Trent sits down with Kris Drew from Dead Air Sports and Menace Sports — the man behind Signal Lost — for a wide-ranging conversation about how he discovered Kirkwood and Dunn, what the college football media landscape really looks like from the inside, and where Indiana fits in the Big Ten's power structure heading into 2026.

Kris admits he didn't give Indiana's defense nearly enough credit before the Ohio State game, explains the Buckeye fan bias that leads to underrating every Big Ten challenger until it's too late, and breaks down the national media landscape: On3 becoming a slop factory, Tom Fornelli as the most honest Big Ten voice, Adam Brenneman and JD Pickell taking both sides so they're always right, and Brandon Walker being wrong sometimes but at least saying what he actually thinks. Then it's quick fire questions — next coach to win a title (Dan Lanning, Marcus Freeman, Mike Shanahan), next breakout QB (JuJu Lewis at USC), and Indiana's biggest weakness (will the staff let Josh Hoover actually sling it?).

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Trent sits down with Sam from College Football with Sam — one of the best college football analysts on YouTube — to talk about the story behind the channel, what it took to build it without ever showing his face for three years, how he used YouTube revenue to pay Michigan tuition, and where Indiana fits heading into 2026.

Sam rapid fires Indiana's three biggest weaknesses: offensive line depth, quarterback play, tight end play. He breaks down why the starting five is elite but 13 guys total is genuinely thin, and what happens if Carter Smith or Joe Brunner goes down. Then it's the next first-time national champion coach (Dan Lanning, Crystal Ball second, Marcus Freeman third), and breakout QB picks nobody is talking about — Jaron Sagapolu-Tele at Cal, Keelan Russell at Alabama, Camario Taylor at Mississippi State, and one Michigan fan pick that Sam defends anyway.

Sam is trying to get to 10,000 TikTok followers for monetization — search College Football with Sam on TikTok and go follow him. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn.

Trent is on the road this week and takes three big swings at the college football surprises nobody is talking about: Louisville wins the ACC behind Jeff Brohm and Lincoln Kienholz if they can beat Ole Miss in Week 1, Steve Sarkisian gets fired at Texas after a brutal early schedule that looks a lot like Penn State's 2025 unraveling, and Florida makes the College Football Playoff with Buster Faulkner as offensive coordinator under Jon Sumrall.

Then it's the AP poll (Indiana holds at #6, Texas A&M is still inexplicably ranked that high), Indiana fall camp highlights after the first scrimmage (defense ahead of the offense and Bryant Haines is making Josh Hoover's life miserable — on purpose), a defense of a listener who said he misses Kalon Black and got piled on for it, and Josh Hoover's TCU stats getting raised in the comments — Trent explains why the supporting cast and offensive line change everything.

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Fernando Mendoza looked solid in his Raiders preseason debut, Curtis Rourke started for the 49ers, and Trent stayed up too late watching Hoosiers all over the NFL. Then it's Will Compton picking Nebraska to upset Indiana — Trent has been to Lincoln, watched Tom Allen win there in 2019, and isn't buying the hype. Tom Fornelli gets a surprising defense: his Josh Hoover skepticism is more honest than Adam Brenneman talking out both sides.

Then listener comments take over — the SWOT analysis episode generated some of the best community reactions of the offseason, including a great thread on Indiana football's rise being good for the basketball program, Cignetti shaping the donor structure the way Saban did at Alabama, and why the new Bookstore Brew community might be the most engaged Indiana football fan base online. Plus Trent flags Jaylen Bell — an incoming corner who just signed with Drew Rosenhaus — as a name to watch.

Next week: College Football with Sam on Wednesday, Kris Drew on Friday. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn.

Adam Brenneman says Indiana isn't rebuilding, they upgraded — then separately predicts eight or nine wins. Trent breaks down the modern national media strategy of covering both sides so you're always right, and compares it to the old gambling hotline trick. Danny Kannell from Cover Three says the quiet part out loud asking why Indiana is ranked sixth — Trent responds by asking how you give Cignetti four losses on this schedule.

Then it's Tyler Cherry getting number two reps in fall camp (Trent wants the upside guy over Grant Wilson), Joe Brunner arriving from Wisconsin and immediately talking about Indiana's championship culture, Cam Coleman going viral with an insane catch while Trent fires back that Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh deserve to be in that conversation, and Northwestern's brand new Ryan Field — the first new college football stadium since 2014 — which Trent calls the future of live entertainment.

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Josh Hoover Clutch Gene, Big Ten QB Rankings 2026 & Curt Cignetti Rece Davis Interview | Bookstore Brew Ep. 4

The question of Indiana's 2026 season: does Josh Hoover have the clutch gene? Dusty Dvorchak said it on ESPN, Trent said it on Sunday's Kirkwood and Dunn, and now it's the only thing that matters. Cignetti confirms in his Rece Davis interview that Hoover has the processing ability — but the Fernando Mendoza bar is set, and the earliest we find out if Hoover can deliver in big moments is Nebraska, with Ohio State as the real proving ground.

Then it's Big Ten QB rankings: Josh Pate has Hoover at #4, Bud Elliott at #5 — Trent puts him at #3 with a clear path to #1. Bryan Haynes ranked second best Big Ten DC behind Phil Parker (Trent questions it). Listener comments including Kellan Wyatt dropping into coverage like Mikail Kamara, Nick Marsh potentially moving into the slot, and Monshun Sales quote tweeting the Jermaine Wilson interview at midnight — which is why Trent got zero sleep.

Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn.

Today's mug: the Purdue cup, brought out of retirement because Purdue's new Athletic Director — arriving from Rice University — opened his tenure by saying "if you don't want to win championships, go to Indiana." In 2026. Trent breaks down every angle of the fumble. Then Kellan Wyatt is officially back, Trent had the scoop from a second source before the announcement dropped, and Indiana's defensive depth chart now has 19 linemen and two of the best linebackers in the country. Kirk Herbstreit calls Trinidad Chambliss the face of college football — Trent makes the case it's always been the coach, not the player. And Michigan hides first semester grades to help with the mental health crisis — Trent thinks they're really helping faculty survive helicopter parents and post-COVID grade inflation.

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Trent called it on Episode 1 — Stephen Daley is officially running it back. Trent breaks down his full story from Kent State to Indiana, leading the Big Ten in tackles for loss, injuring himself celebrating after the Ohio State Big Ten Championship game, and now getting one more year. Then it's the preseason coaches poll reaction (Indiana at #6 — Trent makes peace with it, barely), why Kellan Wyatt's return is still up in the air, what the linebacker room needs, and a listener question about Indiana's best non-conference rivalry option. Trent's answer: bring back the Bourbon Barrel against Kentucky.

Plus Bookstore Brew now has its own Spotify feed — and Trent admits on record that he drinks flavored coffee.

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Welcome to Bookstore Brew — a new solo morning show from Trent McGee on the Kirkwood and Dunn channel, dropping Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Episode 1 covers the Indiana-Notre Dame series cancellation (Trent partially walks back calling Notre Dame cowards, then makes the case Indiana was fine letting it go), Cignetti's non-conference scheduling philosophy and when it becomes a liability, and a breaking take: Trent fully expects Stephen Daley back on Indiana's roster following the court injunction on the five-and-five eligibility rule. Plus a partial mea culpa on Josh Pate after his debut on the Brandon Walker College Football Show, and the story behind why the show is called Bookstore Brew.

Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn.

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