Zone Podcasts

Broadcasting live from the Anderson Athletic Center, Coach reviews Tennessee’s 2026 season-opening victory over Furman. While technically imperfect, the game delivered the ideal outcome for the program, allowing the coaching staff to answer critical questions at quarterback and evaluate defensive adjustments.

• Quarterback Performance: Faizon Brandon led the offense with an impressive debut, throwing for 226 yards and three touchdowns while adding 76 rushing yards and two scores. Backup quarterbacks George MacIntyre and Ryan Staub also earned valuable reps in the win.
• Defensive Foundation: The Volunteers displayed improved fundamentals, strong secondary tackling, and tight gap control. Interior defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam sparked the pass rush with three sacks, helping hold Furman without a single passing first down.
• Tactical Rotations: Tennessee frequently utilized two-tight-end sets to shield their young quarterback and facilitate the running game. Offensively, situational player pairings were featured heavily, pairing primary receivers like Ethan Davis (TE) and Bishop Thomas (RB) on passing downs, while turning to Miles Thomas (TE) and Deshaun Bishop (RB) for run situations.
• Key Takeaways & Areas to Improve: The host highlighted strong kicking game execution and effective punt returns, but noted room for growth—specifically, improving edge containment against reverse plays, refining pass-rush lanes against scramble-prone quarterbacks, and capitalizing on turnover opportunities after forcing zero takeaways.

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College football's opening week has turned into a legal and competitive free-for-all — and this episode has it all covered. With LSU locked in a roster dispute with its own conference that's spilled into federal court. Coach, Tony Barnhart, and Dennis Dodd break down a power struggle that could reshape who's actually eligible to play. Dodd unpacks why LSU ultimately backed down, what the Texas Tech precedent signals, and why the sport is fast approaching an unavoidable question: what really separates a college athlete from a professional? Barnhart brings the SEC's perspective, while Coach  digs into the pressure now facing university presidents, athletic directors, governors, and commissioner Greg Sankey. From there, the crew races through the weekend's biggest storylines — whether Georgia and Texas truly separate themselves in a wide-open SEC, why Ole Miss might deserve more buzz than LSU, the heat on Florida State's Mike Norvell, Arch Manning's debut and Heisman implications, and whether Vanderbilt's Jared Curtis is the next breakout freshman quarterback. They also dive into Miami's early claim as the ACC's team to beat, Colorado's statement road win over Georgia Tech — with notes on Deion Sanders, Juju Lewis, and former Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter — and how Boise State can bolster its playoff case against Oregon even in a loss.

We round out the hour with the SEC's transfer-portal-driven landscape, a rundown of first-year coaches at Florida, Auburn, Kentucky, and Arkansas, and the growing question of whether NIL spending is actually translating into wins. Dennis previews the renewed Missouri-Kansas rivalry, Missouri's rise under Eli Drinkwitz, the Big 12's knack for late-game drama, and the Group of Six programs still churning out head-coaching talent. Finally, Charles Davis joins from Eugene with a national lens on Oregon and Boise State, the shifting value of conference titles in the playoff era, and why just reaching the postseason has become the sport's new benchmark — plus his read on Michigan under Kyle Whittingham, Penn State under Matt Campbell, and USC's early defensive progress under Gary Patterson. With the sport evolving faster than its own rulebook, this episode is essential listening for anyone trying to make sense of the personalities and power plays shaping college football in 2026.

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 Coach And Dennis Dodd opened by unpacking LSU's decision to withdraw two former NFL-affiliated players from its roster at the midnight deadline after the SEC sued the school in Alabama court to enforce its eligibility rules — while clarifying that the underlying 2022 class eligibility questions are legally distinct from drafted NFL players trying to return to college ball. That dispute fed into a broader debate about amateurism in an era of European professional imports in college basketball and multi-million-dollar NIL deals for current athletes. From there, the conversation turned to Friday's Missouri-Kansas rivalry renewal at Kansas's newly renovated stadium, with both teams coming off blowout wins and the hosts tracing the series' roots back to Civil War-era hostilities and the 2007 "Armageddon at Arrowhead" clash of top-three teams. They dug deeper into Missouri's rise under Eli Drinkwitz, pointing to a $250 million stadium expansion, sellout crowds, and portal additions like quarterback Austin Simmons as signs of major investment, while noting Drinkwitz still needs a winning SEC record to take the program to the next level; running back Ahmad Hardy, recovering from an offseason gunshot wound, is targeting a mid-September return for the Florida game.

The hosts then reviewed early-season action, including Colorado's 13–11 upset of Georgia Tech sealed by a late blocked field goal from former Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter, and flagged widespread sloppiness across Week 1 — pre-snap penalties, bad snaps, muffed punts — as typical growing pains before the customary jump from game one to game two. They closed with a broader look at the Big 12, which has produced more final-two-minute go-ahead scores than any conference over the past two seasons, and the Group of Six playoff race, where Boise State enters as the favorite ahead of tests against Oregon and Memphis. The segment wrapped with a nod to Group of Six programs as coaching "springboards," highlighting Memphis, Tulane, and James Madison — where new head coach Billy Napier is looking to rebound after his exit from Florida.

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Coach, Tony Barnhart, and Dennis Dodd opened the show tackling college football's off-field chaos, with Matthews noting that in 58 seasons around SEC football, he's never seen an opening week defined more by courtrooms than kickoffs. The panel broke down the standoff between LSU and the SEC office over roster eligibility, which saw LSU back down after pushback from conference leadership, Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman, and Georgia's Attorney General. Dennis Dodd tied the episode to Texas Tech's earlier legal retreat, framing it as part of a bigger question in the NIL era: what actually separates a college athlete from a professional. From there, the hosts shifted to on-field storylines, recapping Colorado's road win over Georgia Tech behind JuJu Lewis and UMass's upset of Rutgers, while noting how the transfer portal has reshaped rosters nationwide — with roughly half of SEC teams starting transfer quarterbacks, including standouts Darian Mensah at Miami and Mateer at Oklahoma. They also previewed a high-stakes Monday clash between No. 19 SMU and Florida State, with heavy pressure on Mike Norvell.

The show then flipped format as Tony Barnhart quizzed Coach Matthews on Week 1's top storylines. Matthews pegged Louisville–Ole Miss in Nashville as the weekend's most competitive game over higher-profile matchups like Clemson–LSU and Baylor–Auburn, and confirmed Vanderbilt will start Blake Boro-Wits against Austin Peay while freshman Jared Curtis works into a larger role by midseason. Among first-year coaches, he singled out Florida's Jon Sumrall as facing the most pressure given fan expectations, and called Arch Manning primed for a big year under Steve Sarkisian at Texas. On Florida State, Matthews said Mike Norvell's buyout buys him some patience, but a win over SMU is critical to slow the program's decline since its 13-0 season. The episode closed with Matthews and Barnhart discussing Nick Saban's new role fronting ad campaigns for the Save College Sports Act, which pushes for congressional oversight of NIL and the transfer portal, and reflecting on Saban's dominant 17-year Alabama tenure and seamless move into a leading media voice for the sport.

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Host Tate Mathews opened this Labor Day weekend edition of High School Sports Saturday with a full Week 3 scoreboard roundup that shook up the Midstate rankings. In the night's biggest shocker, Smyrna knocked off defending state champ and No. 3 Oakland 22–21 on AJ Jackson's game-winning two-point conversion pass — Smyrna's first win over the Patriots since 2011. No. 1 Brentwood Academy also fell, to St. Joseph's Prep (PA) 31–23, and No. 4 Franklin Road Academy dropped a 40–36 thriller to No. 10 MBA, where Henry Perry delivered an emotional, do-everything performance (2 INTs, 4 field goals, 4 PATs, an onside kick recovery, and a fake-punt run) just hours after his grandfather's funeral. No. 2 Battle Ground Academy blanked Pearl-Cohn 49–6 behind a shutout defense, positioning the Wildcats to move into the top spot. Other headline nights included Forrest's Quincy Mitchell (345 rushing yards, 5 TDs, plus a receiving score), Green Hill's Will Butler (16 tackles, 159 combined yards, game-winning two-point conversion in a win over Ravenwood), and Knoxville Catholic edging Lipscomb Academy 21–20 after Lipscomb missed a near state-record 62-yard field goal at the buzzer.

The show then turned to two in-depth coach interviews. Smyrna's Mark Williams broke down his team's stunning upset of Oakland, crediting disciplined gang-tackling, a Secori Weathers interception, and a bold late go-for-two call that AJ Jackson converted under pressure — capping a stretch of three straight one-point games for Williams' squad. Forrest's Justin Palmer then recapped his team's 54–26 win over Mount Pleasant, which pushed the Rockets to 3–0 and avenged a chaotic, weather-suspended loss from a year ago. Palmer praised his offensive line (Delmon Hall, Lachlan Morris) and quarterback Micah Morgan's balanced day, but the headliner was Quincy Mitchell's 449 all-purpose yards and 6 total touchdowns as he closes in on 5,000 career rushing yards as a sophomore. Palmer pointed to Grant Todd's pre-half interception as the game's turning point and previewed a tough test against East Hickman's physical run game.

The Tennessean's Tom Kreager closed the show with a Midstate-wide recap, framing the week as a historic upheaval with the No. 1, 3, and 4 teams all losing and BGA poised to take over the top spot. He revisited Henry Perry's emotional MBA performance, Knoxville Catholic's dramatic comeback over Lipscomb, McCallie narrowly surviving Father Ryan, and BGA's explosive Bo Bryan-to-Maddox Porter passing attack. Kreager wrapped by looking ahead to Pearl-Cohn, who close a brutal early-season gauntlet of MBA, CPA, BGA, and now Oakland in Week 4.

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Tate and Tom broke down a chaotic Week 3 in Tennessee high school football that turned the Midstate rankings upside down, with the Nos. 1, 3, and 4 teams all falling in the same night. The headline shocker was Smyrna's 1-point upset of powerhouse Oakland — its first loss to the rival since 2011 — extending coach Mark Williams' bizarre run of three straight one-point decisions. Battle Ground Academy looked poised to claim the top spot after throttling Pearl-Cohn behind quarterback Bo Bryan's connection with receiver Maddox Porter on several deep balls. The stat-line of the night belonged to MBA's Henry Perry, who honored his late grandfather hours after his funeral with two interceptions (including the game-sealer), four field goals, four PATs, a successful onside kick, and a 14-yard fake-punt run in a wild 40–36 win over FRA. Not far behind was Forrest's Quincy Mitchell, who racked up 334 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on 22 carries plus a receiving score against Mount Pleasant as he closes in on 5,000 career rushing yards as just a sophomore, and Green Hill's Will Butler, who delivered 16 tackles, 159 combined yards, two touchdowns, and a game-winning two-point conversion in an upset of Ravenwood.

Elsewhere around the Midstate, Riverdale continued its early bounce-back with a 38–14 win over Blackman behind quarterback Gavin Hampton, Knoxville Catholic survived a Lipscomb Academy team that just missed a state-record-tying 62-yard field goal, and Father Ryan gave McCallie a scare before falling late. Looking ahead, there's no relief for Pearl-Cohn, who close out a brutal three-game gauntlet against MBA, CPA, and BGA by hosting a vengeful Oakland squad in Week 4.

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Tate sat down with Forrest Rockets Head Coach Justin Palmer to break down the team's 54–26 road win over Mount Pleasant, which pushed Forrest to 3–0 on the season. Despite the lopsided final score, Palmer described a physical, back-and-forth battle fought through brutal heat — a far cry from last year's chaotic, weather-delayed two-day version of the game. The offensive story of the night was running back Quincy Mitchell, who put up a jaw-dropping line of 345 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on 25 carries, plus 104 receiving yards and another score through the air, as he closes in on 5,000 career rushing yards despite missing time to a broken collarbone as a freshman. Quarterback Micah Morgan added balance with 126 passing yards and a rushing touchdown, with Palmer crediting his offensive line — especially Lochlan Morris and Delmon Hall — and receivers for their downfield blocking.

Defensively, Palmer pointed to a pre-halftime interception by Grant Todd as the game's turning point, which set up a Mitchell breakaway run and flipped momentum in Forrest's favor, while linemen Oakley Pipkin and defensive backs John Hightower and Issac Crouse also drew praise for their play against Mount Pleasant standout Cale Scott. Looking ahead, Palmer previewed a tough road test against East Hickman's single-wing offense, which beat Forrest last season, and flagged the week's central challenge: getting enough physical practice reps to prepare for that unique scheme without wearing down a thin, small-classification roster.

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Tate welcomes Smyrna head coach Mark Williams the morning after a massive 22–21 upset victory on the road against defending state champion Oakland. After starting 0–2 with back-to-back single-point heartbreak losses to Brentwood and Hendersonville, Smyrna earned a signature, statement victory to kick off their region schedule 1–0.

Key Discussion Points

• The Message During the Week:

  Following the 0–2 start, Coach Williams emphasized focusing inward on fundamentals—tackling, blocking, disciplined alignment, and doing the little things right. The objective was to hang around and keep the game within reach entering the fourth quarter.

• Dominant Defensive Stand:

  Oakland's offense had previously hung 56 and 50 points on their opponents, making the 21-point defensive ceiling crucial. Driven by Daylen Sanders (10 tackles), a Sekourie Weathers interception, and gang-tackling to counter Oakland’s physical rushing attack, Smyrna created short fields and opportune takeaways.

• AJ Jackson’s Growth & Key Plays:

  Coach Williams praised starting QB AJ Jackson for his maturity and steady leadership following an up-and-down junior year. Jackson passed for 107 yards and a touchdown, while running back Christian Baity punched in two scores and Jordan Edwards hauled in a receiving TD.

• The Gutsy 2-Point Conversion:

  With roughly 35 seconds left, Coach Williams decided well ahead of time to bypass overtime and play for the win. Coming out of an Oakland timeout, Smyrna ran a rollout play design where Jackson had to step up against pressure and delivered a chest-pass throw to their tight end for the game-winning 2-point conversion.

• Family Legacy & Community Pride:

  Williams addressed stepping into the head coaching role formerly held by his brother, Matt Williams (who recently shifted to school administration). Matt celebrated the win by phone from a hunting lease, while former staff additions—like offensive coordinator Ben Kuhn—helped reinforce the team's familiarity and continuity.

• Turning the Page to Siegel:

  Despite being banged up and sore, Williams has a 24-hour celebration rule before shifting focus to coach Renshaw and the Siegel Stars for next week's home region matchup.

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3HL - 9-4-26 - Hour 3 - Scott Ramsey talks Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff

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3HL - 9-4-26 - Hour 2 - Jayson Swain talks Vols Opener & Charles Pulliam talks HSFB Week 3

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