Heart of the Rivalry is a Blade-produced YouTube series and podcast available on all major platforms that covers the heart of college football through the sport’s own treasured programs of Ohio State, Michigan, Toledo, and Bowling Green.

The weekly show is led by The Blade’s sports columnist, David Briggs, with co-host/producer Phil Kaplan.

In this episode... and then there was one.

Next week is Thanksgiving and, of course, The Game. But before Ohio State can visit Michigan in an attempt to right wrongs past like so many Scott Bakula scripts, they must first battle the inevitable squads of Rutgers, in Columbus, and Maryland, in College Park.

Dave is back from Pittsburgh and thinks the MAC may have completely buckled. Phil extrapolates the machinations of money onto the Bowling Green versus winless UMass tilt going up on a Tuesday at 4:30 in the afternoon on ESPN.

Toledo wins again, and again, remains a statistical anomaly with the nation’s second-ranked defense.

Cameos include the People’s Hurdle, Dequan Finn — who might be here in reference, but wasn’t at Miami against Toledo — junior high football primetime, the Primanti Brothers (sandwich), the Antivillains (contemporary Toledo music), Ragtime Rick (old Toledo music), and Pat Narduzzi (Nuz).

All that and more from Heart of the Rivalry, the only show to cover exclusively the rivalry programs of Bowling Green and Toledo, as well as Michigan and Ohio State.

Heart of the Rivalry is a Blade-produced YouTube series and podcast available on all major platforms that covers the heart of college football through the sport’s own treasured programs of Ohio State, Michigan, Toledo, and Bowling Green.

The weekly show is led by The Blade’s sports columnist, David Briggs, with co-host/producer Phil Kaplan.

In this episode, big winds blow in the coiffeurs of the Big Ten and it’s Scrooge McDuck vault of media rights riches being tinkered with by Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti. Take the money and run... your program.

Briggs gives his expert understanding of the situation. Phil gives his heartfelt opinion of the dollar’s value in sport and “Sports.”

Toledo controls its own destiny, which unfortunately looks like every other year they finish 8-4... or 7-5. Michigan is on upset alert and BGSU is on cruise control for the 2026 season.

Cameos include Gino Torretta, Sam Bradford, the Saudi Royal Family, a temporary stadium for the battle of I-75, and the worst field in college football.

All that and more from Heart of the Rivalry, the only show to cover exclusively the rivalry programs of Bowling Green and Toledo, as well as Michigan and Ohio State.

Heart of the Rivalry is a Blade-produced YouTube series and podcast available on all major platforms that covers the heart of college football through the sport’s own treasured programs of Ohio State, Michigan, Toledo, and Bowling Green.

The weekly show is led by The Blade’s sports columnist, David Briggs, with co-host/producer Phil Kaplan.

In this episode, bubbles are poppin like the pads in the Autumn wind.

MACtion returns to the Glass Bowl for a transcendent preter-football Toledo experience, Dave is there. Phil returns to Ohio State to witness bubble-on-bystander assault against Penn State, Dave is there. Eddie George shakes up his Falcons coaching staff, Dave is there. Michigan wheezes past Purdue but still looks to face Ohio State with only two losses, Dave is not there for it. Can Northwestern get a second coach fired?

Cameos include a freak Division V high school soccer goal, Ronnie Lott, regional statehood history, Troy Smith’s training regimen, and a self proclaimed “one-man-whiteout.”

All that and more from Heart of the Rivalry, the only show to cover exclusively the rivalry programs of Bowling Green and Toledo, as well as Michigan and Ohio State.