The Solid Verbal College Football

iHeartPodcasts
  • 4.8 (3.4K)
  • Football
  • Updated Weekly

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! Follow The Solid Verbal College Football podcast on your favorite app today and download everything you need to know this offseason.

  1. Sark Tank 3.0: Investing in Texas Tech, USC, G6 Newbies & More

    21h ago

    Sark Tank 3.0: Investing in Texas Tech, USC, G6 Newbies & More

    In this episode, we return to the board room for Sark Tank 3.0, our annual exercise in college football emotional investing. Ty brings the pitches, while Dan and special guest Andy Staples play the investors, and decide which 2026 storylines are worth buying and selling. On the board: Brendan Sorsby's prospects at Texas Tech, the SEC's return to glory, the return of Gary Patterson, and a new Group of Six team crashing the playoff party. Plus, the Sarks debate whether anyone other than Miami is worth backing in the ACC, whether Notre Dame is being set up as the sport’s most polished strength-of-schedule mirage, and which long-shot ideas still deserve emotional capital before the season begins. Timestamps:0:00 - Intro to Sark Tank 3.04:55 - Brendan Sorsby & Texas Tech14:13 - The SEC's Return To Glory22:24 - Gary Patterson's Return29:26 - New G6 Playoff Teams38:34 - Miami vs. The ACC Field46:02 - Notre Dame Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    56 min
  2. Too Much CFP, Not Enough Weirdness with Richard Johnson

    2d ago

    Too Much CFP, Not Enough Weirdness with Richard Johnson

    In this episode, we welcome back our friend Richard Johnson from CBS Sports and Split Zone Duo for a conversation about the college football topics we talk about too much, and the ones we probably do not talk about enough. As preview season creeps closer, we zoom out on the sport’s offseason discourse and ask which arguments are useful, which ones are exhausted, and where the weird, fun, meaningful parts of college football might be hiding. We dig into College Football Playoff format fatigue, the role of TV money and conference power, the constant hope that Congress can somehow “fix” college sports, the growing presence of gambling in broadcasts, and whether the Arch Manning conversation has swung too far in the other direction. Plus, we get into teams and coaches who deserve more attention, including Florida, UCLA, Michigan, and the broader world outside the SEC and Big Ten. We also wander into West Coast scheduling thoughts, the need for more strange bowl game energy, Sacramento sports sadness, college football media golf rankings, and the inevitability of major news breaking whenever Richard goes to Europe. And, right in the middle of our recording, news broke of Brendan Sorsby's reinstatement. (We react as best we can!) Timecodes:0:00 - Intro4:29 - Richard Johnson joins the show7:30 - CFP format12:31 - TV network influence19:22 - The government and CFB22:18 - Arch Manning28:48 - Brendan Sorsby news33:05 - Gambling as part of studio shows40:25 - ACC Thursdays44:10 - West Coast scheduling45:53 - Jon Sumrall50:22 - Big Ten & SEC vs. the World56:54 - Kyle Whittingham1:03:35 - Rapid Fire Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 17m
  3. The College Football Fan's Guide to the World Cup with Bill Connelly

    Jun 4

    The College Football Fan's Guide to the World Cup with Bill Connelly

    In 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 & Comps Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 2m
  4. June Q&A: Summer Loves, Cignetti vs Saban and Portal Panic

    Jun 2

    June Q&A: Summer Loves, Cignetti vs Saban and Portal Panic

    In 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 Questions Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 15m
  5. Kickoff Yearning: The College Football Things We Still Love

    May 28

    Kickoff Yearning: The College Football Things We Still Love

    In 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/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 3m
  6. Which College Football Narratives Still Hold Up in 2026?

    May 26

    Which College Football Narratives Still Hold Up in 2026?

    In 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 Saban Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 3m
  7. Tony Petitti’s Playoff Pitch and an ACC Vibe Check

    May 21

    Tony Petitti’s Playoff Pitch and an ACC Vibe Check

    In 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 Mall Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 25m
  8. Big Ten Vibe Check: What Mayyyyy Happen in 2026

    May 14

    Big Ten Vibe Check: What Mayyyyy Happen in 2026

    We’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 schedule Support the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbal See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 4m
See All (1.1K)

Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
3,437 Ratings

About

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! Follow The Solid Verbal College Football podcast on your favorite app today and download everything you need to know this offseason.

Information

  • Creator
    iHeartPodcasts
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.1K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    The Solid Verbal College Football

You Might Also Like