The Solid Verbal College Football Show

Chuck Klosterman has written about music, pop culture, and the nature of reality... but football is a different level of obsession. In today's episode, Chuck details his new book, Football, and digs into what makes the sport so culturally singular, why college football's pageantry and regionalism feel increasingly fragile, and why the blue bloods still need to matter for any of this to work.

In our wide-ranging conversation, we also touch on the television presentation of college football, the impact of NIL and the transfer portal on fandom, the insanity of Indiana winning a national championship, and the cautionary tale of horse racing.

Pick up Chuck's book, Football, right here: https://www.amazon.com/Football-Chuck-Klosterman/dp/0593490649

0:00 - Intro
4:10 - Chuck Klosterman Interview

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In today's episode, Dan returns from his travels as we dive into Sacramento State's curious move to the MAC and the newest SEC scheduling controvery. Plus, we take a look at some of the most prominent new coaches from 2025 and decide whether they're more likely to be a problem for opponents or for their current schools.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
4:34 - Sacramento State joins the MAC
13:47 - SEC Scheduling Controversy
28:44 - Scott Frost & UCF
38:34 - Bill Belichick & North Carolina
46:50 - Jake Dickert & Wake Forest
51:28 - Rich Rodriguez & West Virginia
58:44 - Barry Odom & Purdue
1:05:27 - Frank Reich & Stanford
1:10:28 - Other Coach Grades

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In this episode, we're joined by John Kurtz of the Open For Business podcast and newsletter to talk about the state of the Big 12 conferenced heading into the 2026 college football season. We discuss whether Oregon's playoff shutout of Texas Tech will leave a lasting mark on the Big 12's reputation, the importance of BYU's upcoming game against Notre Dame in Week 7, the scoop on what happened at Kansas State last season, and a hypothetical future state with North Dakota State in the conference. 

Sign up for John's newsletter (https://www.ofbnews.com/) and check out his show (https://www.youtube.com/@JohnKurtzShow).

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In today's episode, we break down North Dakota State's historic move to FBS and the Mountain West, including the financial details, the NCAA's probationary period challenge, and why the Fargodome is a must-visit destination. We also unpack former Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos' new book, Crab Creek Chronicles, and what it reveals about the Scott Frost hire, Chip Kelly almost landing in Lincoln, and a secret meeting about Nebraska potentially returning to the Big 12

Most importantly, we play "Trend or Not a Trend" with six teams heading into 2026. Is Miami's high-level winning sustainable? Can Oklahoma's defense carry a middling offense deep into the SEC? Is Arizona's defensive leap here to stay? Where does Virginia go from here at quarterback? Is Texas A&M a playoff contender with that gauntlet schedule? Can USC get back to double-digit wins under Lincoln Riley?

Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
4:13 - North Dakota State goes FBS
17:33 - The Bill Moos Nebraska Book
29:16 - Six Teams on Trend Watch
30:48 - Miami's high-level winning
36:20 - Oklahoma as a 2026 SEC contender
42:12 - Arizona's reborn defense
47:11 - Virginia as a 2026 ACC contender
52:05 - Texas A&M as a 2026 CFP team
58:03 - USC as a 10-win team

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With Valentine's Day around the corner, we take a look at the 2025 storylines we secretly loved. Whether scrappy teams held things together with gum and chicken wire, coaches who turned programs around overnight, or the moments that didn't make national headlines, we talk through the things that got our hearts pumping. Think Wisconsin winning games with their punter as the leading passer, Houston quietly going 10-3, Arch Manning actually getting better when pundits left him for dead, and much more.

In this episode, we share our own picks before opening it up to the Verballerhood, whose submissions cover everything from Kenny Dillingham staying at Arizona State to the absurdity of Lane Kiffin's move to LSU, Arkansas fans learning to love heartbreak, Indiana fans debating whether to protect their hearts or go all in on Curt Cignetti, and much more. Plus, a brief Super Bowl debrief, a Timothée Chalamet conversation, and the debut of Dan's bucket of wrenches.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro / Super Bowl recap
6:27 - What we're doing today
8:51 - Dan's "winning despite" teams (Duke, Mizzou, Minnesota, Wake Forest)
10:58 - Steve Angeli and Syracuse's collapse without him
13:34 - Wisconsin as a bucket of wrenches
17:08 - Northwestern's what-could-have-been season
19:21 - Jason Eck and New Mexico's nine-win season
22:16 - Penn State's leaked Pat Kraft audio
25:08 - Ty's Quick Hits: Mason Heinschel, Houston's quiet 10-3 season, Arch Manning actually got better
29:29 - Dan's Quick Hits: Arizona's nasty defense, SMU's post-playoff rebuild, Double transfers
31:51 - Kenny Dillingham staying at Arizona State
35:15 - Arkansas tried
37:20 - Indiana, Curt Cignetti, and protecting your heart
44:19 - Fernando Mendoza's F-bomb and industry plant theory
45:34 - Cal, the Wilcox era, and the Mendoza that got away
46:56 - Lane Kiffin-LSU drama
49:23 - Georgia ripping rivals' hearts out
50:17 - North Texas's record-setting season
51:38 - Player shoutouts: Jeremiyah Love, Ahmad Hardy, Jacob Rodriguez, Jayden Maiava
53:40 - Quick fan hits: Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Oregon, Purdue
57:34 - Ball State tried to be the worst
57:47 - Florida State's first month
58:26 - Rutgers' top-50 offense / Arizona retaining Seth Doege and Noah Fifita
59:54 - ESPN cinematography and best broadcast production

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For years, you've asked us to do a Super Bowl preview. We finally did it, but with the only spin that makes sense for a college football podcast: looking at Super Bowl LX entirely through the stories, moments, and legacies these players built in college.

When the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots kick off Sunday night, it won't just be two NFL teams battling for a championship. It will be Sam Darnold's redemption story that started at USC, Jaxon Smith-Njigba's effortless brilliance that lifted Ohio State, Kenneth Walker dragging Michigan State to glory, and Drake Maye carrying on North Carolina's royal lineage. Join us as we break down both rosters, revisit the moments that made these players who they are, and enjoy Super Bowl 60 as one big college reunion.

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The year ended with an absolute whirlwind for Michigan and Utah football. First, the Wolverines fired Sherrone Moore for an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Within the next 48 hours, he was arrested and arraigned at a local courthouse, marking an unexpected twist as the story took a dark turn. Just two weeks later, the longtime coach of Utah, Kyle Whittingham, was introduced as Michigan's next head coach after succession plans led to an uneasy exit from Salt Lake City. In this episode, we talk with Dan Wetzel from ESPN and Sean O'Connell from ESPN 700 to go inside the ropes and understand what happened during a wild two weeks in December, what it was like to track the Moore news, how Whittingham ended up in Ann Arbor, and more.

Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
6:03 - Dan Wetzel on Sherrone Moore & Michigan Football
41:01 - Sean O'Connell on Kyle Whittinham & Utah Football

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After covering seven major items in Part 1, we're back with 10 more things that defined the 2025 college football season. In this episode, we run the gamut, from Miami's return to national prominence after two decades away to Notre Dame's reaction to being left out. We also talk through Texas Tech's spending spree, the magic of Diego Pavia, the roller coaster of UCLA football and much more.

What defined the 2025 college football season for you? Let us know what we missed!

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
4:49 - Miami is back!
12:45 - Notre Dame controversy
21:06 - Shirtlessness
25:26 - Dan Lanning is nuts
29:36 - Texas Tech's spending spree
35:08 - Everything Diego Pavia
40:38 - Drew Mestemaker
43:07 - The UCLA Roller Coaster
47:51 - John Mateer
51:57 - Tiebreakers
56:57 - Others Receiving Votes

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The 2025 college football season is in the books, and it was... a lot. Join us as we attempt to catalog the moments, storylines, and characters that made this year impossible to forget, starting with seven of the most defining elements of the season.

In this episode: Why the Lane Kiffin-to-LSU saga touched every corner of college football culture. Indiana's national championship and the refreshing "plainness" of how they won it. The Penn State coaching search trilogy (expectations to collapse to Crumbl cookies). Bill Belichick's first year at North Carolina... both the 4-win disappointment and, well, everything else. Alabama's bizarre tumble into (and out of) the playoff. Two Group of Five teams crashing the party. And Lee Corso's farewell to College GameDay.

Comment below with what we need to cover in Part 2!

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
3:02 - The Most 2025 College Football Things
6:54 - Lane Kiffin
17:19 - Indiana
26:34 - Penn State, Clemson & Texas
36:20 - Bill Belichick
43:52 - Alabama
55:04 - Tulane & James Madison
1:03:03 - Lee Corso

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With the national championship in the rearview mirror, we turn our focus to 2026 with our first official podcast of the preseason. In this episode, we unveil our way-too-early top 12s and take a closer look and which teams have the most continuity and best schedules, and which crushed the transfer portal. Who's too high, who's too low? Let us know! Plus, a quick roundup of the latest news, from portal signings to early NFL Draft declarations and the brewing legal fight between Duke University and Darian Mensah.

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro
4:44 - News Update
21:17 - Way-Too-Early Top 12s

Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.