Split Zone Duo: College Football Podcast

Michael Felder, college football media wizard and a former cornerback at North Carolina, joins Richard to expand on Bill Belichick’s hiring: * The hiring as a marker of UNC’s football legitimacy * The difference between coaching pros and college players, and the challenges of “do your job” culture at this level * The gap in perception between media and UNC fans Producer: Anthony Vito This is a pub...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com Richard Johnson and Alex Kirshner discuss Bill Belichick’s hiring at North Carolina: * How the search evolved over a week and a half * A messy, messy process leads to an incredible risk … and incredible result * The case for success (including different ways of measuring it): Could Belichick change football in Chape...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com In this subscriber episode, Richard and Alex trade observations about a handful of recent hires in the college football coach carousel, including: * Scott Frost to UCF, where prior success doesn’t tell us a lot about how the Knights will operate going forward * Matt Entz to Fresno State, Bronco Mendenhall to Utah St...

Nick Carparelli is the executive director of Bowl Season, the group that represents the interests of CFB’s many bowl games. Alex and Richard interview him about: * What if anything worries him right now about the state of bowls * Bowls’ efforts to thrive in a world of opt outs, and how bowls might fit into the next economic iteration of the sport * The payout landscape for different kinds of bowl...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com Richard and Godfrey update you on the state of the coach carousel with reporting and analysis on a bunch of movements, including: * Purdue gets Barry Odom to replace Ryan Walters * Jon Sumrall’s good situation at Tulane and association with North Carolina * How Bill Belichick factors into that story * Charlotte hire...

The College Football Playoff bracket is set. Richard, Alex, and Godfrey discuss: * The committee getting it right this time * First-round matchups and who got a favorable draw * Any quibbles with the seedings * The weakened state of championship games * The Richard Johnson Transfer Portal Minute SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS AND GET COOL STUFF * Enter your pick for the Nokian Tyres Road Trip of the Week an...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com Thanks to the 12-team playoff, Ryan Day’s current situation at Ohio State is unlike any hot-seat drama in college football history. Godfrey, Richard, and Alex talk about the weird dynamics facing the Buckeyes right now, like: * How many playoff games does Day have to win? Is it one? Two? Four? * Does the $30 million...

Alex, Richard, and Steven preview Championship Weekend, in order: * WKU at Jacksonville State * Tulane at Army * UNLV at Boise for a playoff spot * Miami vs. Ohio * Iowa State vs. Arizona State * Georgia vs. Texas * Marshall at Louisiana * Penn State vs. Oregon * Clemson vs. SMU Plus, updates on the lower-level postseasons and the debut of THE RICHARD JOHNSON PORTAL MINUTE, a one-minute (or so) up...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com Black Sunday arrived. Steven Godfrey goes through his reporting notebook on the coach movements at the end of the regular season, including: * Why North Carolina is “messy, messy, messy” * What was behind the Arthur Smith/UNC thing * Jon Sumrall in control of a limited board * Uncertainty around Virginia Tech * KC K...

A detailed but brisk recap of Week 14 in college football, including: * Ohio State’s inexplicable collapse * Texas’ dominant return to College Station * A Palmetto Bowl that meant everything and nothing * UGA’s survival in a classic * Mario Cristobal’s latest epic blunder * Two Indiana schools punch their tickets * What to make of Playoff-bound Tennessee * The Mountain West reserves its spot * Pos...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com Still on the road? Yeah, us too. Let's explore the college athlete earning potential of the WWE, why living in Nashville makes you like hardcore, the best YouTube channels to prevent panic attacks, working out in a crew neck sweatshirt and why holidays aren't meant to be perfect and not every relationship is mandato...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com Congrats on making it to America's best and only holiday: Thanksgiving! Let's talk about the football of it all, including the Michigan roster-building method vs. the Indiana method, which Nick Saban love letter is right for you, the possibility of the SEC/B1G-only playoff, and a spirited holiday defense of commuter...

Our preview of Week 14, the final week of the regular season, including: * Hook ‘em or gig ‘em? * Can you imagine if Michigan-Ohio State did not go as planned? * Will Mark Stoops ever stop putting Louisville in a blender? * Why is North Carolina allowing this Mack Brown situation to fester? * Do hot-seated coaches get friskier on fourth down? * Could Tulane beat Boise to the line for the G5 playof...

A packed but brisk recap of Week 13, including: * Indiana wasn’t up to it, but saw its Playoff chances go UP * Alabama melts down in Norman * Notre Dame sits on Army * The wonderful, messy race for the Mackey Award * The Big 12 descends into madness * A finish in Tempe unlike anything you’ve ever seen * And another one in Piscataway, actually * Boise State is teetering * A blowout in the Brawl of...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com Notre Dame and Army meet at Yankee Stadium in a game with national championship implications. Is the year 2024 or 1946? Why did a rivalry that produced one of college football’s Games of the Century stop being played on a frequent basis? In a modified edition of SZD’s “Dead Letters” series, let’s learn about a rival...

Split Zone Duo previews Week 13 of the college football season, including: * Can Indiana actually do this? We’re skeptical, but here’s how. * Army gets the ultimate prove-it matchup with Notre Dame * What’s up with Monday coach firings? * The Ole Miss vs. Florida SZD Alumni Bowl * Can Big 12 Tiebreaker Armageddon be avoided? * Nebraska: Please figure this out * The Pac-12’s Game of 2024 arrives *...

Recapping Week 12 of the college football season, including: * South Carolina is a whole lot of fun * Georgia lives to fight another day * Oregon is the first team to wrap a Playoff spot * Colorado might join them * Or the Big 12 might miss out altogether * SMU continues to rock * Tulane and Army are on a collision course * Brian Kelly plays the Billy Napier role * Watch out for Baylor … in 2025 *...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com Kennesaw State fired coach Brian Bohannon, who turned it from an FCS startup team into a playoff team and then into an FBS program. We discuss: * How Kennesaw trapped itself * The shambolic handling of the announcement * The history of FBS transition programs firing coaches * Why Bohannon’s firing was bound to get m...

Split Zone Duo previews Week 12 of the college football season, including: * The problems facing the Georgia Bulldogs * Kansas takes a crack at another Big 12 contender * Texas and Arkansas take us back to the SWC, even though Texas really does not want to consider Arkansas a rival * Tulane’s emergence as a maybe-Playoff contender * Could Utah derail Colorado? * A darkhorse Colorado State rides in...

A packed but breezy recap of Week 11 of the college football season, with hosts Richard Johnson and Alex Kirshner, includes: * How Alabama dominated in Death Valley * The fake tiger thing, explained * Why Ole Miss spent all that money * Oklahoma’s latest calamity * Indiana’s reality check in a W * Miami’s faceplant in Atlanta * Pitt’s continued fall from grace * BYU’s fortunate finish in Salt Lake...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com In this episode for paid subscriber: Florida isn’t firing Billy Napier. Godfrey made several phone calls Thursday night and opens up his notebook here with notes on the Gators, Auburn, Purdue, Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, ECU, Central Michigan, UAB, and more. Host: Steven Godfrey Producer: Anthony Vito

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com The College Football Playoff selection committee ranked teams for the first time in the era of an expanded field. We discuss: * The possibility of a Big 12 doomsday scenario * Whether the Group of 5 might have an actual breakthrough this year * How the committee’s philosophy appears to have shifted (and not shifted)...

Our Week 11 college football preview arrives, including: * The keys to Alabama-LSU * Florida’s chances at a Texas upset * Colorado’s road to the Big 12 goes through Lubbock * Army and Boise continue marching * An injury-laden Clemson-Virginia Tech meeting * The Big 12 middle class sorting itself out * The Holy War gets a twist And a lot more! * 20% off sitewide at homefieldapparel.com through Nove...

An information-packed rundown of Week 10 in college football, including: * Ohio State-Penn State goes how it always goes * Indiana is still Indiana (that’s a compliment now) * South Carolina shows up big against A&M * SMU has its biggest night in 40 years * Army stays on course, but Navy doesn’t * Memphis falls apart in a key spot * Virginia Tech can’t win close games * The Big 12 contenders conve...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com Since UAB hired Trent Dilfer before the 2023 season, a once-solid program has become one of college football’s worst teams. Rodger Sherman, who wrote an excellent feature about the flawed ideology behind the hire , joins Richard, Godfrey, and Alex to discuss how UAB set itself up to fail with a hire that made no str...