The Dan Patrick Show: Hour 1 — "Indiana Is Amped Up!"

Date: January 2, 2026
Hosts: Brady Quinn & Jonas Knox (in for Dan Patrick)
Network: iHeartPodcasts / Fox Sports Radio

Overview

The first hour of The Dan Patrick Show, guest-hosted by Brady Quinn and Jonas Knox, dives into one of the most remarkable stories in college sports: Indiana football’s unprecedented turnaround and their dominating victory over Alabama in the playoffs. With humor and sharp analysis, the duo break down why Indiana’s rise under coach Kurt Signetti is historic, dissect the seismic shifts in college football’s power structure, and reflect on wider implications for coaching, roster-building, and fan culture. They also touch on Ole Miss’s dramatic season, provide quick takes on NFL headlines, and preview further segments.

Tone: Lively, bantering, candid, and laced with sports nostalgia.

Main Themes

• Indiana Football’s Historic Rise
  A deep dive into Indiana’s shocking ascent from perennial football doormat to national championship contender, including their rout of Alabama and the foundational changes under coach Kurt Signetti.

• Changing College Football Landscape
  Exploration of the growing parity in college football, how the transfer portal and NIL have upended traditional power structures, and what Indiana’s story means for the sport.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. How Long Can You Say "Happy New Year?"

• The show opens playfully debating New Year's etiquette.
• Brady Quinn: “How long do you get to say Happy New Year to someone?”
• Jonas Knox (04:13): “Anybody that says it after you, they’re a fraud. Like, it’s worn out. It’s welcome. We are done. You just said the last one and now you got to move on to 2026.”

2. Indiana Obliterates Alabama (Starts ~05:10)

• Jonas marvels at Indiana's performance:
  “It's almost like roles reversed... you’re watching and it looks like two different levels of football.” (05:20)
• Brady is still in disbelief, putting Indiana’s turnaround in dramatic perspective:
  “To me, it’s the greatest turnaround in sports history. Like, I can’t think of — people talk about Kansas State. This is way beyond that…” (07:40)
• The duo reminisce about Indiana’s past irrelevance in football, remarking their facilities screamed “basketball school.”
• On Team Mentality:
  Brady Quinn: “When you see them up close, it looks like David and Goliath... but they overcome that with the way they play as a team. They seldom if ever make mistakes.”
• Jonas highlights a key turning point: Ty Simpson’s hit and fumble for Alabama:
  “You just see the look on his face — that’s just a different level. Indiana’s playing at a different level than we’ve seen before...” (09:56)
• Stat drop: “First time Alabama has been held without a touchdown in a bowl game since 1960.” (10:34)
• Critiques of Alabama playcalling, credit to Indiana’s unorthodox, disciplined defensive philosophy.

3. The Culture Change Under Kurt Signetti (Starts ~13:56)

• Indiana’s transformation isn’t about recruiting giants but assembling “the right people in the locker room,” with Signetti viewed as a master at identifying fit.
• Quote Montage:
  Kurt Signetti (14:56): “We’ve been very fortunate. These guys buy in… It is kind of surreal... I only have one thing to say.”
  Radhi Devlukia (as sound effect): “Poof.”
• Brady and Jonas marvel at Indiana fans’ justified exuberance:
  “Let’s give Indiana fans a little room for error here, because they have — like, this is a first. They’ve never been here before, so they don’t know how to act about it. So I’m okay with them wilding out right now...” (15:17)

4. Is This the Start of a Dynasty? (Starts ~16:00)

• Jonas compares Indiana's possible era to the early Chicago Bulls and New England Patriots—turnarounds that once seemed impossible.
  “It’s cool to watch... we’ll be able to tell people years down the road, ‘Oh, you guys have no idea what this was like beforehand.’ Enjoy it.” (17:00)
• Brady notes dynasty-building is extra hard due to roster turnover but credits Signetti’s eye for talent and fit, particularly via the transfer portal.
• Details Signetti’s hands-on, “people-first” approach, comparing it to broader lessons about fit and culture in life and work.
• Brady Quinn: “It’s a lesson for life: you can be as passionate as you want, but you also have to be the right fit for what that place is looking for. Indiana’s the case study for that.” (21:54)

5. Historical Perspective: How Bad Indiana Used to Be (Starts ~22:35)

• Jonas: “If you go to Sports Reference... God, they’ve had some bad years.”
• First double-digit win season was only last year. “127 years of Indiana football and we’re finally here.”

6. Ole Miss, Coach Departures & Portal Chaos (Starts ~32:00)

• Jonas and Brady pivot to Ole Miss, who won the Sugar Bowl but are embroiled in staff turnover and portal drama.
• Uncertainty whether assistant coaches leaving for LSU will finish the playoff run.
• Brady Quinn: “I hope they stay on. I hope someone talks sense into Lane Kiff... If they win a national championship, so be it — they’ll bring that with them when they come to LSU.” (37:24)
• Pete Golding (Ole Miss DC): “I think we got a great group of people in our building... a lot of guys are going through things, but they’ve been here for the kids the whole time.” (38:11)
• Amused reflection on the confusion of the Sugar Bowl’s ending and how it affected gamblers.

7. Big Ten Ascendancy and SEC Reality (Starts ~40:01)

• Brady breaks down how the Big Ten is now consistently sending multiple teams to the semifinals, dispelling myths of SEC invincibility.
• Emphasis on “the narratives surrounding the SEC... gotta change at some point... outside of a handful of teams, everyone else is pretty much the same.” (41:00)
• Discussion of the impact of running clocks, fewer possessions, and how that affects stats.
• Brady calls for playoff expansion to 16 teams.

8. Final Thoughts: Parity and College Football’s New Era

• Jonas admits enjoying the “kicking and screaming” of SEC partisans forced to accept the new reality:
  “Hey, it’s changed, man. It’s no longer the dominant conference it once was… Things have changed.” (43:12)
• Brady underscores the parity and future competitiveness of teams like Penn State, Michigan State, and Northwestern.
• End on the note that bias blinded even their own predictions, with even they underestimated Indiana because “we’ve got 125 years of bad football as evidence.” (46:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Indiana’s turnaround:
  “To me, it’s the greatest turnaround in sports history. Like, I can’t think of — people talk about Kansas State. This is way beyond that…” —Brady Quinn (07:40)

• On Alabama’s shocking loss:
  “First time Alabama has been held without a touchdown in a bowl game since 1960. I mean, they got clowned. That wasn’t close.” —Jonas Knox (10:34)

• On fan exuberance:
  “Let’s give Indiana fans a little room for error here, because… They’ve never been here before, so they don’t know how to act. So I’m okay with them wilding out right now.” —Brady Quinn (15:17)

• On culture and ‘fit’:
  “It’s a lesson for life: you can be passionate as you want, but you also have to be the right fit. Indiana is the case study for that right now.” —Brady Quinn (21:54)

• On SEC mythology:
  “The narratives surrounding the SEC… gotta change at some point. Outside of a handful of teams, everyone else is pretty much the same.” —Brady Quinn (41:00)

• On seeing history unfold:
  “It’s a cool opportunity to see something from the beginning stages, because… we’ll be able to tell people years down the road, ‘Oh, you guys have no idea what this was like beforehand.’” —Jonas Knox (17:00)

Key Segment Timestamps

• [04:07] — New Year’s greetings: cutoff debate
• [05:10] — Indiana’s dominance over Alabama & context for their rise
• [07:40] — Is this the greatest turnaround in sports?
• [09:56] — Ty Simpson’s fumble and the eye test
• [13:56] — Kurt Signetti’s leadership and staff culture
• [16:00] — Dynasty talk & the parallels to other sports turnarounds
• [21:54] — “Fit” and culture as driving forces at Indiana
• [22:35] — Indiana’s bleak history and stats
• [32:00] — Ole Miss, coach departures, and transfer portal woes
• [37:49] — Pete Golding & the emotional toll at Ole Miss
• [40:01] — Big Ten vs SEC, playoff structures, and changing narratives
• [46:00] — Reflection on their own (mis)predictions and the role of bias

Additional Notes

• The first hour is dominated by college football playoff talk, notably Indiana’s run, with NFL, NBA, and pop culture topics promised for later hours.
• Humor and nostalgia are frequent—references to the Jordan Bulls, the old Patriots, and what it meant for Indiana to have “bad years.”
• Several sponsored segments and promos for other podcasts appear at beginning & end, as well as mid-show plugs, but all main content centers on sports analysis.

TL;DR

This hour is an exuberant, insightful celebration of Indiana football’s Cinderella story, the fundamental changes remaking college sports, and a bit of gentle roasting of SEC loyalists. If you want to hear how “the worst football program in America” just upended a blue-blood—and why it means everything in today’s college football—this episode is a must-listen.