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The Audible with Stew, Bruce & Ralph: A show about college football
QB Disappointments + Heisman Dark Horses
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The 2025 QB class was supposed to be special, but Bruce’s recent story reveals major concerns about Arch Manning, Cade Klubnik, and Drew Allar. The guys break down why Manning is pressing at Texas, Klubnik's alarming regression at Clemson, and whether Allar is the next Christian Hackenberg.
On the flip side, Dante Moore is blossoming at Oregon after leaving USC, and Garrett Nussmeier still has NFL believers despite LSU’s struggles. Plus, Ralph and Bruce debate Heisman contenders: Can Diego Pavia actually win it if Vanderbilt stays ranked? Is Fernando Mendoza the real deal at Indiana? And why Rueben Bain Jr.’s defensive dominance at Miami might not be enough to get to New York.
Timestamps approximate:
0:00 Intro
1:00 Transfer RBs who haven’t lived up to expectations, and why transfers sometimes struggle
6:33 The Disappointing QB Class
19:25 Heisman Race: Moore, Mendoza, Pavia, Bain
32:38 Breakout Players of the Week: BYU, Michigan mentioned
39:07 Mailbag: Coaching Fit, Authenticity vs. Credentials
43:10 Mailbag: Will All College Football Show Replay Conversations Like the ACC?
45:56 Mailbag: Why has the JUCO pipeline declined?
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The QB Draft
48:48|Ralph, Stew, and Bruce draft their top five quarterbacks for a season-long competition. Rotisserie scoring, three categories: total yards, total TDs minus interceptions, and wins. Who went first overall? Who went undrafted? Where did Chambliss, Manning, and Maiava go? Plus, Sark takes shots at Texas Tech, and Coach O returns to Baton Rouge.Petitti Pushes for 24, and Iowa State’s AD Calls Out SEC and Big Ten
49:54|Tony Petitti made an impassioned public case for the 24-team playoff, and Ralph thinks he’s operating from a position of strength. Is this inevitable? With the Big Ten and SEC threatening to leave the NCAA, Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard says, figuratively “Hey man, go for it.” Plus, mailbag on the best position groups in college football history, whether recruiters still matter in the age of NIL, and why administrators can seem to work against their own fans.Hot Takes on Playoff Expansion, Sorsby Files his Lawsuit, and Week 1 Hidden Gems
47:08|Ralph Russo returns from his trip to Italy to find college football in full chaos. The 24-team playoff has gone from a whisper to a roar. The ACC and Big 12 on board, while ESPN and the SEC pump the brakes. What's actually driving this? And does the math work? Then, Brendan Sorsby files a suit that Bruce and Stew find unconvincing. Plus, the guys pick their favorite Week One games and under-the-radar matchups.More 'Vanity Fair' Fallout, Sark Piles On, and the 24-Team Playoff Nobody Asked For
44:01|Lane Kiffin made comments in his “Vanity Fair” piece about Ole Miss recruiting and race that are making waves, and now Steve Sarkisian is also taking the opportunity to take a shot at the Rebels. What both coaches said reveals some interesting insights into the SEC's increasingly public grudge matches. Then: the 24-team playoff has real momentum now, and Bruce and Stew aren't happy about it. In mailbag, could we do a creative "NIT-style" bowl alternative?Kiffin’s ‘Vanity Fair’ Moment, and Which Coach Wins the Next Title
39:19|Ahmad Hardy, Missouri's star running back, was shot over the weekend. Bruce has the latest there. Then, a Vanity Fair profile on Lane Kiffin delivers some gems, like Kiffin implying that Ole Miss fans should be grateful for all he did for them (before abandoning the team during the playoffs). Then Bruce puts Stew on the spot with a ranking exercise: of eight of the most likely active coaches who haven't won a title (Lanning, Freeman, Cristobal, Sarkisan, Kiffin, Campbell, DeBoer, and Riley) who will actually get there?Florida's New Identity, Thoughts on Dabo, and the Best QB Battles You're Not Talking About
40:36|Jon Sumrall is building something real in Gainesville, with a loaded receiver corps and a legitimate QB battle. Matt Campbell's Iowa State imports are quietly reshaping Penn State. Avery Johnson gets a fresh start under Collin Klein at K-State. Jaden Craig arrives from Harvard to replace Josh Hoover at TCU. And Memphis may have the most compelling quarterback competition in the country. Plus, Dabo vents about Notre Dame's money machine. Is he just relitigating the past?Cignetti's Underdog Story, AI in Recruiting, and a G6 Playoff Push
40:40|Stew's new piece on Curt Cignetti reveals how 15 seasons (14 losing) as an assistant shaped his chip-on-the-shoulder identity. Then, some recruiting departments are using AI to provide a boost to their productivity. The Athletic’s Antonio Morales joins the show to explain the promise and skepticism. Plus, American commissioner Tim Pernetti floats an intriguing Group of Six playoff.The latest on Brendan Sorsby, and where Texas Tech goes from here
50:05|The dust on the Brendan Sorsby gambling scandal isn't going to settle any time soon, even if Texas Tech realistically needs to start planning for a 2026 season without it's greatest get in the transfer portal. On this episode of The Audible, senior writer Justin Williams joins Bruce Feldman and Ralph Russo to bring us up-to-the-minute on where things stand with Sorsby. Then, Bruce and Ralph consider how Sorsby and Texas Tech might turn the page. After that, the guys discuss the latest on the 5-in-5 proposal and open up the mailbag.Sorsby's Gambling Bombshell + What the Draft Taught Us
42:59|Texas Tech's quarterback situation just went from promising to potentially devastating. Brendan Sorsby's gambling admission, which includes alleged bets on Indiana games while he was there, could end his college career entirely. Then: what the NFL Draft reveals about college football. Clemson had nine players picked, but struggled to get over .500. Miami had six players taken in the first 98 selections. Indiana set a program record for players taken. And Diego Pavia's Heisman run couldn't buy him a draft slot. Plus, Kalen DeBoer gets a big new seven-year deal.