Split Zone Duo: College Football Podcast

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comWelcome to the rest of the college football calendar, the part when games aren’t actually being played. In this quick subscriber episode, Alex and Richard debrief on the state of their CFB fandom and talk about what’s both good and not good right now. Producer: Anthony Vito. This show is for paid subscribers Thanks so much to the thousands of people (!) who subscribe to support Split Zone Duo. One thing you get is the knowledge that you are making this independent college football podcast possible. Another thing you get is a lot of bonus episodes, including weekly dispatches all offseason long. The football season is our busiest time, but we like to think the offseason is our most creative time, and there’s still a lot of news to talk about. Thanks so much and here’s the subscribe link.Also, subscribe to our YouTube channel!That one’s free, though:

The best turnaround in the history of college football concludes with a 16-0 season and a national championship. Richard and Alex talk about Indiana’s 27-21 win over Miami, what led up to it, and where these programs go next. SZD doesn’t stop in the offseason The opposite, if anything. We use these months for all sorts of creative projects that are designed to appeal to people who love college football and want to learn more about it while having a good time. History projects! Sports business! Roster moves! We’ll do all of it. (Alex would even say that his favorite subscriber shows are the ones we have time to do out of football season.) We’d love to have you: Thanks to our sponsors, and congrats to the ones that are based in Indiana* 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD* Shop Indiana title gear at Homefield* Nokian Tyres: https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd* Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, ILProducer: 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.comTHIS IS A SUBSCRIBER EPISODE: Thanks so much to the thousands of people (!) who subscribe to support Split Zone Duo. One thing you get is the knowledge that you are making this independent college football podcast possible. Another thing you get is a lot of bonus episodes, including weekly dispatches all offseason long. The football season is our busiest time, but we like to think the offseason is our most creative time, and there’s still a lot of news to talk about. Thanks so much and here’s the subscribe link.The great Michael Felder joins Richard for a “Scheme School” episode, diving deeper into the Xs and Os of the Miami-Indiana national title game. * How Indiana avoids having any bad concepts, ever * Indiana’s tight end is the most important person in the world * The familiarity between Miami’s DC and Curt Cignetti * Are we sure Indiana can block those dudes up front? * Why everyone here feels pretty good about the Hoosiers, whose defensive identity involves stopping scrambles like the one Carson Beck used to beat Ole Miss in the semifinal And more! Producer: Anthony Vito

Richard and Alex look ahead to the College Football Playoff National Championship, with some thoughts on the schematics and then the unique circumstances surrounding Miami and Indiana. In this episode:* 1:32: Our thoughts on the city of Miami* 9:55: Brief Xs and Os preview of Indiana vs. Miami: Could Miami sack Fernando Mendoza a bunch and still lose? What about the big challenge in front of Indiana’s secondary, facing Malachi Toney?* 30:17: Narrative preview and the significance of the title game: The U is back! Except we’re not supposed to talk about that! Also, Indiana (rat poison alert) is on the verge of a best-team-ever argument.* 43:17: Why the playoff should not be expanded further and why the Big Ten Conference’s malignant behavior must be stoppedFurther reading: CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello on the current negotiations about Playoff expansion, pitting the Big Ten against the SEC.More listening for paid subscribers!* Alex and Rodger Sherman’s deep dive into the lessons of Curt Cignetti’s rise, drawing on research from a 40-year coaching career, is out now* Coming Friday, a special episode of SCHEME SCHOOL, featuring Richard and guest Michael Felder going deeper on the scheme of this game. Subscribe.Producer: Anthony VitoFull details here on the festivities around the game.* 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD* Nokian Tyres: https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd* Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL 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.comEvery athletic director and search firm in college sports would love to find their own version of Indiana coach Curt Cignetti. Great idea, but easier in theory than in practice. Cignetti once said to Google him, so we did, taking a deep dive into all of the stops in a 40-year coaching career and trying to identify what about Cignetti is identifiable in real time, what isn’t, and what from his Indiana success other schools could reasonably hope to replicate. In this episode:* 13:22: Early signs of a resourceful coach while he’s leading the QBs for an 0-11 Rice program in the 1980s* 20:08: A move to NC State, where he worked with two future Hall of Fame QBs and seemed to internalize some lessons about managing stress* 26:20: Taking part in the Nick Saban Alabama dynasty* 32:00: Making a legit shocking move to Division II IUP, which turned out to provide ideal training for Cignetti’s future job at another Indiana* 45:00: A pivot to James Madison, where he didn't turn around a struggling program but continued a nice run, lost the FCS national championship to North Dakota State, then executed the smoothest FCS-to-FBS transition ever* 58:15: Indiana, where Cignetti was brilliant and also got very luckyCan you find your own Cignetti? If it’s possible, this episode should help you.Producer: Anthony Vito

The College Football Playoff National Championship is set. Alex and Richard react to a mixed pair of semifinal games, with Miami outlasting Ole Miss and Indiana feeding Oregon into a wood chipper. In the rare Hurry-Up recorded from a live studio (or at least living room), we discuss: * 18:37: Miami 31, Ole Miss 27* 01:03: Indiana 56 (!), Oregon 22 Producer: Anthony Vito Become a paid subscriberWe are grateful for the several thousand people who pay $10 a month or $110 for the year to support Split Zone Duo. One thing you get is the knowledge that you are making this independent college football podcast possible. Another thing you get is a lot of bonus episodes, including weekly dispatches all offseason long. The football season is our busiest time, but we like to think the offseason is our most creative time, and there’s still a lot of news to talk about.Thanks to our partners and subscribers* 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD* https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd* Shop Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/* Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL 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.comSUBSCRIBER EPISODE: Once upon a time, Ole Miss picked segregation over being good at football. Indiana picked basketball over being good at football. Miami never really chose not to be good at football, but made a series of mistakes and ran up against difficult modern realities that caused a long drought. Meanwhile, the story of Phil Knight rescuing Oregon is now so old-fashioned it’s basically quaint. In this subscriber episode, Richard and Alex talk about how the four 2025 Playoff semifinalists got out of their own way. The second half of this audio file (starting at 39:43) is a resurfacing of our “Dead Letters” episode about the history of Ole Miss football, featuring Alex and Steven Godfrey. We’ve gotten a lot of new listeners since the episode came out in 2023 and wanted to make sure those folks had a chance to hear it. Find all Dead Letters shows here. Producer: Anthony Vito. This is a subscriber episode of SZD We are grateful for the several thousand people who pay $10 a month or $110 for the year to support Split Zone Duo. One thing you get is the knowledge that you are making this independent college football podcast possible. Another thing you get is a lot of bonus episodes, including weekly dispatches all offseason long. The football season is our busiest time, but we like to think the offseason is our most creative time, and there’s still a lot of news to talk about.We’ll do a lot of that exclusively for subscribers. Thanks to everyone who’s already joined us, and if you haven’t yet, we think you’ll enjoy it if you check it out. Good for the soul but also good for the podcast queue.

Richard and Alex talk about the absurd FCS Championship that ended with Montana State claiming the national title over Illinois State. Then it’s time to preview the College Football Playoff semifinals in a lot of detail. * 2:30 FCS Championship * 15:42 Ole Miss vs. Miami * 33:52 Oregon vs. Indiana * 52:15 NFL playoff takes Producer: Anthony Vito. Become a paid subscriber in 2026! We are grateful for the several thousand people who pay $10 a month or $110 for the year to support Split Zone Duo. One thing you get is the knowledge that you are making this independent college football podcast possible. Another thing you get is a lot of bonus episodes, including weekly dispatches all offseason long. The football season is our busiest time, but we like to think the offseason is our most creative time, and there’s still a lot of news to talk about. We’ll do a lot of that exclusive for subscribers. Thanks to everyone who’s already joined us, and if you haven’t yet, we think you’ll enjoy it if you check it out. Good for the soul but also good for the podcast queue. Thank you to Split Zone Duo’s sponsors * 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD* https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd* Shop Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/* Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL 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 (from the Sugar Bowl) and Alex (from the Rose Bowl) break down the College Football quarterfinal bowl games in this order: * Ole Miss 39, Georgia 34* Indiana 38, Alabama 3 * Oregon 23, Texas Tech 0 * Miami 24, Ohio State 14 Want much more? Become a paid subscriberSubscribers get weekly bonus episodes, usually more than one during the season and postseason, as well as the chance to ask questions and engage more deeply with the hosts. We’d love to have you. Thanks to our partners and subscribers* 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD* https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd* Shop Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/* Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, ILProducer: 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

The College Football Playoff quarterfinals are here. Alex, Richard, and guest host Rodger Sherman dive into all of these games: * Miami-Ohio State at the Cotton Bowl* Oregon-Texas Tech at the Orange Bowl* Alabama-Indiana at the Rose Bowl* Ole Miss-Georgia at the Sugar Bowl * Illinois State-Montana State in the FCS title game * UW-River Falls-North Central in the Stagg Bowl Plus: Does the NFL need to reconsider its playoff format to exclude teams from the NFC South and AFC North? Producer: Anthony VitoWant much more? Become a paid subscriberSubscribers get weekly bonus episodes, usually more than one during the season and postseason, as well as the chance to ask questions and engage more deeply with the hosts. We’d love to have you.Thanks to our partners and subscribers* 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD* Nokian Tyres: https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd* Shop Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/* Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL 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.comAlex and Richard spend 23 minutes talking about Michigan’s holiday hiring of former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham:* In a time of intense national focus on the age of people in leadership positions (hmm, wonder where that came from), the 66-year-old Whittingham is unusually old to be taking this job. We wouldn’t worry.* Whittingham’s recruiting at Utah became a pressure point that may have contributed to him leaving. How much does that matter as he moves to a job with a built-in financial advantage?* Whittingham has been coaching Big Ten teams in the Pac-12 and Big 12 for years. What does he need to do differently in the ACTUAL Big Ten?

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comFor your holiday listening, Alex and Richard take on dozens of questions from SplitZoneDuo.com’s paid subscribers. Let’s start with the juicy but sad breakup of Notre Dame and USC, move to the coaching carousel, and then have some fun. A rough listing of the questions featured in this episode, in order:* What’s actually going on with Notre Dame and USC breaking up their football rivalry, and whose fault is it?* What is Michigan’s realistic play in the coaching carousel, and who could they actually hire?* Is Michigan likely to have a coach in place by the bowl game, or is that assumption wrong?* Is a bridge coach (specifically Biff Poggi) a viable or sensible option for Michigan?* Kyle Whittingham vs. Brian Kelly: Who is the better “CEO” head coach?* With so many Power 4 openings, is the best path to a top job now being a successful P4 coordinator?* What happened at Ohio, how should they move forward, and why did they handle it better than Michigan?* Why does Warde Manuel still have a job (pending investigation)?* Is Pat Fitzgerald possibly a worse pure football coach than Jonathan Smith but better positioned because of NIL and donor buy-in? Is “coach who can unlock donor money” now a core hiring archetype?* Will Michigan State’s new $400 million donation allow them to immediately spend big on the roster?* What are agency “speed-dating” events for coaches and athletic directors?* Does the modern college football calendar make it harder for FCS programs to reset or fire coaches?* Will the calendar lead to more long-tenured FCS coaches staying put at big programs?* What are the chances Ed Orgeron resurfaces on LSU’s staff?* Why didn’t Dan Mullen come up for any of the open head coaching jobs?* What’s really wrong at Florida State beyond portal hits and misses?* If an AD tried to reverse-engineer Curt Cignetti, what traits would they be looking for?* What goes on your CFB trip bucket list?* New York or LA: The better CFB city?* Why do national college football narratives so often default to NY/LA logic when the sport itself doesn’t?* What are our goals for this podcast in 2026?Thank you so much for being part of what we do. We’ll see you around New Year’s Eve to get you set for the CFP quarterfinals and FCS title game.Producer: Anthony Vito

These are difficult times for the college football bowl games that aren’t part of the Playoff system. Player opt-outs were already a thing, and now entire teams don’t want to take part. At best, the games are internet memes featuring some enjoyable football on the side. At worst, nobody cares. How many of these problems are truly new, and how many of them feel worse than they are because we have a distorted picture of being young in the 1990s and 2000s? Alex and Rodger challenge their priors on how much bowl season has changed and how much of bowls’ decline comes down to nostalgia. Want much more? Become a paid subscriberSubscribers get weekly bonus episodes, usually more than one during the season and postseason, as well as the chance to ask questions and engage more deeply with the hosts. We’d love to have you.Thanks to our partners and subscribers* 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD* Nokian Tyres: https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd* Shop Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/* Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL Producer: 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

Richard and Alex dive into the results from first round of the College Football Playoff, in the following order: Miami over Texas A&M, Alabama over Oklahoma, Ole Miss over Tulane, and James Madison vs. the idea that Group of 5 teams should have less access to the tournament. Then, a tour through FCS, Division II, Division III, and the NAIA national championship. Producer: Anthony Vito. Want much more? Become a paid subscriberSubscribers get weekly bonus episodes, usually more than one during the season and postseason, as well as the chance to ask questions and engage more deeply with the hosts. We’d love to have you. Thanks to our partners and subscribers* 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD* https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd* Shop Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/* Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL 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

In 2024, Indiana got good at football. In 2025, it got serious as a national championship contender. The Hoosiers enter the Playoff as the best team in the country, and it all comes back to a coach who can best be described as a more modern version of what Dabo Swinney used to be at Clemson. This wraps up our 2025 College Football Playoff Preview presented by Modelo. Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL 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

Ohio State was supposed to be a little bit worse this year. That’s technically true, sort of, as the Buckeyes enter the Playoff at a mere 12-1 after a missed 27-yard field goal cost them overtime in the Big Ten Championship. Everyone was wrong about Matt Patricia, and this team could win it all again. Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL 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.comSUBSCRIBER EPISODE: Godfrey joins Richard and Alex for an awards show: The 2025-26 Coach Carousel Superlatives. Split Zone Duo hands out the following sought-after honors: * The Trent Dilfer Award for Bungled Hiring Process * The Deion Sanders Award for Celebrity Coach Hiring* The Ed Orgeron Award for Interim Coach Promotions * The Curt Cignetti Award for Best Hire from the Group of Five or FCS * The Indiana Football Award for a Program’s Demonstration of Newfound Seriousness * The Retread of the Year * The Todd Graham Award for Sleaziest Departure from a Job * The “It’s Definitely Gonna Work” Hire * The “It’s Definitely Not” Hire Some eligibility notes: For obvious reasons, we are excluding Michigan from these superlatives. Also, the carousel never really stops now. But much like the Oscars, if the movie didn’t come out by a certain point, it can’t win that year’s award. These are two awards shows of similar stature, we feel. Producer: Anthony Vito. Everyone can hear a free preview of this episode, which is for paid subscribersDo you enjoy Split Zone Duo? Do you want to get something like twice as many episodes of the podcast, including the vast majority of our coaching carousel podcasts and many historical retrospectives? If so, we think you’ll really enjoy becoming a paid subscriber. It’s a great holiday gift for yourself, or for the college football podcast obsessive in your life. Yep, we have gift subs. Subscriptions cost $10 a month and grant you hours of podcasts, plus the priceless feeling of supporting an independent CFB podcast and keeping it sustainable.

For a while, this was a weird UGA season. The quarterback looked shaky, and the defense didn’t look good enough to drag him to a championship. All of that has shifted in the Dawgs’ favor over the past month or two. Let’s discuss the 2025 UGA team in our College Football Playoff Preview presented by Modelo. Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL 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

The College Football Playoff arrives. Alex and Richard preview the four first-round games, zeroing in on some interesting dynamics to watch and then making picks. (There’s even a Group of Five upset call in here.) Then, a tour through this week’s other bowl games and some major playoff games in FCS and Divisions II and III. Producer: Anthony Vito. This episode is free, but lots of our shows are just for paid subscribers.You can get a lot more of our shows by becoming a paid subscriber. Subscribers get about twice as many SZD podcasts. Thanks to everyone who’s decided to become a subscriber over the past few weeks. Also, thanks to our partners:Shop at HomefieldThanks Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off, or just click https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZDThanks to Nokian Tyres for a great weekend in NYC: www.nokiantyres.com/szdModelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL 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.comEvery rivalry has a story, and the one between Montana and Montana State is REALLY good. Kevin Van Valkenburg, the former Griz linebacker and ESPN writer and current Fried Egg Golf content director, joins Alex and Richard to talk about what this series means to his home state. How do Griz and Bobcat fans view each other? How does Missoula vs. Bozeman play into this? How did a 16-year Montana win streak change the rivalry for the future? And what’s with the “Brawl of the Wild” nickname, which didn’t always exist?Subscribers get the full episode. Thanks to everyone who’s joined us this year. By subscribing, you make this show a sustainable operation, and you also get a lot more Split Zone Duo. Subscriptions cost $10 a month or $110 for the year, and we’re proud to have extremely low cancel rates as people try it out and enjoy it. You can subscribe at this link.Producer: Anthony Vito