Open For Business: College Football w/ John Kurtz

Send us Fan Mail

TCU had every opportunity to beat North Carolina, but the Horned Frogs let it slip away in an ugly loss that raises even more questions about the start of the 2026 season.

UNC struggled to generate much offense after halftime, yet TCU could not take advantage. Jaden Craig had a rough night at quarterback, the Horned Frogs stalled in key situations, and a missed late field goal helped North Carolina escape with the win.

In this immediate reaction, we break down what went wrong for TCU, Craig’s performance, the encouraging signs from Jeremy Payne and the new-look offense, North Carolina’s defensive adjustments, and why the early returns on TCU’s season are becoming concerning.

We also discuss the bigger Big 12 picture and whether playing season-opening games overseas is worth the sloppy conditions and potential damage to the conference’s national perception.

#TCU #TCUFootball #NorthCarolina #UNC #CollegeFootball #Big12 #Big12Football

Send us Fan Mail

A major BYU football shakeup headlines tonight’s show. Brett McMurphy reports that BYU may eventually have to choose between head coach Kalani Sitake and athletic director Brian Santiago. We break down that reported tension, why Sitake no longer reports directly to Santiago, the roles of Keith Vorkink and former Kentucky administrator Marc Hill, and why BYU cannot risk losing its football coach.

We also cover the growing SEC eligibility battle involving LSU, Lane Kiffin, Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris. Could the players’ legal team take the SEC to court, and can the Big 12 avoid a similar fight involving Texas Tech and Houston?

Plus, TCU revoked the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s football credentials following its reporting on the altercation involving Jacob Fields and Dozie Ezukanma. Was TCU’s response justified, or did the school create another unnecessary distraction before facing North Carolina in Ireland?

Topics include BYU football, Kalani Sitake, Brian Santiago, Big 12 football, LSU football, Lane Kiffin, SEC football, Texas Tech, Houston, TCU football and the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.

#BYUFootball #Big12Football #CollegeFootball

Send us Fan Mail

Plan your trip to Provo for the BYU-Notre Dame game with my friends at Explore Utah Valley: https://www.utahvalley.com/

Can BYU actually beat Notre Dame in one of the biggest games of the 2026 college football season? Ty Hildenbrandt from The Solid Verbal joins Open For Business to break down the matchup.

Listen to Ty on  @solidverbal : https://www.solidverbal.com/

Ty believes this could be the best Notre Dame football team of his lifetime, with CJ Carr ready to take a major step forward and one of the deepest rosters Marcus Freeman has built in South Bend. But what does that mean for Kalani Sitake, Bear Bachmeier and BYU?

We break down where BYU can challenge Notre Dame, why Bachmeier’s development as a passer could determine whether the Cougars can pull the upset, and why this game could have major College Football Playoff implications for both programs.

Topics include:

* BYU vs. Notre Dame preview
* Notre Dame’s 2026 national championship potential
* CJ Carr and the Notre Dame offense
* Bear Bachmeier’s development
* BYU’s path to upsetting Notre Dame
* Marcus Freeman’s best Notre Dame roster
* BYU and Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff chances

Subscribe to Open For Business for college football coverage from every angle, on and off the field.

Send us Fan Mail

Texas Tech is reportedly expected to add former Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos, giving the Red Raiders yet another experienced option in a quarterback room already featuring Will Hammond. Is this creating unnecessary drama, or is it another example of how Texas Tech’s resources and Joey McGuire’s culture give the Red Raiders an advantage few programs can match?

We break down why Castellanos could be a major floor-raiser for Texas Tech, what the move says about Hammond, and why Tech continues to go all-in on building a College Football Playoff contender.

Plus, what if college football actually adopted promotion and relegation? With Super League conversations continuing around the sport, I’m launching a season-long experiment using 22 of college football’s most valuable programs. Three teams get relegated. Three teams play their way in. We introduce the founding league, the preseason promotion contenders and the major programs already in danger of getting bounced.

Also on the show:

• Alabama names Keelon Russell its starting quarterback. Why the Crimson Tide could be one of the most volatile teams in the country and why Alabama missing the CFP could open the door for someone else.

• Missouri star running back Ahmad Hardy is expected to miss Week 1. What that could mean for Mizzou and the September matchup with Kansas.

• ESPN is showing the Big 12 some serious respect. Both of its latest College Football Playoff projections include Texas Tech AND BYU, with each projection also featuring a Big 12 win over an SEC opponent.

• Why the national perception of Texas Tech and BYU could be changing and why having legitimate teams at the top matters so much for the Big 12.

College football is almost here. We’re covering the biggest stories across the Big 12 and the entire sport, from the playoff race and quarterback battles to realignment, the transfer portal and the forces reshaping college football on and off the field.

Subscribe to Open For Business for college football analysis all season long.

Send us Fan Mail

The ACC could be staring down another round of realignment trouble.

New reporting on the Protect College Sports Act suggests one of the provisions designed to discourage schools from switching conferences could be weakened or eliminated. That could eventually reopen the door for programs like Florida State, Clemson and Miami to leave the ACC.

So what would the absolute best-case scenario look like for the ACC in 2026? We break down the conference’s dream season, its nightmare scenario and what it all could mean for the future of college football realignment.

Plus, Texas Tech is collecting receipts after another week of national skepticism. Is the media actually disrespecting the Red Raiders, or are reasonable concerns about Tech being labeled as hate?

And somehow, the Big 12 had an even more unhinged week. Doctors are pushing back against the conference’s Monster Energy sponsorship, TCU dismissed safety Jacob Fields following a locker-room altercation, and Utah is suing former assistant Freddie Whittingham after he followed Kyle Whittingham to Michigan.

We’ll also dig into the mounting offensive-line injuries at Kansas State and answer the big question: is K-State’s season already in serious trouble?

Topics include:

* ACC realignment and the Protect College Sports Act
* Florida State, Clemson and Miami’s ACC future
* ACC best-case and worst-case scenarios
* AP Poll reaction
* Texas Tech disrespect and national media criticism
* Big 12 Monster Energy controversy
* TCU and Jacob Fields
* Utah’s lawsuit against Freddie Whittingham
* Kansas State offensive-line injuries
* Avery Johnson and K-State’s 2026 outlook

Send us Fan Mail

Is everyone wrong about the Big 12 heading into the 2026 college football season? Ty Hildenbrandt from The Solid Verbal joins Open For Business for an ultimate Big 12 football preview.

Catch Ty on  @solidverbal : https://www.solidverbal.com/

We break down just how deep the Big 12 could be this season, whether Texas Tech, BYU and Houston deserve to be considered the league’s top tier, and which teams could emerge from a wide-open middle of the conference. Ty also explains why he wasn’t completely sold on Texas Tech even before the Brendan Sorsby situation and why Oklahoma State could be one of the Big 12’s biggest surprise teams.

We also get into Kansas State under Colin Klein, Utah under Morgan Scalley, Avery Johnson’s upside, the Big 12’s national perception and whether the conference can finally break through with a major non-conference or College Football Playoff win.

Topics include:

* 2026 Big 12 football predictions
* Texas Tech, BYU and Houston
* Big 12 championship contenders
* Oklahoma State as a sleeper
* Kansas State and Avery Johnson
* Colin Klein vs. Morgan Scalley
* The depth of the Big 12
* Big 12 College Football Playoff chances
* Whether the Big 12 is being underrated nationally

Subscribe to Open For Business for Big 12 and national college football coverage from every angle, on and off the field.

Send us Fan Mail

BYU football insider Dick Harmon of the Deseret News joins Open For Business to explain what’s really happening between Kalani Sitake and the BYU administration.

Read Dick's column: https://www.deseret.com/sports/2026/08/15/kalani-sitake-byu-football-resources/

Harmon details what Sitake was promised after turning down interest from Penn State, why those promises have become a source of frustration, and how the battle over resources for BYU football has developed behind the scenes. We also discuss the difference between BYU’s investment in football and basketball, the role of athletic director Brian Santiago, and why Harmon is surprised this situation hasn’t already been resolved.

Plus, we look ahead to the 2026 BYU football season and whether a preseason top-15 team can finally break through and reach the College Football Playoff.

Topics include:

* Kalani Sitake and BYU’s resource dispute
* What BYU promised Sitake after Penn State
* Brian Santiago and BYU athletics
* BYU football vs. basketball resources
* NIL and revenue sharing at BYU
* BYU’s College Football Playoff chances
* Bear Bachmeier and the 2026 BYU offense

Subscribe to Open For Business for college football and college basketball coverage from every angle, on and off the field.

Send us Fan Mail

The Ultimate Big 12 Season Preview is here with five bold predictions for the 2026 college football season. Can the Big 12 finally win a College Football Playoff game? Which contender has the best path to a breakthrough? Is Arizona the most overlooked team in the conference? And which team projected in the bottom half could shock everyone?

We’ll break down Texas Tech, BYU, Arizona State, Houston, Arizona, TCU, Kansas State, Utah, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Colorado, Kansas, West Virginia, UCF, Baylor, Cincinnati and more as we preview the biggest storylines across the Big 12.

Plus, we’ll discuss the latest on Kalani Sitake and BYU, including a potential nightmare scenario Cougar fans should be watching; build the absolute best- and worst-case scenarios for the Big Ten in 2026; and explain why Ryan Day may once again be making Michigan too important for Ohio State.

Also: Arizona State’s new throwback uniforms honoring the 1986 Rose Bowl team.

**Topics include:**

* 5 bold Big 12 predictions for 2026
* Can the Big 12 win a CFP game?
* Texas Tech, BYU and Arizona State’s playoff paths
* The Big 12’s biggest nonconference opportunities
* Why Arizona may be the league’s most overlooked team
* Which new Big 12 head coach breaks through?
* The Big 12 sleeper nobody sees coming
* Latest Kalani Sitake/BYU situation
* Big Ten best-case and nightmare scenarios
* Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana, Michigan, Penn State and USC
* Ryan Day, Ohio State and the Michigan rivalry

Send us Fan Mail

Texas Tech can’t find anyone willing to play them, Kalani Sitake is publicly pushing BYU for more resources, and the Big 12 has some massive opportunities to change the way college football views the conference in 2026.

Tonight on Open For Business, we break down why BYU cannot afford to let frustration build with Kalani Sitake, what the addition of Marc Hill could mean for the Cougars, and why Sitake’s comments about resources deserve attention.

Then we get into Texas Tech. Texas A&M reportedly turned down a neutral-site game with the Red Raiders, joining a growing list of programs that either canceled games or couldn’t reach a deal with Tech. Are teams actually scared to play Joey McGuire’s program? Or has Texas Tech simply become too dangerous to schedule in the current College Football Playoff system?

Plus, Joey McGuire says Texas Tech is the most hated team in college football. Is he right? We’ll explain why the Red Raiders may not literally be No. 1—but no program has become a college football villain faster.

Finally, what would a dream 2026 season look like for the Big 12? We discuss why Oklahoma State returning to relevance could matter so much for the conference, along with Texas Tech, BYU, Colorado, Kansas State, Utah, Iowa State and the Big 12’s chances of sending multiple teams to the College Football Playoff.

Subscribe to Open For Business for college football analysis, Big 12 football coverage, conference realignment, College Football Playoff discussion and a national perspective that doesn’t start and end with the SEC and Big Ten.

#CollegeFootball #Big12 #TexasTech #BYUFootball #OklahomaState

Send us Fan Mail

A 20-team College Football Playoff is suddenly being discussed — and it could mean the end of conference championship games as we know them.

Tonight on Open For Business, we break down the new 20-team CFP concept, what it could mean for the Big 12 and ACC, and why college football keeps creating increasingly complicated solutions to its biggest problems.

Plus, the Protect College Sports Act has been pushed into September, but a proposed Senate amendment could create a wild new college football realignment scenario involving the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Florida State, Miami, Clemson, North Carolina and potentially the Big 12.

We’ll also dig into the SEC vs. Big Ten debate. Has everyone been too hard on the SEC? New SP+ data suggests the SEC may actually be deeper than it was during its dominant run — but that depth could also help explain why the conference hasn’t produced the same dominant national championship teams.

Also on the show:

• What a 20-team College Football Playoff could actually look like
• Why the Big 12 may benefit from further CFP expansion
• The latest on the Protect College Sports Act
• The Senate amendment that could impact conference realignment
• What ACC instability could mean for the Big 12
• Why SEC depth may be both a strength and a problem
• Sam Leavitt vs. Will Hammond
• Has the Drew Mestemaker hype gone too far?
• Josh Hoover vs. Drew Mestemaker
• Big 12 College Football Playoff predictions

Subscribe to Open For Business for college football analysis covering the Big 12, SEC, Big Ten, ACC, CFP expansion, conference realignment, NIL, the transfer portal and the forces reshaping the sport on and off the field.