The Audible with Stew, Bruce & Ralph: A show about college football

Can Mario Cristobal finally deliver a championship season in Miami? Is Dabo Swinney ready to evolve and get Clemson out of their recent slump? And can Bill Belichick salvage his high-stakes experiment at North Carolina after a disastrous 4-8 year? Welcome back to The Audible! In this episode, Stew, Bruce, and Ralph break down everything you need to know about the ACC ahead of the 2026 season. The guess dive deep into the ultimate 17-team ACC preview, sorting the true College Football Playoff contenders from the teams sitting firmly on the coaching hot seat.🏈 TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Intro1:17 - Miami5:00 - Challengers/Clemson9:43 - Louisville12:32 - SMU14:48 - Miami vs the Field17:25 - Dark Horses/Virginia21:36 - NC State24:26 - Virginia Tech26:58 - Cal29:42 - Stanford31:51 - Hot Seat coaches32:00 - Florida State38:16 - Syracuse40:48 - Boston College43:24 - North Carolina48:46 - End of the Belichick era?50:56 - Wildcards/Georgia Tech53:16 - Duke55:00 - Wake Forest56:32 - Pitt59:14 - Mailbag#ACCPreview #TheAudible #BillBelichick #DaboSwinney #MarioCristobal

South Carolina's Nyck Harbor has officially reclaimed the No. 1 spot on Bruce Feldman's 2026 College Football Freaks List, beating out Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith! Check out the full breakdown on The Athletic: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7501158/2026/08/10/college-football-freaks-list-south-carolina-nyck-harbor-2026/In this exclusive bonus clip, we dive into the craziest athletes in college football. While Jeremiah Smith is putting up historic numbers and turning heads, Nyck Harbor's rare combination of size and Olympic track speed keeps him at the absolute top of the football world. Who do you think is the biggest freak in the country? Let us know in the comments!#CollegeFootball #FreaksList #NyckHarbor #JeremiahSmith #OhioStateFootball #GamecocksFootball #CFB2026

The Big 12 is potentially the most wide-open and chaotic conference in college football, and we are breaking down every single contender, dark horse, and spoiler. Stew, Bruce, and Ralph look at Colorado's overhauled roster to see if Deion Sanders has the lines of scrimmage fixed enough to spark a massive rebound season after last year's frustrating 3-9 collapse. Then, they head to Lubbock to debate if Joey McGuire is finally ready to push Texas Tech to the very top of college football. Plus, the guys dissect Kenny Dillingham's developmental blueprint at Arizona State and see if the Sun Devils can shock the oddsmakers.But the chaos doesn’t stop there. We run through over/under win totals and major storylines for all 16 teams navigating massive coaching changes across the country. Can the Utah Utes maintain their standard in a new era, or will Avery Johnson and Kansas State steal the crown? We check in on Lance Leipold’s Kansas squad, and discuss how Iowa State retools after a major offseason shift. Finally, we analyze the schematic changes for programs like Brent Brennan's Arizona Wildcats, Scott Frost's second year at UCF, and Scott Satterfield's high-stakes pivotal year with the Cincinnati Bearcats.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:45 - Texas Tech5:42 - BYU10:37 - Utah13:05 - Kansas State15:52 - Houston19:58 - Texas Tech versus the field23:11 - Arizona25:14 - TCU27:34 - Arizona State29:26 - Kenny Dillingham’s future?33:17 - Colorado36:08 - Will Deion will be the coach in 2027?38:04 - Baylor40:27 - Kansas43:41 - Cincinnati45:54 - Wildcards46:03 - Oklahoma State49:22 - West Virginia50:50 - Iowa State52:28 - UCF55:09 - Mailbag🎧 Subscribe to The Audible Podcast for weekly college football deep dives!#CollegeFootball #Big12 #ColoradoFootball #TexasTech #ArizonaState #UtahFootball #KStateFB #GoPokes #KUFootball #UCFKnights #BearDown #Cyclones

The SEC is officially wide open, and we are breaking down every single team in the conference to find out who has what it takes to make a run at the National Championship!From Lane Kiffin taking over a $45 million roster at LSU to Arch Manning's explosive new weapons at Texas, year one of Jon Sumrall at Florida, and Kalen DeBoer's fascinating quarterback battle at Alabama—we cover it all. We dive into the big-name transfer portal additions, the major coaching staff overhauls, playoff contenders like Oklahoma and Ole Miss, and the teams just fighting for competence.Timestamps:Timestamps:0:00 - Intro2:10 - Texas5:21 - Georgia9:51 - LSU12:48 - Florida16:41 - Auburn19:12 - Kentucky23:08 - Arkansas26:52 - Alabama32:09 - Tennessee35:40 - South Carolina39:50 - Oklahoma43:54 - Ole Miss47:38 - Texas A&M50:43 - Mizzou52:58 - Vanderbilt56:26 - Mississippi State58:52 - Mailbag🎧 Subscribe to The Audible Podcast for weekly college football deep dives!#SEC #CollegeFootball #SECPreview #LSUFootball #TexasFootball #AlabamaFootball #GeorgiaBulldogs #CFB2026

On today's program, Bruce, Stew, and Ralph dive deep into a massive week for college football, spanning from historic rivalry renewals to major legal decisions shaping the future of the sport.First, Bruce shares his inner-circle experiences from the FOX Sports Football retreat, including a fascinating breakfast breakdown with Chris Petersen and Gerry DiNardo about 1970s play-signaling restrictions. Plus, we dive into two crucial new rule changes explained by Mike Pereira and a quick recap of golfing with Tom Rinaldi.Next, a classic rivalry is renewed! USC and Notre Dame have officially agreed to a four-game series beginning in 2030. The guys debate the formatting, exploring why USC fans are split, why Stew loves the early-season timing, and Ralph’s concerns about burning a historic matchup in Week 1.We also break down the historic alignment between the Big Ten and the SEC, who have finally green-lit the college sports bill to head to the Senate floor. We examine if this seven-year journey will clear the House, what a potential 19-school conference realignment looks like, and if this bill could actually lead to kicking underperforming schools out of top conferences.The crew also reacts to a judge granting an injunction that gives Class of 2022 athletes a fifth year of NCAA eligibility. Bruce explains why this may not be as exciting for teams as it looks on paper, while Stew and Ralph look at which favorite teams could suddenly get key stars back on the roster. Finally, we track the latest developments out of Chapel Hill, where North Carolina’s Michael Lombardi has retained an attorney and is ready to clear his name.Catch Us EverywhereWatch on YouTube: Search "@AudibleShow" to see the full video episodes!Subscribe: Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a 5-star rating wherever you get your podcasts.Timestamps0:00 - Intro0:47 - Bruce reveiews the start of the FOX offsites6:00 - USC vs Notre Dame discussion15:13 - Ralph discusses latest on potential Senate involvement22:43 - Ralph explains the latest eligibility ruling in Colorado34:15 - Latest on UNC GM Mike Lombardi

Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel are live in Chicago for Big Ten Media Days! On today's program, the guys break down their biggest takeaways from the podium and ask a massive question: Are Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana the undisputed new "Big Three" and the class of the conference?Plus, Stew shares details from his exclusive sit-down interview with the Big Ten Commissioner, and the guys look ahead to crucial Thursday storylines for Lincoln Riley and Penn State.Later, the crew reacts to the historic news of Ohio State and Notre Dame adding sponsorship patches to their iconic jerseys.The mailbag is packed this week. Ralph Russo answers your questionsMost Dominant Seasons Ever: The guys tackle a heavy question from Jason in Columbia, SC, ranking four legendary individual seasons since 2000: Tim Tebow (2007), Cam Newton (2010), Joe Burrow (2019), and Travis Hunter (2024). Is Hunter's dual-award season actually crazier than Shohei Ohtani?Blue Blood Urgency: Which historic program needs a successful campaign the most to avoid sliding into complete irrelevance in this new era of player compensation?Coordinators Under Pressure: Bryan from Atlanta asks which coordinators across the country are facing the absolute most heat, whether they are stepping into championship expectations or trying to fix struggling units.Timestamps0:52 - Bret Bielema’s comments4:49 - Stew on his convo with Tony Petitti13:26 - Bruce’s takeaways from day 1 of media day15:09 - Matt Campbell & Penn State16:18 - USC & Lincoln Riley23:15 - Stew is concerned about Michigan24:50 - Dante Moore & Oregon discussion25:49 - Stew on Oregon27:45 - Jersey Patches31:23 - Audible Mailbag31:56 - Question 1: Blue Blood schools35:57 - Question 2: Most impressive individual seasons39:33 - Question 3: Coordinators under pressure44:02 - Gift card for Mailbag winner

In today’s episode, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman and Ralph Russo break down a chaotic week in college football, starting with breaking news out of Chapel Hill, a massive Big Ten Media Day preview, and the sport’s latest labor shifts. First, the guys dive into North Carolina placing general manager Michael Lombardi on paid administrative leave. What does this mean for the Tar Heels' 2026 season, the program's structural future, and the long-term relationship between UNC and Bill Belichick? Bruce and Ralph evaluate Lombardi’s brief tenure as a CFB general manager and project what expectations look like for UNC moving forward. Next, with Big Ten Media Days kicking off and USC head coach Lincoln Riley taking the stage tomorrow, the guys preview the biggest storylines, teams, and coaches they are chasing down. Plus, they break down the 2026 Preseason Big Ten Poll, discussing why predicting an order of finish is harder than the SEC this year and why Bruce is underwhelmed by the conference's running back rooms. Finally, they tackle the latest massive labor news as Stanford football players move toward creating a collective bargaining unit. Does this bring college football closer to a CBA? To wrap up, Bruce and Ralph highlight college football’s 2026 "All-Geezer Team," spotlighting the 7th- and 8th-year players still dotting rosters, including names like Avery Johnson and Bear Alexander.📺 Watch us on YouTube: @AudibleShow🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode!TIMESTAMPS:1:10 UNC places GM Michael Lombardi on paid administrative leave due to HR complaint6:13 - Another distraction for UNC7:28 - What happens going forward?16:36 - What is high on Bruce’s list for Big Ten media day?20:36 - Oregon Ducks title contention?23:31 - Last time Ohio State won the Big Ten25:36 - Pressure on Lincoln Riley and USC31:46 - The Big Ten RBs34:35 - Stanford players and a CBA?40:25 - The All-Geezer team

In this episode, Bruce Feldman, Stewart Mandel, and Ralph Russo dive deep into the latest college football headlines, rank the nation's quarterbacks, and answer your burning questions in the mailbag.First, we react to Florida head coach Jon Sumrall embracing the grueling 9-game SEC schedule and his thoughts on the rivalry with Georgia. Then, things get spicy in Lexington as Kentucky offensive coordinator Will Stein drops a bold, Curt Cignetti-style claim about why the Wildcats will win.Next, we break down The Athletic’s 2026 college football quarterback tiers, ranking every projected starter from 1 to 138. The guys reveal their picks for:Which tier-2 (or lower) QBs will jump into Tier 1 (LaNorris Sellers, Marcel Reed, Jaden Craig)Which big-name signal-callers they are highly skeptical of (Josh Hoover, Julian Sayin, Noah Fifita)Their favorite under-the-radar tier 4-7 sleepers to ride with this season (Tyler Hughes, Alberto Mendoza, Lincoln Kienholz)Finally, we open up the mailbag to tackle your questions:Is Indiana's Curt Cignetti destined to regress like Chip Kelly now that the rest of college football has copied his transfer portal blueprint?How would the summer hype surrounding Miami be different if Notre Dame had made the College Football Playoff over them last winter? • Why has the recruitment of elite Junior College (JUCO) players dropped off so drastically over the last 15 years compared to the 1990s?0:00 - Intro0:48 - Will Jon Sumrall help reignite the Florida-Georgia rivalry?11:15 - Has Kentucky found their Curt Cignetti in Will Stein?16:43 - Start of the QB tier discussion17:50 - Which QB not in tier 1 will finish the season in tier 1?22:50 - Which QB are you skeptical of?31:03 - Pick a QB ranked in tiers 4-7 to ride with this season.40:19 - Mailbag questions