Kings of the North College Football

What is college football's perfect plan for protecting rivalries, especially those rivalries that are not protected by conference affiliations? On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis identify the 18 most important non-conference rivalries, starting with Iowa-Iowa State and Pitt-West Virginia, and then create a plan to keep them alive and thriving. Then it's the next-tier rivalries -- what should be done with them? And which teams are getting it right and wrong with how they go about rivalry planning right now? Then it's time for another KOTN Showdown -- and it's the Hawkeyes and Cyclones that Doug and Bill pit against each other. Who would you rather be in 2025, Iowa or Iowa State? Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

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Ohio State vs. Oregon, the defending national champion Buckeyes vs. the Ducks, the only undefeated regular season team of 2025. Which college football program would you rather be in 2025? On this KOTN Showdown, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis run through the Buckeyes vs. the Ducks at quarterback, skill positions, offensive line, defensive front seven, secondary, coaching and intangibles. And then they decide who they would rather be this season. After that, it's Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking. Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

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Is college football's coaching hot seat a real thing? KOTN has always wondered about the talk around coaches in danger of getting fired, and dove in to investigate how coaching pressure really works, and which coaches should be worried or not in 2025. Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis will give you three categories of coaches who get fired, and candidates for each label, while reminding you there are always firings you don't see coming. And how many coaches should you expect to be fired this season? They have the number. Plus, another KOTN showdown as two teams with coaches on the hot seat are paired up and go head-to-head: It's Mike Locksley and Maryland and Scott Satterfield and Cincinnati. Thanks as always for joining Kings of the North.

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It's time for another round of College Football Playoff picks as Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis offer their updated predictions for the first time since the end of spring football. Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Florida, Texas -- which SEC teams are they picking? Who's the Big 12 champ? Will Notre Dame be back in the playoff? Which Big Ten teams will be in the postseason? Plus, a look at the odds to make the playoff and the eight teams that are odds-on favorites to be there. Then it's another KOTN Showdown, this time of two Northern ACC teams -- Boston College vs. Pitt. Which team would you rather be in 2025? Finally, join the guys for Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking. Thanks for being part of Kings of the North.

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What does the House vs. NCAA settlement that will allow the direct payment of college players mean for fans? Doug Lesmerises looks at the new world of college football from the fans' perspective to open Kings of the North. Then Doug and Bill Landis talk about the hiring process of Northern coaches -- how they got to their jobs, what hires made sense and didn't, how many were head coaches before. That's a prelude to a Jonathan Smith vs. Luke Fickell coaching discussion as Doug and Bill get into their latest KOTN Showdown -- Michigan State vs. Wisconsin. Would you rather be the Spartans on Badgers in 2025? Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

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It's Michigan vs. Utah on this KOTN Showdown, as Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis examine two winning programs with new quarterbacks and new offensive coordinators who are looking to bounce back into College Football Playoff contention after down seasons in 2024. Then the guys dive into the history of major NCAA penalties to provide some context as Michigan prepares for its hearing before the Committee on Infractions this weekend. How many Division I teams have actually had championships vacated? Maybe not as many as you think? How many power conference football teams have been banned from the postseason at least once? Maybe more than you think. Finally, it's Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking. Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

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The Big Ten and SEC are in control of college football - one silent partner and one very loud partner. After the SEC popped off all of last week, and the Big Ten stayed in the shadows as usual, Kings of the North is here to ask -- is the Big Ten losing the PR war to the SEC? On this episode Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis discuss how the Big Ten should handle itself, how this PR battle matters, the continuing disagreements over auto bids for the playoff and why the Big Ten is hanging out with the SEC to begin with. Then Steven Godfrey joins the show to discuss why the SEC acts this way and how far the conference is willing to push things. And then it's a wrap up with some Ask KOTN questions and comments from viewers and listeners. Thanks for joining Kings of the North, and expect some calls to cram it in this one.

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Can the Ohio State Buckeyes repeat as national champions in the 2025 college football season? On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis go inside the numbers on attempted title repeats since the start of the BCS. That includes how many champs returned starting quarterbacks, lost coordinators and would have made an expanded 12-team playoff. There's a big picture discussion here about the challenges of repeating, and a smaller picture investigation of what the Buckeyes have back and need to navigate to do it. Also, time for another KOTN Showdown. This time it's a Big Ten vs. Big 12 battle as the guys decide if they'd rather be Rutgers or Kansas in 2025. Plus Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking. Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

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Can teams jump up to college football blue blood status, and can programs not considered blue bloods win national titles? That's one of the questions in this Ask KOTN mailbag on Kings of the North. This Monday show is not live because of the holiday, but we are glad you're here as Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis take questions and comments, analyze feedback on Ohio State noon games, and entertain suggestions for making the show even better. Thanks for joining Kings of the North, which will be back live on Wednesday at noon eastern on YouTube.

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In the expanded College Football Playoff era, will conference depth matter more than it did before? And is the Big Ten ready to compete with the SEC when it comes to not only elite teams at the top, but better teams in Tiers 2 and 3? On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis look at the playoff history of conference depth, and come up with some surprising answers. Then it's 16 showdowns of the Big Ten and SEC, running from the top to the bottom of those conferences, to determine which has more elite teams and better depth. From Ohio State vs. Georgia, to Oregon vs. Alabama, to Michigan vs. LSU, to Illinois vs. Ole Miss, to Indiana vs. Tennessee, how does the Big Ten stack up? Finally, Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking wraps up the show. Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

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