The Solid Verbal College Football

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.
Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
5:46 - Mario Cristobal & Miami will trip up
13:45 - Matt Rhule is a turnaround genius
20:38 - Lane Kiffin is misunderstood
26:25 - Ryan Dan was born on third base
32:35 - Texas A&M has a hard ceiling
38:56 - Oregon will fall flat late
45:33 - Clemson can't adapt
54:08 - Big Game James Franklin
56:09 - Being the guy after Nick Saban
Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.