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

Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal

See 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 - 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

Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal

See 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 - 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

Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal

See 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 - 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

Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal

See 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 - Intro
4:10 - Chuck Klosterman Interview

Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal

See 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 - 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

Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal

See 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/solidverbal

See 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 - 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

Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.