The Audible with Stew, Bruce & Ralph: A show about college football

This week on The Audible, Stew, Bruce, and Ralph break down The Athletic’s landmark investigative piece detailing the massive $50M vs. $8M roster spending gap across college football. Stew pulls back the curtain on how this massive report was executed, while Bruce and Ralph debate the realities of finding transparency in a murky financial system and what it actually costs to build a competitive roster in the modern era.Plus, the guys dive deep into the ultimate SEC drama as Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford this Saturday. Is this the most villainous return in college football history? The crew previews the hostile LSU vs. Ole Miss matchup, before pivoting to a massive ACC showdown as North Carolina visits Clemson in a battle of two programs stuck at a historic crossroads. The guys debate where Dabo Swinney's program has gone wrong, and how his staffing choices and portal aversion have torpedoed the Tigers' elite development.To wrap up the show, the guys discuss the Protect College Sports Act hitting the Senate floor, hand out their early two-week "prediction mulligans" on teams like Georgia, Oklahoma, and Oregon, and answer your mailbag questions! Is P.J. Fleck officially on the hot seat at Minnesota? And how has social media completely changed the way modern college football reporters vet their information? Dive in to find out!Timestamps:0:00 - Intro1:24 - The Athletic Report: The Real Cost Of A CFB Roster Revealed20:53 - Is Lane Kiffin’s Return To Ole Miss The Most Villainous Return in CFB History?27:21 - The Protect College Sports Act Hits Senate Floor29:52 - At A Crossroads: What Should Clemson & UNC Do With Legendary Coaches?43:42 - Mailbag! What Is Your Preseason Mulligan?47:18 - Mailbag! Should P.J. Fleck Be On The Hotseat?54:08 - Mailbag! Does Social Media Make Reporting More Difficult?Follow the Crew on X:🔹 Stewart Mandel: @slmandel🔹 Bruce Feldman: @BruceFeldmanCFB🔹 Ralph Russo: @ralphDrussoATH🔹The Audible: @audible.show#CollegeFootball #TheAudible #LaneKiffin #OleMiss #LSU #LSUvsOleMiss #Clemson #DaboSwinney #NIL #CollegeFootballPlayoff #OklahomaFootball #OregonFootball #PJFleck #SportsJournalism  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Oregon Ducks face heavy scrutiny following a shocking 39-31 loss against Oklahoma State, prompting national media comparisons to recent underachieving Penn State teams. Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman dive deep into whether Dan Lanning's squad is heading for a total free fall or if star quarterback Dante Moore has what it takes to right the ship. The guys also address the brewing controversy surrounding ESPN's College GameDay after the network granted Senator Ted Cruz extensive airtime to lobby for his Protect College Sports Act.Turning their attention to the upcoming slate, the crew breaks down their official predictions for Week 3. They debate the tight margins of LSU at Ole Miss, analyze a tricky matchup as SMU visits Louisville, and preview Houston heading into a hostile environment at Texas Tech. Finally, the guys lock in their selections for Florida at Auburn before closing out the show with their signature long-shot underdog and upset picks of the week.Timestamps:0:00 - Intro1:22 - Is Oregon this year’s Penn State?11:54 - Ted Cruz on College GameDay24:47 - Week 3 Picks | LSU (-3) at Ole Miss27:08 - Week 3 Picks | SMU at Louisville (-2)30:02 - Week 3 Picks | Houston at Texas Tech (-8)31:53 - Week 3 Picks | Florida (-2) at Auburn33:25 - The Audible Picks Week 3 UpsetsFollow the Crew on X:🔹 Stewart Mandel: @slmandel🔹 Bruce Feldman: @BruceFeldmanCFB🔹 Ralph Russo: @ralphDrussoATH🔹The Audible: @audible.show#OregonDucks #DanLanning #CollegeFootball #TheAudible #CFBChaos #Week3Picks #TedCruz #LSUvsOleMiss #TexasTech #WreckEm #AuburnFootball #FloridaGators #CollegeGameDay #APTop25 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Audible reacts to a massive, chaotic Week 2 of the college football season! Join Stewart Mandel, Bruce Feldman, and Ralph Russo as they break down all the fallout, major statements, and shocking results from the biggest weekend of the month.The guys go deep into the historic marquee showdown between Texas and Ohio State, dissecting Arch Manning's epic 4th-quarter comeback to knock off the No. 1 Buckeyes. Then, they evaluate the state of the Wolverines after Michigan flexed its defensive muscles to shut down Oklahoma.We also separate early-season overreaction from true reality after No. 6 Oregon’s stunning upset loss to Oklahoma State, and look at the rest of the Big 12 after No. 13 Texas Tech narrowly fended off a massive upset scare in a 35-24 road win over Oregon State.Follow the Crew on X:🔹 Stewart Mandel: @slmandel🔹 Bruce Feldman: @BruceFeldmanCFB🔹 Ralph Russo: @ralphDrussoATH🔹The Audible: @audible.show#TexasFootball #OhioState #MichiganFootball #OklahomaSooners #CollegeFootball #CFB #ArchManning #BryceUnderwood #DrewMestemaker #CFBChaos #TexasTech #WreckEm #AlabamaFootball #RollTide #TheAudible #AudibleShow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The high-stakes legal standoff between Lane Kiffin and the SEC has come to a sudden halt. Facing intense pushback and the threat of severe league discipline from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, the LSU Tigers have officially finalized their 105-man roster. By completing the roster with undergraduate talent, LSU balked and ended its quest to add former NFL players to the active squad, putting an end to a wild experiment in conference self-governance. We break down the explosive legal showdown, the "Lack of Institutional Control" warnings, and what this capitulation means for Kiffin’s program moving forward.Beyond the drama in Baton Rouge, we dive straight into the wild "Clock Gate" controversy out of Michigan. The MAC has officially filed an appeal following Western Michigan’s bizarre loss, claiming a massive replay protocol error handed the Wolverines an illegal extra second. We look at the fallout of this timing failure, including why Jeff Sagarin is officially tracking this as a WMU victory, and how the College Football Playoff committee should factor the "human element" of this officiating disaster into their rankings.Finally, we open up the mailbag to tackle your best questions from across the country. We address the rampant Week 1 overreactions and look at historical precedents to prove why national championship contenders always take time to develop. Plus, we look at the absolute misery currently surrounding Florida State football as they sit tied with UConn for ACC wins over the last two seasons, and examine how a potential 24-team CFP expansion will completely rewrite the future of scheduling for upper-tier G6 schools.Timestamps:0:00 - Intro1:09 - LSU backs down, does not sign former NFL players16:01 - MAC, Western Michigan to appeal replay error33:44 - Mailbag!59:44 - Breaking News with LSUFollow the Crew on X:🔹 Stewart Mandel: @slmandel🔹 Bruce Feldman: @BruceFeldmanCFB🔹 Ralph Russo: @ralphDrussoATH🔹The Audible: @audible.show#CollegeFootball #LaneKiffin #LSUTigers #SECFootball #GregSankey #MichiganFootball #WMUFootball #ClockGate #FSUFootball #CFBPlayoff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Big Ten replay center is under fire after a wild, second-chance Hail Mary finish in the Michigan vs. Western Michigan game. In this episode of The Audible, presented by Trader Joe’s, Bruce Feldman, Stewart Mandel, and Ralph D. Russo break down exactly what happened with the game clock, what should have happened, and why there isn’t actually a "secret second clock" hidden in the replay booth.Plus, the guys recap an action-packed Week 1—including Ole Miss outlasting Louisville in a Nashville thriller and Notre Dame dominating Wisconsin to open the 2026 season. Finally, we look ahead to massive Week 2 matchups, making picks for No. 1 Ohio State at No. 5 Texas, No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 16 Michigan, and our favorite underdogs of the week!Timestamps:0:00 - Intro1:28 - Explaining Michigan vs Western Michigan clock controversy12:45 - Bryce Underwood’s job security15:07 - Ole Miss outlasts Louisville 20:23 - Notre Dame dominates Wisconsin30:08 - Ohio State at Texas34:33 - Oklahoma at Michigan37:32 - Iowa State at Iowa39:18 - Alabama at Kentucky42:50 - Week 2 UpsetsFollow the Crew on X:🔹 Stewart Mandel: @slmandel🔹 Bruce Feldman: @BruceFeldmanCFB🔹 Ralph Russo: @ralphDrussoATH🔹The Audible: @audible.show#CollegeFootball #MichiganFootball #TheAudible #BigTen #Week2Picks #NotreDameFootball #OleMiss Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.