Coach Jerry Mack led the Kennesaw State Owls from a 2-10 season in 2024 to a Conference USA championship in his first year in 2025, flipping the roster and the entire offensive scheme in the process. In this episode, he talks about what drew him to Kennesaw State, how he approaches roster construction in the transfer portal era, what he brought back from his time coaching in the NFL, what it takes to maintain stability through college football's most unstable era ever, and much more.

Coach Jerry Mack led the Kennesaw State Owls from a 2-10 season in 2024 to a Conference USA championship in his first year in 2025, flipping the roster and the entire offensive scheme in the process. In this episode, he talks about what drew him to Kennesaw State, how he approaches roster construction in the transfer portal era, what he brought back from his time coaching in the NFL, what it takes to maintain stability through college football's most unstable era ever, and much more.

College football in all its glory. Ditch the mainstream and break the huddle with The Solid Verbal. Since 2008, Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein have been shaking up the college football podcasting scene with their fun and unique blend of commentary. Whether you're a diehard or a casual observer, the show taps into your fandom with spirited debates, fresh perspectives, and segments you won't hear anywhere else. Recognized as trailblazers in the podcasting world, The Solid Verbal isn't just another college football show—it's America's College Football Podcast. Become a Verballer today and join thousands of others who don't just love college football, they live it!

Follow The Solid Verbal College Football podcast on your favorite app today and download everything you need to know this offseason.

College football in all its glory. Ditch the mainstream and break the huddle with The Solid Verbal. Since 2008, Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein have been shaking up the college football podcasting scene with their fun and unique blend of commentary. Whether you're a diehard or a casual observer, the show taps into your fandom with spirited debates, fresh perspectives, and segments you won't hear anywhere else. Recognized as trailblazers in the podcasting world, The Solid Verbal isn't just another college football show—it's America's College Football Podcast. Become a Verballer today and join thousands of others who don't just love college football, they live it!Follow The Solid Verbal College Football podcast on your favorite app today and download everything you need to know this offseason.

The Solid Verbal College Football Show

Coach Jerry Mack on Roster Building, Culture, and Kennesaw State's Future

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/356d8504-7bf7-4cee-ad5a-b42400f1f5d7/transcript

College football Week 1 started quietly and then completely lost its mind. Michigan needed a last-second miracle to survive Western Michigan, Oregon got pushed deep into the fourth quarter by Boise State, and Auburn escaped Baylor by a single point after stopping a late two-point conversion.

We break down the biggest games, then zoom out to the teams and players that impressed us most, including huge performances from Miami, Alabama, Tennessee, USC, Pitt, Penn State and more. We also ask which fan bases should already be freaking out, react to your Week 1 Reverbs, hand out Dude Alerts and start sorting through who should move up or down on our AP Top 25 ballot after the first real data points of the 2026 season.

College football Week 1 started quietly and then completely lost its mind. Michigan needed a last-second miracle to survive Western Michigan, Oregon got pushed deep into the fourth quarter by Boise State, and Auburn escaped Baylor by a single point after stopping a late two-point conversion.
We break down the biggest games, then zoom out to the teams and players that impressed us most, including huge performances from Miami, Alabama, Tennessee, USC, Pitt, Penn State and more. We also ask which fan bases should already be freaking out, react to your Week 1 Reverbs, hand out Dude Alerts and start sorting through who should move up or down on our AP Top 25 ballot after the first real data points of the 2026 season.

Michigan’s Miracle, Oregon’s Scare & Who Impressed Us in College Football Week 1

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c9fb2f54-ca5f-4b0e-b5ea-b4bd005f5b1f/transcript

Clemson vs LSU

Baylor vs Auburn

Boise State vs Oregon

UCLA vs Cal

Louisville vs Ole Miss

Wisconsin vs Notre Dame

SMU vs Florida State

Colorado vs Georgia Tech

Fresno State vs USC

Miami vs Stanford

Under The Radar Games

Window of Opportunity

Quick Recap

Patriot League Lightning Round

College football’s first full weekend is finally here, and Week 1 is throwing a whole lot of unknowns directly into the fire. We make our picks for the biggest games on the schedule and try to figure out which teams are actually ready for the moment across five days of games from Thursday night through Labor Day.

How quickly can new quarterbacks and new coaches settle in? Can Clemson’s offense find enough answers in Death Valley? What should we expect from Auburn and Baylor in Atlanta, Louisville and Ole Miss in Nashville, and Wisconsin and Notre Dame at Lambeau Field? We also dig into SMU-Florida State, UCLA-Cal, Boise State-Oregon and several other games where one matchup could tell us much more about these teams than the final score.

Then we go hunting for the games hiding beneath the radar, identify our Window of Opportunity, make our locks and upset picks, and prepare to leap into the great unknown of our 19th season of college football podcasting.

Listen to the full episode, rate and subscribe wherever you get the show, and join us at Verballers.com to play Run The Board, where this week’s winner takes home a $500 Visa gift card.

College football&rsquo;s first full weekend is finally here, and Week 1 is throwing a whole lot of unknowns directly into the fire. We make our picks for the biggest games on the schedule and try to figure out which teams are actually ready for the moment across five days of games from Thursday night through Labor Day.
How quickly can new quarterbacks and new coaches settle in? Can Clemson&rsquo;s offense find enough answers in Death Valley? What should we expect from Auburn and Baylor in Atlanta, Louisville and Ole Miss in Nashville, and Wisconsin and Notre Dame at Lambeau Field? We also dig into SMU-Florida State, UCLA-Cal, Boise State-Oregon and several other games where one matchup could tell us much more about these teams than the final score.
Then we go hunting for the games hiding beneath the radar, identify our Window of Opportunity, make our locks and upset picks, and prepare to leap into the great unknown of our 19th season of college football podcasting.
Listen to the full episode, rate and subscribe wherever you get the show, and join us at <a href="https://Verballers.com" data-link-auto="">Verballers.com</a> to play Run The Board, where this week&rsquo;s winner takes home a $500 Visa gift card.

College Football Week 1: Picks, Sneaky Games & Parachuting into 2026

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6561cc7d-750b-49ab-8687-b4b901458441/transcript

College football Week 1 is finally here, but before we dive into our full preview and picks later this week, we're looking at the bigger questions that could start shaping the season as soon as the games kick off. Which performances should actually make us feel better about a contender, and what would qualify as an early warning sign even with all the usual disclaimers about overreacting in September?

We start with Keelon Russell taking over at Alabama, then work through some of the most interesting new looks around the country. How quickly can Lane Kiffin put LSU together after an aggressive offseason? What should we be watching from Oregon's new coordinators? Can Darian Mensah immediately unlock another level for Miami, and just how much is riding on DJ Lagway working out at Baylor? We also dig into Notre Dame's revamped collection of skill players and what Wisconsin might be able to tell us about a team with national championship aspirations.

Plus, Dan ingests alarming amount of cold brew, we identify a few under-the-radar Week 1 hinge points and somehow end up discussing the appropriate hair-dye threshold for independent podcasters.

Sign up to play our pick'em game at Verballers.com.

College football Week 1 is finally here, but before we dive into our full preview and picks later this week, we're looking at the bigger questions that could start shaping the season as soon as the games kick off. Which performances should actually make us feel better about a contender, and what would qualify as an early warning sign even with all the usual disclaimers about overreacting in September?
We start with Keelon Russell taking over at Alabama, then work through some of the most interesting new looks around the country. How quickly can Lane Kiffin put LSU together after an aggressive offseason? What should we be watching from Oregon's new coordinators? Can Darian Mensah immediately unlock another level for Miami, and just how much is riding on DJ Lagway working out at Baylor? We also dig into Notre Dame's revamped collection of skill players and what Wisconsin might be able to tell us about a team with national championship aspirations.
Plus, Dan ingests alarming amount of cold brew, we identify a few under-the-radar Week 1 hinge points and somehow end up discussing the appropriate hair-dye threshold for independent podcasters.
Sign up to play our pick'em game at <a href="https://www.verballers.com/join">Verballers.com</a>.

The Week 1 Storylines That Could Shape the Season | College Football

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/affba6aa-df5d-456b-86cc-b4b7013c2ce2/transcript

Coach Jerry Mack on Roster Building, Culture, and Kennesaw State's Future

In 1 playlist(s)

The Solid Verbal College Football Show

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips