Coach Doug Mathews and Charles Davis break down the evolving landscape of college football, discussing how the traditional concept of an "upset" is fading in the current era. They examine the impact of the expanded playoff, noting that while conference championships still matter, simply making the 12-team tournament has shifted the sport's historical priorities. The conversation explores the Big Ten, specifically Indiana's recent offensive struggles following a loss, and the widespread impact of quarterback injuries across FBS programs. Finally, they evaluate the Group of Six picture, highlighting James Madison's recent defeat and the enduring giant-killer reputation of Appalachian State. 

Coach Doug Mathews and Charles Davis break down the evolving landscape of college football, discussing how the traditional concept of an "upset" is fading in the current era. They examine the impact of the expanded playoff, noting that while conference championships still matter, simply making the 12-team tournament has shifted the sport's historical priorities. The conversation explores the Big Ten, specifically Indiana's recent offensive struggles following a loss, and the widespread impact of quarterback injuries across FBS programs. Finally, they evaluate the Group of Six picture, highlighting James Madison's recent defeat and the enduring giant-killer reputation of Appalachian State.

Not many analysts in the midsouth have as much football expertise as Doug Mathews brings to the microphone every Saturday morning. It’s Forklift System’s Football Saturday on 104-5 The Zone.

Mathews, best known for his 10 seasons as Running Backs Coach and Defensive Coordinator for the University of Tennessee, tells it like it is and lets you take show where you want to go every weekend.

Forklift Systems Football Saturday covers all the big games across the nation, including all the action within the Southeastern Conference. It’s the perfect preview before you catch your favorite team play Saturday afternoon. Featuring long-time college football writer Tony Barnhart and NFL analyst Charles Davis.

Forklift Systems Football Saturday

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Shifting Power and Playoff Chaos with Charles Davis

Coach opens the two-hour show by pointing out that seven of the top 16 teams lost last weekend. That’s why he suggests dropping the word “upset” for the 2026 season. Only UCLA, Miami and Utah are still undefeated among Power Four teams, and by his count about 30 teams remain in the playoff hunt. Tony Barnhart is off for his yearly Georgia–Florida trip, so Dennis Dodd fills in for the first hour. Dodd explains why Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is leaving: league presidents rejected his ideas, including a private equity deal and adding Gonzaga for basketball only, and he was frustrated that the SEC and Big Ten took control of the playoff format. Dodd also covers Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy, who is cleared to return against Arkansas after being shot in the offseason. Ohio State’s quarterback injury going into USC and Utah’s trip to Cincinnati get attention too. The two then go conference by conference. Kentucky surprisingly leads the SEC, and Dodd predicts a 9-3 SEC team gets in the playoff while another deserving 9-3 SEC team gets left out. Northwestern and Chip Kelly are the Big Ten’s big surprise. Dodd picks BYU and Oklahoma State to play for the Big 12 title, and says the SMU–Wake Forest game will likely decide who faces Miami for the ACC title. Matthews’ stat of the week is that SEC schools have paid $2.6 million in field-storming fines so far this year. Dodd’s is that 32 different teams have been ranked in the top 10 since USC was last there. They finish the hour on the Big Ten’s plan to cap athlete pay, a possible separate Group of Six playoff, and Florida State vs. Clemson as a once-big matchup almost nobody is noticing.

In the second hour, officiating consultant Tom Ritter goes through the end of the BYU–UCF game. Replay wrongly applied a 10-second runoff that ended regulation, even though the rules stop the clock after a kick. Matthews says UCF’s coaches should have known that rule and spoken up. Ritter also explains why full-time college officials aren’t realistic, though a national pool of officials may be coming. Kevin Steele, who has coached under seven national-championship head coaches, grades the SEC’s new coaches, including Will Stein at Kentucky, Jon Sumrall at Florida and Lane Kiffin at LSU. He calls LSU the team peaking right now and doesn’t expect Georgia to lose two games in a row. He and Matthews agree that the many two-loss SEC teams playing each other will sort the race out quickly, and a few may end up with four losses. Charles Davis closes the show by arguing that the old order of college football is gone and that conference titles will matter less once the playoff grows to 24 teams. He breaks down Indiana’s offensive slump and its tough defense ahead of Minnesota. He also talks about the wave of quarterback injuries: almost a third of FBS programs are missing their starter, so backup quarterbacks now decide seasons. He finishes with Boise State, Oregon State and New Mexico as the Group of Six teams to watch.

Coach opens the two-hour show by pointing out that seven of the top 16 teams lost last weekend. That&rsquo;s why he suggests dropping the word &ldquo;upset&rdquo; for the 2026 season. Only UCLA, Miami and Utah are still undefeated among Power Four teams, and by his count about 30 teams remain in the playoff hunt. Tony Barnhart is off for his yearly Georgia&ndash;Florida trip, so Dennis Dodd fills in for the first hour. Dodd explains why Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is leaving: league presidents rejected his ideas, including a private equity deal and adding Gonzaga for basketball only, and he was frustrated that the SEC and Big Ten took control of the playoff format. Dodd also covers Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy, who is cleared to return against Arkansas after being shot in the offseason. Ohio State&rsquo;s quarterback injury going into USC and Utah&rsquo;s trip to Cincinnati get attention too. The two then go conference by conference. Kentucky surprisingly leads the SEC, and Dodd predicts a 9-3 SEC team gets in the playoff while another deserving 9-3 SEC team gets left out. Northwestern and Chip Kelly are the Big Ten&rsquo;s big surprise. Dodd picks BYU and Oklahoma State to play for the Big 12 title, and says the SMU&ndash;Wake Forest game will likely decide who faces Miami for the ACC title. Matthews&rsquo; stat of the week is that SEC schools have paid $2.6 million in field-storming fines so far this year. Dodd&rsquo;s is that 32 different teams have been ranked in the top 10 since USC was last there. They finish the hour on the Big Ten&rsquo;s plan to cap athlete pay, a possible separate Group of Six playoff, and Florida State vs. Clemson as a once-big matchup almost nobody is noticing.
In the second hour, officiating consultant Tom Ritter goes through the end of the BYU&ndash;UCF game. Replay wrongly applied a 10-second runoff that ended regulation, even though the rules stop the clock after a kick. Matthews says UCF&rsquo;s coaches should have known that rule and spoken up. Ritter also explains why full-time college officials aren&rsquo;t realistic, though a national pool of officials may be coming. Kevin Steele, who has coached under seven national-championship head coaches, grades the SEC&rsquo;s new coaches, including Will Stein at Kentucky, Jon Sumrall at Florida and Lane Kiffin at LSU. He calls LSU the team peaking right now and doesn&rsquo;t expect Georgia to lose two games in a row. He and Matthews agree that the many two-loss SEC teams playing each other will sort the race out quickly, and a few may end up with four losses. Charles Davis closes the show by arguing that the old order of college football is gone and that conference titles will matter less once the playoff grows to 24 teams. He breaks down Indiana&rsquo;s offensive slump and its tough defense ahead of Minnesota. He also talks about the wave of quarterback injuries: almost a third of FBS programs are missing their starter, so backup quarterbacks now decide seasons. He finishes with Boise State, Oregon State and New Mexico as the Group of Six teams to watch.

Forklift Systems Football Saturday 10-31-26

 Kevin Steele joins the show to break down the highly competitive SEC football landscape. The conversation kicks off with a brief look at the Florida State and Clemson dynamic in the ACC before diving deep into the state of SEC coaching, highlighting the impressive program builds at Kentucky and Florida. Steele shares his unique perspective on the immense pressure facing two-loss SEC teams and the unpredictable path to the conference championship as the season narrows. Listen in for a comprehensive analysis of upcoming pivotal matchups, the resilience of Auburn and Ole Miss, and the formidable defensive challenges posed by the Oklahoma Sooners. Finally, the coaches look ahead to a critical stretch of November games and preview Sunday's key talking points regarding the Tennessee Volunteers.

&nbsp;Kevin Steele joins the show to break down the highly competitive SEC football landscape. The conversation kicks off with a brief look at the Florida State and Clemson dynamic in the ACC before diving deep into the state of SEC coaching, highlighting the impressive program builds at Kentucky and Florida. Steele shares his unique perspective on the immense pressure facing two-loss SEC teams and the unpredictable path to the conference championship as the season narrows. Listen in for a comprehensive analysis of upcoming pivotal matchups, the resilience of Auburn and Ole Miss, and the formidable defensive challenges posed by the Oklahoma Sooners. Finally, the coaches look ahead to a critical stretch of November games and preview Sunday's key talking points regarding the Tennessee Volunteers.

SEC Football Chaos and Coaching Turnarounds with Kevin Steele

In this segment, Coach sits down with veteran sports official Tom Ritter to analyze recent controversies surrounding college football's replay systems and rule applications. Ritter breaks down the critical difference between subjective on-field judgment calls and objective rule enforcement, highlighting a specific third-down field goal incident during the BYU-UCF game where a misapplied ten-second runoff erroneously ended regulation. The discussion explores how these critical end-of-game situations emphasize the growing need for college football programs to hire retired officials or rules analysts to advise head coaches during games, a trend already established in the NFL. Finally, Ritter addresses the ongoing debate over implementing full-time officials in the NCAA, explaining the financial and structural barriers that prevent current officials from leaving their primary careers in fields like law, teaching, and sales to officiate full-time.

In this segment, Coach sits down with veteran sports official Tom Ritter to analyze recent controversies surrounding college football's replay systems and rule applications. Ritter breaks down the critical difference between subjective on-field judgment calls and objective rule enforcement, highlighting a specific third-down field goal incident during the BYU-UCF game where a misapplied ten-second runoff erroneously ended regulation. The discussion explores how these critical end-of-game situations emphasize the growing need for college football programs to hire retired officials or rules analysts to advise head coaches during games, a trend already established in the NFL. Finally, Ritter addresses the ongoing debate over implementing full-time officials in the NCAA, explaining the financial and structural barriers that prevent current officials from leaving their primary careers in fields like law, teaching, and sales to officiate full-time.

Shifting Power and Playoff Chaos with Charles Davis

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