The Triple Option Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode: Down Goes Florida, USF's Alex Golesh Joins, Coaches' Hot Seat, Run Orange Run, & Week 3 Preview
Date: September 10, 2025
Hosts: Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, Rob Stone
Special Guest: Alex Golesh (USF Head Coach)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into one of the wildest starts to a college football season in years, spotlighting USF's remarkable upset win over Florida and the new expectations for the Bulls' program under Coach Alex Golesh. The hosts break down evolving pressures on major college football coaches—especially when it comes to contract buyouts and the "hot seat." They also discuss accountability, the value of effort, and locker room culture as seen through Syracuse’s postgame wind sprints. The show wraps with a spirited preview of Week 3, including conference power rankings and game picks.

1. USF Head Coach Alex Golesh: Changing the Bulls’ DNA

Segment: 00:24–22:45

Key Discussion Points

• USF’s Hot Start & Culture Turnaround

  • Golesh describes honest team communication; he’s “so real with our guys, just so real with where we are, where we’re going, what’s got to get done” (02:38).
  • Emphasizes “process-driven confidence building throughout the week” leading to genuine belief in winning against traditional powers.
  • Players now have “proof of concept” after multiple upset wins.

• Game Preparation for Florida

  • Golesh admits being “the most paranoid human being ever” reviewing opponent strengths: “I wallow in my own misery: like, how are we gonna block these creatures?” (05:56).
  • Detailed insight into how elite teams leverage defensive rotations, especially on third downs.

• Quarterback Byron Brown: Locker Room Lightning Rod

  • Brown's mental and physical toughness is a standard: “he was, if not the toughest, one of the toughest human beings, mentally and physically, in this program” (08:35).
  • Brown’s process and commitment help energize the whole team, including the defense.

• Personal Journey: From Moscow to Tampa

  • Golesh’s family emigrated from Russia: “My parents, incredible people, selfless people, left literally every single thing they had behind...and started from scratch” (12:20).

• Iconic Swamp Win: The Two-Minute Drill

  • Urban Meyer asks Golesh about leading a game-winning drive. Golesh: “I did tell Byram [Brown] that you’re the best quarterback in the country…and literally I just said do what we do. Let’s rock one at a time. And we did” (13:59).

• Program Identity and Future

  • USF “not a group of five job”; investment in a new on-campus stadium and facilities is transforming the program.
  • On recruiting and culture: “You can’t tell me how an ACC, SEC, or Big 12 school…are gonna coach your kid…different than we are. Feed them, house them. You can’t convince me” (17:58).

Notable Quotes

• “There’s a true expectation to win, and part of that is because they now have proof of concept.” —Alex Golesh (04:39)
• “My parents…left literally every single thing they had behind. And I have an older brother…[we] just started from scratch.” —Alex Golesh (12:20)
• “I did tell Byram that you're the best quarterback in the country... [then said] do what we do. Let's rock one at a time.” —Alex Golesh (13:59)

2. Deuce Deuce Dog of the Week: The Kicker’s Moment

Segment: 29:12–32:39

Highlights

• Mark Ingram’s “Deuce Deuce Dog of the Week” honors Iowa State kicker Kyle Conrarty for clutch game-winners versus Iowa (including a 54-yard walk-off this year and a 63-yarder previously).
• Mark: “You talk about a Cyhawk legend. He did it to you last year, Iowa. He did it to you again this year, Iowa.” (30:06)
• Rob and Urban discuss the rarity of recruiting/scholarshipping kickers, and how their impact is often overlooked until a big moment.

3. Effort, Accountability, and Culture: Syracuse Runs Sprints After Win

Segment: 32:42–37:52

Key Discussion Points

• Syracuse head coach Fran Brown makes players run postgame sprints after lackluster effort, even in victory.
• Fran Brown: “You need to coach it or allow it. So I feel that I’m allowing it, and there’s just some things I gotta do. But I just want to hold them to the standard of who they are.” (33:19)
• Urban: “You don’t run your ass to the ball…you’re not playing here. If you step with the wrong foot, you…drop a pass, that’s called football. But you don’t run…you’re done.” (34:45)
• Hosts agree it’s a gutsy move demanding respect and sets a tone of effort and standard.

4. Coaching in the NIL Era: Buyouts and Hot Seats

Segment: 37:54–44:45

Discussion Highlights

• Hot seats: Billy Napier (Florida), Kalyn DeBoer (Washington), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State) under scrutiny.
• Urban frames conversation as “fiscal, not personal”: “It breaks my heart about Florida because I’m attached to Florida... but this is, once again, not a person thing, it’s fiscal.” (39:57)
• Predicts decline of massive buyouts, citing “finite” donor pools now splitting between buyouts, NIL, and facilities:
  “You’re going to see the end of the big buyouts. People are going to stick with coaches longer…The money is going to whom? The player.” (40:48)
• Mark: “Jimbo Fisher, $77.5 million. That won’t happen again. That’s a whole national championship roster.” (42:07)
• Urban relates it to NFL: for years, “My Utah facilities were better than most NFL programs…because the money went to the player.” (42:32)

5. Conference Power Rankings Heading Into Week 3

Segment: 46:19–51:26

Consensus Rankings

• #3 — ACC: Top-end strength with Miami, Florida State, and Clemson.

• #2 — Big Ten: “Ohio State is literally carrying the Big Ten right now.” – Mark Ingram (47:49), with Penn State and Oregon in the mix.

• #1 — SEC: “The SEC, by far, they have 11 teams in the top 25 right now…So when you talk about depth, the SEC is second to none.” (48:01)

• Urban: “You’re the king until…someone beats the king, and Texas didn’t do it.” (50:27)

• Hosts debate relative depth, citing recent non-conference results.

6. True Freshmen Under Pressure: Bryce Underwood & Michigan

Segment: 51:26–54:45

Key Insights

• Discussion of Michigan QB Bryce Underwood’s performance against Oklahoma and managing expectations for true freshmen.
• Urban: “He’s facing Brett Venables, I think one of the best defensive coordinators in modern history…What did you think was going to happen?” (52:07)
• “It’s not the true freshman’s job to win that game—it’s the players around them.” (52:38)
• On Michigan coaching situation: “The NCAA…I put a red line through. They don’t exist anymore.” (53:43)
• Hosts highlight the need for team/progam culture to support young QBs in tough environments.

7. Week 3 Game Picks: Two-Minute Drill

Segment: 56:16–63:41

Key Matchups & Predictions

• Florida at LSU (LSU -9.5, O/U 51.5)

  • Urban: “I’m a Gator fan…I don’t want to do this, but I’m picking LSU over the nine and a half.” (57:50)
  • Insight into "night game in Death Valley" intensity.

• Texas A&M at Notre Dame (ND -6.5, O/U 48.5)

  • Rob: “This one is dire…they have to win this game if they want to get back to the CFP. And because of that, I like the Irish to cover.” (61:06)

• Georgia at Tennessee (UGA -6.5, O/U 50.5)

  • Mark: “Georgia…they just reload. They have 16 former five-stars on the roster…Kirby’s defense always strong... With that being said, your boy is going with Georgia by a touchdown.” (63:37)

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “You talk about a Cyhawk legend. He did it to you last year, Iowa. He did it to you again this year.”
  — Mark Ingram, praising ISU kicker Kyle Conrarty (30:06)

• “You don’t run your ass to the ball…you’re done. Now if you…drop a pass, that’s called football. But you don’t run? You’re done.”
  — Urban Meyer, on effort and standards (34:45)

• “I’m not saying it’s wrong. But that’s where [the money] is going, to the player…People are going to stick with coaches longer.”
  — Urban Meyer, on NIL and buyouts (41:20)

• “He’s facing Brett Venables…what did you think was going to happen? He’s going to be fine.”
  — Urban Meyer, on Michigan’s Bryce Underwood (52:07)

• “I hope my wife is not listening to the pod this week. Yeah, she’s happily married, as far as I know.”
  — Rob Stone, joking after Mark’s “cheaper to keep her” quip about buyouts (44:35)

Tone and Style

• Collegial, candid, occasionally irreverent, and deeply insightful.
• Frequent sports "insider" stories and relatable humor.
• Inclusivity for newcomers: focus on process, culture, and context (not just stats).

Episode Timestamps

• 00:24–22:45: USF Coach Alex Golesh Interview (upset win, culture, program building)
• 29:12–32:39: Deuce Deuce Dog of the Week (Iowa State kicker segment)
• 32:42–37:52: Fran Brown & Syracuse: Effort, Standards, and Sprints
• 37:54–44:45: Coaches’ Hot Seat, Buyouts, and NIL Money
• 46:19–51:26: Conference Power Rankings (ACC/Big Ten/SEC debate)
• 51:26–54:45: True Freshman QBs, Michigan, and NCAA Coaching Drama
• 56:16–63:41: Week 3 Game Picks (Florida-LSU, A&M-ND, Georgia-Tennessee)

For more: Watch "The Triple Option" on YouTube or listen anywhere podcasts are found. Follow @3XOptionShow on all social media for extra content, next week’s picks, and more behind-the-scenes insights.