Split Zone Duo: College Football Podcast

Richard and Alex dive into the results from first round of the College Football Playoff, in the following order: Miami over Texas A&M, Alabama over Oklahoma, Ole Miss over Tulane, and James Madison vs. the idea that Group of 5 teams should have less access to the tournament. Then, a tour through FCS, Division II, Division III, and the NAIA national championship. Producer: Anthony Vito. Want much more? Become a paid subscriberSubscribers get weekly bonus episodes, usually more than one during the season and postseason, as well as the chance to ask questions and engage more deeply with the hosts. We’d love to have you. Thanks to our partners and subscribers* 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD* https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd* Shop Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/* Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

In 2024, Indiana got good at football. In 2025, it got serious as a national championship contender. The Hoosiers enter the Playoff as the best team in the country, and it all comes back to a coach who can best be described as a more modern version of what Dabo Swinney used to be at Clemson. This wraps up our 2025 College Football Playoff Preview presented by Modelo. Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Ohio State was supposed to be a little bit worse this year. That’s technically true, sort of, as the Buckeyes enter the Playoff at a mere 12-1 after a missed 27-yard field goal cost them overtime in the Big Ten Championship. Everyone was wrong about Matt Patricia, and this team could win it all again. Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comSUBSCRIBER EPISODE: Godfrey joins Richard and Alex for an awards show: The 2025-26 Coach Carousel Superlatives. Split Zone Duo hands out the following sought-after honors: * The Trent Dilfer Award for Bungled Hiring Process * The Deion Sanders Award for Celebrity Coach Hiring* The Ed Orgeron Award for Interim Coach Promotions * The Curt Cignetti Award for Best Hire from the Group of Five or FCS * The Indiana Football Award for a Program’s Demonstration of Newfound Seriousness * The Retread of the Year * The Todd Graham Award for Sleaziest Departure from a Job * The “It’s Definitely Gonna Work” Hire * The “It’s Definitely Not” Hire Some eligibility notes: For obvious reasons, we are excluding Michigan from these superlatives. Also, the carousel never really stops now. But much like the Oscars, if the movie didn’t come out by a certain point, it can’t win that year’s award. These are two awards shows of similar stature, we feel. Producer: Anthony Vito. Everyone can hear a free preview of this episode, which is for paid subscribersDo you enjoy Split Zone Duo? Do you want to get something like twice as many episodes of the podcast, including the vast majority of our coaching carousel podcasts and many historical retrospectives? If so, we think you’ll really enjoy becoming a paid subscriber. It’s a great holiday gift for yourself, or for the college football podcast obsessive in your life. Yep, we have gift subs. Subscriptions cost $10 a month and grant you hours of podcasts, plus the priceless feeling of supporting an independent CFB podcast and keeping it sustainable.

For a while, this was a weird UGA season. The quarterback looked shaky, and the defense didn’t look good enough to drag him to a championship. All of that has shifted in the Dawgs’ favor over the past month or two. Let’s discuss the 2025 UGA team in our College Football Playoff Preview presented by Modelo. Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

The College Football Playoff arrives. Alex and Richard preview the four first-round games, zeroing in on some interesting dynamics to watch and then making picks. (There’s even a Group of Five upset call in here.) Then, a tour through this week’s other bowl games and some major playoff games in FCS and Divisions II and III. Producer: Anthony Vito. This episode is free, but lots of our shows are just for paid subscribers.You can get a lot more of our shows by becoming a paid subscriber. Subscribers get about twice as many SZD podcasts. Thanks to everyone who’s decided to become a subscriber over the past few weeks. Also, thanks to our partners:Shop at HomefieldThanks Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off, or just click https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZDThanks to Nokian Tyres for a great weekend in NYC: www.nokiantyres.com/szdModelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comEvery rivalry has a story, and the one between Montana and Montana State is REALLY good. Kevin Van Valkenburg, the former Griz linebacker and ESPN writer and current Fried Egg Golf content director, joins Alex and Richard to talk about what this series means to his home state. How do Griz and Bobcat fans view each other? How does Missoula vs. Bozeman play into this? How did a 16-year Montana win streak change the rivalry for the future? And what’s with the “Brawl of the Wild” nickname, which didn’t always exist?Subscribers get the full episode. Thanks to everyone who’s joined us this year. By subscribing, you make this show a sustainable operation, and you also get a lot more Split Zone Duo. Subscriptions cost $10 a month or $110 for the year, and we’re proud to have extremely low cancel rates as people try it out and enjoy it. You can subscribe at this link.Producer: Anthony Vito

Texas Tech got a big sack of oil cash and spent it on football players, but there was still work to be done for the Red Raiders to dominate the Big 12. Plus, how does Joey McGuire fit into all of this? We cover Tech here in our 2025 College Football Playoff Preview presented by Modelo. Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

In this episode of our 2025 College Football Playoff Preview presented by Modelo, we focus on No. 5 Oregon. Last year’s Ducks got blown out by Ohio State for many reasons, but the biggest was that they couldn’t stop the deep pass. Has a Purdue transfer at safety solved that problem ahead of a return trip? Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

The weirdest circumstance ever around a College Football Playoff team? That’s probably this year’s Ole Miss Rebels. After Lane Kiffin rolled out of town, Ole Miss still has a chance to make a real run. It’ll just have to do it in one of the most surreal states imaginable. Let’s talk about it, as part of our 2025 College Football Playoff Preview presented by Modelo. Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Our 2025 College Football Playoff Preview presented by Modelo rolls on with Texas A&M. This is a team that Alex thinks could win the whole tournament but Richard does not. What’s the case for the Aggies making a deep run and the case against it? Let’s debate it, and also ask the question of whether Mike Elko has ever been seen in the same room as the actor Paul Dano. Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Oklahoma has taken on the defensive identity of its head coach, Brent Venables. Unfortunately, the offense hasn’t figured things out all season. Can that change in the College Football Playoff? And if not, how far can the defense take this team? It’s part of our College Football Playoff Preview, presented by Modelo.Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Next up in our 2025 CFP Preview, presented by Modelo, we’ve got the Alabama Crimson Tide. It’s been a weird year, and neither of us thinks Alabama can actually win this national championship. Here’s why. Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Split Zone Duo previews every team in the 2025 College Football Playoff. Next on the list: The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes. Can these guys win a national championship despite barely making the field? We both think so. Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comThere is a lot that we still don’t know about Michigan’s firing of Sherrone Moore. What we do know is that this is one of the most shocking coaching changes CFB has seen in years. Alex and Richard discuss what Richard’s learned from talking to people around the program, whether Warde Manuel will get to hire Michigan’s next coach, whether he should, and, of course, candidates for the job.Producer: Anthony Vito.Subscribe to hear the full episode at www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribeEveryone can hear a free preview, and we drop free episodes all the time. To get this one, consider joining us as a subscriber. It costs $10 per month, or you can get a month free by signing up for the full year.

Tulane, a program that left the SEC and spent decades in the college football wilderness, has found its way back to the sport’s biggest stage for at least a moment. Let’s talk about the 2025 Green Wave, how they got here, coach Jon Sumrall, and why they’ve got a tiny but nonzero shot at a first-round upset. (Note: Tulane played Ole Miss in 2023 and 2025, not 2024 and 2025, as Alex mentions in the episode.) Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Welcome to Split Zone Duo’s College Football Playoff Preview, presented by Modelo. We’re running short previews to get you acquainted with all 12 teams in the field, and we’re starting this series with the JMU Dukes. How did these guys get good? What is Bob Chesney’s deal? And can they win a game? Thanks to Modelo, the Official Beer Sponsor of the College Football Playoff. Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Richard and Alex start this episode with a discussion of this week’s mostly one-sided war of words between Notre Dame and the ACC after the Irish were left out of the College Football Playoff. Then, Rodger Sherman joins for a much longer talk about the infamous CFB calendar, which has been under particular fire in light of Lane Kiffin’s messy exit from Ole Miss. Finally, a truncated Tasting Menu of this weekend, featuring Army-Navy, the Celebration Bowl, and some highlights from the FCS, DII, and DIII playoffs. Timestamps: * 0:00: Notre Dame vs. the ACC* 17:55: The college football calendar* 1:10:07: The Week 16 Tasting MenuProduced by Anthony Vito. Let us know your own calendar ideas! This episode is free, but lots of our shows are just for paid subscribers.You can get a lot more of our shows by becoming a paid subscriber. Subscribers get about twice as many SZD podcasts. Thanks to everyone who’s decided to become a subscriber over the past few weeks. Also, thanks to our partners:Shop at HomefieldThanks to Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off, or just click https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZDThanks to Nokian Tyres: https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.comSUBSCRIBER EPISODE: Godfrey joins Richard and Alex for a discussion of the major coaching moves that went down on Conference Championship Weekend, led by Penn State’s hire of Matt Campbell and all of the associated fallout:* Penn State’s coaching search got VERY messy. It ended with a solid hire. Was this bad process, and if so, how much does that matter going forward?* A digression about Kalani Sitake sticking with BYU* Iowa State backfills with Jimmy Rogers, leaving Wazzu high and dry* The interesting experiment that will be Tosh Lupoi at Cal* Why Mark Stoops gave Kentucky a hand with his buyout timing* The winding journey of Oregon State hire JaMarcus Shephard* Jason Candle’s departure for UConn is another blow for the MAC* The backfilling of a bunch of great G5 jobs, including some head-scratchers* Man, nobody wanted the UAB job* Brent Pry, Zach Arnett, and the objectively weird situation of fired head coaches joining up as coordinators at the schools that canned themProduced by Anthony Vito.Subscribe to hear the full episodeOur coach carousel episodes, including this one, go behind the $10 monthly paywall for subscribers. If you’re looking for a mix of reporting and longer-form discussions about the coach movements that shape the sport, we’d love to have you. Everyone can listen to a free preview of this episode, of course.

The College Football Playoff bracket is out. Richard Johnson doesn’t think it’s a big crime that Alabama was included. Alex Kirshner does. The hosts hash out their disagreement and then pull on some other threads from the big reveal: * Why Richard was able to see so much of this coming * Why Alex really hates Bama’s inclusion * Why Richard doesn’t * How Duke’s loss in the ACC Championship did or didn’t affect Miami’s case* Notre Dame’s decision not to play in a bowl game * The increasing anti-Group of 5 backlash that has already started to bubble up after two non-power teams made the field * No, this is not going to make Notre Dame give up independence * Early reactions to the rest of the bracket* The teams Richard thinks could actually win this thing Produced by Anthony Vito. This episode is free, but lots of our shows are just for paid subscribers. You can get a lot more of our shows by becoming a paid subscriber. Subscribers get about twice as many SZD podcasts. Thanks to everyone who’s decided to become a subscriber over the past few weeks. Also, thanks to our partners: Shop at HomefieldThanks Dad Water. Code SZD for 20% off, or just click https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZDThanks to Nokian Tyres for a great weekend in NYC: www.nokiantyres.com/szdModelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe