From Wondery and The Athletic, The Lead is the first daily sports podcast that will bring you one big story each day from The Athletic's all-star team of local and national sports reporters. Subscribe now to hear new episodes each weekday morning: http://wondery.fm/TheLeadED

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From Wondery and The Athletic, The Lead is the first daily sports podcast that will bring you one big story each day from The Athletic's all-star team of local and national sports reporters. Subscribe now to hear new episodes each weekday morning: <a href="http://wondery.fm/TheLeadED" target="_blank">http://wondery.fm/TheLeadED</a>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

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

Introducing The Lead: Your New Daily Sports Fix

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ed7d9b21-bdb9-42d7-a61d-b30e0010d99b/transcript

Slices 'N Steps in NYC

Tony Petitti's 24-Team CFP Plan

ACC Vibes

The ACC Mall

The Cal Factor

The Case For Syracuse

The Case Against Georgia Tech

Miami's Heisman Elimination Game

Virginia Tech's CFP Chances

The Surprise Orange Julius

Mapping Out The Mall

In this episode, we react to Tony Petitti’s public push for a 24-team College Football Playoff and try to sort through what it actually means for the sport. Is expansion really about access, regular-season stakes, and rewarding more teams, or is it mostly about television inventory, conference leverage, and the ongoing ESPN vs. Fox tug-of-war? We also talk through why the SEC’s preference for 16 teams suddenly puts some fans in the strange position of... rooting for Greg Sankey.

Then it’s time for an ACC vibe check, as we take a look at the conference before full preview season kicks into gear. Miami looks like the league’s clearest headliner, but after that, things get messy fast. We work through the conference’s biggest connective tissues, including offensive line questions, thin receiver rooms, quarterback uncertainty, Cal’s wide range of outcomes, Louisville’s favorable path, Georgia Tech’s possible regression, and whether Virginia Tech or NC State could turn into a surprise playoff-adjacent story.

Also included: Slices 'N Steps in NYC, illegal-streaming hypotheticals, Chili’s corn nostalgia, and the beginning of what may become a fully realized ACC-as-abandoned-mall taxonomy.

Subscribe to the newsletter for free: https://www.solidverbal.com/newsletter

Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro & Slices 'N Steps in NYC
6:38 - Tony Petitti's 24-Team CFP Plan
31:07 - The Vibrant ACC Mall
38:00 - The Cal Factor
45:20 - The Case for Syracuse
52:07 - The Case Against Georgia Tech
59:48 - Miami's Heisman Elimination Game
1:07:49 - Virginia Tech's CFP Chances
1:12:41 - The Surprise Orange Julius
1:17:05 - Mapping Out The ACC Mall

In this episode, we react to Tony Petitti&rsquo;s public push for a 24-team College Football Playoff and try to sort through what it actually means for the sport. Is expansion really about access, regular-season stakes, and rewarding more teams, or is it mostly about television inventory, conference leverage, and the ongoing ESPN vs. Fox tug-of-war? We also talk through why the SEC&rsquo;s preference for 16 teams suddenly puts some fans in the strange position of... rooting for Greg Sankey.
Then it&rsquo;s time for an ACC vibe check, as we take a look at the conference before full preview season kicks into gear. Miami looks like the league&rsquo;s clearest headliner, but after that, things get messy fast. We work through the conference&rsquo;s biggest connective tissues, including offensive line questions, thin receiver rooms, quarterback uncertainty, Cal&rsquo;s wide range of outcomes, Louisville&rsquo;s favorable path, Georgia Tech&rsquo;s possible regression, and whether Virginia Tech or NC State could turn into a surprise playoff-adjacent story.
Also included: Slices 'N Steps in NYC, illegal-streaming hypotheticals, Chili&rsquo;s corn nostalgia, and the beginning of what may become a fully realized ACC-as-abandoned-mall taxonomy.
Subscribe to the newsletter for free: https://www.solidverbal.com/newsletter
Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro &amp; Slices 'N Steps in NYC 6:38 - Tony Petitti's 24-Team CFP Plan 31:07 - The Vibrant ACC Mall 38:00 - The Cal Factor 45:20 - The Case for Syracuse 52:07 - The Case Against Georgia Tech 59:48 - Miami's Heisman Elimination Game 1:07:49 - Virginia Tech's CFP Chances 1:12:41 - The Surprise Orange Julius 1:17:05 - Mapping Out The ACC Mall

Tony Petitti’s Playoff Pitch and an ACC Vibe Check

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7091ed53-7ceb-4b36-b050-b4500148d45a/transcript

Ohio State misses the CFP

Maryland wins a game after September

Wisconsin saves Luke Fickell's job

Oregon regrets new coordinators

Iowa makes the CFP

UCLA wins 8 games

Michigan becomes a mess

USC's unlucky schedule

We’re midway through May, which means it’s time to start talking ourselves into, and out of, what the 2026 college football season could become. In this episode, we turn the month itself into a game with a Big Ten “Mayyyyybe” vibe check, asking which scenarios feel realistic, which ones feel like offseason nonsense, and which ones might look strangely prescient by November.

Could Ohio State’s schedule create a real College Football Playoff problem? Is Maryland quietly positioned to take a step forward? Can Wisconsin stabilize things for Luke Fickell, Iowa mess around with a playoff run, or UCLA become one of the more interesting teams in the conference under Bob Chesney? We also dig into Oregon’s internal coordinator hires, Michigan’s tricky first year under Kyle Whittingham, and USC’s unlucky, unforgiving schedule.

Along the way, there are schedule sandwiches, quarterback questions, offensive line concerns, coaching crush rankings, a surprising amount of hernia talk, and more.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
5:01 - Ohio State misses the CFP
14:22 - Maryland wins a game after September
20:42 - Wisconsin saves Luke Fickell's job
27:23 - Oregon regrets new coordinators
34:19 - Iowa makes the CFP
39:27 - UCLA wins 8 games
47:22 - Michigan becomes a mess
55:52 - USC's unlucky schedule

We&rsquo;re midway through May, which means it&rsquo;s time to start talking ourselves into, and out of, what the 2026 college football season could become. In this episode, we turn the month itself into a game with a Big Ten &ldquo;Mayyyyybe&rdquo; vibe check, asking which scenarios feel realistic, which ones feel like offseason nonsense, and which ones might look strangely prescient by November.
Could Ohio State&rsquo;s schedule create a real College Football Playoff problem? Is Maryland quietly positioned to take a step forward? Can Wisconsin stabilize things for Luke Fickell, Iowa mess around with a playoff run, or UCLA become one of the more interesting teams in the conference under Bob Chesney? We also dig into Oregon&rsquo;s internal coordinator hires, Michigan&rsquo;s tricky first year under Kyle Whittingham, and USC&rsquo;s unlucky, unforgiving schedule.
Along the way, there are schedule sandwiches, quarterback questions, offensive line concerns, coaching crush rankings, a surprising amount of hernia talk, and more.
Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 5:01 - Ohio State misses the CFP 14:22 - Maryland wins a game after September 20:42 - Wisconsin saves Luke Fickell's job 27:23 - Oregon regrets new coordinators 34:19 - Iowa makes the CFP 39:27 - UCLA wins 8 games 47:22 - Michigan becomes a mess 55:52 - USC's unlucky schedule

Big Ten Vibe Check: What Mayyyyy Happen in 2026

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0a66e43d-f952-44be-8fad-b449012ff042/transcript

Week 0

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

We’re taking an early look at the 2026 college football schedule and doing a public service for the Verballerhood: figuring out which Saturdays deserve to be protected on the family calendar. From Week 0 appetizers to monster November slates, we rank the season week by week, identify the biggest projected matchups, and decide when it is safe to go outside and when it is absolutely not.

Along the way, we dig into the weeks that look especially dangerous for teams stuck between emotional rivalry games, cross-country trips, short weeks, and potential letdown spots. Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Penn State, Oregon, USC, LSU, Ole Miss, BYU, Texas Tech and others all pop up as we sort through the best weekends, the sneaky ones, and the obvious trap-ortunities.

Plus, we discuss shared calendars, zhoug sauce, Trappy Valley, the revered Ball-Sac Game, how much of November should be blocked off, and several increasingly questionable strategies for preserving couch time during the best stretch of the season.

Timestamps
0:00 - Intro
7:36 - Week 0
9:33 - Week 1
12:11 - Week 2
17:49 - Week 3
23:20 - Week 4
25:17 - Week 5
30:28 - Week 6
37:38 - Week 7
40:04 - Week 8
44:40 - Week 9
47:09 - Week 10
53:09 - Week 11
57:47 - Week 12
1:03:51 - Week 13

We&rsquo;re taking an early look at the 2026 college football schedule and doing a public service for the Verballerhood: figuring out which Saturdays deserve to be protected on the family calendar. From Week 0 appetizers to monster November slates, we rank the season week by week, identify the biggest projected matchups, and decide when it is safe to go outside and when it is absolutely not.
Along the way, we dig into the weeks that look especially dangerous for teams stuck between emotional rivalry games, cross-country trips, short weeks, and potential letdown spots. Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Penn State, Oregon, USC, LSU, Ole Miss, BYU, Texas Tech and others all pop up as we sort through the best weekends, the sneaky ones, and the obvious trap-ortunities.
Plus, we discuss shared calendars, zhoug sauce, Trappy Valley, the revered Ball-Sac Game, how much of November should be blocked off, and several increasingly questionable strategies for preserving couch time during the best stretch of the season.
Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 7:36 - Week 0 9:33 - Week 1 12:11 - Week 2 17:49 - Week 3 23:20 - Week 4 25:17 - Week 5 30:28 - Week 6 37:38 - Week 7 40:04 - Week 8 44:40 - Week 9 47:09 - Week 10 53:09 - Week 11 57:47 - Week 12 1:03:51 - Week 13

Ranking the 2026 College Football Schedule: The Best Weeks, Trappy Valleys & When To Book Surgery

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ed28b94e-f5d5-4654-a69f-b4470145f86b/transcript

Introducing The Lead: Your New Daily Sports Fix

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