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

Ralph puts Bruce and Stew on trial for their preseason Big Ten Buy, Sell, Hold rankings. The guys debate how they fared over the course of 2025, and look ahead to 2026: Arthur Smith's unconventional hire at Ohio State, Gary Patterson working with (or for?) Lincoln Riley at USC, Matt Rhule's Groundhog Day at Nebraska, whether P.J. Fleck has taken Minnesota to their ceiling, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce, Stew, and Ralph revisit their hottest and coldest takes of the 2025 season. Dabo Swinney calls out Pete Golding and Ole Miss for tampering. What does the NCAA do now? Alabama basketball player Charles Bediako returns to college after going pro, begging the question: what does this mean for football? Plus, Lane Kiffin's massive portal haul, and the Darian Mensah contract saga continues.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duke takes Darian Mensah to court over his two-year NIL contract after he entered the portal. You need a law degree to break down this stuff! CFP expansion talks hit a deadline Friday. Who’s pushing for expansion, and will we see it happen? The guys critique Stew's way-too-early top 25 for 2026, sparking a debate over Texas, Indiana's sustainability, and Penn State's makeover. Plus, what does Indiana’s perfect run mean for schools trying to replicate that success? Stew’s Early Top 25 story: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6983984/2026/01/20/college-football-top-25-rankings-2026-predictions/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time, the Indiana Hoosiers are national champions, beating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21. Bruce and Ralph from Hard Rock Stadium join Stew to break down this game and this historic moment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce and Ralph are in Miami for the championship. Speaking of trips to Miami: Duke QB Darian Mensah announces he's leaving in spite of his two-year contract, with Miami reportedly the destination. Can he do that? Can Miami? What exactly are these contracts for? And will this distract from Monday's national championship game? Plus, Ralph flips his championship pick back to Miami, invoking the 1984 Nebraska upset, and they choose their X-factor players for the title game.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dante Moore announces he's returning to Oregon for 2026, pushing Dylan Raiola's starting opportunity back another year. Was this the right decision? And what does it mean for the thin 2026 NFL quarterback class? Then, the guys make their final predictions for Monday's national championship game between Indiana and Miami. Can the Hoosiers complete a perfect 16-0 season, or will the Hurricanes pull off the upset? Plus, in mailbag, where would an undefeated Indiana would rank among the greatest teams ever? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Leavitt has committed to LSU, and Dylan Raiola to Oregon. Does anyone want to develop quarterbacks anymore? Ralph argues Trinidad Chambliss shouldn't get a sixth year despite his appeal. Texas raids the portal, landing a dream haul including Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers, Raleek Brown, and Rasheem Biles. Plus, who’s your favorite announcing team? Bruce, Ralph, and Stew weigh in with their opinions — and a controversial take about Kirk Herbstreit's dog.Chris Vannini’s story on how Athletic readers watch college football: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6946307/2026/01/12/college-football-broadcast-tv-announcers-survey-results/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Hurricanes vs. Hoosiers in the championship game. Indiana shows why they're the No. 1 seed, dropping 56 points on Oregon to advance to the final. Miami, a team that barely squeaked into the playoff, took down Ole Miss in an instant classic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. enters the transfer portal just four days after signing a $4M+ revenue-sharing contract with the Huskies. Bruce and Ralph break down potential legal ramifications — and potential suitors. Do contracts mean anything in college football's lawless NIL landscape? Plus, does the regular season mean anything anymore?Bruce's story on Pete Golding: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/818567/2019/02/16/alabama-football-pete-golding-defensive-coordinator/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce’s story on the SEC's struggles sparks debate: is the conference's dominance over? NIL has leveled the playing field, and SEC teams no longer have overwhelming talent advantages. The portal heats up with Brandon Sorsby landing at Texas Tech for a reported $5 million and Trinidad Chambliss is staying at Ole Miss (pending eligibility). Then the guys make their picks for the CFP semifinals: Miami-Ole Miss and Indiana-Oregon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce and Ralph went live after an incredible Ole Miss win over Georgia. Can anyone stop this Ole Miss team? They’ll move on to Miami, who came to play and toppled their own giant in a 24-14 defeat of Ohio State. And with bye week teams falling to 1-7 in the 12-team CFP era, does anyone get to use the bye as an excuse? Indiana didn’t disappoint, steamrolling the Tide 38-3 (don’t they know they’re supposed to be a Cinderella story?). And Oregon convincingly shut out Texas Tech 23-0. Will the Texas Tech boosters spend all that money differently next time?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The guys break down the quarterfinal matchups and make their picks. Kyle Whittingham takes the Michigan head coaching job after stepping down at Utah, bringing 21 years of experience to stabilize a program in crisis. The guys debate whether the 66-year-old is the right fit and discuss his five-year timeline. Lincoln Riley blames the Irish for the cancellation of the annual USC-Notre Dame matchup, while Marcus Freeman signs an extension. Plus, while transfer portal money reaches new heights, have new rules curtailed spending at all? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce, Katie Strang, and Austin Meek's bombshell investigation reveals disturbing details about Sherrone Moore's behavior leading up to his firing at Michigan. Bruce breaks down some of the epic dysfunction inside the program. USC and Notre Dame's historic rivalry goes on indefinite hiatus after playing (almost) every year since 1926. Who's to blame for ending a century-old tradition?Bobby Petrino joins Bill Belichick's circus at North Carolina as offensive coordinator. Will the volatile mix of personalities lead to Petrino as interim head coach by November? Then: the guys preview their favorite bowl games, and answer some mailbag questions.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce, Stew, and Ralph recap the first round and look ahead to the quarterfinals. Plus, Ralph argues that college football has always been a league of systems and conditions, rather than one based on merit alone. So, do we want a system that gives teams like JMU and Tulane a path to flourish, or do we want to shut them out?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce surveyed two dozen college coaches about the playoff field, and the results are surprising: not one coach voted for Ryan Day as the best coach. Only one picked Indiana to win it all, and a majority believe Miami will upset Texas A&M on the road.The guys pick all the first round games against the spread. Can the Group of Five teams avoid embarrassment and preserve future playoff access? Ralph argues these blowout-prone matchups hurt the entertainment product, while Stew defends Cinderella stories.Plus mailbag questions on Indiana's success, Jedd Fisch's coaching credentials, and Diego Pavia's Heisman night behavior. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Michigan situation has taken a darker turn than anyone expected. Bruce, Ralph, and Stew break down how Sherrone Moore's firing has evolved into a potential crisis in the athletic department, why AD Warde Manuel's job may be in jeopardy, and what this means for the coaching search. They debate whether Kellen DeBoer could realistically leave Alabama and discuss candidates like Jedd Fisch.Meanwhile, the transfer portal is exploding with quarterback talent. Dylan Raiola, DJ Lagway, and Sam Leavitt headline a loaded QB class. The crew ranks the top available signal-callers and discusses how NIL money is changing the draft-or-stay calculation.Plus, Ferndando Mendoza wins the Heisman in a relative landslide over Diego Pavia. The guys divulge how they voted this year, and why Pavia's competitive fire led to his controversial social media posts. And: should Notre Dame join a conference after their playoff snub? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore was fired yesterday for having an "inappropriate relationship with a staff member." As of last night, he was being held in Washtenaw County Jail. Bruce and Ralph react to this news and what it means for Michigan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ralph and Stew break down Notre Dame’s escalating feud with the ACC, Brett Yormark’s unusually sharp public criticism, and what the fallout means for next year’s CFP format. Plus: early Heisman thoughts and your mailbag questions.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Was Notre Dame right to skip the Pop Tarts Bowl, and/or could it undermine the whole Bowl system? Why are we doing this bizarre Tuesday rankings show? And how did Alabama make it in? Notre Dame's shocking exclusion from the College Football Playoff has sent shockwaves through the sport. The Athletic’s Notre Dame beat writer Pete Sampson breaks down how the team felt about being left out after sitting at #10 all season and AD Pete Bevacqua's comments about "permanent damage" to Notre Dame’s relationship with the ACC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce, Stew, and Ralph are live in Los Angeles to react to the final CFP ranking announcement. They'll debate who will make the final cut ahead of the full reveal. Then, they'll pick the first round against the spread, and talk through their predictions for how the Playoff will unfold. Don't miss it!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.