In their first pod of 2012, the Solid Verbal guys talk to Chris Brown, the brain behind Grantland's "Draw It Up" posts as well as SmartFootball.com. Ty Hildenbrandt, Dan Rubenstein, and Brown review the evolution of Michigan's offense under Brady Hoke, the foundation for all Nick Saban defenses, the up-tempo attack of Chad Morris at Clemson, and the fatal flaw of Notre Dame in 2011.
Plus, with the biggest bowl games upon us, Brown helps break down the differences in the offensive attacks of Stanford and Oklahoma State, and the similarities between Wisconsin and Oregon, and he discusses how college offenses have the potential to change the professional game.
Feeling the need to pick out the perfect holiday gift for diehard college football fans, The Solid Verbal invited a special guest on this week's pod: ESPN's Chris Fowler.
Fowler reflects on some of his favorite moments from the 2011 regular season and also rehashes the meteoric rise of College GameDay, which is now the preeminent college football show on television. Plus, Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein chat with Fowler about direction of his alma mater's football program, the controversial ending to the 1991 Orange Bowl, and the future of American tennis.
In this week's pod, Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein welcome Lowell Galindo to the program to discuss Mack Brown's future in Austin and Texas A&M's move to the SEC. He also answers a question some Longhorns fans may not want to hear: Should the University of Texas feel threatened by the rise of other, non-traditional Big 12 powers?
Also, The Solid Verbal guys talk to Galindo about his windsor knots, fireside chats with Joey Harrington, and his one-liner at a Texas football banquet. Plus, Dan lays out his plan to become the T. Boone Pickens of San Diego State when he, one day, earns a billion dollars.
College football's regular season may have ended, but that doesn't mean The Solid Verbal has any plans of ceasing transmission. With only one short week until bowl season kicks into high gear, Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein welcome Scott Van Pelt to the show to discuss the LSU-Alabama rematch, the long-term impact of conference realignment, and the curious decision by UCLA to hire Jim Mora Jr.
Plus, the boys break down Saturday's Heisman Trophy ceremony, Randy Edsall's first year at Maryland, where to buy silver suits, and how to block kicks in NCAA '12.
Well, the regular season is officially in the books. We have arrived at bowl season, and The Game of the Century (of January) between LSU and Alabama will determine this year's national champion. Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein remain lukewarm on the notion of a rematch and take a gander at other, more intriguing bowl matchups that will warm your holiday season.
Plus, The Solid Verbal guys take a closer look at Oklahoma State's throttling of Oklahoma, the Heisman credentials of Robert Griffin III and Montee Ball, and the latest installment in Dr Pepper's long tradition of halftime throwing contests.
And finally, don't forget to play against other Verballers and Grantlanders in the official bowl pool of The Solid Verbal. The winner may or may not receive a shirt featuring the face of a large jungle cat.
In this week's Solid Verbal podcast, Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein review another dominating performance by LSU, this time over Arkansas, and discuss the frightening possibility of the Tigers' defense being even better in 2012. Plus, after an Alabama rout in the Iron Bowl, they concede that a rematch will occur, but not before lobbying for a playoff and threatening a December filled with wall-to-wall New Mexico Bowl coverage, just to keep things fresh.
Hildenbrandt and Rubenstein also dissect Montee Ball's Heisman resume, the end of the Tommy Rees experiment, Michigan's big win in The Game, UCLA's march to Pac-12 South glory, and Pitbull's improbable role in Dr Pepper commercials. Plus, Ty's groundbreaking method for trash-talking his future self, Dan's theory on quarterbacking statistics, and another batch of listener voice messages.
On this week's pod, Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein examine the crushing upsets of Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Clemson, and debate the merits of an SEC team that may now hold the keys: Arkansas.
The Solid Verbal guys also discuss appropriate ways to commemorate the Pac-12 South championship, the current state of goalpost technology, and "casual dress" James Franklin. Plus, another round of listener messages and the official opening of Verbie nomination season.
It was a tumultuous week in the world of college football, as the Happy Valley community struggled to deal with the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The Solid Verbal's resident Penn Stater, Ty Hildenbrandt, traveled back to State College to see how fans were coping with the allegations.
Dan Rubenstein also visited Palo Alto report on Oregon's impressive victory over Stanford, plus, the guys discuss the end of Boise State's home winning streak, the technicolor uniform experiment featuring Maryland and Notre Dame, Oklahoma State's continued dominance, and the need for a Jerrod Johnson Award for inconsistent quarterbacks.
College football's eighth week came and went, but not without some serious stomach punches for a few prominent programs and fan bases. In today's pod, The Solid Verbal breaks down Kirk Cousins' Hail Mary, Oklahoma's poor showing, and the possibility of a BCS rematch between LSU and Alabama.
Plus, Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein discuss James Franklin's casual dress Saturday, Dayne Crist's bad karma, and Nick Foles' winning effort.
The Solid Verbal returns to break down all the action from "Tire Fire Saturday," including Ohio State's passing offense, a near "Clemsoning," and more unfortunate uniform combinations.
Plus, Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein examine Denard Robinson as a passer, propose a support group for disheartened wide receivers from the Midwest, and explain what Maryland football has in common with Forrest Gump. Oh, and more listener voice messages.
In the wake of an anticlimactic Red River Rivalry game, Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein review college football’s sixth week. They discuss another Honey Badger attack, the Urban Meyer-to-Penn State rumors, and Texas A&M’s generous defense.
Hildenbrandt and Rubenstein also rank the the top five teams in the ACC, take a stand against celebration penalties, and analyze Brady Hoke’s “QB Eagles” treatment of Denard Robinson. Plus, more listener voice messages.
Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein return to the Grantland Network to wrap college football's third week, review their favorite Road Test Weekend memories, and attempt to figure out screwy conference realignment storylines.
Ty also briefly exhales after an impressive Notre Dame win and discusses his experience at the Temple-Penn State "game" in Philadelphia (his obsession with minimally-armed QBs continues). And finally, your Week 3 Reverbs (listener reaction voicemails) are unleashed onto the world.