Podcast
The Solid Verbal College Football
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts · EN
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!
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42episodes
Episodes
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The College Football Fan's Guide to the World Cup with Bill Connelly
3d ago01:01:57Tap to summarizeIn 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 - Intro3:19 - World Cup Basics7:55 - USMNT's CFB Comp?11:33 - USMNT Built for Speed?17:12 - USMNT's Most Interesting Players20:31 - USMNT's Intent23:23 - USMNT In Possession25:23 - Effects of More Time Between Games26:58 - What Pochettino Brings to USMNT30:18 - Tactical Levers at the World Cup33:44 - Crazy Loaded Position Groups37:24 - England Roster & Defensive Mindset40:48 - Realistic Picks for Winners & Sleepers48:29 - Interesting Managers & Playstyles52:14 - Expectations for Canada54:15 - Rapid Fire Predictions & CompsSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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June Q&A: Summer Loves, Cignetti vs Saban and Portal Panic
5d ago01:14:46Tap to summarizeIn 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 - Intro3:00 - 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 QuestionsSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Kickoff Yearning: The College Football Things We Still Love
1w ago01:03:17Tap to summarizeIn 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.Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Which College Football Narratives Still Hold Up in 2026?
2w ago01:02:44Tap to summarizeIn 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 - Intro5:46 - Mario Cristobal & Miami will trip up13:45 - Matt Rhule is a turnaround genius20:38 - Lane Kiffin is misunderstood26:25 - Ryan Dan was born on third base32:35 - Texas A&M has a hard ceiling38:56 - Oregon will fall flat late45:33 - Clemson can't adapt54:08 - Big Game James Franklin56:09 - Being the guy after Nick SabanSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Tony Petitti’s Playoff Pitch and an ACC Vibe Check
2w ago01:25:23Tap to summarizeIn 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 NYC6:38 - Tony Petitti's 24-Team CFP Plan31:07 - The Vibrant ACC Mall38:00 - The Cal Factor45:20 - The Case for Syracuse52:07 - The Case Against Georgia Tech59:48 - Miami's Heisman Elimination Game1:07:49 - Virginia Tech's CFP Chances1:12:41 - The Surprise Orange Julius1:17:05 - Mapping Out The ACC MallSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Big Ten Vibe Check: What Mayyyyy Happen in 2026
3w ago01:04:05Tap to summarizeWe’re midway through May, which means it’s time to start talking ourselves into, and out of, what the 2026 college football season could become. In this episode, we turn the month itself into a game with a Big Ten “Mayyyyybe” vibe check, asking which scenarios feel realistic, which ones feel like offseason nonsense, and which ones might look strangely prescient by November. Could Ohio State’s schedule create a real College Football Playoff problem? Is Maryland quietly positioned to take a step forward? Can Wisconsin stabilize things for Luke Fickell, Iowa mess around with a playoff run, or UCLA become one of the more interesting teams in the conference under Bob Chesney? We also dig into Oregon’s internal coordinator hires, Michigan’s tricky first year under Kyle Whittingham, and USC’s unlucky, unforgiving schedule. Along the way, there are schedule sandwiches, quarterback questions, offensive line concerns, coaching crush rankings, a surprising amount of hernia talk, and more. Timestamps:0:00 - Intro5:01 - Ohio State misses the CFP14:22 - Maryland wins a game after September20:42 - Wisconsin saves Luke Fickell's job27:23 - Oregon regrets new coordinators34:19 - Iowa makes the CFP39:27 - UCLA wins 8 games47:22 - Michigan becomes a mess55:52 - USC's unlucky scheduleSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ranking the 2026 College Football Schedule: The Best Weeks, Trappy Valleys & When To Book Surgery
4w ago01:11:06Tap to summarizeWe’re taking an early look at the 2026 college football schedule and doing a public service for the Verballerhood: figuring out which Saturdays deserve to be protected on the family calendar. From Week 0 appetizers to monster November slates, we rank the season week by week, identify the biggest projected matchups, and decide when it is safe to go outside and when it is absolutely not. Along the way, we dig into the weeks that look especially dangerous for teams stuck between emotional rivalry games, cross-country trips, short weeks, and potential letdown spots. Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Penn State, Oregon, USC, LSU, Ole Miss, BYU, Texas Tech and others all pop up as we sort through the best weekends, the sneaky ones, and the obvious trap-ortunities. Plus, we discuss shared calendars, zhoug sauce, Trappy Valley, the revered Ball-Sac Game, how much of November should be blocked off, and several increasingly questionable strategies for preserving couch time during the best stretch of the season. Timestamps0:00 - Intro7:36 - Week 09:33 - Week 112:11 - Week 217:49 - Week 323:20 - Week 425:17 - Week 530:28 - Week 637:38 - Week 740:04 - Week 844:40 - Week 947:09 - Week 1053:09 - Week 1157:47 - Week 121:03:51 - Week 13Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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May Q&A: Part 2 - Pat Fitzgerald, QB-Coach Pairings & the Great CFB Fan Exodus?
May 701:18:54Tap to summarizeWe’re back for Part 2 of our May Q&A, which means the offseason conversation gets both bigger and weirder. We start off with College Football Playoff expansion anxiety, including the possibility of a 24-team field, the future of conference championship games, and the growing gap between the people running the sport and the fans who love it. We discuss the new marriage between Michigan State and Pat Fitzgerald, which leads us into a broader conversation about safe hires, risky hires, Transfer Portal recruiting, and what it actually means to rebuild in the modern Big Ten. We also touch on Texas, Arch Manning, Steve Sarkisian, Florida State, Mike Norvell, and the kinds of expectations that can turn a normal season into a referendum. We also spend some time on the quarterback and offensive coordinator pairings we’re most curious to watch, with stops at places like Georgia Tech, UCLA, Florida, Kentucky, and a few others. Which combinations are actually exciting? Which ones feel volatile? Which ones have the widest range of possible outcomes? And because it’s an offseason Q&A, we find room for the important stuff: wearing your team’s gear when things are bleak, whether video podcasts have raised the appearance bar, and Dan’s surprisingly spicy take on wearing sneakers with suits. Timestamps:0:00 - Intro3:09 - Mass CFB Exodus?25:04 - Why Pat Fitzgerald?38:39 - New QB-Coach Pairings?f47:50 - Loser Sports Apparel?53:00 - Texas Expectations?59:46 - Norvell's Future?1:06:03 - Old School Showbiz?Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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May Q&A: Part 1 - Big 12 Contenders, SEC Hypotheticals & College Football in 2035
May 501:20:33Tap to summarizeIn Part 1 of our big May Q&A, we dig into some of the biggest questions hanging over college football right now, starting with Brendan Sorsby’s uncertain status at Texas Tech and what it could mean for the Big 12 race. We also get into the new single-window transfer portal calendar, the changing value of internal player development, and how roster construction is evolving in a sport where continuity, money, scouting, and plain old luck all seem to matter at once. From there, we zoom out to the SEC’s national championship drought, Texas’s non-conference schedule, the future structure of college football, and what a more stable version of the sport might look like by 2035. And naturally, we also find time for foot massagers, suspicious domain names, street-naming philosophies, and a little competitive geography talk. Timestamps:0:00 - Intro2:16 - Brendan Sorsby & Portal Buyers' Remorse22:16 - Homegrown Talent36:18 - Non-con Schedule Smoke44:12 - SEC vs The Field51:24 - CFB in 20351:07:45 - Street Naming StrategiesSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Post-Spring Questions with Bill Connelly: Wildcard Conferences, G6 Sleepers & the SEC Logjam
Apr 3001:11:45Tap to summarizeBill Connelly from ESPN.com stops by to walk us through the post-spring college football landscape, fresh off turning in 7,000 words on the MAC and kicking off his annual conference preview series. We get into how the portal era has transformed his prep work, why the SEC has become a "horizontal" conference of strong middles, and which conferences are hardest to make sense of right now. Bill evaluates the Big 12 after the Brendan Sorsby news, talks up a few mid-major teams to watch, and explains why he still doesn't fully trust Texas the way the rest of the country does. We also dig into the Bob Chesney's roster build at UCLA, Oklahoma State's full offensive transfusion, Lane Kiffin's quarterback insurance policy, and what to make of the pairing of Bryce Underwood and Kyle Whittingham in Ann Arbor. Bill also shares his Alabama skepticism, his read on Indiana's encore, and why he's increasingly intrigued by Texas A&M. And, to close things out, a little World Cup talk in advance of this summer's tournament. Timestamps:0:00 - Intro4:05 - Bill Connelly joins the showSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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