The Solid Verbal College Football

In this episode, we examine the most interesting college football teams hovering around the bowl eligibility line in 2026. With win totals sitting at 5.5 or 6.5, these are the teams that could just as easily surge to 8-4 as stumble into 5-7, and we try to figure out which direction they’re headed before preview season officially begins.
We start with Florida and the Jon Sumrall reboot, then dig into Arizona State’s questions, Kentucky’s brutal SEC schedule, Minnesota’s surprisingly low win total, and Virginia Tech’s fascinating reset under James Franklin. Plus, we debate whether TCU has enough runway and whether Wisconsin is finally ready to clear the bar under Luke Fickell.
Also: Dan searches for a new lease, Ty searches for a Seattle soccer ticket, third-quarter sing-along traditions, the dangers of too many stadium sound effects, and how fuzzy June math led us directly to the today's concept.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
7:25 - Explaining Teeter Teams
9:32 - Florida Gators
16:47 - Arizona State Sun Devils
23:29 - Kentucky Wildcats
30:10 - Minnesota Golden Gophers
37:52 - Virginia Tech Hokies
44:18 - TCU Horned Frogs
49:59 - Wisconsin Badgers
Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal
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In this episode, we return to the board room for Sark Tank 3.0, our annual exercise in college football emotional investing. Ty brings the pitches, while Dan and special guest Andy Staples play the investors, and decide which 2026 storylines are worth buying and selling. On the board: Brendan Sorsby's prospects at Texas Tech, the SEC's return to glory, the return of Gary Patterson, and a new Group of Six team crashing the playoff party.
Plus, the Sarks debate whether anyone other than Miami is worth backing in the ACC, whether Notre Dame is being set up as the sport’s most polished strength-of-schedule mirage, and which long-shot ideas still deserve emotional capital before the season begins.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro to Sark Tank 3.0
4:55 - Brendan Sorsby & Texas Tech
14:13 - The SEC's Return To Glory
22:24 - Gary Patterson's Return
29:26 - New G6 Playoff Teams
38:34 - Miami vs. The ACC Field
46:02 - Notre Dame
Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we welcome back our friend Richard Johnson from CBS Sports and Split Zone Duo for a conversation about the college football topics we talk about too much, and the ones we probably do not talk about enough. As preview season creeps closer, we zoom out on the sport’s offseason discourse and ask which arguments are useful, which ones are exhausted, and where the weird, fun, meaningful parts of college football might be hiding.
We dig into College Football Playoff format fatigue, the role of TV money and conference power, the constant hope that Congress can somehow “fix” college sports, the growing presence of gambling in broadcasts, and whether the Arch Manning conversation has swung too far in the other direction. Plus, we get into teams and coaches who deserve more attention, including Florida, UCLA, Michigan, and the broader world outside the SEC and Big Ten.
We also wander into West Coast scheduling thoughts, the need for more strange bowl game energy, Sacramento sports sadness, college football media golf rankings, and the inevitability of major news breaking whenever Richard goes to Europe.
And, right in the middle of our recording, news broke of Brendan Sorsby's reinstatement. (We react as best we can!)
Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
4:29 - Richard Johnson joins the show
7:30 - CFP format
12:31 - TV network influence
19:22 - The government and CFB
22:18 - Arch Manning
28:48 - Brendan Sorsby news
33:05 - Gambling as part of studio shows
40:25 - ACC Thursdays
44:10 - West Coast scheduling
45:53 - Jon Sumrall
50:22 - Big Ten & SEC vs. the World
56:54 - Kyle Whittingham
1:03:35 - Rapid Fire
Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we step slightly outside our usual college football lane for a 2026 World Cup preview with ESPN’s Bill Connelly. With the tournament kicking off next week in North America, we put the tournament in terms that college football fans can understand and discuss the potential chaos of an expanded field, the "Indiana" of world soccer, and the constant tension between off-field disasters and on-field brilliance.
We dig into the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT), their upside, their flaws, their best college football comp, and what casual American fans should actually watch for when the games begin. Bill also walks us through the broader field, from favorites like France, Spain and England to possible sleepers like Norway, Turkey, and Mexico. Plus, we get into expectations for Canada, the randomness of the new knockout format, why this tournament could produce some truly strange outcomes, and much more.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
3:19 - World Cup Basics
7:55 - USMNT's CFB Comp?
11:33 - USMNT Built for Speed?
17:12 - USMNT's Most Interesting Players
20:31 - USMNT's Intent
23:23 - USMNT In Possession
25:23 - Effects of More Time Between Games
26:58 - What Pochettino Brings to USMNT
30:18 - Tactical Levers at the World Cup
33:44 - Crazy Loaded Position Groups
37:24 - England Roster & Defensive Mindset
40:48 - Realistic Picks for Winners & Sleepers
48:29 - Interesting Managers & Playstyles
52:14 - Expectations for Canada
54:15 - Rapid Fire Predictions & Comps
Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this June Q&A episode, we open up the Verballer mailbag and start looking ahead to preview season with some early college football summer loves. Which teams are we already talking ourselves into before the magazines arrive? Which programs are interesting, dangerous, confusing or just fun enough to pique our interest as the 2026 season gets closer?
We also dig into first-time College Football Playoff possibilities, the rising risk of major transfer portal investments, and whether Curt Cignetti’s championship run at Indiana was more impressive than anything Nick Saban or Kirby Smart ever did in a single season. Plus, we talk through what fans of rebuilding teams should actually look for in Year 1, why playoff expansion arguments still feel slippery, and which players or teams are perfect for showing off at a June cookout.
And, naturally, the episode eventually drifts into Brendan Fraser playing Dwight Eisenhower in a D-Day weather drama, bad old predictions, Drake Lindsey discourse, Arkansas despair, and Dan’s ongoing effort to make Ty regret his phrasing.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
3:00 - Summer Loves?
16:08 - First-time CFP Candidates?
18:36 - Vetting Transfers?
30:00 - Cignetti vs Saban/Smart?
38:46 - Cookout Players/Teams?
41:50 - Fox's CFP Motivation?
47:55 - Hope for Arkansas?
55:37 - Rapid Fire Questions
Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.