News Update

Way-Too-Early Top 12s

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

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

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

Way-Too-Early Top 12s & Duke Sues Darian Mensah | College Football

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/aa0b818b-df8c-40c8-904b-b3d90161642c/transcript

In this episode, we take a break from the usual offseason doom loop and focus on the things that still make college football worth getting excited about. With the 2026 season now inside the 100-day window, we lean into the joy, weirdness and ritual of the sport, from team entrances and tailgate footballs to bowl games as holiday escape hatches, overseas openers in Dublin and Rio, and the simple feeling of leaning forward on the couch right before kickoff.

We also get into the more specific quirks that make college football feel like college football: pylon cams, visor coaches, turnover props, weird eye black, old-school announcers, preview magazines, 68-degree noon kickoffs, coaches losing their minds on the sideline, late-night windows and the constant possibility that a huge favorite might get dragged into a game it has no business losing.

Plus, we look ahead to some of the real football reasons to be excited for 2026, including a loaded crop of star players, a monster Week 10 schedule, the evolving Group of Five playoff race and the SEC’s move to a nine-game conference schedule. Consider this a little kickoff yearning for the summer months, a reminder that, for all the sport’s problems, there’s still nothing quite like it.

In this episode, we take a break from the usual offseason doom loop and focus on the things that still make college football worth getting excited about. With the 2026 season now inside the 100-day window, we lean into the joy, weirdness and ritual of the sport, from team entrances and tailgate footballs to bowl games as holiday escape hatches, overseas openers in Dublin and Rio, and the simple feeling of leaning forward on the couch right before kickoff.
We also get into the more specific quirks that make college football feel like college football: pylon cams, visor coaches, turnover props, weird eye black, old-school announcers, preview magazines, 68-degree noon kickoffs, coaches losing their minds on the sideline, late-night windows and the constant possibility that a huge favorite might get dragged into a game it has no business losing.
Plus, we look ahead to some of the real football reasons to be excited for 2026, including a loaded crop of star players, a monster Week 10 schedule, the evolving Group of Five playoff race and the SEC&rsquo;s move to a nine-game conference schedule. Consider this a little kickoff yearning for the summer months, a reminder that, for all the sport&rsquo;s problems, there&rsquo;s still nothing quite like it.

Kickoff Yearning: The College Football Things We Still Love

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2d3b9a32-470d-4ad0-9b3d-b457012a4380/transcript

Mario & Miami will trip over themselves

Matt Rhule is a turnaround genius

Lane Kiffin is misunderstood

Ryan Day was born on third base

Texas A&M has a hard ceiling

Oregon will fall flat late in the season

Clemson can't adapt

Big Game James Franklin

You don't wanna be the guy after Nick Saban

In this episode, we introduce a new game called “Bed or Built,” where we take some of college football’s most repeated narratives and decide whether it’s time to put them to bed or if they’re still built to last. With the 2026 season creeping closer, we sort through the stories that have followed programs, coaches and fan bases for years, and ask which ones still make sense in the current version of the sport.

We dig into Mario Cristobal and Miami, Matt Rhule’s turnaround reputation, Lane Kiffin’s chaos factor, Ryan Day’s “born on third base” label, Texas A&M’s hard ceiling, Oregon’s late-season hurdle, Clemson’s attempts to adapt, James Franklin’s big-game baggage and the difficulty of following Nick Saban at Alabama. Along the way, we get into the transfer portal, coaching hires, College Football Playoff expectations, roster-building, fan perception and how quickly old narratives can become outdated.

Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
5:46 - Mario Cristobal & Miami will trip up
13:45 - Matt Rhule is a turnaround genius
20:38 - Lane Kiffin is misunderstood
26:25 - Ryan Dan was born on third base
32:35 - Texas A&M has a hard ceiling
38:56 - Oregon will fall flat late
45:33 - Clemson can't adapt
54:08 - Big Game James Franklin
56:09 - Being the guy after Nick Saban

In this episode, we introduce a new game called &ldquo;Bed or Built,&rdquo; where we take some of college football&rsquo;s most repeated narratives and decide whether it&rsquo;s time to put them to bed or if they&rsquo;re still built to last. With the 2026 season creeping closer, we sort through the stories that have followed programs, coaches and fan bases for years, and ask which ones still make sense in the current version of the sport.
We dig into Mario Cristobal and Miami, Matt Rhule&rsquo;s turnaround reputation, Lane Kiffin&rsquo;s chaos factor, Ryan Day&rsquo;s &ldquo;born on third base&rdquo; label, Texas A&amp;M&rsquo;s hard ceiling, Oregon&rsquo;s late-season hurdle, Clemson&rsquo;s attempts to adapt, James Franklin&rsquo;s big-game baggage and the difficulty of following Nick Saban at Alabama. Along the way, we get into the transfer portal, coaching hires, College Football Playoff expectations, roster-building, fan perception and how quickly old narratives can become outdated.
Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro 5:46 - Mario Cristobal &amp; Miami will trip up 13:45 - Matt Rhule is a turnaround genius 20:38 - Lane Kiffin is misunderstood 26:25 - Ryan Dan was born on third base 32:35 - Texas A&amp;M has a hard ceiling 38:56 - Oregon will fall flat late 45:33 - Clemson can't adapt 54:08 - Big Game James Franklin 56:09 - Being the guy after Nick Saban

Which College Football Narratives Still Hold Up in 2026?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a68aa580-4903-40d9-b62f-b455010e0603/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

Way-Too-Early Top 12s & Duke Sues Darian Mensah | College Football

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