The Solid Verbal: Living College Football

In this episode, we kick off our 2026 conference preview series with Part 1 of our Group of Six rundown, covering the American, Sun Belt and MAC. With coaching changes, transfer portal churn, new coordinators and a whole lot of roster turnover, we try to figure out which teams are actually built to contend and which ones are more mystery box than finished product. We start in the American, where UTSA, Navy, Memphis, Army, FAU, USF and ECU all have some version of a case, even if nearly every team comes with one glaring question. Then we move to the Sun Belt, where James Madison enters a new era with Billy Napier, Old Dominion has real intrigue, Louisiana and Troy headline the West, and nobody feels quite as loaded as last year. Finally, we close with the MAC, where Miami (Ohio) and Western Michigan appear to be the class of the conference, while Toledo, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Ohio and Eastern Michigan crowd into a very meaty middle. Plus: Dan’s questionable subtitle, a punny new vehicle at Coastal Carolina, Lunch Winfield, Goose Crowder, Sacramento State’s strange MAC arrival, Keldric Luster, and the looming joy of the Ball-Sac rivalry. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 6:37 - American Conference Preview 46:40 - Sun Belt Conference Preview 1:11:00 - MAC Preview Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we officially welcome ourselves back to college football with a full 2026 season primer. Before preview season begins in earnest, we reset the board with the biggest changes you need to know, from conference realignment, new teams, and bowl games to rule tweaks, the coaching carousel and a longer road to the national championship in Las Vegas. Consider this your intro course for the upcoming season. We also run through the biggest names and roster moves shaping the season, including a huge crop of new head coaches, notable broadcast changes, the biggest transfer portal targets, and the quarterback storylines that could define the year. Plus, we look at early national title odds, conference favorites, Group of Six playoff contenders, and the broader themes we’ll be tracking all summer as our full preview series gets underway. Also: the Ball-Sac rivalry, North Dakota State’s FBS arrival, the triumph of bike shorts, the return of the Poinsettia Bowl, and a joyous march in the Fleck Parade. Timestamps: 0:00 - Welcome back 3:35 - What is this episode? 6:26 - The Basics 10:20 - Notable Changes 30:16 - New Coaches 35:49 - Announcer Changes 39:52 - Notable Transfers 56:16 - Big Storylines 1:01:34 - The Odds 1:06:21 - Common Themes 1:15:57 - Parting Thoughts Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this July Q&A episode, we open up the mailbag and tackle a wide-ranging batch of offseason questions. Which teams could become this year’s surprise contenders? Is Utah still a threat after major coaching and roster turnover? Can Texas Tech buy its way out of an old perception? And what do the NCAA’s new five-year eligibility rules mean for the future of roster building? Plus, we talk portal spending, quarterback development, new coaching leashes at Michigan State, Penn State and Virginia Tech, college football’s value as a live-event experience compared to the World Cup, EA Sports dynasty strategy, social media guardrails, and sundae bars. Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we welcome Chris Fallica of Fox Sports, Big Noon Kickoff and Bear Bets to talk through college football from the perspective of a researcher, bettor, traveler and longtime media fixture. We get into how he studies the sport this time of year, what numbers actually matter, how the transfer portal has changed preseason projections, and why college football remains so difficult to evaluate in an era of super conferences, roster churn and wildly uneven schedules. We also dig into the art of finding weird stats, the value of schedule spots, the eternal appeal of the letdown lookahead sandwich, and whether elevation deserves a bigger place in how we talk about home-field advantage. Plus, Chris shares a few early thoughts on teams he trusts and teams he is more skeptical of heading into 2026, with Indiana, Miami, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Florida State and Arkansas all coming up along the way. Before the interview, we also react to the latest twist in the Brendan Sorsby saga after the NFL declined to hold a supplemental draft. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 4:13 - Brendan Sorsby denied NFL Supplemental Draft 8:29 - Chris Fallica joins Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this college football podcast episode, we react to the latest and likely final twist in the Brendan Sorsby saga, as the now-former Texas Tech quarterback backs off his NCAA lawsuit and turns his attention toward the NFL Supplemental Draft. After weeks of legal maneuvering, Big 12 pushback, public statements and fan frustration, we try to make sense of how the situation became untenable, what it means for Texas Tech, and where the Red Raiders go from here with Will Hammond now back in the spotlight. Then, with preview season still a few weeks away, we open the window into the weirdest corners of college football fandom with help from the Message Board Geniuses (@BoardGeniuses) social feed. We dig through offseason fan brain at Texas Tech, Florida State, LSU, Washington, Oregon and beyond, touching on conference realignment fantasies, private investigator hypotheticals, Lane Kiffin’s housing situation, recruiting angst, national title expectations and one Auburn thread that probably should not have made it onto a college football podcast. Plus: a new logo is on the way, Ty’s voice is still recovering, Dan pitches an “immersive college football experience,” and things end with an unfortunate discussion of fermented Japanese green plums. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:05 - Brendan Sorsby to enter NFL Supplemental Draft 27:22 - Message Board Gems Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we examine the most interesting college football teams hovering around the bowl eligibility line in 2026. With win totals sitting at 5.5 or 6.5, these are the teams that could just as easily surge to 8-4 as stumble into 5-7, and we try to figure out which direction they’re headed before preview season officially begins. We start with Florida and the Jon Sumrall reboot, then dig into Arizona State’s questions, Kentucky’s brutal SEC schedule, Minnesota’s surprisingly low win total, and Virginia Tech’s fascinating reset under James Franklin. Plus, we debate whether TCU has enough runway and whether Wisconsin is finally ready to clear the bar under Luke Fickell. Also: Dan searches for a new lease, Ty searches for a Seattle soccer ticket, third-quarter sing-along traditions, the dangers of too many stadium sound effects, and how fuzzy June math led us directly to the today's concept. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 7:25 - Explaining Teeter Teams 9:32 - Florida Gators 16:47 - Arizona State Sun Devils 23:29 - Kentucky Wildcats 30:10 - Minnesota Golden Gophers 37:52 - Virginia Tech Hokies 44:18 - TCU Horned Frogs 49:59 - Wisconsin Badgers Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we return to the board room for Sark Tank 3.0, our annual exercise in college football emotional investing. Ty brings the pitches, while Dan and special guest Andy Staples play the investors, and decide which 2026 storylines are worth buying and selling. On the board: Brendan Sorsby's prospects at Texas Tech, the SEC's return to glory, the return of Gary Patterson, and a new Group of Six team crashing the playoff party. Plus, the Sarks debate whether anyone other than Miami is worth backing in the ACC, whether Notre Dame is being set up as the sport’s most polished strength-of-schedule mirage, and which long-shot ideas still deserve emotional capital before the season begins. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro to Sark Tank 3.0 4:55 - Brendan Sorsby & Texas Tech 14:13 - The SEC's Return To Glory 22:24 - Gary Patterson's Return 29:26 - New G6 Playoff Teams 38:34 - Miami vs. The ACC Field 46:02 - Notre Dame Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we welcome back our friend Richard Johnson from CBS Sports and Split Zone Duo for a conversation about the college football topics we talk about too much, and the ones we probably do not talk about enough. As preview season creeps closer, we zoom out on the sport’s offseason discourse and ask which arguments are useful, which ones are exhausted, and where the weird, fun, meaningful parts of college football might be hiding. We dig into College Football Playoff format fatigue, the role of TV money and conference power, the constant hope that Congress can somehow “fix” college sports, the growing presence of gambling in broadcasts, and whether the Arch Manning conversation has swung too far in the other direction. Plus, we get into teams and coaches who deserve more attention, including Florida, UCLA, Michigan, and the broader world outside the SEC and Big Ten. We also wander into West Coast scheduling thoughts, the need for more strange bowl game energy, Sacramento sports sadness, college football media golf rankings, and the inevitability of major news breaking whenever Richard goes to Europe. And, right in the middle of our recording, news broke of Brendan Sorsby's reinstatement. (We react as best we can!) Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro 4:29 - Richard Johnson joins the show 7:30 - CFP format 12:31 - TV network influence 19:22 - The government and CFB 22:18 - Arch Manning 28:48 - Brendan Sorsby news 33:05 - Gambling as part of studio shows 40:25 - ACC Thursdays 44:10 - West Coast scheduling 45:53 - Jon Sumrall 50:22 - Big Ten & SEC vs. the World 56:54 - Kyle Whittingham 1:03:35 - Rapid Fire Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we step slightly outside our usual college football lane for a 2026 World Cup preview with ESPN’s Bill Connelly. With the tournament kicking off next week in North America, we put the tournament in terms that college football fans can understand and discuss the potential chaos of an expanded field, the "Indiana" of world soccer, and the constant tension between off-field disasters and on-field brilliance. We dig into the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT), their upside, their flaws, their best college football comp, and what casual American fans should actually watch for when the games begin. Bill also walks us through the broader field, from favorites like France, Spain and England to possible sleepers like Norway, Turkey, and Mexico. Plus, we get into expectations for Canada, the randomness of the new knockout format, why this tournament could produce some truly strange outcomes, and much more. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 3:19 - World Cup Basics 7:55 - USMNT's CFB Comp? 11:33 - USMNT Built for Speed? 17:12 - USMNT's Most Interesting Players 20:31 - USMNT's Intent 23:23 - USMNT In Possession 25:23 - Effects of More Time Between Games 26:58 - What Pochettino Brings to USMNT 30:18 - Tactical Levers at the World Cup 33:44 - Crazy Loaded Position Groups 37:24 - England Roster & Defensive Mindset 40:48 - Realistic Picks for Winners & Sleepers 48:29 - Interesting Managers & Playstyles 52:14 - Expectations for Canada 54:15 - Rapid Fire Predictions & Comps Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this June Q&A episode, we open up the Verballer mailbag and start looking ahead to preview season with some early college football summer loves. Which teams are we already talking ourselves into before the magazines arrive? Which programs are interesting, dangerous, confusing or just fun enough to pique our interest as the 2026 season gets closer? We also dig into first-time College Football Playoff possibilities, the rising risk of major transfer portal investments, and whether Curt Cignetti’s championship run at Indiana was more impressive than anything Nick Saban or Kirby Smart ever did in a single season. Plus, we talk through what fans of rebuilding teams should actually look for in Year 1, why playoff expansion arguments still feel slippery, and which players or teams are perfect for showing off at a June cookout. And, naturally, the episode eventually drifts into Brendan Fraser playing Dwight Eisenhower in a D-Day weather drama, bad old predictions, Drake Lindsey discourse, Arkansas despair, and Dan’s ongoing effort to make Ty regret his phrasing. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 3:00 - Summer Loves? 16:08 - First-time CFP Candidates? 18:36 - Vetting Transfers? 30:00 - Cignetti vs Saban/Smart? 38:46 - Cookout Players/Teams? 41:50 - Fox's CFP Motivation? 47:55 - Hope for Arkansas? 55:37 - Rapid Fire Questions Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we take a break from the usual offseason doom loop and focus on the things that still make college football worth getting excited about. With the 2026 season now inside the 100-day window, we lean into the joy, weirdness and ritual of the sport, from team entrances and tailgate footballs to bowl games as holiday escape hatches, overseas openers in Dublin and Rio, and the simple feeling of leaning forward on the couch right before kickoff. We also get into the more specific quirks that make college football feel like college football: pylon cams, visor coaches, turnover props, weird eye black, old-school announcers, preview magazines, 68-degree noon kickoffs, coaches losing their minds on the sideline, late-night windows and the constant possibility that a huge favorite might get dragged into a game it has no business losing. Plus, we look ahead to some of the real football reasons to be excited for 2026, including a loaded crop of star players, a monster Week 10 schedule, the evolving Group of Five playoff race and the SEC’s move to a nine-game conference schedule. Consider this a little kickoff yearning for the summer months, a reminder that, for all the sport’s problems, there’s still nothing quite like it. Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we introduce a new game called “Bed or Built,” where we take some of college football’s most repeated narratives and decide whether it’s time to put them to bed or if they’re still built to last. With the 2026 season creeping closer, we sort through the stories that have followed programs, coaches and fan bases for years, and ask which ones still make sense in the current version of the sport. We dig into Mario Cristobal and Miami, Matt Rhule’s turnaround reputation, Lane Kiffin’s chaos factor, Ryan Day’s “born on third base” label, Texas A&M’s hard ceiling, Oregon’s late-season hurdle, Clemson’s attempts to adapt, James Franklin’s big-game baggage and the difficulty of following Nick Saban at Alabama. Along the way, we get into the transfer portal, coaching hires, College Football Playoff expectations, roster-building, fan perception and how quickly old narratives can become outdated. Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we react to Tony Petitti’s public push for a 24-team College Football Playoff and try to sort through what it actually means for the sport. Is expansion really about access, regular-season stakes, and rewarding more teams, or is it mostly about television inventory, conference leverage, and the ongoing ESPN vs. Fox tug-of-war? We also talk through why the SEC’s preference for 16 teams suddenly puts some fans in the strange position of... rooting for Greg Sankey. Then it’s time for an ACC vibe check, as we take a look at the conference before full preview season kicks into gear. Miami looks like the league’s clearest headliner, but after that, things get messy fast. We work through the conference’s biggest connective tissues, including offensive line questions, thin receiver rooms, quarterback uncertainty, Cal’s wide range of outcomes, Louisville’s favorable path, Georgia Tech’s possible regression, and whether Virginia Tech or NC State could turn into a surprise playoff-adjacent story. Also included: Slices 'N Steps in NYC, illegal-streaming hypotheticals, Chili’s corn nostalgia, and the beginning of what may become a fully realized ACC-as-abandoned-mall taxonomy. Subscribe to the newsletter for free: https://www.solidverbal.com/newsletter Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro & Slices 'N Steps in NYC 6:38 - Tony Petitti's 24-Team CFP Plan 31:07 - The Vibrant ACC Mall 38:00 - The Cal Factor 45:20 - The Case for Syracuse 52:07 - The Case Against Georgia Tech 59:48 - Miami's Heisman Elimination Game 1:07:49 - Virginia Tech's CFP Chances 1:12:41 - The Surprise Orange Julius 1:17:05 - Mapping Out The ACC Mall Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re midway through May, which means it’s time to start talking ourselves into, and out of, what the 2026 college football season could become. In this episode, we turn the month itself into a game with a Big Ten “Mayyyyybe” vibe check, asking which scenarios feel realistic, which ones feel like offseason nonsense, and which ones might look strangely prescient by November. Could Ohio State’s schedule create a real College Football Playoff problem? Is Maryland quietly positioned to take a step forward? Can Wisconsin stabilize things for Luke Fickell, Iowa mess around with a playoff run, or UCLA become one of the more interesting teams in the conference under Bob Chesney? We also dig into Oregon’s internal coordinator hires, Michigan’s tricky first year under Kyle Whittingham, and USC’s unlucky, unforgiving schedule. Along the way, there are schedule sandwiches, quarterback questions, offensive line concerns, coaching crush rankings, a surprising amount of hernia talk, and more. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 5:01 - Ohio State misses the CFP 14:22 - Maryland wins a game after September 20:42 - Wisconsin saves Luke Fickell's job 27:23 - Oregon regrets new coordinators 34:19 - Iowa makes the CFP 39:27 - UCLA wins 8 games 47:22 - Michigan becomes a mess 55:52 - USC's unlucky schedule Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re taking an early look at the 2026 college football schedule and doing a public service for the Verballerhood: figuring out which Saturdays deserve to be protected on the family calendar. From Week 0 appetizers to monster November slates, we rank the season week by week, identify the biggest projected matchups, and decide when it is safe to go outside and when it is absolutely not. Along the way, we dig into the weeks that look especially dangerous for teams stuck between emotional rivalry games, cross-country trips, short weeks, and potential letdown spots. Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Penn State, Oregon, USC, LSU, Ole Miss, BYU, Texas Tech and others all pop up as we sort through the best weekends, the sneaky ones, and the obvious trap-ortunities. Plus, we discuss shared calendars, zhoug sauce, Trappy Valley, the revered Ball-Sac Game, how much of November should be blocked off, and several increasingly questionable strategies for preserving couch time during the best stretch of the season. Timestamps0:00 - Intro7:36 - Week 09:33 - Week 112:11 - Week 217:49 - Week 323:20 - Week 425:17 - Week 530:28 - Week 637:38 - Week 740:04 - Week 844:40 - Week 947:09 - Week 1053:09 - Week 1157:47 - Week 121:03:51 - Week 13 Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re back for Part 2 of our May Q&A, which means the offseason conversation gets both bigger and weirder. We start off with College Football Playoff expansion anxiety, including the possibility of a 24-team field, the future of conference championship games, and the growing gap between the people running the sport and the fans who love it. We discuss the new marriage between Michigan State and Pat Fitzgerald, which leads us into a broader conversation about safe hires, risky hires, Transfer Portal recruiting, and what it actually means to rebuild in the modern Big Ten. We also touch on Texas, Arch Manning, Steve Sarkisian, Florida State, Mike Norvell, and the kinds of expectations that can turn a normal season into a referendum. We also spend some time on the quarterback and offensive coordinator pairings we’re most curious to watch, with stops at places like Georgia Tech, UCLA, Florida, Kentucky, and a few others. Which combinations are actually exciting? Which ones feel volatile? Which ones have the widest range of possible outcomes? And because it’s an offseason Q&A, we find room for the important stuff: wearing your team’s gear when things are bleak, whether video podcasts have raised the appearance bar, and Dan’s surprisingly spicy take on wearing sneakers with suits. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 3:09 - Mass CFB Exodus? 25:04 - Why Pat Fitzgerald? 38:39 - New QB-Coach Pairings?f 47:50 - Loser Sports Apparel? 53:00 - Texas Expectations? 59:46 - Norvell's Future? 1:06:03 - Old School Showbiz? Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 1 of our big May Q&A, we dig into some of the biggest questions hanging over college football right now, starting with Brendan Sorsby’s uncertain status at Texas Tech and what it could mean for the Big 12 race. We also get into the new single-window transfer portal calendar, the changing value of internal player development, and how roster construction is evolving in a sport where continuity, money, scouting, and plain old luck all seem to matter at once. From there, we zoom out to the SEC’s national championship drought, Texas’s non-conference schedule, the future structure of college football, and what a more stable version of the sport might look like by 2035. And naturally, we also find time for foot massagers, suspicious domain names, street-naming philosophies, and a little competitive geography talk. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:16 - Brendan Sorsby & Portal Buyers' Remorse 22:16 - Homegrown Talent 36:18 - Non-con Schedule Smoke 44:12 - SEC vs The Field 51:24 - CFB in 2035 1:07:45 - Street Naming Strategies Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Connelly from ESPN.com stops by to walk us through the post-spring college football landscape, fresh off turning in 7,000 words on the MAC and kicking off his annual conference preview series. We get into how the portal era has transformed his prep work, why the SEC has become a "horizontal" conference of strong middles, and which conferences are hardest to make sense of right now. Bill evaluates the Big 12 after the Brendan Sorsby news, talks up a few mid-major teams to watch, and explains why he still doesn't fully trust Texas the way the rest of the country does. We also dig into the Bob Chesney's roster build at UCLA, Oklahoma State's full offensive transfusion, Lane Kiffin's quarterback insurance policy, and what to make of the pairing of Bryce Underwood and Kyle Whittingham in Ann Arbor. Bill also shares his Alabama skepticism, his read on Indiana's encore, and why he's increasingly intrigued by Texas A&M. And, to close things out, a little World Cup talk in advance of this summer's tournament. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 4:05 - Bill Connelly joins the show Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just as we hit record, news broke that Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby, one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the transfer portal this cycle, is checking into a treatment program for a gambling addiction, and is under NCAA investigation dating back to his time at Indiana. In this episode, we lead off with what it means for Texas Tech, and why this story is bigger than just one player in an era where sports betting has never been more accessible. Then, we're joined by fantasy football extraordinaire, Jason Moore of The Fantasy Footballers, for a crossover segment years in the making. Jason gives his advice for how our favorite college stars translate to fantasy football, talks through a uniquely thin fantasy class, and picks out his favorite landing spots among the biggest rookie names. Plus, he helps Ty through his issue of drafting too many rookies. When in doubt, just bet against the bad teams. Timecodes:0:00 - Intro4:19 - Brendan Sorsby seeks treatment for gambling problem10:47 - Jason Moore of The Fantasy Footballers joins the show Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we're joined by Cole Cubelic (SEC Network, McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, The Cube Show) for an SEC vibe check. It's not a preview, just the temperature of the conference in late April. Cole pulls no punches on the reality facing SEC fan bases: Nick Saban's standards aren't coming back, sub-goals like winning the conference have been devalued, and we've collectively forgotten what a genuinely successful season looks like. The conversation weaves through Alabama's post-DeBoer hot seat chatter, Shane Beamer's underrated portal wizardry at South Carolina, why the Alex Golesh hire at Auburn matters more than who left in the portal, Texas's need for hard-hat glue guys to pair with its sports cars, and whether Lane Kiffin's LSU rebuild can actually cohere in year one. We also discuss the loss of program continuity in the transfer portal era, the new nine-game SEC schedule as a gauntlet-within-a-gauntlet, and a big wave of defensive coordinator turnover that could make September interesting. Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.