The Solid Verbal College Football

It's time for an offseason thought experiment! In this episode, we run through eight "Ty-potheticals" — plausible scenarios for the 2026 season — and debate how they would go over within the Clemson, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Baylor, South Carolina, Colorado, Nebraska, and Michigan State fan bases. Chapters:0:00 - Intro4:25 - Clemson15:55 - Virginia Tech24:57 - Alabama36:22 - Baylor46:20 - South Carolina53:48 - Colorado1:00:59 - Nebraska1:11:12 - Michigan StateSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spring football is ongoing, and the quarterback battles are starting to tell us what 2026 might look like. In this episode, we work through a few of the most unsettled QB rooms in the country, from a four-way competition out West to a pair of SEC jobs where the depth chart has been rewritten since December. We also dig into the teams we can't stop thinking about heading into the summer, including Notre Dame, Oregon, Miami, TCU, and Oklahoma State's intriguing first-year project. Timestamps:0:00 - Intro8:13 - Florida State's QB Race16:49 - Arizona State's QB Race22:44 - Florida's QB Race 27:18 - Alabama's QB Race 30:45 - Notre Dame's RB, WR, OL 37:55 - Oregon's Coordinators 41:43 - Miami's Line 49:02 - Rapid FireSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the golf world turns its gaze to The Masters, we take a look at the truly elite in college football. In this episode, we debate the top quarterbacks and coaches in the sport. Which programs deserve "elite loser" status? Which 2026 schedules feature the most ridiculous gauntlets? And why does Dan still cringe about the time CNBC put him on the spot about Augusta National? Timestamps:0:00 - Intro7:04 - Elite Losers33:33 - Schedule Gauntlets57:56 - Elite QBs1:06:49 - Elite CoachesSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coach Jerry Mack led the Kennesaw State Owls from a 2-10 season in 2024 to a Conference USA championship in his first year in 2025, flipping the roster and the entire offensive scheme in the process. In this episode, he talks about what drew him to Kennesaw State, how he approaches roster construction in the transfer portal era, what he brought back from his time coaching in the NFL, what it takes to maintain stability through college football's most unstable era ever, and much more.Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we're taking a rare break from college football and dropping a long, off-topic episode to the feed. It's been nine years after the original Secret Garbage Bracket debuted, and we're bringing it back with an expanded 18-item field, two play-in games, and a fresh batch of submissions from the Verballerhood. The premise is the same as it was in 2017: take things that everyone seems to like, things that carry a high approval rating and rarely get questioned, and make the case that they're actually, secretly, kind of garbage. This year's bracket covers a wide range of things from modern life, from everyday conveniences and travel staples to entire cultural institutions and lifestyle choices. There are heated debates, a few philosophical tangents, and at least one matchup that spiraled into something neither of us expected. Fill out your own picks at https://garbage.solidverbal.com! Timestamps:0:00 - Intro to the 2026 Secret Garbage Bracket8:58 - Skinny Cans vs. Luxury Watches14:33 - Haircut Industrial Complex vs. Podcasts on YouTube22:11 - Cars30:02 - Grocery Stores vs. Food Delivery Services42:20 - Streaming Services vs. Carry-on Luggage54:30 - ChatGPT vs. Greeting Cards1:04:14 - The Future vs. Dog Parks1:16:28 - Beach Vacations vs. Wireless Charging1:25:20 - Miami Metro Area vs. Thought Leadership1:34:40 - Short-form Content1:38:05 - Elite Eight Matchups1:43:33 - The Final Four1:48:19 - The Championship1:56:43 - Also Receiving VotesSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for our annual college football business update, and we couldn't think of anyone better than our friend Matt Brown from Extra Points (ExtraPointsMB.com) to walk us through everything happening behind the scenes. From the revenue arms race to jersey patches to the SCORE Act, Matt breaks down the big-picture forces shaping every athletic department in the country. We talk about whether spending more money is actually worth it, what Congress can realistically do about college sports reform, which revenue streams matter more than fans think, and why the stadium experience still has a long way to go. Plus, a seedy video game pitch, a rining endorsement for Milwaukee, and Dan discovers Summerfest 2026.Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the one thing your college football team just can't figure out? In this episode, we work through listener submissions on the recurring issues that haunt fan bases year after year. From Arkansas's defensive drought to Mizzou's glass ceiling under Eli Drinkwitz, from Florida's institutional lag, to Oregon's quest to close out the biggest games. Plus, what gnaws at Texas, Michigan, Georgia, and USC fans despite all the talent those programs have stockpiled. We also riff on Iowa, Wisconsin, Alabama, and whether some coaches are simply hardwired to win one specific way. Timecodes:0:00 - Intro8:18 - Arkansas16:43 - Georgia Tech22:42 - Missouri30:02 - Florida40:08 - Oregon48:07 - Texas53:46 - Michigan58:45 - Georgia1:03:12 - USC1:07:44 - Wisconsin1:09:33 - Rapid Fire (Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Iowa, Alabama)Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

March Madness has a way of bringing old feelings back to the surface, and for college football fans, there's plenty of unresolved heartbreak left over from the 2025 season. In this college football episode, we introduce the Wiggum Scale, a Ralph Wiggum-inspired framework for rating the most devastating losses and collapses of the year. From Penn State's season-breaking double overtime loss to Oregon at a packed Beaver Stadium, to a South Carolina team that watched a 30-3 halftime lead against Texas A&M completely evaporate, to a botched extra point hold that may have cost Notre Dame a playoff berth, we make peace with more than a dozen moments that some fans may never want to feel again. Timecodes:0:00 - Intro7:43 - Omar Cooper Jr.'s catch13:14 - Oregon derails Penn State's season18:55 - West Virginia wins the Backyard Brawl23:28 - Tyler Buchner's botched hold30:54 - South Carolina gives away a 27-point lead37:57 - Ole Miss falls just short against Miami46:09 - Utah breaks Chris Klieman51:27 - The 4th quarter of UNLV vs Air Force53:40 - Georgia comes back on Tennessee59:56 - Cal upsets SMU1:04:13 - Rapid Fire: New Mexico beats SDSU, Montana State's wild FCS title, the Iron Bowl & the CFP National ChampionshipSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we each picked eight transfers — four on offense, four on defense, one quarterback max — that we find most interesting heading into the 2026 season. Why these guys? It comes down to situation, scheme fit, prior production, and in some cases, just a gut feeling that something's about to click at the next stop. We get into the players following their coaches to new destinations, the quarterback pickups nobody saw coming, the edge rushers changing conferences, and the linebackers ready to take over defenses. The big themes keep coming up: how much does coaching familiarity actually matter, can G5 numbers translate to a Power 4 schedule, and what happens when a proven producer lands in a more stable situation? Timecodes:0:00 - Intro5:33 - Caleb Hawkins (Oklahoma State)11:48 - Adam Mohammed (Cal)19:06 - Ian Strong (Cal)22:05 - Omarion Miller (Arizona State)26:45 - Cutter Boley (Arizona State)31:19 - Aaron Philo (Florida)36:39 - JJ Buchanan (Michigan)43:29 - Ben Brahmer (Penn State)46:52 - Damon Wilson (Miami)50:29 - Chaz Coleman (Tennessee)53:44 - Devan Thompkins (Alabama)56:39 - Austin Romaine (Texas Tech)59:44 - Sammy Omosigho (UCLA)1:03:53 - Cade Uluave (BYU)1:05:49 - Jontez Williams (USC)1:08:32 - DJ McKinney (Notre Dame)1:10:26 - Kenny Minchey, DJ Lagway, Anthony Colandrea, Darian Mensah & Colton JosephSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, win totals dropped for every Power 4 team. We did the responsible thing and polled the Verballerhood for it's initial response. In this episode, and hundreds of votes later, we broke down the totals that the community found most interesting and picked the side of the bet that we'd back now... in mid-March. Timecodes:0:00 - Intro4:02 - Let's Play Over/Under6:47 - Alabama15:22 - Ohio State23:30 - Texas Tech29:32 - Clemson35:02 - Florida State36:36 - Ole Miss44:11 - Penn State51:30 - BYU57:56 - LSUSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second part of our Mega March Q&A is here, and we're going deep on the questions that (apparently) matter most to the Verballerhood ahead of the 2026 season. Which teams could make a surprising playoff run? Where will college football's inertia be broken next season? Has the rapid pace of change in the sport diminished our love for it? When will the NCAA stop begging for help from Congress? Plus, the greatest "big back" of all time, college football figure skating pairings, football power plays and more. Timecodes:0:00 - Intro2:53 - Surprise Playoff Draft15:03 - Breaking CFB Inertia25:05 - Still Love CFB?31:39 - Players As Employees?38:33 - Favorite Big Back?43:41 - CFB Docs?49:03 - CFB Figure Skating Pairings51:33 - Power Plays?52:55 - G5 Contenders?55:04 - QB Development?Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Verballerhood's questions were so good that we had to split our Mega March Q&A episode into two parts. In Part 1, we look at Kalen DeBoer's future with Alabama, the value of playing time as a recruiting tool for non-blue bloods, and the college football moments over the last 25 years that we'd most like to change. Plus, we discuss whether TV networks can force teams to stop canceling marquee matchups, how the Big 12 can become a two-bid league in the CFP era, the conditions for optimal tailgating, and much more. Timecodes:0:00 - Intro2:10 - Kalen DeBoer's Future at Alabama14:17 - The Value of Playing Time23:47 - Altering CFB History35:04 - Canceling Marquee Matchups44:54 - A Two-Bid Big 1256:54 - Optimal TailgatingSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for the annual college football checkup. In this episode, we put college football on the exam table and rate every major element of the sport from one to five. From conference structure and scheduling to the College Football Playoff, the TV product, on-field play, NIL, and the transfer portal, nothing escapes our stethoscope. Timecodes:0:00 - Intro3:42 - Key Themes for CFB in 202613:28 - Conference Structure24:50 - Scheduling33:42 - College Football Playoff45:18 - The TV Product53:02 - The On-Field Product1:02:24 - NIL1:11:43 - The Transfer Portal Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2026 college football offseason has brought a fascinating wave of coordinator changes at some of the sport's most prominent programs. In this college football podcast episode, we take a look at some of the most intriguing new coordinator hires and evaluate what each new coach has to fix. From defensive overhauls at USC and Texas to offensive shifts at Ohio State and Penn State, we dig into what each new coordinator is walking into and what kind of renovation is required. Timestamps:0:00 - Intro5:14 - Gary Patterson at USC13:30 - Will Muschamp at Texas20:58 - Drew Mehringer & Chris Hampton at Oregon29:02 - Ron Roberts at Arkansas36:53 - Jason Beck at Michigan44:48 - Bobby Hauck at Illinois50:10 - Arthur Smith at Ohio State57:59 - Chad Morris at Clemson1:05:41 - Taylor Mouser at Penn StateSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With inspiration from a popular post on the /r/CFB subreddit, we take a look at the 14 worst (statistical) teams in the Power 4 and conduct a hypothetical coach draft, reshuffling the coaching deck and putting big names in new places based on fit, prestige, track record, and everything in between. Timecodes:0:00 - Intro3:05 - Explaining the Coach Draft7:47 - Oklahoma State14:34 - Syracuse20:54 - Purdue27:21 - Virgina Tech33:00 - UCLA38:12 - West Virginia43:01 - Boston College47:21 - Wisconsin50:01 - Stanford52:34 - Rutgers56:23 - Colorado58:14 - North Carolina1:00:43 - Florida1:04:29 - Michigan StateSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Klosterman has written about music, pop culture, and the nature of reality... but football is a different level of obsession. In today's episode, Chuck details his new book, Football, and digs into what makes the sport so culturally singular, why college football's pageantry and regionalism feel increasingly fragile, and why the blue bloods still need to matter for any of this to work. In our wide-ranging conversation, we also touch on the television presentation of college football, the impact of NIL and the transfer portal on fandom, the insanity of Indiana winning a national championship, and the cautionary tale of horse racing. Pick up Chuck's book, Football, right here: https://www.amazon.com/Football-Chuck-Klosterman/dp/0593490649 0:00 - Intro4:10 - Chuck Klosterman InterviewSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Dan returns from his travels as we dive into Sacramento State's curious move to the MAC and the newest SEC scheduling controvery. Plus, we take a look at some of the most prominent new coaches from 2025 and decide whether they're more likely to be a problem for opponents or for their current schools. Timestamps:0:00 - Intro4:34 - Sacramento State joins the MAC13:47 - SEC Scheduling Controversy28:44 - Scott Frost & UCF38:34 - Bill Belichick & North Carolina46:50 - Jake Dickert & Wake Forest51:28 - Rich Rodriguez & West Virginia58:44 - Barry Odom & Purdue1:05:27 - Frank Reich & Stanford1:10:28 - Other Coach GradesSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we're joined by John Kurtz of the Open For Business podcast and newsletter to talk about the state of the Big 12 conferenced heading into the 2026 college football season. We discuss whether Oregon's playoff shutout of Texas Tech will leave a lasting mark on the Big 12's reputation, the importance of BYU's upcoming game against Notre Dame in Week 7, the scoop on what happened at Kansas State last season, and a hypothetical future state with North Dakota State in the conference.  Sign up for John's newsletter (https://www.ofbnews.com/) and check out his show (https://www.youtube.com/@JohnKurtzShow).Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, we break down North Dakota State's historic move to FBS and the Mountain West, including the financial details, the NCAA's probationary period challenge, and why the Fargodome is a must-visit destination. We also unpack former Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos' new book, Crab Creek Chronicles, and what it reveals about the Scott Frost hire, Chip Kelly almost landing in Lincoln, and a secret meeting about Nebraska potentially returning to the Big 12 Most importantly, we play "Trend or Not a Trend" with six teams heading into 2026. Is Miami's high-level winning sustainable? Can Oklahoma's defense carry a middling offense deep into the SEC? Is Arizona's defensive leap here to stay? Where does Virginia go from here at quarterback? Is Texas A&M a playoff contender with that gauntlet schedule? Can USC get back to double-digit wins under Lincoln Riley? Timecodes:0:00 - Intro4:13 - North Dakota State goes FBS17:33 - The Bill Moos Nebraska Book29:16 - Six Teams on Trend Watch30:48 - Miami's high-level winning36:20 - Oklahoma as a 2026 SEC contender42:12 - Arizona's reborn defense47:11 - Virginia as a 2026 ACC contender52:05 - Texas A&M as a 2026 CFP team58:03 - USC as a 10-win teamSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Valentine's Day around the corner, we take a look at the 2025 storylines we secretly loved. Whether scrappy teams held things together with gum and chicken wire, coaches who turned programs around overnight, or the moments that didn't make national headlines, we talk through the things that got our hearts pumping. Think Wisconsin winning games with their punter as the leading passer, Houston quietly going 10-3, Arch Manning actually getting better when pundits left him for dead, and much more. In this episode, we share our own picks before opening it up to the Verballerhood, whose submissions cover everything from Kenny Dillingham staying at Arizona State to the absurdity of Lane Kiffin's move to LSU, Arkansas fans learning to love heartbreak, Indiana fans debating whether to protect their hearts or go all in on Curt Cignetti, and much more. Plus, a brief Super Bowl debrief, a Timothée Chalamet conversation, and the debut of Dan's bucket of wrenches. Timestamps:0:00 - Intro / Super Bowl recap6:27 - What we're doing today8:51 - Dan's "winning despite" teams (Duke, Mizzou, Minnesota, Wake Forest)10:58 - Steve Angeli and Syracuse's collapse without him13:34 - Wisconsin as a bucket of wrenches17:08 - Northwestern's what-could-have-been season19:21 - Jason Eck and New Mexico's nine-win season22:16 - Penn State's leaked Pat Kraft audio25:08 - Ty's Quick Hits: Mason Heinschel, Houston's quiet 10-3 season, Arch Manning actually got better29:29 - Dan's Quick Hits: Arizona's nasty defense, SMU's post-playoff rebuild, Double transfers31:51 - Kenny Dillingham staying at Arizona State35:15 - Arkansas tried37:20 - Indiana, Curt Cignetti, and protecting your heart44:19 - Fernando Mendoza's F-bomb and industry plant theory45:34 - Cal, the Wilcox era, and the Mendoza that got away46:56 - Lane Kiffin-LSU drama49:23 - Georgia ripping rivals' hearts out50:17 - North Texas's record-setting season51:38 - Player shoutouts: Jeremiyah Love, Ahmad Hardy, Jacob Rodriguez, Jayden Maiava53:40 - Quick fan hits: Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Oregon, Purdue57:34 - Ball State tried to be the worst57:47 - Florida State's first month58:26 - Rutgers' top-50 offense / Arizona retaining Seth Doege and Noah Fifita59:54 - ESPN cinematography and best broadcast productionSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.