Split Zone Duo: College Football Podcast

This week marks the launch of season 2 of "Dead Letters," an SZD Patreon series (patreon.com/szd) about the rises and falls of great college football programs and what happened next. This episode traces the ascent of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the many, many things that came together to unwind the most dominant team of much of the 20th century. We've changed the format of these shows a little bit for 2023, but we hope you enjoy this sample of the series before diving into the new season. Patreon subscribers: Thank you for making this work possible, and listen now to the first episode of Dead Letters Season 2: Florida A&M. Production: Anthony Vito. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Jake Gaither built a college football powerhouse at FAMU in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. The Rattlers towered over their HBCU competition and struck fear in everyone they played. Then the world changed. Welcome to Season 2, Episode 1 of Dead Letters, a Split Zone Duo series about what happens when great programs hit the rocks. Writing: Alex KirshnerProduction: Anthony VitoInterviewee: Dr. Derrick White, author of "Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Jake Gaither, Florida A&M, and the History of Black College Football"Audio courtesy: HBCUGameday.com  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Godfrey, Richard, and Alex talk about college football news of the week: USC and Michigan both let guys resign who shouldn't have had their jobs in the first place. Georgia makes a pivot toward an even scarier future by leveling up its QB recruiting to the tippy top of the sport. USF may actually, at long last, build a stadium. And the Big Ten has trouble in paradise over its very lucrative TV deal: What's fair, and where should the B1G just pipe down and cash the checks? Production: Anthony Vito. Subscribe to our Patreon for bonus episodes at patreon.com/szd. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Steven Godfrey and Alex Kirshner start this episode with reminders about some SZD events and a hearty endorsement of your participation in the EDSBS Charity Bowl. Then (16:03) we talk about some college football stories this week: Peacock streaming is pushing deeper into the NFL and, very shortly, into CFB. Also, (30:28), half of the ACC is fighting with the other half and could lose despite theoretically having more clout. For now, can everyone save face? For the long term, the ACC has an issue that even the Pac-12 might not. Production: Anthony Vito.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Richard and Alex start this week's show by talking about the very different gambling stories in Alabama and Iowa, and to what extent college sports could be acting differently. Then we take lots of listener questions, including ones about the Big 12 commissioner, the 2023 FSU hype train, surprisingly good NIL operations, how much it costs to keep a team together, who could be this year's G5 New Year's Six rep, the importance of hashmark width, why reporters sit on unflattering stories about coaches, what counts as realignment currency in 2023, if the SEC might ever go west, and why you should not stop being an Auburn fan. Production: Anthony Vito. Live show tickets: splitzoneduolive.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

After Godfrey unloads some college-centric draft notes, Alex wants to talk about Notre Dame's upcoming TV negotiation with NBC and how the Big Ten's new entanglement with the Peacock is a relevant dynamic to keep an eye on. Then, let's do the year-two vibes check on every head coach hired before the 2022 season. Who's doing great? Who's just holding tight? And who has already entered the "better win some games or it could get ugly fast" zone? Production: Anthony Vito. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

After a quick chat about clock rules changes that are now official, Alex, Richard, and Steven talk about Deion Sanders' roster purge at Colorado. It's intentional, but not all of it, and we have questions about what will happen in Boulder once the Buffs start losing. Then let's talk about the NFL Draft, which seems extra high in supply of really fun college football players. Does the league care about our narrative-laden stars? We will soon find out. This show, produced by Anthony Vito, also features an announcement about our first live show and an urge to please subscribe to our new social channels. Please check them out at the links below. It helps us!https://www.youtube.com/@splitzoneduohttps://instagram.com/splitzoneduo https://www.tiktok.com/@szdpodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

The big stories on this week's episode, though not necessarily in order: Nebraska has already changed (46:48) some significant things under Matt Rhule. Richard lets us know about them. Alex explains why the loss of the only NCAA football team in Canada (34:36) says something troubling about the state of the sport in the U.S. Godfrey thinks Kliff Kingsbury is living the ideal coach life (27:40) by returning to USC instead of going to Saban School. The Big Ten has a new commissioner, Jimbo Fisher has jokes, and the WAC-ASUN football thingy has an official name. Production: Anthony Vito. Subscribe to the Split Zone Duo Patreon at patreon.com/szd. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

Steven Godfrey, Alex Kirshner, and Richard Johnson debate Hugh Freeze's idea of staging inter-squad spring games between in-state schools. Is it condescending, a great idea, or both? The Pac-12's efforts to secure a media-rights agreement roll on, and they've reached "mess" territory, we agree. But how much does that change the medium-term outlook for the conference? Do we give conference offices too much credit without giving them enough blame? And why would Big Ten presidents and the Big Ten commissioner want such different things? Production: Anthony Vito. Get bonus episodes and more at splitzoneduo.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

After a quick check-in on the state of April recruiting, Alex, Richard, and Godfrey tackle six stories from around college football. 1. Why Frank Solich coming home is good business for Matt Rhule and Nebraska. 2. Trent Dilfer's explanation of his move to UAB is, you know, maybe a little off. 3. Kansas hires Bill Snyder's son. 4. Ken Niumatalolo goes West, and it says something interesting about Chip Kelly. 5. Mike Gundy has an idea. 6. An explosive stadium battle spills into public view between Northwestern and residents of Evanston. Production: Anthony Vito. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe