Go Vawls), and we're also discussing the come-up at Virginia Tech, the veteran plains-ish states head coach most likely to sneak into a title game (Go Utes), and the delightful mash-up of the Nick Saban and Bill Snyder eras. Plus, let's talk about an X-Men cartoon. Why not? Support the EDSBS Charity Bowl at www.edsbscharitybowl.com Production: Anthony Vito.

Richard has a conversation with Eric Galko, the director of football operations and player personnel for the East-West Shrine Bowl. It’s wide-ranging: Eric shares his 2024 NFL Draft hot takes and QB rankings, then talks about how the NFL views college players—and how well their programs are developing them. Eric tells us whether NIL actually ruined the third day of the draft. And having developed the XFL kickoff plan that is now part of the NFL, Eric shares whether college football is ready to implement the same thing. Production: Anthony Vito. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comIn 2023, Neal Brown was the industry's most fireable head coach. Then he had a good enough year to get a small contract extension. Who is 2024’s most fireable coach? Well, there are a few contenders. Godfrey, Richard, and Alex take the temperature on a handful of coaches who look troubled as spring ball gives way to what could be their final offseasons in their current jobs. Who has the best chance to resurrect his tenure, and who is in trouble? And in the case of Billy Napier, are all 7-5 records created equal? Production: Anthony Vito. This episode is for paid subscribers, but free subscribers can hear a short preview.

Week 1 has always had tons of warmup games, but the schedule usually has a big handful of bangers. In 2024, that’s not the case. There are barely any games pitting Power 4 teams against each other and as a trickle-down, not many all-Group of 5 matchups of note either. Yes, there are a few blockbusters (LSU-USC, Georgia-Clemson), but look beyond that, and you’ll see the issue.Is this just a scheduling coincidence, or are recent changes in the college football ecosystem taking a toll on Labor Day Weekend over multiple years? Godfrey leads an investigation and discussion about what’s up with Week 1.Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@splitzoneduoExclusive content: https://www.splitzoneduo.comMerch: https://www.homefieldapparel.com/collections/split-zone-duoSOCIAL MEDIA-Follow Split Zone Duo on X: https://twitter.com/splitzoneduo-Follow Split Zone Duo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/splitzoneduo/-Follow Split Zone Duo on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@splitzoneduoAUDIO-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/split-zone-duo-college-football-podcast/id1532830225-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3fWVGeqNizhbKdAe9HDnma-YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-gmQS8YzsnM99Zb5fMrE8SYn45RpcBx_&si=Ahi5DFDI8l8mGCDQOUR TEAMHosts: Steven Godfrey, Richard Johnson, Alex KirshnerProduction: Anthony VitoSocial: Hector DiazHOSTS ON X:https://twitter.com/38godfreyhttps://twitter.com/RJ_CFBhttps://twitter.com/@alex_kirshner    This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Richard has ideas for how to make college football’s on-field rules a little bit better. Alex and Godfrey like some of them and don’t like others. Let’s discuss the optimal width for the hashmarks, whether it’s time to shift the rules around RPOs and linemen downfield, the NFL’s new take on the kickoff, and then some more chaotic ideas that we’ve been kicking around. Production: Anthony Vito.Spotify: Apple Podcasts: Here’s a picture: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comGodfrey's answering your questions about Lane Kiffin's short- and long-term plans now that Bama has hired a Nick Saban replacement who isn't him. Let's also discuss the vital signs of Year Zero as a concept, plus Florida's DEI mess and any effect recruiting, Mel Tucker career rehab, Dabo narratives in Clemson's post-title era, pro wrestling “journalists,” and anxiety treatments. Production: Anthony Vito.

Spring practice is a lot of hype and not a lot of substance, but sometimes we can learn a lot. Alex, Richard, and Godfrey talk about what to pay serious attention to right now and the five most interesting teams of spring 2024: Alabama, Michigan, Army, Ohio State, and Texas A&M. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comGodfrey's answering your questions about SEC Network bias (lol), the Big 12's inadvertent but noticeable "be good at basketball" strategy, how effective Ohio State's new AD will be, Colorado rumors (no), CFB programs hiring media (also no), and Nick Saban eating his microphone. Also, "Dungeons and Dragons." Production: …

Godfrey looked a bit deeper into how a 12-team playoff system will work in practice, and he ended up feeling ... surprisingly optimistic about the future of the sport? We're just as surprised as you are. He, Alex, and Richard talk through the types of teams this new system will benefit, the tradeoffs that Cinderellas will make, and why all in all, it's a good deal. Production: Anthony Vito. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comClemson filed a lawsuit against the Atlantic Coast Conference on Tuesday in South Carolina, seeking to free itself from the conference’s grant of rights and set up an exit from the league. Alex and Steven react to that complaint, which comes off as an absurd attempt to rewrite universally understood rules. But this is college sports; being ridiculous doesn’t exactly mean Clemson is “wrong.” Read Clemson’s complaint here, featuring heavy redactions. Production: Anthony Vito. This episode is for paying subscribers, but free subscribers can hear a preview.

College football teams now have "general managers." How did the sport get here? How are they similar to GMs for pro teams, and how are they different? And will a college GM ever be able to fire a coach? Production: Anthony Vito. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comGodfrey, Richard, and Alex talk out three big news developments over the past week. The Big Ten and SEC continue (3:01) to fight for extra spots and extra money in a new College Football Playoff system, so let’s address why the arguments in their favor are so hollow. Friday nights (16:55) have become a bigger part of the college football schedule of late, but 2024 is poised to see that go to a new level. And Dartmouth basketball players voted for a union (23:49). What does it mean for college football? Maybe a lot, maybe nothing, and we won’t know for a while. But nobody should deny what a huge deal it is. Also, Alex explains how to deal with Ted Cruz’s PR people when they get angry about something you write about college sports. This episode is for premium subscribers. Free subscribers can hear a preview. Production: Anthony Vito.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comThe first installment of the Split Zone Duo Book Club: What's it like to write a book-length jeremiad aimed directly at the ruling class of an entire sport? Author and reporter Dan Wetzel joins Godfrey in Michigan to talk about Death to the BCS, a seminal work examining the graft and idiocy that once ruled college football but that we've completely shed in the 14 years since its publication ... ah shit, that's not right at all. Oh well. Production: Anthony Vito. You can follow Dan on X, read him at Yahoo, and listen to him on the College Football Enquirer. This episode is for paid subscribers, but everyone can listen to a free preview.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comRichard and Alex take your questions on a long list of topics, in order: Neal Brown’s extension at West Virginia, the literal risks of private equity coming to college football, if Arizona messed up by hiring a coach before replacing the AD, if Emmitt Smith’s comments will affect Florida recruiting, a new pipeline of AD hiring, why G5 conferences like big cities, how you can(‘t) resist the SEC and Big Ten, what the deal is with Central Michigan and the Connor Stalions thing, why journalists get sideline acces at bowls, the two of us playing rounds of golf, and wedding speech advice. Production: Anthony Vito. This episode is for paying subscribers, but everyone can listen to a 10-minute preview.

Michigan’s quarterback is the latest national championship winner and draft prospect to kick off a very specific kind of national debate about QB play. Alex and Richard interrogate why players like JJ McCarthy become debate catnip (and then personally make JJ McCarthy into debate catnip, because Alex cannot resist). Production: Anthony Vito. Subscribe for bonus episodes and more at splitzoneduo.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

After 2023, Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh left, and Alabama and Michigan fans worried a lot about assistant coach hires made by their successors. It got Alex thinking: Do national championship head coaches ace their assistant hires out of the gate? What happens when they mess up the important work of filling out a coaching staff? SZD goes through 25 years of history in a quest to figure out if a coach can win a national championship without acing his first test. Production: Anthony Vito.  This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe