Split Zone Duo

Welcome to Week 11. Alex and Richard preview the most interesting games coming up this weekend and also discuss other big CFB developments: * The initial playoff rankings release * The ESPN-YouTube TV standoff and what people are getting wrong about Disney's motivations * The American race heats up, with UTSA-USF and Tulane-Memphis on tap before we even get to Saturday action * Is this the end of Deion Sanders at Colorado? Good luck guessing * Indiana-Penn State and Ohio State-Purdue won't be close games, but they will be Heisman platform builders for Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin* Oregon-Iowa has us very intrigued about the Hawkeyes, though we're split on what's going to happen at Kinnick Stadium * Auburn-Vanderbilt: Be careful, Commodores * Louisville has a major injury problem as it tries to win the ACC* Dabo Swinney faces a crossroads at Clemson * THE MAIN COURSE, presented by Modelo: CBS Sports national college football reporter Shehan Jeyarajah stops by to discuss BYU-Texas Tech. Read Shehan's big feature on Tech's roster build. And much, much more. Producer: Anthony Vito Thanks to our subscribers and partnersSubscribers get about twice as many SZD podcasts during the season. Now, during the coach carousel, is a great time to join. Thanks to everyone who's decided to become a subscriber over the past few weeks! Thanks Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off, or just click https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZDThanks to Nokian Tyres: https://www.nokiantyres.com/szdThanks to Homefield Apparel: Join them, Godfrey, and Ryan Nanni in Athens next week! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/phantom-island-live-in-athens-tickets-1825198310279?aff=oddtdtcreator This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comHugh Freeze is out at Auburn and probably done forever as a top-level college football coach. Richard and Alex do a postmortem on his Auburn tenure and his broader career, then discuss what Auburn could and should do next:* The brief good times Freeze had at Ole Miss, and how we'd remember him if not for the recruiting class that later got him into trouble* A weird dude whose firing wasn't weird at all* Failures of QB development and Freeze blowing what turned out to be his only chance to do the thing Auburn dreamed he could do: Beat Nick Saban* A masterclass in ineffective communication by a head coach* Auburn's infamous donor/administration alignment, currently better than several other SEC programs in the coaching market* Jon Sumrall, the name that will be on everyone's lips in this search* How Lane Kiffin's decision-making affects Auburn's options* Why it's time to just hire a normal football coach, please* Why Freeze's firing feels like a party for college football fans of all different ideological persuasionsProducer: Anthony VitoAdditional reading and listening* Steven Godfrey's 2023 episode about his dealings with Freeze* Jason Kirk on Freeze: “Rub some church on it”

Rodger Sherman joins Alex for a big ol' rundown of Week 10 of the college football season. Among dozens of games discussed, we go over: Miami's faceplant at SMU, which keeps the Canes out of playoff contention unless something really drastic happensOklahoma's kicker-led victory in KnoxvilleUtah manhandling Cincinnati in just the way we expectedNC State knocking Georgia Tech from the land of the unbeatenSomething cool that Rodger noticed about the MSU-Minnesota endingUSC's huge win in Lincoln, with help from Matt Rhule and some injuriesDuke staying in the ACC race and taking Clemson from bad to worseThe American race becoming even more chaotic with UNT beating NavyHugh Freeze's emphatic likely ending at AuburnThe Jeff Sims Legacy Game for Arizona State over Iowa StateDeion's Colorado and Frost's UCF looking just terribleSyracuse putting a true freshman walk-on lacrosse player at QB for a game against Bill BelichickBoise State getting embarrassed by a team with 35 passing yardsAnd much more! Producer: Anthony Vito. Thanks to our partners and subscribers20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZDVisit Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/Enter to win airfare and lodging for a trip to New York City on conference championship weekend at https://www.nokiantyres.com/SZD This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Alex and Richard preview Week 10 of the college football season, with notes, observations, and predictions spanning lots of games. Just a few include: * Tulane at UTSA: The Green Wave are playoff contenders and their coach is one of the hottest candidates of the cycle. Are they actually good? * UNC at Syracuse: Are the Tar Heels about to experience just a little bit of joy, finally? * Navy at North Texas: Is this just one of those years when Navy has a special QB and thus a special season? Or can UNT put a stop to it? * Penn State at Ohio State: The Nittany Lions aren't a threat this year, but Ohio State has several offensive red flags to sort out * WVU at Houston: That's “Big 12 contender Houston” to you * Florida vs. Georgia: What does a post-Billy Napier Florida offense look like, and why can't Georgia get off the field on third downs? * Texas Tech at Kansas State: Are the Wildcats just good, despite having four losses? We think they're a real challenge for Tech* Mississippi State at Arkansas: Someone's gotta win * Kentucky at Auburn: Someone's gotta lose * USC at Nebraska: Can Matt Rhule finally win a big one? * Cincinnati at Utah: Are the Bearcats physical enough to compete in this one? And is Kyle Whittingham being honest about his QB's medical situation? * For THE MAIN COURSE, presented by Modelo: Through the Keyhole podcaster and writer Allen Kenney joins us to talk about Oklahoma vs. Tennessee, a true playoff elimination game, as well as the state of the Sooners under Brent Venables and Jim NagyProducer: Anthony VitoThanks to our subscribers and partnersSubscribers get roughly twice as many SZD podcasts during the season. Now, during the coach carousel, is a great time to join. Thanks to everyone who's hopped onboard over the past few weeks! Thanks to Nokian Tyres: https://www.nokiantyres.com/szdThanks to Homefield Apparel: https://www.homefieldapparel.comThanks Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off, or just click https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comBrian Kelly is out at LSU after three and a half of the odder seasons in recent memory. Alex and Richard discuss his ouster and LSU's future options:* The $54 million buyout is probably not a $54 million buyout* Kelly was an awkward cultural fit for LSU. Did that affect his ability to do his job, or did it just speed up his downfall once he was flailing?* Speaking of that: Why couldn't the winningest coach in Notre Dame history get things revved up in a job where he thought he had more upside?* Congratulations to LSU AD Scott Woodward, whose ability to spend other people's money on blockbuster coaching flops is without parallel* The coaching carousel, shaping up to be the wildest ever, is on its way to a major mismatch between supply and demand* Why it's time for Woodward to eat his vegetablesProducer: Anthony Vito

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comShortly before Texas kicked off at Mississippi State, The Athletic reported that Steve Sarkisian's reps had “let NFL decision-makers know” that Sark would be interested in NFL jobs. Sarkisian and his agents were mad enough about the report that Jimmy Sexton and Ed Marynowitz issued a denial on official letterhead. Richard wants to talk about everything that's happening here.This is an episode of Split Zone Duo OVERTIME, an occasional add-on to our Sunday recap in which we go deeper on one weird topic from the weekend. It's a subscriber special, and you can subscribe if you haven't at this button: The Week 9 Hurry-Up presented by Dad Water is out now for everyone: Producer: Anthony Vito

Week 9 was light on upsets but big on close games that had a big effect on the national race. In the Sunday Hurry-Up presented by Dad Water, Richard and Alex discuss approximately 43 college football games, from Memphis' comeback over USF to Utah's destruction of Colorado. Producer: Anthony Vito Thanks to our partners and subscribers20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZDVisit Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/Enter to win airfare and lodging for a trip to New York City on conference championship weekend at https://www.nokiantyres.com/SZD This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comIn the latest episode of “The Job,” our subscriber series about open FBS head coaching jobs, we head to Fort Collins, Colorado. The Rams fired Jay Norvell and are (again) looking for a head coach who can fulfill what many people in college football believe is a lot of potential. We discuss:* Why some people are enamored with this job* The Rams' NIL situation* A (probably) helpful move to the new Pac-12* How long a program gets to be a sleeping giant before people should stop believing that better days are comingProducer: Anthony Vito

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comSUBSCRIBER SPECIAL: Godfrey stops by to talk with Richard and Alex about a big list of coaches whose uncertain futures will shape the coach carousel over the next few months. Broken down into groups, we've got:* The Fired Guys (James Franklin, Billy Napier, etc.)* The Out-of-Work Guys (Ed Orgeron, Jimbo Fisher, Pat Fitzgerald, etc.)* The Power Four Poach Candidates (Lane Kiffin, Matt Rhule, Eli Drinkwitz, etc.)* The Group of 5 and FCS Risers (Jon Sumrall, Ryan Silverfield, Brent Vigen, Alex Golesh, Dan Mullen?, etc.)* The Big Buyout Club (Luke Fickell, Mike Norvell, Brian Kelly, Mark Stoops)* The “Not That Hard If You Want to Fire Him” Crew (Hugh Freeze, Mike Locksley, Dave Aranda, etc.)* The Weird Circumstance Cases (Shane Beamer, Kyle Whittingham, Bobby Petrino)Producer: Anthony Vito

Alex and Richard preview Week 9 of the college football season. Among the many games previewed on this episode are: * Not one but TWO major FCS games: No. 1 NDSU at No. 2 SDSU, plus Montana at Sacramento State in a game that's become narratively dramatic * Kansas State at Kansas: Is this finally the Jayhawks' time? * Ole Miss at Oklahoma: Why are we so worried for Ole Miss? * USF at Memphis: Someone from this game will probably play for the American conference championship. Who? * Auburn at Arkansas: You can sort of feel how this is going to go, right? * BYU at Iowa State: A good chance for another unbeaten to fall * Minnesota at Iowa: Somehow, this has playoff stakes on both sides* Illinois at Washington: Uh, same * Texas at Mississippi State: An appealing Dad Water Home Dog of the Week spot for the Bulldogs against a decaying Longhorn team * Wisconsin at Oregon: A look at the three different genres of “votes of confidence” that embattled head coaches got this week * THE MAIN COURSE, presented by Modelo: Host emeritus Steven Godfrey joins us to talk about Vanderbilt's rise to GameDay-hosting prominence ahead of a major home game against Missouri That is but a sampling of what is on this Tasting Menu. Producer: Anthony Vito.Thank you to our subscribers and partnersThanks to Nokian Tyres: https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd Thanks to Homefield Apparel: https://www.homefieldapparel.com Thanks Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off, or just click https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comSUBSCRIBER SPECIAL: More than a year after he first looked doomed to be fired, Billy Napier finally got the axe in Gainesville. After a day of making phone calls on this, Richard talks with Alex about the Gators' big move:* Napier had a solid plan for this job. Why didn't it work?* DJ Lagway's 2025 season is a tale of how a head coach can get himself into REAL trouble with this one simple trick* Florida AD Scott Stricklin has now missed on two head coach hires. Most SEC athletic directors don't get a third attempt and would now be marginalized. But that might not happen here, for reasons Richard explains* The Gators have had four disappointing (or just bad) head coaches in a row. Is this job still as good as it used to be? Yes, actually* Jimmy Sexton's manipulation of the national spotlight this weekend was a sight to behold. Sometimes you have to tip your caps to the greats* An early trip through some names that you'll see connected to the GatorsThis is a subscriber episode. You can join for $10 a month at www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe, or get a month free by signing up for the full year. If you subscribe, you'll get lots more episodes from us (in season, subscribers often get four podcasts per week, rather than two) as well as Q&A opportunities and all of our coaching carousel shows.Producer: Anthony Vito

Welcome to the Week 8 Sunday Hurry-Up, presented by Dad Water! Rodger Sherman joins Richard to share notes and observations on all the games that caught our eye this weekend, from Louisville's upset of Miami on Friday (which Richard covered live) through the end of Saturday's action. Producer: Anthony Vito. Thanks to our partners and subscribers20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZDVisit Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/Enter to win airfare and lodging for a trip to New York City on conference championship weekend at https://www.nokiantyres.com/SZD This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comThe latest episode of THE JOB, our subscriber series about the ins and outs of open college football coaching jobs, features four schools. * Stanford: A once-great Pac-12 program has fallen like a rock as it's transitioned to the ACC. But the Cardinal are amid a serious fundraising push, and this bad job could become a good job once again. * Oregon State: No program in college football has had a harder past two years than the Beavers. What will be left for a new coach to take over, and is the athletic department's financial house in order? * UAB: This program had some good years after coming back from the dead, but the Blazers' problems go a lot deeper than Trent Dilfer being a bad hire. What kind of coach makes sense? We have an idea. * Kent State: Arguably the hardest job in FBS, full stop.More podcasts for subscribers * Why Kent State Is Always Bad, featuring guest Rodger Sherman * All of our previous episodes of The Job, right here. With this episode, we've covered all nine current FBS openings. There are more to come. * As mentioned in the show, here's that Sportico report on Oregon State's NIL setup. Get all of this by becoming a paid subscriber today for $10 a month or $110 a year. Producer: Anthony Vito

The Week 8 college football schedule features tests for a handful of coaches who sure look like they need a win to keep their jobs for the long term. In addition to those angsty situations, we've got a few big helmet games and potential conference race deciders in the Sun Belt and Mountain West. A few of the games covered in this episode include: * Louisville at Miami: A possible trap for the Canes, but if they're what we think they are, they'll be fine * Washington at Michigan: Can the Huskies keep scoring with an overmatched offensive line? Maybe! * LSU at Vanderbilt: No reason Vandy can't do this at home * Georgia Tech at Duke: Major ACC championship race implications * Baylor at TCU: Better figure this out, Frogs * UNLV at Boise State: Winner is the best team in the MWC, for now * Ole Miss at Georgia: How worried should you be about Trinidad Chambliss? * Ohio State at Wisconsin: It's getting late for Luke Fickell* Mississippi State at Florida: Ditto for Billy Napier * Missouri at Auburn: Same for Hugh Freeze * Texas Tech at Arizona State: Can anyone in the Big 12 hang with the Red Raiders physically? * USC at Notre Dame: No, you can't just put this game on Netflix* Utah at BYU: If Kyle Whittingham really still has it, the Utes are going to crunch BYU's freshman QB in this game * Old Dominion at James Madison: THE MAIN COURSE, presented by Modelo, featuring Bennett Conlin of JMU Sports NewsAnd many more games discussed within! Producer: Anthony VitoThank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.comAlso, welcome our new partner, Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off, or just click https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comSUBSCRIBER EPISODE: The first proper emergency show of the 2025 coach carousel arrives. Penn State fired James Franklin after an unthinkable weeks saw the Nittany Lions go from national championship contenders to one of the biggest disasters in recent college football history. Alex and Richard discuss how this got out of hand so quickly, how the Franklin era changed Penn State for the better, and where the program and Franklin can each go from here. Producer: Anthony Vito

Welcome to the Week 7 Sunday Hurry-Up, presented by Dad Water! This week, Alex and Richard start with Indiana's statement win at Oregon and move from there, covering dozens of games from the midpoint week of the season:* Indiana 30, Oregon 20* Ohio State 34, Illinois 16* USC 31, Michigan 13* Iowa 37, Wisconsin 0* UCLA 38, Michigan State 13* Washington 38, Rutgers 19* Nebraska 34, Maryland 31* Northwestern 22, Penn State 21* Texas 23, Oklahoma 6* Tennessee 34, Arkansas 31* Georgia 20, Auburn 10* LSU 20, South Carolina 10* Texas A&M 34, Florida 17* Alabama 27, Missouri 24* Ole Miss 24, Washington State 21* Texas Tech 42, Kansas 17* Utah 42, Arizona State 10* Colorado 24, Iowa State 17* BYU 33, Arizona 27 (2OT)* Cincinnati 20, UCF 11* Kansas State 41, TCU 28* Pitt 34, Florida State 31* Notre Dame 36, NC State 7* Georgia Tech 35, Virginia Tech 10* SMU 34, Stanford 10* Wake Forest 30, Oregon State 14* USF 63, North Texas 36* Navy 32, Temple 31* Tulane 26, East Carolina 19* FAU 53, UAB 33* James Madison 24, Louisiana 14* Marshall 48, Old Dominion 24* Southern Miss 38, Georgia Southern 35* Kennesaw State 35, Louisiana Tech 7* Colorado State 49, Fresno State 21* UNLV 51, Air Force 48* Wyoming 35, Hawaii 28* Bowling Green 28, Toledo 23* Western Michigan 42, Ball State 0* Kent State 42, UMass 6Producer: Anthony Vito.Thanks to our partners and subscribers* 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD* Visit Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/* Enter to win airfare and lodging for a trip to New York City on conference championship weekend at https://www.nokiantyres.com/SZD This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comSUBSCRIBER EPISODE: Richard spent a lot of this week making calls about the North Carolina situation for a CBS Sports report on the situation. In this show, he talks with Alex about how Belichick's tenure got this toxic this quickly:* What he's gotten wrong in his first foray into college football* How the business of Bill and the business of UNC have diverged, repeatedly, and why that will make his eventual exit ugly* Why Belichick will not go quietly into the nightThis episode isn't just about UNC. It's also midseason news roundup full of topics that we wouldn't always get a chance to discuss on the weekly Tasting Menu or Hurry-Up shows. After talking about the Heels, we also get into:* Auburn moving a game against Baylor to Atlanta, which infuriated a lot of people in Auburn: Do the Tigers have the business case they say they have?* There's now a tipline (snitch line, some would say) for NIL rules violations. So I guess enforcement isn't going that well, huh?* A new transfer portal window tweak is pro-coach and anti-player.Producer: Anthony VitoThis episode is for paid subscribersEveryone can hear the first 13 minutes of North Carolina talk, as a free preview. To get the whole episode and many, many more, consider becoming a paid subscriber. We'd love to have you. It costs $10 a month: www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Our college football Week 7 preview, with notes on a bunch of games as the season hits its halfway point. Just a few of the games in here:* USF at North Texas, a potential Game of the Year in the American with playoff implications on both sides* Ohio State at Illinois, a potential test for the Buckeyes but probably just another chance to flex how good they are* Alabama at Missouri, where at least one of us thinks the Tigers can do it* Texas vs. Oklahoma: Will Texas be able to block for Arch Manning? It's an open question, as is John Mateer's availability* Iowa State at Colorado, where it looks like Deion Sanders is winding it down* Arkansas at Tennessee, a showcase spot for Bobby Petrino* Georgia at Auburn, a chance for Auburn to show what it's got up front* South Carolina at LSU, which looks less enticing than it once did* Arizona State at Utah, with Big 12 title ramifications* THE MAIN COURSE, PRESENTED BY MODELO: The great Dan Rubenstein of The Solid Verbal podcast joins us to talk about Indiana-Oregon and the Ducks' continued rise under Dan LanningThank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.com20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comPenn State just took one of the worst losses any team has taken in years. The preseason No. 2 team may already be out of the playoff race by early October, and we're questioning everything we thought we knew about them. What do you do now, though? Alex and Richard discuss Penn State's options, which boil down to: 1) Win out, 2) Pay a $50 million buyout, 3) Hope James Franklin takes another job, or 4) Just move forward with a toxic, compromised relationship between the coach and the fanbase. This is a subscriber episodeEveryone can hear a free preview, and you can get the whole thing—and dozens more bonus episodes every year—by becoming a paid subscriber for $10 a month.

In the Week 6 Sunday Hurry-Up presented by Dad Water, Richard and Alex break down a college football weekend that turned out to have a bit of everything: * UCLA 42, Penn State 37* Washington 24, Maryland 20* Michigan 24, Wisconsin 10* Nebraska 38, Michigan State 27* Illinois 43, Purdue 27* Ohio State 42, Minnesota 3* Alabama 30, Vanderbilt 14* Florida 29, Texas 21* Georgia 35, Kentucky 14* Texas A&M 31, Mississippi State 9* Miami 28, Florida State 22* Clemson 38, North Carolina 10* Virginia 30, Louisville 27* Pitt 48, Boston College 7* Duke 45, California 21* Cincinnati 38, Iowa State 30* BYU 38, West Virginia 24* Texas Tech 35, Houston 11 * TCU 35, Colorado 21* Baylor 35, Kansas State 34* Arizona 41, Oklahoma State 13* Navy 34, Air Force 31* Army 31, UAB 13* USF 54, Charlotte 26* Temple 27, UTSA 21* Notre Dame 28, Boise State 7* San Diego State 45, Colorado State 24* UNLV 31, Wyoming 17* Arkansas State 31, Texas State 30* Old Dominion 47, Coastal Carolina 7* App State 27, Oregon State 23* WKU 27, Delaware 24* New Mexico State 37, Sam Houston 10* Buffalo 31, Eastern Michigan 30 * Akron 28, Central Michigan 22* Western Carolina 23, Wofford 21Producer: Anthony Vito. Want much more? Become a paid subscriberWe're planning our usual two-subscriber-show load for you this week.Thanks to our partners and subscribers* 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD* Visit Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/* Enter to win airfare and lodging for a trip to New York City on conference championship weekend at https://www.nokiantyres.com/SZD This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comOur subscriber series on open FBS coaching jobs visits Fayetteville. Arkansas fired Sam Pittman and then admitted outright that the school did not put him in the financial position to succeed. The school has unique challenges stemming from its commitment to being good in basketball and baseball. Arkansas has a handful of rich, famous boosters, who own things like Walmart and the Dallas Cowboys. But how much money is earmarked for football is always a point of uncertainty. Let's also talk about the Bobby Petrino in the room. Episodes of “The Job” are for paid subscribersEveryone can hear a free preview, and you can catch up on other episodes here:* Oklahoma State * Virginia Tech* UCLAProducer: Anthony Vito

The Week 6 college football schedule is light on blockbusters, but that only makes the Split Zone Duo Tasting Menu's job more important. Lets' talk about what's interesting to us this week, jumping from game to game, starting with the lone Thursday nighter and continuing through last call on Saturday:* WKU at Delaware, providing real intrigue in CUSA* Army at UAB, where Trent Dilfer continues to fight for his job* Kansas State at Baylor, where someone will remain a Big 12 contender* Wisconsin at Michigan, which could get very ugly for the Badgers* Kentucky at Georgia, which should take things from bad to worse for the Wildcats as their season risks getting out of hand* Iowa State at Cincinnati, maybe the game of the early window* Virginia at Louisville, a meeting of stealth ACC contenders* Vanderbilt at Alabama, which wouldn't be that big of an upset* Boise State at Notre Dame, which would be* Washington at Maryland, which has Alex feeling … hope?* Texas Tech at Houston, as the Red Raiders keep marching* The Main Course, presented by Modelo: Ahead of a game at Florida State, Omaha Productions ball-knower and general Miami historian/superfan Kevin Clark joins the program to talk about the Canes' apparent breakthrough. But is he worried about a Mario Cristobal Game Management Moment? We will discuss it.Thank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.comAlso, welcome our new partner, Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off.Producer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comDespite a busy few weeks in 2025, college football teams fire fewer coaches at midseason than you might expect. But when they do, there are usually some through lines: The firing after the death knell loss, or the guy who gets canned in September instead of on “Black Sunday” after Thanksgiving. Richard and host emeritus Steven Godfrey roll through the past five years of coach carousels to find out just what went into each case when a coach got fired extremely early.Producer: Anthony Vito

In THE SUNDAY HURRY-UP PRESENTED BY DAD WATER, Richard and Alex discuss Week 5 of the college football season: Oregon 30, Penn State 24Ohio State 24, Washington 6Indiana 20, Iowa 15Illinois 34, USC 32Northwestern 17, UCLA 14Alabama 24, Georgia 21Texas A&M 16, Auburn 10Tennessee 41, Mississippi State 34Vanderbilt 55, Utah State 35Ole Miss 24, LSU 19 UVA 46, FSU 38Notre Dame 56, Arkansas 13Louisville 34, Pitt 27Georgia Tech 30, Wake Forest 29Duke 38, Syracuse 3Cal 28, BC 24Virginia Tech 23, NC State 21Stanford 30, San Jose State 29Iowa State 39, Arizona 14Utah 48, WVU 14BYU 24, Colorado 21Cincinnati 37, Kansas 34Kansas State 34, UCF 20Arizona State 27, TCU 24Houston 27, Oregon State 24North Texas 36, South Bama 22Memphis 55, FAU 26Navy 21, Rice 13ECU 28, Army 6Boise 47, App State 14JMU 35, Georgia Southern 10Louisiana 54, Marshall 51Southern Miss 42, Jacksonville State 25ODU 21, Liberty 7Louisiana Tech 30, UTEP 11ULM 28, Arkansas State 16Ohio 35, Bowling Green 20Central Michigan 24, EMU 13San Diego State 6, NIU 3Hawaii 44, AFA 35Wazzu 20, Colorado State 3New Mexico 38, NMSU 20Montana 41, Idaho 30Want much more? Become a paid subscriber We're planning our usual two-subscriber-show load for you this week. Thanks to our partners and subscribers20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD Visit Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/Enter to win airfare and lodging for a trip to New York City on conference championship weekend at https://www.nokiantyres.com/SZDProducer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comThe interim head coach is a feature of every college football season. As of publication of this episode, there are more interim coaches (five) than there have been weeks in the season (four). How do schools decide who should take over when a head coach gets fired? What patterns can we detect in how they make these choices? What are the many archetypes of interim coach, and what do they suggest about schools' goals? Most importantly: How do interim coaches do when they get the “interim” label removed and take the permanent job? Should we be taking more of them more seriously as long-term candidates? Rodger Sherman leads Alex and Richard on a journey into the world of the interim. Meet the seven different types, including:* The Special Teams Coach* The Interim Who Used To Be A Head Coach* The Please Don't Decommit Interim* The Frequent Flyer Interim* The Lifetime Achievement Interim* The Remember Some Guys Interim* And most important: The Interim Who Actually Gets The JobProducer: Anthony Vito

Our overview of the Week 5 college football schedule, with notes, questions, and some predictions on dozens of games. Here's a non-exhaustive list of games:* Army at ECU* FSU at Virginia (upset??)* TCU at Arizona State* USC at Illinois* UCF at Kansas State* Louisville at Pitt* Notre Dame at Arkansas* Auburn at Texas A&M* LSU at Ole Miss (Kiffin vs. Kiffin?)* Ohio State at Washington* UCLA at Northwestern (don't watch this)* NMSU at New Mexico* Tennessee at Mississippi State* Appalachian State at Boise State* Montana at Idaho (FCS top-10 showdown)* Alabama at Georgia* BYU at Colorado* And, of course, Oregon at Penn State: THE MAIN COURSE, featuring Audrey Snyder of Inside the Lions. If you haven't paid much attention to Penn State in its three warmup games, you're not alone. Audrey tells us how the Nittany Lions are looking, where the trouble spots might be, and what she makes of this marquee rematch of last year's Big Ten Championship.Thank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.comAlso, welcome our new partner, Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off.Producer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comSUBSCRIBER SERIES: Oklahoma State finally cut ties with Mike Gundy. That wasn't a surprise, but the timing was. Now the Pokes look forward. Alex and Richard discuss the Oklahoma State job post-Gundy:* Why did the program rot over the past two seasons?* What is unique about Oklahoma State's financial challenges?* How did money problems materialize on the field?* Who's actually in charge? Recent events make that a fair question* What does “fit” look like for a job that one guy has had for 20 years?* Verdict time: Good job, bad job, or circumstantial?Episodes of “The Job” are for paid subscribersEveryone can hear a free preview, and you can catch up on other episodes here:* Virginia Tech* UCLA

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comVirginia Tech has an incredible fanbase and a history, in this century, as one of the best programs in the country. But those things only count for so much, and the Hokies are now facing an existential moment: Catch up in the financial arms race, or fade further from relevance. In this episode, Alex and Richard discuss:* Why Brent Pry failed* Why the concept of “fit” in this job is extremely hard to figure out, unless you are literally Frank Beamer's son. (And in that case, you have a conventionally better job.) * Tech's place in the ACC and why TV viewership is everything* The bells and whistles the Hokies have lacked* The questions any candidate will want answered* How much does an amazing game day atmosphere still matter?* “I do not think Michael Vick is going to get this job”* Verdict time: Good job, bad job, or circumstantial?Producer: Anthony Vito

That was a heck of a week. Richard and Alex break down a busy Week 4 in college football, highlighting dozens of games of interest. In this order: Oklahoma 24, Auburn 17Ole Miss 45, Tulane 10Texas 55, Sam Houston 0Tennessee 56, UAB 24Missouri 29, South Carolina 20 Miami 26, Florida 7Syracuse 34, Clemson 21Duke 45, NC State 33UCF 34, North Carolina 9San Diego State 34, Cal 0Virginia Tech 38, Wofford 6Indiana 63, Illinois 10Michigan 30, Nebraska 27Maryland 27, Wisconsin 10Oregon 41, Oregon State 7Washington 59, Washington State 24Iowa 38, Rutgers 28Texas Tech 34, Utah 10TCU 35, SMU 24Arizona State 27, Baylor 24Kansas 41, West Virginia 10Colorado 37, Wyoming 20BYU 34, East Carolina 13Tulsa 19, Oklahoma State 12Notre Dame 56, Purdue 30James Madison 31, Liberty 13Memphis 32, Arkansas 31North Texas 45, Army 38 (OT)UTSA 17, Colorado State 16Rice 28, Charlotte 17UNLV 41, Miami (OH) 38Eastern Michigan 34, Louisiana 31Boise State 49, Air Force 37Fresno State 23, Hawaii 21Louisiana Tech 30, Southern Miss 20Kennesaw State 28, Arkansas State 21Delaware 38, FIU 16Coast Guard 92, Nichols 60Thanks to our partners and subscribers20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZDVisit Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/Enter a college football road trip at https://www.nokiantyres.com/SZDProducer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comWelcome to “The Job,” a new recurring series from Split Zone Duo in which Richard and Alex go through the ins and outs of open college football coaching job. UCLA fired DeShaun Foster, which means the Bruins are once again looking for a coach to take advantage of the good parts of this gig without succumbing to the bad parts of it. But it's been a while since anything has worked. In this episode, Richard and Alex discuss:* Why Foster became the latest UCLA coach to flop* The financial challenges, and non-financial challenges, of the job* What UCLA still has going for it, despite all of that* What “fit” looks like at a school that's tried a lot of late-career retreads but just fell flat with a beloved son getting his first HC job* Verdict time: Good job, bad job, or circumstantial job?This episode is for paid subscriber. Everyone can hear a free preview. Paid subscribers will get many more of these bonus episodes—and others—as the coaching carousel continues to spin.

The Week 4 college football schedule is loaded with big games that wouldn't have felt this big in any other year, like Texas Tech-Utah and Illinois-Indiana. Alex and Richard break down what's interesting this weekend. A non-exhaustive list of games covered:* Iowa-Rutgers * Texas Tech-Utah* SMU-TCU (for the last time for a while)* North Texas-Army* Arkansas-Memphis * The Civil War* The Apple Cup* Tulane-Ole Miss* Michigan-Nebraska * Auburn-Oklahoma * Boise State-Air Force * Florida-Miami* ASU-Baylor* Michigan State-USC, verrrrry late at night * The Main Course, presented by Modelo: A detailed look at Illinois ahead of a huge game at Indiana, featuring Andy Johnson of The Shotgun Start More this week at Split Zone DuoCo-founder and co-host emeritus Steven Godfrey is here to break down five teams that are playing very badly: How doomed are they, and how doomed are their coaches? We discuss Florida, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, and Liberty in this episode. Thank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.comAlso, welcome our new partner, Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off.Producer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comOne quarter of the way through the season, Godfrey, Richard, and Alex discuss five teams that are off to terrible starts and haven't fired their coaches yet. They all look doomed to at least a bad season and maybe more than that, but can we find reasons for hope? In this episode: * How Billy Napier's staff management at Florida has made him an easy target for criticism as DJ Lagway has gone backward in his second year * Oklahoma State has fallen behind not just the blue-bloods of the sport, but most of the Big 12. Mike Gundy no longer looks like the guy to fix it* Wisconsin built its roster expecting that it could still act like the Wisconsin of the 2010s, putting a moneyball QB into a good support system. But the Badgers might not be able to operate that way anymore. * Northwestern is going in the wrong direction under David Braun. That doesn't look like his fault, but he also probably isn't the man to fix it. (Also, Pat Fitzgerald is probably getting back into coaching soon. Just saying.) * Liberty has so much more money than its peers but has now lost six of its last 10 games going back to last October. Maybe Jamey Chadwell's trick at Coastal Carolina wasn't as portable as once thought. After going through each of this situations, we wonder: Which of these programs has the best chance to get back on an upward path soon? Producer: Anthony VitoThis episode is for paid subscribers, but everyone can hear a free preview To get the whole thing, join us as a paid subscriber. Great time of year for it!

Richard and Alex break down an excellent Week 3 in college football, with a spotlight on more than three dozen games. We go in this order:Georgia 44, Tennessee 41Texas A&M 41, Notre Dame 40Georgia Tech 24, Clemson 21WVU 31, Pitt 24LSU 20, Florida 10Alabama 38, Wisconsin 14Miami 49, USF 12Oregon 34, Northwestern 14USC 33, Purdue 17Ole Miss 41, Arkansas 35Vandy 31, South Carolina 7Cal 27, Minnesota 14Stanford 30, Boston College 20NC State 34, Wake Forest 24Arizona 23, Kansas State 17New Mexico 35, UCLA 10Houston 36, Colorado 20Indiana 73, Indiana State 0ODU 45, Virginia Tech 26Tulane 34, Duke 27Iowa State 24, Arkansas State 16Oklahoma 42, Temple 3SMU 28, Missouri State 10Delaware 44, UConn 41Texas 27, UTEP 10Missouri 52, Louisiana 10Texas Tech 45, Oregon State 10Utah 31, Wyoming 6ASU 34, Texas State 15North Texas 59, Wazzu 10Southern Miss 38, App State 22UTSA 48, UIW 20BGSU 23, Liberty 13Memphis 28, Troy 7Buffalo 31, Kent State 28FIU 38, FAU 28UAB 31, Akron 28Thanks to our partners and subscribers20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZDVisit Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/Enter a college football road trip at https://www.nokiantyres.com/SZDProducer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comSubscriber show! Realignment killed off a lot of college football rivalries. Then the schools involved brought some of them back … only to let them wither again. Why does this happen, and are some of the ongoing changes to the sport encouraging or discouraging teams to schedule more of these games? Now that the Border War is back and the Backyard Brawl is about to play what might be its last game in a while (after a previous long pause), it's a good time to try to figure it out. Rodger Sherman joins Alex and Richard for a discussion about it.Producer: Anthony Vito

The Week 3 Tasting Menu discusses many, many college football games. Here are just a few of them:* Colorado vs. Houston: Deion Sanders makes a QB change, probably, but he's being cagey about it* Oregon vs. Northwestern: This game will not be interesting, but recent events surrounding Northwestern and its football program were* Clemson vs. Georgia Tech: This is a dangerous spot for Clemson, again* The Backyard Brawl: Other than the fact that anything can happen in a rivalry game, is there any reason to believe in West Virginia?* USF vs. Miami: The Bulls probably won't do it again, but we don't think they're about to get blown out of the stadium, either* ODU vs. Virginia Tech: Careful, Brent Pry* Florida vs. LSU: More trouble on the horizon for the Gators?* Vandy at South Carolina: Is the Nyck Harbor thing going to happen?* A&M at Notre Dame: Have the Aggies fished their rush defense?* Georgia vs. Tennessee, for this week's Main Course: Graham Coffey of Dawgs Central joins us to explain how things are going for the DawgsAnd many more games. We'll see you on on Sunday. Produced by Anthony Vito.Thank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.comAlso, welcome our new partner, Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comIn this week's SZD Overtime episode for subscribers, we examine two programs that were dominant in the 2000s and are still, all these years later, trying to recapture some of their old magic. Florida lost to USF, endangering Billy Napier's tenure once again. Virginia Tech dropped to 0-2 with losses to South Carolina and Vanderbilt and is staring down a failed hire in Brent Pry. Richard and Alex discuss what's gone wrong at Florida, why we're still having these conversations four years into Napier's tenure, and who would actually be in charge of firing Napier. Plus, we cover why Virginia Tech can't get anything right post-Frank Beamer and why they're now in an existential moment. Is Tech even a good job in 2025? Let's talk about it. Producer: Anthony Vito

Richard and Alex break down the interesting stuff from Week 2 of the college football season, starting with upsets in Starkville and Gainesville and moving on down the list to dozens of games:* Mississippi State broke through against Arizona State* USF cemented its very early hold on the G5 playoff spot at Florida* Oklahoma made sure Bryce Underwood had the night you expected* Iowa State has become what Iowa is when Iowa is good* Mizzou brought back the Border War in style* Illinois stood back as Duke melted down* Baylor got a key win at SMU and didn't look like a Dave Aranda team* Oregon did some really gruesome things to OKST* Virginia Tech's slow-rolling disaster continued vs. Vanderbilt* The Aidan Chiles revolution may have finally arrived* Ohio beat up on West Virginia* USC continued to rack up yardage at a ridiculous rate* Syracuse players had to run sprints in game, then after the game* Oregon State committed one of the great special teams blunders ever* Should you be worried about Georgia's offensive line?* Texas State scored another win against its rival UTSA* Liberty knocked itself out of the playoff race* UAB actually could've beaten NavyThanks to our partners and subscribers* 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD* Visit Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/* Enter a college football road trip at https://www.nokiantyres.com/SZD This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Alex and Richard preview Week 2 of the college football season, which is light on big-time helmet games but heavy on interesting regional matchups. This episode has notes and observations on a big bunch of games, including:* JMU at Louisville, a great Friday night opener for the weekend* Baylor at SMU, where we should learn a lot more about Baylor* Illinois at Duke, where the Illini put their playoff dark-horse status on the line* Iowa at Iowa State, a matchup that seems hard to figure out because of how mediocre the Iowa offense was in Week 1* UAB at Navy, which tends to run for a lot of yards against the Blazers* Texas State at UTSA in the I-35 Rivalry* Ole Miss at Kentucky, which prrrrrobably cannot do that again* Oklahoma State at Oregon, following a little barb-trading by the two coaches* WVU at Ohio, where Parker Navarro gets another chance to show off* Arkansas State at Arkansas, a game that has literally never happened* WKU vs. Toledo, one of the best Group of 5 meetings of the year* LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Bill Connelly joins us to talk about Michigan vs. Oklahoma, aka a five-star true freshman against Brent Venables, aka Sherrone Moore against his alma materAnd many more games. We'll see you on on Sunday. Produced by Anthony Vito.Thank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.comAlso, welcome our new partner, Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comESPN's Bill Connelly, author of a new book on the evolution and future of CFB, joins Alex and Richard for a big post-Week 1 chat:* Bill's new book, “Forward Progress,” is a mix of caution and optimism about the ways college football has changed. We talk with him about how sports actually die, what still works well about CFB, and what's broken. (This portion of the episode is free for everyone to hear.)* Richard reports from his trip to Chapel Hill for Bill Belichick's debut. Bill explains why this is probably going to be a hard slog for UNC, and Alex and Bill talk about the built-in financial inefficiency of a portaled roster.* There were very few big plays in Week 1, but there were tons of fourth-down attempts and conversions. Bill suspects these facts are related.* Which big Week 1 risers and fallers in Bill's SP+ system have caught his eye? Plus, how has the portal changed the art and science of projections?* Has the Group of 5 playoff race completely reset?* Is Kansas State going to be OK?* What does Bill make of exciting QB debuts at Cal and Maryland?Thanks to Bill, and go read “Forward Progress.” GET IT: https://bookshop.org/p/books/forward-progress-bill-connelly/22336270?ean=9781637278703&next=t&

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comIn this subscriber special (join us!), Alabama beat writer Matt Stahl of AL.com joins Alex to talk about exactly how bad things are right now in Tuscaloosa. Coming off a 14-point loss to FSU, we had a lot of questions, like:* How seriously is the Alabama beat taking the possibility of a coach firing?* What about Kalen DeBoer's management of the program has been so wrong?* Did Bama do anything to make this worse for itself from a PR perspective?* Was some of this slipping before Nick Saban rolled out of town?* Assuming things don't get REALLY bad and Bama doesn't want to pay $60 million, what intermediate changes could be made?* How is the NIL situation at the moment?* Just how low is DeBoer's approval rating after five losses in 10 games?Thanks to Matt for joining us. Find him on Bluesky.Producer: Anthony Vito

The Split Zone Duo Sunday Hurry-Up returns for 2025, still featuring notes on dozens of games delivered in 30-ish (emphasis on “ish”) minutes and now sponsored by our partners at Dad Water. In this Week 1 rundown: * FSU doesn't just beat Alabama, but does it with beef * Arch Manning flops at Ohio State, but we won't engage in Arch Doomerism just yet. Meanwhile, a great start for the defending champs* LSU overcomes ref adversity and takes care of business at Clemson * Tennessee is winning the Nico Iamaleava breakup* Utah's line play is absolutely terrifying * Tulane beats Northwestern on the field and in the PR department * The Cal Bears have a quarterback who demands your attention * Boise State more or less eliminates itself from CFP contention, already, but it is time to take USF seriously * Dylan Raiola shows encouraging signs; Brendan Sorsby does not * Auburn will eventually need a downfield passing game, but for now, it helps to have an offensive line that shoves people around * Georgia Tech does what few power-conference teams ever do * Tarleton and Austin Peay get on the board in the FCS Upset Draft * Kent State wins for the first time in 22 tries * DilferWatch remains on high alert This episode is produced by noted USF Bulls fan Anthony Vito. Want much more of this podcast? Become a paid subscriber today Our next episode is about Alabama and Kalen DeBoer. Thanks to our partners and subscribers* 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD * Visit Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/* Enter a college football road trip at https://www.nokiantyres.com/SZD This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comAfter an offseason and preseason of talking, it's time to answer: What do we think will actually happen in this college football season? Alex, Richard, and Godfrey put their names on some picks in this subscriber episode. At the end of the season, we'll dig up the time capsule and see how we did:* The champions of every FBS conference* The playoff field* The national champ* The Heisman finalists* The Group of 5 player of the year* The defensive player of the year* Our favorite games of the year* The first coach fired* One coach to be hired up* A ranked-to-unranked teamSome of this won't be surprising. (Texas and Penn State receive national championship picks.) Some of it will be! (Iowa to the playoff? Hmm.) Let's talk about it and then sit down and watch some ball.Producer: Anthony Vito

Richard Johnson and Alex Kirshner preview the first week of the 2025 season, with notes on dozens of games that will make your Week 1 more interesting. A brief selection of the games we talk about this week:* Boise State vs. USF is the Bulls' biggest moment in years* Nebraska vs. Cincinnati is a major interior pressure test for Dylan Raiola* Auburn vs. Baylor and Georgia Tech vs. Colorado headline Friday night* Northwestern vs. Tulane features a Big Ten team as a justified underdog in a Group of 5 stadium, but who's playing QB for the Green Wave?* TEXAS VS. OHIO STATE, one of the biggest Week 1 games ever. (Don't lose sight of how big this thing is just because both teams will make the playoff)* Syracuse vs. Tennessee: There will be orange* Toledo vs. Kentucky: The MAC's best chance to beat the SEC* Alabama vs. Florida State: The Seminoles probably can't win, but what about their performance will offer hints of the future? Read Alex's story about Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit here.* LSU vs. Clemson: We like the Tigers to prevail in Death Valley* Sacramento State vs. South Dakota State is an unusual FCS showcase* Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina: The Beamer Bowl presents many questions, most of them about the Hokies* TCU vs. North Carolina: Welcome to CFB, Bill BelichickDid we just forget Notre Dame vs. Miami? Of course not. For this week's main course, Jessica Smetana, cohost of the Notre Dame-focused “Echoes” podcast with Mike Golic Jr., joins the podcast to talk about the Irish's big challenge.Thank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.comAlso, welcome our new partner, Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off.Producer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This season, FBS teams will play 126 games against FCS opponents. Most years, anywhere between five-ish and 10-ish FBS teams will lose those games. The purpose of the Split Zone Duo FCS Upset Draft is to identify those teams, engage in some friendly competition, and use the process as a look ahead to the season. Everyone picks three FCS winners, but there's a catch: Some FCS upsets are barely upsets at all, and they may only be worth three points. Others could be worth 100. Folks, it's time for some game theory.Former FCS Upset Draft champion Jason Kirk (Shutdown Fullcast, The Athletic) returns to the program to compete against Alex, Richard, and all of you.Enter the FCS Upset Draft by visiting www.splitzoneduo.com and locating the entry form.Here are the rules. Read carefully!* A nonpartisan committee made of up one member (me, Alex Kirshner) puts every FCS-versus-FBS game of the season into a spreadsheet.* Each game gets a point value of 3, 5, 10, or 100, with higher point values awarded to games where an FCS team is a bigger underdog.* This year, you may pick FOUR games, up from the usual three. The form will let you enter more, but only entries with four picks or fewer will count. (Why the change? There are 10 more FBS-vs.-FCS games this year than last, so we figured we'd broaden our game a bit.)* You can pick non-upset "upsets" in which great FCS teams beat bad FBS teams, but you'll likely only get three or five points if it pans out.* Or you can take some bigger swings for 10- and 100-point values and go for the fences. Getting a 10-pointer right has long been an ingredient for victory.* At the end of the season, the top three points-scorers will be celebrated on an episode of SZD. Most of all, you're fighting for eternal glory here. But we'll also have some special gifts (to be announced!) from our team, with tiebreakers to determine three champions as needed.* You must enter your picks by noon ET on Saturday. However if you pick a game being played on Thursday or Friday, you need to enter your pick before that game kicks off. Here's a catalog of previous FCS-on-FBS wins, in case it gives you any inspiration. This year, as usual, features well north of 100 games to choose from.We'll track the results throughout the season, though you might want to write down your own answers for memory, as we do not keep a public leaderboard for the whole world to see. Happy picking!Thank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.comWelcome our new partners, Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZDProducer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comYahoo Sports' Nate Tice joins Richard in this new episode of “Scheme School,” focused on one very famous QB. Arch Manning finally takes the reins of the Texas Longhorns this weekend at Ohio State. For a quarterback who's been talked about more than any other QB prospect in maybe the whole history of the sport, we haven't talked much about the specifics of Manning's game.* What we've seen in limited reps so far* What, specifically, Manning is good at. “Eyes” and “balance” come up a lot.* The things he hasn't done well in a small sample. You can't go broke taking a profit, but Manning hasn't always taken it* How Steve Sarkisian's offense makes Manning easier to project as an NFL quarterback, and how that might affect his future plansProducer: Anthony Vito

Richard and Alex preview the SEC for the 2025 season: * Texas has everything it needs to make a deep playoff run * Georgia has a few more questions, especially at QB, but (this will shock you) looks like a frontline contender once again * Alabama is back, per Richard * LSU has championship upside, but will the defense be good or great? * South Carolina has a huge star at QB and another at EDGE. The rest of the roster is more open to interpretation, but one of us is optimistic * Florida has DJ Lagway, and that counts for a lot * Ole Miss faces a QB transition, but there's reason to be optimistic. Will the defense keep chugging after a bunch of losses? * Texas A&M will run over you and play solid defense. How serious will Marcel Reed and the wide receivers be? * Tennessee's best side of the ball probably isn't offense * Oklahoma has some elite talent and some splashy portal additions, and Richard thinks this might work out * Auburn might have the best receivers in the conference and has a bunch of young players that flashed last year. What about the weird QB situation? * Mizzou is building its roster effectively but has some substantial losses to contend with, and it doesn't sound like a great QB room* Vanderbilt will probably move backward, but the ‘Dores have made progress* Arkansas faces another year of coaching carousel questions * Kentucky appears to be a bad situation * Mississippi State is a bit more interesting but faces a long slog After going through each team, the group awards preseason honors: The Split Zone Duo Dude of the Year, the Low-Key Cool Game of the Year, and the Coach Who's Not Gonna Be Here Next Year Award. Producer: Anthony Vito.That wraps up our conference previews * Big Ten * American* Mountain West* ACC* Conference USA* Big 12* MAC* Pac-12 and FBS independents* Sun BeltThank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Alex, Richard, and Rodger Sherman preview the Big Ten for 2025. This nearly two-hour episode runs through all 18 teams, in this order:* Penn State faces “semifinals or bust” season* Ohio State should step back, but how much can a team step back when it has Jeremiah Smith on one side of the ball and Caleb Downs on the other?* Oregon has a few question marks but all the talent in the world* Iowa has Rodger thinking about a darkhorse playoff run* USC beefs up and has a QB that you could look at in one of two ways* Michigan's season is “found money,” but how much cash is in there?* Wisconsin starts to get back to being Wisconsin* Minnesota has a great running back, an optimistic QB, and … ?* Indiana is poised to avoid a cliff after last year's breakout* Michigan State has an intriguing passing game. Will it be good?* Illinois, with a light schedule and a heavy defensive front, has a playoff shot* Nebraska figures out offensive line and maybe receiver, leaving a world of possibility in Dylan Raiola's second season* UCLA has a famous QB and a whole lot of questions (including that QB)* Maryland is still Maryland, but it might have its QB of the future* Washington could be the league's hardest team to make sense of either way* Northwestern will probably be bad, but it's a left tackle development hub now* Purdue has a good running back and, well, not much else* Rutgers continues to play Schianoball, and it's working fineAfter going through each team, the group awards preseason honors: The Split Zone Duo Dude of the Year, the Low-Key Cool Game of the Year, and the Coach Who's Not Gonna Be Here Next Year Award. Producer: Anthony Vito.Thank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comThe NCAA's big decision on Michigan's sign-stealing operation is here, and it is a nothingburger. To explain what happened and get a Michigan perspective on it (because it is very funny), Alex welcomes Jane Coaston, Crooked Media podcaster and Michigan fan, to discuss it. You can read the full infractions decision here if you would like some light PDF reading on your Friday. Can reasonable people finally agree on topics like whether Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore knew what was up, whether the title was tainted, and whether Michigan really is a model program? Let us debate.Producer: Anthony Vito

Richard and Godfrey preview 2025 in the newly renamed American Conference. In a recent episode, we touched on this league's long-term difficulties. In this one, we talk about the season to come, previewing all 14 teams. The episode wraps with preseason award nominees from the hosts for the SZD Dude of the Year, the Low-Key Cool Game of the Year, the Minority Coach of the Week In an Interesting Schematic Spot (of the Year), and the Coach Who's Not Gonna Be Here Next Year. Producer: Anthony Vito.Catch up on all of our 2025 previewsIn reverse chronological order:* Mountain West* ACC* Conference USA* Big 12* MAC* Pac-12 and FBS independents* Sun BeltThank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Our partners at Homefield have seen a lot of you on the road in recent years. They're getting back on the trail this fall for the Homefield Can't Miss Kickoff Tour, presented by Modelo, and we're sharing news of the first three stops on the tour in Tallahassee (weekend of 8/30), Philadelphia (weekend of 9/13), and Bloomington (weekend of 9/20). You can get much, much more information on this tour here and get the rest of the reveal from our friends' shows, the Shutdown Fullcast and Phantom Island. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Richard and Alex preview the Mountain West in 2025, starting with the same team that's favored every year and then going in no particular order: * Boise State still looks like the class of the league * San Jose State has leveled up, but now Ken Niumatalolo confronts life without an All-American receiver* UNLV is the apple of Richard's eye with Dan Mullen in charge * Colorado State made strides last year, but were they real, or were they just the result of a lousy schedule? Does it matter? * Fresno State wipes the slate clean, but we're optimistic * Hawaii looks a lot better than we both thought they would * Air Force should get back to business the way it used to be done * San Diego State was shockingly bad on offense in Sean Lewis' first year. How much does that change our feeling on them? * Utah State made a great hire, but it'll take some time * Wyoming is still searching for an identity * New Mexico is a blank canvas, and a new coach from FCS is trying something different* Nevada is a hard job that continues to be hard The episode wraps with preseason award nominees from the hosts for the SZD Dude of the Year, the Low-Key Cool Game of the Year, the Minority Coach of the Week In an Interesting Schematic Spot (of the Year), and the Coach Who's Not Gonna Be Here Next Year. Producer: Anthony Vito. Catch up on all of our 2025 previewsIn reverse chronological order: * ACC* Conference USA* Big 12 * MAC* Pac-12 and FBS independents* Sun BeltThank you to our subscribers and partnersBecome a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe