The Audible with Stew, Bruce & Ralph: A show about college football

On today's program, Bruce, Stew, and Ralph dive deep into a massive week for college football, spanning from historic rivalry renewals to major legal decisions shaping the future of the sport.

First, Bruce shares his inner-circle experiences from the FOX Sports Football retreat, including a fascinating breakfast breakdown with Chris Petersen and Gerry DiNardo about 1970s play-signaling restrictions. Plus, we dive into two crucial new rule changes explained by Mike Pereira and a quick recap of golfing with Tom Rinaldi.

Next, a classic rivalry is renewed! USC and Notre Dame have officially agreed to a four-game series beginning in 2030. The guys debate the formatting, exploring why USC fans are split, why Stew loves the early-season timing, and Ralph’s concerns about burning a historic matchup in Week 1.

We also break down the historic alignment between the Big Ten and the SEC, who have finally green-lit the college sports bill to head to the Senate floor. We examine if this seven-year journey will clear the House, what a potential 19-school conference realignment looks like, and if this bill could actually lead to kicking underperforming schools out of top conferences.

The crew also reacts to a judge granting an injunction that gives Class of 2022 athletes a fifth year of NCAA eligibility. Bruce explains why this may not be as exciting for teams as it looks on paper, while Stew and Ralph look at which favorite teams could suddenly get key stars back on the roster.

Finally, we track the latest developments out of Chapel Hill, where North Carolina’s Michael Lombardi has retained an attorney and is ready to clear his name.

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Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
0:47 - Bruce reveiews the start of the FOX offsites
6:00 - USC vs Notre Dame discussion
15:13 - Ralph discusses latest on potential Senate involvement
22:43 - Ralph explains the latest eligibility ruling in Colorado
34:15 - Latest on UNC GM Mike Lombardi
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Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel are live in Chicago for Big Ten Media Days! On today's program, the guys break down their biggest takeaways from the podium and ask a massive question: Are Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana the undisputed new "Big Three" and the class of the conference?

Plus, Stew shares details from his exclusive sit-down interview with the Big Ten Commissioner, and the guys look ahead to crucial Thursday storylines for Lincoln Riley and Penn State.

Later, the crew reacts to the historic news of Ohio State and Notre Dame adding sponsorship patches to their iconic jerseys.

The mailbag is packed this week. Ralph Russo answers your questions

Most Dominant Seasons Ever: The guys tackle a heavy question from Jason in Columbia, SC, ranking four legendary individual seasons since 2000: Tim Tebow (2007), Cam Newton (2010), Joe Burrow (2019), and Travis Hunter (2024). Is Hunter's dual-award season actually crazier than Shohei Ohtani?
Blue Blood Urgency: Which historic program needs a successful campaign the most to avoid sliding into complete irrelevance in this new era of player compensation?
Coordinators Under Pressure: Bryan from Atlanta asks which coordinators across the country are facing the absolute most heat, whether they are stepping into championship expectations or trying to fix struggling units.

Timestamps
0:52 - Bret Bielema’s comments
4:49 - Stew on his convo with Tony Petitti
13:26 - Bruce’s takeaways from day 1 of media day
15:09 - Matt Campbell & Penn State
16:18 - USC & Lincoln Riley
23:15 - Stew is concerned about Michigan
24:50 - Dante Moore & Oregon discussion
25:49 - Stew on Oregon
27:45 - Jersey Patches
31:23 - Audible Mailbag
31:56 - Question 1: Blue Blood schools
35:57 - Question 2: Most impressive individual seasons
39:33 - Question 3: Coordinators under pressure
44:02 - Gift card for Mailbag winner
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In today’s episode, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman and Ralph Russo break down a chaotic week in college football, starting with breaking news out of Chapel Hill, a massive Big Ten Media Day preview, and the sport’s latest labor shifts.

First, the guys dive into North Carolina placing general manager Michael Lombardi on paid administrative leave. What does this mean for the Tar Heels' 2026 season, the program's structural future, and the long-term relationship between UNC and Bill Belichick? Bruce and Ralph evaluate Lombardi’s brief tenure as a CFB general manager and project what expectations look like for UNC moving forward.

Next, with Big Ten Media Days kicking off and USC head coach Lincoln Riley taking the stage tomorrow, the guys preview the biggest storylines, teams, and coaches they are chasing down. Plus, they break down the 2026 Preseason Big Ten Poll, discussing why predicting an order of finish is harder than the SEC this year and why Bruce is underwhelmed by the conference's running back rooms.

Finally, they tackle the latest massive labor news as Stanford football players move toward creating a collective bargaining unit. Does this bring college football closer to a CBA? To wrap up, Bruce and Ralph highlight college football’s 2026 "All-Geezer Team," spotlighting the 7th- and 8th-year players still dotting rosters, including names like Avery Johnson and Bear Alexander.

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TIMESTAMPS:

1:10 UNC places GM Michael Lombardi on paid administrative leave due to HR complaint
6:13 - Another distraction for UNC
7:28 - What happens going forward?
16:36 - What is high on Bruce’s list for Big Ten media day?
20:36 - Oregon Ducks title contention?
23:31 - Last time Ohio State won the Big Ten
25:36 - Pressure on Lincoln Riley and USC
31:46 - The Big Ten RBs
34:35 - Stanford players and a CBA?
40:25 - The All-Geezer team
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In this episode, Bruce Feldman, Stewart Mandel, and Ralph Russo dive deep into the latest college football headlines, rank the nation's quarterbacks, and answer your burning questions in the mailbag.

First, we react to Florida head coach Jon Sumrall embracing the grueling 9-game SEC schedule and his thoughts on the rivalry with Georgia. Then, things get spicy in Lexington as Kentucky offensive coordinator Will Stein drops a bold, Curt Cignetti-style claim about why the Wildcats will win.

Next, we break down The Athletic’s 2026 college football quarterback tiers, ranking every projected starter from 1 to 138. The guys reveal their picks for:

Which tier-2 (or lower) QBs will jump into Tier 1 (LaNorris Sellers, Marcel Reed, Jaden Craig)
Which big-name signal-callers they are highly skeptical of (Josh Hoover, Julian Sayin, Noah Fifita)
Their favorite under-the-radar tier 4-7 sleepers to ride with this season (Tyler Hughes, Alberto Mendoza, Lincoln Kienholz)

Finally, we open up the mailbag to tackle your questions:

Is Indiana's Curt Cignetti destined to regress like Chip Kelly now that the rest of college football has copied his transfer portal blueprint?
How would the summer hype surrounding Miami be different if Notre Dame had made the College Football Playoff over them last winter?
•Why has the recruitment of elite Junior College (JUCO) players dropped off so drastically over the last 15 years compared to the 1990s?

0:00 - Intro
0:48 - Will Jon Sumrall help reignite the Florida-Georgia rivalry?
11:15 - Has Kentucky found their Curt Cignetti in Will Stein?
16:43 - Start of the QB tier discussion
17:50 - Which QB not in tier 1 will finish the season in tier 1?
22:50 - Which QB are you skeptical of?
31:03 - Pick a QB ranked in tiers 4-7 to ride with this season.
40:19 - Mailbag questions

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Would the SEC do the unthinkable and leave college football? Bruce Feldman, Stewart Mandel, and Ralph Russo discuss SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey’s press conference. The Southeastern Conference head spoke today at the annual media day. The Audible team reacts to his latest comments.

Plus, it’s the end of an era for the Michigan Wolverines. Athletic Director Warde Manuel will be stepping down at the end of the calendar year. His tenure is marked by controversy and championships. The guys ask Michigan fans if it was all worth it. Drop a comment below and let us know if you think it was or wasn’t.

Is Indiana the new wide receiver U? Curt Cignetti landed a 5-star recruit. Monshun Sales has committed to the Hoosiers. Does the Big Ten recruiting trail now run through Bloomington, Indiana?

Finally, the guys discuss the ACC Media Days. Ralph was onsite for the availability and reacts to several interesting storylines. First, Dabo Swinney was fired up about his legacy and the state of the Clemson Tigers football program. Plus, what happened between Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi and Miami? And, are there ACC schools we should view differently?

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#CollegeFootball #Michigan #SEC

0:00 - Intro
0:57 - Warde Manuel to leave Michigan
11:05 - Would the SEC actually break away from College Football?
17:00 - What should we make of Mizzou’s Eliah Drinkwitz’s comments?
22:47 - Is Indiana the new wide receiver U?
30:35 - Why did Dabo Swinney fired up at ACC Media Day?
38:10 - What happened between Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi and Miami?
43:15 - Are there ACC schools we should view differently?
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