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 - Intro
2:53 - Surprise Playoff Draft
15:03 - Breaking CFB Inertia
25:05 - Still Love CFB?
31:39 - Players As Employees?
38:33 - Favorite Big Back?
43:41 - CFB Docs?
49:03 - CFB Figure Skating Pairings
51:33 - Power Plays?
52:55 - G5 Contenders?
55:04 - QB Development?

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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 - Intro
2:10 - Kalen DeBoer's Future at Alabama
14:17 - The Value of Playing Time
23:47 - Altering CFB History
35:04 - Canceling Marquee Matchups
44:54 - A Two-Bid Big 12
56:54 - Optimal Tailgating

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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 - Intro
3:42 - Key Themes for CFB in 2026
13:28 - Conference Structure
24:50 - Scheduling
33:42 - College Football Playoff
45:18 - The TV Product
53:02 - The On-Field Product
1:02:24 - NIL
1:11:43 - The Transfer Portal 

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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 - Intro
5:14 - Gary Patterson at USC
13:30 - Will Muschamp at Texas
20:58 - Drew Mehringer & Chris Hampton at Oregon
29:02 - Ron Roberts at Arkansas
36:53 - Jason Beck at Michigan
44:48 - Bobby Hauck at Illinois
50:10 - Arthur Smith at Ohio State
57:59 - Chad Morris at Clemson
1:05:41 - Taylor Mouser at Penn State

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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 - Intro
3:05 - Explaining the Coach Draft
7:47 - Oklahoma State
14:34 - Syracuse
20:54 - Purdue
27:21 - Virgina Tech
33:00 - UCLA
38:12 - West Virginia
43:01 - Boston College
47:21 - Wisconsin
50:01 - Stanford
52:34 - Rutgers
56:23 - Colorado
58:14 - North Carolina
1:00:43 - Florida
1:04:29 - Michigan State

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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 - Intro
4:10 - Chuck Klosterman Interview

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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 - Intro
4:34 - Sacramento State joins the MAC
13:47 - SEC Scheduling Controversy
28:44 - Scott Frost & UCF
38:34 - Bill Belichick & North Carolina
46:50 - Jake Dickert & Wake Forest
51:28 - Rich Rodriguez & West Virginia
58:44 - Barry Odom & Purdue
1:05:27 - Frank Reich & Stanford
1:10:28 - Other Coach Grades

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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).

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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 - Intro
4:13 - North Dakota State goes FBS
17:33 - The Bill Moos Nebraska Book
29:16 - Six Teams on Trend Watch
30:48 - Miami's high-level winning
36:20 - Oklahoma as a 2026 SEC contender
42:12 - Arizona's reborn defense
47:11 - Virginia as a 2026 ACC contender
52:05 - Texas A&M as a 2026 CFP team
58:03 - USC as a 10-win team

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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 recap
6:27 - What we're doing today
8:51 - Dan's "winning despite" teams (Duke, Mizzou, Minnesota, Wake Forest)
10:58 - Steve Angeli and Syracuse's collapse without him
13:34 - Wisconsin as a bucket of wrenches
17:08 - Northwestern's what-could-have-been season
19:21 - Jason Eck and New Mexico's nine-win season
22:16 - Penn State's leaked Pat Kraft audio
25:08 - Ty's Quick Hits: Mason Heinschel, Houston's quiet 10-3 season, Arch Manning actually got better
29:29 - Dan's Quick Hits: Arizona's nasty defense, SMU's post-playoff rebuild, Double transfers
31:51 - Kenny Dillingham staying at Arizona State
35:15 - Arkansas tried
37:20 - Indiana, Curt Cignetti, and protecting your heart
44:19 - Fernando Mendoza's F-bomb and industry plant theory
45:34 - Cal, the Wilcox era, and the Mendoza that got away
46:56 - Lane Kiffin-LSU drama
49:23 - Georgia ripping rivals' hearts out
50:17 - North Texas's record-setting season
51:38 - Player shoutouts: Jeremiyah Love, Ahmad Hardy, Jacob Rodriguez, Jayden Maiava
53:40 - Quick fan hits: Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Oregon, Purdue
57:34 - Ball State tried to be the worst
57:47 - Florida State's first month
58:26 - Rutgers' top-50 offense / Arizona retaining Seth Doege and Noah Fifita
59:54 - ESPN cinematography and best broadcast production

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For years, you've asked us to do a Super Bowl preview. We finally did it, but with the only spin that makes sense for a college football podcast: looking at Super Bowl LX entirely through the stories, moments, and legacies these players built in college.

When the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots kick off Sunday night, it won't just be two NFL teams battling for a championship. It will be Sam Darnold's redemption story that started at USC, Jaxon Smith-Njigba's effortless brilliance that lifted Ohio State, Kenneth Walker dragging Michigan State to glory, and Drake Maye carrying on North Carolina's royal lineage. Join us as we break down both rosters, revisit the moments that made these players who they are, and enjoy Super Bowl 60 as one big college reunion.

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